Entropy

Chapter One Sunflowers

If there's a graceful way to die, I must have missed the memo.

Naruto's body is sprawled a few feet away. I can feel his cold hand against my bare toes. Every once in a while, they twitch.

My boots? Incinerated in a blast of exploding tags and a well-aimed Katon Jutsu. Rain pelts my face in angry, stinging drops.

I can barely make out Naruto's shaky, wet breaths through the sound of water splattering against the mud. He chokes once, coughing weakly. But just when I am afraid that he will be silent forever, he sputters and begins wheezing again.

I want desperately to crawl over him. His lungs are filling with blood. He's drowning. If only I could get my hands on a kunai and slit his side to drain his lungs. Then, he would be okay until help arrived. Even if I died right here, he would make it.

He would be okay.

But my body melds into the cold mud. I can't will my arms and legs to move. I can't feel my right foot. The rain pours even harder. Water trickles into my eyes, clearing away the blood and dirt. My side aches. I'm probably bleeding internally. The rain tastes sweet against my tongue.

My eyelids droop.

So tired.

Naruto coughs again, a wet, sickening sound. I love him so much, my brother.

I just want to sleep.

"Captain!" a voice shouts through the rain. Heavy feet slosh through the mud. There are a few different voices all shouting. Someone curses loudly.

"Hey! Over here!" one of them calls. The splashing comes closer. A dark figure looms over my face, blocking the cold rain. He leans over and until I can make out wide eyes the color of honey. I recognize the fear. His icy hands shake as he checks my pulse and tilts my head to check for head trauma. I can't really tell if the droplets falling are tears or raindrops.

"She's alive," he announces in a shaky voice.

There are a few sighs of relief.

"Sensei. If you can understand me, look up," he says, looking intently into my eyes. Very slowly, I will my eyes to comply.

"Good. Sensei, I'm going to pick you up. I think you broke some ribs so this will hurt," he informs me. The pain sears through my middle and up my back as he lifts me from the mud. I want to scream but my voice is gone.

But through the suffering and the deep agony that pierces my shattered right leg, I feel undeniable pride.

"T...Taku...mi." I force my aching throat to say his name. His eyes widen.

"Good job," I manage to say before blacking out.

His panicked voice shouts "Sensei!" until the sound fades into the soothing rhythm of the rain.

And from somewhere far away, I hear a voice whisper:

"Sakura, don't you dare leave me.."

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Entropy

Chapter 1: Sunflowers

Sakura stood in front of the black gate. The rough metal scraped against her fingertips as she lifted the rusty latch and slipped into the front yard. The plastic bag dangling from her left hand rustled as she climbed the steps and knocked on the front door. She listened carefully and heard laughter from the backyard. She unlocked the door with the spare key in the mailbox and left her boots in the foyer.

"Hello?" she called through the silent house. When she passed the kitchen, the smell of miso soup made her stomach growl. After a few more steps, she was at the back of the house. The back door was open. She could see their shadows on the back porch.