Piper: Sorry, I would've updated on Friday if I hadn't had friends over. I'm going to make sure you guys know that I should update every weekend, unless I'm busy on Friday and Saturday, then I'll update on Sundays.
I don't own Naruto.
WARNINGS: Gore, Cussing
Chapter 4 - Medic
Sakura Haruno
My eyes snapped open, looking straight ahead and the white canopy above my head. A tear fell from the corner of my eye, trailing down the side of my face. I wiped the trail it left from my face, taking in soothing breaths to calm my rapid heart beat. I couldn't remember what caused my tears and fear, and the dream that filled me with so much terror had disappeared to nothing.
I moved into a sitting position, the dark blanket that had been covering me pooling around my middle like black water. The first sunlight of the day was radiating through my window. It made the room glow an almost golden. I could tell that it was early, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep with such terror running through me.
I moved my legs over the side of the bed, and a shiver danced through my bones at the cold touch of the floor to my toes. Lifting myself to my feet, I moved over to my dresser to pick out something to wear out of the few outfits I was provided with. I settled on a fish net shirt with a long sleeved black shirt over that, which was so big for my that it went down to my knees, and some shorts that just barely peaked out from beneath the long shorts. I slipped on some socks to put something thick and warm between my feet and the floor, and I was done.
The hallway was dimly lit and quiet, and I moved through it silently so that I didn't disturb anyone. After being lost for a few moments, wandering around the hallways for the kitchen, I made it to my destination.
Opening the fridge, I peered in to see if there was any way I could cook a decent breakfast. Finding some eggs hidden underneath something that looked like a slightly decayed human arm, I began to cook. It was a simple egg meal, scrambled. I couldn't really cook anything fancy, because of the severe lack of a bountifully filled fridge.
The smell of food must awakened some senses, because not long after my eggs had been cooking the Akatsuki slowly migrated from their beds to the kitchen. Even Pein moved into the kitchen, sitting at the head of the table like before. Tobi, like last night, was hanging near me eagerly. He helped me serve plate fulls of eggs to each member, until the both of us had our food and were able to sit down at the table.
"Sakura," Pein called over the clank of silverware, conversation, and hungry men.
I looked up at him curiously, and he spoke once again, "We will start training you today. We are going to try and reawaken you skills and recreate them so that you can reach your full potential in battle."
"Full potential," I whispered, before speaking up, "Was I not at my full potential before?"
"No," Pein said, "You weren't. The people you were surrounded by weakened your emotions, and you didn't have the will to reach your full extent. You were very strong, yes, but you were not mentally or physically able to reach your full ability. The others around you progressed while you were not trained, and once you finally did start training your skills still did not reach their limit. Your inner turmoil at being surrounded by those who you felt were better then you stunted your growth in abilities. This was why we erased your memories, so that we could undo what others did to you."
I was frustrated at receiving all this information at once. I could hold it all, but it was hard forcing it to soak in with all of my memories gone. Was my life really like that? Was I so affected by how the people I knew grew so fast and strong, and I so slow? I didn't know. Finding my personality was as difficult as cupping water.
"Who is going to train me?" I asked, pulling up a small bite of eggs to my mouth.
Pein moved the small amount of eggs he had into a pile, scooping it onto his fork before he spoke, "All of us. You will practice a certain skill, for four hours each day until you are able to master it. Kakuzu will be teaching you today." That was the last he said, putting the last of his food into his mouth and rising from the table with his plate in hand. He placed it in the sink and left the room.
Once everyone was done, Tobi was ordered to do the dishes by Kakuzu, before said dark skinned man walked from the room with Hidan and I following close behind.
We traveled down some unfamiliar hallways for a solid five minutes, before we reached our destination. It looked to be a very abused medical room. There were rows of beds, most of which where unmade and moved around awkwardly. There were two examination tables, and a line of cabinets along one wall. They were not like the fridge, they were seemed stocked to fullest. But they looked dirty and unused. There was so much equipment. It was all very new, yet very under cleaned.
"We're going to try healing," Kakuzu grumbled, and motioned to the only clean area in the room. It was one of the examining tables, with a table of equipment that looked much cleaner then the rest of the room.
"Then why the hell am I fucking here?" Hidan yelled, and Kakuzu gave him a pointed look.
Realization flickered in his face, and Hidan shouted, "Oh, hell no! I'm not going to be your fucking test dummy!"
"To late," Kakuzu said, and quickly reached forward. He got his hands around Hidan's throat, and pulled.
A gasp choked up my throat, and never made it out of my mouth, as Kakuzu pulled Hidan's head from his body. I could her his bone snap at the sudden tear, and blood splattered around us. An much to my horror, Hidan's head began to yell at Kakuzu even louder then when it was connected to his body, "You son of a bitch! Put my fucking head back on!"
Kakuzu placed Hidan's head on the examination table, and lifted Hidan body onto it also. He looked at me, and said, "I want you to put some chakra into your hands. Channel it, and bend it to what we're here to do. The sooner we accomplish this the sooner I can go back to my regular schedule."
His explanation of how to do what he was asking didn't help at all. I raised my hands, and closed my eyes. I tuned out the arguement that Hidan's head and Kakuzu had fallen into. Something stirred as I began to concentrate. My chakra fluxed as I tried to channel it, and I could feel myself pulling it from the depths it sat in.
"PUT MY DAMNED HEAD BACK ON!"
I frowned, and felt my grasp over my chakra slip. I focused harder, and felt my concentration coming back as Hidan's voice fell away. Something surged through my veins, to my hands. I could feel it there. I could feel the warmth it gave, and slowly opened my eyes. A faint, green glow was shimmering around my hands. I could tell that it should've been brighter and stronger then it was, telling by the look on Kakuzu's face when I finally was able to move my chakra.
Reaching forward, I started lining up Hidan's head and hoped for the best.
"Times up," Kakuzu said dully, and got up from his bored position on one of the medical beds, "Be back here tomorrow at noon or I won't bother with you."
Hidan lurched up from his position on the table, and looked incredibly irritated. I would be, too, if I were him. After I was done with each heal, Kakuzu would tear Hidan's head off once more. If I made to big of a mistake while in the middle of healing, Kakuzu would interfere and rip Hidan's head off by the few pieces of flesh it hung by. Those were usually the flesh on inside of the neck, and it seemed like those would be the most tender to rip.
He rubbed his healed neck, which had a raw ring around it from all the ripping. He looked at me dully, and I smiled sympathetically, "I'm sorry, Hidan."
Hidan sighed thickly, and cracked his neck, "What the fuck ever." I figured that was his way of saying, "It's okay."
We both walked out of the room together, and traveled towards the kitchen(1). It as silent most of the way, except for Hidan's grumbling about Kakuzu underneath his breath. We were getting close to the kitchen when I was suddenly attacked from behind. I made a sharp noise as a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me into the air.
"Hello, Blossom!" The voice of Tobi came from my attacker, and I smiled slightly at him once he put me back down.
Hidan glared at him a little, looked a bit miffed at his presence.
"Hi, Tobi. What're you doing?" I asked, trying to break the awkward air.
"Tobi's looking for Senpai! Senpai suggested we play hide an seek, and Senpai is very good at hiding when we play hide and seek!" Tobi nodded to put emphasis for his statement, and Hidan rolled his eyes before walking away. He muttering some curses under his breath, most of which I was sure were directed at Tobi.
I looked at Tobi, and, feeling bad because the others treat him so unfairly, asked, "Do you think I could go shopping, Tobi? I need to get some clothes and equipment. We also need to stock the fridge so that I can cook something other then rice and ramen."
Tobi pondered this for a few moments, before nodding, "Tobi is sure Leader would let Blossom go shopping if Blossom had someone go with her."
He looked at me pointedly, and I could imagine him giving me a puppy pout beneath his mask. Smiling slightly, I asked, "Would you like to go with me?"
In one swift movements, Tobi managed to hug me then gather me in his arms, running for the Leader's office. I blushed slightly, and found myself relieved when we got there at a record breaking time. Instead of knocking, which I found odd, Tobi bounced right in after setting me on my feet. He made sure to put his hand is mine, dragging me in with him. I stumbled a bit behind him, and looked nervously at Pein.
He was looking at the two of us with a annoyed face, and asked, "Yes?"
Tobi was practically vibrating with excitement, "Tobi wants to know if Tobi and Blossom can have some money to go shopping for food and clothes for Blossom!"
Pein looked at the two of us, before nodding. He opened a drawr in his desk and pulled out a pouch of money. He handed to him, and I said my thanks before Tobi pulled me from the room. As we were making our way out of the base, we ran straight into Deidara and Sasori.
"Oo, oo, Tobi found you Senpai!" Tobi pointed out as he drug us past them. Deidara caught my other hand as we moved by, and pulled the both of us back.
"Where are you two going, yeah?" Deidara asked.
"Leader said that Tobi can take Blossom shopping!" Tobi said in a slightly different tone, and something told me that he wanted to leave badly. It was probably because someone of his excited nature got easily bored being cooped up in the base for so long.
Deidara narrowed his eyes, "You, yeah?"
Tobi nodded almost impatiently, and I looked between him and Deidara with a slightly uneasy feeling. Sasori just stood back, watching silently. He looked impatient and annoyed, and snapped as Deidara opened his mouth again, "Deidara, you know I don't like waiting. We have to give Leader our last report, it's due today."
Deidara, with his eyes still narrowed, said, "You go ahead, Danna. I'm going to go with the idiot to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, yeah."
Sasori shrugged and left quickly, looking a bit more eased now that his life could move on from this little pause.
Tobi hesitated, before taking my hand again and started pulling me towards the exit once again. Deidara followed, and I wondered what exactly I had gotten myself into.
Piper: Next chapter, shopping with Deidara and Tobi!
Currently, Madara is winning the pairing vote.
I'm still not sure about who will be paired with Sakura, and if you haven't already told me who you would like it to be then please do!
Please review!
