Author's notes: Hello everyone! :))

This is such a busy a week... but hell yeah! I managed to update today... seems so long ago since the last time I updated... but well... I have to concentrate in my studies and it was prelim exams last week... sorry... I hope this can compensate your waiting.. :))

Anyway, Thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, follows and puts this story to their favorites and also to those who follows me and puts me in their favorites! I appreciate it very much! :))

I hope you enjoy this chapter! :))

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 20: A Complicated Cycle

"Sai..." Hinata whispered as she stared at her bestfriend's face.

Sai was just talking to her like usual when he unexpectedly stopped talking and his face became serious. He slowly inched closer to Hinata, to her surprise. Sai was too close that Hinata can almost feel his warm breath touching her lips. He was intently looking at something, tempting her to follow his gaze but their position is restraining her to move.

Suddenly, Sai's tense face turned into a smirk. His eyes full of mockery and his smirk holds an aura of triumph. He slowly moved away from Hinata and chuckled victoriously.

"Sai, what was that about?" Hinata asked. She is a little irritated with the way her bestfriend is acting. He has been like that ever since the pact between Mirage and Konoha occurred.

Sai chuckled a little more, "No, it's nothing. Come on. Let's help Ayame and Teuchi with the restaurant work." Sai said as he started his way towards Ichiraku. For a moment, Hinata was left staring at his back before shrugging and following him

xxxxx

Temari continued to run and run and run. She doesn't care about anything. All she wants to do is get away and hide somewhere where she can freely let out her feelings.

'I shouldn't be crying. I shouldn't be feeling this way. This is my entire fault, after all, but... I... I... can't help but feel... hurt...' she thought.

With her mind vague with thoughts of misery, she continued to run. Because she cared not of her surroundings, she suddenly bumped to someone else.

"Troublesome..." Temari would have recognized the voice but she was too busy thinking of what she saw. She just continued sitting in their on the ground, trying not to cry.

"Temari?" Shikamaru called. Temari was still not moving. "Oi." He called out.

"Troublesome." He said before he knelt down to Temari's level.

"Temari." He called again as he reached his hands to Temari to help her get up. But Temari suddenly jumped towards his chest, and Shikamaru was so surprised with the action that he stood still. Temari was trying to hide her face. She buried her face in his chest. The people looked at the couple with disgust.

"Isn't that Temari and Shikamaru?" One asked.

"What are they doing in public? I thought Shikamaru was going out with Ino." Another one said.

"I thought so too. I heard from a Hyuuga that they found those two together in a bed. And to think his the next heir to the Nara clan, he is so disgusting; fooling around ladies. Tch." One commented.

"Hahaha At least now that he is finish with Ino, maybe they'll separate. I wonder if I can hit on Ino." One said.

"How about a bet? I'll have Ino on my bed after a week." Another one suggested.

Shikamaru was getting furious. It's fine to talk rumors about him, he can handle that. But to badmouth Ino was an entirely different thing. Shikamaru prepared to attack the one who was betting on Ino when Temari suddenly talked.

"Don't move Shikamaru. Please." Shikamaru looked at the back of Temari's bowing head.

"Please Shikamaru. I don't want anyone to see me like this." Shikamaru sighed.

"I know a place where we can be alone. Let's go there so we can talk privately." Shikamaru said as she led Temari to his hill.

xxxxx

Naruto and Ino were walking the streets of Konoha. Ino was babbling and practicing what they will say to Tsunade once they got to her house. Suddenly, Naruto stopped walking which surprised Ino.

"Naruto..." she called out. Naruto twirled around and grinned widely. Ino became suspicious especially when Naruto started to feign interest on what she was talking about earlier.

"Come on Ino, help me practice my speech to Tsunade." Naruto said.

"You're already good so let me move." Ino said as she tried to walk past Naruto.

"I am not." Naruto said as she blocked her way.

"Naruto you are irritating me. Let me through." Ino said, her voice rising with irritation.

Suddenly, Naruto's face became serious, "Ino." He sighed, "I... I can't let you through. You are my best assistant and you are my friend. I don't want you to be hurt. I just can't let you through. I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I can't alright. I can't let you see what I saw. I just can't."

"Naruto let me through." Ino said. Naruto sighed and moved. Ino's heart melted with what she saw. Her shoulders dropped and her eyes started to water.

"Ino." Naruto called. "Ino."

"I'm fine Naruto." Ino said as she turned her back from what she saw. Naruto then embraced her.

"No. You are not." Naruto said.

"I'm fine. Let me go, Naruto." Ino said. Her arms flailing as she tried to free herself from Naruto's embrace.

"Then why are you crying?" Naruto asked. Ino then stopped resisting Naruto's embrace and started to bury herself in his arms. In his arms, she let out all her anger, frustrations and sadness.

"I just thought… I just thought we had something. But all of it was just my assumptions, my mistake." Ino said as she continued to quietly cry in Naruto's arms.

xxxxxx

Hinata dropped the grocery bags. What she saw surprised her a lot. She didn't see this coming. Why? How? Her mind was filled with thoughts.

"Hinata. You are so clumsy. Why did you drop the bags?" Sai asked. Sai was acting very happy after the incident outside Ichiraku. Right now, both of them are assigned to buy ingredients to the said restaurant.

"Hinata." Sai said. He waves his hands in front of his bestfriend but Hinata didn't budge. He then followed her gaze. His eyes bulged when he saw it.

"Hinata." Sai whispered as he looked again to his bestfriend. But Hinata was nowhere near him. Instead she was heading back towards Ichiraku's direction.

"I'm going home. Pick the other grocery stuffs." He heard her say as he watched her back moving fast within the crowd.

Sai looked at couple in the middle of the crowd. It was a unanticipated match but he have to admit they look quite good together. Too bad the scene that couple was presenting is hurting his bestfriend. And no one messes with his bestfriend. Sai look at them with his intense, revengeful eyes before moving on.

But as his eyes wander, it caught another unexpected couple. Sai's aura suddenly darkened. He held the grocery bag he was holding tighter that it crushed into pieces. The happy vibe he was giving earlier was all gone. Now he was totally fuming. Because this is not part of his plan.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review! :))

Whoah there! Just whoah! Can you feel it? Yeah... I can feel this is getting more complicated... wth is wrong with me? I just go update and confuse people and entangle every character to everyone... ugh... I hate myself... if you hate me too, then you and I can hate me and we can punch me until I loose consciousness and then punch me again after I regain consciousness..

But wait... if this story confuses you.. feel free to ask... I'll try my best to answer before you punch me again...

So again, thank you for reading; whoever you are... may you be a silent reader or an awesome reviewer or a adorable follower or the amazing favorites dude... Thank you very much and I love you! I appreciate you very much!

Guess, I have to go..I'll try to update as soon as I can... :)) but no promises... I might break it..