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Forgetting Sasuke	By : CutieSakura Category: Naruto > General Views: 1229 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
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- 16
Disclaimer: Still don�t own em.
~~~~~
Sakura�s eyes widened. She blinked slowly, deliberately, struggling to keep the room in focus.
�Sakura,� Tsunade stated, grabbing her student�s wrist firmly, �you can do this. There is no one I would trust more. You can do this.�
Sakura nodded, taking a deep breath. Tsunade gave her a squeeze before taking off with Genma.
She stood rooted to the spot in a frozen moment, trying to collect herself. She�d used her medical skills countless times to save fellow ninja, but this was the first time she�d ever found herself in the position of having to save the dying life of someone she loved.
�Sakura, in here!� a familiar voice rang out to her above the din. Her eyes met Neji�s. Her body moving of its own accord, she ran to the room in front of which he was standing.
Kakashi lay on the bed, covered in blood. His eyes were closed, his expression pained. Sakura drew her hands together over Kakashi�s chest, pouring a small amount of her own chakra into him in order to give her feedback of his internal damage. �He�s been in and out of consciousness,� Neji explained. �From what I can see, his chakra pathways appear intact, but the physical organ damage is substantial.�
From what her chakra readouts were telling her, his heart and abdomen were the most severely damaged internally. Externally, there were countless deep cuts and bruises. �I have seen Kakashi fight countless times, and he has only ever taken damage from an enemy of his own accord��
�Sakura?� Kakashi�s voice was faint.
�I�m here, Sensei,� she replied quietly, her eyes meeting his. She struggled to swallow the lump of emotion in her throat. She needed to be strong for him. �Don�t worry, I�m going to fix you.�
He smiled despite the great pain it obviously caused him. �Worried? You�re here. I�ll be just fine.� She felt his bloodied hand reach up to hers, giving it a squeeze before it slipped away, his eyes closing. He�d lost consciousness.
Tears slipped down her cheeks. �Neji-kun?� she choked, her voice barely above a whisper. She could feel him at her side, and knew from his silence he was listening. �I need you to get Naruto for me.� She turned her head to him, her eyes meeting his. He understood. He kissed her on the forehead before dashing out.
Keeping one hand in place over his chest, she used the other to pull away what was left of his shirt. The flesh of his abdomen was scorched completely away in the center, the skin charred and raw on the edges. Recognition hit her immediately, followed by rage. �Chidori��
* * * * *
Neji checked all of Naruto�s usual haunts: Ichiraku�s, his (Neji�s) house, Naruto�s own apartment, the training grounds, the academy� all with no luck.
�If I see him, I�ll tell him you�re looking for him,� Hinata had offered helpfully.
�If you see him, send him straight to the hospital. Hatake Kakashi�s been injured,� he had replied before taking off again.
The old man at the ramen stand said he hadn�t seen Naruto all day. Lee and Tenten both offered their apologies for not being more help when he came across them both at the training grounds and Lee even offered to help look. Neji simply told him what to tell Naruto should he find him before taking off again.
�Damn it!� Neji muttered, after a fruitless sweep of shinobi headquarters. �Where the hell is he?�
�That�s it!� he suddenly realized. Naruto would occasionally go off into the woods by himself for his own meditation training. That sensei of his, Jiraiya, required it of him at least two times a week.
Neji took off in that direction, dashing around people through the streets. He continued at his breakneck speed, with significantly fewer obstacles, when he saw two people on the red bridge in the distance.
�Byakugan,� he said aloud, performing the seal as he slowed his pace. Naruto was easily identifiable by his blond hair and bright orange jumpsuit. The other was familiar, although he couldn�t place him.
He saw the other lean in and say something to Naruto, causing Naruto to turn. �Neji! Hey!� he waved happily.
As Neji approached, he realized with a start exactly who the other figure was.
�I figured you�d be in that meeting with the old lady all day,� Naruto said with a laugh. Neji�s expression remained unusually hard. Naruto cast a glance at Sasuke, realization dawning, and quickly sobered. �Sasuke, you remember-�
�Hyuuga Neji,� Sasuke stated, cutting Naruto off.
Neji did little more than cast a glance of acknowledgement at Sasuke before turning to Naruto. �I need you to come with me. It�s urgent,� he said simply.
�What�s going on?� Naruto asked, alert and concerned.
�Sakura requested that I get-�
�What�s wrong with Sakura?� Sasuke interrupted.
�Sakura is none of your concern,� Neji said tersely to Sasuke before addressing Naruto once more, �Naruto, time is of the essence.�
Without waiting for a reply, Neji turned and took off again, knowing that Naruto would follow.
Using his byakugan once more, he knew Naruto was not the only one following.
* * * * *
It had been at least an hour. Sakura had wrapped his abdomen tightly with bandages to staunch the bleeding while she corrected the arrhythmia of Kakashi�s heart. That in itself had taken up all this time. Without his heart functioning properly, there was no purpose in healing anything else.
She turned her attention now to his abdomen, clearly the greatest injury, with the damage going as far in as his intestines. She would have to heal him from the inside out, and it would be a long, grueling, draining process.
�Sakura�� Kakashi whispered.
�I�m here, Kakashi-sensei,� she replied, shifting her attention to his face. Just hearing the pain in his voice brought her to tears once more.
�I have to tell you-�
�Kakashi, you have to keep still. I couldn�t give you any anesthetics until I had your heart controlled. Your blood pressure is still very low. You�re very weak, and you need to save your strength.�
�Sakura, I-� he grimaced in pain. �My injuries, my f�� his voice trailed off as he slipped into unconsciousness again. His vitals were extremely weak, but steady. �I don�t have much time��
* * * * *
��survived the attack. Tsunade-sama has Shiranui Genma in surgery, Shizune is working with another. Sakura was the only other qualified medic-nin left to aid the last survivor.�
Naruto listened as Neji explained what little he knew as the three shinobi raced through the town.
�The injuries are critical. She�s stressed out and extremely emotional right now. I would not have left, but she asked me to get you, and under the circumstances��
�Sakura always gets stressed out and emotional when it comes to tense situations,� Sasuke stated as a point of fact. �I don�t see how-�
�You don�t know her,� Neji retorted heatedly.
Naruto explained to Sasuke, �Sakura-chan doesn�t fall apart easily.� To Neji, he said, �Which means there�s something you�re not telling me. What?�
�It�s Kakashi. He�s the ninja whose life Sakura is trying to save.�
Naruto took off at a lightning speed, putting the original rapid pace to shame. Sasuke and Neji exchanged a glare before speeding up to catch the orange flash ahead of them.
* * * * *
�Sakura-chan!� Naruto cried, rushing into the hospital room and throwing his arms around her. She burst into tears at the sound of his voice.
�Naruto,� she whispered, turning and hugging him back. She quickly pried herself away, turning her attentions back to Kakashi. �I�m sorry to drag you away� I just� I needed you here��
�I wouldn�t be anywhere else. What can I do to help?�
�Just stay with me,� she said quietly.
�How is he?�
�I think I�ve managed to stop the bleeding from the inside, but the damage to his abdominal wall is so great, I just don�t know if I can� if I�� she bit her lip, balling her hands into fists, fighting for control. �I don�t usually lose it like this, but-�
�It�s Kakashi-sensei,� Naruto said simply as though that was the end of the matter. And it was. Sakura smiled gratefully at him, placing her hands once more over Kakashi and channeling her chakra. Naruto sat down in the chair next to the gurney and watched Sakura intently.
�How is he?� asked Neji, entering the room and striding directly over to Sakura, wrapping an arm around her waist so as not to get in the way of her hands.
�Not great,� Naruto answered for her, �but not as bad as he was.� He looked to Sakura for confirmation; she nodded.
All three turned immediately to face the new presence in the room. �Sasuke,� Naruto said, motioning with his hand for him to come in. Neji tensed.
�You son of bitch!� Sakura cried, crossing the room in three long strides and punching him. �How dare you!�
Naruto and Neji stood dumbfounded at Sakura�s outburst. Sasuke quickly recovered and stared at Sakura in shock and confusion, his eyes red with Sharingan.
�How many did you teach it to? How many know?� Sakura demanded. �How many sick, twisted, evil fucking Sound shinobi know Chidori?� Sasuke�s eyes bore into hers. �Answer me!�
Sasuke remained silent. Sakura pulled her arm back, preparing to hit Sasuke once more when she felt Neji�s strong arms go around her. �Sakura, you need to focus. You can deal with Sasuke later. Right now, Kakashi needs you,� he said gently.
�I want an answer,� Sakura said quietly, her fury fading.
�No one,� Sasuke replied, his eyes locked with hers, fading back to their usual black. �I never shared that technique with anyone, nor would I as only someone with Sharingan can wield it.�
She stepped out of Neji�s embrace, which he relaxed, knowing she wouldn�t go after him again. Sakura walked over to the bed, throwing Sasuke a look over her shoulder to join her. �Explain this.�
Sasuke and Neji both approached the bed, Naruto on the other side, all four looking at the wound. The skin was bright red and very raw; although the wound itself was healing, the charred flesh on the outside still remained, and the evidence of the jutsu used still obvious. �Isn�t that�� Naruto�s voice trailed off.
�I can�t explain it,� Sasuke shook his head. �I have no idea. I only know of two ninja who can use that jutsu and both are in this room.�
Gesturing with her hands, she waved them all away from the bed so she could work. Once more, she placed her hands together over Kakashi�s abdomen, summoning all her chakra.
The four shinobi remained silent as Sakura continued to push her chakra into Kakashi, the beep of the vitals machine the only sound in the room.
Occasionally, sensing Sakura getting distressed or frustrated, Naruto would reach over and give her arm a reassuring squeeze. It was evident to everyone in the room that she drew strength from him. Neji watched intently, no longer feeling threatened by Naruto, but grateful; not only was Naruto a huge influence and inspiration in his own life, but he gives Sakura so much.
�-Kura��
�Kakashi!� Sakura exclaimed, leaning forward to hear him.
�Naruto� no chasing the doggies, they�re mine��
�What?� Naruto asked.
�Mine� doggies�� Kakashi faded, losing consciousness yet again.
�His temperature is rising,� Neji pointed out, his eyes on the vitals monitor.
Sakura swayed on her feet. Sasuke leapt forward, but Neji caught her first. �Sakura?�
�She�s expended too much chakra. She�s exhausted,� Sasuke said nonchalantly, eyeing Neji with annoyance. �It�s to be expected, her stamina has never been good.�
�You know nothing about it,� Neji retorted bitterly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow through his scowl.
Naruto jumped up. �I�ll be right back. I�m going to see if Baa-chan or Shizune are done and can help. I think Sakura-chan�s maxed out and Kakashi-sensei�s still in bad shape.� He was out the door in a flash.
Neji sat down, holding Sakura with an arm hooked behind her back and under her knees. He and Sasuke looked at one another, both emanating loathing.
After several long, uncomfortable moments, Naruto returned with Tsunade, who herself was looking exhausted. She glanced at Sakura before examining Kakashi. �That was a chidori burn� she did this much already?� Tsunade said, clearly impressed. �The arrhythmia is completely gone as well� It�s a wonder she didn�t faint sooner.�
�Is Kakashi-sensei going to be okay then?� Naruto asked.
�His temperature has started to rise in the last half hour,� Neji informed her.
Tsunade�s eyes swung to the monitor and nodded. �With an injury like this, infection is common, if they even live through it. We�ll have to give him broad spectrum antibiotics to fight the infection. I can continue healing the tissue damage for at most another hour before my chakra drains too much. That should bring the extent of the damage something akin to a flesh wound. He�ll be in pain, for a good few weeks, but he�ll live.�
Naruto sighed his relief.
Tsunade then took Sakura�s pulse, realizing for the first time that Neji and Sasuke were in the same room together, both unusually cold and stiff, even by their standards. �Take her home, put her in bed. One of you will have to stay with her as she might have difficulty the next day or so. She�s never molded and expended this much chakra steadily for this period of time without a break. She�ll be fine once she gets some rest.�
Naruto, familiar with how bad Kakashi could get by expending too much chakra, nodded. �Neji and I can take shifts if we need to.� Neji nodded. Sasuke, noticing the exclusion, remained silent. �You�ll send us word about Kakashi-sensei later though, right?�
�I will. Now get going,� Tsunade said, finishing the discussion. She turned her attention to Kakashi, pulling up a chair and sitting next to him. The rest left the room.
�I�m taking Sakura home,� Neji said simply. �You�re welcome to come with, Naruto, but if you have other things you need to do, we�ll be fine.�
Sasuke twitched again at the deliberate exclusion. �She�s our teammate, we will take care of her.�
Naruto sensed the tension immediately and put himself between the two. �Sasuke, it�s fine. I�m sure Neji can handle things.� Naruto turned, ignoring the look of furious indignation on his friend�s face and faced Neji, �I�ll stop by a little later this evening, that way you can take a break if you need. I know you and Shikamaru probably still have things to go over, so I can stay with Sakura-chan then.�
Neji nodded. �I�ll see you later this evening then.� Repositioning the unconscious kunoichi in his arms, he took off.
* * * * *
It had been six hours. Sakura was still asleep. Neji meditated for three of those hours. As his mind began to wander, he looked instead to a series of shelves in her room lined with books. He perused various titles of classics, popular paperbacks and serials, as well as shinobi handbooks. A particular title caught his eye: �Kunoichi Fatale: A Practical Guide to Seduction, Misdirection and Entrapment in a Shinobi World.�
His eyes widened. �I�ve never heard of this one before,� he thought. He slipped the book from the shelf and settled down in a chair near her bed.
He read through the first few pages, which seemed rather basic in terms of shinobi know-how, with topics like, �under cover blending in enemy territory,� and �consciously fighting the ninja reflex.� By the fourth chapter however, Neji found himself in a whole knew ballgame. �Using your feminine wiles to gather enemy secrets,� and �how to know how to seduce: sizing up the ninja,� along with very detailed descriptions on exactly how to seduce men of all types and preferences. �Good God!� Neji murmured, his cheeks getting very warm as he came across a particularly detailed section complete with pictures.
Suddenly the thought of Sakura ever doing this flashed in his mind, greatly upsetting him. Were all kunoichi expected to do these things? To� to give their bodies over, their integrity, for� for secrets? Disturbed by the thought, he returned the book to the shelf, making a note to ask Sakura about it some time in the future.
He heard a rapping at the front door. He glanced over to make sure Sakura was still asleep; she was.
Opening the front door, Neji greeted Naruto. �How is she?� Naruto asked, stepping right past Neji into the living room.
�Still asleep. She hasn�t woken up at all yet.�
�That�s probably a good thing. When Kakashi-sensei was at his worst after using his Sharingan too long, he slept for at least two days straight.�
�Well hopefully it won�t be that long,� Neji replied, closing the door and joining Naruto, who sat himself down in the plush armchair. Neji took the sofa.
�Yeah, well, it would be doubtful. She�s one of the strongest kunoichi I know.� He paused for a minute, eyeing Neji who simply returned his stare. Finally Naruto said, �Did something happen between you and Sasuke?�
The question clearly caught Neji off guard. �No.�
�You guys seemed pretty� heated, back at the hospital. Even before.� Neji said nothing. �Look, I know he�s a right bastard, I�m the first person to admit it, but I know he really cares about Sakura-chan, and Kakashi. I mean we are still his team.� He waited. �He�s not really a bad guy��
�Going after him when he left, regardless that it was his own choice to leave, nearly killed me and several others. He nearly killed you himself with his own hands. Now I�m the first person to understand how screwed up a person can be when you�ve got issues in your past that you need to deal with, but I would never even consider doing what he did. Then, after years of being away, he has the gall to show up and act as though nothing happened, to continue treating others as though they are inferior to him, and he doesn�t even have the decency to apologize to those who risked their lives in order to save his, despite his own selfishness.�
Naruto listened intently to everything Neji said, taking everything in. When Neji finished, he nodded. �So it�s not about Sakura-chan then.�
�What?� Neji asked, confused. �Did he not hear a word I just said?�
�You dislike him a lot, but it�s not about Sakura-chan,� Naruto repeated, �so that�s good.�
�In case you didn�t notice Naruto, he did nothing but make disparaging remarks about Sakura all day! �She has no stamina,� this and �She�s always a crybaby,� that� were you even listening?�
Naruto shrugged. �That�s just Sasuke. He�s always been like that. In his defense, Sakura-chan did used to be kind of a crybaby. But he doesn�t know that�s changed because he hasn�t gotten to spend any time with her other than when they talked briefly last night.�
Neji was about to say more, but Naruto�s last comment stopped him. �They talked last night? She didn�t tell me� didn�t even mention it��
�So don�t take it personally. He�s a bastard. He knows it. We all do. I just wanted to know that if you really hate him, that it�s not just because of Sakura-chan and, well, you know.�
�Yes,� said Neji, his voice toneless, �I know.�
~~~~~

A/N: So� you know the drill. ^__^
- 14
- 15
- 16
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Forgetting Sasuke