A.N.- Sorry to have ended it in a cliffhanger I just couldn't resist. Heehee. I am finally getting the next chapter out. I hope it meets all of your long awaited expectations as to what happens with the car accident. I started this chapter a tad differently then I usually do I think. Most times I start it as if it is a new chapter but this time when I began writing it came out more like instead of an entire chapter separating them it was merely a page break lol. I think it helps pick up with the story's action better. If you guys do not approve let me know, I probably won't do it often just felt it fit better with this part. Please enjoy and review if you would, I love hearing what you guys think.

FanggirlX

By the way I'd like to say a little compliment to Ashley for thinking ahead. Good Job! Yeah, he knew. :D In his own Naruto way, he knew.

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.

At the school Gaara got a feeling that Sakura needed him.

He wanted to pass it off as pure imagination. He was simply worried. She was fine, on her way home, and nothing was wrong with her. Nothing.

Sakura was fine. He tried to repeat the idea in his head.

Yeah, yeah keep thinkin' that kit. But in the mean time you want me to check with my firecracker? She would know. I don't like this feeling we have.

Gaara sighed, She is fine. She just spoke with me not even an hour ago.

Shukaku ignored him.

The demon scanned to find Sakura's inner and frowned when he did. He found a link that would let him talk with her, but not see her. Touch her. That's what he wanted! Dammit. But he'd take what he could get. But…something was wrong…she didn't feel right…she felt…wrong…weak…

Hey! What's wrong with you? What happened? Why do you feel so weak?

He demanded of the fiery girl within Sakura. He waited nothing. She didn't reply.

Shukaku knew he was too far away to be with her but she should be able to speak to him. What was wrong?

Hey! Firecracker! Sakura! Wake up! Speak! Do something. Anything. Come on.

She made a slight gurgling noise mumbled something softly and then her link grew weaker.

KIT! Something is definitely wrong it is not your imagination!

Gaara jumped at the urgency in Shukaku's voice.

What happened?!

I don't know but dammit she can't even talk to me!

Naruto came crashing through Gaara's door.

"They need us! She's hurt! They're hurt! They need us; we gotta go!" he shouted.

He was covered in a thin layer of sweat from running the whole way to him and was panting slightly but his eyes were hard and sure.

Naruto was mated to Hinata. He would most assuredly know if something was wrong with her. And he said there was.

Gaara stood and grabbed his gourd, "Lead the way."

Naruto looked ashamed, "I…I can't. I don't know where they are. Just that's she's in danger."

Kankuro who had been walking by on his way to his room paused upon hearing the word danger.

"Danger? Who's in danger?" the puppet master asked, a hint of concern in his tone.

"All of them probably. Hinata and Sakura are both really hurt. But Hinata's out cold and Sakura isn't far from it."

"Sounds like they had a car crash." Sasuke said from the top of the stairs.

Gaara turned to him, "Why are you here?"

Sasuke shrugged, "I thought maybe you two would have heard from the girls. So I was coming to ask."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, we talked to them about forty minutes ago. They'd said they were coming home then. "

Sasuke scowled as he crossed the expanse of flooring between them, "What mall did they go to?"

Naruto shook his head, as did the others, the girls hadn't said.

Kankuro thought a quick moment before offering, "Yura has her cell phone."

Gaara nodded, "As did Sakura."

Naruto shook his head, "It isn't picking up. I think they're out of a service area."

"Who would know where they went?" Sasuke asked frowning and then he knew the answer immediately.

Ino. She would have known the mall to go to. Therefore, Shikamaru would know where she would go, right?

He stalked down the hall and pounded on the door with his fist.

A minute later Shikamaru was muttering, "Damn, Ino you sound like a gorilla…did you loose your key again…?" he at that point had opened his door and saw it was Sasuke with Gaara, Naruto, and Kankuro standing behind him.

Shikamaru rose an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Where would Ino go shopping?" Sasuke asked, working to keep his voice calm.

Naruto stepped forward, "The girls, they're in trouble, Shikamaru, we need you to think. Where would she have taken them. Which way?"

Shikamaru's eyes were suddenly awake and focused, "Trouble? What kind? What happened?"

Naruto shook his head, "We don't know."

Kankuro added, "But we suspect a car crash. So we need to know which way they were going."

Shikamaru cursed, "Damn. If I'd been awake and actually listening to her when she'd said she was leaving..."

Sasuke's glare hardened, "You weren't listening?"

Kankuro ran a hand through his hair, "You gotta be kidding me."

As Shikamaru attempted to make an excuse about how Ino talked way too much for him to listen to everything she said, Gaara had a thought and turned walking to Neji's room.

He knocked on the door fiercely. Neji opened his door and was shocked to see Gaara, not to mention a smidge apprehensive considering their most recent interaction.

"I thought we established I hadn't been talking to Sakura." Neji mumbled, irritation slightly apparent in his tone.

Gaara nodded, keeping his voice level forcing his mind clear of any images of his Sakura in a flaming pile of metal mangled and broken.

"We need to know where the girls went tonight. Do you know where TenTen said they were going?"

"How do you know she told me?"

"I was there when you invited her to your room. Of course she told you when she would get back. Did she also say where they were going?"

Neji nodded, "Yes. The big mall in the town south from this one. It's about an hour's drive so they should be back soon."

Kankuro chuckled darkly, "Don't count on it, pretty boy."

Neji's pale eyes flickered to him and he glared, "Don't call me that. And what do you mean?"

Naruto jumped in, "We think they had a car accident! We had to find out what roads to search."

Shikamaru said from behind them all, "But there are two different ways to get from here to that mall."

All the guys looked at him asking him to explain.

"Ino, she wanted to know which way was fastest. We clocked it. There's no difference really but there are two different ways. We don't know which one they took. And there's no way to call and ask them or see if they're ok. The area is a total dead zone, no matter which route you take."

Naruto exclaimed, "We'll split up! Three one way. Three the other."

Sasuke nodded, "Yes, that would be the best way."

Neji nodded and grabbed a bag by his door as he closed his door behind him stepping out into the hall.

"We can take my car. Shikamaru, you will show me the alternative way. Naruto you will take Kankuro's car and go the other way. We will call the exact minute we have any clue if that is the right way. You will do the same." he explained reaching in his bag and handing Kankuro a long distance walkie talkie.

Neji zipped up his jean jacket and turned to leave.

Sasuke turned to Naruto, "You go with the two sand guys I'll go with Nara and Hyuuga."

Naruto nodded and met his eyes firmly, "If you get to them first you make sure they all make it back alive."

"Same for you."

They divided and took off in a hurry, getting into their cars and going down their assigned route.

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Gaara sat in the passenger seat of his brothers car and struggled to remain calm.

Sakura was a top class medic.

She'd had her throat slashed and had started healing it herself.

Of course, Saiyomi had had to help in the end but Sakura had stayed alive long enough to-

Gaara's eyes widened.

Saiyomi.

She would need to know.

But what was proper protocol with dealing with one's soon to be mother in law? Did he call her now? After? Both? Which?

Deciding it would be useful to have her ready and waiting to meet them should they need her skills he took Kankuro's cell phone and began dialing.

Naruto asked from behind him, "Who're you calling?"

Kankuro added, "You better make it fast. We'll be in the dead area soon where you won't have service."

Gaara nodded and met Naruto's eyes through the rearview mirror, "Saiyomi."

Naruto frowned shaking his head slowly, "She won't like hearing this."

"But we may need her."

She picked up and Gaara took a deep breath and spoke.

"Saiyomi."

"Ah! Gaara. How wonderful to hear from you. Sakura talked with me not long ago and she told me everything. You treat her good, you hear? Are you doing the honorable thing and calling to ask me for her hand? Aaaaawwwwwe, How sweet! Such a good boy! But of course you know you have the permission. Why as I told her-"

"Saiyomi." he barked getting her attention.

"My… Yes, dear, what is it?"

"They're hurt. They may need you. We believe them to have been in a car accident and I am calling to warn you as a mother and prepare you as a medic. We need you ready and mobile to be with us shortly if we call you."

Saiyomi replied in a no nonsense voice, "Yes, I understand. Gaara you find my baby and keep her safe until I can get to her. And don't worry I'll have help so we won't loose a single of those precious girls. You just let us know where. And we'll be there."

Gaara then remembered the fact that they were about to enter the dead area.

"We won't be able to call. No service. You'll have to divide into two groups, as we did. They went to the mall an hour south from our town. There are two roads."

"Yes, I know both the mall and the roads."

"Good, split up and head down them. There will be a group to assist you on either road."

"I got it. Thank you. We'll be there."

"Thank you."

He hung up and handed it back to Kankuro.

Naruto muttered, "You could have been a little more gentle about telling her…it's her daughter after all, man."

Gaara clenched his fists and struggled to remember that Naruto was just as worried as he was.

"There was no time for being decent. She needed the information."

Kankuro handed him the phone back, "Look not a minute too soon either. No service now. None."

Naruto asked, "How will we call the guys when we find something if our phones don't work?"

Kankuro held up the radio Neji had given them.

Naruto got excited, "Oh yeah! Turn it on! Maybe they found them!"

Kankuro nodded and did so.

As he did he heard a voice crackle through the speaker that almost made him cry.

"I repeat. Some one out there. Help. SOS. Mayday. There's been a car accident on the north end of highway 95. There are injuries in need of urgent care."

Yura.

Kankuro nearly chocked on his relief.

But her voice, it was tight and she sounded more worried than he'd ever thought she could be.

"Yura! Yura! It's me! We're coming! We're coming! Just hang on ok? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

She didn't answer.

Could she not hear him? But he could hear her… Surely he wouldn't be able to hear her without her being able to hear him.

It wasn't fair. He wanted her to laugh that sultry chuckle she always had and call him Konkers and tell him she was fine that he better not cry like a sissy. But she couldn't.

Her voice started speaking again, "I repeat. Some one out there. Help. SOS. Mayday. There's been a car accident on the north end of highway 95. There are injuries in need of urgent care." she sounded shaken, and Kankuro wanted to hold her.

She apparently forgot to release the button because he heard her and, gods be blessed, Temari too.

"Oh god…Sakura….Sakura, she's not… going to make it. Quick what if… more pressure?"

"I don't know…I just…we'll….trying…" came Temari's broken distant reply

It was muddled and crackling, Kankuro shook it begging it silently to just keep Yura's voice speaking.

But it hissed with static and then their voices disappeared.

Naruto reached for it, "Here hurry! We're on the right road! Didn't you hear? Highway 95! I'm gonna call the others."

Naruto took the radio and did just that he turned it to the station written in Neji's no nonsense handwriting on the tape stuck on the front of the radio. He called to the others and they said they'd heard a bit of Yura's message as well. They'd turned around and were on there way.

Gaara sat numbly staring off in space…Sakura…his Sakura…

Why was it always her to befall the trouble?!

There were five other females in that car! Why did it have to be his that got hurt so badly?!

Was it because she was his? He couldn't for his life recall her having this much trouble follow her before she'd agreed to being with him.

This was insane! It wasn't right!

Did life just have it out for him or something? Was that it?

He sighed and refrained from holding his head.

Why his Sakura?

He pushed those thoughts away and steeled himself for anything. She could be dead by the time they got there. He had no promise she wasn't already. He would stay strong no matter what though.

Speak for yourself! If she's not dead I'm gonna hold my Sakura, my firecracker, until she pops! And then she isn't leaving my side again. And if she's dead…I'll kill everything in a forty mile radius.

Gaara had to agree… with part of that anyway. If Sakura did survive she would not be leaving his side anytime soon.

He looked down at his lap and saw that his hands were trembling.

He realized with numb fascination that he was terrified.

Would he lose her?

His heart ached and he pleaded with everything that supposedly held sway in the world to keep her alive.

Naruto had gone still and silent in the back.

He was crying though. Gaara could smell it.

Why he was crying the red head had no clue.

Kankuro started slowing down and Gaara looked up to see why he had and instantly wished he hadn't looked.

The jeep…it wasn't even a jeep anymore.

They were in that…

Naruto suddenly threw the door open and leapt from the moving car.

Gaara watched him roll and then spring to his feet and race toward a small group of people, they were congregated near the very totaled vehicle.

Kankuro pulled the car over and dashed forward as well.

Gaara followed quickly.

He scanned for a head of pink.

A pair of bright green eyes.

Anything to prove Sakura was alive.

He heard a strangled cry from Naruto as the blond fell to his knees.

Gaara hurried to his side and what he saw made tears form in his eyes.

Sakura.

She…was alive.

She was awake.

She was moving.

She was alive!

…She was busy.

Gaara noticed as a late reaction that Sakura was knelt on the ground working to save Hinata, who had a branch from the tree they'd hit sticking out of her torso.

Naruto sat trembling, holding Hinata's blood sticky hand as Sakura, ignored her own injuries and struggled to keep her friend alive.

Naruto sobbed, "Please…please, Hinata, don't die….please."

Kankuro, who was carefully holding Yura close, observed the whole scene with intense eyes.

Temari had a badly broken arm and she'd told him her side burnt like hell but she had been distracted by what was happening with Hinata so she hadn't been able to tell him what everyone else's status was. She currently cared for nothing but the quiet girl who'd never wronged anyone, and never deserved such a fate as what had suddenly befallen her.

Yura had quietly taken up the explanation and explained the rest in a calm toneless voice, though her body still trembled.

Ino who lay stretched out on the ground at Temari's feet had a really bad head injury that had her out cold but her vitals were stable; she would be ok, albeit a bit upset at the fact she had a deep gash on the cheek of her "precious" face.

TenTen had a broken leg and was bleeding from it badly but Yura had stanched the flow and so she was safe now and would also be ok.

And Yura didn't tell him anything about her own status except that she was fine and because of what she was she was better off than anyone else. Kankuro didn't care about any of that; she was in rough shape too and it pained him to see her that way, though he was more grateful than he'd ever been for anything that these injuries were all that had happened to her. She had so many slashes and cuts on her that Kankuro wondered if the girl had tried to shield someone else, maybe the girl who'd been sitting beside her?

In fact, a piece of the metal from the jeep was embedded in her shoulder so deep that he couldn't get it out. Hugging her small body to his Kankuro pulled out the radio and told the others the condition of each girl and where exactly they were on Highway 95.

Gaara felt faint.

She was safe. Sakura was safe. Bleeding. Injured. Tired. But safe.

He walked around and crouched beside her.

Placing a hand on her shoulder he helped steady her and felt her shaking violently.

He wondered just how long she'd been at trying to keep Hinata alive.

"Please, tell me mom is coming." she mumbled as she leaned back into his grip a little.

Gaara whispered, "Yes."

"Thank god."

Naruto looked at her brokenly, "Can you save her, Saka?"

Sakura's eyes overflowed with her tears.

"I'm trying, Naru."

Sakura had been erecting a barrier in the form of a blood clot to keep Hinata from bleeding out and was slowly repairing her organs that had been ripped to pieces, but it was taking much more chakra control than she actually had. It angered her that she still wasn't strong enough.

"Gaara." her weak voice whispered.

He gripped her shoulder to let her know he was there, listening.

"I need you to help me. You can hold things very steady with your sand, yes?"

"I can with my hands as well." he nodded, willing to do anything to help his safe and alive Sakura.

"I want your hand to stay on me." she whispered, "You're somehow giving me strength just being near me. Alright? But use your sand and gently pull the tree branch that's in her out little by little as I tell you too. I'll heal it as we go up, alright? Then once the branch is out it won't be too hard to fix her the rest of the way up."

Naruto whimpered and thanked her as he cuddled his face against Hinata's limp hand.

Sakura met her brother's blue eyes, "But the worry right now is if she can stay alive while I do that. I'm practically making her heart beat for her right now. If I begin to remove the branch…I won't have as much energy to put towards keeping her alive."

Naruto shifted, "Can I help? I helped Chiyo save Gaara."

Sakura nodded, "You can give me as much chakra as you can possibly spare ok? The more I have the easier it will be for me to do both jobs at once."

Naruto nodded and held his hand out like he had with Chiyo. But he kept one hand firmly locked on Hinata's.

Sakura smiled slightly, trying to encourage him and then set to work continuing saving Hinata.

An hour later Sakura looked up with weary eyes from a now fully closed up Hinata.

She thanked Naruto quietly and leaned back into Gaara's gentle embrace.

"She'll make it. I got her closed up. She's breathing and heart's beating. Mama can heal her the rest of the way when she arrives."

Gaara nodded and cradled her against him.

He whispered, "I thought…" his voice choked off.

"I heard…" he tried again. "You…"

"I love you too, Gaara. I'm fine…just tired."

Gaara pressed his face in her blood matted hair, the scent that had once thrilled him was now just awful because it ruined the purity that was his sweet Sakura's scent.

She sighed and her eyes closed completely, "Don't quit… holding me…"

"I won't." he promised.

He looked up and saw Saiyomi arriving with another younger woman. They came immediately to Hinata.

Naruto told her what Sakura had done and Saiyomi nodded.

She then carefully finished the job of healing Hinata and when she was finished there was only a barely visible scar.

Naruto cried for joy and held Hinata in his arms as he sobbed into her shoulder, simply overcome with his relief.

Saiyomi then moved on to help the other girl heal the rest of the surviving girls.

The other three guys had arrived seconds after Saiyomi and they were all very happy to have their loved one safe and unharmed and in their arms after Saiyomi had healed each of them.

Naruto looked up at his mom and smiled.

She was amazing. She'd saved everyone.

Then he glanced at Sakura.

She'd kept Hinata alive.

Tears still filled his eyes as he looked down at the beautiful sweet girl he'd almost lost.

Hinata.

His.

Mate. A dark voice rumbled from within him.

Naruto jumped and looked around.

Where'd that come from? Shaking his head he shook it off. It didn't matter.

He looked back to Hinata, she was going to be ok.