Bonus Content #2

Chapter 12 - Naruto's POV

Naruto's sky blue eyes blinked open; once, twice, three times. For a second, he thought he'd just woken up from a nap. But it was cold, very cold, and a split second later brought the memories slamming back.

He was instantly alert, shooting into a sitting position. The dome was filled with a gentle mist and those blue eyes blinked until they adjusted. A navy blue shirt came into view.

Whether it was the exhaustion or the horror of the reality, it took Naruto's brain countable moments to realize what he was looking at. That, as Sasuke lay on the cold ground, he wasn't moving. That his normally pale skin was even paler than usual. That a giant crimson stain spread across the lower section of his shirt.

Breathing shallow, Naruto knew he should crawl the few paces forward and examine what appeared to be his…dead…teammate. But he suddenly felt paralyzed, as though his limbs were filled with lead. Emotions were beginning to roll against each other, swimming towards the surface, ready to break through the disbelief; threatening to choke him.

That's when he heard the scream.

Little more could have torn Naruto from perhaps the worst scene he'd ever seen. But that scream, a female's scream, sharp with pain, tugged at his gut so powerfully it tugged at his whole body. It was like a bucket of ice was poured down his spine as his eyes searched the mist and fog for the source of the scream.

On the other side of the dome, Haku and Nakao stood face to face; Nakao's nose just shy of touching Haku's mask. Haku's arm was positioned in such a way it appeared as though he'd just drawn it back. There were needles in his hand, between his fingers; and though Naruto couldn't see it from here, he knew they were dripping with Nakao's blood. Nakao's arm clutched at her abdomen and Naruto watched her sway slightly before she dropped to her knees.

There were too many emotions to evaluate at once. Fear, anger, horror, despair. They slammed into him like continuous waves, taking away his breath; causing nausea to roll through him. The image of Sasuke's blood-stained shirt came to the forefront of his mind and Naruto's blood chilled as he visualized the same stain spreading across Nakao's black shirt. Was blood spilling from her abdomen the same way it had with Sasuke? Would she, too, cease to breathe because he had fainted?

"Nakao!" Her name wrenched from his lips and suddenly, he was on his feet running, leaving slapping echoes in his wake. Haku was over there, but it didn't seem to matter. His full attention was on his teammate; why did she seem so far away? He reached her just as she began to fall forward.

Nakao's weight pulled Naruto backwards and found himself sitting on the icy cement. The cold, wet ground began to seep through his clothes to his skin, but he hardly noticed. His focus was on the girl in his arms as he gently brought her towards him, lowering her so that her head rested on his lap. It was the only comfort he could give her. His breath hitched when Nakao's eyes twitched open.

"Naru-" she started, but was interrupted by a cough that seemed to wrack her whole body. Blood spurted from her mouth, speckling her chin. It was so red.

This all had to be a bad dream. She couldn't be lying here, dying. How could it be possible that two of his teammates perished while he'd been absolutely useless? Self hatred flared anew, mingling with his despair. This was the thing of nightmares.

"Nakao…"

Her purple gaze had been wandering, drifting to the top of the dome, but the sound of her name pulled her attention back to him.

"Naruto…" her eyes seemed to have difficulty focusing on his face. A tear formed in one of her eyes, rolling down a pale cheek when she blinked, her voice thick. "Sasuke…he…he saved us…"

Her words dissolved into a coughing fit, and each rattling inhale was like a stab to his heart. He couldn't even think about Sasuke, his body cold and still, not when Nakao was making it feel like the world was closing in on him. His fingers tightened on her slightly.

Still, Nakao's words struck him. How had Sasuke saved them? Clearly not by defeating Haku. Had Sasuke given her enough time to escape? Why hadn't she taken it? Why was she dying in his lap?

"Nakao…why…?" His voice was hoarse, strained, threatening to break.

"I couldn't…" Nakao took in a shuddering breath. "I couldn't let him get away with it. Sasuke…"

The desperation in her voice…the despair. Her eyes fluttered shut and Naruto tensed. He wanted to shake her. He wanted to beg her to hold on; but it was no use. Naruto's own clothes were stained with her blood. There was so much of it…too much of it.

Part of him wanted to give up right there and then. To stay here with her until Haku struck him with those needles as well. Why did he deserve to live when two of his teammates lay dead? How could he face anyone? How could he face himself? He felt tears well in his eyes.

Though her breathing was shallow, Nakao's eyes peeled open. Her voice came out in a whisper that obviously took great effort. "Naruto…can you put me by Sasuke?"

Of all the things she could have said, this, Naruto thought, was the strangest. This was her request…her…last…request…? She wanted to see him one last time? To die beside him?

"What…?"

But Nakao's eyes were already closing again, her plea barely a whisper. "Please…"

Naruto could scarcely understand the request. Nakao had never seemed any closer to Sasuke than Naruto was. But then…had they been closer as children? He felt like they had been, though his memory was fuzzy.

Regardless, Naruto awkwardly clambered to his feet, trying his best to be gentle with Nakao. God she seemed so fragile. He still had to drag her, doing his best to ignore the trail of blood she left in their wake. He didn't question why Haku wasn't attacking. He didn't even make note of him.

When they reached Sasuke, Naruto tried to ignore the growing lump in his throat. He carefully placed Nakao a few feet to Sasuke's left and immediately had to look away from the scene. Instead, he focused on the growing rage that threatened to consume him.

Sasuke's POV

He wasn't sure what woke him. Was it the cold? Or that sound? Was he…dead…?

But…if he was dead…he wouldn't be hearing that…sobbing…? Yes…it was someone sobbing. A female. Nakao?

Whoever it was, was leaning on him and the pressure was a definite weight on his chest. No, he definitely couldn't be dead. Not if he was feeling that; and the pain in his abdomen.

It took effort to lift his eyelids. He felt so tired; from his mind to his muscles; but he had to get up, because memories were flowing through his head. Finally, he was able to crack his eyelids enough to visualize a sliver of the world around him. Mostly, all he could see was pink.

"Sakura…you're heavy…"

He heard her breath hitch and the pressure on his chest immediately eased as she sat upright. Sasuke blinked a few times, clearing his blurry vision. At first, he was staring up at the sky…the sky, not an ice mirror. He then moved his gaze to his left where Sakura sat, tears streaking her face. Tazuna was looming just behind her.

The shock on the kunoichi's face lasted only a moment before new tears sprang to her eyes and she lunged forwards, wrapping him in a hug best she could. "Sasuke! You're alive!"

Sasuke winced as a sharp twinge shot through him from his abdomen. He sucked in a sharp intake of air. "Sakura…you're hurting me…"

Sakura eased up, though didn't immediately release him. She muttered a tearful apology.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked, struggling to sit up, despite Sakura's request to do otherwise. "Haku…?"

"Dead," Sakura answered.

This halted Sasuke's progress momentarily as he settled wide eyes on Sakura. "Did Naruto and Nakao…?"

But Sakura was already shaking her head. "No. I'm not exactly sure what happened…I couldn't see well. He died protecting Zabuza. But Naruto's fine."

That statement struck Sasuke for some reason and he eyed Sakura as he finally succeeded in sitting up. There was a constant throbbing in his abdomen now, and intermittent pain from other areas of his body; but that didn't seem important right now. Because the way she'd answered…

"Nakao…?"

Sakura's green eyes flashed with emotion before she lowered her gaze to her hands. Sasuke felt his stomach drop and the blood in his veins cool. Before he could find his voice to ask a question, he noticed Sakura peer past him.

Sasuke didn't want to look. He didn't want to turn his head so his eyes could confirm what Sakura's demeanor was telling him. He'd felt this way before. When he was eight and he forced shaking hands to open that door, the last room he knew he could find his parents in. But he clamped down on that feeling, that dread, and looked to his left.

His heart stopped.

There she was, just a short way away, just out of reach. She was on her back, lying in a pool of blood, her brown hair fanned out around her head. Her skin was pale, ghostly pale, and Sasuke knew without feeling that her skin would be cold as ice. Her face was marred with scratches, and dried blood ran in streaks down her chin.

He took in the blood that spread out from beneath her, dark and congealing. His eyes followed the pool across the pavement where it narrowed into a trail. He swallowed when he realized she had not been struck down here. It appeared as though she'd either crawled or had been pulled here. But why?

Her face swam to the forefront of his mind; the way she had look when he was lying in her lap. He remembered the tears in her eyes and the way they slipped down her cheeks. He could still hear the desperation in her tone, the way she had pleaded with him to hold on. He remembered how she held up her hand, crossed her fingers; like they were six years old again, making promises beneath that bridge. And yet, he was still surprised at the way she was posed, as though she was reaching for him.

He could think of no other reason for her arm to be extended like that, even her fingers reaching out. But she'd been just short of reaching him. Her face was turned in his direction as well. This is what she'd done with her final moments.

Final moments.

It couldn't be. She couldn't be dead. He had specifically told her not to die. He'd said it with, what he thought had been, his last breath.

But he wasn't dead. No, Haku had incapacitated him, but had not dealt a mortal wound. And Sasuke couldn't help but realize the move had been purposeful. So if he'd spared Sasuke, he must have spared Nakao. Even if her chest didn't appear to be rising. Even if it looked like there was too much blood.

He couldn't recall crawling over to her side, but he suddenly found himself there, staring down at her pale face. Her eyes were fully closed, her eyelashes kissing her skin. Her lips weren't their natural pink color, but appeared bloodless, tinged with a slight discoloration.

His fingers found her thin wrist, wrapping around it loosely to find her pulse. God her skin was cold. But he waited, one, two, three seconds. He shifted his fingers and waited again. And again. And still, he could not detect her pulse.

Something started rising in his chest; an emotion he was not familiar with. Panic? No. Uchiha Sasuke didn't panic.

His fingers moved to her throat instead, checking her carotid and her jugular. But no matter where he placed his fingertips, he could not feel the rhythmic beating of her heart. But she couldn't be dead. He refused to believe it.

So engrossed was he in his task, he didn't notice another presence join his and Sakura's, who had remained behind him and utterly silent. It wasn't until he stepped up right beside Sasuke that he became aware of his teammate.

"What the hell happened?" Sasuke heard himself ask. His voice sounded strange to him. Still even, still calm but…quiet.

Naruto swallowed. "I…I didn't wake up until he was pulling the needles from her gut…" Shame laced his words. "She…she said she couldn't let him get away with it."

Get away with it? Get away with what? But he knew. She had been seeking retribution…for his death. She'd been seeking revenge when she should have grabbed Naruto and gotten the hell out of there.

He'd told her not to die.

"She asked me to put her here…" Naruto said softly.

But Sasuke didn't have time to think about that right now. His eyes wandered down to her abdomen, where the stain of blood was clearly visible despite the black fabric of her shirt. It appeared as though the wound was in the same place as his. But…his hadn't bled this much. She'd lost far more blood than he had. And so he did the only thing he could think to do.

Sasuke pulled up the hem of her shirt, fighting the stiffness of the bloodied fabric. Her pale skin was coated in blood, making it impossible for Sasuke to find the insertion points. He chose the spot that had been so painful to his own body and pressed down with his hands. While most of the blood had dried or congealed, Sasuke's heart skipped a beat when he felt warm blood, just a hint of it, a drop or two; but it was there.

"She's lost too much blood…" Naruto said morosely. "I don't think it's going to matter…"

But Sasuke held his hands to the wound and kept his attention focused on her. "We're not giving up on her."

From the corner of his eye, he could see Naruto peer over at Sakura, but he ignored them both. Her skin was cold, her chest seemingly still, her pulse not palpable, but Sasuke would not accept that she was dead. Because…

Because as he had lain in her lap, gazing up at her tearstained face, those vibrant purple eyes, and she had repeated their promise in barely more than a whisper…Whether it was the blood loss or his impending death, he saw her as she was that day beneath the bridge.

Her curly hair had been unruly then, barely contained in a braid, curls tumbling out and a mess of curls around her face. He remembered her smile, all teeth save for a missing front tooth, her eyes alit with happiness.

Sasuke swallowed against his throat.

He had told her not to die.

And so he held on, just as she had begged him to, his hands pressing against the wound until the distant sounds from behind him quieted and Kakashi laid a hand on his shoulder.