Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of the Merc and the Medic. Enjoy the 900-word chapter. I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.

(Land of Waves.)

Marmora slowly staggered to his feet and then sighed.

"We need to talk…" He heard before he rubbed at his temples. He could feel pain dancing through his head… Like a curse, in clear agony.

Marmora wished he could stay unconscious. At least then he would have some small grasp of peace and a way to be alone with his thoughts.

"I already know what you want to say." Marmora said and hummed before looking to the side. "You want to lambast me for choosing to stay behind…" Marmora said as he grunted and slowly forced himself to his feet.

"I want to know why your so damn stupid…" Sakura growled, her voice a low hiss. "You could have died fighting the Otsutsuki. You knew damn well when Naruto, me, and Sasuke fight them we almost died! What were you thinking? Some glorious end against someone you couldn't defeat?!" Sakura questioned which was greeted by a hum.

Marmora said nothing. He didn't want to speak; it strained his body to even stand. Yet he knew there was almost nothing left to speak on. He hadn't wanted to die in some glorious haze of glory, he wanted to buy Sakura time to escape. It was the only thing he could believe himself capable of doing without messing it up.

Not because he lacked the ability to put up a good fight… But because he knew challenging him was like trying to fight fate. Marmora knew Momoshiki was beyond his power to defeat. That left the only path he thought could end with a good ending.

Still? This was a path that he didn't understand to the best of his ability.

"Marmora!" Sakura yelled before seeing that the shinobi was in no condition to talk. He collapsed to his feet.

Marmora could only ponder what came next and what course of action would effect it. He was after all, dealing with a Otsutsuki.

"I was thinking that whoever that was?" Marmora questioned while holding a hand to his injured stomach. "That I couldn't defeat him… I thought I told you that if one of the blows to my head didn't damage my memories." Marmora said as he sighed and shook his head.

This caused a sharp pain to lance through his body which didn't go unnoticed by Sakura. Sakura decided to save any fury she had for Marmora for another date. She'd batter it into his head how stupid his decision was for another date. She didn't want him to die anyway, it was a fate that he didn't deserve to be thrusted upon him to begin with.

However? That didn't seep away her fury to begin with. She was furious that Marmora would throw away his life simply to delay Momoshiki… Even if she had talked herself into allowing it.

"You could have died… And for what?" Marmora heard Sakura question as she turned to look to the side.

She knew very well just how insane this would be… To fight someone who had no ending and could not be overpowered. She would deal with Momoshiki soon… But there had to be a method which allowed her to defeat him. It wouldn't be easy, but he had to fall.

"That's what a shinobi does, right?" Marmora questioned with a raised eyebrow. "They die in the line of duty. I told you I was going to hold him off. You could have used the time to get the information to Naruto… He'd have put it to better use then me…" Marmora said only to get smacked on the back of his head by Sakura.

"If you weren't so hurt? I'd kill you myself." Sakura hissed out before shaking her head in sheer annoyance. "He wouldn't want you to throw your life away like you were about to." Sakura said as Marmora hummed.

"You'd know more then me." Marmora stated and hummed before looking at her. "Their beyond what I can do currently. I don't know how to outfight something with no end to their power… It makes no sense. It didn't once make any sense for me to be their arch enemy." Marmora said and then once again was greeted to the pain which lanced through his body.

Sakura said nothing, to deal with the issue at hand was her concern. She knew damned well just how dangerous an Otsutsuki was. She also knew just how hard it would be to deal with one of their kin… And to deal with several? She'd need an edge that was easily dealt with. Something that tipped the scales in her favor… And if she couldn't find one?

Then they'd die, all of them would die a very needless and horrid death sooner… And despite herself? That was a fate she no longer could see happening.

The war would come soon. And with it? Hopefully an end.

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter done! I want to point out that next chapter will be delayed several months or so. next chapter will be in 2-5 months and will show Marmora and Sakura talking more and bonding such. Next chapter will also be 900 words for the moment. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!

P.S: Next chapter is 900 words or such.