Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto
A/N: Okay first of all, I owe everyone a huge apology for the insanely long time this took me to upload and I'm well aware of how long I've kept everyone waiting for this next chapter but yes time moved by so fast and I have been kept insanely busy with university, work, travelling and daily life as usual.
But no more excuses! I shall try to update more often than the last chapter since I don't want to keep everyone waiting. This chapter is quite short but I promise the next chapter will be longer.
But yes, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it!
Recap:
Turning to head for the door, he instantly felt a smooth hand wrap around his wrist, preventing him from taking another step.
To say he was surprised was an understatement but outwardly, his onyx coloured eyes slowly travelled down to meet the confused expression of Sakura.
He maintained his gaze as Sasuke observed the realization of why he was leaving dawn on Sakura's features.
She frowned before fiercely staring at Sasuke, a determined look apparent in her green eyes.
"Stay with me"
Sasuke stared down at her surprised before smirking, his onyx coloured eyes softening on her determined stare.
Slipping his fingers to entwine with hers, he gave her slender fingers a reassuring squeeze before raising his eyes to look at the other occupants in the room who were staring away from the couple as if to avoid intruding on what seemed to be an intimate scene.
Kiba seemed to be completely enthralled with the table sitting in the room while Gaara gazed at the chair as if it was the most mesmerizing item in the world.
Sasuke coughed.
Both heads warily turned back to look at the couple while Sakura simultaneously turned around and beamed at them.
"I'm ready" smiled Sakura, her viridian eyes gazing at her two close friends.
Gaara nodded, his lips curving into a half smile while Kiba grinned.
"Great! But I need food first" grinned Kiba, strolling towards the door to head for the kitchen. As his head disappeared around the corner, Sasuke arched an eyebrow before leaning down to brush his lips gently against Sakura's ear, inciting a shiver from the girl, his deep voice husky against it. Although his voice was undoubtedly sensual, his words were not.
"I've never noticed…but Kiba and Naruto could be great friends"
Amusement laced his words and Sakura could only smile knowingly in response.
If Kiba and Gaara were here, there was a high chance of them bumping into Naruto one day and Sakura had to admit, she would like to see how her closest friends and her new friend interacted.
She smirked.
Could be chaotic.
Kiba wandered down the hallway, glancing around in an attempt to remember where the kitchen was.
He was starving.
Before the nightmare driving of Gaara, he had barely eaten anything which he guessed…was beneficial in a way because if he had eaten a lot, he would probably have vomited somewhere after stumbling out of the car.
Kiba shook his head, running his fingers through his tousled brown hair.
He had no idea how Gaara's driving could be so bad without him even realizing.
Oh, the power of ignorance.
Kiba was still debating on whether or not Gaara was actually that bad at driving or if he had improved but was purposely driving in that manner to annoy Kiba. He was beginning to think it was more to the first option.
His stomach rumbled, the sound embarrassingly loud.
Arriving at the kitchen, Kiba peeked his head in to see if anyone was around and promptly paled.
Kiba couldn't decide what was worse.
The fact that he wouldn't be able to attain any food since there were people in the kitchen or the fact that he had just walked in to witness Sakura's parents hugging in the centre of the kitchen, their mouths attached, moving sensually against each other, unaware of their new audience.
Kiba blanched.
No one wanted to see their parents in an intimate embrace, let alone one of his closest friend's parents.
He wanted the floor to open and swallow him up now. This was so awkward on so many levels.
Kiba could only be grateful for the fact that they hadn't noticed his presence...
Sakura's mum released a breathy moan.
…Or not. Kiba was now wishing that they had noticed him so that they would pull away from each other.
Watching in horror as Sakura's mum brought herself even closer to her husband, hands caressing her husband's neck, Kiba decided to sacrifice his need to eat and hurriedly turned around and hightailed it as fast as possible and as far as possible.
His mind was forever scarred.
First he had to deal with Gaara's insane psychotic driving and now not only was he still starving, the image of Sakura's parents in an intimate embrace would now be imprinted forever in his mind.
He shuddered.
Oh god, why him?
Sakura sat there, quietly conversing to Gaara as they both shared stories and caught up, while Sasuke sat next to her, his fingers combing through her pink locks gently.
She was currently questioning Gaara about the incident with the car and the mailbox that had occurred earlier, an amused glint in her eyes as he adamantly refused to budge from his argument that the mailbox had appeared out of nowhere.
Previously when Kiba had grumbled to her about Gaara's inability to drive a car, she had merely thought that he had been exaggerating about Gaara's incapability.
As Kiba stumbled into the room, his face pale as if he had just seen a ghost, Sakura stood up worriedly, immediately questioning him.
He turned towards her slowly…and immediately blanched.
"Oh god, your parents…I am never going to be able to look at them in the same way"
Kiba shook his head.
Sakura frowned at him, confused, while Sasuke and Gaara exchanged an amused and knowing glance with each other.
As realization dawned on Sakura, she gaped before furrowing her eyebrows.
"Eew, Kiba, really? I don't need to imagine my parents in that position"
"Imagine? At least YOU didn't actually witness it with your own eyes!...I think I need to invent brain bleach…"
Kiba collapsed against a chair next to Gaara's, bending over with his hands against his face as if blocking his eyesight might rid the image.
Sasuke smirked.
Gaara stared blankly at the slouched figure beside him while Sakura sighed.
"Ok, on the topic of the painting…Where do you suggest we start looking?"
Gaara nudged Kiba impatiently before sighing when he received no response.
"Well, we were hoping that you would know any places" commented Gaara, green eyes flickering towards Sakura's in an questioning glance.
Sakura tilted her head, her eyes thoughtful as she pondered about any places that Akira would have deemed significant. It had been such a long time ago…
"Well…he would have put it into a room right? So it has to be in a building…why not go to his house?" mumbled Sakura in thought.
Kiba glanced up, the memory of Sakura's parents erased from his mind for now.
"But didn't Akira's dad already sell the place? I heard from your dad that he is living elsewhere at the moment"
"Yeah except even though he couldn't live there because of the memories, he couldn't sell it for the exact same reason" explained Sakura, a sad smile on her face as her eyes softened remembering Vince's dilemma and his inability to part with the home.
Sasuke stayed silent beside her, acting as an observer.
After all, he never knew Akira personally so there would be nothing worth contributing.
"So we need the key right?" drawled Kiba.
"Yeah, Akira's dad is having a meeting with Itachi today so you can ask him then" smiled Sakura, standing up as she prepared to leave the house. Sasuke casually hoisted himself up from the couch before settling a hand on Sakura's waist.
Kiba immediately stood up and snatched his keys away from Gaara, staring pointedly at him while Gaara stared calmly up at him.
"I'm going to drive"
The hunt is on and the treasure is waiting. The curtains have opened for a whole new show and the same characters are back, matured, calm and ready. Time is moving forward and the people move with it, there will be no stopping what has already begun and the difficulties that they will face.
It's time to go.
.
.
.
"Oh are you all leaving now?"
Everyone turned their heads only to see Sakura's mum smiling at them curiously with her husband by her side.
Kiba paled.
"We checked the car for you Kiba, just to make sure it was working properly" explained Sakura's father, gesturing to the car sitting innocently outside.
Kiba nodded, not willing himself to speak.
As everyone headed outside, only Kiba heard the words Sakura's mum suddenly whispered.
"It felt just like a date when we were teenagers when we were in the car" giggled Sakura's mum softly as her husband replied cheekily.
"At least we didn't leave any incriminating evidence"
Kiba paled dramatically once more. Unwanted images of his car and Sakura's parents corrupted his mind.
"Oh, please no"
Kiba shook his head and hurriedly sped off.
He was going to pretend he hadn't heard anything.
Definitely time to go.
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