CHAPTER 20: INNER PAIN

Sakura rushed down the hospital's corridors to room thirteen. She was in a state of shack when she first entered the room; the Aburame, he was drained of chakra. The man has five finger sized holes on his chest, oozing blood and beetles. "This man is in critical condition," said Sakura, "We need to get him into surgery now!". "no…" weakly interrupted the man, "you can't." The man then motioned softly for Sakura to get closer to hear what he had to say. "...". Sakura jumped back when he finished speaking. "Oh, crap!" shouted Sakura. The man began to clutch his chest as Sakura shouted. "Keep this man alive!" ordered Sakura to the nurses, "I'm going to get the Hokage. She needs to know what this man does."

Sakura, for a second time that morning, rushed down the hospital halls. 'Lady Tsunade needs to hear this!' Sakura said internally. Sakura climbed flights of stairs and ran many halls only to end up back at Naruto's room. "Lady Hokage!" she barged in, "Asuma's team has returned! You need to come with me, he's critical." "Ok." responded Tsunade. "Is Asuma sensei ok?" asked Ino who was still in the room, but she go t no response. Tsunade and Sakura left the room together; slowly at first to not gain Ino's suspicion and worry, but as soon as the door shut they could be heard running through the halls. Ino looked at Naruto then back at the door. One last time she looked at Naruto, who gave her a "go" look.

The Chunin dashed out the door and tried to catch up to Sakura and Tsunade, but it was no use. She barely missed the pair as they entered the operating room. Ino restlessly waited outside the door to the operating room trying to get some hint of what was happening in the room. After many hours, she got her wish. A cadaver trolley left the operating room, pushed by several nurses. Ino threw herself on the cart, crying her eyes out. "Asuma sensei!" she wept out. A nurse rested her hand on Ino's shoulder. Please don't be sad, this isn't Asuma. "Sob, It isn't? Sob," desperately questioned Ino. "Nope," replied the hospital worker, "Asuma's body was never recovered from the mission, along with the Nara boy and the rest of his team." "WHAT!?" Ino cried, falling to the floor. "what the hell is wrong with you?" whispered the more empathetic hospital worker to her coworker. "Nothing is wrong with me. I just don't think you should hide these things is all." bluntly said the unempathetic nurse.

"Well, you just hurt this poor girl. I'm sorry Lady, please excuse my fellow nurse's bluntness."

"It's ok," said Ino, "I just need some air." Ino quickly left the hospital and headed home, hoping for an escape from her anguish.

Back in the hospital the pinkette finished her shift and went back to Naruto's room. She knocked on the door, but didn't bother to ask for permission. Instead, she just asked "Where did Ino run off to? I havn't seen her since before the surgery." "I don't know, she left soon after you did too check on Asuma."

"Asuma… he's not in surgery"

"That's great, so it was his teammate?"

"Yeah… Asuma's teammate, he's not with us either."

"What's that mean?"

" I mean that Asuma… he didn't come back. No one came back. Not Shikamaru, not Asuma, only that one guy."

"Asuma is dead? And Shikamaru is too?!"

"Oh, crap. She must have found out. I have to go…"

Sakura rushed out of the room and hospital to find Ino. She looked down the village streets, but had no luck. 'Maybe the BBQ place, she seemed to go there a lot.' Sakura walked to the BBQ place and entered through the door. "Is there a blonde girl around my age in here, probably really sad." "Back there," pointed the hostess. "Thank you"

Sakura walked to the little table in the back. On one side of the booth was a despondent blond.

"This was our booth"

"Yeah?"

"Me and Asuma would sit on this side, Shikamaru and Choji on the other."

"..."

"You know, it's funny. I can't cry anymore sob."

"I remember that. After Kakashi died I was heartbroken. I was so down in the dumps I couldn't even stomach food, but it will get better. We will always have days and moments we wish never happened, but they don't matter. All that matters is the time we spent with them."

"I guess…"

"If you need someone's shoulder to cry on, I'm here."

"Thank you sob"

Sakura left, careful to leave Ino in a positive way before she left. Ino just sat there, staring at her food. "This sucks…I'm so tired."

The next few days were a blur, nothing that happened seemed to be worth remembering. Until that night, the night that would change everything.