The Battle That Changed Everything

Raisaikkenn!

The kunoichi had been hit by a powerful blast move in the air to her entire chest from the enemy as she was in the preparation phase of her powerful blast move, Fuuton: Kamikaze. Her body hit the impermeable air wall with a slam and the impact blew her backwards like she was a rag doll. Her arms and legs moved on their own accord due to the impact. Blood droplets had spewed from her mouth upon the impact; her eyes open wide with shock. Her mind shut down due to the blunt force trauma her body had just experienced.

Keiraaaaaaaahhhh!

The scream came from a male shinobi. It was a scream of fear, of terror, of raw emotion at the sight of the kunoichi's body flying in reverse towards him.

For what seemed like an eternity, as Keira's body flew backward, all eyes were upon her body…limp like a doll. Eyes open with fear, shock and uncertainty as to what had happened. The shinobi instinctively, propelled with a burst of chakra his body forward with arms outstretched to catch Keira's now-limp body; to prevent it from making the hard impact upon the ground. The force that was pushing Keira's body backwards was now propelling her and her shinobi savior along the ground with no stopping point.

MokutonMokujōheki! Thunk...Thunk…Thunk…Thunk

Wooden pillars rose from the ground, creating a safety structure in which the two could hide securely. The force with which the bodies were moving threw the two back into the wooden structure that was molding around them to keep them both hidden and safe from further attack. It was a hard landing and all could hear the impact of the bodies against the wooden pillars.

Outside the structure, Teams 7 and the remaining members of Team 8 both battled the enemy. Kiba Inuzuka attempted a combination attack with his ninja hound, Akamaru - Gatsugaaaa! The move didn't make the impact they wanted. Sai, hidden nearby, had summoned his Ninja Art, using ink; Nippou, Choju Giga…using snakes to secure the targets to the ground for the finishing moves from Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki.

Raikiri!

Rasengan!

The battle was over, but not without a price. Everyone was spent in their chakra and physical strength. This was a hard-fought battle against some very strong opponents. Within moments…

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The wooden protective walls disappeared to reveal, Yamato hunched over while holding the limp body of a kunoichi, the Team Leader of Team 8, Keira Sato. Only Kakashi noted that Yamato's shoulders were shuddering – he was sobbing in obvious anguish. This was no ordinary kunoichi he held in his arms. This was a kunoichi he had long fallen in love with – but never told her nor had he showed outwardly, at least in an obvious way to Keira. And, Kakashi, his senpai, knew about it. His heart grieved for his younger peer. It brought back painful memories for Kakashi of when he lost the kunoichi he loved dearly…

Cough, cough, cough…

Sakura Haruno, the lone medical ninja in the group, rushed over and tried to pry Keira's body from Yamato so she could treat her injuries. Blood was beginning to run from both sides of Keira's mouth and she was quickly losing consciousness. Upon releasing her body to Sakura, Yamato looked down at his flak jacket: splatters of blood from Keira's coughing, which horrified him. Her eyes were not open as they are in death so Sakura went to work feeling somewhat confident she could stabilize her patient enough for transport back to Konoha Hospital. Yamato remained at Keira's side both out of love and out of shock. He didn't want to move; didn't want to leave her.

Baka!!! Why didn't I tell her? Why didn't I show her? Why? Why?

Yamato closed his eyes. His mind went back in time to when he first met Keira. They were children; Academy Students with Keira a year back from Yamato and her brothers, Izuma and Haichi, his closest and best friends. Keira, to all of them, was just a pest. They wanted nothing to do with her. She just wanted to play with her brothers and to be considered an equal. They played "Ninja" daily and she wanted in on the fun. Keira, who had demonstrated significant potential as a kunoichi was being taught some basic techniques by her father: scouting, tracking, taijutsu and weaponry and some basic ninjutsu techniques such as the Transformation Jutsu and had taught her one advanced technique: the Kage Bunshin or Mass Shadow Clone technique. Even then, she was a striking beauty – even if she was a tomboy! The thought of that time made Yamato smile.

The Sato clan, though small, was regarded as the "experts" in tracking and scouting. As a result, many were part of ANBU. It became expected that clan members would spend some time in ANBU. The clan was also known for its ferocity in battle and its equal ferocity in its loyalty to Konoha. This loyalty went back to Shodai Hokage when her clan sided with Senju in the creation of Konoha. The Sato clan was on par with such names as Hyuga, Uchiha, and Sarutobi; part of the Daimyo class. They had their own ways, and would emphasize honor, loyalty to clan, family and Konohakagure. Keira's father was the current head of the clan, the Ouji. Keira had the title of Hime (princess), while her brothers had the title of Purinsu (prince). For Keira, the title of Hime fit as she was also considered to be a beautiful young girl – who would grow up to be a very beautiful woman.

To Yamato, known by his real name of Tenzo at the time, none of that mattered. To him, they were just friends and there were no distinctions in class or titles with him. The same went with Keira and her brothers. Titles and status didn't matter. Tenzo was the best friend of the brothers and considered "family" by her parents and by Keira. There were whispers about his abilities; he, somehow, had obtained the Mokuton techniques from Shodai Hokage. He had been kidnapped by Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, and brutally experimented on, which caused some to have suspicions about him. The Satos would have nothing to do with that and took on Tenzo as their own blood.

The day that Yamato remembered most was when Izuma and Haichi had disappeared leaving him exposed, in a particularly rough game of "Ninja." The boys were 11 and Keira was 9. As always, Keira would tag along and the boys would try to ditch her. He performed one of his Mokuton techniques and hid behind the bush he created. Keira, secretly playing along despite the boys' attempts at ditching her, noted that Tenzo was exposed. As she couldn't locate Tenzo very easily, she decided to do one of her techniques: the Kage Bunshin. This was to draw Tenzo out of his hiding place. Once he physically encountered the clone, the experience returned to Keira who would then track him down. And, sure enough, the plan worked. She made three clones; one encountered Tenzo and he destroyed it. Soon after, the real Keira was poised in front of Tenzo, with her fake shuriken ready to tag him. Tenzo, and the other boys who noticed, were equally stunned at her ability to locate him. Tenzo could have run away, but he didn't. Keira was focused on winning. Tenzo, however, was focused on Keira's eyes: deep green that went with her fairer skin and auburn hair up in a haphazard ponytail with wisps framing her face. Her eyes had a glint of what the Satos were known for – a fierce determination in battle. Tenzo's eyes, a very dark brown – almost black in color – had the ability to show expression; the "puppy dog" eyes. They went with his fair skin, fuller lips and dark brown hair. Tenzo was absolutely entranced with this girl he had always dismissed as a "nuisance" before. She was beautiful to him, but he couldn't admit to that. He was unfamiliar with the feelings he developed that day, but they were strong. He had to know more about her; wanted to spend time with her. He was scared to follow through on his feelings as he was fearful of his friends' reaction – especially her brothers…

In the present time, Yamato smiled at the memory, but was jarred back to reality of Keira's body which lay before him. She was badly injured. Sakura and Yamato both knew it.

Please, live, Keira. Please, I love you. I need you. Don't leave me…

Yamato's mind drifted back to another time. This time, Keira had just made Chuunin rank and the three boys were all Jonin rank. Tenzo had been long hearing about how Keira had become a Chuunin in record time and was openly impressed. Inwardly, the pride he felt was immense – he was absolutely crazy in love with her but still hadn't acted upon his feelings. Her brothers were especially proud – it was their sister, after all. The boys were 17 while Keira was 15. Tenzo and Keira had long become friends and often talked at great length about - anything. A simple "hello" would turn into several hours with lots of teasing and laughter between them. She was oblivious to any signs that Tenzo gave regarding his intentions – and he gave plenty, but was very patient and willing to wait for her to come around. Those signs were not lost on Keira's brothers or her father. They were, in fact, pleased.

He remembered the occasion he had come to her parents' home for dinner to celebrate the success of Keira's first A-rank mission. He was honored and relished the opportunity to spend time with the people he considered "family." It was also yet another opportunity to be with Keira – even from afar. He remembered that evening as if it happened just yesterday. While he and her brothers had just returned from another mission and still in their flak jackets, Keira was casually dressed: a fish net shorts jumpsuit underneath a simple V-neck top that normally would have revealed her developing bust line but the fish net shielded it. On the bottom, she wore a mini skirt with kick slits in front and in back. It rested just below her hip bones and the fish net would show up as shorts underneath the skirt. Between the shirt and the skirt, her stomach would have been visible, but the fish net concealed that also. By this time, she was starting to wear delicate jewelry that reflected her position in her clan: her long auburn hair had the sides swept up into a bun that was kept in place with pins and covered with a "netting" of a clan headpiece; charms were attached that had the elemental chakra symbols and the Hokage symbol and dangled down the back of her head through her hair, which rested at her shoulder blades. She also wore a delicate necklace that matched the hairpiece and was visible on her neckline just above the fish net covering – both of whom were passed down by her late grandmother, the last kunoichi to head the Sato clan: Yuuki. Tenzo remembered vividly that he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her beauty took his breath away to the point his hands and knees were trembling. The memory of which made him feel warm inside, even now.

What do I do? What do I say to her?

As it turned out, during and after dinner, they talked, joked and laughed as they always did – with her brothers present, much to the frustration of Tenzo. Izuma and Haichi were now very protective of the young Hime and it didn't matter if it was merely Tenzo. He was now a potential suitor and it had become obvious to her brothers and to their father. They weren't taking any chances. It was Sato tradition to "court" and not "date." They were going to make sure it stayed that way.

The memory faded…to seeing the reality of Keira still being treated for her wounds. Sakura had been working very hard to stabilize her and her efforts were starting to pay off. The blood from her mouth had stopped flowing, as had the coughing.

Goddammit! Why? I would do anything; give anything to have her live. I'd give my very life for her. I love her so…

Yamato closed his eyes in silent prayer…only to remember the "Wolf Pack" and ANBU. Keira had long passed both the rigorous Sato ritual of "Wolf Pack" testing her tracking, scouting, ninjutsu, taijutsu and any genjutsu or genjutsu defense techniques. In essence, she was putting everything she had learned from both the Academy and from her family to the ultimate test. It was a rite of passage and for a successful completion – to be judged by the Ouji and elder clan members – she would be given a tattoo that had the family crest: a wolf paw print encircled by the Hokage symbol at the top, followed by the elemental chakra symbols: katon, fuuton, raiton, doton, suiton. It would be placed on the opposite shoulder from the ANBU tattoo – for females, it would be on the left shoulder; ANBU on the right. Keira had easily passed this grueling test and obtained the "mark." Her brothers and Tenzo were now experienced ANBU operatives. Tenzo and her brothers were now 22 while she was 19, about to become 20 years old. Her clan had decided that she would be the souzokunin of the clan, the next in line upon the death or incapacitation of her father, the Ouji. She was now more openly addressed as Hime, even by the Hokage, in honor of her clan traditions. Her strength as a shinobi was on par with that of her deceased grandmother and that was duly noted by even her older brothers. They didn't question the decision – they encouraged it. For the souzokunin, ANBU was required.

Tenzo knew all of this. He was well aware of what Keira was doing, as well as that her future in the clan was being determined; that she was the souzokunin. He didn't like that part – she had a role to play and she had no say in it. However, he never, ever spoke of his dissent openly, except to Keira, who understood his point of view. He'd do anything, absolutely anything, to be with her – even if it meant going along with some traditions that frustrated the hell out of him!

Entrance into ANBU was the ultimate test for any shinobi. Tenzo knew Keira's thoughts on the matter – the ones she dared not speak to her family: although she looked upon this as yet another challenge, she felt the pressure of having two older brothers in the ranks. Tenzo sympathized with her plight and encouraged her as much as he could. Tenzo was quickly becoming one of the most intimidating and most effective ANBU operatives. He now was part of a team consisting of Kakashi Hatake, a legend in both ANBU and in shinobi ranks. Her brothers had their own scouting/tracking/infiltration teams and had success records that rivaled Kakashi's team. Tenzo and Keira discussed at length what she wanted to do in ANBU and she felt that she would do best in scouting/tracking/infiltration. ANBU was also where Keira would change in many ways, which Tenzo and her brothers knew painfully well – something that Tenzo, during one of their increasingly frequent longer conversations, warned her about (by this time, her family would consider her to being "courted"). She would be a very different shinobi upon admission into ANBU. Her abilities, her demeanor, her reaction to stressful situations, and her combat tactics/scouting/infiltration – all would be taken to extremely high levels. Secretly, Tenzo was concerned that she'd change too much. He didn't want that to happen.

Tenzo, as were her brothers, were monitoring her progress carefully. During her trials and her training phases, between missions, Tenzo, very faithfully, would stop into the training area – mask on, as was required – and watch. The very first time he observed, he couldn't find Keira! He later found her – but was shocked at the initial changes he observed. She wore the traditional ANBU armor, except that as a candidate, the armor was black in color – as was the rest of her uniform – the pants, gaiters, boots, arm guards, trademark gloves with fingers exposed and the standard no-sleeved, high necked undershirt. No mask had been assigned to her but she wore her Konoha headband, also black, and carried her clan's standard double ninjato on her back, which was allowed. The one thing that identified her from the rest: the Sato tattoo on her left shoulder. She was not simply the beautiful young kunoichi he had fallen in love with. She was beginning to resemble a very striking ANBU candidate and, later, operative: her long hair that she wore was now in a long ponytail wrapped with black tape draped to her lower back, the wisps of hair still in front and parted to the side. This made her facial features more prominent – her fiery green eyes and long lashes framing them, her high cheekbones, her peach colored lips that went easily to a beautiful smile, her fair skin. Over time, her demeanor while in the presence of other shinobi and the Hokage changed, which he also noticed. She had grown up. The memories made him feel somewhat nostalgic.

The day Tenzo remembered the most was the day of the taijutsu testing to determine the skill level of the ANBU candidates. That particular exercise pitted active ANBU operatives against the candidates. The skill level and overall performance was graded by the ANBU operatives and given to the admission team for consideration. The candidates had no knowledge of whom they would go up against. However, the ANBU operatives knew which candidates they had so they could plot strategy and figure out how to capitalize on a candidate's weaknesses. Tenzo had Keira to test, which made him shudder. He would be partially responsible for her entry into ANBU. However, he knew he had to emotionally detach and test her as he would any other candidate. Not only was it required, he knew Keira well enough that she would demand it. As with any test, she was to act as if to kill and the ANBU in kind. Masks were worn by the ANBU but not their regular ones. They were swapped out in the event the candidate knew their opponent.

Tenzo remembered watching Keira carefully before their meeting: she was watching intently as, one by one…the candidates would either be felled or would give up. Tenzo was watching for her outward reaction, of which there was none. Soon, her draw number was called and Tenzo arose to meet her in the sparring area. He noted her facial expression: relaxed, detached, focused. They bowed. Then the referee called "Begin." It began with Keira tossing kunai in his direction to gauge a reaction. Before she knew it, Tenzo was attacking – and she quickly evaded. She masterfully challenged Tenzo and kept up with his sudden changes in styles and techniques. Her reaction style was considered to be erratic and non-traditional and it often kept opponents off-balance. Tenzo knew this and was prepared, which would eventually frustrate her. He also noted how advanced her abilities had become in the area of taijutsu and her strategy and was very impressed – and somewhat intimidated. He realized that he had one tough Kunoichi facing him and he would have his hands full! Then, came the moment Tenzo remembered the most…the moment that nearly cost him dearly. At one point, they were at very close-range hand to hand combat with kunai. They were close enough their eyes met. She didn't appear to recognize him.

Shibata! Her eyes…No! You can't let her get to you.

It was like it was a long time ago – her eyes: the color, the piercing look of determination, the shape, the long eyelashes framing them…everything that made him melt. One unusual thing he noted: her facial expression had not changed. She had detached emotionally from combat, which was new for him. So, in a major gamble on his part, he began to verbally bait her to see if her reaction changed to throw her off-balance.

Will she figure out who I am?

He couldn't get her in the area of techniques; she was very strong. Perhaps adding psychological pressure would do it…the memory made him wince.

He began subtly. Then, he moved on to more aggressive baiting by belittling her style and techniques. Ultimately, this would prove unsuccessful. Not a word or change of expression.

No response? What the hell?

Then, in a memory that sent chills through him, he targeted his verbal attacks greatly to the point it was outright yelling and abuse. He used the charge of entitlement as a Sato to join ANBU against her. He then muttered her title Hime in such a way that it was a putdown. He continued to use her title as her "nickname" in battle to belittle her personally. He began to see a reaction. Her face began to show anger; her eyes, rage. Her body became tighter and her movements were less fluid. She missed on several simple moves. She began to mutter to herself angrily. Although he wanted the reaction, he wanted her to pass. Then, the action ceased as the two opponents caught their breath and strategized.

Come on, Keira! Get it together. I've seen you come out of situations like this. You can do it!

This ANBU is no one special. I can handle him easily. He's just trying to throw me off. Dad practiced this with me. This is normal warfare. I need to get my head together…deep breaths…relax…

Already the match had gone on for longer than any of the others – nearly ten minutes. Most dropped out after 5 minute or less. Tenzo then shouted yet another put down from across the fighting area.

"How can you call yourself an ANBU, Hime? You're nothing; just another pretty face expecting to make it! You can't do it! Quit now just like the other cowards!"

Then he saw her change. Her face showed determination and was back to a look of being ready for battle. He knew that this would be where she'd come through – and she'd make it very tough on him. She drew one ninjato and flipped it so that the air around it had a whipping sound. Intimidation. Her eyes were steely green and very focused on her opponent. Then, completely out of the blue – and something she normally didn't do, she shouted back:

"Heh. The only coward I see is standing before me. If you think your trash talk is going to bring me down, you are going to be sorry. You are a pathetic excuse for an ANBU op."

What the hell? This isn't like her at all.

She withdrew her second ninjato while pacing and eyeing her opponent. Soon she was whipping them in such a way that it began to create a breeze.

"Hime. Ha! Nice nickname. However, I can't begin to say of all the nicknames I have for you…" The audience, which included other ANBU ops and candidates, laughed.

Keira-chan…what are you doing?!?

Then the ninjato began to be whipped violently in many directions. The movement created a distortion to the eye. Intimidation - and it was beginning to work on her ANBU opponent. Then Tenzo noticed something – something that struck fear into his heart:

Chakra is all over those blades—fuuton-based chakra! Shibata!

Tenzo panicked and his body began to reflect it. An ANBU typically doesn't react to a technique or to taunting, but it was clear that he was. His body was stiff and he seemed hesitant to make a move in any direction. He couldn't think of how to counter her. He realized that she now had the upper hand.

Clever, Keira-chan. Very, very clever.

Before he knew it, the chakra was extending down and beyond the blades. The motion continued until she suddenly bent her arms at the elbows and with a heavy "hwah!" thrust them on either side of the head of her opponent. Tenzo stiffened at the speed and the ferocity of the chakra-tainted ninjato racing towards his head. He closed his eyes tightly…

Keira-chan!!!!!!!

Then came the blasting of the wall behind him – the wind chakra on the blades destroyed the wall creating a massive hole. The ninjato were quite a distance away from their point of impact. The blades had missed either side of his head by mere inches.

Hyahhhhh!!!!!!

While his eyes were closed, Keira had followed in the direction of her ninjato and she did a simple yet very powerful jump kick straight into Tenzo's armor right at the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. His body flew backwards and slammed against the now damaged wall, further damaging it. He remembered being out of breath for several minutes and coughing…

Damn you, Keira!

Upon her feet hitting the ground, she flipped backwards several paces and drew her kunai in a defensive move. Tenzo was now upright on his knees, staring at her; still recovering from that frontal kick. Fifteen minutes had now lapsed…

I've got him cornered…like a rat! Ha!

From this distance, Tenzo could still see her eyes – fierce, determined, predatory…and beautiful. The instant he took his first unlabored breath, Keira had used a teleportation technique to where she was behind him: kunai drawn and at his neck.

I think it's time you surrendered…Tenzo.

His head dropped upon the realization that his gamble failed and she knew it was him. He had been beaten at his own game – fair and square. And, despite his physical pain, his heart soared – she was an ANBU. As a result of her overall performance, she was given the ANBU tattoo on her right shoulder and mask at the end of the trial period. She was now an equal…

As the memory faded, the tears that had started were easily flowing down Yamato's face. However, he shielded his face. Sakura, out of the corner of her eye, noticed the tears pooling at her team captain's knees.

He loves her. He loves her passionately.

Then, she focused on her medical ninjutsu, which was intense due to the nature of Keira's injuries. However, she was making progress on stabilizing Keira for transport, which Sakura was pleased with.

I stopped the bleeding. Now I need to make sure her vital signs are stable for the trip.

She was not going to relay that to Yamato, but Kakashi approached and asked, "How is she?"

"Kakashi-sensei? I'm trying to stabilize her vital signs for transport now. I stopped the bleeding, at least. Her injuries are extremely serious."

Yamato's head bobbed up upon hearing this. "Will she make it to Konoha?" he asked through tears.

"Once I stabilize her vital signs she should make it easily to Konoha. However, she won't be out of the woods. Not by a long shot. She'll need surgery, at least."

Yamato's eyes went downcast again. He said barely above a whisper, "Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura looked at Yamato with strong emotion. Her heart ached for Yamato and for Keira.

Life is so short…

Sakura's comrades were all watching this scene. They were either sitting, crouched, or standing with heads bowed. Naruto, in particular, had his eyes intently on the scene between Sakura, Yamato and the limp body of Keira, the commanding elite Jonin for Team 8, designated as the shinobi scouting/tracking/tactics team. The emotion was not lost on him – it hadn't been long since Jiraiya had died and it brought everything back.

Suddenly and without warning, Sakura saw tears dripping on Keira's face.

Tears?

Then, she saw why: Yamato was hovering over Keira just above her face; tears from his face dripping onto hers. He had moved his body over to where he could focus on her head. His hands were tenderly caressing her face and brushing back her hair. He gently removed her forehead protector, tucking it into one of his flak jacket pockets. He savored the feeling for as long as he could. He memorized every inch of her face etching the memory into his brain.

Will she ever know? Will I be given another chance to tell her?

He began to whisper words he had desperately wanted to say to her, "My darling, Keira-chan. My sweet Hime. I hope you can hear me…I love you. Please, please, come home to me." After a brief moment, he leaned over and kissed her lips, her nose and her forehead very gently, with a whisper of, "You have no idea of how much I love you." Sakura's eyes filled with tears at Yamato's emotion, his gentleness and his devotion to Keira.

I've got to bring her back. I must. I must.

Everyone else who witnessed the sudden emotion demonstrated were shocked, touched and very moved. Yamato was hardly one to show such tender emotions very often, though he was more emotional than Kakashi. Yamato then stood up, grief-stricken, silently went and leaned against a tree with his back to his comrades to allow his tears to flow freely and to release the sobs he had tried to keep to himself. Out of anger, pain and agony, he had removed his head gear/forehead protector. He wasn't a shinobi at that moment – he was a man in profound grief.

Hinata, one of Keira's teammates who had been moved by the scene due to her deep love for Naruto, went to sit by Sakura.

"Byakugan!"

With her Kekke Genkai eye technique she viewed Keira's chakra network very carefully from head to toe and back again. She was looking for continuity of flow, network damage, anything out of the ordinary. "Sakura," she said with her tiny voice but with firm conviction, "Keira's chakra network appears to be undamaged. I don't see anything that would prevent her from…" Yamato's head raised upon hearing that. He wanted to hear hope, anything. "…from making the trip to Konoha." Then came the words Yamato wanted to hear…

"Your ninjutsu is working. Her chakra is healing her."

Yamato's head and body snapped to attention and he turned around and walked towards the scene. His heart was pounding in his head. Sakura then checked her entire body with her refined chakra. Hinata was right: she was improving! At that realization, she shouted with a brightened face, "Kakashi-sensei! She's ready! She's ready to be taken back to Konoha! She'll make the trip!" A broad sigh of relief and happiness befell the others watching, hoping, praying. Hinata then said to Yamato,"While I'm no medical ninja, she's got a reasonable chance of making it if her chakra network is undamaged." She, then, looked at Sakura for confirmation who nodded with a smile. Yamato raised his head to the sky and sighed with relief, hoarsely whispering, "Thank God! Thank God!" After determining how best to transport Keira, Kakashi held her on his back upright and arms draped over his shoulders, with Sakura nearby to check her periodically. Then, the two teams were off on the return trip to Konoha. As the teams hopped among the tree branches, Yamato thought back through time again. He thought of the number of times he had stopped himself from saying those words because he was afraid of rejection. He, then, realized that by not telling her, he was being selfish – the realization made him feel horrible; with regret.

Life is so short…make the most of it!

He promised himself that this time, he would not hold back. She was going to live…and she was finally going to know.