Weaker & Weak

Chapter 12

To say Sakura was concerned would be an understatement. Yuuki was a mysterious person but she seemed to be becoming more mysterious and distant. Sakura tried not to worry about it but it was hard.

On top of that, Sakura had hit a dilemma. She still wanted to care for her teammates and she couldn't quiet the voice in her conscience that told her to do so, but, the fact that Naruto hadn't come after her meant that he had gone after Sasuke instead.

It was now 3 weeks since she had left Konoha. She could notice the difference it had on her. She felt stronger and more capable. She just wished that she could have felt this way when she had been in Konoha. She could have fought with her teammates instead of standing and watching on the sidelines while feeling useless.

She lay staring at the stars outside the base. There was a small hill she had walked up to get where she was now.

Sakura could kind of see the truth in her teammate's words. The same words that had caused her to leave the village. She shifted slightly on the grass, I was useless and I was a burden. She clenched her eyes shut feeling her throat sting slightly but she willed the tears not to come. She opened her eyes, but...they are my teammates...they should have told me and helped me rather than saying it behind my back... Sakura did not use the past tense for her teammates. She had finally given into the voice that told her to continue caring for them, so she continued to refer to them as the teammates she still had.

Yuuki walked out of the base and she could feel Sakura's chakra nearby. She found her lying on the grass on top of a small hill. The moonlight reflected off of Sakura's skin giving it an almost eerie look and her hair looked almost purple.

Sakura opened her eyes and sat up when she felt Yuuki's chakra approaching. Yuuki came to stand beside Sakura and Sakura lay down again. Her eyes still open, she looked at Yuuki.

"We're moving bases." Said Yuuki looking at the horizon blanketed by darkness. "Now?" said Sakura. Yuuki nodded and Sakura sighed as she stood up. "You always come out at night, Sakura. Why?" said Yuuki. The question startled Sakura and she looked at the ground. "I prefer the darkness to the light...I can think in peace and it also reminds me of..." Sakura trailed off. Yuuki notice Sakura's hesitancy in continuing the topic and she smiled slightly realizing what Sakura was going to say. Yuuki nodded and Sakura took that her queue to get ready to move bases.

Sakura walked back inside and packed the things she had in her rucksack and she looked around the room to make sure she hadn't left anything. Yuuki was still waiting outside and she jumped into the trees and Sakura followed.

Three hours later, Yuuki raised a hand and Sakura stopped. It was still pitch black but Sakura could hear faint screams and a child crying. Yuuki jumped higher into the trees and stopped placing a finger on her lips. There were some ninja below and they had cornered a family. The mother was hugging her son it seemed and he was about 8 years old. "Not my son! Take me instead! Please leave my son! Please!" screamed the woman. The father it seemed was trying to protect the young girl who was crying and seemed about the age of 5.

Sakura was about to jump down towards them to help them but Yuuki grabbed her shoulder and shook her head. "Why? They need help. Who are those ninja anyway? What do they want with them?" whispered Sakura.

"They are sound ninja. They are getting slaves for Orochimaru's bases." Said Yuuki quietly. Sakura's eyes widened at the mention of Sound and Orochimaru and she looked back at the family, Sasuke...

One of the ninjas had managed to hit the fathers head off of a tree, knocking him unconscious. The other ninja injected the rest of the family with a sedative. The mother, son and daughter all slipped into unconsciousness. Sakura was about to leap down, but once again she felt one of Yuuki's hands grasp her shoulder, pulling her back. The ninjas lifted the each member of the family up and set off. Sakura threw a furious glance at Yuuki, "Why did you not let me save the-" Sakura was cut off by Yuuki, "It was not our place Sakura. I doubt that anyone outside of Konoha knows of your betrayal. Keep it that way." Sakura lowered her eyes at the mention of the word 'betrayal'.

Yuuki noticed this and released her shoulder and said, "Gomen Sakura. We can't risk it." Sakura didn't say anything as she followed Yuuki. She was wondering about Sasuke and how his life was now that he spent most of it training under the Sannin's watchful eyes that longed for the Sharingan.

When Yuuki stopped suddenly, Sakura was so deep in thought that she almost banged right into her. Sakura stopped and looked at Yuuki angrily, "Quit doing that!"

Yuuki turned around with amused eyes. Sakura answered the unasked question, "Stop stopping so suddenly!"

Yuuki raised an eyebrow and turned back towards the camouflaged base in front of them. She opened the wooden door and Sakura found herself in a corridor lit by flaming torches.

Sakura took a look around the base quickly before retreating to her room which again held only the bare necessities. She slid in between the covers and sighed. How could the fate of one team be so cruel?

She shifted into a more comfortable position and her eyes slowly drifted closed.

Sakura eyes opened and she sat up. All she could see was darkness around her. She stood up and suddenly she saw Naruto standing in front of her. He turned around and walked away from her with his back facing her. "N...Naruto...Don't go!" she yelled. He continued walking and Sakura saw orange chakra begin to engulf him. If looked so evil.

"Naruto!" she yelled again but he continued walking further into the evil chakra. Tears streamed down her face and suddenly she felt a presence behind her and she spun around. Sasuke stood behind her.

He turned around and walked away from her. "Sasuke...Wait!" she yelled. She spun around and saw that Naruto was completely engulfed in the orange chakra.

She turned back to Sasuke and watched as a shadow blanketed over him. She saw two figures materialize in front of him.

Sakura realized that one of them must be his brother as he also had the Sharingan. He looked somewhat similar to Sasuke. The other figure was a man wearing a black cloak with red clouds. His face was concealed behind an orange mask with one eyehole. All three of them were blanketed by a shadow although the man with the mask seemed to radiate evil and darkness. Sasuke reached them and turned around.

The look in his eyes had grown more evil and she felt the tears slide down her face. As all three turned around and began walking away from her, she caught a glimpse of the man with orange masks eyes. Her eyes widened as she saw the Sharingan.

Sakura opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. She could feel her body shaking. Who was that man with the mask? Sasuke...his eyes...

No matter how hard she tried she could not fall asleep.