A Hidden Kindness Pt3 (Complete)

Chapter 16

Author's note: enjoy! Really short chapter this one, sorry!

She scrambled to her feet, she was about to lunge when Kiba wrapped his arms around her waist keeping her still. The enemy held Shikamaru upside down and laughed.
"You're the leader of this rag-tag group? When you've got an idiot for a leader, the whole team suffers." He said, Melody growled, her eyes fixed on the enemy. "Know what I mean? You don't need to follow a guy like this, let me get rid of him for ya!" He barked as he swung Shikamaru above his head and threw him towards the trees, Melody turned in Kiba's grip and tried to jump over his shoulder.
"Shika!" She cried, however Chouji was faster and he bulldozed his way over, using himself as a human cushion to break Shikamaru's fall.
"Thanks Chouji." He said, once Shikamaru landed on his feet, Melody sighed in relief and Kiba let out a noise.
"Mind, not clawing me Mel?" Kiba asked, Melody's eyes widened and she blushed retracting her nails out of his shoulders.
"Sorry Kiba." She mused, Kiba ruffled her hair and everyone turned their attention back to the enemy.

"Ah I tried to help you guys out and look what you do." He said sadly, Chouji shrunk back to side and frowned. "I don't know which is more pathetic, the fool or those who follow him. Tell you what, you don't want to keep working under this glum faced shadow lover. I'll just kill you now and put you out of your misery." He said, Melody growled.
"It's time for you shut your big mouth!" Naruto yelled, "or I'll come shut it for you!"
"Naruto. I'll handle him, this guy is mine!" Chouji said, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
"Chouji?" Shikamaru whispered.
"What the heck are you talking about? This isn't a guy you can take on your own?" Naruto said quickly, Chouji shook his head.
"He's mine! I said." Chouji growled loudly, Naruto frowned.
"But Chouji?" Naruto trailed off.
"Shikamaru." Chouji turned to him and Melody lowered her gaze. "Take these food pills for everyone." He said as he gave over a pouch to Shikamaru. "Don't worry I've got my secret weapon with me." Chouji smiled at him and walked forward making a barrier between his friends and the enemy.
"You think I'll wait forever?" The enemy becoming impatient ran forward, Melody turned around along with Naruto.
"Heads up!" They yelled, the enemy was running fast however Chouji was ready.
"Get going hurry!" Chouji said, as he swallowed a green pill, seconds before colliding with the enemy, holding him in place as the ground shook from their impact. "Shikamaru! Take everyone and get out of here!" He groaned, Melody shook her head and glanced at her friends. "If we lose Sasuke, we will just be what this guy says we are, an idiot of a leader and his band of rejects!"
"You better catch up with us Chouji, you hear me." Shikamaru said, Melody glanced at Chouji for the last time as Shikamaru grabbed her hand and began pulling as they all ran off into the trees leaving Chouji behind.

The group continued to run through the trees, and Shikamaru handed out a food pill each.
"From Chouji." He said, as everyone took one.
"Shikamaru, that green pill Chouji took back there. It seemed like a last minute trump card." Neji said, Melody glanced at Shikamaru "do you really think he can win?"
"Yeah he said he had some sort of secret weapon on him." Kiba piped up,
"Yeah he's got a plan up his sleeve. He brought alng with him, the Akamichi clans secret triple threat." Shikamaru explained, "pills that grant a person explosive powers. Green, yellow and red. The amount of energy the three of those pills contain is absolutely massive."
"Oh I gotcha, that's why he was acting so confident." Naruto said smiling, Kiba nodded in agreement, Melody however looked over at Shikamaru, he wasn't telling them something.
"But... surely it comes with a price. So what would the red one do... to Chouji?" She thought, she was about to glance back when she stopped, she shut her eyes. "I can't look back... I can't- He'll be fine! He'll win it on green!"

"Yeah I was thinking the same thing." Kiba said glancing down at a whimpering Akamaru.
"What he say?" Naruto asked, as everyone looked at Kiba.
"You know how Akamaru can tell a person just by his scent right? Well he's worried that Chouji won't be able to take on that gargantuan alone. With just those pills to help him." Kiba explained, Melody frowned.
"He's right to be. If we're looking at it objectively, that giants' ability is an unknown, the chances of Chouji defeating him are close to zero. However that is very often the case in battle." Neji said. Melody felt her eyes sting and she closed them and rubbed her face. She opened her eyes, and kept jumping from tree to tree. Her thoughts on Chouji, no matter what anyone else says he had truly come along way. She pursed her lips and shuddered, the pain returning in waves, waves that hurt.
"Neji's right, that's just how a battle is." Shikamaru said, the waves crashed against her heart. "we knew this mission wouldn't be child's play. It's life or death." He added, Naruto lowered his gaze.
"Yeah but Shikamaru." He said, Melody inhaled, trying to push down the waves of pain and sadness.
"I've already anticipated the worst-case scenario, where each of us ends up fighting alone." Shikamaru said "and at this point, if we're not ready to lay down our lives we may not reach Sasuke in time."
"It's always about you, isn't it Sasuke?" Melody thought, a new feeling washing over her.
"Chouji is good enough to hold his own, but he doesn't have a lot of confidence. He thinks that out of all of us he's the weakest link." Shikamaru said, Melody's head snapped up.
"That's because he kinda is." Kiba said, Melody's eyes widened in shock. "Anyone can see that, that's pretty much the reason why he stayed behind back there. Because he wanted to be of some kind of use to us." Kiba explained, Shikamaru chuckled.
"Just as I thought." He mused, Melody felt like a bottle and the water spilled over. The tears ran down her cheeks. "Everyone's always thought that way about Chouji. But not me. More than me, Neji or any of us here, Chouji's got strength." He glanced at Melody and smiled and she smiled back wiping away her tears. "I believe in him, I always have." He said firmly as Melody nodded in agreement. They came to a stop, and Melody stumbled into Shikamaru's back, he glanced at her before pulling out a kunai and began carving a note, once we was done he passed it to Melody.
"A note for Chouji, he promised he would catch up." He announced, the guys nodded as they watched Melody stick her tongue out in concentration.
"He'll catch up no doubt about it." She said, once she was done, Naruto sat down next to her and smiled as he wrote a note.
"He will beat that guy." Shikamaru said as he held Melody to her feet.
"No doubt about it! If anyone can beat him it's Chouji." Kiba said smiling, Akamaru barked in agreement.
"Alright let's get Sasuke back before Chouji catches up." He said, everyone nodded and continued on their way, as a blue butterfly passed by Melody's message.

Better catch up you hear? BBQ will be waiting when we get back! All on me of course! Love Melody x

Winter here!
Thanks for reading!
Love