Hot 'N' Dangerous

Chapter 23: The Ultimate Survival

A wide, black banner spread across the front of the room, four kunai's at the corners pinned each one down to the floor or the ceiling. Standing in the middle stood a woman of maybe twenty-five stood in the middle. She had a full body mesh suit and a short, leather skirt on. A long trench coat fluttered around her. Her purplish hair was tied back but twisted so that it was a spiky mess shooting upwards. Her eyes were dark, a stormy brown colour.

"This is no time to be celebrating! I am the examiner for the second test, Mitarashi Anko, now let's go! Follow me!" she commanded.

Silence followed her loud exclamation, no one made a move to get up, let alone follow her. Ibiki whispered something in her ear.

"Ibiki! You left twenty-six teams?! This test was way too easy this time!" she complained.

Ibiki shook his head, "This time, there are a lot of outstanding ones," he contradicted.

"Ah, whatever, I'll at least cut them in half with the second test," the way she worded that sentence caused several people to start trembling.

"C-c-cut?" one of the examinees whimpered.

Anko chuckled evilly, "I'm getting excited, I'll explain once we change our location, follow me," this time everyone got up and followed her.

"Stay away from me," I hissed at Gaara before I turned to leave.

He grunted and appraised me arrogantly then turned to unite with his team.

"What was all that about?" Sasuke asked.

"None of your business," I replied quickly, "Now let's go," I ushered.

We rushed after Anko's disappearing figure in a sea of examinees.

"Hey, look, if that Gaara's bothering you or anything I can-" Sasuke started as we trudged along.

"No thank you, I've got it covered, and you don't know him... he... he kinda scares me, can you feel that aura that he gives off whenever he's around you?" I asked, rubbing the goosebumps that had appeared on my arm.

Sasuke looked at me quizzically but then it turned into a sneer, "Scared? And here I thought you were the tough one who beat up Zabuza."

"Oh, shut up! I'm serious!" I said, pushing him playfully.

Sasuke stopped being a nuisance and put a serious mask on, "No, he seems to be a potentially dangerous brat, that's all," he muttered.

"Well, you certainly have outstanding perception skills," I uttered sarcastically.

He smirked, "Admire it?"

"No, not at all," I replied and took my cue to leave, seeing that he was probably going to try and hit on me.

I bounded up to the front of the procession where Naruto, Liz and Sakura were, Sasuke following close behind.

"Any love stories to tell?" Liz asked, her lips puckered up.

"Not unless it has to do with you and Shikamaru, a few days ago in front of that tea shop," I grinned.

Liz looked shocked, "Stalker," she said grudgingly with a faint blush on her face.

We finally stopped in front of a vast expanse of forest within a long length of tall fence, supposedly wrapping around the whole thing. Trees that looked thousands of years old stood behind it, concealing whatever was within the forest from our eyes. The door that Anko was standing in front of had a sign on the heavily padlocked entrance, it read: Danger! Stay out! There was a booth with curtains set up a little ways away. Chuunins sat behind it, waiting. Anko waited for all of us to gather and settle.