update: sorry, i reuploaded it when i first posted, but i guess i didnt save my changes, or some other crap, i tweeked the story a little near the end, Sakura got off easy i suppose... but dont worry, the few suggestions i recieved have given me ideas to later chapters... sorry if you guys were dissapointed laters...
A/N:
Sup,
Turns out, this summer assignment would be easier than i thought! actually i was secretly working on this fic during the lectures on my laptop, haha.
anyway, this chapter, is the longest one so far. i like the way it turned out, considering i winged it mostly. ch.1 and ch.2 were prewritten along time ago, and i added stuff to them, changed a few things to them, and i got the first two products pretty quickly. but this one, i mainly went on one idea, then to another. and i kinda like the way it turned out. hopefully you guys enjoy this one like i did
sorry if anybody is dissapointed in anything, suggestions welcome as always.!
Oh, and Mr.Lee did point out that it was Fuuton Rasengan no shuriken that broke Naruto's arm, but lets just say for the sake of the story, lets just call it fuuton rasengan, its already in the first two chapters anyways lol.
It's been four days since Tsunade-sama had discharged me from the hospital, and put me on paid leave from the hospital. I was finally out of those ugly hospital clothes, and into my everyday clothes, my gloves of course in my back pocket in case I ever needed them. I was no longer stressing over Sasuke-kun's life, and from what I hear, he's stabilized and being kept on constant watch from the nurses. That itself lifted a heavy weight from my shoulders, and I didn't feel bitchy all that much anymore, I felt like everything would finally go back to normal now... except for one thing.
I went to Naruto's house two days ago, after my first day off. He wasn't home… which was a disappointment, I really wanted to apologize for snapping out at him that rainy day, I wanted to explain to him that I was under a lot of stress and this whole situation was just, overwhelming… I looked for him elsewhere, I dropped by Ichiraku thinking he would be there, he always was, but he wasn't this time… which, to me, seemed kind of odd. If he wasn't there, where else could be possibly be? Even the manager didn't know where he was, he told me he hadn't been there in some time. That lead nowhere...
After I left Ichiraku that first day, I felt a strong sudden feeling of guilt rush over me. Did Naruto take what I said to him seriously? Is he upset at me? Where did he go? Those questions bothered me over and over again throughout my break.
"No, there's no way he could have taken me seriously, he never does!" I said to myself walking down the semi-busy street, passing by the early birds of the day. "He's probably off training somewhere..."
It was sad, but it was true. I can remember constantly telling him "no" for a date, and how that no girl would want to date him anyways, but he still insisted on taking me out on a date. No matter how many times I would shoot him down, he would always play it off and try again another day, in between training, ramen and missions. Hopefully the same thing applied to the day when I snapped out at him.
Thinking back at it, I thought to myself. Was I really so… cruel that day?
Did my obsession with Sasuke-kun really affect the people around me? I need to calm down, all this thinking will stress me out again... I thought as I rubbed the sides of my forehead.
I continued my way towards Naruto's apartment, I dropped by yesterday to see if he was home, but like the previous days I checked, he wasn't. Hopefully he will be this time, its kinda early… 6 a.m. I'm sure he's not awake yet… he always sleeps in…
It sounded mean, to wake somebody up so early in the morning, but it would be my only way to catch Naruto, it would be my only chance to talk with him face to face and clear myself up. Not only that, Tsunade-sama is still waiting for his report on the Hebi incident. And seriously, I do NOT want to see her that angry ever again… it still sends chills down my spine to think how much angrier she could become than she already was. And it scares me even more, that I was just that close to pushing her to a whole new level of anger, I'm so glad I shut my big trap before it was too late...
Before I even knew it myself, I was already in front of Naruto's door, I didn't even remember my trip up the stairs to his floor. I knocked. "Naruto? Are you awake yet?" there was a short pause, which really felt like an eternity, waiting for some sort of response…. Nothing… "Naruto?" I called one more time knocking.
Maybe he just wasn't answering because he's upset… "Naruto…" I called again. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap out at you like that back then…" I felt stupid talking behind the door, but if it was the only way for me to apologize, than I guess it was the only thing I could do. "I was under a lot of stress at the moment," I continued, rubbing the back of my neck. "And, with Sasuke-kun barely alive at the moment, and you just walking in and telling me that it was you that did it. It was a lot to take in, and I sorta snapped…. Sorry."
In reality, I asked him to tell me what really happened. So It was really because of me that he was put into that situation. I guess Kakashi-sensei told me that lie because he was protecting Naruto from me… That Kakashi… he's a character alright… I thought to myself. He knows me to well sometimes…
"Naruto?" I called one last time. "Listen! If you're angry at me just come out here and tell me!" there was no response. "Hey Naruto! It's not like you to be like this! I'm sorry alright!" Again, there was a long silence, no response, I began to get frustrated.
Wont respond huh? A gentle knock wont get your attention huh? Well... I'll give ya something that will grab your attention... I thought, as I cocked my arm back to bang onto his door.
"Umm…" said a timid voice from behind me. I turned around to see a figure in the rising sunlight, because of the glare I couldn't clearly see who was behind me. It was a girl though, and she had a timid tone that sounded familiar. "Naruto-kun isn't home." She said shyly.
"What?"
It became clear to me that it was Hinata, that long hair and the way she stood twiddling her fingers gave her away.
"I heard you yelling into Naruto-kun's home, it sounded like he wasn't home, so I checked with Byakugan." She said looking at me this time, no longer twiddling her fingers.
"Oh, I see…" I said sighing, a little disappointed that I didn't catch Naruto in time again, and a little embarrassed… was I that loud? "So, how much did you hear?" I asked trying to change the subject.
She kind of looked too embarrassed to respond. And, like always, she seemed on the verge of fainting. She really wasn't the type to talk much I suppose.
"Umm, Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop… I – I just…" she paused there and broke eye contact with me. She looked back down to her hands and twiddled her fingers again, like it was some sort of weird ritual. I guess she heard everything…
"What are you doing here anyways?" I asked trying to change the subject one more time.
"Oh… I umm… just wanted to see Naruto-kun, it has been a few months since we fought against Hebi, and I just wanted to make sure Naruto-kun was alright…" she was blushing now, her cheeks a faint pink color that resembled a cherry blossom…
That wasn't the only thing I really noticed about Hinata, she had definitely changed from the shy girl from the academy, she became a timid shy Chuunin girl that I teamed up with a month ago, and from what I remember, she can definitely hold her own against strong foes, like that huge guy with the weird curse seal like Sasuke-kun's, Without any help no less… not only that... she has... grown a lot... in a few ways that made me jealous…
"Ah, I see." I said looking back at Naruto's door, taking my mind off her chest. "So why are you here so early in the morning?"
"Oh…" She said resuming to twiddle her fingers. "I guess… the same as you, I wanted to catch Naruto-kun before he left…"
"Ah, I see…" Naruto… where are you? I thought to myself letting a deep breath out.
"Umm." She said again, "When I looked into Naruto-kun's room, I noticed something." she said catching my attention.
I looked back to her, "What did you notice?"
"Naruto-kun's room, it looks dusty."
"Heh," I chuckled a little, "Naruto isn't the hygienic type you know." I said in a playful manner.
"No, I mean, it looks like nobody has been in there for quite some time." She said no longer looking embarrassed. "The dust on the floor, it would have kicked up if he had walked around there recently, and the dust on his furniture and… bathroom… area… don't seem to have been disturbed recently." She said, blushing a bit when she mentioned the bathroom.
"What are you trying to say Hinata?"
"I don't think Naruto-kun has been home for quite some time…"
"What?"
Naruto? Not home in a while? Where could he have gone? "Well, the dust could have just settled in his room, you know? he probably left a few hours earlier to train or something."
"I guess so." responded Hinata.
I approached Hinata and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Hinata, could you check into Naruto's room one more time? See if there is anything that could tell us where he could be?"
"N-No, I couldn't…" she stammered, looking at me.
"Look, if you don't do this, then I'm willing to bet that we won't be able to find him at all…"
She paused and looked off the side, "Alright." She said momentarily. Her eyes became veiny, and powerful, she wasn't the type to do things like this, but I guess she was just that concerned for Naruto, like me…
"Hinata, what do you see?" I asked shaking her a little.
"All I'm seeing right now is the same thing as when I looked in before…Old Ramen bowls, wrappers, dust... wait…"
"What? What is it?" I asked shaking her a little bit.
"On his refrigerator, there's a… to do list…" she said, squinting a little. "It says…"
"What? What does it say?" It probably said training, and hopefully it will say where...
She released her Byakugan, her eyes returned to the normal white they were before and the veins retreated back into her head. "Well? What did it say?" I asked one more time, shaking her a little bit more.
She sort of sighed and closed her eyes as she told me. "It said, Ichiraku Ramen bonanza…"
Grr… that damn Naruto! I thought, slapping my forehead. Even when he's missing, he leaves the worst clues behind! I yelled in my mind blaming him for the weak clue we found. It would have been a decent clue, except the fact that Ichiraku Ramen doesn't open this early.
"Wait…" she said. I looked back to her, she had reactivated her Byakugan. "In the trash, there's a… Get well soon postcard."
A get well soon postcard, it must have been for Sasuke-kun, "Is it for Sasuke-kun?" I asked her.
"Yes," she said nodding. "but I'm afraid I cant read the rest, it's crumpled up to much to see other than Sasuke-kun's name." she said squinting apparently trying to read the postcard.
"Alright," I said. "we're going in."
Hinata nearly jumped when I said that. "W-wait! Looking into his room without permission is one thing, but, going in? I think that's not a good idea Sakura-chan!" she protested pulling my arm, her eyes returning to their normal state.
It was a little stupid, breaking into his house for a small thing like a postcard... but a clue's a clue... right? "Hinata, That postcard could give us an idea to where he might be."
If we read that postcard, what date it was written or bought, or whatever... At this point any clue to where he was is better than nothing.
"Sakura-chan! Wait!" she protested as I opened the door.
"It's unlocked," I said as I pushed the door open. Geez Naruto... do you want to get robbed? Lock yer damn door... I thought to myself. But, I guess this time it was a lucky break in this case...
I began coughing as the door swung into Naruto's apartment. "You were right about one thing, nobody has been home for a while." I said as the dirty air from Naruto's room began to flow over us. It smelled of dust and old ramen bowls left on the ground, which I think were rotting... but... plastic doesn't rot... does it?
Hinata covered her face as she coughed from the dusty air pouring out of Naruto's apartment. I proceeded into the dusty room, most of it had cleared out as I walked in. "Hinata?"
"Y-yes?" she responded still coughing from the air.
"Where is that postcard you found?" I asked fanning the air around me to clear the way a bit. I tripped over a bowl or two, but nothing big enough to throw me off my feet...
That Naruto... he really needs to clean up his place... what if a girl comes to his house? I thought to myself off topic...
"It's in his trash can near the kitchen." She said following not too far behind, also fanning the dusty air, dodging the empty mine like ramen bowls laid across the floor.
"Here it is," I said as I picked up the crumpled piece of thick paper from the trash. I opened it up uncrumbling it as much as I could. It was a casual get well soon postcard, that folded open. It had a picture of Konoha's leaf as the cover, and when opened it had a cliché "Get well soon!" in gold letters. What really drew my attention was on the opposite side of the cliché, was some handwriting. It was definitely Naruto's the handwriting was messy and all over the place. I read it aloud "Too Sasuke, sorry I nearly killed you yesterday…"
It was short, but knowing Naruto, he probably didn't really know what to write, a decent get well letter no less… typical…. I chuckled a little when I finished reading it. "Short and straight to the point… That's Naruto alright…"
"Yesterday?" said Hinata from over my shoulder, "He must be talking about the battle between him and Sasuke-kun. That was nearly three months ago!"
"Yeah…" I said drifting from my chuckles. " He rose from that battle relatively unscathed, and since he has a quick healing ability, I'm not surprised he was up and walking the next day… So, Naruto hasn't been home for almost three months? Where could he be?" I guess he left a rather decent clue behind afterall...
"We must tell Hokage-sama, she must send out a search party for him! What if somebody came and abducted him?" she said starting to panic.
"No," I said rubbing my lower lip. "If he was abducted by Akatsuki, than there would have been some huge battle going on, and all of Konoha would know about it." I said trying to think of places where he could be.
"Akatsuki? The group of rogue ninja's? I never said anything Akatsuki." Hinata said, shaking my shoulder to get my attention.
I sighed bringing my finger away from my lip. "Hinata, what I'm about to tell you, is top secret. And nobody but you, me, and a handful of other people know about this…"
Hinata brought a hand to her mouth, readying herself for what I was about to tell her.
"Hinata, Akatsuki, is a rogue group of Ninja, and their goals are to collect the Jinchuuriki, a human container for a Bijuu, the legendary tailed beasts of the past, and extract them for their own personal uses..."
"What are you trying to say?" she asked, a bead of sweat trickling down her face.
"Are you familiar with Kyuubi?"
-
We walked quickly through the Hokage halls, heading towards Tsunade-sama's Office. My conversation with Hinata in Naruto's apartment, sort of made me feel guilty. When I told her that Naruto was the container for the nine tailed fox, her face showed nothing but pure shock. But I think it was best that she knew anyways. I had a feeling she was going to find out about it eventually.
I wanted to take her mind off of Naruto being the container for Kyuubi, so I quickly thought of something to talk about.
"Hinata?"
"Hmm? What is it?" she asked catching up to me from behind.
"Do… you like Naruto?" I asked slowing down to her side. It wasn't a good choice of a question, but I was a little curious about it myself, she always seemed sort of... red... when she was around him...
She looked away from me, and looked down, her cheeks were turning a little pink, "Naruto-kun… Naruto-kun is..." She paused, I could tell she was trying to buy some time.
"He is a very special person to me, and all I want is the best for him…" she said looking back to me, the blush she had earlier completely gone. In other words, she had feelings for him…
I felt, something… I don't know what, but when she told me that. I had this uneasy feeling in the bottom of my stomache, I didn't understand why I had this feeling.
"Sakura-chan? do you like Naruto-kun?" she asked redirecting that missile of a question towards me.
"Uh, well... Naruto... Well... you know... he's, my team mate, and... He's - he's nothing more than a friend and teammate I suppose..." I said, strangely fumbling over my own words.
"Oh... I see," She said looking back to the hallway we were walking down. "I'm pretty sure, that Naruto-kun likes you very much Sakura-chan." Hinata said in a near sad tone.
"Yeah..." I flatly responded. I really wanted to change the subject now, this was getting awkward. "Hinata, I know we don't talk at all, but I'm glad we did today...friends?" I asked extending out my hand.
She gave me a bit of a strange stare, "Yeah, friends Sakura-chan." she responded quickly extending her own hand to mine, her sad tone disappearing and replaced with a happy one.
When I grabbed her hand to shake, I noticed that she had... soft hands, and her hand was gentle in grabbing my hand... I shake a hand like a guy sometimes, and my hands were rough from all the medical training... the exact opposite to hers, geez... another few more things to be jealous about...
But... I was glad to be new friends with Hinata, she was always so quiet during the academy, and still was throughout our Chuunin exams, but she was a good person. she looked nice during the academy days, and I always wanted to talk to her...
We finally approached the Hokage office, "Here we are," I knocked onto Tsunade-sama's door. "Tsunade-sama, its me Haruno Sakura. Can I come in?"
Behind the door I could hear two voices, one was Tsunade-sama's and the other was…
"Sakura?" came the voice of Tsunade-sama from behind to door. "Come in, I was just going to call for you. Come in."
I opened the door, and the second voice was. "Kakashi-sensei?"
"Oh, Hello Sakura, How are you?" he responded in the same lazy tone as always… same old Kakashi-sensei.
"Sakura, please come in, there is something I need to talk to you about." She leaned a little to the side in her chair to see a timid Hinata who had hidden herself behind me. "Hinata?"
"Oh," I said moving out of the way to expose Hinata. "She's here with me." I said.
"Very well," she said returning to her regular position in her chair. "Sakura, what is it you wanted?" she said folding her fingers in front of her face.
"It's about Naruto." I responded. Hinata finally walked into the large office, I guess she never came here often, she must have felt honored to be here...
"Hmm." She mumbled.
"Naruto is.." I said continuing
"Missing… I know…" Tsunade-sama said interrupting me.
What? How did she know, and looking over to Hinata's face, she had the same face of confusion as I did.
"Kakashi told me." she said to clarify. "He's told me he hasn't seen Naruto anywhere for a few days, and decided to report it to me."
I looked over to Kakashi-sensei, "Kakashi-sensei, whens the last time you saw Naruto?"
"hmm…" he said lazily, raising his hand to his chin to think. "I believe it was almost a week ago, during that strange rainy day." He said finally.
That was… the day I snapped at him… and uneasy feeling lump growing in my heart.
"Sakura, it seems you have something to say." said Tsunade-sama bringing me out of my thoughts, and back to the present issue.
"Oh… umm… Hinata and I, we discovered that Naruto's home hasn't been opened in nearly three months. we found a postcard from him that dates to the day after the Hebi incident, And… we have reason to believe he's gone missing." I said stupidly, restating what Tsunade-sama already figured out.
"Hmm… he hasn't been home in nearly three months… and Kakashi, you say you saw him about a week ago during that rainy day?"
"Yes." nodded Kakashi-sensei.
Tsunade-sama lowered her head closer to her folded hands, she was thinking hard. I could tell, she was always like that when she was. I looked back over to Hinata, and she looked back at me, wondering what Tsunade-sama was thinking about.
"Hmm… strange…" she finally said. "Why would Naruto just, not come home in three months like that? Clearly, he wasn't taken against his will, because Kakashi saw him no less than a week ago, and we would have known about a forced kidnapping. That Postcard..."
"I-It was a get well soon card." Hinata said shyly, trying to be useful.
"He must have had something troubling him hat day, and throughout those three months."
I gulped down the lump forming in my throat.
"Um, I believe I told you he was in a troubled mood when I last saw him Hokage-sama." interrupted Kakshi-sensei.
"Quiet…"
"Yes." responded an obedient Kakashi-sensei. It was funny how somebody like him would be quieted down so easily with just one word... I contained my laugher and saved it for some other time.
"Im going to assume the letter was for Sasuke, from his recent battle with him. It must have bothered him, and he must have not gone home to clear his mind."
"That does explain why I saw him wandering around Konoha last time I saw him…" mumbled Kakashi-sensei rubbing his chin.
So he wandered around Konoha for almost three months? where did he sleep and eat?
"Yes…" Tsunade-sama said agreeing.
Suddenly, and image of the last time I saw him flashed before me, something dropped in my heart. He didn't... Run away... did he?
"Sakura. Did you see Naruto around the time Kakashi did?" Tsunade-sama asked, almost as If she were on queue.
Suddenly all eyes in the room focused onto me. And I had this uneasy feeling in my gut. I looked over at Hinata, She probably remembers the part about me snapping out at Naruto from when I was in front of his door...
She signaled me to turn back around and talk, obviously wondering the events of that day. I turned and faced Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade-sama. "Yes." I responded.
But before I could speak. Shizune-san had barged into the room. In her hands was a small box.
"Tsunade-sama!" she nearly yelled as she walked in.
"Shizune! Were sort of busy here, don't you think all those damn documents can wait?" Tsunade-sama said frustrated.
"No, that's not it!" she said shaking her head. "One of our ANBU patrols came across this." She said opening the small black box to her. It was out of my sight, so I couldn't really tell what it was.
"Who's is this?" Tsunade-sama said standing up to retrieve the object. "And why is it moist?"
"ANBU reports it was found in a dense part of the forest near the western entrance gate. We believe that one of our own might have been abducted, and they must have dropped this as they were being taken away."
Tsunade-sama pulled the object out of the box to study it. I circled around Shizune-san, Hinata right behind me, to get a clear look at the object. Kakashi-sensei doing to same.
A Forehead protector?
"Can we find out whose Forehead protector this is?"
"I'm afraid not until the forensics department gets a good look at it, and they will take a while to find out who it is, and by then, whoever was abducted would have fallen to the enemy's torture." Shizune-san said as she lowered her head in disappointment.
I looked closer at the forehead protector. There was something about it, it looked familiar. Extra long black cloth… and it was moist why? … wait…
"Its Naruto's!" I blurted out.
All eyes again were focused onto me. "I think this might be Naruto's." I said in a lower tone this time.
"What makes you say that?" asked Tsunade-sama.
I hesitated, nearly afraid to tell them. I looked over at Hinata, she signaled with her head for me to go on and tell them… I took a deep breathe.
"That rainy day, nearly a week ago… Naruto came to see Sasuke-kun… I was there that day." I said readying myself for the next part. "As he was there, I had asked him what the real reasons for Sasuke-kun's wounds were."
Kakashi-sensei sighed heavily, understanding where this was going already.
"Him being him, he fumbled with his words a bit, but eventually… he told me it was because of him… and when I heard what I heard, I sort of… lashed out… at Naruto."
Shizune-san gasped a little as she listened to me, Tsunade-sama just closing her eyes in disgust at me. "What did you tell him?" she asked flatly.
I paused, I really didn't want to tell her, I didn't want to repeat the words I said to him that day. Should I just lie?
"Sakura! What did you tell him?" she demanded.
"I…said things… like how I told him to not use Fuuton Rasengan because I didn't want him to use it on Sasuke-kun… how I disliked healing his wounds after his battles, and I basically called him a monster, and blamed him for everything that happened to Sasuke-kun…and I told him to go away…" I felt bitterness consume my body as I spoke. The sudden reality of the words I saidhitting me.
A heavy silence fell over the office, I closed my eyes, I wanted to disappear. Looking back at it… I can remember the look of his face… it was the face of a… broken heart… I told him not to call me Sakura-chan… I told him to go away… and…he did…
Shizune finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "Then… he must have dropped his forehead protector in that dense part of the woods during the rain… that could explain why it is still moist…"
A curtain of silence covered the room, I thought everything would go back to normal earlier today... And in an instant, it all goes to hell.
I felt like crying in the silence, I fought hard not to let a single tear escape.
"Send out three small squads of ANBU to search for him… I want a report from them if they find anything immediately, understand?" Tsunade-sama said to Shizune, breaking the long and heavy silence.
Shizune didn't say another word, she hastily left the office to carry out her orders.
"Kakashi, I want you to send out your search dogs and find whatever trace of him you can with them…"
"Yes." He said lowly in a shamed tone, and with a slight explosion, I knew he vanished to carry out his order.
"Hinata, I want you to gather as many Hyuuga clan members as you can, and I want you to search in and around Konoha. He may still be In or around Konoha somewhere..."
Hinata was silent, I guess she was staring at the back on my neck as I stood there pathetically. All my guilt built even more because Hinata, who I had just become friends with, seemed to hate me for what I said to him… I was assuming the look she was giving me was a disgusted look.
"Hinata?" Tsunade-sama called.
Hinata broke the silence. "Yes, I'm on my way." She said leaving the office, I could hear her footsteps fading away behind me.
It was just me and Tsunade-sama, I felt rotten, I wanted to disappear more than I ever did before. I clenched both of my arms. Before I knew it, I was crying. Tsunade-sama's look was more than enough to send me over the edge.
"Sakura…"
My common sense told me to respond, but a large lump in my throat refused to let me respond. My knees were ready to give out, I thought about what I said to Naruto even more, it was really… the most rotten thing anybody could say to someone especially Naruto… and yet… I said it… God, I'm such a bitch…
"Sakura…" She called one more time, except, her voice went from behind her desk, to in front of me. My eyes were still shut tight and some tears escaping the sides of them… "Sakura, look at me…" she said.
"No…" I said my voice cracking and breaking. "I'm such an idiot, I'm rotten… I should just…"
I stopped mid-sentence, the sudden jerking of my head and a pain on my cheek halting my flow of words. Tsunade-sama disciplined me... I deserved it... I only wish that she hadnt held back in the slap...
I broke out into an immediate sob, even though I deserved that slap, it sent me overboard...
"Sakura…" Tsunade-sama said calmly putting both her hands onto my shoulders. "Crying and blaming yourself won't bring him back you know…"
I finally opened my eyes to see a Tsunade-sama, just mere inches from my face.
"Sakura, I'm going to assign you to a small group of your academy classmates, when I do, I want you and your squad to search for Naruto, there is no jurisdiction, I'll send for the other hidden villages to search for him as well." Her eyes showed true compassion and worry for Naruto… of course she couldn't just drop everything to look for him herself, she was the Hokage, she has to run the village. "We must find him before Akatsuki does, otherwise, the whole world may be in trouble." It was a good reason for a large search for one person… but that wasn't all, she really cared for Naruto's safety I could see it in her eyes… they were... motherly.
"Alright," I finally said wiping some of the tears from my face. "I'm sorry Tsunade-sama."
"Don't tell me that… Just go and find him, and you tell him that..."
"Yes." I nodded. I figured I got off easy, a slap to the face... I should have gotten something worse...
She released me from her hands, and I left the office quietly without another word, a slight stinging pain left on my cheek. All I could really do now, was wait for Tsunade-sama to organize a team with me in it, and send us out… until then… I don't know….
The events of that day replayed over and over again… I watched myself snap, I watched myself talking to Naruto in rage and stress... and that face… that broken face… it was the worst… he was truly hurt… no wonder he ran away…I should be beaten for what I did...
I guess I should drop by the hospital, drop by Sasuke-kun and tell him what's going on… even though he's still unconscious…
I was already outside as all these thoughts whirled around my mind… it was a clear blue sky and a shiny sun, some clouds… but mostly clear… I watched some of the clouds pass by…strange, such a calm and beautiful day, but it is filled with such drama...
I rubbed the side of my cheek, finally feeling the full impact of how hard it really was...That feeling I had in the hallway as I spoke with Hinata… what does Naruto mean to me? I still love Sasuke-kun… what does it mean?
end of this one, the last part of this chapter was a tough one to work with, catching Hinata's character was especially hard because she never shows up in the freaking series lol.the ending of this chapter was also kinda hard, i wanted to add a few things here and there, but oh well...i already spent to much time on this one. i hope it all makes sense. later...
as usual, i welcome positive flames, suggestions, and i will do my best to answer any questions i can!