Kimiko's P. O. V:
The two Jutsus collide and I stare in shock as a massive black sphere forms in the air between the two Genin. It crashes into the waterfall before exploding outward.
When the sphere vanishes, I whip my head around to see Naruto had collapsed on the bank, and Sasuke was standing over him, gaze dull. There's a scratch through his Leaf headband and it loosens from around his head before slowly drifting to the ground beside Naruto's head, where it sticks out of the ground.
Suddenly, Sasuke coughs blood as he drops to his knees, gazing down blankly at Naruto.
I feel angry at the fact that my two teammates had just tried to kill each other. But I dash down the top of the Hashirama statue to get to them.
"Naruto!" I call as I near him, my violet eyes wide. I drop to my knees beside the unconscious blonde and summon the green mist around my hands to examine him. I feel crushing relief as there's still a heartbeat.
He was just unconscious.
I whirl on the Uchiha, the light fading from my hands. He raises his dull eyes to me. "What the bloody hell was that all about, Uchiha?! Were you seriously just trying to kill Naruto just now?!"
"You wouldn't understand," Sasuke says, now glaring at me.
"You're both my friends, Sasuke, and I hate seeing you two fight like this!" I say, my violet eyes pleading.
"You can't stop me, Kimiko."
"... I'm not going to," I say after a short pause. "Because I know I can't. I just don't want you to go to Orochimaru."
"I am going. I won't rest as long as he's out there," Says Sasuke unwaveringly.
I close my eyes and let out a short breath. I say, looking back at the ravenette, "Then, at least let me heal your wounds before you go."
Sasuke doesn't protest as I weave hand signs and summon the mist again. I place my hands over his back and heal his wounds, while transferring more chakra to him. I ignore Sasuke gazing at me intently as I work.
Eventually, the green mist fades and I pull my hands back. "There. How's that, Sasuke?" I ask.
"Better. Your chakra always felt great when you healed me," Sasuke responds. I give him a small smile.
"I guess this is goodbye," I say sadly. "I'll always look out for you, Sasuke." He spares me a last glance before retreating into the forest.
I wipe at my eyes as I turn away from the Uchiha. I hear Sasuke turning and stalking slowly away, into the forest and towards Orochimaru.
I drift my gaze to Naruto and immediately drop to my knees beside him. I gaze at the blonde for a long moment as tears well up in my eyes again. I let the tears cascade down my face, feeling overwhelmed from the battle I'd just witnessed.
"I'm so sorry, Naruto," I whisper, the rain drowning out my cries. I still don't look up even when I sense two new presences. Kakashi gazes at me in his crouching position, seeing the blonde lying beneath me, unconscious. There was no sign of Sasuke, however, but his headband had been left behind with a scratch in it.
Kakashi asks, "Am I too late?"
I raise my tear stained face as Kskashi approaches. The rain mixes in with the tears. "H-He's alive," I inform him.
"Naruto!" Pakkun exclaims as he runs up beside me, gazing at the blonde in concern. "How did it come to this...?"
I look down guiltily as Kakashi kneels beside Naruto. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I should've stepped in earlier, but I couldn't... I just froze... I couldn't even stop Sasuke from leaving, nor could I bring myself to kill him. I'm so, so sorry!"
The silverette only stares back at me silently, face solemn.
"Are you alright?" He asks gently.
"Yeah... I'll be fine," I say dully.
"Don't blame yourself, Kimiko. All that matters right now is that Naruto is alive." I meet his closed eye smile. "Come on. Let's take him back to the hospital."
I bite my thumb and do hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu," I says in a flat tone. Ace appears in a poof of smoke.
"M' Lady?"
"Can you carry Naruto back to the village? We need to take him to the hospital," I ask. The red wolf shifts her gaze to the unconscious Uzumaki and immediately feels concerned. She doesn't ask any questions as she nods and let's Kakashi put Naruto on her back while I pick up Sasuke's scratched headband, clutching it tightly in my hand.
Kakashi murmurs as he gazes at his unconscious student, "I'm too late. Forgive me... Naruto... knowing you, you must've put up quite a fight." He gazes behind his shoulder solemnly. "Sasuke..."
They leave and linger on a cliff overlooking the valley.
Pakkun muses, "The Final Valley, eh? To think that Naruto and Sasuke would battle it out here." Pakkun glances up at Kakashi. "It's pretty ironic, don't you think?"
"Yeah," Says Kakashi as he gazes at the river. "Look at that river. The water just rages on, for all eternity. Like this epic, never ending battle. As eternal as the two founders of the Hidden Leaf Village, forever standing as these statues." Kakashi gazes at Naruto. "Naruto and Sasuke... for as long as they live, the cycle will continue." After awhile, the rain stops. "The storm... it finally broke..."
Pakkun hums in agreement as sunlight breaks out through the dark clouds. "All that rain... we won't be able to follow his scent. But keeping Naruto alive is more important than finding Sasuke."
"Yeah," Agrees the silverette with a glance at me. I look up at him and nod my head slowly.
Kakashi, Akai, Pakkun and I leave The Final Valley to return to the village.
As we leap through the trees, Naruto wakes up to ask, "Kakashi Sensei, Kimi-chan..." We both shift our gazes to him, on Akai's back. "... where's Sasuke?"
I meet the silver haired man's gaze and immediately looks away. Neither of us answer.
A shadow falls over me and a male medic asks, "Kimiko, Kakashi, what's Naruto Uzumaki's condition?"
As other medics appear around them, Kakashi answers, "He'll pull through."
"And Sasuke?" He presses, glancing between us. "Sasuke Uchiha? What about him? What happened?" Akai gazes at me as Kakashi and I just close our eyes and shake our heads solemnly.
It was all the answer everyone needs.
I question, "How are the other Genin?"
"Alright. Hokage-sama dispatched emergency treatment and had them administers on the scene. Then they were all immediately transported to the hospital."
Kakashi asks in surprise, "They were all wounded?"
"Yes," Says the medic. "Shikamaru Nara is doing fine—only minor injuries. Kiba Inuzuka's are more serious, but not life threatening."
Kskashi flicks his gaze to me when I choke back a sob. Worry pounds in my chest for Kiba and Akamaru.
The medic on his other side says, "Neji Hyuga and Choji Akimichi are both in critical condition. At this point, they could go either way."
I could say nothing as I stare ahead with eyes so wide, they hurt. I couldn't believe what he'd just said...
The first medic asks me, "Kimiko-sama, what's your condition?"
I answer after a moment, my gaze shadowed by my bangs, "I'm fine. I did get injured earlier but they're only minor injuries. No need to worry about me."
"Alright."
I ignore Kakashi gazing at me with concern as we continue for home.
🗡🗡🗡
Back in the Leaf Village, I help tend to everyone's injuries, especially Naruto. He'd told Shikamaru that we'd failed to bring Sasuke back with us. Shikamaru had beat himself up over everyone's condition.
Apparently, Tsunade had called for aid from the Hidden Sand Village; Temari, Kankuro and Gaara had arrived in time to help the others defeat their opponents.
I go to Kiba's room and perch on the edge of his bed. "Hey," I murmur.
"Kimi-chan. I'm so glad you're alright," He says.
"How are you doing?" I ask.
"I'll be fine. No need to worry about me," He says. I wrap green mist around my hands and begin to heal his face. Kiba gazes onto my eyes as he watches me heal him. When I remove my hands, I look away.
"So, um... about our fight with Sakon and Ukon... you saw my Curse Mark for the first time... I really didn't want to have to use it but I needed to protect you and Akamaru. I'm sorry you had to see me like that..." I clench my fists into my blue wrap skirt as I frown to myself.
Kiba says, a grin on his face, "What are you talking about, Kimi-chan? I thought you were awesome!" I jerk my head up with a surprised gasp at this. "A little scary, but you were totally awesome! I also need to thank you for saving Akamaru from that explosion."
I blush as I reply, "Y-You don't need to thank me, Kiba-kun. Of course I'd save Akamaru." My gaze drifts down to the white Ninken, unconscious on the floor. "How's he doing?"
"Hana said he's not in danger and won't be going on long walks anytime soon," Kiba tells me.
I let out a breath of relief. "What a relief," I murmur.
I then lean forward and plant my lips on his in a deep kiss. Kiba immediately relaxes into the kiss and it turns a bit more passionate.
I'd thanked Kankuro and hugged him before he'd left, as I was just so grateful for him having saved not just my boyfriend but also my wolves. Then he, Gaara and Temari had returned to the Hidden Sand.
Kiba and I break the kiss for air and I caress his left cheek. "I love you, Kiba-kun," I tell him.
Kiba blushes lightly and smiles at me as he murmurs back, "I love you too, Kimi-chan."