Kaori Hatake

Chapter Eleven

Ino's Point Of View:

I've been training and going on missions nonstop for the past three months. If my team's not doing one, we're doing the other. Stepping into our training grounds, I walked in line between Choji and Shikamaru. Kaori is still missing, and there's rumor going around that a new person joined the Akatski.

"I just nominated all of you to be in the chuunin exams. You have a week to decide if you want to do it," Asuma Sensei announced.

"Heck yeah, I'm in!" I replied. My teammates looked at me like I grew two heads. Oh well. I've been waiting for this day since I started the academy.

"Fine. Can we have barbeque if I join?" Choji said.

"Sure, I can pay for us," Asuma Sensei smiled.

"Come on, Shikamaru. Please? It won't be a team without you." I pouted at him, hugging his arm. I felt like an obsessive girlfriend begging her boyfriend to take her out. Oh, boy. I really do need help.

"Fine. I'll enter," Shikamaru groaned.

"That's the spirit," Asuma cheered. I turned to Choji, and we fist bumped.

"Kakashi. What are you doing here?" Asuma asked when Kakashi appeared from nowhere. He looked like he got ran over by a dump truck like sixty million times.

"Any news?"

"None yet, but we'll keep looking."

"I ruined everything for her. Maybe she's happy wherever she is and doesn't want me to find her or show my face to her." He slumped down against a tree.

"Don't say that. She loves you. Her world just changed in an instant, and she's frightened by the sudden turn of events."

"Do you kids think I'm a bad father?"

"I don't think you are, Mr. Hatake sir," Choji said.

"Niether do I," Shikamaru agreed.

"Ino?"

"Even though you spent your birthday with those two without Kaori knowing, cheating on her mother, got another woman pregnant while your wife was pregnant with your kid, betrayed Kaori by not telling her the truth a long time ago, keeping this whole thing a secret from her...let me see...you are 50% good dad and a 50% bad dad."

"Just great. Quit reminding me of it. I know I screwed up big time. No need to rub it in."

"Ino!" Shikamaru whisper scolded me, and he elbowed my arm.

"I'm just saying, Shika. I'm just saying," I muttered back to him.

"Well don't say it," Choji ordered.

"Whatever," I scoffed.

"Well, nevermind me. I'll go back to looking for Kaori, and you guys should get back to training for the exams," Kakashi said, rising to his feet and disappearing.

Shikamaru's Point Of View:

"Did you have to say that to him, Ino?" Choji asked. I glanced between the two of them.

I'm their tacticion. Ino is the medic ninja. Choji was the food pill master and our rolling boulder. Finally, Kaori would be our leader, gave us advice, and our escape artist. However, without Kaori, it's like we're lost, and we felt abandoned.

"Can you quit yelling at me? I told him what he wanted to know, so I told him," Ino answered back.

"Still, don't be so rough about it," I cut in. I know I will just cause a bigger mess, but she really did hurt Kakashi.

"Not you too, Shikamaru," Ino whined in frustration. I allowed a sigh to escape.

"But he's right!" Choji argued.

"Why am I the one being yelled at?"

"Because-"

"Silence, you three!" Asuma Sensei suddenly snapped at us. We all shut our mouths. We looked around at each other apologetically. Sensei had never really yelled at us like that before, so we're all a little shocked at his change in personality.

Choji's Point Of View:

"You all need to quit bickering. I don't know what has corrupted this team to hate each other, but it is not okay to be acting like this," Sensei declared.

The trees rustled in the wind, and people were coming. We genin grew tense. When the Shinobi were close enough, Shikamaru threw kunai knives at them. Ino's heavy breathing made me uncomfortable.

Out of the forest came Team 7, Team 8, and Team 3. Kurenai looked worried about us, and Guy seemed to be disappointed. However, Kakashi was still heartbroken.

"You lost yourselves to panic. You can't even tell friend from foe or throw a kunai knife properly to hit your target," Guy said, shaking his head in disapproval. I swallowed harshly because I had no idea what to think or feel. We don't have our whole team - just most of it.

"You three need to pull yourselves together before you completely tear each other apart. Believe in yourselves, in your team, and in each other," Kurenai advised.

"I wish Kaori was still here," Ino whispered. Kurenai embraced her in a tight hug.

"We'll find her," Sakura announced with confidence. Naruto and Gaara nodded in complete agreement.

823 words.