Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Sacrifice ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Naruto Fanfiction

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CHAPTER SUMMARY: In which medic's skills would be useful

~Sacrifice~
By: Sandlewood996

Chapter 4

Reaching into one of the equipment pouches clipped to his belt with a shaking hand, his fingers fumbled for a moment before finally closing around what he was searching for. Pausing, he studied the small dark pill for a moment before slowly placing it beneath his tongue. As useful as HyourouGan could be, there were also dangers involved in over use of the powerful stimulant. Unfortunately, thanks to Kisame's hungry sword, most of his chakra had been eaten up. He couldn't afford to waste time on recovery in such an open and conspicuous location. His fight with his former partner was bound to have attracted some unwanted attention and the sooner he left the immediate vicinity, the better it would be for him. Unfortunately, though HyourouGan could restore his chakra and strength for a time, the variety he currently possessed did nothing for his injuries. He'd have to take care of those on his own at a later time. It really was too bad that he wasn't more proficient in medical jutsus. That certainly would've made his life a lot easier about now.

His body responded almost immediately to the powerful stimulants flooding his system. He squeezed his eyes shut tight at the roaring rush of euphoric waves tingling along his nerve endings. Drawing in a shaky breath, he slowly opened his eyes and closed his hand into a fist. He didn't like the way Soldier Pills caused his body to react in such an over-sensitized way, creating an almost drug-induced state of euphoria to flood his senses with unwanted sensations. He knew of other shinobi who became addicted to the false sense of power and it disgusted him. He was a firm believer in relying on his own strength and detested such weak displays of dependency on an artificially created stimulant. That wasn't to say that he was adverse to utilizing the small pills himself when it became a necessity, however he was always careful to not over use the stimulants.

Quickly cataloging his injuries his lips turned down into a frustrated frown as he became aware of the extent of the damage Kisame had inflicted in his final, desperate moments. Swiftly shrugging out of the long, dark cloak he was wearing, he gingerly probed the heavily bleeding wound running from shoulder to hip with a painful hiss through clenched teeth. His former partner had delivered a punishing blow that had left severe injury to his arm that, if left untreated for too long, could prove to become an incapacitating liability. His knowledge of healing techniques, unfortunately, was sadly limited. He could stem the loss of blood, but not much more.

Not wishing to waste valuable time on useless regrets, he reached for a kunai and swiftly cut his discarded cloak into rough, make-shift bandages. There wasn't much he could do about his cracked ribs and chose to ignore them for the moment. After all, he'd functioned in the past with much more severe injuries to concern him. Reaching into another of the pouches at his waist, he retrieved a small container of powder. Using his teeth to pry the lid off, he sprinkled the contents liberally over the large gash on his arm, wincing at the stinging pain his actions caused. Dropping the now empty container, he performed the seals necessary to activate the jutsu one-handed before laying his palm over the bloody mess of his wounded arm. A green flash ensued, running along the length of his arm, covering the sticy powder in bright light as his body's natural healing abilities sped up momentarily. Satisfied with his work for the moment, he swiftly wrapped the long, ragged strips of cloth around his arm, using his teeth to tie off the ends.

Reaching into the pouch again, he retrieved one last item. Pausing, he stared at it for several long moments in indecision, weighing the possible consequences behind using it and not using it. Finally concluding that he couldn't afford risking the possibility of dulling his senses further, he returned the hypodermic syringe filled with a powerful painkiller to his pouch unused. Hurriedly gathering the remnants of his supplies together and returning them to the appropriate equipment pouches on his belt, he pondered his next move. Standing quickly, he surveyed his surroundings with a critical eye. There was no way that he could possibly conceal the damage left in the wake of his battle with Kisasme. His best...and only...option was to put as much distance between himself and the immediate vicinity as he could. Before he left, though, there was one more very important thing he had to see to.

Looking down at his right hand with narrowed eyes, he focused on the heavy ring he wore on his ring finger. It was the last physical connection to Akatsuki. Through it the Leader, and by default the other members of the powerful criminal organization, could track him with unerring accuracy no matter where he went. As long as he wore the ring he'd never get a moment of peace. The Leader of Akatsuki would see to it. He brushed the fingers of his left hand lightly over the familiar symbol etched into the red surface. In the ten years since he'd left Konoha, he'd never taken the ring off. It had been one of the few constants in his ever changeable existence as a member of Akatsuki. It had been a powerful reminder of how drastically his life had been altered and a representation of the final, inexorable loss of his innocence. Lips twisting into a wry grimace, he slowly slid the heavy signet ring over his knuckle and stared down at it resting in his palm. Closing his fingers over the ring into a tight fist, he closed his eyes, reflecting on the past ten years of his life. Eyes snapping open to reveal the startling contrast of the three black tomoe swirling almost lazily on a crimson background of his fully activated Sharingan, he hurled the ring as far from himself as he could, closing another chapter of his life irreversibly.

Considering the sizable disturbance he and Kisame had created, it was now impossible to continue traveling along the road. It was only a matter of time before someone arrived to investigate and it would definitely be ill-advised to remain where he was. Glancing at the sky to judge the time and get his bearings, he turned away from the carnage and destruction, setting out at a rapid pace cross-country in a westerly direction. It was inconvenient, but necessary to deviate from his original path if he wanted to avoid being seen.

Carefully circling around and concealing all traces of his trail, he changed directions multiple times, seemingly at random. If a skilled tracker were to be following, it was never a waste to be on the overcautious side. Keeping a careful eye on the sun's passage through the sky, he increased his pace as he slowly turned his steps in a more northern direction. He had long since resigned himself to the necessity of traveling at night, but he hoped to put as much of the inhospitable terrain behind him as he could before the sun completed its decent beyond the horizon.

A/N: Thankies to all who have read and left a review.

RaiMidori: Admittedly, I also have my reservations towards the Yaoi genre...odd, considering what I'm currently writing, ne? I hope "Sacrifice" continues to exceed your expectations as it continues.

Mirena: Out of curiosity, which parts were too embellished? I'm always searching for ways to improve my writing, so I greatly appreciate the input. The relationship between Kyuubi and Naruto and their frequent "visits" will hopefully become more clear as the story progresses. (I say "hopefully" because though I do have a general plan of where this is going, the "little" details are still being hashed out...)