Ha, I bet you thought I was gone XD Well, I'm back ! New chapter ! Woohoooo ! Sorry about the wait, I've been busy with stuff. Enjoy!

Chapter 11. Let's Get It Started.

Sakura felt the space between her lip and nose. She silently grunted when she felt a sticky substance.

Blood.

"Are you bleeding? It smells like blood..." Kiba said, leaning closer to the tired girl.

"Yeah, I'm bleeding." Sakura replied, ripping off part of her dress to soak up the blood with. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse... Must just be her luck.

Meanwhile, Gaara was having another battle with his inner demon.

'Blood.'

From the way Sakura was bleeding, Gaara already knew it wouldn't be long until Shukaku broke free, wanting blood. It was undeniable. He knew there was no way out of it... unless he got out of the area quickly enough...

Taking his chances, Gaara began running down the path, as far away as the two as possible. He didn't have much time... no. Luckily for him, Kiba was far too concerned with Sakura's wellbeing to notice him run off. However, Sakura noticed. Gaara could just feel her questioning glance burn into his back as he accelerated down the dirt tunnel.

Gaara felt something deep is his heart... something that almost saddened him. Almost made him want to go back and check on the bleeding girl. Almost.

'See? Told you.'

'What.'

'Gaara's in loveeee.' Shukaku howled in a singsong voice.

'Hn.'

'You can't deny it forever.'

'Hn.'

'Come on.'

'Hn.'

'Gaara. Don't make me come out there... Wait. I smell blood.'

Gaara cursed inwardly. 'Damn his amazing sence of smell...' He thought to himself, while continuesly trying to get away from Sakura and Kiba as quickly as possible. He stopped dead in his tracks when he began to clutch his head in pain.

Ready or not, Shukaku was coming.

XOXOXOXO

With Ino && Shikamaru

XOXOXOXO

"Did you hear that?" Ino asked worridly, stepping a little closer to Shikamaru.

"Hear what?" He retorted lackadaisically.

"Uhh... nevermind. Probably nothing."

The two began walking in nearly dead-silence, every once in awhile Ino would cough rather nervously, wondering if she was just hearing things.

"Shikamaru!" Ino said, turning to face behind her, where all she could see was black.

"What."

"Didn't you hear that!"

Shikamaru paused for a moment.

"I don't hear... wait... OH MY GOSH, INO LOOK OUT!"

Ino screamed in fear. She soon stopped when she heard an uproar of laughter coming from Shikamaru's direction.

"You bastard!" She screamed angrily, slapping his arm.

"I'm sorry... It was the perfect opertunity to screw with you..." Shikamaru uttered between his laughter.

"Ugh."

The two continued walking in silence, however this time Ino was eyeing Shikamaru angrily, and looking behind her just to check if someone was really following them.

Ino stopped for the third time today.

"Okay, Shikamaru, some one is definately behind us." She said, hands on hips.

"Well, this would be useful information except for the fact that we can't see anything, so we're pretty much helpless in this situation."

"What about your shadow jutsu thing?"

"Gee Ino, I don't know, what about my 'shadow jutsu thing'?"

"Can't you use it?"

"I might end up strangling you instead."

"Oh." Was all Ino replied to this. She was fully aware that they were pretty much screwed until they could see anything, but their prayers were answered when they saw light streaming down from a whole from above.

"Oh my gosh, I see the light. We're saved!" Ino cheered, shaking Shikamaru's shoulders.

"Woohoo."

Ino stopped her cheering when she heard a growl from up ahead, near the light.

"Okay, Shikamaru, you heard that, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Who is it..." Ino's question was answered when she saw a tan tail erupt from the shadows, being bathed in the soft moonlight from above.

"That raccoon freak. Ino, I think we should try to get out of here..." Shikamaru said, placing a hand on Ino's shoulder.

'Yay! He's touching me!' Ino thought to herself, smiling.

"Shika."

"Yes?" Shikamaru replied, raising an eyebrow at his apparently new nickname.

"I agree."

The two tried to walk backwards silently, but the silence was broken when Ino fell in a ditch and muttered a curse. The raccoon beast immediately turned it's head in the young couple's direction, giving the two a frightening death stare. They instantly began running down the worn path, not even bothering to look back, for they both knew the monster was chasing them.

XOXOXOXOXO

With Sakura && Kiba

XOXOXOXOXO

Sakura's nose had now finally stopped bleeding, or at least that was what the two had hoped.

"Where did Gaara or whatever go?" Kiba asked, looking around, though not seeing anything due to the darkness of the passage ways.

"I think he left us right when my nose started bleeding." Sakura replied, biting her bottom lip, trying to figure out why he would do that.

"Why though?" Kiba said, probably thinking the same thing as Sakura.

Sakura didn't know why, but she knew Gaara had left them for some important reason. What was that reason? She didn't know, but she was determined the find that out.

"Well... what do you think we should do if we ever get out of this place?" Kiba asked, a grin on his face.

"I would probably spend the rest of my life outside in the nice sunshine." Sakura replied. Kiba chuckled.

Sakura's stomach twisted and turned. She had forgotten all about her feelings for Kiba since they had gotten stuck in this wretched place; these feelings took her by surprise. She couldn't help but giggle in reply.

"I know what I would do." Kiba said, a huge grin planted on his face.

"And what would that be?" Sakura replied, sending him a questioning glance.

"I would love to take a beautiful girl out to dinner." Kiba said seriously, looking into Sakura's eyes (A/N: eyes that he couldn't really see because of the darkness, but knew were there XD ).

Sakura's heart nearly stopped. She knew he was talking about her, he had to be.

"I'm sure that girl would be honored to do so."

"Well, in that case, where would that girl want to go to?" Kiba said, his grin's surface area increasing by the second.

"I don't think she would mind, I think she'd just like to go anywhere with that gorgeous boy. That would just make here very happy." Sakura replied, giving herself a pat on the back for the way she had handled the conversation so far.

Kiba chuckled again. "I suppose we'll have to settle that matter later."

Sakura giggled. "I suppose we will."

XOXOXOXOXO

With Ino && Shikamaru

XOXOXOXOXO

"Shikamaru, if we don't make it through this, I need to confess something." Ino said, while trying to keep up her speed.

"Yeah Ino?" Shikamaru replied between breaths.

"Somehow, your lazyness turns me on."

"Ino?"

"Yeah?" Ino replied, now out of breath.

"Somehow, your bitchiness has been quite appealing to me." Shikamaru said, almost laughing at his own comment.

Will Ino and Shikamaru out-run Shukaku? Will Itachi torture anyone? Will Sakura and Kiba make-out anytime soon? These questions will soon be answered in the next or upcoming chapters!

Ahh, love is in the air! Well, I have to say, I actually liked this chapter. I hope you did too, and if you did you should probably review!

Thank you so much for reading! Next chapter coming soon!

-arigato, iiMNOTOKAY