Forest of Death

"Where are we going?" Akuma asked Might Guy, who was stretching his legs, full of energy as always. 

"Oh! I'm headed to the Forest of Death," Guy said, giving his usual thumbs-up. "As for you, you'll be going with Kakashi. He'll tell you what to do!" 

With that, Guy marched out of the room with the other teachers. Akuma turned his eyes to Kakashi, waiting for an explanation. 

"Follow me, Akuma," Kakashi said simply. 

Just as Akuma was about to follow him, a voice came from behind. 

"Is this the kid everyone's been talking about?" 

Akuma turned to see a woman with black hair and red eyes standing by the door. Behind her stood a man with a cigarette in his mouth. 

"Hello, kid," she said warmly. "My name is Kurenai Yuhi, and behind me is Asuma Sarutobi." 

Akuma gave them both a respectful bow. "Greetings, sensei. What can I do for you, Kurenai-sensei?" 

"Oh, I've just heard so much about you. Especially from my student Hinata's younger sister. She talks about you all the time, so I wanted to meet the boy she's always mentioning." 

She smiled, then looked between Kakashi and Akuma. "Sorry for stopping you." 

Kakashi nodded in acknowledgment, saying nothing. 

Akuma gave a small smile. "It was nice meeting you both. I hope you live happily together." 

Asuma's cigarette fell from his mouth, and he immediately began coughing violently. 

Kurenai's face turned bright red. 

"Uh…! Kid, we're not a couple! We're not even dat—! I mean, we're not—!" Kurenai stammered. 

"Oh. I'm sorry," Akuma replied, tilting his head. "I just thought you were married." 

Kurenai's face turned even redder, and she quickly looked away, flustered. Seeing Asuma still coughing in the background only made her more embarrassed. She covered her face with both hands and ran out of the hallway. 

Kakashi glanced at the fleeing figure, then back at Akuma—but said nothing. 

After a moment, Asuma finally recovered and looked at the boy. 

"Kid, you shouldn't say stuff like that to people unless you know for sure. But… I'll forgive you." 

He pulled out a stack of cash from his pocket and handed it to Akuma. 

"Here. A greeting gift. Buy something for yourself, alright?" 

With that, Asuma walked away. 

Akuma pocketed the money and smiled. 

Kakashi glanced at him. 

"How did you know they were dating?" Kakashi asked. 

Akuma simply smiled. "Wasn't it obvious from the way they looked at each other, Kakashi-sensei?" 

Kakashi gave a small chuckle and nodded as they exited the academy building together. 

After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at a supply closet near a side hallway. 

"Inside there's a broom," Kakashi said. "Your job is to clean the academy." 

Akuma frowned. "Wait… shouldn't I be helping with the Chūnin Exams? Why are you making me a janitor?" 

"If you want to be present during the exams, you have to be either a participant or an employee," Kakashi replied casually. "You chose not to participate. So now… you're an employee." 

Akuma stared at him for a moment. Then, reluctantly, he nodded and pulled the broom from the closet. 

Kakashi began explaining the cleaning routes and schedules without missing a beat. 

"That's everything you need to know," Kakashi said, brushing some chalk dust off his hand. "If you have any questions, ask me." 

"I have nothing," Akuma replied flatly. 

"Alright then. I'm heading out." 

With a wave, Kakashi disappeared down the hall, leaving Akuma alone. 

Broom in hand, Akuma began sweeping the classrooms, moving door to door. It was dull work, but he did it without complaint. After some time, however, he heard a commotion echoing from the hallway. Curious, he followed the sound. 

Turning the corner, he saw a crowd of students gathered in the hall, voices raised in excitement and tension. Pushing past a few, he saw it was just a bunch of genin arguing and throwing a few sloppy punches. 

"Hmph," Akuma muttered. "Nothing interesting." 

He turned and began to walk away. 

"Hey! Stop right there!" 

A voice called out behind him. 

Akuma glanced over his shoulder and saw a boy with white hair and glasses walking toward him, holding a handful of cards. 

"Is this your first time participating in the Chūnin Exams?" the boy asked with a friendly smile. "If so, I can be a big help. Look here—" 

He fanned out a deck of cards in his hands. 

"These are Nin-Info Cards. They contain data on every genin participating in the exams. I've collected tons of useful information. I can sell you a few—for a small price, of course." 

Akuma didn't even bother responding. He simply turned and kept walking. 

Unbothered, the boy caught up and matched his pace. 

"Sorry for the late introduction. My name's Kabuto. I understand if you don't trust me, but I can prove my cards are real. This is my seventh time taking the exams. So trust me—I know what I'm talking about." 

Just as Kabuto was about to say more, Akuma stopped walking. 

Then, slowly, he turned his head and looked at him. 

"Can't you see I'm holding a broom?" Akuma asked, his voice calm but sharp. "I don't have a headband. I'm walking away from you." 

Kabuto blinked, unsure what to say. 

"You don't seem like an idiot. So that leaves one option: you already know who I am." 

Akuma stepped closer, the air around him chilling ever so slightly. 

"If you make money by selling information on exam participants, that means you're here to gather intel. On me." 

His eyes narrowed, and a faint flicker of dark energy shimmered around his eye like a mirage. 

"So stop pretending. Don't act like you don't know me. And get the hell out of here… before I make you." 

With that, Akuma turned and continued walking, the wooden end of the broom softly tapping the floor behind him. 

Kabuto stood frozen in fear for a moment, then exhaled and pulled out a small black notebook from his pocket. 

He scribbled down a line: 

"Intelligent and very scary." 

Snapping the notebook shut, Kabuto adjusted his glasses and walked away in the opposite direction. 

After a few hours, Akuma finally finished his cleaning duties at the academy. With broom in hand and the smell of dust lingering on his clothes, he made his way toward the place Guy-sensei had told him to go. 

Eventually, he reached the destination. 

"Akuma! So you're finally done with your work. Come!" Might Guy beamed, waving enthusiastically. 

Without waiting for a response, he guided Akuma through a hidden path leading into the Forest of Death. They walked in silence, surrounded by dense trees and the distant echoes of wild creatures. After what felt like a long trek, they arrived at a large tower standing tall in the middle of the forest. 

"This," Guy said, dramatically pointing toward the structure, "is where we'll be staying for the next few days until the Chūnin Exams are over." 

Akuma took in the sight, nodding quietly. 

Might Guy then showed him to his room, handing him a few basic items—bed sheets, towels, and a small packet of food supplies. After getting settled, they both walked into a large observation room. 

Inside, several teachers were seated, eyes fixed on a wall of monitor screens showing live footage of the forest. Each screen displayed a different team of genin navigating the exam terrain. 

"Here's where we monitor the participants," Guy said. He pointed toward a corner screen, where Rock Lee and his teammates were moving cautiously through thick underbrush. 

"Look! That's Lee and the others. Come, let's sit and watch!" 

Akuma took a seat beside him, arms folded as he watched silently. 

"Guy-sensei," he asked after a moment, "since I'm staying here now… does that mean I don't have to do my cleaning job anymore?" 

Guy chuckled, placing a hand on Akuma's shoulder. 

"Of course not! You'll just be cleaning this tower from now on!" 

Akuma's eye twitched. 

"…Right."