Disclaimer: For the last time, you want GEICO! Maze Pha'len sounds nothing like GEICO! So stop calling me! Oh, I mean, I don't own Naruto. If I did, we would NOT be having filler episodes.
Author's Intro: I can only pray that I don't get murdered by anyone, fans or otherwise. I am actually totally serious about regular updating now, as I have settled into college and single living (no more girlfriend, but that's only cuz we didn't want a long distance relationship). Also, stay tuned, because the next chapter should be up by Sunday of next week. I can write a chapter in seven days, right?
Fangirl: If you want to live, you can growl of DOOOM
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Slow, soft tendrils of light were snaking across the sky as Hinata approached the gate leading out of the city, her head lowered. She shivered slightly, in spite of the fluffy warm hoodie that covered her body. The air was the warm morning air of late spring, early summer, and a few cherry blossoms drifted around her in the light breeze. Her arm flashed out and caught one as it fluttered airily to the ground. Slowly, Hinata squeezed it, forcing chakra into it, until finally, she unclenched her hand and let the remaining dust and pollen sift away, dancing on the breeze.
Sakura. Stupid Sakura, stupid blossoms, stupid damn damn DAMN! She screamed inside her head.
Stop it, Hinata, she thought, this isn't like you. They're teammates. You've been in both Shino and Kiba's rooms, and nothing of the sort happened…
Much to the chagrin of Kiba, her angry self fired back. That… that perverted dog…
Hinata simply shook her head, squeezing her eyes tightly shut.
Stop it. Stop it. I'm not like this. I'm not angry. I'm not jealous. I'm not full of wrath.
But you are.
I'm not.
The only one controlling your heart is you.
Hinata, her eyes still shut, began to press her nails into the back of her hand, trying to focus on the pain instead of the anger in her head that was distinctly not shy, scared, timid Hinata. After a minute, she felt calm, more alone inside her own head than she had been all week. She looked at the back of her hand, and cringed slightly at the sight of blood dripping to the earth beneath her. Hinata yanked a length of blank scroll out and wrapped it, securing her gauntlets on top of the new wound.
I'm going crazy, she thought again as she progressed onward to the gate. I'm not fit for duty…
You can handle it, Hinata, she thought, her voice more confident and less wrathful this time. You just need to stay calm. Whatever is making you react this way will pass. It has to.
And so, with that, Hinata smiled slightly, and thought no more on the matter.
"You seem in a melancholy mood."
Hinata jumped slightly as Shino stood behind her. How? she thought, how'd he sneak up on me?
"You don't seem to be very focused," he said, as if reading her thoughts. "You took no notice as I came up from behind."
"The only thing I heard was you admitting you were just stalking me," she said with a laugh, hoping Shino would have a sense of humor this morning and maybe prove that he actually had emotions.
He didn't laugh. Didn't even smile. "Are you up for this?" he asked as they stopped at the large gate. "If you're not feeling well, you shouldn't come. I can go get Neji and you can go tell Tsu--"
"No, no, I'm… I had a rough night. Didn't sleep very well…" she admitted, sighing.
"You wanna talk about it?" came Kiba's voice from behind.
What is this, Sneak Up On Hinata Day? she asked herself.
"Hi, Kiba," she said, turning to face him. Apart from his eyes, which had turned away at the last second, he seemed normal enough, seemed like he hadn't broken into her room while she was in a towel this morning. She scratched Akamaru behind the ears as he softly walked up to her, expectantly wagging his tail. "I'm fine, I'm fine…"
There was an awkward silence between the three, which was definitely unusual. Hinata was sure Shino was trying to get a handle on the emotional states of his squad members and would be asking just the right questions to uncover the stress both Hinata and Kiba were under.
"We're on time!" called a voice from the distance. "We're not late!" Sakura was waving her arms and yelling out to them with a smile on her face and a backpack on her back. Naruto was in tow, looking groggy and half asleep. Hinata smiled and made a conscious effort to put her dream, her run-in with Kiba, and the fact that Sakura woke Naruto up behind her, along with that Hinata-brand shyness that always seemed to prevail at critical moments.
We're going on a mission. By the end of it, I want to be closer friends with Naruto-kun. That is the goal.
"Hey Akamaru," Naruto yawned, rubbing his eyes and giving the huge dog a pat on his fuzzy head. "Sup, Dog Man?"
Kiba growled softly in reply, a kind of, "nothing much" sound. Hinata knew better, though. It was a fake, hollow snarl that had less friendly undertones and more "you better watch it, I'm male PMSing or angry or something right now" feelings beneath the surface. Hinata tried to ignore it. Kiba and Naruto had been friends when they were very young at the academy. To her knowledge, they still were.
Why is it that now, even though our brief dating period has been over for nearly a year, Kiba is becoming more jealous of Naruto?
Bah, I'm giving myself a headache…
"Now that we are all assembled," Shino began, "I will review the purpose of our mission." Instantly, all Shinobi stood at attention, straight in file and rigid as stones. All bodies tensed, all speaking ceased, and all eyes, jealous, tired, or otherwise, were fixed upon the perfect circular sunglasses that everyone accepted as Shino's eyes.
"We are to go to the Country of Thunder's Shinobi headquarters, the Hidden Village of Cloud," he continued, turning his gaze on his team. "We will conduct surveillance on the Raikage and his military leaders, and determine their intent. We will then return and report to Tsunade-sama. And we shall do so," Shino said, suddenly turning to Naruto, "without getting caught."
Hinata saw Naruto's eyes darken and his face flush slightly, but, thankfully, he held his tongue. Hinata felt a bit of anger creep up towards her face, but she dismissed it. Even she could not deny Naruto's clumsiness and ability to take a perfectly stealthy situation and make the biggest and loudest scene possible. She, of course, always thought it was cute, just part of his charm.
Shino's gaze returned to the group as a whole. "This is an A Class mission. However, we all know the dangers that lie within the Country of Lightning and the Hidden Village of Cloud. Terrorists, criminals, Missing Nin. And we will be seen as no different by enemy forces. This will not be an easy mission."
Here is comes, Hinata thought, steeling herself for when Shino would fix his sunglasses on her and speak directly at her.
True to form, Shino looked at her briefly and said, "If anyone is not feeling up to this, they need to say so. Now. We cannot risk anything going wrong, and we cannot risk anyone's life here." To Hinata's surprise, Shino also glanced at Kiba, who looked calm and serene and attentive, except for his eyes. Hinata could practically see the growl rise up from his throat in them. Fortunately, no sound left him, and Hinata was content to know that any growling sounds had been safely kept in the confines of Kiba's head.
So Shino doesn't think I'm the only unstable one, she thought. He must know there is no way we'd back down, even if we WERE incapable of doing this.
Of course, that's why he's asking. He's letting us know that he knows we're… not in perfect condition.
"As I see nobody is backing out, I will continue. This is your last chance if you feel unfit for ANBU missions."
Silence, then…
"Shino, c'mon, we're all more than capable," Naruto said impatiently, "And we're all here. Lets get to it, tebayo!"
Shino smiled for an instant, and Hinata both groaned and smiled with pride. It was exactly what she would imagine Naruto to say in this situation, and she was again swept up by his "charm." But it was also the worst possible thing to say to the team leader.
"Naruto," Shino said in that tone he saved for chastising Naruto, "I am the leader of this group. Impatience will not help anyone in this mission." Shino's voice, however, suggested that saying this was simply a formality. Everyone seemed to understand that Shino was honestly unbothered by Naruto's outburst, and was forced to state his authority as a matter of course.
Hinata saw Naruto's eyes say, "Yeah yeah, that's what everyone says. But if I didn't, things would take FOREVER to get done." With an inward smile, she agreed, though she was careful not to break her rigid stance of attention.
"I will, however, move on," Shino continued, beginning to pace in front of the file. "We will head northeast slowly while we are still in our own country, the Country of Fire. When we reach the borders into the lesser countries, and the Country of Lightning itself, we will move into formation and move quickly and defensively. By tomorrow night, the goal is to be within the Country of Lightning's borders and moving swiftly to the Hidden Village of Cloud. Meaning we will spend tonight in the Country of Fire, and move through the remainder of our country, the lesser countries between our Country of Fire and the Country of Lightning, and into the target Country by tomorrow night."
"Understood," everyone stated in unison, their voices losing the individual characteristics of their owners and becoming one: the voice of a team.
I'm on a team with Naruto-kun, Hinata thought with a smile as they broke attention and began shouldering their packs for the journey. The air smelt sweet again as she smiled, enjoying the soft light of early sunrise over the flowered trees. The group was silent for most of the morning, mainly because Hinata's normal team were in awkward states of mind and didn't want to talk, and Naruto and Sakura had little to talk about. As they walked on, however, conversation slowly bubbled up.
"And then the guy was like, 'You better break yourseeeeeeeelf,' and grabbed the other guy's wrist," Naruto said with a tired grin. "A great episode this week, I shoulda recorded it…"
"I missed it again!" Sakura said, exasperated. "Man, how am I ever going to be up on the times if I stop watching TV?"
"I missed it too," Hinata said softly, joining the conversation somewhat timidly. It felt awkward, because Shino and Kiba walked ahead, side by side. She had always stood between them, between her boys, her good friends. But Kiba was still growling and in desperate need of chocolate, in her opinion, and it was better to leave him alone to growl at Shino instead of her. "I was too tired last night."
"Naruto, the sleepyhead, stayed up too late watching it," Sakura said, twapping him lightly, "and missed his alarm, of course."
"Hey, hey, lay off…" he said with an embarrassed grin, "I was really tired! I'd been running round and fighting and watching the show and I didn't have any food in my apartment and--"
"Oi, oi, " Sakura said, cutting him off. She stepped in front of him and put on her best sarcastic Shikamaru impression, "Listen carefully, and you'll hear the sound of people not caring. Yeah…"
Hinata and Naruto laughed, though Naruto blushed slightly and Hinata had the urge to slap the girl. But she knew it was the mean teasing that could only be said between friends, and forgave her. Somewhat.
"If… If you needed some ramen," Hinata said quietly, "I've got some, you could have come down and asked…" She smiled, suddenly thinking about such an encounter.
Oh Naruto-kun, so nice to see you! Some ramen? Oh no, we can't have you eating instant ramen, it's not healthy! Come in, I'll take care of you! Wink!
Oh Hinata-san, your cooking is delicious! A Hyuuga secret recipe?
I'll never tell. Cute Smile! Some tea?
Wow, you're quite the homemaker! I wouldn't mind marrying a nice girl like you!
Oh Naruto-kun, you tease me so! Blush!
What a load of crap, she thought. I'd probably toss the best of my instant stuff at him and retreat…
"Oh, I didn't want to wake you, it was pretty late when I finally realized I was starving…" Naruto said with a soft smile. Hinata blushed and turned her eyes away as he looked at her. "You looked pretty tired last night, ya know, afterwards…"
"Since when did you become a gentleman?" Sakura said, twapping Naruto again. "You always end up begging me to buy you some stupid groceries in the middle of the night!"
They squabbled slightly, the kind of fight that only friends are allowed to have. The awful things mean nothing, and the outcome is forgotten thirty seconds later. Hinata simply walked next to them, thinking of that soft smile and those amazingly deep, blue eyes, and his hair as it swayed in the wind…
I didn't want to wake you, he had said. Does that mean he considered coming down and asking?
Does that mean he thought about me? she thought.
"Don't believe him, Hinata!" Sakura said.
"Eh?" Hinata had obviously missed whatever was going on.
"He's a total mess, that guy," Sakura said, taking Hinata aside in a conspiratorial manner. "You ever seen his room? Total mess."
Hinata blushed. "Ever… Eh? No, I haven't been in his room before…"
C'mon, join the banter! her stronger self yelled. Stop this blushing business!
Sakura stuck her tongue out at Naruto, who was desperately trying to figure out what was going on.
"Feh," Kiba said, groaning softly, speaking only loud enough that Shino could hear, "they're like cheeping chickens. Will those three ever shut up?"
Shino said nothing, and Kiba had to make do with a sympathetic growl from his mount, Akamaru.
"I mean, since when have they been close buddies?" he asked, trying to strike up a conversation with his mysterious pal. "They're all teasing each other and giggling like their back at the academy! It's annoying!"
"Why are you so jealous, Kiba?" Shino asked after a slight pause, his gaze never wavering from the road before him. "Usually, WE tease and joke and laugh like that."
"Shut up," Kiba growled. He said nothing more.
Soon the sun was at its peak, and Hinata could feel her stomach rumble within her. Even Sakura, who was constantly on a diet and supposedly never grew hungry, was beginning to show signs that she wanted to eat a cow. Naruto teased her for her loud, obnoxious, and unladylike stomach before she twapped him again, and he decided to join the guys up front.
"You sure do hit him a lot," Hinata said quietly. She hoped the dangerous edge in her voice was only audible in her own head. It seemed to just slip out.
Sakura laughed. "Well, I probably do. If I didn't though, he'd probably think I had a crush on him or something."
Hinata and Sakura laughed together. Hinata, of course simply went through the motions of laughter as her mind raced.
What the HELL does that mean! she thought, Do you or don't you? Argh!
"But Naruto is a good guy," Sakura continued, watching his back as he slipped his arms around Shino and Kiba's shoulders. "Big heart, lotsa energy…"
"And he's kind and gentle," Hinata said, smiling at her beloved as she watched Shino give him a look that could chill boiling water. "He's determined and he cares for everyone. He fights for the weak. Gives everyone the…. Well, the hug they need to see past their problems."
Sakura just looked at her, surprised and confused. After a moment, though, she smiled, and whispered, "Yeah, that's how it is."
Kiba growled loudly, and dashed up ahead, Akamaru barking as he bore his master upon his back. "I'm going ahead to find somewhere to eat," Kiba said, looking slightly frustrated at his new team. "I'll report back if I find something, sir."
"Do not fail in this mission," Shino said seriously. "Failure is not an option."
Kiba grinned his usual determined grin and laughed. Except, to Hinata, something was wrong. His face seemed to make the right muscle movements, but his eyes were the same as when he had broken into her apartment this morning. Betrayal, frustration, annoyance, they all seemed to swirl together in those doglike eyes. Akamaru barked once and they were gone.
The team walked on, talking a bit less, until Kiba and Akamaru pounced into view together. "Food!" he shouted, "Glorious food! Just up ahead a little bit."
"I'm starved!" Sakura yelled. Hinata agreed and Naruto and Shino simply nodded.
"Good job Kiba," Shino said.
Hinata laughed and patted Akamaru on the head. "You two get gold stars, neh?" she said, joking with her friends. Kiba's smile extended only to his lips, his eyes unchanged. Hinata just stared into them as everyone began to walk past them, up the path.
"Why?" Hinata whispered. "Why're you looking at me like that, Kiba?" Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked up into his face. "Why am I having such a hard time talking to my friend?"
The faint footsteps of the group leaving them behind were the only sounds to break the silence as they stared at one another. Kiba slowly let his grin fall, and his face seemed to match his eyes. There he is, Hinata thought, there is the Kiba I know, with his red streaks and his primal eyes, and his emotions consistent throughout his body language.
"Friends," he whispered angrily. He barked slightly to Akamaru, who turned and took off down the path.
Come back her you cowards! Hinata thought. She wanted to scream, to shout at him, to just find a way to release all this anger welling up inside. What the hell do you mean, saying 'Friends' and just taking off! Grow up, dammit!
STOP!
Hinata's thoughts fell silent as she seethed, watching Kiba's back disappear around the bend. I am NOT like this, she thought. I am NOT someone who blows up like this! And I refuse to become that.
A blonde head appeared from around the bend, a worried face attached to it, looking at her in concern with deep blue eyes.
"Hinata-san?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm…. I'm coming, Naruto," she said, sighing and shaking her head. Hinata jogged along and halted next to Naruto, who seemed to grin from ear to ear. Hinata saw it, and blushed slightly, though trying to push those instincts aside. "What… What?" she asked.
"You dropped the silly honorific," he said, smiling. "I dunno, it feels better to just be Naruto, dattebayo."
I did! she thought. Oh no! I… wait, he prefers that?
"Do you know what I mean?" he asked.
Hinata smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Her mind flashed back to all the times Neji had used Hinata-sama as an insult, as if the honorific were simply vile and deserved to be spat out. There was a time where she hated being Hyuuga heir, before Neji seemed to come to respect her. She wanted to be normal, not special. She wanted to be seen as an equal, not a begrudging higher-up.
They walked together in silence for about twenty feet until they rounded another corner and the trees gave way to a small restaurant, steam rising from a small smokestack.
"Dattebayo!" Naruto shouted, rushing on ahead towards the smell of food, and Hinata laughed inside. I don't even think he knows what it means anymore, she thought, he just uses it for everything, even as its own complete sentence. Oh Naruto, you and your charms.
The entire team stood in front of the small stand, which turned out to sell specialty ramen. It was ordinary, much like other ramen stands, but there was a large blackboard in front, just before the curtain. It proclaimed to all who could see the specials for today, Miso Pork Ramen, and a Quote of the day: "If you eat the poison, you might as well eat the plate."
"But… plates don't taste good," Naruto said, laughing.
"Does anyone else think putting that there would deter customers?" Sakura asked, staring up at the strange sign.
"I'm starving," Kiba growled, "I think I'll eat the poison AND the plate."
Lunch was uneventful; everyone simply ordered the special and ate their fill, making small talk. Hinata and Kiba found themselves on opposite ends, and refused to meet each other's eyes while the conversation, mainly Sakura, Naruto, and the cook, buzzed around them. Soon, they paid and thanked the chef, and were on there way.
The rest of the day was equally uneventful, as they passed through a few small villages and rice fields making more small talk or simply hiking on in silence. The sun began to set, coloring the few clouds in the sky an orange rose color, casting soft and fuzzy shadows. Sakura moved from the back to the front and attempted to pet an annoyed Akamaru.
"That crazy girl," Naruto said, "she's totally not girly at all."
Hinata giggled, unsure where this was going. "Is that a bad thing?" she asked.
Naruto shook his head. "No, I don't think most kunoichi have time to be girly the way normal people do. I mean, most girls make themselves look pretty, but Sakura… well, she's a bit of a tomboy."
Hinata walked beside him in confusion, and decided that, if she had no idea what he meant, it was best not to approach the subject. So she deftly changed it.
"Hey, you said you prefer being addressed without honorifics," Hinata stated. Naruto nodded. "Then why do you call me… Hinata-chan?"
Naruto blushed slightly. "Well, I didn't know if… well, you know, most people hate being called just their name. I didn't know if… you didn't mind…" he finished, his voice full of uncertainty. "Do you want me to call you Hinata-san?"
"Hinata is just fine, Naruto-k… Naruto," she said. A Naruto brand grin spread across his face.
"Break for camp, we're resting for the night," Shino called out.
"Aw, and I never got to ride him," Sakura said. "C'mon, Kiba, just once? All Naruto ever summons are those talking frogs, and they're no fun to hang with."
"Akamaru is NOT here for your enjoyment, kunoichi," Kiba said. Akamaru barked in agreement. Hinata sighed and pulled Sakura away by the arm.
"Let's just set up our tent," she said, "Kiba doesn't like people who pester him about his dog unless they're cute little kids."
"Oh. I'm not a cute little kid," Sakura realized, dropping her pack and pulling out the tent poles. She sounded disappointed.
"Nope," agreed Hinata. "Don't bother him about it." They pitched the tent in relative silence, crawling inside to organize their blankets as the sun's final rays of light left the sky a slowly darkening navy blue. Hinata rolled out her blanket and lay on her back, resting her eyes for a second. Her mind was trying to make sense of everything that was going on.
I've got no idea what Kiba's problem is, she thought, I don't understand if Sakura likes Naruto or not, and I can't tell if Naruto and Sakura are friends or… if he wants to be more than just friends… And I've got to remember to drop honorific when talking to Naruto and remember to act like a normal person.
Well, act bushy when you're alone, she thought with a smile.
Nothing wrong with that I suppose, she concurred. What an eventful day.
Sakura spread her blankets and pulled off her shirt, rummaging through her bag. "I sure hope there's a stream or a waterfall or something around her," she said, pulling on a looser, more comfortable nightshirt. "I'd love to take a bath, or at least just wash my feet…"
Hinata moaned in agreement as she pulled her pack to her and pulled out her pajamas. They were just a simple set of sleep-pants and a fluffy button-down sleep-shirt, but she had always felt comfortable in them. Their lavender color reminded her of her father's eyes, back when he looked at her when she was very young and hadn't shown herself to be weaker than Neji. And the orchid pattern on them made her feel young and cute again, not like a trained ANBU killing machine.
"Those are cute," Sakura said, pulling on a pair of fresh underwear and some shorts.
"Thanks," Hinata answered, pulling her own clothes off and slipping into the warm pajamas. Again, she smiled and lay back.
Don't get me wrong, she thought to herself, sighing in comfort. I would never quit being a ninja. It's been my dream forever, but sometimes, it is good to feel simple and clean, and think about comfort as opposed to missions and jutsus.
"You think the boys are asleep yet?" Sakura asked.
"Naruto, maybe," Hinata said with a laugh. "Kiba and Shino don't fall asleep quickly; they're usually bickering over who the leader of the group is, or asking questions what its like to live with weird animals all the time."
The boys were not asleep. Shino and Kiba were silent as Naruto helped them pitch the tent. "And man, it was crazy, he was all like, 'You better break yourseeeeeeeeelf!' and--"
Kiba cut him off with a growl and disappeared into the newly erected tent, violently spreading his blanket. Shino squeezed his shoulder and gave him a stern look. Kiba growled again and pulled his shoulder away, lying down on his blanket and shutting his eyes.
Naruto suddenly knew something was up. Kiba was more than just his growling, moody self, and so the blonde boy simply shut his mouth, something he had not learned to do until recently. Shino sighed and spread out his own stuff between the two, and resigned himself to a tense sleep that night.
Naruto pulled off his shirt and pants, slipping into a pair of sleep pants and his special sleeping cap. Kiba gave him a disdainful look and turned away. "You still wear that?" Kiba asked.
"I've always slept well in it," Naruto responded, confused, "so why not?" There was a pause as Kiba made a "Feh!" sound again. "Hinata said she thought it was cute, once," Naruto said, defending his silly hat, "And so did---"
"Hinata?" Kiba suddenly sat up, glaring at Naruto's surprised blue eyes. "What did you call her!"
"Wha? I called her Hinata, she said she didn't like the honori--"
"Temee!" Kiba barked, baring his teeth in an angry snarl. "YOU don't get to call her that! What's your relationship with Hinata!"
Naruto blinked in surprise and was silent for a moment. "Kiba?" he said, uncertain. Why was… why was he going berserk? "Me and Hinata? We're--"
"What were you two doing last night!" Kiba screamed in rage, "How come your scent was ALL OVER HER!"
Naruto stuttered in confusion. "Last night? Dammit, Kiba, we were training! We fought! It's… it's nothing like--"
"I know you didn't do anything like that, I woulda smelt it! So WHAT DID YOU DO!"
Naruto glared angrily at Kiba, and bared his own teeth. "I already said we were training! We were fighting! She taught me some stuff, I taught her some stuff! Training, dattebayo!"
Kiba's muscles twitched. Shino sat up and turned to Kiba, beginning to say, "Kiba, that's enough." He barely was able to say Kiba's name before Kiba's fist connected with the side of his head, forcing him out of the way as he lunged at Naruto. The side of the tent gave way to Kiba's claws as he scratched at Naruto's chest, and punched him in the face. Naruto was shocked, and fought back, forcing a palm into Kiba's throat.
Hinata heard the scuffle and turned towards the Boy's tent. "Byakugan," she mumbled, cursed, and rolled out of the tent, rushing towards them.
"Holy…" Sakura began as she too moved from the Girl's tent to the sound of violence. Akamaru had joined the fray, adding his barks and growls and teeth to Kiba's, while Naruto seemed to hold back using anything dangerous on them. He seemed too confused at what was going on to fight effectively. Kiba had him on the ground, and lifted his fist to pound on his face again.
"STOP!"
Hinata's cry shook the trees and stopped the wind. Nothing dared to move as all eyes turned to her. It was not a scream of fear; it was not full of concern. It was full of rage and anger.
Kiba growled suddenly, and rolled off of Naruto, smearing a bit of his opponent's blood on his knuckles as he moved. Without a word, he turned and dashed off into the darkness, Akamaru close behind. Only Hinata's pale eyes could see the tears, tears that stank of shame and frustration, flow down his face, past his painted cheeks. A quick glance at Naruto told her he would live, and a feeling of anger forced her forward. With grace and speed rivaling that of Kiba's primeval strength, she followed in pursuit.
You had better run, she thought, I am going to—
It's Kiba, she quickly countered. He's been male PMSing all day. There has to be a reason.
The reason is you, she thought, and cursed.
Shino rose as Hinata disappeared into the darkness. "It's going to be a long night," he said.
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Author's Notes: So, yeah, this is the longest chapter so far, and there isn't NEARLY enough violence to justify it. I know this fic has gotten REALLY long, but please, if you like it, spread the word! And if you like it a lot, stay tuned! Very soon, a super fangirl is coming to make a DA Apart fan community where I can post progress updates, and you can submit fanart or just talk with other fans about it. The only problem is we don't have a clever name for the fan community yet. You know, some communities call themselves, "The whip of Love" or "Burned orchids" but I cant think up any such cool name based off of Apart. That's where you guys come in! Leave a review (as a matter of course) with a name you think would be cool for an Apart Fan community. If I choose yours, you get to write out a random line and submit it, and I have to put it in the next chapter. So you kinda control the story, neh? Nothing graphic, please. Thank you all so much for reading!
