Chapter 10

A D-rank mission. Sasuke's Tears.

Kurenai's team met at the waterfall, a beautiful place, but there was a lot of litter. Kurenai told them their mission, though not why they had a D-ranked mission.

"I can't believe we're on a D-rank mission." Kiba complained. "Cleaning up the forest is hardly a any mission!"

"K-Kiba-kun, you shouldn't say things like that." Hinata complained weakly. She didn't like it, either.

"It will go faster if we split up." Shino said. His insects were gathering a lot of trash, and they seemed to ba able to do the whole thing themselves. However, the whole team had to work.

Kiba agreed, looking like he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. "Yeah. We'll meet back here in one hour with the junk."

Hinata wandered off, picking up trash as she went. She liked repetitive work, like sweeping and dishwashing, so she enjoyed it, even if it was somewhat disgusting.

I wonder what Gaara is doing. I hope he has somewhere to stay. Her thoughts wandered towards Naruto. He seems happy with Sakura. I am happy for them; they're so perfect for each other, but still… I had wanted my first kiss to be with Naruto. I'm still love Naruto, even if he is taken, now. Even if he was happy when Sakura kissed him, I still want him. Hinata shook such selfish thoughts from her head and continued.

Forty-five minutes later, with her bag full, Hinata decided to start making her way back. She turned around and continued in that direction, heading towards the sound of the river they had met at.

When she got there, Kiba, Kurenai, and Shino were nowhere to be found. Then scenery looked unfamiliar, too. Hinata decided to head downstream, towards the waterfall. They had been able to see the waterfall where they agreed to meet. She headed down the river, hoping that she wasn't too late. She walked for about two hours, worrying more and more the farther she walked. The river headed back into the forest. Hinata was about to sit down and give up, when she saw a clearing. She walked faster, hoping that this would be the waterfall. She pushed aside the ferns and her eyes widened.

Kiba frowned. "Where is she?" he sounded angry, but anyone who knew him could tell that he was simply worried, though it was guaranteed that Hinata would get a lecture followed by a hug when she got back. "She should be here by now!"

"She's not around here." said Shino. "My insects can't find her."

"She wouldn't wander that far off, would she?" Kiba asked, but he sounded unconvinced.

Kurenai walked up to them. "Where's Hinata?" she asked.

"We don't know." replied Shino calmly.

"Then we'll have to organize a search party." said Kurenai.

"Okay." Kiba said, sounding defeated.

Ino was in a hallway, sitting on the ground hugging her knees, with her head down. She wasn't quite crying, but almost. Sasuke almost smiled when he saw Tenten's bikini.

I could deal with him not liking me, but he likes Tenten! She thinks he's boring, she's almost the only girl that would say no if he asked her out, and she's the one he likes! But she's hung up over Neji! I hate my life!

She heard footsteps come towards her. She didn't look up. Nothing mattered. They stopped in front of her.

"Ino-chan?" a male voice asked. "Is that you?"

"Go away."

"Ino-chan, you aren't acting like yourself." he said. "Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

She looked up. It was Sasuke. Suddenly, she was angry. She stood up.

"Why do you pretend to care!" she screamed at him. "After I've spent my whole damn life trying to impress you, doing everything possible to get your attention, you're in love with Tenten! Well, guess what! Tenten likes Neji! And she says you're boring!"

Sasuke got a blank look in his eyes. He walked away, as fast as he could, with his head down. "I guess she's right." he said quietly, in a tone Ino had never heard before. "I guess I am boring." He turned around and smiled weakly at her. "I should try to be more interesting, shouldn't I?"

Ino was stunned for a moment. It was strange enough that he had smiled, but she had seen the glisten in his eyes, and his damp cheeks. He was crying.

She ran after him, berating herself. The one time he actually pays attention to me, I make him cry. For the first time ever, I made him cry! And I'm his biggest fan!

"Sasuke-kun!" she called. "Sasuke-kun, don't cry! I didn't mean it like that! I'm sure Tenten—"

"No." he said. He was about to say more, when he sat down. He put his head in his hands, and his shoulders shook; once, twice. Ino stared before sitting next to him.

"Sasuke-kun!" she was really distressed, now. "Sasuke-kun, don't cry!" she realized that she wasn't helping. She put an arm over his shoulders in silent support, and waited.

When Sasuke regained his composure, he spoke. "If you tell anyone, there won't be enough of you left to feed to the ants." he said.

"The only way I won't tell is on one condition." she said. He glared at her. "If you kiss me."

"It wouldn't be a real kiss if it was forced." Sasuke said. "And we both know you would never do anything to ruin my image."

"You're right." she said. "Sasuke-kun, I love you."

"No." he said. She stared at him. "No, if you really loved me, you would realize that your antics are not what I want, they embarrass me. If you really loved me, you wouldn't put up a false image, you would let me see the real you."

He walked away, leaving Ino extremely traumatized.

The real me. after all this time, I don't even know if there is a real me.

Neji walked away, stunned. Tenten likes me. I can't just brush her off the way I would another fan girl, but I don't know what to say, anymore. And I should get to training, or I'll get a stupid speech from Gai-sensei.

He got to training in time, and the three of them started training. Gai was off somewhere. However, before they even started training in earnest, Neji got cut my one of Tenten's knives.

"Neji?" Tenten asked "Are you okay?"

Neji looked down and mumbled an excuse. He started walking away; training was obviously over. Tenten ran up beside him.

"Neji!" her voice lost it's playful tone. "Neji, look at me!"

Neji did, his face crimson. "What do you want! I have a lot on my mind, and I haven't been getting enough sleep!" It was true.

"Neji," Tenten was openly worried. "You can tell me what's on your mind. I won't get offended."

"No, I can't" he said. "It doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does! How are we supposed to train if you're distracted! And we're a team, you have to trust us!"

"This isn't a matter of trust; it's a guy thing."

"You can tell me!" exclaimed Lee.

"You hardly count as a guy." Neji said. Lee was crushed. Then he saw Sakura and was about to blow her a kiss, when Naruto came up and glared daggers at him. He knew that Naruto would do more than just glare daggers if he did. He watched as Naruto displayed his affections.

Sakura was walking towards the bridge where she was to meet with her team, when someone hugged her from behind. She started, and got even more uneasy when he started licking her ear.

"N-Naruto?"

"Yes?" She wished he wouldn't do thing like that in public.

"You shouldn't scare me like that!"

"No one else would be allowed to do this, I would kill them."

She sighed. She knew that.

"And besides, Lee was about to do something."

She turned around to face him. "Then you do this to protect me?"

"And because I love you." Sakura smiled. Naruto always knew what to say to her. She kissed him and ran off.

"I'll race you to the bridge!"

Oops!

He walked away, leaving Ino extremely happy, having not heard a word he said, but rather the fact that he was talking to her.