Naruto lost consciousness and Shikamaru picked him up and ran the fastest he’d ever run in his whole life crying. He was in shock and couldn’t believe his friend would do something like this. The villagers seemed quite happy at the grisly scene of Naruto covered in blood which would have deeply disturbed Shikamaru to his core had he been paying attention to them. Shikamaru’s gaze was focused on the hospital swiftly coming in to view. Shikamaru’s usually lazy face held determination not often seen by others, not even his team mates. He looked down at Naruto who was stirring a bit in pain.
“Don’t you die on me!” yelled the brunette desperately.
“Sorry.” the blonde whispered through congested coughs, no doubt he was internally bleeding as well.
“Why Naruto?” asked Shikamaru through tears.
Shikamaru couldn’t imagine what would cause this from Konoha’s seemingly happiest ninja. As long as Shikamaru could remember Naruto was always smiling, so why? He just couldn’t come to terms with the scene in the bathroom. It couldn’t be the real Naruto. Naruto just isn’t like this! The brunette tried desperately to trick his brain into thinking this wasn’t the real Naruto, but being the genius he is he failed at tricking his own brain. The boy in his arms was definitely Naruto.
“People can’t change who they are….” the blonde choked through light coughing.
Shikamaru’s eyes closed tightly for a moment at the Naruto’s distant words. They struck him hard even though he hadn’t a clue what Naruto had meant by it. Shikamaru wished he’d known. How could he not have known? He knows EVERYTHING being a genius and all. Shikamaru felt responsible, though anyone could tell he was clearly not the one at fault. He just happened to be the person who found Naruto like that, but Shikamaru didn’t feel this way. The guilt weighed heavy on his chest.
Naruto’s eyes started to feel heavy again and he felt like his energy had been drained. He knew his time in this world would end soon.
Shikamaru continued to run with the blonde clutched tightly in his arms. The only sounds the brunette could hear was the pounding of his heart as he ran. The only thing he could feel was the pressure on his chest and his feet rapidly hitting the road as he ran. Shikamaru was determined to save his friend.
The wounds to Naruto’s wrist had begun to heal thanks to the kyuubi, and the bleeding was to a minimum. It was the only thing that cursed kyuubi was good for. Naruto’s stomach however was another story. The shard was barely visible and his stomach was torn to shreds. There was no telling what type of internal damage the blonde had inflicted upon himself. Naruto smiled feeling death’s approach as he could barely remain conscious.
The hospital was in plain view and just within reach. The brunette picked up his speed upon seeing his destination after having gained an unknown source of energy. Shikamaru burst through the hospital doors causing several people waiting in the lobby to nearly jump out of their skin. He could barely speak through the tears that streamed down his face. A team of medics rushed seemingly out of nowhere and took the blonde from Shikamaru’s arms leaving him alone.
The brunette just stood in the hospital lobby covered in Naruto’s blood shaking. For someone as brilliant as him, he was having much difficulty grasping the events that had just taken place. He just couldn’t understand it. Naruto had always seemed so happy. He was friends with everyone! Something wasn’t adding up. Why would Naruto do this to himself? Why? He was an inspiration to many to ‘Never Give Up.’ So why would he give up on life?
Shikamaru punched the wall with a sickening crack. He was so upset he barely felt the pain in his knuckles even as they bled. His sobbing grew worse and he made another punch at the wall in his blind anger. A few of the people in the lobby had taken it upon themselves to try to calm him down. He didn’t understand and the shock of it all was overwhelming for him, but who wouldn’t be in this situation? His mind raced. He was forced by strong hands to sit. He protested but was given no choice. He looked up to see the Hokage herself staring him straight in the face. Her expression seemed grim at best.
“What the hell happened?!” Tsunade demanded loudly.
Shikamaru gasped for the air to tell his story but his lungs were in protest of talking. He continued trying to fill his lungs with air, but he just couldn’t seem to get enough air. His breathing quickened just thinking of the events that had just taken place. He wasn’t even sure of how to form the words anymore. In fact he wasn’t sure he could speak. He was sure the words would stop in his throat. They were just too painful to speak, but still he tried. He really tried to answer the Hokage, but no matter how much air he inhaled it seemed futile.
‘Shit he’s going to hyperventilate if he doesn’t calm down!’
Tsunade did her best to calm him down. She placed her hand on his shoulder and rubbed his back gently in a motherly sort of way. The scene of Naruto stabbing himself when barely conscious began replaying vividly in Shikamaru’s mind. His face cringed with disgusted and sorrow. The smell of blood, Naruto’s blood did nothing to aid him in his current state. His breathing quickened and he gasped for air trying to tell what happened, but still the words wouldn’t form. The genius’s brain seemed to be on overload, he just couldn’t speak. Shikamaru’s quickened breathing turned into heaves as he tried to speak.
“Shikamaru! Calm down! I can’t help him until I know everything!” yelled Tsunade frantically trying to find out what on earth had happened to Naruto though it would seem clear just by looking at him.
“O-ok-kay. *deep breath* I-I went …to…deliver the papers and his door…it was open.”
“Yes.”
“And…I called out but t-there was no answer…and…I…heard…”
“What did you hear?” asked Tsunade coaxing him gently.
“Sobbing.”
Tsunade looked down at the ground there was no way around it. Naruto had truly tried to kill himself, and he quite possibly succeeded in doing so. She looked back to Shikamaru with tears starting to well in her eyes, but she wasn’t satisfied. Tsunade went into a state of denial. She couldn’t allow herself to believe that he would do this. He was going to be Hokage someday, he’d said it himself. There was no way he’d ever give up on his dream!
In a maternal tone, she persuaded him gently. “Go on…”
“I followed the sobs and it came from the bathroom…”
“What did you see?” she asked anxiously in hope of something other than Naruto harming himself.
“N-Naruto…stabbing himself in the stomach with a shard of glass!”
Tsunade pulled Shikamaru into a motherly hug and rubbed his back lightly trying to calm him. She held Shikamaru’s shaking form. Tsunade could feel the boy’s tears on her, and she wanted to cry as well. Naruto really had tried to kill himself. There was no more doubt in her mind. Tsunade fought back tears at the thought.
“Can you save him?” asked Shikamaru hopeful in her abilities as medical ninja and a sannin.
Her eyes looked grim. Naruto’s injuries were great. She could only hope the cursed kyuubi would help with some of the healing. It would be the only way anyone would survive what he’d done.
“I will do my best.” Tsunade replied with a less than hopeful voice.
Without another word she ran off towards Naruto’s room. Shikamaru was left out in the waiting room without anyone, he was all alone. Just how Naruto must have felt each and every waking moment of his life. He stayed seated almost shaking at the sight of Naruto’s blood on him. Could Naruto really live after losing that much blood? Could anyone? Shikamaru as intelligent as he was should have known that for a normal person their chances were pretty much zero. But he noticed how Naruto had never stayed injured for long and began to wonder what would cause that. The metallic smell of the blood he was coated in made his stomach wretch but he wasn’t going to leave Naruto.
“Shikamaru!” cried Ino frantically after seeing her team mate covered in blood.
He turned to the familiar voice and saw Ino followed by Sakura.
“Are you okay?! What happened?!” cried Ino worriedly.
“Yea. I guess.” He managed to choke out the answer to Ino’s first question, but he couldn’t answer the second one.
Ino bent down looking him over for injuries as she was training in medical ninjutsu. Her eyes looked confused as she saw no cuts or wounds present on Shikamaru’s body.
“It’s not my b-blood…”
Ino looked more confused as she sat next to him. She saw the horrible look on his face and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She knew that this amount of blood loss would be fatal to anyone. Her eyes held sadness, she only hoped it wasn’t someone they knew personally as awful as that sounded it was just how she felt. Sakura watched with a worried look, but kept a slight distance as she didn’t want to interfere.
“Then whose blood is it?” she asked looking more worried.
Shikamaru started to break down again crying. Now Ino had no idea what had happened, whose blood it was or what the hell was going on. All she knew was her team mate was hurting and there was nothing she could do. There was no medical ninjutsu she could master to help him. She did the only thing she knew how. Ino wrapped her arms around Shikamaru to comfort him.
“N-Naru-to’s…” he stuttered through tears.
Ino was shocked while Sakura remained seemingly unfazed. She knew Naruto would heal by himself and didn’t really care much about it. Being Naruto’s team mate she’d learned long ago he was the kyuubi container. Sakura knew the kyuubi would heal him no matter what and really didn’t seem to care at all. After all during his fight with Sasuke, Naruto had taken a direct blow from Chidori through his chest and he healed then. Why should she worry?
“Naruto’s?” asked Ino even more confused than before.
“S-Sakura! It’s Naruto’s!”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Sakura replied without a single tear or hint of worry in her voice.
“How can you be so calm at a time like this?!”
“Cause he probably did something stupid, like challenge someone much stronger than he is…”
“What are you saying?”
Shikamaru had stayed quiet the whole time while he was brimming with anger towards the kunoichi. He couldn’t believe Naruto was so meaningless to her.
“Did he pick a fight with Sasuke again? Serves him right.” asked Sakura.
Shikamaru’s anger peaked. He couldn’t understand how she could be so cold to her team mate none the less. His fists shook with anger and Ino let go of him and backed up slightly. Ino had felt every muscle in his body tense with anger. Ino looked in Sakura’s direction hardly believing the words that came from her mouth.
“Shut up!” yelled Shikamaru.
Sakura looked taken aback by his sudden outburst. Shikamaru really never wanted to hurt someone as much as he wanted to hurt the Sakura. He couldn’t understand how someone could be so calm and cool about their comrade being seriously injured. Naruto was fighting for his life and she just didn’t seem to give damn. He just couldn’t understand why she was acting this way.
“What’s your problem?” Sakura retorted nastily.
“You didn’t see him!” yelled Shikamaru standing up.
“If he picked a fight with Sasuke-kun then he deserved it.” she replied matter of factly.
“Is your head so far up Sasuke’s ass you never noticed your comrade slipping away?!” yelled Shikamaru loudly.
“What are you talking about?!” asked Sakura getting annoyed with him.
“Naruto tried to…to…kill himself.” His voice trailed off.
“Yea right. He’s such a knuckle head he probably couldn’t even do that right.”
Ino hadn’t said a word the whole time but did NOT agree with Sakura at all. In fact Ino’s body was shaking with anger, though it went unnoticed by the two arguing. Shikamaru made a leap at Sakura. Several people who had been watching the scene unfold had rushed to restrain him. No one figured that Ino would’ve landed the punch that sent Sakura flying across the lobby. Ino walked over and peered down at Sakura who clutched her right cheek in pain. Ino had managed to put some chakra into it managing to fracture the pink-haired kunoichi’s cheek bone. It was the first time Ino was able to use the medical training she received in that way.
“Get out of here!” said Ino coldly to Sakura holding up a fist to be sure to get her message across.
Sakura left without another word. She hadn’t thought he was serious, and she highly doubted Naruto would be able to successfully kill himself not with the kyuubi inside him. Sakura clutched her cheek angrily as she walked out healing her own cheek.
~ICU~
Naruto lay on the examination table motionless. Tsunade stopped dead in the doorway and watched the medical team rushing around him trying desperately to heal his wounds.
“Tsunade-sama! Thank god you’re here! We need your expertise.”
“Hai.” she replied hoping it wasn’t too late.
Tsunade examined the self inflicted wounds and cringed at the gruesome sight. Her eyes spilled over and she almost lost it herself. She couldn’t begin to fathom the pain he felt let alone the emotion pain he felt to go this far.
‘Why?’
Tsunade looked down at the ground with tears falling to floor. She raised her fist while everyone looked on nervously. The sannin thrust her chakra infused fist through the wall next to her causing everyone in the room to jump with fright.
“How did something like this go unnoticed?!” yelled Tsunade through a rush of tears.
The skin of his abdomen was torn to ribbons and the shard was just barely visible. He had punctured his intestines and the bottom of his lungs, were even punctured. The sannin regained composure for Naruto’s sake. She had to save him no matter what. Tsunade and Shizune went to work quickly after removing the shard. His wrists were the easiest to heal and had practically healed themselves. But despite their best efforts he was fading from this world.
“Shit we’re losing him!” yelled Shizune frantically widening her net of healing chakra over Naruto stomach.
Some blood gushed out and splattered them both causing Tsunade to cringe and falter in her chakra control briefly. Her fear of blood had returned. She fought hard against it to save Naruto. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her chakra. Visions of her brother and her dead lover flashed in her mind.
‘TO BE HOKAGE THAT IS MY DREAM!’
Tsunade’s eyes snapped open and her chakra net over his abdomen widened engulfing it with her green glow. Shizune’s eyes were wide with shock at the sheer determination displayed by Tsunade.
“Naruto!” Tsunade yelled.
Naruto was alone in the dark scared and crying like a child. What would he do? There was a faint light off in the distance and he started for it. Naruto wasn’t sure why but he felt empty. Wasn’t dying supposed to free him? He wandered slowly towards the light.
“His vitals are dropping fast!”
“Stabalize him! NOW!”
“Naruto! Hang in there! Come back! You can’t leave me too!” cried Tsunade.
Naruto turned his head. He could have sworn someone called out to him, but who would? Had he really heard someone calling his name? No. No one would call out to a monster like himself. Naruto sighed and turned back towards the light.
‘This is how it should be.’ thought Naruto.
“We’re losing him!”
Shikamaru had been standing in front of the door for a while. He just couldn’t wait in the lobby anymore. He had to know what was going on. The yells from within the room made Shikamaru’s heart stop. Naruto was dying. Shikamaru’s tears returned with a vengeance as he burst through the door.
“He’s flat lining!” yelled Shizune loudly desperately trying to revive Naruto.
Tsunade’s chakra net faded and she shook violently as she slid down the very wall she’d punched a hole in. It was over. In the end she couldn’t even save him. She was useless again. Her head hung in sorrow and shame and she did nothing to hide her tears. He was dead, his dream was dead. Another life ruined following that dream.
Shikamaru’s face was horror struck upon seeing Naruto. He flung his arms around the dying boy with tears falling freely down his face. His tears rolled off his face and down Naruto’s face making it appear as though it was Naruto who was crying.
“NARUTO!!!” screamed Shikamaru crying violently for his friend.
The scream that escaped the brunette’s lips echoed through the hospital. The tone of it was haunting and everyone who heard it stopped dead in their tracks.
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