I'm only half sorry about the time it took to update. I was waiting for more reviews -hint, hint- but they didn't come. So I didn't update.

Then when I did decide to try to update I didn't have time or didn't know what to write.

So I apologize to the reviewers of chapter three only. I'm sorry for the wait.

The rest of you can kick rocks!

Just kidding, review and I like you.

Not Love: Loneliness

Chapter 4

Sasuke and Ten-ten moved swiftly through the woods that surrounded their village. They wanted to try to familiarize themselves with the area as best they could in a such a little time. Since Kakashi had told them, they started training. Seeing how fast they could move, if they could sneak around each other, and throwing obstacles in the others way.

They were taking a break from serious training, thus, they were doing practice for training. Ten-ten slipped on a bunch of wet leaves but recovered silently with a side jump to another tree. She stayed silent but it put her behind Sasuke, whom she was currently trying to pass.

She jumped to take a path above his. Taking out a kunai, she threw it toward where he'd be soon. He slowed to dodge as she gained speed.

Sasuke, determined not to let her reach the (undetermined / non-existent) destination first, back flipped into her path, causing her to slip and stumble, then pressed forward from a branch.

Ten-ten fell to the lower path. She didn't allow herself to completely fall, though. She pushed herself up on her hands then flipped forward. It was starting to get to her that he was ahead of her. This was the forth time. She took the path over him again. She struck branches on her way knocking them in his path once she passed him. She glanced down and didn't see him. 'Where did he go?' He was just below me!'

Something pushed her down on a branch. Her arms were pinned behind her and a heavy weight was on her back. It was then when she realized that Sasuke had won for the fifth time now. She was annoyed.

"You were so focused on passing me that you didn't pay attention to anything else." He said from on top of her.

A shadow clone walked in front of her. "You didn't even see me coming."

Ten-ten rolled to the side, surprising Sasuke. She kicked him in the back and knocked him off, then she held him and his clone to the ground. "And you assumed that I was using most of my strength."

Him and his clone over took her easily. One holding her arms while the other was behind him. He let the hint of a smug smile show on his lips.

A clone of Ten-ten hit him from behind and he burst into smoke. She then hit him enough for him to be distracted and free her other self. They tried to hold him but his struggling both destroyed her shadow clone and caused them to fall. They still struggled on the way down, determined to make the other hit the ground first. They collectively dodged branches on the way down.

Once closer to the ground they heard footsteps. Grabbing each others hands then putting there feet up against the others, they jumped off each other and apart to separate branches.

They waited a while before they saw Ino walking away from the village. Both glanced at each other, nodded, then started to trail Ino. Pulling out a clip board, they tested ability to write, move, and keep alert. Ten-ten found it difficult to stay aware of all the things around her. She could keep up enough awareness to follow Ino and be sure she didn't hit the ground but that was it. If something were to attack her she'd never know.

Sasuke, while keeping alert, could not write and move and move through the trees. He found himself hesitating on a branch to write. Irritation built inside him as he saw how easily Ten-ten did it. Though neither said it out loud, both agreed that this was needed training.

Ino walked through the forest looking for Shikamaru. The fact that he wasn't at there meeting place had made her mad. She was building to go off on him. She saw someone in the distance and took it to be him. She called to him, "Shikamaru!"

The person turned around. Once closer, she saw that it wasn't him. This person had powder blue hair with black streaks, his eyes were the same blue. He was cute, dressed in black and gold.

Ino blushed. "I thought you were someone else." she said. She mentally scolded herself. Even though it was true, that was what everyone said.

"I get that a lot. I'm always that person standing in the distance."

"That seems so sad." Ino said.

"Not really. It gives me a mysterious edge. Plus, I get to meet cuties like you." He winked at her.

Ino averted her eyes her eyes. "So why were you here?"

"My name's Saino." Ino looked at, recognize that was not the answer to her question. "What's yours?"

"Oh, I'm Ino."

"Ino...suites you. It's cute." Saino smiled at her. "So who's that guy you were calling?"

Ino's eyes clouded angrily. She would not stop holding a grudge for him not meeting her. (A/N: Until Shikamaru seduces her, of course.) "Just a teammate of mine that pissed me off."

"They should be severely punished. To make such a beautiful rose show it's thorns." Ino blushed as he took her hand and pressed a kissed to the back of her palm. "To your earlier query, I have simply drifted from my intended path. I am not sorrowful about this, since I have gotten to see you."

Their eyes locked as she was about reply. The words escaped her mind. His gaze was softly intense. "The next time we meet, I hope we will have more time to speak." He disappeared in front of her eyes.

"Saino..."she whispered. "Well, he's still not Sasuke." Ino walked away.

Ten-ten and Sasuke, who had stopped opposite of each other, both looked up. Ten-ten gave him a look and he turned away. "I'm going to practice more." He hurried off.

"Wait up!" She said.

"Lee, why are you training so hard?" Sakura said.

Lee was doing push-up's, number 375 and going. He counted in between answering her. "I, 376, have to stay, 377, in top, 378, shape. 379."

"Do you always train this hard?" She asked.

"Yes. 384." Lee continued.

"How many are you trying to do?"

"I am aiming for 400, 390."

"Oh." Sakura looked around. She was looking for Naruto to tell him that she didn't want to try to prove Ino and Shikamaru were together. If she didn't tell him as soon as possible he might try to look for her. If Naruto was looking for her, she wouldn't accomplish anything. It would be far too much work to get rid of him. She noticed Naruto a ways away. It looked like he was something stupid. She whispered. "There he is." She walked away.

"I have made it to 400." Lee exclaimed standing up. "Sakura?" He looked around and saw her heading towards Naruto. "No!" He looked at the ground with a devastated expression. "I will not give up, No matter how long it takes Sakura will be mine."

"Naruto." Sakura came over to him. "About that whole Ino and Shikamaru thing..."

"Oh, yeah." He leaned closer to her and whispered -in a voice that still pretty loud (It's Naruto what do you expect)- "I'm going to do some undercover work on it."

"Wha?"

"We won't be in contact for a few days, but I'll stay on it."

"Naruto, would you listen to me a second?"

Naruto noticed Neji and Shikamaru looking for him and didn't want them to see. "Gotta go." he ran off.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

Shikamaru and Neji looked over at Naruto. They noticed Sakura calling his name. "Hey guys." Naruto said loudly, adding a nervously laugh after.

They looked at him. "You told." They both said accusingly.

"Wha! I didn't say thing." Naruto protested.

They began to leave. "This is such a drag." mumbled Shikamaru.

"I thought Lee was bad, but he was nothing compared to this idiot."

So, Hinata's team isn't in this chapter because all I know about Kiba is that has a dog and trench coat dude--well, enough said.

To you all, if I have not already said, I am not a Naruto experts so if you want someone in the story more tell me about them, there jutsuu's and stuff. If someone does not use a jutsuu that means I don't know it. So I now quest for you to tell me theses people's jutsu names and what they do or tell me it's okay to make stuff up.