Theirs was a sensible joint mission: a medic and a sensor both with great physical prowess and the ability to evade almost all blows for a fortress full of an army that could kill with one blow.
The objective was simple: find and retrieve a precious scroll in one piece at any cost, and don't get hurt in the process. Really, they did quite well. Most people wouldn't even believe the story they could tell about their adventure, including some extraordinary efforts of teamwork.
They made it all the way out of the castle without a scratch, and even to the treeline, before one of them—she can't remember who now—stumbled on an uneven choice of footing, exhausted from the extraordinary mission, and Sakura found herself propelled by a rope-trap up into a tree.
It was an easy thing to cut the rope and drop down, of course, it was just…in the process of flailing and jerking up there, her arm must have caught a shiruken lodged in the tree. It was the shallowest of cuts, but…the toxin needed nothing more.
She couldn't know for sure if it was one of theirs, however, so she kept it to herself until her hand went numb grabbing a tree branch and she suddenly plummeted toward the ground.
Rather than impact the ground, she felt a rush of air and something…cushion her? Maybe. It was hard to say, actually, because—she couldn't really feel the side of her body that she'd cut anymore, but…
She blinked up at Neji. It seemed like he was saying something—scolding her or lecturing her most likely—but the roaring of the blood in her own ears drowned him out.
"There was…a shiruken. I wasn't sure if it was ours but—" She laughed. "It was…probably one I dodged instead of deflecting, actually. Justice. Anyway—come on…" She managed to get to her feet with only half of her body obeying her, but immediately collapsed once more.
Those were definitely his arms around her this time, and she…didn't mind leaning into him. He was always surprisingly strong for his size. His hair smelled of blood and sweat and dirt, but she didn't mind pillowing her cheek against it anyway.
It was all sort of vague, so why not?
"Mm. For once it's…not your fault, I guess…" Not much longer now, not without the antidote…but they'd given up their only vial. They couldn't possibly make it to a new source in time.
He knew it as well as she did. He was a genius, after all.
She smiled then, warmly as ever, though she could no longer even be sure he looked in her direction now. A few more moments were all she had, probably. Thus why they'd been chosen. Thus why she should have been more careful.
Maybe it all really was her fault in the end. She probably should tell him that while she still had the chance. He should know. It seemed right.
Definitely.
"Neji…thank you."