I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! and its not even a good chapter... actually, I was sort of on a block, so even though I loved the last chapter, this one is too short and not that funny.

Disclaimer: yah.

Chapter 11: Mornings

Hinata

The next morning was calm and lazy, all shinobi resting after the long night. Neji woke up mumbling something about giraffes, Shikamaru didn't wake up at all, and Kiba simply took his time. Lee, of course, was up by dawn and training, despite the many bruises from the night before. Shino sat against a far off tree, the local ants scurrying across his hand.

Hinata soon found out how the Sand siblings spent their mornings (when they were not being attacked by sand, that is). Temari was always up first, neatly packing away her pad and blanket, smoothing out the grass so it was almost impossible to tell anyone had slept there. She then proceeded to kicking Kankuro until he was awake.

Hinata smiled as she saw Temari helping him pack his bag. The older girl was complaining all the while, yelling at him for his laziness, but Hinata had been taught to look underneath simple actions, and she could see Temari truly cared for her sibling.

Baki, on the other hand, slept away from the group, close enough only to keep an eye on Gaara. He got up at a different pace, refusing to baby-sit all these kids.

Gaara had stayed awake all night with her. He had claimed it was just because he just still didn't sleep, even in her body.

Sand Sibs

When everyone was finally up, (Shikamaru was the last one) they began to travel towards Konoha. It was a silent agreement, one made ever since Kankuro's comment on Suna the night before.

As they traveled through the trees, they moved in teams of two

"Hey," Kankuro whispered to Temari, "Look at them!" He nodded back to where Hinata and Gaara traveled side by side.

"What?" She replied, eyeing them. They seemed to be ignoring each other…

"Look at Gaara does…err, I mean Hinata's eyes." He murmured. (He means look at Gaara in Hinata's body.)

Temari focused her gaze and watched the white eyes known only in the Hyuuga. She grinned as she saw them flicker every second or so to the person to their left. A look of annoyance crossed the once emotionless face, as though Gaara was trying to figure out why his eyes kept falling on himself.

Kiba and Shino (mostly Shino)

"Akamaru says we should see Tsunade before anyone else." Kiba yipped noisily as the dog beside him did the same.

Shino raised an eyebrow, amazed at Akamaru's simple-mindedness. It was a plausible solution, but alerting the Fifth Hokage to this incident could cause major political damage within the Hyuuga clan. The fact was that letting anyone of high political power in on this was out of the question.

"Dog bones blah backyard yip bark wolf…"

Kiba was still going on about something or another. Shino sighed as he passed a rare beetle. He wanted to stop and observe, but somehow this had become a mission, and one simply couldn't abandon mission.

Shikamaru and Neji

Neji amused himself with watching the other pairs. He was good at people watching. He felt himself grow rather angry as he saw the look Gaara was giving his cousin.

Shikamaru sensed his tension and guessed his reason almost immediately, but refrained from saying anything. Let Neji people watch… he would cloud watch….

Lee and Baki

Whoever did this will go to hell when I find them. Baki screamed mentally. Because whoever did this incredibly idiotic jutsu had managed to get him, Baki, in this situation. The situation being that he was paired with Konoha's Green Beast, the Springtime of Youth, the Master of Love and Sugar, Rock Lee.

I hate you. Baki hissed in his mind, on the outside politely listening to Lee talk about his sensei and the power of spirit. When this is over I hope to never see your ugly eyebrows again…

It was at this moment that Gaara and Neji sensed an oncoming chakra, coming at a speed only Lee could match.

From out of a group of trees Gai-sensei sprang, shouting 'Dynamic Entry' and grinning bright enough to blind the sun.

It was then that Baki knew. It was only then he realized. There was an evil greater than Shukaku out there, and its name was Maito Gai. I mean, look at those eyebrows!