Chapter 62: Home Bound


Back at the hut I stood beside Shino as Sakura healed Ino's arm and the Jonin plus Hinata tended to Yuukimaru. Naruto had told us that while in the Three Tails he befriended Guren learning that she only wanted to protect Yuukimaru now and sacrificed her life to keep him safe. Here it happened again, another person gone leaving the one they care about most alone in this world. Looking towards Shino I walked away going outside needing some fresh air. Leaning on the rail I looked out at the sun setting feeling my body begin to shake.

"I can't do this..." I whispered to myself, feeling tears build up in my eyes as they fell onto the wood tightening my fists.

I knew that losing your friends was the price all shinobi could pay one day but losing the person you love, it was all too much. Opening my eyes again I paused myself, I was starting to love him, and this was the first time I truly realized it. No, I couldn't do this, I couldn't love someone in this way, as a friend was one thing, but this was something else entirely.

"Yuna, Kakashi wants to speak to all of us." I heard behind me feeling myself tense slightly saying, "Right."

Erasing any trace of my moment of weakness I walked by Shino without looking at him frowning, I had to distance myself a bit even if I didn't want to in the end, it was for the best.

"We will be aborting our current mission and return to the village immediately." Kakashi said calmly hearing everyone else in the room get antsy as Kiba said, "But what about the Three Tails, we can't just leave it here."

"There is no need to worry, they are sending another team to replace us and keep watch." Yamato replied as Shizune said, "We have nothing more we can do here, everyone has suffered too many wounds and so Lady Tsunade has decided it would be more effective to get a fresh team in here. That way we can give them our information to make the sealing that much easier for them."

Watching Kakashi stand up he said, "We leave first thing in the morning so all of you get a good night's rest."

We all began to get ready to sleep taking our sleeping bags, pillows and blankets out noticing everyone was exhausted. Seeing Naruto leave the room to watch for Yuukimaru everyone began falling asleep, but I wasn't tired yet. Leaving the room, I walked to where Yuukimaru was seeing Naruto already asleep besides him smiling as I put a blanket on him. Hoping onto the roof, I sat looking out into the forest, with the enemies eliminated there wasn't any concern for someone to bother us but I figured no harm watching.

Not long after I heard movement looking down to see Yuukimaru walking out of the house as my eyes traveled to his crystal camellia watching it glow and pulse. Widening my eyes, I reached for the necklace around my neck.

"Guren made this for me, if something happens to her it will break." Yuukimaru said holding out the crystal smiling.

Smiling I closed my eyes hugging the necklace close hearing Naruto running out of the house trying to find him as I said softly, "Sorry Naruto, he's returning to the place he belongs..."

Getting up from the roof I jumped back down to the others seeing Shino in the corner sleeping alone as I walked towards him. Lying beside him he moved slightly feeling his hand land beside mine as his body must have felt my presence making me smile sadly. For now, I just had to have faith that in the end everything will happen as it should.


Standing in the room beside Shino the others were discussing Yuukimaru's disappearance making me close my eyes knowing what happened. If I let them know that he went back to Guren it wouldn't have mattered since she wasn't going to be a problem anymore.

"We should look for him!" Lee said hearing Shino say beside me, "That won't be necessary… the reason is because a child who lost his power to control the Tailed Beast is no longer a threat to us."

"That's not the issue here!" Lee said pumping his fist towards Shino while Kakashi said, "Shino is right, we're under no obligation to look for a child who ran away."

"Plus we were ordered to leave." Yamato said as Lee turned to Naruto saying, "What about you Naruto surely you think we should look for him?"

"No it's fine, he can handle himself." Naruto said waving his hand indifferently as they looked at him shocked seeing Lee turn to me, "What about you Yuna, surely you don't agree with your boyfriend?"

Growling I brought my fist back connecting it with his cheek punching him out the window yelling, "Don't say such foolish things at a time like this!"

Walking along side everyone else I sighed relived seeing the Leaf Village in this distance saying, "So happy to be home..."

"It feels like we haven't been back in ages." Kiba said excited while Akamaru barked hearing Shino tiredly reply, "We had one mission after another..."

"Ramen for dinner tonight!" Naruto said excited as my smile widened walking ahead excited to see Ren-sensei, Reno and Hayner again.

"It will be good to relax and collect insects again." Shino said beside me with his hands in his pockets while I smiled replying, "Relaxing in general will be nice."

Once we got into the village Kakashi turned to all of us saying, "Yamato, Shizune and I will talk to Lady Tsunade, you guys are free to go."

"Yes! Ramen here I come!" Naruto yelled running off as Sakura sighed walking after him while each of us slowly broke off until it was just Shino and I.

His hands were in his pockets as we walked in silence until I saw my apartment in the distance happy to sleep in my own bed and bathe. Making it to my door I stretched my arms up in the air feeling my bones pop rubbing my sore shoulders.

"Well thanks for walking me home." I said with a smile while he remained quiet for a moment making me frown, "Is everything okay Shino?"

"I was just thinking..." he said quietly making me tilt my head replying, "About what?"

Turning to face me he said flatly, "Why do people always assume we are dating?"

Tensing at that question I rubbed the back of my head replying, "I don't know really, we spend a lot of time together and are good friends, maybe people just get the wrong idea."

"Even my father has brought it up more than once." he said still looking at me as I gave him a sad smile replying, "Does it bother you that people are saying that?"

"Does it bother you?" he asked not answering my question feeling myself blush for a moment replying, "Sometimes it does but no one can know how we feel except for us and it's our choice how we feel."

"I see… and how do you feel?" he asked feeling the blush creep back saying softly, "Such a foolish question at a time like this..."

"Do you find me that repulsive?" he questioned hearing a hint of sulking in his voice making me shake my head waving my hands saying, "Of course not!"

"I just… I don't know… What about you… do you find me repulsive?" I asked rubbing my arm not ready to confess how I was feeling as he was quiet before saying, "I too don't know but I don't find you repulsive otherwise we wouldn't be friends."

"It's just with everything going on with Naruto, the Akatsuki and Orochimaru I'm trying to focus on all that." I said honestly seeing his shoulders relax a bit saying, "Perfectly reasonable… once this mess is over perhaps we'll have this conversation again and see if we know how we feel."

"It's a deal." I said holding out my hand smiling with my eyes closed feeling his warm hand in mine as my heart melted hearing him say, "It's a promise."