Disclaimer: Yeah, you've all got the gist of it now...I am not Kishimoto, therefore I don't own Naruto.
***Chapter 7 - Severed Ties***
Recap...
"You can die by my hand now, or you can come with me. That is, if you have the guts to help me destroy Konoha once and for all." An infectiously evil laugh escaped his mouth, it sounded like a screaming banshee as he threw her to the ground. The hysterics was just too much to handle. It felt like his sides were splitting.
Sakura gasped for air as she knelt on the wet concrete. Her throat was bruised but she was still conscious.
"Well...what is your answer, Sakura-chan?" She looked up to see him stood over her. His Chidori was shrieking as the current jumped from his palm. She could see now that there was nothing left of the boy that she had fallen for. She had resigned herself to her fate. Here, at this very point she had lost him the first time, her fire was about to be extinguished, by the one she loved.
"Konoha Senpu!"
The scream was followed by a green blur, shooting a spinning kick into the chest of the dark-haired Uchiha, forcing him backwards. Even the chakra that Sasuke had placed in his feet didn't stop the kick from uprooting his stance, tearing up the ground as he moved.
"L-Lee-kun?" Sakura stuttered quietly in disbelief. She was still in a state of shock. He had just saved her from certain death.
"Don't worry Sakura-chan; I will protect you until the day I die." Sakura's mind suddenly transported her back to when she was twelve. Those words, she had heard them before...
"Let's go out together! I'll protect you until the day I die!" Sakura looked upon the scene in her mind. Those words were the first thing he had ever said to her, and she just batted them away like he was another Naruto.
She looked her saviour up and down; he was noticeably different to that boy. He wasn't stood in that ridiculous nice guy pose, but was protecting her, arms spread as wide as they could, waiting to defend her with every ounce of his being. He still wore that ghastly green outfit, but the standard Chuunin combat vest made him look significantly more bearable.
"You are pitiful. Still following her around like a lost puppy are we, Rock Lee?" Sasuke was smiling menacingly, his Sharingan activated as he stared down the Konoha Chuunin. "I've been looking forward to a rematch with you. This time I am prepared for your speed." He smirked before unsheathing Kusanagi.
"It's a good job you're facing me Sasuke...If it had been Naruto-kun you would already be dead for what you did to Sakura-chan." With those words, Sasuke was riled up even more. But before he could pounce, Lee had already disappeared and landed a forceful kick on the Akatsuki member. Unfortunately for Lee, Sasuke was already prepared.
The Sharingan wielder had sliced at the area he suspected Lee was going to reappear in, cutting into his jacket as Lee barely escaped the chakra charged blade. This caused his kick to fall short as he retreated back to his starting position, causing Sasuke to chuckle slightly.
"You are weak. You show no hatred; only with hatred can you grow stronger. Love is a wasteful emotion. But you got something right. You will protect her until you die, then I'll kill her too." Sasuke laughed sinisterly at his own remark, before he was cut off by a violent wave of power that disturbed the air. That last remark got to Lee more than all the insults he flurried at the bushy browed teen.
"Seimon! Open!" A flash of green light encompassed Lee's body as he opened the third gate. Sakura began to grow fearful of the outcome for Lee, she remembered what happened to him the last time he opened this gate during the Gaara fight. His skin began to change colour as veins jutted out all over his face.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh... ShÅmon! Open!" The ground began to crack beneath him as he screamed in agony at the pain of inducing more chakra into his system. With the Pain Gate open, Lee's power was visibly growing with every second. "MORE!" He screamed as he forced open the next gate. The power escaping his body engulfed the surrounding area. Sasuke began to grow interested with his opponent.
"You can open five of the celestial gates, that's quite impressive, but you still won't defeat me."
"Do not underestimate me you bastard! This will be the last time you hurt Sakura-chan!" His voice lowered significantly after the Limit Gate opened. He could feel the protests beginning to come from the kunoichi knelt behind him, but he simply turned slightly so that he could look at her.
"Lee-kun, don't open any more. Don't you dare die f..." her words were cut off by the fire in his eyes when he looked at her.
"I will protect you, you are all that matters Sakura-chan." He gave a wry smile as he turned back to his prey. The ground between the two fighters was torn apart as Lee rushed on towards his deadly opponent.
"Shit..." Sasuke had no time to react. Even his Mangekyo couldn't read Lee's movements as he sped towards him at an insane velocity. The first kick sent him flying, but it was followed by kick after kick. Soon the pair were over fifty metres in the air before Lee decided to end it.
"Ura Renge!" It took less than a second after the impact of the Reverse Lotus for Sasuke to crash into the ground. Dust and pieces of debris were thrown into the atmosphere as Lee collapsed to one knee besides Sakura. He panted heavily as he looked on, anxiously waiting for the dust to settle.
"Lee!" Sakura screamed as she looked at the damage on his body. His muscles had begun to tear apart. She instantly began to try and heal him, with a blue glow of chakra on her palms. She didn't care about what had happened to Sasuke, she just wanted to help the bushy browed teen knelt before her.
Lee's eyes shot open as the dust settled, revealing an enormous crater with a dark figure stood waiting silently, with his arms folded.
"Is that all you've got?" The bored sounding teen mocked before letting out a short laugh. His face suddenly got serious as he dropped his right arm, charging chakra into his palm. Sakura heard the words, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. Sakura couldn't move as she heard his footsteps rapidly close in behind her.
"Chidori!" The scream of the Jutsu was followed by the sound of its impact on human flesh. Silence ensued, only being broken by the sound of rain pelting down onto the concrete.
"It seems you still have some life in you yet. But I'm afraid your heroic actions have only bought your pink haired bitch a few extra seconds to live." Sasuke smirked as he pulled his arm away from Lee's shoulder. He could feel the warm blood gushing onto his fingertips as he looked on at the damage he had caused. The Chuunin had somehow managed to push Sakura out of the way, and deflect the Chidori away from any vital points.
"You're persistent I'll give you that." Sasuke raised his free hand and shot it out behind him. He made a sudden movement with his fingers, and his blade shot out off the ground, landing in his palm.
Lee was silent. He had nothing he could possibly say or do. He was out of chakra and the pain was unbearable, but at least he had kept his promise...he had protected her until the day he died.
Sasuke backed up slightly as he eyed up his target, holding the blade with both hands as he began to push it forwards with some force. It isn't a pleasant thing to hear, the sound of flesh being ripped apart by a sword, especially if it's the flesh of the person you love.
"SAKURA!" Lee roared as the kunoichi fell in front of him, the blade sticking straight through her abdomen. Sasuke was lying on the ground some fifty yards away. She had managed to get off an insanely powerful punch as she threw herself in front of the blade.
"W-why d-did you d-do...t-that Sa-Sa-Sakura-chan?" Lee cradled her in his only functioning arm. The tears streamed off his face onto hers as he looked down at her. Her pink kimono was quickly darkening as her blood seeped into the material around the point where the dull blade stuck into her.
"Because you...are...a...good person. Y-you shouldn't have to...die...for someone who never realised...who you were." Her sluggish and quiet words ended with a slight smile, as her emerald green eyes closed slowly, fully resting her body into his as she drifted off towards the light.
"Sa-Sa-ku-ra..." Lee could barely form words as the lump in his throat grew with each passing second. He had failed her; he wasn't strong enough to protect her. She was dead in his arms.
"How touching. I guess you finally got her in the end. Now you can join her." The snide remark from Sasuke angered Lee, but there was nothing her could do. He just cradled her back and forth as he stared down her murderer.
"Amater-arghh!" Sasuke began to scream as he quickly fell to the floor. Blood began to trickle down his face as he tried to cover the pain with his battered hands. He stood up again, after the pain had faded slightly, and looked around aimlessly. All he could make out was faint outlines for a brief while. He waited until he could see more clearly and charged.
"Juuken!" Sasuke was thrown back by the attack, tumbling violently until he landed face down in the crater he had made earlier. When he rose to his feet, he was both shocked and amused at what he saw.
"I was wondering when back-up would show up. Nice to see you all again." He smirked as he looked on at the faces of the people that stood between him and Lee.
"You bastard! You will pay for this!" Kiba yelled violently towards the assassin as he and Akamaru stood beside Neji, Chouji and Shino at the front of the pack. Tenten looked over Neji's shoulder as Kurenai looked over Kiba's. Ino and Hinata were stood around the bloodied bodies, checking for vitals. Since their arrival, Lee had lapsed into a state of unconsciousness.
"I would love to stay and chat, but I have completed my goal and..." Sasuke was cut off by a forceful axe kick to the back of the head. His body just dispersed into a flock of crows upon impact.
"That wasn't very polite now, was it, Gai-sensei?" Sasuke smirked as he stood in a tree above the fearsome looking Jounin. The killer intent coming from his body was like nothing any of the other shinobi had ever felt before. Even from the Kyubi. "Goodbye for now, but I assure you, the next time we meet, you will meet the same fate as that useless bitch over there." With that he disappeared into the darkness.
A number of ANBU appeared around Gai and with his signal, scattered in all directions looking for the missing-Nin. The group's attentions all turned to their fellow Nins that were lying in an entwined heap on the floor.
"Report!" The urgency in Gai's delivery shook Ino and Hinata slightly. Ino had received training from Tsunade, but was nowhere near the level that Sakura was at. Hinata had also received some field medic training and was busy looking over Lee, as Ino looked over Sakura.
"Lee-kun is unconscious. He appears to have lost a lot of blood from this attack to his shoulder. Also, I don't understand how, but it appears as if all of his muscles have torn." Hinata looked up from her patient as she spoke to Gai. The look in his eyes showed her that he knew how he had sustained such damage.
"He opened the Limit Gate and he still couldn't defeat Sasuke?" Gai muttered to himself but Hinata didn't ask him to speak up. She could only imagine what he was going through when he looked down at his carbon copy.
"Sakura is..." Ino began to tear up as she spoke. "She's barely breathing. Her heart-rate is dangerously low. We have to get her to the hospital immediately." She yelped at the group as she ordered Kiba to go ahead to warn Shizune at the hospital that they would need to be prepped for emergency surgery. Sakura had lost so much blood that it was unbelievable that she was still in the land of the living.
Chouji, Gai and Shino carefully picked up Sakura, wrapping some cloth around the sword to make sure it stayed still. If it moved it would most certainly kill her. Neji, Kurenai and Hinata picked up Lee and the group moved as quickly as they could towards the Hospital. Ino hovered between the two, checking their vitals thoroughly as the group walked.
Sasuke looked on from the shadows at the group as they scurried away in the direction of the hospital. He felt a great sadness as he watched them move. He really liked that sword...
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A large cloud of smoke plumed out from where he slammed his fist into the ground, which eventually lifted showing the sharp talons of an enormous hawk. He placed his hand on the bird's side, using it as a hoist as he pulled his body into a seating position on top of the large beast. "Return me to hideout at top speed. I need to get back immediately." Sasuke showed a clear authority over his summon, as it simply squawked in obedience to its master.
As the bird lifted off the ground, it presented the bodies of two ANBU members, which had been previously hidden behind the hawk's body. By the way their uniforms were singed, it was clear they had succumbed to a Raiton of Katon Jutsu. As the huge wings of the bird flapped, it cooked up a miniature tornado, kicking up dust as it took off into the night's sky.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Come in." A low voice bellowed in reply to the sound of someone at his door. The large wooden door creaked as it opened, revealing a cloaked boy with golden hair.
"I am sorry to disturb you Raikage-sama." Naruto appeared to be taken aback by the sight of the giant of a man, seemingly staring into the night's sky from his balcony.
"Is there something you wish to discuss with me Naruto-san?" He didn't turn around as he spoke, as he could tell from the voice who was addressing him.
"Um- I came here to apologise..." His voice trailed off slightly as he felt the presence of something he hadn't felt in a long time. Stupidity.
"You have nothing to apologise for." The man seemed confused by the boy's words. As he heard no noticeable reply he turned to look directly at the boy. He could see the anguish on the kids face as he tried to explain himself.
Naruto just looked at him for a short while before plucking up the courage to speak his mind.
"Sasuke was on my original Genin team after we left the academy. I failed in stopping him when he deserted the village, and have failed on a number of occasions to successfully retrieve him. If I hadn't of been so weak, he would not have become part of Akatsuki, and your brother may not have been captured." Naruto gasped for breath after he finished blurting out his thoughts. "Therefore, I am sorry." His face saddened as he apologised again to the Raikage. His head dropped as he fully expected a scalding, or worse.
"That is a bold thing to say to me. If you had been warned at all about me, you would know I am a very short tempered man." His voice boomed around the bare room as he looked down on the boy. Naruto shook slightly in fear, but that quickly subsided as he saw the man's face loosen up a bit. "But, I cannot accept your apology. You cannot dictate the actions of others. And even if you had of captured that Uchiha bastard, Bee would still have been targeted." The man cooled considerably as he finished speaking.
"I know..." Naruto sighed as he thought about his fate, to be hunted down like a wild animal by that wretched organisation.
"I can imagine the kind of life you have led, seeing firsthand how my brother was treated in his younger years. The life of a Jinchuriki is not for the faint hearted, but you are strong willed, a lot like Bee. His existence was shunned for a great deal of his younger years, but as he grew, more and more people began to acknowledge him as a person, rather than the demon that resided inside of him. You shouldn't blame yourself for something that isn't your fault kid; you've already been through enough hardships to be weighed down by something that you had no control in." The Raikage looked on at the boy's reaction as he realised that he was right on the money with his assumptions. He took another look at the boy before he turned back to the balcony. It was a cold night, but he wasn't fazed by it.
Naruto looked on at the man as he digested his words, and slowly walked over to where he was stood, resting his elbows on the wooden balcony, looking over the beautiful snow capped city. He was frozen solid, but it didn't take him long to become acclimatised. They stood there for a while before Naruto silently thanked the man for understanding him.
"Are you thinking about your brother?" Naruto asked quietly, hoping it wouldn't distress the elder figure.
"Yes, sadly I can't shake him from my mind. After that masked freak appeared and told us that Bee has been captured, I urged the Kazekage to provide all the information he could offer me concerning what would happen to him." Naruto flinched at that, remembering the sight of Deidara sitting casually on Gaara's dead body, after the Ichibi had been extracted.
"It should take roughly three days for him to be sealed, according to what he told me. And by the fact that he has been popping up too regularly, I can only assume that they have yet to begin the process."
"That would be a good assumption. Also, by the fact that there are fewer members than when they sealed away the Ichibi, it will probably take a lot longer." Naruto added hoping that it would lift the man's hopes slightly. His brother was not dead yet.
"Indeed. About a day after the original meeting, the team I sent to Konoha reported in with the information that they had attained. After I heard what they had to offer, I sent a message to Kumo asking for a platoon of ANBU to aid them in tracking down the Akatsuki hideout we believe them to be stationed in. I will not let them have Bee without a fight." The anger was beginning to reappear in his words as he thought about what they could be doing to him.
"Please, allow me to assist you. I wish to help." Naruto left out the fact he wanted to try one more time to talk Sasuke into returning to Konoha. He didn't think the Raikage would be so receptive to such a request.
"Have you already forgotten what we discussed in the meeting? Your involvement in this would put a great risk on Akatsuki achieving their goal. Only Kumogakure will be involved in this operation, as the other nations still need time to fully mobilise their forces. You will be returning to Konoha as planned." He smiled slightly as he walked back into the room, signalling Naruto to close the doors to the balcony as he came in.
"Hai." Naruto replied to the Raikage's words, knowing too well that he was right. Hell, it had been Naruto's plan in the first place. How could he possibly forget? "Thank you, Raikage-sama. I hope you find Killer Bee. I will take my leave now." Naruto bowed slightly as he headed for the door. The Raikage nodded slightly as he watched the boy leave. When he was gone, the beast of a man slouched back into the couch, thinking about what he would do to that bastard Madara, if he could actually hit him that is.
"Report!" The acting Hokage shouted at one of his Chuunin messengers, who had come from the crime scene. Shikaku was clearly distressed. He wasn't anticipating hostile actions in the short period he was to be in charge.
"The village elders, Koharu and Homura have been assassinated." Before he could continue further, Shikaku blasted out a scream in disbelief. Their quarters were heavily guarded by ANBU. He just couldn't believe someone had managed to get close to them. The Chuunin quivered slightly at the rage coming from the usually subdued clan head, but held firm until he was asked to continue.
"A fight appears to have broken out between two Chuunin, Rock Lee, and Haruno Sakura, and a cloaked figure. Witness reports show that this man was Uchiha Sasuke. By his appearance in the village around the time of the assassinations, one can only assume that he is the culprit." The Chuunin waited for a brief moment as the cogs churned in Nara Shikaku's head. He was even more intelligent than his son, so he was able to assimilate new information a lot faster.
"Yes, that would be a correct assumption. Are there any squads out looking for him?" In return, the Chuunin nodded slowly.
"A number of ANBU were dispatched, but with our own sweeps, we have come across three dead. If this was the work of Uchiha Sasuke, he is far too dangerous to approach."
"Indeed. Send word out to recall all teams from the pursuit. It is far too much of a risk to have our men looking for him. How are the two Chuunin?" There was a distinct tinge of concern in his delivery. Although he usually spoke in a monotone way, he knew the two in question personally, as they were good friends of Shikamaru.
"It is not good Sir. Rock Lee is unconscious, and has lost a lot of blood. Haruno Sakura is in a much more severe condition. Shizune-sama is currently operating on her." The man paused briefly before continuing. "The prognosis does not look good."
Shikaku looked at the young man's face. The sadness said it all. Clearly, like many of the other Shinobi in the village, he had a soft spot for her. Probably because she had healed him from a life threatening wound he had received on a mission. The fact of the matter was that Haruno Sakura was almost at the level of Tsunade, when it came down to medical treatment. She had saved the lives of many of her peers over the past few years.
"I see..." The dark haired Jounin looked down to his desk as he repositioned his facade, before continuing. "Send for Team Kurenai and Hyuga Neji."
"I would Sir, but they are all at the hospital. They were amongst the group that found Sakura-san and Lee-san." He didn't mean it to sound like he was disobeying his direct order, but he wanted to make the point that they were possibly not the best people to send out on a mission right now.
"I understand. Very well, I will visit them myself. Make sure you send word for all ANBU teams to fall back from the search."
"Hai!" with that the man disappeared into a swirl of leaves, leaving the Nara clan head alone. He sat momentarily before he left the Hokage's office, on route towards the hospital.
The looks on the faces of those who waited restlessly in the hospital's visitor room were ones of anguish, fear, and hope. Kiba was gradually wearing down the carpet as he paced the length of the room. Kurenai and Hinata sat side-by-side, sharing the same uncomfortable look. The only one who appeared to look calm was the heavily shielded Aburame. His high collar, and dark shades hid the majority of his face. But underneath that facade, his body was shaking furiously. Even he had been riled by the actions of his former comrade. The group was silent. All they could do was sit and wait for news about Sakura's surgery.
Further down the corridor, Ino was slowly going over the final stages of Lee's treatment. Although he had sustained damage to his muscles, only time could heal that. Her main concern was the large wound on his shoulder. After twenty minutes of treatment, the bleeding had stopped and the wound had begun to close. Ino was so thankful that Tsunade had allowed her to train with Sakura. As the glow in her hands faded, her patient's eyes began to stir...
"Sa-Sakura-chan?" The words passed through Lee's lips with a clear tinge of pain. His body shuddered as he tried to pick himself up.
"Try not to move Lee; your body is too damaged. You used the celestial gates, remember?" Gai urged Lee to stop wrestling with his motionless body by placing his hand on his untainted shoulder.
"I...I...don't know...What h-happened?" Lee seemed confused as he looked at his surroundings. He couldn't decide if his eyes were betraying him, but he appeared to be in the hospital. He looked around at the semi-circle of faces that seemed to be peering down at him. Gai and Tenten showed relief in their subdued smiles at him. Neji looked concerned, but he remained silent. Ino was still working, dressing his wound as she could feel his eyes staring straight through the top of her skull.
"You fought Sasuke. Don't you remember Lee-kun?" Tenten really didn't like hearing that he couldn't remember how he had ended up like this.
"I did? I...Don't remember. Wait, Sakura...WHERE IS SHE?" His words could be heard throughout the hospital. After his sudden outburst, he began to writhe in agony, as each of his muscles felt like they set on fire simultaneously. The panicked green beast immediately looked towards his sensei. The look on his face said it all.
"S-she's having emergency surgery. I'm sorry Lee-kun, but we've just got to hope that Shizune-sama can help her." Ino hadn't been so sad since she found Shikamaru was seeing Temari. That had broken her heart, but she managed to get over it, eventually. This was something entirely new. Her best friend was laying near-death, at the hands of someone who she had cared for. She just didn't know how to feel.
"...I...I'm sorry..." Lee seemed so dejected. It hadn't been a nightmare; he truly had failed to protect her. He hadn't been strong enough.
"It's not your fault Lee. It's my fault for not getting their faster. I'm sorry my faithful student." The tears were flowing freely from the eyes of the elder beast of Konoha. He could see how Lee felt. It just made Gai feel even worse.
The room grew silent as the solemn look on their faces continued. Ino finished dressing Lee's wound in silence, and doped him up with some morphine for the pain. As the medication came into effect, Lee became more at ease. Unfortunately she couldn't provide any for the others, who were noticeably feeling similar dread to their peers. Now they knew that Lee was safe, they too were concentrating fully on Sakura.
"Can Lee be moved? I think he would like to be there when news about Sakura comes through." Neji asked Ino who replied with a nod, moving towards the corner of the room as she unfolded a wheelchair.
Gai and Neji slowly picked him up and plopped him into the wheeled machine as Lee spurted out some profanities. He was still under the initial effects of the drug, and his coherence had not returned to him yet. Tenten took responsibility of the wheel-chair, as she knew that Gai would try and beat his previous 'wheel-chair derby' time-trial. He was so predictable.
The group skulked through the halls of the hospital, attracting saddened stares from passing nurses and doctors. They walked in utter silence. Each one of them was thinking too much to converse as Neji opened the door to the visitor's room.
"Excellent. Now that you are here Neji, I can give you your mission." Neji was taken aback by the sudden call of his name, but he quickly realised where it had come from.
"Shikaku-sama?"
"You are to take control of Team Kurenai, and relay the following information to Hokage-sama." With that Shikaku pulled out a scroll containing the evening's events. "This information is classified, for the Hokage's eyes only. Is that understood?"
"Hai!" The order was replied in unison by Neji, Hinata, and Shino.
"How the hell can you expect us to go on a mission now? We can't just leave Sakura like that!" The emotionally wound-up Inuzuka blasted in Shikaku's direction.
"Because you are a Shinobi of Konoha. Follow Shikaku-sama's orders or I'll throw you in jail myself for insubordination." Kurenai applied a firm hand to her student. She hated how impulsive Inuzuka's were.
"But..." Kiba's remonstration was cut off by Kurenai.
"Don't worry about Sakura. We will be here when she wakes up. Now hurry up and gather your supplies. I assume this mission is effective immediately?"
"Indeed. And please be as fast as possible. This situation is far too troublesome for me to handle on my own. Hokage-sama needs to deal with this personally. And another thing, don't tell Naruto about Sakura's condition. We cannot afford an incident at such a time." Shikaku directed his last comment straight into the lavender eyes of the Hyuga princess. She nodded nervously as she knew it would be difficult to keep something from her love.
With that, the group quickly left the hospital, leaving Shikaku, Gai, Kurenai, a semi-conscious Lee, and a very tired looking Tenten.
"Why did you send Neji with them instead of me?" Kurenai asked her direct superior.
"Isn't that obvious? I need all upper-Jounin to be in the village. We have no idea if this was just a warning for a larger invasion." Shikaku stated matter-of-factly. He just assumed that everyone was as intelligent as he was.
Kurenai understood what he was saying, as she sat back into her chair and let out a disappointed sigh. Gai seemed to copy her actions as he sat in the free chair next to where Lee's wheel-chair was. By this point Tenten had fallen asleep across three adjoining chairs.
"I wonder what Kakashi will do when he opens that scroll..." Gai thought out-loud, attracting the gaze of the other Jounin.
"I'd be more worried about what Naruto will do. There is a good chance he will break inside if Sakura leaves him too." Kurenai replied to Gai's mutterings as she thought about what it would do to the two of them if they lost another member of their team.
"Why do you think I sent Hinata's team? I've heard two accounts where she has stopped him from going full Kyubi. She has even more control over him than Yamato does." Shikaku looked smugly at Kurenai's worried look.
"You are one sly, lazy bastard, Nara Shikaku. I bet the only reason you told her not to tell him, was because you knew that she wouldn't be able to keep something like that from him." Shikaku's smug face grew even more when Kurenai caught on to his true intentions. But he was right, if there was anyone who could keep Naruto calm...it was Hinata. With that, he signalled to the two, and left for home. It was far too early in the morning to be working any longer. It was nearly sun-rise for god's sake.
"Finally! We're out of that blizzard. I feel better already." Naruto joked as he expressed himself through a large grunt as he stretched.
They had left shortly after Naruto's discussion with the Raikage. Kakashi didn't want to delay any further. He made up some excuse that he needed to get back to do team rosters, but really he wanted to get back home, to that nice big warm Hokage bed that he fell in love with the only time he managed to sleep in it.
The trio were noticeably tired, yet they marched on, over the border, into the thick forests of Hi no Kuni. As Naruto had cheered as they crossed the border, they were away from the ghastly weather, and were now into a much warmer climate. No sooner had the group become acclimatised to the heat a lovely morning shower erupted from the heavens.
"You still feel better Naruto?" Yamato let out a half chuckle-half wicked stare as he spoke. He really did freak out the golden haired Shinobi.
"Seriously, you have to teach me that death stare for when I become a Jounin instructor, Yamato-taichou." Kakashi giggled like a little school girl at that one. He honestly couldn't tell if Naruto was being sincere when he addressed Yamato.
"I'm amazed you didn't ask Kakashi-senpai to teach you. After all, he's the one that showed me how to do it. Back in the old days..." Yamato got cut off by Kakashi just as he began to reminisce on their 'old times' back in ANBU.
"What do you mean Jounin instructor? You've got to become a Chuunin yet." Kakashi chuckled slightly. However, the comment didn't have the desired affect when Naruto began to sulk slightly. He had almost forgotten that he was still considered to be the only remaining Genin from the rookie eleven. Hell, Konohamaru was closer to becoming a Chuunin than he was. At least he had a team to take the exam with...
"How am I going to progress in the ranks if I'm not part of a three man cell? That's the only way you can take the Chuunin exam." His delivery was dejected. It appeared to Kakashi that Naruto had just given up on becoming a Chuunin, or even a Jounin. Though, to be fair, he was a Sage, second only to maybe his father.
"How many times do I have to tell you? You are a special circumstance. Although you can't technically become a Chuunin, or Jounin, you are the disciple of one of the Legendary Sannin. It doesn't matter if you are only a Genin; the respect you receive from your peers surpasses that of any Jounin in this village. You may yet be the first person to go from Genin to Hokage." Kakashi's visible eye curved in its usual way, telling Naruto that he was smiling. Depending on how long Kakashi remained in the position, it was very possible that Naruto would take over the mantle.
"Thanks Kakashi-sensei." Naruto, as always, was humbled by his sensei's praise.
"I'm picking up movement at two O'clock. Five man cell and they're closing in...fast!" This put the trio on alert, each grabbing their respective weapons as they stopped on a branch.
Naruto was the furthest forward, with Kakashi in the middle, and Yamato at the rear. Brief moments past before Naruto returned his kunai to his pouch, easing the tension between the two behind him.
"Make that a four man, one dog, cell." Naruto turned to flaunt off his yellow eyes. Sage mode was really handy when it came to reading peoples chakra, and one chakra in particular stuck in his mind clear as day.
The cell came into view, but before they could set down on the opposite branch, Naruto had already jumped forwards, landing in the exact spot he knew his beautiful princess was going to land in. It caught her by surprise when she landed in his arms, but she quickly regained composure from her instant lust for him. Her subdued greeting to Naruto was followed by a saddened looking Kiba, and a disturbed looking Neji. He could never tell what Shino looked like.
"What's up, Hina-hime?" Naruto suddenly got serious when she looked away from him. She really couldn't look into those piercing blue eyes; otherwise she would spill everything to him.
Neji jumped next to Kakashi and pulled a sealed scroll from his backpack, shortly before handing it directly to the Hokage.
"This can't be good." Kakashi sighed as he 'released' the seal on the scroll, allowing it to unravel. "Oh...God..." uncertainty flooded his single eye as he read the document. He was too gobsmacked to respond to it. After he read it over three times, because he just didn't believe it the first two, the paper disintegrated in his palm, as it became engulfed in flames.
"Kakashi-sensei, what's wrong?" By now Naruto had become agitated. It was one thing for Hinata to be acting how she was around him, but it was another for Kakashi to be speechless like that.
"We have to get back to the village immediately. Neji is your team ready to go, or do you need recovery time?" Kakashi quickly regained his composure and assertiveness, which he had appeared to find since becoming Hokage. He really had lost his lazy side.
Neji scanned his team's faces, looking for signs of fatigue, yet found none. "Hai, Hokage-sama." The seven person squad took off into the tree-line after Neji's comment.
"Will someone please tell me what the hell's going on?" The blond was starting to get pissed. It seemed like everyone knew what was going on apart from him.
"It's okay Hinata, you can tell him." Kakashi urged her to speak up. He had caught the little note on the end of the document, informing him that Shikaku had forbidden her to say anything to him. Of course, Kakashi knew what kind of guy the lazy Nara was.
"B-but...Shikaku-sama said..."
"Yes I know. He's just got a twisted sense of humour that's all." Kakashi replied quickly.
"Hinata-hime, please tell me what's wrong. I won't get mad, I promise." Naruto smiled at her slightly. The rookie Sage of Konoha gazed at her with his yellowy orange eyes, as she gazed back with tears flooding from hers. At that second he knew it was bad. He could see it in her eyes. Something told him instinctively that it related to Sasuke. She took her time to compose herself before speaking.
"Sasuke-kun assassinated the village elders last night." Hinata didn't say anymore, but the teen knew that wasn't it all. She wouldn't be so upset if it was just the elders. There had to have been something else.
"Sasuke..." The anger in his voice flooded the area with killing intent. Naruto knew that this was the last straw. He had killed Danzo, and now the rest of the village elders. Although they had personally made his life a living hell, it was still unforgiveable. Then he caught her eyes falter again. His peripheral vision had vastly improved as he saw her wipe away the tears with the edge of her jacket. "You're holding something back Hina." He didn't mean it to come out how it did, but it seemed like he was accusing her of some treachery.
"Na-Na-Naruto-kun...I'm so-sorry..." She began to bawl her eyes out as she struggled to force out what she couldn't say to him. He grabbed hold of her from behind, halting her advances. His warm, muscular arms embraced her as she turned and buried her head into his shoulder, crying into the material of his cloak. All he could do now was be her shoulder to cry on, as he stroked her flowing dark-blue hair. It seemed to calm her down significantly, yet she remained silent.
Naruto took the time to look around at the rest of the group. The deflated faces of Neji and Kiba made him wince slightly. Under usual circumstances, Kiba wouldn't hesitate to blurt something out. If even the obnoxious Inuzuka was silent, it must be bad. It felt as if the entire group were walking on egg-shells around him. It was a feeling he really did not enjoy...
"Na-ruto-kun, its Sakura..." That was all he needed to hear from her luscious lips. Red chakra began to surround him as he leaped away from the group. His bounds were enormous. Every two leaps that the others made to catch him up, he was making five. None of them could match his speed, and he was rapidly getting out of range to be affected by Yamato's chakra suppression Jutsu.
"Hold on Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, but to no avail. Three glorious tails were swinging as he leapt through the trees. One more and nothing would get through to him.
"I have to help Sakura! I promised I would protect her. If that bastard's done anything to her I'm gunna KILL HIM!"
"That's it boy, feel the hatred flow through you. Set me free, and in return I'll give you all the power in the world. Only then can you stop him." The fox chuckled as the fourth tail sprouted out from behind Naruto. His chakra was blackening, burning at his skin.
Naruto didn't reply, but his speed increased drastically due to the extra tails power. Hinata was at the forefront of the chasing pack, bounding over branch after branch, stood directly next to Kakashi.
"D-does he love Sakura?" The sadness in her eyes could not be ignored. His reaction to Sakura's name basically threw all her feelings back in her face. She couldn't help but think if this is how he would have reacted if she had been in Sakura's position.
"Hinata..." Kakashi just looked at her for a second. "...If it was you, he would have already transformed into the full blown thing." This caught Hinata's ear, as she turned to face him as she ran. Of course, her Byakugan was active so she could still see directly in front of where she was moving.
As he realised he had caught her attention, he repeated the conversation he had had with Naruto, on their way to the Kage summit. It was like music to her ears when she was told of how he defended his affection for her, how he declared his love for her, how he told them that with her in his life he was 'truly happy'. A sudden wave of chakra flowed from her. Hinata's will power had forced her chakra system to become flooded with new energy. With one fearsome leap, she rapidly closed down the gap on Naruto. And she didn't stop there. She was gaining.
"Wait Hinata, he's too far gone to be reasoned with. He will not be able to distinguish you from being friend or foe." Yamato yelled out to her. She made a slight movement to signify that she had understood his warning, yet she closed in regardless.
"I cannot understand it. She should be out of chakra. Hinata-sama does not have such vast reserves." Neji was examining her with his Byakugan. He was utterly shell shocked as to how she had amassed so much power out of nowhere.
"Love can do mysterious things, Neji. There is only one thing in that girl's heart, and that is Uzumaki Naruto." Kakashi sighed as he forced the group to pick up the pace.
They had been travelling for some time. Naruto was so close to the gate that he could almost smell that 'new paint' smell from the refurbishing. But he could sense something else, a single chakra, rapidly closing in on him from behind. However, he didn't even bat an eyelid. With a slight growl, he forced two of his tails to expand rapidly, swinging them fearsomely behind him.
"NARUTO-KUN!" That voice, that pitch, it all seemed so familiar. Even in his kyubified state, the strained words seemed so soothing on his soul. His attack tails stopped short of their target, he jumped over them, closer to the black figure that crouched on all fours. "Please, Naruto-kun, listen to my voice. I love you Naruto-kun."
The terrifying look on the monsters face was overwhelmed by confusion. The beast looked like it was caught in two minds, one to attack his foe, and the other, to allow her closer. It quickly settled, almost purring gently as Hinata tip-toed closer to its body.
"Boy, what are you doing? KILL HER already. Don't forget your hatred. You need my power to kill Sasuke!"
"No, I don't. Hatred leads to a path I cannot follow. If I consume myself in hatred, I will be no better than him. Hinata is the light that guides me. Without her, I am nothing."
"Hi-na-ta-hime..." Naruto's burnt body flamed in agony as he spoke, but he merely winced slightly. He didn't want her to see him in pain.
"Naruto-kun. Are you okay?" She placed her cold palm on his cheek. The sudden cold caused instant relief from the blistering heat that he could feel on his skin.
"Yeah, Kyubi forced a bit too much chakra out to hurt me, because I listened to you rather than him. He's a spoilt little brat at times." Naruto chuckled as he picked himself up. He wrapped his bare forearms around her. His cloak had been completely singed off, and a lot of the jumpsuit material had been destroyed also. The burns were near enough third-degree, but they were already healing, to Hinata's amazement.
"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I shouldn't have told you. I should have known you would have reacted badly." She was almost in tears again as she apologised to him, but he just clasped her chin in reply, forcing it up so that he could kiss her perky lips. It was better than any medication for the pain.
"No, I'm sorry Hinata. You should never have to see me like that. Now please, just kiss me again." He smiled as he held her close, feeling her arms grip like a vice around the back of his neck as she pulled him down to her level, so she could make good on his request. It felt good to touch him again. It felt like forever since he had left, when really it had only been a couple of days.
"Should we wait for the others?" She asked him after she pulled herself away, much to his disappointment.
"No, they can catch up to us. Now, tell me what happened to Sakura-chan. I promise I won't go Kyubi on you again." She seemed a little unsure, but she caught that irresistible smile of his and couldn't oppose him.
As they moved closer to the gate, she told him everything that she could. Obviously she had only caught the tail-end of the fight, so she could only share minor details. But the image of Sakura lay on the floor in Lee's arms, with a sword through her abdomen was all the detail that Naruto needed. He was gravely concerned, yet he remained true to his word. The Kyubi's chakra did not make another appearance as they walked through the gate.
Kotetsu gave the pair a grave look as they signed in, warning him that Kakashi wouldn't be too far behind them. Naruto caught the look, but he didn't make anything of it. He just assumed it was directed at him, considering he was covered in what looked like first-degree burns. (He healed a lot faster this time round because he didn't use it as much as when he fought Orochimaru)
The couple walked briskly through the streets towards the hospital. Every so often an onlooker would cast a 'welcome home' towards their hero, as others would give him the same grave look he had received from Kotetsu. The closer he got the more looks he was getting. Something just did not feel right. The atmosphere was all wrong.
As they walked up to the main reception, Hinata asked for Sakura's room number. The nurse looked up from her notepad at the pair, with a tear in her eye. Then she noticed who was standing with the young Hyuga.
"Room 401" she spoke ever so quietly, almost in a whisper. It was like she was trying her hardest not to anger him. This only added to his worry, as he quickly began to walk through the halls, then jog, before eventually sprinting down the final corridor. As he turned the corner, he saw her door was open. Although there were a large number of people stood inside room 401, only a pin drop could be heard. At first he couldn't see her bed, but as he coughed to grab everyone's attention, the group parted.
There lay Haruno Sakura, peaceful as could be, draped in cloth up to her shoulders. Then he noticed it. That same sober look plastered onto all of their faces. Lee, Gai, Kurenai, Tenten, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Shikaku, Shizune. As soon as they looked into his concerned eyes, their stares plummeted to admire the floor tiles. No one could bear looking at his face. Hinata instinctively hugged him as tightly as she could. It was all she could do.
"I'm so-sorry N-Naruto-kun, I...I...c-couldn't p-protect her." Lee burst into tears as he forced his free arm over his eyes to hide it, but the noise was too much for anyone to handle. Many began to feel it too. But Naruto didn't shed one tear as he looked at her. He couldn't. If he accepted she was gone, he would be all alone. Sasuke deserted him, and now Sakura. He stood there for a moment, before walking to her bedside, kneeling at her side. He placed his hand on hers, but it was cold to the touch. The rest of the group looked on in sadness at what they saw.
"Rest in Peace, Sakura-chan."
Author Note:
Thanks for all the reviews guys. :)
Sorry this chapter has taken so long, but I eventually got a bit of free time, so I decided to write this up pretty quickly. That being the case, there may be mistakes, so apologies if you find any.
There was originally two plans for this chapter, but I eventually decided to go down this route, simply because I thought it would progress the characters and the story better...well, aside from Lee...he's gunna be pretty messed up.
Not a great fan of Kurenai/Asuma pairing, so for the sake of my story she isn't pregnant with his baby. Although, she was dating him until he died. All will be revealed in a later chapter.)
Just changed a few things around. Clearly I know nothing about burns.
Not liking all the negative press guys, but I guess it can't be helped. Sakura is a marmite character after all.
Please take time to review, I reply to all reviews, good or bad.