Hello hello! This is 28/30; I'm excited yet sad to say that we are close to the end! Thank you all again for reading and for sticking around!

Plz R&R, constructive criticism acceptable but no flames

TBT 28

Everything around Sakura was black, and she couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed. Her head was filled with fuzzy white noise. A piece of her was throbbing painfully, but she couldn't tell where on her body. Hell, she couldn't feel her body, as if she was disconnected. Her brain felt like it was suffering a major breakdown and shut her body down in order to repair it. Thankfully, the more clarity she gained the more feeling came back.

It felt so slow, but it was almost like an aura began seeping back into her, giving her life. That didn't make sense; she knew that it was the messages in her brain and body that were giving her feeling again, but it felt so ethereal. Like an out of body experience. In one major spike, all circuits were back online. Now her body felt impossibly heavy, and the pain cranked up.

Like fire that burned so hot it was cold to the touch, the searing pain had been too much for her and she passed out. That's why she was laying in this abyss. She could feel heat clustering around her shoulder. Something wet. The middle of her body, she guessed her ribs, ached as well.

She hadn't meant to take the shot for Sasuke. It was an accident. Her body just reacted, and she shoved him as hard as she could to get him out of the bullet's path. What she hadn't anticipated was that all that force she used to push him had gathered momentum, and it rocked her forward. It put her in his place instead.

Muted voices were above her, but it felt like her ears were clogged. Or like she was on an airplane and her ears needed to pop. Her body moved, but it wasn't her moving her limbs. Someone flipped her over. The blackness around her started to fade to gray.

"The vest protected her from the first bullet…"

She heard a floaty voice talking above her, the pitch was too high to be a man's. 'what does she mean first?' Sakura strained to hear what else the woman was saying, but her damn ears wouldn't pop. Struggling to remember, she recalled a loud noise and a thud hitting her in the back on her right side. 'And then?' She pushed. Why was she having such a hard time? Frustrated, she groaned. Her ears finally cleared, and she could hear the croaking noise come out of her throat. Someone gasped above her. It was a sharp noise that roused the piece of her memory that was missing; the second shot that tore through her shoulder.

"Sakura, are you there? Wake up!"

She groaned again. Then, little slivers of light appeared. She pulled out of her mind and back into the world.

At first, everything was blurry when Sakura opened her eyes. She blinked slowly, trying to adjust to the harsh red and blue lights against the night sky. The first thing that became clear was Ino's almond eyes, stormy blue and watery.

"Sakura!" Her head could barely tilt as she looked towards the deeper voice. Sasuke was also crouched over her, and to her surprise, his eyes were just as watery as Ino's. They looked so sad and yet relieved at the same time. Shouts could be heard in the background, making her cringe. Pain shot through her shoulder at the sudden movement and she yelped in agony.

"It's okay." Ino breathed. "You're going to be okay."

Sasuke was too stricken to say anything.

The last thing Sakura saw before the pain pulled her back under was a woman and man in EMT uniforms appearing in her field of view. She faded back into the gray.

Ino POV:

Ino kept watch from behind the police vehicles as the EMTs put Sakura on a gurney. She and the others who'd flocked to Sakura had moved away and given the EMTS space so they could take care of her. At first, Ino had been scared shitless. There was so much blood and Sakura wasn't responding. One bullet was buried into the vest Sasuke had given her. There would be bruising on her ribs but the vest had done its job. But the other bullet had hit her shoulder. Not a fatal spot unless an artery had been hit. After sweeping Sakura's hair away and, with Sasuke's help, turning her over, Ino could see that the wound wasn't gushing. 'Thank god.' She used her hands to press against the wound. Sasuke ripped his uniform top off to help cover the wound so Ino wasn't using her bare hands.

By the time EMT arrived, Ino was confident that Sakura was going to make it. She was going to be in a world of pain, she'd fainted from it already, but she was going to be fine. Ino had been swept into the background after that, and she'd watched the EMTs like a hawk. All the hustling bodies around her were like blurs, and she barely acknowledged that someone had come up and put a blanket over her shoulders. She offered a small thank you; her body had been shivering cold but it didn't seem important to her.

Two EMTs, the bigger men of the group, lifted Sakura into their ambulance. A woman came up to her and gave her a cup of water, offering to check for injuries. Ino accepted the water but nothing else. The leg that big oaf twisted ached, but with some Tylenol and rest it'd be fine. If she stayed here and got examined they might not let her follow the ambulance to the hospital. The night had been long and her eyes were tired, but her body was wired from adrenaline and worry. There were still some new challenges they'd be facing tonight. The police would probably be dealing with this mess for days. Sakura would need surgery for the metal still lodged in her shoulder, and recovery would take a long time. Ino could afford one sleepless night at the hospital; she needed to offer support, and the only way she knew how was to be Sakura's support line. She wouldn't be able to sleep anyways until a trusted doctor looked in her face and told her that her best friend would be fine.

As the EMTs closed the back doors with Sakura safely inside, a few police officers stepped up to talk to them. Ino closed her eyes. Sakura had looked so small, so frail on that gurney. To see her strong, caring friend reduced to a crumpled mess pulled at her heartstrings and left tears in her eyes. When she opened them, she noticed that one of the officers talking to the EMTs was Sasuke. A silent tear slipped down his cheek and he hurriedly wiped it away. She was surprised at the raw emotion on his face. The worry and love for Sakura exposed. As if feeling her watching him, he looked around and caught her looking. The ambulance drove off, and Sasuke turned towards her with a now steely gaze.

When Sasuke stalked up to her, Ino thought he was going to yell at her again. Tell her how dumb she was for coming here and really arrest her this time. He couldn't cuff her and drag her to jail when she needed to get to the hospital, but she was surrounded by cops and her car was parked somewhere in the woods. She couldn't quite remember where but she knew it was too far away.

She pulled the small blanket tighter around her body. 'I've been caught with no escape route.'

Instead of berating her, he exposed a rare moment of vulnerability. Once he was in front of her the hard veneer dropped, and she saw that he was as tired and worried as she was.

"Thank you," He whimpered, and wrapped her into a hug.

Tears gathered in her eyes, understanding the conflict felt. She struggled to release her arms from the blanket, then hugged him back tighter. Overwhelming happiness that Sakura's alive, the scary thoughts of what ifs and uncertainties plagued them both. Her fist clutched at his shirt as she struggled to hold it all in, but she couldn't. She bawled like a baby and he just held her as she did. She hiccupped.

"Stupid dick."

Sakura POV:

Sakura woke up in a hospital room, feeling disoriented and weak. She looked around. Ino was slumped over in a chair. It looked super uncomfortable. She must've been exhausted. Testing the waters, she sat up slowly. Her shoulder ached dully; they must've given her pain meds. Her whole shoulder down to her elbow felt numb. Even though the movement was slow, she felt queasy as soon as her back straightened.

"Woah." She groaned, then gulped. Her throat was scratchy. How long had it been since she'd drank anything? She'd gone longer without eating than drinking. Not that the drinks she had were good for hydration. No wonder she felt so crappy. Food sounded so good right now, along with some water, but she was nervous that she might throw up anything she tried to jam down her throat.

"Ino." She croaked, trying to get the sleeping woman's attention. Ino roused but didn't wake. Sakura reached out to shake her shoulder. However, she could only manage a weak push. Her breathing picked up as she quickly became light-headed. Then the queasiness rushed her harder. Sakura pushed again with more urgency. "Ino!" She cried weakly. If her friend didn't wake up, Sakura was probably going to yak all over her sheets.

Finally, blue eyes popped open. Ino bolted up. "Sakura! You're awake!"

"Bucket!" Sakura said desperately, and covered her mouth with the hand that didn't have the heart monitor hooked up to it. Ino's eyes widened in urgency and she scrambled to the bathroom and swiped the trash can. The can landed in Sakura's lap just in time. Her shoulder stung when she moved it suddenly, so she used her knees to keep the can stable with her other arm. She cradled the trash can as she heaved, with only a little bit of blobs and viscous liquid coming out. "Ugh." Sakura spit as Ino rubbed her back.

"Thanks." She said weakly, her head still bowed in the can. Just in case.

"No problem." Ino replied. "Let me buzz Tsunade. She'd going to want to know you're up." Ino hit the nurse call button, knowing that the nurses had been instructed to then contact Tsunade.

"You know, she threw such a fit when they wouldn't let her be a part of the surgery. Came close to pummeling one of the techs." Ino told her. Ino pulled her hair back, making sure Sakura's pink locks didn't dip into the trash can.

"Tsunade's not a surgeon." Sakura's voice was still cracking when she responded. She attempted to clear her throat.

Ino snorted. "Like that would stop her. She's the best doctor around. But she understood that she hasn't performed any surgeries in years since she moved to family practice, and it was best to trust her colleagues."

Sakura let out a chuckle that echoed inside the can. "They muscled her out of the building, didn't they?"

"Damn right they did."

When Sakura felt confident that she wouldn't get sick again, she emerged from the trash can and took the napkin Ino offered her. She wiped her mouth. Then she saw the water on the tray next to her and grabbed it. It took everything in her not to take greedy gulps, but she didn't want to throw up again, so she sipped it. She sighed. "Who knew water could feel like heaven?"

Ino felt relieved enough that Sakura didn't need her help, so she sat back down in the chair that left a crick in her neck. Sakura looked down at her arm in a sling. "Alright," she took one last sip before asking, "What did I miss? I just remember pain and blacking out."

Ino filled her in on the scariest moments of her life for a few minutes. "Shooting you left Hidan open to get shot himself and Kakashi took the opportunity himself."

"So Hidan's…dead?" Sakura asked hesitantly. Ino shook her head.

"No, he was in critical condition after, but no."

Fear flashed in Sakura's eyes.

"They took him to a different hospital." Ino said quickly. "He's probably cuffed to a bed with guards outside the door, and I'm sure the nurses are only bringing him the grossest food from the cafeteria."

The small effort to lighten the mood didn't remove Sakura's frown. "What about his followers? And he admitted to me that Hido took the fall for him, and-"

Ino raised her hands in a 'calm down' gesture. "Easy. There's plenty of time to go through this, and I'm sure the police will want to hear everything. Right now, just relax and know you're safe. Okay?"

Sakura wanted to argue, she wanted every gritty detail, but she could feel how drained she was. Mind, body, and soul. She leaned back into her reclining bed just as another blonde woman came barreling into the room. Tsunade rushed to her side and hugged her, careful around her bandaged arm. Then she fussed over her. It was a new sight to see Tsunade act soft and motherly. She was one tough lady who ruled with an iron fist, but she had a soft spot for a few people and Sakura was one of them.

Tsunade fluffed her pillow and then checked the heart monitor. "As you can see, the surgery was successful. Although you're going to have to be in the sling for a while. As well as copious amounts of physical therapy once the wound is healed."

Sakura nodded. The struggle was better than death. The thought made her flinch. It was so dark and too realistic.

One of the last things Sakura remembered before everything went black was Sasuke's face. She'd never seen him so vulnerable; there was a wild panic in his eyes and it had looked like he was about to cry. When she woke up, she almost expected him to be the first thing she saw as well. She did a quick scan of the room. It was a regular hospital room and pretty bare, except for the flowers on the table. Her heart jumped, and she reached for the card.

"Aren't they pretty?" Ino ran her finger across a daisy.

The card read:

Something pretty to help you forget how shitty hospital rooms look

-Kakashi Hatake

"They're from Kakashi." Sakura said with a quirky smile.

"Wow. That was sweet of him."

"It was." Sakura really appreciated it; the captain seemed like a good man and his clever card did raise her spirits. Yet, she had hoped they were from someone else.

Tsunade noticed that Sakura kept glancing at the door. "Who are you looking for?" Tsunade asked her. Sakura looked down at her cup.

"Where's my parents? Do they know?" She asked thoughtfully.

"I just got off the phone with them before I came to your room. They're on their way now."

'Where's Sasuke?' She wanted to ask, but she kept her mouth shut. There wasn't a reason for him to be here, not anymore, but she was still disappointed by his absence. She set her water down. "Good. That's good." She breathed. Her mom would probably be too loud and sloppy while her dad quietly sat and held her hand. It would be annoying, but she understood that they would need to see her. She really needed them right now too.

Like a ghost, Sasuke swept into the room, surprising her. He was carrying a tray of coffees and a pastry bag. His face was worn and haggard and looked like he hadn't slept much. He wore old jeans and a black sweatshirt, and his hair looked dusty which meant he'd changed but hadn't taken the time to shower. Still, he was as handsome as ever and took Sakura's breath away.

Sasuke's dark eyes swept over her with worry. Satisfied she was okay, he turned to Ino and held out the recycled tray of cups. 'Look at me. Hug me. Kiss me.' Sakura was greedy for his attention. Yet she just watched him, not knowing how to react to him.

"Here's your sugary coffee that has a ridiculously long name." Sasuke grunted at Ino.

Ino didn't rise to the quip, surprising Sakura. Instead she offered a crooked smile and said thanks while grabbing the treats from him and setting it on a table. 'Weird.' Sakura pondered. Ino hated Sasuke's guts for the breakup. She expected Ino to maul Sasuke with insults. Instead, some strange understanding and bond had formed between them. Sakura didn't like it; it made her feel like she missed out on something. Tsunade had an annoyed look on her face but didn't say anything. She grabbed a drink and glanced between the three of them.

"I'm going to go talk to your surgeon to get a better feel about how your recovery will go. Hopefully he's not hiding from me anymore." She stated. Giving the girls a small smile and a narrowed stare (not quite a glare) at Sasuke, Tsunade stalked out of the room. The easygoing atmosphere followed her out, and Sakura picked at her robe awkwardly. Sasuke scratched the back of his neck. Ino folded her hands in her lap, almond eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them. She cleared her throat.

"So, any updates so far?" Ino asked. Sakura's back straightened. She really wanted to know what was happening. She'd missed too much time when she was unconscious.

The question made Sasuke uncomfortable and he hesitated. "There's not much to tell." He replied. Sakura and Ino knew that was bullshit, and they kept their eyes trained on him. They spent a whole minute staring, not blinking once. His brow knitted in irritation. "I…don't want to worry you right now." He told Sakura. His eyes softened when he looked at her.

"I'll worry more and probably imagine worse things if you don't tell me." She replied. Sasuke grunted, but to hear her talk like her normal self meant she was doing okay. That made him smile, just a little bit.

"Fine." Sasuke walked up to her bedside, opposite Ino. Sakura wanted to reach her hand out to his, but instead went back to picking at her robe feeling restless. Sasuke rested one of his rough hands on her shoulder. It provided the comfort her soul had been seeking, as if he read her mind. 'He was always good at that.'

"The good news is that most of the thugs in Hidan's hideout were reprimanded before they could prepare for us. Most of those idiots had been drugged or drunk, making them sloppy and very few were armed. The ones that got out are being tracked down as we speak and have nowhere to go."

Sakura shivered. She didn't like the idea of any of those lunatics roaming free. They could come after her. Sasuke felt the shiver and squeezed her shoulder. His pointer finger slid across her deltoid gently. "It's just a matter of time." He reassured soothingly. Sakura nodded for him to continue, trying to keep her mind off the tingles his finger left behind. "The followers are split almost evenly. Half of them won't speak a word. The other half are singing like canaries. There's so much going on that the police station is swamped, but everyone's excited to take these criminals down. It's a big deal."

"That's good." Ino encouraged, but Sakura wasn't satisfied.

"What about Hidan? And Hido? He gave a false confession. He tried to overtake Hidan's authority and Hidan used that to set him up, knowing his arrogance would lead you off the trail."

"Hido still swears by his confession. Hidan knows better than to say much, but he will eventually. He doesn't have as much loyalty as he thinks." There was a hint of guilt in Sasuke's voice because Hidan's plan had worked. Everyone, even him, had truly believed they caught Sakura's stalker. He should have listened to her when she felt like she was being paranoid.

Sasuke didn't mention that she would have to talk to the police too, but she knew she'd have to. Chances are, there'd be a trial and this whole case would be dragged on. The media would get its clutches in it. A shitshow. She convinced herself that she could deal with it as long as her life wasn't in danger anymore, and Hidan couldn't hurt another woman again.

"I have to pee." Sakura announced, initiating Ino to help maneuver the IV injected into her arm so she could get up. She'd only drank a little bit of water, so she was surprised that she had to go at all, but her body also hadn't had a chance to drain the alcohol yet. Sakura pulled off the sheets covering her legs and pulled her robe tighter; just to make sure she wouldn't flash anyone with her backless gown underneath it. Both Ino and Sasuke rushed to help her stand up as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, but she swatted them away. She wasn't so weak that she couldn't stand up on her own, and part of the reason she wanted to go to the bathroom was to get one waking moment to herself before she was bombarded with more people. So, she spent a little extra time sitting on the toilet with her head in her hands, eyes closed. Mumbled voices outside the door, Sasuke and Ino, quieted down. She took a deep breath. One. Two. Three.

The stillness of the bathroom was calming, but it also reminded her of the quiet room Hidan had trapped her in. Her eyes popped open, checking to make sure there were no handcuffs on her wrists. They weren't; instead, red rings had taken they're place from when she'd pulled on the chains. She frowned at the sight. "I'm gonna need therapy after this." She mumbled. Sakura pulled her panties up, adjusted her gown and robe, then washed her hands slowly. Her image in the mirror looked disheveled and greasy. Cupping some cool water under the faucet, she splashed her face. Hopefully she'd look a little better. Using the paper towels mounted next to the mirror, she dried her hands and blotted her face dry. There. She still had heavy bags under her eyes, but did they ever really go away? She opened the bathroom door and stepped out, pulling the IV with her.

Ino was gone, but Sasuke was sitting on the side of her bed. She clutched the IV stand tighter. She started to hobble to the bed again, but Sasuke swiftly hurried to her. "I'm fine." She told him as he put a gentle hand on her elbow. He didn't pull away and she didn't shake him off as she continued towards the bed. Once they got there, she turned to him. Sasuke caught her gaze openly, and she was taken a back at the emotions swimming in his dark eyes. Sasuke was not the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. Yet the man in front of her couldn't seem to conceal everything he was fighting.

His arms circled around her before she could say anything, his cheek pressing to her forehead.

"I'm so sorry Sakura."

His embrace was so warm that she found herself leaning into him and soaking up his scent. Lord, she'd missed this. Her heart ached for him, and her body was greedily soaking it all up while she could get it.

Because she was still very, very angry at him.

She hugged him tight for a full minute. Neither one of them said anything. Honestly, Sakura didn't know how to talk to him. This was the first time they'd seen each other in months, and since he'd broken her heart. Through a text message. She wanted to kiss him and then punch him in his stupid, handsome face. 'That won't change anything, regardless.' She thought sadly, upset that she knew hitting him wouldn't make her feel better. 'I hate being so practical sometimes.'

Still, she couldn't bring herself to push him away.

End Chapter! What's going to happen next? :p