Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I never will……well, except in my dreams. –sighs-

Authors Notes: Well, this is my first story ever. So please don't be hard on me, otherwise known as no flames please. Although I do accept helpful advice. Please and thank you! So sit back and enjoy the story!!!

Background: Well this story takes place before Sasuke leaves to Sound, but after the chuunin exam.

Chapter 1: Running Late

"Sakura!" yelled Mrs. Haruno, "Hurry up! You're going to be late for training!"

"Okay! I'll be right down!" Sakura yelled back. Sakura Haruno was in her room, getting ready for training. She grabbed her leaf village headband, and then tightly tied it up on top of her head to hold up her short pink hair. "Okay, ready." she thought. She then hurriedly grabbed her kunai holster and ran out of her room. "Bye Mom!" she yelled as she ran out the front door of her house.

"I'm going to be late!" Sakura thought, "Time to use chakra!" Sakura pumped chakra into the soles of her feet and with new found energy; she was off with amazing speed. Rushing through the streets of Konoha, Sakura saw many familiar faces. Ino was in her families flower shop, Tenten was at a weapon store, Chouji was buying chips from a man at a food stand, Kiba was sitting on a bench with Akamaru and Shizune was rushing to the Hokage tower with scrolls in her hands.

Sakura smiled at waved to her friends, and then rushed onward. As she approached the bridge where Team 7 usually met, she slowed down then stopped. Naruto was sitting on the bridge and Sasuke was leaning against the railing staring off in to the distance. When Naruto looked up and saw Sakura approaching, he jumped up and grinned.

"Hi Sakura!" he yelled.

"Hi Naruto," she said as she approached them, "Hi Sasuke."

"Hn." Sasuke replied. "What more should I except." Sakura thought with a sigh.

"Why are you late Sakura?" Naruto snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, I woke up a little late this morning. I was up until 11 last night trying to learn that new jutsu Tsunade taught me. Although I can't say I'm improving that much." she whispered the last part to herself.

"What was that Sakura?" she jumped. Sakura turned around and saw Kakashi standing on the railing of the bridge. "Yo." he greeted them.

"Why are you late?!!" Naruto and Sakura yelled after they got over their shock.

"Well you see I was on my way here, but then I got lo…"

"I don't want to here your excuses! Lets just start training!" Naruto yelled, then he surprised everyone by jumping high up into a nearby tree. "Sasuke!" Naruto called down. "Today is the day I beat you! Believe it!" Naruto took out 3 shuriken and in a blink of an eye, he threw them at Sasuke. Sasuke quickly grabbed a kunai out of its holster and deflected the shuriken

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled out his signature move. Five Narutos appeared next to the original. They all jumped off the tree and charged at Sasuke.

"Hn…too easy." Sasuke rushed at the clones. He punched the first one in the face, kicked the next one in the stomach, then grabbed a clones hand as it tried to punch him and threw it at another clone. He threw the kunai in his hand at the remaining copy.

"Huh? Where's Naruto?" Sasuke looked around and kept his guard up in case of a surprise attack.

"What am I suppose to do?!!" Sakura half asked, half yelled from the sidelines. "I'm not going to just stand here and watch those two train. I'm getting in this fight!" Sakurajumped up into the leaves and branches of a tree. She crouched down on a stable branch and surveyed her surroundings.

"Naruto couldn't have gotten far. He's probably somewhere around here watching Sasuke. Its kind of weird Naruto's waiting and watching instead off jumping in headfirst…UNLESS!" Sakura gasped and turned around.

"I got you Sakura!" Naruto said with a grin. He was crouching behind a surprised sakura with a kunai to her throat. "Hehe!" Naruto laughed. "I WIN!"

"Sorry Naruto. You can't get me that easily." A uff of smoke appeared and when it cleared Sakura was gone and a log stood in her place.

"That's no fair Sakura! I had you!" Naruto whined. Naruto, realizing he was an open target, ran and jumped from tree to tree as fast as he could.

"Maybe if I keep them running after me, they'll get tired then I can attack them." Naruto thought with confidence.

Across the clearing behind a rock, Sasuke sat watching his teammates carefully. "Where is he going?" Sasuke wondered. A moment later, a flash of pink of pink caught his eye, but then it disappeared into the forest "Looks like Sakura decided to follow the idiot. I'll follow, but keep a distance away in case off a trap." And in a flash off blue, Sasuke was gone.

In the chase through the trees, Naruto was still ahead of his teammates. He had to keep it the way or his plan of a surprise attack would be ruined. He could sense Sakuras chakra signature a little ways behind him. She wasn't losing chakra as quickly as he thought she would.

"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto wondered, a little nervous. "I thought he'd follow me. I can't sense him anywhere. Well at least I'll get Sakura." Naruto speeded up. Soon something came into view.

"What is that?" a confused Naruto wondered. He stopped right in front of a fence. Naruto scratched the back of his head. He heard something behind him, so he turned around.

"Don't let your guard down Naruto!" Sakura jumped from the trees and threw 3 kunais with exploding tags attached to them at naruto. They landed two feet away from him.

"Eh!" Naruto yelled. Naruto jumped away from the explosives and flipped over the fence. "She's not tired yet?! I guess I just have to keep running." Naruto turned around and ran off into the trees on the other side of the fence.

"Damn it!" Sakura cursed then she too jumped over the fence and followed Naruto.

Sasuke, who was watching them from under a bush, took off after them without a thought.

Trailing after them was Kakashi. He stopped in front of the fence and looked at the sign that all 3 kids missed. On the sign were 5 words in big red letters. "Keep Out! Forest of Death!"

"Shit!"