𝐊𝐎𝐊𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈 | 𝐍.𝐔𝐙𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈

[27]

Naruto began to breathe rapidly, his heart hammering in his chest as he watched Asami losing consciousness before his eyes. "Asami..." he whispered, his voice choked with horror, his gaze fixed on the blood seeping from her chest.

As Pain stood up, his presence loomed ominously over the scene. "Now this is just like..." he trailed off, his voice tinged with bitterness. "When you Konoha shinobi killed my parents in front of me."

Naruto's gaze hardened as he turned to face Pain, a fierce determination burning in his eyes. "Because of the existence of love, sacrifice is born... as well as hate."

A low growl rumbled in Naruto's throat as his blue eyes transformed into slits, a manifestation of the monstrous power of the Nine-Tails.

The ground shook with the force of his chakra, sending gusts of wind and debris swirling around him. Sakura looked up in shock, her eyes widening at the overwhelming power emanating from Naruto. "This chakra feels..."

"Sakura!" Hinata's voice cut through the chaos, her eyes wide with concern. "Asami! She-she..." Hinata's words faltered as she struggled to convey the gravity of the situation.

Ko interjected, his voice trembling with fear. "Asami went to try and help Naruto and..."

Amidst the chaos, Asami's eyes fluttered open slightly, her breaths coming in rapid gasps as she struggled to remain conscious. She met Naruto's gaze, her eyes reflecting pain and exhaustion. "Naruto..." she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely audible amidst the tumult of battle.

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Once the chaos subsided, Neji's team and Hinata rushed towards Asami, their hearts pounding with concern. "Asami-chan!" Hinata's voice trembled with emotion as she carefully cradled Asami's head in her lap, her eyes brimming with tears.

Tenten knelt beside them, her expression grave as she assessed Asami's injuries. "Neji... her injury is really bad," she said, her voice tinged with urgency. "She needs treatment immediately!"

Neji's face paled at the sight of his younger sister's condition, a wave of worry washing over him. He turned on his heel, his voice echoing with urgency as he called out, "WHERE'S THE MEDIC NINJA?!"

Asami's eyes fluttered open slightly, her vision blurred and unfocused. She blinked slowly, the image of Hinata before her gradually morphing into that of her deceased mother. "Mother..." Asami whispered hoarsely, a sense of familiarity and comfort washing over her.

Though she knew it was her cousin Hinata, the resemblance to her late mother was uncanny. Memories flooded Asami's mind, transporting her back to a time when her mother would tenderly cradle her head in her lap, singing lullabies to soothe her to sleep. "Asami, please stay awake," her mother's voice echoed in her ears, mingling with Hinata's gentle words.

As Sakura arrived on the scene, her presence brought a glimmer of hope amidst the despair. With practiced hands, she knelt down beside Asami and began to channel her chakra, her healing abilities at the ready.

Neji watched her with furrowed brows, a mix of concern and confusion clouding his features.

"Why did my sister..." Neji began, his voice trailing off as he struggled to comprehend Asami's actions.

He couldn't fathom why Asami, who had seemed so distant and indifferent towards their village and its people in recent days, would suddenly throw herself into danger to protect Naruto.

In that moment, Sakura's gaze softened as she glanced at Asami, a profound understanding dawning in her eyes.

She recognized the depth of Asami's feelings towards Naruto, the unwavering devotion that lay hidden beneath her tough exterior. "Asami-chan... You really love Naruto, don't you..." her voice was gentle, a reflection of the empathy she felt towards Asami.