RECAP: They're going on a mission
Like Tsunade said Sakura and Sasuke were bounding up the stairs with Shizune drudging behind them. Naruto stopped them. They already had their ninja tools together so they went to the gate. Before they'd left the Hokage's office perimeter Shizune handed them a map of where the suspected ninja group was. Once at the gate Naruto briefed his teamates and re-briefed Gaara and the others. Matsuri got a little nervous but quickly pulled herself together. Naruto mapped out their attack tactics based on the map Shizune had given them. They started moving. Naruto in the front, Gaara behind him, Matsuri and Sakura in the middle, Kankuro behind the two of them and Sasuke at the back. Soon they were in proximity, according to the map. They stopped and hid. Matsuri was new to all of this the fast moving the quick decisions and they haven't even fought yet. They jumped down from the branches and found a relatively secure piece of land. Naruto started talking to the group.
"I'm starting to worry. Why haven't we seen them yet?"
Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were really the only ones talking. Everyone else was too overwhelmed. Sakura had given the most of her knowledge to get to this point and was letting Naruto and Sasuke work this out.
"Sasuke, why aren't they here?"
"Naruto we don't need to worry about that yet. We don't know that that's what they're doing. The map could be wrong they could be moving much slower than we thought. Don't jump to that conclusion. Even if it's true, we're prepared."
Matsuri was beyond confused. She said she could handle this but she knew she couldn't she was just hoping it would be basically like a C rank. Of course she was way off. Now they were worrying about some unnamed senario. She whispered to Gaara who was listening intently to Naruto. Gaara was actually comparing his battle skills to Naruto's, they simple didn't compare. Gaara had nothing to add.
"Gaara sensei, what are they talking about?"
"...We don't want to worry about it yet but there is always a chance that it'll happen with an ambush, especially an A rank against the waves."
"What will happen?"
"It could turn out that this ambush we're executing for the Waves ninja, this ambush could be ambushed by the waves ninja. Ambushes are always risky in that way but with the wave ninja it's even more so, they have highly developed tracking skills so they can find us before we even know they're near."
Matsuri took a deep breath and tried to slow her heart down. She was panicking and Gaara noticed. While still staring at Naruto he put one arm around her and squeezed. Not only are hugs used in social situations they are clinically proven to slow heart rate. Naruto continued talking to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, we aren't prepared for that they could jump out at any second. We are not prepared."
"Naruto think. We have two jinchuuriki, a puppeteer, a medical ninja, and an Uchiha. We are ready."
"Alright then. We need a strategy in case it's the worst case scenario. So if they start attacking us unprepared do not just start firing off jutsu. Not until you've thoroughly assessed where you're jutsu will end up if you miss or they dodge or something happens. We can't have any friendly fire or we're all going down."
"Good. OK before you can assess you need to defend. So use only tai jutsu. If they first attack with a jutsu and jutsu that seperates us what then Naruto?"
"We need to work together. Everyone expect a ton of mist. The three of us fought in it before, it'll be a little harder to hear and see so stay near another group member. I don't think they'll use genjutsu seeing as they're from the mist. Alright, let's fight like hell."
"Everyone can we hear your strongest jutsu?"
"Mine I guess is medical ninjutsu."
"Mine would be the sand. I don't have my gourd but I'll try and make some, but I've got some taijutsu to fall back on."
"Mine is my puppet which I'll have to summon later. If it's in the mist I'm not sure how well it will work."
"Mine is taijutsu and rasengan."
"Mine would be Sharingan and Chidori. Matsuri what do you have?"
"...I'm only a genin all I have is Shuriken and some taijutsu."
"Better than nothing. Let's keep moving. Sasuke gather the-"
Naruto stood as he said that and got a shuriken to the back of his shoulder. Matsuri watched as he pulled it out with ease and the other ninja got into position. That shuriken would've taken her out. Gaara picked up Matsuri and brought her to a tree branch. Without her knowledge the entire team had already gotten in branches, high off the ground. Gaara started talking to Matsuri.
"I know this is a harder mission that chasing down cats but if you'd have stayed sitting like that much longer we wouldn't have been able to get to you."
Matsuri looked down from the tall tree branch and saw mist.
"As your sensei I know you can handle this."
Gaara stood her up. Matsuri looked around to see all of the others high in the branches, at their level. All signaling to each other. Naruto jumped on branched toward where the shuriken had come from with Kankuro close behind. Matsuri occasionally saw kunais fly out of the tops of trees but other than that the forest was too dense along with the mist. Naruto had come across two of their team. Another two had their sights set on Sasuke and Sakura. Gaara was assessing. He was watching their movements. He turned to Matsuri.
"There are at least eight of these super ninjas. Matsuri don't fight them alone. No matter what. I have to. Stay here."
Gaara jumped down a few branches where more mist ninja were waiting. He fought them with ease although in this dense mist his makeshift sand was becoming damp. Sasuke and Sakura were fighting the two that had gone after them. Sakura had a knife in her assailants chest and he was still kicking. She took another knife out and threw it in the same general area. Still nothing. She looked over at Sasuke who had done everything to his opponent except slit his throat.
These were assumed strong ninja. Sakura knew her best chance to beat one of these was to aim a kunai in a vital point. Not matter what she did she missed almost every time. No matter how thick the mist was a black kunai is always easy to see against a white background. She searched through her pouch looking for something with low visibility. She found her throwing needles. Every since Haku she'd hated them but her medical training required them. She had worked on her aim and now it was fantastic. She made a clone and changed positions to where his guard wouldn't be up. Matsuri watched in awe, she could see everyone of Sakura's battle movements. He opponent was pulling Sakura's first kunai out of his chest so Sakura had an opening where she didn't have to dodge. She quickly threw one needle. Matsuri watched in horror as the sweet, kind Sakura she knew and loved threw a needle that pierced a mans chest, went between two ribs and hit his heart. She couldn't look away, the man was screaming as massive amount of blood flowed out he collapsed and drove the needle further in. Matsuri couldn't believe what she'd just seen. Sakura was terribly confused, he was much to easy to defeat. She walked over to him and Matsuri watched as she yanked the needle out of the mans chest wiped it off on his shirt and returned it to her pouch.
Sasuke was finding that his opponent was leaving himself opened a lot as well. He looked lost eventually Sasuke knocked him unconcious. Sakura went over to him and explained what had happened with her. She suggested they take him in for questioning. Sakura administered a heavy sedative to make sure he wouldn't get up. Gaaraa's opponents went down much harder but his sand eventually killed them. Matsuri was horrified they'd just killed four people without even blinking. Gaara jumped back up to her, completely worn out and panting heavily. He went in thinking the ninja he'd be fighting were highly trained and used his sand armor. Unfortunately he wasn't fighting highly trained ninja and the sand was mainly dirt and now it was damp and suffocating him.
"Matsuri...this mist...the sand is soaking it up...I'm so heavy..."
"Just rest and stay high up or you'll soak up more of it."
"...You need to go and tell them...the four we just fought they aren't used to fighting...I don't know what's going on but they aren't skilled ninja..."
"...Alright."
Matsuri left Gaara and followed Sakura and Sasuke who had gone after Kankuro and Naruto. She told Sasuke and Sakura what Gaara had told her to pass along. They rushed to find Naruto but before they could they heard a blood curdling scream.
Gaara had been given a scroll to message Tsunade. He quickly wrote: Tsunade, there are at least eight. Our ambush has been ambushed. We've killed four. Those four have never fought ninja before. There's something going on. I've been severely weakened by this thick mist my sand is damp. I've heard a scream from our team I have to go. We are 18 miles NE of the gate. The mist spreads far, we are in the center. If you send help do not get lost, it's a death sentence. They don't appear to be heading toward the village don't evacuate yet.
Gaara could barely move but he was able to send the message. Gaara was doing his best to locate the source of the screaming but couldn't move yet.
Sakura, Sasuke and Matsuri were desperately looking for the source of the awful scream. Thy soon found it. Kankuro was sitting up on the ground with his legs straight out. He was starting to wrap what Sakura identified as gauze. She quickly ran over to him along with the other two.
"Did that scream come from you?"
"Yeah, someone go ahead and help Naruto. Three guys are really dangerous. The one I just got through with was very inexperienced as a ninja but he could navigate this mist like his own house and he came out of no where while we fought the other three. The other three are deadly."
Sasuke went ahead. Sakura stayed with Kankuro as did Matsuri.
"Why did you scream?"
"Help me wrap up my leg."
Sakura looked down at Kankuro. His leg had been cut open, the entire length of his leg was gushing blood. Starting at the inner thigh and running all down the inside of his leg. Matsuri got scared but Kankuro and Sakura were stoic.
"Kankuro can you feel any of your leg?"
"No, just get it over with."
"Alright, tell me if you can or this is going to really hurt."
Matsuri wasn't an expert but she was pretty sure if you can't feel a limb it's a bad thing but now the fact that he couldn't feel it was being used as an anesthetic. Sakura further ripped Kankuro's pant leg open to get a better look at it. She took out some antiseptic. She started poking at Kankuro's wound.
"Are you sure this doesn't hurt?"
"Sakura would it change things if I couldn't feel it?"
"Matsuri squeeze his hand. This is going to hurt, Kankuro."
Matsuri did as she was told. She looked at Kankuro like she was going to cry. He gave her a big smile back. Sakura took that opportunity to pour the antiseptic all down Kankuro's wound. Matsuri watched as Kankuro's smile turned into a face filled with pain as he squeezed her hand extremely tight. Sakura looked up at him.
"Kankuro I'm sorry but we don't have time for stitches. We'll do them later but for now..."
"No, not those."
"I'm a professional. It'll hurt bad but if you want to keep this leg you'll do it."
"...OK go."
"I won't use too many alright. I can hold some of it together with gauze."
"Matsuri, keep looking at me don't look at my leg. Talk to me. I need my mind off of this. She's only done this to me one before, only one in my arm and now it's about 20 in my leg so distract me."
Matsuri was very much confused.
"What's holding your leg together if not stitches?"
"...Staples and gauze."
"..."
"Distract me."
Sakura was ready.
"Kankuro, I'm putting the first one in 3 inches above your ankle. I don't have enough to do your entire leg."
"Matsuri talk to me tell me anything."
Matsuri started talking about Ichiraku's while Sakura put the first staple in. Kankuro cried in pain. Sakura took that opportunity to put three more in. He started panting and his eyes got so wide they looked like they pop out. Matsuri got scared but kept talking trying to keep him calm but it wasn't working.