Despite being mostly covered, Sakura could feel the cold wind blowing on the exposed features of her face. From the coolness of the air lingering to her ears and chapping her lips, both she and Kisame leaped from tree to bark with their cloaks flapping behind them. Her chakra was masked, and her steps were light as they began to see the outlines of the Sand Village.
As the two's presence came closer, the bright flames and booming explosions could be made out, signifying that Deidara had already begun carrying out the mission.
Perched on a makeshift bird, the blonde viciously threw down his clay creations, causing them to ignite and obliterate whatever it contacted. The blonde had even created cloned versions of himself to span the radius of the village, adding additional chaos and confusion to the destruction already present.
Large rushes of Sand shinobis flooded out to the area, screaming orders and preparing to retaliate, opposite to where Sakura and Kisame stood. With the majority of the village's security away from them, entering the hospital would be much easier to do now with a clearer path.
"I can sense three guards left," she said to the male beside her, tilting her head towards the clinic.
Kisame gave out a low hum and followed to where she gestured.
"I'll take the bottom, you go to the top and we'll meet in between." A short pause was taken, and he glanced at the sword on his back, "I assume the target will be separated from the usual patients since he's a special case."
Mulling over his words, calculations began to arise in Sakura's mind as she readied her body. She reached to tighten the gloves on her hands, firmly snapping them against her skin.
"How do you want to go about this?"
"Quick and clean," he answered back, eyes darkened as he looked at her. "No witnesses, kid."
She was momentarily silent as they both locked eyes, his carrying the same expression as it has been since the day they met and hers with a flickering resolve. With a rough swallow, she hardened herself and nodded.
Kisame was the first to leave, hand reaching to his sword hilt and body easily blending with the shadows around him. Waiting a few moments, Sakura allowed her chakra to expand and stretch across the field from where she stayed hidden. As no additional signatures could be detected, she readied herself and jumped forward.
Seeing that her partner had entered the lower entrance, she quickly dashed across the sides of the hospital, careful of her footing and easily climbing to the top with chakra laced hands. And just as she hoped, a roof latch laid exposed on the flat surface of the building, easy to snap open and for Sakura to slither in without detection.
With the lack of light in the upper storage unit she had placed herself in, Sakura carefully looked around her while waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. Towers of large boxes and medical equipment filled the space around her, and it took a few minutes for her to finally locate the door there.
A hand on the knob and eyes shut as she once again scanned her surroundings, her body instinctively stiffened when her senses caught the faintest whiff of another presence roaming near the very door she stood behind.
It was one of the guards, she knew. By this time, Kisame should have reached the first guard on the lower floors, leaving just one remaining. Sakura understood that she had to act quickly. If she faltered at any moment, the sole guard could possibly detect the scuffle and notify reinforcement to the area.
And that one simple mistake, the misplaced footing or uncalculated step, could jeopardize the entire mission.
The mask she wore weighed a bit heavier on her face tonight, but as she stretched her hands and cleared her mind, any thoughts other than what must be done was left to the side when she yanked the door open.
"Wha–augh!"
Before the guard could muster out a word, Sakura's figure rushed towards him. She swiftly placed a hand over his mouth and brought her entire weight down, straining the unprepared male to shift his weight backward. Alarm in his eyes, the man flipped back and was slammed onto the hard floor of the hospital. Backing hitting the ground, cracks appeared in the divot of where his body landed and a small groan was heard.
Sakura tsked to herself. Fearing that using her full strength would draw attention, she utilized only a fraction of it in hopes that it would be enough to subdue the target. But seeing as the person underneath her slowly struggled to pull themselves up, Sakura was forced to use a different method to ensure that this time he would be done.
"Hck!" the guard coughed as he rose to his feet, eyes now wide and hands shaking as it reached for a kunai to hold. With trickles of blood falling from his scalp, he pointed the weapon at Sakura.
"Though my efforts may be feeble," he hoarsely spoke, understanding the situation he was now in, "it won't be long until the others are alerted."
He dashed forward, weapon aiming for her to which she easily blocked with her katana. With a swipe of her arm, the kunai was flung to the side and helplessly clicked across the floor. Without sparing another moment, Sakura raised her foot, knocking the man down with a kick, and hovered the tip of her sword over his neck.
She felt her heart clench at the sight of his unwavering eyes, wordlessly and directly looking up to her as he awaited his final moments. And though her heart spoke in volumes for her to listen, Sakura had finally learned to tuck it away, locking it in a room deep within her to silence the cries it wailed out.
The sword moved from neck to chest, and she purposely looked away as the tip dipped down and plunged into flesh.
Quick and easy, just as she was instructed.
With a tight mouth and cool eyes, she pulled the katana out and wiped the blood streaks onto the end of her robe before placing it back into its holster.
Forcefully, compelling the inner workings of nerves and muscles within her to wake up and move, she shifted her feet and walked away from the body. Leaving it there without allowing herself to give another thought to spare.
Reaching out with her chakra once again, she quickly found Kisame's signature steadily growing closer to her as he traveled upward the building. When Sakura paused for another moment, deeply concentrating on the last guard in the building, she was able to locate his trail wedged in between the two Akatsuki members.
She moved to the flight of stairs to her side and began ascending downward, leaping across the railings until she spotted the level she initially was searching for.
Kisame's chakra was closer, telling her that he was also on the same floor. Door swinging open, her feet lightly stepped across the tiles.
As she slowly approached the male, Sakura noticed a specific room being the main focus of the guard. Unlike the initial guard she had come into contact with, this one did not wander the halls. Instead, he simply stood with his back against the door and eyes straight forward.
If their objective wasn't clear earlier, it seems that the answers they were tasked to look for were now laid out for them to see.
Sensing Kisame appearing from the end of the hallway, both exchanged looks before Kisame sent her a single nod.
She watched as he brought out his sword, the large metal gleaming in the dark. With a single hand, he placed the Samehada onto the wood-grained floors and vigorously dragged it into the tiles, emitting an eerie screech that caught the attention of both Sakura and the guard.
The male turned his body to Kisame, back hunched and prepared for battle.
"Akatsuki!" He called out, fingers raised in offense, "stay back unless you want reinforcements to arrive!"
Kisame grinned, his sharpened white teeth on display.
"Oh? You're not talking about the other two we just toyed around with, are you?"
The blue-skinned male watched as the shinobi gritted his teeth, and soon after his hands began to form one sign after another.
A flare, some type of light to signal to the Kazekage, the male thought as his head rushed to formulate a jutsu grand enough to warn the village. If he were to die tonight, he must make his death not be in vain.
His hands raced to create the symbols needed, but he couldn't help but wonder why the shark-nin before him had not moved an inch.
Instead, he simply stood there, watching the frantic guard.
Three signs, four signs. Fingers to mouth. A large inhale.
Without warning, the guard's vision went black. A pair of hands reached out from behind, latching onto his head and chin, and sickenly twisting.
The audible crunch of breaking cartilage and bone was heard, and the man's arms went limp as his body fell to the ground.
And just like that, the threat was gone, and there Sakura stood, looking down at the crumpled life at her feet.
"Good," Kisame simply stated, scoffing at the body before tilting his head toward the door. "Let's not stall for any longer."
With Sakura's footsteps trailing behind, a spacious private room was exposed after Kisame had pushed the door open. The blinds of the windows were tightly pulled shut, the rhythmic beeps of a machine loudly chirped, and a person laid still on the bed before them.
It did not take long for the calming atmosphere to be abruptly shattered by the presence of both individuals when Kisame placed a rough hand on the sleeping man's body.
"Oi," he snapped, causing the figure to flinch awake. The male's sleep-filled eyes took in the sight of the towering frame of Kisame, haziness laced within them, until they landed upon the deep red clouds adorning his cloak.
"Akatsu–"
"Yeah, yeah," Kisame rudely interrupted, his meter of patience already empty, "where's the scroll?"
"Scroll?" The man gasped, face draining of color, "I don't know what you're asking of me."
Kisame's hand swiftly reached up to grab the collar of his shirt, making the man painfully wince as he was lifted from the bed.
"Since I'm feeling generous tonight," he warned, "I'll ask again. Where is the scroll?"
"I don't know!"
A loud slam was heard as the shark-nin suddenly threw the male back into the bed, a small groan leaving his lips and curled form.
"Kid, give me a kunai."
Hidden eyes unable to tear themselves away from the shaking man, Sakura obediently reached into her holster and brandished the weapon. Without any strength to say anything, she watched as the heavy metal left her hands to be held in Kisame's, and then was quickly stabbed into the leg of the man being questioned.
The male moved to scream but was forcefully muffled by the shark, whose beady eyes now glimmered in hostility.
"The location of the scroll, now."
"Please," the shaking figure begged, "I cannot." His hand reached to pull the object out from his thigh but became bound by two sets of blue ones holding them back.
"Testing my tolerance, aren't you?"
A small whimper was let out, "The guards will be here any second. If you leave now, I won't tell them it was you."
"Do the other leg," Kisame instructed.
His rough eyes locked onto Sakura's, leaving no room for hesitation, much less objection. She felt the back of her neck grow cold, but she could only wordlessly nod while echoing the instructions in her head. The hammering of her chest was painfully shut out.
Instead of paying mind to the trembling of her fingers and how it took just a bit more of herself to will her body to move, Sakura forced herself to only focus on one thing.
No matter what happens tonight, she will live.
And if she wanted to live, her heart must die.
But unknown to her, it had already begun decaying long before she had set foot into the hospital.
Her cold fingertips latched onto the kunai she brought out, and before her emotions could work themselves back into her consciousness, the weapon was brought down. Impaling flesh.
This time, Kisame did not attempt to silent the weeping screams of the male as he thrashed around in agony. And this time, the ache in Sakura's drumming heart was dulled.
"The scroll," Kisame's grip on his hands tightened, and the bedsheets were now deeply stained with blood.
"I told you, I cannot say! Please!"
A moment passed until a tired breath was sighed, and Kisame's hands had released its hold on him, letting the man's arms fall limply to the side. But instead of a small sense of relief washing over the man, a higher sense of panic and fear overcame him as he watched the Samehada on Kisame's back being reached for.
"Well," he unsheathed the weapon and brought it forward. "then we squandered enough time here."
And to prevent any more from being wasted, the sword was then brought down, the movements filled with precision and without mercy. But just before the thick blade could touch his neck, the male flung his trembling hands over himself and cried out.
"Iwagakure! It's underground in Iwagakure!"
Kisame's hold in the weapon stilled, and a tilt of his head was given.
"The Land of Earth, huh? Who would've thought."
"N–now that I've disclosed the location, please spare me," he begged, hands coming together. "I'll keep my promise to not breathe a word of anything once security comes. Please."
White, sharp teeth were seen once more, grinning with a gleaming eye.
"Sure."
Before the man could react, the large hands of the blue-nin regained their composure and heaved down, bringing the weight of the sword with it. The life within his fear-filled face was drained and left was his exposed, unmoving body.
Samehada was roughly shoved behind Kisame, and he quickly turned around to exit through the door.
"There's an oxygen room at the end of the hallway. Make sure the explosion is large enough to take out the entire facility,"
Sakura tore her attention away from the corpse, ears almost unable to catch what was said. Mouth moving on its own accord, her voice spoke.
"And then what?"
"Deidara should be done soon," he murmured back, thinking to himself for a moment. "You and I will split up to ensure the trail doesn't lead back here. I'll meet with the blonde fool, and we'll wait for you at the halfway point, understand?"
Sakura took a breath, "yes."
"Good."
The large male left the room, and Sakura's feet began walking, swiftly moving to find the room mentioned by her partner. Easily, she was able to locate the space, the door proudly labeled, and she entered.
Methodically, one explosive tag was placed after another, the amount enough to largely detonate while also creating a fiery blast that would burn any object remaining. When she felt that it was enough, Sakura placed the last one down and began counting down in her mind, knowing that she had just the right amount of time to escape before the trap was lit.
But strangely enough, she couldn't shake the odd feeling of déjà vu in her consciousness. An unsettling sense that somewhere, at some time, she too was in a similar situation.
Her temples tensed in irritation, and the familiar sensations of a headache were felt, causing her to wince and forcibly tolerate it. Her eyes grew blurry, and she blinked twice before pushing herself out of the room and into the halls.
Now was not the time to lose focus, she warned herself. With the tags now counting down the seconds before the entire building collapsed, she needed to leave.
Immediately, the tension in her mind was discarded to the side, and her vision cleared. Her eyes scanned the nearest window, finding one just at the very end of the corridor she stood in, and she moved forward.
Hands running around the edges of the frame, her fingers touched the latch and flipped them up, the window unlocking with a soundly click. With her body ready to propel out and into the grassy field, Sakura steadied herself for the jump and mentally prepared her feet to minimize as much sound as possible.
Mind ticking down the seconds, her eyes scanned the halls one last time, and she froze.
There, a few feet away from her, was something that had caused the turmoil and apprehension she so delicately wrapped away to unfurl at her feet.
Exposed for her to come face-to-face with.
From the window she held up, a moonbeam shone from the exposed window and straight to the picture frame hanging. The light reflected off the glass panel, illuminating the many faces captured there.
She gasped to herself, feeling the tightness around her temples return again, as she read the brass plate laying underneath the image.
Sunagakure Hospital Opening Day
There stood a small ground of various individuals, all wearing an assortment of colored scrubs and white lab coats, huddled before the newly erected hospital entrance. But there, directly in the middle of the crowd, smiling gently and standing tall, was a face recognizable to her.
Wide eyes searched across the words engraved onto the metal plate, looking among the names scattered about it. And clearly etched at the very top of them all, she found the one that caused her inner core to shake in disbelief.
Sakura Haruno, Founding Director
The same pink hair.
The same pale face.
Green eyes filled with…
Contentment?
"Oh my god," Sakura heard herself whisper out loud, her body still propped against the frame. Her hand came to her mouth, covering her shuddering lips. She let herself stare longer at the picture, gaze burning into the image of her past self. One that she had no recollection of.
And it was then, that she felt herself begin to spiral. Dipping down into the depths of the unknown that she could not prevent herself from falling into. Her consciousness was no longer her own, and her body refused to listen to her commands. She stood, frozen in time, unable to move, much less let out a breath of air.
The irritable pulses she had felt on her temples earlier were now transformed into sharp stabs into her head, each one being deeper than before. Her heart rang out again, and she felt her face grow with heat.
"I can't," she mumbled to herself, head violently shaking, "wha–"
Suddenly, her mind clicked back together, almost forcing all that had just transpired to be all crumpled and shelved into another corner within her, and she threw her attention back to the oxygen room.
Rationality had returned to overcome mentality, and the realization of where she stood, what was soon to happen, and what she needed to do, hit her harshly.
The seconds resumed counting down, this time with even fewer numbers for her to comfortably work with. The feeling of uncertainty and incredibly was replaced with one of urgency and the need to survive.
If she wanted the opportunity to unscramble what she had seen, the opportunity to live for the chance to unravel what had come to be, then she needed to remove herself from where she stood.
Immediately
Her legs raised through the window, and soon after her figure was shoved through, launching her out the frame and into the open air. Feet met ground, pushing against the hard dirt, and her body blended into the night.
Explosions could still be heard from the opposite end of the village, allowing Sakura the security that her presence would further be masked, but she still needed to hurry. The farther away she could be once the tags detonated, the better off all three Akatsuki members could be.
The sound of Deidara's explosive figurines sailing through the air dwindled as she ran deeper and deeper into the thick forest. With her cloak flowing behind her, Sakura's legs steadily moved ahead, and she steadily regained her composure. Trees flew past her in a rushed blur as she continued to widen her distance from the village's borders. Her chest rapidly rose and fell, trying to subdue the spinning gears of her thoughts.
Not now, not now, she harshly warned herself. Although she was able to bring herself back to reality, able to bring her attention to the task at hand, the humming signs of her headache continuing to persist was still felt. Irritation bubbled at the back of her throat but was almost omitted when the timer in her head had come to an end, and the pace of Sakura's steps slowed.
It was then that a bright spark of red shone in the night sky, momentarily casting a burning light of fire to illuminate its surroundings. A thick wave of air flew from the lit source, and the sound of shattering glass was heard after. The boom of the collapsing building was great enough for Sakura to hear, slightly shaking the leaves surrounding her and echoing around.
A breath was breathed out of Sakura's lips, her gaze watching the completion of what she was tasked to do. Now with all that was left for her, she needed to get to the halfway point soon. The path she had chosen was slightly longer than what she and Kisame had previously used, but thankfully it was obscure enough to allow her additional coverage.
She could focus her energy on moving swiftly instead of discreetly. But with that thought in mind and body already in motion, Sakura made the fatal error of being unaware. Whether it was the shock of the image on that hospital wall or the events of the night, she had misstepped.
Successfully hidden, a figure, not too far off, was trailing all of her steps. Chakra expertly masked and undetected.
When Sasuke had left the Hokage tower, leaving in the opposite direction of Sai and Kakashi, he was unsure of what exactly to do at first.
The entire vicinity of the village was expansive, and even the half that was currently being untouched was quite big for one person to meticulously go through. With his chakra still sealed, he needed to strategize the use of his sharingan as it could easily zap away the limited reserves he had.
He started on one end, sitting in the shadows and simply waiting for anything to happen. When moments had passed with nothing occurring, he would move to another location, higher or lower than before. As of yet, all seemed ordinary. Civilians were still evacuating, and any buildings that were abandoned showed no signs of movement within them.
As he sat, lowly crouching onto the fence of the outer border, he had almost decided to relocate himself when a sensation just barely prickled his senses.
Miles away from where he was, the hospital tower remained still and seemingly untouched. Lights on various floors were still on, and from his time of where he stood, he did not notice anything far from normal.
Until now.
It was just a millisecond long. A fluttering, that if his skills were not where they were now, he could have easily missed. The chakra signature was scant, almost nonexistent, but just enough for Sasuke to turn his attention towards the building and rush himself to its premises.
It could have been any one of the patients receiving care at the hospital, he thought to himself. Any one of the numerous people there could have been the signal he sensed, but something in the back of his mind told him otherwise.
The signature itself, though seeming normal, was strange when the dark-haired male internally dissected it. Only appearing for what seemed like seconds, it weirdly enough felt as if the person behind it was frantic. Scared, even. Then rapid flickers of it were then suddenly snuffed out as if they were never meant to be seen in the first place.
Once his dark eyes landed on the sight of the building, the first thing he noticed was a single window. Unlike the rest, it was there widely opened with no person in sight. He looked again and found no traces of the same chakra he felt earlier, but with a flash of his dojutsu activating and his ears listening, Sasuke turned his face to the side.
There.
The smallest movement of a cloak.
His eyes returned to its dark color. Eyeing the window after looking to the forested area where its leaves ever so slightly shifted, it was indicated that someone had just fled before him. He felt himself hesitate, unsure whether or not he should scout the hospital or to follow the unknown individual who had recently left.
Was there more?
Why did they leave?
What was even there?
Such questions were thrown around the Uchiha's head, taking only a minute for him to collectively sort and conceive a makeshift plan for him to follow.
But right as he straightened himself, preparing to leap up and into the building, the smell of burning paper was caught in the air. Sasuke stilled himself, preventing his body from approaching the hospital any further and instead took a step back. The scent became pungent, and his stomach slightly sunk from the oncoming catastrophe he anticipated.
The very building that stood before him exploded into several pieces, its middle section caving in on itself and bursting into flames.
The explosions from the other side, where the shinobi forces were currently stationed, continued to rain down, successfully covering and drawing attention away from the damage that had just occurred before the Uchiha. With the height of the fire steadily increasing and the clouds of smoke now filling the atmosphere, Sasuke pivoted himself away and turned back to the direction of the outer border.
If he ran now, as quickly as possible, then the chances of him reaching the culprit wouldn't be as slim. Though a small part of himself knew that he should stay back, minimize the damage that had been done, a larger part knew that the assailant couldn't have gotten very far.
With him already discovering this much information but yet not enough answers to piece the puzzle together, the decision to come back empty-handed did not sit well with him. And so, Sasuke moved into the same passage he saw the dark, ruffling fabric disappear into.
Thankfully, the person he was following seemed to be too in a hurry to cover their tracks, footsteps and broken branches easily showing what path the individual took. Taking a second to think it through, Sasuke decided to use his chakra to boost his movements, allowing him the needed speed to finally come into vision of them.
The well-known red and black cloak of Akatsuki was seen, but the small frame and tightly secured hood was something Sasuke did not recognize. Could this be the new member? Only able to see their backside left him guessing.
Kakashi's voice rang out in his head, reminding him to not engage. With his extremely limited chakra, he himself understood that launching into an attack would not be wise. Any battle that would ensue would be one he would most likely struggle in, regardless of whether this person was less or more talented.
However, for his efforts to not be fruitless, Sasuke knew what had to be done. And so with a final push of his legs and a large chunk of his chakra used, he raised his arm and heaved deeply.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
Coils of fire expelled from his mouth and collided together to form one massive orb, the heat of it large enough to singe the trees around it. From his lips it grew and outwardly it traveled, burning all that it touched and alerting the person it was aimed at.
The hairs on Sakura's neck stood the moment she felt the surge of chakra being gathered, internally kneading together and crackling with power. When she realized that someone was in fact behind her, tracking her for who knows how long, her stomach had dropped, adding to the tension already building in her head.
The smooth sailing of the mission had completely turned its head, and Sakura was left to ensure that it would stay intact.
Sakura understood that a problem had arisen, and before she could arrive at the midway point, she needed to end it before the situation became entirely out of her hands. Feet coming to a halt and heels digging into the ground, her mind did not have time to pause when her hands began formulating their own signs, and a finger hovered to her face.
"Suiton: Suijinheki," she breathed.
Aiming at the ground, the large stream of water spat from her mouth and onto the terrain, powerfully rising up and creating a barrier between her and the flames that were growing close. The gushing waves quickly increased in size, towering over the glowing orb, and violently hissed when both elements collided with one another.
As the water overcame the fire, thick layers of steam were emitted, covering the forest and blocking Sasuke's view of where the Akatsuki member stood. Unsure of whether he should activate his sharingan or not, trying to preserve the remaining chunk of chakra he had left, his face snapped to the side. Reactively, his body curled inward and ducked, scarcely missing the leg aimed at him.
The foot sailed past his head and into the tree he stood on. It dug into the bark and chipped a large section of it away.
Using the steam to her advantage, Sakura hoped to catch whoever was attacking her off-guard. Seeing that her camouflage had worked, she channeled a decent amount of power into her thighs and flashed to the person's backside. Body momentarily hovering in the air, ready to swing itself around, her eyes caught sight of the features of the person before her.
Male. Clothes that appeared to have no affiliation with the shinobis of the Sand. However judging by his stance, how he was already preparing for her despite not seeing, he was a seasoned fighter.
But his hair.
Her eyes narrowed at it, its dark color making Sakura almost tilt her head in perplexity. Why did she feel so strange when analyzing it?
Why did it look so familiar?
Sasuke dipped his head down, escaping from her blow, and placed a hand onto her leg to pin it down. Using his momentum, he swung his body over and brought his fist to her face. Unable to free her foot from his grasp, Sakura gritted her teeth and forcefully bent herself backward, enough to allow his hand to meet empty air.
But as she was dodging, her eyes were quick to look at her opponent, attempting to see who she had to deal with. And they widened in horror, unable to comprehend what exactly it was seeing.
The same pale face.
The same indifferent expression.
Those dark eyes.
It was him. The man who haunted her nights. His existence in Sakura's head which made her cry out in frustration. The same man who tried to kill her each night as her mind replayed the same scene for her to relive. The same man who ignored the streams of tears running down her cheeks as she begged for compassion. Here he was, face to face with her, almost in the very same scenario that she dreamt of every night.
And here she was, still unable to figure out who exactly he was.
She instantly tensed, frozen in terror of what to do. But thankfully, her mind had taken over, grabbing the reins of her body and forcing it into overdrive. Shoving it into a mentality where she was reminded once more, she will survive.
The fear she had temporarily felt was then replaced with a new feeling that she was unsure of where it stemmed from. Resentment, bitterness.
Betrayal
Without her better judgment, she allowed these newfound emotions to take over her system. When she looked him in the eye once again, anger now fueled behind them, she mustered as much chakra into her foot as possible and yanked it upward.
The sudden increase in strength had caught an unsuspecting Sasuke, which then allowed the second kick to land on him and push him off. He grunted from the impact but moved himself to land softly onto the forest floor. Wordlessly, Sakura landed after him, feet away but standing face to face, giving the Uchiha a moment to stare.
It really was the masked individual.
The cloak, the hood, the way the mask on their face sat securely. The only thing different from the images Sasuke saw was the height of the figure. In comparison, Sasuke easily had a handful of inches over them, making him believe that this person was either a younger male or a female.
Looking at the only exposed features of them, the way their lips were more rounded and how their chin came to a delicate point at the end, Sasuke was sure enough that they were indeed a woman.
He stared down the small slits of the mask, unable to see through what was covered, and clicked his tongue. As he stood, waiting for her to strike once more, Sasuke knew that by the end of this, he would do what he could to expose the eyes that were hidden behind it.
He bent his knees and brought both hands out, signaling for her to come.
And Sakura wasted no time in doing so.
She dashed forward, her cloak harshly whipping behind her. Her right hand propelled to his left side, which was roughly blocked with a forearm. Sasuke twisted it around, trapping her hand into his grasp, and brought his knee up to her stomach.
Sakura let out a breath, blocking it with her other hand, before using her captured one to grip onto his shirt. Fingers tightly digging into the fabric and almost breaking his skin, she used her strength to throw Sasuke to the side.
To avoid losing his footing, he released his hold on her and flipped back, giving her enough time to leap up and rear her fist behind her head. Gloved hands aiming above him, he sidestepped, letting her make contact with the spot he once stood at.
The ground trembled from the impact, the earth breaking into pieces and caving into itself. What was left of it was now a small crater, the damage enough to shatter several bones in his body if Sasuke even attempted to block the attack himself.
She was smart, he mused to himself. Already several minutes into the fight, Sasuke still could not get a good enough read on her to understand what exactly her fighting style was. From ninjutsu, taijutsu, and being entirely evasive, he saw that she was purposely holding herself back. But seeing from how she could easily break out of his clutches and fracture the ground, she was quite strong and very much adept.
He had underestimated the situation. Already familiar with the other Akatsuki members, Sasuke had assumed that this one would be no different. But as his mind hastily worked to prepare his body for the various scenarios that may occur, he concluded that for him to get close enough, close enough without significant harm, he needed to use his sharingan. This meant he was significantly limited to taijutsu in the meantime.
Even so, his stamina would still be quickly depleted, but as long as he was quick, quicker than her, it was enough.
"You," he called out, blinking. Three tomoes swirled to life in his now red eyes. "Who are you."
It wasn't a question, Sakura noticed. It was a statement, a demand for her to answer him. She scoffed to herself and remained silent, only giving him a sly head tilt in return.
Sasuke watched her movements and chuckled inwardly to himself. Without warning, he shot forward with a leg reaching out to swipe at her feet.
She jumped up, bringing her own leg to his head, the power behind it able to wipe him out if it met. Unfortunately, his calculating eyes were fast enough to allow him to dodge once more and reach up, securing his hands tightly around her ankle and harshly twisting it.
With her balance lost, Sakura landed to her side, feeling the effects of strained muscle and pulled joints in her foot. But before she could begin healing it, Sasuke was already upon her.
Eyes wide in alarm, she weaved another set of hand signs and a single, narrow current of water flew through her lips, straight to Sasuke. The surprise jutsu was nearly dodged by the male and continued its path, hitting the large lumbers of trees behind him and cleanly penetrating its thick bark. A mark was left seen, a hole embedded right through it and sizzling from the hot energy it just endured.
A gloved hand reached into her weapon holster, and three kunai were wielded. Each in between her fingers, Sakura prompted her wrist to flick, causing all to sail from her knuckles and to Sasuke.
From the timing and accuracy of the throw, his sharingan knew that evading all three would not be possible, and so he reached behind him, pulling out his chokuto in aid. Its black scabbard and hilt were exposed, its blade long and curving at the tip. Sasuke brought the weapon before him, and its shining silver deflected all three kunai at once.
Seeing that hand-to-hand combat was no longer being used, Sakura followed suit and unsheathed the katana hanging on her back, its short edge slicing through the air as she held it forward. Sasuke eyed her form, noticing that she also seemed well versed with the blade, but luckily for him, he was more proficient in wielding his sword than taijutsu.
He smirked at her, and the two rushed forward.
Blade met blade, the metals screeching as they clashed into one another. Small sparks flew as the two weapons continuously collided, both users bearing their weight behind each swing. Her katana moved left, his chokuto to the right. A parry, a dodge, a swing, a block. Occasionally punches and kicks would be thrown in, but each time the other would successfully thwart it, showcasing how in tune with each other's movements they were.
However, Sakura took the liberty to send another kick in his direction, one that was too heavy in her step in which his dojutsu was able to recognize. Using the opportunity to gain the upper hand, one arm shot out to slap the weapon out from her grasp, and the other used his strength to slash at her side.
Her katana flew into the air, landing away from her after skidding across the ground, out of reach. His aim for her ribs, however, was just barely missed as she nimbly moved out from its harm and instead allowed it to lacerate her arm.
The blade met the dark fabric of her cloak, slicing through it, and piercing through her smooth flesh. Sasuke heard her hiss in pain from the contact, and she pushed herself away, adding distance between the two.
Sakura clutched her shoulder and pressed down on the wound to halt the bleeding. The cut wasn't as deep as she expected, and she made the decision to not waste additional chakra on healing something not hindering her at the moment. Looking down at the fresh blood on her gloves, she frowned and felt the headache from earlier pulsating again, despite her efforts to push through it.
Her gaze turned to the sky, adding up the minutes she had spent in this spot, and she knew that enough time had been wasted here. Kisame and Deidara were already on the way, and here she was lagging behind, stuck with a person who was refusing to let up. She needed to go, now, but hoping to wait for his stamina to diminish was not proving to work.
This man, whoever he was, was unpredictable. Sakura couldn't discern his actions or what steps he'd take next. All she could do was have faith in her skills and wait for an opening, but the openings were slim. However, she couldn't hold back. She needed to regain control. Her eyes moved to where Sasuke stood, body bruised but still standing strong, and she straightened her back, calmly breathing through her nose.
If she wanted to end this, one person needed to be gone.
The air between the two dipped into a chill, and Sasuke watched as her palm left her bloodied arm and came back in front of her, prepared in a fighting stance. Yet knowing that she would strike at any moment, his red eyes remained glued to her wound.
There, etched into her shoulder in black ink, was the tattoo of Anbu.
He pursed his lips at the realization and turned his gaze back to the girl. A member of Anbu, but of which village? A shinobi of such skill, loyalty great to their people. What happened to make them end up here? Fighting alongside Akatsuki during such a time like now?
Sasuke's thoughts were brought to a halt when fists were once again thrown at his head. Sakura continued, not giving him much time to avoid them, and turned to slam an elbow into his face.
The contact was made, painfully digging into the side of his chin and briefly stunning him for a second. He bared his teeth, taking the hit to the face, but willed his feet cement to where they were. Fortunately, his sharingan saw that another attack was coming, and he managed to dodge once more. His hand moved, twirling the hilt of his chokuto in his palm, and he whirled it down to her, hoping she would take the bait and move.
To his surprise, she did not.
Unlike what he had hoped for, for her to slide away and allow him a moment to calculate the next possibilities, she had simply reached up and caught the blade with her hand.
This time, Sakura knew what he was doing, and she did not care.
Her hand gripped onto the edges of the blade, unflinching from the sharp edge shedding through her gloves and deep into her palm. Blood dripped down, but Sakura continued her hold on it, even putting additional pressure onto the chokuto. Shutting her eyes, her hand flowed with chakra and tightened.
An audible snap was heard, and Sasuke watched as the blade broke in two, shifting the weight of the sword to rest unevenly in his hand.
Sakura breathed a rough breath and tore off the remnants of her glove. Its tattered fabric was thrown to the side, exposing her mangled hand in which her actions had caused the injury to be deep to the bone. More blood flowed from it, splashing onto the grass.
Sasuke was left speechless, unable to understand what had just occurred.
For her to do such a thing, bare the brunt of an attack she could have easily moved out from, it did not make sense to him. But as he watched as she brought the hand up to her face, the blood stopping and skin beginning to mend itself back together, he knew his time was up.
Her shielded face slowly looked up from her now healed hand, almost glowering at the dark-haired male, and she moved to swipe at the previous cut on her arm, instantly healing that injury also as her hand left it.
Medical-ninjutsu?
The situation was bad. Sweat began accumulating on his back, and Sasuke knew that his chakra was nearing its depletion. His sharingan was able to allow him to catch up with her this far, but once it ran dry, he was unsure of how much longer he would be able to hold up.
His time was short, and so the opportunity to do what he initially had planned was now.
Sasuke was not able to prepare himself for her last charge, and his hand swiped at the ground to pick up one of the kunais that were launched at him earlier. This time, greatly infused with chakra and more swift than before, her strikes were relentless, filled with much more killing intent than to begin with. One hand came up to grab her, but was seized,
With the last of his chakra remaining, he brought the kunai down with his remaining hand, which was instantly stopped by the Sakura's. Her hold on the weapon did not halt, but his efforts to keep pushing it to her did not come to an end either. It was a power struggle, one that Sasuke was ultimately going to fall short of.
He quickly looked around, both hands bounded by hers, and wrinkled his face in thought.
It was a risk, and he was unsure of whether it would work or not. But if he did not even try to attempt it, how would he know? The identity of the woman before him. The face behind the mask.
If he didn't try right now, then when would be the next time, if there even was one?
Mind already made and reserves almost minuscule, Sasuke released the grip he had on the kunai, causing Sakura to stumble from the sudden, unpredicted movement. Though the other hand remained in her tight grasp, he used the one just freed to stretch out in front of him.
The shock from it all worked itself through Sakura's body, unsure of how he had managed to pull such a feat off. But when looking at his face, the headache she harbored transformed into shockwaves, and she flinched in pain.
His red-stained eyes holding the same look as her dreams. His once neutral, unreadable expression, now converging into something far more darker than before. The way his hand reached for her neck. It was all the same.
An agonizing throb to her temples. Her vision once again grew hazy. Sakura felt as if her mind was splitting itself in two, and overwhelmed from the sheer pain of it, she froze, unable to fully protect herself.
His rough hand encircled around her throat, and Sakura choked on a lungful of air.
Unable to calmly rationalize the situation, all Sakura's frantic, distressed mind could do was throw all her efforts into removing his hand. Her tight grip on his wrist was quickly let go, and she brought both of her hands to pry at the one on her neck. But as they came to pull at it, she felt his hold on her loosen, and move to encapture them, leaving her defenseless.
It was then that Sakura's consciousness managed to regain itself, and she understood that something was terribly wrong.
She loudly gasped at the sight of Sasuke's fist coming into her sight, and she somehow managed to move from the full extent of it. Though it had failed in quelling her, possibly rendering her unconscious from the force, it had succeeded in swiping across the edge of her mask.
She winced from the impact, still able to feel the power behind the punch, and broke free from his hands. With a swift, chakra charged kick to his stomach, Sasuke flew back, far enough for distance to be placed between them once again.
Sasuke huffed as he raised himself from the ground, hand at his abdomen and back crouched. Spitting once at the dirt floor, his chest rapidly rose and fell in tired breaths. His sharingan would fade away any second now, but as he lifted his head back up and to the woman crouched before him, he did not move.
A large crack was seen, lining across a third of the kitsune mask she attempted to hold together with her hands. However, smaller, more intricate fissures were webbed throughout it, leaving it to slowly crumble. Her fingers were steady as she tried to stop the falling pieces, but to her avail, the right side of her mask toppled into itself. Unable to maintain the structure it once held, it tumbled to the ground.
She looked up, face half exposed, and Sasuke surely thought that his heart had stilled, his lungs collapsing and screaming for air. The hair of his arms stood straight up, and the fast beating of his chest could be heard from his ears.
Green eyes.
The same color of emerald, large and brightly shining.
The same ones that had been occupying his mind for years.
The fold of her eyelid, the size of her pupil, even the length of her eyelashes. It was all the same as he remembered.
How could this be?
How was this even possible?
No, it wasn't. It couldn't. Though they may look the same, they were not, he fought with himself. Despite these eyes being an exact replica, they could not be the same ones.
Her's, he reminded himself, were full of life. Endless hope during the darkest of times and compassion for those around her. The same compassion she once held for him. But these, these green eyes were not them. They were too contrasting. Its color dulled and filled with troubles. Full of boarded walls which kept others from trying to see what she desperately hid. Confusion and hurt laced within those green eyes that made any person want to understand what was wrong.
But despite his rationality telling him that they were different, completely unlike one another, his roaring heart was louder.
Puzzled from his strange reaction, Sakura silently watched as his red eyes slowly flickered into dark ones, and he took a hesitant step forward.
"Is that really you?"
Sasuke's body showcased a lack of threat, no longer interested in resuming the battle. His voice was soft, almost inaudible to Sakura as if it wasn't meant for her to begin with. She looked at his face, her insides freezing in fear, and understood the expression within his eyes.
Recognition.
Horror overcame her senses, clawing its way up her spine and settling onto her throat. The need to vomit was felt, and she thickly swallowed pushing the feeling back down. With all her strength, she kept her composure, not allowing him to see an ounce of the chaos she felt inside.
She looked to him, noticing his sharingan had disappeared, and quickly began formulating, paying no mind to emotions ravaging within her. The mission, she needed to focus on the mission. His chakra is gone, and she had more than enough to flash away without the threat of him following her again. Yes, yes. She needed to be quick, subtle enough for him to not notice the churning wheels in her head.
Placing her hands behind her, she silently formed two hand signs, eyes still looking at the male who continued gazing down at her.
Silence swept between them, and he took another step closer, making Sakura's finger still in tension. But instead of attacking like she thought he would, he called out to her again.
"Sakura?"
Though she did not answer, the way she strongly flinched was a clear enough sign for Sasuke.
While he was filled with endless thoughts and the heavy sinking of his stomach, Sakura simply felt tired, unbothered enough to entertain the thought of fear or what-ifs. Rather, bitterness overtook her, and her hands continued to weave the last signs needed for her to escape.
There he stood, knowing exactly who she was, and here Sakura was, still without the slightest clue of the man calling out her name.
Unable to conjure up the slightest bit of emotion to humanize her during this situation. She just blankly stared at him. Dark eyes locking onto green, Sasuke allowed himself to take another step forward, a hand weakly stretched out to her.
And before he could muster up another syllable, a string of words resembling one of the many questions swirling in his head, she stood. Her hands came together, showcasing the last sign needed for the jutsu, and he watched as she moved to take a step away.
Green eyes meeting dark pupils, she gave him a final look and a surge of chakra was felt. All of it happening far too quickly for him to register in his mind.
But in the end, Sasuke was left alone and standing, hand still reaching for a spot that was now empty.