Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Distant Thoughts ❯ Is to Care ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: You know this already


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Chapter 6:…Is to Care
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Kakashi walked through the white walls of the hospital. He had just left Sasuke’s room to find that the boy had left sometime earlier. He had thought that maybe he would’ve caught up with him if he decided to go after him, but Kakashi decided not to and to visit his other student. ‘These kids and hospitals, it should be like a second home.’

His mask wrinkled when he smiled, but soon it went straight to a frown. ‘Sasuke had another attack, I know it. Soon he will be tempted to take Orochimaru up with his offer for more power.’ He shook his head, he wasn’t going to stop him. Sasuke knows what he’s doing.

~

Sakura mumbled in her sleep. The light from the sun shone on her pale face and she turned onto her side to avoid the harsh light, her fair hair falling around her face. She heard the door open and close, the person made their way to the foot of her bed where a small chair was situated. She heard the agonizing scrap of the chair against the white polished floors. Sounds of a turning page assaulted her as she slowly opened her eyes. She groaned and looked down to see the lazy face of her Sensei.

Kakashi looked up from his perverted book and looked at Sakura, rising his hand in a silent greeting. Sakura sat up on the bed and continued to looked at him.

“Did you bring me here Kakashi-sensei?” Was the first thing out of her mouth. Kakashi nodded his head at her and put away the small book into his pouch. He put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up, walking towards the window. Sakura followed all his movements, studying the way her sensei moved so fluidly, ‘Like water.’

He turned to her and slowly closed the blinds to prevent some of the bright light to filter through. “I went over your house to see how you were holding up with Sasuke. But when I got there I find you passed out and Sasuke nowhere to be found.”

Sakura’s eyebrows lowered as she stared at him. “If your implying that Sasuke did anything, he didn’t. He would never hurt me for any reason.” Kakashi looked down at her and sighed, “You never know. But I do know he didn’t do anything or else he wouldn’t be in the hospital too.” Sakura almost jumped out of her bed if it were not for the hand that was placed heavily on her shoulder.

“He left already.” Sakura looked down at the ground and Kakashi moved his hand off her shoulder. “It was that symbol on his shoulder.” Sakura stiffened when her sensei mentioned the curse mark. “But right now I’m more worried about you Sakura. Do you know why you fainted?” Sakura shook her head.

“Well,” he continued, “We ran a check on your blood and found something that should not be there.”
“Do you know what it is?” Her eyes shone with worry. ‘Maybe that will explain my headaches.’ Kakashi shook his head. “They first believed that it could be some kind of lethal liquid, but you have yet to die and this must have been injected sometime while you were gone on a mission without me.”

“But Kakashi-sensei the only mission I went without you was months ago. I went with Neji and Ten-ten, and even then I wasn’t ‘injected’ with anything.”

“It doesn’t have to be injected. A small amount on a weapon is enough Sakura. As long as it gets to the blood stream, and in no mission with me or Sasuke have you been hurt.” Kakashi pulled the chair up to her bed and placed it backwards. He sat down and placed his chin on the back of it. His arms neatly placed underneath, supporting his covered face. His one eye slowly took in the reaction that Sakura gave.

Her eyes widened when she realized that her pain started sometime after that last mission. The only mission that she fought her all. Sure she fought her all against the sound ninjas, but that was an exam, not a mission. She was so happy after that mission. Neji let her fight if she wanted to, she wasn’t pushed back like Naruto and Sasuke would do when they went out. ‘Maybe this time, I should have stayed down.’

Kakashi stared at her. “Sakura, that mission with Neji, it was a C-rank right?” Sakura looked at him.

“Yeah, but we were attacked. Hokage asked about it. She said that there was no reason for the attack, they were rogue ninjas.” She then turned her eyes back to the ground. Her pink hair falling to frame her face. She didn’t want to look at anyone. She had too much on her mind at the moment. Actually this room was starting to bug her. She got up from the bed, dressed in only a plain white gown.

Kakashi stood up, his one eye once again focused solely on his student. “Sakura, just stay put until we know for sure what is wrong. Those ‘rogue’ ninjas might not have been rogues. Not only that, but further movement may cause whatever is in you to spread faster.”

“Are you insinuating that they were sent to harm me in some way.” Kakashi shook his head. “No Sakura, I’m saying that they could have had a reason for being there, maybe waiting for someone that is usually with you on missions.” He need not say anything straight forward, he knew that Sakura was a smart girl to figure it out. He saw her snap her head in his direction, ‘See, that wasn’t long.’

“Sasuke?” She whispered. She looked towards the door but just sat back onto the bed. “You know about that mark and what Orochimaru said. He wants Sasuke.” Sakura nodded her head. “Yeah, I know. So the thing inside me was possibly meant for him?”

“That is what I believe, but we don’t even know what that substance was.” Sakura twiddled her thumbs. It had gone quiet within the small room. Kakashi remained standing, but his gaze was fixated on the window. The blinds still kept out the rays of sun, only small angles of light shown through. He heard the slight movement of the young girl beside him, but remained focused on the glass. Soon Sakura spoke up,

“Does this substance deal with dreams, Kakashi-sensei?” Before he could answer the door to her temporary room opened.

~~

Hinata couldn’t find her anywhere. She had asked Naruto, after having the courage and stumbling over her words, she found that he had yet to see her after yesterday. She sighed and unwillingly left the blonde boy and continued on, trying to find her friend. She even saw Sasuke bound away, but for some reason seemed in so much of a hurry that she didn’t have a chance to ask.

She sat down on a bench, head in her hands. ‘Sakura-chan should not be on her own right now. But where did she go?’ Hinata had not the faintest idea. She stood up once again, it was only mid-day and Hinata was sure Sakura would return to her home soon. ‘I’ll wait for her there.’

~~

Sasuke made it to his house shortly after his escape from the hospital and Ino. ‘That girl has to leave me alone one day.’ But when he finished his thoughts a picture of a pink haired teammate came to mind. He had to admit that he did miss her bothering him. ‘Only a little.’

He went straight to his room to bath and change. His house was in the same state as he left it a couple of days ago, pretty much clean, with only a couple of dirty dishes laying about. Those that were left before he stayed over Sakura’s house. Still rubbing a towel through his wet hair, Sasuke walk towards the window in his room. It was a good distance from his bed, always one to take precautions when he slept. You never now when an attack may come.

Looking out, his could make out the mid-day sun hanging right above the busy village. People could be seen of in the distance, hardly anyone was near his home. He gripped his hands into fists when he remembered why it was this way. ‘Itachi,’ Sasuke’s anger boiled and he punch a dent into the wall by the window. ‘I’ll still get my revenge. As soon as I get more power.’

Without knowing, his unconsciously out his hand on top of the curse mark. He could feel warmth radiate off of the black stain that bore him pain time to time. ‘Maybe,’ he thought before turning to look at his bed. He sat down, the mattress pressing down due to his weight. ‘I might take him up on the offer.’

~~

A woman with somewhat dark auburn hair and pale white milky skin made her way into Sakura’s hospital room. Her white nurse dress matched the white interior of the room. She smiled and made her way towards the young patient on the bed. Sakura just looked at the woman, placing herself all the way on the bed. She warily glanced at the woman that stopped short of her sensei.

Kakashi, will you please leave so I can check up on Sakura?” Kakashi nodded his head at her and headed out. He shut the door behind him and leaned against the door, listening in on the conversation that is to take place on the other side.

~~

Sakura moved her gaze to the sheets at the foot of her bed. They too were the color white. ‘Why is a hospital so compelled to use white,’ she absently thought, trying to get her mind off the lady. The nurse didn’t seem to notice the lack of attention that was given to her by Sakura. Instead she continued to make her way further into the room. Clipboard tucked neatly and professionally in her left arm, her right one reaching out to grip Sakura on the shoulder.

Feeling the slight pressure, Sakura turned her attention back to the nurse.

“Are you feeling alright?” She asked, her soft voice piercing the silence. Sakura nodded, she felt fine but didn’t feel the need to voice it. The nurse moved her hand to pull the stethoscope from around her neck and placed it on. She moved the piece onto Sakura’s chest, sending a shiver up her back at the sudden cold. She moved it around slowly,

“Take in a deep breath and then breathe out slowly.” Sakura did as she was told and the nurse continued, finishing and writing down the results onto the clipboard. “Sakura, tell me, has anything strange been happening the last couple of weeks?”

Sakura looked at her and again nodded her head. “Do you think it’s the poison that is in me?” The nurse shook her head, “What is in you Sakura is not poison, but a liquid used to accompany very complicated mind-jutsu.”

Sakura raised her eyebrow at the white-clothed woman. “Mind-jutsu?”

The nurse nodded and sat down where Kakashi was seated earlier. “Mind-jutsu, when chakra is divided evenly, it can be distributed into objects, or in this case liquid. The chemical in you has chakra in it, meaning that somebody is messing with it and working your mind or body.” Sakura took in the information, but soon came to a conclusion.

“But the supposed person that could have placed that in me is dead. How can a dead person still control their chakra?” The nurse shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe it was someone else’s, a strong person can manipulate their chakra easily and don’t have to be near to have it affect someone.”

‘Sasuke’ That was the first thing she thought when she heard the end of the woman’s explanation. Orochimaru was still messing with him, the curse mark proved that.

“Do you have any visions or dreams that are not normal?” The question was close to what she wanted to know. “Yes.” The nurse nodded, writing it down also on her clipboard. She stood up quickly and made her way to the door. She turned to Sakura before opening the door, “Hope you feel better soon Sakura, try to fight the jutsu.”

She opened the door fully and looked out into the hall, “Okay Kakashi, you-” She stoped and blinked a couple of times. “Kakashi?” She turned her head either way and turned to Sakura.

“He’s gone.”

~~

Ino had no idea why Sasuke had left, but instead of going to go find him, she decided to just walk down the hospital hallway and go from there. She had nowhere else to go, not really wanting to go back to the flower shop.

“Kakashi?” She heard a voice fill the hallway. She peeked around the corner to see a nurse make her way out of a room. She turned and looked in and shrugged before closing the door, leaving the occupant to themselves. The nurse made her way in her general direction, stopping to glance at the ninja that was peeking around the corner.

“Can I help you dear?” Ino looked up at her.

“Yes, can you tell me who is in that room?” The nurse looked like she was debating with herself but soon smiled at the blonde girl. Hopeful blue eyes looked up, awaiting for an answer.

“A girl about your age, Sakura Haruno is in that room.” A gasp passed by the girl. The nurse lifted her eyebrow at her reaction. “I take it you know the girl?” Ino could only nod her head. “Well she shouldn’t have visitors except her Sensei, but I don’t see what harm could be down with you going to see her.” The nurse smiled and patted her head, continuing to where she was stationed next. Ino walked down the hall to stop in front of the room where her ex-best friend was placed. She took a breath, not knowing what to expect, and opened the door slowly.

Sakura sat where the nurse left her. Head turned towards the window, the blinds were still blocking the sun, but the orangey hues still made their way into the room. Upon hearing the door open Sakura turned her head to look into worried blue pools. She slowly spoke up when she placed who was in front of her.

“Ino-chan?”

~~

Neji continued walking down the empty road. It had started to get late and he, again was sent to retrieve Hinata. She had yet to come home, and from what she mentioned earlier, she was going to Sakura’s house. Despite the fact he said he wouldn’t care anymore, he couldn’t help but feel relieved at being able to catch a sight of Sakura again.

He turned the corner and walked up the few more paces to the young ninjas house. But he noticed that the girl he was sent to fetch was sitting on the front porch of the girl he secretly wanted to see. Hinata looked up at the boy and softly smiled.

“Neji-san, what are you doing here?” He just stared at her, silver clashing with silver. He just bent down to her level.

“I should be asking you Hinata-sama, on the reason you are sitting outside the Haruno’s household.”

She looked down to avoid the penetrating stare of her cousin. She quietly answered him.

“I wanted to see Sakura-chan, like I told you earlier,” He nodded remembering when she told him she was leaving the property of their family. “Well I tried to find her, but couldn’t find her anywhere. She isn’t home and I have been waiting for her to return home.” Neji stopped looking at her and looked around.

“So she hasn’t been home all day?” Hinata nodded, her short hair shaking with each movement. Neji stopped looking around, “Fine then. If she is not home then you can wait till tomorrow.”

“But Neji, don’t you want to see her too.” He turned his back on her. “No, I don’t really find a need to know how that girl is doing.” Hinata stood up and was about to place her small hand on his shoulder but decided against it, instead she spoke up, “Neji-san, why are you now acting so indifferent about her?” He took in a shaky breath and let it out slowly.

“I just found things more important than to worry about someone.” Hinata walked up to him and stood by his side, “Nothing is more important then your friends.” Neji started to walk but looked over her shoulder at his cousin. “To be stronger, that is more important. My goals are more important.” He turned and walked a little more, waiting for her to catch up. Hinata jogged up to him and whispered.

“But Neji-san, to be strong is to care.”

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AN: Sorry for the long wait on updating. I know it was long but I did start school so it might take longer than usual to update.