Naomi's heart jolted.
"Itachi—!"
She dropped to her knees beside him, chakra flaring green at her palms as she pressed them to his chest. The warmth of his blood seeped through her gloves almost instantly, sticky and alarming.
"You pushed yourself too far," she said, her voice trembling despite her attempt to steady it. "You should've told me something was wrong—"
"Don't… waste time," he managed, calm even with the rasp in his breathing. "Check… the perimeter."
"I'm not leaving you," she shot back, her hands already working to find the faltering rhythm of his heart. The pulse she felt was weak—uneven, like a thread about to snap.
His fingers closed around her wrist—not harsh, but firm enough to still her movements for a beat. "We… can't stay here. If they regroup—"
His vision swam, the edges of the world closing in until only her face remained in focus.
I can't… collapse here. Not here. Not now.
"Itachi, stop talking," she ordered, pushing more chakra into her palms, willing his heartbeat to steady.
"Quiet." The word was barely above a whisper, but sharp enough to cut through her panic. "Move… or we're surrounded."
"You can't even stand—" she protested, the glow from her hands pulsing brighter.
As he tried to stand by himself another cough tore through him, forcing him forward. Fresh blood dripped from his lips, staining the ground. She felt the tension coil through his muscles, his body holding itself upright through nothing but sheer will.
"Don't push yourself. Just lean on me," she urged quickly. "I can get us to cover—"
His eyes closed briefly, lashes trembling against his cheeks as he fought to anchor himself. "…If anyone… comes after you… run."
Her throat tightened. "I'm not going anywhere. Not while leaving you."
For a moment, she thought he might argue. Instead, he lifted a weak hand, brushing hers aside—not in rejection, but in quiet insistence. "This is not a time for an argument. You must leave—"
Another cough wracked his frame, this one harsher. A streak of crimson fell to the dirt, vivid against the shadows. The sound of it hitting the ground made Naomi's stomach twist.
A faint ripple of chakra prickled the air. Naomi's head snapped up—shadows shifting at the edge of her vision. No immediate attack yet, but they wouldn't have long.
"We're leaving. Now."
She slid his arm over her shoulders, bracing herself under his weight. He didn't resist. His steps were heavy, but silent—no complaint, no wasted breath.
The forest seemed to stretch endlessly, each movement pulling more of his strength away. His breathing was unsteady, uneven; every few paces, it hitched sharply, as if his lungs were rejecting the effort.
Naomi knew if she let the silence close in, if she gave him nothing to cling to, he might slip further into that dangerous stillness. So she spoke, voice low but constant.
"Just a little further… I'll find cover. I'll patch you up… you're going to be fine."
There was no answer—but she felt the faintest pressure of his fingers against her arm. Whether it was agreement or simply a reflex, she didn't know.She only tightened her grip on him and kept moving.
The forest thinned just enough for Naomi to catch sight of a rocky incline ahead. Her chakra-sense pricked at a faint echo beneath the earth—a hollow space, tucked away in shadow.
"This way," she murmured, tightening her grip around him. His weight pressed heavily against her side, each step a strain, but he matched her pace in silence, lending what little balance he could.
They reached the cave's mouth—a slit of darkness draped in hanging moss, the air spilling from within cold and damp. It carried the metallic scent of stone and earth, a stillness that promised concealment.
"This will do," she muttered, the words slipping out more to herself than to him.
Itachi said nothing, but his gaze flicked toward the narrow entrance, eyes narrowing slightly. Even weakened, his mind seemed to be weighing its defensibility.
Inside, the cave swallowed them whole. Shadows clung to the jagged walls, and the low ceiling pressed the air close. Naomi eased him down with deliberate care, guiding his back against the rock wall. The moment his weight left her shoulders, her legs trembled from the strain.
She moved quickly—dropping to her knees, unfastening her pack. Bandages, antiseptic, a roll of clean cloth spilled out beside her. Without hesitation, her fingers worked at his cloak's clasp, sliding the heavy fabric from his shoulders. The Akatsuki robe followed, the dark material falling open to reveal the pallor of his skin beneath. His breathing was shallow, each inhale whispering against the cave's silence.
Her hands flared with green light as she leaned in, assessing the worst of it.
"You've been bleeding internally," she said, voice low but tight, as chakra sank into torn vessels. "And your breathing—this isn't from the fight alone, is it?"
He didn't meet her eyes. Instead, his gaze drifted to the fractured shadows on the wall. "…It's irrelevant right now."
"Irrelevant?" Her voice sharpened. "How is this irrelevant? You collapsed, Itachi—"
A faint cough interrupted her. Dark red streaked his lips, but he turned his head slightly, as if to deny her the sight.
"Hold still," she ordered, her brow knitting tighter. "The more you fight me on this, the longer it takes."
"I'm not fighting you," he replied simply. His voice was calm, though his eyes—half-lidded, tracking her movements—betrayed a quiet vigilance.
"You should've told me—"
"I did not wish to slow the mission." His tone was measured, deliberate, though the rasp in his throat undercut the control.
"You're lucky I was here," she muttered without looking up.
"Luck had nothing to do with it," he returned evenly.
"You were reckless," he said, the words landing with quiet precision.
Her hands stilled for a heartbeat. "..Reckless? You're the one nearly collapsing in the middle of enemy territory—"
His eyes fixed on hers, dark and unyielding. "Yes, I collapsed. And that is exactly why you should have prioritised the mission and left immediately. But you took an uncalculated risk, carrying me when your skillset outside medical jutsu is limited. That could have cost you your life and the mission."
Her lips parted, but she swallowed back the retort. Instead, she resumed her work, her chakra flowing steady despite the tightness in her jaw.
Minutes passed, measured by the quiet drip of water deeper in the cave. Her healing was methodical, precise, but the strain in her face betrayed the toll. Sweat dampened her brow by the time she finally drew back.
"That should keep you stable for now," she said softly. "But you can't keep pushing yourself like this. Whatever's going on—it's worse than you're letting on."
He didn't respond. Only after a moment did his eyes close, lashes casting faint shadows across pale skin.
"You need to rest," she murmured, her voice softening further. "The mission is on pause until your body catches up."
His breath eased out, faint but deliberate. "..Don't let your guard down. The danger still lingers." His voice was a rasp, the edges of it scraping with fatigue.
"I won't" she said, her tone steady and unyielding. "Just focus on healing. Leave the rest to me for now."
Her hands stilled against his chest, the green glow fading—but her presence did not shift an inch away. She would hold this vigil for as long as it took.
The cave was still cloaked in shadows when Naomi stirred, the distant trickle of water dripping from the stone ceiling marking the slow crawl of dawn outside. Her body was stiff from sleeping upright against the cave wall, her cloak drawn tight around her for warmth.
The first thing she registered was the quiet. No sound of pained breathing beside her.She turned instinctively toward where Itachi had been resting.
Empty.
Her heart jolted. She sat up quickly, scanning the dim shadows. "Itachi?" Her voice was low but urgent.
No answer. She pushed to her feet, already stepping toward the cave mouth when a silhouette emerged from the pale morning mist outside.
Itachi emerged soundlessly, his expression unreadable, his gait composed—almost as though the night before had been nothing more than a fleeting inconvenience. His cloak was fastened again, and the pale exhaustion that had crept into his features last night was masked beneath that familiar, impenetrable calm.
"You're awake," he said evenly, as though they were merely resuming a planned route.
Naomi took a step forward, her eyes narrowing. "Where were you?"
"Scouting the perimeter," he replied, voice steady and distant. "No signs of pursuit. We can move now."
Naomi's relief quickly tangled with frustration. "You—" she started, but stopped herself. She took a step closer, scanning him for any sign of strain. "You shouldn't even be standing yet. Last night—"
He moved past her without acknowledging the accusation, pausing only to retrieve his gear from where it rested against the wall. "Last night is over," he cut in, his tone neither harsh nor gentle, but final. "The longer we remain here, the more likely we are to be found."
Naomi's hands curled into fists at her sides. "You're still not fully healed."
He met her gaze, the faintest flicker of something—acknowledgment, perhaps—passing through his eyes before disappearing again. "Dwelling on it serves no purpose."
Naomi's gaze followed him, the knot in her chest tightening. "...I still think we should wait until you're actually in good shape."
"I'm in good shape," he replied without looking back, his voice clipped but calm. "Pack your things. Don't leave a trace. We leave in a few minutes." And with that, he stepped out of the cave, his movements swift and deliberate.
Left in the cool, damp silence, Naomi stood for a moment, her breath caught somewhere between frustration and worry. Images from last night pressed against her mind—his body faltering, the blood on his lips, the way he'd seemed moments from slipping away. And now he walked as though it had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
Pushing the thoughts down, she crouched to gather her supplies, careful to leave no sign they'd been there. Her fingers moved with quiet precision, but her resolve burned stronger beneath the surface. She couldn't give up—not yet. This was only the beginning.
She still had a long road ahead with him, and someday, she would strip away that carefully built mask and see the man who lived behind it.
|To be continued|