Chapter 4: After the RedHead!


Sakura

The bruise lingering on the side of my forehead, almost hidden by my hairline, was a reminder on how low in the pecking order I was, especially after Sasori thwacked me on the head and sent me flying back into a stone wall. Luckily, the Sand-nin guards –the alive ones, of course- followed me into the trench and brought me back to the village. And when I finally came to I found out that Gaara had been taken and Hinata…

"Hinata, I promise we'll get Gaara back." I swore, though in my heart I wasn't sure if I could keep it

…needed me more than ever.

Hinata's eyes were red with tears and her face was flushed red from hours of crying. "S-Sakura-chan…t-t-they're going to kill him!" Her stutter came back immediately and I wrapped my arms around her. "H-h-h-he told me ab-about the Akatsuki, I m-m-made him tell me."

"Shh, Hina-chan, Hina-chan. It's alright; everything is going to be alright, I promise." She wrapped her choking hold my neck and her tears rolled down her face into my hair, unknown to Hinata my hand slid from her upper back and I touched the base of her neck, a green light glowed around my hand and Hinata fell unconscious in my arms. I laid her down in her bed, arranging her feet on top of the expensive bedspread and left the maids to re-tuck her into bed and wash her face as I exited the room with Baki in tow.

"This is for her own good." I said, sensing his disapproval to my actions. "What she needs right now is rest." I put a hand on the shoulder of a passing guard to stop him.

"Have another medic take a look at Lady Hinata, please."

"Hai, Sakura-san," He bowed and turned back the way he came. Baki glanced at me again and sighed loudly.

"What is it?"

"You are only of the age sixteen, ne?"

"Hai…" I looked at him suspiciously. "I'm the same age as Gaara."

"I heard about your visit to the morgue this morning, the guards said you had a face made out of stone. I trust you've seen a lot of death?"

"Yes…I work at the hospital in Konoha, it's not that different." I tried to shake off the memories of the two dozen ANBU graves Hidan had planted around the border of Amegakure to scare off outsiders –though he pretty much saw it as decorating.

"Ah! Baki-sama! Sakura-hime! Come quickly Lord Kankuro has been injured!" A young nurse, or just a Kankuro fan-girl, ran up to us looking out of breath and on the verge of tears. "Lord Kankuro…he went to retrieve Gaara-sama…but he didn't succeed…he's been greatly wounded."

"What?" Baki asked and my eyes widened. I'd known Temari had just received the news and was rushing here with a team of Konoha-nin, but I didn't know that Kankuro had left the village to face the Akatsuki…then again I hadn't seen him for a few hours.

She looked at our stoic faces and decided we didn't hear everything she'd just said. "His wounds are fatal! He could die-!" I grabbed the girl by her shoulders, stopping her in mid-rant.

"Stay calm." I snapped, switching into my medic-mode and she took a forceful breath. "Good, now go to gate and tell the guards and when Temari-san gets here they'll inform her. Just leave Kankuro to me."

The girl nodded and ran –if not staggered- back the way she came and I glanced at Baki. "Let's just say I'm good in times of crisis because my life is one. Now let's get to Kankuro."

Naruto

Two hours of running to Suna and now another ten minute run when we found out Kankuro had gone up against the Akatsuki as well, but I couldn't really complain. I'd been in the village for less than twenty-four hours, raring to go when me, Kakashi-sensei and Team Guy were assigned this mission off the bat. And on the way there, Lee filled me in on what Sakura had been up to and why she was in Suna in the first place and whatever the hell else was-

I came to a streaking halt when two ninja cut me off in the hallway of the Suna hospital, the taller one shouting orders at the ninja in front of them and the other pulling her hair back…into a pink ponytail.

"Naruto I'm disappointed." Kakashi said.

"What?"

"You said you could spot Sakura from a mile away, she was barely a yard in front of you and you completely missed her." My gaze snapped back down the hall and Kakashi grabbed my arm. "I wouldn't do that; the Kazakage's brother needs medical attention. Sakura-hime is the best they have in this entire hospital."

We heard a scream and more shouting, Sakura's voice. "Hold him down!"

Lee, Tenten and I continued down the hall and wheeled into the room, our eyes settling on the one person who stood in a sea of white coats, working almost effortless over Kankuro, who laid pale with a paint-less face on an operation table, his arms being restrained by two other medics.

Sakura didn't look that different from when I last saw her. Her hair was still pink and shoulder length –right now it was tied back into a ponytail. Her eyes were still midnight blue and intense as always, holding more knowledge.

And there was a dark bruise right on her forehead.

"He's been poisoned." Another medic said.

"I know that…We have to remove it now." Sakura made a hand sign and a bubble appeared in her waiting hand and slowly eased it into Kankuro's chest. When she rose it again a purple liquid flowed out with it and Kankuro lurched again. "I said hold him down!" she snapped.

"Gomen, Sakura-san!" The man said and Sakura continued with her work.

Her hand settled on his chest one last time and she quickly walked across the room and grabbed a few seemingly random bottles off the shelf and brought them over to the table.

"Um…Sakura-san! We should examine the poison first before working for a cure for the damage already done!" Sakura didn't even spar the girl a glance and I could sense some annoyance in her voice.

"I know this poison; it's like acid it burns from the inside out, it's rare and difficult to make but the cure is simple." She explained as she mixed the supposed 'cure' Kankuro and whatever was wrong with him. Sakura rushed toward him glass in hand and commanded the other medic's to lift his head up for her. They did so and Sakura pried his mouth open and urged him to drink.

Sakura

I pulled my hair from its restraint and shook it out when clapping filled the room and several medics, including Baki and Elder Chiyo –who I just met- nodded approvingly. I retied my headband and Chiyo made further inspection of me.

"You're just like that slug girl, Tsunade; she's Hokage of your village." I smiled.

"I was trained by Tsunade-shishou. She calls me her protégé." Chiyo smirked and in a blur of a black kimono Temari was standing near Kankuro's bedside, obviously not following the rules towards visitors after surges, but I think everyone would let this slid.

"Kankuro are you alright?" Temari asked.

He nodded weakly and I could already see him regaining some strength. Still, his eyes held the same fire they did when I first fought him in the Chuunin Exams. "I'm fine…Sakura saved me." I smiled and nodded to him.

"Thanks for the flattery, but you're not going anywhere for a few more days." His face fell.

"What…about Gaara?" He asked weakly and my smile faded and was exchanged for a look with fierce determination as I held up a fist.

"Leave that to me."

"Us, actually." I glanced behind me to see; Kakashi-sensei along with Guy, Lee, Tenten and a less than pleasant Neji. "We saw your surgery, very impressive."

"Arigato, Kakashi-sensei. What are you doing here?"

"We're here to get Gaara back." Glancing around Kakashi I spotted a tall, spiky haired blonde with whiskers on his cheeks and shining blue eyes.

"Naruto?" I whispered and the blonde grinned. "Naruto!" I lunged at my friend and he wrapped me up in a fierce hug. "When did you get back? Oh, it's so good to see you! Ah, despite the circumstances, I might be happier." I pulled back from him and smiled.

"Yeah…what happened?" Naruto's gaze wandered up to my forehead and my fingers flew up to it, green chakra beginning to burn and heal the mark until nothing was left but my originally pale, smooth skin.

"Oh, this was just a bruise. Two Akatsuki came here last night and took Gaara." I frowned. "Then, of course, I ran after one and threw me like a rag doll before running off." I said. "I was in charge of getting everyone ready for battle and Hinata was helping the other medics put up a force field. Kankuro…tried to go after Gaara's kidnappers."

Kakashi nodded. "Well, Sakura since you're the only one who's seen and fought the Akatsuki and can go with us," he quickly added, Kankuro's weak glare met his. "You'll just have to come with us.

"Hai, I'll grab my bag and we'll leave."

"Me too." Chiyo stepped forward and Kakashi regarded her solemnly.

"Alright, we leave in ten minutes."

Dammit and this chapter use to be soooo much better, but the next one is a lot cooler. I haven't watched all the shows or seen manga...BUDDY SHUT UP! I swear my dog doesn't know how to be quiet, just for that I'm leaving him outside. And damn my neighbors too for abusing their rabid beast and leaving her outside all year round. The only person I love right now is Charlie, my baby puppy. The Watson to my Sherlock Homes...

I have a new story! It's Avartar the Last Airbender, for all my Zutara fans.

Review me baby!

~QueenVamp