Naruto: The White Spider of the Leaf

Cold.

That was the first thing I felt.

I coughed, water spilling from my mouth as I gasped for air. My body ached, every muscle screaming in protest as I forced myself up. The world spun for a moment before I realized how dark everything was. I could barely see a thing as the river spat me out onto a rocky shore, the rain pelting my face relentlessly.

But I wasn't alone.

Yukino.

Yukino.

She was in my arms, limp, her skin pale, her breathing shallow. A type of panic I'd never felt before shot through me. 

We were both covered in her blood.

I tightened my hold on her and gritted my teeth against the pain as I dragged her up the shore. Her blood was practically seeping out on the rocks and drifting into the river. The water lapped at my ankles, but I pushed forward, step by agonizing step, until I spotted the dark maw of a cave ahead.

Just a little farther.

The moment I reached the entrance, a voice rang out over the river.

"Shirokumo!"

I turned just in time to see Shinichi running toward us—no, running on the water. He'd made it down safely.

But there was no time for that.

"Help me!" My voice came out hoarse, but Shinichi didn't hesitate. He rushed forward, his crimson eyes darting between me and Yukino. 

"H–Her wound! Shirokumo, she's bleeding! Yukino is bleeding!"

"Worse than that! She's poisoned!"

I didn't have to say it. He could see it. Her ragged breathing, her unnatural pallor, the way her body barely responded as I shifted her in my arms. The puppet's blade had been laced with something cruel. I could feel her slipping.

No. Not yet.

I forced myself to think, to focus. "Shinichi, gather dry firewood. We need a fire."

"But—"

"Now!" I snapped. I didn't have time to argue. Yukino needed warmth before we could even consider recovery. 

Shinichi hesitated only a moment before nodding and dashing off.

I turned my full attention to Yukino. My hands trembled as I pulled out what little antidote I had. It wouldn't be enough—not against Lady Chiyo's poison—but it was all I had, so I administered it to her. I then pressed my fingers against her pulse point, focusing, drawing on my medical ninjutsu. Chakra flowed through my hands as I worked, stabilizing her as best as I could.

I stopped the bleeding, stitched her wound up and worked on circulating the poison into one spot to slow down its movement through her system. But this was only a temporary answer. When my chakra ran out she would–no, don't think of that. Think of ways to save her!

That wasn't the only issue… Her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her like a second skin, leeching what little warmth she had left. If I left her like this, the cold could kill her before the poison had the chance. 

Gritting my teeth, I worked fast, peeling away the drenched fabric, ignoring the way my fingers trembled from my own pain when we fell off the cliff. Her skin was ice under my touch, her body unnaturally still. I stripped her down to her undergarments, moving purely on instinct, on urgency, on the single thought that mattered—keep her alive. 

I dropped my personal backpack on the floor; it was waterproof, as the contents needed to not get soaked from the endless rainfall. From it, I pulled out my blanket and wrapped it around her, tucking it in tight, hoping it would be enough until Shinichi got back with the firewood.

The seconds stretched into eternity. Eventually a fire crackled as Shinichi had returned, panting, his arms full of wood that he set aflame with his fire style. The flames flickered to life, casting shadows against the cave walls. He dropped beside me, eyes wild with fear.

"What else?" he demanded. "What do you need?"

"Herbs." My voice was tight. "I don't know which ones, just—just find anything that looks different. Not just grass. Something unique. Look for things with broad leaves—preferably something soft, almost velvety to the touch. There should be a small, purple flower with them if you're lucky. You might also find something with a red stem—it's a good indicator, but be careful. It could be poisonous. And look for any moss with a silvery sheen. It's rare, but it might help."

Shinichi didn't move. His fists clenched at his sides. His breathing grew uneven.

"Shirokumo…"

I didn't look up. I couldn't. "Go."

"Will she make it?"

The question hit like a kunai to the chest. My hands faltered for half a second before I forced myself to keep working.

"I don't know."

Silence. Then, suddenly, Shinichi's hand was on my collar, yanking me forward.

"Why not?!" His voice cracked. "You worked with Lady Tsunade for a whole year! You've studied poisons! Why can't you save her?!"

I shoved him off, my own temper flaring. "Because this isn't just any poison! It's Lady Chiyo's! I don't—I don't know if I can fix this on my own!"

He stared at me, shaking. Then, without another word, he turned and ran into the forest. I wish I could spare a shadow clone to go with him, but every drop of my chakra was needed here. I couldn't waste half of it on a clone. 

I exhaled sharply and returned to Yukino. My hands hovered over her, glowing faintly with chakra. Her breath came slower now, but she was still alive. The fire crackled beside me, its warmth fighting off the bitter chill of the night air, but it wasn't enough. Not for Yukino. I could still feel the icy touch of her skin under my fingers, her shallow breaths barely stirring as I worked desperately to stabilize her. I grit my teeth, pouring more chakra into her system, willing it to flush out the poison, to force her body to fight back. But it wasn't working fast enough. My control was slipping. I was running out of time.

Damn it.

I can't lose her.

I placed a hand against her forehead. Sweat beaded on her brow, her expression twisting as if she were trapped in a nightmare. The antidote was slowing the poison, but it wasn't neutralizing it. I needed something stronger. I needed something now.

I finally heard the hurried footsteps crunching over gravel again. Shinichi burst into the cave, out of breath, his arms full of leaves, flowers, anything he could get his hands on. His chest heaved as he dropped the bundle beside me.

"I-I didn't know which ones—"

I barely spared him a glance before sifting through the pile, separating anything that looked even remotely medicinal from the weeds and useless scraps. My mind raced, recalling every lesson, every moment spent in the field with Tsunade. The most recent poison we tackled… I have to beg the heavens that Chiyo was still using it. Some of these plants looked familiar. I might be able to recreate that last antidote with them, but without proper preparation—they could be just as dangerous as the poison itself.

"Help me crush these together," I ordered, tossing Shinichi a handful of the more promising herbs along with some other ingredients from my backpack's medkit. "Make a paste. We don't have time for anything else."

He didn't argue. His hands worked fast, grinding leaves, roots and pellets inside the little mortar and pestle kit I gave him. I took the mixture and smeared it across Yukino's wound, pressing down gently to let the paste seep in through the stitches.

"Come on," I muttered, my voice hoarse. "Come on, Yukino, don't do this."

Shinichi sat back on his heels, watching, waiting. His earlier anger had burned away, leaving only desperation in his wide, crimson eyes.

"She'll make it," he said, as if saying it out loud would make it true.

I didn't respond. I couldn't.

Instead, I placed my hands over her once more, letting my chakra flow, letting it work its way through her body, guiding the antidote, forcing her system to fight. I could feel her pulse—weak but steady. She was still with us. She still had a chance.

The firelight flickered, casting long shadows against the walls. The night stretched on, but I didn't stop. I wouldn't stop.

Because if I did—

No. I wasn't going to let that happen.

Yukino's breathing hitched.

It was faint—barely a whisper of sound over the crackling fire—but I heard it. My heart stuttered, my hands freezing mid-motion as I pressed chakra into her body.

Then, just as quickly as it came, the sound faded, swallowed by the oppressive silence.

"No." The word tore from my throat before I even realized I'd spoken. My hands trembled as I adjusted my grip, pressing harder against her pulse point. Still there. Weak, but still there. My breath shuddered out of me, but relief was a luxury I couldn't afford yet.

I glanced up at Shinichi. He was watching me, his hands clenched into tight fists, his jaw locked as if bracing for the worst. His face was streaked with sweat and dirt, but his sharingan burned with something fierce—something stubborn.

"She'll make it," he said again, softer this time. "She has to."

I nodded once, barely more than a twitch. I couldn't afford doubt. Not now.

The paste had started to settle into Yukino's wound, its earthy scent mixing with the acrid bite of burning wood. It was crude, untested, but the best I could manage. Now, all I could do was keep her warm, keep her stable, and keep pushing chakra into her system until her body did the rest.

The fire crackled beside me, casting dancing shadows against the cave walls, but the warmth barely reached Yukino's skin. I ground my teeth and told Shinichi to get both her and his blanket out of their backpacks, then we put them over my own to keep her warm. 

She didn't stir.

The minutes stretched long and unforgiving. My arms ached, my fingers tingling with the constant flow of chakra. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck. My vision blurred at the edges, but I forced myself to stay sharp. I counted her breaths. Measured her pulse. Watched for the tiniest shift in color to her pale lips.

The rhythm I had clung to—the frail, stuttering beat of her life beneath my fingers—vanished.

It vanished.

Yukino's pulse stopped.

For a second, I thought I had imagined it. My hands trembled as I pressed harder against her wrist, my own heartbeat thundering in my ears. But there was nothing. Not even the faintest flutter beneath my fingertips.

"No, wait a second, no."

I shoved my head down against her chest, ear pressed against her ribs, willing myself to hear something—anything. But all I was met with was silence. Empty. Hollow. A void where her heart should have been.

I just whispered. "Her heart stopped…"

A scream ripped through the cave. Shinichi. "NO! NO! YUKINO—!"

He lunged for her, but I threw out an arm, stopping him before he could shake her lifeless body. His fists battered my shoulder instead, his ragged breaths choking on something between rage and sorrow.

"She's not—she's not—!" He couldn't even finish the sentence. His entire frame trembled. His fingers dug into my sleeve, clenching so tightly I thought his nails would tear through. His voice cracked, raw and broken. "Shirokumo, do something!"

I already was.

I had to.

This moment—this exact moment—was why I had spent the last year training under Tsunade, why I had endured sleepless nights pouring over medical texts for the past five years, why I had spent every waking moment honing my abilities. This was why my chakra nature was lightning.

Because I could still save her.

"Move," I ordered.

Shinichi barely had time to process my words before I slammed my hands together.

Tiger. Horse. Bird. Ox. Monkey.

Lightning crackled between my fingers as I pressed them against Yukino's chest. The charge shot through her body, making her jerk violently, her back arching before collapsing again.

No pulse.

I did it again.

Nothing.

Shinichi grabbed my wrist. "What the hell do you think you're—"

"Shut the fuck up." My voice came out as a raw growl. I yanked free and slammed my fist into Shinichi's stomach, punching him with enough force to send him rolling out of the cave. 

Then I slammed my hands down again.

A spark. A twitch. But still, nothing.

One more.

My breathing turned ragged. My chakra reserves ran thin from this whole ordeal. The cave walls blurred, the flickering firelight casting twisted shadows around us. My fingers trembled as I formed the seal again, forcing more electricity into her.

"Come on, Yukino. Come on."

Nothing.

I was losing her.

No.

NO.

One last time—I gathered every ounce of chakra left in me and forced it through her chest, letting it surge through her veins, through her heart.

A beat.

A pause.

Then—

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Yukino's fingers twitched. Her body jerked, her mouth gasping open as she sucked in a ragged breath.

Shinichi lurched forward. "Yukino-chan?!"

Her eyelids fluttered, a ghost of movement, before her body tensed beneath the blanket. Her breathing hitched again, uneven, struggling. A quiet, pained whimper escaped her lips. "Shirokumo…kun…?"

She went unconscious again after speaking my name.

But she survived. 

Yukino was alive. 

Her heart was beating again! 

Something inside me eased—but I didn't let go of the tension coiled in my chest.

She was fighting again, but she wasn't out of danger yet.

I pressed my fingers against her wrist again. Slightly stronger. Still fragile. Still weak. But not fading.

Shinichi let out a shaky breath and wiped his face with the back of his hand. "She's—she's gonna pull through now, right?"

I swallowed hard. "She's holding on. That's all that matters right now."

Shinichi sagged against the cave wall, dragging a hand down his face. "Damn it." He let out a short, bitter laugh. "I really thought I was gonna lose her."

I didn't respond. I couldn't. The weight of the past hours pressed down on me like a stone. The river. The poison. The fear of losing her. It clung to me, thick and suffocating, wrapping around my ribs and squeezing tight.

Not yet. Not until she wakes up.

My vision swam, exhaustion creeping in at the edges. My hands hovered over Yukino for a moment longer before I finally, reluctantly, let them drop. The chakra exhaustion was creeping up on me fast, but I forced myself to stay alert.

Shinichi nudged my shoulder. "Will you be fine without rest? If you collapse…"

I shook my head. "I won't. Not until she's stable."

Shinichi exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. "Stubborn bastard."

I didn't argue. I just shifted closer to Yukino, adjusting the blankets over her, making sure every inch of her was covered.

The fire burned low, its embers pulsing in the darkness. The night stretched on, silent except for the rhythmic sound of Yukino's breathing.

A little stronger now.

A little steadier.

We weren't safe. We weren't out of the woods. But we had a chance.

That was enough for now.

She was still alive.

...