Not very successful at all

As the trio left the hotel, Kiba stopped suddenly and smiled as he caught a familiar smell in the air. "They're coming this way!", Kiba said suddenly, making Ino and Naruto stop walking as they looked up the street from where they were. Not a minute later, they caught sight of the other team as they walked through the village. "Over here, guys!", Naruto yelled as well as waving his hand to get their attention.

"So forehead girl, didyou learn anything?" Ino asked as the pinkette shook her head. "We couldn't even find them! Shino couldn't track them down and apparently no one has seen them at all!", Sakura yelled, frustrated beyond all measure at the wasted time and effort. "Really? Because we found both the mist and sand teams and learned tons!", Naruto said out of surprise.

"What did you learn, dead last?", Sasuke demanded more than asked as Kiba cut in. "Well, for one thing foreign ninja apparently really like Naruto! They kept flirting with him!", Kiba laughed loudly as the group stared at Naruto, who could only blush in embarrassment. "It's not like I meant it to happen, honestly!", Naruto said in an attempt to defend himself as best he could.

"Right, sure you didn't, Naruto." Sakura said, eyeing him suspiciously as Sasuke, in annoyance, turned around. "This is useless, I cant believe I wasted time on this!" Sasuke muttered as he started to leave. "I should have been training to get stronger, not going on this wild goose chase!", Sasuke added as he walked off. "I feel it was worth a try. Kiba, you will fill me in on the rest later, won't you? You must have learned more then Naruto's romantic life.", Shino said as Naruto hung his head in defeat. He just couldn't win with this one.

"Sure thing, Shino. Oh, how about I come with you right now and tell ya? Your clan's not to far from mine anyway.", Kiba smirked as the bug user nodded in agreement. After short goodbyes, Team 7 was together again. "Naruto, what did you really learn?", Sakura asked, not liking being left out of the loop by her own team no less. So Naruto and Ino spent the better half of the next hour talking about what they had really learned about the other teams.

By the time they were done, the sun was about to start setting over the village and they agreed it was best to get to their houses and sleep as much as they could before the big day tomorrow. "Well guys, hope you come prepared tomorrow, because I feel like a Chunin already!", Naruto smirked, getting grins from his teammates. "I'm sure you do, Naruto. Well, see you both in the morning.", Sakura said, waving them off as she walked home.

"Night, Naruto-kun.", Ino said, kissing him on the lips for a short heated kiss. "Night Ino-chan" Naruto smiled as they broke the lip lock and Ino ran home herself. Watching his girlfriend run off and disappear into the crowd, Naruto sighed as he started the opposite way towards his home. "Well now, that was an interesting day, but still... I wonder why the others couldn't find those Otokagure teams, they have to be staying somewhere, don't they?", Naruto asked himself.

Still, he wasn't too concerned about it. He had a better insight into the Kiri and Suna teams at least and even though the newest village was a bit strange, he was sure he could handle whatever they brought to the table. Naruto was so deep in thought, he almost missed that he was run into by a passer by as he walked. He was surprsed how hard he was pushed out of the way and looked to see who had run into him.

Naruto then saw the retreating figure of the raven-haired girl from the new village as she ran like the devil was on her heels. Naruto suddenly had a bad feeling running up his spine and, after a split second of thought, started after the girl. He tailed her through the streets before she ran into one of the many alleyways. Naruto knew almost every street in the village thanks to his old pranking days long ago. He had to know them to get away from those that gave chase.

This particular street ended in a dead end and as Naruto watched the street, he saw her two teammates following the route she took and walked in after her, not a minute later. Following the two strange ninja into the street seconds after they walked, in Naruto was able to hear what they were talking about in his place hidden in the shadows of the alley.

"You shouldn't have run, Kin. You're making this a lot harder then it has to be!", the mummy-like ninja said boredly as the girl backed up to the wall. "I don't see you two about to die!", the girl yelled at her 'teammates'. "I dont want to be sacrificed! Even if it is for his plans to work!". A laugh from her other teammate kept Naruto on the edge. What kind of ninja were these guys anyway? To him, it was like the complete opposite of everything the leaf village stood for.

"Tough luck, Kin-chan. You know our master said you're going to be the one, so it's your duty!", the other said, making Kin almost tear up. "Easy for you to say! Why don't you see what Tayuya has to say about this! I dont think she'd let you get away with doing this!", Kin yelled as the bandaged ninja chuckled. "The master hasn't told her. I think he's going to tell her that Konoha killed her friend. After all, a good pawn needs motivation."

Naruto was really getting pissed off now. Whoever was in charge of these guys was obviously twisted, and Naruto wasn't just going to sit there and let them use her for whatever they were planning. But Naruto also knew if they kept talking, he might learn more about whatever was going on. If he listened a bit longer, he might hear the whole truth, but then it might be too late for Kin...