The Butterfly: Chapter 10 of 23

[Tea Leaf]

I forgot to mention this in the notes for the last chapter, the Pink Floyd song in it is "Another Brick in the Wall" and, of course, belongs to the band etc. so standard disclaimers apply. As for whether or not Pink Floyd music is available in Knoha...well that's highly questionable, but humour me ^^()

Anyways, typical stuff apply, want details, they're in chapter 1.

Disclaimer: Naruto is copyrighted to someone else, I?m just a poor fangirl with too much time on her hands so please don?t sue.

The Butterfly: Chapter 10
By: Tea Leaf / Banana Soap

~~~

She was there. Or at least he thought it was her. He barely recognized her.

Her pink hair was matted with dry blood and mud and though there had once been an effort to pull it into a braid most of the hair had come loose since then.

She was skeletal. Her clothes were just barely hanging onto her.

Her left leg was bound and splinted.

Her back was too him. She didn?t notice him.

She was staring at the bed.

~~~

Tears pricked at her eyes as she stared at the figure lying on the bed. He was so pale, like a corpse.

But his chest rose and fell steadily and the beeping assured her of his heartbeat.

She was shaking.

He was here; all along he?d been right here waiting for her while she, stupid girl, had been waiting for him at home.

He?d needed her and she?d never come.

She still couldn?t believe it.

Her trembling hand reached out and gently her fingertips touched his warm cheek.

As soon as her skin made contact, an angry crimson and black pattern flared across his skin and his heart rate accelerated.

She pulled her hand away as her eyes widened and hysteria swamped her.

That was the butterfly pattern. That was their poison. That was her poison.

Her poison put him here.

She put him here.

Her jaw went slack and her eyes went wild as she jumped backwards, stumbling and finding support on the wall.

Sasuke stared from the doorway. Kakashi was on the bed. Sakura was having some kind of fit.

She hit the wall and turned trying to claw her way deeper into the corner of the room.

It was her fault. It was all her fault. Everything was her fault. She was poison. Her skin was poison. She poisoned everything around her.

?Sakura, calm down!? he said as he tried to grab hold of her.

?Don?t touch me!? she screamed as she crumpled into a ball in the corner, shrinking away from him.

?Poison?I?m poison?? she started muttering in a feverish mantra as she tried to crawl into the space between the wall and the floor.

?Sakura?? he tried to reach for her again but again his hand was hit away.

?Don?t touch me! My skin?s poisonous!? she exclaimed brokenly as she hit blindly at his hand and started shaking convulsively as still she clawed at the corner.

?You?re not poison!? he growled as he grabbed her in a bear hug from behind.

She cried out in sudden pain as he aggravated her ribs and he resisted the reflex to let go immediately. She needed to listen to him and calm down. He didn?t want to hurt her but he knew it would help her focus.

She was so small; he could feel the bones in her back as he pulled her against his chest.
She felt like she?d break if he held even fractionally tighter.

?Yes I am! Can?t you see it? All over my skin?? She whimpered as she began clawing at the skin on her arms and at the skin of the arms holding her painfully tight.

?Sakura listen to me. Your skin isn?t poisonous.? He said evenly and clearly.

She shook her head and kept shaking it as she kept clawing.

?Then why do the people who touch me always get hurt?? she asked is a hollow voice. Her arms had started to bleed superficially from her scratches.

He winced at the question.

He turned her around and caught hold of her left hand and held it to his face, holding it there with his right hand as his left reached out to cup her face as well and force her to face him.

?Sakura look at me.? He ordered as he gently forced her chin up. Her eyes were wide and feverish, a wild fear still tainting them. She didn?t meet his eyes.

?Look at me? he ordered again in a more forceful tone. Her eyes met his briefly and kept dancing away but back again.

?Look Sakura. You?re not hurting me.?

Her breathing started to calm.

?Look. Nothing?s happening.?

She looked at him then. Her hand rested on his cheek and nothing was happening and his hand rested on her cheek and still nothing was happening.

The wildness calmed but the fever in her eyes remained. That?s when he noticed how warm her skin was.

His eyes shifted to the hand he was holding to his face and finally noticed the kunai sticking through her forearm and the raging infection surrounding it. He pulled back, shocked at the wound until his eyes took in the huge web of scars that covered the pale skin. He grabbed her other arm and found a matching web.

A lot of these scars were old.

His breathing quickened as he finally got a good look at her. She looked starved and her eyes stared out from deeply shadowed hollows. She hadn?t been sleeping.

Her cheeks were gaunt and there was a red scar over her right eye. His eyes lowered only to find wound after wound.

His eyes widened impossibly as shock and then pain surged through him.

Suddenly he gave a sharp tug on her arms, which shifted her off balance and sent her tumbling into him.

His arms wrapped around her so tightly she cried out again but his arms wouldn?t loosen.

His vision was blurred as guilt swamped him.

How could he have let this happen to her?

There was a commotion at the door as suddenly several members of the medical staff burst in to investigate the commotion.

The head doctor scanned the room; assuring himself that the John Doe patient was fine. His eyes continued the scan and stopped at the corner of the room where a man and woman were huddled together. The man looked like he?d just seen a ghost, all the colour had drained from his face and his eyes looked haunted. The woman in his arms was unconscious.

?What happened?? the doctor asked.

The man looked lost and couldn?t answer; he picked up the girl and showed her to them.
The nurse brought a hand to her mouth to stifle her gasp as she laid eyes on the battered and broken form.

?This way.? The doctor said as he turned out of the room. The nurse followed, as did Sasuke.

~~~

It had been three days now and she still hadn?t regained consciousness. He hadn?t moved from her bedside.

It was all his fault. He should have done something to help her a long time ago. He should have noticed how much she needed help a long time ago. He should have treated her better a long time ago and then she wouldn?t have needed help at all.

He was so useless.

No matter what he did, no matter how strong he became, he still couldn?t protect anyone who meant anything to him.

He hunched over in his seat, burying his face in his hands as his elbows rested on his knees.

~~~

She sat at the window staring out at the rain. Her sight was blurred from the tears she was trying to hold back.

?Sakura?? a voice questioned softly from behind her.

She didn?t answer.

She sensed his hand come near her back.

?Please don?t touch me?? she said softly.

The hand hovered near her back for a moment then retreated.

?What?s wrong?? he asked as he leaned against the wall beside the window.

She stayed quiet for a long time. But he was patient.

?I happened again?? she answered eventually.

?What happened again??

?Someone?someone screamed again.? She answered.

Kakashi pressed his lips together and exhaled softly. Ever since the fight against Orochimaru, people had been afraid of her. More specifically, of coming into physical contact with her. Something that for her, being very physical person, was incredibly isolating.

?What happened?? he asked gently.

?I was walking in town and I bumped into someone and knocked them over by accident. I offered my hand to help them up and then?then they screamed at the sight of me.? She answered brokenly.

He didn?t respond.

?Everyone was starring. And the kid was shaking and even started to cry. And Sasuke and Naruto were there?and they just starred?everyone just starred?and I ran?.? She continued in a low, dead voice.

He didn?t like that voice.

He crouched down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him.

~~~

?Hi.? She said with a small smile.

Gaara looked up at the voice.

?Where you talking to me?? he asked as he raised a suspicious eyebrow.

?Yes, I was.? She answered as she took the few steps to his side and sat down with him in the long grass.

?Why?? he asked again, still on the defensive.

?Why not?? she countered as she looked out over the field.

?Because I?m the evil demon from the desert?? he countered sarcastically.

?And I?m the big bad butterfly of Konoha. What?s your point?? she asked as she met his gaze directly.

His eyes widened slightly and he blinked then turned away to look across the field.

?Hello.? He replied.

She smiled.

~~~

?Oy, Sakura-chan! Time to get up!?

?I don?t wanna?? came her muffled reply from under the covers.

?We?ve got training.?

?You?re always late for training.? She countered.

?Not on purpose!? he responded with dramatized offence.

?Liar.? She responded as she pulled a pillow over her head.

Kakashi glared in mock annoyance at the nest of blankets and then smirked behind his mask.

The sheets were suddenly ripped off her bed.

?Arg! Cold!? she exclaimed as she curled quickly into a ball, trying to conserve body heat as well as make herself small enough so that the pillow could be a blanket.

He grabbed the pillow and revealed her glare.

?You?re sadistic.? she muttered in fake-anger.

?Yeah, I get that a lot.? He answered easily.

?Why do I have to go to training?? she asked mutinously. ?Its not like you train me anyway?? she muttered under her breath.

Kakashi sighed.

?You?re right.? He answered.

?What?? she asked, half stunned by his sudden agreement but immediately suspicious.

?You?re right. You can sleep. I?ve got work to do with the boys.? He said as he walked out the door of her room.

?What?! You?re leaving me behind? No! Wait!? she exclaimed as she jumped out of bed and sent her pyjamas flying as she pulled on her training clothes.

Within seconds she was racing out the door of her room. Her hair was a mess still and her shirt was on backwards, but she didn?t care.

?I thought you wanted to sleep?? Kakashi asked innocently as he saw her.

She glared at him.

He laughed.

?Your shirts on backwards and you forgot your bindings.? He pointed out.

?Get ready, I?ll wait. But you get to explain why we?re late.? He added smugly.

?Damnit. Fine! But don?t leave without me!?

{But you did leave without me?}

?Sakura, what are you doing?? a familiar voice asked her.

She was floating.

She didn?t hurt here. It was warm and dark. She liked it here.

?Sakura. You can?t stay here? the voice came again.

?Why not?? she asked, annoyed that he was disturbing her.

?Because you don?t belong here.? He answered.

?I don?t belong out there either.? She answered.

?Of course you do.? He responded.

?What about you? You stayed here.? She answered bitterly.

?I?m stuck here.? He answered her.

He became visible then. The pair of them were sitting cross-legged in the void, facing each other.

Their skin glowed softly in the darkness. Her scars were gone.

?Why are you stuck here?? she asked him.

?I don?t know. That?s why you need to wake up though so you can find out.? He answered.

?I can?t.?

?Why not?? he was humouring her.

?I just can?t. I kill people. I can?t help them.? She said weakly as she looked away.

?That?s bull and you know it.? He answered frankly.

She looked back at him, she felt like a little kid being scolded.

?So, why not?? he asked again.

She glared at him and didn?t answer.

He waited, watching her with his heavily lidded eye, the sharingan one being closed completely.

She snapped.

?Because I don?t want to! I?m sick of it out there! Its just pain and misery and then more pain and more misery. And it never stops! And I can?t take it anymore!? she exploded.

He smiled.

?Now there?s my Sakura-chan! And here I thought you?d disappeared along with me three years ago.? He answered.

She snapped her mouth shut and looked away.

?What happened to you?? she asked quietly.

?It?s a long story. I?ll tell you when I wake up.? He answered her.

She glared at him.

?And when will that be??

?At the very least, after you decide to wake up.?

?Why should I?? she questioned.

?Because people are waiting for you. People need you.?

?Who??

?Wake up and find out.? He answered with a smirk.

She glared at him again.

?How do I wake up?? she asked reluctantly.

?Easy, just open your eyes.? He responded.

She blinked and found herself staring at a ceiling.

{Bastard?damn him and his stupid obvious answers?} her inner self commented sarcastically.

She groaned as all the familiar aches and pains came back to her.

{Stupid broken body?}

?Sakura?? came a gravely voice from beside her.

She looked over.

Sasuke was staring at her, surprise or something similar in his eyes.

She tried to glare but her muscles were too tired.

?How do you feel?? he asked, at a loss for anything else to say. For some reason, for the first time, he felt awkward in her presence.

She gave him a ?of all the stupid questions to ask?? look.

?What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Where is here?? she asked then, her voice raspy and dry as she looked away from him and let her eyes travel the room.

?You?re in a hospital and I?m sure you can feel why.? He answered.

She smirked slightly.

{Ah?good old Sasuke the Sarcastic?}

He hadn?t told her why he was here but the ANBU uniform was clear enough.

He was here because of the gypsies.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes briefly at the thought of the mutilated tribe.

{What happened that night?}

She groaned as she attempted to sit up and her body protested. Sasuke?s hands were suddenly on her shoulder?s, trying to push her back down.

?Let go of me.? She said coldly as she glared at him.

He glared back.

?No, you?ve been in a coma for 6 days, you can wait another few hours for the doctor?s ok before you start moving again.? He answered.

She held his glare with her own for a long moment before sighing in resignation. She really didn?t want to fight with him right now so with a final glare she lay back down.

?After the doctor clears you, we?re taking the train back to the fire country and going back to the village.? He told her monotonously.

?What?? she snapped mutinously.

?You heard me.?

?No.?

He raised his eyebrow, daring her to try anything but complying with his dictate.

She growled at him, maybe if she were in top form she could have but not when she was this injured.

?Kakashi will be coming too of course, hopefully Tsunade-sama will be able to do something for him.? He continued.

Her eyes widened.

?Kakashi?? she asked.

?Don?t you remember??

She looked at the ceiling again, she didn?t answer.

?I?m not surprised? he answered, his voice softer as he guessed her answer. ?You had a really bad head injury and then you got really sick from infection. You?ve been constantly slipping in and out of consciousness for the past three weeks.?

{So he?s been following me?} The thought came but she felt disconnected from it, her eyes were drooping shut.

Sasuke waited for her eyes to open again. Her breathing slowly grew even and her eyes remained closed.

He sighed and felt a small, soft smile tug at his lips. He should have expected her to fall asleep.

[csmlee]

That... was expected. So the butterflies got to Kakashi... But how? Wouldn't the poison kill him instead of putting him in a coma??? But at least Sasuke is bringing him back to Tsunade... Hopefully, Tsunade will be able to heal and wake him up. *crosses fingers*

The Gaara/Sakura scene is really cute!!! So that's how the two met (not counting the time when he tried to kill her). That's good. Gaa-kun needs a genuine and true friend like Sakura just as much as she needs a genuine and true friend like him.

I'm glad someone is finally forcing the girl to rest on a hospital bed! And Sasuke better keep her there for a while. I don't want to Sakura so hurt yet pushing herself past her limit like that ever again!!! *huggles Sakura*