Chapter 6: There's More to Life Than This
-X-
Sakura cursed viciously under her breath.
The main room was packed with servants, advisors and the Daimyo's family. A tense silence hung like the proverbial knife over their heads, while they heard explosions from time to time out in the Palace grounds.
Gloves pulled on and fists clenched, the medic-nin stood next to the Fire Lord near a window. His eyes couldn't follow the speed of the fighters, but Sakura's were drawn to the battles like a moth to the flame.
Sasuke was launching fire balls at a blond ninja that was flying over the Palace with some sort of a white bird, while Naruto kept building shadow clones in order to reach the bird. Yamato was against a weird, short shinobi that resembled a scorpion. Sai was against a tall man that was sending what it looked like black threads to the ANBU, but Sai's inked animals were doing their job. Kakashi, on the other side, was against a silver-haired man that was cackling maniacally as the Copy Ninja kept throwing kunai at him. Shisui was fighting marvelously against a blue-skinned ninja that swung a huge sword like it weighted nothing, while Itachi fought one-on-one against a man wearing an orange-swirled mask.
"Sakura, tell me what is happening," the Daimyo whispered. She shook her head as she winced in sympathy when Naruto fell heavily onto the ground, explosions blasting around him.
"There are six enemies," she reported to the Fire Lord. "They are wearing black cloaks with red clouds."
"They were the ones that killed my Tsuyoshi!" the man whispered fiercely, eyes shining with pain. Sakura placed a calming hand on the Daimyo's arm.
"I beg of you, Ieyasu-sama, calm down," she pleaded. "Do you have some escape route we can use? The Fire Country is nothing without you, My Lord."
The man issued a series of commands that put all the people gathered in the room moving. As they traveled to a hidden tunnel that led outside the Palace, Sakura couldn't help but worry sick about her teammates and the ANBU team. Those nukenins were dangerous, that was more than obvious.
But the last movement of the orange-masked nin against the Uchiha Heir, slashing Itachi's arm, worried her more than she was willing to admit out loud.
-X-
They reached the outskirts of the Fire City through the underground passage.
"Go back, Haruno," the Fire Lord ordered. "I will send a messenger hawk to Tsunade telling her my new location. I will journey to Konoha when I deem it safe for my family."
"But, Ieyasu-sama!" she protested. "I can't leave you to your own devices, this is dangerous!"
"Not so much, girl," he replied easily. "I have knowledge of the peasant's ways, remember?"
This statement hushed her to silence. She remembered the stories that the Fire Lord in front of her relayed when they visited him the last time. He had built his Leadership by making alliances with other Daimyos, but he lived a good part of his life wandering the lands like a rônin.
"Please, Ieyasu-sama, promise you will go to Konoha," she begged. "We can protect you; the Hokage will dispatch an escort team--"
"I know that, girl," the Fire Lord smiled as he placed a straw hat on his wrinkled face. "I've been in Leaf more times that you will ever realize," he added. "Now, go back. I want you to light my boy's pyre. It is already set."
"I--Ieyasu-sama!" Sakura exclaimed in shock.
"Sakura, do that for me, please," the Daimyo lifted his hat briefly, eyes flashing with unshed tears. "The Will of Fire will bring peace to his soul."
The pink-haired kunoichi nodded, blushing as she tried to control the emotions bubbling in her heart. "Hai... I will do as you ask, Ieyasu-sama."
"Thank you, my child," he whispered. "We will see each other again. Tell Uzumaki to remember his Chuunin Exam story when we meet again."
"Hai."
"Remember, child. The Will of Fire is the main drive for all of us, ninja or civilian, noble or peasant."
Watching his retreating back, she sniffled for a moment and shot back towards the Palace, her Inner personality already claiming for violence.
Running silently through the corridors and deserted hallways of the Fire Palace, she found the Mourning Chamber rather quickly, located on the opposite side of the battleground. A number of torches lit the place; the Firstborn's body was already set for the cremation rituals.
"Tsuyoshi-kun," she whispered, grabbing one of the torches and thrusting it harshly onto the gathered oak branches. "May the Gods and the Will of Fire bring you peace..."
Watching absentmindedly how the flames engulfed the wrapped boy, she allowed her fists to clench in anger.
"As for me," she vowed fervently, wiping her tears. "I hope you won't mind a little bit of ruckus in your honor."
Gathering chakra to her hands and running towards the window in the main room, she gasped when she noticed how Shisui was down and the blue-skinned man was about to deliver the last blow.
"Like hell I will allow you to touch my friend!" she bellowed as her fist drove into the wall, making it explode under her strength. "Why don't you mess up with someone your own size, asshole?"
The tall swordsman looked up from his prey and cackled. "Are you talking to me, chibi girl? You must be kidding!"
Performing the teleportation jutsu, Sakura appeared next to Shisui, startling her blue-skinned opponent slightly, who jumped back while he surveyed her suspiciously. Thrusting a green-glowing hand on her Uchiha friend, she snarled.
"Don't you know that the appearances can be deceiving? You of all people should know that!"
"Che, the chibi girl has claws," the ninja sneered, his pointy teeth flashing threateningly. "Girl or not, I think my Samehada will taste your chakra and I'll enjoy tearing you apart!"
"Nigero, Sakura," breathed Shisui urgently. "Kisame's sword eats chakra!"
Shit.
"Really now," she growled. "Let's break some stuff then!"
Slamming her fist on the ground, the force of her punch made the very earth shake under their feet, unbalancing all the fighters on the field. Suddenly, a rock spike shot out of the ground, making Kisame leap away to avoid it.
"Ah! You must be the Hokage's apprentice!" the former Kiri nin laughed derisively. "I'm so going to enjoy killing you, little girl!"
"If you catch me first, fish-face!" she snarled savagely, her hands flying in a series of hand-seals. "Breezing Spring no jutsu!"
Uchiha Shisui watched in awe at the spot where Sakura used to be as she teleported away. Staggering to his feet, he activated his Sharingan one more time as he tried to detect the medic's presence around the unexpectedly still blue-skinned ninja.
Suddenly, Itachi landed next to him, clutching at his shoulder.
"Are you OK?" Shisui asked. Itachi grunted. "I was almost done for but Sakura saved me."
"The medic did this?" the younger Uchiha asked, with a little incredulous hint in his tone. "Why is she not with the Daimyo?"
"I don't know. What about your opponent?" Shisui asked.
"He went away," Itachi answered harshly. "We need to retreat. The Palace will be destroyed at this rate."
In a whisper, Sakura flickered into view with two kunai in each gloved hand, smirking dangerously.
"You know, fish-face, I kinda hate it when someone underestimates me," she snarled as she stabbed the still man on his wrists in a wide but accurate motion. The action broke the illusion and Kisame hissed in pain.
"Bitch!" he roared, dropping his sword. "I'm going to kill you!"
"Tell me something new, sushi-pack!" she yelled back as she leapt backwards, hands flying again. But just when she was about to call out her technique, a gray-clad form appeared in front of her.
"Take a break," Itachi whispered, his eyes swirling rapidly. Kisame fell unconscious under his genjutsu, while Shisui wobbled up to them.
"Why did you interfere?!" Sakura questioned angrily. "I almost had him!"
"He was gathering a bunch of chakra," Shisui replied on his cousin's behalf. "He was surely going for taijutsu if Itachi hadn't stopped him."
"We are retreating," Itachi's stern voice took a steely undertone. "I'm sure my little brother and Naruto-kun can finish off that Rock ninja. But you," he added, turning his head to glare at Sakura. "You need to answer a few things."
"Wha- I'm not leaving without my teammates!" she yelled, but a hand closed around her neck, shutting her up effectively.
"We are going to need of your healing skills soon, medic," Itachi said in a harsh whisper. "Stop being such an annoying hindrance."
She growled deep in her throat, and she was about to snap back at him when a huge explosion blasted near them, crashing them onto the Palace's walls. A crack signaled the spot where the two Uchiha and the pink-haired kunoichi landed painfully. Shisui and Itachi recovered fast enough, but the elder cousin gasped when his eyes took in the slumped form embedded on the wall.
"Sakura!" he called out. "Itachi, we need to get her out of there!"
Emerald eyes opened slowly as gloved hands glowed with blue chakra. "Goddamn it!" she hissed angrily, slapping her hands on her surroundings and pulverizing the edges that trapped her body, freeing herself and landing with a choked curse next to them.
'My back took the main damage,' she thought worriedly. Surveying her own wound, she deemed it light enough to heal it later.
"Are you okay, Sakura?" Shisui asked, his face showing how genuinely worried he was about her. "Are you hurt?"
She straightened up, hissing softly when her back cracked audibly. "Nothing I can't handle later."
"Where is the Daimyo?" Itachi asked curtly, watching how she brushed the pebbles off the skin of her arms carefully.
"He escaped through a hidden passage," she said. "He should be on his way to Konoha by now. He disguised himself to pass for a homeless elder. He ordered me to go back to light up his son's pyre."
"How clever of him," Shisui smirked in amusement. "So I guess the smoke we can see on the other side of the Palace is the Firstborn's pyre?"
"...Hai," she answered, closing her eyes to avoid more dizziness, raising a torn glove to her head.
"Sakura-chan!" a voice broke through her haze. Opening her eyes briefly, she could make out an orange blur running towards her, followed by a blue one. "Sakura-chan!"
"Naruto," she breathed with a wan smile, feeling his arms wrapping around her. "Are you okay, Naruto, Sasuke?"
"Yeah, we're just a little singed by that asshole's clay bombs," he replied hurriedly as he maneuvered her to his back. "Come on, we have to flee like a bat out of hell!"
"Kakashi-sensei," they heard her call softly, eyes clenched in pain. "I'm not leaving without him."
"I'm here, Sakura," he answered from between Sai and Yamato, who served as human crutches for the seasoned jounin. "We are all here."
"Good..." she said before passing out.
-X-
Sakura woke up a little while later, feeling the large leaps Naruto made while carrying her on piggyback.
"How far until a safe point?" she asked the blond.
"Sakura-chan! You're awake!" he exclaimed, glad to hear her regaining her bearings. "Are you OK?"
"I should be the one asking you that, Naruto," she replied fondly. "Is everyone alright?"
"We're a bit rough around the edges, but we are fine enough," she heard Yamato's voice saying. "Good thing I can't get poisoned that quickly."
The medic-nin raised her head frantically, searching for the ANBU operative. "Are you poisoned?!"
"No, no, Sakura-san, I'm perfectly fine," Yamato replied hastily with a smile. "Kakashi-senpai is unconscious though."
"Let me down, Naruto," she ordered. "I need to check on Kakashi-sensei."
"Not until we arrive to a safe location," Sasuke countered. "Ani-... Itachi-san ordered a non-stop retreat."
Naruto blinked in surprise when his pink-haired friend let out a frustrated growl but didn't retaliate.
Luckily enough, the Uchiha brothers landed the first near a cave in the middle of nowhere. Sasuke signaled to the others, and everyone got inside the cave without leaving a trace.
Getting off Naruto's back, Sakura dusted her hands and looked at Itachi's onyx eyes angrily.
"Yamato, cover the entrance," Itachi ordered. "Sasuke, build a muted fire. Shisui, try to dig a water source. Sai, post some of your ink sentinels outside."
Sakura rolled her eyes when Sasuke flew to do his brother's bidding. Approaching Sai and his charge, she helped him lay Kakashi down on the mossy ground. "Sharingan overuse, why I'm not surprised," she muttered in annoyance. "Sai-san, be a doll and bring me some water, yes? Yamato-san, come here please."
With a glance to his nodding Captain, the Mokuton user covered the cave entrance with growing vines quickly and went to the medic. While she surveyed her team leader, the pale young man drew one of his scrolls and scribbled the form of three snakes, which slithered towards the covered entrance and coiled on its branches.
"I want you to tell me what you perceived about Kakashi-sensei's opponent," she said with a strained tone as she poured a great deal of chakra into her team leader's chest. Suddenly, she gasped and raised her eyebrows in horrified surprise. "He has an internal hemorrhage--shit! This is the same wound I saw on the Firstborn! Kakashi, wake up!"
Her eyes roved anxiously over her sensei's body as her hands pushed more green energy onto his chest. Sai came back with a little bowl of water, which she grabbed hastily and placed one of her hands on it, only to curse again as she brought her hand to her mouth, pulling off her glove with her teeth.
"Come on, Kakashi, don't you dare to go into cardiac arrest or I'll kick your ass into next century!"
She forgot about everything else, so intent she was with her task. She didn't notice Sasuke sitting next to her and Naruto to her other side, supporting her with their mere presence. Naruto grabbed the bowl and held it on his hands.
"We are here, Sakura-chan," he said soothingly. "We are in this together."
"Heat up that water, Sasuke," she said without taking her eyes off her patient. "I need to bathe and disinfect his wound."
Before the raven-haired jounin got the opportunity to get the bowl from Naruto, Shisui kneeled next to them and blew a little flame on the water, warming it effectively.
"There you go, kid," he said with a little smirk. Naruto passed the bowl to Sakura, who placed a bare chakra-laden hand over the steaming water.
To the ninjas' surprise, the water molded itself under her chakra's action into a bubble, hovering and trembling under her palm. Bringing said bubble to Kakashi's chest, she pushed the water onto his wound. The Copy Ninja arched slightly, but her chakra worked restlessly to close and mend his injuries.
After a while, she could sit back with a heavy sigh. "He's out of danger now," she said, lifting her brilliant eyes to Yamato's. "Come here and let me look at you."
"I'm fine, Sakura-san--" he started to say, but his own Captain beat him into the punch.
"Haruno-san commands the medical field, Yamato. Do as she says."
Properly told off, the shinobi submitted to the pink-haired kunoichi's ministrations. Sai came next, Naruto after him.
Her chakra was dwindling now, she could feel it. Finishing healing Naruto's scratches, he looked at Sasuke.
"You're next, Sasuke," she said. Said male crossed his arms, returning her glare.
"I'm fine, Sakura."
"Don't be a whiny child and get over here," she said tiredly. "I'm almost out of chakra."
"I said I'm fine, Sakura, don't be so annoying."
"Since you feel so unscathed, Sasuke, then I will take your turn," Itachi cut in smoothly, walking up to the medic. "My opponent hit me on my shoulder. Will you heal me?"
Sakura's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she heard him asking her for her skills ever so politely. Nodding dumbly, she watched him take a seat on the floor and pull off his ANBU vest slowly, in order not to disturb his injury too much.
She gasped nonetheless when a little river of blood trickled down his arm. "Fuck!" she swore softly, pressing one of her hands as she motioned Naruto to bring her another water bowl. Shisui assisted the blond once again with the liquid's temperature, looking at his cousin worriedly.
"What the hell did he hit you with, Itachi?" he asked. The alluded male closed his eyes as he felt the medic's proceedings on his shoulder.
"My opponent, Tobi, had curved kunai."
He didn't need to explain further than that.
"It's a wonder you kept your arm functioning, he almost hit your cephalic vein," Sakura commented absently as she mended the torn tissue under her hand. "The muscle is cramped but I can soothe it after you rest the healing and absorb my chakra into your system."
"Alright," he responded. "It is your turn now."
She turned her head. "What?"
"Your back took a great deal of damage when you crashed into that wall," he said patiently. "Heal yourself."
She smiled dryly. "I can't, I used all of my chakra."
"Then tell me what to do," Itachi shot back, not paying any heed to the surprised gasp that escaped his little brother's mouth. "I won't allow our medic to be in pain when she healed us all so thoroughly."
Emerald met glittering onyx, making her realize he was serious. He was darkly amused for some reason, but he was serious.
"It's okay, Uchiha-san, I can rest and rebuild my chakra--"
"No. Tell me what to do."
"It's probably nothing--"
"Come now, Sakura, humor him," Shisui said with a smirk, taking in the thunderous scowl that his youngest cousin had. "Is there anything we can do?"
Turning her head to look at the elder Uchiha, he flashed her with one of his disconcerting smiles. She sighed heavily and unzipped her own green vest.
"It's possible that you might see a swell on my spine," she started to say as she placed her vest on the floor and used it to cushion her chest as she lied down slowly. Her red shirt was a bit singed, tattered and dirty, but then again none of them were all glamorous after that humongous battle. "If the swell is over my spinal cord, it would be better if we wait for me to replenish my chakra. If it is presented in another part--"
A large, warm hand placed itself softly on her back, cutting off her medical ramble.
"What else?" she heard Shisui asking. "There's no swelling on top of the spinal cord."
She sighed in relief. "Good... then... ah, where is a Byakugan user when I need it! There are a lot of pressure points around the spine. Maybe you can numb my back until I'm able to heal it properly."
The hand retracted its palm, leaving her feeling only the fleeting fingertips, which danced over her shirt-covered back, pressing gently around her injury, tapping the correct pressure points to numb and block her pain. Sakura relaxed briefly under the hand's ministrations.
"Is this correctly done?" a deep male voice asked softly. She turned her head and saw no other but Uchiha Itachi sitting next to her, his hand on her back.
As if summoned by the clash of their gazes, a dull flush spread on Sakura's face.
"...Yeah, I'm fine now."
"Good. Rest now, Shisui and I will stand watch."
Feeling thoroughly flustered and utterly confused, she could do nothing but obey his polite... request. It didn't sound like his known commanding tone, but something entirely different.
What she didn't know was that a certain Uchiha was having the same puzzled thoughts.
'What the hell?'
-XxX-
AN: Sorry for the wait, guys!
Regarding Sakura's supah-powers, there's nothing to be amazed about. She is a jounin for God's sake, and I'm sure that her training with Tsunade (still going on as you can read) got her a few nice tricks under her sleeve. Just bear with me for a while, yes? She is not a superhero; she's just the strongest kunoichi in the world, besides Tsunade. That has to count for something, ne? This Sakura doesn't have any qualms to destroy anything, no matter how massive or sacred, in order to achieve her goals. Chew on that for a while, haha!
Once more, much love to Sometime.Usagi for her lovely beta, insights and booiiiiings! xD