The Light Of Konoha

Oh Lord...

Sakura's P.O.V.

Aki groaned as I hauled him to the safe place I had hastily found, my kimono was soaked with blood by the time I had laid him next to Naruto and Sasuke.

Orochimaru... Or whatever that was... Left without killing us.
I couldn't decide whether this was a miracle...
or a curse as my friends lay helpless in the lion's den that was this forest.

Aki weakly opened his eyes and tried fruitlessly to staunch the blood flow from his stomach with his arms.

"Aki!! What do I do?!" I sobbed.

He coughed slightly and looked at me with pity, as if I were the one bleeding to death.

"The good news is that the snake pierced a vein, so any poison will have washed out with the blood," he wheezed,
"The bad news is... That the snake pierced a vein..."

I gasped and produced a fresh wave of tears as I fumbled for my medical supplies clumsily, snivelling.

He put a hand in mine to stop me as he shook his head,
"You don't... Have the equipment... For something... This big," he breathed with much difficulty.

I placed my head in my hands and wailed,
This was too much... I knew I couldn't handle it yet I came anyway, and now my teammate's lives rely solely upon me... And I'm too weak to protect them...

If I'd been less arrogant and listened to my logical brain then I never would of come and this would have never happened...
This is all my fault...

"There's only one thing I can do," Aki croaked, pulling my arms from my eyes with his weakening grasp.
"But if I do... I'll place more of a burden on your shoulders... I can't do that to you when you already have Naruto and Sasuke to deal with..."

I gripped his hands,
"Just do it! Your life is more important than my insecurities! Do whatever you have to... To survive..." I whispered.

He bit his lip and nodded, lifting his hand. It started to glow a bright white as he whispered the words: "light palm..."

Bile rose in my throat as he plunged his hand into his wound and his flesh began to cook.

His screams echoed throughout the entire forest but he never let up until every inch of torn flesh was charred.

I emptied my already emptied stomach as the stench of roasting flesh filled my nostrils.

Then his screams came to an abrupt halt as his hand fell to his side, his eyes sliding closed and his head lolling.

He was unconscious, passed out from pain... But he was no longer bleeding.

I couldn't stand the sight of his stomach a moment more, so I treated it as best I could and wrapped it with bandages as quickly as possible.

I clenched my fists,
'This is no time to be feeling sorry for myself, there's no one else to defend my team... So I guess I'll just have to do!'

I set about laying traps around the area, then I went to tend to the boys' injuries as best I could.

I was so exhausted, my head would loll every few seconds as my eyes tried to close.

In my hazy vision, I could've sworn I saw Aki's stomach glowing in an orange light like fire, but with my lack of sleep it must have surely been my mind playing tricks.

The sun began shining through the trees once more as the birds of the forest chirped.

I'd stayed awake all night, listening to the irregular breaths of my fallen comrades and keeping their fevers down with wet cloths.