Chapter 29: Chapter 29
Hello all! I'm hoping to wrap this story up here pretty soon. I think there are a few more important things that need to happen, but I'm sure I'll be able to finish this up soon : )
And on a side note, has anyone been keeping up to date on their Naruto Manga? Wow… after 15 years I cannot believe it is over. I didn't know what to do with myself when I read the last chapter... I think I may have cried a little.
Thanks to all of those who have reviewed! I love hearing all of your feedback! Sorry the update took a little longer than I wanted to, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Oh Kami-sama, he hurt. His whole body felt numb with pain, and the only thing that he was trying to hold on to was a familiar voice.
He had done it again; he had let the power of the beast inside of him take over. Seeing his brother in front of him, trying to kill him made the beast inside of Naruto escape. But Naruto knew that he needed all his power to bring the Uchiha home.
That was the goal he had promised himself; no matter what he was going to bring Sasuke home. Maybe if he brought Sasuke back to the team, Sakura would come too…
"I'm taking you back to Konoha dead or alive Sasuke-Teme!" Naruto screamed as he brought his hands together to make a rasangan. With the power of the kyuubi coursing through his veins, Naruto's usually blue rasangan was an eerie red.
Sasuke looked better at the valley of the end. Naruto had been able to connect multiple hits to his body with his tails, and now the Uchiha had chakra burns covering his body. The burns made it hard to move, and Naruto's enraged mind was using that as an advantage.
Quicker than light, Naruto brought the red rasangan to Sasuke's chest. Feeling the hit connect with Sasuke's body, the red chakra began to pull back into his body. Naruto felt the power escape his veins as he let out a sigh of relief, "Dead… or alive."
XxxX
Sakura's voice; that was the only thing he could make out. His world was quickly spiraling in on itself, and Hayate wasn't sure how he could slow it down. He was dizzy, numb, and disoriented. He couldn't open his eyes and he could feel his heart pumping at a much too slow of rate for his body.
He wasn't sure he was going to make it this time… Sakura had been able to perform miracles before, but now, Hayate was sure he was done for.
There was so much poisoning coursing through his system, and he did have a large, gaping hole going from his stomach to his back…
Hayate was going to count his blessings. He was numb and could not feel the pain that he was sure should have been coursing through his system; he had lived a lot longer than he had been expecting to (he had Sakura to thank for that); and he would at least be able to feel Sakura's and Genma's presence one more time before he died. He was sad he would not be getting to see where a relationship with Sakura would have gone, but the idea of Sakura still being alive brought him an immense sense of relief. That in itself brought a small smile to his lips, and then Hayate was gone.
XxxX
"No!" Sakura screamed as she dropped the water she had been holding over Hayate's chest. Immediately both of her hands began to glow emerald, and she pumped chakra into his chest. "I won't let you! I won't let you die!
"I've saved you before, damn it," Sakura continued her rant as she pushed more and more chakra into Hayate's system. Hayate's heart rate had slowly started to decrease within the last few minutes, but now it had stopped beating completely. "And I'm too damn stubborn to just let you die like this! You're too stubborn to die like this!"
Sakura was blind to the world as she continued to drain her chakra on the man that lay before her. He meant so much to her… He had meant so much to her before she had even developed her feelings of affection for Hayate. Hayate and Genma had been the only two ninja to believe in her. He had been the one to help her when no one else would. Her teacher, her friend, her potential lover and boyfriend…
"Hayate… I'll never forgive you if you leave me," Sakura said, her eyes blind with tears. The light that glowed from her hands was eerily bright in the small cave corridor. "Please, please, just breathe damn it!"
XxxX
All the numbness he felt was gone, and it felt absolutely blissful to feel nothing at all. There was a nagging sensation in the back of his head, but Hayate ignored it as his eyes remained closed, and his body floated through a dense white fog.
Kami, it felt so good to not have to worry about anything…
"It is not yet your time, Hayate," a voice called from above him. Opening his eyes, Hayate's widened at the sight before him.
"Hokage-sama," Hayate said as he bowed his head slightly. Looking around him, Hayate noticed he was floating in an area of nothingness. The only thing that he could see fully was the Third Hokage, who looked like an apparition before him.
"Like I said before, it is not yet your time," The silver haired man was still all wrinkly and was wearing battle gear. Even so, he had a soft smile on his face. "You have someone you still need to protect... She is in danger as we speak."
"Sakura," Hayate said as he felt his chest tighten and then pulsed. The nothingness he was feeling was immediately replaced with a pulsating heat that emitted from his chest. How could he have forgotten about her? Was she still in Orochimaru's hideout? Kami-sama, she was probably still trying to heal him right now… He knew that when she healed something as serious as this she would not notice anything; anyone could come up behind her an attack her.
"Yes," The Hokage said with a frown. "Sakura is trying to heal you right now, though, if you don't start fighting to live her fight will be in vain."
"Fight to live?" Hayate questioned as his heart pulsed again. The heat coursed through his whole system, and Hayate could not fight a shiver at the sensation; it was a strange clenching feeling that made it hard to concentrate on the Third Hokage.
"That's right my boy," Hiruzen said as the smile returned to his face. The Third Hokage's body was already starting to become harder and harder to focus on; his words were the only thing that Hayate could completely focus on. "Though you already have started doing that…"
Hayate's eyes immediately closed as a flashing bright light shot through the area he had been floating in. Suddenly, his body didn't feel as weightless as it had felt before, and now, Hayate was beginning to feel a different type of numbness soak through his body.
He heard Sakura's voice, and even though it sounded panicked and desperate, Hayate was happy that he could hear that sound again. Of course, he couldn't understand what she was saying, but that didn't matter. She was there, and he could hear her. Kami, he loved the sound of her voice.
XxxX
"Oh my Kami!" Sakura cried as she felt a heartbeat begin to stir within Hayate's chest. The pulse was slow but gained strength with every beat.
"Genma, Genma!" Sakura called as her tears begin to dry. "He's back… I can't believe it. He's back!"
Lifting her head up for the first time since she had kneeled next to Hayate, Sakura found her other brunette headed teammate. She was surprised of course, to find him battling Kabuto; she had forgotten the silver haired nin had even been there.
"You what?" Kabuto's voice sounded highly skeptical, and his eyes quickly darted over to where she was kneeling; Hayate's chest moved up and down with every breath he took.
Genma was some distance behind Kabuto; he was slowly starting to get off the ground. Kabuto took a few steps toward Sakura; a look of pure disbelief was on his face.
Sensing Kabuto's loss of concentration was all Genma needed; he appeared behind Kabuto and quickly stabbed Kabuto in the chest with Hayate's sword.
Sakura watched in silence as Genma's strike hit Kabuto in the heart; Kabuto fell down dead, a look of complete shock still on his face. Genma glared at the dead sound nin. Sakura was pretty sure she heard him mutter, "Bastard," before Genma started to head towards where she was seated.
"I… I did it Genma," Sakura called as she began to try to get her breathing to steady. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and even though she knew she needed to stop healing Hayate, her body and mind wouldn't allow her to.
She was afraid if she stopped coursing chakra through his system he would stop breathing again. Sakura's eyes began to feel slightly heavy as she felt her chakra flicker slightly.
Genma was over to Sakura in a flash when he saw the flicker in her chakra. He pulled Sakura away from Hayate and gripped her shoulders. "Woah now," Genma spoke; his voice was hoarse and he croaked as he talked. "He's alive now, and I want to make sure our whole team will be. You're almost out of chakra Sakura; if you continue to heal him, you'll die."
"But-"
"No buts," Genma said as he lifted Hayate up and put him on his back. Hayate's stomach was still bleeding, but the gaping hole that had once been there was no more and Hayate was away from death's door for the moment. "We are still in enemy territory, in case you have forgotten. We need to find Kakashi and leave this place."
Sakura rubbed her remaining tears away with the back of her hand and then stood. Closing her eyes to concentrate, Sakura nodded toward the direction of the hole they had entered through. "He's back that way; I can feel a few peoples' chakra with him actually. Naruto's… and Sasuke's; they're both very weak."
"Alright," Genma said with a small smile as he nodded toward the corridor. "Let's get going then."
Both Genma and Sakura were quiet as they walked down the corridor; the two were content only hearing the soft breathing of their teammate.
Sakura still couldn't believe it; she had been able to heal him once again. When she had started healing him, she knew that she had to put everything she had into healing him, and then she was not sure if that would be enough. He had to live because dying wasn't really an option… she wouldn't allow him to leave her and Genma; he was too precious to the both of them.
Sakura's eyes drifted over to Hayate's body as it lay gently against Genma's back. If Sakura would have arrived even one minute later, Hayate would not have survi-
Sakura's eyes widened as she and Genma turned a corner. Kakashi and Yamato were running towards them quickly; Naruto was being carried in the Yamato's arms, and Kakashi had Sasuke and Sai slung over each shoulder respectively.
"We have to leave," Kakashi spoke briskly as he nodded back toward the way she and Hayate had come. "Sound ninja will be here any second."
"What about Orochimaru?" Genma asked as he turned around and started running towards the opening Sakura had created in the cave wall. His body was quick, but his movements were also careful; he was still aware of Hayate's body lying on his back.
"He left before Naruto and Sasuke got into it," Yamato spoke as the group headed through the cave opening. "But he could be back at any moment."
Sakura turned her body quickly and threw a few kunai at the cave opening. She was the only one that had her hands free, and she knew she would have to try to give them more time if they wanted to escape.
The kunai she threw connected with the cave wall and a sizzling sound could be heard in the clearing.
Understanding immediately shone on Kakashi's face as he instructed everyone to increase their speed. Within a few seconds, the sizzling stopped and a loud boom was heard.
"Hayate died," Sakura said as the group began to run at a very high speed. Sakura was aware that if the group continued at this speed she would not be able to keep up; she had used almost all her chakra healing Hayate. She chose to keep quiet about it though; the group didn't need her slowing them down.
Kakashi's eyes looked surprised at the statement, but after looking to the unconscious- though breathing- man on Gemna's back, he nodded. "But you were able to bring him back," Kakashi said without even blinking; Sakura's skill didn't even surprise him anymore. Her skill was beginning to rival that of Tsunade's, and the girl was only sixteen. "What happened to Kabuto? I thought I felt his chakra when I went to find Naruto."
"He's dead," Genma said as he shifted his weight; Hayate wasn't overly heavy, but it was hard to carry a grown man while running as quickly as he could. Looking to his left, he noticed Sakura's labored breathing. "We're going to have to find somewhere to lay low for a while… Sakura won't be able to go on much longer."
"I can manage," Sakura said with deep breath. She knew how important it was to get away from the place she had just been; Orochimaru or the sound nin could come after them at any time. "We need to get a little further, at least."
Kakashi looked to Sakura before looking back to Genma. "I agree," Kakashi said with a frown hidden behind his mask. The situation they were all in was not a good one. He would have loved to give Sakura a break, but he knew he couldn't. With himself, Genma, and Yamato carrying four people, he knew they would not be able to carry another. "The Sound base is still too close… I understand you're tired Sakura, but we have to keep moving."
"I understand," Sakura said as she continued to send small spikes of chakra to her legs. She had next to no chakra left, but that didn't slow her pace any; she'd pass out before she'd slow her team down. This was important; getting Hayate, Sasuke, Naruto and Sai to safety was important.
"Kakashi-"
"Genma," Sakura said in between a few pants. "I'm fine. Hayate, Naruto and Sasuke all need to be healed more; I can tell that already. The sooner we get away from here the better."
Sighing, Genma gave up as he cast a sad look at Sakura. She wouldn't last much longer…
Sakura let thoughts of getting Hayate to safety run through her mind; it was the one thing that kept her going. At this point, she didn't even care about the Jounin exams. She still had the fox root and oleander-
"Wait," Sakura said while taking in a deep breath. "I can make a healing salve with the oleander in my bag. I need to find some jimson weed too, and I'll mix it with a few herbs that I brought from Konoha. The herbs should offset the toxicity of the poison…"
"Now is probably not the best time," Yamato said while increasing his speed.
"If you don't stop Sasuke's and Naruto's bleeding, then they will bleed out," Sakura said with gritted teeth. It was easy to see that Naruto and Sasuke's wounds were leaking out a good amount of blood. "I may be exhausted but I'm not an idiot. Jimson weed should be around here anyways; it's a plant that is a little shorter than I am with white or purple flowers. I'll need a few of them to make enough salve for the both of them."
"Sakura's right," Kakashi said with a frown as he looked behind the group. There was no one following them, and even though he wanted to continue running, he could feel his shirt getting soaked in Sasuke's blood.
"I don't feel the Sound ninja's chakra anymore," Genma commented from beside the three. "It could be a good sign."
"Yamato, scout for a cave nearby," Kakashi said while his sharingan blared in his eye. Bringing his hands together, Kakashi started to do a few intricate hand signs.
"Genjutsu," Sakura commented as she watched Yamato set Naruto down to scout the area. The group had made it a few miles away from the base… It would have to do for now.
"Sakura," Kakashi said while turning towards her. "Start looking for the plants you need; Genma stay close to her."
"Got it," Sakura said stepping a few feet into the woods. Feeling Genma's presence behind her made her worry a little less. Walking into the woods, Sakura's eyes began to scan the area for the plant she needed. Turning toward Genma, she noticed he too was trying to help her find it.
"Like I said before," Sakura said with a tight smile. "Jimson weed can grow to be a few inches shorter than I am, but then again it also doesn't have to be that high. When you find it, you can touch it; the seeds and juice from the inside are the poisonous parts."
"Well I'll try not to touch those then," Genma said with a slight grin. "We don't want what happened earlier to happen again."
"Right," Sakura said with a sigh. She enjoyed what Genma was trying to do for her; trying to make her laugh. Genma was always the type of person who would try to make her feel better in a rough situation. It was working, at least a little bit. The group was still within enemy territory, but for some reason Sakura thought that they would be okay. "Let's keep looking."
