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Sanctuary	By : AkashaEmily Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1111 -:- 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Chapter seven

The plant in the corner was green and healthy, lush with
wide leaves that camouflaged the corner it sat in very well. The walls were a
pretty powder blue and it was a toss up if the color had been chosen in a bid
for serenity or as a substitute for actual sky since there were no windows. A
small refreshment table had been set against the wall nearest the doorway and
occasionally the untouched liquid contained in the clear glass carafe of the
coffee maker would burble temptingly, disturbing the monotonous silence of the
confined space as it tried to entice those within the room to risk a drink of
the clearly unappetizing, nearly gelatinous concoction. Next to the machine was
a large plate of stale biscuits and sugar cookies, the confections as untouched
as the pot of coffee. On the floor beside to the table sat an equally untouched
pile of yellowing magazines listing to one side under its own weight and it was
clearly only a matter of time before the whole stack finally fell over.
Four people occupied the little room. Three occupied the single
line of hard plastic chairs in the center of the room and were sitting quietly
while the third, the youngest of the group alternating between sitting and
pacing the confined space. It was painfully obvious that, though perfectly
capable of handling the needs of the community around it, the fact still
remained that the clinic of the town was small.
The hallways that made up the maze-like interior were narrow, the colorful rooms
seemingly scattered randomly were tiny, and the waiting room meant to corral
anxious waiting families was also damnably, claustrophobically small.
Kisame hated waiting, hated it with a vengeance. He was a
man of action by nature and constantly needed something to occupy himself with.
Waiting equaled boredom and being bored had never been something that Kisame
Hoshigaki handled well. They had been
there for roughly ten minutes, but each second felt like an hour, a small
eternity ticked away by the clock on the wall near the door, the sound seeming
to resonate through the small room. No one had come to tell them anything and
so the waiting continued, on and on, with a definite air of quiet anxiety.
Maybe no one would talk to them because of their
appearance, the former Mist ninja inwardly mused. Since their arrival at the
clinic, they had been nothing but compliant as Naruto was seen to but the fact still
remained that the foursome looked like refugees from some secret war; everyone
was blood splattered to varying degrees, even Bob and Isamu. It stained their
clothing and their skin, both what was visible and what was not beneath their
torn outfits, or in Itachi�s case, a tightly wrapped blanket. The chairs were
interlocked and bolted to the floor, forcing everyone when sitting to do it
ramrod straight less they end up in one another�s lap, an occurrence that had
already happened between the waiter and the innkeeper when, after another round
of fruitless pacing, the former had carelessly thrown himself into a chair. Bob,
unwilling to be used as a chair, had expressed his displeasure immediately with
the only weapon available.
�God damn it, Isamu, go home already!� Bob said again,
thumping the end of his cane against the hardwood floor and making Isamu�s eye
twitch reflexively. The teenager continued to rub the sore spot atop his head
but sat up a little straighter, glaring defiantly at the opposite wall.
�I�m not leaving until we find out about Ai-sama�s
condition.� Isamu declared irritably, turning his head and shooting a look at
the clock in the corner. �It�s been hours already- aren�t you two worried?�
The teen leaned forward until he could look at the
Akatsuki pair expectantly. Itachi and Kisame ignored him, both maintaining
bored, disinterested expressions as they at there. They could have been waiting
for a bus for all the emotion they displayed, but each time there was a noise
outside the doorway, both heads would simultaneously turn toward it, bodies
tensing as a sense of raw power radiated off them. Every time this happened the
atmosphere in the room seemed to thicken, making the air chokingly hard to
breathe for the other two occupants of the room, reinforcing the fact that, for
all their supposed disinterest in their surroundings, these two strangers were
anything but. Since the clinic staff was in a tizzy over their latest patient,
there was a lot of noise and this kept happening repeatedly.
�Earlier, you said that you got the wrong one.� Itachi
said suddenly, minutely adjusting the blanket covering him and settling back into
his chair after another false alarm. �To what were you referring?�
He then turned his head and looked in Isamu�s direction,
dark eyes seeming to bore into the teenager and making the teenager freeze in
fear before belatedly realizing that the brunette was not talking to him.
Bob thumped his cane again, the gesture more habit than
expression of emotion, and shifted in his chair. His expression was thoughtful
and unhappy, the latter turning to anger as he answered the Uchiha�s question
while looking at the floor.
�A few years ago girls began turning up raped and
disfigured. Now, we know that this village isn�t much to look at and that some�
questionable activities take place here but sexual assault actually isn�t one
of them.�
Kisame snorted but the sound was shortly altered into a
pained grunt as Bob�s cane smacked into the missing Mist ninja�s shin without
warning.
�Had the town in an uproar right quick, these attacks. Outraged
even the most cold hearted criminals and made the regular citizens mad as hell.
And scared.� The elderly man sighed deeply, as if emotionally drained. �Scared
people do stupid things. We didn�t need a riot on our hands so, as the attacks
got worse and more frequent, we appealed to Konoha for help catching the
culprit.� Both his voice and expression became bitter and ugly, as Bob�s
disgust over the whole situation became palpable. �Konoha had better things to
do than help us. Said they couldn�t spare the time or resources. We practically
sit on their doorstep! Young girls
were getting cut to shreds, were being raped and mutilated right in their
backyard and Konoha did nothing!�
Bob was on his feet, agitatedly pacing back and forth
before them all, his cane making a heavy thump
sound each time it hit the wooden floor. The elderly innkeeper visibly struggled
to keep the emotions plaguing him at bay, face contorting as expressions flowed
over his features in quick succession. After several passes the man seemed to
gain control over himself enough to continue the story.
�You may have noticed it the other day, Muscles, when you
and Ai-sama stopped by Ianthe�s that the men here considerably out-number the
women. Unsurprisingly people left town, a lot of families, but mostly a lot of
girls left. Some of us though didn�t have that option; we had businesses here,
had obligations that made leaving impossible so we stayed and tried to catch
the psycho ourselves. We aren�t ninjas so it took us a while but, eventually,
we did capture the guy. Afterward we even formed our own little police force,
and passed new ordinances about curfews, but families still didn�t want to live
here. For a town that�s a death sentence.�
Isamu shifted in his chair, making the plastic groan in
protest at the action. A blush stained the teenager�s cheeks and he scratched
distractedly at his nose as he spoke, one leg shifting restlessly on the floor
in front of him. �If Ai-sama isn�t picked to be the Uchiha�s wife, you�ll
probably be receiving a bunch of marriage proposals after she�s better.�
Itachi and Kisame both sat up a little straighter at the
comment, each ninja�s head turning slowly toward the youth and fixing him with
a penetrating stare.
Isamu, understandably, shrank back from the pair,
stuttering. �I didn�t mean anything by it! Ai-sama is very pretty and a really
nice lady so I�m sure she�ll be picked! It�s just- I�ve heard that the guy�s
really picky and all the women going to the pageant have been drop dead
gorgeous and, well, this isn�t going
to help Ai-sama�s chances so- and, and yah this isn�t a great place to live but
its not bad- a lot of good people
live here too- OW! Damn it, Bob!�
�Shut up, idiot. You�re only digging a deeper hole for
yourself.� Bob sighed, the heel of his cane coming back to rest on the floor.
The elder rubbed his temple tiredly and ignored the teenager as Isamu clutched
his shin and cursed softly in the background. �As badly as the kid has put it,
he does have a point. Konoha�s counsel is pushing the Uchiha kid to marry and
he�s turned his nose up at everyone who�s been thrown at him from what I�ve
heard. Ai-sama had some serious competition for that pageant thing they were
holding tomorr- I mean later today.�
Bob
took his seat with a muffled pain sound followed by a sigh. �The healers here
know how to fix just about anything but I doubt your Lady is going anywhere for
a while. Don�t worry though- Pallas is great with trauma victims. Her family
unwittingly moved in during the height of the attacks and she got all her
training then.�
�Pallas
is really nice.� Isamu added helpfully. �She�s pretty and smart, too. If her
dad wasn�t so scary, a lot of guys would have asked her out on a date.� The
teen was blushing again and it clear that Isamu was one of those who wanted to
ask her out.
�So,�
Kisame drawled, attempting to get back on the original track of the
conversation. �This police force of yours finally caught the prick responsible
for killing and assaulting the girls. What did you do to him?�
�He
didn�t kill the girls.� Bob corrected, shifting in his chair. �Each of them
survived the attack though some of them died later. Possessive bastard called
them his girlfriends, his �chosen.� He cut patterns into their skin as he raped
them, his way of showing that they were special because he had selected them to
own. He said he loved them and that was his twisted way of showing it.� Bob
sighed, suddenly looking incredibly older than his years. �He left them alive
though some in better condition then others. He didn�t like being defied so the
women who fought back paid a high price for rebelling and those that remained
passive through the experience were released with minimal damage. Later on,
though, a high percentage of the girls who chose the latter route took their
own lives while those that fought back simply moved away.� He paused and pinched
the bridge of his nose wearily. �I thought we were done with this. I thought
we�d caught him.�
Isamu
scuffed his foot against the floor as he stared at the wood angrily, his hands
balling into fists at his side. �We did catch him! Kenji-san led us right to
him after he caught that last girl! The guy�s dead, dead and buried!�
�Apparently
not.� Kisame muttered darkly, folding his hands over his chest, one hand
fingering the hilt of the massive sword leaning against his chair.
�It�s got to be a copycat or something.� Isamu said
fiercely, shooting a glare at the larger man as he slouched in his chair. �It�s
the only explanation.�
�No,�
Bob said slowly, eye brows knitting together. �No, it�s not. The other girls
were cut up but not nearly hacked to pieces like Ai-sama was. Even the girls
who fought back weren�t punished that badly.� Looking thoughtful, the elderly
man made a vague horizontal motion at his cheek. �Those may have been the start
of a pattern but something very nasty must have happened to piss her attacker
off��
Isamu
blinked and sat up straighter as an idea took hold. �That self-defense thing!�
�Self-defense
thing?� Kisame asked, looking over at the excited teenager blandly, working
hard to project the image that this news was not a surprise to him. Itachi, too,
was looking at Isamu with mild curiosity, one dark eyebrow arched in silent
question.
�Yah! Yah, she
used it on Kana when he went after her-� Isamu said then, at the hardened looks
directed at him, hastily rushed on. �Not to hurt her! Kana�s really a good guy
but his dad�s been riding him to find a wife and when Ai-sama came into the
restaurant I think Akira-san got a little too excited about finding a possible
match� Anyway! When Ai-sama left, Kenji-san and Akira-san made Kana go after
her to invite her back in but she kept going and when Kana got too close- BANG!� Isamu clapped his hands together
loudly to further emphasize this point. �He got zapped by Ai-sama and couldn�t
move! Just hit the floor scaring the hell out of everyone until Akira-san and Kenji-san came. They had to help him get up afterward and even then
they were mostly dragging him through the crowd.�
�I would like to speak to Kana.� Itachi said smoothly,
voice empty.
�Um, yah.� Isamu said, enthusiasm markedly dwindling. The
boy sheepishly scratched the side of his nose and sat back in his chair. �Whatever
Ai-sama did hit him hard enough to knock his lights out but I�m sure he�ll be
okay to talk to later.�
His tone was doubtful, as if even he didn�t believe it,
and it ruined his attempt at reassuring Itachi. The Uchiha said nothing and
merely continued to look ahead, expression bland and disinterested but, beside
the brunette, Kisame shifted restlessly, easily sensing what the others could
not- the subtle angry aura radiating from his pale partner�s skin. Disquiet
spread through the former Mist ninja, the sensation gaining momentum and
becoming mildly irritating the longer they sat there with no news. Fondling
Samheda�s hilt, the blue skinned man�s sharp ears picked up on the almost
imperceptible sound of fingers drumming restlessly against bare skin and Kisame
realized that he was not the only one trying to burn off the excess energy as
Itachi�s blanket continued to twitch rhythmically over the Uchiha�s thigh.
Silence descended over them again as they all continued
to watch the door.
�I wish they�d tell us something.� Isamu sighed, sounding
younger than his years. �I wish-�
�I wish you�d shut the hell up.�
Kisame muttered irritably. A pronounced clattering accompanied the comment, the
ominous noise like that of disturbed roof shingles during a bad storm and the
teenager immediately shut up.
Bob sighed and thumped his cane softly against the floor.
�They�ll tell us when��
As if summoned by their conversation, a veritable herd of
medical personnel suddenly thundered past the waiting room doorway, all running
down the hall at top speed deeper into the building and heading in the same
direction Naruto had been taken upon admittance. Without thought the Akatsuki
pair was on their feet following behind the throng, ignoring Bob and Isamu's calls to stay put, watching as those in white
coats gave urgent orders to those who weren�t, causing some of the underlings
to disappear through the doorways lining the twisting hallway.
The long corridor terminated in a set of double doors and
it was here that Kisame and Itachi, previously ignored by the medical crew, ran
into trouble. One of the doctors had finally noticed them and now blocked their
path as they tried to walk through the large doorway to the room beyond.
�Go
back to the waiting room.� The man ordered gruffly, irritably tying the strings
of his face mask behind his head while a female nurse hurried to tie the scrub
gown in place. Through the small glass viewing panes set in the doors behind
the man they caught glimpses of the gurney Naruto lay on, wires and tubing
trailing from the blonde attaching him to the sea of machines surrounding
him.
The ninjas continued to stand there and it was obvious
that they were simply waiting for the man to go inside so that they could
follow.
�We�ll tell you when you can see her.� The doctor said,
not bothering to hide his annoyance over the situation as he shooed the nurse
inside the room. He glanced behind him at the activity taking place before
turning back and glaring at them. �It�s a sterile environment- you can�t come
in here until you�ve cleaned up!�
He continued to tell them to go away, even making shooing
motions with his gloved hands, but Itachi�s and Kisame�s attention was once
again focused on the windows where gold-edged red chakra could suddenly be seen
arching through the room beyond. Screaming, both mechanical and human, pierced
the air accompanied by crashes as more of the strange chakra appeared along
with the distinctive scent of smoke.
�What in the name of God�?� The doctor half turned toward
the doors then had to dart to one side or risk being trampled as frightened
staff began stampeding from the room.
Not
helping matters, above the Akatsuki pair the sprinkler system activated,
drenching the ninjas as they stood calmly amidst the chaos, Kisame unwinding
Samehada�s protective wrappings with obvious care while Itachi shed his blanket
and allowed the water to wash Naruto�s blood from his pale skin.
�Any
other restrictions?� Kisame said, taking a step toward the doctor now plastered
to the wall.
At
that moment, another flare of chakra erupted within the room, its light
illuminating Kisame�s grinning face in macabre detail, turning the normal
placid blue simultaneously red and gold. It made him look nightmarish, as
demonic as a human could be, and at the sight the doctor fled down the hall after
his companions, calling for help.
The
missing Mist ninja let him go without protest though doing so meant that Itachi
and Kisame were on their own in saving Naruto. As far as the shark-like man
could tell, all of the hospital staff had abandoned the room and the ailing
blonde.
�So
much for that Hippocratic Oath crap.� He said sourly, already envisioning
tearing the place apart and hunting the cowards down later. After they had
saved Naruto. Again.
Gods,
this was becoming a full time occupation!
�Kisame.� The Uchiha said. His voice was its normal
monotone and should not have been able to get his companions attention over the
dim issuing through the door the brunette held open, but it did. Kisame
automatically turned toward the other ninja, hefting his sword in the process,
and stopped dead as he caught a good look at the inside of the room.
�Put some gloves
on and get in here!�
Apparently,
Kisame�s assumption that everyone had cleared out was wrong and, for once, he
had never been happier about it. Despite the fact that the wall tiles were
scorched near the ceiling in arching patterns and several machines were on
fire, that the sprinkler system was drenching everything and making the
instruments slippery and probably some of the medications useless, that they
were trying to do the work of a ten person team alone, someone was still trying
to save Naruto. Around the person, the Kyuubi�s strangely colored chakra
continued to lash out in random directions, forcing the individual to duck and
weave as they continued to work, speed hampered by the inch of water already
blanketing the floor. If this had been happening to anyone else besides them,
Kisame would have laughed at the spectacle.
�Are
you idiots just going to stand there or are you going to help me?!� The person
yelled, an irritated expression clearly conveyed through the knitting of their
blonde eyebrows as they glared at the Akatsuki pair with blue eyes. With that
one area of their face as the exception, the person was covered from head to
toe in a nurse�s green scrub uniform.
A
nurse, but not a doctor.
Kisame
sighed, but said nothing as he followed Itachi�s boxer-clad form inside the
room to help the woman, already swinging Samehada into position over Naruto to
absorb the demon�s rampant chakra. He supposed that, considering the situation,
it was a miracle that anyone with any common sense had stayed to help.
�About
time!� The person, a woman by the voice, snapped at Kisame before turning her
angry gaze on Itachi. When she spoke next, her words were exaggeratedly slow
but her tone was pure venom. �I am going to tell you what to do and you are
going to do it exactly as I say. You
will not question me, you will not interrupt me, and you will NOT leave until I
say you can. If that is too hard for either of you, get out of here now.�
Remaining
silent, the Uchiha merely nodded his assent and, as those fierce blue eyes
suddenly swung in his direction, Kisame did too. Satisfied, she began talking
as she worked, forcing Itachi to actually run to do what she ordered as the remaining
monitors Naruto was hooked up to continued to shriek constantly. Kisame
remained where he was and tried to ignore the piercing screams of the machines
and the water that rained down on them all, letting Samehada absorbing the
Kyuubi�s chakra so some headway could be made. No longer having to dodge the
lethal energy, the nurse worked as fast as she could, squinting against the
water dripping into her eyes as she stitched lacerations feverishly. She was
simultaneously directing Itachi as he too put his sewing skills to the test,
but, even with the two of them working, Kisame thought that things didn�t look
promising for Naruto. There was too much damage to control, too much for two
people to handle and definitely way too much for one trained medical person to
deal with, helper or no.
Naruto�s
heart beat was fast, so fast, like that of a frightened baby bird�s. It baffled
Kisame as he watched the appropriate monitor, eyes glued to the rapidly bobbing
line tracking the organ�s movement. Considering the blood loss, the former Mist
ninja would have thought Naruto�s heart would have slowed down, that his body
would have realized that it needed to conserve the precious liquid but it
didn�t and the blonde�s heart galloped in his chest as if it were running a
race. Despite the numerous IV�s stuck in his arms and the successful suturing,
Naruto continued to bleed out and his heart continued to race, trying to rush
what little fluid remained inside him to starving tissues in an effort to
compensate for the lack of volume.
�I
need your hands!� The nurse said suddenly, her hands occupied as she carefully
began removing the soaked wrappings securing the kunai still lodged in Naruto�s
belly. It looked like the nurse was going to try and remove the object on her
own, and Kisame inwardly cheered; once the object was removed, healing the
blonde would be a snap, wouldn�t it? The water continued to soak Naruto�s new
stitches and pool within the cuts that had yet to be treated but they would be
easy to see to in comparison to the more dangerous wound.
�If
I move, we�ll have to dodge that chakra!� Kisame pointed out, having to shout
above the noise in the room. In his grasp, Samehada suddenly began wiggling, a
sign that the sword was impossibly becoming full. The former Mist ninja quickly
took stock of his chakra stores and cursed, realizing that reinforcing the
Kyuubi�s seal was out as an option too since his levels were so low. Already betting he knew the answer, he looked
at Itachi and shouted a question. �Can you seal it?�
Itachi
shook his head silently as he handed the nurse a scalpel. It wasn�t surprising-
if Kisame was that low then Itachi�s chakra levels were non-existent- but the
blue skinned male felt disappointed and frustrated all the same. Uttering a
defeated sigh that went unheard over the din, the former Mist ninja set
Samehada against the wall out of the way and returned to the bed side ready for
instructions, slightly crouched and ready to move though there was no sign of
Kyuubi�s demonic chakra.
The
handle of the kunai had been bared during Kisame�s brief absence and Itachi was
holding a suctioning device near the seam of the cut to prevent it from being
flooded. Both the Uchiha and nurse were discussing how best to remove it, ideas
being accepted or rejected by a nod or a shake of the nurse�s head, and Kisame
didn�t understand why the hell they didn�t just pull the damn thing out already
instead of fussing over it. The blue skinned Akatsuki member didn�t have a
background in medicine but even he could feel that time was of the essence in
this matter, the idea reinforced after a glance at the unconscious blonde.
Just
then Naruto�s monitors began flashing urgently and the line charting the
blonde�s heart beat began, not to flatten exactly, but to augment in a way that
Kisame determined couldn�t be beneficial; though the line continued to jump up
and peak, the valleys grew wider and wider apart until they registered only as
mere afterthoughts on the screen. The nurse began to curse, long and loudly, as
she pushed the Akatsuki pair out of her way, hurrying to force more IV lines
into the jinchuuriki�s veins to deliver fluid. Another monitor began to scream
and flash, and the nurse started forcing a tube down Naruto�s throat to help him
continue breathing.
Dumbfounded
over the entire situation, Kisame could only stare, pale eyes darting from the
monitor to Naruto and back again. Samehada had been removed so why weren�t the
Kyuubi�s powers kicking in? Why wasn�t the fox healing Naruto? They were dying-
surely that should have prodded the demon into action. What the hell had
happened to them? Had their attacker used a jutsu to seal way that fox�s
ability to regenerate its host?
There
were just too many questions and not enough answers to go around. They were
going to loose the blonde and there wasn�t a damn thing either Itachi or Kisame
could do to prevent it. Whoever the psycho was that attacked the blonde may
have struck the death blow but the real damage had been done long before last
night; Naruto was dying and with his death the Kyuubi would be forever lost. They
hadn�t gotten to the teenager in time in Konoha and, in fact, had only
prolonged his suffering through their attempts. The former Mist ninja shook his
head in disgust over the whole affair, feeling an odd pang of sadness as he was
shown where to begin pressing the blonde�s chest in order to encourage Naruto�s
floundering heart to continue in a regular rhythm.
They
really should have just gone straight to headquarters after retrieving him; it
would have been more merciful for everyone.
�It isn�t right, none of this is right.� The thought was strange and foreign but he knew it to
be true all the same. Kisame continued CPR resolutely, willing the ashen face
with its blue tinged lips to return to a normal hue, wanting the dull eyes at
half mast that stared lifelessly up at the Akatsuki member to show some sort of
spark. Kisame hadn�t really been fond of the kid, had looked quite forward to
throwing the blonde in a cell at headquarters, but no one deserved the level of
pain that had been carved into the teenager�s body.
�Come
on.� Kisame realized he was murmuring, talking to Naruto as he pressed on the
teenager�s chest harder than was perhaps necessary. He felt what felt like a
rib snap but did not stop his actions. �Come on, damn it!�
Then
finally, as if in answer to his words, the Akatsuki member felt it, felt the
Kyuubi�s chakra surge inside Naruto�s still form and Kisame barely jumped back
in time to avoid it as the chakra began bubbling and boiling out of the
teenager�s wounds like some great burning ocean. It overflowed the cuts,
pouring over the blonde and suddenly their race to force aid into Naruto
suddenly became a race to pull it all out before the demon�s chakra could
reduce their efforts to slag. Plastic and metal began melting into bubbling
pools, sticking to Naruto�s pale skin in red angry patches, and as the
unconscious blonde began convulsing, the trio scrambled to remove the numerous
IV lines, monitor leads and the intubation tube before the whole lot could
dissolve.
For
all their speed on the battle field, in this instance Itachi and Kisame were
slow and the finesse with which they usually completed their work went right
out the window as they resorted to grabbing and yanking the medical
paraphernalia, the resulting damage healed within seconds as the demon worked
on healing Naruto from head to toe. Flesh knit together seamlessly, the cuts
disappearing save for flat shiny scars as the Kyuubi�s chakra kicked into
overdrive, and all was going magnificently well until Kisame realized that
there was still one glaringly obvious roadblock to overcome before Naruto could
be completely healed.
It
would be game over for the lot of them if Naruto and the Kyuubi died since the
Akatsuki pair wouldn�t be far behind them so, as an extreme act of self-preservation,
Kisame closed the gap between himself and the blonde, and forced one outstretched
hand through the red chakra to grab the kunai. It felt as if he had shoved his
hand into a bucket of acid, and he couldn�t help the wince that twisted his
expression as he forced his hand forward despite the pain of his skin being
burned off. One good tug; surely that was all it would require, just one good
tug�! Uncooperative fingers finally hooked through the metal loop of the
kunai�s hilt and pulled upward, nearly hauling Naruto off the gurney in the
process. Trying to ignore the almost mind numbing pain of the demon�s chakra
eating through his flesh, Kisame gave the blade an experimental wiggle, twisting
it slightly in an effort to loosen it before tugging upward again. His
frustrated growl came out more like a whimper as the blade held fast.
�What the fuck is it caught on?!� Kisame pulled again harshly, ignoring the shouting
behind him for him to stop as the newly healed flesh of Naruto�s abdomen began
to split again. He was going to loose his arm! It was entirely possible that
they were panicking for no reason, that the Kyuubi�s chakra would eat through
the blade as easily that it had begun to dissolve everything else but, given
the fact that the blade was still completely intact, Kisame didn�t think this
was so. For whatever reason, the demon�s chakra could not melt the metal and
that meant that Kisame was going to have to remove the weapon himself.
Someone
vaulted onto the former Mist ninja�s back, their legs wrapping around his chest
under his arms for balance as gloved hands wrapped around his elbow, just an
inch shy of the demon�s chakra, and joined him in pulling on the hilt. Kisame
resisted the instinctive urge to knock her off and let her guide his hand as he
continued to try and pull the blade out without pulling Naruto off the bed. The
latter problem was at least temporarily solved as wires, the monitor leads from
the look of them, suddenly wrapped around Naruto�s shoulders and pinned him to
the bed. Kisame thought he knew that jutsu and, sure enough, out the corner of
his eye he saw Itachi lowering his hands. Then the Uchiha had joined them and
was simultaneously helping Kisame pull on the kunai and balance against falling
forward.
The world began to run in streams of color and Kisame
blinked in an effort to stabilize his vision. One good tug- that�s all it was
supposed to take but the damn thing was stuck good no matter what they did.
Looking through the chakra at his arm, the missing ninja had to beat back a
sudden wave of nausea since he now had an unadulterated view of the rapidly
diminishing muscles of his forearm. Pretty soon, the fox�s chakra would have it
stripped right to the bone and Kisame couldn�t make up his mind if it was bad
or for the best that he couldn�t feel the limb anymore.
They
pulled and tugged, twisting and yanking. Forget damage control- this was about
survival! Someone was shouting in his ear and pulling his hair but the words
were drowned out by several explosions as the remaining equipment in the room
caught fire and exploded, glass and circuitry cut into his skin. Since he was
right next to one when it went off, Kisame stumbled and tried to catch himself,
wrenching the arm gripping the kunai in the process and feeling the blade
finally come free. His moment of triumph was short lived though as he fell
forward onto Naruto, inadvertently taking Itachi and the nurse with him.
In
seconds, the Kyuubi�s chakra had closed over them in a seething, boiling rush.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
�Uchiha
Sasuke is being attended to, Godaime-sama. He has been attacked as well.�
Shizune reported, hovering behind the Hokage�s left shoulder as the tall blonde
silently surveyed the damaged body of her latest apprentice. Sedated now,
Sakura was silent and Tsunade was both pleased, since now the girl was out of
pain, and angry because she could not offer them further answers.
Even
with her renowned healing abilities, there wasn�t much the fifth Hokage could
do for Sakura Hurano. The wounds she had suffered and the subsequent poisoning
had destroyed the girl�s life as a kunoichi and as a medic both since the bones
in her mangled hand had been beyond saving. Necrosis, spurred on by the poison,
had set into the wounds fast and hard despite the Ambu�s timely arrival and the
hand, along with Sakura�s ruptured eye, had been amputated not long after her
admittance to the hospital. They were also facing the possibility that the aggressive
infection had also reached her brain but only time would confirm if this was
the case or not.
Tsunade
wanted to destroy something, oh yes she did; first Naruto and now Sakura and
Sasuke�! What the hell was happening within her city right under her nose?
Hokage or not, the blonde felt powerless as her eyes took in the image of her
apprentice�s battered body, burning the sight into her memory before finally
turning away and leaving the room.
Sakura
was strong! She would overcome this just as she had all other obstacles put in
her way. Tsunade was sure of this but this certainty did nothing to relieve her
anger or the lingering edge of guilt worming its way through her heart. She had
failed Naruto on a fundamental level, she knew this and would carry the pain of
such an admission until she died, but she would not make the same mistake with
Sakura.
There
was something happening within Konoha and Tsunade needed to get a handle on it
before anything else happened. Someone had systematically attacked and taken
out the members of Team Seven and Tsunade wanted to know why immediately. She
had at first thought that Naruto�s disappearance was related to the council but
they were in as much of an uproar over his disappearance as she was though for
very different reasons of course. This left Akatsuki as the likely culprit, though
she still hadn�t figured out how they had managed to get into the city without
being spotted. There was still the matter of all that blood though all over
Naruto�s apartment- obviously a battle had transpired but ultimately wasn�t the
idea to take Naruto alive with as little damage as possible so that the Kyuubi
could be extracted? Then again, Naruto wasn�t one to go quietly in anything; if
some of the criminal organization�s members had indeed showed up, he would put
up one hell of a fight. The Naruto she knew would have caused all sorts of hell
and raised the alarm�.
Abruptly
the image of Naruto�s face as he�d left her office prior to his disappearance
flashed through her mind, making her stumble as the headed down the hall. His
face had remained blank and immobile as she scolded him but his eyes� Naruto
had never done a very good job of lying with his eyes and something had
flickered and died inside those dull blue depths as she had lectured him.
Though she hadn�t understood it the time, in retrospect, Tsunade realized that
she had witnessed the permanent destruction of some vital part of Naruto�s
personality.
She
had lost Dan and Nawaki to enemy attacks but Naruto� Naruto Tsunade had destroyed him by her own
hand.
�Godaime-sama?�
Shizune�s voice startled her and, feeling numb yet strangely cold, Tsunade
turned toward the other woman slowly, uncomprehendingly as the brunette
gestured to a hallway that the blonde had walked past. �Uchiha Sasuke�s room is
this way, Tsunade-hime.�
The
Uchiha. Tsunade�s mind suddenly seized on the name. Maybe she was looking for
someone to blame, some target to take her frustrations on, but suddenly Tsunade
wanted nothing more than to shake the little brat until some answers fell out
of him. The nagging feeling that he was responsible for this in some way was
incessant as she mentally examined the change in Naruto�s behavior since
Sasuke�s arrival. She�d never liked Sasuke and had been against his incredibly
light punishment for turning traitor, but the council had overruled her,
ignoring her protests and had welcomed the little shit back with open arms.
Naruto and Sakura had welcomed him back too and everything had seemed fine for
a while but something had obviously changed if�
Tsunade
took a breath and exhaled slowly, trying to gain some control over her
scattered wits and pose a coherent question to focus on. �When was the last time I saw Naruto before the other day?�
She
frowned, searching her memories for the information, realizing bitterly that
she had not seen much of the blonde for quite some time. When Naruto had come
home after a year of training with Jiraiya he had seemed� withdrawn. There had
definitely been something off though she hadn�t been able to ascertain why.
With a distinct pang of guilt, she realized that his odd behavior had just been
one more problem in a whole mountain of them that she had had to deal with
around that time and had actually gotten lost in the shuffle.
Her
gaki had been suffering and she�d been too busy trying to pacify the council to
notice. The realization sickened her to her core and as she headed for the
Uchiha�s room she had to fight very hard not to give into the urge to vomit.
Tsunade
swallowed hard as she stepped just inside Sasuke�s room and turned toward her
assistant. �At dawn, I want AMBU patrols to search the surrounding towns for
anyone matching the description Sakura gave the squad that found her. Find this
blonde woman, use whatever means necessary to drag her back here alive and hand
her ass over to Ibiki for interrogation!�
The
Godaime slammed the door shut between Shizune and herself hard enough to make
if bang against its frame and shudder. Someone was going to pay for this, come
hell or high water, someone was going to pay for this in blood. Tsunade wanted
to scream and kick things, to destroy until all the emotions roiling inside her
quieted, but that wasn�t going to happen. She was the Hokage, the leader of the
Village Hidden in the Leaves and she had an image to project as a calm,
collected, and decisive decision maker for the people under her protection.
Despite how much she wanted to do so, going on a bender and committing random
acts of violence wouldn�t help continue that illusion.
Taking
a cleansing breath, Tsunade channeled her chakra, her hands flowing through a
series of hand signs rapidly before touching the wall again. She felt the jutsu
flash through the room and take hold, surrounding and isolating her and the
Uchiha from anyone trying to listen into the upcoming conversation. Satisfied
with her handiwork, Tsunade made her way to Sasuke�s bed and gave the teenager
a good hard shake, unhappy when he barely roused.
�Sasuke
Uchiha, wake up.� She commanded, shaking him again, frowning when he only
grunted softly. Chakra exhaustion rendered the victim helpless and though she
knew the chances of him actually waking up were slim, Tsunade couldn�t squash
the frustration that welled up when he remained passive. She tried again,
harder, and when that didn�t work, the Godaime gave into her frustration and
finally slapped him.
A
perfect red imprint of her hand now covered his cheek, standing out starkly on
his pale skin, but Sasuke didn�t give any sign of feeling it.
Tsunade
wanted to scream so she did. She sat down on the bed, buried her hands in her
hair and shrieked, over and over until she had siphoned off enough of her rage
to simply cry. She sobbed and sniffled, giving into her worry over Naruto, the
feelings of helplessness plaguing her over his disappearance since no trace had
been discovered of her gaki. She had a whole village to protect, had so many to
watch over but the only person she could seem to think about was-
�Naruto?�
A hand abruptly caught and tightened on
her sleeve, the fingers seeming to hold on for dear life and immediately drag
Tsunade�s attention back to the Uchiha. Sasuke�s voice was hoarse and slow,
almost rusty sounding, his dark eyes struggling to focus even as pale eyelids
kept threatening to slide shut but he was awake. His grip tightened briefly as
she continued to stare at him in shocked silence. �Where�s� Naru..?�
That was as far as he got before he lost the
battle, determined eyes closing as he abruptly slumped to one side. Tsunade
lunged forward and fisted her hands in the hospital smock he wore, not so much
to protect him from falling but to rouse him again. Channeling a small steady
stream of healing chakra through her fingers and into his body, Tsunade waited
until the pale eyelids fluttered back open half way again.
�You�ve
seen Naruto recently.� It wasn�t a question but Sasuke slowly nodded, dark eyes
finally focusing on her. �When?�
She
knew immediately that she had lost whatever edge of authority she had managed
to retain even after crying. Sasuke looked at her and a glint of realization flared
in his eyes.
�He�s
missing.�
Even
though it wasn�t a question Tsunade felt herself nod anyway. The brunette�s gaze drifted away toward the
window looking as if he�d been hit between the eyes. His mouth worked slowly,
soundlessly, until finally he whispered almost to himself, �Kyuubi was right.�
�Kyuubi? KYUUBI?!�
Tsunade�s jaw worked as she stared at
the teenager. Then she tightened her grip in his smock and dragged him forward
until they were literally nose to nose. She let her rage surface, let him see
it in her eyes that she was fully prepared to destroy him if he didn�t do
exactly as she said.
�You
are going to tell me everything.� The Godaime ground out, her voice lowering
unconsciously as a foreign chakra brushed lightly against the jutsu protecting
the room. It was hastily withdrawn in an instant but she had felt it and she
knew she recognized the chakra signature.
Ignoring it at least for the moment, Tsunade turned her attention back on the
brunette in front of her. �If you leave anything out, Uchiha, getting married
will be the least of your problems.�
Predictably
Sasuke glared at her, lips thinning out as he pressed them together tightly. This was why she had never liked the
little shit- the Uchiha�s arrogance knew no bounds and his pride could in itself
be termed a demon. Part of Tsunade had hoped that, since Naruto was involved,
the teenager would be more willing to help but apparently even a missing
teammate couldn�t prod the damned Uchiha to be compassionate. He glared at her
and, glaring back, the Godaime was surprised to see not arrogance in his eyes but
blatant distrust.
�I
don�t care�about marriage!� The brunette panted, expression twisting into one
of complete disgust. In a decidedly unwise move, he shoved her away and yanked
the IV from his arm while trying to swing his legs over the side of the bed.
Unsurprisingly, he didn�t get very far and Tsunade didn�t bother to catch him
when his attempts to stand ultimately failed.
The
blonde woman frowned down at him, watching as he struggled to right himself and
wondering if he�d stop being stupid anytime soon. �Damn Uchiha pride.�
A
shaky, pale hand eventually shot up from the floor and gripped the sheets,
trying to use the cloth for leverage as he tried to get his feet under him. �Have
to�Can�t� What are you going to do to
him?�
�What?� Tsunade blinked down at Sasuke,
inwardly sighing at the pinched look to his face, the nearly grey color of his
skin as he sat beside the bed and panted for breath. He wouldn�t be conscious
for much longer and part of the Godaime wanted to throttle the brat for wasting
her time. Never mind- it wasn�t like she didn�t have a backup plan incase the
Uchiha was less than cooperative.
�He�s
a missing ninja. What�ll happen to Naruto when you find him?� Dark eyes were
trained on her with unwavering attention, seeming to hold her hostage with
their ferocity. It was clear to her then that the Uchiha, in his own strange
way, was trying to protect Naruto. He wanted assurances before telling her
anything that may incriminate his friend. It was then that Tsunade knew for
certain she had a loyal ally in her quest for the gaki.
�I
need to know what happened first before I can say anything.� She couldn�t
completely suppress the edge to her voice. As much as she wanted Naruto home,
Tsunade was still Godaime and that had to take precedence no matter how much she
despised it. If Naruto had left of his own free will, something she heavily
doubted, then she needed to know why so she could fight to reduce the gaki�s
punishment. If Naruto had been kidnapped, the more likely option, then she
needed the information so she could send the appropriate team to find him. If
Kyuubi had broken free of the seal containing it and possessed Naruto, then she
needed to know that too so she could find a humane way to subdue the demon
without harming its vessel in the process.
Sasuke�s
eyes narrowed at her in obvious suspicion and Tsunade felt something in her snap.
She didn�t have time for the teenager�s temper tantrum! Naruto was missing, had been so for over a week! If
he was in the hands of the Akatsuki, even with the Kyuubi�s help the blonde wouldn�t
be able to hold out for long against the determined efforts of nine S-class criminals.
There was still a chance that Naruto was alive somewhere but Tsunade�s already narrow
window of opportunity in which to save him was shrinking with every passing
second. The obstinate Uchiha had answers to her questions, if not in whole then
at least in part, and Tsunade needed that information fast.
Movement caught her attention and Tsunade felt
her eyes widen as Sasuke finally managed to stand. He was shaking and pale but
his expression was one of determination as he began to stumble toward the door,
obviously hell bent on leaving though he wouldn�t get far. It was an impressive
display of will power but Tsunade couldn�t allow him to leave. She stood and
easily wrapped an arm around his waist, hoisting him into the air and setting
him none too gently on the bed, pinning him there with a foot on his chest as
her hands flew through several hand signs.
Naruto
didn�t have time for this.
�Let
me go!� The brunette was weakly pulling on her ankle, still trying to free
himself though he barely had the strength, panting and squirming in his
attempts to dislodge her foot. He wore himself out quickly and soon Sasuke
could only glare up at her in defiance, the display made more pathetic since
the Uchiha�s eyes kept sliding shut.
�Tell
me all about what happened between you and Kyuubi.� Tsunade said, her hands
descending to settle gently on either side of his head, green glowing fingers
burying through his thick hair until they touched his scalp. The jutsu she was
using had been developed for times when a spy could not relay important details
about a mission either due to injury of illness and would allow her to hunt
through Sasuke�s memories to find the necessary information. It was a forbidden
justsu but considering the circumstances Tsunade felt justified and didn�t
hesitate, shutting her eyes and analyzing the images that flashed through her
mind�s eye.
Her
chakra seeped into him, the energy delving deeper and deeper through his
consciousness, the sensations akin to pushing her hands through water, the
fluid vaguely cool and resisting as she searched through the medium. Sasuke�s
thoughts darted about like fish in every direction, scattering if she came too
near, the random scraps of sensations and impressions threatening to confuse
her as she hunted. As if from a long way off, Tsunade heard herself repeat her
previous order in an attempt to goad the Uchiha into thinking about Kyuubi and
Naruto so the appropriate memories would light up. It didn�t matter if Sasuke
tried to fight her directly or hide them from her- the correct memories would
glow like targets the instant he thought about them and would be unable to be
hidden from Tsunade�s jutsu.
�Naruto.�
She heard herself saying slowly, excitedly watching illumination bloom behind
her eyelids and Tsunade felt herself smirk in triumph.
A
shock of electricity zipped up her arms and she very nearly went blind when
everything in Sasuke�s mind lit up like a summer fireworks display.

More�s Moment:
Very long awaited chapter I know. My most sincerest
apologies about that but I cannot control reality- if I did things would be
very different. Expect an update on Styx soon
but not Bared Naked- I have to take time (yes I know, don�t remind me how long
its been since I updated that story as I am excruciatingly aware of it already)
or else everything will go to hell later. Writing that story is like juggling
chainsaws- one slip and you are minus a hand.
Now for something else that many people have been asking for, a timeline for this story. The plot for Sanctuary deviates from the main plot arc at the point where Naruto, roughly 12 years and 6 months old, leaves to train with Jiraiya for three years. For simplicity�s sake, assume that everything until then takes place as stated in the manga or anime, depending on which one you are personally following. I am changing Naruto�s current age in the fic to fifteen and change so everything times out better- initially I wanted him to be older due to certain events but keeping him seventeen and trying to explain away the missing one and a half years just creates plot holes big enough to drive trucks through. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Age: Event:

12.5 Naruto leaves to train with Jiraiya for the planned two and a half years.

13.5 Raped, rejected as a �weak� student, Naruto comes home in disgrace to study at home alone for the remaining two years.

[Note: this means that Naruto is isolated from any of the major events that would take place within the normal time line. He has been literally left to rot in his apartment separate from everyone else and the events of the world at large.]

14.5 Continues to study and self-train to get Sasuke back from Orochimaru. Sasuke returns to Konoha under his own power, is �punished� by the council and remains under house arrest for the next year with little contact between himself and Naruto due to Sakura's interference.

15.5 Sasuke is released and begins active duty, allowed to roam freely through the city again unsupervised. Having gathered his courage to finally admit his feelings for Sasuke, Naruto leaves a note requesting a meeting with Sasuke. Naruto goes to meet the Uchiha to tell him but Sakura intervenes and prevents the confession somehow. �Sanctuary� begins one month later with Naruto�s vacation request being denied.

On another note, I've gone back and added a few details here and there to help tidy up the story line. Originally I hadn't set out to make Sasuke such an ass and this bout of editing... well, okay, he's still an ass but this clarifies that he's an uninformed ass. You may have noticed little discrepancies about certain events when we switch point of views and that is intentional, rest assured. Many different agendas are coming to a head in Konoha and we'll see more of this in the background as Naruto's story continues so forgive me if occasionally I seem to go off on some random track every now and then. Everyone has a different view about the events taking place and since everyone is unique, each view is slightly skewed because of that's individual's thoughts and feelings. No one has the full story because no one has all the pieces of the puzzle.

To make recognizing those POV shifts easier, I've put a page break (if that's the proper term) so that's why those ugly lines have suddenly appeared.

Please review- it is reassuring to know that someone
other than myself enjoys my stories.
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Sanctuary