In the Blink of an Eye (Sasusaku)

Cursed

The moment she opened her eyes, darkness engulfed her vision. Long, thick lashes fluttered against cold cheeks, blinking once, then twice, confused by the immense black that greeted them. Hazy mint orbs widened in alarm, rapidly darting back and forth in an attempt to piece together their surroundings. Little specks of white shone above her, sprinkled randomly across the infinite darkness. She tilted her head slightly to the side, catching sight of a luminous sphere that put the rest of the stars to shame, its celestial glow resembling an angelic halo. Only then did her mind emerge from the depths of confusion, greeted unpleasantly by the chill of awareness.

What...what happened to me?

With excruciating slowness, Sakura managed to push herself up onto her arms, her fingers curling around the cool grains of sand beneath her. Her stiff muscles ached and throbbed like an old woman's, crying out in protest as she attempted to stretch them outward. As her body shifted upwards into a sitting position, a piercing pain sunk into her ribs like a dagger, prompting a startled gasp from the medic. Instinctively, her hand rose to clutch over the wound, greeted by the feeling of something warm and wet trickling onto her fingers and soaking the fabric of her shirt.

Another stab of pain erupted from her ankle, although this one felt significantly less intense. Her medical side taking over, Sakura's attention honed in on her untreated wound, pursing her lips as she struggled to examine it in the darkness. A broken rib, Sakura diagnosed with a frown, clenching her fist as another stab of pain shot through her chest. She grit her teeth, taking small, shallow breaths in an attempt to ease the pain. It must have broke while I was fighting Orochimaru. Her frustration only increased when she realized how diminished her chakra reserves were at the moment, a direct consequence of the encounter Team Seven had with the Sannin.

I'll just have to ration the amount of chakra I use to heal the wound. Placing her hand across the area of the injury, Sakura poured her chakra and concentration into her work, slowly mending the broken rib. Once that was finished, the medic stopped the flow of her healing chakra, choosing to treat the flesh wound with the healing salve that she kept in her medical pouch. After she applied the salve, she peeled off her shirt and bandaged the wound, goosebumps erupting across her arms at the tickle of the frigid breeze. Luckily it didn't pierce any lungs or blood vessels, the kunoichi reflected as slipped on her shirt once more, moving onto her ankle. Fortunately, her ankle was only sprained, something that her minimal healing chakra could easily fix.

Lifting her head to observe her surroundings, Sakura noticed her raven-haired teammate laying beside her. Sasuke looked just about as she had expected after battle- his raven locks were completely disheveled and sprinkled with grains of sand, no longer appearing in the stylish-messy look that he preferred to keep it as. Scorch marks stained his navy shirt and white shorts, the fabric clearly ruined and torn at the edges. What caught Sakura's eye was that his features were twisted into an expression of discomfort, his brows drawn together in distress and his shoulders shaking slightly as they rose and fell. His breath was shallow and rapid as it left his body, something that triggered the medic's sense of alarm. He doesn't look right, she noticed with a frown as she scanned his form. His face isn't relaxed and his breathing pattern is irregular. Her heart clenching in worry, Sakura untied his Konoha headband and laid her hand across the pale skin of his forehead, gently brushing aside his inky strands of hair. Sasuke's skin was warm to the touch, sweat streaking down his forehead as he shivered. He has a fever, Sakura observed, her brows drawing together in concern. His body must be trying to fight off the invasive chakra of the curse seal.

At the thought of the seal, the kunoichi clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palm as her chest squeezed almost painfully. Don't think about it, Sakura. You have to focus on Sasuke. She wouldn't let herself be dragged into the current of her conflicting emotions. After all, she had more pressing things to attend to at the moment.