A/N

This chapter starts off from a little after where the last chapter left off.

~~~~~

Shin didn't talk much. It was either that, or Kana just wasn't used to listening for his voice. So far, he had introduced himself and gave Kana a small list of things he liked and didn't like.

He liked the colour red, he likes acting, and he said he was 14. He said he hated the smell of food cooking (as do most ghouls) and interacting with humans.

Kana tried to imagine what he looked like; eye colour, hair colour, height. However, she had never seen him, so she could only make assumptions. She spent countless hours while on watch over the course of a few days, but he often didn't respond, however, sometimes a bit of his personality bled through. Sometimes he would snicker, and Kana could just imagine his cheeky grin. 

Aside from Kana trying to get closer with Shin, Kaneki was already back at 100%, however, neither Sasuke or Naruto have started waking up. Sakura wasn't doing all that well mentally, but Haku spent a lot of time with her, talking her through her distress. Azumi did her best to hold everything together, not cracking her flawless mask of being a fearless leader. But sometimes, when she thought no one is looking her mask would break. She'd bite her nails anxiously, or play with strands of her dark blue hair, her icy eyes trained on the ground. Kana often wanted to talk to her but thought it wasn't her place to step in, after all, Azumi was just a temporary teammate. Well that, and the fact that she wasn't all that sure how to go about talking to her.

The days passed slowly, and everything overall was being held together as well as possible in their situation. Food was pretty easy to come by with a river being nearby and filled with fish, however, they had to cook food slowly in small fires to not alert other teams of their location.

Panic only started to set in on the fifth day, the last day of the second stage of the exams. If they didn't get their scrolls to the tower by noon with all teammates intact they would not pass. Azumi couldn't hide her anxiousness anymore as she paced the perimeter of the camp, biting her already extremely short nails.

It came time to switch guards and Kana walked out to change with Azumi. They walked towards each other, but before Kana could walk past her, Azumi grabbed her shoulders, facing her with tired eyes.

"We can't afford to lose this." She whispered.

"I know." Kana nodded.

Azumi released her shoulders and slowly began walking away. "If it comes down to it, we will leave them and pass, we cannot afford to make Ame look week."

Kana clenched her fist and walked past. 

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

~~~~~

A trap was set off in the distance and Kana's head snapped towards it, she cupped her hands around her mouth.

"A trap's been set off!"

Kaneki walked out of the tree trunk, with a blank face, coming up next to Kana.

"Do we wait or go check it out?" Kana asked.

"Let them come to us," Kaneki smirked. "It's always more fun if we let them think they have the upper hand and then crush them."

He dug the heel of his boot into the ground when he said the last bit. Kana smiled cheerfully, nodding once.

And so they waited.

~~~~~

"Sasuke's heart rate has changed a bit," Haku said to Sakura and Azumi. "I think he may be trying to wake up."

"Come on... Please, Sasuke..." Sakura mumbled. "And... What about Naruto?"

"Still out cold, no changes in his breathing or heart rate." Haku sighed.

"Kana and Kaneki haven't returned, what do you think happened?" Azumi asked, sharpening her sword so she could hold a weapon closer.

"I'm not sure." Haku said, his face creased with worry.

~~~~~

Three people emerged from the bushes, clad in shinobi gear that was cleary from Otogakure. Kaneki snarled at the vile symbol, staring down his nose at the genin who dared to call themselves shinobi. The first boy laughed at them, pointing out an obvious fact.

"Two against one?" He spat. "We have the advantage."

"I don't need anyone's help to beat pathetic Oto shinobi like you." Kaneki scoffed, cracking a single knuckle with his thumb.

"Pathetic?" The boy wrapped in bandages asked.

"We were handpicked to go by Orochimaru-sama himself!" The girl exclaimed. "We are the best genin from Oto!"

"If you want to get technical," Kaneki grinned, stalking closer. "I am the best genin from Oto."

"Who are you?!?" She growled.

"Ken Kaneki, but to you, just Kaneki." He smirked, giving a half-assed head bow.

"N-no way!" The first boy gasped.

Kaneki showed them his shoulder, flicking his desecrated Oto headband and smirking in satisfaction as the noise rang through the air around them. The three were shocked into silence.

"W-we don't want to fight you anyway." The boy in bandages said in an attempt to compose himself. "We are here to test Sasuke Uchiha."

"Am I not a good enough fight?" Kaneki asked in fake sadness. "That's fine, I have a deal for you."

"A deal?" The only Oto kunoichi asked.

"Yes, you take me on first and my friend here will stay out of it. She will not help me under any circumstance, and all three of you may attack me," A ripping sound came from his back as his left eye blazed red. "And then you can fight Sasuke."

Kana huffed and crossed her arms, feeling awfully ignored.

"That won't be necessary." 

A rough voice cut through the air like a serrated knife, making even Kana flinch a little. Inky black marks stretched across Sasuke's skin, covering him like black flaming tattoos.

"So that's what Orochimaru gave you," Kaneki said. "A curse seal."

Sasuke strode up to them, grinning like a maniac at the terrified Oto shinobi before him. "I need to break something."

"Don't take all the fun." Kaneki cut in. "I get at least one of them. I'm a bit peckish too."

"Sharing is caring!" Kana chirped, also feeling a bit snackish.

"Of course." Kaneki nodded, patting her head as if she were a toddler.

"Whatever, but if you get in my way you die." Sasuke growled.

Kaneki rolled his eyes.

~~~~~

Sakura was a mess. She was shivering in Haku's eyes, silently bawling her eyes out. She had never felt something like that before, and she had no talent for sensing at all. But when Sasuke woke up all she felt was pure anger, no not even that, pure evil, pure darkness, killing intent in it's rawest form. And it scared her enough to make her completely break down.

Haku was only calm from already experiencing killing intents much worse, like his sensei Zabuza for example. Or anyone in the Akatsuki actually, it surprised him how easy it was to make them use killing intent. Like when Hidan hid Kakazu's shoe as a prank and the next thing you knew Kakazu had an air of murder around him and Hidan was missing various body parts.

But Sakura was a civilian born Kunoichi, one who hadn't been a genin for very long. The worst she experienced was Zabuza and Orochimaru, and they weren't even using that much killing intent and she wasn't right next to them.

Azumi fared better than Sakura, but when Sasuke woke up she scooted as far back as possible in the tree trunk, her breathing also noticeably sped up. 

Soon the sounds of battle could be heard, kunai clashing and loud thuds as hits made their mark or were blocked. And as the drop of blood was spilled;

Naruto opened his eyes.

A/N

I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! And just a quick question, what do you all think of Azumi? Do you want more information on her and her past? Or do you think she does too much as a temporary teammate? Feedback is appreciated! Remember to vote! It gives me motivation, along with all your wonderful comments! ^-^