A Growing Affection

Chapter 12: The Value of a Life

"Hinata?" Naruto's eyes were wide. The Hyuga girl took a shallow breath under Sakura's glowing hands. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her face was a mask of pain. Against his will, his gaze drifted to the hole through the left center of her torso. Hinata's chest expanded and contracted again.

"She's breathing," Naruto was confused, "But you said..."

"She's not dead yet. But there's nothing I can do," tears wet Sakura's face as she explained, "If I stop the Life Sustain Jutsu to try and repair the damage, she'll die before I can even start. Even if I were fast enough, she's lost too much blood, and I've already given her all the plasma pills I had."

She looked up at Naruto with profound sadness, "I thought you would want a chance to say goodbye. But you need to hurry, I'm running out of chakra."

"Wait," Naruto's mood changed in an instant, "So you need blood, chakra, and the Life Sustain Jutsu?"

He kneeled next Hinata, opposite Sakura. Neji's focus shifted from his cousin to his rival, with a look of suspicion.

"I can supply all of that." Naruto looked into Sakura's eyes with determination.

"But you don't have the same blood type as Hinata," the medical ninja object.

"Right," he agreed, "Let's start there."

Naruto flashed a series of hand signs, and then place the first two fingers of his right hand just below his left elbow, stating, "Type O Jutsu."

"Ok," he looked physically uncomfortable, "Blood, check. Start the transfusion."

Sakura's surprise faded as she looked down at her hands hopelessly.

"Right." He grimaced, and slowly went through another group of seals.

"Life Sustain Jutsu," he said, placing his now shining right hand beside Hinata's injury. The dying kunoichi's face cleared, slightly.

"Now take my blood." The blond ninja instructed. With a nod, his teammate released her own support jutsu. Sakura found the vein, and inserted the needle. She found appropriate vessel on Hinata's arm, and connected the two shinobi.

"Naruto," Sakura looked at him in concern, "How long can you keep up those Jutsu? "

"As long as I have to," the Genin gasped, "Now, you need chakra."

Naruto moved slowly to avoid dislodging the cannula in his arm. He gently grabbed Sakura's shoulder, and began pouring his chakra into her. Sakura's head snapped up and her eyes dilated.

"Naruto," she gaped, "Do you always have this much power?"

"No," he growled, "I just finished a fight, and I'm sustaining two jutsu."

Then his flash of anger turned to contrite sadness, "Please hurry."

"Right," the doctor turned her attention back to her patient. She crafted a chakra scalpel, and carefully carved away the charred outer layer of tissue. As she finished, blood began to leak from the now open veins.

"Cellular Trace Jutsu." Sakura stimulated Hinata's circulatory system, and the veins, arteries, capillaries re-grew and reconnected. Examining the damage to the lung, liver, and stomach, the healer decided she needed support first. So, she touched the jagged edges of her ally's ribs, regenerating the bones. With the skeleton back in place, her jutsu started to repair the damaged organs. Suddenly, Hinata's eyes popped open, and she tried to sit up. But Lee was quicker, and he gently restrained the injured girl. The teen's pale eyes darted widely about, seeing nothing.