I am so bored….

In other news interesting things happening recently, directly involved with fanfiction. Apparently, the MPAA (the people who own the movie rating system) have started to issue letters ordering fanfiction writers to cease and desist using their rating system for stories. Personally, I think this is quite odd since they haven't gone after big archiving sites (like this one) but after small fry authors who put stories up on their own websites. I did an Internet search to see if only small websites came up, but Fanfiction net was the first search result…. (shrugs) Whatever, just a heads up in case this site gets a CandD letter too and has to be shut down to totally revamp the way we do ratings.

Chapter 16: The Task Part 1

Note: This chapter is written following what happens to the students as they attempt to complete today's mission. Next chapter will be the same thing only following Kakashi and Mitsuki around. Why? ... I'm lazy and it seems the right length to break it up like that... So sue me! Besides, you have to be nice to me for... Today's my birthday! Yatta!

Monday: Day One

"Go ahead, he says. I'll catch up, he says," Kajika growled to herself, glaring at the ground. "Well it's been an hour and a bloody half Kakashi and where the hell are you?"

"Go fish," Sakura said, hiding her cards so Naruto wouldn't know that she'd been lying about not having any twos. "Why don't you join us, Kajika-san?" she asked smiling. "Kakashi-sensei shouldn't be here for another half hour."

"Is he really always this late?" Mitsuki asked, handing her five over to Sasuke.

Naruto nodded. "Hai, though he's gotten better lately."

"Probably because Mitsuki-san's been forcing him out the door," Sasuke muttered, glaring at Sakura, just daring her to ask for his queen.

Sakura opened her mouth then shut it, turning to Naruto. "Hey Naruto, got any sevens?"

Naruto tossed the card over at Sakura, pouting. "I'm getting bored," he whined, stretching.

"That's because you're losing."

"NOT TRUE! I only wanna know when Kaka-sensei's gonna hurry up and get here!"

"Ohaiyou!" Kakashi said brightly, suddenly appearing at the end of the bridge. He blinked at them all. "Playing cards in the snow?"

Sakura collected the cards, slipping them back into her hip back. "A ninja must always be prepared Kakashi-sensei."

"Where the hell have you been?" Kajika bellowed, leaping forward to punch Kakashi in the face.

Kakashi smiled, blocking the blow. "I've been busy," he said vaguely. Still smiling he patted Kajika on the head. "Maa... Calm down, you'll like this, Kajika-chan. Everyone, Tsunade-sama has approved us for an important training exercise devised by myself."

Naruto and Sakura groaned while Sasuke rolled his eyes.

He blinked. "What?"

"The last time you said we had a special training mission we got lost in the woods!" Sakura complained, frowning at her teacher.

"And giant bats with noses held us prisoner!" Naruto added, nodding.

"And we got her," Sasuke growled, glaring at Kajika.

The kitsune stuck her tongue out at the boy as Kakashi thought that over. It was true, the last training mission they had was the survival training… And they had been held prisoner by Tengu… And they had been led on a wild goose chase by Kajika and then been followed home by her… "This one will be different," he promised, pulling out four strips of paper.

"Better be…"

He ignored that comment, handing out the slips of paper. "Today's mission will be a bit like the Chuunin test. Hidden throughout the countryside are scrolls, each one colour coded. Sakura, you will be collecting the white scrolls, Sasuke brown, Naruto black, and Kajika green."

"What?" Kajika shrieked, glaring at the taller man. "I'm not part of your stupid team! You can't boss me around, Kashi-baka!"

He patted her on the head. "Maa… But just yesterday you were complaining on how bored you were. Besides, I already told you that you'd like this assignment, Kajika-chan."

"Hmph."

"Written on the sheet of paper I gave you is a set of clues telling you where the scrolls may be found. Feel free to open the scrolls as you find them. Each scroll will give you a hint telling you where Mitsuki and I will be hiding out at."

Mitsuki blinked. "We're going someplace?"

Kakashi nodded, still smiling. "Hai. Whoever finds me first will receive a special prize. You have two weeks to complete your mission. Any questions?"

Sasuke and Sakura solemly shook their heads while Naruto began intently studying his clues. Kajika scoffed and tossed the instructions over her shoulder and into the rushing water. "Heh, this is going to be too easy," she said smirking and cracking her knuckles. "All I have to do is follow the scent of stupid and-"

"I didn't hide your scrolls Kajika-chan."

Kajika blinked, looking up at him. "Who did then?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Someone you don't know."

Kajika swore, diving over the bridge railing and searching for her slip of paper.

"Any other questions? ….No? Then begin."

Sasuke had ten clues with two weeks to find them. This was going to be too easy... Scanning the list he rushed off to the east. His first clue had said 'salty water' which of course had to mean the ocean...

Sakura hesitated only a moment before heading north. She had five clues and the first was easiest but Kakashi-sensei couldn't possibly mean for her to go near the Sound's country could he? But that was the only place she could think of that had 'statues of friends that touch the sky.'

Naruto blinked glancing up nervously at a reading Kakashi and a puzzled looking Mitsuki. He couldn't read his sensei's stupid handwriting... Well, he seemed to be reading that book pretty intently... "Ano... Mitsuki-neechan?" he whispered quietly, pulling on the older girl's sleeve.

Mitsuki glanced at the boy before leaning over. "Hai?"

"I can't read my clues."

She glanced over at Kakashi. He didn't seem to be paying attention... Accepting the slip of paper she sweatdropped as she read it. Kami this handwriting is bad... Is that a kanji? ...If it is, which one is it? "Ano... I think is says... Mori no...ame... ga... furu? So... The forest's rain... The second one is... South... point... no it says south peninsula! And the third is Ancient Death on the Field."

Naruto sighed, relived. "Arigatou Mitsuki-neechan..."

Mitsuki smiled at him, patting him on the head. "Good luck Naruto-kun, see you in two weeks!"

Grinning widely Naruto rushed off to the west. The forest's rain probably had something to do with the border with the Hidden Village of Rain. Since it was first on the list he'd go there first. Besides, he only had three clues...

Kajika dragged herself out of the water and shook herself off like a dog. She hated getting wet, because it took so long for her fur to dry. Then again she was in human form... But there wasn't a hairdryer around... That bastard Kakashi...

"NANI?" she shrieked, opening up her set of clues. "Fourteen?" She glared up at Kakashi. She had to find one scroll a day or else she'd never be able to find him. Grumbling obscenities under her breath she took off towards the south. The first clue had only been the word 'Home.' Easy enough, all she had to do was stop at her den long enough to grab her scroll... She'd show Kakashi! He may not had hid her scrolls, but as soon as she caught the scent of the one that did she was going to get all her scrolls in record time!

Everyone now gone, Kakashi shut his book, tucking it into his vest pocket. "Ready to go?" he asked, smiling at Mitsuki.

Mitsuki sighed, picking up the jackets Sakura and Kajika had left behind. "Where are we going?"

Kakashi grinned slyly, taking the objects from her. "You'll find out when we get there."

Wednesday: Day Three

Sasuke carefully surveyed the area, studying every rise and fall of the land. There had to be a scroll here, it couldn't be anywhere else. He'd found the scroll at the ocean's edge easy enough, why couldn't he find the battlefield one? Sure, there were plenty of battlefields throughout Konoha, but this was the last one. He'd searched all the others. Maybe there was a smaller field somewhere that he hadn't thought of? One wher- There! In the ground!

Diving forward, Sasuke pulled the scroll out of the ground then swore when he saw it's colour was black. That meant it was Naruto's... Unceremoniously, he dropped the scroll to the ground before pausing to pick it back up. Maybe it would come in handy... With that in mind he continued to search, wondering when are where he'd find his second brown scroll.

Thursday: Day Four

Sakura sat by the river bank and shivered. She needed to get moving again, needed to find her second scroll. But which clue to follow? The first clue that led to the statues at the Sound border had been a dead end, plus she'd nearly been killed by traps set to keep enemy ninjas out of the area. Then, she'd been able to find her first scroll by following the second hint while the third clue was another dead end. Now which one to follow, the third or the fourth?

Well, the fourth was closer. Standing she brushed herself off before heading south wondering how hard it would be to find Kajika's den...

Friday: Day Five

Kajika was starting to get desperate. Having gone through seven clues and only finding one scroll she knew she was severely behind. But she had been so sure that all the places she had gone were right! Where else was there a great waterfall then at the border between the Sound and the Fire? She'd searched the entire coast looking for the 'scroll among the waves' and now she was standing at the edge of the largest lake in the Country of Fire hoping desperately that there was a scroll hidden somewhere in it's freezing, murky depths.

Now what had her mother told her about summoning Water Ryuu (dragons) again? Oh yeah, they were strong and didn't taste good, making them an unfit source of food. Humans were easier to catch and sweeter to eat... That didn't help. Stay out of range. Despite their size, Ryuu are fast. That helped a bit. The funniest joke ever is about when a Human, a Tengu, and a Ryuu walk into a bar and the Human says...

That didn't help at all!

Cursing under her breath and mentally damning her mother to hell, Kajika extended enough of her aura out to the water to alert the creature to her presence before jumping up and down on the frozen part of the water. "Hey!" she shouted, grinding her foot into the ice. "HEY! Wake up you stupid Ryuu! Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wa-"

The Ryuu burst out of the lake sending huge chunks of ice and water everywhere. Kajika shrieked and dove for land as the huge beast made a swipe at her. Roaring in effort, the huge Ryuu dragged it's waterlogged body out of the water and followed her, plowing through the trees and making the ground shake with every step as he gave chase.

Ryuu are very testy brutes, Kajika suddenly remembered, her mother's voice coming into her head. Really nasty, especially after being woken up. If you ever gotta be a little shit head and wake one of those damn fuckers up, be nice about it, got that brat? If not, they'll gobble you up like you were some sort of human babe.

Diving ahead and rolling to get out from under the Ryuu's foot, Kajika mentally sighed before shifting into her Kitsune form. She should have listened to her mother more... May that bitch rot in hell...

Once again on four legs, Kajika turned tail and ran wondering who would tire first and what would happen when one did.

He had three lousy clues! Three! That meant three lousy scrolls! So why couldn't he find a single one? Could Mitsuki-neechan have been lying to him when she told him what Kakashi-sensei's messy handwriting meant? Naruto didn't think she'd be that mean to him but...

Dropping down on the ancient battlefield Naruto blinked as he saw Sasuke's stooped form searching through some tall grass to the side. What's he doing here?

Before Naruto could announce himself, Sasuke straightened, glaring over his shoulder at the blond haired ninja. "What are you doing here, dobe?" he growled, turning and crossing his arms.

Naruto scoffed, glaring back. "I'm here to find my scroll Sasuke-bastard! Now what are you doing here?"

"Looking for my scroll," Sasuke snapped back, his glare intensifying. He paused, a thought coming to mind. "How many scrolls have you found?" he asked turning to continue his search like he didn't care.

Naruto froze for a moment. "Two of three!" he lied, adopting a smug look on his face. "You?"

Sasuke's eyes widened and he was glad Naruto couldn't see his face. That idiot had almost found all his scrolls? He'd only managed to find one of his and he had ten scrolls to find. Oh no... That meant that the one remaining scroll Naruto needed was in his pocket...Now what was he supposed to do? He couldn't exactly give the scroll to his teammate and let him win, but at the same time he couldn't sabotage him either. "Need one more," he growled, his search intensifying as he peered through the tall grass.

Naruto gulped feeling nervous. At this rate Sasuke was going to find all his scrolls before him! That was completely unacceptable. He needed to pick up the pace before it was too late!

Saturday: Day Six

Panting, Kajika lay on her back, glaring upside down at the Ryuu which had crawled back into it's lake and was glaring at her. "What?" she snapped, sitting up and flashing her fangs at the creature menacingly.

"I'm still waiting," the ryuu said haughtily, folding his scaled paws over each other and gazing down at her.

"For what?"

"My apology."

"APOLOGY?"

"For waking me."

"Like hell I'm gonna apologize for that!"

"You better you little brat or else I'll eat your scrawny ass!"

"I'd like to see you try lizard breath!"

Both creatures hauled themselves to their feet before collapsing again, too tired to attack. Glaring at each other, they sat in silence for a long time.

"Sorry," Kajika said abruptly turning her gaze to the ground.

The Ryuu preened, smiling smugly.

"SORRY YOU'RE SUCH AN UGLY ASS!" she bellowed, laughing loudly in triumph.

Roaring in rage, the Ryuu made a swipe at her. "Little piece of shit!"

Kajika jumped to the side then giggled again as she and the Ryuu collapsed again. "I'm tired..." she laughed, staring up at the sky.

Laying it's head down on the shore, the Ryuu snorted in agreement. "I was having such a lovely nap before you came," it moaned, closing it's eyes. "Such lovely dreams too... I was dreaming that I was eating an entire village of plump, juicy samurai..."

From across the lake they heard someone shriek in surprise. Kajika raised an arm in greeting. "Hey Sakura-chan!"

Sakura walked over, her eyes wide as she surveyed the huge dragon and all the damage that had been done. "What happened?" she demanded, her eyes wide.

"That brat woke me up," the Ryuu huffed, flicking it's tail in the Kitsune's direction.

"He has my scroll," Kajika growled in return.

Both Sakura and the Ryuu blinked. Scroll? "My clue says I have a scroll around here somewhere too!" Sakura said, looking excited. "Do you have my scroll as well, Ryuu-san?"

"Scroll?" the Ryuu repeated, looking puzzled. It shrugged it's giant shoulder lazily. "How should I know? I've been sleeping for the last three centuries..."

"Well do you have any green scrolls down there?"

"Or any white ones?" Sakura added.

The ryuu shrugged again. "If you want scrolls I'll give you them..." it said raising itself up to crawl back into it's lake. With a large splash it dissappeared under the lake's surface.

Grinning widely, Sakura hummed cheerfully. At last! She was finally going to get her second scroll. "Ne, Kajika-chan, how many of the scrolls have you found?"

Kajika pouted, crossing her arms. "None."

Sakura blinked then smiled at her apologetically. "I've only been able to find one."

"Well-"

There was an explosion of water and the Ryuu was back, pushing a pile of scrolls, six feet high at the two girls. "Happy hunting," he yawned, closing his eyes. "I'm going back to bed..."

Kajika groaned as she looked at the pile, making rude gestures at the ryuu as it went back into it's lake. "I'm never going to find my scrolls," she groaned, flopping back onto the ground.

Sakura sighed. Could her scroll really be in that giant pile? Mentally thinking up terrible punishments for her teacher, she began digging through the mess.

Sunday: Day Seven

"Found it!" Kajika screamed in triumph brandishing the scroll above her head. Grinning madly, she ripped off the string holding it shut and opened it.

Sakura sighed, flopping back. It was good that Kajika had found her first scroll, but now she didn't have any hints to where her own scroll could be. This lake had been her last clue too! Now where was she supposed to search?

"What the hell, Kakashi?" Kajika growled, turning her scroll this way then that. "This has to the be worst fricking calligraphy ever."

Sakura nodded in agreement. Kakashi-sensei's handwriting truly was terrible. Getting up, she walked over to Kajika and read the scroll over her shoulder. "I think it says Ryu," she said after a moment scrunching her eyes up and turning her head to one side. "That isn't a word though..."

Kajika frowned, turning the scroll upside down. "Think it's a weird kanji then?"

Sakura shook her head. "None that I know. It really looks like the hiragana Ri with the sound change of Yu added onto it though."

Kajika snorted. "That bakamono, Kakashi..."

Sakura sat down next to the Kitsune, resting her head on her hand. "Think he meant to write Ryuu and left the extra 'U' off?"

"Dunno... What did the scroll you found say?"

Sakura pulled the white scroll out, removing it's string. "I think he wrote Nishi no."

"Western?"

"Hai."

Kajika paused, putting the two scrolls side by side. "Hey Sakura-chan..."

"Hmm?"

"You think that bakamono Kakashi gave us all clues to the same place?"

"Probably."

"Meaning if we put the clues together we'll find him."

"Yeah."

"Together our clues say Nishi no Ryu."

Sakura blinked, looking at the fox. "And Kakashi-sensei probably meant to write Ryuu making it Nishi no Ryuu. Western Dragon!" She jumped to her feet, grinning. "Kajika, are there any dragons living in the west?"

Kajika winced. "Yeah, a big nasty one named Satsugai."

"Think Kakashi-sensei went there?"

She sighed... "We might as well check..."

Monday: Day Eight

"Stop following me!" Sasuke growled, glaring at Naurto.

"I'm not following you, Sasuke-bastard!" Naruto snapped, folding his arms. "I'm just heading the same way, that's all!"

"Hmph."

"Heh."

They glared at each other for a long time.

"Will you stop-" Sasuke stopped, a sudden scream echoing through the lands. He froze, he and Naruto pulling out kunai as they looked around to see where the noise was coming from.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" a familiar voice shrieked, a blur of red and white with two tails running by and bowling the two boys over.

A second blur of pink was at the kitsune's ankles, looking back long enough to register the fact that Naruto and Sasuke were there. "Run!" she shouted.

The two boys glanced at each other then ran after them as a huge, three story tall Ryuu burst into the clearing, roaring in anger. "GET BACK HERE!" it screamed to the heavens. "I'M GONNA SWISH YOUR BLOODY ASS!"

"What the hell it that?" Naruto shouted, quickly catching up to Sakura and Kajika and narrowly avoiding a tree that was thrown at the group.

"Less talky more runny," Kajika panted, putting her head down and willing herself to go faster.

Sasuke glared at her. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

"You woke him up!"

"Shut up Sakura!"

"By poking him in the eye!"

"Shut up!"

"With a stick!"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Sakura opened her mouth to add that then the Kitsune had broken into hysterical laughter, but decided against it. If she kept talking as she ran she was going to get winded and the last thing she wanted to do was get swished by that thing...

"Kashi and Miki are not with the Ryuu," Kajika announced solemly, tossing the bones of her rabbit into the bushes behind her.

The three genin glared at her, scooting closer to the small fire. Not only had the kitsune been the only one to catch any food that night, but she also had refused to share any of it, devouring it in front of their faces. "Why would they have been?" Sasuke growled, wrapping his arms around himself.

Sakura smiled at him. "Kajika and I compared scrolls and that's where the clues seemed to be pointing," she said, blushing slightly.

Kajika nodded. "What'd you two's scrolls say?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head while Sasuke reached into his pocket to pull out his scroll. "Ano sa, ano sa... I wasn't... You see..."

Thrusting the black scroll at the blond ninja, Sasuke glared at him, daring him to say a word.

"YOU STOLE MY SCROLL? DAMN SASUKE-BASTARD!"

"Shut up," Sasuke growled, opening his brown scroll. "It says Kokkyou."

"Border? Western Dragon Border? What the hell does that mean?" Kajika moaned, flopping down on the ground. "I won't be able to take it if we're supposed to go to the border between the Southern and Western Dragon's territories!"

"What about your scroll, Naruto?" Sakura asked, ignoring Kajika.

Naruto opened his scroll and frowned. "I can't read it."

Sakura took the scroll from him, frowning at it in the dim light. "I think it says Kan."

"Kan? Kan as in can or Kan as in intuition?"

She shrugged. "It just says Kan."

They all frowned.

"Intuition of the Western Dragon Border?" Kajika suggested.

Naruto frowned. "Can Dragon Border Western?"

Sakura bowed her head, mumbling under her breath. "Kan Ryuu Nishi no Kokkyou. Kokkyou Kan Nishi no Ryuu. Hmm... Ryuu Kokkyou... Ryuu Nishi no... Ryuu Kan... Ka-"

"Say that last one again," Sasuke ordered, gazing at Sakura."

"Ryuu Nishi no?"

"The one after that."

"Ryuu Kan?"

He sat back looking thoughtful.

"I don't get it."

"Shh Kajika!"

"Don't 'shh' me you pink haired twe-"

"Are you sure Kakashi-sensei wrote Ryuu?" Sasuke interrupted.

Kajika blinked. "Yeah, I guess so. He didn't put on the extra 'U' though."

"Are you sure he didn't write Ryo?"

Sakura frowned. "Ryo? Why would it be Ryo? That isn't a word..." she trailed off before smacking herself on the forehead. "Ryokan! Nishi no Kokkyou Ryokan1!"

Kajika and Naruto glanced at each other, not getting this sudden break through. "Huh?" they sounded in chorus.

Sasuke leapt to his feet, kicking dirt over and smothering the fire. "Kakashi-sensei is at an inn near the western border," he growled.

"WHAT?" Kajika roared, jumping up. "He's at an inn while we're freezing our asses off out here?"

"Hai."

"I'll kill him!"

"But why did you think Kakashi-sensei had written Ryu, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, getting to his feet and stretching.

"'Cause Kakashi-sensei's handwriting is terrible," Sakura growled, cracking her knuckles. She grinned evilly. Oh Kakashi-sensei was going to get it for this...

"We have six days remaining to find them," Sasuke said looking to the west.

"First one there gets to bash Kashi's head in," Kajika said cheerfully, sliding into her fox form and crouching low to the ground.

"And gets to have a nice long bath..." Sakura sighed, getting into a good running start position.

"Ready?"

"GO!"

Wednesday: Day Ten

"I checked all the inns near the border with the City of Grass."

"He's not by the Village of Rain."

"Ran up and down the damn border with the Sand and didn't catch a single scent."

Sasuke frowned, looking thoughtful. They'd followed the clues, they'd searched every town, but Kakashi-sensei wasn't at single inn along the western border. "We're missing something," he growled, staring into the distance. "Kajika, how many clues did you have again?"

"Fourteen."

"Five," Sakura supplied without being asked.

"Three," Naruto said.

And he had ten... None of them had found more then one scroll belonging to them though. Maybe the number of clues was just a distraction? When they'd put all the scrolls together they seemed to get a satisfactory answer... So why couldn't they find their teacher?

Kajika sighed, flopping back onto the bench she was sitting on. "I'm hungry..." she whined pathetically. "When are we going to get something to eat..."

As if on cue Naruto's and Sakura's stomachs growled. They smiled sheepishly. "Eh-heh, I'm hungry too," Sakura said going into her bag and looking to see if she had any yen left. She frowned. "Ha... Only 150 yen..."

"I've got 200 yen," Naurto said fishing out his frog purse and opening it's mouth. "Damn Ero-Senin..."

"And I've got 1000 left," Sasuke sighed as expectant eyes fell on him.

Kajika moaned pitifully. "We can't feed four on 1350 yen... McDonalds costs at least 500 each..."

"We'll have to get something from a grocery store," Sakura sighed, carefully tucking her money away. "Unless you could trap something, Kajika-chan."

Kajika sighed, eying the closest store. "Rat anyone?"

"IIE!" Naruto protested, crossing his arms. "Not again! We've had that two nights in a row!"

Sasuke sighed, getting to his feet. "Let's go buy something," he growled, moving towards the bustling center of town.

Mishi, the town the group was currently in, was the second largest town in the Country of Fire and definitely the more modern of the two. While it was unusual to see a car in Konoha, there was dozens of them zooming around and the ninjas were the object of everyone's stares instead of just blending in with the crowd. There were hundreds of things to see, most of which the ninjas had only heard about or rarely seen. Shop windows were full of TVs and DVD players while children raced by on bikes or skateboards.

Scoffing, Naruto watched two kids race down the sidewalk on skates. "I can run faster then that," he laughed.

"Hai, but they're not ninja," Sakura said, giving the blond a shove so he'd continue walking.

Naruto's eyes instantly went elsewhere focusing on a glowing neon sign on the other side of the street. "Sakura-chan, what's an In-to-ne-to Ka-fe?" he asked sounding out the katakana words.

Sakura sighed, giving the boy another shove. "It's a place where people can exchange information on the web."

"On the what?"

"The web."

"Why'd you wanna talk about a spider's web?"

"It's not a real, spider web baka! It's just called the web!"

"Why?"

"I-I don't know!"

Kajika forcefully ripped the two apart before the fight could escalate staring at the shop. "Hey Sakura, you said that place deals in information."

Sakura nodded. "Sorta."

Sasuke frowned, looking thoughtful. "How exactly does it work?"

"Well... I think you type what you want to know into a search engine and then the web finds it for you," Sakura said slowly, looking unsure. "That's what I heard..."

"So we could type Hatake Kakashi in this engine and a spider would tell us where he is?" Kajika asked looking eager.

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

Shrugging, Sasuke crossed the street, heading towards the shop. "It's worth a try."

Naruto and Kajika stared at the computer, blankly. "I thought you said it was a web."

"Move baka," Sasuke growled, sitting down at the machine and grabbing the keyboard away before Kajika could break it. Slowly, he pulled up a website and carefully typed in his teacher's name in romanji. He'd seen someone doing stuff on the Internet before, but he'd never tried to do anything himself. Centering the arrow over 'search' he clicked the button.

"It changed!" Kajika squealed, eyes wide as she watched the results pop up. "Look! They know where Kashi is!"

Sasuke pushed the kistune away from him clicking on the first link. The words 'Hatake Kakashi Fan club' popped up followed by what looked like their teacher's official ninja handbook picture appearing below it. What was this?

"Maybe there's something under 'News?'" Sakura suggested, frowning as she studied the page.

Sasuke clicked on that link frowning at the page that appeared. "It's just a lot of babbling about Kakashi-sensei," he muttered, scrolling down.

"Hmmm... They really seem to like him, don't they?" Kajika giggled, eying the many messages stating eternal love for their icon. "Spiders like Kashi."

"It's not spiders it's people," Sakura corrected. She frowned seeing the words 'bitch' pop up more and more as the messages became more recent. Seeing a link she pointed it out to Sasuke asking him to click there next.

An image gallery popped up filled with everyday images from Kakashi's life. There was Kakashi walking, Kakashi reading, Kakashi talking to his team, Kakashi competing with Gai... The list went on and on... Just about the only thing they didn't have was Kakashi with his mask off considering that last one looked like it had been taken while he was sleeping...

The four stared at the screen for a long moment blinking. "Okay... That's creepy," Sakura finally said.

Seeing his name, Sasuke clicked on that link next, his eyes narrowing as a similar page popped up with his pictures and several links to the 'Uchiha Sasuke Fan club.' "...I'm going to kill them..." he growled under his breath, stalking away from the computer.

Sakura sat down next going back to the website with all the news posts. "It says here that Kakashi-sensei left Konoha at 10:45 am and 23 seconds for parts unknown."

"They have all that about Kakashi-sensei and they don't even know where he went?" Naruto asked, looking amazed. "Beh, what sort of spider web is this then?"

"It's not a spider web, it's the Internet," Sakura sighed, going back to the search engine. "Now what should I search for?"

"Search for me! Search for me!" Kajika squealed. "Do the spiders know about me too?"

"Search for our clues," Sasuke ordered, coming back over to the group. "Maybe we can find something out that way."

Sakura nodded typing Nishi no Kokkyou Ryokan in and hitting the search button. After waiting a moment, she grinned at the results. "Ne, Sasuke-kun look! This says that there's a traditional inn and hot spring resort in the South East by that name. It's near the ocean."

Sasuke nodded, crossing his arms. "We'll go there then."

Kajika straightened, stretching her arms. "Same rules apply?"

"Whoever finds Kakashi-sensei first gets to beat the shit out of him," Naruto agreed.

"Go!"

1. With my limited and quickly depleting Japanese skills I translate this as Western Border Inn!