All I Need To Know
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Three Months Down The Track
"This is the day we destroy the Snow-Queen, once and for all!" Sasuke declared firmly.
"And…find Naruto…" Hinata sniffed.
They had all read the note from three weeks ago. It said:
I HAVE THE DEMON KYUBII. IF YOU WANT HIM BACK, THEN GIVE TO ME TATSUJUU AND GOBI KURASU, AS WELL AS THE FORMER HARBOUR OF SHUKAKU.
THE SNOW-QUEEN
Like a certain someone else's notes, this one had burst into flame.
For three months, the onmitsu and kunoichi living in the log house had been preparing, resting and waiting.
They'd gotten angry.
Upset. Scared.
Suicidal.
The endless winter was getting to them.
Even Sore had stopped singing, and started practicing her Kaguya techniques.
Other Clan skills being honed included Uchiha, Hyuga, Inuzaku and Sand Siblings (they need a surname…)
People had developed new skills as well…
For example, Mari could now create a whirlwind of snow that she called Yukiya. Ino could, too.
Shino and Mushi had perfected something called Insecticide. Garaa had a new skill that he called Sand Obituary. Sore helped him to perfect it. Itachi was picking up some of Sasuke's skills. Kisame fought like Kiba. Everyone was training hard. They honed their skills. They remembered old tecniques from their Senseis. They moved faster. They hit harder. They battled wiser.
But, of course, they were still feeling the pressures of everything.
Emma and Hoshi had spent a great deal of time recovering from their encounter with a shark. Emma had recovered first – because she wanted to – and spent a whole two weeks beside Hoshi's bed as soon as she could move, when Hoshi was still in a coma.
Everyone was steering clear of starting a conversation with her about this. Her feelings towards Hoshi were still as unclear as the blizzard that came through every evening, and while most of them were ready to rip Hoshi to shreds because she was somehow tied back to the Snow-Queen, one thing Emma had VERY clearly stated was: "We're all in this together, whether we want to be or not. We have to find Naruto, and we have to get back on track. To do that, we need everyone working together. Team Seven – Sakura, Sasuke and Pinku. Team Eight – Hinata, Shino, Kiba and Akamaru. Team Ten – Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru. The Sound Ninja – Dosu, Zaku and Kin. The Foster-Sisters – Sore and Ai. The Sand Siblings – Garaa, Temari and my Kankurou. My very best friends – Mari, Kai, Chief and Jaws. Our new friends – Sai and Matsuri. The next generation, the kids we all love – Yumi, Chou-Chou, Kamari, Kisame and Itachi. And…those from Earth, also – Musha, Mushi
and, yes, Hoshi. We all need to work together. That's the only way we'll find Naruto. It's the only way we'll survive."
"Well, when you put it that way…" Mari had said. "Now, let me change your left-arm bandage…"
"I don't need it on anymore!" Emma retorted hotly, feeling like an invalid.
"Well, you're not taking it off!" Mari snapped. "I'm going to change it for a fresh one, and it's staying on!"
Quarrels like this were not uncommon in what they were now all calling 'The Ice-Lake Cabin'.
Recently:
Kiba had gotten into a heated argument with Sasuke, because Sasuke had called Musha 'weak'. Sasuke had simply meant she wasn't as strong as, oh say, Ino…
Temari was getting annoyed with most people, because most people were annoying her. She must've yelled at ten different people, including her brothers, forced everyone to clean their temporary rooms at least three times a week for a month, and cleaned every single room in the house herself!
The kitchen, living room, bathrooms, dining room and front-hallways sparkled so that only Shino with his sunglasses could stand them.
And, the most annoyed people of all, the ones getting into a physical fight at leats once a day, and for what reasons, were:
Kankurou – he was worried about his girlfriend, and also about Hoshi…
Neji – he was acting more arrogant then usual, because his cousin was upset…
And…Hinata! Yes, normally quiet and shy Hinata seemed to have developed a split-personality in the time
spent at 'The Ice-Lake Cabin'. This may have been because her daughter was extremely upset because her Father was kidnapped. Hinata missed Naruto.
She spent one third of her time moping around, sniffling, weeping and occasionly cooking to take her mind off of things.
Another third of her time was spent angry, at the Snow-Queen, and sometimes taking it out on various people, including Kiba and Shino.
And, the last third of her time, she spent training, in preparation for the fight that was to come…
…
One day…
Emma suddenly started yelling at about half past six in the morning, calling for everyone to come quickly!
The residants of 'The Ice-Lake Cabin' stampeded into Hoshi's room, where they found Emma grinning, and Hoshi…wide awake!
"SHE'S AWAKE!" Musha and Mushi cried together and lunged at Hoshi, throwing their arms around her and all three of them started crying.
The men all sweatdropped.
Sakura, Hinata and Ino were weeping happily, too.
"But…" Emma suddenly said.
Hoshi looked up as her two best friends drew away. She frowned, confused, and then said: "Wa…watashi wa…Hoshi desu…hai?"
Emma nodded knowingly.
Hoshi looked around her. "I am…Hoshi…" She said
again, and then: "Tomodachi no Musha-San desu. Tomodachi no Mushi-San desu." She gazed around in confusion. "And…and…that is…Mari…Kai…but…who are all of you?"
Everyone else except for Hoshi and Emma gasped.
Neji had been right after all.
Hoshi had lost her memory.
