Don't own Naruto don't sue please. The only parts that are like the manga are at the start and in the hospital don't want to ruin the story so won't say much if you want to find out read it. Also the chapters in the manga after the rescue gaara arc are not in this story. Yes they do go to retrieve sasuke but not in the same way as in the manga. so please i did not try to copy the manga i just needed them for my story on Naruto. Again I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!!!
Gaara watched the 7 Konoha Shinobi leave. He was in debt to them, they had saved his life. Especially Naruto and Chiyo-baasama. His eyes strayed to the pink-haired kunoichi. At the moment she was staring disgustedly at the two jonin shinobi. Gaara suddenly felt guilty, he had almost killed her two and a half years ago while fighting Naruto and now she saved his life. He would somehow figure out a way to repay her and Naruto.
That is just so wrong. Sakura thought as she watched the two jonin. Gai giving Kakashi a piggy-back stung the eyes.
"C'mon, Since Gai-sensei has sped up we better catch up to them." Tenten stated as she started to run faster. The rest of the group quickened their pace to catch up.
It wasn't long before they reached the Fire Country border and the scenery gradually turned from desert to forest. Neji re-activated his Byakugan, it had taken a lot of chakra out of him when he had fought his clone self. Seeing no unwanted quests he went to deactivate it when his eyes saw Sakura's chakra system. It was low. He turned around to see her falling. It looked like she had already become unconscious from low chakra.
"What are you doing, back there Neji and Sakura." Naruto yelled without turning around. Earning no response from them he turned around. "SAKURA-CHAN!!!"
"Were stopping." Kakashi stated.
Jumping down from the trees with Sakura in his arms, Neji gently set her down on the ground.
I don't even have to guess to know what this warm liquid is. Neji thought as he brought his hand out from underneath Sakura. Red smears of blood covered his hand.
"Neji, your bleeding!" Tenten exclaimed when she saw the blood.
"No, it's Sakura's. She must have a wound that she didn't tell us about, or something she didn't heal." Neji explained to the group.
"She's so stupid!!!" Naruto yelled, concern for his friend in his eyes. "She probably healed all of us to perfection and then did a poor job on herself. She probably didn't have enough chakra to heal it whole." Naruto sat down beside her.
"OH, MY BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOM!!!!!" Lee yelled dramatically with tears streaming down his face.
"Now is not the time for that okay, Lee. Well we can't just let her bleed to death so you guys go and get some wood while I bandage her wound." Tenten directed.
"No, were not staying over night. Sakura is losing chakra every minute. Before she passed out, I saw with my Byakugan what her chakra circulatory system looked like and it's not getting any better. She has to get back to Konoha so Hokage-sama can look at her." Neji said.
"Neji how long do you think she can last?" Kakashi asked him.
"Maybe about a day and a half."
And it takes about three days for the average shinobi. I would think Neji is in the best condition right now and he's not an average shinobi so he could probably get back to Konoha in a day and a half. He would need someone to go with him though in case of rouge ninja. Gai and I are definitely out, Tenten looks like she's okay, but i heard her heavy breathing on the way back so she's probably worse than she looks. Naruto and Lee are recovering quickly but i want Naruto to stay near me just incase. Kakashi quickly devised his plan estimating everyone's strength and stamina a the moment.
"Okay here's the plan. Lee and Neji will take Sakura back to Konoha, While Gai, Naruto, Tenten and I will take the normal 3 days to get back. If you run into any rogue ninja, Lee, I want you to fight them. If you do run into any there will probably only be 2-3 of them since they don't travel in very large groups."
"Why can't I go back with them. Sakura is my friend, She'll freak out if she looks into ghost eyes and sees bushy brows." Naruto complanied.
The Hyuga's temple started twitching at the last comment.
"Okay let's GO!! Tenten are you finished bandaging Sakura-chan?" Lee questioned bouncing over to the kunoichi.
"Yeah, I'm no medical ninja so it's not the best. The wound has stopped bleeding for now, but you have to be careful not to reopen it because, it's very delicate."
"Okay i will carry the fair maiden!!" Lee exclaimed.
"No, i'll carry her. You'd molest her." Neji bent down and gently picked her up in his arms.
5 hours later
"Uggghh," I feel like i just lost all my chakra.
"Sakura,"
Sakura looked up into white eyes. She knew it was Neji. "Yeah"
"What happened when you were fighting Akatsuki?" Neji questioned, but it sounded more like a demand.
Sakura really didn't feel like arguing so she came him his desired answer, "The worst was that i got a poisoned sword stuck through my stomach. Chiyo-baasama used a little bit of her life source to heal it though, i don't know why it would have reopened."
"Hn."
Sakura sighed when she heard the old sound sasuke used to make. too tired to stay awakeany longer sakura fell into a peaceful sleep.
3 days later
Why do i feel like my head is full of metal? Sakura thought as she slowly opened her eyes to see the white ceiling. Location: Hospital, Reason: Unknown.
"So your awake now," Sakura turned her head to see the perverted shinobi reading is disgusting book. "You've been out for a while now." He said putting down the book to look at her with his one eye.
"How long?" Sakura turned her head back to the white ceiling.
"About 3 days, Neji made it just in time. It wasn't life threatening, but you could have gone into a coma." Sakura saw Kakashi sigh out of the corner of her eye. "Neji told us the basic stuff that you told him on the way back, but i want to know the whole story.
"Don't you always." Sakura chuckled a little knowing there was no way she was going to get out of telling him.
"When we were at the Akatsuki hideout we were up against Sasori's 100 puppet performance technique. I only had 10 seconds left with the antidote i had injected into me before when i had been scratched. Chiyo-baasama past me this jutsu and i threw it at Sasori right before the antidote cancelled. It hit him and all the puppets fell. We thought it was over, but the part that keeps Sasori half human had escaped right before the jutsu hit him and transferred to another puppet. I was walking back towards Chiyo-baasama when i saw something move and realized it was him. I ran in front of her and the blade went through my stomach. It had hit a vital organ just below my heart and i was losing blood fast. Chiyo-baasama somehow killed Sasori's human part and she healed me with her life source tensei jutsu." Sakura stopped for a second. "I knew it wasn't fully healed and i was going to heal the rest of it, but thought about the injuries you guys would have and decided to save my chakra instead." Sakura finished the story and turned towards Kakashi.
"Okay thats everything, then." He said getting up to leave.
"No, it's not."
Kakashi sat back down with a surprised look on his face.
"Before Sasori actually died he gave me some information on Orochimaru," Kakashi's eyes widened for a second and then he sat up straighter as if he were listening more intently. "I had asked before we started the match that if we beat him he had to give us information on Orochimaru. He said that Orochimaru's latest hideout was in the Grass Village near the Tenchi bridge. He also said that they were scheduled to move the hideout in about a week."
"Where are they moving it to?"
"Sasori didn't say." Sakura closed her eyes wishing for rest, but that was probably unlikely since she could hear Naruto yelling down the hall and a familar voice saying "SHUT UP NARUTO".
"Sakura," Sakura turned her head towards Kakashi who was now standing at the door.
"yeah."
"Be careful next time, please."
"I'll try, sensei" Sakura smiled at him.
"SAKURA-CHAN!!!!" Naruto yelled pushing Kakashi out of the way and grabbing sakura in a suffocating hug.
"Naruto, let go of Sakura. She needs to breathe. And how many times do i have to tell you to SHUT UP!!!" Tsunade bellowed at Naruto from her position beside Kakashi. "Now, can you stay quiet for five minutes while I talk to Kakashi out in the hall? Geez's you'd think that after turning 15 he'd learn to keep his voice under control and mature a little bit, but oh no he has to make my days as hokage a living hell." Tsunade murmured to Kakashi under her breath.
"I HEARD THAT!!!"
"SHUT UP!!!!"
"Your being loud too, y'know" Naruto stated and Tsunade slammed the door in his face. "So Sakura-chan... WHAT THE FRICK WERE YOU THINKING!!!!!!!!!! HEALI--"
"Naruto you better shut the hell up and lower your voice or when i get out of here your not going to have a face anymore." Sakura said in a deadly whisper.
"O-oh kay sorry, but why didn't you heal yourself better? Our injuries weren't as bad as yours." Sakura looked at Naruto and could see that he was angry and worried about her. "You took on a Akatsuki member for Kami's sake. That should tell you that you should be healed first."
"Naruto, look i'm sorry but as a medical ninja it's my job to heal the injuries of my comrades."
"It also means that you have to heal yourself if you get injured so that you don't die on us if we need help." Naruto stated in a oddly smart way.
"OH MY YOUTHFUL CHERRY BLOSSOM, Naruto is right. If your delicate skin is pierced it is you who should be mended at once for if you are not all the youth will be gone from the planet!!!" Lee spoke proudly as he bounded over to Sakura and took her hand.
"Well said Lee, couldn't have said it better myself." Gai beamed at him.
"Thank-you Gai-sensei i will work hard to win Sakura-chan's heart." Lee took Sakura's other hand.
"Get your grubby hands off Sakura-chan, bushy brows!!!" Naruto yelled at him taking her hands away from lee and holding them himself.
"I will not lose!!" Lee said and took Sakura's hands back. And it continued until Sakura pulled her hands away.
"Why did i even come?" Neji and Tenten said in unison. Neji and Tenten sat down on the left side of her, closest to the window while Gai and Lee took a seat at the foot of the bed.
"So Sakura are you feeling any better" Tenten asked.
"Yeah, kinda" A few hours passed and Lee and Gai went to do laps and pushups and Tenten said she was going to help her mother sharpen the weapons.
Sakura saw Naruto yawn, "Naruto, you've been her long enough. Go get some rest."
"K, you too. So come on Neji, lets go get some ramen before i go get some rest." Naruto laughed and ran out the door suddenly full of energy. Neji followed behind him at a steady pace. In no rush to get to the ramen stand. He actuall did have a craving for ramen, he thought it had something to do with being around Naruto too much.
"Neji," Neji paused at the door when he heard his name. "Thanks."
"Hn."
