The Path A Ninja Walks...
Chapter Forty-Three
What We Used To Be...
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.
As the battle commenced... Sakura standing alone infront of a weakened Saseme, taking a defensive stance over her brother and her own weakened team...unbeknownst to them all, there were spactators hiding in the camoflage of the foliage...
"These guys are scary..." Choji gulped, "I vote we get out of here..."
Squad 10 had taken a notice upon their own hunt for some weaklings to snag a scroll from, and moved in close to find out the full extent of the situation.
"Sasuke and Naruto are totally out of it." said Shikamaru, "Saseme's barely got any fight left and her team isn't looking any better...not to mention Lee is also not looking too good..." he sighed, "Well, Ino? What do you wanna do?"
"Why as me, huh!?" she questioned sharply, still in shock over the scene.
"Well if we don't do something soon- she's toast! Are you cool with that!?"
The blonde gasped softly.
"You and her...you were friends once, right?"
she took a long moment to herself to replay an old flashback...the day Sakura walked away as her rival...
Get a grip, Ino...
she thought to herself.
That's all ancient history.
"Well, Ino? What do you wanna do!?"
"Why do you keep asking me that!? What am I supposed to do, huh!?" snipped Ino, "You want me to go out there and get myself killed? Is that it!?"
"What?" Shikamaru clicked his tongue and growled softly.
I mean..that's all that would happen...
Ino thought to herself with trembling knees
I'd just be in the same fix she is...What good would that do anybody!?
"What about you, huh!?" said Ino.
"What do you mean?" Shikarmaru questioned with a sharp hiss.
"I mean...you and Saseme...you were like...friends once too- right!?"
"Tch..." the boy clicked his tongue and slowly shifted his gaze back to the heavily drained Uchiha girl...still fighting to stand on her feet...
Look at her...
He thought to himself.
Even now...despite being completely drained an exhausted...she's still standing...
His eyes narrowed softly...peeking back into his own memories...
...You haven't really changed all that much after all...have you...Saseme...?
xxxxx
"Jeez, Saseme, are you still struggling with this stuff?" the boy groaned with a huff, leaning lazily with his cheek in his hand on a propped elbow as he was going over Saseme's homework with her. To which she gave a sharp nudge to, to knock him off balance just for being a pest.
"I'm working on it!" she huffed.
"Jeez...if it's so hard for you, I don't see why you didn't just stay in our class with the rest of us." the boy huffed back.
"Hmph." The girl pouted stubbornly.
"...What a drag..." he groaned.
"What about you, Shika-chan!?" Saseme huffed, "You're so smart- this stuff is easy for you- I don't see why you didn't just join me in the upper class- you'd pass with a breeze."
"Are you kidding me!?" said the boy, "If I was in tat class with you that would mean I'd have to put in all this same extra effort that you're putting in just to BE in that class." "he huffed, "No thank you."
"Tch..." the girl clicked her tongue, trying at her homework again...she was starting to get the hang of it...
"Heh...hey, not bad." Shikamaru chuckled, "You're starting to get it now."
Saseme beamed happily which brought about a little flutter and a soft smile to the boy as he watched her celebrate her success.
"All right!" she beamed, "I knew I would get it if I picked your brain a little bit!" she teased with a playful slip of her tongue between her lips.
The boy huffed and rolled his eyes with a playful chuckle.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." he laughed softly, "Why do you come to me with all of this advanced stuff anyway?" he asked her, "Don't you have super fancy pants smart new friends in your super fancy pats smart upper class~? Or like...what about Sasuke? He's smart, isn't he?" he teased.
But suddenly upon asking this...the girl's ever so bright smile soon faded away...erasing his own.
Oof...did I hit a sore spot?
he wondered.
"I'm uh...no doing all too well in the whole making friends department in the upper class..." she said softly, "And Sasuke doesn't quite understand this stuff yet either..." she sighed, "Not that he's too keen to help me...I tink he's still kinda mad about it..." she chuckled awkwardly, "Admittedly...having friends like Hinata-chan and you around is one thing I do miss about the old class..." she sighed.
"...Saseme..." the boy blinked, "...If you're struggling there so much...why not just give it up then? And come back to ours? At least you'll be with peers your own age..."
"Ha- give up and run away? Not Saseme!" she huffed as she gathered up her books and stood, "I'm in the upper class because I have advanced learning..." she stated, "I want to challenge myself to get better..." she paused and glanced back at him, "..I have something to prove..."
This...really confused him.
Why would someone make things harder for themself...on purpose...?
"Something to prove, huh...?"
She didn't really say anything more to him about it. Just gave him a sad smile and a polite bow, "Thank you for your help, Shika-chan." she said softly.
"...Yeah, sure." he said softly in return with a scratch to his cheek, "If you need any more help with anything...Just...come back I guess..." he sighed softly shifting his eyes to her with a side smile, "And quit calling me by that stupid nick name already." he scoffed, "It's annoying..."
xxxxx
Really, Saseme? Even now...?
Shikamaru wondered curiously as he eyed the girl.
You left for a while after that...then suddenly return out of no where after apparently studying and training in the Sand Village for whatever reason...
And still you feellike you have something to prove...?
xxxxx
"AURGH!" Sakura growled as she threw her Shuriken at the enemy just to have them blown away and scattered by Zaku.
All that air...
she thought to herself.
My Shuriken just bounce off!
She let out a yelp as she found herself gripped by the hair by the third member of the sound team, Kin.
"Sakura!" Saseme called to her, and tried to rush to her aid.
"Saseme!" she called back, "Stay back and protect Sasuke!" she declared, "Your team needs you rigt now too-AHH!" she yelped.
Saseme whinced.
Hated this...
She wanted to help...
But she knew Sakura was right too-
For whatever reason, these guys wanted to hurt Sasuke...and with her as exhausted as she is, and her support system hanging on by threads- she's no good on the front line right now...still the very thought of standing back and doing nothing...watching...made her teeth clench.
"My my~ What soft and shiny hair!" Kin smirked, "But you know...maybe if you spent a little less time shampooing, and a little more time practicing your jutsu...you might not be in this fix!" she smirked, "Hey Zaku I know what'd be fun~ Let's make Ms. Beauty Queen watch while you finish off that Sasuke guy~"
"Why not? Sounds like fun to me!"
"I won't let you!" Saseme huffed.
"Ha...I can finish off his bratty little sister too~" said Zaku.
Dammit!
Sage huffed
This isn't good...Saseme needs us and we're all just sitting ducks...
He hissed as he struggled to push himself to move...
"Sage..." Hana said softly, "What are you doing!?"
"My...Duty..." Sage huffed, "Saseme is out team mate...she's our friend..." he hissed, "And she needs us!"
"Sage..."
Sakura struggled...trembling in her place. 3 boys down and out...
Saseme barely holding her own weight on her knees...Sage and Hana...struggling to find their footing.
...It's no use...
Sakura thought to herself.
I have no strength left... all of us...we're running on empty...
she sniffed as tears fell to her bruised up knees.
Way to go Sakura...
she sniffed.
You let everyone down again...
What good ARE you!?
How many times have THEY saved YOU!?
Her trembling fingers twitched and gripped at the dirt beneath her.
You would think...just this once...when it's life or death...you could come through...!
"Oh, Sakura..." Hana gasped softly... taking notice of the slow rising smoke fro the unconscious Sasuke Uchiha.
What is this...?
"Now then...let's do this..." Zaku smirked as he began to step towards Sasuke and his defending twin. the girl clenching her teeth and gripping tight at her Kunai...takinga a battle stance...
She had no chance at winning in her condition...but she was ready to die fighting.
"Oh man!" Shikamaru said from his squad's hiding place, "This thing's about to get really ugly!"
What do I do!?
Ino gulped
What SHOULD I do!?
Saseme...
Sakura thought to herself.
She's in a weakened state and she's still standing to fight...So...Why shouldn't I!?
She had made up her mind pulling a Kunai from her pouch and holding it with trembling hands.
"It's no use!" said Kin, "That won't work on me!"
Sakura smirked...and glanced back at her captor with a fierce look in her green eyes as she whispered sharply with a hiss-
"...It's not meant for you...!"
"What!?"
With no further words...she quickly readied her weopon...one clean slice through her long pink hair...
and cut herself free...
To Be Continued