Chapter 1 – We're going WHERE?

Poor, poor Cho. He had never gained back all that belly fat he wanted. Standing naked in front of the mirror, he looked at his slim figure, and sighed audibly. After that damn fight with the jackass, Kimimaro, he had lost all the pudge he had been building up over the years. Chouji hadn't complained at first, when he figured he could get it back by eating more. But the drug seemed to still be working, even all these years later. Oh well, at least no one called him fat anymore. When he had first come back to the village, he actually laughed at the thought of what people would say when they saw him. But now that was all played out.

Besides, it wasn't them he wanted to please. And even as he thought about it, his face grew hot, and he saw his whole body turn red in the mirror. The only one he wanted to please, as smart as this one was, didn't even bother to comment on his new appearance when Chouji first saw the group upon his return.

He got dressed, and trudged outside to greet the day. The stupid day that didn't agree with him. The sun shone brightly and almost mocked him. Chouji didn't feel cheery. His clothes were too big for him, and he had even gone fishing in his closet for some of his clothes he had worn as a young gennin in and around Konoha. Even those were too big for him, as he had never bothered to buy new clothes. But this day was really different. It was special. His best friend had been away for a year, and was coming home today.

He tried to smile, thinking about the importance of this day.

Shikamaru had been away reluctantly, on a training mission with Asuma. Neither of the teens had wanted Shika to leave, but he was back now, that was all that mattered to the redhead. He waited patiently outside the gates of Konoha, and squeaked loudly when he finally saw Shikamaru through the trees, grumbling to himself. He had grown an inch or two, but otherwise, this was the same Shikamaru Chouji remembered.

"Shika! How's it hanging? Did ya miss me?"

"Idiot. I am the one who is supposed to ask that question, I was the one who left for a year. Did you miss me?" He asked, a smile playing at his normally frowning lips.

"You know I missed you! How annoyingly lonely it was to have to go to my favourite cookhouses on my own. Are you hungry now, Shika? Do you want to go out for something to eat?"

"I would love to, but I can't. I need to report to granny Tsunade first. Would you like to come with me? We can go somewhere after." Shika walked past Chouji, scuffing his feet and rolling his eyes. Asuma, who had been silent upon the teens' meeting, coughed lightly to gain Chouji's attention.

"Chouji? I hope you weren't too lonely without him. I am really sorry to have taken him for a whole year. But I want to let you know how it went, because that blockhead is obviously not going to tell you much. He trained long, hard hours. He wanted it to be over earlier. All he wanted was for the year to be over with. But I told him that no matter how hard he trained, I would still bring him back only after a year was up. Nonetheless, he didn't slack in his training. He really missed this place, for some weird, awkward reason."

Shika laughed, and punched Asuma lightly in the arm. "Oh, I don't think it was the PLACE he missed." Chou winked at his sensei, and punched Asuma lightly in the arm before running after Shika, calling out to him.

Shika laughed when he turned and saw his teammate running after him, his arm to his chest, already out of breath. So, like the spiteful being he could be, he turned tail and straight out ran to the Hokage's office. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he stopped. Sure enough, there was poor Chou, several hundred metres behind him, kneeling on the packed earth, gasping for air. Shika rolled his eyes and went back to help the poor guy.

Chouji was not doing so hot. He panted and wheezed as he finally coasted to an uneasy stop. He sighed audibly, and fell to his knees. He saw Shika approach him, and he grinned, embarrassed. "What? I didn't train much while you were gone. I didn't have a partner. I really need to start up again."

Shika laughed and laughed, so hard his sides hurt. He reached out for Chou's hand, and – not without effort – pulled him up. Slowly, they walked to the Hokage's office together.

------ "WHAAATTTT?!" ------

Shika turned pale, Chouji coughed hard. Tsunade wanted them to do WHAT? "Repeat that again, granny?" Shika asked, his words almost choking in his throat. "You seriously want – When I just got BACK?"

Tsunade merely scoffed. "If you don't want to do it – too frigging bad. I have deemed you the best to lead this operation, and I will have you COMPLY, or you will regret it. Like I said, I want you to lead a group, consisting of Naruto, Chouji, Sasuke, Lee and Gaara to the Ice Country. You have a mission."

First of all, granny, Gaara isn't even part of this village. He is the Kaz -" But Tsunade didn't let him finish.

"I am aware that Gaara is the Kazekage of his village. I don't really care at the moment. I asked him if he would like to join this mission, and since he is in visiting for the week, he has no problem helping out. And I think his abilities would be useful, also."

"Ugh, Fine. However, you DO know that it is desperately cold over there, right? There is no way that the fugitives would survive over in the ICE Country anyway." Shika countered, desperate to get out of this ordeal.

"Well, if that is the case, you can receive the Katsuya clan's secret scrolls from their frozen, dead fingers. Either way, I want them BACK. And I will not have 'No' for an answer."

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Alii-Chan : Alright, Ch-1 sucked, didn't it?

Sai: Nooo ... Why wasn't I in it?

Alii-Chan: Because I don't like you?

Sai: Fair enough ...

Sai: Are Sasuke and Naruto going to be lovers?

Alii-Chan: Nuuu ... -shifty eyes- AUGH! I forgot! Technically, Sasuke would still be with that pale chick ...

Sai: You Mean Orochi, the MALE? ... Hey, can I be with Naruto?

Alii-Chan: Heh. Oops ... She's a he? My bad ... NO! You cannot interrupt the NaruSasu!

Sai: Sasuke's an uke?

Yes ... Now, please, Rate and review 3 I want to do more chapters, and more fictions. If I don't get ratings and/or reviews, I will be super discouraged. Such talent, gone to waste!