Love and Death
Disclaimer: I want it!! But I can't have it... (
A/N: Yo, minna! I actually got to update the story today! Yappa! Oh yeah, can u look at my profile? Just cuz I don't want to have wasted all my time doing it if no one is going to look at it...even though I was bored...
Anyway, this chapter I'm kind of just going along with the flow of things, because I don't really have an idea of what to do. All I know is that they're travelling to the Wind country from the Hidden Mist, so I'm not entirely sure how long it'll take. But anyway, this chapter is basically going to focus on the different viewpoints of the various teams and their members as they're travelling. I might put a fight in there, but I'm not entirely sure how to divide it...so I'm not sure who's going to be fighting or what so...anyway, enjoy! **Oh, and I fixed the mistakes made in the beginning of the previous chapter.**
Chapter 11-
Haruka Kanata
A group of eleven stood together in the shelter of a small house. They were all cheerfully talking about unimportant matters, despite the task which awaited them. They all cut off abruptly as a tall figure stepped forth from the open doorway.
He eyed them all, disapprovingly, under unnaturally thick eyebrows. (Lee: Unnatural? I was born with these! --___--*) "Have any of you seen them?" He asked urgently, referring to team 00.
Hinata shook her head slowly as she stepped forth. "Iie, Lee-san. W- we haven't seen them at all since they left the village." She lowered her head worriedly. In fact, she wasn't even sure if the three had reached the Hidden Mist yet. Her hands trembled slightly as she began twirling her fingers around one another, a sure sign that she was nervous.
A comforting hand found itself on her shoulder. Looking up quickly, she saw the comforting gaze of Kiba fixed on her face. He grinned and said to her, "Shinpai-nai! They'll be here in no time, Hinata!" He nodded to emphasize his point, then dropped his hand from her shoulder.
She smiled slowly, appreciating the gesture. "H-hai, Kiba-kun. I don't know why I...I was doubting." Looking down at her hands, she realized that she was still worried, despite what he had said. She looked up quickly, worried that he would follow her gaze and realize all she had just said was a lie. He hadn't.
"Yappa! That's the spirit, Hinata!" Grinning once more, he left her side.
"I know what K-kiba-kun said is true...demo..." Gazing up at the ceiling, she sighed softly. "Why am I still doubting?"
*
"Kuso..." Neji's face contorted with anger. 'We're going to be late! I knew we shouldn't have gone on this stupid detour...' "Get the hell out! We know you're there!" He yelled into the darkness. Three figures appeared in front of him.
Miharu awoke suddenly. "We know what...?" She asked, rubbing her eyes slowly and yawning. She patted Neji's shoulder. "You..." she yawned once more, "sure do make a good pillow."
Neji looked at her. "Urusai!" he spat. Seeing the look of confusion on her face (a/n: she sure is stupid!), he sighed impatiently. "Can't you feel it?" he aked her urgently. She only looked at him strangely. "The chakra, you idiot!"
Her eyes widened as she nodded. "Why do they keep ambushing us?" she asked him in a hushed whisper. Then, before he had time to answer, she realized what it must mean. "He knows we're coming, doesn't he?"
Neji didn't answer. Instead he looked ahead at the three figures who had appeared before them. Getting up quickly, he activated his Byakugan. "Of course..." he muttered to himself as he saw their hitai-ate.
A tall, lanky man stepped forward first. He had a bowl shaped haircut, and wore a red trench coat. Underneath he wore a black bodysuit. His left eye was bandaged, and his hitai-ate covered a part of his face. Grinning, the man spoke up.
"Do you want to know?" he asked, malicious laughter hidden beneath his words.
"Know what?" Neji asked. He grabbed a kunai from his pouch and charged. "Chukusho, know what?" He jumped up into the air when he was a foot away from the man, and came down upon the man, kunai first. Jamming it into the Sound's hand, he pushed harder until the Sound was on the floor, hand pinned to the rocky earth by the kunai.
As he jumped away, Neji felt blood trickle down his arm. Looking at it, he was surprised to see a kunai there. He hadn't felt it pierce his skin. Yet...how would it have gotten there? Unless... "Kawarimi no Jutsu!" he gasped, looking at the puddle of water which lay where the Sound once had. A hand connected with his head, and he flew towards the ground from the pressure.
Miharu ran towards the place where Neji was to fall, grabbing him just before he hit the ground. "Neji?" she asked uncertainly, shaking him. "Kuso...we need Sasuke...Where is he?"
*
Sasuke was in no mood to help. He sat high up in the branches of a nearby tree and watched. He had already realized that Orochimaru knew that they were after him, so he wasn't surprised by the steady stream of attacks they had been receiving from the Sand.
He watched as Miharu ran to grab Neji before he hit the ground. He watched as she whispered something into thin air. Watched as she slumped her shoulders in defeat. And then he knew...something was not right. No matter how much he felt to not help...watch them feel the wrath of those stronger than them, they were his team. And he, if no other, needed them to continue the mission. It had to be he who dealt the final blow to Orochimaru.
Sighing, he stood up and jumped.
*
Ino sighed impatiently and loudly. She was getting tired of waiting for the three shinobi. They were supposed to be the best in the village! Why of all times did they choose now to loose track of time? "Baka yo...jou da nai!" She muttered angrily to herself. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked behind her only to see her renowned best friend. "Sakura?" she asked.
Sakura smiled at her. "Ino buta-chan, shimpai-nai!" Taking a seat beside her friend, Sakura looked at the large group, which had split up into ones of three and four. "You know as well as I do that they are one of the most responsible teams we have. There's no way that they're out there fooling around. Something MUST have come up to delay them."
Ino nodded her head as she realized that what Sakura said was true. There was no way that Team 00 would have done this on purpose. "Arigatou, Sakura. You're right again!" Giving Sakura a quick hug, she leaned back in her seat, hands behind her head. 'All there is to do is wait.' She told herself.
Over in a corner, Tenten stood with Temari. Although the two had hardly had any conversations during their years as Genin and Chuunin, once they had become Jounin they had found a lot more to talk about, seeing as though they had realized they had more in common than anyone could have guessed.
"Ne, TenTen, why do you think they're not here?" Temari asked the younger Jounin. She didn't really understand what could be keeping the three from a mission such as this. The Hokage had even said that this may be the last mission for them, once Orochimaru was defeated. How could they even think about being late now?
TenTen shrugged her shoulders. "I really don't know." She informed her friend. There was no way she would believe Neji could do this. He had never been late for anything in his whole life. And she had known him from her years at the Academy. "Maybe something happened."
Temari looked skeptical. She knew that team well. There was hardly any known teams of any village, including the Hidden Sand, which could match their skill in all areas of jutsu, be it nin-, gen-, or taijutsu. TenTen caught her look, and averted her gaze, falling silent.
Hinata gazed over the groups which were scattered around the room. The memory of what Kiba had said still held strong in her mind, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. If they had not been back by now...well, she knew that there was hardly anything which could delay the likes of that team.
Firstly, there was her cousin, Hyuuga Neji. He was one of the strongest of the Hyuuga clan, stronger than her even. He had been taught many of the techniques which utilized the Byakugan to cause opponents internal damage, most of the time which turned out to be fatal. And he knew when and how to use them to the greatest advantage.
Then there was the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sasuke. He had, over the years, learned attacks which were specialties of many different countries. And by using his Sharingan, he was able to copy any technique he wished at his will. This made him both powerful on the offense and defense. He was also the most promising ninja in both the tests and the academy.
Miharu...she had so many secrets. About her past, about her skill. She had arrived in time for the Chuunin Exam, from out of nowhere. Yet still, her hitai-ate showed that she was from the Konoha Village. After time, everyone got used to her cold attitude and secretive manner. And so, when she became outspoken and friendly, everyone was quite shocked. Despite all this, she remained on of the strongest female ninja to date.
Hinata smiled meekly at the memory of Team 00. Yet a dark shadow in her mind vanquished her smile. They were here to kill Orochimaru...the deadliest ninja...on the S-rank wanted list...and they were to do it in little or no time. As much as she hated arguments or confrontations of any kind, she had to admit, if only to herself, that she was a little bit angry. Every minute counted, for one could mean the difference between life or death. You live, you love, and you die.
Suddenly she realized that she was by herself, and all the other groups were on the other side of the room. After a moment of private laughter, she decided to join her team. Walking over to Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, she began to twirl her fingers once more. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to hide her emotions.
Shino nodded at her as she walked over, as a fly landed on her arm. Careful not to harm it, Hinata smiled softly. As she reached closer, Akamaru barked out to her, bounding of his master's head and into her arms. The fly which had perched upon her earlier took flight. Hinata looked at it, reaching out as if to grab it, a low "Ah!" escaping her mouth.
Her hand stopped halfway as Akamaru rubbed itself against her leg. Bending down, she patted it slowly. Looking up, she saw Kiba and Shino standing over her, grinning. Getting up, she faced them, a slight blush creeping over her nose. "N-nani?" She asked uncertainly.
They didn't have any time to answer. Before they had time to even open their mouths, the doors to the room burst open once more, and Kankuro walked through. "Minna-san, get ready to leave! If team 00 aren't here in the next half hour, we're going to go on ahead without them. They are to meet with us later on. Those are direct orders from the Hokage."
Shikamaru spoke up from his corner where he and Chouji sat. "Demo...if we leave without them, how are they to know where we are? How will they contact us?"
Kankuro looked over at him. "Hokage-sama said that he's sending someone here to hold this place until their team arrives. Then he'll direct them to where we left off. As for contacting us...I'm not too sure myself how that's going to work."
Lee turned toward him and flashed him a big smile. "I guess we'll have to just see. Demo ne, nothing is too hard for the most gorgeous beast of the Konoha!" He was too busy talking about his so-called beauty (Lee: So called? I'm so beautiful that I put models to shame!) that he had not even realized that TenTen had grabbed his collar until she began to shake him. HARD.
"LEE!" She yelled into his ear. "URUSAI O KUDASAI YO!" Finally letting go, she let him drop down to the floor, nearly unconcious, before kneeling down beside him. "Let's just get ready, ok?" She asked him warily.
Looking up at her he nodded fearfully, and she hugged him. Watching this, everyone in the room sweatdropped. They couldn't help but all realize what a weird relationship the two had.
*
Sasuke sped towards his teammates. He wasn't sure how fast he could reach the area where they were currently fighting the sound. There was no way he was going to loose his team this early, before he had a chance to utterly destroy Orochimaru, just as he had done with his brother.
*
Neji sat up, using Miharu as support. Wiping the blood of his mouth with the back of his hand, he coughed. "Neji? What happened up there?" She asked. Neji looked at her, his gaze containing naught but spite. She flinched under his stare, but quickly straightened up. What she saw heading for her made her scream.
*
Finally leaving the room, Hinata stood under the blue sky...gazing into the far off distance...Haruka Kanata.
End of Chapter 11!
A/N: Only a few more chapters to go! I kind of changed the storyline as I went along, because I believe the "Road to Wind" might be a pretty long chapter. Anyway, I decided to focus more on the other groups than on team 00 so I hope you still enjoyed it. I'm not too sure when the next chapter will be up, so please keep on checking! Ja ne!
A/N: Yo, minna! I actually got to update the story today! Yappa! Oh yeah, can u look at my profile? Just cuz I don't want to have wasted all my time doing it if no one is going to look at it...even though I was bored...
Anyway, this chapter I'm kind of just going along with the flow of things, because I don't really have an idea of what to do. All I know is that they're travelling to the Wind country from the Hidden Mist, so I'm not entirely sure how long it'll take. But anyway, this chapter is basically going to focus on the different viewpoints of the various teams and their members as they're travelling. I might put a fight in there, but I'm not entirely sure how to divide it...so I'm not sure who's going to be fighting or what so...anyway, enjoy! **Oh, and I fixed the mistakes made in the beginning of the previous chapter.**
Chapter 11-
Haruka Kanata
A group of eleven stood together in the shelter of a small house. They were all cheerfully talking about unimportant matters, despite the task which awaited them. They all cut off abruptly as a tall figure stepped forth from the open doorway.
He eyed them all, disapprovingly, under unnaturally thick eyebrows. (Lee: Unnatural? I was born with these! --___--*) "Have any of you seen them?" He asked urgently, referring to team 00.
Hinata shook her head slowly as she stepped forth. "Iie, Lee-san. W- we haven't seen them at all since they left the village." She lowered her head worriedly. In fact, she wasn't even sure if the three had reached the Hidden Mist yet. Her hands trembled slightly as she began twirling her fingers around one another, a sure sign that she was nervous.
A comforting hand found itself on her shoulder. Looking up quickly, she saw the comforting gaze of Kiba fixed on her face. He grinned and said to her, "Shinpai-nai! They'll be here in no time, Hinata!" He nodded to emphasize his point, then dropped his hand from her shoulder.
She smiled slowly, appreciating the gesture. "H-hai, Kiba-kun. I don't know why I...I was doubting." Looking down at her hands, she realized that she was still worried, despite what he had said. She looked up quickly, worried that he would follow her gaze and realize all she had just said was a lie. He hadn't.
"Yappa! That's the spirit, Hinata!" Grinning once more, he left her side.
"I know what K-kiba-kun said is true...demo..." Gazing up at the ceiling, she sighed softly. "Why am I still doubting?"
*
"Kuso..." Neji's face contorted with anger. 'We're going to be late! I knew we shouldn't have gone on this stupid detour...' "Get the hell out! We know you're there!" He yelled into the darkness. Three figures appeared in front of him.
Miharu awoke suddenly. "We know what...?" She asked, rubbing her eyes slowly and yawning. She patted Neji's shoulder. "You..." she yawned once more, "sure do make a good pillow."
Neji looked at her. "Urusai!" he spat. Seeing the look of confusion on her face (a/n: she sure is stupid!), he sighed impatiently. "Can't you feel it?" he aked her urgently. She only looked at him strangely. "The chakra, you idiot!"
Her eyes widened as she nodded. "Why do they keep ambushing us?" she asked him in a hushed whisper. Then, before he had time to answer, she realized what it must mean. "He knows we're coming, doesn't he?"
Neji didn't answer. Instead he looked ahead at the three figures who had appeared before them. Getting up quickly, he activated his Byakugan. "Of course..." he muttered to himself as he saw their hitai-ate.
A tall, lanky man stepped forward first. He had a bowl shaped haircut, and wore a red trench coat. Underneath he wore a black bodysuit. His left eye was bandaged, and his hitai-ate covered a part of his face. Grinning, the man spoke up.
"Do you want to know?" he asked, malicious laughter hidden beneath his words.
"Know what?" Neji asked. He grabbed a kunai from his pouch and charged. "Chukusho, know what?" He jumped up into the air when he was a foot away from the man, and came down upon the man, kunai first. Jamming it into the Sound's hand, he pushed harder until the Sound was on the floor, hand pinned to the rocky earth by the kunai.
As he jumped away, Neji felt blood trickle down his arm. Looking at it, he was surprised to see a kunai there. He hadn't felt it pierce his skin. Yet...how would it have gotten there? Unless... "Kawarimi no Jutsu!" he gasped, looking at the puddle of water which lay where the Sound once had. A hand connected with his head, and he flew towards the ground from the pressure.
Miharu ran towards the place where Neji was to fall, grabbing him just before he hit the ground. "Neji?" she asked uncertainly, shaking him. "Kuso...we need Sasuke...Where is he?"
*
Sasuke was in no mood to help. He sat high up in the branches of a nearby tree and watched. He had already realized that Orochimaru knew that they were after him, so he wasn't surprised by the steady stream of attacks they had been receiving from the Sand.
He watched as Miharu ran to grab Neji before he hit the ground. He watched as she whispered something into thin air. Watched as she slumped her shoulders in defeat. And then he knew...something was not right. No matter how much he felt to not help...watch them feel the wrath of those stronger than them, they were his team. And he, if no other, needed them to continue the mission. It had to be he who dealt the final blow to Orochimaru.
Sighing, he stood up and jumped.
*
Ino sighed impatiently and loudly. She was getting tired of waiting for the three shinobi. They were supposed to be the best in the village! Why of all times did they choose now to loose track of time? "Baka yo...jou da nai!" She muttered angrily to herself. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked behind her only to see her renowned best friend. "Sakura?" she asked.
Sakura smiled at her. "Ino buta-chan, shimpai-nai!" Taking a seat beside her friend, Sakura looked at the large group, which had split up into ones of three and four. "You know as well as I do that they are one of the most responsible teams we have. There's no way that they're out there fooling around. Something MUST have come up to delay them."
Ino nodded her head as she realized that what Sakura said was true. There was no way that Team 00 would have done this on purpose. "Arigatou, Sakura. You're right again!" Giving Sakura a quick hug, she leaned back in her seat, hands behind her head. 'All there is to do is wait.' She told herself.
Over in a corner, Tenten stood with Temari. Although the two had hardly had any conversations during their years as Genin and Chuunin, once they had become Jounin they had found a lot more to talk about, seeing as though they had realized they had more in common than anyone could have guessed.
"Ne, TenTen, why do you think they're not here?" Temari asked the younger Jounin. She didn't really understand what could be keeping the three from a mission such as this. The Hokage had even said that this may be the last mission for them, once Orochimaru was defeated. How could they even think about being late now?
TenTen shrugged her shoulders. "I really don't know." She informed her friend. There was no way she would believe Neji could do this. He had never been late for anything in his whole life. And she had known him from her years at the Academy. "Maybe something happened."
Temari looked skeptical. She knew that team well. There was hardly any known teams of any village, including the Hidden Sand, which could match their skill in all areas of jutsu, be it nin-, gen-, or taijutsu. TenTen caught her look, and averted her gaze, falling silent.
Hinata gazed over the groups which were scattered around the room. The memory of what Kiba had said still held strong in her mind, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. If they had not been back by now...well, she knew that there was hardly anything which could delay the likes of that team.
Firstly, there was her cousin, Hyuuga Neji. He was one of the strongest of the Hyuuga clan, stronger than her even. He had been taught many of the techniques which utilized the Byakugan to cause opponents internal damage, most of the time which turned out to be fatal. And he knew when and how to use them to the greatest advantage.
Then there was the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sasuke. He had, over the years, learned attacks which were specialties of many different countries. And by using his Sharingan, he was able to copy any technique he wished at his will. This made him both powerful on the offense and defense. He was also the most promising ninja in both the tests and the academy.
Miharu...she had so many secrets. About her past, about her skill. She had arrived in time for the Chuunin Exam, from out of nowhere. Yet still, her hitai-ate showed that she was from the Konoha Village. After time, everyone got used to her cold attitude and secretive manner. And so, when she became outspoken and friendly, everyone was quite shocked. Despite all this, she remained on of the strongest female ninja to date.
Hinata smiled meekly at the memory of Team 00. Yet a dark shadow in her mind vanquished her smile. They were here to kill Orochimaru...the deadliest ninja...on the S-rank wanted list...and they were to do it in little or no time. As much as she hated arguments or confrontations of any kind, she had to admit, if only to herself, that she was a little bit angry. Every minute counted, for one could mean the difference between life or death. You live, you love, and you die.
Suddenly she realized that she was by herself, and all the other groups were on the other side of the room. After a moment of private laughter, she decided to join her team. Walking over to Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, she began to twirl her fingers once more. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to hide her emotions.
Shino nodded at her as she walked over, as a fly landed on her arm. Careful not to harm it, Hinata smiled softly. As she reached closer, Akamaru barked out to her, bounding of his master's head and into her arms. The fly which had perched upon her earlier took flight. Hinata looked at it, reaching out as if to grab it, a low "Ah!" escaping her mouth.
Her hand stopped halfway as Akamaru rubbed itself against her leg. Bending down, she patted it slowly. Looking up, she saw Kiba and Shino standing over her, grinning. Getting up, she faced them, a slight blush creeping over her nose. "N-nani?" She asked uncertainly.
They didn't have any time to answer. Before they had time to even open their mouths, the doors to the room burst open once more, and Kankuro walked through. "Minna-san, get ready to leave! If team 00 aren't here in the next half hour, we're going to go on ahead without them. They are to meet with us later on. Those are direct orders from the Hokage."
Shikamaru spoke up from his corner where he and Chouji sat. "Demo...if we leave without them, how are they to know where we are? How will they contact us?"
Kankuro looked over at him. "Hokage-sama said that he's sending someone here to hold this place until their team arrives. Then he'll direct them to where we left off. As for contacting us...I'm not too sure myself how that's going to work."
Lee turned toward him and flashed him a big smile. "I guess we'll have to just see. Demo ne, nothing is too hard for the most gorgeous beast of the Konoha!" He was too busy talking about his so-called beauty (Lee: So called? I'm so beautiful that I put models to shame!) that he had not even realized that TenTen had grabbed his collar until she began to shake him. HARD.
"LEE!" She yelled into his ear. "URUSAI O KUDASAI YO!" Finally letting go, she let him drop down to the floor, nearly unconcious, before kneeling down beside him. "Let's just get ready, ok?" She asked him warily.
Looking up at her he nodded fearfully, and she hugged him. Watching this, everyone in the room sweatdropped. They couldn't help but all realize what a weird relationship the two had.
*
Sasuke sped towards his teammates. He wasn't sure how fast he could reach the area where they were currently fighting the sound. There was no way he was going to loose his team this early, before he had a chance to utterly destroy Orochimaru, just as he had done with his brother.
*
Neji sat up, using Miharu as support. Wiping the blood of his mouth with the back of his hand, he coughed. "Neji? What happened up there?" She asked. Neji looked at her, his gaze containing naught but spite. She flinched under his stare, but quickly straightened up. What she saw heading for her made her scream.
*
Finally leaving the room, Hinata stood under the blue sky...gazing into the far off distance...Haruka Kanata.
End of Chapter 11!
A/N: Only a few more chapters to go! I kind of changed the storyline as I went along, because I believe the "Road to Wind" might be a pretty long chapter. Anyway, I decided to focus more on the other groups than on team 00 so I hope you still enjoyed it. I'm not too sure when the next chapter will be up, so please keep on checking! Ja ne!