Chapter 39: I Ran

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I ran. I ran as hard and as fast as I could with Kakashi on my back, at least four broken or cracked ribs, and a replaced hip that had gone numb hours ago.

I used the landmarks that I had spotted on my way into the mountains to guide us back the way that we came.

My feet were so cold, that I wasn't sure that I had toes anymore, and my legs were like blocks of ice, tingling and stinging when they brushed against my pant legs with every stride. My hip was so stiff that it almost didn't feel like I had a joint there. Kabuto had warned me that it was more susceptible to the cold than natural tissue. My face was flushed from exertion, and so hot that I felt like I was going to dizzily pass out. The combination of aching, solid cold and burning, liquid heat was making me extremely disoriented.

I had almost completely retraced our steps, the mountains around us were shorter, and there was only snow at the bases of large trees. The air was still frigid, but it was warmer than it had been in higher up.

I stumbled like an inebriated toddler (not that I've ever actually seen a toddler get drunk, but I'd imagine that's what they'd feel like) into the first suitable cave that I saw.

I unceremoniously plopped Kakashi onto the ground at the back of the cave. Well, it wasn't quite a cave because I definitely wasn't going to go spelunking again anytime soon. I think that I've been traumatized from caves for life. This was more like a deep scoop taken out of the side of a cliff, bowl shaped with plenty of protection from the elements but with none of the underground feeling. I broke some branches off the nearest tree and started to make a fire in our little alcove. I still needed to get Kakashi some medical attention, but I could go no further until I had defrosted my legs and toes and ate something. And slept...

Using a simple fire jutsu, I lit my measly stack of wood. The heat that it gave off was absolutely wondrous. The meagre rations that I had taken from my mother, however, were not. I ate as little as I could tolerate and drank a few sips of water before adding a bit more wood to the fire, curling up next to Kakashi (because with his fever he was like a human space-heater), and dropping off into sleep.

It was restless with friendly wolves, machines that came alive to try to consume all of my chakra, and mothers that actually loved me.

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