The Path A Ninja Walks...
Chapter Thirty-Six
Out Of Commission
A/N: WARNING-The character known as Sage Amesawa uses a lot of profanity and colorful language as part of his "colorful" personality. Be prepared if you are sensitive to that. Please note it is not because I condone such manner of speech, and also the character does not mean to use it as a way to be harmful, it is just his personality.
A trembling Sakura held the body of a limp Sasuke as she cried.
"Naruto!" she screamed, "Naruto, Sasuke's hurt! I need you!" she wimpered, "Naruto!"
But nobody answered...
She gasped softly and turned toward Saseme's team.
"Saseme?" she called, "Your brother he's hurt, he...he needs you."
But Saseme wasn't even awake anymore...
"...I'm sure she could really use his help too, but-" Sage pointed out that she was out cold, "...I doubt either of them are in any position to be of any good to anyone right now..."
"Wh...What should we do?" Sakura asked and Sage sighed and shook his head.
"I'm sorry." he stated, "...But My responisbility is to my own team." he blinked, "Saseme is out of commission...we're all exhausted..." he sighed, "We need to find a way to hide ourselves safely so that we can rest for the night..." he sighed, "Here...you and Hana take Saseme here..." said Sage, "I'll handle the dumbass and the twin."
"All by yourself?" Sakura blinked.
Sage twitched.
"Hey I'm still a guy you know!" he huffed, "...I'm stronger than I look so have a little faith in me, babe~" he winked.
Sakura blushed shyly and Hana began to grumble in annoyance.
"Yeah yeah quit flirting and go get them down already!" said Hana, "The sun is going down...it's going to be dark soon..."
XXXXX
Darkness fell quickly. Sage did help return Naruto and Sasuke to Sakura. Both now were lying asleep in the shelter of an uprooted tree. Saseme's team did't stay much further...They thought it was too much of a risk to press on with an unsonscious member in the night- but for strategy's sake, they also thought it was better to put some distance between them so that they wouldn't be caught like rats in an enemy's trap. They stayed close, but not close enough for it to be used against them.
Sasuke grunted not too far off, and Sakura placed a gentle palm to his head.
"Atleast he's finally breathing easier now..." she said softly, "But he's still got a high fever..." she sighed, "How is Saseme?" She asked this of Hana as she passed through, stealthily collecting herbs for both teams and making medicnes to help.
"Well...she's uncomfortable.. I can say that..." the ginger responded with a sigh, "But atleast I can also say that we are better off than you are right now...considering our team still has 2 out of its three members still standing..." she stated as she handed the pinkette a canister of liquid, "Drink that." she said softly,"It will help you...you're gonna need your strength and energy to keep an eye on these guys until they wake up." she sighed softly, green eyes resting on the sleeping Uchiha twin and the blonde right next to him. Hana's gaze hung heavily on Sasuke's pained expression.
It's identical to Saseme's...
She thought to herself.
The amount of pain and suffering they both must have gone through to wear such expressions even as they sleep...
She blinked.
It's so clear that they are both broken...all they have is each other...they need each other...and yet...
It also seems that it is each other...that is ripping them apart...
Hana sighed.
By putting it like that...I can't help but wonder...are they good for each other at all?
Or should they stay away from each other?
It was a real head scratching moment.
It all seems so...complicated...
As Sakura held the canister in her arms she could see the confusion on Hana's face. Truth be told, she wondered the same thing...
But she didn't know how to talk about it.
So all she could muster out was a "Thank you." as the ginger nodded in response and proceeded toward her own team.
I guess...it's all up to me, for the time being...
Sakura thought to herself...
To Be Continued