Yahoo! –stretches- 4th chapter! Thank you thank you thank you, for everybody who reviewed the last chappie. Here it is now, I present to you…
Land of Leaves
Chapter 4: Her Weakness
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
"Hokage-sama, the Kazekage sent you this message…" Hatake Kakashi presented the scroll to the Acting-Hokage as soon as they reached the tattered gates of Konoha.
Sakura tiredly stretched and said to her former sensei, "Can't you just tell me what it is? I believe you already know what's inside the scroll anyway."
Kakashi firmly stared at her. Sakura sighed and took the scroll from the one-eyed nin. She opened the scroll that bares the symbol of the Wind Country. Her emerald eyes immediately perused the document. Sakura couldn't help but smile on the content of the message.
"Reinforcements from Sand? Tonight?" She blurted out, "But…I thought you..."
The Copy Ninja just smiled, "Well, I was in Wind Country looking for Naruto anyway, why not ask for help?"
Sakura breathe a sigh of relief, although it only gave her a small amount of comfort as she walked tentatively in Konoha's wrecked streets. Her expression changed from one of victory to one of worry as she saw several people injured and being brought to the, now probably full, hospital.
Kakashi shifted his position to ease his shoulder from supporting the injured Hyuuga. The Acting-Rokudaime then turned her gaze to him, as if telling him to bring Neji there now for further treatment. The older ninja just nodded and motioned himself and Neji to enter the hostipal with Ten-ten in tow.
"Forehead-girl!" a shrill voice yelled out.
The kunoichi in question cringed at the sound of her best friend's voice.
Ino ran up towards her pink-haired friend and captured her in a bear hug, "I was so worried when I heard that your office was attacked. Thank the heavens that you're still with us Sakura."
Sakura couldn't doanythingbuthug back.
"Yeah, she was so worried that I feel sorry for those Sound bastards she attacked earlier. Damn, I can still hear their necks breaking in my ear." Said a lazy voice that trailed behind the blonde kunoichi, Shikamaru presented himself beside his former teammate.
"Shikamaru I glad you and Ino are alright." Sakura smiled at them. Ino gently let her go as Shikamaru began his battle diagnosis.
"Well, the Sound forces clearly outnumbered us greatly during the first few hours of battle. Luckily for us, even though Orochimaru waited ten years to attack their ninja are of mediocre standards and were easily taken out by our better trained veterans."
"But…" The Hokage questioned. She knew that if the good news comes first, bad news are only moments away.
"We lost several ranking nins by the Akatsuki's hands" The Head Tactician lowered his head in remorse.
Sakura rested her hand on her forehead, as if to relieve the pain that was pulsing in her head ever since this war began. After a moment of gently massaging her head to maximize chakra flow, Sakura deeply exhaled and asked, "How many casualties?"
"Around 270, if not higher. Mostly wounded." Shikamaru immediately answered.
"And Medics?"
"Eighty percent are in the hospital at this moment."
"I see, you're excused for the next five hours Nara. Rest as much as you can. I'll call on you when you needed. You too Ino, your chakra is barely circulating. You better drink something warm and rest." She weakly smiled at her trusted friends.
Before Shikamaru and Ino could salute and thank her for their brief break, Sakura immediately strode her way to the hospital.
"Sakura where are you going?" Ino asked.
"I'm needed in the hospital Ino…" She yelled out to her as she is a good 10 meters away.
"But shouldn't you rest too? You've been chased the whole day already and you haven't slept a wink last night either. Don't lie to me I was at the Hokage Tower when you ordered tea after tea to Shizune-san." The blonde lectured her like an older sister.
Sakura just flashed her cheerful smile, "Don't worry I'm going to sleep as soon as I'm done." With that she jogged in the white building that made up the Konoha Hospital.
"Yeah…like tomorrow soon I bet." Ino sighed. She sometimes wondered where Sakura got her stubbornness from.
"Don't worry I'll watch over her Ino-san…Shikamaru-san." Sai, who was been quiet during the whole conversation, smiled at the pair.
Ino nodded and Shikamaru just looked up at the red, afternoon sky.
Sai caught up with Sakura, who was rubbing her Anbu tattoo that was on her shoulder, as if it was burning.
"Are you sure that you're not going to rest, Hokage-sama." The dark-haired man inquired.
"I'm alright Sai, you can take a break if want to. I'll be just inside the hospital." Sakura rolled her shoulder to stretch her sore muscles.
Sai just smiled at his protected and nodded, "I'll just be on the roof then."
Sakura nodded as the young Anbu jumped up towards the roof of the hospital. She then made her way inside the emergency room.
Sasuke didn't have any trouble finding the Sound camp, as the snake's chakra was all over it. He is determined to question why the hell did Orochimaru asked for the Akatsuki's help in this, knowing what and how he feels about the elite organization.
The Sound nins greeted him with a salute and was ushered towards the Snake Sannin's quarters. Sasuke flipped the tent flap over and entered the room.
"Ah, Sasuke-kun, I'm glad that you could still join us. I thought that you changed your sides once again, now that you know that your little cherry blossom is the one that your dear brother is after." The snake sneered.
Sasuke gritted his teeth and spoke, "If Haruno is the Hokage then don't you just attack the village without the assassins? The woman isn't that strong!"
A silver-haired nin then suddenly spoke, "Yes that is true but her people are the strongest in the world. Another factor in this battle is that Sakura-san is deeply loved by her people and would do anything to protect what she protects, Konoha. Take the heart of the village and the Land of Leaves is as good as dead."
Sasuke didn't say anything as the Medic continued.
"Oh we should also keep in mind that the Akatsuki is a threat to us. We would have a better hand at winning this war with them atour side, considering that they also seek something in Konoha."
Sasuke lowered his eyes. He knew that his brother is after his ex-best friend. Kabuto and Orochimaru just played around to make the largest threat their best ally by selling out Naruto in exchange of assassinating the Hokage. His reverie was short-lived though as his sensei spoke.
"Sasuke-kun, could I ask you why you didn't kill the Rokudaime earlier when you had the chance? Itachi was really disappointed in you…" The Sannin's fang showed as he grinned.
Sasuke clenched his fist. So he was right all along, he knew he felt Itachi's chakra around the place where he saw Sakura.
"He was about to kill her but you showed up. Your brother couldn't help but watch what you're going to do." Orochimaru chuckled.
Sasuke tried his best to keep his rage down. If he wants to get Itachi this time around he should keep his cool and find a hole in the net, then strike. He exhaled as he answered, "I didn't receive any orders so I didn't waste any chakra."
Kabuto rearranged his glasses, "I see…" he paused, "We apologize for doubting you Sasuke, you're excused."
"Hn…" Was all the sound that Sasuke made as he stomped his way out of the tent.
"He's going to prove to be more of a liability to you Orochimaru." A dark figure leaning on the dark corner of the tent said.
The Sannin only chuckled, "I don't intend to keep him any longer than necessary. I'm planning the ritual as we speak."
"Hn…"
"Sakura-sama your immediate attention is needed in room E-253." An Anbu Medic announced.
Sakura nodded and finished wrapping up the wounded arm of a young girl, "I'll be right there Rika-san."
"Hai." The Anbu saluted and left the room.
Sakura turned her attention to the girl, "Now don't let this get hit by anything alright, if you do that it'll heal in no time." She smiled as the girl nodded in understanding. The Hokage then stood up and walked out to the corridors.
Entering room E-253, which she knew as an operating room, Sakura found Hyuuga Hinata treating patient the best shecould.
"Hokage-sama, I can't do much about his leg anymore. I'm sorry but the only treatment we could now is surgery." The white-eyed Medic Jounin said, her shyness gone.
Sakura examined the leg of the sedated Jounin on the bed. The lower leg was broken into three sections, "Compound Fracture?"
"Hai."
Sakura sighed and turned to go and sterilize her hands. She went back in the room and found that it is already ready for surgery. The patient is now covered with blue sheet-like polyester with only his injured leg showing. Some of the nurses from the hospital neared Sakura and presented her with a surgery gown, which she slid on, and a mask. Hinata was standing near the patient, healing the less fatal and disemboweling wounds.
"Hokage-sama here's your equipment." A nurse said.
Sakura just smiled through her mask and said, "Nah I'm not going to use it. Give it to the other surgeons; they need it more than I do." The nurses were having second thoughts about what she said but the obeyed nonetheless.
"Don't tell me you're going to do a Chakra Surgery?" Hinata exclaimed.
"It's faster that way, besides he has more than enough chakra to heal this fracture within a week if I use this on him." Sakura answered while concentrating chakra on the points of her fingertips.
"You are really not Hokage for nothing huh Sakura-san?" Hinata smiled.
"Acting-Hokage." Sakura is starting to get annoyed of correcting people like this.
"S-sorry Sakura-san."
"Don't worry it's nothing. Besides, I'm giving you training on calling somebody Hokage, considering that your dear Naruto-kun should bereturning soon." Sakura giggled when the Hyuuga blushed eight shades of red.
"H-hai."
Going back to task at hand, Sakura started cutting through the skin with a blade of green chakra protruding from her index finger. The Medic continued cutting and avoiding muscles until she reached the leg bone that was broken clear into three sections.
Hinata stood there amazed on what Sakura was doing. Chakra Surgery is a technique that the Godaime, Tsunade, perfected during that last years of her life. It requires absolute precision and tremendous chakra control to pull off. Sakura spent only a couple ofyears perfecting the technique that the Godaime herself spent her lifetime to develop.
'That's why Kakashi refused to become Hokage, Sakura was the best choice.' The Hyuuga thought as she watched Sakura make Chakra pins to align the bones in their proper positions. These chakra pins are made to both keep the bones in place and heal them. Although the pins glowed green, Sakura's chakra color, when inserted and fixed into the body it turned into purple, the patient's chakra color. Hinata deduced that the pins, once fixed into the body, are now going to be supported by the patient's own chakra supply. That's why Sakura probably spoke something about the patient having more than enough chakra.
"There that should do it…" Sakura said as she became satisfied on her work. The bones are now aligned the way they should be. Sakura started weaving chakra threads on her fingertips. She used her chakra as both needle and thread as she sewed the man's flesh together. The muscle healed the instant they were closed. With only the skin to close, Sakura just merely concentrated chakra on her palms and closed the wound in the old-fashioned way.
"All done." She sighed and took off her bloodless latex gloves and mask. After she brushed off her surgery gown she said to the Hyuuga, "Just let him know, when he wakes up, not to use his legs for a week. That would be enough to let the bones meld fully. After that he'll be able to join the ranks once again." With that said, the pink-haired medic exited the room towards another patient.
The Hyuuga smiled and nodded in understanding, though she's starting to get worried on how the Hokage is working herself to the ground.
'Please don't overwork yourself Sakura-san.' Hinata thought before going back to her own work.
Patient after patient, Sakura continued her work. It was almost sunrise when she decided, or more likely practically kicked out of the emergency room, to stop for the night. She went up to the roof to get some fresh morning air, at least as fresh as the air could be with all the smoke and debris. When she got up there she looked up at the sky. Shecould still remember that this is where Team 7 spent their last time together. She sighed, thinking that those times were like a lifetime away.
She looked around the fenced rooftop. It was still dark although the sun was rising on the horizon. 'There's probably going to be another wave of Sound attacks today.' She thought. As she turned her gaze upon a light pole, Sakura noticed her unofficial bodyguard sitting at the base scribbling on a piece of paper.
"You're still here Sai…?" She asked as she approached him.
"Well you are still here too, right? So that's not really a valid question." The dark-haired Anbu said in his usual teasing voice.
"Sai I really don't need a body guard." She explained.
"Sorry but you don't really have any power over me Hokage-sama. You must remember I'm from the Root. I have my orders to watch over you." He said as-matter-of-factly.
Sakura just sighed and sat behind him, also leaning against the pole, "You were drawing the whole time?"
"Yes, it is the only thing I could do to not worry about the war."
"How can you not worry about what's going on?" She said, sort of annoyed about the guy's laid back attitude.
"You worry too much." He answered back.
She sighed once again and retorted, "I really don't get how you Anbu guys do it."
"Do what?"
"Be this calm."
"Oh, that goes with training. I could really ask the opposite thing about you Sakura-san. Why are you so edgy even though you were Anbu before you became Hokage?"
"Now that you asked, I really don't know. I guess I never really listened to the 'No emotions' lesson. I protect Konoha with my heart, not because I have to. Maybe that's why I'm scared for the village's safety, I love it with all my heart." She solemnly said.
"You really have that 'Hokage-love' thing going on. It's like everyone who becomes Hokage becomes like you, emotional." He chuckled.
"I guess so, although I'm afraid that my heart is not as strong as it used to be." She trailed off while stroking the Anbu tattoo on her shoulder.
"How so? Emotionally or physically strong?"
Sakura just chuckled a bit and answered, "Both." She then relaxed her posture and dozed off.
Sai closed his sketch book and stood up when he felt that her breathing has slowed down. He tucked the book under his arm as he kneeled over to pick the sleeping Hokage up. He looked at the rising sun and after a moment, he leaped his way towards Hokage Tower.
Yea! Done with chapter 4. Whew. Anyways forgive the hints of SaixSakura in this chapter, if theythere are in there.
Yeah uhm...I would like to thank all of you once again for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I would love for you review my humble story once again.
Ghikij