Monster
Chapter 38
Sakura POV:
This is it. This is what it all comes down to.
"I'm sorry Ino." I apologized as I untied the maroon nin band from my head and shook my uneven petals of hair. "When this is over I hope you can forgive me, because..." I trailed off as I tied the band around my forehead.
"This is as far as you go!"
"Oh please, like you could ever-"
From the very moment that single word left the proctor's lips. I sealed her fate. Losing was not an option for me. As I shrieked a callous battle cry I infused my fists for strength and my feet for a burst of speed. All I remember was the look of absolute horror on her face when I charged.
Ino POV:
The next thing I knew Sakura had lunged at me with a fire in eyes that I had never seen before and a callous cry that sent fear throughout my entire body. Even though everything happened so fast, it was like moving in slow motion. The moment she cast her first punch I knew my friend was no more.
Sakura POV:
Just as I threw my infused punch she staggered to the side. As my fist made contact with the ground it cracked the pavement, sending a slight tremor throughout the building, causing the lights the flicker. I recovered and went to attack again. In a series of hand to hand combat we exchanged blows. When she went spin into a kick I ducked under in and flipped straight up into a kick of my own.
Her body flew into the air above the balcony where I greeted her with a hard-infused punch to the gut, sending her to the other side of the room. Using a burst of chakra, I leaped to the other side to strike her yet again, sending her round and round in circles like a game of pin ball.
Once I had my fill I forced her back to the ground and landed right over her. I infused my fist for one final blow and one final cry. Just as I was about to make contact her fearful pale azure eyes met mine and everything around silenced itself. And her child like image appeared before me like a mirage.
Ino...
"Who would have thought you were so cute underneath all that hair."
We were so close.
"What do you say we be friends? Me and you, okay."
It was just the two of us. How did we go so wrong? And for what?
"I'm sorry Ino, but from this moment on...we're no longer friends."
"We're rivals."
As the memories of old played right before my eyes my intent to win at all cost subsided and my fist had softened. Lightly, it hit the ground next to her face.
Ino POV:
When I opened my eyes...Sakura's eyes had glazed over as a single tear dripped down her nose onto my cheek. She was so close to ending me, so close to winning. Why would she stop now? "Sakura?" I quietly questioned, gazing up at the once beautiful cherry blossom to my eyes. "Why did you...just now..."
"Say, Ino..." She softly said, as her body slightly relaxed on top of mine. "What do you say...we be friends again after this? Let's not fight anymore...okay?" Her voice was so gentle it was but a faint whisper as her tears continued along their path.
You idiot. I cried. You really had no idea. After all this time...you still haven't figured it out. How I really felt about you back then...
I was in love with you. I wanted to be with you. But when you told me you were in love with Sasuke...I just got so angry. I was jealous. Out of hurt and rage I told you that I liked him too just to get back at you. It was so stupid. And now...seeing how far you become I realize...that losing our friendship really was all my fault. I blamed you, but it was really me. If I hadn't been such a coward and told you the truth maybe we could have...
If I could just...
"Ino...why are you crying?"
Sakura POV:
I had never seen her this way. As I gazed upon her battered beauty I gently placed my hand on her face and wiped away the tears that flowed, and removing her strand of hair that had stained itself as it pressed against her bloodied cheek. The small space in between us slowly closing as she gently raised her head within a breath of mine. "Ino?"
BOOM!
What's going on?!
Hokage POV:
!
Gaara POV:
What is the meaning of this?
Sasuke POV:
Suddenly Sakura was attacked by those three sound bastards. The one with the broken arms had managed to still use his right sound blasted her from the side.
"HEY!" I screamed and went to leap over but was stopped by Kakashi-sensei. "What the hell?! Let go of me!"
Kakashi POV:
Sasuke I could hold. It was Naruto that was starting to concern me. The moment Sakura was attacked his eyes immediately burned a fiery red, his whiskers had thickened and his fangs had sprouted. He was snarling and barking like some sort of rabid beast. Quite a few heads had turned in our direction at the sound of his vicious yapping.
"Easy you two." I calmly said. "Let's just see how this plays out for a minute."
After the raven had settled into gritting his teeth and the fox into a low growl my gaze returned to the battle at hand.
Sakura POV:
I crash landed and rolled into a crouched stance, reading a kunai.
What just happened?! What was that just now?!
Once the smoke had cleared, three vengeful sound nin had emerged. "Sorry we're late to the party!" The broken nin Zaku bantered. "But we just couldn't wait anymore! You looked like you were having so much fun we'd thought we'd join you. And go ahead and pay you back for what you did to us in that damn forest!" He barked.
"YOU'RE MINE BITCH!" The girl screamed as the three of them charged.
Tsk.
I chakra bursted myself and slid past the girl using my plated shin and arm guards, causing sparks to dance across the pavement. In one fell swoop I swept my feet underneath the one known as Zaku and twirled around to slash at the masked nin, scraping the contraption on his arm. Then I threw my weight into another kick, sending the nin flying.
While my body was still in movement I tossed my kunai back at the other boy. It was at that moment I received a hard punch to the gut from the girl. I winced in pain but quickly regained myself as I struck her across the face, causing her to spin around. Then, I snatched the last few feet of her hair and yanked her back to me, grabbing that back of her head and slamming her face into my knee.
A second later I was being attacked by the masked nin from behind. In a series of punches and blocks I was sparing the man whilst still facing the other way before finally I twirled around and slashed at him with another kunai, slicing a portion of his face and ripping his mask. All of it leading into a flying kick, knocking him back a ways.
I caught wind of the girl. With great speed I charged at her and thrusted myself on top of her, wrapping my legs around her neck and throwing my weight into a back-hand spring, releasing her as my hands hit the ground. Her body crash landed abruptly as she rolled away, spitting a fragment of blood a she did.
Before I could recover from my crouched stance I noted a sound blast heading my way from the one-armed nin. With great force I infused my fist and dove it into the ground to stabilize myself from the pressure. Once it past I retrieved my bloodied fist from the pavement and charged at him. Just as he was about to unleash another blast I skidded under him, using the guards on my legs and twirled around on to my knees, slashing at his thigh with my blade.
He yelped in pain and then slowly started to fall to my level before I snatched his one good arm and twisted it up, jabbing at it with an infused fist. The bone snapped and he cried in horror. I used his body to flip over to the approaching masked nin and kick him. He dodged and we traded blows. As he went to activate his strange contraption I ducked under his arm and leaped into a back flip, kicking him straight into the air as I did.
Quickly I raced up the side of the wall where I came face to face with a beautiful scarlet. I cutely smiled at him as I used the railing to push myself off into another back flip where I appeared just above the masked nin and kicked him back to the ground. The second he hit the pavement I landed on him with a massive infused punch, causing the ground beneath him to crumble.
Out of nowhere the girl appeared behind me.
Too fast!
Ino POV:
Just before the sound girl could do any damage to Sakura I grabbed the ends of hair and yanked her head back. "I don't know what your problems is, BUT GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SAKURA YOU BITCH!" I screamed as I thrusted her body by her hair over my head and forced her to the ground.
Suddenly Sakura and I were back to back. "Ino?!" She cried in shock.
"Save it! If anyone's gonna beat you it's going to be me! You got that billboard-brow?! Now let's do this together and I'll consider being your friend again!"
Her emerald eyes flickered just briefly before she nodded and we readied ourselves for another attack. The sound nin girl cursed and threw a wave of senbone. Sakura quickly spun us around and defected them with her gauntlets. Whilst I caught in the incoming kunai sent by the masked freak and threw it back at him.
As the two of them leaped in. One from above and the other at a low angle we swiftly pivoted and spun around each other once again. Sakura went low, skidding her plated legs across the pavement and I stabilized myself in midair by placing my hand on her shoulder and leaping into a kick.
I had almost forgotten what it felt like to fight alongside her. It actually felt pretty good. We had always made a good team. Being able to tell what the other was thinking just came natural to us when we were back to back.
Together we sent them flying and spun around each other once again, Sakura grabbed hold of the girl's hair and wrapped it around her arm and threw the girl like a humanoid club towards the masked nin. I quickly swept under his feet so he had nowhere to go as the girl and him collided. To release her hold on the sound girl's entangled hair she took out a kunai and severed it, tossing her brunette wefts across the field.
It was over.
xXxXx
I don't know why none of the jounin stepped in and stopped the match. Maybe they in just as much shock as the rest of us or they were just curious to see how everything would play out. Either way...it was still down to me and her. And this time...I wasn't going to lose.
"Alright billboard brow!" I pointed. "You may have had the first round but this fight ain't over yet!" I shouted.
"Wait, you guys still wanna fight?" The proctor coughed in bewilderment.
"Of course, we do! This fight is far from over!" I clarified before I turned my attention to the pink haired girl before me. "What do you say, Sakura? Are you ready to finish this?" I coaxed.
"One last fight." She said.
"Once and for all. To see who really is stronger. I won't lose to you!"
"Let's do our best Ino-chan. I've kept Kaka-sensei waiting long enough."
xXxXx
"Alright, if you're ready. The third match will now continue. Begin!"
As the two of us charged each other I could see her infusing her fist with chakra for power and her feet for speed. "Not this time!" I screamed as I did the same and when our fists collided in a stale mate it sent out a massive shockwave, causing everyone in the balconies to shield themselves from the blast.
From there it was a series of hand to hand combat techniques. As she skidded across the floor hoping to sweep my feet I had I leaped into the air into a kick. We missed our targets and continued our pounding. Eventually, I pulled out a kunai and began slashing about when she grabbed ahold of my wrists and headbutted me, causing me to stagger into the wefts of hair.
Sakura POV:
I took a moment to catch my breath as I panted for air. My body was almost at its limit. I could feel myself slipping. My movements weren't as fast and my punches weren't as hard.
I'm gonna have to end this quick before I completely run out of chakra. Okay, let's end this-
Just as I went to charge the battered blonde once again I was stumped.
"What?! What is this?! Why can't I move?!" I shouted in disbelief as I drew my attention to the ground. Hair?!
"So, you finally noticed." The blonde girl coaxed as she raised her hands from the scattered strands of hair and placed her foot on the strand that bound me. "I infused my chakra into this lovely hair that you so graciously threw at me earlier to form a rope to bind you." She sneered. "Sorry, Sakura but this is where it all ends. I can't afford to take another beating from you like last time. So, I'll just make you quit right here."
Damn this is bad!
In fit of rage I shrieked and began to profusely pound away at the ground to attempt to free myself from her snare...but it was too late.
"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
Ino POV:
And just like that I've got you right where I want you.
Sakura POV:
It was like I had lost control of my body. Mind and soul alike. Lost into a field of shadows, falling forever deeper into my own subconscious.
Where am I?...It's cold. What is this place? How did I get here? I don't remember...
It felt like I was in a dream. Drowning in the shallow pools of the darkened abyss. In my trance I could hear what sounded like voices. As my weary gaze began to peer through the vail I could see Ino. She was sleeping. Why is she sleeping? Next my uncontrolled gaze shifted to the sickly man. Who is he...Why do I feel this way? My head...it feels like it's in a daze.
"I, Sakura Haruno."
That's me. That's my voice. What's happening right now?
"Would like to withdraw from this match."
Withdraw? Match? Was I fighting? I can't...
Suddenly in the midst of my lost consciousness another voice echoed in the depths of my mind. It was cold and eering. Threatening and yet...so soothing.
"After you all that. Do you really intend on just throwing it all away? I thought you were different."
That was Gaara's voice just now. What is he-
Spark.
I remember.
"INO!" I screamed into the shadows. "I know you're there! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Ino POV:
Hn, and that takes care of-
Suddenly I began to lose control of Sakura's body. "What is this?! How are you resisting me right now?!" I shouted, my voice echoing throughout the main floor.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Sakura?!
"If you don't get out of my head right now Ino I'll make you regret the moment you stepped foot into my body!" She growled from within. It was like her body suddenly became on fire. It was burning me. Like lava. I bellowed in mournful agony causing panic and confusion from all those around me.
Her body began violently thrashing around. "SAKURA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?! IT HURTS! STOP IT!" I screeched at the top of my lungs. The burning sensation only increasing as a heinous monster appeared before me. It towered itself over my subconscious. Her long flowing cherry blossom hair set ablaze in scolding pink flame and her eyes glowed white. I watched in horror as giant wings sprouted from her back and horns grew from her head.
What is that thing? That's not Sakura?
"I SAID GET OUT!" It bellowed in a callous cry, knocking me off of my feet.
Is this...Is this really her inner ide?
The next thing I knew her body had taken off as I still shrieked in agony. She rammed her head against the nearby wall, causing me almost to black out. When she went to do it again I tried to fight back but it was no use. Whatever happens to the body I possess reflects what happens to my own.
I didn't have a choice. I had lost complete control and was practically burning alive inside her.
"RELEASE!"
A moment later my consciousness returned to my own body as I trembled in horror. "What was that inside of you just now?" I asked in a fit of panic as I gazed upon the pink figure. As she turned to face me her cracked headband hell off of her head, revealing her bloodied forehead. I watched as the blood trickled down her face and an uneven strand of hair fall in between her eyes.
"Everyone has their demon Ino." She answered. Demon?
"That was no demon Sakura." I corrected. "It was a devil! Just what are you?!"
"I'm a survivor." Was all she said before she charged, shrieking a callous battle cry and that was it.
I had lost.
To be continued...
Man, that was a lot. I told you shit was going down in this chapter lol. Didn't see that coming did you lol?! I hope you enjoyed. Please review and let me know what you guy's thought. Next chapter isn't going to be so action packed. I might get another chapter up later tonight. Well until then, see ya!