章節 25: Chapter 25

"Get up...Get up!" She kicked one more time with all her strength, and on this one her leg buckled beneath her, sending her to the ground where she was close enough to lift a fist and let it fall against his chest. "You're not supposed to die this easy!" She hissed, unaware of the frustrated, angry tears that glimmered behind her eyes.

"Get up...Please?"

She tries to stand.

She can't.

I don't want to die here...

She's crying now, and the sobs are unmistakeable this time.

Not here! Not in this forest. Not in some forgotten corner where that coward Hachiba would be the only one to survive!

"Enough." She doesn't recognize the voice. Doesn't even see the person before she's lifted by strong, calloused hands, hugging the fabric of a cloak as the sudden vertigo of her movement churns her guts with nausea all over again.

"You're interfering with my exam." She recognizes that voice though. And she clutches the robe tighter, burring her face into the neck of the woman.

"Your test is done." She hears her state flatly. The voice jumping from the pulse point of her neck against Ryoko's cheek.

The woman starts walking and before long she's carried out of the forest.

As she leaves she notices that little, pleased smile on that horrid, pale face.

Its a leering wicked thing to her eye, one that sends a shiver down her spine. She closes her eyes and thanks whatever might be listening out there for ending this nightmare.

-0-

It was hours after this that he woke to a white ceiling.

Not exactly unfamiliar.

What was unfamiliar was the fact that he was feeling, all things considered, great.

Seeing as how his last memories was of a poison induced blackout he rather suspected he should be feeling a bit crappier truth be told.

He sat up, surprised to find Dan sleeping in a corner of the room, a trail of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth to trail down his cheek.

"Da-" He croaked. His throat was dry. Why did that always seem to happen when he woke up at the hospital?

He reached for the bedside table where a full glass of water was waiting for him. Evidently, Tsunade knew better with so many patients.

He drank the warm water gratefully, swallowing and gasping for breath when he was done. "Dan!"

The white haired man jumped a bit, scrunching up his features at the foul taste in his mouth. "Urgh. Oh hey kiddo you're up!"

"How the heck did I even get here? Where are Hachiba and Ryoko."

"Anbu carried you in." Dan explained. "Tsu-chan was having an apoplectic fit I swear! She stormed out after she was sure you and your teammate would be safe. Damn near destroyed the forest of death in the bloodbath that followed."

Naruto paled. Tsunade had gone to fight that snake bastard alone? "Is she alright? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping her?

Dan smirked. "Me? Get between a fight Tsunade's having with Oro? I'm good but I ain't that good! Besides if I do she'll complain about not getting enough exercise later."

Naruto's mouth was hanging slightly open. "You know. You could be a little more – I don't know – concerned maybe?! He tried to kill me and my teammates what makes you think he wouldn't do-"

"Actually he didn't." Dan interrupted with a lazy shrug. "The drugs he pumped into you were a real nasty mix but it wasn't anything lethal. You've been sitting here for three or four hours with Tsu-Chan's seal letting it run its course faster. It dissolves into little more than water after it done a fair job of making you feel miserable and sick for a few days." The silver haired man scratched his chin. "Gotta give him points for creativity if nothing else."

The blond blinked. "He...He didn't poison us?"

Dan shook his head. "I know you've lost your memories kiddo but one thing you can count on is the fact that you're probably one of the only people that's actually safe from Oro. He held you when you were a baby you know. I think you're the only kid besides Anko he might actually like.

That's not very reassuring

The door opened, and Naruto was greeted to the sight of Tsunade, scratched, mud covered, irritated Tsunade.

She looked at Dan. "Keep the count, eleven even." The white haired man nodded.

She looked back at Naruto, the hard glint vanishing from her eyes. "Hey kiddo." She greeted, marching in, green hands already focusing with chakra. "Nothing missing?" She asked.

"Nah." He answered. "I feel fine actually. How are Ryoko and Hachiba."

"Ryoko's still in her room." She answered. "Sleeping it off. Hachiba was picked up by his parents an hour or so ago from what I'm told. They're both okay."

"And the snake?"

She smirked. "What do you think?"

-0-

The next day Orochimaru was still cradling his skull with an ice pack, sitting in his home resting from Tsunade's wrath.

Unlike her he didn't have the luxury of just healing everything and moving along like a fiddle.

He gave as good as he got in any non lethal match, but with her it always had the rather distinct irritating factor of seeing her prancing around without a care for the odd broken bone or two after it was done

Meanwhile he was here nursing a bruise the size of the village monument on his ribs and what felt like a cracked skull.