Lavender Roses
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 11
Everything was so blurry.
The mere task of focusing on anything was akin to creating a complete susanoo, but somehow Sasuke manages. Only to be met with desperate pleas and the sound of sobbing.
"Please save him…this is all my fault." The terror in Hinata's voice was more painful than the actual venom in his veins.
He'd only heard bits and pieces so far, but even as his body was trying to convulse in agony…Sasuke was beginning to understand what had happened to him. That bastard had poisoned him.
"Hinata, it's not your fault." Tsuande was checking his restraints. "I'm going to give him some medicine to dull the pain. It might be kinder to knock him out while we find the antidote."
Eito was clever than Sasuke would have thought. The coward had correctly assumed he was immune to most common and even some uncommon poisons. So, naturally he had to go and get snake venom from a Summon.
"Yes, it is. If I had noticed the scratch sooner, we might already have the cure." Hinata bites her lower lip, prompting a drop of crimson to stain her lips.
Lips that Sasuke could remember kissing only the night before, but there were no sweet sighs of pleasure or soft moans today. No. Hinata was crying. All because of that bastard.
Sasuke was going to kill him. Slowly and painfully. Maybe he'd enlist Itachi's help to drag out his death. Genjutsu still wasn't his strong suit, but there were obviously a lot of ways it could be utilized when it came to extracting revenge.
"H-Hinata, she's right. It's not your fault." Sasuke grits his teeth, trying to ignore the pain. Hoping like hell that he wasn't about to start coughing up blood again. "I'll be alright. I imagine they're l-looking for the antidote right now."
"Sasuke!" The Hyuga woman wraps her arms him so tightly that it was nothing short of a miracle she hadn't crushed his ribs. "You're still coherent!"
"I a-am." Sasuke grunts as the venom burns through his veins. Hotter than any fire he could create. "Which is why you need to listen to me. It wasn't your fault. They'll find the c-cure. I'll be fine. I love you."
Hinata looks at ready to protest, but slowly nods. "I love you to and I promise that we'll find the antidote."
His vision was still swimming, but looking at her face…Sasuke knew this image would forever be branded into his memory. This was what a terrified Hinata looked like. He didn't care for it. It was yet another reason he was going to tear Eito to pieces.
"Stop blaming yourself. I've survived worse" He sighs, leaving up just enough to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning his attention back to the busty medic who held his life in her hands. "Tsunade, knock me out. The more that I move, the faster the poison will s-spread."
The blonde's expression was grim as grabs a syringe. "Alright. This won't hurt him, Hinata. Just put him to sleep. You should be going. You might be able to help them on the mission, but watching Sasuke sleep is only going to torment yourself."
Hinata kisses Sasuke's forehead. "I'll be back soon. I promise."
"I know you will. I won't die. I promise." He smiles at her, ignoring the sting of the syringe as Tsunade injects him with something to put him to sleep.
Sasuke didn't know what it was and at the moment, he didn't care. All that mattered was it worked. He loses consciousness just as he sees a blurry outline of Hinata Flickering out of the hospital room.
Hinata arrives in the interrogation room only to find that Eito was already unconscious. Ibiki and Itachi must have finished the questioning.
"Do you know where to get the antidote? Tsunade is treating Sasuke now." Her heart was pounding in her chest. It was unbelievable that everything could change so drastically in less than the span of single day. She had gone from being deliriously happy to terrified.
After everything Sasuke had been through would it really be poison that would kill him?
"We did." Itachi sighs as he eyes Hinata warily. "I know that Sasuke would feel better if you didn't involve yourself in this, but I also know that look in your eyes all too well. You're just as stubborn as your Sensei and I cannot fault you for wanting to be part of the rescue team. Provisions have already been secured. Follow me. We'll fly on Garuda to the Land of Tea. Aoda is coming as well."
Hinata nods, following Itachi outside without any hesitation. At least they had a lead. It was something.
"I'm fortunate that Sasuke gave me a vial of his blood to Summon the in emergencies." Itachi sighs as he calls for the giant hawk and massive snake. "Otherwise we would have had to travel on foot. This will save us some time at the very least."
Hinata darts onto Garuda. It was a strange feeling to have feathers resting underneath her legs, but not an unpleasant one. "I take it Kurenai Sensei already knows you're going with me? Are any others?"
Itachi jumps onto Garuda. "Yes, they've already gone out ahead of us. Kurenai wishes she could come with us, but as she is expecting…doing so would be unwise."
Hinata frowns, but nods in understanding. The thought of a pregnant Kurenai being exposed to the black market was enough to make her shiver. These people were unpleasant enough without adding an expectant mother into the question.
"It's alright. I understand. Lead the way." She smiles as Itachi urges Garuda into air.
Aoda follows them. The massive serpent slithers in perfect sync with his avian counterpart. The two had clearly traveled before and luckily, the snake was so tall that he was level with Garuda. Garuda wasn't flying particularly high in the sky just yet.
It was possible to carry on a conversation with Sasuke's Summons. Though as far as Hinata was aware only one of them was verbal in the same way humans were.
"I wish that I was venomous." Aoda sighs, guilt marring his normally cheerful expression. "Then this wouldn't be necessary."
"Not may or may not be the case. You'd have to be the precise same species as the other Summon for the antidote to prove effective." Itachi sighs, his hands trailing over Garuda's feathers. It was as if he was trying to calm himself by the act of petting the large bird. "Either way, we will save him."
"Of course, we will. We have to." Hinata nods.
The alternative was unthinkable. Sasuke didn't deserve this and everything had been going so well.
"You're beautiful, intelligent, a powerful ninja in your own right, but most importantly you're willing to die to protect those you care about. We might not know each other well, but that means a lot to me." Hinata could recall Sasuke's 'proposal' with perfect clarity.
He'd even gone so far as to give her lavender roses. He'd really tried. Naruto had even been amazed the 'anti-social' bastard had gone to a gathering of their friends.
All of that had been to make her happy even when her family didn't approve of the match.
"Yes, we will. I wouldn't worry too much." Aoda casts her a sympathetic look. "Master Sasuke is strong. That, and Tsunade is a skilled medic. Still, we should move quickly."
Hinata couldn't disagree. The sooner they had the antidote the better. "How long will it take to the get to the Land of Tea?"
She'd never actually been there before. Though Itachi was widely traveled. He'd gone almost everywhere during his ninja career and during his unfortunate time as an Akatsuki Member.
"Longer than I would like, but shorter than one would expect. Garuda and Aoda will save us some time as I said." Itachi urges Garuda to go faster. "I wish we had access to the Fourth Hokage's technique. That would make this so much easier."
Yes, it would have. If only they could just teleport there.
"What do we know about this black market?" Hinata hadn't witnessed the interrogation herself.
"It's well hidden in a mountain just a few miles away from one of the major tourist centers." Itachi frowns, his lips curling in distaste. "They'd want to be near a busy place, but far enough away that the authorities wouldn't stumble upon them accidentally. Eito apparently paid quite the impressive sum for the venom. It's my belief he was hoping Sasuke would pass 'naturally' and was intending to offer you 'comfort.' The sick bastard."
The thought was enough to make Hinata want to hit something. "When Sasuke is safe again, I'm going to use Eito as my personal training post. The Gentle Fist isn't nearly as gentle as the name implies."
This was especially the case when someone a Hyuga cared about was threatened. Like Sasuke.
"I know. Itachi is strange sometimes. He loves cabbages and stuffed dinosaurs for some reason." Hinata sighs as another dances across her mind, unbidden.
He was one of the fiercest ninjas to have ever lived, but he still couldn't resist teasing his brother. Some things were universal no matter what Clan someone hailed from. Maybe one day, their own children would bicker over such things.
They just had to make sure he lived long enough for that to happen.
"I agree completely. I have a few new techniques that I've been wanting to try out." Itachi nods in agreement, anger flashing in his dark irises. "I'm so glad that Eito has inadvertently volunteered to help me with such things. It's unexpectedly useful of him really."
In moments like this, it was clear why Sasuke idolized his older brother to such an extent. Itachi was a wonderful person and would make an even better brother-in-law one day.