Underlined italics are Team Eight's wordless communication
BOLD italics are Hinata's visions
Disclaimer: Author Does NOT in anyway own the series Naruto or any of its other name rights. Happy Reading!
Shino had been in plenty of fights before, of course, a lot of them were spars with his peers or the Chunin battle he had a month ago. No one was going to call the match before it got too intense, no one was going to stop Kankuro from killing.
He remembered the poor team in the Forest of Death. He survived by any means possible. This was no different. Shino has killed before and he would gladly do so again for his team and his village.
"A word of warning," He called out, "I am from the Aburame clan. You already know this, but we specialize in insect warfare and jutsu. We know better than anyone, not to underestimate our opponent, no matter how puny they are."
Kankuro gritted his teeth and sent his puppet flying, "Then bring it on!" He shouted.
A joint opened up and out came a long blade. Shino noticed something drip off of it and was quick to jump to the side. The bark quickly turned a dark purple and began to rot, signs of poison.
Shino would have to be careful. This was foreign poison, so the chances of his bugs flushing this out was extremely low. He would have to gather a sample of this once the fight was over.
He jumped back in surprise once more, his back against the tree as he narrowly avoided another attack. Clumsy. He got distracted.
Shino then jumped into the branches and hid within the thickness of the leaves, trying to gather his wits so that he may fight properly.
Kankuro glared after him, sending Crow in blindly to fight.
Shino waited silently, biding his time so that he might be safe as he studied his opponent.
Kankuro was a strong shinobi, that much was obvious, but it seemed that he was a long distance fighter and possibly a poor close combatant.
He was also intimidating to look at. His outfit was a bit loose, but he still had noticeable muscles underneath. They stretched and strained as he carefully moved his puppet. His face paint was also interesting; though it did its job of being scary, it also hid his features quite well.
Shino wondered what he actually looked like. He thought maybe he was handsome and rugged.
Crow's face came back into his line of sight, heading straight for him. He quickly threw two kunai, which landed perfectly in the center of his chest and his head. Got him.
A puff of smoke revealed a log.
Fuck.
Shino looked around quickly, listening for the telltale rattle of the puppet. He heard a rustle beneath him and jumped up. He was too late, as a blade made its way into his head.
He grinned as Kankuro laughed in victory. He had to make his move soon if he was going to get him. Kankuro was starting to notice the bugs pouring out of the clone, but Shino was already there.
He had to admit, Kankuro was faster than he thought. He narrowly avoided a punch to the head just as Shino threw it. The young Aburame straightened himself and smirked, though it was hidden under his collar.
"I was correct then." He called, "You fight mid to long range. I figured I would test your hand-to-hand fighting, seeing as how long distance fighters are usually poor with close combat."
"Well I guess you win the Smart Guy Award now, don't you?" Kankuro connected his chakra strings to Crow once more, "It doesn't matter. My performance is only beginning. You haven't seen what this guy can do yet; but don't worry, I'll show you!"
Crow faced Shino and within a second, his arm popped open and he sent out a flying object heading right toward him.
Shino did his best to move out of the way and avoid getting hit, even sending his bugs out to block him from whatever was coming, but it was too late. The bomb's blast radius was wide and Shino was still within its range.
He smelled something chemically sweet. Poison. His bugs were working hard to identify and clear it, but while it didn't hurt them, it was hurting his body. He stumbled and swayed on his feet, feeling the muscles in his chest and throat tighten and cramp slightly all over from the poison's effects.
"Fuck, this sucks." He muttered to himself as he stood straight. He looked around to the last place that he saw Kankuro and found nothing. There was no sign of him anywhere.
'I see,' He thought to himself, 'The attacker sends a smoke bomb, not only as a diversion, but to immobilize and wound his opponent. Once the poison settles in, and takes effect, he makes his move and finishes them off, all the while hiding somewhere nearby. He can't be too far off from where he was.'
He took this moment to catch his breath, though he knew he was spreading the poison faster through his body. It just felt good to breathe clean air.
He continued to survey the area, spreading his chakra as best as he could in search of the puppet master. The cramping was gradually getting worse, though not by much. He knew, however, that soon the pain would be unbearable and that his muscles would get to the point of shutting down, and would later shut down his organs as well.
The fear wasn't really hitting him yet, maybe because of the shock or adrenaline. Either way, Shino wasn't afraid. Was he that comfortable with death, or at least the threat of it? Was it because he knew somewhere deep in his heart that someone, namely Kiba, would stumble upon him? Kiba promised he would come after him, and he has never broken a promise that serious before.
He thought briefly of Hinata, hoping that she was somewhere safe. He had no doubt that she was well protected, and he knew that she was capable of handling herself. Still, he couldn't help but be worried.
A chill suddenly went up his spine and settled back down into the pit of his stomach. He knew that danger was close, but where was it? He slowed his breathing, holding it for a moment.
CLICK.
He knew that sound all too well by now. Shino turned around and saw the poison dripping off the blade that was aimed right for his face. As quickly as he could he substituted himself with a clone once more, throwing himself back and hanging onto the tree with his chakra, his bugs adding the extra grip.
He didn't have much time, so he sent his colony to investigate where the chakra was being sent from, watching them as they went. He studied their direction carefully, calculating how long it would take for the bugs to reach him.
It was too late, the strings were suddenly cut, sending chakra and bugs flying in different directions to lose the trail; however, Shino was smart enough to have paid attention. He remembered the direction the bugs were heading to and sent his attack in that direction, fanning his insects so that they would be able to catch Kankuro from all angles.
Shino started to slip, his chakra was now failing him as the poison made its way further into his system and shut everything down one by one. His colony re-enforced their grip, clinging to him and holding tight.
He was going to die soon, it seemed.
The unfortunate mishap caused a few leaves to fall, giving away his location. He was going to have to put faith in his plan now. A creak was heard from above him, and he looked to see the head of the puppet fly off and swing around behind him.
Fuck.
It seemed that Kankuro could reconnect his strings easily. Something to remember.
Crow's mouth opened up, revealing yet another long blade practically dripping with poison. Of course he would have a knife on the head.
Shino took a deep breath and faced the danger, as he couldn't avoid or deflect the attack. The head seemed to grow in his mind's eye, becoming larger in size the closer it was. He could smell the chemicals and sweetness on the blade and was quickly coming to terms with death. It seems there was no way his bugs would reach their target in time.
This was it. He would die here. He died protecting his village and his team. Did he have any regrets? Not really. He just wished he was able to see his team grow up and survive.
Shino closed his eyes and held his breath. He didn't want the last thing he saw to be that ugly puppet's head. He imagined Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru and Kurenai. They were looking over their shoulders, smiling at him. That would be the last thing he would see, he decided.
He felt something drip onto his face and opened his eyes. Droplets were on his glasses, and the puppet head was floating right in front of his face, just staring, until suddenly, it dropped down to the forest floor.
Shino sighed in relief to himself, hoisting himself up and forcing his body to stand. His bugs dispersed and worked on the poison some more, desperately trying to clean out his body.
No sooner had he stood, did he see Kankuro fall out of a thick branch of leaves and violently smack his body to rid the bugs. Of course, that did nothing, seeing as how many more were swarming in thousands.
The insect-user had never witnessed his little friends cover a whole living human before. There were times where his father trained him to coat animals, but they were usually dead rodents like squirrels and rabbits. He never even killed the live ones, just trapped them. Seeing his bugs eat away at Kankuro's chakra ignited a dark and warm feeling inside of him.
It was when Kankuro fell, that Shino noticed he was grinning maniacally. He immediately wiped the grin off of his face and impulsively jumped after the sand nin. He couldn't let him die like that. Or maybe he couldn't let him die at all.
It was stupid really. Shino didn't want the young man to die. He figured it was because of what Hinata said: Kankuro was just following orders under the pretense that they were his father's. He couldn't imagine what Kankuro will have to face once he finds out that his father is dead, and that he needlessly attacked the village under the guise of a madman. The Sand would take a huge hit from this.
Shino managed to have his bugs stop the fall of both him, and the puppeteer, gently laying them both on the ground. He waited until Kankuro's chakra levels were enough to keep him alive before recalling his insects.
The Sand ninja was barely awake, his breathing shallow and quick. He opened his eyes to see Shino fall on one knee as he was starting to faint. "Why?" He rasped, "Why the fuck would you keep me alive? I'm your enemy."
Shino was silent for a moment as he considered his reply. "We don't have to be. There's a lot more to this than we know. I have a gut feeling. And if I'm right, I'll be using this as a favor."
Kankuro could see the strained grin peeking out from under his collar. "You wish," He glared, "There's no way that's ever happening."
"We'll see." But Kankuro was already asleep.
Shino thought it would be nice to take a break as well. He felt like he deserved it. And with that final thought, he closed his eyes.
'Just for a moment. Kiba will be here soon.'
Kiba grinned at this man in front of him. He was pretty lanky and tall, but he had underlying muscles straining through his shirt. He seemed capable, as any shinobi should be, but there was just something off about him.
He had a crazy look in his eyes, like someone who had nothing left to lose and craved death. Akamaru whimpered, meaning he sensed it too.
"What's wrong, puppy dog?" The man mocked, "Are you scared ol' Tenshi is gonna kick you? Don't worry. I'll do worse than just kick."
"Dude, are you just going to keep yapping or can you shut up long enough to do this?" Kiba yelled back, "I've got an appointment to keep so we gotta wrap this up."
Tenshi scowled, "Let's see you get smart with me again after this." He wielded hand signs quickly sucking in a breath. A stream of water shot from his mouth at a crazy high speed towards Kiba, who jumped over it to attack.
Tenshi aimed the constant stream at him again, following his moves until he was forced to defend himself with his kunai.
Being an adult, he was obviously much stronger than Kiba, so he was able to push him away with ease.
Akamaru, having run in the opposite direction, seemingly appeared out of nowhere and bit Tenshi's achilles, drawing blood.
The Sound ninja screamed, kicking Akamaru to the side. To his credit, the dog made no sound of pain, and got right back up.
Kiba followed up with another attack, this time, trying to kick Tenshi's legs from under him. Sadly, it was useless. Tenshi was much more skilled than Kiba, having years of experience over the young genin. Kiba was going to have to do his very best, maybe even better than his best if he was going to defeat him.
Kiba weaved his own hand seals as quickly as he could, "Ninja Art: Man Beast Mimicry!" he lowered himself on all fours and charged his chakra to cover him. He had to make these hits count.
He launched his attack, slashing and biting with Akamaru supporting as back up and serving as a distraction. They were landing, but Tenshi remained unfazed, if not a little annoyed. Kiba hated to admit that the man was getting the best of him. He wasn't putting in any effort and was easily deflecting Kiba's punches and slashes.
All of a sudden, warm water splashed Kiba in the face. He stumbled back and tried to cover himself as best as he could. Some got into his nose and mouth, causing him to cough.
Tenshi used his distraction to his advantage, gathering his chakra into his fist and punching Kiba in the face before grabbing Akamaru and throwing him into a tree.
Kiba saw and threw himself to the ground to save his friend, hitting branches on the way down. He managed to flip himself the right way around again, and barely got out of the way for Tenshi to land after him as well.
A stream of hot water knocked the poor boy back, sending him to the ground and then a bush. His skin stung red, but was not burned. Not yet.
"I bet that hurt." The madman laughed, "If you haven't already figured this out, I can superheat water with my chakra. The more I use, the hotter it becomes, and soon, your skin will melt off of your bones and cook."
He inhaled deeply and shot another stream with deadly accuracy. Kiba hissed in pain as some splashed onto his calf. The burn was mild, but he knew it would affect him in the long run. He needed a plan and quickly.
He noticed that Tenshi had to take a deep breath before performing his jutsu, as well as build his chakra over time so that he can concentrate it into an elemental jutsu. Kiba needed to attack when he was recharging, as he was the most vulnerable then.
There was also the fact that Tenshi couldn't control the stream very well. He had to be able to turn his head fast enough, while maintaining his breath, while tracking a ninja he could hardly see behind the attack itself.
Tenshi was also proficient in hand-to-hand combat. He was strong and agile, so he could easily overtake Kiba if they fought too long. Now, he was aware of Akamaru as well, meaning their team attacks have a chance at being less effective the longer they fight.
Kiba placed Akamaru down, "Are you okay, boy?" He asked, looking his companion over; Akamaru managed a bark and a tail wag.
"I can hear you talking, little boy!" Tenshi called. Another stream of water was shot, once again, hotter than before.
Kiba dove behind a tree and waited until the water stopped. He didn't know what to do, so he was going to have to stick to the original plan of playing the waiting game. However, if he waited too long, it could end badly for him. He could very well die.
Kiba ran from his hiding spot and threw a kunai, which was easily tossed away. He threw a punch and kicked his leg over his head, sending him into the air. Both were blocked but Akamaru came through with a vicious bite on his shoulder.
Tenshi screamed in pain, trying to shake the dog off while still blocking Kiba's assaults but to no avail. He was starting to get angry, sucking in a breath and gathering his chakra.
Kiba's nose twitched, smelling water suddenly. He kicked back and grabbed Akamaru, running on all fours to avoid the burst of water chasing after him. He needed to keep moving, but he wasn't sure how long Tenshi would be able to keep it up.
Once the stream got thinner and weaker, Kiba ran to fight once more, but his opponent was ready this time.
Tenshi was still able to easily block and weave around Kiba's attacks, but with both hands busy, he didn't have the ability to stop Akamaru from biting into his shoulder again. The dog was quicker than the man, so he was able to avoid being caught.
Kiba dove away before another stream of water could hit him, smirking to himself for his wonderful sense of smell. With this, he would be able to avoid most of the damage and hopefully wear the older man down.
He ran to attack when the stream thinned out, intending to retaliate quickly. However, his plan came to a stop when he noticed Tenshi's mouth still full.
Everything happened slowly. Kiba skidded to a full stop right as the water headed towards him. As quickly as he could, he jumped out of the way. He wasn't quick enough, as his leg was scalded in the end.
Kiba cried out, holding his injured leg and rolling away. He had his fair share of burns before, but never with water. He didn't realize it would hurt so much. The cold air wasn't making a difference, either, just adding more stinging pain to the area.
Akamaru tumbled after his master, yipping a warning.
Yet another jet of water followed. Both dog and boy ran as quickly as they could, jumping over roots, rocks, and bushes to find decent cover.
When he felt they were far away enough, Kiba rested behind a tree, gulping in air. He wasn't sure what to do at this point, as he needed time to plan.
The scald on his leg was beginning to throb. The adrenaline was no longer healing him ignore the pain, and the run didn't help either. With a grunt, Kiba rolled his pants up to somewhat air it out. The skin was starting to peel, exposing sensitive flesh. If he wasn't careful, the injury may become too great to treat himself and he could become infected.
Akamaru whimpered and gently licked at the wound. Inuzuka dogs and even some clansmen were known to have healing properties in their saliva, as many of them were used as med dogs/nins. Akamaru was still young so his healing wasn't as developed yet, but it worked as well as a small pain relief.
Kiba might be able to fight just a fraction bit longer now.
He shimmied up the tree, the bark scratching him through his clothes. He could smell his sweat, the fresh green leaves, the damp dirt, and various animals hiding in the forest.
For a moment, he forgot the battle, the pain, the fear. He could only focus on his surroundings and how united he suddenly felt with the earth.
A stick breaking to his left sent him lunging to the right. Tenshi sent a mouthful of water in Kiba's direction, only missing him by a hair's breadth. The blast was powerful enough to peel the bark from the tree, completely boiled.
"Fucking mutt!" he cursed, "where the fuk do you think you're going?"
Kiba tucked his dog under his jacket and ran once more. He was terrified. He got distracted. If that happened again-
-He dove left, avoiding another blast. His leg then decided to seize and finally gave out. He tumbled down a hill, hitting his head hard against the root of a tree.
Ears ringing, head spinning, Kiba attempted to sit up. He could hear Akamaru barking in the near distance; it was panicked and sounded like a warning of danger.
A shadow towered over him and the closer it got, the more of a wicked grin he could see growing on its face. Before he could move, the figure raised a leg and harshly kicked Kiba in the face, sending the boy rolling once more.
He weakly dug in his pocket for his weapon, only to have it kicked away the moment it sprung into action. He was completely defenseless.
Tenshi's weight settled on his chest as he pinned the poor boy's arms down. "You really did it now, mutt." He sneered, "I've never met a kid who could piss me off so quickly. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to boil your flesh off of your face. Scream for me."
In a split second, he was reeling back, screaming profanities. Kiba's eyes snapped open to see a ball of white fur hanging off of the man's face. Akamaru growled loudly as he attacked, which snapped Kib back into reality. He scrambled for his weapon, but Tenshi's weight still helped him in place. His fingertips barely grasp the handle. Almost there.
Tenshi threw off Akamaru, who yelped in pain, and turned to meet the inside of an animal's mouth. Sharp teeth latched onto his face once more, though this time, they were bigger. He screamed in fear and attempted to punch the head of whatever was trying to kill him. There was no effect.
A terrifying growl sounded from the beast's throat and the jaws slowly added pressure. Tenshi's screams were finally silenced as the creature's jaws crushed the man's head, sending blood everywhere.
The beast ate ravenously, grunting in satisfaction with every gulp. Nothing had ever tasted so good at that moment.
Kiba gasped as he came back to his senses, throwing himself back and crawling away. He didn't mean to go that far. He didn't mean to eat that man.
He gagged, throwing up his meal in mere seconds. He was sick to his stomach, sick of his actions and himself. The wolf inside him was satisfied, but his human self was horrified. Was this cannibalism? What was wrong with him?
A distant explosion brought him back; The war was still going on. THE WAR! SHINO!
Wiping his mouth, Kiba stumbled to his feet, hissing in pain when he remembered he had a scald on his leg. He ignored it for now, pushing on to grab Akamaru, who looked a little worse for wear. Both ninja and dog traveled forward, intent on saving their friend.
Kiba glanced back at the body, his stomach rumbling once more. Fuck it. That bastard deserved it.
Hinata stepped in front of Hanabi, shielding her from harm. She was unsure of the woman's skill with her own sword, but it was likely a lot better than her own.
The weapon of the woman in question was large and jagged. It had various cracks and odd angles, as if it were broken from glass.
"Hanabi," Hinata whispered, "Do not get involved. I need you to run and hide when you have the chance. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Was her little sister's hesitant reply.
The older sister took a breath and steadied herself. She needed to be focused if she wanted to live, much less win this fight. This was going to be the turning point of her ninja career, she could feel it.
She decided to move first, if only to give Hanabi a chance. She slid forward, jabbing her umbrella with steady power.
The woman easily blocked and retaliated with an impressive spin, catching Hinata off guard. She barely had time to block before she was attacked again with fluid movements. She did the best she could do, but it was difficult to move around when the woman's speed had her all but surrounded.
Hinata began to panic. She hadn't looked this far ahead, she had no plan. She wasn't proficient enough to use her gift in the midst of battle, as she never had the training, and even if she did, she wouldn't dare use it in front of her sister or while Orochimaru's lackeys were around.
This was going to be a real life or death battle and Hinata wasn't sure if she would win.
"I've trained my entire life in perfecting my kenjutsu," The woman sneered, "To think a novice such as yourself could think of herself a challenge further proves your arrogance."
"Your headband says you are from Mist, yet you speak of your hatred for the Hyuga's so often. As far as I'm aware, the Hyuga have no influence in your land, nor over your people."
The woman laughed bitterly, "Yes, I am from the Mist, however, I was engaged to a wonderful ninja in the Cloud. Budo was my one true love. Before he could retire, he had one last mission to maintain peace in the Leaf and aid in signing a treaty.
"You cursed Hyugas had killed him! So I defected from my village and joined Orochimaru's forces to gain enough power to kill you all, if not the heiress who had him killed in the first place! That's where you come in, little welp. My name will go down in history: Tsumugi, the Hyuga Slayer!"
Hinata glared and pointed her umbrella, "Budo's death was his own doing."
"Don't you dare say his name!" In less than a second, Hinata's umbrella was on the ground and she was dodging for her life.
Every swing was calculated and precise, no moves were waisted as the woman swung her sword faster and almost chaotically.
Hinata bobbed and weaved, using the Hyuga stance to defend, but she was quickly losing her balance. The stance was much too stiff and controlled, Hinata needed something smoother, but with her little sister watching, she had to pretend to be weak, she had to take on the handicap.
Unfortunately, her plan was not helping her, as she gasped in pain when the sword hit her and pieces broke off into her arm. Hinata clutched the bleeding wound. Any small movement sent a sharp pain from her shoulders to her fingertips. The shards moved to dig deeper.
"What's the matter Hyuga?" Tsumugi taunted, "There's no one to help you now. You'll be a stained memory that no one will mourn."
Hinata huffed and opened her jar of ointment, slathering on a thick fingerful as quickly as she could to numb the pain and keep from getting an infection. She dove as she wrapped it up, hissing as the glass moved around again.
Just as Tsumugi was about to swing, a small shadow kicked her away, sending her a few feet back. Hanabi stood in front of Hinata, in a perfect Hyuga stance.
"Hanabi, I told you to hide." Hinata grunted as she finished tying off her wound, "But thank you. I don't want you to get hurt, little sister."
"As long as you can fight, so can I." She bravely stated , "I will not cower when my sister is being hurt. We shall win together."
"Alright, but you will not tell father, is that understood? You need to promise me, my sister."
Hanabi only nodded, wondering why she was making such a promise, though it did not matter, as the woman was getting back to her feet with am ugly scowl. "How dare you?" She screamed.
She lunged forward to swing her sword, only to be blocked by Hinata's kunai. Hanabi weaved under and struck a chakra point in her arm. Hanabi, though being a prodigy in her own right, was still very weak, as she was young, but with enough time and points, the woman could become incapacitated. Hinata just needed to buy her time.
Tsumugi pulled back to swing at Hanabi again, only to be blocked once more, while the young girl seemingly danced around and hit yet another chakra point.
It went like this for a while, Hinata blocking and Hanabi striking. Hinata had just enough power to be able to fend the woman off, giving her sister the advantage of attack. They worked beautifully together, Hinata as the shield and Hanabi as the sword.
Tsumugi was becoming frustrated. Every opportunity to attack was deflected, and because of it, she was getting hit. Her muscles started to ache sully, and she knew if she didn't finish this quickly, she would lose.
She pulled her sword apart, now holding one in each hand. Both Hyuga girls were surprised, but did not let that deter them. Hinata sent chakra to her feet and pulled another kunai. Hanabi pulled one as well and started to block as she struck.
Sadly, Hanabi was finding herself to be overpowered quickly. Each strike threw her off balance, which in turn, threw her attacks off balance. She wasn't hitting any of the points perfectly anymore.
Hinata's arm was starting to ache again, as the extra power and attacks were wearing down on her injury, which left her weaker and weaker. She knew Hanabi wouldn't leave her, but she had to do her best to convince her sister to run and save herself, at least until someone was able to reach them.
"Hanabi!" She shouted, "You need to go, now!'
"I'm not leaving you!"
"I said go now before it's too late!"
Tsumugi took advantage of Hinata's distress, attacking her relentlessly until the girl dropped her kunais. Hanabi's eyes widened as the woman spun around to face her and raised her sword. She then watched in horror as blood stained her face and clothes. She looked at her hands, and realized that this blood was not hers. Hinata laid on the ground, whimpering in pain, but otherwise not moving. She sacrificed herself to save her.
"That's a real shame," Tsumugi grunted as she flicked the blood off her sword, "I was really hoping to get a little more fun out of her, but I suppose you'll do instead."
Hanabi shook in place. After all of her training, she found herself frozen with fear. Hinata was brave and stood strong in battle, despite being the weaker sister. Hanabi just didn't have the same qualities yet. She only joined because someone was there to protect her. Now that she was all alone, she was terrified.
"I can't stand looking at your face any longer." Tsumugi towered over the young girl, "after I kill you, I'm going to take your eyes. Perhaps, I should take them right now."
She moved closer, causing Hanabi to step back. She tripped over her own feet, falling to her bottom, though she continued to back away until she finally hit a wall.
Tsumugi raised her sword and grabbed Hanabi by the hair, aiming for her face. Hanabi closed her eyes and even covered them with her hands. She knew this wouldn't stop the woman, but what else could she do?
A sickening shunk sounded, followed by choked gasps.
"Don't look," HInata strained out, "Keep your eyes closed, little sister."
Hanabi could only nod her head, she wouldn't dare disobey this time.
Hinata sighed in relief, turning Tsumugi's body around and opening her umbrella. Blood and body parts scattered around, and Hinata couldn't help but think of what she saw at the Chunin Exams. 'Thanks for the inspiration there, Gaara.' She thought somewhat bitterly.
Her good arm shook, while the other hung uselessly by her side. Somehow, she had found the strength to continue her fight, especially when she saw her baby sister in danger.
She chanced a glance at her shaking sister and smiled slightly. It was all worth it in the end.
"Lady Hinata!"
She turned to the voice calling her name. Ko was sprinting towards them, covered in death and blood. No doubt he was fighting as he was looking for the pain of sisters. Hinata didn't think any of it was his, either.
He looked around in horror, seeing the mangled parts of the Mist woman lying around. Both sister were stained in blood, but Hinata was practically soaked.
"Lady Hinata," He breathed, "What happened here?"
"That's not important right now, Ko." She strongly replied, "Please take my sister to safety, I must go find my team.
"Lady Hinata, you can't! Look at your arm; you need medical attention!"
"I'm fine." Hinata brushed off his concern, "You must protect my sister. That is an order."
Ko was taken aback, he had never heard Hinata speak with such authority before/ He had never seen her with such a fire in her eyes, either.
"As you wish." He meekly replied. He couldn't be more proud. "However, let me help you with your arm. It doesn't look very good." Ko took off his jacket and carefully tied Hinata's arm into a makeshift sling.
Hinata glanced at her sister who was still cowering in the corner. She walked up and touched her head, gently so as not to spook her, "Ko will be taking care of you now. Do not open your eyes until you get home, okay?"
Her sister only nodded, earning a smile she couldn't see.
"I love you." With that, Hinata took off.
"Shino!"
The young boy startled awake, eyes blearily searching for the familiar voice.
"Fuck, Shino!" A shadow loomed over him, "We'll get you help buddy." A weak bark woke him more.
"Kiba?" he groaned. He struggled to sit up but his body was so tired and sore.
"Yeah, it's me man. Let's get you up and to a medic!"
"The Sand ninja…" Shino trailed off.
Kiba hesitated and looked over to Kankuro off to the side. He was unmoving but breathing. "I can't carry you both." Kiba reasoned, "We'll get him help on the way, too."
They limped off, both supporting each other's weight. There were times where Shino wanted to sleep some more, but the constant chatter from Kiba kept him awake. Kiba stumbled under Shino's weight and grit his teeth. He was losing this battle fast. He needed Hinata.
"Kiba! Shino!" Speak of the angel.
Hinata was moving clumsily towards them, her arm in a sling and her umbrella still on her back. She was soaked in blood, most of which dried in her hair.
She lunged forward and hugged them both as tightly as possible, sobbing her relief into their shoulders. She promised to never let them go again, and that she would be there always when they needed her. Nothing was going to separate them again.
When she finally pulled back, she quickly looped Shino's arm over her good shoulder and aided Kiba in supporting his weight.
They walked like that for a while, ducking behind cover and avoiding all combat in order to get somewhere safe. Whenever one started to fall behind, the other two would encourage them to keep moving and forcibly drag them along.
"I have to say, old man," Orochimaru hissed, "You haven't lost your touch have you?" The sword was moving little by little, but Sarutobi still clung to his soul. "I suppose before you die, I should tell you that the little genin group you are so interested in is worth the attention."
Sarutobi couldn't even gasp with the sword right through his lung, but the look on his face must have tipped off Orochimaru, because he chuckled and continued, "Luckily for them, I have my sights still set on your little Uchiha, so they're safe, for now. After I get that brat, that team might be next. I hear they're not treated very well in this village. What a shame. They'll be treated with much more attention with me."
Sarutobi screamed in pain and pulled harder, "You evil wretch!" He shouted, "I may not live through this battle, but I shall keep to my promise of protecting this village. My only regret is not taking all of you with me. Remember what I said, in regards to those precious jutsus you chase and kill for? Now you shall never perform them again!"
With a final yell, Hiruzen used the last of his remaining strength to pull as much as he could from Orochimaru. WIth a final swing of the Shinigami's sword, their fate were sealed, and Orochimaru's arms were taken.
"You three are in pretty bad shape." The doctor muttered, "You're lucky to have even made it alive. We lost many shinobi. Even surviving under your circumstances is nothing short of a miracle." Team Eight glanced at each other behind the doctor's back.
Hinata and Kiba sat on the same bed Shino was laying in. There were multiple tubes in his arms with many different fluids running into his veins to flush out the poison. Hinata's arm was in a proper sling, and Kiba had a thick wrap around his leg. Akamaru huffed from on top of Kiba's head, his back leg covered as well.
"Make way!" The yell came from the hallway, "We need three beds at once! I've got two jinchuriki and an Uchiha."
The three wallflowers peered out of the door and into the hallway, watching as Gaara, Naruto and Sasuke were being run around on gurneys. Sakura was helplessly following behind. Temari was calm for the most part, but her face was as white as a sheet. She was definitely worried.
Hinata took one more glance at the doctor and slipped out into the hallway, quietly calling the blond girl's name, "We got help for your brother," She said, "Kankuro is in room 304 being treated." Without another word, he turned and walked away.
In her hurry, Temari didn't even stutter out a thank you, but she understood. She had bigger priorities to worry over. This crush was far more impacting than they were hoping for.
Jiraiya sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His old sensei wasn't even cold yet before the elders were hounding him to take the position. He had way too much to do in the world to be stuck in an office all day. It would not only hinder his recon missions, it would severely hurt his research time, too.
He was still skeptical of what Hinata had said; to find Tsunade and drag her ass back here kicking and screaming. Sarutobi seemed to trust in the young Hyuga's intuition and frankly, he did, too. After everything that happened, she was completely correct in all aspects. Her gift gave them that advantage, and without it, they would be much worse off than they were now.
Tsunade was a shit gambler, but she knew how to lead and how to take charge. It was one of the things he loved about her.
"What are you thinking, boss?" Shikaku was standing right beside him, staring out as the people and ninja began to rebuild and fix their village. He was someone Jiraiya was glad to have by his side, as he was the only level-headed person in this council of nutcases.
"I only barely managed to get those prunes off my back long enough to suggest a search for Tsunade. However, they want me to put Danzo in charge while I'm gone." He couldn't help roll his eyes in disgust, "As if I would put that psycho fuck in charge of my village. Until I find Tsunade, I'm naming you in charge to oversee the village. The council can't argue that you're not the best for the job, seeing as how you've maintained your position for as long as you have. Plus, if there is anyone who can outsmart that old wardog, it's a Nara."
Shikaku couldn't help but smirk. He was right of course, but he hoped that it would sate the council until Tsunade was found, which could take a while.
"What about the kids?" He didn't even have to clarify who he was talking about.
Jiraiya sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes this time as he thought, "Have they all healed up yet?"
"Shino should be that last one finishing up, since it's been weeks now, but even then, they can't do anything too dangerous."
"Have them go out towards the south to a merchant village. We could use the resources and keep them within boundaries at the same time. It shouldn't be too hard to convince anyone it's a diplomatic mission."
He thought more for a second, "I'll also be taking Naruto with me to search for Tsunade. He's been really antsy since Orochimaru sealed him up. He'll also come looking for me if I leave, so this would be a good time to start on some training. Think you can manage things from here on out?"
Shikaku sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "I suppose. It'll be one hell of a drag, though."