((((A/N: thanks for reading this guys. things will start to change a lot from here UM AND PLEASE NOTE, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPACE, CUZ I CANT SPACE THEM FOR PUBLISH, SO SORRY))))
"Let's split up." Kiba said. "Into groups."
They were all standing in the sun, on the dusty ground. They formed a circle, so they could each see each other.
"Shinkaru, you should choose the groups, and be captain!" Naruto said. Everyone agreed.
"Yes." Shikamaru agreed. "Kiba, Naruto, and Hinata, you're in one group. Temari, and Gaara, and Me, Shino and Sakura. Now, let's go!"
"Yayyy! I get to be with Kiba and Narutoo! Thanks so much Shikamaru!" Hinata thought in her head.
"Hinata, what are you thinkin?" Kiba asked, giggly. He could obviously tell Hinata's emotions.
"N-Nothing!" Hinata said aloud.
"So where are we searchin' first?" Kiba asked.
"Well, first let's get to the village of the Waves, and then get some ramen!" Naruto cheered.
Hinata laughed as Kiba said, "Naruto, haha, we can't change that, but...maybe later, when we complete the mission okay?"
"Yep." Hinata agreed. Naruto looked at Kiba and Hinata.
"Fine." He finally agreed, with a bright smile on his face.
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Sakura, Shikamaru and Shino had already started the search. They worked together, but first Shino and Sakura had some arguments.
"Why did I have to be with this Sasuke-lover?" Shino groaned.
"Shut up, Shino! I don't like Sasuke anymore and you know that!" Sakura yelled.
"Be quiet you two! I've formed these groups for a reason. So stop it." Shikamaru said, and the obeyed.
"Let's just go. Let's just finish the job and find someone to battle!" Shino said. Sakura and Shikamaru soon agreed, and the two of them started their search.
"Shino, can you use your whatever bug technique to track him down?" Sakura asked, bouncing along tree to tree with Shino and Shikamaru. Shino nodded. They paused and Shino felt the trees with his bugs. He stood still for a while.
"No," Shino finally replied. "Zaku has probably has this protective layer around him to make sure no one can know or see where he is. So something's going on, for he's doing this. It'll take a while to find him."
Sakura remained still, and thought. "We'll just have to continue on, then. Do you want to borrow Pakkun, from Master Kakashi? He's a great tracker, I tell you."
"Alright. We will. So, lead me to Master Kakashi. Sakura, show us the way to Master Kakashi." Shikamaru agreed. And so Sakura showed Shino and Shikamaru the way, and at last, in about twenty minutes time, they had found Master Kakashi. They asked if they could borrow Pakkun, and so he agrreed, but warned them, not to use Pakkun for any other uses. They obeyed, and once again, Sakura, Shikamaru and Shino were out onto their search again, and this time, with Pakkun.
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The cellars were silent, dark and sinister. The walls were leaking with liquid, and only a single candle light lit the entire room. Someone cackled, a dark mellow voice. Footsteps then steeped in, and soon, faded away. There was then a high-pitched laugh, and the voice of someone crying, or weeping. Whispers filled the room, and the laugh and cries muted.
"Don't do it." One voice said, in a begging tone. "Please."
"...I wouldn't. But it is what I must." Another voice said. "Sasuke must be looking for you."
"Yes, I'm aware of that, and so that is why I am, under your cover."
"Don't depend too much on things. But now, I must leave, and so should you. I'll meet you at my office at dusk. Be gone!" And that voice faded, and fleed the dark place, along with foot steps.
"Hmm, that Zaku. Always on the move. Oh, well." A smile crept up the persons' face, as the person crept away.
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Pakkun's face scrunched up, in a way something was not right.
"What's wrong Pakkun?" Shikamaru asked.
"The scent, it's moving. Zaku is moving. We should hurry along." Pakkun said, as he picked up speed. Along with the others, they picked up their speed too, following on.
And so the three teams went on, continuing their search for Zaku, but their destination was always moving, which was making it hard for them. And dusk finally arrived and the three teams decided to take it for the night. So they all rested, at dusk.
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"You were late." The first voice said, sounding unsatisfied.
"Sorry." The second voice said. "I just had to go do something."
"Not again, Zaku. You always have to do something. Either this or that."
"I said I'm sorry. Now let's get over with it. So did you do what I said?" Zaku asked.
"Yes, and did you?"
"Of course." Zaku smiled.
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In Shikamaru's group, Sakura was finding dinner, Shino was making a camp fire, and Shikamaru took a bath in the lake, before it became too dark.
"Be quick out of there, Shikamaru! And help me do the cooking, too." Sakura said.
"Yep, I won't be gone for too long." Shikamaru said, from behind the trees as he stepped into the river, and dipped himself in. "I'll also try finding some fish while I'm at it!"
In Gaara's group, Gaara had found a small motel where he and Temari shared a room in.
"Um, let's eat dinner, Temari." Gaara said.
"I'm not so hungry at the moment. Can I go out and get some fresh air? Before it gets dark?" Temari asked.
"Sure." Gaara answered. So Temari left the motel, while Gaara stayed back and ate dinner.
In Naruto's group, they too had camped out. Naruto went fishing in the lake, Hinata was cooking and Kiba was playing with Akamaru.
"Hinata! Look! I got another fish!" Naruto yelled form the lake. Hinata started giggling, as she yelled back. "Throw it to me!" Naruto threw the fish at Hinata, and she caught it, and she lay it on top of the fire.
In Neji's group, Neji was again, with Tenten, by the camp fire. Neji and Tenten had gone to visit Tsunade's office to ask fro Naruto, and she told them they had gone on a mission looking for Zaku. And so Neji and Tenten, had become part of thta mission too.
"It's getting late." Neji said. Tenten nodded. Neji had started to look drowsy, from all the days' work and the intense training he had done. Startling Tenten, he dropped his head on Tenten's shoulder. His lips almost touched the skin of Tenten's neck, as Tenten held her breath.
"T-Thank you T-tenten, f-for e-everything." He said, slowly.
"Neji..." Tenten said softly. He gave a soft, gentle snore, in return. Tenten smiled, as she patted Neji's hair. She whispered in his ear, "I'll always be here for you, Neji. Always."
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"That Shino. Where did he go now?" Sakura asked, searching around for Shino. She looked at the camp fire and shrugged. "He had already done his job, so oh well." A breeze whooshed by, shivering Sakura. The wind blew the fire out, and it was all dark. The moon shone bright in the sky, with stars twinkling beside it. "Shino! Now, I need you to come back here, and put back the fire!" Sakura screamed. In a blaze of fire, the fire came back. Sakura was startled.
"Shino? Is that you? And Shikamaru, why aren't you back yet!" Sakura roared. "But...who was that who put back the fire?" Sakura thought in her head. "Hello?" She asked the darkness. The darkness blinded her, but the fire wasn't helping to see who had turned the fire back on.
"Sakura," A voice said. Sakura jumped, in confusion.
"Hello? Who is this?" Sakura asked. She rose up from the log she was sitting on, and walked towards the trees, from where the voice had come from. There was silence, as Sakura could not yet fix in the darkness. In a blink, a hand gripped her wrist, and Sakura let out a loud shriek.
"Ssh." The voice said again.
This time the voice was similar to Sakura. She could tell, she was near enough to the person, she could smell the person, and right form her head, she knew who it was.
"Sasuke?" Sakura asked, questioningly. Sasuke stepped from the trees, out of the darkness that enveloped him, and into a position where Sakura could see him.
"Sakura..." Sasuke said back, slower.
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"What was that scream? Was that Sakura?" Shikamaru wondered. "I think I should get out of the water now." Shikamaru said, rising up from the water. He got a towel and wrapped it around his waist down, and he started walking into the trees. As he tried to see through the thick darkness, he continued on.
With a surprise he saw he face, and screamed. The face screamed back at him. Shikamaru tried to adjust the darkness and finally saw how that was.
"What are you doing here, this late?" Shikamaru asked.
"Well, I'm supposed to be asking you that!" Temari argued back, as she tripped and fell, leaning onto Shikamaru. Shikamaru stared at her with big eyes. Temari leant on his chest, as she felt his cold, wet, soft, skin. She breathed loud. She run her hands down his stomach until it reached his towel, and let go. Shikamaru was staring right at her bright green eyes.
Temari giggled. "Shikamaru..." She paused, as she reached up, and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. Temari left Shikamaru in deeper confusion. Temari smiled at Shikamaru's reaction. Shikamaru was itching to touch that spot and kiss her back, but his body had stopped him. Instead, he looked down, and smiled back.
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"Narutoooo!" Hinata yelled.
"What Hinata?" Naruto yelled back.
"Hurry and come out of the water, the both of you!" Hinata yelled.
"Coming!" Naruto yelled, but Kiba ignored. Naruto ran so fast, he accidently tripped over a pebble. With a gasp, he fell onto Hinata, giving her a hug. Hinata's cheeks blushed hard red.
"N-Naruto?" She said.
Naruto hugged her, like it was no accident in the first place. "Hinata, you have an amazing laugh." Warmth pooled into Hinata, as she stuttered, "D-Do I? R-Really?"
Naruto gave a laugh. "Yes, you do." As he hugged her even tighter.
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Sakura and Sasuke stared at each other's eyes, not being able to take their sight off. Sasuke finally coughed, and broke the silence, looking down.
"Sakura," He finally said, looking back at her eyes. The breeze lifted again, as Sakura shivered. "You're cold, aren't you?" He asked, placing his hands on her cheeks to check her temperature. "You must be cold." He said, as he took off his robe, and tied it around Sakura. "Better now, yes?"
Sakura remained staring at Sasuke, and finally she nodded. She finally shook out of her silence. "Thank you." She spoke.
And once again, there was silence.
"You were the one, putting the fire back on, wasn't it? How did you find me?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, it was me. I am on a search, that's all." Sasuke answered. The breeze shook hard once again, and Sakura shivered. Awkwardly, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Sakura, and breathed out some heat.
"Thank you Sasuke." Sakura said again, as she shut her eyes, loving the moment. She never thought this would happen. She never imagined herself like this. She thought she was never going to be back with Sasuke, or maybe, just maybe, was there one more chance? Something told her, she was Sasuke's beginning.
((((( A/N: Sorry for the long wait! It was a loooooooooooong chapter, so that makes up for it! Umm, things will start to get a lot more intense now with the relationships. Hope you've enjoyed it! And what ship do u like best...? nejiten, naruhina? sasusaku? shikatema?)))))))
