Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. xP SUCKS.

Reviewers, you all have been awesome! I got my 50th review with chapter six! I'm so happy! Thank you all so much for staying with me and supporting me as I worked on this story.

I know, I'll shut up. This story is FAR from over! xD

I'm also sorry for being that "evil author who loves cliffhangers way too much." If it weren't for school and cheerleading/tumbling, I would be updating every OTHER day. lol!
Anyways, shutting up and getting to the story! Thanks for reading guys!

Chapter 6:

Stained Cherry Blossoms

ANBU cleared all the rooms of the Snake Sannin's hideout. Their captain had just put in an order for as many of them to come to the prison chambers, immediately. His voice was hushed, but still sharp and urgent.

Klang! The sound of metal upon metal could be heard throughout the halls and the expected screams of pain from an already weakened Sakura could be heard, loud and clear. Every gasp or shriek of pain that she let out, Sasuke flinched. He grew angrier by the minute, knowing that he could only stand by and watch her battle to the death with the one responsible for killing her parents.

Kabuto laughed as he slashed Sakura across her chest with his blade. She was moving much slower now, and her movements had begun to get sloppy. She blocked most of the attacks sent at her, but unfortunately didn't catch them all.

"You are a worthy opponent young kunoichi. Much more worthy of an honorable death now than you were a few years ago."
Sakura yelled as she dodged the shuriken thrown at her, though one of the six catching her in the side, opening a deep gash that caused her to double over in pain. Her body was beyond numbness, as it had sustained a lot of damage already. Her medic side took over, and for a moment she took inventory of the severity of her wounds. Kabuto's chakra scalpel had cut through several of her muscles, making her scream in pain every time she moved. She knew she probably had a lot of internal bleeding, thanks to him, and that too, she wouldn't have long to live. She had to finish this quickly, before he finished her.
"U-Urusei." She muttered, forcing herself to her feet again. She could feel Sasuke's chakra getting closer to her, but she knew that by the time he got to her she would probably be dead.

With a huge sudden burst of determination, Sakura sucked in a sharp breath of air. She forced her body to move, even though at this point a normal human being would be dead cold. "I won't lose to you, you filthy, disgraceful bastard!" She threw a kunai in Kabuto's direction, but he easily dodged it, and she locked her other kunai with his in a death-lock. Their faces were just inches apart. So close I can actually spit in his face and it would reach too. She thought shrewdly.

"You can't win young kunoichi. I'm much stronger than you." Kabuto taunted. Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You willing to bet your life on that?" She snapped.

Kabuto smirked. "Are you?" He asked.

The Konoha ANBU captain analyzed the situation. Blood covered the floor between the prison chamber's two combatants. Had the situation not been dire, and his presence crucial to remain hidden, Sasuke would have cheered Sakura on. He waited impatiently for the rest of his team to arrive. He silently hoped that Ino was okay too, considering that her opponent was now fighting her best friend.

"Uchiha-san!"

Sasuke turned around, to find his group of ANBU Nins rushing up to him. He put a finger to his lips, in an attempt to keep their presence hidden from Kabuto. "Here's the plan. I need several of you to help me break through this chakra wall. Sakura isn't going to last much longer, and I refuse to stand by and watch her get killed. Orochimaru is dead, Sakura disposed of him already. We need to go in, get her out and get rid of Kabuto. Everyone clear?" He asked, briefly briefing his teammates on what had happened. They all nodded gravely, looking on to witness Sakura take a bad blow to her chest from the chakra scalpel.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed angrily as he signaled to his group to disperse around the room on the outside. Once the group of ANBU Nin had completely surrounded the room, they all clasped their hands together, forming the Tiger Seal.

"On three." Sasuke said into his headset, speaking to them all. "We'll only be able to make a minor breach. I'm going in."

"Hai, Uchiha-san." He heard.

"One...Two...Three!" He said.

"KAI!" All eight of the Nin shouted at once.

Sasuke saw the chakra shield waver slightly, and he dove right in, not wasting another second. The chakra shield broke as he entered through it, and soon, the Konoha Nin had intervened, just in time too.

It took six ANBU Nin to restrain Kabuto. Sakura fell to her knees, her strength beginning to leave her quickly now that she wasn't in the heat of battle. As soon as her eyes fell on the restrained Kabuto, did her heart fill with malice all over again. The ANBU Nins were taking control of the situation, but they weren't fast enough to catch her hands, which were now performing seals for one last jutsu.

Sakura's emerald eyes narrowed upon the man who'd killed her parents. Completing the final handseal, she repeated her actions the same way with the jutsu she'd used to kill Orochimaru. Kabuto's face remained impassive, albeit he hardly showed the fear that he was beginning to feel inside.

Sakura's eyes were filled with bloodlust.

"CHIDORI!" She screamed, shoving her way out of the group of ANBU Nins and driving her right fist with the glowing, crackling ball of chakra into Kabuto's heart. His eyes widened and he gasped in pain and surprise.

"Die you bastard. Feel the pain that you put my parents though!" She screamed, yanking her hand free from his chest, blood splashing all over herself and the closest Nin around her.
Kabuto smiled as Sakura dropped to her knees, completely drained and out of chakra. "Y-you may h-have killed m-me," He stuttered, still smirking. "B-but you're al-almost d-dead yourself." Sakura felt her body dropping to the ground. He was right. She'd used up all of her chakra, including the small amount she'd had in reserves.

Kabuto gasped one last time, before his heart stopped beating. The sick thing was, Sasuke noticed, was that you could see the traitor Medic Nin's heart through the hole that Sakura had punched through his chest with the Chidori. It collapsed, and the air left Kabuto's body forever.

Sasuke turned around in time to see Sakura fall. He caught her by her upper arms, just before she fell to the floor. Her eyes were partially closed, but tears streamed from her eyes anyway. Finally, she looked back up at her "rescuer." Her green eyes widened.

"Sasuke-kun?" She whispered.

He smirked at first, but then it turned into a smile. "Aa." He said, gently brushing stray strands of pink from her eyes. Kami…I'm so glad I found her alive.

Sakura was speechless at first, but she suddenly threw her arms around his neck, pulling him tightly to her. She winced noticeably from her injuries, but she held on tight, refusing to let go. Sasuke felt her grip around him tighten. His first instinct told him to grab onto her tight too and never let go, but he held back. He knew she was in pain and he didn't want to hurt her more. He was just more than relieved to have her alive, and even more happy to have her in his arms. He smirked.

The other ANBU Nin scanned the area, making sure that there were no remaining members of Orochimaru's that needed to be taken out. They returned after a while, reporting back to their captain that the place had been secured.

Sasuke nodded affirmative. He looked down at Sakura, who he could see was struggling to stay conscious. "It's okay." He whispered softly. He pulled her closer as he felt her sigh just softly enough for him to hear. She succumbed to the darkness that had been threatening to come. Sasuke sighed deeply as he felt her go limp in his arms. He wrapped her tighter in his arms as he stood, moving to follow the rest of his team out of the complex and to the rendezvous point. He took one last look at the room containing the remains of four dead ninja. Two innocent, two criminals. His heart wrenched as he realized the two Konoha Nin were Sakura's missing parents. He fought to swallow the lump forming in his throat as he carried his former teammate out of the hideout and into the forest.

She's just like me. He thought as he raced to the rendezvous point, with Sakura unconscious on his back.

Tsunade's eyes widened at the bundle in her returning ANBU captain's arms. "Mission complete." Sasuke's second in command reported, bowing respectfully to the Hokage. Sasuke stayed silent and he locked gazes with Tsunade. She could see the urgency in his eyes, and without a second thought, she whispered, "Go." Relief at seeing her apprentice alive again washing through her like a tidal wave.

At her words, Sasuke disappeared, racing his unconscious teammate to the hospital.

The minute he arrived, the medics took Sakura from his arms and he was left to wait agonizingly in the waiting room. With a good long while to mull over his thoughts, Sasuke sat on a bench, his ANBU mask slipping from his head to behind his neck and shoulders. With his head dropping into his hands, he hunched his shoulders, trying hard to hide his face.

Witnesses would testify too to this…

It was the first time in years that the ice-cube Uchiha cried.

A/N: Oooo! So it's coming along, ne? To answer everyone's questions, details on what happens to Ino-chan and Itachi will come in the next chapter!
Don't worry people, Sakura will be ok.