Chapter 16
Our return home trip was longer then expected with people carrying the wounded. We had buried the dead in the fields in the rare time we weren't fighting or I hade put up an Earth Wall. It took one day to return and when we did we weren't happy. Konoha looked like hell. Fire was burning and everything was destroyed.
"Alright people, time to help we may be tired but we've seen worse. Food Pills and also no using wind or fire jutsus to help, remember the fundamentals. Take the injured to the medical bay and everyone else help. I'm going to go tell the Hokage of our return. Meet here in three hours. Go!" I ordered. Temari sighed as she knew she couldn't use her fan. I raced off taking soldier pills and food pills to help me go and carry on. If I saw a burning building I put it out with water jutsus. Eventually I made it to the Hokage's office. It didn't look as bad as the other places but I raced inside. Inside the office was all the war staff.
"Tsunade we're back, platoon 10," I said seriously, she nodded gladly,
"I know your Shinobi just got back but I need you to go out and look for Shino's squad near the west gate. The Aburame clan went under severe attacks and his squad was sent to protect but we lost contact," she said sadly. I nodded solemnly. I turned to Raido who was working.
"Hook up to Temari and tell her to re-group," I said he nodded and started the search. I went outside and met up with most of our group. I aloud the tired half to stay and help while we searched the Aburame complex. We waited outside.
"Word of advice, an Aburame tells you something, you do it, unless its kill yourself, and be careful don't kill the kikai no matter how gross you find it. You won't make a new friend," I said smiling tiredly at them. We split and searched. The complex was a mess. The garden ruined and half of the ground missing. I looked around for a bit and went into the main house.
"Hello, Shibi-san, Reika-san, Shino-kun!" I shouted, there was no sound. I went to Shino's room and saw a body lying on the floor. It was Reika. She was unconscious when Gaara appeared behind me.
"Aiko, there s on one else in the building," he said calmly, I cursed under my breath at him.
"Okay please help Reika-san outside, I just found her," I said holding up half the body of her. He nodded and sand came forward lifting her up.
"Raido? Raido are you there?" I asked into my walky talky
"No its Iruka, is this Aiko-chan?" he asked
"Hai, I need Hyuuga Hinata at the Aburame complex! Now," I said loudly. There was silence. The he spoke.
"We can't send Hinata she's helping Sakura with the operation of Anko," he said, "We'll send Kiba's pursuit squad over," he added, I sighed
"Hai, also send 2 medic nin, we found Aburame Reika unconscious in the house, on one else is here," I said sighing, "We'll head out after Kiba gets here,"
"You in luck Kiba's squad is already in your area," said Iruka happily,
"Hai, Arigatou Iruka-san," I thanked
"Aiko-chaaaaaaaaaaaan!" shouted an annoying voice behind me I turned and saw Kiba's grinning face.
"Kiba-kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun," I added just as much emphasis.
"What do you need help with?" he asked
"We found Shino's mother but not Shino and Shibi," I said "Here this is his," I said handing over a bit of his shirt I had found in his room. Kiba took it and smelt it first. He backed away quickly.
"Whoa we can defiantly find it easy to track him with this," he said sourly handing it down to the pack of dogs by his ankles. They all sniffed and took off into the woods.
"Come on team!" I yelled at my tried and exhausted team. We followed Kiba as he silently talked to the dogs.
"They got a scent but Akamaru says it doesn't smell good," he said sadly "They say…..they say they smell…….blood," he muttered the last bit; it hit me like a wall, the thought that Shino could be dead. I sped up to the lead dog and went faster. They dogs went faster to keep up. Akamaru caught up and guided me to the scent. I stopped so suddenly that the momentum I had built up pushed me forward. I slowly looked up as the rest of the team came and I heard several gasps from the Kunoichi. I looked around and saw red. I stood up completely and saw most of the people on the ground were the enemy but others were in long jackets and glasses. Aburame's. I heard some of my team were retching and trying not to be sick. I gagged myself then sucked it all up. Akamaru barked over the other side and I ran over. Lying face down was Shino. I kneeled down and rolled him over. Half his face was covered in blood and I noticed a faint humming. I pulled up his sleeve and saw no kikai coming out.
"Shit," I muttered
"Kiba! Go back and warn the hospital of the income casualties and be quick." I ordered he nodded and left with no protests. "Alright Shinobi we are going to have to find out who's alive and who's dead, take the living or barely alive to the hospital whether you get chakra burns or not you Will Run!" I shouted at them, "Gaara you can use your sand to transport more then one so I need you to help most of the time. Temari you help Kankurou using his puppets. You will need to use the open cage ones to lift the injured to the hospital," I ordered, everyone was still, "NOW!" I screamed at them, they all raced off. I was so glad I was put in charge of jounin and ex-Anbu it made life easier. Gaara came over and picked up Shino and took him away first then hoped to find Shibi. After 10 minutes of constant running and vanishing to and from the hospitals with the medic stretched to their limits. I found barely living near a tree I found one last body. Shibi. I ran over to Shino's dad and checked his pulse. Barely there. I forced all my chakra to my hand and a green glow emerged from it. I slowly pushed the chakra into his stomach and chest allowing the heart to work better. I heaved him up and he seemed to wake up.
"Aiko?" he asked
"Hai, Shibi-san," I said smiling
"Where are Reika and Shino?" he asked
"Shino's just gone into surgery and Reika was found in the complex unconscious, she should be awake. The rest of your clan living have been taken to the hospital, you're the last one I think," I said he winced in pain. "You're going to feel sick in a minute but using the last of me decent chakra I'll get us to the hospital," I said, he nodded slowly and I vanished.
Arriving at the hospital Shibi was unconscious. I dragged him into the Hokage's office there. She was talking to other clan leaders, the Inuzuka and Hyuuga, Akimichi's along with Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoshi. I stumbled in.
"The last one," I said slowly watching the world getting blurry. I fell forwards trying my hardest to keep supporting the full grown Aburame leaning on me. Chouji's dad, Chouza came forward and took him and to my surprise Hyuuga Hiashi helped me to the couch. I closed my eyes and I felt something warm being pressed into me. I blinked wearily and saw Shizune smiling at me. I nodded and watched as Tsunade helped the Aburame. As she finished I stood up slowly and grinned at them with a pained expression.
"Sit down Aiko," said Tsunade,
"Nah Baa-chan," I said waving a hand at her, "Too much to do," I said smiling; I put my hand into my pocket and pulled out my secret stash of food pills. I shook it and the last one came out.
"Damn I only have one left and its lemon, I hate lemon," I said sadly chucking it in my mouth. After a few minutes I felt better and had more chakra. Tsunade grabbed the bag from my hands.
"Who authorized you to have these," she shouted
"No one, took 'em from your office," I said grinning, the next thing is unexpected, she slapped me around the face.
"What the hell was that for?" I screamed at her,
"After too many of these the cells self destruct themselves, killing you," she screamed back,
"Well what the hell was I supposed to do; I was the one fighting not you! Doesn't matter about this! I could have died from this war not the bloody poisoning I was giving myself." I shouted at her shocking the jounin and squad leaders in the room.
"I was watching my squad decrease, I had to watch them die, while you stayed here comfortably and not have to waste energy fighting off people who would just rise again from the dead!" I screamed stomping to the door.
"Where are you going?" said a quiet voice, I turned and saw Shibi sitting up,
"Too see if Shino-kun is out of hospital and to check for my genin and see if the LIVED!" I said emphasizing the word Lived for Tsunade. Shibi stood up and walked over slowly and carefully.
"Shibi-san sit down," said Tsunade
"I'm checking if my son is alive," he hissed at her. I nodded and held out my arm to help support the still injured man.
We arrived outside intensive care unit 2 and sat down. It seemed his genin were alive when I saw them out there. I was a little shocked to see half of Isamu had half his face bandaged up.
"Aiko-sensei!" they shouted running over, to me, they hugged me by my waist and pulled away. I helped Shibi sit down and then sat down myself. All three boys were talking non stop until I heard a faint voice.
"Where is she ero-sennin!" said a girls voice angrily
"Probably by ICU 2," he grumbled, there was running and suddenly a second ambush, I looked up and saw Yuki crying and Akane doing his best to as well. I hugged them and they eventually settled down.
"Is Shino-sensei going to be okay?" said Kumo
"He should be fine, he knows he has a family and students to pull through," I said smiling
"Who's he?" asked Akane rudely, Shibi grunted
"He's Shino's father, Aburame Shibi," I explained, they nodded and stared. The relaxed humming from him got louder as he got agitated from their stares. "Why don't you guys go to sleep," I said smiling
"I'll wake you up if we find anything out about Shino" I added, they nodded and lay down next to each other. Too help them sleep I started humming softly to them. Yuki and Akane were using my lap while Kaito used Akane's back as his pillow Isamu was sitting up and Kumo was lying next to him. I saw Shibi out the corner of my eye smile slightly. Around ten minutes later I heard the soft patter of feet or paws and Kiba came around the corner with Akamaru and Hinata. I put a finger up to my mouth and whispered,
"They're sleeping, he's not though," I said pointing to Shibi who had been still the whole time. Suddenly the door burst open and out walked Sakura looking worse for wear.
"Its finished," she cheered, I looked up and frowned then she stopped when she saw all the genin sleeping.
"Oh gomen. We've finished, its still critical he rests but him and other Aburame's will be fine, we unfortunately didn't know what to do with the kikai so we managed to get them out and put them research tanks. We thought it best if they stay out of the hosts so they could rebuild their chakra supplies. Shino is out of his operation and is not being kept in room 16. You can go visit, there's also a spare bed in there if you want to put the genin in there." She explained I nodded and slowly woke Akane up; he seemed less tired then everyone else.
"Sorry Akane but you got to help us move these guys to Shino's room." I said he nodded sleepily, and picked up Yuki, I then proceeded to carry Isamu, Hinata took Kumo and Kiba got Kaito. Shibi and Sakura led us the room and once inside I lay the others to bed. Akane just got up next to Yuki and went to sleep almost instantly. Shibi sat down on the chair and stared at his son. The soft humming of the kikaichu next to him. I looked down at Shino and gently touched his cheek with my hand. There was suddenly a sharp jolt through my heart and my hand clutched the spot and my face contorted. Kiba looked up quickly as I started coughing. My other hand then shot up to my mouth. Warm, red liquid flowed freely out my mouth from the coughing and down my forearm and dripping onto the floor.
"Aiko! What's the matter!" shouted Kiba running over and helping me. I couldn't breathe; there was no air in me what so ever. I coughed again and gagged on the blood. "Hinata go get Tsunade-sama!" said Kiba, Hinata nodded and out the door toward the Hokage's office. Shibi was up helping as well and the genin woke up. I was moved onto the bed they were sleeping on and laid on my stomach so I wouldn't choke. I couldn't stop the bleeding, I tried coughing, swallowing even healing myself. Nothing worked. It kept happening.
"What's happening?" said Tsunade walking in quickly behind Hinata. She saw the blood and the trail leading to me on the bed. I smirked at her.
"Guess you were right," I spluttered out before leaving the light into the darkness of the cold empty space of unconsciousness.