"We need twelve cc's of adrenalin! We need to get his heart rate back up! Damnit Kai stop that blood flow!"
The voices drifted through his mind, like echoes off in the distance, barely reaching him as he struggled in and out of consciousness. White, bright light glared down on him, his eyes closing as they tried to shield his retinas from the harsh glare
There were people around him blurred and indistinct, people he faintly recognized as those who were speaking.
His body was heavy, everything felt numb, eyes unseeing and skin unfeeling, he seemed to float in this strange place, blood rising in his mouth as he coughed feeling himself choke.
"He has a tibular, fibular and femoral fracture, in his right leg. His foot is also completely shattered!" He heard another of the voices yell out, his mind too unfocused, to confused and too...tired to categorize the injuries and the danger they presented as he normally would. Images passed through his minds eye, faces, distorted, diluted and unfocused. He couldn't understand, couldn't recognize...
"-islocated shoulder, anterior cruciate ligament, as well as posterior cruciate ligament are both snapped, six broken ribs, two punctures on his left lung, as well as internal bleeding in his stomach and a ruptured spleen." As the voice faded in his ears, growing weaker and weaker Naruto felt something, something tug at his arms...removing the armored gauntlets from their place, carefully however to leave the golden bands that held his seals firmly on his wrists. Another sound reached his ears, this was something else, something small...metal maybe...falling against the floor
Naruto's head turned, his ice blue eyes opening for a moment, able to catch a brief glimpse of the butterfly pendant kept slightly beneath the armor resting on the cold floor of the tent before it was taken by one of the medics and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body going lax as he finally gave into unconsciousness.
'Yoshino...'
A strangled yell was pried from Kakashi's throat as one of the medics pulled out the large wooden piece of shrapnel firmly dug into his side. Kakashi didn't know why they hadn't used morphine, some complicated thing about him possibly dying due to the fatigue his system was already in. Or at least that was the jist of it.
Whatever the reason...it hurt, a lot, and the copy ninja was not happy. A short distance away Gai watched the proceedings with some concern, his arms crossed but his features apathetic, dark brown eyes shifting to the drapes of the tent as two more forms suddenly entered. "Tayuya, Kidomaru." He greeted with a nod, receiving two in return he continued. "Naruto-sama...did you┘."
"Yea, we found him, green man." Tayuya sighed running a hand through her reddish pink hair. Her hands were shaking a little as a shuddering sigh escaped her lips, obviously troubled deeply by what she'd seen. She leaned against one of the wooden posts that held up the med tent. "Shit...it's...been so long. I didn't even think anything could fuck him up anymore."
Gai frowned as Kidomaru nodded his agreement. "Yea," the six armed Shinobi continued for her. "I mean...when we got there we expected...jeeze...I don't even know what we expected but it sure wasn't that, he looked nearly dead." As an afterthought he looked up to Kakashi, who was gripping the sides of his bed so tightly his knuckles were completely white, one of the medics at his side working frantically to remove all the remaining tiny little slivers of wood that had broken off from the main piece. "You okay Hatake?" The former sound ninja questioned.
"Just peachy," was the gasp that escaped his lips before another pained groan escaped his lips as a shudder racked him.
Kidomaru winced as he caught sight of the nasty looking wound on his side before turning to Gai. "What about that blond haired one...the one Kakashi brought with him? What'd you do with her?"
Gai nodded his ascent of the younger man's question. "She's from Suna, obviously our prisoner. I don't know the whole details but I put her in another of the medical wards under heavy guard."
Kidomaru nodded. "I see. Well I'm going to set up a web perimeter around the camp, that way no one can sneak up on us. Tayuya, try to put a Genjutsu over us as well, the last thing we need is for Kumo to attack us when we're so weak."
The Pink haired Kunoichi nodded before she picked up her flute and walked out with her teammate. Gai watched them leave before he turned his eyes back to Kakashi. The copy ninja, heaving for breaths as he struggled against the blinding pain.
"What could have possibly happened out there?" The Taijutsu master questioned himself as he watched the medic work on Kakashi.
They needed to move fast, back to Konoha in order to get a handle on the situation. Looking to one of the chuunin medics currently in the tent Gai spoke in a serious tone. "Give the word that we'll be breaking camp soon, once Naruto-sama is stable enough to transport."
Liang, and a contingent of Anbu hurriedly made their way down the side of the cliff, each trying to quickly assess and find the best route down. The stone and dirt that covered the side of the cliff could easily fall away when they stuck to it, leaving them grasping nothing but loose grains and plummeting to their deaths. The trek was dangerous, but Liang knew they had to hurry. It was imperative that they reached the rapidly fading presence they could sense at the bottom of the cliff.
The Raikage looked around, watching as his Anbu tried to locate the quickest way down. They had seen the Kazekage up at the top, where he had told them of what had happened. Liang immediately ordered his men to escort the Suna leader back to Kumo, in order to give him medical treatment he obviously needed. The sleeping dragon felt a surge of impatience rise up in him. An unfamiliar sensation to the man who prided himself on near infinite amounts of said virtue and his calm demeanor in whatever situation.
Glancing around Liang saw a small stone outcropping of about 12 meters down, very small, but it seemed stable enough to withstand. So positioning himself properly he cut off the flow of chakra to his feet, allowing himself to plummet the distance, ignoring the startled cries of his subordinates as he adjusted himself mid air.
He landed perfectly on the stone outcropping, feeling it shift uneasily beneath his feet for a moment, as if it were to collapse before it settled itself. Liang took a brief moment to chide himself for taking this risk, but it soon passed as he spotted another outcropping, this one also a few meter's below him.
Giving another leap the Raikake landed on it, this time however, the stone did give way, forcing Liang to grasp at the stone with his bare hand, chakra coating it, allowing him to stick to the surface. Even so, the surface continued to break off. Forcing him to rapidly continue to grasp other stones still stuck to the cliff, in effect causing him to skid down the length of the cliff as his chakra continued to latch onto different stones that quickly gave way under his weight.
Beads of sweat covered his brow as he descended, trying to keep up his concentration on slowing down, or altogether stopping his descent He was certain that if his chakra control was not as advanced as it was he'd probably have slipped and fallen to his death moments ago.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably just a few seconds the ground was finally in view, having fallen past the veil of mist and cloud that hung within the ravine. Molding chakra into his legs, waist, and spine to absorb the impact without shattering his bones, Liang smashed against the ground, falling to his knees due to the impact that he was certain would have broken every bone in his legs if he were any weaker. Even so, they were quite visibly shaky as he picked himself up, breathing deeply in order to calm himself and evenly distribute oxygen throughout his body, which would result in dulling the pain quicker, as well as getting the muscles in his legs back up to speed.
But as he straightened himself fully he caught sight of her.
Small specks of blond hair peeking out from amidst dirt and blood, clothes torn, rocks digging into her back harshly, tiny little pebbles imbedded deeply in its place. Her breathing uneven, unsteady, her eyes open yet unseeing.
What had once been green grass beneath her now tainted red with her blood, pasty pale skin belying the amount she'd lost as he could feel the traces of the Kitsune's chakra bubbling just beneath the surface, apparently, even the great Kyuubi could not single-handedly repair damage as extensive as this.
He knelt down at her side his hands ghosted over her form, as if afraid to touch her in this delicate state. His eyes took on a look of sadness as his eyes passed over her broken body again.
"My dear child...what did he do to you?" His voice was barely above that of a whisper as he turned the younger girl onto her back, where he then proceeded to pick her up, cringing with something akin to pity as he heard the bones in her arms, as well as possibly her ribs grind against one another with the slight movement, bringing a faint groan of pain from the girls lips, even in her unconscious state.
Placing one hand to gently support her head and neck as best he could, while the other went beneath her legs to pick her up bridal style, he became acutely aware of the fact that both her legs were broken given the extremely hot temperature of the areas his hands came in contact with. He wished they could get a stretcher down here, but even if they could getting it back up with her on it would be nigh impossible. One would be waiting at the top.
Ignoring the blood that was now slowly seeping through his pristine white robes, Liang lifted them both up and again had to wince at the horrible sound of her arm falling limply to her side, crunching, scraping and grinding together as it did.
Amazingly another sound followed it, as well as slight movement from the injured girl. "Akina." He called somewhat uncertainly.
The younger girl's eyes fluttered gaining focus on his face for a brief moment before she groaned again her head falling limply onto one side, resting unsteadily on his shoulder. "Sensei...please..." Her whisper was so low he struggled to hear it but as the words reached his ears, he felt a pit form in his stomach before she fell again back into the black abyss of unconsciousness.
"Tell me it's not true."
The Konoha Army in defeat, Uzumaki Naruto critically injured the Kazekage missing.
This news sent shock waves throughout the lands.
As Naruto was safely transported back into the borders of fire country, Jiraiya's stewardship of the lands came under siege as previously conquered lands came under full assault of political and civil uprising. Dozens of small pockets of resistance sprung up in Kusa, Ame, Taki, Oto, Kiri, Konoha itself and most especially, the recently subjugated lands of Iwa.
Rumors of Naruto killing the Kazekage, quickly spread onto Suna, where Baki, the Jounin in charge of Suna during the Kazekage's absence, quickly marshaled Suna's armies, with the support of the people, as well as the former Konoha Shinobi, who finally saw a chance of bringing justice onto the man who had murdered their families.
An outcry for justice spread through the land of wind, fanning the flames brought on by the spark that was the rumored assassination of their Kage. Baki himself driven even more fiercely by the personal nature of his loss.
Zhuge Liang soon capitalized on this, driving forward his men and marching them south, threatening the borders of Konoha and Iwa, as he placed large garrisons of troops, in the fortresses of Sukamonte and Oumi, threatening both Konoha's northern border, and Iwa's eastern border respectively, its navy also taking supply and trade ships along the Chang Jiang, which separated Kumo from the islands of Kiri.
With their empire under full assault. The Demon King's empire found itself in the danger of collapse, almost as quickly as it was established.
His eyes slowly opened, revealing the calm blue iris quickly focusing on his surroundings. He lay on a soft white bed, but the calm sound of a gently flowing river reached his ears, its unfamiliarity bringing him to full alertness as he sat up on the bed, realizing that the silks that he now wore were not familiar to him either.
The bed he currently sat in stood in the middle of what must have been a giant lake, as he could see nothing beyond the horizon, and the surface was too calm to be a part of the thrashing waters of the ocean.
He touched his face the familiar weight of his mask missing, the cold steel of his gauntlets, no longer present either. He looked around again and this time, managed to catch sight of a small, lonesome figure standing amidst the calm waters that glistened with the sunlight that fell over them.
Tossing his legs over the edge of the bed, his bare feet came in contact with the water, finding it to be quite warm to the touch, the white silk which he was now dressed in almost blending in with his serene environment. Taking another look at the lone figure he proceeded to make his way towards it.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the figure came further and further into view as he came closer and closer to it. Its features soon becoming recognizable, until they were entirely unmistakable, even with its back to him.
Just four feet away.
'Yoshino'
The whisper of recognition barely left his lips before she turned to face him. Long flowing raven hair reaching her lower back, standing out in stark contrast to her bright blue eyes and silver silk dress. She looked older, somehow...since he'd last seen her...but it was unmistakable. He could never mistake her face. Those eyes...the same eyes that had looked upon him with softness...with kindness...with...understanding.
She looked at him then, when she fully turned. She looked at him, not at all surprised to see him. Her features were not twisted with rage or bitterness as they had been in their last encounter...but with a strange fondness...but laced with a somber undertone which rang strongly enough for him to see it with ease, even though she could never hide much from him.
"This is not real." He stated raising his chin slightly as he looked down at her. She was still shorter than him. Her eyes took on another look then, one he could not recognize as her features became even more somber. She stepped towards him. Naruto did nothing, even as she came within arms reach, even as he felt her arms wrap around his waist and embrace him, he didn't move.
The slow, rumbling sounds of thunder reached his ears as he felt her head rest against his chest and the rain pelt against their bodies. Strange...he should not feel in a dream.
He looked down on her, his eyes meeting the top of her head as he rested one hand atop the dark crown of her hair and moved the other to wrap loosely around her shoulders...holding her amidst the rain.
In the waking world Naruto laid in his bed, fully dressed with multiple bodyguards in and around the room, all hidden from view. Three other figures sat around the room, watching over their young leaders recovering form. One was Jiraiya, whom had been at the blonds bedside since he arrived in Konoha nearly one week ago, Kakashi who had arrived with him, still cradled his injured side tenderly so as not to tear open the stitches with any abrupt movement.
And finally Hinata, whom had been called back from Iwa by Jiraiya, leaving Shino in charge of the delicate situation that was Iwagakure. He wasn't sure if Naruto would appreciate the gesture...but he truly did not know whom else he could call at this point that would care on a personal level that Naruto was injured.
The Hyuuga for her part still seemed somewhat shell shocked by the entire thing. Naruto, since she met him while they were still children, had always been the most indestructible being on the face of this earth. No matter how much she had trained or learned she always felt as if she hadn't even come close to bridging the gap of power between them.
No one could...even Jiraiya always seemed like he paled in comparison to him. To see him like this, to know that he had been injured...that he could be injured at all...it was a disheartening notion. She felt as if a...an odd security of sorts that had been there before had been torn out from under her.
"When will he wake up?" She questioned looking over to Jiraiya. Watching as the toad Sannin shrugged. "Well...the doctors say that he may, amazingly wake up some time today...or tomorrow. An which, considering the extent of his injuries is a goddamn miracle as far as I'm concerned."
A growl tore their attention back to the blond as he shook his head, still asleep as he continued to thrash about a bit. It was not violent but it was enough to worry them, which was seen as Hinata and Kakashi moved to gently, but firmly hold down his arms.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage tower several individuals sat in one of the tower's many lounges. These men being Morino Ibiki, Mitarishi Anko, Kaguya Kimimaro, Maito Gai and Yuuhi Kurenai, whom had been called back from her position in the reserves due to the situation, along with Tayuya, Kidomaro and Sakon having been sent away by Jiraiya to Kusa and Kiri respectively to be the temporary overseers, the hope was that their higher ranking among the populous of Konoha's military would send a stronger message than other overseers who were most of the time merely a standard Jounin, along with Jirobu having been sent to Oto in order to secure their powebase in the location.
Outside, rain pelted against the windows bearing down on them gray clouds darkening the sky and casting shadows over the village.
"An anti-Konoha coalition seems to be taking shape around Kumo and the Raikage." Ibiki began as he gestured towards a map that was laid out on the floor before them, with him, Kurenai and Anko on one side, Tayuya and Gai on the other, Kimimaro standing by the window as he calmly observed the rain pelting against the windshield. "And the Suna forces show signs of an attack on the Kisitako garrison." He continued gesturing another area on the map.
"What of the prisoner Gai?" Kurenai questioned after a moment, turning to face the aforementioned man.
"The men at the hospital are keeping her unconscious with the use of medicine, they would like to wait for Naruto to give them the order on what to do with her since she's apparently so important that Kakashi had to risk his life to get her here."
Kurenai nodded in understanding
Before anything else could be said Kimimaro straightened then, turning to the others as he made his way closer to them. "Regardless of the condition of our lord," He began as he sat down. "We have to do something immediately. Lady Kurenai should lead three squads of Anbu and head for Taki and Ame, to quell the unrest that is beginning to get a grip over the area. Ibiki and I should prepare our defenses here in case of the unlikely event that Kumo should be able to march its armies this far into our territory. At the same-"
"Kimimaro," Anko interrupted with something akin to a hiss. "Since when have we started taking orders from you?"
Kimimaro in response closed his eyes and sighed. "This isn't the time for that..."
"Impertinent bastard aren't you? Anko questioned rhetorically, leaning back a bit.
"What we need right now is someone who can see us through this...or, lady Anko are you saying you have a better plan." The bone wielder stated throwing a contemptuous glare in her direction.
Snarling in anger the snake mistress stood up and grabbed the bone wielder by his throat, despite the hand of one Maito Gai that held her wrist. "Why you pompous little-"
"Enough." Another voice cut in, this one bringing all their attentions to the doorway.
"Naruto-sama!" Were the surprised gasps that greeted his arrival, his single, red clad form stepping forward with ease, Hinata, Kakashi and Jiraiya at his side. He did not have his usual iron mask and hood on, for which some of them were thankful to see.
"But...Naruto-sama you're not well." Gai cried out in alarm, watching as the man he would have confused for dead three days ago walk past him and sit down at the head of the map where they all gathered.
"Mere flesh wounds," He grunted before he looked to Tayuya. "Tayuya, send to Sakon in Kiri for aid." His voice startled her out of her momentary shock, quickly bowing to his order.
"Of course," was her response before she left.
Wasting little time he turned to Gai. "Gai, Kurenai, take five chuunin squads and six Jounin and head for Iwa, assist Aburame Shino, make sure you keep the reins of the area tight and that the Tsuchikage does not betray us. Ibiki, head south and direct the defense against Suna there, Kakashi will join you once he's fully recovered. Kidomaru, Anko, attack Kumo, draw them out of Odani castle."
His orders given, the men and women assembled bowed once, each responding with a chorused. "Yes sir" Before they each made their way out of the room, ready to complete the orders they had been given.
Once everyone but Jiraiya and Hinata left, Naruto stood up again before slowly walking towards the window. "Have the recovery teams found the bodies yet?"
"You mean of Guan?" Jiraiya questioned with no small amount of hesitation. At Naruto's nod he continued. "Yes...he and the rest of the men that were recovered are in the morgue now..."
Naruto nodded."I see..." He paused, his cold blue eyes never loosing their frigidness, his expression never even twitching. "Jiraiya, I would like you to go and begin preparations for their service." At that the older man merely nodded, running a hand through his full head of hair.
"Yea...sure." He muttered to himself before he walked out the door, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone in the room.
There was a silence between them, as Naruto merely stared out the window and she watched his unmoving back. The silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity until finally Naruto spoke. "Hinata."
"Yes Naruto-sama?" She questioned as patient and calm as she could be.
"Tell me Hinata...what would you do with a bird that refuses to sing?"
Caught completely off guard by the seemingly random question Hinata stuttered and took a moment to regain herself. "Excuse me Naruto-sama?"
"It's a simple question...What would you do with a bird that refuses to sing?" He repeated still staring out the window and the rain that continued to pelt the glass.
The Hyuuga heiress took a moment to think before she shrugged. "Even little birds have their own mind and desires...if he does not want to sing now...then I would patiently wait for it to want to sing."
Naruto nodded. "I see."
The silence once again stretched on between them before Hinata hesitantly asked. "Umm...what would you do with it, Naruto-sama?"
He responded without hesitation. "Kill it...why would I do anything else?"
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her own stupidity. She should have known.
Another silence stretched on before he broke it again. "Hinata, send messages to Ginchiko, Toushiro and Guan's apprentice, Mika, I believe her name was...if they so choose they may return here to Konoha for the funeral service."
The Hyuuga clan head bowed. "As you wish," She stated, though her tone indicated her sadness at the prospect.
Guan, though hardly around given his duties in Kiri had become something of a Godfather to most of the younger people of their forces, much like Jiraiya had become something akin to a grandfather and Kakashi an uncle. He was...a calm, serious and...distant, godfather but a godfather none the less. She too would mourn and miss him.
Hearing the Hyuuga heiress leave Naruto continued to watch the rain, placing his bare hand against the delicate glass, the cold chill running up his hands.
"I will not let your death be in vain..."
A groan of pain reached Gaara's ears startling him as he snapped his attention over to the form now slowly regaining consciousness on the bed. "Kankuro!" He said as he stood up, bringing his brothers attention towards him as he stood at the side of his bed, leaning down to stare into the puppet wielders dazed eyes.
Kankuro for his part, only felt pain in his head, a sharp, throbbing sensation that felt as if his brain was being pressed against his skull. "Ga-Gaara." He gasped before coughing. He tried to move his hand, but, to his immediate and immense horror, the appendage did not respond. Then...he took another look around...he did not recognize this hospital.
Fighting down an immediate surge of panic Kankuro swallowed the thick lump that formed in his throat, realizing that it could just be the side effect of some form of medicine, or probably hoping for it, as he hesitantly spoke.
"Gaara...why..." He swallowed again. "Where are we? Why can't I move my legs?" He questioned with a pit forming at the bottom of his stomach at the pained expression that came across Gaara's face.
"Ka...Kankuro...I..." The redhead took a breath through his nostrils, all but steeling himself as his face took on the grim countenance of the Kazekage "Kankuro...you've been paralyzed...from the neck down. We're in Kumo's hospital" Gaara's turquoise eyes showed their sorrow openly as Kankuro's own eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling, his mouth agape as he was trying to form words that seemed caught in his throat.
"Why are we in Kumo?" The puppet wielder eventually ventured, startling his younger brother.
"You...you don't remember?" At Kankuro's minute shake of the head Gaara looked at Kankuro with a new wariness. "Kankuro...what's the last thing you remember?"
The puppet wielder thought for a moment, and after several moments Gaara questioned again. "Kankuro...what date is it?"
"March 13th." He answered simply but at Gaara's horrified look he knew that was not the date.
"Kankuro...it's...April fifteenth." Gaara choked out, Kankuro had only been unconscious for three days...
"Gaara." Kankuro began swallowing another lump in his throat. "Tell me everything that happened."
Finally a few minutes later, Kankuro spoke somehow managing to choke out his words through the emotions now raging within him. "And Temari, what happened to Temari?" He questioned as he realized his sister was not in the room.
At the question, Gaara's head fell and he closed his eyes even tighter, his face scrunching up as his brows knitted. "She...he took her..."
Kankuro's eyes closed as tears shined at the side of his closed eyelids, a shuddering breath escaping his lips.
Gaara looked at his brother's face before he slowly reached out and grasped his hand firmly in his own. "Brother...I swear I won't let him get away with this."
His voice held such conviction...such a strong determination, and for a moment...Kankuro truly believed he would fulfill his promise. At the sight of Gaara's reassuring hand grasping his own he allowed the tears he had been trying to hold back fall down the sides of his face.
He couldn't even feel his brothers fingers.
In another room, Zhuge Liang stood above Akina's slowly rousing form, the impeccable white robes blending in seamlessly with the surrounding white walls. His raven black hair in stark contrast to everything around him.
He watched her eyes slowly flutter open, shifting left and right in order to look around the room before they finally landed on him, the dazed, lost look in her eyes causing him to stiffen somewhat.
"Sensei..." Her voice was hoarse as tears slowly began flowing down her cheeks, sorrow bordering on the edges of despair lining her features.
"Yes?" He questioned. He knew what she was going to ask...but he had to make sure.
"Sensei..." She paused. "Please...please tell me...that he was lying sensei." Her face twisted in pain, but not from her injuries as she stared at his impassive face. "Please tell me he's not my brother."
Liang closed his eyes with a sharp intake of breath. He had been hoping against it, but hope was a fool's game. He looked into her eyes for a brief moment before looking away. He could lie to her; tell her that he was indeed lying. But he wouldn't. For one thing, it would only dig him in deeper, because despite her words she would not just drop this here if he says so, she would look again and she would discover him.
But also, some part of him, admitted that he did owe her this much. He was willing to withhold information from her, but he was not willing to lie to her. That was a line even he was not willing to so callously cross.
He sighed as he shook his head. "I'm afraid...that it is no lie my dear...he was telling you the truth."
He watched her reaction carefully as her breath hitched, her eyes gaining such a deep look of betrayal and utter hurt that it made his own heart twist with something akin to guilt at the sight.
"Yo-how long have you known?" She questioned as she looked away from him, her eyes sweeping over the bed sheets as she asked the question, swallowing the lump in her throat as she did.
"Since before you arrived in Kumo," He answered truthfully, never making any other movements, though to the trained eye, it was clear he was ready for the reaction he knew would come as she saw her grip the bed sheets tightly.
"Nine...nine years?" She questioned in something akin to horror, red beginning to seep into the white sheet firmly in her grip as her nails punctured her skin, her knuckles turning white as she shook. "You...you knew...that...that he was my brother? For nine years?"
"Yes." He answered with another nod, already feeling the red Youki of Kyuubi's chakra rising up to the surface, bubbling beneath her skin as it shimmered around her.
"You...you trained me...you...you were going to use me...use me to kill him." This time it wasn't a question, and the new feeling of anger was beginning to overshadow her betrayal, as could be seen by the red chakra which was now uncontrollably rising from her.
"Yes." He answered anyway.
"Would you ever have told me Liang?" He took note, of the use of his name. She never called him by name. Always sensei, still he should expect no different.
"No." A simple answer, to a simple question.
Her eyes snapped up to his then, the animal red brimming with tears that freely streamed down her face, the sorrow and pain of her features a stark contrast to the deep white hot rage that burned deeply in her eyes, eyes that showed an equally great amount of rage and pain.
Before he knew what was happening, she had lunged from the bed, claws extended with a cry as she swiped at him.
Acting quickly he leaned away from the attack, her arm continuing until it struck the wall, stone and concrete giving way under the force of the blow, revealing the remains of the city through the opening before she spun around towards him, her speed momentarily surprising him as she delivered a harsh, sharp, kick that connected solidly with his chest, sending the Raikage slamming into the weak wall of dried plaster, the startled cry of nurses breached the thin barriers as fine cracks appeared on the other side.
Before she was able to come at him again, the Anbu were there, swiftly holding her down as she struggled against them.
Sobs tore themselves from her throat as she screamed and struggled, glaring deeply into the sleeping dragons eyes, allowing him to see the pain, the hurt, the anger, but most of all...the question of why, shinning deep within her eyes. "How could you!" He heard her scream amidst her struggles. "How could you you bastard!" She howled and thrashed, nearly hurling her captors right off. "I trusted you!"
Her struggles were intense even as the wounds previously inflicted on her reopened themselves, blood seeping through her bandages. Liang watched her with seeming indifference. But one could tell he was slightly worried about her, for whatever reason that may be.
Finally her struggles began to die down, her breathing becoming labored as she coughed up blood, tears still flowing freely down her face and dripping onto the floor. Falling to her knees as she continued to cry, still held in Gaara's sand. "How...could you..." She asked one final time, blood falling from her lips and onto the cold hospital floor before she finally gave into the darkness that crept along the edges of her vision.
The medics came soon after carrying a stretcher.