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"We need to take her to the hospital now."
"Why?" Choji asked, not seeing what was wrong.
Ino looked up, her eyes going to the others. "Because, she's unresponsive."
Almost an hour later
"What in the hell is going on?!"
"Calm yourself down Naruto. You can't just yell as much as you want. We're in a hospital," was Tsunade's reply to Naruto. She had just appeared where the others were waiting in the waiting room on the first floor. She had finished a work up on Sakura, and had promised to come and let the other know what was going on.
"Is she awake?" Sasuke, more calm than Naruto, but he held a note of sharpness in his voice.
It was quiet for a long moment, before Tsunade sighed. "Ino was right. Sakura is unresponsive… She's in a coma."
"Damn," Ino said, frowning at Tsunade's confirmation. "I was hoping I was wrong." Feeling Shikamaru rest on her shoulder, she sighed at the intentionally comforting gesture. It had hardly any effect on actually comforting her.
"What in the hell happened?" Kiba asked, arms crossed, as he had remained standing up.
"Why did this suddenly happen?" Neji questioned as well.
Shikamaru, who had been thinking of what happened, spoke next. "Sakura was perfectly one minute. Then the next, she said something wasn't right, and before she could say anything-"
"She fell unconscious," Sai interrupted, frowning. "It doesn't make sense. Whenever she spars with Naruto, she's always at the top of her game. It was odd to see her suddenly almost mess up, and get caught by one of his attacks."
"Sai's right," Naruto agreed, nodding his head. "When she barely avoided my rasengan it was weird. I might get away with catching her off guard at the beginning of our sparring, but she is always focused after we go at it for a while."
Kakashi moved from where he was leaning up against the wall. "Naruto, you said you noticed something about Sakura before she went unconscious, correct?"
Hearing that, Tsunade looked Naruto. "What exactly did you see?"
Frowning, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, as he thought about what happened. "I had just stopped rasengan, and was about to start another, when I noticed something was wrong. She was squinting her eyes, and holding a hand against her head. Sometimes that means she has a headache, so I guessed that might be the case."
"Squinting," Tsunade repeated, as she frowned. "Do you think-"
"It was her vision, not a headache," Neji interrupted, before Tsunade could ask. The others eyes went to him. "I mean, she could have a headache. But, when she squints, it's her vision that's causing her a problem. That's what Hinata says happens."
Thinking of the female Hyuga, who had been the only one allowed to come with Sakura to get her checked out, Sasuke nodded in agreement with Neji. "She had done that a few times over the mission. I think he's right."
Shaking her head then, Tsunade frowned. "So she was having problems with her vision, now she's in a coma?"
"Is there any medical reason as to why she'd be in a coma?" Tenten asked.
"Yeah," Ino agreed, her eyes swept from the floor, to look to Tsunade. "I know Sakura is a basket case of crazy right now because of her mark, but it just doesn't make sense to just fall in a coma out of the blue."
"I'm not detecting a purpose medically," Tsunade answered honestly, leaving them in silence.
"When can we see her?" Sasuke asked.
"In a few minutes. The nurses are still settling her into a room on the coma wing," was Tsunade's reply, before turning to look out a window. Her focus on the Hokage monuments. This is just too strange.
Sakura's room
As the others were finally allowed to go to Sakura's room, they walked in to find the room quiet. Hinata was sitting in a chair beside Sakura's bed. Her eyes focused on Sakura, as her hand rested on Sakura's arm. Sakura had a heart monitor going, IV to keep fluids in her, and an oxygen hose running from nose that tucked back behind her ears.
Sasuke was the first to get Sakura's side. Not yet touching her, as his eyes were just observing her. Her stillness seemed foreign to him. Even when she was sleeping, she moved around.
"Hinata," Tsunade said, motioning for her to walk over. "Do you think this is happening because of Sakura's mark?"
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, as her birthday is tomorrow. With it being so close, it's kind of hard not to think this is because of her mark," was Hinata's reply, as she finally tore her eyes away from Sakura to look to Tsunade.
"Is there anyway we might be able to figure out what's happening?" Tsunade asked.
"The box," Hinata said, thinking of the box and the scroll. "It's supposed to explain what will happen to her. The scroll that we retrieved on the mission might be written in that other language or something, but Naruto can understand that language. So maybe he'll be able to open it."
Feeling the eyes of the others on him, Naruto looked away from Sakura. "I can try it I guess."
"I can have someone go get it," Tsunade said, pausing as Hinata had shook her head.
"They won't be able to get it," Hinata explained, sighing. "Sakura keeps it sealed in a drawer in her bedside table. I'm the only other person who knows how to unlock it. I can go get it."
"That's unnecessary," Neji said, before Hinata could move. He was facing the window, and looking out on the village streets.
"Why?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow at the Hyuga.
"Yeah, what do you know?" Sai questioned.
Hinata noticed the look on Neji's face. "You know something."
Nodding his head, Neji sighed. "This morning, Sakura discussed with me what happened since the training ground incident yesterday. She explained that a pain from her mark was what made her pass out this morning. Which leads me to believe the coma is most definitely related to her mark."
"I knew it," Hinata said, her eyes going to the unconscious pink haired girl. "Why did she lie this morning? She knows that she doesn't have to hide-"
"That's where you're wrong," Neji interrupted, turning to face everyone. "Sakura has been honest, for the most part. This morning she had been withholding facts because of Sasuke and Naruto."
"What do we have to do with it?" Naruto asked.
"Sasuke, because she thinks you're going to start thinking she's insane," Neji started, his eyes on the Uchiha, before looking to Naruto. "And you… because of your certain circumstance with Sakura, your well being is starting to concern her since your caught up in this somehow."
"What does he mean?" Ino asked. "Certain circumstance-"
"It's nothing," Naruto spoke over Ino's voice, before looking to Neji. "So if Sasuke and I weren't there this morning-"
"She would have been honest with Hinata," Neji finished, before looking to his cousin. "Only because you've been through everything with her, she tells you everything, and you typically don't have too much of a judgment on her. However, combined with Naruto and Sasuke-"
"It makes her feel as if she'll be judged," Hinata interrupted, before shaking her head.
"I'm sorry," Tenten said, as she frowned. "What does this have to do with the box?"
"That this morning after she made Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto leave her room, she opened the box," Neji replied, seeing the surprise the others faces.
"What?" Sasuke asked, frowning at Neji. "Why didn't she say anything about it?"
"Because, when she opened the box, it knocked her backwards, she saw a flash of light, and then felt a pressure in her shoulder. Looking into the box, there was nothing there. She didn't understand why, but it irritated her. That's why she left the house that morning, because she was already irritated. She felt as if being around you three would annoy her more, so she left, and came over to my apartment to make me talk to her."
"So we have no clue as to why she's in a coma then?" Tsunade asked, her eyes on Sakura.
"It looks that way," Hinata said, also looking at Sakura. Watching as Sasuke had finally rested a hand on Sakura's hand.
"There's one more thing," Neji said, catching the others attention again. But, his eyes were focused only on Tsunade and the other Jounin. "Sakura knows about the meeting yesterday."
"How?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't tell her, did you?"
Shaking his head, Neji smirked. "Sakura knew before she came to talk with me this morning. I mean, she literally knew everything without me having to tell her. She wouldn't tell me how-"
"She was there in the meeting you all had yesterday," Hinata interrupted Neji, the attention on her now.
"How is that possible?" Neji asked.
"We didn't see her at all," Yamato added. "She was told she wasn't to go to it."
"It's something that she has been able to do a few times since she first got her mark," Hinata started to explain. "Usually, she falls unconscious or she'll be conscious, just not able to move or speak. The past times have been her being put in past situations or memories of hers. However, yesterday after she was knocked out in the training grounds, it happened to her again. This time, it was present day, as it was happening. She heard and saw everything that happened at the meeting."
Tsunade crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow at Hinata. "And you know all this-"
"Because, like Neji said, Sakura tells me everything," Hinata interrupted.
"What's going on? What am I missing?" Naruto asked, scratching his head in confusion. "What exactly does Sakura know?"
Looking from Naruto to Tsunade, Hinata kept a serious look. "Are you going to tell them? Or should I?"
An hour later
Focusing on the consistent beep sound Sakura's heart monitor, Sasuke found himself tapping the fingers of his freehand to the beeps of the monitor. His other hand was resting on the back of Sakura's hand. It had quieted down in the room after the others left. He, along with Hinata and Naruto were the only ones who remained. He was hardly focus on Hinata and Naruto though, as he had been distracting himself with the heart monitor.
His thoughts of what Neji said about why Sakura didn't tell him something's was getting to him. Looking to her peaceful looking face, he sighed. Does she really think I would believe she's crazy for what's happening to her? It doesn't really surprise me if she does think that. After the incident where she had fell from the trees, and she had that break down by the river, I can see why she would believe I'd think that. He thought, remembering the breakdown made him shake his head, before his hand tightened over hers.
Naruto's POV
Scratching at his shoulder, Naruto's eyes were focused on Sakura's face. Her closed eyes made him frown. Ever since they had left the training grounds to bring her to the hospital, he had began to develop a headache. Which was unusual for him, as he typically never would get a headache. Noticing after a moment of staring at Sakura, his vision blurred a little. Shaking his head, he straightened up, and felt a little dizzying feeling. I can't let this headache get to me. I have to be here for Sakura. For when she wakes up.
Noticing Naruto seemed to be a little restless, Hinata thought of something to distract him. "Want to take a break Naruto? We can go get ramen."
"No," Naruto replied without much thought. "I want stay here." He was still focused on Sakura, so he didn't notice the surprised look Hinata and Sasuke were sharing, about him passing down the opportunity to go get ramen. He just remained focused on Sakura, his vision getting better, but the light from the window seemed to strain his eyes a little bit. This is not the time to be slacking off. I need to get to get it together. He thought, as he scratched at his shoulder.
Almost three hours later
It was nearing seven thirty, and the sun was finally starting to set. Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata remained in Sakura's room without leaving. The other members of Team Seven had returned, having brought food, as they knew the others hadn't left yet.
Tsunade finally came back to check on Sakura, and it had been silent in the room when she walked. "Any change?"
Hinata shook her head. "No…"
Checking Sakura's stats, Tsunade did notice that Sakura's temperature had spiked, and she held a solid 103 degree fever. "She has a fever."
"I didn't notice," Hinata said, sitting up more her chair. Frowning. "I should have-"
"Don't start blaming yourself. You've been with her since she admitted, and you can't always think to check everything," Tsunade interrupted Hinata, before turning and speaking to a nurse just outside Sakura's door. Coming back into the room after a moment, a syringe in hand. Going to Sakura's IV.
"What is that?" Naruto asked, seeing the syringe.
"It's going to help her," Tsunade replied, grabbing Sakura's IV hose.
However, before she could administer it into Sakura's IV, Naruto's hand shot forward, and grabbed Tsunade's wrist, stopping her. Hardly even noticing what was doing until he had a hold of her wrist.
This movement caught everyone's attention, Tsunade had pushed back her surprise. "I advise you to let go, Uzumaki," she told Naruto in a calm tone, but warning could be heard.
"I asked you what you were giving her," was the only thing Naruto replied with.
"She has a fever," Tsunade explained, her eyes sweeping Naruto. "This will help keep her fever down, so I suggest you let me go, so I can give it to her."
Staring at Tsunade, Naruto finally let go of her wrist. Leaning back in the chair, he rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry, okay? I don't know where that came from."
"It's probably because you stayed up half of last night worrying about Sakura, as well as you being here with her since she arrived," Sai suggested, his arms crossed from where he stood near the end of Sakura's bed, alongside Kakashi and Yamato.
"You've hardly ate anything all day," Kakashi added, as he looked to where the food they brought for Naruto, still hadn't been touched.
Hinata stood up, and walked around to the side of the bed that Naruto's chair was on. "I think you're just worried for Sakura-" she stopped wen she rested her hand on his arm. "Naruto, you're burning up."
"I am?" Naruto questioned, moving his hands to his forehead.
Hinata move so she could stand directly in front of his chair, pushing his hands away from his face, as she felt his forehead for herself. "You have a fever," she said, frowning at his warm skin. "And you are sweating."
Tsunade, who had handed the syringe to the nurse after giving Sakura the medicine, looked over to Naruto. "Do you feel sick?"
Shaking his head, Naruto pushed his chair back a little so he could stand up. "No, I'm fine-" He broke off, stumbling, and he felt a pain come from his arm. In the area he had been itching all day, making him grunt.
Sai, who had been closest to Naruto, grabbed his shoulder to steady him, before making him sit back down.
"Naruto, what is that?!" Hinata exclaimed, seeing a discoloration of his skin around the sleeve of his t-shirt. "You've been scratching this all day."
"It's nothing," Naruto mumbled. "Sakura said it was probably just poison ivy or something-"
"Naruto!" Hinata interrupted, having rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, and gasped. A dark purple bruise had formed all over his shoulder. "This wasn't on you last night, and I would have noticed you getting injured today. Where did this come from?" She asked him. However, she didn't receive a response, and noticed his eyes were closed, and his head drooping forward. Grabbing a small light from her kunai pouch, she opened his eyelid to shine the light across his eye, and thankfully his eye reacted.
"I'm going to need a room prepared for him," Tsunade told the nurse in the room, who nodded, and went to go do that.
"I'm fine," Naruto said, having opened his eyes, and shook his head. Standing up to back away from Hinata and the other nurse. "I just want to stay here, and make sure Sakura's okay." However Hinata just forced him to sit back in a wheel chair that was brought in.
"You are not fine! Stop being stubborn!" Hinata half-yelled at Naruto irritably.
"What's going on?" Yamato questioned, as Naruto was forced to stay in the wheel chair because of Hinata not letting him get up. Watching as he was wheeled out of the room, Yamato looked to Tsunade. "First Sakura. Now Naruto?"
"This isn't making sense," Sasuke said, frowning out how both Sakura and Naruto had fevers. Naruto wasn't in a coma, but who's to say that wouldn't be next?
Tsunade was thinking to herself. This isn't the time for Naruto to be coming down with something. "I don't know what's wrong with him."
Naruto's room
The dizzying feeling Naruto had been getting came back. That's what led to him throwing up in a bed pan, that the nurse had just barely had a chance to hand him, before he got sick. Hinata stood on the other side of the bed, and rubbed her hand on his back. "It's going to be all good Naruto."
Naruto was now dressed in hospital issued white shorts, and white shirt. With Hinata's stern instance on him complying with being set up in his hospital room. She didn't really give him any chance to argue after he tried on the way to his room, and he was now hooked up to a heart monitor and his own IV. The other members of Team Seven and Tsunade had arrived in the hospital room after Naruto had finished throwing up.
"What are you feeling now Naruto? Were you feeling symptoms, and just didn't say anything?" Hinata asked Naruto, as he had settled back against the pillows on his bed.
Naruto shook his head at Hinata. "Don't worry about me. How's Sakura?"
"Well, I am worried about you Naruto. How are you feeling?" Hinata asked.
"No… Did Sakura wake up? How is she? Are they giving her anything else?" Naruto questioned, shaking his head again. "Don't do that. Don't give her anything else."
"Why?" Sai asked.
"Just don't," Naruto said, focusing on Hinata.
"Naruto," Hinata started, sighing at him. "We need to talk about you. Sakura will be taken care of, I promise. We won't give her anything else. I'm concerned about you right now."
Feeling the dizzy feeling again, Naruto's eyes closed. "Don't worry about me. Just focus on Sakura."
At the sight of Naruto losing consciousness, Tsunade crossed her arms. "He most likely just caught the flu or something. Such inconvenient time to do so though."
"I don't think it's the flu," Hinata disagreed with Tsunade. "He wasn't like this early today. He had been scratching at his shoulder, but that's it."
"Maybe he just didn't recognize how bad he was feeling because he was focused on Sakura," Tsunade suggested.
"This isn't just a random flue Tsunade," Hinata snapped, before forcing herself to take a deep breath. "It doesn't fit. Not with everything that is going on."
It was quiet, before Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You think that what's happening to Naruto is related to Sakura?"
"I do," Hinata said, her eyes back on Naruto, as she rested a hand on his forehead. Gently caressing his hair back.
"You can't just make a connection to Sakura. Sakura's in a coma because of her mark. Naruto does not have anything to do with that-"
"You can't say that," Hinata interrupted Sasuke, before looking away from Naruto to the others. "There are things you all don't know. Things that Sakura has not told you, as well as things that Naruto has not told you."
It was quiet, and Kakashi can cross his arms. "But, you know," he said slowly. "You know those things that they don't tell us."
"What exactly do you know?" Tsunade asked.
Hinata was quiet again, as she looked back at Naruto. Not saying anything.
"This is bullshit! This is just like the mission all over again," Sasuke said, clearly irritated with Hinata. "You, Naruto, and Sakura all in on what's really going on, while leaving the rest of us in the dark. This is not the time to be withholding information."
"This is not something I can talk about," Hinata frowned at Sasuke, finding herself gritting her teeth irritably. "What's been going on is something that I don't think even Sakura and Naruto understand. Why Sakura has been so concerned for Naruto's well-being. Why certain situations over the mission, Naruto could understand from Sakura that the rest of us can't. I can't talk about it, because the situation has things from Sakura that she would not want anyone to know." She thought about inner Sakura, and the necklace connection. Of course the others briefly know about the necklaces, but they haven't even scratched the surface.
"Hinata-" Sasuke started, but was interrupted when Kakashi rested a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.
"Not everything fits Hinata," Tsunade said finally, crossing her arms. "I know he likes to act like he's invincible, but Naruto is human. He gets sick like everyone else. Just because Sakura went into a coma doesn't mean anything."
Without saying anything back, Hinata's expression of anger spoke for her, as she stepped away from Naruto. "I'm going to go home to grab a few things for tonight," she said, her expression cold, as she moved towards the door.
However, Sasuke didn't want to let this go. He started walking behind her. "Hinata, it is not okay for you to not say what's going on. What if something is going to happen to them? Would you risk their lives-"
"Do not question me on what's in their best interest Sasuke," Hinata interrupted him, spinning around to face him. Standing her ground as they were only inches apart, and she looked up square in his eyes. "Sakura and Naruto haven't mentioned it to anyone else is for a reason! I get it that your feelings are hurt because you don't know what's going on, and your jealous because Naruto and I do! But get over it! Sometimes there are things that you're not going to know for the specific reason that it is in your damned best interest to be left in the dark! And until Sakura is conscious and knows that it's okay for everyone else to know I'm sure you'll be the first to know!" With that said, Hinata turned, and stormed out of the room.
It was quiet after Hinata left. Sasuke's eyes were slightly widened. She just exploded.
Kakashi caught sight of something near the window, and went to open. Suddenly Neji appeared.
"Neji," Tsunade said, acknowledging him. "You've been listening in."
"It's not anything that I don't already know," Neji said from where he was sitting on the window sill.
"Great, he knows everything to," Sasuke grumbled, crossing his arms.
Neji looked to Sasuke, a smirk on his face. "Well to be honest, it's not like your girlfriend gives me much choice in the matter. I found out a few things over the mission, and since then she suddenly decided that I'm in the circle." He chuckles at Sasuke's still sour look. "So because of that she thinks its acceptable to show up in my room in the morning to insist that I get up to go listen to her talk about her problems."
That made Tsunade sigh. "That's Sakura for you… Now what exactly do you know?"
"Sakura and Naruto have a connection," Neji started, crossing his arms. "It's through the necklaces on their necks, but that's all I can say about it."
"You can't remove the necklaces," Yamato said, remembering the white and black necklaces that Sakura and Naruto wore. "They tried on Sakura early, but couldn't."
"Only Sakura and Naruto together can remove them. I actually don't even think they've tried taking the necklaces off since they put them on," Neji said, his mind on the crystallized necklaces that Sakura and Naruto wore on their necks. "Over the past couple weeks, this connection has been in question because of the fact that there are things that only Naruto and Sakura can see or understand. Such as being able to read and speak the language that was on the wall in the cave when we retrieved the scroll. Along with the several instances where only Sakura and Naruto could see something while the rest of us could not. It's beginning to appear that their connection spreads further than just the necklaces on their necks. Sakura was concerned with this early this morning. That Naruto would get pulled into this because of their situation."
"She told you this?" Kakashi asked.
Neji nodded once. "As Hinata said, I believe that this is not just a random coincidence. I believe this is happening to Naruto because of his connection with Sakura."
It was quiet before Tsunade broke the silence. "So we'll just be in the dark. Because of the stuff that you and Hinata can't talk about. We won't have any idea of what to look for."
"We would talk if we were in the right to do so," Neji said, before finally jumping down from the window, and crossing the room so he was suddenly beside Sasuke. "By the way Uchiha. Stop yelling at Hinata for holding back on what's going on. Her best friend is in a coma, and somewhere she cares for might be going down the same path. She shouldn't have to answer to you. If you want to question anymore, question me. Even though it won't get you that far, at least it'll keep me from having to force you to leave Hinata alone." Without waiting for any response from Sasuke, Neji moved to the door, and left.
Hinata's POV
Getting a bag together, Hinata checked her apartment once again for anything else she could bring. Walking into her bedroom, she grabbed a jacket to shove into her bag. However, she paused halfway through the job. "Didn't you complain that Sakura did this same thing to you this morning?"
"Call me a hypocrite then."
It was Neji's voice that hit Hinata's ears, and she didn't have to glance to see that he had come in through her window. Not having anything to say, Hinata finished shoving her jacket into her bag, before leaving her room. Then leaving her apartment, Neji not far behind.
"Where are you going?" Neji asked after a minute of them walking in a completely different direction than the hospital.
"I'm going to get some stuff for Sakura," Hinata replied, crossing her arms, and leaving them in silence.
It remained silent between them, until they just turned down the street the Uchiha house was on. "What do you think this means?" Neji asked, knowing she would know what he was talking about.
"This is because her birthday is tomorrow. I know it is," Hinata replied, thinking of what had been bothering her. "Do you think those ninja will attack soon?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Neji looked up to the sky. "Tsunade was clear yesterday, saying that the ninja weren't close enough for us to retaliate. It appears they are waiting for tomorrow to come to the Leaf… Do you know what Sakura was planning do? After she found out about the ninja coming towards the village."
"I'm not sure. But, I assume that Sakura would have left the village. Probably in the middle of the night so no one would know. Then she'd plan to get rid of the enemy on her own. That way no one else would get hurt. She's always had everyone else's best interest in mind, and it'd probably kill her if anyone else got hurt because of her," Hinata replied, turning down the path that led to the front porch of Sasuke's house.
Neji nodded at Hinata's thought. "That's seems to be the most likely case. It was like that on the mission. Sakura didn't want anyone else getting hurt because of her."
Hinata didn't say anything back, as they got the front door. She just opened it, and they walked in.
Karin was sitting on one of the couches, and looked up right away. "Hinata?"
"You just walk right on in whenever you please, don't you?" Suigetsu asked, a sharky grin on his face.
Rolling her eyes at Suigetsu's clear attempt to tease her. "I don't have time for you right now."
"Oh snap. You've got an attitude today," Suigetsu retorted.
"Ignore him," Karin said, smirking at Suigetsu's glare.
"How's Sakura?" Jugo asked.
"There's still no change. She's still in a coma," Hinata replied, before moving to the stairs. "I need to get some stuff from Sakura's room." Then she and Neji went upstairs. Right away she went to Sakura's bedside table and unlocked the top drawer.
"It seems that Tsunade is a little distracted by Sakura falling into a coma, and then Naruto getting sick on top of that," Neji declared, after a moment of silence. His eyes had swept Sakura's room, having not been in here before.
"I noticed," Hinata said, pulling the box out of Sakura's drawer, before shutting it back. "Do you think she'll make the right call?"
"What would that be?" Neji asked.
"Send us out to fight before they can get close to the village," Hinata replied, stopping in front of Sakura's open closet door. Her eyes on Neji. "Because I don't think I'll be able to just sit around, and let them slip into Konoha and try to get to Sakura so easily."
"That won't happen," Neji said, looking at the box on the bed that Hinata had pulled out of Sakura's bedside table. "We won't let them get to Sakura. You and I are the only two who know the full truth, and we have to keep her and Naruto both protected. Even while keeping their secrets. We'll find away to get it done."
Hinata nodded once, before looking back at Sakura's closet. "Thanks Neji."
Sakura's hospital room
Sasuke left the others in Naruto's room, and had walked back to the Coma wing. Walking into Sakura's room, that was mostly quiet, aside from the soft sound of the beep coming from her heart monitor. Walking over to Sakura's bed, he stared at her peaceful face, before sitting down in a chair. Frowning at the jealousy he was feeling now. From Neji and Hinata knowing something that he didn't know, and refused to tell him. On top of that, Naruto knows, but he's not exactly in the right mind to say anything. Although, I'm sure he wouldn't tell me anything anyways.
His eyes focused back on Sakura, and he thought of the fight they had during the mission. She's clearly been more honest with me since that day… Unfortunately it appears that Hinata and Neji were right. I am jealous of how she can tell them, but not tell me. Clearly there is something's about Sakura that are really hard for her to talk about, because it does affect herself and others. That's why she typically withholds information. Reaching his hand forward, he rested it on the back of her hand that didn't have the IV in it. A frown on his face, at her stillness.
Naruto's room
Naruto was staring up at the ceiling of his hospital room. The blank white ceiling, as the only thing he was focusing on breathing in and out. His ears picked up on the sounds of a nurse out in the hall saying it was almost eleven o'clock. It's that late already? I felt I was just in Sakura's room, but that was around eight… I wonder how she is. If she's woke up by now. They'd come tell me right?
Even as he tried to convince himself they would come tell him, he slowly pushed himself to sit up. His muscles felt weakened tremendously. My damn shoulder still itches too. He scratched his shoulder, as thoughts of escape from the room went through his mind. From experience, he knew plenty of ways how to get out of the hospital room.
Movement by the window distracted his thought, and he looked over. His eyes widened at the sight of the same woman he saw at the training ground a yesterday. Standing directly in front of his window, before she almost glided to where she stopped at the end of his bed. Staring at her, he took her appearance in. Her hair held a shade of blonde that almost seemed white, and it traveled down her back, all the way to her knees. Held together halfway down with a hair tie. Her dark red kimono was the same, and he now noticed the white cord of a necklace peeking out from the collar of the kimono, and another silver chain necklace that was on the outside of her collar. It had red crystal hanging off it.
Looking to her face then, their eyes connected. Her strong emerald green ones against his light blue ones, before he felt a lightness. Before he knew what was happening, his eyes were rolling back in his head, and he fell back against his pillows.
His heart monitor began to beep loudly then. Bringing in a few nurses from the hall right away. "The Hokage has him on alert," one of the nurses said, Naruto's chart in her hand. "If anything happens, we're supposed to let her know immediately."
"She's is in Sakura-san's room isn't she?" One of the nurses said, before deciding to not to wait for a response. Leaving the room, she started down the wing, her mind on the coma wing. When she arrived to Sakura's room on the coma wing, she quickly opened the door, and frowned at Tsunade being absent from the room.
Hinata, who had just got back, noticed the panicked expression on the nurse's face. "What's going on?"
"Where's the Hokage?" The nurse asked, slightly out of breath.
"She had to go back to her office for a moment, why?" Hinata asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Something is wrong with Naruto Uzu-"
However the nurse didn't get to finish, as Hinata was already up, and bolting out of the room. The others not too far behind.
Getting into Naruto's room to find the nurses in their rushing around, Hinata immediately felt her heart speed up. Hearing the alarm on one of the machine's he was hooked up to, she stepped forward. Realizing that she was the doctor in the room, so she was in charge. "What in the hell happened?"
"We don't know," one of the nurses said. "He was conscious and then unconscious. Then his machine's started going off-"
The sound of the heart monitor alarm steadily happened, and Hinata's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. "He's flatling! I'm calling a code!" She exclaimed, going to Naruto's bedside, as she moved his pillow out from behind his head.
"You can't practice on him," a nurse, who had the crash cart, came in from the hall. Moving around the members of Team Seven who were watching this happen. "You're too involved with him to-"
"Did you not hear what I just said?! He's flat lining!" Hinata yelled, interrupting the nurse, as she narrowed her eyes. "Now give me the paddles, damn it!"
The nurse paled, before pushing the cart over to Hinata.
Not waiting another second, Hinata ripped open the front of Naruto's shirt, and grabbed the paddles. "Charging. Clear." Naruto's body convulsed, but the monitor remained it's steady alarm. "Charging again… clear!" Again, no response, and Hinata felt a sense of panic. No! "Damn it, come on Naruto! Don't die on me! Please don't die!" Hinata half-exclaimed, before charging again. "Clear!" That was when the monitor stopped the steady alarm, and went back to the reassuring beeps of his heart beating. She checked his pulse anyways. "Thank god, he's alright."
"He's okay?" Yamato questioned to confirm.
"I wouldn't say that yet…" a nurse said slowly, before passing a paper she just got from one of the machine's to Hinata.
Taking the paper, Hinata read it, and took in a sharp breath.
"What's going on?" Tsunade's voice was heard, before she entered the room. Her eyes on Hinata for a report.
However, the Hyuga girl said nothing, just stared down at the paper in her hands.
"Uh, he coded, but Hinata-san was able to bring him back," one of the nurse's supplied since Hinata was saying anything.
"So he's okay now?" Tsunade questioned, her eyes on Hinata again. Having noticed her silence.
Hinata remained quiet for a moment, before finally setting the paper down. Her eyes swept to Tsunade, revealing tears in them. "No. He's not okay. His stats say that he's slipping into a coma too," she said, before sniffling. Looking to Naruto again, she rested her hand on his forehead, before caressing his blonde hair back. "Happy now everyone? It's confirmed. Sakura and Naruto are connected through this. You can't just catch a coma." Her tone almost bitter sounding, as she turned. Walking right in-between Sasuke and Sai to leave the room.
An awkward silence was left behind for a long moment. "Uh… Tsunade-sama, would you want us to prepare a room for him in the coma wing?"
"No, not right now," Tsunade said, her eyes on Naruto. Seeing him so still was odd, as he was usually his hyperactive self. "We'll move him tomorrow morning. It's getting late now." She frowned, and hardly recognized Team Seven start talking behind her. Her focus remained on Naruto. What in the hell is going on?
Sakura's room
Sasuke stared at the door to Sakura's room, a frown on his face. The others remained in Naruto's room to try to get more information about his condition from Tsunade who was now doing a full workup. He had slipped out, and moved quickly to catch up to the Hyuga girl who had stormed out of Naruto's room. He had watched paused outside the closed door. Where he was now, and five minutes had gone by since Hinata had gone in.
Deciding to go in as well, Sasuke slid open the door, before stepping inside. Sliding the door closed behind himself, his eyes went to Hinata. She was sitting beside Sakura's bedside, arms crossed, as she stared intently at his pink haired girlfriend. Her expression showed anger, but he looked closer to her eyes. A tactic he learned from Sakura over the past few weeks, as it usually conveyed emotion better than expressions. Noticing she was more upset than angry, he moved, and sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the bed than Hinata. Staring at her for a moment longer, he cleared his throat. "They're going to move Naruto into this wing tomorrow morning."
Hearing this, Hinata's expression didn't change, and her posture remained stiff as a board.
Sasuke's frown deepened at the lack of response he received from Hinata. Why does it bother me so much that she's upset? He thought, before he decided to directly talk to her. "Don't worry Hinata. They'll both be alright."
Hearing this, Hinata finally moved, and she looked down at her lap. "I've been telling myself that very same thing about Sakura since the night she first noticed the mark. She came into my apartment, and ended up staying the night over there, if you recall. The whole time she was panicked, and I was the calm one. I was only able to remain so calm, because on the inside, I was telling myself that she'll be alright," she said, her eyes moved back to Sakura. "Then when Naruto started getting involved over the mission, I found myself having to work twice as hard to remind myself that they'll both be alright, and everything will be okay in the end."
"It will be," Sasuke spoke in a confident tone. "We don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, we'll get through it. We always find a way to make everything right in the end."
Sighing, Hinata finally looked to Sasuke. "I'm going to go back to Naruto's room. I'm sorry that I seem to be taking out my anger on you and the others today. It's not intentional."
Sasuke nodded once. Watching her stand up. "And I apologize for taking out any anger I have on you. I understand the position you're in," he says, noticing her raise an eyebrow. "I admit that I am jealous of how you and Naruto seem to know more about this than I do. Even Neji," at that, he paused, and clenched and unclenched his jaw a few times. "That beyond ticks me off that he knows more than I do… but, at the same time, I am also understanding of how much a big deal it is that you are trusted with that information. What she is going through is serious, and you are put under as much stress as she is because of how much you know."
Smiling at Sasuke's honesty, Hinata rested her hand on Sakura's, as her eyes remained on Sasuke. "She really loves you Sasuke. I know that it seems that she is depending on Naruto and I, even Neji, but she really depends on you. She understands that it was unfair of her to keep you in the dark about a lot of what was going on with her over the mission, but she hasn't been saying more because it's no longer just about her. Somehow Naruto is connected, and after how much she has already got attacked, she doesn't want that to happen to him. He already has enough on his plate."
Sasuke nodded, picturing the Nine Tails that was inside of Naruto, and how many people were after it. "I'll let you know if there are any changes while you're gone."
"Thanks," Hinata said, smiling lightly, as she went to the door. Pausing, she looked back to Sasuke. "I'll let you know about Naruto too." She added, before opening the door, and leaving the room.
Almost three thirty in the morning
"No change in Naruto's condition," was the first thing Hinata said when she walked back into Sakura's room.
"Same for Sakura," Sasuke replied, his eyes finally leaving the ceiling to look over to Hinata, who had turned to close the door. "You can go home and get some sleep-"
"Is that-" Hinata started, interrupting Sasuke's words, as she had turned back to face him. Her eye had caught sight of something outside the window. Moving towards the window, she frowned, and squinted her eyes. "Go turn the light off."
"Why?" Sasuke asked, but had got up anyway to go over to the light switch.
"Just do it," was Hinata's reply. When the light was off, she focused outside, and there she saw a flash of light. One that would come from the reflection of a Leaf headband.
"What is that?" Sasuke questioned, noticing the flash, and why Hinata had wanted him to turn the lights off.
A frown appeared on Hinata's face, before she turned. Going back to the lights, she turned them on. "We've been summoned to the Hokage's building. We need to go now."
Sasuke nodded once, and his eyes went to Sakura. Surprising to himself, he hesitated at the thought of leaving. Sakura's motionless self almost seemed it make it impossible for him to move.
Hinata noticed Sasuke's hesitation, and knew what was keeping him. "Sasuke, she'll be fine here. Let's go!"
Forcing his eyes to leave Sakura, Sasuke shook his head, before moving to the door. "Alright."
After leaving the hospital, the two of them traveled the short distance to the Hokage Tower. Sasuke was thinking about why they'd be summoned, and finally spoke up. "This is about the ninja that are approaching Konoha for Sakura… isn't it?"
Hinata nodded once. "Yes, I believe so," was all she got to say before they entered the Hokage Tower. Hinata led them to one of the big meeting rooms, and as soon as they were inside they were met with a large amount of chatter. It appeared that it wasn't just the Jounin being summoned, it was the Chunin as well.
Sasuke's eyes searched the room, before locating their friends. His hand went to stop Hinata from going in a different direction. "This way."
When they got to the other's, Kiba had a smirk on his face at the sight of Sasuke. "What are you doing here? They only summoned the Jounin and Chunin."
Sasuke closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and smirked. "If you want, I can destroy you right here and now, and I'm sure you'll understand why I'm here."
"Hey, calm down," Kurenai said, appearing beside Kiba, who was about to say something back to Sasuke.
"Let's not pick any fights today, alright Sasuke?" Kakashi asked from where he had appeared right behind Sasuke.
Sasuke noticed that Kakashi was standing in a way to step in if he were to get in a fight. He thinks I'm as stupid as Naruto and Sai when they get in their fights. That's ridiculous. He thought, before rolling his eyes.
"How's Sakura?" Sai asked, appeared near Sasuke. His eyes however were focused on Hinata.
"And Naruto?" Yamato added.
"Wait a second! Naruto?" Ino questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"What's wrong with Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.
Hinata shared a look with Sasuke, before sighing. Explaining what happened to the others, before the sounds of chatter started lessening. Hinata looked over to the front of the room, where Tsunade had just walked in.
"Alright!" Tsunade called out to gather the remainder of the attention in the room. It was quiet for a moment, before Tsunade cleared her throat. "I've called you all here, because over the course of the past two days we have had suspicion that the Leaf is under attack. It was confirmed just half an hour ago by an anbu unit that I had sent out. They had gotten attacked by the enemy." She stopped for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "Their purpose for coming to the Leaf is assumed to be for the capture of Sakura Haruno."
That started whispers rapidly amongst the crowd. Many were not fully informed on what was going on with Sakura, and most have just been hearing rumors.
"Quiet!" Tsunade called out to silence the whispers. "It is highly important that we do not allow this capture to happen. The plan now is to have all Jounin level ninja remain here. Chunin level will go wake our Genin up, and then assign them the job of evacuating our citizens to safety. The hospital will be secured by anbu, so that will be the only building the genin will not need to evacuate. Once the Chunin are done, they are to return back here for further instruction from our Jounin. Lastly, I need to speak to Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga about Sakura's current condition. You all need to do this quickly, is that understood?"
"Yes Hokage-sama!" Was the unanimous answer, before everyone started moving.
A/N: Enemy attacking the Leaf? Just when Sakura and Naruto fall in coma's? What all do you think is going to end up happening? Will the enemy get to Sakura?
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