Well, here's the final chapter. Not that anyone had to wait, mind you ;P. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!

For the final time today, I. DO. NOT. OWN. NARUTO.

Chapter 4:

"Shika, I need underwear! Dig out some clean boxers, will ya?"

"Chouji, my troublesome mother is trying to find me. I'm not here, alright?"

"Ino, the power's out at my house. Could I borrow your kitchen?"

Some days, I doubt that family are even this close. I personally don't think Neji would willingly giving up a pair of his boxers for Hinata if she was soaking wet from an 'unfortunate' fall in the lake. Or that Asuma would let Konohamaru have free reign over his kitchen. Or that Kankuro would hide Gaara if someone of the same caliber of a pissed off Temari was after his blood.

Then again, Team Ten's always been a little different.

You see, each team has one trait that sets them apart from the others. Team Seven is the melodramatic-tragedy team. Team Eight is the team of jackets. Team Gai is the dramatic team. But us, Team Ten, team Asuma, team Ino-Shika-Cho or whatever you want to call it, we're the team of family.

We're the team of people who know that if they're stuck, they always have someone to turn to. The team of people who are so beyond understanding each other that we don't even try to hide anything from each other anymore.

Sometimes I find it funny how people doubt Sakura is my best friend. Most people would think that she comes in a FAR third, when put next to Chouji and Shikamaru. But I know she's my best friend, because Chouji and Shikamaru are my brothers.

We rely and depend on each other so much, some days I wonder what would happen if one of us were to die. For obvious reasons, I try not to. Losing Asuma was bad enough. It was like having a piece of my heart ripped out.

Over time, however, my heart has stitched itself back up, so that at least now I can bear it. But losing Shikamaru or Chouji, that would be like losing an actual body part, like a leg or an arm or an eye. I doubt I'd ever be able to go on another mission.

It's that constant fear that drives us, though. To make sure that Chouji won't lose a worrying amount of weight again. To make sure that I won't shut myself out to the world again. To make sure Shikamaru never has to be in such agony again.

We owe being able to stay alive to the men who made Team Ten happen.

As I said before, we aren't one, unchanging thing. We've been Princess, Squiggles and Pineapple Head, Team Ten, Team Asuma and Team Ino-Shika-Cho.

But, once you get passed all of that, we're fairly simple. We are a lazy deer, a stuck up pig, and an overweight butterfly.

We are love.

THE END

And so ends another late-night-write! I hope you've all enjoyed my burst of writing, and (if you haven't already) please review, because it means alot to me :)

Bye for now,

StarsAndSparks44