Hey everybody, and welcome back to Chapter 31 of the Winds of Change. Remember me? Hehe, well, I do apologize. I know I promised to upload a chapter every week, but honestly, I've not been on for about a month or so. Why? Well, I wasn't feeling it. I refuse to bring you guys content that I'm not happy with, and while I could of powered through this chapter, it would have come out bad. Or, worse than it is. I feel as though that would be doing you a disservice But, well, what wasn't cool of me was to simply disappear without a trace. I just needed a break, honestly. But, I'm back, and feeling fresh. I've got a new, non Naruto story int he works with a good friend of mine, and for the first time in a while, I'm looking forward to writing.

So, I do apologize, I'll reply to all your messages and reviews when I get time. One thing to note, I may end up taking a break next week. Simply because I need to plan out some more of the chapters. So, without further ado, here is chapter thirty-one, of the Winds of Change!

Chapter 31:

Her footsteps echoed down the dimly lit hallway. She focused on them, her whole body and mind listening to the rhythm as her feet tapped across the floor. It was odd, she had to admit, but anything was better than remembering-

It smelt rather lovely in Tsunade's home. It was the scent of jasmine, sweet and tender. It reminded her of the Yamanaka Flowershop, the safe, secure streets of Konoha. Where children were coveted and tended too.

Not eaten like raw meat.

She bit back the tears, shaking her head roughly. Ino Yamanaka refused to cry. But those memories... they just wouldn't leave her alone. They swirled around and around in her head. The boy's lifeless eyes, all that blood, bits of flesh. All of it seemed to be ingrained in her mind. Whenever she closed her eyes, even to blink, she saw death.

Another scent hit her nose as she walked, worrying that if she stopped, she would never continue on. It smelt oddly like pine trees. The smell made her heart fill with warmth. It reminded her of Shikamaru. Lazy, stupid Shikamaru. But it comforted her, made her feel safe. She followed her nose without thinking, all manner of scents joining in with the scent of pine. But, it always stayed prevalent in Ino's mind. Slowly, but surely, the thoughts of blood and decay were pushed back, leaving pictures of Team Ten, Asuma-sensei and Choji. And Shikamaru.

It smelt like his house, thats what it was. His house smelt like wondrous pine trees, fresh grass. Unlike her house, which smelt of all manner of exotic flowers. And as much as she loved her house, it didn't have the same comforting feel as Shikamaru's.

Ino hadn't even realised she had reached the end of the hallway, only stopping short of the wall. She stepped back, her head turning to the side. A large door greeted her.

Tsunade had said she'd know it when she saw it. Or, rather, smelt it. She knocked loudly.

"Enter!"

Ino jumped backwards, startled at the loud noise. She mentally berated herself, she shouldn't have been acting like a small child. She was a kunoichi, damn it!

"Tsunade-sama?" She asked, peeking her head round the crack in the door. Her eyes widened.

All manner of flowers, from jasmine to daises to roses covered the shelves. The smells all mixed together to create a wonderful aroma of all scents. The large wooden room was pretty much owned by all the flowers, minus a large table.

Tsunade stood behind it, watching Ino impatiently. "Is Hinata with you?"

Ino gulped, and shook her head. "No, Tsunade-sama."

The Sennin mumbled something under her breath. "Fine. Get over here."

The Yamanaka heiress did as she was told, walking quickly over towards the table. It was then she noticed the two large windows that showed the setting sun, obviously to let in sunlight.

"Right, we'll wait for Hinata."

Ten minutes passed.

Ino could see Tsunade was growing impatient. Every second the beat of her foot on the floor grew louder and louder. The buxom blonde's eyes would go smaller, and smaller, and the vein on her head would grow bigger, and bigger, until-

"Where is she!" Tsunade slammed her hand down on the table, almost breaking it in two.

"I-I don't know Tsunade-sama, do you want me to go look for her?" Ino asked. If she was honest, Tsunade scared the living shit out of her. She'd rather take her chances looking for Hinata, than being here with this volatile woman.

Tsunade shook her head. "No, don't bother. It's her loss if she misses the training that I graciously offered her."

Ino decided that Tsunade was rather odd. But very, very ill-tempered. She would have to watch that. Her thoughts quickly drifted back to earlier, and Shikamaru. She hadn't thought about him since... forever, actually. They had that argument, and vowed to speak after the mission. About their feelings?

No, she surely didn't have feelings for Shikamaru. That would be absurd. He was Shikamaru, and she was Ino Yamanaka. They would never, ever work. Not ever. She couldn't even imagine him holding her hand, talking her on long walks, having picnics, going to see movies, kissing-

She blushed, awkwardly playing with her hair. The thought of Shikamaru... kissing her. It made her blood boil with excitement.

He was a chauvinistic pig, thinking she couldn't take care of herself. Hm, how petty. And just because she was a woman! The nerve of that bastard! And yet, deep down in her chest, she could feel her heartbeat speed up just thinking about him, whether out of anger, sadness, humour, or love. Love. Was that what she felt for him. Love? If it was, then love was a huge bitch. The biggest of them all. Making her fall in love with Shikamaru of all people. What about Sasuke! Sasuke was far cuter than Shikamaru ever would be-

But Shikamaru felt more homely... felt more safe. Sasuke was an enigma. Was it possible, that perhaps, she was not in love with Sasuke, but her image of him?

Ino wanted to laugh, tell herself she was being ridiculous, and yet she couldn't. Maybe she truly didn't love Sasuke. Did that mean she loved Shikamaru? Maybe, but another question popped into her head, one so severe it made her chest hurt with both pain and nervousness. Did Shikamaru love her?

"Here we go!"

Tsunade's voice cut Ino out of her thoughts, as she turned her head to the side. Her mouth dropped open.

The Slug Sennin casually shut the trap door near the corner of the room, rubbing her hands together. "Ino, change of plans! Since the Hyuga brat decided not to show up, I'm going to teach you some medical techniques."

Ino noticed the drained sake bottle precariously hanging over the edge of the table, but did not say anything. Rather, she was fixated more on the large flopping fish.

"Stay still you bastard! Tsunade roared, her hands glowing green. The fish stopped moving. The busty kunoichi turned her head towards Ino expectantly.

"Tsunade-sama...?"

"Get on with it then!"

"Get on with what, exactly?"

Tsunade scowled. "Damn brats, never paying attention. Okay, look. This fish," she hit it for good measure "is currently in a comatose state. It will die in a minute. You need to pump your chakra through this fish, in order to keep it breathing. Simple, right?"

Ino had plenty of things to say. 'No, it's not that simple,' and 'Are you crazy!? You expect me to do something like this you screwed-up bitch!?' were definitely nearer the top than most. But, she just reluctantly nodded. What could go wrong?

The Yamanaka heir cautiously made her way over, as Tsunade beamed at her. "You ready?" She slurred. Yup, she was definitely drunk.

"Y-yes Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade used some chakra to take the fish out of comatose. Immediately it started to flop around madly. Ino began channelling chakra into her hands, having next to no idea what she was doing. This went on for a few seconds.

And then the fish exploded.

Fish guts covered the room and the plants, giving off a now revolting stench. Tsunade looked horrified, examining herself. And all the blood... She shivered in fear, her skin becoming cold and clammy.

Ino wiped away a piece of entrails from her face. "Tsunade-sama?" She asked hesitantly.

"Get. Out." The tone was biting and fierce, and Ino was forced to take a step backwards.

"I'm sorry-"

"GET OUT!"

With an almighty roar Tsunade smashed her fist onto the table, breaking it in half. Ino screamed in fear, turning and running as fast as her legs would carry her.

Tsunade closed her eyes, and began breathing deeply. The shower room was just next door. If she could just make it there, and wash away all the thoughts-

Dan's blood soaked her hands and body, his cold eyes staring back at her, unfeeling. The gore clung to her skin like a leech, spreading into her pores, into her soul-

She began to shake wildly, her only instinct being to fall to her knees. She couldn't move, she couldn't move! No, she had to move, she had to! With a broken intake of breath, she began to crawl. They would laugh at her if they saw her now. Crawling like a toddler, shaking violently, on the verge of tears. How pathetic was she. She eventually made it to the door, the squelching sounds finally leaving her ears as she stood up.

She made the mistake of looking at her hands.

Coated in slick blood and guts, she almost threw up at the sight. And the smell. She barely managed to make it to the bathroom before the vomit erupted from her mouth. She looked down into the toilet bowl for a good long few minutes, repeatedly throwing up. And then, after she felt less woozy, she took a shower. She still felt the blood on her hands.

Her soft sobs and his soft breathing were all there was. No loud noises, beeping of machines, or clang of metal. Just the two of them.

Tenten sat in a chair, her cheeks wet and warm. Was this was she was, now? A pathetic whiny kunoichi who simply cried and cried and cried? She peeked through her fingers, her brown eyes darting to the side.

Lee slept peacefully, although his face was contorted into a grim line.

She wouldn't help him.

His bowl cut-hair with a thick sheen of sweat and grime.

She wouldn't help him.

His damp clothes.

She wouldn't help him.

His relaxed posture. But she knew he was hurting. Badly.

She. Wouldn't. Help. Him.

Tenten's eyes steeled, her resolve hardening. She knew what she had to do. Wordlessly, she stood. Taking one long look back at Lee, her fists clenched. And she embarked.

The day's end was drawing near. Ever so slowly the sun was creeping down the horizon, the sky changing from a vibrant blue to a fiery orange to a stand-out red. The wind whistled softly against the trees and vegetables.

Hinata liked gardens. They made her feel safe. They reminded her of her mother-

The pain was sharp, piercing into her chest like the iciest of blades. She gulped, shivering restlessly against the small bench that overlooked the garden. Had she not been in such a depressed mood, she would have loved it here. The small part of Hinata's mind that was not clouded by sadness and confusion made a mental note to come back here. If she ever did.

The thoughts that ran through her head scared her sometimes. Perhaps she should just run away, live out her life in a small village. No, she wouldn't make it even if she had the guts to try it. They would send Hunter Nin out so fast she would barely make it past the front gate. And, even if, somehow, she did manage to make it out, what would she do? Living in a small village somewhere was all well and good, but how would she survive. She could cook, sure. And clean. But, her eyes would be too distinctive. An huge giveaway. Nope, she would be caught, and branded. Perhaps being branded with the Caged Bird Seal was the best thing. After all, the weak deserved to be slaves.

Hinata froze. What did she just think? Did she just seriously imply that all men and women with the Caged Bird Seal were weak!? She berated herself. How stupid, how thoughtless, how pathetic a person she was. She grounded her teeth together, in a moment of pure rage against herself. She took a deep breath.

Hinata started to cry softly. No sobbing, no hiccups. Tears started falling down her pale complexion. And she stared out, into the red sky. That was, until a loud voice somehow managed to lift up her spirits, and yet break them.

"Hinata!? Hinata! Where are you!?"

There it was. The loud, obnoxious, ridiculously cute voice of Naruto Uzumaki filled the air. If voices could be colours, his would be an electric yellow, always vibrant and loud. Always lighting up the room.

He couldn't see her like this, she refused to allow him to see her like this. She quickly wiped away the tears, standing up, and slowly began to creep away. She would make it behind that tree, she could hide, and then-

She squeaked loudly as she bumped into something orange, sprawling backwards with a yelp of pain. Hinata opened her lavender eyes, and was greeted by her long term crush. His cerulean eyes were filled with concern, his mouth turned into a sad frown. He leant forward, offering one of his tan hands. "Sorry Hinata, I didn't mean to!"

She could only stare, her mouth slightly ajar. Why? Why did this keep happening to her!?

"I-It's alright, N-Naruto." She stuttered, slowly rising, although never taking her eyes off the blonde.

He cocked his head to the side, and a look of doubt crossed his face. "Okay."

She nodded, fumbling with her jacket zip. "Well... I b-best get going." She offered the weakest smile she had ever done, and turned on her heel, marching away as fast as she could.

Hinata didn't move for very long, however, as she soon felt the warm hand on her shoulder. "Hinata, wait! Kurenai-sensei's worried about you!"

The Hyuuga girl took in a deep breath, before answering. "It doesn't matter Naruto."

"Wha? Of course it does!"

Hinata found herself being pulled backwards, until she was seated on the small bench she had been resting on. She momentarily forgot about all her troubles, as she felt herself pressed into Naruto's side. Naruto squirmed slightly, and pushed her away gently. "It does Hinata, honest!" Naruto yelled, turning to face the pale teen. "Why are you so sad? Is it because of Sakura? Don't worry, I'll get her back, you have my word, believe it!"

Hinata smiled ever so softly, but it soon turned into a sad frown. "I-it's not that."

"Oh? Is it Sasuke? That bastard, I'll bash his face in, I'll-"

"Naruto!" She squeaked, "I-it's not Sasuke."

The blonde seemed a bit annoyed about this, grumbling something to himself, before turning his attention back onto the Hyuuga. "So, what is it then?"

"M-my mother."

"Your mother..." Naruto frowned. "I've never heard you mention your mother. Did she die, or somethin'?"

Hinata cringed, and Naruto instantly began to babble apologies. "I-it's fine Naruto, really. I-I thought she was d-dead, myself."

"What?"

And so Hinata explained in as great a detail as she could about what she had experience. From meeting her mother, to failing to fight, to finding out everybody knew but herself. After she had finished, Naruto sat in thought for a moment.

"And you think you're weak because you didn't defeat her?"

Hinata nodded, distraught covering her face. He agreed! She was a failure, a total one, and-

"I don't think you're weak. I think you're very strong."

Hinata froze, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. What?

He smiled at her, a dazzling sincere smile. "You're not weak, at all. What Neji and all the other bastards in your clan, no offence," he quickly added after she cringed, "shouldn't have lied to you. Or, at least, told you at some point. Keeping you in the dark is unfair. If anybody kept me in the dark about my parents, I'd flip."

A pang of sadness crossed the blonde's face, but he kept talking, "But you didn't kill anybody. Which is better than what I'd of done. But, more than that, you stood up to her. I can't really understand why you had such a problem with her. I've never had a... mother, so I don't know what it feels like. But, she obviously makes you feel like shit, somehow. And you stood up to her. You could've run, but you didn't. You stayed, until the guard came. You probably saved peoples lives, Hinata."

"N-Naruto.."

"I believe in you Hinata. You're awesome, and one of the only people to ever pay attention to me."

It happened on accident. Naruto gestured with his hand, Hinata moved hers. They locked, small and pale, tanned and callous. Both froze.

The warmth that assaulted Naruto's body was unfamiliar. But, it felt nice. It spread and spread, making the tips of his fingers and toes tingle. Her hand was so soft, so very soft...

A jab of something cold and painful struck his heart. The unknown, her touch. It-he couldn't-he-

He roughly pulled his hand as if it was on a burning hot stove, a look of pure horror coming across his face.

Hinata felt the worst she ever had in her life. Naruto... had rejected her. Her crush... didn't like her. She prayed for the earth to swallow her. Naruto hated her guts. He must!

"Hey, guys!"

Both could not think anymore, as Ino ran up, breathing heavy as her ponytail swished to and fro. "You'll never believe it!"

"W-what?" Hinata asked, her voice drab and lifeless.

"Tenten challenged Tsunade-sama to a fight!"

And there we go! Not much more to say, so, see you for the next chapter, and have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!