Run...
Run…
Just run…
The sound of Sakura's sandals repeatedly slapping against tree trunks echoed around the forest as she leaped forward, each step shaky and desperate. Her chest heaved in rough, uneven pants. The white fog of her breath contrasted with the cold night around her while she hastily used what little chakra she had to scope out her trailing assailants.
"Damn it," she hissed and turned to catch the kunai intended for her neck. In one flick of her wrist, she flipped the weapon in her hand and launched it back with twice as much force and killing intent. The kunai sailed through the trees and made a sickening gush once it connected with its target. A groan was heard followed by a solid thud, causing the corner of Sakura's lips to twitch.
Her feet continued to thrust her deeper into the forest despite her body screaming at her to stop and rest. The grimace touching her face grew deeper at the growing unsteadiness of her legs and the profuse amount of hot sweat dripping down her neck.
Sakura was exhausted. But most of all, she was furious. Absolutely livid. She unrelentingly berated herself for being put in this position in the first place; the words foolish and what the hell was I thinking? swirled around in her head. She mentally retraced her steps, trying to pinpoint where exactly she went wrong and cursed under her breath at the fresh memory of her deciding to leave Suna after a long shift at the hospital.
Konoha was notoriously known for its top-notch medical facility and doctors throughout the nation, all thanks to the Tsunade's expertise and supervision. Since then, many villages have decided to follow suit in improving their hospitals and increasing the number of trained medics, including Konoha's close ally, Suna.
For several months, Suna has slowly been improving their program but recently hit a wall that stopped them from progressing further. They needed someone skilled enough to assist in the training of the medical-nins and oversee the workings of the hospital.
When Tsunade received a scroll from the Kazekage specifically asking for Sakura, she wasn't surprised.
The pink haired, now eighteen years old, kunoichi steadily gained fame after Tsunade agreed to take her as an apprentice. She was uncertain at first, weary of the young girl's lack of vigor and only being capable of some basic techniques, but was proven wrong once she observed her rare gift for chakra control and how fast she learned. The fact that Sakura was also too stubborn to quit may or may not have had a part in how fond Tsunade began to grow of her. Over the years, Tsunade watched her mature physically and mentally. She earned the status of being a respected medical-nin, falling right behind the highly proclaimed Tsunade herself, and rose up the ranks with monstrous power that rivaled her teacher's.
Some would say that without Tsunade, Sakura would have never found strength within her, but she disagrees. The strength that Sakura now possesses was always there. Tsunade was just the shove that pushed her in the right direction.
"Shizune."
The rustling of papers coming from the corner of the office came to a halt and a fair skinned woman turned her attention away from them.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" she clasped her hands behind her back.
"Is Sakura back from her mission?"
"I believe her team just returned."
Snapping the scroll shut, Tsunade set the parcel down and eyed the time, "Send her here."
"Yes Tsunade-sama," she answered back, followed by the sound of feet shuffling.
Tsunade glanced down at the papers throw carelessly around her desk and exhaled. She picked one up and looked at it, only to fling it back into the mess it came from. Her hands rubbed at her temples and then pulled at the drawer beside her, the motion a frequent habit. It opened and displayed bare wood.
Shizune had found her hidden hoard and confiscated all of her sake.
Tsunade's face twisted in annoyance, and she roughly pulled out the drawer, making it fly out of the desk and crumble against the wall. A poof and scatter of cherry blossoms pulled her mind out of its irked state, and she brought her head up to the person in front of her.
"You wanted to see me, Shishou?" the girl's head turned to the broken remains of the desk drawer and back at the woman in front of her, unperturbed.
Sakura stood in in the middle of the room, clad in standard ANBU uniform: black pants, a sleeveless turtleneck that exposed the tattoo etched into her arm, a gray flask jacket, and metal guards that strapped onto her forearms. She reached up to pull her cat mask off and let it hang around her neck.
"I have an independent mission for you," Tsunade leaned forward and offered the scroll to her, "from the Kazekage himself. You are to be officially commissioned out there by next week."
She took it and scanned the contents, "Can I leave today?"
Tsunade eyed the girl, raising a thin brow, "You just came back from a mission."
"And now I can start another," she lightly added.
"When have you had free time for yourself outside of being at the hospital and taking on missions?" Tsunade continued, her tone clipped, "none?"
Sakura opened her mouth to speak but was beat to it.
"Is this because of the Uzumaki brat?"
She pushed her lips together in a grim line and looked down at her feet. A few strands fell loose from the elastic holding her hair back and her hands came up to tuck them behind her ears before coming down to grasp each other. She spoke softly, "Shishou, I'm trying to give myself a distraction."
Tsunade felt her expression soften at her pupil's honesty and leaned on her elbows with a sigh. At that moment, she realized how disheartened Sakura looked. The usual bubbly personality the girl exuded was reeled back, the heart she kept on her sleeve covered up and tucked away. The only time Tsunade could remember her eyes lighting up in that bright, emerald gleam was weeks ago.
Each member of Team 7 took the failed mission of retrieving Sasuke hard, and even after two years, they still blamed themselves. When they came to the tower to issue the mission report, Tsunade didn't miss the somber stillness that lingered around them. Kakashi took the role of giving the report while the other three stood in silence. He didn't even try to hide the tiredness in his eyes. Beside him, Naruto would periodically shake his head and tighten his fists, mumbling incoherent words. Sakura's hands couldn't stop touching her neck. And even Sai, whose connection to Sasuke was nowhere near the level of his team members, looked troubled. Team 7 was never the same since then.
The Uchiha, on the other hand, was in better condition. Filled with vengeance and the lust for power, he deflected the village and trained under the wing of the snake sannin. Everyone knew that the boy had grown in strength but also became mentally unstable, the effect of constantly being manipulated and consumed in rage. He would go through everything in his way to avenge his clan, even those who tried to save him from himself. After his run in with Team 7, he disappeared. That was the last anyone had heard of the stoic boy.
Until several weeks ago.
Word quickly spread that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru and finally achieved the power he sought after. That he was now headed toward the location of his brother, Uchiha Itachi, for the concluding battle that would determine if every sacrifice he made was worth it.
Naruto was one of the first to hear this. He knew that the Sasuke he remembered was gone and each effort to bring him back was useless, but maybe, this time, he would be able to get through to him. Maybe this time, after achieving the goal he thirsted after, he would agree to come back. And so, he made the rash decision to go, ultimately leaving Sakura and everyone else behind.
Of course, Tsunade was furious to begin with. No, anger does not even touch how she felt when she learned that the obnoxious brat left without a word. Alone, all in his jinchuriki holding glory, and with an Akatsuki target painted on his back. No, Tsunade wasn't just angry.
She sent several people to track him down and bring him back, only for them to return empty handed. It had been weeks since he had left, and she had yet received any update on his whereabouts. She was growing anxious, finding it hard to just blindly trust that he was capable of protecting himself, but she knew that her apprentice felt much worse.
At the thought of her student, Tsunade looked back at her and caved in, "Fine, but do not make me regret this. If I hear that you faint on the way, I will personally come up there myself."
Sakura smiled at her answer, thanking her teacher and bouncing on her toes, "I'll rest before I leave."
"Bullshit."
Sakura laughed and pocketed the scroll in her pouch, "Is there anything else you needed to speak with me about?"
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and placed her feet on the edge of her desk, arms crossed over her chest, "Yeah kid, get me some alcohol. Shizune found my stash."
With a knowing look, Sakura nodded and walked over to the stacks of papers Shizune was organizing beforehand. She simply lifted a bundle and uncovered multiple bottles of sake behind it. Tsunade grumbled under her breath. Because of how put off she was from the large amount of paperwork in that area, she would've never looked there. Damn that woman.
Sakura placed the bottles on her desk and Tsunade immediately grabbed one.
"I knew there was a reason why I agreed to mentor you," She popped the top off, and with a wave of her hand, she dismissed her.
"See you in two months, Shishou," Sakura replied, smiling, and vanished in an array of cherry blossom petals.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing in her bedroom. Sakura began to undress and strode over to her bathroom while shaking her hair out of the elastic. After a shower and being clothed in her customary red top and medical skirt attire, she got to work and began to place all of her essentials into her pack. With a check of her weapon holster and medical kit, she walked towards the front door and paused when her eyes accidently landed on a frame hanging on her wall.
They wavered at the sight of Team 7's genin photo.
She studied the way Kakashi's eyes sheepishly crinkled as he ruffled the hairs of both quarreling boys beside him, trying to defuse their argument. Naruto stood to her right with his arms crossed and clearly unhappy while Sasuke was on her left with a scowl of his own. Sakura, being the only one who wanted to be there, was grinning.
She sighed and looked back at the blonde haired boy.
The absence of Naruto took an emotional toll on Sakura and it was obvious to those around her. She was angry, yes. Worried, very. But above all, she was hurt. It was as if she was back in her twelve-year-old body, having no other option than to watch from the sidelines because she wasn't capable enough, because she was weak. Did Naruto not see the great leaps and bounds she made over the years to be considered an equal, that she was now strong? Has he forgotten that she was on the same team?
When she learned of his intentions to leave that day, Sakura instantly dropped what she was doing and took off in an effort to catch him, only to find that she was too late. She stood, hands clenching at her sides and lips pursed, staring at the gate while tears pool at her eyes. At that moment, anguish bloomed in her heart and slowly started to spread itself through her body.
Sakura quickly learned that was a feeling she hated and did what she could do to ignore it. She immersed herself with her job at the hospital, took on several missions, and traded in her free time for training sessions. Anything to drown out that pang in her chest. Weeks later, she still found herself angry and upset, but her wish for Naruto's safe return ended up winning out. That sharp stab eventually faded into a dull throb, but she would always hear that small voice in the back of her mind question her.
What about Sasuke?
Did she truly want him to return?
Her eyes glanced over and lingered at the dark haired boy, fingers reaching up to touch her neck. She recalled the way his hand tightly gripped her throat and how empty his eyes were. The horror she felt as she tried to plead with the boy she once loved, lungs burning from the lack of air, and seeing the kunai he clutched come down at her in response.
The Sasuke she encountered that day was a complete stranger, and it frightened her. The old Sasuke was dead and the man that stood in his place made his intentions very clear to Team 7. He wanted nothing to do with them. But even years later, no matter how hard she tried to, she couldn't bring herself to give up on him. Was it that silly feeling her twelve-year-old self believed to be love that caused her to hold on? No, that infatuation died alongside him a long time ago. It was pity. Pity for his suffering to eventually end and that Team 7 will be able to receive the closure it needed.
Mentally crumpling her thoughts into a ball and shoving in the back of her head, Sakura turned away from the picture and slung her pack over her shoulder. The door closed with a click and she stepped out from her house.
As she dashed across the rooftops, she made a quick detour and stopped at the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She walked in, unable to find Ino, who was probably at the interrogation headquarter with her father, and left a message for her mother to pass onto her when she returned.
Sakura knew that Kakashi was away on an ANBU mission of his own and moved her feet to Sai's apartment. Catching him leaving just in time, Sakura waved and ran up to him. He waved back and approached her.
"Sai!"
"Ugly."
Sakura felt a vein pulsate on her temple and suppressed the urge to send him flying with her fist. She stopped in front of the pale gentleman and decided to jab a finger in his shoulder instead, smirking at how he winced from her touch. "I wanted to let you know that I'm leaving for Suna."
He shifted his weight, "A mission?"
"Yeah, some hospital stuff," she affirmed, "I'll be gone for two months."
"I see," the pale boy paused, "so this is goodbye."
"You don't have to make it sound so morbid."
"But partings are usually sad, are they not?" he scrunched his face up in thought.
Sakura only laughed in response and held her arms out to envelope him in a swift hug. Feeling his gentle taps in response, she said a light-hearted see you soon and drew back. He smiled at her and then parted ways.
She took her time on the way to the gates, acknowledging each person that stopped to speak with her and soaked in as much of the town she could. With one last glance at Konoha and a heave of her pack, Sakura set off in the direction of Suna.
From the time Sakura had left Konoha and approached the sand village's towering gates, it was well into the night. Her footsteps scraped against the sandy ground as she neared, causing the guard flanking the entrance to straighten at her arrival.
"Welcome to Sunagakure, Haruno-san," the middle-aged ninja greeted with a tilt of his head.
Sakura nodded in return and watched him gesture towards the opening gates before walking ahead. Lamp posts leaned over the sandstone floor, emitting a soft glow in the streets, and the faint whistling of wind could be heard as it wrapped around each building. She continued forward and couldn't stop the grin that crept onto her face when she saw a figure emerge from the shadows.
"We weren't expecting you until some time later."
Sakura rose a brow and stopped, "What?" she placed a hand over her heart with feigned hurt. "Are you not happy to see me?"
Temari dramatically rolled her eyes and waved a hand to signal Sakura to follow, the large fan on her back shifting with each step she took. With a smirk, the blonde glanced over her shoulder. "Was it that noticeable?"
Sakura snorted and quickened her pace to stroll alongside her. The two took the chance to catch up, mostly sticking to small talk and updating each other on their lives, until they reached an apartment where Sakura presumed she would be staying. Temari handed her the key after jamming it into the doorknob and twisting it open, revealing a furnished living room.
"Oh!" Sakura set her pack down, "this is a really nice place."
"Thanks," Temari shrugged, "it was my old place before I moved out." She stepped in and began to show her around the home. "The bed's a little uneven so if it's uncomfortable for you later on just let me know."
Sakura shot her a sly grin and nudged her arm, "Is that where you and Shikamaru ha—"
"Not you too," she interrupted, sighing out loud. She turned her head away when Sakura eyed the pink flush tinting her face. "I already have Ino on my back about this."
"So, how was it?"
"I'm leaving," She quickly spun on her heels and headed towards the door. "Have fun settling in. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Sakura waved a farewell at the retreating figure and felt her shoulder's slump in exhaustion once the door shut. She leaned down and took a seat with her back against the wall, propping her arms on her knees and placing her head in her hands. Did she have to come immediately? No, but Sakura knew that it was for the best, for Suna and herself. Mostly herself, as selfish as that sounded.
She needed a distraction, something that would make herself not think of Naruto when she walked past Ichiraku or notice his absence when she trained with Sai and Kakashi. Konoha itself constantly reminded Sakura of the hyperactive boy, and when the opportunity to temporarily leave arose, she jumped at it.
She just hoped she made a good choice.
Taking a minute to rub her eyes, she picked herself up and made her way to the bedroom. The bed groaned under the weight of her body and her muscles instantly relaxed at the contact of soft cotton. Fatigue washed over her, causing her eyelids to droop, but before she could drift off, her mind wandered back to the picture of Team 7 hanging on her wall.
The following weeks, Sakura found that she really didn't have a life outside the hospital, partly because her lifestyle was so engrossed in it. Being the only familiar faces in the village, she primarily associated with the sand siblings. A conversation or two when she ran into Kankuro, occasional updates to Gaara, but mainly lunch outings with Temari, although that itself was rare due to her habit of working extra hours and in a severe need for sleep due to chakra depletion.
Suna's hospital was basic at best, being sufficient enough to issue a standard medical procedure yet unable to administer anything beyond that. Sakura was relieved to find that each student possessed an adequate amount of chakra control that would be of some use to the hospital, making her job a touch easier, and spent countless hours going over a variety of methods. After numerous amounts of demonstrations and actually letting the trainees assist in her surgeries, Sakura saw the hospital improve even further, especially with the generous grant received. Week after week, she watched the program flourish under her and come to the point where it was able to successfully run without her guidance. Two months went by just like that.
On the last day, Sakura unsurprisingly spent her day off from the hospital at the hospital. The residents were unaffected by her presence stepping into the facility and continued their work. Some took the time to say hello as they passed, already accustomed to her workaholic tendencies. A clipboard was handed to her just when she approached the reception desk and her calloused fingers flipped through the charts before she turned to the nurse sitting there.
"Get room eight prepped for surgery," she handed the clipboard back and started to tie her shoulder length locks away from her face, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
The girl nodded but hesitantly opened her mouth, "Sakura-sama, would it not be wise to take this day to rest?"
She eyed her with a smile touching her lips and leaned on the desk, chin propped in her hand, "Rest for what?"
"Are you not leaving for Konoha tonight?"
Though Suna had become like a second home, Sakura couldn't kill the feeling of homesickness in her. The mental image of being back in her own bed, her own hospital, surrounded by her precious people caused her to become restless. Konoha will always be where she belonged and she was very ready to return. The pink haired woman hummed a yes, having a feeling where this conversation was going.
"If you overwork yourself today, you would be in no condition to travel tonight."
"Who says that I'm going to overwork myself today?" She laughed but was touched at the nurse's concern.
"No one, sensei, but usually—"
"Relax," Sakura reached over to give her hand a reassuring pat, cutting her off, "I was planning on taking it easy today so there's no need to worry. I appreciate the concern though, Yori-chan." With a final smile and pat of her hand, Sakura turned around and headed off to surgery.
Thirteen hours later, it was clear to everyone that Sakura was not taking it easy. Many students thought to persuade the medic to take off early, but the idea of testing the woman's ill temper caused them to quickly reconsider. Nine surgeries including an extremely strenuous complication later, Sakura bid every person a last goodbye and trudged out of the hospital. The few civilians who lingered around the streets rushed by her to get home before it got too dark.
"You look like hell."
She huffed and looked over at Temari, walking over to her friend, "I feel even worse."
The sand ninja peeked at her drained form, pondering for a moment, "Maybe you should wait until tomorrow to leave. It would take twice as long for you to get there in this state anyway."
Sakura ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She thought it over. "Yeah, okay," her shoulders slumped, the exhaustion rolling off of her in waves, "I just have to drop off some papers to your brother first, then I'll get some shut eye."
"I'll walk with you just in case you decide to get all dramatic and faint again."
"That was once!" she cried out, throwing her hands in the air.
Temari snickered at her outburst and continued to tease her. "Man, I would be so embarrassed if I were you. You landed face first into that soup."
She rolled her eyes at the memory, trying hard not to laugh with her. It was a long day, and she insisted on having lunch with Temari after pulling a double shift at the hospital. She lasted exactly twenty minutes, just enough time to order and get her food, before blacking out and taking a nosedive into the bowl. Giving in, she giggled at herself, "I swear I can still smell the broth in my hair."
The two women continued to chat while on the way to the Kazekage. Reaching the tower, Sakura knocked on his office door and strode in with a bow of her head. Temari followed and took a spot behind her, leaning on the wall with her arms crossed.
Suna no Gaara sat enrobed in his traditional robe and headdress. Papers cluttered his desk but were considerably tidy and under control compared to Tsunade's. At the sound of their arrival, the pen he held froze and stopped writing. Placing the writing utensil down, he greeted them and straightened from his hunched form.
"You have the final documents, I presume?" he directed his gaze to the folder in her hands. She nodded, passing it and watching him promptly scan through each page.
After several minutes, he snapped the folder close and looked up to her with his black rimmed eyes, "Impeccable work, Sakura-san. Suna is in debt to you."
She smiled at him and bowed once again, "Thank you, Kazekage-sama."
"Are you still planning to leave tonight?" he eyed her tired body, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.
Feeling his stare, she looked down and rubbed her arm, "Actually, I've decided to stay until tomorrow since I'm—"
A rap on the door was heard and a man dressed in a black body suit with purple markings adorning his face walked in. Kankuro apologetically cleared his throat at his interruption, "Sorry, but I have a message for Sakura."
At the mention of her name, the pinkette's head snapped up and focused on the scroll in his hand, "Me?"
"Yeah," he affirmed, handing it to her, "something about it being urgent."
Probably the hospital, she thought.
The sand siblings watched her hands unroll the parchment, all curious of the information held inside. Sakura looked down at the paper in her hand and felt her jaw drop in shock. She began to tremble, heart plummeting to her stomach. Tears started to build up around her eyes, blurring her vision, and she didn't dare breathe for fear of making them fall. The drowsiness in her muscles suddenly left as she continued to read the words in front of her, over and over and over again.
Just updated, Naruto is safe and heading back with Sasuke. -Tsunade
"They're coming home," she gasped, tightly gripping the edges of the scroll. A wave of relief washed over her and drenched her to the very core. Her mouth was stretched into a wide grin that sent her face on the verge of splitting in two.
Naruto was okay and on the way home. He was okay and Sasuke…
Sasuke was coming home.
"Naruto's coming home?" Temari questioned her from the back of the room.
"They…" Kankuro murmured, his hand reaching up to stroke his chin. It paused once his eyes widened in realization. "You're telling me that idiot really brought him back?"
"I have to go," Sakura peeked back at Gaara who silently sat in his chair watching her, "I need to see them."
"Hold on," Temari stepped in and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You can't go out there like this. Your chakra levels are low and you can barely stand on your feet. Wait until tomorrow, you need the rest."
"No," she refused and stepped out from her hand, "I need to leave now if I want to make it on time."
"At least let one of us go with you," Kankuro suggested.
Sakura shook her head, "I would be faster if I went alone." She looked at the two frustrated siblings who clearly knew her mind couldn't be changed, "I'll even mask my chakra so I won't run into trouble. Trust me I'll be fine."
"Gaara?" Temari called out to him, asking for his input. The red headed man looked at his sister, locking eyes with her. He then turned his attention to Sakura with his lips pursed and eyes narrowed. Silence filled the office.
"I'll allow it."
"Gaara!" Temari snapped, throwing a heated look at her brother. Kankuro only shook his head in response.
Gaara met his sister's glare with calm eyes, "Either way, she would still leave. We cannot keep her here against her will."
Temari said nothing and decided to take a spot beside Kankuro, both visibly unhappy with his decision. Sakura opened her mouth to thank him only to be cut off.
"I will send a message to inform Tsunade-sama," he plucked a clean scroll from the ones scattered on his desk.
"Thank you so much," With a final bow and a swift hug to the brooding siblings in the corner, Sakura headed towards the door.
"Sakura-san."
She paused, turning to look back at Gaara, "Yes?"
"Do not over exert yourself."
A full moon gleamed in the pitch black sky, casting shadows across the foliage. Using the leaves as cover, she moved nimbly through the trees and tried to gain as much ground as she could. Occasionally a cricket or two could be heard over the wind whipping at her hair. It didn't take much to mask her already low chakra levels and with her silent movements, she was practically invisible. Once reaching the halfway point, Sakura stopped and decided to give her body a chance to rest.
Jumping down from the tree, she took a spot on the coarse ground and leaned back, closing her eyes and basking in the moonlight. She sat there for a couple minutes taking in the slight ruffling of the leaves and the cool breeze on her skin. A layer of peace coated her state of mind and she eased out a relaxed breath.
That layer was ripped off when the distinct crunch of a leaf was heard.
Sakura's muscles froze on instinct, but she kept her eyes closed. The chakra within her hummed to life and stretched out to find any signatures around. Another footstep was audible, barely heard thanks to her trained ear. Her hand slowly began to reach for her weapon holster, the tips of her finger only able to graze the hilt of a kunai, just as a body burst from the shrubs and shot toward her.
She rolled out from his attack and leaped up to deliver a spinning roundhouse kick. The assaulter ducked and lashed out at her with a kunai. He sliced the air around her in messy X's and grew impatient with his blade meeting empty space. His body parried left, impelling Sakura to shift to the opposite side, but he deceivingly slashed to the right and was effective enough to cut her forehead protector.
The headband slid off of Sakura's head and dropped to the ground.
The man proceeded to charge at her with another onset. Dodging the strike, her body arched and flipped back to place several feet between them. Her arms came up to form her usual fighting stance while her mind raced to form a strategy. She braced herself for him to instigate another attack and frowned when he instead leaned against a tree, twirling the weapon in his hand.
"The Godaime's apprentice," his shoulders shook with a chuckle and wicked grin, eyeing her then rubbing his finger along the edge of the kunai, "looks like we got lucky tonight."
We?
Two other figures emerged beside him and Sakura cursed under her breath. All three wore dark clothing, nearly blending in with the shadows around them, and showed no sign of possessing a hitai-ate.
"Bounty hunters," Sakura gritted her teeth and tightened her fist, feeling her temper rise. The female on his right reached back to unsheathe her katana. Sakura squinted at the bright gleam of moonlight that reflected off the blade and frowned.
"We'd get twice as much with her head on a stake," the dark haired woman mused and tapped the tip of her sword into the dirt.
"How long do you think she'll last?" the other one spoke, looking at his two associates.
The spinning of the kunai stopped and the middle one smirked, "Not long." And with that, two took off and left her with the woman.
Before she had the chance to dash after one, the female lurched at Sakura, forcing her to block the katana with a kunai. Not wasting a second, Sakura twisted out of the way and crouched down to swipe at her feet. The woman flipped back and spun to land a retaliating kick to Sakura's head.
She easily caught the foot with a hand and threw her at one of the hunters watching from the trees. The spectator jumped away a second before the body crashed into the timber, causing the forest to resonate with the splitting crack of wood. Gathering chakra in her hand, she reared back and slammed her fist into another tree. It was obliterated on contact and a different figure, the original attacker, leaped from it and into the air. Numbers of kunai and shurikens sailed straight at her to which she reflected with her own and then launched back. It managed to cut his check as he dodged and buried itself into a bark.
He landed in front of her and wiped at the blood. Sakura watched him try to launch himself at her but stumble and fall. He placed a hand on his cheek, snarling at her, "What the fuck did you do?"
"Poison," she retorted, noticing how each of his movements were unsteady, "it gives off the effect of the muscles being burned, making it difficult to move." The sight of him clutching his chest in pain made her smile in satisfaction. Running forward to his hunched over form, she leaped up and focusing chakra into her leg. She forced it down over his head, shattering every bone in his body and instantly killing him. The floor under him caved and crumbled due to the amount of sheer power in her attack. His crushed body laid sprawled on the broken ground.
She flipped back, narrowingly missing the sword thrown at her. The dark haired woman reappeared and followed suit with a series of punches and kicks. Sakura blocked each hit with her arms but was thrown back when a kick landed at her ribs. She skidded across the ground and tried to roll onto her feet, however, the woman dashed over and used her body to hold her down. Drawing her fist back, she swung at Sakura's face. The metallic taste of blood seeped into her mouth as she took each hit, blow after blow. She grunted in pain and tried to free her hands to no avail.
Another punch smashed into her jaw and made her vision temporarily go black. Using the only freed body parts, Sakura lifted her legs and wrapped them around the woman's neck. The hands ceased punching and tried to loosen the grip around their owner's neck. Sakura's hold on her tightened, despite the painful clawing at her legs, just enough to get her to gasp for air and roll off.
The woman slumped to the ground in dry coughs, holding her throat and wheezing. Taking a page out of her book, Sakura grabbed and flipped her onto her back, straddling her down. She heaved in heavy pants and knew she was running dangerously low on her dwindling chakra. A soft green glow emitted from the fist hovering above her head, planning to crush the girl's skull in. But before she could give the final blow, she felt the sharp edges of a blade slice through her side.
Sakura screamed in pain at her flesh tearing and pulled the katana out, allowing blood to seep from the deep wound. She did what little she could do to stop the bleeding until the woman underneath her was able to free her arm and fist a handful of pink hair. She pulled Sakura off and backhanded her. The weapon fell out of her hand and was kicked away by the third assaulter. Unlike the woman, who was now stumbling to her feet, and Sakura, who had trouble keeping her eyes open, he stood unscathed.
"You know," he sighed, kicking his feet and placing his hands on his hips, "I thought you would've been more impressive."
Sakura's rage rose and her mouth let out a vicious growl. She flashed stepped next to him, bringing her fist down but made contact with the ground instead. The forest floor shook from the impact, causing trees to fall over and chunks of the earth to be heaved up and flung around. The man that once stood there dissipated with a puff of smoke and appeared behind her. His hand shot out to seize her neck and shove her onto the ground. She wailed out in pain and clutched her throbbing head. He pried her hands away to harshly kicked at her side. Her ribs buckled under and a groan escaped her mouth. Sakura couldn't move her body regardless of how much she tried. Every fiber of her being screeched out in agony with each shift, begging for it to stop. She failed to even notice the presence of the other woman until she drove the tip of the katana into Sakura's stomach.
She swore that her screams could have been heard in Suna.
Tears flowed from her eyes and ran down her bruised face. The woman licked her lips at Sakura's thrashing body and began to drag the sword upward. Sakura's screams grew louder and she willed her hands to stop the blade from moving any further, not caring that the edge was cutting through her palms. Her brows furrowed in concentration and with another cry, she ripped the blade out from her body and impaled it into the woman's thigh. The woman toppled back and fell onto the male, who huffed in annoyance and steadied her. Sakura, wincing in pain, got up and did the only thing she could do.
She ran.
She took off to the trees, clearly aware of the two signatures trailing close behind, and used the very last of her chakra to stop herself from bleeding out. The green glow of her hands slowly dimmed before completely fading, leaving her damaged body at the mercy of herself and the hunters. Her pink bangs stuck to her forehead in a bloody, matted mess. Her legs shook with each push off a branch, forcing her to move fast, faster. And darkness started to encroach her vision.
She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand, and she whirled around to catch the kunai intended for the same spot. A shout ripped its way out of her throat as she launched the weapon back. A solid thud rang out.
One chakra signature remained.
Sakura continued to dash forward, chest rising and falling in fast tired pants. She didn't know how much longer her body would be able to hold out and prayed that it would be just enough. Unfortunately, she wasn't one for religion.
Her legs gave out and sent her plunging to the ground. She tried, failing miserably, to lessen her fall by landing on her feet. Instead, she landed in a broken heap on her side. How was she able to pull herself up? She had no idea but was grateful that she miraculously did. The chakra signature grew closer with each second and soon the dark clothed man jumped down in front of her. He smoothly strode over and grabbed her chin, forcing her gaze to him.
"Pathetic."
She snapped.
Her hands snatched the arm touching her face, and with a swift rise of her knee, she broke it into two. She didn't have time to relish in his pained grunt before he swung his other one. She ducked, and with one last ditch effort, pulled out a kunai with an explosive tag attached. With all her strength, she brought the weapon down and plunged it into his chest.
"Go to hell," she seethed, twisting and digging it deeper in him. With a punch to the face, he collapsed by her feet. Sakura knew she only had mere seconds before her and anything within a ten-mile radius was reduced to ashes. She turned to sprint away but a hand wrapped around her ankle prevented her to from doing so.
"I'll see you there."
Sakura's eyes widen in dread at her feet being pulled under her and her body hitting the ground. She cried out and kicked his hand off, scrambling to her feet in a frantic manner. The tag went off after she made it two steps away.
A deafening explosion boomed, sending a shockwave that swept through its surroundings. Pieces of debris and trees were unearthed and rained down on Sakura's exposed skin, stinging it. Her eyes automatically sealed themselves shut from the blinding light that engulfed her figure. Then, she felt the heat. The smothering scorch that worked its way into her lungs, incinerating her from the inside out. She somehow realized that she was screaming again.
Her body was hurled aside, the blast causing her head to collide with a something sharp and hard. The ringing in her ears almost drowned out the roaring flames that enveloped the scant patches of green around her. Breathing became more than difficult for Sakura to maintain and her vision was slowly failing her.
The rate of her heart began to decrease, each beat like a weak pound in her chest. She didn't know how long she laid there listening to the slow decline of her pulse, but it provided some sense of calmness to reach her. Her glassy eyes looked up at the black sky above her and with a shallow breath, she let out a jaded laugh.
Sai was right. Goodbyes are always sad.
She let herself cry, feeling the tears stream down and burn her raw cheeks. With words jumbled on the tip of her tongue, Sakura said a final parting to the stars and let her eyes flutter shut.
Then, it started to rain.