Konoha's Chef (Gaara Love Story)

12: Forest of Death

Author's POV

"Okay, everybody, listen up!" The Chunin Exam's second main proctor Anko Mitarashi yelled. "Each team will get either an earth scroll or a heaven scroll. Your team must have both. How you get the second scroll is up to you. Oh yeah, you are not allowed to open the scrolls! You all have five days to get to the tower in the middle of the forest, got it?"

"Hai!"

"Get going then!"

Teams entered the forest and gates were locked behind them. Team Three had a heaven scroll, so obviously they would need an earth scroll. Akimi grinned as soon as she stepped foot into the forest. She could feel a sense of comfort in this place. Probably because she had lived in a forest her entire life.

"We should stock up on water and food," Shigekazu said. "Akimi-san, I'll leave that up to you."

"Sure thing!"

"We should gather supplies as well," Sora suggested. "Perhaps that would be better than to rush into a needless battle."

"Right." Team Three decided to spend the first day (which isn't a lot of time, considering they had the written exams the first day then entered the Forest of Death around the afternoon) gathering food and water. As a chef, Akimi had a keen sense of smell and taste. She knew how to gather herbs, wild game, and edible plants. Dried out willow bark also filled their supplies as a simple medicine. Water was boiled, then stored in water bottles. Food was preserved, and by the time they were finished with preparations, Shigekazu kept watch while the other two slept.

The second day, Akimi woke up the cousins, and they set out, avoiding as many teams as possible. Sora calculated that just walking from the gate to the tower nonstop would take at least a day and a half. With multiple teams that would trying to either negotiate or forcibly take scrolls, a day and a half would turn to at least fifteen days, gauging their strength, abilities, and stamina.

While trying to avoid natural man-eating creatures and other teams, Team Three were also trying to find a team that had the earth scroll. Their main plan was to either negotiate or steal, rather than take on a confrontation. That was also their best choice, considering their lack of offensive strength when compared to their defense capabilities.

Flwingg!

A flying kunai stops Akimi in her tracks as a Genin team from the trees pop out and approach them.

"Show us your scroll!"

"Why should we?" Shigekazu replies.

"Argghhh! Get them!" Justus, weapons, and activated traps attack the three all at once. Team Three dodges, grabbing their kunais and shurikens out. Both Nao cousins are able to read their opponents' moves and attack their blind spots, while Akimi goes head to head in taijutsu, doing her best without the abilities to read her enemy's moves. However, Team Three has a natural trick up their sleeve.

Akimi slides one gloved hand into her bag, withdrawing a black card. In a series of quick movements, the card was no longer in her hand. Sora, who had caught the card, tossed it to Shigekazu. Shigekazu tosses it back to Akimi who gives it back to Sora again. This time, however, Sora stores the card away.

Three minutes later, one of the enemy Genin feels his entire face becoming itchy. Distracted, Sora swings a blow, sending him a few feet away. Ten minutes later, the other two feel the same itch all over their upper body. Almost immediately, Team Three draws back, causing the enemy to chase after them, but are unable to do so.

"Hey, your face has a really bad rash!" One of them yells.

"Huh? You guys have it too!"

"How did this happen?!" One Genin screams, his entire arm red and blotchy.

Seconds later, screams erupt from them, causing Team Three who are hidden in the bushes to smile as they walk away, an extra heaven scroll in their possession.

"Here you go, Akimi-san," Sora says, giving the card back to her. Akimi grins and flips the card over, sliding it carefully back in her bag. That card had been drenched in poison ivy oil. After extracting the oil, Akimi had poured the oil over several cards and used them to stop the enemy. During the fight, Akimi had landed a hit on her opponent's bare arm, allowing her to transfer the oils onto his skin directly. Afterwards, when he had brushed it, off with his opposite hand, Akimi slid the card over to Sora who did the same thing, passing the card to Shigekazu when he had finished.

"Thanks to Akimi-san, we are able to save 80% of our strength," Shigekazu remarked.

"Let's keep going!"

"Right!"