Space to Breathe - [ Sakura Haruno ]

CHAPTER 33

"You're alive?!" Ino screeched a moment later, a mixture of confusion, joy and surprise filling her expression.

Sakura gave the girl a shrug, but her eyes didn't leave Shikamaru's.

"I'm as surprised as you are," she deadpanned. "It's not every day you fight a Kage and love to talk about it."

Shikamaru let out a choked laugh at that, but his eyes didn't leave hers.

"Well this was unexpected, but we need to move quickly," Asuma said commandingly, forcing Sakura's eyes to him.

"We're still in Iwa territory," he explained. "We'll rush towards the outpost at the border with Grass country and rest there before heading back to Konoha."

The situation felt serious, more than even it usually would be on a mission into foreign territory. She supposed it made sense, they definitely didn't have permission to come and find her body.

Shikamaru snapped out of his daze at that and nodded, Sakura approached closer as he did.

"I'll catch you up on what's going on whilst we move," he offered, and Sakura smiled gratefully at him.

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Sakura knew war was a possibility, the moment Iwa openly made attempts on Riku's life it solidified in her mind a a strong one, even.

But she hadn't really acknowledged it as something that could effect her. It was always something that happened in the past, not anywhere near her.

But now she had found herself in enemy territory, surrounded by Iwa nin with no escape route in sight. Ino had been knocked out immediately by a heavy kick to the head, and Choji had received a kunai to the shoulder. No signs of poisoning took hold though and the Akimichi soldiered on well.

Asuma was struggling, as would be expected of someone facing a trio of Iwa Jonin, whilst Shikamaru held a number of chunin in his shadow.

"Take them down," Shikamaru growled, sweat dripping down his forehead from the effort.

Choji nodded simply and began to charge forwards, his fist enlarged and instantly squashing each Iwa nin, one by one.

Sakura was locked in combat with another pair of Jonin, although neither of which she recognised from the Bingo Book. They had both pulled earth from the ground to use as gauntlets the moment they appeared before her.

"Close combat specialists," she murmured, carefully dodging away from their attacks.

Compared to Hidan though, they were slow. Sakura evaded their attacks easily as she thought up a plan.

"This'll teach you for daring to hurt Tsuchikage-sama!" One of the two roared as he charged again.

It was a surprise to hear she was entered into the Bingo Book, but it made sense. They hadn't found a body, and as such made an assumption she was alive. Konoha made the opposite assumption considering they imagined Iwa would send someone to deal with her after her fall.

She wanted desperately to use her Metamorphosis technique, but knew it wasn't the time to test it again. It drained way too much chakra for it to be reliable, and if Shikamaru and Choji failed to put down the group of chunin she needed to be available to assist them.

So she drew her Water Chokuto, unsealing the Earth Chokuto from it's seal, and stopped dodging.

Instead, she burst forth with chakra enhanced speed, muttering the techniques name as she did.