Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.. I so wish I did.

A/N: Still kinda trying to figure out how this works.. I will get it.. someday.. and maybe this is a little bit OOC..

Additional notes:

"blah" people speaking

blah thoughts

blah inner Sakura

Chapter Two: An interesting Mission.

Morning

Naruto was cursing Kakashi's usual lateness, Sakura was yelling at Naruto to shut up, and Sasuke kept quiet in his thoughts.

"Do you ever stop arguing?" Kakashi sensei stepped out from behind a tree.

"YOU'RE LATE!" was Naruto and Sakura's usual replies.

"For this mission we'll be working with another team." said Kakashi gesturing behind to his left where Team 10, Chouji, Ino, and Shikamaru stepped out with their sensei, Asuma.

"How troublesome." said Shikamaru.

"Hey miss mutant forehead." laughed Ino as she hugged Sasuke. Chouji was munching on some chips.

"Thanks Kakashi." Asuma started walking off.

"WHAT! You're not going to leave us with this pervert are you!" Team 10 yelled after him.

"Yep, you're staying with me today because Asuma has something to do today." Kakashi smiled a little wickedly under his mask.

"Today, for this excersise" Kakashi started explaining "we'll do a survival one, pitting two teams against each other."

"Hah, this'll be easy!" Naruto interrupted.

"Shut up!" both Sakura and Ino said bonking him on the head.

"Er, thank you," Kakashi continued while Naruto was rubbing his head "you have four hours to do a search and rescue mission from each team, whichever completed team comes back to this rock first wins, now Naruto's team come over here." Kakashi took them over to an area where no could see them.

"Sakura, you get to be the one to be 'kidnapped' Kakashi tied her up and gagged her, then took her somewhere to hide her while Naruto and Sasuke waited. Kakashi did the same thing with Team 10, taking Chouji. Sakura was held at the river, sitting in the shallows, waiting. Chouji was held near a taller tree under the shade. Kakashi started Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Ino at the main rock.

"Ready, steady, go!" Kakashi yelled at the dot of three and the pairs shot off into the forest in search of their comrades. Kakashi took out a book called Icha Icha Paradise and started reading, occasionally looking at his timer.

Naruto and Sasuke decided that if they ran into Shikamaru and Ino Naruto would be a distraction and Sasuke would go off to search for Sakura. Ino and Shikamaru's plan was to avoid them as much as possible to have the element of surprise. At about half an hour Shikamaru had seen Naruto sneaking around and signaled Ino. They both kept an eye on the two not knowing that "Sasuke" was one of Naruto's dopplegangers. Sasuke had snuck off looking for Sakura.

Sakura had squirmed and wriggled but couldn't get free. Kakashi sensei sure knows how to tie ropes.. Meanwhile Chouji was so bored, he couldn't eat, so he daydreamed about food..

"I know you're there! Come out and face me!" Naruto yelled in Shikamaru's direction. He started throwing kunai knives at the bushes.

"Idiot!" the doppleganger Sasuke said so no one would suspect anything. At that moment both Shikamaru and Ino jumped out on both of Naruto's sides throwing knives. Crap, I may have dopplegangers.. but I can't hold them long, Sasuke-bastard better be fast. Naruto thought as he and his doppleganger dodged the knives and flung some of their own.

Sakura was getting bored, her clothes had soaked up to her waist in the water. A fish jumped out of the water and surprised her. Trying to shriek she slipped off of the bank into the deeper parts of the river. Underwater Sakura's mouth bubbled as she tried to kick with her bound feet like a mermaid. Sasuke had heard the splash and ran toward the sound. He arrived at the spot just as Sakura's head sunk.Taking only two seconds to think he took a deep breath and dived in. The river's strong current made him regret doing that but he swam toward Sakura grabbing her by the ropes and slashing them apart with a knife. Knowing she wouldn't last long he used his mouth to remove the gag and forced some oxygen into her lungs while freeing the ropes. After all the ropes were gone he paddled to one side of the river catching onto a rock. Using all the strength he could muster, Sasuke pushed Sakura onto the shore and sat next to her body trying to catch his breath

Shikamaru and Ino easily got rid of Naruto and found out Sasuke wasn't there. They left Naruto lying on the ground dazed and ran off to continue searching for Chouji.

"Feh, that was a waste of time." Shikamaru complained.

"Quiet Shika! We've got to find Chouji, what if Sasuke already found Sakura?" Ino shut him up. They found Chouji staring blankly and mumbling names of foods to himself.

"Aiee! He's gone crazy!" said Ino.

"Nah, probably just starved." Shikamaru answered while cutting off the ropes and gingerly taking the drool-soaked gag from Chouji.

"You found me! Do you have any food?" was the first thing Chouji said as he realized he was saved. Both of them sweat dropped.

Sasuke was getting worried as Sakura's breath got a little more shallow. What should I do! Or more, should I do that? What if she wakes up while I'm trying to save her? How come I didn't have any trouble doing this when she was in the river? Sasuke wrestled with his thoughts of whether to give Sakura mouth to mouth or go get help. Oh suck it up, you're trying to save her! a voice inside Sasuke's head told him.

"I know I'll regret this." Sasuke said as he lowered his face toward Sakura's. Their lips touched and Sakura's eyes flickered. She felt something soft against her own lips. Sasuke didn't notice because he had screwed his eyes shut and was blushing. Sakura tried to say something but was muffled and Sasuke's eyes shot wide open. Both of them blushed, Sasuke's just getting deeper. Sasuke reacted by moving backward as fast as possible. Inner Sakura: Oh My God! Sasuke just kissed me! Oh yeah!

"Neh, Sasuke-kun? Where's Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto was supposed to keep Ino and Shikamaru busy while I went for you." Sasuke said as he got up and gestured for her to follow.

Naruto had recovered a few minutes after Shikamaru and Ino left. He went off in search of Sasuke or Sakura, whichever one he ran into first. I wonder if Sasuke-teme found Sakura yet. Naruto was heading toward the river and then on a sudden impulse he started running a few feet from the river he collided with someone and fell back.

"Watch where you're going idiot!" Sasuke said. Sakura was with him.


"Hmm, looks like Team 10 wins." Kakashi was slightly surprised and wondered where his team went. The four went off looking for Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura.

Kakashi was the first to find them. He stepped out from the shrubbery seeing Naruto yelling at Sasuke for being a show-off and finding Sakura first. Kakashi sweat dropped.

"It's sensei, who almost drowned me.." Sakura was first to notice Kakashi there, she poked both boys and pointed.

"It looks like we win." Team 10 came and Naruto bristled. Yeah, rub it in our faces, just because stupid Sasuke took so long to find Sakura, I would have found her faster, all Sasuke's fault.

"Hmph, whatever." Sasuke ignored their goading and saw Sakura holding Naruto by the collar so he wouldn't try to kill them.

"Mission's over see tomorrow, and Sakura, you wouldn't have slipped if you didn't wiggle so much." Kakashi waved and disappeared before Sakura could retort with anything.

Chouji dragged both Shikamaru and Ino away to the Ichiraku to go have some ramen. Naruto grumbled at himself for not finding a chance to steal Sasuke's book and went into town to play some pranks on people. Sasuke headed home to clear his mind and sort out thoughts. Sakura, who was still in a small daze, decided to go home and find something to keep herself occupied.


At home Sakura turned on the water in her bath house and went into the house for towels and fresh clothes. In her bath Sakura replayed the mission in her mind. Had he done that intentionally or just to save me? Sakura's thoughts contradicted themselves. Half of her wanted to believe Sasuke wanted to kiss her, but the other half argued that Sasuke would never be like that. What had happened while IN the river? Sakura looked into that part closer. The thoughts were hazy because she was desperately trying not to drown. Sakura remembered a tug as Sasuke grabbed the ropes. She also remembered the ropes get looser as Sasuke sliced them. Here Sakura came to a huge blank. Pondering until her fingers became pruney, Sakura came out wrapped in a towel because she had left her clothes in the house.

Sasuke was in his room looking out the window. He heard a slam of a bath house door and looked down (Sakura's house is also down the street from Sasuke's). Seeing Sakura only in a towel made him blush. Her body has all the right curves.. Sasuke was shocked at himself for thinking that. Am I becoming perverted! Sakura had turned around and saw Sasuke peeping at her.

"Aiee! Baka!" she screamed and pelted a rock at Sasuke's open window. Since Sasuke was thinking to himself he didn't see the rock and it hit him. Sakura ran into her house, breathless. Was Sasuke Checking me Out? she thought. Sasuke woke up a few minutes later with a throbbing forehead. What happened? he touched the bump and winced Are you a Uchiha or not? Being hit in the head with a rock, by a girl! Well, I kinda deserve that for spying and not looking away, but what caused my gaze to stay there? Sasuke walked over to the mirror to look at the bump and his face was flushed. What is happening! Well, no wall banging for a while. Sasuke put ointment on the bump and went to sleep with a throbbing head.

When Sakura was in her room and dressed she wondered more on the subject. Inner Sakura: He was checking me out! Her heart singed at this thought.

"Sakura, why were you screaming?" her mom asked from downstairs (I don't know if Sakura's parents were there, so just imagine they are).

"There was a pervert watching me bathe! Why wouldn't I scream?" answered Sakura indignantly.

"Okay, come down for dinner." her mom answered suppressing a chuckle at Sakura having peepers.

End of Chapter

Next Chapter: Sakura's Sorrow.

Please review! thankies, Raiena.