an: Ahh... so tired! Here is chapter three for those who wait patiently! It is my last "cushion" chapter, so please review when you're done reading and inspire and motivate me to write more! There is so much going on for the holidays (and what is it with all the December birthdays, anyway? O.o), and I just found out I'm growing another gremlin (really, I love my kids!), so I'm pretty pooped. Your reviews are sure to give me much needed impetus to write more! XD And besides, you'll feel so relieved for actually leaving that review that you knew you wanted to write! Do eet!
Chapter Three
Naruto had just finished dressing when a knock sounded at his door. Opening it, he saw Sakura standing there and instinctively flinched, thinking she was there to beat some "sense" into him again for yesterday's stunt.
She gave him a funny look, but only said, "Hurry up, Naruto. We've got a mission today and Kakashi wants us to meet him at the bridge in five."
"Five hours?" he asked.
Sakura sighed. "Five minutes, dummy."
"What! That's not enough time to get ready!" Naruto began rushing around his room, gathering necessary supplies. "Do you know what kind of mission it is?"
Sakura shook her head. "Not really. An extended one, though."
"Oh, so…" Naruto rushed to his cupboard, emptying as many cup ramen into his backpack as would fit.
"Maybe you should leave room for clothes," Sakura suggested, eyeing the noodles.
"Nope! Food always takes priority. Besides, I haven't had time to do laundry since our last mission."
Sakura's nose wrinkled. "That's disgusting, Naruto. When we get back, I'll help you."
Naruto groaned in his head, where he was safe from Sakura's ears. 'Her idea of help is standing over me with a metaphorical whip as she makes sure I do it all!'
Sakura knew exactly what was going through Naruto's mind and she smirked. "It's not like I'd actually touch your dirty socks," she said.
'Ah! How does she do that?'
"Come on!" Sakura grabbed Naruto's arm and dragged him out of the tiny apartment, only allowing him time to stop and lock his door. "We're going to be late!"
"What's the rush?" Naruto wanted to know. "Kakashi won't be there for another four or five hours, and you know it!"
"Yeah, but he probably watches from the trees, snickering at our miserable boredom while he reads that infernal book," Sakura answered.
Naruto sighed gloomily. "Yeah, you're probably right."
When they arrived at the bridge they'd been meeting at nearly every day since they graduated the Ninja Academy, they were surprised to see Rock Lee waiting with Sai. They both had packs at their feet and Rock Lee had a confused expression on his face.
"Did Sai say something weird?" Naruto asked him.
"Oh, no!" Lee answered. "At least, I do not think so," he said, frowning.
"Well, if he did, just ignore him," Sakura said, sending the pale boy a warning glare.
He simply smiled, but inside, he gulped in fear. He'd been on the receiving end of more than one of the green-eyed girl's formidable punches.
The medical ninja turned back to the older boy. "What're you doing here, Lee?"
"Kakashi found me this morning," he said. "He told me to meet here for a mission."
"You're coming, too?" Naruto grinned. "Great! It's been awhile!"
They made small talk for a few moments, and all of them were surprised when Kakashi showed up only fifteen minutes late.
"You're early!" Naruto and Sakura shouted, pointing at him.
"No, I'm late," he contradicted.
"You're early for you," Sakura clarified.
"Yeah, what gives, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto added.
"I had a late library book to return," the silver-haired jounin said. "Now, I know I've got the mission details here somewhere…." He began searching through his pack.
"See?" Sakura whispered to Naruto. "I told you he was always late because of that book! Maybe now he'll finally be on time to things!"
"Oh! That's where this pesky thing went!" Kakashi exclaimed, pulling out a familiar orange book.
"Or not." Sakura face-palmed as Kakashi put the book safely into his small belt pouch.
"Ah hah!" he exclaimed again, pulling a scroll out of the pouch. "It would appear I packed them backward." He laughed sheepishly, eye curving upward.
Sai smiled silently as Rock Lee watched the goings on with a sense of familiarity.
'It has been a long time, but I believe it will be fun to travel with Team Seven again,' he thought.
"Right!" Kakashi began, unrolling the scroll. His team straightened, paying closer attention. "Our mission is to travel to the Crescent Moon Kingdom. It is a diplomatic mission, with a message from Lady Tsunade. This is why we invited Lee, here." He waved a hand to gesture to the boy.
"Alright! An easy mission!" Sakura cheered at the same time that Naruto groaned.
"Man! Can't Granny Tsunade give us tougher missions? Don't get me wrong," he continued. "It'll be fun to go back and see everyone, but where's the action?"
"Do not underestimate our task!" Rock Lee cried. "We may face fearsome enemy ninja who will test our very limits!" He struck a pose, fist held up before him, and flames of determination danced in his eyes. "Do not fear, Sakura-chan! I will protect you!"
Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes. She picked up her pack and walked past the boys and toward the gate. "Well, let's go, then. We wouldn't want to miss those fearsome ninja," she said.
Naruto and Lee hurried after her, the blond once more excited for the mission that lay ahead. Sai followed more sedately with Kakashi.
"There is more to this than a simple delivery mission, isn't there, Kakashi-sensei?" Sai asked, smiling.
Kakashi simply shrugged, shuddering inside at the creepy look.
At a nearby training field, Hinata practiced her defense techniques with Kiba while Akamaru sniffed a nearby tree curiously and Shino communed with his bugs.
The gentle girl would never tell her enthusiastic partner, but his straightforward attacks were incredibly easy for her to block. She mostly did this for his benefit, though staying in shape was always a good idea.
Out of her Byakugan-enhanced peripheral vision, Hinata's sharp eyes caught sight of Team Seven and Rock Lee headed toward Konoha's gate, no doubt off on a new mission. She was glad for Naruto; she knew how much it ate at the boy to not have anything to do.
Suddenly, Hinata spotted something unlikely, incongruous, unbelievable, and impossible. In fact, she was so shocked by what her eyes told her that she forgot entirely about Kiba's incoming attack and turned her head, focusing completely on the scene before her. That…. She had to be mistaken!
Kiba's attack connected, knocking the girl back a good twenty feet. Immediately, Kiba was at her side, pulling her to her feet.
"I'm so sorry!" he apologized over and over again. "Are you okay?" His wide eyes looked frantically for injuries.
"I'm fine, Kiba," she said in her soft voice, rubbing carefully at her jaw. That would probably bruise later.
"What happened? I never get a hit past your defense!"
Ah, so he was more perceptive than she'd given him credit for. Hinata felt guilty but pushed it aside for the moment.
"I thought I saw something impossible," she said quietly.
"Yeah? Like what?" Kiba asked curiously.
Hinata looked back toward Naruto's team just as they passed through the gate. Odd…. Now there were just the four students and Kakashi-sensei.
"W-well, Team Seven was leaving with Rock Lee, and I thought…. For a moment, I thought I saw Sasuke with them," she finished in nearly a whisper.
Kiba looked surprised. Then he laughed. "You're right!" he said. "That is impossible! It was probably just that weird Sai guy. They sort of look alike from a distance."
Hinata wasn't so sure. She'd seen Sai, and she'd seen someone else. That hair was hard to mistake. But she just shrugged and let it pass. There wasn't anything she could do, and besides, he wasn't there when she looked again. She was probably just tired. The team had spent the previous evening on night training, courtesy of Kurenai-sensei's previously unknown sadistic streak.
Pregnancy seemed to make her a different person entirely, Hinata mused.
Kiba walked over to Akamaru who was standing in the middle of the field, motionless, with his hackles raised. As he got closer, he could hear a low rumble vibrating from the dog's chest.
"What is it, Akamaru?" he asked, resting a comforting hand on the dog's head.
Akamaru whined softly.
"Naruto's team? What about them?"
Akamaru relaxed a little as Kiba scratched behind his ear. Kiba always knew the best place to scratch. He woofed quietly.
"You sensed something strange?" Kiba frowned. "What do you mean?"
Akamaru seemed to give a doggy shrug as he closed his eyes and pushed his head into Kiba's hand, demanding that the boy scratch harder.
Kiba complied, but his thoughts were on Hinata's strange sighting and Akamaru's senses. Even if the Hyuuga girl had been wrong, Akamaru's senses rarely were. Something odd was definitely going on. Kiba only hoped Naruto and his team would be alright.
an: Well, was it everything you hoped for? LOL ::pauses:: Waaaiiit... Where's the body-dragging man? I was sure he returned in this chapter! Oh, darn. I guess I will have to be sure to bring him back in the next chapter. Review and tell me if you want to see him again! XD (Also, did I miss anything in my once-over?)
In case it takes me a while to get another chapter up, happy holidays, everyone! =D