J A D E

Chapter Thirty-One

"You don't have to do it, Sakura." Tsunade tells me in gentle voice. Her eyes are filled with motherly love.

"I am ready to do it, Tsunade-sama." I smile at the blonde woman in front of me. I breath in and out, calming myself. "I am part of ANBU, Tsunade-sama. It is one of my duties to finish my missions and accept them in order to protect the village." I say in monotone voice, swallowing the bile in my throat.

"So, we have Earth Scroll." I look down at it and smile, putting it in my pouch. "I will save it. I have a plan, though." Both boys look at me and nod. "We run through the forest, find Heaven Scroll and run straight towards the Tower. The earlier we go there the better, okay?" Both of them nod, sensing my uneasiness about the Training Ground 44.

As soon as we are allowed to run in, I grab Sasuke's and Naruto's hands and drag them towards the forest. Fear is eating me alive. I don't want to meet Orochimaru again, I don't want to endanger Sasuke once again. But something tells me that it will not be avoidable.

But luck is never on our side. I sigh out in despair as Naruto is blown away. I grab Sasuke's hand and try to jump away, but he does not even move. I bite my lip as Sasuke starts fighting with Orochimaru.

I watch as he seals away Naruto's powers and barely manage to catch him with my kunai.

"Sakura, take Naruto and run!" Sasuke shouts at me. I look at him with wide eyes, shaking my head. Instead, I jump in front of him. He is bruised and hurt.

"Run, girlie." Orochimaru sneers. "I don't need you. You are too weak." The word hits me again. Instead of doing anything, I smirk at him and raise my hands. I have to attack him, postpone him until someone comes to help us. "What? You are going to attack me?" Orochimaru chuckles and shakes his head. "I would want you to try it, girlie."

I look around, trying to think of any attacks that might help me. I am currently standing on the trees, too high up for Earth-based jutsus. And we are in the middle of the forest, with no water around us. Only thing, I can use is Genjutsu and I doubt that I will be able to hold him with it.

Boar. Dog. Bird. Monkey. Ram.

"Demonic Illusion :Descending Hell." I whisper under my breath, attacking him the best genjutsu I have. "Sasuke, grab Naruto, we are running." I whisper-yell at him and he nods, taking Naruto with him as we start loudly. In the middle of the run, I take Naruto away from him, fastening our pace.

"You don't think, it could have stopped me." Orochimaru appears in front of us, forcing us to stop abruptly. When he comes towards me with his snake like moves, I use all my chakra and punch him in the face. He stumbles, looking surprised and impressed at me. "Let's see what you are made of, girlie."

***

I sigh as I lean against the cave wall. Only thing I could manage was draining myself. He still bitted Sasuke. And now, all three of us are hiding in the cave, while I am waiting when Sound nins are going to attack our shelter.

But this time, I have to take care of them, before Team Gai and Team Ten come. I have to fight them into whole other dimension before Sasuke wakes up. I have to prevent him activating his Curse Mark.

I stir at the sound outside and get up, knowing perfectly well, who they are. When I step outside with kunai in my hand, I am ready to kill all three of them in front of me. I am ready to slit their throat if it means, I can protect him.

"We came for Uchiha, pinkie." One of them with white fur over his shoulders states. I never cared to remember their names. They destroyed my life, yes, but Konoha killed them.

"Over my dead body." I whisper with anger radiating off of me.

"Gladly." The girl smirks and runs towards me, with Kunai. I know the way their attacks work. And I know what I have to do to prevent them. Somehow, she still manages to grab my hair and I once again have to cut it off. Which is shame, because I wanted to have a normal haircut.

"I am going to kill you." I whisper with small smile appearing on my lips. I push the girl away from me and smirk at him.

I kneel down and start making hand-seals.

Dog.

Last time, I needed to be saved.

Tiger.

Last time, Lee risked his life for me.

Snake.

Last time, Sasuke woke up and protected me,

Dog.

Last time, I could not help.

Rat.

Last time, I was only abuse.

Snake.

Though, this time it is going to change.

I slam my hands on the ground, as hard as possible. "Earth Release : Flying rocks!" I call out, smirking as the rain of rocks come out of the ground, flying towards their direction. They curse, some of the rocks hitting them, wounding them painfully.

"Sakura..." I hear a dark voice behind me. I freeze on the spot. I slowly turn around, my eyes widening at his sight. Tears pool in my orbs, as I have been trying hard to prevent this from happening. Yet, I have failed to help him. Failed to save him. "Who did this to you?"

"I did!" The guy with turbines on his hands states proudly. His turbines are scratched, while he is spitting out blood from his mouth. I smile proudly at my doing as all three of them are wounded in different level.

Without saying a word, Sasuke jumps on him, nearly killing him. And he would have killed, if I had not jumped in behind him, hugging him tightly, begging him to come back to me.