Hey there. Sorry I didn't update yesterday as promised. I kinda got a little sick. So anyway, here's the nex chapter. Hope you like it.


TAKE ME AWAY

The two shinobi were a blur of flailing limbs as they fought and chased each other through the trees. The rest of the Neji's team ran to keep up, with Shikamaru carrying the now stirring Ino in his arms. Sakura's fear for Rock Lee increased as the trees they passed became more and more damaged, several impaired by kunai and shuriken and even more scorched most surely from Uchiha Sasuke's katon jutsus.

"Can you see them, taichou?" she asked nervously.

"Yes," came the curt reply. "They're moving fast but they're not far ahead of us now."

"How is Lee?" asked Naruto. Neji gazed ahead, squinting slightly. From the faint chakra traces he could identify, Lee had opened at least two more chakra gates. It was surely already taking its toll on his body and it seemed he had a few broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder.

"Damn it!" Neji hissed. "He won't last much longer. Hurry!"

"Konoha's Great Green Beast defies you, Uchiha Sasuke!" they heard Lee shout from not too far ahead of them. "I will protect Konoha's beautiful flower from your evil clutches!"

The group arrived in time to see Sasuke land a fierce kick to the ANBU taijutsu master's stomach. Crimson fluid flowed out from Lee's mouth as he was slammed onto the hard ground.

"Get up," said Sasuke, eyeing his wounded opponent. They saw Lee cough up even more blood as he lifted himself off the ground and leapt up once more into the trees, to Sasuke. Suddenly, Sakura realized what Sasuke was waiting to do.

"No, Lee!" she screamed. "Don't do it!" But it was too late.

Sakura felt as if her surroundings had darkened and she could no longer see the ground, the trees, or the rest of her ANBU team. It was just Rock Lee and Uchiha Sasuke. Suddenly, she saw them as they used to be, dressed in their genin gear, just as she so vividly remembered, all those many years ago. Except now, their roles would be reversed. She willed her body to move, to run, to go and prevent the terrible thing that she knew was going to happen. But she had frozen to the spot and could not even scream out another warning. She watched, horrified, as a series of powerful kicks thrust the weakened Lee high into the air. The rest happened so quickly that only well-trained eyes could have seen them. As Rock Lee's limp form soared parallel to the ground, Sasuke's body appeared directly below his. Another rapid series of violent punches and kicks that Lee could on try to block served to move Sasuke above Lee's now helpless body. And with a final surge of unbelievable speed, the Uchiha's foot made contact with Lee's torso once more. Sakura's trained medic ears heard the distinct sound of several more ribs cracking under the pressure, heard the desperate gasp for air from his emptied lungs, and she saw his broken form fall towards the ground. And to her utter disbelief, Sakura saw the Uchiha's hand form a tight fist aimed yet again at his now cataleptic adversary.

"NO!" she cried.

But Sasuke's fist did not strike Lee again. Instead, his fist was caught by a large hand and his wrist by another and Uchiha Sasuke was forcefully thrown against a large rock with crumbled with the force. Shikamaru caught Lee and carried him towards Sakura while both Neji and Naruto stood in front of them, shielding them from the Uchiha.

"Lee! Oh my God, Lee!" A quick overview revealed that Rock Lee had a dislocated right shoulder, a partially fractured left shin, and several broken ribs which had resulted in punctured organs and thus severe internal bleeding. He was also badly cut and bruised and appeared to have suffered a concussion. And on top of it all, he was severely chakra depleted.

"His breathing and heart rates are irregular," said Sakura. "He needs to get to a hospital fast. I'd heal him myself but there is absolutely no possibility of that here and I've already used up quite a bit of chakra."

Shikamaru looked from Sakura to Rock Lee and back and wanted to tell her to go take their wounded comrade back to the village herself. But he knew that a certain Uchiha would not permit that. She was his target after all. He remembered Neji's words, She is our weapon, that's what Hokage-sama told me. That's why she's with us. Without her, we all die. Shikamaru was angry at the way it seemed like they were using Sakura but told himself that it was far better for Sakura if he, Neji and Naruto kept her right beside them, even if it meant close proximity to the Uchiha. It was as much for her sake as theirs.

"Ino is conscious and on her feet," said Shikamaru. "Let her run with him to Konoha. Don't argue with me now, Sakura," he added, grasping her elbow tightly as she opened her mouth to protest. "You know very well you can't take him there yourself given the current situation. And he'll die is we delay any longer. I know that Ino has had merely the basic medic training. She was sent on this mission as medic-aide. Even though she's not a medic herself, she will be able to give him rough first-aid should he require it on the way. She has enough chakra to get him back to the village within the hour. When she gets there, she can inform Tsunade-sama that we need back-up. She may insist that we are currently the best ANBU team Konoha has seen in years, but this is Uchiha Sasuke."

"That's enough, Uchiha."

"My, my," said Sasuke as he pushed himself up off the ground. "Aren't you the killjoy, Hyuuga. Just when I was enjoying myself, too."

"You would have killed him," said Naruto.

"Oh, that goes without saying, Naruto. I must say I'm glad to admit that you seem to have gotten stronger since out last encounter."

Naruto grit his teeth in reply, the knuckles on his fists turning white with suppressed emotion.

"Hn. Yes, you have gotten stronger. And the fact that you've so generously come here to greet me must mean that you met my brother."

"That we did," said Neji.

"Ah, so it was you, Hyuuga who got to see my brother in his dying moments. Kakashi failed to convey that to me in our last – conversation, if I may."

"Teme!" Naruto shouted. "He was unconscious for hours because of you! And Sakura used up all of her chakra to keep him awake and coherent long enough to tell her it was you."

At this pronouncement, there was a distinct change in Sasuke's normally stoic face. Was it anger? Naruto couldn't tell. "Oh? Is that so, Naruto? Now we can't have that."

"Come off it, Uchiha," said Neji, pure loathing emanating from his pearl-grey eyes.

"Did you say something, Hyuuga?"

"I said, stop acting as if you care about her, Uchiha."

Sasuke's frown deepened. "So you're the one."

"What are you taking about, Sasuke?" Naruto demanded. But Sasuke ignored him.

"You're the one who's trying to take her away from me, Hyuuga." His eyes turned rapidly from onyx to crimson as Neji's Byakugan saw great waves of chakra whirling through his body. "Don't take her away from me!" And Sasuke ran with incredible speed towards Neji with chakra covered fists.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror. "No! Sasuke! Don't!"



--gloria