Chapter 12

The blonde stood still waiting for the answers that he wanted, glaring straight at Sai's pure black orbs. The artist returned Naruto's glare by staring at him nervously and he started having a cold sweat drop on his forehead, dripping little by little. And the blonde didn't even notice it.

Having their own world forgetting that they still have someone with them, they just kept returning gazes at each other, not until the Kazekage broke their gaze by blocking Sai making the artist position behind him.

"We're just talking about-" he was cut by the grip that he received from the guy behind him. He took a glance and he was entertained seeing Sai getting extremely nervous worried if he will blurt it out.

"We are just talking about how many crystal we already have in our hands, but unfortunately both of us have none." Gaara explained, turning the raging blonde into a tamed one. He didn't blurt it because for him it's a good source of entertainment.

"Is that it?" Naruto asked still not contented on what he heard, shifting his head on the right trying to take a peek at his partner, when their eyes met Sai got startled and he nodded immediately confirming that Gaara is telling the truth, feeling guilty knowing the real thing deep inside. Trusting his partner completely he shifted his gaze back at the smiling Kazekage.

"Since we don't have any in our hands-"

"Let's go for it!" Naruto screamed in excitement forgetting the entire muse that happened earlier. Crouching and his fist tightly clenched its position equally on his chest.

Gaara's eyes widened astounded by the blonde's actions, seconds passed and his eyes returned to its normal size again, he realized that he is already smiling weakly not wanting to show it he hid it within his right palm.

'This guy is really something... It's kind of fun.' Gaara thought. Removing his smile replacing it with his signature expressionless face.

All together they started searching for the blue and red crystals. Entering each door they encounter in the pitch black hallway, it is made out of various materials like; bamboos, dry straws, metal, etc. But most of it are woods with different style of carvings.

Like the doors each rooms also have various things inside it, studying room, bedroom, comfort room, name it. This haunted house has it all in one. But the room that really got their attention was the room with only an antique mirror in it.

Its size is just ordinary, the usual full body mirror that we could see in every house. But the frame of it is really one of a kind, floral carving with a gothic touch.

Scary things can't be avoided especially when your inside an abandoned house, while they were walking towards the mirror a white lady with a swelling burnt up skin appeared inside of it. That made the blonde squeak in horror so he decided to stay behind the three guys knees trembling, Gaara took the lead being tough not being a coward with some stupid illusion. Followed by Sai who is staying emotionless as usual.

Every step they take forward closer to the mirror the image of the white lady gets closer as well suddenly she went out of control screaming:

"I HATE YOU! Hahahaha!" she screamed, then she stopped placing her hands on her ears, wait she doesn't have any ears! Creepy. After lowering her head she stared at the scared blonde.

"help me please I don't want this anymore" reaching her right hand to the blonde. Now she's crying, her mood swifts fast just like changing stations in a TV.

Out of his irritation he kicked the mirror into pieces. Wearing a blank look on his face,

"So noisy..." the owner of the green pale orbs murmured, they look at him surprisingly locking their gazes at him. When he is about return their gazes with his, they averted their stare instantly, Sai stares at the corners of the ceiling of the empty room, while Kankuro at the walls, and the blonde at the floor with the broken pieces of mirror which Gaara kicked.

Unexpectedly once again he saw something shining, ignoring it thinking that it is only a piece of glass, but he can't find the urge to ignore it that made him walk towards the location where the object glints trying to grab the opportunity that maybe the glinting object is already the crystal that they were searching for since they entered.

He was elated from what he saw. While jumping he holds it tightly within his palms, it was the blue crystal formed in a long diamond shape with a black nylon string where it hangs like a simple accessory. He was surrounded by the people that are in the same room confirming if the blonde didn't make any mistake. A sign of joy can be seen in their faces. Sai patted his hand on Naruto's temple smiling.

"Good job..." Sai said ruffling Naruto's hair that made it messy. Fixing his messy hair he look at His partner grinning,

"One down haha." thumbs up Naruto said showing the crystal cheerfully still grinning and the artist returned the smile too. First the sand Kazekage took a glance at Sai trying to read him between the lines.

'You really like him... Or is it the other way around' Gaara thought he is having fun from reading emotions of the people around him making it his new habit rather than training with his sand making his defense more stronger.

"I didn't give you a permission to touch him," Gaara claimed, once again breaking the lovely world of Sai, who is kind of being stressed.

"Huh...?" Naruto said looking confused, moving the blonde beside him, while glaring at those green pale orbs arching one of his eyebrows.

"I don't remember you saying that." Sai said,

'Since we met and joined forces is it only me who is feeling that I'm being left behind' Gaara's brother thought. He walked towards the wooden door checking if his conclusion is right, then he stopped glancing at the three guys, but the guys that he is expecting to notice him go the other way round he was ignored. Admitting that he was indeed being ignored. Poor Kankuro he sat on his knees depressed crying all alone.

Luck have arrived since Naruto have found the first blue crystal, they found the other of the crystals after one another in each room they have entered. After the mirror incident the next room they entered is a music room, followed by a library then a storage room. And in such a coincidence the apple of the eye of the so called ghost is always on Naruto thank God that he didn't fainted yet after overcoming his fear.

Now standing in front of the tall door and this tall door is the main entrance of the haunted house which symbolizes the beginning of the horror of the joined Konoha ninjas and this tall door will also be their main exit ending the haunted house event. The door opened automatically revealing them the sight of the exhausted aura of their comrades, and four more haunted house.

"Congratulations it seems that you have completed it..." Tsunade greeted emerging in front of their surprised composure.

"Off course we have!" Naruto said gladly speaking and he is the first one to brought up his normal composure again. Looking around trying to analyze what happened outside while they were inside the house.

"What happened?"

"Oh it's nothing really big; maybe they just got scared to much from the genjutsu ghost. Oh by the way didn't you feel anything weird while you were searching for the crystals?"

"I didn't felt anything. . ." he answered

'Liar.' the three guys thought watching the blonde's conversation with the hokage. You can't blame them in fact they were telling the truth Naruto is the first one to scream when they saw a ghost. The hokage suddenly wore a disappointed look.

"So it didn't work."

"What didn't work oba-chan"

*twitch* "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a grandma!" she claimed digging her knuckles in the sides of Naruto's head. "I just planned to scare you with the genjutsu ghost requesting Kakashi that when the ghost spotted you they will always torment you..." she added.

"That's why they were always calling me out or looking at me! That's really cruel oba-chan you don't have a heart at all!" the blonde complained

"So it did work! Haha I'll give Kakashi some reward for that" Tsunade said walking out with her evil laugh.

(Naruto's POV)

Once I've arrived home I went straight to my bed lying down at it and spreading my arms out wide. Gazing at the ceiling reminiscing all the things that made me look like an idiot hehe kind of funny, this is really embarrassing I don't know if l can still be able to face Sai, Gaara either Scary face (Kankuro)

Now that I remembered Sai did something unusual again when did that started… It happened in the forest while we're on a mission feeling it with my hand touching my lips. Stealing my second kiss that fast and now hugging me out of nowhere could he be... wah! Forget it forget it not realizing that I was already burying my face deeply in my pillow shaking my head at the same time. Time passed I felt that my eyes getting heavier driving me to sleep shutting my eyes closed.

Huh this is weird seeing my young self-smiling at Sasuke and him doing the same thing, while intertwining our fingers together. Then my first kiss I have with him in the past, followed by him totally injured because of protecting me from Haru's needles and our last fight before he completely left Konoha.

I can't hold on any longer if this is a dream please let me wake up having this painful flashbacks hurts me more when he is even the one I'm dreaming of. The person I couldn't save even if I wanted to. Every part of it are memories, except one thing.

Seeing Sasuke above me caressing my cheeks with his warm hands trailing it down to my lips then the next thing I know is our lips collided, with his lips pressed to mine, it was fast but passionate my heart have gone wild enough for it to burst, accepting his weight on top of me and he rested his head near the crook of my neck whispering Smoothly;

"I'm home usuratonkachi..." raising his head then kissing me again on the forehead.

Completely awake gazing at the full bright moon from the open window.

All ALONE.

Touching my cheeks made me wonder if the last part of my dream is real or not but I can feel some warmth on my cheeks making me confused. Hoping that he is near here somewhere, but that's impossible because dreams mostly come from the deeper thoughts of human kind. It's all a dream a mere pathetic dream of mine.

(End of Naruto's POV)

"What took you so long?" she asked, wearing a curious look on her face.

"Nothing I just visited someone... we should go" he explained jumping on top of the rooftops of the sleeping village

"oh...Okay,"

=tbc=