Review and enjoy this chapter of Unexpected Second Chance. I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR THE SONGS! ;D
Unexpected Second Chance
Forest of Death Part 3
For two days straight Sakura wouldn't dare to go to sleep. She would simply close her eyes, meditating, while healing the pain the curse mark would bring once in a while and blocking Orochimaru's taunting that seems to be always there when she closes her eyes.
Sigh.
Sakura waited. Waited for Sasuke and Naruto to wake up, waited for the Sound nins to come, and waited for this whole thing to end but she knew that would never happen. Everything have just begun.
Sakura clenched her eyes tighter, this wasn't suppose to happen. It was only suppose to be her getting the curse seal, not him too! She thought Orochimaru could only put the curse seal on one person.
Sakura's finger twitched lightly. The Sound nins are here. Sakura's finger moved.
Thud.
A kunai embeded itself in front of the squirrel that was heading to her. Sakura's eyes slowly opened.
"Gomenasai, Squirrel-san...i'm just really in a bad mood right now." Sakura said, getting her scarf and warpping it around her neck tightly before leaning on the large tree root.
"I was sure that would work...Do you think she saw the paperbomb we attached to the squirrels back?"
"No...I don't think that's it...I gess we have to get a closer look to find out."
-With Lee-
"Okay...if I can catch all 24 leaves before they touch the ground then Sakura will fall in love with me! If not she will never return my feelings!" Lee thought looking at the leaves falling. Lee jumped off the tree and caught the leaves.
"One more!" Lee thought when he saw a squirrel with a paper bomb attached to its back. Lee dashed to squirrel, quickly ripping the paper boom from it's back.
"That was close...
-With Sakura-
"Some look out...she's asleep." A voice sounded.
"It's called meditating, dimwit." Sakura said, her eyes still closed. The ninja that spoke growled when a girl voice sounded.
"Chill, Dosu. She's trying to push your buttons." Kin said looking at Sakura cautiously.
"I still remember those eyes..." Kin thought an image of Sakura's eyes in her head. The eyes that was so hollow, so blank, so...cold. Kin shivered unnoticed. Just thinking about it gave her the chills. She really didn't expect a girl like her to have such eyes.
"Hmpf...Wake Sasuke up! We want to fight him!" Dosu said looking at the meditating girl. Suddenly, Sakura was standing up facing them, eyes only half way with two kunais spinning lazily on her pointer and middle finger, but strangely enough, none of them seemed to be hitting each other.
"I guess Orochimaru didn't tell them I also got the curse mark...I don't know if that makes it easier or harder," Sakura thought, looking at the sound trio with something between cautiousness and bored-ness.
"What do you guys want? What do you REALLY want? I know Orochimaru is calling the shots from the shadows." The trio's eyes widened before Zaku said,
"I can't stay quiet after hearing that! How dare you talk to us like! I'll kill you first then Sasuke!" Zaku jumped off the rock he was standing on.
"Wait Zaku...This type of grass was just recently dugged up...and grass like this doesn't grow in these forest. If your going to make a trap shouldn't you hide them better?" Dosu said, holding up the grass. Sakura stayed quiet.
"Now we attack." The trio jumped towards Sakura who was just staring straight ahead when she threw one of her kunais to the side.
Slice.
"What?! She has a trap above too?!" Zaku yelled, looking at the huge log that was heading towards them.
"Nice try, girl but that won't work on us." Dosu said, his hand on the log before it suddenly exploaded. Sakura watched as the trio sped towards her, the last kunai on her finger coming to a stop.
She was about to defend herself when a voice joined in, "LEAF HURRICANE!"
Sakura glanced up as Lee landed on the ground before his body went to his signature stance, the squirrel on his shoulder. Sakura stared at Lee for while before sighing.
"What are you doing here, Lee?" Sakura muttered, suddenly beside Lee, who jumped a bit at the sudden arrival.
"Fast..." Lee thought glancing at Sakura, who was once again twirling her kunai lazily.
"I will always appear anywhere and anytime when you are in trouble, Sakura-san. I will protect you with my life." Lee answered, scratching the chin of the squirrel before setting it down. The trio stared at the two with a cautious gaze. Well, the two boys stared at LEE but Kin stared at both of them.
"He's a good guy..." Sakura thought, smiling secretly and chuckling.
"Hai, Lee...Arigatou." Sakura said before letting her gaze go back to the trio. Happy tears were flowing out of his eyes when he heard her say that.
"Yes! She said yes and thanked me, Gai-sensei!"
Dosu got the scroll out from his puch and handed it to Zaku.
"Looks like I have no choice...Zaku I'll let you handle Sasuke while I handle these two." Dosu stared at Sakura and Lee before opening his sleeves.
"The guy with the bushy eyebrows is pretty good in Taijutsu...Looks like I get to have some fun." Dosu muttered before dashing to them while Sakura's eyes narrowed a bit at the sentence.
"Sexist..." Sakura thought before Lee digged his hand to the ground and brought up a HUGE root from undeground.
"I am positive there is some trick in your arm so I will not waste my time dodging it! After all, I saw your trick already." Lee said from behind the root.
"But having said that he is still in an disadvantage because it is three to one...but I never said I wasn't going to help him and plus...I need to let go some steam." Sakura thought before taking a deep breath and letting it out while coming out from behind the root Lee following but from the other side.
-With team Asuma-
"Aww man! There doesn't seem to be a team around that is weaker than us!" Ino yelled her hand behind her head looking annoyed.
"Hey I still think that Naruto's team is weaker than us." Shikamaru said while thinking, "I'm not sure with Sakura though..." before looking at Ino who glared at him.
"TAKE THAT BACK, YOU JERK! THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SAKURA AND NARUTO IS LAME BUT I WON'T LET YOU TALK BAD ABOUT SASUKE! HE'S AWESOME!" Ino yelled pointing at Shikamaru with a vein popping out.
"Sakura? Ino, I don't think Sakura is weaker than us. Have you forgotten that information card we saw? That girl did 3 A-RANK missions and her team didn't even know about it so I'm pretty sure she came back like it was no big deal!" Shikamaru said, remembering the card Kabuto showed them. Ino cringed at the topic about Sakura's card. Before, she thought Sakura couldn't even hurt a fly! but after seeing that...Ino shook her head, she was trying to forget about it.
"I don't care about Sakura! There is no way Sasuke would lose a fight!" Ino yelled turning away from Shikamaru with her arms crossed.
"Hey guys Sasuke collapsed... and Sakura is fighting!" Chouji said, looking at the fight from up a tree.
"WHAT!?" Ino shouted in shock jumping on the tree Chouji was on, Shikamaru following after, and narrowed her eyes to get a better view.
Sakura twisted her body so she can land on fours like a cat while Lee landing on his feet before falling on one knee panting heavily. Sakura stood up and glanced at Lee before glaring at Dosu. Dosu flinched from her glare before straightening up. Sakura was about to attack again when Lee stopped her.
"Wait Sakura...Go look after your team mates first...I'll handle this." Lee said his head down but he was unwrapping the bandages on his hands. Sakura hesitated before nodding and vanishing from beside Lee and appeared in front of her team mates.
"Gai-sensei...the condition has been met...I have to use that jutsu now..." Lee snapped his head up when Dosu rushed at him.
"TO PROTECT THE LIFE OF SOMEONE PRECIOUS!"
When Dosu was almost an arm away Lee disppeared only to reappear from under him and kick Dosu in the chin.
"I'm not done yet!" Lee shouted from behind Dosu in the air before the bandages around Lee's arms wrapped around Dosu tying his hand with his body together. Lee quickly wrapped his arms around Dosu and switched so they were falling down and twirling around like a hurricane.
"FRONT LOTUS!"
"Oh no Dosu...there's no way he can break his fall!" Zaku thought before doing some handseals and plugging his hands in the ground.
BAM!
Lee gritted his teeth, looking at the body that was caught in a earth jutsu. (A/N I think?)
"Got you just in time...that impact could've been worse if I didn't catch you..." Zaku said, smirking at Dosu who had is upper part of his body underground. Lee landed on the ground staring at the trio when Dosu got up his body not injured.
"What?! This can't be!" Lee yelled.
"A frightening jutsu...I would have been out if it wasn't for this soft dirt..." Dosu started, shaking the dirt off. Lee stood up before falling down again panting.
"But now...it's my turn."
Dosu ran to Lee swinging his fist at him. Lee dodged but flinched at the sound coming from said fist. Lee panted more, his vision getting blurry.
"Your jutsu is indeed fast but mine is faster because it travels in the speed of sound." Dosu said looking at the kneeling genin. Lee's eyes widened before it closed tightly and he hurled.
"M-my ear!" Lee said holding his bleeding ear in pain.
"Oh I also forgot to mention my little gadget here...you might be able to dodge my blows...but you can't get away from it." Dosu said holding the gadget on his arm with his other.
"I don't need to hit you with my fist...the power of sound could do that for me!"
"Vibrations..." Sakua muttered but Dosu heard her.
"Give the little girl a price..."
Tick Mark.
"I'll let it slide for now.." Sakura thought.
"You see your little old fashion taijutsu won't work on us, not that your not pretty good at it, but what's the use? With our jutsus it won't matter! Sound is faster than you." Zaku said, smirking at the two leaf genins before opening his hands to reveal two little holes. Dosu ran to Sakura, who tensed a bit while keeping the information they have given tucked behind her mind.
"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Lee shouted running in front of Sakura while the trio gasped. Lee stopped the arm together when the sound came out. Sakura quickly held Lee's other hand letting her chakra flow inside Lee and covering his ears while doing the same thing with hers. It was similar to how she does her medical jutsu but when she is using medical jutsus her chakra doesn't stay inside the body. She let her chakra protect the organs of the inner ear. It was, after all, the inner ear that controls our sense of balance, the ability to hear. Lee's eyes widened when nothing happened to him. Dosu, who thought it was affecting them, laughed.
"Didn't I tell you that it was no use? You and the little girl are idiots!" Dosu laughed more when suddenly he was kicked in the guts...hard. Dosu flew to the tree all the way at the other side. Sakura quickly turned around and let Lee sit down.
"It's time for you to rest, Lee...you've done enough." Sakura muttered gently to the wincing and panting boy in front of her. Lee looked at her alarmed but Sakura shook her head.
"I can handle myself just fine...and plus that guy needs to pay for calling me little girl...the second time." Sakura muttered her eyes annoyed and murderous. Lee hesitated before nodding at Sakura. Sakura turned around to glare at the three sound nins.
"How...did you...!" Dosu said in shock and anger. Sakura just stared at them placing a mask over her face.
"You said not too long ago that you use sound as a weapon and we all know how fast sound can travel. In dry air, the speed is 343.2 metres per second or one kilometer in three second or one mile per five seconds. Fast...very fast indeed." Sakura said her hand reaching behind her. The trio tensed thinking she was getting a weapon when she took out her pouch and dropped it on the ground.
"And now i'm as fast as sound in dry air." Sakura said, her head down. She knew it wasn't true, no one can be as fast as sound, but they don't know that.
BAM!
BAM!
Thud.
"Argh..." Dosu groaned in pain as the two trees he hit fell down. Zaku and Kin stared wide-eyed at the body on the ground then to Sakura who looked like she didn't even move. In a short period of time Sakura managed to kick Dosu to the tree that was all the way to the left then to the tree across from it without even breaking a sweat. Sakura once again reached behind her and let another pouch fall from her waist.
"And now as fast as sound when it travels in water."
BANG!
PULL!
KICK!
Sakura stopped, Zaku grunting and panting on the ground, his stomache bleeding and Kin unconcious from the kick, and looked at Sasuke the curse mark beginning to spread. Sakura grunted in pain her hand going under her scarf and holding her curse mark. Sakura fell to the ground, her eyes tight in agony. Sakura panted, trying to heal the curse but no matter what she does the pain just keeps on coming.
"Argh..." Sakura bit her lip to replace the scream that was about to come out when Zaku kicked her guts. Sakura continued to bite her lips until it bled but she didn't stop. The pain was killing her.
"What's wrong with me!? I felt pain worse than this when I was at Orochimaru's base before!" Sakura thought her eyes in pain when her visoin started getting blurry.
"Tears..?" Sakura thought feeling a wet substance on her cheeks. Sakura took a deep breath stopping the tears from falling more when suddenly she fainted.
"Argh..." Sakura grunted as her eyes cracked open. Sakura blinked and stood up looking at the mess in front of her. Shikamaru was holding Ino's body, Ino was in Kin's body, Chouji looked like he was about to hurl and Lee was lying down on the ground unconcious. Sakura blinked again, the pain coming from the curse mark soothing. She was leaning on the root where her team mates were unconcious.
"It looks to me that somebody used our team mate as a punching bag." Sakura's eyes snapped outside and to the tree where Neji and Ten-ten were. Sakura could see that Neji's temper was flaring by his chakra pattern.
"NO ONE DOES THAT AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!" Neji shouted in anger activating his Byakugan. Everyone froze and gasped looking at the clearly angry Byakugan user.
"He isn't just looking at us...he's looking right THROUGH us!" Dosu, who recovered from the beating Sakura gave him, thought in surprise and a bit of fear.
To where Team 7 were, Sakura's arms were keeping Sasuke, who woke up with the curse mark spread all over his body, down.
"Sasuke, get a hold of yourself!" Sakura yelled/whispered glaring at Sasuke who glared right back at her.
"Let me go, Sakura! I'll kill them for hurting the people I care about! I'll kill them for hurting YOU!" Sasuke said thrashing around. Sakura's eyes narrowed before pulling Sasuke up and hugging him. It worked before so maybe it would work now.
It didn't. Sakura hugged tighter, trying to stop Sasuke.
"SASUKE! STOP! KILLING THEM WILL DO NO GOOD! DON'T LET OROCHIMARU'S TAUNTING GET TO YOU!"
"TRY KISSING HIM!" Inner yelled.
"NOW ISN'T THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT, INNER!" Sakura yelled at Inner annoyed.
"I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING ROMANTIC OR ANYTHING! I'M THINKING ABOUT SAVING MY TEAM MATE! THE SURPRISE MIGHT SNAP HIM OUT OF IT!" Inner declared.
"ARGH! STOP MOVING SASUKE!" Sakura yelled in anger and annoyance her head on his shoulder.
"JUST DO IT, SAKURA!" Sakura closed her eyes tightly before letting go off the hug and closing the distance between.
Sasuke's eyes widened as the markings slowly made its way back to the curse mark and his eyes closed. Sakura sighed before looking at the unconcious boy in her arms before laying him down and standing up, with her head down. Black and dark blue chakra came out from her curse mark.
"I'm such a hypocrite..."
"W-well...are you going to stay up there all day or come down and do something about it?" Dosu yelled cursing himself for the stutter. Neji smirked before closing his eyes.
"It looks like it might have been taken out of my hands..."
Dosu's eyes narrowed in confusion when he felt it. This chakra...
Everyone was looking at Sakura who was walking out from under the tree.
"SAKURA! YOUR AWAKE!" Ino shouted when she gasped. Pure black chakra were flowing and circling around Sakura, eyes dark emerald with a touch of insanity, but what was weird was that her chakra was making sizzling noises as if it was burning something and, unlike Sasuke's marks, hers looked like vines were all over her body.
"I'm feeling generous right now so I'll give you guys a chance...Leave the scroll, pick up your team mate and leave..." Sakura said looking at them with a promise of death if they didn't do what she said to do. Zaku either didn't see the death in her eyes or he was just plain stupid because he said,
"You think we're scared? You're just a weakling! Can't even protect yourself and letting other people do it! HA!" Zaku taunted while laughing. Dosu glared at Zaku for his stupidity. She obviously has the curse mark too!
"Mhmm...I see...Your pretty confident in your power aren't? In your arms. But what if it was broken?" Sakura disappeared and reappeared behind Zaku before kicking him to the ground and holding his two arms behind him and pulling it.
"Would you...still be confident?" Sakura muttered pulling Zaku's arms more until it snapped.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Zaku's scream was full of pain and agony.
"SAKURA! STOP! YOUR GOING TO KILL HIM!" Ino yelled somehow getting courage and standing up. Sakura stopped and looked at Ino who flinched and took a step back.
"Your right...let's not kill him...it's painful enough that he doesn't have his poor arms anymore...So how 'bout we let you feel the same thing? Afterall...A team is one and should always feel equal, right?" Sakura said walking towards Dosu with a craze look in her eyes. Dosu took a step back before quickly putting the scroll down. This girl was too strong for them!
"Here! I'll give you the scroll just let us leave in peace." Dosu said his hand shaking. Sakura hummed in approvement and nodded at his team mates.
"Good choice..."
Dosu picked up his team mates and left quietly but quickly. Sakura didn't do anything but stared at where Dosu went until she couldn't feel his chakra anymore. That's when Sakura stopped everything. She stopped the chakra around her, the markings on her body were slowly leaving and her eyes went back to it's soft emerald color. Sakura stumbled a bit before falling and waiting for the impact, only it never came. Sakura looked up and was surprised to see Neji holding her body with worry flashing in his eyes. Sakura nodded at him in thanks while Neji nodded back when groan was heard and everyone, minus Sakura, looked towards the two unconcious ninjas. Sasuke was the one who sat up and looked around. His eyes fell on Sakura and he was immediately beside her, helping her up.
Neji let go of Sakura when Sasuke arrived and went over to Ten-ten, who was picking up Lee. Ten-Ten nodded at him, indicating she was ready to go and Neji nodded back but before they left, Neji glanced at Sakura and thought.
"That was no ordinary chakra...I never knew the Haruno clan was that strong..."
Sakura sighed, nodding towards team Asuma as they left before telling Sasuke to wake Naruto up and they will head out right away. Sasuke bit back to argue when he saw Sakura's glare. Sakura sighed again before looking up at the sky.
"Everything is spiraling out of control, Hokage-sama and I don't think you will like where this is heading to..."