Chapter 4: Interrogations Begin
"Who the fuck are you? What do you want from me?" the female ninja demanded from the Konoha ninjas around her bed. "And why'd you have to tie me up like this! I haven't done anything!"
"Yet," said a masked ANBU of Konoha emerging from the shadows. "Just answer our questions first, then we'll answer yours. Who are you?"
The mystery ninja stopped kicking, sighed, then answered the question. "My name is Hoshiko. I'm from the Hidden Village of the Sand, but I assume you know that being how feather duster head over there is holding my head protector," she chided as Shikamaru sneered at her angrily.
"Feh," Shikamaru responded as he turned away. Hoshiko smirked as the interrogation proceeded.
"Why were you outside our gates so badly hurt?" asked the ANBU.
"What's the matter? Can't figure that out? Figures, all you Konoha are the same. Completely clueless and totally useless". She could see the ninjas' patience were wearing thin, and being outnumbered and injured, she decided not to start a fight. "Well, since you can't figure it out, I was trying to get here, but I was stopped by some bandits not too far from here. I tried to fight them off, but they were," she paused and looked down at the floor next to her bed, "too strong".
"Did you see their faces?"
"Yes, I did as a matter of fact. There were three of them. Two men and a woman. The one man had short, red hair, and black around his eyes". She shuttered. "His eyes were a piercing blue that chilled me to the bone. The other male had paint on his face, and was armed with puppets. The woman had a large fan, and had her hair tied up into buns with the rest down".
Shikamaru's hair on the back of his neck stood on end. "Gaara, Konkuro and Temari? What did they want?"
"They tore me to bits, but I had enough energy to escape and crawl to the gates. Just before I passed out, I heard them approaching, so I hid in the bushes. A watchman was close by, so they took to the trees and vanished. The last I saw of them was their backs".
"Those were no bandits," Kiba said with a hitch in his voice, "those ninja were Gaara and his gang! I thought they were on our side!"
"Yea, but remember when I turned down Temari? She just snapped. Started cursing and got real out of hand," Shikamaru reminded him.
"Oh yea, and she got band from the village for completely demolishing the place you two were at," chuckled Kiba.
"Laugh all you want, but now she's gone PMS overload again. And Konkuro just tags along 'cuz he likes her. But Gaara. I thought he had changed for the better. I wonder what happened there".
"Well, they didn't want me to get here alive for some reason, so they decided to attack me and beat me within an inch of my life," the injured blond replied.
"What'd you do to piss them off so bad? Try to make sandcastles out of Gaara's mom?" Kiba said out of the side of his mouth. Suddenly he was yanked forward by Hoshiko who had grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.
"What was that, Konoha dog boy!" Hoshiko growled. She had used a basic escape jutsu to break free of the ropes they tied her with. "Amazing how she was just beaten by Gaara and the others and can still use a jutsu," Shikamaru thought.
"Who you callin' dog boy, blondie!" Kiba retorted. Akamaru yipped as the argument escalated. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and sighed.
"How troublesome," he thought. "All I'm going to hear for the next few days is them bickering. But at least…" his eyes glanced over at Hoshiko, "she's nicer on the eyes than Temari was". A sudden breeze caught Shikamaru's attention. He turned completely toward Kiba and Hoshiko who had suddenly stopped fighting. They were now being held back by the ANBU.
"If the two of you don't settle down," they found themselves with kunai to their throats, "then I'll slice out your vocal chords. Understand?" The two nodded and the ANBU dropped Kiba into his seat and Hoshiko back onto the bed. "Now, Hoshiko, why were you trying to get here in the first place?"
Hoshiko focused her eyes downward. "Well, if you all must know, I was coming here to ask……. if I can…….become a Konoha ninja". Everyone looked at her in disbelief.
"Weren't you just bashing us a few minutes ago? What? You change your mind all of a sudden!" Kiba exclaimed, confused.
"Shut up, dog boy!"
"Don't call me dog boy!" Kiba screamed lifting a fist in her direction with a vein bulging in his forehead.
"Kiba, let her finish," Shikamaru said calmly.
"Thank you, at least someone here has some manners," Hoshiko said, leaving Kiba in a huff. "The main reason I left is because I had nothing to leave in the Sand village. My clan is gone. My life was full of nothingness there, and I was hoping that, as a Leaf ninja, I might lead a more fulfilling one". The boys in the room were left speechless. Then Shikamaru noticed something.
"Wait, if you're from the Sand village, how did you not notice that the people that attacked you were Temari, Konkuro and Gaara? Gaara is kazekage after all".
"True, but that doesn't mean I've ever seen any of them," Hoshiko said with a slight attitude. Everyone's attention was averted to the room door opening and the nurse walking in.
"Alright boys, this brave little ninja needs to get her check-up and to get some rest. C'mon, everyone scoot," the nurse turned to the ANBU. "I trust you got all the information you needed, so I'll have to ask you to leave as well". The ANBU nodded and vanished. As Kiba and Shikamaru left to meet up with Shino, Hoshiko stopped them before they could leave.
"I guess I should say thank you, so thanks for saving me," she said face blushing.
"Yea, you should be thanking us! We saved your ass!" Kiba shouted. Hoshiko bit her lip to keep from yelling back and starting another fight. Her body was beginning to hurt from the last arguement. Before Kiba could continue his you-owe-us speech, Shikamaru pushed him out of the room and turned back to Hoshiko.
"You're welcome, just try not to be so troublesome". Hoshiko tilted her head and smirked in amusement as Shikamaru left the room.