Chapter title+me= LOL xD

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Kiba dashed forward to catch the girl before she could fall, "Hotaru!"

She didn't answer. Her eyes were closed, and, despite Kiba waiting avidly for her to sit up, glare and call him a 'mutt', it didn't happen.

Kiba merely sat there as the shinobi that had retreated slowly gathered around him, having realised that the threat was gone. The adolescent male felt a hand on his shoulder, but did not look up at his sensei who tried to console him with her touch.

A few moments after, medics bustled in, taking all of the injured shinobi to the hospital. Kiba reluctantly let go of the girl and stepped away as they laid her down. But as they checked her vitals, the expression of one of the medics caused Kiba to step forward toward the girl again.

"Get her to a hospital!! She still has a pulse, but it's extremely weak!" the female medic that had her fingers pressed on Hotaru's neck yelled, "We need Tsunade-sama to see to her urgently or she won't make it!!"

Just like that, the watching crowd exploded into a flurry of sound and action. As Hotaru was carried away by a nin, Kiba struggled not to grow irate from the muttering of approval.

"I'm amazed that she survived that."

"That jutsu was incredible."

"She saved the village."

The awe in the voices of those people that had shunned Hotaru was too much for Kiba, so he distracted himself by heading out in search for Akamaru and Sasori.

'You would think that she's amazing now.' Kiba thought bitterly as he ran, 'Now that she's saved you all from being killed. She was amazing the whole time- you all just chose to ignore it.'

Kiba hadn't realised the people following him until they rushed in front, to the limp forms of Sasori and Akamaru, lying in quite close proximity to each other due to having fallen on the same battle ground. Kiba vaguely recognised one of the two as the woman that Sasori had been with on that day before when Hotaru had ran off; that day that seemed so long ago now. But more pressing was the matter of the unfamiliar girl tending to Akamaru.

"Who are you?!" Kiba demanded of the sandy-haired girl as she seemed to check Akamaru's vitals. He was unsure about whether he should let this stranger near his partner and best friend, even as it became clear that she was trying to help.

"Hanamiji Sora. Now, if you don't mind, this one needs urgent medical treatment." The girl replied in a strange accent, without looking at him, injecting Akamaru with some kind of mint-green liquid. Kiba frowned worriedly.

"Is he going to be okay?" he asked, and the girl's cold blue-green eye's flickered up to meet Kiba's, showing the briefest flash of concern. "He's my partner." Kiba explained, and recognition replaced most of the concern.

"He might be okay. Hopefully." the girl's blank tone didn't comfort Kiba in the slightest, "If we can get him to the animal hospital immediately he'll have a fighting chance."

The girl scooped the large dog up in her arms, leaving Kiba rather shocked. She spared a short glance in his direction, before taking off, assuming he would follow. She could tell from his body language- he was protective of his dog.

- - -

"Nnh.."

Hotaru tried to sit up, but her body didn't seem to be listening to her. She gave a low growl of frustration, attempting it again, but to no avail.

Where was she? All she could see was white. It seemed endless, spreading in all directions. She tried moving her head to the side to widen her horizons, but with no success.

Her spine suddenly jolted straight as her brain caught up with a snap. Of course... but... how wasn't she dead?

She was certain that she was still alive. As she focused properly, she could hear the steady beeping of something in her left ear, loud and annoying, and the low mumble of voices in the other. Where from? She couldn't tell. But, she realised, as she tried to move once more- everything gave a none-too-subtle ache, only hardening her assumption into a definite decision. She was alive, no doubt about it- death was not this painful.

And, along with that... if she was dead, the scenery was all wrong. Hell was meant to be all darkness and evil red flames...

Hotaru gasped out, and her body suddenly jerked upright as a memory stung her brain. Sasori! She had to...

She curled in on herself in despair and the burning pain that movement brought with it. She didn't know what she had to do. There was nothing she could do for him. He was gone.

The annoying beeping sped up and lost it's rythym, and the mumbling voices became frantic and clearer. A loud crash echoed nearby, and suddenly hands were shaking the agonised redhead, scared voices asking her if she was in pain, if she needed medications.

Yes! She wanted to scream at them, I am in pain, but what can medication do for me now?!

"He's gone...." were the only words that escaped her lips, as she wrapped her arms securely around her knees and rocked back and forth, ignoring the pain that the motion brought, "He's dead.."

The medics immediately stopped fussing, and just watched the girl sympathetically for a moment, before all of them left, leaving the girl to her sorrow. All except one.

"Hotaru-san?" the girl just ignored the call of her name, continuing her blank-faced misery. "Hotaru-san, I..." the voice paused, wanting to console the redhead, but not having the words.

Hotaru slowly turned her deadened hazel gaze upwards, seeing the brunette girl and forcing herself out of her position of mourning, plastering a fake smile on her face. "Ah, Suzume-san... I haven't seen you in a while."

The Hyuuga shifted nervously, painfully aware of just how fake Hotaru's smile was. "Yeah, it's been too long... how do you feel?"

It took the redhead no time to answer, knowing that the other girl meant it in a physical way, "Fine."

Suzume bit her lip, "Are you sure? You shouldn't even be able to move yet, you lost a lot of chakra, you've been out for weeks-"

"I have to see her!!" a shout from the next room over cut the anxious teen off, and Hotaru stiffened.

"You... you heard that too, right?" the redhead asked the brunette unsurely, and the Hyuuga nodded confusedly.

"Let me go you idiots!!"

"Sasori-san, you have to stay in bed, you're severely injured!"

"Screw that!!"

"Sasori!" the name left Hotaru's lips in a gasp, and she leapt from her bed and dashed out of the room faster than Suzume could stop her. And sure enough, there, leaning against the doorframe of the next room, with his IV bag clutched in his hand, and bandaged so much that he could have been a mummy, was Sasori.

His face was very pale and held a light sheen of sweat as he brought his head up to look at Hotaru weakly, but he still smiled, ignoring the nurses that fluttered around him helplessly. "You aren't getting rid of me that easily, Imouto."

Hotaru stared at him ,frozen from shock, for a long time, before grinning wide, tears filling her eyes as she placed her hand over her throat. Hotaru then transformed her expression into an irritated look, "And why aren't you in your bed?! You almost died!" she said angrily, to cover up the lump in her throat. She hit the red haired man on the head, then grabbed his ear and started pulling him back to his cot. "Do you not want to get better?!"

"H-Hotaru-san... I'm not sure you should..." one of the nurses said worriedly as the girl picked her brother up and dumped him in the bed.

"Owww, Hotaru, that hurts!" Sasori whined, and Hotaru just glowered at him.

"Well, it'll hurt a lot more if you keep walking around and reopen your wounds! Now stop mucking the nurses about and stay in bed or I'll cripple you so bad that you can't get up!" she threatened, and Sasori whimpered, but didn't argue. Hotaru was fierce... fiercer than usual. But that was the way Sasori liked it. It reminded him strangely of their mother when she treated him like this. She had been a brash, no-nonsense woman, strong, too... ex-anbu when she was killed. Hotaru was the spitting image of her, except with red hair instead of brunette. Her personality was also similar; fiercely loyal, caring, but afraid... afraid to let others see what she really felt on the inside, afraid to let herself go.... though Sasori supposed that his leaving was partially responsible for that.

"Hotaru-san, you really should get back in bed, too..." one of the nurses mumbled, sounding afraid- a fact which made both redheads vaguely smug- as Hotaru took Sasori's previous position of leaning against the doorframe. But, the red haired kunoichi glared at the poor woman so viciously that she dared not press it further.

"I'm fine." Hotaru said stiffly, her grip on the doorframe tight, and no one said anything... until Tsunade appeared.

"Hotaru! Why the hell are you walking around?!" she demanded, and Hotaru scowled at her. The Godaime then glared at the nurses. They flinched. "Why the hell is she walking around?!"

"But Hokage-sama, we-"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES!! GET HER IN BED, NOW!!"

"YES MA'AM!!" Tsunade sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as the nurses scrambled to tug the yelling Hotaru from her grip on the door frame. Numerous passers-by stopped to stare, but then quickly moved on, not wanting to get dragged into the spectacle.

"NO!! I WANT TO STAY HERE!! I'M FINE!!" Hotaru yelled childishly, clinging to the wall for dear life, and making Tsunade sigh all the more. She didn't need this. She had enough stress as it was, what with having to re-build the village, and the Kazekage and his fiance's being in the village while it was so unprotected. No to mention the nagging of the council being so constant in her ears that it had morphed into a dull mumble that followed the poor, tired Hokage everywhere...

"What the hell?" a new voice asked, clearly in a sweatdrop moment. Everyone's actions ceased, as they all turned to stare at the newcomer.

Kiba stared at the scene before him with extreme confusion. Hotaru clinging to the doorframe, when last he had checked she had been unconscious, with four nurses trying to pull her off. The Hokage, eyeing the situation with a distinct frown, but doing nothing to help the nurses. And Sasori- whom Kiba had also thougght to still be in a coma- just sat in his bed, laughing his ass off.

"Oh... Kiba." Hotaru did not let go of the doorframe, nor did she look at him. But it was obvious, from both her tone of voice, and Sasori's expression- she felt awkward. And, of course, that rubbed off on the inu shinobi, too.

The boy scratched his head. "Er... I... what's going on here?" he asked quickly, changing his question halfway through.

"Hotaru is refusing to get back in her bed." Tsunade said through gritted teeth, and everyone's eyes snapped to her, sensing a storm coming. "And I need to talk to her. Urgently."

Something in the Hokage's tone made Hotaru's expression light with realisation- and let go of the door frame. The tugging party all tumbled backwards, with Hotaru somehow managing to avoid falling over. So, of course, the four nurses just laid there, groaning, as the the redhead and blonde walked swiftly away to talk in private.

"What was that all about..?" Kiba asked, more to himself.

"I don't know..." Sasori sounded equally confused.

- - -

Yeah.... cutting it off here... yeah...

So, the original plan was for Sasori to die, and I was debating killing Hotaru too... but in the end, I didn't have the heart. I just love my fruity Sasori too darn much.

Although... I had a good idea for if Sasori died... sigghhh....

But you'd all kill me if I killed him off..

Also, something else I wonder if you peoples picked up on... who's Gaara's fiancée? >:3

Oh wells, fan, vote and comment!! :D