Chapter 3: Forget Me part 2

"Sasuke?" Sakura said very weakly

"Don't worry Sakura….I'm here for you" Sasuke said very softly. He knelt down next to Sakura and gently pulled her trembling hand in his. He cupped them gently. "If you feel any pain, squeeze my hands. Ok?"

"Ok…..thank…you…." Sakura said weakly.

It was already 5 hours of awkward silence in the old slanting shack. All you and hear was Sakura's soft moans. Sweat rolled down on her face as she gazed blankly at the leaking ceiling. Is this is how it's gonna end? Me dying in an old shack? What's the point? There is no use of fighting this...

"Talk." Sasuke ordered, breaking Sakura's depressed thoughts.

"What?" Sakura said

"I said 'talk' I can't stand this awkward silence anymore….."

"Sasuke….. I'm gonna die…aren't I?" Sakura said very weakly in a small and shaky voice.

"WHAT!" Sasuke was shocked that Sakura asked that question. Why would she ask that! And how would she know that she was gonna die? "Um…um…" Sasuke didn't know how to answer his beloved Sakura.

"Don't……don't …" she had to stop to cough weakly. " …lie to me….I'm not stupid .I heard your conversation with Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. So….I…..know what's going on"

"You heard everything?"

"Yes……the rain can't drown your voices. I……I….I….have supersonic hearing…..I can hear really far away even through the rain"

"Oh……I didn't know that you had that kind of power…" Sasuke said surprisingly

"T-t-there's a lot….of t-t-things…….that y-y-you don't…..know about me……"Sakura said very weakly. "AHHHH!" Sakura felt a shock of pain from the poison. So she squeezed Sasuke's hands in response to the pain.

"Are you okay Sakura!" Sasuke said worryingly Sakura didn't answer "Sakura answer me!"

"D-d-don't worry…….Sasuke……I'm not d-d-dead-d-d y-y-yet…….Its just that it hurts….so…bad" Sakura said with tears welling up in her eyes.

Sasuke swallowed hard as tears of fear blurred his vision. He looked down at Sakura, at her feeble form lying helplessly on the mattress and he felt all his hope draining away. He never noticed how beautiful she really was, he rarely ever saw her completely still. She was like a lily in a mirror-still pond.

Meanwhile Naruto and Kakashi were still looking for an herb specialist in the thick damp forest. They were jumping from tree to tree looking at every square inch with their dark furtive eyes. Both of their hair was wet and was covering their faces. They were rushed with panic but their powerful shinobi skills helped. They have already spent 15 hours on finding the cure for their beloved teammate and friend Haruno Sakura. Finally they found a tiny cozy-looking cabin in a small village that was very noticeable cause of the very vibrant colors of the other houses. They went to this cabin, which had a sign that said 'Tarnio Gin the Herb Specialist PhD'. They went inside.

"Yes, may I help you?" said a youthful yet gray-haired man. He was sitting in his couch elegantly drinking Oolong Tea, when he saw a spiky blond ninja kid and a gray haired man come in

"Um…yes I'm Hatake Kakashi and this young boy is Uzumaki Naruto we need to speak to the doctor." Kakashi announced.

"You have found him. It is I, the honored Tarnio Gin. Call me Gin but just don't wear it out!" Gin announced very youthfully like Gai-sensei does. His appearance wasn't so odd. He had a little gray hair on the sides of his hair and most of his spiky hair was blue, He was wearing a loose navy blue shirt and green shorts with sandals. He had tan skin and glasses. He had no wrinkles and a well-built body.

Naruto and Kakashi sweat dropped (anime style duh!) "Gin we need your help" Kakashi blandly stated as he took out the recipe for the antidote and gave it to Gin.

"Explain your situation" Gin said as we was about to unfold the antidote

Kakashi told Gin everything that happened from beginning to end. "I'm so sorry for Sakura, but I can't make this antidote." Naruto and Kakashi were surprised. "Let me explain, my family have been herb specialists for many generations yet I have only heard of the antidote to this rare '1, 2, Death Poison'. I'm not experienced at creating exotic antidotes for poisons. If you know the history you should know that this antidote came from 700 years ago and is made from very strange ingredients. So I'm so sorry about your teammate and friend Sakura, please pay my respects to this young lady….."

"YOU! YOU LISTEN TO ME OLD MAN! MY TEAMMATE AND FRIEND SAKURA IS DYING AS WE SPEAK! DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO LOSE A COMRAD IN BATTLE! I DON'T THINK SO! YOU BETTER MAKE THE GODDAMN ANTIDOTE OR I WILL PERSONALLY KILL YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!" Kakashi yelled. Angry tears fell down his face. He grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off his feet.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said in shocked to see Kakashi being so quickly violent.

"Hey….I 'M SORRY I'M SORRY!..."Gin answered in fear. Kakashi let go of Gin. He fell in a pile at Kakashi's feet. Gin trembled. "I will make the antidote for Sakura, but not because of your stupid threats. Maybe this way I can make it up to my best friend Shin who died when we were kids to this deadly poison. I was too young and inexperienced to save him. Maybe this way I can honor his memory. Now you have woken me up to the truth. I can't let this flower die! I WILL USE ALL THE POWER OF MY HEALING ARTS TO MAKE HER LIVE!" Gin said very youthfully with his fist raised in the air. He hadn't had this much excitement in years.

"Um…just wondering…..Naruto said with a sweat dropped "Are you related to Gai-sensei?" He was scratching his head at this because he was afraid it was true and his embarrassed at this.

"No but I would like to be!" Gin stated youthfully "But anyways, but I think I got all the ingredients and preparations in my lab so this will take a few hours" He stated seriously. He started to walk to his lab in the other room.

"We don't have time for this! We got less than 33 hours in counting!" Kakashi yelled

Gin turn around and proclaimed "Time is of the essence Kakashi! I know you're worried about Sakura but the more time I spend making this antidote the stronger and better it will be! Good things come to those who wait! You're lucky I'm not charging you for the antidote!" With that Gin slammed the door to his lab.

Naruto and Kakashi glanced at each other and shook their weary heads. They both sat down on the luxurious couch while waiting for Gin.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto suddenly asked "Why did take it so harshly to Gin about Sakura? I mean I have never seen you take that attitude especially using such colorful language to someone"

"I'm sorry Naruto that you had to hear that. Coming from me, you had never heard me say such things before. But Sakura means everything to us, I'm sorry that my temper got way out of hand. I promised you guys earlier; I said 'I will not let my comrades die in battle, I promise.' And I will keep that promise because you guys mean everything to me, and no matter what I will not let Sakura die! Not in this battle" Kakashi affectionately stated.

"What do you mean by 'battle' Kakashi-sensei?"

"The 'battle' for her life Naruto, she is fighting everything she got to beat this poison and only Sasuke right now can save her"

Naruto nodded at what Kakashi said. They both hoped for a miracle as they waited on Gin.

Back at the damp shack Sasuke kept a tight trip on Sakura's cold hand. Sakura kept squeezing his hand every once in a while as a reaction to the pain coursing through her veins.

She is not getting better, she is getting worse! Sakura has less than 25 hours left and this pain of hers is killing her. Damn Kakashi-sensei and that dobe Naruto! I have to say something or this pain will never get better. Sasuke thought Wait! I know a joke! Let me try to remember a joke that Naruto told me…

Flashback 3 days ago

"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto called out when Sakura left to go home and Kakashi was reading a new issue of 'Icha Icha Paradise volume 17'. Sasuke was about to go home when Naruto called him.

"What is it dobe?" Sasuke said.

"Well I got a way for you to get a laugh from a girl…..you tell them a joke!"

"Ok…I'm going home see you tomorrow dobe" Sasuke said uninterested in Naruto's discovery.

"Wait let me tell you a good one!" Naruto persisted and whispered into Sasuke's ear the joke

"Good one…I'll keep that in mind" Sasuke walked away uninterested and rolling his eyes.

End of Flashback

"Sakura?"

"Y-y-yes-s Sasuke? Sakura said very weakly

"I want to tell you a joke…."

Sakura moaned with exasperation.

Sasuke cleared his throat ready to thrill her with his humor. "There were two guys in a bar and a bald-headed monkey comes in and says, "Hey, Ill make you a bet…"

"Noooo, nooo noo stupid jokes!" moaned Sakura. "Just kill me now…I don't want my life to end with a ridiculous joke….I'd rather…Ahhhh!" she little out a small scream as breath-taking pain made her body go into spasms.

"What? What, Sakura?" Sasuke asked worriedly

"I think…I think this is the end……." Sakura whispered, tears filling her eyes.

Hey I'm Back! Sorry for not updating any sooner I'm so sorry if I can't stutter real well in the story. My sister Carol has been helpin me a lot . Love ya lots (Note: This title "Forget Me" has nothing to do with this chapter I just thought it was cool)

anichick23