Sakura's POV
Walking towards the tables with food on them, I began to formalize a quick but effective trap. It couldn't be hurtful but it had to serve it's purpose. I stopped a few feet away from the house and looked around. Choji, who was no doubt hiding somewhere near his mother would try to run...they all did. That was the point of the game after all. Choji was a timid kid so when I find him he would probably hesitate for a few seconds before running away. He would also take to running on the hallway instead of jumping off the hallways, most likely thinking I couldn't run in the yard with my sandals.
Deciding that my plan of action was as simple and safe as it could get, I walked over to the stairs and turned right, passing the doors. I took the end of the leash where it tied together to make the collar on a post. The end of the leash was placed in between the shoji doors on the other side of the hallway. I then walked back, heading towards the room. I made sure to look as if I was trying to find him when I walked in, even though I knew he was under the table. After three minutes of searching, I leaned down and moved the tablecloth.
"Ah, I found you Choji-san." I said with childlike surprise. His eyes widened and he backed away from the edge. I kneeled down and reached inside with my right hand, trying to grab him. Choji had backed away as far as he could and then got out by the side. As expected he hesitated but then when he saw me getting up, he ran. Most likely towards Inoichi who was made the safety zone. I jumped to the right towards the mothers who were watching us play. I was purposefully making him have to go left so he could get trapped. He quickly took the chance, not once questioning my actions. He looked behind his shoulder once, to see if I was following, which was a big mistake. He ran right into the leash that was placed perpendicular to his body. Because the side of the leash that was held by the doors was held loosely, he fell forward onto the floor. There was both good and bad things that had occurred. The bad thing was, he had fallen. The good things were that the trap had not broken anything and because Choji wasn't running so fast, the fall wasn't so bad. I walked up to him and bent down to be closer to the shocked boy on the floor. I poked him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his shock.
"Your out Choji-san." I informed the boy who nodded and sat up. I smiled apologetically and stood, making my way towards the tied up leash. Once I had gotten the leash, I walked down to the yard. Passing the adults as calmly as I could, I looked at Shisui who had a surprised expression on his face. I lifted one finger up, signifying the number one.
"I've got one. Seven more to go." I informed cheerfully as I turned and made my way towards the center of the yard. I looked around making sure I looked like a little kid playing normally...not that it normally would be easy for me. I sucked at seeking people out without chakra. I could do it when I concentrated and observed carefully but I couldn't just act like that with just anyone around.
I looked around and chuckled at the hiding spots some of them had chosen, and the others...well I had a good idea for where they would choose. As I looked around, I noticed the big mistakes they made as children. From the rustling of leaves to the whispering they thought wouldn't be heard. Even Shino, without it being his intention, had some visible clues for me to go by. I saw a pretty blue butterfly flutter past me and head towards the pond. Without thinking to much on it, I followed it with my eyes. The butterfly flew towards a log and went inside. I raised an eyebrow in wonder when it did not come out on either side of the log after a few seconds. Deciding that it was probably Shino...or a spider web that was inside, I decided to look at it last, due to its location.
Hinata was my next target. The poor girl squeaked softly and fidgeted every time I went past her bush as I walked around the yard, acting as if I was searching. As I started moving from bush to bush, I was approaching Hinata very quickly and the funny thing was, I didn't even get to her bush and she had already stood from her crouch. I had been momentarily stunned by her silliness. She wasn't supposed to reveal herself...but then again this was Hinata. She was probably overwhelmed and decided to try her luck in outrunning me; and as if having the same train of thought she picked her kimono up and ran. Deciding to copy her actions, I too lifted the bottom of my kimono and ran after her. I chuckled as I heard her loud breathing, but when her small head turned to look at me, her face wasn't timid anymore. She was determined...and I don't think it was for the game. I think she was trying to prove herself to her father. I smiled kindly at the back of the small child in front of me. Hinata was pretty fast as a kid but I obviously wasn't going all out, not with my weights and especially not in front of the clan heads.
"Woohoo! Hinata-chan! You can do it! Sakura-chan, she's beating you!" Shouted Shisui across the yard. We had already crossed half the front of the yard and were very close to Inoichi. I wasn't throwing the game, I'm just letting it happen naturally. If she beats me she beats me, If I catch up, well...she tried really hard. I ran just a bit faster, so it could make Hinata push herself a bit harder. I was about three feet behind her now and I could see her little legs moving faster.
Just when we were ten feet away, the poor girl tripped! I had gasped along with Inner as we saw her being tripped by a stupid rock in the way.
"Oh my gosh! Catch her!" Inner commanded in my head. I was glad I was really close to her. I reached out, letting go of my kimono and taking one huge step towards her, and grabbed the back of her kimono. I pulled my hand back, and switched places with her. Pulling Hinata with our strength differences was easy and she had quickly balanced herself when I had let go. And of course, another stupid rock was there in my way. I tripped on it and my legs where tangled with my kimono, making me go unbalanced.
I quickly extended my hands out so I could catch myself from collapsing face first into the ground. But before I could embarrass my self in the presence of powerful ninja, I felt something fluffy but strong push me from the front, and lifted me up into the air for a second before falling back down on whatever it was. The sudden movement produced a small "Oof." to come out of my mouth. My sight was obscured by black and white...and it tickled very much.
I felt very silly in the position I was in. My whole body was off the ground and it slung across the slender yet fluffy body of the only big dog capable of doing so. I heard chuckles and sighed, allowing my limbs to dangle in relaxation from being rigid only seconds ago. I lifted my head and tilted it so I could see his face. I had to admit, Kuromaru looked really cool. Being so up close to him, I now only noticed that he had yet to loose his ear and wear an eye patch.
"I wonder when he does? But he still looks soo cute!"Inner exclaimed as she looked at Kuromaru through my eyes.
'That question is something I want to know too, and yes. He is very cute...and very fluffy' I agreed with Inner. Kuromaru turned his head towards mine and I smiled at him.
"Thanks for helping me." I thanked him and watched him nod. He leaned down slightly and I felt my toes touching the ground. I straightened up and turned to look at Hinata who had her hands covering her mouth in shock.
"Sorry Hinata-san but your out." I informed and the girl only widened her eyes. She intertwined her hands and bowed down with a blush.
"I-I'm r-really sorry!" She stated hurriedly. I tilted my head down at her.
"It's okay Hinata-san. It was an accident and neither of us were hurt." I tried to explain to the girl. She looked up shocked and blinked away tears.
"You can wait with Choji-san while I go get the two giggling ones over there." I said as I pointed to the direction Ino and Kiba and Akamaru were hiding at. They all looked in the direction and then back towards me. Hinata nodded and slowly walked over to the others.
"Sakura- chan, are you sure your okay?" Asked the Hokage nicely. I nodded and smiled up to them reassuringly.
"I'm fine. You were very fluffy." I said over to Kuromaru, who tilted his head. Tsume and some other laughed and she bent down and patted his head. Kuromaru was very serious but still allowed her to pat him on the head.
"And you were very light." Kuromaru said. I forced myself to look surprised, so the others wouldn't get suspicious.
"Oh! You can talk? Your a very smart Ninken." I complemented him honestly. He looked surprised as did Tsume who stopped laughing.
"Before I go, will you tell me your name?" I asked him, who nodded at my request.
"Kuromaru." He answered and I couldn't help think his attitude was pretty cool and calm. I nodded and bowed quickly.
"It's very nice to meet you." I said before smiling and turning towards the bushes.
I made my way towards the bush I had heard Ino's giggle come from. She was actually good at hiding, she just had trouble controlling her abrupt giggles...actually most of the time that was how I found her.
Once I was close enough I crouched in front of her and pushed aside the bushes in front of me. She gasped and then giggled.
"I found you Ino-chan." I said with a smile. She grinned widely and ran around the bush, her kimono was already lifted and ready to run in. I stood up calmly and watched her get about two feet away. I grabbed ahold of the leash and threw it at her. The collar part that I had made bigger flew towards her and caught her. I pulled onto the leash and made the collar shrink in size, encircling around her arms. She squealed in surprise and turned over towards me with a pout.
"That's no fair Sakura-chan!" She shouted and tried to wiggle out of the leash. I kept a strong grip onto the rope and walked closer to her.
Just for fun I loosened my grip and extended a finger over to her slowly, signifying that I could have her out with a touch of my finger.
"No!" She exclaimed and wiggled around rather exaggerating. I chuckled and rolled my eyes at her actions before I poked her on the shoulder.
"Your out." I stated as I saw her face turn into one of defeat.
"Fine..." She groaned out. I smiled and took off the leash around her. I watched her walk back towards the others with a pout on her face. Then I proceeded to walk over to the tree where Shikamaru and Choji were laying down earlier. When I had passed the tree on my walk there were very soft whispering and barking heard from it.
Once I went over to the tree, I immediately looked up and sure enough there they where. Kiba was sitting on one of the first branches and Akamaru was on his head. Their reactions were different from the ones I anticipated. Instead of looking surprised and confused as to why I had found them so fast, they looked ready, confident even. Kiba grinned widely at my confusion and opened his hands towards me, throwing a bunch of leaves in my way. The leaves obscured my vision long enough for them to jump down and start running towards the others.
"Hahaha! You can't catch us!" Kiba yelled tauntingly as he ran over to Inoichi and the others. I stopped waving my hands around to get the leaves away and just started running after the laughing boy and his dog. They ran pretty fast, the only reason Kiba hadn't already arrived was probably because he was carrying Akumaru. I ran as fast as I thought a child could run and noticed a small branch that was around the size of my small arms. I picked it up when I passed it and quickly tied the leash around the branch, my speed decreasing because of the kimono I had let go of. Once I had it securely tied I threw it and caught Kiba around the ankles. I pulled lightly and he tripped and fell forward, luckily he had felt the leash and placed his hands in front so his fall wouldn't be so bad.
"Go Akamaru! Go on without me!" Kiba screamed out rather dramatically. Running over to the two I tapped Kiba's head before running over to Akamaru who had started to run away. I had barely managed to catch him before he got too far. I pulled Akamaru closer to me, holding him in my arms.
"Nuh-uh. You both are out." I said with a smile over to Kiba who was still on the ground. His legs were still tied up and had his chin propped in the palm of his hand. He had a sullen pout but his eyes were filled with happiness, most likely from the fun he was having. I looked down at Akamaru who was also sporting a sad face. I patted his head and walked over to Kiba. I helped untangle his legs once my hands were free. Taking the leash with me, I waved bye and made my way towards the back of the house. the other's wouldn't be too hard to find...I don't think so anyway.
It had taken me eight minutes to find Neji. I noticed that all four of the remaining members were really good at hiding. I had noticed Shikamaru up on the roof three minutes before finding Neji. I decided to leave him for later. The only reason I had found Neji up on a high tree was because I had to concentrate really hard. What gave his position away were a few reasons. One, being I had heard branches move and the wind had not blown. Two, was for the fact that he actually made noise when his feet touched the branches he would move to when he thought his position would be seen by me. The last reason was actually very obvious that I was so shocked I hadn't looked for it sooner. Neji had been wearing a light kimono...how he got up the tree with it was a mystery to me. The moment I had approached the tree he was on, I had noticed the stark difference in colors between his clothing and our surroundings.
"Found you Neji-san." I called up to the boy. He looked down and sent me a knowing smile, probably also knowing his clothing had given him away. He nodded and jumped down from the branches until he was down enough to jump to the ground in front of me. His long hair had followed his movements with such grace, that it reminded me of my dances. I had almost accomplished the lightning dance, but I still had to make them all flow out with the same grace as Chouko.
"How many have you found?" He asked me once he was close enough.
"Three...four if you count Akamaru." I answered he nodded and smiled over to me.
"Is one of them Hinata-sama?" He asked. I nodded up to the slightly taller boy.
"Yes. All that's left is Shikamaru-san, Shino-san and Sasuke-san." I informed him as we both looked around.
"Do you mind if I stay and watch?" He asked politely. I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head.
"You can still win by going to Inoichi-sama." I told him, perhaps he didn't know the rules? He shook his head and smiled.
"You and I are wearing kimono's. It would be hard to run in and I don't know if I could beat you there." He answered rather truthfully. Now he was a good thinker. He'd rather not take the chance, when he doesn't know his "opponents" skills. I smiled and nodded, reaching over and tapping him on his shoulder.
"Then your out and yes, you can stay and watch." I said as I began to look around for Sasuke, whom I had yet to locate.
"Kyaaa! He's six trees over!" Shouted Inner with hearts in her eyes. How was she able to sense him when she was concentrating on our chakra? I shook my head and walked around. Perhaps she was getting really good at sensing...or perhaps she just had another sense...a Sasuke sensor? I chuckled at the thought of Inner knowing exactly where and what Sasuke was doing from wherever he was.
When I reached the tree Inner had sensed Sasuke at. I looked around and pretended I didn't know he was there. When I deemed it had been enough time, I moved away from the small bush I was searching and looked up. The sight made me want to laugh, but I held it in. It was so funny I just had to turn away just to be able to breathe correctly. I heard footsteps and looked back in front of me. Neji had a curious expression and he raised an eyebrow at me, probably questioning my reaction. I waved him over, trying not to laugh. He complied and came over to my side. He looked up and noticed the source of my reaction; and to my amusement he too looked like he was having a hard time holding back a laugh. I took a peek over to Sasuke, the source of our merriment.
Somehow during the beginning of the game, he had zoned out and fallen asleep. He was sitting on the first branch, leaning his back onto the tree. The reason why I couldn't find him, was because he was facing the other direction. He also had dark clothing and was very small, so he hid pretty well, even if he hadn't been in the position in the first place. I hadn't taken that long, had I? Surely not long enough for him to fall complelty asleep.
"The position is very..." Neji couldn't even finish his sentence without having to hold back a laugh. I chuckled and nodded, understanding full well what he meant. I mean, I could even feel Inner trying very hard not to bust out laughing. I think her crush on Sasuke was holding her back. He was in a very funny position. Actually, I was slightly scared he would fall and break something. He was leaning so far to the right, that if one was to blow air from the other side...he would probably fall.
The thing that made it so funny was because he was somehow conscious of his body, even in deep sleep. He had very good sense's. Neji and I wanted to laugh every time he tipped sideways and pulled himself back up just before he got too far to the right. It was very amusing to watch him jolt in such an angle. Everytime he would let his body relax and it began to slide I would have to tilt my head just to follow his body.
"Shouldn't you wake him?" Asked Neji as he walked closer to the tree.
"I'm trying to think of a good way...Ne, do you think it would break something to fall that distance?" I asked as I looked between the branch and the ground. He raised an eyebrow, confused by my question.
"Not really...but...asleep?...Perhaps not, if his reflexes are good." He answered somehow getting the idea I was thinking about.
"No! Don't hurt Sasuke-kun!" Inner shouted.
'Didn't you hear what Neji said?' I said to Inner as she crossed her arms.
"Yeah...but..." Inner said, not really being able to come up with an excuse.
'It's shouldn't hurt that much...besides, my plan isn't finished yet.' I said as I smiled secretly. I grabbed the leash in my hand and made the collar go around Sasuke's ankle. I placed it slowly, making sure he wouldn't wake up.
'Who said Naruto could be the only prankster.' I thought in my head with a smirk.
"Oh my god! Not you too!" Inner shouted as she face palmed herself. I ignored her and continued to finish up. When I finished with his ankle, I looked over to Neji who was rather curious to my idea of waking Sasuke up.
"Do you want to watch this...it'll be funny." I said with a quiet laugh. He chuckled and nodded.
"We need to get up that branch." I informed as I pointed to the branch above Sasuke's. He nodded and took a hold of the branch and pulled himself up the first branch, placing his feet on the trunk for support.
He was soon on the first branch beside Sasuke's and was reaching down to help me up.
"Take my hand and I'll help you get up." He said nicely. I smiled and nodded thankfully up to him. I reached for his hand and immediately had an image transfer over to me.
Two figures sat outside on a hallway, but the only thing I could see was their backs. One figure bigger but feminine unlike the much smaller one of a young boy. It was early in the morning and the sun was shining down upon them warmly. The woman turned her head to the right and looked down to the boy who was drinking tea. She said something but I had yet to be able to hear memories, and I couldn't read lips very well.
The boy looked up and I could see his lips moving. The only words I could make out were, "Okay mommy."
The woman which was most likely Misaki, reached over and placed her slender hand on Neji's head. She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead. The image then began to blur and darken as he pulled me up and let go. I blinked and looked at Neji. He must have had a really good bond with his mother. He began to pull himself up onto the second branch. When he reached over for me again, the image I received when we touched hands was different.
This one was much more difficult to take in. The beautiful woman that I have only seen twice was laying on a very white bed. Everything around her was white besides some flowers. She looked tired and sad, it was very hard for me to see these kinds of memories. I never wanted to intrude on memories like these, but I had yet to be able to learn much of this ability.
In the memory I could see Neji and Hizashi stand beside her bed. Poor Neji, he had tears streaming down his face and his father...well he wasn't crying but he looked really sad. I watched as Neji hurriedly spoke to his mother and she spoke back. They embraced and kissed and then he walked out the room...why? Maybe to give them some privacy. Neji stepped out and closed the door leaving a bit open to see. I saw Hizashi and Misaki talking with a rather serious mood, but then the room overflowed with grief and sadness. I hadn't realized I could feel emotions in memories, this being the first time and my body began to shiver. The next moment was fading quickly, but I still got enough time to see Hizashi fall to his knees and places his wifes hand, that was in his on his forehead. Tears were finally cascading down his face and when the image was gone I had to blink my eyes so I wouldn't end up crying or something. That image had just turned my mischievous mood into a sad one.
'Thanks again Inner, for taking care of our chakra. I think anyone would have felt our change if you hadn't' I said to Inner who was actually crying.
"...Sniff...no problem...sniff." she said in between sniffles.
"Sakura-san? What next?" Neji asked, thankfully he was looking down at Sasuke. I cleared my throat and shook my head. I looked down at Sasuke.
"Now we wake him." I said as I positioned the leash in my hands securely by tying it into a loop. I was making sure it wouldn't slide through my hands so easily. I turned my head over to Neji who sat beside me on the branch.
"When your so close, you might want to cover your ears." I informed and saw him nod and cover his ears with his hands. I took a quick deep breath and placed my fingers on my mouth like always. Waiting for him to lean as far to the right I blew out the held in air and produced a quick loud whistle. We watched in amusement as Sasuke jerked awake roughly and couldn't hold himself on the branch because of how far he leaned. He screamed and flailed his arms, trying to balance himself. He was falling off and that's when I pulled on the leash and watched with mirth as he swung left to right upside down by his ankle. He looked even funnier dangling on a leash. Neji and I couldn't hold back our laughs, so we didn't.
Sasuke soon found the source of the sound and frowned up at us. It was hard to tell if he was red on the face due to his embarrassment or his position. The way he tried to lift his head up to look at us but then put it back down because of the weight was funny. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms.
"Are you going to let me down?" He asked with a grumpy mood. I chuckled one last time and nodded. Neji had already jumped to the first branch.
"Neji-san you can go down and make sure Sasuke-san lands safely. I can get down by myself." I informed. He nodded and then jumped down to the ground next to Sasuke. I began to slowly lower Sasuke down to the ground, but it was quite hard with him wiggling. He kept reaching down to the ground with his hands.
When Sasuke was one foot above Neji, one small branch that was helping the leash stay on the bigger branch broke. I couldn't believe the situation. He was almost there when the branch snapped with the pressure and Sasuke dropped. The funniest thing occurred, it even stopped Inner's scared scream. Silly Neji had been standing under Sasuke and had pretty much acted as a cushion for his fall. The whole thing happened quick. Neji had heard the snap and looked up when he was suddenly pushed onto the ground. Sasuke had yelled and his tummy crashed into Neji's outstretched arms. His arms couldn't hold up all of Sasuke's weight and so, Sasuke fell with his tummy over Neji's arms and tummy perpendicularly. The leg that was still tied by the ankle was still in the air, looking very weird and funny at the same time.
I couldn't help the laugh that came out from me. Their shocked faces were just so cute and funny. Their shock was soon replaced with a blush across the face, that only made me laugh even more.
I was so stupid. I should have laughed when I was safely on the ground; but I hadn't thought I would laugh that strongly. My uncontrollable laughter had cause me to wobble on the branch. I gasped as I felt my body falling backwards. As I descended to the ground, head first, I felt my ankle get caught and jerked me to a stop. It took me awhile to realize that it had been the loop I had made to the leash. I must have looked hilarious, because I heard Neji's laughter ring throughout the area. I was spinning around really slowly but when I had turned over to them, I noticed why I could only hear Neji's laughter. When I had fallen and caught my ankle on my side of the leash. The other side which was still tied to Sasuke's ankle had pulled him off the ground and up into the air again. Now the both us were hanging upside down looking rather funny. Sasuke's limbs were still dangling while I had to hold the bottom of my kimono.
I soon heard different laughter, chuckles, and giggles coming from behind us. I waited till the leash that was still spinning me slowly, to allow me to see the source of laughter. I knew who they belonged to because Inner and Neji had stopped a while ago. When I was able to see behind me, I noticed that not only all the kids but all the adults came too. I was starting to get dizzy with all the spinning.
"You leave our sights for fifteen minutes and you get yourself in so much trouble." Said Inoichi as he approached me with Ino by his side. She giggled at me and I looked up...or down?
"Sakura-chan! Hehehe...why would you hang yourself like that?" She asked with childish mirth. I rolled my eyes at her.
"Well Ino-chan, I just wanted to see everything from a new angle and Sasuke-san just wanted to try..." I explained rather seriously as I spun around to face a frowning Sasuke and a chuckling Neji.
"That's not true! This is all your fault!" Sasuke exclaimed as he pointed a finger at me accusingly. I shook my head at his comment. Of course it's not true...it was a joke.
"Dear, help poor Sakura-chan down." Said Naomi. I heard footsteps and felt a hand placed on my back and knees, gently lifting me up. Another pair of hands were on my ankle, setting me loose. When my head was right side up again, I noticed the other person was Shikaku. I also saw Itachi and Shisui helping Sasuke down. A chuckle from Shikaku made me look back up to him, noticing he had finished untying me. I thanked them for their help when I was placed on the ground. The mothers that I knew came up to me and fixed my clothes and hair.
"So little Sakura-chan, I think we should call this game over since the last two are already here." He said looking over to Shino and Shikamaru who stayed quiet but with looked on with amusement. I nodded up to him.
"Alright, I was going to get them next anyway." I explained as I thanked the mothers around me.
"Did you already know where they were hiding?" Asked Hiashi. I nodded up to him.
"I had noticed their hiding spots a while back, but due to their location I had decided to leave them for last." I explained.
"Where did they hide?" Asked the Hokage as if they didn't know.
"I saw Shikamaru-san up in the roof because I saw his ponytail sticking up." I said smiling at Shikamaru. He nodded, agreeing with my knowledge of his whereabouts. I then looked over to Shino, who still had the little butterfly on his shoulder. I walked up to him and lifted my finger up to the butterfly. To my delight the cute butterfly flew to my finger. I brought it closer to me so I could take in its detail.
"I found out Shino-san was in the log near the pond because I saw this butterfly fly in and not come out." I said and then let the butterfly flutter towards Shino. To my surprise it didn't go to him and flew up to land on the side of my head.
"Good Job Sakura-chan!" Shisui exclaimed as he patted my head.
"Shisui!" Mikoto exclaimed, most likely because he messed up my hair. The butterfly, surprised had fluttered down to my shoulder.
"Oh! My bad..." He said and moved his hand away. I looked up to him and retrieved the leash he was handing me.
"Thanks Shisui-san." I said and walked over to Tsume who stood off to the side with a grinning Kiba.
"Thanks for the leash." I said as I handed the leash over to her. She grinned down at me and patted my head much softer than Shisui.
"No problem kid! Hey kid, I've meaning to ask you...is that your natural hair color?" She asked rather seriously for a random question. She leaned in with her hand on her chin as she looked at my hair. Was she being serious? I blinked up to the woman and chuckled. Yes, she was. I suppose even adults could be curious about my hair...but just didn't want to ask.
"It is." I answered and she hummed and looked a bit skeptical. I couldn't blame her...I mean who does have pink hair?...Well I guess I do, but then there were other wierd hair colors and yet pink seemed to be the most eye catching. Even Hinata's blue hair albeit a bit black but still...I guess since mine is just such a bright color, it was deemed weirder.
"Anyways...why don't we head back?" Suggested Choza. We all looked over to him and nodded. All the adult's started to head back to their spots prior to moving to the back, I was beginning to wonder if the men ever got tired. All of us kids sat under the tree Shikamaru and Choji were under first.
"You've gotten better at finding people Sakura-chan!" Ino said as she sat beside me. Everyone sat in a circle like formation. Shikamaru and Choji were closest to the tree trunk, Shikamaru was actually leaning on it. To the left of them sat Neji and Hinata, who fidgeted in place. Shino and Kiba were next but since they didn't really know each other well they had a bit of space between themselves. Next was a grumpy Sasuke who was sitting beside Ino who extremely happy. I was sitting beside her to her right while being on Shikamaru's left.
"Thank's Ino-chan." I said as I looked at the butterfly that had been on my shoulder flutter away to a flower nearby. I then looked over to Akamaru who barked.
"That's right Akamaru! Ne Sakura, how did you get like that when we found you?" Kiba asked, apparently also not minding the honorifics. His comment made all the others turn to me. Neji looked on with a knowing smile while Sasuke sent me a glare. For Sasuke's sake I kept it short.
"Uhm, my trap kind of back fired on me..." I explained hopefully he would just let the topic go. Thankfully he couldn't say anything because of a high pitched cry heard up in the air. It caught everyone's attention and Ino smiled widely. Sora flew in wide circles probably looking for me. Madoka or Kioshi must have told Sora that I was with Inoichi; and since we were under the tree, he could only see Inoichi.
"Sora!" She yelled getting up and running over to the yard so Sora could see her clearly. She was very happy and the other kids who have held the bird did too. The ones who hadn't, only looked on with wonder. I smiled and shook my head while getting up to walk over to Ino. She smiled at me and grabbed my arm.
"You know I can't, so whistle so Sora can come down!" She said excitedly. I nodded and looked up, taking a deep breath and whistling for it's attention. Sora's head turned towards us, turned direction and flew towards us. His big wings helped him arrive even faster and I could see a note attached to his leg. Extending out my arm, he landed with his usual unintended flourish. He really couldn't help the fact that he was so pretty and big for a hawk. I always found it amusing and felt proud that people always displayed such obvious amazement towards Sora. Like now, Sasuke and Neji had come over calmly having already been with Sora. The others however haven't and although Shikamaru and Choji had seen the bird before when we first met, this would be the first time they had seen it land and be so close to Sora.
"Wow! Sakura, is that your bird?!" Asked an excited Kiba. I smiled and nodded over to him as Sora rubbed his head against mine. I then passed him over to Ino, who was always eager to hold him. I took the note on his leg before passing it over to her.
"His name's Sora!" Informed Ino as she pet his head. I quickly read the note that was from Madoka. All it said was that the letters from Haruki had arrived and were in my room for when I got back.
"Cool! Sora, come over to me!" Kiba exclaimed as he looked at Sora with excitement.
"No, I'm holding him!" Ino stated and Sora only looked between the two bickering kids and then over to me. I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. He could pick if he wanted too. Sora then flew away from a shocked Ino but not towards a smug Kiba either. Instead he went over to Neji's shoulder. Seems like Sora had liked Neji. Neji himself was surprised but then smiled happily and started petting him on the head.
"Aww!" Ino whined and looked over to me. I just shrugged trying not to be the target of her ultimate weapon. Kiba pouted but continued to stare at the bird.
"Fine...after Neji!" He said and I looked in amusement as Sora flapped his wings and moved over to Sasuke's arm. Sasuke looked happy and then smugly over to Kiba who frowned. I think Sora was teasing the poor boy.
"Sora, go over to Kiba-san." I said and Kiba looked all hopeful he even started jumping a little. Sora left Sasuke after a few seconds and landed on a shocked but happy Kiba.
"He's so cool!" Kiba said as he looked at Sora and patted his soft feathers.
"He's really smart." Shikamaru stated.
"I know right!" Ino stated.
After Kiba had his turn holding Sora, he flew over towards Shikamaru. Even with his inactive personality his eyes held interest in the bird in his arm. Choji was next and I could tell he liked sora's soft feathers. When Hinata's turn came around, the poor girl looked like she wanted to hold him but was scared too. Sora, whether he knew of her inner turmoil or not flew over to her. Hinata squealed when he landed gently on her shoulder.
"Come on Hinata! Pet him! He's so soft!" Kiba encouraged. Hinata took her right hand and started to timidly pet him. Her face turned from uncertainty to happiness. Inner and I would have to help her control her shy personality.
Shino was last and he seemed ready to hold Sora. Before he had even left Hinata's shoulder, Shino had walked over to them and extended his arm. I wanted to chuckle at his cute, barely hidden desire to hold Sora. Kids were very easy to read what they were thinking if one knew what to look for. After everyone had a turn holding Sora, we just talked.
"So what should we do now? We have all day and tomorrow." Shikamaru stated. My eyes widened and I looked over to him confused.
"Today I understand but why tomorrow?" I asked him and only got a raised eyebrow in return. His eyes then travelled to Ino and a knowing look passed his features.
"Ah...well, you guys are sleeping over..." He said and spoke as if he wanted to avoid the oncoming drama. I frowned, sleeping over? Here? Tonight? I turned around not even looking at Ino and walked over to the men and Tsume. I cleared my throat when I was behind Inoichi and Shikaku.
"Excuse me." I spoke up gaining their attention. I felt Ino walk up beside me with the others not too far.
"Oh! What's wrong Sakura-chan? Did your mother or father want something?" He asked referring to Sora. I shook my head no.
"No, Shikamaru-san just said something I wanted to clarify." I said.
"What is it?" Asked Shikaku, interested in what his son had said.
"Was there supposed to be a sleepover here?" I asked wanting to know. They raised and eyebrow and looked at each other before looking back down at me.
"Yes...didn't Ino tell you Sakura-chan?" Asked Inoichi as he looked between us. I looked over to Ino who looked the other way and scratched her cheek.
"Oops...I guess I forgot to tell you..." Ino said. Of course I didn't believe her.
"Hmm." I hummed skeptically at Ino's poor excuse. I looked back up.
"I didn't know...I didn't bring anything." I said looking over to Ino again. She somehow got an idea because she suddenly looked over to me.
"You can send a note to your mom!" She said as she looked at Sora on my shoulder. I guess she was right but...did I want to stay? Were they going to stay? I thought as looked up to the people around me.
"Good idea Ino! Here Sakura-chan!" said Choza as he held out some paper and a paint brush. I tried to smile as I grabbed them. I looked at the items in my hand and sighed as I turned over to Ino. Knowing what I wanted, she turned around and allowed me to use her back as something to bear down on.
"Make sure to tell her you'll be going home later on tomorrow!" Ino said as I had started writing.
"Why? And please stop wiggling." I said as I struggled to write with Sora on my shoulder and Ino wiggling.
"So we can play together more!" She said as if it was the most obvious fact. I rolled my eyes at her reason, only to widen them at seeing a small drop of ink drop right in her hair. I winced out loud, gaining their attention. Shikamaru who was closest shook his head with a chuckle.
"What's wrong?" She asked and I looked at her.
"Nothing...I just...didn't like how a letter looked..." I said and she sighed.
"Stop being OCD and finish so your mom can reply." She said and I quickly finished writing the letter while keeping my eyes on the small drop in her hair. I handed the brush back to Choza who took it with a chuckle.
"Are you done?" Ino asked.
"Almost. I'm reading over it...wait don't move..." I instructed.
"Why?" She asked but complied.
"Uhm...there's...a bug in your hair..." I said and watched her face get all shocked.
"Eek! Get it out!" She said and started to wiggle. If she kept that up, she was going to spread the ink.
"Don't move or it'll go deeper into your hair." I informed.
"Eek! It's in my hair?!" She shrieked but stayed still. my right hand reached for the drop and I started to try and clean the spot. When I had thought it looked the least noticable I turned to Shikamaru, I knew he would give an honest opinion. I raised and eyebrow as I tilted my head towards Ino's hair. He looked at it and then nodded, I sighed and smiled back to Ino. I was going to pat her back but pulled my hand back remembering I had rubbed off the ink with it and it would surely smudge if it wasn't dry.
"I got it." I said settling to just tell her. She sighed and turned around with a smile.
"Thanks! Are you done?" She asked and I nodded and began to roll up the paper and tie it to Sora's leg.
"Take it to mother." I said and he nodded and rubbed my head before flying off.
"You have a very well trained hawk Sakura-san." Stated Tsume. I smiled up to her.
"My grandfather taught him most of the things he knows." I said, which was true.
"Where is your grandfather from?" Asked Kakashi as he looked down at me.
"From the Land of Water." I answered him. He nodded and looked at me.
"That's why your bird looked different." He stated and I nodded.
"Yes, he's actually a bit bigger than most hawks." I said as I could still see Sora flying in the sky.
"I also noticed that. Isn't he heavy?" Said the Hokage.
"He's not heavy at all once you get used to him!" Ino explained. The others smiled at Ino's childish excitement.
"Ne little Sakura-chan, how about I show you the rules of the game while we wait for Sora to return?" Shikaku asked and I nodded up to him. Shikamaru's interest was gained at his father's mention of "game".
"What are you talking about?" He asked me. I smiled at his open curiosity.
"Well earlier your father had asked if I wanted to play Shogi, but I don't know how to. I only know how to play Go, so your father suggested to teach me." I told him and I could see his laziness replaced by cheerfulness.
"Really? You like to play...Can I go too?" He asked, it was really hard to believe this was the same kid as a few minutes ago, if you just mention the names of the games he will completely change. But then again, he was only three.
"I don't see why not..." I said and we both looked up to Shikaku who was seemingly amused. By what? I had no idea.
"It's fine by me." He stated.
"Then is it alright if we all go?" Asked the Hokage, who also seemed to be interested.
"Sure, whoever wants to go can go." Shikaku stated in a very laid back tone. He turned and started to walk off towards the house. I took a deep breath.
"Lets go." Said Shikamaru as he began to follow his father and some of the others.
I released my breath and took ahold of Ino's wrist pulling her along with me. I had a feeling that if she wasn't by my side, something would happen and having her near me calmed my nerves down. Perhaps it was her similar personality to Inner, who always knew how to calm me down.
"Don't worry, I'll always be here to help." Inner said with sincerity that made me smile, confidence and relief flooding my whole body with only a few of her words.
This chapter was pretty long! To answer a question from a reviewer, I am planning on continuing all the way into their genin and Shippunden years. Some things will follow the original plot while others will change to go with my plot, so don't expect the exact same things to happen. Oh, and thank you guy.Like i mean for everything you've done! Y'all really brighten up my day and encouraged me to continue this story!💗
💗💗Love and kisses😘😘