Disclamer: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!!! SO BACK OFF!!! Sharpens katana and loads .58 magnum

Ino's True Heart chap. 3

A note was pinned to the middle log. A single sebon held it firmly in place. A familiar mark was clearly visible on the bottom of it. The note was written on slightly browned parchment. It was also a little red. The sebon was too red. A reuse.

Naruto went over and tore it off. The mark was the exact same as the one that Orochimaru had cursed Sasuke with. Ino knew of the mark from talking with Sakura. Lee had no idea. The note read:

Meet at training ground 42 at 1:30 today.

Come with your present group or not at all.

The mark was there in place of a signature. Naruto remembered the slimy, snake-like man that he, Sasuke, and Sakura had ran into during the exams. It was the same place that they had taken the exams.

Naruto looked around franticly. "Naruto, what's wrong?" Ino asked. Naruto stopped and sat down. "Its him. Orochimaru." Ino gasped. The three ninja looked around again and still saw nothing.

"Ok, here's the plan. We go to our houses and load up on equipment. Meet back here in five minutes," Naruto said, jumping on to a tree. The ninja left the training ground and started off for the village.

Ino walked into her apartment. She opened her closet and smiled. When she had purchased this place, she had a closet added. Her intention? Weapons storage. Ino removed her top and grabbed a chain mail and put it on. She replaced her top and attached a belt. On the belt, Ino added a pouch of white powder used for temporary blindness. She also added a few kunai. Ino then added leg and hip holsters full of kunai and sebon to both legs. Last, she went to the back of the closet. She grabbed the top katana from her rack and lashed it onto her back. Finally, she headed off toward the training ground.

Lee returned home slowest of them all. He didn't need much. He took off his green jumpsuit and replaced it with a chain mail lined, green and brown one. It had been a gift from his team on his twelfth birthday. Lee also replaced his shoes with boots that had small spikes on the bottom. They also had a knife in the toe. He too, headed off.

Naruto went home and grabbed a pouch of four pronged objects called crow's feet. The way they were designed made it so that one spike was always up, waiting for an unknowing foot to tread upon it. He grabbed a leg holster and added a few kunai to it. He too, lashed a katana to his back. On a second thought, he also picked up some letter bombs.

The three ninja met at the correct time. They left silently for area forty-two. Naruto heard Ino's chain mail. Ino noticed Lee's boots. Lee noticed that the other two had katanas. The three Leaves jumped from branch to branch heading to the Area 42.

Suddenly, a branch Lee landed on gave way. He fell off and landed in a bush. "Lee! You ok?!" Naruto hollered from above. "Yeah!" Lee answered. He was ready to jump back up when he saw a flash of metal. Lee inspected the bush and saw a katana carelessly dropped by a Leaf ninja according to the mark on it. He attached it to his back and joined the others.

The Leaves got to the field at 1:25. The field was covered in a thick mist. Naruto had seen this mist somewhere before but he couldn't remember it. Lee scouted and found a hole in the fence. A kunai was flung from somewhere in the forest and hit right above Naruto. A note was attached. It read:

Come in the forest. We are waiting.

Naruto read this aloud. The mark was again, in place of a signature. Lee looked back and saw Ino in Naruto's arms. He then saw, the faces touch. Lee blushed and wished Sakura was here. The three Leaves entered the forest. Far above, a lonely bird flew with a watchful eye.

Hokuto123 here. School has been getting in the way of me writing these fan fictions. Though, its out for Christmas break. But, I have to work now. It should be finished by January. MARRYCHRISTMAS ALL! Or what ever you celebrate