Yay! We're up to eight! That's my lucky number, I love eight sooooo much; it's perfectly symmetrical! So here is chapter eight!

"Deeeeeei-chaaaaan!" Kumiko whined.

"Sh! You have to quiet down!" he whispered back.

"But this is so booooring!" she grumbled, rolling over onto her back and pouting up at the sky.

"Just quiet down and," Deidara sighed, "I'll buy you some of that candy you wanted earlier…"

"Yay!" Kumiko clapped and smothered him in a hug, "Thanks so much Dei-chan, I'll be real quiet from now on."

Kumiko kept her mouth closed, as promised, and stared intently at the bridge. She waited for something, anything, to happen! Her excitement heightened when someone in an Akatsuki robe stepped onto the bridge.

Sasori… thought Deidara.

Kumiko turned to Deidara ready to ask the questions flooding her mind, but remembering her oath of silence, she went back to watching the scene on the bridge. On the other side of the bridge a figure in a cloak approached the one in Akatsuki robes. Their mouths moved but Kumiko couldn't hear any sound over the wind. She let out a hushed groan of disappointment. Kumiko itched her nose; she could feel a sneeze coming on!

"A-a-a-," Deidara turned and gave Kumiko a panicked look, "Choo!"

The man in the cloak turned in their direction and Deidara grabbed a nearby rabbit, popping it out of the bush. Deidara sighed in relief as the cloaked man turned back to the one in Akatsuki robes. On the other side of the chasm a man with long black hair and yellow snake like eyes emerged from the woods, but the two men on the bridge didn't seem to notice. Kumiko blinked and the situation on the field completely changed; the man in the cloak had abandoned his cloak, the snake man was on the bridge and the man in Akatsuki robes had been attacked. Out of the akatsuki robes jumped Captain Yamato, clutching his arm. Once again LKumiko blinked and Sai, Sakura and Naruto were on the bridge.

"Sakura-senpai..." Kumiko muttered in disbelief.

"The jinchuuriki brat!" whispered Deidara at the same time.

"Who?" Kumiko asked in a low voice.

"The blond kid, he's one of our targets!" hissed Deidara.

"Naruto?" Kumiko's eyes widened.

When Kumiko turned back to the bridge, a mysterious red aura had gathered around Naruto's body and a low growl escaped his throat. The boys exchanged words and a look of anger covered Sakura's face.

"Shut your mouth, four eyes!" she screached frustrated words and Naruto attacked the snake man sending him flying through the forest.

Everyone's faces expressed their surprise as the snake man came back, with his face falling off! The whole group spoke words that Kumiko couldn't quite make out.

Naruto exploded. "In my presence, don't you dare talk about Sasuke like you own him!"

Naruto's chakra caused the bridge to snap. Everyone was blown back by Naruto's chakra, even at the distance Kumiko sat: the air stung. The bridge crumbled and sakura began to slip.

"Sakura-senpai!" Kumiko screamed.

She prepared to catch Sakura but Deidara grabbed her arm.

"Let go Dei-chan! I've got to go save Sakura-senpai!" Kumiko growled.

Deidara bit his lip and let go. Quickly, Kumiko ran to the falling Sakura. Sai flew by on a giant bird and was close enough to catch Sakura but he flew right past her. Kumiko caught Sakura and bounced of the dirt walls of the chasm to get back on the ground. She placed the unconscious girl next to Yamato.

"Kumiko!" Yamato couldn't conceal his surprise at Kumiko's appearance.

Kumiko looked up at the captain with eyes filled with such sorrow and empathy that Yamato sighed and brushed away all the questions ebbing his mind. While Sakura lay unconscious, Yamato created a clone and sent it in Naruto's direction. After a few moments Sakura sat up and cried out in pain.

"Sakura-senpai!" Kumiko hugged Sakura.

"K-kumiko? What are you do-" Sakura's face went pale at the sight of the red cloud on Kumiko's robe.

"Kumiko, where did you get that?" asked Sakura solemnly.

"I-I-I..." Kumiko gulped, "I'm sorry."

"Nevermind for now," inserted Captain Yamato, "We've got bigger problems."

For the first time, Sakura got a look at her surroundings.

"What happened here...?" she whispered in awe.

"It was Naruto." Yamato replied.

"Where is he!" asked Sakura.

"On the other side of the bridge," Yamato paused, "With Orochimaru."

"Wait! Orochimaru!" Kumiko piped up, "Is that who the snake guy was?"

A huge shockwave of air passed through them before anyone had the chance to reply. The shockwave left cuts all over Kumiko's body, slicing her robe in numerous places. A roar sounded the air, its vibrations sent chills down Kumiko's spine.

"That's not Naruto!" Kumiko exclaimed upon seeing the dark red mess in Naruto's form.

"Captain Yamato, just what's happening to Naruto?" Sakura asked with sad eyes.

"Sakura, Kumiko... there's no need for you two to worry, after all, it's for this reason in particular that I was chosen." Yamato replied.

"Well then, it would seem Sasori won't be showing up, will he?" Kumiko turned to see the man that had been in the cloak.

Kumiko finally got a good look at the man. The man's grey hair was tied back into a pony tail, he pushed his glasses up and his leaf shinobi headband glinted in the sun.

"Kabuto..." Sakura muttered under her breath and gritted her teeth.

"Kumiko, it's about time you left." Yamato ordered in a serious tone.

"But-" Kumiko began in defense.

"Ah, so you must be the replacement for Sasori; I'm assuming he's dead." Kabuto smirked.

"Yes, he's dead." Sakura said, fixing a glare directed at Kabuto.

Kumiko didn't say a word, she felt helpless not knowing what to do or say. Kabuto continued to calmly chat with Sakura, Kumiko was relieved that he didn't bring her up again. Another explosion interupted Kabuto and Sakura's conversation. This blast was even more powerful, Kumiko could feel the hatred in the air.

"What just... happened?" Sakura inquired in disbelief.

"He's become even more like the Kyuubi than he was a few minutes ago, I see." Kabuto snickered.

"Shut your mouth four eyes!" Kumiko growled when she naticed how much Kabuto's words had hurt Sakura, "I don't know what this Kyuubi thing is, but I know that that is Naruto, and Naruto won't let anything happen to Sakura. But he will beat the living shit out of you if you say one word more!"

"Ballsy aren't we, little Akatsuki," Kabuto continued, "I'd say that this isn't even a fight between ninja anymore... it's more like a fight between monsters, wouldn't you agree?"

Sakura clutched her chest in a fit of emotion. Kumiko would have hit Kabuto, but she sensed danger and turned warn Yamato. There was another explosion and Yamato grabbed Kumiko and Sakura, moving them out of harms way. Tears formed in Sakura's eyes as she bolted towards Naruto. Yamato screamed words that weren't coherent to Kumiko, as she was already running after Sakura. Kumiko felt the wind get knocked out of her as she was grabbed, cloth shoved over her mouth. She tried to scream, breath even, but such actions seemed impossible as she was drug away from, Sakura, Yamato, Naruto and the battle, dragged into the woods.

Thanks for reading, please review!