I forced my eyes to work..-sigh-...and again, today is special day for me..my birthDay...my fifteenth birthDay
To People : just pray so my mother and my brother won't prevent me finishing this story..like I said in the previous chapter, about my eyes..And Thanks for all Review-ers...I love you...Love you Love you Love you ALL!!!
Chapter XI
Dead? (Winter)
Sakura clenched the card tightly. She put the card inside a drawer. She left her living room immediately. She went to her bedroom.
"2nd January…" said Sakura softly
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It was 4 o'clock in the morning of 2nd January. Sakura prepared her weapon; as if she was going to a war. Her ANBU clothes, her katana, her weapon pouch, her gloves, her dark blue hood, and her shoes. She didn't bother with the mask; she put it inside her pouch. She tied her hair into high ponytail. She took a small waist bag. She put antidotes, healing potions, some breads and Sasori's poison. She had been working on his poison since she got it from Sasuke's body. And now, she could use it to be medicine or antidote.
Secretly, she learnt to do tensei ninjutsu. The jutsu Chiyo did to revive Gaara long ago. Maybe she'll need it someday… She wore her shoes and jumped out from her apartment's window. She stepped silently since there was still early morning. She ran as fast as possible after passed Konoha's gate. It'll take half a day to get the place Deidara told her in his card.
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"Hinata, where's Sakura?" asked Tsunade
"Err, yesterday she told me that she's tired. She wanted to have a rest for today…" said Hinata
"Oh great…I need those papers I gave her weeks ago now. Can you take them?"
"Okay…"
Hinata left from there and went to Sakura's apartment. She knocked the door. She knocked it again. After 3 minutes of waiting, she's getting impatient. She held the door handle. The door opened. She blinked a sec.
"Does she forget to lock the door?" thought Hinata
She muttered an excuse. She slipped off her shoes and went in. She called Sakura's name, but no answer. She knocked her bedroom as if there's anyone there. She pushed the door open and found no one there. She's getting worried about Sakura. Hinata found out that the windows was opened. She found some papers on her desk. She thought it must be the papers Tsunade told her. She was walking out from the bedroom before a half-opened drawer caught her attention. Still holding the papers with her left arm, she opened the drawer. She took a Christmas card. Her eyes turned widen when she read the words.
"2nd January…It's today! But…where is this place… And who's this person named…'Deidara'…wait a sec…He's an Akatsuki member… What on the earth is happening to Sakura's mind?! He'll waiting for her in the afternoon…if she left already now…That means the place is far from here…!" murmured Hinata
Hinata stared at the clock; 7 o'clock. She put the card back to the drawer. She ran out from the bedroom. "I have to tell Tsunade-sama!" She was taking her shoes on when she thought again, "If I tell this to Tsunade-sama…it will jeopardize Sakura. She has relation with an Akatsuki; Tsunade-sama won't excuse her…"
Hinata went out from Sakura's apartment. She pushed Tsunade's office door. Tsunade surprised a bit when she found Hinata was sweating much. Hinata put the papers at Tsunade's desk.
"Hinata, I didn't ask you to do this quickly…" asked Tsunade confusedly
"Tsunade-sama…Can I have a rest for today too?" asked Hinata abruptly
Tsunade thought a sec before spoke up, "Sure…"
Without thank Tsunade or anything else, Hinata went away. She speeded as she stepped the road. She went to the Hyuuga Estate. She didn't bother to say hello to everyone she passed. She went to her bedroom and changed her clothes. Her clothes are most likely Neji's. Long sleeves light blue shirt and white medium-length pants that long enough to pass her knees. She took her leg guards and wore them. She took double-daggers and slipped them in her waistband. She put her weapon pouch on her right thigh. After she made sure the preparation was good, she went out from the Hyuuga Estate.
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Sakura stepped on a medium wide clearing. She stared at the sun, "I thought it was afternoon already…"
Sakura took some steps into the middle of clearing. She scanned the area if anyone was there. In a sudden, she found out that a person was nearby. She got tenseness for some seconds… She tried her best to relax, "Today…is the final day…I or he will die today…"
She heard a small crack from the place she felt someone's presence. She took a kunai and threw it towards a tree.
"You came earlier than I thought…yeah…"
"What is he thinking about?! Did he think I'll be late…!" thought Sakura
Deidara walked out from behind a tree. He has a big grin on his face. They stood face to face. There's a wide space between them. Sakura tighten her fist. Somehow, Sakura felt a little shiver on the back of her neck. Sakura parted her lips, "I don't have all day just for you. What do you want from me, actually…?"
Deidara took something from behind the tree. He hardly took it. He finally managed to pull it a little, revealed a big thing. He said, "Giving you a Christmas present though it was late already…yeah."
He threw that big thing to Sakura. Sakura caught it carefully. Because of its weight, Sakura fell backwards. Finally, she realized what that big thing was. Her eyes turned widen as she scared for the worst thing in her life. She shook that thing.
"NARUTO!! NARUTO!!" yelled Sakura
She shook Naruto's body once more. She scared if he was dead. What she knew was if the Bijuu has taken from the Jinchuuriki, it would be dead. Sakura checked his pulse. There's no beat at first, but after she concentrate her fingers, she found a weak beating pulse.
"He's lucky boy…yeah…He's not dead though we have taken the kyuubi from him, yeah… Weird, right? The leader has no interest with him, yeah. So I was allowed to do anything to his body, yeah. Since I don't like him either, I brought him here, yeah." Explained Deidara
Sakura sent him a death glare. She took Naruto's right arm and hung it on her shoulders. She stood up and dragged him to a nearby tree. Suddenly, there's a kunai flied beside her. It stabbed a tree. She turned her head a bit to see Deidara. He still has his hand hung in the air.
"As I told you before… I won't let you escape this time, yeah…"
Sakura stopped at a not-so-big tree. She laid him there. She stood back and took her katana. She held her katana with both of her hands, she lifted it in front of her and the tip of the katana faced him.
"I won't escape… I will avenge Ino's death…" she moved the katana to beside her head.
She jumped forward. She swung her katana to cut his body into half. But, what she did was cut the air. She gazed at the sky. Deidara was on his clay bird. He had his evil grin on his face. Sakura placed her katana back to its sheath. She took a huge shuriken. She threw it to the bird. The bird avoided it easily. But, in a sudden, the shuriken changed to be someone unexpected. Sakura appeared from the smokes. She stepped on the clay bird. She set her fighting stance.
"You know, yeah. No one but me ever step on my clay bird, yeah." Said Deidara
Sakura put some chakra in her feet so she won't fall down. When she took a step forward, Deidara spoke up, "Don't try to smash this bird…because if the bird explodes, you'll fall down; so will I, yeah. We're far from ground, yeah…"
Sakura took her katana from its sheath. She ran to him. She swung her katana from above and then he caught the katana. She pushed him down. Deidara moved the katana aside and then he tried to kick her. She used one of her hand to block it. Deidara used the chance to pull the katana away from her. He threw the katana down to ground. Sakura took a small step backward. She collected her chakra in her fists. She tried to punch him, but he evaded it. She spun her body and kicked him. Her leg landed on his stomach-side.
He winced in pain. And then, Sakura pulled her leg back before tried to hit his face. Again, he evaded it. Sakura attacked him many times, and Deidara did evasion many times too. Sakura's getting stress. She collected her chakra in her leg, and then she kicked his stomach side. Deidara used the chance to grab her leg and threw her down. It's unexpected when Sakura held the bird's foot. He stared at her. She collected her chakra in her fist again.
"Uh, oh, don't say you'll punch this bird, yeah…"
"What if I say, I will…!" yelled Sakura
She hit the bird. The clay-bird exploded immediately. Its explosion effect pushed Sakura to the ground. At the other side, Deidara flied away. He took some clay from his pouch and made another clay-bird. When he stepped on his clay-bird, he's a bit surprised. Someone's held his neck with kunai. It was Sakura.
"How did you get here, yeah…?"
"I bound a thread on your leg when you threw me down. I jumped away after I left my clone to hit the bird. The one fell down to the ground was my clone. When you made your new clay-bird, I pulled my thread, and now I'm here…" said Sakura.
"Smart, yeah…"
Deidara gripped Sakura's arms tightly. He twisted her arms behind her back. Sakura stamped her foot on his. He gritted his teeth. In a second, he loosened his grip on Sakura's arms because of the pain on his foot. Sakura pulled her arms in front of her body. She turned around and she kicked him. Deidara lost his balance. He managed to grab his clay-bird with his left hand before falling down. He grabbed Sakura's ankle and pulled her down.
Sakura was falling down when Deidara felt something's wrong with his left hand. He didn't want to but his left hand released its grip on the clay-bird. He felt something's controlling his body. He turned his head to see Sakura. She's moving her fingers and her palms.
"Chakra thread, yeah…You're not a puppeteer, aren't you, yeah?"
"I learnt it myself…" said Sakura with a slight smile on her face
Deidara had a big grin on his face, "Cool…Now, better you think about yourself, Sakura-chan, yeah…We're falling down right now, and I suppose you're real Sakura, not her clone, yeah."
Sakura moved her fingers. She pulled Deidara to get close with her. She cut off the chakra thread once Deidara close enough for her to hit him. She grabbed him by his shirt. She spun her body and threw him to the ground. He fell onto the ground, harshly. He winced in pain. Sakura fell into the trees. She hung her hands on a branch, spun once and stepped down. Fortunately, her katana stabbed on the ground not so far from her.
She stood up and walked slowly towards the Akatsuki member. When she's on sight to see him, she didn't see him. The one she saw was clay. Suddenly, she felt pain on her stomach. She fell backwards. The back of her head hit the ground harshly. Deidara was on his own clay after punched Sakura on her stomach. Sakura forced her eyelids to slide open. Once one of her eyes opened, she saw a clay bird was flying above her. She jumped backward immediately.
The clay bird exploded. She crossed her arms in front of her. At the time her hood dropped down by the explosion effect, a small fire sprinkle cut off her hair-binder. As the dust slowly disappeared, she finally could see him. He was there, still standing on his own clay.
"You're really improved much, Sakura-chan, yeah…" said Deidara
"……"
"You're prettier too, yeah…"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!!!! I told you! You're not worth enough to call me that way…!" screamed Sakura loudly
She threw her hood away. She took her katana while running to him. Deidara stared at her before spoke up, "You let emotions controlling you, and you can't kill me with that, yeah."
Sakura swung her katana uncontrollably. Deidara disappeared. In a sec, tens birds was around her. She blinked because of all birds around her. She put back her katana. She made some hand seals.
"Good bye, Sakura-chan, yeah…"
They exploded. Deidara stayed still though the wind of explosion effect blew hard. He waited until the dust went away. His eyes turned widen as the dust gone. His lips parted, "It can't be, yeah…" Sakura was still there. No scratch, no wound on her body. Deidara's eyebrows met. He straightened his vision. There's chakra barrier around her. She grabbed her katana on hand again.
"Shall we begin again…?" asked Sakura
"Don't tell me you learnt it yourself again, yeah…"
"Unfortunately, yea, I did. Tsunade-sama's library is keeping many books. I read them one by one, though not all of them."
Deidara cursed under his breath. He's underestimated her. He made a big clay bird and flied above with it. Sakura stared at the bird. She couldn't make this battle wait any longer. Her chakra was low, only small amount of chakra she has right now... The chakra barrier consumed her chakra much. Her body was going numb. She pulled her katana from its sheath though her hand's quavering.
Deidara saw it. He knew her chakra's getting low. He got a problem too. His clay's nearly out of stock. He took the last clay he has, a small clay-doll. He made some hand seals, and then it turned bigger. He let the doll fell down. Sakura saw the doll. It's bigger than any other clay before. She has no choice; she's run out of chakra to make another chakra barrier. Suddenly, an idea popped in her mind. She rummaged her waist bag. She found what she's searching for.
Deidara's clay-doll exploded. As the dust went away, he found a girl with pink hair was laying face downwards there. The clay-bird flied down to the ground. He stepped onto the dirt. He felt something's wrong a bit.
"Weird…Her body is still complete. I thought the explosion would destroy her body, yeah…Weird…" thought Deidara
Deidara took steps forwards. He was a meter away from her. He stared at her. Sakura's still holding her katana on her right hand. His eyebrows met again. He found no wound on her body.
"How could it be…?!"
Suddenly, Sakura got up from her position; she grabbed her katana tightly. She stabbed him on his stomach. Deidara coughed out blood. He held the katana with his palms.
"How…yeah…? I thought your chakra…was running low…"
"Sasori's poison…" said Sakura weakly. Deidara stared at a tiny bottle nearby. She took a long inhaled before spoke up again, "I got Sasori's poison from Sasuke's body. I did some researches to it. Now, I can use it to be antidote, potion, or still poison…Depending on kind of chakra I put in it before I use it. I used it to refill my chakra some seconds before your clay exploded. Then I made chakra barrier again."
Deidara smirked, "Smart…but…Not smart enough to make Sasori's poison's side effect gone…yeah."
Suddenly, stiffness came into her body. She fell on her knees. Her hands were quavering while her vision became blurry. Deidara felt someone's nearby. He didn't know who it was. It's hard to him to move. Sakura too, felt that. She turned her head to her right side. Five kunai flied towards Sakura. Sakura gripped the ground. She couldn't dodge them or block them. But, suddenly something black-red blocked her vision. It was Deidara.
He got one kunai on his left chest, two on his left stomach, and three on his shoulders and right stomach. Sakura's eyes turned widen.
"You…What the heck are you—"before Sakura could finish her sentence, someone kicked Deidara away from her. She tried to yell out his name, but it was canceled when something on the ground colored white caught her attention. It's an earring, a single earring.
"Do you mind if I ask…" said someone. Sakura turned her head to face an ugly rogue.
"ARE YOU IN MIND?! You're in MY territory…!" Sakura really wanted to slap her head. She forgot, here is rogue's territory, bad people and dangerous place.
Sakura's attention back to the earring, she has to take it. She thought if it's the second key. But if she makes any move, that rogue will kill her. She's in complication. At the other side, Deidara cursed himself for being so careless. He dropped the earring! He didn't want her to find her memory. He wanted her to forget him. But, deep inside his heart, he wants her to love him again. Now, he can't do anything to help her while he's helpless. He cursed himself.
"He's helpless…I better kill you first, woman." Said the rogue
He lifted his sword highly. Sakura ran out of time to think again. She made her decision. The rogue swung his sword, while Sakura bent down to take the earring. She grabbed it. Then, all black out in Sakura's head.
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"The name is Deira; from Iwa, un. I wanted to go to Hokage, un. But I don't know where is it, un."
"Deira, please forgive my friends…"
"Now, open your eyes, Deira-chan…"
"Your apartment is very simple, Deira-chan…"
"Deira, why do you always wear those gloves?"
"No… Deira, please tell me it was a lie… please…"
"Hey Deira, stop it… I'm okay…!"
"Deira, what happened with your…scars?"
"Deira, Tsunade-sama called us…"
"Deidara…"
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Sound of something clang took Sakura's out from her mind. She turned her head to find where it came from. She found a young woman with dark blue hair. The woman's holding two daggers to block the rogue's sword. She pushed him backwards and she stabbed him. She slipped her daggers in her waistband. She turned around and knelt down beside Sakura.
"Are you okay…?" Jade eyes met white eyes…
"Hinata…How did you know I'm here…? I tell no one about—about this…" said Sakura doubtfully
Hinata smiled to her, "I went to your apartment to take some papers, but your half-closed drawer caught my attention. Then, I found a Christmas card from…" Hinata turned her head to Deidara slightly
"But, there's no word telling where…!" half-yelled Sakura
"I am Hyuuga, Sakura…Don't forget it…by the way; someone's dying over there…" Hinata pointed at Deidara. All of a sudden, Sakura's eyes turned widen; very wide. She dragged herself towards him. But she has no power left. Stiffness took over all her power. She still away from him… She took a long inhale before parted her lips, "You stupid! Why didn't you tell me earlier…?!" Deidara shocked a bit.
"She still has power to scold me, yeah…" Deidara hid his smile. There's no time to smile. Hinata was right, he is dying. Six bleeding wounds and some bruises. Unfortunately, the bleeding wounds are vital wounds. He's really dying. The sound from sobbing person disturbed his thought. He stared at the pink haired young woman near him.
"What didn't you tell me earlier…I made you dying right now… I almost kill you…Deidara…" sobbed Sakura
Suddenly, the rogue whistled loudly. Hinata stared at the rogue. Her eyes turned widen; extremely wide. Hinata grabbed his collar; she spoke up, "What were you doing!" She shook his body
"Haa-haa-haa…My friends…they'll come and kill you all!" Hinata pulled out one of her daggers. She sliced his throat. She dropped him down and put her dagger back to her waistband. She walked back to Sakura and Deidara while activating her Byakugan.
"Sakura… many rogues are going here. We must leave now." Said Hinata
Sakura gazed at Deidara. She doesn't want to leave him now; just now. Deidara understood what she's thinking. He has to leave her. He forced himself to stand up. He gave her his weak smile, "Leave, I'll halt them, yeah…"
"No... Please…Don't leave me again…don't…" said Sakura weakly
"Don't mind about me, yeah. I'll catch up…someday, yeah." He paused for a sec before spoke up again, "Hinata-chan, please take care of her…yeah…"
"Deira—I mean Deidara…I will, I'll take care of Sakura-chan, don't worry…"
Deidara walked slowly towards his clay bird. He ate a piece of it. All of sudden, five rogues appeared. Hinata carried Sakura on her back. Sakura winced in pain because of the stiffness. She turned her head a bit to see Deidara. He's smiling.
"I'll give your katana back, someday, yeah…" His body grew larger. "Go away, NOW!"
Hinata ran as fast as she could. She still has her Byakugan active. Not so far after she ran, she found unexpected person leaning to a tree; unconscious. She stopped her steps.
"Na—Naruto-kun…" said Hinata
Sakura tilted her head a little, "Hinata, he still alive, we have to take him to Konoha…"
Hinata made a shadow clone. Her clone carried him on its back. They started to run again. At the other side, Deidara's facing tens rogue. Some rogues felt uneasy with Deidara's body size. Deidara smirked at them, "I'll tell you what art truly is…Art is a BANG…!" then, he exploded.
Sakura turned her head around after she heard explosion sound.
"Deidara…" a warm liquid's flowing out from her emerald eyes. Her tears flew non-stop until she fell unconscious.
Meanwhile, all rogues were dead. Nothing's left there but empty ground…and a man in underground. Deidara emerged from the underground. His face turned pale. Now he really can't do anything. He freed a sigh. Suddenly, a shadow blocked the setting sun. Deidara titled his head lightly to see the figure. He smirked widely…
"Good to see you here, Sasori…" Deidara fainted. He's lack blood.
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"Sakura, wake up, we have arrive. The gate's in front of us…"
Sakura woke up immediately. She asked Hinata to put her down, so Hinata did. The stiffness had left her while she's unconscious. Sakura rubbed her arm to check if stiffness had really left her; and it had. Sakura stared at Hinata's shadow clone who carrying Naruto. Sakura took steps forwards. Soon, Hinata's clone disappeared. Sakura held Naruto's body then she sat down. Hinata walked nearer. Sakura examined his body again, nothing changes.
"Sakura, what will we do to Naruto-kun…" asked Hinata
"We must take him to the hospital…"
"But Tsunade-sama will know that you…you're going to meet an Akatsuki." Said Hinata panicky
Sakura stayed in silent for some seconds. She stared at Naruto's limp body. Then, she gazed at Hinata, "We'll take him to my apartment. We'll take care of him by ourselves. Since it's already night, we can get into my apartment without catch someone's attention. Let's go…" Sakura stood up with Naruto's arm on her shoulder. But she fell down immediately. Hinata caught her body.
"I'll take Naruto-kun, you can tell the truth about all of this while we are on our way to you apartment. Sakura nodded. Hinata took Naruto's arm onto her shoulder. She dragged him all the way while Sakura's speaking.
"I found out about his true identity a day before we went to Forest of Death for training. After Naruto's taken by Akatsuki, I lost my memories, the memory about him too. Tsunade-sama said something was blocked my memories to be taken back. Then, I met Deidara again when we were trying to retrieve Naruto for the first time. He told me about my lost memories. And finally I got that card. Today my memory was fully restored, and now I'm here."
As Sakura finished her story, they arrived at her apartment. Sakura unlocked the door. She helped Hinata to take Naruto into her bedroom. They laid him onto the bed. Suddenly, Sakura fell on the bedside. She felt dizzy, she gripped her head. Hinata knelt down beside Sakura.
"Sakura, you tired…Will you just take a rest…I'll take care of him by now…" said Hinata
"No…Hinata…I must check Naruto. We don't know anything about him now. Before it's too late, better I check him right now. You can go home Hinata…"
Silence…
"Fine…I'll go home. But I will come back in no time…Sakura, I'm responsible to you. I promised to take care of you, Sakura." Hinata turned around and left the apartment. Sakura took a peek at the door.
"I'm sorry, Hinata…"
Sakura went to the kitchen. She took a big bowl of hot water and a towel. She brought them into her bedroom and put them onto a night table. She took off Naruto's head protector and she mopped his face.
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Hinata was walking home when a brunette yelled at her, "Hinata…! Where have you been today?"
Hinata turned her face to see Shizune. She hid her bloody daggers immediately. She looked around and found no one but Shizune. Doubtfully, she parted her lips, "I…I was at Sakura-chan's apartment. She—She was in bed with a fever, so— so I took care of her today…"
"Sakura got fever? Why you didn't tell me? I could give her some—" Hinata cut Shizune's sentence abruptly
"She's fine now! And…And I'm going back there in some minutes after I take something from my house… You don't need to do anything to her…She's fine, yeah, she's fine…"
"Okay…I'm going back to the hospital, I'll tell Tsunade-sama…" Shizune turned to leave
Hinata sighed in relief. She went back to her home immediately. She washed her daggers and changed her clothes to be her usual clothes. They're mesh shirt inside her jacket and blue baggy jeans. She took her medicine pouch and escaped back to Sakura's apartment.
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Sakura put her palms on Naruto's temple and his chest. She pumped her chakra inside him. She's been doing this since half an hour ago. Hinata still hadn't come back. Sakura found out there's something wrong with his body. Before she could go any further, she collapsed.
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Sakura felt something sweet inside her mouth. She woke up immediately.
"Hinata…" Sakura stared at the blue haired girl beside her. She was on the sofa and Hinata was kneeling beside her. Sakura sat up immediately.
"Hinata, this is bad. Naruto's body…It's extremely bad! I could feel his pulse, but his lungs didn't work!"
Hinata grabbed Sakura's shoulders, "Calm down, we'll do our best, Sakura…We'll do anything to help him back to normal…!"
Sakura felt happy to hear that. But she felt another emotion inside her. Lost… She lost him again. She lost the one she loves again…How can he give her back her katana if he's dead…? If he's dead…How if he's not dead yet? How if he is still alive?
From now on, she lives with a little hope inside her heart. A little hopes that Deidara will come back, someday…
To Be Continued...
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