25
"Zaku get down!" A man yells in fear drawing my eyes to open. Reaching up a moment to block the sun as it stings my eyes I push myself painfully to a sitting position. What the hell happened while I was out this time? I quietly ask myself before I look towards the commotion as another guy makes sounds of pain with the sick thudding of weapons hitting a body. Seeing Sasuke running in a blur at him my eyes widen. The power radiating off of him felt.. wrong. Unlike anything, I've ever felt from Sasuke.
"You seem awfully proud of these arms of yours." His voice is cold, dark. The look in his eyes as he grins down at the sound ninja is more than unsettling. Sasuke holding both of the guy's arms behind him with a foot against the guy's spine. "You must be very.. attached to them." A sudden sickening crack echoes in the area just before the guy screams and Sasuke lets him go. "It looks like you're the only one left." Sasuke's voice fills with his enjoyment and satisfaction over what he had just done as he looks over his shoulder towards the sound mummy.
Fighting to my feet my right hand finds my side feeling the stitching Sakura had done last night pulling against my movements. Causing the wound to scream in agonizing pain again. "I hope you make things more interesting than your friend did." Limping forward I watch as Sasuke stalks towards the hunchback sound ninja. No. No. No! I shout in my head as I fight to get to him. To stop his insane blood lust. To cease his desire to cause others immense pain.
"Stop!" I manage to call out as Sakura in pure panic, runs forward and wraps her arms around Sasuke. Burying her face in his back successfully stopping his movements. "Stop, please." She whimpers with tears rolling down her eyes. "Don't do it." Sakura cries causing Sasuke to look over his shoulder at her, his Sharingan training on her. "Sasuke... Stop... Please."
I had no choice but to watch as the black marks on Sasuke's body turn red and recedes from his skin. To a place hidden by the collar of his shirt. He collapses onto the ground landing on his rear as he grunts in pain. "Sakura." He breathes out as he fights to catch his breath. A tone, Sasuke rarely uses. One he saves for someone who doesn't annoy him. For someone, he cares about.
Frowning my left arm drops to my side as I continue to hold onto the left half of my stomach. Sasuke... Sakura kneels next to Sasuke with her hand on his back. She continues watching him with worry. What's.. going on? I thought you chose against this path... Sasuke... "You're strong, Sasuke." The mummy guy says as he pulls out his earth scroll and holds it out drawing Sasuke and Sakura's attention as I stop walking.
Watching as Sakura's arms move further around Sasuke again, more protectively this time. "Too strong... We can't hope to defeat you the way you are now." The mummy guy then kneels and sets the scroll on the ground. "We'll strike a deal. I give you this scroll and you let us go." Sasuke and Sakura make sounds of question watching the guy. "It seems we underestimated you. But at least we found out what we needed to know. For the moment we are even but if it should ever happen again that we meet in combat. I promise you, we won't run nor hide."
"Wait!" Sakura yells causing the guy to stop and to turn as he looks at her after he picks up his teammates. The boy whose arms Sasuke broke over his shoulder and the girl under his left arm. "Who is this Orochimaru anyway?! What's he done to Sasuke?! Why him?!"
"I don't know. All I know is that we were told to target Sasuke and we did. I don't know why he sent us to assassinate someone who he bestowed such powers… Or why he even survived the curse mark. There are many things I don't know." He says lowly before he continues walking away from us. Leaving us all to think of his words… My eyes find Sasuke and Sakura again.
Seeing Sakura had let him go as Sasuke leans back on his arms and she continues to stare off after the sound ninja. "Hey! You guys okay?!" Choji's voice echoes from somewhere just out of sight. "Ino go to lee, Choji and I will look after the kid!" Shikamaru shouts just before he runs out of the bushes, running towards an unconscious Naruto as Ino makes her way to a downed Rock Lee. What the hell happened? "Sakura's in danger! Don't worry, I'll save you." Naruto's voice pipes up from behind me causing me to turn.
Moving my left hand to my chest as my heart gives a shuttering thud. "Woah someone better wake him up, this is embarrassing." Shikamaru mutters with his hands in his pockets. "Can I kick him first?" Choji asks excitedly. Moving my gaze to the ground I clench my left hand into a fist, bunching up the fabric of my top. A weight building on my shoulders and in my chest. A weight that makes my eyes sting. As if each beat of my heart could be the last.
A familiar overwhelming emotional pain rising. "Just what.. am I?" Sasuke grunts from behind me. Naruto screams as he is hit by something before he suddenly stops and gives a sound of question. "Huh? Everybody get down! The grass ninja, where could she be hiding?"
"Naruto?" Sakura questions curiously. Naruto grunts as something hits him again. "You really are one of a kind that's for sure. And I mean you're the kind that gets on my nerves." Shikamaru speaks up with annoyance. Naruto groans a couple of times before he makes another sound of question. "Oh no! Sakura! Sakura, Sakura, Sakura."
My fist clenches tighter as Naruto runs right past me towards Sakura. "Something happened. I mean, something serious happened.. to your... To your hair!" Her? Why her? Sasuke's voice echoes in my ears as he had said her name in between his pants after he landed on his butt. Naruto shouts her name as he runs to her. Closing my eyes tightly I frown feeling the pain growing inside of me as it begins to fill me. What's so special about her?! I'm here too damn it! Why?!
Raising my gaze I look over my shoulder. Seeing Sasuke watching her with an almost.. gentle look to his gaze as she messes with her now short hair. Naruto stares at her with wide eyes. Shikamaru and Choji walk up to join them. It's like they're mesmerized or something. Looking away from them I peer up at the sky, allowing my bangs to fall away from my face. Everyone. Absolutely everyone I care about. Leaves. I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to.. do anything at all to release this pain. To express it.. but I can't. The ability to has long since left me.
"You should take it easy." I hear him speak rather than his usual mutter drawing my gaze to him from the corner of my eye, seeing a small smile as he watches me. Looking away from him I put my left hand on my hip. I hear movement before he shows up on my left side. A smirk is now in place as his hand moves mine from my hip before lacing his fingers with mine. "I knew someone like you wouldn't stay down for long." He grunts and looks away from me as he glances over his shoulder toward the others. Sighing I close my eyes a moment before pulling my hand from him.
"I saw your blood lust, Sasuke." I point out quietly causing him to grunt as if he didn't think I had been awake at the time. "I'll explain later." He utters out as he looks away from me. Sighing inwardly debating if I even want to hear what sort of excuses he'll come up with. I then go to move away from him only for him to grab my arm and stop me. "I said take it easy. You shouldn't be moving around too much." He speaks rather tensely causing me to frown.
Nearly sighing at his words I feel him as he shifts his grip on my arm back to my wrist. I look to him as he pulls my hand out a bit and turns my palm up. Tilting my head as I watch him set the earth scroll in my hand. Giving him a nod I curl my fingers around it. "We have both scrolls." He speaks quietly and I slip it into my pouch. We can end this test and go back to normal. I can go back to being alone more than being around them. I think quietly before turning around causing him to let go of my wrist. Looking over the area as people were around Rock Lee and Ino had pulled Sakura away from the group. Using a kunai to fix her hair. I found my eyes narrowing on the pink-haired girl.
Setting a bit downriver from the rest of them Tala pulls her blue scroll from her pouch. Retrieving a change of clothes and a clean cloth. After setting her clean clothes on top of her pouch she slowly squats down next to the river. Before moving to sit down completely, slipping her legs into the cool water. With the cloth resting on her lap, Tala slowly pulls her shirt over her head. Causing her long black ponytail to lightly skit against her bruised spine successfully baring herself to the forest around her. Revealing the black bra that's usually kept hidden by her shirt. Tossing her top to the side she exhales a sigh as she flips open her holster and withdraws a kunai. Slicing the blade carefully through the white wrappings around her stomach bringing her stitches into the open for some air. After discarding the wraps and holstering her kunai she dips the cloth into the water. Wringing it out she leans back onto her right hand and gently dabs at the wound on her stomach. Swiping the dried blood away from her charred, damaged skin.
Naruto and Sasuke were fishing in order to gather food for lunch. Sasuke standing at the edge of the river as Naruto sheds his clothing down to his green boxers with a laugh. He then runs up a small cliff overlooking the water. "Good now wait." Sasuke calls up to him as he readies some kunai. Focusing on catching the fish that Naruto will draw up. Naruto groans and looks away from Sasuke. His eyes widen as a bead of blood drips from his nose. "Loser. I said go!" Sasuke calls up but when Naruto doesn't jump again, he lowers his kunai and looks up at the doofus.
His entire body is rigid with wide eyes. Hn? Sasuke grunts and jumps up onto the cliff to see what was wrong. Once closer his eyes narrow seeing the blood running from the blond's nose. "Loser." Sasuke grunts pocketing his free hand as he lands. "What's wrong?" He again questions when his fool of a teammate makes no move to even acknowledge him. Following Naruto's gaze, Sasuke found his own eyes widening as his body goes stiff.
There barely within view of the boys from their place on the cliff was Tala. Leaning back on her right arm bringing into full view the black fabric covering her already well-rounded breasts holding the womanly curves in place. Curves that both of them have noticed becoming more pronounced just in the last few months. Their mouths go dry watching as she tenderly runs the rag along her soft flat stomach letting the cloth barely graze the waist of her black cargo shorts, that ride low on her hips. Her dark eyes focus on slowing and easing her movements so she wouldn't pull against her stitches. Her pale skin practically glows in the sunlight around her mass of bruising as she leans forward and dips the cloth back into the water. After wringing the extra water from the cloth she sets it down on her lap. Both boys swallow hard as they watch her hands reach behind her and grab the clasp of her bra. Their hearts pounding against their chests as they watch the fabric pull away from her back. The straps slowly move down her arms as their jaws slacken. Unconsciously opening their mouths.
"Sasuke! Naruto! I'm almost ready for the fire! Aren't you guys suppose to be catching us lunch?!" Sakura yells from the ground looking up at the two boys who practically jump and flinch from her voice. "What are you guys doing anyway?!" She calls up again. Sasuke was the first to recover as he looks over his shoulder toward her. Naruto actually recoils back when he sees Sasuke next to him. "N. !" Naruto chokes out holding his hands up as if he's ready to block any punches that would be thrown his way. Hn. "Loser, keep your eyes on the river." Sasuke snaps at him, his voice filled with anger and annoyance at the blond. He then jumps down from the cliff and moves past Sakura without even looking at her to take his position back at the side of the river.
Naruto gulps hard as his eyes threaten to return to what he had seen until Sasuke shoots him a warning glare. Officially confusing the hell out of Sakura. "What's.. going on?" She asks quietly watching Naruto create shadow clones that he sends into the river without him. Sasuke holds up his kunai before throwing them. Piercing through two fish and sticking them to a tree across the river from them. His movements are tense rather than his usual fluid actions. A kunai suddenly shoots through the air grazing Naruto's cheek who had looked off at something, Sakura couldn't even begin to guess what. "We need more." Sasuke snaps at Naruto with venom lacing his words. "I can eat this many myself." He informs Naruto causing him to call out in question before running his fingers through his blond hair. "Sasuke you jerk!" He shouts out though Sakura couldn't tell if that was from the fresh cut on his cheek or what Sasuke had said.
Turning away from the boys, Sakura returns to building the fire pit. Thoughts of the first two days of the exam run through her head. Naruto seems to be back to normal. Sasuke is holding up, though she has noticed him grabbing at the curse mark on his neck when he didn't think anyone was watching. Tala on the other hand is still having a difficult time moving. The color has returned to her skin for the most part, but from the last time Sakura helped her dress her wounds, it is possible there may be some internal bleeding. There is also damage done to her spine but slowly she's able to move a bit more each day. Though unless they finish the exam quickly and get her to the hospital, each day she does risk infection in her wounds and a nasty scar.
This is why today Sakura agreed to let her wash off at the river in order to cleanse her skin in an attempt to stave off infection. The wounds were slowly closing and to Sakura, it didn't look like any of the river water would get inside them risking a chance of bacteria growing. She's also quieter than usual. "Sasuke, I'm ready for the fire. Could you help with a fire jutsu?!" Sakura calls out as she stands back up and puts her hands on her hips. Huh? Sakura breathily questions as Sasuke comes up next to her with a practical growl of annoyance already performing the hand seals for a fireball jutsu. Coming out of the trees just beneath the cliff was Tala.
Her black hair is still damp as if she had tried to wash up her hair with a fresh wet ponytail. Not a single hair was out of place which had Sakura's brow twitching in irritation. She was also wearing a fresh set of clothes that had yet to accumulate any dirt, blood, or sweat from their time in the training grounds. What the hell does she keep in those scrolls of hers?! She shouts in her head as Sasuke finishes lighting the fire and turns to look at Tala. The anger missing that had just been there even a moment ago. He smirks watching Tala's slow walk towards them his hands moving into his pockets. A blush lightly dusts his cheeks before he could look away from her and walk back to the river to finish gathering their lunch. Sasuke blushed?! Because of Tala?!
They were now all sitting around the fire. Sasuke setting next to Tala as Sakura sits on the other side of him. Naruto setting at Tala's side opposite of Sasuke. Sakura was trying to seem like she was focusing on the cooking fish. However, her gaze kept moving between the three. Even now the lingering signs of a blush on Sasuke's cheeks and Naruto's face was completely red as he was sitting stiffly next to her. Who's pain-filled gaze was watching the flames of the fire. As if for a change, she isn't aware of what is going on around her. "It's already been four days since the second exam began." Sasuke decides to fill in the silence though he began glancing from Sakura to Tala, waiting for the fish to finish cooking.
"That's right…" Sakura mutters as Sasuke pokes the fire with a stick. "We're sure not going to break any records. And we only have twenty-four hours left." Sasuke informs them mournfully. "I wonder how many of the other teams have gotten their scrolls and finished." Sakura speaks quietly until Tala draws their gazes as she sighs. "It doesn't matter. When the exams began the proctor showed us a map of the training grounds. This river will lead us to the tower. We'll just need to avoid other teams." Tala states rather quietly as she moves her elbows to her knees and folds her hands in front of her face. "According to the map, the training grounds are ten kilometers from fence to the tower in all directions. With how long we've been in here the teams will be converging on the tower about now as well. So avoiding them will be difficult."
"She's right of course." A kind lightweight voice drifts from behind a tree to the four of them. Causing them to look in that direction only to see Kabuto walk out of behind a tree and into their camp. "You really are a smart one." He smiles walking over to them with his hands up. "I mean no harm. I just got separated from my group and stumbled upon you here while I was looking for them." He says looking at Sasuke who was already up on his feet and has his kunai out ready to attack. "How do we know that for sure?" He asks glaring at Kabuto. "Well you don't, you would just have to trust me when I say my team already has both scrolls so I don't need yours nor do I even want to know which one of you has them."
"Then why are you showing yourself to us?" Sakura asks as Tala grabs a fish and eats it. Taking the opportunity while all of the others were standing facing off with Kabuto. "As your friend said, at this time teams are gathering between us and the tower. If I were to go to the tower on my own I would never make it. So, if you'd let me tag along I'll help you get there as well." The others just seem to look at each other before glancing back at Tala seeing she had just finished pulling up her mask. "It's a smart move on your part." Sasuke speaks up looking away from Tala to focus on Kabuto. Pushing thoughts about how off she's seemed since the grass ninja attacked them, and even the visions of what he had witnessed earlier to the back of his mind as he watches Kabuto carefully.
"Well then, we better get going. That fire will draw every wild beast in the forest here. And not just the animals but the competition too." Kabuto says as he turns around. His gaze lingers on Tala whose eyes have moved to the ones watching them from the trees as she slowly stands. She then turns and looks to her teammates. "We're being watched." She speaks quietly to them. They give a grunt and briefly look around before the four of them follow Kabuto to their right and into the trees. Making sure to keep the river in their sight. However, Kabuto realized that they couldn't move all that fast. He had to slow down for them as Tala's right hand moves to her stomach with a flash of pain crossing her gaze.