Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, merchandise, TV rites, ect… (I think you get the point.)
Summary
ONE SHOT – We've all wondered so here it is. Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino: a new team seven mission snapshot.
Like all of my work this is just something that happened to float through the empty void inside my head. Like it or hate it please R and R as honest opinions are always welcomed, as are random acts of worship.
"Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished and persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."
I've been as far as you can go,
I've learned a lot and now I know,
You're never gonna get me on the floor again,
I'm prepared to take you to the end,
Never gonna play your games again
Bring your whole team and all your friends,
New Team Seven
A dozen Samurai were staring at Yamanaka Ino in stunned amazement. In their experience slightly built adolescent blondes didn't just appear seemingly out of nowhere. Behind her she heard the creaking of the floor and then a strange sound rather like the rustling of dry leaves followed by a soft thud. It was the sound of the door closing. The blonde looked at the nearest guard who was holding a sword of ridiculously large proportions. Slowly he twisted the blade so a beam of light flowed along its gleaming length; the effect was dramatic if a little too showy.
Ino looked up, blue eyes wide as she tried her best to look innocent as she smiled brightly.
"I do beg your pardon," The purple clad blonde said sweetly. "I take it this isn't the powder room?"
And ran for it. The floor screamed under her sandal-clad feet as she darted down as side passage and behind her someone yelled Ino's, now familiar, new nickname, which was: "Don't let her get away!"
Let me get away, the mind walker silently prayed, oh please let me get away. She slipped as she turned the corner, skidded through a paper wall and landed in an ornamental pond. But Yamanaka Ino in full fight had catlike, even messianic, abilities that would make even other shinobi green with envy. The water barely rippled under her feet as she bounced off of the surface and bounded away. Another wall disintegrated into paper streamers and the kunoichi was in what was possibly the same corridor and shot forward once more.
Behind her someone landed heavily on a valuable koi. Later on someone was going to be very upset about that.
From, that was the most important factor in any mindless escape. You were always running from. To could look after its self. Her legs had sorted themselves out now. First the mad wild dash to get out of immediate danger and then the good solid strides to put as much distance as possible between you and it. That was the trick.
Ino cleared a long flight of shallow steps in one leap, rolled upright at the bottom and set off at random along another hallway without braking momentum. History told of a runner who had run a hundred miles after a battle to report its successful outcome to those at home. He was traditionally regarded as the greatest runner of all time. But even if he'd been reporting news of an impending battle he would have been over taken by Ino. Large men chasing her while carrying sharp weapons having that sort of effect on her.
And yet, against all reason, someone was gaining on her. She pushed herself for more; reaching deeper into her rapidly lowering reserves but the pursuer was closing in. Damn it and just when she had been starting to think that things couldn't get any worse too.
The Yamanaka skidded around a corner and there, blocking the passageway, were three guards. But these ones were posed, ready to attack and all had sharp swords, which were rather annoyingly, pointed directly towards her. She cursed the mission specs, not authorized to use heavy force; these people were actively trying to kill her. Kami-sama must really hate her to have landed her in the middle of this mess. Then suddenly someone cannoned into her back, pushed her to the ground and leapt past, while polished floorboards rushed up to meet Ino's face.
Then the world was spinning and how she managed to keep from braking her nose on impact Ino was never quite sure. The warm summer air was suddenly filled with noise, there were a couple of thumps, a groan and then a strange metallic grinding noise. It was a helmet, spinning round and round on the floor just in front of her face. And then she was being hauled, none too gently, to her feet.
"Are you just going to lie around all day?" Said Sasuke in a tone that was all wasp stings and vinegar. "Come on, they're not that far behind you know."
He really was very pretty Ino reminded herself, and being on the same team as one Uchiha Sasuke was really ruffling Foreheads feathers. It was important that she remember these things. The problem was that the Yamanaka had always admired Sasuke from afar and from a distance he was perfect. Up close however he had all the personality of a cactus. He was stuck up and prickly (and prone to water retention?) and Ino defied anyone, even Sakura, to spend a prolonged period of time in his company and not end up wanting to slap him up side the head. But even so he still was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"How many of them are there?" The blonde female member of Team Seven asked as they streaked down the hallway. She was fast and she could have easily kept up with him so there really was no need for Sasuke to keep the firm grip he had no her wrist.
"Seven now. But two of them are limping and one's having trouble breathing. I'm going to kill Kakashi-sensei for this." The Uchiha snarled as the pair rounded a corner and almost ran into another guard.
"Not if I get to him first." Ino didn't even pause. She took a ladylike step, whirled around on one foot and kicked the man so hard on the side of the head that he spun twice on his own axis before he landed on his head. Neither the guard nor Sasuke seemed overly impressed, especially not the guard who was in fact unconscious.
She paused, huffed irritably, and tucked a stray hair back into place. Just a small nod of recognition was all she was asking for, would that really have killed her team-mate? Probably. "We need to find Naruto and get the hell out of here."
A loud crash sounded from their left followed by a well-known voice whooping in derision as a blond and orange blur streaked through a doorway and skidded to a halt before them.
"Found him." Sasuke deadpanned, but roll his eyes at Ino in a way that she would never admit made her heart flutter.
And Ino had never been so happy to see the blond in all her life. Sure he could be a real pain, always messing around and either taking nothing seriously or taking them way too seriously. Uzumaki Naruto had no middle gears, but he was a good team-mate. He was reliable, loyal, friendly and warm to everyone he met. Crap, she was making him sound like a Labrador again. He might be a bit of a goof, be he was her goof damn it and she would have hated to have had to leave without him.
"Hey guys, uh, you wanna get out of here?" Naruto's questions hung in the air as the blond was swept up in the whirlwind that was his two teammates bolting down the corridor pulling him with them.
A left. A right. Another right. Into a small caught yard, which was depressingly free of exits. Then back once more into the house palace proper with its maze of hallways. The never-ending corridors that flowed seamlessly together, on and on without ever presenting so much as a glimpse of the outside world.
"Kakashi-sensei is gonna pay for this." The blue eyed Jinchūriki growled as the trio leapt in perfect arrowhead formation down a flight of steps. "Really pay for this."
"We'll hit him where it hurts the most." Ino hissed, in spite of the speed at which they were moving they didn't seem to be getting anywhere.
"That bloody orange book of his." Sasuke's words were distorted by the snarling tone he used, but both of his teammates knew just what he meant.
XXXXXXXXXX
"So you guys made it huh?" The silver haired jounin was standing under a tree in the exact spot that had been prearranged. He was however rubbing the back of his neck and looking a little weary. "Turns out my contact was misinformed about how much security they would be. Uh, sorry?"
"You…" Naruto's voice was more like a hiss and his face contorted as he tried to come up with a word that would adequately describe his sensei. "You… Bastard."
"Is it really necessary to become personal?" Kakashi asked his one visible eye curving up in a 'aren't we all friends here?' expression. Judging by the looks that his students directed at him the answer was most definitely in the negative.
"Personal?" It was one word, three syllables, but Ino somehow managed to fill it with a world of meaning, she was most definitely not a happy Yamanaka.
"If you think that's personal –" Sasuke continued his teammate's thought but was cut off by their jovial sensei who was seemingly oblivious of their anger and, for some reason, was in a very happy mood.
"And hey look on the bright side," And the reason for his happy continence was suddenly evident. In his right hand the masked shinobi was all of a sudden holding a small scroll, bound in blue and red. The very scroll that they had been sent after. "While you three were running round like headless chickens giving the guards a much needed workout, a very good distraction I might add, I slipped in a picked up the scroll neat as you please. Result, one completed mission. A pretty good result all around, wouldn't you agree?"
There were no words just one long drawn-out scream like that of a wild animal in pain and as one Team Seven launched themselves at their sensei. Or at least the place where he had been before vanishing in puff of smoke, and ability they were seriously starting to dislike.
From his vantage-point, two trees over and several branches higher, Hatake Kakashi watched the antics of his team with an indulgent smile. Ino was repeatedly punching the trunk of the tree he'd been leaning against, while no doubt picturing his face; the Yamanaka girl could be so delightfully predictable at times. Sasuke was glaring at the surrounding forest, a murderess look on his face and while Naruto; Naruto was literally dancing around with rage.
They were a good team over all, the copy-nin reflected as he watched them, if given the option he doubted that he would change them for another as he was really rather fond of them. Besides, he doubted any other team would be so much fun to mess with.
A/N – Just because I've always wondered what might have happened if Ino have been on Team Seven rather that Sakura. Probably just even more chaos, but I couldn't stop the SasuIno hints. And yes, I know, my attempts to write humour suck but it was fun trying.
Please R and R I'd love to know what you thought.
Big love and inspiration
Lamanth
