Icewater

Chapter 13: Mend

Disclaimer: Refer to chapt. 5.

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I can talk now. It dawned on her as immediately as the waves began splashing along the shore once more. They had been stirred up by Naruto's transformation, but now calmly repeated the push and pull pattern they had learned long ago.

Sakura let her fingers lightly touch her throat. The people around her were still stunned; her cry had been forgotten after Naruto reverted to merfolk form. She wanted to stay, wanted to know what would happen now; but she knew time was of the essence. Reason returned to her, and with it, the memory of her actions.

If she did not act quickly, there would be consequences.

She turned on her heel and shoved back through the crowd, and then ran yet again on pure adrenaline. Her muscles were beginning to feel the immense strain she had put on them when rushing down to find her friend. But she pressed forward nonetheless, oddly cognizant, aware of the few minutes she had left before the soldiers - before Madara - arrived on the scene. She had to escape before they did, had to hide.

But where? There was no way she would be able to sneak into the castle again; the guards would be intently watching for any sign of the demon the Hyuuga had been chasing. The alarm would be raised if they spotted her. And then she would still have to face Madara afterwards, possibly without Sasuke by her side.

She shivered at the thought.

Perhaps the town? For a moment, she considered it; but then she realized guards would have been sent to protect the civilians as well. Again, it would be impossible to get past them without being noticed.

Her feet began to slow, and Sakura, panting and breathless, realized where they had led her.

The forest.

It was oddly calm, eerily silent (whether because they sensed how close Naruto and his demon had been or because the creatures inhabiting the forest were fast asleep, she knew not) as Sakura tentatively began to creep quietly across the leaves and twigs splayed about the forest floor. Slowly, Sakura's adrenaline rush faded, and she became aware of how sore she was, how exhausted she was. Her legs trembled with each step she took, and every now and again she couldn't help but wince; her feet ached and throbbed, and she was almost sure that they could bleed at any moment. But she continued at a constant rate, walking purposefully, trying her best nit to step on the dead pieces of wood littered here and there, careful not to put too much weight onto the leaves that crackled whenever she moved her toes.

The trees cast the forest floor intoo near-darkness, lighted only by the moonlight dappling down through the leaves above, creating spots of brightness in An abyss of blue and gray. It was difficult to see. Sakura heard something in the distance and paused.

Then she hurried forward.

The waterfall came into sight. It was hard to believe she had been here just a few days ago... Or had a day even passed since Sasuke had shown it to her? Things were happening too quickly, and Sakura couldn't seem to keep up. Yet the waterfall splashed and turtles just as tranquilly as it had when she had last visited, and it reminded her of the serenity she used to feel when her Mother would tell her stories of beaches and ships and a love from long ago.

Sakura collapsed by the banks, desperate to catch her breath. She cupped her hands in the water and brought it to her face. The water was cool and clear, and helped her think. Parched, she drank some, and then slipped her feet into the flowing water. She sighed; it felt wonderful.

Sakura looked over to the waterfall. For some reason, even though no birds were chirping like they had when she had come here before, and no wind was blowing and rustling leaves, the rush of the water seemed far-off. It should have been amplified by the silence of the forest surrounding it, but instead the sounds of the waterfall seemed muffled too, as if trying to become as unassuming as possible.

Just like her.

Sakura relaxed as time passed, eventually splaying herself across the grass by the banks of the waterfall. She stared up at the stars.

Chiyo is dead now, she thought.

It's not our fault, consoled her inner self. It wasn't our deal that brought it about.

But it's this war, replied Sakura. This war I'm too childish to face.

Its not childish to fear death, said her Inner. It's not childish to retreat and regroup.

But I'm not doing either! Sakura closed her eyes tightly.

"I'm just playing make-believe so I don't see the real world..." she whispered, opening her eyes slightly to squint at the stars.

Her inner was quiet for a time.

Funny, isn't it? It finally said. The way the stars blur when you look at them through slits. It makes them seem all foggy and unclear. But, it continued, at the same time, it makes them seem so close, as if you could maybe grab one from the sky.

Sakura chuckled.

Are you saying I can have a star of my own? she asked herself.

I'm saying you can do impossible things when you forget about what can realistically be done, replied Inner Sakura. You think you can't face Orochimaru. But you can. You think you can't face Madara. But you can. You seem to think a lot of things, Sakura, that simply are not true. Her Inner pointed a finger at her. The only way to prove this is to do it. Face Orochimaru. Face Madara. And face your destiny. You can't avoid it.

Sakura did not reply straight away, instead choosing to continue squinting at the night sky for a time.

"But no matter how you see the stars, you can't hold them," she finally said.

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It was nearly midnight when Sasuke finally found the girl by the waterfall, and by that point he was beyond exhausted. He had originally chased after her, but his "Father" caught up with him about halfway to the beau and re-directed him to escort the Hyuugas who had stayed behind. He had hurriedly set out and met them halfway; the eldest Hyuuga Princess had been wounded, and Sasuke and a few of the guardsmen rushed her to the nearest healer. Her wound was bad, at best. Sasuke knew this would not go over well, particularly because the treaty relied heavily on Princess Hinata's role in it...

He stopped his train of thought. He had set out again to find the girl, and had thought of this place; and there she was, her hair almost shimmering under the moonlight as she lay on the grass by the falls.

Silently, he walked towards her. Even so, her eyes, which had previously been trained on the sky above her, snapped to him, green eyes reflecting the stars and seeming to shine in the dim lighting. She did not seemed surprised, and Sasuke realized she must have known he would come here for her.

Wordlessly, he sat beside her, and she sat up, and they both warned the water rushing down the side of the cliff. For what felt like hours, Sasuke said and did nothing, content to enjoy this rare moment of utter calm.

It was her who broke it. She shifted, sitting up, and tilted her head at him.

He sighed. "The treaty with the Hyuuga may sour," he explained. "I had to see that the Princess arrived at the house of our best healer." He shook his head. "It may not be enough."

The girls eyes widened, and she stood. Sasuke looked up at her and saw that she wore a determined expression. She gestured towards the forest impatiently.

At first he did not understand. But the look in her eyes made it dawn on him. Nodding, he headed back towards Konoha.

"It's not far."

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Sakura bit her lip. Her hands felt a little charred, but she ignored it, instead pouring her healer's powers into the tips of her fingers yet again. Memories, little ones at first, simple ones, began to worm their ways to the forefront of her mind as she labored over saving the Hyuuga Princess.

"Sakura, look at this."

She peered over her Mother's outstretched arm and gasped. A fish was resting atop a rock, and blood was seeping out of a gash on its side. It sputtered a little, eyes glassy, bubbles coming from its mouth in between spasms.

Sakura began to tremble until her Mother put an arm comfortingly on her shoulder.

"This is what it is to escape the line of a hunter," the Queen said softly. She lowered herself to bend on her fin, and reached out to the fish. She looked back to her daughter, who followed suit. "Fishermen snare sea creatures on hooks and in nets and bring them to shore for food," she continued. "Just as they claim our kind to eat, the ocean sometimes claims their kind for the fish to eat. Come, Sakura," she said, taking her daughters hands and stretching them forward. "Our ancestors were blessed with a power to counter the wounds inflicted by humans on us," she said. "It is time you learned to use it."

A soft glow began to form around her Mother's hands. Sakura gasped, then looked down at her hands, which remained the same color. She looked at the fish, who was engulfed by the fast-growing aura of green. It seemed to sigh, and she watched in amazement as the wound shrank, the damaged scales seeming to knit themselves back together. Her Mother removed her hands when no more than a chink on one scale remained.

"Now, Sakura," she said, picking the child up and placing her in her lap. "Finish the healing."

Sakura looked down at the fish, who swam closer, eager to let the Queen teach the young mermaid to heal.

"First, take a deep breath to calm yourself," said her Mother. Sakura obeyed, inhaling slowly, and then exhaling slowly. "Good," cooed her Mother. "Now, remember the feeling of happiness. Let it grow and flow throughout your body."

At first, nothing happened. Sakura scrunched her face up in determination, and then relaxed her features.

Happiness, she thought. I am happy.

Her Mother's smile and her father's warm arms became her only thoughts, and she delighted in the simplicity of the feeling of joy and warmth their precences brought.

Her Mother's words were far-off.

"Good," her Mother said, her voice distant and almost difficult to hear. "Now, let it flow to your fingers."

Sakura channeled her happiness to her hands, and suddenly they were warm, so warm, and she thought the water around them must be boiling, except that it was not; it was glowing a great, vibrant green, greener than cory fish, than seaweed, than moss. It was almost blinding, except that she couldn't take her eyes off it. The fish beneath the green glow wriggled happily, finding an equal fascination and bliss within the light as Sakura.

And suddenly her Mother's hands were touching the light, reaching through it, grasping her hands.

"Stop," she commanded.

And the happiness faded away. Sakura suddenly felt very tired. She floated backwards into her Mother's chest, resting against her. The Queen looked down at her, a smile on her lips.

"Thank you," she said to the fish. It flipped happily and then swam away. Her Mother looked down at her again. "With time, you will become more powerful, able to heal more," she said. "But for now, that is all you can heal. See how tired you are?"

Sakura nodded wearily.

"Never forget your limits," her Mother said. "It is deadly to do so."

Sakura probd gently with the green aura, judging how much internal damage she had healed in the past half-hour. She bit her tongue.

Not enough.

Sakura re-focused her energy on the Hyuuga's wound again, ignoring the occasional tremble of her hands.

"Are you well?"

The young merman turned around, his blonde hair flowing about his head in odd spikes, an uncombed mass of untameable tresses. His eyes were narrowed, and flashed between blue and red; his cheeks had scars on them, three thick gashes on each side, which seemed to thin a bit... Perhaps it was the water playing tricks on her eyes. After all, merfolk did not have red eyes, nor did scars fluctuate visibly in size that quickly.

"I'm fine," he said, laughing her concern off. Despite his words, Sakura could tell he was lying. He was breathing heavily, and his bright-orange held an unhealthy pale tinge."Just a little sick," he amended, adding an unconvincing cough at the end of his statement.

"Let me help," she said, floating towards him. He backtracked hurriedly.

"Don't come near me!" he yelled, eyes widening. They flashed red again, and she stopped. "I-I'm not safe!"

Sakura felt her heart go out to the boy.

"Then let me help," she repeated softly, approaching him slowly. He did nto reply, fearfully eyeing her as she inched closer and closer. His flipper raised automatically to provide a wall between them, but she carefully wrapped hers around his and lowered his fin. "I won't hurt you," she said.

She reached out, touched his chest, felt his rapid heartbeat. Then, she closed her eyes, and poured her love into her fingertips.

His sharp intake of breath made her eyes snap open, meeting his. His eyes faded from red to blue, and she saw his scars thin yet again, and knew this time that the water was not playing tricks on her eyes.

Slowly, she let her green aura widen, envelop him more and more, until his entire body was surrounded by the green glow. He seemed to relax, and she untangled her fin from his as she noticed his fin had turned to a healthful, bright orange. Then, she closed her eyes.

Stop, she thought to herself.

The aura faded away, fizzled into the surrounding waters. Sakura sighed, letting herself float backwards a bit. She was exhausted; whatever had ailed the boy was not easy to heal, and she instinctively knew that she would never be able to fully heal it. Still, she knew she must have provided some relief to him, because he was smiling stupidly at her now, his fin flapping back and forth energetially.

"That's so cool!" he yelled, swimming closer to her. His eyes held a gleam of excitement which took her aback. "How'd you do it?" Without letting her answer, he stretched out his hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! And you are?"

She grinned back at him.

"Sakura," she said. "My name is Sakura."

Her aura spluttured a bit, and she frowned. She flexed her fingers lightly, and then again probed the wound. It was healed enough, she decided. It was the best she could do for now; she had healed the more lethal damage done, and had mostly healed the wound; there would be no scarring. She finished up, sewing a bit more skin together with her green aura before letting it sizzle out of existence in the surrounding air. She let herself slouch backwards a bit, tired from the healing.

Air is much more difficult to heal in than water, she thought, looking at the blisters beginning to appear on her hands. The water was able to make the heat dissipate, but the air is less absorbent of it, I suppose... She stood and opened the curtain, to where the other healers and immediate relatives of the girl waited. She nodded, smiling to them, and the tense air dissolved. Some sighed in relief; others simply smiled back at her. The other healers rushed in to double-check her work; they had left once they saw her aura, leading the hyuuga family out as well, rushing to give her privacy. But before they had done that, Sakura had watched them attempt to heal the girl. One or two were able to summon healing auras like hers, but theirs were thin, weak versions in comparison.

Her eyes met Sasuke's, who sat in a chair across the room. His eyes seemed to burn into her own, and Sakura looked away immediately, unable and unwilling to meet them for long.

I can talk now, she thought again. I could tell him how I feel. She looked back at him. His eyes were still trained on her. She glanced away, her cheeks flushing.

I could tell him my name.

He stood, and she looked down at the ground. She heard him approach her, but she kept her eyes on the floor, even as the edges of his shoes – boots, actually, as she had heard Ino call them when they had sorted through her wardrobe – came into view.

"Good job."

His voice was what finally made her look into his eyes. No, compelled her to do so. Her green eyes met his, and she did not look away.

She let her lips form the words.

"Th-"

A door slammed open, drowning out the sounds of er thanks. Everyone turned to the source.

Sakura tensed.

Madara walked in, slamming the door behind him.

"Has the condition of the princess improved?" he asked, turning to the girl's Father, King Hiashi. The man nodded.

"Indeed," he replied. "We are blessed to have had your most talented healers at our disposal."

King Madara quirked an eyebrow.

"Is it not the duty of a King to provide aid to any neighboring kingdoms?" he said. His eyes flitted quickly to Sakura's before returnign to Hiashi's. "In any case, we will always do as much as we possibly can to protect you and your people."

Sakura did not miss the message.

He... wants to help Oceanica? She asked, a bit dumbstruck. But a few days ago, he said... He said...

Do not fall for his words, Sakura, her Inner warned. They are simply that: words. He does not mean them. Remember, Chiyo warned us not to trust him!

Sakura mentally nodded.

I don't trust him, she assured her other self. But why would he say this to me now?

"Indeed, those are wise words," said King Hiashi. "With the union soon to come, of course, they are unnecessary."

"Quite," said Sasuke bitterly. The Kings both glanced to the boy. He straightened himself, standing with his legs slightly apart. Once again, Sakura noticed he partially hid her behind his body. "Although I find it difficult to trust a forced bond."

Madara's eyes narrowed sharply, and Hiashi's closed in what appeared to be exasperation.

"Silence," ordered the King of Konoha. "King Hiashi," he continued, turning back to the other King, "Please accept my apologies for the outburst of my son."

Hiashi glanced at Sasuke, and then nodded.

"He has his mother's spirit," he said, "I cannot condone him for that."

For just a moment, Sakura felt as if a black aura might suffocate her, but then it disappeared, and Madara was smiling.

"He does, doesn't he?" he said, chuckling softly. He glanced at her and then again at Sasuke. "Mothers do so often influence their children's behaviors."

Sakura felt something snap inside her.

She let her right index finger glow green, thinking of happiness and warmth.

And then she let it sour, letting the sorrow and pain of losing her parents possess her.

Green faded to light red, and her finger felt as if it were on fire. She pressed her lips together tightly and flicked her finger towards Madara.

The glow was too thin after she had shot it to be seen; she had moved inconspicuously. She doubted anyone, Madara included, could have seen her movements. But she knew where the glow of red had gone.

The effect was instantaneous.

The stone beneath King Madara's foot exploded.

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Where am I?

All around her, there was nothing. Pure emptiness. There was no sky, no ground, no sounds; there were no walls, no boundaries. She alone existed here, if her presence here was an existence at all.

Hinata was bewildered beyond imagination.

She took a tentative step forward, wondering if she might fall forever if her foot met nothing, or if it would disappear altogether.

Her foot continued downwards until she closed her eyes.

Please stop! She pleaded into the nothingness.

Her foot met resistence. She looked down and saw her foot floating in oblivion, atop air. She took another step forward; the same thing happened, and she realized she was walking down some invisible sort of staircase. Tentatively, she made her way downwards, one foot in front of the other. She reached out with her hands and found that while her right hand met emptiness, her left found a smooth surface. She gripped it tightly, even though it, too, was not visible to her eyes, and continued down, always down, endlessely down.

Hinata tried to remember how she had come to this place, but everything was blurry in her mind. She recognized the infuriated face of her cousin, Neji, and a tearful Hanabi, but their forms were vague, as if seen through a veil. She could only really think about the nothingness she faced now, even though she couldn't even begin to comprehend it. Questions floated about her head, but every time she tried to answer one, it slipped from her memory, receding into the fog of whiteness surrounding her, and she forgot what she had wanted to answer to begin with. Her memories were a jumbled mess, and she simply couldn't compel herself to sort through them.

No, the current oblivion she was in was much more interesting. The whiteness was becoming less like a fog... more brilliant, more golden. It was something astounding, and she looked on in wonder, her steps becoming faster as she continued descending this endless spiral staircase-

No, now she saw, it literally WAS a spiral staircase. There, beneath her, were the misty shapes of steps, and her fingers trailed lightly across a smooth railing. But the material she touched was unfamiliar to her. It was not like wood, but was nothing like the cold metal weapons were made of. It was solid, yes, but it was warm to the touch, as if it had been out in the sunlight for a time.

She frowned, pausing in her descent.

Something was wrong.

She looked around her. The whiteness was no longer gaining brilliancy; she realized it was because she was no longer moving.

She had a sudden urge, a burning desire, to continue downwards, to see what the room she was entering looked like. Surely she was on a staircase leading to a ball room, or something like it...

The murky waters of her mind cleared, leaving her with only the memory of one golden boy whose smile was as bright as the sun.

She turned on her heels and scrambled back up the staircase, clutching blindly at the railing as she stumbled upwards.

Who is he? She thought desperately. I need to know! Who is he?

The staircase became transparent, and then nearly invisible, and then she was in the nothingness again.

She did not stop, still holding tightly to the railing. She continued until the nothingness began to fade into darkness, and still she did not stop until she could see absolutely nothing. This was a different sort of nothingness, an incomplete emptiness, and it left her breathless and feeling as if she had just released her grasp on something glorious. But she still ran upwards.

Up. Up, Up, up, up, up up up.

It never ended! Hinata felt herself falling into despair; she was trapped here, between this awful nothing and the wonderful nothing, unable to reach either, and without any bridge to the boy.

And then all at once, she was herself again.

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AN: I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN FOREVER! T^T I've been so lazy, and so busy at the same time! I promise, I'm already beginning plans for the next chapter! If I don't post within the next two-three weeks, I give you free reign to web-slap my face. I'm SO sorry.

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