"Ready, Sakura-chan?"
Naruto's voice sounded distant and muted. It lacked its usual energy, that boom that always made her roll her eyes. Sakura kept her back straight, the cool lake breeze making her shiver slightly.
"Yes. Just... do it already."
She didn't want to think. With every passing second, her brain screamed a new reason why kneeling with her bare back to Naruto was a terrible idea. But she had seen Hinata, she had seen Kurenai-sensei. The evidence was there, and it overrode her fear.
She waited. The silence stretched on, broken only by Hinata's soft murmur a few feet away and the distant song of a bird.
"Naruto, what are you waiting for?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her efforts.
Behind her, there was no answer.
"Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura insisted, turning her head slightly. "If you don't feel up to it, we can stop. Seriously, you don't have to..."
"I'm fine," he interrupted, but his voice was a forced whisper. "I just... need to concentrate a little. Close your eyes, Sakura-chan."
She obeyed, squeezing her eyelids shut. She could hear his ragged breathing, almost a pant. He was pushing himself too hard, she knew it.
"You don't have to prove anything to me, you idiot," she muttered, more to herself than to him.
Naruto gritted his teeth. The green of the trees around him vibrated with a painful intensity, and the image of Sakura's face, which he had seen moments before, was blurring and doubling. A dull hum filled his ears, a growing pressure inside his skull. He knew this feeling. It was the total exhaustion, the absolute emptiness he felt the day he made a thousand shadow clones to graduate. He had no reserves left.
Just a little more, he told himself. Just this. For Sakura-chan.
He raised his right hand. It felt incredibly heavy. His arm trembled from the effort of holding it up. He extended his index finger, aiming for the center of Sakura's back. He saw her pale skin, the muscles tense with anticipation. He was so close.
He made one last, desperate effort to gather his chakra, searching for the last drop of energy. He managed to focus one last, faint spark. And then, the spark went out.
He lost consciousness.
Sakura felt a nearly imperceptible warmth on her skin, a fleeting touch, immediately followed by a dead weight collapsing against her.
"Aaaah!"
A sharp scream escaped her. The impact threw her forward, and only instinct made her put her hands on the ground to keep from falling on her face. Naruto's body slid down her back and landed inertly beside her with a dull thud.
"Naruto!"
Panic erased every other emotion. She turned, not caring that the top of her dress was still untied, and saw him lying on the ground. His eyes were closed, his face pale and shiny with a thin layer of cold sweat.
"Naruto-kun!"
Hinata's voice, thick with anguish, sounded beside her. Kurenai was already there, kneeling next to him, two fingers pressed to his neck. Her face was serious, focused, but there was no panic in her eyes, and that was the only thing that kept Sakura from falling apart.
She crawled to his side, her heart racing.
"What's wrong with him? Is he...?" She didn't dare finish the sentence.
"Breathe," Kurenai said, her calm, firm voice cutting through the hysteria that threatened to choke Sakura. "His pulse is stable, though very weak. He's completely out of chakra. He overestimated his limits, that's all."
Sakura ran a trembling hand across her forehead. "Idiot... I told him he didn't have to do it. I told him it was my problem, that we could wait."
"This isn't your fault, Sakura," Kurenai said, looking up. Her red eyes studied her with a calmness that instantly soothed her. "It was his decision. And mine for allowing it. I forgot that, despite all the power he wields, his body is still that of a genin who is still learning to measure his strength."
Hinata knelt on Naruto's other side. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. Gently, she brushed a lock of blond hair from Naruto's sweaty forehead.
"He always does this," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "He never thinks about himself. He always dives in headfirst to help others."
Kurenai nodded slowly, a look of understanding on her face. "We need to get him back to the house. He won't recover out here in the open. The upgrade will have to wait, Sakura."
Her cheeks burning with a mixture of embarrassment and worry, Sakura quickly adjusted her clothes. "Can you manage on your own? I can try to..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Kurenai acted. With a fluidity and strength that left Sakura speechless, she slid one arm under Naruto's knees and the other across his back. She lifted him from the ground with no apparent effort. She carefully settled him onto her own back, making sure his head rested in the crook of her shoulder.
"Let's go," she said simply, and started walking back toward Tazuna's house with a steady pace.
Sakura and Hinata hurried to follow. The journey back began in a tense silence, broken only by the sound of their footsteps on the grass and Naruto's soft, almost imperceptible breathing. The afternoon sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and casting long shadows that stretched between the trees.
After several minutes of walking, Naruto stirred on Kurenai's back, letting out a soft groan.
"Mmm... soft..." he muttered, his voice thick. His cheek rubbed against the fabric of Kurenai's outfit. "And... smells nice..."
Sakura, walking to Kurenai's right, stopped dead in her tracks. Heat rushed up her neck to her ears, painting her face a deep red.
"What did he just say?!" she hissed in a furious whisper, looking at Hinata with wide eyes.
Hinata, on the other side, brought a hand to her mouth, but she couldn't completely hide the small smile that formed on her lips or the amused glint in her eyes.
Kurenai didn't even turn her head. She continued walking with the same firm, steady pace. "He's not awake, Sakura. He's just rambling. Don't worry about it."
"Naruto, you idiot! Wake up right now and apologize!"
Naruto only responded by snuggling closer. A sigh escaped Kurenai's lips, a sound that was almost a stifled laugh.
"Leave him, Sakura. Really, it's fine."
Sakura looked down at her feet, feeling incredibly stupid. Kurenai was right. She was so used to reacting to Naruto's antics, to yelling at him out of habit. She was doing it even now, when he was helpless precisely because he had tried to help her. Shame washed over her. She had to be more considerate of him.
"Yes, sensei... You're right," she murmured, her voice quiet.
They continued walking in silence. The path narrowed, forcing them into a single file line. Kurenai was in the lead with her cargo, followed closely by Hinata, with Sakura bringing up the rear. From her position, she could see Naruto's head bouncing gently with each of Kurenai's steps. He looked so peaceful, so different from his usual loud, chaotic self. A strange feeling of warmth settled in her chest, displacing the shame. Despite everything, she was glad they were the ones taking care of him.
"Naruto-kun always tries too hard for others," Hinata said softly, as if reading her mind. Her voice was gentle, but clear in the still evening air. "I remember one time at the Academy, when Iruka-sensei asked us to clean the classroom. Everyone complained, but Naruto-kun stayed late, cleaning up what everyone else had left behind just so Iruka-sensei wouldn't have to. No one thanked him."
Sakura listened to the story in silence. She had never seen that side of Naruto, or perhaps she had never bothered to look.
"I'm glad we can take care of him now," Hinata concluded.
Sakura nodded, though Hinata couldn't see her. "Yeah. Me too."
The sun had almost disappeared below the horizon when they finally saw the lights of Tazuna's house flickering through the trees. The familiar sight brought a collective sigh of relief. It had been an incredibly long and strange day.
When Kurenai pushed open the front door, the first person to see them was Kiba, who was lying on the floor, using a sleeping Akamaru's belly as a pillow.
"About time," he complained, lifting his head lazily. "I was starting to think a mist monster got you or something. How was the secret girls' club outing?"
Akamaru yelped and jumped to his feet, causing Kiba to fall to his side. The dog ran toward them, tail wagging enthusiastically, but stopped short when he saw Naruto's condition. His tail stopped moving and he let out a low, worried whine, approaching cautiously.
"Hey, what's wrong with that idiot Naruto?" Kiba asked, sitting up. His mocking tone vanished instantly when he saw his teammate's pale face and the way he hung limply on Kurenai's back. "Did he fall and hit his head? Because that would be so typical of him."
Shino, who was sitting in a corner of the room, apparently meditating while an insect crawled on his finger, looked up. His dark glasses reflected the lamp light.
"His chakra flow is abnormally low. Almost nonexistent," he declared in his usual flat, clinical voice. "The cause is, logically, an excessive expenditure of energy. He requires immediate rest."
"He overdid it during training," Kurenai said, her voice cutting off any other questions before they could be asked. "He needs to sleep. Sakura, Hinata, help me get him to the room."
Kiba stared at them, completely confused. "Training? What kind of training leaves you looking like a ghost? Hey, don't ignore me. What are you hiding?"
Akamaru barked, as if seconding his master's question.
Kurenai ignored him completely and started up the stairs. Sakura and Hinata followed her without a word.
"Hey! We're a team, we're supposed to share information!" Kiba yelled after them, but his voice faded as they went upstairs. He crossed his arms, frustrated. "What the hell is wrong with everyone?"
In the guest room, Kurenai laid Naruto on one of the futons with a surprising gentleness. Sakura knelt beside him and carefully removed his dust covered sandals, while Hinata folded an extra blanket and placed it over him, tucking him in up to his chin. They worked together in synchronized silence, a makeshift team with fluid, efficient movements.
"I'll stay here until he wakes up," Sakura said.
Kurenai watched her for a moment, her red eyes analyzing the determination on the girl's face. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. Hinata, come with me. Help me brief Kakashi when he arrives. It'll be better coming from us."
Hinata nodded and, after one last worried glance at Naruto, followed her sensei out of the room. The paper sliding door closed with a soft whisper, leaving Sakura alone in the silence, with only Naruto's steady breathing for company. She placed a hand on his forehead. It wasn't as cold anymore. That was a good sign. She sat beside him, her back straight, taking up a watch, and waited.
She didn't have to wait long. About twenty minutes later, she heard voices downstairs. The front door opened and closed. It was Kakashi and Sasuke, returning with Tazuna from their work on the bridge. She heard Kurenai's footsteps approaching them, and then the murmur of their voices. She couldn't make out the words, but Kakashi's tone was calm, and Kurenai's was firm and direct.
A few minutes later, the door to her room slid open. It was Kakashi. His one visible eye scanned the scene: Naruto sleeping soundly, Sakura sitting beside him. He didn't seem surprised.
"Kurenai filled me in," he said quietly, entering the room and closing the door behind him. "Overexertion from training, she told me."
Sakura nodded, not taking her eyes off Naruto. "He'll recover. He just needs to rest."
Kakashi walked over and stopped by the futon, looking down at his student. "This is the second time in a short while that he's pushed himself like this." His eye moved from Naruto to Sakura. "Curious. What kind of training were you doing, exactly?"
Sakura's heart skipped a beat. The question was casual, but she felt the weight of a test behind it. "Just... chakra control training. Kurenai-sensei was trying to teach us something."
"I see," Kakashi said. For a second, Sakura had the strange feeling that his eye was analyzing her, seeing through the half lie, evaluating not what she said, but why she was hiding it. But the feeling passed as quickly as it came. "Well. Tsunami is making dinner. Go down and get something to eat. I'll stay with him."
"No, it's fine. I'd rather stay here," she replied, perhaps too quickly.
Kakashi looked at her intently. "Alright. You've done a good job."
Kakashi turned and left the room.
Sakura blinked, surprised. A direct compliment from Kakashi-sensei was unusual. A small, genuine smile formed on her lips. Maybe she wasn't so useless after all.
The smell of miso soup and grilled fish made her stomach roar. Just as she was thinking about going downstairs, she heard a movement beside her. Naruto stirred on the futon.
He groaned and his eyelids fluttered. Slowly, he opened his eyes. They were a hazy, unfocused blue.
"Sakura... chan?" he mumbled, his voice hoarse and raspy.
Sakura's heart leaped with relief. She forgot about dinner and knelt beside him again. "Hey, idiot. It's about time you woke up. You gave us a good scare."
Naruto blinked several times, trying to focus on her face. "What...? What happened? The last thing I remember is... your back. And then... nothing."
The blush returned to Sakura's cheeks with a vengeance, but she ignored it. "You passed out. You used up every last drop of your chakra. Kurenai-sensei had to carry you all the way back."
The confusion on Naruto's face was replaced by an expression of pure horror. His eyes went wide. "What!? Kurenai-sensei... carried me!? Oh, no! How embarrassing!"
He tried to sit up abruptly, but a wave of dizziness forced him back onto the futon with a groan. Sakura placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Stay still! I told you not to move. You need to rest. Are you an idiot, or do you just like acting tough?"
"But... your upgrade... I didn't do it... I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I failed." His voice was filled with genuine disappointment.
"There'll be time for that later," she said, surprised by the softness in her own voice. "The important thing now is that you recover. You can't help anyone if you're completely wiped out. Got it?"
Just then, the door opened again. It was Hinata, carrying a cup of water.
"I heard voices," she said shyly, her eyes lighting up when she saw Naruto was awake. "Naruto-kun, are you feeling better?"
Naruto looked at her and a tired but genuine smile spread across his face, relaxing the tension in his features. "Hey, Hinata-chan. Yeah, a little. Though I feel like an angry Choji ran me over with his Human Bullet Tank jutsu."
Hinata let out a small, nervous laugh and held out the cup to him. "Here. Drink some. It will help you rehydrate."
Naruto sat up carefully, more slowly this time, with Sakura's help, and took the cup with trembling hands. He drank the water in one go, desperately.
"Thanks," he said, handing the cup back to Hinata. "I'm sorry, guys. I caused you a lot of trouble."
"Don't be silly, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with uncharacteristic firmness, sitting on his other side. "We're a team. We look out for each other."
"She's right," Sakura added, crossing her arms but unable to hide her relief. "Besides, you owe me for collapsing on my back. So you'd better recover quickly, because when you do, you're going to finish what you started. Understood?"
Naruto looked at her. He saw the determination in her green eyes and nodded, feeling a new surge of energy. It wasn't chakra; it was something different, born from the faith his friends had in him.
"Understood."
The door opened a third time. It was Kurenai. Her expression was calm, but a new warmth shone in her eyes when she saw Naruto awake, flanked by his two teammates.
"I see the dead have come back to life," she said, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Dinner is ready. And this time, that's an order for all three of you. You need to eat."
Her voice was an invitation. A promise of a hot meal and companionship in a small house in the middle of a distant land. For the first time in a long time, surrounded by the three of them, feeling their concern and their strength, Naruto felt completely at home.