A/N-Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter-Cunning Angel, Animegurl9164, C.A.M.E.I.1 and Only, Confuzzled239, redsoul, xelagirl2, Blondes-4-naruto, Song of the Storm, bunnyandpuppylover, AzNAnGeL07, Uchiha Aimee, Sarah Rebecca, Dog of the Dead, Youko-Kuramas-Kitsune, Loafery, iamNOTafangirl3221, rebel-girl, seguha, SakuraUchiha4, tiffanylicis, Iloveinuyasha44, liandrin, duckichan87, LuvDaAlchemist, windsoftiti, elwing59, Seyann, kawaii chibi sasuke luver, i-have-issues-deal-with-it, Link Fangirl01, Shinigami-Koneko, puppy444219, Twilight Dragoness, SaNdEr-ThE-rUbBeR-bAnDeR, and Bishieluver01. Feel free to flog me for the late update...read and review!

Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto

Chapter 14

Ino and Shikamaru stood in front of the department store waiting. The only problem was, Ino didn't know what they were waiting for. They had heard Sakura's wail from the park a couple blocks down and knew that the storeowner would've stopped to comfort her…and now all they had to do was wait for…

"What are we waiting for exactly, Shikamaru?" Shikamaru sighed and squatted down, placing the tips of his fingers together, forming an O with his hands. "Explaining," he stated, "would be…" "Too troublesome," Ino droned, in an almost perfect imitation of her teammate. "Come on Shika. If I don't know the plan how can I help?"

Shikamaru sighed. And then sat down in front of the door, gesturing for Ino to do the same. The blonde plopped down and gestured for him to continue to speak. "Okay. The plan…" Ino leaned forward to hear. "Is almost completed." Ino fell over at his words. "What do you mean?" "We've successfully distracted the store owner-Sakura took care of that…all we have to wait for is the alarm jutsu to turn off and that should happen…."

With a barely audible click, the door swung outwards. It was a barely noticeable difference…but since Shikamaru had predicted that it was going to happen…she noticed it. Shikamaru stood up and offered Ino a hand. "Come on, we've got to go find the people inside,"

"Thanks." She took his hand and hefted herself to her feet. "And Shikamaru?"

The Chunnin turned child looked at her, only one eye showing. "That was a really good job…thinking up the plan."

Shikamaru grunted and turned back, a smattering of color on his cheek.

As he swung the door inward, the glare from the rising sun hit the glass just so. Ino had to raise her hand to her forehead to cover her eyes from the golden glint, a glint that caused Shikamaru to temporarily disappear from her line of vision.

When she finally lowered her hand and the shine had vanished from her eyes…

And she was staring at the back of Shikamaru's legs. Because Shikamaru had turned back and was now a smidgen taller than he had been before.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sakura could feel her sobs subsiding. She could only force tears for so long…and she could sense that the shopkeeper knew she was calming down. Knowing that she hadn't given Shikamaru and Ino enough time to get everyone out, she did some quick thinking and came up with a plan to stall the shopkeeper for a few more minutes at least.

"There. Are you feeling better?" the shopkeeper pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Sakura, who rubbed her nose and her eyes on it, crumpling it in a hand. After she had wiped her face, she did what any child would and made to hand the handkerchief back, only to have him tell her to keep it. "Now, I have a store, just down the road. How about you come with me and get some hot chocolate?"

Sakura nodded and the shopkeeper helped her to her feet.

The pink haired girl had been waiting for this. While she had attempted to hand the handkerchief back, she had discreetly untied her shoe and now, as she climbed off the bench, she made a point to step on her shoelace after the shopkeeper had released her hand…and she stumbled, falling to the ground, skinning her hands and knees rather badly.

Causing her to flinch and cry out, tears forming at the corners of both eyes once more.

The shopkeeper's eyes opened wide. "Oh dear," he said as he picked her up gently, placing her back on the bench. Taking the white cloth from her, he used it to gently wipe down her knees and the palms of her hand. This abrading of her skin, however, only caused her to cry out again in pain.

The shopkeeper sighed and sat down on the bench.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Shikamaru stepped into the store, Ino cautiously on his heels. "Hey! Are you guys in here?" called the blonde into the depths of the department store. Almost immediately they heard a reaction from the back. "Yeah! We're here!" Running feet were heard coming from the back of the store. Ino and Shikamaru ran down the aisle towards the sound and were met up with the four who had been trapped all night in the store.

"Ah! Are we ever glad to see you two," said Tenten, her brown eyes strangely bright. Ino's blue eyes snapped down to where her hand bearing a cheap child's ring was entwined with Neji's. Ino looked back up at Tenten's face, causing the girl to blush and look down. "Okay guys, let's get out of here."

"Wait! What about the ramen that Hinata and I ate? And the ring that Tenten's wearing?" Neji sighed. "He's right," he said, jerking his head in Naruto's direction. "We can't just not pay for this stuff."

Hinata reached into her back pocket, pulling out her little butterfly shaped change purse that she had received as a gift when she was younger from Naruto. "I-I-I have some change." Tenten released Neji's hand and reached into her back pocket and found some spare change as well. "So do I," she said, holding it up to show everyone. A quick count and it was found that the girls had enough to cover what had been taken or eaten from the store that night.

"Now Naruto, Neji I hope that you guys know you are paying the girls back. We females can't be expected to pay for everything you know," Ino shot the boys a look.

"Well….Ino it's okay that I paid for Neji because now, technically, my money is his money and vice versa."

Ino froze in her tracks. "What did you say?" she said, her eyes flickering back to where their hands were once again intertwined. Tenten launched into the first explanation of many, as they started walking out of the store.

"What I was missing," she started, "was a last name. I had thought, originally that there was no way for me to turn back because how could I get a last name without going to the Hokage right?" she paused and put the money on a cashier desk. "Well, I told this to Neji and he proposed. Right here, in the department store. And we got married…right here in the department store. All we have to do is get Hiashi-Sama to officiate it…"

Ino gave her a peculiar look. "Why did you call him Hiashi-Sama?" "Because I'm now part of the branch clan. I'm Hyuuga Tenten."

Neji looked over at the two girls conversing. "That's right…I need to speak with Hiashi. When we get out of here, Hinata-Sama, can you please go back to the compound and wait for us there? We'll come right over to speak with Hiashi-Sama."

Hinata nodded. "I-I-I'll go right there. N-N-Naruto…" Hinata turned to the blonde boy, blushing slightly. "T-thanks for helping me tu-turn back." Naruto smiled widely. "Hey, it's no problem Hinata. Thanks for helping me turn back." He took Hinata into a hug and the girl turned pitch red. "I-I've got to go…" she whispered, before turning and running for the safety of the compound.

"We should go too, just at a slower pace," said Neji. "Come on Tenten," he offered her his elbow as he said this.

This left Ino, Shikamaru and Naruto. "Hey, where's Sakura?"

"Oh that's right!" exclaimed Ino. The blonde proceeded to whistle like a bird, sending the signal that they were out and Sakura could let the storekeeper continue on his way.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

'FINALLY!!!' Screamed inner Sakura as the whistle was heard. She allowed her sobs to subside and eventually stop as she looked up at the man who had helped her. "Thanks for helping me sir. I'd better get home now." The shopkeeper smiled. "No problem. Come by the store and see me any time." Sakura looked up at him with large emerald eyes. "Uh-huh! Thanks mister!!"

She ran off.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

He stretched and his eyes fluttered open. How long had it been since he had had a night sleep that good? Ages. He ran his fingers through his black messy hair and sat up. The featherbed beneath him creaked and within a few moments, the door had opened. "Good morning Kyo-Chan."

Sasuke flinched, hoping that Kayko wouldn't be too shocked to find a 18 year old man where a 6 year old boy had been last night…

But she didn't even notice the difference.

He looked down at his body….

'If a family is what I was missing, and I got that back…why am I still a child?' he wondered.