[Chapter 21: Sakura Blossoms!]
Hidding!
"At least he finally breathing easier now," Sakura said as she placed a hand on Sasuke's forehead while Kitsune and Sora stood guard. "But he still has a high fever." Sakura looked over at Naruto before she glanced as Kitsune. 'Looks like it's up to Kitsune and I for the time being.'
"Sakura," Kitsune spoked up as she looked at her pink haired teammate.
"Yeah?" Sakura asked.
"I'm going to go get water for Sasuke's fever, but I'm leaving Sora here just in case," Kitsune answered getting a nod from Sakura, "while I'm gone start putting up the traps."
"Right," Sakura agreed before Kitsune vanished the same way that Kakashi always did.
It didn't take Kitsune long to return with the water to see that Sakura had put up the traps like she agreed to do making the young Hatake to smile a bit before she moved to see that Sakura was asleep kneeling next to Sasuke. Kitsune let out a sigh before she took off Sasuke's forehead protector and placed a wet cloth on his forehead to help cool down his fever before she went back to set next to Sora. It was sometime on the second day and Kitsune was resting while Sakura was attending to Sasuke unaware of the danger that was able to unfold. When Kitsune woke up Sakura looked like she was on the verge of falling a sleeping, but she still ended up asleep. Kitsune stood guard letting Sakura rest, but at around day break Sakura woke up with a start making Kitsune to rush over to her.
"Are you alright, Sakura?" the silver haired kunoichi asked.
"Yeah, just a bad dream," Sakura answered with a small smile before she look at Sasuke.
'Something isn't right,' Kitsune thought, 'could Sakura have thought about Orochimaru and that's why she woke up scared out of her mind?' Kitsune glared off into the bushes. 'So we're not alone after all.'
Kitsune let out a sigh before she walked around to check on Naruto portending that she didn't know that anyone was there to see if they'll underestimate her. Sakura panicked when the bushes ruffled before she pulled out a kunai while Kitsune loaded an arrow into her bow.
'Oh no,' thought Sakura before she slowly turned around to only see an animal. 'A squirrel?' Kitsune let out a sigh when she noticed Sakura's look before she placed her arrow back into her quiver while she placed her bow next to her. "Oh man, don't surprise me like that little guy." Sakura let out a gasp before she threw her kunai at the squirrel scaring it away. 'That was to close.'
Kitsune let out a sigh as Sakura once again started to fall asleep, but was startled awake by a male voice.
"Some look out, you're half asleep," the voice said making both the girls to look while Kitsune grabbed her bow and an arrow. "You don't have to keep watch anymore. What's the point after we've already found you. Now wake Sasuke up, we want to fight him."
'You'll never get him, you jerks,' Sakura thought as she reached for her kunai pouch. "All right, who are you and what do you want and I mean what you REALLY want?" Kitsune moved to stand in front, but to the side of Sakura. "I know Orochimaru is calling the shots from the shadows!" This made the three new enemies to gasp in shock. "What's that strange bruise on the back of Sasuke's neck? You're behind this too, aren't you, and now you wanna fight him when he can't defend himself?"
"What in the world could he be thinking?" one of the Ninja's who looked like a mummy said.
"I can't stay quiet after hearing you talk to us like that," another one of them said as he stood up from the rock he was setting on. "First I'm gonna kill this girl and then I'm gonna kill Sasuke."
"Wait Zaku," the mummy guy said.
"What? Why?"
"It's so obvious," the mummy guy answered as he walked forward. "this is the color of dirt that's been recently dug up." He had bend down and touched the grass. "And this kind of grass doesn't grow in a place like this." He then pulled it up to show what he was talking about. "You know if you're going to lay a trap, there's no point unless you make sure it's actually hidden."
"Hah!" Zaku laughed, "you're just a joke. You threw your kunai knife so that squirrel wouldn't spring the trap you set, huh?"
"Now we kill her," the mummy guy said not noticing Kitsune.
The three new enemies jumped up making Sakura smirk as she pulled out a kunai and cut a wire that was near by. Kitsune giggled when a log come from above heading right for the guys.
"A log?" Zaku asked in shock.
"She also layed a trap up above," the mummy guy said also in shock, "look out!" Mummy guy lifted up his arm. "Nice try." He then created a hand sign before the log blew up making Sakura and Kitsune to gasp. "Clearly you have no talent as a Ninja. Someone like you needs to make a little more of an effort don't you think?"
"LEAF HURRICANE!"
Kitsune let out a gasp when she saw Lee come out of no where and knocked the Sound Ninjas back and away from them.
"Wha-what's he doing?" Sakura asked once he landed in front of them.
"Lee?" Kitsune asked.
"Looks like you also have to make more of an effort," Lee told them making Kitsune to giggle.
"Who are you?"
"I am the handsome devil of the Hidden Leaf Village," Lee answered, "and my name is Rock Lee!"
"What are you doing here Lee?" Sakura asked.
"I shill appear any time and any where that you are in trouble Sakura," Lee answered.
Kitsune looked at Sakura before looking back at Lee.
"You know, you didn't have to step in, right?" she asked, "I could have used a Wind Style Jutsu to block their attacks."
Lee laughed a bit before he patted the squirrel under his chin and then let him down.
"This is really all thanks to you little one," Lee told the squirrel making Kitsune to sweat drop, "but it's time for you to run along."
"But right now on this test," Sakura started to say, "I'm your enemy."
"Sakura, I already told you," Lee said getting her attention, "I well protect you until I die."
Sakura let out a gasp as she remembered what Lee had said.
"Yes," Sakura agreed, "thank you...Rock Lee."
'Yes!' Lee thought, 'she said yes, Guy-Sensei! She said yes!'
"Looks like I have no choice," the mummy said as he held up their Earth Scroll, "Zaku, I'll let you have Sasuke." He tossed the scroll to Zaku who stood behind him. "I'll deal with these two."
'Am I invisible or something?' Kitsune thought as an eye twitched.
'It does not look like Sakura is in any condition to fight,' Lee thought.
"That guy with the bushy-eyebrows is pretty good with taijutsu," the mummy said before he charged in, "looks like I get to have some fun."
Kitsune stopped paying attention to the mummy and Lee, but she turned her attention onto Zaku and the female member of their team with a glare.
"Oi!" Kitsune called as she moved to stand in front of them this made the two of them look at her, "if you think you'll get to Sasuke with ease think about!"
"I thought that the Uchiha only has two teammates not three," the girl said in shock.
"Really are all of you blind or what?" Kitsune asked as tick mark appeared on her forehead, "the silver hair is not hard to miss, ya know?"
"I don't care if he has 100 teammates," Zaku told them the girl, "this girl is died along with Sasuke."
Kitsune put her bow and quiver of arrows down before she pulled her sword out of it's sheath and then held it out in front of her.
"Try it you sorry excuses for Ninjas," Kitsune growled under her breath.
Sakura looked at Kitsune before she turned her attention back to Lee, but her gasp got Kitsune to look back to see Lee using a some kind of Jutsu.
"Oh, Dosu," Zaku said, "there's no way he can break his fall."
Kitsune looked at Zaku to see him do hand signs before looking back at Lee.
"Take this!" Lee told Dosu before he started to spin, "Primary Lotus!" Lee had gotten away before Dosu hit the ground, but Kitsune was glaring at Zaku getting a bad vibe. 'What is this feeling?'
"Got you just in time," Zaku said, "that impact could have been much worse for you."
Kitsune let out a gasp as Dosu got up and shooked his head.
"What this can not be?" Lee asked.
'This is so not good,' Kitsune thought, 'to be able to survive the Lotus...it's...unthinkable!' She then turned her dark brown eyes onto Zaku. 'Something's not right about that guy. Where Father when you really need him?'
"That is a frighting jutsu and it nearly took me out even though I landed on this soft dirty," Dosu said, "now it's my turn."
'Oh no,' Lee thought as he panted, 'body still has not recover from using that jutsu.'
Dosu ran forward and went to punch Lee, but the boy was able to dodge the attack, however, Kitsune could tell that it effect him.
"Lee, no," Sakura gasped.
"Your jutsu is indeed fast, but ours is even faster because it travels at the speed of sound," Dosu told Lee who ended up falling to his knees, "effect alone does nothing. Now watch. We're going to show you something that's called the wall."
Kitsune let out a gasp when Lee leaned over and throw up.
"Lee what's wrong?" Sakura asked.
Without even looking at the Sound Ninjas, Kitsune ran over to Lee to make sure that he was alright when she noticed that he was started to bleed.
'M-my ear,' thought Lee as he covered his left ear.
"What did you freaks do to him?!" Kitsune yelled as she glared at the top three of her hit list, "answer me! What did you do to Lee?!"
Sakura looked at Kitsune with worry when she heard the demonic like tone that was hiding in Kitsune's voice. {Me: I interrupt this story to let you all know that Kitsune isn't a Jinchuriki, but she has a blood-lust personality that was created by theKyoufugan as a side effect to the kekkei genkai.}This of course worried her a bit not understanding Kitsune's habits or abilities.
"Oh, I forgot to mention this little gadget I wear," Dosu said as he showed them, "you might be able to dodge my blows, but you can't get away from it."
'What trick does he have up his sleeve now?' thought Sakura.
"I don't need to strike you with my fists," Dosu told Lee, "I can hit you with the power of sound."
"Sound?" Lee asked while Kitsune growled.
"What makes it possible for the ear to hear things?" Dosu asked, "what is sound really?"
"Vibrations," Sakura answered.
'What is this?' Kitsune thought, 'the Academy for Sound?'
"Give the little lady a prize," Dosu joked, "yes, the vibration of molecules of air creates a sound wave. These vibrations are collected by your ear and sent to the eardrum." Kitsune let out a growl before she tuned the guy out deeming him boring as hell, but she did tune back in when he stopped talking about science. "Feeling dizzy, nauseous? That's right. Best if you don't even try to stand up for awhile."
"You see buddy," Zaku spoked, "that old taijutsu stuff won't work with us. Not that you not good at it, but compared to our jutsu that's stuff is yesterday's news." He pulled his hand out of the ground. "See, I can manipulate ultrasonic waves and air pressure. I can do things that you never even dreamed off." Kitsune glared at him with pure hatred. "I can obliterate boulders or the ground itself as a soft feather cushion." Zaku turned his hands around to show them the air pressure. "Face it little man, you up against the jutsu of the future."
"Jutsu of the future my ass!" Kitsune growled as she stood up with her head down while she gripped her sword in her hands tightly. "You dare call yourselves ninjas!" Kitsune head snapped up to reveal that she has the Kyoufugan was active. "YOU DON'T EVEN DECIEVER THE TITTLE OF NINJA!" Sakura gasp while Lee thought back to what his sensei once said.
"Now," Dosu said making Kitsune's eyes narrow, "it's your turn little girl."
Kitsune let out a gasp as Dosu went after Sakura by going around her and Lee.
"No!"
"SAKURA!" she yelled as she spun around to see that the pink haired kunoichi and pulled out a kunai.
Before Kitsune could rush in to save Sakura, Lee shot ahead of her.
"No!"
"What?"
'Lee?'
"LEAF HURRICANE! HAH!"
Kitsune felt her eyes widen as Lee never hit Dosu because he couldn't move anymore, the effects of the jutsu from earlier still affecting him.
"Not as effective any more is it?" Dosu asked, "still it's impressive that you can still move at all while we'll just have to do something about that." Lee went to blocked, but that only made Dosu use his melody. "You hear that? This device amplifies the vibrations of the impact forming them into a wave of sound."
"Lee no," Sakura breathed.
"A sound wave that I can channel with my chakra," Dosu said, "focusing it's energy onto any target I desire."
"STOP IT!" Sakura cried out.
"All right little man," Dosu said after Lee fall to the ground, "time to end it."
"That's what you think," Sakura told them as she pulled kunai.
Sakura throw the kunais at Dosu who blocked them with his melody while Kitsune was quick to jump in front of Sakura doing hand signs quickly.
"WIND STYLE: TWIN HURRICANE JUTSU!"
Two hurricanes moved at a fast pace towards Zaku, the female member of their team, and Dosu.
"Wind Style user?" Zaku asked with a laugh, "your no match for me."
Kitsune gasp when he stop the two hurricanes in their tracks before they disappeared, but she let a smirk cross her face.
"Wind isn't my only chakra nature boy," Kitsune answered before she did more hand signs, "FIRE STYLE: TWIN BLAZING TORNADO!" Kitsune took a deep breath in before she placed her thumb and pointing figure to her lips and blew out two fast moving tornados of fire. 'Let's see if this guy can stop my fire, but to be on the safe side.' Kitsune applied some of her chakra to her ears to block out high sounds, but still allowed her to hear them talking, however, much to Kitsune's surprise Zaku stopped her fire once again. 'What?'
"What else to you have?" Zaku asked with a smirk.
'I can't use my lighting style or I'll give away that I have three chakra nature, but I can't use earth style either because the most effective ones can only be used with my summonings,' Kitsune thought as she looked at Sora who was standing protective in front Naruto and Sasuke. 'I can't use Sora because I need her to protect Naruto and Sasuke. Damn it all to hell!' It was then that Kitsune heard movement behind her and toward around to see Sakura get grabbed by her hear. "Sakura!"
"My, my what soft and shiny hair?" the female of the Sound team asked, "but you know what if you spent a little less time shampooing and more time practicing your jutsus then you wouldn't be in this fix."
"Sakura!" Kitsune called out again as she moved towards her teammate, but she was stopped by Dosu.
"I don't think so," Dosu told her making her glare.
"Hey, Zaku!" the girl called, "I know what would be fun. Let's make miss beauty queen watch as you finish off that Sasuke guy."
"Why now?" Zaku asked rhetorically, "sounds like fun to me." 'You stay away from him,' Sakura thought as she tried to move.
"Don't even," the girl said.
"Sakura."
Kitsune growled while Sora moved to a bit to better guard Sasuke.
'What can I do?' Kitsune thought, 'I want to keep my lighting style jutsus a secret, but...bloody hell...I can't think of anything that well work against their sound jutsus...if you can even call it jutsu at all.'
'I-it's no use,' Sakura thought, 'I've got no strength left.' Kitsune looked over at her with sympathy. 'Way to go, Sakura. You've let everybody down again! WHAT GOOD ARE YOU? Even now, when the others really need me, I cave! How many times have they saved my neck? You'd think that maybe, just this once, when it's life or death, you'd think that just maybe I could come through.'
"Okay, let's go this," Zaku said as he walked towards where Sasuke was laying.
"Sakura!" Kitsune shouted out, "your not useless!" Sakura's eyes widen at the words. "You just need to find the strength to fight back! You just got to believe in yourself to find that strength!"
Sakura slowly reached for her kunai pouch and pulled one out, holding it out in front of her making the other female scoff.
"C'mon! It's pointless, that won't work on me."
Kitsune watched as Sakura was silent for a moment before she turned around with a smirk on her face.
"It's not meant for you."
"What the?"
Kitsune's eyes widen as everyone watched Sakura put the kunai knife to her hair that the other female was clutching before she sliced right through it. Her head band fell from her hair and to the ground as strands of pink hair was flying around.
'I always considered myself a true ninja,' thought Sakura, 'I claim I'm madly in love with Sasuke, I also think I'm better then Kitsune at everything when in fact she's better then me, and I'm always lecturing Naruto. Acting like I know so much more, but it's all empty words because their always in the lead and I watch them from the back ground. Why is that?' Sakura stood up with her fists clenched at her sides. 'No matter what, they where always there those three protecting me. And Lee, you didn't just say you liked me, you proved it. We're not even teammates and you put your life on the line for me. All this time you all been teaching me something. It's about time I learned the lesson. Okay, no more caving. It's for me to take the lead and all of you can watch me from the background.'
"Sakura be careful."
"Kin finish her!" Zaku ordered.
Sakura started to do hand signs quickly as Kin went to stab her, but the Sakura that was stabbed turned into a log.
'I know that hand sign.'
"A Substitution Jutsu," Kin gasp in shock.
With Dosu now busy trying to find Sakura along with Zaku, Kitsune moved quickly and kicked Kin back away from Sasuke and Naruto with a powerful spin kick. Sakura soon reappeared with several kunai knives in each hand while she was running straight towards Zaku.
"Thanks for the present," Zaku joked when she throw them at him, "do you mind if I return them?" Sakura quickly did the hand signs once again. 'Again with the hands?' "Slicing Sound Wave!" He sent the kunai flying back at Sakura only to have them hit a log. "What a surprise." Sakura appeared above doing the hand signs. "You really want to keep playing this cause I'll tell ya...I'm not falling for it." Zaku pulled out kunais. "Alright if you insist." Zaku hit her with several kunai, but Kitsune smirked as he started to look around. "Ok, so where are you coming from next?" Kitsune all, but laughed when he found that she was not a substitution, but the real deal. 'Huh? What? Yeah, this time it's really her.' Sakura stabbed his arm and bit down on his other one. "What are you? Crazy or something?" Zaku started to punch her. "Get off of me! Someone get this crazy girl off of me." Zaku kept on punching Sakura in the head, but she still didn't let go. "Get her off."
Zaku finally managed to threw Sakura to the side before he got up.
"Now your going to pay."
'It's all on me,' Sakura thought, 'there's no one else.' Without wrong Kitsune appeared in front of her getting around to do hand signs. "Kitsune?"
"Your not alone in this Sakura," Kitsune said without looking back having her kekkei genkai, but having heard of it Zaku wasn't looking her in the eyes. "We teammates even though we can't stand each other, but that doesn't mean I should let you get killed. I was taught better then that by my Father and Grandfather so..." Looking behind her at Sakura with her eyes closed and a smile in place. "I'll also lead you a helping hand like you would if the situation was reversed."
"Say so long kids!" Without wrong Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji appeared in front of them making them both gasp.
"Shikamaru, Ino, Choji?"
"So what's this?" Zaku asked, "the second string?"
"Ino?"
"Surprised?" Ino asked, "I swear I never let you show me up didn't I?" Sakura let out a gasp. "And besides I can't let my friend Kitsune get hurt trying to protect you."
Kitsune smiled a bit while Sakura looked at her. "