"Sasuke, it's nice of you to join us." Yamato said. "I'll be your leader while Kakashi is away, my name is-" "
Yamato. I know." Sasuke finished his sentence. "I've met everyone, but this girl here." He said, pointing at Kuro.
"Kuro Naito, it's nice to meet you." She said, smiling. Sasuke just looked at her, and then turned away. Kuro looked shocked. "Hey, get over here."
"Why should I?" Sasuke asked. Kuro glared.
"Because I said so." She pursed her lips.
"Sasuke, you should do what she says." Sakura warned him.
"What is she gonna do to me? Cover me with lipstick?" Sasuke looked at Sakura with a look that said 'I'm bad ass, no one can hurt me.'. Sasuke blinked and when he opened his eyes, Kuro's foot was against his face, with a high kick.
"High-ya!" She yelled out, planting her foot in the side of his head. Her surprise attack sent Sasuke to the ground. Everyone looked at Kuro in shock, except Sasuke, because all he could see was the ground.
"Damn, she's fast." Naruto said under his breath to Sakura.
"Maybe even faster than Lee. I didn't see her move. Did you?"
"Nu-uh, but what scares me is, even if she moved as fast as Lee, this is Sasuke we're talking about. He would have seen it coming." Sakura was shocked. "Good thing she's on our side."
"Alright! Break it up you two." Yamato said, walking in between them. "Sakura, Naruto, Sai; would you care to explain what will happen if they continue?" The three remembered the wooden cage Yamato created when they first started fighting. It sent shivers up their spines.
"Whatever." Kuro turned away and went back next to Shikamaru. She looked up at him, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
"Oh, nothing." Shikamaru said, nervously. Note to self: Don't piss her off. Shikamaru thought.
"Alright, everyone settle down. We are all together, and it's time for me to explain things." Yamato said after Sasuke had gotten on his feet and dusted himself off. "This team is not yet used to working together, and now that Sasuke is home, there isn't much going on. So, Lady Tsunade has decided to put the team on a patrol mission. We'll be out in the forest, keeping watch. It'll be a fairly easy mission, but it's meant to create bonding between members and get us acquainted with each other's fighting styles."
"So, this is basically camping?" Kuro cocked her eyebrow, with a laugh. Yamato sighed.
"I'm not supposed to say this, but yeah. Pretty much." Yamato laughed himself. "We'll leave in two days. You get to sleep in your homes tonight, spend the day getting ready, and then we'll be off first thing the morning after. Understood?" Everyone's wording was different, but it was all along the lines of 'Yes, Sir.' Everyone spent the next day packing everything and double checking supplies. The day after that everyone met just after sunrise at the gates.
"Ugh, why so early?" Kuro yawned, rubbing her eyes.
"What a drag." Shikamaru said.
"Can I use you as a pillow?" She asked, grabbing hold of his arm and leaning on him.
"No!" He pulled away and she stumbled.
"Awww, why not?" She asked, catching herself.
"Because I said so." He said, mocking her statement yesterday.
"Oh, shut up pony tail." She said, failing to come up with something cleaver.
"You're wearing a pony tail too." He pointed out.
"But I'm a girl, I'm allowed to."
"What, is it against the law for a boy not to?"
"Oh my God!" Sakura yelled. "Stop bickering like a married couple!" The two looked at her in surprise.
"Pssh. What's eating her ass?" Kuro mumbled to Shikamaru.
"Women are so troublesome." Shikamaru sighed.
They continued meaningless chit chat while waiting for everyone to arrive. Once everyone was there, Yamato gave a little speech.
"Alright everyone, this is to build our team work. So, try not to fight, and focus on working together and getting to know one another." He said. "Now, let's move out."
The city gates opened, revealing a path to the forest. Everyone dashed out in a formation much like a flock of birds; a V. Yamato was the tip, Sasuke and Naruto at either side behind him, Sakura following Naruto, and Sai following Sakura. Hinata trailed behind Sasuke, with Kuro at her back, and finally Shikamaru behind her.
"So," Sai began, trying to make conversation with Kuro. "How long are you staying in Konoha?" Kuro huffed.
"The rest of my life."
"Oh… so where are you staying." He replied. Kuro gestured towards Shikamaru."With him? Why?"
"My mom was friends with his Dad before she left Konoha. She made him promise to take care of me if anything happened to her."
"So, what happened?"
"My parents were murdered by some religious fanatics." She said painfully.
"Oh…" Sai just decided to shut up.
"You planning on sticking around for a while, Sasuke?" Naruto asked Sasuke, as they jumped from branch to branch.
"Yeah, I'm gonna stay now. You don't have to worry about me taking off." Sasuke replied.
"Good, because I'm not waiting another two years and then going to save your sorry butt again." Naruto laughed.
"Saved? I killed two of your rivals!" Sasuke laughed.
"Yes, but you would have been held captive by that Tobi guy forever if we didn't come and get you." Naruto laughed back.
Once it was lunch time, the group stopped for some rest and something to eat. Everyone pulled provisions out of their bag.
"I bet Chouji would be pigging out on chips right about now, eh Shikamaru?" Naruto joked.
"Who's Chouji?" Kuro asked.
"He's my best friend, from the Akimichi clan." Shikamaru replied.
"Oh, okay."
"I'm gonna go look around while I eat alright?" Shikamaru told Yamato.
"Just be back in ten minutes, we'll be on ground patrol then." Yamato answered. "
'kay." He said, walking off.
"That's kinda weird." Naruto said to the group.
"Yeah, Shikamaru would usually rather just sit on his butt." Sakura explained. "He's really lazy."
"N-not like Naruto-kun." Hinata said. "You're always doing something." She smiled fondly at him.
"Which right now, is eating." He smiled, grabbing a chip out of a bag. Hinata giggled softly and offered him a rice ball. Though no one noticed, Sasuke was glaring at him. Why did Hinata like him so much?
"Hey, Sasuke, you want something? I've got tomato flavored snacks. I know you like them." Sakura smiled.
"Sure Sakura. Thanks." She handed him a red snack, which he ate. As they all ate, Kuro sneaked off in the direction Shikamaru had left. He was the only one she felt familiar with. When she finally found him, he was in a clearing of sorts. There was a spot with no trees, and he was looking up at the sky.
"Uh, mind if I join you?" Kuro asked, feeling like she interrupted something deep. Had this been what she had interrupted when she met him?
"Oh, hi. I was just watching the clouds." He said with a dazed voice. Kuro came over and sat next to him. She saw he was laying down, his head on his hands. She imitated him, looking up.
"You know, I prefer watching the stars." She said, relaxing.
"Really? Why is that?" He asked, seeming interested.
"Well, when you look at clouds, they're abstract. You have to think to make them into a shape, and when you look at it long enough, it'll change. With the stars, they're all little dots that stand out against a black sky. Lots of people say it makes you feel small, but not me." She was speaking in a dreamy voice.
"What do you feel like when you're looking at the stars?" He asked.
"Lucky." She smiled. "I mean, out of all the planets we've looked at, there are none that have any life like ours. That means, if we had been started on another planet, we would be some single celled organism or something like that. Really, with stars, your mind goes either blank, overwhelmed with the impossibility with it, or you think so much it makes you feel adventurous and makes you want to explore everything so you can know as much as possible."
"Wanna know what I think?" Shikamaru asked.
"Sure." She said.
"You talk too much." He laughed.
"Well, why don't you shut me up then?" She stuck her tongue out.
"How's that?" He asked.
"Kiss me." She smiled.
"A kiss isn't the same to me as it is to you, you know that right?" He looked at her, questioningly.
"Just means less commitment for you, now doesn't it?" She laughed. "You didn't say no, by the way."
"No. Not in a million years." He turned back to looking at the clouds. Kuro laughed, laying back down in the grass, letting her mind wander while she looked at the clouds with Shikamaru.