Sorry for the delay!
They make it back to the house and Kakashi heads inside. Naruto plops down under a tree intending to stay out longer.
Sasuke stays outside too, but at a distance. He was secretly watching Naruto, so that the fox doesn't run of without him.
The blonde sits watching a cricket near him. Pondering over that strange scent.
Sasuke watches him diligently. If he knew Naruto, then the boy was probably going to run off soon.
The blonde just sits watching the cricket. On the inside he asked Kyu what that scent could be.
"Hey, Sasuke!" Sakura calls. "How about you stop watching Naruto all the time and come practice with me?"
"Not now, Sakura. We have a mission, remember?"
Naruto sat still.
'Urg! Naruto's always stealing the spotlight!' Sakura thinks. 'Why can't we focus on something other than him sometime?'
Kyu only said to watch out for the scent, could mean danger..
"Come on, Sasuke," The pink ninja made her voice sugary sweet. "We don't have to watch Naruto all the time."
"I said not now," Sasuke replied.
"But Kakashi-sensei can watch Naruto," Sakura says.
"Not now."
Naru glanced up at them.
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sasuke asks.
He glanced between them.
"Can you try speaking?"
His head tilts.
"Can you say your name?"
He crooed.
"What about mine?"
Naruto just purrs a bit.
"Hey! What was that for, Naruto?" Sakura cries. "Were you even trying?"
He grins.
"Sakura, relax, he's trying..." Sasuke sighs.
Kyu nudged him a bit from inside. "Nyar?"
"What's up, Naruto?"
He tilts his head.
"What's wrong?"
He just pokes Sasuke.
"Stop touching my Sasuke!" Yells Sakura.
He cringed back.
"Sasuke, are you all right?" She turns to the other boy.
"I'm fine. Naruto didn't do any harm."
Naru blinks at them.
"Naruto, can you try saying hello for me?"
He uncurls a bit watching him.
Sasuke sighs. "I guess it's too early for something like that right now. Maybe we can work on this later."
The blonde tilts his head slightly.
The former boy glances at the sky. It was about mid-day. "Sakura, how about we start preparing lunch? We can make some curry or something, right?"
Sakura brightens a bit when she hears the word 'we.' 'I'm gonna cook with Sasuke!' She cheers in her thoughts. Out loud, Sakura says, "Of course! I saw curry ingredients yesterday!"
Naruto watched them stand, following a moment later.
"Do you want to help, Naruto?" As Sasuke asks that, Sakura feels her hope deflate. She wasn't going to be cooking alone with Sasuke after all. Of course, Naruto has to come. He always ruins everything. He pounced, jumping off Sasuke then ran off to the other side of the yard.
"Hey! Naruto, what's wrong?" Sasuke calls.
Sakura smiles slightly. "Leave him. Let's cook together, just the two of us, okay?" she asks. "Naruto would just get in the way." She then proceeds to drag Sasuke into the house, and the two of them start preparing lunch. Though Sasuke glances out the window in the vain hope of watching Naruto. But the trees blocked his view of the yard.
Naru watched then pouts, he had hoped Sasuke would play with him. He sighs wandering around exploring the perimeter of the house.
Back in the kitchen, Sakura pulls out items to cook with, humming quietly. Sasuke frowns at her. "Why do you always push Naruto away?" he asks.
"I wanted to spend some time alone with you," Sakura replies. "I never get to spend time with you."
"We're on a mission right now, Sakura," Sasuke rebukes. "It's not time to be hanging out."
"All we're doing is watching Naruto."
"Then why are you shoving him away? How are you supposed to watch him if you treat him that way?"
"I..." Sakura didn't know how to respond. How was she supposed to explain to Sasuke?
It was an honest question, just why did she hate Naruto so much? Sakura just turns away to go back to her cooking. He didn't understand!
Kakashi passed by glancing to them. As he did, Sakura chopped down with her knife a little too hard. His one eyebrow raised at that curiously. Sakura ignored everyone else, silently fuming as she finished preparing the meal. Kakashi's head tilted slightly going outside to find Naruto and drag him in.
Though Kakashi is gone, there isn't much difference in the house. Sakura sets up the table, while Sasuke sits at the window, slightly bored. The jonin soon comes back blonde in tow.
Sasuke smiles, glad to see Naruto was back. Somehow, he had the feeling that the headstrong blonde would run away if not watched carefully. They sit down to the meal, digging in.
Sasuke sits next to Naruto, and tries to get him to say something. As one could guess, his attempts didn't work... At least they finally convinced him that using utensils was a far more efficient way to eat than using fingers.
Meanwhile, Sakura scowls, and sits as far away as possible from the others. 'What's so special about Naruto anyway? Why does he always take my Sasuke away from me?' She cries in her mind. 'It's not fair!'
Kakashi watched the trio contemplating, he needed a way to get Sakura to work with Naruto at least somewhat better.
Sakura finishes lunch quickly, then left to sit in a tree. She needed some fresh air to calm herself down. The blonde had noticed, watching her. Unaware that Naruto was watching, Sakura started on a quiet rant about how idiotic and self-centred said teammate was. Naruto slips outside sneaking behind her.
As she was too caught up in her rant, Sakura was oblivious to the world, so she didn't notice Naruto.
It wasn't like he hadn't been talked about behind his back before, even if most of the words didn't register, the tone in which she said his name was recognizable.
"Ugh! That stupid Naruto! He's always getting in my way!" The pinkett ends up crying out, falling back and crashing into the other ninja.
He yelped in surprize.
"Wha..." Sakura sits in surprise for a moment, then gets her bearings. "What were you doing, Naruto? Stop following me around!"
Fox-boy was currently trying to get out from under her. She stands up, half gloating in Naruto's pain, half angry at him for following her. He sits up with a whine.
"Serves you right for following me," Sakura said with little remorse. "You need to give up."
'Give up?' He remembers those words.. Give up being a ninja, give up reaching for Hokage, give up getting people to accept you.
"I'm never going to like you, no matter what you do. Give up!"
The blonde frowns, all he's ever wanted was for people to want him. To actually like having him around and not chase him away, not have to be destructive for attention, just to receive it, he just wanted a friend..
"Just go away, and leave me alone!"
The hurt look was one no one usually sees on the blonde. One of tired defeat and old pain. Soon enough it was covered up on reflex as his attention turns to a bird flying off, the fox chasing after it.
"Good riddance..." Sakura sighed. But after seeing the look on Naruto's face, she felt bad. All this time she had been pushing him away, and he just wanted- no, needed- a friend. Sakura sighed, and looked around for the blonde, but he was already gone. He was nowhere to be seen around the cabin.
The day passed on and still no sign. The sun was starting to set too.
Sakura runs back to the cabin. When she gets there, she calls out, "Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke! Naruto's missing!"
"What?!" The jonin jumps up. "Ugh... he's lucky he's even able to move right now.. Getting lost in the woods is not what we need..."
Sasuke gets up as well. "Which way did he go?"
"This way." Sakura runs off the way she came, leaving the two boys to keep up. They take off after her.
Sasuke weaves along, curious on what happened to make Sakura worry about Naruto. Normally she would just ignore Naruto running off. Nor the time for her to spend with Sasuke. But now was not the time to worry about Sakura. Now was time to worry about Naruto.
They come deeper into the trees but find no trace. Despite common belief, Naruto could hide extremely well. He's had 13 years of practice after all.
"What do we do?" Sakura cried.
Kakashi sighs "Hope he doesn't get in trouble for one.. If he just wandered off he could smell his way back."
"He was upset when he left..." Sakura muttered.
Kakashi quirked a brow.
"I may have made him upset..."
He sighs rubbing his face lightly.
"Let's not focus on that right now," Sasuke suggested quietly. "Let's focus on finding Naruto."
They continue on in their search. Sakura climbs into the trees. She figured that was the most likely place to find the missing ninja. Meanwhile, Sasuke calls Naruto's name out, in hope that he would hear and come back. Kakashi summoned Pakkun and sets out with him.
Soon, the sun had set, and it was extremely dark in the forest. Pakkun finally caught a scent chasing after it. Sakura notices, and runs after the dog. Sasuke isn't far behind. They continue a while before the pug stops frowning. "Someone else was here..."
"Really? Who was it?" Sakura asks.
"Ya got me."
"What do we do, sensei?" She turns to the jonin.
"Find him."
"Well, that's a given..." Sakura mutters. "Lead the way, Pakkun."
He takes off again. The others follow along, and soon they reach a clearing. They stop along the edge.
In the centre of the clearing, there was a cage. In the cage was a familiar figure. Awfully familiar. He had a blank face seemingly looking bored.
"We found him..." Sakura stated bluntly. "What do we do now, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Wait and see who shows up..."
With those words, the three humans sit and wait for someone to show up. Finally a group comes over. Naru looking like he fell asleep.
Sakura looks up. "Who are you?"
The group hadn't noticed them and jumped.
"Stupid!" Sasuke scolded. "They hadn't noticed us!"
"Sorry, Sasuke..." Sakura replied.
"Whada ya brats want?" One said.
"I think you took our teammate," Sasuke responds evenly.
"Teammate? Ha! We just caught a nuisance is all."
"So what if he's a nuisance? He's still our teammate!" Sakura says.
"It's a casualty to the village. If the rumors from the Land of Waves is true we should just kill it when we have the chance." Another spoke to the first.
"What rumour?" Sakura asks. "I haven't heard any rumour!"
"People say that thing killed one of the swordmen from the Mist. We gotta act before it turns on us too!"
Sasuke notices their headbands, they were headbands for the Village Hidden in the Leaves. "You guys are Leaf ninjas. Naruto wouldn't hurt you."
"Tch.. You wouldn't know.. I lost my father to its last rampage!"
"Naruto is not the ninetailed fox!"
The second guy just turns reaching for the cage.
"Stop it!" Sakura calls. "Who are you?"
He didn't answer reaching in and grabbing the blonde by his hair. Naruto winced slightly but didn't react otherwise. He's learned a few things over the years. Fight back and they just hit harder and come in bigger numbers next time. It just gives them proof he's as violent as they think. React as little as possible and they might get bored and leave sooner. If all else fails escape.
"Don't hurt Naruto!" Sasuke cries, running towards the enemy while pulling a kunai out of his pocket.
The blonde turns his eves at the voice. Kakashi right behind him blocking another ninja. Sasuke went straight for the ninja holding Naruto, while Sakura stayed back, giving moral support, as always.
Another tried to block the Uchia. Kakashi had his hands full with two others. Sasuke fought off the ninja blocking his path, then continued to Naruto. The guy holding him swung a kunai towards his chest
Sasuke blocks with his kunai, then slashes at the man's wrist. He cried out letting go and clutching it.
Immediately, Sasuke forgets the other ninja, and jumps over to protect Naruto, standing in front of the fox-boy defensively. Naru blinks surprised. The older man grows and lunges. Sasuke blocks again, not moving from his position.
While they clashed Naruto sits confused, Sasuke was defending him again? Just like with the ice mirrors? Did he actually care about him after all? Neither of them noticed the fourth ninja coming up from the side.
At the last second, Sasuke notices the fourth ninja, and attempts to fight both off.
Naruto finally snapped out of his daze when one managed to slice Sasuke's arm. His eyes narrow growling, taking frustrations out on him was one thing, but hurting people close to him was unacceptable!
Fueled by pain, Sasuke fought harder. Naruto growls lunging forward and punching the guy who hit the raven straight in the jaw. The two boys fought until all the other ninjas were tied up. Kakashi rounded up the rest.
Sasuke brought his kunia knife to the chin of what appeared to be the leader. "What did you want with Naruto?"
"The punk is a demon!" Said 'demon' sat of to the side away from the ninja, watching.
"What did you just say?" Sasuke dug the knife a bit deeper.
"He's always causin trouble! It's only a matter of time before he starts killin!"
"I know Naruto better than you ever will. He would never kill anyone."
The man didn't look too convinced. Some people will never change.
"You mess with my teammate, and you mess the Uchia clan, got it?" The blue/black haired ninja dug the blade even deeper, just to be more intimidating.
A small squeek came from the side. "Ske?"
Sasuke glaced over towards the noise. Naruto sat watching, reaching out and pulling the ravens arm away from the man.
"What's wrong, Naruto?" He asks.
"Ske." He said again
"What does 'ske' mean?"
"What you don't recognize your own name?" Kakashi asks as he gathers the men in a group.
"It doesn't sound like my name," the raven retorted. "How was I supposed to know?"
The jonin just smiles under his mask. "Get back to the cabin and lock up, I'll be back soon." In a swirl of leaves he leaves with the prisoners.
"Sasuke! You were so amazing there!" Sakura gushed, coming over. "As expected from an Uchia!"
"Not now, Sakura," He replied. "Let's go, Naruto."
The trio head back to the cabin Naru trailing behind slightly.
On the way, Sakura was going on and on about Sasuke's 'awesomeness,' while he blocked her out, and occasionally glanced back at Naruto in concern.
The blonde seemed subdued, almost confused as to why he was defended. The other was confused on why Naruto looked somewhat depressed. Isn't Naruto the cheerful one?
It was strange to him. Sure being on a mission was one thing, they had a common goal to complete, but this didn't involve the others in the slightest.
Of course, maybe Naruto thought he was left out, Sasuke thought. After all, he was the only one who couldn't speak English.
They could have just left, after all its not like they really bothered with him otherwise.
They reached the cottage. "You wait out here, Sasuke~" the female ninja almost sang. "I'm going make an extra special dinner for you~" She went inside and Naru sits in the grass pawing at the dirt thoughtfuly.
Sasuke sighs. Now that the most recent evil has been vanquished, there was nothing to do but sit around. As always.