Konoha Had No Shame

As dirt and rubble were hurriedly scraped away, the others pulled Nara Tsukimi from beneath the soil.

He was covered in black ash and looked a mess, but his breathing was steady, his eyes were clear, and he had no visible injuries. Only his exhaustion was impossible to hide.

Once they saw with their own eyes that Tsukimi was alive, the weight on their hearts finally lifted. Relief and joy swept through the group.

Obito was the first to lose his composure. The terror vanished from his face, replaced by excitement. He ignored the dirt covering Tsukimi and started chattering.

"Tsukimi! Lord Hokage above, that last attack was terrifying! We felt the shockwave from several kilometers away. We thought you were dead!"

"You have no idea how upset I was! If you died, who would train with me? I was planning to make you Jonin Commander when I became Hokage!"

"And seriously, how are you this hard to kill? Even a Tailed Beast Bomb couldn't finish you off!"

Asuma still looked shaken. He joined Obito in talking nonstop.

"We're so lucky you're alive, Tsukimi. That blast flattened the forest. No one should've survived something that powerful, but somehow you did."

"But that was insane! You stayed behind and took a Tailed Beast Bomb without a word! I thought you'd retreat as soon as we left."

"We ran all the way back and searched for minutes without finding a trace of you. We thought you'd really died here."

The two crowded around Tsukimi, one on either side. Between their lingering fear and amazement, neither could stop talking.

Kurenai and Rin crouched nearby and let out a breath of relief. Their tense bodies relaxed, and they watched the three with smiles.

Kakashi stood and looked at Tsukimi, filthy but unharmed. A smile