Me: In our last chapter, Shikamaru was dying! And he was left to the Akatsuki.
Sakura: How dare you!
Me: Oh, I dare. It's to make people have the suspense!
Shikamaru: I don't want to die!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, yet I can decide who dies and who does not…Mwahaha
Sakura ran as fast as she could to Lady Hokage. The only thing on her mind was Shikamaru.
'He can't die…I shouldn't have left him.' She thought angrily.
She burst into the office, looking quite disheveled. Naruto, Ino, Choji, and Kakashi-sensei were there staring at her.
"Sakura, what is the matter?" Tsunade asked upon seeing her tear stained face.
"A-Akatsuki…Shadow possession…Shikamaru…dying…Itachi…Kisame…" She managed to say before collapsing on the ground.
"What? Shikamaru?" Choji asked.
"The Akatsuki!" Naruto exclaimed.
Sakura was slipping out of conciousness and Kakashi-sensei knew it.
"Where Sakura?" He asked.
"…Park." She whispered as her world went black.
Back at the park, Shikamaru stood painfully. He faced Itachi and Kisame, wincing.
'Uh…I'm out of chakra…and my bleeding will not stop. This is bad…even a genius like me can't figure a way out of this.' Shikamaru thought.
"He's going to die." Kisame said plainly.
"Yes, so we leave him." Itachi said turning.
"But the girl-" Kisame started.
"They will not get here in time. The wound I gave him…he will be dead before they can reach him." Itachi reasoned.
Kisame nodded and they disappeared with the wind. Shikamaru began walking back to Hokage Tower. He winced and muttered to himself.
"Shikamaru!" Someone screamed.
"Choji?" Shikamaru asked.
"SHIKAMARU!" Another loud voice called.
"Uh…Naruto?" Shikamaru asked again.
He coughed out blood and fell. His breathing became shallower just as Choji and Naruto reached him. Choji picked him up, and they sprinted to the hospital. They just hoped they were not too late.
Sakura sat up in a hospital bed. She jumped out of the bed, and was confused for a moment.
'Shikamaru!' She thought.
She sprinted down the hallway of the hospital, and skidded to a stop in the waiting room. Choji, Ino, Asuma, Naruto, and Shikamaru's parents were there.
"Tell me you got to him in time." Sakura whispered to Choji.
"We…we don't know." Choji said.
Sakura just stood there, until Ino grasped her arm and led her to a chair. Ino sat her in the chair and looked at Choji.
'If Shikamaru dies, she'll be like she was when Naruto and Sasuke left…maybe even worse.' Ino thought sadly.
Shikamaru's mom watched Sakura stare off into space. She concluded that Sakura was very close to Shikamaru. They all were.
Naruto watched Sakura just stare at the floor.
'She can't become like she was…she just can't.' Naruto thought.
Lady Tsunade came in, followed by Shizune.
"One person can come in and see him. Only one." She said.
Everyone looked towards Sakura.
"I couldn't go…Choji, you're his best friend…his mom or dad should go." Sakura said.
They all shook their heads. Sakura stood up and followed Lady Tsunade. Sakura was used to be in a hospital. She did work at this very same one when Naruto was still in Konoha. Then why did she feel so scared of it? Was it because it could save or take the life of an innocent person? The feeling of death and the feeling of life was all around her. It was very suffocating.
"This is it." Shizune said opening the door.
Sakura stepped inside and the door was closed behind her. She stepped up to Shikamaru's bed. He was pale, oh so pale, it was if he was a ghost. She shook that out of her head. She would not let Shikamaru die. His wound was bandaged, but it looked like it had sustained a lot of damage. Not easily repaired damage. She brushed her fingers over his face. He was cold, but not as cold as ice. His heart monitor seemed to be working fine. She looked out the window.
'A sunny day.' She thought.
It was like the heavens didn't care if he died or not. She turned to look at him when he moaned. She had hoped she hadn't disturbed his rest. His eyes opened, but just barely.
"Sakura?" His voice came out crackly, like he was too weak to talk at all.
"I'm here." She said.
She winced. Her voice was so powerful compared to his. It scared her, it scared her a lot. She was never in a room where the feeling of death was so close, even to someone who was her friend. No, more than a friend. Shikamaru was like her soul mate, and she couldn't lose him.
"Am I…going to make it?" He asked.
"I don't know…Lady Tsunade did not tell us that." Sakura answered quietly.
She looked out the window again. There was one rain cloud. She felt as if it was foretelling something. She shook her head to rid her of those thoughts.
"Sakura…if I don't make it…" Shikamaru started.
"No. Don't talk like that." Sakura ordered.
"It's a part of life, Sakura. Death is something you must accept." Shikamaru said.
"No, no no no." Sakura said.
"Sakura, calm down. It's fine. I don't think I'm going to die." He said smiling.
She heard thunder and looked out the window again. Dark clouds were coming over the horizon. Shikamaru coughed violently.
"Sakura…you've made me so happy. I'm glad Ino matched us together because you have made so much progress. Even though I'm going to be gone, don't become like you were before. I love you, Sakura." Shikamaru said.
She smiled through her tears, and the rain came down. Shikamaru closed his eyes as his heart slowed it's beating. Sakura called for Tsunade-sama and she was pushed out of the room. She didn't know whether Shikamaru had lived…or perished.
Me: Mwahaha more suspense. Well, at least he didn't die…I don't think…
Naruto: Shikamaru! No!
Me: You'll have to wait for the next chapter! R and R!
