Chapter 53. Chaos at sea.

Naruto's limp body floated into the air, a floating seal attached to him. Sakura took out her visors and put them on. The dark glasses obscured her features. She looked around in the moment of silence her presence evoked. Her eyes locked on Asuma, still in his water prison, or more specifically, the necklace in his hand.

She moved.

Kisame's clone exploded into water and the water prison fell, freeing Asuma. The Sarutobi looked around confused, as Sakura took the necklace from him. Kisame clicked his tongue and gripped his blade handle.

"Who the hell are you?" he yelled as he rushed at her. Samehada wiggled in anticipation beneath the bandage that bound him. He reached out with his hungry fangs for the chakra he was promised. The "blade," if you could call it that, swang down at the pink hair.

"Look out!" Asuma cried.

Woosh

Splash!

The water trembled under the explosion. Asuma held his breath as he looked at where Sakura stood. He couldn't help but gap at her. She hadn't moved an inch! For someone without the Sharingan, it was incomprehensible, but Sasuke and Kakashi witnessed it. As Kisame attacked, Sakura kicked him away, careful of the chakra draining blade. It happened so fast it looked like a scene was missing from the movie film.

Kisame was sent beneath the water from the force of the attack. Stunned, he sank to the bottom instead of swimming to the surface right away.

"What?" he was confused, was she hit? Was that what they called a quick draw only master swordsmen could perform. No, she didn't wield a sword. He grits his teeth. He wouldn't lose to a child!

Sakura walked over to Naruto's floating body, placing the necklace around his neck. She took a moment to stroke his cheek before throwing him high into the sky. Just then the water beneath her feet exploded.

Like a spring the water reached for the sky before diving back down.

"Water style, Shark shower."

At Kisame's command, the water falling down took the form of sharks with impressive sharp fangs. They would devour her.

"Fire style," Sakura breathed in. "Dragon fire Jutsu!"

With a mighty exhale, flames from the pits of hell sprung from her lips.

"What!?"

Everyone who witnessed this feat was rightfully confused. Even though the leaf village is in the land of fire, there aren't many that use powerful fire-style jutsu's outside of shinobi clans. The Uchiha were the ones known for their fire style along with the Sarutobi, and Ina had all the Uchiha's in her care.

Kisame cursed and leaped back away from the hell flames that turned his attack to steam. He couldn't read Sakura's expression with those visors on, but then he guessed it didn't matter as her face was blank when she arrived.

"A fire nature, huh?" Kisame said standing. "I'm used to dealing with your kind. This will be easy." He smirked with confidence, thinking about the sparring matches he had with the Uchiha brats. This girl couldn't be as strong as those monsters.

Kakashi was confused as he suspected Sasuke was. Sakura's chakra nature was Water and Earth. While it wasn't unlikely that she could have learned a new element, it wouldn't be that powerful. Where had she learned that Jutsu?

Pink butterflies flew around them landing upon the chains and folding their wings. Up close they looked more like lizards with wings than butterflies. Kakashi's eyes widened as they flew away leaving a small wingless lizard-looking thing.

"This is my domain!" Kisame yelled, getting Kakashi's attention. Pillars of water rose high into the air. From them, sharks of water rained down upon Sakura once more.

"Die!" Kisame screamed as the pillars of shark pillars crashed down on her.

"Overkill," Ina muttered, as Kisame smirked.

"Was that really necessary?"

Her voice was distorted but Kakashi heard the familiar tone of Sakura's voice. Ina raised a brow and Kisame groaned.

"She's just like them, after all," Kisame muttered as he glared at Sakura. His cute little genin stood unimpressed beneath an umbrella that shielded her from the Jutsu and the water.

"Not because we're on the water means I'm interested in getting wet," she said, sounding more masculine than Kakashi was comfortable with.

"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke asked in confusion. Kakashi wished he had an answer for the Uchiha, but as it was, he too was confused.

Sakura lowered the umbrella once the deadly droplets ceased. Haku stood with the blond and Zabuza, some distance away, as Kisame stood near ina and in front of them. Kakashi spotted Asuma slowly walking closer to them, as Sakura held everyone's attention. Kakashi didn't have much in the way of chakra, the one he had, being borrowed but he couldn't leave everything to Sakura.

"I suppose it's my turn." Sakura closed the umbrella and swung it upwards. "Water Slicer!"

The water responded to her command, rising from the sea below and cutting the surface like a sword. The linear wave of death rose higher the further it went from Sakura, towering over them. Ina moved aside, letting the wave cut past her as di Kisame.

"Ha! Your attack is useless if it doesn't hit-"

Shatter!

Surprised, Ina and Kisame looked to see the chains broken apart. Kakashi and Sasuke were also stunned and confused. Kakashi looked down and saw the lizard-looking creature chewing on the chains like a caterpillar would a leaf. Were they chewing on the chain this entire time? He looked up and got his confirmation. They were eating the chains that remained intact. Before he could devote much thought to it, Sasuke sprung forward. The Uchiha went right for Ina.

He roared as he attacked her with a kunai. She stepped aside, grabbing his wrist as he passed and squeezed. Sasuke cried out as he dropped the kunai. Before the blade could fall, he grabbed it with his other hand and swung at her. She grabbed his other hand and he dropped the kunai again, catching it on the sole of his sandals with chakra. Sasuke used Ina as support and slammed his leg down with the kunai attached.

Ina kicked him away to create distance. Sasuke flew back and over Sakura's head as she changed at Ina.

Haruno pulled a blade from the umbrella handle slashed at Ina. Metal clashed as Ina summoned a spear to block Sakura's attack. The visor hid Sakura's eyes but her mouth was pulled into a frown.

"Kakashi," Asuma called as he arrived at his side, weapon in hand.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked, he would have made a joke about the Sarutobi getting caught in the same jutsu twice but now wasn't the time. He would tease him on the way home.

"Fine, I wasn't so bad the second time around," Asuma said with a scowl. He didn't like the fact he was fooled twice huh?

"How is your chakra?"

"The faster we end this the better," Asuma said in answer. Kakashi had to agree.

Just then the lizard lookalike sprouted wings and began to fly. They surrounded Asuma and Kakashi in a flurry of pink. Kakashi resisted the urge to swat them away, only because he knew they would cut him if he touched them. They landed on his arm and folded their wings.

Their tail wiggled before jabbing into his arm. He flinched and reached for the offending bug when another jabbed into him.

He cursed glaring at bugs as they each took a jab at him. Why were they-? Before he could finish the thought he felt a rush of chakra. The bugs were pumping chakra into him. No, not just him. Asuma was covered with the same bugs and with their tail jabbed into his flesh. When his pool was half full the bugs spread their wings and flew away.

"What was that?" Asuma complained, rubbing the spot he was jabbed. Kakashi looked down at his hand that now sported angry red spots. It was only then that he remembered that those "Bugs" belonged to Sakura and Sakura wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Probably.

"Looks like we can fight a little more," Kakashi muttered, watching as Sakura fought Ina. His mind went back to the night of the Uchiha incident, and the wound she barely survived. His hand came alive with the chidori. He would let his ward go through that again.

"Let's back her up," Kakashi said, running forward.

"Right!" Asuma followed.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Kisame stood before them, his blade over his shoulder, and Zabuza by his side.

"Rematch," Zabuza said simply ready for more.

"I'm getting too old for this," Asuma whined.

Kakashi entered a familiar dance with the swordsmen. Zabuza had chosen him as his sparring partner.

"It didn't appreciate being stabbed, Copy ninja!" Zabuza said as his blade met Kakashi's chidori covered kunai. Kakashi was relieved to find that the strength behind the blade wasn't as it once was. Zabuza was weaker.

"I guess even the great Zabuza isn't immune to deadly injury," Kakashi taunted as he kicked the swordsman away. He spared a glance at Asuma who was firing wind blades at Kisame's sharks, before attacking Zabuza once more.

Today wasn't Sasuke's day. It was supposed to be a simple day of finishing a stupid bridge, and yet, he found himself in a deadly battle, almost dying. After recovering from a near-death experience, he was confronted with the trauma from the past. The woman that took his family away was standing right in front of him after all these years.

His rage got the best of him. He attacked her without thinking and got caught, causing Naruto to fight alone. He was in the middle of regretting his choices when Sakura showed up, dressed in a suspiciously rose pink kimono.

Like she did all those years ago, she saved and protected Naruto while fighting an enemy she couldn't possibly beat. When Sakura produced a fire technique he'd never seen before, he was shocked beyond belief. Since when could she used fire jutsu and why didn't she tell him. From the look on Kakashi's face, she didn't tell him either. He didn't have to ponder his sense of betrayal for long as Sakura used a water jutsu to cut them free of their binds.

Sasuke stood shocked for a moment, before hardening his resolve. He wouldn't let her get hurt this time!

He left Kakaki's side and attacked the red-haired. She toyed with him. Even with all that training, he couldn't leave a scratch on her. He was thrown back and Sakura quickly took his place, protecting him. Again. He swallowed the bitterness in his throat and focused on landing. As his feet touched water ice formed and tried to trap him. Sasuke leaped into the air, releasing a fire attack as he did so. Temujin ran through his attack unaffected and leaped for him.

The two clashed blades and kicked away from each other. Haku took out a handful of senbons and threw them at him. They were easily blocked but it served as a distraction as Temujin attacked him again.

The blond pushed Sasuke back and away from Ina and Sakura's battle. Haku stayed behind providing support, attacking where he saw an opening. They were trying to distract him. He glared at them, his eyes changing into the mangekyou Sharingan.

"Amaterasu!"

Sasuke used his most deadly attack, he was going to avenge his clan!

"Rising thunder!" a wave of pure chakra similar to the outburst of Haku and Zabuza, flew towards his black flames. Before his red eyes. The flames were washed away like those of normal flames.

"No technique is all-powerful," Temujin said after Sasuke stood in shock. "Every jutsu has a counter, if you don't know it, then it hasn't been found yet but it exists. Black flames that burn everything and can never go out, that is Amaterasu. But what happens when you put a jutsu of pure destruction against a jutsu of pure life?"

"They cancel each other out," Sasuke muttered more to himself, but Temujin heard and smiled proudly.

"That's right, don't rely on your eyes too much Sasuke, they evolved faster than any Uchiha before you, and you don't know how to use them properly yet."

That sounded less like taunting and more like advice.

"What is your purpose in coming here?" Sasuke asked though he wasn't expecting an answer.

"For the ice user and his companion," Temujin confessed, gesturing to Haku. Said boy gasped and stepped back. "Mother has a habit of picking up strays."

Was it a coincidence then? Did they meet here after all these years by chance? His eyes wandered to the fight between Sakura and Ina.

Sakura parried her attack and retaliated only for Ina to twirl away, using the spear as a shield against Sakura's follow-ups. It was a move he often saw Sakura use when they were younger, it felt odd seeing it down by anyone else. A flicker of pink caught his eyes and he followed it upwards but looked quickly back to Temujin before he followed his gaze.

"I'm kind of jealous of you," Temujin said quietly. "Mother said you are her favorite character and she's looking forward to your development." Green eyes seemed to glow as Temujin looked at him. "I wonder what she'll say when she finds out you're so weak."

Sasuke didn't let his anger get the best of him again. He wouldn't fall for such an obvious trick.

"You really will never be your father's son." It wasn't audible, but with the Sharingan, Sasuke could read his lips. And his blood boiled, what did he know!?

Calm down

He lost everything that night!

Calm down

Because of that woman that did it out of spite!

His heel clashed against Temujin's shield as he attacked. He would kill her today. He would avenge his clan. He would make it up to his father for being so weak.

"Nice eyes."

Just then, there was a flash of light from the bridge, a shadow cast over the battlefield and caught everyone's attention.

One of Sakura's summons landed on Sasuke's shoulder and he heard a whisper.

"Substitution justu."

The world shifted and he was suddenly on the bridge along with everyone else, Naruto floating above him. He looked down to see their enemies still on the water looking around confused. The sky above the water darkened as Sakura performed the jutsu.

"Senbonzakura kageyoshi."

Pink blades that formed from petals, floated over their enemies' heads, pointing at them. This was one of Sakura's most powerful jutsu. He saw the petals gathering slowly but he never thought she already gathered so much.

"Do it,"

Shikamaru stood on the rail of the bridge looking down.

"You got it,' he said.

When did he get here?

"Shadow possession jutsu," the voice went unheard and that was their downfall. The shadow cast by the flash boom stretched out onto the water and grabbed hold of the shadows within reach. Thankfully none from the leaf were caught, Shikamaru didn't have full control of his jutsu yet. Telling friend from foe was beyond him.

"And with this, it's checkmate," Sakura said from above. She snapped her fingers and the blades that gathered rained down on them. With the shadow holding them in place they couldn't escape. Shikamaru gritted his teeth ready for the pain he would no doubt feel from jutsu.

"That's enough."

The water exploded and Shikamaru felt the release of his jutsu. He frowned as his shadow returned to him after losing hold of its prey. They all looked down at the water as it settled, revealing a single man atop the water. His skin was pale and his eyes were like that of snakes. She smiled and placed his hand atop the water.

In a puff of smoke, a giant snake appeared and opened its maws. Ina and her group peeked from inside it and smirked at them.

"It's been fun!" she called to them, waving her hands wildly. "Try to pose a threat next time okay!" a kunai logged into the snake's skin next to her and she flinched away from it. Sasuke's eyes were red with his Sharingan and he gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Next time Sasuke-Kun," she smiled. With that, they disappeared in a poof of smoke taking the snake with them.

"Next time you won't get away," Sasuke promised.

"What a drag," Shikamaru muttered, feeling drained.

"You said it," Sasuke said next to him, her voice no longer distorted. "Let's not do this again." With those tired words, Sakura fell backward. On reflex alone, Shikamaru reached for her to try and catch her. Kakashi beat him to it.

"Looks like you're out of chakra Sakura-chan~" Sakura looked at him with tired eyes.

"Let me sleep this time," she muttered, closing her eyes and giving in to exhaustion.

"Yes, yes, sleep well," Kakashi said, holding her close.

Sasuke's grunt got their attention. With the seal to make Naruto float, the blond fell on top of Sasuke with all the weight of a corpse. Shikamaru couldn't be bothered to pity the Uchiha. He laid down on the bridge looking at the clouds as they went by. The butterflies that lead him here fluttered around him but with their task done they did no more. Shikamaru closed his eyes and wished the day would end already.

Next chapter

March 14.