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A Sun's Devilish Maid

Chapter Eight: Test Your Mettle Pt. 2

"Alright, clean the shit out of your ears and listen up!" commanded Anko as she stood before the amassed Genin before her. "Behind me is a lovely little place called the Forest of Death. It is within these gates that the second phase of the Chunin Exams will take place!"

The Genin tried to look as far into the forestation as possible, but its thickness and the darkness within prevented them from seeing past more than a couple of trees. Some of them were unsettled by this, some looked eager for the challenge, and some looked unimpressed at the moment.

"This part of the Exams is, in short, a much deadlier version of Capture the Flag. In this case, the flags will be these scrolls," Anko continued, holding up a pair of scrolls. "Your teams will either get a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. You will need to have one of each and report to the tower located in the exact center of this forest to pass. You will have five days to do so, and in any manner you see fit."

"You mean…some of us could be killed for our scroll?" a Hidden Rain Genin asked, her face paling at the thought.

"It's a possibility, which is why all of you are going to sign these waivers. If you don't feel like you can go through signing it, then you and your teammates are to leave immediately; because there's no backing out once you step through those gates!"

She motioned for the Chunin with he to pass out the waivers and looked over the Genin to see who would be the most likely to chicken out. When she met the gaze of her students, she was pleased to see that the three of them – along with the pooch her gaki had – looked nothing short of determined to see this test through.

With the waivers passed out, she waited a few minutes for the Genin to sign them before the Chunin were ordered to collect them. The woman wasn't surprised to see that at least three teams had a member that couldn't handle the pressure that was risking their life. They weren't ready; so, they had to go as a failure of the Exams.

"Now that everyone has signed, each team will step through this tent and be handed a scroll. Keep it hidden from other teams; unless you prefer to put a target on your backs," Anko suggested with a wicked grin.

Once each team had their scroll, they were assigned a gate to enter the forest from. Team 11 was, ironically, entering from Gate 11. The trio and dog found humor in that, chuckling when they saw the sign on their gate.

"You ready?" Naruto asked his teammates, earning an eager bark from Jenna.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Ty Lee replied with an excited smile.

"We'll get through this, no sweat," Yakumo declared simply before some feedback was heard from the speakers over every gate.

"One last piece of advice before this test begins," Anko's voice was heard saying from the speakers. "Watch each other's backs, sure; but watch your back even more. You never know what might happen in the Forest of Death. Now, let this next phase of the Chunin Exams begin!"

With that, the gates opened and the multitude of Genin rushed inside.

"Five days straight in an unknown and hostile environment," Grayfia mused aloud. "This will test them both physically and mentally."

"That's the point. Chunin are expected to keep their heads better than Genin, seeing as they have become journeyman ninja of their respective villages. Fresh Genin are almost expected to break under the strain of the pressure a test like this would generate," the Hokage explained.

"Break?" Ophis repeated.

"Not in a literal sense, Ophis-sama. In an emotional or psychological sense," Grayfia clarified. "What Hokage-sama means is that the Genin, more than like due to their age and inexperience, would find it more difficult to handle a situation like this than those who have more experience or time."

"Are all Humans so physically and emotionally fragile?" the dragoness asked with a faint frown. "Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place…"

"Not all Humans are like that, I assure you," Sarutobi stated in disagreement. "Some may surprise you; like I'm sure Naruto and his teammates will."

"Perhaps…"

Leaping through the trees, Team 11 made their way through the Forest of Death with their senses sharp and a weapon within reach. Anko had trained them outside of the gates of this massive forest, having been told by higher-ups that the interior was off limits to anyone below Chunin in rank.

And even then, Chunin were restricted to certain zones. In fact, plenty of Chunin were stationed in the forest to prevent Genin from going into the more dangerous zones.

Naruto and Jenna were in the lead, seeing as Jenna could smell what was ahead while Naruto could sense who was ahead of them. In the middle was Yakumo, who was in a defensive position with her genjutsu usage. Ty Lee took the rear, being the most agile and mobile of the group.

Naruto halted their progress when he stopped on a branch with his hand up in a fist. The girls stopped as well, being sure to do so as quietly as possible to prevent anyone from locating them through sound. Naruto's fist let up two fingers and twitched to the left before dropping to a single digit and twitching downward.

The message was read by his teammates: two Genin towards the left and a single one below them.

"Naruto, swing around counterclockwise to flank the duo," Yakumo whispered. "I'll distract the one below and Ty Lee can take them out."

They nodded before Naruto added, "Jenna, stay with Yakumo."

The red furred pup gave a barely audible bark before she moved to sit beside the genjutsu user. With that, the team got to work with Naruto swinging around while Ty Lee dropped down silently. Yakumo spotted her target and held up a single seal, focusing her chakra with ease as she cast her trap.

"Genjutsu: Deceitful Nirvana," she whispered, sending out her chakra and latching it onto the Waterfall Genin below her. She smirked when she saw him tense for a split second before his muscles went slack. "That's right… Just a bit more," she urged as her pink eyes gleamed dangerously.

This was something Yakumo and Grayfia had discovered a few weeks after the maid helped Yakumo with her inner succubus. Since they both merged in a sense, Yakumo could "feed" on sexual energy. It was why she developed the Deceitful Nirvana illusion.

In short, the genjutsu trapped the target in a sexual fantasy that was buried deep inside their consciousness. The targets most affected by this technique were those who came off as "prudish" or "overly proper". Everyone had a perverted fantasy, and the harder they rejected their perverted side, the more they were reeled into the trap.

Which meant more for Yakumo to feed on.

Meanwhile, Naruto had positioned himself below the duo that had yet to notice their teammate had been overtaken by a genjutsu. He absently noted that Ty Lee had struck and incapacitated the Genin Yakumo had trapped, dragging his immobile body into some bushes.

After a second, he saw her carefully step out and shake her head. He didn't have their scroll.

"You sure this method will work?" the lone kunoichi of the Waterfall Genin questioned her teammate.

"Absolutely," he answered. "Other teams will see Takumi alone and think he got lost, which lets us get the drop on them."

"There's a problem with that plan, I'm afraid," Naruto spoke up from behind them, using chakra to enhance his presence. He saw that they were frozen stiff, unable to move as he leaned forward, so his head was between them. "You can't do anything for a teammate you don't pay attention to, or if you can't watch your own backs."

They couldn't respond and their worlds went dark as Naruto knocked them unconscious with the ringed ends of a pair of kunai knives. For their sakes, Naruto had a pair of Shadow Clones catch them so they wouldn't crash onto the ground below.

Meeting his team, they searched the other two and found that the kunoichi was the one holding their scroll. Unfortunately, they also had an Earth Scroll.

"Damn," Naruto cursed, putting the extra scroll into his supply pouch. Team 11's scroll was actually in a seal that Naruto had put on Jenna's orange bandanna. No one ever searched the puppies.

"At least we have an extra that we could use if we don't think fighting it out will work," Ty Lee noted.

"That's true. Not to mention, the longer we have it, the less likely the team needing it will get it," Yakumo added.

"Good points," Naruto agreed. "Let's keep moving."

"Right," the girls replied as the trio and pup leapt off.

A day and a half had passed, and Team 11 had settled themselves in a hollowed-out tree that was concealed by thick underbrush and was walking distance from a river teeming with fish.

"Three and a half days left," Yakumo mused, watching her fish cook on the small fire in the middle of their camp.

"It was good thinking to focus on finding shelter instead of searching for more teams," Naruto praised Ty Lee, who smiled.

"It just made the most sense, after all," the acrobatic kunoichi replied. "Why waste energy hunting when we wouldn't have a place a hide out."

They nodded before the sound of intensified wind roared nearby followed the screams of Genin and the toppling of some trees; one of which crashed just feet away from the entrance of their camp. Team 11 was quick on their feet and Naruto kicked dirt onto the fire to extinguish it before they all rushed out to see what had happened.

"Holy hell," Naruto gasped out, seeing the incredibly wide, but straightforward trail of destruction. "Wind Style… Easily A-Rank in power," he elaborated after quickly studying the damage.

"Who could have a jutsu that powerful?" Ty Lee asked.

"Possibly a Sand Genin," Yakumo guessed. "They specialize in Wind Jutsu, after all."

"Maybe…" Naruto mused before he saw Jenna sniffing around. "Find something, girl?"

She barked once and pointed to a direction slightly altered from the path of destruction before them. She whimpered as she pointed, showing that whatever it was had bothered her.

"Looks like we might have a culprit. Should we check it out?" Ty Lee queried.

"I say we should; but we should move carefully. Whoever did this could still be on the lookout for anyone trying to take advantage of their attack," Naruto advised.

"Let's get going, then," Yakumo declared before Team 11 followed after Jenna.

Sasuke Uchiha, last of his Clan loyal to the village, was frozen in terror at how his Dragon Flame Jutsu proved absolutely ineffective against his current adversary. All it did was partially melt the fake face that the man was wearing; revealing part of his true face beneath.

Those yellow eyes… They bored into his soul and ripped apart any form of bravery or swagger; rendering him back to the small, terrified child that had been unable to stand up to his brother on that horrible night years ago.

"Come now, Sasuke-kun," the man practically hissed out like the snake he appeared to be made from. "Is this truly the worth of the fabled Uchiha Clan? If so, then perhaps it was best that Itachi wiped them all out back then."

With that taunt – that reminder of the one who took everyone he ever loved – Sasuke found his second wind and glared at the man with nothing short than the hatred of an avenger. That hatred spurred his own family blood, enhancing his Sharingan so that both eyes held two tomoe in them.

With renewed vigor, the Uchiha brandished a pair of razor-sharp kunai and kicked off the branch he stood on. He was out for blood; blood of the one who dared promote a monster's actions as beneficial.

The snake like man merely grinned fiendishly at the young man and easily held him back with a single senbon; a needle parrying a pair of large knives with the ease of a master against a novice. His grin grew when he saw the frustration and growing fury in the eyes of the Uchiha, having studied enough of their Clan to know how to "help" the survivor "evolve".

"Yes~!" he hissed out in sheer delight. "That's it, Sasuke-kun! Use that hatred! Come at me with everything so that I can strip away your strength! Let me show you what power I can offer you!"

"Shut up, freak!" Sasuke roared out, using a trick Kakashi taught him.

However, instead of the vibratory cutting power of Lightning Style chakra, the Last Uchiha instead channeled Fire Style into his kunai. This caused the blades to slowly gain a bright orange glow with a molten amber core. It proved effective, cutting through the senbon and searing the snake man's hand.

A grin formed at finally wiping his grin, replacing it with a look of agony as he leapt away and held his burnt hand. To Sasuke's surprise, a finger was also missing from him.

Hissing in pain, the man actually chuckled after a little while; his terrifying grin returning. "Yes, that's what I want to see. Uchiha have been shown to adapt in order to survive, and that's what you've done just now, Sasuke-kun; adapted and survived."

Sasuke was tense and ready for anything…except for the man to turn a dark brown and fall apart like mud. And was also not ready for the man's voice to be heard right next to his ear from behind him.

"But you must never stop fighting for your survival, my dear prey; never when the hunter is still on the prowl~…"

Searing, horrible agony was felt spreading through Sasuke's body; as if lava was moving through his bloodstream and infecting him. Unknown to him – save for the initial prick of fangs piercing his collar area – a seal had formed on his skin.

"You'll come to me eventually, Sasuke-kun," the man assured the Uchiha. "After all, only I can give you the power necessary for your vengeance; the power needed to kill Itachi."

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

That was the last thing Sasuke heard before everything went dark.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Naruto roared at the man who had bitten Sasuke, sending out all four of his Chakra Chains at him.

The man leapt away from the golden chains, watching as they went from offensive to defensive as two grabbed the unconscious Uchiha and reeled him back while the remaining two swayed like snakes.

'Oh, the irony,' Orochimaru mused with a chuckle. 'And to think that their child would be the one trying to stop me. I suppose friendships can bleed into the next generation.'

He was, of course, referring to how both Sasuke and Naruto's mothers were as close as sisters when they were growing up. Absently, he wondered how the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero would react to how Mikoto Uchiha never did anything for her only son.

'I might actually be tempted to accept death, just to see that,' he mentally admitted with another chuckle.

"Something funny, snake?" Naruto growled out.

"Just thinking about people that I knew before and how they'd react to the now, Naruto," Orochimaru answered.

"How do you know his name?" Yakumo demanded, her hands formed into a seal and ready to launch a genjutsu at any time.

"I knew about his parents, actually," he admitted. "If I ever supported the ridiculous notion of love, they would be a prime example of it."

Despite the situation, Naruto couldn't fight the warm feeling from hearing praise for his parents.

"Don't let him distract you, Naruto," Ty Lee warned, her body tensed and ready to spring into action. 'This guy… His aura is so horrid!'

Jenna barked in agreement, crouching low and growling at Orochimaru.

"Right, sorry…" Naruto apologized, readying himself again as his chains let go of Sasuke and gathered his other two unconscious teammates. He then formed a trio of Shadow Clones to gather Team 7 and rush them away to safety.

"Well, now that the distractions are out of the way," Orochimaru began, finally ripping away the rest of his fake face, "shall we get on with the nitty gritty?"

"…That's such an old person saying. Just shut up and fight!" Naruto yelled out before he charged, missing the twitch in Orochimaru's brow at the crack at his age.

"If you insist, child!"

"ANBU, I want a squad ready and moving on Orochimaru an hour ago!" Sarutobi ordered. "And have another meet up with Anko and search for Sasuke!"

Ophis was staring in interest as the elderly Human took command of his forces and acted in the hope of saving the Uzumaki boy's team and some other Human child's team. She also noted that Grayfia had already gathered magic for a transportation and held a vicious frown on her face.

"Hokage-sama," she declared, her tone as frosty as her fabled Ice Magic, "I'll be going ahead to help Naruto-sama and his team. I'll also do what I can to remove the head of your wayward serpent."

Before the old man could say anything, the Devilish Maid vanished from his office while Ophis sat at his desk and kept watching his seeing orb. "…And what of you, Ophis-sama?"

"I will simply keep observing. Grayfia is a Devil of incredible power who has willingly given herself to a Human. I wish to see the lengths she plans to go for him," the Infinite Dragon Goddess answered.

With nothing else to say, the Hokage and his ANBU rushed off.

"Really now," admonished the White Snake to the beaten Team 11. "After all that bluster and swagger, that was all you had to show?"

Naruto growled as he laid on his back, covered in gashes and bruises that the Kyuubi was already helping him deal with. However, the process had been slowed to a crawl thanks to a seal thrust upon him that the Sannin had called the Five Elements Seal. He knew that the odd numbered seal was negatively affecting his even numbered one that held back the fox, which was also the reason why he felt so weak.

"I'd end you all right now out of mercy if I hadn't been impressed by how well you worked together. Not bad for a bunch of children who had been trained by my disappointing old student."

'Anko was this guy's student?!' Naruto mentally freaked out, having never heard his friend and teacher tell him this.

"Oh, you never knew? How delightful to see how little she actually trusts you."

"Shut up…!" the blonde Uzumaki growled. "She never told me because thinking of you and that pasty ass face of yours would activate her gag reflex! What, are you some sorta wannabe vampire that uses way too much sunscreen so that he doesn't turn to ash? Or are you already old enough to be ashes and your skin color is a result of all the Super Glue used to hold you together?!"

Orochimaru sneered at the insults. "I see Anko taught you her wit… A shame it won't save you in the future."

To his interest, Naruto gave a weak grin as he replied, "Why would I worry about the future instead of focusing on the here and now? Like say, me distracting you for when the cavalry arrives?"

"What nonsensical drivel are you-?" he began to question before a dense energy was felt behind him; a very dangerous energy at that.

He looked over his shoulder to see a silver haired and silver eyed woman that was oddly dressed in an ensemble reminiscent of a maid. She also had a pair of bat-like wings sprouting from her back while the temperature in the air took a noticeable dip.

It was actually cold enough for the traitor to see his breath.

"Vile serpent," she declared, her calm voice betraying the arctic fury in her eyes. "You have dared to lay a finger on my Master with your unworthy hands."

"Unworthy?" he repeated in jest.

"Precisely," she stated firmly. "As such, as my Master's vassal and maid, it is my duty to eradicate those who would dare to act in such a manner. Prepare yourself."

With no further warning, Grayfia had her wings give a powerful flap that launched her at the White Snake with incredible speed. Brandishing her trusty fan, she swiped at Orochimaru who tried to dodge, but still received a cut to the cheek.

"Filthy wench," he hissed out, spitting up a snake's head that spit up the man's infamous Kusanagi sword. "I'll cut you down before that old fool and his entourage arrive."

Grayfia said nothing in response and simply held out her hand. An archaic circle formed before her palm and unleashed a torrent of sharpened frost that flew at Orochimaru like frigid blades. As he dodged, his serpentine eyes widened at how the tree he was standing on had been torn to shreds with the edges already freezing over.

"Ice Style…? I had assumed that Clan had been killed off. I suppose I should leave you alive for study."

"You speak as if you will live past today," he heard Grayfia state from behind.

He ducked on instinct, watching as a sharpened blade of frozen wind cut down several trees before finally dispersing. He leapt away, but his senses felt the woman behind him yet again, forcing him to use Substitution to avoid being sliced in half. When he reappeared, his body screamed at him and he spun in place to block yet another swing of Grayfia's fan.

To his shock, his Kusanagi was actually being held in place by her fan. A legendary blade, known for slicing through anything, was being blocked by a simple hand fan of all things!

He managed to parry her weapon and leapt back, glaring furiously at the dangerously calm woman. "Who or what are you? You're obviously far from Human."

"Correct. I am Grayfia Lucifuge, a Devil who has pledged her life to Naruto Uzumaki. I am his maid, his vassal, his confidant, and his protector. And you are a simple worm calling himself a snake before the world; fearing to be seen for what you really are when Death finally reaches you."

"As if you're a Devil… I'll show you who's the real worm, wench!" he snarled before sneering as his old teacher and four ANBU arrived on the scene. "Sensei… While normally I'd be happy to mock you, I think I'll just leave. And don't stop the Exams…or else things may get nasty."

"Leaving so soon?" Sarutobi asked. "You were usually more confident than this."

"As I just said, Hokage-sama," Grayfia began, "he is a mere worm. And the worm will always run from its hunter."

"You may think so, but you will soon know that this snake is simply coiling himself to strike again," he hissed back as he sunk into the earth and vanished from sight and sense.

"Damn him…" the old man sighed out before turning to his ANBU. "I want a sweep of the village, the walls, and at least ten miles away from the village. Now!"

"Yes, sir!" the commander of the squad replied before the four ANBU took off.

Meanwhile, Grayfia was tending to Team 11; saving her Master for last at his insistence. "Your teammates are wounded, but they will recover with rest and medicine, Naruto-sama."

"Great," he groaned out. "And Jenna?"

"A broken leg from what I felt. I used my magic to reset the bone in place; but she also needs rest."

"Thank you, Grayfia-chan." He smiled at his maid gratefully, though he was slowly losing consciousness. "I'm glad you came…"

With that, he passed out while Grayfia looked him over. "It seems the worm focused most of his attacks on Naruto-sama," the she-Devil spoke aloud so Sarutobi would hear. "His energy has also been distorted by this five-point marking on his abdominal area."

The Hokage took a look and saw the seal Orochimaru had used. "Five Element Seal… It's cut off Naruto from most of the Kyuubi's chakra. It's also hindered his control over his own chakra."

"Can you remove it?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, but let's get them and Team 7 to the tower. I'd say both more than earned a pass on this test, seeing as they were able to survive against my student."

"He was merely toying with them, Hokage-sama… If he had decided to act seriously…"

She couldn't finish, terrified of facing the truth that she could've lost her beloved Master this day; and she would've been unable to stop it.

Placing a hand on the woman's shoulder, the Hokage gave her a reassuring smile. "We must always count small blessings, Grayfia-san. I know that such a concept may seem illogical to a Devil, but you cannot deny their existence."

"Nor have I since I met my Master," she assured the man. "everything he has done for me has been nothing short of a blessing."

"You truly love him, don't you?"

"…I love him enough to know that his life is in far greater risk than my own," the maid admitted. "I will speak with him about this when next we have a moment together. I just…hope I don't push too hard. I don't wish to lose him or his warmth. He…is like the sun."

The elderly Kage smiled knowingly. "I thought the same thing many years ago; and I still think so now."

With that, the two carried Team 11 to the tower. For them, the second stage of the Chunin Exams was over, and a well-deserved rest awaited them

"Most intriguing," Ophis mused, having watched Grayfia and her dominance against this Orochimaru. "This link between Devil and Human will require further observation. Despite failing against this snake man, the Uzumaki and his team performed well. They may prove to be useful…"

Phew! That took a while!

Honestly, I almost – ALMOST – lost my muse for this story. But thankfully, my good friend ncpfan helped me get it back. This chapter is for you, my friend.

Thank you.

Until next time!

~pain17ification~