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I held off on this for an extra week because sadly, it's the last chapter. But thank you for all the reviews. Raiining reviewed! That made me totally giggly because she's reviewed my HP stuff, and it was just a happy surprise to see it. Thanks! Ok, on with the final chapter!
Chapter Four
You Don't Know Fear!
When lunch was over, the pair, in slightly better spirits, grabbed a beef ramen to go for Chouji and headed back to the hospital. Ino insisted they use the back door because if Tsunade saw them bring ‘unhealthy’ food for Chouji, she wouldn’t let them in. As they entered the hall from the opposite end, they noticed a lot of commotion around them.
“Excuse me miss, what’s going on?” Ino asked a med-nin quickly.
“The rest of that genin search party returned. Most of them are in pretty bad condition.” The two girls stared at one another and went to find Tsunade.
“Hokage-san!” The girls found her half way down the hall.
“What happened? Is everyone all right? Did they bring back Sasuke?” Ino asked hurriedly. Tsunade shook her head sadly.
“Sasuke’s gone. He’s betrayed the village and gone to find Orochimaru for power. Don’t mention it when you talk to them.”
“Don’t worry about it. Everything we have to say has nothing to do with the outcome of the mission, just everything before it.” Tenten assured. Tsunade nodded.
“Just give Temari a chance to finish talking to him and then you can go on ahead.” Ino stiffened next to Tenten who held the back of her partner’s clothes in restraint. “And Tenten, if you see Gaara, thank him. He brought Lee back.” Tenten nodded dumbly as Tsunade passed them to handle her newest charges.
“Hey, you made it back! We were just gonna get Temari and go.” Kankurou’s voice turned both girls around in shock. He and Gaara stood there waiting to get by. Forgetting all common sense, Tenten threw her arms around Gaara.
“Thank you so much! You brought him back!” She said hugging the younger boy tightly. Gaara looked at her oddly but grunted,
“I owed it to him seeing as how I nearly killed him and all.”
“I’m still grateful.” She said with a grin. Gaara blushed. He wasn’t used to genuine affection, so this was a slightly new development to him. Luckily his brother came to his rescue.
“Here. I brought this back for you. The battery died other wise we’d have checked in when Lee and I split up. But he did mention that he would remember to take his medication.” The two girls giggled at that and Kankurou continued. “They’re all going to turn out all right, so don’t worry. And you Tenten, you are quite the scary force to deal with. Lee told me about the entire operation and the anger you two feel at your team mates. I must say I never want to get on your bad side.” And without warning, he laid a delicate kiss on Tenten’s cheek. Ino and Tenten were both in shock and she nodded.
“Thank you?” She squeaked out uncertainly.
“What’s going on here?” Neji’s voice from the doorway caused Tenten to whirl around and turn red. Had he just seen that? “Are the others back? Why are you here?” He asked glaring sharply from Tenten to Kankurou. She gulped. Yeah, he saw that. (A/N: I know this isn’t a NejiTen story, but I just had to add the jealous Neji moment.)
“They’re back. I’m going to make a chuunin cry now.” As she attempted to pass around the Sand brothers to escape her suspicious team mate, she saw Temari heading their way and stopped cold. The older girl looked her up and down.
“My brother speaks very highly of your marksmanship. He’s a pretty big judge of skill and I can respect that assessment.” Tenten nodded her face slightly red and shook her hand.
“Thanks. You’re pretty good too.”
“We gonna go make ‘im cry now?” Ino asked coming back up to Tenten. “I decided while you were busy, I’d drop off Chouji’s food before it got too cold. He’s elated.”
“Ok, let’s go make a chuunin weep.” Tenten said gleefully as they waved goodbye and good luck to the retreating sand siblings.
Shikamaru sat alone in the waiting room. After he’d explained his fear of his team mates dying more than his fear of failing the mission and Temari chewed him out, he was feeling pretty low. When approaching footsteps brought Tenten and Ino into view, he smiled and gave the blonde a hug.
“Ino I’m really glad to see you right now. How have you been?” Behind her, Tenten giggled.
“Bad question.” She muttered.
“How have I been? How could you ask such a stupid question Shikamaru? How have I been? I’ve been a fucking wreck!” She shrieked pushing him away from her. “Imagine how I must have been when Tenten told me that you’d left on a mission to the Sound. Granted, she didn’t know either, she found out like a few minutes before I did. You couldn’t think with that 200+ IQ of yours that I would worry? What is it, were you afraid I’d ask you to come along because clearly I’m too much of a burden to inform properly!” By now Ino was waving a kunai discreetly slipped to her by Tenten to terrorise him. Shikamaru blanched at the weapon and backed away. “Didn’t you realize I’d worry? Both you and Chouji just pick up and go on something so dangerous, not a word out of either of you! Not to mention taking Tenten’s team mate and Hinata’s cousin and team mate without so much as a thought that ‘hey, you may not return, you should tell your team mates and families.’” Tenten knew that that was her cue to join in. Using a senbon as her instrument of fear, she advanced on him as well.
“Honestly Shikamaru, you’re really irresponsible to not think that I’d worry. I’ve got one team mate injured as it is, what on Earth would make me think that knowing another could die is any form of sensible? Tell me, what right do I have at all to know where my team mate is?”
“Do you know how freaked out we were when we found Chouji and Neji in such a bad condition especially since we had no idea what to expect since you didn’t tell us anything? Well lemme tell you it was heart wrenching.” Ino picked back up again.
“Like a really bad punch in the stomach.” Tenten offered up.
“Exactly. We’re the ones who had to drag them back here in near dead condition. So if you want to make it to your Jounin days, you will not,”
“Ever,”
“Take a team with our team mates out of this village without our knowledge again! Do you hear me?” The pair finished off screaming. Shikamaru ‘eeped’ terrified and nodded mutely as the very angry kunoichi loomed over him. The pair seemed to deflate now that the pineapple-headed chuunin had gotten the message. Once sure, weapons returned to their hiding places and smiles appeared.
“So, your first chuunin mission.” Ino said with pride.
“How does it feel?” Tenten asked. Shikamaru glanced at them as if expecting a trap to lie within the sudden mood swing as he began fielding their questions.
“So, you think we could ever get assigned something that important?” Tenten asked Ino as they left the hospital for the night. They had visited everyone though Naruto and Kiba were not awake; they waited for Kiba to come out of OR before heading home for the night.
“You kidding? We’re capable of that and so much more if we put our minds to it. I‘m just waiting for the day we get missions together as chuunin. The enemy won’t know what hit ‘em.” Ino said with a grin as they paused under a streetlight where they would part to separate domiciles.
“I look forward to that day Ino. Just so you know, if you ever need me for threats, training or otherwise…”
“I know. Ditto me too. I’m glad the exams and the aftermath gave us a chance to become friends.”
“Me too Ino. I’ll see ya tomorrow at the hospital then?”
“I’m looking forward to it.” The two girls said goodnight and gave each other high five before turning to her own home. To each, it felt good to know that being the female team mate of a genius would not remain something undergone alone. And if need be, there was someone with similar problems willing to help bring the genius back to his senses.
-Fin-
Kitty Kat Mac
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