QOTC: Sakura: Is he gonna be okay?
Ino: He's Naruto. Why wouldn't he be?
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Chapter 23: Never Counting Regrets
Sakura's phone rang before answering it at the third call. She rolled her eyes thinking what could possibly the blonde wanted to tell her at this late hour. "Ino, if this is about your gossip rants—"
"Sakura!!!" She exclaimed not to mention she wasn't used at being called with her first name. "Why haven't you been answering all my calls?"
She looked at the other end of the corridor to check if someone might be listening. "Been busy." She held her phone closely. "Hold on, did something happen?"
Sasuke could hear the faintest sound and the devastating voices that were coming from Sakura beyond the door. "Wait—what?!"
✞ Եհҽ ղҽ×Ե մϲհíհɑ ✞
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE FALLING FOR
Things didn't go right where they were supposed to when Sakura had recently arrived at the hospital. She was told that there was a patient who was vulnerable to blood loss and can bleed to death any moment now. Tsunade had gotten savage soon as she realized the stockroom was empty; all of their blood supplies went missing. The Daimyō threw the box where all of the supplements were stolen before storming back at her office, summoning all of the attainable ANBU to search for any lead of the crime.
Kakashi was present too, but instead of hurrying along the old lady's room he just stood there watching every move Sakura does as if he knew exactly what she was doing. Sometimes she used to wonder if those eyes might happen to read her soul. She bit her lip not wanting to think that she lied not just to her own teacher but her family as well. Tsunade as well. Every step was like dragging a wrecking ball.
Sakura took all the time she needed to stare at the beautiful Blonde's face for a while. "Is he gonna be okay?" Ino sat next to Naruto's right side, setting along her flower arrangement. "He's Naruto. Why wouldn't he be?"
The pinkette was standing at his left side studying him; even if he drools or shifts at his sleep it was always a pleasure of watching him slumber. There were bandages at his right arm, similar to what he had after his journey to the twelve guardians in mastering the Rasenshuriken. Now she did help at feeding him Ramen, didn't he?
Her eyes have spotted the mark that was hinted right amid his arm, right where Neji's strike had landed a huge impact within him. They were right. He's suffering a cell disorder that might be the cause of his death. The platelettes that are stopping the flow of the blood clot had exceedingly decreased due to Neji's blow the past few days, and with the help of the fox inside of him, it'll heal not less than a day as long as he gets injected with the amount of blood he needed.
"Tsunade-sama was finished testing the rest of Konoha 11. Not one of them matched the same blood type as his," Ino added.
"We'll figure something out. I promise."
The Uzumaki clan were famously known for their longetivity. How their ancestors strive hard to live and die in an ancient age and the tailed-beasts that was passed between generations to generations was proof of their unending grip in life. Nomatter how hard the situation was for Ino, if she were to choose who's best for her best friend she'd choose Naruto over the gory Sasuke.
"I'll go get Hinata." Ino said as she gently closed the door.
Sakura thought: Why dis she always has to make him suffer? Maybe they were right. She'll never be able to change; always useless and dependent, always relying on someone. Sasuke may have saved her but Naruto did more than she could count.
She watched him sleep. He didn't snore, and she guessed she hated that part of him where in he's supposed to grow as a fine young man and become annointed as a Hokage. He was always peaceful and silly whenever he usually drools. It was odd that he hasn't awaken yet wherever his dreams might be taking him, but she do hoped he would get well soon.
She kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry I did this to you. You just have to trust me, okay?" She smiled, sweet and gentle. "I swear I'll make it up to you someday—it's gonna be the four of us again." There was a tear that fell from her eye that reached the end of his whiskers.
Naruto squeaked his eyes open and squinted at his blurred vision. Someone was touching his cheeks, warm fingers he hasn't held for a while and peeped through the setting sun.
Hinata was standing there, watching him. She was the least he'd expected to visit due to his misunderstanding with her cousin, but boy is he glad of staring at the beautiful perfection of the Hyuga heiress.
Naruto never felt this feeling before, but he was sure this was the same thing Sasuke must've felt when he woke up with Sakura mourning on top of him.
Their fingers lock with another. "Hinata-chan?"
The blue-haired Kunoichi smiled and bursted out crying with her eyes teary, letting his hand slide over her cheek as she held it with a grin on her face. "I-I'm here, Naruto-kun."
As long as the Kunoichi smiles nothing could made him even more happier.
"Thought you'd be gone by now," He said.
She giggled bashfully. "M-me too," then the drugs lured him back to his drowse.
Kakashi just stood there leaning against the wall, perfectly masking his Chakra. All this time after keeping his students under his surveilance, unsatisfaction lit in his visible eye.
≻≻≻≻≻≻≻ ✬ ≺≺≺≺≺≺≺
"Sakura, what happened to Naruto wasn't your fault."
The pinkette wished she could still listen to her, though. But that wasn't the whole point of locking the two of them at the basement. "Actually, it's not about what happened to Naruto that I want to talk about. It's just—I keep on seeing visions. They keep on popping out wherever I go, and if this happens I don't think I'll be able to stand another day."
Platinum blonde blinked her eyes. "Did you consult the Hokage about this?"
"Did you really think I'd take you as an option?" There was an unpleasant strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of her lost memories, hunting her. "Alright, that hurt." Ino said holding a hand into her chest. Sakura sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for being rude. I'm just really sick and tired of all this, so I was hoping you could help me out."
"How long did you start on seeing those things?"
"A couple of days. Probbably the day I rushed Sasuke at the hospital." She sat playing with her fingers, while Ino paced back and forth then finally she stopped. "So what? You guys just made peace or you keep on avoiding each other?"
"Something like that, I guess."
"Well, what was the last thing you remember? I mean, there must be something that occured to the two of you that night.."
Sakura tapped her chin and gazed upwards. So many questions she couldn't lay a finger at it. "I have no idea..."
"You really don't know or you just don't know."
Sakura watched her pace from side to side. The irony in this was that she knew what happened that day but part of her wouldn't remember. Worse is that she's stuck in a nightmare thinking she's gone crazy and her memory was fighting for what she had actually felt rather than saw. Her eyes didn't match the feeling she had at her gaping heart whenever she was usually struck with Sasuke.
Unless... Something's blocking it. Someone must have casted a Jutsu on her. In time, the pieces would began to combine and make sense with her. The reasons her memories were erased was because of this visual prowess that might've compelled her. And the owner of this Dojutsu in none other than...
Sasuke Uchiha.
"That's why," Ino muttered to herself. Clever boy.
The blonde's eyes shift from one to another as she hugged her arms. "Well, there's no point in hiding it." She sighed in defeat pondering how does she puts it. "That thing messing in your mind? It's your subconsciousness trying to fight back whatever mind technique was sealed inside of it."
"What?!"
She paced a thousand times snapping her fingers.
"I know this sounds impossible, but Sasuke's done a terrible thing to you. He placed a genjutsu to wipe out some of your memory—she blinked and turned around to face her—probbably something he wanted you to forget."
That's very helpful. "How to I get rid of it?"
"Ask him to."
"INO?!!!" She ran and blocked the door. Though she clearly hasn't known much of thr Yamanaka clan but something lit from the back of her forehead until the chime of her lightbulb. "I've got an idea! Why don't you go in there and help me figure things out?"
"NOT gonna happen." She scolded her. "I've never done that before and believe me, I wish I had."
Sakura sticked to her side nudging her. "There's a first time for everything."
Ino chuckled. "The last time I did that I ended up tying myself into the chimney wishing I didn't see what I saw."
"Really? You mean you already did that before?"
Inner Ino mentally slapped her face and slid it until it reached for her chin. "Y-yes, but things didn't turn out well."
"Who did you do it with?"
Platinum blonde closed her eyes and pushed the thought away. When was the last time it happened? Oh—right when they just got home from the village after retrieving Temari. Team Asuma spent the day picking daisies when she sought out something new—the jutsu her father never inded on teaching her since it was something she had to develop on her own. The Mind-seeking jutsu that enables the user to take a peek at the curtain of one's past or future whenever she wanted to.
Shikamaru was the first she used this with, and it worked—unfortunately it brought her to the wrong place. An image of Temari—kissing him; the two of them before she left. It was so gross at the meantime it felt pleasurable. She was able to feel inside the victim's body, meaning she spent half an hour having a make-out-session with his lazy teammate inside someone else's silhoutte.
"Yeah, forget it." She hurriedly ran but Sakura was persuading her in this. "Oh come on, Ino it's not like we haven't been friends, right?" She pouts batting her lashes.
"Don't give me that look, forehead. We haven't discussed the terms of me shaving your head." Sakura flashed her puppy eyes at her until Ino finally gave up. "Ugh. Fine." She agreed reluctantly. "I would do this because you're my friend, and that we're in this tog—"
"Would you hurry up and get on with it??"
"Okay! Okay! Talk to the hand!"
Now comes the best part. "Close your eyes." She did as she placed both of her palms in between her head, obtaining the flow of Chakra to gain access into her mind. "Just relax."
Sakura tried to peek in her left eye but indeed Ino was serious. Some time later, she felt her mind was slowly getting dizzy of all the Chakra flow and the sideeffects of the jutsu. When Sakura squealed her eyes open, she saw Ino wasn't done with the process yet but she saw how fire ignited through her mind knowing she must be in her state right now.
Hot. Burning. The kiss—Konoha—marriage—his wonderful eyes. His fragrant touch.
No, it's not Sai, get out of there!
Ino opened her eyes and found herself completely drawn to someone, particulary Sai. Dark hair and white complexion. But it wasn't him. "S-sasuke?"
"What's wrong, Sakura?"
Ino's eyes were shut but her fingers were trembling in horror. Her nose bled and Sakura keeps on calling her name but the jutsu wouldn't break free. "Ino, any time now?"
It all make sense to us; the stories we tell to our children, how the universe brought back chaos and peace in order to restore balance—the Doppolgangërs known as the Shadow Mortals, from the Legacy of Madara and Hashirama who fell in love with Mito Uzumaki, you—Tsunade who was caught in between Jiraiya and Orochimaru's tiny little fingers, until the era of Nintendo Pein: Yahiko, Konan and Nagato—Minato's students, Kakashi, Obito and Rin Nohara who failed to deliver this world neautrality. Who do you think would have been born next?
*CLUMP CLUMP CLUMP*
Yes, Tsunade Senju. It has been done. From the will of Madara and Orochimaru that is now inherited down to Uchiha Sasuke; Hashirama's search for world peace and Jiraiya's teachings transfered to Minato's boy, Uzumaki Naruto. You, on the other hand, you and Mito's endurance are now possessed inside this one girl—her name is Haruno Sakura.
"Ino, you have got to get out of there."
Kiss me.
I can't. This doesn't feel right.
We're the only thing right in this village.
"Ino, can you hear me?!!"
You're marrying Naruto. and I'm staying you out of it.
I'm gonna ask you a question. Are you willing to forget everything?
Sakura yelled at her but it made no sound. Almost nothing at all.
Then you will. I'm hope you're happy, Sakura.
Ino opened her eyes panting but then something happened.
She faints.
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5.1.14