My feet seemed very fond of taking slow and quiet steps back to the campsite. Not that I mind of coarse, more power to them.
I continued to walk the same pace, my feet making a slow beat at every step. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and taking a clump of hair between in fingers and twirling it.
"You better watch your step, Uchiha." My feet froze at the sound of Neji's voice. I knew full well that the tone that he was holding was one of his "Life lectures", in which he gives me all of the time. I decided not to interrupt as i leaned against the tree.
"What are you getting at?" I could tell that Uchiha wasn't happy with the current topic, seeing as how his voice caused a shiver of fear to run up my spine.
"I'm saying that one wrong move, and your in a cell for the rest of your life." I blinked and my hand dropped to my side, leaving the hair I was playing with over my shoulder. He was right.
As the silence answered him, Neji continued. "Not everybody is at your beckoned will anymore, its rare that someone will echnolageyou as you walk threw the streets anymore. You need to watch your mouth, especially around Ino."
Alright, that's one confusing statement. Why does he have to watch his mouth against me again? I felt a question mark forming on my head.
"She is part of the interrogation, remember?" I felt like smacking my forehead. Duh, I'm with the police! How could i forget? And for a minuet i almost thought-
"Are you really expecting to just ease-drop on our conversation, Yamanaka?" I felt my back tense as I slowly turned from behind the tree, thinking of a quick excuse.
"Well, it only seemed like someone was talking to themselves, seeing as though i only heard one voice." I indigently crossed my arms and plopped down by the fire -which I don't know when someone lit it- and closed my eyes again.
"We should get moving." Neji interrupted what little shuteye I had all night. I growled inwardly but packed up all the same, soon hitting the trees.
"Neji?" I questioned a couple of minuets after we left the campsite. He glanced at me, letting me continue. "What does this crystal look like, anyway?" He thought for a moment before nodding and answering.
"It's called a water quarts crystal." I rose an eyebrow at the strange name, completely forgetting about the other teammate in thought. He nodded again and continued. "Its one of the 4 crystals in the elemental nation, one for each element."
"One for each element?" I repeated.
"In one village of every country, it holds one crystal. Wind, lightning, earth, fire, water." He spared me another glance."4 out of the 5 crystals are all safe and hidden deep within one of the villages."
"Why only 4? Why can't anyone get the water crystal?" I looked at him, expecting him to know the answer, as he always does.
"No one succeeded in reaching the back of the cave." He replied. I looked forward, a sketchy look on my face.
"So what does this cave look like?" Neji turned silent, making me blink and look at him, turning my head slightly.
"No one knows," Uchiha surprisingly entered the conversation. My eyes narrowed slightly as I glanced at my side to see him. "Everyone that went in, never came out." I blinked as my blood froze. I saw Neji glare at him, as if saying how he wasn't supposed to mention that part. "She was going to find out from the villagers anyway." He shrugged, making me gulp to myself.
"Ino?" Neji questioned, I shook my head, making the color return to my face.
"I-I'm fine, really." I insisted, sparing both guys a slight smile, my eyes closed, just to notice booth looking back at me. "We're going to the Hidden Mist Village, right?" I changed the subject, fastening my pace."Then lets go, we're slowing down."
Honestly, I don't know whats worse. The story about dieing in a cave or the fact that the entire village seems sketchy. The people just seem gloomy and mysterious, as if they knew something I didn't, something big.
"Yamanka." Sasuke's voice caught my attention. It was then I noticed that we where at the place we where staying, a small cabin just outside the cave. The two went inside the small house, while I stayed outside and looked, deciding to ask around.
The streets where small and basically average for a petite village. Being in the mist village, fog covered the streets for the most part. I walked, and it seemed like I could only hear my own footsteps. I looked at the street signs as I walked. My face turned pale as I saw faint figures walk by, causing my head to turn into every which direction on instinct.
Finally getting creeped out, I slickly snuck into an alleyway, shivering inwardly at the same time.
"Something wrong child?" I nearly jumped out of my own skin as my head flipped around fast enough to break my neck. To my surprise, I saw an old woman, dressed in a black and white kimono, her hair being held up in a messy bun with black chopsticks. Her face showed knowledge and wisdom, aged smile lines laid on her face rather nicely. Her big silver-grey eyes where matching with her blond-silver hair.
"N-no," I replied, grabbing my chest and taking a deep breath. "Umm... I hope you don't take this the wrong way but , who are you?" I couldn't help but ask.
"My name is not of importance." I wanted to raise an eyebrow, but I didn't. She glanced at me up and down. "You mustn't be wondering the streets by yourself, it's unsafe for someone of your stature." I tilted my head to the side slightly as she blinked once. "My my, child. You're that konoichi from Konoha, aren't you?" Despite my sudden surge of questions that ran threw my body, I decided to just nod.
"Hai." I answered, deciding to trust the woman.
"Your mission is to get the Crystal, correct?" Missions are supposed to be classified, how does she know.
"Well, i guess that-"
"Quit now." She interrupted my sentence, much to my shock at her words, she continued. "Forget about the mission and leave." My jaw dropped.
"E-excuse me?" My head dropped a little. The old woman narrowed her silver eyes at me.
"All who enter, die." As if I didn't hear that before. The woman reached inside her kimono flap, and pulled out a picture silently. I blinked once or twice as she held it out to me. Hesitantly, I took the picture and almost gasped.
"Her name's Yumie." She started as I stared. "She was my daughter, a Konoichi, just like you." I looked at the woman, then back at the photo. "She would be 30 in a couple of months or so, but whose counting?" I looked at the big silver eyes and brunette hair, the wide smile etched across the face.
"She's beautiful..." I admitted, my eyes glued to the picture.
"She was, wasn't she?" The woman smiled sadly. "She went on the same mission your going on now." I unglued my eyes and looked back at the woman. I offered the picture back, and she took it. However, she did give me something in return: a small black box, about the size of my palm.
"This belonged to her, I want you to have it." She smiled again. "You remind me so much of her. Beautiful, bright, happy... kind." I moved my hand to open the box, but she stopped me.
"Don't use it unless your in an absolute emergency, near death, you hear?" My eyes widened at her sudden stern tone, but I nodded all the same. She gave me one last glance before disappearing in a puff of mist. My eyes returned to the box, before putting it in my medical bag.
"We're going in first in the morning, clear?" Neji ordered the both of us. I nodded with no second thought, just to earn a scoff from Uchiha. I glared, just to receive a blank stare back. I grunted after several moment and stood up, huffing up the stairs.
I closed the door behind me and locked it, leaning against its wooden frame. Taking the box out of my bag, i opened the small blyack latch, making me actually gasp.
I small Crystal container, sparkling pink-orange liquid inside. It was attached to a pure silver chain, the latch small and delicate.
Carefully, I put the jewel around my neck and snapped the latch, making it secure. I hid it under my collar and laid on the thin mattress bed, seamlessly falling asleep
Unfortunately, I had yet another case of amnesia and couldn't sleep for more that a couple hours. Sighing and sitting up, I unlocked the door, just to almost run into something, or someone. Stumbling backwards, I caught my feet and glanced up to see Uchiha is in front of my door.
"Erm..." I looked blankly up at him, confused as to why he's up and in front of my door at 3 am. I rose an eyebrow at him.
"Your a medical ninja." It was more a statement than a question, but it confused me all the same. "I need you to take a look at something." Despite my confused look, he walked passed me and sat on my bed, taking off his shirt.
"WHOAH WHOAH WHOAH!" I almost shrieked, covering my eyes with the back of my hand.
"Quit whining." I heard his voice say. Keeping my eyes shut, I stopped my foot on the floor.
"There's a half naked guy on my bed at 3 o'clock in the morning, with the door shut! You really expect me to keep calm?" I hissed at him, my eyes still slammed shut. I heard him sigh.
"Just shut up and look at my back." I snorted and turned defiantly.
"Give me one reason why I should."
"Because I'm injured." I could tell the clear annoyance in his voice, but the word 'injured' made me turn. I blinked as he turned, showing a huge gash along his back. I felt my jaw drop. Yeah, that has been happening a lot today.
"The wound is fresh...When did you-"
"Someone tried to attack while you and Neji where asleep." My eyes widened more.
"I was only asleep for an hour..."
"That's long enough." At this i ran out of words to say. I gulped and gently touched the wound on his back. Flinching at the slight movement in his arm when I did, I walked over and pulled out some dry herb leaves.
"I'm no Sakura, but I should be able to help for the most part." I said crushing the leaves in disinfecting water.
"It's good enough." He mumbled. I walked over and took the water in my hand, making it glow green as it touched his back. To my surprise, he didn't even flinch until I was finishing up.
"Alright, I'll bandage it and tell me how you feel in the morning, alright?" I stated as I rapped his torso in bandages.
"Hn." He replied before putting his shirt back on and leaving the room.
"Night, Uchiha."
"Yamanka..." I heard him mumble. A slight smirk pulled on my lips.
SO, HOW WAS THAT? I know, no Itachi in this Chapter, but as i said, it is an end pairing! He should be in the next chapter. Just please review! I'm building background here! :DD And trust me, it may not make sense now, but it'll all pull together!
REVIEWW!
Till next time,
Candy