Author's note: Again, I'm sorry for the late update. (Maybe I apologize too much. I'm sorry for this too. XD) I just finished my exams and the holidays are coming soon so I have a surprise;

CHRISTMAS ONE-SHOT!

Ok, you have to vote on which couple you want the one-shot to be about. I'll post it on the Christmas day and it will have about 3000 words. You just have to vote the couple you want to spend a Christmas together. :)

The choises are: Sasuke&Sakura / Shikamaru&Ino / Naruto&Hinata / Neji&Tenten / Gaara&Rin / Sasuke&Karin / Sakura&Sasori.

I'm waiting for your answer in the reviews. :D

Chapter ten. First year: Getting closer

"Are you kidding me?!" Ino said as soon as she heard Naruto's answer to her earlier question. "You're kidding right? We can't possibly be lost."

"We aren't lost woman!" Naruto said troubled.

He scratched the back of his neck thinking about a solution to get out of this situation. Actually, they were lost.

After Naruto announced this morning that they're gonna go on a trip, Sakura was so excited that she forget to pack the necessary things for a trip in mountains, something like a compass maybe? Everyone just followed her , except Shikamaru. He decided it was a thousand times better to stay on the balcony and sleep all afternoon.

"I don't even know why I'm here." Ino said sighing as she sat on a rock. "Shika-kun.."

"I'm sure he's sleeping right now." Neji said.

"And I should be right there, next to him. Watching his adorable sleepy face, taking photos, putting a blanket on him when it gets colder. But no, I'm here, in the middle of nowhere with Mister 'I-know-what-I-am-doing-follow-me'."

"I said I know where we are!" Naruto yelled at Ino who raised an eyebrow in response. He sighed defeated. "Ok, we're lost."

"Thought so too." she said flipping her pony-tail over her shoulder.

"P-Please don't be mad at N-Naruto-kun, Ino. H-He only w-wanted us to h-have f-fun." Hinata came shyly next to Naruto.

He listened to the shy girl and smiled after. "Thanks Hinata-chan, I knew you'd understand me." he put his hand around her shoulders and smiled victorious at Ino. Hinata blushed madly.

"T-T-There's n-no need t-t-to t-thank me, N-Naruto-kun."

Ino sighed. "Yeah Hinata, after all, it's my fault too." she said as Naruto was about to smirk victorious when he heard the other part of her sentence. "I knww he was gonna mess everything up, even so, I followed him foolishly."

"Hey, what do you mean—"

"Gosh, my head hurts." Tenten complained meaning she wanted the two blondes to shut up. "Where's Shikamaru when you need him?"

"Follow me, I think I remember the way quite well." Neji said looking around.

The sun was about to set and there was no much time, the nights in mountains were scary and he knew this well.

.

.

"It's here, right behind this corner!"

"Forget it Neji, this is the third time we pass that corner." Tenten said stopping.

"AH, ENOUGH! I'm sick of walking around in circles, it's already night!" Ino said crossing her arms.

"I'm sleepy." Sakura completed.

"Uhm.." Hinata wanted to say something but everyone was talking so loud she couldn't.

"Come on Neji, I didn't know you have such a bad sense of orientation." Naruto said smirking, he felt better now that Ino's anger was focused on Neji and not him.

Neji gave the blonde a glare which made him shut up. The whole road Sasuke did nothing but to follow the group. He didn't really pay attention to the road they followed when they came here and he decided to just follow everyone. The chicken-ass-haired boy watched a certain's pink-haired girl every move the whole day and he didn't know why until now. He was curious. He wanted to know if she's ok which was an unusual thing.

"Uhm.. G-Guys.." Hinata tried to say something again and this time, Sasuke heard her.

"How come Shikamaru can sleep at a moment like this?!" Tenten asked angry.

"Why did I follow him? I should've go on my own."

"Guys!" Hinata finally managed to say louder.

Everyone turned their attention to her. "I-I think there's something t-there.." she said pointing to a few trees.

"Watch out!" Sasuke said fast and catched Sakura's hand, approaching her to him.

"That's.." Ino said terrified looking at the creäture in front of her.

"Run!" Naruto yelled too and each of them ran in different directions.

The creäture that scared them to death was a wolf.

The ones who ran the fastest were Sasuke and Sakura who were holding hands. Soon, they saw a small house.

"Let's go there." Sasuke said hurrying.

Though he was in front and Sakura followed him, he opened the door and pushed Sakura inside first. It was only one small room without furniture, only a small window and a closet.

"What was that?" Sakura asked scared.

After looking out the window, Sasuke turned around and faced her. "A wolf." he answered and the scare surrounded her face again. "I think he's gone, though." Sasuke completed. He observed that Sakura embraced herself, she was cold. "We better stay here tonight."

"But the others.." Sakura said as she watched Sasuke opening the closet.

"I'm sure they're together and they'll find us soon, we aren't that far." he said as he took out a small, dark-green blanket and threw it at Sakura. "Here."

She looked at it for a minute. "But you're wearing a shirt—"

"I'm fine." he said and sat on the floor. Sakura smiled, she knew Sasuke was worried about her. The pink-haired girl approached to him and sat next to him. She put the blanket around her and Sasuke. "I said—"

"Please Sasuke?" she said looking at him worried.

He noticed she didn't use the usual "-chan" he didn't like. Acutally, that's what he always said to her. "Hn."

There was a five minute break of silence, the rain started suddenly and furious. Sakura thought Sasuke fell asleep. They were so close their warmth was more than enough to make the coldness disappeared.

"Are you awake?" Sakura heard Sasuke's voice.

For a moment, she thought it was her imagination but when she looked at him, he was looking straight at her.

For the first time, she observed how beautiful Sasuke was. The small light was coming inside falling on his face. His face was perfect, his eyes were so black and his feature were perfect.

"Yes." she answered, almost whispered.

They broke the eye-contact.

"Are you happy?" he asked which surprised her again.

This is already the longest serious conversation they ever had. Sasuke was looking nowhere but it was clear he was really interested in her answer.

"I don't know." she answered hugging her legs. Sakura thought her answer was stupid, she didn't think at all before answering. "Are you?"

He didn't answer, only continued looking in front of him. He had a hand put on his ankle and his chin raised, he looked way too handsome this way. Sakura was a girl too, it was impossible not to notice. She blushed unnoticeble and stopped looking at him.

"After all, what is happiness? Love, they tell me. But love doesn't bring and never has brought happiness." Sakura whispered to herself.

Sasuke was surprised. No, he was more than surprised.

"Paul Coelho." he said and Sakura realized what she just said.

"I'm sorry, I say something weird and—"

"It's ok, it wasn't stupid." he said looking away again.

This was the second time he was so nice with Sakura, she smiled again.

"I didn't know you like Coelho." Sasuke said after a small moment of silence.

"I do, he's pretty awesome." she said expecting him to answer but again, he didn't.

Meanwhile..

"I can't believe it! We're even more lost than before now, Sasuke and Sakura disappeared and a hungry wolf is walking around searching for some food. What's missing, rain?" a loud thunder answered Ino, a sudden rain started. "Great, just great."

Tenten started laughing, she couldn't control herself. "You dramatize too much Ino. I'm sure Sasuke will take care of Sakura. Let's go there, I think I see a cave."

The five teenagers followed Tenten inside the cave, Naruto was mentally praying not to find any bears here. It was dark and cold inside but still, it was better.

"My hair looks awful, I'm cold, it's the middle of night, a wolf is still walking around here searching for something to eat and the worst part, Shika-kun is not here!" the blonde complained again as Tenten face-palmed.

"You're right, if Shikamaru was here we wouldn't have been here now. He's the smart one ya know." Naruto also said.

"Whatever, let's just sleep here tonight." Neji said as he sat down on the cold ground.

Tenten was in front of him, she turned around and faced her partner. He spread his arms and smirked but Tenten only raised an eyebrow wondering what is he thinking.

"What?" she finally asked.

"It's cold, you can't sleep on the ground."

Tenten's cheeks turned red. This was the very first time someone said something like this to her. She shook her head and snapped out of it.

"Don't joke with me, I'm not gonna sleep in your arms like a princess." she said and turned around.

Neji didn't wait another second. He catched her arm and put her in his lap, hugging her with all his strenght.

The others were looking at them now surprised. "Let me go!" Tenten said while struggling.

"Won't you just shut up?! I am not gonna let you sleep on the ground in such a place." he said louder than usual, it was the first time he raised his voice.

Tenten looked in his eyes, he had such a different expression. It was something new, something Tenten never saw on someone's eyes before so she couldn't figure out what he was thinking. She just gave up and let the warmth of Neji surround her. Her cheeks were still red.

Naruto approached to Hinata who was already on the ground a few meters in front of Neji and Tenten, she had her eyes closed. The blonde sat down next to her and put a hand around her shoulders. she opened her eyes and figured out what was going on.

"N-Naruto-kun !" she said while blushing madly.

He blushed a bit too though it was unnoticeable. "Can I stay like this? I.. I mean it's cold tonight ya know!" he said smiling.

Hinata's heart was beating like crazy. "Y-Y-Yes."

As the lovey-dovey atmosphere already installed, Ino was between the four love-birds with a poker face.

"I think you're kidding me!" she catched the others' attention that figured out she needs to be warmed too.

"Ino, y-you can come with us—"

"Don't bother Hinata,I'm going for a walk." Ino said turning around.

"But it's raining and it's night!" the blak-blue-haired girl said wanting to get up and catch Ino.

"It's ok, the rain stopped and I need a few moments alone. I'll come back in a few minutes." the blonde said smiling and Hinata understood.

Ino hugged herself, it was quite cold since it was only the begging of April. She wasn't scared of the darkness unlike other girls and moreover, she was mad. How come Shikamaru didn't come and left her? She was quite jealous of her friends now..

She walked around for thirty minutes, she walked and walked until her legs started to hurt. She decided to go back but something was keeping her from turning around. Ino hugged herself again and started thinking about Shikamaru. She really missed him. She began to tremble, her feets couldn't move.

"What are you doing there woman?" Ino's heart skipped a bit. She could recognize this voice anywhere.

She turned around and saw him. "Shikamaru.."

Though it was dark, she could clearly see him. He sighed. "I don't know why you're here alone but—"

"Shikamaru!" she jumped on his and hugged him tightly.

This surprised her but he thought she was scared, but obviously, this wasn't true. He put a hand on her head and patted it. "Let's go to the others."

"Wait!" she said snapping out of it. "Where have you been? And how did you find me?"

"We're about five hundred meters away from the springs." he said sighing pointing behind him.

.

.

"Shikamaruuuu!" Naruto said hugging his waist, he was so happy everyone was finally at the springs, even Sakura and Sasuke. It was midnight.

"Get off me Naruto." the pineapplea-head said.

Meanwhile, Sakura and the girls already fell asleep on the boys' room along with Sasuke and Neji.

"Let's go to sleep too." Shikamaru said while yawning.