11 : Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke

By: Kokoro Kakera HP ^^

Disclaimer: Naruto, (Manga, anime, products, etc.), belongs to Kishimoto Masashi

Author's Notes:
Here it is! It was painful, writing this, I tell you, because I didn't expect it. This is one of those chapters in the middle of the beginning and climax that you need; otherwise the whole thing won't work. It's like the cream filling in an Oreo cookie. *_* I LOVE Oreos. (Especially with milk).
Ah yes, my excuse for being late. It's good too! You'll never believe it! I was writing, (at breakneck speed too), but when I finally finished, I realized something amazing. I actually wrote chapter 12 instead of 11! Isn't that crazy!?
...It's true.
Let's ignore the fact that I'm currently writing another fanfiction besides this one.
(Ya, don't read it if you currently respect me).
How can I say this...? Aw heck, I'll just make it blunt. I love you all!!! All the nice comments you've made, and one, telling their friends about this fanfiction too! I've never felt so touched...
Notice the chapter title? Sorry about that. I guess Naruto has to wait another little while until he gets his own chapter back.
Okay, okay, it's getting long, but one more note: This chapter was written while listening to Tsugaru from the DDR 7th mix soundtrack. (Yes, I will continue to advertise songs like this, but they're worth it!!!)
Warning: This chapter was written quickly with impatience. Don't expect something amazing.

"There's nothing for you to do. Take a break for the rest of the week."

Kakashi had told him to do whatever he wanted for a week.

"But what did he mean by 'There's nothing for you to do!?" Naruto yelled. There was probably an entire list of missions that needed to be accomplished. There always was.

This being a fact, there was only one conclusion Naruto could come up with to explain Kakashi's sudden dismissal of his team. He was trying to hide something very important from them, which made him wonder; just how big was this secret? "There's nothing for me to do, my ass." Naruto murmured as he tied on his forehead protector. He would go to the usual meeting place and from there... Naruto faltered when he realized something.

...Kakashi had dismissed them for a while. How would he confront him if he didn't even come!?

"Damnit!"

There was a small metallic click at the door as a scroll was inserted through the mail slot.

"A change of plans?" Sakura murmured. "And location for today?" Unless Kakashi had something really big that needed to be kept somewhat secret and started right away, she couldn't think of why he even bothered to go through the trouble of making such a notice. Why wouldn't they just walk there from their usual meeting point? She looked up from the map that had been also included on the notice to make sure she was going the right way.

"Sasuke-kun? Naruto?" Both boys turned.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto said happily. "Feeling better today?" Sakura smiled.

"Yes. Thank you." Sakura unconsciously touched her arm. She reddened at the memory of the day before.

"You shouldn't have left so quickly. This jutsu needs to be replaced everyday."

"Every-?"

"Ah. Otherwise, it wears off."

"O-oh..."

'That was too embarrassing! I went crazy over nothing! I'm such an idiot...'

"Sakura-chan?" Sakura blinked away the memory.

"S-sorry." She said, shaking her head. "I zoned out..." She looked away from Naruto's befuddled expression to see Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun?" She inclined her head slightly. He looked distracted. He seemed to be looking for something. "Sasuke-kun?" Sakura looked in the same direction he was. "Is there something the matter?"

"Don't you think it's strange?" He murmured, getting both Naruto and Sakura's attentions. "That Kakashi suddenly changed his mind about giving us a break and at the same time, changed our meeting location?"

"Maybe he wants to teach us something today." Naruto said shrugging.

"Naruto's probably right." Sakura said reassuringly. "If we're going to practice a new jutsu, Kakashi-sensei would want us to be in a secluded place where we can't do harm to nearby civilians."

"Why not just walk here from the meeting place then?" Sasuke asked.

"So we don't get held back if we meet someone along the way?" Sakura said, sounding unsure herself now. "I was wondering the same thing earlier, but Kakashi-sensei probably has a good reason for it..." Sasuke didn't look convinced.

"You scared of something, Sasuke?" Naruto asked teasingly. "Yo-awahh!" Chakra blades flew at him at frightening speeds. In a flash, Sasuke was behind him, snatching him back just in time. Time seemed to slow down for Naruto as he, while being tugged out of the way, felt the wind off the sharp projectiles brush his face and then whistle by.

"Shit, we've been set up!" Sasuke's sharingan had already emerged.

Barely a second after the first attack, another barrage of blades were sent, causing Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura to scatter.

One particularly fast one caught the edge of Naruto's pants and to his shock ate away half of his pant leg as a result.

"Don't let them even touch you!" Naruto yelled. "It'll be like getting hit directly by something twice its size!"

Sakura hadn't fared much better in keeping her clothes completely intact. The skirt flaps of her suit were no longer around.

"How long will this last?" Naruto yelled. He was beginning to tire.

"Don't you dare start slacking off!" Sasuke snapped. He leaped again and hissed when the end of his shirtsleeve was caught. He was left with a one-sleeved shirt.

'I can't dodge properly like this!'

He was becoming too distracted watching out for Naruto and Sakura at the same time. Sakura hadn't said anything, but he knew she was probably tiring out as well. He reached out and grabbed the back of her shirt to yank her from a shower of chakra she didn't seem to be dodging fast enough.

"Sorry." Sakura apologized as she jumped past him to dodge another attack.

'Stupid, stupid! You should have been able to dodge that one!' Sakura berated herself fiercely, vowing not to become a third wheel for Sasuke again in the fight, if she could help it. 'Sasuke-kun has enough on his hands as it is, without me being a rock in his path.'

Sasuke made a mental note to talk to Sakura after this was over. It was frustrating that in normal situations, Sakura would express if she felt any form of fatigue or pain, while in life and death situations like this, she wouldn't say anything at all. If he hadn't been checking on her, he might have allowed her to get cut into pieces because she hadn't said anything about being tired.

"What the-?" Naruto's voice brought Sasuke back to attention.

"We're trapped!" Sakura cried. Sasuke's eyes widened when he realized what Sakura and Naruto were talking about. A dome of chakra blades had risen around them. Naruto spun around wildly, looking for a way out.

"It's no use." A ninja announced triumphantly. Sasuke's eyes picked her out immediately from the shadows of a heavily mossed tree. "My chakra has you completely surrounded. It's only a matter of me completing this jutsu before you're all sliced into pieces. You can try though. It's always been quite entertaining for me to watch my enemies realize the hopelessness of their situation before they die."

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto yelled. "We won't die like this!" There had to be a way out. No jutsu was completely and utterly without weakness or possibility of failure. His eyes flickered from Sakura to Sasuke. Sakura was quivering, meaning she didn't have any good ideas. Sasuke didn't look to optimistic either. 'But this can't be the end! I still...' Naruto's hands became tight fists. 'I still have to become Hokage! I have to beat Sasuke! And I...' Naruto's eyes softened when he looked back at Sakura. 'I have someone to protect.'

As the minutes ticked by though, the situation only seemed to become worse.

Sakura looked absolutely terrified. She slowly looked back at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun..." She whispered.

Sasuke had a grim look on his face. He'd never seen this technique before and it didn't help that he was caught off guard by it. For the moment, things looked pretty bad.

"Calm down, Sakura." Sasuke looked around, forcing his mind to do the same. He was on the edge of panicking. He couldn't help it.

'I don't want to die.'

His blood ran loudly in his ears and he could hear the thundering rhythm of his heart.

'I'll die. I'll die. I'll die... -Stop it!'

Sasuke blinked away the black dots appearing in his eyes.

'Breathe.

The Sharingan in his eyes was already collecting information about the jutsu that was being used. His eyes narrowed as his mind began to realize and predict the ninja's actions. Maybe if he understood enough, he could stop the jutsu from being performed completely. He nearly choked, his breath stopping, at seeing the ninja initiate the beginning of the technique that would close the sphere of bladed chakra loops. There wasn't enough time-!

"There's no point in dragging out a kill if there's no tangible fear involved." The ninja sighed. "I'm afraid it's time for you all to die." Her hands moved faster. "I just hope they'll be able to sort out your body parts after I'm done. A mixed up finger or nose could be quite inconvenient if they tried to prepare your remains for a funeral."

Sakura's hands gripped into fists so tightly that her fingernails cut into her palms. There was nowhere to run. No way to get out. No way for them to be saved. She screamed as the ninja called out the first word of the jutsu that would finish her, Naruto and Sasuke.

"Dea-"

It happened so fast that the ninja didn't even get a chance to utter a cry, much less make another sound. Just as she was about to recite the rest of her jutsu, a spear ripped through her throat. The spray of blood that burst forward was swallowed up before it fell when the spear ignited and engulfed her body.

The deadly chakra dome collapsed and fell harmlessly to the ground, disintegrating on contact.

A cloud of ashes rising was all that was left of the ninja's corpse when it fell.

The spear, seemingly unmarred, slid smoothly through the ashes into the ground with a whisper, it's metal glinting victoriously.

It had all happened before the body even touched the ground.

"What a useless subordinate. That jutsu left her so vulnerable that she couldn't even sense me coming." The three chuunins stared at the charred flakes, horrified by the sight and stunned by the speed of the kill. "There's no need to thank me." A man said lightly. He walked up behind the corpse remains and kicked them. "I'm not too fond of her." Sasuke and Naruto turned to the newcomer, both distrustful and filled with apprehension. They hadn't sensed his arrival either. The man smiled pleasantly. It made their skin crawl.

"Why would we thank you?" Sakura whispered shakily, still staring at the pile of ashes.

"Indeed." The man agreed. "After all, I didn't do it to save you."