Chapter 5: Free at last!
After that first exciting day in the hospital, Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino were all assigned to protect Hoshiko in case the Sand trio got gutsy enough to attack her in the village.
"I can't believe we're babysitting this brat!" Kiba shouted angrily as he sat in a chair across the room from Hoshiko and the others. "This has got to be the worst mission EVER!"
"Would you shut up?" Shikamaru said with an annoyed tone of voice. "She's sleeping, you troublesome moron".
"What was that, lazy boy! Don't make me rip your tongue out with my claws! I'll sick Akamaru on you, I swear!" Akamaru whined in response to his friend's rant. Shikamaru simply rolled his eyes and ignored Kiba as he stormed out of the room. He turned back to the game of Shougi he was playing with Shino.
"Shino, what's the word on the reunion?" Shikamaru asked as he made his move on the board.
"They all agreed to have it changed to next week until Hoshiko's out of the hospital and healed up. They're quite anxious to meet her". Shino moved one of his pieces to counter Shikamaru's move.
"Good. I was looking forward to seeing Chouji. I would've been really disappointed if we missed meeting up again," Shikamaru said with saddened eyes. The past few years had been rough. Either Shikamaru or Chouji had important missions on the day of the reunion and could not afford to go. Shikamaru missed his old friend and partner. Hopefully he would be there this year.
As Shikamaru made his finishing move on the board, Hoshiko stirred a bit and opened her eyes. She sat up and yawned as she stretched out.
"How are you feeling?" Shino asked Hoshiko while he reset his pieces.
"I'm doing quite well today actually. I feel 100 percent!" She looked down at the Shougi board and her eyes lit up like a kid's in a candy store. "Is that Shougi? Can I play the winner?"
"You mean can you play against me when I'm done finishing off Shino?" Shikamaru chuckled once while Shino merely furrowed his brows and pushed up his glasses. Hoshiko grinned. "I didn't even know you liked Shougi".
"I do. I'm actually quite good," she answered.
"Is that a challenge?" Shikamaru sized her up with the corner of his eye.
"You're damn straight it is, feather duster," Hoshiko shot back, ruffling Shikamaru's trademark hairdo. Shino huffed in amusement. Shikamaru was about to muss up Hoshiko's hair when the nurse walked into the room.
"Sorry to ruin your fun, but I'll need a few minutes with her to do her routine check-up. I'm going to put up this temporary changing wall so I can check all her wounds," the nurse explained. With two nods, Shino and Shikamaru backed away and began to head for the door. Just then, Shikamaru remembered he had to ask Hoshiko if she would go to the reunion. He turned around to ask, but saw nothing but wall, and silhouettes.
His eyes bulged. He tried his best to turn away, but couldn't help but look. The sunlight coming in from the windows made perfect outlines of Hoshiko and the nurse. His jaw dropped as he watched Hoshiko's outline take off her hospital gown. He eyed the curves of her shadow, and couldn't help but utter a small groan.
"Her body," he thought to himself, "she's so beau………"he shook his head back and forth and smacked himself. "What am I thinking! I don't even know who she is! She must be using some sort of bewitching jutsu on me to get me so worked up. I should get going before….."
Just as he turned, Shino's half-covered face was right in his. "I don't think you were supposed to be here anymore, Shikamaru," Shino stated. "The rules say no boys allowed when a girl is changing".
"I…I know. I was just making sure the room was secure before I left," Shikamaru tried to cover his pervy actions. He walked outside the room, scratching the back of his head. Shino suddenly appeared right in front of him.
"Sure you were," Shino moved closer to Shika's face, "and I'm really a little girl". Just then, Kiba walked around the corner, his hands in his pockets, eyes on the ground and Akamaru on his head.
"How's the brat?" he asked, not making eye contact with either of his partners.
"She's getting a check up," Shikamaru answered, "she should be done soon too. They were just checking her wounds. If she looks okay, they're going to let her out of the hospital".
"Awesome! Then we don't have to watch her ass anymore and we can get back to chasing dangerous criminals!" Kiba shouted excitedly. Akamaru barked as Kiba danced for joy at losing the access baggage known as Hoshiko.
As Kiba started doing a jig, the hospital room door swung open, smacking him in the face. The nurse came out with a big smile and reported that Hoshiko made a full recovery and could leave the hospital, no questions asked. Following the nurse was Hoshiko herself, now dressed in her ninja attire. The outfit was quite revealing, complete with a bright green Tsunadae style low-cut shirt, a black skirt with slits up the sides, revealing her bandage-wrapped right calf and fishnet around her left thigh complete with a garter strap going up under her skirt. The look was completed with black ninja sandals, along with her pouch around her left thigh full of shuriken and kunai and her Sand village forehead protector wrapped around her right leg. Her hair was up in a tight bun with some of the extra hair fanned out above it. It was quite an eye-catcher, even for Kiba, who was now fighting to untangle himself from the window blinds of death his was ensnared in.
"Ready to leave, guys?" Hoshiko asked the ninjas who were seemingly drooling at the sight of her curvy legs and impressive cleavage.
"Actually, I'd like you all to come with us," a raspy voice from behind them said. They all turned, including Kiba who had finally found his way out of the blinds, and set their eyes on the ANBU officer from earlier in the week, accompanied by several more ANBU. "The Hokage would like to speak to the Sand visitor".