Fading Light

Chapter 20: Choji is...

She summoned several large giants that she controlled with her flute. Unfortunately she also used a genjutsu that would affect anyone who could hear it. I could see Shikamaru falling under it and my body slowly started to sink into it as well.

Damn...I have to do something.

I bit my lip sharply, causing pain and blood to slid down my lip. The jutsu faded and I saw Shikamaru had trapped her with his Shadow Possession. I knew he was waiting for me, but my body was so sluggish that I wasn't sure my genjutsu would work like this.

"Let her go, Shikamaru!" I yelled appearing in front of her with my knife out. He released her quickly and I slashed her throat. But not quick enough as she stabbed me back in the gut with Shikamaru's knife. She fell off the tree and collapsed on the ground dead. I panted as the pain increased. I held the spot where I was bleeding tightly. "That...was for...Choji..." I muttered.

"Huh? Guess you all didn't need my help." I turned to see Temari standing there.

"Temari, what are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked.

"We were asked by Lady Tsunade to back up your mission, but it seems like that's the least of your worries right now. Amaya, you're hurt." She looked at my hand that was now covered in blood. Shikamaru turned now and when he saw the blood he froze.

"What...?" He grabbed me before I could collapse.

"I wasn't quick enough killing her. She got me with the kunei you threw as bait." He looked at me shocked.

"Just keep the pressure on it, we'll get you back to the village." he picked me up and we were heading back the village quickly. I felt dizzy as the world spun around me, was this what it felt like to be dying? I wonder if my mother and father both felt this way before they passed. I tried to keep my eyes open, I wanted to keep them open so I could look at Shikamaru. If I closed them I had a feeling I would never wake up to see his face again.

"Shika...maru..." I whispered. He looked down at me with pure fear across his face. "Just let me go. It's okay..." I didn't know why I said it but I felt at peace with this decision. "I can tell...I'm dying..." He shook his head and started going faster.

"I'm not going to let you die." He muttered more to himself than to me. I didn't know why he wanted to keep me alive so badly. I know we were dating but...

My eyes fluttered shut without me meaning for them to.

This was it...I'm going to die...

~

Shikamaru's POV

I looked down at her as she spoke my name and when I heard her tell me to let her go...it nearly killed me inside. I wasn't going to let her die. She had to live, she had to see there was more to this world than just what happened to her family. I kept pushing forward but the next time I looked down at her I saw her eyes were shut.

"Amaya! Wake up!" I cried out to her, but she didn't move.

Was she really? Her chest rose and fell. I breathed a sigh of relief, she was still alive for now.

Upon arriving back at the village the Chunin at the gate, who had most likely seen Choji, Neji and Kiba were looking at Amaya in pure shock. She was strong, so for her to go down they knew whoever we had been facing was no joke.

"Where is Lady Tsunade?" I demanded.

"She's at the hospital taking care of Choji, Shizune should be working on Neji." I frowned. She needed one of them to deal with this wound or she was going to die. I rushed to the hospital, Temari in tow the entire time. The nurses immediately took her back into surgery and I was told one of them would inform Lady Tsunade about her condition.

Amaya and Choji...to lose them both in one day...

~

Amaya's POV

I could hear voices...but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I was floating somewhere, it was dark but it felt peaceful. Was this death? There was a beep and then another. This wasn't death...this was a hospital.

I struggled to open my eyes, but when they final did I was face to face with a grieving Shikamaru.

"Shika...maru...?" He looked at me surprised and then hugged me. "Ow..." I muttered, causing him to pull away quickly.

"Sorry, I just...didn't know what I'd do if I lost you." He mumbled.

"How long...have I been out...?" I muttered.

"Several days. Lady Tsunade said your spleen had ruptured and you were bleeding out internally. She worked on you for over three hours and finally they were able to stop the bleeding and they removed your spleen in order to stop it from possibly rupturing again. She said you wouldn't wake up for some time, but I could tell she was just as worried about you as I was." He explained.

"Is Choji?" I asked, needing to know my efforts to get him back to the village weren't in vain.

"He's going to make a full recovery." I smiled brightly.

"Thank goodness. The others make it back okay as well?" He nodded.

"Neji and Choji were the worst of the group after them it was you. Then Naruto, Kiba and Akamaru and I just got off with a broken finger..." I could see he blamed himself for his own lack of injuries while everyone else had gotten the brunt of it.

"You don't have to blame yourself. We all did what we had to. I can promise you no one blames you for what happened." I stated.

"Amaya..."

"You should have a little more faith in your friends." I smiled. "And your girlfriend." He rolled his eyes and then leaned down towards me. I felt my heart start to race, that being even more apparent as my heart rate monitor started to spike. His lips were so close to mine and I just waited for them to come in contact with mine, but they didn't. He smirked.

"Maybe after you're better." He pulled away and I glared at him.

"You're such a tease, jerk." I puffed out my cheeks and looked away from him.

"Maybe I am. But you shouldn't be over doing it with your heart." He chuckled.

"I can't help that! You're the one who-!" I was about to continue when the door opened. Lady Tsunade walked in.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked when she noticed the closeness of our proximity.

"No!" I demanded. While Shikamaru chuckled under his breathe. "Also, thank you. You saved my life from what I heard." I calmed myself and thanked my aunt.

"You don't need to thank me. I wasn't going to let you die. Especially since you were able to get Choji back here and still went back to help your teammates. You even went against Shikamaru's orders from what I heard." I frowned.

"I couldn't let Choji die. I couldn't let that happen. I...didn't want to watch anyone else I cared about die." She walked over and pressed her lips against my forehead.

"And that's what will make you a strong medical specialist." I froze and looked at her confused.

"Medical specialist?" She gave a firm nod.

"Once you're back to normal you will be training with me to develop your medical ninjutsu."

"I mean I don't mind but why?" I questioned.

"You have strong chakra control and you have different types of elemental chakra. It will be essential for you and your teammates on the battlefield if someone knows it. Choji and Shikamaru aren't adept when it comes to that, but you on the other hand have almost complete mastery over it." I gave her a small nod.

"Anything that allows me to protect those that are precious to me." She smiled.

"That's what I like to hear, but just because you're my niece doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you." I gave a soft chuckle.

"That's fine by me."