Chapter 7

The day began as the sun inched its way into horizon. It was blazing red making the horizon. It was blazing red making the sky tint a myriad of colors. It was neither cold nor hot that morning. Sakura opened her eyes and yawned at the early morning. She did her routine daily, not missing one day. She looked at Shippo beside her and smiled while ruffling his fuzzy mane. She got out of her bag and grabbed some water to wash the sleepiness off of her face. Sakura began walking a ways when Sango's voice softly ranged out.

"Do you want a sparring partner?"

"Sure, that would be great!" Sakura turned and smiled. They found a clearing and stood staring at each other for a while. The wind graced them with its light breaths while they were sizing each other up and making plans.

"I won't hold back Sango." The gleam in the pink hair kunoichi eyes were held with mischief.

"Nor will I." Sango has been watching her train for a while. So she is ready for anything. Sakura went into her stance and pulled her black mask up to cover half her face. Her Hitae was shining brightly on her forehead. Pink Hair was tied up similarly to her former sensei Iruka and she was wearing her now normal black outfit. Sango rammed her bone weapon into the ground for later use. She planned to go hand to hand first. The two fighters went at each other and Sakura was surprised at Sango's speed. Both would block each other hits and land a couple causing minor damage to each other.

There fight went on for a while until both fighters were sprawled out on the ground. Thorough exhausted. Sakura painfully smiled despite her stinging jaw from a jab. It was a good workout. Even though she didn't use much ninjutsu, she felt that this type of sparring will help her in her goals.

"... Thanks... Sango. I really needed that." Sakura sat up and gave her a big smile.

"Wow, you have gotten so much better and stronger, but I do think you can use a good weapon. Your throwing weapons are nice but here... We fight demons and monsters." Sango sat up and pulled shurikens from her bone weapon and handed them to Sakura. "Well, I always thought about swords being nice weapons. It something I know I can handle."

"We are going to have to find a good one for you. A good, sharp, pointy one!" Sango and Sakura laughed and got up walking to the their group who was up and cooking breakfast. Shippo ran and hugged Sakura.

"Sakura! I had the most wonderful dream that we played that trick on Inuyasha again." He was giggling and laughing in her arms.

"Feh, Like that trick would work on me again." He was sitting on a branch up a tree glaring at the two pranksters.

"Ah, Shippo, maybe we shouldn't do that again." She looked at Kagome and Inuyasha and gave an apologetic smile. "Well I think we should get moving. There is a small village up ahead and we can help out the locals in exchange for some supplies." Miroku for once was eager to move on. Maybe he wanted to rehearse the romantic words that Sakura said to Kagome the night before to some village ladies.

The group packed up and moved out minutes later. Sakura jogged up to Kagome and asked her all sorts of questions about her time. Comparing and contrasting the times. Sharing stories and adventures they had. Shippo would sit on Kagome's shoulder and listen intently. After a while the sun was sitting high in the bright blue sky. Inuyasha suddenly stopped, mid tracks and sniffed the air.

"I smell smoke and blood." He growled and pointed northerly to the small village they were heading to. In the horizon you can see a few spirals of smoke and can hear people cries of fear and pain.

"I sense a jewel shard in that village also." Kagome softly spoke out. Everyone ran at top speed towards the village. Inuyasha carried Kagome and Shippo. Kiarra transformed and carried Sango and Miroku and Sakura took to the trees as her chakra induced feet jumped from tree to tree rushing along the path with Inuyasha. Within minutes they were at the village and the chaos that was occurring took Sakura's breath away. Building were on fire, bodies lay motionless on the ground and women and children, well everyone were running around screaming their terrors trying to find a safe place to hide.

Kagome pointed forward and the group's eyes' followed to see a trio of large Ogre type demons with a woman and a young boy.

"Kagara...I can smell your stench a mile away." Inuyasha's hand instantly went to the hilt of Tetsaiga and withdrew the powerful sword from its sheath. "Oh, Inuyasha, you flatter me way to much." Kagara held a small smile on her face and a fan in her hand.

Sakura remember the conversations with Miroku and Sango about their enemies, mainly about Naraku and his evil incarnations. She deduced that this must be Kagara of the Wind. Naraku's subsidiary that manipulates the wind and the dead.

Sango walked inward a bit when her eyes landed on her brother, Kohaku. He was standing beside Kagara with his blood stained weapon in his hand, chain clanging in the wind, and a blank stare on his face. He neither smiled or showed any type of emotion. Just a seemingly empty vessel that moves.

"Why did you do this? What does Naraku want?" Kagome asked starring hotly at the group before her. "Naraku wants many things." Kagara sneered back at the miko. "But maybe we just want to have fun!" She snapped her fan open and hides her lower face from the eyes of those before her and muffled a small laugh.

Sakura's smart mind began working out a strategy. She figured Inuyasha would either go straight to Kagara or one of the ogre demons. Sango would probably go to her brother, Kohaku, and Kagome and Miroku would take the remaining demons. She broke into her stance; determine to make this, her first fight with the demons of this world a success. She tightened the scroll she stole around her making sure it was snug. She was never without that scroll. She had been studying it everyday and learned quite a lot. Bringing her mind back to the matter at hand, she accesses the situation further and decided to go for one of the demons.

Inuyasha wasted no time and ran forward towards Kagara. She whispered some words to Kohaku that no one could hear and swiftly moved away to dodge the onslaught that Inuyasha brought. Kohaku disappeared and the 3 ogre demons began attacking the heroes. Sakura ran to one ogres and dodge an attack. The ogre was swinging his massive arms wildly. She studied the demon and was trying to figure out the best way to kill the monster. She looked over to Kagome and Miroku who had ten the second demon. Kagome let fly her sacred arrow hitting the ogre's left arm causing it to dissolve instantly. Miroku finished the job by slapping a tag on the ogre's forehead and then he mutter a few words causing the ogre to shriek in pain then dissolve into nothingness. Sakura wondered how they did this but soon snapped out of this inquiring when the ogre grabbed her and threw her into the ground a few feet away. She cursed herself for not paying attention especially during the heat of battle. She flipped over and stood up and set her eyes on the offending object that just violently threw her. She reached into her pouch and brought out three kunais with white tags attached to them. With one in each hand and placing the third in her mouth she clinched her teeth and grunted when she ran at top speed towards her prey. In an instant she was in front of the demon and launched her first kunai into the right leg of the demon. It swatted at her but she dodges quickly and threw her second kunai into the chest of the demon. Its loud shrill could be heard for miles. Sakura ran around the back of the demon and then appeared onto of the demon and she plowed her final kunai with on her strength into the forehead of the demon. Another scream was heard and demon violently shook it head. Sakura launched her self off the demon landing a good 20 ft away. She turned around with stone cold eyes and began performing hand seals. When she got to O-hitsugi (ram) she yelled Explosion. Suddenly the kunais exploded. The demon's head explode along with the chest and legs. Everyone turned around to see what the loud commotion was. Sakura was standing by the charred and still burning remains of the demon with a smirk that was camouflaged.

"Wow, she did that." Kagome was helping a little girl find her mom when they turned to see the loud explosion. "I'm impressed." Miroku was now helping Sango dispose of the last demon.

Sakura was very pleased with herself. Almost a little too pleased. She was proud of herself for defeating a demon all by herself. The rush she got was exhilarating. Finally she was at a place where she didn't seem like she was the liability, a hindrance, but an asset. Soon her self praising was interrupted when she heard the whizzing of a chain coming towards her. She quickly performed Kawami no jutsu. Kohaku had thrown his weapon seemingly at Sakura but hit a log that now stood where she was. She reappeared behind him. "I don't want to fight you. Your Sango's brother." Kohaku twirled around trying to slash at Sakura. He made no comments but attacked fiercely. She fended him off. Blocking his attacks. Then she went on the offensive and wasn't surprised that Kohaku and Sango shared similar fighting styles. It was fighting Sango earlier that day. She threw a couple of shurikens at him but he blocked them with a swing of his weapon. As time went by. Sakura was losing chakra fast. She used a lot of it on that demon to make the explosions bigger than normal. It took all she had to just counter Kohaku, who still wore a mask of unconcern. Sakura's taijutsu had improved considerable. She landed hard kicks to Kohaku's mid section causing him to get unbalanced and tilt to the right further. Seeing this Sakura spun around and kicked Kohaku hard in the face with a chakra charged leg launching him backs towards Kagara. Inuyasha was about to do his wind scar attack when the former demon slayer skidded to a halt in front of Kagara. He was knocked semi-unconscious. The hanyo looked to his right to see the konoichi heavily panting with sweat dripping off her masked chin and brow. She still held her fighting stance and her eyes where focused and angry. Kagara turned and looked at her with interest then down at Kohaku. 'She is stronger than I thought. It is no wonder he wants her.' Kagara brought up her fan and gave a few whips. A whirlwind with strange lights in it was coming at her. Sakura thought briefly for a counter but her chakra was dangerously low.

'To hell with this, might as well go all out to the end.' Her inner self screamed into Sakura's consciousness. A smirked graced her faced and determination was shone in her eyes. She had been trying one of Sasuke's jutsu's in an attempt to feel a little closer to her crush. She summoned all the chakra her body had and started performing hands seals. The attack was bearing down on Sakura but she dared not move. When the last seal was performed she brought her fingers to her mouth in an okay sign and blew really hard. Fire shot out of Sakura's mouth and hit Kagara's attack dead on. It held back a bit but because her chakra was nearly gone it was too weak. The attack hit Sakura. Her body retched with pain and felt like the wind was slicing thru her. The wind was screaming around her or it was her screaming in raging pain. Once the attack finished its onslaught it dissipated behind. Amazingly, Sakura was still standing there arms up in defensive position. Large gashes were on her legs, arms and a big one on her chest. She didn't move an inch, eyes seemingly still focused. Her wounds were bleeding profusely, beginning to puddle below her. Everyone stared in horror at the sight. Kagara just smirked, pleased with herself. Time seemed to stop for Sakura. Her body was in so much pain she wanted to scream until her voice became hoarse. She was starring right at Kagara but soon her vision became blurry. Sakura swayed a bit then fell face forward, hard on the ground. The resounding thump seems to echo to all her friends' ears. The pain was too great for her to bear conscious. Her body decided to shut itself down.

Kagome called out her name and began running towards her with Shippo own her heels. Kagara with a sway of her fan made the wind blow dust up as a cover. Kohaku got up off the ground and ran over to Sakura's body picking it up. The wind master summoned their getaway and when all the dust had settled the pink hair ninja was no where to be found. Kagome and Shippo stood where her body had laid, blood still in small puddles in the dirt. Miroku and Sango ran up as well as Inuyasha.

"What the hell does Naraku want with her?" He growled out.

"I don't know, but I do know its not a good thing." Sango answered back then hesitantly added, "I hope she does not become another Kohaku."

"She was so badly hurt..." Kagome softly whispered.

"She's not going to die will she Kagome?" Shippo's question nearly broke down the group.

"You saw her Shippo. She's strong. She will survive this." Miroku held concern in his eyes to reassure the little kitsune.

"Well if she is alive, then we better start tracking her now." Inuyasha dipped his fingers in the dark pools and took a whiff. The cooper smell of blood was thick but Sakura's own essence made a home in Inuyasha's nose and memory. He pointed west and the group started tracking in that direction.

Naraku's castle was just as elusive as he was. If he wanted you to find it then you will. But if not, then it will take a lot of luck. The group was disgruntled and depressed. Even though the demons were gone, they lost a friend. And now their friend was about to meet the worst possible person in her life. Naraku.

To be continue

Sw

Preview of Chapter 8

Sakura wakes up in a strange place. But her body is no where to be found. She is just a HEAD! For the last year she's been haunting Kakashi's apartment as a floating head. Can ninja's exercise ghost too!

A/N

Ah sorry it took me a while! I hope you enjoyed chapter 7, I'm currently working on Chapter 8 and started a new Naruto fic. A Kakashi/Sakura fic! Hehehe

But I would like to thank Honolulu, Jacob Kessler and Bludany for reading and reviewing. In honor of them I post this chapter! Thank you so much

To answer your question Jacob I haven't planned on any of the other characters coming but that would make the fic have an interesting twist to it. This story is going to turn rather dark and maybe Naruto will be good to lighten the mood! Thanks for the suggestion!

Okay folks please post a review and tell me what you think about the story!!! SW