Title: Half past ten to half past eleven

Rating: Action

Pairing / Characters: Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, Hyuuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji, Umino Iruka, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chozo, Jiraiya

Word Count: 947 words

Warnings: Nothing

Summary: Hinata is healed, the will of the leaf rises, a mist technique is employed

A/N: Bah, humbug.

Neji moved faster than he could have believed he was capable of.

He and Lee had been flying through the streets when he'd heard a familiar jutsu, and seen a familiar figure facing off an opponent with a katana.

Neji had seen Hinata go down, and the sight of her defenceless form had made his rage spill over.

Activating his byakugan, Neji pulled a kunai and threw it straight at the nin, hitting him in the throat with incredible accuracy. Lee was already crouched down beside Hinata, pulling open her jacket to expose the horizontal slash across her stomach. She was bleeding badly, blood pumping out of the wound at an alarming rate. Neji swore silently, jerking off his jacket and pressing it against the wound to try and stop some of the terrible bleeding.

Lee got to his feet. 'I'll find a medic,' he said shortly. 'Stay with her, Neji.'

Neji nodded his acquiescence and Lee ran off – and then came short. Neji's head shot up in concern, until he heard Lee's joyful – and relieved – 'Sakura-san! We need you over here – '

Sakura ran over to them, her breath catching in her throat when her eyes fell on Hinata.

'Can you help her?' Neji asked anxiously.

'Of course,' Sakura said immediately, kneeling down and for the nth time that night, gathering her chakra and laying her hands over the wound.

Neji's frown deepened as he studied the medic nin. Sakura was covered in blood, some of which was possibly her own, and she looked absolutely exhausted, fine tremors running through her hands. Despite that, her eyes were filled with determination.

Hinata stirred suddenly, whimpering softly. As she forced her eyes open, it was to see her rescuers – Sakura, Neji nii-san, Lee. Only vaguely did Hinata realize that Sakura was healing her, but she didn't move until Neji said her name anxiously. 'Hinata?'

'Neji nii-san…' Hinata struggled to sit up, ignoring Neji's protests for her not to move.

'I'm – I'm ok… thank you, Sakura…'

Sakura sat back on her heels, studying Hinata's face. 'You should really rest, Hinata-san.'

Hinata shook her head resolutely. 'I will fight as long as I have breath in my body.'

She staggered to her feet, zipping up her bloodied jacket, and stared at her friends and her cousin.

'I'm a shinobi, and Konoha is my home. I'll do anything to protect it, anything.'

Sakura smiled suddenly. 'So let's do exactly that.'

Without any further hesitation, the four of them split up.

Shikamaru stood on the stairs, a kunai in hand, watching over Chouji and Ino as they escorted a group of women and children up into the caves within Hokage Mountain.

Ino was carrying two small children who clung to her in terror, their sobs muffled against her shoulders. She glanced up at Shikamaru.

'Can you help me?' she asked softly, and with a jolt, Shikamaru realized that she was on the verge of tears. He hurried down the stairs to her side and gently prised the first child out of her arms. Instantly the little girl slid her arms around his neck, sobbing about her mother.

'Hush, little one, we'll find your mama soon,' Shikamaru promised. 'We'll take you to some people who will take good care of you until then, ok?'

She nodded, sliding a thumb into her mouth. 'Can't you stay with me?' she asked sleepily.

'For a while,' Shikamaru answered, but the child was asleep before he had finished his sentence.

'Shikamaru.'

The chuunin lifted his head to see Iruka approaching. His flak jacket was ripped in several places, and in the dim moonlight, Shikamaru could see dark stains.

'Iruka-sensei –'

Seeing the concern in his former student's eyes, Iruka smiled faintly. 'Don't panic, it's not serious.'

Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up, and he sighed. 'This is troublesome.'

'I agree,' Iruka said so fervently Shikamaru stared at him.

'Well, come on, let's make sure that we've got everyone,' Iruka said quietly.

Shikamaru nodded in agreement, and the two chuunins headed up the stairs towards the caves.

'Shintenshin no jutsu!' Inoichi shouted, and Shikaku leapt in front of his comrade, catching him as his spirit entered that of the mist nin. Safely inside the mind of his opponent, Inoichi lifted a kunai and placed it at the throat of his fellow mist nin. With a hard, backward slash, Inoichi slit the mist nin's throat before releasing himself from the mind of the shinobi he had been in.

Pushing himself upright, Inoichi turned as Chozo swiped his target's feet out from underneath him.

Chozo glanced back at his comrades. 'Aren't we supposed to be neutral to Kirigakure?'

'Supposed to being the operative words,' Shikaku said dryly. 'Chozo, behind you!'

Again Inoichi brought up his hands. 'Shinranshin no jutsu!'

It was hard to tell who was more surprised – Shikaku, Chozo, or the mist nin as he found himself plummeting off the edge of the roof.

Jiraiya was perched atop his favourite frog, watching the shinobi in front of him cautiously.

The man, who wore a dark, rippling cloak, had no weapons, and as far as Jiraiya could tell, had performed no jutsus. This in itself was worrying; anyone who could escape the wrath of the leaf shinobi and still remain as calm as he was, clearly had a plan up his sleeve.

Jiraiya didn't like it at all.

The mist nin spoke. 'Kirigakure no jutsu.'

Jiraiya's eyes widened momentarily as mist suddenly clouded over a darkened Konoha, dulling the moonlight, the light of the fires in ruined buildings along the main streets.

'You have got to be joking,' the sannin muttered as the streets around him went completely dark.