Naruto's eyes slowly opened with something akin to a languid air, clear crystal blues meeting the coal black ceiling of the cave above, a niche of hardened stone and dirt cradling his body. His gaze turned to look between the stalagmites that slightly obscured his vision, finding Temari and Hinata still nestled near the fire. Hinata, shivering from her illness and still quite weak, looked no better than she did yesterday, in fact the cold of the night seemed to worsen her condition. Naruto's eyes narrowed, standing up, he clasped his discarded pieces of armor on once again, donning his gauntlets and mask as he made his way closer to the sleeping women, his steps silent, barely causing even the air to stir it would seem.
He knelt at the Hyuuga's side first eyes scanning her sickly pale skin before he pulled away the warmth that was his cloak watching her shudder with startling force and feeling just how cold the cloak was, wet from her sweat. Her eyes moved rapidly behind her lids, but it wasn't R.E.M. It seemed to be more erratic twitches more than anything. Just what was this poison doing to her.
Bringing his hand forward he lightly tapped her face. "Hinata." He called, his grating, deep voice seemingly vibrating through her chest. The Hyuuga groaned in something akin to pain before he tapped her face again, a bit more forcefully this time.
Watching as her vein lined eyes opened to look upon him the Kage nodded. "Do you remember your name."
She looked at him strangely for a moment before she answered. "Hinata Hyuuga." She said clearly expressing in her half asleep tone just how ridiculous she thought the question was.
"Do you remember who I am?" He questioned. Though indeed this line of questioning seemed mundane and unnecessary he had no idea how this poison was affecting her. And twitching is a neurological symptom. If it was affecting her mind it may be affecting her memories or even her simplistic motor functions.
"Naruto-sama" She answered. Her eyes drooping slightly as sleep threatened to take her again.
Naruto nodded, deciding that was enough for now, allowing her to sleep before he stood, marching around her to get to the Sabaku. Kneeling at her side this time he easily noticed that she too was shivering, goosebumps traveling over her skin and he could actually begin to see the hint of blue tinging her lips. Not that he blamed her, with only a fire and little to no other protection against the cold other than the clothes on her back it was no wonder.
Placing one hand to hover over her body red chakra began to seep from his claws, the mist like fog decending over the Sabaku like a blanket. The heat it gave off was not unlike the fire, enveloping the blond woman who's shivers almost immediately ceased a contented sigh escaping her lips, it would not do to have her die of hypothermia in this cave.
Suddenly however she groaned, her features curling up in pain as her hands clutched herself, moving lower towards her stomach.
Naruto, realizing what was happening pulled the chakra away, allowing it to fade into nothing, but it was already too late. Temari's eyes snapped open and sudden heaving,. Dry coughs escaped her lips. Naruto placed his hand on her shoulder, using a quick shunshin to vanish from the cave, reappearing outside. The sensation of the technique, coupled with the sudden, blinding white and this bout of sickness did nothing to help and she was soon rolled over, on her hands and knees, vomiting the poultry she consumed the other day.
Naruto watched her, resting on one knee, hand slung casually over the higher leg as he watched her begin to recover from the chakra induced sickness.
"W-w-cough-Wh-wheze"
Sensing rather easily that her question would take a great deal of time to get out of her lips in her current state he spoke. "I apologize." He drawled. "It appears humans are less tolerant of the ninetails chakra than what I previously thought."
Temari coughed and wheezed for nearly a full minute as she tried to recover her breath. "What the hell were you trying to do see how fast you could make a sleeping woman vomit? Congratulations you hold the fucking record!"
Anger and sarcasm was almost palpable in her tone as she glared at him, siting down as she panted for breath, lips curling at the taste of vomit in her mouth. And she thought morning breath was bad. Oh god this was gonna be a horrible day.
"You were cold." He answered simply. "The first stages of hypothermia were beginning to set in. And the heat of the day would not reach us for at least another hour or two. Risking further damage."
"So you decided that churning my stomach and making me throw up was a better option?"
"No." Naruto replied calmly seemingly uncaring to her anger. "As I said. Your human physiology is far more vulnerable to the toxic feel of the ninetails chakra than I previously anticipated. And my attempts at using the unnatural heat of the ninetails chakra to stave off the hypothermia resulted in this after a brief over exposure.
"Yea..." Temari replied, her voice uncertain as she truthfully didn't know how to respond to the "relatively" kind act. At least by his standards. "Well next time wake me first and don't shower me in the stuff for twenty minutes or whatever time you did it. I'm sure just one or two minutes would be enough."
"I channeled chakra over your body for 17 seconds Sabaku."
Now that gave her great pause, to say the least. She was the sister to a Jinchuriki herself, and so she knew that demonic chakra was toxic to humans, obviously varying from each Bijuu, and though Kyuubi's was reported to be one of the most poisonous 17 seconds was...unbelievable. The few times Gaara had ever lost control or let it slip and his chakra had been around her it had taken at ten minutes for her to feel queasy.
"How can your body be so used to that stuff?" She questioned looking at him from the corner of her eye. If seventeen seconds was enough to get her to throw up then what could channellings the stuff do to him? Obviously his body was more adapted to the chakra but it had to do something!
Naruto stared at her for a brief moment before he responded. "It's not."
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The village of Kumo, its buildings still spewing black smoke as embers still clung to life, blackened, charred wood and soot covered brick making the once pristine white village look like scarred broken ruins rather than the thriving metropolis it was only hours ago. He dead lined the streets, red blood staining the cobblestones in a sickening macabre display.
The Konoha ninja that now left this desolate and broken place paid these bodies no mind. Callously marching past them leaving the dead city with a single lone Anbu squad to guard the place, remaining hidden in case any survivors emerged, or more likely than not, returned. Kumo would not rise again from this defeat, Kakashi would be sure of it.
The copy ninja made his way at the head of the column, behind him, several Ninja, ranging from Jounin to Chuunin carried their fallen comrades in massive stretcher like lifts, four on each corner. Any squad that was willing to carry their comrade was allowed to. Normally this was not done, but with their final enemy being Suna they were far too deep in fire country to have an attack. And no remnant force of Kumo that may be hiding near the city would attack a column of over a thousand ninja unless they wanted to die.
The copy ninja turned his head to look over his shoulder, finding Tayuya, Sakon/Ukon, Kidomaru and Jirobu carrying Kimimaro's unmoving form. The Kaguya was paler than usual, his body stiff and the wounds of his battle unhealed only adding to the gruesome display.
Kakashi allowed his mind to wander.
Suna was their final target but just because they could focus all their attention and resources on it, that did not mean victory was assured. Suna was the only Shinobi nation that could boast that no invasion force had ever marched upon the gates of its village. Even if one would be able to secure a stable water supply and weather the blistering heat and disorienting dunes, the patrols that marched across the sea of sand were loaded with puppeteers, an artistry of ninjutsu that held enough of an advantage in the desert that entire squads of enemy ninja had fallen to only one team of puppeteers, hidden among the sands.
Then, even if all that were to be thrown aside or crushed beneath the boot of their war machine there was one final, possibly insurmountable obstacle.
The Kazekage.
If with only a single relatively small stretch of sand here in Kumo he had buried nearly an entire sector of the village, what could he do in the desert? He'd crush the entire army before it was even a hundred meters from the walls.
Not to mention that Zhuge Liang escaped. The sleeping dragon's strategies would only add to Suna's deadly defenses.
Or would it? The Raikage had practically keeled over during that fight of theirs. He may have failed to kill him physically but the man was definitely ill. Maybe he would die on the trip to Suna. Now that would be a favorable outcome. Knowing their luck however it'd be unlikely.
Kakashi sighed. Zhuge Liang, even with the edge Gaara's abilities gave them was still in the eyes of many the backbone of the resistance. He should have been faster. He shouldn't have hesitated when Liang's illness crippled him during the fight. He should have done something! Anything!
Though he knew brooding over it wouldn't accomplish anything he couldn't help it. He knew that losses and casualties were a fact of life in war, but from this point out any strategy that Liang ended up using to counter them, and therefore all the lives that would be lost in those counter strategies would be on his head, no one else's.
The sound of footsteps at his side brought his attention to the right finding Tayuya there rubbing her shoulder where the wooden platform had been resting.
Looking over his shoulder he saw An Anbu had taken her place, possibly to give her a break, no doubt the others would need one soon as well.
Looking at her the copy ninja spoke with that similar nonchalant tone "Got something on your mind do you?"
Tayuya closed her eyes. "You're annoying." She stated simply.
"Why thank you. You're quite charming yourself." He shot back eyes returning to his book.
They continued to walk, nothing else coming to either of them before Tayuya finally sighed. "So what happens now...You think we're gonna have to fight Suna or are they gonna surrender?"
"Surrender?" Kakashi questioned, almost tasting the word as he said it. The concept seemed to roll in his mind, brewing there for a moment before his lips curled in something that seemed almost like a mild distaste.
Would they surrender? The concept in itself seemed almost...wrong to him. For so many to die, for so much suffering to come to pass...For everything to just end so abruptly without their final enemy even trying to put up a fight...it seemed...just...so...anticlimactic.
Kakashi mentally shook himself. What was he talking about. So much death...it needed to be avoided entirely but here he was...disappointed at the prospect of it never happening. Had he truly grown so callous? Had he become just as bad as Naruto?
He shook the disturbing thoughts from his mind, deciding to answer her question. "No...I dont think they'll surrender. Probably fight tooth and nail before they even begin contemplating it."
"You think so? I mean they cant really have much left after this."
"Kumo doesn't have much left after this. Suna has barely wet its feet in the bloodshed. They still have many ninja to throw into the fight before they're done And I cant think of any place more dangerous for an invasion force."
Tayuya watched as Kakashi continued to read, or at least pretend to. His explanation gave her a foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"But we've got the fucking 'Devil King' on our side...and that's gotta count for something." She stated a smirk tugging at her lips.
Kakashi's own lips curved upward. Ahh yes... Now that was one advantage no one could get over.
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Temari shivered as she dunked herself in the cold stream, her teeth chattering noisily as the cold seeped down into her bones. Why oh why couldn't there be some kind of hot spring in this place? If she was cold last night she was sure this swim wasn't gonna help.
She made the process very quick, having ground up some herbs and flowers she'd found as makeshift soap she scrubbed herself with haste before jumping out of the stream and finding her clothes. It was moments like this she would gladly trade her wind element for a fire one. God she was freezing.
Her clothes clung tightly to her body, her shivering increasing with a strong draft. The Sabaku hugged herself as she sat down at the base of a tree, hands rubbing her shoulders as her whole body shook, knees up to her chest as she tried to curl herself into a perfect ball God that water was freezing.
The fleeting thought that maybe she should go find Naruto and have him do that thing with the chakra again passed to get some heat back into her system passed her mind.
It took a moment but soon enough her mind fully caught up to what had passed through it. And the conversation that had happened only hours ago came rushing back, along with his admission. Or well statement. Either one fit considering his nonchalant nature.
He said his body wasn't used to the ninetails chakra. What did that even mean really?
In every battle she'd ever seen him in, hell even at times outside of battle he used the chakra, or she felt it at least leaking off of his body in small degrees. Did that mean he was in a kind of constant pain? The seventeen seconds she'd been exposed to it had given her nausea that still had her feeling a little queasy. If he had to endure that all day every day. Urgh no wonder he was so bitter and angry. She'd be pissed too that was for sure.
Still that lead to another thought.
If it hurts him so much...then why would he use it to help her?
That thought gave her pause, even the hypothermia that he claimed was beginning to take her could have been staved off if she was just woken up and taken outside where the sun's rays were already hitting the earth and pushing away the cold of the night.
So...why wouldn't he just have done that and instead have hurt himself just so...she could sleep some more?
Temari shook her head almost violently. 'Snap out of it girl. He's...he's...this is probably why he did it...making me pity him or something with that lie that his body isn't used to the chakra. God I'm such an idiot. Keep in mind who you're dealing with here. Stay focused.'
With her mind cleared and her body now mildly used to the cold the Suna Kunoichi stood, rubbing her arms again for good measure before she began making her way back down to the cave where they were residing.
When she arrived at the hollowed out rock formation the Suna Kunoichi was met at the entrance with something a little different than what she was used to. The entire mouth of the cave had been boarded up with dry leaves, twigs and tinder, a virtual wall of foliage to keep out the cold night air. Temari saw no opening point and so swiftly used a Shunshin, reappearing on the other side of the barrier a moment later eyes scanning the inside of the cave, finding only Hinata present within, the fire still crackling merrily at her side. The Hyuuga was groaning in seeming pain, squirming in her makeshift bed. The Sabaku marched forward with quick strides kneeling at the Hyuuga's side.
"Hey you alright?" The Suna Kunoichi questioned watching the Hyuuga's vein lined eyes flutter open.
"Ngh.." The Clan head groaned with a mild shake of her head. "So-sort of."
"What does Sort of even mean." The Sabaku stated with mild irritation.
"I uh..." Hinata's face scrunched up, obvious discomfort and even...shame was seen on her face. "I need to...use the bathroom."
Temari's expression would have been comical to the Hyuuga if she wasn't in this absolutely humiliating...degrading situation. The Clan head was sure her dignity would never recover from this. It was a horrible...dreadful feeling being subject to this. Her legs and arms felt like jelly and she could barely muster the strength to roll onto her side. She was always sleepy or tired, everything just ached. If the Hyuuga never got sick again it'd be too soon.
Temari glanced around almost in a panic, she was half tempted to be an ass and tell her to just do it there if only because that was Not something she wanted to help in. Unfortunately her sympathy for the Hyuuga's position and the knowledge that the only person other than her that could help...well...lets just say that was one situation the Sabaku wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. That is what even ninja should consider cruel and unusual punishment.
Steeling her resolve the Sabaku slowly knelt down, slinging Hinata's arm over her shoulder. "Allright...lets just get this over with quick." She said before she used a Shunshin to head back out.
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Meanwhile hundreds of yards away Naruto sat on a tree branch sky blue eyes staring into the horizon, west towards the mainland almost searching for something.
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And at the same time several hundred miles away, another Jinchuriki with blond hair and blue eyes slowly returned to the world of the living.