ALMOST FINISHED!! ARGH!

Chapter 21

"Daijobou?" Neji looked down at Tenten's blushing face.

"Neji, you can let go of me!" Tenten was trying to struggle out of his grasp.

Neji held onto her tighter. "You might hurt yourself more than."

Tenten sighed while snuggling into Neji's chest. Currently, he was carrying her bridal style.

"We're almost there," Hinata said with her Byakuugan activated.

"Wait," Ino suddenly stopped. Shikamaru, who was currently behind her, crashed into her back.

"AAAHHHH!!!!!!!!" Ino stumbled forward and started to fall from her tree branch.

"SHIKAMARU!!!" She reappered on a puffy white cloud.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

"Why didn't I teleport us back instead of us walking back there?" Ino ignored Shikamaru's comment.

Realization dawned onto them.

"Aw shucks! So I wasted an extra 2 hours to exercise!" Sakura growled.

"Why didn't you tell us before?"Tenten glared at Ino.

"Hehehe. Sorry?" Ino rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"However, first, we have to think of a plan to defeat Orochimaru," Shikamaru reasoned.

"See! Shika-kun is on my side! Stalling time is a great thing!" Ino looped her arm around Shikamaru's neck and smiled at him.

Shikamaru blushed and muttered," I didn't even think about being on your side."

Ino bopped his head.

"Well, first, we should……………," Sasuke started to tell them his plan.

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Sakura smirked under her black hood. She then threw a paper bomb towards the entrance of the lair.

"BOOM!"

Inside………………….

"Alright, you guys go!" Sasuke said under his hood.

Tenten, Neji, and Ino went towards the direction of Sakura.

Sasuke, Hinata, Naruto, and Shikamaru headed inside to find Orochimaru.

Outside once again……………………..

Sakura looked around at the thousands of ninjas. She sighed and then threw a kunai at an upcoming ninja heading for her.

One by one, all of the ninjas started to attack her.

She punched a ninja in the stomach and he went flying 5 meters away.

Then, she kicked another one while he was sent to the ground.

Each upcoming ninja, she would just defeat them with either a punch or a kick.

"Pathetic," she muttered under her breath.

She was about to knee another ninja before 3 kunais headed their way.

Sakura looked to her side to see Ino.

"You'll be faster this way," Ino said before sending a kick towards the head of one.

Tenten started to throw multiple weapons at all of the ninjas.

Neji practiced his 64 strikes on all of them.

Sakura smiled. She knew they were going to finish this quickly.

Inside………………

Sasuke ran while Naruto and Shikamaru ran besides him. Hinata ran behind.

Then, Sasuke charged through the door, causing it to break into pieces.

Orochimaru looked up from his desk and grinned. "Wwwwwhhhhyyyy wwwhhhhaatttt a surrppprrriiisse, Sasuke-kun." (Why what a surprise Sasuke-kun)

"Orochimaru," Sasuke seethed.

"Yyooouuuuuuu weeeeennnnttttttttt behhhhiiiiinnnnnnnndddddd mmmmy bbbbbbbbaccccckkkkkkk! Hhhhooowww darrrreeeeeee yyyyouuuuuuuuu!" Orochimaru scowled.

(You went behind my back! How dare you!)

Sasuke smirked. "What's the point in training with you if you're weaker than me?

Suddenly, Orochimaru's allies started to appear. Kabuto appeared next to Orochimaru.

"ATTACK!!"

Kabuto raced towards Naruto. Hinata started to attack all of the ninjas.

Shikamaru was having fun by trapping them in his shadow possession jutsu.

Sasuke threw 3 kunais towards Orochimaru. Orochimaru dodged them and tried to send a kick towards his face.

Sasuke caught Orochimaru's leg and threw him to the other side of the room. Sasuke had his Sharigan activated.

Suddenly, snakes appeared out of everywhere and started to head towards Sasuke. However, Sasuke just smirked.

The snakes stopped in mid-slither. (Is that a word?)

"Did you forget that you've taught me everything you've ever known?" Sasuke then did the reverse and the snakes started to head towards Orochimaru.

"You back-stabbing bitch!" Orochimaru screamed while the snakes started to tighten around Orochimaru.

Then, Sasuke closed his hand.

The snakes tightened and Orochimaru was gone In a blast.

His head, shoulders, and arm, collapsed onto the ground.

"Hn. I really thought he was going to be more of a challenge. Stupid, weak, moron," Sasuke muttered while walking away.

He didn't notice the smirk that was plastered on Orochimaru's currently "dead" face.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a searing pain in his shoulder. He turned to see Orochimaru's vicious teeth had sank into his shoulder. And mind you, his head was still detatched.

"YYYYYYooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuu rrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyy dddddddooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnn't tttttthink you'reeee gggggoing to ggget away with ttttttthis ddddo yyouu?" Orochimaru slithered before his head dropped onto the floor. (You really don't think you're going to away with this do you?)

Sasuke felt a searing pain running through his body.

(Let's just say it was just like when he received the curse seal.)

"AH!!!!!!" Sasuke immediately reached for his shoulder and examined it. It was turning deadly purple.

Sasuke looked around. His vision was starting to become blurry.

"Sakura, I need…….Sakura," he thought before he was overcome with darkness.

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"Sakura! Stop it! You're using up all of your energy!" A voice pierced through the air.

"Huh? Where am I?" Sasuke looked back and forth. He couldn't see anything.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Wake up!" Something was shaking.

Sasuke suddenly saw light. He was being sucked into it.

"SASUKE-KUN!!!!!!!!" Sakura yelled.

Sasuke hesitantly opened his eyes. He immediately shut them when the sun rays pierced down onto him.

"Sakura?" Sasuke looked towards the mass of pink.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura threw her arms over him and gave him a huge hug.

Sasuke slowly sat up while staring at the pink-haired girl grasping onto him for dear life.

"Teme, you've worried her so much!" Naruto huffed out.

"What happened to me?" Sasuke asked while looking at everyone.

"Poison was in your system, so I had to get it out. You were unconscious then," Sakura explained while looking at him with worried jade green eyes. "I'm just glad you're alright. I thought you were going to die."

Sasuke stared at the shaking girl. He noticed the light tears falling down her cheeks.

Sakura immediately shot her hands up and tried to wipe them away. "I'm so stupid. Crying over something so small. Even if I could've killed you."

Sasuke sighed and reached over. He spread his arms out and closed the space.

Sakura found herself to be tugged into a warm, strong chest. She looked up to Sasuke's stoic, calm face. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Just be quiet and relax," Sasuke commanded.

Sakura smiled and hugged him back.

Five minutes flew past…………………

"HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO WATCH YOU GUYS?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Naruto roared out.

Sasuke and Sakura immediately separated.

Sakura was blushing tomato red while Sasuke had a light pink blush on his cheeks.

"Let's go," Sasuke emotionless face came back on.

He lifted himself up and started walking. But, he suddenly shot his hand out in front of Sakura's face.

Sakura looked at him, confused. Sasuke just turned his head away and reached down for her hand.

Sakura then smiled and grabbed onto his upcoming hand. Sasuke pulled her up next to him.

"How cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait until I'll take of your children!" Ino cooed.

Sakura and Sasuke turned cherry red once again. "INO!!!!!!!"

"It's 99.9 change that you guys are going to get married anyways," Shikamaru appeared next to Ino and pointed out.

"You better shut up if you don't want to become a piece of fried meat," Sasuke growled.

Ino and Shikamaru zoomed off.

"Let's go back to Konoha," Tenten said while pulling Neji's hand.

She appeared besides Sakura. "Good luck with him!"

Then, she ran off with Neji trailing behind.

Sakura turned towards Sasuke and grinned. "We're finally going home!"

Sasuke lips turned up slightly. "Yes we are."

Sakura blinked. "You smiled!"

"Hn," Sasuke's face turned back to its usual stoic expression.

"Smile some more!" Sakura reached over and grabbed Sasuke's cheeks.

"HEY!" He pushed Sakura's hands away from his now sore-cheeks. "That hurts!"

"Hehehe!" Sakura gave him her usual smile.