A Howling Love :.

Chapter 10 xx Trapped

Sasuke watched his prey carefully, his onyx hues constantly darting back and forth between the huddled threesome; hungry as they sought out the first victim. He hadn't felt this sort of excited surge of adrenaline since his last fight, which had been weeks, perhaps months prior. He smirked arrogantly, his dark eyes melting into crimson as his pupils thickened and divided into the swirling pattern of his clan's kekkei genkai. Next he was flitting towards them at an in-human speed, the eerie moonlight dancing along the length of his lethal weapon, his movements practically a blur as he approached his enemies.

Instantly the men scattered, growling low commands to eachother before one leaped off to the side in an attempt to go assist their female captain. The raven-haired youth chose him, and with a devilish smirk cut him off from his destination. The shinobi grimaced as he brought his arms up in a protective position in front of his face, a pair of chakra-infused weapons in hand. They flared up with his dark, maroon chakra as he retreated a few steps back from the Uchiha, his earthy brown eyes quivering in poorly-hidden fear.

Then Sasuke was advancing, whipping his katana out before him, slicing away at the air in an invisible flurry of movement. Each time the man would whip his little kunais out and block them before retreating another step. Sasuke scowled at his fleeting movements, deciding on another tactic.

The black-haired youth leaped back backwards, and landed lightly on his feet a few yards back, his thin lips contorting into a wide smirk as his opponent took the bait.

The man, thinking that the Uchiha had been retreating, had made a futile little jab forward, and his weight had been thrown horribly off balance so that most of it was rested squarely on his front foot, leaving his back sourly unprotected. The raven flickered to the side and with one graceful manuever thrust his blade into the mans exposed side.

He fell limply to the ground as Sasuke withdrew his weapon from his flesh, his body hitting with a heavy thud. Sasuke wiped his weapon clean with the piece of cloth he kept tucked in his weapons pouch before sheathing the blade dryly. That shinobi had been unnecessarily easy to defeat, and he blandly hoped that the other opponents would be more challenging. He needed a good fight.

Sakura and an enemy shinobi suddenly came into view from across the clearing, just as her chakra-infused fist slammed into the man's gut, sending him sprawling into a nearby rock. The man spit up blood and clutched at his side as he muttered a loud string of profanities. He stood up slowly, and then the pinkette was upon him as they both fought their way out of sight.

Sasuke hopped up onto a nearby boulder to get a better look just as Sakura appeared once more from behind the rubble, her expression confident. "One down!" she said smugly, flashing a peace sign as she approached him. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as she neared him, whipping up his sword as he pressed its edge to her unblemished throat. Her hands flew up into the air in surrender, her expression surprised.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, it's me—"

"What was the challenge issued by Hatake Kakashi on the first day of our geninship?" He shot at her coldly, ignoring her earlier comment.

"It was a bell challenge, and Naruto was there, and—" He held up a hand for her to stop and she grudgingly abided.

"That's fine; just had to make sure." He said lowly. The Haruno nodded.

"Did you—?"

"Kill one? Yeah. And the female leader and another subordinate are running around her somewhere."

"I'll take the girl," she said quickly; almost too quickly. The Uchiha raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"Fine. Meet back here, and if anything goes wrong just scream or something...." Sakura nodded once more as a large, feminine grin splashed across her features.

"I'll be right back, don't wait up," she said quietly before bounding off into the trees; out of view.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side slightly, watching her go. He felt like, as she left him, that she was taking a piece of him with her. Like something in his chest was being tugged to follow after her. It was an odd sensation, one that he'd never quite felt before..... It intrigued him. He hated seeing her just leave like that, without someone to protect her.

When they'd been kids, he'd always been around to keep her safe. He'd always kept a small eye on her, even if she didn't know it. But now he didn't trust himself with that job , he didn't believe he had the right to. He felt that she was too innocent and perfect for him, and that he was unworthy to even be in her presence.

He snapped to attention when he felt the hairs on his neck suddenly prickle with anticipation. He heard loud footsteps from behind him, and he turned quickly to face this new enemy.

The male subordinate stood across the rubble, his eyes a startling red. They weren't the deep crimson color of the sharingan; they were a bright and blood-colored, and filled with a feral rage that seemed to ripple up to his eyes through his venomous expression.

Then man started to laugh. Not a happy, joy-filled laugh; it was maniacal and crazed, something that seemed not to be animal but not quite human either. It sounded like a screeching hyena in his cackles, baying at its enemies in a half-crazed fashion.

Sasuke had absolutely no idea how to react to this strange individual. his expression was puzzled, his onyx hues void of emotion. He took a small step back, widening his stance while simultaneously drawing and raising his katana into a more defensive position. He would wait for his opponent to reveal his attack before making his own, just to avoid making any sort of miscalculation.

The man's skin suddenly began to bubble sickeningly. It contorted and twisted and turned a sickly yellow color as it rippled and changed shape. All the while the man kept cackling insanely, until finally it no longer sounded human at all. The man suddenly bent over himself into a tight crouch, abruptly hiding his face from view. Sasuke watched as the shinobi's hands grew bigger and bigger, and narrowed his eye as actual fur began to sprout up along the man's skin. Then, slowly, the creature lifted its head to shoot one hell of a menacing glare over in his direction.

Sasuke started right back, his mouth hanging slightly ajar.

The thing was grotesque. Sasuke found himself innerly recoling in digust from the monster, and an overwhelming desire to be sick suddenly wavered through his system. He, fortunately, was able to control it.

It's face had elongated so that the lower portion of it had developed into a stunted snout, and his once human skin was completely covered in a golden coat with oddly-shapen black splotches. His formerly normal ears had stretched upwards and were slightly pointed so that they resembled those of a twisted feline. His back was hunched over like an animals, his nails had turned to claws, and as he opened his mouth to amit a fierce and rippling growl, a sharp row of teeth flashed into the moonlight.

"Arrrre you sssscarrred, Uchhihaaaa?" he shrieked, his bright eyes glittering dementedly. Then he was charging forward on all fours, claws extended, expression crazed, fur flying.

Sasuke leaped into the air to avoid the lunge, watching as the creature started laughing again before launching itself into the air after him. Then the raven landed and bounded off to find higher ground, searching blindly for anything to give him the upper-hand—

And then something hard was slamming into him. He didn't have enough time to react, and suddenly he was sent sprawling through the air to smash against the nearest boulder. Blood was everywhere, splattered across the granite from where he had landed. The creature started laughing again, arms thrown up in the air in triumph—

The Uchiha's body vanished in a small puff of white smoke.

"HAHAHA, why ever are you running from me, Uch-i-ha??" he slurred into the night as he glared around him. "Cat got your tongue?" He started cackling to himself again, as if amused by some sort of inside joke.

Sasuke watched him blandly from his hiding spot, expression somewhat disturbed. The guy was completely deranged. Sasuke drew up his katana and pointed its end at the man's chest from his position in the treetops, carefully watching his enemy, always anticipating and watching....

Perfect.

The Uchiha's hands flew in a flurry of handsigns as the end of his weapon suddenly started to extend and ripple with his signature blue lightning technique. He surged out of his hiding spot towards the opponent, his eyes ablaze.

And just like that, it was over. His katana had pierced the man's heart through and through. The man's rabid laughter was cut off as he slowly realized his fate, and he fell limply forward and off the blade. A bright white flash consumed his body, and he was suddenly human again. The Uchiha checked for a pulse, and after finding none, swept away to find his pink-haired companion.

The kunoichi could feel the blond's chakra signature flitting away just out of her range. She raced faster through the undergrowth, her vibrant emeralds scanning through the trees for any hint of the enemy shinobi. Then she felt the signature stop, just ahead of her, and Sakura quickly slowed, keeping each step as quiet as could be.

And then she saw that familiar golden rope of hair swinging about about ten yards ahead. The woman was hurrying forward before she suddenly turned her head, yellow eyes scanning around quickly before moving moving on. She had a kunai drawn and ready, and her body looked tense, like a coil ready to spring.

The Haruno felt a smug little smirk blossom across her lips, and without and sort of hesitation, she slammed her chakra-enhanced fist into the earth.

Yui was flung into a tree by the force of the impact. Downed trees surrounded them, and the once flat surface of the ground had been reduced to rubble and boulders, just like the clearing about a half-a-mile back.

Sakura immediately charged forward through it, her eyes focused on Yui's. The woman leaped to the side just as Sakura's fist came smashing into the tree she'd been leaning again, skirting away and landing lightly on a large piece of rubble. Sakura rushed at her again, both of her fists burning with her electric-blue chakra as she aimed punch after punch at the blond woman. Every time she woman would dodge, her thin expression turning smug. She glared right into Yui's glittering eyes, defiant and determined.

"Why—are—you—doing—this?!" The pinkette shouted between punches, her expression now betrayed and furious. She lunged again, and the blond twisted away, her thick braid flying out behind her.

"I am merely following orders, Sakura-san," her voice was lucid, calm. Her expression looked almost serene, despite the difficulty of avoiding Sakura's attacks. Yui danced away again, her movements carefully calculated yet amazingly graceful. And then suddenly the woman leaped farther than she had previously, just outside the small patch of rubble that the Haruno had created.

Sakura moved to follow, but found she was blocked by an invisible barrier, with Yui smirking at her from the other side. The kunoichi slammed her first into the invisible wall, but it was no good. Enraged she moved along the wall, her hands pushing against it, trying to see if there was an opening. Unfortunately, the barrier went in a complete circle around her, following the path Yui had baited her into following. She tried to leap up and over it, but her head hit the top of the barrier and she fell right back down. She looked down at her feet to find a shimmering blue line where the barrier met earth, circling her, imprisoning her. Trapped.

Damn it! The kunoichi glared profusely out at Yui, hating the caged feeling that was creeping its way up her throat. She couldnt' believe she'd made such a careless mistake, and every inch of her being wished to explode at the bitch who had put her there. She swore under her breath, pounding her fists against the barrier endlessly.

"LET ME OUT!" she screamed, throwing herself at the barrier fruitlessly. Yui laughed at this, swinging her kunai playfully around her finger.

"Sorry, I can't do that," Yui purred back nonchalantly before alighting right in front of her, literally inches from the barrier. The Haruno grit her teeth, unable to attack. "Katsuo-sama said he wanted both of you alive, and I intend to follow his order exactly. Now all that's left is your boy— Ah, I take that back."

Sakura spun around, searching. Her optics zeroed in on his face, that perfect porcelain skin, his tousled raven-colored hair.... And then she really looked at him. His body was limply slung over the shoulder of one of the male shinobis, who entered the clearing with a triumphant expression in his eyes. Sakura's hues were wide with confusion as she took it all in. Had her friend and teammate, the unstoppable prodigy, her companion, really been beaten?! It wasn't possible, it wasn't even thinkable.

She took a staggering step towards them, hands flying up to her chest as the man approached, and that harsh scent of blood wafted over her head. She distantly heard Yui laughing loudly, maniacally.

And then the shinobi roughly tossed the raven's body towards her, and somehow it was able to pass through the barrier to land heavily a few feet from her. She scrambled towards him, watching in horror when he didn't move. She drew up next to him, falling to her knees, cradling his head in her lap, unaware that tears were starting to roll continuously down her cheeks to plop uselessly against his skin.

She checked for pulse and didn't find one. "Don't die, don't die, don't die, Sasuke-kun, don't die!" She murmured to him, charging up her hands with healing chakra and pressing it against him, willing his wounds to heal.

Everything was gone, her whole meaning was gone. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be.... He'd just been next to her, speaking with her, looking at her... She felt like she was drowning, like the whole world was crumbling down around her and all she could do was stand and watch. She couldn't breath, she couldn't move—

She felt Yui's foot colliding into her back. She bit back a yelp as she hit the ground next to the Uchiha, tears continuing to bubble down the length of her face. And she felt another kick from the blond, but she didn't react. She didn't want to leave him, even in death. With a choking sob she realized how much hadn't changed since his betrayal so many years back, of how much she still loved him and of how much she couldn't stand to let him go. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to be able to protect him and keep him safe, and to be able to curl up next to him and feel his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She wanted him to hold her, she wanted to hold him back, to have him love her so she could love him too.

She was so selfish, so worthless.

She almost didn't feel it as Yui attacked her over and over again, nor did she care. She deserved to die, to be expelled from the world. How could anyone who was so weak deserve to live? Sakura inched closer to his body, curling up into a ball next to him.

She took his hand in hers and squeezed it before closing her eyes tight.

The black-haired youth sprinted through the trees, his liquid obsidian hues flashing as they darted about him, searching. He felt a sudden flare of chakra a ways off to his left, and he instantly banked in that direction. He leaped agilely up to the tree tops and continued to spring easily from branch to branch, eying the ground for any signs of both the rose-haired kunoichi and her opponent.

He stopped when he heard a voice. It was loud, arrogant, and definitely not Sakura's, echoing through the trees. Sasuke edged closer towards the source, parting a few branches to get a look.

He saw her, and nearly choked. Her frail little body sprawled out across the ground, her arms and legs covered in gaping bruises and scrapes. Her pastel-pink hair lay was disheveled and tangled about her head, covering her face from view. One of her arms was held away from her body, clutching listlessly at the air.

Fuck.

He glanced at the tall, blond kunoichi standing over her. The woman looked incredibly smug as she jabbered away into a radio transmitter in her hand, laughing maliciously when the person on the receiving end apparently said something to her. He listened in silently, trying his best to judge how to continue. He could just outright attack the woman and catch her by surprise, but what if Sakura got caught in the scuffle? His brow furrowed as he brooded over it.

"No, I suspect Haroi got him—" A pause.

"Yes sir. I'll wait here. Hai, Katsuo-sama."

He chose his moment and attacked. He lashed out his katana with venguence, the steel glinting in the moonlight as he nearly clipped off the woman's head. She dodged and turned to face him, but didn't have enough time to do much else, for he was already flicking his weapon forward again. She whipped out a chakra-enhanced kunai in an attempt to parry, but his blade shattered it and went on to pierce through her flesh, just below the shoulder.

The woman shrieked as he drove her against a tree, successfully pinning her.

"What the hell did you do to her?!

The woman sneered at him, and with one quick movement, he sliced his katana down and through her he turned towards the girl laying in the rubble. He picked his way towards her and dropped to a crouch next to her.

"Sakura!" He prodded her gently, hoping, wishing that it was that simple. He saw her cheeks were streaked with tears, and how her whole body was trembling uncontrollably. He noticed how her leg was bent at an odd angle—broken—and how he knew that he'd be unable to fix it himself. He tried to wake her again, saying her name louder, poking her lamely.

She didn't come to.

He swore loudly, leaning over her body as to get a good look at her face. Her eyes suddenly flicked open, but they were distant and unoccupied. The lively green had grayed into a bland shade of beige, and he knew by the blank stare that she was in no way awake.

So he tried the only thing he could do. His eyes turned that daring crimson color as he activated his sharingan, for if it was a genjutsu, then he'd be able to break through. That, he knew for certain.

He felt that familiar feeling of falling as the power of his eyes infiltrated the girl's mind, leaving him to fall endlessly through the darkness of her thoughts until he reached her.

He was looking down on the same clearing that he'd just been sitting in, except the roles were somewhat reversed. He was the one who lay unconscious or perhaps dead, while she was curled next to him, clinging to his hand and crying softly. Crying. Sobbing.

Over him.

"Sakura, wake up!"

He watched her, still trapped in the blond shinobi's genjutsu, looking wildly around for the source of his voice, her emeralds gleaming. And then her expression a lit with unstanding and she cautiously brought her hands together in front of her face, formed a single seal, and yelled.

"Kai!"

And then he was back in his body, watching her real eyes slowly open in front of him. He saw the rich shade of cerulean that swirled beneath the lashes, saw her look at him in wary confusion.

He realized that he'd been holding his breath and hurriedly released it.

She was alright.

CHAPTER 10! Hooray! And because last chapter was so short I made this one extra long. 3,800 words, try that on for size. :]

Sooooo, Sasuke-kun came to the rescue her in this one. Pretty epic. *cough* This all sounded a lot cooler in my head, and I really have no idea if I translated it well into words. ;w;
Anyway, I hope you liked it.

So I just uploaded the first chapter of my NEW FAN FICTION called "Shattered" yesterday. It's another SasuSaku, and I've actually grown rather attatched to it. I got a couple friends of mine to read over it to see if they liked it before I uploaded it, and they all said they really liked it. (Thanks guys! ^^) It's a sad fanfiction, centered more around Sakura and Sasuke-kun's relationship rather than a more battle/action oriented fic. Anyway, first chapters up, and I'd LOVE YOU ALL forever if you would read and review it.

Thanks for reading! Please review!^^

-- xxIndigo