The Next Day
Storm's POV
I sigh and sit up, opening my eyes to almost get blinded by the morning light.
This week has been absolutely awful, I just need some time to relax. Of course, that won't happen, so I might as well train, I've got nothing better to do.
I get up and get ready, changing into my dark blue slim fitting long sleeve, dark blue jean shorts that end mid thigh, black ninja sandals, black plated gloves, ninja forehead protector on around my left leg right below my jean shorts, and my Jonin Flack jacket, left open.
I walk to the kitchen and I make myself a frozen breakfast, I sit at the counter eating it as my mind plays a blank.
After I finish eating it I throw away the empty box and put my ninja gear on. I walk to my training grounds soon after and train.
I don't give a damn if I failed, I should have just asked for help, damn pride, sometimes I wish I could just hide, but I can't, facing my problems is harder than it seems, thanks a lot Tsunade, I don't really even deserve to be Jonin, but I have no choice, I'm a Shinobi who has too much responsibility on her shoulders. Damn all this to hell.
By the time its lunch, I'm starving but I decide to just stay up in my tree.
Shikamaru's POV
I watch as Storm trains, I can tell she's thinking over what happened. I just wait.
By the time its noon, Storm is sitting in her tree, not even paying attention to anything.
She's beating herself up about the mission, it's not right to see her fall so hard, especially with not having anyone to talk it out with, I heard Dad last night, that's just mean, but I know its tough love.
"What is it Shikamaru?" Storm asks from her branch.
"So you finally noticed me." I say and jump up in front of her.
"I know what I did wrong, I just can't admit it." Storm mutters and leans her head back on the tree trunk.
"So you failed, so what? You said that everyone messes up on the first try, well you messed up, just like I did, but its no reason to beat yourself up over it, now is it?" I ask her.
Storm's eyes widen. "Those were my words." She says and then cracks a smile. "I suppose it isn't, still, me failing? That's hardly believable, I took a hit to my pride on this mission, damn what a pain." Storm says and scratches the back of her neck.
"Yeah, I suppose you did, but you did what was necessary to protect us." I say to her with a smirk.
Storm's POV
"Now what?" I ask and look at the sky.
"Well, take on a few missions, get your pride back." Shikamaru says to me.
"That sounds reasonable. Alright." I say and stand up.
Shikamaru stands up and we leave my training grounds.
I walk to the Hokage office and I knock.
"Come in."
I walk in and I see Tsunade talking with Jiraiya.
"I seem to have come at a bad time." I say and Jiraiya smirks.
"No, actually, we were discussing on what to do, I mean Naruto is coming to train with me, so I decided why not take you to help as well, you know, just to train." Jiraiya says to me.
"Say what?" I ask and Tsunade laughs.
"Storm, your going with Jiraiya, this is the mission I was talking about yesterday, the one declined, your pride has clearly been hit and maybe some traveling might help." Tsunade says to me with a smirk.
