"Hey, h-hey sakura?"

I turned my head to look at her, letting the ponytail I was in the midst of fall to my shoulders. "'ey?"

"Can I…" She fiddled her fingers a little, eyes downtrodden. "Can I help you get ready?"

Now that was an odd request. Needless to say Hinata and I were never that close. She was always off on her own, after all. And well, besides Sasuke I was never really one to go out of my way to meet someone. But, "Sure" I said with a broad grin. "To be honest," An embarrassed laugh interrupted my phrase. "I've kinda left it off until now."

A quiet nod of understanding came from the dark haired girl as she walked further into my tent, heading to the table where all the medical tools were jumbled up. I finished fluffing my hair for a few moments, while Hinata began to organize the mess of a desk. I swear I could hear both of our hearts in that awkward, stale silence. "It's a bummer Yamato couldn't come along" I finally started in some half-forced attempt at a dialogue between us as I walked up to join her at the table. "I could have really used his four pillar house."

"Yeah."

"But at least this part of the mission went by smoothly?"

"Yeah."

There were a few minutes of silence as we continued before I picked up one of my apparatuses, studying it in the dim light. "It's horrible that we have to go and do this, don't you think?"

"H-huh?"

"This mission." I set the apparatus down into the pack before looking down at my balled up hands that were now pushing a little against the desk. "The feud, why can't they just get along?" I knew why, off course. As blonde as I tended to be, I wasn't ignorant. Apparently the two small clans we were refereeing had always been feuding, gradually raising the stakes as generations grew on and on. It was a bloodbath currently, which was why we were there. People were getting hurt. And even in the strictly neutral tent of the hidden leaf, fights were breaking out by the hour.

We, the mission team, were just supposed to keep things calm, stable, but somehow our idiot of a Naruto had gotten in deep with not one but both of the village heads. He was out there as we stood, fighting the two of them in some twisted duel. Winner was right, losers were dead, they said. Naruto said baloney. Either way, the leaf ninjas had to be gone by the morning. I…had to admit I was a little worried. Maybe that's why I didn't start packing until that little dark haired ninja came up? I just didn't want to face the results? Somehow in my screwed up mind thought this weird status quo of quarreling was better.

Because at least then there wouldn't be consequence. I could heal up those that got hurt, nobody was right, nobody was wrong. Nobody was dead.

"S-Sakura?" The girl's, my friend's voice shook my out of my thoughts, I noticed my knuckles had whitened and the table was starting to crack and creak from my force.

"Oh, sorry." Another embarrassed, nervous laugh fell from my lips. "Just got a little distracted."

We went back to packing quickly and silently. The night was dark, crickets were chirping. It felt warmer though, with Hinata near me. Her silent movements were never wasted as she deliberately packed my supplies, quite the contrast to my fluttering hands. It was like that for a while, just steady, the only sounds coming from the rustling of supplies as we put them in their bags. Then: "S-sakura?"

I almost jumped at her quiet voice.

"It's…It's because of the similarity…"

Huh? I looked at her, a little confused.

"Why this mission is bothering you."

Oh. Had she known of my uneasiness the whole time? Was I making it that obvious? I couldn't help but get a little annoyed, at Hinata or myself I wasn't sure. "So," My tone was a little steely, uncontrollably so as I began to humor her. "why has this mission been bothering me?"

The girl let out an eep and I knew I blew it. I sighed before continuing to pack, this time more gingerly.

But we finished packing quickly and I was now clipping on my supply belt, grim scowl on my face as I knew I was about to break a huge part of the agreement. I didn't know when I decided to do it, but I just had a feeling that-. She finally spoke again. "I'll take down the tent, j-just don't be late."

I really wasn't in the mood to humor the girl any longer but an offer was an offer. I silently and quickly began to walk out into the dark, fresh and chilling air. Hinata followed. "And S-saku-" My hair whipped to the side as I turned to glare at her.

Our eyes met, and my hard green glare immediately softened at her fearful, startled and kind-heartened gaze. It took her a few seconds to get over my apparently startling reaction before she gulped. Her hands had returned to their usual position, fingers fiddling, eyebrows dipped upwards, I couldn't trace even a single strand of malice in her.

"I-I trust you."

I only barely understood the meaning of those words but that was enough for them to bring me back to a state of calm and peace. I gave a smile of gratitude and…disappointment to the fragile girl whom had decided to be my rock. My words were quiet but I know she heard them. "Thank you."

I turned around and disappeared into the forest.