Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of the Merc and the Medic. Enjoy the 1200-word chapter. I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.
(Sakura and Marmora's house.)
Marmora looked at Sakura before he continued loading up his pack, he slid his mask over his head and pulled his head up before he heard a knock to the door.
He groaned and he turned to look at Sakura who walked to the door and opened it.
Sakura blinked and stared at the face of Sasuke Uchiha who walked into the house passed the stunned Jonin.
Marmora stood up and faced the Uchiha, he looked at the warrior.
"Lord Uchiha." Marmora said, he looked at Sakura again who walked over towards them.
Marmora knew that he was out of the league of the Uchiha clan. He knew how dangerous his eyes were, if not the rest of his powers. He didn't fear death, he feared Sasuke.
He feared for Sakura, no matter how capable she was, there would always be a threat she couldn't handle.
If he fell, Naruto or her friends wouldn't be around to help her… That he feared.
"Sasuke, I….!" Sakura said while Sasuke turned his attention to Sakura.
"Naruto gave me your address… You hired a mercenary?" Sasuke asked, still in the bored, dismissive tone before he sighed.
Sakura looked at Marmora, if he was bothered by being so easily dismissed, he didn't show it.
"I'm her roommate… I've packed everything I need to. I'm glad my new job allows me to postpone it." Marmora said, he pulled his mask over his head.
"We can talk at Sound…" Sasuke said before he left the house, Marmora turned to Sakura.
"That's all of 'Team 7'… Nice guy from what I've heard…" Marmora muttered while he walked out of the house, a tone in his voice.
Sakura looked at both of them before following, having changed from her civilian to Ninja clothing before Sasuke arrived.
Marmora turned to look at Sasuke who kept both of his eyes forward.
"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your clan." Marmora said, Sasuke looked irritated for a moment before Marmora asked another question.
"You plan on rebuilding the clan, correct? I heard from the Hokage you planned on leaving and the lack of the Uchiha district implies you don't wish to live here anymore." Marmora asked.
"I have nothing else for me here, talking Naruto into allowing me to leave was…" He said, trying to look for the word.
"Impossible?" He offered, Sasuke said nothing but the slight pull of his lips suggested he would have confirmed this.
"You're worried about me, aren't you? You believe I will kill Sakura?" Sasuke asked, Marmora raised an eyebrow under his mask and shook his head while making a snorting noise.
"No. I heard all over town the Hokage kicked your teeth in and lost an arm to do it because of your decision to force the world to fight you. I'm worried someone in Sound is going to try to put an explosive Kunai in Sakura or my spine. I know what a grudge and losing a war does to people." He said, Sasuke went to say something.
Marmora heard footsteps behind him and chuckled with amusement.
"I said you should have brought better shoes." He said before Sakura's fist collided with his shoulder. He rubbed his arm and smiled while he allowed the Jonin to slip into the middle of him and Sasuke.
"Marmora, where did you get that mask?" Sakura asked, Marmora sighed.
"I wasn't given it, before you ask." He said and rubbed at his wrists.
"You got it from another fallen mercenary, then." Sasuke said, Marmora hummed.
"I'm sorry for asking." Sakura said, knowing that Marmora considered his team his family, just like she did with Team Seven.
"It's fine, we're mercenaries… I am a mercenary; I keep acting like I'm still one. I've lost comrades before, Sakura, that's what war and battle does. I'm honoring what my friend stood for by wearing his mask." He stated, fixing his mask only slightly.
"I've heard there was several attacks over the week." Sasuke said while they passed out of the gates.
"A… Crime lord coming after me is behind those. I think someone is more or less pulling his strings. I know Danuja is willing to pursue me into the same village as the Hokage, he isn't willing to go sending dozens of soldiers after me like he is." He said, Sakura sighed before Marmora looked forward awkwardly.
"I've had several people trying to kill me since the war." Sasuke said, Marmora looked at the perfectly serious Uchiha.
"Well then… I'm serious on my idea that someone else is behind Danuja's efforts. Danuja is an idiot if he's trying to kill Sasuke… And Danuja isn't stupid." He stated, they continued walking before Sakura looked at the trees.
"You think Danuja is willing to ambush us here?" She asked before there was movement in the trees. She watched a dozen or so of Danuja's elite soldiers and 2 dozen mercenaries.
"Yes." Marmora said simply while he and Sasuke prepared for a fight.
"Hmm…" Sasuke said before he rushed forward, Marmora watched 2 of the elite soldiers who went to slash at him fall to the ground, cuts through their backs.
"Yep, Danuja has a puppet master… Idiots trying to take on Sasuke, a Jonin and you? He'd never do this…" Marmora said before he was knocked to the ground by a kick from a mercenary.
He responded by flipping to his feet and then dodging the man's attempt to stab him with a Kunai. He grabbed the weapon from the man's hand before stabbing him in the neck before he flicked the Kunai into another soldier's head before she could draw her sword.
He turned to see another of the elite soldier's leap at him before Sakura grabbed him. She slammed the soldier into the ground hard enough to shatter it, causing a crater under him.
"You wonder why I don't like making you mad." He joked before the remaining warriors continued to set in.
Sasuke parried the blade of one of the elite soldiers before cutting the soldier's throat. She fell to the ground lifeless before the mercenaries went to dogpile him.
Sasuke was pushed back a few feet before he sighed.
"Pathetic." He said to the men and woman trying to push his remaining arm back and force him to the ground to finish him off.
Sakura punched through the sword of an elite soldier who was grabbed by Marmora who snapped her neck.
They turned to see Sasuke kick back before using Amaterasu to ignite the remaining thugs.
"Damn… I forgot how ruthless they said he was." Marmora said, looking away.
Sakura could only watch the burning thugs with horror and awe.
Author Notes
Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out Danuja isn't going to be the first major villain, you're know who when they get to Sound. I'm trying to make Sasuke the same but imply he's still ruthless and Sakura isn't entirely over her conflicted feelings. Next chapter will show them getting to Sound, more bonding romantically between Sakura and Marmora and introduce the first villain. Until Tuesday or so, Lighting Wolf out!