Wahoo! I'm finally getting better! Ten days of coughing up lungs at every breath, but finally I'm only coughing at every other breath! :D It's a miracle! Speaking of miracles, our little Sakura got pretty darn lucky, if I do say so myself. Here's chapter 10 =)
I do not own Naruto. But I do own about twenty little tiny dragons made of seed beads in different colors that I made myself =) Anyone else into beading?
"Shit…" I hissed as I slowly came to.
"Oh, thank goodness you're awake." A female voice said in relief, and I blinked rapidly to clear the haze that filled my eyes.
"What happened?" I asked with a groan, looking at the golden haired woman who knelt beside me. She looked to be in her early forties, and wore a kind expression.
"I'm not sure, ma'am. All I know is that a sand storm came when I was near here. I rushed to shelter and when I came into this cave, I found you barely breathing on the ground. I don't have much medical experience beyond patching up my son whenever he got hurt, but you're alive…" She trailed off when I put my bandaged hand onto my abdomen, which hurt like hell.
"I need something out of my bag…Is it here?" I asked her with a wince, and she nodded. She disappeared from my sight for a moment, and then returned and I heard her set something heavy down beside her. "In the front left pocket there's a black pouch…" I heard her fumbling around.
"Got it." She said, waiting further instructions.
"Pull out three of the small pills in it and put them in my mouth, please." I said and she did as I asked, putting the pouch back. I swallowed the pills after chewing them and then closed my eyes, pushing chakra out of my injured hand and having it surround both the hand and the wound in my gut.
"You're…" I heard the woman gasp. "You're a medic-nin?"
"Yeah." I murmured tiredly. Damn. I've barely used any chakra. Even after three soldier pills, I'm exhausted… At this rate... I pulled my hand away with a sigh.
"Are you done healing already?" The woman asked curiously and I shook my head.
"No… I was only able to remove the infection that was setting in and stop it completely from bleeding. I'm still badly hurt… How long have I been unconscious?" I asked, opening my eyes to meet hers.
"Two days. The sandstorm only just let up an hour or so ago... I was trying to wake you up so I could help you to a nearby village and get you treated." The woman explained and I shook my head. "No?" She questioned, confused.
"That town was attacked… Everyone got away, but I was hurt in the process." I explained tiredly.
"Oh… Well… There's a town about two miles away in the opposite direction. I need to get you there before you get any worse." She said, looking determined now.
"All right… But I'm exhausted. I don't think I can walk right now." I warned her, and she nodded.
"It's alright. I'm no shinobi, but I think I can get you there…" She looked hesitant for a moment, and I just nodded. I tiredly held my arm out to her, and she turned on her knees so I could put it over her shoulders. She grasped the wrist of my right arm that was draped over her, then wrapped her free arm around my waist. I let out a small groan when her arm hit my wound, which went through my chest and out my back. "Sorry."
"Not your fault." I murmured as she pretty much lifted me to my feet. I saw how much it strained her to do that, so I smiled at her. "I'll do my best not to fall over too much." I said with a teasing wink, and she laughed lightly.
"By the way, my name is Mivara." The woman introduced herself, and I nodded.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mivara. I'm Saki."
"Why did you do that?" Gaara asked me almost three years ago. I was putting on my shinobi sandals, sitting on the edge of a Konoha hospital bed.
"Does it matter?" I asked him, frowning lightly.
"Can't you just answer me?" Gaara growled in frustration, and I sighed. "You shouldn't have been hurt."
"Gaara." I began, and he watched me carefully. "I knew the risks. I knew that you were going after the toughest person because you are the strongest. I knew that, and I followed you anyways. You didn't even have to ask me. Hell, if you told me not to, I still would have. I knew I could get hurt, and I was willing to if it meant the mission's success because that's what shinobi do…And I was willing to get hurt if it meant protecting you." I added that last part after a moment's hesitation.
"…Why?" Gaara asked a few seconds later, frowning.
"Because…" I trailed off with a heavy sigh. "Because I love you more than as a friend, Gaara." I admitting after a moment. He was silent, so I continued on. "I hadn't really realized it until we had split up to help them. I had to follow you. I couldn't not go with you, Gaara. It terrified me so much…" I trailed off, tears filling my eyes at the memory. I looked down at my hands, and suddenly the bed dipped down beside me. I looked up to see him sitting next to me, looking up ahead of us.
"Sakura… When I saw him hit you so hard you went through my sand, I thought he had crushed your chest. I didn't think you were alive." He admitted after several moment, and I frowned. "He nearly did… But I was angry. I got careless at the end. He almost killed me… If he had lived a split second longer, I would be dead…" Gaara paused and I watched him with wide eyes. "I think that I felt that way because…" He looked at me and I was surprised by the calm and peaceful expression he wore. "because I feel the same way about you."
"You… love me?" I murmured softly in shock, and he nodded. Before he could open his mouth to confirm, I had thrown my arms around him, hugging him tightly. I smiled so wide I thought my face would split when he hugged me back.
"What are you? Stupid?" I asked Gaara the morning just after we had returned to Sunagakure after he startled me awake, making me try to stab him in the face with a kunai. Luckily he had Shukaku to automatically protect him... Gaara turned around and raised an eyebrow at me.
"That's no way to talk to your boyfriend." He said and I laughed as Kankurou choked on his toast.
"Oh yeah? And just how is this boyfriend going to stop his girlfriend from talking to him like that?" I asked him teasingly as Kankurou coughed furiously to clear his throat. I felt sand wrap around my chest and abdomen, lifting me into the air. I let out a laugh as Gaara moved me gently outside with his sand, following chase on a cloud of sand. We ended up spending the entire morning playing in the sky, with Gaara using his sand to create a moving obstacle course to chase me on.
"Ah… Good morning, Saki." Mivara said with a smile when I opened my eyes to find myself in a hospital bed.
"Morning." I replied in a tired voice.
"How are you feeling?" She asked in a worried tone.
"I feel great, actually…" I frowned in confusion as I sat up, feeling barely any pain. "Why have I healed so much?"
"Er… Well…" Mivara hesitated before sighing. "You had some internal bleeding. They had to do surgery to stop it. Also, they were worried about nerve damage to your spine because of how close the wound was to it, so they had to go in and make sure everything was okay. Which it was." She added quickly and I nodded. "But when they woke you up after all the surgery, you reopened your wounds so they put you in a medicine induced come until you were healed. It's been a month."
"A month!" I exclaimed and she nodded, looking worriedly at me. "Oh my god! I have to get out of here." I shouted, throwing my blankets off. I stood up and immediately swayed because I hadn't used my legs in a month, but I quickly regained my balance and started to leave.
"Saki, please. You need to rest." Mivara said in a worried tone.
"You don't understand, Mivara." I whipped around, and she frowned at my panicked expression. "My father and baby sister were in that town. What if they didn't get away in time? If they did, they must think I'm dead!"
"…All right… But before you go, you're a shinobi, right?" She asked and I nodded. "Then you need to know something…" She took a deep breath, motioning for me to sit down. I sat on the bed and she began to talk. "Konohagakure was attacked by the Akatsuki and destroyed." My breath caught. What? Konoha was destroyed? What about Naruto, Shikamaru, and Kakashi? Oh god, Temari must be heartbroken. I thought, remembering how close she and Shikamaru were when I last saw them.
"They killed all the attackers, and apparently everyone survived the attack." Oh thank god. "But the Kage's are growing antsy now. They called a meeting of all the Kage's, but won't even hint at where. In fact, I only just found out today, and apparently the Kazekage left yesterday. I thought you would want to know that because you're a shinobi…"
"Thank you, Mivara, but now I really must go." I said, narrowing my eyes with determination now. I would have to send Hatsuri a letter telling him I was alive and go after Gaara. I hated him being far away from me, which is why I had lived so close to Suna. Every time he went on missions, I would go as well, but stay at least a half hour away at all times so there was no risk of him catching me.
"All right… But be careful. Please." She murmured and I nodded.
"I will be. I promise." I said as I turned to leave. "I'll try to keep in touch, all right?"
"Thank you." Mivara smiled kindly at me, but her smile was also worried. I hesitated before hugging her.
"Don't worry, Mivara. I wouldn't be careless after everything you went through to keep my careless ass alive." I said with a laugh and she chuckled softly, hugging me tightly. "I need to go up onto the roof before I leave. Would you join me?" I asked as we broke the hug, offering her my arm. She laughed lightly and took it, and so we went up to the roof.
"Why do we need to be up here?" Mivara asked curiously when I walked to the edge of the roof and took out a scroll.
"I need to send a message to my father and sister, letting them know I'm okay." I explained as I started to write on the scroll.
"How are you going to get it to them?" She asked and I smiled softly.
"I'll have my summon take it to them." Mivara fell silent, letting me write the letter.
"Dear Hatsuri and Miyuki,
This is Saki. I would have sent you a letter earlier, but I was badly hurt in the fight and couldn't. I'm sorry… But I'm alive and fully healed, I promise, and I wrote this the second I woke up. Don't let it alarm you, but I have been in a drug induced coma because of how bad my injuries were. The point is, I'm alive, and I'm completely okay now, all right? Focus on that. How have you guys been doing? I hope Miyuki has been doing a good job as the town's medic. Tell her that her Onee-chan is proud of her.
I heard about Konohagakure, father. It terrified me to think that the Akatsuki had such power… But I don't know if those two Akatsuki men are still after me. I'm following the Kazekage to the meeting so I can find out more. If I can't sneak in, then I'll confront him afterwards and speak with him for the information I need. I'll be careful, and I miss you both immensely. For the moment I'm not returning. I don't know when I will, but I will write to you the moment I know more.
Be careful, would you? And if anyone wearing the black and red cloaks come, don't try to be a hero. Run for your lives, please. I can't lose you two.
Saki"
I rolled up the scroll and sealed it before making a number of hand signs. Activating the tattoo on my back, a puff of smoke appeared before me and Mivara, causing the middle aged woman to gasp in surprise. As the fog faded, a tiger cub sitting in front of me, a Sunagakure hitai-ate around its neck. The cub tilted its head at me and I smiled. "Torri… I need you to take this to a town about four miles east of here. Take it to Hatsuri directly, okay? Not Miyuki." I instructed the tiger, who's tail twitched. The cub stood up and I offered it the scroll. It delicately grabbed it in its jaws and nodded at me before leaping off the edge off the hospital building and onto the roof of one nearby. I turned to the awestruck Mivara and hugged the woman tightly.
"Be safe, Saki. I know it's strange, but I feel close to you. It would hurt me if you were injured or killed." She whispered the last part and I smiled at her.
"I feel the same way, Mivara. I will return to the town that was attacked once in about two weeks, okay? I'll send you a letter to let you know I'm safe." I promised and she nodded.
"If you don't send me a letter in two weeks, I'm going to that town of yours and breaking down your door." She warned and I laughed.
"All right. Well, in that case, I'm going to have to change my plans about blowing you off." I teased, winking at her playfully. She rolled her eyes and gave me a nudge towards the roof top edge.
"Go do shinobi business. I'll wait for that letter." Mivara said sternly and I nodded before jumping away.
Hope you liked it. I'm headed to bed now *yawn* Next chapter will be up in 2-3 days.
Please review! =)