A Ninja's Path (Kakashi X Reader)

Chapter Forty Two

Your journey back to Konoha was tedious, your group stopping for intermittent breaks. Although Naruto and Sasuke offered to carry Sakura's gurney on several occasions, Guy and Lee refused. If it weren't for Kakashi's adamant orders for short resting periods, the two males would have gone the whole trip back to the Leaf Village without stopping once.

They were strong and determined, you gave them that. But they were willing to push past their own limits- a bad habit that could one day end up getting them killed.

Always know your limits. Press them, but don't break them. Unless you want to die.

One of the admittedly good lessons Aunt Fuyu taught you.

The journey was long and tiring- you reached the gates of Konoha around two in the afternoon.

The two gate guards, the dark haired one with a bandage across his face and the brown haired one- Izumo, greeted you warmly, directing your group toward the hospital.

You gave the brown haired guard a quick nod of the head and he returned it. He had remembered you.

As your procession entered the hospital lobby, a team of nurses was already there, helping to lift Sakura out of the makeshift gurney and into a real one. Another nurse guided your team and Guy's down a different hallway than Sakura, causing all of you to glance back at the pinkette as she was wheeled away.

You were all led to the end of hallway, rows of chair lining the walls. A doctor saw each of you one at a time for a short examination- just to make sure any small injuries were treated.

When it was your turn, you went inside with Kakashi who acted as your spokesperson. In the end, you were merely prescribed a bottle of liquid pain medication and your word that you would return for a checkup in several days.

Eventually, Guy's team left, bidding you all good bye and best wishes for Sakura. Despite the reassurance from a nurse that your team could leave and return later, you all chose to stay. You had been by Sakura's side this long, you wouldn't leave her now.

After an hour of short naps and blankly staring at a wall, a doctor came down the hallway to greet you.

"Hello, I assume you are Team 7?" The middle aged man asked.

Kakashi nodded. "What's the news?"

The doctor looked down at his clipboard, pen tucked behind his ear. "The patient named Sakura Haruno is currently in an operation led by the Lady Hokage."

You clenched your hands together, a silent prayer that Sakura would be alright.

"How long will that be?" The silver haired man asked.

"For at least a few more hours."

Naruto blew out a long breath, clearly the most impatient out of your team.

Kakashi leaned forward in his seat beside you. "Do you know how the operation is looking right now?"

The doctor pursed his lips, scanning over the document in his hands. "It's fairly decent. You guys brought her in just in time- another day and it would've been too late." He traced a finger over his paper. "We just spent the last hour sorting through which poisons she was intoxicated with and finding their antidotes. The Lady Hokage is currently undergoing the process of correctly administering them."

You felt a sharp pang of rage flow through you. When you found Hebi, she would pay. Not just for hurting your student, but for hurting you. For all the suffering she had caused before you first met her. You remembered what she had told you when you had asked her how many people she had killed.