Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
RE-WRITE: 3/16/12
Tainted
The clink of metal, mash of punches and flickers of flames was all Sakura could blearily register. The several minutes which passed without her sustaining further damage told her the Grass ninja detracted from attacking her. Her gasping body shakily made it to her knees, a blur of blue drifting in and out of sight.
Sasuke had entered the struggle.
She staggered to her feet before collapsing onto her rear. The girl hadn't been beaten too badly, but immediate movement was still difficult. Her vision began clearing, and she desperately wanted to assist her comrade against this monster. She looked up in time to catch the Grass ninja, fastened to a tree with a flood of fire funneling into her. The ferocity of the blow blistered through the tree trunk, a wave of shrieks echoing as the flames charred their mark.
Sakura exhaled a breath of relief but could not inhale, struck with the remembrance of the she-demon's unnatural invulnerability to fatal attacks. She had managed to survive a bash to the cranium of lethal force. There was no telling whether a jet of fire would destroy her.
Her heart thundered in her ears as she watched the limp body, the woman's long dark hair a lifeless curtain over her face. Was it finally over?
Hope soared within the girl too soon, when she heard the prickly snap of the ninja wire. The snake-woman had emerged from her bindings, a wide maniacal grin ripped across her pale face. Sakura's eyes darted to Sasuke standing a few feet before the Grass-nin, heaving from exertion. He had undoubtedly expended quite a bit of chakra to keep the woman at bay. The boy straightened, prepared to continue, but with one hand sign from the woman and his body instantly wavered in place. Sakura could see effort in his face as he struggled to seize control of his body, but to no avail. It was like there were metallic puppet strings bounding him in place. And now he was a sitting target.
"Such a mastery of the Sharingan at so young an age." The Grass ninja's grin grew sharper, her chuckle pouring like acid on the ears. "You're certainly his brother all right. I even think your eyes might be even better than Itachi's. You'll do nicely."
The more this demon spoke the more confused Sakura became. The nature of her words was lost to her, but the desire it dripped with was irreproachable. What made matters even more bewildering was this "woman's" pitch. Somewhere along the way, she now sounded like a he.
"Who are you?" demanded Sasuke, still wrestling with his body. "What do you want?"
"My name is Orochimaru. As for what I want, well I have no plans of telling you that much until we meet again, Sasuke-kun. But not before I leave you with a little parting gift."
One step from the bloodthirsty woman sparked Sakura into action. The girl rose from the ground, tossing her last supply of paper bombs into the trunk of Sasuke's tree. The lumber blasted apart, the tree creaking as it began to fall. Sakura's adrenaline-rushed body sped up the descending bark, making a grab for Sasuke while the Grass-nin also leapt off the dilapidated structure.
Sakura and Sasuke landed on an adjacent branch, their meeting eyes communicating the same plea. We have to get out of here!
The girl's body spasmed, unresponsive to her commands to continue forward. Her limbs felt like a thousand pounds had been added to each one, and it took all her effort to remain standing. She could not imagine any sort of progressive movement. She looked to Sasuke, seeing the same reaction in him. And she knew they had been caught in the enemy's genjutsu.
"So you do know how to react on instinct," sniggered the Grass-nin, pulling off her/his? disintegrating skin-mask. "But I'm afraid you've accomplished little."
Sakura's emerald orbs faced Orochimaru's snake-like yellow ones before them, her body quaking with even more fear. His eyes reflected death, and hatred, and every immoral sickness plaguing humanity. She had never known such terror. Her blood was like ice in her veins, freezing her in place.
And in that moment of panic, a flame – small inside her all along – whipped through her frozen frame like wildfire. Her chakra core became a furnace, her body's instinctual response to its impending death.
This spike did nothing to free her internal imprisonment, but Sakura was an ace at chakra control. She knew she could channel this tsunami of energy into a concerted channel to free herself. Her body was trapped because of a powerful genjutsu, and an equally powerful alteration of chakra might be enough to break it.
The invisible links which chained her body obliterated with one fierce wave of concentration. Sakura spared a thought of thanks to Kurenai for all her genjutsu training before charging toward Orochimaru. It was a foolhardy move. But with no more weapons, no teammates, no time, and limited chakra, she only had foolhardy moves left in her.
Before she could raise her fist for the first swing, the pinkette found herself hammered against a tree trunk. Her body was unmoving, pressed by the dark-haired man's arms. He stared into her eyes, chuckling through her discomfort.
"Well you're just full of surprises aren't you, my dear? Tell me your name."
Her bottom lip quivered, mute with fear.
"Sakura!" called Sasuke behind them. "You, don't touch her! Just get away from her!"
"Ahhh," sang Orochimaru, his finger twirling her hair. "So you're Sakura-chan...that explains this." Her pink locks slipped through his fingers.
"You know," he continued, "I only decided to entertain you earlier because you were able to see through my mud clone so easily. And just when I thought you were a waste of my time, you go and break through my impenetrable genjutsu. How intriguing."
His peeking fangs trickled shivers through the pinned girl as he smiled that twisted smile. It was the same one he had given Sasuke only moments ago.
"Maybe I should keep you too," he purred, caressing her cheek with his icy fingertips, bringing their faces closer together as he spoke. "I've always had an eye for talent, dear Sakura-chan, and there is more to you than meets the eye." He searched her terrified eyes with glee before frowning. "Hm, it appears someone has already claimed you for themselves. But it matters not. I suppose I can still put my mark on you regard-"
"I said stay away from her!"
Sasuke's strained command finally earned Orochimaru's attention, as he peered at the boy beyond his shoulder. "Ah, Sasuke-kun, I didn't peg you for the overprotective type. And my genjutsu will be dissipating shortly, so I suppose I'm left with a decision aren't I? A pity...I already had my heart set on the Sharingan."
The snake-ninja snapped his head an entire 180 degrees, his stretching neck slithering to reach Sasuke. One bite to the boy's shoulder had his body seizing in pain, an agonizing scream exploding from his throat as he fell to his knees.
Her blood drained from her face, Sakura's horrorstricken eyes glued to the scene. She barely noticed Orochimaru's neck slink back into position, only realizing his leave when her trembling body slumped to the floor.
"His chances for survival are slim. Do take good care of him, Sakura-chan," the man chuckled, disappearing into the tree branch. "Soon Sasuke-kun will want to seek me out...for power. Until then."
Her body was a petrified lump even after the figure vanished, a blank stare in Sasuke's general direction. It took some prodding in the form of another shriek before she could feel her heart beating again, jumping with a start.
She rushed to her teammate's aid, grabbing his shoulders to steady his quivering body. His entire frame was tense, his teeth grounding together to suppress his anguish.
"Sasuke?" she squeaked desperately, eyes wide.
The boy fell into her chest, one hand to his neck with the other squeezing Sakura's, gripping the remnants of his consciousness for dear life. "S-Sakura," he pleaded. The eruption of pain was excruciating. Screaming didn't help. Clenching didn't help. All he could do was sob into the girl's shoulder.
"Sasuke," she breathed, feigning reassurance. She could feel his heart erratically hammering against hers as she used her free hand to cradle the back of his head. "I-It's okay. You're-you're going to be all right."
His whimpering only grew louder, and Sakura clamped onto him to stop him from flailing. His body felt much too hot as he squirmed against her. And after ripping out one final cry, Sasuke collapsed into her arms.
She continued to hold him, her tears spilling onto his shoulders. "Sasuke," she whispered. "What did that man do to you? W-What...what do I do now?"
Sakura's gently bobbing head snapped upward with a start, disoriented as her eyes whirled around the space. There was the overturned cave of roots that doubled as her team's refuge point and camp. She searched the small clearing before them, and then the surrounding trees.
The kunoichi exhaled in relief, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. Thank goodness we weren't attacked. I can't afford to dose off like that again. Not while... Her gaze rested on Sasuke and Naruto beside her, unconscious just as she had left them.
The first rays of gold wisped through the wall of roots. The girl's mouth stretched into a yawn as she tried to ignore her lost night's sleep. She prepared another moistened towel and rested it on Sasuke's searing forehead.
His fever hasn't broken yet...
She clutched the soiled rag she had just replaced.
Team 7's clash with Orochimaru the day before had left them with two members down, one of them sporting a dark marking in the shape of three tomoe near the back of his neck. It was only after Sakura got the boys to safety that she realized exactly whom they had just tangled with. They never stood a chance against the infamous snake-user, former Konoha shinobi and one of the three Legendary Sannin. Sakura deduced that he must have been the one interfering with the chuunin exams all along. Was he also behind the kidnapping during the training mission?
Sakura bit her lip, forcing the image of the sannin out of her mind. His glassy yellow eyes still made her shudder on reflex.
She fought to keep her train of thought linear. Her current objective would be to guard her teammates until they awakened. She was a bit worse for wear, being bruised and sleep-deprived, but she had some measures in place in the event of an attack. But if they were ambushed, she would be on her own.
Her fingers twisted into the cloth in her hands, wringing out the cold remnants of moisture.
There would be no Naruto to occupy her opponent while she devised a plan, no Sasuke to catch any observation she missed. She could no longer rely on their heavy-hitting ninjutsu, and lacked any of her own. Taijutsu, basic genjutsu and a meager supply of tools – that was what she had at her disposal. That was what she had to work with earlier when she fought Orochimaru alone. And look how well that turned out.
Her tightening knuckles grew white.
If only she had intervened in the fight before Naruto got hurt. If only she had held out longer against Orochimaru so she could have helped Sasuke. If only she had devised a better strategy than just charging the snake-sannin when she had the chance. If only she had amassed a better arsenal of ninjustu to use before any of this even started.
If only she wasn't so dependent, so weak. Orochimaru had been right to call her his prey.
Her hands dropped the rag and clapped her tear-streaked cheeks. Her haggard mind still pressed the issue, and she slapped herself again. And then again.
Snap out of it...beating yourself up helps no one...focus on the task at hand...you're useless if you keep worrying like this...you can do this, you have to.
Her self-help phrases chorused over and over in her thoughts before she finally started to half-believe them. With a massage to her temple, she steeled herself for the day.
The kunoichi twined her hands into a seal, focusing her chakra to scan for a presence. She did this several times an hour as a precaution against an ambush.
For the first time, her search produced a positive result.
Her hand latched onto her kunai defensively. All was quiet, the clearing before their hiding place empty. These foes – she estimated two or three of them – must have been lying in wait for a while now. She suppressed her dip of inadequacy and considered her options.
Her original contingency plan for an ambush was the trap she had laid. Of course, an enemy lying in wait would probably notice her setup by then, as opposed to an overconfident ninja rushing in.
Fortunately, she had an emergency plan for her emergency plan.
Forming her practiced hand signs, the pinkette zeroed-in on one of the faint signatures she registered. She could feel her chakra subtly pouring into the ninja, calculatingly altering its flow.
"Are you going to stay hiding all day?" called the girl, having cast her genjutsu. She crawled from the cave of roots into the clearing, kunai bared. "Show yourselves."
A wave of chuckles rebounded through the space, coming from everywhere and yet no place in particular. "The little girl's got some courage in her. That won't last long."
"The kid set a trap out there," whispered one of the ninja, "which is probably why she wants us to come out rather than try taking us by surprise. Zaku, Kin, make sure you two don't fall into it."
"Yeah yeah. I saw that a mile away."
"Really, Dosu. Do you honestly believe we're that foolish?"
The enemy ninja leapt into the clearing, the female member inadvertently tripping a line of wire in the process.
"Kin, I told you to-"
The ground exploded beneath the dark-haired girl, her body suddenly ensnared in ninja-wire. Sakura severed another cord, springing a massive log onto the girl. Before it could collide with its target, the girl's masked comrade met the bark with his opened palm and the lumber shattered apart.
"Yeah you're not foolish at all, Kin, just pathetic."
"I thought you saw the trap," said the mummy-like ninja who had saved her. "Yet you walked right into it."
"I did see it, Dosu," asserted the girl, flopping on the ground as she struggled against her bindings. "I avoided it completely. I don't understand how this happened, now untie me!"
"Hm, I see. Quite clever." The one called Dosu turned to Sakura. "You cast some sort of a genjutsu on Kin and concealed your trap by having her perceive it in a different place."
Sakura's expression only hardened on her foes. She hoped her poker face hid her disappointment that her trap only captured an enemy, instead of incapacitating one like she had planned for.
"You haven't trained all that much in genjutsu, have you? Otherwise you would have been able to make it powerful enough to ensnare more than one person. How unfortunate for you..."
"Whatever, Dosu," interjected the navy-haired ninja, ignoring his captured teammate as he sauntered forward. "Let's just kill that Sasuke kid and get out of here."
Sakura's eyes narrowed, her grip on her kunai tightening. "You're ninja from the Hidden Sound. What do you want with Sasuke? Did Orochimaru send you?"
The two approaching ninja hesitated. The Leaf ninja took this as an affirmative response.
"Then you can answer my questions. What does he want with Sasuke? And why did he put that strange mark on his neck?"
"He-He did what?"
"Don't bother with this chick. We'll just kill her and then deal with the Uchiha."
A sigh whistled through Dosu's bandage-covered mouth. "I suppose you are right, Zaku. We shall proceed with our objective then."
Sakura tensed as the two Sound ninja charged toward her. Her odds weren't in her favor. But with a friend's life hanging in the balance (along with her own) she would persevere to the end, until there was no breath left in-
"Leaf Hurricane!"
A tornado of green whipped into the ninja, repelling them from the pinkette. The whirling body of green settled into a frozen stance between the girl and her opponents.
"Lee-san," she gasped in relief. "What are you doing here?"
Rock Lee grinned over his shoulder. "I will always appear any time you are in danger, Sakura-san. That is a promise. I shall defend you against these ruffians."
"But you shouldn't...I mean, on this test we're enemies."
"Sakura-san, no matter the circumstance, you and I are friends. Comrades in arms, always. And I will protect you until I die."
The candy-haired girl continued to scrutinize the smiling boy in confusion. Could she really ask him to risk his life for her? But with her team's lives at stake, how could she refuse? It wasn't as if he would allow her to renege his offer either way.
"Thank you, Lee-san."
His smile stretched into a giddy grin as he turned his starry eyes away from her.
"We have to be smart about this," she asserted, her serious tone sobering him. The two gennin now stood side by side.
"Indeed. I have seen the masked-one's jutsu before."
"When he attacked Kabuto-san you mean." The pinkette recalled Dosu's missed swing at Kabuto before the first test of the exams, and how the failed hit mysteriously forced the Leaf gennin to his knees. "I still don't really understand what had happened that time. We have to stay on our guard."
"I shall occupy the masked-one while you deal with the other. Please be careful."
With a nod, the pair launched themselves at their opponents. Zaku raised his hands and a pressurized gust of wind blasted at Sakura, slamming her into a tree before she managed to get close.
Meanwhile, Lee twirled into Dosu with a kick, which he dodged. The Sound-nin swung at Lee, also missing. Before the gennin initiated another assault he abruptly lost his footing, which his opponent exploited with a heel to the stomach. The boy held his abdomen, bounding backwards before the Sound-nin managed another blow.
Sakura scrambled to her feet as fast as her bruised body would allow, her concerned gaze shifting to her staggering ally. There was an expected trail of crimson from his mouth, and another one oddly down his ear. Her mind circled back to moments before the chuunin written test, when Kabuto had been attacked. He had grappled onto his ear after the missed punch as well.
He's damaging their ears?
The girl shifted to Dosu, eying the metallic device strapped to his hands. Not the wisest idea, considering she was neglecting her own enemy. A second wave of air was her painful wakeup call, and her body crashed into the dirt before hitting yet another tree trunk.
She soothingly rubbed her bloodied arms, not as quick to get up as the first time. This Zaku was already starting to unnerve her, especially with that ever-present smug smirk hanging on his face.
So it seemed both these Hidden Sound ninja had sound-based justu. No surprise there. Zaku's was obvious – he had a hole in each hand that allowed him to emit a condensed, highly pressurized funnel of air. Dosu's was more difficult to decipher. Whatever he was doing was fast and sightless, with the result being an injured ear and loss of balance.
With anatomy being one of her favorite reading topics, she was well aware of the inner-workings of the ear. The inner ear had special hardware – the vestibular system – designed for maintaining balance and keeping objects in focus when the head is moving. Both of these are essential in battle, especially for a taijutsu user like Lee. With that impaired, his progression in the fight would only end in incapacitation. And the invisible source of all this damage was...?
"Sound vibrations." The girl turned to Dosu. "That's what it is, isn't it?"
The mummy-faced ninja only sniggered. "Give the little lady a prize. Yes you are correct. That's what makes my attacks so elegantly lethal, because it travels at the speed of sound and disrupts the inner ear's balance system even if my punches miss. I imagine our little friend is probably feeling quite dizzy and nauseous. Best you don't even try to get back up, boy."
Sakura's eyes rested on Lee. The gennin appeared very strained, despite his lack of physical injuries. He motioned to get to his feet but only landed on his knees and started throwing up. He was in no condition to continue.
"Lee-san, you have to stop-"
"I do not care." The dark-haired boy took up a wobbly stance, preparing to continue. "Your tricks shall not deter me. I shall keep fighting."
"Don't do this," pleaded Sakura, forcing his eyes to her. "I can't let you push yourself this way. Please stop."
"I cannot," he answered simply, his doe eyes uncharacteristically hard. "You are someone precious to me, Sakura-san. I made you a promise – I will protect you until I die."
The girl's gaze wavered under his, nodding. He would fight with her and he would also die with her, she imagined. Perhaps there was something she could do to spare him more pain, to protect him. She didn't know if the idea would work, but for his sake she would take that chance.
"When the time is right, use the Primary Lotus."
Lee gave an affirmative grunt, though visibly confused. Sakura disappeared inside the cave behind them, emerging with Sasuke draped on her back.
"If you Sound ninja want to hurt Sasuke, you have to catch me first." The girl leapt onto a branch and flitted through the trees with her quarry.
Zaku quickly pursued, but Dosu was blocked by a staggering Lee.
"Don't you understand the meaning of the word 'hopeless'? Although it's a miracle you can even stand, you won't be able to move by the time I'm through with you."
The man charged into another swing at Lee, who raised both arms to counter it. Despite the block, he could feel the sound waves assaulting his bleeding ear drums, and the boy was easily forced off kilter and thrown to the ground.
Lee's bandaged fingers gripped the earth, propping up his body. Dosu watched the desperate boy with mild fascination, scoffing when he finally managed to stand. "You are indeed a very sorry sight. Why do you continue to fight so vehemently on behalf of someone who has just abandoned you?"
"You do not speak of Sakura-san that way," asserted Lee. "She has not abandoned me. I have faith in her. And I shall protect her until-"
"Until you die," sneered Dosu. "Yes, you've mentioned that. I'll be more than happy to help you keep your promise of death right now."
The Sound-nin rushed forward, but Lee managed to be faster. He could feel his strength returning as he knocked back his opponent's blow with a Leaf Hurricane. Before Dosu could recover, the boy connected his heel into his jaw. The man sailed into the air and suddenly found himself enwrapped in white.
"Primary Lotus!"
Lee was able to easily sink Dosu's head into the ground before rebounding off of him. He held his knees as he eased his panting body. "How did this...but I don't understand..."
To his greater surprise, Sakura surfaced from the cave of roots, looking equally fatigued.
"Sakura-san? But...how are you here? I saw you run off with...what is going on?"
The girl smiled through his confusion. "It's amazing what you can do with a combination of clone and transformation jutsu. The Sasuke and Sakura you saw running away were really my clones. That Zaku guy isn't too bright. Even without being injured, I don't have the physical strength to carry Sasuke so fast. I just needed a way to distract him so I could help you get your balance back."
His brow only creased further in perplexity.
"I needed to be free so I could perform a genjutsu on you. Kurenai-sensei taught me how to affect sensations in either the eyes or the ears. So I kind of used a genjutsu to mess with your balance so it could get back to normal and you could fight. Do you see what I mean?"
"Uh-oh, oh yes, that makes perfect sense," said Lee. "Brilliant work, Sakura-san. Nothing less from you!"
The pinkette smiled weakly as the boy-in-green beamed at her. "Th-Thank you, Lee-san. You did wonderfully as well. I can't thank you enough for all your help. But I have to take care of the rest on my own, all right?"
"No." Lee stepped forward, his legs quaking as he hobbled closer. "I must help you with the other one."
"That's impossible. Your ears are far too damaged now, and that genjutsu isn't powerful enough to have a lasting effect. I can tell it's already starting to fade."
Lee collapsed to his knees, his half-lidded eyes fixed on Sakura. "Y-You have been w-weakened and injured. I-I cannot allow you to..."
The girl continued smiling softly at him, even as his body slunk limply to the floor. "Thank you, Lee-san. I owe you so much."
"But the fool didn't manage to do much."
Sakura's widened gaze snapped upward on hearing Dosu's voice. But the mummy-ninja was taken out with Lee's Lotus. How was he standing pristinely before her now?
"I figured out your little rouse sooner than you thought," laughed Zaku, crouched near Kin with his palms embedded in the dirt. "I used my ultrasonic waves to soften the earth. It saved Dosu from that kid's lame attack. Taijutsu is so outdated."
Zaku removed his hands and freed Kin from her bindings finally. Sakura took a hesitant step backwards, taking in the sight of her foes. She was now effectively worse off than when she had started. There were three enemies to combat, her ally could no longer move, and her own body was low on chakra and had already been battered enough by Zaku's previous attacks.
"I'll handle the girl," announced Zaku with a smirk. "She's gonna pay for calling me stupid."
So that's what she had to do then. She would face these Sound ninja one by one and fight to defeat each, though she would sooner end up dead in the process. She knew it was hopeless. But there was still the original plan: hold up the enemy until Sasuke or Naruto finally awoke. She stepped toward Zaku clinging onto that hope...and silently praying her team wouldn't be greeted by the sight of her mangled corpse after this was over.
With her next step, the navy-haired boy fired a high-pressure blast of wind that sent Sakura crashing into yet another tree. She gasped as she struggled back up, arms cradling her chest. Her ribs burned beneath her breast, and she suspected that last collision must have bruised them.
Pushing chakra into her feet, she dashed toward Zaku before he could knock her back down again, zigzagging as she drew near. The Sound-nin raised his arms regardless, but instead of creating a concentrated funnel of air, a tsunami of torrents exploded from his palms. The expansive attack was not intense enough to torpedo Sakura into bark, but it was enough to hammer her to the ground.
So speed was useless.
She hung her head, teary eyes watching the dirt pressed under her palms. She prided herself on her speed in these exams, and had been training up with leg weights to better rely on it. Yet here, she still wasn't fast enough to strike without getting blown away. But what else could she do but somehow scramble into close-ranged combat? She couldn't do anything else.
She sensed a peak in chakra, and she knew Zaku was going to sweep her away again, before she could even get to her feet. That only made the tears well up faster. She was tired of being tossed about like an inconsequential leaf to the winds, tired of the constant abuse, tired of that ninja's damn smirk. Seriously, didn't he know how to use his fancy jutsu and not look like a condescending prick?
The gush of air whistled toward her, and out of instinct and sheer frustration, she pooled chakra to her palms and the soles of her feet and locked herself to the floor. The blast consumed her but she held fast in her position.
Zaku discontinued his attack seconds later, and the kunoichi charged into one of her own. He gathered more chakra and executed his technique again. Sakura braced her feet against the ground with chakra once again, withstanding the blast until its end.
In one more bound she stood before her wide-eyed opponent. She jammed a kunai into the hole in one of his palms, earning herself a loud shriek and punch to the jaw. Her stance wavered, and before the patches of dark could clear from her vision, fingers clamped onto her forehead and an invisible forced pounded her into the dirt.
She skated several feet against the rocky surface before her body finally came to a halt. The girl pressed against the floor but her torso remained fixed to the ground. She was officially out of strength, and would now be punished because of it.
"You crazy little...why I oughta..."
A boot to the stomach toppled her onto her side. She exhaled in pain, wincing as she held the area. Two more blows to her bruised ribs and she was all but swallowing for air, her body shaking.
"S-Sakura-san." The desperate whisper came from somewhere above her, and she knew it had been Rock Lee. Even lying half-conscious in the dirt, he still made her wellbeing his main concern. But there was nothing he could, nothing she could do. And now...
"That's enough Zaku," commanded Dosu. "Our objective is Sasuke. You can kill this girl after we're through with him."
The navy-haired ninja tsked, motioning away from the beaten girl. This was really happening. They were going to murder Sasuke.
Her last kunai slid into her hands before she even realized she was pouncing at Zaku. She lodged the knife into his foot and tackled the ninja to the ground. She managed one clean punch to his face then bit down on his arm before the tables were turned and he wrestled on top of her.
With his good arm still pinched between her teeth, Zaku swung at her with the bloodied hand she had previously stabbed. She didn't move. His blows grew frenzied now, knuckles meeting skin as the Sound-nin pounded her head into submission. The girl's eyes squeezed shut, hot liquid trickling down her bruising face. She held on a while longer before the final swing dislodged her. Zaku kicked the desperate pinkette off of him before scrambling to his feet.
"She's nuts. Totally nuts! You're gonna regret what you've done."
The kunoichi spat the liquid iron out of her mouth as she rose to meet Zaku's raised palms. Her vision was splotchy, but she knew what was going to happen to her. Despite the eminent danger, her body could not react. It took all her strength just to sit up.
There was a spike of chakra, and then a blur of colors flitted before her.
The kunoichi shook her head, blinking away the visual anomalies. The two standing on the periphery were hazed, but she could clearly make out the purple figure in the center of the formation.
"I-Ino-san...?"
"For the last time, Sakura..." The blonde's sky blues eyes peered over her shoulder to meet Sakura's emerald ones. "...it's just Ino. Say it with me now."
With the appearance of Team 10, the odds were degrees more evened. Shikamaru paralyzed Dosu with his Shadow Possession Jutsu and Ino commandeered Kin's body while Chouji used his Human Boulder to counter Zaku's pressurized jutsu. For a brief period, it was a stalemate...until the stationary pendulum finally swung to the Sound yet again.
"Ino, look out!"
A funnel of air blasted toward Kin/Ino, and Chouji rolled into the gust in time to dissipate some of the damage. Both he and the possessed Kin were thrown into separate trees.
"I-I can't believe they'd attack their own teammate," gasped Kin/Ino. "What kind of monsters are they?"
"I don't know," mumbled a dazed Chouji on the other side of the clearing, "but I don't feel so good."
And as if their straits weren't dire enough, Shikamaru's shadow began to withdraw from Dosu as he held onto Ino's now bleeding body.
"I see your technique has a very limited duration," remarked Dosu. "It's also clear that while under your friend's control, whatever damage Kin takes, she feels as well."
"And now, you're luck's just run out."
Zaku raised his palm to Shikamaru holding Ino, preparing another attack. Sakura struggled to her feet to help, but her knees remained bound to the ground. She was too drained, and now Team 10 was going to pay the same price as Lee had for defending her. Why did everyone have to get hurt because of her? Her and her weakness?
The current of air tore toward Shikamaru, the gust suddenly clashing with an oncoming swirl of grey. The tornado looked curiously like a Tunneling Fang.
The two attacks negated each other, the wind dying down as the grey figure landed before Shikamaru.
"So it's Kiba," droned the Nara, "and the rest of his team too." The boy turned to find Shino and Hinata helping Chouji up. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Nice to see you too." Kiba rolled his eyes. "Least you can do is act grateful we saved your butts."
"More Leaf gennin?" growled Dosu. "You ninja are like cockroaches."
"Given your predicament, I'd watch my tongue if I were you."
All heads swiveled to a tree branch overlooking the clearing, Neji and Tenten standing on its fringes.
"So you guys showed up to, huh?"
"Give me a break, Shikamaru," deadpanned Kiba. "The more of us here to save you guys the better, don't you think?"
"As long as saving us is all you've come here to do. Looks a lot more like taking advantage of wounded teams to make a grab for some scrolls."
Kiba threw the boy an incredulous glare. "Are you kidding me?"
"These Sound ninja attacked our teammate," announced Neji, arms sternly folded. "That is why we are here. They must be made to pay."
"And you?"
The chocolate-haired gennin tsked. "Akamaru smelled Sakura's blood, all right." He turned to the pinkette, his eyes softening. "Dogs are loyal, see? He sensed you were in trouble and we both wanted to pay you back for last time. Although..." His grin faltered. "...you look really awful, Sakura. What did these people do to you?"
The girl's eyes only drifted to the floor. She could only imagine how haggard she looked, covered in scrapes, blood, bruises and grime.
"This is becoming more troublesome than I would have thought," voiced Dosu in exasperation. "All we want is Sasuke's blood. None of you need be involved."
"Gettin' nervous now that you're the ones outnumbered, huh?" growled Kiba. "These people are our friends and we won't let you hurt them anymore."
"Territorial beast," muttered the mummy-man. "This is your last warning..."
Sakura's focus floated to the cave behind her. She hadn't been able to check on either of her teammates since the fight started. It seemed like so long ago now, and she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that something bad was happening in there. She felt...she couldn't even describe it.
There was a touch of sinister energy not unlike what she sensed rolling off of Orochimaru when they faced off. But there was more. Emotional anguish, internal conflict, desperation, rage, hatred. It was a whirlwind of chaos, and she felt an urgent need to be with that chaos. To protect whoever was burning inside that cavern of wood.
Her entire body braced seconds before a wave of chakra pulsed over the space, its epicenter being the cave she had just been contemplating. But this energy seemed distorted somehow, tainted. All became quiet. She could sense everyone watching the same place she was. Her eyes widened in awe as she saw the figure of swirling black emerge from its lair.
"Sakura," it called, churning energy settling to reveal a dark-haired boy with flame-like markings dancing across his pale skin. Its red eyes aimed at the petrified girl beneath him. "Sakura...who did this to you?"
"S-Sasuke?" she whispered weakly, saucer eyes taking in the sight of the creature posing as her friend. His eyes, they're...they're just like...
"Who was it?" it pressed further. "Tell me who did this."
The girl only gaped at him, barely registering the scuttling behind her as Shikamaru whisked all of the gennin into the surrounding bushes.
"I did," proclaimed Zaku boldly. "I threw her around pretty good before bashing her face into the dirt. It was fun."
A surge of energy was the being's only response as it glared at the smirking boy. Its fists clenched on its sides, drawing crimson.
A soundless gasp escaped her lips as the girl read this monster's face. The bloodlust held in its gaze was undeniable. Before she could process anything more, the figure disappeared from view, a crash and the snap of tree bark resounding behind her.
She faced the center of the clearing, finding the dark figure ambling to her right where a broken tree and a broken ninja lay. The monster reached Zaku before he managed to even prop himself up, and it grappled onto one arm, pressing its foot against his head to keep the ninja pinned to the ground.
"You seem very fond of these arms of yours," crooned the grinning figure. "You must be very attached to them."
With one flick of the wrist, several cracks vibrated through the space, a panicked shriek following. The figure released its spasming victim without ceremony, its eyes immediately set on the Sound ninja standing at the other end of the clearing.
Sakura's eyes flickered from Zaku, to the marked boy, to Dosu, and back at the boy. She could feel his soul slipping away...the soul of a dear friend. Each act only drew him ever closer to the edge. Would maiming Dosu be the final catalyst that would send him over?
Ignoring the explosion of pain in her body, Sakura raced to the center of the clearing, directly into the monster's path toward its next victim.
"S-Sasuke," the girl choked with a wince. She hated associating this thing with her friend's name. "What are you doing?"
It only continued towards her.
"H-Hey, I'm talking to you!" she called, a bit stronger. Her gaze was fixed on its Sharingan eyes – even further proof that this was really Sasuke – and the chilling pool of dark they held scared her. "Please...please just stop this."
The creature was about to walk right past her.
"I'm not letting you do this!"
The pinkette shoved the figure's chest backward, a hard hand clamped on her neck a split-second later. Her emerald eyes widened at the move, clutching at its hand as she was lifted off the ground. Her throat rumbled beneath its grip in a choking cough, her trembling fingers laced around her fleshy noose.
"S-Sasu-ke."
Her tightened esophagus allowed no passage of air, and she no longer had the strength to hold back her tears. Water spilled from her eyes as they stared unmoving at her executioner below. There was no destructive glee on its face this time, only blankness. Blankness, black flames, and streaks of moisture from her own fallen tears.
"P-Please," she choked, her burning lungs protesting against her speech. "Please...just stop..."
The fire of his skin under her fingers receded just as the dark marks did. His face also cleared of all traces of the markings and the malevolence brought with them, his onyx eyes finally evoking real, untainted emotion.
The girl was dropped to the floor, and before long Sasuke joined her. She coughed and gasped for a few moments before her eyes returned to him, watching the shock and confusion as he stared unblinkingly into his opened palms. Were they...shaking?
His gaze rose to meet hers before abruptly flickering to the floor, his face hard in thought. She crawled toward him and touched his hand to earn his attention, but he did not give it. Her hand pressed his chin upward, forcing his guilt-stricken eyes to hers. She had to be sure for herself, that all of the coldness, and hatred, and pain, and rage was emptied from them.
His eyebrows knitted together when he noticed the relief in her gaze, the warmth in it, the small curl of her lips. She couldn't have been smiling at him? Not at the person who had just tried to kill her.
With the shuffle of a footstep behind her back and Sakura seized a kunai from Sasuke's holster, whirling around to meet Dosu with a glare that could peel paint. "You're not touching him," she seethed.
The Sound-nin raised one hand in surrender, using the other to retrieve his Earth scroll and plant it on the floor before the pair. "We acknowledge that Sasuke is far too powerful for us. I offer you this Earth scroll in return for allowing me and my teammates to leave peacefully."
The mummy-ninja lifted an unconscious Kin – Sakura hadn't even noticed Ino release her from the Mind Transfer Justu – and then walked to recover Zaku. "You may have won today, but should we meet in this exam again, we will neither run nor ask for mercy."
"Just wait a minute," commanded Sakura, kunai still held defensively in his direction. "Why did Orochimaru do this to Sasuke? And why Sasuke? Why did he even order you to attack him in the first place?"
"I don't know," he answered begrudgingly. "I can't understand why he ordered us to assassinate someone to whom he bestowed such powers. I don't know why he chose the Uchiha of all people, or how he even managed to survive the curse mark. There is a lot I do not know."
Dosu threw a moaning Zaku over his shoulders and disappeared into the trees.
Sakura made a deliberate exhale, surveying the area from where she stood. Shikamaru and Chouji were already dragging Naruto out of the root-cave to wake him while Tenten was manhandling Lee into consciousness. The rest of the Leaf ninja re-entered the clearing as well, watching the two gennin awaken. None of them came near her though, she noted curiously. When she realized the dark-haired boy resting near her, she guessed why they were so hesitant in their approach.
"Hey, everyone," she called, wresting their attention. She fisted her hands to steel herself and bobbed her head. "Thank you so much for being here, for coming to help us, especially when you didn't have to. You put yourselves at great risk on my team's behalf, and we're all incredibly and eternally grateful."
"Enough with all the formality, Miss Manners," teased Kiba. "You're our friends. Of course we came to help out."
"Yeah, exactly," chirped Ino. "Quit thanking us. It's not a big deal."
"It is a big deal," she insisted, not missing the roll of Kiba's eyes. "It does matter. It matters a lot...to me." She matched his joking smirk with serious sincerity, though he only tsked.
"I only regret I could not do more." The girl shifted her gaze to Lee, seated a few feet away. "I was not strong enough to subdue these ninja. And as a result, you got hurt. I failed to keep my promise to you, Sakura-san. And for that I am truly sorry."
"Lee-san, you have nothing to apologize for-"
"But I do," he whined. "I could not protect you. Just remember, the Lotus blooms twice. Next time I shall not fail you."
"But you didn't even fail me now." She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ignore the swimming feeling in her head. "I can't accept all this, Lee-san. I owe you everything. Without you I wouldn't have lasted as long as I did. I...I owe all of you."
"Not this again," sighed Kiba. "Are you still forgetting the training mission?"
Sakura shook the heat from her face. Why were they making this so difficult? "That's not the same thing. Now please, accept my most sincere and heartfelt thanks." She arched into a bow, but realized too late what a mistake that was. Her chest throbbed in objection, the pain crashing her to her knees as she keeled over, groaning. She could have sworn she heard Kiab's chuckle before she was harshly forced onto her feet.
"Would you cut it out already?" shook Ino, the pinkette a little wobbly in the girl's vice-grip. Her hands were beginning to cut off the circulation in her shoulders, only worsening Sakura's lightheadedness. "We're all friends here, so enough talk about owing anyone anything. Friendship knows no scoreboard, so just stop trying to-"
"Sakura-chan!"
With a thud, Ino was replaced by another blue-eyed blonde, only his expression was more frantic than stubborn. "Sakura-chan, what happened to you? You look awful, believe it! Who did this? Who hurt you? Why's everyone here? Did that snake-lady do this? I'm gonna beat the stuffing out of her, you wait and-"
"You're..." Naruto halted his tirade, eying the dazed girl even more cagily. "You're..." She was floaty on her feet as she blankly stared at the boy. "...rambling..."
The blonde's line of vision suddenly went skyward as Sakura crashed into his chest and toppled them over. Her delicate pink tresses decorated his face, and he inhaled her with every breath. The locks were soon camouflaged against the rouge of his hot cheeks. The boy was now happily dying beneath her unconscious form, lying in an utterly blissful existence.
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