Kiba could feel Akamaru shaking against him. His arms were around his companion trying to damper the sound of its whimper. His teeth bit down on his lips to control his own trembling body.

His vision was blurred by tears that he tried uselessly to restrain. The smell of gore was empowering against his nose and bile was lodged at the back of his throat. He could hear the thousands of sands particles, buzzing like bugs all around them, licking up the blood. For the first time, he cursed his advanced senses.

Hinata was on his side, hand against her mouth to ensure that no sound would leave. Yet, Kiba could hear the beat of her heart drumming against her ribcage. Its rhythm was frenetic and panicked.

Boum! Boum! Boum!

Like clockwork, her heartbeat pounded the seconds passing. A drop of sweat slithered down his jaw and fell on the floor.

"… Come on, it's your sister asking you nicely. We already have our own. Let's go to the tower."

Her voice was shaking, her heartbeat only a little bit slower than Hinata's. Like a swarm of bees, the sand started gathering and Kiba closed his eyes. Kami helps us ….

The seconds passed and when he thought that it would be the end of it, its voice resonated. So calm and soft yet it echoed loudly in the clearing.

"I need more scrolls."

The sand picked up its rhythm. Shino's hand closed on his biceps; it was vibrating as the insect inside his body were panicking.

"GAARA !"

Kiba closed his eyes. I-I don't want to die! Blood was dripping from where his fang cut into his lips.

"I-I'm sure that s-she is waiting for us at the tower !" This time the voice was lower, a male. Sand started to float around them, more aggressive. Kiba could feel the little particles of sand licking at his lips, hungry for more.

What the fuck are they talking about? Just leave already!

"You don't want to make her wait do you?"

And with that, they left. Team 8 stayed on the ground, as still as statues. Death has never felt so close.

XxX

Ino had always seemed so tall in her mind. The blonde had been the representation of a perfect kunoichi. More outgoing, stronger, prettier, all-around better than her. Yet the drop of blood on her cheek made her seems so frail. No, it wasn't the blood. More likely it was the shaking pupilless eyes, open in fright.

Staring at her rival, lost in thought she almost didn't hear the familiar melody. Slower but still here, always here.

Larynx, Heart,...

Her legs started shaking. The stare of team 10 now felt like senbons piercing her skin. She wanted them to stop looking at her like that. Who were they to judge her? How long had they been standing there before helping? Did they laugh as she was kicked down?

Her vision starting to get blurry and her heart was thumping in her chest. Her hands seemed so empty. She needed something. Her hand went to her pouch.

Collarbone, kidney,...

It seemed to be the wrong move as Ino took immediately a step back, her arms high in retreat. Words were ringing in her ears as panic rose.

Liver, liver, liver, liver

'Go get the sword! Retreat !'

At Inner's words, the pinkette moved frenetically toward her sword, never turning her back on them. 'Calm down! concentrate in finding Kubikiribocho !' Here it was, still deep in the ground. Without a second thought, she took its handle, slashing down the body without care and holding the blade in her arms.

Kubi's aura enveloping her, breaking through the haze of her mind. Silence engulfed her and she let herself relax.

'Feeling better? Now we have to say something or it's the end of us and social life!'

Three stares were on her, three bodies surrendered them, and her teammates were still unconscious. They never really were here when she fought anyway. 'How are we going to explain this? What is Naruto going to say? Sasuke ?'

Kubi growled a warning and Inner decided to quiet down.

Team 10 and she stared at each other for a few seconds, her eyes catching Shikamaru's shakes before he puked on the floor. Immediately Choji and Ino went to his side. Hushed whispers were exchanged between them and slowly she could feel Shikamaru starting to calm down. Sakura was obsessed with the process. 'It's caller healthy coping, you wouldn't know about it.' Feeling like a stranger intruding a moment, she decided to break the awkward silence.

" Thank you, the last one … without you, he wouldn't be dead."

Shikamaru went down again and she received a glare for her efforts.

'Just … Shut up.'

XxX

Green eyes stared darkly at him. A distorted smile upon her face, blood dripping down her blade. Naruto was on the ground, eyes empty, blood pooling around him. Words left his mouth, but his voice seemed so much younger.

"Why did you do this? It isn't like you!"

Green eyes went red.

Sakura opened her mouth but what came out was a deeper, older tone. A male voice. Familiar words were let out.

"I-Itachi ?"

"I wanted to test out my potential Sasuke. Naruto and I were getting stronger but you … 'She let out a soft chuckle. 'You're not even worth killing."

Sakura then slowly strapped the bloodied blade on her back and a familiar figure appeared on her side. Two pairs of red eyes stared him down. Sasuke tried to reach for his teammate, to take her away from danger but as he grabbed her arm, she shook him off, disgust clear.

"Sakura !" he cried, but Itachi put his arm on her shoulder turning her away.

" You need to wake up. Can't you see it's all fake ?" she kicked the corpse at her feet for good measure. " You want to go against Itachi, but look at me Sasuke,' laugher resonated in the air, 'how long before this becomes the truth? Maybe you will be the one dead then."

Hate burned in the pit of his stomach, his chakra as hot as lava enveloped him. Jumping over Naruto's decapitated corpse he tried to ran after the duo but they were already fading away.

"Get back here Itachi! I'm gonna kill you! Sakura! I –"

His feet collided with something and Sasuke found himself falling into a pool of blood. The genin recoiled as blood dripped down his cheek, his parent's bodies in front of him. Bloody tears left his red eyes.

XxX

It was strange how things could change so fast. Sakura's eyes were cold as she wrapped tightly in bandages her wounds. The splatter of dried blood smeared her face and detached strands of thick pink hair were resting in her shoulder. Dark circles painted her eyes, one having turned people from a punch. Yet, the girl was calm, her movements were short and precise, alert eyes scanning their environment, now and then resting on her fallen comrades.

Shikamaru was, on the other hand, a mess. His body couldn't stop shaking even as he could feel Ino's hand on his back trying to calm him down, her own voice cracking. His wary eyes couldn't stop moving back and forth from the pinkette to the fallen ninja. Ninja, he helped takedown. His shadow was blurry on the ground, a grey undesignable mass, a reflection of his state of mind. His thoughts were running around, yelling for him to get away from danger, to think about what he has done.

Shikamaru grasped his last thread of rationality with all his might as his father taught him to do. He thought of his first prey, the time they went hunting he took down a rabbit, or when his father trained in by trapping the chicken in their ninjutsu. His shadow slowly darkened until he could make out each little spike of his ponytail. Then Shikamaru was finally calm, all under the watchful eyes of Sakura.

His dark eyes met her stare, her green pupils were blankly observing him back, the detachment in those irises made him shiver again. He thought of her warm laugh as she runs through her enemy, of the two bloodied scrolls now attached to her hips, of her simply pilling the bodies like logs after plundering their weapons and supplies, humming a soft tune that he couldn't decipher as he was regurgitating his lunch. What happened to Sakura?

The red scroll at his feet woke him to reality. Ino and Chouji were still silent behind him, the two of them letting him take the lead even as the blond stared at her rival like a stranger. Sakura was standing in front of them, a big sword on her back and teammates still down. Her voice was strangely empty.

"Take this." She nodded toward the scroll and shifted her eye away from him, " as thanks. I already have one."

The state of the second Earth scroll made it quite clear how she had acquired it. Ino softly touched the back of his hand, her soft fingers resting on his index. On his other side, Chouji's index touched the back of his ear.

"Thank you, Sakura, but we didn't do –

"I don't think you understand Shikamaru", she interrupted, her eyes stared at Ino's hand on his. The blond adverted her gaze, the bright scrape on her cheek still too visible. Fortunately, the cut had been superficial, it wouldn't even scar. "Seeing how you are still here without any injuries I can understand that you hadn't even met another team I don't think you have an Earth Scroll either." Her voice was quite sharp against the silence of the forest. " I, on the other hand, have two scrolls but not the good one. And I got two teammates down …"

The Heaven Scroll on his back hip felt now too heavy. Shikamaru sighed.

It was strange how things could change. A few days ago, Sakura has been an annoying but sometimes smart fan girl. And now? Shikamaru didn't know. Three against one, their odds were more than good but he could feel Ino shaking form against him, Choji hasn't eaten a single thing since their meeting, and … Shikamara himself felt nervous as the shadow of the sword loomed far away from his. Green eyes stared blankly at them, taking in their weaknesses.

"What do you want ?" he snarled.

Staring at them a few more instants in silence, she finally broke the silence.

"Nothing big." The reassurance fell flat. " I just need you to take care of Sasuke and Naruto for a little while. Then we could just go together to the tower. We are all from Konoha after all."

"And where will you go ?" asked Ino.

Sakura smiled. Bland eyes were now brimming with too much glee to comfort any of team 10.

"We are still missing one scroll. So ?"

Bright green met pupilless black orbs. Shikamaru took the scroll.

"Troublesome" was all that he muttered.

Her gaze continued to stare him down, observing. As Shikamaru was going to ask her what more she could want, a surge of chakra erupted.

All eyes turned on Sasuke's unconscious form as black symbols started appearing on his body.

'What the fuck happened to team seven ?"