- did you like the itasaku scene? i fout it was a bit OTT but hehehee -

----- Near the exit of Team 2's tunnel -----

Itachi was walking along the tunnel. He saw the moonlight streaming through. He smiled and turned around. There was the big blob of black goo that had attacked team 2. He still had Ino in it's belly. He stopped just behind his master.

"Leave the girl here, Zukono."ordered Itachi. The Shadow obeyed and let Ino slide to the floor. (Zukono is just someone I made up.)

"Why are you leaving her here master? Shouldn't we just kill her?"

"That will just be a waste of energy and time. She'll only remember that she escaped from you and managed to get to the exit." Itachi walked over to the young girl with blonde hair and bent down. He placed his hand on top of her closed eyes. Itachi's servant watched from behind. At last Itachi stood up.

"Let's go." he commanded walking towards the moonlight.

"Uhhhh master? Why did you have me capture her in the first place? You could have defeated her easily."

Itachi froze. "You shouldn't ask that much Zukono, or one day you'll die."

Getting the hint, Zukono shut up. He followed quietly.

Damn that Zukono, thought Itachi angrily even though his face didn't show it. He might have forced me to tell him my weakness and I would've had to killed him. Shintenshin no jutsu, a jutsu which allows you to enter your opponents' mind, the only jutsu that can defeat me.

Suddenly a cage exactly like the one that had trapped team 1, fell upon Itachi and his servant. The Shadow merely slipped through the bars. Itachi inspected the cage.

"Piece of trash." he muttered and his Sharingan eyes flashed. The cage broke apart. The technique he used was so powerful that the metal turned into powder.

Silently, Zukono and his master Itachi left the tunnels and disappeared with the shadows of the night.

----- Team 1 -----

Shikamaru, Naruto, Shino and Hinata were still sitting on the dirt floor, glancing up at the poem every so often. As he was thinking, Shino let the bugs crawl all over him. Shikamaru, who was grossed out by Shino was starring at his own knees, brows furrowed, trying ot think of a way to get out of their prison. Hinata was hugging her knees.

It was Naruto that was still staring up. "Damn it!" he swore. "Damn it!"

"Theres no point in swearing about it you know," said Shikamaru, aggravated that he could not think of anything, "It's not like swearing can get you out of here."

Naruto shook his head. "No. Not about not understanding it... doesn't rhyme!"

"Geezzeess, how troublesome." Shikamaru re-reads the verse for the hundreth time. This time he did not sigh and look away again.

The heart is trapped inside a cage Can only be freed but only Be destroyed and broken By others power of everyone of all.

Maybe the words are scrambled, he thought, no, thats not it... He was trying to think of a new plan but Naruto's voice was stuck in his head. "its just that... it doesn't even rhyme!...it doesn't even rhyme!" Then it occured to him. Maybe they weren't suppose to rhyme, so you take the last words of each line. Cage. Only. Broken. Power. Still doesn't make sense.

"Ughhhh" he groaned holding his head. Hinata looked at Shikamaru anxiously. She got up and brushed the dirt from her clothes and walked up to him.

"Are you ok Shikamaru-kun?"she asked. "You should rest, you've been thinking to hard." Shikamaru gave Hinata a startled look and looked away quickly before she could see his blush.

"No- no it's ok Hinata-chan. I'm fine. You should rest yourself." All the while this was happening, Naruto was looking at the pair, suspiciously. Stupid Shikamaru, Naruto fumed to himself, taking the spotlight, and the girls... Naruto had a sudden thought. Shikamaru was the next Sasuke! The thought made him shudder in disgust.

Shino spoke up."It's getting late." he said, "we should get some sleep. The sun was indeed setting as the carvern got darker and darker. Everyone lay down. Naruto made sure that he was as close to Hinata as possible and Shikamaru was far away. When they were all settled, they realized that now they were staring straight at the forbodding curse-like poem.

Shikamaru started fidgeting because of the uncomfortable ground. Suddenly he froze. Slowly he turned his head to read the poem once more. Shikamaru shivered. He had figured it out!

----- Team 2 -----

"Are you sure you can walk Sasuke?" asked Sakura nervously. No part of her face or actions showed any of her anguist or hatred she felt inside. She seemed exaclty like the old Sakura- or so Sasuke and Kiba thought.

Sasuke brushed Sakura's hand away impatiently. Even though she had announced her hatred for Sasuke, she still flinched at the short contact of their hands.

"Get away from me!" hissed Sasuke, his voice in pain. He stood up and looked at Kiba. "Let's get going."

"OK" Kiba nodded politely even though he hadn't forgot how badly he treated Sakura. With Akamaru securely in his arms Kiba set off.

Sakara lagged behind the both of them, watching Sasukes' back. Her face twisted in rage. I won't let anyone get the better of me! Itachi-sama will be waiting of me. I don't need Sasuke. As she thought that, sudden excruciating pain hit her chest. She bit her bottom lip and clutched at her chest. Tears started rolling down her cheeks.

A cold breeze swept down the tunnel. Sakura shivered and stood up straight. She heard something. Where was it coming from? She looked around her. There was no one there. Sakura saw Kiba and Sasuke walking in the distance.

'Saaaaakkkuuuuurrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaa.....' the voice whispered.

"Where- where are you? And who are you?" Sakura choked. ' why I am you, Sakura. Don't you remember me? Or should I say- have you forgotten who you are? I'm you, talking inside your head.'

Sakura clutched at her hair. I'm going crazy! she thought. ' No you're not crazy...not crazy at all...' Sakura stiffened. You can hear me? she thought to the Sakura inside her head. (sorry if that sounded weird but there's no other way to write it)
' well of course, I am you.' When Sakura didn't say anything Evil Sakura continued. ' there is no reason why you should grieve over Sasuke, after all he doesn't care about you. Now Itachi... he's someone that will take care of you for the rest of your life. Stay with him and do what he wants you to do, and you can be happy forever...." the voice trailed off and disappeared.

(Evil Sakura is the voice inside her head. Like you know how sometimes in cartoons you see a demon trying to convince the person to do something and the angel one is telling them not to lisiten to the demon? well yeah this is it and Evil Sakura is the demon and Inner Sakura is the angel. I hope you get what i mean . )

Inner Sakura - 'Sakura, it's not too late to turn your back on evil...'

Evil Sakura- 'Shut up! She can make up her own mind.'

Inner Sakura- 'Sakura, you can gain nothing from evil.'

Evil Sakura- ' Don't listen to her Sakura...'

Inner Sakura- 'Sakura...'

Evil Sakura- 'Sakura...'

Inner Sakura- 'Sakura...'

Evil Sakura- 'Sakura...'

Sakura shook her head ferociously to clear it. The two minds disappeared. "Sakura?" Was someone calling her again? "Sakura"

Kiba was shaking Sakura's shoulders."Sakura?" Slowly Sakura's eyes regained focus again.

"Huh?" she muttered blankly, "What happened?" She saw Kiba in front of her. She looked around and saw Sasuke leaning on a wall, impatient to be going. Her chest tightened.

"You zoned out, Sakura-chan." answered Kiba ,"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah yeah I'm fine," replied Sakura, absent mindly.

"Can we go now?" asked Sasuke, who was looking bored. Kiba gave Sakura a questioning look. Sakura gave him a small smile. Once again they set off, this time Sasuke was walking ahead and Kiba walked with Sakura.

They walked through the night and never once did they stop. Only in the morning, as the sun was risingdid they see a spot of bright light in the distance. They started walking a little faster, yet more alert for any signs of traps. All of a sudden, Kiba stopped them. He had they sharpest eyes and nose and obvoiusly he could sense something.

"What's wrong, Kiba-kun?" asked Sakura nervously, squinting her eyes to see further.

Kiba sniffed the air again and again to make sure he was had the right smell. "Sakura... it's Ino..." Sakura's eyes grew wide. Suddenly she saw it too. There ahead of them, was a slumpted figure, that was lying on the floor. Sakura ran towards it, not caring if it was a trap or not.

"Ino!! Wake up Ino! It's us!"

Ino groaned and opened one eye. "Sakura?" she asked her voice bewildered. Sakura hugged Ino, as if she thought that the Shadow had killed her. Kiba grinned at Ino, who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I thought you were - well.. killed by that thing." he trailed off.

Ino grinned back. "How could you think I was that weak?" she said teasingly. "I got away from it then somehow I managed to make it this far."

Sasuke eyed Ino. Something was strange but he couldn't put his finger on it. Sakura hugged Ino, obviously relieved that she was ok.

"Lets go then! Since we're nearly there." said Kiba, nodding to the exit. Ino and Sakura nodded. Ino walked up to Sasuke, and she was a little suprised when Sakura didn't stop her.

"Hi Sasuke! Aren't you glad I'm safe?"

Sasuke gave her a look of disgust and grunted. Ino's smile faded, and she walked back to Sakura. "What's up with him?" she whispered.

Sakura shrugged, then sighed. "I don't know but lately his been... moody." Ino questioned Sakura further until she knew what happened the past 2 days.

"Ohhhh, I'm sorry Sakura. I really am."

Sakura waved the apology away. "Oh I'll get over it."

"Hey" Kiba called over his shoulders ,"Come and have a look at this." Sakura and Ino both ran to catch up with the boys. When they got there they saw white sand on the ground. It looked very strange with in contrast with the dark brown dirt.

Kiba bent down to scoop some up. Gingerly he sniffed it. "Smells- strange..." he said at last.

"Strange?"inquired Ino. "What kind of smell is that?"

"Smells like Chakra."

"It might be a trap." That was Sasuke.

"No, the chakra in this thing had burnt out and died. It won't do us any harm."

"Are you sure Kiba?" asked Sakura, looking at the white powder in Kiba's hands and on the floor. Kiba nodded. He stood up, brushed the powder off his hands and walked towards the exit. Slowly the others followed. One by one they disappeared in the brightness of the light as they walked out of the tunnels.

- heheheheheh well team 2 has gotten out, but what 'bout team 1? has anyone figured out the hidden message in the code yet? If you have, don't spoil the story for other people but you can email me and tell me what you know. -