chap 30: The Flu

"Man, that mission was easy ya know." Naruto said, his blonde hair spiking around his head, his headband around his forehead, as he wore a blue to orange ninja outfit with his shuriken holster on his right thigh and kunai pouch on his waist, wearing a chunin flak jacket overtop, the group (Neji, Touka, Hinami, Naruto, Gaara, Sana, Temari, Kankuro) were headed towards the leaf after completing a relatively easy mission at a border village. Or well, easy enough for the 8 shinobi sent. Hinami fell behind a few times but caught back up easily enough that it wasn't of huge concern… yet. 

"Well yeah, the more complicating issue ended up their diplomatic issues with one another." Hinami commented as they jumped through the forest on the way towards the leaf village. Her voice was slightly hoarse but everyone attributed that to the speaking she had to do over the mission, getting the two leaders to see eye to eye, and subsequent yelling she did. She wore a maroon-purple sleeveless cropped top zipped up to her neck with a cropped sky blue jacket overtop, wearing black shorts with a skirt stopping mid thigh. Wearing her black hair in two braids with light blue ribbons at the base, a yellow strand going through the braid on the right side with a lilac purple strand going through the braid on the left side. Wearing her headband around her left thigh, her bangs falling over her face wearing black arm protectors on her forearms, wearing shinguards on her shins going over her black sandals. Sana glanced over as she jumped next to her, Hinami having a few drops of sweat forming on her forehead, her skin having been pale the entire mission, but this was… even more so. It was enough to cause Sana to have some concern as she glanced over.

"Hey, you okay, you're pretty pale." She said quietly, her dark red hair was in two buns with her bangs framing her face, the buns, which went into ponytails, the buns were secured with green bows at the bases, with gold pins going through either, wearing a maroon, black, and gold colored dress with off shoulder short sleeves, wearing black fingerless gloves on her hands with black thigh-highs on her legs going into her maroon sandals. The black part of the dress made up most of the collar, and the shortsleeves, while the red part of the dress started with a sweetheart collar, going down into the skirt with was layered red and black. She had mesh armor covering her shoulders and thighs with her tan gord on her back as they jumped through the forest. Hinami glanced over towards her a moment before nodding. 

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just didn't drink a lot of water at our last stop." She said in return, grinning a moment as she laughed embarrassed. Before coughing due to her dry throat a moment, though it was quiet, turning her head away from Sana a moment as they jumped through the forest. Their conversation not heard by the other ninja as they jumped through the forest, Neji up in front of the group. 

"Lord Minato will be happy this was solved relatively easily either way." Neji commented as they jumped through the forest. His black hair flowed behind his head in a loose ponytail, as he wore a tan shortsleeve hyuga jacket with brown shorts, wearing bandages wrapping around his right arm and leg, his shuriken holster on his right thigh with his kunai pouch on his back waist, his headband around his forehead alongside other bandages and two black straps either of which reached his chin. Hinami nodded in response, as did Touka, 

"I guess it's lucky we were the ones sent out." Touka commented referring to the entire group. as they jumped towards the leaf and sand. Wearing a shortsleeve light blue top with loose sleeves with matching shorts, a tan tunic that hung down to her knees. With a wide leather beltwearing off-white colored bracelets paired with the same ankles instead of shoes. Her ash-blonde hair was in a Nihogami bun style behind her head, paired with a light blue headband with the sand's metal in the middle, white puffs on either side, by her ears, her bangs falling over her face, falling , and mostly obscuring them. 

"Seriously though, Between the fighting that was occurring and the peace negotiations, it's hard to say which of us had it harder." Kankuro said with his hands behind his head, his black hood on his head hiding his brown hair from view, wearing purple facepant on his face with an entirely black outfit wearing his puppet on his back in the wrappings, a shuriken holster on his right thigh. Hinami, Neji, Gaara, and Temari were in charge of the diplomatic negotations while Kankuro, Sana, Naruto, and Touka dealt with the fighting that was occurring between the two villages. It was exhausting for sure, and to top it off, Hinami had been helping care for ill and very ill patients at the same time. Which is part of what helped the peace treaty come to pass. The group jumped from the trees and opted to use the road the rest of the way to the village which wasn't far. Maybe 50 kilometers give or take. Which, for the ninja, wouldn't take long to pass. Though, between the sun beating down and the amount of energy they were exerting to get to the village, Hinami definitely felt very sick, she had the entire mission, but focusing on it would slow them down. Plus with the patients she agreed to treat, she could deal with a small cold on her own. So, she opted to remain quiet on the matter, though the sun was feeling hotter than usual, her face had already been pointed out for being paler than normal, now, as they ran on the road with the sun beating down on them, giving little options for shade or rest of any sort, let alone shade. She felt the full affects of whatever illness had befallen her. Sweat gathered and beaded down her forehead as they continued to talk and joke, while they spoke, Hinami coughed quietly, blaming once again, her dry throat for her coughing. She'd fallen behind the group, slowing down, considerably, before tripping over her own feet and collapsing to the ground, unable to move. Naruto turned back to tease her about her slowness in the same moment. 

"Hey Hinami, I bet even snails… Hinami?!" He said, his hands had been behind his head when he started, but when he took in the girls situation, her pale complexion… his arms dropped as his brow furrowed in worry for the girl. Causing the group to also stop and turn back, looking towards the girl who'd fainted and collapsed on the ground, her right arm out in front of her head with her body laying mostly on her stomach. As previously noted, she was pale and her face was completely flushed. There were no enemy ninja nearby that they could tell, and under the sun, Hinami's usually tan skin seemed, unnaturally pale especially for her. Neji was the first to reach the girl, placing a hand on her face a moment before recoiling and lifting her bridal style. 

"We need to get her out of the sun, she's too hot. Let's find a spot to rest for now and continue to the leaf in a few minutes." Neji said and the two groups nodded.

"I thought she looked really pale but I thought it might have been the lighting or my eyes playing tricks on me, I mean, she said she was fine." Sana said looking over as Hinami lay with her head on her backpack, in the shade of a large tree that they'd spotted nearby. Her face was flushed and upon closer inspection, sweat and a light blush covered her cheeks, this blush, only happened when she was sick. The girl coughing a few times, securing the idea behind her being sick and thus, unwell to have actually been on the mission. How she hid it from the entire group before her collapse was a mystery that they weren't worried about solving at the moment. Right now, their concern was to get her back to the leaf for treatment that couldn't be administered on the road. 

"She should have said something if she wasn't well, ya know. We could have stayed in that village for a bit until she was better or something ya know." Naruto said looking over, Hinami looked to be getting worse by the minute, the girl had yet to regain consciousness.

"She wouldn't have said anything if it meant delaying the mission." Neji commented in return, familiar with the girls tendency to push herself farther when she was sick just as when she wasn't in order to help someone else. Temari holding her hand over the girls forehead with medical ninjutsu active, sighing a moment as she looked down, before looking towards the group,

"I don't want to rest too long here, she needs more medical attention than I can give here." Temari commented and the others nodded in agreement, when it came down to who would be carrying the girl, Neji decided to, placing her on his back. 'damnit. She should've spoken immediately' Neji thought, Naruto taking her bag as they ran towards the leaf. 

"She should have said something…" Temari commented, her ash blonde hair in four ponytails behind her head, her headband around her neck wearing a purple off-shoulder dress with sleeves reaching her forearms wearing fishnetting beneath that with a red belt around her waist

"Knowing Hinami, she didnt want to slow us down, I mean she was probably more concerned about us than herself. she's just always been that way." Gaara commented

"Oh yeah, one time when we were at the academy, I wanted to play a game but everyone was too busy so Hinami volunteered, but she was way sick. I didn't know though, not until she fainted and granny Tsunade came to get her. actually it wasn't long after we met that that happened." Naruto said 

"I remember that…" Neji said in return, 

"She's always putting others before herself, it's just the way she is… though, she could stand to be a bit more selfish, especially in situations like this." Sana commented

"Agreed… but trying to convince Hinami isn't going to be easy." Gaara said

"Shes pretty stubborn. There was another time a year before she graduated where she went about the day as normal and didn't say anything, but during training with father, she collapsed. But what she said after, what truly kills me… 'I didn't want to inconvenience anyone' she hates being reliant on others but she's going to have to change…" Naruto commented, 

"She's going to be out of missions for a few weeks at least. But she'll be okay." Tsunade commented, looking over towards the group of genin who'd returned, heading straight to the hospital before heading to the hokage's mansion, where they'd given their report to Minato who thanked them, the group allowed to visit her, the girl laying on the hospital pale, with an iv for fluids in her arm, she was awake. Though just barely. Looking through partially glassy eyes towards the group that'd entered the room. They'd already given their report to Minato in the time that Tsunade looked over Hinami, and assessed her situation. With her weaker immune system, Neji was especially worried, so it was a relief to hear that she'd be fine.

"You idiot. Why didn't you say anything." Touka said, before anyone could say anything

"You mad? I didn't want to slow us down, or worry you guys." Hinami said in response, before coughing a few times, laying in the hospital bed, looking worse than when they were out in the forest. Touka looking towards her a moment, before clearing her throat, shaking her head, turning away a moment as she crossed her arms, 

"M-me? Me? I'm not mad, wasn't even worried, geez. But Naruto and Neji were so worried, So was Gaara… So you should have said something." Touka said turning her head away in embarrassment, as a light blush covered her cheeks, 

"Oh. I'm sorry." Hinami said hoarsly from the bed, coughing a few times into her arm, before looking back towards the group, Temari tching, looking towards her in return,

"You need to stop putting your needs behind everyone else. Especially in times like this. Seriously, Hinami." Temari said and Hinami looked over, before responding

"Sorry." She said in response, coughing once more, 

"It's okay… just… please take better care of yourself." Gaara said placing a hand on her forehead before removing it, Neji stepping forwards as well

"I think that's enough lecturing today. We'll leave you to get some rest." Neji said placing a hand on her still very warm head before shepherding everyone out, Hinami falling back asleep a moment later.

"She's lucky it wasn't worse…" Sana said shaking her head as the others sighed in agreement, 

"She needs to take better care of herself…" Neji commented, 

"What'd I tell you? selfless to a fault." Naruto commented

"Seriously." Kankuro commented, Gaara was looking through the window, into her room, Hinami was sleeping unaware of his gaze, as her flushed face turned slightly so she was facing him. coughing a few times in her sleep. 

Hinami was released from the hospital the next week, though, she was still not clear for missions and was ordered to remain at the senju compound, on bedrest. The girl had contracted the flu, and with her weak immune system, they didn't want to take any risks with her illness. Kiyoka was very attentive in making sure she remained in bed and got over the flu. Gaara sending letters everyday from the sand village, keeping her up to date with the latest happenings in the sand, with Kiyoka helping Hinami send replies back to Gaara. Keeping him updated on her condition as well as the happenings in the leaf. 

"You look alot better than last week at least." Kiyoka said Hinami's forehead was slightly warm, but not as hot as it was previously, looking towards the girl, who's face was still flushed, but not as bad as it was previously, the girl wearing pajamas as she lay on her futon, with blankets over her a light colored cloth over her forehead. The girl looking over a moment, 

"Yeah…" She said in return, nodding slightly, the light coming in from the window, casting light into the room and illuminating the space more completely, her pink eyes not as glassed over as before as she looked towards Kiyoka who changed the cloth on her forehead for a cooler one. 

"Hey, and don't worry about the missions, Naruto, and Sasuke have it covered." Kiyoka said looking towards the girl, and Hinami looked over a moment, before nodding a moment, 

"Alright." She said in response, she wasn't cleared for missions and there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. Being forced to bedrest in order to get better from the flu. She'd gotten countless lectures from Tsunade, Kiyoka, Hadami, Kakashi, and Nawaki about the importance in taking care of her health. Kiyoka left the girl to her own devices a few moments later. The girl taking the time to sleep for some of the time before waking about two hours later, sitting up, leaning against the wall, she grabbed the book that was left on her right side, A book on sewing/stitching. She would be cleared once more for missions within the next week so all she could do is rest and try and get better soon. So they could go on missions together again.