Chapter four – mission

They had been leaping from branch to branch for at least an hour now and it was seriously starting to take its toll on the small weary group of ninja.

"let's stop for the night." Yuki suggested to Sasuke who was the elected team leader. He looked at her and hmmed before the group stopped in the middle of a clearing. Yuki took a deep breath and bent down to clutch her knees to steady herself as she breathed.

Sasuke watched her with concern. I should have stopped sooner rather than stubbornly going on, he berated himself. It's my fault she's so worn out.

If Yuki was worn out it ment Hinata was exhausted. The dark haired beauty pretty much callopsed in the middle of the grass and she felt like her lungs were burning. She had no idea how the others managed. She died a little inside.. maybe she was just a burdern to the, group. She siffled a sob.

Yuki felt the distress the poor girl was emitting and looked at her with pitty. There was noway she could comfort the poor girl without giving her abilities away. Hinata would have to suffer for the greater good.

Yuki volunteered to prepare dinner and she wondered through the forest gather ingredients before coming back to the group. She put them in a pot she had bought and stirred.

"Believe it! It smells beautiful Yuki!" Naruto said as he sat beside her while she stirred. She rewarded his enthusiasm with a small smile.

"It's nothing special." She protested, blushing at the blondes steady gaze.

You are special Yuki… Naruto thought but he would never think it out loud. He felt like he knew her from somewhere but he couldn't place her. Maybe a dream?

He shook his head as if to clear it from the mist that was fogging his head. This thoughts were knew to him and he didn't like it. He liked Sakura and no matter how pretty, talented and secretive yuki was, it couldn't replace the pink haired in his mind. Reassured he fetched some bowles for yuki to dish the stew into.

The small group ate in silence for a moment. Sasuke was amazed at how yum it tasted. It was amazing.

"O-oh. It's nothing special." Yuki blushed and sasuke felt his face reden as he realized he's spoken allowed.

"Hmmp. I know that." He snapped and set his bowl on the ground and stomping off as he attempt to stop his heart from beating so rapidly. There was something about Yuki that made him feel different.

The small group watched as Sasuke stomped out of site and Yuki felt tears prick her eyes as she gathered the empty eating utencils and carried them to a stream to wash them clean and get rid of the left over food.

Sakura watched her with sharp, beady eyes, a frown creasing her overly large forhead so she looked very angry.

Getting carefully to her feet she got the forks together and made it look like she was leaving to help Yuki with the dishes.

At the stream she watched as the dark haired beauty knelt down and dunked the bowls into the river. Wasting no time she tossed the forks down and threw herself forward, pushing Yuki into the water.

Yuki gasped as the cold water washed over her, numbing her senses. She gasped for breath as she surfaced, spinning in the water to see who had pushed her. Sakura was standing on the bank arms folded and smirking a horrid smirk.

"don't get all cocky just because he gave you a few compliments." She snapped clearly angry and envious.

"B-but I didn't…"

Sakura snorted and tossed her raggedy haircut over her shoulder. "don't think you can fall me. You have your eye on him. But too bad. His mine." The pinkette picked up the fallen cutlery and threw it at yuki before storming off.

The fork struck Yuki hard in her pale temple and she bopped back under water again as blood bloomed a across her now flawed skin.

This was shapping up to be a horrible mission