Hello again! Sorry for the wait. I know this chapter is much shorter than the first two. That's because I decided to split the chapter so that I could give you guys something to read while I work on the rest and my other story. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: The Agenda is Set

"Hello friends and welcome to the first meeting of—dear God Naruto, we just started. What question could you possibly have?"

Naruto lowered his hand. "I was told there would be food and I don't see any." Ino took a breath to slow her heart rate and smooth the glare from her features. When dealing with imbeciles, patience was the key. "Light refreshments are reserved for the end of the meeting. So if you could just wait until—"

"You've gotta be kidding me! I missed second lunch for this stupid meeting and now you're telling me I can't eat yet?"

Neji watched apathetically as the pouting Naruto slowly slumped further and further into his chair. At this point, he wasn't sure whether he should still waste energy judging the obnoxious ninja or if he should simply accept his ridiculous behavior. At any rate, at least the occasion called for some display of discontent, even if it was dramatic. "I too was brought here under false pretenses. I was under the impression that there was an emergency of some sort. This is interrupting my daily activities."

Kiba, whose irritated scowl could match Naruto's pout, scoffed. "You're telling me. I was giving Akamaru here a bath—" he paused to ruffle the dirt streaked fur of his companion "—when Ino dragged me here because 'Hinata was trapped under a tree and needed my help'. And I fell for it!" He shook his head disapprovingly.

Hinata started slightly. She knew gathering all ten people at once would be a challenge, but she never imagined that Ino would have to resort to bending the truth. "You told him I was trapped under a tree?"

Ino shuffled her papers, unaffected. "If anything, you should be more surprised that he believed me." She flipped her hair. "Now, let's begin. Three days ago, Sasuke pulled his head out of his ass and realized that he loves Sakura. Now he needs our help. We'll use the next hour or so discussing our roles and finalizing our task lists."

Checking the watch on the wrist that was not hidden in his bag of chips, Chouji announced his forthcoming departure. "Yeah, I can really only stay for ten minutes, tops. This guy who works at my favorite lunch spot goes on break in 15 minutes and he's the only one who makes the dumplings just how I like them—tender and succulent but not soggy." Naruto whimpered, clutching his stomach.

"I think you'll survive if you don't get your dumplings for one day Chouji." TenTen groaned, both impatient and slightly annoyed.

Naruto's whine persisted. "Of course he'll survive but what about me? My stomach is practically eating itself."

The ceiling interested Shikamaru more than the chaos brewing before him. He studied the bumps and grooves, taking note of weak spots in the plaster. With some concentration, the volume of the others slowly dwindled to a quiet murmur. It was a mental trick he had learned long ago and with Ino as a teammate, it became a necessary skill. His near satisfaction was broken by the loud shudder of the door flinging open. Groaning at the sight of green, he murmured, "What a pain. Now—"

"Rock Lee, the beautiful green beast of Konoha, has arrived!" Springing forward in a whirlwind, he launched himself onto the coffee table, landing on his knee with his fist poised before him. "I am prepared for the task at hand."

"Finally, someone with a good attitude coming in! Now, let's officially begin—with no more interruptions." Her eyes cut quickly to Naruto's face. "Welcome everyone to the first meeting of the Committee for the Betterment of Uchiha Sasuke's Love Life, also known as Project SasuSaku. If you look at your handout, you'll find our motto and coat of arms—"

"Could we get to the point sometime this century?" Kiba grumbled.

Ino scowled, then relented. "Our task will be broken up into three phases. Phase One: Training. In this stage, we will give Sasuke the skills he needs to be a deserving candidate for Sakura's affections. When this is completed, we'll enter Phase Two: Muddle the Line. Here we will focus on blurring the line between platonic friendship and romantic interest. Sakura will begin considering the possibility of Sasuke as a potential suitor. And finally, we have Phase Three: Seal the Deal in which we will help Sasuke with his love confession. It will be a flawless moment, like something out of a fairytale." Ino slowly lowered the packet of papers in her hands, eyes cast forward, fixated on her vision. "Just as the sun falls behind the horizon, Sasuke will reveal the feelings he has been harboring for so long. Sakura, slightly shocked but overwhelmingly happy, will tenderly reciprocate his love with tears in her eyes. And just as he pulls her in for the big kiss, pink, blue, and white fireworks spelling out 'Sasuke and Sakura Forever' will erupt in the sky overhead." She sighed in contentment. "It will be absolutely perfect."

From his spot atop the table, Lee trembled, his face hidden against the arm on his knee. "Ino-chan...that...was...THE MOST AMAZING PLAN EVER CONCOCTED." he burst upwards, standing with his hands clasped, tears flowing down his face. "Never before have I been so inspired to help my fellow comrade achieve his goals! I will do everything in my power to aid Sasuke until he can finally bathe in the beautiful glory of springtime romance!" his teeth sparkled. Neji frowned before sharing his response.

"This plan seems illogical. It depends entirely on the idea that Sakura is willing to allow their friendship to evolve into a romantic relation."

"Don't be ridiculous. The plan is foolproof. Sakura will want to change their relationship even if she thinks she doesn't want to because on the inside, that's what she really wants."

"That statement seems even more illogical." Shino quipped quietly from his place against the wall.

With a wave, Ino ignored Shino's quiet commentary and turned to her teammate who was blankly gazing at the ceiling. "Shikamaru, what do you think?" He didn't even direct his gaze towards her when he answered. "Nothing at all."

In a fit of despair, Naruto jumped up, flinging his chair backwards. "You know what I think? I think I'm going to die from hunger on this floor. I need food!"

Ino followed suit and thrusted her hands towards the constant interruption's neck. "Naruto, if you do not shut up, I will personally murder you!"

"What are you all doing in my house?!"

Silence reigned among the group for a moment, halting their words and freezing their gazes at the interruption: a confused and angry Sasuke, incredulously staring at his gathered "friends". He watched Ino blink twice, still gripping the collar of the bane of her existence. Said bane, Naruto, was casual in his attempt to break the silence.

"Oh hey Teme."

Sasuke blinked. Oh hey Teme. All ten of them, in his house. Lee on the table, Naruto swinging from Ino's grip, Chouji sprinkling BBQ flavored crumbs all over his floor. Kiba and his dog leaving hair and dirt prints everywhere. Oh hey Teme. Just a normal day.

Kiba turned towards him and grinned. "There he is! Mr. Loverboy. How's it feel to escape from denial?"

"Sasuke-kun!" Lee cried. "I am very happy to hear of your recent revelation. I know that every day, your heart grows more pregnant with youthful emotion and passion for the lovely blossom Sakura-chan and—"

"Dear Lord Lee." TenTen mumbled, holding her forehead.

Promptly dropping Naruto, Ino made her way towards the door, towing Sasuke behind her. "Nope. You cannot be here."

"This is my house!" She rolled her eyes. "Yes, we've established that already Sasuke. But we knew this place would be safe from any unexpected Sakura drop-ins because she'd only come by here if she wasn't already with you which, let's be honest, hardly ever happens. Plus, Naruto had the spare key." He swung it around his finger cheekily.

Words thrashed violently behind his shut lips. He was sure a blood vessel was close to popping. "And you couldn't inform me beforehand?"

"Obviously not. Look at your reaction. Plus, we don't need you at committee meetings. So, shoo! Aren't you supposed to be doing something?"

"I'm supposed to be meeting Sakura here before we—"

"What?! Why didn't you say something earlier?" Ino turned to the group. "We've gotta disperse guys: Sakura's on her way." she began gathering her papers.

"Finally!" Naruto shouted, heading towards the kitchen.

Behind his glasses and high collar, Shino's face folded slightly in confusion. "What exactly did this meeting accomplish?" Kiba snorted. "You mean besides waste our time?"

Ino's glare cut towards him. "Well if some people weren't complaining for 15 minutes, maybe I could've explained more. But it doesn't matter now. Refer to your information sheet if you have any more questions. Just leave before she comes and sees us all together."

From his spot before the doorway, Sasuke watched as Hinata and TenTen attempted to reset the furniture amongst the moving jumble of people. Ino scolded Shikamaru before collectively screaming at everyone. Naruto, having found the refreshments, brought the trays of dango into the living room where Chouji and Kiba snatched as many skewers as they could fist, to Naruto's dismay. There was yelling and arguing and barking and peacemaking and exclamations and he didn't have enough patience for this. He stepped outside, leaning against one of the posts of his porch. He heard a shout followed by a thud and could only hope it was Naruto slipping on a dango ball and not one of his belongings falling to the ground. Closing his eyes, he tried to breathe. He needed the help, he needed the help, he needed—

"Somebody better clean this up before I lose my shit!"

"That was Kiba, not me!"

Breathe. He needed the help. He needed the help.

"Sasuke?" opening his eyes, he saw Sakura peering curiously at him at the end of his walkway. She peeked towards the window. "What's going on—hey!"

"Don't worry about it." There would be no explaining, he decided as he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from his house. Only ignoring. It would be the only thing to keep him sane.

I'll do better length-wise with the next chapter, I promise. Tell me what you thought!