A/N: All right all though this is not my first time writing fanfiction, it is new for me to post fanfiction. I would love to know what people have to say about this story but please don't just hate on me.
With that said...I have to say, and it pains me to do so...I do not own the Naruto Universe nor do I own any songs that maybe in here and I sadly never will...but I do however own the creativity it took to write this fanfiction and the oocs in it.
This fanfiction is rated MA or R for any language, violence, or sexual themes/content.
All this being said and done with I hope you enjoy reading Time never heals every wound!
End A/N.
Chapter 3: To Be Tested
I woke up to my alarm going off. I scrambled off my bed and into the bathroom to shower. Stepping out of the steamy bathroom I padded over to the closet and opened it up. I grabbed out black capri pants and a black tank top that stopped just under my small chest. I also grabbed wrappings and arm covers like Sasuke wares except black and white.
I wrapped my stomach with the wrappings before pulling on the tank top and arm covers. Then I pulled on the carpi pants and a pair of black sandals. I pulled up my hair into a ponytail before strapping my weapons pouch to my thigh. I left the house at 4:30 am reaching the training grounds at 5 am.
Shortly after I arrived Shino walked into the clearing that was training ground six. I waved him over before sitting on the ground. Shino sat down next to me and leaned against a tree trunk. I watched the sky as clouds moved lazily across the sky.
Suddenly I felt something crawl onto my hand that was in the grass. Curiously I lifted my hand to find a little beetle crawling over the back of my hand. Shino was watching my intensely as I watched the little bug crawl on me. It soon crawled up my arm and under the covering there. I laughed softly as the bug tickled my skin.
"So you really don't mind them?" My laughter didn't die down right away as the bug was still crawling on my sensitive arm, but soon I was able to reply.
"No I actually like bugs. They are very useful in my garden…well some are but that's beside the point." I reached under my arm cover and waited for the bug to crawl onto my finger. When it did I lifted it out from under the covering and watched it crawl on my finger a moment before offering it to Shino.
"This is your beetle isn't it?" I asked tilting my head to the side slightly. Shino reached out his hand to mine until we were inches away from touching. He hesitated there for a while before his index finger brushed against mine to let the beetle crawl back to its master. I blushed lightly at Shino's touch, but as soon as it was there it was gone again.
"How did you know?" I smiled at Shino before looking at across the training ground. I watched Hinata and Kiba walk into view and stood up brushing myself off. Shino stood up also still waiting for my answer.
"I could sense your chakra on the beetle." Shino looked at me and I could tell he was shocked. It was hard to sense chakra on ninja beetles because they took so little so I could understand his shock. Still I laughed lightly at him before running over to greet our other two teammates.
"Okay let's get this test done and over with shall we?" Kurenai-sensei said as she appeared out of nowhere. Kiba jumped a mile high and Akamaru barked at our sensei.
"Here are the rules. You have to get these bells from me by lunch time the one who doesn't get a bell goes back to the academy. Oh and come at me with the intent to harm otherwise you're never going to get them. Ready and Go!" Kurenai disappeared from our line of sight. All of us crouched down and looked around.
"We have to take her as a team. Otherwise we don't stand a chance." I whispered to my team. Everyone nodded and looked towards me. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Kiba laughed, Shino and Hinata shook their heads no.
"Your plan you lead." Shino said simply. I gulped and looked around. Me lead? I guess I could try… I activated my sharingan looked at each person assessing their chakra levels. I nodded to myself before looking into the forest. I motioned for everyone to follow as I ran into the forest.
"Hinata active your Byakugan and look for Kurenai-sensei please." Hinata nodded and activated her family blood line.
"Kiba and Akamaru search for her sent. Shino have your insects search as well." They all nodded and did as told. Soon Kiba and Akamaru picked up Kurenai-sensei's sent and we were off in that direction.
As we got closer I held up my hand and everyone stopped. I looked around as did Hinata. We looked at each other and I formed a hand sign.
"Kai!" I shouted and suddenly Kurenai-sensei appeared on a tree branch above us. She smiled and nodded with approval. I sent my team a look and they nodded. Shino held out his arms and a small black cloud suddenly shot towards Kurenai-sensei. Kiba and Akamaru went straight in for close combat with Hinata. I ran through hand sighs took a deep breath and waited for an opening.
"Kuton: Fire ball Jutsu!" I took my opening when it came and released a big ball of fire from my mouth. Kiba and Akamaru jumped out of the way as did Hinata. Kurenai-sensei dodged it mostly but her arm still got caught by it.
Kurenai-sensei tumbled to the ground holding her arm and wincing. We took our chance and I grabbed the bells from Kurenai-sensei. We smiled with victory and I handed a bell to Hinata, Kiba and Shino.
"W-What a-about y-you M-Mina?" Hinata asked looking at my empty hands. I smiled and shrugged.
"It is a leader's job to make sure her comrades survive even if she will not." I said proudly remembering my older brother saying that same thing to me once long ago. Kurenai-sensei came up to us and I reached for her arm. I focused my chakra into my hand and healed what I could. Also thinking back to when Itachi had taught me what medical ninjutsu he knew.
"Here." Shino said while holding out his bell. I stared at it then at Shino.
"Take mine too." Kiba said while shoving his bell in my face. I stared at him as well.
"A-and m-mine!" Hinata said as she offered her bell to me. I looked at my teammates and couldn't help the tears that came. I smiled at my team to show them they were happy tears.
"Well I have to say that you all passed with flying colors. No one will be going back to the academy." We all turned and looked at Kurenai-sensei. She smiled back at us with pride and kindness. We all smiled and jumped for joy….well not all of us jumped for joy Shino stayed standing.
"We should go to Mina's to celebrate! She makes the best stir fry!" Kiba shouted with enthusiasm.
"That's not all I can make you know!" Kiba shrugged at me before grabbing my hand and pulling me towards my house. The others and Kurenai-sensei followed close behind.
"What else can you make?" Kiba asked after awhile of pulling me. I shrugged and he glared at me.
"Depends on what I have in the kitchen I guess…" Kiba nodded and barged into my house pulling me into the kitchen after we shed our shoes at the door. Kiba let me go finally and took a seat at the island as everyone else walked into the kitchen.
"Kiba you can't just barge into other people's houses like that." Kurenai-sensei chided him. Kiba scoffed and earned a smack to the back of the head. I watched as a warm feeling filled my heart. I had found a new family. Kurenai-sensei was like our mother and Kiba and Hinata were my siblings. Shino was like my best friend that always was over so was part of the family.
I giggled to myself and set to making lunch. I ended up making spicy sweet curry and white rice. Of course I with held the meat from mine and Hinata's plates. Kurenai-sensei had raised an eyebrow when I set our plates down and there was no meat on ours but everyone else's.
"Hinata and Mina are vegetarians Sensei." Shino supplied the answer to her unspoken question. Kurenai-sensei nodded and we all began to dig in. Akamaru even had a small plate at the table. We had found old books for him to sit on last time they were here.
"Mina where are yours and Sasuke's guardians?" I stiffened at the question. I put down my spoon full of curry and looked at the table.
"We don't have any."
"Why not? Where is Sasuke anyway if I may ask?" I nodded absentmindedly.
"No one was left to look after us. So Sasuke and I looked after each other. Sasuke lives in our house which is at the center of the compound. I couldn't stand living there after what happened so I moved in here. This was my uncle shisui's place."
Kurenai-sensei looked sad as she nodded. She undoubtedly knew about the massacre. Most adults did. Lunch was finished in silence for once not broken by Kiba. After everyone was done I cleared the table and started the dishes.
"Let me help." Shino grabbed a towel and started drying before I could object. Hinata came in and grabbed the dry plate from Shino and put it away. Kiba came in last with Kurenai-sensei. The dog lover started putting away left over's while our sensei watched us all work at cleaning my kitchen.
"Thanks again for helping clean you guys. Have a safe trip home!" I called out while waving to my teammates and Sensei as they walked away. The sun was getting low in the sky turning the world a lovely orange color. I walked back inside shutting the door behind me.
I walked through my small three bedroom house and out into the backyard which held my sanctuary, my garden. I wondered around watering my different flowers taking in the beauty of each flower. Next I watered my vegetables and the small section of fruits I grew. When I was done I sat down in the hammock and just watched the setting sun.
[Time skip: next day]
"Mina….Mina….Mina!" I groaned and grabbed onto my brother's arm that hesitantly shook me. I cuddle with it until I realized something. My brother never hesitantly did anything. Nor did he smell this good. Like a mix of the forest after it rains and something else. I jolted awake letting go of the foreign arm and caused myself to be flung to ground by the hammock.
I groaned again this time from pain and opened my eyes. Shino was kneeling in front of the hammock staring at me. I blushed bright red and hurried to get up off the ground.
"I…uh…sorry…about you know…grabbing you like that…I uh…thought you where someone else…" I stumbled through my apology blushing more and more. Shino took a moment to stare at me more before he nodded and walked back into the house. He paused at the door way though and turned his head slightly in my direction.
"You have a beautiful garden Mina." I blushed more as he disappeared into the house. I collected myself before following him inside. My whole team was inside waiting for me. They all looked relieved as they saw me.
"W-we t-thought you w-were s-sick o-or something s-so S-Shino said w-we should c-check on you." I looked over at Shino who was standing by Kiba and Akamaru. I smiled at everyone before telling them I had to change and I'd be right down.
Once up stairs I took the quickest shower of my life and changed into black shorts and a blue sleeveless shirt with a high caller and Uchiha symbol on the back. With my hair still down and wet I rushed back down stairs. I strapped my pouch to my thigh and stepped into my shoes then we took off towards the training grounds.
We trained with Kurenai-sensei on how to walk up trees. It didn't take that long to learn how to focus my chakra into my feet so I was the first one down at mid day. Shino was only a few minute behind me so we sat together watching Hinata and Kiba continue training.
Kurenai-sensei had gotten called away for some meeting so we were allowed to leave once we finished the exercise, but it had become a quick habit that after training we would go to my house for lunch. So Shino and I had agreed to wait for them to finish.
"What kinds of plants do you grow?" I looked away from the cloud I was watching and up at Shino. He was sitting beside me as I lay in the grass watching clouds. I shrugged and looked back up at the clouds.
"Anything really. If I can grow it then it's in that garden. If you want a list I can try to remember them all." At Shino's nod I went on.
"Let's see there are seven different flowers: Roses, Carnations, Sunflowers, Tulips, Lilies, Lilacs and Pansies. Then there are strawberries, grapes and tomatoes. There is corn, pumpkin, zucchini, lettuce, squash and turnips." Shino looked down at me briefly before nodding and looking back towards our teammates.
"I'm thinking of trying to grow herbs as well but haven't been able to find any seeds at the stores. I also want to grow medical plants someday so I can help stock the hospital but I no one here grows them so I can't learn how to easily."
"That is a lot to grow in one's backyard." I laughed at Shino's short reply.
"Yeah I guess it is huh?" Shino merely nodded.
"Alright now that we're all done for the day who wants Mina's cooking!" Kiba shouted as we walked out of the training grounds. Hinata raised her hand and blushed before lowering it again. Shino simply nodded his head.
"Alright alright what do you guys want? I need to stop by the store to pick up groceries so decide on the way." I said as I took point and guided us into the market street of Konoha. Kiba and Hinata both wanted something sweet and cold to eat while Shino and I wanted something warmer to eat. So I ended up buying ingredients for two different meals.
Once back at my house Kiba and Shino, who had taken the bags from me, set the groceries on the island in the kitchen. After pulling my hair up I set to work making a sweet Asian style salad and pork and veggie filled dumplings. Of course some were without pork. Soon lunch was done and we all were seated at the table eating dumplings and salad.
"I swear Mina you are the best cook ever!" Kiba proclaimed around a mouth full of dumpling. I giggled softly as Shino elbowed Kiba for having bad table manners. Hinata and I ended up doing the dishes as Kiba and Shino both had family matters to take care of.
"So Hinata what shall we talk about while we clean?" I looked over at the short haired girl beside me. Hinata fidgeted with the drying towel for a moment before she spoke.
"D-do you l-like K-Kiba?" I shrugged and washed another plate off before handing to Hinata.
"Yeah I mean he is a good friend plus he seems to love my cooking" We both laughed at that.
"B-but d-do you…y-you k-know l-like l-like h-him?" I stared at Hinata for a moment before handing her another dish to dry.
"Kiba? No way. I mean he is a great guy, he's loyal and strong, funny and cute but I see him more of like a brother then a love interest." Hinata looked relieved after I finished. I stared at her then smiled wickedly.
"You like like him don't you Hina-chan?" Hinata blushed bright red and stuttered out a not very understandable reply.
"Don't worry Hinata your secrets safe with me." The indigo hair girl looked greatly relieved and calmed down enough to talk again.
"I-I don't k-know what to do M-Mina! H-he doesn't even l-look m-my w-way…" I stared at her. Kiba didn't look her way? Of course he did. Shino and I both saw the glances Kiba would send Hinata when she wasn't looking.
"I think your wrong about that Hinata. Maybe you should fix him lunch tomorrow since I can't." Hinata looked at me confused. I had never refused to make the team lunch after training. Not once in our few months of being a team. I sighed softly and looked out the window that over looked the garden.
"Tomorrow is the anniversary of the massacre… I've already talked with Kurenai-sensei about it so I can miss training tomorrow." Hinata nodded sadly while putting the plates away.
"W-wait I-I c-can't c-cook M-Mina!" Hinata started panicking and I laughed softly and walked to the fridge pulling out things for a simple lunch meal.
"I'll just have to teach you how to cook won't I?" I said while putting my hands on my hips.
"y-you would d-do that f-for m-me?" I laughed softly at Hinata's bewildered expression.
"Of course what are best friends for!" Hinata started crying and I nearly freaked.
"I-I've never h-had a b-best f-friend before. I-I'm so h-happy thank y-you M-Mina." I smiled softly and hugged Hinata.
"Well we can be each others first best friends then!" And with that I set off into the task of teaching Hinata how to cook rice balls and omelets. By the time Hinata had left it was getting dark out so I quickly watered my garden and showered before going to bed.