A/N: Umm yea there's no excuse for me to toss at all you readers this time...except for i didn't have much access to the computer. BUT anywho, i'm still very sorry for the looong update AGAIN. But yea, thanks soooo much for the reviews!. Oh and i've already started the next chapter, so i can promise that this won't be a long update. K k.

Disclaimer: If I owned the Naruto series...my favorite couples would start getting together now! Ino/Shika, Neji/Ten, Naru/Hina, Sasu/Saku. Of course not without drama, but you know...so there it is.

Enjoy!

Behind The Smile

Chapter 13: Mission: Haruno Sakura

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The wind was calm, the breeze rising and falling at varied times, silent as much as howling. The luscious grass that adorned the forest floor also swayed with the breeze;and the luminescent light from the moon reflected off the water drops that still clung to their surface, a result of the nights recent and heavy rainfall. By the dewiness and smell of rain that still lingered, it was likely that another heavy fall of precipitation would occur.

Amidst one of the forest's large clearings, were shadows, figures discreetly making their way through, often using the large and various trees for cover. The area all around this clearing was very damaged, still bearing evidence to the battle that had taken place days before their arrival. Trees lay on the ground, some uprooted, some seperated from their trunks in very unclean, splintered breaks. The bodies that had once adorned the ground had already been removed, the blood stains being the only evidence of them ever being there.

Replacing them were standing figures, a vast amount simply patrolling and guarding the area.

The figures were once again seen, stealthily moving behind seperated areas and trees, where they stayed moments longer.

"Naruto, position reached."

"Ino position reached."

"Shikamaru position reached."

"Tenten position reached."

"Chouji position reached."

"Shino position reached."

"Hinata position reached."

"Kiba and Akamaru positions reached"The sound of Akamaru's quick bark sounded the mic.

"Rock Lee position reached."

"Neji position reached. All targets are in sight. Ino are you ready?."

"Ready." The blonde-maned kunoichi moved out slightly in the open, allowing her coverage by the tree and clear sight of the enemy. Her baby blue orbs scanned between select view before pausing on one sole shinobi. She preformed a few handseals before putting her hands out in front of her in the form of a triangle, still allowing her sight of the enemy.

"Shintenshin no jutsu!" This was sounded barely above a whisper.

The warping noise was unheard by most, along with the thud as Ino's body collapsed to the ground.

It was then that one of the Sound shinobi froze, slightly hunching over.

"Hey what are you doing?" A fellow sound had walked over to the hunched over man, who's face was out of view. "Hey did you hear what I said?" He made a grab for the guy, only to let out gurgled gasp as a kunai was dug into his stomach. He was silently lowered down to the ground to prevent much noise. When the Sound shinobi had stood up fully, he lifted his head as well, revealing his face, and an expression only Ino could make. She had succesfully taken over his body.

Ino reached into the weapons pouch secured at the shinobi's leg, getting a feel for what was inside. And she seemed satisfied as she a smile travel to the Sound shinobi's lips. She then directed her newfound body towards the other ninja standing post. Her presence was immediately spotted.

"Hey your not supposed to be over here your post is over th-." The guy was cut of as "Ino" threw tossed a kunai into his neck, and he let out a gurgling hollar as he fell to the ground. It was then that many others noticed.

"Hey! What happened over here!"

"This." The deep voice of the ninja she controlled sounded his question.Immediately she tossed a kunai into the man's throat. By now they were all surrounding.

Ino quickly put her hands together in a handseal. " Kai!" The body of the man she had controlled dropped to the ground, and her own body jumped as she reentered it. Within a few seconds she was up.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" Naruto had already taken action now, his all too familiar technique echoing throughout the clearing.Hordes of Naruto appeared, inhabiting the ground and trees all around. No moment passed before they initiated combat.

All of the Konoha shinobi darted from their positions, taking other locations at their leisure, and taking action in any way neccesary to quickly, and efficiently defeat the entire enemy.

With a battle cry, Naruto joined his clones, who had by now been reduced to a select few. This resulted in him being surrounded by a very large group of Sound shinobi. It didn't seem to faze him at all. He took a breif glance at all of them before he delivered his first punch.

Neji easily dodged the small flank of kunais that had been thrown towards him. He then swiftly bolted towards the source, and with one graceful sweep of his arm, he shoved his pin-pointed fingers multiple times into the enemies chest. The said Sound shinobi fell as Neji sweep turned, dodging another punch made for him before coming up to uppercut his attacker, sending him flying into a few others.

As more came at him, he dropped on all fours, tripping the first one. Before he had time to fall, Neji had already grabbed his leg; using him as a sort of club, the Hyuuga swung him in a circle letting his body collide with man others.

One of the victims of Neji's punches ended up flying towards her, and she expertly halted him, stabbing a kunai downwards to bring him to the ground.

Tenten immediately flipped away, bringing out a few shuriken before throwing them in a fan-like motion towards a group of Sound coming at her. As they departed from her fingers, the nearly invisible chakra strings brefily reflected the moonlight as the grew in length. As she manuevered her fingers similar to controlling a puppet, the kunai's revolved around one another, acting as a sort of razor fan. It easily tore through the enemy.

Rock Lee executed a series of sideways flips, letting his two legs collide strongly with the heads of two Sound ninja. Using the momentary stun to his advantage, he grabbed them both before smashing their heads together. As more came at him, he seemingly dissapeared, reapearing on the shoulders of one. The suprised man looked up at him, not having enough time to stop him as the taijutsu specialits lifted his feet, letting one move to the front, and the other to the back; he brought them together with great force, executing what was almost a kick. The momentum sent the shinobi flying towards the ground.

Lee went with him, landing on the incapacitated shinobi's back. He catapulted off of him, performing a back flip before delivering a kick the other one standing behind him. When another came at him unexpectedly, he was going to use his arms to block. Though he stopped when he saw the large shadow hand grasp his attacker.

He followed the path of the hand to look at Shikamaru who held his hands in a seal. When the hand had retreated, the Sound shinobi fell to the ground. Shikamaru had control of the whole forest opening due to the night skies. There was no limit to the lengths that his shadows could reach. And thus, that was the tactical plan of fighting he used.

Chouji increased in size, and the appendages to his body retreated into his clothes as a turtles would as he started spinning in his stationary location, seemingly gathering momentum. He looked similiar to a large pinball as he collided with various enemies, having perfect control to his direction.

Insects engulfed a large group of Sound shinobi, and they slowly, one by one, dropped to the ground before them.

Next to him stood Hinata, her fists poised with pin-point precision as she shoved her palm into the abdomen of one coming towards her. She ducked as the next punch came to her before turning sideways and striking her attacker multiple time in the chest. It was the last one near them as she fully stood up, letting her pearl eyes scan the area.

Kiba stood up fully as well, letting out a barely discernable sigh as he looked around as well.

There seemed to be none left.

All of the Leaf Shinobi gathered to one another in a small group, their eyes speculative, unsure.

"Neji, this seems too easy." Tenten said softly, still on alert as if it was still the beginning of the mission.

"I know, Tenten." The pearl-eyed shinobi muttered quietly as the veins around his eyes massed again. He had activated his Byakaguun.

Everyone nodded their heads, silently agreeing. Something wasn't right.

..ooo000ooo000ooo..

"Sakura?" She had paused at the sound of her name, her facial expression becoming uncertain as her wary emerald eyes reamained fixated on the area to which the bushes continued to rustle. They transitioned to the face of the figure who made his way out of them..

"Tenshi!" She ran up to the ANBU member, a look of releif adorning her face. She noticed the various scratches adorning his body, possible from brushing against various tree branches. He also had an arm positioned over his abdomen, and her emerald eyes sparked with recognition.

"Are you okay? How did you get away?"

Her emerald orbs fell to the ground as a blank emotion breifly crossed them.

It was the other rustling that transitioned both their suprised gazes to the same bushes from which the ANBU member had come.

..ooo000ooo000ooo..

The rain was coming down in constant sheets now, and the thunder constantly cracking overhead.

Tenten expertly whirled a kunai about her finger out of nervous habit, her chocalte brown eyes focused on Neji.

His vision blurred past the near-sighted forest, traveling deep than the normal, seeing more detail than the normal eye. There was a group of Shinobi, and they were walking casually through the forest, seemingly uncaring to the rain. As if on que, Shikamaru voice his inquiry.

"Is it one of the Uchiha's?"

"No." Was Neji's firm reply. "There's a group, moving away from us" The veins around his eyes protruded even more as his view looked further.

His vision zoomed past trees, finding the group of shinobi once again.

"They have a type of patterned cloak."

Naruto's deep cerulean eyes slightly sparked.

Flashback

His suprised gaze looked up from his position next to the now open apartment door to the man hovering tall above him, his eyes Sharingan, his cloak patterned with the red outline of clouds. Next to him stood another adorned in the same.

End Flashback

He said nothing as he looked ahead, his gaze serious.

"Much farther ahead, in another clearing, there are more." He started his observation as he let his gaze zoom once again, reaching past the steadily walking group. There were three others figures there, and as he pushed his view harder, more and more details became evident to his sight.

He deactivated his Byakagun as he shot up from his crouched position.

"What's wrong Neji?" Tenten's worried voice announced all of their inquiry.

"That large chakra mass we're all sensing right now is the Akatsuki."

"What?" Several of them had voiced this simultaneously. Naruto's gaze only darkned further as he continued to look ahead. His silence had drawn Hinata's attention, and her worried pearl gaze reamined focused on him.

"But we need to move, now." Neji was clearly serious in his statement, and he had turned his view ahead, ready to go.

"Why would we want to go the same direction the Akatsuki are going?! They're filled with the most dangerous S-ranked criminals in the bingo book!" Ino wasn't the only one who didn't seem to content about it. Neji's calm voice answered her.

"There's a clearing, that we need to get to. In that clearing is a cottage, there is one of the ANBU that Tsunade informed us about. Uchiha Itachi is there as well."

"Who..is the third." Naruto's serious, yet calm, impassive voice sounded everyone's ears. They all looked to him, slightly suprised.

"What?" Shikamaru was the one to voice the inquiry this time.

"You said there were three." It was then that Naruto let his serious gaze transition to Neji."Who is the third?"

Neji and Naruto shared a very long glance as the whole group shared a very long moment of bated silence.

"Sakura."


THanks for reading!

Yea i know there's a lack of good stuff happening in this chapter, but this one just seemed to drag out, so i thought it might be a good idea to end it?. Yea again the next update will actually be soon, so yea. I'll actually be fufuilling your requests to " update soon". -

Ja ne!