CHAPTER 1

YAMANAKA INO hurried out of the family flower shop and began to rush to the Konoha hospital.

"Ino come back as soon as you can! IT'S POKER NIGHT YOU KNOW!" Yelled her mother, in dire need of Ino to watch over the shop. Herself and her girlfriends would be gossiping and betting mindlessly their grocery money for the week.

Ino agreed and she was on her way. Ino was so focused she almost did not notice Shikmaru and Choji fussing over something. Shikamaru rested his back on a bench while looking up at the clouds. Choji was standing, holding a bag of potato chips.

"YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE LAST CHIP! OHOHOOOHO NO MATTER HOW CLEVER! YOU SHALL NOT!" Choji ate the sour cream and onion chip with ravenous passion.

"Relax, Choji, you have another bag, right?" Shikamaru pulled another bag from Choji's bag. He noticed Ino standing and watching, "Oh, hey Ino. What are you doing around here?" Choji snatched the bag. "Choji…this is troublesome…when can I have some…?"

"I've got to go visit Sakura at the hospital!" Ino explained to Shikamaru.

"Oh, yeah, because of that weird jutsu thing…? Hope she doesn't snap at you…that would be…troublesome…CHOJI GIVE ME SOME CHIPS!" Shikamaru snatched the bag in frustration.

"She'd SNAP AT ME? WHAT DO YOU KNOW SHIKAMARU!" She leapt to strangle him, except he had food in his mouth so he started to choke. He released her grip so he could catch his breath.

"Ugh...so troublesome…" He paused to look at her for a moment as he coughed with a red face.

"What are you staring at! TELL ME!" Ino edged forcefully.

"Geez…you troublesome woman! You know that inner psyche that forced you out of Sakura's body? Apparently do to some complications; she can now randomly possess Sakura. I heard it from Naruto." Shikamaru ate more chips. Choji ate more chips. Ino took a chip as she thought, "Oh, by the way, the Hokage wants you to come by later for a mission. I'll be there too- around 7:30."

"Sure thing, Shikamaru…I'll see you later…I've got to visit Sakura…" Ino hurried off and left Shikamaru and Choji to their chips.

"Man, you've got to be careful around Ino, Shikamaru, she'll kill you." Choji inhaled more chips.

"Nah, she's alright…she has a good side…" Shikamaru returned to staring at the clouds and mindlessly munching potato chips with his best buddy.

"GET ME TO HARUNO SAKURA AND QUICK!"

"Sorry, at his time of day, only close friends and family." The nurse said.

"I'm like, her only friend besides Naruto! WHAT THE HECK? Tell her that YAMANAKA INO wants to see her!" Ino bossed as she had prowess in that area.

"You're not on the list. The only people on that list are her dad, Hatake Kakashi, Godaime Hokage, and Uzumaki Naruto." The nurse instructed her to leave/quiet down.

"Fine." Ino got in a sleeping position on one of their comfortable couches and possessed the nurse with her SHINENSHIN Jutsu. She read the file on Haruno Sakura with great interest. Ino released her hold and while the nurse was still disheveled, walked up to Sakura's hospital room.

"Hey, Sakura, what's the big idea in not putting me on your 'close friends' list?" Ino questioned as she entered the room. Naruto was there, but he was asleep in a chair.

"Sorry, I've been…out of it lately…Blahkura…you know?" Sakura waved a Sakura wave. It's that kind of wave she waves when she's worried about Sasuke. She wasn't really worried about Sasuke she was just thinking about Sasuke because soon she would be going on another mission to kidnap Sasuke and lug him back to Konoha.

"Blahkura?"

"She calls herself Blahkura. The Inner me does."

"Oh, okay…well you look fine, why do they still have you in the hospital?" Ino observed her pink-haired friend.

"Oh, because when right after Blahkura releases her control, I get extreme migraines. I get released in an hour, and I'm supposed to get a medicine from Tsunade that will help."

"Migraines. Fun. Since when are you and Naruto such close friends? You used to hate the guy." Ino pointed to Naruto snoozing peacefully in a chair.

"He's...matured…he's still spunky and full of energy, but he's sweet." Sakura blushed a bit.

"Oooooo-" Ino poked at Sakura.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT. GEEz…" Sakura and Ino continued to pester each other about love for the next half hour. Sakura said stuff about Shikamaru.

Ino arrived at the Hokage's office around 7:34 p.m. To her surprise, Sakura was there reading a book. Naruto, Shikamaru, Sai, and Choji were there as well.

"Alright, let's get started." Tsunade rested her chin on her crossed fingers. "Shikamaru, Ino and Choji, you are going to support Naruto, Sai, and Blahku- I mean, uh, Sakura, to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke, dead or alive. Shikamaru is the leader. We have new information- and a map- that tells us where the hidden sound village has been moved to." Shikamaru took the map scroll.

"This is so troublesome…another Sasuke retrieval mission…Alright guys…we're going to meet up tomorrow just outside the gate…how about 1:30 p.m? That's pretty early…"

"Are you serious Shika- whatever your face, sunrise will allow us to have more time to travel." Sai explained with his superior knowledge of such things.

"Geez, Sai, his name is Shikamaru, he's your leader, be respectful!" Naruto flamed at the feminine looking Sai.

"Sure…so like, 4:30?" Shikamaru saw everybody agree and they dispersed to get ready for their mission.

Ino walked to the Ninja market to purchase supplies for her new mission. Extra kunai, food pellets, the works. Distracted by such an eventful day, she slammed right into a familiar ninja from the sand. The girl's glass vase split into sharp cuts of glass upon hitting the steel concrete.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, GOODNESS!" Temari rolled her eyes as Ino apologized. "You people from Konoha. Such terrible ninjas…So are you going to buy me a new one?"

"Uh…You know it's just as much your fault as it is mine! YOU RAN INTO ME!" Ino was just as troublesome as Temari. They were both bossy, loud, and crazy; Ino more than Temari.

"You know what? Why don't you buy it? I COULD always say that you mugged me, But I think that telling everyone that you like Shikamaru, or maybe even showing them this," Temari pulled out a picture of Ino doing naughty things.

"WHAT THE HECK! THAT'S NOT EVEN A REAL PICTUTRE! I'll pay $10 bucks, gosh! What are you even doing in Konoha?" Ino was lead into a store by the evil and Blackmailing Temari of the Sand. That picture was indeed false…was Temari using some kind of Jutsu?

"Oh, recreational visit, because Gaara's being so moody…Being the Kazekage and all… " Temari seemed nicer now that she was talking about her daily life.

Ino wanted to Blackmail Temari to get out of this mess. She needed that extra ten dollars for Nutri-Grain Bars! THEY'RE THE BEST! But what to say…

"You know I could just run away right now because THAT PICTURE IS FALSE. I could say that you invaded Konoha on a spy mission and stole my money!" Ino burst.

"Learn how to Blackmail, you suck so bad it insults me. Hand over the $15 bucks and I'll give you the picture." Temari held out her hand. Ino paid up, and was given the fake picture.

"What's the stupid vase for anyway?" Ino pointed at the see through emerald vase. Temari smiled a gushy smile.

"It's for my boyfriend in Suna. He's so lazy and easily amused. He'll just look through it all day long."

"That's like Shikamaru. He'll just sit and stare at the clouds all day. You like guys like him, Temari? Ha." Ino turned to go leave, and Temari flared with a bit of annoyance.

"Where do you get off?" Temari yelled.

"Geez, sorry if I IMPOSED, you dirty little blackmailing…" Ino stopped herself, and saved the aggression for tomorrow's mission. "Wait for tomorrow, Ino…" she told herself.

"What's tomorrow? Hmm?" Temari pried.

"I HAVE A MISSION GO AWAY YOU WEIRDO I HAVE TO GET UP EARLY AND I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU ANYMORE." Ino stormed out of store and puffed and huffed to buy her kunai and shuriken but not her Nurti-Grain. Oh, not the apple-cinnamon delicious Nutri-grain bars. Life is woe.

The 6-man team met on the outskirts of Konoha in the wee hours of the morning. Everybody woke up and got there late.

"Together this time, Naruto! Believe it!" Sakura blahed to Naruto who just sort of looked at her strange.

"Yeah...um...believe it..." Naruto turned to Shikamaru who seemed to be in a bit of a dilemma.

"So troublesome...where's Choji?" Shikamaru observed. Everybody looked around...LIKE SHIKAMARU WOULD SAY THAT IF CHOJI WASN'T THAT CLOSE.

"He's out with a cold." Temari appeared with!TTTTemprAAAturEEE! and with a note in her hands. She gave it to the leader, Shikamaru, whom was now a Jonin and school teacher...I think. Shikamaru read the note and sighed. Ino noticed this transaction.

"Oh?" Ino sassed.

"Really." Temari glared and tried to be sassy.

"Oh really?" Ino sassed masterfully.

"Yes. Really." Temari finalized noting that she had been defeated and shamed, "You'll need me, because if I'm right you guys will be passing through Suna and its sandstorm season."

"So you're asking to replace Choji?" Shikamaru thought for a brief moment, "Naruto, Sakura, Sai, me, Ino and Temari...Alright, let's get going."

"What if we run into trouble? I was looking forward to one of your super plans, believe it!" Naruto gazed at Shikamaru who sighed.

"Well...we won't really be in any real danger until we reach the sound village...and the sound five are like, dead, soooo..." The leader answered in boredom. Naruto nodded, but he was a bit on the low. Hey, even I wanted Shikamaru to have an amazing plan. Except I for the fact that I couldn't think of one.

Sakura had no idea what they were talking about because last time, she was being a Blahkura and wasting every body's time. She just assumed that Shikamaru came up with cool plan last time. BUT OBVIOUSLY IT FAILED BECAUSE SASUKE ISN'T BACK YET. So Blahkura has no respect for Shikamaru what-so-ever. 'He's lazy, and even if they say he's smart, I'M probably smarter than him.' thought Blahkura.

"Is everybody ready to go? Let's leave now." Everybody either nodded or said something that indicated that they were ready. Except Blahkura who just glared at Shikamaru.

Everybody took off in high speeds leaping from tree top to tree branch in that way that they do it. It was cool.

"There will be three opponents-" Shikamaru started his plan, "Kabuto, Orochimaru, and Sasuke. Each one is formidable- especially Orochimaru.But since he is at a weakness due his jutsu being about expire, he should be alright. But do not let your guard down. I'm assigning 2 people to fight him Temari, and Ino." Temari fidgeted and Ino just said,

"Roger, Shikamaru."

"ALRIGHT! THE SUPER PLANS!" Naruto frilled with excitement.

"Next is Kabuto. Sakura and I will fight him-"

"But shouldn't I fight Sasuke? He's MINE you know." Blahkura blahed.

"From what Naruto told me, he is very large and your bonus would normally be to persuade him. But since he cannot be persuaded, you're left with you medical abilities to heal Naruto. He doesn't really need that because, well, he already heals fast. So, where you'll be most needed is fighting Kabuto because he's a medical ninja like yourself. If he uses some sort of weird jutsu on me, you could help me dispel it because you are knowledgeable in that aspect." Blahkura refused to accept defeat but had to because Shikamaru moved on,

"Finally, Naruto and Sai will take on Sasuke. Anybody who finished their own fight will join this fight no matter what. Does that settle you, Sakura?" Sakura nodded while pouting.

"Everybody, watch for my new Jutsus! Uzumaki style, believe it!" Naruto bragged smoothly.

"I've been looking forward to seeing what you wasted so much time on, Naruto." Sai pestered.

"C'mon, let's pick up the pace." Temari yelled as she leapt faster. Everybody followed her as she jumped faster into the thicket.