Chapter Six: Day 1.5
Sakura ran down the stairs that morning. She had to be sure. Sakura stuck her head into the kitchen.
"Hey mom, dad," she tried to act casually. "What day is it?"
Her dad looked at the monthly calendar on the wall. "Tuesday," he replied.
Sakura giggled. "That's great," she said and skipped back up the stairs.
After Sakura had gone upstairs to primp, her mother looked at the calendar herself. "Oh dear," she told her husband, "you're wrong. Tomorrow's Tuesday. It's Monday today."
"Oh," he said squinting at the calendar. "Well either way she has to meet her team so I suppose it doesn't matter."
When Sakura arrived at the training ground Sasuke was there building chakra. She tried chatting with him but he ignored her. Pouting, she began the now familiar morning exercise.
When Naruto and finally Kakashi arrived, they were paired up to spar. "Can't we do something else sensei?" Sakura complained. "I sparred with you yesterday."
Kakashi frowned at her. "We went on a mission yesterday Sakura; we didn't practice sparring."
It was like a bucket of ice water had suddenly splashed into her stomach. Her jaw went slack and her eyes grew wide. "Sensei, what day is it?"
"It's Monday," he began the answer sarcastically but seeing her face pale so suddenly concerned him.
"Sakura are you okay?" Naruto asked.
"We have to run," she almost whispered. Her eyes began to dart around and she started walking backward very slowly, away from the woods. "I thought it was over."
"Sakura what's over?" Kakashi asked, his attention entirely focused on her.
Sasuke's yell was their only warning. A volley of shuriken shot out of the forest. One caught Kakashi in the side when he moved just a second too late. Sakura was hyperventilating. This can't be happening. Not again.
"Find cover, now," Kakashi said, throwing some shuriken of his own to greet their guests. Naruto grabbed Sakura's arm, trying to pull her to the buildings nearby. She couldn't move, couldn't think, she was shaking all over.
Turning around to see why his students weren't leaving, Kakashi barked, "Sasuke, help Naruto get her out of here." He quickly looked back to block another volley of shuriken with his kunai. A kunai was flying through the air with a paper bomb attached to it. Kakashi threw a kunai of his own, knocking it off course and away from his students. The paper bomb landed off to their left and exploded. Smoke and dirt filled the air.
Sasuke had Sakura by one arm, Naruto had her other arm and they were rushing to get behind something for cover. Suddenly Sasuke dropped, relinquishing his support and making the other two fall. Sakura rolled over to see a ninja in black holding Sasuke by the neck. Three more were coming toward them.
Naruto threw a kunai, stabbing the man's arm. The enemy dropped Sasuke and turned his attention to Naruto. Sasuke recovered and slammed a kunai into the ninja's stomach, gutting him while he was looking at Naruto. Sasuke stood, letting the man fall back, and was struck by three shuriken. One of the missiles had sliced across his neck. His hand instinctively reached up and pressed against the spurting wound.
Naruto shouted something and ran toward their teammate who had dropped to his knees. Just then a bomb went off, knocking Sasuke and Naruto to the ground. Naruto slowly got up, Sasuke didn't move. Sakura could only hear her own breathing in her ears.
A black-clad ninja appeared out of the smoke, slicing Naruto down. The blond was lying in the grass and slowly turned his head to look at Sakura, his eyes just slits. His mouth, which was leaking blood, was moving but she couldn't make out the words.
Sakura felt a kunai slide into her back.