Heh, I have so much to do, and yet I actually had this chapter finished before the weekend. Be proud of me.
Disclaimer: Kishi-kun is so bad! Why does he kill off characters he knows everyone will adore? Ick, I used kun…
Successful Mission, Chapter 2
"NO! Not that one…here see? Look at the book for God's-Stop! No don't cry, just make sure you're painting the same symbol in the correct position." Tsunade was busy rushing around correcting the new various chuunins painting the seal for the ijutsu.
Sakura watched one young kunoichi's eyes well up with tears as she held her brush, almost dripping with paint, watching her Hokage.
"I think I'll go see if Hayate is here yet." Sakura turned away as the girl brushed her tears away and began painting the last ring of symbols and words around the outer edge.
"Hayate is it?" Shizune cooed as Sakura started to walk away. Doing her best to ignore the older kunoichi Sakura made her way up from the basement.
The temperature rose greatly as she reached the first floor, a warm breeze was flowing through the front doors of the hospital as she made her way to the front desk. It was still early, not even midmorning and Sakura hoped that she could regain enough strength by early afternoon to keep working.
Hayate's visits seemed to be happening more and more often lately. It had been barely two weeks since she'd spent an afternoon and evening sleeping off her exhaustion from the last time. Not that she really minded, it was part of her job and was building her stamina and chakra supply more than during any other kind of training she'd ever endured.
As she approached the front desk the female nin sitting and pulling files smiled up at her.
"He's just walked in a few moments ago Sakura-san." Sakura waved a thanks and walked off down a hallway to the room reserved for Hayate.
The door was cracked open slightly so Sakura walked in without a second thought.
"Gekkou-san…Oh, Sorry!" As she entered the room she quickly closed the door behind her and turned around.
Hayate pulled up the hospital pants and shrugged on the shirt, watching the back of his medics head. The embarrassment was easily seen on her pink cheeks but he wondered why. She'd be seeing him completely nude in a short while and be placing her hands on him. What was the difference if she saw him naked now?
"It's fine. Is it time?" The back of her bobbed twice and she turned to watch him place his neatly folded clothes on the chair next to the bed.
"Ready?" He nodded once, chin barely moving, and Sakura led him out of the room.
Coolness from the floor seeped into Sakura's legs and made her squirm slightly. Chakra pumped smoothly from her hands and Tsunade's as more chakra gathered, weakly now, from the circle beneath Hayate.
"Need a break?" Sakura blinked her eyes open slowly and focused in the dim light. Tsunade was moving her hands upwards, shifting her attention to the top of Hayate's right lung.
"No, I'm almost done here I think." She was already at the top of his left lung. Currently she couldn't find much else that could be repaired.
Scar tissue was building in another part of his lung and she'd spent a great amount of time trying to clear and smooth it, cultivating the correct lining he needed. His breathing was coming easier and smoother as a male medic switched with another on the outside ring of the design.
Sakura swept what chakra she had left and what was coming in beneath him to find another lesion in his lung. She stopped the tiniest trickle and healed the area before continuing her search. Not much else could be, the seal was weakening and everyone's chakra was running low.
Hayate's cells seemed intent on destroying themselves and corrupting those around them. It was extremely unrewarding to find an area just healed already reverting back to its decomposing state.
Tsunade was sweeping his entire body with chakra as Sakura sat back exhausted. Shizune was groaning and complaining about her knees as the three medics waiting around as replacements began to gather up paints, books and various other supplies.
Hayate had passed out only a few minutes into the ijutsu and seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Sakura wasn't worried though, placing him under using anesthetic or another jutsu wasn't the best idea, so they let him pass out from the procedure naturally.
As she watched his eyes close and body stiffen in the beginning she knew it must be painful but he never voiced any complaints.
Leaning forward Sakura titled his head to the side and brushed damp dark hair away from his face.
"He doesn't seem to be in any pain at the moment. Still out of it though…" Tsunade cracked open one of his dark brown eyes for a moment.
"He looks cold, maybe we should take him out now." Sakura motioned one of the medics to bring over his hospital clothes and stretcher as she took in his limp body.
Goosebumps were rising across the skin of his arms and chest while the tips of his fingers and under his fingernails turned purple.
"Throw some clothes on him and slap him in bed. Don't worry about waiting around to give him a checkup Sakura. As soon as he wakes up he'll be leaving for a mission."
Tsunade stood and left the room for Sakura to care for the slack bodied shinobi. With help she dressed and carried the dark eyed man up to his hospital room to rest before his mission.
Sakura's blanket was ripped off her body, waking her cruelly from a pleasant dream having something to do with the moon light. A great shiver racked her body; she squeezed her knees up and tucked her arms in front of her body. When that didn't help she fumbled blindly, refusing to open her eyes, searching for her missing linens.
"Oh no you don't." A strong male voice said loudly, or what sounded loud to her still half asleep mind.
The loose sheet she touched with the edge of a finger was pulled away quickly. Groaning Sakura tried to curl into herself, not at all worried about the man standing next to her bed exposing her half dressed form to the dark room.
"Just give me my blankets back Naruto." It came out muffled and annoyed from her hunched body.
"Is that anyway to greet me after being gone for the better part two weeks?" Humor was evident in his deep voice and Sakura smiled ruefully.
"Will you give them back if I let you in bed?" A playful tease. Of course the sheet and blanket were thrown back over her immediately.
A grin split her face as the bed shifted drastically; a warm arm snaked its way around her waist and yanked her against an even warmer body.
"It's barely past 9:30, why are you in bed already?" He rumbled into her ear making her squirm in his grasp.
Turing in his arms she shifted until her side was pressed against his stomach and her legs draped over his. His teeth flashed bright in the darkness as he smiled down at her. Naruto always came back with a smile on his face and all his body parts intact. Which Sakura was eternally grateful for, not only because they'd become extremely attached to each other but because she didn't often have to patch him up.
"Chakra drain. I see you're full of life however…" His head ducked down and he started to nuzzle the side of her neck. Sakura's sentence fell off into a fit of surprised laughter. "N-naruto stop!" She laughed but couldn't put up any kind of fight worthy of a kunoichi of her skill.
When he grabbed her wrists and pushed her down only to find barely any resistance; he let up. Sakura gasped for breath but didn't retaliate or try to gain any control.
"Jeez you must be serious…" Naruto was hoping for some fun, he had a sick fascination with pushing her until he received bruises for his attentions. "Now what should I do?" He said in a mock sad voice, rolling his eyes to the ceiling as Sakura watched.
At the devilish expression plastering itself across his features Sakura started to become nervous. Now she pulled at his hands and tried to roll away, all in vain of course since Naruto just settled himself heavily along her body.
"Well, since you seem to be at my mercy and unable to inflict bodily damage…"
"I'll tell Kakashi." Naruto pulled up and away from her, allowing her to rise and stretch leisurely.
"Don't use him as a threat, besides, he doesn't give a crap." Naruto was frowning but trying not to smile at the same time.
"You know how he gets, remember Aoba?" Sakura was wide awake now. She loved teasing Naruto as much as he loved teasing her.
"Completely different situation. I was, er am kinda, his student."
"What about the time he knocked you unconscious out in the street after we'd been drinking?" That was probably Sakura's fondest memory of having someone be protective of her.
Naruto laughed deep and rough, very different from when they were children. He clearly hadn't forgotten about the time he'd openly groped Sakura, making her mad enough to really want to hurt him.
Of course she didn't get the chance because Kakashi's fist had come out and put Naruto to sleep for the night. Obviously Kakashi hadn't been worried about seriously hurting him nor appreciated Naruto's inappropriate public act either.
"Oh yeah. Maybe we can try for repeat tonight, want to go out for a drink?"
"I'll pass for tonight Naruto. Maybe tomorrow?" An apologetic smile and tired look was enough for him to see she was serious.
"What's Tsunade-baasan making you do all the time that has you so tired?"
"She doesn't make me do it Naruto, I volunteer." Sakura curled back up in her sheets, making Naruto frown down at her.
"What have you been doing?" He seemed more curious now than anything. Sakura had never had as much stamina as he had naturally. But it seemed odd to him that during more or less peaceful times like these that she'd be pushing herself into chakra exhaustion.
"I've been helping with Gekkou Hayate's treatments if you must know." She mumbled into her pillow, already sleepy again.
"Gekkou? Why? What's wrong with him?" Naruto rubbed his hand through spiky blonde hair in confusion. Sakura wasn't sure she believed him for a moment.
"Naruto…he's really sick, his lungs…"
"Is that why he coughs all the time? Well if you're treating him, why does he always seem the same?" Sighing Sakura rolled over, her back facing him. "He always seems kinda the same to me anyways. Looks tired too…How often do you do it, every week?" His child like curiosity and questioning was grating on her nerves.
"Naruto-"
"Is he getting better now? I bet, since you're helping out Sakura-chan."
"Naruto, he can't be cured." He didn't respond, probably because Sakura couldn't keep the sadness out of her own voice. "The treatments just keep him functional enough to complete missions."
"But can't Baasan…"
"No. She can't." Naruto stopped for a moment. He couldn't comprehend the Hokage not being able to fix one her sick shinobi. "So he comes every few weeks and I suppose does missions afterwards while he's feeling well enough."
"Does it hurt?" Again, even though he was a grown man, it was child like.
"I assume so, the ijutsu isn't delicate…He's probably in pain all the time."
"Then why…" He stopped himself from finishing his thought because Sakura turned on him, her eyes clear and angry.
"Would you want to just sit in the hospital and waste away, even if you were injured or ill? When you still had strength to serve Konoha? Have you ever done that?" Naruto grimly shook his head. She had a point and he felt foolish for thinking about a fellow shinobi, one he knew, that way.
Sakura turned back over sighing, and tugging a pillow down to her stomach to curl around. Naruto, pulling the blanket a little more securely over her, and made his way to her bedroom door.
" 'Night Sakura-chan." Voice soft in the dark room as he walked out. Sakura listened as he let himself out of her apartment. Squeezing her tired eyes tightly shut she tired to regain the blissful lack of awareness associated with sleep.
Stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, Sakura walked slowly into the hospital, early morning light luring her back to bed. Her 'mission' had lasted three days and she was still trying to catch up on sleep from getting back late last night, or early this morning, she wasn't sure.
She never particularly like border patrol, it mostly consisted of staying on watch and constantly moving. It wouldn't have been so tiring if it weren't so boring, or her team mates had been more interesting. As it was she was paired with an older male jounin she didn't know well and two young male chuunins who did nothing but vie for her attention.
Another yawn and her thoughts were interrupted by a female medic walking quickly toward her.
"Sakura-san, he just came, I thought you'd be here. Tsunade and Shizune haven't showed up yet." Sakura briskly walked past her without question. There was no doubt in her mind who 'he' was.
The door was half open to his room and she pushed her way in quickly. Hayate was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. One chuunin and another more experienced medic were standing around him.
An IV was already placed in the crook of his left arm and his stomach was being wrapped in gauze by the chuunin while the older medic was pushing chakra into his bare chest.
"What happen-"
Hayate's raucous coughing cut Sakura off, his lungs sounding as if they were trying to escape from his chest. She could see why, horrible purple bruises raised spectacularly from his skin, covering all the ribs of his right side.
Blood dribbled down his chin as his body stiffened straight from the coughing and pain it must have caused his injury. Sakura wanted to grimace but held it back, Hayate grimaced enough for the both of them, if only for a moment. If he could handle being in so much pain Sakura could handle seeing it.
"Injuries?" She said before another fit of coughing could take over. She stood in front of the jounin and also placed her hands on his chest while he tired to lean forward to breathe.
"Trauma from some powerful chakra I think…His stomach was slashed open by a katana possibly. He hasn't been able to talk." The older man informed her, standing aside so she could take his position but sit on the bed next the Hayate.
"I stopped the bleeding, it should hold." The chuunin said quietly, securing the gauze and stepping back.
"Mmm." Sakura's eyes were closed as she searched his chest. His ribs all seemed to be unbroken, but the force against his muscles had caused swelling and inflammation around his lung. She eased the swelling and as much of the inflammation around the top of his lung where the tissue was functioning relatively well first.
Hayate pitched forward as more coughing took over. One hand coming up to cover his mouth, Sakura instinctively wrapped an arm around his back and placed her hand over his. When he quieted she brought it up and blinked at the warmness of his blood spreading across her palm and fingers. Blood seemed to be leaking from lesions more than normal and as he coughed more came out, clotted darkly with bright red blood dripping on the floor.
Closing her eyes she allowed the chuunin to wipe away the blood deftly before trying to repair his bruised flesh.
"Is it easier to breathe now? You don't feel light-headed?" Sakura asked. She pulled the sheets and blankets up around him a little higher. Hayate nodded, the tube attached to his face was providing him with enough oxygen for his straining lungs to function.
"Hokage…" It came out softly, Sakura blinked and smiled.
"She'll be here soon to take your report." His thought process was not a mystery to her, the mission was the only thing that mattered.
Sakura stroked his hair away from his eyes and soothed him into a doze, her hand never stopping its comforting pattern of movement.
This is what happens when I listen to incredibly sad songs. You'll know what I mean when I say The Highwayman by Loreena McKennitt (sp?).
Your Nushi