Ah, finally this chapter passes my inspection. A winter storm has moved into our area, and has given me a good reason to sit and finally get this chap to my liking. Thanks to those who are still hanging around! On with the show!
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Sasuke brought back a tray of food, warm stew and a bun, together with a glass of milk to the room where Kimimaro still sat on the floor. His head rose off the bed when his nose caught the scent of the warm stew. Sasuke smirked slightly noticing that the little omega picking up the scent and his inner wolf glowed warmly knowing the omega was being taken care of. Sasuke sat upon the floor near Kimimaro, and pushed the tray towards him. He was being careful to not spook the omega, knowing that he was fearful of the other wolves in the house and his only two trusted companions were currently unconscious.
He watched Kimimaro eat, not missing how the soft green eyes would often watch him, as if Sasuke would pounce up at him. A groan broke through the silence that came from the lips of the purple haired omega on the bed. This caught Sasuke's attention and he got up to check on the woman. Stepping around Kimimaro who shuffled back onto his knees to check on the woman, Sasuke noted that she was not awake, sweat was beaded on her brow and lip so he got the cloth from the bowl of water to dab her head. Her eyes fluttered behind closed eyelids, Sasuke noting that she was in deep sleep and most likely dreaming. "Run your fingers gently through her hair Kimimaro," Sasuke whispered out as he continued to dab at her forehead. "If she is dreaming, your voice, scent and touch will help calm her." He dropped the cloth back to the bowl and stepped away to give Kimimaro room to approach the sleeping woman. He felt relief watching Kimimaro do as he had suggested and his wolf howled in happiness at hearing a low purr coming from Kimimaro. His fear scent had dropped and Sasuke could sense that Kimimaro was becoming more relaxed in his presence. Somehow that left him feeling satisfied.
Sakura came in after several minutes, checking the woman's vitals and the IV bag. Kimimaro's anxiety rose somewhat, his eyes watching Sakura walk around the bed and writing in a book. She gave a soft smile to Kimimaro while she listened through her stethoscope on top of the swollen stomach. "Baby's heart sounds good," she whispered. She moved the blanket back over the woman's body, tucking it in gently. "I'm going to check in on your other friend, did you want to come?" Sakura asked Kimimaro. The small omega's eyes widened slightly and Sakura could see the tremble go through his body. "He will need to know your okay too, so if you could talk to him and let him know your okay, then you can come right back to her." Sakura headed towards the door. "He's right across here," she pointed out the door.
Kimimaro flickered his eyes to Sakura, to Sasuke, then to the door. Sasuke could sense Kimimaro's anxiousness. "Go on, I'll watch her till you come back." He grabbed the cloth from the bowl again, rinsing it out, his intent clear what he was going to do. His wolf purred out slightly and Kimimaro took the steps towards the other room.
Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed, applying the cool rag to the woman's warm forehead. She was still panting quite quickly, definitely not a healthy sign and her fever still raged. Sasuke frowned at the site. He hoped Tsunade could determine what was going on with this omega, not only for her and the baby, but he had a feeling that Kimimaro could possibly die should something happen to her. The woman whimpered slightly in her sleep and Sasuke's inner wolf clawed heavily at his mentality. He winced slightly at the discomfort. 'What the hell was that for?' He rubbed at one of his temples, the discomfort only ebbing slightly. The woman whimpered again and shifted in her sleep, her eyes squinting as if she was in pain. Her arm moved to her swollen stomach and Sasuke's wolf again clawed at him. Turning slightly, he noticed the movement of her hand, but it didn't move anymore obviously since she was unconscious. He tilted his head slightly, observed the swollen stomach under the thin blanket. The wolf within hummed out, pushing at him to move, but he wasn't sure what his wolf wanted. The wolf pushed again and Sasuke found his hand moving to rest upon the swollen stomach.
The emotions that rose through him left him breathless, his wolf pushing out waves of emotions through his hand, left it tingling. His heart stuttered as he slowly began to rub at the warm swelling and he felt the gentle pushes of the cub within. His face flushed with warmth and his wolf purred out with satisfaction at the gentle movement with his palm. "There, there, it's alright," he purred out quietly as he continued to rub small circles. He glanced towards the sleeping omega's face, that seemed to be more relaxed as his hand moved softly. He felt his lips give a slight smile before standing up and removing the cloth from her forehead. Though still burning with fever, her breathing still quite laboured, he felt a little more at peace knowing that she wasn't in discomfort after his small movement on her swollen stomach. He picked up the now empty food tray and left for the kitchen.
Sasuke grabbed a futon, dragged it into the room with the sleeping purple haired omega. He just knew that Kimimaro wouldn't leave her, thus, he needed to be comfortable. Pulling it into the room, Kimimaro came in behind him, quietly watching him.
"It's for you. To stay with her tonight." Sasuke flopped the futon down then went to the closet to grab some blankets and a pillow. "I know it's not as good as a bed, but it should do right?" Sasuke threw the pillow and blankets down, spreading them out. He glanced up, seeing soft green eyes watching him intently. "How about a bath? It's no fun to go to bed feeling dirty," he hummed out, sitting on the edge of the futon. His wolf purred when Kimimaro nodded in agreement.
Filling up the tub, Sasuke grabbed a fluffy towel, placing it by the tub and a basket of soaps. "Come test the water Kimimaro, see if it's okay for you," he called out to the small omega standing by the door. "I'm going to get you some sleep wear then I'll leave you to it."
Coming back to the room, he found Kimimaro just standing near the filling tub. Placing the extra sleep wear on the toilet, Sasuke turned off the water and went to leave the room. He flinched when he felt a soft warm hand grab his wrist. Sasuke didn't move, he slowly turned his face to see those green eyes watching him with curiosity. The omega was biting his lower lip then pulled his hand back, as if he realized he did something wrong. "What's the matter?" Sasuke hummed out as he turned slightly.
"Stay?" the omega squeaked out. His eyes lowered to the floor, his hands tucked into his chest when he looked over at the tub.
Sasuke tilted his head slightly then gave him a small smile. "Okay, I'll help you." Sasuke assisted Kimimaro into the tub and grabbed a hand cloth, lathering it with soap. Kimimaro kept his knees tucked into his chest as Sasuke began to gently wash his skin. When he was done, he handed the small omega the cloth and grabbed a cup and shampoo. "I'll wash your hair, okay?" The small omega nodded as he slowly moved the cloth around his forefront. Sasuke's heart went out to the little omega as he noted his ribs and collar bones protruding out. 'Poor thing must be starving,' he thought to himself. He set himself to pour the warm water through the matted filthy hair, making sure no water got into Kimimaro's face as he drenched the hair. Streams of darkened water flowed over Kimimaro's shoulders and Sasuke scrunched his nose. Grabbing the shampoo he applied a healthy blob onto the drenched hair and began to massage the shampoo into the small omega's hair. The smaller omega began to purr softly while Sasuke lathered his hair. Sasuke's wolf hummed and vibrated through Sasuke, leaving him feeling satisfied. As the frothy soap began to rinse into the bathwater, Sasuke was in awe at the texture and shine of the milky coloured hair. The light gave the now clean hair a marvelous shine and Sasuke couldn't help himself from running his fingers through the strands. With every soft stroke, Kimimaro purred.
"Your hair is lovely," Sasuke hummed out. He quickly finished rinsing the rest of the hair before moving to get the fluffy towel. Holding it up, he turned his head to the side, "all done, let's get you ready for bed." Kimimaro obeyed and wrapped himself, as Sasuke rubbed his arms and shoulders with the towel. "Okay, get your night clothes on and I'll get you some warm milk?" Sasuke nodded at Kimimaro, and stepped out of the room.
He made himself busy in the kitchen, putting a mug of milk in the microwave. Leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, he closed his eyes for a moment. Warm feelings thrummed through him and he couldn't recall feeling so comfortable since Naruto left.
"You okay?" a voice broke through his thoughts.
Sasuke's eyes flew open quickly, his heart pounding hard at the sudden intrusion. "Jeezuz!" he breathed out.
"Sorry man, didn't mean to scare yah." Kiba gave an apologetic smile. "Seriously though, you okay?" Kiba gave him a concerned look.
Sasuke just nodded his head before turning and getting the warm mug from the microwave.
"That little omega tell you anything yet?" Kiba asked as he headed for the fridge. "He certainly is a quiet timid little thing eh?" He pulled out various foods, placing them on the table.
"Hn," Sasuke responded when he turned to pull the warm milk from the microwave. He carefully maneuvered around the table and Kiba, heading back to the room.
"Well nice chatting with ya," Kiba mumbled at Sasuke's back. "Let's do it again sometime eh?" Kiba snorted out as he began placing various foods on the plate. Hinata and Sakura made their way into the kitchen.
"Report on the border Kiba?" Sakura asked him while grabbing a plate for her and Hinata. They both sat at the table, starting to pick at the food Kiba had placed out.
"Meh, not much. There were vampire scents, but they were quite a distance from our border this time. I'm thinking they know better now, but we best continue to keep tabs on that." He took a bite of his sandwich. "What's this, the second or third time they've been around in the past year?" He eyed Sakura while chewing away.
Hinata swatted him on the arm and gave him a glare.
"Whey! Mm-what 'dat for?!" Kiba cried out while giving a pout towards her, exaggerating his pain.
"Don't talk with your mouth full you pig!" Hinata snapped at him, still frowning at him and threatening to hit him again. Kiba whimpered and slid his chair away from her, hiding his sandwich close to his chest.
"I'll add that to the log," Sakura piped up. "So, we should probably discuss our new guests." The other two nodded. "We know the small omega is named Kimimaro. He hasn't disclosed the names of the other two yet. Well, not to any of us?" She eyed Hinata and Kiba.
"Hey I barely met them, I've been out scouting all day remember?" Kiba mumbled out between bites of food.
Hinata shook her head. "Kimimaro has only told me his name," she whispered out sadly.
Sakura tapped her chin. "No worries. I noticed Kimimaro was comfortable with Sasuke, so maybe he will talk to him. Will wait and see." She grabbed her notebook, looking at the notes. "I'll watch over them tonight. Hinata, if you could take over in the morning?" Hinata nodded yes. "Good. Good. Let's eat then!" The three sat around the table, having a quiet conversation with each other.
Sasuke walked to Kimimaro with the warm mug of milk placing it down on the bedside table in the purple haired omega's room. Kimimaro had changed into his night clothes and was sitting on the futon next to the bed, his eyes focused on the sleeping omega.
"Your milk," Sasuke whispered. Kimimaro's eyes glanced at him briefly before looking back at the sleeping omega. Sasuke pinched his lips and rocked slightly back and forth. Never one to initiate any conversations, he wasn't sure what to do next. "Well, goodnight," he blurted out and turned to walk out.
"Sasuke?" The voice was so quiet that Sasuke almost missed it. He stopped and turned to match with soft green eyes. Sasuke tilted his head in question towards Kimimaro. "C-Can you stay?" The small omega's bottom lip trembled slightly, his hands wringed nervously on his lap.
Sasuke nodded gently and sat down beside Kimimaro on the futon. Kimimaro sighed in content and leaned against the bed, his eyes falling back on the sleeping purple haired omega.
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Kakashi dug hard at the snow, his front paws cutting through it like butter, but damn there was a ton of it. He didn't let up as he pushed forward through the extreme amounts of snow, creating a tunnel behind him. When he pushed through the top, he estimated that the snow was about fifteen feet deep, just in that one area that he was in. Panting out while he stood on the top of the snow, he looked about to see that the landscape had completely changed. The whole bowl was now nothing but white with the odd tip of a tree poking up in various areas.
Kakashi barked out. 'NARUTO! NARUTO!' He then stopped quickly as he heard a slight rumble from the air. 'Fuck! He couldn't risk another avalanche!' He began to sniff about the ground and walk about at a quick pace. He snarled out when all he could smell is fresh powdered snow. He tried reaching out through the bond, only to be met back with silence. Going back to where he had come from, he looked about, trying to get a grasp on how the snow could have pushed Naruto down the mountain. He had to start somewhere, and his nose hit the snow again as he trudged through the snow.
Several miles away, a man pulled himself out from under the snow and shook the snow out of his hair. Grabbing his large walking stick, he shoved it into the snow and pulled himself to the top. Standing in the sun, he looked around, squinting from the glare of the sun off the snow. He pulled a pair of glasses out from his bag and slid them over his dark brown eyes. Taking both of his hands, he rubbed furiously at his dark brown hair again to get the remainder of the snow out. When he was done, he stretched his arms up over his head, sighing out happily when a few pops were heard in his back. Adjusting his jacket, he grabbed his walking stick and began walking on top of the snow.
After a few minutes, he stopped and sniffed at the air. His brows furrowed in confusion as he took small steps to the side, his nose sniffing the air again. "What the hell is that?" He continued to follow the scent until he came to a rock. The rock was actually the top of a large boulder that was buried beneath the fresh avalanche snow. The man placed his hand on top of the small rock peak and sniffed around the base. "Well shit, this isn't good," he muttered to himself. Looking at the snow covered bowl, he didn't see any one for miles, just an ocean of white snow. Slipping his jacket and bag off into the snow, jabbing his walking stick into the snow as well, he took a few steps back and adjusted his head, making his neck crack.
He crouched slightly, arching his back and stretching out his arms. Loud cracks began to erupt about his body and he tilted his head back and clenched his teeth. Breathing out heavily, his body began to transform. Falling forward, his legs and arms became large, muscled, full of dark brown fur and paws formed where once hands and feet were. His chest burst out, ribs cracking to house the larger wolf chest and the man let out a moan of discomfort. He landed on all four of his paws in the snow, his wolf head shaking rapidly to fluff out his fur throughout his body to his fluffy tail.
His nose dropped to the snow briefly before huge paws began to dig down into the snow. Several minutes passed before all was seen was the tip of the dark brown tail before the huge wolf began to back out of the hole. Between his jaws, holding tight onto the scruff of dark blond fur, he snarled as he brought up the unconscious wolf from beneath the snow.
'Where…' Naruto's thoughts began to ask as his consciousness began to come to light. His body was sore, unknown pains were making themselves known as his mind began to focus. 'Kakashi!' Naruto's memories came flooding back of him running, stretching out for the small cave where Kakashi was, seeing and sensing his wolf as he leaped, and then darkness.
Yellow eyes peered through the surrounding darkness, his nose picking up the subtle scent of a fire burning, the moisture in the air which smelled of wet rock. The ground was cold but dry, the dust of the floor tickling his nose.
"You're safe, but you need time to heal." A voice breached the darkness, causing Naruto's wolf ears to twitch into the direction of the voice. Whimpering slightly from the discomfort of pain, he moved his wolf head to the sound.
A small fire crackled creating shimmering shadows to dance along the rock walls. Naruto's eyes looked at the figure that was sitting beside the fire. He had shoulder length dark brown hair, fair skin and long face. 'Who is…' Naruto thought out.
"I found you, buried, and twisted within the rocks. Two of your legs were broken, I set them." The man breathed out, sounding bored as his brown eyes watched the flickering flames. "A few ribs were broken, some cuts but nothing else too serious." His eyes moved to look at the blond wolf. "You can stay here until you heal up some," the man sighed out, moving to grab a pot near the fire. "I don't suspect you can transform yet, but I cooked some meat."
Naruto's nose caught the smell of the cooked meat and his mouth began to water. His stomach was suddenly hungry, despite the pain that ached throughout his body. Maneuvering his body best he could, he managed to prop himself up on his legs, his yellow eyes watching the brunette carefully. Though the man may have saved him, he was still a stranger and his alpha instincts were on alert. He could smell the wolf but there was another scent, something he couldn't place that mingled within the strange wolf. He snorted softly, 'who are you?'
The man dropped the pot near Naruto's front paws, hesitating slightly and his eyes narrowed in response. "Eat." Was the only response given. "I'll be back soon." The man stood, gave a firm nod in Naruto's direction and walked towards the entrance of the cave.
Naruto's eyes followed the back of the man, as he made his way towards the light. 'Could he not understand him or was he just being rude?' Not bothering to dwell on the strangers attitude, he tested his legs, whimpering slightly as a pain shot through his legs and up his back. He noticed the wrappings on his two back legs. He huffed out annoyed. 'Kakashi had to be looking for me. Could he trust this stranger? He did heal me somewhat, offered me food, he is a wolf but there is something about his scent…' The alpha growled out deeply, becoming angry at the situation he was in. Naruto was in a vulnerable position and the alpha was demanding an instinctual response. Flight or fight. The thoughts itched his many unanswered questions were triggering the alpa within. Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated on calming down.
Kakashi was trudging through the area, his nose still on the ground, his mind calling out. It had been several hours, and he was no closer to finding Naruto. He could not find a trace of his scent anywhere! 'Fucking damn it! Naruto! Where are you!' He didn't want to think the worst, but if Naruto was hurt, causing him not to be able to break free of the layers of snow… 'No.' Kakashi scolded himself for thinking the worst. He had covered a few miles painstakingly slow, but he would continue on. The sun was still high in the sky, he had time.
A figure in the distance broke his concentration. 'A human? Way the fuck out here? How?' Kakashi knew for sure he had not sensed any humans this deep into the mountains, and certainly he didn't hear of any helicopters flying around, so how the hell? He was pretty sure the area he and Naruto were in was maybe explored twice a year by humans, if that! He watched as the human walked upon the top of the snow, making his way towards him. The wind shifted slightly and the scent passed his nose.
Kakashi's wolf growled lowly and his hackles began to rise. His wolf came on high alert and adrenaline rose while Kakashi prepared himself. His muscles quivered with anticipation at the approaching threat. 'Vampire!'
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Sasuke rolled over, his arm stretched out, his hand patting around the bed blindly seeking out until his fingers touched a small corner of fabric. He quickly grasped the fabric and brought it to his face. Inhaling the scent, his body relaxed into the bed. Opening his eyes, he noticed that it was indeed morning and he frowned at the thought. Opening his eyes, he took in the still empty site of the bed, where Naruto should be. His wolf mourned out again and Sasuke pulled the fabric back to his nose. Naruto's scent was barely noticeable on the used shirt, it had been so long. Sasuke now wondered briefly if the shirt still even had the alpha's scent on it or if it was solely in his imagination. He sighed out, thinking of the last 6 weeks. His wolf was constantly prodding on his emotions, as it longed for the alpha, not understanding at all where the alpha was. All it understood that the alpha was not around, and Sasuke had been struggling with trying to keep the turmoil of emotions that his wolf continuously stirred up. He was feeling exhausted all the time and he definitely wasn't feeling rested when he woke. Covering up the bags under his eyes with foundation was the best he could do at the moment so no one would start asking questions.
Stretching out his toes out from underneath the blankets, he stretched out his legs and lifted his arms, arching in satisfaction feeling the familiar satisfying sting through his muscles from stretching out. He tilted his head as he heard voices coming up from downstairs. 'Oh! Kimimaro!' He had left the small omega after he had fallen asleep. Sasuke had tucked in Kimimaro before heading off to his own bed. He jolted up, bringing his legs to the side of the bed and grabbing his robe.
"It's the only way to ensure the baby and mother will survive. Judging by the test results, the baby is about 35 weeks, which isn't great but better than earlier." The voice belonged to Tsunade, who was speaking to Sakura and Hinata at the kitchen table when Sasuke walked in. The three glanced up at him, their faces serious.
"Good morning Sasuke, how are you feeling dear?" Tsunade asked him.
"Hn," Sasuke responded. "Where's Kimimaro?"
"He's sitting with the pregnant omega still," Hinata answered with a soft smile. "He hasn't eaten yet, would you take him something?" She moved up to gather a plate of food.
"Hn," Sasuke responded, taking the plate with food on it from Hinata. Grabbing some orange juice as well, he made his way out of the kitchen, leaving the three women.
Golden eyes watched Sasuke leave the room, a small smile played upon her lips. "How's he doing?" Tsunade whispered when Sasuke left.
"He's struggling, but trying not to let it on. He's quiet, but he's been looking tired. He doesn't think we know that he hasn't been sleeping well," Sakura shook her head sadly. "Naruto's absence has been hitting him hard I'm certain."
"Make sure he's eating enough and don't let him stress too much," Tsunade snapped out. "He needs support right now, sleep and plenty of food." She pinched her lips in seriousness to the two beta's. "Now to the situation at hand. Nothing we give the pregnant omega will work on her to bring her blood pressure down. Mainly due to her werewolf genes but most importantly, none of it is safe for the baby." Tsunade tapped her chin. "But I will give her something to at least stabilize her until we can do the cesarian. I can't risk her having seizures. She is at a dangerous level right now, and I believe that she hasn't had a seizure. But can't risk her having one so we need to prepare to have the baby removed as soon as possible."
"What is she suffering from Tsunade-sama?" Hinata asked quietly, her eyes wide with concern.
"The test results came back as preeclampsia. It's common in human women, but puts the mother and baby at an extreme high risk. Just as it is with werewolves, baby and mom are also at extreme high risk." Tsunade stood quickly. "I will get things ready as quickly as possible. Sakura, you know what to do until then. I will call when I have everything ready." She nodded at the women. "Oh, and someone will have to explain to that little omega. I get the feeling he won't take to kindly on what we have to do with the pregnant omega."
Sakura and Hinata hummed in agreement and bowed to the older alpha as she left the kitchen, her heels echoing off the walls.
"Hinata, I'll need your help preparing the room for this. Call Kiba so I can explain to both of you at the same time the steps that will need to be done." Sakura began to move about the kitchen and Hinata headed out to go find Kiba.
Sasuke peeked into the room that housed the pregnant omega and saw Kimimaro sitting on the futon next to the bed. The little omega was holding the sleeping woman's hand, laying his head upon the bed. He looked much better now that he was all clean, his white hair long and silky, falling past his shoulders. "Breakfast," Sasuke whispered out as he stepped in. The small omega's soft eyes turned to his voice, and Sasuke could see the small smile. "How did you sleep?" Sasuke asked while putting the food down near Kimimaro.
"Hmm," Kimimaro shrugged his shoulders and shuffled towards the plate of food. After a few moments, Sasuke moved to the sleeping omega on the bed. Her brow was once again lined with sweat, her breathing was still rapid but she seemed to be comfortable. He grabbed the moist cloth and dabbed at the woman's forehead. His wolf began to whine within him again, pushing at his mental walls, demanding attention. Sasuke cringed slightly at the intrusion, he finished with the sleeping omega and glanced at the swollen stomach tucked under the blanket.
His eyes widened in surprise when he saw a movement under the blanket. 'Good morning little cub.' Sasuke thought quietly. Stretching his hand out, his fingertips lightly touched the fabric just as a small bump pushed up into his fingers. His wolf exploded in happiness and maternal feelings that Sasuke flattened his palm and splayed his fingers out. The heat radiated off the bump and Sasuke jumped when another hand fell upon his. He jerked his head to the owner of the hand, his heart thumping wildly. Sea green eyes smiled back at him.
"Sasuke?" Kimimaro whispered out, his hand still gently over Sasuke's. "Will she wake up soon?" Kimimaro's voice shook and Sasuke could feel the tremble through his fingers.
Sasuke didn't know how to answer. His wolf hummed within him, causing several emotions to rush about in a whirlwind. He watched those soft green eyes look at him, filled with a pain and fear, that Sasuke was familiar with in his own previous experiences. His heart ached, his wolf howled and Sasuke pulled his hand back. "I-I don't know," he whispered. He felt Kimimaro's emotions drop and could see the sadness take over his face. The silence held over them, Sasuke not knowing what to say or do, never being in this sort of situation before.
"Kimimaro? Could you come here?" Hinata's voice broke the silence when she popped her head into the room. "Your friend is waking." She gave a soft smile and waved at him to come.
Kimimaro tripped over the futon on the floor, stumbling to get back on his feet as he fell towards Hinata. "Easy there!" Hinata quickly stepped up, scooping him up so he could get back on his feet. "I think he will want to see you." She smiled as she led him out of the room, leaving Sasuke alone.
Sasuke turned to look at the sleeping omega, not seeing any change. His wolf purred out suddenly, filling him with a strange sensation of ...what he couldn't name. Something about this situation was causing his wolf to stir a host of emotions and frankly, he was feeling tired again. His legs began to shake and he dropped to his knees, sitting on the futon that was still on the floor. Resting his body against the bed, he closed his eyes briefly and took some deep breaths. When would he stop being so fucking tired! Sasuke growled at his body, at his wolf, and then at Naruto. 'It's all his fault dammit! Fucking alpha, thinking he can just take off, leave us, galvanting all over…' Sasuke clenched his teeth. His wolf growled from within him at the thought of Naruto. 'How could I be such an idiot! Of course he needs to save Kyuubi, bring him home,' Sasuke thought to himself as he was now suddenly overwhelmed with guilt for thinking angry thoughts against Naruto. Letting out a big sigh, he pulled his knees up and crossed his arms over, resting his head on his arms. 'This is going to be a shit show if I can't get myself together.' He closed his eyes again.
"Kimi, is that you?" The deep cracked voice called out from behind dry lips. Dark purple eyes peeked out from between lashes, a tired hand trembled as it lifted towards the white haired omega's cheek. Tears ran down Kimimaro's cheeks when he grasped the beta's hand, placing his head into the waiting palm.
"N-Nagato," Kimimaro's sobbed out, rubbing his cheek against the beta's palm. He managed to crawl up onto the bed, huddled close to the beta on the bed.
"K-Konan?" Nagato asked, now running his hand over the silky white hair. "Did you?"
"She's here. B-but…" Kimimaro hiccuped through his sobs leaning into the hand going through his hair.
"She's not awake yet," Hinata decided to speak up. Both sets of eyes looked over at her. "She has been unconscious for two days now, but baby is doing okay." She stepped up, grabbing a dampened towel. "Let's get you cleaned up and Sakura will meet with you before you go see her." Hinata held up the towel, waiting for permission. Kimimaro's eyes flickered between Nagato's eyes, nodding his head in agreement.
Sakura came in, began checking Nagato's vitals as Hinata and Kimimaro cleaned him up the best they could. "Hi there, I'm Sakura. You're still weak, but you're going to be okay. With some food you should be up to full strength in a few hours."
"Nagato," he nodded. "And Konan? What of my mate?" the old beta asked out, while turning his head and allowing Kimimaro to wipe at his neck and chest with a wet cloth.
Sakura kept her face professional. "She has been diagnosed with preeclampsia."
"Which is?" Nagato moved to sit up, hissing slightly as he forced his body to move, as weak as it was.
Sakura put down her notepad and moved to Nagato's IV needle that was still in his arm. She began to take off the tape, pulling out the needle carefully. "It is mainly caused by abnormal high blood pressure and if left untreated, can cause…" Sakura trailed off. Nagato raised a brow. Sakura bit her lip. "It can lead to seizures, placenta abruption, strokes, severe bleeding and possibly…" She stopped as she applied a bandaid to the spot on Nagato's arm.
"Death…" Nagato whispered out, his voice cracking slightly.
"How long has she been like this?" Sakura asked, taking a seat with her notepad in her lap.
"A few months maybe? When she started…" Nagato sobbed slightly. "We tried everything. I carried her for as far as I c-could! Kimi-Kimi started giving up his share, but-but I couldn't get e-enough-"
"Shh, it's okay." Sakura placed her hand on his arm, giving him a gentle squeeze. "You both did as much as you could, I understand. But now we need to get baby out to save them both, it's the only option." She gave him a small smile when Nagato's purple eyes widened in fear. "My master, one of the best doctors, is going to be here soon, and we shall get them both out of the danger zone...promise."
Kimimaro moved and tucked himself into Nagato's chest. "It's okay niisan. This pack has been so kind to us. I trust them to help Konan-chan and aka-chan." He sniffled slightly as he gently hugged Nagato.
Nagato pulled his arm around the small omega. "Okay Kimimaro-kun. If you trust them, I will too."
"I have a few more questions to ask before Hinata will help you both to see Konan. I have almost everything ready, and Tsunade-sama said she is on her way. I need to know as much as possible of Konan so ensure that we get the procedure over as quickly and safely as possible" She glanced towards HInata who nodded in response.
==intermission==
Kakashi growled loudly, bearing his teeth, adjusting his stance in attack position. His growls loud enough to inform the approaching enemy not to come closer. The vampire was heading straight for him, walking calmly along the top of the snow, something that a human wouldn't be able to do. Hell, no werewolf could do it either in human form. But as Kakashi continued to focus his sight on the approaching vampire, it wasn't common for a vampire to be wandering out in full sun. Sure they could handle the sun, but usually not at full force. The centuries of vampires have made it so they didn't need to be in complete darkness anymore.
The vampire stopped a few hundred meters away, his hair blowing gently in the breeze, the sun casting a long shadow across the field of snow. 'What's he doing?' Kakashi thought to himself, his inner wolf still on high alert of the threat. He pawed at the snow impatiently.
"Did you lose your friend?" The voice called out across the field of snow.
Kakashi's ears perked, but his hackles remained heightened. 'Friend? Is he talking about…'
"I found him, several miles from here," the vampire pointed his thumb behind him. "He's banged up, can't move much, but should be okay."
Kakashi was now in a bind. What should he think? Would this vampire deceive him just to get him close? But how else would he know that I was with someone? Not to mention it appeared the vampire was alone, but Kakashi knew that vampires often couldn't be sensed. Kakashi could only sense vampires since he had an experience decades ago during the wars.
"Come with me. I have him in a safe place." The brunette turned then, starting to walk back the same way he came.
Kakashi watched the vampire walk away, biting at his inner wolf to calm the fuck down and let him think. 'If what he spoke was true, why would he save him? Why would he tell me?'
"I suggest you come and find out for yourself!" The voice called out over his shoulder.
Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. 'Can-can he hear me? What the hell?' Kakashi shook his head and took off after the stranger.
After several miles, the stranger led him to a large cave, hidden away behind arches and overhangs, the avalanche had tapered off in this area, like the end of a wave washing up on a beach. Kakashi caught the scent of Naruto, a couple miles back, and saw where Naruto had ended up, buried in the avalanche. He cringed slightly as he sniffed at the hole, seen how far it had gone down. The stranger said nothing as he continued past the area, and followed his own footprints back to where he had come.
Sniffing at the entrance of the cave, he could smell Naruto within and he cautiously stepped into the darkness where the stranger had gone in. His eyes quickly adjusted, and he caught the rising dust from the floor where the stranger had walked. Keeping alert, he went deeper into the cave.
'Kakashi! You're all right!' Naruto's voice bellowed through the bond. Kakashi's body thrumbed with relief, hearing and then seeing Naruto, laid out near a small fire pit.
'Damn it Naruto, you scared the hell out of me!' Kakashi scolded him right back in response. He moved up beside Naruto, nuzzling his scruff and licking his muzzle. 'Do you have any idea what would happen to me if anything had happened to you!?' Naruto lowered his head giving a slight whimper. Kakashi couldn't let the pup feel so bad. 'Thank god you're okay, aren't you?' Naruto lifted his head and huffed out a snort.
'I'm better, though I don't remember much, but this guy,' Naruto nudged his head over to the stranger that was now sitting by the small fire pit, arranging some sticks to build a flame. 'He pulled me out, fixed me up and even fed me. Doesn't say much though, but I can't imagine what it would have been like if I was still stuck under all that snow!' Naruto nosed his back legs, showing Kakashi the damage.
Kakashi sniffed at the bindings, taking in the severity of the damage. The bones were set and healing, Naruto should be good to go in another 24 hours or less. Any other injuries were done healing and Kakashi estimated that they could continue on their way soon. 'Has this person told you anything?' Kakashi asked Naruto through their bond.
'Nothing, only he knew I probably couldn't transform yet. I can smell the wolf in him, but there is something-something else mixed in with it. If that makes sense…' Nartuo twitched his ears about, listening to the fire crackling and the movement of the other man.
"I'm not going to harm either of you," the man spoke as he shuffled slightly and pulled out something from behind his back.
Kakashi just stood, watching the man sit in the flickering lights of the flames, standing close to Naruto. His muscles were taunt and at the ready, his eyes watching the vampires hands. Kakashi's wolf was alert. There was something confusing about this creature. Naruto could smell wolf, Kakashi could smell vampire...what's the story here?
The man pulled out a copper flute, small, with what looked like eight holes. Kakashi relaxed, noticing that the man was now polishing up the instrument. His hair was straight, long and fell covering part of his face. It didn't hide his brown eyes though, and Kakashi's curiosity had now gotten the best of him. Deeming the situation safe, for the moment, he transformed back into a human, ready to talk to the stranger. Grabbing a light blanket from his pack, he wrapped it around his shoulders and took a seat by the fire, situated right across from the stranger.
"Thank you for taking care of my friend," Kakashi started. Brown eyes looked at him with a bored expression, his hands not stopping as he continued to polish the instrument. Kakashi thought about his next questions carefully. It was obvious that this stranger was familiar with this area, but did he have a coven? Was he alone? And Naruto said he could sense wolf within him, yet Kakashi sensed vampire. "Do you live in these parts?"
"In a way," the man shrugged, his eyes back down on his flute.
Kakashi gaged the response. "I'm Kakashi. My friend and I, Naruto," Kakashi nodded his head towards the blond wolf, "are passing through. Again, thank you for helping him, well, both of us out." He gave a smile. The stranger just nodded his head, still polishing his flute. "We will be on our way as soon as Naruto is strong enough to continue on."
"Hn," the stranger answered.
'He certainly isn't the chatty one now is he…' Kakashi thought.
"Do you have family?" Kakashi decided to just throw a question out, since the stranger was obviously not interested in answering directly. 'He has some walls up for sure.'
"Not anymore," he answered. His body slumped slightly and his shoulders fell when he released a long breath. "I'm Utakata."
"Pleasure," Kakashi answered, pleased that he finally got a name. The name didn't spark any memories though. But he didn't know a lot of the names in the further countries, since he and Naruto were currently further than the clans in their area had ever been.
"Where you two from?" Utakata suddenly spoke, causing Kakashi to raise his brows. This was the first question Utakata had asked of him.
"South, several weeks actually. We still have a ways to go. Meeting up with a friend of ours."
Utakata's eyes widened slightly before narrowing questioningly across the fire. Kakashi noticed Utakata bit his bottom lip, as if debating whether or not to say something. After a brief hesitation he lifted his head, "your friend wouldn't happen to be a red coloured wolf would he?"
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So, any thoughts about what the future brings? heh Beta ramble: Well, again, work has most definitely gotten in the way of my beta life, but still love my authors that still check in with me on a regular basis. I'm still around on my tumbr and my twitter.