The Shinobi Way

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Author: Chapter four has arrived. This chapter might seem different from the other ones, that's because the first three chapters were re-edited from the script form I had first attended to use. This one was written after I decided to make those changes in my story so it will read differently. Hopefully this story will come out the way I want it. I have some idea where I want this to go, but not completely sure.

Anyways, again thanks for the reviews. If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to ask.

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Deep in the Hidden Sound Village, lays a horrendous fortress. Inside this fortress, sits a man wrapped in bandages. Skin could be seen peeling from the openings. Peeking through the white wraps were snake like eyes staring at the man standing in front of him.

"I see. So what of that nuisances. Did she perish?" Orochimaru asked in hoping his servant would answer that she died in horrible pain.

"No, she still lives, but barely." he hesitantly said.

Orochimaru stroke his chin.

"She has disrupted my plans. Not only did my Sasuke-kun go back to that pathetic village, but she allowed the nine-tails to live. Kabuto, make her pay dearly." he said with venom dripping from his mouth.

"Understood." Kabuto bowed and in a cloud of smoke, he disappeared.

"My plans for you has yet to be ruin. There's always next time around." he hissed.

"You will be mine, Sasuke-kun." he chuckled.

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"How is she?" asked a very concerned Kakashi.

Kakashi stands over the child laying lifeless on the bed, the only way he confirmed that she was still with them was the raise and fall of her chest, but that itself barely stood out on it's own. To him she was lifeless. Standing besides him was the lady hokage herself with scrubs on, exhaustion written on her face from hours of surgery. While Naruto sits in the corner of the room with his head down near his knees, not being his normal self by not speaking more then need be. And the last member of team seven, sits at the window looking out to nothing in particular, he has been there ever since they settle Sakura's body in the room. Just listening to the conversation that would determine the fate of their teammate.

"She is stable for now. The wounds that she received did conceivable damage. One attack, drills a hole through the target, while the other delivers a devastating blast at the target. Both deadly attacks alone. With those combined, it should have killed her, but lucky that wasn't the case." she sighed.

"How is it that she survived a blast that powerful?" asked Kakashi.

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The Hokage remembered back to when she perform the operation. Sakura was first brought to her attention by Kakashi. He looked very weary, but that wasn't what caught her eye. It was what he was holding. There in his arms, was the same child she sent on the mission.

"I told you to be careful, baka!" she spoke to the girl in his arms, thinking that Sakura could hear her.

"What, you knew Sakura was going to try and find Sasuke? Why didn't you stop her?" questioned Kakashi, anger could be heard in his voice.

"Now's not the time for that. Hurry into the hospital." demanding him to comply.

Tsunade examined the left side of the girl's body. She looked at the pattern that was created from the attack. A circular print. The Rasengan. She knew there was something similar about this. Then it hit her, it matches the same as when Kabuto received his during the battled with Naruto, the damage itself was enough to kill him with that close of a distance, but he was able to survive due to the amount of chi he inoculate to his stomach. Which means Sakura had put a sum amount of chi directly at the points which she knew she was going to get injured to dim down the effect of the blast.

When she figured it out, the Hokage was in aw. "Incredible...."

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"You don't give your student enough credit." she thought as Kakashi still looked on for an answer.

"Please, let's leave her in peace."

As she usher a still confused Kakashi out the door, she looked over her shoulder to still find the other two remanding motionless from their spots.

"Hey old lady Hokage, you mind if I stay? I would like to watch over Sakura-chan." Naruto said quietly as he put up his head and looked toward Sakura on the bed.

She then turn her head to the direction of the window.

Sasuke spoke as he still stared out the window. "Aa. Same here."

"Fine." with that, she left the room.

As she closed the door behind her, the only light source went with her. And there sat the two boys in pure darkness, who just recently almost destroyed one another in battle.

They sat there in silences.

Sasuke looked from the corner of his eye to see the girl, he put in that condition. Automatically both pull up their hands near their face staring at it intensely, not knowing that the other was doing the same thing at the same time.

Finally Naruto spoke up, still staring at his hand. "Ano... Sasuke, we did this.....didn't we?"

Silences.

"Aa..."

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Image of them walking through what seem like a forest. Once again with Sakura walking behind her teammates. She tried hard to keep up, but further and further the distance between them got until they disappeared all together. Then Sakura began panicking, as her surrounding began to become pitch black. Extending her hand to where her teammates were at just moments ago, before she, herself was also swallowed into the darkness.

With her hand still extended, she sprung up. Breeds of sweat covered her face. There she laid on a bed with white sheets covering her num body. Looking around, she found herself in darkness. Until a light shone in the direction of the door. Being that she wasn't use to that much light, she put up her arm in front of her face to block the blinding effects of it.

"You're awake I see."

Squinting her eyes, she made out an outline of a person.

Finally adjusted to the light, she found herself staring at the Hokage.

"So those two decided to doze off." the Hokage smirked.

Sakura turned her head toward what the Hokage was looking at. There she saw the two boys sleeping in their chairs, each in their own corner of the room. A smile also crept up to her face, but slowly frowned.

As she then asked what was plaguing her mind. "Was everybody able to make it back here safely? Where's Gaara-san? Were Naruto and Sasuke-kun treated? How about---"

"Whoa, calm down. Don't strain yourself." interrupted Tsunade.

"Yes they did and are recovering in their rooms, but they mostly were asking about your welfare. As for Gaara, he's outside. He told me, you two confronted Kabuto, but unfortunately, he was able to escaped. And them, they stayed here since we put you in your room. Absolutely stubborn." she sighed, shaking her head.

"Okay, since that's done. Sleep now, you had a VERY long day." she said.

"But, I still had questions."

"Questions can wait, you must sleep to get back your energy. That's an order from the Hokage." she said was a gentle smile.

Sakura returned the smiled and began to lay her head back onto the pillow. Tsunade then shut the door. Sakura turned herself to the other side as she watched the two sleeping figures.

"Thank goodness their here. All of them. Alive." she whispered.

After awhile her eyelid became heavier until finally she gave in to the exhaustion of her body.

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"Kabuto, make her pay dearly."

He jumped into the window, making no sound what so whatever. The only thing that could be heard is the leaves rustling in the breeze.

He slowly walked toward the sleeping figure in her bed, kunia in hand. As he took a quick look at his target, he swiftly plunged it into her chest making sure he hit the critical point so no mistake occur by allowing her to live. He pulled out the kunia, checking her pulse and confirmed the inevitable. She was dead.

"My apologize, I usually don't kill an unarmed person, but an order is an order." And with that, he left in a cloud of smoke. Leaving her on her deaf-bed, bleeding uncontrollably. Not even leaving room for her to scream or even defend herself. And there she laid never waking from her slumber and never will she again.........

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"Something's wrong." thought Sakura as she made her way to the window. Using the wall as her support. When she finally made it, the cold wind making the whites curtains sway in the breeze, made chills run up and down her spine. She wrapped her arms around her body to protect it from the harsh wind, as she looked across to the distance. A tear formed in the corner of her eye as it finally made it down her face, she slowly lifted a hand to gently brush it away.

"Something is terribly wrong..."

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There laid Sakura's mother lifeless body on the bed.

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- To be continued