Miwa (under slow editing and slight reconstruction)

Chapter Forty-Six

{UnEdited}

They began to travel for 3 more hours before the team leader 'Bear' told them to set up camp, Hinata took this time to take Miwa off to one side. Neji sat with the Yamanaka and the T&I who turned out to be a Inuzuka, Neji cursed himself for not realising it or figuring it out when he first saw the large dog . Then again he was too concentrated on finding Miwa to care about anyone else.

Neji sat with them and watched as his cousin took the love of his life to a nearby stream to get her cleaned up. He made a mental note to thank Hinata once again for packing some of Miwa's clothes just in case they found her. Once the two girls disappeared Neji let out a shaky sigh, and took out the photograph he's been carrying around for months. His finger wandered over Miwa's laughing face, his eyes watered.

Neji hadn't properly cried since he found out she was missing, he had been putting most of his emotions away as he searched for her. Everything he had been holding back all these months came hurtling down on him. He let out a few small sniffs before he started bawling, freaking out the Yamanaka and Inuzuka T&I specialist.

Meanwhile over at the stream Hinata and Miwa were sat by the edge, Miwa had her legs in the water, cleaning the dirt and blood off her feet. Hinata pulled out a cloth from her backpack and used the stream to dampen it, once it was wet Hinata started to clean her arms.

She started with Miwa's left arm as it was the least dirty, when she was finished she turned her attention to the bloodied arm. She lifted the sleeve and began to wipe it, she let out a gasp when she saw the three deep gashes that looked infected.

Hinata furrowed her brows as she remembers Naruto telling her that he hurt Miwa when the nine tails tried to take over, unconsciously she glanced down as saw that Miwa's hands seemed to still be recovering from the chakra burns, but they were nearly healed.

Once Hinata finished the bloodied arm, she reached into one of her pouches on her legs and pulled out a bandaged, she carefully wrapped Miwa's arm and shoulder tightly and tying it once she finished.

When Hinata looked up she saw Miwa watching her, her eyes still empty and soulless but Hinata could tell she was fighting over something in her head. Miwa would always pout and furrow her brows when she did that.

"Why?" Hinata tilted her head in confusion at Miwa's question "Why do you and that boy look so sad when you look at me?" Hinata's eyes widen in surprise before she sighs and turns away so that she was facing the other side of the river.

"You mean the world to my family" Hinata says with a small smile, Miwa looks at Hinata's expression, for some reason there was guilt swimming around her heart when she saw the smile "But that boy from earlier, that's Neji. You mean the most to him." Miwa looks away and her attention turns to the water.

"But don't worry, everything will be alright" Hinata says turning to Miwa and smiling brightly at her, Miwa looks at Hinata blankly the girl confused Miwa.

Hinata turned back to her backpack and pulled out a sack of clothes and a towel, carefully Hinata helped Miwa to dry herself and get changed into some clothes. Hinata then went to her hair and tied it up in a bun, that when Hinata noticed she had Miwa's forehead protector.

They found it a few months back when they were following a promising lead, but all they found was the forehead protector and clothes. Hinata shook her head as she remembered the pained look on Neji's face when he realised on that mission that they were just 10 minutes too late.

"Are the clothes okay?" Hinata asks as they both stand up, Miwa does a few twirls and looks down "I'm sorry I didn't have enough room for your sandals" Miwa shook her head with a small smile.