Chapter 55

"It doesn't matter." Kimimaro asserted. "We can defeat them all."

The Shark man raised his hand and let it fall in a half-hearted backhand onto the boy's head bopping him. "No. You think you can beat them all. Kiri's not the only one with bloodlines bone boy."

"But...that still makes no sense! The chuunin examinations in Konoha have been one on one tournament style competitions. Even if we were to cooperate we'll still just be fighting-"

"Why is that." Orochimaru interrupted.

Kyofu's mouth clicked shut. "What?"

"Can you tell me why it is our exams have consisted primarily of tournament style, one on one competitions for the spectator portion of the examinations?" The sannin drawled.

The three gennin thought, but each came up with a blank.

The Sannin spoke. "Take in the entire picture. Konoha has a grand total of eight large clans. The Senjuu, the Uchiha, the Hyuuga, the Aburame, the Akimichi, the Inuzuka, the Yamanaka and the Nara. And while two of those clans have no blood lines all of them have strict, regimented training. The only village that can slightly match that number of kekei-genkai clans is Kiri, whom hold six. We are the ones that are most likely going to field the strongest gennin because ours will have the advantage of powerful clan techniques."

Kisame nodded. "Even if you end up losing those gennin will end up making a good show and will show off just how diverse those bloodline and clan techniques are. Even one lone Hyuuga can burn through the rest of the inexperienced competition that doesn't know enough long range jutsu to make up for it normally. And if they do the proctors will be sure to rig the numbers to keep that person as far away from the Hyuuga as possible, hoping someone else takes them out or weakens them.

"Konoha doesn't rig exams!" Ryoko hissed, smirking after a moment. "We leave that to the lesser villages."

"Ohh I like you kid." The blue man laughed. "But that not how things work outside of lala land. Insults or no insults."

Orochimaru cracked his neck as he kept talking. "Every chuunin examination, on any Shinobi's territory will be subjected to a bending of the rules as much as they can get away with to favor their own teams. In this examination, with such an overwhelming numerical advantage, what do you think Onoki will end up doing?"

Naruto came to the conclusion at once. "He'll make it so we have to fight them all at once."

"A big group fight." Haku concluded. "I saw it happen once before in one of Kirigakure's exams."

"Kumo and Iwa prefer the tactic. Kumo's always been the most militaristic of the villages so they enjoy a numerical advantage over all others. Iwa has always used overwhelming force where it can be applied to most devastating effect. Its a strategy Tsunade, myself and Minato had to counter during the third war, and why so many of them were in one area when Minato's Hiraishin was finally prepared. Suna prefers surprise attacks with small elite forces rather than a mass rush. They don't have the numbers for it. Its why they compensate with their art of puppetry.

"Kiri nin just like getting close and biting your face off." Kisame offered with a shrug. "So what do you say? Allies?"

The three looked to Orochimaru.

The Sannin shrugged. "It'll be you taking the exam. You'll enjoy the advantages...and the risk."

"Ahh yeah risk." Kisame chuckled. "Because remember kiddies we can always be lying to stab you in the back later."

The two girls and his own students looked at him oddly.

Naruto took him at his word.

Still he wasn't allying with Kisame. He was allying with Haku.

He could trust Haku.

"Lets do it." He declared first.

Ryoko shrugged. "Either way we're outnumbered. At least now its got a shot of being five to eighteen not twenty one to three."

Kyofu nodded slowly. "I suppose."

Kisame grinned. "Great." He reached behind him, literally plucked Haku by the shirt and shoved the gennin towards Orochimaru. "Heard you're gonna be doing some elemental manipulation stuff. See how you can help with that.

"Don't manhandle me Kisame-sensei!" Haku hissed.

"Yeah yeah. Now, you-" He pointed right at Ryoko who stiffened in surprise and sudden dread as the man grinned. "Its been a while since I've seen that weapon. Lets start practicing and see how well you can take an ass kicking."

The silver haired girl looked at her own sensei for salvation.

Orochi shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I told you I wouldn't know how to teach you. Seems to me as though you've just found someone who can." He stood, eying Haku, Kyofu and Naruto. "Now lets see how much information we can beat into your skulls by months end.

-0-

"I called you both here a week ago!" Onoki hissed as his door opened and the two men entered.

"And we're responding to you now." Han's voice would have been soft if not for its deep resonance caused by the armor. "What do you want Onoki?"

The Tsuchikage's face darkened, a palpable fury radiating from his features. "You'd do well not to test me right now Gobi. When I call you here I expect you to get here when I call you. Not at your own fucking convenience!" Though his words started out in a normal tone his volume had been increasing until, by the end he was shouting, red faced with a thick vein trailing down his forehead.

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