3rd POV

Y/N and Tenten are surrounded by the waterfall ninjas along with their shadow clones with their guard up.

Waterfall ninja: Hand us your scroll both of you.

Y/N: When you said extra scrolls that means you already have both of them, there's no need to fight.

Waterfall ninja2: True, but it'll be fun that you kids don't get to your next test.

Tenten: Whispers. Hey Y/N, if we're gonna to get out of this, we'll have to work together.

Y/N: Whispers. Not like we have a choice, but you're gonna have to trust me.

Tenten: Chuckles. Alright then.

Y/N: OK guys, we can make this easy or we can make this a quick fight. Just walk away and no one has to get hurt.

Waterfall ninja2: Haven't you paid attention, we're gonna make sure either of you don't reach to the next test.

Y/N: If that's the case, Tenten now!

Tenten: Got it!

She quickly tosses two of her scrolls up as they open and she jump up. Before the waterfall ninjas were about to attack, the kunais started to appear out of her scrolls and she rapidly throw most of the shadow clones.

Y/N: My turn! Hand signs. Wood style: deep forest emergence!

The roots started to appear from under and trapping all the shadow clones along with the real ones.

Waterfall ninja3: Wood style!?

Tenten: 'Wood style? Since when can he do that?'

Just as Tenten landed on the ground, Y/N checks the ninjas and they have both heaven and earth scroll.

Y/N: Smirk. Thanks for the scroll you guys. Maybe next time words would be easy before fighting.

Waterfall ninja: Hey give them back!

The both left to a safe distance.

Y/N: Huh, I guess that was easier if we did work together after all.

Tenten: Since when can you use Wood release?

Y/N: To be honest it was a secret but necessary to use it at the moment. All in all, we have both heaven and earth scroll. Hands her the heaven scroll.

Tenten: Smiles as she takes it. Least we don't have to fight each other anymore. I should head back now, my teams probably worried by now.

Y/N: Smiles back. Same here, good luck reaching to the tower.

They both shake hands before they part ways.

Time skip

Y/N POV

Just while I was heading back I saw Kiba ahead on a tree branch.

Y/N: Who was it who ate a lot of barbecue and try to snatch it from our plate?

Kiba: His name is Choji and if you call him fat he'll fight you unless you apologize.

Akamaru: Arf arf!

Kiba: Akamaru would often time take it if there's a open opportunity.

Y/N: Good, its you. I've been looking for you, what happened?

Kiba: Believe it or not. That animal we sense, turns out it was some guy with a wild boar mask and a broken sword. Bastard was trying to fight us until we vanish, we could've take him down but we needed to save our chakra. Thankfully he didn't chased us.

Y/N: Weird, I never saw someone with the boar mask before we started this test. Forget it, let's regroup with the others. I got good news.

Kiba nods as we regroup with Shino and Hinata. Just as we regroup they held their guard up as we did.

Y/N: OK before I'll tell you guys the good news answer me this, on our first team lesson how did we manage to pass and who figure out the problem?

Shino: It was walking up to the mountain with our chakra.

Hinata: And I was the one who figure it out.

Kiba: Sniff sniff. Its definitely you guys. So we're good.

Hinata: Um did you guys ran into anyone.

Shino: You guys did took longer than I expected.

Y/N: Hands them some water. Short version, we ran into some group but we got lucky and the best part we got the earth scroll.

Hinata smiles while Shino nodded.

Shino: We've been here long enough. Let's head straight to the tower while we still can.

We all nodded and head towards the tower now that we finally have both scroll.

Time skip

3rd POV

Kiba and Akamaru are ahead while the rest are behind them. They sure do look excited now that we got both of them.

Kiba: Haha! I know well be the ones surviving this! Right Akamaru?

Akamaru: Arf!

Y/N: Lucky for us we manage to get earth scroll easily.

Kiba: Now we're gonna be the first ones to reach the tower!

Shino: Don't get carried away. That's the last thing we need.

Y/N: I don't blame him, I'm just glad the sooner we got the scrolls the better we head to the tower.

Shino: Still, no matter the size a bug it is, it still has to guard itself at all times. This'll be safer if we don't encounter any enemies

Kiba: Yeah I know that Shino but as always, you say it in a weird way, bug-nerd.

Shino: 💢

Y/N: Guys, nows not the time. Let's just stay focus until we're safe.

Hinata: Y-yeah Kiba...Y/N and Shino has a point.

Kiba: Yeah sure, just come on!

Just then Kiba and Akamaru caught a sense and immediately stops.

Kiba: Guys stop!

Shino: They all stop. Why?

Kiba: We're being careful not to encounter any enemies right? To Hinata and Y/N. Alright you two, can you see what's up ahead in that direction.

The both nod as Hinata uses her byakugan while Y/N uses his seismic senses.

Hinata: There's someone ahead.

Y/N: I got something too, there's 6 of them.

Shino: They'll probably gonna start a fight, we should go around-

Kiba: Alright! Let's check it out.

Hinata: Huh?

Shino: Kiba! What are you saying? We're not going in.

Kiba: Why not? They say we had to get both heaven and earth scroll right? But they didn't say take more than that. So if we get more scrolls that means some of the team will be left out.

Y/N: Hmm, and then there'll be less opponents to face in the 3rd exam.

Kiba: See? He gets it. They both fist bump.

Hinata: B-but-

Y/N: Relax, we'll check it out first before we do anything.

Kiba: And if it looks too dangerous, then we won't fight them. Now come on let's go!

Kiba, Akamaru, and Y/N went ahead while Hinata was a little worried and Shino shook his head.

Shino: Now they're the kind of people that even the hungriest insect would avoid.

They went to join in and hide by the bushes but they were stop by Akamaru who was shaking frighten by something.

Akamaru: Whimper.

Kiba: Worried. Akamaru? What's wrong?

Hinata: What happened, you just stop all of the sudden.

Akamaru then hides under kiba hoodie.

Kiba: Yeah something just spook the little guy.

Hinata: W-what scared him?

Kiba: Yeah Akamaru can sniff out the enemies chakra level. But man I've never seen him this scared before. Whoever are the ninjas up ahead, they aren't ordinary ninjas.

Y/N: The ones I know that aren't ordinary ninjas so far is Gaara and his team.

Shino: The hidden sand ninjas you mentioned before?

Y/N: Yeah. If its them, we should avoid their contact before they even notice us.

The nodded and saw them at a safe distance behind the bushes, they saw it was Gaara team. Just then they witness the fight between the sand and the rain ninjas.

Gaara brutally kill three of them on his own with sand burial without hesitation. They all witness it while Hinata looks away.

Y/N: OK I think we've seen enough.

Kiba: This is bad, we gotta get out of here before he finds and kill us!

They were about to escape while Kankuro grabbed the heaven scroll from the rain ninjas.

Kankuro: Smirk. We got lucky, its a heaven scroll, alright, now let's head to the tower.

Gaara: Just shut up...

Kankuro: Confused. Huh?

Gaara: Its still...not enough for me.

Team 8 just froze thinking that he saw them.

Y/N: 'Crap! If he saw us, its over even if we run!'

Y/N gets ready to draw his sword and he look at his team with a 'Make a run' look to buy them time to escape. Meanwhile, Kankuro tries to convince him that they got what they needed but Gaara still refuse until Temari calmly begs him. Gaara held out his left hand as team 8 were sweating as they're frozen by fear. But suddenly it turns out he was getting his top of his gourd with his sand.

Gaara: Fine, let's go...

Kankuro and Temari sigh a relief as they walk away. Back with team 8 they breathe heavily as they're relief that they didn't get caught.

Kiba: Well I guess we now know why you were so freaked out. I just wish you should've said something sooner.

Hinata: W-what really was that?

Y/N: Something I hope none of us will have to fight.

Shino: let's just get out of here while we still can.

They nod and head straight towards the tower.

Y/N: 'To think someone at his age would kill a tough ninja, I guess the rumors are completely right no doubt. He definitely has a demon inside him. The only question is how and why?'

Time skip

They finally made it to the tower and the head inside.

Y/N: Finally we made it.

Kiba: I'm just glad we didn't get run into that sand kid.

Hinata: Y-yeah.

Shino: All that matter is that we made it.

Kiba: So what now?

Y/N: I guess we just open the scroll?

Hinata: Wait!

Kiba & Y/N: Huh?

Hinata: It could be risky, remember what Anko said before we got our scroll?

Shino: That's true even so it could be a paper bomb.

Y/N: Hmm... If it is then I can use a shadow clone to open it while the rest of us are in a safe distance.

Shino: Good idea.

Y/N summons his shadow clone and his shadow clone opens the scrolls while they were at a safe distance. Just then a cloud of smoke appears from the scroll and as it disappear it reveals a person know as Lilith.

Y/N: Surprise. Lilith!? What are you doing here?

Lilith: Smiles. You guys made it and by the looks of it you guys definitely been through a lot during the test. And don't worry, I'm just here to welcome you guys back. Surprisingly you guys are one of the teams made it here first.

Kiba: Wait you know her?

Y/N: Its a long story.

Lilith: Since you guys made it here early. Why don't you guys get some rest until the others arrives as well.

Just as soon as they heard that they immediately sat down as Lilith left as she's relieved that Y/N made it out alive. Few hours later they were gathered at a large room for their 3rd test along with their friends who made it out including a few ninjas. Most of them are covered with bruises.

Y/N: Looks like all our friends along with a few ninjas made it too.

Kiba: Whispers. Yeah but don't forget about those sand village ninjas. Just hope we don't get to fight them.

Y/N: Agree.

Anko: Alright now pay attention, lord Hokage is going to explain the 3rd exam to you. So you better listen carefully maggots! To Hokage. Lord Hokage, they're all yours.

Hiruzen: Alright then. Steps up. Ahem, before I tell you what's the 3rd exam will be, let me explain about the test itself. Listen closely now, its something that all of you need to understand.

Time skip through Hiruzen explanation.

Y/N POV

After the lord Hokage explain about the test itself. We needed to go through this "preliminary" to reduce the numbers of candidates since they didn't expect a lot of us to pass hell we were trying to survive through forest of death. What's worst is that we'll start the preliminary immediately.

Kiba: Come on you mean right now!?

Ino: But we just barely surviving the last exam! Don't we get a break!?

Shikamaru: Man what a drag.

Y/N: For once, I agree.

Choji: Hey what about our meals?

Hayate: Oh yeah uh I forgot to mention this but the winners will be determine by one on one combat. Then again, feel free to drop out.

Y/N: 'Hell nah we made it this far!- hm?'

I notice Sasuke is holding his neck for some reason as if he's in pain. I guess that forest really got him good. I ask Sakura since she's close to him.

Y/N: Whispers. Psst, what happened to him?

Sakura: Whispers. He's been like this because of the curse mark from-

Before she could finish her sentence, Sasuke stop her.

Sasuke: Forget it, its nothing.

Y/N: Maybe you should step out, who knows what will happen next.

Sasuke: Shut up.

Y/N: Easy Sasuke, I'm just trying to help you out.

Sasuke: If you wanna help then just stay out of my way.

Y/N: ....fine. Just remember what I said last time.

Sasuke: Whatever.

Just then there was an electronic signboard on the wall.

Hayate: The names of each player will be randomly selected and displayed on this electronic signboard while the rest of you will be at the upper level. Now we shall begin. The first two opponent will appear.

The electronic signboard randomly selected Yoroi Akado vs Sasuke Uchiha.

Y/N: 'And now it begins...'