Here's the next chapter! I uploaded it cuz i like this chap. :D

i do not own any of da naruto characters. aren't you happy?

this chapter is dedicated for those ppl who read my stories but are too lazy to review.

Chapter 3: Naruto!

"Sasuke-sama." The four Sound ninja bowed in front of him, and Sasuke glowered coldly at them. Tsunade, with the help of Ibiki, had threatened him, saying that if Sasuke ever returned to the Sound village or the group Hebi, a dreadful punishment would await him. That was their way of telling him to stay, but it was unnecessary. After what happened on the first day in the hospital, Sasuke had no intention of returning. Finding Naruto was more important.

It was ironically funny how things reversed themselves.

"Don't call me that again," the raven ninja replied acerbically, "I will break every bone in your body." Sakura and Kakashi smiled grimly. They took relief in hearing Sasuke say that.

The Sound ninjas bowed hurriedly. "Y-yes, sir."

Kakashi nodded. "Maa, let's get down to business." He took out a map and pointed right at the center of the forest. "So, most of the killings happened around here. You four Sound ninja will attack from all four directions. Lure the demon out, and then we'll go and capture it alive. Hokage-sama would like to interrogate the demon. So try to not give it too many injuries, got it?"

The four nodded, bowed once more, and disappeared.

"What?" Sakura was surprised. "We're gonna find the demon already? But we just got here! Wouldn't it be best to rest up a little?"

Sasuke stated coldly, "There's a war going on. We want to get everything done quicker. The faster the better."

Kakashi smiled, his one eye crinkling merrily. "Maa, Sasuke is right." He put the map back in his back pocket. The copy-cat ninja noticed Sakura's obvious discomfort. "What's the matter?"

"I just," Sakura said, sadly, "I really didn't want this mission. Even though I corrected Lee-san, helping out our rivals is too much. I really…" She stopped and bit her lower lip. "Am I being selfish?"

"Get a grip." Sasuke's voice was filled with disgust. "We're shinobi." Sakura flinched, and she stared at the ground. Her hand turned into a fist, and then she hesitantly looked up at Sasuke.

"You don't understand," she whispered painfully, "You don't. After all, you're the one who left us for Sound. While you were there, we detested them. We hated them with every fiber of our beings. You don't know how hard we trained just to try to get you back. You don't know how much Naruto sacrificed himself for you." There was a pause, and Sakura quickly turned her face away.

But the words still pierced his chest. He knew that it was the truth. He knew it the whole entire time. But hearing Sakura say the words like that, it upset him more than he thought it would.

Kakashi put his hand on his snowy-grey hair. "Maa, I think you went too far, Sakura. We're just about to start a mission. Don't get everyone's feathers ruffled up."

"I'm sorry," Sakura muttered, "I didn't mean that. It just… came out." But Sasuke still saw how her green-blue eyes were still burning with unshed tears and unspoken anger.

"Hn," the Uchiha said, pretending to be indifferent. Sakura clenched her hands harder. Her lip started bleeding.

"Oi, oi," Kakashi said. He sighed. "Sakura, please break that habit. Wipe your lip. We don't want it to get infected. And Sasuke, please, may you at least show some courtesy? I know that you think of us as nothing but a burden, but this is an important mission. Show some teamwork." The silver-haired ninja closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were serious. "Naruto is dead. Get over it. Now, shall we start our mission? Hokage-sama doesn't like waiting. The quicker we proceed, the quicker we'll be out of this territory."

"Y-yes."

"Hn."

XXX

"Ne, Kyuu-chan, hear that?" The little child sniffed the air, wary. "I smell Sound again. Is that strange? They normally don't come here anymore."

Kyuubi growled. He was outside of his host again; staying caged inside of her made him restless. But in this form, he was too small and vulnerable. "Shit. I smell them too. I wanted to stay outside for a little bit longer."

"It's okay, Kyuu-chan," she reassured, "I can take them on."

The little fox snorted. "And if you can't? Then what are you gonna do?"

"Er, call you over? Duh."

Kyuubi glared at her. "It's not so simple, you know. The time it takes for me to get back inside of your body is too consuming. By then—" A shadow interrupted his train of thought. "Fuck! They're here!"

The young child whisked out her knife from her back. "Ha. Looks like my plan is gonna work this time. Stay back, Kurama." She glared at the four Sound ninjas, her big cerulean eyes turning red. "Show yourself!"

They approached her cautiously. One bold one took out two shuriken at threw them at her. She quickly swatted them aside with her blade. The ninja behind her muttered a jutsu, and a great blast of wind shot at the little girl. Jumping in the air to dodge the attack, the nimble child took out some acupuncture needles and flung them at the Sound shinobi to the left of her. He fell down. Score!

However, in this one quick moment, all three of them jumped up as she was falling to the ground, catching her by surprise. Never had they been so daring, so brave.

"Danger, brat!" Kyuubi's warning came too late. She was stabbed three times in her arms before she caught her mistake and quickly kicked out her legs, sending the Sound ninjas flying. She landed on the ground, gasping with pain.

"Dumbass!" Kyuubi shouted from the sidelines, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Shut up," she muttered, "Ow. It burns." Suddenly, she sniffed at her wounds. Her bloodshot eyes opened wide in surprise. "What? Kyuu-chan, it's… it's drugged!" Kyuubi was stunned.

"What did you say?" But he felt himself become sluggish, and he saw his young host staggering. "Kit, retreat. Hurry, before they come back."

"I… I can't," the child said sleepily, "I can't see, Kyuu-chan. My eyes, they're closing."

Kyuubi stumbled towards her. He tripped and fell. "Fuck. Kit… hurry. Get over here."

The child forced her legs to move towards Kyuubi, towards the safety of the forest. She managed to get in front of the fox demon and slowly picked him up. He touched the seal on her stomach with his nose.

"Kai…" he whispered, and little by little the chakra spun around him. The little girl's eyes started returning back to normal, due to her tiredness. However, just as Kyuubi was about to disappear, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around her head, eyes gleaming bluish-red, and the child glared into surprised eyes of onyx before her legs gave way and lost all consciousness.

The Konoha shinobi could only stare in mortified shock before Sasuke whispered the words that finally broke the spell. "It can't be. How is he... she… Naruto!"

Sakura's shriek could be heard throughout the entire forest.

just to tell you, i hav the next chapter ready. but i'm not gonna upload it unless i get... 3 reviews. so there. :D i dont wanna be an idiot and upload stories that no one likes.