𝕋𝕖𝕒𝕞 𝟟; 𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕤 𝕎𝕖𝕒𝕡𝕠𝕟𝕤

Cԋαρƚҽɾ Tɯҽɳƚყ-Tɯσ - Dιʂƚɾαƈƚισɳ

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

- Mahatama Gandhi

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"This way, kids." Pakkun directed the two genin towards the gigantic Tailed-Beast and Sasuke.

Sakura's face hardened as she saw Sasuke being flung away by the beast's tail. "Thanks a lot, Pakkun."

"No need, Pinkie," Pakkun said gruffly. "Hold on, there's someone behind us."

"I'll distract them." Sakura offered. "Naruto needs to go against Shukaku."

"Okay," Pakkun nods, "Blondie, this way."

Saying a quick farewell, Naruto parted ways and Sakura wasted no time in creating traps and hid in the trees, watching for any threats that were following her and Naruto. 

"Wow..." Sakura gulped, "there are nine of them. Thank Kami I changed the tracks that lousy Naruto left behind."

"Go, quickly! We need to catch the boy before he stops the Kazekage's son!" A ninja yelled.

Sakura smirked. "I don't think so. Fusenmei Genzo (Vision Blur)!"

Three of them suddenly experienced blurred vision, which was enough of a number to not raise flags. If she put too many people under the genjutsu, it would make it obvious that it was a genjutsu.

"Iwa Toge Fushido no Jutsu (Rock Thorn Bed Jutsu)!" Sakura hissed, killing off those three and an extra two. Four remained, and they caught wind of Sakura's position, and so they approached slowly to attack.

"...shit." Sakura watched them speed up the tree she was on, and she barely had time to take out a kunai to defend herself when they attacked.

Ducking, dodging, punching, kicking, cutting, killing, throwing, blocking...Sakura was disarmed within five minutes, and she had to resort to her last weapon.

"You don't use it unless you have to. It takes up a lot of concentration and chakra, so it's only a last resort. You only use it on opponents you want to kill. Never on friends and loved ones. Understand, Sakura?"

Sakura gritted her teeth. I understand, Katsumi-sensei.

"Chakura no Mesu (Chakra Dissection Blade)," Sakura muttered, before swinging wildly with her right hand, which were now encased with chakra.

"Ha, you think that can-" The ninja cut his own sentence off with a scream as the chakra passed through his abdomen. 

The other Sound ninjas freaked out. "Are you okay?"

There was no visible wound, but Sakura knew that she had injured him. These chakra blades hurt the human body internally, and usually, they never healed completely. That was why it was such an effective weapon.

"Hiya!" Sakura swung again, this time cutting through the windpipe of an Oto-nin, killing him instantly. "Take...that!"

Puffing, the Haruno knew she had little chakra left, and so she stabbed the last two before falling unconscious, falling past the tree branch and onto the ground, surrounded by nine dead Oto-nin.

◾◽◾◽◾◽

Naruto was having a dilemma. Does he protect Sasuke and risk the One-Tail rampaging on Konoha, or does he leave Sasuke - who was bleeding out - and stop Shukaku?

Naruto waited for a bit, summing clones to fight in his place while taking care of Sasuke. If Sakura could come, then he'd leave Sasuke to her.

But she never came.