'He sighed and took two of his fingers and pushed them into her chest like she did to him with a sigh, his actions caused her tears to fall silently.'

"No, no, no. That's not what was planned for the first portion of the exam!" Alex yelled as she pointed at a chunin.

"I thought that you all understood that we were using the usual written test as the last test rather than the first?"

After a few grumbles from the group, they moved on to preparing the exams. It had been a month and half since Alex was put onto the team over seeing and organizing the chunin exams. Everyone involved was surprised at how active and concentrated she was while doing her duties. Over the past few years, she had shown a lack of interest in her jounin duties but it seemed that was due to having the mundane routine of the academy to fill her day. She was in her element and even without going on missions, she was still as bossy as ever.

The exams preparation was going to plan, unfortunately for the others on the team having Alex as one of the few shinobi in charge and the only jounin, she took it a little too seriously. It was an understatement to say she was controlling the situation but the progress was going well and her detailed plans turned out to be helping a great deal. Unlike the exams before the written exam would be taken last while the first part of the exam was a test to examine and observe the leadership skills and team work between each team, the second test was created to observe the individual strengths and weaknesses of each ninja.

"Now, if the preparation aren't ready by next week for the first exam, the Hokage will have my head, so get on it!"

One of the chunin helping Alex with her efforts spoke up.

"Why are not doing anything but bossing us around"

"It's leading not bossing and if you haven't already caught on I am still injured from the war!" The mention of the war brought silence through the area.

"That's what I thought, so get on with it and I'll treat everyone to some tea!"

"I must admit, she surprised me " Temari stated to Shikamaru as they leaned against a wall, watching Alex making sure the preparations were on track.

"Like I said, she may be troublesome but she always comes through for the village when we need her the most."

"That seems to be a running mind set in this village"

"What can I say, we are a troublesome village"

"That you are" She laughed slightly as she stared at Alex. Temari felt bad for what she had said to Alex, however Alex never held it against her. Many saw Alex as lazy but she knew that she could prove herself to anyone if they gave her a chance.

After giving out the rest of the orders for the day, Alex walked over to Shikamaru and Temari with a smile on her face.

"Have you seen my team yet? They were meant to be back a few days ago."

After Shikamaru shook his head, Alex smile was lost and with a sigh she spoke.

"I hope they are OK."

"Their experienced Shinobi, why are you worrying so much?"

"I'm worrying, Shikamaru because my team has never been late from a mission in two years"

"What a drag"

Alex didn't feel the need to reply to him as like always the conversation was most certainly over when he said his little catch phrase. It wasn't until she heard some commotion in the direction of the north gate and Sakura spiting towards the crowd that Alex snapped out of their causal meeting.

"Somethings going on" Alex shoved her clip board into Shikamaru's chest which recieved a groan from him as she ran off towards the crowd. Something is wrong, the air was thin or at least it felt thin to her. Normal when a team come back from a mission there is causal mumbling and laughing, not gasps. The noises of the crowd gathering were making Alex feel sick. As she ran through the villagers the sight that beheld her made the sick feeling trembling.

"No"

Her skin became even more pale than usual and her legs collapsed underneath her. It was worse from the ground as the mix of blood dripping from the ninjas in front of her mixed with her own tears that had suddenly began running down her face. Nothing could of braced her for what see was seeing. Time seemed to slow down as seconds became minutes and minutes became hours. As Alex slowly cranked her head up to look at the three shinobi in front of her, the urge to pass out washed over her.

Hinata was the least hurt out of all three of them. She had received deep cuts and wounds along her arms and face that were leaking small droplets of blood. The worse part of looking at Hinata for Alex was the look of failure and pain that covers her face. Seeing her best friend this way was always something that Alex could never deal with.

Kiba was worse off that Hinata, although he seemed to the more active of all three of them. He seemed to be fighting the pain of the deep gashes that littered his whole body and as he looked down at Alex, his eyes were full of anger and sadness.

It was Shino's condition that Alex couldn't take. He wasn't moving, his chest was faintly rising and falling but that was the only sign of movement that Alex saw. He was covered in the same cuts as the overs but he seemed to have sustained a head injury of some sort. Before Alex could think, she was screaming loudly with tears flooding down her cheeks.

"SHINO!"

Pain can do a lot to change a person and that was clear with Alex, she wasn't thinking or being herself as she saw the condition of her team. Even with the amount of pain Kiba must have been in he still keeled down with a wince in front of Alex as she stared into his eyes. They were full of pain as well.

"Kiba-a?"

He sighed and took two of his fingers and pushed them into her chest like she did to him with a sigh, his actions caused her tears to fall silently. No words could come to Alex even when she opened her mouth. Upon seeing her pain Kiba brought her into a tight hug, ignoring his own psychical pain.

Alex grabbed onto him tightly and buried her face in his blood soaked shirt. Nothing could comfort Alex like a hug from her best dog friend and this situation was no different. He always gave the best hugs and they calmed her down, although she wasn't becoming calm now. Alex had no idea how much time had passed since she first held onto Kiba but she didn't care, there was no way she was going to let go yet. He was so warm and familiar to her and that is what she needed. They were both were hurt emotionally and physically in different ways but Alex and Kiba at that moment in time needed each other and as Alex's tears mixed with Kiba's blood she felt the old feeling of being cared for.

When Kiba tried to pull away, Alex wasn't having any of it and she clutched on. Her tears were catching in her throat as she spoke.

"Stay" Was all she was able to say as she held onto him tighter.