Sakura felt her eyes starting to get heavy after staying awake all night. Suddenly, Sakura heard a crack from a twig in the bushes not too far away. She gasped and quickly pulled out a kunai then slowly turned in the direction towards the sound. A small squirrel hopped out. Sakura sighed in relief. Then the squirrel started to run towards her. Sakura's eyes widen and she quickly tossed her weapon, scaring it off.

"That was a close one." Sakura sighed before she heard Yuri and saw her wake up. "You're awake!"

"How long was I out for?" Yuri asked.

"The entire night." Sakura told her. Yuri frowned, seeing how tired Sakura was.

"Were you up the entire night?" She asked in concern. "I can take over so you can get some rest."

"No, it's fine!" Sakura smiled.

"You really should listen to your teammate." Yuri and Sakura's eyes widen, and they saw the three sound ninjas that Orochimaru had sent after them. A girl, with very long dark hair tied with a ribbon at the end, pale green vest and snake patterned pants and skirt and scarf. The second one was a boy with spikey black hair and dark eyes, beige shirt two black stripes, three prints with a kanji that read death, snake pattern clothes as well. The third one had bandages all over his face, wearing a poncho, snake patterned scarf, and raincoat and a wrist guard on his right arm. Yuri recognized him immediately as he was the one who she had kicked in the face in the exam room.

"Wake Sasuke up. I want to fight him."

"Well, you have your little friend Orochimaru to thank for that. So, blame him." Yuri retorted.

"I also want to fight you as well. I want revenge for what you did to me back at the exam room." the bandaged sound ninja spoke as glared at her.

"You're not worth my time." Yuri replied.

"What is Orochimaru's purpose?! What is that weird mark that's on Sasuke's neck!? And now you want to fight him?!" Sakura shouted, demanding an answer. One of the sound ninjas smirked.

"After hearing that, I can't let you both live. I'll kill you both then I'll kill Sasuke." the spikey haired sound ninja said. The one with the bandages tried to stop him.

"Wait! That wasn't part of the plan!" the female sound ninja hissed.

Sakura's eyes widen and she gripped a kunai in her hand.

"Wait, Zaku." One of the sound ninjas stopped him. "You're not very observant. A recently overturned stone, different colored dirt. Grass doesn't grow here. A booby trap." He said. Sakura's eyes widen.

"How stupid. That kunai was to stop the squirrel from running into the trap."

"Since we have no interest in this girl, kill her." The three sound ninjas leaped towards the group to attack. Sakura smirked and Yuri saw Sakura reach from behind her and cut a small rope with her weapon. A giant log was released and started to fall fast above the three sound ninjas.

"A giant log?!" one of the exclaimed in shock. One of the sounds ninjas placed his hands on the log before it crushed them and blasted a hole through the log. The three landed in front of Sakura and Yuri, almost reaching them.

"People like you have no talent. A weakling like you shouldn't mess with us." The bandaged one chuckled, evilly.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Yuri's eyes widen, recognizing who it was that had saved them. Lee quickly spinned, kicking the three sound ninjas, sending them flying back.

"Lee?!"

Lee landed in front of Sakura and her, facing the three sound ninjas. "Then you guys, should work harder." He smirked.

"Who are you?" one of the sound ninjas demanded.

"The beautiful green beast of the Hidden Leaf, Rock Lee!"

"Why are you here?" Yuri asked.

"I will always appear when you are in trouble." Lee told her. Yuri's eyes widen in shock and smiled.

"Thank you."

"I meant what I said before." Lee spoke. "I will protect you until I die."

"Thank you for helping us." Sakura thanked him as well. One of the sound ninjas quickly moved. Sakura threw a kunai at him but the sound ninja dodged it and jumped into the air. He was about to strike at Lee! Lee quickly pulled a large root out of the ground, blocking the sound ninja's attack. The ninja's shockwave blasted the root into a few pieces.

"There's some tricks to your attacks, right? I'm not going to just simply dodge it. I've seen your attacks before." Lee said. Then he started to undo the bandages on his hands.

"Gai sensei, I'm going to use this technique without any reservations. Because right now, I must protect the person who is precious to me!"

Lee quickly vanished just as the sound ninja was about to attack again. Then he quickly reappeared in front of the ninja and kicked from the ground, knocking the sound ninja into the air. Lee grabbed the ninja from behind and began to wrap his bandages around the sound ninja, trapping him. Then Lee started to spin wildly in the air, heading straight to the ground.

"Primary Lotus!" Lee quickly released the ninja when slammed him into the ground, creating a large crater. Lee landed a few feet away.

"Looks like I made it in time." One of the sound ninjas smirked. Everyone's eyes widen in shock when they saw the sound ninja that Lee had slammed in the ground, getting back up again.

"B-But how?!" Lee exclaimed in shock.

"What a terrifying technique to do such damage. Now it's my turn." The sound ninja spoke and raised his arm and charged at Lee.

"Move, Lee!" Yuri shouted at him. But she saw Lee, struggling to get up. She saw a pained look on his face as he tried to move his body. Did that technique put a strain on his body somehow? The sound ninja tried to swing at Lee and Lee quickly moved back barely dodging in time. Then Lee gripped his ears in pain.

"What's wrong?!" Sakura shouted.

"If your moves are at high speed then ours are at the speed of sound." The sound ninja spoke. Lee fell to his knees as he lost his balance then he threw up. "Even if you dodge it, my fist sound will attack you."

Yuri frowned. So, he's using sound vibrations.

"Lee!" Sakura shouted.

"Lame old Taijustsu won't work against us." the second sound ninja spoke. Lee glared at him. "I can freely control super sonic sound waves and air pressure. I have the power to even destroy rock. Blasting the air into the earth and creating a cushion is nothing."

"Alright! Now you!" the first sound ninja charged but passed Lee, instead, going for Yuri. Lee quickly moved in front of her and Sakura and grabbed the sound ninja wrist.

"Leaf Whirlwind!" Lee tried to land a spinning kick. He yelped in pain when blood came dripping out of his ears. The sound ninja blocked Lee's kick with his other hand.

"So that attack is affecting you after all." He smirked. "You had me scared for a moment. You lost the ability to do that Taijutsu again." The sound ninja kicked Lee and Lee tried to block his attack with his arm. The sound ninja unleashed a shockwave, colliding with Lee's body. Lee fell to the ground and the sound ninja was about to deliver a finishing blow.

"Now let's finish this!"

"You want a fight, you got one!" Yuri threw some kunais at the sound ninja, but he deflected them with his wrist guard. Sakura threw some shurikens at the other two sound ninjas but the second one bounced them back. Yuri quickly raised her arms to shield herself and Sakura did the same. One of the shurikens lodged its self into Yuri's upper calf. She hissed and fell to the ground, holding it in pain. The bandaged sound ninja quickly too the chance and grabbed Yuri by her throat, slamming her to the ground. He placed his foot on her chest, pinning her down.

"Yuri!" Sakura cried out. The female sound ninja appeared from behind, grabbing Sakura by her hair.

"What's with this long hair? Are you trying to be a sexy ninja?" She smirked. "You should have spent more time in training than your hair."

"Sakura!" Yuri shouted.

"Zaku, go ahead and kill Sasuke in front of this boy chaser's eyes. Let's teach this one a lesson." The female ninja spoke. Zaku took a step. Sakura smirked, pulling out a kunai.

"That won't work on me-"

Rip!

Sakura had cut her long hair, making the female stumbling back with pieces and strands in her hand.