94
Translation edition and update: Pink Shirt (Thank you ^^)
Last Option
Temari was sitting cross legged on the sofa in the small living room. A pile of notes, which Shizune had given her, was laying in her lap. But now she didn't want to look at them - her sight was soaring somewhere outside, above the buildings' rooftops.
She had glimpsed Neji carrying Tenten in his arms the morning she went to Shizune to help with the documents, as Hokage-sama had ordered her. At first, she couldn't believe her eyes. She ran and caught him up in the hospital. She needed answers that only he could give her. However, he wasn't sure what exactly had happened, there was no time to sit and ask questions. The thing that made her jump out of her skin was when it became clear Kankuro had been the one who had given Tenten's body to Neji. Neji didn't have accurate information about what had happened with either of them and he didn't lose any time in interrogation… According to his words, Kankuro had travelled with another shinobi, which by description Temari had determined it should be Tasuri. The Konoha's shinobi had suggested they should arrive in a few hours escorted by Sakura and Lee, taking into account their condition.
The second Kankuro arrived, Temari had gone to him. He was extremely exhausted, but he was alive and with no serious injuries.
She couldn't get his brother's eyes out of her mind- filled with so much sadness and guilt making her feel his pain physically. Kankuro had told what exactly had happened which made Temari extremely upset. Moreover, she didn't want to lose Tenten who had become a close and dear friend of hers.
When her shift ended and she got back to Shikamaru's apartment she still could feel the sadness and the anxiety creeping in. Right now, seated on the small sofa, she had failed to find a peaceful nook in her head.
There was something else that didn't give her rest - she was wondering how Shikamaru coped while she was laying down in a hospital with no determined outcome. How was he feeling at that point…?
"Hey, Temari." His voice took her out of her thoughts immediately and made her turn her head.
"Hey…"
She moved away the pile of papers and placed it beside her, then got up. With no further words she headed to the man. When she reached him, she hugged him tightly and buried her face into his chest. He seemed surprised by her reaction as there was no hint of her usual daring behaviour. Actually it was the opposite - she seemed desperate and in really screaming need of his hug. He carefully held her as close and as long as she needed to be held, while tenderly stroking her back. In a few minutes her arms relaxed a little, so he just leaned and kissed the top of her head.
"Right… This is definitely not the Temari I left this morning," he said carefully. "What have you done with her?" She rubbed her forehead on his chest showing she is not in the mood for jokes. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
She didn't need a second invitation to start talking. She took a deep breath and while talking really quietly, she told him everything that had happened since their last kiss this morning…
"Then they headed to Konoha. They've travelled for a day and a half without resting. He was on the edge of exhaustion… I have never seen him so totally exhausted like… ever…
"Will he be all right?" he asked.
"He needs to get a good rest, but he will be fine," she sighed.
"What about Tenten?"
"It is not certain yet." She shook her head with sadness, her forehead still on his chest. "Shikamaru, I have never seen Kankuro so… devastated…"
The man stroked her hair tenderly and led her to the sofa with the intention of sitting her in his lap.
"Kankuro seemed to be really fond of her, it is clearly seen," he whispered while sitting down and pulling her really carefully atop of him. Temari shook her head, cuddling in his body and placing her head in the crook of his neck.
"He is not just fond of her, he is in love with her." she whispered. He nodded thoughtfully. This was obviously something he was well aware of even if they never talked about it.
"But this is not all, is it Temari?" he pressed her closer to his body. "What are you sparing?"
She sighed and a small smile blossomed on her lips.
"As I can see how Kankuro reacts to Tenten's condition, I could only wonder how you felt when I was in a hospital bed."
Shikamaru didn't answer right away. He smiled, just a bit, then he kissed her forehead…
"The feeling was similar to trying to breathe underwater…suffocating…" he whispered. "And also I felt powerless as I could not really do a thing. I could just hope your stubbornness would be enough to get you through all of it."
She chuckled. Her hand raised and caressed his face tanderly. He continued talking really quietly.
"It was shaking enough so it could force me to go to my parents, facing my troublesome mother and her curiosity, to bribe the Hokage so I could travel to Suna and give you the ring you are wearing right now." His tone was serious. "You kind of know me well and it is clear to you all those actions are untypical for me. My love for you forced me out of my comfort zone to do all of that."
"So you do love me, eh?"
"I thought you knew that already," he chuckled.
"I do, but I still like to hear it."
Shikamaru nodded, burrowing his fingers in her hair while she comfortably leaned her head on his, staring out of the window.
…
Under the careful and knowledgeable care Kankuro and his teammate have already started to recover. Tasura had gone outside the hospital, taking the chance to have a nice walk and mostly to be away from Kankur's dark mood.
The last updates on Tenten's condition weren't promising at all. He was feeling really useless and for some unknown reason, even guilty. He was aware he was not Tenten's parent or guardian and he was not responsible for her well-being. But that didn't stop him in any way feeling guilty for not getting to the place where the battle was held just a minute earlier…
Tsunade-sama had confirmed the accuracy of his decision to come right to Konoha. Though that didn't mean Tenten was going to be alright.
As far as Kankuro knew, the medics were trying to stabilise her condition. No one knew if their efforts would have any success.
He snapped his head up when Tsunade entered the room. He straightened his back and looked at her with overflowing tension. He tried to read on her face what she was about to tell him…
"Kankuro-san…" she sighed looking at the floor for a moment. He couldn't help but shudder.
"I really want to know what is going on," he insisted, staring right at her eyes.
"I do not have any intention of lying to you nor setting your hopes high," she started quietly. "Her injuries are not something to look over, but they are not the greatest problem, to be said…"
"And what could that problem be, then?" he asked with a pale face.
"For some reason her chakra is not recovering." Tsunade tried to help herself explain while gesturing with her hands. "You know what happens when a shinobi loses too much blood? The only way to save the shinobi is through blood transfusion by a suitable donor. The blood should be compatible with that of the wounded shinobi. And as compatible the blood is as fast and good are the results."
Kankuro slowly nodded without moving his eyes away from hers.
"The body is capable of producing blood but that is happening slower than the body's need for blood. That's why all of the transfusions are about."
"I am aware of all of that," he calmly confirmed. He himself had needed donor's blood several times in the past. He had been a donor a few times as well…
"Tenten's case is a bit different- her chakra is not recovering fast enough to keep her body supplied. That's why she needs a donor's chakra to fill the losses."
"All right…" he slightly turned his head away. "Why should this be a bigger problem than blood loss?"
"Because, to put it simply, those cases rarely occurred. It means that there is a deep problem somewhere inside the organa, responsible for chakra production. But I am not able to locate it even though I tried. In the largest part of those cases there is nothing that could be done." Tsunade approached and sat on the bed's edge. "The shinobies just fade away until their bodies just give up."
"That's what awaits her?" incapable of suppressing it, he slightly shivered.
"There is a high possibility of that…"
"Isn't there anything that could be done? Isn't there a way for her to get a donor's chakra somehow?" there was a hearable desperation in his voice even if it was clear he was trying to keep it in.
"Well, technically it is possible to find a suitable donor," she slowly said. "But the chance is really low. Her best shot would be one of the shinobies she spent a long time with." She was silent for a bit, pursing her lips, then she continued: "When the shinobies interact with one another during training, missions and sometimes intimate, their chakras may start trembling with similar frequency. Sometimes it is possible to synchronise even though I have seen this phenomenon about only four times up until now." She was silent yet again before she kept on. "We are going to test out all of her friends and her teammates. We could only hope for someone suitable enough to…"
"You should test me!" he interrupted her, ready to jump on his feet.
"I understand your desire to help her." She was still talking calmly, slowly and quietly. "But she had spent less than a year together with you. That's not classified as a long time."
He lowered his head but his lips were trembling angrily and his hands clenched in firsts.
"What I am going to ask you is highly uncomfortable. But I would like to know if there is any point in testing you…"
Kankuro nodded without daring to look at her.
"Did you have… intimate interaction or even a relationship with Tenten?" she carefully asked but he shook his head.
"We haven't had any close physical interaction other than hugging and occasional kissing." He finally lifted his head. "But we spent every spare minute together and I dared to let her in my soul and my heart as I believe she also did. So please, don't let this chance for her go, even if it is so tiny." He looked at his still clenched fists in his lap.
"There is something more…" she continued softly. "The procedures are really rough and severe side effects may occur, even… there could be a risk for your own life. Even if you are a suitable donor, we should inform the Kazekage." Tsunade spoke even quieter. "There is a chance you may not be suitable for a shinobi for some time or.. anymore. Even so we can not know how long your eventual recovery may take. In one of the worst cases you may lose your life… In the worst case, you and Tenten may both lose your lifes."
The truth was he would risk his own life to save Tenten without any regret, he would even trade his life for Tenten to have another chance. But Tsunade was right - he had to ask Gaara for permission. He had obligations for Suna and he had no rights to toss them aside because of his personal feelings, no matter how hard it was.
"I will ask Gaara for permission," he said, setting his feet on the floor. "I will make sure he is aware of all the possible options, including the worst."
Tsunade nodded and got up.
"I would soon start to test out everyone, that could potentially be her donors."
"Can I… see her?" he asked quietly looking up at her face.
"You can spend a few minutes with her," she thoughtfully replied. "Come with me."
She left the room and Kankuro followed her - his stomach was clenched in a ball and he felt his breath was a bit short. He felt tears of desperation threatening to roll down his sides though he successfully kept them in for now…
…
Kankuro had stood near Tenten's bed looking at her face. One of his hands unwillingly squeezed the bed's frame so hard, his knuckles became white. He felt real, strong and sharp pain as if someone was stabbing him right into the heart over and over again. His breath was hitching in his throat…
Tenten's face was thoroughly washed so he could see every single scratch and bruises. Her hair was cut shortly - he remembered it was badly burned. He reached out the hand he didn't squeeze the frame with and touched her hair's tips immensely gently. He loved her long, soft hair, but even with short cuts like that, he still saw Tenten as the most beautiful woman for him.
Godaime entered the room with a soft sigh. Yesterday she had tested all the shinobies who came to try being Tenten's chakra donor. The closest chakra frequency was Hinata's one, for a surprise. She was ready to give it a go with the procedures but the Hyuga clan's head did not agree with her sacrifice. What he let her do was one procedure under tight supervision. He had said he wanted to see what the side effects were doing to Hinata in order to let her proceed.
Tsunade was looking at Kankuro now. She knew that look and saw right away what kind of feelings were burning in his chest. But he was not even trying to hide - his eyes were telling it all, they were telling how much Tenten meant for him.
"What do I have to do?" he asked, his eyes not moving even an inch away from Tenten's face.
Tsunade approached. She took his left hand and placed it on Tente's right shoulder. Then she placed her both hands on his right shoulder.
"I am going to release a small amount of chakra now. Your body is going to refract it within the frequency of your own chakra. You will feel sharp pain followed by a feeling of exhaustion."
She waited for Kankuro to nod. Then counted from one to three and released a chakra flow - Kankuro's jaw clenched in a try to suppress the sudden scream when pain started shooting at his senses. Right after that his legs almost collapsed.
"Look…" Tsunade said and he forced his eyes open - a smooth flow of light blue chakra was going into Tenten's body.
"What does that mean?" he asked, gasping for air.
"Do you notice how smooth it is?"
"Yes…"
"That means your chakra would be able to help her." She pulled her hands from Kankuro's shoulder and put an end to the pain. "Your body is capable of refracting chakra almost synchronised with her chakra."
A tired smile appeared on his face.
"I got an answer by Gaara according to your permission." Tsunade said and he turned his head to her. "He allows us to test you like we just did and go through two procedures in case you are suitable to help her. And we have to notify him about the side effects when they occur… Depending on what they are and how severe they are, you may be able to keep helping or… you may have to go back to Suna…
He didn't say anything. His hand was still laying on Tenten's shoulder and his eyes were still glued to her face. The man leaned down and gently placed his forehead on hers. His eyes shut, letting bitter tears fall down on her face, wetting her pale sides. His lips uttered something Tsunade could not hear.
Godaime felt so out of place, she rushed to get out. It felt like the room had become too small for three people, there was just no room for her in it. She shook her head and headed down to her office.
"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune ran to her when she saw her.
"His chakra is almost perfectly synchronised with hers," she whispered.
"But this is great, isn't it?"
"It is dangerous…" she finally answered. "I am not certain the risk is justified. I am almost sure it is not, actually…"
"But… If that is the way of saving Tenten's life…" Shizune started, but Tsunade interrupted her.
"It is really a low chance of saving her life." She snapped. "It is more possible to lose Kankuro along the way than to save Tenten's life." She lifted her eyes and looked at the black-eyed woman beside her. "That means they are both doomed."
"What about the Kazekage? What is his opinion on the matter?"
"I've sent a detailed explanation of all the possible cases. If there is no one else suitable, he gave permission to try up to two times under tight supervision. This is in case Kankuro agrees to try, of course. If the result is not satisfying and the side effects are too great for Kankuro, Gaara wants to stop."
"Well, that sounds reasonable." Shizune noted and Tsunade nodded.
"But what worries me is that Kankuro won't just give up." She smiled slightly. "He is quite similar to Naruto in this… I think he will try his best to hide the side effects as much as he can, which will make the procedures even riskier…"
The black-haired woman looked at the floor.
"He is not obligated to do anything more…"
Godaime smiled with no trace of joy.
"I think he is convinced of the opposite. He had chosen a devour no one asked him for. A devour he took willingly…"
"I don't understand…" Shizune frowned. "Why is he doing it? Because he is married to her? Because of the mission?"
"No, it is not that." Tsunade shook her head.
"Then wh…" The gaze in the older woman's eyes stopped her mid sentence. "Oh… I had no idea…"
"I also only suspected until I saw his eyes when I was explaining the situation. I was fully convinced that's the case just now… This is something you can't really mix for something else…"
