A/N - Hey, yo! How have ya been since my last update, huh? Hee hee! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Two: Team Seven Accepts
"A run away?" Sakura repeated, "Who would run away from Konoha?"
"Ino Yamanaka."
Sakura's mouth dropped open in complete shock, "Ino? Ino Yamanaka? But...why?"
"That's your mission, to find her, and, to find out why." The Hokage explained.
Sakura stared, she couldn't believe that Ino had run away from Konoha. Why? Why on earth would Ino leave? It's too insane, what about Sasuke? I thought she wanted to duel it out with me for him. What the hell is up with her?
"How, how long ago did she leave?" Sakura asked.
"Well, we're not quite sure, Hinata Hyuuga rerported that she had gotten a letter from Ino about five days ago, of course, she had been out on a mission before that, so we don't really have any clue as to when she left. We onlyknow that Hinata Hyuuga recieved the letter five days ago, and thatIno'ssensei, Asuma Sarutobi, spoke with her eleven days ago. So there is five days unaccounted for."
"That means she could be almost anywhere!" Sakura shouted.
"Sakura, calm down," Kakashi ordered; Sakura glared at him, but fell silent, knowing she had to follow her sensei's orders.
"Thank you, Kakashi," The Hiokage said, and Kakashi nodded, as the Hokage continued, "Now, Team Seven, will you accept this mission?"
"OF COURSE WE WILL!" Naruto shouted, "We have to find Ino! She's Sakura's friend, and whoever's a friend of Sakura's is a friend of mine, and I don't turn my back on my friends! So, there is no other way, we have to take this mission! Isn't that right, Sakura?"
Naruto glanced over at Sakura with a wide grin; Sakura stared then smiled and nodded in agreement, "Yeah."
"Sasuke? Kakashi Sensei? What about you two?" Naruto asked looking back at them.
Sasuke shrugged, which was his way of saying 'sure', and Kakashi thought about it fotr a moment and then nodded, and said, "Alright, then, Team Seven accepts this mission of finding the run away, Ino Yamanaka."
"Then, hurry, and go," The Hokage told them all, "Do what you can to find her and return her safely to Konoha."
"Right," Kakashi confirmed lazyily.
With that Team Seven left the Hokage's office, and started towards town.
"I'll go see Hinata about that letter she got from Ino," Sakura told the others.
"No," Kakashi put in, "I want you to check out Ino's appartment, prevably with Naruto and Sasuke, I'll go see Hinata, and ask around the village."
Sakura looked at her Sensei with wide eyes, "But, why I can just go see-"
"No, I told you to go to Ino's, it would be more appropriate," Kakashi explained.
Sakura stared, what the hell? Damn, sometimes I just don't get Kakashi Sensei's way of thinking.
Sakura glared at Kakashi , then turned on her heels and called to the two boys, "Come on, Naruto, Sasuke, let's go see what we can find in Ino's appartment."
"Uh, okay," Naruto said, and he followed after Sakura; Sasuke followed without a word.
Sakura walked down the street to where Ino's appartment was, Naruto, and Sasuke, trailling behind her.
"Hurry up you two!" Sakura snapped; both boys jumped, looked at each other, shrugged, and speed up.
"What's up, Sakura?" Naruto asked, "You're not usually this...angry."
"OWW!"
Sakura walked on towards Ino's appartment, as Naruto nursed the throbbing bump on his head.
"Let's go, Sasuke, Naruto can catch up," Sakura called; and Sasuke wasted no time in getting within a foot of Sakura, not wanting to have a bump on his own skull that matched Naruto's.
"Wait up, guys," Naruto shouted, running after them, after some of the throbbing subsided.
Sakura, Sasuke, and soon, Naruto, reached Ino's appartment and when they got to her appartment door, they imediately realised hints as to what might have gotten Ino wanting to leave.
"What the hell happened to her door?" Naruto asked, as Sakura stared in shock at the ragged door.
Ino usually kept very good care of her home, she always had the door painted with some bright, and pretty color, and it had never before had a scratch, or dent on it. Today, though, her door had scratches all over it, and there were dents on it, even though it was a wooden door, like someone had been pounding on it to go in.
"Someone was trying to get in," Sasuke said, stating the obvious, "And it seems they didn't take no for an answer."
"Obviously, wait what?" Sakura said, "What do you mean, didn't take no for an answer?"
"Look here, at the door side of the door," Sasuke said, pointing to the side of the door near the handle, where there was no doubt that someone tried to force their way in.
"What the hell?" Sakura said, "What the hell is going on?"
"I don't know, but we'll have to get in to have any real idea," Sasuke said, and he then turned to Sakura, and asked, "How are we going to get in?"
"Easy," Sakura said,as she reachedinto her bag and pulled out a bunch of keys on a large silver ring, "I have a key."
"What the-?" Naruto asked, looking at the many keys on the ring in Sakura's hand, "What are all the keys for?"
"They belong to all my friends," Sakura explained, looking through the keys, she stopped at one and said, "Here we go, Ino's."
Sakura singled-out the key, and slipped it into the keyhole of Ino's appartment door, she turned it, and heard a small click that signaled it had unlocked. She pulled out the key, turned the handle, and pushed the door open. Sakura's mouth almost dropped to the floor.
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Kakashi walked through Konoha, looking around for anyone who may be able to tell him about Ino's dissapearance. He then spotted a tuff of dark blue hair going into the village flower shop.
There's Hinata, Kakashi said to himself, and he went into the flower shop after her.
"Hinata!" Kakashi called, Hinata jumped, then turned.
"Oh, hello," Hinata said inher low soft voice, "You're, you're Naruto-kun's sensei, Kakashi, right?"
"Yes," Kakashi confirmed, "I was only wondering if you could tell me a bit about that letter Ino sent to you?"
"Oh," Hinata said, her face falling slightly, "Yeah, okay, sure."
"Alright, how about we go to the coffee shop down the street, we can talk there," Kakashi suggested, pointing out the door.
"Sure," Hinata said, nodding.
A few minutes later Kakashi, and Hinata, were sitting at the said coffee shop, a vanilla latte sat in front of Hinata, (Kakashi's treat, just 'cause!) nothing sat before Kakashi, he had business to discuss.
"So, what exactly was written in the from Ino?" Kakashi asked Hinata as she took a sipof her latte.
"It just said that she had to leave Konoha, and that I shouldn't bother to come look for her, or report her to the Hokage, because she'd be long gone by the time I got her letter, then it said that I should do the same, that I should leave Konoha."
"Really?" Hinata nodded, "Did it say why?"
Hinata shook her head, "Yes, it said because I'm not safe here."
Kakashi nodded, "Would I be able to see this letter?"
"Uhh, sure...I guess," Hinata said as she drank more of her latte, she then put the glass down and reached into her coat pocket, and puller out an envolope, which she handed to Kakashi.
Kakashi took the envelope, and pulled out the letter that was inside, opened it, and read;
Dear Hinata,
By the time you get this I'll be long gone, so there'll be no point in telling the Hokage. They'll never find me. I've left Konoha, and I'm not coming back.
I urge you to do the same, Hinata. Run away from Konoha, you're not safe there, even though you Sensei may think differently. Please, Hinata, listen to me and run, run away!
I've already sent letters to Sakura, and the other girls, so don't worry about telling them. Don't mention this letter to anyone! Okay? I can't have my Sensei looking for me. Please, Hinata, don't talk about this letter to Sakura, or anyone else. Keep it a secret! Please, I beg you Hinata!
I must go, now, but please heed my words, and run away, you are not safe in Konoha!
Your Friend,
Ino Yamanaka
P.S. Just in case Sakura doesn't, pleasetell my Sasuke-Kun to be careful, when he's with his team. Tell him for me Hinata.
Kakashi read, and re-read the letter a fair few times, before he handed it, and the envelope, back to Hinata, who put it back into her pocket.
"It's a strange letter, and it says that Sakura got one as well," Kakashi recalled, talking more to himself then to Hinata.
"Well, I'd better go and see what Sakura, and the other's have found out," Kakashi said, standing up.
"Oh, alright, um..." Hina stummbled over her next words, while her face turned red,"Say...say hello...to..Naruto...Naruto-kun for...for me."
Kakashi smiled, "Sure thing."
Hinata smiled, and blushed deeply, as Kakashi walked away with her message for Naruto.
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"Oh my gosh!" Sakura breathed, looking around at the torn home that used to be so prefect, and cozy.
There was not one thing that wasn't broken, ripped, or in such a complete state of disaray that it would be impossible to get any use out of the item. Flower vase were smashed on the floor near various walls, hinting that they had been thrown against the said walls. The flowers belonging in the vase were scattered all over. There were indents on the walls that looked like someone took a swing at them with their fist. Sakura had to put a hand to her mouth to stop from vomitting all over the carpet when she looked at the once white sofa, and saw something that looked like blood.
"Sakura, do you want to wait outside?" Naruto suggested, looking from the blood on the sofa to Sakura's shocked, and pale face, "Sasuke, and I, can look around here."
Sakura was too shocked, nothing like this had ever happened in Konoha before, at least, she didn't think so.
"No," Sakura said in a small voice, "I...I want to look, I want to know...why."
Naruto studied Sakura for a moment then nodded, and started looking around himself, Sasuke, and Sakura, after a minute, did the same.
After about fifteen minutes of searching the front room, hallways, and kitchen, and finding nothing, the three moved to the bathroom, guest bedroom, and Ino's own bedroom.
Sasuke looked around the quest bedroom, Naruto took the bathroom, and Sakura took Ino's bedroom. All three rooms were in the same state as the rest of the house. In complete ruins.
Sakura looked around for about five to ten minutes when a black book caught her eye, she reached over and picked it up. It took Sakura half a second to notice that it was Ino's journal.
Sakura looked around quickly, feeling slightly guilty about going into her best friends journal, but this was a special circumstance. She had to read it so that she could figure out where Ino was, and bring her back.
Just as Sakura started to open the black journal up, she heard a voice from the foyer.
"Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke!" Sakura heard Kakashi's voice call.
Salura stood up, and walked out into the living area, Naruto, and Sasuke, right behind her. They spotted Kakashi standing there, and they all greeted him.
"What did Hinata say about the letter?" Sakura asked.
"Well, actually, she showed me the letter, and Ino wrote that she sent one to you," Kakashi said; Sakura stared.
"I didn't get any letter," Sakura informed the small group around her.
"Have you been home since we got back from our last mission?" Kakashi asked.
Sakura thought for a moment. They had just come back from a mission recently, and then one of the girls from school had asked Sakura to spend the night at their place since they had caughtthe fluand wanted Sakura to help take care of them. So..."No, I haven't."
"Then how about you go home, now," Kakashi said; Sakura had just started to nod in reply, when she realized she still had Ino's journal in her hand.
"One moment, though, I just want to see if there's anything in here first," Sakura said, and Kakashi looked at her curiously.
"Alright," Kakashi agreed; and so Sakura sat down on one of the arms of the sofa's in the living room, and opened the journal to the first page.
Sakura's eye scanned the page for anything that didn't belong, she didn't fins anything so she flipped through it until she found a page that did. Sakura stopped about half-way through, when she reached pages that looked slightly water-logged. Sakura opened the journal wide, and placed it on her knees, and surveyed the page she had opened to. Sakura gasped, as she read what was written on the tear stained pages;
Today, my sensei...he...he ordered me to sleep with him. I had to do it, too, there's no law against it. He can order his student to do whatever he wants them to do. I'm worried he will do it again, and what about other girls on other teams? What about Sakura! Her sensei is always reading that forbidden book! She's probably gone through this more than once already! I don't want to be in this village anymore, but I don't want to leave without knowing Sakura, and my other friends are okay. I can't tell them straight out though, they'd go and tell the Hokage, and then the whole village would know! I wouldn't be able to handle that! Please, someone, tell me, what should I do?
Ino Yamanaka
Sakura stared at the page, then flipped to the next day's journal entry, and Sakura read the same kind of entry. An entry about her sensei, her sensei, raping her.
"Oh my gosh," Sakura breathed, "No way."
"What is it, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, stepping towards her slightly.
Sakura jumped and fell off the arm of the couch, "Aaaahhhh!"
Kakashi dived forward and caught Sakura by the arms just before she hit the ground. Sakura flinched, and shuddered at Kakashi's grip on her arm. Kakashiwas puzzledby thisaction of Sakura's.
Did I grab her to roughly? Kakashi though to himself, looking at his grip on her arms...No, I couldn't of grabbed her that hard...could I?
Sakura shrugged out of Kakashi's grip, and stepped back, clutching Ino's journal to her. While she tried to convince her body that Ino was wrong about Kakashi Sensei, that he would never order her to do that, he wouldn't, I know it...so, why am I backing away from him, then?
It took Sakura a few momments to realize that she had back up into a wall, all three of the guys before her were looking at her in confusion.
"Um, Sakura?" Naruto asked, "Are you okay?"
Sakura didn't answer.
"Sakura," Kakashi said in a voice of authority.
She was right, Sakura thought, Ino was right.Kakashi senseiprobably would, he probably would order me to sit still while he raped me.
Kakashi took another step towards Sakura, but before he got there, he, and the others,heard a voice call from the foyer of Ino's appartment.
"Ino!" A voice they all knew as Asuma Sarutobi's, Ino's sensei!
Sakura's gaze left Kakashi, and trailed to where the foyer met the living area, and she held her breath.
A/N - Hee hee, a cliffly! I apologize for making all the chappie's so far cliffies! Maa haa! Well, until the next chapter, so long! Please review and I'll update quicker!