Love & Truth

22. Too Late, Too Soon

(Tsunade's POV)

As we run down the narrow corridors, the echoing screams guided us, followed us, tortured us… but I knew more than well that I'm not the one it causes the most pain to.

Once we finally managed to catch up to the Uchiha who ran at the speed of lightning I wanted to stop him and think of some kind of plan to not run there like a mass, but I also knew better than to expect the Uchiha to slow down and listen when it came to the matter of a certain blonde fiancé of his.

I understood, yet I also hoped that he is not as blinded to actually run into the open space, making a live target from himself immediately.

Few minutes later however, as we heard the screaming intensify, I got to realize that that was exactly what the Uchiha was planning at the moment, as he slowed down a bit, turned his head, and spoke to us.

„You better come quickly, or I'll speed you all up with a well-aimed Chidori." He bristled as he turned back and regained the speed he has run at previously, even getting a bit faster, if that was even possible.

I wanted to curse him for his recklessness, but I was well aware that I really was not in a place to... after all, even with the relationship I had with Naruto, it was by no means even near to how deep a connection Naruto shared with the grumpy raven.

Catching the glances of the other parts of our rescue group, I knew that they were sharing my thoughts and so, thinking like that we all sped up also, trying to catch up to the restless Uchiha who led us.

L&T

(Amaya's POV)

I saw Naruto engulfed in that strange light, Kyuubi being sucked out of him… along with his own life.

„How could he just... offer... himself like that?" I whispered to myself as I looked up at the still-screaming blonde. „How?"

„He's that type of person... Didn't you notice? Up till now?" I heard Mamoru say. It caused me to turn to look at him.

„I did... yet... seeing it like this... It hurts. I really thought that the rumours about him from our village had been overestimated, but it's quite the opposite, they're underestimated." I voiced the thoughts that were in my head. „I really did not think that there would be someone like him... and to think that he did this for us... people he knows for such a short time. It's not like we're his life-long friends, not even close to that... How can he sacrifice himself like this?" I said, looking up at the boy in question, only to avert my eyes in a second. „Why for us?"

„Don't you think that he takes us as his life-long friends? You heard him, even if shards only, how it went in life for him. Doesn't such an experience make one appreciate the friends they have even more so? Besides, he did not do this to sacrifice himself... he did it, because he believes that his friends will come... because he knows that he is most likely to survive long enough for them to come. He just wants all of us to get out of here. Besides... He would never do such a thing while knowing he's to die, not in his situation, keep that in mind."

Once Mamoru fell silent, I had to admit to myself just how true his words were... and speaking in such a fashion? One would have thought he's older for that, but then again, being a Jinchuuriki makes one experience things that cause them to grow up faster. That's just so very true in Naruto's case...

'This whole thing is just twisted.' I had to say to myself. 'Why do we need to be treated like this? What did we ever do?'

I was so angry at the moment that I stood up and out of frustration punched the nearest guard in the face.

I've seen how the other guard got angry, taking long steps to get to me...however as was about to jump at me, about to make me pay for my action, a raven-haired man run into the room.

L&T

(Third Person's POV)

For a moment all the movement in the spacious room stopped, except for the raven's chest that was heaving from the exerion the long run caused.

The onyx eyes looked desperately at the blonde engulfed in the strange light he knew was deadly if exposed to for too long. Before he could take some action however, one of the masked figures whom were taking a part of ritual separated from the others, jumping from the hand of the screaming-like statue, facing the raven.

„You must be crazy, to come here alone... Are you?" The man asked smirking, jumping at the Uchiha.

„I am not. But I think that you are, not watching your back at all." Sasuke said only, as he caught the man's wrist, during the tiny moment of hesitation, swinging him around, only to throw him at the already waiting Sakura who punched the man across the whole room, and even so the man made a hole in the wall from the impact.

Sasuke looked after the man, narrowing his eyes, then turned around to look at the remaining five masked people, who still continued the ritual. He then nodded at the remains of the rescue group motioning them forward.

„What a pleasant surprise." A voice rang through the room. „You brought Shukaku's Jinchuuriki to us? How useful, we really had a hard time, trying to get to him through all that security of his. This makes it easier." The man, the leader Ou himself, smirked as he jumped before the group of rescuers. „I guess we have to interrupt our plans for a bit in a light of a better outcome, guys."

With these words said, the rest of the survivors of Rengoku stepped from their positions to stand beside their leader.

Also, as this motion took its place, the light around Naruto disappeared, and he fell, into arms of Mamoru who managed to get to him in a nick of time.

„Naruto." Sasuke whispered softly, as he saw the young man of Iwagakure catch his blonde mate.

When he saw that Naruto was placed on the floor, then taken care of by the other Jinchuuriki along with Sakura who just managed to get rid of the guards, he sighed in relief, then focused himself back on the five people before him.

He still had few things to do before he was to see whether Naruto was truly all right.

L&T

(Mamoru's POV)

„Is he going to be all right?" I asked as I saw the unknown, yet obviously friendly, pink-haired woman.

The woman only looked at me briefly, then focused on healing Naruto-san.

I saw the henge on Naruto-san lift, as the bulge on his stomach appeared and his appearance overall seemed to get way more haggard.

'He's been hiding it from us.' crossed my mind. It should have been strange to us how well Naruto-san seemed while supporting two more people, yet not being able to take care of himself to the needed extent.

I sighed as I realized how good he was at hiding his condition.

'If only was he not...'

As I thought so to myself I heard as the Rengoku and the group of the rescuers started fighting. I heard the kunais and shurikens clashing, I felt the changes in the air as the elemental jutsus were used, I could hear the screams. Smell the blood. It was as if a war on a smaller scale was going on in the room, yet I was only staring at the blonde, who offered his safety to the group of lunatics in order to shield us from harm.

„Err..." Amaya started, but was not sure how to address the kunoichi.

„It's Sakura..." the pinkette answered, understanding the intention.

„Sakura-san. Is Naruto going to be all right? It's that... before he was... taken, he..." Amaya muttered on, but as I was further from her than Sakura-san was I could not hear her properly, the pinkette seemed to do, though, judging from the way her eyes widened.

She then started to gnaw on her lip, watching the battle scene, especially the blonde woman, whom I'd guess was the Hokage, according to Naruto-san's description.

„I need to get her here..." She muttered to herself, but did not stop healing Naruto, who still did not seem to show signs of life, except for the shallow way his chest was rising and falling.

„Take this off me." Amaya said suddenly, motioning to Sakura-san with her wrists. „ I can fight, but I need you to take these chakra cuffs off me."

„Are you sure? You were here for a long time, are you sure you can fight? Aren't you out of energy?"

„I can manage for some time, don't forget that I have a Bijuu inside me, I regenerate quickly. None of us would look so bad if we had access to our Bijuu's powers, for more than basics." Amaya said, her bound wrists still waiting for the release.

Sakura-san then nodded shortly and focused herself on the cuffs.

It took some time, but after a while the cuffs disappeared and I could see the relief on Amaya's face.

„You also better take Naruto's cuffs off also, Kyuubi may be a bit disoriented at the moment, even if she can use her power to bigger extent compared to ours. We'll still need the Bijuu's help for Naruto's well-being... Other Jinchuuriki can wait, ne?" She asked, looking at me.

„Of course, we're not as bad at the moment."

Looking at the two children Jinchuuriki I sighed then smiled as I noticed that they have fallen asleep, which was kind of a miracle in the noise that reverberated through the room. The exhaustion must have been to much though.

„Go Amaya." I said only, as the pinkette concentrated on Naruto-san's cuffs. „I think that the Hokage will really be needed here."

„Okay." Amaya sighed only then ran at the direction of the blonde woman.

„I really hope it helps."

L&T

(Sakura's POV)

„Tsunade-sama!" I could only yelp, as the woman appeared next to me, soon after the Jinchuuriki, Amaya I think it was, left.

„So what's wrong? I believe you would not call me otherwise..."

„There's nothing wrong on the outside, however from what Amaya told me, Naruto has gone into labour when being taken away... I think that if we don't take some action soon the babies may be distressed and thus there might be a lot of complications... I'd say it would be best to do a c-section, but we're not in a sterile room, nor are we sure to not get killed halfway through... also I don't think that, being so taken with the battle, the Rengoku noticed Naruto's condition... I think it would be for best if we just got rid of them quickly, but it seems that these are of the upper half power-wise in the group..." I tried to sum up the situation as soon as possible, almost scaring myself with my own words. I did not really realize in what a dire situation did we get ourselves until I said it out loud.

„Just don't panic..." Tsunade-sama sighed, massaging her temples.

„It's kind of hard, not to..."

„I'll go back to help the others... I'd need you there also, but you'll stay and heal Naruto, though some more offensive would..."

As was Tsunade-sama to continue we heard the other older Jinchuuriki cough.

„Maybe... I can help?" He said hesitantly.

„You can?" Tsunade-sama asked, an eye-brown quirked.

„I have some healing training... If you take these cuffs off I can support them with Sanbi's chakra."

„He makes sense!" Tsunade-sama exclaimed and took the cuffs off swiftly then dragged me back to the battle.

I could only see how the young man bent over Naruto and started to heal him slowly.

L&T

(Third Person's POV)

The battle went on and on.

Even after another of the Rengoku was taken down it did not show any signs of progress. Not to mention that the group of rescuers was starting to feel the effects of pretty much five days non-stop travel, added to the injuries they got.

Even so, the Rengoku were humans only also. Even they showed signs of exhaustion, and soon enough there were only two of them. The leader, and number three, Kirai.

But for what price?

Out of the four ANBU Tsunade took none survived, as they took protecting others as the matter of highest importance, stepping in tracks of deadly attacks.

Gaara had to take care of Neji, who was poisoned by Kirai.

Sakura took a heavy blow to her shoulder, not being able to move her left arm.

Shikamaru was apparently to see on only one eye from then on...

… and these were only some of the bigger injuries. Along with these there were many wounds that no one would ever be able to count in one day.

„Why?" Tsunade asked, looking eyes-to-eyes with the leader.

„Because they shouldn't exist... They're abominations." The leader spat out, narrowing his eyes at the Hokage.

„Why do I feel as if I heard that somewhere?" The woman replied, with pretended surprise. Then her voice got harsh. „Why can't you just leave them be?"

„Just because. They just annoy..."

Suddenly the man froze in his spot.

„What's this?" He asked, looking around, moving his eyes only.

„You know, in such a poorly lit room you can't really see a crawling shadow, can you?" The head of the Konoha smirked, coming closer to the man.

„This is a goodbye, I'm afraid." The woman added.

„Kirai..." The leader hissed, at his follower, but he did not see the man any more as he was in a process of being buried by sand, a gift from the enraged Kazekage.

Meanwhile Sasuke approached the leader, placing a katana at his throat.

„You decided to mess with a wrong person..." He hissed as he made a quick motion, ending the cruel man's so, causing blood to splash on him, he did not seem to mind it though, as he immediately turned around and ran to his still-unconscious fiancé's side.

„How is he?" He asked Mamoru.

„No good, he does not seem to want to wake up..." the Jinchuuriki sighed, letting Tsunade to take over.

As the woman did she scanned Naruto's body with chakra she made a disapproving sound.

„We need to move him... And quick."

L&T

It took almost an hour before the group found a room in the labyrinth of corridors which Tsunade deemed appropriate. Once they did however everyone except for Sakura, and Mamoru, were cast out of it.

After that it took only about a half of the time they spent searching and the group heard the wailing of a newborn, soon joined by another.

Sasuke had two emotions at the time battling over each other.

The happiness, from having his dream of his and Naruto's family within an arm's reach, and a sadness, from realizing that the blonde is not even aware of the situation, missing it, not to mention it was not definite that he was going to be all right after such a treatment.

The ambivalence of that situation was awful.

L&T

(Sasuke's POV)

Once I pulled myself from my thoughts I could see Tsunade and Sakura, each carrying a bundle, motioning for me to come closer. As I did I met two pairs of charcoal black eyes.

I had to smile at that. These two truly knew how to introduce themselves as the Uchihas. There were no other babies which took on their eye colour that soon.

„They need names Sasuke... Have you and Naruto thought of some?" Sakura asked.

I only shook my head, besides I did not want to choose names dobe would not like.

„Makoto and Yori." I heard the Jinchuuriki that was called Amaya say. „That's what Naruto wanted as the names. What he wants them to have for each other... only if you like it, though, he said..." She said.

'Sincerity... and trust?' I thought as I could not help the overbearing sadness come over me.

„That idiot..."

L&T

„Aren't they hungry?" Sakura asked, as Makoto and Yori put up a fuss.

„And what should we feed them with?" hag shot back, that was when the Sabaku came.

„Naruto can feed them..." he said calmly.

„You mean like...?"

„Yes."

„And how do you know that?" Kiba teased, signing his death wish so.

„Experience..." the red-head hissed only, narrowing his eyes at the dog-lover, stopping any other words that were to come.

I could not help, but think how loudly would Naruto be laughing if he saw this scene.

'I wish you could see this, dobe.'

L&T

(Third Person's POV)

During the four days that the group spent in the underground Naruto did not wake up, nor did he wake up during the by-normal-pace-eight-day way back.

It took almost a month until the blonde finally opened his eyes.

Sasuke, who was by his side most of the time was the first to see, alerting Tsunade and the medics.

„How do you feel Naruto?" Tsunade asked, looking at the boy who seemed to have trouble focusing on his surroundings.

„As if my insides were ripped out." The blonde groaned only.

'Pretty accurate.' The woman could not help but think.

She spoke about where else does it hurt, any other symptoms and such, until Naruto froze at the sight of the raven who waited to be noticed in the corner.

However the words that left Naruto's mouth were not even a mile near to what he expected, what everyone did.

„What is Sasuke-teme doing here? You people managed to bring him back?"

Done~

Ah, the cliché of amnesia~ :p It's not going to be a long phase though, hopefully xD

Hope to see you in the next chapter~

See ya~ ( "-.-)/