DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS ONLY THE PLOT...
Chapter 20
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'20 miles to Sakamoto'
Hinata sighed again as they came late into the afternoon. Temari, Kankurou and Lee were sleeping in the cars whenever they stopped and ate on the road. They claimed they wanted to get into the desert as quickly as possible. Agreeing with them they were stopping on their 3rd stop of the day. Sakamoto which was which was still 200 miles away from the end of the forests around them.
The trip had been uneventful they got out of Konoha an hour after they departed from the warehouse. For the first bit Hinata sat in the front fiddling with her bracelet listening to Ino and Shikamaru discuss matters of what was going to happen to them when they arrived in Suna. Kankurou was mainly fixed on the highway in front of them. Chouji, well Hinata thought Chouji was sleeping or so deeply indulged in his music and food but his soft munching was heard in the front.
After half an hour after the sign they started pulling into a very…desolate town with not very many people outside, but then again it wasn't exactly the biggest village. Temari pulled into a gas station to fill up the hummer. Slumping even further in her seat as Kankurou slowly got out the hulking car to fill the enormous tank.
"Ne, Hinata?" said Shikamaru behind her "What time is it?" he asked
"Ano….5:30" she replied quietly, nodding to himself he looked over at Ino who was slumped next to him and sleeping quietly.
"Ino," he said quietly to her "Ino wake up we're about to stop for a bit, do you want to walk around?" he asked, she nodded and sat up looking around; he chuckled slightly at the sight of her hair and face. Huffing to herself she straightened out her hair.
Looking out the windscreen Hinata saw Kankurou trudging over to the car with a cup of water in his hand and a bag slung on his wrist. Coming back inside, he dug around in the bag and pulled out a book and handed it to Hinata.
"You said something about wanting to see what Suna looked like? Well here, Temari bought this inside," he mumbled before she took the book. On the front it read:
'Takeo's Guide to Knowing Sunagakure'
In bright red letters.
"Michi Takeo is one of Temari's friends; she helped take photo's one Christmas for him." Explained Kankurou, nodding Hinata flicked the book open as the car started up. There was a map of the Wind Country with Suna in the northern half of it. The next was a history on the 3 previous Kazekage's then onto the real information; she started skimming and read a short paragraph on how they deal with the large sand storms lasting days.
'…Suna's settled in the center of desert country and is surrounded with Sand. Sandstorms are a regular occurrence here as well as droughts are. Food is flown in and also driven in on a daily basis. A few desert fruits are grown here to also help the large city prosper. Greenhouses are also popular places for jobs and also herbalist.
To over come the Sandstorm disasters the Sandaime Kazekage came with the idea of underground passages. Every building built is connected to the under ground city below the over ground one. This has proven essential with the Great Sand Storm 20 years ago which wiped out half the population of Suna and stopped trade routes for several weeks…..'
Carrying on reading she let her mind run wild thinking of how the city had been able to develop underground. It intrigued her to no end how that had happened. It drifted to the times before when there hadn't been one, how scary the sandstorms seemed. A sharp jolt pulled her out of her own musings and into reality.
"We're here!" cheered Kankurou as he pulled up at a camp site where Temari's car was already parked and everyone getting out and stretching. Temari was already walking over to the hummer to go to sleep while Lee had talked a spot under one of the few trees in the area. Hinata opened the door and slid out onto the dusty ground and stretched still clutching the book in her hand.
"Ne, Sakura-chan, do you have anything for headaches?" asked Shikamaru getting out the car holding Ino up who had her legs around his waist and looked to be hugging him but his arm was around back.
"Yea, why?" she said reaching into her bag "She hasn't been drinking water has she?" said Sakura after looking and seeing it was Ino who was having the ache. Hinata walked over and plonked her bag down next to Tenten and Neji who were sitting under the tree pretty close to each other, while Lee was lightly snoring next to them. To her surprise Shino was sitting in the tree above them with a book in his hand and was reading. Shikamaru, Ino and Sakura soon joined them sitting in the shade.
"I wonder what Suna actually looks like," pondered Sakura as she looked over at the hummer where Temari was sleeping on the roof "I mean Gaara didn't see to trilled with us going there" she added thoughtfully
"I-it's s-supposed to be l-lovely there with the s-sands a-and c-constant heat, "stuttered Hinata as she bent down into a handstand on the dusty ground."T-the b-book Kankurou-s-san bought m-me h-has pictures i-in it," she added upside down and looking forward.
"Sounds interesting," said Shino quietly looking down at them
"I can't wait," cheered Tenten "I heard they have a different fight style that I want to learn"
"Hn," muttered Neji, Sakura coughed before asking
"A translation if you please Tenten,"
"He meant he won't like it" said Tenten poking Neji in the gut sharply. Hinata was in her own thoughts when she felt her slipping down to show her toned stomach underneath and the edges of her bra. Squeaking she moved 1 hand up to hold it up then started wobbling. There was laughing behind her as she felt her shirt being pulled back to its original place.
"We don't quite want a show Hinata-chan," laughed Temari coming back over. Hinata came down from the handstand and turned to face them with a bright red face.
"Aw don't worry Hina-chan I'm sure Gaa-chan would have loved to have seen that," laughed Temari cruelly as the girl turned even redder.
"H-he d-doesn't l-like me l-like that," she stuttered but regretted it when her phone started vibrating on the grass and Ino picked it up and looked
"It's from Gaara-kun," she chuckled holding it out to Hinata; she snatched it away before running back to the jeep to read it.
"Psst I think its more then just friends," whispered Sakura to the others as they watched Hinata run away to the jeep. She left the door open as she entered the back of the car.
"It doesn't matter anyway, it was bound to happen," said Chouji "We should be happy for them," he added wistfully before eating again. They were quiet again before a smashing and clatter was heard by the jeep. Hinata's phone on the floor flashing while she was half hanging out of the jeep.
"Hinata?" called out Neji "Hinata!" he shouted again as he stood and sprinted over to her limp form. He pulled her out and saw she had fainted. Kankurou and Lee were awake now and standing with them. Shino picked up the phone and read the message.
"Shit," was all they heard from him before he handed it to Temari and went off to make phone calls himself. Temari read the message.
Gaara in hospital in coma, his Thunder cat was hit by a car maybe by the Sharingan's. Coming out to Suna early
-Kiba
"Kami," she said gasping and putting her hand over her mouth trying to stop the tears.
"What is it Temari?" asked Kankurou looking worried
"Gaara's i-in h-hospital i-in a coma," she stuttered before turning around and wiping her face.
"H-how could this happen?" asked Sakura
"He was hit by a car, maybe the Sharingan's, Kiba said they're coming out early" said Temari finally controlling her tears. Everyone was silent as Neji lifted Hinata close to him. The only person she'd ever been close to was now in a coma in hospital and might die. He growled to himself for wanting to kill Sasuke now.
"Everyone back into the cars now," barked Kankurou angrily. He was angry at the world, angry at himself and most of all angry at the Sharingan's. Everyone rustled around and tumbled back into their cars. Neji placed Hinata back into the front seat of the hummer and fastened the seat belt. Kankurou walked over to Temari's car.
"Right onee-chan, we're going through to Laoshui Town just after the border, we should be there by 2 in the morning with a few stops on the way. The faster we get to Suna the better," he said seriously, Temari nodded and felt proud t how serious Kankurou was taking the situation. She nodded and he returned to the Hummer to see Hinata's eyes open and her head sitting there dumbly.
She felt numb. Nothing else inside her. A cold body sitting there just with no purpose. She felt Kankurou lean over and pull her close into a hug.
"Gaara will be fine, he'll pull through" he whispered before pulling away and starting the car. They were off again pretty soon after. Temari leading again with Lee behind them. She still felt numb but was trying to deal with it and then again she wasn't. Kankurou could see her crying silently. The hiccups that rocked her body as she sat in silence. He stretched and had over and squeezed hers tightly trying to shed some comfort to her in the desperate situation. She looked out the window and secretly was comforted by Kankurou next to her. In her mind she kept thinking of what could have happened if he had died, it made her even worse then before.
Sleep was hopeless in the night, the cold desperation of night. The temperature seemed to drop as they got closer to the desert but the slight knowing that there was going to be blistering heat in the morning. Kankurou was squinting by the time they stopped. He looked terrible and just needed sleep and rest for the night. Hopefully he would never look like he did now ever again before it left a permanent mark on his painted face.
"Tsunade-sama!" cried Shizune coming through the double doors into the emergency room.
"Nani?" said the elder blonde
"Sabaku-kun is going out of control, the seizures and sand is getting out of control!" she cried with the look of sheer terror on her face "Jiraiya-sama is in there helping to restrain him"
"Jiraiya?" said Tsunade perking up at the sound of her old school friend, she turned and strode off with Shizune behind her towards where the chaos was. "Send an email to Suna quickly about this, tell them they have Gaara early," she said seriously before entering the room.
Inside Gaara was shaking and coughing on the bed with Jiraiya holding him down; Naruto and Kiba were blocking random attacks from bits of sand aimed at them.
"Shukaku!" shouted Tsunade ordering the seizing teen. They slowly stopped and Jiraiya came to hold on the teen.
"Get off me," growled an unknown voice from Gaara
"Not possible Raccoon, not until you leave," said Tsunade angrily
"Never," it replied "GET OFF ME!" it roared and silently attacked. Jiraiya coughed and red, bright blood came out with it. He slid down and collapsed on the ground, the body of Gaara stood and slowly walked to the door. Kiba and Naruto were stuck standing still as they watched him pass Tsunade and out the door. Screams were heard inside and something they only had ever seen in the movies. A spray of dark crimson splashed across the window on the hospital room and thump on the wall. Tsunade was cradling Jiraiya close to himself as he slowly faded. When they thought it had stopped Kiba went over to the door and shoved it open. Outside was what made him vomit painfully on the floor. There were 5 dead bodies outside in the hall and someone's figure at the end of the corridor lying and rasping.
"Gaara! Gaara!" shouted Naruto pushing past Kiba who was looking close to fainting. Down the end of the corridor was Gaara lying and looking almost deathly about the previous experience. He hadn't remembered this time but he knew it was him.
Naruto knelt down next to him but had a hand roughly push him away.
"Get away Naruto, GET AWAY!" roared Gaara pushing the younger teen off him and standing up wobbly. He looked at the bodies and almost vomited himself. He had killed 4 Sharingan's and Shizune. He stared at the bodies of Orochimaru, Sasori, Zetsu and Tobi. This wasn't going to have a productive outcome; they were going to pay badly this time.
She screamed and she kicked. She hated him. She hated him with everything she could muster. They had all just been told down the phone that Gaara had killed 6 people in his coma state and had woken up. They were flying ahead by plane and will meet them in Suna. It wasn't going to plan. When told who it was who had been killed Hinata had started her anger streak. He had promised her no one else would die. He lied to her and now he was going to lie again. She wanted to go back to her old life, her old quiet life with no trouble. But that was too hard. She remembered how they were only a few days away from Suna now and the closer she got the closer it was to being free again. She would then learn.
………How to save a life
Sorry about the update. You can only blame the computer game Guild Wars It is addictive and annoying now because of that...tho no excuse about the shortness of the chapter...sorry please review