Chapter 10
Everyone got separated after planning where their location would be.
Hinata, Kiba, Ino, and Shino were volunteered to stay at the ground floor… while Neji and ten ten assigned themselves to be in first floor… and naruto, Sai, Gaara, and Kankuro are together at second floor.
First floor
The two pairs started walking silently in a dim hallway with dusty walls and floor… but seem Ino can't stop herself for opening her mouth to talk, that cause to break silence.
"Darn! I really wonder where tsunade-sama hides the two crystals... it's really hard to find something hidden in a dark hallway, house whatever you call it." Ino whined while her partner, Shino just ignored every thing she just said.
"We need eyes to find the two crystals… not a noisy mouth whining all over…" Shino said
Ino stopped whining and started searching.
Kiba chuckled then he noticed the Hyuuga is being silent since they enter the house.
"What's the matter Hinata?" Kiba asked worriedly. The Hyuuga stared at the dog-like kiba with a scared look in her eyes.
The Hyuuga and the Dog-like Kiba stopped walking while the other moved on…
"So what is it…?"
"… Honestly…. KI- Kiba I'm scared…"
Kiba smiled with a confident look mark on his face, gently grabbing hinata's hand.
"No worries I'm here beside you I'll never leave you alone…" kiba promised, that made hinata blush… as they started walking again…
Second floor
"Hey Neji have you found any crystals yet?" Ten ten asked. Who is two meters away from Neji.
"No signs yet…"
The Hyuuga took a glance at ten ten then he walked towards her. The konoichi noticed that she look at the Hyuuga walking towards her.
"Neji… I thought we have to separate, so we can find the crystals easier." Ten ten said with an anxious face.
"I know that but hey… don't go two meters and one centimeter away from me… one and a half meter is enough but not more than that…"
"Why is that?"
"Because… I don't want you to get lost…"
"O- Okay…" said the konoichi as she turned red.
"Do you think it will take time for them to find the hidden crystals?" tsunade asked shizune smiling.
"I don't have any clue tsunade-sama…" shizune answered
Third floor
"now… this place is starting to creep me out! There are only few candles lit on that made this place darker that I can't even see my own feet! So how are we going to find the crystals first tte bayo…"
". . . That's what you called challenge…" Sai said.
As naruto who just puffed his cheeks like a kid in annoyance.
"Naruto…"
He moved his head and look at Sai.
"Yeah?"
"Can you promise me one thing…?"
"Okay…what is it?"
"Only for this event… can you just stay beside me…" Sai said revealing a slight blush on his cheeks.
"O—okay"
As the pair started walking beside each other…
{At Gaara's side]
"Gaara can you show up already…. Gaara?"
The puppet master was left alone by his brother since they reached the third floor.
[ back to Naruto's side ]
Suddenly naruto saw a shinny thing out in the darkness of the hallway…
' is that one of the crystals?' Naruto thought.
Naruto didn't to do anything and just passed the thing…
NARUTO'S POV
I saw Sai continued walking in front of me. It seems he didn't notice that I wasn't following anymore. I can't help it, that shinny thing I saw earlier is giving me a feeling that it is one of the crystals.
I went back to the place where I saw the thing running and hope that it is one of the crystals we are searching for. I sat then my eyes widened when I noticed that the shinny thing is just an ordinary stone that shines. I stood up and sighed, my eyes widened when I saw someone I know in front of me.
SAI'S POV
It seems the noisy blond is staying silent… or is he really determined that we can find the crystals within an hour. I'm starting to get curious why he is so silent. I stopped walking then turned my head backwards and didn't see him anywhere… just like the time in the forest. I don't why… naruto is the only person who always makes me worried. Instead staying here doing nothing I started walking while shouting Naruto's name.
After a moment I saw someone with a blond hair and he is wearing an orange jacket and that person is staring at a shinny stone in front of him. I just move and turned around like I didn't see anything... because maybe that's only one of tsunade-sama illusions… wait…blond hair and wearing an orange jacket… that must be…
"Naruto!"
He didn't hear me so I run towards him. The time that I was near him I heard him sighed then he stood up, the time he turned looking at me, his eyes widened then he shouted my name.
"Sai! I was about to follow you datte bayo! "
I tried to stay my cool but I can't help it, I grabbed Naruto's wrist pushing him over the dusty wall. Trapping him between my arms, looking straight in his ocean colored eyes.
"I remembered you promised me that you'll stay beside me…"
END OF SAI'S POV
Even though the artist is still a gentle talker… naruto can see through that Sai is really pissed. The blond started trembling.
"So—sorry" is the only word that the blond can say in the moment.
The pissed look in Sai' eyes lessened, moving his arms and gave naruto a warm gentle hug. At first naruto was shocked but after some seconds he placed his hands on Sai's back returning Sai the favor of the hug.
As they kept hugging each other… they didn't notice the presence… of the two pale green eyes watching them since the very beginning of the event.