Chapter 14! *epic music* It's shorter than usual I know but I promise next chapter will be longer to make up for it T^T Anyway, please feel free to throw things at me for the length and quite possibly the content too. Its fine. I won't even duck. Go for it.
What will happen next chapter I wonder. Lets wonder together because I actually don't know whats going to happen O_O hehe~
enjoy!
Never, was anyone supposed to see this again. Never. This beast with his teardrop shaped wide eyes, burning with red vengeance, the colour of drying blood. His teeth, exposed by his curled back lips, clenched furiously in either the pain of the boy or the anger of the animal. His power, choking to both its host and those who stood at the edge of the small chakra filled room.
Sarutobi Hiruzen blinked slowly, calmly. They were safe but this situation was much more severe than his crystal ball had shown. In the blurry vision, Naruto's eyes were still vividly blue and fighting. But now the boy was trapped. Naruto screamed and howled from where he lay halfway across the room, suppressed by the weight of the chakra, arms reached out feebly, fingers clenching and unclenching, reaching for something unseen. His chakra cloak raged like a wild flame, marring the white walls. He was able to move in the ball too but the violent nature of the demon fox's power had subsided and given way to a slow, sly kind of force that, now that the host could no longer move, no longer hunt, was killing him. The boy cried out, his skin bubbling and bursting. His young, pain stricken face was ruined for a moment before it healed.
The Sandaime turned his mouth down and breathed in and out. Asuma, next to him was shooting him nervous glances. Kakashi, on his other side trembled. Kurenai and Shikaku at the end were tense. But he was calm. He would lead them, because he was the Hokage.
"Hokage sama?"
"Nearly there," he muttered back.
They would move soon. Otherwise Naruto would die. A thick coil of dusty orange chakra snuck up Naruto's torso and gripped his throat. The blonde child lifted his head and roared. Everyone flinched at the noise. It was loud and hoarse but somehow under that, the scream of a child could be heard, no, felt. The coil made a break for Naruto's opened mouth. The Hokage stopped in mid blink.
"NOW!"
Dark shadows shot across the floor and snagged Naruto's body. The beast eyes went wide at the touch of the jutsu. Shikaku grunted from the end of the line when Naruto turned his murderous gaze to him and snarled.
"Don't lose him now," said the Hokage loudly, eyes still trained in the boy.
"Kakashi," he muttered under his breath. "You know what to do." The man next to him tensed and took one step forward. His breath was loud and quick. He didn't move anymore and Naruto started to thrash. Shikaku made a noise of protest. Kyuubi was strong and everyone was getting edgy as Naruto moved onto his hands and knees. The jutsu only just bound him. There was no time for hesitation.
"Naruto look here, look here," called Kurenai and the boy's head snapped around to Kurenai down the line. A few hand signs and Naruto's eyes widened. Genjutsu. She may be able to keep him entranced long enough for Kakashi to get close enough but with Kyuubi nothing was certain. How long would the shadows hold? How long would the genjutsu stay? No one could say. A genjutsu that would show a beast something that could hold him spell bound...was there such a thing? Thankfully they had Kurenai. If there was, she would be able to create it.
"Kakashi." The Hokage placed a steady hand on the jounin's shoulder as he called to him quietly. It slumped under the slight pressure.
"You can do this. Be strong," he encouraged in a whisper. Kakashi turned to him and nodded. Kurenai clicked her tongue gently. She couldn't hold him for too much longer.
"I just have to make him pass out right?" asked Kakashi.
"Yes. That's all. Be careful. You can do this. I believe in you." For a split second, Kakashi was small before the Hokage; thirteen or fourteen, a genin, a child. Something in his eyes was young and scared before the iris filled with colour and the sharingan whirred.
"I can do this..."
"Yes you can."
...
Summer rain on his skin
...
Fireflies in the evening blue
...
Sugar rush on a hot day
...
Smooth river stones under his feet
...
Sunlight through dew drops
...
Sweet sweat on his lips
...
Pink butterflies dancing across orange and blue flowers
...
Sasuke slipped into half consciousness and watched as the butterfly fell to the bottom of his vision and spread in a thick smooth line; vivid pink against the dark backdrop of his eyelids. His eyelashes grew warm, the smell of daffodils filled his nose. His tongue felt thick, limbs dream heavy. There was a dull ache in his arms and back.
Someone was talking. Their voice was soft and sad.
"...and then I came up here to see you."
A hand was holding his; small and gentle, the thumb on the outside making small circles on his.
"Kakashi sensei comes to see you too. I usually leave though because he's pretty grumpy at the moment. I think he's really worried."
Silence. The butterfly was still in mid air.
"I wonder when you will wake up, Sasuke kun..." A sigh.
The pink butterfly before him rose up and dipped and dived with the jump of her voice, dropping and curving almost to the bottom again when she sighed.
"You know. I hope you wake up soon... I can't do much more by myself... You're really worrying me. Both you and Naruto, you're both so reckless and always getting into trouble, especially Naruto. I don't know what to do with you guys anymore."
The hand tightened as she laughed emptily.
"...It was just like on that mission with Tazuna san... You're face looked the same. All pale and lifeless. I can't believe I fainted. Pretty useless huh? Sorry I'm not more help. Maybe if I was I wouldn't be the one left alone at times like this..."
His hand lifted and her mouth kissed his knuckles lightly.
"I'm scared. I need you Sasuke kun..."
The butterfly spiralled but then was pushed back up in a rush of blue when a new voice spoke up as a door somewhere opened.
"Forehead?"
Another butterfly, bigger and stronger than the little pink one.
"Ino..."
"You're still here?"
"Yeah. I just went down to try and see Naruto and then came up here."
"Did you get to see him? I heard from Shikamaru they're holding him under the hospital. His dad was there you know."
The butterflies danced around each other. Sasuke breathed out as their wings brushed. No one noticed his breathing hitch when the butterflies came close to each other.
"No, I didn't see him. Well, I tried. Iruka sensei was in the waiting room and I made him tell me how Naruto was and then take me down to see him, I figured I had the right to see him but I passed out at the top of the stairs and he had to carry me back out. It was too much."
"Yeah. I saw Asuma sensei on the way up here. He was carrying Kurenai sensei. They both look pretty worn out."
The pink shape of the butterfly dipped.
Quiet for a moment. Three people breathing.
"...It's terrible. The chakra is horrible. He's been down there for four days. He won't wake up... He's not in danger any more but something in stopping him from coming back... That's what Kakashi sensei said..."
Wing to wing, the two butterflies descended. One girl sobbed brokenly.
"Come on Sakura... Don't cry. It makes your face look bad. It's ok... They're both gonna be fine. Sasuke will wake up anytime now. What did the doctors tell you?"
The pink butterfly's wings fluttered feebly.
"That he should be waking up soon. Only a couple of the wounds will scar because they got to him quickly but he lost a lot of blood so we have to wait..."
She sniffed.
"Sakura. You should go home. You look tired."
"But what if one of them-"
"They'll call you if Sasuke gets up. And Naruto... well. He could be a while I guess. Come back tomorrow ok?"
The butterflies were melting at the bottom of Sasuke's line of sight. Pink and Blue. Purple. A chair scraped.
"Bye Sasuke kun... Wake up soon."
A soft hand moved his fringe off his forehead and fingertips found his cheek. He didn't move.
"Bye Bye..." she said softly, distantly from across the room. The door clicked shut. Sasuke opened his eyes.
"Naruto..."
…
Kakashi's footsteps were slow as he walked up the stairs to the third floor. Sasuke was on this floor right? He couldn't really remember. 24 hours under the hospital on watch and off; staying because he couldn't bring himself to leave until one of the other jounin had told him to get out, had done a real number on the silver haired jounin. He'd go up and check on Sasuke and then maybe try to get some sleep. Not that he thought he would be able to. He hadn't slept in four days.
"We think something in his mind is keeping him in the Kyuubi state. Its like he doesn't want to come back..."
"Like what? What could be keeping him there?"
"Like something he can't face...?"
"..."
Kakashi frowned.
Something Naruto couldn't face...
Sasuke's pale face flashed in front of his eyes. Was that it? The boy was hurt pretty bad but he wasn't dead. But Naruto didn't know that. Was that it? Was it Sasuke? The jounin pinched the bridge of his nose to ward of a headache he could feel building.
If he had hurt someone as close to him as Sasuke was to Naruto like that, would he be able to carry on? Kakashi didn't know. He'd never let someone come that close. What would Sasuke say when he woke up and found out that Naruto was still in the Kyuubi state. He wasn't dangerous; he just lay in his cage under the hospital like a good little fox, slowly eating away at anyone's energy that was near with his demonic chakra. He wouldn't wake. He didn't eat either. Maybe the nine tailed beast didn't care for the food they left for him. Maybe he didn't have the energy to get up from where he lay.
"And the cause?"
"No one can say for sure..."
Over time the seal had weakened and a number of factors could have contributed to the crack in its hold. That's what the Hokage had said. But no one knew enough. Not even the medics, who were considering the possibility that physical damage to the seal mark itself could have helped. Was that even a valid argument? If so.. Was it Kakashi's fault that Naruto was like this then? That wound from their last mission...
Shaking his head, the man walked slowly down the third story hallway.
"What are you doing? Please! Get back in bed!"
Kakashi opened his one weary eye. What was all the commotion? What were the nurses all yelling about?
There was a loud crash and one woman screamed. Kakashi picked up his feet into a run and rounded a corner.
"Sasuke?"
In the middle of the corridor stood his dark haired student. His head was bowed and he was panting as he struggled against the nurses. All the wires from his monitors were broken.
"What are you doing you idiot!" yelled Kakashi and the boy lifted his face at the familiar voice, his expression somewhat surprised, under the twist of anger, frustration and pain, at the aggressive tone his teacher was using. Sasuke coughed and cringed, nearly going down onto his knees. He swayed a bit but continued to resist the nurses' efforts to get him back into his room. The older ninja took two steps forward and raised his voice.
"Sasuke! Get back in bed right now!" The boy stopped struggling and attempted to retreat as in a few long quick strides, Kakashi was upon him and hoisting him over his shoulder. The nurses pulled back and the jounin carried the boy back into his room and threw him down on the bed.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't you know you're supposed to be resting?" Kakashi climbed onto the bed and knelt above Sasuke who was curling in on himself in pain. A gash on his arm had reopened. The man's dark eyes flicked over Sasuke's form, waiting for an answer that he knew the stubborn teen wouldn't give.
"Sasuke! What were you thinking?" Sasuke opened his eyes and glared. His stare was unsteady, shaken by the character change in Kakashi. The jounin knew he must be confused by it but that was fine. Kakashi hadn't slept in two days and the desperation for the blue of Naruto's eyes or the deep black of Sasuke's had been killing him. He was actually quite glad to see the boy so energetic but what kind of idiot gets out of a hospital bed when they're that badly injured? Sasuke's glare fell away and he averted his eyes to the pillow that fallen to the floor when he had been thrown onto the bed.
"But that Usuratonkachi is here too... He's not...I thought... I just... I want see him," admitted Sasuke and they both felt suddenly uncomfortable with weakness in his voice.
"You could have reopened you're wounds and died Sasuke. The big ones on your back aren't completely healed. You could have died and what use would you have been to Naruto then?" asked Kakashi coldly. Sasuke's anger spiked and Kakashi felt the hair on the back of his neck raise with it
"A lot more than I am now!" cried Sasuke. Kakashi let the boy try to sit up before pushing back down roughly by the shoulders.
"Sasuke! That's not true!" A hot anger flared under his rib cage.
Just stay down! You want to worry me more?
Kakashi bit his lip, trying to fight the urge to growl or sob. He wasn't sure which. Sasuke looked back at him with a face that said, 'yes it is'. Anger bubbled again.
"Do you know what it's like right now? Naruto is down there all alone! Suffering! I can't stand to be down there but I have to because I love him! I love you all! We might have to erase his memories to get him to wake up! He can't stand what he's done! And then I come up here everyday to check on you and sometimes Sakura is here so I have to lie! Even though she knows that Naruto isn't getting better! Even though she knows, I lie! I tell her it's all going to be alright when I know its not!"
Sasuke was silent. Kakashi was silent, his head hung, panting, and voice hoarse. He took a moment before he realized what he had just said. The amount of honesty his words held was frightening. Things he hadn't really accepted himself.
"Sasuke..." he said brokenly. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. It's making me like this. I.." He stopped and watched the face beneath him.
"Sasuke?" In the moment of looking into his face, the person beneath him was no longer just the strong, confident Sasuke he knew. His face wasn't hard and guarded. He was that little boy who had lost it all. The little boy that time had stopped for. Kakashi's eyes grew wide. Something about that face was terrifying. Sasuke couldn't have a face like this.
"It's not going to be ok..." murmured Sasuke. "If he wakes up he won't know us... And everything will be gone..." The boy's eyes were wide and then, to Kakashi's horror, tears formed in Sasuke's eyes and he didn't stop them. They rolled over the bridge of his nose and seeped into the sheet as he lay very still on his side.
"Again. Everything is going to be gone... again... What did I do wrong...?" Kakashi sat up, unable to comprehend what was happening, feeling the sting of tears in his own eyes.
"Sasuke..." he reached out to stroke Sasuke's hair. The boy cringed and his face screwed up. He looked like a child.
"Sasuke... Please stop..."
Sasuke didn't and Kakashi had to look away.
Sasuke cried silently for a long time and all Kakashi could do was sit with him until he was done; terrified to stay but too scared to leave. This wasn't in the job description.
"We're both a bit out of sorts today aren't we?" said Kakashi quietly, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "It'll be alright... you'll see."
"No it won't," replied Sasuke thickly.
"Maybe he'll wake up and we won't have to get rid of his memories."
"..."
"Wishful thinking ne?"
"..."