Island of Storms [Sakura]

Chapter 11 | Decisive

Ino rolled up the scroll again and held it in her hands, the others noticing she pumped a small amount of chakra into it. She then unrolled the scroll again to show off a lovely painting.

The ink had moved and spread, leaving dots of paper showing like stars. The painting was of a lily. At the bottom it had the grass and going up it had the lily, then the sky. Which slowly went from day to night as it moved toward the top of the scroll.

"I love you too..." she whispered before rolling it up and placing it in her pouch.

"That's so sweet," Tenten cooed, clutching her hands together. Ino ignored her pestering and stood up.

"I'm leaving. Who's going with me?" she stated. Shikamaru sighed.

"What a drag... I'd go too, but I have some problems forming with my relationship if I do..."

"You mean... Do you not know about it?" Shino asked, looking at the man on the steps next to him.

"It's interesting that they keep things from those involved with them..." Neji muttered to himself.

"I'd assumed that it had leaked out to you by now, Shikamaru..." Shino paused. "Gaara was chased out of Sunagakure two months ago after being charged with leaking information to other villages."

The three that didn't already know about the event froze, Shikamaru's hand gripping at the edge of the deck.

"Where's Tamari?" he asked.

"Once she and Kankuro found out, they immediately left. They're rouge-nin."

"Why the hell would they keep that from me...?" Shikamaru growled as he put his head in his hands. It was quiet for a few moments before he gave a long sigh. "All right, I'm in."

"Me too," Shino grumbled. "I'm getting sick of the way people are treating my friends here."

"I'm going too," Tenten stated as she also stood, dusting off her pants. "If I keep trying to leave the right way, I'll never get out."

Neji gave a sigh as he stared at the grass in front of him.

"I'll go as well. I'm tired of all the side branch toxicity." Tenten was happy that her best friend was coming with her, though she would come to regret her oversight.

"Then that's that," Ino smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "We have the rest of the week until we leave."

"Do we just leave or fake our deaths?" Tenten asked, placing her finger on her chin in thought. The only thing she received in return was confusion and a sigh from Neji as he had expected something as weird as that to come from her.

"How would you even do that?" Ino asked, giving her friend a blank stare.

"Well, first I'd seal my house, then I'd make a copy, and then I'd set it on fire," Tenten counted out on her fingers.

"Make a copy?" Shino questioned.

"Yeah, when I was younger my caretaker taught me a jutsu that can seal buildings and create a copy in their place if I choose. I actually have a scroll containing a few abandoned castles I've come across on missions," she smiled.

"Wait, you still have them?" Neji asked, getting a nod in return. Tenten took in the confused expressions around her and gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head.

"Sorry, I've never really told you guys about that, have I?"

"I think it's best if we fake our deaths, that way no one would look for us," Ino threw forward. "I know Dad will be heartbroken... but we're not actually going to die... I can get back in touch with him somehow and let him know I'm all right."