What was lost, What was gained

ch. 5

Rookies POV

Hinata waited nervously for her teammates to come, it well past midnight, past the time they were all suppose to go meet the rest of the rookies. Right after Naruto and his team left that morning for their mission, Hinata began contacting all the rookies telling them to meet in the attic of the achemy. Neji had gone headed with his team already.

"Hey Hinata."

Hinata turned and around. In the shadows stood her two teammates, she ran to them happily.

"Thank goodness, I thought something happened."

Kiba spit in the other direction.

"Almost, my mom's dog picked up on my scent, thankfully Shino showed up at my place first and gave me a hand."

Shino just nodded. Hinata sighed with relief.

"That's okay, but we have to hurry and get to the meeting place."

Without another word they took off careful to stay in the shadows, as Naruto had said no one should find out about their meetings. It took them about a minute or two to reach the school. Shino grabbed both his teammates pulling them to a stop behind the tree with the swing.

"Why are you stopping us!"

Kiba yelled hitting Shino's head away. I tossed my hands over Kiba's mouth.

"Shhhh, Kiba, quiet!"

We jumped into the tree seeing a chunnin guard. The guard looked around supiously then continued walking around the perimeter. When the guard was gone Kiba turned back to Shino.

"We could have made it into the school before the guard showed up if you hadn't stopped us."

He growled in a little more of a quiet tone.

"Hinata told everyone to meet in the attic, but look at the window."

Shino pointed. Hinata and Kiba looked. The window was jet black, it didn't look like anything was there. Hinata caught on.

"Byakugan!"

Hinata stared. Her surprise she couldn't see into the attic, all she could see was darkness, pure shadow.

Hinata deactivated her byakugan and smiled at her teammates. The rookies were in the attic waiting. Hinata signal her teammates, they followed her onto the roof. Hinata walked on the wall up to the window, instantly the shadow receaded and the window was open. Hinata and her friends jumped through to find Shikamaru by the window along with Neji's byakugan active.

"About time you three got here."

Neji said. Hinata apolgized. It was clear Shikamaru has been using his shadow jutsu to cover the window so no one not even a memeber of the huuyga clan could look in, the engenius part of this plan was the byakugan could look out, that's how Neji knew they were outside.

"Man, I thought you said midnight Hinata. Its been so troublesome sneaking around here. Not to mention Chouji is starting to get hungry."

Shikamaru complained pointing behind him. Hinata blushed. There were all the rookies together, watching them. Kiba put his hands behind his head.

"Sorry guys, it was my fault."

Shino shrugged. Hinata turned away to try and cool her face.

"So why have you called us all here Hinata?"

Ino asked, twirling her hair on her finger. TenTen was sitting against the wall with Chouji. Lee was of course drawing on the old dusty chalkboard new battle moves to show Gai-sensei.

"Well actually..."

Hinata swallowed hard. Over the years Naruto had left the village Hinata had grown alot more confident, she and Neji even spent evening talking to each other. Even Naruto said on oassions that there was no way she was the same shy, blushing Hinata he grew up with. Though she wasn't as shy anymore, the blush was usually always present when Naruto was around.

"Naruto asked me to start these meetings."
Everyone stiffen. When Naruto had the rookies gather espiecally when they were told not to let anyone find out they knew it was serious. Hinata exhaled again, telling them all about Naruto's mission and what he wanted them to do.

"Man, that's deep. Hah! Leave it to that idiot to always get into the most trouble."

Kiba laughed. Hinata smiled but for long, if she knew how the rest of the night was going to go she might have wanted to stay home.

"Now hold on, we should think about this. The Akatsuki is-big. We shouldn't rush into this."

Tenten said standing up and dusting off her pants. In almost to quick of a fasion the room was divided. Ino, Chouji, Tenten, and Shino on Hinata's left and Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, and Lee on her right.

"Tenten is right. The Akatsuki is not something we should jump on board for, even for Naruto."

Ino said looking at her fellow rookies on the other side of the room.

"Ino what are you saying, this is Naruto. He needs us."

Shikamaru answered, staring at his girlfriend.

"No way Shikamaru."

Chouji cut in.

"We backed him up with the sound because we could handle the sound. They had the same rank or lower then us and Sakura was captured so in that sense we had no choice. Still were talking about really tough guys here, the toughest. S-ranked bing book tough."

"Do not be a coward my friend!"
Lee glowed with fire in his eyes.

"Naruto is our friend and comrade, we should follow him like we did a half year past. I promise pure loyalty and youth will guide us."

He tighten his fists with pride.

"It will be reckless, even if he does send reports, Naruto doesn't know everything, and what he doesn't know could be the information we need. We all could be killed so easily, because we lack the proper notes."

Shino said causing Lee grinded his teeth in anger for be changlled.

"Are you all really that frieghten of dying?"

Neji asked, still as calm as ever.

"Nehi don't you dare say we don't want to do this because were afraid!"

Tenten yelled, Neji for the first time, glared back at her.

"Won't you listen, this mission is too risky. Not only do we have our own missions to worry about, but we would become rogue ninjas if we just left the village because Naruto needed back-up."

Ino spat looking at Shikamaru.

"Plus think of what the hokage would do if she found out about these meetings, she would flip and might put us on probation. Think how often we would have to have these meetings."

Chouji rubbed his belly, more out of habit now then hunger. Shikamaru hated to admit it but they were right, most of the cards were being played against them, still Shikamaru couldn't even imagine himself walking away from this.

"How can you four call yourself leaf shinobi! You're disgusting!"

Kiba shouted with distaste, pointing his finger across the room. Akamamru would have agreed if he had brought him a long.

"Kiba! You're just as careless as Naruto!"

Shino argued back. Somehow the room was filling with yelling and shouting, Hinata couldn't believe what had just happen. The rookies from her childhood fighting like enemies. Best friends and couples arguing with such malice. Hinata felt anger building up, she hated what she was saying, finally she bursted but not with fury but with...tears.

"What's...happening?"

Hinata tried to ask as tears fell down her cheeks, her nose sniffaled. All the rookies stopped what they were saying and turned to the sobbing girl. None of them had thought about what this was doing to Hinata, after all she loved Naruto, and he was asking for help and he felt like the only one hearing his plead.

"Hinata...listen..."

Ino walked over and was about to put a hand on her shoulder but Hinata waved her off.

"Naruto...needs...us...and we aren't..."

Hinata covered her face, trying to wipe her nose. She couldn't talk to them like this, she needed Naruto right now, she needed her strength. Finally she was able to clear her voice.

"It's alright if you don't want to do this, but for those who are willing meet me back here tomorrow night, midnight."

She could see all the rookies sway hestiately. Usually Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji would walk wach other home, Usually Chouji first so Shikamaru and Ino could be together. But now Shikamaru stood alone on the other side of the room. Usually Neji would walk Tenten home also that was when they usually had their affection time before Neji returned to the Huugya compound. Even the fact that Shino and Kiba would go and get something to eat and talk about all sorts of things, they had been best friends for years, now they too were glaring at each other with anger. Instantly the rookies on the left walked out together, and the rookies of right walked out together. Hinata couldn't look anymore, in one night she had ripped apart the rookies, she had destroyed the strongest friendship in all of Konoha. She continued to cry as she jumped out the window and away from the school.

"I'm sorry Naruto, if you were here you could have won them all over with your spirit. If...I wasn't ...so weak...maybe I could have...once made you...proud."

She was wrong, she was still weak. Naruto was wasting his time on her, no one ever changed, especially her.