Disclaimer- We all know I don't own Naruto, It should be my misfortune that I don't.

Alot happens, just to show how much of a challenge this will be for them. It might be short but I got to do the while X-mas day thing so, enjoy. (L is later so. yea.)

Shall we begin yet again?

Living in the Shadows

(Paranoid Part two)

Sasuke's foot step echoed through the building as he took the first step in. The place was dark and damp and a sharp bitter smell of mold swirled around in the air. Sasuke took out a miniature flashlight and waved it around the room. It was really a long hall that led to a flight of steps that led both up and down. Sakura shivered as the night cold rushed into the room one last time before she stepped in closing the door behind her. The only sound was the moan of the wind outside and the sound of dripping water inside. The place was far from inviting.

"So, should we go up first or down?" Sakura asked looking at the steps that Sasuke's light was focused on.

"We go down first, it'll be faster." Sasuke said slowly.

Suddenly they heard a faint sound of pattering, a sound almost like walking. Finding no place to hide Sasuke reached his hand out for the door knob and attempted to twist it but it wouldn't move. He yanked on it again this time harder but it still wouldn't move.

"You closed it all the way?" Sasuke asked trying to control his anger.

Sakura looked at him. "I didn't think it was locked! I mean we opened it!" she said helping him pull.

The sound of the steps came closer and closer. Sasuke took out his kunai shielding Sakura. "Stay behind me." He said his eyes focused on the direction of the steps. "Show yourself!" Sasuke yelled.

Suddenly there was a loud meow and a cat popped up from the steps absolutely terrified. It scowled and hissed at Sasuke for a few moments for interrupting his peace before running up the stairs. Sasuke and Sakura exhaled feeling stupid for making such a big deal over a cat.

"Well, now we know that's not going to be our way out later on." Sasuke said in a bitter tone putting his kunai away and hitting the door with his fist.

Sakura sighed. "Twice now you've messed up. Great going."

Yeah great going genius.

Shut up, like you knew better.

Maybe I did.

Sasuke began to walk towards the steps. "Are you coming?" he asked as he noticed Sakura still standing there.

She looked up. "Oh, yeah." She ran to catch up.

The two teens looked down at the long, bottomless trail of steps. It seemed to go on forever and ever, as if it never ended. Sakura groaned inwardly. More walking, just great. The two carefully took a step down, and then another. After the first twelve steps they felt safe and continued down casually. Then there was a grinding noise that came from deep inside the steps. Sakura glanced at Sasuke and then the steps as they began to tremble and move.

"Sasuke…" she said nervously.

He looked down at his feet shaking wildly on the step. "What's happening?" he asked.

Suddenly the stairs began to slope down one by one turning into a smooth straight slide, each step moving up and slanting. "RUN!" Sasuke said turning back around

Not having to hear it twice Sakura turned around and began running back up the stairs but it was too quick. The stair slanted beneath their feet and they slid down. Sasuke looked at where they were falling and cursed under his breath as they fell closer and closer to the end. He could see the outline of large spikes waiting for them at the end. He took out a kunai and stabbed it into the stairs. He skidded down for a while before coming to an abrupt stop. He grabbed Sakura as she zoomed down past him screaming. They both looked down at the spikes.

"Sasuke! Please don't let me fall!" Sakura cried watching the spikes light up as Sasuke dropped his flashlight to get better gripping on the kunai.

He glanced down. "I can't hold you forever, we need to find a way out." He said.

Sakura nodded nervously her hands shaking with fear. She pulled out a kunai with her free hand and stabbed it into the slanted steps. She held on to it to help Sasuke with the weight.

"So any bright ideas?" Sasuke asked in a calm voice, which was odd since they were dangling above knives.

Sasuke sighed his mind searching for a way out. He looked around and smiled slightly as he saw a small door on Sakura's right.

"Sakura, look to your right." He said.

She looked over. "It's a door!" she pointed out.

"Yes, it's a door, can you reach it?"

Sakura let go of the kunai for a moment to stretch her hand over. It reached about three feet away from the door knob. "No." she said gripping back onto the knob quickly.

Sasuke ran through his mind searching for another way. "Aright, then you'll have to trust me." He said after a moment.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Cause I'm going to need to throw you over there."

"WHAT!!!!! THROW ME! What if I fall?!"

I know he hates your guts and all but to throw you is kinda mean if you ask me.

Sasuke sighed growing impatient. "I can't hold you much longer. I'll throw you directly in front of the door; all you have to do is grab on to the ledge and open it. Sakura we've practiced drills like this with Kakashi."

"But there was always someone at the bottom to catch me. Sasuke you're asking me to let you throw me over a million pointy things!"

"Would you rather sit here and wait till I drop you over a million "pointy things"?"

She huffed out defeated. "If I drop I'll haunt you for the rest of your life." She said.

He nodded. "Ok, just grab the ledge and open it. Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

"One, two..."

"WAIT!! WAIT, WAIT. Give me a second!" Sakura said taking a deep breath.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Sakura, I can't hold you much longer."

"Ok, go head," Sakura said.

"Ok, one, two-"

"WAIT!"

"THREE!"

Sasuke flung her towards the ledge. Sakura reached out, eyes closed and screaming her head off. She kept them squeezed shut for a moment waiting for the sharp pointy things to cut through her like she was butter. She peeked open after a while without pain. She found herself grasping desperately to the ledge.

"Good, now open it." Sasuke said shifting his weight.

She gulped nervously pulling herself up. After banging on the door with the side of her fist the tiny piece of wood fell down a puff of dust rising up. She coughed and climbed in the tiny cramped tunnel. "Aright it's open. How are you going to get in?"

Sasuke took a deep breath; He couldn't believe he was going to do this. "Catch me." He said and let go of the kunai.

Sakura's eyes widened but her instincts never to let Sasuke get hurt kicked in and she reached out her arm grabbing Sasuke. She pulled him up with a struggle but he got in.

"Goodness Sasuke why would you just drop like that?" Sakura scolded.

He shrugged. "I knew you'd catch me. Now, let me in front."

She stared at him for a while before she moved. They struggled to switch places in the small, dark, square tunnel. After a while they achieved their goal. Sasuke though, some how ended up with Sakura's foot print on his cheek. Wiping of the dust he started crawling. Sakura followed close behind. Soon they saw a light in front of them. They arrived at an opening but the bottom was a long drop.

"How are we going to get down?" Sakura asked looking at the dirt floor that was at least a good mile or two down.

"Jutsu." Sasuke said.

"What?"

"Destination Jutsu helps you get place to place, we know where we want to go, what it looks like, and we know where we're at. Just hold on."

Sakura looked at Sasuke unsure but grabbed onto his arm anyway.

"Destination Jutsu!"

Sakura found herself still gripping on to Sasuke but this time, instead of a small tunnel, they were on the ground that she was looking at only moments before. "Hey, I wonder why I didn't think of that." She said.

"Let me see your flashlight." Sasuke said holding out his hand.

She went into her bag and handed it to Sasuke. "Here."

He took it and turned it on, the room lit up and a thousand little doors popped up. They looked around overwhelmed.

"Which one do we take?" Sakura asked looking at all of them. There were some up top, and on the floor, and in corners, some with doors and signs and some that were simply open. There was even one that was oddly decorated with red, purple, and green flowers.

Sasuke went to examine one of the doors. "They could lead anywhere, to different places all to the same place. We just pick one."

Sakura looked around and noticed a door that was isolated from the rest. "How about that one?" Sakura said pointing it out.

Sasuke looked at it. "It looks like its dangerous, like its isolated for a reason."

"Wouldn't that mean that they have a reason for making it dangerous? Maybe it links to some clue that could help us." Sakura suggested.

Sasuke thought about it for a moment. "Fine, but…keep the door open, ok?"

She blushed lightly. "Sorry."

He walked over to the isolated door and pulled it open. He looked inside, it was a little bigger then the one they had just crawled through but still small. He carefully crawled inside, after there was no booby trap he motioned for Sakura to come in and follow. She did making sure to keep the door open.

They crawled and crawled for what seemed like forever, Sakura was about to suggest they turn around and try another door when the floor collapsed underneath them.

"Crap," Sasuke mumbled as they free fell. He reached around for something to grab on to but they were falling too fast. He looked at Sakura who was too afraid to even scream. He pushed himself over to her and grabbed her in a hug being the only thing he could do to at least attempt to protect her.

They continued down for at least thirty minutes before Sasuke saw the ground. There where no spikes or slides. But at the rate they were falling, they would be killed from impact. These were the moments Sasuke wished Naruto and his clones were around.

Thinking quickly he let go of Sakura and took off his bag. He emptied it and let everything fall out before he opened up holding on to the corners. Re-grapping on to Sakura the bag inflated with air and like a parachute they were yanked back to a slow steady pace. The landing on the ground was still rough but luckily, they had slowed down enough to live. Sasuke got up dusting himself off and helped Sakura to her feet.

"You ok?" Sasuke asked watching her dust off her outfit.

Her hair was messed up and she had a crazed terrified look on her face but nodded. "I'm….I'm good." She said trying to pat down her hair with shaking hands.

"If there are traps like this everywhere I don't know if I'll make it. I'll probably die from fright before I was killed by the actual trap." Sakura thought to herself.

Sasuke re-collected the things he had dropped from his bag. He walked over to the flash light. The cover was cracked but it thankfully still worked. He waved it around their new area. There was only one door this time. He walked towards it but stopped when he heard Sakura stomp.

"I'm tired Sasuke. We don't even know what we're looking for! We haven't even been in here for a full day I bet and already almost got stabbed to death, had to do a death leap, pick from a thousand doors, and almost fell to our doom. Can't we get out, maybe you can bring Naruto. I don't think I'm cut out for all these little surprises."

"Sakura's it's not the time to complain how do expect me to get you back out anyway? It's not like I have a rewind button."

She sighed. "So I'm stuck until we either get the mission done or find a way out?"

"You're stuck."

She lowered her head disappointed. "Fine." She said walking towards the door.

Sasuke continued on with her.

They walked for a few moments before the arrived at a dead end with a sign.

Welcome

Complete the test in one piece,

And I'll let you through me.

"Some weirdo game?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke shrugged and reached out to touch it. As soon as he did the place shook. Sakura frowned. "Oh no, not again." She said getting ready to run the other way but Sasuke grabbed her.

"No, it's a door. It's opening." He said watching the wall rise up into the ceiling. A wide open, pitch black space was revealed.

"What is it?" Sakura whispered.

"It looks like…a mini stadium…"

:-P I absolutly can't wait for the games to begin...