Chapter 9: I can do this
Hinata walked along Konohamaru and Ino. She felt her heart began to beat faster as they walked. Deep inside her she thought they were dead. She had given up hope almost instantly. She felt like a fool. Konohamaru never lost fate, he always believed that they were alive.
So did Ino, and Ino had "lost" her love as well and she never gave up.
But she did. She saw destruction and nothingness and believed it was all gone. She threw herself in the floor to cry for her lost love and didn't move until she heard someone caught. With a little bit of hope she sprang her feet and began to run to where the small cough had come from. She wanted to believe that it was Naruto but it wasn't.
Instead she found Konohamaru, he was under some piles of branches and wood, his breath was un even. That should had gotten her more hope, but it didn't. Instead it killed any she had left and yet with a broken heart she took the things off the boy and healed him.
He was still unconscious when she was done, so he sat by his side, feeling numb from the emotional pain. That was when Gaara and the others found her. They took her and Konohamaru with them and helped them recover to their fullest but Hinata had no hope. She felt like there was a gap in her chest, like the old Hinata had died with Naruto.
It was that moment when she decided. She was looking at Konohamaru, he was sleeping soundlessly in the bed next to her. She didn't want him to suffer what she was suffering, she needed to show him to be stronger than her and any other ninja she knew. She wanted him to be strong enough to survive anything.
That's why she was that way with him. She had her reasons but now she felt silly, because she gave up when she should've kept on fighting.
"Hinata" She heard someone say making her stop. She looked at her side to notice both of her companion had stopped and were currently looking at a small dojo.
"What?" She asked.
"We're here" Ino said. Suddenly her lips broke into a grin. "Even when he's not a ninja, Lee keeps on with Taijutsu" She said, a hint of humor on her voice.
"Let's go" Hinata said as they entered the dojo. When they got in they found themselves in total darkness.
"It is close?" Konohamaru asked, his voice echoed.
"Young man!" A voice suddenly boomed around the place making Konohamaru jump. "Step forward" Said the voice.
Konohamaru looked up at the females as they nodded. As Konohamaru took a few steps forward, Ino and Hinata got closer.
"That voice" Hinata whispered.
"Defiantly Lee" Whispered a grinning Ino.
Konohamaru kept on walking until he felt a string against his foot. Suddenly the light went on and things were flying towards Konohamaru. Being the ninja he is, he took out one of his Kunai knifes and dodge the attack. It wasn't until it hit the floor that he notice it was wood what he had defend himself from.
Then he felt someone looking at him. He looked in front of him and there he saw Rock Lee, the same old goofy, bushy brow ninja sitting in front of him, wearing gray ropes.
"You have passed your first challenge young warrior, now for the next one!" Lee yelled. He threw his hands, that were once hidden in his large ropes, sending something flying towards him.
Once again Konohamaru dodged them. He threw his hand back to throw his kunai when he heard someone yell his name.
"Don't! remember he's not a full flesh ninja" Ino yelled.
Konohamaru gritted his teeth and drew back his arm. Suddenly Lee was beside him attacking him which Konohamaru dodged. Lee threw a couple of kicks and punches but none of them were hitting him, then Konohamaru saw a opening and threw a punch hitting Lee on face, sending him flying back.
Konohamaru stared at Lee's body on the floor, his hands still in position, ready for more.
A loud clap startled him. Lee stood up and began to clap, a proud grin on his face. "Very nice, young apprentice, you've got the fire of youth" Lee said while giving him a thumbs up. As soon as the word "Youth" left Lee's mouth Hinata and Ino shared a smile. Same old Lee.
"Now, when would you like to start the lessons?" He asked.
"Actually, we're not here for lesson but we're here looking for you" Ino said stepping forward getting Lee's attention.
Lee stared at the two females in front of him, he seemed to be in a trance. "You two flower look very familiar" He said.
Their eyes winded. "We do?" Hinata asked.
Lee then shifted his eyes to Hinata. "Yes, but you look a lot like my opponent" Lee said.
"Opponent? What do you mean?" Hinata asked.
"Yes" Lee nodded."He is a man, just like me. He practice the arts of Taijutsu, there a competition almost every month and he's always participating. I know he lives near because it's a tri-state area only" Lee said."He's eyes, they are just like yours. Pale white" Lee pointed out.
"Neji" Ino and Hinata blurted at the same time.
"You know him?" Lee asked.
"Yes, we're looking for him as well" Ino said.
"I see then" Lee said. "May I ask, what is that you need me for?" Lee asked.
"It's a procedure we're doing" Hinata answered quickly. "You and couple of people have been selected"
"Ok, let me just close my shop and I will be on my way along with you" Lee said walking away. They waited until Lee was out of the room to look at each other.
"What should we do about Neji?" Ino asked.
"We'll look for him" Hinata said firmly.
"Will you take it ok?" Ino asked worriedly.
"I'll be fine" Hinata said rolling her eyes. She turned around and stepped out of the place into the outsides. She sigh and pressed the talk button on her microphone. "Gaara, It's Hinata" She said.
"Yes, Hinata, Gaara here. You got him?"Gaara asked.
"Yes, and he says Neji is nearby" She informed.
"Yes, I've seen. Pick him in the way, along with Lee" Gaara said.
"Gaara…" Hinata said before pausing. "I think we should take this separately" Hinata said.
"I already said no" Gaara said.
"Gaara if we don't reunite them today they ones that we have found will go back home and they won't come back. We need to take this separately by section" She said but Gaara said nothing.
"Fine" He said after a few minutes of silence. "But there one condition"
"What?" Hinata asked.
"You can't look for Naruto" Gaara said and Hinata felt like she was just slapped. She wanted to yell at him and tell him that she was capable to get him but she knew it wasn't the best way to go. The main goal was to find them and get them they were they were, even if she wasn't the one who got him.
"Fine" She with a defeated tone.
"Good. Tell Ino and Konohamaru that they will stay where they are and look for Neji, Kiba and Iruka. They are all in the same section. You will go to the section next to their along with Lee. You will look for Sasuke, Choji and Sai. They are 20 blocks from where you are"
"Got it" Hinata nodded.
"Ok. I will tell the others" Gaara said. "And inform me every time you find someone"
"Ok. I'm out" Hinata said. As soon as she finished talking to Gaara she turned around to find Ino, Konohamaru and Lee behind her.
"We're ready" Said Konohamaru.
"Come here please" Hinata said, mentioning to step away from Lee. They took a couple of steps away and Hinata informed them of the new plan.
"Who had Shika-kun?" Ino asked. Hinata looked into her eyes and saw sadness. Ino was as eager to find Shikamaru as she was to find Naruto. She wanted to hug him and kiss him as soon as possible.
"I don't have him" Hinata said. "I don't know who he was assign to"
"Oh" Ino said sadly.
"Ino, he's fine. Soon this will be all over and we'll be happy again" Hinata said as she placed her hand on Ino's shoulder.
Ino sigh and nodded. "Good luck Hinata. Take care of my teammate" She smiled.
"And you take care of mine and my cousin" Hinata said with a small smile.
Ino chuckled and began to walk away along with Konohamaru. She turned around and saw Lee.
"One down. 3 to go"
Hey beautiful people. I hope are all liking this story.
I just wanted to asked if you guy wish to see Kankuro's, Ino and Konohamaru's, Temari and Hanzo side. Or do you want to see just Hinata and that's it? Let me please!
