Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Naruto cause if I did…heh believe me things would change! coughSasuSakucough Unfortunately it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, blah, blah, blah, insert random legal document , etc.
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Chapter 18: Recap!
Kakashi extended his hand and Sasuke saw something glint in his hand as it caught the fleeting light, "You'll need this more then me."
Sasuke stepped forward and saw in Kakashi's hand Sakura's hitai-ate, her headband. It looked exactly the same and not even the blood had been wiped away. It was smeared across the leaf insignia and when Sasuke moved to take it he was careful not to smudge it. He grabbed it almost reverently in silence.
"It's yours until Sakura comes looking for it," Kakashi chuckled. "She might want it back."
"Yeah," Sasuke replied. "Just a little."
He gently removed his own hitai-ate and replaced it with hers. It felt odd seeing his own in his hand and another on him, but at the same time he instantly felt better.
"Nice," Kakashi said. "You look good in a bloodstained headband."
Sasuke smiled weakly turning to leave and began walking away raising his hand in a goodbye to Kakashi, who merely nodded after him with a sigh.
"Don't die or do anything stupid, Sasuke," Kakashi muttered then turned and walked back into the city. "I promise you'll regret it later."
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Chapter 19: Reawakening
Sasuke could hear nothing save the steady beating thump of his own heartbeat in his ears. The fog was still thick and he could only see shilouettes of things around him. He kept his eyes open and fully alert for any movement. After wandering around in the fog for what seemed like forever, Sasuke began to feel frustrated and dejected.
"Come on Toshikai! I thought you were so fanatical about killing us!" Sasuke taunted. "Or did you run away with your tail between your legs?'
Nothing and no one answered, but an awkward silence and the rustle of the wind. Mist swirled around Sasuke's feet weaving in and around.
"Come on!" Sasuke yelled his frustration leaking into his voice.
Suddenly he heard a noise in the swirling mist around him. He raised his kunai and squinted around in the fog seeing nothing.
"Are you that eager to die?" Toshikai said walking calmly towards him. "I thought you were smarter than that."
"I don't intend to die," Sasuke said never taking his eyes off Toshikai. "I will kill you first."
"Heh," Toshikai laughed. "You will try."
The two ran head on and flew past each other. Sasuke knelt on the ground poised to attack again. Suddenly a slit in his sleeve and a thin line of blood ran across his arm. He rose and turned back to Toshikai.
"You can't win," Toshikai said. "Too bad, I think that girl, Sakura wasn't it? I think she actually loved you."
"How dare you say her name!" Sasuke retorted diving to attack again.
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Sakura's eyes opened for the first time to an almost bare hospital room. Kakashi sat in a chair by the far wall sound asleep. She glanced over and saw several machines with plenty of wires that attached to her skin somewhere on her other side. Her legs felt numb and she could hardly wiggle her toes. Apparently an aftereffect of laying still for who knew how long.
She tried to at least sit up or prop herself up on an elbow, but her efforts were rewarded with a sharp burst of pain in her stomach. Wincing she fell back onto her pillow with a soft yelp. Gently, avoiding getting tangled in her IV line and heart rate monitor, she eased the blankets down. Now dressed in hospital attire, including a tie in the back gown and off green pants a.k.a. the most hideous things she had seen, she slowly eased the gown up. Bandages wrapped around her entire middle and now from sitting up as fast as she had, a small patch of blood had formed easily contrasting with the stark white of the wrap.
She tried desperately to remember what had happened and sent her here, but her head was swimming in a fog. A beeping noise from the nearby machine she recognized as the IV machine, she had traced the line, announced the next batch of medicine was now being pumped into her system. As if on cue the room started to become hazy and her head swam. If only she could just wake Kakashi. She tried to call out to him, but her voice wouldn't come to her dry raspy throat. The darkness was sucking her in again and she tried vainly again to fight the encroaching wall again.
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"I told you it's useless," Toshikai smirked at Sasuke having knocked him into the mud yet again.
Sasuke pulled himself out of the mud and spit blood from his mouth. He didn't respond to Toshikai's tormenting, but only snarled and lunged at him again. Toshikai easily deflected Sasuke's own kunai with one of his own with a mock yawn and attacked with his own flurry of attacks. His moves were fast and Sasuke found himself having trouble keeping up with them.
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"Kakashi?" Sakura called from the having found her voice. "Kakashi-sensei?"
She had "accidentally" pulled her IV line out and found it much easier to concentrate now that mind-numbing drugs weren't being poured into her system. Unfortunately she still could only vaguely remember what had happened to get her here.
"Kakashi," she called louder though her voice was still raspy and quiet. "Kakashi!"
"Huh? Eh?" Kakashi said having snorted himself awake. "What's going on?"
After briefly glancing around, but not really seeing anything, he promptly fell back asleep. Sakura sighed wishing she had an overly large rock or something that she could throw at Kakashi's fat head. She waited another minute or so and then decided she would have to get him herself.
Wincing in agonized pain despite all the painkillers, she sat up, slid to the side of the bed, and gingerly stood up. She stood there shaking and breathing deeply for a moment. Finally she went to take small steps and felt like a child again as she hobbled painfully towards her sleeping sensei. She took a grand total of about two steps towards Kakashi before her legs gave out and she more or less fell on him.
Kakashi jolted awake and found Sakura on his lap.
"Hi sensei," she said weakly.
Reflexively he stood straight up before he realized whom he had dumped off his lap.
"Dying now," Sakura muttered, wanting to but unable to curl up into a fetal position.
"Sakura!" Kakashi said hugging her.
"Kakashi!" Sakura cried out as he worsened the pain she already felt.
"Oh, sorry," Kakashi said. "I just…well anyway need some help?"
"Help would be nice," Sakura smiled. "My legs seem to think they're jello or something and I don't think I could get up anyway."
Kakashi returned the smile and picked her up in his arms. He gently set her back down on the bed and helped adjust the controls so she could sit up better.
"That better?" he said after that. "Good to have you back."
"Good to be back," Sakura said. "I missed you guys. I think I even missed Naruto a little."
"We missed you too," Kakashi replied warmly. "You're just about the only think that keeps order on the team. Without you the team would pretty much fall into disarray."
"Thanks," Sakura grinned. Ignoring the pain she willfully hugged Kakashi again. She knew it was something when Kakashi told you they needed you. "Speaking of which, where are Naruto and Sasuke?"
"I'm sure Naruto's flitting about somewhere and as for Sasuke…" Kakashi paused searching for what to say. He found he didn't have to.
"He went after Toshikai didn't he?" Sakura said casting her eyes downward.
"Yes," confirmed Kakashi.
"Kakashi, could you do a favor for me?" Sakura asked looking out the window.
"What is it?" Kakashi replied.
"When he does come back," she said, "don't tell him a thing, okay? I want to see his face myself. Could you do that?"
"Sure," Kakashi replied stifling a chuckle.
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Anger flooded through Sasuke as Toshikai taunted him. He had activated the Sharingan long ago, but he still couldn't see with all the fog. Toshikai always managed to flit past him managing to pummel him everytime in the process. Blood began to drip from Sasuke's mouth, but he quickly wiped it away.
"What are you trying to accomplish?" Toshikai mocked him.
Sasuke growled and went for one final attack though his limbs pleaded with him to stop. His tiredness made him sluggish and Toshikai easily dodged. Turning he slammed him into unconsciousness. Before Sasuke succumbed to the blackness that threatened to take him, he heard Toshikai laughing above him.
"You failed again. Oh look, what a touching sentiment," Toshikai smirked nudging Sakura's headband with his foot. "Which reminds me."
Slowly Toshikai slipped his own headband off and let it clatter to the ground by Sasuke's head.
"I won't need it anymore," he said walking away.
The headband and Toshikai's retreating form were the last things Sasuke saw.
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A/N: So the last chapter was depressing, but behold I give you happiness! Sakura finally wakes up, but Sasuke doesn't know a thing. At least not yet… I'm sorry for the entire scenario flipping thing between Sakura and Sasuke during this chapter, but I had to fit both in somehow…I hope it makes a little sense. So I hope you liked this chapter and if there's anything you think I need to change or add please tell me! I cannot tell you how helpful it is when you do! By the way, thanks to all my readers who keep on reviewing me even though I don't always make loads of sense, I love you all!
"Heaven's not a place that you go when you die, it's that moment in life when you actually feel alive."
Miharu Uchiha