9: Clones
Sasuke cursed. "I don't know where they went," he said to Sakura. She looked equally worried.
"It's getting dark too… what should we do?"
"SAKURA!"
Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes as they both turned around to face an angry Team 10. All of them looked worn out and tired, but Ino looked as if she were about to spout fire. Shikamaru and Chouji looked bored and out of place.
"Get away from Sasuke, you ugly forehead girl!" Ino cried.
"Didn't I tell you that we're on a mission?" Sakura said exasperatedly. "I don't have time to fight with you. Just accept that Sasuke's with me and move on."
Sasuke rolled his eyes again. "Listen," he said to Sakura, very cross. "I'm going to go on ahead. Keep her off my back."
Sakura's eyes shone. "Of course, Sasuke-kun!"
Sasuke quickly rushed away, glad that his plan to get rid of the two worked.
Sakura smiled triumphantly to Ino. "You might as well give up now, Ino-pig," she said. "You don't stand a chance with him."
"That's it!" Ino cried. "I challenge you to a fight, right here, right now!"
"Oh great," Shikamaru groaned. "A chick fight."
"I'm hungry," Chouji wailed. "Really, guys, let's just go eat something."
Sakura smirked. "Real intimidating, Ino-pig."
"Shut up!" Ino cried. "I'm sick of you always insulting us!" She lunged at Sakura, kunai in hand. "I'll make it so you never do so again!"
"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.
---
Sasuke stopped suddenly. He turned his head cautiously to eye his surroundings. Then he smirked.
"I know you're here," he said, performing rapid hand seals. "Get yourselves out here now and I won't beat you. Too much."
His only response was silence. His hands froze in mid-seal and he looked around once more. "Come out, come out—Whoa!"
He had tripped into a large hole, covered discreetly, in the middle of the road.
"What the—"
Shrill laughter broke into the air. Sasuke gave a curse.
"You fell for it!" The boy's face appeared over the hole smirking triumphantly at Sasuke. "Hey, you're the Uchiha guy. Aren't you supposed to be strong?" Sasuke could hear the little girl giggle as well.
"I expected the loud-mouthed nii-chan to fall in here, not you," the boy said earnestly. "But oh well! You guys better catch up, because we're winning by a long run!"
"Oh?" Sasuke said. His lips formed a small smirk. "Look behind you."
"Huh?" the boy turned and let out a shriek. Sasuke was holding a struggling Kiri in his grasp while another Sasuke immediately caught hold of the other boy. The clone in the hole disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"That's cheating!" the boy cried, kicking the clone furiously. "Not fair!"
"Shut up," Sasuke said, glaring. "I've had enough of these games. We're going home, right after we find Sakura and Naruto."
"Aw maaaan"
---
Sakura and Ino panted with exertion. Both were at their limit—their chakra had almost completely dissipated.
"Ino-pig," Sakura panted. "Give it up already. Accept fate and move on with your life. Whatever's left of it."
"I'll never give up!" Ino said brainlessly. "Sasuke's mine!"
"No, he's mine!"
"Mine!"
"MINE!"
"Is this how girls usually fight?" Chouji asked, puzzled.
"Girls are stupid," Shikamaru said firmly.
"Oi. Sakura."
Everyone turned to see two Sasukes come down the road, each carrying a disgruntled child.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said gleefully. "You've caught them!"
"Take this one," one of the Sasukes said gruffly, thrusting Karin into her arms. "He kicked me in the crotch too many times."
Sakura willingly took the boy, who immediately calmed down once in Sakura's arm. "Damn you," he muttered.
"Aww," Sakura said. "He's so much more cuter when he's not throwing sharp objects." The boy flushed.
"Stop flirting with my brother!" the little girl cried, thrashing in the other Sasuke's arms. "You harlot!"
"What?!" Sakura cried as all of the members of Team 10 snickered. "He's way too young for me!"
"I think we all know what kind of kinky tastes you have, Sakura," Shikamaru said, chuckling. Sakura shot him a deadly look.
"Sakura," Sasuke said wearily. "Let's just drop these kids home and go. They're mom's about to come home soon anyway."
"Okay!" Sakura said. She followed Sasuke towards the Sasegawa residence, not forgetting to stick her tongue out derisively at Ino, who glared.
---
"Where's Naruto?" Sakura wondered aloud once they finally reached the kids' home. "He's been gone for a really long time…"
"That idiot probably landed himself into trouble again," Sasuke said, depositing Kiri onto the front porch of the house. Sakura followed suit.
"That was really fun, right Kiri?" Karin said happily. Sakura gave him a tired look. "We should suggest these people next time too!"
"No," Sasuke said, shoving the children into the house. "Go home. Your mom's probably waiting for you."
Sasuke didn't notice the little boy give a small (and evil) smile.
"I don't think we want to go home just yet," the boy said, turning to grin even more widely at Sasuke.
"What—"
The two children disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Both Sasuke and Sakura froze in shock. The space where the kids had been standing was now completely bare. Sasuke swore he heard their scathing laughter ringing in his ears. They remained shock-still for a good five minutes before Sasuke took in a deep breath.
"FUCK."
---
"Okay, okay," Kakashi said, waving away all the protests of Sasuke and Sakura. They had just given their report to Kakashi after an entire night of running throughout town to finally relocate the elusive twins. "I get how they tricked Sasuke. I get how Naruto got beat up. I get the pink paint. I get how Sakura got into a fight with Ino. I also get why you guys used up all your chakra to find these two eight-year-olds, which took all of last night. What I don't get, however," he said, pausing to take a look at Sasuke, who glared in return. "Is why Sasuke doesn't have his shirt."
Everyone turned to stare at Sasuke's bare chest. He flushed, and glared at them, daring them to say anything.
"Hey," Naruto said, struggling to form the words through his loose teeth. "What exactly were you and Sakura-chan doing while I was gone, Sasuke?!"
---
Coming up...
10: Team
"Hey, don't pick on Hinata," Kiba said. "It's not her fault."
---