Chapter Seven: The Ambush
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!
Kakashi was quick to apologize to Sakura and admitted that he had ignored her, but swore he would never underestimate her again. Naturally, Naruto pulled her into an embrace so tight Sasuke was forced to intervene and swore he would kick Kakashi's ass the next time he upset her.
Sai, quiet as usual, stood by in the corner—the corner of his lips turned up.
It was about time…
Several days later, cell seven moved out for Konoha.
"I can't wait to get home. Ichiraku here I come!" Naruto yelled as he leapt from a branch.
"I'm going to take a hot shower and sleep for the next twenty-four hours." Sakura replied.
"I was thinking about getting in some training. Wanna push your cat-nap back?" Sasuke smirked.
"Maybe." Sakura replied with feigned indifference so fake even Sasuke couldn't help but grin.
"Tsk…Tsk…letting your guards down so easily?"
The thrown cell halted, reaching for weaponry.
Kabuto smirked. How easily they fell into his trap…
"Oto…scatter…" The nin'i said.
The Leaf shinobi found themselves surrounded, dodging weaponry and taijutsu attacks before they realized what was happening.
"Sai!" Sakura cried, ramming into the ninja with enough force to send him sprawling away from the poison coated senbon bearing down on him.
'Can't dodge!...' Sakura realized as she flicked a shuriken into the silver rain.
The star cleared a path large enough for her to slip through.
Behind her, Naruto was drilling his Rasengan into several shinobi and Sasuke was tearing through their ranks with a variation of Chidori.
"Cover me!" Sakura called to Kakashi, who nodded in response as he fell in behind her.
'I have to take out Kabuto!' She thought, the lack of chakra in the attacking squadron telling her they were reanimations of corpses. And that meant he was pulling all of the strings.
Leaping into the tree, Sakura lunged at the medic, her hands glowing with the force of the chakra scalpel they maintained.
"Sweet little Sakura…" Kabuto sneered derisively.
'We'll see how sweet I am.' She thought with a smirk as she tossed a handful of shuriken at him.
Swinging under the branch, Kabuto charged her, his hands holding the same aura.
Kakashi watched from below as Sakura parried his mystic palm with her own—each looking for an opening with which to land a decisive hit.
"Kakashi!"
He slammed into the ground before he could register the blur as friend or foe—but it was Sai pushing him down under a blade that would have ripped through his throat.
"Watch yourself." The shinobi said as he retreated to help Naruto.
Sasuke was tempted to aid Sakura, but he would just get in the way if they continued with the close quarters combat they both excelled at. Turning his attention to where it would be most useful, he went to finish off an incoming platoon.
Sakura blocked Kabuto's thrust and dropped, sweeping her leg around. But Kabuto was fast, flipping over the extended limb and cartwheeling at her.
'Dammit…' She thought as she flipped into a handstand.
Kabuto grabbed her as she pulled back, slinging her over his shoulder.
Twisting, Sakura planted her feet on the branch and threw her weight forward. Kabuto sprawled, regaining his balance as Sakura's hand flew past his cheek, ripping his face open.
'Bitch…' He cursed as he attacked her with renewed ferocity.
But as he leapt forward, he cued the ground squadron.
Sasuke followed after an escaping Sound shinobi, tearing through him easily before turning to face the next wave.
He didn't feel the wire at his feet slip.
"This is it!" Sakura yelled as she threw her fist forward.
"Are you sure?" He smiled, glancing at Sasuke.
Sakura spun…..
An explosive tag…!
"Sasuke!" She yelled as she dropped from the trees, shielding him from the sunburst of white-hot light that emanated from the tag moments later.
He flew back into the bushes, completely disoriented. He was vaguely aware that he no longer sensed Sai, Naruto, or Kakashi…but they also weren't dead as he could still feel their residual trails.
Sakura lay sprawled out beside him, curled against herself in unconsciousness.
"Sakura! Sakura!" He cried, shaking her as he sat up.
"Sa…Sas….Sasuke! I can't see you!" She replied.
Sasuke flipped her onto her back, wondering what she was talking about.
His heart rose in his throat….
Sakura's eyes streamed blood from beneath bruised lids.
She was blind….
TBC