Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [1]

☾ 38 ☽

"Hey, the enemy is approaching fast," Pakkun told Tsukiko, Naruto and Sakura as they continued onwards. The other three looked at him in surprise. "I wonder if he's really delaying the enemy," Tsukiko pursed her lips.

"Don't tell me, Shikamaru..." Sakura started.

"Shikamaru will be okay!" Naruto interrupted her worry.

"Don't tell me that he ran away!" Sakura completed her sentence. Tsukiko sighed and cut into the two of them before they could get into an argument right now.

"Shikamaru will definitely be okay, Usa," Tsukiko spoke up. "He's always complaining about stuff and calling everything troublesome but there is no way that he will betray us, or Konoha,"

"He hardly ever says he'll do something himself," Naruto added. "But he makes sure to do it when he does say it! That's absolute,dattebayo!"

"Pick up the pace!" Pakkun shouted and the four of them increased their speed as they continued on their way to Sasuke. Tsukikocursed the guy, wondering if he would ever stop.

Tsukiko was worried about Shikamaru. She knew that he wouldn't betray them but she also knew that he had used up a lot of his Chakra during his fight with Temari earlier. If he tries too much, he may end up really getting killed. And Tsukiko did not want that to happen. They were Konoha 10, the rookies. They were supposed to make it out of trouble, always.

"Hmm," Pakkun said suddenly. "The movements of our pursuers have stopped," Tsukiko looked up at him in surprise. So, Shikamarumanaged to get them to stop for now...

"Yes!" Naruto cheered. "The delaying was a success, dattebayo!" Tsukiko bit her lower lip, glancing over her shoulder, hoping that they would see Shikamaru soon. He's really smart, he has to get out of there alive.

Tsukiko looked back ahead. Where was Sasuke? And where was Gaara? First, she had to make sure that Sasuke is safe before she even attempts to restrain Gaara in any way. She wasn't even sure if she would be able to do it. What if her Wood Style is weak? She could barely handle Naruto back in the Land of Waves...

"Have more faith in yourself, Usahime," Okuninushi muttered. "You can do it," Tsukiko nodded but she was still a little apprehensive. She hadn't tried to actually restrain a tailed beast and she hoped it wouldn't have to do today either. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a loud noise.

"What was that noise?" Sakura said as the four of them stopped to look in the direction they heard the loud explosion come from.Pakkun dropped onto Naruto's head, avoiding Tsukiko's since she had those bloody horns sticking out ominously.

"An explosion," Pakkun answered. "Perhaps it was a trap set for Sasuke," Tsukiko bit her lower lip, wondering what was going on as they stood in the dark forest.

"I wonder if he's okay," Sakura said, clearly worried sick.

"Don't worry, he wouldn't get bumped off so easily," Naruto assured her. Tsukiko nodded in agreement to that. Sasuke wasn't so easily thrown off. He couldn't be.

☾

"Sasuke's movements have stopped!" Pakkun informed Tsukiko, Naruto and Sakura as they continued to run through the forest. "There's still quite a bit of distance, though..." The forest had never felt so big to Tsukiko before. "Huh? This smell is?!"

"W-What's wrong, dattebayo?" Naruto asked as he, Tsukiko and Sakura stopped when they saw that Pakkun had landed onto one of the tree branches, no longer tracking Sasuke.