Warnings: Strong language and substance abuse are included in this chapter. Be aware.

Chapter 5

"I love out of town parties." Kiba said as he stared at the house.

Ino, Tenten, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Kiba had just arrived at the party in the next town and were standing in front of a huge, two-story, Victorian-modeled house. There were cars parked all over the lawn and loud techno music could be heard from the inside. There were already hundreds of teenagers littering the patio out front and strobe lights could be seen streaming through the windows.

"There's a pool in the back, too." A voice said behind them.

The five teenagers turned around and saw Sasuke and Sakura had just arrived.

"What took you so long?" Naruto asked. "You left the apartment way before Ino picked me up."

"Had to park the car somewhere safe." Sasuke said. "No chance in hell I'm leaving it around a party."

"Well, then. Should we go in?" Kiba said as his eyes followed a small group of scantily clad girls.

"Yeah, I feel like dancing." Tenten smiled as she pulled Ino along with her into the house.

"Sasuke, we should dance." Sakura grinned and gripped Sasuke's forearm.

"Maybe." Sasuke mumbled. "Let's get inside."

"What about Neji and Gaara?" Naruto asked as they walked up the front steps.

"They went to get the drinks." Sasuke said. "They'll be here soon."

"WHAT?" Naruto yelled.

They had all just entered the house and the music blasted through their ears. The inside of the house was much worse than the outside. There were people crowded into every possible corner and the whole place smelled like liquor and booze.

"THEY'RE COMING LATER." Sasuke screamed back.

"WE'RE GOING TO DROP OUR COATS SOMEWHERE." Sakura yelled, indicating to herself, Tenten, and Ino.

The boys nodded as they squeezed themselves into the kitchen. Naruto had to take special care to not step on a couple furiously making out by the entrance.

"At least it's quieter in here." Sasuke said as he leaned onto a counter.

"Want a drink?" Kiba grabbed a cup and filled it up from a keg that was by the refrigerator.

"Nah, I don't trust party drinks." Shikamaru mumbled. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a case.

"I do, however, trust a Nara Roll." Naruto smirked as Shikamaru lit up a slim roll that had been pulled from the case.

"Been waiting all week for this." Shikamaru smiled as he took a drag. He passed it to Sasuke.

"Why a week?" Sasuke blew the smoke from his mouth as he passed it to Naruto.

"Trying to cut down." Shikamaru said. "Weekends only."

Naruto started coughing and thrust the joint at Shikamaru.

"Jeez, Naruto." Kiba laughed. "At least smoke it the right wa-"

Kiba, however, became silent as three girls walked into the kitchen.

"Damn…" Shikamaru muttered as he took another from the roll.

Tenten, Ino, and Sakura returned from hanging their coats. Tenten had on a plain, white t-shirt. It had a band name splattered across the front in black lettering and was ripped around the collar, leaving her left shoulder exposed. She wore a black, layered skirt that reached mid-thigh and fanned out. Her hair was in loose, messy buns and she stood two inches higher in black, stiletto boots.

Ino had gone with classic Ino; ballet. Her tank-top was black with tiny specks of colour that shimmered when she moved. On the front, there was a neatly tied bow in the same material. Her skirt started just under her bust. It fanned out as it stopped just above her knees and was layered with white lace. On her feet were ballet-styled flats that complimented her legs in a way no other footwear could compliment Ino Yamanaka.

Sakura smiled as she walked over to Sasuke, who stood there smirking. Sakura wore a stylish, cream-coloured, frilled tube-top that she tucked into a black, slightly poufy, party skirt. The skirt was tied round with a pink ribbon that had been bowed on her left hip. She wore white gladiator heels.

"Let's dance." Sakura grinned as she pulled Sasuke towards the living room.

"See you later." Sasuke smirked to the other men in to room.

"Jeez, Naruto. Could you be a little less obvious?" Tenten asked as she leaned against the counter where Sasuke had been previously.

"Wha-?" Naruto looked up from his previous activity of staring at Sakura's behind.

"Subtle." Shikamaru laughed. Tenten took the roll from between his fingers.

"Eurgh." Ino frowned. "Tenten, you're not really doing that tonight, right?"

"It's just to help me loosen up a little." Tenten said as she handed the joint back to Shikamaru. "Come on, let's dance."

"I guess." Ino said as she followed Tenten into another room.

"Well, then." Kiba filled his cup up and walked out of the kitchen. "Going to browse, if you get my drift."

A ringing came from Shikamaru's back pocket. He handed Naruto the joint and pulled the phone out. "Hello? Yeah… Okay. I'll be there."

Shikamaru hung the phone and turned to Naruto. "Neji just arrived. He has the drinks, so Sasuke and I are going to meet him."

Naruto shrugged and remained in the kitchen. He looked around. There were empty cups all over the counters and floor. People walked in and out, stumbling and tripping over themselves. He wasn't positive, but he was sure there was a thong hanging from the pots and pan rack above the kitchen's island. There were muffled noises from the doorway. Naruto looked to find the same couple he had to walk over earlier become more intimate.

"Really… right in the kitchen?" Naruto frowned and walked out of the kitchen. Once again, his hearing was impaired as the noise from the living room filled the hall. He looked around and walked up the staircase at the end of the hallway. Hopefully, there was an empty room somewhere he could relax in.

"Whoa! Someone scored." Sasuke said as Neji opened the trunk of his car. It had a cooler filled with all kind of colourful drinks.

"Everyone can have two drinks each." Neji said. "We'll finish the rest at your place."

"Jeez, don't regulate our fun." Shikamaru pulled six drinks out of the cooler and began to walk away.

"Hey! I said two only!" Neji yelled after him.

"The girls are inside." Sasuke grabbed six more. "These are for them."

"Naruto and Kiba." Gaara said as he pulled six more out and walked toward the house with Sasuke.

"Dammit. Don't blame me if there are no drinks later!" Neji mumbled angrily as he closed the trunk.

"Neji… don't be so angry." Hinata said as she climbed out of the car. "They're just trying to have fun."

"Yeah, I know." Neji said. "You… are you sure you'll be alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Hinata smiled. "I've been to parties before. You don't have to worry about me."

"Okay then. Where's Shino?"

"He went inside already. Let's go." Hinata and Neji headed for the house.

"WHOO! I AM THE KING OF THE WORLD!" Kiba yelled as he jumped onto a table.

"Oh god…" Sasuke muttered.

"This is why we don't drink party drinks. You never know what they're spiked with." Shikamaru shook his head and handed Ino and Tenten their drinks.

"He's totally lost it!" Ino laughed as she pushed the drink back.

Shikamaru gave her a confused look.

"I'm driving, remember?" Ino said over the music.

"But I'm not!" Sakura reached over and took the drink from Shikamaru's hand.

"Neji's here?" Tenten asked as she opened her bottle.

"He should be coming in soon." Shikamaru said.

The all turned as a loud crash was heard. Kiba had just fallen onto a side table and crushed the lamp on it.

"Everyone just act as if you don't know him." Neji said as he joined the group.

"You don't have to tell us twice." Tenten giggled. "Where's Hinata?"

"Bathroom." Neji said.

"SHINO!" Kiba's voice yelled as he stumbled over to them.

"Shit." Sasuke said.

Shino sighed as Kiba flung himself to the quiet boy. "You're drunk."

"Me? Nahh…" Kiba slurred. "I just had one drink."

"Liar." Shikamaru smirked.

"PANTS ON FIRE!" Kiba laughed. "Let's dance!"

The drunken teenager started to flail around wildly as his friends laughed.

"Sounds like a plan!" Ino giggled as she and Sakura joined him, the others following soon afterwards.

"Oh! I-I'm sor-sorry!" Hinata gasped and closed the door. She had gone upstairs in attempt to find a bathroom, but had failed miserably. Behind every door she opened was a couple doing things she definitely didn't want to see.

Frowning, she continued down the hallway. She closed her eyes as she tried one more door. She walked into the room and found it empty. It was spacious and decorated elegantly. From experience, she knew it was a master bedroom. Master bedrooms always had their own bathrooms. Hinata walked to the other end of the room and opened a door to find a huge bathroom. Smiling, she walked over to the mirror.

"Who's there?" A voice came from the bathtub.

"S-sorry!" Hinata stuttered and shut her eyes. She didn't want to see anything she'd regret later. "So sorry! I'm… I'll… sorry. I'll just… just go."

"Hinata?"

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and turned toward the bathtub. Naruto was sitting in it, fully clothed. She sighed in relief and blushed in embarrassment.

"S-sorry…" She shrugged.

"Nah, it's okay." Naruto stood up and stepped out of the bathtub. "Just… well… I don't really know what I'm doing."

Hinata laughed softly. "It's fine. You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"Yeah." Naruto smiled. "It's quieter than downstairs."

"It is…" Hinata said. They stood there, looking around awkwardly.

"You look nice!" Naruto smiled.

"T-thank you." Hinata slightly blushed. She had come to the party dressed modestly. She wore a light blue, v-neck tank-top with a loose, stripped cardigan over it. Her skirt had a pastel flower pattern and fell just below her knees. It was topped with a braided brown belt. And on her feet were light blue flats with a bow on the tops.

"So… yeah…" Naruto mumbled. "What are you doing up here?"

Hinata blushed. "Well… I… was looking for…"

Naruto was confused for a moment before it hit him. It was his turn to blush in embarrassment. "Oh! It's a bathroom. Of course you're… I… sorry. I'll just leave."

"Uh… sorry." Hinata blushed harder as she looked down at her feet.

"No! I'm sorry." Naruto apologized. "I'll just wait in the hall for you."

Naruto walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. He ruffled his hair as he leaned against the wall.

"I'm such a doof…" He mumbled to himself.

"Naruto!" Sakura's voice carried down the hall. "Naruto, come on! We're all going outside."

Naruto watched as Sakura stumbled towards him. She clearly had a drink... or three. She fell against him and started giggling. Naruto blushed as he caught her around the waist.

"Let's go!" She laughed. "Everyone's going to hang out outside. There's a pool!"

She started tugging on Naruto's shirt.

"Calm down, Sakura!" Naruto said as he pulled her upright. "I'm going!"

"Yay!" Sakura cheered as she walked back down the hall. "We're going outside!"

"Sakura! Watch out!" Naruto yelled as Sakura tripped over a rug. "Shit."

As he ran to help her get downstairs safely, the master bedroom's door opened.

"Sorry I took so-" Hinata was cut off as she looked around, finding no one. She sighed and walked back into the room. She sat on the edge of the bed and started to breath in and out.

"Calm down…" She mumbled to herself. "No big deal… Just… forget about it."

"I'M FREE WILLY! KING OF THE SEA!" Kiba yelled as he dove into the pool. Everyone had decided to go outside to cool off.

"Someone go save the dolphin!" Tenten laughed.

"Free Willy is a whale." Ino sighed at her drunken friend.

"Sweet! They've got a gazebo." Sasuke said pointing across the pool.

"There are people in it." Shikamaru said.

"Kick 'em out." Gaara led the group over.

"Excuse us!" Sasuke said to the small group of people in the gazebo.

"We don't mean to interrupt, but- Hey, you're that guy from school." Shikamaru noticed someone in the crowd.

"Oh!" Lee turned and looked at them all. "What are you all doing here? This is amazing!"

"You know them, Lee?" Another boy in the gazebo asked.

"Yes! These are my classmates from my new school!" Lee smiled brightly as he walked over to them. "We're just about to go back inside. It's all yours."

"Thanks." Shikamaru mumbled as Lee and his friends walked away.

"He looks a little…" Sasuke started.

"Don't." Gaara stopped him. "It's none of our business."

"Whatever." Sasuke said as they all sat around the gazebo. "Where's Sakura?"

"SASUKE!" Naruto's voice yelled. "She's totally wasted!"

Everyone laughed as Naruto half-carried, half-dragged Sakura toward them. As soon as they arrived at the gazebo, Sakura flung herself into Sasuke's arms and began to kiss him furiously.

"She smudged her make-up on my shirt." Naruto grumbled as he sat next to Neji.

"Hey… has anyone seen Hinata?" Neji asked. Naruto's eyes grew wide and he stood up.

"Shit!" He turned to run back to the house, but stopped when he noticed Hinata walking out.

"THERE SHE IS!" Tenten screamed. "I win! I win! What do I get?"

"An Advil in the morning." Shikamaru muttered. "What's wrong with you, Naruto?"

"Oh… uh…" Naruto sat back down. "Nothing, sorry… Pass me a drink?"

Shikamaru handed Naruto his drink.

"I'M A SHARK NOW! RAWR!"

Hinata screamed as Kiba surfaced the side of the pool Hinata was walking along and pulled her in.

"Fucking Kiba!" Neji yelled, running to the pool.

"N-neji!" Hinata surfaced and held her hands up. "I'm fine! It's okay. Just calm down!"

"He almost drowned you!" Neji yelled.

"It's okay. I'm f-fine." She repeated as she swam to the edge of the pool. "He's just playing. You know how Kiba is."

"Whatever." Neji glared as Kiba floated on his back, spitting water out of his mouth towards the sky.

"Well, I think it's time we head out." Sasuke said. Sakura had passed out on his lap.

"Agreed." Shikamaru said. Everyone stood up. "Someone get Kiba out of the pool."

"On it." Shino said. He and Gaara walked out of the gazebo to the pool.

"Ino, take Sakura?" Sasuke asked as he lifted her in his arms.

"Okay, anyone else?" Ino asked. "I'm not taking Kiba."

"Then, take Gaara." Shikamaru said. "Sasuke will take me. Neji will take Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. You take Naruto, Sakura, Tenten, and Gaara."

"KIBA!" Ino yelled. "Get off of my car! You're going with Neji!"

"Be swift, my noble steed!" Kiba laughed madly as he stood atop Ino's vehicle.

"I want to go with Neji!" Tenten wailed. "Please Ino? Please? Can I go with Neji, please?"

"Fine, but I'm still not taking Kiba. Get him off!" Ino said angrily.

"On it." Shino said. He and Gaara walked toward the car.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked Hinata. They were leaning against Neji's car, waiting for everything to settle down before they could leave.

"Yeah." Hinata answered.

"Uh… sorry about earlier…" Naruto said. "Sakura was drunk and-"

"It's fine." Hinata cut him off with a smile. "I'm fine, see?"

Naruto looked at her uncertainly before agreeing. "Yeah… okay. Just wanted to make sure."

"NO!" Kiba wailed as Gaara attempted to pull him off Ino's vehicle. "Not my Black Beauty!"

"He's so drunk!" Tenten laughed. "Your car is blue!"

"It's white." Ino sighed.

"If everyone just listened to me when I said two drinks only." Neji shook his head as he led Tenten to his car.

"So much for an after party…" Shikamaru mumbled as they entered Naruto's room. He and Sasuke had been the last to arrive. They returned to the complex only to find everyone but Naruto, Neji, and Ino knocked out.

"God… they're going to be hell in the morning." Sasuke grimaced as he looked around the room. "Can you and Ino run down to the convenience store to pick up some water, orange juice, and Advil?"

"Troublesome." Shikamaru mumbled.

"Yeah, sure." Ino said. "You don't mind if we walk, right? It's just down the street."

"Whatever." Shikamaru said.

"Good. Neji, Naruto, and I will bring the girls upstairs." Sasuke said as he leaned down to pick Sakura up. "Where's Gaara?"

"Dropped him home. He said he didn't feel like staying the night." Ino said as she and Shikamaru walked out.

Ino and Shikamaru walked out of the store, hands laden with bags. "I hope this is enough."

"It should be." Shikamaru mumbled. "It's only really Kiba, Tenten, and Sakura we need to worry about."

"That Kiba." Ino frowned. "I'm going to kill him if there's a mark on my car."

A ring streamed from Shikamaru's pants and he stopped to pull his phone out.

"Hello?" He answered. "Yeah… No. I'm staying at Sasuke's. It was alright. Loud…"

Ino walked on. She tried not to listen to Shikamaru's conversation. Shikamaru hung the phone and jogged up to her.

"Thanks for waiting." He said sarcastically.

"Sorry…" Ino muttered. "Your mom?"

"Uh, yeah." Shikamaru shrugged.

"Liar."

Shikamaru stared at her as they walked, then muttered. "Troublesome…"

"It's okay. Sorry. I'll stop prying." Ino said.

"No. It's fine. I know you know." Shikamaru reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.

"I don't know anything." Ino crinkled her nose at the smell of the smoke.

"Stop lying. You're not good at it." Shikamaru mumbled with the cigarette in his mouth.

"Fine." Ino walked ahead of him to avoid the smoke.

"Don't tell anyone." Shikamaru said.

"I won't." Ino walked into the apartment.

"Agh!" Tenten wailed as she flipped in her bed. "My head…"

"Your fault!" Ino scolded. She handed her a bottle of orange juice.

"Oh god, Ino!" Sakura pulled on Ino's hair. "It hurts!"

"Think about this the next time you two drink a gallon of alcohol each." Ino swatted Sakura's hand away. "Hinata, can you go downstairs and get one more bottle of orange juice?"

Hinata walked out of the room and downstairs. She paused in front of Naruto's room. There were yells coming from behind the door. Hinata knocked tentatively.

"Morning!" Naruto answered the door, looking like a mess. His hair was ruffled and his clothes wrinkled. "Sorry. Kiba woke up and drank a little more before we all got up."

Hinata looked around Naruto into the room. Kiba was jumping on the bed, throwing the pillows and sheets everywhere.

"Fucking dammit!" Shikamaru cursed. "Someone call Gaara!"

"I can't be tamed!" Kiba said as he threw a pillow in Sasuke's face.

"That's it!" Sasuke glared and tackled Kiba to the bed. "Tie him down, now!"

"Eh-heh… Sorry." Naruto walked out and closed the door behind him. "Did you need something, Hinata?"

"Y-yeah… Ino wanted more orange juice."

"Wait here." Naruto disappeared back into the room and returned with a bottle of juice. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Hinata smiled and turned to leave.

"Hinata, wait!" Naruto stopped her. "About last night, I want to make it up to you?"

"Last night?" Hinata stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"You know… the bathroom…"

"Bathroom?" Hinata laughed softly. "You must be hungover as well. I don't remember anything about that."

"Huh?" Naruto looked at her, confused.

"Sorry. Ino needs this. I'll talk to you later." Hinata smiled and walked back upstairs.

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long. Hope you all enjoyed that. Things are going to start getting more serious around here! We'll soon see more character development and such.

Feedback appreciated!

Until next time, then.

x5012