Sakura took a deep breath. She was going to do it, she was going to take the direct approach. She was going to take charge, damnit!
Sasuke cracked an eye open and muttered from the spot beneath a nearby tree, where he had been "sleeping", "Step away from Naruto, Sakura."
Sakura turned to face him with an odd look on her face, almost as if something obvious had just dawned on her. They were in the Konoha forest still, there were ANBU, they were still in the Konoha forest! KAKASHI!
The Uchiha didn't like the look she had on her face and he pushed himself up into a standing position, moving towards her with a hand outstretched. The pink haired girl smirked, and opened her mouth...and let out the most ear shattering scream he had ever heard. His previously outstretched hand, as well as his other hand immediately clapped to his ears and he groaned in pain.
Not good, not good, not good, not good. Sasuke tackled her to the ground and covered her mouth, glaring at her. She bit his hand in reply and headbutted him. He snarled. Oh, you are so going down!
They were rolling around for a good minute, until they heard someone next to them mumble, "Sakura-chan? I wasn't spying on you when you went to the bath house, I swear!"
Sakura lay under Sasuke's body and they were both staring at Naruto, who was inches from the girl's head. Her face was slowly growing red, from anger, towards both of the boys. She let out another screech and threw the Uchiha clean off her and into a nearby tree. She then hurled a massive rock at Naruto, and luckily for him Sasuke had recovered fast enough to catch it and, well, let it fall on him instead.
The girl moved to Naruto and threw him over her shoulder, ANBU or Kakashi would be there any moment, but she needed to get Naruto away from it all.
At least he's finally starting to wake up, she thought, twitching as she remembered what he mumbled before.
She was at least proud of her self that she had made it five metres before thin wires wrapped around her and bound her to the tree Sasuke had been sleeping below fifteen minutes ago. Naruto dropped to the ground and groaned, rolling onto his back.
Sakura felt as though she was ready to snap and just kill everyone in the area. She took a deep, shuddering breath and attempted to calm herself down. It didn't really work. Especially since Sasuke was all in her face with that stupid smirk of his. She tilted her face away from his and looked down at the waking Naruto.
"Naruto! wake up, now!" She yelled and moved her head away from the Uchiha when he tried to cover her mouth again, "Hurry up, damnit!"
It wasn't working and Sasuke had a grip on her pink hair to keep her still, so he could shut her up. Before she had the chance to think on it, she screamed, "RAMEN!"
The blonde jerked awake and leapt to his feet, stumbling from a wave of dizziness. But no! that wouldn't keep him from his beloved ramen. NEVER!
In his stumble, though, he had inadvertantly knocked Sasuke out of the way and was now staring at the tied up Sakura, who looked very annoyed with either him or the Uchiha, he couldn't tell. He took in her battered appearance though, and growled.
I will kill whoever did this to my Sakura-chan! He vowed silently.
He tore through the wire with his fingernails and held his arms out to catch the fragile, glass-like, ever so beautiful cherry blossom. He did it carefully, of course, he didn't want the girl to break in his embrace.
"..." Sakura kicked him in the groin, and he went down like a stack of bricks.
"Took you long enough! Sasuke could have gotten us to Orochimaru's hideout, and you would be DEAD! do you understand!"
"Sasuke?"
"Oh, he's under you."
"Oh..." Naruto got up and looked down at Sasuke, who was looking very flat at the moment. He wasn't having very much luck that night.
"Did you scream before, Sakura-chan? where's Kakashi?"
"I don't know! he and the other ANBU should have been here ages ago!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Are you sure you don't mind us borrowing your Icha Icha collection, Kakashi?"
"No, not at all. As long as you read them here, now and never, ever take them out of my sight. Or I will kill each of you, in the most slow and painful way possible."
A scream echoed throughout the village and the ANBU team stared at eachother in turn.
"Uh, what was that?" asked a man wearing a frog mask.
"Ah, it's the wonders of Icha Icha paradise, they seem so real that you can actually hear the screams of pleasure," said Kakashi wisely and the others nodded like they were his students.
"Now, sit, children! it is story time!"
"Didn't you call us here about a trail of blood you were following - -"
"Story time. New Icha Icha book out."
Kakashi wondered why he had this weird nagging feeling that someone he cared for very much was in trouble.
Konoha was so screwed. Maybe even literally, the way the men were going!
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"What's going on?" asked Naruto. The two were still in the same spot, except now they were both sitting on a squirming Sasuke, who kept muttering curses at them, and how this was all that man's fault.
"Oh, Sasuke kidnapped us so he could take you to Orochimaru, so he could draw out the kyuubi. Dunno what he wants with it, though." Sakura boredly smacked Sasuke on the head and he stopped moving.
"Why did he kidnap you, then?"
"Probably for evidence reasons," She shrugged.
"Okay, well, I'll pretend that I understand all this, okay, Sakura-chan?"
"Okay, Naruto," She smiled, and leaned over to hug him, "I'm really glad you're okay...I'm sorry for knocking you out for so long."
"It's alright...I guess deserved it," He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, "...but I never got to give you your birthday present!"
"Forget it, we'll be back in Konoha by tomorow anyway."
"No, you won't," mumbled Sasuke.
"What was that, emo boy?"
"Sakura-chan, what's an emo?"
"Hmph!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Where is he! he's spoiling my beautiful plans! he was meant to be here days ago!" Orochimaru threw his hands into the air and twirled around in distress. Although, no one really understood why he would be twirling around if he was in distress. Kabuto sighed and placed a gentle hand on the elder ninja's shoulder.
"Orochimaru-sama, I'm sure he's almost here. If you like I will go out personally, and find him."
"Thankyou, Kabuto...I can always rely on you!"
You have no idea how much... Kabuto thought as he looked away dramatically, deftly catching the crystaline tears, with his perfectly soft, porceline hands, that fell like giant raindrops from his sparkling eyes. Eyes that were burdened with so much emotion!
Orochimaru walked out of the room with a giant sweep of his arm that knocked down many randoms who were present at that moment.
The younger ninja sighed softly as he stared dreamily at Orochimaru's retreating back, If only...
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"You are annoying, forehead girl."
Sakura barked out a laugh at the petty attempt at an insult from Sasuke, "That's the best you can do? you're one of the best ninjas who used to be from Konoha," She paused and glared down at him, "And that's the only thing you could come up with?"
He murmered, "So, Kabuto is coming. Perhaps it is time I summon the snakes."
"The snakes!" He definately had both Sakura's and Naruto's attention now and they jumped off him, each slipping into their separate stances.
"Actually, I was kidding. Kabuto's already here."
"He's wha--"
Kabuto slammed the two team mates' heads together and a loud crack echoed around the area. He caught them under his arms as they collapsed.
"Hm. They haven't improved that much. Although, I must say, they gave you a lot of trouble, Sasuke-kun," He sneered in the direction of the Uchiha, who was getting to his feet, "Especially the girl, so it would seem."
"I don't see what Orochimaru-sama sees in you, other than the Sharingan, of course."
"Hn."
The silver haired ninja turned away and began walking in the direction that he had come, his form fading to mist. As he vanished completely, his voice echoed around Sasuke from all sides, "Dear Sasuke-kun, doesn't Orochimaru-sama have a most spectacular surprise for you when you return!"
The Uchiha shuddered at the cold laugh that followed Kabuto's words. The Snake-Man wasn't going to be happy with him at all. He made a couple of seals and vanished closer to the hideout so he could run the rest of the way, and wear off some of the anger he was feeling before he faced the old man. It wouldn't do to lose his temper, he was sure he was in enough trouble as it was.