CHAPTER TWO-PROVING A POINT
I'm not useless, Ino whispered to herself over and over. Everyone was in the tent fast asleep, while Ino kept thinking. Making her final decision, she quietly picked up her bag and left. Ino really wanted to prove a point. She was not going to be useless anymore. She decided to get ahead of the rest of her team to prove that she can do just as well as anybody else.
It was the middle of the night as Ino traveled through the dark woods. Ino kept running, trying to get there as soon as possible. It was hard to see because the only light that was guiding her was the moonlight and the thick trees above her were blocking most of it. She could hear a sudden rustle of leaves and it didn't come from her or the wind. It stopped whenever she did and started as soon as she moved. She was suspicious about it, but it didn't stop her. She kept going. She didn't care. All she cared about was getting there. The same thoughts ran through her head over and over, making her feel more miserable. Did he really mean that? Am I even needed in this team? She started to feel her eyes watering and tears coming down her cheek. Does everyone think of me like that? Am I too full of myself that I'm not realizing--
That was all she remembered before the sudden blackness. Right now, she didn't know anything. She must've passed out. She felt the rough ground she was lying on. It was cold and it was dark. She couldn't see a thing. She felt weak. Her head was aching so much and her body seemed so powerless. Everywhere she looked, it was all black. She was too afraid to move. After just waking up, she remembered what she had done. Now she felt like beating herself up. None of this would have happened if she just accepted what Shikamaru said. He's right, she thought, I couldn't survive any mission alone. Ino started to cry. She just wanted to prove a point, and now she's about to die. She regretted everything she's done today. She was captured because she was angry, and she had absolutely no help now. What am I gonna do now? Are they looking for me? What happens if they don't find me? she asked herself. She was panicking. She really wanted to start over and forget about the comments they made about her. She wanted to go back to her team and do the mission with them. She didn't care if she needed them to protect her and save her. She realized that this was the biggest mistake she's ever made.
Ino felt a calm gust of cold air. She saw a streak of light appear on the wall in front of her, which grew and revealed a man's silhouette. She didn't have the energy to turn around and look since her arms were tied up. She closed her eyes, wishing for something miraculous to happen. Her eyes stayed closed. She could feel herself being carried to another place she wouldn't know about. Then, she was thrown to the ground, giving her more pain. She groaned and slightly opened her eyes. 9 men surrounded her. Cloaks & red clouds…she thought, I've been captured by the Akatsuki. Now I have absolutely no chance of getting out of here alive.
"There's only one thing we need from you," a deep voice spoke coldly. She tilted her head to face the leader.
"You are the last person in Konoha who has the Shinten," he continued, "and we need that jutsu."
She groaned once more, "W-What do I h-have to do?"
"Either you choose to work for us, or we'll take it from you."
"By that he means we have to kill you," Tobi interrupted.
"Uruse!" Deidara yelled at him, "I think she gets it."
The whole place was silent for a moment and all you can here was Ino's breathing. She thought about it. She obviously didn't want to betray her friends, but she didn't want to die. At least not this way.
"So which is it?" he asked her.
She flooded her mind with what might happen if she chooses a side. It was a difficult decision for her. She couldn't decide. But when she thought about everybody else's point of view, she was weak and useless. If she works for these people, she has a role, even if it's a small one. She didn't care. She just wanted to be helpful, no matter what it takes.
She sighed, "Alright, I'll work for you."