The Breaking Point (SasukeXOC)

60

It wasn't long before we reached the battle. Sasuke lay flat on a tree with Garra closing in. Naruto was quick to defend him while Sakura bent down close to Sasuke. Pakkun and I stood next to them to survey the situation.

Sasuke had some sort of strange black tattoo covering half his face and one of his arms. The tattoo was similar in shape to fire, as if black flames were slowly devouring his form. He struggled to move, the tattoo seeming to restrict him somehow. Garra was half man, half beast and quickly morphing. Half of his face was that of the beast sporting a pointed ear and a long tail, all in a tan sand color.

The eye was soulless.

"Hey, hey guys. What is that thing?" Naruto yelled fearfully.

"That would be Garra." I supplied. I knelt down to Sasuke for a moment. He breathed heavily and grunted every few seconds in pain.

His eyes slid towards mine an unspoken message within them, a warning, perhaps? Was he worried for my safety? Or perhaps he's worried for the safety of his team and village? Regardless of his reason, my reaction would be the same. I shook my head at him.

I'm sorry, Sasuke. I won't allow a monster to rampage. I wont sacrifice the wellbeing of my family.

"His figure has been transformed." Pakkun added.

"He's the one that attacked Sasuke." Sakura tearfully told us as if it wasn't super obvious.

"You..." Garra began, his usually raspy voice dripping with bloodlust. "You're the one I failed to kill that one time..."

"So... I'm not a battle type. Just letting you all know." Pakkun told us. I glanced down at his small form and nodded, agreeing. I would've honestly been surprised if Pakkun said he was a fighter.

Pakkun is pretty good with sensory stuff but he looks pretty weak physically.

"We can see that!" Sakura snapped. I frowned at her. I guess the stress is getting to her. Sasuke moaned in pain again causing Sakura to screech his name with worry.

"Get out of the way!" Naruto shouted. My head snapped up to see Garra charging us. Sakura drew a kunai and stood in front of Sasuke protectively.

"Die, Sasuke Uchiha!" Garra growled shooting his monster hand towards us.

"Sakura, evade!" I commanded. She glanced at me for no more than a half a second before I was gone, grabbing Sasuke's limp form with me. I concentrated chakra to my hand and used it to slide to the underside of the branch we had been standing on, Sasuke's shirt firmly grasped in my other hand.

"What...?" Sakura got out before she was hit by Garra's hand. The hand snapped off leaving a slowly constraining restraint on her.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted. I grunted and tossed Sasuke towards another branch where he landed with a thunk, following him soon after. Garra groaned in pain despite not having taken a single detrimental hit yet.

"Why...?" Garra grumbled getting up close and personal with Sakura, still constrained to a tree by his sand-hand. "Why didn't you run away?" I watched the sand-hand constrict, slowly crushing Sakura. My body stiffened with the need to jump into action, but I couldn't yet. I had to wait for an opening.

"I..." Sakura gasped out, "Sasuke," she grunted, "Naruto... Miyu..."

"What do they mean to you?" Garra's soulless eye slid towards our little group.

"They're my friends, you bastard!" Naruto shouted in her stead. "Leave them alone or else I'll kick your ass!" Garra sadistically tightened his hold on Sakura causing her to cry out.