Sorry for the long wait for this one. I finally decided to end it where it is for the first chapter at least, since, I'm running out of ideas. Anyway, I do not own Naruto. If there are any song lyrics in there that I missed, I do not own them either. Enjoy!
My footsteps echoed up and down the long stone hallway that I ran down, my pink hair flying out behind me, my bangs blowing into my mint green eyes. I heard more screaming, and I felt my heart throb at the sound, adrenaline shot through my legs, as I ran faster still, and picking up my legs. The orange rock walls reflected the bright light in the distance, and I continued toward it, hearing more screams. My heart throbbed again, and tears rolled down my cheeks, and I started sobbing, my voice bouncing off the walls as I ran hopelessly toward that ever so slowly brightening light. I'm going to be too late…He's going to kill him…I picked up the pace, willing my already exhausted chakra into my feet, to make them lighter. I saw the walls fly by faster, and the light enveloped me, warm on my skin, and somewhat soothing. I looked up, seeing a sword falling toward a black haired boy, and my heart fluttered. Blood dripped down toward me, as the sword sliced the boy down the length of his body, cutting through his soft skin. My heart throbbed again, as he started to fall backward. My tears cascaded over my eyelids harder now, the drops falling onto my hands as I ran toward his bleeding body.
"Sasuke! Please don't give up! I'm here for you, please keep fighting! SASUKE!" I cried, my voice ripping from my burning throat from all of the tears, slicing through the heavy air, but unable to reach him. I looked at an upturned rock, and jumped onto the edge of it, my left foot in mid air as my right foot touched the jagged edge, my left foot swinging outward for balance. I shook tears into the wind, and pushed off, flying upward toward his falling body. I held my arms out, and he fell into them, limp as blood poured from his long wound.
"Sasuke, please don't leave me! I'm begging you, please don't walk away!" I sobbed, holding him close as we flew down toward the ground, his face pressed against my shoulder, his breathing weak and slight, and his blood warmed my chest. Time seemed to slow down as we fell toward the ground, my tears dropping onto his cheeks.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you Sasuke! I promised you I'd be the wall that kept out the hurt and pain of all the burdens that you have to fight every day. But, I let this happen to you because of my weakness! I won't ever be able to forgive myself if you leave me because I wasn't strong enough. Please Sasuke, don't give up!" I cried, my voice unable to reach him still, his black bangs bumping up against my collarbone as the wind blew through them. I held him tighter, as my feet touched ground, my knees bending. I held him against me, hugging him tightly as I looked up at his assaulter, my green eyes both saddened, and angry. I looked up at the attacker, and narrowed my eyes.
"Orochimaru…I should have known…" I snarled, laying Sasuke down flat and standing up. Orochimaru laughed his disgustingly evil laugh, and I balled my hand up.
"I remember your face all too well; you're Sasuke's puppy dog, aren't you?" He asked his voice taunting, yet still dark. I flinched.
"If that's what you think of me, then so be it. I'm not here to argue with you." I replied, bending my right arm at the elbow, blue fire starting to blaze around my right fist, which tightened at the fresh surge of power. Orochimaru lifted his eyebrows.
"That's some attitude you've got. I'm assuming you've heard of Tsunade?" He asked. I didn't break.
"She is my mentor." I replied, planting my feet. Orochimaru laughed, and the sound echoed across the clearing.
"Tsunade is YOUR mentor? Ha!" He chided evilly, his snake eyes glowing brightly. I narrowed my green human ones, and gritted my teeth.
"Got a problem with that, snake face?" I countered, snarling through clenched teeth. Orochimaru saw my right fist blaze brighter.
"Yes. As a matter of fact I do. Step aside little girl. I have business with the boy you're standing in front of." Orochimaru bent his legs, preparing to jump down. I sank down on my haunches a little, holding my arms out, and watching Orochimaru closely. He pushed off, and with an evil giggle, he vanished into purple smoke. My eyes widened, and I wrenched my head around, turning in all directions, watching my surroundings carefully. No fake shadows gave away his position, but the small tapping on my shoulder did. Time seemed to slow down as I pulled my right arm back, and spun around, slamming my right fist into his jaw, slamming him toward the long hallway. My fist dug into his cheek, almost pressing it to the other side of his mouth, my punch was that strong. He flew through the air, shooting into the long hallway like a fired arrow. I hunched over as I recovered from my attack, catching my balance, before straightening up again at the sound of Orochimaru's back hitting the back wall of the long hall. I curled my lip up as I stood up straighter, my eyes glowing.
"Too bad you didn't keep your hands to yourself." I replied, wiping the dust from my mouth. Dust flowed out of the hallway, and I crouched down next to Sasuke, holding my left arm out to shield him.
"Yes, too bad indeed." Orochimaru's voice sounded in my ear, and I turned my head, seeing his face close to mine, an evil smile brightening his face up in a villainous way. I gasped, and he took a swing at me, his venom coated kunai slicing toward my cheek. I widened my eyes and back flipped three times, drawing three kunai in mid air. I somersaulted, and threw them as my feet touched the ground, his shuriken bouncing off of my projectiles with a metal clang. I narrowed my eyes, and felt the ground shake. Snake heads popped out of the ground, their mouths hanging open, venom dripping from their teeth. I planted my feet, as they slithered toward me. There are three of them, so they must have some sort of pattern…If I can figure it out, then…I'll beat them…I stood up straight, and pulled the cuff of my left glove down, my hair blowing in the wind toward my left shoulder, my bangs hanging in my green eyes. My hip shifted to the right, my skirt starting to blow in the wind as my chakra pulsed inside me, the warmth rippling over all of my cells, organs, muscles, bones. I looked up at the snakes, each of them bobbing and weaving their heads in a seamless dance, venom dripping to the ground in purple acid rain, evaporating into purple smoke the instant they touched ground. I nodded once slightly, and kept my eyes on them, determined. I just have to last long enough for me to figure it out! Orochimaru laughed from at the top of the rock wall, flinging his palm forward as a signal to attack.
"Kill her now! She's nothing to me." He ordered. I waited, as the center snake pulled its head back, and hissed, throwing its face toward me, its teeth bared and shiny. I narrowed my eyes, and pushed off from the ground, the snake's teeth sinking into the dirt. I flew up higher into the air, although defenseless, at an advantage. I pulled out three shuriken, holding them between my fingers, and fired them, their edges slicing across the struggling snake. The reptile on the right turned its head so that way its fang on the side the projectiles were coming from blocked the shuriken. I widened my eyes. That's new…The snake on the left shot its tongue up at me, and it wrapped around my right foot, and then flung me toward the ground. I hit the pavement, the cement denting in after me. I struggled to get up, shakily standing up. Okay, these snakes aren't stupid…They have to have a weakness somewhere…I saw a thin black line swinging in the air behind them, and I focused on it. A tail? It lifted up higher, three long bodies connected by one tail. I curled my lip up. That's it! I took off running toward them from the front, pulling out two kunai, one for each hand. I need a diversion…The snakes' heads shot toward me, and I found myself jumping and spinning the air, slicing and cutting through snake flesh in an effort to defend myself. The snakes kept coming, their fangs barely missing my body by mere inches each time they took their turns to strike. I back flipped, and willed my chakra into my right hand, slamming my fist into the left head when it attacked. The skull crumbled on impact, bone protruding out of the whole right side of the head, blood flying past my face in the gentle wind. I danced away from the center snake's attack, going down on my knees mid spin, and slicing the right snake's left jaw as I came back up. Blood spilled onto my cheeks, the red drops glowing with green light as they treaded the air past my green eyes. I looked back over my shoulder, seeing the center one raise its head, and arc over me, striking right in front of my feet. I jumped backwards, and then time stopped. I felt an excruciating pain in my spine, and I turned my head, snake eyes right by my jawbone. I heard laughing, and turned back toward Orochimaru.
"Now, I've got you, as well as someone important to you." He taunted. I widened my eyes at him, seeing Sasuke on the ground at his feet, his left cheek flat to the rock, black bangs over his face. I struggled, but the snake bit deeper into me, preventing me from moving.
"You…" I snarled. Orochimaru lifted up one finger. I could've sworn I heard the snake seethe in anticipation and nod its head in excitement. My heart pounded, only exciting it more. I was the prey, and it had me right where it wanted me most.
"How does it feel? To have let down the very person you love?" He asked innocently. I closed my eyes and dropped my head, the loss of blood starting to get to me. I have to fight! C'mon Sakura, don't give up! I willed my chakra into my right fist again, blue fire lighting up around it.
"It feels empty. Because I'm not going to fall into it, you got me?" I cried, lifting my head up, and turning, punching the snake in the face, breaking its skull too. I fell from its fangs, landing on my side, green fire glowing around the bite marks, closing them up and stopping the bleeding. Only one head to deal with now…I won't last much longer, especially if it bites me again…I'm already poisoned… I stood up, holding my stomach in my right hand, the green chakra glowing around my hand. I looked up at the snake, its head dancing and weaving through the air as it stared down at me, taunting. I looked up at Sasuke's battered face, a wave of fresh power flying up and through me. I narrowed my eyes and took off, running toward the tail that flicked out behind the snake. Orochimaru's eyes widened.
"A frontal assault again? What the hell is that girl thinking?" He mused, the snake's head shooting toward me, firing venom bubbles at me as I ran. I lifted two kunai, one in each hand, and started flipping in between the bubbles, popping them with my kunai as I sliced through them, smiling the whole time as venom droplets flew past my face, evaporating in mid air. Orochimaru gritted his teeth and snarled as I danced toward the snake, getting closer. The snake slammed its head toward the ground in front of me, and I put my right hand on the side of its face, swinging my legs over its mouth then rolling under its flicking tail as it swept across the ground over me. I stood up, and closed my eyes, blue fire glowing around both of my hands, strength flooded through me, undaunted. Focus your chakra…I heard the wind part, although distant, meaning that the end of the tail was still high in the air. Power pulsed through me from the heart of my chakra, each pulse rippling over my cells and muscles, mixing with adrenaline. The sound got louder, until it was going to blow my ears off. I opened my eyes, and my hands flashed out, grabbing the tail firmly in my fingers and palms, my grip hard and strong. Orochimaru gasped. I pulled the snake backward behind me, all two tons of it, three bodies and all, and lifted it up over my head, swinging it around and around in a circle.
"TAKE THIS! SHANNARO!" I cried, throwing the snake with all of my strength into the wall under Orochimaru's feet, the impact causing the walls to crumble in after it, Orochimaru falling down with the snake, him landing on the snake's nose. I balled my right hand up, intense blue fire flaring up, as I forced all of my available chakra into it, careful not to use my life force in the charging process, and narrowed my eyes as the flames licked at my jawbone, the blue flashing across my eyes like a shooting star.
"What incredible chakra strength…" Orochimaru breathed, as a blue ring of chakra circled my feet, on the surface of the pavement, breath-like wind flying up into my right fist. I held my right arm in my left hand, as the flow of power shook my arm violently; my temper, and adrenaline, almost everything possible flowed into my right hand, the chakra burning brighter than ever.
"Question. What do you value most? Your own pitiful life?" I asked, my head still hanging, shadows covering my eyes as the blue light got brighter still. All I needed was lightning and I would've been the female version of Kakashi-sensei. Orochimaru snorted.
"Of course I value my life. That's why I want to take over Sasuke's body, so that way I can live forever." He replied evilly. My lip curled up as the flames intensified, their heat ruffling my hair.
"But in order for your immortality jutsu to work, you need to have a vessel." I replied, Orochimaru widening his eyes as he flinched in surprise.
I lifted my head up, opening my eyes into narrow flaming green slits, my lip curled up as blood rolled down from the right corner of my mouth.
"You won't…Your time to live is all used up, Orochimaru." I continued, smirking. Orochimaru snarled. I bent my legs and took off, running toward him and the snake. I held my right hand out alongside me, breath-like wind trailing out behind it like a comet in the sky. I bent forward, running faster, blue chakra fire flying out behind me, streaming from my fist. Fear flashed blue in Orochimaru's eyes as I pulled my right hand back, holding my left palm forward, and my face twisted in a fierce glare. My whole body tensed up as I slid across the ground toward him, rock spraying out from the groves in the ground where my feet slid across it.
"Shannaro! Cherry Blossom Impact!"I cried as I threw my fist forward, the fire swirling into a blue chakra spear around my tight fist. Time seemed to slow down as my hand pierced through the snake, the rocks, and slammed straight into Orochimaru's chest, a white dusted shockwave pulsing from where his chakra and my chakra met. I struggled against the force that pushed against me, the weight unbearably strong. Wind raged out of control, my hair blowing into my eyes, but I stayed calm, my bitter scowl reflecting in Orochimaru's dulling eyes, as death came and took him. White lightning bolts of power crackled from us, as our energies clashed. White light enveloped us, and I closed my eyes tightly, as brightness shoved me backwards. I slid backward across the ground, as the wind roared around me. Orochimaru's screams echoed in my ears like a broken record. A loud thump sounded a few feet away as his chakra shield faded, and he shot backwards further into the rock, boulders tumbling in after him, crushing his body when he stopped flying. I lifted my upper body up off the ground, and watched the pieces of rock fall past my face, staring at the hole in the stone where Orochimaru had shot through. I looked around, and saw blood dripping down the side of the right wall, and then I saw a weak face staring at me through closed eyes. I stood up a little too quick and fell back down onto my right knee at the stab of pain in my left side. I looked down at the cut in my gut, blood pouring out onto my gloved hand. I flinched, and touched my right hand to the ground as I nearly fell over onto my side. I looked back up at Sasuke, and pushed off from the ground, flying up toward the ledge. I landed beside him, and lifted his upper body up the ground, pulling my glove off with my teeth, my one hand moving in the hand signs of the Mystical Palm Technique. The green fire lit up, but brighter than it would for just one hand. I looked up, and saw a red haired girl crouched next to me. She smiled at me gently, and tilted her head.
"Thank you." I mouthed. She nodded once, and rolled her shirt sleeve back.
"You handle the internal wounds. I'll give you some help." She suggested, her red bangs bumping against her temples in the gentle wind.
"Absolutely." I nodded. She smiled, and held her arm close to Sasuke's face.
"Sasuke, bite me. It'll help you. Your friend…" Her voice trailed off as she looked over at me.
"Sakura." I replied, lighting up my left hand. She nodded.
"Sakura's here. She fought for you, so the least you could do is open your eyes for her." She continued. I nodded.
"Please Sasuke, your teammate…" I looked over at her again. She smirked.
"Karin." She answered. I turned back to Sasuke.
"Karin wants to help you too. Please Sasuke, wake up. I got rid of Orochimaru, so you're safe." I added. Sasuke stirred, and opened his eyes, looking down at Karin's arm.
"Are you sure…Karin…?" He asked. Karin looked over at me. I nodded, smiling crookedly. Her Heal Bite is stronger than any of my medical ninjutsu…Go on…Karin nodded once.
"Yes, I'm sure. Sakura, you ready?" She asked. I slid over alongside her, holding my hands over Sasuke's wound, while ignoring the pain of my own.
"Yes." I replied, and Sasuke bit her arm. At first, the only thing I noticed was Karin's screech. But then Sasuke started to glow bright green, the glow flowing toward my hands. Alright! I focused the chakra into his wound, running my hands up and down the long slice, the blood evaporating. The edges of the cut started coming together as it closed up, glowing bright green. Karin sank down onto her hips, and I looked over at her, confused. What's-
"Sakura…Don't worry about me…I'm fine. Just heal him." Karin murmured, her eyes closed in pain. I nodded, and turned back to Sasuke. His wound closed up a few seconds later, the green fire disappearing. Karin exhaled as Sasuke let go of her, and started panting hard. I looked over at her, curious.
"What exactly does that jutsu do?" I asked. Karin looked over at me slowly.
"By letting someone bite me, they can suck out my chakra in order to heal themselves. It is a dangerous jutsu though, so I can only use it once a day. But I'd use it more than once if it was for Sasuke…" She turned a looked at Sasuke lovingly, hearts in her red eyes. I looked away, biting my bottom lip. So he replaced me already, huh? I guess I am expendable… Karin looked back at me.
"But anyway, I'm all bit up because of all the times I've used it. See?" She unzipped her shirt partly, and I widened my eyes at all of the bite marks on her collarbone.
"Oh my god." I breathed. Karin nodded.
"I always have to stay covered. It sucks especially when it's hot outside." She replied. I nodded.
"I'll bet. So, where're you from?" I asked. Karin looked down.
"I'm from the Village Hidden in the Grass."She replied. Sasuke stood up, and started walking away. Karin and I didn't notice, until he stopped a few feet away from us.
"Karin, you coming?" He asked, turning his head to look at her over his shoulder. I looked down.
"Yeah, I'm coming Sasuke. See you later, Sakura." Karin replied, and waved to me before taking off after Sasuke. I stood up, my movements hard and harsh. I watched Sasuke walk away, and reached for my left side, blood staining my bare hand. I dropped my head, and closed my eyes.
"So this is it then…Bye…Sasuke…" I whispered quietly, rain starting to fall. I stood there, watching him walk away, my heart tearing in half over and over, until there was nothing left to rip. I held my side, the rain pouring down over my head, as he walked farther and farther. I longed to race after him, and catch him in my arms, but I knew he was out of my reach. Forever. I turned around, and jumped down from the ledge, landing in a crouch, then standing up, walking back down the hallway that I had just run through. I felt my side bangs fall backward and forward with every one of my zombie like steps, broken, clipped as though I was struggling to move. My feet scratched the ground as if I couldn't lift my feet up due to a struggling weight pushing down on them. My legs clicked at the joints, rain water running down the sides of my thighs, silent. My hand that held my side was limp, barely hanging on, the blood washing off and falling to the ground as I passed under the open doorway, my eyes dull and empty. I was nothing but a puppet, used for a misguided purpose, just a toy picked up then thrown aside when he didn't want to play with me anymore. My heart was shattered in pieces, my psyche broken, my spirit crushed. My body was just a lifeless doll, a useless vessel for a hopeless soul. I was dead inside. Sorrowfully, eternally dead. There was no coming back. I continued down the hall, the storm raging behind me. Lightning danced across the sky, taunting me with its happiness to finally be outside of the cloud, free. I could hear its devilish cry, the thunder buffeting my back with sound waves. My footsteps grew heavier, as the poison sank deeper into my body, the venom toxic to my already delicate organs, and as it washed over them, it tainted them with darkness and pain. My breathing grew shallower; my heart beats short but hard, as death crept toward me with a lovely but wicked scent that swirled around me, threatening to pull me backward toward the destroying angel that wanted to purge my existence. I am utterly alone. The air pulsed with my fading life energy, but still I continued on down the long hall, my green eyes glassy, cloudy, dulled. My side bangs slid past my cheeks then back again, like broken record, a continuous action. I finally came to the end of the tunnel, exposed to the rain again, the lightning poised above my head, ready to lash out like a snake.
"Sakura…"A voice, soft and airy whispered my name by my ear, gentle. I closed my eyes, as the sense of arms around my stomach caused my nerves to wake up again. The voice was so familiar, I longed for it to whisper my name for me, wished for it. Craved for it. I slowly turned my head, and saw infinite black eyes, my dying fantasy. They were soft. But sinister, the depths of them dark, but held back.
"Sasuke." I breathed. He nodded against the side of my head.
"Sakura…Thank you…For this…"He sighed, and then all sense of him was gone. My knees buckled, the caps of them slamming into the floor, my front side falling toward the floor, my body succumbing to my wounds, Orochimaru's poison spreading. My eyes closed, the thunder and lightning raging over my head, the rain pouring down on me.