Chapter 14: Fire

Something had woken Suigetsu up. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep or how long it has been, but Hibiki wasn't in his arms anymore. He looked up to see Hibiki standing near the cave's tunnel.

"Hibiki?" he called

"Suigetsu get up now! Get Karin and Juugo up NOW!"

Surprised by her intense demands he kicked Karin and jostled Juugo. The two sluggishly stood and looked at Hibiki.

"The future has changed. We need to go."

The forest was dark, until they reached a lit road. Karin had Hibiki on her back as they ran. They arrived at the castle and hid in the nearby area. Hibiki was placed on her feet. She tied her hair up in a ponytail, tightened the wrappings on her feet. She asked Karin for a pin, and she pinned her bangs out of her face.

"What the hell is go…" Suigetsu started to ask, as an explosion came from the castle. Men fled from the flame not paying attention to the four who were now standing in the road. The castle catches fire and is soon nearly engulfed in flames.

Hibiki turned to the other three. "Stay here!" she demanded.

"No way am I letting go in there! What the hell can you do?" Suigetsu panicked.

"Suigetsu if you go in you will die and I will not let that happen! Not here! Stay here do not under any circumstance come after me. Stay away from the building!" she demanded. She shook lightly.

Juugo nodded, and Karin did too.

The three watched Hibiki as she closed her eyes, she furrowed her brow, and her nose started to bleed. Just as Suigetsu reached for her, she grabbed his arm in a sudden movement.

She opened her left eye.

For the first time in his life, Suigetsu looked at Hibiki, and Hibiki looked back.

Her Eyes grew Darker and focused, the iris a deep solid brown. She looked ready. Ready to kill, to murder, to die. She held no fear.

Suigetsu stumbled back,

Loose Stray hairs danced from the wind, behind her was an inferno of fire, Suigetsu had seen this before?

The two locked eyes for half a second, before she turned and bolted into the burning building.

...

Everything burned. Floors, pillars, furniture, people.

Some men ran past me, others were abandoned, trapped under fallen support beams and burning objects. They screamed until the flames engulfed them. The smell... I know this smell. I have lived this smell. The smell of a man facing his impending death. I knew this smell from my time with Orochimaru. It mixed with the smoke and ash.

My left ear rang so loud it was no longer usable.

The smell of burning flesh stunned me, but I pushed those memories, those feelings down, as deep as I could. This was no time for feelings. I plunged myself into living hell.

My goal was simple, get to Sasuke on the 16th floor. He must be there. Climbing on anything to let me ascend to the next level, some staircases where intact, some were blocked, and some were engulfed in flame, too thick for me to pass through.

As I moved my feet touched fire, I could feel the blisters forming and popping from the heat. I went on.

I came to the 10th staircase. It was blocked by a door used to cut off accessibility. Sasuke had not been careful. I clenched my mouth shut; I ignored the pain.

I ran around like a mad woman before I found a loose board in the ceiling. I used burning furniture to boost me up and a short beam that had fallen to pound my way through. It took three strikes to topple burning wood onto me. I climbed up and moved on.

Finally, on the fifteenth level. The stairs were destroyed. I had no time to hunt for another way up. I went back as far as the room let me and ran. I flung myself over the gap of fiery death and clung onto whatever I could. I clawed my way up, digging my nails into the wood, as I got myself on my feet, I noticed blood dripped from my hands.

I ran on, and in a back room, I saw Sasuke, through an opening too small for me to squeeze through.

I hunted for a way in, I searched all options I could think of, but there was only one way for me to get in. I would have to pull myself through a gap near the ceiling.

A glowing red pipe of some kind hung in the way, and I would have to use the pipe to pull through, everything that touched the metal will probably never recover. I wanted to know what would happen, what the consequences would be, but if I looked now, I would lose my hold on my sight in my eye.

My hands may never recover, I might have to live without the feeling in my hands and the sight in my eyes.

I wouldn't be able to cook, not able to feel my way through. I would never feel the soft silky fur of a cat, I would lose so much if my hands are destroyed.

I may never touch Suigetsu again, His water cool skin that I've come to know. He may be disgusted by the burns. He may refuse to come near me.

I could never hold his hand.

But these are sentiments, pointless to worry over. These thoughts made me weak, they made me hesitant. I am risking Sasuke's and my lives by having thoughts about the repercussions of my actions. I am in the ninja world now, I cannot have feelings of love, of want, of need.

I am going to save Sasuke.

My momentary lapse was pushed from my thoughts. I clenched my hands and began to slide into the gap. I did my best not to use the bar as long as I could. But halfway into the gap, I had to use it.

I took a deep breath,

As I released it through my nose, My hands gripped the bright red metal, fire that burned like ice. It hurt so much I couldn't feel it. I clung to it as I pulled my body into the room, the bar running a line down my side and onto my leg. My clothes did nothing to buffer it. I dropped into the room and I shook.

This pain was too much, my sight was slipping. Darkness filled the rim of my vision. I concentrated harder, blood dripping from my nose. When I felt like I had a hold on myself I turned to find Sasuke unconscious and trapped under a fallen beam, next to him was the blonde boy. Naruto.

No wonder I didn't see this, why I couldn't prevent it. Naruto shifted the future so suddenly, and in such a drastic way. He wasn't even near this place when I looked earlier. I need to be more cautious with him.

The two must have been gassed when they were not paying attention and are now poisoned. Unable to move and now unconscious.

Another person pulled themselves into the room, her gloves thick enough to help some, but her hands burned too. The pink girl dropped into the room and was surprised to see me. Then she saw the two pinned.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" she yelled as she rushed to them. She was hesitant to move the beam trapping them.

I grabbed it and pushed it, I wasn't strong enough to move it off, so much energy was being put into staying awake, staying in this state of sight.

"Wait it's too dangerous to move! The building will collapse!" She grabbed my arm. I shook her off.

"Its dropping anyway bitch, we either leave them to die or we move the damn beam!"

Emotions glossed over her eyes. Then she finished pushing the beam off. The building shook and floors began to drop into a fiery hell at the base. With some help I got Sasuke on my back. The pink girl had Naruto.

"What now?" she asked, her eyes panicking.

"Bust through that wall and run!" I yelled over the intensifying roar of the flames.

She had a moment of hesitation before determination and trust solidified in her eyes. She punched through the wall. We went about descending, jumping from the sixteenth floor could be fatal. We rushed, finding any hole big enough to let us get through. Twice the holes were too small, we had to stop, lower down one of us down and drop one at a time.

A snap made the girl and I stop and look at each other.

"What floor?" I asked.

"Third." She confirmed. I ran to a far wall,

"Breakthrough we need to jump," I told her.

The girl braced and destroyed the wall, we didn't hesitate to practically jump through the hole before it was made. Her fist struck the wall and we fell,

The flashover just missing us but propelled us forward.

I fell and landed on my feet but fell over. The burns throbbed, sensitive to the cold night air. My vision blurred. I stood and carried Sasuke away from the collapsing building.

Just out of reach, to the closest safe distance. I let Sasuke roll off my back and onto the ground. I panted, and the fresh air made me cough. The pink girl did the same. I looked at her, she was rough, but she must know medical ninjutsu, she was healing herself faster.

She did a quick check on the boys, "Minor injuries, nothing permanent." she told me as she sighed in relief.

Then she grabbed my hands, "fuck!" I yelled, the contact causing me to shake.

"I'm sorry I know it hurts. But that's a good thing, let me help." she insisted. Chakra glowed around my hands, I winced. Everything hurt.

"You held that bar for so long to get inside. I had gloves, you were barehanded, but held the bar. That was so stupid." she teared up.

I only half listened. Focusing more on keeping consciousness.

"I'm Sakura." she softly smiled.

"Hibiki," I mumbled.

"Are you friends with Sasuke?" she nervously asked.

"We've known each other a while."

Sakura looked longingly at Sasuke. I pulled my hands back and used a lot of strength to stand. Sakura reached for my hands again, "They still need a lot of work! If you come with me, we can get them healed."

"Sakura, Thanks for the help, I don't want to be mean but take Naruto and leave. No One can know Sasuke or I were here."

"But why? Sasuke needs to come home, this may be the only..."

"No, not now. Sakura, you need to let this go. He is not coming back now." My voice strained, the smoke in my lungs made talking harder.

Sakura thought for a long moment and looked at my hands for a long moment.

"Ok." she agreed.

Sakura helped get Sasuke on my back again, she put some medicine on my hands. She gave me a sad look, then She picked up Naruto and left.

I was fading out, my vision blurred, and my eyes felt heavy. I forced myself forward and followed the side of the building, moving to the front. I moved as fast as I could, my muscles screaming in protest, yet I ignored them. Darkness filled my world, but I pushed back, my nose resumed dripping, my ears ringing, my head throbbing.

Just a little longer. I assured myself.

I caught my foot on something and fell, Sasuke and I tumbled out of the forest.

Then I was no longer alone. Voices filled the air, who were they? what were they saying?

I had made it. My job was over. I got Sasuke out of the fire.

As my eyes fell shut, water cold hands touched my face, my arms.

...

Karin had just lost her grip on Suigetsu. She and Juugo had been keeping him from going after Hibiki. As he was going to run to the building, with a loud explosion It crumbled

She watched as Suigetsu clenched his fist and watched the fire.

Suigetsu bit down hard on his lip drawing blood.

She made it out, she's coming

No, she's ash now

You should have helped her

You should have gotten in

She's coming

Of course, she wouldn't let Sasuke die,

But that doesn't mean she lived.

She is alive, she must be, if I know Hibiki at all, I know she is a stubborn bitch who wouldn't go out without a hell of a fight.

Hibiki is strong, she made it.

But is she ok?

Her nose was bleeding again, how hurt is she? Can she move?

Suigetsu turned to the other two, "We should search the surrounding area." Suigetsu told them. They agreed. As they got closer to the building a bush moved nearby, then Hibiki fell out, Sasuke rolled off her, unconscious. The trio wasted no time, Suigetsu got to Hibiki first. She looked like cooked meat, her hands, he couldn't look at them. A soft smile touched her lips before she fell unconscious. The smell from per past, a smell that haunted Hibiki sometimes, was this.

Juugo picked up Sasuke and was off, back to the cave. Turning to find Hibiki, Karin was shocked at the way Suigetsu held Hibiki in his arms, his usual dumbass face was strained with worry. He in the gentlest tenderly way Karin has ever seen Suigetsu move, lifted her and held her close, before running to the cave. Karin has suspicions before, but when Hibiki ran into the fire, Suigetsu turned into a different person than she knew. This finalized it. If Sasuke and Hibiki weren't injured right now, Suigetsu would be dead.

…

Juugo and Suigetsu placed the two on the floor of the cave.

"She needs a hospital." Suigetsu growled.

"No! We can't, hospitals register people and Hibiki must not have any trail. She told me to make sure she was never admitted." Karin shook.

"What the hell do we do then?" Suigetsu yelled. "there's no way in hell we can handle this on our own, you're not that good Karin." He turned to Juugo in a panic but then smiled, a conniving smile Karin was more comfortable with Suigetsu having. Then Juugo and Suigetsu stood, Suigetsu got his sword and without a word, the two vanished,

"What the Fuck!" Karin screamed after them, she then looked to Sasuke, then Hibiki, then Sasuke. Who should she start with, Hibiki needed so much attention, but Sasuke was turning an odd color, he must have been poisoned? Hibiki will die without help and so will Sasuke. Karins worst nightmare laid out before her.

How the hell does she make this kind of choice!?

Not long (Karin later concluded about 30 minutes had passed) Juugo was in the cave again. He rolled out two futons, each on a side of the small cave. Juugo moved Sasuke and Karin caught on and moved Hibiki. This was better than the cave floor.

Then Suigetsu arrives with a murderous smile, a man in his hand. He dropped the man, causing him to fall on his knees, and pointed to the two.

"Here are your patients doc." his voice ice.

…

Dr. Arai was in shock. A moment ago, he was asleep, with his wife next to him. Then he woke up to this shark toothed kid holding a very sharp sword to his throat, ready to cut off his and his wives heads.

"Don't talk, get your shit," he ordered. The blade moved away just far enough to let him wiggle out and he fetched his bag. The boy then picked him up and brought him here. A cave with a fire, and a futon on either side. A boy on one and a girl on the other. He saw a red hair girl looking at the two conflicted. He called out to her.

"You, do you have any medical experience?" he asked, his voice shaky. The redhead looked at the doctor, relief ran over her face as she nodded. "Tend to the boy then, tell me what's going on, I'll instruct you through it."

The doctor then sat a side of the futon with him facing the red girl and the boy. He felt his heart stop when he saw the girl.

He was an old small-town doctor. The worst he's seen was an infected scratch. This was beyond what he has ever done. While some of her skin was untouched, Most of her body was pink from first degree burns. Her feet, shoulders, Knees, and elbows were burned to the second degree. He looked at her hands, and he tensed up. Plump from swelling, Her skin had been burned off, peeled off her body by the heat. The skins edge black and dead. On Her palm, her skin was gone, only showing the gooey bloody flesh underneath. She had half-formed blisters on her fingers.

What had she done?

Taking a breath, he steadied himself.

"She needs a hospital." Dr. Arai glared.

"We can't go to one, just help her." Shark boy demanded, getting pissed on how long it was taking.

"I don't have the supplies for this," Dr. Arai retorted.

"Tells us what they are, and we will get them." A very large boy calmly said.

Seeing the two would not budge on this matter, Dr. Arai ran off a list of as many supplies he could think of. The two left.

"How is he?" Dr. Arai called to the red-haired girl.

"Poisoned, broken bones, dislocated shoulder. Some burns," Karin reported,

"Can you handle it?" He asked. She nodded already at work snapping his shoulder back into its socket with a loud snap. Dr. Arai looked at the girl, he needed help. So much needed to be done.

"When you finish join me please," he asked, the girl nodded, working as fast as she could. He rummaged through his bag and found some painkillers and antibiotics. As well as disinfectant. He worked on disinfecting the worst part first. Using a cloth to apply the liquid.

When the boys returned, Dr. Arai asked for water, lots of water. The shark-toothed kid nodded and left.

"How may I help?" the big one asked.

"Take the girls place, then rejoin us," he ordered. The big one did as he was told and the girl rushed over, he told her his plan of action, and she agreed, she knew what to do. The shark boy returned with a large (stolen) bucket, full of water. They started by cutting the remaining strands of her clothing off. The doctor flinched as he saw the long burn mark running from her mid stomach to her upper thigh.

The redhead ordered the shark kid away from them.

Must be her boyfriend or something… Dr. Arai thought absently.

They began to clean the skin, removing dead tissues. Not long after they started did the big one return. He helped by handing them items and taking them away. Making it a much quicker process. The shark boy fumed in the corner. Dr. Arai used his sleeve to wipe his sweat from his forehead. Her body had been cleared, now the hands….

The girl Stirred. The red head was surprised at this. Dr. Arai reached for the needle to give her pain medication. The girl began to scream, in what sounded like fear rather than pain. The three tried to steady her, Dr. Arai needed her still to give her painkillers, but she was having a fit…

I would too. Dr. Arai thought, not a pleasant thing to wake up too.

The red-haired girl tried to speak to the girl, doing her best to get her attention. But the girl was panicking. Then the Shark boy joined them. He gently made her look at him, hands on either side of her face.

"Hibiki, you're okay. You're in a cave, Remember, Orochimaru isn't here. You're not with him." He assured her. She stopped panicking but still squirmed, pulling away from Dr. Arai and the redhead.

"Good girl, Hibiki? Can you hear me? Its ok, I know it's dark but you're ok." the shark boy soothed the girl,

"Please honey, you have to be still." he begged. The girl after a moment settled enough for Dr. Arai to inject the medication.

"The medication will make her tired." Dr. Arai told the boy. The girl after a few minutes of feeling them poke at her hands, closed her eyes and slept.

After what felt like weeks, the girl was finished. She was cleaned, sanitized (as best they could) and bandaged. She had a break in her left ankle, easily set. The Big one, the red head, and him, cleaned the mess. The blood-stained futon was flipped and dusted off. The shark boy rested the girl on the clean side.

Dr. Arai stood to leave, "She has a fever, give her the medication I wrote down for you, and watch her close. I'm also leaving antibiotics for her," he said. Exhausted. The blood-stained man left the cave and entered the early morning, the sun rising in the distance. He walked home changed by his experience.

…

Karin covered Hibiki with a blanket and changed the cold rag on her head. Suigetsu fell asleep leaning against the cave wall, staying close to Hibiki. The next week or so was going to be hard. Both Sasuke and her need to be healed by Karin. This will help speed recovery.

The next day Suigetsu felt Hibiki's head, it was hot but not as bad as before. She was getting better.

"Suigetsu," Karin called, death in her eyes. He reluctantly left Hibiki and followed Karin out of the cave.

"What the hell has been going on?" Karin demanded.

"What do you mean?" Suigetsu yawned.

"You Know exactly what I mean. You love Hibiki, or at the very least Like her. The way you act with her, To be honest is gross." Karin accused.

Suigetsu blushed and got defensive, "Fuck off Karin,"

"Suigetsu, I want to know what your planning." she sneered.

"What I'm planning? What the hell are you planning?" He sneered back

"Th-this is about Hibiki," Karin stuttered.

"Whatever." Suigetsu rolled his eyes and went back inside the cave.

*Just in case: Sakura's early treatment on Hibiki's hands prevented nerve damage, the long burn on her stomach and upper thigh however was not as lucky.