Italics indicate thinking

Bold is for attacks

Kale's POV

"GAAHH!" I screamed as my wrist was snapped back into place "AHH!"

"Stop yelling boy it hurts my ears." Uncle groaned.

"Are you alright Kale?" Mom asked standing my by bed.

"He's got six broken ribs and a broken wrist, but he'll live." The doctor told her.

I had passed out from the shock not long after Kankuro and I defeated Sakon and Ukon. When I came to I was in this bed, having my wrist yanked back into place.

"How…is Kiba?" I asked.

"He took a deep wound to the stomach…but he and Akamaru are going to be fine." Dad told me.

"Good." I smiled "The others?"

"Shikamaru broke a finger and had a few scrapes and bruises." Mom said "Isn't' back yet …Choji and Neji…"

"They're still operating." Uncle said "But it's Tsunade and Shizune, so they should be fine."

"Sasuke?" I asked.

When I mentioned the name they all looked away.

"Dammit!" I slammed my arm down "OWWW!"

"Stay off that hand." The doctor sighed.

"I'm taking a walk." I said getting out of bed.

"Kale-!" Mom started but Uncle stopped her.

I nursed my wounded arm as a walked.

I knew it…something felt wrong that whole time…Sasuke…if Neji or Choji don't make it…I'll never forgive you.

When I got out into the hall I just started walking, I didn't really know where I was going, or where I wanted to go, I just knew sitting in that room was a waste of my time.

"It's you two…" I rounded a corner and saw Temari and Shikamaru sitting across from one another "Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all." The girl said.

Shikamaru only looked and me, and then looked back down.

"Lucky you, it was only your finger." I scoffed "My hands are my keys…and now one of thems useless for a month."

He glared at me.

"Not in the mood…got it." I sighed.

"I'm not cut out for this." Shikamaru grumbled "my first mission and I'm a total screw up."

"Men are strangely fragile." Temari commented.

"I should never have been put in charge in the first place." Shikamaru said standing up "I'm too laid back, I don't have the strength for stuff like this."

"What are you scared of being hurt?" the girl asked "Get used to it, the world sucks like that sometimes."

Shikamaru just shook his head and walked off.

"You're brothers go home?" I asked.

"Yeah, they cut out a few hours ago." She said.

"I see." I stood up and walked off "Say hello for me."

"Shikamaru…" I looked down the hall and saw Shikamaru's dad was there "You're gonna let a girl talk down to you?"

"Rude." Temari mumbled "Must run in the family."

"I'm not a girl, I don't have time for drama like that."

"Well you're not a man either." His dad said "You're just a coward. One failure and you run away, even if you quit being a Shinobi missions would still go on, someone will have to do them, your friends will just get a new leader…and die under him or her instead of you. But maybe, if you had been in charge they wouldn't have to meet that end. Before running away, consider that you may need to be stronger for your friends. That's what friendship is…you coward."

I heard the door at the other end of the hall slid open and Tsunade walked out.

"It's fine now, the side effect of the pills has been negated with the antidote I made." She explained taking a seat "I used a mixture I found in the Nara clan's books."

"Miss!" Shizune rounded the corner in a hurry, she was dripping with sweat and panting furiously "Neji Hyuga…he's stable. Kakashi also just got back with Naruto, he was injured but in no danger."

"Only two." I bit my lip.

"Well…" Tsunade sighed "Seems like this mission…was a complete and total failure."

"Tell us what we didn't know." I mumbled.

"But…everyone came back alive, that's what really matters." Uncle said coming around the corner.

"MA'AM!" Shikamaru yelled as he sobbed "Next time, I swear I'll do pull it off without a single hitch."

I got up form me seat against the wall and walked away. As I passed him a slapped Shikamaru on the back "We succeed as a team and fail as a team, you didn't fail us…we all failed each other."

I made my way down the halls to Naruto's room, I had to wait a bit before they'd let me in.

"Well you look like crap." I scoffed sitting against the wall "Idiot…"

Naruto didn't respond, he just looked at the broken headband in his lap.

"No one died…Neji and Choji got it the worst but I just heard they'll make it…Shikamaru, Akamaru and I all broke bones, and Kiba's gonna have a nasty scar but we'll all be ready for action again in a few weeks…So…Sasuke?"

"He…got away." Naruto sighed.

"Figured as much." I sighed with him.

The door slid open and Sakura was standing there with the Fifth.

"I heard you were wounded but you seem fine now." Tsunade smiled "Kale your Uncle is looking for you."

"The old timer can wait." I sighed "I'm talking to my friend."

"Sakura…I'm sorry I…" Naruto looked at the pink haired girl staring at us.

"What are you apologizing form." She smiled opening the curtains "Those bandages make you look like a mummy."

She's dodging the subject.

"The weather is nice so I opened up the curtains for you." She said.

"Sakura I'll definitely keep my promise, what a said, it was the promise of a life time!"

"It's alright Naruto…"

"Sakura!" I groaned "will you just accept his damn apology! Face reality we fail-"

"I won't go back on my word!" Naruto yelled over me "That's the ninja way!"

My team…we're a bunch of idiots…all four of us.

"Naruto…" Sakura sighed and started to leave "Kale… I'm sorry…I made you wait, next time…we'll do it together."

"Well my Uncle wants to see me." I told Naruto "I'll be around again later."

I asked Tsunade where I could find my Uncle and she pointed me towards the roof.

"You wanted something?" I asked opening the door to find him meditating on the roof.

"Sit…" he instructed.

I did as he asked and sat next to him.

"Failing…it sucks doesn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah…" I sighed.

"I talked with Jiraiya." He said "We have just about three years till a group called Akatsuki makes their move, and the same amount of time before Orochimaru can use Sasuke's body…Jiraiya is going to take your friend Naruto on a journey, and if things proceed how I anticipate them, that Sakura girl will go to Tsunade…you will train with me."

"You were already training me." I shrugged "Why should I expect you to change now."

"Good, once your wrist is good to go we'll begin, first we need to get you a staff."

"Huh?"

Uncle snapped his fingers and a flaming torch staff appeared.

"You ran out of Chakra didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I don't carry this thing around for fun using it focuses chakra and channels Arcane Jutsu in a more effective way, our first lesson will be crafting you one to fit your style. Most members of our clan never master the element orbs and even fewer get to the stage where a staff becomes useful…I've heard of only a couple who had multiple staves."

"Enough talking." I squeezed my free wrist "When do we start crafting the damn thing?"

AN

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