The Heiress (UNDER REVISION UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)

Snake

Team Alpha was only three days away from Konohagakure borders when it happened. One minute they were traveling, chakra sensors spread with a 3 kilometer radius, their chakra was hidden, and their dark cloaks was supposed to be enough to keep them hidden and well blended to the shadows.

They’ve survived nearly 5 years as a team with this tactic. Only this time, with all their precautions, it wasn’t.

“Rabbit, watch out!” Cat yelled as soon as a shadow dropped in the middle of their triangle formation.

The shadow wielded a katana and immediately targeted Rabbit’s left. “Shit!” Rabbit yelped when he was too slow to dodge the weapon. He managed to put some distance between him and the shadow as he placed his right hand on his injured side. 

“Where’d this guy come from?” Dragon muttered as he took out his ANBU standard tanto. “There’s no way he could’ve gone between our sensors.” He was sure of it. Team Alpha trained day and night to be able to sense chakra from 5 kilometers away, and even his taichō could sense beyond that. ‘Whoever this guy is, he’s either crazy or desperate.’

“Rabbit, get that wound bandaged. Dragon, with me.” Cat ordered as soon as she saw the figure begin to move again. 

With her own katana, she met the figure blow for blow with Dragon defending her blind spots. Despite the darkness, she tried to look for any hitai – ate or any village indication on the unknown attacker.

“Let me see your pretty eyes, Uchiha.” The figure said as they moved to remove Cat’s ANBU mask.

Cat kicked the figure away before they could get close, but there was a nagging voice in her head when she saw the figure’s golden eyes. “Who are you?”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve to attack ANBU.” Rabbit said from his perch on a tree, despite his injury, he was still alert and ready to move against the figure.

“Oh, I do, don’t I?” The figure chuckled as they removed their own cloak, “Tell me, how is my dear sensei? Has he finally died in a ditch?” He asked. 

At his appearance, Team Alpha tensed.

“You are the Snake Sannin.” Cat announced as she activated her sharingan.

“I believe you’ve been looking for me?” Orochimaru laughed at the irony, “Well, now that I’m here, let’s dance!” He yelled as he summoned two gigantic snakes which swiftly left his side and attacked Rabbit and Dragon.

Cat frowned as Orochimaru flew at her with a crazy grin, “As for you, I will have your body!”

Her sharingan spun to life as she disappeared from his sight, only to reappear above him. With a chakra enhanced kick, Orochimaru slumped to the ground with cracks growing under him. 

Not giving him any time to catch his breath, she performed her clan’s famous jutsu, “Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!” She aimed it to the sannin’s unguarded back.

Orochimaru gritted his teeth as he shunshined to another branch. Even when he was clearly losing, he still had the gall to grin, “Yes! The power! Give it to me! Show me!” He laughed before he launched himself again, this time with his Kusanagi.

“Fuuton: Katto Kaze!”

Cat disappeared once more as the Kusanagi created the sudden blast of wind. Orochimaru did not let up, “Doton: Iwa Fubuki!” He sent the rocks to his right where Cat re – materialized.

Cat promptly disappeared once more before his attack could land. “Playing hide and seek, are we?” Orochimaru grinned. “Mandara no Jin!” He opened his mouth and his snakes flew out to the air where Cat appeared with her sharingan peeking from the slits of her mask.

“Katon: Shinhidora no Jutsu!” The three headed fire dragon seemed to roar as it swooped down on Orochimaru and his snakes.

The destruction made by the dragon was crazy; nearly half of the forest behind the Snake Sannin was burnt and charred beyond repair. The two snake summons from before were dead and roasted in front of Cat, most likely called back as Orochimaru’s last minute desperate defense.

With a burst of speed, Cat slammed the Snake Sannin to the burnt ground by his neck. Dragon and Rabbit fell right behind her, both looking bruised and tired with a few snake bites around their body.

“I will have your body, Uchiha!” Orochimaru’s crazed grin still appeared even when he was burnt and beaten down. “You will be the greatest vessel of all! My ultimate vessel! Immortality shall be mine!” He yelled as he cackled like the madman he is.

“You will never have my body,” She spoke with a calm tone. “Never.” She tightened her grip around his neck.

“If not yours, then your siblings’!” He wheezed out from her hold, his golden eyes met hers. “Any Uchiha will do, but don’t be jealous, Sakura – chan,” He purred out, “Yours will be the greatest achievement of all!”

“End him, Taichō.” Dragon spoke from her right. 

Agreeing with him, Cat readied herself to simply tear his head apart from his body.

“Senei Ta Jashu!”

Sharingan eyes spun wide in alarm as she saw numerous snakes bite Rabbit and Dragon. Their cries of pain was enough to put her world into slow motion.

“Gah!” Dragon clenched his teeth as he registered pain, his brain was overloaded with information but one thing seemed clear – Venom. 

“Taichō, finish him!” Rabbit grunted out as he was sent to his knees. 

Cat bit her lip as she ripped the head off. Blood covered her chest plate and mask but she frowned in frustration as she saw that she held an unknown human head. Looking at the body, it was no longer Orochimaru’s, it was a non-descriptive white naked body – Akatsuki’s Zetsu, her mind remembered.

A few meters behind Team Alpha, Orochimaru cackled. “I’ll be back for you, Uchiha Sakura!” He announced before he formed a Snake hand sign, “Kai!”

“Shit!” Cat yelled as her world tilted and smoke went up.

---

“That was a close one, Orochimaru – san.” Zetsu grinned as he watched the beaten Snake Sannin limp towards their temporary base. “If it wasn’t for my clone, you wouldn’t be alive right now.” He said.

“Be grateful I pulled your pathetic ass out from that fight, Sannin.” A red head grumbled as he watched the Sannin stop in his tracks. “That girl could’ve ended your puny life right then and there.”

Orochimaru cackled, “Yes, yes. I am grateful for your help,” he turned to the two figures behind him, “Zetsu – san, Sasori – san.”

Sasori snorted, “Some sannin you are, beaten down by a child.”

“Are you even sure that she will hunt you down?” Zetsu asked, “She seems adamant on keeping herself away from you.” He tilted his head to the side.

Orochimaru grinned, “Oh, she will.”

“Why are you so sure?” Sasori asked as Orochimaru began to limp away, no doubt ready to retreat to his own room.

“My venoms cannot be treated by ordinary medics, only Tsunade can. I’m pretty sure two of her teammates got bitten multiple times.” He explained, “Sakura will go crazy with revenge once she loses her team.”

---

Cat grunted in pain as she swiftly moved with both Dragon and Rabbit on her back. Her own injuries was the last thing on her mind once she saw the venom on her teammates’ body.  Despite their wrecked armor and mask, Team Alpha will remain strong. Or so Cat would like to believe.

‘Shit! Shit! Shit!’ She thought as she ran faster, cursing the gods that they were attacked three days travel away from Konohagakure borders. 

Summoning her fastest raven, she ordered, “Get to the village and get a medic ready by the gate!” It nodded before it swiftly flew to heed her orders. 

Dragon groaned, “Taichō, you’re injured too.” He muttered as he felt blood travel on her neck. “Leave us and go ahead.”

Cat clenched her teeth as she withheld her pain, “It’s all of us or none of us, Dragon. It’s always been that way.” She said, her heart seemed to beat loudly in her ears.

Rabbit weakly shook his head, “It’s too late, Taichō… Save yourself…” He rasped as he felt himself choke on his own blood.

“We’re so far from village, we won’t make it.” Dragon agreed but Cat paid no heed to their comments.

“We will!” She snapped, “We will.” She repeated softly.

“W – We…  won’t,” Rabbit murmured, “Don’t kid yourself, Cat.” His brown eyes were glazed with exhaustion as he met her eyes, “His s – snakes’ venoms c – can’t… Can’t be t – treated by – by the medics…”

Cat was frustrated but did not say anything, only focusing on getting to the border where she kept an emergency Hiraishin seal.  “My organs are shutting down, Taichō.” Dragon weakly chuckled, “Who knew it would come to this?”

“We’ll be fine!” Cat snapped, “We’ll be fine, okay?!”

Rabbit coughed but kept silent. He wouldn’t make it, he was sure. His injuries were too severe compared to Cat’s and Dragon’s, but he would hold on as much as he can. Even if his legs were numb, even if his spine ached so bad, even if his head seemed to bash his skull inside and out, he would hold on for her – for Sakura. 

“Y… “ Rabbit struggled, “You did good, Sakura – chan.” Rabbit – No, Takeshi said. “I’ll always believe in you.”

“Rabbit?” Dragon murmured in concern as he watched Takeshi’s eyes slowly close. “Rabbit?! Oi! Takeshi!! Sakura, Takeshi’s not -! He’s not -!” Ryuu couldn’t continue his words as he started to become hysterical.

‘Takeshi!!’ Sakura thought as she saw the edge of the border. With all reason thrown out of the window, she activated the Hiraishin seal and promptly teleported to the village gates.

---

[AUTHOR TIMEEE:]

HEYYYYYY,  so like... Hehe, I don't really write fight scenes, so I hope it wasn't cringey at all? Oof. I'm usually more of a world builder kind of writer, but I really tried to conquer my fear of writing fight scenes :)) So, sorry if I got you guys cringed or what, hehe.