Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Naruto cause if I did…heh believe me things would change! coughSasuSakucough Unfortunately it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, blah, blah, blah, insert random legal document , etc.

I updated for all you reviewers whom I love and cherish! Er…anyway here's chapter 6 and I know I said they'd be getting to the Land of Lightning, but I had to have some humor and stuffs. Anyway have fun with this chappie! I sure did and so did my friends! LOL!

Miharu-Uchiha

Chapter 5: Recap!

Just as he did, Sakura felt a cold hand wrap around her ankle and pull her down beneath the water. Under the water she could see Kohta's crazed face staring up at her pulling her down with him. Her desperate kicking at his wrist was doing nothing to stop them from sinking into the crushing blackness. Sakura whipped out a kunai and yanking up with her leg at the same time as slashing with the kunai managed to slash Kohta's wrist and wriggle free. She looked up and saw the surface and her team fading she starting to swim up towards the surface, but seemed to be sinking instead. Then Kakashi's arms slipped under her own and pulled her head above the water.

"Where's Kohta?" Kakashi questioned.

"I don't think he'll come back," Sakura sputtered her lungs relishing the sweet air.

Kakashi nodded and they headed in the direction of the shore.

"Sensei?" Sakura asked as they swam. "Who sent those men?"

"I'm not sure Sakura. Hopefully we'll find our answers at the Village Hidden in the Clouds," Kakashi replied. "I hope." He muttered to himself.

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Chapter 6: The Truth Laid Bare!

When Sasuke felt like he could swim no more the sweet shore appeared. Each stroke made his arms and legs feel like they were made of glass that was shattering. When finally he could touch the ground beneath him, he dragged himself up onto the beach just out of the water's reach and collapsed on the sand. Each of them was shivering uncontrollably and their limbs were numb. Kakashi grabbed a bunch of kindling from several nearby bushes and began to start a fire.

"Wait, we're not going on to the village?" Naruto asked.

"Not just yet, though I'm glad you're excited," Kakashi replied.

"We have to get warm first," Sakura said. "Otherwise…"

Sakura didn't voice the end of the sentence, but drew a pointed finger under her chin laughing at Naruto's expression.

"How are we going to get warm?" Sasuke said raising his head and inching closer to the fire. "We're all wet."

The group fell into silence while they watched Kakashi pull out his book to dry it by the roaring flame. Luckily the scroll's case was waterproof leaving it undamaged. Even the fire didn't provide that much warmth and it wasn't doing much for their soaked clothing.

"I have an idea!" Naruto suddenly said.

"Huddle around the fire?" Kakashi asked.

"Huddle in general?" Sakura said glancing at Sasuke.

"Hn…" Sasuke muttered.

"Nope," Naruto said with a grin. "We have to get…naked!"

Naruto looked shocked as the rest of his team collapsed on the ground with afraid looks on their faces. Once they had regained their composure they stared at Naruto in disbelief.

"What? I saw it on a survival show once!" Naruto said. "The dude got naked and did pushups! Honest!"

"Just what kind of t.v. do you watch?" Sakura asked.

"Actually I think it's a good idea," Kakashi said. "You just surprised me at first, but I think you might be on to something Naruto."

"What?" Sakura and Sasuke yelled at Kakashi.

"See he agrees with me," Naruto grinned.

"I'm not stripping in front of any of you," Sasuke said shooting a glare at Naruto.

"I guess we could use those bushes, but still…" Sakura said, "the whole idea is horrible."

Finally it was settled with minimum bloodshed. Each ninja had their own bush to hide in while their clothes, spare ones included, dried on a rock by the fire.

"This is wrong in so many ways," Sasuke muttered angrily.

Unfortunately Naruto had been right. Now that he was out of those wet clothes he felt a lot better and much warmer. He only wished they could have been closer to the fire, but Kakashi had a minimal distance rule so no one would light themselves or the bush on fire. In fact his exact words were, "I don't want bushes burning up and a bunch of nudists running around. They sure aren't sharing a bush."

"Finally!" Naruto said scooting over towards the fire.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled covering her eyes.

"Oh sorry Sakura," Naruto grinned.

Once he pulled on his underwear Naruto got out of his bush walking towards the fire. With a malicious grin that signified trouble, Naruto picked something up.

"Hey Sakura how do you think I'd look in these?" Naruto asked holding up Sasuke's Uchiha fan emblazoned boxers.

"Naruto! Give those back to Sasuke!" Sakura yelled. "Or better yet give them to me." Inner Sakura contradicted with a grin.

"You're dead," Sasuke said eerily calm.

"Here we go again," Kakashi said getting dressed himself.

"Too bad you can't get out of that bush," Naruto teased earning him a growl from Sasuke.

"Sakura," Kakashi said having nothing to say just wanting to distract her attention from the boys.

"I'll kill you!" Sasuke yelled.

"You'll have to get out of that bush first," Naruto said sticking his tongue out. "Well? I thought you wanted to kill me!"

Sasuke debated his options. He could get his boxers back and be humiliated from behind or let Naruto torment him then humiliate him. He decided the former was better. Glancing over at Sakura, who Kakashi was keeping distracted for now, Sasuke leapt from the bush as Naruto passed barely missing.

"Gutsy are we?" Naruto said waving Sasuke's shorts like a flag. "Come and get 'em!"

"What are you…" Sakura said turning having lost interest in Kakashi's conversation about leaves.

That was as far as she got thanks to a daring move pulled by Sasuke in order to retrieve his boxers. As she had turned around, he had attempted to attack Naruto giving Sakura a full view of him from behind before he disappeared behind the bush again. Now she was collapsed in a heap on the ground, her face brilliant red.

"Hey that hurts!" Naruto yelped from behind the bush.

"Give me my boxers then!" Sasuke threatened.

"Fine! Just get off," Naruto whined.

Finally having regained his boxers, Sasuke walked out from behind the bush now clothed...sort of. Naruto followed looking beat and rather angry. Sasuke pulled on his pants and wringing out excess water from his shirt walked over to the fire and plopped down. Sakura's face went a deeper shade of red until he pulled on his shirt and the rest of his clothes.

"Glad to see you're all wide awake now," Kakashi mused with a grin. "Still it's early in the morning. Shall we stay or head on?"

"Don't know if I could sleep now," Naruto muttered.

"Who knows who else is out to get us," Sakura said wringing out her headband, after regaining her composure.

"Maybe we should just move on," Sasuke said glancing over towards the horizon where color was barely starting to form.

"Let's go then," Kakashi said watching them. You all have to be exhausted and yet…you still want to push on. When you graduate from me I'll have to recommend you all to the ANBU academy, He thought admiring his team.

They put out the fire and followed Kakashi. Sasuke stopped and glanced again at the horizon that now was etched in brilliant pink and gold color. His legs still ached, but at least if they made it too the Cloud Village they could rest in peacefully and not worry about keeping guard.

"I love sunrises. Don't you?" Sakura wondered following his gaze. "Sunsets are pretty too, but sunrises remind me I've survived another day."

"They're nice," Sasuke replied not knowing what else to say.

"Are you coming or what?" Kakashi called back to them.

"Yeah," Sakura called heading up to Kakashi.

Sasuke followed, but kept behind him them a little bit. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He'd changed a lot since he had become a chunin. Heck, they all had. Naruto was no longer the shrimp and his chunin apparel suited him well. Now if only his attitude would change. His chunin outfit was the same as when he had fought with Gaara, which seemed like ages ago, though it was only three years or so. Sakura too was no longer the same. Her chunin outfit fit her age of 15 well, showing off her curves, and she now gave even him a run for his money during their sparring matches. Whoa, did I just think Sakura has nice curves? He thought shaking his head. Honestly…

"Oof," Sasuke said bumping into the back of Naruto having not been paying attention.

He looked up and saw why they had stopped. A huge wall of swirling fog was ahead of them. It was spread out like a perimeter around something.

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Huzzah! See what I meant before about having fun? Imagine my friend reading that part with this girl wondering why she was reading about people getting naked. Sheesh I'm not that bad am I? Anyway another chapter done(finally) and hopefully I'll get the next one up soon! Next we're off to the Land of Lightning, I promise this time! Anyway I'm always open to ideas, suggestions, and comments and I swear I don't bite…hard anyway. Review! -Puppy Eyes no jutsu!-