'How long had I been running?' Ino wondered to herself. She'd long since ran out of perfumes to change her scent and had taken to pollen extracted from flowers native to the desert she was in. 'Three days on and off. Man, Lady Tsunade doesn't want anyone else to leave the village. Although once I enter Sunagakure they can't touch me. I've gotta be close.

Naruto was lecturing his squad on their latest failed mission without him there to accompany them. A similar squad set up to the former team 7, 2 rival boys and a girl with a massive crush on one of them which was affecting their teamwork, Naruto knew how to deal with them. The same way Kakashi dealed with him, Sasuke and Sakura. "Now Hishikoro I know you have a crush on Hikari while she likes Oroke. The important thing here is to realize that someone like Hikari is someone you don't really love as much as simply like and I know you expect more because you're the Kazekage's son but take it from me as an orphan who had no idea of my true identity, I used to have the same feelings for a certain pink haired beauty until I opened my eyes and realized that 'hey she doesn't like me. She likes him. And even if he almost kills her she always will. There are other fish in the ocean. I only learnt that recently when a certain blond haired kunoichi stepped into my life." "Well…alright Naruto sensei." Hishikoro pouted. "But only because you're like an older brother to me." "Alright,alright. Now go home and get some rest. Another mission tomorrow." Naruto said as he watched his squad walk to their separate homes. "And speaking of Ino. Please be okay."

Kakashi and his tracker hounds along with Kiba and Hana Inuzuka and their dogs had lost Ino. "No sign of her. It's almost like she never existed but she's closer than we think I'm guessing." Kiba exclaimed . "True brother. She has vanished from sight and eluded our sense of smell. For all we know she could be right underneath us" Hana agreed. 'You don't know the half of it'Ino thought while buried under a mound of sand. 'At least I put my breathing tube out the side not straight up. So that the dogs don't pee in it.' "Come on lets go home." Kakashi a few minutes of bickering about heading forward to try and head her off at Sunagakure Kakashi convinced Kiba to go back to Konohagakure because in the amount of time they'd been talking she could have made it to Sunagakure already. "Fine. Come on Akamaru lets go." Kiba said begrudgingly. It was nightfall by the time they left so Ino made camp where she was to conserve her energy. 'No way they should have caught up to me that fast. The 10 way log trap should have knocked them out. And if that didn't then the hallucinogenic plant extract I put in their water should have. Oh well. Time to check that map that Sakura gave me.'

At around 5pm the next day Naruto was lecturing Hikari on her one track mind when he was interrupted. "Hi Naruto." Ino's voice rang out behind him. "I was wondering when you'd get here. I heard you left Konohagakure 3 days ago. And Sakura left a day later to Join Kumogakure to try and find Sasuke. Kazekage Gaara gave me permission to give you this as soon as you entered the Village." Naruto said holding out a Sunagakure headband Ino took it and tied it around her waist the way she used to wear her Konohagakure headband. "Hishikoro, Hikari, Oroke take the next 2 days off. Me and Ino have some catching up to do.

Meanwhile Sakura was dodging Tentens weapons and Hinata's Byakugan on her way to Kumogakure when she became entagled in one of kurenai's Genjutsu. Damn. I wonder if Ino's having as much trouble reaching Sunagakure as I am reaching Kumoigakure. I hope so because no one knows her motive for leaving.'

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Authors note: Sorry for the short chapter but this is meant as a prelude for the final 2 chapters. Chapter 6 will have nothing to do with Ino and Naruto. It will be entirely about Sakura. As I'm struggling with ideas at the moment. Expect Chapter 7: Revlations and Completions to be a lot longer than any other chapter. (est. about 2000 words) as for chapter 6. Sometime within the week.