A/N: This was an old submission for Sasusaku Month 2014 Day 2. Prompt: Late.
It was official. Team 7 was back in action and ready to go on another mission together since the war ended.
Their first mission was supposed to be simple. They were supposed to meet with a shinobi from Otou to do an exchange. An antidote for a disease that was currently spreading, in exchange for an alliance between Konoha and Otou.
But instead, they went home with injuries and a temporarily blind and deaf kunoichi.
.
.
Earlier on that same day, Sai, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto were briefed for their mission.
"So we've all agreed that Sakura-chan will meet up with this ninja and administer the antidote to him." Naruto clarified.
"Yes."
"We'll be waiting up on the trees in case you need any help." She nodded.
"Okay! Let's do this!" Sakura jumped to the ground and walked cautiously towards the open cave while her teammates keep a lookout from above, staying hidden behind the leaves. There, stood a middle-aged cloaked man.
"Did you bring the antidote?" The man began to speak in a low voice that sent chills down her spine.
"Here. Now, we agreed that we don't want any trouble. We just want to help build the alliance."
"Fair enough." The man handed her a scroll and she started opening it slowly.
But the scroll suddenly activated a jutsu. Sakura was quick to throw the scroll away and leaped backwards, shielding herself with her arms. But she didn't get to avoid the whole blast.
A loud explosion erupted form the cave, shaking the ground and the trees where they stood.
"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled in an instant when he saw the puff of smoke coming out. They all rushed towards it but was suddenly abrupted by a group from Otou. They had no choice but to fight them first in order to get to Sakura. Sasuke just wished she was alright.
That jutsu emitted light that blinded her eyesight and sound that pierced her ears, causing them to bleed. She could only see darkness and hear a high-pitched tone ringing in her ears. Her arms were covered with scratches and burn marks, nothing she could heal in an instant.
Without hesitation, she punched the ground to prevent the enemy from coming any closer. It seemed to slow them down, but he kept on hurling weapons at her. Still disoriented from the blast, her senses were clouded. She was kneeling on the ground, shaking her head. Her head felt like it was being pressed between two boulders. He flash stepped towards with a kunai, ready to finish her off.
"I'm disappointed at you. I thought Konoha has many tough shinobis. I guess you're just not one of them."
When she felt him near her, she quickly built up chakra in her fist and swung forward, aiming for his torso. Despite her dulled senses, she still managed to land a blow on him, feeling her fist come in contact with his body, sending him flying to the opposite wall before dropping to the ground with a thud.
As soon as she sensed no movements, she let herself relax, collapsing to the floor disoriented. She tried blinking her eyes a few times. Darkness still clouded her vision. She could still hear the ringing in her ears, her breathing starting to become more erratic.
Calm down, Sakura.
Breathe in, breathe out.
She calmed herself down, channeling her chakra to her optic nerves and auditory nerves. She carefully assessed the damage, trying her best to be calm and collected. She felt the healing chakra soothe her, stitching back the damaged tissue and nerves. Soon, the ringing had stopped, and her vision had started to clear up a bit but her ears still stung.
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and she immediately tensed, holding the kunai in a defensive position. She felt the familiar chakra signature, Sasuke-kun, and lowered the kunai.
She couldn't hear him, nor see the worried look on his face. She desperately clung to him, clasping her hands around his.
"Sasuke-kun, is that you? I can't see anything. I can't hear anything."
He could see her eyes were of a clouded opaque shade and her stare was empty. He saw a trail of blood out of her ears. His heart felt like it was being crushed into pieces. He had sworn he would protect her.
He squeezed her hands, letting her know of his presence, telling her that he's there for her. He pulled her into a tight embrace, reassuring her that she was safe, and he was there to protect her, caressing her hair in a soothing manner. Relief washed over him knowing that she's okay and the threat had been neutralized.
"I'm sorry I'm late." He whispered into her ears even though he knew she couldn't hear him.
He glanced at the man's limp body. Somewhere close to him, lied a broken vile that contained the antidote.
So much for an alliance.
They managed to travel back to Konoha safely and headed straight to the hospital.
She was gonna be okay. They all knew it.