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Koiuta, V.2	By : dragonslover1 Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1338 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: 'Naruto' is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting from this fanfiction.

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Koiuta, Love Song V.2

　

A Close Call

　

　

�No, you won�t.�

As soon as Hinata said those words, it was as if Tasha had been flipped �off�. Though she remained conscious, eyes open, her awareness receded inwards and did not emerge again. She began to waver, all control over herself lost. That was all the permission their team needed.

Akamaru crouched, waiting, as Shino picked up the semi-conscious girl and handed her to Kiba. Hinata was already darting off ahead, the quickest of the group hurrying off to inform the hospital of Tasha�s predicament. As soon as Kiba had a grip on her, he mounted Akamaru, the dog sprinting off. Of the three of them, Shino was the slowest, the one needing such speed the least, so he hadn�t trained for it.

He somewhat regretted it now. But Tasha was in good hands with Kiba and Hinata, he knew, so he tried not to feel too jealous. After all, he rather liked the girl, sympathizing with aspects of her life. He wanted her to survive this, to live despite the hard knocks being thrown at her. Maybe he was a bit charmed by her, the way she�d so swiftly gone from fearing him to enjoying his company.

He�d made her laugh. She�d thanked him. A warmth had spread through him, pleased that his efforts had worked. She�d just been so downtrodden, so depressed, he�d wanted to cheer her up. The whole morning had been strange to him, Tasha�s mood serious but negative despite her cheery attitude the day before. Maybe he hadn�t wanted to be the cause of that. Regardless of the reason, it�d been a compulsion to take her mind off events that had clearly been distressing her.

A part of him wondered if this was all a trick, suspicious as a ninja was meant to be, but he discarded the idea. Kazekage—
Gaara—
wouldn�t have asked for this favor if he�d doubted her, and if anyone was both suspicious and correct about his suspicions, it was the former Jinchuriki. Tasha was what she said she was, simple as that.

With Akamaru and Shino both racing onwards, their speeds at their limits, it still took several minutes for the hound to disappear into the distance. During that time, Shino watched Tasha, trying to gauge her health. He hadn�t taken his coat back from her, hoping it would help during the race to Konoha, but the hood had fallen back.

Her skin was pallid, a fine sheen of sweat visible, the color to his lips simply gone. Her eyes were half-lidded, every few seconds darting and failing to lock onto anything. She was fighting, he saw, and somehow that caused him distress. She was fighting so damn hard to stay awake, he almost wished she would give in. But her attempt at remaining aware was a good thing, displaying her strength, her determination to stay alive. She had his respect for that.

Even swamped with an infection, she was trying to take care of herself.

Shino had to urge to check on her when he reached the village, but he didn�t. He was a full half hour behind his teammates, the pair of them waiting for him to arrive. As soon as he reached them, Kiba was speaking.

�Handed Tasha off to Hinata when I got to the hospital,� he informed Shino, �then went off to see Godaime.� He looked pained. �Woke her up, too. She wasn�t happy.�

There was a red handprint on Kiba�s face, so Shino fully believed him. To Hinata, Shino asked, �How is she?�

He read the girl like a book by now, seeing she was relaxed and stress-free. It eased his worry. She replied, �Resting. The doctors got to work on her wounds right away. She had three infections,� Hinata explained, �but none were too serious. They cleaned her wounds, stitched her up, bandaged her and put her to bed.�

Good, then. Focusing back on Kiba, Shino went on, �And the Godaime?�

Irritation swept through Kiba, though it seemed to be directed at Shino for not worrying. �I relayed Tasha�s story to her and she went off to see Tasha herself. Warned me not to come back until sunrise—
or whenever she next summoned me. Whichever came last.� He scowled.

Hinata smothered a giggle. To Shino, she said, �Are you planning on visiting Tasha?�

Shino shrugged. �Hadn�t considered it,� he admitted. Truth. But he wanted to—
to make sure she was recovering, of course. Nothing more.

What a liar he was turning out to be. He cared for the tiny girl. Well, not tiny; she was a bit taller than Hinata. Still, everyone was small in comparison to him. Seventeen years old, she�d said to Hinata when her age was queried. A mere seventeen and already suffering. It was barbaric to him.

�I will be,� Hinata told him then, pleased with herself. �You should, too. I think she considers you a friend.�

At that, he nodded. He�d already noticed; while the two of them had waited on breakfast, talking, he�d seen the change in her. The way she regarded him, the way she�d spoken to him. She�d been relaxed, at ease. She�d even spoken of things to him that he was certain she�d never spoken of to anyone. She�d confided in him, something no one did unless they felt they could trust you.

So Tasha trusted Shino. He liked the pleasant feeling that invoked.

It was just, so few people did trust him. His entire clan met with resistance on that front. Bugs were so reviled to most people, and his clan was overflowing with them. They didn�t mean to distrust the Aburame members, he knew, but distrust them they did. Knowing it was involuntary didn�t lessen the sting, however.

Tasha, after knowing him for a day, had given him that trust. In a strange way, he wanted to reward her for that, to give her something back. She hadn�t shown him disgust—
well, not after an initial shudder, anyway—
and that meant a lot to him. Hell, she�d even joked with him, surprising (and pleasing) him. No one ever just offered that easy camaraderie to him. It�d even taken months to get through Kiba and Hinata�s initial aversion to him. The three of them were the best of friends now, but it hadn�t started that way.

Measured like that, Tasha was kind of special. He just wanted her to know that.

�I will,� he finally answered.

Hinata looked pleased. Then she glanced to Kiba, the three of them coming to the same, wordless conclusion: time to go home and rest. It�d been two weeks, now, since they�d been in the village. They darted off in different directions, each in a hurry for a different reason.

Shino, for one, spent the entire next day catching up on anything he�d missed during his absence. He was informed by various clanmates and friends about important missions and interesting developments, of which there were few. Still, it was a habit to ask. Too many times he�d been involved in something that had rapidly escalated. . .or missed an event entirely. It could happen in the space of an hour, so he was determined to stay up-to-date on everything he could.

Late in the afternoon, Tsunade summoned him. He met his team on the way there, the two of them also having been summoned. They were to give a full report now. Directly to the Godaime, they explained their part in the mission, concluding that beyond Tasha�s own injuries, they encountered no difficulties. Tsunade then asked if Tasha was trustworthy, to which all three agreed she was.

Then she explained that she�d asked to determine whether or not to continue trying to help the girl. Over the course of the night, she said, Tasha�s infection had worsened, her body nearly shutting down from the damage. It caused a wave of regret to hit Shino; he should�ve gone to see her before, he realized. If she regresses again, she would be unlikely to survive.

But, Tsunade added, if Tasha was indeed trustworthy, a possible addition to Konoha itself, she would order Tasha saved by any means. The promise eased some of Shino�s guilt and worry, knowing without a doubt that if Tsunade was involved, Tasha would survive anything. Their Godaime was the best doctor alive—
so he thought, anyway. She�d managed some amazing things in her time here.

Rock Lee was walking, running, training, all thanks to her. Tasha�s infection would be cakewalk by comparison.

She dismissed them then, and they decided to check on Tasha together.

He found himself regretting that. Upon seeing see, a tightness hit him square in the chest. She was laid out on a bed, an oxygen mask on her face, hair loose and disappearing under her sheets. Her skin was still moist from sweat, but overall, she looked worse than ever. The paleness of her skin had lightened further, taking on a yellowish tinge that was the opposite of healthy. Her lips that had been pink the day before now lacked any color at all.

He nearly winced. The infection must be ravaging her body, leaving her on the brink of death.

Hinata strode in and sat on the edge of the bed. �Good afternoon, Tasha,� she said, though Tasha was incapable of answering. Kiba and Shino stayed near the door, equally distressed by the sight, neither feeling they had a right to get any closer.

Their teammate had no such hindrance. She offered light, affection touches as she talked to the unconscious girl, �The doctors are saying you�ll pull through just fine. But that doesn�t mean you get to be lazy,� she chided gently. �I want you to keep fighting. Be better than the doctors, than the medicine they give you. You have enough spirit for that, don�t you?� she said, the words a challenge. �I think you do, but you need to prove it. They say you�ll be walking again in a week. I dare you to do better.�

That. . .was brilliant, Shino realized. Tasha�s personality included an immovable pride, he�d found. Hinata must have picked up on it, too. And she was using it to try to get through to Tasha, using weakness and strength as tethers to reach her.

For a few minutes, they waited in silence, but there was no reaction from the bedridden Tasha. There wasn�t even a hiccup to the heart monitor�s steady beeping. For a moment, Hinata seemed dejected, shoulders slumping. And then she straightened, determined to remain upbeat. �You had better start improving,� she advised, �or I�ll be cross with you. I�ll let you rest for now, but tomorrow I�ll be back and you will start working. Spend tonight recovering your strength, Tasha. You�ll need it.�

As if that was a team-wide farewell, as Hinata rose the men backed off. They exited the hospital as one, silent, pondering on Tasha�s chances of surviving.

Shino had total faith in Tsunade�s ability to heal, but that would hardly be of any help if Tasha didn�t want to live.

For the next few hours, they remained together, discussing her. There were many things each of them didn�t know about her, so they decided to swap stories. Hinata had gazed into Tasha with Byakuugan, discovering that while Tasha�s chakra pathways were still going strong, they converged at the jewel. That was irrefutable proof of her claim that the jewel drained her chakra. Akamaru had scented the multitude of differing chakra scents, as well, adding that her claim of it having been handed down was true, too.

In return, Shino shared his knowledge of her mindset, how she seemed totally incapable of understanding freely-given aid. She�d (indirectly) demanded to owe the three of them, so Shino had agreed to the deal. He didn�t know what he would ask of her once she had recovered, but he knew it�d be something small, maybe something silly, just to prove a point.

Hinata and Kiba shared a look, their expressions mimicking Shino�s thoughts. He almost felt bad for Tasha then. She�d pushed so hard to not owe them anything and at some point the �favors� she owed were going to be cashed in ridiculous ways. He suspected she would be disappointed by that.

- - -

Two days passed before Shino returned to the hospital, not much having occurred in that time. Tsunade and Gaara had exchanged notes, Shino knew, though the content was not revealed to him. Or any other, as far as he knew.

A sense of relief filled him when he entered her room, finding in a glance that her color had improved. No one else was here at present, but two ninja had been stationed outside her door as precaution. At present they were playing cards, utterly bored with their job. Shino had the urge to chastise them, but he felt it useless. Tasha was no threat, after all.

He strode to her bed and looked her over. She�d been bathed recently, he noted, her hair tangle-free and shining. Though she still wore the oxygen mask, she was breathing well, her lips notably pink again. A healthy flush colored her cheeks. She was still unconscious, yes, but she was recovering. Maybe Hinata�s coaching had been reaching her. He knew Hinata had visited her each day, knew Hinata had already been here today.

He�d have to thank Hinata for her efforts, he realized.

Still, it was disconcerting to him, seeing that she was still unconscious. It didn�t seem right to her. In the forest, she�d slept far less than anyone had expected, totally a mere five hours. Shocking, considering the wounds she�d been nursing. And if she�d already been fighting off infection at the time, too? She must have an iron will, he noted.

It�d fit with her personality, he admitted. Her only fears seemed to be the appearance of weakness, having debts owed to others, and death itself.

She also seemed to have a minor obsession with her beauty, he�d noticed. It hadn�t popped up often during the trek, but he�d seen it regardless. She�d touched the bandage on her cheek a lot, worry creasing her brow. She must not want a scar, he figured. And her hair? Such long hair with perfectly-trimmed bangs? She liked her beauty, definitely. Of which Shino had no shame admitting she possessed.

Even with discoloration around her eyes and a mask across her nose and mouth, she had notable attractiveness. He wasn�t too affected by that, though, having seen plenty of gorgeous women in his lifetime. No, he was more interested in discovering if her spirit remained intact.

He�d liked that most during their talk. Her curiosity, then her surprise, then her obvious effort to make up for it. Even her sudden vitriol when he�d lied to her (she had kind of offended him), practically ordering him not to pull his punches.

Then she followed all that with self-doubt and vulnerability. Which he�d eased, at least in part, with effort his own. Such gratitude had shown on her face then, he�d actually felt more like a man. More dependable. He�d helped her to think of herself in a new way, something she�d obviously needed. He�d given her that.

Now all she needed to do was wake up and get back on her feet. He had no doubt the rest of her life would fall into place as soon as she was capable of traveling on her own again. But first she had to wake up.

Trying to rouse her, he said, �Tasha?�

No response. He�d known that. He spoke too quietly for her to hear him. He moved a hand to her neck, pressing two fingers against her pulse. The heart monitor already told him she was stable, but he wanted to check for himself.

A lie. He�d wanted to touch her.

That�s when her eyes half-opened, closed, then forced open fully. He snatched his hand back, just a tiny bit embarrassed. Not that she would be able to tell, he mused. Her eyes darted right, then left, the blue as bright as he recalled. When her eyes landed on him, her brows drew in, as if baffled.

That only slightly stung. Didn�t she recognize him? He wanted to fume.

Then she said, �Hello, Shino,� easing the sting. If she recognized him, then why the confusion? She frowned, noticed the mask as if for the first time, shoved it off. With some visible effort, she sat up, examining herself. Uncoordinated fingers pulled an IV out of her elbow, then ran over each of the bandages on her arms; testing them, he guessed.

�Feeling better?� he asked, easing back a step before sitting at the foot of her bed. Giving her room. He didn�t want her uneasy.

She nodded, finishing with her arms and yanking the sheets from her legs. She paused, scowled. �Hospital gown,� he heard her grumble. With a sigh, she righted the sheets, then lifted her gaze up to him. �How long was I out?�

�That depends,� he answered. �Do you remember anything since the forest?� When she shook her head, he went on, �Three days, then.�

Her eyes snapped wide in disbelief. �Three days?� she echoed.

Why was that surprising? He replied, �You had a serious infection. You almost died.�

�. . .Oh.� She leaned back, then edged to the head of the bed to sit against it. �That explains it.� Now her gaze roved over the room itself, noting the radio beside her bed, the TV in the corner, the door leading to a bathroom. �No offense, but I kind of expected to see Hinata first thing,� she began. �I dreamt about her a lot.�

That didn�t surprise him in the least. It did, however, disappoint him somewhat. Shouldn�t she have dreamt about him, too? �She came to visit you every day,� he explained. �Told you to get up off your ass.�

A chuckle. He warmed a bit. He�d given her that laugh. She replied, �Well, that explains why I kept wanting to slap her, then. A lady needs her beauty sleep.�

�Not you,� he said in reflex, then wished he hadn�t. That could be taken two ways and neither were good for him.

More surprise filtered through her gaze, eyes flickering over him as if trying very hard to read him. She seemed to fail, for she replied, �I hope you meant that in the positive way, not the negative one.�

�I did,� he promised, only to wish he could kick himself in the face next. He needed to shut up. He liked her, damn it. If he started being creepy, she�d withdraw, maybe reject him outright. The last thing he needed was another rejection. And the last thing she needed was one less friend.

�Good, then,� she said lightly, undisturbed, �now I don�t have to do the feminine pique thing. It�s unpleasant for all parties involved,� she said with a sigh.

He chuckled, a little surprised at how easily she amused him. It was strange to consider, but once she got over her initial negativity towards him, they�d just sort of fit together. He could imagine being her friend far off into old age, especially if she kept up this spark. They had an ease together, a kind of rapport he enjoyed. Talking to her was just. . .effortless.

He spoke, she spoke, they laughed; simple. Though she couldn�t see it, she made him smile.

�So,� she said now, �is there anything I should be aware of?�

He considered that. �Your infection was worse than we thought,� he told her first. �It almost killed you.� And it was hard to say those words, his voice going soft—
as if speaking gently could lessen the blow.

She didn�t react beyond blinking. �Yeah, I figured that out already. Anything else?�

He was taken aback by that. For a moment he stumbled over his own thoughts, incapable of responding. Had she just brushed off her near-death event? �Ah. . .I think the Hokage is considering you as a Konoha ninja,� he finally said. Truth. Tsunade had spoken as though she was weighing Tasha�s worth as a ninja for Konoha. It was just speculation on his part; the Godaime hadn�t confirmed it to anyone yet.

Just like that, Tasha�s eyes lit up. �Tell me there�s a way to convince her,� she pleaded.

Another hammer of stun hit him. �You want to be a Leaf Ninja?� he checked.

She nodded. �Well, more like I want to stay in this country. It�s so much better than my. . .Earth Country,� she corrected. �Maybe you didn�t notice, but I was scoping the forest the whole time. Listening, looking, sniffing, even. Everything here is so colorful, so lively. In Earth Country everything is just. . .dangerous.� She scowled at that. �Some of the fruits that grow there are poisonous, but we eat them anyway to develop a resistance. Most of the native creatures have evolved to fight instead of run. Every second there is a dance with death.�

Which would explain how she�d just shrugged off death. She must have reached death�s door multiple times already, and this was just the most recent. He was both angry about that and somewhat pleased—
if she could escape death again and again, then she was clearly strong enough to recover from a simple infection. Still, he found himself hating her life in her hometown.

The entire continent would do well to wipe out that entire country.

�Whether you become a ninja or not,� he told her, and maybe he was jumping ahead of himself here but the words came anyway, �you can stay.�

A truly stunning grin split her face at that, such joy pouring off her that even he felt better.
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Koiuta, V.2