Sacred Flower

Well, I still haven’t found a cure or something to bring Sakura back so, until then, I’m gonna keep her in her coma state. And I’m sorry that I haven’t updated in a while, I got really lazy. Anyways, enjoy!

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Sasuke watched the doctors and nurses rush around Sakura in an attempt to save her. ‘What the hell are these people hiding from me? Especially Sakura…what is she not telling me?’

“Let’s get her through the CAT scan,” said a doctor, breaking Sasuke out of his thoughts. “After we get the results, send a copy to the Hokage.” ‘Pfft, right. As if she can help. She made Sakura go through this hell without me,’ thought Sasuke.

He knows what it’s like to walk through hell. He felt it when he saw Sakura bound on the bed in that dingy cabin, blood-stained sheets around her. If it weren’t for Sakura needing him to care for her, he would surely go insane while blinded with pure hatred and anger.

Sasuke felt his body weakening; it beckoned for sleep. ‘No. No sleep. I must watch for Sakura’s awakening. I must…’ Deep into the hours of the night, he found his eyelids drooping closed. ‘Traitorous body,’ he cursed himself.

Sakura’s body went through the monstrous machine to take x-rays of her entire body. Each section of her was scanned, recorded and sent to the Hokage for further analysis.

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‘Great, now what?’ Sakura heard machinery being operated. “Let’s get her through the CAT scan,” she heard. ‘The CAT scan? Why? I’m just tired. We don’t need to do that.’

“After we get the results, send it to the Hokage,” said the voice again. ‘What? What’s so wrong with me that I’m being treated like this? What’s going on?’

More of that glowing pink chain around her disappeared and she felt like she was plummeting into the darker recesses of the abyss she was confined in. ‘What’s happening to me?’

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Sakura was loaded onto the machine and it began to take x-rays of her bodies. Afterwards, they made copies to send to Tsunade. ‘Hn. Sending them to the Hokage isn’t going to do any good. She’s the one who started this mess,’ thought Sasuke. ‘This is all completely useless. I could bring her back on my own, I don’t need this high-tech crap.’

After the doctors were done with god-knows-what they did to her, they put her into a private room close to the emergency facilities. Sasuke was admitted into the room to be with her (after much persuasion and a threat). He sank into a chair that was on the right side of the bed which allowed him to face the door while in it. He picked up her cold, soft hand and stroked it against his cheek. (AN: is this getting a little too lovey-dovey?)

‘I’m sorry I failed you. What do I have to do to get you back? What do I have to do for you to come back to me?’ he pleaded. He missed everything about her: the way she smiled or giggled, her warm touches, her kindness…he missed it all.

‘And this is what you missed out on while you were gone,’ said his inner mind. ‘Well then, I have a lot of time to make up.’

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Naruto sat in his usual place at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop, sighing and picking at his ramen (AN: that seems kinda impossible, right?). ‘Oh man, it’s all my fault Sakura’s like this. I’m going to be the Hokage one day and I couldn’t even protect her.’

Unknown to him, a certain shy girl watched him from afar. ‘Oh Naruto, what troubles you? I want to help you, but…’ Gathering all of her courage, she walked towards Naruto, adamant on helping him with whatever troubles he has (without chickening out, I might add).

Hinata slid onto the stool next to him and spoke. “Naruto…what’s wrong?” Naruto looked up from his cold bowl of shrimp ramen and glanced at her for a second before he slumped back down.

“Nothing much Hinata. It’s just that I’m going to be Hokage one day but I’m not that great. I couldn’t even protect Sakura from that Akatsuki bastard. I don’t think I can be Hokage with that kind of a rep sheet.” His blue, cerulean eyes seemed somewhat downcast and hollow.

“I still believe you can be Hokage,” she whispered. Naruto looked at her again, astonished. “Huh? You do? But why? I mean, I’m not the smartest or the greatest, or---” He was cut off when Hinata spoke again.

“I think you still can be because you…you have such a big heart,” she said. She had to push those last six words out of her mouth. “I believe that you would protect everybody if you could.” As usual, she blushed and she couldn’t look him in the eye.

Naruto slapped on his trademark grin. “Hey, thanks Hinata!” He started to slurp up his dinner. “Okay Kakashi-sensei, I’m full---” Naruto looked over to his left and noticed that Kakashi wasn’t there while the shopkeeper held out his hand, demanding payment for catering Naruto’s hunger.

Sighing, Naruto pulled out his little frog purse and dumped all his money into the man’s hand. “Oh wait, I can help you pay that Naruto,” said Hinata as she pulled out a few bills.

“Nah, what kind of man would I be if I made a girl pay for my meal?” Hinata’s blush deepened and she knew the answer he implied. “Please come again!” called the shop owner as Naruto and Hinata left.

“Hey Hinata,” he said, “why are you out this late? Aren’t your parents worried about you?” Hinata wasn’t sure how to answer his question.

“No, my father doesn’t care. He’s too busy with Hanabi to even look at me.” Her eyes were saddened and downcast and it made Naruto worry.

“Why don’t they care? You’re such a nice girl.” Hinata’s heart rate quickened. ‘Did…did he just compliment me!?’ Hinata’s stomach did flip flops. “Well thanks a lot for eating with me. See ya!!” and he sped off. Hinata was frozen where she stood, her heart overjoyed. ‘I’m not so invisible after all. Naruto noticed me!’

And like a happy little girl, she started her way towards the Hyuuga compound.

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Sasuke awoke with a major neck pain and his hand clutched onto Sakura’s. He got up to stretch and walked towards the window. He saw the orange and yellow illuminate the sky with the sun peeking over the buildings. ‘Sakura would’ve loved this,’ he thought. ‘Will she ever wake up to enjoy this again?’

He was disturbed by a noise outside the door. ‘Sounds like…whispering,’ he thought. ‘Who would be dense enough to try to attack a comatose woman and an Uchiha?’

Sasuke assumed a fighting stance attacked when the intruders entered. Whoever it was, he hit them in the shoulder and knocked them to the ground. “SASUKE!” screamed Naruto, “What did you that for!?” Sasuke paused and looked around. It was only the Rookie Nine plus Team Guy.

“Naruto, shut up!” yelled Ino. “Sakura!” called Lee. He rushed over to her bedside and took her by the hand. “Oh, I am sorry that I could not protect you with my love!” Everybody’s eye twitched.

“Man, this is so troublesome,” spoke up Shikamaru. “I’d rather play Shogi right now.” Choji stood beside Shikamaru. “Yeah, I’d rather have some BBQ ribs now.”

“Why don’t you come outside with us?” asked Neji. “We could spar. I’m sure Sakura will still be here when you get back.” Sasuke hesitated. He didn’t want to leave Sakura alone, he really didn’t. He didn’t want to leave her just in case she woke up.

“Fine,” he replied darkly, “I will.” Everybody started piling out the door while Sasuke stole another glance at Sakura before leaving.

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“Oh come on Sasuke! Can’t you get me?” teased Naruto. Everybody watched in amusement as Sasuke and Naruto sparred, Sasuke barely getting a scratch on him.

“Go Naruto!” egged on Kiba.

‘Damn it, if I can’t beat this idiot, how am I supposed to kill Itachi?’ he berated himself. Sasuke pulled out a few shurikens and threw them while he made a clone of himself to sneak behind Naruto.

“No way are you going to use my technique against me!” Naruto made a few clones of himself pop out and attack the Sasuke clones. Unlike Sasuke’s clones, Naruto’s clones were real, with a decent amount of chakra in each of them.

Naruto got a few lucky shots at Sasuke and he fell on his ass. He got up, dusted himself off and walked away. “Hey, where d’ya think you’re going!?” screamed Naruto. Sasuke scoffed and kept walking.

“Aww, did I hurt Sasuke’s feelings?” mocked Naruto. Sasuke’s eye twitched but he kept walking. “You’re really pushing it…” he mumbled. ‘Damn, he’s really gotten stronger over the past few years.’

“Naruto, leave him alone! I’m sure he just doesn’t want to humiliate you in front of all of us!” retorted Ino. Sasuke scoffed again and walked away until he was out of sight.

“Where do you think he ran off to?” asked Choji, halfway through a bag of potato chips. Shikamaru sighed and turned his attention from the clouds to Choji. “The hospital most likely. He looked like he didn’t want to be torn away from Sakura.” This earned him a smack in the head from Ino.

“Whaddya mean he doesn’t wanna be torn from Billboard Brow? Of course he does! He’s been looking for an excuse so he doesn’t seem like a heartless bastard!” snapped Ino.

“Oh my Sakura!” cried Lee. “I, too, must be with you, to make sure you are fine and healthy!”

“Hey Neji!” piped in Tenten, “wanna help me with my sparring techniques?” Neji got off his ass and onto the training grounds. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“You in Lee?”

“Huh? Oh, well…” He couldn’t refuse training with his dear team mate Tenten. “Alright! I shall spar with you and help you sharpen your skills!”

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Sasuke arrived back at the hospital in time to see Tsunade and some doctors move her body. “What are you doing?” he bellowed. Tsunade snapped her head up to see the Uchiha survivor glaring at her.

“Oh, well we’re just moving her so we can bathe her.” Sasuke had nothing to say and a pink flush ran across his features.

“Oh,” was all he could say.

“Alright, that’s enough, you may leave,” instructed Tsunade. The doctors and the nurses left the three alone and attended other patients.

“Sasuke…” she began, “since you two have…would you help me bathe her?” she finished up. Sasuke’s blush deepened into a crimson flush, one that he’s trying to control.

“Well, you know,” said Tsunade again, “I just thought…since you know her…body…I thought that you’d help me.” Sasuke shook off his blush and complied.

“Sure, I’ll help…but only because I’m helping Sakura, nothing more.” Tsunade smiled and Sasuke carried her to a more private room.

Rolling up his sleeves, he was armed with a soft sponge and a bucket of warm water, as was Tsunade. She stripped Sakura of her white robe the hospital provided the patients with and there she was, all in her naked glory laid in front of him.

Now, Tsunade wasn’t really shy seeing that she was very skilled in the medical field and she knew what a woman’s body looked like, but Sasuke didn‘t have the same handicap. He wanted Sakura’s body for his eyes only, and he would never ravish her in public, much less in front of Tsunade.

“Sasuke, you don’t need to be shy. From your question a couple days ago, I’d say you’ve already seen her body. Maybe even touched it?” teased Tsunade. Sasuke grunted and brushed her off, making Tsunade chuckle a little.

Sasuke dipped his sponge into the warm soapy water and began to wash Sakura’s body, being extra cautious not to touch certain areas. He would ravish her body in her state if it weren’t for Tsunade being in the same room as him. God knows that he missed her touches which made him hungry for more.

Tsunade washed the upper part of Sakura’s body while Sasuke washed the lower half. He tried to work very slowly so he wouldn’t have to touch the fine trail of hair between her legs in front of Tsunade. It took a lot of strength for the young Uchiha not to blush a deep red colour.

Sasuke thought they were done so he tried to wrap her in her white robe but Tsunade stopped him. “You missed a spot,” said Tsunade. ‘You are NOT seriously going to make wash that part of her in front of you…are you?’ He panicked inside. It was beyond humiliating to wash his lover’s most intimate part of her in front of the woman who’s taught her.

‘This is like making out with her in front of her mother…’ he thought. Slowly, he dipped his hand back into the bucket of lukewarm water and pulled out the sponge. He gently glided it over the fine hairs of her opening and washed away the suds.

“There. It’s done.” Tsunade smiled warmly at him, trying to encase her laugh within her throat. ‘Who knew the almighty and powerful Uchiha boy was so shy?’ Sasuke held Sakura so she would sit up while Tsunade slipped the robe around her small frame.

Sasuke carried her back to her room and gently laid her onto the bed. He pulled the covers over her shoulders before he sat back down in his chair. “Sasuke, I’ll be leaving now but you’re welcome to stay here overnight with her.”

“I know, I already have stayed overnight,” he replied. “Oh. Well, goodnight.” Tsunade shut off the lights and the only amount of light in the room was the small lamp by the table across the room. ‘Sweet dreams Sakura…’ and he succumbed to the darkness of sleep.

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Sakura could hear and feel everything going on around her. ‘What’s going on now?’ she wondered.

“What are you doing?” she heard Sasuke say. “Oh, we’re just moving her so we can bathe her,” replied Tsunade’s voice. She could feel herself being carried, and the masculine scent around her smelled so familiar…

It was Sasuke! Sasuke was carrying her. She missed his touch so much. She wondered how long it’ll be before he touched her so intimately again…the way he’d kiss her and touch her…

Oh! She felt the cold air hit her skin from head to toe. And then she felt something warm and soft touch her stomach and her thigh…and then on her chest and the top of her right foot…then her arms and her inner left thigh…

“You missed a spot,” said Tsunade. ‘Spot? What spot? I think I’ve been washed everyw-’ Her train of thought was obliterated as she felt something warm, wet and soft come into contact with her burning sex.

It was only a moment but it felt like an eternity before the warmth moved away. ‘No!! Come back!’ she cried. She had never felt so sexually frustrated until now. This was the one time where her needs were not met.

Sighing, she felt something warm slip onto her shoulders and that manly scent that was Sasuke filled her nostrils again. ‘I’m probably being carried back to my room,’ she presumed.

She felt herself being laid down and the covers pulled over her body. ‘Well, I suppose I could rest a little while.’ She fell asleep, regaining the strength she needed to wake up.

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Later that night, Tsunade looked over Sakura’s file in her office. She nearly worried herself to death. ‘In these doses, there’s a good chance we’ve lost her already,’ she worried. ‘How could I have failed her?’

“You look worried Tsunade,” said a voice at her window. “Don’t you have more ‘research’ to do Jiraiya?” snapped Tsunade.

“Whoa, I’m just worried for you. No need to bite my head off,” said Jiraiya while scratching his head. He pulled out two dishes and a full bottle of strawberry sake. “Care to join me?” he asked.

Tsunade smiled and sat down, motioning him to sit down as well. Jiraiya poured them both a full dish of sake and they sipped their drinks. “Jiraiya, you really haven’t changed a bit,” she said, laughing a little. How many people did she know carry sake around with them 24 / 7?

“No, I suppose I haven’t, but you haven’t either, except for maybe your chest. Now I can never call you ‘Flat-chested Tsunade’ anymore huh?” She glared at him that would’ve killed him in an instant.

“Anyway, don’t you know by now that you shouldn’t gamble?” chuckled Jiraiya. “People are making easy money off of you. Even Naruto beat you for that necklace of yours.”

Tsunade smiled at the thought. “Yeah, well he deserves it.” ‘Most importantly, he didn’t die after he received it. That stupid kid is going to make a fine Hokage one day.’

Tsunade started swirling her dish around, making the pale pink liquid create a weird swirl pattern. “Tell me, what troubles you?” asked Jiraiya. “I’ve heard from Naruto that something’s wrong with that girl you’re teaching.”

“Well, I’ve…” It was hard for her to say. “She’s poisoned by the blood of the Kusanagi Coral. I’ve given her a drug for her predicament with that ingredient. Now, she’s fallen into a coma.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find a way to bring her out of it. The Tsunade I know would never give up, especially on her apprentice.” Jiraiya poured himself another dish of sake.

“Well, I suppose I should leave so you can continue your work. Goodnight Tsunade.” He quickly finished up his sake and left the bottle and her dish behind for her to enjoy the rest.

“Goodnight Jiraiya,” she chuckled.

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The next morning, Sakura found herself in the darkest of the dark. She was stilled trapped within her own body. ‘What do I have to do to get out of here?’

‘Chaa!! You fight!’ said her inner mind. ‘Yeah, but what do I fight? There’s nothing here.’

More of that pink chain shortened and she felt weaker. ‘What the hell is this thing supposed to be? My sanity?’ she wondered. She wrapped her arms around herself. ‘Sure is cold in here…I hope Sasuke will find me soon.’

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Sasuke felt himself drown in a spiral of depression. He looked over to Sakura’s body, laying there with a peaceful expression plastered over her. It would give anyone the impression that she was asleep if they hadn’t known about her actual state. He felt like a hollow shell of a man without her.

A doctor came in to check on her vital signs. “They’re fine,” Sasuke said coldly. Ignoring him, the doctor stepped over to see the machine with little jagged lines indicating her heart beat and the machine beeping in tune of her heart beat.

“I told you they’re fine!” he shouted.

“Sir, whether or not you say she’s fine, we still have to see for ourselves. It is part of our duty,” replied the doctor calmly.

Sasuke started to growl. “If it’s part of your duty, isn’t saving her part of it too? You people are doing nothing around here!” He flipped over a chair and it narrowly missed the doctor.

“Sir, calm down or I will have to ask you to leave the premises,” said the doctor, a little bit of fear in his voice. After all, rarely anyone pissed off an Uchiha and lived.

“I’ll leave when I’m sure she’ll be fine!” Sasuke growled out. “Right now, you are doing nothing but wasting time! I should just take her home and tend to her myself!”

“Then why don’t you do just that Sasuke?” called a voice. The doctor and Sasuke faced the door to see Tsunade with Kakashi right behind her. “You know that you can’t do this without us, that you have no hope so SHUT UP and LET THE DOCTORS DO THEIR WORK!”

Sasuke and the doctor were scared to their wits. Everybody knew that the Hokage can be scary when she wanted to. “You are dismissed doctor,” Tsunade said calmly after a few moments of complete silence. The poor doctor scurried out of the room to tend to other patients.

Tsunade sighed and righted the knocked-over chair. After righting it, she sat down with Kakashi standing right behind her.

“Look, I know you’re frustrated and I can’t say that I’m not, but the doctors have other patients to look after also. We can’t just put Sakura as our #1 priority; it’d be unfair to other patients, especially if they are ninjas. As you know, we have a slight depletion of ninjas in our village and we have to save every one who’s critically injured. Do you understand?” Sasuke hesitated to respond but he eventually nodded.

“Sasuke,” Kakashi began, “we all want Sakura to be well again, you want it possibly more than the rest of us combined; it’s just that…” For once, Kakashi was at a loss of words.

“It’s just that nothing goes our way all of the time,” finished Tsunade. “If that happened, I wouldn’t lose so much money gambling.”

“And I’d get all the books in the Icha Icha series.” Both Sasuke and Tsunade looked at Kakashi weird. “What? I read it in public; why are you guys so surprised?”

Tsunade brushed off that topic and moved on. “The point is that it may seem like we’re not doing anything but we’re working ourselves to the point of exhaustion for Sakura.”

Sasuke scoffed and sat back in his chair. For a while, there was complete silence, other than the sounds made by the machines and the rustling of paper from Kakashi.

Tsunade sniffed the air. God, it was disdainful! “Sasuke, have you showered at all since Sakura was admitted here?” Sasuke blushed the tiniest bit and shook his head.

“Sasuke you should take a shower. You have no idea how badly you stink. I can smell it through my mask,” mumbled Kakashi.

“No, I’m not leaving,” grumbled Sasuke. He would stay with Sakura until she woke up.

“Sasuke, I’m sending you on a mission,” spat out Tsunade, trying to cover her nose.

“A mission?” inquired Sasuke. “Can’t you send someone else to do it?”

“No, only you can. I’m sending you out to…TAKE A SHOWER!”

Sasuke grumbled and complied, whispering curses at the Hokage. “Stupid Hokage, tell me to take a shower…”

“Don’t worry, we’ll watch little Sakura for you,” teased Kakashi.

“Stupid pervert…he’s gonna take advantage of my Sakura in her unconscious state…” Sasuke continued to mutter.

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Sasuke got home in record time and rushed to the bathroom. He wanted to take a shower as quick and thorough as possible so he could get back to Sakura.

While the water sprayed from the shower hit his lean body, his thoughts drifted to the morning after their night of passion. He wanted to wash her hair again, touch her luscious, curvaceous body, feel her skin yield to his ministrations.

God, he missed it all so much! How could he take her for granted all those years ago?

Believing that he was clean enough, not smelling like he slept in a dumpster and his hair was clean and neat, he threw on a fresh set of clothes and ran like mad back to the hospital.

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Racing back to the hospital, Sasuke found himself worried over nothing. Kakashi was still reading Icha Icha Paradise and Tsunade wasn’t there.

“She stepped out for some sake,” said Kakashi, answering a question Sasuke didn’t voice aloud. Sasuke sat down in the chair he sat in before and did nothing.

Tsunade came back shortly after Sasuke arrived, with a bottle of sake and two dishes for herself and Kakashi. She poured the sake into both dishes and held one out for Kakashi. Without looking up from his book, he took it. In the blink of an eye, the dish was empty and nobody saw what was under that dark mask.

Sasuke growled in frustration. Sakura could be dead right now and they wouldn’t care. He needed an outlet for his rage. He threw a chair across the room and it made a nice hole in the wall, big enough to fit his head in.

“God damn it! Why don’t you people help her!?” he shouted. Tsunade got up and tried to calm him down.

“Sasuke, let’s not damage anything. These machines are helping her whether you think so or not.”

Kakashi looked up from his book and watched the scene unfold. ‘Ehh…he’ll be fine.’ He continued to read his dirty book.

“She’s just lying there! She hasn’t shown improvement at all! She’s just-” Sasuke’s speech was cut off after his head cocked to one side and he felt a stinging sensation on his cheek.

“Sasuke Uchiha, how dare you question my medical skills! Don’t you think I’d try to save my apprentice?” yelled Tsunade. All the doctors and nurses heard their bickering but they feared the strength of the Hokage.

“I wouldn’t question you medical skills if-” Sasuke stopped in mid-sentence. His eyes widened in horror.

‘The Hokage has the…Sharingan?’ His world turned black and he collapsed onto the hospital floor. Kakashi sensed something a little off about Tsunade but he didn’t quite notice it until now. He got his Lightning Blade ready but Tsunade knocked him out. All the doctors and nurses were running for their lives.

Tsunade unhooked Sakura from the machines. The jutsu was dispelled to reveal Itachi with a smirk on his face. He threw Sakura over his strong shoulder.

“You snooze, you lose…little brother.”

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OHH! Betcha didn’t see that coming! Well, whatever. Reviews are always appreciated!