CHAPTER RATING: T

Episode 25: Nine-Tailed Savior

Naruto entered Sakura's hospital room with the Sage Toad Fukasaku, sitting on his right shoulder. The white room was still being bombarded by the sound of Sakura's steady breath, and her erratic heartbeat. A doctor attended to Sakura every hour, in case anything went severely wrong.

"We're here to take Sakura." The Sage stated clearly in his gruff voice. The doctors were taken aback in shock.

"What are you talking about?" One of them asked while staring at Naruto. "If we remove her from life support, she'll die!" he added.

"But we have a way that can save her!" Naruto shot back. The doctor shook his head. With a depressed look, he stated:

"Even if you manage to bring her out of this coma, even if you manage to heal her, it's too late for her now."

"What do you mean?" The Sage Toad asked. The doctor motioned for a demonstrative skeletal model to be hauled up next to him.

"When Sasuke attacked her," he pointed to the bottom of her spine. "He struck her near here. We've done the best we can, but the damage has been too great. Even if you manage to wake her up, she won't be able to walk. There's been too much nerve damage."

The trio stood in silence at the news. Naruto balled up his fist, his veins in his wrists popping out of his skin.

"Even…Even if that's the case. Sakura-chan wouldn't want this! She wouldn't want to be sitting here in a hospital bed, doing nothing! Even if she wasn't able to walk, she'd still find something to live for! I know it!" He shouted with determined ignorance. "We've got to at least try something!"

The doctor sighed deeply and placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"There's nothing we can do." He said solemnly. "I'll give you some time to earn some peace of mind." The doctor walked away and closed the door behind him.

Fukasaku looked at Naruto with confidence.

"Don't worry, Naruto, my boy. I have a way." He hopped to the middle of the room and began to instruct Naruto.

"First, move that desk in front of the door." Naruto moved towards the desk, and as slowly as he could, he began to push the desk until it blocked the entire door.

"Next, move this chair, we'll need the middle of the room for this next stage." Naruto did as he was instructed.

"Okay, now, give me your hand." The toad ran his finger across Naruto's palm; blood began to leak from a painless wound. The Sage took the some blood from Naruto's wound and dropped down to the floor. He hopped across the room and began to draw shapes in the center of the room.

Within minutes, there was a sequence of smaller circles in larger circles, with strange symbols written all around them. The Sage Toad nodded and looked up at Naruto; he hopped beside Sakura on the bedside and motioned for Naruto to follow.

"Now, pay close attention. We'll start the process here." The Sage said as he rubbed his chin. "We will take advantage of your ability to manipulate Nature Chakra to temporarily heal Sakura." Naruto nodded. "Focus now, and enter Sage Mode."

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes. He focused for a few seconds before an orange hue began to overlap his eyes. He opened his eyes that had flattened pupils and a new yellow hue.

"Now, bring your hands to her stomach." Naruto did as he instructed. "Now, focus, and bring the Chakra around us into you hands, you'll be able to heal her enough for us to take her to Mount Myōboku safely." Naruto's hands began to glow green, he could feel Sakura's body being healed with the Nature Chakra. "Remember to remain calm, you need to keep your Chakra balanced, use Nature Chakra and only Nature Chakra."

Naruto took a deep breath.

"Good, that should be enough to keep her healthy until we can reach the right place in Mount Myōboku. Now, bring her down from her bed and place her down in the middle of this seal."

Naruto slowly detached the wire that were attached to Sakura, picked her up and placed her into the middle of the seal.

"Now, stand next to me." He pointed next to him. Naruto did as instructed. Fukasaku closed his eyes and before Naruto realized it, he was standing among giant mushroom trees, and green swamp.

"Quick now, the summoning has taken a huge toll on our first healing, pick up Sakura and follow me. Quickly!" Naruto bent down on his knee and picked up Sakura. Fukasaku began to hop with haste up a road that led to a mountaintop.

Naruto's eyes were still shifted in Sage Mode; his worry grew exponentially as he felt her life ebbing away before him. Her life was literally in his hands. Fukasaku stopped dead in his tracks.

"We're too slow, we need to do this now. Place her down." Naruto gently let her down onto the ground.

"Now place your hand on her again." Naruto gently laid his hands on her. "Remember, it's VERY important that you remain calm, if you don't terrible things may happen! Stay calm!"

Naruto took another deep breath. His hands began to glow an emerald hue. "Naruto, use the energy of Mount Myōboku, this will heal her faster and more efficiently." Naruto focused the energy around him into healing Sakura.

Fukasaku looked up at Naruto's expression and his eyes widened.

"Hey, Naruto!"

Naruto gave no response.

In his mind, Naruto's thoughts were in turbulence. Sasuke's words torn away at his consciousness.

"How does it feel?"

"Now you'll know what the pain of losing those you love is like."

"You love her, don't you?...Save her then…If you can."

The image of the blue energy piercing through Sakura played in his mind a thousand times within the span of seconds. He was in a trance, filled with frustration, anger, and rage.

His hands began to glow red, and Sakura's wounds began to heal at a miraculous rate.

"NARUTO! STOP!"

He shook his head and opened his eyes.

Sakura began to stir, and opened her eyes.

They shined red with a burning fire that had never been there before.

Thanks for reading!