She managed to get him to her cabin; she pulled him onto her bed grabbing her medical supplies out from under it. She dumped the antiseptic on the wound, she pulled a needle out with antidote for the poison that laced their claws; he trashed on her bed as the pain started to set in. Tears fell as her hands glowed, the cuts on his chest slowly started to close, she wrapped bandages around his chest letting the rest heal on its own. She grabbed a rag whipping the sweat off his forehead and neck, she couldn't believe that he was out there. She pulled the hood down, her pink hair falling loosely around her face; he didn't look much different.
He had grown taller, he was still a slender build but he was bigger than before he left, his abs were more defined and he still had those signature whisker marks on his cheeks. She jumped as he opened eyes, he looked around the room, there was little bit of panic until his eyes landed on her.
"Sakura." He coughed trying to get up.
He felt her hand pushing him back down, "Don't get up, you've been wounded and they need to heal."
He placed a warm hand on her cheek cupping it making sure she was really there, "You're okay."
She looked at him confused, "Why wouldn't I be okay, why were you out there alone?"
"I came home and you weren't there, Ino and Hinata told me you were run out of the village after I left. What happened, why did you leave and why the hell do you live out here alone?" he struggled to talk but he needed to know what happened.
"You should get some rest, I promise I'll tell you about it later okay?" before he could protest she knocked him out.
She stepped back letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, he wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to care about her; after everything she said to him he wasn't supposed to care. He was sound asleep, she turned taking her cloak off and throwing it on the chair next to the bed; she had to get him out of here but she didn't know how. He was too heavy to carry that far and with him on her back they would be sitting ducks. Running a hand through her hair she looked outside, the sun was setting meaning the beasts would be more active, and their chances of escape would be next to none. She had arrows that would neutralize them but that would be hard to do when you're carrying a 200lbs man on your back, she sighed looking around but it slowly dawned on her that he was going to have to stay the night. Everything she had to fight back was meant for one person, there wouldn't be away for her to fight and defend him at the same time.
She moved her cloak letting it fall to the ground as she sank down in the chair, she looked at her sleeping best friend not sure if she was ready to face him and tell him what happened; she hasn't even gotten a chance to apologize yet. She didn't even know how she was going to, she didn't deserve his forgiveness.
She raced down the street hoping to catch him before he left, she could see the crow around the gate all standing with their back to her; she jumped up in the trees and she could see his back as he walked down the trail. She was too late, she wanted to run after him and take back everything she said but she was too late. She slid out of the tree tears falling from her green eyes, "Why are you crying?"
She looked up confused by Ino's harsh words, "Wha-"
She felt the sting of Ino's hand as she slapped her across the face, her head jerked to the side, "You have no right to shed a tear, not after what you said to him! What if something happens to him, that's going to be the last memory he has of you! You're disgusting Sakura, he loves you and he's doing this for you!"
She backed away still holding her cheek, she was losing more than one person that night.
"Sakura." She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, she jumped back not use to someone being in her home with her.
She looked up as he stood up walking over to her, "You shouldn't be walking, you shouldn't even be standing, la-"
"I'm fine, see?" he pulled the bandages loose showing his stomach that was now healed, leaving behind three faint scars.
"How the hell?" she whispered running her fingers over the scars, she looked up at him confused.
"It's a long story, but we need to get you back into the village." He started towards the door but she stopped him.
"I can't go back there, you need to go back, I'm fine out here." Her eyes saddened as she looked at him, "I don't deserve to go back Naruto, not after what I said to you."
"You really think I'm worried about what you said to me five years ago?" she was taken aback by his words, "You were upset and I can understand why you were, I'm not going to hold it agasint and I honestly forgot about not that long after I left Sakura."
Tears fell from her eyes, "Get mad at me or something, I don't deserve this I don't deserve you just walking into the forest almost dying just for you to end up forgiving me just like that. I said horrible things to you Naruto and that's not okay, I've always been like that towards you when you showed me nothing but love and kindness, and I've always been a bitch to you."
The window shattering interrupted their moment; she grabbed her bow shooting the beast between the eyes. She growled as the next one started to climb through, shooting it as well. They had never tried to break into her house before; she looked at Naruto who was ready to pounce.
"You can't touch them or let them touch you, if you learned anything from the first time you should know their claws and in their saliva. There's a katana over there by the end of bed, use that." He dove for the sword slicing through the one that got in the room.
Sakura ducked out of the way as one tried attacking her, "We need to get out of here."
"They've never done this before; I don't understand what they want or what they're after. I don't have anything here that they could want." She dove under the bed grabbing a bag, she moved quickly around the room putting notebooks and other various things in the back. Sling it over her shoulder she grabbed the bow and arrows once more.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" the real Naruto swept Sakura up darting through the doorway, she maneuvered to his back, and she kept them at bay by shooting them down. One good thing about these beasts is they could climb trees.
The crash through the trees and on to the trail, they landed with a thud she rolled a few inches away landing on her back. The scrambled to their feet running towards the gate, the night was still young meaning there were more out there than normal. They could see the glowing yellow eyes following them up the trail, fear started to rise in her chest as they got closer to the gate. It was in view but she didn't know if they were going to make in time, Naruto was still tired from his fight with one of the beasts earlier and she hadn't been able to sleep right since she moved out there. Losing focus the rotting creature took advantage reaching out and dragging its claws across her arm, she cried out shooting the beast down but it didn't take long for the pain to surge through her body. He spun around picking the girl up and running towards the gate, she fumbled in the bag taking out the same antidote she gave him.
She jammed it into her thigh, "Hang on Sakura."
He flew through the gate, panting and covered in sweat he looked down at the girl in his arms and she was covered in dirt and sweat just like he was, "No hospital, I'll be fine. I just need rest."
Unlocking his door, he took her to his room laying her down in his bed. He smiled to himself, now it was his turn to look after her.
What the hell were those things?
I'm not sure, they're lethal.
I could smell rotting flesh, whatever those things are; they aren't natural.
Rotting flesh, like the poison that runs through them is almost too much for them to handle. Their bodies are rejecting something, or failing.
You're on to something Kit.
He pulled off her boots and belt, covering her up he entered his bathroom starting the shower he stepped in letting the warm water run down his body, relaxing his tense muscles. The images of the nights events flashed through his mind, Sakura was so quick to react it surprised him. When he left she was still leaning on him to protect her, she didn't really have to try or do much because she knew he would be there to stop anything bad from happening to her, but back there she was the one that acted first. She looked focused and ready to kill despite being emotional two seconds before the attack.
Stepping out of the shower he wrapped a big black fluffy towel around his waist, there was knock on the door, he check on her first and then slowly made his way to the door, peering through the peep hole he saw Hinata on the other side.
"Hinata?" he cracked the door, he was still upset with her and Ino for trying to stop him earlier.
"Naruto, may I come in?" He opened the door letting her step inside, she was blushing hard as he stood half naked in front of her, "I-I just wanted to come by and apol-"
"Naruto?" a groggy Sakura stood leaning against the door frame, Hinata watched as he raced to her side.
"Sakura, you need to rest." She watched as he lead her back into the room, she could feel the anger rise in heart watching them.
The water turned on again but this time it was her who wanted to shower, he quickly got dressed and left a oversized t-shirt out for her and pair of shorts, "Sorry about that, what were you saying?"
"How could you let her come back?" he was caught off guard by her question, he stopped a few steps away from her glaring.
"Because she's my teammate, she's my best friend; I wouldn't just abandon her over one argument. You guys are making that fight out to be something more than what it was and it needs to stop." He shook his head as he spoke/
"She doesn't love you like I do Naruto, I would never say or do anything to hurt you and she has. She turned her back on you the day you left, I could see the pain in your eyes when you left and I would never do something like that to you! I would never make you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone; I would try and help you carry that weight. I would do anything for you, I wont sit by and let her hurt you again." Her heart sank as she watched him shake his head again.
"It's late and you need to leave." With tears falling from her pale eyes she turned and ran out of the door slamming it behind her. He locked the door making his way back to his room to find Sakura sitting on his bed.
She was in his shirt that fell to the middle of her thigh, her long pink hair was moved to the side as she finished brushing it, "You know she's right; right?"
"No, she's not. You've saved my ass plenty of times Sakura, tonight being one of them." He sat next to her placing his hand on her shoulder.
"You wouldn't have even gone out there if it weren't for me." She sighed looking down at her brush.
"You wouldn't have been out there if I didn't leave you, you wouldn't have been out there if our friends didn't blow that fight out of the water and make it something it's not." She leaned in laying her head on his shoulder.
A silent tear fell, "I've missed you so much."
He wrapped his arms around pulling her close, "I've missed you too."
