The flames of the armies of candles dispersed throughout the dining room danced on the high walls, and played on the faces of the three mortals and the three witches who sat on the opposite sides of the table, eying each other warily.

"M'LADIES! GENTLEMEN! " A voice boomed through the room, shattering the silence. The valet, Lee came striding in, beholding a tray bearing 3 bowls in each hand. He set them on the table and distributed the bowls among the six diners.

"So what do you guys eat? Blood? Or flesh or something…" Naruto frowned.

"What?!" Ino exploded, "WE are not lowly creatures to suck disgusting blood!"

Naruto cowered under her towering rage, as Sakura attempted to calm her down.

Sakura explained, "We are really humans, just with special um, abilities…We eat normal food…"

"Like Salamander Stew?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"Yea, Salamander Stew, Spider cookies, Snake Spaghetti… "

"OK OK we get it!" Naruto said hurriedly, wanting to get to dinner, "This is ramen though right?"

"Yes," Sakura said, "Like we told you, Lee brought it from town."

"But the town is many troublesome miles from here…" Shikamaru observed.

"So?"

"So, how can he get there and be back so soon?"

"Oh, well pixies are fast." Sakura shrugged.

"Thick-brow's a PIXIE?" Naruto yelled, spewing out ramen.

"Well, there was this bit of a scandal," Ino said, not bothering to hide her disgust at Naruto, "Remember Saku? That pixie woman ran off with the dwarf…"

"Oh yea," Sakura said, eyes lighting up at the chance to gossip. "And when she came back knocked up her parents didn`t let her in…"

"W-well, it, it wasn't ex-exactly li-like that," Hinata turned tomato red when everyone's attention focused on her, "Sh-she never c-came back…B-but one m-morning, L-Lee was t-there in a-a basket, at t-the orph-orphanage…"

A hush fell over the room.

"Well, that's troublesome." Shikamaru sighed.

"So how did he end up working with you?" Sasuke inquired.

"I dunno, he started working for our aunts when we were like 5, 6?" Ino shrugged.

"WHAT?!" Naruto yelled, "Wait, how old is he?"

"I think 308…yea, that's it…" Sakura replied.

"And you guys are?"

"We're 256." Ino answered.

"256! Wow, you`re old!"

SLAP!

Naruto was knocked out of his chair. He crashed on the wood-paneled floor, rubbing his cheek on which was an angry red mark of Ino's hand. "We are not old!"

"OK OK yes, no, you're not!" Naruto fumbled with his words, "I mean no, you're not old!"

As he stood up grumbling, he noticed Hinata staring at him. Somehow, thinking that she was worried about him made the slap worth it. He smiled at her, "I`m alright, believe it!" Hinata blushed furiously, heart fluttering at the sight of Naruto smiling. His smile made her want to smile…

The others were deep in discussion, Sakura saying "Witches can die of natural disease when they get really old like a millennium or something…otherwise, they don't die. A millennium is the max any um, supernatural creature can live. Actually, only witches live that long, and that's mostly because they live away from people so they don't get killed."

"But, there were witches burned or staked to death…" Sasuke argued. Sakura wanted him to say more, she wanted to hear his voice, she liked his voice and the way he was so confident and so sure about himself, and how his eyes sparkled in the candle light…SAKURA! SNAP OUT OF IT! Mentally slapping herself, she pulled herself back into the conversation, albeit with some difficulty. Sasuke meanwhile had noticed her eyes glazing over, a faraway look in them, and he couldn`t help but be drawn to those mesmerizing emerald eyes, and the soft pink lips…

"Well, some witches, like me, have a little power over the, the atmosphere."

"Atmosphere?" Shikamaru knitted his eye brows. Ino was enjoying the look he had on his face as he pondered over her words…he looked so...

"Wait, by atmosphere, do you mean troublesome storms and panthers?"

Of course, Ino fumed, the stupid genius had to open his mouth and shatter the moment.

"Maybe…" Ino purred.

"Like the storm and the panther that drove us here?" Sasuke asked, catching up to Shikamaru.

Ino was dumb-founded; how the hell had they managed it?

"Of course not…" Sakura laughed, drawing away Sasuke's attention immediately, "Those things happen here a lot, I mean we aren`t the only super natural thing here right?"

"Right..." Shikamaru repeated, still looking at Ino. He knew something was off, but if he opened his mouth, they`d have to leave…he'd have to leave Ino…

"Yeah, in fact," Ino smiled, even though her heart was thumping furiously in her chest with Shikamaru's eyes on her, "why don`t you guys stay here? We can go down the lake or a hike by the mountains…like a vacation!"

"Why not?" Shikamaru said, if only to see her baby-blue eyes sparkle.

Naruto stopped chowing down ramen and frowned, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Hn." Sasuke replied, his eyes never leaving Sakura`s.

"But, teme-"

"N-Naruto…" Hinata intervened, "P-please stay?"

How could he refuse when she asked him, looking at him the way she was?

"Yea, what not?" He mumbled.

BIG QUESTION:

WHAT ARE THE BEST QUALITIES OF NARUTO, SASUKE AND SHIKAMARU?!

please answer it, I really need the answers…

Aywan, dont forget to review! ;*