"So we are being sent out as spies..." Gaara said, his sinister-looking face became intricately more scary. "I don't like the idea of merely spying... I'm here for the real action." He continued.

"But that is what is stated here!" Sakura exclaimed while showing Gaara a half-open scroll.

"I agree. If it turns out that the wave country isn't behind this at all and we attacked them, then we are putting Konoha in a dirty situation." Neji stated. "Naruto, what do you think is the best that we should do?" He asked.

Naruto was startled. He didn't expect Neji to ask him about the serious matter that will determine the moves of the whole team.

"Uhm... Eat?" Naruto answered hesitantly. He wasn't paying any attention at all to what the team has been discussing a while ago.

"Darn it..." Sasuke gritted.

SPANK! Naruto, again, received a punch from Sakura. Only this time, it was not that strong.

"Ouch!" He cried.

"Can't you think of a better idea? An idea that has connections to the subject?" Sakura said.

"You can do it Naruto, I know you can." said Neji.

"I am thinking! It's just that... That I'm not used to you relying on me this way... I-It's too weird." Naruto said while feeling his head for permanent injuries.

"It's okay... Just... Think..." Said Sasuke

"Sasuke"

"I wonder if he could think..." Gaara smirked.

"What the! Of course I can think!" Naruto shouted. He then sat flat on the floor, eyes closed and hands crossed as if thinking very hard. Very, very hard. Then, he opened his eyes and stared at the other four.

"Well spy... Yes-- hidden from sight and careful so that no one would suspect that we are there spying." Naruto said.

Gaara and Sakura looked at Naruto indifferently but in different manner. Gaara's eyes glowed with hollowly, while Sakura's with disbelief. Sasuke and Neji on the other hand looked at Naruto with both appreciation and satisfaction.

"And for Gaara's interest... We will move if ever we got attacked. But we will not do anything to provoke them." Naruto added while looking at Gaara softly.

"You're turning to a leader Naruto." Neji complemented.

" Actually, I asked Shikamaru about it..." Naruto confessed.

The four stared at him as if trying to figure out how'd he asked Shikamaru about the matter, but then again, they left the question hanging.

The five-man team started their mission by midday. Sakura and Neji throttled along the way first, followed by Naruto and Gaara, then Sasuke who trails slowly behind.

"You like some?" Naruto asked Gaara as he showed him frog-shaped biscuits.

"Where'd you get those?" Gaara asked looking a bit disgusted.

"Aa, Hinata gave that to me before we went off..." Naruto answered.

"Who is this Hinata? Your girlfriend?" Gaara asked.

"Huh?" Naruto eyed the predatory boy. "She's not my girlfriend..." Naruto defended.

"Really? Then why did she gave you those?"

"Stop asking! If you want some them have some!" Naruto said as he squeezes several biscuits into Gaara's mouth choking him harshly.

"Haha!" Naruto laughed.

"Cough... Cough... You're Dead!" Gaara threatened Naruto as he tries to clear his throat from the frog biscuits Naruto has squeezed into his mouth.

"Hahaha! The catch me if you can!" Naruto said, and without so much a preamble, he was zooming fast across the path. Gaara trailed behind.

Naruto went past Sakura and Neji who were both startled by his speed.

"DUCK!" Neji shouted to Sakura as he saw Gaara running after Naruto who seemed to look like wild, galloping horses on a stampede.

"Naruto! Gaara! That's not the way!..." Sakura shouted to the two who doesn't seemed to have heard her.

"Speaking of trouble..." Sasuke irritatedly said while closing behind Sakura and Neji.

"Come on! Let's follow them before--" Sakura said but just as she puts out her feet to walk, Neji grabbed her.

"Stop!" He said. "I sense..." Neji said while looking over the surrounding trees. "Byakuugan!" He shouted and his clear white eyes turned into a cracked, veined eyes. He continued looking over the surroundings as if searching for something that can't be perceived by the normal eyes.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"Look at the direction that Naruto and Gaara tooked..." Sasuke directed Sakura. "It is now covered in mist.

Sakura's mouth dropped. She could no longer see the path that the two had taken a while ago.

"This is a certified technique of a Jounin level ninja of the Wave country..." Neji confirmed.

"Hidden mist Technique..." Sakura said.

"Hold on tightly to me sakura. Sakura..." Neji stated as he grabs Sakura's left arm. "My Byakuugan could see through this..." He said.

"Sasuke.." Sakura exclaimed.

"Shut up! The enemy might hear you... I'll use my sharingan and see if I can find Naruto and Gaara." Sasuke stated. "And stay here..."

The mist had already closed upon the team. Sakura clinged tightly over Neji, listening for little sounds that might have been caused by the enemy. Neji stood vigilantly. His Byakuugan could see through the normal mist clearly, but since this is no ordinary mist, his vision is slightly blurred and limited.

"I can't find Naruto!" A voice like that of Sasuke dispersed from the mist.

"Sasuke? Is that you?" Sakura shouted.

"Yes! Come on! Let's find our way out of here!..." The voice said.

Barely seeing Sasuke, Sakura let go of Neji's arm and went towards the figure.

"No! Sakura, It's not Sasuke! It's a trap!" Neji shouted but he knew he was too late. He could no longer see sakura and the figure who took Sasuke's form.

"So will you you tell me where we are?" Gaara inquired to the confused Naruto beside him. "Your answer should better be good..." He added.

"Teehee... Well..."

"Well?"

"Well... We're lost..." Naruto said.

"And that is thanks to you Naruto..." Gaara said as he sat under a tree. "So now how will you get get us back?" He asked.

"Hey, I said we're lost, so how am I suppose to get us back? Who knows..." Naruto replied.

"Good... Just the two of us in the middle of an unchartered forest with Wave country ninjas looming around... Just great." Gaara said.

Naruto looked at Gaara who is now relaxing beneath the tree.

"I've noticed you've change a lot Gaara." He said.

"It's because of you..." Gaara frowned slightly. Naruto was puzzled.

"Found you two at last..." The cool sexy voice of Sasuke aired in the vicinity.

"Sasuke! You've come for me?" Naruto said.

"I must... I can't bear to leave you alone with this guy." Sasuke said while giving Gaara the look of disapproval.

"What do you mean?" Gaara asked threateningly but Sasuke ignored him.

"Come now, Neji and Sakura are in trouble." Sasuke said immediately. "In the mist..."

"What? Explain further! What mist? What happened?" Naruto asked briskly.

"I think we got spotted by ninjas of the wave country." Sasuke said. "Come on, there's no time to waste. Sakura and Neji might be in dangered!"

Naruto swallowed to dampen his dried-up throat.

What will now happen to Sakura and Neji because of his foolish prank? Naruto wondered... Eventually, they settled back towards the mist.

--

End of Second Chapter