They found them, just as Yoshi said. They found them, Gaara's heart swelled with overwhelming joy he almost cried. Seeing his infant daughters tucked and hidden away safely, wrapped in Yoshi's gold sand secured in a crevice to Gaara and siblings surprise Yoshi found. Despite his son's lacking strength he took them. More so directed them to his sister. Who's cries rang out only muffled by the sand. There was no doubt his son used a substantial amount of chakra to insulate it.
Termari was impressed. Holding his daughters again, his treasures in his arms. Gaara wanted the moment to last longer, but knew it would have to be cut short. The situation right now wasn't called for it, rocking his daughters in his arms, their cries barely stopped. They where truly frighten on what was happening around them. The walls and ground tremored, rocks and things hanging overhead loosened and fell. Using his sand covered everyone. Pressing his lips on each of his children's forehead. Thanked faith for their safety, cause if not...he almost had his whole family back. Almost all his children.
He was missing one more.
His eldest.
Hikari. Whom Yoshi asked about. Handing his daughters to Kankuro who secured them in his puppet. With a soft touch on his son, Gaara kisses him. "I'll bring Hikari and your mother home." He promised.
With his last bit of strength Yoshi managed a smile, with a few tears. Passes out. Handing his son off to his brother, Kankuro secures the children in one of his puppets. Gaara has some of his sand encase the children securely.
"I promise to get them far away from here, Gaara." He said firmly. "I promise no harm will come to them."
Knowing that was true, Gaara thanks him. Sprints off with Temari and Kankuro just as the place collapse. With sand as protection, they hurry to higher grounds. Temari with her fan blows away any falling debris, clearing a path. Reaching closer and higher, come to a crossroad, take it as his cue, Kankuro separates from the others. Though not before passing off some words to Gaara.
"Gaara, tell that wack-o niece of mine, I'm waiting for her." He flashes a smirks.
With a nod of assurance from Gaara, Kankuro separates and heads off. Being careful and watchful of everything around him. He had to be sharp, evading the large chunks that fell from above. One nearly got him, but he was okay. For now. This wasn't going to be easy, but it didn't matter. The safety of the children came first.
Gripping the puppet on his back, enters a near hollow cavern, instinctively step back avoiding something large that came crashing down. Cutting him off. "Whoa!" He breathed. "That was close..."his eyes search around terrain for an area. He could scale the walls and make it to the other side, but, this extra weight...turning back would only worsen it.
Going forward was the only option. But, with a broken path, how would he? The jump was far and too wide. Without Gaara's sand or May's flight to compensate for it, he was left with narrowing choices. Sticking to the walls with chakra was starting to be the only way. The place shakes violently again, rattling him a bit nearly caused him to lose his footing. Digging his feet down, keeping himself stable and the children...where was a damn exit? This place was going to collapse and bury them in an early grave...no he couldn't think like that. Gaara and May would never forgive him he did. He'd find a way out of this...place..even if it'd kill him. At least, he gazes back at the puppet...the children would be safe.
Surveying the surrounding again, he saw it...what he needed, how he would get the kids out of here.
Safe.
A word that barely no..grazed Lee and Kiba. Both managed with luck and quick thinking...at least on Lee's part to avoid their attacker. Who came at them with keen reflexes it felt like the wind. Precise, fluid, and sharp. They knew with one touch if not many, they'd be...well...they'd be done for. Knowing it was best to avoid any contact with them, the technique they used was familiar to them both. They knew the damage it could cause and choose it best to be stay on their toes, with twisting confliction gripping their throats. Neither of them could believe this...
Lee especially, sullen tears stung his eyes, he had to keep back and remember that this...wasn't...even if they did look...there was just no way...biting down the pain rising in his chest rattling with anger. Keep his mind focused and cleared, now was not the time to become emotional. For a brief moment the tip of his foot touched solid ground. His muscle reacted instantly and pushed off a second before their assailant could land a blow.
A strike.
They followed in hot pursuit..if there was some way...Lee thought, he could get through to them...then maybe...
"Lee!" Kiba shouts a warning, breaking through Lee's thoughts.
A foolish move on his part..damn, he had become caught up in his emotions. Left him open for their lighting strike, crossing his in a flash protectively across his chest. Didn't stop their strike from slipping through, the small open gap. Right away Lee's arms lock down around their wrist and manage to drag and flip them over. A near surprise to Lee himself, then again...he did spare against them years ago...how could he not know their moves, also Lee himself improved himself. This wasn't the time for short victory, right now...it was about staying ahead of...them. And keeping Ino's body safe, guarded by Akumaru.
She still hadn't come out of it, whatever was holding there was...strong no doubt. But, he knew she'd pull through and bring Hikari back.
But, Lee thought too...what would Hikari think when she saw...
Damn!
Side track again, side stepping he evades the palm of their blow to his side. That would have...been ugly. Feeling his fist tense and tighten ready to strike he had send a command to keep it at bay and not react. Out of his own feelings for them. Even so, he knew in their eyes they didn't see him as such. Still, that didn't mean much to Lee. To him, they would always be...
Looking for an opening, Kiba couldn't seem to fine one. Then again...did they even have one? Their activated eyes gave them advantage. So, seeking up upon them was out of the question. It'd be pointless. Still, something had to be done. Cause, Kiba knew he and Lee couldn't dodging forever without landing something.
But, they didn't call them a genius for nothing. Even beyond the grave they still held that title. Scoffing, it was no wonder Hikari was a chip off the block. Landing for a moment, moves claws out and swipes!
A poor mistake on his part. They saw it and spin around faster than a top, deflect his attempt. A hand snatches Kiba by the wrist and yanks him forward, their other hand with their two fingers ready to strike his tenketsus like a sharp blade. Stumbles a bit from the violent shaking throughout, was enough for Kiba to take his wrist back and avoid that dangerous situation.
Getting distance, Kiba feels the ground still shake and the whole area. Debris from above began to fall. "What the-?" He said confused for a moment, Lee as well. For a moment.
"Kiba!"
Lee shouts, alerting him. Jump starting Kiba back, gets struck hard in the cavity of his chest. With a force that sent him back a few ways, it knocked the air right out of him for a moment. Left him a state of haze and aching chest. Seeing master struck back Akumaru bares his teeth furiously ready to rush to Kiba's aid, stops and remembers his orders given. He was to stay with Ino, till she woke up.
Which he hoped would happen soon, turning back to her, as Lee engages the other. A whine of worry leaves the faithful hound. Touching his nuzzle to her lifeless body nudges it softly. In hopes of getting a responding.
Nothing.
What was taking so long? Did she...had she managed...why was there a bit of blood trickling down from the corner of her mouth? Where did that...
That touch come from...Hikari thought...that voice...she knew so well..calling for her. Crying over her...begging for to be alright...that tight embrace that was both protective and loving...was it her mother's?
No, she knew her mother's embrace...this wasn't her...who was it then? Who was this embrace that brought a smile to her face...from what she remembered. That voice..she could hear it..and the more she did the tighter their embrace became...so tight it popped Hikari's open finding gasping blue eyes that reminder of the sky staring into her golden-yellow ones...smiling relived to see her awake and well...they began to tear up just a bit.
A light hand rest itself on Hikari's cheek stroking it gently. A touch that tantalized a memory in the young Hyuga...they'd touch her face like that...whenever they'd bring her in to press their own cheek against hers. It was like this every since Hikari could remember. It was their way to...to show that...
Oh! Oh, god!
Hikari began to realize, chocking on the sobs rising in her throat. This person...with blue eyes like the sky a touch that soft and joyful. In an embrace that was protective and loving and long blonde hair that...reminded her of fresh wheat field with a bang framing the right side of their face...that Hikari remembered using her little chubby hands to move out the way...trying to find that other eye. And when she did, she'd grow so excited all the time.
It was...it was...
The name was right on the tip of her tongue now on her lips that began to tremble, she had to bite them to keep her teeth from chattering. "...A-Auntie...Auntie..I-Ino.."she sniffles a few times. Wiping her eyes preventing any tears that might to fall. "Auntie..Auntie Ino!" Springs up latching onto the woman.
Gripping her tight, Ino holds her niece despite her own injuries, held her tenderly. Relived herself. Allowed just a few tears to fall down, while remaining strong for the troubled girl. Soothingly strokes her head, trying to calm her. Thinking to herself...she was much like her mother...so emotional.
And that was okay.
Because, just like Hikari's mother...Ino was here, for her. She was safe...she alright. The fight was straining, but Ino pulled through, moving her eyes from her niece to the defeated body of the hoax-May. Glares sharply at it, she might look like May. This world might be what...what Hikari wanted. But, it was by no means her home. Not at all. No one here loved her, like she was loved back home. Where everyone waited for her return. Where everyone came to fight for her...her family was here.
Her mother came. Her father too. Uncles...everyone. Taking a breath, Ino softly speaks to her niece. "Hikari," she calls through the girl's soft whimpers. "Hikari, you have to wake up. We have to go. Alright? Everyone's waiting for you, they've come to get you. Your mother. Your father...everyone."
The second those words left Ino, she felt Hikari's grip on her tighten and body slightly tremble. There was a small head nod she felt on her chest, that the girl heard. Giving her one last squeeze, they both glow slightly and start to fade away...before they completely left...Hikari managed to get just more glimpse of the world that could have been...she also managed to see someone that made her heart pain. If the sobs weren't stuck in her throat she would have said their names...instead outreached a hand to them in hopes to just brush her fingers to with theirs..just once more...one more.
They seem to feel the same, in featureless white eyes that she was sure saw a tear form and fall. Before they faded away...too.
Ino shoots up gasping as air rushes back into her lungs, immediately the second she returned back to her body she waste no time. Turning around to the tank, where Hikari remained...waited for any sign she might..just a small one...there! Her finger twitched! Just a little but it did.
She was back! Looking around for something to break the glass, finds nothing. So she whips out a kunai and pure force on her part slams it right into the glass. Sending a web thick and thin cracks from it. A bit of water slowly started to pour out...in few seconds the whole thing burst. She nearly got swept away by it, if not for Akumaru to keep her steady. Thanking him, she searches for Hikari, finding her at the bottom of the tank drenched and quiet. Using her medical training, Ino quickly searches for a pulse.
Her wrist.
No.
Her throat.
No.
...The last place..pressing an ear to her chest...holding her breath...a small thump was heard. Followed by another and another...she was alive! Now, she just needed to be resuscitated. Getting her hands in position over her chest to preform the chest compressions, stops once Hikari starts cough up the liquid from her lungs. Ino remained over her, watching her closely...slowly Hikari's eyes began to open...then close...then open...it was dim lighting but...soon it adjusted with a slight haze...
Hikari could barely make out the figure over her, but that was okay. She knew who it was...
"A-Auntie...Ino..."