Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto so don't sue me if you hate this story.
Author's Note: Nobody figure out the song from Chapter One, so I'll just tell you what it was. The song was called "La Lettre" by Lara Fabian. There you go- now you can download it and listen to it while you read Chapter One again! Yay!
Chapter Six
Sakura stared up at the darkened khaki mesh of the tent she was currently residing in. A military style blanket was laid snugly about her shoulders as she gazed through the tent material and to the glimmering stars above. She solemnly pulled herself up and rested her chin on her knees, her mind deep in thought.
Night had fallen a few hours after they departed Konoha and Kakashi had decided for them to camp in this small clearing. Unfortunately, they had only brought three tents with them. So, to solve the problem, Kakashi decided that his four pupils would have to share a tent. Of course this decision was not met without a huge amount of opposition from Sakura's side.
Flashback
"Are you kidding me?" Tazuna asked bewilderedly. They sat around a dim little campfire and were about to get ready for bed. "What kind of ninja doesn't bring the bare necessities of a tent with him?"
Naruto laughed sheepishly and rubbed his tummy. "Well, I brought a blanket…"
Kakashi sighed. Three tents. That's all there was. One from him, Tazuna, and Sakura. 'At least I taught her how to survive in the wilderness.'
'Ha! We have our own tent, we have own tent, na na na na na na!' Inner Sakura did a little chicken dance.
"Hey, Uchiha," Sai motioned toward the boy who was glaring at them. "You're rich aren't you? Why didn't you just buy some tents for all of us?"
"Shut up," Sasuke snapped, "I wouldn't buy anything for you."
The silver haired jounin leaned forward and rubbed his brows, allowing a huge sigh to escape his lips. Ever since they left the village, his three male students had been insulting and arguing with each other for the past four hours, and it was driving him nuts! How the hell was Sakura able to put up with them? He glanced over at his "adoptive" daughter and noticed that she was "hyperventilating." He guessed she was trying that inhaling and exhaling stress-relieve technique he taught her.
"Gah! Look at all the mosquitoes!" Naruto whined as he swatted them away with a rolled up piece of paper. He yelped as all the swatting caused him to fall off his log.
"Nice one, dickless."
Naruto pulled himself up and growled, pointing a kunai dangerously at Sai. Tazuna sweat dropped. These nin were supposed to be well trained, and yet they were arguing like little five year olds. All of a sudden he didn't feel safe anymore...
"Fuck, I stepped in shit." Sai grabbed a stick and tried to scrape the feces off.
Wow. That was random. Suddenly, Kakashi got an idea. His tousled, silver head abruptly snapped upward, the outline of a sly grin visible from under his mask. "Aha!" he said. "I know how this'll work. See, Tazuna-san will get his own tent, and I will too. Sakura-chan, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai will share the last." He smiled.
"WHAT!" Sakura screeched.
'WHAT!' Naiteki hollered.
"No," Sakura threw her hands up, "Oh no, I am not sleeping in the same tent as them. They'll keep me up all night!"
"Sakura-chan, please," Kakashi groaned, "Naruto is going to whine if he has to sleep outside with mosquitoes, and Sai and Sasuke will get annoyed by it and start arguing again."
The hooded female snarled from under her mask of shadow. "No."
The 22 year old could sense her intense repugnance. If this was going to work out, he needed to be firm. "Sakura-chan, this is not an offer. This is a command." He looked at her the way a strict teacher would.
'NNOOOOOOOOOOO!' Inner Sakura melted.
She huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine," she answered meekly, "But they have to sleep in the corners." She then stomped off and created little craters with each and every angered step she took. Tazuna and the boys cringed slightly.
End Flashback
And so now here she was, Haruno Sakura, sleeping in a tent with three of the most annoying males in the world. She sighed and let her lime eyes drift over to her slumbering companions. To her right, an upside down Naruto was stretched out all over the place, his foot jammed up against an aggravated Sai's chin. The artist ninja grumbled in his sleep and constantly swatted the offending foot away. Sakura giggled. On her left was Sasuke, sleeping peacefully on his side, his back turned away from the rest.
'The moon looks so pretty tonight,' Sakura thought, "what do you think Naiteki?'
'Mhmm. Hey, listen, I just got a great idea! Why don't we write "X - BURIED TREASURE" in random spots on Kakashi's maps?'
'Haha no.'
Sakura felt a yawn form in her throat and arched her back, letting the yawn do its thing. She stretched her arms up and moaned softly. She then snuggled back down into her blanket and rolled over on her side, letting her eyes slowly droop from lack of sleep. Behind her, Sakura heard Sai grumble in his sleep and shift to a different position. A few moments past and the strawberry-haired nin was just about to fall asleep when she felt something drape itself around her waist.
Her eyes snapped open. "What the-?" She peered behind her and saw a familiar obsidian haired boy snuggle his face into her back, his arm wrapped protectively about her torso. Her face flushed a rich maroon shade. "Sai?" He merely grumbled and snuggled closer to her. "Eep!" Sakura squeaked and tried to move his arm.
Sakura grunted as she felt a force slam her over a few inches. She looked over and saw that Naruto had rolled over onto Sai and was using the artist nin's leg as a teddy bear. "Mmm, Sakura-chan, I'll protect you…" he said as he caressed his cheek against Sai's leg.
'HAHAHAHA!' Naiteki doubled over in her sleeping bag. Sai sensed that Naruto was molesting his leg and shivered against Sakura.
Suddenly, another object snaked its way about her waist and felt another head bury itself in the crook of her neck. A flash of raven told her it was Sasuke. He was sleeping soundly, his breath lightly fanning her exposed neck. Sakura shivered as he caused a peculiar sensation to tremor through her body.
"C-Come on, you guys," Sakura whispered, not knowing if they were awake or not. "Move. I don't have any space."
All she received in reply was a snort as Sasuke curled up closer to Sakura and threw a leg possessively over hers, his grip on her waist tightening. The slumbering Sai seemed to notice competition as he too burrowed nearer to the green-eyed female, one of his legs started to tangle itself with Sakura's. She blushed furiously and tried to squirm away from them. The boys nuzzled closer to her neck, their lips hovering so very close to her skin. The strawberry haired nin didn't know what to do- it was almost as if the boys were fighting over her in their sleep.
"Sakura…" Sai breathed. He was sleep talking. Nonetheless, that didn't stop Sakura's face from turning a deeper ruby color. 'Ew, he's dreaming about me.' Inner Sakura was gagging.
"Ramen…" Sakura giggled. She definitely knew who that was. Naruto licked Sai's shoe- the one that stepped in crap. Naiteki died laughing. Sakura decided that maybe she should just go to sleep and hope they would move later on. "Goodnight, you three." And with that she drifted to the hands of sleep.
A few minutes passed and a familiar raven haired boy cracked open a single eye. His handsome face softened at her tender figure. "Goodnight, Sakura." Hesitating, Sasuke lightly pecked her forehead and resumed his slumber.
Naruto marched in front of the group as he raised a confident hand in front of him, cautiously searching for any signs of muggers or robbers heading their way. Sakura sweat dropped at him. A few bags were under her eyes from lack of sleep. Tazuna looked a little jumpy as well. Sharp, blue eyes scanned the perimeters and pulled out a kunai. Sakura adjusted her hood so nobody would see her yawn.
"Naruto, there's nothing there. Get back over here." Sasuke said.
"Hold on, I think I see something!" His face scrunched up as he squinted at a nearby bush. "Aah……… THERE!" The blonde threw a kunai at a twitching bush, causing the oddly nervous Tazuna to jump. A squeal came from the bush as Sakura leaned closer to inspect what it really was.
She sweat dropped and pulled up a twitching, fluffy, white bunny. Huge, anime tears streamed down its face as it shivered at the kunai, which was lodged dangerously close to its ears. "Aw, poor thing," she said as she gently pet it.
'Naruto, that was just a bunny you idiot!' Naiteki bonked a Naruto dummy on the head and pretended to cuddle the scared rabbit. 'Getting us all worked up and scared over nothing.'
Hold on a minute… Kakashi and Sakura both stared suspiciously at the bunny. This bunny was white, and they are only that color in the winter… it was now the middle of spring. This rabbit must have been raised in captivity… and only for one purpose.
"AAHH!" Naruto whined and ran over, snatching the twitching rabbit from Sakura, "I'M SO SORRY MR. BUNNY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT YOU!" His whining only caused the bunny to panic more, flailing from under the kitsune's crushing bear hug.
"Squeak!" The bunny used its huge teeth to bite Naruto's arm.
"Ow!" the boy snarled and dropped the rabbit, who hopped away.
"Nice one, dickless," Sai scoffed, "It was only a rabbit. Oh, and don't worry about rabies. I bet you already have them."
Naruto huffed and turned away. Sakura caught their eyes and turned away blushing, remembering what had happened last night.
Suddenly, Sakura felt two foreign chakra presences rise slowly behind them. She could tell Kakashi sensed it too by the way his eyes narrowed and his steps flinched slightly. The strawberry haired kunoichi slowed her pace to match his. "Something's not right…"
Exactly at the moment she had whispered those words, two chains came shooting out of nowhere and bound themselves to Sakura and Kakashi. "What the-?"
Two ninja appeared from the shadows and smirked at them. Kakashi realized that they were missing nin by the way that their forehead protectors had a slash through them. Sakura cried out as the sharp chains dug deeper into her flesh, drawing out little droplets of blood. Sasuke and Sai's eyes widened as they took a hesitant step towards their teammate and sensei. "Ready?" one of the nins gave his chain a little tug.
'HOLY SHIT!' Sakura fumbled for a kunai or tool of some sort to release them.
"Go." They then ran in opposite directions at full speed. Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, and Tazuna watched in horror as Sakura and Kakashi were cut apart ruthlessly, the remainder of their bodies dropping on the ground with a sickening thump. Tazuna gagged and turned to vomit in a bush while the boys fought to keep their breakfasts down.
The missing nin then turned towards Naruto, who stood paralyzed with fear. "Ha, scared are we?" he cackled at the shivering kitsune. "Oh well, I'll just make this quick and painless." Naruto's eyes widened as he fought to move. An arm, a leg, it didn't matter. He just needed to do something! Suddenly, a kunai flashed in front of the chuunin, stopping him from advancing any closer to Naruto.
"What the? Who shot that?" he growled. He looked over to see a dark Sasuke.
"You'll pay for what you did."
"Ha, like you can do any harm to us, you worthless genin."
The Uchiha's eyes flashed a deadly red for a split second as he sprinted toward one of the nins, three kunai drawn and ready to attack. He threw them and managed to pin his chains to a nearby tree. While the chuunin was struggling to get free, Sasuke launched himself at the nin and punched him in the stomach.
"Oof!" his eyes widened in pain as the Uchiha brought a kunai dangerously close to his jugular.
"Never, mess with an Uchiha."
His victim's eyes expanded more as he called out to his friend for help. "Hey, a little help here!"
As his friend pursued Sasuke, Sai cut him off midway and threw four shuriken at him. The missing nin ducked and in turn, Sai brought his knee up and kicked him in the chin. As the nin went flying toward a tree, Sai whipped out his scroll and brush and painted a bear. The chuunin was too crafty to be kicked into a tree and put his legs underneath him, allowing him to leap off the tree. He rushed toward Sai and met the bear halfway.
Naruto watched, his body shivering ever so lightly. There were his two teammates, each putting up adecent fight against nin that was a whole level above them, and yet he couldn't do anything to help! He was just standing there, paralyzed with fear. The nins just seemed so gruff, so intimidating... It was nothing like training back in Konoha.
Suddenly, the nin that Sasuke had pinned to a tree broke free and threw the Uchiha to the floor. "You piece of shit, I'll teach you to mess with me!" He held above his head aclawed handand stomped a foot on top of Sasuke to keep him in place. Sasuke suddenly rolled away quickly and stood up. He performed a few hand seals and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Dammit, where'd he go?"
"Right here." the raven haired boy appeared behind the man and exchanged a flurry of punches and kicks with him.
Elsewhere, Sai and his nin were locked in a heated struggle, so he was unable to assist his teammate. Obsidian eyes quickly glanced at his other blonde teammate. "Hey, dickless wonder! Stop standing there and help!" No sooner had he said those words did the chuunin he was battling turn into a log. "What the hell?"
"Looking for me?" the chuunin reappeared behind Tazuna and held a claw against his throat. "Say your prayers old man!"
Naruto watched in horror. 'Dammit, move stupid body! Your client is gonna get killed, and probably you too! Move, stupid, MOVE!'
Just as the missing nin lunged forward, a blur suddenly came racing out from nowhere and knocked the chuunin to the ground. It then picked up the groaning nin and hurled him at his teammate, relieving Sasuke of his burden. "Thanks," he said.
"B-but," Naruto sputtered, "That wasn't me..."
"Hey," a new voice entered the conversation: a girl's.
Who was-? The boys looked over and saw a person sporting a hood that covered half of their face, and some baggy clothes, "Sakura!"
"Bingo." she smirked. 'Hahaha! And here's our heroic appearance! Cha!' The boys looked bewilderedly at her and back at her "remains", where the nins had killed her earlier. There they found a pile of logs. Before they had time to react, one of the nins awoke and charged at Sakura. Sasuke saw and rushed forward, placing himself between her and the nin, a kunai drawn and ready to defend.
But before the nin could reach them another figure appeared.
He grabbed the chuunin's clawed hand and twisted it behind his back. He then bludgeoned the nin's face with a chakra-powered fist and threw him unconscious on top of his partner.
Sakura smiled at him. "Right on time, Kakashi-kun!"
"Yo." he lifted a few fingers in greetings.
"Wait," Tazuna finally found his voice again, all the while watching the battle in mute horror. "But I thought you two were dead?"
"If you'll notice, Tazuna-san," Kakashi motioned, "It's just a pile of logs now. We used a replacement jutsu- it's actually a very handy tool in combat that can get you out of a sticky situation."
"Aa," Sasuke and Sai said.
"Now come on," the silver haired jounin spoke, "Let's tie these guys up so don't cause any more trouble as it is."
"Well, you guys did a good job today. Sai, Sasuke wonderful work on taking care of those nins." Kakashi congratulated them.
Naruto scowled. He knew that he hadn't done anything in the battle except stare like a frightened child, but it still hurt his pride that he didn't receive any type of recognition from Kakashi-sensei.
"Hey," Sasuke started. Naruto looked up. "You okay, scaredy cat?"
"Yeah, aren't going to wet your pants now, are you?" Sai sneered.
The kitsune was instantly struck bytheir words and looked down, his face darkening as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Sakura looked worriedly at him as he slowly pulled out a kunai and pointed it at his hand. "Naruto?"
A cry suddenly filled the air as the Uzumaki boy pierced his own flesh with his kunai, letting the blood drip to the floor. The rest of the people watched with wide eyes. "I swear," he said with a shaky voice, "I swear on this oath, sealed with my own blood, that I, Uzumaki Naruto,will not run form the next battle or any others. I will face them head on and take any challenges thrown my way, but I will never back down. Never."
"Wow..." Kakashi said, "Naruto, that speech was touching and all but... you're going to die if you don't get that wound fixed."
The said boy's jaw dropped anime style. "OH MY GOD! GAH! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" he ran around in frantic, little circles. "SAVE ME, HELP ME, ANYBODDYYY!"
'Idiot, don't cut yourself and then whine about it!'
Sai and Sasuke scoffed at him while Kakashi and Tazuna sweat dropped. "Here," Sakura sighed, "Let me see." Naruto whimpered and offered his booboo to her. As she examined it, her eyes widened slightly as the cut glowed and slowly began to heal itself. 'Kyuubi...'
As soon as they were done, they were off again. Tazuna drifted towards the back of the group and walked next to Kakashi, listening to the jounin drone on about the mission status. Sakura plugged her ears as the boys fought over some trivial things. They walked on; not knowing the hardest part of the mission was yet to come.
Sorry for late update. Writer's block. Teehee.