So I had to reupload this chapter because something glitched I guess. I don't know what I originally wrote here.
I don't own Naruto!
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 3: TO SEE HER
She was in terrible shape, almost beyond recognition. Except for that pink hair.
Naruto heard Sai's voice, off in the distance. He vaguely felt his teammate trying to pull him back up. But Naruto didn't trust his legs right now.
From the ground he stared at her. Her legs were bent in unseemly positions, wrapped in bandages as far up as he could see, and a splint was holding her right foot. Her left leg was elevated at an angle. Her arms were wrapped up to her elbows, and red blood seeped through the white. He could clearly see her upper arms – they were scarred, ripped, torn; a dried, bloody mess, and he could only imagine that the rest of her body, under the bandages, was the same.
Her chest barely rose and fell. The monitor moved at the slowest pace, showing that her heart was barely beating and that her lungs were barely breathing.
And then there was her face.
Her beautiful face.
Naruto's breath caught in his throat. He wondered if those were tears on his face, or if he'd begun to bleed again.
The skin was mottled red and purple. Scratches covered her face, and her eye was swollen and black. Her earlobe had been cut off, and her lips torn, and her nose smashed. This was only one half of her face – the other he couldn't even see. It was bandaged. Red seeped through
Naruto felt his body begin to shake. His vision was flashing from normal to a red haze to black then back to normal. He couldn't tear his eyes from her form.
"Sakura," he whispered, just as hands quickly grabbed his arms and hauled his up.
"He's not ready."
"I told you we shouldn't have brought him."
"It's too soon. But eventually he'll come to face the truth."
Naruto was dragged from the room, never breaking his stare until the walls blocked his vision. Then he let his mind wander and his eyes close as he was taken back to his room.
Naruto woke up later. It was dark outside now, and he woke with a thirst that had his mouth and lips dry.
Naruto looked around. There was a cup on his nightstand, but when he grabbed it, the weight told him that there was nothing inside. He sighed, now searching for a button to press that might call the nurse.
Or he could try going to the bathroom.
Naruto decided to try that – he was never one to just sit and wait. So he pushed the sheet off his body, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, then sitting up. Soon, he'd have to try to change out of the ugly hospital gown.
Naruto pushed himself off the bed, grabbing the nightstand for support as he wobbled. After waiting a moment, Naruto took a tentative step towards the bathroom door. He was fine. He made it across the room easily, his muscles looser than they had been before. He staggered into the bathroom, grabbed onto the sink upon entrance, and turned the cold water on. He bent his head down, letting the water gush into his mouth.
Once he was refreshed, Naruto pushed himself back up straight. His vision swam for a moment, but it quickly subsided.
"Naruto? Naruto!"
He looked up sharply at his name.
"Wha…" his voice came out in a pathetic little scratch. He cleared it. "What?"
A wide-eyed nurse came into his view. "What are you doing in here?"
"Water," he replied with a scratchy voice, gesturing lamely to the sink he was leaning on.
"Get back in bed!" she barked, hurrying over to him. She grabbed his arms, leading him out to his bed.
Naruto looked at her nails as they grabbed his sleeve. They were red, with little white circles.
They reminded him of something.
The realization hit him.
"Oh my God," Naruto deadpanned, stopping in the middle of the room. The nurse tried to pull him back to the bed, but he didn't budge. "Oh my God. Sakura."
The nurse's eyes seemed to get even bigger, but her voice was calm when she spoke. "No, Naruto. Come over here. Let's just go back-"
But it was too late; Naruto pushed her arms away, a sudden burst of energy sending him running from the room. He skidded into the hallway, muscles screaming. Everyone stared at him in surprise as he began heading down the hallway to her room. The last room on the left.
He made it halfway before he collapsed. When he tried to get back up, Kakashi and Sai were suddenly there, each grabbing one of his arms and holding him back.
"Wait!" he shouted. "Stop! Let me go, guys! Let me go!"
He struggled weakly, but in his state he was no match for them. Tsunade came up in front of him, placing a hand on his head.
"Calm now, Naruto," she said, and suddenly something was flooding his brain and his thoughts stopped as his eyelids fell closed.
Naruto woke up again, the following morning. He was getting tired of waking up in this bed and barely remembering what happened.
When he pushed himself up, he felt groggy at first. He sat for a moment, waiting for the fog in his head to clear. When it did, he looked around.
Naruto scoffed to himself. Of course, he was still in the hospital. Still being kept in this damn bed.
He was fine.
Just let me go see her. I need to see her.
Tsunade walked in, flanked on both sides by Kakashi and Sai. They stopped at his bedside.
"Yo, Naruto," Tsunade greeted, giving him a tight-lipped smile.
Naruto glared at her. "Take me to her."
Tsunade sighed, closing her eyes, as though she knew he'd say that. "Not right now."
"Why?"
Tsunade didn't answer, just turned to a metal tray sitting by his bed. She pulled out some containers of pills, pouring a select few into her hand.
"Here," she said, handing him the pills in one hand and a cup of water in the other.
"Let me go see her."
"Here." Tsunade moved the hand with the pills closer.
I'm not sick. I don't need and pills. I'm fine.
Naruto spoke in a low voice. "I need to see her."
"Just take these Naruto-"
Naruto's hand shot out, smacking Tsunade's and sending the pills flying across the room, clattering onto the floor. The water spilled over the top of the cup.
"Let me go see her!" he roared.
Tsunade was on him in an instant, her monstrous strength pinning his neck to the wall above the bed. He choked as her hand pushed against his throat.
"Listen to me. You're not ready," she hissed. "What you saw was just the beginning."
Naruto wanted to reply, but instead gasped for breath.
Tsunade dropped him back down and he slumped against his pillow, breathing in and out while gingerly touching his neck.
Tsunade walked out without another word. Kakashi and Sai gave him a glance before following.
Naruto got his breathing normal again. His neck was fine. But Tsunade's warning just made him want to go see her even more. Up close. He had to know, had to see.
Tonight, he decided.
Naruto was being "good" the rest of the day. He took his pills, stayed in bed, and didn't try to go see Sakura.
Really, though, he just hid the pills in his mouth and spit them out later. He actually got out of bed every time he was alone, slowly stretching his muscles. He was actually planning for that night.
When the nurse came in and gave him his pills before he went to sleep, Naruto did the same process. She asked if he was ready to go to sleep and he nodded, so she turned out the light and closed the door on her way out.
Naruto spit the pills out into his hand, stuffing them in his pocket to either flush or throw out the window later. It was only about 10:00, and though the hospital was always working, after 10:00 things began to slow down. At 11:00 everyone was shutting down. By midnight, barely anyone was around. He'd already learned that much.
Naruto just stayed in bed, waiting. He went through what he'd be doing in his head. He hadn't got up and walked for a few hours and hoped it wouldn't be too hard, that he'd be able to walk – a wheelchair or cane would make noise, and if he moved too slowly, he had more of a chance of being caught.
He thought of getting up and taking little steps around his room, but there was a nurse right outside the door. He didn't want to arouse any suspicion, and he knew she'd be there until 11:00.
He waited.
At 11:44, Naruto decided that he had been waiting long enough. He pushed himself out of bed and stood up.
His legs gave out. Naruto cursed, grabbing onto the bed. A stayed like that a moment –half standing, half crouching- until he stood straight. He took little steps around his bed. He was fine now.
Naruto went to the window, popping it open and tossing his pills out. They landed on the roof of the house across the street this time, giving small metallic clatters as they rolled into the gutter.
Naruto went to the door, sliding it open slowly. No one was right in front of his room, and he didn't hear any footsteps. That was a good sign.
He peeked out, looking up and down the dimly lit hallway. To the left, there was nothing; there were no nurses, doctors, patients, lights, noises, nothing. To the right, at the very end of the hallway, light streamed out of an open door. A cart full of medical supplies sat outside.
Naruto pushed the door open more, sliding out and then closing it behind him. He moved silently down the hall on his bare feet.
He'd been prepared for someone to pop out of a room, but no one ever did. He did, though, have to pass the lounge where some nurses and doctors sat and drank coffee. He stayed on the far side of the hallway, keeping in the shadows and moving as quickly as he could past them.
Naruto made it down a little farther, then a noise alerted him. The nurse at the other end of the hall had come out and was pushing her cart down towards him. If she got too far she'd see him.
Naruto darted into an empty room, and she wasn't any the wiser. She headed down another hallway, out of sight.
He waited a few seconds to be safe, then came back out, sneaking the last few rooms down. His planning paid off and he made it. He walked up to the door, taking a breath. Before he could open it, though, he heard a voice inside and froze.
He hadn't accounted for anyone to be in the room.
Review please my pretty little readers :D Hehe I sound like the Wicked Witch of the West xD
