Maya - a Naruto Fanfic

33. TFW You Almost Die

"Stay still if you want to live." A voice growls in my ear. Naturally, I freeze.

"Don't move." Another voice orders, and Kakashi's hand stills, halfway to his weapons pouch.

"Not a smart move," says the one holding me, "bringing a civilian on a mission."

"Apparently not." Kakashi calls back.

"This doesn't have to be difficult. Just hand over the bridge builder, and the girl goes free." The second man says, and a large, metal arm comes up to replace the kunai, closing tight around my throat.

"Either way, someone dies." Kakashi confirms my fears, and a wave of nausea hits me. They won't jeopardise the mission for me, they can't.

"Naturally." There's a rancid smell rising up from his claws, and the tips prick through my skin. Oh god, tell me that isn't-

"I'm afraid this deal has a time limit."

"You have until our poison circulates throughout her body." I have to close my eyes as all the blood rushes from my face. There isn't enough time for a plan.

"Or until I decide to snap her neck." His grip tightens, and my breathing cuts out. My fingers scrabble uselessly at the metal covering his arm, mouth open and gasping helplessly.

"Stop!" Sakura yells desperately.

"You know how to make him stop." The shinobi sneers. My eyesight is already dimming. I never was good at holding my breath...

"... Let her go." I fight to focus on Kakashi. His face swims, and I close my eyes against the way that makes my stomach turn.

"Are you giving us the bridge builder?"

"Yes." It's almost a whisper.

"You can't!" Sakura shouts, but I'm already dropping from his grip. My legs don't have the strength to hold me, and I collapse in a heap at his feet, choking and gasping in air. The sudden rush of air makes me dizzy. Something whizzes over my head and warmth splatters over my back.

"Bastar - augh!" More warmth, slightly wet, covers my back.

"A little piece of advice - don't drop your hostage until your target is within reach." Kakashi's mild tone fills the silence. It's all the signal Sakura needs, and she comes running over to me, lifting me up so my head presses against her chest.

"Maya? Maya, can you hear me?" She asks as she brushes my hair away from my face. I blink slowly up at her as my vision slowly fades back, and her face swims into focus.

"Yeah," my voice rasps softly through my abused throat, "yeah, I can hear you."

"Thank goodness! You weren't moving at all." Her sigh melts into a smile, and she helps me to my feet.

"Maya, are you alright?" Naruto yells as he comes bounding over.

"I'm fine. Have I - have I got anything on my back?" I don't want to know the answer, but the words come out anyway, and Sakura and Naruto look... Ill.

"In order to save you, Kakashi-sensei had to..." Sakura tries to explain, but trails off, looking helplessly at me. I know what she means.

"Killing is part of a shinobi's job. No doubt you'll see more death if you continue down the path of a shinobi." Kakashi pulls his kunai out of the bodies of the enemy shinobi, flicking them clean of blood before placing them back in his pouch. How can he do that so easily?

"I knew that! But..." Naruto grits his teeth and stares down at the ground.

"It's different, knowing and seeing." I say softly. I'm too calm. What has this world done to me?

"I suppose so..." He says softly, watching me with sharp eyes, his usual lazy expression gone. It's as I'm staring back that my vision begins to blur, and the strength leaves my limbs.

"Maya!" A shocked yell is the last thing I hear before I slip from consciousness.

A/N: so I realised the last bit didn't publish, which is weird, but lucky for me because I forgot a kind of important bit. SO! For those of you who've read it already, bear with and read the last 2 paragraphs.

Ta-ta~