Sakura stretched as they walked and glanced between her two teammates, blushing faintly as her eyes rested on Sasuke. "He said he didn't want to go on a date before... but now that we're back and we've got some days off... maybe he's changed his mind."
"Oh, Sasuke-kun." She scooted closer to him as she walked, and he continued to stare ahead with an empty expression as he walked with his hands in his pockets.
"What?"
"Well..." Sakura's blushed deepened slightly and she tilted her head to the side. "I was thinking, since we have a few days off... maybe we could do something together?"
"...No."
Sakura blinked and pressed her lips together, then tried again. "Maybe a relaxing picnic? Sensei did say we should get some rest."
"I don't need rest. I'm going to continue with my training." Sasuke's steps quickened slightly and Sakura let out a soft sigh.
"Ya know... ya know!" Naruto leaned close to her, grinning. "I'd be happy to have a picnic with you! Who needs that Sasuke anyway? It'll be much more fun with just the two of us!"
Sakura gritted her teeth and formed a fist, then struck him on the top of the head.
"No!" She crossed her arms as he rubbed his head and turned her face away. "Idiot! As if I'd make you a picnic lunch in the first place!"
"S-Sakura..." Naruto pouted. "You're so cruel..."
"Hey, you! Cool guy!"
The trio turned to see a man with auburn hair approaching them from behind while waving to get their attention.
"What?" Sasuke turned and shot the stranger a glare without hesitation.
The man stopped in front of them and rested his hands on his hips, looking down at Sasuke with a scowl.
"I didn't mean you, Uchiha." He rolled his eyes. "Yeesh. Always so pretentious. Apples never fall far, I guess."
Sasuke's glare intensified and the man's eyes rested on Naruto.
"I meant you, kid."
Naruto blinked in surprise. "...Me? Cool?" After a moment, he laughed and crossed his arms behind his head. "I mean... yeah, that's me! The coolest guy in the Leaf and the future Hokage!"
Sakura rolled her eyes and looked the man up and down. "Who are you?"
"Whoops." He chuckled and scratched the back of his head, and kept his attention focused on the blond. "The name's Aito, sorry. I've actually been looking for you, Naruto."
Naruto looked at the man and crossed his arms. "Looking for me?" He scratched his cheek. "Why?"
"Aaah..." Aito paused and ran his fingers through his hair. "Actually, I'm on the same team as Natsumi."
Their eyes widened and Sakura blushed faintly.
"Natsumi is on a team... with a grown man?" She paused and crossed her arms. "And he's pretty handsome, too, even for being so much older."
Naruto's expression shifted at the mention of his sister. "You're on her team?"
Aito nodded. "She's kind of become the little sister none of us ever had."
"But, why would you be looking for me?" Naruto asked, and the man sighed.
"Well... ya see..." He looked away from a moment and then cleared his throat. "I'm uh... looking for her."
"Looking for her?" Naruto repeated. "What for?" His eyes squinted. "You're not some kind of pervert, are you?!"
"What?!" Aito laughed. "No, no." He shook his head, and his smile faded. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "The truth is... one of our teammates... she's in the hospital right now. And, she doesn't have much time left. We're all gathering to sit with her overnight so she isn't alone when she..."
Aito paused and stared at the ground, running his fingers through his hair, letting out a slow breath. "Ya see... almost everyone else is there already, but Natsumi. So, I figured she wouldn't want to... not be there, ya know? But I haven't found her yet, and I'm not sure how much time is left."
Naruto's eyes widened and Sakura's hand rose to nearly cover her mouth.
"No way..." Sakura blinked. "So... her behavior... it makes sense now." She pressed her lips together and felt her heart sink in her chest. "How terrible..."
"One of your teammates is...?" Naruto muttered to himself and glanced downward, then back up at the man. "Who is?"
Aito made a face, and then shook his head slowly. "...You've actually met her before." He paused and his arm lowered to his side. "Remember Sena?"
Naruto's eyes grew wider and he froze in place. "S-Sena?" He swallowed the lump in his throat and a face appeared in his mind. "Y-You mean..." He clenched his hand into a ball. "That nice girl who had us over for that huge dinner she made? ...The one who didn't look at me as if I was a monster?"
Aito nodded, averting his eyes from the Genin. "Sena... the sweet one. Always happy... always friendly... was always the one nagging us to quit our bad habits and do better with ourselves..." He stopped himself, then hit himself in the head. "Damn it!" He hit himself several more times before muttering. "...I said 'was'..."
Naruto's hand started to tremble and the man met his eyes.
"Sena..." Aito continued slowly. "She, Kiri, and Natsumi have all gotten so close in just a few months' time... almost inseparable... this is hardest on them both..." He put his hand into his pocket and spoke barely above a whisper. "But... especially for Natsumi. The rest of us... we've all buried friends before. But... this is a first for her. She's in shock, and we're all worried about her."
Sakura gulped and looked at her own teammates. "To think about losing either of them... even Naruto, who's annoying... that feeling at the bridge was unbearable. And now... she's feeling that way, too... except that this time... it's real..."
Naruto clenched his fist tighter and shut his eyes. "So... the reason why she was like that..." He swallowed at the lump that formed in his throat. "...her best friend... is dying?"
Aito went quiet for a while, then nodded. "...I wish I could say you were wrong... but... that's the reality of it."
"...When?"
"Huh?" Aito looked at Naruto, whose trembling had become more noticeable.
"When will she...?" Naruto asked again, unable to finish. "Ya know..."
"Oh." Aito ran his fingers through his hair again and stared out at the distance. "...She probably won't even last until the end of the day, if we're lucky. That's why I'm trying to hurry and find your sister." He paused and glanced at the boy. "You... wouldn't happen to know where she might have gone, do you?"
Naruto shook his head slowly, hanging it in thought. "I didn't know she was in so much pain... Kakashi-sensei didn't say anything about it..." He swallowed again. "To lose her friend so suddenly like this... it's... too painful."
"Another dead end..." Aito sighed and looked upward, in all directions and muttered to himself. "There are still a few more places I can look..." He looked back down at Naruto, reaching out to pat his head. "Hey, if you happen to see her... let her know to meet us all in the hospital room, okay? If she doesn't go... she'll regret it for the rest of her life."
He lowered his arm and his eyes glossed over momentarily as he turned to walk away.
"Sorry to have to meet you under these circumstances. We've all been wanting to have a get-together when you got back, but with things like they are..." He shook his head. "...See you later, kid."
Aito flickered away and Sakura's eyes fell on Naruto, who was still silent. She cleared her throat quietly and thought for a moment.
"...Naruto?"
Naruto blinked, sniffing loudly as he used his sleeve to wipe the tears that had started to flow down his face. "...What?"
"I could... if you wanted me to..." She paused and watched his expression and the cold sadness that filled his eyes. "I could help you look for her, if you want. For Natsumi, I mean."
Naruto shook his head after a moment. "No... this is something I have to do by myself." His normally energetic voice was flat, and he turned away with his hands in his pockets. "I'm her brother... so I have to be the one there for her, just like Kakashi-sensei said."
"But..." Before she could continue, Naruto leapt away, solemnly jumping from roof-to-roof until he was out of sight. She held her hand near her heart and looked down. "I know a little of how she must feel... I want to be able to help in some way... even if we've never really gotten along before."
"Sasu—" She turned to the last member of her team, but he had already left. Sakura bit her lip, and drew in her arms closely. "I guess... I'll have to leave it up to Naruto, then..." She clutched her hand tighter, and turned slowly toward home. "I hope Natsumi is doing okay... I hope they find her soon."
Natsumi stopped walking as a soft breeze carried the faint scent of peaches, mint, and flowers. She blinked and found herself in front of Sena's cottage and her eyes grew faintly as they fell on the gate leading into the backyard.
Too numb to think, she opened the gate slowly and slipped inside, taking in a deep breath. The familiar scent was comforting, although bitter-tasting in the air. She blinked and her heart sunk as she looked around.
Instead of the vibrant, waxy green of the garden, only shades of pale green, yellow, grey, and brown could be seen. Fruit lay beneath the trees in various stages of rot, partially eaten by wildlife. The vegetables in their raised boxes had been eaten entirely, with the stalks and leaves left to wither and fall, and each of the flower beds held little color left as the trampled flowers browned on the ground.
Natsumi's breath caught in her throat and she trembled slightly.
This place looks... awful.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued into the garden.
This is wrong... it shouldn't look like this. It's supposed to be beautiful, and comforting, and welcoming...
She bit her lip and stopped in front of a patch of roses whose petals had blackened and fallen.
All of the things that Sena is...
Tears welled in her eyes and she sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a small cluster of flowers that remained vibrant. Her eyes widened and she rushed to them, falling to her knees in front of the flowers as she stared.
There's no mistake... these are the only ones left alive... She reached out her hand to caress a petal, then drew it back. But... these are Sena's favorites... the Nightblooming Cereus. Yet, the blossoms are open in broad daylight.
Natsumi let out a quiet sigh and watched the flowers dance in the breeze.
At least these are still alive... she would be so upset if they died. She even used her own Chakra to help them grow and bloom nightly, instead of wilting so quickly.
She sighed again and closed her eyes momentarily.
Sena... please get better. You can't go...
When she opened her eyes, the bloom directly in front of her began to brown and wilt, and petals floated onto the earth below.
Natsumi's eyes widened as it rapidly died and she desperately held the bloom in her hand as her stomach turned.
"No! Stop wilting!" Within seconds, the entire flower had died and fallen into her cupped hands, and she went pale in horror. She looked at the others, and noticed each one slowly— yet rapidly— wilting before her eyes.
"No!" She touched each one gently, tears flowing down her cheeks as she moved from flower-to-flower. "No! No! No!"
She tossed down another dead flower in her hands, choking on a sob.
"No! Stop dying!"
Natsumi reached the final flower, crying harder as the tips of its petals darkened and shriveled.
"No! No! No! No! Stop it! Don't die!" She gently grasped the stem and bit her lip. "I won't let you die!"
The first petal fell and she lowered her head. "Stop... please stop..."
If Sena used to Chakra to make these flower grow stronger before, maybe I can use some of my own to save this one!
Natsumi blinked at the realization and took a breath, channeling her Chakra to her hands as she transferred it into the plant. After a moment, the vibrant white of the petals returned and the flower stood tall on its own again.
She let out a cry of surprise and relief, then exhaled slowly.
"It worked..." She murmured, caressing the soft petal with a smile as she sniffed. At least I managed to save one of them.
A faint hiss from behind made her turn, and, underneath of a wilted cluster of leeks, a snake watched her intently. It flicked its tongue out at her, its smoky form becoming more transparent as it entered the sunlight.
Natsumi's eyes widened and she stood quickly, keeping her eyes on the serpent. "You... were looking for me?"
The snake nodded and then dissipated into the air. Natsumi turned and ran from the garden quickly, as fast as her feet could carry her.
There's still time left! There's got to be something I can do!
Natsumi burst through the door of the small building, breathing heavily, and the woman behind the corner desk chuckled under her breath.
"Ah, Natsumi... right on time."
Natsumi rushed over to the desk and rested her palms against it as she met the old woman's eyes.
"Oto-sama, I—"
The woman cleared her throat and released a series of smoke rings. "You're looking for a miracle cure for your friend. I know."
Natsumi nodded quickly. "You summoned me, so I know you must have something."
Oto reached into one of the folds of her kimono to reveal a small notebook.
"You know... a few weeks ago, I encountered an old friend of mine." She set the book on her lap as she took another puff of her pipe and Natsumi bit her lip as she waited. "He's been traveling through different countries for several decades now, compiling strange legends and stories wherever he went."
Oto glanced downward at the book, tapping it with her fingernails.
"Well, I copied the ones I found most interesting of his collection. They're really quite interesting."
Natsumi bit her lip harder, impatient. "Oto-sama, please. There's not much time. Is there a cure or not?"
Oto held out the book for her to take with a faint smirk on her lips.
"I never promised a cure. However, you may find one of his stories interesting."
Natsumi opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again as she took the book. She sat cross-legged against a bookshelf as she opened the notebook and began to rifle though.
Baby born with three extra legs... man born with third eye that could see the dead... Jashin cultists... Massacre of a clan with an ice Kekkei Genkai... Firsthand account of the Bloody Mists' graduation exam... An entire village's children going missing...
Natsumi sighed and flipped through the pages faster.
Come on... come on... there has to be something... Oto wouldn't have summoned me otherwise...
She paused and read the title of the next section, muttering it under her breath in frustration.
"The Uzushiogakure Survivor..."
She pressed her lips together and slowly started to turn to the next passage.
Sounds interesting, but not useful.
Her hand froze and she stared down at the page as her eyes caught a quick glimpse of a single word:
Uzumaki.
Her eyes widened and she held the book closer as she reread it again and again.
No way...
Her eyes quickly passed over the page, reading it as her heart skipped a beat.
"Despite the calculated surprise assault of the country, it is believed that many Uzumaki may still remain. Their whereabouts are currently unknown, though I can confirm that several have become nomadic, going to great lengths to disguise themselves and change their names."
She swallowed and continued to read.
"While traveling through the Village Hidden in the Grass, I encountered a red-haired woman who retained the Uzumaki name. When I became injured from an old bridge collapsing beneath me, I was brought to this woman. She instructed me to bite her arm, which was covered in marks, and so I did. Her Chakra flowed within me and immediately I was healed of the terrible wound to my head and my broken leg, which I was sure would need amputation. When I asked what kind of Jutsu she had used, she only smiled and said that it was a trait of her clan. To this day, I regret not asking for her name, although I did hear the name of her daughter, who was always at her side- Karin."
Natsumi's heart pounded in her chest and her hands trembled slightly.
There... there are more Uzumaki! She gulped and then looked down at her arm. And... we can heal?!
Her eyes fell on the page again.
"Just last week I tried to reenter the village but was turned away. For some reason, they are no longer keen on visitors. When I mentioned the Uzumaki healer, and that I had come to visit and give her a gift as thanks for saving my life, I was told that she had died some time ago. When I inquired about the daughter, they refused to answer and only turned me away again. I can only pray to the gods now that she is alive, and did not meet whatever terrible fate her mother must have."
Natsumi turned the page, and her stomach sunk.
No! That can't be it!
She leapt to her feet and stood in front of Oto, who was reading.
"There are more Uzumaki!" Natsumi blurted. The old woman remained quiet, and Natsumi bit her lip. "You've had this for weeks... and you never told me?"
"My dear, there was no need to." Oto glanced up slightly. "I give knowledge to those who come to me for it. I don't give it away so easily."
Natsumi clenched one of her hands into a ball.
"But... you summoned me today!"
"Did I?" Oto blew out a puff of smoke that took the form of a small snake. "All I recall doing is sending out my snakes to spy and eavesdrop all over the village."
Natsumi let out a hot breath and held up the book.
"Alright then... at least tell me if this is true or not! Can Uzumaki heal like he described?"
"If you're asking if you can heal your friend..." Oto responded with a soft, silky voice. "Then I would have to say no. It's a venom- not a physical wound. The process to heal each is delicate and unique."
Natsumi pursed her lips. "Since you know everything else... do you know what kind of venom it is?"
Oto tapped the mouthpiece of the pipe against her lips.
"I do have a theory, however, how they were able to obtain it, I don't know. Additionally, even if I was correct, it wouldn't be of any use, as there is no antivenin."
Natsumi bit her lip and stared down at the polished surface of the desk.
I can't accept that... there's got to be something I can do.
"Then... what about the other Uzumaki? What did it mean by 'calculated surprise assault' of Uzushiogakure? I've never even heard of it before."
"Ah, Natsumi..." Oto returned the pipe to her mouth and rested her cheek in her hand. "I thought time was of the essence?"
Her eyes widened and she balled her hands tightly. "Then why show me this at all?"
"I simply provide information. How you use it is up to you." The corners of Oto's mouth twitched in a slight smirk.
Natsumi let out a slow breath.
Mysterious, manipulative old woman.
She turned and began to walk toward the door. As she turned the handle, Oto spoke up. "It's an interesting thing, gardening with Chakra."
Natsumi froze in place. "...What?"
"It takes a great deal of delicate Chakra control to infuse seeds with Chakra, so that they bloom nightly, rather than wilting every morning. And to maintain them that way year-round... it takes quite a bit of devotion and skill." Oto tapped the pipe against her lips again and exhaled tendrils of serpentine smoke from her nostrils. "One could almost say that a person capable of that may even be connected to those flowers through the constant Chakra exchange."
Oto chuckled under her breath. "Well, I suppose if that were the case, it's a good thing that you saved that last little flower. At least, according to superstition."
Natsumi's eyes widened and she quickly ran out of the building.
Oto let out a long breath and a cloud of smoke swirled around her, taking on a solid form. She removed a small vial of dark blood from a drawer, along with a scroll, and secured them in a small pouch on the snake's back.
"Umito, do be a dear and deliver this to the Great White Snake."
The snake let out a sigh and then nodded slowly. "Oh... fine. If I must. She's always so intimidating."
Oto scratched under his chin. "Yes, it must be difficult, being her descendant, yet being the runt of the family."
"Hmph." The snake flicked his tail and turned his eyes away. "If she eats me for daring to show up in her presence again, I'm haunting you." Umito slithered off of the desk and left through a crack in the door.
Silence filled the small space of the room, despite how crowded it was. The three largest figures were standing solemnly in a corner, while Hana sat in a chair against the wall, one leg crossed over the other as her foot bounced in a rhythm.
Ahmya sat at the end of the bed with her fingers laced together as her hands rested in her lap, while Rie and Satoshi sat with their backs along on wall, with their legs drawn close. Aito paced the room slowly with his arms crossed as his eyes focused on the tiled floor.
All around Sena had been adorned with flowers of all varieties, creating a halo around her head as the blanket remained drawn high to cover her wound. Kiri sat beside the bed on a chair, with her hands over Sena's through the blanket, as she leaned over and rested her forehead to them. The only sound came from the slow breathing collecting in the air and the faint beeping from the monitor that grew slower by the hour.
"Well, isn't this a lovely gathering?"
They looked up to see Jiro standing in the center of the room, wearing a plain black mask with red lining the eye slits and the unnerving smile painted to look like lips that had been stitched together.
Kiri sat up quickly and glared. "What are you doing here? This is for friends' only."
"Hm?" Jiro chuckled under his breath and looked down at Sena in the bed. "All the time together on Team Yoru, and I'm not even considered a friend?"
"Kiri, calm down." Aito glanced at her, nodding slowly. She nodded back after a moment, but continued to glare at the masked man, grinding her teeth.
"Besides," Jiro stepped forward again, then reached into a pocket of his black cloak. "I brought something for our Sena."
Holding it up, he revealed a cluster of small, white flowers, and twirled the stem as he looked at Kiri.
"That's... nice." Kiri it her lip, then watched as Jiro placed the flowers into the center of a bouquet on the bedside table.
Aito blinked and pointed. "Jiro, isn't that Hemlock?"
Jiro looked down at the flowers and titled his head slightly. "Hm? Is it?" He placed his hand back into his pockets. "Ah... well, not entirely inappropriate, then, I suppose..."
Kiri clenched her fists and Aito held out his arm.
"It's fine." Aito looked between the two. "It's difficult to pick out, because it looks similar to other flowers. It was a thoughtful gesture."
Kiri bit her lip hard and forced her eyes back to Sena. Aito sighed and Jiro shrugged.
Sena's body trembled suddenly and Kiri clutched her hand tightly. After a moment, the trembling stopped and the monitor's steady beeping resumed, though slower than before.
Kiri let out a slow sigh and fixed her eyes to the rising and falling of Sena's chest.
"I can tell when I'm not wanted..." Jiro turned. "See you all later..."
He flickered away and silence returned.
"I really hate that guy..." Kiri muttered under her breath. "The nerve... he has no business..."
"Kiri..." Aito muttered quietly.
She sighed softly and only bit her lip as she looked at Sena. After a while, she spoke in a whisper.
"No sign of Natsumi yet..."
"She'll turn up." Aito patted her shoulder and managed a small smile. "There's still plenty of time."
The door burst open and all eyes turned to see Natsumi in the doorway, panting as she held herself up with the doorframe. Kiri's eyes widened slightly.
"Natsumi!"
Aito let out a breath and smiled. "I was wondering when you'd show up."
Natsumi gasped for air, her hair damp with sweat from the run and she took in a few large breaths to calm herself for a minute.
"S-Sena...?"
"Still fighting." Aito smiled and turned to her. "Why don't you come over here and see her? She'd like that."
Natsumi swallowed and hurried over to the bed, her heart racing.
Sena, don't you dare give up yet. There are a lot of people who need you.
She stood beside the bed and began to tremble as she looked down at Sena's face. Instead of appearing to be peacefully sleeping like before, her face twitched slightly in pain and small beads of sweat had accumulated on her forehead.
"See?" Aito said, standing behind her as he put a hand on her shoulder. "She'd never leave without saying goodbye to all of us. Team Yoru is a family; we stick together until the end and we love each other."
Natsumi's eyes watered and she pressed her lips together, glancing at the others in the room from the corners of her eyes.
Everyone else... they've all known this before. That's why they seem so composed... She swallowed at the lump in her throat. ...That's why they're all looking at me like this. To try to make me feel better.
Natsumi's heart pounded in rhythm with the heart monitor and she closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a slow breath as she clenched her trembling fists at her sides.
They might have already given up... but I haven't. I'll do anything to make this right. Even if it kills me.
He eyes opened and she reached out to grab Sena's face quickly, starting her teammates.
"Natsumi, what are you doing?" Kiri stood slightly and tried to pull her away. "You're disturbing the flowers."
Natsumi shoved her away, using her hand to open Sena's mouth as she brought her other forearm to her lips.
Bite it, Sena. Please. Bite down. It has to work. Just bite.
Her eyes threatened to spill as she struggled to place her arm into her mouth and force Sena's lower jaw to bite.
"Natsumi, stop! What are you doing?!"
Slow tears began to fall as Aito and Kiri both worked to gently move her from Sena and she struggled against them.
"I can help her! I can help her!" Natsumi sobbed. "Let me try!"
It's not working! She can't bite me when she's like this. Natsumi choked and bit her lip hard. It has to work! It has to! Even if I have to force it!
Natsumi pressed Sena's jaw up firmly, managing to catch the tips of her fingers between Sena's teeth. A faint green glow covered Sena head-to-toe and the senior members froze in place, loosening their grips on Natsumi as they stared.
"Natsumi... what are you doing?" Kiri muttered as she stared.
"She's healing..." Ahyma stood and walked slowly closer. "But... how?"
Natsumi gritted her teeth and kept her eyes focused on Sena.
Come on... Come on... it has to work... please let this work.
"Natsumi, they've already tried Healing Ninjutsu like that..." Kiri reached out to touch the girl's shoulder, but she shrugged it away.
No... I'm not giving up. Natsumi narrowed her eyes, then exhaled slowly. This isn't enough... it needs more Chakra...
The glowing intensified and Natsumi blinked, feeling lightheaded.
Not yet... I can't stop now. I'm an Uzumaki... we're special. We can do this. That story has to be right... it has to work...
"Natsumi, stop it." Kiri shook her shoulder gently and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Please. Don't hurt yourself trying to do the impossible. Sena wouldn't want that."
"Then she can be mad at me once she's better." Natsumi muttered, and the glow increased again.
I won't give up... I won't.
"Natsumi..." Aito touched her arm gently. "I know it's hard, but sometimes we have to say goodbye. We can't save everyone."
"You just said we were a family!" Natsumi snapped and choked on another sob. "I don't give up on my family! Not ever! That's my Ninja Way! Even if it kills me... I won't give up on her!"
The glow faded suddenly and Natsumi wobbled as her vision blurred.
No! This can't be all I've got! It can't be!
Her arms, now heavy, slipped and rested on the side of the bed as she barely held herself upright.
I'm not done yet... I can't be...
The room spun around her and her legs collapsed beneath her.
I'm not... done...