The Third

"Cheers!!"

Everyone cheered for tonight in celebrating the New Year 2009. The Hokage, Tsunade sama and her PA Shizune; Kakashi, Gai, Genma, Kiba, Neji, Ino and Chouji were sitting at a table drinking themselves out. Bottles of sake were continuously served to their table as ordered by The Hokage because she just loves to drink to her heart content.

However, Naruto was sitting at another table with the others; namely Sakura, Shino, Lee, Shikamaru, Ten Ten and Hinata. He only took a small amount, just half a glass of sake. He did not intend to get drunk tonight because he will be driving and he is sending Sakura and Hinata home.

As for the others, they just do not drink much.

Tonight they were celebrating the New Year at the Konoha Offspring Resort. Expenses were under the Hokage's accounts as a token of appreciation to her loyal employees who had served her in the Konoha Senate for over the years since she became the Hokage.

Ding! Dong! Ding!

The clock rang three times showing it was already 3.00 am in the morning.

"Huaaaarrggghhh …!!" Naruto yawned aloud. He then raised his hands up and placed them over his head, stretching out his body and yawned again.

A slap made contact with his stomach and it came from Sakura.

"Oww …!!" Naruto yelped holding on to his stomach as if it hurts that much. "What the hell was that for?!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "As if it hurts?!" She strayed her eyes around. "Everybody's leaving. Shall we too?"

Naruto took turn roaming his gaze around. "Yeah. Now left only us and the Hokage's table" He furrowed his eyebrows. "That old hag doesn't seem wanna stop. I bet she's gonna drink till morning and finish all the sake out of the hotel stock."

A smack landed on the blonde's head and it came from Sakura, again. Naruto ouched in pain.

"That's your grandma you're talking about and my boss!!"

While rubbing his abused head, Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah … yeah … Whatever." He then rose to his feet intended to leave. He looked down at Hinata who sat next to his right. "Yo, Hinata! Don't you wanna go home? Or you'd rather stay here with Neji?"

Hinata tilted her head up and her eyes roamed around trying to find where that voice came from. She swore she heard someone called her name and talked to her.

Not waiting for any answer, Naruto slipped his right hand under Hinata's arm and lifted the drunken girl to her feet.

Hinata turned to face the blonde. Her face was red because of the sake. "Oh. It's you Naruto kun … You're talking to me?"

"Is she drunk already?" Eyebrows furrowed, Naruto averted his attention to Sakura who already stood beside him. "I thought she only had two glasses of sake."

Moving to Naruto's right, Sakura took over the blonde's grip on Hinata. "She's not use to alcohol. She wasn't supposed to be drinking at all. Now, let us all go home."

Naruto left those two, walked towards the Hokage's table and slightly waved his hand. "Guy's! We're leaving!" He shot his gaze at the Hokage who had her face down in her sushi plate. He then lightly sighed. "Someone please stop her. I'm afraid if she didn't stop, she'll be making new country regulations out of her drunken state and it's not going to be a pretty one."

After a short goodbye, he then turned on his heels and walked away followed by Sakura who was having difficulties dragging a drunken Hinata. When they reached Naruto's car, Sakura slumped Hinata to the back seat while she took the front seat. Naruto was taking his time heating up his car engine before leaving when two drunken guys, shoulder to shoulder, walked bypass him. Both of them were happily singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" while pointing their hands to the sky.

This had alerted Naruto. They aren't thinking of driving in that condition, are they? He called out. "Yo! Kakashi and Gai sensei!"

Twirling around unsteadily, both men turned to face Naruto but neither of them said anything.

"You're not driving! Both of you! Get in, I'll send you both home!" Worried, Naruto offered the two men a ride home.

Kakashi and Gai looked at each other and laughed.

"Don't worry … hik … We're gonna be …hik … okay." Kakashi said in between hiccups. He motioned a thumb up. "We're in peerrrfect … hik …condition." Gai nodded upon Kakashi's statement. They twirled around to the other direction, parted from each other and hopped into Kakashi's car which was parked just in front of Naruto's. A moment later, the engine started and Kakashi's was driving.

Not wanting anything bad happens to those two; Naruto quickly drove off following the car in front. He just wanted to make sure that the men should arrive home safely. At a time, he would high beamed his sport lights or honked at the car in front whenever the other was taking the wrong path or was about to hit the divider. "Those idiots!!"

"Driving like this, we'll reach home after sunrise …" Sakura had said. Hinata had long fallen asleep at the back seat. She peered over at the speed metre. "We're driving at … what … 20 miles per hour?"

She averted her attention at Naruto and was about to say something but froze when she saw the look on Naruto's face. It was kind of a curious look. Seconds later it turned into a shocked look. She kept staring without saying anything. And when the blonde's expression turned horrent, she gasped.

Naruto's eyes widened, unblinking. His mouth open, lightly gaped like a fish but nothing came out from his mouth. His hands were gripping on tightly to the steering wheel. He was constantly staring at something in front. Something that was probably horrific. Realizing that, Sakura quickly turned her attention to her front thinking the worst that Kakashi's car might had an accident. But she was wrong. Nothing happened. The car was driven still in its previous condition.

She looked to her left and right. It was pitch dark outside with only their cars on the road. They were passing by a forest area of which no house could be seen around. Suddenly, she felt a little chill deep inside her heart. What is this horrid feeling?! She had thought.

Slowly, she lifted her right hand and carefully touched Naruto's left arm not wanting to jump the other. "Naruto kuun … What's wrong?"

Naruto never took his eyes off from what he might have seen but only said. "Ssshhh … Don't say anything, Sakura chan … Don't say or ask anything until we got home."

With that statement, Sakura kept her mouth shut and focused on the road.

Naruto was shocked. He was shocked to have seen a silhouette at the back seat of Kakashi's car. It appeared couple of minutes ago. With the help of his car sport lights, he narrowed his eyes to get a clear view of the silhouette. It looked like a figure of a person's head with long black shiny hair sitting comfortably in the middle.

That's weird. He thought to himself. I saw only Kakashi and Gai sensei got into that car back at the Offspring. And we never stopped anywhere to take any passenger. How did 'it' get there?

Curious, he stared at the figure a little while longer. Suddenly, the figure with only hair could be seen, swayed. It lightly swayed to its left and right as though it was dancing to some kind of a song beat or tempo. Perhaps keeping up to Kakashi and Gai's singing.

Naruto still did not want to believe that there is 'someone' there. If I'm not drunk, why the hell am I seeing things?! He had thought. That could only be a reflection of something.

As if it could read Naruto's mind the figure made another move by stretching out its both hands off the shoulder level and placed them on the head rest of the back seat as though making itself really comfortable sitting there.

Naruto gasped. Blood rushed down from his head right to his stomach made a hard spin there until it ached. His face turned pale if anyone sees him now. He forced himself to believe on what he saw now was someone wearing a white long sleeve blouse with a pair of hands that were so dark as if they had burnt badly. Oddly, the fingernails were so white like they had been painted with white paint.

But … but … I swear, there's no one there before!! His brain tried to recall any memory. But to no avail. What … what should I do?! What should I do?!

Before he could think of anything, Kakashi's car turned its wheel to an apartment area. They had reached Kakashi and Gai's place. The car slowly neared to a big dumpster and then stopped with a loud bang. What a great parking skill. A while later roar of laughter could be heard from inside of the car as though they were enjoying the little accident.

Naruto put a stop to his car next to the other. He quickly jumped off and headed directly to the back seat of the other car and swung open the door. He then half bent his upper body inside while his feet remained outside.

There's nothing!! Where did 'she' go?! Naruto freaked out.

"Kakashi sensei!! Did you see her … or … him?! At the back …?" Sounded desperate, he asked Kakashi after the man got off the driver seat.

"See … hik … what?" Kakashi asked, still sober.

Naruto blinked. "You mean you didn't see anyone here while you're driving?" He pointed at the said seat. "B … but … I just did …!!"

"Ne … Naruto … hik…" Gai called out from the other side of the car. "Are you … hik … drunk?"

The blonde being asked, twitched. "I am NOT!! I … I … believe …" However he trailed off. It's useless to say anything when I'm the only one who saw 'it'. He then waved his hands in the air, surrendering. "Alright!! I give up!

In spite of Sakura's whine, Naruto stubbornly insisted of spending the rest of the morning at Kakashi's apartment as he was too scared to continue driving.

"Sakura chan … I think I've forgotten something but I can't figure out what …" Naruto had said while settling down in his futon next to Sakura's.

"Just go to sleep, Naruto. We'll figure that tomorrow." Seconds later, she drifted off to slumberland.

Little did they know, someone or rather something was accompanying Hinata sleeping at the back seat of Naruto's car.

Muahahahhahahhahah!!

Morale of the story : Don't drive trailing behind drunken idiots.