sister1&2 - BY THE WAY EVERYONE, WE HAVE THE FIRST CHAPTER OF OUR NON-TEASER VERSION UP AND KICKING. ^-^ We decided to leave the teaser up and also post our actual story.
Disclaimer: We do NOT own Naruto; we just love it so much! =]
Ok, we're wondering if you guys like our story and if we should continue writing it. We'll likely write it anyway, and those of you who don't like it don't have to read it. =)
BTW, there is no pairing in our fic. Just thought we'd let you know =P
On with the TEASER! Enjoy!
Naruto was leading the group as they jumped from tree to tree, when the orange clad ninja herd Sakura call out.
"Naruto, slow down! We're not in a race!"
Naruto peeked over his shoulder at his pink haired teammate and smiled his fox-like grin and called back, "Sorry Sakura-Chan, but Tsunade-baa-Chan said that we could look for Sasuke after we got back!"
Sakura sighed and watched as her hyper-active teammate faced Konoha's direction again; she understood why he wanted to get home so badly, but they had been going at the same speed ever since dawn and she was getting a little agitated. Not to mention they would have to pass through another town before they got home.
Yamato, assigned on this mission for safety precautions, was watching this exchange with a thoughtful smile. Meanwhile Sai was just observing his teammates behavior for what seemed like the twentieth time that day. He was getting agitated as well; although he was much better at hiding it. One of the problems was the abnormally hot weather, and it didn't help that the only time they took a breather was at lunch time. This was about three hours ago and the heat was getting to almost everyone… except for Naruto.
Kakashi, who recognized the signs of fatigue in his teammates, was pondering over the thought of taking a twenty-minute break when Yamato came up beside him. "Hey Kakashi," Yamato said quietly. "I think we should take a break in that shaded clearing up ahead so that we can cool off and drink some water." At that moment Kakashi was seriously wondering if Yamato could read minds.
"Yeah, I was starting to think the same thing." Kakashi said with a sideways glance at his subordinate. "Well I guess we do need to take a rest… Oi!" Sai and Sakura looked at their sensei, while Naruto slowed down so he could hear. "We're going to take a brake at that small clearing ahead."
"What are you talking about Kakashi-sensei," Naruto objected. "We need to hurry! We don't have time for breaks!"
Kakashi looked at the young ninja's stubborn expression and sighed, "Look Naruto, not all of us have the same stamina as you," he said patiently. "In fact most people wouldn't know what to do with all of the stamina you possess."
Naruto landed in the clearing and rounded on his heels to face Kakashi. Sai, who was at the back of the group, opened his mouth to comment but Sakura beat him to the punch.
"Naruto, I want to hurry as badly as you do," Sakura said. "But we simply do not have the endurance to continue at this pace." Naruto knew that Sakura wanted to get Sasuke back even more than he did.
"She's right, Naruto," Sai put in. "If we keep up this pace, we'll be in no condition to look for Sasuke." Naruto realized that his friends were right but he still did not want to give up.
"Yeah, but... still…" Naruto briefly looked at his feet, not able to think of a suitable argument.
Then another voice interjected. "You know, Naruto," Yamato said. "You could train for a little bit while we rest?"
Naruto gave Yamato a quizzical look. "How can I train when all of you want to kick back?"
Kakashi, realizing that his former student wasn't fully understanding what Yamato was talking about, decided to explain, "He means that you can go practice taijutsu with your clones while we take a twenty-minute brake."
They all watched as Naruto's face lit up with understanding. "All right!" Naruto exclaimed, turning away while cupping his hands behind his head.
"Oi, Naruto!" Yamato called, Naruto stopped and turned around making a questioning sound. "You can do that after you take two minutes to get some water down you." Naruto grumbled as his hands flopped down to his sides; seeing his teammates now sitting under a fairly good size tree, Naruto headed over to them.
Naruto took the canteen Sakura offered him, and sat down in the shade in front of his team. 'This is going to be a long two minutes.' Naruto thought as he took a drink of water.
0o0o0
"Itachi," Kisame said while looking at team Kakashi through some tree branches. "Shouldn't we get the jinchuuriki now while his companions have their guard down?" Kisame looked at Itachi expectantly.
"Wait until he's alone," Itachi said. Kisame waited, but Itachi said nothing more.
He looked back at the Konoha Nin. Itachi seemed… he wasn't sure what the right words were; Itachi was not more intense than normal, not "a little off", Itachi seemed… just a little different than normal. He looked at his companion for a couple of seconds before realization spread across his shark-like face. "You're going to use that new jutsu you've been working on?" Kisame smirked when Itachi gave no response. "So you've finally gotten to the human guinea-pig stage, ne?"
Not expecting an answer, Kisame turned his attention back on their target. He was just in time to see the kyuubi brat hand his canteen back to the only girl in his group and take off in the direction the Konoha-nin were originally headed. "Oi, Naruto! Stay on the path we used to get here!" Kisame heard the Copy Ninja say.
"I know, I know!"
"Kisame," Itachi said in his usual calm tone. "Stay here. Make sure that they don't start looking for him too soon."
Kisame grinned. "Sure, no problem."
"Another thing," Itachi added, to Kisame's surprise. "Don't get into a fight unless it's unavoidable." Kisame became puzzled at Itachi's order but did not question him.
"Got it."
As soon as the words left his toothy mouth, Itachi disappeared to fallow Naruto while Kisame stayed to watch the Konoha Nin. 'What I really want to see is what happens with that new jutsu of his.' Kisame thought. 'But I guess I'll see the results sooner or later.'
0o0o0
"Sasuke," Karin called out to her team leader. Sasuke turned back just far enough to give the female in their group a one-eye stare, but he said nothing. "I can sense Itachi's chakra and he's not alone."
"How many," Sasuke ordered a response.
"Just one other," Karin knew better than to try for any conversation with Sasuke when Itachi was involved. "They are south-east from here…" she trailed off in concentration.
Sasuke noted her change in attention and waited, knowing she'd soon relay her findings.
"So," Suigetsu interjected with a cocky smirk. "I guess the rumors we heard at the last town were true."
Karin ignored the water ninja's voice, "Sasuke," she sounded almost urgent. "The jinchuuriki is out here!"
"He is of no concern," Sasuke said in his usual monotone.
"But," Karin began. "Itachi is moving toward him."
0o0o0
Naruto walked south towards an open field with stumps scattered around behind a thin tree-line just off the road he remembered seeing on their way over. The area was about two kilometers from where his team had decided to rest; the location was a little far from his friends but he figured everything would be fine, it wasn't like their mission had been S-rank or even A-ranked. As a matter of fact, it had been quite peaceful and uneventful in Konoha for the last month and a half.
Naruto leaped from tree branch to tree branch until he landed at the edge of the clearing. A smile spread across his face, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
0o0o0
Sakura glanced down the road where Naruto's back disappeared for what seemed like the tenth time in the past three minutes.
For some reason Sakura was anxious. She had had a bad premonition before but this wasn't the same; it wasn't dread, it wasn't fear for someone's life, and it wasn't worry. It didn't seem to be anything:she was simply, uneasy.
"Is anything wrong, Sakura?" Yamato's voice snapped Sakura back to reality.
"Ah, no, it's nothing." Sakura knew it wasn't nothing, but she couldn't figure out what it was, and there was no reason to report what she couldn't describe even to herself. She focused on the canteen in her hands then glanced back down the road.
Yamato and Kakashi looked at each other, not sure exactly what to make of Sakura's obvious discomfort.
0o0o0
Itachi waited in his hiding place mid-way up a tree for his prey. The jinchuuriki suddenly burst into the clearing, "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" the blonde called excitedly to himself followed by seven clones bursting from a cloud of smoke. The clones flipped and dodged and punched at each other. Itachi watched for about 15 minutes as the young ninja sparred with his clones, but he knew he didn't have any more time to wait for the perfect moment to strike, so he jumped down from the tree to announce his presence.
The jinchuuriki stopped; all eight of him, "Itachi! What are you doing here?" The nine-tales yelled.
Itachi didn't feel obligated to respond; he didn't have time for words. Soon the other Konoha nin would be coming and he had to have his jutsu completed by the time the two ANBU-level jounin showed up and complicated matters. Itachi put the blonde under a genjutsu to stop his movements, placed a paper seal on the jinchuuriki's forehead, and started his list of hand signs before there was enough time to take a breath. Itachi felt his chakra swirl and release. A puff of smoke surrounded the nine-tales, a sure sign that something had happened. Itachi wasn't sure whether his experiment would be a success, but if it worked, then it would make restraining and transporting the jinchuuriki extremely easy.
0o0o0
Kakashi observed as the med ninja seemed to settle down after nearly 20 minutes of glancing down the road. 'I wonder what caused her to be so anxious.' Kakashi thought as they walked. 'Hmm, she seems to have calmed down now.' Kakashi glanced at the rest of his team and then back at Sakura. 'Maybe she is just concerned for Naruto's wellbeing,' Kakashi mused. 'It has been like the calm before the storm for the past month-and-a-half now.'
"Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi looked over at the girl who sounded completely ill at ease. "If Naruto stayed on the path like you told him to… then shouldn't we have heard him practicing by now?"
If anyone does not know the Japanese honorifics or words we use then let us know and we'll try to clearify as much as we can. Thank you and good night, or morning, whichever =P