Disclaimer: I NEVER will own Naruto. So don't go bugging me about it...

Long time since I last updated, I know. But better late than never, right? Right?!? I think Sasuke is a little better portrayed in this chapter, although it may just be that I can't write his character to save my life. Hope you guys remember what happened last chapter. LOL Enjoy the chapter, you guys!!

Dedicated to Squash (Ailenne). Without her, there would be no update tonight. Go thank her and visit her profile. Oh, and tell her to post one of her stories, because she WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME!!!! And now here's her free paragraph because I promised her an update today on two of my stories, but I'm only able to complete the promise of one:

Squash: Dear readers, I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience that you guys may have undergone when you found out that o-dragon hasn't been updating for awhile. It brings me pleasure to bring to your attention that I, Squash, have forced the above mentioned female to update her stories so that you, the readers, can enjoy some new chapters (finally). Please sit back and read through the story. And don't forget to enjoy it, because it might be another decade before another update comes. Thank you.

Chapter 2

Within the next two days, Team 7 observed their Jounin commander closely, trailing him everywhere he went like three obsessed bloodhounds. To their knowledge, they thought he knew they weren't following him. And the Great Copy Ninja didn't, although he knew something was up with his team. But he didn't know exactly what; his head was too busy floating away among the clouds.

"Well, I've got nothing." Sakura slumped against the counter of Naruto's favorite Ramen shop. She was exhausted from trailing her sensei, not to mention her hair was a mess and bags had formed under her eyes.

"Me either." Narrator agreed, picking around at his ramen. Now he'd gone mad.

Sasuke stared into the broth in his bowl, thinking hard and carefully.

"Then…" he began, still trying to gather his thoughts, in a low voice, "We'll have to take it a step further."

"Huh? What'cha talkin' about?" Naruto asked, instantly alert, but more confused than ever.

"I mean, we need to do more than just spy on him." There was a short pause while Sasuke looked up from his bowl at his teammates to let the info sink in deeper. "I have a plan."

Kakashi was sitting down against a tree watching Sakura train with her weapons and a dart board. Sasuke and Naruto had been sparing together in the next clearing over for the past 20 minutes...to Kakashi's knowledge. While the Jounin thought about how strange it all was, the two teen boys were actually behind him, stealthily messing with Karachi's back pouch, all the while masking their Chakra.

A small leaf fluttered from the tree that Kakashi sat under and Sakura called out, "Sensei?"

This brought Kakashi away from his thoughts about Sasuke and Naruto and back to his other student. He looked over at her as he said, "Yo."

"Could you please come show me how to use this Fuuma Shuriken?" Sakura asked him in an innocent voice.

Getting up stiffly from his place on the ground, Kakashi walked over to where Sakura was standing, totally and completely unaware that his back pouch had been left behind.

Quickly and not wasting any time, Sasuke pulled the string attached to a hooked kunai, attached to the pouch towards him, not hesitating for a moment, and into the shadows of the forest where he crouched. As he opened it, Naruto jumped down from his tree branch and crouched next to Sasuke.

"Man! That was the best! He didn't even know we were there! We should get promoted for that!" Naruto began whispering excitedly, talking 100 miles and hour. Sasuke gave him one of his silent but deadly glares, making him shut up in an instant.

He opened the pouch flap, swinging it back, Naruto looking over his shoulder the whole time. Tension rose as they laid their eyes on….

…

…

Everything that was normal for a normal Jounin to have in their pouch.

Kunai, scrolls, shuriken, even the little orange book that Kakashi never read anymore was there. Everything was...normal.

But something was missing from this near-perfect picture. Or, at least, was there. As four eyes scanned the pouch, something stood out: a small baggy forced into the corner.

"What is that?" Naruto asked as Sasuke brought it out into the open for the world to see. Sasuke didn't answer his teammate or try to shush him. He was trying to figure out the exact same thing.

What was in the bag, didn't worry them so much. It was what was outside, written on the bag in big bold print.

That was when they heard steady footsteps approaching.

Quickly and fumbling with clumsy hands, Sasuke closed the pouch and put it back where Kakashi had been previously sitting. As they left their hiding place, sure that their sensei was going to catch them, they heard him saying to himself, "Oh, so that's where I left it…"

Back in the clearing where the two were supposed to be training, Sasuke brought the bag back out from his pocket and held it up in front of him so that Naruto could see it, too.

"Won't he miss it?" Naruto asked, almost in what seemed to be a sad tone of voice. There was a short pause. Then Sasuke answered:

"With how high he's been lately, I highly doubt it."

Both pairs of eyes laid to rest on the little symbol written on the bag in black ink.

Hmmmm...Cliffie much? Hope you guys enjoyed it. (Evil grin)