Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 19

Okay, since most of the people that did review the last chapter were freaking out about this chapter, I decided not to put in the material not suited for immature brats. My reasoning for doing this is for you. If you’re not happy with the chapter, I’m not happy with the chapter, meaning I won’t do so well on the next. So, for you, I took the part out.

Enjoy the chapter…

I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden,

But I do own Mayu Ishikari and Yasmine Dalton, or any other characters that I create.

That satisfies me somewhat…

Anyway, on with the chapter!









"Even the best fall down sometimes… Even the wrong words seem to rhythm… Out of the doubt that fills your mind, you finally find… you and I… collide," –Howie Day
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"You want us to what?!"

Haku calmly sipped his green tea as three pairs of eyes stared incredulously at him. Technically, it was only two. Sai managed to keep a straight face. Haku took his cup away from his face and stared back at his three guests. He raised an eyebrow. He didn't understand their reactions at all. His plan was perfect, almost completely foolproof. Haku voiced his opinion.

"I guess that's okay, since we do have a fool in the group," Sasuke grumbled sarcastically and gave a pointed gaze to his older teammate. Nakatsu blatantly ignored the look and the insult.

"You want us to what?!" he repeated. Haku set his cup down on the wooden table before speaking.

"I'm sure that all of your ears are functioning properly," he said. "You heard what I said. I won't repeat myself."

Nakatsu shook his head rapidly. "But how can you expect us to ignore Mayu-chan?!" he asked, finally stopping his shaking. His greenish black eyes gave Haku a sharp look. "You already know of our situation. Uncle Mori–I mean, Ishikari-san is planning on ripping her from-”

"Your clutches...?" Haku asked.

"NO! I mean... well, yeah... but not like that," Nakatsu muttered. "My point is: Why should we ignore our teammate if we know we have a limited time with her? It's not right!"

"I understand why you feel this way, but it must be done," Haku stated with a nod.

"Mayu-san doesn't like to be interrupted or ignored, Haku-san," Sai finally spoke up. "I'll assume and say that it's all a matter of time before she kills us." Sasuke had to keep his body from shuddering. He knew that statement to be somewhat true. There were times with Mayu that he'd purposely ignore her. He was young back then and didn't know better. Never again would he underestimate Mayu's aim when it came to kicking.

The Uchiha unconsciously put a hand over his crotch.

"That may be, but the plan remains the same," Haku told them. "You three are to ignore Mayu-san on your journey back to Konoha. Eventually, one of you will have to find some way to come back here. In the end, I'm sure that everything will be fine." Nakatsu gave him a wary look.

“I don’t like it,” he muttered.

“Sasuke sure will,” Haku thought. In his mind, a chibi version of himself was cackling like a mad scientist.

This was all apart of his insidious–promising plan. Well, Mori’s sudden decision to take Mayu away from the group wasn’t part of it. Not at all. But Haku could work around that minor divergence. Of course the second part of his plan was a little… entertainment for him, but they didn’t need to know about the second part, now, did they?

“When are you leaving?” Haku asked, focusing on the three again. The three still looked a bit uneasy about their known parts in his plan. He mentally waved off their looks, dubbing it unimportant. As long as they did their part, it didn’t matter how they were feeling.

“When the sun sets,” Sasuke answered.

“Yeah, that guy is still out there somewhere,” Nakatsu stated, folding his arms. “We should leave the village as quickly as possible. That seems like the best time to do so.”

“Good, you have a couple hours,” Haku stated. “You should start ignoring her once you’re outside the village. That way, it’ll appear as if I’m not involved.” Sasuke gave his friend an odd look. Just what did that last statement of his mean? It didn’t sound right. It was almost as if Haku had an ulterior motive behind his so called plan to win Ishikari Mori over.

“Haku…” Sasuke began, narrowing his eyes. “You wouldn’t happen to have some hidden reason for doing this, would you?” Haku’s smile faltered. He picked up his cup and sipped. Hopefully, the cup concealed the nervousness in his smile.

“I do not have a hidden goal behind this, Sasuke,” he answered. “I only want to help you three. You need Mayu-san beside you. I can clearly see that she is vital to the team. Mayu-san’s uncle might be a superb analyst, but he is considered to be blind to what I see. Comrades, a team, a dysfunctional family… I cannot allow that to be broken apart.”

Sai smiled lightly. Others could see it too? That meant he was doing something right. Haku even went as far as to label them as a family… a dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless. Nakatsu grinned sheepishly. He was deeply affected by Haku’s compliment. He briefly wondered who was considered the ‘parents’ in the group.

Sasuke wasn’t so easily convinced. There was definitely something that Haku was not saying. Unfortunately for the Uchiha, he had never shown any signs of being a prankster before. This was all new to him. Sasuke would soon come to find that out that he didn’t like the twisted side of his friend.

The Uchiha mentally shrugged, not finding any deception in Haku’s posture. Whatever the older male had in store for the team, it would become clear eventually. He just had to wait. It wasn’t like Haku was going to hurt them, so why worry about it, right? It was Haku after all. What could he possibly do?

“Enough about that, though,” Haku said. “Shouldn’t you be training? It is that time, isn’t it?”

“Right, right,” Nakatsu replied, standing.

“Yes, I almost forgot about endurance training,” Sai commented, also standing. “Arigatou, Haku-san.” The pale ninja gave a small bow. Haku nodded.

“I’ll see you guys later,” he said.

The three Konoha shinobi left the room, leaving Haku alone. After a moment, the man sighed. “That was close…” he muttered, looking towards the ceiling. “Sasuke’s already on to me.” Haku shrugged, and then stood. He’d just have to be more careful about what he said around that Uchiha. Come to think of it, Ishikari Mori and his perception abilities needed to be taken into account.

That man had caused Haku to alter his arrangement once already. It would not happen again. Haku would see to that. He finished off his tea with that thought in mind. After that, he made his way over to the refrigerator and opened the door. He pushed several things aside until his eyes found what they were looking for. “It’s not red yet,” Haku mused as he pushed the things pack into place, hiding the concoction he had placed in the refrigerator. “I can hardly wait!”

Those poor souls had no idea what they were in for…
*********************

Ishikari Mayu stood in a clearing. Her forehead protector was tied securely around her eyes. To her, the world was shrouded in darkness. The wind shifted, causing her to involuntarily shudder. She licked her dry lips; the anxiety was already getting to her. She hadn’t done something like this since she was six. Well, here goes nothing…

The girl moved, with haste, across the field, completely blind. “I really hope I don’t run into a tree…” she thought, still running. Her ear twitched at a familiar sizzling sound. She stopped and jumped back. A split second later, an explosion rang in her ears. She had come close to losing her leg.

“Don’t run away, Mayu-chan…” her uncle’s voice seemed to be all around. “Meet this challenge head on and reach the end of the clearing.”

“Easy for him to say,” Mayu thought. She bit her bottom lip. She sighed heavily before running forward again.

Mori watched his niece run across the giant field as the explosion notes triggered all around her. His blue eyes darted back and forth, keeping up with his niece’s movements. “She has become quite agile, fast, too…” he thought. The man looked on from the safety of a tree. “Those weights… they don’t seem to be slowing her down. I’ll get her some new ones when we return to Konoha. She’ll be happy about that.” Mori continued to gaze at Mayu try to make her way to the end of the clearing. In many ways, Mayu was just like her mother.

She really was the spitting image of Mayuka. A frown appeared on the man’s face. Just thinking about his sister and her untimely death caused him to be upset. He would not allow the same to happen to his sister’s daughter. It felt that it was his duty to protect and keep Mayu alive… for Mayuka. “Mayuka-chi… I promise… no harm will come to your child,” Mori thought, bowing his head. “This I promise you, my sister.”

“UNCLE…! I THINK I’M FINISHED!” Mayu’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. His blue eyes found the girl about to take her off her headband.

“Good,” he called over. “But-”

“Crap…! I ended up where I started!”

Mori smirked. Of course, she did get some of her straits from her father. He disarmed the rest of his explosion notes. “Its fine, Mayu-chan…!” he called. “That’s enough for today.” The young Ishikari looked up to see her uncle coming towards her.

“Kay…!” she replied with a grin. She then proceeded to tie her headband back in its original place. “Just in time, too.”

By that time, Mori had reached his niece. He gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Oh, the others are supposed to meet me here for endurance training,” Mayu asked. “They’re a bit late, though.”

“Ah…” Mori frowned, not knowing what kind of training it was.

Of course he wouldn’t know of Mayu’s current training habits. It had been quite some time since he had supervised her training. Mori briefly wondered if she still practiced the Ishikari techniques. Studying his niece, he knew that she was no longer the cute little Mayu that had looked up to him. She was now a kunoichi, fully capable of handling herself. But her eyes… Something had definitely changed in them.

Perhaps it was the fact that Uchiha Itachi had betrayed the Ishikari clan. Could that be the cause of… whatever was missing from her eyes? Mori unconsciously clenched his fists. “He brought you pain and sorrow, didn’t he, Mayu-chan? You didn’t show it, but I know it’s there,” he thought.

“Mayu-chan…!” a voice caused both Ishikari clan members to look towards the voice. Nakatsu, Sasuke, and Sai were all walking towards them.

“You’re late,” Mayu stated once the three reached her. She did look the least bit angered by this, though.

“We would have gotten here sooner, but nooooo, Uchiha said go leeeeffft!” Nakatsu replied in a mocking tone. Sasuke grumbled an insult that didn’t quite reached Nakatsu’s ears. “But we’re here now, so let’s get started with the endurance training.”

“Who will go first?” Sai asked.

Mayu raised her hand. “I volunteer Sasuke!” she exclaimed with a grin.

“Thanks, Mayu, I really appreciate that,” the Uchiha replied, not sounding appreciative at all.

“No problem, sweet cheeks.” Every male present stopped their movements.

Sweet cheeks…?

Did Ishikari Mayu just call Uchiha Sasuke… sweet cheeks? All four males turned their heads. Mayu looked as normal as ever. Well, it didn’t look like she just called Sasuke’s cheeks sweet, that’s for sure! “I assumed that Sasuke-san’s nickname from Mayu-san was ‘bird brain.’ Could I have been wrong?” Sai thought.

“What are you waiting for, let’s do this!” Mayu shouted, bringing her comrades out of their daze.

“I must be misunderstanding her again,” Sasuke thought with inaudibly sigh.

Oh, how he wished Mayu would speak like that to him for real. That would be absolutely wonderful. … Not that Sasuke would ever say words like ‘wonderful.’ The Uchiha mentally shook his head, and then began to remove his shirt. Mori raised an eyebrow at his action. Why was he taking off his shirt as if it were the normal thing to do? Surely this wasn’t a part of the training exercise…!

To his chagrin, though, the other two males took off their shirts as well. Mori stared in disbelief as Mayu took their shirts without so much as batting an eyelash. He remembered a time when Mayu had screamed and ran away whenever her father or he would train without shirts on. His little Mayu-chan had been tainted by these three devils! Mori pictured the said three devils with horns, red eyes, and claws. They were all surrounding his precious niece with evil grins on their faces. “I am so glad that she will be off this team soon,” the overprotective uncle thought.

“Okay, you guys can start while I fold these up and put them near a tree,” Mayu said. The three males nodded, and then moved away. The young Ishikari moved in the opposite direction, towards the forest. Mori narrowed his eyes at the three males, and then followed after Mayu.

“Mayu-chan, Mayu-chan…!” he called. The girl sat under a tree and began folding the shirts. “This endurance training… what is it exactly?” he asked.

The young Ishikari stopped what she was doing and gave her uncle a blank stare. She blinked several times before turning her eyes towards her three teammates. “They’re about to start, uncle,” she responded. “Why explain it when it’s right in front of you?”

“Good point, I suppose,” Mori muttered, turning his eyes as well. He blinked a few times in shock. “Mayu-chan, are you aware that your teammates are beating the crap out of the Uchiha?”

“Yup,” she replied, not turning her eyes away from the task of folding her teammates’ shirts. After all, each one of them liked their shirts folded differently and separately. Mayu almost scoffed. “And they talk about me and my pickiness…” she thought.

“This… This is the endurance training?!” Mori asked, eye twitching. Mayu didn’t really pay attention to the incredulous tone in his voice.

“Yeah, it not only builds up a defense for the outside of the body, it also increases stamina,” Mayu replied. “I’m happy knowing that their bodies can withstand more than the average ninja.”

“You participate in this training?” Mori asked; he looked down at Mayu.

“Of course,” she answered. “That would be kinda rude to suggest this style of training and not participate in it myself.”

“You came up with this?!”

“Well, yeah… I’m not going to lie about it. My body’s naturally weaker than theirs, so I did this to toughen it up a bit,” Mayu said. “I don’t wanna be a liability to my teammates if the enemy tries to knock me out and take me hostage. Situations like that will commonly happen to this team since I’m the only girl on it.”

“I… I see…” Mori mumbled. “My sweet lil Mayu-chan…!” he thought, mentally crying a river.

The girl suddenly stood, finished with her task. “I’d better get read-”

“DAMN IT, SAWATARI…! I TOLD YOU NOT THE FACE!” Sasuke’s enraged voice interrupted her.

“Oops… my fist must’ve slipped,” Nakatsu responded, not sounding the least bit sorry.

“My sword’s about to slip down your esophagus in a minute!”

Mayu sighed before heading over to them. “They sound so gay right now,” she muttered. As she sauntered over to them, Mayu couldn’t help but to think that Sasuke was so ultra sexy when he yelled like that. That aggressive snarl, that animalistic growl and those bulging veins were all so… hot! Just thinking about it made her tremble in exhilaration.

Whoo hoo…! Just look at that tight ass! Mmmm… Flex it for me, baby!

The young Ishikari suddenly stopped. It appeared as if she was going to speak, but no words came from her open mouth. “What’s the matter, Mayu?” Sasuke asked, noticing her pause. The girl blinked twice.

“Uh… I thought I heard–no, never mind,” she said with a shake of her head. “Let’s continue.” Nakatsu punched Sasuke’s exposed stomach, causing the Uchiha to double over. “Jeez, Nakatsu-kun… If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you liked this part of training!”

“What can I say, Mayu-chan? I simply just love your training methods!” the older male said, and then gave a haughty laugh. His laugh was cut short by Sasuke kicking him, causing him to fly back. Mayu chuckled lightly as Nakatsu quickly stood. He dashed back over to the smirking Uchiha; their brawl began.

“This isn’t how it goes,” Mayu muttered. “But this happens every time, doesn’t it, Sai-chan?” The pale ninja nodded in agreement.

“Shall we…?” he asked.

“Yup…!” Mayu turned her eyes to the still brawling guys. “Hey, if you two are listening, then we’re switching partners in about five minutes!” Sasuke and Nakatsu didn’t seem to be paying attention at the moment. “Okay… as long as you heard me.” Suddenly, Sai’s elbow made contact with Mayu’s back, causing the girl to yelp, more so in surprise. “Aaahh, my spine…!” she screamed in surprise. There was also a little pain… “Sai-chan, I wasn’t ready!” she muttered, turning to face her teammate.

“You won’t always be ready when an enemy attacks,” Sai responded, smiling.

“Still, you jerk…!” Mayu whimpered, and then kicked her comrade, causing him to give an inaudible groan. And so, for the next fifteen minutes, Mori watched his niece get the crap beaten out of her by her own teammates. Not to say that she didn’t do the same, but it still hurt to see. Mori clenched his fist in determination. He would definitely not allow Mayu to remain on this team, especially since it looked as if her teammates weren’t pulling any of their punches.
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“Why do I have to have ninja protection?” Yasmine trudged behind her boss with a small frown on her face. She and Junko were walking towards the main gates of Konoha. Yasmine was carrying three large white envelopes in her hands. She also had a black backpack. It was filled with things that she would need on her journey, her journey to the of

“For the last time, Yasmine, what you are carrying is top secret information that many people would kill to get their grubby little hands on,” Junko answered. “It is vital that you have protection on your trip.”

“Riiiight…” Yasmine muttered, clearly unconvinced. Her boss only ignored her tone and continued speaking.

“My cousin is expecting these documents in top condition,” she said.

“Then why are you sending me, Master Junko?”

The older woman sighed heavily. She stopped and turned to face her employee. The two females were standing at near entrance to the main gates already. Yasmine stared at Junko, wondering why she stopped walking. “Yasmine, this is very important, alright?” she began. “For some reason, you’re the only one that I trust to not run off with this information. It’s a sad truth, but it’s true nonetheless.”

“Yeah right…!”

Junko’s eye twitched.

“I’m probably the only one who would accept this job,” Yasmine continued, walking past her glaring employer. “You really don’t have to lie about it, Master Junko.” Her boss huffed lightly before falling into step with Yasmine. She knew what Yasmine had said was the truth. The rest of her employees were all tough and unmoving when she asked them. Yasmine had been the only one that accepted this job without a complaint. Well, she did complain about the protection.

“Jun-chan…!” a male voice called out. The two looked ahead to see one of the two gatekeepers waving them over. Junko smiled and picked up her pace, causing Yasmine to sigh. Junko attracted attention wherever she went. It was like everyone in the village knew her and her occupation. Yasmine quickly followed after her boss.

“Kotetsu-kun…! How are you?” Junko asked, coming to a stop in front of the two gatekeepers. Yasmine recognized the two Konoha ninja as Izumo and Kotetsu. These two tried to fool the genin in the chuunin exams. Yasmine found herself frowning. Although they were just acting, one of them kicked Tenten. Neji should have kicked their asses!

Kotetsu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, actually, I think I have more knots in my back than before,” he asked. The man bowed his head in slight shame.

“Oh no, Kotetsu-kun…!” Junko sounded as if she was scolding a child. Yasmine noticed that Izumo rolled his visible eye. “You have to come to Kitty Paradise and schedule an appointment soon!” Kotetsu took Junko’s hand and kissed it lightly.

“Only if it’s with you, my love,” he whispered. “I’ll even pay extra for your special treatment.”

“Oh, Kotetsu-kun, you naughty, naughty, devil…!” Junko gave a haughty laugh as Kotetsu rubbed his cheek against her hand.

“Someone please gag me…” Yasmine thought, turning her eyes away.

“Someone please gag me…” Izumo grumbled, also turning his eyes away.

Kotetsu released Junko’s hand. “So, Jun-chan, are you leaving again?”

“No, this time I’m having my employee go in my place,” Junko gestured to Yasmine, who was currently looking passed the main gates with a bored expression on her face. “As you can see, she is very enthusiastic about going to the of …” the woman muttered sarcastically. “I really hope she changes her attitude before she meets my cousin.”

“Ah, so she’s the foreign beauty I’ve heard so much about,” Kotetsu mused. “She’s still a child… Will she have protection, Jun-chan?”

“Yes, of course,” Junko answered. “They should be arriving any minute now. Yasmine, put those envelopes in your bag now.”

“Hai,” Yasmine replied, doing as she was told. She placed her bag back where it was.

“Where are those ninja?” Junko mumbled, looking to the sky. “My dear cousin is expecting you in two days, not three. If they don’t hurry, you’ll miss the boat…”

Yasmine turned her head to the side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Junko was smiling. Come to think of it, whenever her ‘dear cousin’ was mention, she would smile. For a moment, the foreigner wondered how the two were so close even though they were so far away. She turned her eyes back towards the gate. Already, she had gotten bored again.

Suddenly, the sound of people landing on the ground caught her attention. She didn’t even turn to greet her protectors. Yasmine was still a little peeved that Junko insisted that she get protection. It was a waste of time and money. Hiring ninja to do something that Yasmine could do herself was really stupid, in the foreigner’s opinion at least. “Well, if it isn’t Neji, Tenten, and Lee…!” Izumo exclaimed, causing Yasmine’s eyes to widen.

“Oh my God…! Lee-kun?!” the foreigner thought, turning around. She saw Tenten and Neji standing in front of the familiar green shape of her idol. The three turned to her.

“Mine-chan, I didn’t know that you were-”

“GET THE HELL OUTTA MY WAY!” Yasmine interrupted by pushing both Tenten and Neji away with her hands. The two ninja stumbled but did not fall. The other onlookers watched in shock, blinking in confusion. They could have sworn that Yasmine’s normal voice had turned demonic when she pushed the others… “Hey there, Lee-kun…!” Yasmine addressed the spandex-wearing ninja, who was looking embarrassed and slightly afraid.

“It is… a pleasure to see you again, Yasmine-san…” Lee replied, reluctantly. Giant pinks hearts seemed to replace Yasmine’s brown eyes as she clasped her hands together.

“I didn’t know you would be one of my protectors! I would have never complained if I knew you were coming along!” she told him.

“H-How nice of you to say…” Lee responded with a nervous smile; his lip twitched. “But you are not my client. It’s just Neji and Tenten that will accompany you.”

“Aw…!” Yasmine visibly pouted.

“You know, you don’t have to sound that disappointed…” Tenten muttered, folding her arms. Yasmine turned to face the others who were all giving her odd looks.

“Ten-chan…? Neji…? I didn’t even see you! When did you get here?” she asked with a confused stare. Both teens fell out of place in surprise.

“Otaku… ai…” Kotetsu mumbled; Izumo nodded his head in agreement.

Tenten stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. “You’re the one who pushed us!” she stated, frowning.

“Gomennasai, Ten-chan…” Yasmine laughed nervously. “I can’t control myself when I see Lee-kun. Gomennasai, Neji.” The Hyuga turned away sharply.

“I could care less,” he said. Though, in all honesty, it pissed him off a little.

He, Hyuga Neji, was ignored for Lee! Rock friggin’ Lee of all people! He didn’t get it! What was so great about his teammate? What exactly made Yasmine go goo-goo-eyed for the taijutsu user? Unbeknownst to Neji, Tenten was also thinking along the same lines.

Yasmine smiled at Neji’s reaction. It was nice to know that he was still has indifferent as ever. His personality almost reminded her of how Mayu used to be. Perhaps that was why she wasn’t uncomfortable about the Hyuga. She had already experienced it. “Well, let’s go! We’ve got a boat to catch!” Yasmine exclaimed.
**********************************

“We are scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow afternoon,” Neji stated. I turned to face him and Tenten. We had almost missed the boat to the of If it hadn’t been for Neji and Tenten being ninja, we definitely wouldn’t be on the boat right now. The boat itself was relatively small. In all honesty, I think we and two other people are on it. My eyes suddenly grew wide as realization hit. Staring at the two ninja made me realize what I had forgotten.

"My mission...!" I muttered. "Can't believe I forgot about it…!"

"Tenten repeated. "What mission?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Ten-chan," I replied, waving off her question. "I'll be in the room if you want something!" With that being said, I trotted away from the two ninja. I could feel their stares on my back. They were probably confused by the way I was acting.

As I walked towards our shared room, I thought about my two friends. With all the things that happened over the past few days, I had forgotten what I’m supposed to do. Operation G.N.A.T.T. Get Neji and Tenten together!

Yasume: Nice name… Sounds just like an annoying bug!

I decided to ignore my brash alter ego. I walked into the room and shut the door behind me. Leaning against the wooden door, I began wondering how they would get together.

“Tenten… may I please speak with you?” Neji would say. His eyes would be turned away, almost as if he was nervous. Tenten would turn to face her teammate with a confused, yet adorable look on her face. That was a face that Neji loved gazing at.

“What is it, Neji-kun?” Tenten would ask. Neji would force his eyes to look towards Tenten, only to have them look toward her feet instead. Tenten would notice the slight blush on his face. “Do you have a fever?” she would ask, thinking her teammate was sick. Her palm would touch Neji’s cheek, trying to feel his temperature. This action would only cause Neji’s blush to increase.

“Ah… No-No… I’m fine,” Neji would say, grabbing Tenten’s wrist. Neji’s sudden touch would cause Tenten to blush in surprise. She would step back, but wouldn’t get far because Neji would still have a hold on her. His pearl eyes would stare intensively into her chocolate ones. Tenten would smile nervously, feeling as if her teammate could see through her. And then she would realize that he really could. “Tenten…” Neji would continue in a hushed voice.

Tenten would moisten her parched lips in slight eagerness. She would have thoughts racing through her mind. Her heart would be practically dancing in her chest as Neji continued to stare down at her. “Y-Yes… Nej-Neji-kun?” she would stammer out. Neji would watch her lips move as she spoke, wanting to feel those soft pink lips with his own. He would slowly ease in, hoping his crush would do the same.

Of course, Tenten would eagerly do so, closing her eyes as she did. Their lips would connect in a soft, gentle kiss. Both of them would blush as they pressed harder against each other. And then Neji would become bolder with the kiss. He would wrap his arms around Tenten’s waist, pulling her closer. He would open his mouth wider, causing Tenten to do the same. His tongue would hesitantly dart out, trying to find hers. And Tenten would squeeze his a-

“AH! That would be so awesome…!” I squealed like the otaku I am. It gave me goose bumps just thinking about it!

Yasume: You should be a writer, Ms. Fantasy…

I knew she was using sarcasm, so I decided to ignore her again. I walked over to my bed and lay down. Staring at the ceiling, I smiled. “I wonder how I’m going to get those two together,” I thought. I mean, it was going to happen sooner or later, but maybe I could just speed the process up a little.

Kishimoto-sama wouldn’t mind… I mean, Mayu’s already messed up the plot like crazy, so… But then again, I did meet Neji when I was… four… Yeah, I think we were four at the time. Speaking of Neji, things are kinda… awkward. I mean, I was sure we were friends now, but… Something was off. Like I told him before, things couldn’t go back to way it was before. But give me something to work with, at least!

He acted like the same Neji I grew up watching. Oh, well… maybe he was slightly different. I wasn’t sure about it. I know that he has changed greatly from the little boy that I knew. Sighing, I turned on my side so that I could take my iPod from my pocket. I put the earphones in my ear and pushed play.

Don’t wanna be my friend no more
I wanna be somebody else…

I sang quietly along with the song. P!nk was one my favorite artists. I love music. I really couldn’t imagine being here without it. Life would seriously suck without music. At least, that’s what I think. “What am I doing?! I’m supposed to be thinking of ways to unite Ten-chan and Neji!” I thought. My gaze shifted to the wall.

I was heard somewhere that in the game of matchmaking, there were victims, causalities, and the pawns. The victims were Tenten and Neji… Okay, maybe it was a joke when it said victims. The causalities would be–I’d probably have to find some. The pawns would most likely be Lee-kun and Gai. Maybe I few more people could work. Maybe I could interrogate Neji…

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to meet pale eyes staring back at me. “Neji…?” I murmured. Speak of the devil! I wonder if I can think about things, and then they would happen! “Chocolate cake, chocolate cake, chocolate cake…!” I thought. I held my breath for a few seconds. “Aw…” I ‘aw’d’ when no chocolate cake appeared. Neji gave me a weird look. “Gomen… Did you want something?” I asked.

I sat up and flung my legs over the side of the bed. Yes, flung. Neji had to jump back so that he wouldn’t get hit by my dangerous legs. I hope Neji forgives me for laughing. But judging from that look, he’s not, so I decided to not even try. “I’ve been meaning to talk you about something…” Neji spoke.

“What is it?” I asked, taking one of my earphones out. What? I could multi-task, contrary to what Mayu may believe.

“My father, Hizashi… You knew him,” Neji stated… the obvious. But instead of pointing that out, I opted for nodding my head. “And I knew of your caretaker, Jano-san… You do realize that that may not be his real name.”

“Well, yeah,” I replied, shrugging. “He’s a part of ANBU… I’m pretty sure that the Third came up with that name on the spot…”

“I see…” Neji muttered. ‘Muttered’ is a weird word. Just like ‘schematics’ and ‘phenomenon.’ “What is your real father’s name?”

I looked at him in surprise. He caught my look. “You know my father’s name. As your friend, I should know the same type of information that you know about me,” Neji clarified.

“Well, that was a very logical explanation,” I said. He glared at me.

“Yaya-chan… You’re not going to tell me?”

“I might as well since you’re giving me puppy-eyes,” I mumbled.

Neji actually looked offended at my wild accusation. “I was not giving you… puppy-eyes!” he insisted. “That is for spoiled brats to get their way! I, Hyuga Neji, do not have such shameful eyes.” I raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t expecting that reaction…

“I was messin’ with cha,” I stated.

“Oh…” I couldn’t help the giggle that came from my mouth. Neji probably glared on purpose.

“Anyway, my dad’s name is… Ian Dalton,” I stated.

“Ian…?” Neji repeated; I nodded. I guess he was trying to get the pronunciation down. “What happened to him? How did he die, if I may ask?” I remained silent. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it…” I noticed that Neji hesitated before speaking again. “My father… My father died for his brother, my uncle… They were twins and because of that… my father took my uncle’s place.” Neji turned his eyes to the floor; a small frown shown on his face. He didn’t continue.

He didn’t have to. I know what happened. Ah…! The wonderful world of flashbacks! I don’t understand why other fans don’t like them. Neji returned his gaze to me. We didn’t speak for a time. He sighed softly, and then turned. “Car accident…” I murmured. He turned back. “My parents died in a car accident.”

“… What is… a car?”

I felt a smile spread across my face. I’d almost forgotten that this world doesn’t know of such things. “Here, sit down and I’ll explain it to you,” I replied. I thought he would sit down on his own bed, but he came and sat down next to me. I mentally shrugged, and then began explaining what a car was. Neji looked fascinated. “I was in the car with my parents at the time. I don’t really know how it happened, but we crashed. I… was screaming because I saw blood rushing out of my parents’ bodies. My mom’s eyes were closed, but my father was still conscious. He somehow released me from my seat and told me to crawl out of the window. Once I was out, I went to help him, but… he told me to run. I think I refused to go. More people came. They pulled me away from the car with me protesting and calling out to him and mother. The next thing I know… the car exploded. I watched as my parents burned to death. By the time the right people came along, it was too late. Thinking back on it, I think that’s when Yasume started to develop inside me.”

I felt Neji’s hand on my shoulder, causing me to look at him. He was giving me a look of understanding. He knew this type of pain of losing a parent. Maybe that’s why… there’s a deeper connection with him than with Mayu. I was about to stand but–imagine my surprise when Neji suddenly hugged me. His strange scent practically marched into my nostrils. He didn’t stink or anything. He actually smelled like some kinda mint, or something. I liked mint.

“Neji… I’m fine,” I told him. He didn’t release me, though. I almost sighed loudly, but I didn’t want to seem like a bitch. I wrapped my arms around him, too.

“No one was there to comfort you, were they?” Neji asked.

“No,” I answered.

“Then we’re the same,” he whispered.

Neji slowly released me. “No one…? You would think someone gave this guy a hug after his father died!” I thought, staring at my lap. “No wonder he was an asshole when he was thirteen!” I looked back up at Neji. “How do you feel?” I asked.

“I should be asking that question. You’re the one who cried,” he said. A light smile was barely visible on his face.

“No, I wasn’t!” I muttered, wiping at my eyes. I felt wetness. Oh, I guess I was… “Anyway, how do you feel now?”

“Surprisingly… I feel like a weight has been lifted,” Neji said. “I guess you weren’t the only one who needed healing.” I have no idea what he had meant by that, but… okay.

“Hm… Neji…?”

“Yes?”

“Have you… told anyone else this?” I asked.

“I tried to tell my ex-girlfriend, but she just didn’t understand. It almost seemed like she didn’t want to.”

It took a moment for that word to process. “GIRLFRIEND…?!” I exclaimed, jumping up. I dramatically pointed a finger at Neji. “YOU HAD A GIRLFRIEND?!” He gave me a blank stare.

“Yes…”

“You are no longer pure…!” I gave a fake sob.

And here I was thinking Tenten would have an unadulterated, innocent, naive boyfriend for her first. Not used goods! “Poor Ten-chan…!” I thought, glaring at Neji. He gave me a confused expression. “Shame…” I told him. If possible, he looked even more confused. “So who was she? Did you love her?”

“I… don’t think I loved her in that way. It didn’t work out. It was doomed from the beginning,” Neji replied. He looked embarrassed, almost guilty.

“Who was she?” I asked in a softer voice.

“It was-”

The door suddenly opened, causing my eyes to shift to the door. It was Tenten. She had a frown on her face. “There you are, Neji! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Gomennasai, Tenten,” Neji replied, standing.

“… Oh, did I interrupt?”

“We were only talking, Tenten,” Neji responded before I could.

“Well, they’re about to serve dinner, so come on,” Tenten said. It appeared as if her frown deepened.

“They serve food! And here I thought Master Junko was being cheap!” I celebrated. A hand patted me on the head. I’m not a damn dog!

“You really like to eat, don’t you?” Tenten said. She smiled at me. “I’m surprised you’re not as big as Chouji-san.”

“It’s all muscle. Chouji is not fat, it’s all muscle,” I told her in a sage-like voice. Yeah, I can do that! Tenten shook her head, and then guided me out of the room.

“Let’s go,” she said.

“Come on, Neji!” I looked back to see that he was still standing in the same spot.

“No thanks, I’m fine,” he replied. I wanted to tell him he’ll get seasick if he doesn’t eat something…

“Nah, he’ll be fine,” I thought, following Tenten. “He is a genius, after all!”
**********************************


“Have a safe trip,” Haku waved. “Come back real soon, alright?”

“Okay…!” Mayu was the only one who responded and waved back. It was a little after six o’clock and the sun had begun to set. The journey home would be a pleasant one. At least that's what Ishikari Mori was hoping for. To him, it would be better if the group didn't run into that... person again. That man was yet another person looking to taint his one and only precious niece.

Speaking of his precious niece, she was busy staring–no, gawking at the Uchiha's backside. The only reason her teammates or uncle didn't see the stare or drool was because they were all walking ahead of her. For that, Mayu was grateful. She could stare, drool, and fantasize in peace. The young kunoichi released a low dreamy sigh as she continued to undress Sasuke with her eyes.

And what a fine sight it is!

Mayu straightened her back, wiping the hint of drool away as she did. She blinked in slight puzzlement. It wasn't every day that a voice spoke in one's head. Well, there was Yasmine, but she was different. Mayu furrowed her eyebrows, trying to figure out if she was hallucinating. Wait, no, she couldn't have been. Unless she counted Sasuke walking around naked...

NOSEBLEED! NOSEBLEED!

Okay, now she was sure that she heard something. And that voice sounded an awful lot like Mayu's own voice... in a higher pitch. It was all very strange. A warm feeling suddenly washed over Mayu, causing her face to become flush. "What the hell...?" the kunoichi murmured. Her comrades seemed unaware of her whisper and continued to walk, unknowingly leaving her behind.

Confused...? Don't be, I'm your inner pervert! A perverted version of yourself! And you, my friend, are being stupid! Mayu could practically feel a cute chibi finger being pointed at her. You have that delicious looking man-meat right in front of you and all you do is stare? What the hell is wrong with you?!

The original Mayu sighed. Her shoulders slouched slightly as if she were carrying something. There were many possible answers to that question, some being more logically than others. One; there was her uncle. Two; there were her teammates. The things she wanted to do to Sasuke should not be seen or heard by them. Mayu smiled, wondering if the Uchiha was a screamer.

He will be once we're through with him!

"Mayu-chan...!" her uncle's voice caused Mayu's head to snap up. Her blue eyes saw that he stopped. “What’s the matter?” The kunoichi blinked, and then stepped forward.

“Oh, nothing…!” she responded, picking up her pace. “Nothing at all.” She had reached her uncle.

“Hm… Well, don’t lollygag. You’ll get left behind,” Mori stated, and then continued to walk. During this time, the other three males didn’t stop their walk. Ignoring Mayu was tough, but like Haku said, it had to be done. For what reason, the three weren’t sure. Haku didn’t do a very good job at explaining it to them.

Mayu nodded, and then proceeded to follow her uncle. A pleasant smile appeared on her face and a small giggle escaped her lips. Ishikari Mori was none the wiser. Mayu’s blue eyes shifted over to Sasuke’s back again. He, as well as Nakatsu and Sai, were walking slightly farther away from her and her uncle. Another giggle erupted from Mayu’s mouth. “I’m gonna make you scream, Uchiha Sasuke, long and hard!” she thought with a grin. Chibi Perverted Mayu cheered in agreement.

A shiver suddenly went up Sasuke’s back.

Nakatsu noticed his teammate’s wide-eyed look. He raised an eyebrow as the Uchiha shuddered, and then continued walking as if whatever just happened didn’t happen. “Oi…! What’s up with you?” Nakatsu asked. Sai looked over to his teammate as well.

“It’s nothing… I just felt a chill,” the Uchiha answered.

“Che… I guess the endurance training isn’t really working for you, Uchiha,” Nakatsu grinned. “Getting shivers from a cool breeze… What a wimp!”

“Go fuck yourself,” Sasuke replied, narrowing his eyes.

“I don’t believe that she is aware that we’re ignoring her yet,” Sai stated before Nakatsu could respond.

“Well, it has only been fifteen minutes,” Nakatsu said thoughtfully. He glanced back at Mayu and her uncle. “Actually, the whole group has been quiet since we left Haku-san.”

Sasuke frowned as his eyebrows knitted together. He didn’t like Haku’s plan; that much was obvious. Sure, he had ignored Mayu in the past, but he didn’t love her as he did now. Now, he loved her and he had the added weight of hormones on his shoulders. Beside the hormones, there was Ishikari Mori. The older man hadn’t accepted him as he had initially thought. Thinking of all these things led Sasuke to believe that his life was not fair.

He had made one small, tiny mistake and the gods were punishing him for it. It wasn’t fair! Okay, maybe it was a couple of mistakes… but they were all tiny! Well, maybe that whole thing about drilling a hole through his best friend’s chest was kind of assholish of him. But Naruto kept pushing him with his words. Sasuke couldn’t help it if his anger got the best of him! And besides, Uzumaki was fine after a couple of hours! At least, that’s what Hinata had told him after she had beaten the crap out of him with her Gentle Fist… Sasuke winced at the memory. He couldn’t move for a few days after that encounter.

The Uchiha remembered that Naruto had laughed and teased him, saying “At least she didn’t go for your balls!” Sasuke would have hit the blond, but he had been strapped to the bed thanks to him trying to attack Kakashi for saying the same thing. Fucking idiots… Sasuke suddenly blinked. Someone was calling him.

“Sasuke…!” it was Mayu’s voice.

The Uchiha looked towards her voice. The girl was walking beside him. Her deep blue eyes seemed to be clouded over. And that crooked smile on her face… What was that about? It appeared as if Mayu was drunk. Even her face was flushed! But she couldn’t be drunk… In many ways, it looked as if Mayu was a treacherous panther, readying to jump on an unsuspecting victim.

“What is it…?” Sasuke asked, turning his eyes away from the girl. He heard Nakatsu cough loudly. Oh, right… Ignoring, ignoring her was the plan. That’s what he’s supposed to do.

“Jeez, Sasuke…! I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past fifteen minutes!” Mayu exclaimed, and then in a much lower voice. “Anyway, did you know you smell smexy?” Sasuke nearly choked on spit.

Smexy…?

What the hell was that? That word didn’t quite compute in his dictionary. He had heard Yasmine–no, Yasume said it a couple of times about random guys, especially Lee, so maybe it was a good thing… Whatever it was, it sounded similar to the word ‘sexy,’ so maybe the definition was the same? That’s what Chibi Sasuke believed, anyway. And that sent little Chibi Sasuke into overdrive.

She called us sexy! You know what that means…? A one-way, first-class ticket into her panties!

Sasuke shook his head slightly, trying to stifle the naughty thoughts that had suddenly invaded his mind. And he thought that he’d gotten rid of the chibi version of himself. “What?” Sasuke asked. Surely, he was mishearing her again. The girl probably said he smelt stinking or something. Sometimes, Mayu was brutally honest. “I didn’t hear you.” And she had been whispering, so she could have said something entirely different.

“I said…” Mayu whispered again; she moved closer to Sasuke. “You smell smexy…” Her voice was slightly… seductive...? Chibi Sasuke did a little jig.

Oh, hell yes!

Confused, the Uchiha turned to his teammate to see that her eyes were looking straight ahead. She didn’t even glance at him. Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat. Since when did his misunderstandings get this bad?

“And you know what?” Mayu continued. This time, she turned to look at Sasuke. The Uchiha stopped, causing Mayu to stop as well. Chibi Sasuke was enthusiastic with his response.

What? What? What? What?! WHAT?!

Sasuke opened his mouth to give his response, but he was still a little bit confused, and maybe a bit delusional. “I bet you taste smexy, too…” Mayu finished.

To the rest of the group, Mayu looked as she was whispering in Sasuke’s ear. To them, she was just telling him a little secret. But Sasuke knew better. He knew that Mayu was not whispering. Instead, she licked his ear. And after smacking his butt, she moved forward, giggling lightly at Sasuke’s shocked expression. “What do you know…? You do,” she smirked. “Nice ass, by the way.”

Sasuke watched Mayu moved further away from him, trying to catch up with the rest of the group. “What the hell… just happened?” he muttered.

We are so getting fucked, aren’t we?!

The Uchiha shook his head. Why was Mayu behaving this way? And why so suddenly…? She just licked his ear as if it were nothing! She did it as if she’d done it hundreds of times!

Why are you questioning it? Just picture it for a moment… SEX… WITH… MAYU!

Sasuke, once again, swallowed a lump in his throat. He had been able to suppress naughty thoughts about Mayu when she was near. He believed it was quite the talent, actually. But what was he supposed to do after she had done that to him? Sasuke licked his dry lips. This was incredible…! “But… Haku’s plan…” he thought.

Fuck Haku’s plan! Mayu wants to get jiggy wit it!

Unconsciously, Sasuke nodded, agreeing with his cute chibi self. After years of… thinking about Ishikari Mayu, she had finally took the initiative. This was a one-in-a-lifetime chance to be… intimate with the girl who he was in love with. Sasuke’s dark eyes scanned over Mayu’s backside. “… Yeah… fuck Haku’s plan…” he murmured.

He grinned lecherously and there was much rejoicing from Chibi Sasuke.
*****************************

“Okay, this looks a good place to stop for the night,” Mori started. He turned to his eyes back to the four other travelers. “If we stop now, we won’t tire out from walking. This way, we’ll be rested and prepared for an attack.”

“Yeah,” Mayu nodded. “Dei-kun will probably come back.” She set her bag down near a tree’s roots.

“I’ll get the firewood,” Sai volunteered.

“That’s okay, Sai-chan, I’ll…” Mayu trailed off only because the pale ninja had already walked off. “Fine… I’ll get-”

“I will get dinner,” Nakatsu spoke up, interrupting the kunoichi in the process. Mayu’s eyebrow twitched, but before she could say anything, the captain of her team walked away.

“I guess I’ll make dinner once they return,” Mayu muttered, frowning.

“That’s alright, Mayu-chan, I’ll do it,” Mori stated, sitting with his back against a tree. Mayu’s face lit up.

“You’ll make your special stew?” she asked.

“Sure… but I need more ingredients than meat,” Mori answered.

“Haku gave me some carrots and potatoes before we left!” Mayu told him. “I could go find some the other things, and I saw a river not to far from here.”

Mori rubbed his chin. “I guess we’re having stew then!” he finally said, causing his niece to cheer.

“This is gonna be so cool! Just like old times!” Mayu began walking away from the campsite. She beckoned Sasuke to follow her. “Come and help me gather the supplies and bring our canteens, too!” The Uchiha had to move quickly to follow Mayu.

Mori watched the two go, a frown graced his face. He didn’t like the idea of his precious niece and that Uchiha going off somewhere alone. But then again, he knew that Mayu’s mind was now on dinner. So it was a good idea to send someone with her. In case of an attack, of course… Mori knew that once Mayu’s mind was preoccupied with his stew, nothing else mattered, not even bombs blowing up in her face. The older man sighed.
**********************************

“Sasuke… ; I have a question,” Mayu spoke up. It was the first words that came from her mouth since they started looking for the river that she had mentioned before. It had been five minutes since the two had left the designated campsite. Sasuke, being the host of raging hormones, had been stealing glances at his companion for those five minutes. He instantly straightened up when Mayu addressed him.

“What is it?” he asked, hoping she didn’t notice. But then again, Mayu had been the one to lick his ear. Oh no, Sasuke didn’t forget about that. There was no way that he would! That was almost two hours ago and Mayu had yet to do anything else as… sensual as that. Now that they were alone again, the possibilities of what could happen were endless!

“Did I… do something wrong?” Mayu asked.

“Something wrong…?” Sasuke repeated, confused. “What do you mean?”

“… Well, usually Nakatsu-kun is chatting up a storm with me. Sai-chan is usually asking me questions about relationships,” the kunoichi began. “But now, it seems like they’re both giving me the cold shoulder. Nakatsu-kun even interrupted me, that ass…! He should know better by now! Anyway, I was just wondering if I did something to upset them.” She stopped walking. Sasuke stood beside her; he raised an eyebrow.

She had noticed, then? When exactly did she start to notice her teammates’ behavior? Mayu turned to Sasuke, causing him to do the same to her. “Even you…,” she continued with a puckered brow. “You’re not exactly giving me the cold shoulder, but… you seem more aloof. Your facial expressions… I can barely read them anymore. It’s as if you’ve reverted back to how you were in the past.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Sasuke responded after a pause. “Those two probably don’t want to make a bad impression on your uncle by doing what they usually do. It’ll pass.”

“Oh… What about you, though?” Mayu asked. “You tend to not care what others think of you.” Sasuke had to smirk. His little cocoon knew all about him. “What’s with the smirk?” Mayu narrowed her eyes slightly. Sasuke raised his hand. It now rested on Mayu’s cheek. His thumb stroked it gently. Mayu involuntarily shuddered.

“Mayu, it’s your uncle. That man is the last living relative of yours that I have to impress,” Sasuke whispered. He had moved closer to her. Mayu suddenly felt a little nervous. Chibi Mayu was screaming at her for feeling such a feeling. Even with the screaming, Mayu took two steps back. Sasuke only followed her, dropping his hand. The kunoichi found her back against the bark of a tree.

“And why is that?” she asked, pressing her palms alongside the tree. Sasuke moved even closer. He raised both of his hands and pushed them against the tree. They were on either side of Mayu’s head. Her blue eyes gazed at his exposed chest for a moment before moving up towards his dark eyes. Sasuke lowered his eyelids as he continued to watch who was hailed as his. He licked his lips; Mayu turned her head away.

“Don’t play with me,” Sasuke leaned forward. His lips were centimeters away from the tip of her ear. He breathed softly, causing Mayu to shiver. She unconsciously laid her hands on Sasuke’s torso. “You know… why.” Chibi Sasuke was applauding Sasuke.

Wahoo…! Look at Sasuke being smooth with Mayu!

The kunoichi slowly turned her head back. Sasuke noticed that there was a certain gleam in her eyes. The Uchiha had stared into Mayu’s eyes before, but now… it seemed different somehow. They almost seemed hypnotic, alluring… deadly. And those lips… they looked so inviting and tasty, like caramel. Sasuke didn’t like sweets, but he sure did like caramel, especially in his dreams when Mayu was covered in the sticky goodness. He loved those dreams where it was up to him to clean it all off.

“Actually,” Mayu began in a soft voice, causing Sasuke’s eyes to snap back up to hers. “I don’t know why.” Her hands slowly moved down; dark eyes grew wide. “Why don’t you show me?” Her fingers traced up and down his torso. She was enjoying the reaction it caused. Sasuke closed his eyes, taking pleasure in her touching. The stirring in his boxers snapped him out of it.

Sasuke grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving. “No…” he breathed out heavily.

“What…?!” Mayu sounded both confused and annoyed.

“Not now, not here,” Sasuke replied, releasing her. “I won’t stop if-”

Mayu stopped Sasuke from speaking by jumping on him, taking them both to the ground. The kunoichi pinned his hands over his head. Sasuke stared up at Mayu with wide eyes. She had this wild look on her face. It was… frightening, but at the same time, Sasuke couldn’t help but to be aroused by it. He wasn’t sure why, but Mayu looked extremely sexy right now. “Look me in the eyes and tell me that again,” the dominant ninja requested.

She purposely moved her body against his clearly excited member. Sasuke almost choked as she did it again, and again. The Uchiha nearly cried out. Did she not know the pleasurable throbbing that she was causing him?! “That’s right… you can’t, can you?” Mayu continued, grinning. “You’re too busying enjoying it, aren’t you? You don’t tell me ‘no’ in these types of situations, Sasuke.” She finally stopped shifting; Sasuke released fast, shuddering breaths.

Even though he thought was Mayu had done was… hot, he was still an Uchiha. And as an Uchiha, he did not like not being in control. Sasuke wrenched his arm from Mayu’s grasp, pushed her off, and then rolled his own body on top of hers. “¡Ay …! ¡Yo lo quiero áspero!” Mayu giggled lightly. (Translation: Oh boy…! I like it rough!) Sasuke stared down at her, not knowing what she had said.

Whatever it was, it was sexy as hell!

Hear that…? That was the sound of all reasonable thoughts fluttering out of Sasuke’s mind. Even with those reasonable thoughts gone–Chibi Sasuke gave them the finger as they left–there was still a slight fear that Mayu would try to break his nose again. That was something he didn’t want to happen again, so he hesitantly lowered his head. His lips touched hers tenderly. Mayu brought her arms up and wrapped them around Sasuke’s neck, successfully pulling his body closer. He opened his mouth wider, causing their tongues to meet.

He marveled at the satisfying taste of her mouth. It was almost as if she had eaten candy prior to this… rendezvous. Sasuke ran his fingers through her hair, taking the braid out as he did. He had never gotten this far with Mayu. Only in his sweetest dreams did he get past hugging.

Sasuke’s other hand slid down Mayu’s torso and slithered up her shirt. Mayu struggled for breath when Sasuke’s hand stroked her breast. “Ah…! Sasuke…!” she moaned, turning her head.

“Shhh… You’re not allowed to scream… not yet,” Sasuke whispered as he continued to massage her. He pushed up Mayu’s shirt. At the sight of her black satin bra, Sasuke thought he was going to get a nosebleed. He licked his lips slowly. They were… bigger than what he dreamt of.

He experimentally tugged on the fabric that covered one of Mayu’s breasts. He saw a nipple. Chibi Sasuke had fainted from the blood lose. A hand suddenly rested on Sasuke’s before he could go any further. His dark eyes shifted to Mayu’s face. “Someone’s coming…” she whispered. She pushed the disappointed Uchiha away as she pulled down her shirt and fixed her bra.

Mayu stood, looking around while Sasuke pouted. Just when he thought the gods were rewarding him, someone had to come along! The gods all sucked! Sasuke took a suspicious glance at the sky, hoping he wouldn’t get struck down. “Can’t die, still a virgin…! Can’t die, still a virgin! Can’t die, still a virgin!” he thought.

“Damn it…” Mayu muttered, braiding her hair again.

She had been so close to euphoria! But Sasuke had to take his sweet ass time! Mayu had lured him out for nothing! She glared at a nearby tree. She had heard footsteps coming their way. If it was Sai, he’d probably tell them something, not caring for their position, and then leave. If it was Nakatsu, he’d yell and scream, and then most likely have a heart attack. If it was her uncle–Mayu winced. Sasuke would eventually be six feet under if her uncle had discovered them in the act.

Mayu couldn’t let that happen. After all, Sasuke was probably the only person she would willingly give herself to. “Next time, you show me yours first,” she muttered.

“Huh…?”

“You heard me,” Mayu said, giving him a wink. She walked off, leaving Sasuke with his mouth hung open. Already he was fantasizing. “Come on, and pick up those canteens!”
***********************

A man stood behind a tree with a horrified expression on his face. Though, it wasn’t visible because of the mask he was wearing. After a few moments, he slowly peeked out from his hiding place. The two teens were gone. The man breathed a sigh of relief. “Ew…! They were about to do the nasty in a forest!” he exclaimed, waving his arms about. His black cloak flapped in the wind. It had red clouds for the design.

Someone else landed on the ground near the man. He spun away. “Shut up, Tobi… un,” the blond grumbled.

“Senpai…!” the man known as Tobi exclaimed. He rushed to give the man a hug, only to get kicked back.

“Don’t touch me!” the blond hissed. “Anyway, I finished setting up the bombs.”

“That’s great, Deidara-senpai!” Tobi said, rubbing his sore chest.

“Yeah, I know… un,” Deidara grinned. “They won’t be leaving this forest tomorrow morning. Having my art in front of them, they won’t expect an attack from behind… un.”

“Can I help this time?”

“No, Tobi! You’ll just get in my way, un!” Deidara was still a bit peeved that someone like himself had to be paired up with such a moron. He had thought he left him, but he somehow followed him. “You’re not supposed to be here in the first place!”

“But, senpaaaaii…!” Tobi began in a whiny voice.

“Don’t you dare, un!”
*******************************

Yasmine sighed heavily as she watched her protector. She sighed, and then looked away. “Some genius you are,” she mumbled, slightly disappointed. Neji, who had heard her, stopped his puking and glared. It was only for a moment, though, because his face turned green again. He moved his face over the side of the boat and resumed vomiting. “This is why you should have eaten dinner,” Yasmine continued in a tone that sounded similar to a parent scolding a child. “We could both be sleeping peacefully, like Ten-chan is right now.”

The only reason Yasmine was up as well is because she had to hold Neji’s precious hair away from his face as he emptied his stomach. To her disappointment, his hair wasn’t as soft and silky as she thought it to be. Sure, it was softer than most guys’, and probably girls’ hair, but she was expecting it to be so much more! And to think, all those fanfictions were wrong about his supposedly extravagant hair. If Yasmine ever got back to that world, she vowed to never again read fanfiction!

Yasume: That’s a lie and you know it!

“Shut up…!” Yasmine thought. “You’re supposed to be sleeping anyway!”

Yasume: Hard to do that when someone keeps making those retching noises!

The foreigner rubbed Neji’s back in a comforting way as he continued regurgitating. Just how much did he have in his stomach, anyway! Neji panted heavily. Finally, it seemed that the rumbling in his stomach had stopped. After regaining control of his breathing, the Hyuga finally stood up straight, causing Yasmine to release his hair. Neji stared down at the foreigner, feeling embarrassed. It was almost as bad as being pushed down a hill. Wait, that happened already…

“Feel any better?” Yasmine asked. She sat down on a bench and picked up the food and water. “Here’s a meat bun and some water.” She held it out to him. Neji looked repulsed.

“I really don’t want to go through that again,” he grumbled, eyeing the food skeptically.

“That’s the reason you got seasick in the first place,” Yasmine retorted. “You need something inside your stomach so you feel grounded while you’re swaying and rocking back and forth on water. If you don’t, you get dizzy, and then throw up. And that’s exactly what you did!”

Grumbling some more, Neji sat down next to the foreigner and took the items from her. He hesitantly started nibbling on the meat bun, still a little skeptical. “How do you know this?” he asked.

“Why, Neji Meji, it’s a scientific fact!” Yasmine exclaimed, turning to him. “I thought a genius of your caliber would know that!” The Hyuga glared at her. Why did she always have to throw that in his face? He wasn’t that kind of genius, after all! “Anyway, I learned it in PE Survey, I think,” the foreigner muttered, thoughtfully. “But I guess you don’t have things like that here, do you?”

Neji shook his head, and then continued eating. Apparently, Yasmine was from a whole different world completely. That would explain her extensive knowledge that even the Hyuga didn’t know about. It would also explain the weird listening device that Yasmine always seemed to have on her person. Neji stole a quick glance of the girl beside him. Even now she was wearing it. She had told him that she could listen to music with the small gadget. She was mouthing the words to one of those songs while staring off into space, pushing her legs back and forth as she did.

Yasmine’s hair had grown, he noticed. It was slightly longer than when he first saw her again. Her bangs were practically covering her eyes. It was a wonder she didn’t run into things on the daily basis–wait, she did do that. She was clumsy, after all. On second thought, her hair is what probably caused most of her collisions. “You should cut your hair,” Neji said. Yasmine turned to him with a look of incredulity. The Hyuga was shocked at his own words. He hadn’t meant to actually tell her that!

The foreigner took out one of her earphones out. “What?” she asked, blinking her brown eyes. Neji coughed lightly before taking a sip from his water, which had an indication of mint for some reason.

“Your hair, it’s too long,” he stated. “It’s clouding your vision.” Yasmine brushed her bangs back with her fingers.

“I guess it is,” she mumbled. “It hasn’t been cut in months. Maybe I should ask Ten-chan to cut it for me.”

“Tenten can cut hair…?”

“I’m not sure, but since she’s a master at weaponry, I thought…” Yasmine trailed off.

Neji shook his head.

“You can’t just assume things on your own,” he told her, and then drank more of his minty fresh water. “Go to the barber shop.”

“Don’t you mean hair salon?”

“No.”

Yasmine’s eye twitched.

“But I have to pay for that…!” she whined, resting her head in her hands; her elbows were pressed against her knees.

“So you’d rather leech off of your friend instead of paying with your own hard-earned money?”

“B’duh…!”

Neji blinked.

Yasmine blinked.

Neji’s eyebrow twitched.

Yasmine smirked.

“Whatever…” he finally said, turning his eyes away.

“And besides, I have to save up my money so I can move out of Sasuke’s place,” Yasmine said. “I’m pretty sure I’m the reason that Mayu and Sasuke aren’t shagging each other senseless every night.” Neji looked appalled.

“Don’t give me mental images!”

“Gomen…” Yasmine grinned. “Say, where do you get your hair cut?”

“My hair…? Cut…? Don’t be ridiculous,” Neji said. “No one cuts my hair. No one touches my hair! No one but me...”

“Except when you’re expelling the contents of the stomach through the mouth as a result of a series of involuntary spasms of the stomach muscles, of course…”

“Except when I am expelling the con-” Neji realized what he was about to repeat, so he stopped and glared at the grinning foreigner.

“Neji Meji, you’re so funny!”

“Har har…”

Yasmine sat straight up and fiddled with a strand of her hair. It was fun teasing Neji, she noted. Back when they were chibified–yes, Yasmine calls younger people chibi–it was always Neji who did the teasing. Now it was the other way around. She smiled lightly, and then shook her head slightly. She had a mission to do! “Speaking of hair,” Yasmine began; Neji almost rolled his pale eyes. They stopped talking about hair three minutes ago. “Have you ever seen Ten-chan with her hair in a different style?”

“Why do you ask?” Neji replied.

“Because I’ve never seen her without those panda ears on top of her head,” Yasmine answered. Neji almost chuckled. “And she wears them to sleep, too, so… Have you ever seen her without them?”

“There was a time… She came to train with her hair down,” the Hyuga answered. “She told us that she was rushing to get there and didn’t have time to wrap it up.” He drank more of his water.

“Ah… Was she pretty?”

Water came spurting from Neji’s mouth. Yasmine had to cover her mouth to hide the grin and stop the laughter. Tenten had practically choked on her food when Yasmine asked her who she liked. As she thought before, Neji and Tenten were absolutely perfect for one another! “Yaya-chan…! Do not ask a question such as that when I’m drinking!” the Hyuga turned his eyes to her.

“They even gave the same response!” Yasmine thought. She turned her head away so that Neji couldn’t see her eyes smiling. “They’d be so cute together!” Once she finally got herself together, she turned to the Hyuga beside her. “Gomennasai… But she was, wasn’t she, Neji?”

The pale-eyed shinobi turned away. Even with his head facing away, Yasmine could still see the faint redness on his cheek. She tried very hard not to squeal in glee. “I mean, Ten-chan is very pretty as she is right now. I could only imagine what she would look like all dressed up with her hair down,” Yasmine continued, grinning. She had to stop herself from nudging Neji in the ribs with her elbow.

“As it turns out, I saw Tenten ‘dressed up’ just last year,” Neji stated. He turned his head straight. The blush was no longer there. “In all honesty, that was the first time I saw her as a female and not a comrade.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yasmine asked, curious. “Were you confused about her gender up until that point? Wow, even with the Byakugan, your vision sucks. Anyone could tell that Tenten has boobies.” Neji gave the foreign person a flat look.

“Don’t get me wrong, I knew she was a girl. I just… didn’t acknowledge it. She was just my teammate. To me, she was just like Lee or Gai-sensei,” he said; he bowed his head slightly. “And please… do not ever say ‘boobies’ in my presence again.” Yasmine blinked twice in surprise. His last statement threw her off a little. And then she laughed… loudly.

“Neji Meji, you’re a riot!” she guffawed as she stood, holding her belly.

Yasmine abruptly stopped. It happened so quickly that Neji snapped to attention. “What is it, Yaya-chan?” he questioned, standing. The foreigner didn’t turn around. “Is something wrong?”

“… Ano…” she began.

“You can tell me… I don’t mind listening.”

“It’s nothing like that… I just realized something important, that’s all.”

“Nani…?”

“… Oh, I never left a note for Mayu, saying where I was,” Neji noticed the hesitance in her voice. “I hope she doesn’t freak out.”

“She’s lying,” the Hyuga observed. His eyes widened somewhat, and then narrowed. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, Yaya-chan,” he said out loud.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Yasmine responded with a smile; she turned to him. “Well, I guess since you’re better now, I’ll go to bed. Oyasumi nasai…!”

Neji replied by nodding his head. Yasmine started to go, but the Hyuga grabbed her forearm, causing her to stop. She looked surprised as she turned to him. “You do know that you can tell me anything, don’t you?” Neji asked. Yasmine blinked.

“Of course,” she said. The ninja narrowed his eyes, and then released her.

“Okay, then… Goodnight to you, too,” Neji walked passed her as he spoke.

Yasmine watched him go with a small frown on her face; she then smiled. “There are some things I really can’t tell him,” she thought. “That would ruin the surprise of him and Ten-chan being together, thanks to my doing!” She, of course, had lied to Neji. Actually, she had finally come up with a plan to get Neji to unveil his secret feelings for Tenten. “I have to dress Ten-chan up! That way, he’ll realize how beautiful she is again!” Yasmine could not wait until they reached the of
**********************************

Haku yawned heavily as he pulled back the floorboard. He had just awoken from his slumber and that meant he had to throw away some secret things before his guests returned. He pulled several small vials out of the floor as he yawned again. That’s when his eyes zoned in on one of the vials. “Warning, this antidote is so that she or he will remember the perverted things that may happen after taking my remedy. Without this antidote, the person will not remember anything that they did. Also, if my remedy will wear off faster than normal if mixed with another liquid. Times may vary depending on what it was mixed with…” Haku read out loud. “Give antidote quickly to avoid hangovers, high fever, nausea, cold sweats, shivers, numbness, dizziness, and aching. If the person who has taken the remedy is far away, I guess the one whose hair was used is SOL, huh?”

Haku blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then blinked again.

“Hm,” he stared at the label. “Didn’t see that...”
**********************************

“Mayu- chan… Mayu-chan, wake up! It’s time to go,” Mori shook his niece. She was all wrapped up in a blanket. “Mayu-chan, what’s wrong with you?” The kunoichi’s response was pulling the blanket closer to her body and releasing trembling breaths. Her three teammates stared down at her body. Her face was flushed and sweating profusely. She groaned loudly, curling up into a ball.

Mori stood up, looking confused. He didn’t understand. Mayu was just fine last night. Now it was morning, and his niece looked absolutely horrible. Sasuke crouched down near his teammate and poked what he thought was her abdomen. “Oi…! Mayu?” he tried to get her attention. Blue eyes slowly opened to meet the dark eyes of the Uchiha. “Are you alright?”

After a few moments of silence, Mayu finally replied. “Don’t touch my boob again,” she said in a tired voice. Sasuke almost blushed. “And shut up while you’re at it. My head is killing me because it’s pounding against my skull, so I’d appreciate if there were no loud noises.”

“Is she… sick?” Nakatsu asked.

“Now, I’m not sick,” Mayu retorted. “I feel fine.”

She rolled over, and then stood. She tried to, at least. Mayu ended up stumbling into Sai. She groaned as she slid down the pale ninja’s body. Luckily, Sai caught her before she fell to the ground. He positioned so that she was easier to carry; bridal style. “She is sick,” he stated. “Her body is very warm, she’s sweating, and shaking so much that it’s hard to keep her in my arms.”

“Oh, I’m going to puke…!” Mayu groaned, turning her head.

“And she’s feeling nauseas.”

“In other words,” Sasuke began, standing. “She’s in no condition to fight if it comes down to it.” Sai shifted Mayu in his arms. “How far away is Konoha?”

“If we leave now, we’ll reach Konoha in a day,” Nakatsu answered.

“I don’t think we can wait that long,” Mori commented. “Mayu-chan needs help now!”

“Our best bet is to go back to Haku,” Sasuke said. “We should reach his village before noon.”

He picked up Mayu’s things and placed them in her bag. It was quite a coincidence that Mayu got sick in the middle of the night. But it went along with Haku’s plan quite nicely. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Maybe it was Haku that had something to do with Mayu’s sudden illness? Would Haku actually do that? Just for a plan that was only almost foolproof…?

“Let’s head out,” Nakatsu said. The other males nodded, and then leaped away.

The ANBU operative stayed put. He narrowed his eyes as he turned his head slightly. He could feel someone watching. Someone had been watching them since last night, and yet they never attacked. “Why…?” Nakatsu thought. He could not pinpoint exactly where the stalker was, but he was sure that, even now, he was being watched. Whoever it was, he’d deal with them when the time came. With that thought, Nakatsu bounded off after his teammates.

A single blue eye watched him go. Deidara silently fumed. They were going in the wrong direction! They weren’t headed for his carefully planned trap! And if they didn’t go towards his trap, his plan was ruined! “How the hell did that girl get sick, un?!” he nearly hissed. “She’s ruining my art show!”

“Maybe her body got sick on purpose…!” Tobi exclaimed. The blond ninja turned to his partner-in-crime with a blank look. He continued to stare at the orange-swirled mask, trying to figure out if he was serious. Wait a minute… this was Tobi. Of course he was serious. Deidara promptly smacked his partner upside the head, causing him to fall out of the tree.

“Shut up, Tobi, un…” he muttered.

“My back…! How can you be so cruel, senpai…?!”

No response.

“Senpai…?”

…

& #8220;Senpai…? SENPAI?!”

Deidara had already left.

“But Tobi’s a good boy…”
*****************************

QOU:

“Don’t give me mental images!” –Hyuga Neji

“And please… do not ever say ‘boobies’ in my presence again.” – Neji
(What a coinky-dink, ne? Guess Neji was just irresistible in this chapter)

--Beta’d by ukelicious

It has come to my attention that the ones who sub Naruto Shippuden will not be subbing it anymore, thanks to, and I quote, “assholes.” So, don’t expect any of the other characters to appear in this story anytime soon, unless someone else does the subbing of course.

Until I write again… please review.