A/N Okay, so now that I've finally updated (sorry guys, I know it's been a while), I've decided that I'll be skipping the filler in this story. As someone pointed out, writing the filler could potentially bore everyone to death.

Disclaimer: I own not Naruto nor his lovely crew, but I tell you I own the sandals! The sandals are mine!(I actually looked for a pair, sadly enough...)

So, let's get on withe the show!

Enjoy,

Rinjii Harayumi

There's No Place like Home

Chapter 8

Breath for me

"Come on, Sakura, breath! Don't give up, not yet! Breath, dammit!"

Naruto's voice rang out loudly through the forest, and he knew that he was probably giving away his team's hiding place, but that was the last thing on his mind. He needed Sakura to inhale, needed her to take a deep breath and let life flow back into her body once more.

Fear was evident in the blond shinobi's eyes as he shook his pink-haired teammate somewhat forcefully. Hidden inside the hollow of an old tree, he held her close to him, shaking her shoulders in an attempt to wake her.

Team seven, including many other shinobi teams had passed the written part of the chuunin examination and had therefore advanced to the second stage; survival in a forest known as the forest of death, a place so formidable you could die from just about everything that grew in the area (or so many people had said). After having spent only a single day in the woods, Team seven had already been attacked thrice, the last battle having been the worst thus far. Hence Sakura's condition, which seemed to have taken a turn for the worst.

"Shut it, Dobe. You're giving our location away." Announced Sasuke from the hollow of the tree beside the one Naruto and Sakura were currently inside of. Little did Sasuke know that Sakura was no longer breathing.

Just ten minutes ago all had been well in the young Haruno's world. She had been walking quietly along a river, trying to find fish to prepare for her team's meal as they had been allowed no rations for this part of the exam. After having found a small school of fish swimming close to the shore, Sakura had tried to catch them using chakra strings like fishing wire, and had been somewhat successful. She had caught one and a half fish. Apparently the chakra strings had cut one of the fish in half.

'Oops' had been the only thought on her mind then, at that moment before she had been ambushed by the ninja from the Sound.

Seeing as Sakura had been caught off guard, she had had no time to react to the kunai driving down form the sky at her throat. In slow motion she had felt one pierce the side of her neck, grazing the skin just enough to draw blood and leave a long mark on her tender flesh. She had been stunned by the attack, and her only reaction had been dropping the fish she had just caught. A body had appeared behind her quickly after she had dropped her meal, kicking her square across the back, kneeing her in the spine.

Gasping for air, Sakura had done the only thing she knew how at that point.

She had screamed, wild and fiery, a beast like sound had ripped from her bleeding throat and she had drawn a kunai of her own. She had to fend for herself at the moment, she knew, because Naruto and Sasuke had gone of to scout out the area to ensure it was safe to rest up there. Unfortunately, the two had somehow missed the Sound ninja that had cloaked themselves in the leaves of the trees just above Sakura.

Thrusting the knife like weapon backwards to the person who had just kneed her in the spine, Sakura whirled around on the spot when she found that they had disappeared.

Breathing hard, she jumped up into the treetops above her, searching for her enemies. She had known it was in fact the Sound shinobi attacking her as she had managed to sneak a peek at her attacker, and there atop his forehead, lo and behold had been the infamous music note headband that seemed to be following her team around persistently.

Gripping firmly to the branch beneath her, Sakura brought her fingers to her neck to inspect the damage. There was bleeding, but it was minimal, nothing she couldn't handle. Naruto would probably scold her about being so reckless later, though.

Yet, as fate would have it, despite her strong hold on the tree's branch, she had been thrown off of it and back onto the ground, a sharp stone cutting through her blue sandals on her left foot and tearing at her foot's skin. A growl erupted from her then, daring whoever was there to try and hit her again. Sadly, she had never seen the Sound shinobi sneak up behind her. That was when she had been struck by a fist countless times at the back of her head. That had been when she had collapsed onto the rocks and stones beneath her at the river's edge. That had been where Naruto and Sasuke had found her, lying motionlessly on the ground with a pale face and closed eyes. Naruto had immediately leapt to her side, Sasuke a second behind him.

And that was how they had all ended up in the hollows of trees, running from an enemy neither Sasuke nor Naruto had seen. That was why Sakura had stopped breathing.

"Shit Sasuke, she's not breathing! What do I do?"

Sasuke could hear the panic in Naruto's voice then and knew he had to do something or it meant Sakura could lose her life. Cursing at her misfortune, Sasuke stealthily climbed into the hollow of Naruto's tree, taking Sakura from him. "Stop shaking her, idiot. That's only going to make it worse."

Naruto had reluctantly handed Sakura over to the dark-haired boy. He looked around at the opening of the tree, making sure no one was waiting to ambush them like they had Sakura. "You can help her, right? Help her Sasuke!"

Sasuke had already been going through the things that he could do to possibly help air circulate in her lungs. There was always mouth-to-mouth, and he shuddered at the very thought, but he had a feeling it was going to come down to that. Besides, this meant absolutely nothing in terms of their relationship, only that he would be saving her life. Yeah, so it wasn't so bad…

Oh boy, he really didn't want to do this, but he figured that Naruto would just mess it up and kill Sakura, so he had no choice.

"Help me lay her down on the grass, and move quickly."

Naruto, obviously confused asked no questions and did as he was instructed. Only when he saw Sasuke lowering his face to Sakura's did he speak up.

"Wh-what are you doing" he had all but squeaked, apparently getting the wrong idea. Sasuke really felt like smacking him then, but he knew he didn't have the time.

"Just trust me" he had hissed out at the other boy, proceeding in applying the first phase of the medical exercise. He had tilted her head back slightly to open her airway, then after having taken a deep breath, as softly as possible had placed his lips to hers. The first thing that he had noticed was the curling sensation of fire he felt coming to pulse through his lips, spreading through his body so rapidly he was somewhat frightened. Then, remembering why their lips were connected, he let out a steady breath in Sakura's mouth. He then moved his ear to her chest to make sure she still had a heartbeat. Luckily, she did.

Naruto stared in horror at the scene that was displaying itself before him. He felt as if he was frozen in time and only when Sakura began coughing did time begin to move normally once more.

Upon hearing Sakura's cough, Sasuke moved off of her in an instant, recollecting himself and wiping a slight sweat that had come to rest upon his brow.

"Sakura!" Naruto had exclaimed, overjoyed that his teammate was alright. He had quickly wrapped his arms around her, giving her a light hug. Sakura was still coughing, and when she had finished her fit, brought a hand to the back of her head to rub the places she had been hit the most. Naruto had spotted the blood on her neck sometime ago, but he was waiting for her to catch her breath completely before he brought the subject up. The two sat quietly together, Sakura occasionally coughing every now and then, Sasuke a little ways off to their right, leaning against a tree's base.

Yet still, a question was clawing at the young Uchiha's mind as he sat in the damp grass, watching as Naruto helped Sakura sit up.

Sasuke placed a finger to his lips, the sensation of a gentle fire still lingering upon them.

What the hell had that been about?

End of chapter 8.

OMG!!! Sasuke gave Sakura mouth-to-mouth!!! I hope someone took pictures.

Anyways, a little on the short side, not my best either, but the end of school is coming up soon, which means more time (or not, depending on vacation/traveling).

Well, 'til next time,

Rinjii Harayumi