"You should've let me taken care of them, I could've just distracted them and made them leave." Hibiki walked over to Minako. "You okay?"

Minako nodded weakly. "Y-Yeah..."

Hibiki shook his head and pulled Minako's body up and over his shoulder. "Just pretend you're dead and we'll be alright."

Minako scoffed. "Dead?"

"Oh! I hoped to find you- what is that?" Yuudai came running up towards Hibiki as he approached the jail tunnel.

"Hotaka's hostage." Hibiki replied simply.

Minako growled silently as she understood. 'I will kill him later...'

"Are you just disposing of the body?" Yuudai asked and stepped in front of Hibiki as he tried to past.

Hibiki nodded and tried once again to pass.

"Because I heard that Hotaka is dead."

"He is?" Hibiki asked, a bit more on the joyful side.

"She isn't really dead, is she?" Yuudai asked with a smirk.

"You know very well, Yuudai. Now you have two choices, you can stop me and stay here with the rest of the brainless minded suboardinates or you can make your escape with the team and I." Hibiki glared at Yuudai, wondering i this would be the day his friend would abandon him.

"You know my answer." Yuudai responded. "I'll lead the others away, you find the rest of your team and meet me at the gates quickly."

Hibiki nodded and began to head down the entrance to the jail. When he reached the bottom he saw Aichi speaking quickly and quietly to a shooken Daichi.

"Hey, where are the others?" Hibiki asked.

"Minako! You monster, did you-"

Minako jumped off of Hibiki and glared at Daichi. "I'm not a damn monster, you bastard!" She yelled.

Daichi's eyes widened. "Oh...I-I thought you were dead; I was calling Hibiki the..."

"So you would call me a monster even after I'm dead? Idiot!" Minako screamed as she began to charge at him.

"I was calling Hibiki the monster!" Daichi shouted and stood up "Besides, I'm more of the monster here... I-I killed..."

"You did not kill Lira, Daichi." Aichi said and stood up as well.

"Lira was killed?"

"I..I didn't-"

"You did not kill Lira! Hotaka played a trick on Daichi, made Lira look like a clone." Aichi explained.

"And Tamichi...?" Hibiki asked.

Aichi nodded in affirmation.

"We better hurry, Yuudai is waiting at the gates." Hibiki said and turned to head back up the stairs.

"Yuudai?" Daichi asked.

"Just follow."

The rest of the team followed Hibiki up the stairs and they all snuck out to the gates. Yuudai was waiting, his back up against the gates twirling a kunai around his finger.

"'Bout time you got here." Yuudai laughed and pushed himself from the gate.

Bodies of the guards laid about in a heap on the ground. Hibiki laughed. "You always go for the kill. I thought you were going to just distract them."

"Meh." Yuudai shrugged. "So where is the location of our freedom?"

"Sunagakure." Hibiki replied.

Yuudai turned around and gasped. "I was hoping it'd be closer. I knew I should've just abandoned you."

"Good one, Yuudai." Hibiki shook his head and patted Yuudai on the shoulder before exitting the little town with the others behind him.

After a week the team plus Yuudai returned to Sunagakure and reported their missions success with a few losses. After speaking, and Minako threatening and pleading, both Hibiki and Yuudai became citizens of Sunagakure.

"But first, you need to be hospitalized, Uma." The Kazekage stated.

Minako held onto Hibiki's sleeve, trying to act like she was alright. "N-No need, sir..."

"I'm not Kazekage because I'm stupid. I order that you be hospitalized for at least a day."

Minako growled at The Kazekage. "Those places are horrible! I'm not going!" Minako stated coldly.

"Is it alright if instead of her going to the hospital, I look after her?" Hibiki asked.

Minako blushed. "Y-You don't need to do that, Hibiki."

"What else would I do?" Hibiki asked.

Minako shrugged. "Stop worrying about me...?"

"If she doesn't improve by tomorrow, she'll be hospitalized."

Hibiki nodded firmly and exitted the Kazekage's office. Yuudai stood outside the door and chirped up as the two exitted. "So what's going on?" Yuudai asked.

"You're getting your own place and I'm staying with Minako tonight." Hibiki stated.

Yuudai raised his eyebrows and studied Minako. "You are, are you?"

"Her wish is not to be hospitalized so I'm going to nurse her back to health."

Minako growled at Hibiki. "You don't have to... the Kazekage will never know that you didn't..."

"I'm sure he won't." Hibiki rolled his eyes. "Besides, I want to." Hibiki turned his head and kissed Minako gently on the cheek.

Minako laughed as she stepped back a bit. "O-Okay..." She mumbled.

"Well, I'm going to get lost. Please come look for me later." Yuudai laughed and and began to walk down the hall.

"So...show me to your place..." Hibiki said with a grin.

Minako smirked. "But I thought you knew everything about me..."

"You...not your house." Hibiki replied, expression suddenly serious. "And if you don't, then I'll have to break into every house and to find yours."

Minako raised a brow at Hibiki. "You are that determined to 'nurse' me?"

"Hey, you're the one that doesn't want to be hospitalized..." Hibiki shrugged and leaned against the wall.

Minako smiled nervously. "I don't need any doctoring... I'm fine."

Hibiki stared blankly at Minako.

"What?" She asked nervously, noticng his glare.

"Well, house hunting it is!" Hibiki determinedly walked down the hall to exit the building.

Minako chased after Hibiki and grabbed his arm. "No! I've already broken enough houses in the past! I-I'll show you, alright!"

Hibiki smiled. "Mhm."

Minako led the way through the village to her place. She quickly looked around to make sure her father wasn't home before she unlocked the door and stepped inside to sit down on the couch. She winced at the pain of some of her cuts.

'Okay... maybe I need a bit of medical help...' She thought bitterly to herself.

Hibiki cleared his throat and threw his stuff onto the ground, quickly rummaging through his bag for his first aid kit and went over to kneel in front of Minako. "Are you needing water first?" He asked.

Minako shook her head nervously. "I don't need anything, you don't owe me it..."

Hibiki shook his head. "This might hurt." Hibiki said and grabbed Minako's arm and brought it closer to him. He began to clean the cut and sewed it back together, quickly moving to the other severe wounds.

"You good?" He asked in a whisper while cleaning the not-so-severe wounds.

Minako winced as she nodded. "Y-Yeah..."

"If it hurts, just say no." Hibiki stated.

Minako shrugged. "It shouldn't hurt... I've felt worse..."

"Well, I'm done anyways." Hibiki said and sat beside Minako on the couch with a yawn.

Minako looked over her cuts before looking over at Hibiki. "You can use my bed while you're here if you want..."

"I only need an hour." Hibiki replied as his eyes shut and his breathing deepened.

Minako sighed deeply as she looked around the room; she felt uneasy at the thought of her father coming home. She considered telling Hibiki but decided against it.

"So, where is your bedroom then? You said I could use your bed." Hibiki kept his eyes closed.

Minako pointed ahead. "Down that hall and on the right..."

Hibiki opened his eyes and stumbled to his feet. "Thanks... hope it's more comfortable than your couch."

Minako grinned. "Trust me, it is."

Hibiki strayed down the hall and entered into Minako's bedroom; difficultly escaping his shoes and flopping down onto the bed, immediately falling asleep with a sigh.

Minako sat motionlessly on the couch as she stared out the window. Suddenly the door opened and Minako felt her heart begin to race. She was in no position to fight against her father, so she stood up and backed away far from the door.

"Minako Uma!" Her father roared.

Minako shuddered. "Y-Yes, sir?"

Her father slammed the door behind himself and locked the it. "Where the hell have you been these past two weeks?"

"M-Mission..." She mumbled nervously.

"Mission? The Kazekage said nothing about a mission!"

"Th-That's cause you didn't talk to him..." Minako mumbled.

"I did so!" Her father yelled back, causing Minako to push herself further into the corner. "He told me you ran off!"

"S-stop coming up with reasons to hurt me!" Minako yelled back.

"How dare you raise your voice at me!"

Minako crammed herself further. "S-Sorry... sir..." She mumbled.

"And what are all these cuts!"

"I-I was hurt..."

"You're a pathetic shinobi if you got hurt!"

Minako felt tears spring to her eyes. "I-I'm not..."

"Yes you are!"

Minako's father slowly crossed the room toward the helpless Minako; his fists tightened.

Meanwhile, in Minako's room, Hibiki began to stir from the commotion from the living room. He sat up and rubbed his head. "It's only been half an hour." Hibiki muttered, still a bit drowsy. He stumbled to his feet and opened the door, looking down the hallway. He didn't see anything at first, but he heard the yelling. Hibiki's face twisted in confusion when realization hit him. 'Minako's father?'

When Hibiki reached the end of the hallway, his fears were correct and he saw something he hadn't wished to see.

Minako writhered beneath her father as she tried to cover her face from his hits; she could taste blood in her mouth by this point. Her father grabbed her and threw her against a wall, seeming to have no care to the new dent in the wall.

"You're a pathetic child! Monster! You should be dead!"

"Wrong." Hibiki stated.

Minako's father whirled around to see Hibiki; his face twisted in confusion. "Who the hell are you?"

"H-Hibiki... don't get involved." Minako begged from her spot on the floor.

"Minako! Be quiet." Hibiki demanded. "You should already know that I'm going to ignore you this once."

Minako lowered her head to the floor as she looked away; as much as she hated her father, he was all she had.

"Get out of my house!" Minako's father demanded.

"I'm not going to leave while you're beating Minako to death!" Hibiki growled.

"It's none of your damn business what I do in my own home!" Minako's father yelled back.

"And it isn't Minako's fault your wife died." Hibiki replied.

Her father's eyes widened. "W-Who are you, kid?"

"Koro Tiniko, nice to meet you." Hibiki smirked.

Her father growled. "No one lives by that name, just get out of my home!"

"As I said, I am not going to just waltz right out of this house while you're beating your daughter to death."

"Then I will have to kill you!" Her father yelled back, a kunai in his hand.

Minako looked up to the two. "N-No..." She begged. "H-Hibiki... if I lose him... I have no one else!" She told him, crying.

Hibiki narrowed his eyes, waiting for Minako's father to advance before acting quickly and swinging him around to throw him out the window.

"You really want to stay under his authority and be beaten day and night?" Hibiki turned to face Minako and crossed the room to where she layed.

Minako cried harder as she sat against the wall. "I-I have all my life... D-Don't you think I would have killed him if I could? I don't want to be alone, Hibiki..." She told him as she lowered her head.

"Then at least move away from him. Stay out of harms way, stay public with him... stay with me."

Minako looked up to Hibiki with widened eyes. "Wh-what? Really?"

"We can get our own place and I'll protect you from him."

Minako smiled weakly. "I-I'd like that..."

Minako's father returned through the window covered in glass. "You bastard!" He yelled, pointing at Hibiki.

Hibiki stood up and turned to face him. "So here's the deal; since you don't know how to be a real father, Minako is going to come with me and she'll never again be alone with you." Hibiki smiled.

Her father seemed taken aback. "N-No you're not..."

"Watch me." Hibiki bent down and picked Minako up in his arms before opening the door and leaving the house; his shoes still in Minako's bedroom.

Minako blushed in his arms. "U-Um... I still have my stuff there..."

"Yeah...I know. We'll get that later. First, we need somewhere to stay."

Minako smiled as she let her head rest against Hibiki's chest. "Kay..."

Knock knock knock

"It's about time you came looking for me! Unfortunately one of the Kazekage's guys found me first. I like my new quarters- what's wrong with her?" Yuudai asked pointing at Minako.

"We're crashing here for a while, hope you don't mind." Hibiki said and walked in.

"Uh...I do kind of mind."

"Not anymore."

"Hibiki..."

"And I'm saying Yuudai."

Yuudai glared. "Fine. Do as you wish. Be careful that I don't slit your throat in the night."

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"Alright." Hibiki laughed and walked around the building. "It's even furnished. Aren't you loved?"

"I am." Yuudai smiled happily.

"She's taking this room." Hibiki walked into the first room he spotted.

"That was the room I claimed!"

"The other one is bigger."

"Is not."

Hibiki turned to look at Yuudai. "Fine, you win this one."

"Knew I would."

Hibiki turned and headed towards the other room that Yuudai led him to. "You're not going to share the room with her, are you?" Yuudai asked with a smirk.

"Actually-" Hibiki started.

"Hm? W-we are?" Minako asked, blushing.

"Just leave." Hibiki said, kicking the door shut behind him.

"I don't want to hear anything!"

"Shut up!" Hibiki shouted and dropped Minako onto the bed. "He is such an idiot."

Minako rolled around on the bed until she felt comfy. "He's funny."

"I agree."

Minako smiled. "S-So, are we sharing a room?"

"Just sleep."

Minako shook her head. "You know what happens when I do..."

"Then make yourself at home."

Minako looked around the room. "Done."

"Well, I need to sleep, so do as you wish." Hibiki stood back up and stretched.

Minako laughed at Hibiki. "So, I can sit here and watch you?" She teased.

"If you can see through walls." Hibiki laughed.

"Huh?" She asked him, confused.

"I do not find it polite to invade a woman's living quarters."

Minako reached out for Hibiki's wrist and pulled him onto the bed. "Please, since when do woman rip out throats?"

"Since her father beats her to make her act that way." Hibiki's eyes suddenly filled with sorrow.

Minako laughed nervously. "Y-Yeah... sorry 'bout that..."

Hibiki shut his eyes and pulled Minako close to his body. "If you want him alive, you'd better stay in public with him."

Minako nodded. "I-I don't really want him to be alive... I-I just don't want to be alone... but, I said that already..."

"You're not alone." Hibiki murmured.

Minako stared blankly. "You don't think so?"

"Your hair is pink...close enough." Hibiki laughed. "Me..."

Minako blushed. "Y-You wont stick around forever... I'm quite annoying..." She said with a giggle.

Hibiki held her tighter. "Yuudai would be the first to get annoyed and he's hard to annoy."

Minako laughed. "So you're saying you will be around for a while?"

"As long as I can handle you I guess."

"Well that wont be long."

"If you say so." Hibiki whispered. "I'm tired."

Minako playfully pushed Hibiki's face into the pillow. "Then sleep." She told him with a small laugh.

Hibiki opened his eyes to look blankly at Minako. "I'm annoyed." He said and began to get off the bed.

Minako sighed. "Fine..."

Just before Hibiki was fully standing up he turned and fell down on top of her. "You really think I was going to just leave? This is my friends apartment."

Minako blushed as she stared into Hibiki's eyes. "W-well... um... I... ah..."

"Now be quiet so I can sleep." Hibiki murmured and let his face fall to Minako's, his lips laying gently on hers as he gently breathed in and out with his eyes shut. "Alright?"

Minako smiled against his lips. "Mhmm..." She agreed as her arms moved to hold Hibiki close as he fell off her onto the edge of the bed.

"Try to sleep if you can. I'm right here if you need comfort."

Minako shook her head. "I don't want to wake you up..."

"I only need another half hour."

She shrugged. "I'd still feel bad if I did..."

"Really?"

"Yes?"

"Sleep."

"... Ah... no."

"Please?" Hibiki wrapped his arms around Minako's torso and placed his chin on the top of her head. "It's good for you, even if it seems bad."

Minako inhaled deeply before sighing. "F-fine... b-but if I wake up screaming... I blame you..."

"Alright."

Minako cuddled closer to Hibiki as she let her eyes fall shut.

"Your beautiful." Hibiki whispered.

Minako hid her head in his chest. "S-stop..." She told him, giggling.

"I said sleep."

"Hey, that's not fair..." She pouted looking up at him.

"It's perfectly fair; I'm tired and need sleep, but I can't when someone is talking."

Minako growled as she lowered her head again. "Grr you..."

"But you are beautiful."

She sighed deeply. "Maybe you will annoy me first..." She mumbled with a yawn.

"Didn't know I was so rude." Hibiki began to chuckle.

Yuudai had returned to the room and opened the door. "I'm starting to get scared 'cause I don't hear anything."

"Idiot." Hibiki growled.

"Why are you sleeping there?"

"Idiot." Hibiki growled louder.

"You never even entered any of the other women's bedroom yet you're sleeping in the same bed?"

Hibiki sighed. "I have only had half and hour of sleep! Can I please get the rest of the hour at least, Yuudai?"

"Fine, but you're answering me when you awake."

"I do not answer to you."

"And I shall not question you."

"Then why did you?"

"It was non-retorical."

"Shut up, Yuudai."

"Later, you'll answer."

"It was non-retorical."

"You always win, Hibiki! Can't you ever lose?"

"No."

"Non-retorical."

"Thought I'd answer anyways. Now can you please allow Minako to sleep? She's actually obeying me."

Minako growled in Hibiki's arms. "I don't have to if you put it that way..."

"Not so good with the ladies." Yuudai laughed.

"No it's just Minako...but..." Hibiki moved his face level to hers and looked deep into her eyes.

Minako blushed. "W-why do you always do that?"

"I know it makes your heart flutter." Hibiki smiled.

"Oh boy." Yuudai rolled his eyes. "Kay, so you're good with all the girls, even ones like Minako... Big deal. At least I can...uh..." Yuudai scratched his head. "At least my mom thinks I'm cool."

Minako giggled at Yuudai. "Woow..."

"Yuudai, you have never met your mom - lose." Hibiki stated with a sigh.

Yuudai growled. "Then my dad thinks I'm cool!"

"Yuudai... your dad was killed when you were two, how would you remember?"

"It's healthy to imagine."

"Now imagine your father beheaded and his body hanging from the wall. Think that now?"

Yuudai thought for a second. "You always slip that in, always crushing my dreams."

"Face the truth, Yuudai - I'm tired and therefore you will not win! Now please leave."

"I'll listen just this once."

"And the million other times you said that."

Yuudai sighed. "You should act more like a big brother than my...brother?"

"You have no siblings."

Yuudai growled once more and than left the room. "Make noise every once in a while to let me know you haven't died!" He called back.

"Can't when we're sleeping!" Hibiki whispered, before closing his eyes again. "Finally. If he didn't leave, I was going to die."

Minako laughed. "Just sleep, Hibiki."

Hibiki chuckled, too tired to reply to the change in roles. "Alright."

AN: End! ^^ Me loved writing this story~! We are going to finish our "Torn Love" story, and then combine these two stories kinda in a different one... if that makes sence ^^

XxSoulNoteWritterxX