| [Mar. 2nd, 2011|11:18 pm] |
The water was shallower as it headed into rapids, but the stream bed much more treacherous, full of jagged stones that had fallen from the cliffs on either side. Swimming back upstream against the current with Hana draining Ibiki’s chakra in sharp, panicky jolts was out of the question; it was all he could do to keep both of their heads out of the water and keep her small body away from the rocks.
He tried to strike for the nearest bank, a narrow bar of gravel barely a person’s width across at the base of one cliff, but Hana’s chakra surged again and his own bolted out to meet it like lightning seeking ground. For an instant they were sucked under the surface, then Ibiki felt one leg strike a submerged slab of stone. He twisted until he could plant both feet on it and power his way up again, still aiming for the shore.
He felt Hana gulp a breath, and he did too. “It’s okay, I got you! We’re almost at the edge,” he shouted, and hoped she’d hear. “Don’t pull—”
She pulled.
They were in shallow enough water now that Ibiki didn’t go under, but he felt his muscles go dull and weak, like his arms and legs had gone to sleep. It was a little like the after-effects of being hit with a electric jutsu, but not quite the same.
As abruptly as Hana had sucked his chakra away, she let go again, though her arms stayed wrapped around Ibiki’s neck and shoulder in a vice-like grip. He used the chance to climb onto the shore at last, landing on his knees in the gravel. Hana was shaking and coughing, and wasn’t letting go for anything in the world.
“Okay, it’s okay,” said Ibiki. “You’re okay, we’re okay. You did great, kiddo. Okay? You’re okay.” He couldn’t see any obvious injuries on her, beyond a few bumps and scrapes where they’d brushed the rocks, and a quick feel of large hands over her arms and legs didn’t reveal any obvious fractures. He took a deep breath and coughed himself, and found he was just a little shaky, too, as if he’d run at his top speed for miles, or cast one too many jutsu.
“Whew, kiddo. You’ve got some talent,” he said. |
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