CHAPTER 8
"THE TRUTH IS DISCOVERED"
by: Sonamy Angel
Sakura was unconscious in Jirubo's arms while she was being carried away to Orochimaru's hide place. The sound four were jumping from three to three. They were still very shocked about Sakura's abilities.
"Did you see what she did? What was it?" Tayuya inquired, the doubt of how someone like her would have so much power.
"I don't know, but it was very impressive ; her attack vanished your demons. Everybody knows that's not an easy task to do." Sakon answered. In his mind he was wondering the same.
Tayuya looked over to Jirubo's arms, where Sakura was lying in deep sleep.
"I know. I think I subestimated her. She is really strong." She sighed.
" I don't feel her breathing. Do you think she is still alive?" Jirubo asked to the others when a voice cut his answers off.
"Hn. She better be"
The sound four turned around. Sasuke was standing on top of a branch of a three near by. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes wore a severe look. He jumped off and landed on the ground with a soft 'thud'.
"How the heck did you finds?" Sakon yelled angrily. Wow. The kid really was a pain in the ass.
Sasuke frowned in annoyance. "Give me back the girl and your life will be spared" He said very confident of himself now, but to his surprise the four laughed at him.
"If my memory doesn't fail me, this girl saved your insignificant little life against us earlier, scum bag. Isn't it true?" she teased.
Sasuke scowled. He could feel the anger melting his insides. Too late. There was no way he could forgive their lives now. The line was crossed and the table set for a great fight. Another one.
"You lost your chance." Sasuke charged against Sakon first. They were nearer.
"Do!" Sakon yelled. Sasuke made the basic hand sign, that consisted of his first three fingers up and the rest down; and surprisingly to him and his attacker, the attack didn't do him any harm at all. 'This chakra is protecting me. ' He grinned, with this advantage acknowledged, the balance was at his favor now.
Sakon knew his disadvantage and scowled in disgust, or what could had been interpreted as fear or panic. He charged at top speed at Sasuke. Sasuke dodged his punches and kicks without effort.
"He is totally recovered now, guys. Watch it!!" Tayuya screamed at her companions. Sakon frowned. Jirubo handed the unconscious Sakura to the spider guy to try to join the battle and help his teammate.
Sasuke smirked when he saw what the fat ninja attempted. That was not enough to scare him. "Bring it on" He muttered and charged towards them, his sharingan activating as he made the Katon Gokyyaku no jutsu signs. His technique hit Jirubo and burnt him badly. Sakon were quick enough to avoid it. He glanced back and looked at his hurt comrade. He grunted in response and annoyance. Damn, Kid!! He was going to get it and very badly. 'He's really strong and a real fricking pain. No doubt why master Orochimaru wants him'. He looked back at the Uchiha boy and frowned.
"Do, Re!!" He suddenly yelled.
Sasuke was taken aback by his attack and it sent him flying across the air. He crashed into a three and broke it in half because of the force of the blow. When he weakly opened an eye after the crash, he saw Jirubo slowly recovering from the burnt he had suffered earlier because of him and for the look of it, he was not happy.
He clumsily attempted to stand. Jirubo took this as an opportunity and without any doubt, he thrust his fist in Sasuke's direction but Sasuke disappeared in thin air before Jirubo's eyes.
"Jirubo, underneath you!!" Sakon shouted. Too late, anyways. Sasuke appeared from underground with his leg up and landed a hard kick on Jirubo's jaw that sent him flying. Sasuke appeared suddenly above him yelling.
"Barrage of Lions!!" and gave him a really hard kick on the guts, sending him towards the ground at light speed. Jirubo hit the ground really hard. Sasuke smirked. That left just Sakon to deal with for now.
Sakon, on the other hand, ran over the place his fallen comrade had landed and scowled in anger. "Tayuya!! Grab the girl so he can come and fight with us"
"How come I always end up with her?? I want to fight too. And you are not going to stop me, you useless dirty bag of-." Sakon's stare cut her off.
"Just stay with her!! He's not a big of a deal!! We are going to kick his sorry little ass and you know it." He grinned at his own statement. Even if Tayuya scowled, she knew he was right and reluctantly grabbed Sakura. She looked down at the pink haired girl with full disgust. "And all of this is for this stupid princess."
"One down to more to go." Sasuke grinned. Sakon were low in chakra and he was sure that the spider guy was not a serious threat. His mistake.
He got out two kunais from his weapons bag attached to his waist. He charged to Sakon with a grim smile on his lips. Sakon was able to dodge his kicks and punches at the beginning but couldn't keep up for very long. With a hard kick on the jaw, Sasuke sent him flying across the landscape. He was out cold.
"Hn. Looks like you are the only one left" Sasuke said smirking mischievously.
"I wouldn't be so sure"
Sasuke turned around slowly, 'I know that voice', and saw him.
"Kabuto!!"
The sound ninja smiled. His gray hair was blown gently to the side of his face. He pushed his glasses on to his eyes a little. "That's right. I'm touched you haven't forgotten me, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke frowned. "How can I forget you? You tried to kill me in the most coward way there is." Calmness emanated from his voice while his face wore a blank expression.
Kabuto smiled. 'How can he manage to 'control' himself when everybody knows he is furious?.' He smiled. Kabuto drove his gaze down to Tayuya and his eyes widened when he saw the girl that laid unconscious on her arms.
"Oh!! The princess is with them Lord Orochimaru. They managed to capture her after all.
Sasuke's eyes widened at the mention of his name while in his neck the pain suffered by the cursed mark nailed him and made him remember his agony.
"Hello, Sasuke-kun." The cold voice sent chills down his spine. "You haven't forgotten me either, right?" and he smiled that vicious smile of his that could turn your emotions into total fear. He was one renegade ninja who had betrayed his entire village and killed so many people. Orochimaru himself. "Oh! The princess!!" he said, mocking a love and concerned voice. He suddenly disappeared. Sasuke's eyes widened more, trying to find him.
Tayuya jumped when she felt Orochimaru's presence before her. She suddenly kneeled down with Sakura still on her arms. "My Lord" she pronounced devoutly.
"Let me see her, my dear" he answered while giving her a fake smile and concentrated his horrible glare on the girl.
'No, you won't!!' Sasuke thought and made an attempt to run to Sakura's side. His attempt failed when a hard kick from one of the sound four cut him and sent him to his knees. He held his stomach in pain as his look followed Orochimaru's movements.
"No, no, no, Sasuke-kun" Orochimaru said while he moved his index finger from side to side. "Don't get me wrong. I didn't come here to ruin your fun, you keep having fun."
"You bastard!!" But as he was about to charge at him, Jirubo and Sakon reappeared in his way. They looked almost dead but totally different too. There was something else. "The…curse mark…" Sasuke gasped. Their bodies were covered on symbols of the curse mark each one had.
"We are back" Sakon said and Jirubo smiled.
Sasuke frowned. He was running low in chakra and he defiantly didn't want to loose against them, but he recognized his opponents were more and very strong. Suddenly they disappeared into thin air and reappeared behind him, grabbing a hold of both of his arms.
"Do, Re, Mi!!"
Sasuke yelled in pain when the low notes affected and hit his bones hard. He struggled to keep standing after the force of the impacts that acted like sharp needles through his body, sending electricity through his arms and legs; on the exterior, blood peered out of his mouth and his vision was starting to blur from the increasing pain. 'Not again!!' he shot at himself. He was furious and didn't welcome the feeling of being weaker than his opponents.
"Sasuke…don't you see?…Lord Orochimaru has the power you are seeking. The power to make you stronger than…Itachi"
Sasuke's eyes twitched in anger and melancholy at the familiar name. The name of the person who had screwed up his entire life. Jirubo and Sakon let him go. Sasuke allowed his body to fall to his knees. He turned his hands into fists and gritted his teeth.
By this time, Orochimaru had already reached Sakura and kneeled down to her level. Sasuke was too drown on his past memories to notice.
Orochimaru suddenly made a scowl towards the sleeping girl and frowned in pure anger. "Where the heck is the necklace?!" He yelled at Kabuto. Kabuto sweat dropped nervously. He knew that the only reason they were after the princess was the necklace. Not good.
"Did you remove it?" He snapped at Tayuya, pulling her by the collar of her vest. She tried to back a few steps but his grip was strong, very strong.
"N..No, Master…" She stuttered. Fear was glowing on her eyes as her body trembled uncontrollably.
"Then where is it?!" he barked at them, " Remove her clothes!! It has to be somewhere!!" he demanded Kabuto. As Kabuto walked up to Sakura. Sasuke looked up at them.
"Leave her alone…" he pronounced slowly and dangerously. His voice was shaky. Not really a sign of weakness as Kabuto had understood, but more a cause of bad anger management. If Kabuto didn't hear him or just decide to ignore him, Sasuke didn't know. Leave her alone!!" he repeated, this time, yelling. He was standing now. His curse mark was covering all the right side of his body. Kabuto looked back at him and frowned. 'I'm surprised that he is still alive'.
Orochimaru smiled. He was really amazed by the Uchiha boy. He was strong and determination guided his actions when it came to his goals. Not to mention the good qualities he had to get to them. His kekkei genkai, the sharingan, and a strong balance of intellect and toughness, the second one well proved as he had survived the cursed mark without almost any change. His body was the key for the success of his dreams. He knew he will have it, because ironically, they had the same motivation. Revenge. He will come to him sooner or later in his quest of power. And he was going to be waiting for him.
"If you lay even a finger on her, I swear, I will kill you" Sasuke hissed enraged. Kabuto on the other hand, smiled confidently. 'Hm. If Lord Orochimaru didn't want his body, he would surely be dead by now.' Kabuto's thoughts were shared by the four sound. The kid was really full of himself and believed he was invincible, and he had no doubt that no one would have opposed to teach him that he was not the only one with a kekkei genkai or good ninja qualities.
The anger Sasuke was experiencing had fully consumed him. He looked enraged and somehow wicked… Maybe the lesson was learned but he believed in himself , and he knew that he was way better than them.
As Kabuto got closer to Sakura, Sasuke charged himself to him with his fists ahead of him and aiming at his face.
"What a childish attack"
Sasuke's eyes widened the moment Kabuto's hand was thrust to his forearm. He had seen it but the sound ninja was too fast. He didn't have a chance to dodge it, so he did the only thing he could do. He blocked it with his forearm.
Kabuto smirked when Sasuke screamed with pain. "What did you do to me?!" he asked enraged, but the shaking of his body gave him away. The pain he was experiencing was unbearable, even for him.
"Easy. I work with medic jutsu and just so you know…I just tore apart the muscles from your shoulder to your hand."
"You mother fu-"
"Enough, Kabuto. It seems that the princess doesn't have the necklace with her. We must go and look for it at the castle later," Then he turned to face Sasuke, "As for you, Sasuke-kun, Say hello to your sense. If you make it here, of course." And with that he disappeared with a long smirk on his face directed at the Konoha ninja.
"Sound, let's go. Fancy meeting ya, Sasuke" And they also vanished, leaving him alone with Sakura.
Sasuke, slowly and clumsily, got up. His arm was hurting as hell. He walked to Sakura, who was now lying on the ground.
"Sa…Sakura…wake up" He said. The blood on his mouth tasted odd. He shook her gently with his good arm.
Sakura opened her eyes slowly but as soon as she saw him, she sat up at top speed, nearly throwing him off balance. "Sasuke, where are the sound four?, what happened? Are you all right?"
"Too many questions. Everything is fine now, so get up and let's…argh!!"
"Sasuke!!" He fell to the ground, holding his wounded arm. He panted as another shot of pain ran through his body and made him bend over more.
"Sasuke" she cried again, making an attempt to reach him, to help him. But the moment her hand touched his arm, he winced and groaned again.
'his arm muscles have been seriously injured. If I don't heal him now, he can loose total movement of his arm!!' Sakura thought. She put her arms on his shoulders and gently laid him down on the ground. He didn't resist but just winced and groaned a little more as the pain in his arm increased every second. Sakura saw this and decided to act as fast as she could. She concentrated her chakra and transformed into her angelical form.
Sasuke's eyes widened the second he laid his gaze on her, as he remembered what she truly was. He had a little trouble, but he managed to say at least, "Sakura, how-"
"I'll explain it later, ok?" She tried to calm him down. She didn't need to be questioned now. The most important thing right now was to heal him .
He frowned but remained silent. He understood the situation. He wasn't Naruto, after all, right?.
'Explain later? Yeah, right!!' mocked inner Sakura.
Sakura bent down on her knees and leaned towards his arm. She laid her glowing fingertips delicately on his injured arm. He gritted his teeth as an effort of keeping his suffering from her, but the pain was too much and groan escaped his lips.
"I know it hurts, Sasuke-kun, and I'm truly sorry, but this will heal you" He screamed as the pain increased violently, and then, two seconds after it was gone. He opened his eyes slowly and found her in her normal form, looking down to the ground. She was panting hard from the effort she had done. He managed to sit down on his own and watched her for a minute.
Suddenly, she looked up and stared directly in his dark eyes. When his onyx orbs made contact with her green eyes, he froze entirely for a full second. Then looked back at her with his normal blank stare again. As if all his questions were gone. Or more likely as if he didn't have anything to ask at all…
'I'm sorry, Sasuke, but you are not meant to know more.' Sakura thought sad. He was really something else.
'Aww…there goes another hottie…'Inner Sakura groaned.
"Are you able to keep up with me?" He asked, pulling her out of her mind. His voice was cold and there was no trace of emotion in it. She didn't like it. It was as if nothing happened, but in his mind, that was exactly what was going on. 'Focus!!' she yelled mentally at herself. She couldn't afford anymore mistakes. "Yes" she nodded.
"Good. Now, we are heading to the palace…we have to warn Kakashi and the others. We should get there soon. We are not very far from the tea capitol."
She nodded in response. And with that, they took off.