AUTHOR SAYS: HEY GUYS! HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR YOU! I HOPE IT'S WELL RECEIVED LIKE MY OTHER CHAPTERS. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE JOUNIN EXAMS :) IT'S GOING TO BE A BLAST! YOLO. ALSO, I THINK THIS IS SHORT, I HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR WHY THOUGH, SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH MY FAULT IT IS THE WAY IT IS. BUT DON'T WORRY, OTHER CHAPTERS WILL BE LONGER.

R&R PLEASE

Legend:

'Thoughts'

"Talking"

"Jutsu"

Previously...

Manda nodded his head without looking at her. He and his master seemed to be in a world of there own she noted. 'Was it something I said?.' She thought.

Hinata clicked and her blush deepened, "Ano.."

Sasuke shoved her gently, he didn't want her to apologize for saying that, "Manda, go easy." He said.

The snake stared at him, unsure he heard correctly, "Easy?."

Sasuke smirked, "Yeah."

Chapter Fourteen

Don't Wander

Present Day

"So, I was right?." Shikamaru murmured to himself. He clasped his hands behind his head as they walked, "This can go either way."

"What do you mean?."

Shikamaru gave the Hokage a meaningful look, "We could turn the tables on him, use him to our advantage."

Naruto scratched the back of his head as they came to their destination. The door opened from the inside of his office. "Kakashi-sensei?."

"You've told him?." He asked, ignoring the blonde.

Shikamaru walked in behind Naruto, "Bits and pieces."

Naruto spun around, "Bits and pieces? What kind of advisor are you?." He murmured.

"Your advisor." He snapped back, "Hinata wants to make Jounin, right? I say, why not let the exam be Hiashi."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, "It's dangerous."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement, "All Hiashi wants is a leader to the clan. If he wants her, he'll have to fight for her."

"What about Sasuke?." Naruto piped in, he was slowing understanding where the conversation was heading.

"That's where you come in, Naruto." Shikamaru said, "If anyone can stand with him, it's you."

"A fight?." He asked himself outloud, Naruto began to get excited, "It's been alongtime since we fought."

"No! No fighting."

"Eh?."

"Sasuke will be there to oversee Hinata. Your job is too oversee Sasuke."

Naruto frowned and pointed at Kakashi, "Why can't Kakashi-sensei do that? I'm not a babysitter."

"You do want Hinata to fulfill her wish, don't you?." Shikamaru said, changing the subject to a more personal one, "All she wants to do is make Jounin. I'm sure she'd be happy to see her favourite person watching her."

Naruto's stomach twisted, 'That's right. Hinata always wanted me to watch her, hell, even look at her.' He thought, lowering his gaze to the ground.

'That's cruel even for you, Shikamaru.' Kakashi thought, admiring the distasteful shadow nins powers of persuasion.

Naruto looked up with renewed vigor, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." He stated seriously.

Kakashi suddenly opened the window, bringing the blonde Hokage down from his high, "Well, I'm off." He said.

"Ja ne." Shikamaru said, knowingly.

"Huh." Naruto said scratching the back of his head.

Shikamaru's POV

Flashback

Day 11 of Training - 19 MORE DAYS TO GO before Jounin Exam

'Man.' I thought, yawning lightly to myself, 'Don't they have anything better to do?.'

I rolled out of my bed and stretched. 0800am my clock read. I could feel their rising chakra even from my small apartment. I stood and slowly stepped over Chouji. I guess we had alittle bit more to drink lastnight than I realised. Lucky for Chouji though, If he wanted he could sleep through a war, I on the other hand still had the problem of waking to even the smallest of things. It was all troublesome, I didn't like waking up when I wasn't needed. I went straight to my fridge and popped the cap off a bottle of water.

"S-shikamaru.." A groggy Chouji murmured, he was up too my amazement, "Got another one?."

I threw him a spare bottle, "So you felt It too."

Chouji chugged back the large bottle back with ease and I smirked, "Yeah, I tried to ignore it."

"Well, your timings great. We're going to take a look." I say, tossing my empty bottle into the sink.

"Pass." Chouji deadpanned, falling to his back, eyes closed, "I have a date with a 10kg sugar donut and a large Konoha sized bowl of ramen."

"And where are you meeting these lucky ladies?." I ask, playing along.

"Somewhere only Ino's been." He said with a laugh, "In my dreams."

I chuckled with him, "How about I buy you breakfast?."

He peered at me with one eye open, "Only if it comes with lunch and dinner?."

"Sure." I replied.

Chouji was on his feet within seconds. We both placed our sandals on then headed out of the front door. It was nice to wear civilian clothes for a change. You could say we almost blended in with the population of Konoha, but there was the downside, they knew we were ninja's. We came to the edge of the two storey building.

"What if they see us? Or sense us?." Chouji suddenly asked.

"I have no doubt in my mind that they can sense us, they just choose not to acknowledge us." I replied, diving head first from the ledge then landing swiftly onto another building.

Chouji did the same and came up beside me, "We're not the only ones then?."

I broke into a light run, rooftop to rooftop, "Almost everyone has given into their curiousity." I reply.

"And Sasuke doesn't mind? Wow, he's...changed." Chouji, the ever so gullable guy he was, said to me.

I shook my head, "He wants us all to see. He wants us all to know that he is the only one capable of training her..." An image of Naruto popped into my head, "...He especially wants Naruto to know that Hinata is his."

Chouji's eyes widened, "Hinata?."

"Shhhh.." I whispered to him. We were closer than I realised. Using chakra, we launched into the air and attached ourselves to a large wall with our heads visible.

Chouji clicked his tongue beside me, "What did you mean before? About Sasuke wanting Naruto to know Hinata was his?."

"It is what it is." I murmur, "It's troublesome if you ask me."

Hinata, I noticed looked battered and bruised already. They must've been going at it for a few hours before our arrival. Chouji looked back to the two sparring figures. "She's stronger." He complimented, adding a smile to his words, "Much stronger then when I seen her spar with Neji."

"That's because...-." .

"That bastard has no problem hurting her." Someone finished for me.

Chouji and I both turned our heads, the newcomer was beside Chouji, "Oh, Kiba?." Chouji said.

"You guys too, eh?." Kiba said with a toothy grin.

I smiled, "What else is there to do on a leave day?."

Kiba covered his mouth as he yawned, "Sleep." He then wiped his eyes, "But it's not easy when you can feel that traitor's damn chakra spiking all over the place." He snarled.

"Yeah." Chouji and I said in unison.

"Hakke Rokujuuyonshou." A bloodied Hinata murmued.

We all tuned into the fight. I was amazed at how quick she moved. If Sasuke knew any better he would never have risked getting to close to her. Using this technique mean't Hinata could close the required tenketsu points on his body, stopping Sasuke's chakra flow and disabling him from using any jutsu. I told myself she could finish him, here and now, but my instincts told me otherwise. Sasuke had a plan, and I knew it.

"That's 16 down." Kiba said.

Hinata moved swiftly, not once letting up on her assault. I praised her for her ability to not give up. I counted fourty two, I think. I could hear Kiba beside me counting as well. Chouji said fifty five.

"She could win." Kiba whispered, I could hear the hope in his voice.

"Tsukuyomi." Sasuke said under his breath.

'Not good.' I thought, tensing.

Chouji glanced at me from the corner of his eye, "What happened?." He asked me. Kiba looked over to me for answers also.

Sasuke caught Hinata before she connected face first with the ground. I could read his lips, "None of them..." Sasuke murmured, lifting her into his arms, "..won't know what hit them."

Sasuke's eyes landed on the wall we were occupying suddenly. Chouji and Kiba released themselves just in time, so as not to be found, whereas I stayed glued to my spot. We locked eyes. His Mangekyou Sharingan slowly faded until I was looking into coal black. That message was to me and everyone amongst the rookie 9. Simply put, Hinata was stronger and could make Jounin. I smirked and he smirked in return, then with Hinata secured, he disappeared. I released myself from the wall seconds after.

"What the hell?." Kiba asked, panicked, "Where is he taking her?."

"She'll be fine." I say, shoving my hands into my pockets.

Chouji came beside me, "What did he do to her?."

"He put her under."

"Under? Like asleep?." Kiba asked, I could tell he was protective of her.

"Yeah. He made it seem like she had the upper hand but he was baiting her to use that technique. Then when he knew she thought winning was possible, he brought her down and knocked her out without lifting a finger." I explained.

"But she blocked his tenketsu points." Kiba said, "He shouldn't have been able to move let alone stand."

"She did do all that, yes, but Sasuke doesn't need his body or hands to kill someone. He only has to use his eyes and it's all over." I thought alittle on what I said and sighed. I'm glad he wasn't our enemy.

End of Flashback

Present Day

"Sakura?."

The pinkette turned, "Oh, hey Ino." She greeted.

Ino sat beside her under the tree she occupied, "I heard what happened." Ino whispered.

Sakura looked down at her wrists, "I...I must look pitiful." She said with a sad smile.

"No, not pitiful, sorry. But sorry won't take back what you've done. You hurt one of the most kindest person in the village, not to mention almost killing two civilians." Ino rasped, "What were you thinking?."

Sakura wiped a stray tear from her eye, "I wasn't thinking, that's the problem. I just...I just wanted Sasuke."

"And how did that go?."

"He and Hinata were right, I was selfish. I lost my title as a ninja, my parents won't even look at me and the one person who I thought would never leave my side, has. I don't blame what's happened on them though." Sakura shook her head, "It's because I am selfish."

Ino placed a hand on her shoulder, "Everyone is selfish Sakura, but it's how you go about it that changes everything."

"You...you don't hate me for everything I've done?." Sakura asked.

"No way, how could you think that? Look, I'm sure you can make up for what you've lost. It's just going to take time." She explained.

"Yeah, a year's worth." Sakura murmured.

Ino giggled, "I'll help you."

"Really?."

"Yes, really." The blonde smiled. They hugged.

A figure above zipped passed them, undetected. "I should kill her for what she did too onee-san.' Said figure thought, picking up speed.

Someone ahead was waiting, "Hello, Hanabi-chan."

Hanabi skidded to a stop just in front of him, "Kakashi-sensei?."

"You seem to be in a hurry, can I tag along?." He asked.

Hanabi narrowed her eyes, "I have to go alone." She zipped passed him only to discover he was right beside her.

"I'm making a few stops this way also." He explained, "I was planning on seeing Sasuke."

Hanabi skidded to a stop for the second time, "So you know." She said, straight-forward.

"Yeah, I do." He replied, calmly, "You have better things to do, don't you?."

"Something like that." She said, crossing her arms, "Compromise?."

"You read my mind." He said smiling.

AUTHOR SAYS: YUP! IT'S A SHORT ONE. SORRY. BUT DO R&R THOUGH, IF YOU WANT TOO :) YOLO!