An overnight stay

Search and Escape

"Sakura!!"

"Sakura-chan!!"

Huff. Huff. Huff.

Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke had been searching almost all the rooms in the ground floor but they still haven't found Sakura. After circling around, Sasuke stopped in front of the wide stairs which was only a couple of meters to the huge entrance. Gasping for air, Shikamaru's group came running down the stairs to meet them carrying the news that they couldn't find the caretaker.

'Damn... Sakura... just where are you!?'

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The rain won't stop. Neither the sounds of the booming thunder and clashing of the lightning into the sky. It didn't help her, actually, it added to her fear from what she had heard from the little girl. She cannot stop shivering in her place. Right now, she was sitting on the ground with her knees apart and her face looking down the floor. She was clutching desperately into to her head, both hands shaking and eyes wide-open.

Do not fear. You have to get out of here fast.

There was no answer from the teenager with pink hair. How could she answer neither listen to what this ghost was telling to her? She barely stood up in her own feet. She shouldn't be involved in here. She was just having a nice vacation with her friends... she shouldn't be in this place, being haunted by this ghost, being chased by a murderer. This is all wrong.

'Everyone... HELP me...'

C'mon on! Stand up! You have to get out of here!

Finding a little courage from the desperate ghost, she was picking up herself with more obvious trembling motions. With her eyes still darted on the floor, she slowly looked past the transparent figure in front of her and started walking slowly to the door where she assumed she had used to enter the room that she was into.

'I don't want to die...'

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Meeting everybody, Shikamaru told them that they have to stick together for them not to be harmed and worst... not to be...killed. Though deep inside him, he knows they won't be killed unless they interrupted the caretaker while killing their friend... Haruno Sakura.

Everybody was panting heavily and the girls had their knees on the floor. With the aid of their flashlights, they continuously thrusting the light around the area in hope to see one of the people that they had been looking for. To their disappointment, none of them was seen.

Naruto jerked up when he felt that Sasuke just rose from the floor and is walking out of group.

"Oi! We better sti--"

"I'm not going to stop until I find Sakura!!" Sasuke immediately fired his anger to Naruto and added as his warning with a grave tone, "so don't try to stop me."

And maybe because of Sasuke's anger, Ino also flared up, "If you are so stubborn to go by yourself, then do it!! You'll get yourself killed before you could even save Sakura!"

Surprised with her reaction, everybody except for Sasuke stared at her. As for Sasuke, with his mixed emotions reaching at its peak, he couldn't control himself but to walked briskly towards Ino. He extended his hands with his index finger pointing at her as if accusing her of something.

"Can't you understand that your BEST friend is in the line of life and death!? This is all your fault!! If you didn't drag us here, we won't be having this situation! You were leading her to her death!!"

Ino slapped Sasuke's finger with her back hand. She was totally, no, extremely hurt. Sasuke had no right to tell all those words to her, even if he stated the obvious... He really cared for Sakura. And besides, Ino knows Sakura more than he does. She would never ever leave Sakura even at times like this because Sakura was like a sister to her. She started pointing her finger to Sasuke and screaming her lungs out.

"Damn you, Sasuke! Don't accuse me that this is all my fault!! I know that she's in the most dangerous state!! Don't you dare say to me that I don't care what will happen to her because she's like a sister to me!!"

Shikamaru held Ino's elbows after she spoke, preventing another bombarding or maybe, physical reaction before she could hit Sasuke. On the other hand, Naruto was preventing Sasuke to fire back. He could predict what will happen next. Sasuke might punch Ino, in a way that he might even forgot that he's dealing with a girl. Actually, it was their first time to see these people quarrel like this.

"We have no time for your argumentsl. We have to find Sakura now and leave." Neji stood up between them. Then after he had confirmed that no one would dare to open another quarrel, he darted off faraway from the stairs.

Sasuke angrily wrenched himself from Naruto's grip and followed Neji's trail.

Opening every doors that they see, they still couldn't find where Sakura is neither the caretaker. Most of them are feeling nervous by now, but they shouldn't stop searching for their friend. Minutes later, Ino told Shikamaru that they should go out of the house and check the first floor by the window. There are some rooms that won't budge, she reasoned. Shikamaru agreed in her suggestion and divided the group again. But the mere fact that Sasuke was not going to listen to them made Shikamaru to let him do what he wants, however, Naruto and Neji will be on his side. So in other words, Shikamaru will go with the girls, not just to guide them, but also to protect them.

Splitting after the plan, Shikamaru and the girls ran back to the huge and wide stairs. Flashing the light to the next trail, Shikamaru found the large door locked from the outside.

'Shit! We're locked!' He thought.

"This is fucking bullshit! Why is the door locked from the outside?!" Ino cursed, almost crying while banging the huge door with her frail hands.

"Stop it, Ino." Tenten said, grabbing Ino's red fisted-hands away from the door.

"He will kill us all!!" Ino cried and hugged Tenten with all her strength. Tenten rubbed her back as if to calm her down.

Hinata stayed quiet beside Shikamaru. She won't be panicking like this because that won't do anything. As if reading Shikamaru's mind, she looked to the window to the left and thought of a plan.

'Good. The windows are made of glass.' Shikamaru thought and walked around the area.

"Chairs or tables or anything can break the glass, Shika-kun." Hinata suggested while pointing all the things that had been covered by white sheets.

"Yeah, I know. Everybody back away, I'll destroy that window."

Hastily, Shikamaru grabbed one of the small round table and threw it straight to the glass window. The smashing sound could be heard anywhere so Shikamaru hastily grabbed Ino's hands and told her to go through it. There are broken glasses everywhere that anyone should be careful walking and crawling. But because Ino was panicking, she was cut from both of her arms and her legs.

"Ignore the pain Ino! Just move!" Shikamaru commanded, a little concerned to her, too.

Just right after Ino went pass the broken window, Tenten jumped out so that she couldn't get herself wounded. Hinata and Shikamaru did the same.

Unfortunately, it was still raining outside the mansion, but this shouldn't affect them. They must find where Sakura is. Shikamaru lead the girls as he started running to the spacious ground behind the mansion.

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Even though his head was steaming with anger, Sasuke was still running and barging each rooms inside the mansion. There was something at the back of his mind that he felt uneasy and very worried. He was scared of the fact that they will undoubtedly face the psycho murderer around this area. However, that wasn't the reason behind his worried and angry face... he was thinking about the worst case scenario... He gritted his teeth and slammed the nearest door. It won't budge... and it annoyed him.

"Sakura!!" He shouted while repeatedly punching the door.

Neji and Naruto ceased running. They looked at Sasuke as if they pity him. It was obvious, although they have seen and felt it many times that Sasuke cared a lot for Sakura. Well, maybe it's because she's a friend. She's also their friend, but by looking at Sasuke, the gap between Sasuke's concern and their concern for her was far too strong.

Naruto had always cared for Sakura. He had promised to her that no matter what happens he'll come to save her. Neji, although, he's not as close as Naruto and Sasuke to Sakura, considered her as his friend. He had seen her a lot of times, hanging around with his cousin, Hinata. He knows that the girl was far more sensitive than his cousin. So why was he concern again? Sakura is his friend.

"Sakura!!" They heard Sasuke shouted again, listening to the echo of his angry tone.

They followed Sasuke again to look for their missing 'friend'.

To be continued
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SDA
A/N: Seems like you peepz are beginning to like my first suspense/mystery/horror fic. I'm so glad to know that! Ahem, anyways, I'm kinda prolonging the 'searching' part, hehe, isn't it obvious? But hey, we have to know what's going on with the group. Their emotions, how they plan considering their frustrating situation, etc. I have a feeling that most of my readers are waiting for the romance (in Tagalog, 'kilig' moments) scene. Don't worry, I'll still include that and the fighting scene, too.

You know what? I'm supposed to answer the take-home exam. Yet I'm still here, filling the A/N for you. Actually this chapter was finished a week ago, but due to hell-week, I wasn't able to do so. And for me to continue this fic, I must watch/read another horror movie (like that of The Doll Master... hehehe...)

Watch out for the next chapter! It will be uploaded within the week! Rock on!