Bonded Souls

Chapter 2: On The Run

They hiked for at least two hours, occasionally stopping to take a small drink of water before reaching a small, battered shed. Sasuke was praying that the snowmobiles were still in decent condition; he just needed them to work as far as the cabin and nothing more. Kicking the door open, he went and checked one of them, finding an old canister of gasoline that they could use. He poured a small amount into one of the snowmobiles and tried to start it to no avail; it wouldn't even turn over. Moving to the second one, he poured a small amount in and got it started, turning it off to refill the tank with what was left in the gas canister. Once he had it started, he was able to pull it out, beckoning Sakura to get on.

This was all a very new experience for Sakura. She hadn't even been on a snowmobile, let alone this high up in the mountains. She had to hope that they could stay there for a more extended period and not have to go entirely on the run again. She had a feeling they would have to be mobile, but this was enough for them to gather their bearings. Perhaps it was lucky that the land was over a different border; that way, they wouldn't have to worry as much about being caught. There would be jurisdiction issues, and Oto hadn't ever been very cooperative with them. In any other situation, Sakura would have been swearing up and down that it was a problem; in this situation, she was glad there were going to be all kinds of issues.

They soared through the snow, the wind whipping at the soaked layers of clothing around Sakura's ankles and her exposed hands. The engine sputtered on the snowmobile before they reached the cabin, though they could see it at the top of the hill; Sakura couldn't feel her hands or her feet, and she was starting to feel significant numbness in her legs. No, no... they couldn't have this die out on them. There was no way she'd make it to the cabin without the snowmobile. Not a chance.

"Damn it. We'll just have to walk the rest of the way," Sasuke said quickly, hopping off the snowmobile. Sakura followed suit, the cold snow soaking further through her shoes and even her layered pants; it was deep, at least up to her knees, and she could barely feel her feet. She was shivering uncontrollably, and if she dared to take off her backpack, she knew she'd surely drop it in the snow. Determination was the only thing that let her trek behind him, moving slower and slower with each passing minute; he ended up having to stop to make sure she was keeping up a few times, doing his best to hurry her.

It was when he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore that he stopped and was gripped with worry. Sakura had tried to keep following, but her legs were weak; she knew what was happening, but it was challenging to convey to him among the confusion and exhaustion: Hypothermia. Out in the cold like this, improperly dressed... it wasn't doing well for her, especially after a hike in the snow twice now.

"Sakura?" He asked quickly, worry coming over him as she collapsed in the snow, too cold and tired to stand. She was still shivering repeatedly, more than any average person should have after being out in the cold; even he knew the signs, and he knew he had to hurry. She knew, too, though it was difficult to convey; she was tired from their journey, overwhelmed by what was happening, and not used to the colder temperatures.

"H-h-h-hyp-po-th-th-thermia," she tried to say through chattered teeth. "I c-c-can't f-f-feel--"

"I know, I know," he said quickly, pulling off layers of his own and wrapping them around her. Konoha's climate wasn't nearly as cold as it was up here; the higher elevation worsened the temperature. She was finding it harder to breathe the thinner air, and the cold was making her tired. She knew she had to stay conscious, and the best way for her to conserve heat was to save energy, which meant turning her focus on staying awake instead of trying to talk or communicate. Sasuke seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.

Sasuke knew what he'd have to do if they were going to make it to the cabin in time. Doing his best to wrap her in his jacket, he ignored the biting cold through his two shirts and pulled off his usual gloves, slipping them over her hands in an attempt to keep them warm. She was thankful for them; the warmth from the inside was enough to give her a tingling sensation briefly in her hands. He scooped her up in his arms and adjusted to ensure he could carry the extra weight, then drew in a deep breath and took off through the snow as quickly as he could. It was challenging to run in deep snow, to begin with, but trying to run while carrying her, plus their bags, was even more so. At that moment, he thanked his excellent athleticism from his job; he wouldn't have been able to do it otherwise.