The seventh day dawns and Naruto still has not mastered the Rasengan. Jiraiya wakes up before Naruto and heads off to go find Tsunade. Perhaps he can appeal to her better nature. Jiraiya heads into town, wondering if he should have let things drag on this long.
If they can get Tsunade back to the Leaf in time it will be a miracle. Heck, if they can get Tsunade back to the Leaf at all, it will be a miracle.
Jiraiya continues his hunt for Tsunade, hoping that Sasuke is still alive when they get back to the Hidden Leaf.
Tsunade wakes on the seventh day. She has two meetings to go to, but she only intends to go to one. After making sure Shizune is thoroughly knocked out, Tsunade heads off to meet with the masked man to the North of the village.
Tsunade cannot bear to face Naruto and tell him why she cannot save his friend.
Jiraiya locates Tsunade's follower, Shizune. It looks like Tsunade knocked the young man out. Jiraiya wakes him and demands, "Where is Tsunade?"
The young man stares at Jiraiya in horror. "Oh no!" He says. "She must've gone to meet with that man!"
"What man?" demands Jiraiya.
"The day you found us a man in a mask came and spoke to Tsunade," explains Shizune. "He asked her to join his cause in exchange for bringing back Dan and Nawaki, and Paying all her gambling debts. He said is aim is to create a perfect world without war, death and suffering. He gave Lady Tsunade seven days to make up her mind, and if she refused he would kill both of us."
"Where did he tell her to meet him?" demands Jiraiya.
"Outside the North border of town," Shizune tells him.
"Go and find Naruto," says Jiraiya. "Make sure he is alright. I am going to find Tsunade and ensure she does not join that man, whoever he is."
"Yes, Lord Jiraiya!" says Shizune and scrambles to his feet. He scoops up Tsunade's pig and runs off to find Naruto.
Jiraiya heads towards to North of town.
Naruto is frustrated. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot figure out the final stage of the Rasengan.
And while Naruto is taking forever learning a new jutsu, Sasuke is dying. Unless they can get back to the Hidden leaf with Tsunade today, Sasuke will die.
"At the end of those two weeks, Sasuke will be healed enough to live! But I know my mother! She'll do her best to heal Sasuke, but… At the end of those two weeks, it won't be Sasuke who'll be dead! It will be my Mum!" Karin's face floats in front of Naruto's eyes.
If Karin's mum dies, then Sasuke will die too. Naruto is not an idiot. He knows that Karin was lying about Sasuke being healed enough to live. Lee only had an arm a leg crushed, and he will never walk right again. Sasuke had half of her body crushed. Even if she lives, she will never got off life support, let alone walk.
For Sasuke, that would be worse than death.
Sasuke will either die or be a helpless cripple.
Unless Naruto can bring Tsunade back to the village to heal her.
Not to mention the risk that Karin's mum will die, leaving her an orphan.
Naruto feels helpless. How could he have been so stupid as to risk the lives of his friend and his clanswoman on the off chance he could master his father's jutsu?
Naruto punches the tree he is training beside. Pervy Sage was gone when he woke up, so he cannot ask for help. Stupid, stupid Pervy Sage! Naruto almost wishes they'd never met. Naruto punches the tree again, making his knuckles bleed.
Why can't he get this? Why is ninjutsu so hard? Why is that stupid Tsunade so strong? Why doesn't she care that Sasuke might die? She's supposed to be a medic, and medics care!
Naruto keeps punching the tree. Sasuke is going to die. Even if she lives, she'll be so down that it will be like she is dead. And Karin's mother will have broken her vow for nothing! Tears start falling from Naruto's eyes and he attacks the tree with punches and kicks.
Maybe he was never meant to learn his father's jutsu.
His father! Naruto wishes he could punch his father. That the tree was his father. Why? Why did his father have to seal the Nine Tails into him? Why?
Sasuke is lucky. Her father would cut off his own arms and legs before hurting one of his own children.
Naruto can't even see the tree anymore. He tries once again to form the Rasengan and fails, but he slams it into the tree anyway.
"NARUTO!" a voice calls.
Naruto wipes his eyes and turns to see Shizune running towards him. "What?" he asks grumpily.
"I'm glad you're okay!" says Shizune, sounding relieved. The stupid pig is in Shizune's arms.
"Why?" asks Naruto. "Is the town in danger or something?"
"No, just Lady Tsunade!" Shizune claps his hands over his mouth.
"Then let's go and help her!" says Naruto. "Where is she? And where's Pervy Sage?"
"Do you mean Lord Jiraiya?" asks Shizune. "He went to find Lady Tsunade at the meeting spot-"
"WHAT MEETING SPOT?!" yells Naruto. Was Tsunade planning on double-crossing him? "TAKE ME THERE!"
"Okay!" agrees Shizune. "but please stop yelling! It's this way." Shizune turns and runs back towards the town.
Naruto follows, still trying to figure out how to complete the Rasengan. If Tsunade is in trouble, then Naruto might be able to use the Rasengan to help! But how powerful is the foe, if such a strong Lady is in danger? Naruto shudders at the thought.
Karin is worried about her mother. Her mother has barely rested in the last couple of weeks, and there is still no sign of Naruto returning with Tsunade. Karin paces outside Sasuke's hospital room, far more worried about her mother than about Sasuke. Sasuke is probably going to die or something anyway. Karin's mother on the other hand, is selflessly using her chakra to keep a kid she doesn't even know alive on the faint hope a medic who hasn't set foot in the Hidden Leaf since the Third Shinobi war will come back in time to save her.
Karin does not think anyone can really fix up Sasuke. Save her from dying? Yes. Heal her so that she can have something resembling a normal life? No.
But at least if Sasuke lives Karin's mother won't have sacrificed her own health for nothing.
Karin peeks around the door to Sasuke's room, where Sasuke is still in a coma. Karin's mother is using her kekkei genkai to try to stabilize Sasuke, whose condition is deteriorating fast. Karin can tell her mother is at her limit. After not using the technique for years, Karin's mother has been consistently overusing her chakra for two weeks now. If she weren't an Uzumaki she would be long dead.
And then Karin's mother falls backwards, hitting the floor with a thump.
Karin nearly screams.
One of the nurses in Sasuke's room does scream.
The machines hooked up to Sasuke go crazy.
Karin doesn't even think. Her sleeve is up and her arm is in Sasuke's mouth before any of the attending medics even move. "Take care of my Mum!" Karin orders. She might only be a genin, but she is a shinobi, and she is a princess. "I'll look after Sasuke for now."
A couple of the attending medic carry Karin's mother away, the rest crowd around to make sure Sasuke and Karin are alright. It seems they are finally aware of the danger of using such a kekkei genkai.
Karin grits her teeth and vows to punch Naruto for taking so long.
Tsunade walks calmly to the appointed meeting place, trying not to second guess her decision. She really wants to see Dan and Nawaki again...She knows that whoever this man is, he is not a good person…
Tsunade shakes off her troublesome thoughts.
She cannot afford any doubt about her decision.
Tsunade stops when she is out of sight of the city walls. She does not want to give Jiraiya or Shizune any leads to follow. It is better for Shizune to go with Jiraiya back to the Leaf, where he can be with people his age.
Tsunade hears footsteps behind her and turns to see the cloaked and masked man walking slowly towards her.
"I see you came after all," the man says smoothly. "So have you made the right choice?"
Tsunade turns to face the man. "I hope so," she says, and punches the ground. There is a good chance this fight will be her last.