A/N: I adjusted all my chapters in this fic after realizing I numbered them wrong and some proofreading and such. Also, I'd like to say that I like Sakura…but not with Sasuke…anyone but Sasuke!!! (They're okay together…shivers Being glomped by a sakura at sakuracon scarred me for life)
Note to my faithful reviewers throws confetti everywhere: I'm glad you guys enjoyed it! I loved writing the last two chapters…it was so..angsty. ^^ I'm also surprised that so many of you thought that Itachi had bound his soul to Naruto's. Where did that idea pop up? But…everything will be explained in this chapter…and also the part of Naruto owning Sasuke's soul. ^^
Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me!
2.12: Aftermath
The ANBU had arrived soon after he had killed Itachi and he had been sitting on the ground, his head buried into Naruto's hair in grief. The ANBU quickly took Itachi's body away and had approached him, cautiously. He had screamed at them not to touch Naruto but the ANBU convinced him that if the Chuunin was rushed to the hospital, there might be a small chance that he could be saved. So Sasuke reluctantly gave up his burden and was escorted back to Konoha.
Now he sat in a chair outside of the room that they had brought Naruto into. Tsunade had rushed in a second later and told him that everything was fine, even though the Hokage was stricken with fear. He clasped his hands together and felt a tide of guilt washing over him. Why hadn't he told him that it was dangerous? He should have known that chakra channeling was dangerous.
He closed his eyes and bit down on his cheek, allowing the coppery taste to fill his mouth. Shizune sat next to him and gazed at him with concern.
"Sasuke-kun, you should go get some rest." She stated, encouragingly. Sasuke shook his head. They had disinfected and dressed his wounds when he got there. Now, all he wanted to do was see Naruto.
"I'm fine." He replied. They turned to see Iruka and Kakashi rush down the hall.
"Is he all right?" Iruka asked, breathlessly as they stopped in front of him. Sasuke turned away, refusing to speak.
"Sasuke." Kakashi prompted, narrowing his single eye.
"Let's speak over there." Shizune offered as she stood up to fill the two Shinobi in.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura ran down the hall and knelt down next to him. "Sasuke-kun, are you all right?" Her face was filled with worry and her cheeks were slightly pink from running. "Sasuke-kun?"
"Sakura." Sasuke choked. "It's all my fault."
"Nani?" Sakura whispered as Sasuke raised his head. She saw unimaginable grief and despair in his eyes.
"I finally did it. I killed my Aniki." He said, hoarsely. "But at what price?" He buried his face into his hands. "There is always a price. Naruto's life might be the price."
"No, Sasuke-kun! How can that be?" Sakura asked, terrified.
"I was reckless." Sasuke whispered. The world began to get hazy and Sakura stared up at him with worried green eyes.
Rest. You need rest.
The words were unspoken but were warm comforting thoughts and the last thing he heard was Sakura's alarmed cry as he fell into her arms.
***
"He's resting now, Naruto." The Kyuubi said, staring down at the young man who lay on the ground. Naruto could have been mistaken for dead if it wasn't for the slight rising and falling of his chest. Slowly the Kyuubi unraveled his tails to produce a small globe with a single blue flame inside.
He had rescued the last of Naruto's chakra before he had channeled it out of his body. But since channeling great amounts of chakra had destroyed Naruto's system. The Kyuubi couldn't very well flood the delicate system with his chakra. So he settled down to watch over the flame and made sure that nothing happened to it.
It had been an unspoken agreement when they came to terms in the past. Naruto had given him a single flame of chakra for his protection as well as the Kyuubi's. Because when the host dies, the Kyuubi would die too.
"You were stupid, boy." Kyuubi grumbled as he laid his massive head down. "But after all, you are human."
***
Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he sat up with a jerk. His eyes scanned the room rapidly and stared into the corner where an ANBU was watching him. "I'll inform the Hokage that you are awake." She said before stepping out of the room. Sasuke watched as the door quietly closed and he looked around. Was he in the hospital?
I'll always be there for you.
His head shot up and he gasped. Where was Naruto? Was he all right? Did he make it? He yanked the covers aside and placed his feet onto the floor. The door opened and Sakura peered in. Sasuke cursed his bad luck as Sakura rushed over to him.
"Stay in bed, Sasuke-kun!" She told him as she tried to get him back into bed.
"Naruto? How is he?" Sasuke demanded, grabbing onto her wrists. "Tell me!"
"He's in stable condition now, Sasuke-kun." She said wincing at the pressure he was exerting in his grip. Sasuke seemed to notice and slowly released her wrists, then allowed Sakura to guide him back into bed.
"How long was I out?" He asked.
"A week." She murmured.
A knock came at the door and Shizune walked in. "How do you feel?" She asked, smiling. Sasuke frowned.
"Can I go now?" He asked.
"No. Wait until the Hokage gets here. She has something to tell you." Shizune told him. Kakashi and Tsunade entered a few minutes later and Sasuke suddenly remembered the ANBU that was in his room.
"Yo!" Kakashi grinned, giving him a salute. Sasuke merely glared at him and focused on Tsunade.
"Hokage-sama, I want to see Naruto." He said.
"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura began.
"Naruto's health is very sensitive right now. He's being watched over by a team of ANBU and monitored nonstop." Tsunade told him. "We've only secured his stable condition yesterday. We almost lost him a few days ago." Sasuke's throat felt dry and he cleared his throat.
"He will make it." Sasuke whispered, hoarsely. "He must make it."
"I'm sure he will." Kakashi said, cheerfully. "Naruto isn't a quitter." Tsunade nodded in agreement before her expression became grave.
"Now Sasuke. You have probably wondered why there was an ANBU in your room." She said. Sasuke nodded. Wow this woman was sharp. "Uchiha Sasuke, you have just killed an S-class criminal and Naruto was found hanging by a thread in your hands. Of course proper procedures indicate that we must have you guarded for at least three months just in case something out of the ordinary happens."
Like the cursed seal activating again.
Those words hung in the air and they were all aware of it.
"I didn't use the seal." Sasuke told her looking away to the corner of the room. "Naruto used a jutsu to bind our souls together so we had access to the other's chakra."
"Soul Binding no Jutsu. Yes, Kakashi informed me." Tsunade blinked. "I don't know how Naruto came across such a forbidden technique but what Naruto did was mix Chakra Binding with a technique like the Soul Binding so the you would have free access to all his chakra. If it were just Soul Binding, there would be no way that he could channel his chakra to you. And at the state he is in right now, you should be in that state too."
"He didn't tell me." Sasuke said, swallowing thickly. "But I should have known, I just thought he had such an unlimited supply."
"He may have an unlimited supply from the Kyuubi." Tsunade responded, sharply. "But without the proper amount of his own chakra, the strength of the Kyuubi's chakra would have burned him from inside out. That's why he's in such a state. Channeling those large amounts of chakra to you damaged his internal system." Her frown deepened. "Right now, Naruto may take a very long time to recover. His chakra supply is almost depleted and he must slowly build up his defenses again."
"How long will it take?" Sakura asked, quietly.
"It may take a few months to a year." Tsunade said. "Or maybe more than that. But even if he does recover, Naruto may never wake up. Channeling chakra uses a lot of physical and mental strength."
"No!" The outburst startled them and Sasuke clenched his hands into fists. "He has to wake up!" They watched as he struggled with his inner emotions and Sakura's widened in recognition. Then she looked away with watery eyes.
"If he doesn't wake up I'll have nothing to live for." The words were so soft that they almost missed it and Shizune walked over to him.
"Everyone has something to live for." She said, gently.
"…I live for him." Sasuke responded, quietly. Sakura backed up into Kakashi and stifled a sob. Sasuke lay back down and pulled the covers over his head. It was their cue to leave and Sakura nearly ran out of the room. Tsunade, Shizune, and Kakashi followed soon after with Shizune closing the door softly behind them.
Tsunade nodded to the ANBU who resumed her post in front of the door. "Another reason why an ANBU is posted is to keep Sasuke from becoming suicidal." She told them, quietly. "Kakashi, do you want to see your student?"
"I think he's more of Jiraiya's than mine's." Kakashi responded with gentle humor.
"He was never taken off Team 7." Tsunade replied, tersely "He's still your student."
"Then I would like to see him." Kakashi told her.
***
The ANBU guarding the Naruto's room stepped aside for their Hokage to enter. Two more were inside, one next to the door and the other at the bed. She turned and bowed to Tsunade. "There has been no change in his condition, Hokage-sama." She reported, softly.
"Thank you." Tsunade smiled as she sat down on the edge of Naruto's bed. Kakashi couldn't help but stare at the figure that lay there. Ashen with a bluish tint to his lips, Naruto looked very bad. There was an oxygen mask strapped over his nose and mouth and an IV that dripped water with nutrients into his veins to keep him from dehydration.
"Naruto." Tsunade whispered. "Can you hear me? I brought Kakashi-sensei." She reached out and ran her hand along the side of his cheek. "Hang in there, Naruto. You have many promises to keep." She smiled, her eyes brimming with tears. "Remember that you're the only one who can be my successor."
Kakashi stayed silent. He was never good as these things. He sat down in a chair on the other side of the bed and closed his eyes. So he chose his words carefully.
"Wake up soon, Naruto." He implied. "Sasuke is waiting for you."
"How can you be so reckless, Naruto?" Tsunade whispered, bringing the limp hand to her cheek.
"He knew the consequences, Godaime-sama." Kakashi replied, quietly. "He knew that he was risking his life."
Tsunade gave him a teary eye glance and said nothing. The two of them sat in the room quietly, while the ANBU and Shizune looked on with only the comfort of the slow beeping of the machines.
***
Cho stood outside of the hospital staring up at the window farthest away from the others. Her eyelashes lowered and her eyes brimmed with tears.
Naruto Oniisan.
The staff had turned them away saying that by the orders of the Hokage, he wasn't allowed to have any visitors. Even they couldn't make an exception for a Hyuuga.
That's right.
Hyuuga Hinata.
She also liked him, didn't she?
"Cho-chan." She felt a gentle hand land on her shoulder and she flinched slightly as she was stirred from her thoughts. "Cho-chan, let's come back later."
Cho turned around to face the young woman with short dark hair and pupiless silver eyes.
"Onee-sama, you like Oniisan, right?" Cho asked, quietly. Hinata blinked and stared down at her with wide eyes. A soft blush graced her cheeks and she lowered her head.
"H-Hai." She replied.
"Because—I like him too." Cho said, passionately. "What do you like about him? His personality? His smile?"
"I like everything about him." Hinata smiled, tenderly. She turned her head to gaze at the window that Cho was previously staring at. "Ever since I saw him for the first time, I fell in love with him."
Cho was silent and she bit down on her bottom lip. "So that means, we're rivals now." Cho whispered. "Because I've loved him since the first time I saw him too." She turned and walked away, her dark green hair fluttering around her petite face. Hinata turned around and stared after her retreating back.
"Wait, Cho-chan!" She protested. But Cho continued to walk away.
After she had Hinata out of sight, she stopped and sighed.
I see your plan is in motion, Uncle.
Her eyes narrowed and guilt flashed through them.
Gomen nasai, Oniisan.
End of Part 2! Next up…Jounin Exams! Yes…Cho didn't disappear, she wasn't just some random character I threw in..TeeHee!