New story thing at the bottom...Also, does anyone remember what day it is today...?
Chapter FOUR
Karin's cry of Sasuke's name was drowned out by the sound of the Uchiha roughly hitting the ground.
"Time for my thunder to put you six feet under." The Jinchuuriki moved forward, his hand outstretched.
Suigetsu swore under his breath. In the next second, the Hozuki appeared beside Sasuke, sword held out in front of him. The Kubikiribocho met the Hachibi's sword, locking it into place.
The Kumo nin charged lightning through his blade and Suigetsu gritted his teeth.
"Sui-nii!" Sakura called out.
Lightning was any Hozuki's main weakness. Their ability to change into water made them extremely vulnerable to water.
Sasuke scrambled to his feet and reached out. He used his own lightning chakra to hold the Jinchuuriki's blade in place. Jugo appeared behind the man and landed a heavy blow that left him off balance. Karin moved in and pulled Sasuke away from under the locked blades.
Suigetsu applied more pressure, breaking through the Hachibi's sword. Jugo swung his fist, sending the Jinchuuriki flying.
Sakura moved in to cover as Karin healed Sasuke. She hadn't fought alongside her brother for a long time but old training routines that she had gone through alongside her brothers came back to her and her body automatically fell into step with Suigetsu.
The moment his wound had closed, Sasuke moved back to join the fight. Sakura's mind flew through all of the fighting strategies and scenarios she had seen. Almost nothing she knew actually came from her, but this gave her a wide range of techniques and strategies that came from all over the Shinobi nations. She jumped in to allow Sasuke to slip under a blow in a move she had seen him perform with Naruto. The Jinchuuriki's fist came towards her and as Sakura's stomach erupted into water, she had a brief flashback of Suigetsu blocked the Kumo nin's sword and how the Hachibi had charged lightning through her brother. Water wrapped around the Jinchuuriki's arm and began to crawl up the limb.
"Sasuke!" Sakura called urgently, catching the Uchiha's attention. "Hit both of us!"
Sakura knew her immunity against lightning was far superior to Suigetsu. During clan training immunity to lightning attacks was something they did. Still, adjusted wrongly and it could lead to death and so, it wasn't a major part of it.
However, Kabuto had ways of adjusting the lightning chakra so that it's strength was never strong enough to kill. Being Kabuto's punch back for years, Sakura was more used to it.
Didn't mean it didn't hurt, though.
The Jinchuuriki tried to pull back as Sasuke darted up to them but Sakura held on. She felt her hair raise at the electricity that cackled behind her.
"Chidori!"
The Jinchuuriki, caught off guard, screamed out in pain as lightning ran through him, amplified by the water surrounding him.
Sakura had managed to hold back her own cry but her mouth wrenched open in a soundless scream, eyes wide.
When Sasuke cut off his attack, the Eight tails Jinchuuriki fell to his knees. Sakura managed to scramble back a few feet before her own legs gave way. She felt Sasuke appear by her side and an arm loop around her waist, holding her up even as she fell limp. She caught a glimpse of Jugo flying down from the sky before Sasuke tightened his grip and jumped out of the way of Jugo's hammer blow that created a huge crater. When the smoke cleared, Sakura realized the Kumo Jinchuuriki was gone.
Sasuke lowered her to the ground and Suigetsu was at her side in an instant, worry in his eyes.
"Karin." Sasuke called.
"I know." The redhead made a hand sign. She then pointed towards one of the surrounding rocky mountains. "He's over there!"
Sasuke leaped onto Jugo's transformed arm and was launched into the air. The Uchiha charged lightning chakra to his feet, powering his leap as he flew towards the Jinchuuriki.
"You okay?" Suigetsu asked.
"I'm fine." Sakura licked her lips. "My tongue feels weird." She stuck it out.
"Idiot." Suigetsu looked up towards where Sasuke had flown.
Suddenly, a tremendous pressure of chakra crashed upon them. They were too far to actually feel the full effects, but everyone still felt it.
"What?" Suigetsu placed a hand protectively on his sister's shoulder and gripped his sword.
The huge body of chakra began approaching them. "Uh oh." Sakura muttered.
In the next second, Jugo turned around. He knocked Suigetsu and Sakura into the lake beyond the rocks and grabbed Karin, dragging her away just before the Jinchuuriki's attack landed.
Sasuke landed just as the earthquakes stopped. "You alright?"
"Somehow." Karin replied.
Suigetsu popped his head out of the water, his body halfway transformed into water. Sakura appeared beside him a second later.
Sasuke nodded and looked up. "Karin, I need you to follow his chakra signature and tell us his location at all times." Just as he he had finished his orders, the Hachibi appeared from the smoke, his chakra leaking from him.
Sasuke's eyes shifted and the Jinchuuriki stiffened midair before swerved to the side, falling to the ground. Sasuke took a deep breath and covered his eye, and had just turned around when the Jinchuuriki caught him by the torso, sending him flying.
The Hachibi slowly straightened himself.
Jugo flew forward, catching the Uchiha before he could crash into the wall behind him. Karin rushed over, about to heal him, but Jugo stopped her. "I've got this."
"What are you going to do?" Karin asked.
"I'll merge with him to give him chakra and heal him." Jugo said. "Since he's compatible with my curse mark, it should work."
"The Jinchuuriki's chakra." Sakura murmured. "It's changing."
Suigetsu turned his attention from Sasuke to the Jinchuuriki, who was, in fact, changing. Octopus like tails sprouted from behind him and smoke rose into the air. Sakura felt a tremendous chakra force grow from within, and when it died down, her eyes widened in horror.
"That's the eight tails." Suigetsu whispered.
"Tailed Beast mode." Sakura said.
"So a monster ox. So that's his true form." Suigetsu clicked his tongue then grabbed his sister and dragged them both under water.
"Really?" Sakura murmured.
"Sorry." Suigetsu grinned.
"Yeah, whatever." Sakura smiled.
Jugo and Karin turned to look at the sudden looming threat. "Isn't this bad?" Karin asked nervously.
The Hachibi turned towards them but before anyone could react, a ball of water erupted in front of him.
"I knew you were water style shinobi." The beast said. "Trying to use the turf to your advantage?"
The Hachibi charged at the sphere and Suigetsu gritted his teeth. "Sakura!"
The pinkette appeared behind the Hachibi, surrounded by water in the form of a dragon. She bared down on the Kumo nin, causing a wave to go up.
"Go!" Suigetsu yelled. "We've got this!"
Jugo nodded and grabbed Sasuke. Karin scrambled to her feet as well. Sakura confirmed that the three had begun their retreat before baring down on the octopus again.
The Hachibi drew back a little and let out a roar. Chakra began to gather about his open mouth and Sakura watched the black thing begin to gather above the Hachibi's open mouth.
"Sakura!" Suigetsu called.
"On it!"
Suigetsu braced himself for the surely powerful attack to come. Sakura vanished under water and appeared behind Suigetsu's water bubble. She moved back so that she was right above Sasuke and the others, her dragon water form allowing her to loom over them. She then coiled herself behind them, eyes narrowed and teeth gritted in concentration.
The blast of the attack they would later come to know as the 'Biju dama' seemed to tear through Suigetsu's defensive sphere. Sakura flinched but stayed rooted to her spot, her arms spread and her water dragon tightening its coils. She reached out with the corner of consciousness and yanked an unconscious Suigetsu away from the blast.
"Goddammit, Ugly." The attack hit her water form straight on. A scream was torn from her as the pure pressure behind the attack crushed her. Her body felt stiff and even though she was half merged with the water, if felt as though her limbs were being crushed.
It seemed like forever before the attack died away. Sakura faintly noted that the rocky terrain around them had mostly given way to water before her form slowly began to dissolve. She landed on the surface of the lake, on top of her unconscious brother and let out a soft groan. She felt Sasuke, Karin and Jugo gather around but she could barely make out what they were saying. She placed her arms protectively on either side of Suigetsu's goo form,breathing heavily.
"Suigetsu...Sakura..." Karin placed a hand on Sakura's shaking shoulder and flinched away when it automatically turned gooey.
Sasuke gently yanked Sakura off Suigetsu, who Jugo picked up. Sasuke dropped the barely conscious pinkette over his shoulder.
Sakura blinked harshly as the earth spun around her. Just as the world had stopped moving, she felt Sasuke make a sudden move, and once again, she was left dizzy. Once the Uchiha had landed, Sakura noticed that it had been Karin who had pushed them away. She was staring at the black flames when she caught sight of the octopus limb that began falling on top of the red haired girl and slowly raised her arm, willing the water to comply.
Sasuke was faster though. He knocked Sakura's arm away before cutting the arm with lightning. "Karin, run!" He yelled.
Sakura felt as though gravity was pushing against her mind and she let out a soft groan of pain which she wasn't able to hold back. She felt herself slipping from the Uchiha's grip and was grateful that they were on water. It didn't hurt though she did land with a splash. Sasuke fell to one knee beside her and she saw him clutching at his eye.
"Jugo, get Karin. Hurry!"
Jugo did as told, planting the girl on his other shoulder.
Sakura rolled over, breathing heavily. The water felt wonderful beneath her.
"The Hachibi's in bad shape." Jugo said. "But we managed to get him without killing him."
Sasuke glanced down at the girl lying on the water and she smiled softly at him. "Go get him." She said. "I'll be fine in a while, I think."
Sasuke nodded and he went over to grab the Hachibi. Sakura slowly managed to sit up, her whole body feeling as though it was on fire. Jugo stopped by her side and she looked up, noting that he looked younger than before. Sasuke reached them in the next second and Sakura wince, forcing herself to her feet. Sasuke's hand shot out to catch her as she stumbled and she couldn't stop herself from grabbing onto his sleeve. "Sorry." She wheezed.
Sasuke grunted and waited for her to gather her balance between they slowly began to make their way away from the rocky terrain.
Their progress was slow. Sakura knew that it was her that was slowing them down the most. Even with all their injuries and the extra weights they were carrying, Jugo and Sasuke managed to travel at a steady pace.
Sakura cursed the sun, knowing that the heat was contributing to her fatigue. She felt her knees give way again and just about managed to stabilize herself before she collapsed. She knew that once she fell, she wouldn't be able to get up.
"Almost there." Jugo encouraged quietly.
Sakura nodded to show that she had heard.
She was eternally grateful when Sasuke decided to rest. He dumped the unconscious Jinchuuriki onto the floor then sat down on a rock, breathing heavily.
Sakura collapsed near by, once again cursing the sun. She took out her flask and gulped down it's contents greedily.
Jugo eyed the Uchiha worriedly. "You okay?" He asked.
Sasuke nodded. "Let's go." He said. "We're almost at the rendezvous point."
Sakura could feel herself moving, but she was no longer aware of her surroundings. Once in awhile, she could feel someone nudging her and she changed directions according to that. Suddenly, she felt someone lifting her. For a moment, her eyes focused, fueled by panic, only to instantly relax when she saw the familiar face of Uchiha Sasuke. She then felt herself falling and hit water.
Sakura took a deep breath before she was pulled under, already feeling refreshed as the liquid brushed at her skin. She felt another splash and instantly recognized it as Suigetsu.
The water would protect them and it would heal them. Relieved, she allowed herself to close her eyes.
NEW STORIES:
The Core (Sakura x Akatsuki/Sakura x Multi):
The Akatsuki are an Elite Police Authority group stationed in a city where the lives people are influenced by the predictions of a Supercomputer. The predictions had never been wrong ever since Version Sakura had been released. However, when the computer shuts down one day for no reason, they come across the horrifying truth and the Akatsuki must confront their twisted government.
Those who walk the Realms of the dead (Sakura x Multi):
The Haruno clan are known for their unique relationship with the dead. To them, hearing whispers, seeing the ghosts wandering the planes and having their bodies taken over by spirits are common occurrences. However, once in a hundred years, the 'Reaper Child' is born. The chosen of this century, Sakura can walk the land of the dead at will, the limit to her powers unknown.
Darque: Sasuke got beat up a lot, didn't he?
Raven: He did.
Darque: That was pretty fun to write.
Raven: I agree.
Darque: How this story will move on is still unknown, though.
Raven: Well, we do have quite a few stories. We can think as we go, right?
Darque: Right! Hey, you say good things once in a while!
Raven: You're always one word extra!
Also, Happy Birthday to us! We're sixteen now!
Meh, so leave us an extra long review, okay?
Read and Review!
