You are my Star

Chapter 9 - Aftermath

Neji caught her before she hit the ground. "Tenten? What's wrong-"

That's when he saw it. A  kunai protruding from her back. Crimson blood stained the back of her shirt. He pulled the kunai out gently and inspected the wound. It was quite deep, as if someone had thrown it with force. 

"No, no, no." Neji shook her gently. "Tenten? Wake up! Talk to me. You can't leave me here. Tenten? Answer me, Tenten." He wouldn't accept this. He picked her up and tried to remember where Hoshiko was. Was it the northwest? No, they were at the southwest. 

Neji glanced down at Tenten again and gritted his teeth. "Just, hold on, Tenten. We're going to get you help."

                                                                                         * * *

Hoshiko was bandaging up one of Shikamaru's wounds as this was happening. They had just finished bringing down the last few attackers at their end and had scouted the area for hidden ones. To say they were exhausted would be a massive understatement. They had gone three battles without break. And Shikamaru was worse off than Hoshiko. She had massive chakra reserves; He didn't. 

"Is this over?" Shikamaru groaned. "Because I don't think I can fight another battle.

"We can only hope," sighed Hoshiko tiredly, rubbing her eyes. "I just want to go home, take a nice hot shower, and then konk out."

"Don't we all," said Shikamaru wistfully. Then off in the distance, they heard someone calling for them.

"Hoshiko! Shikamaru!" 

It was Neji, carrying an unconscious Tenten. Hoshiko paled. "Is that-"

"It's Tenten," he said, gently laying her down. "Got knocked out from a stab wound in the back. It's deep. Please, please help her." There was just the faintest touch of hysteria in his eyes.

Hoshiko was already shooting wave after wave of green light into her friend's wound, slowly, too slowly, in Neji's mind, closing it. Hoshiko grunted. "Go find Ino, Neji. My chakra isn't at it's fullest, and I'm sure Ino's isn't, either, but it's still something."

Neji jumped away without another word. Hoshiko let out a slight smile. "Never seen him so panicked." 

Shikamaru nodded. "That man sure cares about her a lot."

A few minutes later, Ino was at their side, healing her alongside Hoshiko. The wound was closing at a much faster rate now, and Hoshiko was becoming paler by the second. "What's wrong, Hoshiko?" It was Shikamaru, who had noticed her face was draining of blood. She shook her head vigorously. 

"It's nothing," she responded, continuing to heal the wound, which was almost closed by now. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. Did she see something that she wouldn't tell them?

He got his answer a moment later. She and Ino had finished healing the wound. She winced, and turned to the side, coughing out blood. "What the- what's wrong, Hoshiko?"

She smiled at him weakly. "Just used up a bit too much chakra, is all. I'll be fine, though." Clearly, it wasn't the case. Ino informed them she had to go help the other at the front gate. There were still too many on the verge of death. After a worried glance at Hoshiko, she darted off. Neji still hadn't returned. 

She was coughing out more blood now. "You shouldn't have pushed yourself like that," murmured Shikamaru. 

"I probably shouldn't have," admitted his teammate, spitting out more blood. "But I guess I was panicking." Shikamaru slung her arm over his shoulder, and did the same with Tenten. "Let's get you to the hokage's tower, then the hospital."

Turns out, they didn't have to go to the hospital. Lady Tsunade helped her out in her office. "You did well, today, Hoshiko," she said. "All of you." 

In that moment, the rest of the teams, including Neji, came through the door. He must have went to help the other teams. 

The hokage finished healing Hoshiko and straightened. "You all did amazing today," she repeated. "The immediate danger is over. There are a few small troops on the border, but our forces are taking them down effeciently. There's also the matter of why these attackers were here in the first place, but you all are excused from any further involvement for the day." 

The 10 determined, exhausted, and now injured shinobi nodded in relief. Then they ran off for hot showers and a good night's sleep.

                                                                                           * * *

"I call dibs on first shower!" called Hoshiko, bursting into their house. 

"I call dibs on the other shower!" called Kiba, doing the same. 

"Home, sweet home," said Shikamaru, flopping onto the couch. 

"I'm getting something to eat," grumbled Neji, laying Tenten on the couch next to Shikamaru. 

                                                                                         * * *

After Hoshiko had taken a shower, she sat next to Shikamaru, hair still damp. "Why do you think those people attacked us?"

"Without any evidence, I'm...not sure. But it seems their purpose was to destroy, based on how one of them was going to open up a chasm to  swallow all of us whole. Either they already had what they wanted, or just purely wanted to destroy our village. From the looks of it, they're rogue-nin from the hidden mist."

"Yeah, I guess we'll just have to wait on the autopsy and investigation," she said resignedly. 

"You should get some rest. You pushed yourself too hard today." 

"Yeah. I will." She got up from her spot on the couch. "Good night."

Shikamaru smiled. "Night."