Love Knows No Bounds

Chapter 10

Ten Ten pov~

I've been spending extra time in the training room lately. I want to make sure that I'm prepared for anything that might happen. I haven't been in the agency for very long so I feel like I'm so behind. My parents weren't apart of it and I only found out by accident that my friends were in the group. I didn't want to be left out and I already had plenty of skill so I applied to join and was accepted.

I know everyone else only had maybe a year or two on me but I still felt like I was behind, like I was missing something. I know I'm good at my trade, I've been told that I am but I'm not great, at least, not yet.

For the past while I've been hurling throwing knives and stars at targets but I feel like I need to beat something. I've always been better, more confident in fighting with a weapon in hand and have been told that I lack in hand to hand combat. I know I may not always have a weapon handy but I like to think that I will.

After working up a good sweat I sat down to sharpen the knives and other trinkets I have collected over the years. It relaxed me and left me to my thoughts.

I thought that we were playing a dangerous game with the Akatsuki. I love Sakura and everything and I would go to the ends of the earth for her but you can't blame me for having doubts. That group is notorious and already too many people close to us have been hurt or murdered.

The Akatsuki spell trouble for anybody who dares to tussle with them and many who don't. On one hand we could literally die at any moment but on the other, if we somehow manage to pull off taking them down, everyone would be infinitely safer.

The agency has been dealing with this problem for years though. They've tried almost everything in the book, if they can't doing anything to even put a dent in their operations how the hell are we supposed to take them down?

I sighed. I would walk away but I feel like its already too late. I'm sure they have this place watched and know every one of us know things that they don't want us knowing, which is true. They are probably after all of us, just like Sakura said and although the agency is there, it's not like they can do much. They expect all of us to be capable of taking care of our own but they will offer assistance if they can. Besides, even though I have my doubts, I don't think I could just abandon Sakura like that when everyone else was also risking their lives. We did push her to reveal her secret, she even warned us multiple times so its really our faults and its not like we can just take it back.

While I was distracted in my own thoughts, I failed to notice that suddenly I wasn't alone. I only noticed when the steady thump of fists against a punching bag echoed throughout the training room. I looked up to see Neji in the next room.

I was suddenly very self aware and I told myself not to stare but I couldn't help but keep glancing at him. I wanted to scold myself but I also told myself that nothing was wrong with admiring from afar.

Just kidding, everything was wrong with admiring from afar. I just didn't know why I had such a hard time talking to him. We've had some good conversations but it's obvious he only sees me as an acquaintance, a friend at best. I mean, nothing has happened thus far, I've had years to make some connection with him and haven't which means I probably never will. . . right?

Well, anyway, a girl can dream. I meant what I said when I told the girls it was time for me to move on and find someone else. Much easier said than done because I just couldn't seem to let him go.

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my palm and hissed. "Ouch" I grumbled as I looked down at my bleeding hand. Because of my poor concentration and lack of attention, I got distracted and wasn't focused on my task of sharpening weapons. A stupid rookie move really but now I've cut my hand and there's nothing I can do to take it back. I glared at my hand as if it was it's fault even though it was clearly mine, and cupped my hand to try and keep it from dropping on the equipment. The notion failed miserably and now I would have to add cleaning and sanitizing the training room to my to do list.