Fatal Weakness

By

Blood Zephyr

"...Break in the sun till the sun breaks down; And death shall have

no dominion..." Dylan Thomas

A once peaceful field on the borders of Fire Country was now riddled with devastating explosions. These, along with angered shouts and the clanging of steel against steel were the only signs that a mission had gone to hell. The small band of Leaf ninjas had expected an ordinary C-class mission. Nothing too exciting and nothing anybody could die over. Unfortunately, a missing-nin from Wind Country deemed it necessary to break up the little party they were having on their way back.

"Dammit!" An angry blond chuunin cursed as a flurry of senbon cut into the side of his arm, ripping flesh and ruining his favorite shirt. Dark orange was dotted with crimson, eliciting another obscenity from the fox-like ninja. Spinning on his toes, the blond, named Uzumaki Naruto, lept into the air and dodged another volley of needles. 'Crap! Where the hell is that stupid Hyuuga?! He's supposed to be watching my back!'

Hyuuga Neji, one of Naruto's three other teammates, was currently fighting one of the missing-nin's clones. His Jyuuken easily took it out, but another would pop up in its place. Neji found it to be extremely annoying. 'This fool needs to be destroyed quickly'. The clone threw several needles at Neji, but when he ducked out of the way, the black-haired ninja was hit with smoke bombs. Dust flew into his face and without his Byakugan, Neji would have been blinded. Jumping backward to escape the smoke, Neji looked around for a glimpse of his teammates. Kiba and Shikamaru were also fighting clones, but Naruto was nowhere to be seen. Neji hissed in annoyance and glared at the clone in front of him. It was pale and thin, with no appearance of being powerful, but that was obviously wrong. It's black stringy hair hung in clumps around it's gaunt face and the cruel, vacant eyes nearly made Neji shiver. Lips pulled back in a snarl, it began to speak, a voice like fingernails on a chalkboard blaring from it's mouth.

"He-he, you should be more careful, boy. If you're havin' so much trouble with a little ol' clone, I wonder how that blond brat is doin' against the real deal!" He cackled loudly, and whipped more senbon at Neji.

The Leaf-nin was actually having some difficulty, considering he was a close-combat fighter. Neji didn't do so great with projectiles or distances. 'Where is that blond moron?!' Neji wondered, frustrated. He could sense Kiba and Shikamaru moving closer so they could watch each other's backs, but Naruto seemed to be having fun all by himself. 'Hn. That fool probably got himself killed or something. I knew I'd have to watch his back today. Now I just have to find him and save his ass.' Neji grimaced when he heard Naruto's voice as it rose above the din of battle, complete with every curse that had been created, and a few of his own.

"Naruto!" Neji yelled, "Get you're stupid ass over here!" He dodged another wave of needles but one sank into his shoulder. Hissing more in anger than pain, he pulled it out and threw it at the clone, watching in satisfaction as it broke into a cloud of white smoke. "One down," he murmured.

"I think I got mine, too," Shikamaru called out, following it by covering a yawn. Absently rubbing at a smudge of dirt on his cheek, he glanced at Kiba. "What about you man?"

Kiba smirked and gave his dog Akamaru a quick pat on the head. "Damn right, we got ours!" He swaggered over to the lazy nin and rested an arm on his shoulder. "What 'bout fox boy?"

The three ninjas looked around the battlefield for any sign of their blond companion, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Naruto!" Kiba yelled. "Naruto! Get your blond butt over here!"

Neji frowned but remained quiet. Shikamaru noticed his tense shoulders and asked him what was wrong. Neji sighed. "I'm not sure….but something feels wrong. I don't think we've seen the last of that missing-nin." The others frowned at that.

Meanwhile, in the middle of a small grove of trees……

Naruto flipped backwards to avoid the fresh set of needles that were aimed at his guts. Instead they hit the ground where he'd been standing only moments before. 'Kuso, that was too close! What's wrong with me? I shouldn't have any problem taking this jerk on.' Naruto was beginning to feel tired, almost sluggish in his movements. As he flung a kunai at his opponent, he noticed that his aim was off and his hands were clammy. He rubbed a cool hand over his face, alarmed at how much sweat was trickling down his face and torso. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' The alarm must have shown in his expression because the missing-nin laughed.

"What's wrong little ninja? Scared that I know your weakness?" He grinned at Naruto's confusion. "Heh…..I didn't know the Kyuubi host had one either, until the Akatsuki told me about it."

'Oh Kami! Not Akatsuki again! But what weakness is he talking about?' Suddenly Naruto felt sharp twinges of pain swell in his chest and spread to his arms and legs. He yelped and fell to one knee. "What the hell?! What's going on?" He glared at the nin in front of him, angry and just a bit afraid.

The ninja smirked at him. "Poison of course. That's your weakness. And it's a doozy too. Not just any ol' poison. This one," he held up a senbon that was noticeably tipped with a purple substance," can kill a jinnchuuriki like you. At least, that's what that Uchiha guy said."

Naruto felt a horrible chill wash over him as he noticed the redness spreading from the cuts on his arm, and the burning in his limbs and chest was getting worse. He tried to stand, but his legs wobbled and it felt like his chakra was being drained. "Crap!" He hissed, glaring at the ugly man in front of him. "At least my friends will still kill you!"

The ninja smirked again. "Not exactly. Ya see, the Akatsuki gave me tips on how to kill them too. So you'll be seein' them again real soon." He chuckled darkly and walked away, leaving Naruto gasping for breath on the dusty ground.

'Dammit! He's not getting my friends! Not while I still live and breathe. When I get through with him he'll be wishin' the Akatsuki were after him!' Naruto shoved himself to his feet and stumbled off in the direction the nin had gone.

"Where the hell could that dobe be?" Kiba muttered. "I swear, when we find him I am so gonna kick his ass!"

A sinister cackle made them jump. "I'm afraid I've already done that. Gomen."

They turned to see the figure of the missing-nin appear from the tree line. Neji glared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that brat will be dead within the hour. I suppose you all thought he was invincible didn't you?" He laughed again. "Well, even the Kyuubi Host has a weakness…..and I found his. He could barely move when I left. I'd like to see him fight me now."

Shikamaru paled and gripped his kunai tighter. Kiba growled and Akamaru bared his fangs. Neji's face remained impassive, but the darkening of his eyes and the tightening of his muscles betrayed his rage. None of them were surprised by the Kyuubi comment though. They had all figured out long ago that there was something very deadly about the blond idiot.

Shikamaru spoke first, his voice wavering slightly from fear and exhaustion. "It'll take a lot more than anything you have to bring Naruto down," he rasped. 'Dammit Naruto, why'd you have to go off on your own again? If you die I'll bring you back and kill you myself!' The shadow user smirked at their opponent. "Last I checked, Naruto is a very difficult guy to get rid of. Kinda like a parasite, 'cept…..friendlier."

The sickly nin just laughed, sending anger flaring through the other boy's veins. Without another word, the nin lept toward Shikamaru with surprising speed, throwing senbon at his head. Shikamaru staggered back, a needle catching the side of his face. He dropped to his knees, and as he did, the chuunin noticed that he was surrounded by smoke bombs. "Crap!" He yelped as the bombs exploded, darkening the fighting area and ruining any chance of using his shadow jutsus. "This is so troublesome," he hissed. Before he could take another step, the enemy's chakra signature appeared behind him. Something incredibly hard struck Shikamaru's temple, and he cursed as his legs gave out and his vision swam. He could feel the cool dirt under his sweaty cheek and muttered a soft, "Crap…" as his eyes flickered shut.

"Shika!" Kiba screamed his comrade's name and heard Akamaru whimper beside his knee. The smoke from the bombs was spreading quickly making it impossible to see what had happened. He sprinted towards Neji, who was using his Byakugan to stare through the dust and smoke. "What do ya see? Is Shika alright?"

"Kuso," the Hyuuga cursed. His body tensed as he peered into the dark cloud. "Shikamaru's down, but I'm not sure how bad he's hurt. I believe he's only been knocked out." The cloud was beginning to envelope them too.

"Neji, what should we do man? This guy knows what—" Kiba broke off and whirled around, staring in the direction of the smoke. His nose twitched and he inhaled deeply. Allowing his eyes to drift shut in deep concentration, Kiba muttered, "I smell Naruto. He's close too." The feral ninja cautiously stepped toward the smoke, his nose twitching madly in an attempt to locate their missing teammate. "Where is—" Suddenly, several loops of wire shot out of the cloud, wrapping themselves around Kiba's shoulders, hips and ankles. With a ferocious yank, the boy was quickly dragged out of site. His yelling and cursing was abruptly cut off by a pained yelp. Sensing his master's distress, Akamaru took off after him, but a sharp whimper told Neji that the large dog had been taken down as well.

"How the hell is this even happening?!" Neji was outraged. The four-no five of them were some of the strongest shinobi in all of Konoha. 'One man should not be able to take us down so easily!' Neji noticed the dissipating smoke and could just make out the faint outlines of his friends lying on the ground several yards in front of him. Faint groaning met his ears, signaling that one if not all three of them were at least semi-conscious.

A twig snapped to his left, and Neji spun anxiously toward the sound. He was ready to use his chakra to deflect an attack, but his blind spot made him slightly nervous. He could feel someone watching him, but wasn't sure if it was the enemy or just his friends. 'It could be Naruto,' he thought, frustrated. He hated being so nervous, but the opponent was a tricky one. He needed to be careful. His Byakugan wasn't helping either. Apparently the enemy knew about the distance problem.

Suddenly a faint hissing sound flew past his ear, and an arrow buried itself in the ground several feet in front of him. Neji gulped. 'It almost got me in the head! A few more inches and I would be a goner,' he thought grimly. 'Since when does the creep use arrows?'

A sudden yelp of pain from one of his teammates caused Neji to instinctively turn in the direction it came from. As he did, however, the boy knew it was a mistake. The ominous hiss of an arrow flying toward his blind spot was all the warning Neji got. Knowing he wouldn't be able to stop it in time, he closed his eyes, still seeing the half horrified- half dazed expressions on the pale faces of the two ninjas before him. Neji choked and waited for the flare of pain in his back, the pressure on his lungs and the blood to well up in his throat and make him gag. But it didn't come. He heard a faint thud behind him, but it was mixed with a slight squelching sound and Neji knew that the arrow had hit something soft. His eyes shot open, slowly registering the glaze of horror coating Kiba's dark eyes, and his fanged mouth hanging open. Shikamaru weakly pushed himself off the ground, face pale and a purple bruise contrasting sharply with the limp black hair hanging in his face. The boy's lower lip quivered slightly before being trapped by several white teeth. One dark eye was uncovered by the short curtain of matted hair, and dulled by such heart-wrenching despair and sickening horror that Neji's throat burned. He could tell by looking at them that something terrible had happened. Neji gulped down the bile that threatened to gag him as all kinds of nightmarish images floated through his mind. Forcing himself to turn around, the first thing he saw was a dead missing nin. His pale, skeletal body lay sprawled on its back, and a kunai was firmly lodged in his throat. Blood flowed sluggishly and pooled around his head. 'But who—'

An orange arm came into view, topped by a black stripe at the shoulder, a muscular neck, and blond shaggy hair. Neji's brain went into meltdown. "N-Naru….Naruto?!" The scream building in his throat came out as an undignified whimper.

The figure standing before him looked to be on the verge of collapse. Muscular legs shook and threatened to give out, and one fist was clenched at the boy's side. The other had a firm grasp on the shaft of the arrow protruding from his chest. His broad shoulders were slumped and a shudder ran through his body. Blood spurted from the entrance wound, and flowed between his pale, trembling fingers. A short gasp echoed in the quiet dead-lands, followed by a few garbled words that the ninjas had to strain to make out. "T-Told….you I-….." Naruto's breath hitched," W-Would….w-watch….youuur-…..back….Nej-" Naruto's shoulders hunched and a wet gagging sound escaped from his mouth, halting what he had been saying to the dumbstruck Hyuuga. Short, wheezing gasps were followed by loud, throaty coughing. Each one shook Naruto's entire body and elicited grimaces of pain that Neji could see even from an angle. Suddenly, one of Naruto's legs gave out, followed by the other. He landed flat on his butt with a yelp and his hand tightened instinctively around the arrow. "Oh Kami-…..that hurt," he choked out.

Neji was jerked out of his frozen position near the blond. He noticed the boy's strength giving out and quickly supported Naruto's heaving torso with his own. Blond, matted hair fell in Naruto's eyes as his head lolled forward. Neji pressed a pale hand against Naruto's forehead and gently guided his head back to rest on the Hyuuga's strong shoulder and collarbone. Neji's braced the arrow with his other hand and was alarmed at the frigidity of the blond's fingers. He could feel Naruto's grip already loosening, and gasped when his own fingers squished into the blood-soaked fabric of his friend's shirt. Neither of them really noticed the distraught cries of the other two ninjas stumbling through the fog behind them.

Shikamaru fell to his knees at their left, and dug his fingers into his tangled hair. A single tear trickled lazily down the sharp curve of his cheekbone and dripped off his trembling chin. "Oh gods…." He croaked.

Kiba had also collapsed beside them, and had a damp cheek pressed into the soft white fur on Akamaru's neck. One dark eye stared at the blond ninja from beneath stringy brown bangs. He had bit his lip with his fangs and bright red blood welled up from the small cut.

Neji glanced down to see that Naruto's face was pale and sickly; sweat ran in rivulets down his cheeks and his hair was limp and stuck to the slick skin at his temples. Other strands were glued to his damp forehead, and his lips were tinged a disturbing blue. Crimson blood flecked his lips and chin, while Naruto's usually blinding white teeth were stained with dull red froth. Neji's pale gaze met with the stormy blue orbs of Naruto's eyes and it sickened him to see how dull they had become.

"W-What….." Neji cleared his throat. "What the hell were you thinking, Naruto?" His low voice cracked on the last word. His pale eyes were slightly bloodshot, and red rimmed. Deep purple smudges were forming under Neji's eyes from lack of sleep and chakra exhaustion. He frowned accusingly and his mouth was set in a firm line of disapproval as he settled his gaze on the bloodied boy resting against him.

Naruto's eyes were only half open and they rolled slowly up to stare at the Hyuuga. His bloodied lips twisted into a pained smirk, before attempting to form a sentence. "I-", he choked, trying to suppress a gag, "wasn't…." His body tensed as several deep coughs wracked his body, his head thrown back to clear his airway and his long legs drawn up to ease the pull of his chest muscles around the arrow. Blood and saliva flew in thick gobs from his mouth and further stained his and Neji's shirts. Neji glanced at Shikamaru and Kiba. Both looked ready to pass out or vomit, whether it was from their own wounds or from the horror of their companion's. They'd never seen Naruto so…..vulnerable. So……mortal. It terrified them more than they could ever describe.

"He-…..he's gonna be ok….right?" Shikamaru whispered. "Neji?" His eyes desperately searched the Hyuuga's for some vain hope that Naruto would indeed be alright.

A sadly resigned expression fell over Neji's face and his eyes softened. He gripped the arrow tighter and studied the wound. The hole in Naruto's chest was deep. Blood bubbled around the wooden shaft and oozed down the front of his jacket. The zipper was covered in drying blood, but the stain on his chest was still growing. With every gasping breath he took, more crimson fluid spurted from the plugged hole, even as Neji pressed his strong hand to it. Neji sighed. "I can't tell what the extent of the damage is, but I'm pretty sure the arrow hit some vital organs. Probably a lung. That could explain why the blood is bubbling like that. The pressure in the chest cavity is growing from all the blood pooling inside and it's pushing in on the lung. Add to that the hole in his lung and it's basically like a deflating balloon." He shut his eyes and sighed. "The collecting blood has to go somewhere, so it forces its way out through the wound, and also into his lungs like oxygen usually would." He winced slightly, and his voice lowered until it was barely a whisper. "He'll…..drown on it." Neji's voice was strained and it was obvious to everyone that he was struggling to keep his composure and stay calm. After all, he may be unusually stoic and emotionless sometimes, but Naruto was one of his closest friends. It was torture having to watch someone so strong and powerful being destroyed by a single small arrow. It hurt even worse to know that the arrow had been meant for him. That Neji was the one who should be suffering that way. Not a selfless, cheerful, energetic guy like Uzumaki Naruto. 'It's not fair! Why him? It was supposed to be me!' Neji was frustrated and angry. He didn't know how to help his friend. He wasn't a medic nin. He had studied anatomy and the human body. Not to heal, but to effectively destroy. He felt utterly helpless. He supposed all three of them did. And this angered him greatly.

His grip on Naruto tightened and he hissed in rage. "Dammit! Damn this freaking mission to hell!" Shikamaru and Kiba both gaped at him in shock.

"Neji, you should calm-"Kiba was cut off when Naruto's body suddenly jerked and started convulsing in violent spasms. The blond's face paled even further and he dug his fingers into Neji's shirt. His eyes squeezed shut as he let out a pathetic screech of pain. His body twisted in agony and his heels dug into the dirt as he fought the invisible tormentor. The others fought to keep him still, fearing that the arrow would do more damage as he writhed on the ground. Neji wrapped him in a stiff hug, while Shikamaru pinned one of his arms and tried to sooth Naruto by smoothing the hair out of his gaunt face. Kiba and Akamaru held down the other arm and his twitching legs. All of them were fighting back tears, some succeeding and others not.

"Neji!" Kiba glanced questioningly at their 'leader' and scrubbed at his tearstained face. "What's happening to him?!" Both Neji and Shika looked dazed, even confused.

Neji whispered "I….I don't know, Kiba."

"P-pois-son," someone hissed weakly.

Shika jumped in surprise, then glanced down at their wounded friend. "Nani? Naruto….did you say poison?" The boy was leaning heavily against Neji, his body limp and strained from the tremors. Fresh rivulets of blood oozed from the corners of his mouth and left warm, sticky trails down his chin and throat. Naruto's eyes were slightly glazed and he appeared exhausted.

Swallowing thickly, he fought to pull a fresh breath of air into his heaving lungs and opened his mouth to speak. When he did, the voice they heard was horribly soft. "Akatsuki……p-poisonnn……o-one….." he gasped slightly, already winded, "one……hour to l-live. K-kyuuubi-……..can't…..help." He shuddered as if an icy wind had blown across him. "P-please……" he begged softly, "take th-the arrow….out." He whimpered slightly and they all could tell that those brief words had cost him.

The pleading struck Shika like a punch to the gut. "W-wait! Lemme get this straight. You were poisoned by something the Akatsuki created, which means that Kyuubi can't heal you, and the poison will kill you in less than an hour?!" Shika was stricken and he grasped Naruto's shaking hand in his own. "And…..you want us to take the arrow out?"

"But that'll kill him too!" Kiba yelled, frustrated. Akamaru nudged his master's shoulder comfortingly.

Shikamaru rubbed his eyes and tried to ease the oncoming headache. He understood what Naruto was asking. "Yeah, it will," he muttered. "But it'll be a lot less painful than lettin' that poison do it's job." 'I can't believe that it's actually come to this. Oh gods, I don't think I can stand it!'

Kiba growled. "Like hell! I'm NOT just gonna sit here and watch him die!" He dug a fist into the loose fabric of Naruto's collar and glared into his face. "What happened to all that crap about bein' Hokage?! After all those times you refused to give up, you're just gonna lay here and let a stupid little arrow and some poison take you down?!" Naruto flinched slightly and moaned.

Neji cuffed the dog-nin and shoved him away. " Urusai! You don't have the right to say that, you mutt!" he snarled. "Why don't you switch places with him, and then we'll consider your opinion."

"P-please!" Naruto gasped. "J-just…..h-help m-" he was cut off as a shrill cry forced its way out of his mouth, followed by a fresh gush of blood and bile.

Neji felt the boy's muscles spasm against his hands as Naruto's back arched from the burning torture of the poison. Alarmed, Neji snapped off half of the protruding end of the arrow so it wouldn't get in the way, and gently eased Naruto onto his side. Almost immediately, the blond vomited, whimpering as more dark blood and putrid bile poured from between parted lips. His torso heaved as he expelled mouthful after mouthful, until a large thick puddle had formed. It quickly began soaking into Shikamaru's pants.

"Aww, shit!" He stared at the soupy mixture and bit his lip. "That looks really troublesome….."

As the sour, rotten scent wafted into the dusty air, Kiba cringed. 'Dammit! This is getting out of control!' "That's it, I'm sending Akamaru to find some help!" he growled, and the large dog lept away and into the tree-line after a hard look from his master. "There's still a chance that someone will find us in time!" No one dared argue with the enraged boy.

As the spasms settled down, Naruto's ragged breathing evened back out. He lay there for a minute, eyes shut, focusing on a meditating breath pattern that Kakashi-sensei had taught him for dealing with painful injuries. He absently grabbed Shikamaru's hand and squeezed it. He swallowed hard and winced at the acidic flavor left on his tongue and in his throat. His head throbbed in time to his pulse and each time it did, his stomach threatened to rebel again. Taking a deep breath and attempting to ignore the tightness of his chest and the burning in his lungs, Naruto whispered, " I-I don't…..w-want to d-die….." He paused and opened his eyes. "Bu-ut…..don't h-have……much ch-choice." He shivered and gripped Shika's warm fingers tighter. Ignoring the gasps and mutterings of protest from his friends, Naruto continued. "S-so I'm g-gonna……cho-ose h-how I…..g-go."

Neji shifted and helped pull the blond back up to a sitting position, causing Naruto's vision to swim and darken. Blinking the haziness away, his gaze shifted to the lazy nin's dark, desperate eyes. He tugged gently on Shika's wrist and pulled him down to eye level.

Determined blue eyes locked on his and Shikamaru gulped nervously. "Shika," Naruto murmured, " pull……the arrow…….out." These five small words sent Shikamaru's brilliant mind spinning into utter chaos. 'Nani?! He wants ME to do it?!' His heart stopped for a moment as he processed the soft request. Sighing heavily and feeling like a specter of death, Shikamaru nodded. It was only logical. Die from poison or die from drowning on your own blood. That or bleed to death first. Easy choice. NOT.

It was also logical for him to pull it out. Neji was the strongest so he would be the one to hold Naruto still. Kiba…..well, Kiba would just stay for emotional support. Shikamaru was careful and meticulous, as well as fast when he needed to be, so it only made sense for him to be the one to do it. However, he couldn't help but feel like he would ultimately be killing Naruto. The thought caused his stomach to lurch and he visibly shuddered.

Naruto noticed his discomfort and smiled softly. He reached up with a trembling, cold hand and patted Shikamaru's clenched jaw. "You're…..s-strong enough…..Shika," he murmured as his eyes darkened to a warm cobalt shade. 'You can handle this…' The unspoken message drifted from Naruto's knowing gaze and he grasped it like a lifeline.

"Tch," Shikamaru clucked, then sniffed and squared his aching shoulders, "let's do this then, ne?" Naruto smiled up at him, tired and horribly pale.

Neji reached down and wiped at the glaze of blood and saliva that coated most of the blond's face and throat. "You're a mess," he muttered absently, his silver eyes clouded from shock and anxiety. A wry smile twisted Naruto's lips, but melded to a grimace as Shikamaru knelt in front of them.

Neji drew in a sharp breath and tightened his grip, restraining his friend's arms and pinning the bloodied body against his own. His fingers dug into the tainted orange fabric as he rested his cheek on the mop of golden hair. "Gomen nasai Naruto," he whispered in the boy's ear.

"Neji…." Naruto rasped, "Urusai."

Kiba grabbed one of Naruto's hands and squeezed hard, though it was probably more for his comfort than the blond's, considering he looked like he was about to fall apart. The fingers of Naruto's other hand dug into the dirt beside him. Shikamaru steadied himself and reached toward Naruto. He braced one palm against the boy's crimson-stained chest and wrapped tentative fingers around the arrow. Biting his lip, Shika glanced up at Naruto and met his gaze. The blond ninja stared back impassively before mouthing "Do it."

Flexing his fingers against the wood, Shikamaru tightened his grip, and watched as Naruto's eyes drifted shut and his jaw clenched. Blinking back the burning tears threatening to spill, Shika steeled himself. With one sharp yank the arrow was ripped from Naruto's chest.

The sound that followed would forever haunt the nightmares of those three young ninjas. An unearthly, agonized scream tore from the boy's throat and echoed around them. The hideous mix of pain, fear and despair was tangible in the crescendo of that nauseating sound. A second one soon followed, but shorter, as it was cut off by a choked sob. Naruto's eyes were scrunched shut and his teeth clenched as he tried in vain to bite off the shrill cries. His body writhed against Neji's as it fought the scorching sensations and the shrieking of his nerves. Pathetic gurgling erupted as sobs wracked his heaving chest, sending his brain into overload. Bright blood exploded from the hole in his chest and from his open mouth as bruised lips twitched in barely suppressed agony. Torment forced Naruto to press his sweaty, tearstained face against Neji's throat, and even as more vile liquid gushed from the blond's mouth and down their bodies, Neji held him tighter. His eyes widened in helplessness as the boy trembled violently.

Shikamaru was shaking from the horror of putting his friend through such pain, but managed to keep his palms spread over the spurting wound. Blood slid down over his fingers, wrists and forearms to drip from his elbows and pool around his knees. 'So much blood,' he thought, dazed. He barely noticed the tears flowing in rivulets down his cheeks, meeting at his chin to drip into the ever growing crimson pool below.

Kiba was on the verge of hysteria. He was gripping Naruto's hand so tightly it was a miracle it hadn't broken. His feral eyes were gleaming with unshed tears and horror as they flickered from Neji to Naruto to the wound and back. His breathing was panicked and his lip was almost shredded from biting it so hard. A small whimper escaped his throat as Naruto's grip on his fingers grew lax.

"N-Naruto?" Shikamaru whispered, "I'm s-so sorry…..I- please-" he choked and couldn't finish.

Naruto's head swiveled sluggishly towards his voice, glazed eyes staring blankly before widening in recognition. "Shika…." His throat contracted and he choked. "S'okay." He shuddered as the widening pool of his blood reached his limp hand resting on the dirt. He grinned weakly and whispered, "A-arig-gatou…..my f-friendssss….." His voice lowered to a feeble slur on the last word. As Shikamaru stroked his red stained hair, Naruto's head fell back to rest on Neji's shoulder. Suddenly everyone tensed as their friend's body twitched madly from lack of oxygen. Empty eyes fixed on the darkening sky, his strained breath hitched and he grew totally limp with one final convulsion.

They all stared at his bloodless face, scarcely able to believe what they had just witnessed. Kiba fisted clumps of his dark hair and gazed unseeingly at the body of their friend. His voice was strangled as he gasped, "Oh gods- h-he's DEAD! No, oh gods no!" His terrified words rose to a shriek and he buried his face in shaking hands.

Neji was silent but the pallor of his skin suggested he was about to pass out. He rocked back and forth, keeping a firm grip on Naruto's body, as several tears dampened his gaunt cheeks. His lips were pressed into a hard line but his chin still trembled.

Shikamaru was ready to vomit. His eyes burned, his stomach lurched, and his heart twisted itself inside out. A sudden cry of despair ripped itself from his soul and flew from his parched mouth, and loud, gut wrenching sobs followed. He wrapped his arms around his waist to quell the moaning of his muscles and to suppress the chill of reality from shaking his slim frame. Thunder rumbled overhead as the skies threatened to spill its pain as well.

They soon became faintly aware of several chakra signatures moving towards them with blinding speed. A minute later, Hatake Kakashi, Akamaru and three other ninjas landed a few yards away.

Kakashi sprinted to Shikamaru's side and froze when he saw his student in the bloodied clutches of the traumatized Hyuuga. "Oh Kami, no….." He dropped to his knees and pressed a fist against mask-covered lips. "Not Naruto! Please, no…." His whispered pleas dissolved into quiet sobs as the great Copy Ninja's heart broke at the loss of his student and admittedly, his friend.

As if sensing it was right to do so, several drops of rain gently pattered onto Naruto's upturned face, before the clouds opened up and drenched the small group of shattered ninjas until one couldn't tell tears from rain. As the skies wept, Shikamaru glanced at his other friends and muttered, "His weakness wasn't poison……" his face hardened, "it was us."

Thanks, and please review. It will be greatly appreciated.

- Owari, Blood Zephyr

Author's Note is on the way...