I Re-did my other story "Cruel Twist Of Fate" This is the new version. I think it's way better, though this still isn't all that fantastic.
None of the characters in this story belong to me.
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"No... No... NO! NO!" The chilling screams echoed around the clearing, the shreiking sound loud and consistant. It was the sound of a woman whos heart was being shattered, to small to matter, broken into a million useless peices that would seemingly never be fixed.
In the center of the blood stained clearing sat Sakura Haruno. The woman with cherry blossom colored hair was curled around the motionless, bleeding bundle that was once Ino Yamanaka. The pink haired girl was holding the later one, rocking back and forth slowly, wishing that she could pump her healing chakra into the mortal wound that took up most of Ino's stomach. The gapeing, gore splattered wound was still sluggishly pumping blood, like a lazy, crimson river. She cursed herself, she cursed this situation and every god she could think of. If she hadn't spent mostly all of her Chakra during the fight, the she could have done it, damn it, she could have saved Ino instead of watching the blonde haired woman bleed out in her arms.
"God, please get up, Ino. It was all a mistake, you don't have to be dead... please... please..." Her voice broke off as a sob raked through her lean body, causing her to shake with the fury of it as it coursed through her like lightning.
Could life really be so cruel as to take her best friend away from her? Not even an hour ago they were laughing it up with not a care in the world, and now they were here, Ino laying dead in Sakura's arms. It seemed so unreal, so unfair that it made Sakura's stomach clench, made her want to vomit. Everything was spinning and nothing felt like it would be okay ever again. It hurt so bad, worse then any physical blow could ever hurt. This was a searing, blinding fire that raged through her entire being with a vengence, acid bubbling even deeper inside of it, and oh god did it hurt.
Another scream was ripping from Sakura's throat, though she wasn't aware of it, wasn't aware of the way it was like glass scrapeing at the soft muscles. She was only aware of the dead woman growing fridged in her arms. Ino was so cold, she was like a snowy day against Sakura's blazeing, summer kissed skin. Tears pricked at her eyes, spiked, wet warmth that squeezed out of the red rimmed, emerald eyes and rolled down her soft cheeks.
Naruto was by her side now, standing over her like a giant, orange blurred shadow. She didn't care, the whole world could be watching her and she just wouldn't give a damn, because Ino was dead. He placed a warm, calloused hand on her shoulder and spoke softly to her, as though she might break. It was to late though, she was already broken.
"Sakura, we need to get her body back to Konoha." He whispered, voice rough from the sadness that boubled through him.
Sakura only shook her head stubbornly and stammered out through her blinding tears, "It was a mistake, Naruto. I-It was an accident, sh-she doesn't... doesn't have to be dead." Her words were gurgled, bubbling and thick with the anguish that tore through her like a hurricane.
With a sad sigh, Naruto lent down and, as carefully as he could, pried the dead woman from Sakura's vice like grip. It was an agonizeing thing to do, but it had to be done, and so he did it. The orange clad ninja carried the body back over to Shikamaru and Choji, who seemed to shocked to do much else other then stare at their fallen teammate.
Sakura couldn't handle it all, she collapsed and sobbed against the unforgiving earth floor. Blood, mud, and grass clung to her delicate, broken features as she let loose with all her misery, screaming and cursing at their fate. She beat the ground with her bruised fists, makeing little fissures that cracked out along the hard packed earth like spiderwebs.
Only after she stopped abuseing the already beaten earth was she aware of another person standing silently beside her. She glanced up at Kakashi with glassy, blank eyes, not bothering to ask what he wanted, not really careing.
"Sakura, I know this might be a bit much to ask right now, but I need to know what happend." His voice was soft as well as assertive. Sakura and Ino had been the first two that showed up, and the battle was over as quickly as it started, everyone else only showing up after the fact.
Sakura crushed her eyes together, another gurgling sob escapeing her mouth. Her fingers clawed at the earth, trying to peice together the shattered fragments of what had happend. It all seemed so unreal, like a bad dream that she was still trying to wake up from.
Rain was falling softly from the semi gray clouds that overlooked the clearing in the center of the woods. It was, in a way, a nice match to the mood of the situation. Sakura and Ino sprang into the middle of the muddied clearing, their feet skidding slightly in the wet dirt. They stood panting, glowering at the man that was no more then five feet away from them, watching with impassive onyx eyes.
"Sasuke." Sakura hissed, the words seeping between her clenched teeth like steam.
Saskue didn't utter a word back, he only placed his hand on the sword that was still sheathed at his hip, waiting. Clenching her fist, Sakura charged forward, an angry battle cry escapeing her lips as she threw the first punch. Sasuke was fast though, to fast, he dodged easily and slammed his fist against the back of her head.
Sakura stumbled, dazed by the blow, she skidded in the mud but was quick to regain her composure. She whipped around and slammed her chakra fueled fist into the ground, it exploded outward as though a bomb had gone off below it. Chunks of jagged rocks jutted out like broken bones, the earth splitting open, trying to suck the Uchiha under. Sakura scanned the area, looking for her former teammate.
"Is that the best you can do?"
The voice was an emotionless, cold slap to Sakura's ego as a foot connected with her mid-back and sent her flying across the clearing, she hit one of the bigger rocks, her ribs cracking painfully against it as she bounced off it and rolled for a few heartbeats in the mud. She groaned and quickly healed up her broken ribs, trying her best to drag in sharp, glass laced breaths. It was only to late that Sakura realized Sasuke was running at her, chidori ablaze, and that Ino was also running, ready to intercept the killing blow.
Sakura blinked her dull eyes up at Kakashi. "I'm sorry... I... I can't... It was an... a-accident... she shouldn't..." She rambled blindly, not sure how to explain it, not even wanting to right now.
Kakashi closed his visable eye for a moment then nodded. He picked up his teammate gently and started heading back twoards the others. They would get it all figured out after Sakura had some time to think and accept what had happend was the reality, and if nothing else, Tsunade would be able to get what she needed out of her pupile.
