𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐆𝐀 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍

Mission Leader

A few days later, Hanara woke up, sore everywhere. Before trying to open her eyes, she took a moment to orientate herself. Flashes of memories flooded her brain: giant snakes, Orochimaru, Tsunade's hemophobia, Kabuto, her newly perfected jutsu, and then finally, her passing out with chakra exhaustion.

'So I must be in a hospital.' Hanara thought, finally opening her eyes, preparing herself to be attacked by white everywhere. Slowly, she stretched her arms and groaned when her elbows popped.

"She's awake!" a voice that sounded like Choji exclaimed, "Someone should go and get Lady Fifth!"

'People are here?'

Hanara quickly scanned the room as a flash of blond attacked her in the form of a hug, finding all her teammates in there, along with Neji and Hinata, the former who was leaving the room.

"I will," Neji said.

"God, H-Hanara! Don't do t-that to us again, got it?" Ino sobbed.

"W-We w-were all w-worried, S-Sister," Hinata said softly.

"It was just chakra exhaustion, wasn't it?" Hanara asked.

"What a drag..." Shikamaru sighed, "Chakra exhaustion is one of the most common reasons for a shinobi's death. Your chakra levels were extremely low when you got here."

"I-It was only at a sixteenth of what it usually is at," Choji mumbled, "Lady Tsunade said that they were at a thirty-sixth of what they used to be when you-"

Lady Tsunade interrupted, "Okay! All visitors please get out, we need to perform a check-up here!"

"B-But she just w-woke up!" Ino exclaimed, still sniffling.

"And I need to check on her so it stays that way," Lady Tsunade responded, "Now, OUT!"

Everyone but Lady Tsunade hurriedly left the room.

Lady Tsunade turned to her, "If that last jutsu you used was so chakra intensive, you should have left Kabuto to me."

Hanara averted her eyes to the bed, "I just- he made me so mad and I- I know I shouldn't have done it but I wasn't sure if you would be okay and I'm just a random Branch Hyuga member. You're probably the last Senju, the best medical ninja to ever exist, and the only candidate for the Fifth Hokage. Compared to you and Naruto, I'm replaceable. You're not. Besides, it did its job, didn't it? You're not crying your eyes out so Naruto must be alive."

Tsunade sighed, "Yes, Kabuto is dead and it did its job, but one life isn't worth more than another! Look at how many people were upset by the fact that you could die! Yes, I'm the last Senju by name, but we're going to die out anyway. The Leaf has tons of adequate medical ninja and Shizune could pass my teachings on to someone else! And there are other candidates for Hokage! Your life has meaning, too! I'm touched that you would die for me, but you don't have to do that. All those titles were well-earned."

"I'm sorry- Wait, Kabuto is dead? Is Naruto upset?" Hanara asked, panicked.

"Yeah, that jutsu of yours is something else. Naruto was upset for a while, but eventually, he understood. Now, let me do what I came here for."

Tsunade performed a diagnostic jutsu on her and smiled, "Rest was all you needed. Your chakra is at normal levels now, and you're free to be released, but nothing strenuous for a week."

"Yes ma'am," Hanara nodded.

"Oh, and you've made Chunin," Tsunade informed her.

"I made Chunin?" Hanara asked in disbelief.

"You and your Nara teammate were the only people that all judges agreed on. I wasn't going to pass anyone, seeing as the tournament was interrupted, but in his notes, you and the Nara were mentioned with astounding approval." Lady Tsunade said.