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Chapter Seven
My Disadvantage: a Genjutsu?
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The air held an arcane atmosphere. It was profound how it felt with both Kakashi and Souta piercing right through each other with their eyes that seemed to show the spark and killing intent of daggers. Kakashi waited for Souta to make his move, when he grabbed a kunai from his pouch, about to block the man from coming any further. However, what Kakashi didn't expect was for gas to fill the air, and soon he couldn't see a thing. Abrupt coughing was heard, his voice becoming hoarse and jagged as time flew by.
He couldn't see anything, even with his sharingan. He had to admit, this was a great strategy to stop him from using his sharingan. It almost felt like Zabuza's thick mist, only deadly.
"Kukuku, if you think you're in hell now, wait till I finish you off." His cackling didn't distract Kakashi one bit. Souta had taken away two of his senses: sight and smell, but he could still hear – he could still react. Though, it was hard when one can only breathe, at the most, was two minutes when thirty-two seconds already passed.
"One minute and twenty six seconds left…" he thought, knowing that during these last minutes, he'll surely get slower, weaker for the need of air. His thoughts turned to his students, hoping they were safe.
"I don't have time to think of them. I need to finish this guy off now." No more time was wasted, and he fought, knowing this may be his last minute and ten seconds of his life.
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Sasuke analyzed the situation carefully; the whole area was still pervaded with an eerie atmosphere throughout the opaque air. Sayuri wasn't going to make the first move, he realized. He needed to attack soon and quick. He had a mission: to protect the prince. If he lost to her, then he'd fail. Uchiha Sasuke was no failure. He looked over to the woman when he noticed she was making hand signs. Soon, something started sprouting from the ground.
"You're becoming a real bore you know," she said with a chuckle echoing throughout the room.
"A plant? No, not just any plant. It turned into some type of a sword-like plant," he thought, getting out a kunai.
"So…let's have some fun together." She smirked. "Fight me, or are you just going to stand there like a useless coward with that kunai?" she asked. Sasuke clenched his fist. This lady was really pissing him off. Sasuke, a coward? What a blatant lie.
"Why you-"he ran towards her, prepared to fight. As he ran closer for close combat, her face was smirking in anticipation and knowing. When he was merely a few inches away, she swung her sword towards the boy, and he blocked the blow with his weapon. He glanced at her, seeing her chuckling face in amusement. He glanced back down and saw the sword of vines wrap itself around Sasuke's kunai... to his hand... all the way up his elbow.
"You're…pretty pathetic," she denounced. All she could hear was desperate struggling. Sasuke's eyes grew sharper with killing intent, ready to strangle this woman; his hands around her long neck, squeezing, tighter, and tighter…
…the only thing that began getting tighter were the vines slithering around his arm like a snake. They were constricting, causing him to shout – shout at the agonizing pain that pulsed through him. He kept yelling. This woman didn't show any mercy. He couldn't tell how long it was, but he saw his fingers turning blue from the lack of blood circulation. His entire right arm felt numb, and his entire body shook. She cackled.
"If you think this is pain, just think when my plants surround your entire body, squeezing the life out of you." Sayuri's malicious laughs filled the air. She licked her lips when she saw him squirming to get free, only to continue to be constricted by the vines racing towards him, like a python, slowly but surely constricting him. His eyes widened as he felt the vines crawl their way up his neck like long hands ready to strangle; they were surrounding every inch of his body. Slowly – slowly it started to tighten every few seconds. He… he couldn't breath. He was about to pass out right then and there, but – could it really end like this?
"Kid, you weren't really amusing at all. And to think, I'm not even done with you yet." She laughed. His eyes widened.
"Damn it, I can't lose like this," he thought. His eyes squeezed together at the unbearable pain.
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Naruto was charging at the man who just stood there. Naruto made a familiar hand sign and yelled "Kage bunshin no jutsu." Three kage bunshins appeared. Each went a separate way while the real Naruto went head on. One bunshin came from above, giving a barrage of punches while Takeshi evaded them. Another bunshin came from the side, ready to kick him in the face, when he bent backwards, evading the attack once again.
"I had it!" he yelled, finally having enough time to punch both before they had time to try and hit him again. He didn't notice where the real Naruto went since he was too busy with the clones. As he panted, he couldn't help but cackle.
"Was this what beat Sayuri? If so, then she doesn't deserve to call herself a real ninja. Pathetic." He continued to laugh. "Get ready."
"You're the one who's going to need to get ready. Here I go!" Throughout the small battle between Takeshi and the bunshins, the real Naruto and another of his bunshins were getting his main technique.
"Whoa; that's rasengan, isn't it? Amazing, I have never seen him use this technique before. When did you learn that Naruto?" Sakura thought in wonder.
Naruto charged at him with everything he got, but Takeshi just made hand sign and a flash of light – smoke exploded everywhere in the proximity and straight into Naruto's lungs. Naruto began coughing.
"Did it work?" he thought as he closed his eyes from the smoke and debris. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed he wasn't where he was before. He rubbed his eyes, looking around. "Where am I?"he asked himself.
"Eh? Naruto, what are you doing just standing there staring into space like an idiot?" an angry Sakura asked in irritation. "Baka…" She face palmed.
"Hurry up or we'll leave without you, dobe," Sasuke said. Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi turned away, leaving him behind.
"What's going on?" he asked, but once he saw his team's backs fading in the distance, he followed them.
"Hey! Wait up you guys!"
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"Naruto…" She looked at the sleeping blonde boy from a distance.
"Now it's time to end this, you brat," Takeshi said as he threw grass needles towards the sleeping blond.
"Oh no, I need to get to him quick, before he…" She ran towards Naruto grabbing, a kunai and evading the attacks.
"Nice try, but I won't let you hurt him."
"So, girly wants to fight as well? Let's see if you have any skills."
"Why you…" Sakura grabbed shuriken and threw them at him. This gave her time to charge at him and try and land a blow.
"If I can just hit him at least once..." As she kept throwing punches, he kept dodging them. "There has to be a way to get him to lose his concentration. He keeps dodging my attacks," she though. Sakura jumped away from him and kept her distance. "If I try and release the genjutsu, it'll give him a chance to attack. It looks like I'm on my own now, but I used up most of my chakra getting up here… fantastic." Sakura nodded to herself. Takeshi threw more grass needles, making her dodge again, but she couldn't avoid one needle when it was at her blindside, grazing her right arm. She grasped her arm in agony.
"Oh, did I mention these needles have poison on them?" he rhetorically asked, cackling harder than ever.
"This is my chance!" she thought and raced towards him when she finally punched him with her left arm instead, having him fly across the cave and going threw a rock. "Finally, I got him. Now I can release-"
The poison started to take its effect when she kneeled down at the throbbing pain.
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"Finally you caught up," Kakashi said with a smile.
"Ugh, where are we going?" he asked.
"Idiot, did you forget already? We were just going to have a picnic. You were the one who suggested it, so I hope you remembered to bring your share," Sakura lectured with her hands on her hips.
"Right… what was I suppose to bring again?" he asked nervously, sheepishly chuckling.
"Unbelievable. Idiot, you were supposed to bring the drinks," she scolded. "Now we're all going to be thirsty."
"Oh… Sorry."
"Well, lucky for you I saw this coming and packed drinks." Sakura placed the drinks on a small plate, passing it in the middle for them to take. When Naruto was about to grab one, she slapped his hand away. "None for you, idiot. You don't get any as punishment." She smirked, sticking her tongue out in satisfaction.
Naruto wasn't paying attention all that much. He was really wondering how he got there in the first place. Everything changed. This time period was even when Sakura's pink locks were still long and she was as mean as ever. This wasn't where he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be kicking some grass ninja butt right now. He was supposed to be protecting the prince. His mission… he was on a mission. He was…with Sakura – Sakura?
"That's right, I was with Sakura-chan when that guy came. We fought, but what happened after? He was… he was making hand signs when he attacked. Did he put me in a genjutsu or something? That has to be it. But that means Sakura-chan is in trouble." Naruto stood up, putting his hands together.
"Baka Naruto, what do you think you're doing? Sit down idiot!" Sakura demanded.
"I need to get out of this genjutsu," he thought, gathering his chakra and trying to break the genjutsu. After a while, he saw a flash of light, and everything turned dark. As he began opening his eyes, everything was becoming clearer. He sat up, looking around. He noticed Sakura crouched down, holding on to her arm.
"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" he asked, crawling towards her.
"I-I'm fine. Wow, you got out of the genjutsu by yourself. I'm impressed." She smiled, still clutching on to her arm.
"Your arm." He noticed how her arm was cut.
"Just make sure to take him down. I'll be fine," she reassured him.
"Where's what's his face?" he asked. She pointed to the pile of rocks. The pile of rocks began moving until Takeshi crawled out.
"I let my guard down, but I'll take you down, girly." Sakura glared at the man, trying to stand up, when the pain in her arm began to sting. She nearly fell when Naruto caught her.
"Don't worry about a thing, Sakura-chan. You did a really great job while I was out, but I'll take it from here." She nodded, collapsing right there.
"Sakura-chan's out cold," he thought, looking back at her. He then turned towards Takeshi.
"It's time to end this," Naruto declared.
