A Little More Than This (Discontinued)

Chapter 30

Mei lead Sasuke and Gai back to the Leaf Village. She kept checking Sasuke throughout the trip and checking his temperature. The Genjustu had done a number on him and she felt guilty for it.

"Mei! Watch out!" Gai cried, watching Mei land on a patch of moss. Mei fell backwards, slipping on the moss and her mind going blank her felt herself falling backwards too quickly to catch herself on the branch that stood behind her and for Gai to catch her, who was several meters away.

Mei braced herself for impact but never felt it, only a warm embrace and the wind sailing past her head. She opened her eyes and saw that she had been caught by lazy Shikamaru.

"W-what are you doing out here?" Mei asked, feeling weirdly comfortable in his arms. "There's a meadow around here, I go there to think sometimes," Shikamaru responded. "Um? Lovebirds? Critically ill ninja here! Let's go!" Gai demanded, powering ahead of them. "Oh right! Sorry Shika-Kun gotta go!" Mei cried, jumping from his arms and powering after Gai.

Shikamaru watched them go off before letting a small smile creep onto his face.

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Sakura waited patiently beside the gates to Konoha. She paced continuously as she waited for the return of her teammates.

"Heh. Pinkie, you should calm down. I may not know much about Naruto or Sasuke, but Mei and Jiraiya will keep 'em outta trouble." Kotetsu sighed, catching the pinkette's attention. "I know, but I can't help but be worried!" Sakura replied, continuing her pacing.

"Sakura! Quick help us to the hospital!" Mei suddenly called, appearing in the horizon next to a taller, lumpier figure. Sakura stared in shock as the other figure was revealed to be Gai, with a beaten up, unconscious Sasuke on his back. Sakura kicked into action and cleared a path through villagers for Gai to move through, helping him arrive at the hospital in record time.

The two girls waited for Gai to reemerge from the inside of the building and tell them any sort of news. When he finally turned up he informed that Sasuke was in good hands and was allowed visitors from that point onward.

Sakura raced back in while Mei turned to head homeward for lunch. She walked through the streets at a leisurely pace waving to many of her friends and stopping to chat numerous times with many different people. Pondering over Shikamaru. Why did she always feel safe around him?

Finally, Mei arrived at her home and walked right in to find Kakashi attempting to make lunch. It certainly didn't smell or look like lunch... Actually, it didn't even appear edible!

"Yo. I'm making Chicken Donburi." Kakashi said, trying to play off the chaos going on around him. "It doesn't look like Chicken Donburi! It looks like mulch!" Mei replied, giggling lightly at Kakashi's misfortune in the kitchen. "Maybe we should go grab some ramen?" Kakashi offered, jumping slightly as the so-called 'food' behind him roared into a fire.

Mei giggled and helped put out the fire before dragging her Tou-San out the door and through the streets into the food markets.

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Itachi and Zetsu sat on a tree branch watching the road to the village, they had been waiting for sometime for the group to return and for their little secret to show up. They waited in silence as four silhouettes appeared on their horizon. The two smiled at each other before wrapping themselves in their cloaks and waited for the sun to set.

Slowly, the silhouettes revealed themselves to be Naruto, Jiraiya and two women. The taller one being blonde with brown eyes and a large bust, while the shorter one was dark haired with Beatle black eyes, carrying a small pink pig.

"So~ Tsunade-" Jiraiya started, but was interrupted by said blonde woman with a punch to the nose. "Don't even think about asking, Jiraiya." Tsunade responded with a growl. Shizune giggled nervously and sent a worried glance at the White-haired Sannin.

With many more interruptions the group finally made its way to the entrance of Konaha, to be greeted and ushered away by Kotetsu and Izumo.

Really, really sorry for the short chappie. But I'll make a longer chappie next time.