Another quick update! I don't own anything! It's all ©Masashi Kishimoto.

When Ryoko awoke to the sound of the birds, her eyes slowly began to open to the stormy grey skies. Suddenly everything hit her in a rush. She bolted up when she saw that she was still at the gates. She gritted her teeth when she realized what happened last night. Sasuke had made his choice, "Shoot! Trouble-maker!" She ran off to the Hokage building to tell Lady Hokage about Sasuke.

-0-

"Are you sure of that?" Tsunade demanded when she slammed her hands on her desk.

Ryoko nodded firmly, "Yes. I'm sorry I didn't stop him…" She trailed off with shame.

Tsunade plopped down back in her chair as she contemplated on what to do, "We're going to have to retrieve him…if he gets into Orochimaru's hands…we might have a crisis on our hands…"

"I'll do it." Ryoko said immediately, "I'm the one who let him go – I'll get him back."

Tsunade shook her head, "No…I have something else in mind…"

Not soon after she had said that Shikamaru came through the door and stood next to Ryoko.

"What's going on?" He asked her.

"Sasuke's gone." She said simply.

"What?" He said in disbelief. He turned to Lady Tsunade for an answer.

"Late last night Sasuke Uchiha left the village and we're quite certain that he's headed towards the Hidden Sound Village." Tsunade informed him.

"He just left? How could this happen?"

Ryoko looked at the floor with regret, "I couldn't stop him. I tried to convince him to stay…but he was too determined to leave."

"But why would he go to the Hidden Sound village?"

"Because of Orochimaru." Tsunade and Ryoko answered in unison.

Shikamaru reeled back in shock, "What? Wait, that doesn't make any sense. What does Sasuke have to gain with talking with someone as deprived as Orochimaru?"

"Stupid revenge and power that's what he wants to gain." Ryoko spat out in disgust.

"Right now his motive doesn't matter." Tsunade said firmly, "We need to deal with it quickly and I've decided it time to carry out your first mission as a Chunin Shikamaru."

"So, all I gotta do is bring Sasuke back?" Shikamaru asked, 'So long as there aren't enemies, it shouldn't be a big of a deal.'

"Yes. That is your mission…but it must be accomplished without delay and you might find it a more dangerous task than you think." Tsunade told him, almost reading his thoughts.

Shikamaru looked at her in question, "Huh?"

"Orochimaru wants Sasuke at all costs…I don't think he would really let Sasuke wonder over the Sound Village alone…" Ryoko assumed in deep thought, "…He might have his goons meet Sasuke at some point to take him to Orochimaru...and they probably guarantee that there will be ninjas coming after Sasuke to bring him back."

Tsunade nodded, "My thoughts exactly."

Shikamaru sighed, "Well, if we're going to be facing opposition I'm going to need to request a team composed exclusively of Jounin and Chunin."

"I can't honor that request."

"What? And why not?" Shikamaru demanded.

"You already know the answer." Tsunade replied turning in her chair, "As I'm sure you're aware most of the jounin have been sent out on missions. Only a handful stayed behind to defend in case of attack."

Shikamaru grunted when he heard the news.

"Go round up any skilled Genin you feel are up to the job." Tsunade ordered, "You have 30 minutes to leave the village."

Shikamaru and Ryoko silently contemplate on what to do.

"You can bet I'm going with you." Ryoko told Shikamaru, "Who ever else you decide is up to you."

"I honestly don't like the guy, but since I know him I don't see any other choice." Shikamaru sighed as he turned to leave, "This is going to be such a drag…"

"Hold on." Tsunade called.

They turned to heed her.

"There's one person I strongly recommend to join you…"

-0-

"NO WAY!" Naruto yelled, " YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!"

Both Shikamaru and Ryoko covered their ears when Naruto yelled. Even for someone who just rolled out of bed, he's still loud no matter what.

"You just woke up and you're already this annoying?" Shikamaru asked, nursing his ringing ears.

"Shake a leg Naruto. We got 20 minutes to get out of the village to go after Sasuke." Ryoko told him.

Naruto threw off his sleeping hat and ran inside his apartment, "Hang on! I'll go get dressed!"

Shikamaru stared at the door in shock, somewhat confused on what happened.

-0-

The sun was rising higher in the sky as Shikamaru, Ryoko, and Naruto ran through the village.

"So besides me…" Naruto started, running between Shikamaru and Ryoko, "…did you come up with any other top notch guys to ask?"

"A few." Shikamaru answered, "Ryoko's coming of course…the others we have to find…"

"So who are they?" Naruto and Ryoko asked.

-0-

Shikamaru lead Naruto and Ryoko to a quaint house. Shikamaru knocked on the sliding door a few times before he got annoyed when no one answered right away.

"Wake up will ya?" he lazily demanded as he continued to knock.

"You said top-notch guys right?" Naruto asked him a little unsurely.

Shikamaru turned away from the door and sat down crossed leg in front of it, "Plan B I guess." He said pulling out a bag of barbeque chips from his pouch. He ripped the bag open and proceeded to have some.

"What? So plan B is potato chips?" Naruto asked, confused.

"They're barbeque flavored. Feel free to help out?" Shikamaru said offering some to Ryoko.

"Wait…isn't there someone we know who loves this brand?" Ryoko asked taking some chips and began to eat them.

Naruto joined in and together they proceeded to eat the entire bag of chips until Shikamaru held the last chip in the palm of his hand, "Now."

The front door slid open and a very angry looking Choji came barreling through the door, grabbing the chip out of Shikamaru's hand.

"Even for a bag of potato chips I refuse to let anyone have the last bite!" He declared seriously.

"Hey, Choji." Ryoko greeted cheerfully, while Naruto looked a little doubtful.

"Choji and I have been on missions for a long time and we work well together." Shikamaru explained to Naruto, "Naturally asking him is a no brainer."

Choji chuckled happily, but Naruto wasn't so happy.

"I get it – you know him!" Naruto yelled in Shikamaru's ear, "But for this kind of thing don't you think your first choice should be someone like Shino?"

Ryoko looked at Choji who prepared to eat the last chip, "What's wrong with Choji? Come on, even you gotta admit that he's strong."

Suddenly a white blur approached the four of them, heading straight for Choji.

"Not on your life!" Choji yelled dramatically as he ate the potato chip.

The white blur had turned out to be Akamaru. When he saw that the potato chip had been eaten he whimpered broken hearted.

But of course, you can't have Akamaru without Kiba. "Shino can't do it. He's off on some special mission with his father right now."

Ryoko went over to Akamaru and stroke his fur. "Hey Akamaru, hey Kiba."

"Hey, wait. Not them too." Naruto complained.

Shikamaru smirked, "Yup. They're on the team."

Naruto held his head and yelled in frustration.

"Come on, Naruto. Kiba and Akamaru are a great addition." Ryoko reasoned placing Akamaru with Kiba, "They can sniff out Sasuke's scent, making tracking Sasuke a lot easier."

Akamaru barked in agreement.

-0-

The five of them plus Akamaru ran through the village again looking for teammates as Shikamaru filled Choji and Kiba about the mission they've been selected for.

"I see. Sounds like an interesting job." Kiba somewhat exclaimed with excitement, "I guess getting up early to walk the dog pays off sometimes."

"Hey, Shikamaru, so is there anyone else?" Naruto asked.

"I think Neji or Hinata would be a good addition. They can use their Byakugan to help us out." Ryoko suggested.

Shikamaru looked back at them, "I wish we had more time to ask but we're late already. If we don't run across anyone else on the way out of the village I guess it's going to be just us."

Coincidentally on their way the saw Neji and Rock Lee and stopped by to talk to them about the mission and hope they could help.

"Yes. I understand." Neji said, holding Lee up when he helped him down the stairs.

"Yeah, it's kinda a drag but we figures the more guys we have the better so…"

"Lee, I know it's selfish of me to ask but are you able to fight?" Ryoko asked sincerely.

Lee looked down at the ground discontented, "No…although my surgery was a success I have to rest a little more before I start training…"

Neji turned to Lee, "Lee…it's up to you…you do what you must do…"

Everyone half expected Lee to join them but to everyone's surprise…Lee began to walk away! Any other time he would be as exuberant as Naruto if he were to go on such a mission as this…

"Tomorrow I will try climbing these steps by myself…" Lee suddenly declared with a little determination as he stood before the staircase. He turned to face his friends with a determined smile, "I will be fine…you go on without me."

And as a sign of good will he even escorted them to the village gates to see them off.

"It's time to go." Shikamaru told them as they prepped themselves to the journey ahead.

Choji, Kiba, Akamaru, Naruto, Ryoko, and Neji stood ready and determined at the gates.

"Oh well…at least I got six." Shikamaru said dully, although happy he had a good number of teammates.

"Alright!" Naruto yelled punching his fist in the air as he took point in front of the group, "Let's get going! Everybody follow me!"

However nobody moved an inch. "Hey…uh…Naruto…" Shikamaru started, "I'm kinda supposed to be the platoon leader here. I know it's a drag but…"

Naruto growled in annoyance as he turned to face Shikamaru, "You really think you're the best person to direct this operation? You don't seem very reliable to me."

Ryoko sighed and placed a hand on her forehead, "Oh boy, here we go…"

Kiba tucked Akamaru in his jacket, "What's up with you acting like you're in charge all of a sudden? I mean, taking orders from somebody as lazy as Shikamaru doesn't exactly thrill me either, but still."

"Shikamaru's a Chunin." Ryoko added, "He out ranks us."

"That means the elders of the village clearly believe he's got what it takes to call the shot on this one." Choji added.

"If that's the case, perhaps you should start coming up with a plan." Neji said to Shikamaru, "From what I gather Sasuke has gone to the enemy and there's a real chance they could ambush us."

"Well for starters this is a rescue operation so we'll be in the position of pursuit." Shikamaru informed them, "Which means the enemy already has an important advantage over us." He turned around to face the others, "That said, I'm arranging us in a deployment formation that can respond to any assault by the enemy. If any of you don't follow my exact order we're all going to die."

Ryoko stepped up, "Then we'll follow your lead."

"Okay, we'll go with a single file strike formation…as we all know the most important position is the spear head…so that's going to be Kiba! You're up front." Shikamaru decided, nearly shocking Kiba. "With all the walks you and Akamaru go on you're the most familiar with the Land of Fire's terrain and with that sensitive nose of yours you will be able to track Sasuke's scent while sniffing out any booby traps the enemy may have set. Moreover we'll have two sets of eyes up front. You and Akamaru will be more effective in protecting our single file line from an assault." Then Shikamaru drew a diagram on a piece of paper how the formation will look with Kiba in the front and himself behind Kiba, "Second in line will be yours truly – platoon leader. From that position I will be able to direct everyone behind me using silent hand signals and because I'm so close to Kiba I'll be position to react in any situation." Then he drew Naruto in the middle, "In the middle, the number three position is Naruto. The middle of the line is the perfect location for you because you're the most capable of executing quick moves whether in front of you of behind you."

Naruto couldn't help but smirk proudly because of his important position.

"You're the cornerstone and you have the shadow clone jutsu." Shikamaru then drew Choji behind Naruto, "Fourth in line is Choji. Choji, you might not have any speed but you're striking power is the greatest in the platoon. Kiba, myself, and Naruto will launch a surprise attack and then you'll swoop in and finish them off. You're the second wave of our assault." Shikamaru drew Ryoko behind Choji, "Fifth in line is you, Ryoko. Just like Naruto, you have the Shadow clone jutsu and lots of chakra in your disposal. Incase one or more of us go down, you jump in there and offer support and since you're a kunoichi you've gone through better medical training so incase one of us in injured, you jump in and help." Then he drew Neji, "Finally, on the end, we have you, Neji. Your position is most difficult…rear look out. I want you to use your Byakugan to constantly scan ahead for weaknesses in our attacks." Shikamaru finished, "Got it? This diagram shows what part of the perimeter you're responsible for: Kiba watches the front, I'm responsible for a wider forward view, Naruto's got the left, Choji the right, Ryoko watch everyone's back, and Neji, using your Byakugan, you cover the entire area to the rear." He puts the diagram away and moves on, "Alright now I think I should familiarize myself with our arms and weapons. I'll need to check out all of the ninja tools each of you plan on carrying into battle…that way I'll know what we have. Are there any questions?" He asked finally.

Naruto shook his head and everyone else agreed with the terms.

"Since no one has anything to add I saved the most important thing for last…"

Everyone silently waited to hear what he had to say.

"For as long as I've know him, Sasuke and I haven't been close buddies. In fact I don't really like him at all…"

Everyone was shocked to say the least when they heard someone like Shikamaru admit something like that.

"…All the same Sasuke's a ninja belonging to the Hidden Leaf Village. He's a comrade and I will put my life on the line to help him…that's the way of our village…I know I seem like a pretty lazy guy but not today because now I'm responsible for your lives too."

Ryoko smirked, "Wow, that's pretty big of you Shikamaru. You're owning up to your Chunin vest."

Kiba smirked as well, "Wow, I never thought I'd see Shikamaru acting like a Chunin. Very impressive." He complemented.

"Okay, once we've checked our gear, we'll go." Neji decided when the sentimental moment was over, "Show me your weapons."

Everyone complied and pulled out their pouch to show Neji their weapons. Once he approved of everyone's weapons they got ready to leave however a distressed voiced stopped them. "Wait!"

They all turned to see Sakura standing there.

"Sakura? Are you alright?" Naruto asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Lady Hokage told me everything." Shikamaru told her, "Sorry, Sakura, I can't take you with us on this mission. I know you tried but even you couldn't convince Sasuke."

Ryoko and Naruto were shocked to hear that even Sakura tried to stop Sasuke.

"Now our only option is for me to find him and force him to come back to the village. I'm sorry but there's nothing else you can do for him." Shikamaru told her.

"Does that mean Sasuke turned his back on you Sakura?" Naruto asked.

Ryoko roughly nudged him in the ribs when Sakura started crying. "You insensitive jerk." Ryoko hissed, "Why did you have to say it like that. Sakura's completely in love with the guy, how do you think she's feeling right now?" She asked gesturing to Sakura's shaking form.

"Naruto…" Sakura closed her eyes as she allowed her tears to fall, "This is a…once in a life time request…" Sakura wept, "…just bring him home…please bring Sasuke back to me…" She begged through her tears, "I did everything I could…I tried…but I couldn't stop him from leaving the village…at this moment…there are only you and Ryoko who can bring him back…"

Ryoko looked at Naruto. She could see the pain behind his brave front. Naruto cared deeply for Sakura. He's willing to put aside his pain to make Sakura happy…and what makes Sakura happy is Sasuke. 'This is why I think Hinata will be better for you Naruto. Sakura is blind to not fall for someone as kind as you…even after all this time of her not paying attention to you, you still love her the way you do...'

Naruto gave Sakura a thumbs up, "Don't you worry, Sakura! We'll bring Sasuke back! I promise that on my life!"

Kiba waltz over to Naruto with a cocky smirk, "Whoa, Naruto! That's quite a statement. Are you sure you should be promising her that we will get him?"

Ryoko wrapped her arm around Kiba's neck with a cocky smirk of her own, "Sure! When Naruto gives his word he always follows through with it! And the same goes for me! I already swore to Sasuke that I'll bring him back to the village even if I have to break his legs!"

Naruto raised his fist with newfound excitement, "So what are we waiting for? Let's get moving!"

"Alright…" Shikamaru agreed, "This interruption cost us some time so we better get going."

"Right!"

Then together the seven of them left the gates together side by side confidently.

Neji turned to Ryoko, "Why didn't you say something to Sakura? You care about Sasuke on the same level as she does right?"

Ryoko smirked, "Sure I do…but that doesn't mean I'm going to cry about it or declare it to everyone…besides I'm only 12. What do I know about love?"

"Huh?" Naruto exclaimed, "You like Sasuke too? What do you see in him?"

Ryoko chuckled lightly, "It's not what I see in him…it's what everyone doesn't see in him."

"Huh?"

"Exactly."