On Our Way To A Smile - Smile - Book 1

        I got everyone who was requested to go pretty quickly. All I had to do is go to Choji's house, and when I got Choji, Lee showed up and got everyone else. I knew he couldn't fight right now, but he would be able to after his surgery.

I had gone back to my house to get the scroll. I wanted Sasuke to have the information, and use it to his own devices. I wanted him to be aware of what he was doing, and how it would effect his entire life.

"Times up." Shikamaru said. "We've got six of us so far..."

"On our marks, get set... Follow me! Woo!" Naruto shouted. I sighed. Naruto was so loud. How did he manage to stay that loud for so long?

"...Naruto. Look. Me and Miyako are the leaders of this squad. I mean, it's a drag, but..." Shikamaru said.

"You sure you two can handle it?" Naruto asked.

"You think I can't?" I asked him. "I'll throw a kunai at you, just like you're Jiraiya." Naruto shuddered. He obviously didn't want that to happen again.

"And you acting like the boss is supposed to help, Naruto?" Kiba asked. "Still... Being ordered around by Shikamaru and Miyako... That doesn't really feel right either..."

"Look, guys, Shikamaru and Miyako are both already chunin! You should recognize there authority." Choji said. "If the Hokage sees them as people who can lead, it's not our place to question it."

"Fine. So detail us on a strategy." Neji said. "From what I understand, we're very likely to face an ambush."

"On this mission, we're the pursuers." I said. "That means they will be able to anticipate us easily."

"We need a formation party that can instantly react to an assault." Shikamaru said. "If you ignore us and do your own thing, we will die. This is the plan. Kiba goes in the front, since he and Akamaru can verify the target. I will go behind Kiba, then Naruto will go behind me, and Choji will go behind Naruto, and then Miyako, and then Neji, since Neji can cover the whole area behind us. Any questions?"

Everyone nodded a no, ready to take off.

"Let me tell you the most important thing." Shikamaru said. "Its that Sasuke is not by best friend... I don't even really like him, really. But like us, Sasuke is a shinobi of Konoha! He is our comrade! Therefore, me and Miyako will stake our lives to rescue him. That is the Konoha way!"

"Beyond that. We can't complain..." I said quietly. "When your lives have been entrusted to us."

"Heh... Well, now you two are starting to sound like Chunin!" Kiba said, Akamaru woofing in agreement.

"All right! Let's get moving!" Shikamaru said. We started to walk forwards, but someone stopped us.

"Wait!" I turned my head, and saw Sakura. My other teammate, obsessed with Sasuke, but was overall pretty nice.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted.

"Lady Tsunade told us what happened." I said quietly. "Even you couldn't persuade Sasuke..."

"Our only recourse is to persuade him with force." Shikamaru said. "Sakura, your role has ended."

"Sakura does that mean you-" Naruto said, cutting himself of when Sakura started crying.

"Naruto, Miyako... Please, please bring Sasuke back..." Sakura said, sobbing. "I couldn't stop him! Now the only person who can stop him... Is you two..."