37 Chapter 31: Dangers in the Forest 1/2

So we've gotten a new Guest who feels that they have a right to be an anonymous a-hole. I received a review on the first chapter of this fanfic who berated me for not having Raphael detect the four ANBU who were following him in said chapter, and how he hated authors who either make characters overpowered or make them weak to go somewhere in the plot, and that I should chop off my hands because obviously I didn't need them to write anymore.

My dear anonymous guest…if you had enough balls to actually sign in and allow me to reply to you, rather than being a cowardly troll who has nothing better to do then read a single chapter and instantly make a judgment about the entire fanfic, I would have been courteous enough to simply answer your reply and left you alone. But instead, I'm going to show off to others how much of a cowardly a-hole you are, and explain why you're an idiot.

Raphael just fell out of a portal through space and time that caused him excruciating pain, and was dropped from dozens of feet in the air into a lake, that he then had to crawl out of. He then finds himself in a village with no idea where he is, or what happened, with them speaking a language he barely understands or comprehends, and with items and technology he can't comprehend. So the pain and confusion alone would be enough to distract him from detecting enemies who are stalking him. Not to mention these are also ANBU. As in the elite operatives of the village tasked with the most dangerous, secretive, and most often critical missions of the village. These are the shinobi who are supposed to be the best of the best within their village. I'm pretty sure that they can stay hidden from someone unless that person has incredibly sharp senses. And again, considering Raphael's distracted by various things, which works more against him.

So, I can only assume you either are an idiot, or a troll. Either way, it doesn't matter to me. You're just yet another anonymous person I can expose to everyone, to help further the cause against your cowardly kind.

With that said, on to other news. Mandalore the Freedom has put out a request for a beta reader, so please, contact him if you're free to be his beta.

Also, Dominator454 has a NarutoxDragon Age crossover fanfic idea for anyone who might be interested in taking it up. It features a neglected Naruto being taken care of by the Inquisitor from Dragon Age: Inquisition. If you're interested, contact them for more information on the fanfic idea.

Nothing else to say at the moment, so on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft respectively. Please support the official releases.

Chapter 31

Dangers in the Forest

Yugito stood outside her apartment, taking in a breath of air, and smiling as she did so. It was a beautiful day, and she was about to go and meet up with Iruka for some early morning training, as well as breakfast. After locking her front door, she began to head off, humming to herself as she did so.

"Someone is in a good mood," Matatabi said with a contented purr, as Yugito giggled softly.

'It's a beautiful day. Why wouldn't I be in a good mood?' She thought, as she reached the street and started to head towards the training grounds. However, that good mood quickly evaporated as she felt eyes on her back almost immediately. Being a highly trained shinobi, a jinchuuriki of a biju with extremely good senses, and an Assassin trained to feel when people were watching you and how to best avoid such things; it was easy for her to sense she was being watched. 'Matatabi?'

"I sense them kitten…oh no. I think one of them is Kirabi," the Nibi biju said.

Yugito mentally cursed as she continued on her way, trying to be nonchalant as she kept walking along, greeting a few of the people she passed. As she did, she was able to pick out two people following her, one trying to be appear nonchalant and unobtrusive while the other was being far stealthier. Almost ANBU level stealth. Frowning to herself, she eventually turned down an alleyway to break line of sight, quickly creating a clone that continued on its way while she herself moved back into the shadows of a nearby building front, raising her hood up to hide her features as she turned away somewhat.

Sure enough, she soon watched Kirabi move by, as if simply taking in the sights, though he never stopped following her clone. She also managed to pick out the other follower, who she was able to identify as the jounin sensei of the second Kumo team that had entered the Chuunin Exams.

Frowning, she waited till both were out of sight, lowering her hood as she immediately headed towards the Hokage Tower. It would seem time with Iruka would have to wait.

Inside the Hokage Tower, Sarutobi frowned as he quietly studied a report regarding the Kumo shinobi who had arrived for the exams. Kumo had sent along the general profile information on each of them, as per the regulations for the Exams, but his shinobi skilled in sensing chakra had told him that the jounin of one of the genin teams had incredibly high chakra reserves, almost monstrous level ones. Chakra levels that were only matched by Naruto, Yugito, and one of the Suna shinobi named Gaara.

Thanks to Yugito and Naruto, Sarutobi already knew that Gaara was a jinchuuriki, so if this…'Kirabi' was similar to the three of them, it likely meant that he too was a jinchuuriki. The jinchuuriki of the Hachibi, probably the most powerful jinchuuriki in the world at the moment, thanks to his age and experience, as well as the reports given to them by Yugito on the jinchuuriki training she and Kirabi had gone through.

Sarutobi was admittedly nervous about the fact that there were two very dangerous jinchuuriki inside Konoha, as they could cause a lot of damage if they wanted to. Still, he believed that the treaties of the Chuunin Exams would keep them in check…for the most part.

Looking up at the knock at his door, he set the report aside. "What is it?" He politely asked.

The door opened and Yugito entered, bowing after she closed the door. "Forgive the intrusion, Hokage-sama, but I thought you might wish to know what just happened. Both of the jounin sensei of the Kumo genin teams were spying on me, and following me after I left my apartment today. I gave them the slip with a clone, and came immediately to report this to you."

"I see. Do you think they have ill will?" He asked her.

Yugito hesitated for a moment. "I am certain the one jounin has ill will towards me, and would kill or capture me given a chance. Kirabi…I am uncertain. He is loyal to the Raikage with a bond that is close to brotherhood, yet he also struck me as being relatively open minded when we trained together. He might be willingly to hear me out, though whether that dissuades him from any course of action against me is another matter altogether."

Sarutobi gave a quiet nod. "I understand. I'll have a few ANBU keep a close eye on them when they're moving around within the village, though I cannot violate the laws of the Chuunin Exams unless they violate them first. In the meantime, take extra precaution against them. Especially regarding your…extra activities," he said, referring both to her relationship with Iruka, as well as her role as an Assassin.

Yugito bowed. "I understand Hokage-sama. Thank you for your time," she said, before turning and leaving. Sarutobi could only frown as he looked back at the files on the Kumo shinobi.

"I cannot help but feel that there are plans in motion," he said quietly. "Hopefully, they will be uncovered before it is too late."

Elsewhere, Anko had gathered her genin team together, and was smiling at them. "Well done, all of you. You passed the first test, and with flying colors. Though you might not want to be so noticeable next time Naruto," she said with a smirk, as he rubbed his head sheepishly.

"I'll try sensei," he said, as Anko just nodded, and looked back at all of them.

"Okay. I can't tell you anything specific about your next exam, but I can say this: the next part is going to be extremely dangerous. I want you to stay together, keep your wits together, and stay smart. And most important of all…do not hold back. At all. Even against teams from Konoha. Because this next exam…death is a very real possibility," she said, her voice deathly calm and serious.

The trio all nodded, their own faces matching the seriousness Anko had on hers. She gave them a small smile, before gently reaching out to rub Hinata's bandana covered head. "I'll see you all when it's done. Make us proud out there," she said. "And good luck."

The trio nodded, as Hinata smiled. "Thank you nee-san," she said.

Ino smiled. "Yeah, thank you sensei," she added.

"We'll make you proud. Believe it," Naruto said, giving her his foxy grin.

Anko just watched them go, smiling, before the smile faded. "You'll need it," she said quietly, watching them leave.

The genin quickly headed off towards the directions they had been given, to Training Ground 44. They soon encountered other genin team heading in that direction as well, until they eventually arrived near a chain link fence topped with barbed wire, and covered in warning signs that advised all to not approach without special permission of the Hokage. Behind the fence was a forest filled with massive trees, clustered together so tightly that their branches and leaves cast a shadow almost as dark as a moonless and starless night. The trees were dozens, if not hundreds of feet tall, and almost the size of massive towers or castles.

Naruto blinked at the rather foreboding forest. "They're going to send us in there?" He asked.

Ino bit her lip. "My dad has mentioned this place a couple of times. Training Ground 44…The Forest of Death," she whispered quietly.

Hinata nodded as well. "Anko has told me about it as well. Supposedly the Shodai Hokage used his bloodline to create the forests surrounding Konoha to protect it when he first founded the village. In time though, the forest was tamed and quelled, to allow people to more safely reach the village. All except this portion here, kept as a training ground for shinobi and a reminder of the Shodai's power."

"My father told me this place is extremely dangerous, filled with deadly plants, insects, and animals," Ino added. "It's used by chuunin or higher level shinobi for extreme survival exercises."

Naruto whistled quietly. "No wonder Anko-sensei seemed so worried and serious," he said, as they joined the crowds of genin now standing outside the chain link fence.

The purple haired ANBU was standing outside a small open stand with a curtain that could be drawn across to block those outside from seeing in. As the genin began to congregate around that area, she quietly checked on a watch. As soon as the time limit she set ran out, she immediately looked up. "Welcome all of you to Training Ground Forty Four, known to us in Konoha as the Forest of Death. This will be the site of the second exam of the Chuunin Exams. You'll be tasked with a mission that will test your ability to follow orders, survive in a hostile environment, and your ability to work and fight as a team," she said.

As the genin murmured quietly, she pulled out two scrolls one white with the kanji for 'heaven' on it, and a green one with the kanji for 'earth' on it. Showing them to all the genin, she began to speak again. "Your objective is simple. Your team will be given either a heaven or an earth scroll, and then assigned a gate number. Once all teams have their scroll and gate assignment, you'll be escorted to your gates, and on my signal, you'll enter the forest. Your mission will be to find a team that has the opposite scroll you do not possess and take it from them, whether through combat or more discreet means. Afterwards, you'll need to arrive at the tower in the center of the training ground. Now, here are the rules."

"First of all, you only have five days to complete this test. At precisely one second past ten in the morning on the sixth day, any genin who have not made it into the Tower will be disqualified. You also will not be allowed to open the scroll, as doing so will result in immediate disqualification. Lastly, your team is disqualified if any member is rendered unable to continue the test, which can mean death, permanently crippled, or disabled in such a way that they will not recover before the end of the test. Anyone who is disabled but will recover before the end of the test may be allowed to continue. Are there any questions?"

Most of the genin remain silent. Chouji was about to raise his hand to ask what they would do for food, but Shino stopped him. "Chouji-san, we have brought along sufficient supplies, and this is a survival test. We'll need to forage for ourselves in there," he said quietly, already predicting what Chouji was going to ask.

Chouji just nodded quietly, as the ANBU continued. "Very well. Before we begin, you'll each have to sign a waiver that absolves Konoha of any injuries, crippling or otherwise, you may suffer, as well as absolving Konoha of your deaths as well." She immediately created a few shadow clones, who began passing the waivers out to everyone, as she continued. "When I call your team number and village, please step forward to receive your scroll and gate number. Your entire team will need to turn in fully signed waivers in order to proceed. Otherwise, you'll be disqualified," she said, pulling out a clipboard, and began reading off team designations and their home villages.

After getting their scroll, a heaven one, Team Eight proceeded to their gate to wait for the signal to begin. As they did so, Naruto stiffened slightly, feeling eyes on him, before turning, to see a team of Kumo genin glaring in his direction. Well, it was more like the dark skinned red head was glaring at him, while her blond haired teammate simply gave him a cold but otherwise emotionless look. He frowned as he turned back to Hinata and Ino, who both simply shrugged.

Sasuke meanwhile had given the heaven scroll his team received to Kiba, as the dog boy refused to give up arguing that he should carry it. As his team headed towards their gate, Sasuke nearly bumped into a tall, lanky kunoichi form Kusa, who tipped her wide straw hat up. "My apologies. I should have watched where I was going," she said.

Sasuke just grunted and kept watching, as the Kusa kunoichi watched him leave, before licking her lips with a rather abnormally long tongue.

As the teams finished up and gathered in front of their gates, the purple haired ANBU activated an intercom system connected to speakers attached to each gate. "Prepare for the start of the second exam," she said, moving to a button. Touching it, she glanced at the clock, before pressing it.

Alarms went off at each gate, as they retracted, allowing access to the Forest of Death. The teams all quickly entered, with the gates soon shutting behind them, as they all disappeared into the darkness.

Team Eight quickly moved to the branches of the trees, seeking higher ground, before stopping as Hinata used her Byakugan to check for any dangers, either human or otherwise. Seeing none, she nodded to her teammates.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Ino asked, leaning slightly against a tree trunk as Naruto crouched on another branch nearby.

"Well, the way I see it we've got three options," Naruto said. "Option one is we simply go out now and try to find a team that has an earth scroll, and take it, before heading to the tower. Option two is we find ourselves a place to make camp, and then after establishing our base camp, we either lure other teams to us or we go out hunting. Option three is to simply head for the tower, and set an ambush there, waiting for teams who either have both scrolls, or have the same plan as us to arrive, so that we can ambush them."

As Ino and Hinata nodded, Naruto continued. "The problem is everyone else will be thinking along one of the same lines as well. Some of the teams are properly out hunting right now, while others are establishing camps. We probably won't see many going for the ambush plan though until a day or two have passed. So, what do you two think?" He asked.

"I'm not sure if going out and hunting targets is entirely a safe bet. If we get into a fight, we could come out injured, and then we wouldn't have a good campsite to rest and recover. We'd have to find one while injured," Hinata said.

"And I'm not sure if setting up a camp and then going hunting is a good idea either. We could end up being caught by surprise while setting up our camp, or someone could find it and set up an ambush for us while we're searching for other teams," Ino added.

Naruto held a hand to his chin. "Heading towards the Tower now will allow us to get the jump on teams coming in, and we'd be less likely to be discovered. But we'd be relying entirely on finding a team and ambushing them. Needless to say that teams that come in will either be the stronger or luckier ones. But we should have the advantage of being fresh compared to them," Naruto reasoned.

"Sounds like that's the best course of action then," said Ino as she adjusted her senbon launcher hidden under her sleeves. "So which way to the tower?"

Naruto pulled out a map of the Forest that all the teams had been supplied with along with their scrolls. "We came in from a northeastern direction so…if we head on a south by southeast course, we should near the tower," he said, putting the map. "So we're going to set up an ambush then?" He asked.

As the two girls nodded, Naruto grinned. "Alright. But still, no sense in relying solely on that plan. Hinata, how about you check our surroundings periodically for other teams. And I'll send out shadow clones as well to keep an eye out for teams or leftovers from battles. Maybe we'll get lucky that way," he said, as he made the cross shaped hand sign for the Shadow Clone jutsu, and watched as thirty of them appeared.

All thirty of the clones grinned as they pulled the scarf Hinata knitted for Naruto up over the lower part of their faces, and raised their hoods, before disappearing off into the trees in different directions, leaving the two girls with the original Naruto. As one, they all raised their hoods, and headed off in the direction of the Tower.

In another part of the forest, the team of Kumo chuunin, posing as genin, was coming up with their own plan. The leader of the group had decided that perhaps it was time they added a 'side' objective to their mission to scout out Konoha.

"I'm telling you, it'd be perfect. There's never been a Hyuuga captured who didn't have the Cursed Seal on them, and every time we did, the Cursed Seal was activated and they died before we could study them. This girl however has a different seal. One that doesn't work the same way. We kidnap her, and we can study the Hyuuga's Byakugan in depth!" He said. "Raikage-sama will reward us handsomely! And it'd be a black eye on Konoha and the Hyuuga."

"Yeah, but you know Raikage-sama already has an operation going to get the Byakugan for Kumo. Do we really want to jeopardize that?" One of the other two asked.

"We're not going to jeopardize it. Konoha has no idea, and she's not part of the Hyuuga clan. Either we succeed, or we fail, but claim we were simply taking part in the test, attempting to capture them for their scroll. Besides, you saw how easily they caved when Raikage-sama made his demands back during the diplomacy mission. They'll cave again instead of going to war," the leader smirked.

The other two chuunin shrugged as they looked at each other. "Alright. But we'll still need to find them in this mess."

"We will. We've got five days to do it, and this forest isn't that big," the leader said with a smirk, leading his team off to find their prize.

Elsewhere, the Kusa kunoichi grinned as she knelt with her two compatriots. "You both know what to do. Hunt down the Konoha genin, and have some fun. I'll handle our target," she said, licking her lips with her abnormally long tongue, as her two allies nodded, and departed. Smiling, she moved off to find her target.

Neji Hyuuga led his team into the Forest, intent on finding a rendezvous point to use as a camp and base of operations while not searching for enemy teams. As he did so though, he couldn't help but smirk to himself. Fate was kind, it seemed. That weakling outcast Hinata was here and he would enjoy finding her, and destroying her, either within the forest or in the Finals if it came to that. Personally, he hoped it was in the Finals, as it would allow him to destroy her in front of everyone, so then and there, she would know the true depths of humiliation and despair she deserved to feel. So that she would know it was pointless to fight Fate, as he himself knew it was. His only wish was that she was still part of the Main branch, so that they would see what would happen to them in time as well. Perhaps not during his time, but Neji knew that eventually, Fate would deliver the Main Branch of Hyuuga into the hands of those who they humiliated, punished, and enslaved.

Finding a clearing, he dropped down to it, with Tenten and Lee in tow. Looking around with his Byakugan, he nodded. "This is a good spot. This will be our rendezvous spot," he said, as the trio immediately began marking landmarks to recognize where their selected camp site was at. When that was done, Neji nodded to them. "Let's split up and begin searching for teams to hunt down."

With that, he headed off in one direction, as Tenten sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, good luck to you too Neji," she said, before turning to Lee. "Good luck Lee. Be careful out there," she said.

"Thank you Tenten-san! Be careful as well!" Lee shouted, rushing off in another direction, as Tenten headed off in a third.

Team Ten meanwhile was currently standing near a base of a tree, quietly discussing their plans, not aware that another team was spying on them. "Heh, get a load of these losers. Stupid tree huggers have no idea we're here," one of them, an Iwa genin, said with a smirk.

"Yeah. Must feel real safe in their natural environment," a second said.

The kunoichi on the team however frowned quietly. "I don't know. Can they really be that dense, to just stand out in the open?" She asked, quietly, only to gasp as she felt something land on her. Quickly grabbing at it, she pulled off a massive leech, and let out a cry.

Her two comrades blinked, only to yell as they too were soon attacked by the bloodthirsty giant leeches.

Shikamaru let out a chuckle. "Good thing you found those leeches Shino. Let them do the work for us," he said, as they heard the genin crying out in fear.

Shino merely adjusted his glasses, as they approached the tree that the genin had been in.

The Iwa genin, in an attempt to escape the leeches, had dropped to the ground, frantically trying to rip the leeches off of them, only to find themselves frozen as Shikamaru crouched near them, his shadow extending to touch theirs. "Kagemane no Jutsu, successful," he said with a smirk.

Shino approached the trio with Chouji, as Shikamaru held them in place. "If you wish for me to remove the leeches, you will tell us what scroll you are carrying, and if it's the one we want, forfeit it to us. Otherwise, we will wait for the leeches to render you unconscious from blood loss," he said in his monotone voice. "If it comes to that, you'll likely die from lack of blood."

"F-Fine! Fine! We've got a heaven scroll!" One of the male genin shouted, as his eyes frantically looked to the kunochi's supply pouch. Chouji moved over, gently removing it from said pouch, finding the scroll.

"It's what we need," Chouji said, holding it up to show Shikamaru, who was carrying their earth scroll.

"Heh, pretty easy. Hopefully we'll be at the Tower in no time," Shikamaru said, nodding to Shino. Shino set his insects to work, the tiny bugs swarming the leeches and releasing pheromones that repulsed the leeches, causing them to drop off the Iwa genin and squirm back towards the trees.

The other Iwa male genin growled. "You think we'll just let you leave now though!"

"That would be the logical conclusion," Shino said, looking at them. "All of you are suffering from blood loss now, and will be exhausted compared to us. What's more, we have the upper hand in already having your scroll, and currently holding you prisoner. If we wished, we could easily kill the three of you now while you're helpless. However, if you agree to not attack us, we'll leave you a few blood replenishing pills. Though we will confiscate your weapons and supplies and leave them elsewhere, to ensure you're slowed in any pursuit of us. I would suggest simply accepting that you lost, and live to fight another day," he said.

The Iwa genin all glared at Team Ten, as Chouji pulled out a few blood replenishing pills in a vial, and set them down near them, before he began to remove their supply pouches. Afterwards, Shikamaru released his jutsu, and Team Ten quickly left, scattering the kunai, shuriken, and other supplies they took so that the Iwa genin would have to take time gathering all their gear. With that done, they quickly headed towards the center of the Forest, eager to get their mission done.

Team Seven, meanwhile, was currently holding a meeting, hidden in a small clearing surrounded by trees and bushes. Shortly after entering, Kiba had gone to take a leak, and a genin from a team of Ame genin had tried to impersonate him and rejoin the group, only to be discovered due to his lack of Akamaru as well as him having his kunai holder on the wrong leg. After he had been chased off, the team had decided to create a passphrase so they could identify each other.

"Alright. So if we get separated, we'll challenge each other with a question when we reunite. And if the person doesn't know the answer, do not trust them at all," Sasuke said. "The question will be 'When is the right time for a shinobi to strike'. And the answer will be 'a shinobi waits until the time is right. Until an enemy's guard and defenses are down, and he lies asleep, his weapons forgotten. That is when a shinobi strikes'. Do you both remember it?"

"Yes. I got it," Sakura said, while Kiba nodded.

"Yeah, of course!" Kiba boasted, while mentally, he cursed Sasuke for using such a long pass phrase. How was he supposed to remember that?

"Good. Then let's get moving," Sasuke said, standing upright. "We should hurry and try to find a good campsite, or a team to get a scroll off of."

"How should we go about it, if we run into a team?" Sakura asked, as Sasuke thought about it for a second.

"Well Kiba can probably lead us to any nearby teams, thanks to him and Akamaru. We should try to approach silently, and see if we can get the drop on them first. If we can't simply sneak the scroll away from them, we should then try to gauge their strength, and come up with a plan then," he said.

Kiba just nodded at that. "Yeah! Leave it to me! My nose will lead us straight to them," he said with a smirk, enjoying he was getting one up on Sasuke.

Sasuke gave a curt nod. "Then let's go," he said, as the team headed off, unaware of the bamboo tube sticking out of the ground near where they had stood. Said tube now moved, indicating someone had been underneath, listening the whole time.

Outside the Forest, the cat masked ANBU was quietly waiting for the first status reports on the participants in the forest of Death, when a shinobi appeared in front of her via shunshin. "Neko-san, forgive the interruption, but we have a problem," he said. "We've discovered three dead bodies not too far from here. They appear to have been killed with a bladed weapon of some type and…well…their faces were removed."

Neko frowned behind her mask as she stood up. "How were their faces removed?" She asked.

"It is like they were simply erased from their faces. As if nothing existed except skin. We however were able to retrieve their ID's. They were one of the genin teams from Kusa," he said, producing the ID cards.

Neko began to look over each of them, her frowning deepening. "This can't be. We admitted this team into the Forest. Unless…I want you to contact Hokage-sama immediately and tell him we have intruders in the Forest!" She commanded, as she touched the radio around her neck. "This is Neko to ANBU unit Three. Converge on my position and prepare to enter the Forest of Death. We have potential infiltrators within the Chuunin Exams."

Inside the Forest, Kiba blinked and stopped, as both he and Akamaru perked up, looking around. "Wait…there's something out there," he said, sniffing the air, straining to listen, as Akamaru seemed to be doing the same.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, looking around, as did Sakura. Kiba kept sniffing, only to blink as Akamaru started to whimper in fear, hiding in Kiba's jacket.

"Akamaru?" He asked, as Akamaru whimpered out. "What? But…that's impossible," he said.

"What?" Sakura asked, worried, even as a breeze started to blow around them. "What is wrong?"

"He…he's detecting a massive chakra source. Like beyond genin. It's bigger than Kakashi sensei's," he said, only for his eyes to widen as Akamaru howled. "It's spiking!"

"Everyone scatter!" Sasuke shouted, as the trio jumped in different directions.

At that same moment, the breeze that had been blowing through the trees turned into a gale, as a massive wave of compressed air smashed its way through branches and smaller tree trunks. Leaves were stripped from branches, and dirt and grass was ripped from the ground, all carried along violently by this blast of wind.

The trio of genin, reacting barely in time, managed to find some refuge behind the giant, solid trees around them. But even still, flying debris and wind whipped at them, nearly pulling them from cover, leaving behind bruises and light cuts from where branches or rocks hit them.

Just as suddenly it ended, and the genin hesitantly came out of cover. Sasuke immediately drew his kunai and pointed it at the other two. "Pass phrase, now," he demanded.

"What? Dude, we weren't replaced by anyone!" Kiba shouted angrily. Sasuke kept his kunai pointed at Kiba, watching him, only for an amused feminine chuckle to sound nearby.

"Sadly, your canine friend is correct. I had every intention of blowing at least one of you away to take their place, but you sensed my jutsu quickly enough to avoid that," said the Kusa kunoichi, as she stepped out of cover. "Still, I suppose playing with all three of you will be more fun than just playing with two of you," she added, licking her lips as she pulled off her straw hat and tossed it to one side.

"Heh, check your sight crazy lady! There's three of us and only one of you," Kiba said arrogantly. Something Sakura and Sasuke didn't share in.

Sakura bit her lip in worry as she slid one foot back, giving her a better stance to either attack or flee, one hand gripping a kunai in readiness. Whoever this was, they were the one who had cast that jutsu, one so powerful that only someone who was jounin ranked…or higher could have performed. That meant that this was no genin. This was someone far more dangerous, and far greater than they could handle.

Sasuke himself was also reaching the same conclusion. "What do you want?" He demanded, still gripping his kunai.

"My, my, I would think it is obvious, wouldn't you?" The Kusa kunoichi said, as she pulled out an earth scroll. "I want your scroll. And obviously you want mine. It's the one you need, isn't it?" She asked, before doing something that made them all gag in disgust. Her jaw unhinged, and opening her mouth far wider than a normal person should be able to do; she swallowed the scroll, her jaw returning to normal as she smirked at them.

"You are one seriously fucked up lady," Kiba said, as the Kusa kunoichi simply kept smirking.