50 Shades of Sand

Chapter 19 - Saved

                  "Ino!" A voice shouted as my body hit the floor. I cried at the impact and coughed. I heard two shouts above me. What was going on? I tried to lift myself but I couldn't move my arms or legs. I felt my body being held by strong arms and I was pressed against someone. I still laid against the floor but the warm embrace was comforting.

"She's low on chakra!" I heard a male voice shout above me. I coughed violently when I tried to speak up.

"Fuck." That same voice spoke above me and I could feel his arms tighten around me.

"Well, what are we going to do?" A female voice asked. Was that Temari?

"I don't know... do you know how to transfer chakra?" The same male voice asked. Kankuro? Chakra transfer. I couldn't talk but I was able to move my hands out above me. I kept my eyes closed but I held them out. Hoping for Kankuro to take them.

"She can hear us." He spoke sounding a bit shocked. I nudged my hands again at him.

"You have chakra to spare?" Temari asked sounding amused.

"What?" Kankuro questioned her and I could hear her exhale.

"Give her your hands. Channel your chakra to your hands." She commanded and I felt warm hands cover mine. As his chakra went through his hands and I began to take some. I could feel my energy coming back to me.

"Well, she's not as pale anymore. Don't take too much Ino. I need some too." Kankuro mumbled and I smiled at him. I tried to laugh but I began to cough so I silenced myself. After taking enough to get me up. I took my hands away and I opened my eyes. I could see Kankuro looking at me and a smile spread across his lips when I finally focused on him. "Jeez Ino, you know how to scare somebody." He chuckled and I smiled at him. I sat up and he kept one hand on my back. I coughed a bit and the looked around.

Gaara had the two men in sand coffins and Temari stood behind him smirking. I could see his fists clenching and I heard the two men shouting in pain.

"Go easy on them Gaara. We should take them in for interrogation." Temari spoke to him but Gaara didn't even bat an eye at her.

"Why should I?" He spoke. His voice sounded menacing and I looked at him wide eyed.

"Because it's the right thing to do." I spoke to him and he looked over his shoulder towards me. He looked shocked and relieved at the same time. I struggled to stand up and Kankuro helped me. Gaara looked back over and crushed the men and I could hear cracking.

"You just have some broken bones. I went easy on you." He mumbled to them and he turned his attention to me. I walked passed him and headed towards Zen.

"What are you doing?" Temari looked at me. Her eyes narrowing as I grabbed Zen's shirt.

"This one must die." I spat and I lifted him up a bit. He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes. I'm presuming from the pain of his broken arms. "No one will wake up until he's dead." I muttered and I punched his jaw. He shouted as I dropped his body to the floor. Sand flew over Zen's body but I kept my eyes glued to him.

"Stand back, Ino." Gaara advised and I stepped back until I stood two feet away from Zen's sand covered body. The sand crushed together and I watched as blood flew everywhere. Some covered my body but at the moment I didn't care. Raiku looked at me. His eyes wide. Asuma. I quickly turned my direction towards the three bodies and I ran over towards them. I brought my hands in front and began to exam Asuma and Zuko. I could sense chakra returning to them and I smiled. I then hovered my hands over Zenma and I frowned. Two broken ribs, a broken arm and dangerously low on chakra.

"Oh no." I mumbled and I began to shake. They didn't use the jutsu on him. He really is injured. I began to heal him but I winced at the low chakra I had.

"What's wrong?" Gaara asked me. He knelt down near me and I looked over my right to lock my eyes with his jade orbs.

"I don't have enough chakra to heal him. He's injured. Two broken ribs, a broken arm and very low chakra." I turned my attention back towards Zenma's body as I focused on his two ribs. I was shaking as tears threatened to spill but I squeezed my eyes tight. I wasn't going to cry, not now. I kept my eyes close and I felt two hands placed over mine. I opened my eyes to see Gaara's hands over mine. I looked at him and his gaze was neutral.

"Use mine." I nodded at him and soon with the help of his chakra I was able to heal his ribs into fractures and I worked on his arm as well. I couldn't heal it to perfection but enough for him to heal on his own. I also transferred some chakra to him and soon Zenma coughed as he awakened. I stopped healing him and Gaara retracted his hands.

"Zenma." I spoke to him and he opened his eyes. He clenched his eyes shut when he attempted to sit up.

"My arm." He gasped and I quickly placed my hand over it.

"You broke it. It needs to heal on its own. Careful you have two broken ribs as well. But I healed those. You will feel some pain though." I mumbled as I directed him to sit up. He eventually sat up and he smiled at me. He kept one eye open while the other remained shut. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Zuko smiling at me.

"Brother." Zenma smiled and tried to raise his arm to wave at him. He gasped and quickly retracted his hand from the air. "Long time no see." He spoke breathless from the pain.

"Zenma, you idiot." Zuko mumbled but then a smile crossed his lips. "I'll take him from here Ino." I nodded at him and he moved to help Zenma stand up.

"Sensei!" I shouted in happiness as I turned around to see him standing.

"Glad to see you're okay too." He mumbled smiling at me. Temari stood next to Asuma and she had a neutral expression but she soon gave me a soft smile. I smiled back at her and Kankuro sighed.

"I don't get any acknowledgement for giving you my chakra? That's cool too." He mumbled and I turned and smiled at him. I threw a soft punch on his arm.

"Thanks, Kankuro." I smiled at him and he smiled back. I turned over and saw Gaara speaking to Zuko and Zenma. Zuko had Zenma's left arm over his neck and he kept his right arm around Zenma to help him stand. Zenma held his broken right arm up to his chest. They seem relieved and they nodded at him. I began to walk over towards him. He turned to face me and I gave him a shy smile.

"Kazekage-sama." I bowed to him and I looked up to see him staring at me. His face looked neutral but his eyes looked questioning. I quickly bent up and wrapped my arms around his neck. I pulled him into a hug. His body tightened and his arms still hung by his sides. I could tell his was shocked and maybe scared at the sudden embrace but I tightened my arms around him. "Thank you." I whispered. "For everything." Soon two arms tightened around me and I smiled. Gaara squeezed me once then we both released each other.

"As touching as this is and all. Let's take this asshole back to the village." Kankuro mumbled as he motioned over to Raiku sitting on the floor. Gaara nodded and sand flew towards Raiku to lift him up. Raiku was wrapped around sand but Gaara showed no sign of crushing him. I walked next to Asuma. Zuko and Zenma walked behind us. Gaara and his siblings walked ahead with Raiku next to them.

"Ino, there's two people you've been waiting to hear from in the hospital." Asuma mumbled and I brightened up immediately. Choji! Shikamaru!