Guard Mission [C][SOLO]

[Guyviroth]

Back at the clearing Helios kept stood in place as he kept building chakra through his body. The kumo ninja still stood meters away but knew that they were in such a huge position at the moment. The leader of the troop nudged his head forwards to indicate both of his comrades to move in to pick up Helios' dropped equipment. The shinobi had big grins on their face as if to say that they had completely won this transaction. Nonetheless Helios kept his cool as he stood a step back to allow them to pick up his equipment.

"So, idiot, any last words you'd like to share before we tie you up?" The leader gave a grin and a chuckle as he kept Lili in a tight choke hold. The other two Kumo ninja also shared the laugh with their leader as they kneeled down to collect the gear.

"Yeah, just one." Quickly in a burst of chakra Helios vanished. No one had seen where the hell he disappeared to, and even Lili was shocked by it. Though not even a quarter of a second later Helios reappeared only a meter to the side of the Kumo leader with his left arm outstretched near his head, palm facing him. Before the shinobi could turn to face Helios the wrist blade mounted on his wrist shot outwards with great speed, piercing him through the top of his lip and slightly out the back of his head before retracting again. The shinobi dropped to the floor quickly, releasing Lili.

"Die."

Before the other Kumo shinobi could turn, Helios landed and sprinted back to them, appearing in front of them as he drove his wrist blade into the stomach of the first, swinging sidewards as he tore through his body and sliced across the throat of the second shinobi. Both of them dropped to the ground immediately and motionless.

"Helios..." The girl looked up at him as he made her way back to her. She was visibly shaken by the ordeal, but quickly sprung to her feet and gave him a big hug, spinning around him in a 180 degree twirl. "You came to rescue me?"

"Of course I did, you're my--"

"Get away!"

Lili noticed that the Kumo leader was still alive somehow, and had quickly tossed his kunai, aiming to hit Helios in the spine, but Lili quickly shoved the boy out of the way and took the hit. The kunai pierced just under her left breast, close to the heart, perhaps putting her into a critical status as she dropped to her side like a ragdoll.

"Lili! No!"

[Guyviroth]

Helios leaned down to catch Lili before she hit the ground hard, cradling her in his arms as her eyes began to close half-way. He dared not remove the kunai just yet to prevent the wound from gushing out more blood. For the first time in Helios' life he felt... helpless. He was angry at himself for not anticipating the attack, and was angry at himself for not being able to prevent his team mate from taking damage. More importantly, he was upset that he was going to lose someone again.

"Lili," Helios spoke her name softly as he held her body upright to keep the blood flow going through her body to keep her awake. "Lili can you hear me? Say something! Anything..."

"H... Helly...." She gave a small smile as she uttered what was to be his nickname to her. Her dark brown eyes slowly shifted to meet his as her head turned slightly. "Will you tell my mom... that I did good...?"

The boy held back his tears to hear her words, as though she was ready to die if it meant a successful mission. But Helios wasn't going to allow that. He shook his head at her response after a brief pause. "No. You can tell her yourself when we get back to the village. You're gonna make it! We're all gonna make it!"

"Helly... even though I'm a newbie.... even I know this wound is fatal.... Besides, who's going to know we're here? There's no rescue. Just... leave..."

Before Helios could utter another word, he heard footsteps quickly approaching. As he turned he made out a white-robed figure approach from the bushes as it looked back at him. Jushin stood, not more than ten meters away as he saw Helios cradling Lili.

"Lili..." The boy muttered under his own breath. He was stunned and shocked to see what was in front of him that for a moment he just couldn't process it. Then, eventually, it did. "Lili! What happened?" The boy yell as he dashed to her, dropping to his knees.

[Guyviroth]

The night began to settle on the area as the clearing began to coat itself in the dark indigo of the night sky. The moon was out, too, but all it did was cast a little of silver-stained light upon a circle of dancing shadows. Within that stage only the three Genin shinobi of the Hidden Leaf stayed on to play their parts in the final act that was their mission.

The girl, laying upon her back as Helios lay her down upon the soft short-cut grass, looked up to Jushin's face. She gave a heavy, strained pant as she inhaled whatever air she could to make her words. "Ju... you came too...?" As she spoke, Helios wanted to ask why he wasn't back at the gate, but seeing him alive meant he has successfully fought off the other Kumo shinobi that were heading to his location.

"Of course I did," Jushin responded in a soft tone, breaking what was his first sincere smile of him being here. He looked down at the wound, noticing its fatality, before looking back up to her. "We're here to work together, as a team. Not to... not to slander each other's skills..." The boy's face turned to one of false joy to its true intention; a face of sorrow and sadness as he saw what was his team mate dying.

"Ju... did you think I did good?"

"I think... I think you did great..."

"Ju... thank..."

Before the kunoichi could finish her words, her head dropped sidewards as her eyes shut slowly, leaning against Helios' chest. Both of the boys looked down in disbelief, but only Helios seemed to accept the fact that she was gone. He didn't like it but he had to accept it. Jushin though looked on with a tear in his eye, and shook his head.

"No! I won't allow it!" he exclaimed as he pressed his hand upon Helios' shoulder and pushed lightly. "Helios, move out of the way!"

"Jushin there's nothing--"

"I said MOVE!"

[Guyviroth]

Helios looked at Jushin, even though his eyes were welled up with tears he could still see the look in his eyes. Care, determination, a will to prevent her death despite seemingly a lost cause. Helios could not deny the boy his time, and nodded to acknowledge his try. Helios shifted away slightly as Jushin moved to position himself at Lili's side. Quickly he began to gather chakra in his hands but not like he had done prior; this chakra felt soft, soothing to the touch. He placed his hands upon the wound after removing the kunai, using his Mystical Hands technique.

"Jushin," Helios began, astounded by the boy's skills. "I never knew you were a medical expert.

"I had to," Jushin accepted the compliment as an "expert" despite complete opposite to the contrary; he had only been learning for a week now. "I was given lessons as a way to combat the lack of training in the Gentle Fist art of the Branch family. I never knew I would have to use it so soon; I'm still weak at it... I'm not even sure this will work..."

The wound was closing slowly, but with each passing second more blood began to pour from the wound. No matter how much Jushin tried, and no matter how much he willed the technique to work, it was not getting any faster. All he could do was keep it up, wait, and hope.

"This is all my fault," The boy spoke softly, his voice strained from the use of chakra beforehand and in using this technique. A single drop of tear began to roll down his cheek. It's my fault she got hurt. I was so annoyed and angry at myself for being part of the branch family that I had to take it out on someone! And I took it out on her without even thinking of how she felt! I went and shoved all my problems onto her and now... and now she'll die for it! I'm so sorry Lili!"

The bead of tear was followed by another, and another, until soon streams flowed across the boy's pale face and landing upon Lili's shirt as he leaned over her. Within a minute or slightly less the wound had finally closed. The Hyuuga gave a small hic as he lightly lifted his hands off her, placing them on his knees. But despite his healing, she didn't move.

"Please forgive me... Lili..."

[Guyviroth]

The moon was starting to shine brighter now that it had moved a bit over the night sky. Its silver shroud veiled over the tops of the trees and onto the paths and clearings that snaked and dotted around the outskirts of the village. Three shadows forms over the pathway that would lead back to the Hidden Leaf, and each shadow in the shape of a human.

"Hey, Jushin," Helios gave a small tired, low tone of voice as he looked over at the Hyuuga, holding an arm around his shoulders as he trod on. "You did great. I was wrong about you.

"No Helios," The boy replied in turn, he too with an arm over his shoulders. His expression turned to one of joy as he gave a small smile. "We all did great. All three of us. Right, Lili?"

The girl looked up at the two boys, starting with Helios and then Jushin, with each of her arms over their shoulders as she was supported. "hehe, yeah. We all did great..." It seemed the wound had closed before she lost a fatal amount of blood, only falling unconscious. She gave a large grin as she looked at Jushin. "So Ju, did you really think you did great?"

"Eh. So-so." he responded to her with a little smirk on his face, teasing her.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!? Helly, I did great, right?"

"For an academy student, yeah." Helios and Jushin gave a small combined chuckle as Lili looked up with a comedic irritated face on her. But the boys looked at her, with a smile from each of them.

"But, seriously Lili,"

"You were good. Just go get more training before you come out for another C rank, okay?"

---

Mission Complete!

[Naitome]

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