Disclaimer: I, much as I'd love to, do not even own any fragment of the Naruto franchise.
Her body lay slumped beneath the tree, curled up peacefully in the damp spring earth. She let it lay there and rested her head on the ground. The sounds of thriving life were everywhere in this forest, but she hadn't noticed it so acutely before had she? Now the scuttling of bugs was rain drops on a tin roof. The wind blowing through the grass brushed up against her wide tearing eyes. That was odd. When had she started crying?
Taking a deep breath she gritted her teeth, pushed herself upwards until she was sitting, and sighed in calm resignation. This body was getting harder to move in, as though her life was moving in slow motion. God must have loved that kind of irony, since her remaining life was slipping by much too fast. She laid her head on the tree and gazed at the woods around her. The bodies of enemy nin were scattered around her, most filled with the same poison as in her veins. It didn't matter anymore that they fought for a different cause. Death was the final equalizer. Pale eyes squeezed shut, blocking the view. She didn't need to see it to know it was happening to her.
The shock of her fate had registered quickly in her mind. The poison stung and itched on her skin and she had studied these poisons before. Her body went on autopilot while her mind thought of a plan.
She couldn't decide what to tell her teammates, all of whom where fine. How could she drop the news gently? Walk up and say "I'm dieing"? She couldn't figure out how to explain everything to her companions. Their perfect teamwork was for nothing. Their 3 man team was down to 2. The rookie nine was now eight. To avoid the confrontation and explanation she had quietly excused herself to go to the bathroom. Only sharp-nosed Akamaru was also aware of her injury, but though he tried to follow her, she sent him back to Kiba with a reassuring pat and hug. Maybe after a few years they would forgive her for her silence.
With a jolt she felt her chest constrict, and shivers racked her. Instead of her deep calming breaths, staccato gasps replaced as her body struggled not to shut down. Beads of sweat rolled down her bare arms, adding to the pre-mortem chill. Tears prickled under her compressed eyelids, but it was better than seeing the darkness which crept into her sight. Her own inhaling sounded loud in her ears, more of God's irony. As her lungs were attacked her breathing was becoming very shallow and wispy. It felt as if the air was thin and hard to catch, yet it pressed in upon her shaking form.
From somewhere around her she heard the mere whisper of a twig snap, but her senses couldn't comprehend where it was. Looking through black dappled vision she watched her teammate Kiba step into the battleground led by his faithful dog. Shino was soon to follow as they scanned the woods. Where they looking for her?
In one terrible instant her eyes connected with those of the canine, and she unsteadily motioned for him to ignore her. He wasn't falling for that this time though. His blaring bark alerted the boys, and she watched as they turned to look. It was such a shame they had to see this. The cries she heard from them were expected, and they rushed to her as all loyal teammates do. Even to her last breath they were predictable. A bitter laugh escaped blue lips at the thought, and she gazed at their concern through squinted eyes.
She watched Kiba mouth "why", over and over. Shino mouthed "no", until it tapered off into quiet. Then, using a last, demanding breath, Hinata Hyuuga mouthed back "I'll miss you…"
The lively hum of the forest continued uninterrupted.
Well, thanks for actually reading through all that. It seemed a bit too wordy to me, but please, tell me what you think. A review only takes a minute, but it improves for a lifetime.