Crow's feathers - Naruto fanfiction

Chapter 60 The calm before the storm

Madara’s eyes glinted hungrily as he placed his hands on the statue that held the tailed beasts. He could feel the power radiating through it. How incredible it would be to have that power flowing through his body instead. He was almost tempted to absorb it right there and then. Soon, very soon he would have it all. And the world would be at his feet.
‘They will all live in my illusion.’ A dark chuckle echoed through the room.
Sasuke had left yesterday to join the fight. Madara smirked. That boy was so gullible. He didn’t even realize he was being used. He might need the boy now, but once his plan had succeeded, he’d dispose of him. Sasuke was too much a liability.
A rustling made him turn around. “What is it?” he asked Zetsu who had come out of the ground.
Zetsu grinned darkly. “The Eight and Nine Tails have appeared on the battlefield.”
Madara’s smirk grew wider. “Finally.”

***

Taryn sighed and stretched her back. She had been at the infirmary for three days now and she was feeling restless. Injured shinobi were still being brought in a at daily base. Outside, the war was still raging and she was concerned for her family and friends. She wasn’t of much use here. Sure, she could wrap a bandage, even stitch up smaller cuts, but she wasn’t a medical ninja. She was a fighter.
Slowly she lowered herself on a bench and closed her eyes.

“Taryn?” Sakura’s soft voice asked concerned. Taryn opened her eyes and gave the young medic a faint smile. “Are you okay?” Sakura questioned and went to sit beside her.

Taryn took a deep breath. “I don’t know,” she said, “have you ever been at a point where you found out everything you believed to be true turned out to be completely different?”
Sakura kept quiet, not really knowing what to answer to that.
Taryn turned her head towards Sakura. “You still love him, don’t you? Sasuke I mean.”
Sakura gasped. “What? I… no… I mean… he’s…”
“It’s alright you know,” Taryn told her, “it’s nothing to be ashamed of. You used to be teammates. Friends. No matter what anyone says, that’s not something you’re likely to forget. No matter what he’s done.”
“You’re speaking from experience,” Sakura whispered.
Taryn shook her head. “Itachi and I… we were different. We were both already outcasts.”
“I know, but he was still Akatsuki and you… your banishment was revoked and when Akatsuki was after Gaara…”
Taryn gave a rueful smile. “Yeah… I suppose we aren’t that different at all.”
“I can’t help it,” Sakura sighed, “I mean… I hate him for what he did, but I can’t hate him, you know.”
Taryn nodded. “You don’t have to explain.”
Sakura eyed her carefully. The two of them never really had been friends and they probably never would be, but it was only now that she understood Taryn just a little. She had never given it much thought, but Taryn did know what it was like to love a wanted criminal. She eyed Taryn’s stomach, afraid of bringing up the child. She and Taryn might have some things in common, that didn’t mean she was comfortable with her. “I’m surprised you’re still here,” Sakura commented, “last time you visited the infirmary you were gone as soon as they had checked you over.”
“Heh,” Taryn said, “yeah. Gaara wants me to stay here. He’s completely overreacting.”
“He’s your brother. He cares about you.”
“I know,” Taryn answered, “but I’d still rather be out there, doing something useful.”
A commotion drew both their attention. Several shinobi came rushing in, carrying two other shinobi.
Taryn was the first to recognize one of the carriers. ‘Gai.’ Her eyes moved to the injured. One of them was Lee. The other… “Kakashi!” she shouted and ran up to them with Sakura on her heels.
“We need help!” Gai shouted.

Several shinobi came rushing to their side. Both Lee and Kakashi were unconscious and there was a lot of blood.
“What happened?!” Taryn asked no one in particular, but no one answered her.
The medics took over the injured and carried them into one of the tents. “We need water! Bandages! Sakura help us!” One of the medics rushed her into the tent.
“Can someone fill me in on what happened?”
“I will,” Gai said and followed them into the tent.
When Taryn was about to follow them, one of the medics stopped her. “You need to wait outside.”
“But I…”
“Sorry, only medics. You’ll just get in the way. You can see them when we’re done.” He vanished into the tent and left Taryn standing there with a lump in her throat. Her breath went heavier and her heart sped up. ‘Kakashi…’ she thought with a light panic, ‘you promised.’ She anxiously started pacing n front of the tent. Every now and then she could hear worrisome comments, but whenever she tried to  get foot inside, there was a shinobi blocking her.
A few minutes later, the tent opened  and Gai was pushed outside, almost knocking her over.
he grabbed her before she cold fall. “Sorry,” he said. When he noticed who it was he let go of her and huffed. “What do you want?”
That didn’t do much for her already tense nerves. “I know you don’t like me,” she said through her teeth, “and that’s fine by me. I don’t care. Most people don’t like me. But you could at least have the decency to update me on what’s going on inside.”
Gai gritted his teeth, but nodded.
“The enemy had transformed themselves into our own shinobi. They turned on us. We lost twelve men.”
Taryn nodded. “How’s Kakashi? And Lee too of course?”
Gai ran a hand through his hair. “He opened the Gates.”
“He did what?!”
“He opened the Third Gate. I told him to never do that again, but he still did. He did it to save my life! Why can’t he just listen when I tell him something!”
Taryn raised an eyebrow. “Because he’s just like you,” she muttered, earning a glare from the male shinobi. Taryn sighed. “How about Kakashi?” she asked carefully. He had looked so lifeless she was afraid to know the answer.
Gai narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t pretend like you actually care. If you did, you wouldn’t be carrying that traitor’s child. Yes, I know about that. Nothing stays a secret for long in this camp.”
“You don’t know everything,” Taryn said calmly, “all that hate you direct at me and have directed in the past, is all based on assumptions. And no matter what you think, I do care about Kakashi. I care a lot. And I would like to know how he’s doing. So please tell me.”
“He’s in bad shape,” Gai informed her, “he might die.”
Something tightened in her throat and cut off the oxygen to her brain. The last thing she heard was someone calling her name.