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Description
Chapter Ten – Old Wounds

The watery prison clenched tighter around Sakura. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe...and all the while, Temari just smirked at her.

The pressure was incredible, it felt the same as if she were fifty feet underwater. Sakura's ears felt crushed and her sinuses burned. 'At this point, it's an open question if I drown or get pulped...' she thought grimly. She couldn't even move.

The cry was a distant thing, seeming worlds away. “Sakura!”

Then in a flash of golden hair and swift steel, Ino cut the cord between Sakura's water prison and it's caster. Temari staggered back with a curse as Sakura fell to the pavement with a thud, gasping at the sudden rush of ambient air.

“Traitor!” Ino barked, sembon needles already sailing to their target.

Temari grinned, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Whirling to check her friend, Ino found her curling up in a ball of agony. “Sakura?!”

“Joints.... nNNn... Pressure...The bends...”

“Right, I'll get you to the hospital, “ Ino lifted her off the ground. “Then I'll get the word out, we have to catch Temari before she does any more damage...”

“Wasn't... Tem....Wrong elements and..... headband... Depths.” Sakura gasped out, before the darkness took her.

***

Tenten's head broke the surface of the training pool. Temari was right behind her.

“You're almost getting it,” the Leaf girl said encouragingly.

“Don't patronize me!” Temari snapped, angrily swiping hair from her eyes. She took an obviously calming breath. “I'm sorry. I just haven't had to work this hard to master basic jutsu since I was a child... It's kind of demeaning, I guess. Thanks for putting up with me.”

Tenten waved this aside. “Forget it. In a weird sort of way, I owe you a debt. You trouncing me back in the Chunnin exams made me work twice as hard. I'd have never made it the next time without the motivation.”

“Or the scar?” The Sand Jonin asked wryly.

“Or the scar.” Tenten laughed, rubbing her back.

***

Cured into a ball beneath the two kunoichi, Hinata Hyuga focused on controlling her chakra, reducing her need for air. She'd been under for nearly ten minutes as the life-force rippled through her, removing and distributing what oxygen she had in her lungs.

She'd suggested the exercise for herself while Anko went to check on the search for Sakura and Ino. The older woman had readily agreed, but the task held a very different purpose.

All the water in the world, is connected. River and streams flowing to the oceans, even those made by the hand of man. Using the Byakugan, Hinata connected the bit of the Life-Water within her, through the drains, past the rivers, and towards the mind of the Umikage herself.

The connection was tenuous, and difficult to maintain, but it would serve.

'So...' the Lady spoke in her mind, 'the Hokage's student is vulnerable. Kana has already reported her failed attempt to kill the girl. Very well, we must have a presence in the Leaf Village before the Day of Tides, you will transfer your gift to the girl, is that understood?'

'What of this shell I now use, Lady? Will it not awaken?'

'It is being dealt with as we speak, now go Child, we have little enough time.'

The connection broken, Hinata surfaced.

***

Anko emerged from a side door into the locker room as the three were changing back into street wear. “Hinata, Temten!”

Tenten and Temari both stiffened. “What did you call me?” The both asked in perfect sync.

“Oh nothing,” Anko smiled, deciding the name was now a permanent fixture. “I got good news and bad news. Good, Ino found Sakura. Bad... She was being attacked by a Hidden Depths kunoichi, who was impersonating you, Temari.”

“What?!” Temari exploded.

“It's all right, you have the three of us as an alibi, and Sakura herself wasn't fooled by the disguise. Sakura's all right now, but she's in the hospital. The Hokage's looking after her.”

“Can we go see her?” Tenten asked anxiously.

“No. Lady Tsunade kicked Ino out an hour ago. She says she'll let us know when Sakura can have visitors. For now, it's been a long day, I suggest we all go get a good meal, and then get some rest, tomorrow is even rougher.”

***

Tenten made her way through the rainy streets. The dark clouds and dismal weather fit her mood. The Leaf village, her home, had been infiltrated while it was on high alert. Oh sure, the village was a bit stretched for man-power just now, but the security cordons were all at full strength, and the Depths had passed through with nary a ruffled hair.

...and they'd attacked her friend, again. Sakura must be going nuts right now, on top of her break down earlier, to b stalked and hunted by an enemy who uses your own mortal fear against you....

Arriving at the building that contained, amongst other things an incredible bakery and the girls' second story walk up, Tenten dug her keys out of her pocket and made her way woodenly upstairs. The fridge was still empty, but at least her bed was warm and inviting.

She unlocked the door to a rich and inviting aroma, dumplings and soup. Not take out either.

“Ino?” she called.

“Kitchen,” The girl responded. “I stopped on the way for supplies.”

Tenten slipped into a kitchen chair. “So, what happened?”

“Didn't Anko give you guys the news?”

“You know Anko, all we got was an 'oh, by the way...' I want details.”

Ino sampled the soup she was finishing. “I found Sakura in the warehouse district. She was being attacked by someone disguised as Temari, but who was using some twisted version of a water prison jutsu on Sakura. It was crushing her. Almost as soon as the jutsu was broken she got the bends really bad,. I rushed her to the hospital and sounded the alarm.”

“Then,” Tenten asked curiously “Why weren't we pulled out of training?”

“Honestly, Tsunade and Shizune didn't want Temari out on the streets. Not until we could clear her.”

Tenten was not convinced, but it sounded logical. “I guess that makes sense...”

“In any event, the Anbu squads found our infiltrator. She was making a beeline for the ocean. They're pursuing at a safe distance.”

“What about Sakura?”

“We won't know more till morning. They say there was no major damage, but...”

“After she recovers,” Tenten decided to ignore the other possibility, “We need to get her head right.”

Ino brought two bowls and a plate of dumplings to the table. “How so?”

“You saw her this morning, she's going to be useless if we don't gt her past this.”

“You don't think that will do more harm than good?” Ino asked. “What if we shake her confidence entirely?”

“We have to risk it, otherwise, she's going to be no good to us out there, or herself.”

***

The hospital room was dark. The Anbu guard outside in the hall had no idea she was in here.

Hinata had learned a trick or two in her time among the Leaf's shadow guard.

She gazed down at the sleeper before her. Sakura Haruno was exhausted from her time in the facility's hyperbaric chamber. The doctors had pronounced her prognosis good, but the charts revealed a lot of uncertainty.

Staring at the sleeping girl's form, old feelings bubbled to the surface. Some were happy, warm feelings... others were not.

“Tonight...” Hinata whispered to the darkness “Tonight it ends.”

Description
Chapter Ten – Old Wounds

The watery prison clenched tighter around Sakura. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe...and all the while, Temari just smirked at her.

The pressure was incredible, it felt the same as if she were fifty feet underwater. Sakura's ears felt crushed and her sinuses burned. 'At this point, it's an open question if I drown or get pulped...' she thought grimly. She couldn't even move.

The cry was a distant thing, seeming worlds away. “Sakura!”

Then in a flash of golden hair and swift steel, Ino cut the cord between Sakura's water prison and it's caster. Temari staggered back with a curse as Sakura fell to the pavement with a thud, gasping at the sudden rush of ambient air.

“Traitor!” Ino barked, sembon needles already sailing to their target.

Temari grinned, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Whirling to check her friend, Ino found her curling up in a ball of agony. “Sakura?!”

“Joints.... nNNn... Pressure...The bends...”

“Right, I'll get you to the hospital, “ Ino lifted her off the ground. “Then I'll get the word out, we have to catch Temari before she does any more damage...”

“Wasn't... Tem....Wrong elements and..... headband... Depths.” Sakura gasped out, before the darkness took her.

***

Tenten's head broke the surface of the training pool. Temari was right behind her.

“You're almost getting it,” the Leaf girl said encouragingly.

“Don't patronize me!” Temari snapped, angrily swiping hair from her eyes. She took an obviously calming breath. “I'm sorry. I just haven't had to work this hard to master basic jutsu since I was a child... It's kind of demeaning, I guess. Thanks for putting up with me.”

Tenten waved this aside. “Forget it. In a weird sort of way, I owe you a debt. You trouncing me back in the Chunnin exams made me work twice as hard. I'd have never made it the next time without the motivation.”

“Or the scar?” The Sand Jonin asked wryly.

“Or the scar.” Tenten laughed, rubbing her back.

***

Cured into a ball beneath the two kunoichi, Hinata Hyuga focused on controlling her chakra, reducing her need for air. She'd been under for nearly ten minutes as the life-force rippled through her, removing and distributing what oxygen she had in her lungs.

She'd suggested the exercise for herself while Anko went to check on the search for Sakura and Ino. The older woman had readily agreed, but the task held a very different purpose.

All the water in the world, is connected. River and streams flowing to the oceans, even those made by the hand of man. Using the Byakugan, Hinata connected the bit of the Life-Water within her, through the drains, past the rivers, and towards the mind of the Umikage herself.

The connection was tenuous, and difficult to maintain, but it would serve.

'So...' the Lady spoke in her mind, 'the Hokage's student is vulnerable. Kana has already reported her failed attempt to kill the girl. Very well, we must have a presence in the Leaf Village before the Day of Tides, you will transfer your gift to the girl, is that understood?'

'What of this shell I now use, Lady? Will it not awaken?'

'It is being dealt with as we speak, now go Child, we have little enough time.'

The connection broken, Hinata surfaced.

***

Anko emerged from a side door into the locker room as the three were changing back into street wear. “Hinata, Temten!”

Tenten and Temari both stiffened. “What did you call me?” The both asked in perfect sync.

“Oh nothing,” Anko smiled, deciding the name was now a permanent fixture. “I got good news and bad news. Good, Ino found Sakura. Bad... She was being attacked by a Hidden Depths kunoichi, who was impersonating you, Temari.”

“What?!” Temari exploded.

“It's all right, you have the three of us as an alibi, and Sakura herself wasn't fooled by the disguise. Sakura's all right now, but she's in the hospital. The Hokage's looking after her.”

“Can we go see her?” Tenten asked anxiously.

“No. Lady Tsunade kicked Ino out an hour ago. She says she'll let us know when Sakura can have visitors. For now, it's been a long day, I suggest we all go get a good meal, and then get some rest, tomorrow is even rougher.”

***

Tenten made her way through the rainy streets. The dark clouds and dismal weather fit her mood. The Leaf village, her home, had been infiltrated while it was on high alert. Oh sure, the village was a bit stretched for man-power just now, but the security cordons were all at full strength, and the Depths had passed through with nary a ruffled hair.

...and they'd attacked her friend, again. Sakura must be going nuts right now, on top of her break down earlier, to b stalked and hunted by an enemy who uses your own mortal fear against you....

Arriving at the building that contained, amongst other things an incredible bakery and the girls' second story walk up, Tenten dug her keys out of her pocket and made her way woodenly upstairs. The fridge was still empty, but at least her bed was warm and inviting.

She unlocked the door to a rich and inviting aroma, dumplings and soup. Not take out either.

“Ino?” she called.

“Kitchen,” The girl responded. “I stopped on the way for supplies.”

Tenten slipped into a kitchen chair. “So, what happened?”

“Didn't Anko give you guys the news?”

“You know Anko, all we got was an 'oh, by the way...' I want details.”

Ino sampled the soup she was finishing. “I found Sakura in the warehouse district. She was being attacked by someone disguised as Temari, but who was using some twisted version of a water prison jutsu on Sakura. It was crushing her. Almost as soon as the jutsu was broken she got the bends really bad,. I rushed her to the hospital and sounded the alarm.”

“Then,” Tenten asked curiously “Why weren't we pulled out of training?”

“Honestly, Tsunade and Shizune didn't want Temari out on the streets. Not until we could clear her.”

Tenten was not convinced, but it sounded logical. “I guess that makes sense...”

“In any event, the Anbu squads found our infiltrator. She was making a beeline for the ocean. They're pursuing at a safe distance.”

“What about Sakura?”

“We won't know more till morning. They say there was no major damage, but...”

“After she recovers,” Tenten decided to ignore the other possibility, “We need to get her head right.”

Ino brought two bowls and a plate of dumplings to the table. “How so?”

“You saw her this morning, she's going to be useless if we don't gt her past this.”

“You don't think that will do more harm than good?” Ino asked. “What if we shake her confidence entirely?”

“We have to risk it, otherwise, she's going to be no good to us out there, or herself.”

***

The hospital room was dark. The Anbu guard outside in the hall had no idea she was in here.

Hinata had learned a trick or two in her time among the Leaf's shadow guard.

She gazed down at the sleeper before her. Sakura Haruno was exhausted from her time in the facility's hyperbaric chamber. The doctors had pronounced her prognosis good, but the charts revealed a lot of uncertainty.

Staring at the sleeping girl's form, old feelings bubbled to the surface. Some were happy, warm feelings... others were not.

“Tonight...” Hinata whispered to the darkness “Tonight it ends.”