Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. Although, I kind of wish it didn't because he went and ruined the war arc by God Moding the Sharingan, again. Wasn't it enough for it to have unquenchable flames, a 3 day torture genjutsu and super armour? You then felt the need to allow it to evolve into the Rinnegan? Seriously?
Remember when the Sharingan had drawbacks? I don't.
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Chapter Two: The Bloodied Blossom
-/-
'Oh well if this isn't just fabulous?'
Frustrated and worried, the last 12 hours had not been very restful for Naruto. His teammates were unconcious, Saqsuke felt like death warmed over, and Sakura was completely out of it, so needless to say his nerves were already frayed beyond belief. Of course he had that strange voice in his head that had attempted to lighten the mood somewhat by making jokes and just trying to keep a conversation up, and he appreciated that because otherwise, he was sure, he'd have been far more paniky than he had been.
So to say the young Genin had had a bad day was somewhat of an understatement, but fate, being a cruel and fickle bitch, decided to drop the Genin team from Otogakure on his head at the worst possible time.
'It could be worse.' The voice quipped. It could have been another snake.'
"What have we here?" The Oto ninnot wrapped head to toe in bandages jeered. "The loud mouth with no sense of stealth, this'll be easier then breathing."
Naruto's fist tightened around the kunai in his grip, no sense of stealth? Who was the guy who broke into the Hokage's office unnoticed? Who had painted the 4 stone Hokage in broad daylight?
'Impressive, to be true. But I hope your goals are loaftier than that.' The voice started up, in a manner similar to how Iruka talked when he was asking a question.
'Shut up voice, I'm thinking.'
It was 3 on one, no back up for miles probably, and he was alone against Genin who were at least 2 or 3 years older than him. He could always even the odds with a Shadow Clone or 20, but they wouldn't have the staying power he would need to get away with both his teammates in tow, no, he needed something sneakier, something unexpected.
Something utterly Naruto.
"It's 3 on 1 brat." The girl crowed cleaning her nails with a Senbon needle. "Just give us the Uchiha and we won't have to break that adorable face of yours."
'They want Sasuke? Just Sasuke? Hmm, okay I could work with that.' Naruto plotted, his grip on the kunai loosening ever so slightly.
"Or we could just break it and be on our way, personally it's what I'd prefer." The unbandaged Genin laughed.
"Well unfortunately for you, the choice isn't yours to make Zaku." The third member of the team spoke up from behind his bandages, deciding to break his silence, stepping ahead of his teammates he looked at Naruto with a sneer, deciding he was worth nothing before he'd even spent time getting to know him.
'Oh, that wasn't a smart move was it? You really hate the eyes that dismiss you as worthless don't you?' Ignoring the voice, for the umpteenth time that day, he tensed himself even more.
"What do you even want with Sasuke anyway?" Eyes darting between all 3 as he asked the question with the obvious answer.
"What, are you? Retarded?" The girl laughed flicking the Senbon she was holding down at his feet, Naruto idley noticed she had nothing on Haku in the speed of her throw. "We're here to kill the little prick, end the Uchiha line once and for all!"
'Huh, well at least she enjoys what she does... I guess.' The voice piped in again, somewhat mellowed by the girls enthusiasm. 'Are we going to hurt them now?'
Shaking his head Naruto flipped the kunai into his pouch. 'Are you gonna be able to do that wind thingy again?'
'Er... no.'
'Then no, we aren't going to do anything. But me? well...' Taking a breath in, letting his body relax he smirked as the Sound Genin took on looks of confusion at his actions.
"You know what? Sasuke's a prick. A big massive prick that the world would be better off without. Do what you want, I'm gonna go take a leak." the blonde drawled, making his way past the surprised Sound Genin, hands in his pockets and a jaunty whistle on his lips, he dissapeared into the shrubbery.
The three Sound Shinobi looked into the spot where Naruto had dissapeared, shocked by his actions. "Did... did that just happen?" The girl spoke up unsure.
"I think it did. I thought Konoha stressed Teamwork above all else?"
"Don't question a miracle Zaku." The second boy spoke up, shaking his head. "The Uchiha's defenseless, lets get this done." his teammates nodding their ascent, they began to make their way towards the hollow, before the faces of both boys were lodged firmly into the undergrowth by a couple of orange streaks.
"On second thought, that comment you slung about me having no sense of stealth pissed me right the hell off, Zaku was it?" Naruto laughed from behind him as his Shadow Clones disappeared, the 2 boys weakly making their way onto their feet, Naruto smirked. "And honestly, my stealth is probably the best of my generation, so, lets try this again. I'm Uzumaki Naruto and it's not 3 on 1, it's 3 on 2. Isn't that right, Prick knuckle?"
The Sound Genin twisted their heads towards the tree, eyes narrowing in anger as a second figure climbed out from the hollow. "Did you have to punch me in the face jackass?" Sasuke Uchiha groaned, rubbing his left eye. "Thats going to bruise."
"Oh I'm sorry Princess, did my clone interrupt your beauty sleep?" Naruto smirked at the Uchiha, spinning a kunai on his finger. "Whatever, turn around and go right on back to sleep if you want. That way I get all the fun"
Sasuke smirked, cricking his neck. "Yeah, that's not going to happen." He opened his eyes, revealing his three tomoe sharingan whirling in excitement. "If nothing else, you'd never let me live it down."
Both boys failed to notice the dull thrum of twisted chakra echoing from within the hollow.
-/-
Sakura Haruno had lived a very sheltered life, the disastor of a mission she and her team had taken to Wave Country had proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. But even so both Kakashi and Sasuke, even Naruto himself, had pulled them through just a little worse for wear, both Zabuza and the mysterious hunter nin that had been working with him had been defeated, although Zabuza's defection had proved confusing, maybe not as much as Naruto's impassioned defense of the dead Hunter, but even that had ended well, for them at least and the lesson she had begun to learn then had flitted away and she had fallen into her old ways.
When Kakashi had announced his nomination for their participation in the upcoming Chunnin Exams she had been unsure. She was certain Sasuke would pass and Naruto would at least put on some sort of momentary impressiveness before he ruined it in a bout of idiocy, but she hadn't been sure if she was ready to take that step.
She figured she would be able to pass, tests were her forte' after all, but she didn't nearly want to take on the level of responsibility that she had read came along with the rank. But Sasuke had seemed so keen, and she would hate to hold him back.
She had regretted that decision so very soon.
The mysterious Grass Nin had made her feel so tiny, so useless, even beyond what Zabuza had managed. She watched as Sasuke, the most composed and skilled ninja their age, was beaten and dismantled like a newborn babe, the ferocious woman tearing him apart with little effort.
And that lesson she had come so close to holding onto back in Wave came rushing back full force as she shakily raised a kunai and found herself smacked into unconciousness my a kick she had never seen coming.
Waking up breifly, she had seen Sasuke thrashing about, a purple mark on his neck throbbing menacingly, a chakra so twisted echoing from it. She hadn't known what she had done, she didn't consciously try to do anything, but all she remembered was wishing she could help him, ease his pain.
"You fear being useless."
Eyes widening, her body clenched in fear, she tried to work out a scared reply, but found her body would allow no more than a strangled gurgle.
"You want to keep him safe, to help him acheive his ambitions. To keep him away from the pain of this world." It continued, voice smooth like a snake.
Not bothering to talk, she just let out a tired nod, her eyes locking on to the closed eyes of her teammate.
"Well then, that is good."
And as a pain unlike anything had crushed her in its grasp, she had to smile as Sasuke-kun relaxed, a look of relief spreading across his sleeping face.
She smiled softly, her eyes slamming shut, her body seized with pain, knowing it would be okay. As long as she wasn't useless.
-/-
"DECAPITATING WIND!" Zaku yelled, aiming a glinting metal arm at Sasuke, before anyone else had even moved, a large burst of pressurized air making its way straight at the boy.
Before the burst had even left the weapon though, both Uchiha and Uzumaki had begun to move and coupled with Zaku's disorientation from being plowed into the ground by Naruto's Clone, the burst missed wildly and Sasuke's fist buried itself straight in his gut.
Letting out a grunt of pain as the younger boys fist made impact, Zaku wasn't given a moment of rest as Sasuke withdrew his fist and hooking his leg onto the back of Zaku's head, plowed him straight back into the dirt.
"Hmph, honestly. I'm an Uchiha, what kind of chance did you think you had?" Sasuke smirked, turning his back on the downed Shinobi.
At least he believed him to be downed. "Uchiha?" The boy snorted, making his way to his feet with a solidness belied the fact that he had just been ground into the dirt twice in the last 5 minutes, before letting loose a cry of 'Decapitating Wind,' hitting the Konoha Genin head on. "You think your name has any worth nowadays? Ha! Your just one mediocre little Genin, your entire clan dead, you are nothing!"
On the other side of the clearing Naruto was engaging both of the other Sound Nin with gratuitous amounts of shadow clones and substitutions whenever a stray fist, kunai, senbon or any combination of the 3 found their way towards the real Naruto.
"Stand still you little prick!" The girl yelled, letting out a flurry of sebon needles that dispelled a good number of Shadow Clones, only to have more show up.
"Whats wrong? I thought you said this was going to be easy?" The clones taunted in stereo, circling and weaving in and out between the two Oto Shinobi.
'"Goddamnit Kin, use your genjutsu to get him to stop!" Dosu let off with a roar.
"I can't." She grunted, punting a clone in the face, and flipping backwards onto another, driving it into the ground. "There's too much activity, I won't be able to work it!"
"Fucking useless little bitch." The boy groaned. "Step aside!" Snarling he raised his gauntleted hand, releasing a wave of sound, dispelling all the clones surrounding them.
Naruto gritted his teeth in pain as his eardrums burned in protest and the world started going wavey. He watched as the girl smirked in victory, saying something to her teammate.
Maybe, the world was really, really blurry at that point.
'Get up you idiot! You will not die here!' The voice urged from deep in his head. 'I am Hi- - -sune! And you Uzumaki, will not die before you hear my Goddamn name!'
Shaking his head slowly as it protested the action, he stopped stock still as tendrils of purple shot out of the tree hollow slamming into, and skewering the Sound girl.
The girl screamed, the bandaged teen let out a sucient 'What the fuck' and all eyes where drawn to the tree, to see Sakura hunched over, a tide off twisted chakra rolling off of her, her eyes focused on Zaku, standing over a bloodied Sasuke.
"Leave your scroll and run." She whispered, a blank look in her eyes.
"...Sakura." The Uchiha whispered softly, drawing her gaze, the blank look dissapearing and being replaced with a soft smile, eyes closed in happiness. "Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry. I was useless, I won't be that person now though. Not anymore."
A laugh echoed around the clearing, drawing Sakura's eyes towards Zaku, his face twisted into sardonic amusement. "You think you can take us pinky? You stupid little cunt, I'll teach you to talk down to your betters!" moving both arms towards her a deranged expression fixed in place.
"SAKURA, MOVE!" Both Sasuke and Naruto screamed as one as the Sound boy charged an insane amount of chakra into his arms, the 2 boys intercepted by both Dosu and a injured and angry Kin.
"TIME TO LEARN YOUR PLACE DOUBLE DECAPITATING WIND!"
The clearing went silent as Zaku finished his decleration, all expecting to see Sakura smeared across the forest floor.
However what they weren't expecting was for the deafening nothingness that followed.
"What... what happened?" Kin asked confused, as Zaku's face took on a look of confusion.
"You seem awfully attached to those arms of yours." Sakura whispered quietly, Sasuke let off a gasp as his Sharingan finally spotted what the girl had done. "In fact, if I were a betting girl I'd say they were you only real means of performing any kind of high level Jutsu from the way you fight." She mulled. Kin let out a gasp as she too figured out what had happened, Naruto and Dosu were both wondering when she had had done what they had guessed she had done.
'She did something similar to what we did with the snake...'
'Wait, you're saying she has a sword in her head as well?' Naruto thought back.
'No, just watch for now.' The voice finished.
"You bitch, what have you done?"
For a second, Sakura's face took on a look of revulsion before it reformed into the blank and empty look she had been wearing prior. "I told Sasuke, I wouldn't be useless, I promised myself I would do everything in my power to help him reach his goal." She shook her head. "For what its worth, I am sorry. Ninja Art, Slice of the Blossoms."
With that, her actions became abundantly clear as the purple chakra surrounding Sakura appeared, in a flurry around his arms before they contracted.
Zaku's ear piercing shreiks filled the area as the purple chakra sliced his arms into mince, Sakura flinching with each passing second. "Take him, leave your scroll and leave." She repeated, adressing both Dosu and Kin, who was now immensely glad she had gotten off with just a light gouging.
"Alright. We know when we're beat. Here take it." Dosu replied, chucking their scroll down at Naruto's feet while Kin picked up the now unconscious Zaku.
"Hey, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, as the chakra surrounding her disappeared, and her eyes got a little more cloudy. "Did I do good?"
Swallowing thickly, as she swayed slightly, he nodded. "Yeah. You did."
Closing her eyes she smiled. "Good, that's... good."
And she collapsed to the ground, unconsciousness claiming her.
-/-
Naruto knew that something was wrong when she had first stepped out of that tree, he had seen enough broken smiles, mostly his own in the mirror, to know as much. Even when he watched Sakura destroy Zaku's arms like they were flies under her feet, he knew it was all just a show.
And now as he held her wrist in his arm, her pulse alarmingly low, he knew what he had to do.
"Sasuke... we need to go to the tower."
The Uchiha shook his head. "The scroll those Sound Genin left behind wasn't the one we needed, we can't go yet."
Gritting his teeth and resisting the urge to bean his stubborn teammate into unconciousness, he let out a faint growl. "Lesson Princess, I'm sure you had people bending over backwards to attend to your needs whenever you so much as got a runny nose, but I didn't, and that means unlike you I had to learn a thing or 2 about first aid, which puts me in a position where I am actually qualified to tell you Sakura needs a Doctor now."
"She'll be fine." Sasuke shot back weakly, not believing it himself. "We can afford a day to.."
"We can. She can't." The blonde replied again. "She's barely breathing and I didn't even think somebodies pulse could go this low without them dying."
The Uchiha said nothing, just clenching his fists.
'Stubborn bastard isn't he?'
"Sasuke, I get it. You want to be a Chunin, I do to." Naruto started, a little softer. "But even if she wasn't Sakura, even if she was just random attached to our team for the exam, do you really think we'll be promoted if we goddamn let her die?"
"I... You're right." Sasuke ceded. shoulders slacking fists uncleanching. Dropping both scrolls to the ground, he went through a string of handseals, burning the scrolls up in a flash of flame. "You sling her left arm over your shoulders, I have the right." He spoke turning towards Naruto who gave him a nod and a smile.
"Don't think this means I like you." Sasuke warned.
"Wouldn't dream of it Teme."
"I'm doing this for Sakura, we owe her afterall. She kinda pulled our asses out of the fire."
"Oh I know."
"And while I never thought I would utter that sentence ever, and will deny it completely should you tell anyone, I'm not about to let her die with a debt unpaid. It would dishonor the Uchiha name." The raven hair boy finished, as they leaped into the trees, their teammate supported between them.
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Well, that was... different.
So, giving Sakura the Curse Seal, that is NOT what I've done. At no point did I actually mention Sakura stealing the mark after it had already been given to Sasuke, so don't bitch about it, because its not what I've done.
What I have done is something you'll have to stick with to see. Also yes, I know there is a distinct lack of Naruto~Zanpakuto bonding and or interaction here, but with the way the pacing is for this chapter it just felt to out of place. I've chucked it in where I felt it could work, but that's not really too common this chapter. Anyway, whatever.
Read, Review and Justify my continued dedication to the fandom.