Chapter 2:
The next day it was long but slow. Sai wasn't here yet and it was almost noon which was my lunchtime. He promised and Sai always kept his word when he promised something. I was starting to get worried until Naruto came in to probably get flowers for Hinata.
"Hey Ino, do you have blue roses, there Hinata's favorite flowers?" I nodded while checking the front door again.
"Just blue roses?" I checked with Naruto.
"Yep, where's Sai, isn't he usually here by now?"
"Yeah, I guess his running late today" my voice lowered and I knew Naruto noticed. He didn't show or point it out though. I handed him his blue roses and took his money for them.
Naruto smelled the flowers and gave a small smile "thanks Ino, here is a tip for you." He handed a few more extra dollars and soon left. When the little bell from on top of the door rang every time someone came in I would jerked my head toward the door. The more time passed the more I was getting worried. Then a messenger for the Hokage came in and gave me word of a rescue mission that I was requested for. 'Sai' was my first thought.
I ran as fast as I could to the Hokage office to get more information on the mission. When I got there I was out of breath but cautious on everything around me. The Hokage looked up at me and had mourn in his eyes for a split second.
"Ino, please come in" he said with a worn out voice but kind at the same time. "I need you to go rescue someone from the Sand Village. He went last night to give a message to one of my old friends but hasn't reported back. We just got word he got kidnapped from a couple of Sand ninjas for trespassing."
"Who...?" I managed to ask.
"Excuse me?"
"Who is it?"
The Hokage got quiet and in my gut I knew, I knew it was Sai. Then he finally answered me to confirm my feeling. "It's Sai, his in trouble."
"Give me his exact location and I will find him" I assured. The Hokage didn't argue with me. He gave me the location and let me go. I ran back to my home to gather my weapons. My parents argued with me, not wanting me to go. They protest until I screamed "ENOUGH!" they were quiet after that. "Sai is my love of my life and I'm not going to sit around here and not do anything, I'm going and that's final." I left my parents in shock while I headed to the thick woods. The ground was too obvious for a ninja so I stayed in the trees. Swiftly running from branch to branch.
All through the nights and days I ran. Rest was far from my mind. Then when the weather was getting dryer that's when I knew I was getting closer to Sai. Slowly the woods started decreasing in size till I was out of trees and on dry sand. The air so dusty it was hard to breathe. I cover up my mouth with a purple cloth that was attached to my clothing I wore. In a distance I saw tents that could easily be camouflage with the bright sand.
I was almost there till the earth shook from underneath me. It was hard to keep balance but I was still on my feet when the ground stood still again. I thought it was clear till something big slid out from under the sand. My first reflex was to stay completely still until a set of fangs were heading toward me. In a flash I had my twin swords in hand and shielding the fangs away from my face. A Sand Serpent. A big one by the glances I could get. Sai was just behind this Sand Serpent and waiting for help. I couldn't hold this serpent away forever. In this short period of time I had left I needed to figure out a plan before my time ran out.
The only plans I could think of was two and both ended up with me sacrificing something of mine. What I meant by that was I knew the speed of the serpent and I knew its fangs would sink either into my arm or my leg. I needed to choose. I let my swords drop and swung one through the serpent.