Sakura and Hinata stood quietly at Konoha's gates while they waited for Naruto. Sakura after five minutes of her wait started doing some stretches, while deep in her mind she was fuming with excitement hence determination.
Hinata stared out at Konoha, her eyes focused only on Naruto's arrival, her feet stood firm in the soil that was slowly covering her skin in her pressure to keep a serious expression. She wanted more than anything to be some help on this mission. She couldn't let Naruto down, not for a second in anything she did or said. Most of this pressure she was putting on herself was because, she being the only one who could keep a clear mind when dealing with Sasuke, Lady Tsunade had made her team leader.
Naruto had missed out on this piece of information as he'd left the room before Lady Tsunade had the chance to inform them all. Sakura on the other hand, knew that Hinata was the team leader and she also understood almost too well why Tsunade had made Hinata the leader.
But their expectations of her were wrong, Hinata had thought the whole time she'd been waiting for Naruto while Sakura stretched. She was no better than Naruto and Sakura when it came to Sasuke. Not because she felt any connection to Sasuke, but because he caused Naruto pain. Even the pain he caused Sakura, hurt Hinata to see. Because when she was younger and she was constantly putting herself down, Sakura – was one of those people Hinata wanted to be like even felt jealous of her when she was in Naruto's team and to see the girl she was jealous of be in so much pain didn't make her happy in the slightest. It had the opposite effect on her.
As for Naruto, no matter how oblivious he was about her feelings for him the truth was she did love him. More than she ever thought she could love anyone and nothing tore at her more than to see the boy she loved in pain. The very thought made her heart bleed – she griped her chest with one hand as Naruto was finally walking towards the gate.
Sakura stopped stretching and playfully moaned at Naruto for taking his time.
"We've been waiting here for you for ages! Haven't we Hinata?"
Sakura and Naruto turned to look at Hinata. She felt herself burn up a little in her cheeks as Naruto's ocean blue eyes acknowledged her. "E-erm n-no not too long-g…"
Sakura smiled at her while Naruto thought about Hinata's face turning red and her grip on her chest.
"Your too nice on him" Sakura smiled as she turned to walk through the gates.
"Hey, Hinata you okay?" Naruto had moved closer to Hinata, he'd started to worry she was ill or something. Hinata tried her hardest to keep breathing while Naruto stared at her hand on her chest – worryingly.
She closed her eyes then brought her hand away from her heart and quickly turned away from Naruto, "Y-yes!" Naruto looked after her confused. "S-so let's go shall we." She looked over her shoulder at Naruto's still confused face, "now that we're all here."
Sakura looked at Hinata, "right!" She nodded her head. "Come on Naruto" Naruto shook of his confusion "Right!"
Hinata smiled to herself, as they left Konoha. 'Right' she thought 'I will try my best, Naruto…'
They were running through the trees when Naruto asked, with an exciting grin on his face "So what's the plan than Sakura?"
Sakura and Hinata were near enough going at the same speed behind Naruto, Hinata slightly in front. "I don't know yet" she said.
"Eh?" Naruto stopped himself on the nearest tree branch and looked back at Sakura, who'd also as well as Hinata stopped running and stood on a branch. "So, what is the plan Hinata?"
Hinata tried to show confidence of the leader, as she looked at into Sakura's eyes. "Well…" She began only to be cut off, "Hinata?" Naruto asked, almost shouted. Not that he had anything against Hinata personally; it's just that Sasuke didn't have anything to do with Hinata so she couldn't possibly understand how important this was to Sakura and him.
"Yes! Hinata, you got a problem with that!" Sakura shouted at him and had her hand up in a fist in front of herself in his direction.
Naruto looked down at his feet, with slight disappointment showing in his eyes. Hinata didn't like that.
"I'm sorry Naruto."
Naruto looked up at her. Sakura rushed to assure her, "no you don't have to apologise ignore Naruto! He's just an idiot." She pulled the nastiness face ever as she looked over in Naruto direction.
"But" Hinata started to talk again. She looked firmly at Naruto, "I will do my best. I know this mission means something entirely different to you and Sakura than what I could ever truly understand. But you can trust me," Hinata looked at Sakura to finish her speech. "You both can. I will look out for you both and make my judgments purely on what's the best for the team. I might have never have been a leader of a team before but –"
She had more to say but she'd suddenly felt Naruto's hand on her shoulder. She turned away from Sakura's smiling face and into Naruto's which was so close to her face she could barely breathe.
"Enough said. What's the plan than Hinata?"
Hinata stared at him confused.
"We trust you." Sakura told her, she looked at Sakura and before she knew it her lips stretched up into a broad smile.
She dropped her head a little trying to rid her smile, "thank you" she told them. She then lifted her head; seriousness took over her body as she took up her position as the leader.
"For now I think I should take the lead with my Byakugan and then Sakura and Naruto behind."
"Aw man, why am I at the end? -"
Sakura at this point before Naruto could properly finish his moan she'd punched him in to the tree that was holding up the branch all of three of them stood on as Hinata explained the plan.
"Because Hinata says so!" Sakura pulled Naruto up by his collar. Hinata walked closer to them. "Thank you Sakura, but that's okay…"
Sakura smiled slightly and then let Naruto slip out of her grip; she looked a little embarrassed, "sorry."
Naruto slid down on to the tree branch.
"Naruto…?"
Naruto stood quickly up and gave Hinata his full attention; Sakura gave her attention as well.
"I'm the eyes ahead so we know where we're going –"
"I understand that bit." Naruto said ignoring Sakura's angry glaze. "It's just –"
Hinata cut across him this time. "We need you at the back in case we get attacked from behind, while I focus entirely on finding clues on where Sasuke is or where he could be heading. It can't be Sakura as she's the only medical ninja in our team, so her job is to heal either you or I, should we need it."
Naruto couldn't find anything to argue with after Hinata had explained it all to him.
"Sounds perfect to me" Sakura grinned and put her hand out in the 'peace' sign to Hinata. Hinata smiled.
"So for now, we'll just go off in the direction Lady Tsunade gave me – which was where there was a Sasuke-sighting. Okay?" Hinata asked her team, but really she was just asking Naruto. Sakura also waited for Naruto's answer.
"Okay." He agreed after awhile.
Hinata automatically took the lead and carried on with their mission. Sakura smiled at Naruto, Naruto back at her. They enthusiastically high fived each other then followed Hinata, Sakura in front of Naruto.