Chapter 29

*Recap*

Landing against the side of a tree, I keep myself in place with chakra as I crouch watching the snake. I can hear Sasuke's heavy breathing somewhere to my right. He wasn't exactly tired nor was he hurt. He was purely and one hundred percent. Afraid. "Sasuke." I speak calmly to him. "You need to calm down. Being consumed by fear will only allow irrational thinking which could get you killed in a fight." I remind him though I could feel my skin crawling with even the thought of that ninja. I may not be afraid to die. But, even I didn't walk away from that confrontation unscathed. Her power… Am I afraid of it?

It was then the scales just below the snake's head began to crack. Slowly… Disgustingly... I found my eyes widening as I suck in a sharp breath. Snakes…. Could this ninja really be? If I wasn't about to be killed I would so smack myself for forgetting... "I sense your fear and desperation. It's only natural. The prey must never let down its guard. Not even for a moment." He says as he stands up out of the snake covered in the inner slime and blood of the reptile. Blech… "In the presence of its predator." His voice became rather sadistic as his long tongue ran along his disgustingly snake residue-covered lips. If I had anything in my stomach, I think I would have just hurled. He then began to laugh mere moments before his body stretches like a snake as he winds himself up Sasuke's tree.

...

Before I could react two Kunai and three Shuriken came whizzing past and buried themselves into the tree. Directly in front of him. Forcing his movements towards Sasuke to stop. Looking up in the direction the weapons came from I feel a smile creep onto my features. "Looks like I came just in time!" The little annoying knucklehead yells down at us with his arms crossed and a sly smirk that echoes in the depths of his deep blue eyes. Never thought I would be glad to hear his loud mouth.

"Naruto!" Sakura's happy yell for him echoes in the immediate vicinity as I only give him an approving nod, once his eyes move from her to me. As if checking that we were alright.

"Oh, and by the way... What was that password again?" He questions actually causing a relieved giggle to rupture through me. Yup, that's Naruto.

"Oh, forget it! I know it's you. You made it." Sakura snaps at him causing me to roll my eyes before looking back towards the ninja. I had been afraid of him? I'm not used to that feeling. Pinning him with an icy glare I watch his eyes fall on me with a smirk. I can't allow myself to be overcome with fear. I must survive. I must find a way to achieve my dreams. I can't die until I'm strong enough to get out of here and confront my Mother.

"Naruto! Get out of here! What are you thinking?! You don't know what you're up against!" Sasuke's desperation never leaving his voice even as he glares up at Naruto. "Hurry, go now. While you still can!"

"So Naruto, you managed to escape from my friend. Well done." Their eyes finally leave mine to look back up towards Naruto.

"Okay Okay, I don't know what's going on here! But you've been picking on my friends and I don't like that! So you better slither on back to your hole snake lady before I make a pair of shoes out of ya!" Naruto yells down. Feeling Sasuke's eyes on me I stand running a finger along the hilt of one of my blades.

"Sasuke." I speak with a hint of malice. "I know what you are thinking... You can try but I won't let you near me with that look in your eyes. How about you take Sakura and get out of here." I pin him with a glare that causes his eyes to narrow on me. "Runaway." I then watch his eyes go wide as I hear him suck in a breath. "Runaway and survive." I now smirk seeing that dark shadow overcome his thoughts as I raise my head and straighten my shoulders. Trying to give off the vibe that he is inferior to me. I was able to watch his scarlet eyes darken to their usual deep depths.

"Just give it to her!" He snaps causing me to turn more towards him as I hear the shocked intakes of breath around us. "She wants the scroll right? Give it to her and she'll leave us in peace!"

"No." I let my eyes soften momentarily.

"Are you an idiot?! We'll die!"

Shaking my head I look down as I clench my hands into fists. "Sasuke.." A growl escapes from me as I fight to keep myself from tearing him to shreds. Pinning him with another glare I see his stance falter as his left foot moves behind him. Ready to run if he needed to. "This Ninja, won't leave us alone!" I shout at him as if he was an idiot. "Don't you see, I want you to leave so I can give you a chance to escape. They aren't really after the scroll!"

"Kira, The Hero roll… Doesn't suit you." He speaks more calmly to me before he suddenly leaps onto the tree in front of me. Narrowing my eyes on his form even as he reaches up and tucks my hair behind my left ear again. "You can't know that she won't leave once she gets the scroll." He whispers just before he grips a handful of my hair and yanks causing me to wince. "You won't hurt me." He says as his eyes fall onto my balled-up fists. It was then I noticed a fist make contact with Sasuke's face throwing him away from me. Rubbing my head I close my eyes. "Stupid fool! You don't know what you're doing!"

I could hear Naruto struggling with his temper as he tries to regain control enough of himself to speak. Opening my eyes I look towards them seeing them back on the branch Sasuke had originally been on. "I may not know the password. But I know who I am. You're the one I'm not so sure about. How do we know you are who you say you are?"

"What do you mean? It's him! Don't be so stupid." Sakura snaps at Naruto as if it was totally obvious.

"What sort of nonsense is this? It's me you loser!"

"Liar. Liar! You may look just like him. You may sound just like him. But there's no way you're the Sasuke I know! I don't care how tough a fight you've been through! Surrendering! Treating Kira like that just to get the scroll! When did Sasuke become a coward?! You keep saying I don't understand what's going on but, I do! You've choked, that's what it is!"

"Sad, but true." The ninja says as he finally unwraps himself and stands up upon the branch. He then reaches for his left sleeve calmly. "It doesn't matter." We watch as he fully pulls up his sleeve revealing his tattoo. "As far as the scroll goes, I could simply kill you, then take it." He finishes as he bites his right thumb and drags the blood down the tattoo of his arm.

"Ahh, Let's see you try it!" Naruto yells as he runs towards the ninja. He then leaps as he pulls out a kunai.

"No! Naruto! Don't!" Sasuke yells.

"Summoning Jutsu." The ninja calls before completing hand signs while Naruto is still in mid-air. A sudden storm of wind blows my hair around and into my face. The sound of a branch breaking into splinters causes my eyes to widen. Reaching into my pouch I retrieve my hair tie and fight to pull my hair up out of my face and eyes so I can see. Watching as he is now standing on the head of a huge snake.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouts as the snake goes to head butt Naruto. Narrowly missing and hitting another tree branch, causing it to splinter. I lower my head watching below me as Naruto manages to land on a tree, panting. The ninja hovers over the top of him on the snake as its tongue slithers out of its mouth periodically. The ninja chuckles watching Naruto. "What a tasty little meal you'll make. Careful he likes to play with his food." The ninja smiles as the snake's tail raises up and crashes into the tree branch Naruto is on. "Naruto!" Sasuke and Sakura yell as I was about to shove myself off of the tree to go after him. However, from the force of the impact, all I could do was watch as Naruto crashes through two tree branches before smacking his back against another. Knocking the air out of him.

Seconds tick past as if it were an eternity. Naruto's eyes were closed his face scratched and bleeding. His body and clothes are scuffed with dirt and grime. He falls headfirst as the ninja chuckles. "Now you're done playing." He smirks as the snake dives forward ready to eat Naruto. My eyes widen as my heart crashes around in my chest. I was frozen in place. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. All I could do is watch.

Then Naruto's eyes open. No longer blue but red as the feel of his chakra changes. The blond suddenly flips in mid-air with an aggravated growl. "Eat this!" He shouts as he slams the back of his heel into the top of the snake's mouth shoving him back up into the air. The ninja's eyes widen as Naruto glares down at them. A small amount of relief washes over me allowing me to exhale a slow breath and breathe again. "But how... it's impossible." The ninja mutters watching Naruto adjust his body. Diving through the air back down towards the snake. He begins punching the snake as he yells in anger. Punch after punch he wails on the snake's head just before the opening of its mouth. ?! I exclaim silently in my head as I watch him with wide eyes. He hammers away at the snake shoving it down breaking branches as he goes.

* Aphrodite *

Fitting into my Anbu outfit I pull my long blond hair up off of my shoulders. Pinning it into place with a hair clip. Anbu are supposed to be unidentifiable when they aren't in uniform. That is rule number one. My hair would give me away to anyone from this village. Face it, not many have bright blond hair like mine and even less have it in long silky waves that flow down over their rear. They are usually anywhere from short to shoulder length. Grabbing the black hood that I had attached to my uniform I pull it up and over my head before ever placing my mask over my face. The second part of the chunin exams started a couple of hours ago. How I wanted to see Kira before then. To make sure she had everything lined up and ready. To know that she did remember what is going to happen. Am I certain she can handle this without me? I felt certain yesterday when I accepted this promotion. So what is this feeling I'm getting in the pit of my stomach? "What is it?" I ask more to myself aloud though it also referred to the sudden presence behind me.

"Lord Hokage is summoning a couple of black op convoys to the forest of death." His low deep voice spoke from behind me causing my eyes to close. This has to be the longest I've been away from Kiba since I got to this village. But the handsome redhead behind me helps. Smiling to myself I look into the mirror in front of me.

"Right. The others are probably going to go directly to the tower to be briefed. Would you mind if we make a detour through gate twelve?"

"My apologies, Damphire. We have our orders." Sighing I turn to look at the plain white mask only distorted by one lone red mark traveling from the left side of his face towards his right. In the anime, I would have compared it to that of Haku's. Yet, at this time, it was only a further reminder of how time has been able to fade my cousin's memory of this world. She does remember key factors and a part of me wanted to allow her to watch the anime again. This does not change the fact she needs a chance to learn and grow. She has grown so much these past years it is quite astounding. She has grown more than she had the entire time she was in the Death note world. It is quite possible that knowing everything that is going to happen. Hinders her growth even though it would give her better odds of staying alive.

"I understand. Let's go." I finally respond to my new teammate. I want to check on my cousin but, orders are orders.

On our way towards the training grounds in question, we met up with our last teammate. Running along with them on both sides of me, I couldn't seem to keep my mind off of my cousin. This feeling… "Damphire, mind if I ask why you wanted to take a detour... Through gate twelve?"

"If you must know, I have an ominous feeling. My cousin went through that gate. I thought we could go that direction on our way to the tower."

"Your cousin... I didn't know you had family Damphire."

"Yes."

"And this feeling?"

"Got worse when you showed up to inform me we are being summoned. I can only figure it ties into whatever reason that we are needed." Silence fell between us until the forest of death comes closer into view.

"Then let's go through gate twelve. Don't worry, I'll take the heat for it. If we are to fight today we need you to have a clear head."

"Thank you." I whisper with a nod.

"Hey! Wait! Oh man, disgusting! Put me down before I yank this tongue right out of your head!" Naruto squirms with our opponent's tongue wrapped around his torso. Dangling him in the air in an unbelievable way. As if it were a hand he pulls Naruto closer to him.

"Naruto!" I shout finally managing to shove myself off of the tree. Pulling my right blade out and spinning it in my hand while I was still in mid-air. "Let go of him!" I call out my warning. I soon realize this was a big mistake. His eyes met with mine seconds before he grabbed hold of my right hand keeping my blade at a harmless distance. The foot sent to my chest caused my eyes to widen briefly just before my own feet touched the top of the snake's head. Using my right foot as leverage I move my body out of the way before the foot could even connect and do the damage he had planned.

Within moments I let my body take control as my feet drop from beneath me. Keeping a firm grip on my blade I plant my left hand on the disgusting scales of the snake. Shoving my feet up towards the ninja. Forcing him to release me as he leaps back. Naruto is still in his grasp or tongue. Come on! I cuss at myself. I need to get him to let Naruto go but, I can't do any Jutsu while he has a hold of my teammate. I don't want to hurt Naruto. Jumping I throw myself into a tight spin. Only holding my blade out towards him right before I made contact.

Feeling my blade plunge into the ninja's shoulder I smile satisfied until his eyes narrow into a glare at me. Threatening to send shivers down my spine. The slight hesitation it caused allowed him to grab a hold of me tightly. Ramming his fist into my stomach knocking the wind out of me, and kept me in place before it felt like a cement wall met with my face. Blurring my vision so I couldn't see the kick in order to block it. Before I felt as if a semi-truck had hit me and I was flying through the air. Pressure against my back keeping me from catching my breath sent my world to spinning. Landing on a branch I close my eyes trying to fight against the depths of unconsciousness. He's... so... strong...