Truth Unfolds in Wave Chapter 55: Conviction and then Fate, a naruto fanfic

AN: Sorry for missing my usual two odd week release. If you read the word count for this chapter...I am sure you understand why :P (20k words)

cupcake-sama: I know what you were hoping for last chapter...this time you hopefully wont be disappointed :D

Important note: Since I am now up to 45 in my final clean up, re-reading something now has made me agree with what feedback I have been given with my reviewers. This is in regards to mangetsu, and my choice of napalm and Lava...the former being the issue. Being the perfectionist I am, I have decided for the sake of trying to keep my story in line with Kishi's world, to change napalm to what water and fire do make in the manga. Steam. On a flip side, doesn't really change much, but I have to apologize to those that may be annoyed by me doing that. (chapter 44 and 45 will be updated with that change within the next 24 odd hours)

Chapter 54 Conviction and then Fate

'W-What has happened to his eyes?!' Sakura questioned in shock, feeling unleased as the Uchiha's eyes continue to stare lifelessly into Naruto.

Jiraiya fixed his shock to form a frustrated frown, "The Mangekyou Sharingan..."

Naruto was still stunned, so Sakura voiced her confusion, "B-But I thought sensei said to awaken it you had to kill someone close to you."

"It is not like a fine rule in a book, it can't be as exact as just killing someone that is important to you. There has to be more to it. Maybe it is not so much carrying out the action, but more so the affect it does to one's mind. Naruto's words must have made Ronan realise the loss that he now bears on his shoulders, surfacing feelings buried deep in his conscience."

Jiraiya explained, while Naruto's stunned and terrorized state only deepened, 'I did this?...'

Looking at the seal he was still holding, Jiraiya guessed he needed a bit more time, 'This changes everything. Who knows what power he has obtained now with those eyes. He may have the jutsu's Itachi was reported to have now, or something of similar strength...I have to defeat him, before he learns how to use them.'

"Listen to me, both of you. He is far too dangerous now for either of you to handle. I am going to stop him before he figures out how to use those eyes-"

"We are not leaving you Ero-sennin!"

"Gaki I know that already! I am just telling you bo-!"

Jiraiya refocussed when Mangetsu started running through seals and charging forward. Gripping on his sword, he then raised it off his back and embedded the tip of the sword into the ground with all his strength, "Doton, Yomi Numa!

The ground starting from the sword began to crack, soon reaching straight in-between the sannin's legs. Feeling the sudden rumbling beneath their feet, the shinobi on impulse dived away from the sudden eruption of lava.

Even though the spitting red molten rock was raining down the new line, Sakura did not miss seeing blond through the blinding hot rain drops, "NARUTO!"

'Why didn't I look which direction he jumped to first?!' Sakura cursed, desperately trying to find a way to get to him. Naruto never had the luxury to search for a means, as he sidestepped an incoming fireball, to then quickly block a kunai aimed for slitting his throat.

"NARUTO!-"

"Focus Sakura! We don't have time to watch!"

Returning her gaze to in front, she saw Mangetsu closing in fast with a deeply satisfied pointed teeth revealing grin across his excited face. Looking desperately to Jiraiya, she now shouted out her question in panic, "Why are you just standing there with that seal?! Naruto needs us, NOW!"

"I still need to build up the chakra, I can't break this seal for any reason!"

"...How long do you need?"

"I need just a few more moments."

Seeing the swordsman now within ten meters, she stood between the sannin and the raging bull like swordsman, "Damn it!" She shouted, slamming her fist into the ground, causing the earth in front of them to crack like glass. Nearly losing his footing, Mangetsu quickly recovered and zoned in on the kunoichi, who hesitantly ran towards him.

"You got guts kid, too bad they won't be there for much longer!" Mangetsu hissed, slashing across to try and cut Sakura clean in half, but she fell to her knees to evade. Quickly pushing herself to the side, she dodged a downwards cut that had no issues cutting straight into the dirt with little resistance.

Balancing herself from the side with both her hands on the ground, she kicked the embedded sword straight into its large centre, causing Mangetsu take two steps back. She could only cry out her surprise when he recovered in an instant, and again slashed the sword at the ground she just rolled away from. Quickly back on her feet, Sakura again was forced to evade his relentless assault.

'I can't even perform any jutsu, he won't give me time!'

It also surprised her his unsuccessful efforts hadn't made him resort to changing tactics yet. If that expression on his face was anything to go by...he was enjoying this as if it was a game. Finally seeing an opportunity, she ducked under the horizontal slash of the sword, and burst foreword with her fist reeled back.

Even though the sword was brought up to shield him, it didn't stop Sakura hitting the sword head on. The force slid him back several meters, however, there was one daunting fact that made the kunoichi's eyes bulge in disbelief. The swordsman never went airborne, in fact, he didn't even loose grip on his sword that was blocking his face from view.

When he finally stopped sliding back, he lowered his sword to reveal his face that petrified Sakura. His eyes were bulging with impossible amounts of joy, and he had a wide sadistic smile on his piranha like face, "How interesting!"

Preparing herself as he closed in on her, her terror did not brush off.

"HURRY UP JIRAIYA-SAMA!" She screamed out, while putting her evasive training to further use, dodging the enormous blade like her life depended on it.

It still shocked her at just how quick Mangetsu was recovering from swinging that massive sword at her again and again, with no signs of exhaustion. Quickly dashing around the sword after it tried to slice downwards on her, she tried to strike Mangetsu again. She gasped though when a sudden shot of soreness rushed up her arm, all while a feminine hand cupped her apparent chakra filled fist.

'W-What?!'

"Now now, we will have none of that." Claara chirped, who now was in front of Sakura, with a senbon again jabbed into Sakura's arm.

'T-This is like what happened last time!'

Sakura couldn't even breath in air when the corner of her eye saw a blurring blade about to decapitate her. Then before she knew it, her entire vision was blocked by red, along with the sound of steel meeting flesh. She didn't know how it suddenly got so quiet, or why she felt an overwhelming presence before her.

"Are you ok Sakura?" A voice that sounded like Jiraiya suddenly announced, finally freeing her from her binding shock.

Looking back to in front of her, she saw Claara had retreated back, staring wide eyed in surprise at something next to her. Turning back and tilting her head a little up, she recognised the spiky long white hair of Jiraiya...

...only there was much more than she could recall.

The corner of her eye could just make out Mangetsu. He was standing far back, but had a lightly bleeding wound that was trickling down his face from the right of his scalp. Focussing back on her saviour, she noticed two odd objects on each side that looked like pointed upwards shoulder pads, one being brown, the other black.

She didn't even react when the black 'pad' turned to reveal a purple head of a green toad that seemed to resemble an old lady, "Oh?! So this is yer apprentice Kiddo? she's quite a fine young woman. I hope you behave yourself around her, or I am givin' you a mouthful after this on how gentlemen should act around a lady."

The other pad turned to reveal another toad that looked like an elderly man, "Ka-chan...Jiraiya-chan's apprentice is called Uzumaki Naruto...a lad."

"Huh?!"

"Can you both focus on the situation at hand?" Groaned out Jiraiya, who didn't turn. After a few moments, he turned his head to the stunned kunoichi. If possible, her mouth hung open even wider, as she stared into his amphibian eyes.

The sannin's face had changed all around the place. The one difference that stood out like a sore thumb was that his nose also had gotten much fatter, and was littered with warts that she almost mistook them for freckles since there were so many.

The sannin's left eye twitched, "...Not pretty?"

Her dumbfounded head nodding slowly made him sigh, 'Now I remember why I despise this form..it is so displeasing for the ladies.'

Brushing it off, he turned back to his opponent, "Sorry for the delay, but it seems I made it just in time." Wincing all of a sudden in realisation, she raised her hand to still see the imbedded senbon in her wrist.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled the fine needle out and inspected it, 'No poison, but how on earth did she stop my chakra attack again?!' She wondered, quickly healing the small wound.

"Can you get to Naruto from here?"

Turning back, her vision of the other side was now blocked by the heat waves she could see, along with thick black smoke. Following the trail, she came to the end where Mangetsu had casted the jutsu, "Hai."

"Go to him. Leave these two to me."

"Will you be ok?"

Jiraiya chuckled, "I may hate this form...but do not underestimate me." Taking his answer as a yes, she turned and ran, although she heard a somehow creepy laughter come from Mangetsu.

Mangetsu's commotion made Jiraiya turn his head in question. The sword from its core was letting out a orange glow, "This sensation...so divine, so powerful...this is senjutsu chakra."

Jiraiya's eyes hardened at the claim, while Fukusaku was now curious, "Who's this man Jiraiya-chan?"

"His name is Hozuki Mangetsu, one of the seven swordsman of the mist."

"The wielder of Ryujin? What a troublin' fellow." Shima muttered.

Jiraiya returned his attention the swordsman, "You are aware of senjutsu chakra?"

"Of course I am, how do you think Ryujin functions with being the soul of a great beast?"

"I see, so that is how it is you have such extraordinary normal strength that Sakura's own blows only startled you...you are a user of senjutsu chakra."

Mangetsu's chuckle gave Jiraiya his answer, 'Then why has his form not changed? I have heard of other methods to use senjutsu chakra, but the basic requirement is still black and white. Shouldn't he be completely drained of chakra for even attempting to use senjutsu chakra, doesn't he need time to prepare?'

Fukusaku's grumble got the sannin's attention, "What a disgrace t'even claim that yer using senjutsu chakra. You're just reaping the benefits that sword gives you."

"The soul of that monster only possesses a great amount of spiritual energy, and can accumulate natural energy, but does not possess any physical energy. In other words, instead of achieving balance within yourself, ya have t'act as its missing part of the balance, which can't be done without a price...yer givin' it your life force for the sake of infinite but not pure senjutsu chakra!" Shima spat in a similar detested manner as her husband.

Mangetsu rewarded them with a smirk, "For this great strength, I will happily give away thirty or so odd years of my life span to have such power flowing throughout my body."

Jiraiya was taken aback from the words that sounded so light hearted, 'Sacrificing thirty years of your life just to have the benefits of senjutsu. What kind of a madman is he?!'

"However, before we continue our little chat."

Mangetsu formed a seal, which opened up a part of the lava pit, as he turned to Claara, "You handle the other one." Nodding, Claara ran for the entrance.

"Wait!" Jiraiya called out, as Shima got the idea and opened her mouth.

"Not so fast missy!"

Claara widened her eyes when the small toad shot out a pink wart filled tongue that was disproportionately long at her being. Before the tongue met its mark, a great sword got in its way, allowing Claara to escape. Enwrapping around the sword with the elastic like tongue, its owner started to spray a green mucus all over it. Mangetsu had jumped back in time before any of the highly corrosive stuff could touch him.

"Yer sword is useless now-!?" Shima cut her taunt off when despite the mucus hissing violently, the sword remained untouched.

Recalling her tongue, she stared blankly, "So the legends're true, Ryujin really is indestructible."

Mangetsu laughed as he picked up the now returned to normal sword from its hilt and rested the long blade on his shoulder, "Of course it is old lady." She never retorted to his statement.

"Jiraiya-chan, just because he's yielding senjutsu chakra do not think it's the same as yer's. Ka-chan and myself are helping you balance the natural energy, but ya're still doing it partially yourself. He is handling the balance in a way that is forbidden because of its great cost, and even so...it is nowhere near even worth comparing to the genuine thing. He is only being given the partial benefits senjutsu chakra brings, since he is only feeding the sword his physical energy. The sword can balance the three indefinitely because it is remarkably easy to focus on doing so when you are a spiritual being that feels nothing. Because of that, he doesn't even need to be concerned about a time limit...his time limit is his greatly shortened life." Fukusaku explained, still glaring hatred for the swordsman.

Jiraiya nodded, "I worked that out already."

Meanwhile with Sakura...

No longer focussing on what was happening behind her, she built up to a spring, while desperately trying to look through the burning hot smoke. Recalling those last few moments before they were separated made her push herself to go even faster, 'If Ronan truly has those eyes that give unbelievable power like Itachi...Naruto...he is in deep trouble unless-'

She halted her thoughts and violently shook her head, 'What am I saying? I WONT LET IT COME TO THAT!' No longer wishing to give her mind to this ended discussion, she returned her interest on her path.

'Almost there...Yosh.'

Sakura now had finally made it to the end of the lava line, and cut sharply around the bend, only to then come to an abrupt halt. She almost mistook the scene for Naruto's battle with Sasuke once again. The pair were standing their ground, in a lock between kunai's. It appeared from here as if they were talking about something, although she could clearly tell Naruto was yelling. Kicking off the ground, she bolted into a sprint, until she had to stop again.

She stared in shock to see a familiar black haired kunoichi gracefully jump out of the smoke, and land several feet in front of her. Defying the belief that Claara should have been burnt, there was not so much as a mark on her fair skin.

'H-How?!' She looked back at the lava barrier as if to ask the question, only to see barely within the black smoke, a gap. Watching the gap close to refill with Lava, she guessed the swordsman was the cause.

Returning focus to the now standing kunoichi, Claara smirked, "Ronan-san would not have been happy if you intervened, looks like I made it in time."

Hearing an explosion made Sakura look behind the kunoichi to see a water wall blocking an enormous fire ball, soon covering the area with steam. Despite her itching desire to focus on Naruto, she shook it off.

"You are not going to move I take it?"

"You are still going to ask anyway?"

Clenching her fist, she brought up her hand to pull down tightly on her glove, "No...I am going to make you move."

She froze in question though when the kunoichi laughed at her, "Tightening your glove, putting on your game face of determination, and saying such a line...are you trying to give yourself confidence?"

Sakura gaped for a moment, then returned to normal, 'She is just trying to get in my head to manipulate me, I won't let what she did before get the better of me again.'

Reaching into her holster for a kunai, she readied it in her hand, 'She uses poison, so I have to be careful if she cuts me with any weapon. I could use my antidote now...No, I will keep it as a surprise to use against her. She has some strange ability to use plants, it could be for more than just releasing poisonous gas. She can detect genjutsu as well, so they are most probably out of the question. Somehow she can stop my chakra attacks when she stabs me with that senbon. It is dangerous, but I will do what sensei said. I will use my weights as a trump card.'

Pausing in her thoughts, Sakura came to one final point, 'Finally, I have to try and ignore whatever she says to me, Jiraiya-sama said she fights dirty, I know she does. I must be extremely careful in everything I say, and not retaliate to anything. She will try to manipulate me. I cannot trust a single word that comes out of her mouth.'

On the opposing side, Claara had dismissed her shinobi cape, while threading three senbon needles between her fingers as if they were claws, 'I will have to remove her from here, that should minimize any surprises. I can use that short spanned temper of hers to do just that. If I struck a nerve, she will follow me without thinking. That shouldn't be so hard to discover, considering how unbelievably easy she is to read.' Eyeing the dripping wet forest not far in the dusk lit battle ground, she returned her emotionless eyes to Sakura.

Sakura decided it was time, and began her dash, only Claara was waiting patiently instead of meeting half way. Soon, the frantic exchange between senbon and kunai began. Coming to a draw, Sakura changed tactic, and hit the ground with her fist. As expected, Claara had jumped back to avoid feeling effects of the sudden tremor. Taking advantage of the still airborne kunoichi, Sakura threw her kunai that was aiming to hit in the torso.

Claara retaliated by spinning around as the kunai was about to pierce her, and extended out one of the senbon needles to scoop up the kunai at its rounded hilt. Sakura was not expecting to see her kunai flying straight back at her when Claara had finished spinning as she landed. Quickly jolting her head, the fine steel weapon flew past her ear, cutting a few loose strands of hair that were too slow to get out of the way.

Claara was now the one rushing forwards, while the other was on the defence. Ducking under a swipe, Sakura went for a solid blow to Claara's gut, but she backed away from the attempted hit.

'She is a bit faster than me, I can manage.' Sakura concluded, drawing a fresh kunai as the weapons clashed together in a back and forth exchange.

Neither kunoichi had struck a blow, so Claara decided to take this up a notch. Sakura quickly pulled her head back in time to avoid the needles cutting across her face, smelling the powerful fumes of the poison flicking off its fine tips. Given the opportunity, Claara took a step back to run through seals, "Dokugiri!"

Sakura quickly took in a sharp breath before the enormous puff of purple gas blew out of Claara's mouth, completely blinding her from seeing anything. Taking another step back again, Claara readied another three senbon, and threw the needles straight into the smoke. Hearing the surprised cry made her grin, as she waited for the gas to clear. The desperate coughing was welcomed to her ears. She soon saw a sweating Sakura on her knees, violently gasping for air, while senbons had pierced into her arm, shoulder and abdomen.

Walking towards the downed rosette now with another senbon in hand, Sakura in her gasps, forced herself to look up wide eyed into cold blue-grey, "Goodbye, child."

Sakura could only yelp out in surprise when the senbon had dug straight into her forehead. Claara let go of the senbon, as the gone quiet girl suddenly went limp, and crashed to her side like a ragdoll.

'That poison straight into her brain would have instantly put her into a coma even if she survived the strike...'

Looking down at the still motionless girl, Claara sighed, "Pity."

The kunoichi suddenly went wide eyed when her senses picked up something quickly closing in from her side. Spinning her eyes around in time, along with yet another senbon reappearing from her sleeve on impulse, she was greeted to a black sandaled blurry leg.

Despite the senbon connecting into the leg first before it hit the side of her face, not even that small needle could stop the raw strength of the blow from the momentum that sent her off her feet, tumbling over the corpse of Sakura. Quickly recovering on the floor, she looked up to stare into jade irises.

Against what she had just seen, a very much alive Sakura was crouched where Claara once stood, gripping on her foot as if it was hurting badly, 'How is she stopping my chakra attacks?! And why does it always hurt so much?'

Claara was looking back and forth between the two rosettes, until suddenly the 'corpse' burst like a balloon to reveal water, 'Mizu bunshin! When did sh-...-So I see, she turned my jutsu against me, and used the gas as cover to create a bunshin to take the senbons.'

Grunting as she pulled out the senbon, Sakura inspected it to only hold relief, 'No poison.'

Quickly wiping her finger over the small wound once again to heal it, Sakura stood to see Claara was back on her feet once again.

Somehow that smile that was unquestionably genuine troubled her, "Mizu bunshin...I am impressed, Tsunade has taught you quite a commendable amount of skills."

"I did not learn that from my shisho-!"

Sakura instantly stopped, realising she was again interacting with Claara, who now held a raised eyebrow in amusement, "Oh? my mistake then."

The sudden earth rumbling explosion made Sakura not think and turn her head in concern, as she soon felt the dispersion blast of a oodama rasengan, 'Naruto!'

Hearing footsteps rapidly approaching, Sakura turned in time, unsheathing her kunai on her back to clash against a senbon. Still struggling for dominance, Claara had made them turn around so Sakura was now facing Naruto and Ronan's battle.

Those eyes staring into hers almost made her gulp, but she restrained herself, "So much concern and worry in those eyes, it's sickening. I suggest you stifle those thoughts if you actually want to ensure you can aid your teammate."

Sakura went wide eyed in shock at being given advice from the enemy, but soon glared and pushed back on the clashing weapons with force, "I don't need your advice!" She growled, putting chakra now into her arm, turning the struggle into the complete opposite, forcing Claara to jump back from the shove.

Smirking at her opening, Claara decided to exploit her discovery, "Sure seems you do, even now, you are struggling not look over my shoulder." Seeing Claara's head tilt as if to look for herself almost had Sakura follow its gaze, but used all her willpower not to.

'Calm down! She is just trying to get to me!' Taking a deep, partly shaken with anger breath, Sakura let it out and calmed.

Returning to attention to see no sign of hesitance in her emerald orbs, Claara let out a satisfied 'Hmmph', 'Perhaps isolating her is not going to be as trivial as I pictured. No matter, I will just have to use force.' Reaching for the holster strapped to her leg, Sakura watched as the kunoichi then brought up her opened hand to reveal what she held in them.

Several small brown seeds, "Since you are having trouble focussing on me, let me make this easier for you, Sakura."

Said kunoichi tensed as she watched Claara toss the seeds around with a casual flick of her wrist, and then started running through seals, 'Don't let her finish!' Her mind instructed, as she pulled out an explosive note from her weapon pouch, and threw it at Claara.

Unfortunately for the rosette, Claara had just finished her chain with a strange seal, "Tsuta, Booheki!"

'Thorn barrier?!'

Before the burning red tag could connect, something sprouted from the ground, taking the hit as the tag exploded. Once the smoke had cleared, Sakura was shocked to see the thing before her. It had an appearance somehow similar to barbwire, however instead was a nest of thick and dense vines, covered with sharp several inch long thorns, that were dripping with a yellow liquid she assumed was poison.

This barrier extended all the way from the burning lava, to as far as she could see into the forest. Still gaping in shock at it, she saw at the head height barrier a pair of amused blue-grey eyes.

"You aren't scared of a plant are you, child?"

Fixing her composure, Sakura took a step forward but halted, 'It can't just be that, she knows I can easily jump over it...'

Widening her eyes when an idea came to her, she decided to make use of her new skill further, "Mizu bunshin no jutsu."

Sakura still kept a cautious eye on Claara as the water clone formed by her side, then watched the clone dash over the short distance between the barrier and herself. The bunshin soon made it, and carried out the action she was originally planning, and gasped when the barrier suddenly sprung to life, rising higher and instantly entangling the bunshin with its flesh tearing vines. The bunshin instantly splattered into water at the otherwise fatal contact.

Watching the vines return to head height as if nothing had happened, Claara's chuckle got her attention, "If you truly wish to save your teammate, you will know what to do. Otherwise consider me as your teammates opponent as well."

'Ronan-san told us not to interfere, but she does not know that.'

Sakura yet again went agape, but this time had the strength to shout, "Are you forcing me to do what you say!?"

"Full marks for intelligence there, child."

Grinding her teeth together, Sakura violently shook her head, "Like hell will I do that!"

Pulling out two more exploding notes, Sakura threw it again into the barrier, 'I will just blow the damn thing up if I have to!'

Watching the notes explode, she grinned at the starting fire, 'There!'

She soon though was caught off guard when the vines constricted around the area of damage, and secreted some strange liquid that extinguished the blaze. Claara's laughter brought her back to attention, "This barrier you will find is highly efficient at its job I am afraid. An extremely strong ninjutsu I guess would wither it away eventually-"

Claara then tilted her head sideways as if she was a know it all, "-If you actually possessed any, or had the stamina to do so...am I correct?"

Swearing under her breath, Sakura could only stare in hatred at the grass-nin. Claara scoffed, and casually turned, "Want to prove me wrong? Then try all you like, while doing so, you can watch as Ronan-san and I kill Uzumaki Naruto. His blood will be on your hands too for your stubbornness." Claara smirked at the sudden sharp gasp, but she continued to walk away.

'Assuming what Thomas-san told me a while back was true, that would mean she possesses the slug contract. Their acid is more than ample to destroy that barrier. However...she is currently in too much fright picturing her teammate to think logically.'

"WAIT!" Sakura shouted out, as Claara clicked her tongue and waved over her head.

"Save your threats, getting into a tantrum won't do anything for you-"

"I SAID WAIT!"

"Later."

"ALRIGHT FINE! YOU WIN, JUST STOP! PLEASE!"

Claara this time obliged and turned, soon waiting for Sakura to speak, inwardly laughing, 'Just like clockwork.'

Knowing she now really had no choice but to comply, Sakura relented, "What do you want me to do?"

That smile as if to say 'good girl' from Claara really cut her pride deep, "This barrier travels into the forest, but comes to an end. Follow it. I will be there."

Looking to the trees, Sakura closed her frustrated eyes, 'She is just trying to get me away from the others. She doesn't want me to help anyone, or anyone to help me.'

"...How can I trust you will be there?"

Claara didn't change from her cheerful facade, "You can't. But let me voice out the three scenarios you are envisioning. One, you can go back to the sannin, and pray he is not got his hands full to try and help you, even so, it will still take you time to run back to him, and then double back. Two, I am lying to you, and I go and assist Ronan-san, which leaves you back to either following my shorter path, or again going back to the sannin.-"

Claara then turned and started walking slowly towards the forest, "Or Three. I am telling you the truth, and we meet where it ends. If you aren't there within two minutes, I will assume you doubled back, and assist Ronan-san."

Sakura was about to speak, but Claara had already sprung to a sprint and she lost sight of where she was behind the vines. Looking down at the floor, Sakura cursed. 'Damn it...I am playing right into her hands, and I can't do anything to stop it!'

Feeling the urge to turn to go get Jiraiya's help was great, but she dragged her feet towards the forest, 'I have no choice.'

Before embarking on her obligation, she gave her worrying heart what it desired. Even though the distance was far and partly blocked by the vines, she could see every ounce of detail in their battle. It also was showing her that Naruto was struggling to keep up with the Uchiha. His previous hard work of destroying the boundary was taking its toll, and she could see just how exhausted he was. She could only voice her anxiety to the situation with a clenching fist against the fabric of her glove.

'Naruto, I believe in you and I know you will be ok. But please, I beg you...if you have to...go against your word you gave to me...just this one time. Please.'

She had an amazing force within telling her not to leave him be, but she knew she would only make it worse for him if she stayed. Fighting against that force, she turned and paced herself to a walk as she tried to think of her own situation.

Eyeing the vines, she sighed, 'To create something so large and strong enough to brush off exploding notes..what kind of kekkai genkai is this? Also, how much chakra does she have compared to me? '

She paused for a moment when she felt something quite solid brush against her toes on her next step, and looked down. She narrowed her eyes though when all she was greeted with just the grass she expected to be there, and continued. She couldn't help become aware though of the bizarre yet familiar sensation under her sandals as she pressed forward.

Dismissing the feeling, she had just reached the first tree, 'It can't be possible for her to have this much chakra though to effortlessly create something of this size. Most women do not have as much chakra as men, which is why kunoichi generally have better chakra control in exchange for a smaller chakra pool...Tsunade-sama stores a great amount of chakra in her forehead seal to get around that, along with other reasons. But that comes at a serious cost when she releases it.'

Feeling something very light but solid fall onto her head, she reached up to feel a familiar crumbled texture. Bringing it to her face to closer inspect, Sakura easily identified it as a dead leaf. Noticing several shadows hovering above her, she looked up to see many other leaves in similar states falling just like it was literally raining from the branches. Realising she was getting distracted, she casually dropped the leaf and continued walking, until she suddenly froze on the spot.

'This entire place has been soaked by the broken barrier...why is the tree dropping dry leaves, and why does the grass beneath my feet feel so...'

Looking up at the next tree, she noticed the same thing happening and went wide eyed, 'Don't tell me!'

Looking down again, she cursed the red tint of the sky making it hard to distinguish the colour of the grass. Kneeling down, she pulled off her glove and felt the surface. She went wide eyed to feel its dry bristles almost cutting into her skin. Patting around where she was, she soon discovered no change in the impossibly dry state. Looking back from where she came, she no longer had to guess the difference in appearance by colour, she could distinguish it physically. It was like a sudden wasteland had formed between the vines, and up to thirty meters out. Approaching a bush, she reached out at a small branch, and felt it snap like a twig when she gave it slight pressure.

'Everything in this area...has been completely drained dry of water!'

'What the hell is with this guy?!' Shikamaru desperately asked himself for what felt like the seventh time, as he cautiously observed Lee and Kakuzu fight. Despite Lee successfully hitting the Akatsuki member time and time again with his nun-chucks, the man never seemed to comprehend pain, hell, he was blocking most of Lee's hits with his own hands.

Hinata as well was in such a state of confusion, as she focussed on the engagement with her byakugan, "I don't understand. I am seeing an ever slight change with his chakra around the area where Lee-kun strikes, but then it fades away by the time the blow has been dealt..."

Shikamaru groaned in annoyance, "Anything else amiss?"

"Y-Yes...his body is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I-I can't even determine if he is human or something else Shikamaru-kun. It-It looks like there are five people within him."

"Great, wonderful...perfect..."

'I guessed by them being S classed missing-nin's it would make sense for them being unique from others, but this?'

Lee didn't have the time to question what was happening, as Kakuzu began his counter attack. Lee at first believed judging from his body size that Kakuzu would be a heavy but slow moving opponent. His face already had a bruise on it to show it was quite the contrary on that matter. Kakuzu was fast...and hit incredibly hard. It was almost similar to having stone being bashed against his body instead of a fleshed fist.

Unlike Kakuzu, who didn't so much as flinch when blocking Lee's attacks, Lee still felt the sting long after he had guarded each and every pounding blow. Which was why Lee now changed his tactic, and was avoiding Kakuzu's strikes without considering a physical block. Seeing an opening, Lee ducked under a round house kick, and swung his nun chucks to collide straight with Kakuzu's face from the side. The blow made the Akatsuki member's face snap to the side as if he had been slapped, but he never budged from the spot he stood.

Lee and the others now stared in pure shock as the man's skin colour appeared to have changed to dark brown. Kakuzu slowly turned his head back to glare at Lee, "That hurt you little shit!" he growled.

The stunned Lee didn't expect Kakuzu's left hand to suddenly detach and curl around him to punch him in the back of the head, leading into a high knee into his lower jaw, and then ending with a firm punch into his abdomen, knocking him away from the giant.

Shikamaru by this time had his shadow darting towards Kakuzu, who already was used to this tactic, and cautiously double backed. Shikamaru continued his attempt, while glancing at the heiress who held a kunai at the ready. Kakuzu somehow got the sensation he was being lured, and no longer simply backed from the shadow, but instead he changed course to come at the crouching Nara.

Shikamaru tensed as the distance was rapidly closing, 'Almost...' Both him and the heiress mused, as Kakuzu was only several meters away from them now.

'NOW!' Hinata instructed herself, throwing the kunai at the ground before the Akatsuki member. Kakuzu questioned it in his dash, but soon widened his eyes at to what it just pierced. A small bag that was similarly shaded to the floor, that was starting to smoke.

'Shi-!'

Kakuzu's thoughts were over spoken by the roar of the explosion from the explosive notes concealed in the bag.

Shikamaru didn't take any chances, and shot his shadow into the smoke, and looked to see Hinata's face, and that was all he needed to know the trap did nothing to their opponent. Soon feeling the extra weight at the end of his shadow, the smoke on cue cleared to reveal a unharmed but snared Kakuzu.

Grunting out his annoyance, Shikamaru returned to focus, "Kage Nui no jutsu!"

The shadow tendrils shot up all around Kakuzu, and sharply shot at him. Shikamaru went wide eyed though when they wouldn't pierce through the skin.

"You are beginning to try my patience." Kakuzu stated without concern.

Removing all emotion off his face, Shikamaru turned to Lee who was now back on his feet, "Lee...use your spear to decapitate him."

The unsympathetic order made the miniature Gai stare in disbelief, along with both Hinata and Kiba in the distance looking at him in a similar manner.

"This is a man who will eventually come after Naruto's life along with the rest of his group. We can't just ask them nicely to back down, or give them an opportunity to escape. They will gladly kill us without second thought, and I am not going to allow them to take Naruto...you understand our only choice now if we don't want them to take Naruto?" Shikamaru answered their silent question flatly.

Kakuzu lightly chuckled, "He is definitely the brighter one of you brats."

"Lee, now!"

Nodding at Shikamaru's instruction, Lee returned his attention to Kakuzu, 'Shikamaru-kun is right. This is a group that has murdered many people in the past for their own ideals...they won't see defeat unless they truly are killed. We have to match their resolve if we are to stop them from taking Naruto-kun.'

Opening up his spear, Lee twirled it around as he broke to a run. Kakuzu still didn't have any change in his neutral expression, while Hinata was wondering why there was something massive shifting around within Kakuzu's back.

"I think it is time I got serious."

"Katsu!"

Deidara was starting to like this new 'game' they were playing. He was standing out in the open throwing his creations at the pair of shinobi, while they were dodging them like their life depended on it, either via just plain evasion, or from the remaining cover that was around. Quite a fine set of rules he would confess. Deidara adjusted his aim this time on Shino, releasing a bird that looked like a dove.

Shino tilted his head to see his goggles reflect the guided explosive, before it popped with a loud bang in his face. The missing-nin perked an eyebrow though when all he saw was a swarm of bugs dispersing in its place.

"Ehh?" His one visible blue eye shot wide open when the swarm darted for him, and reformed into the Aburame.

Deidara blocked the kunai aimed for his chest, but he still held awe, "What a day indeed, hmm! That is some interesting form of art you have there! However-"

Shino's head shot back in surprise when Deidara's kunai wielding hand opened to release something that looked like a snake which wrapped around the bug users body.

Deidara smirked, "It doesn't contain the beauty or finesse of my impeccable creations, hmm!-" Deidara was interrupted by a blurring slash between the two that made him jumped back on impulse.

The object was a kunai being wielded by Kakashi, "Did you forget he isn't your only opponent?" Groaning at the interference, Deidara still formed his seal to blow up the snake before Kakashi was on him. The ex Iwa-nin clicked his tongue in annoyance when Shino dispersed into a bug swarm again.

Now with the distance closed, Deidara had to fight Kakashi hand to hand. Kakashi was at a surprise as to how agile Deidara was, not so much on the offensive front, to put it bluntly, Kakashi wasn't the one needing to block or evade at all.

The defensive side though was on the opposite spectrum.

Sakura's evasive techniques were commendable, but this guy put a whole new meaning to being an escape artist. Even with his sharingan keeping up with his movements, Kakashi couldn't even cut a loose strand from his blond hair.

Sensing a presence behind him, Deidara caught a hooded figure at the corner of his eye. Somehow despite being sandwiched, The ex Iwa-nin had jumped high into the sky, dropping a spider at his feet between the two nin's. The two got away from the small explosion in time, but the distance was finally restored as Deidara landed, and resumed his onslaught of explosives chasing after the pair.

Kakashi fixed his sharingan eye still in question at Deidara, 'So I see now. He is purely a range specialist. His explosives are too dangerous for him to use point blank anyway, making them useless in a fist fight. He is aware of this, so he has trained himself exclusively in evasion only if he gets in a taijutsu brawl. Being so light on his feet, he can keep his distance from his opponents.'

Kakashi and the Aburame finally met up behind a half fallen wall, each facing opposite directions in a squat position. Deciding it was time to get down to business, Kakashi spoke, "I trust you stayed behind with me for a good reason?"

Trying to raise his goggles which didn't move, Shino responded, "Hai. I have discovered some intriguing information that concerns this Deidara. It appears that his jutsu does indeed use real and ordinary clay. However, there is one anomaly present throughout the clay. It is enchanted with doton chakra. How do I know this? It is because my bugs earlier consumed the clay of his birds carcase. Perhaps when he is chewing on the clay, he is not only designing his creation, but also flowing his chakra within it."

Kakashi's eye widened a fraction at the information, before he gradually turned his head, "I see...very useful analysis, good work."

Shino slightly turned his head, adjusting his unmovable goggles again, "You are the most suitable to combat him Kakashi-sensei. Your raiton jutsu will disable their explosive capability, because raiton defeats doton."

Both turned their heads fully now to stare at a abrupt eruption before them.

It was a centipede, "Found you!"

Deidara cackled, watching the wall explode from the other side with satisfaction. His joy turned to a frown when the two shinobi were nowhere to be seen. Hearing the sound of roaring electricity, he span around to see Kakashi shooting towards him like a bullet.

Deidara first went agape, but quickly grew a menacing smirk, "Watch your step, hmm!"

The scarecrow instantly looked down after the cheerful tip to then bulge in shock as his next step felt strangely uneven.

Shino from his spot silently watched without any emotional response as Kakashi had triggered off an explosion, disappearing within the thick dust, "As I gathered. He wouldn't be so careless to just stand out in the open like so without some form of insurance. The ground has been covered with proximity traps."

"They are called landmines Shino." The real Kakashi stated in a similar flat tone from behind him.

"I see...my apologies."

Kakashi never responded to the Aburame's sulk, 'So he has covered himself from close range this time by land mines. He must of set them while me and Shino were behind that wall. Chances are if he is smart he has made a clean pathway for him to escape since he is out in the open. Even so, he may have other tricks up his sleeve.'

Turning his head to the source of a tremor, he observed the two giants in the distance battling it out. Gamabunta was not having any luck cutting down Wani. It was trivial to work out what would be needed to finally get rid of the squid summon, but the problem was they were still within the boundary. A fire jutsu would dispose of the squid quite easily, however until everyone was out of the town, Gamabunta would have to delay Wani for the time being.

"Kakashi-sensei..."

Returning his focus to the back of Shino, the bug user continued, "I have an idea."

Still thinking deeply over her previous discovery, Sakura continued walking down the pathway now into the forest. Losing track of time, she soon could see the barrier coming to an end. Using the few more seconds she had until she was no longer blocked from it, she tried to map out her surroundings. This deep into the forest made the light barely pass through the nest of leaves above, making most of the area covered in shadow. The trees were claustrophobically close to each other, making visibility even further of an issue along with manoeuvrability.

She was beginning to not like this one bit.

Now without the wall blocking her sight, she continued walking until the plant was outside of immediate range. Stopping in her tracks, she listened to the fights she could hear in the distance, but other than that...nothing even remotely nearby could be heard. It was quiet, with the breeze letting out a bristle shifting howl.

Ignoring her rapidly ascending nerves to the choking atmosphere, she spoke over the silence with a near whisper, "I am here."

No response came, which resulted in her nibbling on her lower lip for several unbelievably long seconds. Perhaps she was being too quiet, or Claara was awaiting with a trap...or she may not even be here.

"I am here!" Sakura now repeated at full volume, but was rewarded with the forest talking back to her with an echo.

Still with no response, Sakura now didn't hold doubt anymore, "Damn it, she tricked me!" She cursed, turning to run, but froze to see Claara leaning against a tree smugly.

"Hmmph, not my fault you took your day dreaming time to come here. I have been here for more than the time I had set, you should be grateful."

Recovering from her surprise, Sakura fell into her stance, "Whatever, I have had it. I am going to make you pay for what you said about Naruto earlier, then I am going back to help him."

Claara's laugh stunned her, "Still giving yourself confidence? If you were so determined to do just that, you would have come at me now already. You are just buying Ronan-san more time to kill the one you so badly want to protect."

Gritting her teeth, Sakura growled, "I don't need confidence!-"

Claara still laughing really was making her see red, but she tried to ignore it, "-I will defeat you!-"

Sakura could not take that laugh anymore, "STOP IT!"

Claara finally suppressed it down to chuckles, "Unbelievable, it should be considered a sin for just how easy you are to interpret. I thought shinobi were meant to at least have some amounts of skill to hide their emotions, but you...you are practically singing it out for the world to hear!"

Sakura's eyes went wide in confusion, but she did not let her guard down as Claara's menacing grin was making her feel uneasy.

"You are so easily tormented when I remind you of your teammate it cannot be ignored anymore. Your body language and words are spelling it out to me just how fogged your mind is. All I had to do was insult your resolve when we first met about protecting him, and you went off like an angry infant. "

Sakura did not react, but Claara didn't offer her time to speak, "Before, your panicked mind didn't even let you think clearly that your summon could have easily dispatched that barrier in no time. Your thoughts were clouded with 'him' once again. Then there is right now you are thinking of him, concerned that you are going to be too late, am I correct? and did you suddenly forget I also insulted you as well? or is 'Naruto' still making you see tunnel visioned?"

Sakura now was fully agape, as Claara chuckled, "You must be very fond of 'Naruto' to have him on your mind all the time. If I didn't know any better...I would say you are in lov-"

Sakura finally snapped out of her shocked state, and rushed forward with a kunai gripped impossibly tight in her hand, only to have the giggling kunoichi block it with a senbon.

"Hehehe, why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

"SHUT UP!" She screamed, trying to connect her chakra filled fist yet again, only to be rewarded with another jab, this time at her elbow, as Claara cupped her fist with her hand. The shot of pain made Sakura cry out this time, as she was ruthlessly back handed away, causing her to toss and turn as she came to a stop several feet away. Between the blow and rough landing, Sakura's forehead protector had fallen off, landing by Claara's feet.

Claara gave an amused 'hmm' as Sakura remained on the ground as if stunned, her face scrunched up from the throbbing sting creeping all up and down her arm.

'She is making me lose focus damn it, CALM DOWN!' Sakura shouted at herself scoldingly, as she pulled herself up. Wincing, she pulled out the needle to look at it. Nothing. She gripped protectively on her arm with her other, as she began to heal the wound that appeared to be a torn muscle.

Claara however, was not being quite so lenient to allow her time to heal, and engaged her head on. Cursing, Sakura tired to evade, but the pain still in her arm was making dodging those clawed senbon quite cumbersome. The grass-nin was fully exploiting her injury, focussing on that side with her assault. Sakura gasped when all three of the senbon needles cut straight into her skin.

'poof'

Claara stared at the substituted log with little surprise, and eyed behind her to see Sakura not far. She held in her hand three kunai, that had attached to them small pink sacs that looked filled with something. Sakura then threw the three kunai up into the air, but threw them with minimal force, which caused then to slow and then fall down like arrows. During the transition, the rope connected between the sacs and kunai loosened, opening them up to pour out their contents to float all around Claara.

From afar, she could depict cherry blossom petals mixed in with something else gracefully falling to the ground. Claara focused her attention on one piece of paper that floated in front of her and wide eyed, 'Small explosive tags!'

Looking back to the void of emotion Sakura, she now held another kunai enwrapped with an explosive note, 'This is my last one, please let it do something.' Sakura prayed, as she aimed it at the ground before Claara, who let out a curse, but the sudden explosion drowned it out.

Sakura had to cover her eyes from the blast, feeling the shockwave hit against her that sent her hair flicking wildly back from the chain explosives. When the roar of the explosion began to settle, and the rumbling at her feet subdued, she lowered her hand to stare into the black smoke.

'Did it work?'

A gust of wind swept in, causing the thick smoke to disperse, revealing something that made Sakura freeze, 'Oh my god...'

There was an enormous plant where Claara once stood. Guessing it was easily double her size, it looked crisped and black from the explosion. It appeared to be an enclosed Venus fly trap. Sakura took a step back on reflex when it fell lifelessly to its side. Realising what was coming next, she began to heal her arm. While doing so, she watched the top of the enclosure crumble away like a burnt material, to reveal a lightly injured Claara. Her right arm had been grazed from the explosion, but she held quite a genuine grin which yet again bothered Sakura.

"Not a bad little trick if I say so myself." Sakura didn't respond, but winced when her sore arm shot out again as she healed it.

Claara didn't take opportunity of her state this time, "Still don't understand what is happening there?"

Sakura's eyes held confusion as Claara pulled out a new senbon, "The legendary slug sannin Tsunade, known as the best medic-nin in the world, and possessing arguably 'perfect' chakra control. She even learnt how to build up chakra within her muscles, and then release it in an instant to give her inhuman like strength. This gave her the reputation as being the strongest kunoichi as well. To my understanding, there are only two people that have the chakra control to do this destructive ability, or more so, the only people that have learnt this technique. The first is Tsunade...and you are the second...am I correct?"

Sakura swallowed the lump at the back of her throat, but reluctantly complied, "Ah...that is right."

Giving her smile again, Claara continued, "To build up that chakra must be unbelievably complicated, I guess even the slightest miscalculation could cost you damaging yourself highly."

"Yes...What are you trying to tell me?" Sakura's eyes twitched when the senbon suddenly emitted a spark of loose chakra.

Claara's grin remained, "Chakra is like electricity when you think about it, a constant stream of energy moving throughout the body, providing more power when needed in different areas. What will happen though, if that flow of energy suddenly encounters rubber, which blocks electricity?"

Sakura gasped as Claara nodded, "Exactly. The flow is severed, or in this case...my sudden surge of raiton chakra to your muscles disrupts the build up of chakra, making the effect similar to what happens when you misjudge the ability."

Sakura yet again could only stare in shock, as a powerful realisation hit her, 'My Chakra enhanced attacks...are useless against her unless I catch her by surprise.'

Now with her arm healed, Sakura voiced her bafflement, "Why are you telling me this? You just told me you are a raiton user, along with how you are stopping my chakra attacks."

"Hmm. I guess you are right, how foolish of me." Sakura never could recover from just how carefree that sounded.

Composing herself, Sakura inwardly nodded, 'I still have my antidote against her poison...and I have not released my weights yet-'

Lightly digging her sandal into the grass, she felt the near squishy grass touch her toes and welcomed it, '-I have the water I need to use mizu bunshin. That is good for me, but...'

Eyeing the environment around the grass-nin, she confirmed it had turned dry from her jutsu before. Forming her seal, she built up the chakra, "Mizu bunshin no jutsu."

Sensing the two water clones at her side, she reached into her weapon pouch for something. It was a smoke bomb. Dropping it at her feet, a thick puff of smoke soon blinded both combatants from seeing each other.

When the smoke cleared, Claara now only saw two of the rosettes standing before her. 'Did she run? No. She should be curious about me by now...she won't run.'

Shifting her eyes around in the shadows, the kunoichi soon understood, 'I see...smart.' Claara ended her observations when the pair before her charged.

After several unsuccessful hits, Claara made her assumption, 'This type of fighting is not something she has practiced very well, if it all. Her mizu bunshin's coordination is very average.' Widening her eyes, she ducked under a round house kick, which instead hit the three she was nearly pinned against.

Jumping away as one of the Sakura's followed, Claara noticed the tree falling, 'So she can still use her chakra strength with the mizu bunshin.'

Waiting in the shadows, Sakura watched the trio fight it out, and formed another seal, 'Ok, now is my chance.' Not giving the pair a chance to reunite, Claara threw her senbons at the Sakura before her, causing it to stop and deflect the handful of needles.

While it was doing so, Claara was already running through seals, "Suiton, Mizurappa!"

The concealed Sakura's eyes bulged at the announcement, 'Suiton!? Could it be then that she-'

Her thoughts were silenced when she observed a fine focussed stream of water blast out of Claara's mouth, instantly cutting through the still deflecting clone with the beam of high pressured water, causing it to splatter apart.

Redirecting her head, Claara then aimed for the other. The result was the rosette evading the beam, which still was relentless. Eventually it cut straight into the Sakura's shoulder, making it burst. Narrowing her eyes, Claara looked up when she sensed a presence. As she expected, the attacker was the one remaining Sakura, coming down fast with a fist glowing with chakra. Reaching into her holster, Claara whipped out a explosive note with a satisfied chuckle. Sakura could only stare wide eyed as the red marked kunai was thrown up at her, and she couldn't do anything as it exploded in her face.

Claara still chuckled, "Your idea was clever, but your timing was poor." She stated, staring up into the smoke. She held puzzlement though when it started to rain, with the drops hitting her face being very hot.

Claara's eyes suddenly bulged, 'Water! It was a mizu bun-'

All her thoughts ended when her back felt like it collided with a train, instantly knocking her off her feet, sending her crashing on the ground, to come to a sudden stop when she collided with a tree that didn't fall on the impact.

Coughing out a splatter of blood, she rubbed her mouth, 'If I get hit more times with her chakra enhanced strength, then this battle is hers.' Grunting out her backs protests, Claara knelt up, only to freeze when she felt steel against her throat being held by someone behind her.

"I admit I was sloppy. I got the idea from someone I know." Came the voice of Sakura behind her, causing Claara to give a very out of place giggle.

"I see."

Blinking in surprise to her continued strange actions, Sakura tightened her grip on the kunai, "Do not move."

Claara's giggles ceased, as suddenly a heavy silence fell on Sakura's shoulders.

"So go on then...kill me."

The simple statement made Sakura go into shock, but she did not drop her raised kunai. Claara grinned at nobody, 'It truly is amazing. When we are fighting for either protecting ourselves or others, we can go so far as killing someone without even being conscious of it...until someone points out what it is you are about to do.' She mused as if from memory a long time ago.

"Why are you hesitating? Are you too simple minded to comprehend what my purpose is here...to kill you, and your teammate?"

Hearing the chatter of a trembling kunai made Claara continue quietly, "What about you saying 'you will show me how far you will go to protect Naruto'?"

Hearing her own words thrown back at her made Sakura gasp. Violently shaking her head clear, Sakura formed a chakra scalpel in her other hand, 'Just press it lightly into the back of her head. The trauma dealt should knock her out for a few hours.'

Despite her thoughts, Claara still kept talking, "You cannot protect the one you love if you aren't prepared to take the lives of those that go after him. Having a soft heart is not going to get you very far...or does he not mean that much to you?"

That cold rhetorical like question at the end made Sakura grit her teeth in frustration, "He does mean that much to me! But that doesn't give me any motive to kill people." Sakura yelled, remembering Naruto's words from before.

Claara instantly saw the connection, "Hehe, how pathetic. You both are truly clueless if you believe conflict can be resolved without death being involved. You aren't aware of human nature if you believe so!"

Sakura suddenly felt something creep up her back, but before she could react, a vine suddenly constricted like a snake around her neck, forcing her to grip onto the inch thick plant.

"You are a joke, your mind is so baffled that you didn't even notice I placed a seed behind you when you could have won."

Claara took advantage and stood up now that the kunai had fallen from her neck. Drawing another set of three senbons, she span around and threw them straight into Sakura's abdomen, "And that is why I repeat myself yet again...with you as the one protecting him, Uzumaki Naruto is as good as dead. If anything, he will have to be the one to protect you for being such a hindrance!"

Claara then picked up the kunai Sakura had dropped, and charged with the intention to stab it into the pinned kunoichi's chest. She brought up her arm though to block the two chakra filled legs when Sakura pushed herself from the still ensnaring vine. The force sent Claara off her feet, but she recovered gracefully with a spin in mid air to hit the ground several meters away.

"I AM NOT A HINDRANCE!" Sakura screamed, tearing through the vine with a burst of chakra, to land roughly on her feet, gasping for air.

She inwardly scolded herself after, 'Stop listening to her crap! She is trying to make me break down, and I am letting her do it!' Still panting, she reached and pulled out the three needles with a wince, and didn't bother to inspect them for poison. She could already feel the chilling cold spreading from within her body.

'I can't use it as a surprise anymore...god I should have just did it when I had her.' She mused, despite her conscience protesting firmly. Digging a hand into her weapon pouch, she pulled out the small syringe, and popped the cover off. Claara only stared neutrally as Sakura carefully inserted the small needle into her arm at a vein, and then discarded the now empty object.

'So she created an antidote...'

"You confiscated my senbon from our first encounter?"

Feeling a rush of satisfaction, Sakura smirked as the chill eased. Her satisfaction disappeared when Claara gave a pride filled smile, "Excellent. Your masters efforts have not gone to waste in the slightest."

Sakura really did not know what to think anymore regarding this woman. It was almost turning into a spar between friends instead of a battle to the death with a foe. These praises being constantly given to her along with explanations were only baffling her further.

This shouldn't be happening, and it was only complicating everything.

"What the hell is with you?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you treating me like I am your friend?!"

"So insensitive...didn't I make myself clear earlier?"

Seeing the puzzlement on her face, Claara twiddled a senbon between her fingers, "I respect you for who you are, ruling out your childish qualities that plague your judgement. It is admirable to encounter someone who is where she is at in prowess because she willed for it and fought for it, not because she was given it on a platter. I have heard talk of the Hyuuga, Uchiha, and Inuzuka clan, but none about the Haruno clan before. Are there many others within it that are like yourself?"

Biting her lower lip in hesitation, she relaxed, "I don't mean to disappoint you, but I am not a heiress like you are if that is what you are suggesting. I am it's only member, from a civilian family."

Sakura didn't miss those blue-grey irises flickering with surprise, "I see. Then my respect for you only goes up with that point."

This wasn't making her task any easier, in fact, it was making it worse.

She tried to stifle her mind, but could not hold it back anymore, "I have a question for you?"

"Yes?"

"...Why did you defile from grass?" The sudden strong wind blowing through the trees causing its leaves to bristle sent a chill up her back.

Claara's neutral expression remained, "You knew about my status as heiress...then I assume you already know your answer."

"Fine then, I will be more precise...why did you kill your husband?"

Shikamaru thought he had seen it all on this turning nightmare of a mission, but now he had only realised just how wrong he was to think that. Shikamaru was at a complete loss for words, and he wasn't the only one. The Nara still was struggling to comprehend how it happened. Lee was about to kill Kakuzu, then Hinata was trying to warn him about something.

Suddenly this...creature, shot up from Kakuzu's back. It looked like some kind of four legged animal, coated in a black string like texture. The only distinguishing detail was the ceramic mask for a head that looked like a bull.

Once the creature had shown itself, Kakuzu said some jutsu called 'Raiton Gian'. If Lee had not pushed him out of the way, he would have been scorched by the beam of lightning that shot from the creatures mouth. Which now brought them to the situation they were in now. The large stream of lighting forked, and was relentlessly chasing after them.

Kakuzu must have ignored Kiba, since the Inuzuka was staring in shock where he had been from the start with the unconscious Akamaru, 'H-He is kicking our asses, and he is not even trying!'

Kakuzu was just standing there, watching his beast do the dirty work for him. Trembling, Kiba bit his hand as if to tell it to stop shaking, 'These guys are strong, real strong. Naruto is going to have to fight for his life against people of this level...shit, shit!.'

No longer hearing the sound of roaring electricity chasing him, Shikamaru stopped to turn and see Kakuzu looking at him with that creature next to him.

"Hinata. Can you tell me anything about that thing?"

Not hearing a response, Shikamaru looked to his side to see the stunned heiress. Understanding and accepting the reason for her state, he patiently waited for her to come to her senses.

"S-Shikamaru-kun...I-I don't understand it at all. I see a chakra network that looks very human. B-B-But-..."

"You said before he had five chakra signatures in him. Is that any different now?"

The heiress gasped at the question, as her byakugan eyes bulged, "Y-Yes...there are only four now.-"

Hinata suddenly gasped, "That creature's chakra network...that was within him before!"

Shikamaru frowned, "So it is safe to say then that he has three, possibly four more of those things inside him. Since you were able to distinguish that one specifically from its chakra network, it is also safe to guess that each one of them is unique in possible abilities."

Those words made Hinata and Lee gasp, while Kiba bit down even harder on his hand, 'O-Oh my god...he is a monster!'

Kakuzu didn't show any physical reaction, but inwardly he was laughing, 'Terrific assumption, and so quick. He will be worth a very fancy profit in the future with such intellect.'

'He was able to bring that beast out even when I had him entrapped in my shadow. If he brings out all of them then we have no chance. We need to take him out in one hit. Lee could use the celestial gates, but is even the power of the gates enough to break through his hardened skin? It is too much of a gamble, and if Lee uses it and it doesn't work. Me and Hinata cannot beat him.'

"Shikamaru-kun..."

Hinata's whisper got his attention, while the heiress was gripping her arm as if in recollection, "I may have a way to stop him."

'What are they up to?' Deidara pondered, his one visible eye looking around for even the slightest lead as to where Kakashi and Shino were.

Deidara's eyes suddenly bulged when he felt a hand grip tightly on his leg, "Doton, Shinju Zanshu no jutsu!" Before Deidara could even scream out 'what the hell!' he found his head at ground height, staring into two shinobi sandals.

Looking up, he snarled to see a cross armed Kakashi, "How the hell did you get pass my mines!?"

Feeling a shadow standing in his light, he tilted his head to see Shino standing over him with his hands in his pockets, "Your landmines are very sensitive to pressure and weight, however, you need to ensure they trigger off when a target actually steps on one. There for, something that doesn't even weigh a gram will not set them off." As if to sink it in, one of Shino's bugs flew around Deidara's head.

Deidara cursed, "Your bugs disabled my mines, hmm?!"

"...Precisely."

"Hmmph, well played."

"The talk ends here." Kakashi concluded, reaching for a kunai and kneeling down to hold it to Deidara's throat.

"Shino, we are done here. Leave me with him, I will catch up to you soon."

"Hai-"

Both Shinobi stopped when Deidara started to snicker, "Don't write me off as done just like that, hmm!"

Kakashi's sharingan eye suddenly bulged when it picked up wild chakra motioning around the ex Iwa-nin's face, as it suddenly expanded like a balloon. Shino was knocked back and deafened by the sudden tremendous blast. Ignoring the loud ringing in his ear, he bounced back up to his feet to look into the thick debris, "Kakashi-sensei!" He semi shouted in his monotone voice.

Shino's goggles flickered when his bugs alerted him to something coming from the side, and looked over to see a stick clay figure. The figure resembled a human somewhat, although it was oddly shaped to near resemble a type of freakish toy. Attached to it was a clay string, which lead off in the distance to an unscathed Deidara.

'He must have switched with a substitute before Kakashi-sensei grabbed him. He suspected we were up to something.'

Remembering the scare crow, Shino listened to his bugs communicating with him by sound in his ear, 'So that is the case, well then...'

"It's just you and me now. Let's see just how potent your artwork is."

Shino casually started walking towards the approaching sculpture, "You appear to relate kekkai genkai to this 'artwork', why is that?"

"Do not confuse the two, hmm! I am interested in those that treat their skills with style. The difference between the dead Pop and Superflat is that Pop was too common and flawed, where as Superflat art is unique and has its true beauty concealed from those with untrained eyes."

"Is that so?" Shino stated simply, as bugs began to pour out from his sleeves.

When a small cloud's worth of the bugs had accumulated above Shino, the small insects formed the shape of a quickly rotating fuma shurikens. With a flick of his wrist as if giving a command, the bug shaped weapon shot towards the sculpture. Despite it being made only by small insects, it cut the sculpture straight in half like a hot knife to butter. Once it had passed through, Shino let out a soft surprised gasp when the sculpture reformed itself into a smaller form of its original self.

Without any warning, the two sculptures lunged themselves at Shino.

While he was evading the two creations, Deidara snickered, "You are going to have to do better than that to beat the-!?" Deidara ending his jab early when the bug shuriken now was targeting him, forcing him to evade.

'Since it appears that these sculptures only multiply when they are destroyed, I will simply aim for the master.' The Aburame concluded, still dodging the sculptures that were desperately trying to hit him.

Deidara on the other side, was in a similar situation, 'What a persistent little thing, hmm!'

He inwardly cursed, ducking his head as it tried to slice it clean off. He didn't expect it to suddenly disperse, and the swarm to crush him to the floor, as all that could be seen was a blanket of bugs. The sculptures dropped to the floor dead, as Shino cautiously watched his bugs work, as the figure underneath the bug blanket struggled.

The sudden implosion from underneath made the blanket suddenly rise like a mountain, but soon it burst to reveal a flaming explosion. Shino was the only one that could hear his bugs screech out their surprise before being engulfed in the fire.

'Another substitute? When did he-' Shino couldn't even finish his surprised thoughts, as both lifeless sculptures suddenly shot to life from either side of him, and embraced him in a tight lock.

Following the string like clay with his eyes, he met its smirk baring controller, "Art is a blast!"

'Not good! I can't get out of this in time!'

"Katsu!"

'So this is the power of a sage? Impressive.' Mangetsu thought as he blocked Jiraiya's kick with his arm.

He initially was surprised by the power behind that medic-nin's attacks before, but this...this was a whole different league. Something told him if it was not for Ryujin's power, his arm would be feeling much more than a bruise forming from the raw strength behind the hit. Catching a glimpse of movement at the sides of Jiraiya, Mangetsu jumped back as the toads in sync announced the jutsu, "Senmonfu!"

'Rotating Ferocious wind? isn't that a jutsu that requires a sword to perform?'

The swordsman soon understood when both of the amphibians held out their arms as if they were claws, 'Apparently not.'

Jamming his sword into the ground, Mangetsu hid as the violent gust of wind struck against the sword. From both sides of Mangetsu, cut grass was flying everywhere as the shockwave past. Leaning his head out with a smirk earned Jiraiya to frown.

'I mustn't underestimate those two toads on his shoulders. They are easily just as powerful as he is...so its three against one eh? I like the odds.'

Running through seals behind his sword, Mangetsu quickly finished his chain, "Suiton, Suishi no jutsu!"

'Water Drowning technique...that shouldn't be too bad.' Jiraiya was spoken wrong when a thick steam cloud shot over the sword, and darted towards him. Even though Jiraiya evaded with a hop to the side, his skin could still feel the burning like sensation from the jutsu. Seeing Mangetsu now bee lining towards them, Fukusaku formed a seal, "Kuchiyose!" The sudden puff of smoke hiding Jiraiya did not slow down the swordsman, as he prepared to swipe across the puff. His sword cut a clean line into the smoke, but he went wide eyed when his sword stopped with a loud 'clang'.

The smoke was soon blown away with the wind, revealing the sannin parrying Ryujin with a sword of similar length. The sword however appeared to be something even Mangetsu hadn't seen before. It was a sword with a large ring at the bottom of the hilt, which connected to the guard of the sword by a chain. The texture of the sword itself also was unique. It looked like sharpened stone, or even bone from some great animal, along with a web vein like marking running down the sword.

The final detail that made Mangetsu gape in surprise, was that unlike most weapons that clashed against Ryujin, this weapon did not get cut clean through like butter. There was not even a crack on the stone like sword.

"This sword has been carved straight from the tip of Mount Myobokuzan. Not even yer' sword can break this!" Fukusaku taunted.

"So I see...not just a Sannin, a user of senjutsu, but also one that studies the arts of Kendo...You are just full of surprises now."

Jiraiya snorted at the swordsman, "Do not get your hopes up. I find swords too cumbersome for my taste, but in this case, I might lose an arm if I can't block."

"Heh, sounds like you are getting desperate."

Jiraiya snickered in response, but decided to get to the point, "So what is your interest in this matter?"

That blank but somehow smug look from Mangetsu made Jiraiya get more to the point, "I doubt a man like yourself cares for money, so Ronan could not have bribed you. I do not see how you would have any issue with Naruto unless you have some petty revenge for your fallen comrade Zabuza. So what is your purpose here?"

Mangetsu smirked, "How insightful...since you asked ever so kindly, why not. I am here because I believe I may be given the opportunity to speak to my old comrade from Mist. I hear he is now a part of the organisation after the boy."

"Hoshigaki Kisame? Is that so...and what business would you have with him, no?"

"Now now, enough with the small talk. Show me just how well you can wield a sword, oh 'great Jiraiya-sama.'"

Pushing back off with his sword, Jiraiya and Mangetsu broke off into an exchange back and forth between stone and steel. Jiraiya admittedly was not the best when it came to parrying, and it showed. The strength and power was there, but Jiraiya had no class of finesse which the other clearly demonstrated.

When Mangetsu nearly cut his left shoulder, where Shima freaked, "Oi! pick up yer' game kiddo, that almost sliced me!"

Jiraiya mumbled off an apology, while deciding he shouldn't rely on using his weapon to win this. Mangetsu was one of the seven swordsmen of the Mist after all...Jiraiya was dreaming if he could beat him in a sword duel.

"Shima, I need cover, now."

Forming a seal, Shima did as told, "Senpo, Futon Sunabokori!" Mangetsu covered his eyes when the small toad huffed at an impossibly large dust cloud that covered the entire area around him, blinding him from seeing anything in the heavy, chakra filled dust.

Standing at the ready, his eyes focussed all around him. Suddenly a figure that looked like an oddly shaped toad lunged at him from the side, attempting to pierce him with a familiar shaped sword. Blocking the blow, the figure disappeared in the dust to only in an instant attack again from another angle. Used to moving his great sword around his body quickly, Mangetsu blocked the attempted surprise attacks one after the other.

Soon he began to laugh, "Come on now. Surely you of all people would know of our training methods in Mist."

Within the dust, Jiraiya groaned, 'Of bloody course. They use to take their training to a whole new extreme. They deliberately blindfold themselves, while another throws actual kunai at their person. As crazy as it is, it works. You quickly learn to use your other senses to protect yourself from inbound danger...or you die.'

Hearing a sudden burst of footsteps behind him, Mangetsu smirked as he mapped out Jiraiya's location and movements. He didn't need eyes to see where the next attack was coming from, his senses already determined Jiraiya was going to try a frontal attack. Preparing to block from in front, the swordsman widened his eyes when he heard the wind behind him howl. Quickly sidestepping, he could just make out several kunai that were aimed for where he once stood.

"Judging by the sound of your footsteps, I guess you have somehow changed form. You are also moving extraordinarily faster than before because of it."

"This one definitely lives up to the expectation's of one o'the seven." Fukusaku whispered.

"However...do you really think it is wise to use a Futon style jutsu to blind me?"

All three's eyes suddenly widened, "Jiraiya-chan!-"

"Doton, Retsudo Tensho!" The entire ground started to rumble, but Jiraiya could feel under his feet the rising sizzling heat. In a burst of speed, he jumped out of the dust to look back in time to watch the entire scene turn chaotic, as the dust cloud ignited with the spewing out lava.

"He's a reckless one. Playing with fire like that is only just going t'backfire and get yourself burnt." Shima scolded, as the bloom from the explosion eased.

The jutsu Mangetsu had used had disrupted the ground around the area, making the area uneven and rough. The ground was oozing lava however from underneath. Mangetsu casually was walking through the destruction he had caused, with a satisfied grin on his piranha like face. True to Shima's words, the explosion had partially injured the swordsman. His coat in fact was freely smoking as if it had been burnt, along with a few blisters forming on his face and hands. Despite the injury, the swordsman was showing more excitement than pain. Implanting the sword into the ground before him, Mangetsu tossed away his coat, which instantly caught alight as if some kind of enchantment had worn off.

Rubbing his temple that was lightly bleeding, Mangetsu pulled out his sword and pointed it at Jiraiya, "So that is what your form looks like. I thought I saw a toad figure moving around me."

Jiraiya's feet and right arm had changed into that of a frog, as he was hunched on the ground like a perched toad. His left arm was normal, and still held the stone sword from earlier.

Chuckling, Mangetsu fell back into his stance, "Well come on then, let's continue."

The silence was really starting to get to Sakura, as the grass-nin just stared at her. Claara's sudden snicker made Sakura tense, but Claara smirked and reached for something around her neck underneath her olive green shirt.

It was a necklace, with a small ring dangling at the bottom of the otherwise plain black chain. Sakura almost did not react when Claara heaved it off, and casually tossed it to her to catch. Sakura held pure confusion to the action, but guessed she was meant to look at it. Bringing up the small ring, she looked closely at its fine texture. Sakura would admit she rarely spent much time looking at jewellery other than her mother's, but the weight of the ring was noticeable. Touching its cool surface, she ran her index finger all around its mostly smooth border, feeling the bumps of the small olive diamonds that she counted eight in total.

"It's eighteen karat, with eight diamonds perfectly aligned around its surface. Do not misunderstand, that is the only reason I haven't disposed of it." Claara stated flatly.

Sakura knew this was the enemy she was interacting with, but even she could find the will to give a small smile, "It's beautiful."

The older kunoichi's snort made her look up in confusion, "Eh. That it is..."

Sakura wondered why she trailed, until she noticed Claara's hand was open in the air as if waiting for something. Realising what she was asking, she tossed the ring back. Foe or not, she knew she was just handed something that was very important to the grass-nin completely out of trust to a stranger like herself. She didn't have the evil in her to not respectfully return it.

"Then why?" She asked, as Claara hid the necklace underneath her shirt again.

The sudden glare that held deep hatred yet so much ache caught Sakura off guard, "I will gladly tell you why. Men are the most heartless bastards you will ever encounter in your life!"

The sudden accusation that sound like law only deepened her shock, "You have feelings for someone special to you, they show they feel the same, you both fall in love and you live happily ever after. HA! Only a fool would believe in a fairytale like that!"

Sakura fixed her hung jaw to show her bewilderment, which Claara interpreted perfectly, "Then tell me this, are you and Naruto together?"

The return of her shock from the question proved true, "Heh...It is so tempting to let you go...just so you can experience the real harsh nature behind it in a few years time. Assuming you're not the type that rushes things, maybe even sooner."

"W-What are you talking about?!"

"Hmmph. You really are so narrow minded. Let me spell it out for you then. Men are only interested in one thing when it comes to us, and once they have our complete trust, they have what it is they desire so badly. Then afterwards...they toss you aside and move on to the next clueless fool looking for the right one to spend the rest of their life with!"

'Is she saying that her husband...'

"...You understand now?"

Sakura still was staring in complete shock, but finally recovered as she interpreted what Claara was saying. The first thing that came to her mind was her father that she still could recollect barely, along with all the great things her mother used to and still did tell her about him.

Then came the blond haired teammate she had fallen for with his fox smile, which resulted in Sakura shaking her head slowly, "I honestly am sorry to hear that. But you are wrong, not everybody is like that-"

Claara's venom filled hysterical laughter made her pause, but she didn't break her composure, "You really are a child then Sakura. Open up your eyes, you know I am right-"

"No, you are not. Naruto...he's-"

"-Different?" Claara snapped with a giggle, causing Sakura to now stare in confusion.

"'He speaks from his heart, and is honest to me. He is always thinking of me, and assures me everything is fine'...Don't they all?"

Although that was not what Sakura was going to say, the similarity with some was there. Sakura did not miss the spike of venom roll out of Claara's tongue with the second and final suggestions, "If by chance you both somehow survive this, then prepare yourself...you will experience unmatchable heartache when your little lover shatters apart the trust you have given him."

Sakura no longer was on the fence in this discussion, "Again, you don't know Naruto, and you are wrong in saying that."

"Hmmph, I hope I get to see the look on your face if the opportunity arises to show I am proven righ-"

"SHUT UP!"

Sakura this time snapped, glaring straight back with venom into those eyes, "I am sorry about what happened to you, really, I am...BUT STOP COMPARING MY LIFE TO YOURS! You think you know everything about me for some reason, but you don't know A THING about me! and you know NOTHING about the kind of person Naruto is!"

Seeing not even the slightest of hesitation or uncertainty within those jade eyes, Claara raised her senbon, "So be it then, live yourself to a fantasy for as long as you have left then. " Not responding, Sakura drew up her kunai and stared straight into Claara with determination burning.

'I am not wasting any more time here with her. Naruto and the others need my help.'

Going with her mind's declaration, Sakura charged in. The clashing back and forth was all that was audible now in the forest, along with the occasional thud of a tree collapsing. Sakura didn't know why she felt like she was being led on with the exchange, but Claara constantly on the defence now was starting to cause suspicion.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura stuck to the offense with no signs of backing down, 'All I need is one good hit!'

Jumping back from another attempted fist colliding with the ground, Claara had ascended up to the branch of a tree, now with a seal formed, 'Got you!'

"Tsuta, Atropa belladonna!"

Sakura suddenly felt all her senses scream out in panic when her ears heard several eruptions around her in the ground, but focused on the sprouting plant in front of her. It looked like a shrub of some kind, with somehow alluring red and white toned flowers that when opened up resembled stars. There were also numerous blue berries as well, that were leaking out a hazy yellow gas.

'This is dangerous! I have to-!'

Sakura's thoughts completely stopped, as her body suddenly began to uncontrollably tremble.

When her emerald eyes dilated, Claara dropped her seal, "Hmmph, it was over the moment the gas was released. This is a completely different type of poison if you are wondering why your antidote is not working."

Sakura's vision started to blur, as the red light became so blooming bright it was giving her a migraine. Trying to step forward resulted in her falling straight onto the now dead grass where the gas was mostly concentrated. Soon her entire throat went dry as a bone, as she tried with all her effort to breathe, but all air was gone. Frantically coughing and still struggling to breathe, the sound of footsteps walking towards her made her shakily look up. The sudden kick into her gut flipped her onto her back, along with a grunt that was mixed with a dehydrated cough. She tried to get up, but even just shifting her arm was similar to heaving up a ton of bricks.

The figure standing behind the retina burning red light to her was completely smudged out of focus, until it lowered itself to only inches away from her face, to then reveal emotionless blue-grey irises. The sudden realisation made her gasp deeply, but still no air was present in her now contracting throat.

"Atropa belladonna...such a beautiful and fitting plant do you not agree?"

Sakura's gag made Claara give a light chuckle, "Look's like you will suffer the fate my husband was given before I defiled Grass. Do you even know what Atropa belladonna means in a foreign language Sakura? But more importantly, the saying that goes with it?"

Sakura began to frantically tremble as she felt a heavy presence linger over her ear, "Do not betray the beautiful lady." she heard sharply whispered in it, as Claara returned to her eye level distance.

The sudden spark of burning white made her squint, as a smudged red and silver object was brought to dangle in front of her face. For an instant her eyes cleared, and she again gasped. It was her forehead protector, "If what you say is true about Uzumaki Naruto, then he will understand the situation when he sees this...would he not?"

Her eyes bulged in realisation to the kunoichi's intention's but she couldn't speak. Claara then stood up and turned, but looked back when she felt a trembling hand grab her leg. It was Sakura, who was barely balancing herself on her knees as she gripped on Claara's leg.

"..D-Do-...Don't!"

Claara responded with a smirk, even though she knew Sakura couldn't see it, "I admire your diligence...but this is as far as you can go." With a quick flick of her leg, Sakura's weak grip was lost.

Turning again, she walked away, with Sakura's forehead protector dangling in her left hand, "Just stay there and die in peace. Hopefully before you succumb to the madness the poison brings for your sake. Farwell Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto will be joining you soon if he still is alive."

Sakura tried to reach out again, but between her messed up vision and dizziness, she slipped and fell onto the dried out grass again.

'Damn it no! I can't go down like this!'

Letting out a fragile cry of her frustration, she tried to balance herself on her jelly like hands and knees, but it soon was concluded with her collapsing, 'So...weak...'

Finding it harder and harder by the second to move, she began to become aware of her heart that was beating impossibly fast to the point it felt like a constant earthquake was occurring within her chest.

Getting used to hearing the drum roll pace of her heart, she began to hear voices coming from all around her, echoing without making any sense. To try and block out the senseless rambling, she attempted to dig her head deeper into the forest floor, but the result only made the voices grow louder in vengeance.

As she laid there barely able to move, the voices started to become coherent.

"Sakura!" She suddenly heard at full volume that travelled straight down her ear drum. Shifting her impaired gaze to the direction it came from, see saw an unimaginably high contrast figure standing in the blur.

It was Tsunade.

In an instant, the image flashed out of existence.

'Am I...hallucinating?'

"Sakura." She heard once again come from another side, this time the voice made her suddenly feel empty in recognition. Forcing her head to follow the voice, she was greeted by cold sharingan eyes.

'Sasuke-kun...'

Picking up the pace, she soon had now a bombardment of voices she recognised calling out her name in numerous directions. Jamming her eyes shut in desperation, she let out a weak whimper of the throbbing migraine it was causing. The ear piercing name calls were then silenced, making her slowly open her eyes in relief of it being over. She on reflex took a sharp intake of empty air when she was staring wide into emotionless blue eyes.

"Na-..Naru-..." She was too weak to word out his name.

The blond then hid his eyes behind his lids, and stood up to walk away in a dismissive like manner. Forcing her head to turn to stare at his red whirlpool symbol, she tried again, "Na-Nar-...Naruto!..." She whispered out through her dry mouth, as she saw him turn to look at her with a saddened expression.

"Goodbye, Sakura-chan."

In an instant, he disappeared from her sight. She felt a sting run into her vibrating heart when he was gone, and shakily looked up at the sky, feeling a tear rolling down her cheek. She hung her mouth open wide though when she felt salty like rain drops falling onto her face.

"I am useless!" She heard so clearly be cackled out through frantic sobs. Trying to focus on the new person standing over her, she soon recognised the pink hair from anywhere. It was herself from when she was back in team seven. She even had her once back length hair too.

Unlike the other hallucinations she had experienced beforehand, this one was flawless, if anything it was almost like she was truly there.

She continued to stare at her old self, who still was crying with no signs of ending soon, "I-I couldn't do anything! S-Sasuke-kun nearly died, Kakashi-sensei had to protect me from Zabuza-san, and hell, even NARUTO did more than me!"

Sakura could remember this like it was yesterday. It was when she first realised the dark truth about being a shinobi after that mission, and Claara had explained it so horrifically to the point. She realised she had made the wrong choice to begin with when she decided to become a kunoichi.

"Maybe...M-Maybe I should quit. Mum was right, this really isn't the path for me."

Sakura was able to recall what happened soon after this point. Naruto and Sasuke had come to get her from her home to eat out and celebrate their first real mission with Kakashi. To be more specific, Naruto had dragged Sasuke there, while Kakashi had to hold the blond back when Sasuke gave him a whity response. That entire occasion changed her mind on her choice, because she felt she belonged there, and she was welcomed with her team. She couldn't help but pass the thought of if she went with her original intentions how things would have turned out.

Would anything significant had changed, would she be lying here right now being tortured by her past self as she grew weaker by the minute?

Assuming this type of flashback was caused by her ailment, she waited patiently for her ears to hear her mother's call to inform her that her team was there. Only it never came at the point her memory said 'now', instead, her hallucination continued to voice her musing.

"Y-Yes...I-I could. Maybe I could put what I have learnt to use in the Konoha library, or something like that."

Sakura gasped as she watched the temptation grow in her old self's contemplating eyes, "But that means Sasuke-kun-..."

She would have groaned in disappointment at her old self's track of thought if she could when young Sakura started nibbling on her lower lip in great hesitation.

"Ino would claim him as hers...she would never let it go that I gave up."

'Too right she would.' Sakura mused, now watching with great interest to see her former self's next actions.

"But..."

Sakura's eyes partially widened when the hallucinations eyes suddenly held clear fear within them, "...She can have him!"

Sakura tried to gasp, but all she could do was violently cough as a result. She never thought in all her life would she ever hear herself think this way at all. It was practically insulting what she had become.

"I guess they would understand...I-I mean surely they think that I am a bother."

'Am I talking about Naruto, Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei.'

"No...they probably know that I am."

'NO THEY DONT YOU IDIOT!'

"At least Naruto was able to do something, all I did was toss Sasuke-kun a kunai which never even made it to him...they wouldn't miss me, they probably hate me."

Sakura couldn't take it anymore, she didn't care if she was wasting the little strength she had left, she was not going to lie here and listen to herself tear apart her pride.

"N-No-..." Her weak strained voice made her younger self suddenly blink and look down to stare at her still form.

"T-They...do-don't..."

She saw the hallucinations eyes flicker with surprise and disbelief, "B-But how can they not?! I did nothing, I am worthless to them!"

Closing her eyes, Sakura remembered her two teammates and gave a strained chuckle, "You really trust those two idiots alone...th-they will get nothing done without you there to straighten them out."

"Hey, Sasuke-kun is not an idiot!" She had to acknowledge the truth, she really was stubborn back then, although several people have said she hasn't changed at all.

Her younger self broke eye contact, "Naruto, tch, that baka. He probably would be the one to cause all kinds of trouble."

Sakura tried to laugh, but it stung so much, "E-Eh. Y-You probably are right..."

Looking back down at Sakura again, the hallucination's fear returned in her gaze, "B-But I can't do anything for them...I am weak."

Sakura felt a sudden surge of energy run throughout her body, as she opened up her eyes that made her hallucination take a step back in fright by her resolute filled gaze, "Then stop crying about it and get stronger!"

Reflecting on Naruto's words he said to her both that night and afternoon, she held no doubt, "I-It doesn't matter how long it takes...it doesn't matter how impossible or hopeless it is...the only one that is holding you back is yourself...what matters-..."

Sakura felt her trembling hand clench, as she brought all her willpower to raise it to just above her head, "What matters is that you never give up!"

The hallucination didn't respond for a long time, until finally it gave the same determined gaze back with a clenched fist, and nodded its head in agreement.

When Sakura blinked, she discovered she was alone once again. Still with her risen fist, she fought with her bodies demands to lower it, 'I can't lie here and die like this, not after coming this far...I won't let her torture Naruto like that!'

Trying with all her will, Sakura rolled onto her stomach, and pushed on the ground to get on her wobbly feet. Attempting to see in the blur, she could just make out the blue hazy berries of the closest plant. Taking a step forward resulted in her entire body swaying uncontrollably with no sense of balance. After four steps, she tripped over her own feet and crashed onto the floor again.

'GET UP!' She demanded, heaving herself to her knees. Crawling closer, her vision was starting to focus, now being able to see the rough shape of the star like flowers.

Her near closed airways were not making it easy to remain conscious, as her vision dimmed, 'NO!' She protested, even though her head suddenly became impossibly heavy.

'Almost there...' Sakura's thoughts were cut off when she lost her balance and fell face first onto the ground again.

Forcing herself to look up, she could just now clearly see the plant that was still leaking out the gas. Dragging herself closer by her hands, she reached for the stem with both hands, and gripped it. Using chakra, she felt her arms strengthen as she tried to crush it. She gritted her teeth though when the plant wouldn't give, possibly due to her already feeble state, or the fact that it felt unnaturally durable for what it looked.

'It won't work...' Trying to push herself to her knees again, she decided to just try and crawl out of the zone.

She immediately collapsed though when her vision again dimmed, this time to complete black, before returning to its distorted view, 'I can't move..moving this far alone took a lot out of me. The poison...feels so much stronger here than in the middle.'

Desperate now, she reached for the plant again and grasped it. Closing her eyes, she prayed, 'Please work.'

Soon she felt her hands start to get soaked, as water began to run freely between her fingers coming from the stem. Despite her efforts, the heavy and overpowering stench of the gas was still strong. Going limp, she cursed, 'I can't do it...' Her shifty eyes then noticed a small object float to the ground before her, and she tried to focus on it.

Her eyes widened when she discovered it was a crumbled flower from the plant she was by.

Looking up again determined, she now gripped it with both her hands, and tried what she did again. Soon she saw more crumbling leaves and flowers fall, while the yellow gas was starting to clear. By now the amount of water flowing through her hands was approaching a small stream level. While still draining with one hand, she reached up a bit further with the other to grip higher on the stem. Closing her eyes to concentrate, she began to build up the chakra carefully in her arm, and then tried to crush it again. The result this time was the plant rustling in protest.

'Come on you stupid thing, break!' She cursed, still putting more pressure. Finally, she felt her hand start to enclose further, along with a sickening squishing sound.

'BREAK DAMN IT!'

Soon she heard a loud crunch, as the plant fell over on its side, with the remaining lower half still pouring out water like a broken fountain.

With the mist clearing, Sakura finally was greeted with the air she was long deprived of. Sitting up with her head raised high, she desperately gasped for the somehow delicious taste of oxygen. Despite her deep gasps, she still felt her throat closed tight. While gasping, she reached into her pouch and urgently searched for an item. Pulling her hand out, she held out another syringe, this one coloured with a red mark.

Popping off the cap, she stabbed the syringe straight into her thigh. Feeling her air ways open at last, she finally could breathe properly again.

'That shot of adrenaline will last me a while.'

Choking now on her dehydrated throat, she yet again went into her pouch for her canteen, and furiously drunk the water as if she hadn't drunken anything in days. She tossed the bottle away in displeasure when it soon was empty, but at least her mouth was moist again.

Still catching her breath with light coughing in the mix, she placed a hand over her still racing heart to try and settle it, knowing the adrenaline now running through her veins was not going to make it ease any time soon. Dropping her gaze, she focused on the now clearly visible plant stem, which still was oozing out water.

'So I was right...'

Looking back, she could now see the immediate area around the plants and herself had been drained like before. Remembering Claara's words, she turned to the direction the grass-nin had left, 'I must hurry.'

Claara was still walking away in the forest, with her left hand still holding the forehead protector. Her other was fiddling with her ring that was around her neck, 'Such a shame really, she had quite a lot of potential in the future...if only she never unintentionally came into my life.'

Raising Sakura's forehead protector to examine it, Claara soon scoffed, 'Eventually we would have met as enemies anyway. Chances are she wouldn't be so soft hearted in the future anyway, I can call it down to luck then. I would have lost if she was more experienced and strong minded.'

Lowering it to her side, she then brought up her ring to stare at, feeling around its border for what seemed like the thousandth time she had done since she left Grass. Letting it fall out of her hand to collide with her chest, she returned focus to the direction she was heading, 'What would a child know anyway.'

Hearing a sudden snap from behind her, Claara turned her head to go bulging wide eyed in shock, but it soon was literally hit off her face by a gloved fist.

"SHANNARO!"

'She..survived?...Impossible!'

Claara already was airborne, smashing straight through a tree, before hitting the ground to bounce off it several times, and then crashing into another. The second tree had a massive dent in her collision, but it didn't break as she slid off of it to collapse on the floor. Shaken from the journey, Claara spat out a molar that had broke, while her face was badly cut and openly bleeding. Forcing herself up to her knees, Claara looked up to see what still had her in shock.

"H-How?!"

Sakura by this point had scooped up the forehead protector Claara had dropped before her flight, and was returning it to its rightful place on her head, "Truthfully it was luck, but I finally understand your jutsu. At first we all thought it was a kekkai genkai, but now I think differently. The first suspicion I had was that jutsu you used to help your comrade. That flower was absorbing an unnatural amount of water at a shockingly fast speed to remain active. Then there was that enormous barrier you created that made me believe you had unreal amounts of chakra, however, I noticed the same anomaly again. The way you escaped my explosion also backed it up. You told me you are a raiton user, however raiton is not your only element, nor do I believe it is your first...suiton is your primary element."

Claara's sudden surprised gasp didn't interrupt Sakura, "Sensei told me users that train with their elemental affinity can discover and create unique jutsu's for themselves using said chakra nature. Therefore...you have learnt how to use the seeds of plants as a medium with your suiton chakra to accelerate and change the way a plant grows, manipulating them to your favour."

Tightening her forehead protector, Sakura opened her eyes to stare into stunned blue-grey, "Suiton users can create larger and more effective suiton jutsu's with less effort and chakra required. Also if they wish to, they can exploit the water around them to further increase their effectiveness. Your jutsu's rely on a large amount of water being present...otherwise they weaken and eventually die." She concluded from all the information she now knew about elemental affinities.

Claara's mouth twitched, until she suddenly started laughing which to Sakura's surprise was quite genuine, "Outstanding. Perfect. A+! You didn't even leave a single detail out to hold questioning." Brushing away her surprise, she narrowed her eyes when Claara attempted to return to her shaky feet.

"Enough. You are too heavily injured to continue, and I know the weakness of your jutsu."

"Hehehe, sounding so confident now that you know everything about me, eh?"

Sakura held puzzlement as Claara reached into her holster for a kunai while she stood up. Rubbing her bleeding mouth, Claara grinned, "Let me kindly repeat what you said to me..."

Sakura gasped when Claara suddenly dug the kunai into the centre of her own palm while staring into her stunned jade orbs, "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME SAKURA!"

'She stabbed herself? H-Has she lost it?!' Sakura continued to stare in shock and confusion, while Claara pulled out the kunai, and reached into her holster for a new seed.

Sakura gaped when the grass-nin then dug it into her freely bleeding palm, and then formed a seal, "Tsuta, eien ni tsuduku soudai!"

'Everlasting magnificence.'

The seed then expanded out roots from under the skin, that appeared to be glowing red veins. Sakura could never see what was happening fully, since the web liked veins disappeared up the grass-nin's sleeve. Soon Sakura watched as the cuts on the kunoichi's face began to stitch close, soon revealing new unharmed skin.

Claara laughed, "A trained assassin needs to know how to look after themselves if all does not go to plan." Despite the cheerful tone, Claara was starting to pant heavily, and appeared to be having trouble keeping focus.

Sakura fixed her shock to hold seriousness, "Some backup plan. You are feeding the seed your blood and the water within your body for the sake of it repairing your injuries."

'I see then, this is a jutsu she only uses if she has no other options. But with such a severe cost...' Sakura observed as Claara held two oddly coloured pills in her hand, before taking them both.

'Soldier pills. They won't bring her back up to full health, but it should lower the symptoms of such blood loss.' Now returning her focus on the rosette, Claara drew three fresh senbons.

'This is not the situation I hoped for. That jutsu has used most of my chakra, and those pills aren't a miracle cure to the backlash of it. However...she doesn't look so grand herself.'

Narrowing her gaze on Sakura who was in her stance, she could easily see how the girl was very tense and violently trembling, 'So that is how she recovered, a shot of adrenaline to force open her airways...'

Sakura stood her ground, waiting for the heavy silence to come to its end. Claara broke the stare off by throwing one of her senbons, making Sakura snap into position to deflect the needle, while the grass-nin closed the distance in seconds. Clashing in fierce exchange of blows in a blur with each other's weapons, Claara drew a fresh senbon from up her sleeve, and threw it at Sakura's abdomen. Sakura reacted in time, back flipping away as Claara continued to throw her needles at her retreating form. Ending her evasive manoeuvres by sliding back from her momentum, Sakura formed a tiger seal while dashing over the distance she had been granted.

Claara's eyebrow perked when nothing happened. Soon both her eyes shot wide open when Sakura in a burst of speed shot straight for her. She only just made it with the senbon into Sakura's knee, but that didn't stop Sakura from grabbing her and sending that knee into her gut with enough force to knock the wind out of her.

'W-What is going on?!'

Trying to recover from her hit, Claara pushed back and threw a retaliating senbon, although Sakura gracefully evaded it from a sudden sidestep, and dashed to not grant Claara the distance she was trying to achieve. Interlocked again, Claara saw Sakura preparing to punch from her right. Used to her opponents speed from before, Claara tried to counter with a fresh senbon, only to go wide eyed when Sakura feigned the blow, greeting the grass-nin's unprotected side to a firm fist.

Sakura must have been playing it safe, since both her successful hits were not chakra enhanced. That still didn't mean the force behind it was gone, as the grass-nin stumbled back from the blow. Taking advantage of her opponent being stunned, Sakura did a round house kick, aiming straight into the grass-nin's chest, sending her crashing onto the ground from the chakra within it.

Claara coughed out blood as she landed, 'How has she gotten so much faster!?' Claara asked herself, staring in shock at the rosette who now was standing there at the ready.

Eyeing her plain looking bands around her legs and arms, made Claara narrow her eyes, 'Those aren't ordinary bands!'

"Weights..." Sakura did not react to Claara's statement, as she cautiously watched Claara stumble to her feet.

"You have been wearing weights since the beginning? That's reckless and very risky...but exceptionally clever. I have gotten used to how you fight and manoeuvre, so the last thing I would expect is a sudden change of speed. "

Sakura nibbled her lip at the praise yet again, "Give up. You have lost this Claara."

"Still trying to find a solution that doesn't involve a death? You stupid child. Did you forget what your last mistake nearly costed you? Even just then, that hit...was nowhere near as strong as the last chakra hit you did to me. Also, you had the element of surprise at your hand, you could have easily killed me with that attack, yet you didn't exploit it."

Sakura eyes flickered, 'I will never understand her, why is she practically encouraging me to kill her?'

"There has to be a better way."

Claara lightly chuckled at the answer she expected, "Did Ronan-san's words truly not sink in to both of your heads?"

Sakura didn't respond as Claara took a heavy breath, "I am a missing-nin, just like he is. Once you have turned your back on your village, there is no place to return to but the enemy country. Even then, people like Ronan-san and myself are not welcomed anywhere because of our past actions."

"Surely there is a way to return to your old life. Can't you just return to Grass-"

"You are an intelligent kunoichi, don't insult yourself with such stupidity. The only thing waiting for me in Grass is execution for murder and treachery. Even if I explained my husband's betrayal , murder is not a justifiable excuse in their eyes. When word is heard of me giving vital information to Danzou of my village, then my fate is determined yet again."

'D-Danzou?!'

"H-How do you know Danzou?!"

"Did I not make myself clear? He gave me my opening to escape being chased by Grass."

Sakura swallowed the lump at the back of her throat. Kakashi was right, nobody really does trust anybody in this world.

"It's because of 'him' isn't it?"

"H-Huh?!"

"Your other teammate...Uchiha Sasuke is his name is it not? By accepting we have no other path but death, you are both accepting he has no other options as well. So that is why you are being so obstinate to the most vital expectation of a shinobi."

"T-That is wrong! S-Sasuke-kun is not a missing-nin!"

"Hehe, you just keep telling yourselves that, you should know you are in denial. He will bring you both down with him if you don't accept it that he has chosen his own path in life..leading to early death."

Sakura tried to protest, but no words came out, 'She is wrong, she is wrong! Sasuke-kun...'

'Her mind is fragile right now, here is my chance.'

Sakura had to stop her thinking when Claara charged with a kunai in hand, "S-Stop!-"

"It is kill or be killed, accept the unforgiving truth of it, or die to your stubbornness, YOU CHILD!"

Sakura's eye bulged as the sharp pointed tip of the kunai was inches away, until it came to an abrupt halt.

Why did Claara suddenly stop?

Becoming aware of the reason, she spotted a gloved hand holding back the offending arm. Then she gasped in sudden realisation that it was her own. Claara's sudden wet cough made Sakura become aware of the entire situation. Sakura could feel now under the palm of her other hand a weak vibration, upon further inspection she stared in disbelief of the chakra scalpel now resting over the kunoichi's chest.

"I...was careless."

Sakura saw the kunai penetrate the grass by her feet, as Claara went limp and fell to the ground. Sakura didn't even know when she fell to her knees, or why she was staring wide eyed in shock into dull blue-grey irises.

"C-Chakra scalpel to the heart...quick, easy and painless...b-but you were *cough* shallow." Claara stated, coughing out another wave of blood.

The splatter that hit her cheek made Sakura come back into reality, "W-What have I done?!"

Claara weakly chuckled when Sakura started to try heal the mortal wound, "What are you doing? and you should know...even you can't reverse t-this."

Dropping her hands to her knees, Sakura couldn't say anything as she just sat there as if frozen in disbelief. Claara's trembling hand reaching into her holster made Sakura go alert, but she froze when the grass-nin presented a small white pill. Sakura didn't react when Claara slowly moved her hand over to Sakura's, and dropped the pill.

"Y-You are going to need that."

Sakura blinked in confusion, while Claara coughed again, "Do you honestly t-think *cough*, with all the knowledge I have about you...that I didn't consider you would have created an antidote for my poison."

Sakura suddenly gasped, "W-What are you telling me?!"

"G-Give it about an hour from now...you will have a high fever, feel restless, and have trouble catching your breath...you may even become very sensitive to light and have random chill spikes. That is when the poison coated on my senbons is starting to work...don't take that another hour...you won't be able to help yourself."

Looking back and forth, Sakura shook her head, "How can I trust you? You are the enemy."

Claara lightly laughed again, "You don't trust me...good, you aren't as gullible as you look. Wait for the symptoms I have described to happen then. Be the judge yourself to tell if I am trying to trick you."

Looking back at the small pill, Sakura closed her hand, "Why?"

Claara shakily reached up to her ring with strained effort and gripped it, "One of us is right...I want you *cough* to find out the answer yourself...for your sake, I pray I am wrong."

Sakura could only gape at her words, as her coughing intensified, "I hope we meet again soon...Sakura."

Suddenly Claara went ghastly silent, and soon no more coughs were heard. The only sound was the sudden gust of wind blowing into Sakura's face. Forcing herself to blink when her eyes were stinging, Sakura soon tasted a familiar salty like liquid running down her cheeks.

Why was she crying?

This person was out here to kill her and Naruto. She stuck to her promise and protected both of them, but why did it hurt so much? Why did she suddenly feel so...

...Empty.

Covering her face, Sakura furiously wiped her eyes, 'Stop it!' She commanded her trembling form, but her body refused to listen.

It had to have been the praises, or the odd sensation with the atmosphere of most of the fight feeling as if it was just a spar with a comrade. Despite what she told herself at the start of this fight, she went against her firm instructions in every way possible. She let the grass-nin get to her, she allowed Claara to manipulate her and drive her. Sakura didn't even realise when a type of bond had formed between herself and the person that was trying to kill her.

Eventually settling, she stared at the white pill she was given, 'I don't even know what to think anymore.'

Scrutinizing the small pill, she clenched her hand around its small frame, 'If what she said is true, then what I have been exposed to is a type of slow acting poison...my kit is useless to help in both seeing if she was lying to me, and to cure it with the herbs I have .'

Closing her eyes, she placed it in her weapon pouch, 'I will just have to play it safe...unfortunately to her rules.' Reaching over, she closed Claara's eyes, and pushed herself off the ground and looked down at Claara. She wanted to say something, but both her mind and voice was empty. She slowly turned and started to walk away with little emotion on her dull face.

She soon snapped out of her state when she felt a sudden explosive like rumble at her feet, which caused the birds nearby resting in the trees to take flight in panic. Within the trees came a blinding light that forced her to cover her face. A sudden realisation kicked in though when the rumbling and retina burning light only continued to intensify. Turning, Sakura sprinted like her life depended on it. Time itself slowed as she passed over Claara's corpse, realising she couldn't do anything for the deceased Grass-nin, before returning focus to getting away from the still approaching chaos.

Suddenly she felt a solid collision hit into her back from a shockwave of the blast, causing her to tumble and turn a high speeds, before her back smacked straight into a tree. Sliding down it to stare wide eyed at the red glow, she covered her face when the rush of dust blasted against her. Sakura's entire world was shaking from the earthquake, and even though her eyes were covered by her hands, the red burning light still penetrated through her hands and closed eyes.

Finally as if by some miracle, the glow dimmed, and the earthquake finally settled. The loud ringing though travelling in her ears though made her clench her jaw in pain. Still with the burnt in image of the light blocking her vision, she tried to shake her head frantically. All of a sudden an invisible force came bucketing down onto her shoulders, and whiplashing into her face. The cause being a sudden sensation that felt dominating, and extremely powerful. The rush was enough to make her trembling intensify.

Despite her near deafened state, she heard something loud and clear. A blood thirsty roar echoing all around her, practically spitting with an unimaginable amount of inhuman like rage and murderous intent.

"NARUTO!"

AN: I have to stop doing that (i count four cliffhangers this time...very bad habit I have :) )

Claara's jutsu name : Atropa Belladonna is a plant that does exist, and it does have a back story to it in Greek and Italian folklore.

I will try and update asap, but with my final half year of uni starting, I cannot make any promises for it to be as speedy as I usually do.

Also one more thing. I have deliberately at all times decided not to take the themes of this story beyond what we have seen in the manga and anime to keep the atmosphere Kishi has set in check.

This is why I have chosen the T rating. If however, you feel I have crossed a line into M rating, please let me know.