The unexpected [P]

The Uchiha would notice his friend's struggle and his attempt to conceal it. He was actually quite worried, as the man wasn't looking so good lately. Returning the smile Naoki hoped it was something minor, something that some work and fresh air would vanquish, if not he might have to push the guy into visiting a doctor after they get back.

Exiting out the tunnel, with the corner of his eye Naoki would watch as the wall closed behind them. And the wide water opened up before them. In the distance he could see the mainland, it would still take some running to reach the shores. Naoki would signal the band to move out and begin the stride towards the dry land.

Sanada after exiting the tunnel, looked over the land after seeing where they were on the ocean. His chakra suddenly fluxed again dropping to almost zero. His body dropped suddenly as his lungs stopped moving taking in the air that allowed him to breath. Short gasps of air were taken but nothing was produced to give him breath. Dropping to his knees on top of the water Sanada's right arm raced to his chest slightly pounding on it to try to push some type of movement.

"Nao...can't...brea...."

His body slumped into the water face planting with the water before his body would slowly fall beneath the surface of the water going to be submerged to the bottom.

Right before the group set off again, Naoki would hear a splash. Looking back he would see Sanada on his knees on the water. The man's chakra even normally rather weak, now was so fainted than ever. His friend would whisper something, but Naoki would only understand that he had trouble breathing and saying anything was difficult. He did not appear to be choking, but for some reason it looked like he could not breathe.
As the Uchiha approached him, thinking of how to help the man slumped into the water. The Jounin would run up to him, pulling the body from the water and throwing him on his shoulder. He had to get him to the hospital as fast as possible. Gesturing in the direction he would order the group "Get to the port." Somebody will meet them there after they failed to show up on time. Immediately he would turn around and making a handseal lunge into the opening of the barrier.

At his top speed Naoki was moving as quick as the tunnel formed, getting past it in seconds. Praying to make it in time he would head for the hospital. Naoki could feel Sanada's chakra slowly fading. Clearly this was something more than just a minor issue and it hit so suddenly. Entering the hospital maybe half a minute after the Jounin would shout for help, entrusting his friend to the staff and quickly explaining what transpired. They would take him away and ask Naoki to wait in the hall. Restlessly circling around, the Uchiha couldn't stop thinking. What the hell happened, how?

Sanada was fading in and out of consciousness as he was on the back of his friend and teacher. He couldn't feel anything anymore, at least anything besides his lungs being crushed and he couldn't understand why. Once he came back to reality there were doctors cutting his clothes off and pushing a tube down his throat to push air directly into his lungs, he was put on a machine to force him to breath over and over.

Doctor
What in the hell has this kid been doing, his lungs are completely filled with tumors. This is the most advanced and aggressive I've ever seen, judging from these sheets he's been smoking for more than half his life.

The nurses were injecting different medicines into Sanada's IV bag to try and alleviate most of the pain that was going through his body. At this time Sanada was awake and staring into the eyes of everyone around him looking to see what had happened and why it was happening to him. The machine he was attatched to was pushing air into him allowing his lungs to breath forced but still allowing air.

He could hear them talking but couldn't believe what he was hearing, there was no way he could die like this, especially from something like smoking, how was it that he was going to be done in by small sticks. The doctors were saying he wouldn't live for more than a few more hours, and all they could do was ease his passing. He was not going to go out without saying bye to the only one person that had been there for him.

Sanada began pulling on the tubes that were pushing air into his lungs and trying to remove them on his own. Seeing this the doctors and nurses began rushing to his side forcing his hands down to his sides while pushing a sedative into his arm to calm him down.

"Naoki, I need to talk to Naoki.....please....."

Hearing this the head doctor gave the signal for all of the others to stop and let Sanada go while he rushed out of the room to find the one that had brought him. The doctor came running out of the operation area with a worried look on his face as he paced back and forth calling out the name of the one Sanada had called.

Doctor
Naoki, where are you, I'm looking for Naoki, come quickly, your friend is calling for you.

Hearing his name, Naoki would look at the doctor. "How is he?" He would ask, following the doctor into the operation area. He said that Sanada was calling him, which was a good sign. Coming inside, he would see his friend hooked up to some device, air being pumped into him to keep him alive, it wasn't the prettiest sight. Leaning over Naoki would say "You hang in there, we'll fix this." His mind raced, clearly this was not going good. He lacked the medical knowledge to be of any help himself, but maybe if he could get somebody... Naoki would desperate look around "Is there anybody who can help him? Anyone?!" Naoki did not personally know anyone who is good with this stuff, Kaede does not have any talent for medicine as far as he knows, neither does Rakka. There was a renown medical ninja in the village, but he died recently. If he was still around, it might be different.
The Uchiha was feeling a suppressed panic as he was helpless to save the man he had grown to call his friend.

As they rushed back to the area that Sanada was being housed in the doctor opened the door to let Naoki rush in unimpeded. The head doctor would motion for the others to clear the room and let Sanada say his farewells while he still had the breath to speak on his own from removing the equipment.

Doctor
Naoki, he has a very severe case of lung cancer, it's honestly too far advanced for us to be able to treat, he would need new lungs and we don't have the equipment to to handle this level of it. If he would have come in sooner maybe we could have fixed this..

As the doctor placed his hand on the shoulder of the worried Naoki he left the room closing the door behind him as he was the last to leave. Sanada was propped up on pillows trying his best to feign a smile for his friend as he looked very worried. It was the only thing that Sanada could do honestly was smile to try and ease his friends mind.

"Hey, what's with the..face, I can't look that bad, can I? The doctors say I have a few more hours before I call a time out from this ninja thing."

Sanada tried to force out a laugh that only ended in him coughing violently hunching over in his bed. His heart monitor picked up for a brief moment before slowly coming back down to a less than normal pattern.

"In my vest pocket is my pack of smokes, can you pop the pack out and bring it to me, I'd like to have one more of those suckers..."

Listening to Sanada Naoki would calm down, as it seemed his friend had accepted his fate. The desperate strength and uneasiness that filled him just a moment ago transformed into a weakness, helplessness and heaviness for being unable to do anything. And in the end, if Sanada could not be restored to full health, then maybe death was indeed the better choice than living on a tube for the rest of your life.

As Sanada asked for one more smoke, Naoki found the pack. "Sure, not much worse it can get now, eh?" he would try to joke as he pulled one stick out and gave it to his friend, helping with lighting it if it was needed. At the time he seemed to have shut down any emotions and was not feeling anything. Except sadness maybe, and helplessness.

Again pushing out a weak laugh as the smoke touched his lips and his friend lit the cigarette for him, he inhaled the smoke one last time. For just that one moment there was no pain no negative feeling at all just peace and happiness. His best friend was by his side in his final moments and he had his favorite smokes on his tongue letting the vanilla flavor caress his taste buds.

"Hey, I know you don't smoke, but I want you to have my lucky smokes...thinking about it now though, they aren't very lucky if this is where i'm at...ha...haha.."

Looking at his friend one last time he pulled the cig from his mouth with his right arm holding it away from his mouth. He pushed out the last of the smoke from his lungs with glazed over eyes before flashing his friend one last smile.

"Looks like i'm clocking out boss, see you i....."

Sanada's eye's lost the life that once jumped around in his body and his hand holding the smoke dropped to his side before the flatline beeping could be heard from the machine that monitored it.

Naoki would stay by his friend during his last moments, taking the 'lucky' smokes and smiling at the joke. It was sarcastic, but so was life. With the last breath Sanada would push out a smoke cloud. "I will see you on the other side." Naoki would respond and with that his friend was gone, the device confirming that his heart was no longer beating. After closing Sanada's lifeless eyes Naoki would turn off the annoying beep and stay still a moment. The smile on his friend's lips remained.

After maybe an hour of talking to doctors, informing Sanada's mother and other stuff Naoki was finally alone on a rocky beach. The blocked emotions would finally be let loose. Shouting his rage at the blue midday horizon he would kick a rock, sending it flying into the sea. He would then collapse to his knees and remain silent with his eyes closed for a minute. Tears slowly gathering in his eyes and then falling, something would be happening. Naoki would feel empty, he tried to be as strong as possible but that was not enough, he could not save his friend. In his hand he would feel something, looking down he would see the smokes. The smokes that killed his friend. But he would see more than that, it may be true that his friend died because he smoked. But it was also part of him and Sanada entrusted him with that part.
When eventually Naoki found the strength to stand up and face the world again, he would be different. A new light of Mangekyou being in his eyes.

[Exit
Mangekyou activation
+Sanada's pack of clove cigarettes
his ryo going to Shima funds]

Approved for MS