MEANWHILE IN KONOHA, FOREST OF DEATH.
Agony.
Pain.
Misery.
Fear.
Uncertainty.
Happiness…
With a huge gasp, Yuki woke up from her dream, coughing and wheezing. Every single movement sent large waves of pain blossoming from her head down. She struggled to remain still, but her mind decided that the pain let her know she was alive. Her physical strength faltered as she started to roll onto her chest. She winced, and sat there, breathing in.
Whatever happened, I should have died. I don't know how, but someone saved me.
A crack nearby signified she wasn't alone, sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes searched the forest for the source, her eyes unable to distinguish where the threat was from. Pushing herself to sit up, and run, she made it to her knees, when she noticed how futile it was. Four white legs sat in front of her. The paws on the end of each, let her know it was an animal. She looked up, noticing two yellow eyes, inches from hers. A tongue licked her face, and she pulled away, laughing. It was an arctic fox, with white fur, a rather weird looking one. On the tip of it's tail was a little light blue fur as was it's ears. The tail looked more feline than k9 and the claws on it were curved like a cat's. She reached for it, only for the animal to shy away.
"Here, girl."
A growl asserted itself, and Yuki looked towards the hind legs.
Oops. My bad...it's a male. I wonder what HE is doing all the way out here?
"Hey boy...I'm sorry. Come here, boy!" she cooed, letting the dog sniff her hand gently. A sharp pain tore through her hand, as it bit her hard.
"Ow!" she yelled, pushing away from the fox. She forced herself to stand, tumbling towards the ground. One of her hands managed to grab a nearby tree, and Yuki gasped in agony. Even standing was intolerable. She slid down the length of the tree, only to notice the creature hadn't left her alone. It was sitting down next to where she was going to. It laid down, and glanced back at her before pushing it's head against her hand.
"What are you?" she whispered, rubbing it gently. The gesture was very cat like, and though it looked like a fox, she knew it couldn't be. She didn't know what to call it.
It started to purr, freaking out Yuki even further. She stopped and the thing whimpered. She sighed, and started petting it, scratching one of it's ears again. And the purring resumed.
"I'm sorry boy. I want to stay here, but I need medical attention. It hurts even to pet you. It's not your fault. I'm just trying hard to not overexert myself."
The creature tilted its head before it licked her hand again. She continued petting it, while contemplating on how to get to the village.
Then a huge wave of pain overwhelmed her body. She gasped, and started coughing, trying hard not to fade into the darkness. Not to sleep. She held her ribs, and let out a small scream. It was too much to handle. She wanted comfort. Something, someone to make the pain go away. Yet the only thing that could do that was inside the village. She couldn't go to Shizune or Tsunade. They would wonder what caused the injuries. She would have to heal herself over the next month. And quickly. Her abilities felt drained, and every part of her screamed for sleep.
I'm not ready to die, just yet. So...GET UP! Move!
She struggled to her feet, gasping in agony. Her legs felt like spaghetti, and her arms trembled with the effort. Yet, it was progress.
I'll go back, tree by tree. Ignore how much it hurts. Rest when necessary. It should take me two hours to get from here to home. I don't have enough experience with healing to be able to heal all my wounds. Nor do I have any chakra to heal the ones affecting me. I'll use what I have at home to make some of the larger ones, feel less painful.
She stepped forward, setting towards home, and some form of relief.