Growing Pains

Chapter 31

"Please! Someone help us!" Shinrai shouted as he rushed through the hospital doors.

He had barely managed to run through the destroyed village without losing consciousness. He had sustained injuries himself, and his blood began to ooze down the many gashes. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he desperately looked around. He had to find help for Araile first.

Some nurses rushed forward and took Araile from him. Shinrai's eyes followed the 14 year old as she hung limply from the nurse's arms. He barely acknowledged that one nurse was talking to him. The world began to sway back and forth in his eyes, and Shinrai closed his eyes. His gashes really were starting to hurt.

A hand on his shoulder steered Shinrai to a hospital room, and he gladly sat down on the bed. The nurse began taking his vitals and brought a tray over. Shinrai let his head hang down as the nurse gently began cleaning his wounds. There were no medical-nin available at the moment, so the nurse would have to do.

Shinrai didn't flinch as the nurse continued cleaning. His mind kept coming back to Araile. She was hurt pretty badly, and he didn't know how she was. Did she even survive the trip to the hospital?

He shook his head; no, she would survive. She was strong. The nurse finished cleaning his wounds and bound them before giving him a hospital gown. He looked up at the nurse with a confused gaze.

"I want you to stay overnight so we can watch you," she said before walking out.

Shinrai sighed and got changed into the gown. He didn't understand why Seishin attacked Araile. That wasn't the Seishin he knew and trained with. What did he mean by 'demon army'? He didn't understand any of it! Shinrai sighed heavily, but stopped when the action made his ribs ache. He leaned his sore body against the pillows on the hospital bed, shifting until he found a comfortable position. He needed to know how Araile was.
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"Excuse me?"

"Hm?" the nurse said as she looked up at the young teen on the bed.

"Can you please tell me about Araile? Is she okay? Please tell me!" Shinrai said as he leaned forward in the hospital bed.

The nurse smiled gently at him before putting her clipboard down.

"She is doing much better now," she said and moved to check the heart monitor.

"Now? What do you mean?" Shinrai said, eyes widening in sudden fear.

"Don't fret yourself. She lost a lot of blood, but we managed to stabilize her. Kakashi is with her now and keeping her company," the nurse said gently.

Shinrai breathed a sigh of relief, causing the nurse to give a small laugh. Last time he saw Araile's old caregiver he seemed to be gravely injured. Apparently he was not as heavily injured then he thought. The nurse gave the machines one last check before exiting his hospital room. Shinrai sighed and looked out the hospital window, bored out of his mind.

An idea suddenly came to him, and Shinrai forced his body out of the hospital bed. He unhooked the I.V from his wrist and stood up gently.

Thankfully nothing was swaying and he walked swiftly out of the hospital room. He stood to the side of the hospital hallway as a team of medical-nin rushed a ninja through on a gurney. He felt a pang in his heart as he watched the group disappear around the corner. So many injuries and death from these red and black weird men. Looking around, Shinrai began walking in a direction where he hoped Araile was. He wanted to be with her, Kakashi or not. Screams echoed here and there from the hospital rooms as Shinrai continued walking, causing the boy to wince each time. He silently sent a prayer to the heavens that the people those screams belonged to would have a full recovery.

He peaked around an open door, and his eyes widened. His Araile was sitting up and looking like a mummy; her entire torso was covered in bandages. Kakashi looked a little worse for wear himself, and had bandages wrapped around his shoulder and arms.

"Shinrai!" Araile said happily as he walked into the room.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said as the teen walked to the edge of her bed.

"I'm fine. I was worried about you. Are you okay?" Shinrai said, eyes roaming over her face and bandages.

Araile puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

"I'm okay now," she said.

First she had the nurses and Kakashi worrying over her, and now Shinrai? Jeez, she was still alive wasn't she?

Araile glanced down at her hands as they clutched at the hospital blanket. Ever since she had regained consciousness, a thought kept persistently bouncing around in her head. She had to go to Seishin and Kazoku. It didn't make any sense to her: why would they just take children like her and turn them into a mindless army? And what about Meiyo and Taiyo? Meiyo had been her best friend for all that time...she couldn't just leave them behind. Araile closed her eyes with a small sigh, once and for all making up her mind.

She would go and confront Seishin and Kazoku, and she would free Meiyo and Taiyo.

"I know what you're thinking," her old caregiver said from beside her.

Araile opened her eyes to gaze at Kakashi's single black one.

"I have to, Kakashi! If not, who is going to stop them? They could come to Konoha again...and I don't want to see anyone get hurt again," Araile said, gold eyes wide and pleading.

"Please, Kakashi. I have to do this...I'm not a child anymore," she continued, looking down at her hands again.

Kakashi sighed as he considered this. It was true she wasn't a child anymore.

"I'll go with you," Shinrai said suddenly, and Araile shot him a small smile.

She turned her gaze toward the Jonin again, eyes searching his masked face. He looked down for a moment before lifting his single gaze to hers. His gaze softened, and a large smile spread over Araile's face.

"I will pack you some things," was all Kakashi said before getting up and walking out of the room.

Shinrai watched his disappearing back for a moment before coming to sit beside Araile.

"We'll do this together," he said quietly.