J A D E

Chapter Forty - Nine

"Where is he?!" I shriek loudly as I burst the doors open, running in the hospital like crazed person. My whole body is shivering from fear and nervousness, my long hair is messy and getting in my face, clothes scattered. "Where is Sai?" I ask to the nearest nurse, the sad look in her face makes my heart pound even faster.

"He is in the operation, Haruno-sama." She whispers and looks at the doors. Without saying anything, I start running towards them, tears streaming down my face. "You can't go in, Haruno-sama!" The same nurse is running after me. "Tsunade-sama is doing operation." She informs me with hope.

"I-I need t-to g-go." I stutter with tears streaming down my face. But before I am able to take another step, I feel chakra strings on my body, binding me on one place. I look back, staring at Sasori and Shisui with hollow gaze. "L-let m-me g-go, S-Sasori." I mumble with stutter, trying to break free from his hold.

"You need to calm down, Sakura-chan." Shisui starts approaching me, wincing at my wild shaking. "Sai will be alright." He whispers in a low voice and smiles, taking another step forward and engulfing me into a tight hug. I hesitate to put my hands around him, put then I gave out, letting loud, ugly sobs escape my mouth. I slide down on the floor, not able to stand up, as I cry my heart out. Sasori and Shisui sit on either side of me, hugging and patting me. Trying to calm me down.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto and Ibiki run in the hallway, spotting me on the floor, a crying mess. "Sakura...Chan..." Naruto whispers in shocked tone. He slowly approaches me, kneeling in front of me and engulfing me into a tight embrace. I put my head on his chest. crying once again. Ibiki does not say anything, as he kneels in front of me and Naruto and hugs both of them, patting our backs.

"It's okay, brat." Ibiki whispers in soothing voice. "You can cry it all out." He says sadly as he continues patting my back. Sai would spend a lot of his time over at our house and I guess, Ibiki started to see Sai as his another son. Making sure to tell him that he is welcome in our home whenever.

***

"She will be okay, when she wakes up." Ibiki says gently, picking sleeping Sakura from the floor and carefully sitting her on the chair. Naruto sits next to his sister, letting her head drop on his shoulder. He does not talk, his eyes bloodshot from unshed tears.

"What happened?" Naruto whispers after couple of minutes, startling the three men. He looks at all of them, until his eyes stop on Sasori.

"We don't know details." Sasori starts in low voice. "Only that Sai was badly injured and needed immediate operation in order to survive." Sasori's voice is filled with sadness and bitterness. "Sakura ran directly in the hospital and I and Shisui followed her behind." Naruto nods, before his eyes shifts back to his sister, guilt eating him alive.

"Thank you." Naruto whispers in low voice, confusing everyone. "For taking care of my sister, when I did not." He continues murmuring. "I know that I should have been next to her... Hell, I did not even know who she was, how strong she was... I left her alone." He whispers as he lets tears silently stream down his face. "So, Shisui-san, Sasori-san... Thank you." Naruto bows his head down, careful not to wake Sakura.

"You don't need to thank us, Naruto-kun." Shisui chuckles, shaking his head. "She means a lot to us." Shisui whispers with small smile playing on his lips.

"We are her friends." Sasori states with smile. "She is like...Like family." Sasori whispers the words with pained expression. His eyes wander off to the pink haired girl, who is sleeping on Naruto's shoulder, tear stains visible on her face. "And family takes care of one another." Sasori finishes as another smile appears on his wooden face.

Ibiki looks at redhead with bitter smile, respect raising in his chest at his sight. He puts his hand on his wooden shoulder and smiles as Sasori looks up at him.

"You are part of our family, brat." Sasori smiles at the man in front of him as Ibiki nods at him. Shisui chuckles, happiness swelling in his chest at this sight. Naruto does not say anything, but small smile appears on his lips as well.

***

"What happened?" I ask as soon as Naruto bursts into the tent. He frantically looks at me and then at Ino. "Where is Sai?" I tilt my head, raising my eyebrows at the blonde in front of me.

"H-He..." Naruto trails off, sobs escaping his mouth. Ino starts sobbing behind me, losing her mind, while she drops on the ground, crying. "Shizune-chan...She is trying, but...Sakura..." Naruto looks at me with pleading eyes, but I don't need it. I nod, running towards the medical tent, where Tsunade is struggling to save Sai's life.

"Shizune-san, let me." I whisper as she nods and stands aside. I look down at Sai's body, already knowing that I can't save his life, no matter how hard I try. I have barely managed to save his life last time, struggling to do so, but now... His stomach is cut open, organs severely injured.

"Please don't die." I whisper loud enough for him to hear. He opens his eyes, soft, genuine smile appearing on his lips. "Please don't die." I whisper the words again and again like mantra. As if I say it in enough time, then he will survive.

"Sa-Ku-Ra." I look at his face, serene. He cough out blood, and sighs as it oozes down his chin. He is weak, weaker than ever. I intensify the chakra flow in my hands, but I know that it will not be fast enough to tie the wounds. And even if it was... He has lost too much blood, with too many wounds.

"Don't waste your breathe, Sai." I whisper with tears streaming down my face. I am here again, and I am losing a friend again.

"T-thank y-you, U-Ugly." Sai whispers stubbornly, ignoring my pleas to safe his strength. "F-for e-every t-thing." He barely manages to speak. "P-please, t-take c-care o-of I-Ino."

I could not save him in our last time. I nearly lost him, because I was not fast enough. I let Sai die in my hands, while his wife, my best friend, was crying outside the tent, begging every God to save his life. But she had forgotten that we were indeed fighting against Gods.

And now, he nearly died, early because I was not there to help him.

"Don't worry so much, Sakura-chan..." Naruto whispers to me with small smile on his lips. "Tsunade-baa-chan said that he is stable now, and that he will wake up in several days." Naruto tries to cheer me up. "Come on, Sakura-chan... You need to eat." Naruto pushes the bowl of ramen to me, begging me with his gaze to eat.

"Naruto is right, Blossom." Sasori smiles at me as he sits next to me. He offers me a small smile and gives me chopsticks. "You should not overstress about the matter." He continues talking, eyeing the ramen. "Is this really edible, Naruto?"