Konoha's Maelstrom

15

Sakura found a good cover in the massive roots of the trees. It served like a cave and she had managed to get Meiko and Sasuke there.

Sakura rummaged in Meiko's pouches, mentally apologising for looking, but she did find some medical supplies; ointment for bruises (though Sakura suspected it was multi-use so she had a feeling she could use it for cuts and burns), painkiller tablets, needle and thread, and bandages.

She immediately started treating their wounds, using the ointment on the cuts and bruises for both of them. Meiko had it worse, several cuts all over her legs and a few burn marks.

After, she wrapped Meiko's arm that seemed to have gotten a deeper cut. It wasn't unexpected that the Sannin had gotten such a bad cut on Meiko, but Sakura was shocked to see it hadn't impeded Meiko in the fight at all. It didn't need stitches, thankfully.

Once she was sure the two were okay, she took several deep breaths to calm herself. Her heart had been racing for the past hours, trying to get these two to the ground and then to a relatively safe place.

Sasuke groaned and Sakura jumped up. She quickly crawled to Sasuke and checked.

"His breathing is gradually getting regular," she said, needing a voice to fill the suffocating silence, "but he still has a terrible fever." Her gaze travelled to Meiko's still form. She looked to be in pain. I have to protect them both.

She wasn't exactly sure when she fell asleep, but one minute she was looking at Sasuke and Meiko, the next she was blinking blarily as she realised she'd had a nightmare.

She shook her head, rubbed her eyes, and looked back at Sasuke and Meiko. Sasuke still looked like he was in a lot of pain while Meiko seemed a little more relaxed. Sakura's hopes she would wake up were dashed when Meiko winced and screwed her eyes closed more.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustle in the bushes behind and Sakura trembled. She reached into her thigh holster and pulled out a kunai. She gripped it like it was her lifeline, her hands shaking still.

She turned slowly, very slowly, and came face-to-face with a squirrel.

The squirrel ran at her and Sakura gained her bearings. She threw the kunai at the ground. The squirrel squeaked and turned away, running in a different direction.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief that the trap she'd set up hadn't been discovered.

鳴戸

Neji walked into the clearing. He looked around and stared at the bush to his left. "Stop hiding and come out."

Three rookies were there, hiding behind the bush. One girl, two boys. One of them, the boy on Neji's right, had larger reserves than Neji, but Neji was trained better, he knew.

He waited and waited until they all popped out of the bush.

"Wow! To meet last year's Number One rookie, Neji Hyuga, in a place like this!" the blonde girl in the middle exclaimed, smiling.

"C– Can I have your autograph?" the boy with larger reserves asked.

All three, though the girl in the middle selled the act more, were acting like they were excited to meet him. He rolled his eyes.

"So, it's you guys," Neji murmured. This was useless to him.

The girl in the middle reached up to her long ponytail and let it out, winking. "I'd been wanting to meet you for some time, you know?"

"Get lost," Neji replied. He turned around and walked away. This was useless to him. He continued until he sensed movement behind him and, with his byakugan activated, he saw the girl punching the air.