Chapter One
Fallen
Kiba and Akamaru were out jumping from tree to tree like they did everyday. It was a bright sunny day. Not a cloud or mission in sight. Kiba stopped on a branch and stretched out as far as he could. "Oh yeah! It's a great day!"
Akamaru barked in agreement. The wind turned direction and picked up again. Akamaru barked again. "Yeah. I smell it too. It's blood."
Kiba sniffed the air again. "This way."
Akamaru followed. They ran through the woods until the smell of blood came to its strongest. Kiba gasped when he say a girl lying on the floor of the forest. He walked over to her. She obviously had been in a battle. "Whoa! She looks like she tangled with a bear."
Akamaru sniffed her feet then whined. "What?"
Kiba walked to Akamaru and looked at the bottom of her feet. Kiba's eyes widened in shock. Her feet were completely torn up. Her skin was gone, completely. She was more than just in a battle. Kiba couldn't believe how beat up she was. He looked back to her face. She had soft facial features, fair skinned and long flowing white hair with a light blue tint to it and she looked about his age. Kiba felt bad for her. Akamaru barked again to snap him out of it. "Oh, right. We've got to get her to Lady Tsunade."
Kiba moved to pick her up, carefully. As he did she whimpered at the pain then slowly opened her eyes. She looked at him with stunning dark blue eyes. He immediately saw fear in her eyes. He smiled lightly at her. "It's ok. I'm a friend. I'm going to help you."
She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't for the words. "You just relax. We've got the best doctor in the world."
She leaned her head against his chest and fell asleep. "We better hurry."
Akamaru barked and followed his master back to the village. He immediately took her to the hospital where, luckily, Tsunade was. "Lady Tsunade! Lady Tsunade!"
"Keep it down, Kiba! This is a hospit….oh my." Tsunade saw the beat up girl in his arms. "What happened?"
"I don't know. I just found her in the woods. Please, will you help her?" Kiba asked.
"Of course." Tsunade turned and he followed.
She slowly opened her eyes and started, with blurry eyes, up at the ceiling of an unfamiliar building. Carefully, she turned her head to looked around the room. It was quiet and no one was around. She sat up in bed and placed her feet carefully on the floor. But she wished she didn't when she slid off the bed. A yelp of pain escaped her lips before dropping to the floor. She placed a hand over her right foot. She had bandages wrapped around both her feet, legs, arms and few bandages on her face. Basically she looked like a mummy.
She froze when she heard the door slide open. Someone stepped in, two actually. "Huh? What are you doing out of bed?"
The voice was surprised and shocked. She looked up to see a boy, her age, with short brown hair, red marks on his cheeks and an large white dog by his side. He rushed over to her and kneeled down. "You have serious damage to your feet."
She jerked away when he reached out a hand. Kiba was confused at it. Akamaru nudged her arm and whimpered. She looked at the dog. "His name is Akamaru. He's worried about you. He want's you to get back in bed."
She slowly pulled her eyes away from the dog and back to the boy. Kiba smiled at her. "Can I put you back in bed?"
She nodded carefully. Kiba nodded back then slipped his arms around her, carefully not to pull out her IV in her left arm, and laid her back on the bed. "By the way, my name is Kiba. I found you outside our village."
She opened her mouth to say something just then the door opened and Tsunade walked in. "Ah, she's awake."
"Yes, ma'am. She decided to take a stroll." Kiba replied.
"Really? Well, that's not a good idea." The lady flipped through her charts. "You've suffered serious damaged to your feet. I did my best to heal them but it's still going to take a while before your back to full strength. You were also dehydrated and a bit malnourished."
Tsunade set the papers back down and looked at her. "Do you wanna tell us what you were doing out there?"
She started at the lady for a minute before her eyes drifted to Kiba. He smiled sweetly at her and nodded. She looked back at Tsunade. "Well, can you at least tell us your name? And where you're from? I'll send a message to your family and let them know you are ok. I bet they're worried about you."
"M-my…name is….Star." She replied carefully.
"Star." Kiba smirked. He liked it. It suited her somehow.
"Alright, Star, tell me where you live and I'll send a carrier pigeon." Tsunade said, patiently.
"You…won't be able to do that." Star replied. Akamaru laid his head on the bed by her hand and nudged her. She smiled lightly and began to stroke his head.
"Why not?" Kiba asked.
"I'm…..not from around here."
"Where're you from?"
"…" Star bit her lip. "I'm….from….the Island of Stars."
"The Island of Stars?" Tsunade asked.
"You've heard of it?" Kiba asked.
"Yes. It's an island where far…." Tsunade paused for a minute and studied the girl. Star refused to look at anyone as she continued to stroke Akamaru. "Well, you are a long way from home. What were you doing around here?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean? You don't remember?" Kiba asked.
"Not really. I know I was on a mission. I was heading to the village hidden in time…but that's it. I think I was suppose to deliver something there. We were attacked and then….nothing. I don't remember anything after that." Star sighed. "I don't even know if the people I was traveling with are even alive."
"I see." Tsunade replied. "Getting a message to your family is going to take a lot longer than I thought."
"How….how long have I been sleeping?" Star asked.
"For week." Tsunade replies.
"A week?" Star asked no one in particular.
Tsunade turned and headed for the door. "I'll have to send the message then find a place for you to stay when you're well enough to leave the hospital."
"Wait!" Star cried out.
"Hm?" Tsunade turned back to look at her.
"Uh…thank you." Star sat up and bowed politely. "Thank you for helping me."
Tsunade smiled. "All I did was patch up your wounds. Kiba there was the one who found you. You should thank him."
Star looked up at Kiba and smiled, which made Kiba blush slightly. "Thank you."
"Uh….s-sure. No problem."
Two weeks later Kiba was poking his fork in his food and stirred. He wasn't hungry. His mind was continuously on the girl in the hospital. Tsunade still hadn't figured out who Star should stay with. Star need someone who would be able help her, attend to her ever need and be patient with her as her feet healed. She wasn't going to be walking anytime soon. Placement for a temporary home was almost impossible with a village full of ninja who were always out on a mission.
Kiba checked in on Star whenever he had a free moment, nothing else to do or just wanted to make sure she was ok. Tsunade kept him informed on her condition and if anything new came up, like the small infection Star got in one of her wounds. Tsunade caught it quick enough so no harm was done.
But now, Star was going to be released from the hospital. With no home. It would take months, maybe more, to get word to Star's family. Tsume watched her son stare mindlessly at his food. "Something on your mind, son?"
"Huh?" Kiba asked half heartedly.
"Forget it, mom. His mind is on his girlfriend." Hana stressed the last word, knowing it would get his attention.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Kiba growled with a light pink across his face.
"Then why do you think about her all the time? I mean, you've been over to see her like every day since you found her." Hana waved her hand.
"That's just it! I found her! So that makes her my responsibility, right?" Kiba slammed his hands on the table and stood up. Akamaru looked up from his food bowl.
"Then bring her home." Hana replied, un-phased by her brother's outburst.
"Home?" Kiba gave her a clueless look. "But her home is…."
"Not to her home. To our home." Hana replied then added under her breath. "You stupid mutt."
"Our home?" Kiba asked, still with a clueless look on his face.
"You said, since you found her, that makes her your responsibility. Whether it is or not you seem to have chosen to make her your responsibility. So, she needs a place to stay, she can stay here." Tsume explained before standing up and heading out.
"Really, ma? She can stay here?" Kiba asked his mother's retreating backside.
"Of course. Hana has medical training, sure as a vet, but she can still keep an eye on Star's wounds." Tsume flashed her son a smile before stepping outside.
"You better get going." Hana said.
"Right. Come on, Akamaru!" Kiba cheered as he headed for the door. Akamaru barked in just as much excitement as Kiba as they headed for Tsunade's office.
"Tsk….boys. They're all the same." Hana smirked.
"Hm…." Tsunade tapped her chin thoughtfully at Kiba's request. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I want to help her. I found her so that makes her my responsibility, in a way. And Hana has agreed to help watch her wounds and keep an eye out for infections." Kiba repeated.
"You do realize that this will be a big task. She's not allowed to walk until her feet get a lot better. That means carrying her everywhere." Tsunade wanted to make sure Kiba knew what he was getting into.
"Yes, ma'am. I know that. Akamaru has agreed to help to. She can ride on him. And if we get sent off on a mission, ma and Hana will watch her and ma's dog is big enough for her to ride on." Kiba nodded with determination.
"I see. Very well then." Tsunade smiled.
"Really?" Kiba asked.
"Yes. Sakura should be changing her bandages right about now." Tsunade stood up and signaled for Kiba to follow. He and Akamaru followed her all the way to the hospital, where Sakura was finishing up Star's bandages on her feet.
"There. All fresh and new." Sakura smiled at the girl.
"Thank you." Star returned her smile.
"And how's our patient doing today?" Tsunade asked.
"Fine. Healing along nicely." Sakura reported. "No signs of infections anywhere."
"Very good. Star?" Tsunade turned to the young girl.
"Yes, ma'am?" Star looked at the older lady with respected. Tsunade smiled. She like Star. Star showed her genuine respect. She was also naturally sweet and everyone that she meet instantly took a liking to her.
"Kiba here, has offered to let you stay at his house until your family is notified." Tsunade tossed a glance at the boy with the dog. Kiba nodded in agreement. "His sister is a vet and she's agreed to help watch your wounds until they are healed. If it's alright with you, I'd like you to go home with him today."
"Really?" Star asked Kiba. He nodded. Akamaru barked in agreement. Akamaru then jumped over to the girl and licked her face. He was asking her to please come stay with them. Star smiled at the dog and replied to him as if she understood what he said. "Of course. If it's really ok with your masters, I would love too."
"Huh?" Kiba instantly picked up on the fact that Star understood what Akamaru was saying to her. Tsunade proceed to give Star a do and don't list. Kiba shook his head. No way. It wasn't possible that she could understand him. Only he could.
"See you later, Star." Sakura waved as she left with her mentor. "I'll come check on you in a few days."
"Ok." Star waved back.
"Well, then." Star turned her attention to the boy standing in the room. "Shall we go?"
Notes: Hope you like this. It's a story I started a while ago and wanted to see if anyone liked it. PLEASE review so I know ya'll are reading it so I'll update the story. Sorry about the mistakes I'm working on my proofreading skills I'm not the best at it -.-'. See you next chapter. :)
