Okies. 'Nother chappie. My arms hurt. Ok, it's up Jess-nee.
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!!! STOP ASKING!!!
I stink at fillers. I'm so sorry for the suckiness. ToT
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The nock on the door alerted them all to a visitor and they were instantly on edge. Neji looked at the door, byakugan working.
"A message." Tenten pulled out a kunai and Shikamaru grabbed the doorknob. Shikamaru threw open the door and leapt out of the way, while Tenten sent a few kunai through the scroll. When nothing happened Shikamaru attentively opened it up. (It's not paranoia if someone's out to get you)
Shikamaru was surprised.
"Sasuke. It's for you."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow and took it in his hands. He read silently and then handed it to Shikamaru. While Shikamaru read Sasuke continued to pack, but started gearing up for a battle. Sakura placed Niya in her lap and covered her ears.
Dear Uchiha Sasuke,
Don't ask how I found you, I just did. I wanted to ask how much you care about this little village. With what you did to Kumokagurke, you're obviously not very merciful. But would you have an entire village destroyed to save a little girl? That's what I'll do if you don't meet me in the western forests. And don't even think of sending that bleeding-hearted woman off with the little girl. You'll need every one of you 'comrades' to defeat me. I expect you by 9 o' clock or the town is gone by 10.
There are only two rules for this, Uchiha-san. 1. Bring the girl. I get her if you guys lose. 2. Don't hold back. I won't
Signed,
Your redeemer
Sasuke started for the door.
"Sasuke. What is this?" Tenten asked.
"How should I know?" Sasuke asked. He reached one arm out and wound it around Niya's middle. He carried her out the door in a football hold. Sakura ran after him. Tenten sighed.
"Well, at least we're suited up." Neji and Shikamaru walked past her and out the door. Tenten silently followed.
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"Neji…"
"Right." Neji glanced around the clearing. There it was. The enemy shinobi.
She-for it was most definitely female-was sitting on a branch on the other side of the feeling. Tall and lean. Dark hair falling free and very, very long. It hung below the branch she was sitting on. It must've been down to her knees. She was wearing a long dark cloak and she sat on the branch with ease. She looked bored, but Neji could see her eyes. They were incredibly blood thirsty. And they were focused right on Sasuke.
"She's right there. A woman. Dark cloak, but not akatsuki. Tall, young. Teens probably. She's in good shape." Neji reported. He glanced at Sasuke. "She's definitely after you."
Sasuke gave Niya to Sakura and stepped forward. "She has me." Sasuke sent a kunai into the forest where he could see the chakra signal. And he also could see her snatch it out of the sky with a lazy flick of her fingers. He watched her hand raise and his arm flew out and pushed Neji backwards. They all jumped back as the ground rumbled and shook. They watched in horror as the ground, no the dirt, started to rise.
"Whoever she is, she knows sand Jutsu!" Shikamaru yelled.
"Sakura! Take care of-Sakura?!" Sasuke's eyes widened. Sakura's lower body was encased in dirt and it was quickly trying to grasp the arms that held Niya. The little girl was screaming. Sakura was slashing at the sand to no avail. In a last desperate act she dropped her kunai and threw Niya bodily to Sasuke. He caught her and Sakura was instantly covered in Sand. Tenten screamed her name and lunged for her, but the sand pillar dropped and Sakura was gone.
"MAMA!!!" Niya screamed. Sasuke buried her face in his shoulder. He whipped around to the sand beast. It barely had a form, not like the Shukaku. It had a large slash that Sasuke guessed was a mouth of some kind, but that's where the human characteristics ended. Pillars of sand lashed out, trying to hit the shinobi. Sasuke grit his teeth. She wanted him, she had him. He threw Niya to Tenten without warning (who barely managed to grab her) and ran for the beast. He pulled his favorite and least-used weapon (at least now) out. His katana. And thrust raw power through the blade.
With a cry he started tearing at the beast. Sand flew away with the strikes of his blade. Then he was being restrained and pulled away from the beast. He wouldn't have been taken if he hadn't been so sentimental.
"Damn it Neji! What?!" he yelled. The Hyuga stared him in the eyes.
"Stop. Where's Sakura?"
"She was taken by whoever's controlling that thing!"
"No she wasn't. Sasuke, use your eyes. She's in that thing."
Sasuke snapped around to see that there was indeed a chakra signal inside the beast. Sakura had both arms off to the side and her head was fallen forward, her feet together below her. She looked like she was on a cross. He didn't look at Neji, but spoke to him.
"How do we get her out?"
"I have no idea." Neji answered. "Shikamaru?"
"…The woman. Could we attack her?" Tenten asked.
"She might kill her." Shikamaru answered.
"She wants Sasuke doesn't she? Let's pretend to give him to her."
"I'm not a gift to be given and taken." Sasuke said in his deep voice.
"Let's try to talk to her, get information." Shikamaru decided. Wordlessly, they agreed. They stepped out of the cover of the trees.
"What do you want from us?" Shikamaru called.
"Up there." Neji said. They all directed their eyes upward. There she was, standing on top of the beast. She looked just like Neji had seen. Long, long black hair that reached below her knees. Long black cloak, young. She was only a child, but she was strong. Especially since she had Sakura's body thrown over her shoulder. "What I want is simple." With a simple toss, Sakura was thrown off the beast and flew sideways across the clearing. Sasuke's movement was instantaneous. He caught her in his arms and dropped to his knees, laying her down.
"I want that child."
Sasuke's eyes widened and he ran as fast as he could to the tree Niya was hiding behind.
Even Neji couldn't see her movements.
He intercepted the girl just before she got to the tree.
"Ooo, fast." she said with a twisted grin. She pulled a kunai from somewhere beneath her cloak and threw herself at Sasuke. There kunai clashed and they fought for dominance. She was a lot shorter than Sasuke.
Niya peeked out from behind her tree. Well there was Sasuke-san and another girl. The others were trying to come to Niya, but the beast was stopping them. Where was Niya's momma?
Niya's throat tightened. There. Lying on the ground on her side. It was Momma. Niya glanced at Sasuke, and then ran as fast as her little legs would take her towards her momma. She dropped down next to her. She shook her shoulder.
"Momma! Momma! Wake up, Momma! Wake up!!! Momma! Oh no momma, don't die!! Don't die Momma!" Niya was starting to cry. "I need you momma!!!" Sakura didn't move. Niya started to tremble. Her eyes formed tears. She threw her head back and wailed. Her eyes slid open and she could see the beast threw her blurred vision. Slowly, she stopped crying. Her tears stopped. She slowly stood and looked at the beast.
"You." her voice was hoarse. "You…killed my momma. You're going to pay. You're really going to pay!!!"
Sasuke looked at the girl out of the corner of his eyes and they instantly widened. Dear God…she was making seals. And he recognized them. Her voice rang out, clear as day.
"SUITON: SUIGADAN!!!!!!!!" (Water release: Water fang bullet)
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Okay this is bad and late. Kumokagurke is giving me a headache. It's also short. But I'm starving. Please review! Even though it sux royally.
