THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR REVIEWING! I'M JUST GOING TO APOLOGIZE BEFORE HAND BECAUSE THIS CHAPTER DOESN'T HAVE MUCH OF NARUTO AND SASUKE BUT I PROMISE THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL HAVE MORE OF THEM. I hope you enjoy this chapter because... uh.. yea... please do reveiw again. anything helps motivate me to go on. suggestions and ideas are all welcome!
DISCLAIMER is that I do not own Naruto or anything having to do with it. I also do not write this for any kind of profit so please don't sue me.
warnings- yaoi every where.
enjoy everyone!
Sakura, Ino, & Hinata
"This is really quite sad." Green eyes filled with crocodile tears, blond lashes lowered demurely. Silky blond bangs brushed the table top as Yamanaka Ino bobbed her lowered head in distress. "Why?" She moaned.
"Get over it, Ino." An annoyed Haruno Sakura grumbled. "It was bound to happen." China clinked softly within the dimly illuminated tea house. Sakura calmly drank her tea enjoying the hot spicy taste. It wasn't often that she got the chance to just simply relax. Being a medic-nin meant she was constantly on demand; for missions and at the hospital.
"But just because Sasuke and Naruto…. Doesn't mean everyone else too!" Ino whined. A tick started above Sakura's eyebrow. It was generally forbidden to mention Sasuke's name around Sakura. It reminded her too much of all that she had lost… not that she had much to begin with anyway.
"Ino… maybe… you're just seeing things." Hyuuga Hinata added softly. She had come a long way from that shy stuttering girl from their genin days. Now confident she no longer stuttered when she talked, or lowered her eyes blushing and mumbling. Hinata now though still soft spoken, had a force behind her words and a strength to her gaze.
Ino glared at the pupil-less eyed girl. "You're just saying that because you're married." She snapped. Then she turned to the pink haired girl that after all the years had remained a stead fast friend and rival. "And you at least have Lee." Sakura snorted tea cup poised in midair when she heard what Ino had said.
"Please, Ino-pig. You think I'm eager to get myself murdered by Gaara?" Ino and Hinata blinked blankly at Sakura. She smirked at them. "Yes, that's right, Gaara." She gently placed the tea cup back down her smirk growing. She held up one finger. "The Jounin exams a year ago. I ran into Gaara…" Her face grew thoughtful. "He was quite… forceful about Lee being his."
"He threatened you?" Ino leaned in to whisper. "Over Lee! Rock Lee?"
Sakura nodded. "Ooooh." Hinata and Ino breathed at the same time. They both sat back. A thoughtful silence fell over the small group. Sakura and Ino jumped when Ino suddenly slammed a fist down on the table top. Patrons around the small tea house glared at them.
"This still doesn't solve the problems of all the hot guys going gay." Ino whined.
"There's Choji." Hinata offered with a slight smile. Ino gagged and glared at the smaller woman.
"Ha, that was so funny, Hinata." She said dryly. "I thought me and Shikamaru were going to get it on… but every time I go near Shikamaru Neji keeps glaring at me. It's creepy. And every time I try to go near Neji, Shikamaru glares at me!"
Hinata nodded in agreement. "Same with Kiba and Shino. There was this one time I was going to kiss Kiba and…" She trailed off and suddenly blushed. Sakura raised an eyebrow and Ino leaned forward eager to hear the story. "And.. I got stung by a bee."
"That's it?" Ino sat back in a huff.
Hinata flushed brighter. "Multiple times and Shino was just standing there staring at me through his glasses. I could feel it." She whispered. Sakura snorted before starting to laugh.
"By the way… where are they?" Ino demanded. "I haven't seen Lee or Shikamaru around."
"Neji too."
"Come to think of it… I haven't seen Naruto around either. And I don't remember hearing Tsunade-sama giving him any missions too." The ladies contemplated this mystery for a few seconds in silence.
"It's a conspiracy. It's one big conspiracy to turn and keep our men gay!" Ino declared. Sakura and Hinata stared at her.
"Che, please Ino-pig. Even that's a little desperate for you. Let's just admit it ladies. All our male comrades are taken, like it or not." She declared. Hinata nodded agreeing with her words. Ino scowled glaring at Sakura.
"How come you're so cheerful?"
"Because." She replied simply.
"Oh? Little miss medic-nin has herself a date, eh?" Sakura grinned neither agreeing nor denying the question. Ino grumbled to herself while Hinata just smiled.
Five hours earlier- The Group
Neji didn't like Sasuke. Never had and probably never will. It probably had something to do with his near death experience while on the retrieval team that had gone after that ungrateful bastard. But then again it might have been due to that one episode when Naruto decided out of no where to go haring off after the Uchiha to help save his ass from Orochimaru. And then, even then, Uchiha had chosen to remain. And of course one can not forget how they had arrived to find Sasuke standing over Naruto's unconscious form mangekyou sharingan spinning crazily and a kunai in hand dripping blood over the blond. How they had killed Orochimaru was something Neji didn't know and didn't want to know. He had thought that this would be the last they would see of that… Uchiha and yet it wasn't. Oh no, Naruto had to go running off again a few years later. The Hokage had sent him along with Shikamaru to hunt the kyuubi boy down. This time it was the fight against Itachi. Again like the fight against Orochimaru, they had made it only after the fight had finished. Maybe his whole problem with the Uchiha laid with Naruto.
Neji mentally snarled at the thought. He personally saw Naruto like a blood brother even if they weren't. And Sasuke treated Naruto like shit. A sharp pain in his ribs from where Shikamaru had jabbed him dragged his mind back to the matter. Instead of Naruto scattering off like usual, this time it was Sasuke. Kakashi had confirmed it after doing another run through of the house with his sharingan. The room was pretty empty at five in the morning. Tsunade-sama sat behind her desk her hands pressed tightly together with her chin resting on the clasped hands and her elbows digging into the wood of her desk. Kakashi slouched a few feet in front of the desk not late for once with Iruka standing at attention fairly close to the copy-nin. Shikamaru copied Kakashi's stance with both hands tucked into pockets. His eyes were half closed as he peered in boredom as Tsunade rambled on about certain points of their mission to retrieve Naruto. Gaara stood next to Neji, feet apart and arms crossed with his enormous gourd strapped to his back. Lee was right next to him, hands planted on his waist and legs apart to brace himself.
"Is that clear?" They all nodded. "Did you guys even hear half of what I said?" The majority of them stared at her blankly. Iruka groaned and Gaara glared. Tsunade sighed. "Just get the baka gaki back. I leave it up to you to retrieve him as you wish."
"And Uchiha?" Gaara demanded in a soft deadly cold voice.
Tsunade rubbed a hand over her eyes. "If he is dangerous, take him out. If he is not threatening then just get Naruto back… and I am getting too old to be dealing with those two." She grumbled the last part. She tossed Kakashi a scroll. "There. Details provided inside. Return in one piece." Kakashi unrolled the scroll and arched the one visible eyebrow.
"You are sending six people after Naruto and this is ranked as a class D mission?" He inquired.
Tsunade shrugged. "So sue me. Now scram. Get outta here." They all turned to leave. "I expect a report in a week!" She called after them.
Shikamaru sighed his this-is-so-freaking-exasperating sigh and rolled his eyes up to peer at the pinkening sky. "Maaa…… Naruto…. Sasuke… che.. So troublesome." He muttered to himself. Neji peered at the other shin obi from the corner of his eyes. Beside him, Gaara was talking softly with Iruka and Lee. Kakashi shuffled ahead one hand in a pocket the other holding up a small red-ish pink book. It didn't take them long to reach the gates of Konoha. The guard at the watch tower waved at them as the gigantic doors swung open.
"Why is there so many people going after Naruto anyway?" Lee suddenly asked as they passed the gates. Everyone except Gaara stared at him in surprise.
"You've never tried to go after the two, I take it?" Iruka inquired. Shikamaru made an annoyed sound but chose not to comment.
"Separating the two is like…." Kakashi trailed off waving his open book slightly as he tried to find the right analogy to describe the two.
"Taking the lemon out of lemonade." Neji deadpanned. Iruka and Kakashi chuckled.
"I was going to say taking the youth charm from Tsunade-sama." He gave a dramatic shudder. "Very unpleasant- itai!" He shot a wounded look at the scowling brunette chuunin.
"What was that again, Kakashi-sensei?" He asked with a forced pissed off looking smile. Kakashi gave off a slight whimper and shook his head before burying it in his book again. Neji rolled his eyes. Seriously… those two were either great elder genius' or…. Or something else entirely.
"Is it hard then to remove Naruto from Sasuke?" Lee continued to ask.
"Not hard… per say." Neji replied hesitantly. "It's more like…"
"Painful and too troublesome to boot." Shikamaru said slowly and lazily. Lee still looked slightly puzzled.
"It's not so bad." Kakashi said voice drifting up from behind his book.
Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You've only done retrieval duty once and that was back when Sasuke first ran away." Kakashi looked slightly offended. "After that it has always been me and Shikamaru. The first time with Kiba after Orochimaru's death and the second with Chouji after Itachi's death."
"But what makes it so difficult?"
"Uchiha." Gaara offered speaking up for once that morning. They all fell silent after that each one lost in their own thoughts. Lee scratched his head then beamed and struck a good guy pose.
"Well, if it's the last thing we do, we'll get Naruto back!" He declared cheerfully. He then proceeded to skip, run, and bounce on ahead. Gaara followed close behind amazingly at a slow pace with his arms crossed and face expressionless. Shikamaru still had his hands tucked into his pants pockets yet he was now staring up at the sky where clouds were becoming more and more visible as the sky lightened. Iruka remained silent yet alert as he continuously scanned their surroundings for any sign of danger. Kakashi's face was still buried in his book. Neji paced himself beside Shikamaru relaxed but also alert. "Where to?"
"The Sound." Kakashi replied. Neji cursed and Shikamaru groaned.
Present Time- Shino & Kiba
Shino stood with his hands tucked into his coat pockets waiting patiently and silently for Kiba to come out of the vet. He still wore the large jacket from his genin days along with the sunglasses. Loud barking drew his attention back to the small animal hospital. The glass doors swung open and Akamaru ran straight towards Shino. Kiba came out afterwards cursing up a storm. He looked pissed as he jerked the hood of his jacket up. "Stupid woman. Don't know jack shit about jack shit. And they call her a doctor!" Kiba hissed. Shino was about to reply but got distracted when Akamaru pawed and whined at his leg. Surprised, Shino bent and picked up the little white dog. There was a tickling sensation a long his skin and an inquiring prickle in his mind. A second later a steady stream of black bugs poured out to investigate Akamaru. Kiba stopped mid rant and stared curiously as what looked like a small black cloud moved to cover his dog. Akamaru to his credit didn't panic but stilled and allowed the bugs to move over his fur and skin even giving the occasional wag of his tail.
Kiba took a few hesitant steps forward before halting in front of Shino. He reached out a hand but paused just shy of touching the dog. Slitted black eyes flicked up to meet the ones hidden behind dark shades. There was a small nod from Shino. Kiba rested his hand over the swarming mass of bugs. Instantly they flooded over his hand and arm. Thousands of tiny feet ran over his sensitive skin giving off an odd combination of a soothing yet ticklish feeling. Kiba chuckled. "How can you stand it? Doesn't it tickle you?" He watched as the bugs quickly swarmed back into Shino's sleeves. Shino shrugged and handed Akamaru back to Kiba.
"You get used to it." He replied. They both turned and proceeded down the busy central street. Akamaru wiggled in Kiba's grip and fell onto the ground. He was up and about in seconds running ahead. The two shin obi observed silently though as they walked, unintentionally, they drifted closer and closer together until their shoulders brushed with every step. Kiba stiffened suddenly then relaxed. Shino slid him a curiously look from behind dark glasses. Kiba's eyes narrowed at something ahead. His lips parted a formed a name; Akamaru. Shino dragged his eyes away from the other boy's lips and tried to find the white dog. Sure enough, not far away it danced around three girls. One with pale pink hair, wheat blond hair, and blue black hair. Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino , and Hyuuga Hinata. Kiba grinned and flounced over to them cheerfully. Shino followed at a more sedate pace.
"Good morning ladies!" He called. The three turned and stared at him. "Sakura, Ino, and Hinata! Lovely as always." He skidded to a halt in front of them and sniffed the air delicately before beaming at Hinata. "Congratulations. I see you're pregnant." She blushed.
"Thank you, Kiba. Is Akamaru doing better? Oh, hello there Shino." She greeted. He inclined his head to return her greeting.
"Good, good, good." Kiba replied. "Sakura, I heard that you're dating my cousin, Kouga." He leaned in closer. "I'd better watch him if I were you. He has a habit of biting." She chuckled. He patted her shoulder. "You're welcome to ditch him any time and get with me." He offered. Shino caught the stage whisper and instantly glared at Sakura. Get with Kiba over my dead body, Shino thought fiercely. He had no qualms about setting his bugs on the pink haired medic-nin if she so much as looked at Kiba wrong.
A delicate pale hand shot out of nowhere and shoved Kiba away from Sakura. "Keep dreaming, dog boy." Ino declared. She darted a quick look between the two boys before suddenly leaning closer to Kiba. "But you know… I'm always- ow! The hell?" She stumbled back slightly slapping at the skin on her elbow. She peered at the slightly reddened skin. Hinata and Sakura started to laugh while Ino glared at Shino and grumbled. He smirked at her although the smirk was hidden from view with the collar of his jacket and sun glasses. She seemed to know though because Ino spun away and stomped off in a huff. Hinata and Sakura apologized before hurrying after their friend.
Kiba looked puzzled as he watched the crowd close behind them. "What the hell was that?" Shino shrugged his smirk growing.
Sasuke & Naruto:
Sasuke was ready to kill the blond dobe. Naruto… put new meaning to the word annoying. A day after being kidnapped Sasuke had had to bind the idiot's mouth shut. A day because Naruto had stayed unconscious for a whole day. After he had woken up… well he just wouldn't shut up. Ramen this, ramen that. Kick your butt this, kick your butt that. Hokage this, Hokage that… and well, you get the idea because Sasuke certainly had. But even with this mouth bound shut, the dobe started humming! Thus it was with a bound and trussed up unconscious Naruto slung over his shoulder that Sasuke stepped back into Sound territory seven days later. He didn't actually live in Sound, more like on the outskirts of Sound in the back territories. He skirted the villages not in the mood to explain or greet anyone thus it took longer then he'd calculated. So seven days and five hours later, Sasuke finally stepped into his small cabin home in the middle of the forest. Naruto still hadn't woken up to his relief. After toeing off his shoes, he carried Naruto all the way to his bedroom and tied him down; arms up to the bedpost and legs to the end.
Sasuke eyed the blondes mouth and after a moment of hesitation took off the bindings. Then he left the room to go and find something to eat and run some errands in the village. To his surprise, when he returned three hours later the house was still silent. That is until- "SASUKE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He rolled his eyes at Naruto's screaming and calmly toed off his shoe before turning to lock the door. He deposited the bags of cup ramen that he found on the kitchen counter and strolled slowly down the hallway to his room. "TEME! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!"
"Dobe." Naruto's head immediately snapped around his eyes still scrunched tightly shut in a scowl.
"SASUKE! What they hell are you playing at you bastard!" Sasuke smirked letting the door swing shut behind him. Finally he could begin his plan.
TBC...
Extra Oneshot
This was an interesting feeling. Gaara had never felt it's effect before thus it was with a slightly puzzled expression that he stopped in his tracks to better analyze. Was it a jutsu to get him off guard? This odd fluttering in his stomach… the happy skip of his heart every time… his companion clamped a hand on his shoulder head tilted with a concerned expression. "Are you okay, Gaara?" His shoulder burned where Lee was holding him. His heartbeat had sped up and the fluttery feeling in his stomach had intensified. Gaara stared at Lee unblinkingly with emerald green eyes. Lee returned stare for stare. Then started to fidget after a moment and released the red head's shoulder. Gaara quickly caught the hand his heart giving an odd skip when Lee didn't try to jerk his hand away. It was with a narrow analytical look in his eyes, that Gaara turned Lee's hand this way and that trying to find what was so special about it. Unintentionally his slender fingers were caressing the roughed calluses and tight skin. The hand didn't look so special, Gaara decided with a slightly mental frown. He looked up to find a slight red flush in the smaller boy's cheeks. Gaara dropped the hand not showing his disappointment and turned to walk away. He didn't understand. "Gaara! Hold on!" As he walked further away the feelings started to vanish! Gaara stopped in his tracks. This was… He tilted his head, face still expressionless, in confusion. What was this?
Before Lee could catch up with the Sand shin obi, Gaara had already vanished in a swirl of sand. He was going to go and do some thinking.
The sky had just darkened into a bruised blue. With the sun setting, the majority of the exams had already finished and participants were returning to their rooms. Gaara watched the door intently going over his words carefully inside his mind. Shakaku was being suspiciously silent not pitching in his two cents for once. There was a click before the door swung open. The lights flickered on along with a long drawn out sigh. "Eep! Ga-Gaara! What are you doing here?" Temari, his older sister jumped accidentally slamming her door shut. Blond hair fell in limp wisps around her round face and yet it was with alert gray blue eyes that she studied him.
"What does it mean when you a…. weird feeling in your stomach and your heart speeds up every time you are around a person?" Gaara asked bluntly. Temari blinked at her younger brother. Gray blue eyes flickered and she pursed her lips as she propped the large fan behind her back by the bed.
"Um, well… do you think about her a lot?" Gaara looked startled at the question.
"Her? No, it's a him." He replied.
She blinked and her lips formed an 'O' in stunned surprise. "Oh………………….. Okay. Um… well… I guess… well, uh… do you think about him a lot?" Gaara tilted his head and thought about it. He nodded. "Oh… uh.. I guess that means that you like them." He stared at her slightly puzzled.
"Like?"
"Yeah, you know. Uh, like, as in like, like." He nodded as if understanding but he didn't get it. Not at all. He already knew that he liked Lee. He liked a lot of people. Temari, Kankurou, Naruto… and… Lee! Yeah, but that was it.
"I know I like him. I like you, Kankurou, and Naruto too." He replied. She blinked.
"No, I don't mean like that. Like as in you want to date him. Have him all to yourself and no one else. You want to k-kiss him and uh… yeah." She explained with a slight blush.
"Kiss?" He thought about it some more. Kiss Lee? He imagined Lee standing there with that slightly angry expression, eye brows scrunched close and lower lip jutting out. Kiss…. Hmm… Gaara abruptly stood up. "Kiss… yes." He left the room absently waving good bye to his sister and closing the door. He walked slowly down the hallway back to his room verses just jutsu-ing there like usual.
"…ing you to it."
"B-but Sakura-chan!"
"I'm sorry Lee, but something came up and…" Gaara's head snapped up at the mention of the name of the boy currently running circles in his mind. Down the hallway and almost hidden in the shadows, were two figures. One tall and obviously male while the other was shorted and female. Gaara made an annoyed sound. It was that… that pink girl.. What was her name? Sakuno? No… uh… Sakura! That's right, that weak medic-nin with the disgustingly pink hair. There was a few more whispered words before the two parted and the girl started his way. He watched her and came to a mental decision. Lee was his. He liked Lee and wanted to kiss Lee and thus no one else should have that right but him! The girl looked up in surprise when he stepped away from the shadows. She gave him a weak and forced smile trying to walk past him. He grabbed her arm not bothering to be gentle.
"Lee is mine. If I catch you near Lee again, I will not be responsible for my actions." Gaara hissed softly. She paled. "Is that understood?" She nodded frantically and he released her. She shot him a horrified look and took off. He grinned smugly to himself. Yes, Lee was all his and he would kill any one who got in his way. Chuckling at his ingenious plan, Gaara once again melded to the shadows and slowly took himself back to his rooms.
Thank for reading this chapter. I will update soon, uh... unsure of how soon but soon. I hope you've enjoyed the extra. Please Read and Review and again I'm sorry about the lack of Sasuke and Naruto. But do keep in mind that the focus of this story is not entirely ON sasuke and naruto but rather the other couples and their developing relationships.
So again many thanks and please read and review my other stories too!