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Satisfied

Three Days Later...

"You know, you're making everyone worry."

Tenten sighed as she wiped the sweat from Neji's brow with a damp rag. Sakura had managed to stop the bleeding but without the proper tools, she couldn't extract the bullet. Even attempting such a procedure could cause serious damage and would have likely killed him quickly. Tenten wasn't sure which was worse, a quick death or a slow one. With the bullet still embedded, he was beginning to develop an infection that was slowly eating away at his flesh. He was only barely lucid at moments and those times were the most difficult for her. The infection caused him to break out in cold sweats and vomit uncontrollably even though he'd had nothing but water for seventy-two hours. His vomiting induced her to have a reactionary response and she would have to leave the shelter to vomit into the ocean.

She couldn't sleep and she could barely eat but she refused to leave him alone for long. Hinata was usually by her side to care for her cousin but Sasuke would drag her away as soon as she looked overheated. Hinata had taken to fainting when stress became too much for her body to handle but ignored all of the signs when she was nearing her limit. Neji was going to have to field a laundry list of complaints from herself and Sasuke when he awoke. The brunette frowned and dipped her rag into a plastic bucket of water, ringing out the excess and wiping down Neji's bare chest and arms in an attempt to cool him down.

"I bet you enjoy making me take care of you like this." She whispered, sliding the damp rag gently over his feverish skin. "Such a big baby."

When she finished wiping him down, she gently pulled his hair up from underneath him and ran her fingers through it. Neji was a rather wild sleeper and always managed to tangle his hair up after a few hours. She diligently worked her fingers through the brown strands, teasing out the knots as she went along. When his hair was satisfactory she began to separate it into three sections and braided the locks together.

"Today I heard that Naruto found some more ripe mangos. You like mangos. If you don't wake up soon I will eat them all myself and not save any for you." She chided with a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

It was true that Naruto had found a fresh cache of mangos but that was it. There was not much else to be had, not that she was able to eat what was brought to her anyway. Everything made her nauseous. There was a rustling near the entrance of the shelter and Tenten turned to see Lee with a fresh bucket of water. The contents sloshed around loudly as the unusually solemn man placed the container beside her and kneeled down.

"How's it looking?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Stubborn as always." She sighed. "Thanks for the water Lee."

"No problem. Hey Ten, can I ask you a question?"

Tenten studied the seriousness in Lee's voice and let go of her half-finished braid. She placed a hand on his knee and tried to smile but she knew it looked forced.

"Ask me anything."

"Why are you doing this? Look at you," he started and gestured generally at the deteriorating state of her body. "you are going to make yourself sick at this rate."

Tenten just shrugged as she removed her hand from his knee. It was already much too late for that warning. She had not seen her reflection in three days but she was sure she looked rather rough.

"I know that I'm not the most observant person in the world but something has been going on with you two."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, surprised by the direction his questions were taking.

"I've known Neji forever, we've been rivals in everything but he's never allowed anyone get him riled up the way you do. For awhile I thought that he actually did hate you as much as he claimed. As time went on though I noticed things, how he purposely would do things just to get under your skin. It was like he'd do little things to bother you just to get your attention. He actually enjoyed seeing you angry. Then you guys started disappearing together more and more often." Lee explained and Tenten blushed at his latter statement.

"I'm not going to infer what went on between you two but whatever it was I guess it brought you guys closer. It's actually kind of funny in a way. We have been rivals for most of our lives, even in love. It seems as though, even unconscious, he's still beating me in that respect."

"Lee I-" she started but he merely smiled and shrugged off her concern. He grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"I should have made my feelings more obvious. I care a lot about both of you though. Don't push yourself too hard. I don't want to lose you both."

Tenten smiled, removing her hand from his and pulling him into a hug. Lee was surprised by her gesture at first but responded in his usual overexuberant way, almost crushing her with his affection. He let her go after another tight squeeze and made his way out of the shelter. Tenten watched him leave with a small smile on her face and turned her attention back to Neji. She picked up the braid again and returned to her previous work. Her fingers moved nimbly through the process and soon she was finished. She placed the braid over his chest, away from the wound, and kissed his forehead.

"Do you hear that? You have competition if you don't watch out. You could lose for once. I could get used to Lee's attitude, he's much nicer than you are." She teased softly. "So you have to wake up. I know how much you like to win."

…..

The night was hot, humid, and utterly nonconducive to any kind of sleep for Hyuuga Hinata, not that she could sleep even if the weather conditions were more amiable. She stared up at the leafy roof of the shelter and tried her best not to cry. She felt like little more than a leaky faucet for the last few days. She knew she had to get it together but on the inside, she felt nothing but a volatile cocktail of helplessness and anger. She knew she was worrying Sasuke who refused to let her out of his eyesight for even a second. He abstained from touching her when he was awake, instead settling on looking at her like she would disappear at any moment. When he was sleeping though, his guard came down and his body would always find a way to tangle itself up with her's. Even now, despite the heat, he was curled into her side. His head rested in the crook of her neck, a heavy arm draped over her waist. In his sleep, he murmured her name and asked her not to die. The mixed signals he was sending were confusing yet she couldn't blame him for the sudden protective aspect of his personality emerging. The second time they'd spoken, he had to fish her out of the ocean. She shivered at the memory of the ocean water burning her lungs. Obsidian was the first thing she saw when she regained consciousness. Those same dark orbs kept her anchored to the shore, unable to take another dip into the treacherous sea even if she wanted to.

Hinata sighed and carefully extracted herself from Sasuke's tight embrace. The sullen man grumbled a bit in his sleep but allowed her to slip away. She held her breath and quietly made her out of the shelter. When she was enveloped by the pale light of the full moon, she felt her chest finally expand with a crisp influx of oxygen. The salty air of the ocean filled her lungs like a gentle caress. She relished the ease with which she was able to breathe, for the last two days she could only breathe in short spurts but today she was able to breathe normally. Maybe it was a sign that Neji would get better? She shook her head mournfully at that naive thought. There was not much hope for her cousin, he was barely hanging on as it was and it was all her fault. If she had actually noticed what Sakura was doing she wouldn't have dumbly run directly into her line of fire. She should have dodged. She should have taken the bullet instead. There were a plethora of scenarios that ran through her head for how everything should be but none of that would change the reality they were faced with. Her only cousin was dying and the blame rested squarely on her shoulders.

Hinata hissed in pain and looked down at her stinging palms. She had clenched her fists so hard that her nails left bloody half-moon imprints. Ignoring the pain, she looked out at the campfire burning brightly a few feet away and made her way towards the light.

"I just don't understand." A deep voice asked from the other side of the bright embers. Hinata paused and debated making her presence known. After a split second of thought, she remained in the shadows and slipped behind a tree nearby.

"I've already told you it was an accident." A female said in an exasperated voice. "Why don't you believe me anymore Naruto?"

"Because I know you better than that," Naruto growled. "nothing is an accident for you."

Hinata chanced a peek from behind the tree to see the blonde man scowling with his tanned arms crossed tightly over his chest. The shadows from the flames danced across his face, making his features appear even more fierce. Sakura cowed a bit but still looked up at him defiantly. She briefly fidgeted against the ropes holding her wrists behind her back.

"You used to claim to love me. I must not have meant that much to you for you to turn on me so easily."

"It's because I loved you that I'm allowing them to do this. What you did was terrible. You are a danger to yourself and everyone else. This is for your own good."

"Whatever. You can't keep me tied up forever." She spat and shuffled awkwardly in the sand to turn her back to him. "You and Sasuke will both be sorry you're taking her side over mine."

"You need to stop being so jealous. You are just going to end up hurting yourself further. I've never seen him so into anyone before. He actually looks happy sometimes when he thinks no one is looking. Why would you want to take that away from him?"

"It's not fair. Why should she be with him? Why would he choose her of all people? She's stupid and weak and easily overlooked. She can't even say two words without getting choked up. She's wrong for him in every way, how could he possibly be happy with someone like that? I only want the best for him!"

"And I suppose that person is you?"

"He's going to leave her anyway. He's never satisfied."

Hinata bit her lower lip and slipped away from the two of them, no longer wishing to hear any more of their conversation. At some point, she had allowed her heart to be lulled into a sense of security by Sasuke but maybe Sakura was right. Maybe she really would end up as only a passing fancy only to end up thrown aside when he grew tired of her...

The dark haired woman shook her head of the negative train of thought. She shouldn't allow Sakura's words to hold sway over her. Besides, it wasn't like she and Sasuke had ever discussed what they even were. They merely fit together comfortably like two puzzle pieces, there had been no need for clarification. If Sasuke was as happy with her as Naruto claimed then she shouldn't have anything to worry about. For now at least.

Somehow, her feet had led her back to the shelter Sasuke was sleeping in. She paused in the doorway and peered in at the man's sleeping form. The light from the moon wove its way through the cracks in the makeshift walls, giving his skin an ethereal look. His face was completely relaxed, not a scowl or furrowed brow marred his features. His shaggy dark hair clung to his forehead and neck like ink and his breathing was steady. Hinata drank in the sight of him at peace, feeling her heart rate increase each time she inhaled. She placed a hand over her pounding heart and took a step back. She couldn't bring herself to return to arms that would surely envelop her as soon as she laid down. The mere thought of that affection all being a lie began to fill her with dread. How had she allowed him to embed himself so far that the thought of him abandoning her hurt more than her unrequited love for Naruto?

Sakura's words niggled in the back of her mind and caused her to take another step back. That step turned into two, two into three, and soon she was making her way to where Neji was being held. When she finally slipped into Neji's shelter she allowed herself to release the breath she'd been holding. For a brief second, she felt a sense of Deja Vu as she looked upon the unconscious form of her cousin. Although he was in much worse shape, with his hair braided like that, he looked just like the portrait of her uncle. Hinata wondered if the older man was eagerly awaiting his son to join him. A haggard Tenten looked up at her, surprised by her sudden entrance.

"Hina," she asked with a voice filled with concern. "Whats wrong? Have you been crying?"

Hinata touched her cheek, surprised to find the flesh cool and wet. She had been crying so much lately that she now didn't even realize when she did it. Tenten put down her rag and patted her thighs.

"Come here Hinata." She said softly, instinctively knowing her friend only needed a shoulder to cry on.

Hinata slowly made her way to her friends embrace and laid her head on Tenten's lap. The woman hummed softly as she ran her fingers through Hinata's dark hair and didn't mind her thigh becoming damp with her silent tears.

"What in the world am I going to do with you Hyuugas?" Tenten teased and Hinata choked out a wet laugh.

"Whatever the problem is Hina, don't cry too long over it. Neji would definitely have something to say if he saw you like this. You've gotten a lot stronger lately so don't doubt yourself or your value. Besides, your life is much too precious to spend it crying."

…..

Shikamaru huffed as he threw another empty suitcase into the pile, thankful that everyone else had been too distracted the last few days to notice the steady depletion. Tonight the moon was on their side but time was not. Even though it was just a hunch, a no more than a troublesome sense of intuition, he felt as though their time of remaining safe on this island was running out. They had been here for almost six weeks and it baffled him that they had made it this far with their dysfunctional ragtag group. It was admirable that everyone had worked together to survive this long but they didn't realize the toll that it was taking on their bodies. Everyone had lost a considerable amount of weight since the crash. Their caloric intake was certainly not enough to balance out the heavy physical activity they engaged in every day. Everyone was sleeping a lot more and becoming more sluggish with their actions as though all of their motivation was being leeched by the island. The signs of starvation were sure to become more evident soon and by that point, it would be too late. Neji was already on his death bed, the rest of them would follow him slowly if he didn't do something.

Shikamaru paused and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. A piercing pressure had been building in the front of his skull since he had been electrocuted by the black box a few weeks ago. The side effects of the seizure brought with it near debilitating migraines that forced him to quit working. Luckily Ino and Temari were always there to pick up his slack but he didn't have them at a crutch now. He had to do this on his own. If his suspicions were correct, this was their one and only shot. The others wouldn't agree with such an unorthodox method and with everything going on it was best not to involve them. He threw some old clothing over the suitcase and added a few dried out pieces of underbrush. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Temari dragging a fallen branch through a break in the trees towards his pile.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he stood up straight.

"Helping, what else does it look like?" She stated plainly and with a grunt kicked the log over to the base of the pile.

"You don't even know what I'm trying to do." He frowned and she just clapped her hands together to get rid of the dirt.

"I don't need to know all of the details."

Shikamaru's frown deepened and he narrowed his eyes at the overconfident woman standing before him.

"You saw it too didn't you?" He stated and she nodded her head.

"I haven't seen anything but you acting strangely all day."

"Then why are you helping? You know this will only kill everyone faster if it fails."

"Because I'd rather do something, anything other than sitting around languishing."

Shikamaru smirked and tossed a few more leaves onto the pile. He dusted his hands off and grabbed one of the last remaining bottles of whiskey. He took a long swig and passed the bottle to Temari who drank even longer than he did. He raised an eyebrow at her actions but laughed when she made a face of disgust.

"It tastes like the bottom of an ashtray." She belched and handed the bottle back with repugnance.

"Well, no one told you to go around licking ash trays or to drink that much in one go." He smirked.

The blonde woman snatched the bottle back and took another swig in defiance, this time without making a face. Shikamaru just chuckled and finished the bottle off. This cheap plane whiskey was probably the last thing he'd ever taste on his tongue. He may as well savor it. When the last drop was vanquished, they resumed their work. The pair worked steadily together until just before the sun had risen. By that point, they had everyone's belongings stacked together in one huge pile not too far from their encampment. This was their one shot if this didn't work they were only going to die that much quicker without any of their supplies. They took the last of the liquor bottles and threw them at the pile. The glass shattered upon impact and glistened like wet diamonds in the fading moonlight.

Temari handed him the last intact glass bottle with a rag soaking up the viscous mixture of lighter fluid and vodka at the bottom. Shikamaru held the makeshift bomb in his hand, twisting it this way and that to ensure that the rag inside was thoroughly coated. What if this didn't work? What if he failed at this just like he failed at trying to get the black box to work? Temari placed her rough yet warm hand over his and pressed the almost empty lighter into his chest.

"Don't second guess." She said firmly and kissed him.

Her kiss was hard and fierce but it erased the doubt that was beginning to creep into his mind. When she released him he took the lighter and set the rag on fire. He quickly tossed the bottle into the pile of their belongings and held his breath as the glass shattered instantly. The makeshift monitor engulfed their belongings with an immediacy that surprised its creators. Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets and watched as the bright orange flames sprang up from their origin and began to catch the limbs of the trees on fire. At this rate the island would become a raging inferno, consuming everything in its path until there was nothing left but smoke and ash in its wake. He tore his eyes away from the spectacle to look at his companion who was still mesmerized. He grabbed her hand and returned to admiring their handiwork. The column of smoke from the fire was becoming thicker, darker, much quicker than he'd been able to calculate.

'Perfect'

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