Disclaimer: No part of Naruto is mine. Though I'd give anything to have just his smile.

Yes, I am late. And yes, I am truly sorry. Things have been so hectic, and I do have a life. I just did not have the time to update sooner. But you should know, you melt my hearts with your reviews and comments. It has been truly an honor to write for my readers, and if it wasn't for your reviews, I wouldn't have been able to finish this chapter. That's how much they mean to me. So I hope you guys continue reading.

And ahem, a lot of things happen in this chapter. And you'd be happy to see some of my favorite characters. Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Enough For Now

I remembered you with my soul clenched

In that sadness of mine that you know.

Where were you then?

Who else was there?

Saying what?

Why will the whole of love come on me suddenly

When I am sad and feel you far away?

Always, always you recede through the evenings

Toward the twilight erasing statues

- Clenched Soul

He watched as her chest moved up and down rhythmically, his clenched fists never leaving the sides of his body. The sun had not even set, but it was already the longest day of his life. The respirator made beeping sounds as he gazed at Sakura's sleeping form on the hospital bed. Her left wrist was bandaged, and so was the right side of her head. Small bruises were visible all over her face and arms. She had not sustained very serious head injury according to Haji, but her condition significantly worsened because of the incident.

Despite the rules that they had set for Sakura, Neji had no choice but to take her to the hospital where Haji was already in duty. To his surprise, the two men who followed him did not say one word or interfered as he did so, but he could feel the Uchiha's intent focus on the girl he carried and could almost hear the wheels on Naruto's mind turning as he struggled to figure out what was going on. Doctor Yuy had been both surprised and pissed to find Sakura's bleeding form in his arms, but shook any ill feelings he had as he went to doctor-mode on the girl. It had not been a pleasant sight as the doctor and his nurses wheeled Sakura to the emergency room, but he was sure that it was going to be a worse one as he was left with Uzumaki and Uchiha at the waiting room.

If looks could kill and he was a lesser man, he would be dead already. He could feel, almost taste the furious inquiry from both men, especially Naruto, but he refused to give either of the men the pleasure of getting the answers from him. Hell, he didn't even care if it got down to a fight at that very waiting room. Again, to his surprise, nobody started talking or inquiring as to what the hell was happening. But he could see Naruto's fists turning almost white as he clenched them into a tight ball. Sasuke was significantly calmer, but that look on his eyes was certainly unpleasant. Men were truly not creature of words, Naruto at that point included.

Trying to ignore the two seething men in the room, Neji forced himself to fit the puzzles in his mind as he waited. He only had a moment to look at the bloody men who attacked Sakura on the academy, but he was sure that he had not seen them before. Why the hell would they attack a defenseless girl? Perhaps it was robbery? Certainly not. And he was damn sure that it wasn't a random attack. They knew how to break the protective barrier he put on Sakura. That would take expertise on the Hyuuga techniques.

His mind was already supplying him the answers, but to an extent he wanted it to be wrong. The only plausible person who could have done it was his uncle, but why? Why would he go so far just to get rid of Sakura? She had never given them good reason to assume that she was going to interfere with Naruto and Hinata. Hell, she had agreed to every term they threw at her. There would be no sense to such harsh action. He was missing something, and he knew it. His uncle was not a harsh person without reasonable cause. But what cause would that be?

Before he could think further about it, Kakashi came into the room. Great, Sakura's former team was now reunited. That's exactly what he needed.

"S-sensei!" Naruto stuttered, while Sasuke managed a nod towards their former teacher.

"I need the both of you to come to the Hokage tower. Now," the white-haired shinobi stated calmly to his former students. His only visible eye seemed too serious though.

"We can't go. Sakura-chan, she-"

"Hokage's order, Naruto," his teacher retorted.

"What the hell is going on here? No one's telling me anything. Just please!" a frustrated Naruto yelled.

Kakashi knew better than to respond to such chagrin from the Uzumaki.

Neji, on his part, remained observing the conversation. A part of him pitied the angry Hokage-to-be but another wanted to keep him in the dark because it was better that way. The moment Hinata told Naruto the truth, she had freed him of her slight genjutsu. Judging by the amount of time that Naruto was under it, it would be a side-effect that he was hazy and unable to focus his thoughts. Sasuke seemed to recognize this and decided to interject.

"Calm down, dobe. What is this about?" Naruto visibly calmed as he took a seat on the cold floor, holding his head between his hands.

"I cannot disclose that to you," Kakashi answered.

"We need to know about Sakura's condition first," the Uchiha answered in a cold tone, perhaps trying to mask his worry. The white-haired jounin sighed before he responded.

"That's okay, Sasuke. Neji will be here. He'll make sure Sakura's alright, won't you Neji?" Kakashi turned to the mentioned Hyuuga with a seemingly forced crinkle on his visible eye. Neji, the perceptive one that he was, knew the tension in that statement, and despite his worry, decided to nod. Kakashi knew nothing too, that much he deduced. But he was damn good in pretending that he did.

"And besides, unless you two want to be dragged on your asses to the Hokage tower, then I suggest you better start moving. I may be old, but I am your sensei." Kakashi seldom threatened anyone, but when he did, it was to be taken seriously. With this, Naruto stood up groggily while Sasuke stood straight.

"Fine," Naruto grunted.

"Okay, then," Kakashi beamed in a suddenly cheerful tone. Before the three disappeared in a puff of smoke, he turned to Neji with a stare that the Hyuuga could not fathom.

Neji was left to wait on Sakura, but he knew from the start that with the arrival of Kakashi Hatake, ANBU uniforms were placed around the hospital, especially near the emergency room. Godaime was definitely up to something, but he knew for sure that she would never harm Sakura.

He was here now at Sakura's private room. The motionless girl in the bed seemed tired, and he forced a sigh, slightly thankful that she was at least safe now.

"There's shinobi everywhere," Haji Yuy said as he adjusted Sakura's IV. He didn't seem any different, he still looked arrogant, but Neji knew that he too, was worried.

"They're here to protect Sakura."

"Are you sure?"

"Tsunade-sama sent them."

"You didn't answer my question."

"No, I'm not sure." He really wasn't. They could be sent there to prevent harm from Sakura, or to prevent her from getting out.

"Tsunade would get her answer if she asked," the doctor said.

They had talked about this before. The only thing that made Sakura's disappearance from the shinobi world possible was the fact that the Hokage did not interfere and let her be. She did not ask questions nor check on her former student. They had dismissed it as something that a Hokage must do especially since Sakura was no longer useful as a shinobi, but now, it made them think twice. Neji saw the look on her face as the blast of chakra swept through the wedding. There was a sense of fear and a tinge of expectancy to it. The Anbu was dispersed immediately too, and instead on focusing the force on the scene of the incident, they had been placed on the hospital around Sakura. It was like there was some sort of contingency plan going on.

"It's only a matter of time," Haji continued. The Hokage would get her answer. That's what he was afraid of. Because if Tsunade got her answer, then Naruto would too.

"Yes, it is." At this point, it would be futile to resist the Hokage herself. The only question here was how much did she know? It was time for Neji and Haji to tell all.

As if on cue, a cat-masked ANBU appeared in the room.

"The both of you are summoned by the Hokage." The two of them braced themselves for what was coming. Neji approached the bed of the motionless Sakura and squeezed her hands tenderly in a silent apology.

There was definitely yelling. Yes, yelling, and some furniture must be broken. Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi were in the adjacent room from the Hokage's office where the Godaime was currently speaking with Hyuuga Neji and Doctor Haji Yuy.

Uchiha Sasuke sat on the couch with his eyes closed, probably meditating, while Kakashi who never grew out of his Icha Icha novels, had one stuck to his nose. Naruto, on his part, felt like he was going to be sick. In one day, he found out that the woman he was going to marry had him under a genjutsu all this time, that his former pink-haired teammate was attacked by some unknown shinobi and that she was in danger, and that people were refusing to give him some goddamn answers. Plus, his head was killing him, his limbs feel like they were jell-o and he has pain shooting through his veins. The noise coming from the Hokage's office did not serve to calm his nerves.

Breaking the silence, Kakashi coughed and decided to speak.

"Well! Aren't we glad she's not pissed at us?" he spoke, referring to the chaos that was the next room. He had let go of his perverted novel.

"How can you even say that at a time like this?" Naruto said in a pissed tone, while Sasuke merely opened his black orbs.

"Aww… come on, guys. This is the first time that we're together again. Cheer up." Naruto knew that Kakashi only ever made light of the situation when something bad was really happening. God, he felt so pained. As he grunted, Kakashi decided to drop the act and looked at Naruto intently.

"I- I can't think straight. I just, I can't - "

"That the effects of a long-term genjutsu. Tsunade-sama will hopefully give you something for it." Kakashi said.

"Why aren't people telling me anything?"

"Because you're an idiot who can't figure out things for himself."

"You bastard!"

"Stop it, both of you! Naruto! Disperse your clone. Sasuke! Unsheathe your sword. Now!"

"Even til now, you boys can't stop from killing each other, can you?"

A long silence filled the room.

"I just want some answers. What's happening… to her. To… Sakura-chan." Naruto slumped on the ground. The effects of the genjutsu was bearing down on him.

It pained the white-haired shinobi to see his students like this. He knew Naruto well enough to know that he was in a dark place right now. In all his years of being with the young shinobi, this was his most vulnerable state. And he knew Sasuke well enough to know when he wanted to say something but could not.

The door of the room opened to reveal a serious Shizune.

"Tsunade-sama is ready to see you now," the medic stated with her head bowed.

"Let's go, both of you," Kakashi ordered, thankful to get out of the room.

"Naruto-san, here," Shizune approached the young man and placed her middle and forefingers on his temples, supplying chakra to his head.

"That should make you feel better for the mean time. But you should see me for the rest of the week, so we can ease those headaches," the medic said apologetically before leading the three to the next room.

The Hokage's office looked like a war had taken place. Everything was not in place, save for the Hokage's seat in front of her table. The back of the seat was turned to them. The three shinobi opted to stand as the available seats had been probably thrown out the window.

The Godaime slowly turned her seat around to them with an unexplainable expression on her face. The three shinobi, no matter how powerful they were, visibly stiffened, bracing for whatever bad news was coming their way.

"How's your head?" the Godaime inquired.

"It's a little better," Naruto answered in a whisper. Whatever major side effects of the genjutsu had been drained from him left a nasty feeling in his gut. It left him feeling like a thousand kunai was stabbing through him, but he wasn't about to whine to the Hokage.

"Good."

Another dragging silence.

"Can we cut through the senseless bullshit here and talk?"

Kakashi sighed. Leave it to Sasuke to cut the tension with his arrogance. Here was returning missing nin who was gutsy enough to talk to the Hokage like she was anything less. Kakashi would reprimand his former student, but he knew it would be useless. Plus, he agreed with the raven-haired man. They were dealing with something big here.

"Fine, you foul-mouthed brat." The Godaime took a deep breath. There wasn't any visible jug of sake anywhere. She had to do this sober.

"According to Hyuuga Neji and Yuy Haji, Sakura is sick…and she's dying."

It took a long while before any of them gave any reaction. The female Hokage decided to continue.

"Three years ago, on her last mission, she performed a resealing technique on the Kyuubi. It should have automatically taken her life, but instead her body slowly and painfully deteriorated in return."

"Wait. What? W-What do…what do you mean reseal? On me? No, no, no, no…." All they could hear were Naruto's whispers.

"Get a grip Naruto. And stop babbling."

"This isn't true! Sakura, she wasn't there at the battle. She was with…" It was impossible. She couldn't have, could she?

"With Sasuke? You told me you didn't remember anything about what happened that day. It was only after the technique when she went to Sasuke's side. It explains the drastic change in the Kyuubi's behavior. Sakura refashioned the technique to benefit the jailer of the Kyuubi the most, in exchange for her life."

"You've gotta be fucking me? Stop fucking with me!" Naruto was pacing around the room now. Kakashi had to place a firm grip on his shoulder to make him stop. He could only imagine the grief his student must be in right now.

"Calm down Naruto. This is not helping," he whispered furiously to his student. Naruto was struggling to get out of his grip like a madman. He was screaming profanities now, and Sasuke has helped by gripping the man's other arm.

"NARUTO! You have to stop this, okay? There's more." The Godaime and the two other shinobi, who were still locking Naruto in a death grip, waited until Naruto stopped his movements and his breathing returned to normal. They knew that the Kyuubi's power was dangerously afloat.

"S-So all of this…This is a lie? Sasuke?" He turned to his best friend. There was a lot that he wasn't disclosing, but the gaze that the Godaime threw at them told them that they shouldn't have that conversation now.

"Naruto, that was why Sakura quit as a shinobi. Her body couldn't take the stress. Haji Yuy became her private doctor then. The bird cage that the Hyuuga family placed on her a year after made her worse and is slowly poisoning her body. Neji has been helping in taking care of her, keeping her comfortable. But…"

"And…and you didn't know about it?" Naruto was answered with a furious look.

"The attack today against her on the academy. A team of jounin are already on the case but right now, there's no lead that could tie those who attacked her to anyone."

"I've placed ANBU ops with Sakura to protect her for the mean time. That is all we can do for now."

Naruto seemed so lost that he wasn't even listening. He was taking short breaths, while the two men behind her remained passive yet guarded. Naruto decided to speak again.

"How….how long?"

"She has three to four months. Shizune and I will be looking to her case, see if there's something we can do. But that's not until she wakes up." Naruto finished with a disbelieving sigh and could not form coherent words.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto," the Godaime stated, sincerity lacing her voice.

Not bothering to respond, Naruto disappeared in a flash. He only ever used his father's Yellow Flash technique in an intense battle. For him to use it in order to merely escape must indicate how unstable he was right now.

"Uchiha, I'm ordering you to keep an eye on Naruto. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," the Godaime ordered.

"Like that's possible."

"No backtalk!" That shut the Uchiha up.

"Sasuke, why don't you follow Naruto, ne? Let him cool down and maybe we'll talk this out later." Kakashi said to the Uchiha in his usual happy tone, like they had not just received bad news.

"Now, please," the white-haired jounin said in a sing-song voice. The raven-haired Uchiha, deciding that it was useless to retaliate disappeared with a puff of smoke.

As soon as the Uchiha disappeared, Hatake Kakashi's previously crinkled happy eye turned into a serious stare as he turned back to his Hokage.

He stared at the Hokage for a minute or so before deciding to speak in a low voice.

"I backed off because it was a direct order."

"…"

"From you."

"…"

"You said it was necessary."

"…"

"She is my student."

"…"

"This will end badly, Hokage-sama."

"If you're finish, you can leave now, Hatake."

The release of smoke was the only sound that could be heard. The Godaime sighed for the thousandth time that day. Things had gone out of hand.

When she was a child and something bad happened, Tsunade Senju's grandfather, the first Hokage made her close her eyes and think of good things so that she'll get better. Apparently, that technique only applies to children. Because now, even when she closed her eyes, the Godaime could only think of the chaos that they were all in.

"Hokage-same, he's ready," came the sweet voice of her assistant.

"Okay, then."

Leaving her office, the Godaime Hokage disappeared in gust of air only to appear near a small pond in front of a traditional Japanese house. It was near midnight but the whole house was with light. She walked until she reached the house, where a sliding door was opened for her by kneeling servants. A man was sitting calmly behind a table with served tea on it.

"Aah, Tsunade-hime, take a seat."

Tsunade accepted the offer with gritting teeth.

"How have you been?"

"Let's cut the crap, Hyuuga." The man's previously cheerful façade had turned to a menacing appearance.

"My, my, someone is unpleasant today."

"You were out of line today."

"No! I was merely doing what is required of me."

"If immunity wasn't bestowed upon you…"

"Then what? You'd convict me of following the law?"

"It was attempted murder."

"It was the Child of Calamity!"

"…"

"I am not the one bending the rules here, Tsunade. This is our responsibility. There has been numerous occasions that this child had let loose the power, and what did you do? You dismissed it. You and your motherly instinct."

"You could have consulted me."

"You wouldn't have listened. This is not for selfish interests, Hokage-sama. Don't even play innocent with me. You knew. You knew, that's why you backed off, and ordered everyone else to back off. You're just as anxious as me in waiting for that child to die."

"Leave the child alone."

"I was just making sure to eliminate the child. Faster."

"Leave…the child…alone… This is my decision."

"Yours, you say? You are deciding for the entire Konoha's fate. You better decide right or I will finish this for you, Tsunade."

"Watch it, Hiashi." Tsunade's fist had destroyed the lithe wall beside her now. Hiashi Hyuuga, seeming unfazed just motioned to stand up and leave the room.

"I think you have overstayed your welcome here, Tsunade."

"You should see what that child did to my puppets today. That child is capable of so much power. You better be careful." And with that, he left.

This was not the type of conversation she was hoping for.

"Forgive us, Sakura."

That was what they said, Neji and Haji, as they explained to her that the truth had come out and it came from them. She wanted to at least be angry, but she knew she could never be mad at those two. They were kind enough to go along with her crazy plan this whole time, and it was not their fault that they had to spill it.

They left her to rest after that, Neji mentioning something about seeing someone. She felt so groggy but refused to go back to sleep, she was too numb from the meds anyway. She wondered who would attack her like that, and who would bother, but no answer came to mind. If it hadn't happen, then things would still be, well, normal – sick-normal, noone–knows-normal.

She thought about Naruto, and how horrible it must have been for him to know the truth. He should be in his honeymoon by now, and she wished desperately for him not to care about the truth. But she knew in one way or the other, this would affect him and pissed him off. Tsunade-sama too. She had disappointed her master on so many levels, and now she'd probably think she was incredibly stupid to keep something this fatal.

"You're incredibly stupid," came from a deep voice, one that she'd recognize anywhere.

"So… I'm guessing you know, sensei."

"I do." Her former sensei Hatake Kakashi took a seat beside her bed and placed his legs on the edge of the bed, his arms folded in his chest.

"I don't' know what to say."

"How about 'I'm incredibly stupid' "

"Hey! I think we've already established that," she said in a strained whisper.

"Plus, I didn't think it was stupid. I still don't think it is now," she continued.

"I think Sasuke was on to something then when he said that emotions only lead to the downfall of shinobi. Cause it did lead to mine. And yet, I don't regret it. Naruto deserves a long life."

"And you don't?"

"Well, compared to him, yes. Of course. Absolutely," she almost yelled.

"He's the child of prophecy. The one who was going to change the world. And he did. All my life I've been looking for a reason why I'm a shinobi. I finally realized the answer when I knew I had to give him my life."

"You let him hate you."

"I loved him enough to let him hate me."

Kakashi stayed silent for a while, before deciding to answer her.

"Well that's incredibly stupid."

"Would you stop saying that?" she finished with a giggle. Her sensei might not say it, but she knew he understood. She moved her hand in order to tap his leg currently on the edge of the bed.

"I missed you, sensei." She meant it. She missed everyone in the shinobi world, and wondered what they would think of her now that they would hear the truth.

Kakashi moved to sit on the edge on the bed and smoothed her pink hair.

"Missed you too, kid," he said, with a smile seen on his eye. She rewarded him with a smile he had not seen for so long.

"Will you do something for me, sensei?"

"Anything for my student," he teased.

There were a lot of things she needed to fix.

"I need to speak to Naruto."

She would start with that.

To be continued…

I want to know what you think about this chapter. It's a bit short, but I really wanted to end with this. Because next chapter will be when Naruto and Sakura finally meet. Yey! Keep the reviews coming, cause if you liked this chapter, I would update the next one by Monday next week.

Thank you so much for the support.

Ja ne! :)