"Hinata,"

Sakura said in surprise, and Hinata gave a faint nod in her direction before kneeling down next to her and Sasuke. She was carrying a small sprig of leaves in her hand. She shred a few leaves, and Sakura could see amongst the green and purple leaves a shiny, clear sap dribbling out. Hinata carefully lifted Sasuke's hand, and Sasuke flinched slightly at the movement.

He hadn't noticed it before, but the ends of his fingertips on the hand that had been touching the seal were burnt raw. Sakura's hand flew to her mouth in effort to muffle her surprise. Hinata gently dabbed the torn edges of the purple and green leaves she held in her hands. Sasuke blinked, his shoulders visibly relaxing as the cool sap revived the deadened feeling in the nerves of his fingers. Then Hinata passed the leaves to Sakura before heading over to Naruto.

Nine-Tails gave a haunted look to the dark-haired girl approaching him, and seemed keen to back away. However, Hinata's eyes were resolute, and she knelt down and grasped his hands firmly. Nine-Tails made no effort to mask his pain as he let out a sharp yowl, but Hinata ignored him as she examined his palms.

She could see that several opening points of chakra had been torn wider than its usual pin-points, and were now visible to the naked eye and bleeding from torn muscles. The muscles that weren't torn were obviously over-pulled and strained to a point the skin looked purple. Hinata's eyes darkened in unmistakable anger, but her touch was gentle as she applied the soothing sap onto the bleeding areas.

Nine-Tails clenched his teeth as he let out a menacing growl to Hianta; he did not appreciate this suspiciously nice gesture. Hinata shot back a very angered look, startling him, and Inner-Sakura snorted in laughter while she rubbed leaf-sap onto Sasuke's fingertips.

"Do you not loathe the boy, human?"

Hinata raised her milk-white eyes to meet the suspecting eyes of Naruto now reflecting the dying amber rays of the sunset. Her eyes narrowed.

"You had no right to hurt his body like this."

She said, and there was a sting to her usually soft voice. Nine-Tails uttered a threatening growl as his tails swished about when Hinata pushed her fingertips into the torn tissue; his hyper-sensitised skin quadrupled the pain. Hinata looked stressed as she bit onto the cuff of her left sleeve and pulled, tearing out a strip of cloth, and gently wrapped it around Naruto's hand. Sap and blood almost immediately soaked through, and Hinata murmured,

"The chakra opening points are being over-used..."

"Of course,"

Nine-Tails scoffed, glad that the human had stopped touching him,

"This body is leaking with my chakra. I am trying to control it, but control is slipping. The jounin has failed to retrieve the boy."

Silence cascaded as Sasuke's eyes darkened, his hand slumping in Sakura's. Suddenly, an immensely threatening dark aura swept over them like icy fire, and yet another tail emerged, flicking to side to side as Nine-Tails leaned against the rocks behind him.

"It is over,"

He muttered,

"This body will succumb to mine, and I will tear this body and myself apart. Thus ends the legend of Nine-Tails, the demon fox that could tear down mountains with a swish of its tail, and Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who wanted to become the Fifth Hokage - but failed by the inevitable fate of death."

A gentle wind rustled leaves and turned over small stones on the ground as Sakura looked uncertainly from Naruto to Sasuke, wondering what this overwhelming tide of horror was.

"D-don't even joke about things l-like that,"

Sakura stammered. Sasuke refused to meet her gaze, and Nine-Tails simply looked slightly forlornly at her. The wind weaved through the trees, a haunting whistle filling the clearing. She dropped Sasuke's hand as she stood up abruptly.

"You're kidding! Even if-- even if Sasuke-kun couldn't do retrieve him-- that would only be because--"

"Because he was ashamed to see me."

Sasuke interrupted, and Sakura stopped in mid-sentence as she saw the pain in Sasuke's eyes as he spoke.

"He didn't want to see anyone, Sakura. He was too deeply wallowing in his own sorrow. I entered too late to stop him."

Sakura stared at Sasuke, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

"You mean to say,"

She whispered,

"That it's too late to save Naruto?"

When Sasuke didn't say anything, Sakura narrowed her eyes at him quite suddenly.

"Didn't Naruto teach you not to say anything as cowardly as that?!"

He looked at her, startled, but she turned her eyes to Nine-Tails with a fierceness that arised when it came to protecting those dear to her.

"I'll go call an anbu, then. The anbu can do it, right?"

Nine-Tails snorted.

"It is most likely they are too busy, and they will probably agree it is a lot less trouble to simply let a threat like Nine-Tails to self-destruct. You will also take too long in finding them."

"Then any jounin, I'll go and--"

"I am telling you, human, it will take too long to find anyone. This body cannot take the strain for much longer. It is too late."

Sakura glared at the pessimism, and she said stoutly,

"Fine. I will do it. Just do the seal again slowly and I'll do it."

Nine-Tails looked almost amused at this proposal, when Sasuke stood up suddenly and fixed her with a piercing stare.

"You can't go."

"Sorry?"

Sakura said, surprised at the intensity in Sasuke's voice, when he continued,

"You can't do it. You haven't got the skill to, for one thing, and--"

"I have better chakra control than you do!"

Sakura spluttered, disbelieving Sasuke's sudden outburst, but he continued as he she hadn't said anything.

"--you have poor stamina, and you won't be able to copy those seals precisely --"

"Listen, Sasuke-kun, I don't care. I can do this. I want to do this."

Sasuke's eyes strained as he suddenly yelled,

"You idiot!! Naruto is in severe pain -- it overwhelmed me, and you want to do this? You have never felt any loss like his, nor have you even experienced the pain of being controlled, of being manipulated -- you have no idea what it's like, and you think you can help him?!!"

Sakura's eyes blazed with shock and anger as she yelled back,

"YES!!!"

A sharp slap fractured the air.

Sakura's cheek stung and started to warm as blood rapidly gathered to aid the pain starting to tingle from his hand. He was breathing deeply, his own eyes looking just as shocked as hers.

Without warning, another slap cracked the air, and Sasuke staggered slightly from the sheer strength Sakura's hand had just held. Her green eyes were bright with unshed tears as she said in a low voice,

"I know I'm not as good a ninja as you or as a lot of other kunoichis. I know I lack the strength to do many things, and people are constantly helping me or rescuing me. I know that I haven't the experience or great pain or loss. But Sasuke-kun..."

A tear trickled down a cheek as she went on,

"Even so... I feel a great pain in me right now. There is a sense of betrayal from Naruto... I'm supposed to be a close friend of his, yet I was not told of the demon inside of him... yet I am angered at myself because I didn't realise he had a demon to bear with, and I am disappointed at myself for not understanding what pain and loneliness that must have caused him."

She looked directly into Sasuke's eyes and her voice broke slightly as she continued,

"A great fear fills me because I might lose one of my most idiotic but closest friends, and I am very, very despaired right now, especially because of you, Sasuke-kun! You're -- you're ordering me to not even try to save my best friend -- you have no belief that I might just be able to revive Naruto -- not even a chance --"

"Because you have no idea,"

Sasuke interrupted in a quiet voice,

"Of how badly hurt he is."

She glared at Sasuke before turning to face Nine-Tails once more, wiping her eyes briefly with the back of her arm. Then she began to approach Nine-Tails, saying,

"I'll do it. Just repeat the seal slowly and I'll do it. I memorised most of the seal the first time, anyways--"

She stopped speaking from shock as she felt Sasuke's hands grasp her arms from behind. His forehead-protector pressed against the back of her neck as he murmured,

"Sakura... don't."

And she could feel it.

He was scared. He was very, very scared she might return scarred and different; scared she wouldn't be the same, and she would lose what comforting familiarity she had... but worst of all, he was afraid of losing Sakura's mind ot Naruto's overwhelming sadness.

He was angry, too. Angry that he couldn't do anything, and angry at himself for being so selfish - Sakura was Naruto's friend, too... yet...

His grip on her arms tightened, and she could feel the sap from his fingertips wetting her skin. He murmured under his breath so quietly even Nine-Tail's hearing only just caught it:

"...Please."

Sakura visibly hesitated.

"I want to try."

The voice was so quiet it took the others several seconds to realise Hinata had spoken.

"Hinata?"

Sakura said, trying hard to keep her tone of disbelief out of her voice. Hinata had much better chakra control than both she and Sasuke, but her stamina was much, much less. It didn't help that her amount of chakra was a lot less than theirs.

"I want to help Naruto-kun."

Hinata said a little more loudly, fixing her eyes on Nine-Tails as she spoke. Sakura tried to shrug Sasuke's hands off, but they refused to move. She twisted slightly awkwardly to cast a nervous glance at him. Sasuke had just the lightest look of worry on his face.

"Uhm, Hinata,"

Sakura said, hoping her voice was more consoling than chiding,

"You really ought to think about-- well, the jutsu requires--"

"Okay,"

Nine-Tails cut Sakura off as he agreed, fangs flashing from his grin. Sakura's jaw dropped open.

"O-Okay?!"

She echoed in disbelief, and Nine-Tails gave a dark laugh as he growled,

"There isn't much choice. The jutsu requires psychological resolution. You, girl, are hesitant. Even if this dark-haired girl has less skill or power - even if there is a high possibility the boy may crumble at the sight of her and wipe both of their minds out - there is less risk, even with her, than there is with you. If there is no will, there is no way."

Sakura's eyes rounded in shock and sadness, and Sasuke's grasp on her arms relaxed and pulled away. Hinata looked at her sympathetically; yet again, Sakura felt she could do nothing to help those nearest to her. Sasuke lifted his head from her neck, moving his lips to her ear.

"You helped me,"

Sasuke muttered quietly,

"That's enough."

Sakura turned to look at him in surprise as Hinata knelt before Naruto and lifted his shirt upwards. The seal appeared to be glowing blood-red as the spirals spun in crooked animation; obviously starting to unravel, but improperly.

Another strong wave of terrifying aura pulsed through them, and Sakura gave a small shudder. Hinata looked resolutely at Nine-Tails as she imitated Sasuke and pressed her left palm against the seal. The sheer heat scalded her, and she winced as she felt her skin burn, but she pressed her index finger to the elephant seal and held up her other hand.

Nine-Tails gave her a strange smile.

"This is your last hope in saving the boy,"

He said quietly, and Hinata nodded, but he continued,

"He is in a very fragile state now. I advise you to be... careful."

Hinata nodded again, her surprise at his unexpected concern evident on her features. Nine-Tails raised a hand and started to perform the Mind Entrance Jutsu. The seals ran a bit more slowly, but this seemed to cause more pain for Nine-Tails. Not wanting his effort to go to waste, Hinata followed with her right hand as precisely as she could. Her eyes couldn't help flickering to Naruto's palms however; she could see blood seeping through the cloth and running past his arm to drip onto the ground.

Hinata almost stopped out of shock when another tail burst out, but eyeing it nervously for a second or so, she went back on track and continued the seal. Nine-Tails shut his eyes, and Hinata, realising this signified the completion of the jutsu followed suit, her hand forming the tiger seal with Nine-Tails'.

"Mind Entrance no Jutsu."

Nine-Tails muttered, and Hinata too felt the huge and icy hand thrusting deep into her mind and wrenching it out of her. Letting out an exclamation of shock and pain before her eyes slid out of focus, Hinata fell forwards to slump against Naruto's shoulder, her hand still fixed on his seal. Naruto held onto her wrist to ensure her staying there.

Another tide of darkness overcame Sakura and Sasuke in chilly and frightening prickles up their spines. They did not show any reaction to this, however, surprising Nine-Tails.

The two quietly walked over to her and sat down at either side of Hinata, casting her looks Nine-Tails failed to decipher, and then settled down to wait.





"There it is again."

He said suddenly, his brows furrowing in concern.

"Something's wrong with this chakra. This isn't a controlled feeling at all."

His companion agreed.

"Is something wrong with Naruto? Do you-- do you think he lost control??"

"I didn't think that was possible."

"Neither did I. This is dangerous -- we should get--"

"There's no time. It feels as though... he's on the verge of release."

"So we should go ourselves?"

"Better than leaving it as it is,"

He replied, and the two jounins dashed towards the origin of the pulsating dark aura of Nine-Tails.





A/N: O_O Will there be a grand finale by the next chapter? I don't know, but hey, this seems to be building up higher than I thought it would. O_O;; Maaaaaah. Thank you very much for you kind reviews. *bows*