Disclaimer: I am disclaiming the characters used below. You know? Not claiming them because they don't belong to me, yah.
Love, by textbook definition, is described as a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. The term alone was one that Sakura had heard used many times. She, herself, had used it in the past without any forethought to the profoundness of the word in itself. Love was not what she had thought it to be. In moments of desperation, it changed.
Sakura Haruno's heart felt like it would burst into oblivion. Her emotions, until that point, had been nothing more than imitations caused by impatience or disappointment. In the long run, most of the things she had stressed over didn't matter. Life was precious; everyone had their worth. The kunoichi had always believed that, but never fully realized that she did. There was infatuation, of course, but that was different. Love was wanting someone or something else to be honestly and truly happy. It was only in that particular trying moment that her world expanded, colors becoming more intense to a perception no longer condemned to wander in immaturity.
The kunoichi wasn't strong; she knew that. Oh, gods, how she knew that. In the end, she always depended on others. In the end, she couldn't bear the thought of losng them. Not out of self-preservation, but it would be a lie to say she didn't feel that she owed them something.
Sheloved Sasuke. She loved Naruto. She honestly and trulyloved quite a few people, and until that point she had ignored it. Love was not a simple adoration; it wasn't even romantic in nature. No, that was a different aspect of love. One could feel a deep attachment for someone without that lust. Love was a state of being, an ideal, and a force of nature flowing through every creature. It coursed from her hands into Naruto the moment she touched him.
On a microscopic level, the effects were immediate, though no one could prove it. Just a little more activity, a little more motivation. The Uzumaki's body stirred slightly, though not enough to gain awareness. It was enough for her, though. Sakura held her teammate close, fighting back the feeling that this wasn't the first time they had been in that position, his head in her arms.
Less than ten meters away, the ambiance was very different. Kakashi had given a short sigh of relief, but was by no means unburdened. Zabuza was right in front of him now, and the copy ninja grasped a kunai tightly, knowing that the job had to be finished. The jounin had no choice, but even if he had, the man lain out before him had struck a child down without remorse. A genin, perhaps, but a child nonetheless. One he could have subdued without causing any lasting damage, in fact.
Killing was a messy business. Kakashi Hatake hated it, unlike some of the reports about him would suggest. It was never satisfying, and it never filled in the holes of the past. It was just a necessity. A dirty, guilt-ridden, unavoidable necessity. The least he could do and still feel humane was make it quick. With that in mind, the Konoha elite aimed for the criminal's jugular artery. He would avoid any nerve endings, if at all possible.
He lifted his knife, and was immediately startled by several acupuncture needles flying past his face to hit the target he had been eyeing. Zabuza's throat made a strangled gasp, and the rogue shinobi fell to the ground like a broken doll, eyes still open.
"Wha?" the teacher stammered, turning around to find a masked face studying him from a leaf-covered branch. The newcomer still held several more senbon in his right hand, prepared for use should anything have gone wrong. Instinctively, the Hatake checked his enemy's vital signs to find nothing; dead as a doornail.
"Hunter nin," Sasuke commented from his new position behind their instructor, viewing the lithe frame presented before them. The boy addressed gave a quick and courteous nod. His thick clothes ruffled in the breeze, hiding nearly all skin in a layer of bluish-green. His headband was hard to discern in the fog, but Kakashi could read the insignia without difficulty. It made sense that the Momochi would be tailed by an ANBU of his own village. Having been the same kind of predator in the past, Kakashi understood the boy's timing as well.
"Thank you for immobilizing him for me." the hunter's voice called out, soft and gentle. It flitted on the breeze, then left like imagination. "-the wanted criminal, rogue ninja Zabuza Momochi."
Kakashi gave a curt nod in reply, then looked at the body. Behind the mask, Haku tensed. Thankfully, the exhausted teacher had been too preoccupied with many things to have noticed the change. Before the gray-haired veteran was given the chance to get any closer to the 'corpse', Haku leapt down from the branches to toss Zabuza over his shoulder in a protective gesture. Kakashi was led to believe this was for secrecy reasons between the two villages, as the next part of Zabuza's eradication was for the ANBU's eyes only.
"I will go dispose of the body. Good day to you, Leaf ninja." Haku whispered, looking at the scattered group and phasing off into obscurity. Kakashi was left standing there alongside Sasuke at a complete loss for words. That boy was a skilled ninja, he could tell. Probably even stronger than he was. Before he had time to ponder that, however, his knees gave beneath him. The Sharingan had its downfalls.
Chakra exhaustion, he mused mirthlessly. It couldn't have come at a more inconvenient time. There was still the mission, and Naruto had to be taken care of immediately. There was no question about it, he needed to stay conscious, and-
Sasuke caught his sensei before he hit the ground, feeling every muscle in the adult's body tensing and straining. There wasn't any need for an explanation. If anyone understood the Sharingan's pitfalls, it was the one of the last Uchiha.
"Sasuke, I leave you in charge for now." Kakashi muttered, looking to the area where Sakura and Naruto were located before passing out entirely. Sasuke stared at him for a moment, then turned to each of his teammates in turn before meeting the gaze of Tazuna. The old man stared at him expectantly, and the Uchiha felt his face sour.
Great. Naruto's barely alive, the old man's still the worst client ever, and now I'm in charge? This is going to be a loooong day.
Haku didn't dare stop running with Zabuza's deadweight on his back until there was several kilometers and a river between the two and the group of foreign shinobi. They had nearly succeeded in killing Zabuza, and the young outcast would be damned if they did it again. He had been lucky to arrive when he had. If his entrance had been even ten seconds later… Haku shuddered.
Hands shaking, the boy laid his only companion down on the damp grass below them, assessing the damage caused by both himself and the enemy. There wasn't as much as he had feared, but his shame built all the same. Every bruise on his master spoke to him of personal failure. With much affection, Haku stroked Zabuza's face. He would attend to his master's wounds soon enough, but for that moment, he could do nothing but thank the heavens he had been able to be there for his hero in time.
Author's note: Want more length, buddies? Well, here's zeh news. A lot of chapters are really this length. The difference is my formatting, dears. Of course, I'm not above being sweet-talked into it.
Also, to a certain anonymous reviewer, I haven't made Naruto all-powerful on purpose. At least, not at this point. It takes a certain luster from the story, you see(or you don't, in which case I won't press the issue).