Split and Strike

by DoomaWriter

Author's notes: Just as a quick note, this story doesn't take place anywhere that'd fit on the Naruto timeline. However, if you need a spot, think of the Chunnin Exams except nobody's in traction. Once again, sorry for the wait, and thanks for all the reviews!

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Chapter 7: The First Day Off! Can the Genins Ever Find Peace?

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Sakura walked slowly down the street today in Konoha. All the genins had the day off and she was on her way to Sasuke's house. She had no clue what she'd say when she got there but she felt that she just had to see him again. Many topics popped into her head but there was nothing she could think of that'd make the conversation last more than ten seconds. Sasuke wasn't the easiest person to converse with.

To her surprise, the Uchiha lad was walking in her direction. To an even greater surprise was that he stopped in front of her and began to speak first. "Oi, Sakura," he began.

With a smile she greeted: "Ah, Sasuke-kun. Ohayo."

"Mmm," Sasuke acknowledged. "I need to ask you something."

"A-anything! What is it?"

"Which way is it to Ino's house?" Sasuke asked bluntly.

Sakura stood there smiling for a while before finally asking, "Excuse me?"

"I need to see Ino," Sasuke repeated. "You know where she lives, right?"

"What?" Inner Sakura screamed. "Why the hell would Sasuke ask about Ino-pig when he has the fricken cute Sakura-chan right in front of him?"

"Uh, I can show her where you live," Sakura said with a weak smile, "the next time I see her, that is."

"Which'll be a surprisingly long time!" Inner Sakura added.

Sasuke tensed up and firmly said: "No! It's crucial that I know where she lives. I need to see her now."

"You're seeing me right now! This is pissing me off! Shaannarooooo!"

Against her will, Sakura pointed in the direction of Ino's house and gave him the directions. "Um…" she hesitated. "Why do you need to know where she lives, Sasuke-kun?"

While walking off in the direction shown to him, Sasuke said without turning around, "Its nothing you need to be concerned with. Bye."

Well, that was that wasn't it? The conversation wasn't as friendly as she hoped but she did get to see him. So now it was only right for Sakura to do the healthy thing…and follow him. She had to sneak around and listen to every word Sasuke would mutter to Ino-pig…at all costs!

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"Oi, oi, Lee. Shouldn't you calm down now?" Tenten said while resting her chin in her right palm and spinning a kunai in her left. She had watched Lee do over sixty pushups with one hand and he showed no sign of stopping.

"No way!" Lee answered strongly. "I must prepare for our future missions. I'm sure Asuma-sensei will only make our tasks harder." After his eightieth push up he asked, "Shouldn't you practice hard too?"

"Tch, I doubt it," Tenten said, closing her eyes. "It's not like he'll notice me. When we all left for home, he stopped me and said he'll have to take off points because I just arrived. Then he called me Eleven-eleven!"

"Just work harder and you'll definitely stand out. I can't walk down the street without everybody noticing me! That's just the fruits of my hard work."

"I don't think that's quite it," Tenten muttered under her breathe.

"What's that?" Lee asked honestly.

"Nothing, nothing," Tenten answered. She waited a while before adding, "Nice outfit."

"Thanks," Lee said while doing pushups. He paused and thought to himself for a moment, shook his head, and then went back to his pushups.

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A big smile appeared on Shikamaru's face. "You understand!" He asked hopefully. "You're not just saying it?"

"Of course not," Chouji replied. "You explained it so clearly."

Shikamaru relaxed on his side of the bench and said, "Well, I've had a lot of practice. I'm glad I could talk to someone with actual brains for brains."

"So the teams were picked beforehand," Chouji said as he opened his third bag of chips. "But why? Do our abilities compliment each other better this way or something?"

Shikamaru sat for a while and thought about his two new partners. He pictured the image of Naruto drooling while Shino spat out bugs on top of Shikamaru's head. "I doubt that. It's closer to the opposite."

"Even so, why go through the trouble of hiding it from us?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," Shikamaru confessed while staring up at the clouds overhead. "Either way we can't do anything about it now."

Chouji bit into another chip and added, "Why not tell this to your other team mate? Shino?"

"Have you ever tried talking to that guy?" Shikamaru asked. "It's too bothersome. You can't stand near him without feeling something crawling on your skin. I was brushing my arms all of last night."

Chouji laughed and Shikamaru joined him. Neither was sure if they were even allowed to talk to each other until the month was over but then again, neither cared.

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Peering at the door, Sasuke stood in front of Ino's house for a minute or two before moving his hand up to knock. His fist paused in the air. The Uchiha knew what the circumstances of knocking were but what had to be done had to be done…..or had it? His face showed an unwavering calmness but his hand wasn't coming any closer to knocking.

"Why is he so nervous?" Sakura asked while looking on. She peeked at Sasuke from behind a wall. Other passersby stared at her as they walked along their way. Suddenly, Sakura's eyes widened and her brow began to sweat. "What if this could be…it can't be…a…confession?"

Had Sasuke made a choice and came to confess his love for that Ino-pig? Unthinkable! Then again, has Sasuke ever told Ino that she was annoying? But on the other hand-

"Oi! Sakura-chan!"

Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard the loud voice, and Sasuke beginning to turn his head toward her. Quickly, she ducked her head behind the wall and turned to see Naruto waving toward her with a bag of groceries in his other hand. Cups of ramen could be seen sticking out of the top.

"What are you doing, Sakura-chan?" he asked rather loudly. His pink-haired friend moved hectically as he continued. "Pretty strange to be waiting like that! Or is it that some kid roped you into playing hide and seek? I guess I should be quieter, ne?" Despite saying this, he began to laugh louder and louder.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "I thought I was being followed. In that case…" The hand rapped on the door and Ino opened it with a popsicle in her mouth. "Mind if I come in?" Sasuke said. "We need to talk." The popsicle dropped to the floor and Sasuke found himself yanked within.

Checking that the ropes were tight and the gag was in place, Sakura dusted off her hands and left the tied up Naruto to squirm. She peered back to see a popsicle melting where Sasuke once stood.

Defeated, Sakura sighed and with a gloomy expression, dragged herself home. She had obviously forgotten Naruto and his muffled, teary-eyed pleas. He stopped moving and rested on the floor before being encased by somebody's shadow. Looking upward, he saw Shino. The two stared up at each other without saying a word as the wind blew by. Finally, Shino asked: "These things happen to you often?"

"Poor Naruto-kun," Hinata said while watching from behind a building a block away. Feeling the air suddenly getting cold, she turned around to see Neji looking at her.

The older Hyuga merely said, "Get a new hobby." Afterward, he turned and walked off.

To be continued…

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Author's notes: Did one of your favorite characters get left out? I couldn't fit all twelve in this time but in the future, the nins I've missed or gave little time to will get their shot.