𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐤𝐢 | ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ

Unsuccessful Ritual

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✧˖*°࿐

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whispered, concerned.

Kazumi was leaning against a railing, looking down at the other teams as she watched Sasuke's fight unfold. The first match inside of the preliminaries had begun, and he was struggling. His faults reminded Kazumi of the forest test. The very moment when the markings abruptly appeared mid-fight against a team of nobody's.

So this is Orochimaru's influence?

She wondered, also taking note of whenever it would occur, his sharingan was coincidentally flared. She even noticed the Uchiha was hardly using his prideful clan eye, confusing her.

"Sakura, what really happened while I was passed out?" Kazumi quietly asked, not bothering to tilt her head to the kunoichi as she kept her gaze on Sasuke.

Sakura flinched in Kazumi's peripheral eye, obviously uncomfortable with the sudden topic. However, she slowly leaned her shoulder in, her frown deepening. Their conversation was in small voices, away from Naruto's oblivious ear.

"He... was bitten. I'm sure you've gotten that hint, though..." She gradually spoke as if unsure about her own conclusion, "It's like what we've already seen... Three markings on his neck... but then it spread all over the side of his face and body. And while you were still unconscious, he woke up first." She clenched the railing, her bottom lip trembling, "Sasuke-kun... acted completely different..."

As Sakura struggled to keep speaking, Kazumi finally turned her head to her. Sakura was staring deeply at Sasuke, intimidated by her memory of him.

"I think... he had an intent to kill those Sound-nin..." She finished, unable to look at the Sound team from afar.

Kazumi raised her head, finding one of the Sound-nin nearby with their team. One was still wearing the arm brace, endlessly glaring at Sasuke whilst the unaware Uchiha was fighting below. 

They were the ones responsible for whatever happened while the Kumo was blacked out.

"Sasuke was the one who broke his arm?" Kazumi asked, turning her head back to the pink-haired kunoichi.

Sakura weakly nodded, rubbing her lips together as she swallowed thickly. It really unnerved her, by her odd body language.

"When Sasuke-kun broke his arm, the Sound-nin released you and dropped you to the ground." Sakura explained, "I don't know why... but they were trying to take you, too."

Ah... Sakura mentioned that when I woke up...

Kazumi's brows furrowed, understanding that Sakura didn't know the reason behind that. She then glanced to Sakura's layered, short hair.

"Your hair, how did that really happen?" Kazumi quizzed softly, watching Sakura's eyes widen slightly.

"Oh... It was just a way to get through a fight, is all..." She forced a smile, eyes flickering momentarily to the Sound ninja's female member.

Kazumi caught this, turning her head away with a knowing look.

She must've struggled a lot...

Knowing that made Kazumi feel a displaced emotion. This time, she looked at the Sound-female, really looked. The foreign girl had black hair falling down to her fair ankles, tied into a loose bow at the end. She wore cow printed pants and scarf atop her basic shinobi attire. The permanent smirk on her face caused a small twitch from Kazumi's brow.