Here we go again. I don't really have anything to say at this point except Happy New Year. And uh, review please? I found out I had like 8 hits on this story total and one reviewer. I know that's not many hits, but come on people!!!! One reviewer!! If you look can't you at least review?! It doesn't take that long!!! (and I thank that one who did review.)
As the kids resumed their trek back through the forest, they were even more aware of the danger and the evil that seemed to lurk around them.
Hinata hesitated then asked, "What if we are too late? What happens if all of our efforts are for nothing?"
They all halted, "Hinata," Naruto pleaded, "please don't say that. If we think that, we might as well give up now."
"As much as I may hate to admit it," Sasuke added, "He's right. Its best if we think optimistically at this point."
Hinata smiled slightly at Sasuke's comment, it sounded just like old times.
As they resumed their trek through the forest, Naruto fell back to talk to Hinata, "Look I know you don't like me, but-"
"Wait, what do you mean I don't like you?" Hinata demanded.
"Just what I said, don't all you girls hate us now?"
"You know, it's impolite to answer a question with another question," Hinata retorted.
"That's old fashioned. Plus, I still answered your question."
"Touché. But we don't hate you."
"Then why have you guys always avoided us like we have the plague?"
"We weren't avoiding you, you were avoiding us!"
"What do you mean?"
"Hey guys!!" Shikamaru called, "Quit you're jabbering back there and get your rears in gear!"
"What do you mean?" Naruto repeated.
"Just what I said. You guys are the haters, not vice versa," Hinata replied.
"Uh, we thought it was the other way around."
"No, I'm pretty sure that's the way we thought how it went."
The two walked in silence for a few minutes behind the others contemplating what the other told them, realizing what this really meant.
Naruto turned to Hinata with a disbelieving half smile. "So you mean that you guys were avoiding us because you thought we hated you?"
Hinata raised her eyebrows, "That's what I'm saying!"
"But we were avoiding you guys for the same reason!" Naruto exclaimed.
"That would explain the stalemate," Hinata said returning the grin.
"Maybe we should tell them what we found out," Naruto said skeptically.
Hinata looked at him with an equally skeptical look on her face. Then she cracked a smile, "Nah, we found out the hard way, so shouldn't they?"
Naruto thought about that for a minute, "Sounds good to me! We'll tell only if they're about to rip each other apart, deal?"
"Deal."
----
They all continued the walk mostly in silence, still unnerved about what they saw and thinking what would happen to them and the rest of the prisoners if they were caught prematurely.
Sasuke, who was at the front of the single file line, peered through the foliage then stopped so suddenly Sakura, who was right behind him, just about crashed into him. Sasuke turned around and told the group, "I think I found the hideout. String out in a line and look through these plants and you can see it."
"How do you know it's the place we're looking for?" Sakura asked as they all started to move.
"I just know," Sasuke replied as Sakura looked in the direction that was pointed.
What they all saw was a giant building that looked like every stereotyped lab that you will ever see. It had odd looking creatures milling around, doing various tasks.
"Oh, I see," Sakura said, understanding.
"How did they manage to keep this thing a secret for so long? I'm pretty sure I've never heard about this place," said Ino.
"Probably because anyone who has stumbled upon it was captured and is either one of those creatures now, or is in that pile we saw back there," Shikamaru replied.
"Alright everyone fall back some so we can make some sort of plan to get in and do what needs to be done," Sasuke told them all.
First, thanks to you guys who put this story on their favorites list, I really appreciate that. And I'd like to say, yes I managed to update in a decent length of time! *eats a cookie in celebration*