RAFT tip of the day: When being chased by a villain, trick them into singing a duet, when they are busy singing, make your get-away.

Road Trip to the Land of Sandcastles

The newly revamped half naked quartet also known as Team Fuzzy Pink Friendship was walking happily along the path outside of Konoha. They had been walking for about fifteen minutes when suddenly Alex posed a question.

"Anko-sensei where's the car?" Anko and Lee stared at Alex like she had lost her mind. "You know, car, you drive in it…down the road…vroom vroom.." She mimed driving a car. Anko and Lee had odd expressions on their faces. Anko, still staring at Alex, pulled something out of her pack and walked over to her. She patted her on the shoulder.

"There there, it's alright. Take this, it will make you feel better." She handed Alex a pill which she stared at, before shrugging and downing it. Anko looked over at 'Sai' and Charlie. "This'll calm you right down…" She whispered behind her hand to the others. "It's the stress from the exams, she'll be alright." 'Sai' nodded seriously while Charlie tried her hardest not to laugh. They took off again, Lee and Anko looking at Alex strangely behind her back. Charlie smirked.

"There there, you'll be alright. Poor thing, stress-induced hallucinations..." Alex glared at Charlie.

"Shut up."

----------- In a land not to far away--------------

Kisame looked up from his drink.

"Lambchop's moved positions."

"What did you say?"

"Uh nothing…say Itachi I think we should leave."

"Why?"

"Umm, because there's someone coming." Itachi looked around blindly.

"Where?"

"Uhh, over there." He pointed randomly, Itachi's eyes going the other way.

"Fine. If you are concerned we'll be discovered, we will move." Kisame smirked triumphantly.

Back with Team Fuzzy Pink Friendship….

"Well team, this looks like a good place to stop for the night."

"But Anko-sensei, it's just the afternoon."

"Yes, but there aren't anymore villages for quite a while, we'll have to get up early tomorrow and travel the whole day before we come to the next one. You guys stay here, I'll go book us a room." She walked into the Inn, leaving Alex, Charlie, and Lee outside.

"If we had a car we'd be there already." Alex grumbled under her breath.

"Oh what was that Alex? Are you feeling ill again?" Charlie smirked at Alex while Alex glared back at her. Lee beamed at the two of them.

"Oh what wonderful friends you two are! Always caring about each other's well being! Yes, Lady Alex are you feeling alright?" They gave him an odd look.

"Umm, yeah, fine." Lee beamed.

"I'm glad!" He grabbed her and gave her a hug just as Anko walked back out the door. She stared at her team. They were getting along much better today. Road trips were good for moral.

"Alright maggots stop hugging and listen!" Lee released the girls and stood at full attention.

"Alright we have rooms nine and ten. You are free to explore the town until seven o'clock, when we will reconvene and head out for dinner! Dismissed!" The girls and 'Sai' scampered off, while Anko headed off to find a bar.

Not far away……

"She's stopped." Itachi looked up.

"What?"

"Umm, Itachi? Can we stop at a village soon? I'm getting hungry…" Itachi sighed.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes. Taking care of Kisame was like taking care of a six year old. "We'll get you something to eat at the next village." Kisame smiled happily.

At the village….

"Oh look at this one!"

"Ooh I like it!" Charlie and Alex decided the best way to spend time was to go shopping, seeing as the clothes they had taken when they woke up were not the best fit. Lee was stuck carrying the bags.

"Oh Charlie I'm hungry let's go get ice cream."

"Okay."

"But we are going to meet Anko-sensei in an hour, it is not youthful to ruin one's appetite on sugary sweets."

"Lee if we don't feed Alex she will complain until she withers and dies. Do you want Alex to wither and die?" Lee looked horrified.

"Never! Lady Alex I will go and retrieve ice cream for you!" Lee picked Alex up and sat her on a bench outside the store. "Sit here until I return." Lee ran epically down the street in order to bring ice cream back for Alex. Charlie called out after him.

"Bring me back a chocolate shake too!" They waited idly for a few minutes, swinging their feet when Lee came zooming back, holding two ice cream cones. The girls sat, happily eating their ice cream cones, when Alex gasped.

"Lee we have to get you sun screen! You're going to burn! Crap we're all going to burn! That's why everyone's staring! They don't want us to get burned!" Alex proceeded to run around in a circle muttering about sunburns and aloe. Charlie opened her emergency supply pack and threw a bottle of sun screen at Alex, hitting her in the head.

"Ow! Charlie what the? Oh sun screen!" Alex started putting sun screen on her arm. Charlie looked up from her ice cream, and noticed that they were surrounded by people, and more were coming. Apparently a group of half naked ninjas was not a common sight.

"Uh Alex-"

"Oh Charlie do you want sun screen too?"

"Um, no Alex look-"

"Nonsense Charlie put sun screen on."

"Alex listen-"

"Charlie. Put. On. The. Sunscreen." Charlie was looking around as Alex was approaching her. A random girl just jump-tackled Lee, and had drug him off.

"Shit they got Lee. Alex we have to-" Charlie did not get a chance to finish as Alex jump tackled her, and proceeded to try to put sunscreen on her. As they wrestled, Charlie noted a large number of the opposite sex had surrounded them, drooling. Just as it was about to get out of control, Lee burst through the crowd, gasping with his hair standing up. He grabbed the two girls and leapt over the crowd, running down the street. The men moaned in disappointment and left.

"Lee what are you doing? Charlie is going to get burned! And you already have!" She pointed to the lip stick marks on his face. He sighed and sat her down on a bench, and kneeled in front of her.

"Lady Alex, I do not know how to tell you this, but the people were not watching out of concern for your skin you see, when a pretty female and another pretty female-"

"Lee what are you talking about? What people?" Just then Anko walked by.

"Maggots, hey, what are you doing?" All Anko saw was 'Sai' kneeling in front of Alex holding her hands. Anko cleared her throat. "Umm, come on, let's get dinner." The group followed Anko to the restaurant.

"Wait here I'll see if I can get us a table." The trio sat down on a bench waiting for Anko to get back. Alex looked at Lee expectantly. He sighed.

"I will explain another time." They surveyed the restaurant idly, taking note of its open air atmosphere and vines growing up the walls. Weird oh well. Team Fuzzy Pink Friendship sat down and ordered their food.

"Okay I'll have the salad, soup, an order of the cheese ravioli, and a cheese burger." The waitress looked at Alex.

"Alright, I'll get that out right away." The waitress walked away before Anko yelled at her.

"Waitress! The rest of us have not ordered yet!" The waitress looked back confusedly.

"That wasn't for your entire table?"

"No that was just for me." The waitress just stared at Alex.

"Um…okay what can I get for the rest of you?" The rest of Team Fuzzy Pink Friendship ordered, causing Alex and Charlie to get into a fight.

"Charlie eat more food!"

"But I'm not that hungry." Alex looked at the waitress.

"She'll have the Saint and Sinner dinner, with a side of chicken and rice."

"No I won't." Charlie looked at Alex. "Not everyone eats the same amount as a small country."

"That's why I'm so tall." 'Sai' looked between the bickering girls.

"Lady Alex is only looking out for your best interest Miss Charlie. You should be glad to have such a splendid and caring friend."

"See!" Anko stared between Alex and 'Sai' confused.

"Sai when did you start addressing Alex as lady, when did you start defending her?"

"Uh…" Charlie jumped in hurriedly.

"It's Alex's birthday!!" Anko gasped.

"Really?" Alex looked at Charlie.

"Really?" Charlie nodded excitedly.

"Yes, that's why Sai is being so nice." She gave Lee a meaningful look.

"Umm, yes that's right." Anko looked ecstatic.

"That's fantastic! Waiter! Margaritas over here please!" Charlie sighed in relief as Anko and Alex chatted happily over birthday things. One bullet dodged. Lee looked at Charlie.

"What gift would be appropriate to give Lady Alex for her birthday?"

"It's not actually Alex's birthday."

"It's not?"

"No that was a lie."

"But Lady Alex will be crushed. How could you lie about such a thing?" Charlie sighed, she wasn't going to deal with this.

"You know what, it actually is her birthday. You should get her a gift that brings out her youthfulness." Lee beamed and pulled out a green jumpsuit before presenting it to Alex. Charlie sighed again, she was not going to give Alex anything when her actual birthday came around. Just then the waiter came by with their meals and margaritas. Three of them alone wheeled in Alex's meal, which took up more than half the table. Anko started happily on her margarita, with Alex following her lead. Charlie blinked.

"Hey, where's mine?" Anko blinked.

"Well you're not old enough yet are you? Since it's Alex's birthday, that means she can drink." Charlie blinked in shock before scowling and stealing Lee's margarita and downing it. Unbeknownst to all of them, she just saved all their lives. Lee simply shrugged and grabbed some water.

With Kisame….

"Target in sight. Don't worry Lambchop you won't miss dinner. I'll take you out and you'll be the main focus of mine." Kisame looked down from his vantage point and spied on Team Fuzzy Pink Friendship, paying particular attention to the redhead sitting between the brunette and black haired children.

He took off his cloak and strapped on his harness and attached it to the side of the roof. He leaned over the edge which was conveniently right over their table and put on his sunglasses, posing momentarily to check himself out in a conveniently placed mirror before getting serious. He leaned over the edge and began lowering himself into the restaurant, right over Team Fuzzy Pink Friendship's table.

Back with Team Fuzzy Pink Friendship…

"Jeeze Alex did you get enough food?" Anko, who was currently surrounded by ten empty margarita glasses, and more kept on coming, looked at Charlie and began to give her a drunken lecture.

"Charlie is Alex's birthday she can eat as mush if she wants tos." Alex smirked at Charlie before she started eating her soup again. She was about to eat another spoonful, when she noticed the reflection in her spoon. She looked up, a large blue shape was coming down from the ceiling. Shit he was coming to eat her! Again! Alex quickly tried to get Charlie's attention.

"So Sai how about them Nicks?"

"Huh?"

"You know, the basketball team? Basket ball? Oh okay well you see it's a game played with- not now Alex I'm explaining basketball- five men teams- Alex knock it off!- the object of the game-"

Alex did not get a chance to try and get Charlie's attention again, as Kisame lowered himself down and grabbed her. She never had a chance.

Nearby, an old couple stared as a large blue man in sunglasses subdued a foreign girl and pulled himself back up on the roof. They blinked and went back to their food.

"No no Sai, you dribble then shoot, otherwise you'll foul, that's called a travel. Alex knows, she played basketball, tell him Alex." She both turned to where Alex had been sitting. "Alex? Huh that's strange. I wonder where she went…." Suddenly, Charlie jumped to her feet and walked around the table to Alex's food. "Something's wrong!"

"Huh, how do you know?"

"Alex's food has been left. She must have been kidnapped. The perpetrator must have bound her hands and feet."

"How do you know this?"

"She left her food." Charlie placed her hand over Alex's untouched food. "It's still warm. She hasn't been gone long. Lee we need to form a task force and retrieve Alex!" Anko looked up from her thirteenth margarita and questioned Charlie.

"Huh, Lee? That's Sai, and what do you mean Alex is gone? Is her birthday!" Charlie, thinking quickly, decided it would be best to keep Anko from knowing anything. She grabbed a large flowered sun hat off a woman sitting next to them.

"Anko-sensei I got you a present!"

"Oh it's lovely! Thank you maggot." Anko took the hat from Charlie and put it on, completely forgetting everything else."

"Oh Anko-sensei it looks so good on you I'm going to find a camera and take a picture of you. Come on Sai!" Charlie grabbed Lee and dragged him outside the restaurant.

"Okay Lee I'll take the west side of the village and you take the east. Remember she's going to be hungry, so listen for her stomach. It's loud and you'll think it's a monster. Leave no stone unturned. We'll meet back here in two hours." Lee nodded as they both went their separate ways in order to save Alex from a fate worse then death.

Not far Away….

"Mufmsdnbleks….." Kisame looked up.

"What's that Lambchop, can't hear you.." He lifted up her gag for a second.

"You can't eat me, I have AIDS!!" Kisame blinked.

"Okay!" Alex stared and he put the gag back on her, before turning and frowning.

"Hmmm, this isn't going to work, we'll have to take this party elsewhere." He turned to smirk at Alex, his sunglasses glinting. "Don't worry baby you're gonna get hot tonight. Papa likes 'em well done." Alex proceeded to scream bloody murder.

"OH GOD A SHARKS GONNA EAT ME!!!!! I KNEW IT!!!!! DAMN YOU JAWS!!!" In all of her screaming and thrashing around Alex ended up knocking over a trash can with her head. Kisame saw this, and put her down. He walked over and started picking up all the trash and putting it back into the can. Alex got an idea. Kisame walked over to her and picked her up. Alex then enacted her plan, and threw a piece of paper in front of Kisame. He bent down to pick it up and throw it away. He stood up again and Alex repeated the action. Kisame once again bent down to pick up the trash. Alex smiled. This could work.

"Lady Alex are you in here??!" Lee burst into the bar, startling all the drunks and knocking over a table. Everyone stared at him. Lee blinked. He walked over to the bartender. "Excuse me, but have you seen a suspicious looking man carrying an unconscious red headed girl?" The bartender stared at him, before turning around and grabbing a bottle off the shelf.

"Afraid not. Sorry son, that's sounds like a sad story just waiting to be told. Here, have some of this, on the house." Lee blinked.

"How kind of you, if you see them, could you let me know?" The bartender nodded, before turning away. Without looking at what it was, Lee downed the glass. Suddenly his eyes glazed over and he began to stumble around. A man came up behind Lee to see if he was alright, unfortunately for the man Lee turned around and head-butted him. He then proceeded to do the worm and left the bar.

With Charlie…

"Alex! Alex! Shit this isn't going to work." Charlie then decided to try a different approach. She put her ear to the ground and listened. "She was here. To the left!" Charlie then got up and without looking ran straight into a man. She blinked and looked up.

"Sasuke is that you?" Itachi squinted at the person, trying to figure out who was calling his brothers name. If his brother was here, he would have already attacked him. "Oh Sasuke, Alex is missing help me find her." Itachi blinked as he was lead away. Who the heck was Alex?

"Well Lambchop, in you go." Alex stared.

"But I didn't bring my shampoo."

"It's okay I like 'em dirty, brings out the flavor." Alex blinked, and screamed again. He grinned and threw her in. Just then, Charlie came barreling around the corner.

"Captain Planet! I knew I sensed you nearby, I need your help, we must find Alex." A gurgle was heard and Alex resurfaced. "Alex! Good job Captain Planet, you work quickly." Charlie stared at Alex. "Alex why are you in a giant pot?"

"He tried to eat me!"

"Who?"

"Him!" Alex pointed dramatically at Kisame.

"Oh Alex you must be suffering from some form of trauma, that's Captain Planet."

"He tried to eat me!" Kisame walked up to Alex and grinned, showing off all of his teeth.

"Oh dear Lambchop you must be suffering from some sort of trauma. Come on I'll take care of you." Alex started to scream again when Kisame picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Charlie looked up at Kisame with adoring eyes.

"Captain Planet not only do you fight pollution you take care of my mentally deprived friend. You're a true hero." Suddenly, Itachi walked up to a nearby tree and began talking to it.

"Kisame is that you?"

"Over here."

"Oh." He walked over to Kisame and squinted.

"What are you doing?" He squinted. "You should get a room for that." Alex was currently thrashing around, trying to escape, causing Itachi to think something a little different.

"I know but Lambchop won't cooperate and I was forced to take her behind a tree."

"I see."

"Sasuke you know Captain Planet?"

"I'm not Sasuke." Just then Lee barreled through the fence, heading straight for them. Kisame moved to the side with Alex, while Lee sprawled on the ground. He swayed to his feet and faced Kisame.

"I'm loooooooking for my lost princesssssss…..have you seen her?" He swayed and Kisame hurriedly covered up Alex.

"No, none of those here, go look somewhere else." Charlie instantly recognized Lee.

"Lee look who I found! It's Sasuke! And Alex! And Captain Planet!"

"YOSH!" Lee then started swaying precariously and suddenly turned to Itachi, who was squinting at him. He leapt toward him and tried to bash his head in, Itachi dodging at the last second. While Lee tried to hit Itachi, Kisame was carrying Alex away, while Charlie yelled after him. Just then Lee flew by, hitting Kisame in the back, sending him and Alex flying. Lee leapt up and caught Alex, while Kisame kept on flying.

"This isn't the end Lambchop! I'll be back for you!" He flew out of sight. Lee dropped Alex on the ground and she stood up, shivering. Itachi walked around blindly.

"Kisame? Kisame?" He walked around, calling for Kisame. The trio blinked, or in Lee's case danced around drunkenly, and began walking away from him.

"Sasuke, Captain Planet flew off into the night to save the world from pollution! You must aid him in his quest! Go Sasuke, go!" Itachi walked away. Charlie looked away from Sasuke and saw Lee drunkenly beating up a pole. She looked at Alex.

"Well now what? Wait Alex what are you doing? Put your pants back on!"

"But they're wet." Just then Lee broke out of his drunken stupor and rushed over to Alex.

"Lady Alex you cannot remove your clothing it isn't proper."

"But I don't like wearing wet things."

"Then I will give you my pants." Lee began taking off his pants until the girls stopped him.

"NO!"

"But Lady Alex you said-"

"Oh don't worry Lee. I've got…" Alex looked around trying to find something to make clothing from, when she spotted a palm tree. "These!" Alex then began to fashion a skirt from palm leaves. She put on her palm tree skirt and posed proudly.

"You look like a hula dancer." Alex grinned.

"You're just jealous because you can't make clothing out of leaves!" Charlie rolled her eyes. They began walking back on the main street, heading toward their inn, when Anko drunkenly stumbled out of the restaurant.

"There you guys are….I thooought you gots lost…" They stared at Anko, who was wearing the flowered sunhat Charlie had given her earlier. "Come on, let's gooooo to bed…." She passed out on the street, Charlie and Alex staring at her. They looked at each other and shrugged, before hauling her up and dragging her to their inn. If getting to the Village Hidden in the Sand was this much of an adventure, god only knows what would happen when they got there. Those damn vests better be worth it.