Third Person's POV
Naruto bends down and leans his hands on his knees, closing his eyes and flashing a broad grin to Ashley, as she wipes at her eyes. The girl laughs despite her tears, filled with relief at the news that her sister is going to be alright.
Naruto was happy for her. So much had happened since they had all come to the Land of Ambience and Naruto felt like he had learned so much about Ashley. She'd been through some difficult times and the last thing Ashley needed, was for her own sister to die right beside her. Naruto was glad that Ashley's sister would be alright, and now that Sirius guy was gone as well.
Kakashi watches his two Genin smiling with each other as he pulls his headband back down to cover his Sharingan eye. Hidden beneath his mask, Kakashi smiles to himself.
Teamwork hadn't always been a priority to the Jonin, but it sure meant everything to him nowadays. Seeing his two Genin together, two people that would easily make the decision to endanger their lives for each other, filled Kakashi's chest with a warm feeling.
Was it pride? Kakashi was proud of them of course. Of all four of them.
Suddenly, orange and brown leaves begin to swirl around Ashley and Naruto, something that causes both Ninja to look up.
"What the-"
"It's alright Naruto" Ashley assures her friend, waving one hand dismissively.
A grin spreads across the girl's face, as Aki appears directly in front of her, Tiez at his side. Aki stares into Ashley's face with wide, sapphire eyes, clearly distressed, while Tiez remains frozen at his side, her body tensed and her tail standing straight up.
After a few seconds of silence, Aki heaves a sigh of relief, his head and shoulders drooping, while Tiez leaps forwards, her paws resting on Ashley's knee. She leans in, her brows furrowed as she glares up at Ashley.
"What is it Tiez?" Ashley eventually asks, tilting her head as the small Wolf's eyes begin to waver.
Aki steps forwards here, just as Tiez begins to bawl, jumping into Ashley's lap and rubbing her head against Ashley's stomach.
"We were worried about you Darling" Aki answers quietly, leaning down close to Ashley's face.
Ashley and Aki stare into each other's eyes for a brief moment, before he closes his and gently presses his forehead to hers.
"I thought you were gonna die!" Tiez wails.
Ashley feels her heart flutter at receiving the affection of the two Wolves, before she closes her own eyes. She places one hand comfortingly on the top of Tiez's head, while reaching up to Aki with the other one and holding the side of his face.
"Thank you for your help" is all Ashley says, her voice strained as she holds back her tears.
"These two Wolves have been avoiding us for years" Dashi muses quietly, watching the scene before him with a smile. "Yet my Granddaughter has gained their loyalty in a matter of days."
"They're new?" Ino questions, surprised. "I figured they were already Ashley's team members and we just hadn't seen them before."
"Ugh, this is embarrassing" Tiez sniffs, scurrying out of Ashley's lap and swiping at her eyes with one paw. She stands with her back to Ashley, scowling down at the ground.
Aki raises his head and chuckles to himself, amused by his younger companion's embarrassment. Tiez was not generally one to show her softer side, especially not to unfamiliar people, but it seemed that the young Wolf had grown attached to Ashley rather quickly.
Not that this bothered Aki at all. He quite liked the Minami himself, though he hadn't wanted to admit it at first.
Parting with her was going to be quite difficult.
"Alright" Kakashi announces. "Let's get back to the others. Everyone will want to know what's going on."
"At least the fighting has come to a standstill" Dashi remarks, stepping forwards to stand next to Kakashi.
As everyone begins to head back towards the battlefield, Naruto looks down at Ashley, who is still sitting on the ground with a flat expression on her face.
".....Can you walk Ashley-chan?" Naruto asks.
".......I don't think so" comes the annoyed reply.
"Here, I'll carry you" Naruto immediately offers, crouching down in front of Ashley, his back facing her.
With her face flushed, Ashley stares at Naruto's back. He wanted to carry her on his back? How embarrassing was that.....
Suddenly, Ashley feels two hands lifting her up by the arms. Glancing over her shoulder, Ashley sees Shikamaru pulling her to her feet, before helping her to climb onto Naruto's back.
"Thanks Shika-kun" Ashley says, smiling self-consciously, as Naruto straightens up, his arms locking under Ashley's legs to hold her in place.
Shikamaru looks away, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Whatever...." he eventually replies, shoving his hands in his pockets as he begins to walk. "Just don't do anything else stupid. It's a drag."
"Give her a break Shikamaru" Naruto berates, marching alongside Kakashi.
The Jonin glances down as Naruto begins a one-sided argument with Shikamaru. Her arms wrapped around Naruto's neck, Ashley rests her chin on top of her arm, the side of her head leaning against Naruto's.
Her half-closed eyes seem to be looking somewhere far off, almost as if she is beginning to fall asleep, though Kakashi can see a ghost of a smile on the girl's face. Almost automatically, Kakashi reaches out and gently places his hand on top of Ashley's head, something that causes her to blink.
Her eyes flick up in surprise, only to see that Kakashi is staring straight ahead. After only a second or two, he removes his hand and places it back inside his pocket. Ashley stares at her Sensei, before letting out a soft chuckle, her face turning a little pink.
It always made her feel happy when her Sensei showed affection towards her. Seeing as Kakashi often acted so aloof, it didn't happen very often.
"Ashley!" a voice cries from up ahead, causing Ashley to look forwards.
Stepping out of the crowd, Sakura runs forwards with her arms outstretched, her green eyes wide and her expression distraught. Behind her, Sasuke also steps into view, his hands in his pockets.
Scattered across the village and uncertain of what to do, the crowd of soldiers and villagers all mingle together cautiously. They speak amongst themselves in hushed voices, their eyes darting around as if expecting something to happen.
They were apprehensive. Sure, the fighting had stopped as soon as Sirius had been singled out by the beast, but where had Sirius gone? And what had become of the powerful beast that was attacking him?
Were they supposed to still be fighting against the apparent enemy?
"Oh Ashley....." Sakura sighs with relief, one hand over her heart as Naruto jogs over to her, grinning brightly. "You're both alright......"
"Yep!" Naruto chirps. "C'mon Sakura, we're both super tough! We're not hurt at all!"
"Speak for yourself" Ashley smiles, though she sweat drops. "I'll be alright Sakura. I'm glad you're okay though."
"You look terrible" Sasuke informs Ashley, walking over and smirking at his cousin.
"Thanks" the blonde replies sarcastically, rolling her eyes in a playful way.
"Milady!" a frantic voice calls, the familiarity of it immediately catching Ashley's attention and dragging it away from her team. "Milady!"
"Ace" Ashley breathes, her chest tightening at the sight of her Guardian barrelling through the crowd towards her.
His visible eye wide, Ace pushes past a few more people and skids to a halt beside Ashley, looking her right in the face. He gently headbutts the girl's shoulder, gritting his teeth.
"Release Milady immediately" Ace commands in a low voice, his gaze trained on the ground as he continues to rub Ashley's shoulder.
"But she can't-"
"It's alright Naruto" Ashley assures her friend, patting him on the back.
A doubtful look on his face, Naruto crouches down and releases Ashley's legs, allowing her down from his back.
Immediately, Ace swipes Ashley towards him with one paw. Pulling her close to his chest, Ace presses his paw on Ashley's back and holds her close, as he hangs his head, his cheek brushing against hers.
Her hands holding the fur of his chest, Ashley feels Ace's whole body shaking, something that is extremely unusual for him.
"Milady...." Ace murmurs in Ashley's ear, his voice cracking. "Milady......"
"I'm alright Ace" Ashley replies softly, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"I was so scared Milady" Ace admits, hugging the girl even tighter. "I have never, ever been so scared in my life."
"I'm sorry" Ashley apologises a second time, feeling her eyes brimming with tears again. "I'm really sorry......"
"Please" Ace pleads, his voice so soft that only Ashley can hear him. "Please, never do that again Milady. I.....I cannot lose you. My life will not be worth living if you are gone."
Feeling something drip onto her cheek, Ashley opens her eyes and looks up, only to see tears falling from Ace's eye as he looks down at her.
Sucking in a sharp breath at the sight of Ace crying, Ashley wraps her arms around the Wolf's neck in a fierce hug.
Ashley had never, ever seen Ace cry before. Even on the day when his Mother and the rest of their Clan had been slaughtered, Ashley hadn't seen Ace shed any tears. He very rarely revealed his emotions, so for him to cry like this....
Ashley felt so guilty for being the cause.
Ace was her best friend in the entire world, and sometimes she forgot just how strong that bond was. Ace took his duty as Ashley's Guardian very seriously, sometimes to the point that he felt more like a parent than a partner, but Ashley knew that deep down, more than anything else......
"I love you Ashley" Ace says into the girl's ear, not wanting anyone else to hear. "So please, do not be so careless with your own life anymore......"
"I love you too Ace" Ashley whispers back, her voice trembling as her fingers curl into Ace's fur. "I promise, I'll try to be a better partner to you from now on...."
Ace breathes out a low laugh and shakes his head, leaning back to look Ashley in the eye.
"You are already the best partner I could have asked for" he confirms, nudging at her cheek with his nose. "I would just like for us to be able to grow old together."
"O-Of course we will!" Ashley confirms, her eyes sparkling.
Ignoring Ashley and her Wolf, Arashi pushes through the crowd of people and walks right up to Kakashi and Dashi. They regard the purple haired man warily, noting the serious expression on his face.
"......What has become of Lord Sirius?" Arashi inquires, to which Kakashi and Chief Dashi exchange a brief glance.
"Unfortunately he perished in the heat of battle" Dashi supplies, though the older man doesn't look at all unhappy.
Arashi's eyes widen slightly at this news.
"Surely that's not true?" he asks, his heart pounding in his chest.
It was too good to be true. There was no way they had managed to kill someone as powerful as Lord Sirius......Was there?
"He's sitting in a little pile of ash back there, if you want to ask him yourself" Dashi answers, closing his eyes as he tries to hold in a smirk, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.
Whilst Dashi usually tried to maintain an air of dignity at most times, he couldn't have cared less about Sirius. He hated the man.
Sirius had tried to kill the surviving children of his Clan, not to mention his beloved Granddaughters. He had invaded the Land of Ambience and taken over with force, as well as enslaving basically everyone who chose to believe in him and follow him out of the Land of Lightning.
Dashi would be more than happy to show each and every soldier on this island that small pile of ash, and he would do it with a broad smile on his face every time.
Arashi stares at Dashi in disbelief, searching for any sign that the man is lying.
"Is it really true?" a man in the crowd asks, looking back at some of the others. "Is Lord Sirius really gone?"
"We're free!" another man shouts, throwing a fist in the air. "We're finally free!"
A victorious cheer erupts through the crowd of soldiers, with men dropping their weapons and throwing their hands in the air, whilst others clap and wipe tears of relief from their eyes.
Scattered amongst the cheering crowd, Leaf Ninja and Minami look around cautiously, uncertain of what exactly is going on.
Arashi, now beaming as he celebrates along with his fellow soldiers, turns back to Dashi.
"Sir" he addresses respectfully, bowing his head. "Please, can you stand with me so that we can address the crowd?"
Dashi eyes the man for a few seconds. He knew that this was the man that had arrived with his Granddaughter, and he had seen Arashi protect that brown haired boy when he had run out into the battlefield to look for Ashley's pink haired teammate as well.
Nodding his head, Dashi causes the ground beneath his and Arashi's feet to rise, lifting the two of them up high enough so that they can be seen by the whole crowd.
"My friends!" Arashi calls out, raising both arms up in the air. "Lord Sirius has been defeated!"
Arashi pauses briefly, as his fellow soldiers all let out another celebratory whoop of victory.
"With the help of the Leaf Village and the Minami Clan" Arashi calls out, "We have all been freed from his terrible reign!"
Here, Arashi gestures towards Dashi, the older man standing beside him with an even expression.
"Most of us are aware of the lies Sirius tried to feed to us about the Minami, however we know that this was his way of laying the blame for his cruel misdeeds elsewhere. The Minami have not killed our family and friends. It was Sirius who killed them!"
"We are now in great debt to the Minami Clan, and the Ninja of the Hidden Leaf!" Arashi informs everyone, his face turning serious as he places one hand on Dashi's shoulder. "Chief Dashi, and the rest of the Minami Clan......We know that our offences towards you have been egregious, but if you will allow us the chance, we will work our hardest to earn your forgiveness!"
Here, Arashi bows his head deeply, much to Dashi's surprise. He stares down at the younger man for a few moments, before looking out at the crowd of soldiers, as most mirror Arashi's actions.
"Please forgive us!" one man asks loudly, bowing his head towards Shimei and Kurai, the pink haired girl having run over to her boyfriend as soon as he had arrived back.
Kurai blinks in surprise, as the soldiers nearest to them all bow respectfully, also asking for their forgiveness. She clings tightly to Shimei's arm, glancing up at the red head in shock.
Shimei looks over the soldiers through hooded eyes, before placing one hand on Kurai's head and chuckling to himself. He smiles down at her, his fuchsia eyes filled with their usual kindness again.
Saffire steps in front of Fang protectively as a soldier approaches her, ready to defend her Wolf as she tries to heal Kiyumi.
"Please" the man asks softly, raising his hands up. "Allow me to assist. I'm a Medic."
"Why would you help us?" Saffire hisses through bared teeth.
"....It's the least I can do" the soldier sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I didn't become a Medic to hurt people......"
Saffire blinks at this, only to raise her eyes as Chief Dashi begins to speak.
"My new friends" the man address, gesturing towards the crowd. "Together, let us restore the Land of Ambience to its former greatness. Those of you who do not wish to stay, are permitted to leave. You will not be stopped from taking your boats and leaving. But please be assured, if you leave, you will not be welcomed back."
Here, Dashi sends a warning look to the few soldiers who have not bowed their heads. He was well aware that there were a small number of soldiers who happily followed Sirius' orders and while he would not kill them, he would not force them to stay. If they would just leave his homeland without fuss, that would make Dashi very happy.
"Those of you who wish to remain here" Dashi continues, "I welcome you to our homeland. I hope that this can be the beginning of a new, happy life for us all......"
Another cheer rises through the huge crowd of soldiers, most of whom are grateful for the Chief's generosity.
"Thank you sir" Arashi says quietly, straightening up to look at Chief Dashi. "I understand how much you must despise us all, so your kindness is......almost unbelievable, but greatly appreciated."
"I trust that you will work closely with me to bring together this new village?" Dashi queries, one eyebrow raised.
"Of course sir!" Arashi salutes, before spinning around. "Men! There is work to be done! All Medics are to see about healing the injured immediately! Those that are able, rescue anyone stuck in the rubble. Bring any critically injured to the hospital!"
That said, Arashi leaps down from the floating earth mound and runs into the crowd to assist his men with their duties. Dashi watches on, as Sirius' former soldiers rush to and fro, immediately setting out to fulfil their orders.
"......I see a bright future ahead Dashi" Arelle speaks up, tilting her head to the side and smiling at her partner knowingly.
"Thank you, I feel reassured hearing that from you my friend" the man replies, an affectionate smile on his face. "Now let's go and assist where we can. We have to set an example for the rest of the Clan."
"Lady Ashley, Lady Ashley!" Rei cries out, bounding over to Ashley and Ace. "Oh, I'm so relieved!"
Rei rubs her cheek on the top of Ashley's head, before looking to the girl with large eyes.
"I was so worried about you!" Rei cries, as Kai stalks up behind her, his head held low so that he can inspect Ashley.
"It is alright my love" Ace comforts Rei in a monotonous voice, having recovered himself enough to be able to hide his emotions again.
Kai knocks Ashley's shoulder roughly with his nose, wanting to gain her attention.
"You look like shit" the large Wolf informs Ashley, to which she can't help laughing. ".......I'm glad you're alright though......"
"Thanks, I guess" Ashley chuckles, reaching up to scratch Kai's neck. "Thanks for watching over Fang and my sister."
"Me too, me too!" a voice calls out, making Ashley's head turn the other way. "Don't forget me!"
"Chi....." Ashley says softly, watching as the caramel-coloured Wolf limps excitedly towards her, Jet slowly following behind him.
Ashley holds her arms out towards the young Wolf, to which he collapses into her lap and accepts her hug, his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging furiously.
"Careful kid" Jet warns quietly, only to blink when Ashley silently looks up at him, extending one arm in his direction.
Jet lays his ears back and glances around, before heaving a sigh and lowering his head. He allows Ashley to pet his cheek, before the girl reaches up to Jet's neck and pulls him in for a hug, Chi giggling as Ashley embraces the both of them together.
As she hugs Chi and Jet, Ashley looks up, her eyes shining as she looks to all of the Wolves surrounding her. Ace silently watches through one half lidded eye, with Rei snuggled into his side. Catching Ashley's eye, she smiles brightly, her tail beginning to wag. Kai stands on the opposite side of Ashley like a guard, his front leg pressed against the girl's shoulder. Aki and Tiez sit together as they watch on as well, with Tiez's purple eyes glittering. Aki smiles to himself, enjoying the warmth of the scene before him.
If he was honest with himself, he sort of wanted to be a part of that warmth. Although....something about the look in Ashley's eyes told him that he already was, whether he wanted it or not.
Shimei watches on as well, that same feeling in his chest again. Every time he saw Jet and Ashley together, he felt it again.
It wasn't sadness and it wasn't jealously. It almost felt like.....guilt.
It seemed a little silly, to feel guilty when he saw his own Guardian behave in such an affectionate way with another Minami but......
Clearly, Ashley and Jet had created a very strong bond between themselves, and Shimei felt as though he was merely on the outside looking in. After years apart, he and Jet didn't have that bond. In fact, they almost felt like strangers now.
Shimei knew that Jet had only been staying by him out of instinctive duty. It wasn't because Jet cared about Shimei. At least, he didn't care about the red head anywhere near as much as he cared for Ashley.
It just....didn't feel right to keep them apart.
Jet raises his head as Shimei walks over, the boy crouching down to be on eye level with Ashley. He places one hand on Jet's leg and closes his eyes, smiling at the blonde girl.
"....Please take good care of him" is all the boy says, before straightening back up and patting Jet on the shoulder. "Take good care of each other."
"What?" Ashley asks, bewildered.
"But Shimei" Jet begins to argue, only to pause when he sees the knowing look on Shimei's face. ".........Thank you..."
"Shimei......" Ashley trails off, before looking to Jet, her eyes round. "....Does this mean that you'll stay with me?"
"Of course Milady" Jet smirks, holding in his joy at not having to separate from Ashley. "How could I ever leave someone as irresponsible as you on her own?"
"Yay!" Chi cheers, jumping out of Ashley's lap and bouncing around Jet. "Jet-chan is staying with Chi, Jet-chan is staying with Chi! Ow...."
"Stop jumping around kid" Jet admonishes, rolling his eyes as Chi falls in a heap. "You're injured."
"But I'm so happy that you're not leaving Jet-chan" Chi says, rolling onto his back and looking up at the large Wolf with sparkling eyes. "I can't keep still."
Embarrassed, Jet turns his head away, ears laid back, as Kai barks out a laugh.
"You're looking worse for wear Sakura" Ino teases, sliding over to the pink haired girl with her arms crossed.
"Like you can talk Ino" Sakura sighs raggedly. "Look at you."
"Choji!" Shikamaru says happily, as his best friend steps through the crowd. The two boys gently bump fists in greeting, both relieved to see that the other is alright.
"Asuma Sensei told me what you did Shikamaru" Choji comments, nodding wisely. "When did you become so cool, huh?"
"Me, cool?" Shikamaru scoffs, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah right. I was just following orders."
Suddenly, someone comes skidding into view, almost tripping over his own feet as he slides to a stop beside Ashley. Having gotten a fright, Ashley looks up, only to find herself face to face with Kiba. The two stare at each other without speaking for a few moments, before Ashley can't help breaking into a smile.
"Kiba, you're-"
"Hah, you're alright" Kiba sighs heavily, hanging his head and running a hand through his hair. "That's good."
"Arf arf!" Akamaru barks, still sitting inside Kiba's jacket, only his head visible.
"I'm happy that you're safe too Akamaru" Ashley adds, reaching out her hand to pet Akamaru as Kiba crouches down, his elbows resting on his knees.
He smiles to himself as Akamaru enjoys the pat, only to notice that Ashley has her eyes on him. Feeling a little nervous at the eye contact, Kiba looks away and runs a hand through his hair again.
Before he can say anything however, Kakashi steps forwards.
"Alright" the Jonin says. "Let's round everyone up and take those that need it, to the hospital."
"Some guys already took Shino away" Kiba informs Kakashi, rising to his feet. "Hinata was injured too, so Kurenai Sensei went with them."
"Come on" Sasuke says roughly, bumping Kiba out of the way as he reaches down and grabs on to one of Ashley's arms. "You need treatment."
"Hey" Kiba snaps, annoyed that he had been shoved by the cocky Uchiha.
"W-Wait Sasuke!" Ashley exclaims, flailing her free arm as she is pulled to her feet. "I can't-"
As soon as Sasuke pulls Ashley to her feet, she immediately falls forwards, unable to use her legs. Sasuke's eyes grow into white, round circles, as both he and Ashley crash to the ground, with Ashley's own eyes spinning dizzily.
"Sasuke you idiot!" Naruto barks. "Why do you think I was carrying Ashley-chan? She can't walk!"
"Alright!" Choji shouts, deciding to incite a little chaos by leaping up, his arms and legs splayed out like a starfish.
"What are you-"
Sasuke is cut off, as Choji lands on top of him and Ashley with a thud, the force of the hit causing both Genin to release choking noises.
"Dog pile on Sasuke!" Naruto announces excitedly, shoving Shikamaru forwards, before jumping up into the air himself.
Ino and Sakura watch on with horrified expressions as Shikamaru falls on top of Choji, before Naruto then lands a belly flop at the top of the pile. Barking eagerly, Akamaru pulls himself free from Kiba's jacket and bounds up the pile of writhing Genin, sitting proudly on Naruto's head.
He barks again, announcing his victory.
At the bottom of the pile, Ashley and Sasuke lie weakly, their faces gaunt as low gurgling sounds escape their mouths.
"Akamaru" Kiba admonishes, before a vein pulses on the side of his head. He grabs onto Shikamaru's leg and places one foot against Choji's torso, trying to rip the Nara off the pile.
"You idiots!" Kiba barks. "Get off!"
Under any other circumstances, Kiba absolutely knew that he would gladly join in on the dog pile, but seeing as an injured Ashley was at the bottom of it, he couldn't bring himself to do so.
"Sasuke-kun?" Ino asks hesitantly, poking at his shoulder with her foot. "I don't think he's breathing anymore......Choji! Shikamaru! Get off of Sasuke-kun right now!"
"Naruto" Sakura growls, cracking her knuckles as the blonde laughs like a maniac. "You're crushing Sasuke-kun and Ashley!"
Not too far away, Shimei and Kurai watch the pile of Genin with vastly different feelings. Shimei crunches on an apple, highly amused by the antics of the younger ones, while Kurai watches on with a serious expression.
They all seemed very comfortable with each other, and that was going to make things complicated.
"Oooo" Chi breathes out, eyes shining. "I wanna join in too!"
"No way kid" Jet advises, stepping on Chi's tail to hold him in place. "Lady Ashley is injured and besides....."
Here Jet casts a sidelong look at Ace, only to see the dark clouds floating around his head. The Wolf trembles violently, his eye laser-focused on the group of boys that are currently squashing his beloved partner.
"....If you add to that pile, I think Ace might kill you" Jet finishes.
Unable to pull herself free, Ashley turns her head, only to see Kurai watching silently.
"K-Kurai" the blonde begs, the sight of her friend having prompted an idea. "A little help?"
Obliging Ashley, Kurai steps forwards and takes a breath, before sweeping her arms in an upwards motion. Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji all cry out as they are suddenly hit with a blast of wind that sends then spiralling up into the air.
Kiba is able to snatch Akamaru out of the air and jumps back as the other three go flying overhead, before landing on the ground with a serious of thuds.
"I thought I was gonna die!" Ashley expresses hoarsely. Lying on her stomach, Ashley uses her arms to push her into somewhat of an upright position, only to see that she is lying horizontally across Sasuke.
Who looks furious.
"Uh...." Ashley laughs nervously, sweat dropping. "Are you alright Sasuke?"
Suddenly sitting up, Sasuke carefully rolls Ashley off of him, before climbing to his feet and stomping towards Naruto and Choji.
"C-C'mon Ashley-chan" Sakura says, reaching down for Ashley when she hears Choji and Naruto begin screaming in the background. "Let's just get you to the hospital, okay?"
"Okay" Ashley replies, deadpan, as the sound of Sasuke's Chidori screeches behind them.
"Did you have a good sleep Ashley?" the nurse asks brightly, stepping over to the window and drawing the curtains open, allowing sunlight to pour into the room.
Sitting with her back propped up against her pillows and her arms crossed, a pouting Ashley closes her eyes and turns her head away, the sudden light irritating her eyes.
"No" the blonde girl mutters stubbornly, something that causes the nurse to sigh.
"We've gone over this Ashley" the woman says patiently, walking over to Ashley's bed and smiling. "Sleeping will help you recover faster!"
"I feel fine" Ashley responds shortly, giving the nurse an annoyed look. "I don't need to sleep. Your Medics healed me and gave me chakra. I'm fine now."
"That may be the case" the nurse says tightly, struggling to maintain her smile, "But they also said that your body needs to rest and recover."
Trying not to lose her patience as Ashley gives her a deadpan expression, the nurse inwardly tries to remind herself that the girl had just experienced something horrible, not even two days ago.
Getting Ashley to the Medics had been quite the fight, and getting her to stay put in the hospital had been almost impossible. If it hadn't been for the appearance of the girl's Sensei, there was no way the nurses would have been able to get Ashley to remain here.
He had had the resort to threatening the girl to get her to give up.
She was uncompromising, argumentative and had given everyone a bad attitude the whole time she had been here. The girl was so stubborn that she was even refusing to sleep!
The nurse didn't think Ashley had slept at all since she'd arrived, even when she was so tired after losing nearly all of her chakra and being injured.
The woman had never met such an obstinate child in her life!
"I already told you guys" Ashley argues, sick of having to sit in the hospital and rot, when she felt fine. "I have insomnia. I can't sleep."
"We have ways of helping patients with their insomnia" the nurse reminds Ashley, reaching up to press her fingertips to her temple. "Our Medics can help you get some slee-"
"No!" Ashley is quick to shout, looking horrified at the offer. "No, I don't want them to help me sleep. I just want to leave."
The nurse pauses, confused by Ashley's utter rejection of the idea, the faint panic in the girl's eyes not escaping her notice.
".....I understand that you may not like hospitals" the nurse deduces in a soft voice, leaning down to straighten Ashley's blanket, "But I promise that we're just here to look after you. I won't argue about you sleeping anymore, but please, at least rest. I'll be back in a little bit."
Ashley turns her head, watching as the nurse smiles at her and walks out of the room, closing the sliding door behind her. The girl allows her shoulders to droop a little, eyes lowering to look at her hands.
".....That's not what I'm worried about" Ashley sighs quietly, briefly leaning her head back and closing her eyes.
It was true that Ashley was tired. She wanted to sleep. But considering how she had lost control of Hakuba only two days ago, Ashley was far too scared to even attempt a light nap.
She didn't want to risk letting Hakuba out again. He hadn't managed to hurt any of her friends this time, but who knew what he would do if given the opportunity again?
"I wonder how Kiyu is doing......" Ashley murmurs, opening her eyes.
Ashley hadn't been able to see her sister before she was dragged in to see the Medics, and she hadn't been able to see Kiyumi afterwards either. She had been assured by many of the medical staff that her sister was doing well, and Kiyumi was now apparently in a deep sleep as her body recovered.
It didn't matter if Kiyumi was asleep. Ashley just wanted to see her little sister to confirm with her own eyes that she was okay.
Deciding that she will go and see Kiyumi, Ashley flings her blanket back and swings her feet down to the floor. Despite having not been able to walk two days ago, Ashley knew that her legs were alright now, seeing as she had tried to escape a few times already.
Her body didn't ache anymore thanks to the Medics sharing their chakra with her, and the girl's skin was no longer stinging thanks to their healing abilities. While Ashley didn't want to be a Medic herself, their skills had impressed her. Without them, Ashley and her friends would have been in a very difficult situation.
Locating her clothes and throwing off her hospital gown, Ashley quickly dresses herself, before slowly and cautiously opening the sliding door. Poking her head out of the room, Ashley glances up and down the small hallway to make sure that no nurses are around.
Satisfied that she won't be caught, Ashley darts into the hallway and begins peering into rooms, looking for Kiyumi. It doesn't take long for Ashley to find her, seeing as the hospital is so small.
Peering into the room, Ashley sees her sister lying in a bed, sound asleep. Keilor sleeps along the nook under the window sill, curled in a ball and snoring quietly.
Stepping into the room, Ashley quietly closes the door behind her and approaches her sister. The sound of the door closing causes Keilor's ears to flick up, before he lifts his head and opens his eyes, blinking a few times to focus them.
"Ashley?" he asks sleepily, his dopey face causing the girl to giggle quietly.
She pauses next to Kiyumi's bed, looking over at the Wolf.
"Hi Keilor" Ashley whispers, not wanting to disturb Kiyumi's sleep.
Her eyes half lidded, Ashley tilts her head down, watching as Kiyumi's chest rises and falls slowly. Smiling to herself, Ashley reaches out and places the back of her hand against Kiyumi's cheek, relieved to see that she feels nice and warm. She then turns her hand over, gently brushing some of Kiyumi's hair back from her forehead.
"How is she?" Ashley asks, glancing up as Keilor jumps down from the window sill.
"She's doing really well" the Wolf answers, resting his two front paws up on the bed, before laying his chin on them. "........I was like, really scared when Kiyu got hit. I totally thought she died......"
"Me too" Ashley replies, her smile fading at the memory of her sister crumpling to the ground, covered in blood. "Me too......"
Seeing the hand on Kiyumi's head tense up, Keilor raises his eyes, only to see Ashley's brows furrowed and her eyes wavering as she watches her sister sleep.
"....Kiyu is alright now" Keilor assures the girl, his tail wagging slightly.
".....I know" is all Ashley says, briefly closing her eyes as she pulls her hand back from Kiyumi's hair.
Keilor tilts his head slightly, watching as Ashley reopens her eyes and stares down at Kiyumi, her brows knitted together. He sees the troubled look in the girl's eyes, almost as if she feels guilty about something.
Sliding his paws down off of the bed, Keilor trots over to Ashley and gently nudges her hand so that it is resting on top of his head. The blonde glances down, only to vaguely smile when she sees Keilor's tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth, one ear sticking up and the other folded down.
"You don't like, need to feel guilty about what happened you know" Keilor advises cheerfully. "You're not the one who like, caused all this. It was that evil guy."
"......I know, but...." Ashley trails off for a few moments, before sighing heavily. "I'm her big sister. I should've protected her better. She shouldn't have gotten hurt."
Keilor blinks at this, eyes flicking over to Kiyumi.
".....I'm her Guardian" the Wolf points out quietly, suddenly sounding serious. "I didn't protect her from this either."
"This isn't your fault Keilor" Ashley is quick to argue, only to pause at the pointed look now being directed her way.
"In the same way that this isn't your fault either" Keilor states, ducking his head from under Ashley's hand and walking over to Kiyumi's bed again. He stands up on his hind legs, front paws resting on the mattress, before leaning his head down and resting his cheek on Kiyumi's arm.
"We both feel guilty" Keilor continues, eyes closing and his tail slowly wagging, "But Kiyu-chan won't see it the same way we do. For now, we should just be happy that she'd recovering and that we'll get to talk to her again soon."
Still feeling doubtful, Ashley chooses to say nothing. While it was true that she was relieved her sister would be alright, Ashley had always been protective of Kiyumi. She would always feel guilty if Kiyumi got hurt.
After thinking that Kiyumi was dead all this time, and to reunite with her, only to see her get wounded so seriously......It had felt like a nightmare. It didn't matter what anyone said, Ashley was going to continue feeling guilty about it.
"Ley-chan" Keilor speaks up, interrupting Ashley's train of thought. "......I've never seen Kiyu as happy as she was when she found out that you were alive. She's been living with a lot of pain in her heart since she thought you died back then.........She'd be very sad if she knew that she was causing you any pain right now."
Ashley feels a pang in her chest at this, her eyes wavering again, before she lets out a short laugh and shakes her head.
"I guess we're all just feeling guilty about each other" Ashley says, smiling ruefully and turning around to face the door. "......I'll come and see Kiyu again soon."
Not wanting to get too emotional, Ashley exits her sister's hospital room and quietly closes the door, leaving Keilor to snuggle with her.
She leans her back against the door and lets out a low breath, eyes downcast. She was relieved that Kiyumi was doing well and would recover from her injuries. She appreciated that Keilor had tried to comfort her as well, though it didn't do much to ease Ashley's conscience.
Pushing away from the door, Ashley begins slowly walking back towards her own room, lost in thought.
The Minami had always had a soft spot for her little sister and saw herself as the one who needed to protect the more timid girl. As children, Ashley would feel bad if Kiyumi only fell over and scraped her knee, so to see her sister fall to an injury as horrific as the one she had received......
Pausing mid step, Ashley finds herself looking into a room with the door slightly ajar. Through the small gap, Ashley can see Shino lying in a bed, seemingly asleep.
Remembering how the Aburame had protected her during the fighting, Ashley decides to open the door and step inside the room, to see how Shino is doing. Kiba had mentioned that he had been injured, but to what extent, Ashley hadn't known.
The blonde walks over to Shino's bed, only to see a chair pulled up next to it. Her eyes dart around as she inspects the sleeping boy, trying to figure out what his injuries are.
He has a bandage tied around his forehead and his shoulder, but Ashley is unable to see anything else, due to the blanket being pulled up past Shino's chest.
The girl sits down in the chair beside Shino's bed, watching him through half lidded eyes.
She hadn't known Shino very well at all, having had very little interaction with him, and yet he had stepped in to defend her during a very dangerous fight. She hadn't asked him to, but she had appreciated it immensely, nonetheless.
Shino was apparently much kinder than Ashley had expected.
"Angel?" a voice suddenly asks, causing Ashley to turn her head.
She blinks at the sight of a surprised looking Kiba standing in the doorway, Akamaru dangling from his shoulder.
"Arf!" the puppy greets, his tail wagging speedily.
"Hi......" Ashley smiles self-consciously, feeling a little embarrassed that she'd been caught visiting Shino.
"Hi" Kiba responds, closing the door behind him and walking over to Shino's bedside. "No no, you can keep the seat. I can stand."
Ashley pauses, having been mid-way through standing up to offer Kiba the seat beside his teammate's bed. At Kiba's protests, she drops herself back down into the chair, sweat dropping.
She didn't really know why she felt so awkward at having Kiba walk in on her visiting Shino, but she just did.
"So I take it you're feeling better then?" Kiba inquires, placing his hands in his pockets and crouching down so that he won't have to look down at Ashley as he talks. "You were pretty banged up last time I saw you."
Ashley smiles as Akamaru jumps from Kiba's shoulders, into her lap. He stomps around in a circle, before curling up in a comfy ball.
"Yeah I'm alright" Ashley confirms, stroking Akamaru's fur. "They healed my injuries and gave me chakra, so I'm feeling a lot better."
"Good" Kiba grins, his sharp teeth showing. "No one was allowed to visit you so we couldn't see how you were going."
"No one could visit me?" Ashley questions, looking over to the Inuzuka with one eyebrow raised. "Why?"
"Kakashi Sensei said you needed sleep" Kiba replies, a question mark appearing above his head as Ashley rolls her eyes and scoffs. "What?"
"Kakashi Sensei is so annoying" she mutters. "He knows I don't sleep. He was probably just punishing me for......well, I heard the nurses say that I was being difficult."
"......You don't sleep?" Kiba repeats slowly. "Why not?"
"I have insomnia" Ashley repeats automatically, looking away from Kiba.
"Really?" Kiba asks, looking thoughtful. "You seemed to sleep just fine with me in that tree a few nights ago."
Ashley's face immediately flushes bright pink at this, the girl turning her head around to face the wall so that Kiba won't be able to see.
Why did he have to bring that up?
"Y-Yeah" Ashley stutters, unsure of how to explain that. "Th-That was unusual f-for me. I don't normally sleep......"
Kiba tilts his head at this, watching Ashley. She had turned her head away from him, but Kiba could still partially see her face and it seemed to be pink. Why did she suddenly sound so nervous?
Smiling to himself in amusement at Ashley's cute behaviour, Kiba recalls something that he had been meaning to tell her. He just hadn't been able to due to her being secluded in her hospital room.
"You know what was really cool?" Kiba asks mysteriously, watching as Ashley peeks at him from the corner of his eye. "When you did the Fang Over Fang with me."
"......Cool?" Ashley asks dubiously. Had Kiba forgotten the part where Ashley had been flung out of the spin?
"Yeah!" Kiba confirms enthusiastically, his eyes shining. "It's cool that someone not from my Clan can do it! I didn't think I'd ever get to teach it to anyone."
Ashley can't help the soft smile that crosses her face at the happiness reflected in Kiba's. While she wasn't particularly good at the Fang Over Fang, it was still cute that he was so happy to share his Clan's Jutsu with her.
"I'll have to keep practising" Ashley comments. "So I don't get thrown out of the spin again."
"You'll get it in no time" Kiba says confidently, waving one hand in a dismissive fashion. "It was just cool to be able to do it with someone else. I've never done the Fang Over Fang with another person before."
"You haven't?" Ashley asks, curious.
"Nah" the Inuzuka says, shaking his head. "It's always just been me and Akamaru. My Ma and my sister taught it to me, but they always did it with their partners."
"You have a sister?" Ashley inquires, genuinely surprised. Kiba had never mentioned that before.
"Yeah, an older one" Kiba confirms, nodding. "Her name's Hana. She mostly works as a vet now days, but she always used to take care of me when my Ma was on missions."
Ashley looks up, trying to imagine what Kiba's sister could possibly be like. Was she just like Tsume, except smaller? Or like Kiba, only taller?
Seeing the look on Ashley's face, Kiba begins to laugh.
"Don't worry" he chuckles, "Hana's nothing like my Ma. She's way nicer."
"That's a relief" Ashley says, sweat dropping. Kiba laughs again, nodding his head in agreement.
"I'll introduce you to her one day" Kiba promises. "You'll like her a lot. She trains with me all the time."
"Okay" Ashley replies, a closed eye smile on her face. "I look forward to meeting her."
Kiba ducks his head at this, looking away and rubbing at the back of his neck. It always made his heart beat faster when Ashley did stuff like that.
Whenever she was kind to Akamaru, whenever she showed interest in his Clan's abilities, and now she wanted to meet Hana......
Kiba knew that Hana would like Ashley too. Hana was kind and more mellow than Kiba or his Mother, but she was strong and fought like a true Inuzuka when she had to. He just knew that Ashley and Hana would get along.
"Hey......" Ashley says softly, a thought having occurred to her. "Did you get your wound looked at?"
"My wound?" Kiba repeats, tilting his head to the side. "As in, singular? Which wound are we talking about?"
"Well, all of them I guess" Ashley mutters, the memory of sleeping in a tree with Kiba having reminded her of something. "But I meant the one that I tried to heal......You know, the one that you almost died from?"
"Oh, that one" Kiba realises, clicking his fingers, before patting his side and smiling at Ashley in a carefree way. "Yeah, I got it looked at. They said whoever healed it did a good job coz they only had to fix it a little bit. I'm as good as new!"
"I'm glad" Ashley sighs, sounding relieved, as she leans back in her chair a bit and looks up at the ceiling. "............I only have a basic knowledge of healing Jutsu, so I was worried about your injury."
Kiba watches Ashley for a few moments, the two Genin falling into comfortable silence, before he smiles to himself. Maybe it was silly, but it made him feel happy that Ashley had worried about him, even if it was only a little bit.
"Hey...." Kiba asks slowly, eyes drifting over to Shino. "How come you're in here anyway? I only stepped outside for a minute to let Akamaru go to the bathroom."
"......I snuck out of my room to visit my sister" Ashley answers, looking back over at the still sleeping Shino, "And I happened to walk past Shino's room. I thought I'd come and see how he's going, seeing as he protected me during that fight."
"He protected you?" Kiba repeats, blinking in surprise. "I didn't know that."
"Yeah, I dunno why he did it" Ashley sighs. "But I owe him big time."
Kiba stares at his sleeping teammate in thought for a few moments, before smirking to himself and shaking his head. He'd have to thank Shino once he woke up.
"Shino's weird sometimes" Kiba comments, looking somewhat amused as he glances up at Ashley, "But he's a good guy. You can always rely on him."
Here, Ashley gives Kiba a strange look. It was very unusual to hear him speak about his teammates in an affectionate way. Ashley wouldn't have expected that from him.
Seeing the look on Ashley's face, Kiba deadpans.
"Don't tell him I said that" the Inuzuka demands. "I'll never hear the end of it if you do."
Ashley giggles at this, something that immediately causes Kiba's face to brighten.
Hearing the door to Shino's room quietly slide open, Ashley straightens up in her seat, a panicked look on her face. Kiba also turns around, rising to his feet when he sees Hinata walking through the door.
"Hey Hinata" the boy greets, grinning at his teammate.
"Ah, good morning Kiba-kun" Hinata responds, before blinking when she notices Ashley. "Oh! And Ashley-chan."
"Good morning" Ashley sighs heavily, slumping back down in her chair with one hand over her heart. "Sorry Hinata, I thought you were one of the nurses coming to drag me back to my room again..."
"A-Again?" Hinata repeats, wondering what exactly Ashley meant by that. The girl knew better than to ask though.
"You here to check on Shino?" Kiba prompts, to which Hinata nods.
"Yes" she confirms. "I wanted to see if he was awake yet."
"Nah, he's not awake" Kiba states, looking over to Shino and placing one hand on his hip. "He seems to be breathing easier now though. It was a lot worse last time."
"What a relief" Hinata smiles, stepping over to Shino's bedside and looking down at him.
"What happened to him?" Ashley asks.
"We don't know exactly what happened" Kiba explains, "But he must have gotten hit hard. I only noticed because he hit the ground right next to me."
"Shino-kun's ribs were broken, and his shoulder" Hinata adds, sadness in her usually kind eyes. "He had a lot of internal bleeding."
"Shino's not really good at fighting up close" Kiba says, frowning to himself, "So some guy must've gotten close and hit him with some strong Taijutsu......We'd only just started training with him to overcome that."
"......He mentioned that to me too" Ashley recalls, tapping her chin. "We were talking about how we're both not very good at fighting at close range."
"You should join us when we train then" Kiba offers seriously, only to smirk. "Me and Hinata are the best when it comes to Taijutsu, so we can help with that."
"I-If it will help keep you from getting injured like this" Hinata adds shyly, gesturing to Shino, "I'll gladly help Ashley-chan."
Feeling grateful that Hinata would want to help her, Ashley opens her mouth to respond, only to pause at the smug look on Kiba's face.
"......What?" she asks flatly.
"Nothin" Kiba smirks, shrugging one shoulder. "It's just that, this'll be the second time you'll be coming to me for some training."
A large vein pulsing on the side of her head, Ashley scoops Akamaru up under one arm and jumps to her feet, using her free hand to hold a fist right under Kiba's chin.
"I could knock you flat on your back right now if I wanted to" she threatens, much to Kiba's amusement. "Once we get back home, you're dead."
"I look forward to it" Kiba says smartly, purposefully irritating Ashley further.
He knew she wasn't actually mad at him, she just had a sense of pride that was easy to provoke and while Kiba did enjoy Ashley's company, he also enjoyed annoying her.
"Listen up Mutt-"
"Do you guys wanna go eat?" Kiba asks, interrupting Ashley's warning.
The blonde girl blinks in surprise, lowering her fist and quirking one eyebrow at Kiba's sudden question.
"What?" she asks.
"Do you guys wanna go and get some food?" Kiba inquires again, this time looking to Hinata. "I'm starving."
"Um, sure" Hinata agrees, nodding her head and lowering her eyes. "What about you Ashley-chan?"
Kiba and Hinata look to Ashley, only to see the blonde regarding them with large, shining eyes. Kiba grins again. He knew Ashley would be eager to eat. She always was.
"Food?" Ashley repeats hopefully.
"Arf!" Akamaru concludes, still dangling under Ashley's arm, his tail wagging happily.
"That settles it then" Kiba laughs, pointing at the door. "Lets eat!"
"Uh......" Ashley trails off, hesitating as Kiba marches past her. "I think I'm gonna use the window."
"What?" Kiba asks incredulously. "Why?"
"Well, I'm not even supposed to be out of my room right now" Ashley laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "If those nurses catch me trying to leave, I'm gonna get in huge trouble."
"Since when do you care about getting into trouble?" Kiba scoffs.
"I don't" Ashley argues, only for her shoulders to droop. "I just don't wanna have to sit through another lecture from Kakashi Sensei. He makes them painfully boring on purpose, I swear......"
That said, Ashley gently places Akamaru down on the floor and steps over to the window, unlatching it and lifting it open.
"You guys are welcome to use the door" the blonde says mischievously. "I'll meet you outside."
With that, Ashley climbs onto the windowsill and leaps outside, disappearing from view as she falls. Kiba breaks into a grin and scoops Akamaru up into his arms, before approaching the window and turning around, his back leaning against the frame.
"C'mon Hinata, let's go" the Inuzuka urges.
"B-But Kiba-kun" Hinata protests, wringing her hands. "This is a hospital, we can't-"
"Ah c'mon" Kiba teases. "Live a little."
Hinata's eyes widen as the laughing boy falls backwards out of the window. Looking between the window and the door a few times, uncertain, Hinata heaves a deep sigh of defeat and trudges over to the open window.
"Please wake up soon Shino-kun" the Hyuga requests quietly, before jumping down from the window as well.