This wasn't supposed to happen. Kakashi's crimson sharingan followed faint traces of footsteps lost by his two former students. It was not at all within my predictions. This is too unreal.

"Sensei, watch out!"

"Hm?" Kakashi looked up and managed to dodge a tree branch by just the tips of his messy spikes. Whoa! Close one... He breathed a sigh of relief but that feeling would not last long. "Thank you, Naruto. Sai, status report." I had a bad feeling, but it came nowhere near this event.

Sai rubbed his chin in thought. "Well," he murmured. "Judging by the the depth of the footprints now, I'd say these are pretty fresh. Sakura-san's location is not far."

"...and Sasuke's?"

"That..." Sai saw the agonizing worry in Naruto's eyes. "...he is still with her. And by these dragged marks, I'd say they were having quite a...'struggle'. Sorry, Naruto."

Naruto's gaze intensified. Sai was looking directly at him now. The dark-haired teen was aware of his feelings. "Apologies like that won't solve anything," he uttered coldly. "Right now, our priority is saving Sakura-chan." I'm the one who should be sorry.

"...yeah." Sai turned the other way to hide his dejection.

All of a sudden, a monstrous explosion occurred not too far away. In fact, it was close enough for the three men to see great pillars of trees fall to their decadence from the destructive impact. From the cloud of dust and shredded bark jumped a dark figure with two very familiar, glowing, blood-red eyes. In his hands were three kunai knives with paper bombs attached to them. With surprisingly keen grace, he threw them to the ground to bring up yet another explosion.

Both Kakashi and Naruto gazed at him in awe. "...Sasuke," they both said at the same time.

Sai caught a quick glimpse of Sakura's wounded figure and immediately brought forth his scroll. With a few, swift strokes of his ink-dipped brush, he summoned three great lions to the field. "Quickly!" he commanded. "Catch the Uchiha before he strikes!" The lions loyally obeyed and set forth to follow their order. They lunged at Sasuke, only to vanish after one effortless swing of the berserk ninja's arm. "...!"

Sasuke finally turned his attention to the three. "Cheh," he huffed.

"Wh-what...are you...doing?" Sakura panted, holding the gashed side of her stomach. She winced in pain as warm fluid trickled down her fingers.

Sasuke stopped his assault, stored the knives within his large sleeves, and took a deep breath. "You know," he spoke in a deep voice. "You shouldn't plead for your death so desperately." He formed a knife figure with his hand. Strings of blue lightning eerily slithered from his fingers to his wrist.

This isn't good. I have to close this wound- FAST. Sakura mustered up what chakra she had left and focused the bundle of energy onto the hand that held her stomach. A dim, green glow appeared on her palm and set to work on healing her injury. Bloody beads of sweat trickled down the side of her pale face as she struggled to keep her chakra flow going. If...if I could...just...ah... Her breath escaped her when she felt a dark aura looming over her. Over her left breast, she could feel a kind of warmth that sent chills down her spine. She looked up to where Sasuke was and found him gone. At that instant, she knew the frozen moment spelled doom for her; for the man who had murdered his own brother and betrayed his own village and friends was standing just behind her with her life's thread held by his steel-cold fingers.

"Rather," he spoke again.

Sakura shuddered at his eerie tone. "...!" This feeling. It's just like that time- when we first encountered...Orochimaru. She could feel her hands begin to shake and her head grow numb. I'm literally paralyzed in fear. I can't even...move anymore.

"Cherish your damn life because you only get to live ONCE!" Upon finishing, Sasuke made for an attempt to pierce her heart with his fatal hand.

Sakura closed her eyes and screamed, "NO!" I can't die here. Not yet. All she could see was a purplish light within the darkness she hid herself in.

"SASUKE!"

"...ah!" Sakura gasped. When she opened her eyes, she realized that the distance between her and Sasuke was once again lengthened- by Naruto. Droplets of tears flew she turned his way and called, "Naruto!"

Naruto had Sasuke pinned under him. "Get out of here, Sakura-chan!" he instructed sternly.

"Bu-but-" Sakura stammered but found herself in the arms of the copy-nin. "Sensei, no! Put me down! Naruto, he-"

"Naruto is strong enough to take care of himself," Kakashi cut her off. With one powerful jump, he and Sakura were hidden within the woods. "You, on the other hand, are on the verge of death right now." He met with Sai and the three seated themselves on a large branch. "Sai, I'm going to help Naruto. You stay here and help out Sakura in any way you can- stop the bleeding. If the situation demands it, take her and run- as far away from this place as you can- to safety. Forget about me and Naruto."

"Kakashi-sensei..." Sai tried to reason but stopped himself.

Kakashi placed a hand on the young man's tense shoulder. "You know as well as I do that relying mainly on emotions to make your judgment is not always the best way," he preached. "Especially in dire situations like this one. You have to make practical choices as much as possible. Understand?"

Sai gave a weak nod, frowning. "Yes, sir," he consented reluctantly.

Kakashi looked at the weakened Sakura. "That goes for you, too, young lady," he added with a small grin.

"Sensei, you can't," Sakura protested. But she knew she was powerless to stop Kakashi. To her dismay, he vanished in a blur. She let out a hopeless whimper as she fell into Sai's hold. "No...sensei, Naruto..."

Sai laid Sakura down on her back and rapidly began working on sealing the wound that persisted in spilling her blood. "How could you go after Sasuke all on your own?" he scolded quietly. "That was a terrible idea!"

Sakura flinched in pain as medicinal herbs and stitches were applied on her. "I just...saw him," she said through clenched teeth. "And it would be too late to catch him if I had to go back to you guys. So...I...I took him on, thinking I could...win." She shook her head. "...boy...was I wrong."

"..." Sai finished the stitching. "Just rest for now." Sensei, you and Naruto had better come back in one piece.

Naruto fell back and skidded his elbow past a rock. Before blood could emerge from the scrape, Naruto's quick-heal ability instantly took its effect. The scrape vanished in a blink of an eye. "Argh!" the blonde roared and performed his multi-shadow clone jutsu. "I'm coming after you, Sasuke!"

"Idiot," Sasuke sighed arrogantly. "You're a failure as a ninja if you tell your opponent you're about to kill them in the next mo- Ugh!" His eyes widened when the cold edge of a kunai knife was pressed to the delicate skin of his neck.

"Heh." Naruto pressed the weapon harder. "Failure as a ninja, huh? You didn't even see me coming at you from behind."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh, didn't I?"

"Huh?" Naruto grimaced in confusion. As soon as he blinked, he found himself holding a log. GAH! A replacement technique! But then that means- He turned around just in time to avoid being decapitated by Sasuke's katana. Damn. He's always two steps ahead! That was really close...

Sasuke sheathed his sword. Hm, Naruto's reflexes have certainly gotten faster. How troublesome. "Could you please not move when I am about to slice your air-filled head off?" he asked sarcastically.

That only provoked Naruto even more. "Like hell I will, you bastard!" he spat.

Sasuke could not help but smirk at that response. Hmph, his personality hasn't changed one bit. It's so nostalgic. However. He readied his hand. "It's time I end this farce." Whips of chirping chakra-induced lightning lashed violently from his semi-clenched palm.

Naruto formed a whirlwind of chakra within his own hand. "I doubt you'll end it as easily as you think," he taunted.

The two charged at each other in full power.

By the time Kakashi arrived back at the battle scene, both Sasuke and Naruto were battling to the very best of their abilities. There were numerous craters on the ground and heaps of fallen trees and broken boulders. Looking around, he found the two by a wide cliff, very much exhausted. My bad feeling came again. Kakashi bolted towards the duo.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Sasuke hissed, blood running from his eyes. "You can't win against me! You never could and you never will. So stop getting in my way!"

"...heh...HA!" Naruto shouted back with an amused look. "Are you sure about that, Sasuke? Because you...seem...pretty damn tired already." He licked the blood from his chapped lips and held up a fist. "I have a clear shot of beating the hell out of you today!"

"...tch," Sasuke grunted. Damn this kid's persistence. It's annoying.

Kakashi pulled out a kunai knife. Now's my chance...! But his heart stopped when he saw Sakura limping towards the battleground. What in the world? Where the hell is Sai? He pulled his collar up to his lips. "Sai, tell me your location," he whispered. "Why is Sakura here?"

"..."

"Sai!"

"..."

Nothing but static. Kakashi quickly assumed the worst- Sai had been drugged by the medic-nin and was now clearly unconscious and out of reach. Damn it, Sakura! Why did you have to do something so reckless? As his mind searched for a solution, he neglected the fact that Sakura was inching towards the two boys more and more.

Naruto...Sasuke-kun... The pink-haired girl tightened the grip around her stomach. I have to do something. Right now, they mean to go all-out. If I don't stop them then...they'll definitely...kill each other! "...Na...Naruto!" she cried. A sharp pain shot through her like a torched arrow.

Naruto turned to the sound of his name and was astonished by what he saw. "Sakura-chan!" He dodged another katana strike from Sasuke and jumped to a safer distance. "Sakura-chan, I told you to leave this place! It's too dangerous!" Swiftly pulling out a kunai knife, he managed to fend off the katana's third strike. A bead of sweat fell from his temple as the sword's weight was elevated by its murderous wielder.

"You should really start worrying more about YOURSELF, Naruto," Sasuke growled. He conjured lightning from his katana and brought forth more fatal bursts of energy. His victim flinched as smoke engulfed them.

Sakura's face turned pale at the scene as she shouted in a chocked voice, "NO! SASUKE-KUN! NARUTO!" The smoke eventually cleared to reveal, much to her dismay, Sasuke struggling to free his katana from Naruto's bloodstained hand. Naruto, in his part, was provoked into his stronger semi-demon form. His eyes were red and feline-like, his fingernails were now claws, and his teeth had become sharp fangs. His stance resembled a feral position to express his aggression and hostility.

Kakashi finally made his appearance next to Sakura. "Sakura!" he breathed. "You...what have you done with Sai?"

"I HAD to do it, Sensei," Sakura explained.

"No, you didn't. Now get back to where you left him and wake him up. After that, STAY there. Don't come here!"

Infuriated, Sakura turned to the older man and shouted, "I'm a grown woman now, Sensei! You have no right to order me around!" She was silenced when he grabbed her wrists and pinned them on her back.

"I am the one leading this team," Kakashi said angrily. "Therefore, I have the highest right of authority over you. Naruto and Sai as well. And these are my orders so FOLLOW THEM DILIGENTLY." He wrung his fingers around the girl's skin.

"..." Sakura bit her tongue as her wrists burnt at the contact.

Sasuke was not intimidated. He had seen this before after all. Forcing another tug of his sword, he grunted, "Let go, you idiot. Unless you really want to get diced at point ZERO."

Naruto's body became engulfed in crimson chakra as his uttering voice rose to a beastly snarl. Two tails formed from his rear and swung around, destroying everything within reach. "You..." the blonde hissed. "You're really something...threatening me...!" With one, simple squeeze of his hand, the katana's blade shattered into countless pieces of metallic shards. "I'm taking you back, SASUKE!"

The Uchiha curtly retreated, disposing of the blade-less handle he held. "You fool..." he hissed. "Don't get in my way!" He summoned his mangekyo sharingan along with a menacing chidori in his hand. This is the end for you, Naruto. He readied his feet for a charge.

"...Sasuke-kun!" Sakura, catching Kakashi off guard, managed to headbutt him, knocking the baffled ninja back. She quickly stood up and ran towards the two, panic in her eyes. "Leave Naruto alone!"

Naruto caught sight of her. "No don't- Sakura-chan!" he protested, despite his demonic counterpart. "Watch out!"

The electric bolts snapped violently, causing Sasuke to grind his teeth. "Chidori!" he cried and went in for his lightning-fast tackle. He found himself closing his eyes as he executed his attack. Lacking eyesight, all he could do was feel, listen, and not much to smell. He heard a bloodcurling scream and warm fluid run down his hand right after. In those few brief moments that passed, he could have sworn some cryptic conversation had occurred.

"Get out, you idiot! This has nothing to do with you!"

"No, I won't let you hurt her!"

"Sa-Sasuke-kun, don't hurt him...please...!"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

...Sakura? Sasuke slowly opened his eyes to find Sakura's bloodied face and petrified eyes staring right back at him. The sight stirred some fear inside him but he refused to let it show. Instead, he let unreasonable rage take over. Sakura. She ruined everyting!

Sakura looked down at the blood spilling from the reopened wound of her gut. The sight made her lightheaded. Weak in the knees, she fell forward, caught begrudgingly by Sasuke. "...Sa-Sasuke-kun..." she gasped. "Don't- ahk!" Her cough was accompanied by jots of blood that splattered onto the boy's kimono.

Sasuke scowled. Disgusting.

Kakashi sat up, rubbing his sore nose. Damn, I think she broke it... He found Sakura's limp and bloody body in Sasuke's arms. His eye widened in fear of the worst. "Sakura!"

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto could feel his blood boiling even more at what had just taken place. Sasuke...friend or not, I will never forgive you for that! He bared his fangs and ran towards Sasuke at full speed. "Arrrrgh!"

"Naruto, stop!" Kakashi hurriedly jumped to his feet and dashed forward.

"You dork."

A loud clangor echoed throughout the forest. Naruto stood dazed, the kyuubi's feral features and red chakra leaving him.

"You would never DARE hurt me."

...what have I done? Naruto found Sasuke standing by a fallen tree, clearly wounded, but still conscious. On the ground laid Sakura's battered body with a pool of blood beneath it. The iron smell stung Naruto's nose as his hands began to tremble. "S-S-Sa...Saku...ra-chan..." he stuttered, tears forming in his eyes. His hands were stained with her blood.

Kakashi awoke from his brief unconsciousness, shaking his head. As I thought, something tragic did happen.

"..." Sasuke shifted from the tree he was leaning on, squeezing the bleeding nape of his neck. Other areas of his body were also bleeding heavily, affecting the clarity of his vision as well as the strength of his limbs. No good. Light began to disappear. Not enough chakra...and I'm bleeding too much... His eyes regained their dark color and rolled to the back of his head as he collapsed to the floor with a heavy sigh.

Naruto ran to Sakura's side and fell to his knees. "Sakura-chan!" he sobbed, shaking her lifeless body. Across her chest was a large gash. "Sakura-chan, wake up!" Please...please...! He shook her again, tears streaming down his face and landing on her pale face.

Kakashi jogged over to Naruto and held the boy back. "Naruto, enough!" he scolded.

"But-but...sensei! Sakura-chan is-"

"There's nothing more we can do. C'mmon. We need to regroup."

Naruto wanted so much to flail in desperation. But he had to do what was best for Sakura at the moment. Bowing his head, he reluctantly mumbled, "..understood."

Sai emerged from some bushes, rubbing his temple and blinking profusely. "Kakashi-sensei, Naruto. We must go- NOW." It seemed as though his own voice made his headache worse for he winced and rubbed his temple harder. "Ugh..."

"Sai, when did you come to be?" Kakashi questioned.

"...that is of no importance right now." Sai carefully took Sakura into his arms. "Sensei, it's best that you take Sasuke- given your senior strength."

"...right." Kakashi let out a pained grunt as he threw Sasuke's muscular body over his shoulder. "Lead the way, Sai."

"Yes, sir."

Naruto looked on as Sai and Kakashi headed back towards the direction of Konoha. Thunder clapped across the dark skies. Rain began to fall. He covered his face with his hands and whispered through crimson tears, "...I...hurt Sakura-chan..."