The Path A Ninja Walks...
Chapter Forty
Enter The Handsome Devil Of The Hidden Leaf Village: Rock Lee
A/N: WARNING-The character known as Sage Amesawa uses a lot of profanity and colorful language as part of his "colorful" personality. Be prepared if you are sensitive to that. Please note it is not because I condone such manner of speech, and also the character does not mean to use it as a way to be harmful, it is just his personality.
Day broke, bringing with it an early dawn. The rested Genin now stagger to collect themselves. Atleast Saseme's team did...Sakura was still tending to the boys on hers...
"Hurry we should get going..." said Hana, "If we move first, we're less likely to get caught off guard." she stated.
"Hana's right." said Sage, "If we dally we will only become targets...especially with both scrolls in our posession."
"I realize this...but..." Saseme remained uneasy...knowing that her brother had still not awoken.
"You can't be serious..." said Hana, who seemed to have an idea on where the girl was heading with this, "No! We can't dally! The longer we do our chances will be at risk!"
"This is a complicated situation..." Sage sighed, "I mean...regardless of their position...he's still her brother."
Hana twitched and let out a low pitiful groan.
"I guess if it were my own sibling in that state in a sitation like this..." she muttered, "I wouldn't be able to really focus on the task at hand either..." she sighed.
"And Saseme is no good to us at all if she's distracted." said Sage.
The Uchiha didn't even seem to take notice of the conversation going on about her...which only further proved his point, "If only one of us is not on the same page then we will only fall apart as a unit." he sighed, "What can we do?"
"Fine!" Hana huffed, "Maybe we can stick around a little...and help out with what we can...at least long enough until Saseme's brother's team is up to capaciy and can be trusted to be okay without us." she stated," But let's not stay too long...we are running out of time ourselves!" she said, "And whatever we do- we tell NO ONE that we have both scrolls, got it!?"
"Agreed!" Sage beamed with a thumbs up. Saseme simply shrugged with a scoff.
I don't have the time to waste either...
She thought to herself.
But Sage is right...if all I am doing is thinking about my brother- I won't be good to anyone...not to my team...or to them...
Gaara's presence still weighed heavily in her...sending chills through her body.
I play nice for now...raise no suspicion...
Then...once I know my brother is okay...I...
Then what?
What would it matter in the end...?
Saseme's distance from the task at hand only worked more towards Hana's own suspicion...but it wasn't the place to call it out...
xxxxx
Sakura tenderly changed the rags for the resting boys...dampening them with cool water that Hana had retrieved for her while Sage remained on look out...Saseme however, sat inside with Sakura. So as not to raise any more suspicion and possibly run off again.
Her team was still pretty pissed about that...
So she served to help Sakura protect Naruto and her brother Sasuke as they rested...as puishment for fool hardy actions...
"...I'm glad to see you're all right." Sakura spoke to her softly, trying to break the awkward silence between them.
"Yeah...thanks." Saseme scoffed. She really wasn't much different from her brother in that aspect.
Come to think of it...I don't think I ever really took the time to talk to Saseme before...have I?
Sakura thought to herself.
In fact I don't even really have that many memories of her...
She blinked.
It was like...she was there for a while...then she suddenly kinda just...disappeared...and I never even noticed until recently...
Her eyes rested on the Uciha female.
In fact...I don't think it really ever occurred to anyone that Sasuke even had a twin...until she just suddenly appeared...I wonder...
She blinked.
So then...just where has she been all that time?
Sasuke grunted in pain and Sakura let out a soft sigh.
There was a long silence between all of them...as each had their own role to play, hoping that the rest of Sakura's team would just hurry and wake so that they could split off at last...
Sakura's eyes grew heavy...and her head soon began nodding.
"Don't fall asleep." said Saseme, startling the girl, "You have to protect your team...it's not our responsibility to do it while you catch up on your beauty rest." she blinked, "We are here only until your group gets back to atleast 50 percent of your capacity..."
"Aren't you the least bit concerned for your own brother!?" Sakura snipped.
"I'm here, aren't I!?" Saseme snapped back, shooting a glare at the girl, startling her in place.
"Regardless of the circumstances..." said Saseme, "Even my own team can't afford to waste much more time to make up for your weakness...we are here on a whim and nothing more."
Sakura twitched.
She's right though...
She thought to herself.
Even if it is her brother...we are on different teams, and they are trying to complete this challenge just like the rest of us...
She blinked.
The fact that she is here is proof enough that she's obviously concerned...but they also have their own agendas...
She sighed.
I can't fall asleep...I need to protect these two...
Though that mindset didn't help her case.
Of course she was exhausted...and the call of sleep was much stronger...It's a good thing Saseme was there, to wake her from the nightmare she was having.
"I told you, you're no good to anyone if you fall asleep!" she hissed.
"Ahh...right...I'm sorry..." Sakura said softly and sighed looking up to the morning sky, "...I can't believe it's day time already..."
The shifting of the vegetation startled both girls into action, Sakura, heart pounding held her Kunai with trembling hands, meanwhile Saseme, heart racing, stood in a battle ready stance. The difference between these two young kunoichi's call to action was so vast...
"It's just a squierrel." said Saseme with a sigh.
The small rodent ran excitedly to them, startling Sakura to throw her Kunai and steer it off into the opposit direction.
"Phew...that was too close." she said softly, while Saseme gazed upon her with curious eyes.
I see...so she set a trap there...
The Uchiha thought to herself.
Perhaps maybe...she's not too dense after all...
But the next distraction was far more than a rodent...
"...Some look outs...one's half asleep and the other is half beat."
Sakura gasped and Saseme raised her kunai again toward a hunched over man accompanied by two other ninja bside him, who some how slipped through their defenses...and looked all too familiar.
No way! How did he get by Hana and Sage both on look out!?
Saseme hissed.
"Atleast you don't have to keep watch any more." he gruffed, "What's the point after we already found you...now wake Sasuke up...we want to fight him."
You'll never get him, you jerks!
Sakura thought to herself while reaching a trembling hand toward her weapon pack.
"Sorry...but I'm afraid my brother is out of commission right now..." said Saseme as she stepped forward, "Hope I'll suffice!" with a swift motion of woven hand signs she quickly blew fire from her lips, startling back while she dove straight through the flames and aimed a flaming punch right near the one calling the shots...missing its target it landed with an explosion, leaving a steaming crater in its wake.
Sh-She...has exploding punches!?
Sakura thought to herself as she witnessed the action. Actually it was nothing more than a fire focused to the hand with chakra, a technique unique to Saseme to which she calls, Spit-Fire Jutsu. Still though...it was better not to be touched by it...
It tended to burn.
"Sage! Hana!" the Uchiha girl called out as her comerades layed piled upon each other just passed these invaders, and she rushed to their aide.
"Sh-She's fast!" said Dosu...but he didn't let it distract him for long...for the Uchiha girl wasn't their true objective...
"S-Saseme..." Sage groaned.
"...They got us with a silent attack..." Hana said softly.
"...A silent attack?" Saseme blinked and glanced back at them, "I see so that's why they look familiar to me..." she said as she rose to her feet, "You're of the Sound Village..."
"Wh-What do you want!?" Sakura called out, "I mean what do you REALLY want!? I know Orochimaru is calling the shots from the shadows!"
This seemed to grasp the group by surprise that this pink haired Kunoichi was able to piece together that much...
"What's that strange bruise on the back of Sasuke's neck!?" she asked, "You're behind this too, aren't you!?" she claimed, "And now you want to fight him when he can't even defend himself!?"
"...What could he be thinking...?" Dosu wondered.
"Hmph...how can I stay quiet after hearing her talk like that to us!?" scoffed the other male of their team, "First I'm going to kill this girl...then I'm going to kill Sasuke."
"The hell you will-!" Saseme glared as she tried to bring her comrades to their feet.
"...Wait, Zaku..."
"What!? Why!?"
"The answer is obvious..." said Dosu as he moved just a little closer, Saseme twitched.
"This is what dirt looks like when it's just been dug up...and this type of grass doesn't grow in a place like this.
Sakura twitched.
Looks like they discovered her trap...
Saseme thought to herself.
"If you're going to lay a trap, there's no point unless it's actually hidden."
"HA! You're just a joke!" scoffed the one called Zaku, "You threw your kunai knife so that squirrel wouldn't spring the trap you set, huh!?"
Saseme twitched.
"They saw that too!?"
I see...so these guys have been watching us for a while...and none of us even noticed...
The sheer difference in their skill level brought chills down her spine...
"Now...we kill her!" said Dosu, and the trio took to attack her from above...but Sakura was prepared for that too... she smirked, and cut the trigger line that held their warm welcome.
"She also set a trap above!? Watch out!"
"Nicely done!" said Saseme with a smirk, "I will say this much...that girl may be annoying...but she's definitely not stupid."
"Nice try...little girl." In a second, the massive log crumbled to pieces to Sakura's surprise, "Clearly you have no talent as a ninja..." he said to her, "Someone like you ought to make a little more of an effort...don't you think!?"
"Shit-Sakura!" Saseme growled.
"Go!" said Sage, "We have to regain our balance, hurry!"
"Right!" Saseme nodded as she left her team mates behind to help each other restabilize, "Hey assholes, try dealing with me!" She let out a fierce cry as she prepared to land another punch, only to be grabbed and tossed aside...so easily too.
Dammit, I'm still not fully-
But her thoughts were interrupted.
"LEAF HURRICANE!"
A whirling kick knocked the enemy back and Saseme's eyes widened, along with a smile of relief as a boy with a bowl cut rocking a green jumpsuit took to the scene.
"Lee!" she called out to her all too familiar old friend.
"Saseme!" he called back, catching her with ease before she landed and bringing her back to her feet, "What are you doing!? Clearly you are not at full capacity-you have fallen far behind in your training!"
"Now's not the time to think about that." she stated, "I am the only one right now with any proper fight left for the moment-"
"Not any more." he stated, "I have arrived, so you may take it easy for now."
"What...what is he doing?" Sakura asked softly as Saseme plopped herself right down next to her.
"Nothing beyond his usual..." she sighed. But truly she was relieved to see him, as he stood in ready stance against the enemy. Even the other two members of Saseme's team were just as confused as Sakura was.
"It looks like you also...need to make more of an effort." said Lee.
"...Who are you?" asked Dosu.
"I am the Handsome Devil of the Hidden leaf Village." he proclaimed, "And My name is Rock Lee!"
To be Continued