"This CANNOT be happening", said Sakura hopelessly. Rain pelted the three students as they stood around, and gazed in horror at, the pile of 15 containers of instant ramen and 5 bottles of water.
Sasuke shook his head and let out a dry laugh, "Well, at least we have something to eat."
The three continued to stand and stare, ignoring the rain. Though no one was absolutely sure about what had happened, everyone had come to one unanimous, and depressingly predictable, conclusion. This was definitely Naruto's fault.
Four Days Prior…
"Good morning, Sensei!" Naruto waved at his teacher as he headed up to his seat. Kakashi grunted a reply and made an unfamiliar gesture with his hand.
The boy happily slid into his seat between Sasuke and Sakura just before the bell rang.
The murmurs of happily chatting students in the morning began to die down as Kakashi Sensei put down his book. The common thought throughout the classroom was that the putting down of the book must mean they were going somewhere. Again. Without being told in advance.
Kakashi began by stating the obvious, "I have an announcement."
Sakura raised her hand. "Yes Sakura?"
"If it's another field trip, I can't go. I have an exam in my next class."
Kakashi rolled his eyes and stood up for emphasis, "Of COURSE its not another field trip. We just went on one earlier this month. What kind of a teacher would I be if I just took you on fieldtrips all the time and didn't teach you anything?"
There were a few skeptical looks from the students, who really hadn't learned anything in this class yet.
"To continue what I was saying, we will all be going on a class trip in four days. It's over the weekend so you wont miss any school. We will leave after your classes on Friday end for a sort of… camping trip."
A sadistic smile that would've melted any saint's face off replaced the casual, apathetic smirk that usually was worn under Kakashi's mask. It made some, Naruto and Sakura included, squirm in their seats.
"Now I will be handing out a paper informing you of your assignment and how you will be graded," Kakashi began passing out papers to the rows of seats, "Your trip to Wal-Mart may make a tiny bit more sense now."
A couple of gasps could be heard and a few protestant shrieks were made as the papers were passed one by one to each student, but all were making sure to keep quiet enough so that their sadistic-smile-wearing teacher wouldn't focus his attention, and possibly inflict something dreadful, upon them.
"This field trip is not required," said their Sensei as he ventured back to the front of the classroom, "and if you could have your parent/guardian sign a note written to me, I will give you a ten page essay to write as a make-up."
The class responded with a less-than-satisfied tone. "This must be a joke. Can he even do this?" demanded Sakura, shoving her paper into Naruto's face to make sure he saw.
"As you all have hopefully read by now, our class trip will be to the canyon so colorfully named, Dante's Inferno. As you may have heard, rumor has it that no one who has attempted to camp there overnight has ever come out alive."
A thick silence settled in the classroom. No one dared move, or speak, or breathe for fear of breaking that silence. The unbelievable suspense of what was to be said next had everyone nearly off his or her chair, and Kakashi relished it. That smile, which had been fading as their Sensei had talked, was menacing as ever now as sweat began to bead and run down the backs and necks of the students.
"However, I can tell you this is not true," their clearly insane teacher let on a new air of sanity as he made an oddly human gesture and turned towards his desk to sit and pick up his book. The strangest part was the fact that the somewhat normal gestures were the ones that seemed out of place. Making his usual calm indifference somewhat startling. "I know so, because I have spent a whole week there," he continued from behind the latest edition of the Make out Paradise series, "and I assure you, those disappearances were just rumors… mostly."
"Anyway," he continued, "your assignment, should you choose to participate, is simple. SURVIVE. Think of it as a test of maturity. And by the way, you will need EVERYONE in your group to participate. No exceptions."
Just then, without a moment's delay, the bell rang. No one moved at first, except Kakashi Sensei, to flip a page, and then slowly, one by one, they all gathered their things and evacuated the classroom with no more than hushed murmurs to be heard.
Naruto said a meek, "see ya" to Sakura and Sasuke, who both mumbled something inaudible back, and let worry-lines crease his forehead.
Test of maturity? What the hell kind of test is that? More like test of throw you in one of the top ten deadliest places on earth and see what's left after three days.
Naruto ignored the hellos and various other greetings from the friends he passed as he emptily stared at the floor and walked and thought.
It COULD be an adventure. Sensei said he was there a whole week and survived. But what would happen to US?
Naruto stopped and turned to pull the hand out from his backpack. He stood in the hallway, letting others casually bump into him, as he re-read the letter.
... CLASS TRIPAttention students! Our class will camping out at the canyon known as
Dante's Inferno.
In order to participate in said trip, all three of your group members must sign one of these papers and return it to me.
THIS TRIP IS OPTIONAL.
Due to the risks and dangers involved, you may have a parent/guardian sign a note to excuse you and I will give you another assignment.
If you do not return a note, then you will get zero credit, so talk to your other group members.
Also, the group who does the best on this assignment will receive extra credit. Some people (group 7 that means you!) need this credit to get your grades up.
IMMEDIATELY after school Friday, meet in my classroom with your group if you wish to participate. Transportation will be provided. You will be blindfolded and driven to a location known only by Kakashi Sensei, where you will be dropped off.
Each group will be alone in a different location.
This brings us to Wal-Mart. Your list of supplies will be found at the spot you are dropped off at, and you will be free to use them as you wish.
You will be picked up and taken home (or to the morgue) the same time you are dropped off Friday, on Sunday.
That is all
~Hatake Kakashi
...
Naruto re-read the letter several times in disbelief. Was this legal? It wasn't following the curriculum, that was for sure. Then again, not much of what his Sensei did was…
With a sigh, Naruto put the paper away and shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. If this doesn't kill me, at least it will mean I get to spend the weekend with Sasuke and Sakura. That should be fun.
And lingering on that thought, the blonde hurried to his next class.
Later….
Sasuke exited the school building, as usual. School was over and he was headed home, but for some reason Naruto was standing on the edge of school grounds, looking for something. Or someone, he thought, as Naruto waved and hurried over towards him.
"Sasuke! I was just looking for you!"
"Oh really? I couldn't tell."
"What do you…"
"Never mind. What did you want?"
"Hold on a sec, I need to find Sakura first."
"Sakura…" Sasuke watched in confusion as Naruto scanned the crowd of students for pink hair, and it wasn't long till he found it.
"SAKURAAAA!!!" yelled Naruto; loud enough so that several people turned and stared to see what this strange, blue-eyed person was yelling about.
Sakura looked up from a conversation with some other girl to see who had called her name, and when she saw Naruto, she shook her head, saying something to the girl, and weaved through the crowd towards him and Sasuke.
"What's up?" said Sakura.
"Yeah, really Naruto. I have homework so hurry up."
"Okay, okay. I was just wondering what you guys thought about the trip for this weekend."
"You mean you were actually considering it?!" stammered Sakura, shock blatant on her face. "I mean, we could use extra credit, but Naruto! It's dangerous!"
"Sorry Naruto, but I have to agree with Sakura on this one. It sounds dangerous and unpleasant. Besides, there's a make-up assignment anyway. Let's just not go."
Naruto opened his mouth, and then closed it. After thinking for a moment, a wicked grin overtook his face and he leaned over to Sakura and whispered into her ear, "You know it would just be you, me, and Sasuke out there. Say I was to, oh, I don't know, go look for shelter somewhere. That would leave you and Sasuke alone. In a dangerous place. Romantic atmosphere, huh?"
Sakura blushed and sucked in a lungful of air. "YOU REALLY THINK SO?" she squeaked. Seeing his clear victory, Naruto grinned and nodded his head repeatedly.
Sasuke let his confusion show on his face, looking back and forth from a squealing Sakura to a triumphant Naruto.
"What just happened?" he asked, cautiously.
"I think we should go," replied Sakura, enthusiastically. Sasuke looked to Naruto, a suspicious expression on his face. Palms up in an attempt to look harmless, Naruto chuckled and said, "Hey, man, I just know her well, that's all. Besides, think about it. It could be an adventure!"
Sasuke scowled at Naruto and put his palm on his forehead, in an attempt to look extremely frustrated. "Something is going to go extremely wrong and its all most likely going to be your fault," he said to Naruto, who just let his grin widen.
"SO YOUR GOING?!?!?" shrieked Sakura. Sasuke sighed and shrugged, and began to mumble something about not having much of a choice when Sakura cut him off halfway by wrapping herself around him in an enormous hug. Their little group was beginning to draw the attention of innocent passerby's. Sakura especially.
As Sasuke peeled off Sakura, Naruto retrieved his hand out from earlier. After they had all signed it, Naruto ran inside to give it to Kakashi Sensei.
End Flashback
They had all met up in the classroom just a few hours ago. They had driven out here without a problem. There were only two other groups, Ino Shikamaru Choji and Hinata Kiba Shino, so their hopes had been high about winning the extra credit.
After being the last ones dropped off, however, they noticed they were in the middle of a giant canyon, the bottom dry, and the walls a burnt reddish color. Or at least that's what they thought it would look like in the sun. But it was raining. Pouring to be exact. Nothing had much color.
To make things worse, it seems someone had made a list of their own. In that fateful moment when Kiba and Akamaru had bumped into them, three lists had gone flying. Kiba had picked up his list, but handed Sakura Naruto's grocery list, and Naruto had accidentally snagged their groups supply list.
So that is why they all, rather than trying to find someplace dry, stood like a bunch of idiots and stared at the contents of Naruto's list.
"I told you something would go extremely wrong. I also told you it would be your fault," said Sasuke, icily.
Naruto and Sakura had hunched over into nearly identical postures that indicated their depression, most likely caused by the resentment that dripped from Sasuke's comment.
"There's nothing we can do by staying here. Naruto, carry the ramen in your jacket, or something. I can carry the water. We are going to go find some shelter."
Since it was the weekend, they were all wearing casual clothes. Naruto partially unzipped his sweatshirt, and started stuffing ramen bowls between his shirt and the jacket. Sakura knelt down with a smile, and began helping him.
"Might as well make the most of this!" she said contently. This caused Naruto to look at Sasuke, to see what had happened, and then he realized why she was so happy.
Sasuke, like himself, was wearing a white tee shirt under his sweatshirt. The sweatshirt having been removed to use as a sling for the water bottles, rain was allowed to soak through and reveal every inch of the long stretch of sexy that made up his upper body.
Naruto blinked and realized he was staring, and then blushed and turned away to collect the remaining ramen bowls. He definitely wasn't thinking those thoughts about Sasuke.
The bowls collected, he stood and hurried ahead of Sasuke, who had already started walking, make-shift sling held over his shoulder, leaving his arm in a position that caused most of his muscles to bunch in a way that made Naruto's stomach tighten. Even that glance, he realized, had been a mistake.
He began to run, looking ridiculous as he tried to keep the ramen containers from spilling out of his jacket.
"Oi, Naruto! Where the hell are you going?" yelled Sasuke over the pounding rain.
Naruto said something about going ahead to find shelter, but didn't dare look back to make sure Sasuke heard. He needed to get away from Sasuke. This canyon was making him crazy, and if he didn't watch out, he might loose control of himself and do something impulsive and ridiculous. And it would probably be something that he would deeply, sorely regret.