"Sakura."
Something softly nudged the girl's shoulder, before whispering her name once more. Sakura buried her head deeper into her pillow, trying to block out the voice gently calling her name. The voice whispered her name again, this time a little louder, and lightly shook her shoulders.
"Sakura."
Surrendering to the voice, Sakura's eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to re-adjust to the colors around her. The first thing that she noticed was the newborn sun rising in the horizon, it's weak rays bringing warmth and life to the cool desert. Specks of sand stretched far beyond what she could see, the sun's light spilling onto the sand and bringing out hues of rich honey. A light breeze brushed past her, playing with the tips of her messy morning hair.
Her gaze slid upwards to find her teammate staring down at her, his obsidian eyes peering at her with curiosity.
"Yeah?" Sakura mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. As she was about to push herself up, the kunoichi realized that it was Sasuke's shoulder that she had been sleeping upon, instead of the sand below her. As she recalled the events from last night, warmth spread across the girl's cheeks, tinting them a similar shade to her hair color.
He let me sleep on him for the rest of the night?
The Uchiha didn't seem to notice her discomfort, merely raising his brow at her continued staring. The young morning light touched his pale skin and brushed against his dark hair, illuminating the inky black and deep blue highlights.
"Come on." He tilted his head towards Naruto. "We have to wake up the loser. We need to leave soon if we want to make it to Suna by the end of the day."
"What time is it?" Sakura asked as she stretched her arms high above her head, feeling a bit more energized.
Sasuke glanced at his watch. "Around six in the morning." Sakura immediately paused in her stretching, dropping her arms back to her sides with wide eyes.
"My shift!" the kunoichi gasped, her good mood instantly ruined by a pinch of guilt. "I must've slept through it! Why didn't you wake me up, Sasuke?"
The boy simply shrugged, turning away to clip his weapon's pouch to his waist. "You looked like you needed it."
With those words, Sasuke stood up and walked over to their other teammate, who was completely passed out on top of his travel pack. Caught off-guard, Sakura's eyes followed Sasuke, a storm of conflicting emotions brewing within her. On one hand, guilt began to constrict her at the thought that, because of her, Sasuke had to stay up and keep watch for both his and her shifts. Suddenly, the feeling of shame crept up on the girl, causing her cheeks to burn with embarrassment as she buried her head in between her knees. What's wrong with me? She berated herself with a frown. Sleeping past my shift like that...I should be better than this.
On the other hand…
It was wrong, and she knew it was wrong, but Sakura couldn't help the little bud of happiness that bloomed within her at Sasuke's words. He could've just woken me up for my shift, she thought to herself. He let me sleep through it on purpose. For some odd, unfathomable reason, the considerate gesture brought a joyful smile to Sakura's face, which she quickly hid behind her legs. Come on, Sakura, she scolded herself, though a giddy smile remained on her face. Get a hold of yourself.
The kunoichi sighed, brushing the sand off her skirt as she stood up and made her way to her teammates. Together they cleaned up their makeshift camp, with Sakura forcing a grumbling Naruto to help clean up their weaponry and destroy any trace of their presence.
The medic received a pleasant surprise, however, when she peeked inside her weapons pouch and found her kunai newly sharpened and gleaming in the sun's light. That's strange, she noted, her brows furrowing with confusion. I don't remember sharpening my kunai recently. That's when it hit her- there was only one person who she recalled sharpened their kunai last night. Bright, hot blushes bloomed across the girl's cheeks as her viridian eyes grew wide in shock, sneaking a glance at the Uchiha. Did he sharpen my kunai for me?
"Sakura-chan," Naruto hollered, slinging his travel pack over his shoulders. "What are you thinking about? You're really spacy today."
"Nothing, Naruto," the girl hastily reassured, grabbing her travel pack and securing her weapon's pouch to her waist. She stomped on the remains of the dried twigs for their fire, scattering the ashes into the wind. "We should head out soon. If we hurry, we can probably get to Suna by sundown."
"And finish this stupid exam for good," the blond boy added, leaning his head against his hands.
"Right." Sakura nodded in agreement, shivering as a particularly eager breeze whipped past her. Let's get this stupid exam over with.
The steady pounding of her heartbeat throbbed in her chest, slowly increasing as the seconds passed. Sakura gripped the strap of her travel pack tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.
It wasn't long ago when she had first sensed it.
There was something off in the atmosphere- something so wrong, that it made her shiver down to her bones. The hairs on the skin of her neck and arms rose, followed by trails of goosebumps despite the sickly humid weather. Her muscles felt tight and constricted, tensing at the slightest whisper of the breeze or shuffle in the sand. For some reason, Naruto and Sasuke didn't seem to feel anything, as they continued ahead of her with relaxed postures.
This only served to put Sakura more on edge, as she knew that her highly-refined jonin instincts were much more in tune with her surroundings than a genin's. Narrowing her eyes, the kunoichi's scanned the deserts around them, frowning when not a single grain of sand seemed out of place. Everything looks fine, she observed, though the unsettling feeling within her only grew. So what's wrong?
Maybe it's something I can't see, she reasoned, pausing in her steps as her eyelids fell close. Once they noticed that she wasn't following them, Naruto and Sasuke's steps halted as well, and Sakura could practically feel their bewildered stares as they glanced back at her.
"What are you doing, Sakura-chan?" she heard Naruto ask, but the kunoichi didn't bother to answer. Instead, she focused on the turbulent chakra streams within her, which also seemed restless and disturbed. Focus, Sakura, she encouraged herself as she extended the reach of her chakra, trying to sense any foreign signatures in the area. Other than her teammates' signatures, nothing stood out to her in the barren desert, leaving the girl stupefied.
What's going on? The kunoichi chewed on her lip as frustration began to seep into her confusion. Why am I feeling this way? Am I just on edge because of the nightmare? Though she considered the possibility, Sakura was no fool to ignore her instincts and decided that she would rather be called paranoid than dead. Calling a surge of chakra from her belly, she searched the area once more for any foreign signatures, extending her range even further than before. I need to be sure that it's nothing.
Once again, her search turned up empty-handed.
Releasing a defeated sigh, Sakura was about to open her eyes when a flicker of chakra passed through her senses. The kunoichi instantly froze, honing her senses in on the area of the flicker of chakra. Once again she felt it pass through her senses, although, this time, it was much closer. All of a sudden, the feeling of slimy, cold snakes wrapped around Sakura's body, making her skin go cold. Her heartbeat pounded rapidly, too fast for her to control as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
It's him.
Abruptly, Sakura broke out of her trance, her eyes wide with fear as her legs shook weakly. Seeing her disturbed state, Sasuke and Naruto rushed over to her, both of them carrying a shocked expression on their faces.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Sakura, what's wrong?"
Another flicker passed through her bones, images of sickly yellow eyes and broken bodies resurfacing in her mind. A frigid chill seeped into her skin, blocking out the panicked voices of her teammates as visions slithered into her mind. He's coming…
Another flicker passed through her senses, much closer than it had been before. Thick, ash clouds rolled into the vast sky, crowding out the warmth of the sun and casting a long shadow over the desert. The temperature suddenly dropped as gales swept in from around the genin, slamming into their bodies and throwing grains of sand haphazardly.
At that moment, a dark figure appeared in the distance. The unknown shape was much too far away for any of them to decipher, but the kunoichi could feel the malicious chakra even from this distance. Chills of fear raced across her spine, her wide eyes refusing to move from the shadowed figure. It steadily made its way closer to the genin, undaunted by the three genin.
Orochimaru, Sakura thought with venom, clenching her fists to stir the courage within her. She shuffled closer to her teammates, whipping out a kunai and holding it out in front of her. Suddenly, a hand roughly grabbed at her arm, instantly catching her attention. Sasuke's onyx eyes glared at her in frustration, his expression twisted into a deep scowl.
"Sakura, what's wrong?" he demanded, though Sakura could spot the growing panic behind his eyes at her distress.
The kunoichi attempted to pull her arm away, but he only gripped it tighter, pulling her closer as she tried to escape.
"Let go, Sasuke," Sakura spoke through clenched teeth, her attempts to free herself growing more urgent as the figure came closer.
"Hey, guys!" Naruto called for their attention, pointing at the figure in the distance. They were close enough for Sakura to recognize the features of the Chunin exam proctor that had briefed them on the second stage. "It's the proctor! What is she doing here?"
The stoic woman steadily made her way to the genin, unperturbed by the wind furiously whipping her hair and the sand around her. Her face resembled a blank canvas; her features devoid of any sort of emotion or life. Just glancing at the woman made Sakura shiver at how completely unnatural she appeared, as if she was just a possessed doll.
"That's not the proctor," the kunoichi spoke with certainty, pulling her arm away from Sasuke when she felt his grip go slack. Her eyes narrowed into calculating slits as the woman came closer, her body instinctively shifting into a defensive stance. Once she was a couple of yards away, the woman paused in her steps, suddenly tilting her head to the side as a hollow smile spread across her lips.
"Hello, little genin," the woman hissed, her smile growing wider. Her eyes flickered strangely as they fell upon the genin, morphing her expression into something that made Sakura's stomach twist with disgust. "I just came here to inform you about a little change in plans with the second stage of the exams."
I need to keep him away from Sasuke and Naruto. The kunoichi tightened her grip around her kunai, her muscles tensing as adrenaline pumped through her limbs. I just need to find a way to keep him from putting the curse mark on Sasuke. How am I going to do that, though? Could she even do it? Compared to a Sannin, her current level of power was meek in comparison.
It doesn't matter, Sakura assured herself. It doesn't matter if I am powerful enough to defeat him or not. No matter what, I have to protect Sasuke and Naruto. Even if it costs me my life. A familiar fire reignited inside of the girl, its flames burning brightly against the darkness of her fears. She felt it's warmth burst through her body like a tiger released from a cage, flooding her system with courage. Her viridian eyes flickered dangerously at the woman in front of her, her stance shifting into an offensive one.
That's right. It doesn't matter what I have to do. I will protect those people close to me with everything I have. That's my duty.
Without wasting another moment, Sakura threw her kunai at the woman, causing both of her teammates to stare at her in utter bewilderment. The woman simply tilted her head to the side, letting the kunai fly past her as if it was routine. Her smile dropped into a deep frown, any semblance of courtesy gone in the blink of an eye.
"Excuse me," she snarled, her narrowed eyes fixated solely on Sakura. "Do we have a problem here?"
"You're not the proctor," the kunoichi simply stated, her tone full of courage and conviction, leaving no room for fear.
"What? Explain yourself," the woman demanded, her expression rapidly twisting into one of malice.
I can't let him find out that I know it's him, Sakura thought, clenching her teeth. Otherwise, he'll become suspicious of me. Or at the very least, interested in me. I need to find a way to be subtle about this, so it only seems as though I've noticed a disturbance.
"I can sense your chakra," she answered the woman, her tone masking the turmoil within her. "It's different than the proctor's chakra that we met this morning. Who are you?"
At her explanation, Sasuke pulled out a kunai of his own, seeming to begin to get a grasp of the situation. He shifted into an offensive stance as well beside her, his onyx eyes trained on the woman similar to how a tiger would watch a deer. The woman's expression went slack, staring at the kunoichi in utter shock.
A brief moment of silence fell over the shinobi.
A soft chuckle rumbled from the woman's throat. To the genin's surprise, her head suddenly lolled forward, a hysterical cackle ripping loudly from her mouth. A burst of smoke appeared before her, hiding her from the genin's view for a moment and making Sakura's eyes water.
"Ah...clever little kunoichi," the Sannin hissed as the smoke parted, his expression covered by a straw hat resting atop of his head. His disguise as the proctor morphed into one more similar to his true appearance, although it still maintained its feminine shape and fair skin. His dark hair stretched down to his waist, mirroring his sunken, dark eyes. As the Sannin shed his transformation, his clothes rearranged to resemble his familiar, bland garbs with dark pants and a hefty, indigo rope tied along his waist.
Naruto gasped as he and Sasuke stared at the transformation in shock, completely absorbed by the Sannin's mutation. The Sannin tilted his straw hat upwards, revealing the sadistic smile that pulled at his lips. His snake-like pupils studied Sakura intently, as if she was another one of his experiments.
"I'm surprised you were the one who figured it out," Orochimaru drawled, his tongue slipping out of the corner of his mouth. "Then again, you have been full of surprises."
The tongue stretched beyond the limitations of the human body, curling around the tip of his straw hat as saliva dripped from the pink flesh. Sakura shivered in disgust, her stomach churning as she swallowed uncomfortably. Come on, Sakura, she coached herself, pumping chakra into her fists. Be strong.
The Sannin's disturbing gaze shifted over to the boy next to her, his reptilian eyes studying the Uchiha with an alarming eagerness. Sasuke seemed to sense it too, as he held the kunai in front of him defensively with his teeth clenched.
"Just who are you?" the boy demanded, his shadowed eyes bleeding into an angry crimson. The bold tomoe in his Sharingan swirled rapidly, clearly distressed.
"Ah, the Sharingan." Orochimaru's lips pulled into a cunning grin, not even bothering to acknowledge the boy's question. "A powerful weapon...but only in the hands of those clever enough to wield it. This will certainly be...entertaining."
The snake's words made goosebumps rise all over Sakura's skin, stripping down her confidence and leaving her vulnerable to those wicked, slitted eyes. She willed herself to stand strong, however, and draw courage from the raging blaze that burned within her. I will protect Sasuke and Naruto, she vowed to herself, clenching her teeth as determination surged through her like a strong current. I won't let Orochimaru harm them. No matter what.
With excruciating slowness, the Sannin lifted his thumb to his mouth, his serpent-like tongue flitting teasingly at his finger as he drank in the attention of the three frightened genin. Then, in one smooth motion, his teeth bit down against the cool flesh of his thumb until he drew blood, before slamming his palm against the sand sprawled out beneath him. Summoning. Instantly recognizing the technique the Sannin was about to perform, Sakura lashed out her hands and gripped her teammates' hands, jerking them backward and away from the Sannin.
"Get back!"
An explosion of smoke drowned out her voice. Coils of white drifted to reveal a colossal creature before the three genin, utterly dwarfing them in the face of their enemy. The distinct hiss of a reptile filled her ears, instantly capturing Sakura's attention. Mud brown scales wound around the hideous beast, it's legless body coiling around three or four times, hinting to its mammoth size. Beady, reptilian eyes stared at the genin with hunger, it's narrow tongue flicking forward just inches away from their faces. Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she took in the size of the summon, but she knew very well that the snake was far from Orochimaru's most powerful weapon in his summoning arsenal. I should be glad he didn't summon Manda, Sakura reassured herself, attempting to glimpse the silver lining. However, she found it hard to retain her optimism in the face of the slitted pupils trained on her with a focus one could only describe as predatory.
"Let's begin, shall we?" The Sannin hissed with sick pleasure, stroking the side of his beloved pet. "I'm growing bored with this talk."
With the careless toss of its master's hand, the reptilian beast snapped forward, it's powerful jaws stretching to reveal poisonous fangs lurking beneath. Its beady eyes were trained on the blond boy beside her, who stood in a mixture of shock and horror as the viper descended upon him.
"Naruto!" Sakura called out, chakra already pumping into her muscles as she shoved the boy out of the way. She darted forward, summoning her courage as she leaped above the snake's snapping jaws. Twisting in the air, the kunoichi landed neatly on the back of the snake's head. She channeled her cool chakra into her fist, smashing her explosive power into the snake's skull.
"Cha!" Take that, you stupid snake.
The viper violently jerked upwards, hissing in pain as blood seeped through its scales. However, Sakura noted in grave dissatisfaction that her fist had only shattered part of the snake's thick skull, and did not deliver the final blow that she'd hoped for. The kunoichi struggled to hold onto the beast's scales as it thrashed vehemently, her boots slipping on its slick body as they desperately tried to find a foothold. Come on, she bit her lip, reaching her fingers as the creature wiggled and writhed below her. I just have to hold on…
For a frightening moment, her fingers slipped. The beast lurched its body, roughly bucking the girl off of it's back. All of a sudden, Sakura's body was airborne, before crashing into the ground below, the dry ground merciless as tearing at her skin.
"Ugh..."
The kunoichi moaned in pain, curling her body protectively around her injuries. She faintly registered the warm trickle of blood near her ribs, her arms and legs aching as she struggled to regain her bearings. Noticing her weakness and intent upon revenge, the beast ceased its thrashing, instead rapidly darting towards the kunoichi with its fangs at the ready. Just as it was about to descend upon the injured girl, however, a familiar voice shouted behind her.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A dozen or so figures resembling her teammate leaped forward, successfully drawing the viper's attention away from its previous prey. Sakura felt two sturdy arms slid under her shoulders and her legs, lifting her from the rough sand beneath her. Lifting her gaze, her fern hued eyes met vermillion orbs, somewhat startling her out of her confusion. All of a sudden, her head began to throb violently, the pounding of her heartbeat ringing throughout her skull. Ugh... Her hand lightly clutched her head, massaging her temples in an attempt to lessen the echoing pain. I must've hit my head when I fell.
Sasuke sprinted away from the hideous creature, cradling an injured Sakura in his arms as he hurried to a safer location. Behind them, the sound of Naruto's battle cries and the thrashing of the snake swallowed up the atmosphere, only intensifying Sakura's throbbing headache. Eventually, Sasuke set her down a few paces away from the beast, trusting that Naruto would keep it busy for the moment. The Uchiha positioned himself between the snake and Sakura, somewhat shielding the girl as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder to keep her steady. A whimper escaped from Sakura's lips as his fingers accidentally brushed against her ribs, the pain sending a spike of alarm through her system.
"Damn it," she hissed, her arms on instinct clutching protectively over the injured area. The Uchiha instantly retracted his hand, and the kunoichi could spot the brief flicker of panic racing across his features. I must have bruised my ribs, Sakura concluded as she assessed the injury, shifting her body so that her healing chakra would have better access to it. Her cool chakra seeped into her wound, mending the blackened skin and easing the pain that coursed through her body. That should do it, she thought to herself, reducing the misty chakra in her palms. I can't fully heal the injury at the moment, since I have to conserve chakra. However, the injury shouldn't hinder me anymore.
"Sakura?" Sasuke whispered her name, drawing her attention away from her injury. Black tomoe spun rapidly as they scanned over her body, desperately trying to detect the source of her pain. Sensing her teammate's distress, Sakura gently laid a hand on Sasuke's arm, catching his darting gaze.
"I'm fine now, Sasuke," she whispered reassuringly, observing closely as the tension in his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. Another crash behind Sasuke sent tremors below them, prompting her to readjust her grip on his shoulders to steady herself. The Uchiha's hold tightened around her until the tremors subsided, every so often sneaking a peek behind himself to keep tabs on Naruto. Once the earth had ceased its quivering, the two of them helped each other up, before taking in the chaotic scene before them.
The beast had yet to pause it's violent thrashing, though it seemed to now be moving, not like a wounded animal, but with something akin to predatory grace. Dozens of orange-clad clones surrounded the beast, resembling a swarm of pesky flies. The creature's tongue whipped and lashed, sending several clones bursting into clouds of smoke at a time. However, to Sakura's astonishment, her blond teammate seemed undeterred by the serpent's numerous attacks, simply throwing his hands together and replacing the clones, which only served to further irritate the beast. The clones charged at the monstrous serpent, launching various kunai and other weapons as they evaded its snapping jaws and whipping tail. I've never seen him this good, Sakura observed, a proud smile pulling at her lips. At least, in this life. Naruto's always been brave, though, so I shouldn't have expected less.
The brief smile soon slipped from her lips as her thoughts took a dark turn, the reptilian eyes of a certain Sannin flickering through her mind. Instinctively, her head swiveled about, trying to spot Orochimaru amongst the sands of the endless desert. Unfortunately, his figure seemed to elude her, only achieving to further Sakura's apprehension as a sense of foreboding crawled upon her skin. We need to defeat this snake before he decides to show up again, Sakura calculated, resting her jade eyes upon the battle before her. It will be harder to fight against both him and the snake at once.
Catching his attention with a tap on his shoulder, the kunoichi signaled to Sasuke with a slight tilt of her head towards the beast. A flicker of understanding passed through his eyes, his footsteps following her's closely as they sprinted across the sands towards their blond teammate.
"Sakura-chan! Sasuke!" One of the numerous Narutos, who Sakura assumed was the real one, hopped off of the snake's writhing body and made his way towards his other two teammates, trusting his clones to distract the volatile creature. To Sakura's relief, the boy looked relatively unharmed, other than a couple of tears on his jumpsuit and some disheveled hair. His electric blue eyes instantly zoned in on her, nearly startling her as his hands latched onto her shoulders.
"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" the boy questioned her, his concern eased when she gave him a slight smile and a nod. "By the way, thanks for saving me earlier. I saw when that evil snake threw you off it's back. That must've been a really nasty fall! You should've seen the look on Sasuke's-"
"Shut up, dobe," the Uchiha snapped with haste, instantly halting Naruto's blabbering. Realizing he had been ranting, Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, releasing Sakura's shoulders.
The three of them turned back to the monster before them, it's tail whipping back and forth as it continued to dispel Naruto's clones. To her alarm, it's beady eyes soon latched onto the three genin, it's fangs emerging from the depths of its mouth in preparation. No sooner had she caught onto its intentions, the serpent lashed forward, darting faster than Sakura had ever seen it move before. The kunoichi quickly leaped away as its head crashed into the spot the three of them were just moments before, its body following suit as it slipped beneath the golden sands of the desert. Unsettled that she could no longer see the snake, Sakura attempted to steady herself as the earth trembled and shook, likely a consequence of the giant beast slithering in its depths. Her eyes sought out the rest of her teammates, unconsciously holding her breath as she desperately looked around her. Fortunately, she found Sasuke a slight distance away from her to her left and Naruto a little further away to her right, though both of them looked relatively unharmed.
I need to find out where that snake is. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the ground ceased its shaking, leaving the desert in deadly silence. Sakura slipped out a kunai from her pouch, clenching her teeth as she whipped her head around with a growing sense of panic. I know it's underground, but where will it pop out next?
The seconds ticked by with excruciating slowness, each one only serving to put the kunoichi further on edge. Seeking any semblance of comfort, her viridian orbs connected with Sasuke's vermillion eyes, recognizing the same feeling of apprehension that was mirrored in her own. Just as she was about to check on Naruto, a spike of powerful chakra pierced through her senses. The wicked energy seized her attention, shaking her to the core when she realized where it had come from.
"Naruto!" she shouted his name in alarm. "Look out!"
Her blond teammate met her fearful gaze with confusion, his head swiveling to spot the source of her distress. "Of what-"
Before he could finish, a pair of ghostly white fangs burst from the sands beneath, entrapping the jinchuriki between mighty jaws. The serpent's scaly body slithered out from the sands, clutching a struggling Naruto dangerously in its mouth. Atop its slightly damaged head was a figure that Sakura knew all too well, the sight of the Sannin dragging down her hopes of defeating the monstrosity before them.
"Let go of me, you ugly snake!" Naruto roared, squirming as the beast's jaws pressed tighter around his belly. Panic searing through Sakura's veins, she lunged forward to assist her teammate, but was stopped by a sickening hiss atop the snake's head. Orochimaru hopped onto the snake's snout, leaning forward and dropping his jaw. His narrow tongue slithered out from the depths of his mouth, the saliva dripping from the pink flesh as it wrapped around the skin of Naruto's neck. Sakura could barely suppress the shiver of disgust as the thought of Orochimaru's cool tongue running against her skin, and forced herself to remain composed as the Sannin ignored Naruto's outraged yells.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, little kunoichi," the Sannin drawled, a sadistic smile pulling at his lips. As if to further assert his threat, his tongue pulled tighter at the boy's neck, his hands slipping on the soggy flesh as they desperately tried to tear it away from his neck. Her concern for her friend overruling her anger at the Sannin, Sakura didn't dare to move, watching with a rapid heart as Naruto wriggled in the snake's jaws.
"Get your..." Naruto spat through clenched teeth, struggling as the tongue constricted around his neck. "...disgusting...tongue...away from me!"
The kunoichi's eyes widened as she noticed his deep blue orbs flicker into a blood-orange hue, as if a switch had somehow been flipped. Strange chakra pulsated from the boy, a deep growl resonating from his throat. Recognition fluttered through Sakura, her senses picking up the searing flame that she knew all too well. The Nine-Tails! She grit her teeth, not able to suppress a shudder as Naruto's pupils morphed into narrow slits. He's losing his mind to his anger. I need to find a way to calm him down.
To Sakura's horror, the Sannin's reptilian eyes narrowed with interest at this new development, his body slipping off the snake's snout to travel closer to the jinchuriki. As he came closer, Sakura felt the urge to throw herself in front of her friend, but quelled her panic when she glanced at the tongue resting atop Naruto's neck. The boy clawed relentlessly at the appendage holding him hostage, the sharp talons growing on his nails going as far as to draw blood from its flesh. The drops of crimson merged with the clear drops of saliva, staining the sand below. Orochimaru hissed in pain, roughly yanking the boy by the neck as the serpent pressed its jaw tighter around Naruto's belly.
"No, stop!" Sakura cried out in desperation, her heart constricting at the sight of her friend's pain. Her fists were clenched so tight that petals of white had begun to bloom across her skin, tiny streams of crimson dripping from her knuckles as her nails dug into her skin.
The Sannin simply ignored her plea, snatching and lifting her blond teammate's shirt. Black ink covered the boy's tanned stomach, the shirt revealing a fat spiral and a sequence of foreign symbols surrounding it. Upon observing the intricate seal, the Sannin's irritation at the boy seemed to fizzle out, a disturbing smile twisting his expression. A sense of foreboding crept into Sakura's mind, sending chills of fear down her spine as her muscles tensed.
"Ah, this chakra..." Orochimaru hummed, closing his eyes as if to relish in the chakra's burning flames. "So this is where you've been hiding."
"Get away from me, you freak!" Naruto shrieked loudly, giving the Sannin an enraged snarl when his tongue caressed the seal.
"Unfortunately, you aren't the reason I'm here," the Sannin continued, spreading his fingers wide above the seal.
"...we'll meet again, Nine-Tails."
All of a sudden, pure violet flames ignited from the tips of his fingers, flashing with inhumane speed as they slammed into the boy's stomach. Startled, Sakura burst forward, desperately trying to grab her teammate. But it was too late. Faster than she could blink, the snake swallowed Naruto whole, its jaws snapping shut with finality. The kunoichi stared ahead in disbelief, unable to process what had just happened.
One second he was there.
The next, he was gone.
The serpent's flickering tongue stared back at her, the desert falling silent without Naruto's yells. The only thing that Sakura could register was her shock- her mind cold and numb while her limbs remained frozen. Her heart felt hollow with pain, consumed with the haunting feeling of loss. He's not gone, she reminded herself, though it seemed as if her sense of reason had left her. He can still be saved.
The Sannin tilted his head back towards her and Sasuke, his tongue trailing over his lips unhurriedly. Something flickered in his eyes, something that Sakura couldn't decipher, but it chilled her to the bone. All of a sudden, she feared his attention, akin to how a rabbit would fear the hungry eyes of a serpent. She instinctively took a step back, preparing herself with a surge of chakra through her veins. Come on, Sakura. Stay strong.
"Scared for your teammate?" the Sannin taunted with a disturbing grin, gently stroking the reptile beside him. "Don't worry- he's in good hands. I suggest you worry about yourself, now."
In a graceful motion, Orochimaru positioned his hands into a sequence of signs, his fingers moving faster than Sakura's eyes could catch. Abruptly, a ball of fire burst from his mouth, the citrus flames reaching forward like burning talons. The kunoichi hastily leaped back from the attack, barely escaping the clutches of the crimson flames. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Sasuke sprint to meet her halfway, his palm clutching a kunai as his Sharingan honed in on the enemy before them. His jaw remained tense as he narrowed his eyes at the snake in front of them, his fist clenching and unclenching at his side. The pinkette could tell as she observed her teammate that he too was deeply unsettled by the Sannin, a feeling that she could empathize very well with. Shifting her attention back to Orochimaru, she dropped into a defensive stance, trying to ignore the throbbing of her heartbeat in her ears.
"Well, this will be more entertaining than I thought," Orochimaru drawled, the sound of his voice sending goosebumps trailing across Sakura's arms.
He's trying to isolate Sasuke, she observed, trying to distract herself from her growing fear. He already took out Naruto, so that means he is going to try and take me out next. No matter what, I can't leave him and Sasuke alone!
"What do you want?" Sasuke suddenly demanded, his jaw tightly clenched. He stepped forward as if to try and intimidate the Sannin before him, which only prompted an amused smirk to pull at Orochimaru's lips.
"If you want to find out so badly..." The Sannin's words held an undertone of malice that crept into Sakura's skin, it's talons gripping her pounding heart with fear. Savoring the genin's fearful attention, the snake-like man tilted his head forward, a single finger creeping up to pull at his eyelid. His slitted pupils widened, darting to and fro with excitement before honing in on Sakura's verdant orbs.
All of a sudden, the kunoichi regretted looking into the eyes of the snake.
Her surroundings seemed to flash before her eyes, hues of crimson and carmine leaking into the dusty grey sky above her. She clenched her teeth, desperately trying to keep her grip on reality before her mind could slip into the darkness of his pupils. Once again, however, she was too late. Her skin tore like paper, roses blooming on her skin and trailing down in sizable droplets onto the sand below. Again and again, invisible claws ripped at her body, unseen daggers stabbing at her limbs and chest. Soon, her mind slipped into numbness to escape the pain, refusing to look away from the image of sickly reptilian pupils. Sakura tilted her head down to find a jagged blade piercing her chest, streams of red dripping down from the steal. Streams of blood. Of her blood.
Suddenly, she realized she was gasping for breath, her lungs heaving in an attempt to grasp whatever air they could. The sky soon receded into a washed-out grey, the bitter wind scraping against her skin. Unable to bear her weight, her legs collapsed under her, her body dropping onto the grains of sand beneath her. Sakura vaguely registered the feeling of her fingers gripping at the golden sand and the hissing emanating from Orochimaru's pet. Her mind remained in a state of absence, as if it had somehow vanished into thin air, leaving her body dazed and confused. Her limbs refused to respond no matter how much she tried, dropping onto the sands as if the life had been sucked out of her. Leaning forward onto the sand, Sakura let her eyelids slip shut, suppressing images of snakes and reptilian eyes as she tried to regain her bearings.
I-I can't move...m-my arms... Pressing her palms onto the sand, Sakura attempted to push herself up, summoning whatever strength she had left. Her arms shook weakly as they were burdened by her weight, her body swaying for a moment before eventually steadying. At the sight of her weakness, the kunoichi grit her teeth, glaring at the sand below her with passion. That...that snake! What did he do to me?
With excruciating effort, she tilted her head towards her teammate beside her, trying to find something to anchor her back to reality. Jade irises widened as they gazed at their teammate, whose expression had morphed into one of pure, raw fear. The tomoe in his Sharingan were completely frozen, staring unfocused at the grains of sand below them. His shoulders shook rapidly like a rabbit quivering before the eyes of a serpent, his body likely paralyzed by the fear solidifying around his limbs.
"Sasuke," Sakura softly croaked, her brows furrowing as she reached a hand out to her teammate. At the sound of her voice, the Uchiha seemed to refocus on his surroundings, his head whipping towards her at lightning speed. As their eyes met, Sakura's heart nearly broke at the emotions mirrored within them, the heart-pounding panic and desperation. Her eyes burned with tears, waves of sadness and frustration crashing onto the shores of her mind. No...this wasn't supposed to happen. I need to stop him!
C-come on, she coached herself, narrowing her eyes in determination. You have been through so much more, Sakura. You can overcome this. You have to! Summoning her strength once more, Sakura shifted to a crouch, attempting to stand up. Come on... Her legs shook violently beneath her, but soon began to ease as her paralysis ebbed away. Courage began to flow through her veins once more, fueled by the fire residing brightly in her heart. Stepping forward, she gently grabbed Sasuke's hand, who seemed startled at her touch, and draped in upon her shoulders. He slowly stood up, leaning his weight against her until he fully regained his bearings, giving her a grateful nod.
"Aw, how cute," the Sannin cooed, stroking the monstrous serpent beside him. "Like a pair of baby birds..." His slitted pupils studied the two genin with predatory interest, an insidious smirk etched into his face. "Let's see how long you fare against me."
Sakura leaped to the side to dodge the rain of kunai the Sannin released, dragging a dazed Sasuke along beside her. Shortly after, he tapped a finger onto her shoulder, silently signaling that he was able to stand on his own once more. Nodding, the kunoichi released her teammate, standing beside him as they faced the enemy before them.
I need to find a way to get close to him, Sakura thought to herself, slipping a pair of senbon out of her pouch. I won't be able to defeat him, but I may be able to neutralize him with poison. Part of her whispered that it was wishful thinking, that some measly concoction couldn't dare to immobilize a Sannin, but Sakura didn't care. Believing that it wouldn't work would mean giving up, and Sakura knew that was not an option.
Orochimaru's fingers flew together into a sequence of seals, switching positions at a blinding speed that Sakura couldn't hope to keep up with. Instead, she waited with bated breath until his hands came to a rest, praying that she would be able to withstand his next attack. Underneath her, the ground shook and trembled, nearly throwing the girl off balance. She reached out and gripped Sasuke's arm to steady herself, both of them bracing as the earth quivered beneath their feet. All of a sudden, the ground split underneath their feet, thin cracks rapidly splintering across the sand. The earth rumbled and roared as it was torn apart by the wide cracks, heaps of sand diving into the darkness below. The kunoichi stumbled on the edge, her foot slipping as the sand tumbled past her.
No! Her fingers scrambled to grip onto a ledge, waves of chakra surging from her belly into her arms. The sound of a shout filled her ears, and she lifted her gaze to find Sasuke's body falling past her into the depths of the chasm below. Sasuke! For a frightening moment, he wasn't able to secure himself on a ledge. Eventually, though, the tell-tale blue flames of chakra licked at his shoes as he crouched onto the side of the chasm, barely gripping the earth below him.
"Sasuke!" Sakura called his name, catching his attention as she held her hand out to him. "Grab on!"
Without hesitation, the boy gripped her palm, his Sharingan spinning wildly as his teeth clenched in determination. The kunoichi braced herself as more sand crashed down upon her from above, squeezing her eyes tight as the grains entangled themselves in her hair and slipped past her body. Gripping the ledge, she channeled some chakra into her feet, anchoring herself onto the side of the chams. Adjusting her grip, Sakura stilled when some of the ledge began to crumble between her fingers. Oh no…
To her horror, the ledge snapped under her fingers, the momentum ripping her away from the chasm wall. Her body slammed into Sasuke's, whose arms wrapped around her in an attempt to catch her. Unfortunately, her added bodyweight caused him to lose his footing, and all of a sudden, both of them were free-falling into the dark depths below.
Sakura cursed as the wind whipped past her, the darkness invading her vision as they were swallowed by the earth. She gripped onto Sasuke's shirt for dear life as they hurtled into the depths, his arms tightening like a steely cage around her form. Come on, come on, think! Her mind raced through her vast arsenal of jutsus, trying to pinpoint one that would prevent both of their deaths. Her hands fit together into a series of signs, the flames of her chakra burning brightly as they spiked.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A slab of earth jutted out from the side of the chasm directly beneath the genin, blocking their descent. A jolt of pain shot through Sakura's shoulder as she smashed onto the solid rock, the surface colliding roughly with her skin. Her hand hovered above the injured area, swiftly patching up the bruised skin before her attention turned towards her teammate.
"Sasuke? Are you okay?" she asked the Uchiha, kneeling beside his crouched form. Lifting his head, her teammate gazed at her for a silent moment, his inky black hair completely disheveled, before tilting his head in confirmation. Releasing a relieved sigh, Sakura stood up from the slab of rock, her trained eyes scanning over the Uchiha's form in case he had chosen to hide his injuries. Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow at her antics, rolling his eyes when her emerald orbs gave him a stubborn look.
The Uchiha tilted his head towards the rock face with a slight frown, and Sakura could almost see his mind calculating the distance back to the surface. "We need to get back up there," he pointed out, his eyes reverting to a deep onyx for the moment.
The pinkette nodded in agreement, resting her hands on her hips as she took a moment to catch her breath. "We also need to find a way to get Naruto out of that snake," she added on, spitting the creature's name with venom. Stepping forward, she called some chakra from her belly, carefully directing it to her feet with precision. She laid her foot against the rock face, testing that it held, before motioning Sasuke to follow her. "Come on, we can't waste any time."
The Uchiha gave her a silent nod, calling chakra to his feet as well before sprinting up the face beside her, the two genin careful not to slip on any hidden crevices. Relief showered upon Sakura when they finally leaped to the surface, the darkness falling forgotten behind her. Wiping drops of sweat from her forehead, her lungs eagerly gasped for air, burning from the vertical, up-hill climb. Beside her, Sasuke looked no better, though he concealed his exhaustion with more grace.
"Ah...you survived." The sound of the Sannin's voice sent chills throughout Sakura's body, and her head immediately snapped up to meet his twisted expression. His predatory eyes glinted with excitement, his long hair whipping with the wind. Orochimaru laid a gentle hand upon the hefty rope tied at his waist, his narrow tongue stretching from his mouth once more to tip his straw hat. "I must say...I'm impressed. However, I'm growing bored with this. It's time we wrap this up, shall we?"
As soon as the words came out of his master's mouth, Orochimaru's beast rose its colossal head, its forked
tongue flickering with promise. Not giving them even a moment to prepare, the creature dove in to attack the genin, its amber eyes flashing across the battlefield. The two genin instantly dodged the monstrous beast, it's body coming in between them. Sakura grit her teeth as she sped away from the serpent's snapping jaws, her eyes darting across the battlefield in calculation. Just as I thought, he's trying to split us up and isolate Sasuke. No matter what, I can't let the snake swallow me. Otherwise, Sasuke will be left all alone to fend for himself.
With renewed determination, Sakura pumped chakra throughout her limbs and bounded onto the snake's hefty body. Noticing that there was something on its scales, the beast whipped its tail back and forth, trying to brush off the irritating pest that had somehow crawled onto its body. The kunoichi nimbly dodged the lashing appendage, her body twisting and flipping in the air before landing once more on the serpent's thrashing body. The beast's head picked itself from the sands below and hovered above her, its reptilian pupils honing in on her with hunger. Before it could reveal its glistening fangs, however, a ball of angry flames exploded onto the snake's face, prompting a violet hiss to rip from its throat.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Instantly recognizing the attack as her teammate's, Sakura's eyes sought Sasuke on the battlefield and pinpointed his form as he soared through the air, a steady stream of fire bursting from his mouth. Once the attack had subsided, the serpent reeled its head back, the scales on the top of its snout charred and blackened. Unfortunately, the snake seemed to recover from the attack at record time. In a matter of seconds, its mighty jaws were poised at the ready once more, although, this time its prey was the Uchiha. Seeing Sasuke's precarious situation, Sakura leaped forward, aiming a devastating punch at side of the snake's jaw. As soon as her fist connected, the beast's head snapped to the side before crashing onto the ground below, lying still upon the golden sands. Sakura hopped onto the ground below, somersaulting to cushion her landing. Her knuckles were slightly torn and bloody from their impact with the snake's scales, but she quickly silenced the stinging pain with a brush of healing chakra. Thank god, she thought as she released a light sigh, glancing at the beast's still form. Now we won't have to deal with that evil snake anymore-
Her thoughts came to a halt as she spotted the monster's body slightly shift. As if it had heard her thoughts, the creature seemed to come back to life, its predatory gaze once more refocusing on the genin. In less than a second, the beast's jaws snapped forward, swallowing the genin closest to it in one motion. Sakura could only watch as the serpents mighty jaws devoured Sasuke, leaving her stunned in its wake.
What the hell just happened?!
Her mind scrambled to process the scene before her, her eyes staring numbly at the spot where her teammate had just stood moments before. The sound of Orochimaru's quiet chuckling filled the still atmosphere, prompting the kunoichi to snap her head in his direction. To her shock, the Sannin didn't seem even the slightest bit fazed, a callous smirk pulling at his lips. His amber eyes narrowed at her with a disturbing eagerness, and all of a sudden, images of her nightmare flashed across Sakura's vision.
"Well then, kunoichi. We can finally get started," the Sannin drawled, his fleshy tongue running over his lips with hunger.
It was at that moment, as she stared at Orochimaru's slitted pupils, that Sakura suddenly understood that she had gravely miscalculated.
The goal hadn't been to isolate Sasuke.
The goal had been to isolate her.
It was dark in the belly of a snake.
The first thing that Sasuke registered was the feeling of something cold and slimy rubbing against his skin. He could barely suppress the shivers of disgust that crawled through his body, goosebumps trailing across his arms as the darkness consumed his vision. His nose wrinkled at the horrific smells permeating the air, his stomach churning as he tried to hold down what little breakfast he had earlier today. I need to get out.
Sasuke knew he had to hurry- the thought of leaving Sakura alone with that creepy woman didn't sit well with him. Something about her unsettled Sasuke deeply- he instinctively knew that she was no ordinary participant in the exams. When he met her gaze, a raw, primal fear seemed to take over his mind, breaking down his carefully crafted composure. He shook his head, trying to redirect his mind from the chilling thoughts and back to his predicament at hand. I can try and burn the snake from the inside. That way-
His train of thought abruptly halted when a flash of blond entered his vision. To his astonishment, amongst the rolls of flesh and liquid lay the form of his blond teammate, completely unconscious and ready to be digested. The serpent's muscles flexed, and Naruto slid deeper into the beast's stomach, just out of Sasuke's reach. Pressing forward, the Uchiha clenched his teeth as he moved to save his teammate, venturing deeper into the snake's gut.
"You are certainly not what I expect, kunoichi. I admit, you have piqued my curiosity." Orochimaru's mouth tilted upwards in an odd smile, his carnivorous eyes studying her form with an intensity that left goosebumps all over her skin. Sakura clutched her kunai for dear life, desperately holding onto her courage as it tried to slip from her grasp. Piqued his curiosity? The kunoichi questioned internally, her brows drawing together in confusion. What does he mean by that? Didn't he come to these exams to test Sasuke?
Sakura had known that the snake was unpredictable, but the reason why he would ever be interested in an unknown kunoichi such as herself escaped her. Moreover, the thought that he would ever harbor such a keen interest in her terrified Sakura- the last thing she would ever want is to be strapped onto one of those operating tables with the Sannin's eyes eagerly peering down at her.
"You know, when I first laid my eyes on you, I thought you were just a silly little girl," he hummed, his tongue stretching across his body to the back of his belt. The appendage pulled out a kunai, wrapping around its hilt in a manner that was certainly unsanitary. "However, things have now ...changed."
Sakura's shinobi instincts flared when he took a menacing step towards her, her feet automatically moving back to retain their distance. Her clammy palms clenched and unclenched, cold sweat running down her skin and hands. She couldn't stop her legs from quivering, however slightly, as the Sannin's eyes darkened, something about his twisted gaze reaching deep into her soul. Her stomach sunk like a stone in a pool of water, her heartbeat pounding against her chest as if it was caged within it.
"D-don't move!" she nearly yelled as he took another step closer, his slitted pupils never once blinking. Her voice trembled and shook as if it was crumbling beneath his gaze, her breaths rapid and shallow. "D-don't take a-another step!"
What's wrong with me? She asked herself, but somewhere, deep down, she already knew the answer. Her body shook violently despite the scorching rays of the desert sun, some sort of primal fear rattling through her bones. The Sannin ignored her shaky warning as he took another step, his lips curling in sadistic amusement at her obvious fear.
"Don't fret, kunoichi...I won't hurt you. Too much. I'm just a little curious." Reaching a hand out, Orochimaru caressed the scaly armor of his summoning, not once removing his eyes from her own. "After all, you did manage to injure my beloved pet. Enhanced chakra strength and medical ninjutsu...a deadly combination. Yet, also, a very familiar one."
At her silence, the Sannin gave a quiet chuckle, lifting his palm from his summon's scales. His slight smirk widened into a broad grin, excitement flickering through his amber irises. "So it's true," he continued, "my former teammate did take on a student. This will be more...entertaining than I thought."
Clenching her teeth, Sakura attempted to quell the rising panic within her at the thought that the Sannin was observing her so closely. She stood her ground against the Sannin, forcing feet to remain in place with all the courage and might she had left as he took another step closer. Is that it? Is he only interested in me because of Tsunade-sama? The kunoichi didn't dare to hope, studying the Sannin with heightened suspicion. The snake-summoner continued his steady prowl without hurry, the glint in his eyes indecipherable as he slunk closer. No, that can't be it, she decided, refusing to lower her guard. There must be something more.
"Quite interesting how my former teammate chose a genin like you as her apprentice," Orochimaru drawled, now only a few paces away from the girl. "I've never seen someone with your...chakra before."
My chakra? Sakura frowned, bewildered as to why the Sannin would even bring up something like that. What's so interesting about my chakra?
The snake-summoner chuckled once more at her obvious confusion. "Ah," he smirked, "you must not know what I'm referring to. See, kunoichi, you have no ordinary chakra signature. Your body is that of a child's, yet your chakra hints to someone who is more...experienced."
Sakura's thoughts halted abruptly. Her viridian eyes grew as her lips widened into a silent gasp, her mind floundering to process his words. What...what did he just say?
"You have the face of a young fawn, but the chakra of someone who has experienced much more."
There was only one person who had pointed out the paradox of her chakra signature before. The realization struck Sakura at the core, instantly paralyzing her mind and body with shock.
The old woman from the Land of the Waves.
Orochimaru's footsteps ceased. Sakura's eyes instantly snapped up, her head whipping around to spot the Sannin once more.
A breath of air tickled the back of her neck.
Sakura's body stilled, her heartbeat violently throbbing throughout her body. A sly, frigid voice whispered into her ear.
"What exactly are you, kunoichi?"
"Get away from me!" Sakura roared, swinging a chakra-loaded fist at the figure behind her. Orochimaru gracefully dodged the blow, leaping away to bring a little distance between them once more. Sakura's blood rose to a boil as virtually all of her fear subsided, making room for the raw anger surging through her veins.
How could- how could he know?! There was no possible way he could know! Her mind couldn't even fathom how the snake in front of her managed to pick apart her chakra signature, something that no one else from this world had managed to do. Except for the old woman, a small part of her whispered.
Not wasting another moment, Sakura surged towards the Sannin, whose eyes lit up as he saw her figure approaching. The searing hot flame of her determination exploded through her limbs, drowning out whatever fear or weakness resided within her. She would do everything she could to stop this monster, on this she swore.
"Did I strike a chord, kunoichi?" the Sannin taunted, his tongue bringing the kunai it held in front of him. Sakura ignored her enemy's jab, narrowing her eyes at Orochimaru's form. Gather chakra at her feet, she leaped into the air, twisting before aiming a kick at the Sannin.
"Shannaro!"
A callous smirk pulled at Orochimaru's lips before he flickered away, leaving Sakura's kick to create a crater in the ground where he stood a moment before. Not stopping for a moment, the kunoichi landed in the center of the crater, using her momentum to push off and close the gap between her and the Sannin once more. She lashed out her fists, swinging blow after blow at the snake's head. The snake-summoner swiftly dodged each and every one, and by the amused glint in his eye, Sakura got the distinct impression that he was merely toying with her.
I won't let him ruin my, or any of my precious people's, lives! With this resolve, the kunoichi shifted back, narrowing her eyes as she fished for the poison-coated senbon in her pocket. She released a shower of projectiles towards Orochimaru, praying that at least one would manage to strike him. Unfortunately, the Sannin nimbly avoided each and every one of the senbon, stretching his neck unnaturally as he dodged them.
"Silly girl," he chided, clicking his tongue in mock disappointment. "You think your common poisons will have any effect on me?"
The kunoichi nearly growled at the man, baring her teeth furiously. How am I supposed to defeat him now?! Sensing her growing distress, the snake-summoner gave a heartless chuckle, running his tongue over his lips without hurry. With a motion of his hand, the gargantuan beast beside him stirred to life once more, obeying its master's silent command. Its reptilian pupils honed in on her with hunger, the only evidence that her punch had injured it the slight disfigurement in its bottom jawline.
Clenching her fists, Sakura pumped gallons of chakra into her limbs, preparing herself for the inevitable attack by the monstrous serpent. She studied the creature with intelligent eyes, trying to predict its movements by the steady swaying of its head. Not a moment too soon, the beast snapped towards her, prompting her to leap into the air to dodge its mighty fangs. The creature followed her, its head whipping side to side as she raced across the desert sands.
Directing power to her feet, Sakura used her chakra to increase her speed and leap upwards in a flash, soaring in the air above the snake. Just as she was preparing an attack on the beast below, something slimy and cold wrapped around her ankle, pulling her backward. Sakura peeked over her shoulder to find the flesh of Orochimaru's tongue acting as a rope on her leg, halting her attack. She barely had time to think before the appendage pulled her back with startling force, whipping her around in a spiral as if she weighed nothing before sending her hurtling into the golden sands below.
"Ugh!" Sakura suppressed a scream as her body slammed into the ground, the sound of her bones crunching echoing in her ears. Pain shot up throughout her limbs, immobilizing her as black splotches danced across her vision. Her mind remained disoriented from the pain and the velocity at which was thrown, so much so that she only vaguely registered the sensation of something slithering across her body, wrapping around her torso and climbing all the way to her neck.
By the time her mind had cleared, Orochimaru's tongue had already wound around the pinkette several times, its crimson flesh trapping her arms and legs together as it brought her closer to Orochimaru. Sakura shivered as his cool saliva dripped onto her skin, the tip of his tongue gently brushing against her jaw before slowly wrapping around her neck. The Sannin lifted the wriggling kunoichi into the air with the strength of his appendage alone, a sadistic smirk curling on his lips as she struggled.
"Give up, little girl," the snake-summoner drawled, prowling closer with a predatory glint in his slitted pupils. "I could strangle you right now if I wished to."
Sakura desperately struggled against the slimy flesh tightening across her body, fighting against the strength of Orochimaru's tongue. She tried to call chakra to her fists, but they remained trapped at her sides, making her enhanced strength useless. Come on, come on! Sakura bit her lip harshly, drawing blood as she tried to free herself. Tsunade-sama is counting on me! Konoha is counting on me! I can't die here!
Calling chakra to her fists once more, the kunoichi let her eyes slip shut, causing the Sannin to pause in curiosity. I need to calm down, she coached herself. There has to be a way out of this. The vivid flames of her chakra entered her palms, gathering into bright balls of fire. Furrowing her brow, Sakura carefully directed the chakra into specific points at her fingertips, controlling it with the utmost precision. Her mind slipped into an almost meditative state, calming her desperation and pouring all of her concentration into her next attack.
This better work.
The tips of her fingers gradually became encased in an electric blue glow, pulsating with power. Not giving the Sannin a moment to prepare, Sakura opened her eyes before slashing her chakra scalpels across the ropes of flesh encompassing her body, slicing them into bits and pieces. Orochimaru's amber orbs blew up in shock, his body reeling back to escape the kunoichi. However, at the last moment, Sakura reached out and grabbed what remained of his tongue. She pulled the Sannin back towards her, channeling chakra into her fist, before slamming a destructive punch into Orochimaru's stomach.
"Cha!"
The Sannin's body flew back a couple of paces, crashing roughly into the sands. The pinkette took a moment to catch her breath, wiping the remains of the Sannin's tongue off her clothes. Adrenaline pumped through her body, the only thing keeping her from collapsing under the pain of her injuries.
Just as she was about to step forward, the Sannin's still form flashed out of sight. The next thing the kunoichi knew, a frigid hand gripped at her throat, slamming her back down to the sands below her. She lifted her gaze to meet Orochimaru's slitted pupils, however, gone were the traces of excitement in his eyes. Trickles of blood spilled out of his mouth from where she had severed his tongue, his lips pulled down into a deep frown. His fingers squeezed painfully around the skin of her throat, prompting her to grip his hand and struggled violently under his palm. However, she realized with horror that her chakra was nearly diminished, a likely consequence of the smaller reserves of her genin self. No!
"No more playing around, kunoichi," he scowled, tightening his grip even more. "It's time I-"
Before he could finish, a sudden tremor shook the earth below them, causing Orochimaru to briefly shift his attention away from her. To her astonishment, the Sannin's summon began to thrash around furiously as if it was having a seizure, its tail lashing back and forth hysterically. All of a sudden, an explosion burst from the snake's midriff, carmine flames raging across the serpent's scales and painting them a charred black. The sound of the explosion echoed in Sakura's eardrums, and she released Orochimaru's arm in favor of covering her ears.
"Such power..." she heard the Sannin mutter under his breath, an eager smirk reigniting on his face. His grip on her neck loosened as he stared at the explosion, and Sakura snatched the opportunity to scramble away from the Sannin.
Two figures leaped out of the flames, tumbling onto the desert sands below. One of them remained still on the sands, not moving to get up, while the other stood up shakily, glancing back at the aftermath of the explosion. When Sakura recognized the figure, her heart nearly burst with relief.
"Sasuke!" she shouted, instantly drawing her teammate's attention from across the battlefield.
His sooty black eyes whipped towards her, catching her relieved viridian orbs. He looked exhausted- his inky black hair spiked up even more wildly than usual, the tips of his blue collared shirt and white shorts burnt and ripped. Various shallow scratches sprinkled his skin, though none of them seemed deep enough to draw blood or cause serious damage. His chest rose and fell with what seemed to be great effort, drops of unknown liquid dripping from his clothes and skin.
"Sakura..." he answered back weakly, holding her gaze for a couple of moments before catching sight of Orochimaru. Abruptly, his eyes flickered into a dangerous crimson hue, his Sharingan smoldering as he observed her less-than-ideal state. The next thing she knew, the Uchiha crest flashed in front of her, pushing her back as it separated both her and Orochimaru.
"Get. Away. From. Her." Sasuke growled, holding a kunai threateningly as his tomoe spun wildly. Orochimaru simply chuckled as his eyes glinted with amusement, undeterred by the Uchiha's threat.
"Charming," the Sannin hissed, taking a small step towards the genin without hurry. Sasuke swiped the kunai at Orochimaru, silently telling him to back off. However, by the way his breaths seemed labored and his fingers trembled, Sakura could tell that the Uchiha couldn't exactly enforce his silent threat. He's out of chakra, she realized, clenching her fist in frustration. Oh god, this is bad. If both he and I are out of chakra, there is no way we can defend against this snake.
"Well, I've seen enough," Orochimaru continued, taking another step towards the genin. Sasuke laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to move back to keep the distance between them and the snake. Sakura whipped out a kunai of her own, stepping beside her teammate as they faced the advancing snake.
All of sudden, his neck stretched out unnaturally from his body, lashing at the two genin. Sakura leaped to the side to dodge the whipping head, aiming her kunai at the neck. However, Orochimaru's neck swiftly dodged her strike, leaving her kunai to swipe at the air. Twisting her body, the kunoichi charged at Orochimaru's headless body, slamming into it before raising a kunai to stab at his neck.
Her hand froze when she heard a shout from behind her.
Whipping her head to the side, Sakura could feel her breath catching in her throat. Horror and shock encased her in frigid ice as she witnessed the scene before her. Orochimaru's fangs sunk deep into Sasuke's neck, his head hovering over the boy's hunched form. The kunoichi's heartbeat stilled at the scene, her eyes unmoving as she observed the snake's jaws detach from his neck, his head speeding back to his body.
The Curse Seal.
Sasuke clutched his neck, his body quivering as another yell ripped from his throat. His distress spurred Sakura into action, and she hastily scrambled away from Orochimaru's body towards her teammate. Faintly, she could hear the Sannin's quiet chuckling behind her.
"We'll meet again," he hissed with promise. "Both of you."
But Sakura didn't care. She skidded to a stop in front of Sasuke, quickly lifting the boy from the ground with shaking hands. Throwing her hands around the boy, she sought to ease his pain, using whatever bits of chakra she had left to calm his nerves. Sasuke's body trembled and shook in her arms, his arms wrapping around her body for dear life. Sakura could feel his heartbeat pounding rapidly through his shirt, matching her own.
"S-S-Sakura..." he called her name, the desperation in his tone breaking her heart.
"Shh, it's okay..." she whispered in his ear soothingly, rubbing her arms on his back. He squeezed her tighter and buried his head into her shoulder, muffling his yells of pain. The pinkette could feel his body shuddering against hers and could feel tears burning up in her eyes.
She could have prevented this.
She was supposed to prevent this.
All of a sudden, Sasuke's body stilled, slumping lifeless onto hers. Before she could react, however, her own body began to sway, her vision swimming across her eyes. Chakra exhaustion, the kunoichi thought faintly, her body suddenly becoming very, very heavy. It's probably because I used the last of my chakra to help Sasuke deal with the pain.
Her strength seemed to leave her, drained from her fight with Orochimaru and all the healing she had to perform with her tiny reserves.
It didn't take long for her thoughts to subside and her mind to slip into darkness.
"Ah, Jiraiya," Hiruzen acknowledged as the white-haired shinobi stepped into the Hokage's office, a pleasant smile pulling at his lips. "What brings you here?"
Jiraiya slipped into the Hokage's office, setting the hefty scroll he wore upon his back against the wall. The sun had just begun to sink low in the sky in Konoha, its hues of blood orange filtering through the office windows and onto the hardwood floor, bathing the entire room in a citrus glow.
"Sandaime," Jiraiya greeted gravely, his uncharacteristically sober tone betraying the news weighing on his mind. Hiruzen set down his tobacco pipe, gently pushing a stack of paperwork aside before folding his hands upon his desk.
"Something troubling you?" he asked, giving his student a knowing look. An awkward smile pulled at Jiraiya's lips, before quickly falling into a frown.
"Nothing, Hokage-sama," the Sannin hastily reassured, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's just that...the Kages recently granted Sunagakure the position as host of this year's Chunin exams, right?"
"That is correct." The Third Hokage nodded his head, leaning back upon his chair. "What of it?"
"What I mean to ask is why? It was Konoha's turn to host the exams. Hasn't Suna been dealing with devastating sandstorms for the past couple of weeks?"
"They sent out a proposal," the Hokage answered with a shrug, picking up his pipe once more. "They wanted to thank the other nations for supporting them during this time of crisis. We decided to grant their proposal."
"I understand that," Jiraiya nodded, "but, if they had just gone through a crisis, how would Suna have the resources to host another Chunin exams? Kakashi even told me that he didn't see much damage in Sungakure when he was there."
"What are you saying, Jiraiya?" Hiruzen asked the Sannin, his curiosity captured by the urgency in his student's voice.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at the Hokage, his mouth set into a firm frown. "What I'm saying is," he began, "that something doesn't add up. It was a mistake to bring the jonin back to Konoha. And it was a mistake to leave the genin alone in Suna."
Hello there everyone!
I'm sorry it took so long to upload this chapter (I honestly feel like this one was the hardest one to write so far)! I'm not that good at writing angst or fight scenes, but I hope that you at least enjoyed the chapter! The next chapter will be less intense (well...to a degree) and focus more on Sakura dealing with the aftermath of Sasuke getting the curse mark.
Which brings me to say...Sasuke has the curse mark! How do you think this will affect the storyline, especially with Orochimaru's added interest in Sakura (this will be expanded upon more in the next chapter)?
Also, Orochimaru mentioned something similar to the old woman in the Land of the Waves...what could that mean? Trust me, everything (and I mean everything) connects back to the main plot, so feel free to theorize about this!
Finally, does Jiraiya suspect something about Suna? What do you think he will do next?
And of course, how do you think Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are changing/developing?
There will be a lot more answers (and questions) in the next chapter, so stay tuned! I would like to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story :) Your feedback means a lot to me!
Don't be afraid to share your theories and opinions on this story! It's super fun reading your ideas and I really appreciate the feedback :)
I hope you all stay safe during these times!