A: N: THIS IS MY SHORTEST ONE, THE NEXT IS LONGER AND YOU'LL FIND OUT WHY.
Chapter 5
As the weeks went by there were raids happening at night. Around 10 ninjas would emerge from the forest and usually they would be grass or rain ninjas. I would sit and wait for it to go. One night I was sitting waiting for a raid when there was a noise outside. I looked through the water and gasped softly. I recognized them easily.
"Chouji, Shikamaru! Wake up!" cried the voice of Ino. I looked outside and stood up. I couldn't leave them to die. There was going to be another raid and they'd die.
"Suiton Bunshin no Jutsu," I whispered and three water clones emerged from the waterfall. Shino looked up as they grabbed Shikamaru and Chouji and sprinted off towards the cave. The third helped Ino as she was crying her eyes out. Shino looked suspicious and then the third one waved at him and he followed. I smirked from the cave and as Shikamaru came in I set to work helping him. Tsunade taught me in spare time how to heal people. I had picked it up quickly although it was limited. He was cut down his face and his arm bone was sticking out at a wrong angle. I set to work cracking the bone and healing it quickly but not fully. Then I set to work cleaning his face. After it was bandage I went to Chouji. Ino and Shino were just coming in. As I was about to heal Chouji Shino grabbed my wrist.
"Nani?" I hissed
"How do we know you're not going to kill him," he said coldly
"I fixed Shikamaru now its Chouji's turn. If you don't let go I'll through you out to the raid that's coming." I threatened, he roughly released my wrist and I flinched. I turned to Chouji. He had no visible injuries although he had drained his chakra. I had to do a chakra restoration on him and I grabbed his arm. My chakra flowed freely into him and he started breathing normally. I sighed and sat back. Ino was staring at me and Shino was glaring.
"Oi, why the staring?" I asked
"We found you," she cheered, I nodded then asked what happened. Apparently they had gotten caught into a raid with another enemy squad. Shikamaru was in the back while Chouji just behind and he got the brunt of it all. I sighed and shook my head. It had been two weeks since I left. It was getting tougher; I don't know how most did it. I went to town to sell things I had made but that was it. In exchange if I couldn't pay for things I became that village's guarder and its part time healer. I sat down and started cooking. The raids never effected me all they ever did was come into my cave and check for Konoha or Suna ninjas and since I was branded a missing Nin they had no need for me. Ino and Shino joined me after I told them to rid themselves and the others of what could signal them to be from Konoha or Suna.
"How is everyone?" I asked quietly. I was ashamed of it. Really I was, I was selfish and it killed me. Every time I thought of the three. It stabbed my heart.
"They're fine, Yuki's staying with the Hyuuga's and Akane is training harder then expected." Replied Shino "Tsunade-sama's at everyone's throat,"
"Oh, Gomen," I muttered, there was an awkward silence before Ino broke it.
"So what have you been doing?" she asked putting stress on the word You. I looked down and tried to avoid that question.
"Training, hiding anything," I replied quietly
"Nani? I didn't hear," said Ino
"I said training, hiding, anything!" I almost shouted. There was a groan from beside me. It was Shikamaru; I looked over my shoulder and smiled softly at him.
"Aiko?" he asked quietly,
"Yeh, hi Shikamaru-kun," I said smiling, he groaned and I helped him up; Shino stood and slightly dragged him to rest on a log I had brought into the cave. Ino went over and started checking him to make sure he was okay. Suddenly there was an outburst.
"Chouji! Where is he? Where's Chouji!" shouted Shikamaru,
"Shhh! Shikamaru, Chouji's resting!" said Ino calmly taking him into her arms. He sighed again and relaxed. I looked down. I had caused this. Suddenly there was the sound of jumping.
"Everyone don't mention you're from Konoha or Suna, it's a raid," I whispered, I walked out from behind the waterfall and watched them come. I greeted some of them. They seemed nice, they told me every time they don't want a war, it's just their leaders want it. This time there were a lot more people in the area. I noticed one person I talked to a lot as he led most of the raids. People called him Kizu meaning Scar because of the long scar down his face.
"Hey, Kizu-san!" I called waving, he looked around and smiled. Although an old man with laugh lines he could look very serious. He walked over. "What's the matter?" I asked
"Oh, I wanted to warn you, it seems the countries claimed war. Its going to be hard so from the depths of my heart, please be careful." He explained, I gasped slightly
"Hai, Arigatou Kizu-san," I replied. I talked for a bit longer then when they left I went back to the cave.
"News everyone," I announced, they looked up "Its war," I said sadly, they looked down, Shikamaru was the first to speak.
"We leave tomorrow, whether you come or not," he explained. I nodded and got everything ready for the night.