The Cursed Gamer, Book 2

236: No, you didn't... (2)

Chapter 236: No, you didn't... (2)

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Team Seven, with their substitute Captain and teammate, Yamato and Sai, started their travel not very smoothly due to Sai. 

In their five days of journey, Sai was an annoyance through and through. Neither Naruto nor Sakura liked him. However, they managed somehow and finally reached the Tenchi Bridge, in the Land of Grass.

Yamato used his wood style to replicate Sasori's puppet and conversed with Kabuto – Sasori's spy – while hiding within the puppet. However, Orochimaru appeared midway through their conversation and Kabuto revealed he was on the snake's side all along.

A fight broke out, and Naruto had attacked Orochimaru in rage, with three chakra tails materialised behind him. He had made another promise with the Fox to allow him the usage of chakra again.

The battle escalated, and Naruto was starting to gain an edge over Orochimaru as more tails materialised behind him. Orochimaru wasn't in his peak condition due to his current body almost reaching its 3-year expiration date.

Yamato and Sakura were able to take care of Kabuto, while Sai was observing it all from the sky on top of a bird he drew.

It was then as Naruto started to materialise his 7th-tail and Yamato panicked. He was notified of the Nine-Tails' behaviour in the Kazekage mission, so he was strictly told to make sure Naruto doesn't enter the 7th Tail since then the Fox would start to take over Naruto's body. Then, even if Naruto defeated Orochimaru, he would also endanger his teammates' lives.

At that moment, however, Uchiha Sasuke came to the battlefield. He supposedly came to find Orochimaru after sensing a disturbing Chakra.

"So that's the source of your power," that was what Sasuke Uchiha had said once he noticed Naruto.

Then, as he activated his Sharingan, the chakra cloak started to dissipate and Naruto was soon unconscious on the ground, his skin burned to reveal the bloody layer below.

Sasuke promptly dodged a surprise attack from Sai before killing the boy with a kunai throw. He then tried to kill Yamato as well, but stopped once an injured Orochimaru told him not to.

Sasuke was about to return with Orochimaru and Kabuto, but Sakura stood still.

"T-take me with you, Sasuke!"

"I will leave the village and follow you around!"

"I-... I learned Medical Ninjutsu from one of the Sannins, Tsunade Senju! My skills ought to help you!"

Sasuke had given her a cold glare before softly throwing her a Kunai. Once she caught it, he told her to use it to kill Yamato.

"I already have a very good Medic Ninja with me." Sasuke had said while pointing at Kabuto. "To prove your worth, show me you can defeat a Jounin. If you manage to do so, I will consider your request."

Sakura had frozen hearing that, and in that instant Sasuke Uchiha moved like the wind and drove his lightning-clad hand inside Sakura's chest, narrowly missing the heart. Though if the miss was intentional or not, nobody could tell.

While Sakura lost consciousness, her eyes wide and betrayed, Yamato watched Sasuke's Sharingan spin in a weird motion before a strange red symbol replaced his pupils.

—★—

Naruto and Yamato told their part of the story in succession, filling the gaps one another had, as the Hokage's office stayed utterly silent.

"The Mangekyou Sharingan..." Kakashi was the first to break the silence. "Sasuke didn't intentionally miss her heart. He struck intending to kill. It was either luck, or Sakura managed to regain her senses at the last second to narrowly evade it, hitting her heart."