Reborn as Sakura and Hinata: Lost in the Wind (Part 2)

Catching Up

"Excited to be finally caught up?"

I shot a look at Kiba before pointedly returning my eyes to the road with a huff, "You know full well why I was 'behind'."

"Wow, was that your 'honor student' talking?" he laughed almost nervously, "We all know that you've been Jounin level forever."

Releasing my breath, I scanned the treeline absentmindedly as I tried to keep myself calm, "I wish more agreed with you though, I haven't been able to get a Jounin recommendation yet."

"Seriously!?" he quirked a disbelieving brow, "Kurenai sensei wouldn't give you one."

"I know she wouldn't," I crossed my arms over my chest in annoyance, "If Gai sensei refused me, I have a feeling all of the others will too." It was frustrating frankly, another reason to feel on edge.

He blinked at me in confusion, "Gai sensei said no?"

"I know right!" I scoffed, "When I asked he said, 'I am sorry Hinata, but I have been advised to deny you for your youth burns too brightly.'" I gave my best Gai impression as I said that, much to Kiba's amusement.

"You do that way too well," he chuckled, "And what does that even mean?"

I shrugged, "I suppose I'm a known alcoholic as well as a little defiant, and there still is reason to distrust my control. That's why I decided that, instead of wasting my time getting denied, I could get my mental health evaluation and once they see that I have that they'll be more willing to recommend me."

"Makes sense." he nodded.

"Then my youth will burn the proper brightness befitting a young Jounin!" mocking Gai's voice once again, I lifted a triumphant fist in one of his poses.

"That's disturbing, stop." Kiba laughed again.

"You don't like it?" I pouted jokingly.

Kiba gave me something between a humorous and genuinely off put look, "No, I don't, a voice like that has no right coming out of your mouth."

"Hey, Kiba," Continuing my voice impression, I stopped walking and assumed a seductive pose, "Why don't you come over here and do something about it."

"Ah! No!" he covered his ears, beginning to jog away, "Stop!"

I ran to catch up, running up behind him and locking my arms around his waist, "Come back!"

Upon hearing that I was now using my normal voice, he lowered his hands and twisted to look back at me, "There will be no more of that, got it?"

"You're no fun." I grumbled, shoving my face into his back and taking another deep breath. I could see the office now, and just that one visual was enough to completely wash the humor out of me, leaving me the nervous mess I was so desperately trying not to be.

He was silent, letting me stand there and hug him for a minute before gently removing my hands and turning to face me, "What're you worried about?"

"The obvious." I muttered, "Is it possible for her to find out who I am? What if I don't get cleared? And then just the fact that I'm going to probably have to talk about some of the worst things that have ever happened to me as well as the many failures in my life." I stared stubbornly down at my feet, feeling an odd sense of premature shame.

"Think of it this way," Kiba began, holding my hands gently in his own, "Sakura got cleared, right?"

"Yeah, but that was almost a given due to how im-"

"Hina," he interrupted, "whether or not the council would push for it or not, that psychologist still cleared her. That also means that she didn't find out about her past." he shrugged, "And the senseis are probably just trying to protect you right now because they now can see how they messed up with Sakura and want to make sure you're ready for the responsibility mentally."