DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto. All characters are owned by its author Masashi Kishimoto.
Author's Note: Please be good with the reviews since this is my first Naruto-fic I might miss on something so I am calling all Naruto anime/manga fan to give me advice. Thanks for your support and hopefully you can give me reviews after you read. I am also willing to return reviews.
Chapter 2: Emergency Room
Shadows rode the wind on their way to Konohagakure, Sasuke finally regained his consciousness, "What about Naruto, Sensei?" Kakashi remained constant with eyes stuck on the path and his lips sealed as his sharingan-eye. The Uchiha remained bothered but chose to avoid blurting another word. A couple of minutes away from home, three medical ninja sent by Konohagakure came in contact with Kakashi and Sasuke on their way back, "How's Sasuke's condition?" asked by one of them looking at the Uchiha behind the jounin's back.
"He is fine," he answered straight at them taking the direct course to the fire country not looking at the white vest of the medical shinobi.
"Naruto…where is Uzumaki Naruto?" asked by the one on his right side while fixing the glass that almost fell off his face. Kakashi closed his only visible eye, gushed annoyance that their inquiry, while Sasuke although awake remained still and quiet.
"Tell me what happened to the other genins?" Kakashi changed the subject as he noticed his apprentice took a moment of peace. The three shinobi grasped the situation at least the part where they should not brought it up more than they already did and explained the situation.
The three nodded while following them up close all three divided on both sides, "Hai!, by the Godaime's order, two teams of medic were dispatched," answered by the one on Kakashi's right. The other two filled in the rest, "all of the injured genins has been recovered and are currently undergoing some serious treatment."
"…serious treatment?"
"Hai! Nara Shikamaru has a minor injury while Inuzuka Kiba has a deep wound but was considered in safe condition a while ago," answered by the third member of the medic squad who approached Kakashi. "The problem right now is," Kakashi looked on his left so as to be fed by more information, "Hyuuga Neji and Akimichi Chouji are in a very serious condition. For the moment their conditions remain unverified but currently the Godaime herself is leading the medical team supervising their operation."
Everyone…for my sake, Naruto's face came into, invaded Sasuke's thoughts. A horde of questions filled his mind, how will I face them now? And after all that, the Uchiha was startled. "What happened Sasuke?" asked by the Jounin holding him but the Uchiha just shook his head and remembered the voice of Naruto which he could've swore he heard a while ago, "Come on! Sasuke!"
He looked behind them but no one's there. Not even Naruto's shadow, I will find you myself, Naruto, he thought promising something to himself and to his missing comrade.
Far ahead, inside the hospital of Konohagakure, in one of the emergency room a skinny but paled looking Chouji lay helpless in his bed, unconscious and waiting to be treated. A series of seals surrounded him and his bed, some were plastered on his body while numerous wires were attached to him to monitor his condition. One of the medical nin beside him was noting every status which are to be reported directly to the Godaime, a name was written on top of the document. Akimichi Chouji.
The usual energy of Chouji was missing, his cheek has lost its color, his eyes and skin tone showed abnormality. On another room, not very far ahead from where the Akimichi kid was, the Godaime browsed into every record of the soldier pills Chouji took battling Jiroubo, one of the Sound Four ordered by Orochimaru to retrieve Sasuke.
Her silence alone spoke of his condition. He risked his life. Chouji accepted his fate of dying in battle after taking the pill. It would have been so if he was not found immediately. It took a while but the Hokage was relieved to know, the ingredients and the effects of the pills…they're well researched as expected of the Akimichi and Nara clan
Impressed and hopeful, the Hokage called in noting the books spread on the wide table. "Bring me an antler."
"Yes! Godaime-sama," responded by the medical team and in haste they've searched the corners of Konoha finding the item Tsunade asked them. Using the book as her guide and her innate knowledge of medicine, the Godaime created the necessary piece for Chouji's recovery.
"How is he sis…?" asked by a chunky-haired young boy, forcing his neck so he can face his veterinarian of a sister whose current job was to attend at his dog, Akamaru. "For the moment he won't be able to walk…the muscles in his arms and legs were heavily damaged," she answered straight, "but don't worry, he's alright. After some rest, his condition would eventually stabilize."
"I'm glad to hear that…ouch!" he wailed as pain stroke his back, but still able to forced a smile, his sister warned him yet again for almost the eight times today, "the same thing applies to you, Kiba."
"…Yeah!... I got it…"
In one of the restricted room, a ritual was in progress, Shizune with the rest of the other medical nin and chuunin of Konoha were closing the open wound of Neji Hyuuga. A genius kid from the Hyuuga clan, who can use byakugan, a bloodline capability that can see through chakra points and extend their vision almost 360°, in his fight with one of the sound four, minions of Orochimaru, Neji was heavily wounded which damaged his left lung.
Unconscious and weak, Neji rested in the middle of the room with seals written on the floor leading to his wound, "It's been three hours, switch with me," cried by one of the chuunin, his partner nodded at him and they both switched places careful not to do mistake that would hinder with the healing of the Hyuuga. "Although we are using this child's hair as a medium, please do not make mistake in the cell ratio of the damaged part!" Shizune shouted as blisters of sweat drop from her forehead, her short black hair swaying due to the static electricity surrounding the Hyuuga boy.
She saw everyone in agreement nodding at her but she continued to warn them just the same, "every strand must be affected by the chakra control!"
"Yes!" they answered as they concentrated to manipulate, at the point of exhaustion, the hair used to regenerate all the tissue that was damaged. Visible from the naked eye, the hair surrounded the wound and with it new cells and tissue replaced the damaged part.
"Uhh…" Neji gasped as the operation progress. In every corner of the squared-seal a shinobi was present performing the regeneration jutsu and with each one a partner was present, ready to take their place if their chakra won't hold.
Rubbing his fingers and clasping his hand to suppress his nervousness, Shikamaru Nara sat on the chair near the emergency room waiting for good news about his comrades, the comrades that he led into the forest with a mission to retrieve Sasuke from Orochimaru's henchmen, "there's no use in fidgeting," a girl's voice echoed in Shikamaru's ears. Temari, a nin from the country of sand, continued on teasing him, "sacrifice is an evitable part of missions for nins like us, didn't you receive emotion training?" she asked with her arms cross, holding her knee. She was seated comfortably in a seat in front of Shikamaru with her legs crossed to one another.
The young man knew he had to defend himself at least, "training and actual combat are different…" the young boy with his hair tied down at the back of his head replied.
"In a mission, you don't really know what's going to happen…" the girl kept her ear, listening , "and I…was a team leader for the first time on this mission…"
He gasped for some air filling his lungs as he paused for moment, "because of that, I understand that…I'm not cut out to be shinobi," he said straight into her, hoping she understood. The look on her face changed in an instant and her opened eyes narrowed a bit trying to look into his soul.
"Unexpected fragility…men are strange."
He heard her but decided not to involve himself anymore. Shikamaru, a battlefield genius, also the only genin who passed the chuunin exam decided to take his leave. Escaping a long argument, he got up from his seat evading the gaze of the sand girl.
Shikamaru continued to walk away from her until he heard his father standing right at the next corner a couple of meters away from the girl of the sand. "Shikamaru…you're being talked down by a girl and you're running away…?"
He looked at him at the corner of his eyes, "I don't want to have a troublesome argument…because I'm not a girl."
"Yes…but you're also not a man."
His father looked at him with keen eyes, "you're just a regular coward."
Though she doesn't intend to, Temari overheard Shikamaru and his father, she want to tell something to the chuunin brat but decided it wasn't her place. She looked at them at the corner of her big round eyes and listened, "even if you quit being a ninja, missions will still be given to them and someone will lead them to it. So by then, maybe your friends would have died…"
He was quick to give his conclusion, "but, if you're their leader at that time…your companions may not have to reach that end."
Shikamaru removed his father out of his sight, he stayed their standing in the middle of the hallway, listening to his wisdom, "if you look at this as experience and learn from it….maybe you won't have trouble carrying out mission."
Shikaku Nara ignored the fact that Temari was listening. It was imperative for his son to learn from this experience, he paused for a while, allowed his son to speak but his sadness completely sealed his lips. Scratching the back of his head, the Nara head decided to educate him more, "if your companions are really important to you, before you think of running away…consider that you may become an even greater leader for your friends!"
"That's what It means to be a real companion, you coward!" he said his voice reached its peak, unable to hid disappointment and at the same time, his hope of a greater future for his son. The sand shinobi who was keenly listening to both men showed concern in her eyes as she look at Shikamaru, the latter bowed his head looking at his feet without saying a single word. Silence enveloped each one of them with the atmosphere growing heavy every moment that pass, until a door slide, Shikamaru was startled to hear a voice and a shadow appearing after the door.
"It's alright now," the voice of the Godaime echoed in Shikamaru's ears, lifted his spirit at once, and poured a warm blessing on his eyes. It was one of the best phrases he had heard today. His best friend Akimichi Chouji was out of the critical status.
"The continuous cell destruction effects of the pills were stopped by an antidote I made. This time he was saved it was a success," she said sitting down on the chair Shikamaru was sitting on a while ago. Temari and Shikaku listened to her with smile plastered on their faces.
The Nara head stayed close to the wall looking at the Hokage from where he was standing, "I used a special drug-mixing manual from the Nara clan. There were some serious things in that part," she explained.
"Thank…" Shikaku was interrupted.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shikaku, Tsunade and Temari were forced to look at the owner of the voice, they found Shizune wiping the blisters of sweat from her face while escalating the news to them, "Hyuuga Neji…his condition has stabilized!"
Shikamaru who was listening and looking at Shizune who appeared in front of him right on the next corner can't help himself as he shivered in delight. Slowly tears that swelled his eyes escaped; Shizune stopped saying another word. She felt the burden on Shikamaru's shoulders lighten up.
"Shikamaru , it seems everyone in your team had survived, congratulations! Though, we have yet to receive information about Naruto and Sasuke… if we counted both of them everyone's fine, that's more important than anything."
Unable to stop the emotions that's been filling inside of him, tears flowed silently down to Shikamaru's chin, "next time, definitely…I'll show that I can do it flawlessly."