After Effects
All eyes turned, finding the Uchiha boy alive, and standing. Tsukiko's Sharingan scanned for anything wrong. A transformation jutsu, anything false... but it was him.
"Sasuke…" She breathed, that chakara…. that energy… it wasn't his.
"SASUKE! YOU'RE AWAKE!" Sakura cried, seeing her friend alive.
'Those markings… No… NO!' Tsukiko jumped up and ran towards him.
"Who was it…" Sasuke's voice was the same, but so much colder.
"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, but he paid no attention to her.
Tsukiko watched him look to his shaking hands, his Sharingan glowed with something sinister, it was pure-evil chakara.
"Sasuke please… don't tell me-"
"Don't worry, I'm alright. It's only the power flowing through me. In fact, I've never felt better. To follow my path I must have power, at any price. Even if it means being consumed by evil." Sasuke explained, his eyes seemed to glow as he gazed at Tsukiko.
She slid to her knees, a racing pain gripped her lungs, froze her entire chakara system.
"Tsukiko… Which one of these people did this to you?" Sasuke demanded, eying the two male Sound Shinobi.
"That'd be me." Zaku stepped forward, sizing up Sasuke.
Tsukiko watched in horror as the black-mark began to spread over Sasuke's body.
"SASUKE!" Tsukiko screamed, reaching out for him, but he paid no mind, instead he locked eyes on Zaku and pounced.
Tsukiko grabbed Sakura and Lee, throwing them out of the way as Zaku released his strongest attack.
Sakura was unconscious, 'She must have passed out from the stress.' Tsukiko concluded, she didn't have time to deal with a fainting-diva. By the time she turned around, Sasuke was holding Zaku by the arms, his foot dug mercilessly into his back. Tsukiko sighed, she had to warn Hokage of this, enough as enough.
:::
Tsukiko focused back on the fight, there was no way that Zaku or Dosu could ever win, with Sasuke in this crazed state.
"You seem very proud of these arms of yours… You must be very attached to them." Sasuke sneered, pulling up.
"NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Zaku screamed, his head twisted to try and see what Sasuke was doing.
Tsukiko looked away, Sasuke was taking this too far, even for her enjoyment.
SNAP.
The sound rippled over the battlefield, sent shivers down each spectator's spine.
Tsukiko watched Zaku collapse to the ground, his arms hung at odd angles. And then, Sasuke turned to face Dosu.
Tsukiko decided to step in. She bolted towards Sasuke and jumped in front of him. "Enough, Sasuke. This is ENOUGH!" She yelled, but he simply pushed her out of the way. "SASUKE!" She snarled, grabbing him and spinning him until he was facing her. "Enough is enough. Stop. You have to." She whispered, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Enough, Sasuke… Enough." She whispered, clinging to him desperately. She could feel the energy begin to dissipate. Her eyes watched the mark begin to slink back into the three marks on his shoulder. Tsukiko held Sasuke when his knees gave out from under him, his Sharingan disappeared and he gasped in pain. "Shh, it's alright." Tsukiko comforted, her eyes shot daggers at Dosu who trembled in his spot.
"You're too strong, Sasuke… Too strong." Dosu admitted, pulling out his scroll. "We can't hope to defeat you, the way you are now. We'll strike a deal, I give you this scroll and you let us go." Dosu offered, setting the scroll down in front of him.
Tsukiko nodded once, watching as Dosu went around to collect his broken friends.
"It would seem we underestimated you. But at least we found out what we needed to know." Dosu sighed, glaring at the Uchiha's. "For the moment, we're even. But if it should happen that we ever meet in combat, I promise you, we won't run or hide."
Tsukiko held Sasuke against her, trying to calm his trembling body. "This was Orochimaru's doing? You serve him?" Tsukiko asked. "Why did he send you after Sasuke in such a state as this?"
Dosu shook his head, "I don't know why he sent us to assassinate someone whom he'd bestowed such powers. I don't know why Sasuke even survived the curse mark, there are many things I don't know." Dosu mumbled to himself, before melting into the forest.
:::
Sasuke was staring at his hands. "Just what… am I?" He whispered, his shaking became increasingly worse.
"It's alright, Sasuke, just stay here." Tsukiko murmured, hugging him tightly before standing up.
"HEY YOU! GET OUT HERE YOU COWARDS!" Tsukiko roared, throwing kunai into the bushes.
Three heads appeared over the bushes with sheepish smiles on each face.
"It's a dog eat dog world, right?" Tsukiko snarled.
Ino sighed, "I'm sorry… but you seemed like you had control over the situation and-"
"I don't have time for your excuses. Whatever, you would have only gotten in the way anyways. She spotted TenTen jump down to help Lee. "Ino, I need you go to and take care of Sakura. Shikamaru and Choji, tend to Naruto." Tsukiko turned, expecting her orders to be fulfilled.
"Sasuke?" She knelt, noticing his blank stare.
He looked at her, clearly lost, "Yeah?"
"Are you alright?" She smiled, looking at him.
"What… What just happened?" He asked, looking to her for answers.
Tsukiko gently kissed his forehead, wishing to take away his pain, "Sasuke-"
"Tsukiko!" Ino's shrill voice cut through her thoughts.
Tsukiko looked up, finding herself being beckoned. "Hold on," She whispered, before standing and walking to the blonde.
"What?"
Ino pointed to Sakura, "She's not waking up… What should I do?" Ino panicked.
"Nothing, she's dead." Tsukiko answered.
"W-WHAT? D-D-DEAD?" Ino screamed, jumping away from Sakura's body.
"I was kidding. She's unconscious." Tsukiko shook her head, 'they're so gullible.' Tsukiko thought. Tsukiko's hand began to glow green when she touched Sakura's arm. She could only do so much, but she could heal Sakura and give the girl some of her chakara.
"There, now try." Tsukiko stood, feeling a little shakier than usual.
Ino knelt down and gently shook Sakura, "Hey… Hey Sakura wake up." Ino called out.
Sakura groaned and her eyes slowly opened, "Huh? W-What?" She mumbled, looking around. "SASUKE!" She gasped, sitting up, her eyes dilated before returning to normal.
"He's fine, Sakura." Tsukiko muttered, pointing to where the boy was sitting.
"Thank you so much, for everything."
Tsukiko nodded, "I promised you, I wouldn't let any of you get hurt." She smiled, noticing how Ino was quietly staring at Sasuke.
Naruto began screaming at Sakura, realizing how short her hair was.
Tsukiko left and let the Genin talk to themselves, and approached the large tree. "Well? What are you doing here?" She called out.
:::
Neji jumped down, his crème colored eyes met Tsukiko's crimson ones.
"We came looking for our teammate, and well… here he is, unconscious and hurt." Neji didn't hide the glare he shot towards her.
Tsukiko nodded, "Yes, he came to protect Sakura. I never asked him to do anything."
"I believe that."
Tsukiko glanced back at the rest of the Genin, Sasuke was sitting off by himself, and everyone was talking amongst themselves, Sakura was getting her hair cut by Ino, and TenTen was trying to wake Lee up.
"Hey, Tsukiko." Neji gently poked her.
"Yes?"
"I've been wondering… Why come back here at all?"
Tsukiko shrugged, "Orders from my Sensei."
Neji nodded, "Well… I hope I'm the one that fights you in the final exam."
"It would be quite a match." Tsukiko smiled before she turned and headed towards Sasuke, "I'll see you around, Neji."
:::
Tsukiko watched as Neji, TenTen, and Lee all disappeared into the forest. And finally, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji left, leaving Team 7 alone.
:::
Tsukiko helped Sasuke over to rest at the base of the tree, he was clearly shaken and in no shape to run. "Sakura, Naruto, go off and look for some food." Tsukiko ordered. They nodded and bounded off into the woods.
"Do you think they'll be alright?" Sasuke asked, looking to Tsukiko who nodded, "They're going to be just fine." Sasuke leaned against Tsukiko's shoulder his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and he gently rocked back and forth with her.
"Sasuke, I need you to promise me something." Tsukiko whispered, looking at him.
He raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"Please, please, promise me you'll never use that evil-chakara." She squeezed his hand, trying to press the importance of her words upon him.
Sasuke nodded, staring a moment before answering, "I promise, Tsukiko, I'll never use it."
"Sasuke… that mark- that curse mark – it's not good. But… If you use that chakara… something terrible could happen to you." Tsukiko warned, kissing his cheek.
"That feeling, Tsukiko, it was amazing…" Sasuke admitted. Shame burned in his eyes.
Tsukiko became tense and turned him to face her, "It's false power, Sasuke. It's not your own. If you use that, you're only relying on someone else for power." Tsukiko growled.
"I-I know… But I swear… one day, I'll become more powerful than-"
"Shh…" She gently pressed a finger against his lips, "there's no need to talk about the past. Only focus on your future."
Sasuke sighed, unable to speak.
She could hear his heartbeat, the way it raced. She could feel the evil-chakara race through his chakara-network, it sang sweetly, and hummed a tune of power that beckoned even her.
