Chapter Four

Sakura could not, would not listen to the frantic ANBU captain shouting in her ears. Not when her world came crashing down around her… not when the dead came back to life. She ignored the captain yelling in her ears, ignored the pull of guilt for abandoning her team. Everything was silenced in her mind, except for three little words: He's still alive.

These words she repeated to herself over and over and over, a calming mantra as the tears began to well in her eyes. She raced through the crowds, scanning the mass of people for him, even though she knew he was disguised as she was.

He never knew it was me, she realized, looking down at her travelling clothes, fingering her dark-brown hair. And I would've never known it was him if it wasn't for that scent…

Then, a loud explosion sounded from somewhere behind her, and she shook her head, focusing on the obscenities the ANBU captain was shouting into her ear. "Shit… Takahashi is down. Raccoon, Cat, get him out of here now! I'll handle these guys. Wolf, wherever the hell you are, we need you NOW."

Another explosion sounded, shaking Sakura from her shock. "Shit," she muttered, as she turned away from her search after a moment's hesitation, racing towards the fighting. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit."

As she ran, her transformation jutsu slowly faded. Her travelling villager façade disappeared, revealing the fierce ANBU squad member beneath it. She did it all without a second thought, her determination erasing everything but her mission from her mind.

Finally finding the cause of the explosions, Sakura paused, stopping on the rooftop, calculating the battle and what she planned to do. Damn it… she thought, clenching her jaw.

Twenty missing-nin surrounded the ANBU captain, slowly closing in on him, while ten missing-nin were currently attacking Raccoon and Cat. They were desperately trying to protect Takahashi, who was lying on the ground a few feet away from them.

With a sigh, Sakura stood up, jumping in the middle of Raccoon and Cat's fight. Protect the leader of Amegakure. That is my mission. Forgive me, captain.

Taking the missing-nin by surprise, they stopped their attacks for a split-second, using that time to measure up Sakura. Soon, a murmur passed through the group, their voices wavering. "It's the Wolf of Konoha."

Not taking her eyes off of them, Sakura asked, "How is Takahashi doing?"

Panting, Raccoon wiped the blood dripping down his face. "He's badly injured; I don't know how long he's going to last… I just know that it won't be for very long."

Nodding grimly, Sakura replied, "Get him out of here. I'll take care of these guys."

Without a reply, Raccoon and Cat disappeared, taking Takahashi with them. When the missing-nin took a step, as if to follow them, Sakura narrowed her eyes and immediately positioning herself between them and her retreating comrades. "Don't even think about it; your fight is with me now."

They faltered, glancing at one another as if they did not want to risk a fight with the infamous Wolf of Konoha. Taking advantage of this little opening, Sakura made her move. With a chakra-infused punch and a loud cry, she punched the ground with all her might, causing the ground to explode, the earth cracking and bursting around the missing-nin. Taken by surprise, but quickly recovering, they were shaken from their indecision and immediately began attacking.

With stern concentration, Sakura fended off the ten missing-nin, dodging blow after blow, throwing punches and kicks whenever she was able to. With a chakra-infused kick, she sent two missing-nin into the air, and they plummeted back down to earth, already out cold before they even hit the ground.

Pulling a few kunai from her pouch, she threw them at the nearest missing-nin. Hit in the chest, the missing-nin, his eyes full of fear and panic, fell to the ground before he could even attempt to pull the kunai from his chest. The other missing-nin, who was hit directly in the throat, sputtered and gurgled, blood filling his mouth as he frantically reached up to the kunai. Before these two could even take their last, blood-filled breath, Sakura had already turned away, continuing the battle.

As she fought, her mind blanked, using only her training and skill to survive. One by one, the missing-nin fell, either dead or unable to fight, their breaths light and weak.

Panting, Sakura wiped the blood from her ninjatō, placing it back in the sheath on her back. She glanced at the ANBU captain, who was still fighting, steadily losing ground. It took all she had to turn her back from him, but she had her mission, and she would complete it… no matter what. Forgive me, captain…

Sensing for Raccoon's and Cat's chakra signatures, she raced towards them, leaving behind a mass of half-dead and dead missing-nin, sprawled on a completely devastated street.

Finding Raccoon and Cat on a nearby roof, she leaped up and landed next to them. When they looked at her as if she were a demon or spirit, she realized they had been watching her fight. Used to this reaction, she merely sighed.

"T-that was…" murmured Cat, grasping for words to describe the one-sided fight she had just witnessed.

"The Wolf of Konoha," whispered Raccoon, fear and awe filling his voice. "It's true what they say of you."

Waving off their comments with a humble shrug, Sakura held up a hand. "We don't have time for that. Where is Takahashi?"

Silently, they stepped aside, revealing a badly injured man. His eyes were closed tightly as he breathed lightly, the movement of his lungs expanding and contracting sending pain throughout his body. Sweat formed on his forehead, dripping down his face, leaving behind trails of flesh on the mask of blood that covered him. His hand rested against his side, cradling the badly burnt limb to his body. His left leg bent at an odd angle, while his right was completely out of its socket. Deep, long gashes covered his body, and arrows were embedded in his chest, sides, arms and legs.

"Damn it," Sakura muttered, kneeling beside Takahashi, her hands glowing green.

Cat gasped in surprise, managing to sputter, "A medic ninja, too? A-amazing!"

Closing her eyes, Sakura managed to push back her rising irritation. Turning to Raccoon and Cat, she barked an order. "Raccoon, Cat, go help the captain. He needs your assistance more than I do."

Shaking their astonishment away, Raccoon and Cat nodded, and raced away to do as she bid. With a deep, calming breath, Sakura forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Slowly, methodically, she began to heal Takahashi, starting with the more serious wounds. Mending bones, connecting tendons and muscles, closing deep wounds: she did it all, breaking into a sweat, her face twisted in her exertion.

Time disappeared as she healed; the only thing registering in her mind was the green glow of her hands and her flow of chakra pushing into the injured man, forcing his body to heal, slowly, steadily. She found herself exhausted and tired, a few hours later, but she sighed in relief, having finished her task.

Leaning off of her aching knees, she looked at Takahashi, gazing at the resting man, blissfully unaware of his dance with death.

This is the leader of Amegakure, thought Sakura, unimpressed. This… lanky, tall man… he looks about Kakashi's age… or at least the age Kakashi would've been.

Finding a comfortable position, Sakura sat next to him, still gazing at his features. He had long, black, messy hair, a chunk of bangs covering half of his face. He had pale, pale skin and strong, yet gentle features, lips parting softly. Despite his weak presence, he was handsome. Definitely.

Tentatively, Sakura reached out and brushed the bangs from his face, revealing a long, jagged scar that ran over his eye down to his chin. Frowning, she lightly traced it. Poor thing… whatever caused this scar must've been painful. Funny, but it looks exactly like Kakashi's scar…

His eyes began to open slowly, and when Takahashi groggily focused on Sakura, she gasped at what she saw. "Impossible…" she whispered, gazing at him in surprise. "It can't be…"

Blinking, he groaned as he tried to sit up. With a raspy voice, he asked, "Who are you? Where am I? What happened?"

Reaching to help him, Sakura stared at him, her heart in her throat. "Your eyes…"


Oh, man! How much do you guys hate me now? Not only did I not reveal the mysterious man that Sakura bumped into in the streets, but I also ended with a cliffy! Well, a lame cliffy, I admit, but still. Don't worry. All will be revealed in the next chapter. At least, I hope it will be. Anyway, I've been getting a lot of guesses on who the mysterious man is. The most popular is Kakashi. But, oh, wait! What's this? Could Takahashi possibly be...? I mean, look at the similarities! Their names, features, scars... could it be? Or am I just messing with you again? Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I just can't help it! Please forgive me, and please keep reading. I promise I won't wait so long to update the next chapter. Thanks for everyone who's been keeping up with this story. For a complete whim, this story's coming out pretty interesting, huh? Okay, now I'm just tooting my own horn. I'd better go. Laters! (Toot)

I do not own Naruto.