So sorry for the long wait! My computer crashed and…well, you know. But now we have a new computer! I'll try to update more often.

Last time: The boys run into a fight with two of the masked females. They start to lose though, and now the two females throw a bomb to try and kill Sakura and Hinata!

Enjoy!

The bomb landed where Sakura and Hinata were tied and held as the four boys watched with eyes wide and bodies filled with frustration from the wires that held them.

Each boy then closed their eyes at the bright explosion along with the dark smoke that filled the air. In the midst of the chaos the two females sighed and one said, "Now the job is done." Another cry was then heard from Naruto as he sat on his knees, body shaking.

As the smoke finally began to clear, Sasuke squinted, head full of emotions, body full of pain from the wire wrapped around him, as he tried to see what had happened. He almost didn't want to know. It was silent. Each head was turned to where the bomb landed, to where dust filled the air. Sasuke then suddenly felt his body fill with that very same feeling that surged through his body when he saw his parents on the floor dead when he was young. That very same feeling when he learned his brother had done it. That feeling that almost made you just want to die right where you were to make it stop.

He saw Sakura's body, along with Hinata's lying there on the dusty terrain, motionless.

Sasuke shut his eyes tight and bit his lip hard. He didn't know what to do. He remembered how much he had cried that time when he was young, how much it hurt to, and that he had promised himself he would never do it again. He turned his head to the side and began to feel himself breathing hard.

Shikamaru fidgeted within the hold of the wire as he felt his eyes become wet. He tried only to focus on that wire, but the only thing that came to his head was that now those two were dead. And he now had to face it; Tenten and even Ino were dead to. He felt himself become weak as he looked to his three teammates. Sasuke was turned to the side. Naruto was crying furiously, as Shikamaru noticed the two females just stood there, holding the wire tight with their fingers.

Neji's emotions were hard to read, as Sasuke's were. He was kneeling down for something on the ground. Shikamaru looked closer and saw that it was a necklace. Neji struggled through the wire to grab it and when he did, he held it close, and closed his eyes as he started to rub it.

Just then Naruto let a loud cry throughout the village through his tears. He was angry and his body began to shake more and more.

"Relax," the female told him, as she let go of the wires. The wire fell from each of their bodies, as they turned to the females.

Each boy was weak and angry and devastated. Things had happened all too quickly. Neji, Shikamaru, and Sasuke fell to the ground as Naruto stood up. The two females went to Sakura and Hinata and picked their bodies up gently.

"We'll be going now," one said, back turned to them as she spoke. Neji looked to Shikamaru and Sasuke. Both had a dead look on their face as they breathed hard. He knew what they were feeling. He winced as he looked to Naruto. His eyes opened wide as he saw how furious Naruto was. His eyes had turned red and his wounds didn't seem to affect him at all.

"Relax?" Naruto yelled. His tears poured as he spoke. "This time you're not getting away!" Neji had never seen Naruto so angry.

Sasuke struggled as he stood up, and then he walked to stand beside Naruto. Naruto then turned to Shikamaru and Neji as he helped them both up. "I want to finish this." Each knew how the other felt. They all had lost people they cared about, but how were they supposed to do this if they were so weak? Shikamaru held his arm while he stood, than nodded to Naruto. "Okay." Neji stood up also, as he put the necklace around his neck.

It had started out as a mission to find Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and Tenten, but they had failed. How could he have let it happen? Neji tried to gather all of his strength, as Naruto seemed to have not gotten hurt at all.

The four stood together. "Just back me up. I'll take care of most of it." Naruto knew what this power was. He just wished it had come out sooner.

The females turned around and one lifted up her hand. "It's over. There aren't any other reasons to fight. We accomplished our mission."

"No, it's not over," Sasuke told her. "The least you could do is tell us what happened to the girls in the first place."

"Sorry, but that's not part of the plan."

Sasuke was going to speak again, but that's when Naruto charged at them. Each girl barely dodged as they each held a body. Neji than went out too, he through a kunai towards one of the females as she dodged it, than activated his Byakugan.

Shikamaru followed after slowly as Sasuke noticed he left a few blood droplets behind him. Sasuke then looked ahead to the heated battle, as he drew his kunai and followed in.

Naruto was successfully landing some hits on his one opponent while he also took some hits of his own. He was fighting wildly and yelled angrily with each hit, as he began to win his battle slowly. Neji was backing him up as best he could. It was frustrating to know how angry he was and how much he wanted revenge, but he could barely do anything about it. He could barely move. But Naruto seemed to be letting out all of the anger for everyone.

Sasuke and Shikamaru struggled with their opponent, as they were both weak. Sasuke was driven by seeing Sakura's body within the grasp of the female though and was successfully keeping up with her. Shikamaru stood aside as he tried to catch her shadow.

A cry was than heard as Shikamaru turned to see that Naruto had successfully stabbed the female he was fighting with a kunai in her leg and shoulder. Her companion jumped from Sasuke and quickly threw a flash bomb as each boy was caught of guard as they shielded their eyes.

Naruto moved around his white surroundings as he caught hold of one of the females. She struggled in his grasp as he heard her yell out. "Run!" He then felt a stab to his arm, and he let go of her.

Shikamaru began to run forward into whatever direction he may be going and when he opened his eyes, he was out of the flash bomb's effects and saw one female running to the left, and the other running to the right. He turned behind him to see the others still caught in the flash bomb. He hesitated for a moment, but than turned away to run after a female. He ran to the right, as he noticed that female was hurt and struggled as she ran.

The flash bomb finally wore off as Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji took a look around the village. No one was in sight. "Where's Shikamaru?" Neji asked to himself as he looked around with his Byakugan. He caught the female running to the left with his eyes as he turned to Naruto and Sasuke. "Who knows where he went, but there's a female going that way." He pointed towards the direction as the three started out.

Naruto got ahead and each ran until they reached the forest outside of Konoha's gates.

Neji guided them with his Byakugan, and they were successfully keeping up with her. They were beginning to pick up speed, but as they did the female threw another flash bomb.

When it finally wore off, they had lost her. Naruto clenched his fist and began to shake his head. "How could I have let her get away?" He bent down by the grass as he let the anger leave him and he covered his eyes with his hands.

Neji and Sasuke looked to him as they both didn't know what to say. "We, uh, should head back than," Sasuke began as he than looked to the ground.

"What?" Naruto stood up to face him as tears once again wet his cheeks. "How could you act like nothing happened? Let's just go back? I can't do that! I have to avenge them! Aren't you sad? Do you have any idea how much Sakura cared about you?" Naruto turned away as he wiped his tears.

"Of course I care, Naruto, but it's not like I can do anything now." Sasuke turned away also as he began to walk back to the village. "Let's go back now."

Neji stood and watched as he slowly began to walk back too. "C'mon Naruto."

"Can you two ever act any differently?" Naruto said quietly as he followed behind. They walked back in silence. Neji followed behind Sasuke, than Naruto after Neji.

Naruto knew what they were both thinking. He knew that they were sad, but he wondered how they could both keep everything in so easily. He promised himself he wouldn't cry while he was with them anymore, and he almost succeeded. He couldn't help it when they had gotten back to Konoha and he saw the bridge he had stood with Hinata on just earlier that day.

- - - - - - - - - -

Shikamaru rushed back to Konoha as his wound continued to bleed. He saw Naruto, Neji, and Sasuke walking as he ran to them.

Naruto ran to meet him. "Shikamaru, are you okay?" Naruto tried to smile at him, but failed. "I couldn't catch her, but--" Shikamaru started.

"It's okay Shikamaru." Naruto responded. "Let's just go get some rest."

"No Naruto…it's…." So much trouble had happened to him since these females arrived. Shikamaru couldn't speak any longer as he fell unconscious.

- - - - - - - - - -

Shikamaru awoke again in a hospital as he looked around and saw he was alone in the room. He had hoped that someone was there; he had something important to tell everybody. He felt a little light-headed, but he sat up and tried to get out of bed. He couldn't though, for his body was aching too much. He lay back down and began to hear some voices outside of his room. He recognized those voices. It was Chouji, Kiba, and Lee.

"I can't believe we were bombarded with so many missions that all of us had to go out."

"Yeah, and the weird thing is….is that when we got there, there wasn't even a mission for us at all!"

"It's kinda weird…"

Shikamaru wasn't sure of who was saying what, because his hearing began to become muffled as his head began to hurt more. He knew that the females were the ones that had sent everybody out on missions. Things were very, very confusing though; especially after what he had just found out.

"Chou--" he started out, but he couldn't finish. And even if he could, his voice was too quiet that he couldn't be heard anyway. He had to tell someone, a nurse if he had to.

Flashback:

Shikamaru ran after the wounded female, as he struggled to keep up. She also was struggling though, after Naruto had wounded her. He was quite a ways behind her, but all he needed was her shadow.

Shikamaru finally got into the position that he wanted. "Kage Mane no Jutsu!" He cried out, but the female moved just in time. Looks like she knew what I was planning.

He sighed, but still kept running. Than the female tripped over a tree stump and almost fell, but it was enough for Shikamaru to catch up. He caught her by both arms, than chanted those words again as he caught her shadow. His breath was heavy, but he told her. "I got you. Now before you die, you'd better tell me everything you know."

The female stood motionless than shook her head.

"You're weak. You're jutsu will wear off soon." Shikamaru let out a grunt as he realized how correct she was. His jutsu was already wearing off. The female was already beginning to move on her own, as the jutsu ran out quickly. Shikamaru grabbed her again quickly though, and turned her around.

She struggled within his grasp, as Shikamaru reached for her mask. He pulled it off, but just as he did, she pushed the mask into his face, and he felt a kick to his stomach.

Shikamaru bent down and looked to his hands as he held her mask. He stood up slowly has he looked around. The female was nowhere in sight, but her blood trail told Shikamaru right where she had gone. The kick had hurt, but he was close to catching her.

Shikamaru followed the blood trail as he reached an opening in the woods where there was a lake. He looked into the lake where the female stood, washing her wounds within it. Her back was to him, but Shikamaru could see that she had long, golden blonde hair. It reminded him exactly of….no, couldn't be.

He walked slowly into the water. The female stood stiff, and he knew she could hear him. "Couldn't lose me that easily," Shikamaru told her as he got closer behind her. The female tried to run again, but was easily caught again as Shikamaru turned her around. Their eyes met for a brief moment, but she quickly turned away. She began to struggle as he had hold of her, than tears came from her eyes.

"I-I-Ino…" Shikamaru was so shocked that he than loosened his grip and Ino put her face into her hands as she wept. She didn't know what to say. Shikamaru was at a loss for words himself. It didn't make any sense. How could Ino be one of those four masked females?

Shikamaru began to speak, not even knowing what he was really going to say. "Ah…I..."

Ino then slowly walked closer to him as she placed her face into his chest and her arms on his back. She continued to cry, as she began to speak. "Shikamaru…I'm so sorry."

He hadn't heard her speak in so long, but he was probably more shocked than anything. He awkwardly placed his arms around her, and finally spoke back. "Ino…what's going on?" She than quickly pushed him away, and stared at him with an almost angry expression.

"It was all part of a plan, but now it's all ruined. Go back Shikamaru. Please don't come after me." She wiped her tears, and began backing away. And Shikamaru now noticed. When he started chasing her, she was holding Sakura's body, but now she wasn't. He stepped towards her, but heard someone speak.

"Stop, Shikamaru. Listen to her and go back." He turned around to see Sakura standing with Hinata, along with the other masked female. Shikamaru knew who she was now. "You're…you're all alive!"

The three walked past Shikamaru in the water to where Ino was standing. Ino looked away from him and began to speak. "Shikamaru, we told you to give up. If we meet again…than we'll fight…I didn't want it to be like this, but…" she stopped there. She began to walk away, and the others followed after her.

"Wait!" Shikamaru cried after them. "Why are you doing this?" The four didn't answer as they left. Shikamaru wanted to follow, but he had to tell the others first. They were alive, but they wanted to fight. Shikamaru was weak, dazed, happy, yet devastated, while being confused. Too much had happened that day.

He turned towards Konoha and ran.

End Flashback.

Well, there you go! I'm sorry if it has a lot of mistakes and stuff. I did this all in one sitting because I really wanted to get another chapter up. Some have said my chapters are too short, so I'll try to make my future chapters longer.

THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!

I got so much last chapter! You guys really motivate me!