An overnight stay
Entrance
After the long water fight at the stream, they got up from the water and decided to eat lunch. Neji and Sasuke volunteered to get dried sticks and branches for fire. The other two were left to guard the girls, who in turn, preparing their lunch as they pick out raw food from their bags. Sakura is still dreaming about what happened earlier, when Sasuke pulled her leg and the first person she saw when she opened her eyes. She can't help but blush.
"Uh...Sakura-chan..." Hinata snapped her back to reality.
"Huh? W-What?" She asked nervously.
"You're red. Do you have a fever?" Hinata is reaching her hand to Sakura's forehead.
But she pulled herself backwards and raised her hands defensively, "No, no no I'm fine. Really!"
After sometime, the two boys came back carrying dried leaves and sticks. Ino grinned happily as she called the two to come and prepare the fire. The girls helped Ino prepared the lunch as they make two small camp fires for fast cooking. While waiting for the girls, the boys decided to check their location by pulling out the map from Ino's bag.
"So we have another kilometer to take. Since we came from east we're all heading northwest to get shortcut. By then, we're gonna arrive around 5 or 6." Shikamaru looked at his water proof watch thinking if his calculations are right, "It's 1. We have three hours to get there."
The three boys nodded as they watch their surroundings. Few minutes later, the girls finally served their lunch and they started eating. Ino is so kind to give Naruto a treat by bringing some ramen, well it was a bribe, right? While eating, they started to have conversations. About what happened recently and what are the possibilities might occur in this trip. They really get along so well.
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According to Shikamaru they should at least have an hour preparation and three hours biking, well including short breaks. Currently, they have taken 8 kilometers from what seemed more than two hours. Strange, they haven't seen any signs or banners or Ino's aunt.
"Are you sure we're taking the right way, Shikamaru?" Ino asked, though there's a slight tremble in her voice.
"I've studied the map Ino. I know where we are going." He stated in straightforwardly tone.
Neji noticed something as it hit his head to say, "We've been here."
All of them stopped and looked at Neji with questioning look in their faces. Sasuke observed his surroundings, then looked at everyone then looked at the sky. His eyes widened.
"Neji's right. We've been here, about half an hour ago."
The girls started to shiver a little. There's something strange going on and they don't like it, same with the boys. Naruto looked at his watched and before he could say something, he feel the bile traveling down to his throat.
"Guys, it's 6." They all looked at him as they noticed his nervous tone.
"This is strange.. how come we haven't had any sight of Ino's aunt or their house." Shikamaru commented as he allow himself into a deep concentration.
Sakura looked up on the sky. It's getting dark already. How come time flies so fast? She looked at her friends, they're insulted, worried and irritated. Then something made her shiver a little. It almost raised the hair at the back of her head. Sasuke noticed her uneasiness.
"Sakura what's wrong?" He asked.
She looked at the speaker, only to see the black worried eyes of Sasuke. This is not the time to blush, because something really bugs her. She hesitantly looked away and noticed something not that far from them. Sasuke followed her eyes. He, saw something.
"There's a house over there." He voiced out.
First they all looked at Sasuke, then to Sakura, as they noticed that they were both looking on to something. They followed their eyes and saw a large house, rather mansion, standing proudly as it was encircled by large creepy trees.
"Don't tell me we're gonna stay there for the night?" Ino complained, feeling her insides shiver in fear.
"It's not safe to wander around the forest at a time like this, Ino. I think it's better to stay in one place." Tenten suggested despite the words 'do not go there' in her head.
"B-but, are you guys sure that it's safe there? What if there are... animals or... some bad people dwelling at that mansion?" Hinata had second thoughts, and they do agree with her.
"If we stick all together, then there's nothing to worry about." Naruto retorted as if he's the bravest person in the group, well, not to let Hinata worry in fear.
He's right, they thought. Even at the back of their minds try to protest their will, they went on and Naruto is in the lead. During their short trip to the mansion, something peculiar crept to Neji's senses, as well as to Shikamaru, and Sasuke. The surroundings are unearthly to their senses but they headed on. Until...
"Whoa... this sure is large." Naruto observed the large gate and what's behind it. A large mansion, creepy mansion.
"So... are we going in?" Ino asked out of the silence after Naruto commented.
They kicked the pedals and started biking towards the small garden reaching the main door of the mansion. Sakura kept her senses awake, even though she's a little scared of something she don't even know. Sasuke always notices her uneasiness and always the first one to notice it. He don't want to repeat the same question all over again, because he really feels like she's afraid of something which is particularly a proof from her expression. The leaned their bikes around the fountain with a sitting angel, althought it looks like its tears were dried up because there was no water to show its tears. Naruto advances forward with Shikamaru, Ino and Hinata behind him.
"Neji.. this place gives me the creeps, why don't we camp out?" Tenten asked as she stood beside Neji.
He shrugged and answered, "We won't let ourselves under the rain. Look." He looked up to the dark sky as the angels started to cry.
'Oh no... earlier it was hot, now it's raining... this is really strange...' Sakura thought as she run with her hands covering her head from the droplets of rain.
She was followed by Neji, Sasuke and Tenten. Now they're all standing at the main door and the first four haven't decided to come in or knock at the door. A minute or two, it started raining hard. Their bikes are all wet.
"How troublesome..." Shikamaru mumbled.
"We don't have time to decide... let's just go in and stay for the night." Neji declared and started walking past Shikamaru and Naruto.
Naruto put his hand on Neji's shoulder, well, maybe he's preventing the Hyuuga to burst out opening the door without permission. Neji stepped back and let Naruto have his way. Naruto breathe in and out first and shakily raised his clutched fist to knock on the door.
Knock knock knock. There was no response. Knock knock knock. Still quiet.
"A-anybody home?" He asked, no one answered. He sighed and turned around to his friends, "Should I do it on my way?"
Everybody just shrugged and let him do what he wants, when he turned his back to them, they sweatdropped. After several breathe ins and outs. He started punching, kicking and stomping the door.
"OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!!!" Again, they all sweatdropped.
After the a minute of violence just to open the door, Naruto gave up and dropped his butt to the ground. Panting heavily. Of course, the door is shut tightly and locked from the other side, it's a mansion.
'Dobe.' Sasuke thought with his eyes narrowed to Naruto.
"I guess, we don't have a choice but to find a new place." Tenten blurted out then sighed.
"This is an empty mansion, what a waste of energy.. we came here for nothing." Neji said as if suggesting his friends to leave the place however...
They all heard a creaking sound... of an opening door. They slowly turn their heads to see what's going on. And when their eyes landed on the wide opened door, Naruto, as he was sitting on the ground and being the nearest to the opened door, jumped back in shock.
"WHAT THE!?"
[To be continued]
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[SDA]
A/N: Typical story? tsk tsk tsk, many Filipinos might trace what's next. :P I'm not a humorous type of writer but I'll find out to input it here. REAL show starts here...