Hey, everyone, sorry for taking such a long break from updating, but I was overly busy with work. To make the matters worse, my entire inspiration went to my original Dragons story, so yeah, poor Itachi was cast aside. He is kind of mad at me, but we will work it out XD As always, thank you for all your support and please enjoy this chapter, however crazy it might be ^^

The song used is Say You Say Me by Lionel Richie

"Say you, say me," I spun around, coupling my hands behind my back and walking backwards. "Say it for always, that's the way it should be."

"Come on, guys, join me!" I grinned and pointed my finger at Itachi, who gave me a death glare and then ignored me ceremonially.

"Say you, say me," I continued nevertheless, grinning like an idiot, "say it together, naturally! Come on, Hidan, you can do it!"

Yet, Hidan merely coughed into his palm, apparently feeling out of place and Itachi rolled his eyes, grumbling, "Would you stop singing already?"

"NO!" I stuck my tongue out at him. "Come, guys, sing with me! This is easy! Right, Hidan?"

Hidan coughed again, a light blush crossing his features, "It is… catchy."

"Right? Right?" I grinned and turned around again with my back to the guys, continuing with the song. "As we go down life's lonesome highway, seems the hardest thing to do is to find a friend or two. That helping hand, someone who understands when you feel you lost your way. You've got someone there to say - I'll show you."

I whirled to face them again, flailing my hands up, "Come on, sing along with me, guys! Say you, say me, say it for always... Itachi, your turn!"

"I am NOT going to sing," Itachi hissed at me and I giggled.

"Ohhh, scaaary!" And then, I continued on, walking backwards with my hands behind my head. "Say you, say me, say it together, naturally!"

"Don't walk like that, you'll fall," Itachi grumbled at me and I shrugged, grinning like an idiot.

"Nah, I wo-" and then, I stumbled on my feet and landed oh so gracefully on my butt. "Ouuuch!"

"^&$#%#$%, Liz!" Hidan flashed stepped towards me, but he was late by a second or two as I was already being hauled up by Itachi's strong arms.

"Told you," he muttered smugly as his eyes glanced me up and down as if he was looking whether I had injured myself.

"Liz, you $%#$^ alright?" Hidan grabbed my right hand and I looked up at him, shaking my head.

"I FELL and my butt hurts!" I exclaimed angrily. "So, no, I'm not alright!"

"If you can yell like this, then you're more than fine," Itachi grinned mockingly at me and let go of my left arm that he was holding up to now.

I gave him a short glare and stuck my tongue out childishly. "Whatever."

I could tell he rolled his eyes at me as he continued walking forth and I had no other choice but to follow him. We walked in silence for about five minutes for that was the longest I could take it.

"You know, this is kind of fun!" I suddenly exclaimed. "It's like a trip!"

"This is not a trip," Itachi grumbled. "This is a mission."

"Yes, yes, I know that!" I giggled. "But still… Oh, I know!"

I skipped to Itachi and tugged his sleeve. He gave me a full glare, but I chose to ignore it. It's not like he can kill me now, can he? We're partners, right? Comrades!

"Aren't you curious? I just got a cool idea!"

"I don't want to know," he grunted and I rolled my eyes, turning to Hidan, who caught up to us and was walking on my right.

"Hidan, you wanna know, right?"

Hidan glanced at me and nodded, his purple eyes falling on me somewhat curiously. I released Itachi's sleeve and went on to wrap my arm around Hidan's elbow. Itachi merely sneered at my actions and Hidan glanced at our interloped arms perplexed.

"Let's play a game!" I exclaimed gleefully.

"I think not," Itachi replied immediately and I scowled.

"Spoilsport!"

"What kind of…" Hidan paused as he gulped down a row of curses and cocked his head almost cutely to a side, "game?"

"Weeeell," I drawled on, thinking. "Maybe a game of words?"

"Words?" Hidan asked and I released his arm as I skipped a few steps forth.

"Yes," I whirled around. "I say a word and Hidan must say a word beginning with the, let's say, second letter of my word and then Itachi says a word beginning with the second letter of Hidan's word and so on and on!"

Itachi cocked his brow wonderingly and Hidan furrowed his forehead as he seemed to be thinking.

"Alright, I'll start!" I exclaimed. "Sun!"

I glanced at Hidan and waved my hand. "Now you, Hidan. Say a word from a letter U."

"Unsurpassable."

"Ah… good, good," I grinned and turned to Itachi. "Now you, Itachi. Something from N."

For a moment, I thought he was not gonna join in, but then suddenly Itachi grinned and turned to me, smirking.

"Nauseating."

"Ah…" I chuckled sheepishly. No insult intended, right? "Um, great! Nauseating, huh… um… Avocado!"

I turned to Hidan and the ninja smiled almost happily as he replied, "Vivisection."

"Idolater," suddenly, Itachi glared at Hidan and the latter glowered back as he retorted almost immediately.

"Dead-weight."

"Hey, that was-"

"Ego-tripper," Itachi hissed back.

"Guilt-ridden," Hidan halted in his tracks, his eyes dark purple.

"-my-"

"Unworthy," Itachi stopped too, turning to Hidan.

"-turn," I looked at the two dully.

"Naff!"

"Abomination."

"Backstabber!"

"A-"

"ARGH, enough!" I screamed and the two finally turned their attention to me. "What are you two doing?"

"Playing," Itachi grinned and turned away, continuing walking.

"*#&%$*&, what a *%$**& awesome game," Hidan added as he followed after Itachi.

I only grumbled as I ran after them. "Apparently, this one is no good for you two."

"Why?" Itachi smirked. "I thought it was perfect."

"*&#$, let's do that again!" Hidan grinned and I shook my head hastily.

"No! No, no, I know a better game!"

"OH?" Hidan practically lit up with joy and I wondered if it really was such a good idea.

"Yeaaah," I said. "We're gonna create a story together! We can say only one word at a time and we need to do that in order. So, I will start."

I made a pause as the two guys stared at me expectantly. Now, something completely innocent…

I smiled, "A bunny! Itachi, you!"

The ninja narrowed his eyes as he replied, "Was."

"FUCKING!" Hidan grinned from ear to ear and I gave him a dull look. Perhaps, this was a bad idea, after all.

"Um," I paused. "Cute?"

"And," Itachi said.

"BLOODY!"

"Ah… from…"

"Killing," Itachi grinned and glanced at Hidan.

"HIS **(#(&$^&#*$^&!"

"Hey, that's three… uh, five words?" I intervened, but it was too late as Itachi cut in again.

"-bunny friend!"

"And it &$(#$&$&*#(*&-"

"-bled-"

"until its &*((^*^*#$^*("

"-painful-"

"-and &*(#&%(&* agonizing-"

"-demise."

")*%#(&*%), YEAH!" Hidan laughed almost in a maniacal way as he yelled out. "I )(*%(#&* LOVE YOUR GAMES, LIZZY!"

I rolled my eyes as I replied, "Oh, yeah? I know another one."

"OH, ^%$^# cool! What the &*(&$#* is it?"

"It's called the SILENCE game!" I hissed as I walked forth quicker.

"Huh?" Hidan cocked his head in confusion as he seemed to contemplate the non-existent rules of the new game.

"Well, finally," Itachi grumbled as he smirked, enjoying the short-lived silence.

"(&*&#$, this is not fun!" Hidan exclaimed after short five minutes. "Liz, we need a ^&%(( new game!"

I merely looked away as I retorted grimly, "I'm not playing with you."

"#&%$*#&*& WHAT? WHY?"

"I wonder," I rolled my eyes and then glared at Itachi, who was smirking joyfully. "It's your fault, Itachi!"

He did not reply and I scowled as I ignored the whining and cursing Hidan on my right. They were such babies.

"Hey, when will we reach the place?" I turned to Itachi again, waiting for response.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I screamed out in frustration. "Does that mean… we're… camping?"

Itachi smirked at me. "Why? Scared of the woods at night?"

"No," I grunted as I turned away.

Great. Camping at night in the middle of the woods with two crazy guys. Ohhh, just great.

*** Somewhere far away in the desert town ***

Shikyo rammed her head with her propped up hands as she stared at the dull and grey walls surrounding her. The moment she was caught she was put into jail to await her court, but apparently it was not going to happen anytime soon.

At first, she thought of escaping, but then she remembered this was THE Sunagakure. THE SUNAGAKURE. Meaning… GAARA WAS HERE!

She squealed at the thought and clapped her hands in joy. That was the only thing that kept her through the night. But by now, her enthusiasm had already worn off. The night in the jail was not as fun as she would have imagined. She was too scared to wish for a comfortable king-sized bed fearing it might actually hit her in the head, so yeah, huge and heavy things were out of question. She did wish herself a royal supper though. It was fantastic. A bit mixed with dirt as she did not catch the flying plate with the roast in time, but still very edible.

But, coming back to now and here, Shikyo was still in a jail cell and her chicken taken away from her. She was bored out of her mind and now that it was clear that Gaara was not that enthusiastic to deal with a lowly thief, she realized she had to find him herself. Or do something even bigger than stealing a chicken. Which she did not, by the way. She simply wished it away, right? That's not stealing.

"Let's see," Shikyo mused. "Hm. I wish I was out of this jail."

Nothing.

"Uhuh, thought so," she sighed. "Then, what else did I say?.. Hmmm. If there was civilization… What followed after it?.."

She thought for a short moment and then added, "Ah, seventh heaven!"

Immediately, her view blurred and in another short second she found herself back in the very same bazaar at the very same spot she landed yesterday.

"Ohhhh…" she mused. "I see… Numbers? Maybe…"

She furrowed her brows as she walked across the court, looking at the passing people. It was early morning and people were just putting up their stalls. It was good the guard did not bind her hands. Apparently, he did not consider her dangerous. Shikyo laughed out when she thought how easy it was to get out of jail. She would have given anything to see the faces of the guards when they found the cell empty. Now that should be beyond funny.

"Hmm, maybe I should take back my chicken too," she wondered and smiled. "Ok, I'll try! I wish I had my chicken back with me!"

"Puuuck!"

The girl stepped back just in time to catch the poor bird and it cocked its head wonderingly at recognition.

"Ah, welcome back, chicken!"

"Puck."

"Stick with me and you'll be the first free chicken in the Naruto World!"

"Puuuck?" The bird moved its head sideways and stared up at the blond with its beady eyes.

"Fine, whatever," she rolled her eyes. "Do a good deed and all they say in return is 'puck'."

"Puuuck."

"Yeah, yeah, puuuuuck," Shikyo mimicked the bird and it flapped its wings almost as if agitated.

"Puuuck!"

Shikyo stared at it for a moment. It was almost as if the chicken was correcting her pronunciation of chicken squeaking.

"Do that again and I'll grill you," she hissed at him. "NO chicken will be teaching me how to puck, ok?"

"Puck," was the curt reply and Shikyo nodded her head, grinning.

"That's better. Now then, what should we do, hm?"

She looked around and smirked. "Something to attract attention, perhaps? How can I pass up my opportunity and not meet Gaara, mm?.."

Disclaimer: No bunnies were hurt in the making of this chapter. I swear. *nudges Hidan* Hey you, swear on it too!