Salvation
Disclaimer; All rights to Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter Five
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Sasuke was at a loss for words. He watched the pinkette eat, the blonde idiot throwing compliments at her for her hair cut. She was acting too strangely for it to simply be a bit of shock. No, he could tell by the way she directly avoided eye-contact with him, the hate in her eyes whenever he was near. While she wouldn't look at him, he was aware that he was the cause.
It didn't make sense, he remembered when she would practically beg him to train with her, to go on dates, to do anything that involved him being alone with her. Now, it was as if the sight of him made her want to snap his neck. The tender feeling in his throat as he swallowed reminded him that she had already tried. He was beginning to believe that it wasn't some ridiculous 'fever dream' that had caused her to lash out at him, that perhaps she'd finally lost her mind and intended to kill him.
The thought both confused and infuriated him. He'd done nothing to her, sure he'd turned down her ridiculous dates and offers of training, but she couldn't fully hate him simply because he didn't take interest in her. It was ludacris. What confused him most was her odd attitude, instead of the usual airheaded comments and unmotivated actions, she'd actually been training in solitude, even when Kakashi hadn't advised it. The gears in his head turned but he wasn't able to come to a single logical explanation.
Sakura tried to casually eat her rice, pretending not to notice Sasuke glaring at her. She was too focused on the day to come, today was the day Zabuza would strike. After her training session yesterday, she'd healed her wounds with the last of her chakra before passing out. She wasn't nearly close to brushing a tenth of her former level, but she would get there eventually. She was aware that in this fight she could do nothing but shield Tazuna wielding a kunai that wouldn't be put to use, but she was aware it was necessary and essential to Naruto's growth as a shinobi, so she would not interfere.
Looking dryly down into her cup of tea, she tried her best to go along with a daily routine.
The Sakura, Kakashi and Sasuke escorted Tazuna to the bridge, Sakura could feel the tension in the air as soon as she crossed the threshold onto the unfinished structure. A bit of apprehension bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Though she did not fear for herself, as she'd seen horrors that would breach far beyond anything she'd see here, she was aware that an attack was coming and that she could do nothing but watch as it did.
Naruto had stayed back, just as he did before. He would eventually save Tazuna's daughter and grandson in doing so, but it still made her anxious that he was off fighting alone. Just as she remembered, the workers had been attacked and Zabuza's mist was already creeping in.
She took her stance in front of the bridgebuilder, Sasuke and Kakashi to her left and right flank, she drew a kunai that she was aware would go unused.
Kakashi had already taken down Zabuza's water clones, and Sakura watched two very real forms enter the mist- Haku and Zabuza. Sasuke, as before was given to Haku as an opponent while Kakashi took on Zabuza, who was more than happy to oblige.
Sakura watched with the faint hope that things would be over quickly, as she already knew how the fight would end. Blow for blow, everything went on precisely as it had so long ago, not missing a single beat.
Now all that she was to wait for was the arrival of Naruto, when things would really pick up.
…...