The genin were standing in front of a worn down gate, looking with wide eyes at the sight before them. Beyond the fence, lied a dark, overgrown forest, the old trees reaching high into the sky and casting a shadow over the area. The vines hanging from the trees and the densely growing bushes and suspicious plants made the forest seem all the more impregnable. While most of the genin were gazing at the imposing trees with looks of awe, apprehension or slight curiosity, there was one pair of eyes that was shining with a very different emotion.

A pair of pale purple eyes were gazing at the forest with a nostalgic look, the softness in her gaze expressing her fondness of the place. A small smile graced the corners of her lips as she looked at what had been her home for over half of her life in this world. Her smile stiffened when a certain woman with no tact started running her mouth.

"This is the location for the second phase of the exam, the 44 battle training zone. Also known as the Forest of Death... kukuku..."

Cei sighed in exasperation, leaning her forehead on Sasuke's shoulder. She had climbed back on his back on the way to the Second exam, resuming her lazy sack position.

Anko is trying so hard to be creepy... isn't it below her dignity to try so hard just to scare a few kids?

Cei felt embarrassed on her behalf.

"Ohh, Forest of Death, so scary... YEAH RIGHT! YOU CAN'T SCARE ME AWAY!"

Naruto stood and pointed at Anko, a confident grin on his face. Sasuke and Sakura looked at him with a deadpan expression, but Ceiren just lifted her head from Sasuke's shoulder, her eyes flashing a cold light.

Anko looked at Naruto, and slowly a creepy grin spread on her face. Before anyone could react, a kunai was sent flying, grazing Naruto's cheek and leaving a trail of blood behind. Not even a second later, Anko appeared behind Naruto, her creepy grin still in place.

"Ohh, looks like we've got a tough guy~"

Anko licked her lips and lifted her hands, her finger tracing the skin under Naruto's bleeding wound. Naruto's eyes widened in shock and slight alarm.

"You're not afraid, are you? Tough guys like you usually leave their blood all over this forest..."

Anko caught a drop of blood running down Naruto's cheek and was about to bring it to her mouth, when she suddenly whipped out a kunai, aiming over her shoulder. Everyone stood in shock as they saw a tongue holding a kunai stretch out over Anko's shoulder, barely missing her brandished kunai. A raspy voice spoke up behind Anko.

"I was just returning your knife~"

Anko gave a closed eye smile as she addressed the creepy genin behind her.

"Oh, why thank you grass ninja! But you know, I really don't recommend to stand this close behind me, unless you wish to reach a premature end."

The two's eyes met, and the grass nin's lip corners quirked up just a bit.

"My pardon. With the sight of blood and your blade slicing through my hair... I guess I just got a little excited."

While 'she' started unwinding her tongue from the kunai, a sudden sensation made 'her' freeze in shock. A weight was suddenly felt on her back and slender limbs wrapped around 'her' neck and waist in an intimate motion, as if piggyback riding. A flash of murderous intent flashed in the grass ninja's eyes before they suddenly widened like saucers, when 'she' felt a tongue on her skin. The person clinging on her back licked her, the silky tongue slowly trailing up her cheek before retracting. The grass ninja was so shocked, 'she' couldn't even react before an enchanting chuckle sounded from behind her and a warm, tickling breath hit the skin by 'her' ears.

"Hello there snakey~"

Ceiren ignored all the shocked and incredulous looks given to her by her teammates and everyone else on site. Sakura looked shocked enough to faint, Gaara and Sasuke looked livid enough to murder. Naruto was grimacing, his eyes shifting between red and blue. Even Anko was gazing at the beauty with a blush on her face, silently wishing she had been the one licked instead. That sentiment was shared by the majority of the people present.

Ceiren giggled gently into Orochimaru's ear, her face breaking out into a mysterious smile as she lifted her smiling eyes to look at Anko, then Kabuto before turning back to Orochimaru, her eyes sparkling.

"There are sooo many snakies around lately! First it was a glasses snake, then a crazy unladylike snake, and now a pedo snake! Best. Day. Ever!"

The cute voice with a childish tone sure did make people speechless. Only Anko, Kabuto and Orochimaru narrowed their eyes at the girl, their eyes swirling with different emotions. After staring at the beauty with cold eyes, Anko quickly glanced at the grass ninja and then at Kabuto, her heart filled with doubts.

Orochimaru looked at the beauty, his gaze filled with suspicion and murder, but the look in his eyes slowly changed.

Those eyes...

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he looked at the girls eyes. It was true, she was a beauty that defied the heavens, but her most compelling features were her eyes. Those pale, purple orbs, that seemed to show emotions shallowly at the surface, yet he could see the darkness that lay beneath. He was absolutely fascinated with the hidden emotions in her eyes, the emotions she herself didn't seem to know were there, hiding beneath her gaze of playfulness and kindness; gloating, mischief, greed, rage, desire, pride and the starting embers of insanity.

He smiled at the girl and quickly whipped his body around, his arms snaking around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. His tongue slipped put between his lips as he licked her the same way she had licked him before. The raspy voice sounded again, this time with hints of creepy amusement.

"Well, you seem to be quite the snakey yourself~"

Ceiren giggled before nodding exaggeratedly, her wide eyes sparkling.

"Yes, you got that right! I'm the coolest snakey of them all~"

But her exaltation slowly dimmed, and her brows furrowed as she looked down.

"But no... I'm not a snakey. I'm a full fledged birdie!"

She seemed to have a moment of dejection over having to abandon the snake title, but her spirits returned as she proclaimed her birdieness with a confident expression. Some people couldn't help but lament in their hearts.

Ah, so pretty, yet why so crazy? Such a waste ah!

Orochimaru chuckled creepily, looking at the girl caged in his arms with a profound gaze. He felt that he had found someone truly, almost unreasonably interesting.

She doesn't even know what kind of evil resides in her heart.

He felt an inexplicable kinship with the beautiful girl. That insanity... he wanted to awaken it. He wanted to see, what she would do when her shell was cracked. When her mask was ripped clean of her face. When she was left with nothing but her most primal emotions. What kind of darkness would she descend into, if one were to rip off all her light...?

(Well, Orochimaru's sense of kinship wasn't completely bull. Because, chances are that those two, a pair of genuine cold blooded narcissists, might actually get along rather well...

But that's besides the point.)

Meanwhile, the air around Sasuke could freeze even the arctic itself. His eyes were glowing murder, but before he could take a step towards the soon-to-be grass cutlet, a shinobi ran towards the group, calling Anko's name. Anko looked away from the commotion and faced the shinobi, her facial expression back to professional.

The shinobi leaned over and whispered something into Anko's ear, and left after getting Anko's confirmation. The second exam proctor ran a hand through her hair, and turned to face the genin, an apologetic grin on her face.

"Well kids, seems like there are a few complications. The administrative office weren't very attentive, and missed an abnormality in the participant entries. There seems to be a four-man team taking part, but we can't have that for the sake of fairness in the exams. So, the second part of the exam has been postponed to tomorrow. Until then, the four-man team will have to decide which three members will participate, and who will sit this exam out. Meet up here tomorrow at 2pm sharp, dismissed!"

The genin shared looks before slowly leaving, uncertain of what was going on. Ceiren let go of Oreopedo's neck, slid out of his arms and walked towards her team, missing the burning eyes locked on her back. Team seven met up, and immediately Sasuke wrapped an arm around Ceiren and lifted her up, into a princess carry. At this point, the whole team was so used to it no one even commented. They just looked at each other before Naruto asked with a small stutter.

"S-so one of us has to d-drop out?"

He seemed conflicted, anxiety visible in his eyes. Ceiren stretched out her arm and patted Naruto's shoulder, meeting the youth's conflicted eyes.

"Don't worry Naruto, this is no big deal. I have a solution in mind... Also, we should probably meet up with Kakashi before we do anything."

Her teammates looked at her before all giving a sign of agreement. But before they even set out, a puff of smoke set off in front of them and when the smoke cleared, their ever-late sensei was standing with his book in hand. He gave them a little wave with his hand, his only visible eye closed in a smile.

"Well hello there my cute students!"

Ceiren waved back at Kakashi, a cute, childish giggle escaping her mouth.

"Why hello Kakashi-sensei~"

Kakashi smiled at his darling student, before looking up at the rest of them and his face turned serious.

"We'll need to talk about this."

Sasuke and Sakura gave solemn nods, while Naruto looked down at his feet, still fearing that he'll be left out.

Ceiren looked at Naruto with slightly sad eyes, hurting because he was hurting. She loved Kurama, and Naruto as well...

"Well, its getting late. How about we have dinner at Sasuke's place?"

The dark haired youth stiffened and looked down at the creature in his arms with a slight accusation in his gaze. Cei gaze him an apologetic smile and lifted her head up, giving Sasuke a quick peck on the cheek.

"C'mon, your house is he biggest... plus, we can have Kakashi-sensei cook..."

Sasuke looked at Ceiren for a while before slowly closing his eyes, the Uchiha equivalent to relenting and forgiveness. Ceiren smiled and didn't notice Kakashi's sweatdropping as they started going towards Sasuke's place.

"But...I can't cook..."

No one heard Kakashi's silent whisper as they traveled toward the Uchiha compound.