Chapter Twenty Eight
"Naruto!"
The first gunshot had ripped its way through his shoulder. The second into his thigh and the third into his stomach. His screams echoed around the small alleyway as he staggered backwards, fighting to stay upright.
"Naruto! Oh my god! Naruto! Wake up. Please wake up!"
The forth and last shot had been at point blank range. Into his chest. I watched as if in slow motion as the small body of my blond best friend had crumpled to the ground.
"Naruto!"
I'd watched as the blood pooled around the limp form. Kai stood over the fallen figure of my friend... and laughed.
Laughed.
Siren's now. The police had got my call. I tugged viciously against the ropes that held my arms up in place. They cut into my wrists, leaving them raw and red. The man, Naruto's would-be foster father, turned so he was facing me, a horrible smile on his face. He walked towards me, got close enough so that I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He pointed the gun, eyes manically wide, laughing.
Blue flashy lights. The slamming of doors. The man's finger pulled the trigger. I squeezed my eyes tightly closed, waiting for the impact. It never came. With a loud bang, the bullet had glanced harmlessly off the brick wall behind me. Footsteps. Running. Kai re-loaded his gun with a shrug and a manic grin, poising it ready to fire.
His finger began to squeeze the trigger.
Bam.
He was tackled to the ground by a black blur. Crack. He was punched. Crack. And again.
"How dare you point a gun at my brother!"
Itachi. It was Itachi. My heart filled with hope.
"Aniki!" I cried out "Naruto! Naruto... he..." my voice ran dry, cracking, tears spilled unbidden from my cheeks. I could see Naruto's limp body in the pale street light. He was just lying there. Kisame, one of Itachi's partners grabbed Kai, who was too confused from the blow to the head to resist, handcuffed him and quickly bundled him into the back of the police car. Itachi's other partner, Deidara, was by my side, cutting though the ropes that held my arms behind my back.
He was saying something to me, his hand on my shoulder. I don't know what it was. I couldn't think.
Naruto was just lying there. Itachi by his side. Blood. There was so much blood. Crimson in the weak light. My brother gently rolled him over, pressing his jacket to the wound on his chest in an attempt to staunch the bleeding.
"My god. Deidara! Call an ambulance! Quickly! Naruto? Naruto can you hear me? Naruto?" He carefully shook the blond by his shoulders. No response. Not even a flicker. "Naruto!" He tilted the boy's head back, urging his mouth to fall open. Deidara was on the phone, telling the person on the other end names and locations. Kisame was in the car keeping an eye on the man. Itachi hovered his cheek over Naruto's lips. "He's not breathing!" he called out to the blond on the phone who relayed the information over. Itachi pressed two fingers to the side of the boy's neck, and breathed a loud sigh of temporary relief. "He's got a heartbeat. It's weak but it's there... Sasuke" I was at my brother's side, my worried, pale face close to Naruto's.
"What can I do?" I asked, voice shaking, hands trembling as they reached out to touch the ghostly white face of my best friend. Itachi stared at me for a second then:
"I'll support his head; we need to get him to breathe. Can you..." I nodded in response, knowing what to do. We'd been taught CPR in school. I remembered Naruto grumbling about how boring it was, I had told him to pay attention, as one day you might just need it to save someone's life. Someone's life. Itachi cupped his hands under Naruto's head, and swore. "Shit. Sasuke, he must have hit his head pretty hard, it's bleeding" I found a low growl ripping from my throat. I tilted Naruto's neck back slightly to further open his mouth, allowing Itachi to slide his hand forward slightly to support it while keeping the other pressed to the bloody jacket attempting to stop the bleeding on his chest. I pinched the blond's nose and took a deep breath, then pushed my lips down to form a seal over Naruto's parted ones, forcing the air out from my lungs into Naruto's. I pulled up again for another breath of my own after I saw Naruto's chest rise, and I watched it fall as I moved away.
"That's it ototo, keep doing that." So I did it again. Deidara called to us from over by the police car. The ambulance would be here soon. Soon. I took another breath, and breathed into Naruto. And again, and again. Over and over. Suddenly, there was a weak splutter from beneath me, and my mouth was filled with a coppery taste. Blood. I swore then. I looked desperately into Naruto's mouth to see the sticky crimson substance pooling at the back of his throat, sliding back down it. He was choking on it. "I think one of his lungs is damaged. If he's coughing up blood like that" Itachi's face was nearly as pale as Naruto's now "Sasuke... I don't think he'll make it."
"No!" I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't lose Naruto. Not him. Of all people, not Naruto. He was my best friend. Suddenly; I wondered if he knew that. I needed to tell him. I needed him. I pressed my lips over Naruto's again, breathing desperately into him, struggling to keep him alive. Deidara was over here now. He pressed his fingers to Naruto's wrist.
"His pulse is really weak, yeah." He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "The ambulance will be here in a minute, keep going Sasuke."
I nodded and pressed my lips to Naruto's. His chest rose the fell. Rise, fall. Rise, fall. Rise, fall.
"Come on Naruto! Breathe!"
"I've lost his pulse!" Deidara cried out.
"Oh no! You're not dying on me yet Uzumaki! Wake up dobe!" Breathe in, out, Rise, Fall. Rise, Fall. Rise, Fall.
"Should we do chest compressions? What about the wounds... we could make them worse... I..."
A blaring siren cut Deidara off. Flashy blue lights. Footsteps running.
It was all a blur to me.
Someone had gently taken my shoulders and moved me out of the way as the three men in the ambulance crew knelt around Naruto. Itachi was talking to one of the men, who nodded solemnly to everything he said, writing notes on a clipboard. The other two had a defibrillator out. A tube was placed in Naruto's mouth to make him breathe. They were doing something to his chest, sorting out his damaged lung, Sasuke supposed. Naruto was being placed on a stretcher now. Being wheeled into the ambulance. I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realised I was holding.
"I'm going with him" It was Itachi, his hand on my shoulder "as he's been staying with us I think that's only right. Sasuke, I want you to go to the police station with Deidara and Kisame. I'll come and pick you up and take you to the hospital from there. Ok?" I just nodded weakly, and I found myself being pulled into a hug. "He'll be alright." I nodded again and Itachi moved away and got into the ambulance. More flashy blue and I was left behind.
...
...
A/N: Oh I'm so mean! Poor Naruto! xxx
*Get's that dam stick out, ties a brick to the end and starts bashing Kai with it*
This chapter look at all familiar to anyone? If not... go check the prologue again! XD
