The Hidden Heart of the Nausicaa Forest
This is a 2017 version of the original 2006 version.
I do not own Naruto. This is a complete work of fiction. Enjoy.
Chapter 7 – Enter the Two Shinobis!
Hinata searched the forest with her Byakuugan. Her white eyes searched for what seemed like hours until she finally gave up.
She left the spot where she stood and headed back to the camp she and Lee had made.
"Any luck?" Lee asked already knowing the answer from Hinata's sad expression.
She slowly shook her head and sighed with exhaustion. Why can't I find them? I want to know if they're all right...especially you, Naruto.
Rock Lee watched Hinata and then turned to look around as he thought about their situation.
Who knows what could happen to Sakura and the others. What we need to do now is to be positive and not let it get us down. I'm determined to do whatever it takes to find Sakura and the others without complications.
But of course, that wouldn't be not much of a challenge. How would I be able to show my moves to Sakura if there is nothing to save her from! It is selfless too think such thought since I wouldn't want my Sakura in harm's way. Gai sensei, what should I do?
Hinata was watching Lee the whole time he was arguing with himself. It had taken her by surprise to see his eyes burn with fire while he raised his fist to his face with a determined frown.
She tried to snap him out of his thought by lightly tapping him on the shoulder.
"Um...Lee. Are you okay?" Lee jumped at her sudden touch which caused her to fall on her back.
Rock Lee realize what had happen and rushed to help Hinata.
Hinata covered her face and tears started streaming down her face, lee suddenly felt guilty thinking he had just made this innocent girl cry.
"I'm sorry Hinata. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. Please stop crying". Hinata slowly sat up and uncover her face.
"It's not that Lee. Tha-that's not the re-reason I'm cry-crying". She bit her lip trying to hold back tears.
"It's just. I want to know if Naruto's okay. But I, I just can't because I can't find him or the others." She burst into tears.
Lee felt some sympathy towards the poor girl.
"You shouldn't worry yourself over such a thing. I bet Naruto okay and looking for us right now. You know how Naruto is, he never gives up. So, there is nothing that could stop him, you'll see".
This had cheered her up and now a small hopeful smile was formed on her face. She wiped her tears and Rock lee helped her up.
But as he did something caught the corner of her eye. " Lee, what is that? That looks just like..."
His eyes turned to follow her gaze, unsure of what she was talking about.
His eyes widen as soon as he saw it.
"Oh my god that's-"
ﻌᴥﻋ
"Whoooohoooooo," Naruto yelled as he jumped into the cold refreshing water.
He made a huge splash that wet Sakura.
"Hey! Watch it Naruto! You're getting my clothes wet! You Idiot!".
Naruto burst out of the water laughing jovially. "Come on in Sakura! The water feels great!"
Sakura's eyes twitched with anger as she rejected his offer. She proceeded to call him an immature idiot along and told him to get out of that lake. "You don't know what could be in there. Idiot!"
Naruto reluctantly made his way to the shore mumbling, "No fun."
He laid on the ground with only his underpants. He stared up at the sky but all he could see was rock and dirt. It wasn't there by the lake. In fact, it seemed as if a ray of light spotted the lake.
Sakura had come up with a calculation of where the others might have landed. They were now headed to those location and luckily for them they had run into this lake. They had lost all their equipment and gear except for some smoke bombs, shuriken and kunai knife.
"Hey, Sakura? Why would Tsunade send us to such a dangerous mission without a Jounin?"
Sakura let out a sigh of frustration.
"That's the second time you ask me that question. She probably thought we were ready enough to do a mission like this and to prepare us in the future. Tsunade knows best, she is after all the Hokage. So quit asking already and put on your clothes. We're going to the next location."
He stood up and went to get his clothes. But to his surprise they weren't there. He searched everywhere and when he still couldn't find it he started to panic.
"Sa... Sakura-chan!"
Naruto was on all fours on the ground looking for his clothes. She stopped what she was doing and hesitantly made her way towards the place Naruto was. "What is it now Naruto?"
She quickly turned around when she saw that he hadn't put his clothes.
"Naruto! What did I say! To put your clothes on and yet you're on your knees with only your underpants. Why haven't you change? Hurry up and get your clothes before you get me really mad!".
"That's the problem. I can't find my clothes anywhere". Naruto said getting up.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND IT!" Her teeth gritted with anger.
"I think I lost it," Naruto grinned sheepishly.
"You idiot! How could you lose your clothes!" She was ready to beat up the blonde.
"I don't know how! I remember leaving it right there on top of that rock but know is gone! Do you think something took it? Maybe a giant cross of a snake with cat that feeds on clothes or an Octopus with sixteen legs or a bear-duck or... Hey, where are you going?"
"To look for your clothes, what else you idiot!"
"Oh." Why do you always have to call me an idiot?
He had his eyes closed with an angry expression and his bottom lip sticking out.
He stood up, brushed the dirt of his legs and followed.
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Inoichi paced the floors of the Yamanaka flower shop he owned. He had one arm behind his back and his hand under his chin while he made up his mind.
Kiba was sitting down while he and Akamaru watched Inoichi pace with a questionable look on their face. Why was he sitting on a bench in the Yamanaka flower shop you may ask?
Well it had been a little earlier and Kiba had decided to wander around Konoha hoping to run into the others since he couldn't find any of them. No one had told Kiba about the 'mission' in the forest. The reason why nobody had told him was unknown.
"Where the hell can eleven ninjas disappear to!' He began to talk with Akamaru who walked beside him.
"I went to the Hyugga's to find out that both Hinata and Neji weren't there. I wasn't actually going to hang out with Neji, but if he decided to tag along, it wouldn't have been a problem"
He sighed with exasperation in his voice.
"I Don't even know where that bug-freak is either. I also don't hear that loud mouth blabbering about ramen! No stuck-up assholes! No annoying blondes! No big foreheads! No fat-ass or lazy bums! No bushy eyebrows! No nothing! What the hell is going on here!"
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at Kiba. "See, that's what happens when you use drugs, Honey." A mother told her daughter while dragging her away from the insane boy. Everyone turned back to continue what they had been doing.
Kiba didn't really care that he was yelling in the middle of the streets and that people were probably thinking he was on some drug or high on weed or something.
Kiba resumed walking. He was just passing the flower shop when Inoichi stopped him on his tracks. " Kiba I don't know why I'm asking you this but I need you to do me a favor?" Kiba stared at him dumbfounded.
"Huh?" Inoichi frowned at his response. However, he was desperate so he told Kiba to come with him inside the flower shop so he could explain everything.
Kiba was unsure if he should follow but then again he was bored and had nothing to do, so maybe this favor was worthwhile.
And now there he was, sitting down on a bench with Akamaru next to him, waiting impatiently.
Losing his patience, Kiba couldn't stand it anymore. How long was Inoichi planning to take.
"Do you want me do it this year or the next!"
He was getting extremely annoyed by the pacing and it was getting Akamaru kind of dizzy. Inoichi didn't respond which in turn pissed Kiba off. Fuck it! I'm leaving. I don't plan to die before he tells me!
He got up to leave and when he was about to reach the door Inoichi finally stopped pacing and stopped him. "Wait."
"Now you talk," Kiba said this in a low voice. Kiba hoped that Inoichi had not heard.
However, the older ninja had heard but ignore it.
He wasn't even sure if he wanted Kiba's help but he had no one else. Kiba was the only one from the rookie nine he could find.
Seeing that Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino had been sent on a mission shortly after the others had been sent to the forest. Inoichi had no one else but in the back of his mind he knew he was forgetting someone but he couldn't put his finger on who it was.
Kiba waited impatiently at the door. " Kiba sit down please. The favor I'm going to ask you to do is really complicated you see". Kiba raised an eyebrow as he sat down.
"Just hurry up and tell me. I don't care how complicated it is". " Please, I just don't want to asking to much question so here it goes...".
"I need you to deliver a something for someone. A letter actually. And you see I could have gotten Shikamaru to do it or Chouji but they both are on a mission with Shino as you already know.
I did something I should have and now because of it things got even worse and I thought what I had done was a good thing but now I regret ever doing and because of what I did, someone who I care about got hurt.
Not only did I hurt the person but because of it might hurt someone else too and everything would be a bigger chaos. So I need you to get this letter to this particular person I really love with all my heart and to tell her I'm really sorry and I didn't mean to do what I did."
Inoichi said this really fast. Kiba sat with a look that read What-the-fuck-is-he-talking-about.
"Oh-Okay...So... Who is this particular person you want me to give this letter to?" Inoichi fell on his face. He had thought Kiba could had pretty much figure out that he was talking about Ino. Who else does Kiba think I love with all my heart? Does he really need me giving him more hints to figure it out?
Standing back up, Inoichi cleared his throat to respond. " Ino is the person I want you to give the letter to Kiba. Is there any question you like to ask?" Please say no I just want to get this over with.
"Ummm… Why can't you give it to her? You both live in the same house." Inoichi once again fell on his face.
"Kiba, I want her to get that letter today." Inoichi was really getting confused of his being so clueless.
"Uh, Kiba. Do you even know about the mission in the Nausicaa forest?" Now it was Kiba's turn to get confused.
"What! What are you talking about? Nobody told me about a mission in the Nausicaa forest. I never even heard of a forest called the Nausicaa forest before."
Inoichi studied Kiba, realized he wasn't lying and burst into laughter. "Really, you're serious? No one told you?"
Inoichi patted Kiba's back while he laughed his guts out. Kiba was red with anger and his eyes wide and blank.
Kiba growled and stood up abruptly. "Stop laughing. It isn't my fault no one told me about it. Who were the one's sent on the mission?"
Inoichi settled down enough to explain. "Well Hinata for one. That's why I thought you would have known. Shino did" Kiba was more pissed. Why the hell didn't Hinata tell me? Why did I have to be left in the dark? Even Shino knew!
"The other ninjas also sent on the mission was Team 7; Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Two of Gai's student; Neji and Rock Lee. And last but not least, my lovely daughter Ino. The one I want you delivering the letter to. By the way, they went without a Jounin."
"Okay so let me get this straight. Seven genin were sent on a mission to a weird forest I never heard of without a Jounin. Not only did I not know, no one bother to tell me. And now you want me to go over there to give Ino a letter you want her to desperately get to fix a problem you created". Inoichi grinned He actually gets it!
"I just have one question though. You want me to go over there by myself?" Inoichi's grin faded.
"I remember another ninja but it keeps slipping my mind." Both Kiba and Inoichi put their hands under their chin while they tried to remember.
He knew there was another ninja besides Kiba who had not been sent on a mission but who was it.
Like if right on cue, a girl with brown hair put up into two buns and brown eyes entered the flower shop. " Hey there Kiba, Inoichi-san"
"Tenten!" Tenten immediately froze with a quirky shocked expression. The door was still closing when they yelled her name. Causing some people that heard the scream to either scurry away quickly or turn to look at what had been the cause.
All I wanted was a flower for my mother. I'm definitely not coming back here.Tenten's thoughts were broken when she felt someone pulling her arm.
"Wha...What is it? Why did you yell like that?"
"Well long story short. Inoichi wants me to do him a favor since everyone was sent on a mission but I can't do it alone and then we realized we were forgetting someone. So who just happens to come in on cue but the exact person we forgot. That's why when you came in we just happen to burst from remembering it had been you all along".
Tenten glowered at Kiba with a how-the-fuck-can-you-forget-about-me. " Look we are so sorry we forgot about you but you can bitch about that later right now you're wasting more time and I need you and Kiba to go on your own mission right now."
Kiba and Tenten was surprised to hear Inoichi curse since adults were the ones always telling you not to.
"Okay...So was is this mission?" Inoichi grinned and recited everything he had said earlier to Kiba.
"Okay, so are you both willing to do it?" The two younger ninjas regarded each other before finally making up their mind.
"Sure"
"It sounds interesting. I feel up to it, after all I get to see Neji and Rock Lee"
Inoichi smiled.
ﻌᴥﻋ
"Where the hell is everyone!" Neji kicked a rocked causing it to ricochet off a tree towards. He quickly dodged it and as he did he noticed something.
There was something laying on a rock. Neji crept closer not letting his guard down. Kunai in hand, he now knelt down having a better look. It was some type of clothing.
He picked it up with his free hand to inspect it. It was orange. Neji searched his mind wondering who wore orange clothes. Naruto!
This were Naruto's pants. But why was it here. Was he close.
Great, there's an idiot running around in his underwear. How could things get any worse.
ﻌᴥﻋ
Tenten and Kiba stood at the entrance of the forest.
"So, it wasn't a real mission."
"You could say that, it was to teach them to get along. But you can't tell them the truth Kiba. We are only here to deliver this letter to Ino, Okay?" Tenten studied Kiba then the forest.
"I hate drama." Kiba took out a bandana that belonged to Ino. He let Akamaru sniff it.
Akamaru bark several times. " You caught her scent already? Okay let's go."
Akamaru ran into the forest following Ino's scent. Kiba and Tenten followed.
They stopped at the spot where Ino and the others had camped. "They must have stopped here to rest."
"Okay, Akamaru let's keep going" They kept going like this stopping at the same places Ino had, until finally
"Kiba watch out!" Kiba stopped in time.
"You're so careless. If you would have kept going you would've fallen"
Kiba stared at the giant hole in front of him. Akamaru barked several times and Kiba's eyes widen.
Tenten noticed. "What's wrong? Where's Ino?"
Kiba pointed at the dark hole. "Down there."
ﻌᴥﻋ
Sasuke laid awake.
Ino was still sleeping like a baby in his arms. He liked her warm body against his, that's why he hadn't woken her up.
He gently brushed her hair away from her face. He stared at her for a while before looking outside.
"Neji...please... don't-don't leave me..."
Sasuke quickly snapped out of his thoughts. What did she say?
"Ne... Neji..."
Sasuke smirked. So that was who you were with before me, Ino? But why Neji? From all the guys in Konoha. Well I guess it can't be help.
Sasuke gently kissed Ino's forehead. "What would happen now, Neji?"
