This chapter has been beta-read by: Sakura's Unicorn

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It seems like an eternity before anyone can process what just happened.

Naruto hits the ground several metres away, his cheeks scraping across the stone. The pain in his shoulder and chest roar like flames, and his lungs scream for air. Even as he struggles upright, one hand pressing against spurts of blood, his knees buckle.

Still crouched by the water, Sakura's fingers clap tightly to her mouth. Shock, horror, and disbelief war for dominance over her face.

"So nice of you all to swarm here," the newcomer sneers, pointing bloody claws at Sarada. A pair of brass knuckles have been fused to the back of each hand, gangrenous around the seam. "Especially you, you little bitch. I'll enjoy shredding you for sealing me into that cave-in."

He shifts into a crouch, like a tiger preparing to spring. At the same time, Kakashi dashes away from the mouth of the other tunnel. Bull is at his heels, both of them intent on the man, but Kakashi is still weak and slower than normal.

He won't make it in time.

Sasuke would normally coordinate his movements with Kakashi's—flank him and provide another front of assault on the enemy—but he finds himself torn. Naruto lies severely wounded and bleeding nearby, still trying to stand. He's a clear target of attack, if the clawed man wasn't so focussed on the girls. While Sasuke knows from even short experience that they can both defend themselves in a normal situation, this thing has a curse-seal spread across its body.

With a snarl, the clawed man lunges at Sarada and Sakura. Sasuke is instantly in front of them. Sakura's jaw drops as he catches the downward swinging blade with his kunai. He reverses, kicking his foot upward in the initial movement of Shishi Rendan. Before he can fully execute it, though, the man vaults backwards and lands in a crouch, eyeing Sasuke warily.

"Your eyes..." he murmurs, a touch of suspicion in his words. "You're the Uchiha brat, aren't you?"

"And if I am?" Sasuke counters. Behind him, Sarada makes an inquiring noise.

The man's ruined mouth pulls into a grin that is more of a grimace. "Orochimaru spoke of you. He has plans for you, kid."

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "You know my name, but I don't know yours. It's only fitting I know who I'm about to kill."

The man barks out a bitter laugh. "I haven't had a name in years. But if you're so sentimental, you can call me Mumyōi."

"A fitting moniker," Kakashi says as he and Bull plant themselves beside Sasuke. He studies this newest opponent, trying to decide whether he has enough strength to deal with him. It'll be a close fight, but he can manage, as long as he's careful.

Bull growls and snaps his jaws threateningly.

"That mark of yours seems to allow you to survive where normal humans wouldn't," Kakashi remarks. In a louder tone, he warns the kids, "Keep an eye out for others.

"Don't bother," Mumyōi sneers, lips widening over rotted teeth. "The other bastards were all crushed. About the only favour you did me. I've been listening to those losers scream and cry for months." He chuckles. "Their deaths were so satisfying once the door was open. I bet it'll be the same when I'm done with you."

Sasuke clenches his fists, preparing to throw himself at the creature, but Kakashi stops him.

"Save your strength," he warns him quietly. "There's a chance you'll need it. Sakura, Sarada—" The girls straighten up at the sound of their names. "Go help Naruto."

Neither argue; in fact, Sakura is already inching toward the boy, frantic to see if he's all right. With Kakashi and Sasuke covering them from the enemy, they hurry across the cavern.

"I'm...fine," he breathes through gritted teeth, still trying to get up.

Sakura pushes him back down to the floor. "Stop that! You're losing too much blood. If you don't stop moving, you'll—"

"I'll heal," Naruto slurs, rolling away from her before slumping forward.

"—pass out," Sakura finishes, colour draining from her cheeks.

"Why aren't you healing? Something like this should be nothing for you!" Sarada cries, her frightened expression reflecting what Sakura feels.

"For someone whose mother is a medic-nin, your bedside manner sucks!" she accuses the other girl.

"I've seen him impaled on a sword and he walked it off! So, excuse me for panicking!" Sarada shoots back, turning desperate eyes on Naruto. "How long will you need before you can fight?"

Naruto blinks in surprise.

"What do you mean, fight?" Sakura demands. "He can't—"

"He can!"

She gazes at Naruto as if trying to ask a question without voicing it.

Realisation hits him. Obviously, Sarada knows more about him in the future than simply information about his family. She knows who he is and exactly what's inside of him. And, instead of dislike or hatred in her eyes, right now she's looking at him like he's worthy of respect. In fact, since they've met, she's looked at him like that.

Naruto decides that it doesn't matter if it's possible, or how long it'll take him. He will damn well get to his feet and protect his friends.

"As long as you can give me," he tells her, his voice slurring as darkness overtakes his vision. Now, he just needs to convince that damned fox...

"What was that all about?" Sakura wants to know, but Sarada shakes her head.

"You said we have to stop the bleeding, right?"

"Right. He might heal fast, but even Naruto can bleed out if we don't slow it down."

There's no more time to waste with questions. The girls set to work peeling Naruto's jacket from his body and using it to stem the flow of the blood.

Meanwhile, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Bull surround Mumyōi. In his team's diminished state, Kakashi isn't keen on fighting someone who obviously has no compunction about attacking a kid with his back turned. If there's a way out of this situation without having to exchange blows, he has to try.

"I'll make you a deal," he offers. "You answer a few questions for us, and you can go. We won't have to kill you. Given the fact you injured my student, I'm letting you off easy."

Mumyōi scoffs. "What makes you think I have anything to say?"

"You've been living as one of Orochimaru's experiments all this time. You've probably heard things. Tell us what you know. It's not like you owe him anything."

"Is that what you think?" the man sniggers. "I volunteered for this. He said I'd be stronger. And I am." As if to punctuate his point, he lashes out in the same instant that Bull leaps forward, spinning and kicking the dog across the room. The force of impact is such that the dog creates an indentation in the cave wall before collapsing with a pained whine.

Kakashi's jaw clenches as his first plan fails. A fight is inevitable, it seems.

He can't rely on his Sharingan. He's already weaker than he was, but this creature needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

"Be ready to move when I tell you," he murmurs to Sasuke. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices his student nod, which is surprising. It has never come naturally to him, taking orders. Sasuke, however, knows of the precariousness of their situation. More than that, he knows that this thing intends to go after Sarada. Even if he isn't sure he even likes the girl right now, she is his future. She represents everything he's been fighting for since that awful night when he was eight.

She is—will be—important to him. And it's the same for Sakura.

So, he'll listen to Kakashi and do his best to protect them because they are his—the word is utterly foreign in his mind—family.

When Kakashi takes a step forward, Sasuke keeps his eyes firmly on the enemy. He knows that the jōnin is not fighting in his prime today and using the Sharingan anymore could be disastrous.

"Last chance," Kakashi directs at the marked creature. "We've already dealt with one of Orochimaru's experiments. I figure being imprisoned somewhere with no chance of escape might be a worse fate than if I kill you."

Mumyōi smirks. "Even if you could send me wherever you sent that bastard—that was a nice trick, by the way—I figure you don't have the energy to pull it off again."

"Try me and see."

"I'll take my chances. Being trapped with him isn't the worst thing that could happen. You've got bigger problems than a half-crazed clone with an inferiority complex—things I only heard rumours about."

A shadow passes over his face, and for a moment he seems uneasy. The expression disappears once again, replaced with the predatory look from before.

"Anyway. Bored now."

And he bounds forward.

Kakashi and Sasuke both dodge and land equidistant from the wild-eyed man. Sasuke's fingers crackle with electricity, but a tiny shift of Kakashi's head stops him. Common sense catches up—they're in a damp cavern where current might carry. He could end up harming them all to take out this one psychopath.

Kakashi is already forming seals with his hands, and Sasuke's Sharingan allows him to perform them completely in sync with his sensei.

Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger!

After summoning chakra into his chest, Sasuke expels a giant fireball, curving the flame around Mumyōi. Opposite him, Kakashi does the same, and their opponent is instantly surrounded by an inferno of skin-melting fire. Hopefully, it'll reduce the bastard to ashes.

Somewhere behind him, he hears Sakura sniffling. She's still desperately fighting to save her teammate and trying not to forget every bit of first aid training she's had.

She can't help the worried tears streaming down her cheeks at the sight of Naruto. It's like the Land of Waves all over again. Only, instead of mourning the boy she's in love with, she's trying to keep the person who's become like family to her from dying.

Sakura doesn't want to lose him, but she has no idea what to do. Sarada—up until now, the all-knowing, incredibly cool kunoichi—is becoming frantic with worry as well.

"No! No, no, no, no!" she hisses. "You can't die! You can't die now! Do you hear me? You're supposed to be stronger than this! Come on!"

She presses the already-saturated compress against his wounds. They're closing, somehow, but not fast enough. Her eyes flash red as she glares down at Naruto, as if his injury is something offensive and unbelievable. Sakura is hit by the realisation that the other girl is also watching someone she cares about die.

Naruto is family to her in the future.

"Come on, Naruto," Sakura whispers, pressing harder against the wounds. "You need to pull off another one of your miracles."

Which, Naruto would love to do, really.

He swims in and out of consciousness, trying his best to hold on to the two voices that are speaking to him. It's hard to focus past the overwhelming pain. He doesn't remember ever being hurt this bad—of course, he's never really been hurt, but that's down to the Nine-Tails.

Yeah, it is. And you'd damn well better not forget it, growls a voice in his ear.

In his delirium, Naruto hallucinates the familiar, dark, damp room which exists somewhere deep within him. Whether it's a real location or his subconscious, he's never really thought too much about. He doesn't like this place, even if it didn't have a fox demon locked within it.

A fox demon who is now laughing at him.

Hey, how about you shut up? Naruto snaps, glaring up at the thing and trying not to imagine its powerful jaws clamping around his entire body. We had a deal! I die, you die, remember?

Maybe, the Nine-Tails sneers. Or maybe, I think it's your turn to stew for a while. You obviously aren't going to die today. The Uchiha brat says you live. So relax.

My friends are out there, possibly dying, and you want me to relax? Naruto yells. What the hell is wrong with you?

I'm bored. I've been stuck in here too long. I need to stretch my legs.

Yeah? Well, tough. I'm not letting you out of there, even if I knew how.

Obviously. But that doesn't mean I can't have some fun. There is a sickening kind of bloodlust in the demon's eyes. That guy out there... He's practically begging for it. The fox licks his lips and almost giggles. You know what he will do, right? He will tear up the scarecrow man and reduce the other Uchiha nuisance to ribbons.

Shut up!

And afterward he'll do the same to that girl you like so much. Which is probably for the best because she's useless. I'd eat her in a heartbeat, if I was free.

Don't talk about Sakura that way!

Why not? She doesn't care about you, the Nine-Tails mocks. It's all down to Sasuke for her. She even said so. Even now that she knows she has no chance with him—have you seen the way she—

Stop it!

You really are stupid. No wonder your father trapped me inside you. Obviously, he had higher priorities than his own kid—

Shut the hell up! I don't care about any of that! Naruto explodes. I just want to keep my friends safe! And if you running your mouth gets them killed, I swear, I'm going to make the rest of my life all about making you miserable! Even if that means dying to make sure you die, too! Now, are you going to help, or keep making stupid comments?!

The fox snarls in response.

Well? Naruto prompts.

Hmph. Give him to me.

Huh?

Give me the cretin who wounded us. Let me show him power doesn't come from some blemish on his neck. You let me have him, and I'll lend you enough power to heal. Then you can protect your weak, useless friends.

Naruto doesn't reply right away, worrying that giving any kind of control to this creature might be exactly what it wants.

You're not killing him, Naruto warns him. He could know something about the clone who caused this whole time travel mess.

Feh.

Hey, you want that fixed as much as we do! If it destroys the world, you're as screwed as the rest of us!

The Nine-Tails is mutinous, but finally huffs in disgusted surrender. Fine, it agrees. Then, as Naruto suddenly feels the overwhelming chakra take hold, the demon adds, He doesn't really need all of his limbs to survive, right?

Naruto's eyes snap open. Sakura cries out in shocked surprise, watching in awe as the skin of Naruto's shoulder knits together.

"What?" she whispers. It shouldn't be possible—cellular regeneration is an ability she's only ever read of in medical treatises and mythology. A thirteen-year-old boy shouldn't be able to heal this fast.

As Naruto's chakra changes, burning with a livid, bubbling power, an angry roar sounds from across the cavern. Within the wall of flame, a dark shadow appears, and a body vaults out of it. Mumyōi—skin singed and shiny with blisters—throws himself at Kakashi, shoving his claws into the jōnin's throat.

Kakashi utters a strangled gurgle and disappears into a mess of sludge.

Kawarimi.

The clawed man curses, searching around for the real Kakashi.

Given the fact he used mud, Sasuke suspects that his teacher has slipped underground, intending to attack from beneath. It's the same technique he used on Sasuke during the bell test—one that doesn't need the Sharingan to be effective. Which means Sasuke simply needs to keep the enemy occupied.

He sets to that task with vigour, charging forward and aiming a spinning kick at Mumyōi. He holds kunai in each hand and, as he lands, swipes downward. The enemy blocks them with his claws, kicking Sasuke back while their weapons are locked. One bladed fist swings forward, but Sasuke dodges a little too slowly—the tips of the claws rend part of Sasuke's shirt, nicking the flesh beneath.

He bites back against the pain, landing in a crouch, but only long enough to regain his momentum. While Mumyōi straightens, Sasuke slices upward with his kunai. To avoid it, the clawed man throws himself backward, rolls around, and tries to stagger to his feet. But Sasuke is airborne, bringing his weapon down...only to miss once more.

Frustration is mounting every time he fails, and Sasuke is tempted to call on the power of his own curse-mark. If it'll help him catch up with this synthetic monster—

As if sensing his thoughts, Kakashi makes his reappearance. Two hands shoot out of the ground, about to fasten around Mumyōi's ankles.

Sasuke knows intimately what's about to happen and prepares himself to deliver a finishing attack to the creature's head once he's firmly ensconced in the ground.

Except that's not what occurs.

Instead of being dragged underground, Mumyōi snaps forward and shoves his hand into the dirt. The broken earth trembles, and Sasuke's heart plummets when the man straightens up—

—and drags Kakashi out by hooking his entire bladed hand through his stomach.

Kakashi coughs, blood staining his mask.

"Nice try," Mumyōi jeers. "But my strength isn't the only thing this curse-seal gives me. I can hear little rodents like you crawling around in the dirt. I've known exactly where you were this whole time."

With a grunt, he lobs Kakashi across the room. The jōnin's lifeless body skids and rolls, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screams.

Sasuke is having a hard time processing the sight himself.

Kakashi is the most talented shinobi he knows, but somehow, he's been bested by this creature bearing the curse-seal. Somehow, Sasuke hadn't truly believed Kakashi when he said he'd been weakened by using the Kamui, but everything happening now suggests Sarada was right. There is a price to using the evolved form of the Sharingan. One that might very well be worse than the price of using a curse-mark.

Sasuke's neck twinges as Mumyōi turns to face him, disgusting features pulled into a triumphant smirk.

"One down, four to go. You up for it, kid?"

Sasuke's fists clench, and he bends he knees, preparing himself for the next assault.

It never comes.

There's flash of orange and yellow, and suddenly, Sasuke's view of the curse-marked creature is obscured by his teammate.

"If you touch any more of my friends," Naruto says, voice dripping with dark promise, "I will tear you to shreds."

ナルト

The dangerous aura emanating off of Naruto is one that Sarada has never seen or felt before.

Whenever she's witnessed Lord Seventh tap into the chakra reserves of his demonic partner, its bright, comforting, and powerful, like a warm flame. What radiates from him now is nothing like this—it's anger, pain, and hatred. It's making her sick just being within a few feet of it.

Naruto throws himself forward, kicking the clawed man in the chest with both feet. Mumyōi flies backward with unnatural force, slides across the floor, and nearly skids over the drop. At the last second, he uses his claws as anchors, slowing down just as his head tips over the edge. His legs kick up over his head, and he rolls to his feet, baring his teeth in a vicious snarl.

"You think that impresses me?" he growls. "So, you're still standing. Big deal. Watch me cut your knees out from under you!"

He lunges at Naruto again, barrelling headfirst into him and throwing him backward this time—right into the path of Sakura, who's trying to get to Kakashi.

At the last moment, Sasuke appears in front of her, grabs Naruto, and redirects him. The blond boy doesn't even seem to notice his teammate, and instead, launches himself back out at their opponent.

"Move it!" Sasuke commands the girls, his eyes tracking Naruto's fight.

How the hell is he doing this?

He was sure he saw the creature shove its claws straight through Naruto, and there's no way Sakura or Sarada could have healed them that fast...is there?

"What do you think we're trying to do?" Sarada returns while Sakura drags Kakashi out of the direct line of combat.

He gasps as her efforts tug at his wound, but there's no choice. Slowly, they manage to get farther out of the attack range, while Kakashi tries to keep his breathing steady. Sarada doesn't know if it's to block out the pain or keep his students calm, but she appreciates it, nonetheless.

He squints at the ugly tears down his abdomen. "Stomach wound," he pants, his mask almost completely saturated with red. "Without a healer...half an hour. If I'm lucky."

"Kakashi-sensei—" Sakura protests.

"If I don't make it—"

"Don't say that! You're going to be fine!"

"Sakura," Kakashi cuts her off, a command in his tone. He has to take a moment to breathe, and then, with obvious exertion, ensures his orders are clear. "If I don't make it, you're in charge."

Her eyes widen and she squeaks, "What?"

Based on both hers and Sasuke's faces, that's not something either of them expected him to say.

"Get Bull—he can find you a way out. Get away from that thing."

"Don't be stupid," Sarada cries. "You're not going to die, and we're not leaving you here!"

Kakashi can't argue with her, though, because that's when he passes out.

Sarada curses and glares at Sasuke. "So, still think having a Mangekyō Sharingan is worth it?"

"Don't start!" Sakura snaps. "Kakashi-sensei needs help! Your arguing will not keep him from dying!"

For the second time in less than ten minutes, they're trying to help a loved one who is gravely injured. And Kakashi doesn't have Naruto's healing abilities.

"So, we won't let him," Sarada insists.

"How exactly are we going to do that?!"

"I have no idea—I haven't thought that far ahead yet," Sarada replies, staring at Sasuke in the hope that he'll come up with some kind of plan.

He's not paying attention, though. His eyes flick back to where Naruto and Mumyōi are doing their best to tear chunks out of each other. Even in the distance, Sarada can see how Naruto's nails have lengthened and sharpened unnaturally.

He seizes his opponent, lobbing him toward the rocky ceiling. Mumyōi's back hits the dome, causing the entire room to shake. Cracks appear where he hit.

Sakura dives forward, shielding Kakashi and his wounds from any of the falling debris.

"We need to stop them before they bring this whole place down," Sarada says. "We were lucky to get out of the first cave-in. I don't want to tempt another one when Uncle Kakashi is near death."

"Then we have to end this, now," Sasuke declares, straightening up. He means to join Naruto and take out the enemy, but Sarada grabs for him. Her fingers settle plaintively around his wrist. He flinches at the touch—this him probably dislikes physical contact more than the older version—but it doesn't stop her from objecting.

"You can't. You saw what he did to Naruto, and what he did to Kakashi-sensei. If he gets you, too... If you die now..." She can't put into words how bad it would be.

For a wonder, Sasuke actually hesitates, and something like conflict passes over his features. His gaze flicks to Sakura, who's staring at him with the same beseeching expression Sarada feels on her own face.

There's another dull thud, and the cavern shakes.

Naruto hits the ground, and for a few seconds, looks unable to move.

"That's it?" the clawed man taunts. "That's all you got? I've gotta say, I'm disappointed. And still a little riled up. Tell you what, kid—when you and the other pipsqueak are dead, I think I'll take my time with the girls. They both seem so...spirited."

The words drip with intent, and Sarada can't quite disguise the shiver of dread that travels up her spine. Sakura's cheeks drain of colour.

Sasuke goes very still. Suddenly, Naruto's chakra isn't the most disturbing thing in the cave anymore. Something dark and dangerous glints in his eyes.

"Stay behind me," he orders the girls, voice devoid of inflexion, but leaving no room for argument. "As soon as you can, take Kakashi and the dog, and get out of here."

"What are you going to do?" Sakura protests.

"I'll help Naruto distract him while you run. Go through the tunnel."

"And then what?"

"Then I'll kill him."

"You're not strong enough—" Sarada's protests dies in her throat as she notices something moving across Sasuke's neck. At first, she thinks it's a shadow, or maybe even a legion of bugs like what Shino-sensei commands. It spreads from a small, circular bruise, which was covered before by his clothes, and stretches across his neck, legs, and arms.

But when her Sharingan picks up the mottled colour—like dried blood—and she feels a more pointed, colder shift in her father's chakra, a new conclusion hits her.

He has a curse-seal.

Just like the monster Naruto is fighting.

Just like the teleporter who threw her off a cliff.

"Why...why do you..." she falters.

"What did I say?" Sasuke growls at her, eyes blazing and tomoe spinning furiously. "Get moving! Now!"

"Is that...is that what I think it is?" Sarada whispers, but neither of her young parents answer her.

"You can't!" Sakura cries. She doesn't seem unsurprised by this, but her worry is plain. "You're not supposed to use it, you know what it—"

"If I don't, we're all going to die," Sasuke snaps. "So, shut up and stay back."

Sakura's mouth closes with an audible click, and she shrinks back, while Sasuke stalks purposefully away. Sarada gapes at her mother, utterly floored by what she's just seen.

"Are you just going to let him talk to you like that?" she demands, unable to keep the reproach out of her voice.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Sakura replies dully.

"You're his...you're his teammate! You need to stop him!"

"Not when he's like that. I only managed to once, and...I think it was a fluke."

The words 'fits of rage' and 'mental instability' echo in Sarada's mind as she remembers her conversation with Kakashi. At the same time, she makes the connection to what he said about there being only two people with curse-seals that Konoha had access to.

Sasuke is one of them.

Questions explode half-formed in her mind, but before she can settle on any particular one, her attention is drawn by the whirlwind of movement that is her father. She has a Sharingan and can barely follow him as he hammers into Mumyōi, shuriken clutched in his hands like he has his own claws. There's a manic grin on his face that, coupled with the intensity of his eyes, makes him look as mad as the man who attacked them.

"Sarada!"

She jumps, glancing over at Sakura. Her mother's fists are clenched, and she is very studiously trying to avoid watching the brawl unfolding across the cave.

"We have to help Kakashi-sensei," she reminds her, words forced like they're being spoken around a lump in her throat. Her eyes are panicked. "But I don't know what to do."

It's not a question, but there's enough weight to Sakura's words that Sarada knows she's expecting her to have an answer. Sasuke's curse-seal and brutality aside, Sarada needs her attention to be here right now.

She wracks her brain for an answer to Sakura's plea. This whole day—this whole mission—she's been required to come up with solution after solution. She is getting closer to the bottom of her metaphoric bag of tricks. Even now, she's not sure if there is anything she can do.

What would Mama do?

Not give up that's for sure.

Sakura Uchiha's determination to succeed is just as legendary as Lord Seventh's. He once told Sarada the story of how, during the war, Mama actually stuck her hand in his chest to keep his heart beating after he'd technically died. And when Sarada was a little kid, Mama saved Uncle Shikamaru's life by tying their life forces together. Lady fifth was furious, but that's the kind of thinking Sarada needs right now, just enough to...

Her thoughts come to a halt as she remembers something else she saw her mother do that day.

She knows for a fact that if her mother ever finds out she considered doing this, she'll throttle her. Because it's not only dangerous to Kakashi, but one wrong burst of chakra could kill Sarada just as easily.

"I might have an idea," she says, exhaling shakily. "But I've only ever watched my mother do it once before. If she found out I was suggesting this—"

"I don't care what it is! Just do it!" Sakura cuts her off. "If we live through this, I promise I'll never tell your mother, okay?"

If the situation weren't so dire, it would be funny.

"Right." Sarada breathes again, trying to centre herself. "I'll need you to lend me chakra."

"I don't—"

"It's the same as what you did before with Sasuke. You remember how to do that, right?"

"I think so," Sakura allows and holds out her hand.

Sarada doesn't mention that it'll be even easier between them, as parents and children share certain biological properties. Now isn't the time to continue with their ever-unfolding family drama; it's time to save the man who's like a second father to every single one of them.

She concentrates.

Sakura's chakra fits seamlessly into her own, as she expected, familiar from so many incidents of healing scraped knees and fevers. There's less of it than she's ever felt, but it's still familiar and strong.

"Focus on stopping the blood while I work," Sarada instructs. "Stitch the wounds closed, if you have to. I'll contain any bacterial infection that I can sense."

Her left hand glows, but it's not the same stable light her mother's healing chakra takes on. It flickers, like an unsteady flame, because Sarada is not a medic-nin—she doesn't have her mother's training, and she can only rely on books and observation. If she fails at this...

The blue glow sputters out.

"What happened?" Sakura cries.

"It's nothing," Sarada assures her, pushing away all doubt. "I'm just... I need to concentrate better. I've never..."

"You can do this," Sakura tells her, firm. "I've watched you do impossible stuff the whole day. This is nothing."

Sakura might not be her mother yet, but hearing those words bolsters Sarada's resolve. She nods, determined, and goes back to work.

She never realised just how much exertion goes into healing someone. Her mother always makes it look so effortless, even for life-threatening injuries. The Sharingan can copy techniques flawlessly, but if it weren't for her precise chakra control, none of this would be possible.

Doing all this while trying not to listen to the growls and pained cries from across the cave where her loved ones are either being ripped to shreds—or ripping someone else to shreds—is even harder.

She visualises the rents in Kakashi's abdomen closing and tries to see the injuries to his internal organs do the same. After a few minutes, she pulls back, forehead and back drenched with sweat that stings the open wounds on her body.

"It's not going to work," Sarada pants in frustration.

Sakura's expression is agonised. "What do you mean? The wounds are closing. I'm watching you close them, right now. I barely even have to stitch—"

"He's lost way too much blood. Even sewn up, his heart won't have anything to pump. Not unless we can transfuse—"

"What?!"

"It means you—"

"I know what it means! I just didn't think you were serious!"

"Why the hell wouldn't I be serious?!"

"So, what—we're just supposed to magically find a bag of blood somewhere?!"

"No. We'll have to make do."

"With what?"

"With you."

"What?!"

"He's O-positive, and so are you!" Sarada hisses. "So, you're the only one who can help him right now!"

"How do you know my— Hold on. You want to do a transfusion here?! Are you insane?! That's an incredibly complex procedure, and they don't even do that in hospitals anymore because they have—"

"I've seen my mother do it in an emergency situation, and I copied it with my Sharingan, just in case," Sarada cuts her off. "I'm not saying it won't be hard, especially because I've only got the one hand working right now. But it's just a matter of creating a cut and using a line of chakra to—"

"Explain it later," Sakura interrupts. "Just help him now, before I come to my senses, okay?"

It's easy to understand her sudden change of attitude. Kakashi's skin is almost corpse-like in pallor now, and when Sarada touches her fingers to his wrist, it's cold and his pulse is sluggish.

"Get me some water," Sarada orders. "We need something to conduct the blood." In the hospital setting where her mother did this procedure, she used a sterile medicinal fluid, but their options are limited right now.

Sakura scrambles to fill the small flask from her pack, and Sarada busies herself with cutting Kakashi's sleeve from his arm. When Sakura returns, she takes the full flask and gestures for her to lie down beside Kakashi.

"Bind your arms together—not too tight, or you'll cut off circulation, but enough to keep you close. The closer you are to one another, the better."

Sakura does as she's told, bringing her arm and Kakashi's parallel to each other. With the fabric of his shirt holding them together, Sarada indicates that Sakura should lie back and be calm.

Because one of us needs to be, and if you freak out, I'll freak out.

Summoning up her focus, she pulls her chakra into one point on her uninjured hand, her index finger. She visualizes it forming into a blade, a chakra-scalpel like she's seen her mother use. The edge shivers on the tip of her nail before smoothing into a solid line of chakra.

All right. Here goes. Gods, please don't let me kill him by accident!

Sarada sets to work, searching the crease in Kakashi's elbow for a vein, and then makes a small incision. The cut is crude and larger than it should be, so it bleeds more than she expected it would. She grits her teeth and channels chakra into her injured hand and crouches forward, ordering her swollen, broken fingers to bend. She just needs them to shove enough chakra into the wound to keep the blood flow under control.

Hands shaking from pain and nerves, she wills the edge of her chakra-scalpel to become sharper. Eyes search out an artery in Sakura's inner elbow.

"I'd go for a vein, but an artery is faster," she explains, and Sakura nods in encouragement.

Sarada makes the incision. Her mother grimaces in discomfort as blood spills forth, and she releases the chakra-scalpel, taking up the flask and splashing across their joined arms. She's breathing hard now, like she's just run a marathon or survived a sparring session with Metaru, but she can't give in.

Her hands are shaking again, and doubt fills her once more, but Sakura leans forward and grasps her wrist. Chakra flows through her body, steading her hands.

"Thanks," she says. "But you shouldn't move." And she goes back to work.

Using a blend of her own and her mother's chakra, she charges the water until it forms a bubble-like shape in the air. Sakura stares in wonder, much the same way Sarada did when she watched her mother do this the first time.

With supreme effort, she forms the glob of moisture into a tube, fitting it to the bleeding wounds in each arm. Sarada concentrates, pressing the ends into the delicate membranes of her mother's and Kakashi's major blood vessels.

A dark, rushing line of red flows from Sakura's arm toward Kakashi. Sarada half expects it to hit his skin and trickle off or for the chakra line to fail in the middle of the procedure, but by some miracle, it holds.

She and Sakura watch with bated breath as, ever so slowly, Kakashi's skin colour returns to normal. The next five minutes tick by in agony, neither girl allowing the battle in the background to faze them. As the three warring dynamos skirmish, doing their best to destroy each other and the surrounding cavern, the girls have found some kind of vacuum of utter silence and concentration.

Only when Kakashi gasps and opens his eyes, do they move once more.

Sarada falls back, her concentration broken.

The blood-fluid tube succumbs to gravity, and it's all she can do to press her hand against Sakura's inner elbow to stem the flow of blood. With the last of her chakra, she does the same for Kakashi.

"That...was very foolish," Kakashi tells her as he sits up, but there's a softness in his eyes. "Yet...exactly what your mother...would have done."

Sarada tries to call up a watery smile, but lacks the strength to even do that. Something warm trickles from her nose, and a wave of sharp, splitting pain hits her right behind the eyes.

"Sarada!" Sakura cries, lurching forward.

It's the last thing she sees.

つづく

_____

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