The was a beeping throb in the back of her head, piercing and intrusive, and the hazy veil of sleep and darkness was torn from her eyes. Her vision snapped back into place as her ruby orbs opened to the light, and all she saw was white. White walls; white floors; white bandaging cocooning the broken wrist confined tight to her chest. Shimada's brain processed the information sluggishly, and the beeping in her ears, she realized, was from the machinery leaking fluids into her arm and monitoring vitals. The drone of noise slower than usual. The Hattori could not recall the events leading up to her installment into the hospital, and knitted her slender eyebrows together in a desperate effort to wrack her memories for those scenes.

But there was something there, a glint of muted images fluttering by like fireflies, she could dutifully trace. Running through the swamp, a wetness seeping into her back; the sight of the village swinging into her fading view; and her knees buckling as she finally collapsed from physical exhaustion in front of the large Kirigakure gates. And then there was nothing. It was a blank patch in her recollections, but... where was Nayoko? How long had she been unconscious?

Her mind reeled at the thought of the dark haired man who had been severely injured, and the sharp beep in the background only grew in pace. Had she been too late? The young woman would never forgive herself for being the cause of his untimely demise, and what crackled through her chest was a mix of violent emotions as she started to vainly push herself up into a seated position. It was a mistake. As soon as she got herself righted, Shimada took in a breath of air that smelled of antiseptics and cleaning agents, and her rib cage lit up with an explosive pain.

"D-Dammit...!" It was the only word Shimada could get past the ache, the dryness tasting of blood in the back of her throat; her body crumpling back into the hospital bed she rested on. The beeping spiked in its tempo, and in her frustration towards her physical weakness, she tore at the IV in her arm and yanked it from its nestled point; a bead of crimson rolling down anemic colored skin. When she was free of the needle and the nauseating beeping that came with it, she only increased her attempts at movement; every failed motion leaving her more exhausted than the last. But she had to see him. To make sure he wasn't six feet under and Shimada was, yet again, burdened with the blood of death on her palms. It was into her fourth try when a medic walked in, gowned in garbs that bore traces of soap, did she cease her struggles.

From the disheartened look on her face, the Hattori knew her actions were disgraceful, but she made no point of retrieving the needle dripping fluid onto the floor and pliantly started up a conversation with the woman. From what she garnered, Shimada was in for blunt trauma and had yet to be checked on by a medic for proper healing, details flying over her head until she broached the woman on the topic that had been clawing at her chest since consciousness.

"The man I was with... Where is he?" Her words came out quiet, but impatient from a sense of urgency, and she paused with bated breath as the woman seemed to mull over the inquiry. It was too quiet for too long, and Shimada almost feared the worst when the woman stopped in the middle of applying gauze to the bleeding needle wound in her arm to look aimlessly at the white walls. But the medic's head bobbed once,  ensuring the Hattori a wave of relief.

"I believe I remember him. Both of you, in fact, when you arrived here." The woman muttered as she bandaged up the needle cut. "Bad condition he was in, but I believe he should be stabilized now."

"Can you tell me where he is?" Shimada asked quickly, keeping the desperation out of her voice with perfected apathy as the nurse stared her down. One blonde eyebrow raised in an immaculate arch of curiosity. The young kunoichi stood her ground under the questioning gaze, excuses laying readily available on her tongue as the nurse uttered the words she knew would determine her acceptance or not.

"Due to privacy concerns, I'll have to ask you about your history with the patient. As such, what is your relationship with Nozara-san?"

Shimada could not help the weak smirk that gripped her thin lips. It was a running joke between her and Nayoko, at least in her mind, and she recalled the previous conversations that shared similar themes. It was too good of a lie to not use, judging by how they had managed to fool the receptionist at the hotel they had been staying at, and though, this time, it was of more severity, the faint smirk remained. Barely hanging on the edge of her mouth. Let it cause panic when she found him and her name was marked down onto his hospital records in such a personal yet dishonest ploy.

"I'm his wife."

And despite the pain in her chest, the throb in her wrist, reality felt just a little easier to handle.

Everything hurt.

There was not an inch of the young Hattori’s body that was not screaming out in protest to the movements he was making as he slowly came to consciousness. He was in that state in between waking and sleeping where he could see his surroundings and feel everything that was making contact with his body, but nothing made sense through the pain that was sweeping through him. He blinked repeatedly, trying to make the white that permeated all of his vision leave him, but try as he might, the white remained. He then tried to raise a hand to rub his eyes, but his left arm would not respond. The shock of the realization that he could not move his arm pumped him full of adrenaline, causing him to sit up straight in the hospital bed that he was in.


The rapid movement was met with instant regret as his entire ribcage screamed in pain owing to the multiple broken ribs that he had sustained when he had collided with the tree. And with that thought, memories of the entire ordeal that brought him to his current place flashed through his mind. He had been in the Swamp of Sorrow to meet with Tano Koyanagi, a man who had summoned him for some sort of test. As it turned out, it was less of a test and more of a revelation. He revealed Nayoko’s family heritage and asked him to join up with him and his band of renegade ninja. Of course, when Nayoko had denied him he had lashed out with powerful jutsu that Nayoko had not been ready for. But the worst part was not that he had attacked, but that he had attack Shimada…

SHIMADA!

Alarm bells went crazy in the twenty two year old’s mind even louder than before, his vision finally clearing so that he could take in his surroundings out of sheer panic. His left arm was in a cast and completely immobilized against his chest, and his right leg was also in a cast, leaving him very little options for movement. His head shook back and forth as he tired to find a way out of his new prison in the hospital, and in that moment, he was reminded about how much he hated these places. With the white light beating down on him from above and the taste of antiseptic in the air, he had to force himself to not let his mind wander to the vision of his mother that he had experienced only a few days earlier in the grips of the Dream of the Butterfly Sage School. With his nightmares mixing together in one melting pot of despair, Nayoko could only think of one thing to do.

“Nurse? Hello? Somebody! I need help!” His shouts were pathetic, and each word that he pushed from his mouth was protested by the ache in his chest, but he did not care. Above anything else, he needed to know that Shimada had made it out alive. Judging by his arrival at the Kirigakure General Hospital, Shimada must have carried him out of the swamp after he had passed out, which meant that either she killed Tano, which Nayoko found unlikely, or he had let her leave. In his panic, he could not fathom why he would have allowed that, but his motives were irrelevant for the time being. Shimada would have been exhausted after the fight, and carrying Nayoko out might have been enough to kill the girl, considering the fatigue that Nayoko was used to seeing in her. But that could not be true. If it was, Nayoko thought he himself may die.

It was not long before a nurse burst through the door, her long black hair flowing over her shoulders and a worried expression spread onto her face. “What is it? What happened?” Nayoko did not let the urgency fall from his voice as he sternly looked at the woman. “When I arrived, there would have been a woman with me. She has long red hair and eyes to match. She would have been favouring one of her arms if I recall correctly. You need to tell me where she is right now.” The woman’s shoulders fell forward as she let out a tense breath in the form a sigh before shaking her head. “You really shouldn’t do that you know. I almost put half of the hospital on alert thanks to the condition you were in when you arrived.” She crossed her arms and looked at him with a disappointed look on her face having replaced the worried one from moments earlier. “Honestly, you’re almost as bad as she was when she woke up. She’s your wife, right?”

And with those words, Nayoko felt an enormous weight lift from his body, like the burden of the world had left him. She was alright. If she was in a good enough place to being up the ridiculous cover that had landed then the honeymoon suite at their hospital, then she must be alive and well. Nayoko used his one good arm to wipe the tears that began to form in the corners of his eyes before replying. “Yes, yes she is. Please, I need to see her. And you bring me to her?” With her hands on her hips the nurse huffed as she spun on her heel. “You aren’t going anywhere sir. But I’ll bring her over here if she isn’t still resting.” As she stepped to the door she glanced over her shoulder, a softness entering her eyes once again. “You know she carried you all the way from wherever you guys were. You owe her you life, so make sure you let her know how thankful you are.”

As the turned and left the room to go get his friend, Nayoko smiled and whispered to himself. “I will, don’t worry. I will.”

WC:999

Pale fingers tapping against a knee, Shimada's skin had taken on a nervous pallor in her wait for the nurse to return; the same one she had sent off to retrieve the room number belonging to the man she desperately needed to ensure was safe. Her ruby orbs, rimmed red from exhaustion and strain, were fixated onto the reflective floor. Refusing to tear away from one specific polished spot even when heat prickled behind her eyes and a breath of air hitched painfully in her aching chest.

She wasn't supposed to be sitting up, the fire drumming against her rib cage a response to those actions, but the young woman did not care and rested at the edge of the hospital bed anyway. The Hattori had to show she could stand and walk without assistance, and if it meant putting herself through stress, so be it. Nayoko meant more than her own body's physical weakness. She paused in that position, and idled away the suffocating minutes by toying with strands of crimson hair with her good hand. It felt matted and tangled against her calloused fingers.

Her attention was not consumed for very long as the black haired nurse reappeared in the doorway, and her eyes snapped up from the floor. Shimada's posture turned sharp - guarded - as she regarded the woman with quiet curiosity. The voice she used was tired yet hopeful. "Did you find him?"

"Yes, and surprisingly enough, he was conscious. He asked for you, but since he cannot move in his condition, I will have to bring you to him." The older woman paused for a moment and looked Shimada up and down before continuing; a hint of concern rising in her tone. "Can you stand, ma'am?"

'Not entirely.' The Hattori wanted to confess truthfully, but in an act of stubborn independence, she nodded her head once and steeled her nerves for the pain that would come. "Yes." And with the monosyllabic reply sealing her fate, the young woman shifted her weight to her legs, and, sucking in a weak breath, willed herself to stand. Just as she had expected, the dizzying hot pain racing up her insides was not an unfamiliar sensation, but one she almost welcomed like a disloyal lover; grudgingly and with frustrated hesitation as the throb increased in tempo and nearly left her breathless with discomfort. Her lungs, sick from cigarettes, shuddered with every shallow breath consumed.

But she was not complaining, and hid her true expressions of pain behind a carefully constructed mask of pale apathy.

"Ma'am, are you sure you can-"

"Y-Yes, please, I just..." Shimada sighed bitterly between her teeth. "I just need to see him; my, ah, my husband right away, please..." The crimson haired woman felt a flush of embarrassment creep somewhere into her chest as what was almost like a desperate plea left her lips, but there was no time to reprimand herself over her pathetic behavior; the flicker of humility boiling out of her blood as soon as the nurse hesitantly approved and slowly proceeded to lead her out of the recovery room.

The pace was sluggish at best but not unwanted. Any faster would have been too taxing on Shimada, and she was grateful the medic kept a hand placed between her shoulder blades to subtly support her progress. Though the walk was not long in distance, it felt like an eternity to the woman, and by the time they were nearing Nayoko's designated room, the free hand limp at her side trembled ever so slightly against her leg. Every breath she took of the antiseptic filled air was through gritted teeth, and the torrent of thoughts that buzzed angrily against her skull tormented her. It was her fault. All her fault. The guilt rising thick in her dry throat just another fact to cement the remorse. If she had been faster, Nayoko would not have been hurt or even nearly killed in front of her eyes, and for a moment, she does not want to see him.

Does not think she deserves to see him.

It was on her own responsibility Tano Koyanagi dealt an almost lethal blow, and Shimada, barely stamping down an overwhelming insecurity, concluded it should have been her. It should have been her with more broken bones and an inability to move. 'What right do I have to even look at him? I almost got him killed, and yet... I still want to see him. To view that smile one more time; that warm personality that accepted me, broken and flawed as I am. Who even stepped in to protect me...' The exhausted kunoichi reflected silently, and would have continued on her downfall of nihilistic musings if the nurse had not torn her from her thoughts by pressing softly onto her shoulder.

She pointed deliberately at a closed door. "He is in there, ma'am. Now, I know you'll probably be relieved to see him again, but, please, be careful. His body has been through a lot of strain, so it is best not to excite him as well. The woman slowly moved to open the door for her as she spoke, and gestured for Shimada to step inside. "I'll give you some alone time now, but will be back later to check up on him and perhaps you yourself as well. I don't want you pushing yourself just because you're fit to stand." The woman added carefully before whisking herself off down the hall, leaving Shimada to stand on the borderline of the threshold. She did not bother to reply to the medic's concern, and merely stared at her retreating back.

'If you only knew the half of it.'

The young woman turned her attention to the room that greeted her, the same white walls and floors, and eased out a heavy sigh that wracked her ribs with pain. As soon as she broached that last step, he would be there; right in front of her. Alive and breathing. Despite the lingering desire to simply abandon the idea of seeing him altogether, to give in to the guilt circulating through her veins, the urge to assuage whatever unease she still felt was stronger, and Shimada pushed herself into the room. Concealing her desperation behind the empathetic face she was so good at hiding behind. It did well to mask the worry flickering through the depths of her ruby eyes, and the Hattori was even more grateful that it did not shatter as Nayoko came into view. His left arm and right leg in casts, and generally looking the worse for wear.

The woman felt sick.

She wanted to approach him - place a hand over his heart and feel the steady pulse to reassure herself it was not an hallucination brought on by her exhaustion but was, instead, reality - but held herself back. Nagging insecurity bit at the back of her mind, and she merely sagged against the doorway in both relief and pain. It put pressure off the ribs; even granting her a moment to speak.

Though she didn't trust her voice, knowing it would most likely come out weak and cracking, Shimada could not help the word that slipped past her lips. Choked from the sob she barely managed to disguise.

"Nayoko..."

The nurse had been gone for an uncomfortable amount of time, and Nayoko was beginning to think that she had forgotten about his request. For a moment, the young Hattori man debated calling out in fake anguish again, hoping that with the second attempt Shimada would be brought to him. But as it turned out, he did not have to. As he glanced down at the sheets under him, his hand gripping it tightly to the point where his knuckles were the same shade as the walls surrounding him, he heard a sound. It was a simple sound that he had heard a thousand times before, back when his mother had been in a hospital like this one back in Konohagakure no Sato. It was the sound of a footstep on the hospital room floor.

His head shot up from its leaning position as he turned pointedly toward the door, where he saw a sight that caused him to almost cry tears of joy. There, leaning in the doorway to his hospital room, was the beautiful, crimson haired, ruby eyed woman who had travelled across the world with him just to help him fight off demons that he did not understand. She was the woman who had stood in the face of a rogue ninja who only wanted to hurt him. But above all else, she was the woman that had saved his life in the Swamp of Sorrow. And as she stood there, sagging against the doorway, Nayoko wasn’t sure what to say. What could he say? What words could he possible put together to make what had happened to her alright? Her broken wrist was bad enough, but the emotional distress she must have gone through was more that Nayoko could ever make up for with words.

And so, he was silent for a moment, until the silence between them was broken by the cracking, sobbing voice of Shimada. “Nayoko…” It hit him like a ton of bricks. He let out a sob that he tried to disguise as a cough, but he was no where near as good at that as his friend in the doorway. The words still wouldn’t come to him, and so for a moment, he just waited in silence. Finally, he shook his head and looked up at her, a weak smile on his face and tears in his eyes. “So tell me Shimada….how is it that every time we’re in hospitals, I end up crying?” He chuckled through the tears, trying to prevent the sobs from escaping as he kept trying to form words, but ended up chocking back unintelligible words. “I’m just…I’m just happy that you made it!” And he meant it. Even if Nayoko had been worse off, even if he had died out in the Swamp of Sorrow, he was happy that Shimada had made it out. She needed to live. She needed to return home to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She needed to be there for when her Aunt woke up from her coma. She had to grow into the powerful kunoichi that Nayoko knew that she could become.

Sure, Nayoko still had a family back home, but his father and sister had each other. But Shimada only had her aunt, and her aunt only had her. Nayoko chose to believe that someday she would wake up, and Shimada had to be there for her. She had to. So seeing her there now was all that Nayoko needed to see before he collapsed back in his hospital bed. The tension that he had held since waking up finally vacated his body , and he allowed himself to just smile for the first time since they left the honeymoon suite to chase down Tano Koyanagi. And so in that state of relief and joy, all he could do was smile to her. Then, Nayoko slowly raided his one good arm, motioning with it to beckon her to come to him so that he could hold her. With tears still in his eyes, he managed a wink and a smirk when he finished his line.

“Now what are you still doing in the doorway? Come here, miss newlywed.”

WC:706+999=1705

Shimada felt her breath hitch in her throat when Nayoko looked at her, and the utter relief that washed over her was indescribable. They were alive; both of them safe within the confines of the hospital and staring across a sea of white at each other's conditions. The older male with his broken limbs, and she with her bound wrist. But through the regret that welled up within her chest, an unfamiliar joy sparked violently. His dark hair was messy in an endearing sort of way, and the warm, friendly light of brown eyes the color of melted chocolate bore both happiness and a telltale sign of tears.

He was crying. The strong man in front of her was sobbing, and the Hattori was unsure if it was from the same joy that thrummed against her or as a release from all the tension that had occurred within the past; the distress that had gripped both of them within the moments of battle and there at the hospital. Shimada, however, remained leaning up against the doorway as she observed him with care. Focused on listening to the words that could not quite emerge as coherent sentences from his lips. In an effort to assure him, the woman merely put on a faint smile, and allowed just a little piece of her apathy to slip away from her pallid face. It would do no good to remain guarded in a situation that both required comfort and reassurance, and she continued to stare in silence until Nayoko finally found his voice.

“So tell me Shimada….how is it that every time we’re in hospitals, I end up crying?” His chuckle was a welcoming sound to her ears, and Shimada could not help the quiet one that escaped from her dry throat. It was amusing in the fact it was an honest expression, but she did not voice her truthful opinion on the matter, and went against the bluntness of her personality for just a time; striving to keep the upbeat emotions in full swing. It was better than addressing the gravity of the previous events right away.

"I don't know Nayoko, but maybe you've got a soft spot deep down for wounded women." The Hattori teased lightly, and though her words bordered on an implication about the tragedy of the females in their lives, she hoped it was taken in stride; meant to be joking, and nothing more. She quieted down to hear his next words, but kept the faint smirk on her face.

“I’m just…I’m just happy that you made it!” Nayoko's words were sincere, evident in the emotion in his exposed tone, and Shimada merely nodded her head in response. Stamping down the exhaustion that was slowly claiming its hold over her as she remained in her leaning position. The woman hesitated to answer him after that, taking the moment to devise a clever response.

She couldn't tell him that it had been difficult; that she nearly collapsed multiple times from the strain on her way back to the village. That she, perhaps, could have caused both their deaths if her mindset had not pushed her to the edge of what her body could handle. But even if she had bore the weight of that stress, panicked and distraught, Shimada would have done it again. Physical or emotional injuries aside. So, widening her faint smile with a curl of her upper lip, the young woman squared out her sore shoulders and put on an air of acceptance. "Yeah, me too... I mean, I got to see you smiling again, but for a moment back there, I-" The Hattori cut herself off and shook her head, shaking tousled strands of bloody red hair away from her eyes. She didn't hide the prickle of tears this time. "I'm just glad you made it. I was... no, I am relieved to see you again. Happy, even." The woman confessed with a hint of embarrassment speckling her cheeks. It was not like her to so openly display her emotions, but today, something in her didn't want it to matter, and the apathy worn so well was slowly cracking away with every moment that passed between them.

It was too much energy to maintain.

The woman was sincere in her words as well. It meant a lot for him to be breathing - not just to her, but to the family that needed him back home - and Shimada smirked ever so slightly as Nayoko collapsed back onto his bed; deflating as what was stress left him. His mouth curled up into a charming smile, lively and free, and for a moment, she almost wanted to mimic the expression to its full extent. It was contagious in a way, but the Hattori bit it back by drawing a hand under a tired eye to wipe away what she knew would be stray tears. She found none yet the wetness of her calloused fingers suggested otherwise. It took all her will not to cry in front of him - not yet - and Shimada maintained that poised image even as Nayoko's endearing smile grew and his one good arm was raised to beckon her over. She could not predict his next choice of words, and her heart practically jolted against her aching rib cage.

“Now what are you still doing in the doorway? Come here, miss newlywed.” It was sent to her with a knowing smirk and a familiar wink, and Shimada could not help the tremble that took occupation in her good hand. Even after what happened, he still had the will to tease her - to act like they had done before the events that comprised their dealings with Tano Koyanagi - and it was not unwelcomed. Despite the insecurities lingering in the back of her mind, the thoughts that she still did not deserve to be in his presence, she could only focus on the fact that he wanted her to come closer. His image of her had not changed, and gave her the courage to push aside the tormenting ideas. For now, she could bury them under what was more important at the moment: Nayoko.

Producing a slightly wider smirk, a laugh, airy yet genuine, escaped her lips as she eased her way over to the male lying in the hospital bed; the sound of her chuckle different to her ears. It ached in her lungs but it was her own way of expressing utmost relief and joy. "Ah, there's the mister newlywed I remember. Come back to sweep me off my feet, huh?" Shimada murmured out quietly, pausing to stand at his bedside and choke back what felt like a sob rising in her throat. She never imagined herself to be this emotional, but something had snapped, and it was all she could do to prevent herself from completely exposing her true concern and distress. "Hope you don't mind I conned the nurse by telling her I was you wife. It was the fastest way she'd let me see you and make sure you were alright..." The red haired kunoichi glanced at Nayoko, shifting her weight so she leaned slightly against the bed in order to take pressure off the aches in her body.

As she stood there, the young woman toyed with the idea of grabbing at his good hand to reassure him - provide a comfort she was not used to giving - but fought back against the sudden impulse. She was not used to such acts, and made no move to quell the thought. Instead, she simply continued to stand and glance into his warm eyes.

Patiently waiting a response yet wondering what it would be like assauge any lingering concerns he may have felt.

As Nayoko watched Shimada’s smile grow and heard her laugh her airy, but wonderful laugh, the young man could feel his tears drying on their own. Sure, the stains would still be on his face, but there were no more fresh ones pouring from his eyes. As she stepped closer, he simply followed her with his gaze, not wanting to miss a moment. "Ah, there's the mister newlywed I remember. Come back to sweep me off my feet, huh?" Shimada murmured out quietly, pausing to stand at his bedside and coughing slightly, disguising a sob that Nayoko was only able to recognize because of how well he knew the kunoichi. The amount of emotion that she was displaying was odd to be sure, but then again, these were not exactly normal circumstances. Shaking his head, he smiled up that the young woman. “But of course! Though um…you may have to wait for the sweeping bit for a while.” He jerked his head toward the leg that was in a cast.

He assumed that the healing process would not take very long, especially with the medical ninjutsu skills of the Village Hidden in the Mist. He had experienced their healing before firsthand, and so he knew that before too long he would be up and running again. But for now, he was confined to the small bed, and there was nothing he could do about that. “But I assure you, once I can stand again, you’ll be the first person I sweep off of their feet.” Shimada then took a moment to shift her weight so that she could lean up against the bed frame, bracing herself against it. She was obviously in pain standing there, and Nayoko’s heart broke again for the suffering she must have gone through in order to save him. "Hope you don't mind I conned the nurse by telling her I was you wife. It was the fastest way she'd let me see you and make sure you were alright..."

Once again, all Nayoko could do was smile at how tentative Shimada was being. He wasn’t sure if it was the pain she was feeling, or possibly just the exhaustion that that young Hattori had come to recognise in the woman. But regardless, Nayoko could tell that she was holding something back. Then again, maybe she was holding back as much as she usually did, it was just harder for her. Nayoko had seen the mask of apathy that Shimada always wore, and he had been around to see it crack before. But today that mask seemed strained more than anything. The special jounin was able to concede to himself that it made sense; especially after what she had been through. But what he could not seem to understand was why she still held onto that shield from her emotions. It didn’t make sense to him, but regardless, he could not force her to remove that mask.

So instead he chose to comfort her as best he could from his bed. First, he shifted himself in the bed so that he was sitting upright and addressed her concern. “Of course I don’t mind at all. Though I gotta say, when the nurse asked if you were my wife, I did a bit of a double take. You’re lucky that blow I took didn’t scramble my brains, or I may have thought just that.” His playful smirk was still present as his deep brown eyes mingled with the crimson of her own. Reaching up, he brushed some of his fallen hair out of his eyes before, on an impulse, extending that same hand to touch Shimada’s shoulder. He let it linger there, holding her gently as he reassured her once again. “You must have gone through a lot to get me out of there. I don’t know how I can ever repay you, especially considering without you, I’d probably be much worse off than I am now. So thank you. Thank you so much.”

He would then pause for a moment, letting his words sink in and waiting for any response, before traversing into a subject that he had to ask about regardless of how unpleasant it was. He looked up at his friend, making eye contact to ensure that she was paying attention before letting his smile fade and replacing his cheerful demeanor with a more serious one. “Shimada...I hate to do this but I just have to ask one more thing about last night. I need to know…” he gritted his teeth for a moment as the memory of the fight returned to him. He had almost stopped him, but he had turned away too soon. He had been too sure of himself, something that the Mizukage had warned him about while they had trained. It was a foolish mistake that he would never make again. “…Shimada, what happened to Tano Koyanagi? Do you know where he is? I just…I need to know that he won’t hurt my family, or anyone else that I care about ever again.”

WC:861+1705=2566

Shimada chuckled quietly at Nayoko's response, the thin faint smile stretching ever so slightly across her lips. He was joking at the situation, and it made her feel a wave of ease even as she gazed down upon his cocooned form. At least he was still smiling.

"Ah, well I'll have to take you up on that." The crimson haired woman replied simply, and continued to lean gently up against the frame of the hospital bed. The ache in her ribs had subsided into a numb sensation - that for which she was grateful - and she diligently crossed her arms over her chest. Her gaze never leaving Nayoko's narrow face. It was relieving, seeing him again, and it was a thought she'd put to memory as she quietly watched him sit up and react to her previous confession.

“Of course I don’t mind at all. Though I gotta say, when the nurse asked if you were my wife, I did a bit of a double take. You’re lucky that blow I took didn’t scramble my brains, or I may have thought just that.” The older male continued to smirk playfully at her, and the Hattori could not help the quiet, gentle laugh that forced its way from her lips. It was definitely an amusing explanation, one she could not have really predicted, and in a way, Shimada was humored by it. She had conceived a little inside joke that persisted even then - one taken well by both parties - and made it only fair she kept up the ploy when prompted. To her, Nayoko was fun to tease, and his reactions only made it better.

"Glad you found it entertaining, though I will admit I am a bit flattered. Not every day someone says I could pass off as their wife, but perhaps its just looks." The young woman's upper lip twitched into what was a small, half-attempted smile. "Personality is not always received warmly when making the cut, I suppose." Shimada's ruby eyes tracked Nayoko's good hand as he started to brush dark hair out of his pools of brown only to reach for her shoulder and place it there. She almost startled in surprise, but kept the movement down. His palm was warm - grounding - and she, too, let it remain. It was perhaps the only physical comfort he could bring her at the moment.

“You must have gone through a lot to get me out of there. I don’t know how I can ever repay you, especially considering without you, I’d probably be much worse off than I am now. So thank you. Thank you so much.” The woman nodded curtly at his words, but in the sentence, was reminded of the turmoil still fresh within her memories. Wet rain and blood seeping into her back and simply wondering if it was all her fault; wondering if she was too late Nayoko would die as her responsibility. Shimada could feel it, a hot prickle in the back of her eyes, but blinked it away out of desperation to prevent herself from shedding tears. She was not that weak to crumple under emotional distress; no matter how fresh the suffocating anxiety had been. The woman, clearing her throat, cracked a morbid smile to reassure him and took care to not expose too much emotion.

"I suppose you can say that, but it is nothing to worry about. We're both alive. Seeing you here, however, is enough compensation so thanks is not needed. I would have done it all the same, but... I appreciate it. Really." Shimada ceased her speech as she caught the sight of Nayoko's expression slowly falling into one of severity, and she immediately had a thought of what was going on. The question he would prompt appropriately but one that felt too early for her. He had a right to know, and the Hattori knew it as soon as the words slipped past his lips.

“Shimada...I hate to do this but I just have to ask one more thing about last night. I need to know…” His jaw clenched for only a second and then he was back to prodding unstable waters. “…Shimada, what happened to Tano Koyanagi? Do you know where he is? I just…I need to know that he won’t hurt my family, or anyone else that I care about ever again.”

Her expression mirrored his - heavy and dark; a reason for her to shakily strengthen the hold over her apathetic mask and hope for the best it did not shatter into pieces. The thin eyebrows above her ruby orbs knitted together into a semblance of guilt and her lips twitched into a slight frown. Shimada regarded him with a guarded expression. ...He mentioned how the last hope for his family is dead. Tano, he..." The young kunoichi bit back a surge of anger and frustration. "...he really thought you were dead. He told me that and just left, and I have no idea where he went. For a moment back there, it made me think you were dead, too. Killed because of my actions." Her pallid hand curled into a tight fist, and she shook her head in desperation to clear the torrent of contemplation rattling against her skull. "Gods, Nayoko! He said it was all my fault! If you hadn't need to protect me you wouldn't be like this, and maybe I-" The woman cut herself off when she realized her voice had risen ever so slightly in pitch, and in a regard for politeness and maintaining her now slowly shattering face of detachment, lowered her tone to a whisper. Shimada could not believe the emotions - the insecurity - she so tightly kept a lock on were slowly trickling out right before her eyes. "-maybe it would havebeen me instead."

The woman breathed out a heavy breath of air and frowned lightly. "That way I would't have to feel this way."

The playful banter between the two Konoha ninja was such a relief from the tension that they had felt in the weeks leading up to the confrontation with Tano Koyanagi. It had been hanging over the duo for so long that it became normal, and though they had laughed and joked together in that time, there had always been a cloud of doubt over everything. But now, with the confrontation in the past, despite the pain they had endured, it was like a weight had been lifted off of Nayoko’s shoulders. That feeling was even further reinforced by the thankfulness and relief expressed to him by Shimada.  She had always been one to hide her emotions, but even with them revealed slightly to him then, he could tell that she meant every word she said.

It was a refreshing change that Nayoko regretted having to change in order to determine what had truly happened to his mysterious uncle. And as Shimada’s expression darkened to match his own, Nayoko could tell that he would not like the answer she was about to give. Her eyebrows knitted together in a severe furrow, and her slight smile fell away from her lips as they reverted into a frown. “...He mentioned how the last hope for his family is dead. Tano, he..." Nayoko watched has she stopped herself short, holding back her emotions once again. "...he really thought you were dead. He told me that and just left, and I have no idea where he went. For a moment back there, it made me think you were dead, too. Killed because of my actions." The twenty two year old watched as her pale hand tightened into a solid fist as her head shook almost frantically. It was clear that she was struggling with whatever she had to say, but Nayoko knew better than to interrupt her. She had to let it out, so the young Hattori allowed her to. When she spoke again, her voice had risen, and the urgency with which she spoke startled even Nayoko.

"Gods, Nayoko! He said it was all my fault! If you hadn't need to protect me you wouldn't be like this, and maybe I-" The young woman stopped herself, letting out a sigh to quiet herself down. Though even as she did so, Nayoko could see that the already crack mask of apathy that she wore so consistently was falling away from her face, unveiling a torrent of pain and guilt that Nayoko could understand, especially since his training with the Mizukage. The emotions she was feeling were far more dangerous than any vengeful rage that consumed mankind time and time again. The beast formed by these emotions was a far crueller one, and having faced that beast himself, Nayoko prayed that she would never ask him to learn the ways of the Butterfly Sage school. But her next words were what broke him. Not into tears, but into a regret that he had felt for just a moment before they had left the hotel room for the Swamp of Sorrow the day before.

"-maybe it would have been me instead. That way I wouldn't have to feel this way." For a moment, Nayoko did not know what to say. He just could not process the thoughts going through Shimada’s mind, even though he knew how pervasive guilt could become. But to wish that she had been injured as badly as he had been, or even worse? It was insane. Had she been struck the way that Nayoko had, he was sure that she would have been killed on the spot, which would have been even more devastating that a few injuries that could be healed in a relatively short time. He wanted to so desperately understand why she felt that way, but try as he might, he could not comprehend why the thought of her own death would be preferable to the pain of her friend.

Suddenly, Nayoko sat up with a jolt, squeezing on the arm that he still held, not hard enough to hurt the kunoichi, but enough to show her how much he was being series. Pulling her slightly, he attempted to get her to look at him directly, locking eyes with the ruby eyed woman. “Shimada, you can’t say that. You can’t blame yourself for the actions for others. You have done nothing but be a better friend than I could ever have asked for throughout the entirety of this trip. Hell, the fact that you’re here at all is a testament to your heart.” He paused a moment and glanced down at his broken leg, shaking his head before returning his gaze to Shimada’s. “I was the one who asked you to come here. I was the one who asked for help. I was the one who put you in danger just to fight off my own demons. I brought you into this, and asking you to be there means taking responsibility when things don’t go as planned. We had no way of knowing the power that this guy could wield, and that was my fault, not yours. I should have never gone in there at all without doing recon first, let alone bringing in a person close to me.”

Once again, the young Hattori paused to catch his breath, leaning back in his hospital bed and allowing his muscles a reprieve from the tension that had re-entered them. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and tired, like that of someone who had just woken up from a deep sleep. “Whatever that man said to you was nothing more than a lie. A lie meant to tear you down just because I care about you. You didn’t deserve any of that and I’m sorry for bringing you into it. But I can honestly say that without you, I would be dead right now for certain. So I think you did more good than harm. Not only that, but because of this, I can finally move on.” He straightened up again to deliver his concluding thoughts on the whole mess. It was a conclusion that he had come to pretty quickly after hearing that Tano thought he was dead.

“Shimada, Tano Koyanagi thinks I’m dead. He thinks that you allowed me to die then and there, and because of that, he has no obligation to his family line anymore. That means that he won’t be after me anymore. He won’t be following my movements, watching my training, or trying to hurt those around me. He’s done with me. Which means that we don’t have t worry about him anymore.” He let out a contented sigh for the first time since their topic had changed to this more severe topic. “I learned what he knew about my mother, and I got him to leave me alone. My mission is complete, and we got it done together. So Shimada…” He paused, allowing for a brief moment of his dramatic tendencies to slip into his voice, “what do you say we go home?

WC:1199+2566=3765

She could not understand what possessed her to act so unprofessional, but Shimada did not act without reason. The strain had finally caught up to her, and she was uncharacteristically breaking under the pressure. But why? How? The woman did not know how she could care for someone so much in such a short amount of time; months, perhaps. It startled her, in a way, how easily she revealed emotions and thoughts to him that she would never have admitted to herself. But what even startled her more, however, was the suffocating silence that had taken over the room. Unbearably quiet, and aching against her ribs. The Hattori knew she had uttered uncouth words yet made no move to atone for it with an act of regret.

Merely locking her jaw tight to prevent any further deterioration of her composure, she held her breath. Waiting for a response from the man in the hospital bed to determine her fate. Shimada could not see what was running through his mind, the expression that passed over his face for she had averted her gaze. What was running through his head, she wondered if it would lessen his view of her. Wishing to switch places in a situation to ease the burden of others is one side, but concluding to be the worse off was on a different side of the spectrum; a choice of words she used harshly against herself. She barely realized her own reasons, but in the moment of uncomfortable silence, figured it to be her own way of expressing a guilt she could not shake. Something she confessed in her especially blunt, honest manner.

The kunoichi was lost in the torrent of her own thoughts and was abruptly torn away when she caught Nayoko jolting upwards into a sitting position. The hand still attached to her applying a pressure that both grounded her and implied a sense of severity. She barely could meet his eyes as he attempted to peer into her face.

His voice sounding faint compared to the heartbeat in her ears.

“Shimada, you can’t say that. You can’t blame yourself for the actions for others. You have done nothing but be a better friend than I could ever have asked for throughout the entirety of this trip. Hell, the fact that you’re here at all is a testament to your heart.” The woman watched as he paused, glanced at his broken leg, and then shook his head as if settling his thoughts into order. “I was the one who asked you to come here. I was the one who asked for help. I was the one who put you in danger just to fight off my own demons. I brought you into this, and asking you to be there means taking responsibility when things don’t go as planned. We had no way of knowing the power that this guy could wield, and that was my fault, not yours. I should have never gone in there at all without doing recon first, let alone bringing in a person close to me.”

In response to his words, Shimada bit numbly at a bottom lip; feeling nothing in her chest but a wave of regret and relief. His words held a bitter truth to them, uplifting in the slightest, but if anything, the Hattori would never completely stop feeling responsible for her inability to act. It was a vow she had made - to become stronger and protect the ones she loved - and had utterly failed. Not in the result of death, fortunately, but in the one of injury. Nayoko had gotten hurt, nearly killed in the process; but at least he was alive. Both of them alive. As the man who grasped her attention leaned back into the hospital bed, spent of breath, she wondered how he felt about the entire ordeal. Her sudden crestfallen approach, and the revelations bestowed so sharply to him. Her behavior was not making things easier in her own conclusion as he continued to speak. Sounding gentle yet tired; exhausted, even. She could just feel her own fatigue clinging to the back of her mind like a parasite.

“Whatever that man said to you was nothing more than a lie. A lie meant to tear you down just because I care about you. You didn’t deserve any of that and I’m sorry for bringing you into it. But I can honestly say that without you, I would be dead right now for certain. So I think you did more good than harm. Not only that, but because of this, I can finally move on.” He sat up once more, and Shimada observed him carefully. Her expression slightly guarded, and mostly blank. “Shimada, Tano Koyanagi thinks I’m dead. He thinks that you allowed me to die then and there, and because of that, he has no obligation to his family line anymore. That means that he won’t be after me anymore. He won’t be following my movements, watching my training, or trying to hurt those around me. He’s done with me. Which means that we don’t have t worry about him anymore.” His sigh was content, and there was a more positive step to his words she had not heard before. “I learned what he knew about my mother, and I got him to leave me alone. My mission is complete, and we got it done together. So Shimada…”

His pause was not unwanted this time as his voice contained a much more inviting tone. Signaling the topic was over, and they were back on even grounds. "...what do you say we go home?"

It was like something broke inside of her; ushering out a reaction Shimada did not know whether was appropriate or not. Laughter. Faint but genuine coming out of the lips that had been frowning moments ago. It was not one of joy, but relief, and though it did not do much to soothe the pained guilt in her chest, it lightened the weight. Made it a little more tolerable thanks to Nayoko's caring, friendly nature. The Hattori stifled it behind a hand and shook her face free of crimson hair, slowly working her gaze over to meet his. She did not know whether she felt like emitting a quiet sob or a soft chuckle.

"You always seem to have a way with words, don't you, Nayoko? But in the light of your question, I'd say that would be wonderful. I've had enough of gloomy villages and carnivorous swamps." Shimada gave him a half-way smirk, something to reassure him. "Ah, though I... I'll have to apologize for my, ah, lack of composure. It was unprofessional of me, and does nothing more than put a strain on you, but I suppose it was due to my distress over your condition." It was like her to be honest, but in the room, having spilled out more than she had planned to, Shimada felt it was necessary to stress the meaning of her response. Just this once and not for a long time. "What came over me I don't regret. I... care... for you, so seeing you in this manner simply brings up unpleasant memories." It was the honest truth, spoken in her own sharp way; embarrassing, nonetheless as she rubbed under an eye with both anxiety and exhaustion. Nayoko really did mean a lot to her, but she would never completely announce it straightforward. Honesty, in this sense, was only due to the situation they found themselves in.

Her faint smile was both thin and genuine. "I hope you understand, Nayoko. You really are the first person I've greatly been affected by in many years... and for that, I appreciate it. The emotion I've felt in the last months." Shimada's ribs ached with a sort of saddened yet unfamiliar feeling.

"It is both a blessing and a curse."

The woman’s laughter was like music to Nayoko’s ears. Its tone danced through the air and caused Nayoko to chuckle quietly along with her. He watched as she shook her crimson hair out of her face, her eyes flitting around the room until the finally focused on his. "You always seem to have a way with words, don't you, Nayoko? But in the light of your question, I'd say that would be wonderful. I've had enough of gloomy villages and carnivorous swamps." Her lips curled into a soft half-smirk that put Nayoko at ease for a moment. It would be good for them to return home after being away for so long. He owed it to his home to do some missions for them and not just for Kiri, not that he minded helping out the allied village. But on top of that, he really just missed his family. "Ah, though I... I'll have to apologize for my, ah, lack of composure. It was unprofessional of me, and does nothing more than put a strain on you, but I suppose it was due to my distress over your condition." It was unlike Shimada to express herself so much, though Nayoko was familiar with her blunt honesty. Even so, the young Hattori found himself surprised by the tone that she was taking with him, not because of its informality and “unprofessional” nature, but because she seemed embarrassed by it.

"What came over me I don't regret. I... care... for you, so seeing you in this manner simply brings up unpleasant memories." Reaching up, Shimada rubbed under one of her eyes, showing revealing to Nayoko just how tired he was, and causing him to realize his own exhaustion, despite just waking up. But he pushed through that so that he could listen to Shimada for just a little while longer. He remained silent, allowing her to speak for as long as she wanted to before replying. Her tired expression shifted to one with a faint, but genuine smile. "I hope you understand, Nayoko. You really are the first person I've greatly been affected by in many years... and for that, I appreciate it. The emotion I've felt in the last months. It is both a blessing and a curse."

Music:

Nayoko continued to smile at the woman for a moment, realizing just how much he had grown to care about her in the few months that they had known one another. He had not been very close to many people in his academy days, even though he was well liked enough by his peers. But this young woman had managed to captivate him like no other before, while also showing him just how much she cared about him. Her words were perfect for the situation. It was both a blessing and a curse. Having her with him had allowing him to grow, and to face things that never thought he would be able to do alone. Not only that, but their relationship had helped him to be more comfortable around many other people that he had met. The number of friends he had made kept growing, and he owed it all to Shimada. But he didn’t know how to express all of that without sounding ridiculous.

But looking ridiculous had never stopped the man with the Heart of Iron before. “Shimada I…” his voice trailed off as he tried to form a coherent sentence. “Please don’t be sorry. Don’t be sorry for showing your emotions to me, okay? You don’t have to be ‘professional’ with me all the time. We’re friends, right? Pretty close ones at that,” he gestured to his leg that laid on the hospital bed in a cast. “I mean, how many friends can say they got bet up together in the Swamp of Sorrows?” He smiled softly at her, allowing his eyes to look not just into hers, but at hair as the light danced though it, and at her broken wrist, which hung there as a grim reminder of the danger that he had put her in.

“Shimada, I care for you too, so don’t be ashamed to show that once in a while.” He would pause and wait for a response, though after sitting for a few more minutes, he would be unable to stifle a yawn that overtook him. After letting it out, he would shake his head and blink the exhaustion from his eyes before settling back into the bed. “In any case, I think we should both rest up so that he can get home as soon as possible.” His eyes would flutter shut as he said the last few works, the drugs running though the IV causing his to fall asleep faster than he would have hoped. As he slipped into unconsciousness, Nayoko would smile and say a few final words to his friend. “You’re a blessing and a curse for me too Shimada. But the blessing is worth the curse.”

With that, he would fall asleep, his hand falling limp after it had been sliding down Shimada’s shoulder for a time. In its resting place, Nayoko fingers lightly brushed against hers, though Nayoko could not pull away while he slept, and he probably would not, had he been awake.

[Exit Thread]
WC:895+3765=4660

Training

B-Rank Jutsu: Dynamic Defense Strikes (Dōteki kōgeki - 動的攻撃) (1500/1500)
C-Rank Jutsu: Earth Release: Earth Shore Return {土遁・土陸返し ~ Doton: Doroku Gaeshi} (1000/1000)
C-Rank Jutsu: Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart {土遁・土流城壁 Doton: Doryū Jōheki} (1000/1000)

Unused WC:1160