Author's Note: Hey everybody! Thank you to all the kind reviewers out there! Hint Hint...just one review motivates my mind to right the next chapter. Sorry this one took so long! Well, enjoy! )
The sun was coming up, and Chikari put out the flame. "So much for 'more catching up to do'," She whispered to herself, " Right after Sasuke-san fell asleep, Sakura-chan fell asleep too!" She sat down and waited for the rest of Team 7 to wake up.
It was pretty late when Sasuke woke up. "Hey sleepy head," Chikari teased, "Have any nice dreams?" Sasuke looked up and saw Chikari smiling at him. "Why am I so nervous everytime she smiles at me?" Sasuke asked himself. A loud yawn was heard, followed by a blonde headed boy stretching. "Good morning Chikari-san!" Naruto said happily. He looked to her left and saw Sakura's head on her sister's shoulder. Nervously, he chuckled, "Ah, good morning to you too Sakura-chan!" "Wha?" Sakura's eyes fluttered. "Oh crap! I guess I fell asleep!" As Sakura rubbed her eyes, Chikari noticed Kakashi didn't get up as quickly as the rest of his team. "Kakashi-san?" She called. "Huh?" Sakura said out of habit. Curious, Chikari went over to Kakashi. "Kakashi-san?" She said again. Kakashi was snoring softly, and was hugging his beloved Icha Icha Paradise. Chikari looked at the team, "Shh," She gestured with her finger to her lips. She whispered something into Kakashi's ear, and instantly his eye shot open. "Where?WHERE?" He called out, his eyes frantically searching for something. Chikari fell into a fit of laughter and yelled out, "What a pervert!" while Kakashi started to blush and sweat drop. "Don't tempt me like that!" Kakashi sighed. On Team 7's mind, was one question, what did Chikari say?
Kakashi sighed once again today. "Chikari-san," he started, "You were chunin at 9, and became the jounin you are today. Our lives are almost alike. But the missions are for TEAM 7. Not for Haruno Chikari." Tossing one of her braids aside (she wears them in two), she returned his sigh with her own sigh. "Kakashi-san, I just want this 'mission' to be over with! I want to see my parents again! I want to see Konoha again! I want to-" "Chikari-san, we're IN Konoha." Sasuke said in a as-a-matter-of-fact-ly way. Chikari stood their with embarassment, and said, "What do you mean?" Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away to avoid eye contact with her. "We're in the forest." "F-forest?" Chikari stuttered, "This must be the forest near where I was..." She ran west, and sliced through a few bushes. There standing before her, was the playground. The blue sand box, The red swings, and the yellow slides. The green teeter totter was still there, as well as the red,blue, and yellow merry-go-round. Chikari stood there, letting the scene soak in. Closing her eyes, she vividly remembered that day she was separated from her parents. A few minutes later, Team 7 caught up with her. "Why is she at the deserted playground?" Naruto whispered to nobody in particular. When Chikari's eyes opened, her playground aged 12 years since she was last there (she's 15). The sandbox had no sand in it, and the paint chipped off. The once proudly swinging swings were broken and standing on one chain. The mighty yellow slide was covered with orange rust instead. The teeter totters all broken and covered with mold. The wind barely made the merry-go-round turn.
Chikari's eyes now filled with tears. "W-w-what...happened?" She hardly choked out. Kakashi sighed. Seeing Chikari like this was heart wrenching. "After...after you and your brother were kidnapped, nobody dared come to this park in fear their children would be taken also. Since then, everybody left this place to..." Kakashi scratched his head, thinking of a nicer word than "rot". "They left this place to rot didn't they, Kakashi-san," Chikari said, with her head low. "They didn't bother relocating it...did they?" Her bangs were covering her eyes, which were filled with sorrow. Turning, Chikari said, "Sakura-chan, lets go home. I want to meet Mom and Dad again." "She...She didn't cry?" Sasuke thought, "When my parents were killed, my whole village, I was bawling...this playground meant a lot to her...and...there aren't any tears to show?" "Chi...Chikari-san..." Naruto said quietly, "Why aren't you...crying?" He braced for the worst, but all she did was turn her head and said, "Shinobi don't show their emotions." Kakashi said to his group, "I guess...the mission is finished."