Red Is A Pretty Colour

130

Hiko's pov

The second exam was due to finish any day now and I was working on a training regiment for my team for the training period that was about to start. It was better to be prepared.

I was filling out paperwork for Kakashi~Sensei while he was busy doing something relating to Naruto's wedding. I had been locked away in an office at the hokage's tower working all day. I got a fright when for the first time that day the door was flung open.

"Hiko! It's your students. They're in the hospital." A man said as he burst into the room.

I bolted up out of my chair, my paperwork falling to the ground. I shushined to the hospital and rushed inside straight passed Sakura and in the direction I could sense my team.

When I entered the room I saw that there were only two people in hospital beds. Toka was wrapped from head to toe in bandages, her left leg and left arm were both in casts, her forehead was wrapped in bandages and I could only assume the rest of her matched. In the second bed was Konohamaru who was unconscious and on oxygen, most of his face and neck were covered in bandages.

"Toka! Oh my god, what happened?" I asked worried as I approached her.

"I'm sorry." Toka choked out, tears streaming down her face, I hadn't even noticed she was crying.

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for." I said, placing a hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears.

"It's- it's my fault." Toka sobbed, her shaky and broken, I had never heard her like this.

"Sensei, can we talk to you outside for a minute?" Akira asked.

"Of course." I replied.

The two boys led me outside of the hospital room and around the corner away from prying ears.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The item we had to retrieve was guarded by vicious animals. Toka wouldn't listen to us when we told her not to rush in, she argued that we deserved to pass so we'd be fine. We tried to stop her but it was too late and that boy rushed in to save her. Now she feels guilty because of how badly he got hurt." Akira explained.

"I knew her attitude would cause problems eventually but I didn't think it'd happen so soon." I said.

"What do you mean?" Akira asked.

"Toka acts very much like a child which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I'm glad she can still be like that despite everything she's been through. Unfortunately she's also a bit bratty and entitled, she feels the world owes her something because of the hardships she's endured. She thinks she can't loose and that's very dangerous." I explained. "Maybe seeing how her attitude can hurt others will prompt her to fix it."

"Sensei should Akira and I drop out of the finals?" Itona asked.

"You two got through?" I asked.

"Yeah, it was kind of like the bell test. We were individually assigned a specific item we needed to pass but we had to work together to get them. Itona and I already had ours when it happened." Akira explained.

"You two worked hard and proved that you are ready for this. Don't drop out just because of Toka. There will be plenty of other opportunities for her to become a chunin, don't pass up on yours." I said.

"But-" Akira began.

"No buts! I've got a training regiment planned out for the two of you already, no backing out. You're gonna give this your all and make Toka proud." I said.

"What about making you proud?" Akira asked.

"I'm already proud." I said, ruffling their hair. "Now come on, let's go back to Toka."

The three of us headed back into the room Toka and Konohamaru were in. When we reached Toka's bedside we saw that she had cried herself to sleep.

"We should let her sleep." Itona said.

"Yeah, let's go get her some flowers or something for when she wakes up." I said.

"Her favourite flowers are daisies." Akira said.

"Daisies it is, I know just the place to get them." I said as I began heading towards the door with Akira. "Are you coming Itona?"

"I think I'll stay incase she wakes up." Itona said.

"Okay, we'll be back soon. I'll bring some dumplings." I said.

"You don't ha-" Itona was cut off.

"The exams just finished, you need to eat." I said.