A/N: Summer is here and school is over. It feels so good to have free time. And free time hopefully means writing time!

Again, I'd like to thank all of the readers who reviewed last chapter. I'm not joking when I say that you guys were the ones that helped me finish this chapter. Every time I got stuck or wasn't able to write for days, I'd just look back at your thoughts and try again. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and leave me your thoughts!

xx LCF

Disclaimer: I do not, in any shape, way, or form, own Naruto. That is all.

Edit 6/20/17

Don't mind me, just doing some clean up and tweaking.

Storm

Chapter 7: Coalition, Pt. I

Sakura was unable to sleep that night.

She tossed and turned in her sleeping bag for what felt like hours, plagued unease and a surprising sense of guilt. It was unexpected, but one that had still overcome her the moment the search for Karin had been called off. She knew the feeling was unwarranted—it was no secret that the two kunoichi were barely able to tolerate one another—but despite that, the guilt had clawed away at her little by little, until she was unable to sleep and remained plagued by thoughts of abandonment instead.

Because when it came down to it, that was exactly what they had done.

The remainder of Taka and she had looked for hours, using whatever resources that were readily available in their search. Juugo had had all of the creatures comb through the forest and keep an eye out while she and Suigetsu had scoured every inch of the forest floor for any sort of clue as to where she'd been taken. Sasuke had entrusted himself with aerial surveillance, but after several hours of fruitless flying, touched down to where the three had convened and deemed their search over.

Sakura had been genuinely surprised to hear him call it off so quickly, especially because as a sensor-type Karin was indispensable in their search for Danzou. It hadn't made any sense, and yet she hadn't questioned him on the matter.

What was wrong with her, Sakura couldn't help but wonder as she stared up at the ceiling of the cavern where they made camp. Had she fallen so far from her principles that she so readily abandoned whoever it was that needed help at the command of another?

Those who abandon their friends are worse than trash, but what if the one you abandon isn't your friend? Is it still wrong? It feels like it.

The kunoichi took a deep breath despite her growing restlessness, careful to keep her chakra signature regulated. She didn't need a spike to alert her companions and wake them. She quite enjoyed the moments she could get to herself, no matter how guilt-ridden the thought process turned out to be.

What's happened to me? She wondered silently as green eyes glanced out to the forest beyond their camp, subconsciously searching for the uchiwa fan that was sure to greet her sight. It wasn't hard to find given that it was Sasuke's turn to keep watch.

As she observed him, Sakura recalled his words to her when she'd demanded the truth of their situation. He claimed to want to kill Uchiha Madara, but for what reason she couldn't begin to understand. Did he wish to take over Akatsuki? Had he grown tired of letting the other man pull all the strings and dictate his fate? She didn't understand. Everything Sasuke had done since the night of the massacre had been for the sole purpose of getting his revenge. For the sole purpose of make his brother pay for his sins against their family— and he'd succeeded. He'd killed Itachi, but he never returned to Konoha and seeing him now after all this time, Sakura couldn't help but think that despite his cold exterior, he was restless inside.

Killing his brother had done nothing to abate his anger.

In fact, Sakura would bet that ever since he'd fulfilled his goal, Sasuke had become aimless which would account for suddenly joining Akatsuki in the aftermath. The only question that remained was, why?

Why would he join the organization his brother was a part of if he despised everything about him?

Why would he attack the summit that had been held in Land of Iron?

Why was he so hellbent on letting himself drown in darkness?

Sakura was pulled out of her musings when she caught movement from the corner of her eye. She was unprepared to see the stitched emblem on his back disappear as Sasuke merged with the shadows of the forest beyond them. Frowning, she slowly sat up from her sleeping bag and felt along for his chakra signature. It was repressed, but not completely hidden and growing more faint as it continued to move further and further away from camp.

Sakura gave herself little time to think as she slid on her boots and tugged on a black long-sleeved top that would help her better blend into the shadows. She crept silently to the opening, careful not to rouse the remaining members of Taka before she darted into the forest after him. Her chakra signature vanished as she vaulted onto the nearest tree branch and followed the direction that Sasuke had taken off towards.

Surprisingly, it didn't take as long as she expected to catch up with him, and once she did it was easy to see why. He had also changed from his regular attire. The wide collared shirt he typically wore now replaced by a black form-fitting one that was note unlike the what she currently wore. It seemed that Sasuke decided to head out into the night in search for answers of his own.

Sakura made to follow him when he took to the trees when the familiar sound of whistling metal pierced the air, forcing her to dodge as the incoming kunai lodged itself in the trunk of the tree where her head had been just seconds ago. Circling the area, she double-backed to avoid his barrage of attacks and was forced to deflect several with the tantō she'd strapped to her hip.

"Show yourself," he ordered into the darkness as he searched for her.

She caught a glimpse of the Sharingan that penetrated the forest and knew she was in trouble when he quickly located her suppressed chakra signature and sent another wave of projectiles towards her with deadly accuracy. She bit back a curse when a shuriken grazed her arm where she'd been too slow to dodge.

Looks like there's not much of an option, she thought sourly before she released the hold of her chakra and landed before him on the forest floor. There was a slight wariness in him when he caught sight of her, but Sakura was unable to dwell on the thought when he suddenly vanished, only to reappear before her with his chokutō in hand. She moved on reflexes alone when she parried his wrist with the butt of her still-drawn blade, effectively shoving his strike out of its projected course. Red eyes narrowed in her direction as she spun out of range, narrowly avoiding his blade when he thrust it forward instead with a flick of a wrist.

"You're faster than before," he commented as his red gaze remained glued to her. She circled him slowly, making sure to keep out of striking range.

"But not fast enough, apparently." she replied before she motioned to the large diagonal slit on her shirt that exposed the mesh underneath. Sakura might have grown quick enough to avoid a direct strike, but her response to his lightning-fast speed still lacked.

Both remained still as they watched one another from their respective side of the forest floor. Sakura tensed when she saw the muscle in his arm contract slightly, coiled for an attack she was sure would come. But instead, Sasuke merely sheathed his blade before he charged forward in another burst of speed. He closed the distance before she could blink. Sakura tensed in surprise before she readied herself for the impact as he swung his heel to her temple. A gloved hand braced against her free arm blocked the approaching limb before his strike could make contact and with a surge of chakra, she quite literally swung him away from her. Sasuke flipped once before landing lithely, barely giving his feet a second on the ground before her surged towards her again.

"Your taijutsu has also improved." He stated as he blocked a series of kicks that she was sure left his arm tender. Sakura frowned at his unnatural behavior as chakra flared around her fists before she dove toward him, intent on landing a punch to the sternum that would stun him for several moments.

Despite her improvement however, it was clear that Sasuke was still leagues beyond her level. After several harrowing moments of intense taijutsu combinations, he'd managed to catch her wrists and halt her onslaught. Clearly displeased, Sakura pumped more chakra to her legs. He narrowly avoided a sharp kick that would have left him quite incapable of restoring his clan had the blow connected. He tossed her an unimpressed look before avoiding yet another kick. In a surge of movement, he swept her feet from under her before she was able to catch her footing. He turned her body as she fell and shoved her face down onto the ground, her forearms pinned to the small of her back as he rested his knee across her legs.

"You fight underhandedly," he said as Sakura tried to wriggle out of his fortified hold.

She tossed her hair away from her face as she looked over her shoulder at him pointedly. "Says the man who constantly uses his kekkei genkai to get the edge up on his opponent. Now, will you get off?"

He said nothing as he removed himself from her, allowing Sakura to hop back onto her feet in an instant.

"You were supposed to be asleep," he pointed out dispassionately.

"And you were supposed to be on watch." Sakura countered with the rise of a pink brow.

She knew she was effectively challenging him, but Sakura was curious to see if he would take the bait. He never had when they were children, and it seemed that he wasn't going to now—especially not when she laid it out before him so obviously.

"Return to the others," was all he said as he turned away from her to resume his travel.

"You know where Karin is, don't you?" She asked, cutting right to the point and effectively halting him in his steps. Bottomless pools of ebony glanced over in her direction as she approached him. Sakura stopped when she stood several feet away, but neither ceased the impromptu staring contest. To break contact first would be to admit defeat, and that was something she wasn't about to do. She refused to let him intimidate her and she would be relentless in her pursuit until she made him realize it.

"Take me with you." she muttered, her voice cutting through the silent night.

It was a loaded statement, she knew. The fact that it was the last thing she asked of him before he left Konoha was not lost on her. It was an underhanded question and it undeniably brought up memories from long ago that had once left her feeling like her entire world had come crashing down. Sakura pursed her lips at the thought and wondered briefly if memories from that night also ran rampant through his mind at her words.

She highly doubted it.

She was completely unprepared when his voice filled the air with his assent, leaving her dumbstruck for a moment as she watched his retreating figure. He paused once more and looked over his shoulder to rest on her in an irritated manner. "If you hinder me, I will leave you."

Sakura sent him an appraising look before she made her way over to his side, still not quite believing her ears. After all, this was Sasuke. Though she knew he had his reasons for this concession, Sakura knew that the want for her company was not one of them. There was a reason he had agreed to let her come along, all she had to do now was wait and see why. Once she had fallen into step with him, the two took to the trees and disappeared further into the night.

They had been traveling for several hours. The moon had long passed its apex and now fell westwards as it readied itself for the sun's inevitable rise. It was early in the morning, around four if Sakura was correct in her estimation. The pair had traveled in silence as Sasuke remained quiet after their initial encounter in the woods, opting to lead the way and shut down her attempts to find out how he knew where to go with a blood-red glare. She'd kept her mouth shut after that if only to keep from starting an argument, but no matter how dirty a look he threw at her, she couldn't dispel the thoughts that formed in her mind as she traveled alongside.

How was it that Sasuke knew where Karin had been taken to when both Juugo and Suigetsu hadn't?

She was aware of the fact that Taka would know the location of Akatsuki's main base, if not some other strongholds where Madara could have possibly taken Karin to, captive due to their three year allegiance to the organization. It had only been two weeks since their defection, and Sakura highly doubted that Akatsuki would have taken a moment to fortify any active bases from them. They were still at war after all, and Taka was not their only adversary. Seeing as neither Suigetsu nor Juugo knew of any remaining bases that were still in use within their area, Sakura deduced that where Sasuke was leading them to was a hideout only he had been privy to. That realization left her with more questions than answers.

Sakura was so deep in thought that she had run right past Sasuke as he stopped on the following branch. She was yanked back as his hand shot out and took hold of her arm and forcibly halted her. The next few seconds were too quickly for Sakura to fully comprehend.

In one moment she was being hauled back by Sasuke's firm hold, and in the next he had released her in favor of cutting down a Zetsu that suddenly appeared before them. There was a large swarm of them, enough to be a small battalion and Sakura wondered how the hell she had managed to miss it in her stupor.

Cursing herself for getting caught up in her thoughts, Sakura narrowly avoided an incoming Zetsu. She swung her foot out in an arc, successfully connecting with its pale abdomen before she sent it crashing in to a pair that quickly approached. Her eyes were trained on the white creatures before her, while keeping an eye out for Sasuke. She caught sight of him on the forest floor, cutting through the large numbers that swarmed him. There had to have been at least twenty-five surrounding him, and all were out for his blood.

Punching her way through another white mass, Sakura leapt down onto the compact earth and unsheathed her tantō in the process. The medic managed to cut her way through to Sasuke, effectively hacking off a Zetsu's arm and rendering it immobile with a vicious punch to its torso before it crept up behind him. Ruby eyes met hers once she returned to his side. He ran his blade through two more, his gaze projecting silently what needed to be done to her. Understanding dawned on her just as the two moved in sync. The pair stood back-to-back, creating a dual-edged offense while simultaneously becoming each other's defense. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as her mind shifted between the scene before her and the memories of a similar situation that included a blond loudmouth and a porn-reading sensei. Sakura forced herself to get rid of the memories as she focused on the task at hand.

The oncoming assault of the Zetsu were endless, the clones relentless in their attacks as each one grew more wild and unpredictable than the last. As effective as taijutsu was for Sakura, it took an extremely concentrated effort on her part and wasn't something she would be able to hold up forever, especially if she needed to conserve chakra for bigger battles that were sure to come if they managed to find Karin.

"Get out of the way!" she hollered as she gathered chakra in her right hand.

Sasuke wasted no time as he leapt in the air and landed on a nearby branch just as she began her assault. Taking note of the now lone target, most of the Zetsu swarmed towards her like moths to a flame. Once they entered her immediate vicinity, Sakura brought down her fist in a powerful punch, expelling all the compressed chakra upon contact and shattering the earth in one blow. A smug smile tugged at the ends of her lips when she saw the rubble swallow the Zetsu, taking note of the greatly-reduced numbers. Protruded limbs twitched noticeably within the debris of the sizable crater. Sasuke was by her side before the dust settled with an electric current running down the length of his chokutō. He leapt forward and cut through the remaining Zetsu with a speed she was barely able to follow. Once the last had fallen to the ground he looked over to her and met her gaze.

Sakura was going to ask what their next move should be when Sasuke suddenly sheathed his blade and closed the distance between them, pressing a firm hand over her mouth. His free arm encircled her waist as he jumped back to the treetops, taking her with him, before roughly shoving her against the trunk of the tree they landed on and hiding them in its pitch black shadow.

Green eyes glared at him incredulously as she readied a surge of chakra to break his hold on her. Sasuke's Sharingan was fixed in a dangerous glare as he pressed his hand over her mouth further, the hand that had held her waist now moving to take hold of her wrists and locking them in an iron grasp. Sakura felt the tiniest flex of his chakra in the air around them as she caught sight of the tomoe in his bloodline begin to spin lazily. It was only when she felt the air shift that she realized that he had placed a genjutsu over them to keep from being detected.

Sakura's mind ran a mile a minute as she tried to figure out why.

Her question was answered when she suddenly felt it— the incoming chakra signatures that were making a quick beeline towards them. It was large, too large to be one of Danzou's Root squadrons, and too organized to be the Zetsu. Realization dawned in Sakura's mind and she suddenly felt her heart thump wildly in her chest. Wide eyes glanced up at Sasuke who shot her a pointed look before he channeled more chakra into the genjutsu that currently hid them away.

She fought against his hold the closer they approached, the need to break free of his grasp filled her desperately. Sasuke was not gentle as he roughly shoved her back against the trunk of the tree, rendering her body immobile when he pressed against it with his own and effectively pinned her in place. The intimate nature of their current position was lost on Sakura as her eyes swept over his shoulder and landed on the Alliance shinobi that made their way through the forest a mere handful of yards away from where they were situated.

There were so many, all bearing different uniforms, speaking in different dialects, and traveling in different patterns. But all were the same, all were one as stated by the shinobi kanji etched upon their identical hitai-ate. They looked tired and battle-weary as they pressed on in their travel, and Sakura fought the urge to throw off the man atop her so she could render her aid to the ailing shinobi. Had Sakura been able to remain in Konoha, this could very well have been the platoon she was assigned to. They would have been her comrades in arms.

The thought made her choke on painful memories and the future that could have been… but wasn't.

She watched as a handful of shinobi diverged from the others at the signal of their squad leader, splitting away and landing not too far from where Sakura and Sasuke were concealed. Sakura's breath hitched in her throat, muffled beneath Sasuke's oppressing hand as she caught sight of a familiar face— the first she had seen in many years aside from the man who stood before her.

Kiba was taller than her memory dictated, but just as fierce and wildly handsome in appearance as before. He wore the standard uniform assigned to chuunin in place of the leather ensemble she had last seen him in, the new hitai-ate tied proudly across his forehead. He gave a sharp whistle and was greeted by a sudden mass of white fur that erupted from the shrubbery on the forest floor as it climbed its way up the tree with unnatural ease. It took Sakura a quick second to realize that the beast was Akamaru.

His bark was deafeningly loud as he sniffed the air around them, his head suddenly rounding in their direction as he let out a low whine. Kiba's own nose seemed to have perked up at whatever his ninken had communicated, sharp eyes landing directly on them as he fought to see through the genjutsu he was unaware was there. Sakura bit down on her lip as apprehension filled her at the sight of the Inuzuka investigating.

Sakura shifted beneath Sasuke, her wrists twisting in his hold as she dug her fingers into his hand, silently urged him to let go. She froze when he leaned forward and closed the scant inches between them as his breath ghosted over the shell of her ear, making the air on the back of her arms to stand on end. His voice, dark and full of warning, filled her ears.

"If you continue to challenge me I won't hesitate to slaughter every single one of them, starting with the Inuzuka and his mutt."

Sakura looked up sharply as Sasuke pulled back, staring into his scarlet irises as he regarded her steadily. They remained at a standstill, neither moving nor looking away from one another as they waited for the Allied shinobi to leave. It took only a few minutes before the captain called back Kiba and his familiar from their self-prompted search, ignoring his insistence in the matter.

"Inuzuka-san," the captain called out. "Fall in so we can move out."

Sakura carefully tore her eyes from Sasuke before she watched Kiba as he frowned at his taichou. His sharp eyes followed his keen sense of smell as he slowly began to make his way towards them. A sudden trickle of fear began to fill her at his approach. Sakura knew for a fact that if he or any of the other shinobi in his squadron discovered the genjutsu Sasuke had weaved that there would be no saving them. Sasuke would eliminate them for their discovery, especially since Sakura was sure he was a kill-on-sight opponent. He would kill them all without hesitation and he would do it before she could so much as lift a finger in their defense.

"Inuzuka!" barked the captain, breaking through Sakura's troubled thoughts. "Get your ass back in formation so we can move out!"

Kiba rolled his eyes but followed orders nonetheless, much to Sakura's relief. She watched as the platoon moved out swiftly, her hands still holding Sasuke's subconsciously to keep him in place. As if it would be enough to hold him back should he change his mind about engaging them.

Once they were long out sight did Sakura release the pressure of her fingertips from the hand ensnaring her wrists. Anger bubbled to the surface in the wake of her friend's safety. The two were alone in the deafening silence of the forest once again. Sasuke released the genjutsu as their chakra signatures disappeared completely into the distance. Red eyes faded to black as the air around them returned to normal. Sakura took the opportunity to snatch her wrists back before she swatted his other hand away from her mouth with a vicious glare.

"How dare you." she seethed as she reached up and shoved him off her roughly, putting much needed distance between them. "How dare you threaten their lives to keep me in place! I could have gone with them. I could have returned to my friends, to my comrades. I could have seen them again!"

"You wouldn't have been granted entrance to their camp regardless of the circumstance." Sasuke deadpanned. "Danzou's men would have taken you into custody and would have interrogated you for any information regarding Akatsuki's movements."

"I know nothing about—"

"You know far more than they do at the moment." Sasuke cut her off abruptly. A dark scowl marred his face before it melted back into icy indifference. "No one knows of Taka's defection. No one knows what I am planning, and it will remain that way. I want Madara and Danzou to suffer and die at my hand. I want to be the one to deal the final blow and watch them take their final breath. I will finish them and no one will take that right from me. Not even you."

Sakura froze at his words as green eyes searched his cool disposition for the meaning behind his words. She found nothing, but knew that there was truth to them. Though she didn't agree with him or his methods, she knew that Sasuke's new goal could very well help her end the war and provide her the most opportune moment to return to Konoha. She didn't have to fight his fights or pledge her allegiance to him. All she had to do was keep him alive.

Still, the anger that had filled her at his actions did not dissipate for the remainder of their resumed travel.

Sunrise did not come that morning. Instead, Sakura and Sasuke were greeted by dark waves of nearly-black clouds that became present during the last stretch of their journey. There was a thunderous rumbling in the distance and the smell of rain was thick in the air. It wouldn't be long before the storm came down own them, Sakura mused. Not that mattered much as it seemed that they'd arrived to their destination as Sasuke's pace began to slow.

Sakura paused warily behind him, unsure what to expect as she kept her eyes trained on Sasuke as he continued onward.

"Stay here," he instructed. "I won't be long."

Before she could get a word out, he dropped down from the trees and into the open field that greeted them. He made several hand seals as he walked forward and promptly disappeared from sight.

Startled, Sakura sent out a wave of her chakra, acutely feeling out for his own. She didn't locate him, but was surprised to find a faint pulsing of foreign chakra that had been spread out so thinly, she'd failed to take not of it as they had made their initial approach. There was little time to dwell on it however as she felt a notable shift in the air and saw Sasuke suddenly emerge from the genjutsu as he made his way towards her. The stronghold quickly materialized behind him like a mirage in the desert. She met him halfway, a frown set upon her features.

"You could have warned me about the genjutsu." She said flatly.

"It's only accessible if you have the Mangekyou," Sasuke replied. "It would have alerted Madara immediately if anyone else had come upon it."

"I see," she said. "Do you know for a fact that Karin's here? Or is there a possibility that he might have taken her somewhere else entirely?"

Sasuke gave her a long, calculating look. "There's no guarantee, but it would be our best bet considering very few individuals can gain access. There are a series of traps and genjutsu weaved throughout the base."

Sakura nodded. She highly doubted that Madara would have left this or any other of his abodes defenseless. "Then how do we go about this?"

"There's absolutely nothing you can do." came a third voice.

Sakura and Sasuke simultaneously turned towards the revealed entrance and came face-to-face with a woman with long blond hair and a Kumo headband. There was an unmistakable red cloak of malicious chakra surrounding her, and Sakura knew that they'd just come across a jinchuuriki. The cloak was unforgettable, and only someone with a bijuu sealed within them was able to don it. What Sakura wanted to know though, was why Madara would go through the trouble of replacing the bijuu in a reanimated corpse.

Mismatched eyes bore into them as the pair readied themselves for an attack.

"Madara has taken her to one of his many strongholds that litter the continent. The kunoichi you seek could be here, or she could be somewhere else entirely."

"Why humor us, then?" Sasuke said, shifting his stance. A hand hovered over the hilt of his blade.

The kunoichi merely watched him. "He has very explicit instructions when it comes to dealing with you, Uchiha Sasuke."

"And those would be?" Sasuke challenged as his dark eyes turned red.

"Eliminate on sight." With those words she vanished, only to reappear behind him.

Sasuke managed to block her strike with his blade, but was pushed back by the sheer power of her blow. He leapt away and landed close to where Sakura stood.

"Don't get too close to her," Sakura warned as she watched the kunoichi's languid approach. Memories of Naruto's tail lashing out at her filled her mind. It had taken a long while for her arm to recover, even after her chakra healing. She'd sustained quite a bit of nerve damage that required several healing sessions and mandatory bedrest. "Avoid all hits if you can."

"Aa." Sasuke agreed as he kept his eyes trained on the blond woman. "Go find Karin."

Sakura nodded before she bolted for the entrance.

Once Sakura vanished into the hideout, Sasuke unleashed chidori nagashi as he rocketed forward and closed the distance between him and the kunoichi in a fraction of a second. He was nothing more than a dark blur surrounded by the screeching crackle of electricity.

The kunoichi met him blow-for-blow, her kunai clashing with his chokutō in a screech of metal against metal. A snarl filled the air as he navigated his chakra nature down the length of his blade, and cut through the kunai with relative ease. She released the useless weapon as she surged forward, feinted right, and struck at him from the left. With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke parried the attack easily but the force of the blow was enough to have him recoil and stagger back. He recovered his footing and managed to deflect several consecutive blows before he flickered away with a burst of chakra. Another of chakra and he was before her once more, Sharingan spinning rapidly.

The reanimated Kumo kunoichi lunged for him, the red cloak of her chakra lashing out at him in tandem. He evaded the attack easily, his mind formulating a sequence of attacks that would render her immobile as he tried to give Sakura some time to search the base and find Karin.

Genjutsu would not work considering she now possessed her own Sharingan and a Rinnegan. Taijutsu-only was also out of the question as the memory of the lariat the Eight-Tails had delivered him three years ago was still fresh on his mind. The pain of having his chest cavity literally blown apart when he'd wrongly assumed to have pulled the jinchuuriki under with his Mangekyou was not something Sasuke was eager to repeat. He would not commit the same mistake in underestimating the power of a jinchuuriki, especially one who had perfect control over their tailed beast. Given that the Two-Tails hailed from the same nation as the Eight-Tails, Sasuke safely deduced that she too had mastered her control. She had to in order to be shrouded in its malevolent chakra and not lose herself to the beast like Naruto had during their fight at the Valley of the End.

"You'd do best to pay attention!" she yelled as she suddenly appeared before him, delivering a powerful chakra-encased strike to his torso. He managed to block most of the blow, but his arms were burned by the chakra cloak that surrounded her.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke swept his lightning-covered blade towards her, using his elemental chakra to boost his speed. The metal cleanly stabbed her right side, smoothly running through her until his blade was almost buried hilt-deep. Sasuke held on with both hands as he gave a violent twist and prepared to continue his paths inwards to sever her spinal cord, when her hands suddenly wrapped around the blade, keeping it firmly in place. A feral smirk spread across her lips.

"You're a fool," she chastised as she shoved the blade deeper and effectively pulled him closer. Her chakra seared into him as she used it to hold him in place. "And you will die because of it. But not before I take out the kunoichi first."

Swirling tomoe swept over the blond's head as they looked towards the entrance of the cave. He felt the rise of the kunoichi's chakra before it slowly began splitting itself in half. Sasuke was locked within her grasp and watched as another kunoichi began to emerge from the original. A clone in the truest sense of the word. A surge of adrenaline shot through his veins as he watched the clone-kunoichi shoot him a look that was just as feral's as the original's.

"Let's see how she fares when she comes face to face with the other half of Matatabi." Yugito smirked before launching Sasuke away from her. He flipped neatly before landing in a crouch and managed to look up in time to see the other half of the tailed beast's form snarling at him.

Despite himself, he could not ignore the microscopic seed of worry that ingrained itself in him at the fact that soon Sakura would have to deal with a demon cat of her own. Red eyes flashed as Sasuke brought forth his Mangekyou, his pinwheel designs spun furiously when the flaming cat charged.

There was little time to think as he fought, but that was the way Sasuke preferred.