For the first hour or so the team walked at your pace, gradually becoming more ansty for faster movement. You knew they were going slow for your sake but it really wasn't necessary. You spoke loud enough to be heard.
"Thank you for trying to keep the pace slow for my sake but we need to make it to Suna as quick as possible. If we push constantly for the next day then we can make it by midday tomorrow. Don't worry about chakra drain, I can make sure you get back everything you lose with a special ration pill shishou and I came up with."
For a moment no one spoke, Sakura seemed a bit upset but quickly schooled her features to show indifference. Kakashi was the one who broke the silence.
"Mahh chibi-chan, if we push that hard then you're going to be left behind. Besides there is no rush to make it to Suna, so we can walk."
"Actually you're wrong Kakashi-nii, Suna just went to shit a few hours ago so we are pressed for time. I can definitely keep up with you buffoons, maybe even beat you there. I'll tell you the details later but for now you can either keep up or explain to the Hokage how you lost her apprentice."
With that you leapt up into the trees and set a brutal pace towards Suna. It would take Sasori and Deidara up until around midday before they make it to the designated hideout, but then three more days to kill Gaara. There was no way you all would make it before the extraction started but you could make it before it ended.
You felt three chakra signatures falling close behind you, you didn't turn to acknowledge them though. If they wanted to belittle the blood, sweat, and tears you and Danzo-sensei shed to make you into the ultimate child soldier then they could go back to Konoha.
For the next 13 hours no one spoke, only the sound of harsh breathing and feet meeting wood was heard.
"The Akatsuki has made their move in Suna, they've kidnapped the Kazekage and plan to extract the bijuu from him. In the process they've killed many of their shinobi and poisoned Kankuro-san. We need to get to Gaara-sama before they finish extracting Shukaku otherwise the Kazekage will die. Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara of Iwa are the two Akatsuki members we will be dealing with, a cheap imitation of Hoshigaki Kisame may appear but he'll be dealt with. Sasori has a weak spot located where his heart would be, a cylinder of rotted flesh is your target. He fights through puppetry, though his taijutsu isn't too shabby either. Deidara is weak against lightning, he mainly utilizes an Iwa kinjutsu which gives him two extra mouths on his body. One is one his palm and the other is on his chest, they let him chew large amounts of clay to make explosives. "
Immediately upon finishing your small speech Naruto jumped and began to panic. He seemed to be in denial that someone as powerful as Gaara could get captured, even going as far as to threaten you with violence for making such bad jokes. In response to his rising anger you activated your chakra scalpels, if push came to shove then you would be the one to come out on top.
Sakura smacked Naruto with enough force to give him a concussion at the same time as Kakashi made gestures for you to calm down. It became obvious that there was a lack of respect directed towards you from all three shinobi. They only saw you as a burden in this mission, someone who would bring them down and get in their way. Unmitigated fury filled you and you wanted nothing more than to prove them wrong, so you would.
"Maah maah chibi-chan, we don't usually direct attacks towards our teammates. If you are going to be a part of our team for this mission then we need to all get along."
"Keep your dog on a leash then Hatake. My age does not dictate my skill and I'm more than willing to prove that."
"Ayumi-chan, you lack the experience of a seasoned shinobi to be of real help. You will probably freeze up if real danger arises."
"Is that your professional opinion Hatake?"
"It is."
"Then let me tell you this, I am strong. I have proven my strength time and time again. I learned your signature move, one you only ever taught to a certain Uchiha. I built upon it, made it my own. You believed Uchiha Sasuke could become a splendid ninja and yet look at how he turned out. Frankly speaking, your professional opinion on others means less than dog shit to me."
Knowing your words would hurt the jounin deeply you turned away, not trusting yourself to be able to hide the regret on your face. Quickly taking off back into the trees, for a minute the three shinobi did not follow, you were ready to just leave them and continue on your own but sure enough three signatures popped up and followed some distance from you.
So far the trip to Suna was as bad as you had feared, clearly there was a rift between you and team 7 but you couldn't bring yourself to fix it. If they wanted to belittle you then you would simply prove them wrong.
Being ushered into the hospital by a shaken Baki had quelled any lingering hurt and anger from the earlier confrontation with team 7. He was summarizing everything that had happened within the last 36 hours while doctors were shouting about the poison slowly killing Kankuro. Once Baki had finished you asked him to bring you to Kankuro, he was a bit confused but after Kakashi had informed him of your apprenticeship and quaint prowess in medical ninjutsu, he complied.
It was obvious that although Kankuro was unconscious, he was in a world of pain. Given your unique insight to the poison used you were quickly able to run a simple diagnostic jutsu and then write down a list of ingredients you would need. Baki was completely on board with allowing you to take command and barked at the nurses and doctors to get everything on the list immediately.
In another timeline team 7 would not have arrived as early and Sakura would have had to use a more crude and painful method to save Kankuro's life. Now, however, you had at least another day and a half before Kankuro would succumb to the poison, meaning that he could take the medicine in a much less painful manner.
Using the herbs and a special chakra powder you had brought along you began the process of creating the antidote. Team 7 and Baki were watching you with curious eyes and peaked interest but you paid them no attention. 45 minutes later you had ten vials of the antidote ready, it would both neutralize any existing poison in your system as well as fortify your immune system to withstand and eventually become immune to the poison.
Jumping down from a stool provided to you by the medical staff you shuffled past the watching crowd and climbed onto the stool next to Kankuro's bed. Holding a green palm up to his forehead you watched as his eyes flew open and he tried to sit up. You quickly motioned for the room to be quiet as you snapped your fingers close to his ears and softly asked him to follow your glowing finger with his eyes. When he complied you softly asked him to recount the events he could remember, this would tell you if he had any sort of brain trauma.
As Kankuro recounted the events leading to his poisoning you filled a syringe with the antidote. Nodding along and adding commentary to his story helped keep him distracted from the rather long needle you were about to insert into his brachial artery. Quietly you asked him to take a deep breath and then in one swift smooth movement you inserted the needle and attached the pack of medication. Kankuro's face did scrunch up when it happened but he was genuinely surprised to know that you had inserted a needle into him, joking that it felt like an ant bite. Smiling you informed him that he may feel sleepy but that was just a result of the medication doing it's job.
"Kankuro-san I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to get the Kazekage back. We will not fail you. Now you need to rest and make sure you're in the best condition possible to welcome back your brother."
"I understand Sensei, thank you for coming on such short notice and saving my life. Ah, wait! Here this is something I was able to snag before they got away. It could help you track them."
Kankuro handed you a small piece of cloth and relaxed back into the bed. You gave him one last gentle smile before moving back to team Kakashi and Baki.
"Kankuro-san will make a full recovery, he must be put on a liquid diet until we return from our mission to rescue the Kazekage. If he develops any signs of a fever then please administer this antibiotic. Team 7, please allow me to administer the antidote to the poison before we head out. It will make you immune to Sasori's poison."
Swiftly injecting the three shinobi and then yourself you began to prepare for the mission. Removing your scrubs and making sure the nurses knew what to expect from Kankuro, you worked quickly and diligently. Once your wakizashis were in place you turned to the waiting shinobi. Nobody made any move to stop you from going, maybe they had finally recognized your skill. Regardless you kept your expression indifferent, trying to tame the swell of excitement bubble inside of you. You would finally get to experience real combat.
As team Kakashi and you followed Baki towards the outskirts of the village you put your teachings to work. Baki was completely flabbergasted by your skill and maturity. You were able to assess the situation and develop an antidote and antibiotics in less than an hour when the entire medical staff had spent a day and a half racking their brains for any possible solution.
"Before I was offered the chance of becoming a genin, I dedicated a large portion of my days to study as many different forms of chakra manipulation as I could. I wanted to be well rounded in the shinobi arts, not simply focused on a single branch. Hokakge-sama saw potential in me, that's why she offered me an apprenticeship. It really was through her guidance and patience that I became who I am today."
"But you're so young, Nara-san. I understand Shikaku-san had a genius son but even then, he waited to graduate from the academy at the age of twelve. Why are you so driven to grow up before your time?"
"I was born very sick, Baki-san. My heart is barely functioning at the moment, any wrong fluctuation of my chakra could send me into cardiac arrest. My parents solution to my problem was to dictate my life, I would study politics, become involved in them, marry a suitor my clan picked out and live a long stress free life. And for a while I allowed them to believe that. I picked up diplomacy as if it were second nature and even know I thoroughly enjoy the practice of politics but that wasn't the type of life I wanted to live. I knew that my heart could stop at any time regardless of my lifestyle so I chose to defy my family and train to be a shinobi."
"But why? What's your motivation?"
Throughout your conversation with Baki you knew Kakashi had been listening. At Baki's question, Kakashi leaned a bit closer to the two of you. You went silent for a while, trying to piece together a way to say the truth without revealing too much.
"When you can do the things that I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you."
Your response must not have been what Baki or Kakashi expected because they both jerked and then promptly settled into a pensive quietness until the group reached the canyon separating the village from the desert. Baki expressed his deepest gratitude and assured your group that backup would be coming within the next day or so. With that you all set out, led by Kakashi's pack.
Three hours of sprinting later you had arrived at the sealed entrance of the hideout. Pressing close to the boulder you were able to feel the strong chakra of Deidara and Sasori, diluted chakra of seven other people was also evident but too faint to be of real concern. Kakashi began to speak before you could further analyze the chakra.
"Ah yes, they've sealed the entrance. Lemme see...mmhmm just as I suspected. I have no idea what this seal means!"
"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, I can just punch my way through this boulder and we can bypass the seal altogether."
Sakura had on a face of arrogance as she adjusted her gloves, it was true she definitely could oneshot that boulder. The only problem was that -if you were reading and interpreting the seal correctly- on destruction of the seal, a self destruct sequence would obliterate everything within a 500 meter radius.
The three began to discuss battle plans and different routes to take while you kept your attention on the seal. A few minutes passed before you finally deciphered what type of seal it was. At first glass it appeared as a protection seal, if tampered with a protective aura would be released, but upon further inspection it was exactly like the one your father used for his study, only mixed with an explosive tag.
"If we don't dismantle this seal, and just decide to destroy the boulder we could potentially blow up this entire mountain. The seal is rigged to four other locations, if this one is tampered with then it will cause something within the other four locations. I'm pretty sure I can bypass the seal without triggering anything though. I just need time and for you guys to be ready for any kind of combat that awaits us inside."
You wanted to bang your head against the wall until you bled because once you realized what kind of seal it was it felt obvious. Flexing your chakra slowly you navigated the locking mechanism, everytime you unlocked one part a small burst of chakra would catch your attention from the surrounding area. You weren't sure how much time had passed since you began unsealing the hideout but by the end of it you were ashamed. Danzo-sensei had been training you in the art of seals but it seemed you still had a lot to learn.
Stepping back to allow Sakura to do her thing you felt eyes on you. Turning you caught Kakashi's curious gaze, slowly he moved closer to you and crouched to be face to face with you.
"Maah chibi-chan, where'd you learn that cool trick? Nevermind you can answer that later, now when that boulder comes down you are going to take cover somewhere around here and you will not interfere with anything. Your safety is also our priority so we can't afford to get you hurt. Just wait out here until we come get you okay?"
"What the hell? No! I'm strong just like you so I will fight alongside you."
"That's not your call to make Ayumi-chan. I am the commanding officer and I'm or-"
"Bullshit! You of all people should know that I'm more than capable of holding my own in a fight!"
"Nara Ayumi! As your commanding officer I am ordering you to not engage in any form of combat. You don't have the experience to fight and your body is too weak to be anything more than a liability. You are a liability and I do not agree with Tsunade-sama assigning you to this mission."
You had no chance to argue back because just as he finished talking the boulder exploded. Team 7 all rushed into the cave and you desperately wanted to go in as well. Weighing the pros and cons you ultimately decided to stay put and listen to Kakashi's orders, he was your superior after all. Walking back towards a tree that allowed you to see into the cave you settled and observed.
Naruto was shouting about hurting his best friend, four of his shadow clones were protectively surrounding an unconscious Gaara and creating rasengans to destroy some of Sasori's puppets. Kakashi and Sakura were dodging Deidara's clay explosives, unable to get close to him. You knew it was only a matter of time before he created his giant clay bird and flew out of their range.
As you stayed sitting on the branch of the tree you replayed Kakashi's words to you.
A liability, a fucking liability, that's what he sees me as. How? Why? I've done nothing but train for this moment. He's seen firsthand my abilities...does he really think so lowly of me? If this plays out the way I think it will then Sakura is going to die. Chiyo isn't here to help her counter Sasori's puppets. She won't even stand a chance.
Forty five minutes later and Sakura had been left to battle Sasori on her own while Naruto and Kakashi tailed Deidara who held an unconscious Kazekage with him. You would have chased Deidara but you knew Sakura would need your help soon. You moved towards the mouth of the cave and observed the battle.
Sakura was already in bad shape, multiple cuts and bruises were left on her body as evidence of Sasori's true prowess in puppetry. However, there were about forty broken puppet bodies on the floor, evidence of Sakura's unshakable will and determination to beat her opponent.
It really was amazing to watch her thin body move so smoothly and then deliver devastating punches without wincing in pain. You were hypnotized by their moves, so graceful in fact that they seemed to almost be dancing with each other.
This is how true shinobi fight. Beautiful.
You didn't have time to admire the scene anymore because Sasori managed to completely cut through both of Sakura Achilles tendons. You watched in horror as she let out a gasp of shock and pain, falling to the ground. The puppet man began to taunt her before he unsheathed two long blades and diving towards Sakura's prone body.
He's going to kill her oh my god he's going to kill her.
At that moment you felt all reason leave your body.
Sakura was going to die, from the moment she told Kakashi-sensei and Naruto that she could take Sasori on her own she knew she was going to have trouble but never like this. She wasn't going to be able to hug her parents anymore, she wasn't going to be able to compete with Ino, she wasn't going to grow old and have kids and get married, and she wasn't going to be able to save Sasuke-kun because she had underestimated the strength of an S-rank missing nin.
Sasori had already severed her Achillies heel and she didn't have enough chakra or time to heal them. He unsheathed two long blades and dove for her. Sakura blinked back tears and prayed to any god who would hear her for strength. Instead of feeling pain she felt ...nothing. Metal clashing with metal was all that was heard as she lifted her head. Her eyes widened at the scene that welcomed her instead of her death.
Nara Ayumi was her shishou's newest apprentice and from what she had heard she was exceptional in and outside the medical field. Her skills were so quaint that whispers and murmurs of her being a prodigy were heard everywhere Sakura went. It made her feel inadequate in her skills to hear such things and then seeing her shishou praising and cuddling the young girl made the feeling inside of her morph into something more malicious.
It was after Sakura's shishou had introduced Nara Ayumi to Jiraiya-sama and Naruto as her daughter that she actively started trying to sabotage her growth. If Tsunade or Shizune asked Sakura to pass on a message to Ayumi she wouldn't, she would actively give Ayumi the wrong directions and procedures in hopes of ruining her blossoming reputation as the youngest nurse practitioner in all of Fire country.
If anyone had anything bad to say about Ayumi then Sakura would be quick to affirm them, if malicious rumors were spread then Sakura would do her part in confirming them and spreading them to others. It was vile and petty, Sakura knew that. But this little child had swooped in and stolen her spotlight and affection from her shishou. Not even five years old and already Nara Ayumi was hailed as the next Tsunade, something absolutely ridiculous in Sakura's opinion.
There was no doubt in her mind that Ayumi knew she was not fond of her. She never acted like the older sister she was supposed to be. In fact Ayumi had even caught Sakura spreading a malicious rumor about her. She hadn't said anything or made any movement towards Sakura. Instead she turned around and walked away, never telling anyone as far as Sakura was aware of.
Given those pretenses Nara Ayumi was the last person Sakura expected to save her life. Yet here she was, two wakizashis, one in each hand, deflecting the two blades Sasori had intended to decapitate her. Her chakra was unusually calm and her facial expression matched that of a seasoned kunoichi despite her young age and inexperience.
Ayumi managed to push Sasori back and took a defensive stance in front of Sakura. She eyed Sasori and the last sixty puppets floating around him and decided that attacking head on would be best. She dodged every projective Sasori through her way and engulfed her blades in chakra to cut the chakra strings attached to a large sum of his puppets. She managed to drag the fight away from Sakura before speaking.
"Akasuna no Sasori, I know you believe you're fighting for a worthy organization but you're wrong. The Akatsuki is simply a stepping stone for a much larger malicious force. You're being used as a pawn, whether you live or die doesn't matter."
"Who are you to speak to me in such a way? You're nothing but a child, not even worthy of joining my collection."
At that the two engaged in battle again. Sasori was unforgiving in his offensive maneuvers, his puppets moved as if they were alive. Ayumi was quick with her blades, easily using them to deflect projectiles and cut through the chakra strings holding up Sasori's puppets. When she would lose a blade she wouldn't hesitate to change into taijutsu or ninjutsu. She would manage to fight using those until she drew closer to her lost blade and then switch back to kenjutsu.
Sakura was flabbergasted. Ayumi fought like a vetren kunoichi in the sense that she had confidence in her body to move the way she desired it to, but she also used movements not familiar to Sakura. Sasori was also thrown off by her distinctive taijutsu, not being able to guess her movements.
"I know you wish to bring everlasting beauty to this world, that's why you dedicate so much time and effort into your puppets. They are art, art that everyone should appreciate. If you're with the Akatsuki then your art will be forever lost, please believe me!"
"What do you know about everlasting beauty? You're a mere child, you know not what the Akatsuki means. We will bring peace to the shinobi world, so no child ever has to live life without their parents."
"Then let me show you, please just let me show you. I know you hate waiting because as a child you waited for your parents to return from a mission. They never came back because the White Fang Hatake Sakumo killed them! I know you made your closest childhood friend into a puppet, that was your first human made puppet and you still cherish him!''
"H-how do you know all of this?! Tell me!"
"I can't tell you, not here. I need your sworn word that you will leave the Akatsuki and I need my Hokage's permission before I divulge anything else. Please, Sasori-san. I don't want to kill you."
At Ayumi's response Sasori let out a loud laugh and began mocking her. Instead of responding to Sasori, Ayumi turned back to Sakura.
"Sakura-san, try to heal your wounds as much as possible. I have a feeling we'll be dealing with his partner in a while."
Scowling in indignation, Sakura almost wanted to not heal herself just to spite Ayumi, though she too had a sick feeling that this fight wouldn't be over quickly. Sakura began trying to heal herself but her chakra was almost completely gone. So she opted to watch Ayumi and Sasori fight. It was disheartening to see a four year old take out the same amount of puppets as her in less than half the time.
Sakura watched, and as she watched she grew suspicious. She knew Nara Ayumi was regarded as a prodigy but this seemed more than that. She fought like this was something she had been doing for years. Before she could form any real accusation Sasori body flickered in front of Ayumi and drove three swords into her small frame. The silence was broken by Ayumi's shriek of pain.
Sasori held the swords in her frame and began to berate her, little did he know that Ayumi was using his monologue as a chance to deliver her own deadly blow. Driving her two blades into the cylindrical piece of soft material Sasori stopped moving completely, his eyes were blown wide as he looked down towards the impaled girl.
"I told you...I didn't want to kill you. I'm sorry Sasori-san."
"You...how?"
Ayumi shakily stood, gripping the handles of the swords and then ripping them out in one swift movement. Sakura gaped at the girl, she was bleeding profusely and yet hadn't let out a peep when stabbed through the chest. Ayumi coughed as she brought a glowing green hand to her chest, assessing the wounds and then working to heal them.
"Your guard gave it away. You protect that cylinder with everything you have, even if it means sacrificing parts of your body. I asked myself why and came to the conclusion that that piece of cylindrical meat is the key to your immortality. Destroy that...and you die."
Sasori let out a humorless laugh as he acknowledged Ayumi as a splendid fighter.
"My art… it's useless no-"
"It's not. The puppets you created will live on forever. Generations to come will aspire to surpass your genius but they will always acknowledge you as the creator of eternal art. Be proud of yourself for that."
"I hope you're right, I suppose I was wrong about you. You seem to understand the concept of eternal art better than my own grandmother could. I'll be entrusting you with what remains of my collection, please don't let my art die."
Sakura strained her ears to listen to the conversation but found it useless, they were speaking in voices too small to hear from her distance. She could only watch as the remaining puppets were sealed into a scroll and thrust into Ayumi's hand.
"Your art will never die, I'll make sure of it Sasori-san."
"There's not much left for me, I'll leave you with this. I was supposed to meet with one of my spies in ten days time at Tenchi Bridge. My spy, he is a subordinate of my ex Akatsuki partner, Orochimaru. I know the leaf has been wanting to put an end to him so I hope this information will be of some use."
"It is, thank you Sasori-san. I'm sorry things had to end this way."
"Me too Ayumi…"
And with that Sasori was gone.
Sakura was struggling to heal her Achilles tendons with the small amount of chakra she was able to produce while Ayumi struggled to regulate her breathing and blood flow. At the very least both girls were alive, though that quickly faltered when a loud explosion was heard right outside the mouth of the cave.
"Danna! Let's get the fuck outta here. I lost the jinchuriki but Pein said that was fine."
Deidara flew into the cave and surveyed the scene before him, multiple puppets lay destroyed on the ground and a kunoichi was pretty badly injured. Before his eyes was his danna, unresponsive with two blades sticking out of him. A small girl was directly in front of his danna, she too was bleeding but seemed to be better off than the other kunoichi. When the girl noticed him, she retched the two blades from Sasori and moved to be in a defensive stance in front of her pink haired partner. Rage filled Deidara, his danna was dead, killed by a child no less. Before he could make his move, 3 more bodies dove into the cave.
Kakashi was completely worn out, he had used this mangekyou two times and the drain on his chakra was heavy. Seeing his female student in such a pitiful state made him want to wrap her up in a blanket and let Pakkun comfort her but he knew he couldn't let his reputation be ruined like that. He would one day let his inner grandpa demeanor out to spoil his genin team but that day was not today.
Gaara was furious at both missing nins, wanting nothing more than to kill them both with Sand Coffin. Not being able to catch the she-male made his anger spike even more. He was vaguely aware that there seemed to be a child on the battle ground but his attention stayed on the bomber.
Naruto was simply trying to turn Deidara to the good side. He was spewing nonsense about the village accepting him and giving him a second chance.
Deidara was quickly losing his patience, his Danna was dead and he had been tossed around for the last hour by three alpha males with hero complexes. He had enough chakra and clay for one last explosion so he knew he had to make it worth it, to honor Danna. Slowly he brought the clay up to his mouth as he watched the pests beneath him. Using some of the last of his clay birds Deidara blew open the top of the cave, this way his art would have more room to grow and become bigger.
Below Deidara, Kakashi had taken in the scene with slow eyes.
Sakura is hurt but not terribly so. Ayumi is somewhere outside presumably unhar- WHY IS SHE IN HERE?
Ayumi was standing in front of Sakura, both of her blades drawn and ready. Beneath her, small droplets of blood were beginning to spill onto the floor. Her shirt was soaked with blood and Kakashi could see that her body was a bit bruised up, she had definitely fought before he arrived.
The last four of the clay bird explosives dove down into the cluster of shinobi and child, moving too fast for them to dodge and stay away from the blasts. All the shinobi mentally prepared themselves to be burned, they felt a slight tug towards the middle of their back before the immense air pressure and heat hit them. They all could feel their skin burning and the pain that followed suit, however after only a few moments they noticed that their skin was being cooled and the pain was fading. When they opened their eyes they noticed a soft green glow being released from their skin and labored breathing.
Ayumi had successfully attached chakra strings to them and was performing medical ninjutsu through them. She was breathing heavily and still holding a wakizashi in her free hand. A puddle of blood had formed underneath her body. While the entire party was focused on her, she was focused on the blonde flying above them.
Deidara noticed how his explosions hadn't done any damage and began to shout again.
"Hey! How did none of you get hurt by my art? That's cheating un!"
With that last sentence he activated his C4 explosive.
At the same time the entire ground level turned black.
Gaara was by no means a weak shinobi, he was fifteen years old and already the Kazekage, being able to beat just about anybody within his village without so much as lifting a finger. That did not mean he was invincible.
Two Akatsuki members had managed to infiltrate his village with ease, beat him and capture him within half an hour without breaking a sweat. This information told him that 1: he needed to update village security, and 2: he still had a long way to go to become a respectable Kazekage. He was lucky to have such a good friend like Naruto, someone who would willingly throw themselves at dozens of explosions just to save him.
When he opened his eyes he had seen the ground hundreds of meters below him, he noticed wind fiercely hitting his face and his movement being restricted. Using his sand to free himself he realized that Konoha had sent one of their most elite teams to help him. Flattered and also a bit embarrassed he fought alongside Hatake Kakashi and his friend Uzumaki Naruto to try and capture Deidara. He used his shame and embarrassment as fuel for his jutsus.
When it became obvious to Deidara that the battle was beginning to get one sided he decided to retreat. He would go back for his friend Sasori and then both would rendezvous with their arrogant leader, Pein. Urging his clay bird to fly faster back towards the cave he was acutely aware of a strong pure chakra.
Flying into the cave and finding at least seventy of his Dana's precious puppets laying destroyed on the cave floor had filled him with anger, finding his danna dead with two blades sticking out of his back made Deidara furious. Noticing a small child clutching severe wounds had made him pause. Memories of his own childhood at the hands of his ex-sensei Ōnoki were filled with him tending to his own wounds after training sessions. Even at the young age of five he was already dealing with broken bones and severe bruising.
A child killed danna? How? Sasori was a master at his art, how could a child possibly be able to beat him?
Bringing him out of his shock were three chakra signatures closing in on him. Throwing his morals out the window Deidara attacked all the shinobi, if the child died in the act then it wasn't his problem. He was genuinely surprised and impressed when the dust had cleared. Said child had attached chakra strings to each shinobi and was actively feeding them medical chakra, healing and replenishing them all while healing herself and defending her downed teammate.
Anger bubbled inside of Deidara, his danna was gone and his attack hadn't even worked. Using the last of his explosive clay and chakra he detonated his C4 explosives, effectively blowing the entire mountainside to dust. His C4 explosives were always such beauties to watch, he smirked as he flew away from the destroyed base.
You knew you were in trouble the second you decided to intervene but Sakura was going to die and Tsunade had been very clear, "if one of them dies protecting you then that's on you."
Hearing that line had been what fueled you to intercept Sasori. Danzo-sensei and the Red Room's training had been enough to distract Sasori and get him to let his guard down. Killing him was surprisingly easy, he was a victim of the harsh life of a shinobi. He became a master puppeteer because he wanted to distract himself from his overwhelming loneliness. Despite his tragic backstory, you felt no guilt or remorse. He was threatening to kill you and Sakura, he had to die.
Revealing the new combat iryo-ninjutsu technique you had recently created was not something you had planned. But if you hadn't used it when you did then odds were that team seven along with the Kazekage would have suffered third degree burns and some sort of head and body trauma. Regardless of how you personally felt about them during this mission, you had a duty to fulfill as an iryo-nin and if it meant saving people you didn't necessarily like then so be it.
The only problem was that your new technique varied in the amount of chakra it used. If you were healing small bruises and cuts then minimal chakra would be used but healing third degree burns, multiple contusions and replenishing chakra on multiple people put a massive drain on your reserves. You just barely had enough chakra to perform the technique perfectly.
Watching "Deidara" expand like a balloon filled you with dread and fear. None of the others seemed to be paying attention to the S-rank missing nin trying to avenge his dead teammates. You didn't have enough chakra to save everyone a second time, hell you couldn't even save yourself if you wanted.
When Deidara exploded you saw the entire thing in slow motion. Just as his form burst, memories of you and your family having dinner flashed before your eyes, your brother carrying you on his shoulders while you played with his silky hair, your mother and you dancing to music from her age while cleaning the house, your father bragging about you to anyone who would listen, your uncle teaching you how to use a kunai and then promptly getting beat by your father for "teaching her such dangerous things", and Danzo-sensei engulfing you in a loving and understanding hug when you couldn't perfect a jutsu. You didn't see the arguments, the hateful words said to one another, you saw a family who loved you and a sensei who cared for you as if you were his blood.
You were never going to see anyone you loved again, the sheer size of the blast would cremate your small body and then scatter the ashes. Team seven and Gaara would die here, they wouldn't participate in the war and defeat Obito and Madara and Kaguya. You had messed up the timeline, somehow your actions will have caused the death of the shinobi world and you weren't even going to live long enough to try and fix it.
At that realization you felt something break inside of you, like the weight of your stupidity had broken a dam and suddenly black was spreading from the middle of your back. The black spread up your spine and down your legs engulfing your body in itself. It moved quickly towards the others, consuming them despite their attempts to move away. It covered the entirety of the ground, shinobi and you. Despite being submerged you were able to see the blast destroy the mountain side and send a mushroom of smoke into the air.
Strangely enough you felt nothing. When the debris had settled the black began to retract, stopping when it came to the first live hostage. When the black squeezed out a finger of the person, Gaara, you felt like someone was grabbing at your insides and pulling. The pain only intensified when more of Gaara was squeezed from the black until he was fully free.
The process only got worse with every person, so much so that by the time the third person, Kakashi, had emerged you were pulling your hair out and sobbing while withering in your own vomit and blood. Gaara and Naruto were already by your side and trying to hold you still as an attempt to assess the situation when Kakashi scurried over.
Kakashi had never been more intrigued about anyone ever in his life like he was about Nara Ayumi. From the moment he first met her, as a month and a half old baby, she seemed special. She wasn't fussy and seemed to like Gai, which had never happened before.
Then when her brother and father hadn't been able to be in the village during her first birthday she hadn't cried, she had used that year to study politics and observe the other shinobi in the village. After her first birthday she also began training with Gai and Lee, something not even he would do.
When she turned two she already was, by all means, a badass. She finished an entire bottle of sake just to prove her uncle wrong and not once did she complain. She was the perfect combination of prim and proper and uninhibited and wild. She could be the sweetest little girl but then also completely destroy you with only her words.
That night she had been targeted by an unknown group of shinobi, she had been at ground zero for a series of explosions and somehow had managed to survive, only to be abducted from her hospital room a day later. When she was found three days later she had no recollection of her abduction and from there her home life changed drastically.
Kakashi knew Shikaku was scared of losing his daughter, he understood his determination to find the group who targeted Ayumi but he could not wrap his head around why he began neglecting the girl. Everyone knew, they could see the way Shikaku's mood would plummet when his daughter was around. Plenty of times they had tried to warn him that he was damaging his relationship with the girl but he never listened. Not until a few months ago when she finally broke. She screamed and cried and Kakashi wanted nothing more than to comfort the young girl. She was so perceptive and intelligent at such a young age.
Prior to the melt down, Ayumi became another apprentice to Senju Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage and best medical ninja in all of fire country, by the time she was three. By the age of four Nara Ayumi had made a name for herself as the youngest nurse practitioner in all of the elemental nations. And now only a few days shy of her fifth birthday she was pseudo leading team Kakashi on a mission to save the Kazekage from the Akatsuki, had saved his brother in the process and even killed one of the Akatsuki members herself.
To say Nara Ayumi was a genius was an understatement. The girl was a prodigy on par with the likes of Uchiha Itachi and possibly even his own sensei, Namikaze Minato.
She had already saved them with a healing technique he had never seen before and now she had willed her shadow to manifest and protect them all from what would have been a deadly explosion.
From Kakashi's many late nights with Nara Ensui he knew that there were two ways a Nara's shadow could manifest for the first time. The ideal and safe method was through meditation and guidance, most likely from a parents or mentor. This method assured the Nara full control of their shadow as well as the perfect manipulation of it from where it resided- beneath their feet. It usually takes a couple years to fully manifest and connect but it's safe and has no painful drawbacks.
The second method would be in response to a traumatic or near death experience. As a last ditch effort to keep it's host alive, a Nara's shadow will manifest and consume everything around it, forming a sort of armor around the Nara to keep them safe.
As a result the Nara will never be able to fully control their shadows, instead of paralyzing their victims the shadow will consume them. Ensui was not sure where the objects the shadow consumed went but it was believed that in that case the Nara's shadow is not just a reflection of light and darkness but a mix of their souls and emotions.
When a Nara manifested their shadows this way they usually died from chakra exhaustion or were killed when they lost their sanity. They weren't stable, they weren't safe.
And now Nara Ayumi, youngest daughter of Nara Shikaku, had just manifested her shadow using this method as a way to save them all. She was screaming bloody murder and almost convusing from what Kakashi could only imagine was pain, her shadow slowly receding from Sakura's thin form. When it had fully left Sakura, Ayumi had stopped screaming but was still crying and trembling.
Kakashi followed the girls shadow as it creeped across the ground and up the girls legs until it disappeared underneath her mesh shirt. As quickly and gently as he could, Kakashi turned the girl on her stomach and lifted her shirt to expose her back. When he did he along with Naruto and Gaara gasped.
An ouroboros was seared into her skin, like a brand. Kakashi had never seen such a mark on anyone before but he could tell it was extremely painful by Ayumi's body language. Holding her small frame in his arms he was also able to pinpoint three halfway healed puncture wounds in her chest, they were still bleeding but at a slow rate. Regardless Kakashi knew he had to get her medical attention as soon as possible, she may be trained like a shinobi but her body wasn't immune to such wounds. He would punish her for disobeying his orders later.
"Sakura! How 's your chakra output right now?"
"Um why Kakashi-sensei?"
"Ayumi is going to bleed out if we don't get her help soon, can you heal her wounds?"
"Oh...no I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei, my reserves are completely drained."
At Sakura's response Kakashi paused, when the first round of explosives went off Ayumi had attached chakra strings to all of them which both healed and replenished their reserves. Kakashi himself felt his reserves being back at what they were before they had chased Deidara. This made Kakashi very suspicious of Sakura's response, he would interrogate her later.
"Kazekage-sama would you help us get medical attention for Ayumi-chan when we get back to Suna, I fear we'll lose her if we don't."
"This child saved us all twice, the least I can do is return the favor."
With that said the four shinobi set out back towards Suna, if they kept up the speed they were traveling at then they would arrive back in about three hours. Kakashi cradled chibi-chan to his chest, doing his best to put pressure on her wounds and avoiding touching her brand. He knew he had hurt her deeply when he called her a liability but he was high off of emotion from her earlier jab at his professional opinion.
Chibi-chan has survived everything thus far, she will hold out until we get back to Suna.
Kakashi kept his hopes high, Ayumi had proven herself to be a member of team seven already and he was fucked if he let her die. Besides, if she did die then Kakashi would be the one who would face Tsunade and her clan.
When Kankuro had opened his eyes he felt like the entire last day and a half was just a dream, though this was quickly dismissed when a nurse rushed in and asked him how he was feeling. Half an hour later he was dressed and preparing to lead a backup squad to help team seven retrieve his brother. Just as Baki was walking him towards the outskirts of the village a large sum of their shinobi began to shout. Looking out towards the horizon like them, both Kankuro and Baki saw team seven along with Gaara sprinting towards Suna.
Relief filled Kankuro at the sight of his brother, he had been prepared for the absolute worse but seeing him alive and mobile made Kankuro want to jump for joy. Watching team seven and his brother pass through the village gates had Kankuro opening his mouth and arms to engulf his brother in a hug and spew gratitude towards everyone. Just as he was about to hug his brother he spoke.
"Kankuro I cannot speak for long, we must get this child to the hospital. Please help me clear a path for them."
Looking back into Kakashi-san's arms was a small child. She was trembling and covered in dried blood.
"Yeah- yeah of course. C'mon follow me!"
Kankuro led them into the special section of the hospital where only the Kazekage's family was treated. Once there Gaara had ordered for the best medical team to save the small girl. Strapping the girl onto a gurney had given Kankuro a clear view of her face, his stomach dropped when he realized that she was the same doctor who had treated him earlier.
On one hand he felt a bit embarrassed, in his woozy state he had thought the doctor to be very beautiful and young looking, promising himself to ask her out when he was better. Finding out that his crush had been a child had ruined any romantic feelings he may have held for her.
On the other hand he felt incredibly sick and angry. Whoever had done this to a child was a monster. The girl was half dead for goodness sake. Bringing him out of his thoughts was a nurse asking if the girl had any preexisting conditions that could affect her overall health.
"She has a very weak heart and severe asthma. I'm not sure of the details but she's scheduled to have some sort of heart surgery before she turns five."
With that said the doctors rushed the girl into the operating room, leaving the leaf shinobi and Kazekage to wait.
"Get the antidote she created for Sasori's poison!"
"Second degree burns throughout the left side of her body."
"Heart palpitations turning erratic!"
"Left lung has collapsed."
"Her body is rejecting the blood transplant."
"Black markings are beginning to spread from middle of back."
"Get the ventilator!"
"Flatlining!"
Bruce Banner was a very special person to you. He struggled to love himself and see himself as anything but a monster. He was the only person who could possibly relate to you.
"Where can I go? Where in the world am I not a threat?"
He was upset, understandably so. If you could turn into a giant green man who had no regard for others safety then you would get upset too. Despite that you gently laid a hand on his shoulder and responded to him.
"You're not a threat to me.""Are you sure? Even if I didn't just... There's no future with me."
He paused and looked towards Barton's home, a longing look in his eyes. When he poked again his voice held pain and sadness.
"I can't ever... I can't have this. Kids. Do the math. I physically can't."
"Neither can I."
Bruce turned a curious and concerned face towards you. You had never talked about having a family in the future, despite being a loyal member of the team Bruce knew little to nothing about your past. Deciding to confide in him like you had in Barton your revealed a small bit of your past.
"In the Red Room where I was trained... where I was raised, they have a graduation ceremony. They sterilize you. It's efficient. One less thing to worry about. The one thing that might matter more than a mission. Makes everything easier. Even killing. You still think you're the only monster on the team?"
At your question a silence fell between the two of you, a fond smile spread on your face as you saw Lila heading your way.
Opening your eyes revealed bright fluorescent lights. Squinting your eyes, you also became aware of an oxygen mask strapped to your face as well as the annoying constant beeping of medical machines. Memories of your past life left you feeling absolutely broken inside. You missed your friends, you missed your nieces and nephew, you wanted to tell Bruce that you accepted him as he was, that there was nothing wrong with him.
Tears steadily trekked from your eyes and into your hair as you attempted to lift the oxygen mask from your face. Looking around with blurred eyes revealed a medium sized room with dirt walls and two circular windows. The walls had multiple animals carved into them, the bed was also smaller than the normal sized hospital beds in Konoha and the hospital gown you were in was a baby pink color with small flowers. Either you were tripping balls or you were in a children's hospital room.
Sitting up you looked to your right, the beeping was coming from a patient monitor and an EKG machine. An IV was inserted in your right hand and an ultrasound machine was also in the room. Moving your legs to dangle over the side of the bed you prepared yourself to stand up. Your chakra was making its way throughout your sluggish body but frankly speaking you were surprised it was even moving at all. Given how big your output of chakra had been yesterday you expected to not be able to feel your chakra for at least a week.
You slightly jumped when the door to your room opened, gawking in shock when Shizune walked in. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she walked over to you squatting to be at eye level with you.
"Ayumi-chan, do you remember what happened before you got here?"
"We're..in Suna?"
"Yes Ayumi-chan, this is Suna. Now answer my question please."
"Yes I remember going to save the Kazekage. There were two Akatsuki members holding him. I wasn't supposed to get involved but towards the end Sakura was in trouble. Sasori had managed to sever her Achilles tendons and he was going to decapitate her so I had to protect her!"
"Sakura said she had everything under control, you just threw yourself into the fight for no reason."
"Oh is that what she said? Bring her in please, I want to hear it from her own goddamn filthy fucking mouth. I may be a brat and I may be troublesome but I'm not a fucking liar!"
"Okay, okay let's not get you riled up alright? Your heart is in a very vulnerable state right now."
"Whatever. How long have we been here? How did you get here so quickly?"
"Ayumi-chan your mission to save the Kazekage ended almost a week and a half ago. When you were first admitted here the Kazekage sent a missive explaining everything. Tsunade-sama sent me here along with a backup team. We've been waiting for you to wake so we can evaluate your physical, mental and emotional health before we head back to Konoha."
"A week and a half? So..my birthday?"
"I'm sorry sweetheart, your birthday passed over a week ago. But I'm sure your family is eagerly waiting for you to get back so they can throw you a birthday party. Between you and me I know Tsunade-sama has a really cool present waiting for you."
Hearing that hadn't made you feel any less like a burden. Your family was probably worried sick since they most likely knew about the mission going wrong. That thought made you feel like shit, like you were nothing but trouble to them. Maybe Kakashi was right after all. That feeling bundled with the memories of your past life led you to an embarrassing sob fest where you left Shizune's uniform shirt damp with tears and snot before falling back asleep.
When you had been cleared from both the hospital staff and Shizune, you were given a mini version of the standard Konoha shinobi attire to change into. Your brothers genin shirt was matted with your dried blood and would need to be thoroughly soaked in bleach before being able to be used again. Your faded burgundy tresses were pulled into a high ponytail, leaving only a few strands to fall on your face. The entire left side of your body had been covered in bandages because apparently you also had suffered second degree burns. There was more to your condition that Shizune wasn't telling you but you guessed it didn't matter in the end.
Meeting up with team seven made you upset, Sakura clearly held some sort of grudge against you, Kakashi belittled you and Naruto was just too impressionable, easily taking Sakura's side in any argument. You were pleasantly surprised to find team three waiting with team seven. When your eyes locked with Gai's you set off at a dead sprint and throw yourself at him. He easily caught you and spun you around shouting to the heavens about your power of youth and wishing you a happy late birthday.
Lee mimicked his sensei's enthusiasm and promised to carry you all the way to Konoha like "the beautiful lotus you are Ayumi-chan!"
You bowed to Tenten and Neji out of respect but completely ignored team seven. This did not go unnoticed by everyone present. When you asked when you would be heading out Gai-sensei assured you that it would be soon, they were simply waiting for the Kazekage and his siblings.
You were idly drawing in the sand when you felt someone crouch with you, looking up you found purple face paint adorning a handsome face. Kankuro was looking at your sand drawing and making an exaggerated pensive pose. He took his finger and added to your drawing, making you smile.
"You know sensei I never got to thank you for saving my life, originally I wanted to take you out on a date but seeing as you're an actual kid I had to think of a different way to make it up to you. So I thought we could be twins!"
Kankuro pulled out a clear package, inside of it was a mini version of the cat eared uniform he was wearing along with black sandals. You instantly latched onto the package and thanked him quietly so no one else would hear. He laughed and asked if you wanted to change into it and you nodded. Kankuro flew through hand signs and four walls of sand flew up around your body. After he assured you that you could change, you ripped off your clothes and gleefully put on the three pieces.
Knocking on the walls to signal you were finished you were smiling brightly at Kankuro. He chuckled and helped you fold up your previous outfit to pack away. Just before you could zip up your pack Kankuro gave you three scrolls, making you promise him that you wouldn't open them until you get home. He also threw in five containers of face paint, all different colors. He opened the purple face paint and showed you how to apply it to your face skillfully and quickly. You were overjoyed at this, having a full conversation with Kankuro.
The rest of the party was watching you with varying expressions. Team three had soft smiles on their faces, Naruto was smiling widely, Kakashi was curious as to how Kankuro had gotten you to open up to him in such a short amount of time and Sakura was turned away from the sight.
By the time Gaara and Temari had arrived you and Kankuro looked identical. Temari couldn't stop herself from bursting out laughing while Gaara simply shook his head. There were many thanks passed around but you paid no attention to them, instead choosing to cling to Kankuro's pant leg. When Gaara and Temari turned to you, you respectfully bowed and thanked them for their hospitality.
"Nara Ayumi, you saved my life and the lives of my friends twice. If there is ever anything I can do for you please don't hesitate to ask. You have my sincere gratitude."
You shyly nodded your head and bowed in respect. Then Temari titled your head up and kissed your forehead.
"You know squirt, I like you a lot more than your idiot brother. Thanks for saving my little brother but please don't inflate Kankuro's ego anymore by idolizing him! Have a safe trip home squirt."
When it was Kankuro's turn to say goodbye, he simply gave you a fist bump and a wide smile.
"See you later mini-me! I expect great things from you."
With the goodbyes out of the way you were lifted onto Lee's back, since you were still in a frail state of health you would be carried all the way back to Konoha. As the leaf shinobi began to cross the desert you thought about your past life and hoped that they had moved on from your death. This was a new start for you, you weren't in the red room or shield anymore so there was nothing stopping you from growing old and having a family of your own.
With that thought in mind you drifted off to sleep with a smile on your purple face.
So I'm currently planning quite a few chapters ahead but have little to no energy to write. Classes and work really suck, sorry if this chapter did too:(