Deceitful (A Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter 46: Sakura

My light footsteps halted as we reached the entrance to the base where they stayed.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I started breathing quickly, out of nervousness. I looked at the entrance and gathered my thoughts. After slowing my breathing, I glanced at Kakashi.

Taking initiative, he turned the handle and found the door was unlocked. No jutsus or traps in place.

That was odd.

Raising an eyebrow, I went in first, testing the waters since I knew the layout of the place like the back of my hand.

Immediately, we felt a single chakra flare, before dying out. A crash sounded as Kakashi and I made eye contact.

We hurried to the source as fast we could.

Upon reaching the living room, I was nearly shocked at what I saw.

Itachi was on the floor, gasping for air as Samantha scrambled around desperately, tears streaming down her face.

Within one long stride, I was at her side. Not wasting a moment, I assessed the situation.

"His heart is racing, how long?" I questioned, my fingers at his neck.

"Two minutes. Carotid Massage." She spoke briefly, pushing her bangs out of her face.

There was a reason medics shouldn't treat family or loved ones.

They often become irrational.

Immediately I found the carotid artery within his neck and massaged it from the outside with an even tempo, in hopes of slowing his heart.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Samantha, weighing her rationality.

She seemed in distress, but there wasn't anyone else medically trained to assist. An emotional medic was better than no medic at all, especially since Itachi's life hung in the balance.

Itachi's eyes fluttered shut as I lost his pulse. His heartbeat was so fast, his heart gave out, essentially.

"No pulse." I called out, quickly switching to CPR.

Samantha was still scrambling for something, anything that could help.

I started compressions at an even pace, taking breaks to blow air into Itachi's lungs manually.

Tipping his head back and pinching his nose, I gave him a supply of air before I started compressions up again.

Samantha, gaining her bearings, knocked my hands away.

"You call those compressions? Move." She snarled, immediately taking over.

She vigorously maintained the compressions, mentally counting the pumps her hands administered to his heart from the outside.

"Switching from compressions to give him oxygen wastes too much time. I'll do the compressions, you give him air." She instructed, eyes unmoving from Itachi's stilled figure.

Kakashi remained at the edge of the scene, observing quietly. As a seasoned ninja, he knew not to intervene when there was nothing he could do.

At least that's what I think is stopping him from moving closer.

Mentally, I counted the compressions, intervening with a gulp of air for Itachi at every eighth one.

"Kakashi. Down the hall to the right, grab the black scroll in the black box." Samantha ordered, sparing a quick glance his way.

Within seconds he was back. He tossed the scroll to her as she paused, catching the scroll.

Without an order, I knew what to do.

Moving quickly I took over CPR, manually keeping his heart beating as Samantha swiftly opened the scroll.

"Come on. Come on. Come on." She muttered as she looked for the exact place to swipe her finger.

Her eyes frenzied, she bit her thumb hard and smeared the blood directly onto the scroll.

A black circle of kanji surrounded Itachi, Samantha, and I.

Kakashi curiously peered over the whole scene, trying to assess what was going on and what would happen next.

Out of nowhere almost, I felt the warmth of chakra radiate over us. Soon, the gentle warmth converted itself into a searing, electric shock for a brief second.

Samantha muttering intelligible words, guided the invisible force of the chakra towards Itachi.

"Charging." She spoke as my eyes filled with recognition.

I pulled my hands away quickly as if Itachi was fire.

Samantha was using chakra to shock Itachi's heart into rhythm, guiding the chakra and utilizing it as a defibrillator.

When charging a heart with electricity, no one should be touching the body encasing said heart, unless they want to be electrocuted themselves.

"Clear." I called out, announcing his body as untouched by anyone and the arrival of electricity.

Samantha pressed her hands to his chest as she whispered things too low for me to hear.

With a jolt, Itachi's body convulsed.

Usually, it'll take a heart that's been stopped for this long a few tries before it starts up again. Or at all.

I put my fingers to his neck and shook my head.

"Damn." Samantha slammed her fist on the ground, determined to try again.

Not wanting to stress his heart even more, I attempted a round of CPR before resorting to shocking the heart again.

As I gave Itachi air, a cough sounded as I moved my lips from his. It took me a moment to realize it was his cough.

His eyes opened, unfocused.

"Can you hear me? You're at the base. Do you know my name? Say a word so we can see if you can still speak." I responded, using the usual protocol for patients who come back from the dead.

He tried to form the words to say but was unsuccessful.

"It's okay, these things take time. Don't stress yourself, we're just glad you're back. Speak when you're ready." I recited, keeping the calm, detached but still full of care voice only a nurse possesses.

I turned my head to Samantha, my eyes flashing with worry.

She collapsed onto the wall next to her, filled with exhaustion. Her eyes reflected the slight worry in mine, but it was coupled with uncertainty. She knew the odds of brain damage just as well as I did.

When a person stops living, as in their heart stops, there's a small window of opportunity. The small chance that one can wake up fine, with no serious impediments.

The window was three minutes. We took up four.

Though, the window is a guideline, and Itachi may exceed the odds. He may even walk away unharmed.

I glanced at Samantha as her gaze was fixed on the ground.

Or he could lose the ability to function entirely. And of the cases I've witnessed and studied, those three minutes, are not just a guideline.

Exceeding the guideline ultimately determines the death of a person.

Mentally, that is.