Chapter 51
Having been a familiar friend with death throughout their training with a guy who could literally bring you back to life just so he could kill you again in some twisted logic he called 'getting stronger,' Team 7 wasn't as worried about the Kusa-nin in front of them as most Genin would be.
They were, however, wary.
Sasuke could feel the chakra pulsating around her, the sheer strength of it causing a cold sweat to form on the back of his neck. He had faced a fair amount of terrifying Shinobi in his admittedly short term as a Genin, and none of them felt like this—not even Kakashi-sensei and Naruto.
"What's the matter? Scared?" She purred, her voice dripping with venomous sweetness. Her eyes seemed to peer straight into Sasuke's, as if she knew all his secrets. He did his best not to shiver, keeping a calm, stoic facade despite how unnerved he felt.
"What's the plan?" Sakura muttered, her grip tightening around Kubikiribōchō on her back while Hinata slid into her clan's stance.
"This guy is no joke." Sasuke answered. "If we attack, we do it together."
"Such fine leadership. As I'd expect from someone trained by Naruto-kun." The Kusa-nin slithered. The way she spoke Naruto's name so familiarly sent a prickle of unease down the spine of each member of Team 7.
"You know him?" he asked, Sharingan spinning to life threateningly the moment she took a step forward.
The Kusa-nin giggled—a chilling sound that was neither friendly nor lighthearted. "Oh, I know him well enough," she said cryptically. "I've been watching all of you for quite some time. You're... fascinating. Just what I'd expect from his students, kukuku."
Sakura tensed, shifting her stance slightly, and Sasuke caught the subtle flex of her fingers—ready to draw Kubikiribōchō in an instant. He didn't blame her. The oppressive weight of the woman's killing intent was almost too much to walk through. Once again, they would have to thank Kakashi and Naruto for putting them through the ringer.
"I usually enjoy playing a bit with my food, but I'm unfortunately on a time limit. Don't worry, I'll make it quick." The Kusa-nin smiled sweetly, her unnaturally long tongue sliding out from between her lips again.
Sasuke tensed. He wouldn't allow this woman to intimidate him into making a move that could potentially get him killed. He was the acting leader of this team, and he would act like so.
"Protocol 4 on my go." His words were immediately met with nods from his teammates while he reached into his pouch. The moment the Kusa-nin was within the 15-meter rule, Sasuke's hand flashed. Two kunai appeared at the Kusa-nin's feet a second later, both with burning tags any Shinobi would recognize.
The tags detonated, sending a large plume of smoke into the air and engulfing the woman. It cleared almost a minute later, revealing the Kusa-nin to be unharmed and her smirk still in place. The edges of her lips stretched higher upon realizing his prey had escaped.
"Kukuku. Like teacher, like student." Laughing, she bit her thumb before weaving hand-signs. Slamming a palm into the ground, smoke poured from beneath her, engulfing her surroundings. Under her was now a snake spanning almost the length of the Hashirama tree to the top of the canopy, its girth just as wide.
"Time to hunt."
At the words, the snake charged forward, following the path of the retreating Genin. It took a moment to catch up, but when they did, the snake opened its mouth wide and lunged, intending to swallow them whole.
Just as it was about to reach them, the snake stopped mid-lunge, its mouth still wide open as its body coiled like a spring—the trees around it bending. In sync, Team 7 turned, all three going through hand-signs as their ninja wire kept the snake's mouth open.
All three inhaled.
'Fire-Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!'
'Wind-Release: Great Breakthrough!'
A massive stream of fire spewed from Sasuke's mouth, quickly turning into a torrent as Hinata and Sakura's wind strengthened the flame's intensity. The creature let out a shrill screech as it soared straight into the open maw of the snake, covering it completely while roasting its insides.
The moment they landed, they were forced to dodge as the Kusa-nin appeared in front of them, her arm extending multiple snakes that lunged at them with fanged maws wide open.
Sasuke barely managed to twist away, a snake's fang grazing his shoulder as he flipped backward, landing in a crouch. Sakura swung Kubikiribōchō in a wide arc, severing a few of the serpents mid-strike, their bodies vanishing in wisps of smoke. Hinata, eyes sharp and unyielding, struck with precision, her Gentle Fist collapsing a few of the summoned snakes before they could reach her.
But the Kusa-nin barely seemed fazed. If anything, her grin widened. "Impressive," she mused, retracting her arm as the remaining snakes slithered back into her sleeve. "You three truly are full of surprises. Naruto-kun didn't hold back on you, did he?"
Sasuke's teeth gritted, "You're no Genin." He deduced, Sharingan spinning faster as he assessed their situation. The woman's laugh was enough of an answer, but her suddenly appearing in front of him practically solidified his suspicion.
His Sharingan helped him dodge the straight meant for his nose, his body twisting to the side just in time. The force of the strike still sent a gust of air against his cheek, a sharp reminder of how easily she could have broken his nose—or worse. A knee followed up, aimed directly at his chin. He went lower to dodge, his leg sweeping out to remove her support, to which she responded by leaping into the air.
Sakura and Hinata met her mid-jump, launching their counterattack. Sakura swung Kubikiribōchō in a deadly arc while Hinata blurred forward, aiming for a vital chakra point. They were both stopped in their tracks, the Kusa-nin stepping into Sakura's guard and using a single hand to stop the massive sword's momentum at the hilt while his other hand intercepted Hinata's palm.
With almost childlike ease, she spun and tossed the girls away before using a forearm to block the axe kick from Sasuke that actually forced her to land.
Moving forward on his landing, she delivered a flurry of blows to the boy, which he was forced to block and counterattack. His movements were swift and precise, exactly as to be expected of an Uchiha prodigy. Add to the fact his Sharingan was fully matured, the Kusa-nin would admit she was somewhat impressed.
Still, it wasn't enough.
Sasuke felt it before he saw it—the shift in her stance, the sudden increase in pressure. His Sharingan could track her movements, but reacting in time was another matter entirely. A flick of her wrist, and suddenly, she was inside his guard.
A sharp pain bloomed in his stomach as her palm jabbed into his midsection, sending him skidding backward. He barely managed to regain his footing before she was on him again, her movements impossibly fluid.
Hinata and Sakura, already recovering from being tossed aside, moved in once more.
Sakura feinted left before swinging Kubikiribōchō in a deceptive arc, forcing the Kusa-nin to sidestep—only for Hinata to strike, her palm glowing with chakra as she aimed for a vital point.
But the Kusa-nin was faster.
She twisted unnaturally, her body bending in ways that no normal human should, avoiding Hinata's strike by the slimmest of margins. Before either girl could react, she retaliated.
A sharp kick to Sakura's wrist forced her to loosen her grip on Kubikiribōchō, and in that split second, the Kusa-nin snatched the massive blade from her hands as if it weighed nothing. With terrifying ease, she swung it in an upward arc, nearly cleaving Sakura in two had she not leaped back just in time.
Hinata attempted to capitalize on the opening, her Byakugan tracking the minute shifts in the enemy's chakra, but before she could land a decisive blow, the Kusa-nin spun Kubikiribōchō like a club, using its sheer mass to force distance between them.
Sasuke suddenly flickered into position behind her, his hand crackling with electricity as he thrust forward. The Kusa-nin was actually stunned momentarily before she brought the massive sword up to meet the lightning-covered hand.
As expected, the jutsu tore right through the metal, splitting the sword in two with a sharp crackle as lightning surged through the severed metal, scattering sparks in every direction. The Kusa-nin barely blinked at the destruction of the legendary blade, her smirk widening in amusement rather than annoyance as she dropped the remnants of the sword and jumped back to a safe distance.
"Kukuku... such raw power," she mused, tilting her head as she studied Sasuke. "I suppose that's to be expected from Itachi's little brother, especially if Kakashi of all people thought you worthy of learning his favorite jutsu. But tell me—" Her voice dropped into a whisper, laced with eerie delight. "Is that all you've got?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his Sharingan spun furiously, analyzing every micro-movement, every subtle shift in her stance.
"GODDAMN IT, SASUKE!" Sakura suddenly roared, appearing next to the Uchiha with the hilt of the once massive sword gripped tightly in her hands. "Twice! TWICE you pretty boy prick! Do you have ANY idea what it's gonna take to get this thing fixed without Naruto? I'll be lucky if even half of it is back before we get out of here, damn it!"
Her fury then turned on the Kusa-nin as she pointed.
"And YOU! Didn't anyone tell you not to take things that aren't yours?! Now I'm even more determined to kick your ass, Shānnarō!"
"Kukuku... What an interesting young lady." The woman smiled, amused at the girl's outburst. "If you didn't want me to have it, perhaps you should have held onto it."
"She's not wrong." Hinata agreed from behind the pinkette, having walked up the side of the tree to rejoin her allies.
"This is not the time." Sasuke spoke before Sakura could give a retort, his eyes never leaving their opponent. "I know you're not a Genin. If you're not here for our scrolls, then what are you after?"
"Kukuku, as sharp as expected." She giggled, crossing her arms. "In truth, I did once wish to gouge out those eyes of yours for my own purposes, but luckily for you, my interests have...shifted." She giggled once more. "Right now, you may call this 'entertainment' until the real fun begins."
Team 7 wasn't able to gather anything useful from her words. Though it was clear that whatever she wanted, it was clear that they were expendable.
Genin or no, they needed a strategy—preferably one that would get them out of this situation alive.
Sasuke clenched his fists, his mind racing. This woman—whoever she was—had no intention of letting them go unscathed. Worse, she was playing with them. That meant she wasn't going all out, and even now, they were struggling.
Retreat wasn't an option. Even if they tried, she was too fast. They had to find a way to level the playing field.
"New plan," he reached into his pocket. "Protocol C." Much like earlier, smoke cloaked Team 7. However, unlike last time, the Kusa-nin did not sit idly by.
She darted forward, slicing through the smoke like a serpent through grass and determined not to let them escape a second time. Once the smoke was clear, he reeled back, ready to strike. Her smile fell upon seeing three logs. Correction—three burning logs.
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the tree, tearing off the branch and sending splinters everywhere. Breaking through the smoke cloud was the Kusa shinobi, unharmed and searching her surroundings. Her senses flared to her right, making her pull a kunai to knock three consecutively from the air.
BOOM!
Another explosion consumed her. A flicker of motion, and she reappeared outside the blast radius, her cloak singed but otherwise unharmed.
"Kukuku... you children are quite troublesome," she mused, dusting herself off. Her eerie gaze swept the trees, searching for her prey.
From the canopy, kunai emerged, falling onto the Kusa-nin like rain. With but a clap of her hands, a pulse of wind erupted from her, scattering the incoming kunai as if they were nothing more than leaves in the wind. At the climax of the jutsu, another kunai sailed, the Kusa-nin noting the direction from which it emerged as well as the burning tag attached to its hilt.
Smirking, she ignored the kunai entirely, leaping from her branch to pursue its wielder. A puff of smoke instead of the expected explosion had her looking back to see a smirking Uchiha.
Taking her eyes off of her intended target direction wasn't necessarily a 'bad idea'. Investigating noise was an instinctive reaction, one that even Jonin were susceptible to, and a Sabine was no different. The moment she saw Sasuke's smirk was the moment it hit her, quite literally.
A great force slammed into her back, sending her flying towards the Uchiha. The moment she came within range, she found the boy wrapped around her chest and arms around her waist as he directed her body towards the ground—head first.
They met the ground with devastating force, her head slamming into the earth with an audible crack. The Kusa-nin let out a pained grunt, her body jerking as the shock of the impact ran through her spine.
Sasuke dismounted, creating distance, and from above, kunai rained onto the woman, piercing her before the tags on each kunai exploded. Smoke and debris clouded the battlefield, obscuring everything in a thick haze.
Sasuke scanned the destruction with his Sharingan, searching for any sign of movement.
Sakura and Hinata landed beside him, both tense and ready.
"Cha! Take that, you slithery bastard!" Sakura exclaimed with a fist pump.
Hinata's Byakugan flared to life. She focused through the smoke, tracking the enemy's chakra signature. For a moment, there was nothing—just the fading remnants of their attack.
Then, suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Behind!"
Their adversary appeared between them in a blur.
Before anyone could react, she drove a fist straight into Sakura's chest. A sharp crack resounded as the pink-haired girl flew backward, the sound of bones snapping echoing as she impacted a tree before landing roughly in the dirt.
Next was Hinata, who was blown back with a single palm thrust to the abdomen. She collided with a nearby trunk, her spine snapping in two upon impact.
The final was Sasuke. The Uchiha had barely any time to react, his Sharingan spinning wildly as he tried to defend against the relentless onslaught of blows that his limbs were too slow to follow. He managed a few blocks but ultimately failed, his body succumbing to the overwhelming speed as blow after blow landed with the force of a battering ram.
He was only spared a merciful end when the woman pulled her fist back and, with a sadistic grin, plunged it straight into his face, sending him skidding across the ground before coming to a stop on his face.
Straightening, the Kusa-nin approached the downed Uchiha, taking further joy in his lack of movement.
"What a disappointment." She hummed, her tone light and mocking. "You were fun, but I suppose your talent just doesn't match up to your brother's. A shame, really." Her smirk widened as she knelt down, going for a prize she just couldn't let slip from her-
A familiar sizzling dropped the smile right from her face.
BOOM!
She leapt clear of the blast radius once more, landing a fair bit away and awaiting any more unwanted surprises. Nearly a minute passed before she stood tall once again.
Annoyance wasn't something she felt often. Yet as the echoes of the explosion faded into the dense, choking smoke, the Kusa-nin could find it in herself to even smile. Looking to her left and right, respectively, the annoyance grew upon seeing two puddles of water where the other two Genin had landed.
They were quickly growing into annoyances, and if she hated one thing in this world, it was prey that grew tedious.
...
"Whelp, that didn't work." Sakura stated the obvious.
Team 7 crouched within the dense undergrowth of the Forest of Death, their breathing shallow as they assessed the situation. Their latest coordinated assault had failed, and their enemy remained as unfazed as ever.
Sasuke wiped the blood from his lip, his now onyx eyes observing the woman below. "We need to change tactics."
Hinata, her Byakugan still actively keeping watch, frowned. "She's too fast. Even when we predict her attacks, we can't land a decisive blow."
Sakura gritted her teeth. "She's not just fast—she's unpredictable. We need to force her into making a mistake," she said, her tone strained but resolute. Even as adrenaline pounded through her veins, every nerve in her body screamed that they were outmatched in raw speed and technique.
Sasuke's gaze flicked between his teammates and the enemy retreating from the smoky haze. He knew that if they were to survive this encounter, they'd have to use her own arrogance against her. "She's been toying with us—making us dance to her tune," he observed quietly. "We need to lure her into a trap."
"We tried that. Many times, actually." Sakura reminded him.
"I was talking about something more...out of pocket." His gaze hardened. "Something a Jonin would fall for."
Sakura raised an eyebrow, but Hinata was the one who answered. "Are you sure that's going to work?"
"It's our only chance."
Sakura stared at her teammates for a moment before her brows shot up. "Is this guy even gonna fall for that?" She dubiously raised a good point.
"It worked on Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. I don't see why it wouldn't work here." Hinata shrugged.
"That's different. They are comrades."
"They are both still experienced Jonin. If it worked on them, it can work on her."
Sakura thought it over thoroughly. In the end, she shrugged. "Guess it won't hurt to try. Not like we got much of a choice at this point." Her shoulders sagged. "If this works, I'm gonna start questioning everything I know..."
...
She could feel eyes on her. It had only been a few minutes, yet he could feel their evaluating gazes. The fact they hadn't retreated yet was amusing if nothing else, bringing back a bit of joy to her where the annoyance had once settled. They were still going to try and outsmart him, which was praiseworthy. Just what she expected from his students.
He heard rustling, a clear signal that they were on the move. Seeing as they had not immediately attacked spoke of planning and set up. More than likely, there would be more explosions in her future, a prospect that she would instantly kill them for if she fell victim to even one of them.
Her ears picked up whistling.
A kunai came from behind, aiming right for her head. It was fast, but she could see it. The angle of its approach would not cause harm—it was a decoy.
She turned, catching the projectile with her free hand. A sudden burst of lightning sent her body rigid, forcing her to drop the kunai. Another came from her left, followed by another and another—each being a distraction, her body acting on reflex as she weaved away from the projectiles.
A faint glimmer caught her eye from the latest kunai.
'Wire,' he deduced. Observing closer, she noted that she was surrounded by the thin strands, even blocking her exit and effectively creating a cage. A simple wind jutsu could easily foul their plans, yet she couldn't quell her curiosity on just what they were planning.
A moment later, her senses detected two signatures moving toward her position; fast. Sasuke and Hinata engaged him with Taijutsu, their strikes coordinated and relentless. Sasuke's Sharingan read her movements, while Hinata's Byakugan ensured every strike aimed for a weak spot. It was impressive—fluid, synchronized, and well-practiced.
Still, she was faster.
With minimal effort, she dodged, parried, and deflected, weaving through their attacks like a shadow. She was toying with them again, indulging their tenacity. But then, something shifted. A momentary misstep from Sasuke—his foot slipping just slightly—forced him to overextend a punch.
A mistake? No.
Her eyes flickered to Hinata, who had subtly adjusted her stance. A feint.
She pivoted to dodge Hinata's strike, only to realize a fraction too late that they had predicted her reaction. A kunai was now in her hand and was being thrown towards her face. Forced to dodge, she missed Sasuke's overextended arm, caught the kunai from behind, and tossed it at her exposed back.
It missed, but she soon found that it was by design as she felt something thin wrap around her stomach. Like the Uchiha, the Hyuga caught the thrown kunai, yet instead of using it as a weapon, she threw it to the side, embedding it into a tree. In the same motion, she threw another kunai, embedding it deep within a tree and effectively securing the wire around her.
From his right, Sasuke tossed another kunai that the Kusa-nin was forced to dodge before Hinata plucked it out of the air and sent it back. Before she could reach to pluck it out of the sky, she was forced to move her head from yet another projectile from the Uchiha, forcing her to dodge both lest she risk injury.
What followed was a relentless game of forced movements and split-second reactions. Each kunai was strategically aimed not to wound but to control her positioning. Every dodge was another wire around her, the thing metal tightening and constricting her movement further as more kunai embedded themselves in nearby trees, reinforcing the makeshift web.
'They're trying to bind me completely…' she realized, somewhat amused at the asinine strategy. To give credit where credit was due, it would catch a Chunin off guard, maybe even a low ranking Jonin if in the right scenario.
Her smirk deepened. Clever. Not enough to truly trap her, but they had clearly put thought into it.
She tested the wires, shifting her weight slightly. There was just enough slack to maneuver if she timed it right, but her escape would need to be precise. A moment of patience, a fraction of hesitation from her opponents—that's all she needed.
Sasuke and Hinata weren't giving her that moment, though, especially now that one of her hands was restricted to her side. Their little game of catch continued until she wasn't even able to move from side to side anymore—both Genin holding onto one side of the wire as extra insurance.
Her amusement flickered as she realized they had accounted for more than she expected. The tension in the wires wasn't random—it was intentional, restricting her just enough to limit her speed without fully immobilizing her.
Sasuke's eyes sharpened. "Now, Sakura!"
A blur of pink descended from above. Sakura, her broken sword glowing with chakra, came down like a meteor.
The Kusa-nin reacted instantly. She tensed her muscles, preparing to snap the wires with brute force and dodge—but that hesitation was exactly what they needed.
Sasuke and Hinata, seizing the moment, ran their chakra through the wire. Instantly, the Kusa-nin found her chakra suddenly retreating back into her body, making her eyes widen in shock. At the same moment, the duo sent a kunai wrapped in explosive tags straight for her blind spots.
Forced into an impossible decision—take the hit, get caught in the explosion, or risk being split in two by the pinkette's sword—she made the only choice she could.
She twisted.
Her body turned unnaturally, slackening the wire and allowing her to narrowly avoid Sakura's sword along with the two kunai that turned out to be duds.
But her escape wasn't perfect.
Sakura's chakra-infused sword had nicked her side, leaving a deep gash along her ribs. Blood splattered onto the ground as she landed in a crouch, her breathing just slightly heavier than before. The grin on her lips never wavered, though—if anything, it widened, especially as her back met a stray wire. The thin metal wrapped around her front, binding her arms to her side with a kunai that pinned it all together, sticking to her side with a tag she deduced to be magnetic in nature. To further bind her, two more were wrapped around her, courtesy of the clan duo, who each held on to one end.
And all the while, the pinkette was charging, her sword poised to decapitate him once more.
She took back what she thought of the Genin. The wires, their assault, their teamwork, their prediction, their coordination—all of it was far beyond what a Genin should be capable of. Forget about underestimating them. Either these kids were far more talented than normal Genin, or, the more fascinating deduction, these three were evolving right before his eyes.
If she was intrigued before, she was now ecstatic.
To hell with her plans. She needed one of them—at least the Uchiha. The eyes, the talent—it was too much of a waste to kill them all.
She no longer cared that her grin was splitting her face, nor was she particularly worried about the sword poised to end her life. When it did, everything would change. Their lives would become intertwined; a more fitting punishment for that boy than killing them would have been. He already had a jutsu ready, a plan of attack.
The sword was coming down.
On second thought, she wouldn't do anything at all. Giving them a victory, a false sense of accomplishment, would be far more enjoyable before he took their minds. It would lull them into a sense of security, making them believe they had truly bested her. And when he had come out on top, he would make his offer, rot their minds, keep them on strings that he and he alone-
The Kusa-nin thoughts suddenly froze as the disaster before her unfolded. She saw the wire at the girl's feet before the girl herself felt it. Her foot pulled on the wire, causing her eyes to widen momentarily as she stumbled. Before she could even right herself, something from the forest catapulted their way.
Three audible squelches echoed in the ears of three, dumbfounding everyone, including the one it was initially meant for. Sakura fell to the ground, three kunai buried in her side, arm, and damnably, neck. Choked gasps escaped the girl as her body twitched, the desperation in her eyes clear as she searched for air that would come.
In less than a minute, she was still, blood pooling under her lifeless form.
Time seemed to freeze as the reality set in. The Hyuga was shaking, her eyes wide. Sasuke wasn't faring any better, the color leaving his face, his Sharingan burning the image of his fallen comrade into his mind.
The Kusa-nin was stunned silent, her eyes glued to the girl lying before her as if she would rise from the dead at any moment to finish what she had started.
She did not.
And nearly a minute later, the Hyuga was moving.
"SAKURAAAAA!"
"No DON'T!"
Sasuke yelled to stop his teammate, but his efforts were fruitless. She had already moved. The wires he was holding onto slackened, making him stumble backward.
Doing so caused a chain reaction of events. First was the wire they had planted earlier, coincidentally right behind the Uchiha's neck. His stumble tripped the trap, and Sasuke suddenly found wire around his throat before a hard yank later had him dangling in the air by his neck.
During that, the kunai he had been holding went up with him, causing the wire around the Kusa-nin to follow, along with the kunai Hinata had previously been holding. The free kunai wrapped around her leg, taking her off her feet and towards the still unmoving Kiss Shinobi. Swinging right past her, she tumbled on the ground momentarily before tripping yet another wire they had planted.
Much like the Uchiha, she had been yanked upwards, but where the Uchiha was currently being hung, she was cocooned. Somewhere in the distance, a tag ignited, and a millisecond later, Hinata screamed as thousands of volts entered her system. It lasted only a few seconds, but the voltage was so high that the Kusa-nin could smell the burning flesh yards away.
The Hyuga did not move afterward.
In the distance, Sasuke continued to struggle, his face turning purple he tried desperately tried cutting the wire currently cutting off his airflow. Unfortunately for him, the wires were strong, and his struggling only tightened them, digging further into his skin and even breaking it as blood seeped into the metal.
It wasn't long before his struggling slowed, then ceased altogether. He hung, his eyes bulging, mouth hanging open, and his limbs weak as the world around him went dark. The last Uchiha went limp, and the clearing was silent.
The Kusa-nin stared at the scene, her expression blank and unreadable as her brain failed to comprehend what she had witnessed.
They...had killed all her years as a Shinobi, never, and she meant never, had something so idiotic-
No, she couldn't even call it idiotic.
This was beyond idiotic—it was an anomaly, an absurdity that defied all reason. The sheer ridiculousness of the sequence of events had her questioning reality itself.
But it wasn't a Genjutsu.
The pain she felt from pressing her arm into her wound did not shatter the reality before, which meant this was no illusion.
Sliding out of the wire, she observed the corpse in front of her kneeling down, she put two fingers to the girl's throat.
There was no pulse.
Even in a hinge, there would be a pulse.
This was no Genjutsu.
Staring blankly at the corpse for over a minute, she eventually walked away and towards the slowly swaying cocoon. The chakra in the cocoon was fading, meaning the last of its life force was leaving.
That was no Genjutsu.
Finally, he walked over to the hanging Uchiha.
Swaying slightly, the Uchiha's body remained motionless, his once vibrant red eyes now dull and lifeless. The slow creak of the wire echoed in the eerie silence, a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded mere moments ago.
The Kusa-nin simply stood there, staring at the boy's limp form, her mind still struggling to process the absurdity of it all. A flawless strategy, precise teamwork, and near-perfect execution—only for them to fall to their own setup in the most ridiculous, unforeseen way.
A new feeling was rising, and it was hard to put a finger on just what it was.
It wasn't pity. That feeling had only been reserved for two people, and these fools weren't them.
It wasn't anger. As much as she had wanted to pick their fruit when it was ripe, their loss did not negatively impact his goals.
She was neither of those.
She was...
She was disappointed.
What else could she have been when such promising prospects went out in such a... deplorable way?
Truly, how utterly...disappointing.
She found her eyes on the Uchiha's, her interest in taking them returning. She expected the onyx eyes of the deceased to be. What she did not expect was for them to move from the treeline to lock onto hers.
Her body suddenly went stiff as a board. For some inexplicable reason, she couldn't move.
No, she knew why she couldn't move. She had fallen for this same trick before. A trick so simple, yet just as unexpected as it was the first time she had fallen for it.
Movement behind her signaled an incoming threat. She had broken free from the basic paralysis Genjutsu, but not quick enough.
She felt her lower half be separated from her body. Spinning in the air from the force, she was able to see a hair of pink, followed closely by a broken sword that was currently being restored using the blood it had just spilled.
The girl was dead. She had checked her pulse herself to confirm it. There was no Genjutsu at play—she would have known if there was. And yet, there the girl stood over her, her eyes devoid of mercy as the alive Hyuga and Uchiha stood next to her, the three standing over her like haunting phantoms.
Ah, she understood now, even if she didn't understand the method.
She had been outplayed.
She smiled, wide and manic, because what else could she do?
Truly, they were as special as Naruto-kun.
"Phew! For a second there I thought we were goners!" Sakura sighed in relief as she sat against the tree they were currently inside, far enough away from their recent kill and hidden from prying eyes—giving them time to treat their wounds (mainly self-inflicted) and regain their mental fortitude.
Hinata sat beside her, quietly tending to the burns on her arms. She was still twitching slightly due to the phantom pain of the electricity but was otherwise fully functional.
Keeping a lookout at the edge of their hideout was Sasuke, the Uchiha casually tossing a kunai into the air as he kept a lookout.
Their plan had worked, as crazy as it was.
In a world where perfection was key and the slightest mistake could lead to death, it was instinct for Shinobi doubt mistakes. Questioning it for even a millisecond often led to death, a fact they learned firsthand from both of their sensei.
The problem with that was that it often led to overthinking. It was a problem Kakashi himself had admitted to, leading to lost opportunities to strike or be struck. Taking risks was a great equalizer, yet one side greatly benefited more than the other and dominated every Shinobi worth their salt. Outsmarting someone who is always prepared is close to impossible, a fact Team 7 knew all too well.
And yet, they had found a loophole.
Turns out, completely altering a shinobi's expectations in battle was highly effective. Doing something as simple as 'accidentally' offing yourself in a way that was believable, acting and all, turned out to fool even Jonin. Adding a bit of legitimacy to it only made the plan more believable. It worked on both Naruto and Kakashi, even if it was more about their conscience than an enemy's stupification.
Sometimes the oldest trick in the book is more effective than a 10-step guide to victory.
Sasuke caught his kunai mid-air, eyes flickering to his teammates. "We can't take another risk like that," he muttered, though there was no real reproach in his tone.
"You're telling me! I thought she was gonna kick me! Wouldn't have ruined the whole thing!" Sakura laughed, though the tension in her voice betrayed how close they had all come to actual death. She rubbed at the spot on her neck where the kunai had 'killed' her, feeling the phantom sting of what could have been real. Thank Kami for Naruto and that Kiri femboy. If they had never fought, they would have never had the inspiration for those death-like seals—once again proving seals to be superior to all.
Hinata gave a small nod, flexing her fingers as she watched the salve slowly heal the burns on her skin. "It was a gamble, and I agree with Sasuke. I doubt we will get lucky with that strategy on a real battlefield," she said, her voice carrying a hint of lingering nerves.
Sasuke scoffed, flipping the kunai in his palm. "Still. One wrong move and we'd actually be corpses right now. We need to use this as motivation to get stronger."
"You got it, Captain!" Sakura saluted, flashing him a smirk, who scoffed and returned his gaze to the entrance. "Hinata, you still got some of that healing cream? Want to heal a few scratches."
Hinata didn't hesitate to extend her healing cream towards her teammate, which Sakura eagerly reached to grab.
The last thing she expected in the time of rest was for her entire perspective to suddenly shift.
One moment, Hinata was right in front of her. The next, she was replaced with blood, splinters, and what looked to be a...sword? Slowly, she followed the sword towards where Hinata had disappeared to.
The sight of her teammate, her friend, impaled, blood dripping through her ninja mesh and trickling down her mouth, made Sakura's mind go blank. A chilling silence filled the hideout as time seemed to crawl, the reality of what had just happened sinking in with agonizing clarity.
Sasuke was already moving, his Sharingan burning a crimson path through the shadows as he followed the extended blade into the shadows.
Footsteps echoed ominously as their attack emerged from the darkness. Sasuke's heart sank as a familiar figure clad in beige, bloodstained robes stepped forward, her arm outstretched with the other side of the blade and that chilling smirk still present on her face.
She was alive!
How!
They made sure to cut her throat before they left!
There was just no way!
The extended sword suddenly retracted, returning to the Kusa-nin and unpinning Hinata from the tree. The moment it did, she fell forward, only saved from falling flat by Sakura who caught her and was frantically calling her name while using another hand to keep her blood from spilling out to no avail.
"I must commend you," the Kusa-nin spoke, her voice seeming to reach them clearly despite her distance. "Your teamwork is far beyond Genin level. To make me fall for a beginner-level trick is quite the feat. But..." She tilted her head, her smirk widening into something far more sinister. "It seems luck is a fickle thing, isn't it?"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, the weight of the moment pressing against his chest like a vice. Sakura was trembling, her hands slick with her friend's blood. "Hinata, stay with me!" she pleaded, voice cracking as she pressed harder against the wound. But the blood kept coming, warm and unrelenting.
Hinata coughed weakly, her pale eyes wide and unfocused as she tried to speak but could only muster gurgles.
"I wouldn't be worrying about her. She's as good as dead." Her words had the effect of turning the remaining Team 7 moods to fear. "Y'see, this blade emits a particularly unforgiving venom. It's not fatal, not immediately, but it's strong enough that even the best medic-nin wouldn't be able to keep the blood flowing." She giggled. "Of course, you're not getting to any of those."
Her words were effective in growing their anxiety visibly, something she took great glee in.
"I thought to use you for my own goals, but I've changed my mind." She held her sword up horizontally to her face. "10 seconds. That is all the time you have left in this world. So," her tongue escaped her mouth to run over the venomous blade. "Use it wisely."
The message was received, and Team 7 didn't waste a second in getting the hell out of there.
Sakura quickly lifted her comrade into a fireman's carry, grimacing at the wetness of the blood coating her back as she sprinted.
Sasuke followed, his hand reaching into his pack to pull out a few smoke bombs to mask their escape. Despite doing so, the feeling of death followed them, even more so after the initial 10 seconds were up.
Death suddenly pressing down onto their shoulders mid-jump told them their efforts were futile. Despite the distance they had traveled in those short 10 seconds, the Kusa-nin had caught up. Worse, she had passed them, standing on the branch they were set to land on. Airborne, they could only gasp as she leapt at them with speed befitting a Jonin.
Two Genin felt their lives flash before their eyes as the sword cut in a horizontal arc towards the middle of the group.
The trajectory of the sword was suddenly redirected as an orange and green blur intercepted her right out of the sky. The sound of clashing blades rang through the forest as the Kusa-nin met the new arrival's weapon while Team 7 landed roughly on their intended location. Turning, their eyes landed on where Kusa-nin had been knocked out of the air.
The relief that filled them up on seeing a familiar head of blonde hair was almost palpable.
"Naruto-sensei!" Sakura choked out, her voice cracking and the beginning of tears forming in her eyes.
The blonde did not take his eyes from the Kusa-nin despite his worry for his former students, his sword stance remaining firm lest the woman decide to attack. With a single hand, another clone appeared next to him before it immediately leapt towards the Genin Team.
All the while, the Kusa-nin stared down the blonde with a smile so wide it threatened to split her face.
"It's been a long time, Naruto-kun." She giggled. "Did you miss me? I've heard you've only gotten stronger since last we met. Even got promoted to Jonin. You are truly the gem I thought you were."
Naruto did not reply. If anything, his stance grew firmer, his eyes cold.
"Kukuku, there is no need for the silent treatment, Naruto-kun. We're going to be very well acquainted soon, after all. Kukukuku."
Despite the implications, the blonde still opted to stay quiet. Only when his clone returned to his side with grim news did he show a hint of emotion with an ever so slight raise of his brow.
"We need the boss. Hinata didn't make it."
There was no need to question his fellow clone's words. Sakura heart-wrenching sob was confirmation enough.
Both blondes immediately vanished into clouds of smoke, seemingly leaving the situation behind while Team 7 was already assured of what would happen next.
*CRASH*
The world went in reverse.
Sasuke and Sakura found themselves airborne once again, the Kusa-nin leaping towards them, and once again being taken out of the air by a blur. However, where previously they saw a flash of orange and green, this time was black and silver.
They landed on the same branch as before, this time accompanied by their orange haired teacher.
"Naruto-sensei." Sakura choked, the tears running freely.
"Not now, Sakura. First, Hinata," his voice was calm, giving the pinkette the reassurance where there was once only fear.
Wiping her face free of tears, Sakura gently removed her teammate from her shoulders and supported her head to the ground. A gasp left her as she saw the Hyuga's expression.
Blood trickling down her lips, glassy eyes, the lack of a breath.
She...her teammate...was already gone.
She felt another sob coming up but did everything in her power to keep it down. Unlike her, Sasuke showed no signs of distraught, and neither did her sensei—mainly due to the fact they both knew she could still be saved.
Once again wiping away tears, she sat patiently and watched her sensei work. His hand went to grip her forehead before a light enveloped him. The golden energy flowed from Naruto's hands into Hinata's body, filling the forest with an ethereal glow. The very air felt thick with power, an undeniable presence that seemed to push back the creeping hand of death itself.
Sakura watched in stunned silence as a miracle she had seen the blonde performed several times in the past occurred before her. The color slowly returned to Hinata's face, the blood that had been trickling from her lips stopped, and the wound on her chest closed as though it had never been there. A moment later, Hinata gasped sharply, her body seizing as life returned to her.
Sakura's breath hitched. "H-Hinata?"
The Hyūga girl blinked sluggishly, her pale eyes regaining focus. "Sakura…?" she rasped, confusion and exhaustion evident in her voice.
Sasuke let out a small breath, barely noticeable if not for the slight relaxation of his shoulders. "You're alright now," he muttered, though his gaze quickly returned to their surroundings, ever wary of another surprise attack.
Sakura let out a shaky laugh, relief crashing over her like a tidal wave as she clutched Hinata's hand. "You scared the hell out of us," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Instead of joining in the camaraderie, turned towards the battle below that had practically come to an end.
Hiruzen and Kakashi stood over the Kusa-nin, the Hokage's summoned staff held over the snake's head and ready to end it. Despite the situation, the Kusa-nin still held a smile, one that was assumed right at him.
"Do you guys have both scrolls?" Naruto asked the Team, to which Sasuke confirmed verbally. "Go straight to the tower and don't stop. We never met, and you never fought a Kusagakure Shinobi. Am I clear?"
He didn't need to look back to know they understood. Sasuke and Sakura helped Hinata to her feet and took off through the trees, moving as fast as their bodies would allow. The weight of what had just happened pressed heavily on them, but there was no time to dwell on it. Their orders were clear, and they wanted to be as far away from that woman as possible.
Naruto remained behind, watching them go before his attention turned back to the battle below. Dropping into the clearing, his gaze locked onto the one responsible for his Genin's injuries.
She smiled widely at him, a manic gleam in her eyes despite her situation. "A power to reverse the fabric of time and even bring back the dead. I knew you were special, Naruto-kun." She slithered out.
"What are you planning, Orochimaru," the Hokage said simply, his voice devoid of any cheer he might have had for his former students.
The revealed Sannin merely hummed, his smile not once faltering. "Wouldn't you like to know, old man. But, seeing as everything is already in place, I don't mind telling you, Naruto-kun. Think of it as my gift to you for giving me a finer purpose in life." His smirk widened grew wider. "War is coming. The likes of which will write a new age and erase Konoha from the face of history."
He began laughing again, yet neither Jonin, nor the Hokage, showed even a hint of fear, not even when steam escaped the Sannin's body and his body began to melt down.
"I'll leave you with one last warning," the Sannin licked his lips. "If you dare end the Chunin Exam early, every living soul in Konoha will perish before the sun rises again."
A heavy silence fell over clearing as Orochimaru's words sank in. His body melted away into a puddle of flesh and mud, the telltale sign of a Jutsu neither of them had seen before.
Naruto exhaled sharply through his nose, his fingers twitching at his sides. "He was never really here." His voice was measured, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his frustration.
Hiruzen remained still, his old eyes narrowing at the remnants of his student. "He's more emboldened than ever," the Hokage murmured. "War…" His grip tightened around his staff."
As he had feared, war was on the horizon.
A/N: Told you it would be a Team 7 centric chapter. Think it was very fitting for Orochimaru to fall for the same trick he fell for with Itachi.
No chapter next week as I will be travelling. Next chapter will return Feb. 21st with the aftermath as well as the start of the 1v1's that will only take at least 2 chapters before we enter the finale.
As always, thank you for the follows, favs, reviews and have a DAMN good day!