Team Harmony

SR55: Emotions

Hinata and Kakashi rushed back to the village but were met halfway there by a medical team. "Kakashi-san, what is Naruto-sama's condition?" One of them asked.

Hinata looked over and saw Naruto's eyes slightly open. She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," she said softly, telling him all he needed to know. Naruto's eyes slipped closed once again, but she didn't miss the anguish in them.

"He'll be fine," Kakashi answered.

Another medic looked at the Hyuuga's arm. "And you, Hinata-sama? The metal plate in your arm needs to come out right away."

"What metal plate?" Her sensei questioned, alarmed.

"Hinata-sama underwent surgery before leaving in order to come after her comrades, but the metal plate has a time limit," the medic explained.

"And that time limit is soon?" The medic nodded. "I see. Hinata, you'll go into surgery immediately."

She shook her head. "I'll check on everyone first."

"There's nothing you can do for them," he pointed out.

"Yes, but I can still check on them. I won't be able to settle before surgery otherwise. I still have some time," she assured him. She wanted to check on her brother and Choji, knowing they got the worst of it, but she also wanted to check on Shikamaru. He was the squad leader and the mission was going to be labeled a failure as they couldn't bring Sasuke back. She knew he was going to take it hard, especially because his best friend's life was in danger.

"Fine, but be quick." Kakashi's voice was stern and she knew better than to argue anymore.

*

When they made it back to the village and to the hospital, she was informed by the nurse at the front desk that everyone was still in the surgery. She left Naruto in their hands, with Kakashi nearby to watch over him, as she rushed off to the surgery wing. It was dark in the area with no windows and only the overhead lights to see, making it seem as though it was late at night. It had always given Hinata an eerie feeling.

She came to a slow stop when she saw Shikamaru standing at the intersection of the T-shaped hallway. She was going to call out to him but stopped when she heard him speaking. A man she recognized as Shikamaru's father was standing at the end of the hall. Shikaku is a smart and gentle man, but also stern in his own way.

"I'm not cut out to be a shinobi," he said, stopping Hinata cold in her tracks. He sounded so defeated.

"Not with a fragile ego like that," she heard a woman say. She recognized her voice as Temari's. Rather than arguing, Shikamaru chose to keep walking away and that is when his father sighed.

"You're being a coward by running away like that. Whether you give up being a shinobi or not, the missions will continue coming and your friends will continue getting sent out. Some of them probably won't come back in situations you could've saved them from otherwise. Use these moments to learn and be better," he said.

Hinata began walking closer, her footsteps quiet in the otherwise silent hall, as Shikamaru didn't even turn to look at his father. She could see how hard he was taking it by the way his shoulders were slumped but his fingers drummed against his thigh. He was anxious and exhausted.

Shikaku looked at her as she came closer, noting her dirty clothes and face as well as her injured arm. He could see she'd been through a major fight, and the sad look in her eyes told him all he needed to know about the mission. She was concerned about his son and her comrades, but he also didn't see any underlying triumph that one would hold after a successful mission.