Merry Christmas! (Or whatever is politically correct.) I'm not religious but I still enjoy Christmas, okay!? Heheh… and a Happy New Year!

Learn to Crawl by Black Lab is perfect for the beginning of this chapter. That and Doomsday by Atreyu, Easier to Run by Linkin Park, and Stand my Ground by Within Temptation.

Eien No Kessoku

Black

Trees whizzed by. The pumping adrenalin didn't slow down the scenery's flashing shadows as one would think. Instead, it heightened every sense and allowed the mind to process more in shorter pieces of time.

Bark creaked under Sakura's feet. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she could feel, if nothing else, the increase of her heart beat. But it was no longer out of fear that the pulse made her skin ripple and tightened every moving muscle, flexing and releasing to test their capacity. It was out of excitement. Secretly, this was what she wanted all along. Her black hair danced around her jaw line as a smile pulled up her lips behind the mask she wore. This wasn't going to be easy. But knocking a few heads seemed like a splendid idea and the building tension inside her was close to busting out right then and there.

Akane ran just behind, flanking her. Genma tried to catch up to the racing kunoichi, but could only manage getting a few feet closer. Suddenly Sakura remembered something. Even if her chakra was suppressed didn't mean a person couldn't recognize it if they were close enough. The last thing she wanted was for Sasuke to recognize her. She quickly masked her chakra and slowed down so Genma could guide them. Genma and Akane concealed their energy signatures as well and their leader spoke into the mic.

"Approximately five minutes to contact." His voice was almost monotone, like an automated warning that rang in Sakura's ears. "We will incapacitate all attackers and recover Uchiha Sasuke at all costs. Injuries could possibly be sustained so protecting our medic is crucial." Sakura smirked. It was ironic that she stood out like that. If it turned ugly out there, Sakura would fight to the death to protect them. Genma said that mainly to remind her that having a medic is the difference between life and death.

Sakura's eyes turned to the unseen shinobi that were approaching, and then she glanced back to Akane and Genma. She would die for these people, medic or no medic.

The rain was pelting on her like little bullets. They were flying through the storm, tearing through the tree's dark grasp, and it was hard to hush her pulse again when the thought of seeing Sasuke again after all of these years provoked the rhythm of her heart.

"Three minutes."

180 seconds … They slipped by. She numbered them slowly: 173… 172… 171… The heat inside her was beginning to settle. She could do this. She could fight. Years of training, years of waiting… years of hoping… Sakura turned her head away from what awaited her. What if we fail? What if I'm not good enough? The blonde's image flashed in her mind. What would Naruto say?

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Akane's soothing voice sent a wave of comfort over her. Even though it had only been a month, she had felt a strong friendship start between them. The kunoichi had never had a sister. But she wondered if this is what it was like. Like when they would stay up late just to talk. Fighting over petty things: how does warfare and healing relate?

Healing, there is the initial push to save someone, then the hill gets a little easier to climb once the patient is stable. Warfare, there is the initial push to get the advantage over an enemy. Then once victory is visible, success is certain with a little effort. Losing comes down to the same thing in the end… death. But the bridge between these two things was far from complete. Hours were spent arguing over whose view was right and, because they were both so stubborn, little ground was covered.

"Sixty seconds."

No! Fear spiked and expanded like an infectious poison as those two words seeped into her mind. It's coming too fast! I can't… I can't face him. Sakura shook her head, pushing away the terror she was feeling.

"Sakura." Genma noticed her flinch at her name. "You are a shinobi. You are completely capable of facing this. We are here for you and we need you to be here for us." Genma's strong hand clasped her shoulder. "Don't give up on us so soon." He chuckled and the kunoichi relaxed again.

His confidence turned on her autopilot and they set their attention to what lie ahead. Genma counted down.

"Twenty."

I have killed…

"Nineteen."

I have saved…

"Eighteen."

I have sacrificed…

"Seventeen."

I am a kunoichi… I am a medic… I am a warrior.

Her green eyes glinted with hostility and malice. She was ready to take back what had been ripped from her life, from the lives of those she loved. I am an elite Jounin, a Black Op, trained by the best.

"Ten."

Doubt isn't an option. I feel no fear. I feel nothing. The mission is all that matters. Even as her heart turned to stone, her shimmering green eyes still held those emotions, they were her only tell.

"Eight."

On the outside she was a ninja with one objective in mind.

"Seven."

On the inside she was a young woman who would give anything to reunite the family she had made out of her old team.

"Five seconds. Do not forget our target."

Time meant nothing to her now. Her blood was alive in the freezing night and, as another gust sent chills up her spine, she saw silhouettes in the dark.

Veiled by the wall of a white illusion, the thrilling anticipation made her lips turn up as shadows collided in the black.

Sakura saw from her peripheral vision as Akane disappeared beside her. It was Karin that tackled her and she watched for a millisecond as they fell to the forest floor in a swirl of leaves and rain.

In front of her there was a massive chakra coming in fast. She looked out into the shadows and saw, in a flash of light, her own reflection on a giant sword. She leapt to the side and the sword skimmed down her arm. She perceived the outline of a man's thin face as he turned to her with a glistening toothy grin. Sakura caught onto the trunk of a tree as Suigetsu grabbed onto a branch and hinged off it, up, landing on the wood. He looked at her curiously.

"Your arms are pretty. I wonder what you look like without them." Then he leapt at her with the sword raised. His movements were being slowed by the weight of his weapon. Recollection hit her as she dodged easily.

"Zabuza…!" She muttered, originally to herself.

"Oh, you know him? It's his sword." He swung at her again. Sakura pulled out a handful of shuriken. "But he doesn't need it now that he's dead!" Sakura pushed off where she was and they shot at each other. His arms were above his head, a perfect opening. She launched them.

Just as the shuriken were to make contact with his throat and chest he exploded into water.

"What the-!?" Sakura fell to the ground and Suigetsu's sword landed not too far away without its wielder. The water rained on her. It mixed in the dirty puddles. She looked around in a small panic. His chakra was no where to be seen… Actually, it felt like it was everywhere. It seemed like it was in the water.

"Team!" A voice called from above her.

Sakura's head snapped up and there, standing out of the shadows, was Uchiha Sasuke. The voice had come from Genma who had sustained many wounds already. Sasuke seemed unmarred and stood casually with that stoic look on his face. Genma's hands were thrown into a seal. Sakura recognized it immediately.

"Take cover!" He bellowed in the woods.

Sakura dove to the shelter of a nearby tree and she saw Akane do the same. Karin watched for a moment before she sensed the intention of his chakra. She started to run when Genma shouted out.

"Jouru Senbon!"

Hidden within the rain Sakura could see glints of metal.

They were in a vortex of needles. She saw the senbon whirl before her and attack Karin. She blocked the fatal ones with a kunai before getting in the safely of the forest. Sakura felt a jolt run through her. Genma was aiming at…

Sasuke.

Of course…

Sakura looked out from behind the tree and up to her former teammate.

His figure was shaking but his relaxed position didn't change. Sakura was about to move to get a better look when a bulge of chakra drew away her attention.

"Do you taste good?"

Sakura whirled around to see a mass of silver headed for her. She pulled out a pair of kunai and blocked the giant sword. Her body cracked the tree and she grunted. Suigetsu was standing a few feet from her clutching the handle with difficulty.

Sakura chuckled as she noticed the senbon rain fade away. 'Having a little trouble?' She wanted to say. Suigetsu was clearly unfit to use the sword. This gave her the advantage.

Chakra pulled to her hands and she smirked behind the mask.

Suigetsu's eyes widened.

"Gouwan!" Sakura shot her arms out, launching the sword out of his hands. It stuck in a nearby tree and Sakura took a swipe at the defenseless shinobi.

Akane was kneeling on a thick branch. Her arm was bleeding badly but that wasn't her biggest problem. Karin's chakra control was impossible to track. The kunoichi could project her chakra in the opposite direction and send Akane right into a trap. Patiently, she waited, depending only on her natural senses.

Hearing was useless with the pitter patter of rain all around. Sight was also pointless for the same reason. Smell… use smell.

It was almost removed completely by the downpour but she could tell that there was blood mingling in the air. There was hers… and Genma's… the third she didn't recognize.

Below!

Akane reached into her pack. From it she grabbed a dozen shuriken and feet upon feet of razor sharp wires. She pulled them out and she was suddenly surrounded by a web of the silver threads. One wire grazed her and a slit immediately formed. She glanced down at the collapsing web, but, before the wires would settle and encase her in barbed metal, she flung out the shuriken. They flew at a curve, wrapping around branch, twig, and trunk, shredding as they went.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard a shriek of pain. The wires stuck and became taut. She grabbed hold of one with a metal plated glove and slid down lower in the forest.

Karin was stuck with two wires around her left arm and another one trapped the underside of her wrist against a tree. Hand seals were impossible to complete. Her leg was pinned to a branch, her ankle twisted in the crease of the wood.

Akane smiled at her convenient handiwork and made a jumble of hand signs. She spoke calm and clearly. "Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!"

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu." A voice, simultaneous to hers, bellowed an octave lower.

Two giant fires lit up the forest and Akane, who aimed at Karin, could see Uchiha's face turned to her. Her flames were met by his. While her energy was quickly consumed by a technique not her own, his chakra swelled in his mouth and she was soon overcome.

…

Sakura and Suigetsu were trapped in battle. Sakura was bleeding profusely from a wound on her neck. Apparently, he had been honestly curious of her taste. She stood away from him, still on the earth where water was starting to freeze.

Suigetsu smiled. His bloodstained teeth made the kunoichi cringe. She had to end this. Above her she could see Genma leaning against the trunk of a tree. He had been no match for Sasuke's style of fighting. Genma clutched his thigh where the Uchiha's kusanagi had stabbed clean through.

I have to help him…

Speaking of Sasuke, where was he?

As the thought passed there was a cry in the woods. It echoed against the rain and thunder.

Sakura's head snapped up to see the blinding light of fire.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Suigetsu charged behind her. "You have no time to spare. I'm your opponent."

Sakura turned on her heel and glared at her attacker.

"You're right. I have no time." Sakura ran at him and they crashed into one another.

Sakura's chakra enhanced fist smashed into his collar bone with a sickening crack and he was propelled a tree, causing it to snap under the pressure. As it toppled over him, Sakura turned to her teammate.

Akane was falling.

"Noooooo!!" Sakura cried out, the trees shivered.

Pain and heat, Akane was wrapped in fire.

Sakura dove under her and caught her. A flash of a similar memory tried to intrude. It wasn't Akane she held in her arms but Sasuke when Lee sent him rocketing into the ground when they were but Genin.

Sakura fought back the memory along with tears and she suppressed the flames with her own jacket.

She felt the fire burn through her clothes and singe her skin.

The smell overwhelmed her. The smell of burning hair and smoke and flesh made her stomach flop.

"Akane… Akane stay with me." She pleaded as her healing energy flowed into the weak shinobi.

"Sakura…" Her voice was so tired.

"I can heal you. I can fix this. Just wait." Sakura's hand began to glow.

Akane tried to wave her off but her hand fell as soon as she tried to lift it.

Sakura pushed her energy into her friend but the fire had deprived her lungs of oxygen enough to start shutting off her organs. That wasn't all. Her enzymes had been denaturized by the heat. Naturally healing was out of reach. Sakura knew, but still forced the healing energy into her comrade. Akane's heart was beginning to fade. Sakura held on. She pushed. The kunoichi felt her own fatigue grow as she pumped energy into a hopeless cause.

"Sakura…" Hidaka Akane reached up. Her hand was shaking. She placed it onto Sakura's shoulder and used the weight of her arm to pull Sakura closer. "Arigato…"

Her slender hand slipped off.

Hidaka Akane was dead in Sakura's arms.

A feeling inside her made her look above to see Sasuke looming over. He was watching. Sakura's throat tightened. His piercing red eyes were staring her right in the face.

She looked away.

"Still alive, bitch?" Sakura turned her head to see Karin standing a few yards away. She was covered in blood from her thin, yet penetrating cuts.

Sakura clenched Akane's burnt jacket. It was sizzling quietly in the rain.

She laid down her companion gentle and snarled. "You die now." She pulled out two short katana hidden in her sleeves, two of the many weapons she still had stashed on her person. Before Karin breathed another insult, Sakura disappeared.

Sasuke watched from the sideline as Sakura reappeared behind Karin with a katana at her throat. Karin tried to break away –because of her wounded wrists and tendons in her arms it was difficult to move her fingers so a replacement technique was not possible– but Sakura, before any action could be made, grabbed the woman's shoulder and dug her blade into Karin's shoulder, turning and curving through her skin closer to her neck.

The woman cried out and Sakura felt the massive chakra built up behind her.

Suigetsu. She was in no condition to take another one of his strong strikes. The kunoichi prepared for him by putting her katana behind her to block as much as she could and began to pull Karin in the Sword-guy's direction as her shield.

Instead of the white hair she was expecting to see, there was brown and black. It was a black bandana. She was relieved by Genma's presence until she identified his disrupted chakra patterns and severe wounds all over his body. He was blocking Suigetsu's sword with one kunai, Sakura helped with hers, his other hand had multiple senbon in it.

He chuckled as he thrust them into Suigetsu's unwounded shoulder which held up the giant sword. Sakura removed her weapons from Karin and dropped her katana's as Suigetsu also dropped his. She shoved both Karin and Genma out of the way as she uppercut Suigetsu to the gut. Genma's arm slid through her grasp until, just after her blow was finished, she gripped his wrist and flung his arm over her shoulder to help him leap up into the trees again.

"We have to get away. You have too many injuries to fight anymore and I can't heal you like this."

"I know."

"I left Akane…"

"I know."

Sakura held back burning tears and looked at him. The trees were flashing behind his head.

With impulsive determination, Sakura gathered her remaining chakra into her hand. It lit the dark night with a green glow and the medic lightly laid her hand on his thigh.

"No, Sakura! You won't have the energy to-"

"I can't carry you forever. Either I give you all I can so you can successfully escape or we both go on at half our strength and get run down and killed." Sakura's voice cracked.

Genma tightened his arm around her shoulder. "No! You go on together. As your commanding officer I order you-"

"What? Are you going to keep me from healing you?" He saw her eyes through the slits. The green was full of unshed tears and desperation.

He looked away into the night. The rain was just as strong, if not stronger than before. Lighting struck and thunder shook the trees. Then, after a glimpse of light it died.

Sakura removed her hand and slumped. She was panting now. Genma moved his leg and when he stepped onto it again he felt the powerful results of her chakra. He replaced his arm around her shoulders, used it to lift her up, and held her bridal style.

"I can carry you like this."

Sakura sighed. "Yes, but for how long."

They were already slowing. She was starting to feel the three chakras trailing them. Genma looked between her and the trees ahead. Sakura reached up with a feeble hand and she pushed up his mask to see his face.

The debate was all in his eyes. Sakura chuckled.

"Don't give up on me so soon." She quoted him happily. A euphoric blanket was covering her. "I still have some surprises up my sleeves."

Genma, after minutes of silence, made eye contact. He bent his head down to rest his forehead against hers.

"I will come back for you."

Sakura's wavering laugh shook her chest. "Don't even bother." Genma heard the double meaning. Sakura tensed at his expression and corrected herself. "I'll catch up to you."

With out another word he stopped and sat her down.

"I will come back." He vanished into the shadows of the woods.

Sakura's voice called out rapidly. "Genma…!" She reached, rethinking the choice.

She didn't want to die.

Team Hebi was almost there. Sakura shook the fear away and focused. If she was going to live she'd have to fight with everything she had. So, fear aside, Sakura gathered her remaining chakra to every joint and muscle. She prepared for their arrival with a number of "gifts". She would push her limits as far as humanly possible if it meant living and taking out the bastards who killed Akane.

Sasuke.

She couldn't… no, she didn't want to think about who killed Akane. Instead she distracted herself with hope.

When would Genma get to Konoha? What would Kakashi say? Would they presume that she was dead or send a team to rescue her? Well, they would send a team anyway to dispose of her body. But it wasn't like there was a lot to steal from her remains.

They were closer now.

Sakura hopped down and placed a handful of waterproof explosive tags all around her. She threw away the other tags that were unusable in the rain. She pulled out the last of her weapons and set multiple wire traps.

They were almost there.

Lastly she pulled from under her shin guards two thin blades, square like the one Sai used years back, and from the metal guards on her forearms she revealed long chains with barbs on them and attached them to the ends of her first weapons.

The lengthy and thin chains dangled over the branch past her feet. She held the blades with the ends closest to her thumbs while the majority of the metal stuck out the back side of her fist.

Her jacket was becoming a nuisance. It was ragged and had started ripping down the back when the splinters of wood tore it during her battle with Suigetsu.

Something she didn't want to admit was that it smelt of Akane's burning skin was the real reason she wanted to rid herself of the article of clothing. The wetness in her eyes started again but she quickly shook it off. For this reason Sakura dropped her weapons so they stuck in the branch and removed the jacket, letting it fall to the ground.

Warmth rushed out of her like air from a popped balloon.

They were seconds away.

Sakura quickly picked up the blades and whirled the chains in the air.

She thought of the reasons to stay.

Sakura knew that she would have slowed Genma down if she had stayed with him.

Sakura was also still able to fight. And, even though she had healed him, Genma was still wounded. She would serve as a distraction.

She had to…

She needed to…

She wanted to stay. She wanted to stay and see his face again. This could be the last time. Maybe he would kill her.

She wanted to run. She wanted to live to see Naruto and Kakashi again. She wanted to see Sasuke return to Konoha. She wanted to live to see his smirk, hear his "Hn" and "Aa"…

Sasuke appeared out of the shadows. His eyes were blazing, looking at every trap that she had set. Seeing through every ruse.

Karin wasn't so lucky. Explosions went off all around her, collapsing the trees on top of her. She narrowly escaped.

Suigetsu avoided the tags only to be caught in a wire trap. Kunai and shuriken were launched at him; his sword weighed him down enough for three kunai to hit his back and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

He emerged out of the dark feet from her before Sasuke landed a tree away. Suigetsu chuckled at her shaky form and attacked with Zabuza's sword. Sakura threw her blade, letting the chain sliced through her fingers until she caught the very end and whirled it at him. The blade served as a weight as it whipped around Suigetsu's arms and the hilt of the sword. Sakura pulled back and the barbs stuck to him, drawing blood. He released the sword and the chain was pulled off. Sakura let go without protest and while still in the air the shinobi used his good arm to throw a barrage of kunai at her. Sakura slowly turned to see Sasuke's face as they hit her unprotected back.

In a cloud of white, Sakura was gone. Suigetsu froze as a foreign hand grabbed his shoulder, which already had a broken collar bone. Another cold hand grabbed his wrist and turned him around. The real Sakura pumped destructive chakra into his arm and twisted. An orchestra of cracks followed and Sakura smirked at his pained expression when he shouted pitifully.

Karin was behind her already. She shoved her chakra filled fingers into Sakura's kidney. Blood burst out of the kunoichi's mouth as she spun in place to trap the opposing kunoichi and herself in her remaining chain. Sakura slipped her hand up so they could both see and she formed a seal. Karin's eyes suddenly widened in fear and struggled to make a seal herself.

With a grin on her face, she whispered in Karin's ear. "Kai."

Sakura's doppelganger expanded and prepared to rupture.

Before it could, a shadow flashed in front of Karin and the chain was cut. Sasuke shoved the exploding doll off the tree into the earth so it could discharge.

He muttered under his breath and disappeared in another shadow.

Sakura knelt in her exhaustion. That last trick had sucked up all of the energy she had conserved. She heard the explosion go off and it sent a shock wave that rattled the leaves. With an aching sigh, Sakura placed her covered forehead onto the rough bark. The rain was pounding all around her and it had to be close to midnight now. The late night was draining her life it seemed.

Suddenly she felt Sasuke's chakra disperse back at Team Hebi's location.

The pace of her heart quickened as the sound of feet hitting wood came from behind her. After seconds of silence, she deliberately stood with as much grace as she could muster.

Genma was probably at the border city by now. But she couldn't be sure considering how much they deviated to escape Sasuke. But she was at the end of her line, regardless. Sakura didn't have the energy to run, as if she could outrun Sasuke to begin with. Sakura was unable to fight and surrender was all she could think of. Perhaps she earned herself a mercy killing after the show she put on.

She started to face him.

Her game was over. Her life was over. But at least her wish had been fulfilled. She could see Sasuke again before she died.

With these thoughts in mind she removed her mask, pushing back her damp hair, and faced him fully. Her eyes were without tears and shone with shinobi pride.

Foamy green met whirling tomoe in a red sea.

Then all was black.

Poor Akane… I really like her character but I don't regret my choice to kill someone off in the fourth chapter.

Anyway, thank you for reading!

Next Chapter – Names of the Dead

IAmNotANut