Chapter 9

Chunin Exams- Survival

" Thinking "

" Flashback thoughts"

"Oh, what hit me?" Naruto groaned aloud as bright light shined directly down upon him causing him to groan even more and put his hand in front of his eyes it order not to go blind from the sun.

He didn't know where he was, but where ever it was it was hot, very hot. So much so that his forehead was sweating an awful lot and could feel his clothes were sticking to him a little making him feel a little uncomfortable.

The ground beneath him was flat and soft, however it felt lose and like it was shifting beneath him.

"What am I lying on?" he thought as he began to sit up. When he went to rub the back of his neck he found sand covering it. Look behind him completely he saw his whole back was covered in sand.

"What the...?" he said before he finally took a good look around and noticed they were currently under the shade of a few cacti that were piled together, which were station in the middle of the desert.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?" he shouted out causing movements to stir next to him. Looking over he saw Anko and Itachi all lying next to him, but were showing signs of beginning to wake up.

"Guys wake up, we got problems." He said as he shook them both awake. The last he remember was being in the classroom with the other teams that passed the first tests

"Ok already, take it easy dude," Anko complained as she began to sit up and rub her eyes. Itachi did the same and was blinking his eyes.

As they both began to wake up, they began to notice where they were. They blinked furiously as if believing it was a genjutsu and even tried to dispel it. Once they realized it was not a genjutsu and they were really in the desert, Anko summed up everyone's thoughts.

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE!?"

"The desert by the looks of things; damn proctor must have knocked us out with knockout gas." he said as the trio began to shakily stand up.

For the next minute they checked themselves over and sighed happily that everyone still had all their belongings. Naruto was especially thankful no one took his blade but then again he had that in a storage seal on his right wrist since he did not want people seeing his beautiful blade just yet.

"There's a note." Itachi said as he look over at one of the cactuses and saw that pinned to the center cactus was indeed a note.

They all got up and went towards it. Itachi delicately took it off, not wanting to get struck by one of the prickles of the cactus plant and read out what it said.

"Oh goody, this sounds like a heap of fun." Naruto commented dryly as Anko and Itachi could not help but agree with him.

"So we are stranded. Who the hell came up with this stupid idea?" Anko wailed as the two sighed and shook their heads.

"Five days, huh? I don't suppose anyone actually know which direction we have to go in, do you?" Naruto asked as he looked around them.

"I guess that is another thing we have to figure out. Navigation and stuff like that." Itachi added, though he was more worried about getting food and water once they ran out.

"Well if we have five days than I guess we should aim to get their sooner than that. Everyone check you packs to see what food or water we have since water especially is going to be something we will need to treasure in the desert."

It took a few minutes, but they quickly figured it out. They had about two bottles of water each along with a few ration bars between them as well as one rice ball each. It was not much but it would have to do.

"If we run out then we either have to hope we find some kind of oasis and that Kami is smiling at us or we make quicker haste towards finding Suna."

"Well that is great and all but how exactly do we find Suna? I don't see anyone with a compass?" Anko said making both Naruto and Itachi think.

They thought about it and now really did wish they had a compass and a map. But if they wanted to be chunin then they had to figure out news way to get back to Suna.

"Naruto," Itachi asked getting the blonde attention. "Your sensor ability, how far can you sense with it?"

"My sensor ability? I can sense pretty far, I mean when I was five I could sense at least a few miles, but I have never tried anything that long range. I know there is no chance I could sense all the way to Suna since I have no idea how far out we are."

"Hmm. Don't try and find the village instead look for the nearest sign of life and we can head in that direction. What about your Sharingan?" Said Anko, thinking of a way that she could help out.

"But what if the other sign of life is another team?"

"It's a chance we will have to take. Plus my Sharingan can't see that far." Replied Itachi.

"I GOT IT!"

Both stopped talking as they look towards Anko who was beaming with pride. "I know how we can find our way back to Suna." she said getting raised eyebrows from both boys.

"Would you like to tell us this way of yours?" Naruto asked as Anko grinned.

"Better. I can show you," she said before biting her thumb' and planting it on the ground.

A tiny cloud of smoke appeared jut in front of Anko and thy watched a small green skinned snake appeared and slivered towards Anko and up her arm.

"Rela, do you think you could point us in the direction of the sand village, Suna? We have to make it their in the space of five days though we don't have much food and water so we would prefer to get their as soon as we can."

The snake nodded its head and slivered back to the ground and put its head in the air as its body coiled around on the sand.

The trio waited for a couple of minutes as the two slits that were its nostrils smelled the air along with its forked tongue slipping out of its mouth and tasting the air.

Once the few minutes were up, the serpent's eyes twitched before it began to slither way motioning for the trio to follow after it.

After putting on their cloaks to protect their bodies form the harsh light of the hot sun and try to keep themselves cool and not sunburnt, they quickly followed after the snake with Anko up front and then Naruto and Itachi behind.

"Wow that was handy. How did she find it so quickly?" Naruto asked Anko as they got their things together and began walking after the snake.

"I had Rela familiarize herself with the scent that Suna gave off. It may not be a person but the village does have a unique smell accustomed to it. Plus my summons snakes can sense chakra to with their inferred vision; picking up heat signatures from a great distance. We may be far out but a snake has great enhanced senses to that of a person."

Naruto whistled to himself while Itachi nodded at the explanations.

"Summoning animals really are amazing and the things they can do can even trump a shinobi. You know I kind of wish I had one myself. They would really be amazing to have as a partner."

"I agree. They would be greatly beneficial. It is a shame the Uchiha does not have a summoning contract bound to us like a few other clan in the world. I can see they would be of great use."

Anko looked back at Naruto while they continued to follow Rela. "Well aren't you going to sign the Toad contract Naruto? I mean your dad had signed it as well as his sensei Jiraiya who is like always with your family. Wouldn't you sign that?"

Naruto face grew cold for a second before he steeled himself and looked away.

"No, I probably won't be signing it; knowing my parents they will probably just give it to the twins and Mina and leave me out like usual." he said though he whispered the last part out.

Anko looked at him a little confusingly as did Rela who cocked her back a little before getting back to the view in front of her.

"Why would you say that? I am sure they will let you sign it if you asked." she said wanting to understand what he meant by it but saw Itachi shake his head to her as if telling her to stop asking

"Besides just because I won't have the Toad summons doesn't mean I won't have a summoning contract one day It might not be the Toad, or Slug or the Ape contracts that Hokage-sama and Ero-Sennin hold or the ones Baa-chan and Jiji have, but I will hold one eventually and it will beat the other contracts." he said thinking about other animals that may have contracts to them and which he would love to have.

Anko shrugged. "Well good luck with that. Summoning contract aren't exactly easy to come by."

"Then I will have to be on the lookout in the future." he said as they followed Rela.

After hours of trekking through the harsh Suna desert and using up about one third of their water supply, the group stopped for then might at a small rock formation that provided some cover for them that they could use for shelter.

After thanking her and managing to catch a desert mouse as a treat that Anko gave her, Rela disappeared and went back to her home.

The trio made a small supper with what they could spare for the first night before they got in their sleeping bags. Unlike the sweltering heat of the daytime, the night was quite cold as the moon hit them along with the cool desert winds.

"It's a nice night tonight." Naruto said as he lay down on the soft sand looking up at the star filled sky with Itachi on his right and Anko on his left.

"You know," Anko said leaning on her elbows and turning to Naruto. "Why don't we just travel through the night instead? It would be a lot less strenuous since we won't have the heat of the sun hitting us and no one would be expecting it."

"I had thought about that, but their lies a problem with that theory." Itachi spoke up from his spot. "If we were to travel at night we would have multiple problems with defending ourselves as well as making our way to the village. There will be no daylight so we will not be able to see a thing. Plus there are poisonous animals in the desert, hat if we tread on one in the dark and it hits us?"

Naruto nodded as Anko thought about it. "I guess that a good point. But can't we use the light form the moon?"

"And what would happen if one night the clouds cover the moon therefore giving us no light?"

Anko pouted as he spoke to her like she was a child and went back to lying on her back and crossed her arms as Naruto looked at her playfully.

"Fine then."

Naruto laughed while Anko shook his head at his teammate's amusement as he continued to stare up at the sky while Naruto and Anko made idle chat.

"I wonder how Kaa-san is doing back in Suna?" he thought to himself despite knowing Mikoto was more than capable of looking after herself since she was a powerful shinobi.

As Naruto made idle chat with Anko, Naruto thought back to the snake he had seen Anko use earlier and it had brought up a question in his mind that he had about Anko ever since the first time he met her and used those snake abilities in front of him.

"Hey Anko," he said getting her attention. "How did you get the snake contract anyway?"

He saw next to him that Anko froze up and in her eyes had a brief look of panic hit her before she narrowed them a little and looked directly at him.

From his spot Itachi looked over as well since he had wondered the same thing.

"Why do you ask? You have never wondered before." she asked.

"Well like you said earlier, you said that summoning contracts rare to come by since not many shinobi actually have them. And it made me wonder just how you managed to get yours. The Snake contract is a very powerful summoning contract.

My jiji told me about one of his past students that went bad took off when I was only a few years old. Jiji told me that he had the Snake summoning contract and took it with him, so it made me curious to how you have it."

Naruto looked back at Anko but when he did he was surprised to see an angry Anko lunge at him with an angry and upset look on her face.

She landed on him, but Naruto quickly turned the tables and managed to use his greater physical strength and flip her over onto her back while he managed to pin her hands to her sides as well place his knee's on hers to stop her from kicking him.

Itachi was going to help, but Naruto gave him a look that told him not to interfere.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT! I EARNED THAT CONTRACT AND THAT BASTARD BETRAYED ME!" she shouted as Naruto put his hand over her mouth since they did not want nay nearby teams to hear them.

"Anko we still are in the second exam. You must try and be quiet." he said, but felt a little taken back when he saw tears cascading down her face. "Anko-chan?"

"He promised he would look after me but instead he turned is back on me, saying I outlived my usefulness and branded me forever with his curse mark. I trusted him." she sobbed as Naruto was not sure what to do so he just hugged her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

Itachi watched in silence but listened in and felt his heart go to his friend.

"Tell me what happened to you, Anko-chan; tell me so I can help you." Naruto gently pushed as Anko sniffed a little before she explained.

She explained how six years ago when she was four, the Snake Sannin Orochimaru had taken an interest in her and had taken her under his wing and made himself her guardian and mentor.

She had spent four years with him and he had even taken her with him when he had turned his back on the village. At first she said he was a nice person who made her feel at ease but then would disappear for long periods of time and each time he had become more and more sinister like.

Then one day when he came back he hate bitten her out of the blue and put some kind of seal on her neck that caused her to fall into excruciating pain as it made her body feel like it was on fire and being ripped in two.

Afterward when she had woken up he had shaken his head at her saying it had not giving him the desired result he had wanted before just leaving her where she was and never looking back. Two days later she had been found by a team of hunter-nin from Konoha where she was quickly returned.

"Why has my father and mother not tried to get rid of this seal?" Naruto said with a look of anger on his face as he looked at the seal on her shoulder but felt Anko shrugged.

"I'm not too sure. The Hokage said the once that without knowing the formula Orochimaru used, it would be difficult to destroy it. Plus they said he put some of his essence into it, making it darker and it made those uneasy to try and tamper with it in case it backfired."

Naruto nodded and though it did make sense, he understood where they were coming from; though it still made him pissed as he covered the seal up.

"Anko-chan look at me," he said as Anko looked up at him. "As you know I am practicing and training to be a fūinjutsu master and after seeing this seal and hearing your story I will make you this promise right here and now.

"I promise I will make Orochimaru pay for hurting you and I will get that seal of you. I promise it on my way of the Shinobi." he said as Anko looked up at him with shocked and wide eyes.

"I second that." Itachi muttered making the two look at him forgetting he was even there. "We will make Orochimaru sorry for ever harming you Anko-san. We will bring you justice."

"Guys," Anko said quietly before she grabbed Naruto and Itachi from where he lay and hugged them both tightly.

"Thank you both so much." she muttered making the two boys smiled at return the hug to her before they decided to call it a night and prepare for the second day of trekking through the desert of Suna.

The trio woke as soon as the sun hit their faces and quickly packed or sealed their stuff away before making their way back towards the sand village.

Anko looked happier than either of the two boys had seen her before as she summoned her snake summon which quickly led the way again though this time at a quicker pace since none of them wanted to spend another four days in the sweltering heat of the Suna desert.

As they walked they felt Kami smiling on them when they found a few rows of cacti on their path.

Knowing that cacti stored water within them, Naruto cut of some of the cacti parts and the trio drained what they could from the cacti and got more water to last them an extra day if they needed it.

They walked for a few hours and were feeling good about themselves since they were making good time until Itachi and Anko noticed Naruto had stopped.

"Naruto?"

Naruto placed his index finger to his lips. "There is someone here." he said instantly making Anko and Itachi on guard as they group together back to back in a triangle formation.

"Where are they?" Anko asked as Itachi had his Sharingan activated when Naruto had his eyes closed searching around them.

After a few moments of searching his eyes narrows twenty meters east of them. "There."

They all turned to the spot Naruto had pointed at before firing off their attacks.

The three attacks surged forward together right to the spot where Naruto's sensor abilities pin pointed. Just as they neared a trio reddish orange balls burst out of the sands and hit the attacks causing a small explosion to occur that knocked sand all over the place from the gust of the attack.

As the sand and smoke cleared a figure jumped out from the smoke cloud covered in a light brown cloak with an Anbu mask covering their face. Looking at them they could not tell whether the cloaked figure was a male or a female.

As the Wind successfully stopped the wind made senbon form striking them, the figure leaped over the wall and pushed themselves forward and towards the group. They landed in the middle of the group making the trio jump back.

Naruto unsealed Shusui and swung at the masked shinobi, but was blocked by a chakra enhanced kunai.

"Why are you attacking us?" he asked as Anko came up from the right side and kicked the shinobi who then managed to duck out of the way.

"I can't let just anyone get to the next round of the chunin exams now can I. You three have come quite far in such a short amount of time." the figure said making the three look at them in surprise.

"So it is part of the test. We have to get past you in order to get to the next round." Naruto said as he watched as the unnamed shinobi nodded.