Desert Flower

Revival

  Gaara was lying in the tall grass as Sakura was leaning over him. She was covered in cuts and bruises from her fighting, but they looked to be minor and nothing serious. Naruto and I stood in front of the two, holding each other's hands for support.

  I now looked more or less normal, but extremely messy, and I'd barely managed it before Team Guy met back up with us. We were all waiting as Sakura had her hands on Gaara.

  "Sakura?" Naruto mumbled, and she shook her head. My grip on Naruto's hand tightened, and I felt as if I might lose it right in front of everyone.

  "Why....? Why did.... Why is it always Gaara?" Naruto said through gritted teeth and tears. "Did he have to die like this?! He's the Kazekage.... He just became the Kazekage...."

  "Calm down, Naruto."

  "Shut up!" The blond snapped as he turned on Chiyo. "This wouldn't have happened if you Sand shinobi hadn't put a monster inside Gaara! Did you even ask Gaara at all about how he felt?! Jinchuriki, my ass! You've no right to act so self-important by labeling us....with that word you created!" Naruto sniffled and wiped his face with his sleeve. "I can't save Sasuke.... And I can't save Gaara.... I trained so hard for three years. Nothing's changed...."

  I grabbed Naruto's arm, and he turned to me, burying his face in my shoulder while clinging to the back of my shirt. I let my forehead hit his shoulder as tears were silently running down my cheeks again. We were shaking and clinging to each other like little children without caring if the others saw.

  My head jerked up when a sudden spike in chakra came. Looking back, I saw Chiyo with her hands on Gaara and chakra surrounding her hands.

  "Chiyo! That Jutsu will....!" Sakura raised her hands as if to stop the old woman. Chiyo simply looked at the girl and continued.

  "What are you trying to do?"

  "Is that....?"

  "Yeah."

  "Hey, what are you doing?!"

  "She's going to bring Gaara back to life!"

  "Bring him back....to life? Is such a thing even possible?"

  "This Jutsu is a special Jutsu that only Granny Chiyo possesses...." Sakura's expression was grim.

  "Really?"

  "Chiyo....you're running out of chakra." I knelt down beside her. "Is....Is there a way you could use mine? I have a lot still."

  "Mine, too!" Naruto sat on the other side of Gaara holding up his hands.

  "Place your hands on top of mine." Chiyo panted. Naruto and I stacked our hands, making the fading chakra burst with light more than ever before. "Amidst this shinobi world created by us foolish old people....I am glad that people like you showed up. The things I did in the past were nothing but mistakes." She muttered. "But....in my last hour, it seems I shall finally be able to do the right thing. Sunagakure....and Konoha. The future is likely to be different from the way things were in our time. Your mysterious power that Kakashi spoke of.... That power is likely to alter the future greatly....when you become a Hokage like none before." Chiyo looked at Naruto with a soft smile.

  Why....Why did I get the feeling this old woman was saying goodbye to the world?

  "And, Sakura....help the person you cherish most, not an old lady with one foot in the grave. You are very much like me. You will probably become a shinobi who surpasses her master. Naruto, this old lady has a favor to ask you. You are the one and only person who is capable of knowing the extent of Gaara's pain.... And Gaara knows your pain, too. Please....help Gaara." Her voice faded out, and the redhead's eyes shot open.