Um, I probably didn't make this clear but I should have. The unknown village they're at is just a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, it doesn't exist in the world of Naruto, I just needed an "in between" place to put the main characters. It's from my brain, not Naruto. Also I'm going to stop with the time thing at the beginning of every POV switch, it's now pointless. I may bring it up when necessary but don't be shocked not to see it. Plus, there's mentions of food in this chapter and I'm not a cook so I'm basically BS-ing that part. Sorry… I'm also kind of sorry for all the bobbing around in this chapter. I'm switching POVs a lot in this chapter but bear with me, please.

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I've also been curious about whether or not I need more detailing in the story. What do you guys think so far? If you spot anything I need to fix just tell me, please? I want this story to be great, not just good. Also, if Shikamaru or Choji seem OOC please TELL ME!

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Hope you enjoy this chapter : ) I'm going to try to make this one longer than the other two. I'm working on it, I promise.

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~~~~~~~~ Forest in The Land of Fire ~~~~~~~~

Asami and Misaki

Asami POV

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"H-how m-much f-further?" Misaki pants and braces herself against a tree. The birds chirp in the treetops around us and I can distinctly hear a finch.

"We've only been walking a few hours, Mimo. We're not even halfway there yet." I stare at the map in my hands. At this pace it'll take us a week to get to the Hidden Leaf Village.

"W-we've b-been w-walking f-f-for d-days." She wipes a few drops of sweat from her forehead and frowns in disgust.

I keep moving and Misaki trudges along behind me. I don't mind taking my time and slowing down for her now that we're away from that village, away from any curious eyes. "Just think of all that five-star ramen you'll be able to try out once we get there." I grin at her.

She grins back. "Th-think of all t-the f-f-five st-star ram-men I'll l-learn h-how t-to m-make."

I laugh. "That too." I tuck the map back in my pocket for the time being and continue on. Mimo jogs a bit to catch up and keeps in stride beside me. I glance over at her. "Do you think once we get all of this trouble out of the way, the Hokage will let me become a Leaf Shinobi?"

"I d-don't s-s-see why n-not." She loops her arm in mine.

I groan. "I can't wait to get a shower. All this walking around in the woods makes me feel disgusting." But the trees are so beautiful around here.

Mimo crinkles her nose in agreement. "Sw-sweat."

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~~~~~~ Village Hidden in the Leaves ~~~~~~~~

Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi

Shikamaru POV

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"Shikamaru! Choji's here!" My mom's booming voice drags me to reality. Damn… I was sleeping really good… I rub my eyes and try to block out all the noise. "SHIKAMARU!"

I get up from bed and straighten my shirt, pulling on my green flak jacket. What a drag… "I'm coming, I'm coming…" I leave my room and trudge down the stairs to find Choji staring at me from the door.

Mom peeks from around the corner, hair pulled back and a few stray locks hanging around her face. "It's about time. Now, go on, get out of here. I'm tired of seeing you at home all day. Be a normal teenager and get out for once."

I jerk the door open. "Yeah, whatever… I'll be back for dinner."

I close the door behind me but I can still hear Mom scream, "BEHAVE!"

Choji smiles at my mom's yelling but I ignore him and just keep walking. We walk in silence to the training grounds, it's a bit boring but I enjoy the peace and quiet while I can. Pretty soon I'll have to deal with Ino and her craziness. She's so troublesome. Why are there no normal girls in this village?

"Ready to train?" Choji asks, pulling a bag of chips open.

I sigh. "Not really but if we don't show up Ino will have a conniption." I place my hands in my pockets and go at the slowest possible pace I can. I really don't have the patience to deal with her today.

Choji crunches on some barbeque chips and nods, "True." He pigs out and I stare at the sky, both of us still walking. Even though we aren't apart Team 10 anymore, the three of us still train every so often. "Why can't girls act nice and not yell all the time?"

"Or act stupid all the time." I look at Choji and he looks at me. We both shrug, both obviously not having an answer to the question. "How troublesome."

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~~~~~~~~ Forest in the Land of Fire ~~~~~~~~ Several hours later~~~~~~

Asami and Misaki

Misaki POV

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"Ugh. Why do these woods have to be filled with goddamn bugs!" Asami growls and smacks a mosquito dead on her arm. "There weren't this many bugs in the Land of Claws and it's all forest too, so what's the deal?"

"Th-the b-birds eat-t th-them." I state and smile at her while stirring one of the pots on the fire. I'm determined to make a half-way decent meal despite these current living arrangements. Bugs or no bugs, house or tent, I intend to prepare heaven in a bowl.

Asami sniffs the air. "Ooooh, what's cooking? It smells like rice and," she sniffs again, "some kind of spice. Smells good." She bends over the pots and watches me add all the ingredients.

"R-rice a-and st-stew." I reply curtly and keep a watchful eye on Asami, just in case she tries to sneak an early bite.

"Mmmmm… sounds divine." She takes a whiff of the steam before crawling back to her spot in the grass. It's warm and clear tonight so we decided not to bother with tent and sleep under the stars. I see Asami get a serious look on her face. I watch her for a moment and she catches my gaze, answering my unspoken question. "I've been thinking about the night we ran away. I'm just… worried that I might of messed something up, left a foot print uncovered or forgot something. What if one of those villagers saw us and knew who we were?"

I shrug and pat her knee. "Ev-everyth-thing w-will t-turn out-t j-just f-f-fine."

She shakes her head. "There's always that possibility that we'll get caught and get dragged back to the Fangs and Claws." I see a glint of tears in her deer-like eyes. "What if Otousan sends out trackers for me? What if they track us down?"

I look straight into her eyes and wipe away the stray tear that had slid down her cheek. "W-what if-f th-they d-don't?"

She won't look at me now and speaks in a voice so soft I barely hear it. "I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if something happened to you. Especially if it was my fault." She grips her fists and I see her start to shake. She sobs loudly, "You could've stayed, you know? You didn't have to come with me."

I smile at her, trying to comfort her in any way I can. This life is a lot better than the alternative... Marrying a man I don't love? By force? There are nights that I think I would rather die. "S-s-sist-sters st-stick togth-ther."

My words bring a huge smile to her face and she beams. "That they do." Before I can even blink Asami jerks me into a tight hug. I'm not used to Asami showing so much emotion and affection and she catches me off guard. I return her hug though, because right now I know she needs one.

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~~~~~~~~~ Unknown Village in the Land of Fire ~~~~~~~~ Days Later ~~~~~~

Asao Kimura

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Zuko soars down and lands on my arm. I crouch down low and watch the villagers go here and there. I've been watching this village for hours, searching for a sign of Asami. I've sent Zuko to search for her but so far neither of us haven't found a trace of her. This is the last land she can possibly be in. I've already sent scouts and trackers to the Land of Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightening and so far none of them have had any progress. If I don't find a trace of my sister soon Otousan will have my head.

I jump down from my hiding spot in the tree and walk into the unprotected village. This is too easy, no guards, no shinobi… It's as if they want their village to be attacked or robbed. I stride up to elderly man, plastering a friendly smile onto my face. "Good evening, Sir." The man looks at me with disinterest. "I was wondering if you could help me find my sister. She and I were supposed to meet here at this village but I can't seem to find her." I force a light laugh and scratch my head.

"I 'spose." He spits tobacco in a can and keeps staring at me with unemotional eyes.

I pull out a picture of Asami from my pocket, a family photo taken earlier this year. I point to her face. "Have you seen her around here? Do you know where I can find her?"

He stares at her face for a long moment before replying. "You've missed her. She left about a week ago with some chubby girl but she didn't look like that exactly." He points at her in the photo again.

I stare at the old geezer in shock, taken aback by that unexpected information. "She didn't leave alone? What did this girl look like?"

He thinks for a moment, finding his words and fingering his cane. "She was short and she had some meat on her bones. I think she had short, red-ish hair. I can't say for sure but that sister of yours didn't look like that picture. Her hair was down, not tied up, and she had bangs. I remember those eyes though, can't forget them." He smiles, "I hope you find your sister."

I force another smile, but it turns into more of a grimace. "Thank you. Can you point me in her direction?" He points his cane south of the village and I take off.

Asami… What the hell are you thinking?

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~~~~~~~~~Village Hidden in the Leaves ~~~~~~~

Choji and Shikamaru

Shikamaru POV

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I take a slow breath and release it, feeling the wind wrap around my body and the cool grass pressing into my back. Things are always so peaceful this time of year. Spring is that slow season where everything is growing, changing, bursting with new life… The skies are nearly always filled with clouds and the sun doesn't fry you to a crisp just by laying out in the sun. This is my kind of season.

CRUNCH.

I sigh, the peace broken along with the seal on Choji's bag of barbecue potato chips. The plastic ruffles and I hear him crunch away on the snack. How troublesome…

"Can you eat any louder?" I grumble and stare up at the cloudy blue sky.

"Hmph." Choji ignores the comment and keeps on munching away. He's definitely changed some since the invasion years ago. After Naruto left things seemed to settle down and all the other Leaf Shinobi started focusing on getting stronger. After the invasion I guess we all started working harder to be better ninja, so we can protect the things we care about. Choji seems to have changed the most. Sure, he still eats a lot but he's more focused on fighting and working hard. I guess he just grew up, we both have.

I just sit back and try to find shapes in the clouds. The first I spot looks like some kind of mutant bunny. The second resembles a dragon. The third kind of hit's a soft spot in me and I see the shape of a heart. It seems almost stupid and somewhat girly to worry about affairs of the heart but I can't help it. All I really want is a normal girl, not ugly but not super pretty either. I just want a girl I can raise a family with… I think. I always think about what I want in a woman but I don't really know what I need, I don't think any guy really knows. I just hope I don't need a woman that's loud and bossy.

"What are you thinking so hard about? You look like your about to melt your brain." Choji offers me a chip and I take one.

I take a moment to eat the salty, barbeque tasting snack before answering. "Women."

Choji nods in understanding at the complicated topic. "Women," he sighs, "can't live with them, can't live without them."

"Tell me about it. They're either too bossy or too boring, too ugly or too pretty, or too smart or too stupid. There's never a nice balance." I cross my arms behind my head and close my eyes, tired of seeing the heart-shaped cloud.

I hear Choji crunch in agreement. "Girls our age don't seem to know how to cook very well." We lay in silence, side by side like we had hundreds of times. This is my favorite place to watch clouds, the field is open enough that I can see the sky and the trees around the edge of the field block out just enough sun to lay in. It's perfect. Choji continues to munch for a bit before asking, "Do you think either of us will ever find anyone? It's not like we're ladies' men or anything."

I shrug. "How am I supposed to know. All women are just troublesome, just thinking about them is troublesome."

He shrugs too, ending the topic. "I'm hungry."

I stare at him in wonder. "You're eating right now."

He pouts. "Chips don't fill me up anymore. Plus I want some ramen."

As if on cue my stomach starts grumbling. I sigh, "Fine."

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~~~~~~~Hidden Leaf Village ~~~~~~~

Asami and Misaki

Asami POV

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"Come, Mimo, we're almost there!" My heart thuds quickly in my chest and I feel absolutely giddy. I could giggle… but I don't.

"S-slow d-down!" She whines at me dragging her but we're so close to the village. I can hear the bustling of the streets, the voices of the people. I can smell the pines and fresh scent of dirt and flowers. I can see the giant, towering walls surrounding the village. We're so close, I can almost taste it.

"I can't! Just a bit more…" I'm sweating now and I know I should slow down, to at least feign normalcy of two teenage girls but I can't. The excitement oozes through my body like a jolt of energy.

We arrive at the gates, where two guard shinobi are stationed. I'm suddenly very thankful that I faked two identification cards. At first I figured I should make them for just in case purposes but now I'm grateful for my planning ahead.

"Hold it, ladies. I need to see some form of identification, Hokage's orders." The brown- haired shin obi holds his hand out and I give him the fake cards. They're perfect, no flaws. I spent hours on those damned things.

I force a smile. "I'm Ami Lae and this is my sister, Mimo. We're from the Village Hidden in the Mist."

He arches an eyebrow at us and hands the cards to the other guy, this one has blondish hair and a scar on his cheek. "I see that… You two don't look like sisters."

I clench my fists. Damn him…. I dig my nails into my palms and bring a sheen of fake tears into my eyes. I look up him and, biting my lip, walk a step closer. I lean in and whisper, as if not to let Misaki hear. "My sister was adopted. My family took her in after her mother died during childbirth." I stop whispering. "We came here to find work. Our village isn't every economically stable and our family is desperate for money so they sent us here to find jobs. Otousan didn't want to have to send us and make us work so young but money has been so tight lately and my mother's pregnant with another baby… We need to earn and save up as much money as we can before the child is born." I take Mimo's hand and let the fake tear slide down my face. "We don't want the baby to grow up in poverty like we did. It deserves better than that."

Seeing the sudden wave of emotions and sob stories, the average looking ninja shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Well," he coughs, "go ahead. Everything seems in proper order." The blond guys hands us our things.

I smile at him and wipe a fake tear from my cheek. "Thank you so much, Sir."

He nods at us and I take Mimo's hand, quickly walking away from the guards. When we get out of ear shot I hear Mimo whisper, "Th-that was cl-close."

I grin. "Yeah. Good thing I'm a great liar." I drag her into a mass of people in the marketplace. I lean close, "Remember to call me 'Ami', okay?"

She nods and I weave us around people and bouncing children. I smile at the liveliness of the village, very much unlike the Claws and Fangs. Back home, everyone was cold and anti-social but here everyone is bustling and bursting with life. I can hear the sellers along the street screaming and yelling their products to possible customers. Food venders cook food in front of consumers and make exaggerated flips and chops to impress people.

Mimo is practically drooling. I laugh at the amazed look on her face. "We have to find a place to stay first, then we can eat. I promise."

She scrunches her nose at me and I continue chattering on about everything. Eventually we find a street that isn't as crowded and I start walking backwards so I can face her and talk at the same time. "The birds are so cute and small here. In the Claw all the birds were huge and beastly, most are used for fighting… but these birds, they're all about looks. I kind of miss Zuko, my brother's hawk. Even though Zuko is trained for battle he's a sweetheart, especially if you give him rabbit liver. He loves rabbit livers. Asao used to get onto me all the time for spoiling the bird but I think Zuko needs a little loving. Everything needs a little lo-ugh!" I back up into something and fall forward, onto my knees. I twist around to find a pair of boys towering over me. "Hey!"

The spiky-haired boy eyes me with boredom. "Don't 'hey' us. You're the one who wasn't watching where you were going."

I pout and jump to my feet. "Well there's plenty of street here, you could've walked around us. It's not like we were taking up that much space."

He sighs. "How troublesome…. It wasn't even me who ran into you. It was Choji." He nods toward the chubby guy with brown hair who munches on chips. The guy doesn't even show the argument any attention. "Don't accuse people of doing things they didn't do. It's troublesome."

I scoff. "You're troubleso-ow!" Mimo elbows me in the back, reminding me to cool it. I take a breath. "You're right. I'm sorry, it was an accident. I'll watch where I'm going from now on. I apologize for all the trouble." I force a smile and take Mimo my the arm, "Come on, let's go find an inn or something, then we can go eat."

Mimo nods, anxious to get away from the dispute. "Y-yes."

Spiky Head sighs loudly, "Are you guys new around here?"

I stop in my tracks and eye him suspiciously. "We're not 'guys' and yes we are. Now if you'll excuse us, we have things we have to do."

He rubs the back of his head and doesn't look at us. "I heard you say you needed to find a place to stay, right? I know of a small bed-and-breakfast a little ways away from the main part of the village. It's cheap and you don't have to worry about a ton of people and noise from the streets." He seems almost embarrassed.

I arch an eyebrow at him. "Why's it so cheap?"

He looks me in the eye and sighs again. "It's in the country side and it's near a deer compound. Most people don't like seeming deer outside their window in the morning. The old lady that owns the place is nice and won't cause any trouble."

I bite my lip. Cheap? In the country? A kind old woman? Could this really be falling into my lap this easy? Or is it a trap? I purse my lips. "Can you show us the way? We aren't really familiar with this village…"

Spike nods. "Yeah, consider us even for you bumping into us."

I glare at that and shrug. "Whatever. Come on, Mimo." She takes my hand hesitantly, still a bit confused by the sudden interaction with Spike. We follow the two boys and I lean close to her ear. "If anything happens, run. I can protect you the best I can."

Mimo nods and doesn't look up at me. Hopefully nothing bad happens. I pray, something I never do, that nothing bad happens. I really shouldn't take risks like this, especially ones that involve Mimo…but I'm just about broke. All the money I saved up for this little run-away scheme is nearly gone. I have just enough to pay for a night an inn and that's about it. I don't want to worry Mimo, I know she can't really help in any way. She came with me with no clothes, no money, and barely any idea what she was getting herself into to.

From here on out I'll just have to let Fate take it's course and see where it leads us. Yay.

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So? How was it? Good? Bad? TELL ME.