"This time we stay together," Kakashi instructed as they walked at a brisk pace down the road. "We kinda still have to finish that other mission..." he sweatdropped "so we'll be searching around here for the target... and a way to get Sakura's memory back."
Sasuke, being the only one listening, asked a question that nobody had thought to ask before, a question they probably should have asked in the beginning.
"What does the target look like, Sensei?"
"Well, this partictular cat is..."
"GAAAAAAHH!!!"
Everyone stopped and looked to where Naruto's shaking finger was pointing. In the road in front of them had appeared the same mountain lion that had attacked him and Sakura the day before. Now it glared daggers at the group and licked its chops menacingly.
Each of the members of the team reacted differently to the sudden appearance of the predator. Naruto tripped as Sakura pushed him forward exclaiming "Go get 'im tiger!" Sasuke's hand flew to the leg pocket where ke kept his kunai, and Kakashi whipped something strange out of his vest.
The lion pounced.
Everyone jumped out of the way except for Sakura, who was yelling "Here kitty kitty!" Naruto and Sasuke landed in the branches of a nearby tree, Kakashi swooped down to save Sakura from the pouncing lion. He landed neatly on a nearby branch, and the lion was left to scratch feebly at the foot of the tree.
"That," Kakashi pointed, smiling. "Is our target."
"Whaaaat??!!" Naruto and Sasuke gasped in unison.
"Cool!" (that was Sakura)
"But th-that's not a cat!!" Naruto protested.
"Um.... yes it is... just a very big one," Sasuke said, still in disbelief.
"Exactly," Kakashi said. "And all we need is this." Kakashi revealed the object he had taken out, which appeared to be some sort of ocarina or flute. "Keiko-chan likes music, she falls asleep at the sound of this flu..."
Keiko-chan began to climb the tree, and the branches began to shake. Sasuke nimbly leapt into another tree, but the rest of the party was caught by surprise. Kakashi jumped just in time, barely managing to grab Sakura along with him, and in the blink of an eye two things were falling from the tree.... the flute, and Naruto.
Both hit the ground at the same time (physics 101), but only one stayed intact... the flute lay in two pieces. Naruto, who had managed to land right on his rear, rubbed the sore spot carefully and made a noise that sounded somewhat like a whimper. Keiko-chan eyed him suspiciously, and Kakashi moved to swoop Naruto out of the way of harm... but just as he moved to do so, he got an idea. He stood still as the lion began to pounce on the helpless boy.
"Sensei!" Sasuke gasped.
Kakashi put a hand up, stopping Sasuke in his tracks. "Just watch," he whispered.
Naruto's heart pounded. He suddenly found himself rooted to the spot, and though he begged his body to move nothing happened. He could feel the wind whoosh around him as the menace came closer and closer, and then...
Something crashed into him from the side, and he found himself rolling sideways. He closed his eyes tightly, but not soon enough to miss seeing the lion smash into the tree and flashes of pink hair whipping around him. He felt himself hit the ground with one final bounce and then scraped to a stop. He opened his eyes gingerly to find himself lying on his back, and on top of him was sprawled a motionless Sakura.
"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chaaan!" He lifted his arms slightly.
"Naruto! Don't move!" Kakashi and Sasuke jumped down from the tree, and Kakashi strolled over cooly, his arms in his pockets. Sasuke cautiously followed, carefully avoiding the growling heap that lay at the foot of the tree, yet still keeping his eyes on Naruto and Sakura.
They all stayed still for a few minutes. Then there was a small noise, and Naruto could feel Sakura stirring. Her eyes opened, and she turned her head to face Naruto's. She stayed still for a few seconds, blinking confusedly.
"Sa.... Sakura-chan.... are you okay?" Naruto asked, his heart pounding. He had a strange feeling that....
Her eyes narrowed and a fist flew into the air and straight into Naruto's face. "ECCHIII!!!!!!!!"
...... that her memory had returned.
The threesome ambled through the streets of the village. Sakura stamped angrily, both of her hands balled into tight fists. Naruto was one big blotchy red mark... first he had gotten quite a beating from Sakura, then he had gotten beaten once again by the old lady who screamed at him for hurting her "poor poor Keiko-chan baaaabyyy!!" Why she had only blamed Naruto was beyond anyone's guess, but Sasuke suspected she would have gone for Kakashi had he not suddenly had an "urgent errand" as soon they returned to the village and charged the team with returning the lion to her owner.
"So, Sakura...." Sasuke began, guaging her for a violent reaction.
Her face immediately took on a sweet expression and she unclenched her fists. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"
Yep, she's definetly got her memory back, he thought. He didn't know whether to happy or sad about it.
"So.... you don't remember anything after you fell off that cliff?"
She blinked. She put her finger to her chin. "Oh yeah... I fell off a cliff.... so why was I on the ground when I woke up?" Her face took on a thoughtful expression, and Sasuke swore he could see Naruto's shoulders droop even more than they already were. He thought for a moment about telling Sakura what had happened... and then decided against it. It was probably the wisest decision Sasuke had ever made.
Sasuke, being the only one listening, asked a question that nobody had thought to ask before, a question they probably should have asked in the beginning.
"What does the target look like, Sensei?"
"Well, this partictular cat is..."
"GAAAAAAHH!!!"
Everyone stopped and looked to where Naruto's shaking finger was pointing. In the road in front of them had appeared the same mountain lion that had attacked him and Sakura the day before. Now it glared daggers at the group and licked its chops menacingly.
Each of the members of the team reacted differently to the sudden appearance of the predator. Naruto tripped as Sakura pushed him forward exclaiming "Go get 'im tiger!" Sasuke's hand flew to the leg pocket where ke kept his kunai, and Kakashi whipped something strange out of his vest.
The lion pounced.
Everyone jumped out of the way except for Sakura, who was yelling "Here kitty kitty!" Naruto and Sasuke landed in the branches of a nearby tree, Kakashi swooped down to save Sakura from the pouncing lion. He landed neatly on a nearby branch, and the lion was left to scratch feebly at the foot of the tree.
"That," Kakashi pointed, smiling. "Is our target."
"Whaaaat??!!" Naruto and Sasuke gasped in unison.
"Cool!" (that was Sakura)
"But th-that's not a cat!!" Naruto protested.
"Um.... yes it is... just a very big one," Sasuke said, still in disbelief.
"Exactly," Kakashi said. "And all we need is this." Kakashi revealed the object he had taken out, which appeared to be some sort of ocarina or flute. "Keiko-chan likes music, she falls asleep at the sound of this flu..."
Keiko-chan began to climb the tree, and the branches began to shake. Sasuke nimbly leapt into another tree, but the rest of the party was caught by surprise. Kakashi jumped just in time, barely managing to grab Sakura along with him, and in the blink of an eye two things were falling from the tree.... the flute, and Naruto.
Both hit the ground at the same time (physics 101), but only one stayed intact... the flute lay in two pieces. Naruto, who had managed to land right on his rear, rubbed the sore spot carefully and made a noise that sounded somewhat like a whimper. Keiko-chan eyed him suspiciously, and Kakashi moved to swoop Naruto out of the way of harm... but just as he moved to do so, he got an idea. He stood still as the lion began to pounce on the helpless boy.
"Sensei!" Sasuke gasped.
Kakashi put a hand up, stopping Sasuke in his tracks. "Just watch," he whispered.
Naruto's heart pounded. He suddenly found himself rooted to the spot, and though he begged his body to move nothing happened. He could feel the wind whoosh around him as the menace came closer and closer, and then...
Something crashed into him from the side, and he found himself rolling sideways. He closed his eyes tightly, but not soon enough to miss seeing the lion smash into the tree and flashes of pink hair whipping around him. He felt himself hit the ground with one final bounce and then scraped to a stop. He opened his eyes gingerly to find himself lying on his back, and on top of him was sprawled a motionless Sakura.
"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chaaan!" He lifted his arms slightly.
"Naruto! Don't move!" Kakashi and Sasuke jumped down from the tree, and Kakashi strolled over cooly, his arms in his pockets. Sasuke cautiously followed, carefully avoiding the growling heap that lay at the foot of the tree, yet still keeping his eyes on Naruto and Sakura.
They all stayed still for a few minutes. Then there was a small noise, and Naruto could feel Sakura stirring. Her eyes opened, and she turned her head to face Naruto's. She stayed still for a few seconds, blinking confusedly.
"Sa.... Sakura-chan.... are you okay?" Naruto asked, his heart pounding. He had a strange feeling that....
Her eyes narrowed and a fist flew into the air and straight into Naruto's face. "ECCHIII!!!!!!!!"
...... that her memory had returned.
The threesome ambled through the streets of the village. Sakura stamped angrily, both of her hands balled into tight fists. Naruto was one big blotchy red mark... first he had gotten quite a beating from Sakura, then he had gotten beaten once again by the old lady who screamed at him for hurting her "poor poor Keiko-chan baaaabyyy!!" Why she had only blamed Naruto was beyond anyone's guess, but Sasuke suspected she would have gone for Kakashi had he not suddenly had an "urgent errand" as soon they returned to the village and charged the team with returning the lion to her owner.
"So, Sakura...." Sasuke began, guaging her for a violent reaction.
Her face immediately took on a sweet expression and she unclenched her fists. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"
Yep, she's definetly got her memory back, he thought. He didn't know whether to happy or sad about it.
"So.... you don't remember anything after you fell off that cliff?"
She blinked. She put her finger to her chin. "Oh yeah... I fell off a cliff.... so why was I on the ground when I woke up?" Her face took on a thoughtful expression, and Sasuke swore he could see Naruto's shoulders droop even more than they already were. He thought for a moment about telling Sakura what had happened... and then decided against it. It was probably the wisest decision Sasuke had ever made.