Chapter Twenty-One
Unlike Naruto, Inika had control of her Jinchuriki powers. Inika looked at Sasuke and her eyes were becoming completely red rapidly. Dark blue chakra started to surround Inika in a fur like pattern and Inika's fangs started to grow longer. She looked at his group and said, "You should have never gone after Itachi." Inika seemed to disappear as she came up behind Jugo and slammed into him. He faltered but turned around and threw kunai at her. Inika didn't even bother to block as the kunai penetrated through her clothes that were being ripped by her own chakra. Karin took a step back and said, "She's not human. I say we leave now since we completed our mission. Let's go Sasuke-kun." Sasuke took one look at Inika and realized his chances of survival were slim. He nodded and replied, "Everyone retreat." Inika looked at him and said, "You're not going anywhere Sasuke." Sasuke was encased in a big cocoon and Inika turned towards the others saying, "I have no use to keep you all alive. You're nothing more than dirt underneath of my feet." The other three took off and Inika felt her power draining. She took the last bit of her strength and raised everyone up from underneath the ground. After she felt everyone's chakra was back on land, she collapsed onto the ground.
Naruto saw Inika collapse and ran towards her. Her clothes were in shreds and multiple kunai poked out from her. Naruto called out to Sakura who ran to him. Sakura looked at Inika and begun to heal her. Naruto kept Inika's head on his lap and ran his fingers through her hair. Inika made no movement and was barely breathing. Naruto looked at Sakura and said, "What's wrong with her?!" Sakura replied, "Since she is a Jinchuriki she has more chakra then the average ninja but it seems that even Inika has a limit and she definitely went over it. A normal ninja would be dead by now." Naruto gulped and looked down at his cousin who gave everything she could to protect the village.
Tsunade had stayed with Itachi and continued to monitor him. What he really needed was a bed in a hospital with 24 hour surveillance. Shino walked up to her and said, "Inika before she fainted did manage to capture Sasuke. Both my bugs and Akamaru can sense that, that structure only a few feet from Inika contains Sasuke in it. Tsunade looked at the structure that reminded her of a flower that had not yet bloom. She stood up and said, "Watch Itachi while I get Sasuke out of that thing." Tsunade walked over to the structure and circled it a few times. She could sense the chakra that covered it and sighed, it was going to take a lot of work to bring that thing down.
Kankuro and Hanabi walked around and checked up on all the villagers. They mostly had minor cuts and bruises but were fine. Hanabi smiled at Kankuro and said, "There were no casualties and the only people who are seriously hurt are Inika and Itachi. Can you believe that Inika could do something like that?" Kankuro replied honestly, "I wish I didn't know she could do something like that, now she scares me even more." Hanabi looked up at the sky and said, "Everyone is scared of Jinchurikies at first but when you think about it, they're just normal people like you and me." Kankuro replied, "I'm not scared of her because she is a Jinchuriki. I was afraid of my brother not because he was a Jinchuriki but that he was blood thirsty and unstable. I'm afraid of Inika because she can kill without hesitation and is very capable of taking people down." Hanabi said, "Inika tries very hard to do things to help people in her own way but we are always in fear of her because we know that she is a Jinchuriki. Inika only wants respect and to not have people fear her if she means them no harm." Kankuro nodded and replied, "Well maybe you're right."
Sakura had finished healing Inika and Naruto picked her up. Kakashi ran towards them and said, "Is she alright?!" Sakura nodded and replied, "She should be fine. I've healed all her wounds." Kakashi took Inika out of Naruto's arms and held her close to him. Much to everyone's surprise Kakashi started to cry and said, "Don't you ever do something so stupid again!" Inika was still unconscious and Sakura replied, "But she saved the whole village." Kakashi looked at her and said, "She took it a couple steps to far. Inika let her anger get the best of her in the end. She was fully prepared to kill them all and let her chakra run wild. If she kept it up it would begin to kill her from the inside out." Naruto looked at Kakashi and said, "Inika knows what she is doing. She wouldn't throw her life away so carelessly." Kakashi replied, "If she was thinking completely she would not make those stupid mistakes and would have done things by the book." Kakashi then walked away from them.
Tsunade begun to hit the cocoon that encased Sasuke. She made dents in it but it was a slow process. Sakura came up and said, "Why are you hitting that Lady Tsunade? Shouldn't you be watching over Itachi?" Tsunade replied, "Inika put Sasuke in here and I'm having trouble getting him out. You can help." Sakura nodded and started to pound on the cocoon. She silently said to herself, "Sasuke you better not die in there!"
Shino kept an eye on Itachi and had his bugs check on his body for any problems. Shizune came over and said, "Shino, help me move Itachi to the hospital." Shino nodded and picked Itachi up. Shizune walked next to him all the way back.
Naruto helped Tsunade and Sakura with taking it down and they final made a hole in the rock. After more pounding and jutsus they had a hole big enough to get Sasuke out. He had been knocked out and Sakura put his head on her lap as Tsunade checked him for injuries. Tsunade said, "He seems to be fine but inside the rock there is a type of weird flower that I think knocked him out. Someone go get a member of the Yamanaka Clan!" Ino came up almost immediately and said, "Yes?" Tsunade replied, "There is a flower inside the rock was is it?" Ino walked over to it and plucked it. She examined it and said, "This is a." Naruto interrupted her, "A Death Lilly." Ino looked up and replied, "That's the common name for it but how did you know?" Naruto said, "I don't know, but I've never seen it before yet I also know that you can only find it in the mountains near the Hidden Waterfall Village." Ino raised an eyebrow and replied, "You're never seen this flower before yet you know where it can be found and what it's called. That's queer." Sakura looked up and said, "Naruto, do you think Kyuubi knew what it was? Maybe he knew Eternal Dawn? I remember Inika telling me that Eternal Dawn lived not to far from the Hidden Waterfall Village." Ino replied, "Anyway the flower once it blooms pollen comes out and it has qualities to make you fall asleep. It's used in very powerful sleeping medicines." Naruto said, "So Inika made Death Lilies grow inside that rock? Does she have power over plants too?" Jirayia came up and replied, "No, she doesn't. Eternal Dawn's flower you can say was the Death Lily. Legend says that when she was born out of the earth the first Death Lilly bloomed next to her. In addition, legend has it that every ten steps she took another one would sprout up and bloom. The Death Lily is part of Eternal Dawn." Sakura said, "So Sasuke is only sleeping?" Jirayia nodded and replied, "But he needs something to wake him up or he will stay asleep that's why it's called the Death Lily. If no one gives you the antidote for it then you will stay asleep till you die." Sakura looked horrified; Jirayia smiled and continued, "It's a simple antidote really. Anything that will wake you up from an anesthetic will wake you up from the Death Lily." Sakura sighed and stroked a piece of hair away from Sasuke's face.
Inika was in a bed when she woke up. Her head hurt a lot and she looked around her. Kakashi had fallen asleep in a chair next to her with his book. Inika smiled until she noticed she was in a hospital. She got up and mumbled, "Bed rest is all I needed yet they take me to the White Death." She smiled at the nickname that Kitsune had given hospitals since she was deathly afraid of needles. Inika took a walk around until she found what she was looking for. A list that showed who was in what room; Inika ran her finger down the list until she found Itachi and memorized the number. Inika looked around and said, "I at least need to find a pair of pants in this place." She kept out of sight of the nurses and doctors until she found a store closet. She went in and changed into a pair of clothes. Inika also took the drip out of her arm and bandaged it up. Inika put her hair down and walked out of the storeroom with bed sheets always keeping her hair down so no one would see her eyes.
Inika walked to Itachi's room, which was surrounded by ANBU. Inika walked up and smiled so they couldn't see her eyes said, "I have to go change Mr. Uchiha's bed sheets now." The ANBU looked at her questionably and Inika continued, "This is a sterile environment you know. Don't worry about me either we get hooligans in here all the time I can handle what ever he can dish out." The ANBU officer nodded and stepped aside so she could go in. Inika walked in and said, "Thank you."
Itachi was looking out the window when Inika came in. He said, "Like I said before miss, I'm not taking any of your stupid pills till you tell me how Inika is." Inika replied, "I'm fine Tachi." Itachi looked at her and said, "Inika!" Inika put a finger to her lips and replied, "Shh, I'm impersonating a nurse if you can't tell." Itachi lowered his voice and said, "When did you get up?" Inika replied, "10 minutes ago?" Itachi looked at her in disbelief and said, "And you're walking!" Inika put a finger to her lips again and gave him an evil look. Itachi lowered his voice to a whisper and continued, "I'm sorry." Inika came up to him and slapped him hard across the face saying, "You're an idiot and that's for making m worry." She slapped him again and continued, "That's for saying stupid stuff like you were going to die." Itachi grabbed her hand and leaned his head into it saying, "I thought I was going to die." He looked up at her and noticed tears falling from her eyes. Itachi moved over and pulled Inika on the bed next to him. Inika said, "Never do that to me again." Itachi looked shocked a little by her reaction and whispered in her ear, "I never meant too….I'm sorry." Inika put her head on his chest and Itachi said, "This might be a weird place but it seems like a better time than ever." Inika looked up at him curious and he continued, "Inika will you marry me?" Inika blinked in disbelief and pulled back saying, "Wow. So soon?" Itachi looked into her eyes waiting and Inika continued, "Itachi I love you more than anything else but I don't want to make a sudden judgment. Therefore, I'm going to think about it and give you my answer tomorrow. I want to marry you but I have to think if this is too soon or not." Itachi nodded and sighed replying, "One more day won't kill me I guess." Inika kissed him on the lips and pulled back when she heard the door open. The real nurse walked in looking not too happy as she said, "Inika Hatake. You have put this hospital in turmoil. Not only do you disappear out of your bed, you take out your IV drip, and you take scrubs to pass off as a nurse." Inika smiled gleefully and replied, "It worked didn't it?" The nurse said, "Well maybe this information you will find interesting. Mr. Uchiha here has stitches from the surgery he had to undergo and you are a threat of him pulling them out." Inika jumped off the bed immediately and replied, "Why did he need surgery?" The nurse said, "Medical-nins aren't used to healing stab wounds that went through major organs and healing the muscle and tissue around it. We had to have surgery to put his muscles where they are supposed to be and stitch him up. Once the medical-nins have done their last touches then he should only have a small scar." Inika nodded and the nurse continued, "Now come with me." Inika turned around and said, "I'll see you tomorrow honey." Inika followed the nurse outside the hospital room.