"Kaoru!! Kaoru, open up!!"

I frowned and hopped quickly (still on crutches, yay.) towards the door, unlatching it then pulling it open. But no one was there.

I peered around; I was sure I heard Hana. Probably just my mind playing tricks on me- I had been stuck inside for ages. Because, apparently, 'An ANBU on crutches is dead weight on the battlefield.'. Well, that and the stupid crutches make me fall over more than usual.

Also, it's easier to avoid people this way. I look so pathetic with my cast, it's just embarassing. Especially since Naruto decided to write 'Naruto= best Hokargay evur!' on it while I was sleeping, amongst other things. Usually I would find his creative spelling humourous, but not when it's written on the cast that I'm stuck with for another six weeks.

I turned back around to go back inside, but stopped as I caught sight of something pinned to the door.

I pulled it off, and it was addressed to me, so I flipped it open and read it.

Kaoru,

Be at my house at seven for overnight party! And if you bail, you won't get your ANBU mask back~

Love, Hana xxx

I frowned. That's weird. I reached down to my ANBU mask on my belt. I already have my-

My hand grasped air, and I quickly patted around my waist over the belt, but I knew it was no use. When did she take it?

I rolled my eyes and sighed. Looks like I have a party to go to now. I went back inside my house and slammed the door, knowing Hana was watching me from somewhere, and letting her know how pissed I was.

I wonder if I can get a really big sock to cover my cast?

---

I sighed heavily through my nose as Hana led me to the barn where we would all be sleeping. It was huge, two storeys and huge piles of hay all over. Apparently I was the first there.

It was when we stood in the centre of the barn that Hana rounded on me, "Why have you been avoiding Itachi?"

I blinked, "Huh?" she frowned at me, and just waited for me to speak again. "I haven't been." well, that was a lie. But I was avoiding everyone, not just Itachi.

Hana was still emanating heavy suspicion. "Then where have you been all this time?"

"Home." I answered, still confused, "It's not easy to get around on crutches."

"But apparently Itachi went round yours and knocked and you didn't answer. And don't say you weren't in, 'cause he said he could feel your chakra." Hana pressed, and I rose an eyebrow.

"I was probably sleeping or indisposed- Itachi doesn't exactly have the loudest knock. And anyway, when did you become Itachi's diary?" I asked, and she grinned sheepishly.

"I kinda cornered him like I did you... though he was a lot harder to get information out of." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Heeyyy!!" Hana and I dodged neatly as Umi attempted to glomp us, but instead fell and got a mouthful of straw. ANBU indeed. She pouted up at us, with straw and hay stuck to her face, "You guys are no fun."

I just grinned, then noticed Luca standing off to the side, and nodded to him. "Hey Luca."

"Hey." he wasn't really much of a talker. He never had been, even in the Academy. Though he was the newest addition to our group, since he transfered from Kiri in the last year of the Academy.

"Right! So now, we're only waiting for Itachi and Kuro." Hana announced, and, just like that, the two aforementioned guys appeared. I just waved my greeting to both of them, then folded my arms and sat down in a huge pile of straw. It was actually surprisingly comfortable.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, and Hana shifted slightly on her feet. I sighed. "Let me guess... there is no plan."

Hana shook her head, then grinned. "But we can still have fun anyway, guys!"

And we did. The first hour moved slowly as we got everything set up, but by then it was dark, so we all just kicked back and watched a movie (somehow Hana had gotten the barn electronically connected) and out of that, a popcorn war started. I was still picking bits of popcorn out of my hair and clothes, even now, half an hour later.

"So... what do we do now?" we were laying in a sort of ring in the centre of the barn, the lights switched off, with Hana's torch the only source of light in the area. Umi's question caused a pause to flit over the group, before a grin came onto Hana's face that I didn't like one bit.

"I say we play spin the bottle!" she announced, and I shuddered. I hated this game with a passion fiery enough to burn down the Hokage mansion.

"Aren't we a little old for these kiddy games?" Kuro stated dryly from where he sat next to me, but Hana only grinned, standing up and walking over to a lump of hay in the corner. From underneath it, she revealed a little basket, with about twelve bottles of sake inside- I had to wonder where she got it, no way Inuzuka-senpai would let her have it. I grimaced; I had never had a taste for alcohol, let alone sake. It all tasted foul, in my opinion.

"That's why we make it more interesting!" Hana exclaimed, picking up the basket and carrying it over to the group, "Meet the forfeit, or if needs be, the dare!!"

The was a small cheer from both Kuro and Umi, joining Hana in appraising the bottles. The rest of us remained silent, I assume because none of us knew what to think about this new game that would, no doubt, get very embarassing, very quickly.

"First things first!! We need to finish one bottle so that we can use the bottle for the game!" Hana said, pouring out cups for all of us. I looked at the small cup in my hand reluctantly, then shrugged and downed it, a shudder crawling up my spine and a burn in the back of my throat.

The moment I put the cup down, it was filled again. I blinked at the liquid, and then at Umi, who was already giggling tipsily, from only one cup. I wonder how many it would take for me to get like that? Probably a lot; I've got too much stress to let go as she was. Eh, might as well have a good go at it, might be nice to forget my worries for a while. If I was going to stay here for the night, I may as well enjoy myself.

I threw the next few cups of sake down my throat, and welcomed the bleary haze that webbed over my mind. I nudged Hana, missing the first few times, astonished to find that my limbs felt warm and almost foggy, so to speak, as though they weren't fully there.

"H...hey... Hana... you think we can play this stupid game now?" I asked, shaking my head to clear it of some of the fog. I felt good, though, looser, and more relaxed than I had been in a long time. Hana nodded; she could obviously hold her alcohol a lot better than us, even though sake is very strong. A broad grin was on her lips as she shook the bottle.

"Yup, we can play now. The bottle's empty."

"Aw..." We all rolled our eyes at Umi's complaint, and Hana set the empty bottle on it's side in the middle of our group.

"Right, okay. Everybody remember the rules?" I nodded with a semi-stupid grin; the alcohol had loosened me up nicely, and now I was all for the game.

Without another word, Hana span the bottle. It slowed down, and lethargically swivelled to land on Kuro. Ha! Revenge time! I quickly whispered to Hana, and she burst out laughing.

"Oh Kami-sama! That is awesome!" she exclaimed, still laughing. I laughed with her, while the others stared at us like we were mental patients. Once we finally calmed down, Hana gave Kuro a scary look. "Okay, Kuro. We dare you to go down to my house and declare your undying love to my mother!"

"And you have to kiss her!" Umi put in, evidently going with the flow. Hana and I just nodded, thinking it a good idea.

Now, for anyone that doesn't know Inuzuka Tsume, that dare doesn't seem so bad. However, if you did know her, then you would know that this dare was potentially life-threatening. Inuzuka-senpai was truly a frightening woman.

"W-what?!" Kuro asked, panic clear on his face, "But she'll kill me!"

"I'm sure Inuzuka-senpai won't be that harsh." Umi giggled, and Kuro still shook his head.

"Just do it, Kuro, she ain't that bad." Hana said, folding her arms.

I felt a challenging grin spread over my face, "What? Are you chicken?"

He glared at me, a slight flush of embarassment on his face, and rose to my challenge.

"Fine!" Kuro stood up, "But if I die, it's on your conscience!" he pointed at me in accusation, and I shrugged.

"Eh, I can live with that." I said dismissively, then shooed him away. He left, muttering to himself, and we all laughed at him for a little while.

"How d'you think she'll react?" I asked, as a giggling Umi draped herself over Luca, who looked indifferent. Hana shrugged.

"In one of two ways. She'll either drag him inside, and things'll get R-rated, or she'll beat him to a bloody pulp. Seeing as it's Kuro... it'll probably be the second."

I shuddered slightly, both in disgust and slight sympathy. Even though I can't stick Kuro, Inuzuka-senpai is well-known for being absolutely ruthless, especially on men.

All of our questions were answered as a shout of "Ahh, it was a dare, I'm sorry!!" rang in from outside, and Kuro (plus black eye) slammed the barn door behind him, panting heavily. We all stared at him for a moment, before us three girls cracked up laughing. Itachi even cracked a smirk, and Luca just sniggered quietly. Kuro glared at us, before sitting back in the circle.

"Hey, you're lucky she was looking after the kids, or she'd chase you all around the village." Hana pointed out, and then narrowed her eyes, "Did you kiss her?"

Kuro growled, "Well I hardly got close enough considering she was trying to freaking rip my head off!!"

A dangerous grin spread over Hana's face, along with Umi's, as both swigged from a bottle of sake that they were sharing. I also held a bottle in my hands, giving up on the cup, and my mind was beginning to fog over. "You didn't do the full dare!! Forfeit time!!"

"What?!" Kuro demanded, "I almost get killed, and you're making me do a forfeit?!"

"Yep." Umi said, smiling happily, "It's the rules, honey."

After Kuro's forfeit of drinking a cup of straw-filled sake, the bottle was spun again. It rotated slower and slower, before dragging to a rest.

The bottle now pointed at me. Damn.

---

Gonna cut off here, rest of sleepover will be in next chapter ^3^ what do you guys think her dare will be? Hehe, well, you'll have to wait and see~

Fan vote comment nyaan~

Aurevoir!