Ayyyy guys, so there's a couple more fights in this chapter that I'll be skipping, which I think most of you are thankful for. I'm glad you're happy that I leave them out, because I know you can't be bothered reading them and I sure as hell can't be bothered writing them haha xD

At the beginning of the previous chapter, I told you what Episode number and Manga chapter these Chunin Exam fights start on, so if you need to see/ read these fights for some reason, start from there.

Ashley's POV

"Alright Shikamaru!" Naruto cheers with excitement. "You've gotta win your match too, okay?"

The Nara merely sighs in response, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

"Ugh...." he mumbles unenthusiastically. "I dunno. Maybe I should just quit too. I mean, even if I did beat Temari and make it into the Finals, there's no way I want to fight against any of the winners of this round eith-"

"You can do it Shikamaru!" Naruto shouts, cutting the male off and slapping him on the back.

My eyes widen as a shocked Shikamaru is pushed right over the balcony railing, not having expected Naruto's slap of encouragement.

"Shikamaru?!" I exclaim, watching him disappear from view, before spinning around and punching a sheepish Naruto upside the head. "You idiot!"

"Ow!" the blonde cries, rubbing his head with both hands as he ducks away from me. "Sorry, I didn't mean it!"

"Well" I sigh, crossing my arms. "At least he's in the fight now I guess...."

Chi giggles at the scene, standing up on his hind legs and resting his front paws on the railing. He peers down into the arena, only to giggle again as Shikamaru hits the ground with a loud thud.

"Shika-kun looks like a bug from up here" the Wolf states gleefully, no doubt unable to remember Shikamaru's whole name. "A squished bug!"

Naruto and I cringe at the sound of Shikamaru hitting the ground, slowly peeking over the ledge, only to see the Nara lying on his back and glaring up at us.

"Do you think he's mad?" Naruto asks after a few seconds of silence.

".....Probably" I say with a nod, sweat dropping. I know I'd be mad if Naruto had pushed me over the edge like that.

I almost start laughing however, as the crowd begins to jeer at Shikamaru, yelling for him to get to his feet and fight. He doesn't move though, his face twitching slightly.

Knowing Shikamaru, he probably just wants to be lazy and lie there, which would irritate the crowd even further. I wouldn't be surprised if that was his intention.

"What, are you planning on giving up as well?" Temari sneers, causing Shikamaru to glance over at her, a slight frown on his face.

"C'mon Shikamaru!" Naruto begins shouting, stomping around in a circle and waving his arms. "Pull yourself together and get up! Try starting the fight sometime this year!"

"He's gonna kill you for being so annoying" I inform my blonde teammate, who seems to be too busy yelling to pay much attention to me.

"Fine then" Temari says, a smirk on her face. "If you won't start this fight, then I will!"

"Hey wait!" Genma calls out, watching as Temari takes off towards Shikamaru. "I didn't say to start yet!"

We all stare at Shikamaru, standing in the middle of the arena with one arm raised in the air. Temari, caught in the Nara's Shadow Possession Jutsu, mimics his pose. She stares at her opponent in shock as well, not having expected him to give up just when it looked like he was about to win.

"He what?!" I hear Ino screech from her place in the stands, something that makes me laugh to myself. Sounds like Shikamaru is going to get an earful from his teammate later on.

"I can't say that I'm overly surprised that he gave up" I comment, sweat dropping. "I mean, he did mention it before his fight..."

"He's such a lazy idiot!" Naruto fumes, slamming his fist down on the railing. "He had her! He was about to win! Why would he just give up like that, huh?! When he gets back up here, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!"

I slowly hood my eyes as Naruto continues on his angry rant, turning my head to look over at the ever silent Shino.

"You know what Shino?" I ask the male, a rhetoric question that causes him to glance over at me. I grab the bridge of my nose and release a sigh. "I've decided that I like you. You don't give me a headache like he does...."

I point to Naruto with my thumb, as Shino stares at me for a few moments. He eventually just nods his head and turns back to watch whatever is happening in the stadium, clearly not overly caring about my opinion of him.

See? This is why I've decided that he's okay. He doesn't make noise and he's not irritating!

"I've changed my mind!" Naruto announces, jumping up onto the railing. "I'm gonna go and give him a piece of my mind right now!"

I blink as Naruto leaps down into the arena, both Chi and I peering over the edge and watching him stalk towards an uninterested Shikamaru.

"He's really weird" Chi decides, tilting his head to the side.

"Sure is" I agree.

"But I like him" Chi adds brightly, tail wagging.

".....Yeah, me too" I admit, only to scowl when the audience begins to call for Sasuke's match to start. "What do they wanna see Sasuke for anyway? My match was way better than anything he's gonna do......"

"Don't pout like that Lady Ashley" Chi instructs cheekily, turning to look at me. "I thought you did good! Super good! Super, super, super good! Super, super, super, super-"

"Thanks Chi" I interrupt wearily, not wanting the Wolf pup to go on and on, "But your opinion of me is pretty biased."

Chi stares at me for a few moments, head cocked to the side as he tries to figure out the meaning of the word biased.

"Arf!" he eventually barks, sounding almost exactly like Akamaru. I can't help anime falling at that, as Chi merely closes his eyes and smiles down at me. Honestly.....

"Sorry that we're so late" I suddenly hear a familiar voice apologise, causing me to leap to my feet. "Didn't think there was going to be so much traffic on the way over."

My eyes widen at the side of Kakashi and Sasuke now standing in the middle of the stadium, having appeared out of nowhere. Though my cousin stands there with a familiar grimace on his face, I can't help smiling to myself, glad that he's alright.

With Orochimaru roaming around the Village somewhere, and after he went for Sasuke in the Forest of Death, I'm pretty wary of the fact that he might try to get Sasuke again.

"Ooooooo" Chi breathes, his nose twitching as he sniffs the air. "Who are they Milady? The crowd's gone silent, so they must be important! Are they famous? Are they from a movie? I haven't seen that movie, but they look so cool and I wanna see the mov-"

I poke Chi in the side, which makes the young Wolf close his mouth, but I can still feel him wriggling around beside me. I swear, sometimes he's just as energetic as Naruto.

"It's about time you showed up Sasuke!" I call, smirking as the raven haired boy looks up at me. He smirks right back, lifting one hand in a lazy wave.

Genma soon walks over, asking who Sasuke is and why he's interrupted the Exams like this.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha" my cousin responds, to which the crowd erupts in applause, with people whistling and cheering wildly. This is the match they've all been waiting for I suppose.

"Alright then" Genma says once the noise has died down somewhat, "Gaara! Time for you to get down here as well for the next match!"

I watch as Naruto gives one last confident thumbs up to Sasuke, before he runs out of the arena with Shikamaru. A chill suddenly runs up my spine however when, not too far from me, Gaara begins chuckling quietly to himself.

I turn my head and peek at the red haired Ninja from the corner of my eye, thinking he sounds slightly crazy, as he slowly heads for the staircase.

'This is going to be one interesting fight' I sigh internally, leaning down and folding my arms along the railing. 'I just hope Sasuke doesn't end up like Lee.....'

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kankuro and Temari, who has already returned from her fight, watching Gaara with concerned expressions on their face.

"Gaara!" Kankuro addresses urgently, though he tries to keep his voice down. "No matter what happens, don't let him distract you from following the plan, oka-"

"Shut up!" Temari hisses, hurriedly jumping forwards and slapping one hand over her teammate's mouth. She and Kankuro both look at me uncomfortably as I straighten up and narrow my eyes at them in suspicion.

Just what are they up to? What plan could they be talking about. I don't think I like the sound of this....

"Plan?...." I hear Shino repeat under his breath, clearly as wary as I am of what that could mean.

"Surely you can see that now isn't a good time to talk to him" Temari whispers in Kankuro's ear, nodding her head at Gaara's back as he disappears down the staircase. "Not unless you want to get yourself killed..."

I also turn to look at Gaara as Kankuro releases a low, shaky breath, only for me to sigh and glance back at the other two Sand Ninja again.

"I don't know what you guys are up to" I say casually, though I can see that the edge in my tone is making Temari and Kankuro even more uncomfortable than they already are, "But I just want you to know that I'm watching the both of you very closely."

The Sand Ninja exchange vaguely panicked expressions with each other, before stepping up to the balcony railing and looking down into the stadium as Gaara makes an appearance on the ground. I see Temari's fingers gripping the railing so tightly, that her knuckles are turning white.

I don't know if I'm right about this or not, but it almost seems like the both of them are afraid of Gaara for some reason. I mean, no doubt they're aware of his Tailed Beast, but I don't think that's it. It's probably because he's super creepy and wants to kill people all the time.

Would he kill his own teammates though?.......Probably.

"Why is everyone up here so creepy?" Chi whimpers, his tail between his legs. "I don't like it, it's scary. Jet-chan needs to be here with us...."

"You'll be fine Chi" I reply, hoping that's true.

On the ground, Sasuke stares into Gaara's eyes as the red head stands before him, an arrogant smirk on his face. Gaara stares right back, his face a cold mask.

He begins chuckling again however, which causes Sasuke to raise one eyebrow, though he doesn't seem worried at all. Maybe Gaara doesn't creep him out? Then again, he didn't see the fight with Lee and he wasn't there when we ran into Gaara at the hospital.

An uneasy feeling suddenly begins to wash over me, though I can't really put my finger on why. Maybe it's because Gaara is being so weird, maybe it's because Orochimaru is probably here somewhere, or maybe it's because of this plan that Kankuro mentioned. I don't know, but I don't like this feeling. I almost feel apprehensive, as if something is going to happen.

"Okay!" Genma calls out, dragging my attention back down to him. "It's time for this match to begin!"

Genma leaps out of the stadium as Sasuke bends his knees and braces himself, watching the sound pouring out of the gourd on Gaara's back.

I watch on in surprise, as Sasuke manages to perfectly replicate Kakashi's jutsu, the Chidori. Electricity sparks around the Uchiha's hand, chirping so loudly, I can hear it over the sound of the cheering crowd.

'So that's what they've been up to all month' I think with a smirk, resting my elbow on the balcony railing and leaning my chin in my palm. 'That must've taken a long time to get right. Looks like it takes up a lot of chakra.'

Sasuke races towards Gaara, who is encased in an incredibly sturdy sphere of chakra infused sand. Nothing that my cousin had thrown at the shield could penetrate it.

There is a collective gasp from the crowd, as Sasuke charges forwards and throws his hand towards Gaara's shield. The Chidori pierces through the strong sand, Sasuke's electrified hand disappearing from view.

I jump as Gaara suddenly begins to scream from inside his shield, as if he had been murdered.

"Blooooood!" the red head shrieks. "My....My blooood!"

"Eep!" Chi squeaks with fright, quickly dropping down onto all fours and cowering next to me. "He's so scary! I don't like him....."

Sasuke struggles to pull his arm free from the sand, scowling with the straing. Just as Gaara begins to scream again, the Uchiha manages to free himself and jumps backwards, only for a huge arm to shoot out of the sand shield. I can see blue veins inside the sand arm, though they hadn't been there before.

'I-Is that....." I think, feeling alarmed as I watch Sasuke manage to dodge the arm, "...The Ichibi's arm?!'

I throw an angry look over to Temari and Kankuro, who both look rather terrified for some reason.

"Hey!" I bark sharply, catching their attention. "I don't know if this is part of your little plan or whatever, but did you guys bring Gaara here to release his Tailed beast or something? Don't you know how dangerous that is? Do you even know what he's really capable of?!"

The two Sand Ninja stare at me in utter surprise, probably wondering how I could know about the Ichibi, when Kankuro shakes his head.

"Of course we know!" he retorts, his eyes wide as he turns to look back down at Gaara.

"Why do you think we're behaving like this?" Temari snaps at me. "Do you think we want to die?!"

"No" I growl back, narrowing my eyes dangerously, "But let me say this. If Gaara doesn't kill you guys, then I will. You've put everyone here in danger!"

"Milady, I don't like this" Chi whines, cuddling into my side. "I'm scared and that weird guy down there is scary too.....I want Jet-chan...."

"Shh, it's okay Chi" I reassure the young Wolf softly, kneeling down to his height and placing a hand on his head. "You don't have to stay for this if you don't want to. I know you're scared."

"I'll go back" Chi decides, immediately perking up. "I don't wanna be brave anymore. I was already brave once today."

"Yes you were" I agree, smiling as the Wolf disappears with a puff of smoke.

I rise to my feet and look down into the arena, only to see that Gaara's shield is crumbling away. He glares at Sasuke hatefully, blood seeping between his fingers as he holds onto his shoulder.

"Heh, looks like Sasuke did get him after all" I chuckle. My smile immediately falters however when, in the stands behind Sasuke, I see people beginning to fall asleep.

"What?" I question, squinting my eyes as I see something floating down amongst the crowd. "Why would people be falling asleep in the middle of the fight they've all been waiting fo-"

I cut myself off as white feathers suddenly begin to rain down on the contestant's balcony as well, with so many of them falling that they just about block my view. I feel myself immediately growing drowsy, my eyes beginning to close.

'What is this?...." I wonder sleepily, dropping to my knees.

"Genjutsu!" I hear someone on the roof above me shout, sounding alarmed. "Quick, release it and head for Lord Hokage!"

Hearing the shouting of the onlooking ANBU Black Ops above, I blink a few times, feeling groggy. Genjutsu? Who would be casting a Genjutsu if they're not in a fight?.....

Struggling to keep a coherent train of thought, I shake my head to try and clear it of the fogginess, before placing my hands together and focusing my chakra.

"Release!" I shout, expelling chakra from all of my chakra points to break the Genjutsu I had fallen under. I'm not the best at breaking Genjutsu and certainly not the first to notice it if I am caught, but luckily for me, I'd overheard the ANBU Black Ops and the Genjutsu hadn't been a super powerful one.

An abrupt explosion on the Hokage's balcony catches my attention, my eyes widening as fire and smoke rise into the air. Two groups of ANBU Black Ops assemble out of the shadows and race towards the Hokage, only to halt as a huge Barrier Jutsu is erected around the area.

I watch as Leaf Ninja begin leaping around the stadium, having managed to free themselves from the Genjutsu as well. Some run along the roof tops, pausing beside civilians or pulling out their weapons, readying themselves to defend the Village.

"Gaara!" Temari and Kankuro both cry out, the two Sand Ninja leaping over the railing and down into the arena.

"What on earth is going on around here?" I wonder out loud, still confused by the abrupt and chaotic change of situation. "Is this part of the plan Kankuro was talking about?"

"Arghh!" a pained voice cries out, causing me to look up.

My eyes widen as someone rolls down the roof towards me, flames burning his flesh. I quickly step out of the way as he drops down onto the balcony, writhing in pain. Seeing the mask covering his face, I note that the man is an ANBU.

I swiftly activate my Katsuryoku and focus on the man, stretching my arms out in front of me. After a few seconds, I manage to put out the flames, much to the ANBU's relief.

"Ughh....." he groans, slowly sitting up. "Thanks."

"No problem......" I reply slowly, a frown settling on my face as the ANBU begins to heal his injuries. "What's.....What's going on?"

"Orochimaru is attacking the Village" the man informs me, not even glancing my way. "He's got Lord Hokage trapped inside that barrier and it seems like the Sand Village are helping him. You'd best get to safety kid."

I freeze at the mention of Orochimaru's name, the blood in my veins seeming to turn to ice. I feel cold as I stare at the ANBU before me for a few moments, my heart thudding against my chest.

So Orochimaru is still here.....And now he's attacking the Village. I don't know what he's planning, but I can say for certain that I really don't want to run into him again.

"Look kid" the ANBU addresses, rising to his feet after swiftly healing himself, "Thanks for the help, but you either help defend the Village or get to safety. Don't just stand there doing nothing."

That said, the man disappears from my sight, bounding across the roof so fast, he's nothing more than a mere blur to me.

"Yeah right" I eventually scoff, turning on my heel and leaping down into the stands to look for any familiar faces. "....Kid....."

Kakashi's POV

"That's a Barrier Jutsu!" Guy exclaims, pointing up the Hokage's balcony. Perched on top of the tiled roof, translucent red walls stretch high up into the sky, trapping our Hokage inside.

I glance around at all of the sleeping spectators and sigh, wondering why someone had chosen to attack our Village.

"They somehow managed to outsmart even the ANBU Black Ops" I say lowly, watching as Sand and Sound Ninja begin leaping over the walls to attack us. "They're supposed to be the best...."

I briefly wonder where Ashley could be, hoping that she hasn't been caught up in the fray. I'd seen her up on the balcony during Sasuke's fight, but I have no idea where she is now.

As for Sasuke, I'd seen him take off after Temari and Kankuro, when they'd leapt down into the stadium and vanished with an injured Gaara. I have no idea what he's planning to do, but I wish he hadn't gone after them.

I look down at a confused Sakura, who is sitting near my feet. At least she knows how to break a Genjutsu, which is more than I can say for Naruto....

Suddenly, a member of the ANBU Black Ops appears at the bottom of the stands that we're in.

"Huh?" I ask, confused as to why he's here rather than helping the others.

"What are you doing down here?!" Guy demands to know. "Lord Hokage needs your assistance right now!"

The ANBU member merely turns away from us, as four Sound Ninja suddenly leap up from their places in the crowd.

"So..." I growl. "Not only are they pouring in now that the attack has started, but they were disguised as citizens as well..."

"Our enemy was parading around, disguised as a member of the ANBU Black Ops?" Guy questions wearily, before noticing the man's hand sign. "He must be the one who cast the Genjutsu."

"No doubt" I agree, letting out a humourless laugh and shaking my head. "There's a lot of them huh?"

"We were careless" Guy concedes, frowning as he looks back up to the barrier. "Now even Lord Hokage is- Kakashi! Look who's inside the barrier!"

I turn my head as Guy points, confused by his sudden alarm, only to see who he's talking about. I narrow my eyes up at the figure, immediately feeling tense at his presence.

"Orochimaru...." I murmur distastefully. So, even after our run in during the Preliminaries, he's been hanging around the Village. I thought he would have left after a whole month, but I guess not....

"Orochimaru?!" Sakura repeats, sounding frightened. Not that I can really blame her, after what my team said happened in the Forest of Death.

"Wait, wh-where's Sasuke gone?" my pink haired student asks, frantically looking around when she notices his absence. "I can't see him anywhere...."

Before I can respond, two Sound Ninja leap towards us, aiming for Sakura. She sees them coming and, in a panic, ducks her head. I can't help inwardly sighing at this reaction, as I'm sure I've taught her better than that....

I dart forwards and appear in front of Sakura, quickly taking the two Sound Ninja out by stabbing them both with kunai knives. Clearly they hadn't expected me to attack, or maybe they would have been a bit more of a challenge.

"Hey Sakura?" I address with a closed eye smile, to which the girl slowly peeks up at me. "Why don't you just stay here while we cut down the enemy's numbers?"

"Um....." she says uncertainly, looking somewhat ashamed. "Well...Okay........"

Immediately a small number of Sound Ninja rush towards us, only to be dowsed by a huge blast of fire. They cry out in agony as the flames burn their flesh, only to fall silent as they hit the ground.

"Nice job Aoba" I compliment the incoming Leaf Ninja.

"Thanks" he smirks back, pushing the red sunglasses back up his nose. He continues on his way, flipping down into the stadium and darting out of the way as a Sand Ninja flings a kunai knife at him, a paper bomb attached to it.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I am just in time to see Guy karate chop a Sound Ninja in the face, before pounding another one right in the stomach and letting out some sort of war cry that makes me sweat drop. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's enjoying himself.....

"You should probably pay more attention" a voice taunts from behind me, "Otherwise it'll be your funeral!"

Without bothering to turn around, I jab my elbow backwards, jamming it straight into the enemy Ninja's stomach. As he doubles over, exhaling sharply from the hit, I spin around and nail him again in the stomach, this time with a powerful kick that sends him tumbling down the stairway.

He probably shouldn't have announced himself by mocking me like that. Might have had a bit more luck in attacking me then.

"Nicely done Kakashi!" Guy compliments, picking a Sand Ninja up above his head and heaving him down into the arena. "I'm a little worried about Lord Hokage though!"

"Just leave that to him and the ANBU Black Ops" I advise, ducking as a kunai sails over my head. "We've got problems of our own down here, and besides, it's not like Lord Third is some feeble old man. He can hold his own against the likes of Orochimaru."

I glare down at the fake ANBU, who is still maintaining his Genjutsu. I have to take him down!

As I run towards the man, three Sound Ninja immediately turn and charge at me, apparently wanting to protect the ANBU. They each pull out kunai knives, one in each hand, and throw them straight at me. While I manage to dodge the first few, I wince as one of the knives stabs itself into the top of my arm.

I skid to a halt and, with a sharp intake of breath, rip the kunai from my arm, causing blood to drip down my sleeve. I swiftly jump up and spin around as the three Sound Ninja engage me in close combat, only for all three of them to be violently kicked away.

As I land in a crouched position, I see another enemy Ninja racing towards Sakura, who is too busy worrying about me to notice the man. I sigh and throw the kunai in my hand, hitting the man in the shoulder just as he is about to grab my student.

The force of the hit knocks him to the side, with Sakura's head wrenching around at the sound of him falling. She gasps, quickly jumping to her feet and scampering away from the man.

'Dammit' I think to myself, looking around and seeing that the enemy seems to outnumber the Leaf Ninja in the stadium. 'I'm never going to get to that fake ANBU at this rate....'

"Hey Sakura!" I call out, catching the girl's attention. "It was worth teaching you Genjutsu during your survival training. You're very talented at negating it, so go and release the Genjutsu on Naruto and Shikamaru. We need them to wake up so that you can undergo an important mission!"

"What kind of mission?" Sakura asks timidly.

"You'll have to be very careful" I warn, "Because it'll be your first A Rank mission."

"What?!" Sakura exclaims, panicking. "Why do we even have to go on a mission during a huge battle like this anyway?!"

"Because" I state pointedly, slightly annoyed that I even have to explain myself in such a tense situation, "Sasuke is tailing Gaara and those other two Sand Ninja. We can't let him engage them in battle."

"He's what?" Sakura squawks, only for her eyes to widen as she points at something behind me. "Kakashi Sensei, look out!"

I whirl around, only to see two Sand Ninja rushing at me, mere metres away. If I hadn't been so busy answering Sakura's questions, I might have noticed them sooner!

Before I can defend myself however, both Ninja are suddenly slammed out of the way by a small wall of rock and sent flying. I blink a few times, not having expected that result, when a familiar voice catches my attention.

"You guys should really pay attention" Ashley remarks smartly, dropping her arms back down to her sides.

"Ashley!" Sakura cries happily, relieved to see that her teammate is okay. "I'm glad you're not hurt."

"Ditto" the blonde girl responds, a ghost of a smile on her face as she looks to Sakura.

"Where have you been this whole time?" I inquire, wondering if perhaps Ashley had gotten carried away with fighting the enemy. I hope she hasn't been putting herself, or others for that matter, in any unnecessary danger.

"I've been looking for you guys!" Ashley answers, smirking. "But these Sound and Sand Ninja keep getting in the way. They're so annoying! One slashed my face with a kunai!"

Here Ashley scowls as she turns her head to the side and points up at a nasty gash on her cheek. A drop of blood slowly drips down her skin, though the wound doesn't seem to be too significant.

"He got what was coming to him afterwards though" Ashley adds with a brief chuckle, visible eye glittering mischievously. "C'mon Kakashi, I wanna kick some more butt! Let's do this!"

"Hang on just one second" I instruct, pulling out a kunai and slicing my thumb, as Ashley looks around for any nearby enemies.

"Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura asks, frowning a little. "Why don't I wake Ino and Choji up for this mission as well?"

"Mission?" Ashley repeats with interest, her head snapping back around to look at me. "What mission? If it's more fun than here, I wanna go!"

"It's not fun" I scold the blonde, to which she pulls a face at me. "They're going to find Sasuke. As for your question Sakura, there's no time to wake a whole group of people up. Besides, if you have more than the normal four man squad, it takes longer to get things done. Plus it makes hiding from the enemy more difficult."

"But we have a five man squad" Sakura contests stubbornly, "And we get along just fine!"

"Yeah, but that's coz I'm always saving you guys" Ashley teases, poking her tongue out at Sakura playfully. The pink haired girl giggles at this, their interaction making me smile to myself.

'Look at that' I think, amused by the idea, "Big, tough Ashley is trying to cheer Sakura up.'

"So, if this is going to be a four man squad" Sakura asks, sounding hopeful, "Will you be coming with us Kakashi Sensei?"

"No, I have to stay here and defend the Village" I reply, shaking my head as I place my hand on the back of a damaged seat. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Pakkun, one of my Ninja Hounds, appears in a puff of smoke, perched on the back of the seat. He stares up at me, as Ashley pulls another face and sweat drops.

"Ninja Hounds....." the blonde mutters disapprovingly, earning herself a brief glare from Pakkun. I don't know what her problem is, considering she can summon Wolves, which are basically the same as Dogs....

"What's your problem girlie?" Pakkun asks flatly, as Ashley flings a kunai straight into the face of an incoming Ninja.

"What can I say?" she asks rhetorically, shrugging her shoulders. "I just find Wolves more reliable."

"In any case" I sigh, not wanting Pakkun to get into an argument with Ashley and rile her up, "Pakkun here will be able to lead you to Sasuke by tracking his scent Sakura."

"Um....Are you serious Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura questions uncertainly, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her face. "You want a puppy to be our fourth member?.....What about Ashley? I mean, she's awake and she's right here!"

Ashley releases a humourless laugh at that, placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head.

"As much as I'd love to join you on this mission and chase after Sasuke" the girl says sarcastically, before suddenly turning serious, "I'd rather stay here and help fight the enemy off. I don't like it when people muscle in on my territory you know.....Besides, you guys will be fine without me, I'm sure."

I give Ashley an admiring look, feeling strangely proud of my student. She's willingly staying back to protect the Village? I'm sure by now Ashley's aware that Orochimaru is here, so considering she's deathly afraid of him, it's even more commendable that she's staying behind of her own volition.

She's certainly changed since we all first met her. Back then, it was an effort to even get her to talk to any of us, let alone get her to defend anyone.

"Alright little girl" Pakkun barks, bounding over to Sakura and getting right in her face. "Don't you dare go around saying that I'm just some cute little puppy."

"Don't flatter yourself!" Ashley scoffs, barking out another laugh. "She never said cute!"

"I'm going to bite you" Pakkun warns seriously, turning to glare back at Ashley over his shoulder.

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" I order, before sending Ashley a harsh look. "Don't be so rude to Pakkun, okay? He's a loyal and trusted friend of mine."

"..........Fine" Ashley sighs, folding her arms over her chest and looking away. Thank goodness she's not in an argumentative mood right now. It's really not the time and I don't have the patience.

"Get going Sakura" I instruct, pointing towards her unconscious teammate. "Wake Naruto up, get Shikamaru to stop pretending that he's asleep and hurry after Sasuke!"

"He's pretending?" Ashley asks incredulously, her expression falling when she sees the Nara sit boltright up, his hand having been bitten by Pakkun. "Figures...."

"Ashley" I address my student seriously, causing her to look up at me. "I can tell that you're a bit stronger than most other Ninja your age, and that's probably because of your......well, unfortunate upbringing lets just say."

Ashley's brows furrow at my words, almost as if she is hurt by them. Perhaps I don't know the full extent of what this girl has been put through at the hands of Orochimaru, but right now her strength, combined with that of the other fighting Ninja, is going to be an asset to the Leaf Village.

"I think you'll be of more help here in the Village" I continue genuinely, noting the way Ashley's face brightens ever so slightly. "We need to dwindle down the enemy's numbers. Your mission is to help your fellow Leaf Ninja accomplish this goal."

"You're trusting me to help with something that's such a big deal?" Ashley asks, tilting her head to the side, eyes wide.

"Do I have any reason not to trust you?" I counter, raising one eyebrow.

Ashley straightens up at that, brows furrowing and her teeth bared in a cheeky grin. She shakes her head vehemently from side to side, almost looking as if she's about to salute me or something.

"No way" Ashley answers proudly, hurriedly pulling a scroll out of her weapons pouch and unrolling it. "I've got just the way to help too Kakashi! Summoning Jutsu!"

As Ashley bites her thumb and swipes blood across the scroll's parchment, she immediately vanishes amidst a large cloud of smoke, four shadowy figures appearing around her.

"Summoning us again so soon Milady?" I hear Ace's familiar voice ask, as the smoke begins to dissipate. "I had only just begun to relax."

"Relaxation time is over team" Ashley announces matter of factly, hands on her hips as she looks between her four Wolves. "We've got a situation to deal with."

The Wolves, three of whom I don't recognise, all look to Ashley with interest.....Although, it really is hard to tell if Ace is interested or not. The few times I've met him, he always seems rather apathetic.

The large brown and cream Wolf whirls around before Ashley can explain, his nose twitching as his lips pull back into a rather intimidating snarl.

"I can smell blood" the Wolf chuckles, lowering his head and focusing his red eyes on the battles being waged around him. "Lots of blood."

"Oh dear" the white Wolf sighs. "Well, I am relieved that you didn't summon Chi at least Milady. The poor dear was so tired after his big fight today."

"One of us should have stayed back with the kid" the huge, ebony coloured Wolf mutters. "He shouldn't be left on his own...."

"Hurry up and finish the job" Ashley says flatly, her eyes now hooded. "Then you can go watch over Chi."

".......Does anyone else see Orochimaru on that roof?" Ace wonders boredly, though I can see that he suddenly seems more tense than a moment ago. "I do not like this Milady, do not go anywhere near that monstrosity."

"Yeah, he's kind of the problem" Ashley responds tightly, purposefully turning her head away and frowning at the ground, a small bead of sweat on the side of her face. "He's brought a bunch of Sand Ninja and Sound Ninja here to attack the Leaf. We have to stop them."

"I can help with that" Kai rumbles, already pressing himself into the ground, ready to leap away. "And if Orochimaru gets in the way, I'll rip him to pieces as well!"

That said, Kai launches himself forwards with a roar, barrelling straight towards an incoming group of Sound Ninja. The large Wolf easily knocks the members of the group to the ground, tearing at them with his sharp claws and teeth.

"Can someone please remind him to only go for people wearing either Sand or Sound symbols?" Ashley asks with a sigh, waving her hand. "If any of you get too badly injured, don't fight until you die please. Just end the summon and go back to Inu Zoku Mountain."

"Retreat?" Jet asks, sounding disgusted by the thought. "But we-"

"I am not hauling any of your dead butts back to the mountain" Ashley warns, an anime vein growing on the side of her head. "We don't have time for this! Ace, Rei and Jet, scatter!"

With a roll of his golden eyes, Jet leaps into the fray and runs after Kai, obediently heading off to remind the bloodthirsty Wolf of who our enemies actually are.

"We will report back to you later Lady Ashley!" Rei says with a scowl, though she can't help giggling as she gives Ashley a playful salute. "Come Ace dear, let us make a game of it. Makes things a little less grim, you know?"

"I do not like to leave you Milady" Ace admits, rising to his feet, "However I shall obey. If you are in trouble, please summon me to your location."

"I will Ace, don't worry" Ashley assures the large Wolf. "Just protect the Village and look after Rei."

Ace gives Ashley's shoulder a gentle nudge with his nose, before he and Rei run down into the stadium together to help the other two Wolves.

Ashley watches her Wolves for a few moments when, seemingly satisfied that they will be okay, looks to me with a grim expression. She says nothing however, keeping whatever is troubling her to herself for the moment.

I'll have to ask her what's wrong, but for now, I need to speak with the other Genin. It seems Sakura has done as she was told.

"Alright" I begin, turning to face Naruto, Sakura and a less than impressed Shikamaru, "I'll explain the mission to you all, and I don't want to hear any arguing. This is important."

"You are to hunt Sasuke down and stop him from engaging in battle with Gaara. I don't know what's going on here, but after seeing what Gaara is like, I really don't want Sasuke fighting him all alone. Once you have retrieved Sasuke, you are to hide in a safe location until you receive further instruction. Is that clear?"

Sakura nods her head dutifully, as Shikamaru merely heaves a sigh and Naruto tilts his head, seeming to be confused about something.

"Did something happen to Sasuke?" the blonde asks, only to have Sakura grab him by the arm and roughly pull him to his feet.

"I'll explain on the way" she responds, dragging Naruto through a large hole that had been blasted in the wall behind us. "Come on!"

"This is such a drag" Shikamaru complains, running a hand down his face. "Why me?....."

"Look you little whiner" Pakkun scolds, "If you stop complaining and we succeed in this mission, I'll allow you to touch my paw okay? The paw pads too."

"......Uhhh, what?" Shikamaru asks incredulously, raising both eyebrows at the Pug sitting in front of him.

Pakkun holds up one small paw and waves it in Shikamaru's face, not concerned at all about the disturbed expression on it.

"Come on, you know you want to" Pakkun encourages. "They're really soft!"

Shikamaru continues to stare at Pakkun, a drop of sweat sliding down the side of his face. Ah Pakkun. While he may appear to be incredibly serious, the Ninken certainly has an interesting sense of humour.

"Ugh, no one ever wants to shake" Pakkun sighs heavily. "Even though my paws are so soft and supple!........Never mind, let's just go already."

That said, the Ninken clamps his jaws down on Shikamaru's hand and drags him out through the same hole Sakura and Naruto had left through moments earlier.

I sweat drop as the two disappear from sight, holding in a sigh of my own, only to turn around and see that Ashley is staring out into the distance, brows furrowed.

"What's wrong Ashley?" I ask. "Are you worried about Orochimaru?...... You know I won't let him get to you, right?"

The blonde turns her head and gives me a slight smile at that, appreciating the sentiment.

"It's not that" she tells me, shaking her head. "When I was looking for you guys, I ended up having to fight a guy on the roof. While we were fighting, I saw one of Orochimaru's snake summons in the Village."

"A snake summon?" I repeat lowly. "So he's not just attacking the Chunin Exams, he's attacking the whole Village...."

"I've never fought those snakes myself" Ashley continues, looking back towards the Village again, "But I know they're tough. It's basically impossible to kill one, unless......"

Here Ashley frowns and looks up at me, her hands balling into fists down by her sides.

"Kakashi, you want me to help the other Leaf Ninja right?" she asks, to which I nod. "Well, I can probably help more out there, with the snakes. There are plenty of Ninja in here to fight the Sand and the Sound."

"You'd better go and complete your mission then" I instruct, earning a cheeky grin from Ashley, her sharp teeth visible. "Good luck."

"Thanks" she scoffs, already running away from me, "But I don't need it!"

"Arrogant brat" I mutter, though I can't help smiling to myself as Ashley eventually leaps out of the stadium and into the Village.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke may all be improving in strength, but Ashley is definitely the one who has improved in personality. She's almost likeable now.

"Hey Kakashi!" Guy calls from the stadium ground, holding up an unconscious Sound Ninja. "Let's have a little competition and see who can get the most enemy Ninja huh?"

I shrug one shoulder, sighing. What harm could a little competition do I guess?

"Yeah sure" I reply cooling, jumping down to stand next to Guy, "Whatever."

"I hate it when you act so cool!" Guy shouts, his eyes blazing. "It makes me so mad!"

Ashley's POV

I run across the tops of buildings, focusing on not tripping and falling over any of the debris that is now strewn across the Village. Broken pillars, cracked wooden beams and piles of bricks line the streets, with clouds of dust and smoke rising high into the air.

Even the roof tops aren't safe, with some of them having caved in and some of them so damaged, my weight seems to be enough to cause them to crumble.

Scowling with concentration, I focus on using my Katsuryoku to follow some heavy vibrations coming from up ahead. I don't really need to use my Kekkei Genkai, considering the snakes are so large and cause the ground to shake pretty violently when they move, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Just as I leap between two buildings, a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it flies right past me, before suddenly exploding. The force of the blast sends me rocketing backwards and straight into a wall, causing the breath to be knocked right out of me. I groan as I then tumble to the ground, too shocked from the explosion to catch myself from landing in a heap. I lay still for a few moments, struggling to breathe, before I exhale sharply as the burn on my stomach throbs.

I hadn't seen the kunai coming, but clearly one of the enemy Ninja had seen me. I should be paying more attention to my surroundings, or I could end up dead. I'm lucky that bomb hadn't hit me directly, or I could very well be dead right now.

Pulling myself into a sitting position, I grit my teeth and focus chakra into my hands. I can't fully heal burns, even if they're more on the minor side like this one, but maybe I can at least dull the pain.

I sit with my hands on my stomach, trying to heal myself a little, when I see a Sand Ninja leap across the buildings above me, as I had been trying to do moments ago. He flings something back over his shoulder, only for another loud explosion to tear through the air a second later.

I cringe as small pieces of wood and brick rain down around me, before tilting my head back just in time to see two angry Leaf Ninja pursuing the enemy. At least they had seen the paper bomb coming....

After a few more seconds, I slowly climb to my feet, pulling a face. My stomach still stings a little and the wound is looking pretty red raw, but at least now I'll be able to move without flinching in pain. I'll just have to deal with it and remember not to be so careless next time.

Letting out a low breath, I then bend my knees and jump back onto the roof tops, refocused on finding at least one of Orochimaru's snakes. I don't know how many there are, but hopefully he didn't summon a lot. I just hope Manda wasn't summoned.

After another minute or two of running, I spot one of the large snakes up ahead. It hisses loudly, jaws agape, before darting forwards and crashing into a building.

I see three Ninja jump out of the dust cloud that billows into the air, landing on a different building closer to me. I immediately recognise one of the Ninja as Ibiki Morino, our Proctor from the written exam.

"Nothing we throw at it is working sir" one of the other Leaf Ninja states, crouched beside a livid Ibiki. "It's skin is too tough!"

"There's a way to get through it" Ibiki responds, his voice rough. "We just have to figure out what that is."

"It's coming back again!" the third Ninja shouts, jumping to his feet as the snake slowly turns to glare at them, its tongue flicking in and out.

I jump across the gap between the building they are on and the one I'm on, running up behind Ibiki.

"You can't kill it from the outside" I explain hurriedly, panting a little. "Its skin is full of chakra, almost like a shield."

"I can see that kid" Ibiki says flatly, sparing me a glance over his shoulder. "Now you better get out of here so we can take care of this snake."

"No, I'm here to help" I argue stubbornly, frowning at the tall man's back. The other two Leaf Ninja exchange doubtful looks with each other, annoying me further.

"This is not a debate" Ibiki growls right back at me, though he glares right into the opposing snake's eyes as he speaks. "Consider this an order. Get out of here!"

"We've got this kid, don't worry" one of the Leaf Ninja says, smiling awkwardly.

I merely glower back at him, highly unimpressed with the way I have been dismissed. Perhaps Ibiki doesn't remember me from the Chunin Exams, but I am not the kind of person who does nothing when their pride has been hurt.

I'll show them.

"You're not my Sensei" I snap at Ibiki, darting forwards and shoving past the taller man before he can stop me. I run towards the snake, placing my hands together as it rears up and opens its mouth.

"Stop!" Ibiki orders urgently, throwing one hand out as I leap away from the building.

"Fire Style: Fire Wolf Explosion!" I shout, focusing chakra into the back of my throat, just as the snake lunges towards me with its jaws wide open.

I exhale a large flame inside the snake's mouth, causing it to close it to snap shut and come to an abrupt halt, almost as if taken by surprise. I flip down to the ground and race across it in a panic, looking for some shelter.

"Get away, get away, get away!" I shout hurriedly, ducking behind a crumbling house and throwing my hands over my head.

A huge explosion then rips through the air, the boom so loud, its as if a thunderclap had sounded directly above us. A wave of hot air rushes past, throwing up a cloud of dust and causing my hair to whip around me.

After the wind dies down, I slowly lower my hands and rise to my feet, peeking around the corner of the building, only for the snake's decapitated head to land directly in front of me.

It hits the earth with a heavy thud, the resulting shaking almost knocking me right off of my feet. I place a hand on the wall to stabilise myself, staring at the steaming head through wide eyes.

I'd never done that before and to be honest, I wasn't sure if it was actually going to work. Lucky it did, or else I'd look pretty stupid right now.

Looking up, I see Ibiki and the two Leaf Ninja staring down at me and the snake head, bewildered expressions on their faces, as if they can't believe what had just happened.

I straighten up and step out from my hiding place, smirking as I pat the snake's nose.

"Told you I was here to help" I boast smugly. I'm not about to let them know how uncertain I was. Or that I'd just been blind sided by a completely obvious paper bomb.

Before I can gloat too much however, another snake suddenly appears around the corner, its green eyes flashing when it notices me down on the ground.

It releases a vicious hiss, rising up to an impressive height, when a voice rings out through the air.

"Ninja Art Summoning: Bring Down the House Jutsu!"

Not even allowing me time to question the strange name of the Jutsu, what appears to be a gigantic toad falls out of the sky and lands right on top of the snake's head, crushing it completely.

"But that.....that Jutsu!" Ibiki shouts, clearly surprised.

"Long time no see Ibiki" a vaguely familiar voice calls out playfully, just as I notice a man standing on top of the large toad.

I can't help deadpanning when I realise who it is. Now the stupid Jutsu name makes sense.

"Master Jiraiya?" Ibiki addresses, confused.

"As in, one of the Legendary Sannin?" one of the Leaf Ninja beside Ibiki exclaims, his eyes wide.

"The very same" Jiraiya grins proudly, arms crossed over his chest. "When it comes to dealing with strange, other worldly freaks, no one is better than the Hermit Ninja!"

"That's because you're a strange, other worldly freak too" I can't help commenting, my tone dry. I don't care if he's Naruto's friend or teacher or whatever, I think he's weird.

"Ah, you're Naruto's friend" Jiraiya recalls, finally noticing me on the ground. "He hasn't said anything.....else about me since last time has he?"

"No" I state flatly. "We don't spend our time talking about you."

".......You know, you're an unfriendly, little brat" Jiraiya informs me sulkily, to which I can't help scoffing.

"And you're creepy" I retort.

".....Master Jiraiya" Ibiki interrupts, giving the two of us a strange look. "Do you know how many other snakes there are in the Village? This girl took care of one and you've killed another. Are there many more?"

"I've only seen three snakes" Pedo Sage responds, suddenly turning serious. "Since these two are done for, that means there's only one more to go."

'Only one more?' I think to myself, lowering my gaze to the ground and biting my lip. 'Surely with Jiraiya here, the Leaf can take care of one more snake......Hopefully Kakashi doesn't mind if I join the other mission then....'

"Good luck with the other snake" I suddenly say, saluting Jiraiya and the others by tapping two fingers to my forehead, before spinning around and running in the other direction.

I feel much less worried knowing just how many snakes there are in the Village. I was sure there'd be more than three, and now that there's only one more, I want to go and help my team with Sasuke.

Who knows what Gaara could do to them?.....