Chapter Three

"I can't believe that idiot threw me off the mountain again," Sakura grumbled as she started to walk down the familiar dirt road that led to Team Seven's usual meeting spot. "Does he get some kind of sick amusement out of it?" Sakura frowned as she considered that.

"Good morning, Sakura," Naruto yelled exuberantly which brought Sakura out of her dark musings.

Sakura scowled at him as she thought about her decent down the mountain yesterday. She knew it probably wasn't fair to be mad at this Naruto for something that he hadn't technically down yet, but…

BAM!

"Ow, Sakura, what was that for," Naruto exclaimed in surprise as he rubbed his now throbbing head.

Sakura snorted in contempt as she took her seat beside the blond and proceeded to wait for Kakashi Sensei to show.

Sasuke glanced up to regard the two with brief curiosity. Sakura wasn't her usual fan girl self today, he noted with mild interest and slight relief. He lingered on that thought for a brief moment longer before he decided that he was bored with it.

Sakura glared at Naruto for a moment before her steel gaze transitioned into something different, something more piercing, something that stated she was digging into the depths of your soul.

Naruto gulped and inched back slightly. 'What's with her,' he wondered nervously.

'Why are you always throwing me off that mountain,' Sakura demanded as her eyes narrowed and her stare become more intense. "Hey, Naruto, are you a sadist or something," Sakura accidentally asked aloud.

Naruto's face drained of color as his mouth dropped open into an 'I can't believe you just said that' kind of way.

Sakura's mouth also fell open as she realized that that question hadn't stayed in her head like she had meant it to.

Sasuke bit his lip to keep the laugh inside that almost erupted without warning.

"Did somebody say sadist," Kakashi asked as he poofed into existence.

Sakura screamed which caused both Naruto and Sasuke to jump in surprise.

Kakashi smiled as he watched the pinkette pant. "Did I miss something?"

"Just Sakura trying to sexually harass me," Naruto stated.

Sakura's eyes widened as she shot Naruto a 'the hell?' look. "I-I was not," she blurted out.

Naruto inched back slightly. "She was trying to corrupt my pure spirit, Kakashi Sensei," Naruto wailed as he relieved the horror of that awful question that his virgin ears had to hear.

"Naruto, aren't you the one who invented that stupid perverted jutsu," Sasuke challenged.

Naruto's face turned red. "Y-ya, so what? I only invented it because it amuses me to watch people fall down with a massive nosebleed."

'My god, he is a sadist,' Sakura thought in horror.

Kakashi cleared his throat loudly so that he could gain the attention of his three bickering students.

Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke turned around to see what their jounin sensei had to say all of the sudden.

Kakashi smiled as he fished out three small slips of paper. "Congratulations, I have nominated Team Seven for the upcoming chunnin exam. If you wish to participate then fill out this ballot and bring it to the Hokage tower in three days."

"Chuunin exam," Naruto stated excitedly as he grabbed the piece of paper out of Kakashi's hand and eyed it greedily.

"Yes, I will give you guys three days to think it over, so your dismissed until then," Kakashi stated before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Sasuke stared at the spot where Kakashi had once been standing. 'I wonder what his rush is?'

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Sakura frowned as she glanced down at the small ballot that was occupying her left hand. "I wonder how we did the first time around," Sakura wondered nervously as she started to unconsciously head towards the Hokage Mountain.

Frowning, Sakura stared at the four figure heads with an ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I'll just summon him in the forest this time," Sakura decided as she turned around and headed in the opposite direction. 'Far far away from that mountain.'

Deciding that she had walked deep enough inside of the forest to not be disturbed, Sakura proceeded to summon Naruto for a chat.

"You always have the best timing," Naruto grumbled irritably as the smoke cleared from around them.

Sakura frowned as she got a good look at her summoned being. Naruto was dressed in his Hokage robes this time, and hanging from his mouth appeared to be a chopstick. "What's with the chopstick?"

Naruto blinked before he pulled out a small black bento box that was tucked away inside of his ornamental robes. "I was about to eat lunch," he stated sullenly.

"What's with you," Sakura asked.

Naruto scowled as he started to walk up a tree and make himself at home. "Like I stated before, your timing is always the best," he muttered sarcastically.

Sakura huffed. "Well, excuse me for spoiling your supper."

Naruto rolled his eyes as he leaned back against the tree. "I'm upset because I was supposed to eat lunch with my wife today."

Sakura blinked in surprise. "Y-you're wife?"

"Yes, my wife," Naruto replied dryly.

Three awkward minutes of silence past before Sakura decided to ask the big question. "Sooo, um, who is your wife?"

"Sorry it's a secret," Naruto teased.

Sakura huffed. "Tell me," she demanded.

"No."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Please, tell me."

"Still no."

Sakura scowled.

Naruto glanced down at her from the tree that he was resting in with a passive expression on his face.

"Why not," Sakura demanded as she started to stomp her way up the tree so that she could properly argue with him face to face.

Naruto tilted his Hokage hat up slightly to regard her with a lazy grin. "Because, it would shock you," he stated in a half serious half teasing tone.

"Naruto, my idiotic teammate, turned into you. I highly doubt I can be shocked any more by now," Sakura argued.

"Point noted," Naruto agreed as he allowed his hat to drop back down upon his face.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You agreed that it won't shock me. So are you going to tell me or not," Sakura pressed.

"Sakura, I thought I already told you that knowing too much of the future could-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know already, damage it or whatever," Sakura muttered in defeat.

Naruto chuckled as he patted her head.

"What type of bento is it," Sakura asked coyly.

"Why do you want to know that," Naruto asked with a slightly amused expression on his face.

"No..reason," Sakura stated nonchalantly.

Naruto smiled. "You know they say you can tell a lot about a woman just by the way she cooks, so, nice try."

Sakura was about to open her mouth to argue, but was cut off by Naruto's next statement.

"So why did you choose to summon me in the forest this time around?"

Sakura's mouth immediately snapped shut. "N-no reason," she stated nervously.

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly as he resumed his mock interrogation. "No reason, huh?"

Sakura laughed. "I-I just thought you might appreciate the change in scenery, that's all."

"A change of scenery for me? I'm touched," Naruto teased.

Sakura smiled weakly.

"Sakura, you're lying," Naruto stated.

"Fine, I summoned you here to prevent you from throwing me off that stupid monument again," Sakura yelled in annoyance.

Naruto blinked in surprise. "Sakura, do you honestly think that a few miles would stop me from throwing you off of that mountain again if I truly felt like it," Naruto asked in surprise.

Sakura's mouth opened in surprise. "Well…"

Naruto shook his head. "Observe," he commanded before he scooped Sakura up and flashstepped his way towards the mountain.

Sakura gasped as she felt herself get scooped up and in mere seconds get put back down. Sakura glanced around herself fearfully before she collapsed down in front of Naruto in a begging gesture. "Please, don't throw me again."

Kakashi Sensei blinked in surprise. "Throw you," he asked as he lazily looked over the top of his Icha Icha Tactics book.

"W-where's Naruto," Sakura blurted out in surprise.

"Probably stuffing his face with ramen," Kakashi stated.

Sakura exhaled noisily as she sat down upon the smooth cold surface of the fourth hokage's head. 'He must have dispersed when he sensed Kakashi Sensei was here.'

Kakashi watched her for a moment longer before he resumed reading his favorite book.

"Catch me if you can," Kakashi's book randomly stated before it sprouted feet and ran off the side of the mountain.

Kakashi's eyes grew wide as saucers as he watched his beloved book commit the highest form of betrayal and jump off the top of his former sensei's head.

"Uh, Sensei, did your book," Sakura started to ask before she watched her teacher jump off the side of the mountain in an attempt to go after it.

Sakura screamed as she watched her teacher disappear from her sight. "H-he jumped off for a book?"

"Not just any book, a super rare signed edition of Icha Icha Tactics," Naruto explained which caused Sakura to jump in surprise.

"Where did you-"

Naruto grinned evilly as he picked Sakura up from off the ground. "When you get to the bottom, tell Kakashi that I hid his book at the bridge."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wait," she protested before she felt herself get thrown off the mountain and start to fall again.

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Sakura bolted awake with a loud gasp. Panting, Sakura nervously took in her surroundings. "I-it was just a dream," she told herself with a relieved sigh.

"Honestly, Sakura, painting me as the bad guy in your dreams. How rude," Naruto stated from the chair that he was sitting in.

"N-naruto," Sakura exclaimed in surprise. "How did you get here?"

Naruto smiled. "Sakura, you summoned me here."

"I did?"

Naruto chuckled. "The contract between us is binding, so I can be summoned even when you are asleep."

"I didn't know that," Sakura stated as he leaned back against her pillow.

"Ya, well neither did I until I arrived next to your sleeping form," Naruto said with a yawn.

Sakura blushed slightly as she felt his hand lightly pat her head.

"Get some sleep, if I remember correctly tomorrow is going to be a big day for you."

"Wait, what happens today?"

Naruto chuckled. "Sorry it's a secret," he stated before he dispersed himself.

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"Shikamaru, tell me all that you know about the summoning technique," Naruto stated once he had stepping back inside of his office.

Shikamaru sighed as he sat down into a chair that was in front of Naruto's desk. "The details are vague, but I have learned one thing for certain. What you and Sakura have maybe more dangerous than what we originally thought."

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean?"

-End-

Reviews motivate me to write faster ;)

A/N:

Lol I was in a silly mood tonight. I hope ya'll still enjoy the latest chapter, though. Tell me what ya think?

Posted 6-23-11