Penthesilea

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Beta: None beyond my own two eyes and editing software at the moment.

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戦国時代

"Naruto!" Sakura snaps, and both the jinchūriki and Sasuke look back to where she is desperately pressing her hands to Itachi's chest. Once more, her mark is fading, pulling back from where it is wound around Itachi. "I need...I'm running out of...!"

Naruto frowns in concentration and then shakes his head.

"I can't," Naruto says, sounding shocked and dismayed. "Kurama...I can't access his chakra...I don't know if it's because he doesn't want me to or because..."

He trails off, eyeing Sasuke questioningly, but the he can only shake his head. He doesn't know the answer, either.

"How much longer do you need?" Kakashi asks, helping a groaning Yamato to a seated position.

"I'm almost...finished...but with the interruption, it might have...compromised the procedure..." Sakura says through gritted teeth. A vein in her forehead strains as she tries to force her healing mark to stay wrapped around Itachi.

"Take my chakra," Sasuke says, going down on his knees beside her. "Whatever you need."

"Sasuke...kun..."

"You were just on your back almost unconscious!" Naruto protests. "And you gave up a lot of blood—"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke says, placing a hand on Sakura's right shoulder. He calls up the last of his strength, spreading his palms across her shoulder to align their chakra points for optimal transference.

"It won't be enough," Kakashi says, and leaves Yamato's side to join them beside Itachi. "Use mine as well."

"Your chakra reserves aren't even close to mine," Sasuke points out. "She's burning through them exponentially, you'll be finished within a minute or so."

"Then it's a minute or so longer than she has right now," Kakashi argues, placing his hand on Sakura's left shoulder. She gives a guttural, pained cry as their chakra flows through her.

And then Sasuke loses himself in the uncomfortable, tearing sensation of having his chakra forcibly drawn out of him. Where he was lending it to her moments before, now it is as if a violent, sucking vortex is drawing it out of him. It pulls through Sakura and back into the mark that once more solidifies around Itachi's body.

It seems like forever and an instant, but already Sasuke can feel his chakra reserves emptying.

Kakashi succumbs first, hand losing its grip on Sakura as he falls face forward. Sasuke senses his own strength waning, but forces his spine to lock, to keep him upright—he won't fail!. Then she's drawing only on him, the tearing pull burning his veins from the inside.

Sasuke grits his teeth, the world spinning again, and light fading in front of his eyes.

And then it all stops.

There is utter silence in the small room, and Sakura slowly removes her hands from Itachi's chest. Staring down at him, she says in a quiet, almost surprised voice, "We did it."

She slumps backward.

Sasuke manoeuvres into place behind her, catching her against his chest, and his arm reaches around to steady her and pull her closer. Her eyes, strained with weariness, seek out his, and for what seems like days, they hold each other's gaze.

Then her lips part in shock and she jerks away from him, stumbling across the clean room and falling forward. Hands braced on the ground, her shoulders heave, and the sound of retching follows.