"Sakura, you have to break the genjutsu!" spoke Hinata frantically.
"Alright." said Sakura as she placed a hand on Sasukes' cheek, allowing her chakra to flow into him. In an instant his eyes opened and he gasped as if he hadn't had air in ages. He tried to sit up quickly, but the large wound in his side prevented him from doing so. Sakura placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back as he let out a loud pain-filled scream. His body was tense, however, he responded to her touch by lying back against the tree without a fight. His breath was coming in gasps and he looked exhausted.
"How is he?" Sakura asked Hinata, searching franticly for something in her friends eyes that would reassure her. "It looks bad; the poison has spread throughout his body. If I don't give him the antidote soon...I just don't know."
Sakura looked at her love. Sasuke's fists were clenched tightly at his side, his brow was furrowed and his breathing was growing even more eradicate. She placed a hand over his fist and it relaxed slightly.
"Do it." she said.
"Alright, but first he has to relax." Said Hinata nervously. Sakura glanced at Hinata. Her face was stern and her mouth looked like it was stuck in a straight line as her eyes remained focused on prepping the needle. It must be bad if Hinata was this serious.
Sakura bent down so her mouth was even with Sasuke's ear. She could feel his tepid breath on her neck as she spoke. "Shh, you have to relax." Sasuke responded with a groan through his clenched teeth. Sakura laced her fingers into his own and brought their hands to Sasukes chest, out of the way of the wound.
"You have to relax, please Sasuke."
Sasuke closed his eyes and drew in a breath but as he let it out he began coughing, but soon stopped and was still. Sakura ran her fingers through his bangs and traced his cheek down to his collar bone.
"Now Sakura," said Hinata. Sakura looked at her. She had definitely never seen Hinata look so serious. She spoke in a low voice, was she hoping Sasuke couldn't hear her?
"This antidote should take care of this poison. However, the cure itself is another poison that should annihilate the poison already in his body. After it's done that it should just disappear on its own. However, this process is incredibly painful. Whatever you do you have got to keep him clam. If his body gets too tense the reaction between the two poisons will become even more intense which can damage his body even further...possibly killing him instantly. "Sakura, although completely scared out of her mind, nodded in agreement to her friend.
"What can I do?" asked Naruto, who had been standing out of the way until now.
"You can keep watch." answered Hinata, smiling at him. Naruto nodded and turned to face away from the three of his comrades.
"Ready?" asked Hinata.
Sakura nodded, her hand giving Sasuke's a gentle squeeze as Hinata injected the needle. She shot the antidote into Sasukes body slowly, and Sasuke was definitely feeling it. His face contorted in pain and his mouth was wide open as if he was about to say something, but it was caught in his throat. Sakura could hear his breath shorten and she could feel his pulse quicken beneath her hand. "Shhhh." she said as he began to shout and twist his shoulders.
"Sakura." Hinatas' tone warned her friend that Sasuke needed to relax. She already knew. That. But how could she get him to relax when she was panicking herself?
"What's happening?" asked Sakura, even thought she already knew the answer to that question.
"The poison is already starting to work, but the pain will get worse eventually. But you have to keep him calm and quiet."
Sakura continued to coo to Sasuke until he finally managed to calm himself at least to slight occasional whimpers. All was going well, until the antidote started to disintegrate. Searing hot pain shot through Sasukes body as he let out scream after blood curling scream. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked over at Sakura, and what he said then made her heart break.
"Please," he said, gasping "Please Sakura, make it stop, please!" with each word he became more and more frantic. Sakura felt tear welling up in her eyes. Sasuke must have been in a lot of pain, or out of his right mind… or both. He would never beg like that. Especially to her.
"Sakura, calm him down." warned Hinata for a second time. Even though her voice was strong both she and Naruto could tell she was beginning to worry.
"Sasuke please just relax, it will be over soon-" But her words were drowned out by his screams, he hand gripped hers tighter and she shut her eyes. Partly so she didn't have to see his pain like that and partly because Sasuke's grip was probably almost as painful as the medication.
Please, she though, you'll die if you don't. I don't want to lose you
"Sakura!" Naruto's harsh tone made her open her eyes and look over at him. His kunai was in his hand and he was looking around in an alert manner. "You have to get him to calm down." He had to shout over Sasuke's moans and shouts so she could hear him.
"I can't" she shouted, tears filling her eyes.
"Well you better! Just think of something to shut him up! Those ninjas were on our trail and now they may find us if he doesn't shut it!" shouted Naruto.
Sakura looked back down at Sasuke who was looking at her again. She couldn't let those ninjas find them, she knew that. Anyone who could wound Sasuke like this was no match for anyone else. But, she just couldn't console him no matter what she tried.
Tears of pain ran freely down his face as he shouted and moaned in pain. and for the first time in her life Sakura saw something different in Sasuke.
He looked like a frightened little child, instead of his usually calm, cool self. This tugged at her heart so much, the tears that she had been fighting earlier spilled over her cheeks.
She didn't like Sasuke like this; she wanted her prince back, even if she was never his princess.
"Sakura please, make it stop." he choked.
Sakura removed her hand from his and placed it on his cheek. She had an idea. But he'd probably hate her forever if she did it. It didn't matter now. She had to do something.
"I will." She said and kissed him.
For a moment everything was still. Her lips pressed on his and his on hers. Naruto didn't look, although he knew what she had done. Hinata continued treating the wound and monitoring the poison, but now there was a smile in her face.
The world seemed to melt around Sasuke, the pain was beginning to blur and his head was swimming. Nothing seemed real except for the fact that Sakuras' lips were on his… and he wasn't kissing back. Why wasn't he? Were his lips broken? However hard he tried, he just couldn't get his mouth to do what him mind was telling it to.
"That took care of the screaming." said Naruto slyly, smiling at the two.
Sakura remained kissing Sasuke until his treatment was complete. When it was done, she removed her lips from his and sat back on her heels. He had fallen asleep some time ago, even though she was still kissing him. She was a little disappointed. She hadn't even noticed, was she that bad? She didn't want it to end.
At least, she though, I saved him.
Late that night by the campfire, Sasuke was put into the sleeping bag closest to the fire so he as the other three sat round it. Naruto sat behind Hinata, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and placing his chin on her shoulder like he always did.
"I'm going to go for a walk." said Sakura standing up.
"But Sakura, the enemy might still be-"
But Sakura didn't hear the rest of Hinatas sentence. She was already gone. She didn't care about the enemy anyway. She kept walking until she came to a small stream, running downhill, away from the campsite. She followed it for a while before she sat at the edge of the water, her knees pulled up to her chest. She stared into the water for a long while, thinking. Her head shot around behind her, her gaze focused on a small tree where she had just heard a rustling noise from. Soon she figured it was a bird and just kept watching the water.
"Why did I do that?" She though of the kiss and she could almost feel Sasukes lips: warm and soft, but yet ... resistant.
"What was I thinking...now even if he does live he won't even want to talk to me again." she said to herself. "Ugh, how could I be so stupid? All I did was take advantage of his condition and the circumstances!" Angry with herself and her luck, Sakura smacked the water with her hand and stood up.
"And yet" she said, "It was still so magical. It was a dream...an impossible dream" she said.
And with that she stood up and walked back to camp. When she got back, Hinata and Naruto were asleep, snuggled up to each other like the two always were with each other. But Sasuke, surprisingly, was awake. Her heart skipped a beat. He's okay, she thought. He was propped against a tree. He was looking at her.
"Come here." he said, beckoning her with a single index finger.
Nervously, she obeyed.
She sat down in front of him.
He didn't look as tired but he still looked a bit sick.
"Closer." He commanded.
She obeyed.
"Do you know what closer means?" He asked.
Now, she was sitting directly in front if him, she sat on her knees and he stretched his legs out around her.
"Closer." he whispered.
She obeyed.
Their foreheads were touching now and Sakura could feel his warm breath on her face. She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks and he continued to stare at her with his dark onyx eyes. He was so close. She did her best to control herself. But suddenly, without warning...he kissed.
His lips pressed onto hers in a wave of passion. One hand entangled in her long pink hair as his other found it's way to the small of her back, pulling her closer, if that was possible. Fireworks exploded in Sakura's mind as her eyes fluttered shut. Yes. Sakura allowed her hands to wander through his hair, sliding down his neck and jaw bone and across his chest. After a time, the two pulled away, breathless and happy. When Sasuke had caught his breath he looked at the girls face in front of him. It was cherry red, but so beautiful. Then he pulled her head gently back towards his until his mouth was just below her lower lip.
"What was that?" she asked him.
Sasuke kissed her gently again. "A dream...a possible dream."