The Way of the Wind

Just Like a Poison

Chapter 2: Just Like a Poison

5 Years Ago
Forest of Death

"Don't you dare Sasuke," Sakura hissed, fingers clutching even tighter against the kunai in her hand. "Don't you dare go near him, don't let him touch you."

Part of her was screaming to go to his side and hold him back if she had to, but she couldn't leave Naruto's unconscious body. Her brain was working fast, working over every strategy, every possible way to get away and to get help. This wasn't some genin attempting to gain chunin status. This was something else, and her stomach was twisting itself into a knot of fear and terror. She couldn't fight this.

Sasuke's jaw was clenched tight, sharingan bright in his gaze. He was bleeding from the hit he had taken earlier and she could see lines of strain along his mouth and eyes. He knew that he was the only one who could try to fight what was before them and she could tell by the way he wasn't looking at her that he didn't think he could win.

Swallowing back her tears, Sakura was forced to wait to see what would happen next.

"Sakura..."

"No," she snapped.

"Stay out of the way, Sakura."

She wanted to throw her kunai at him, but it was the only defense she had.

"Sasuke!"

There was no flash of chakra, no warning. There was empty space, and then suddenly he was standing between Sasuke and that...monster with a man's face.

Sakura only saw his back. Long, flowing hair covered any symbol that would have been stitched onto the standard ANBU wear. She had no idea who it was, and she didn't care, all she knew was that help had arrived.

Sasuke suffered no such ignorance. "Aniki. What are you doing here?"

Itachi ignored him. He was standing casually; his hands loose at his sides and he still managed to give the impression of a coiled spring. This was the first time Sakura had seen the Uchiha prodigy, and her grip on her kunai tightened. There was more going on here than what she understood. She had to protect Naruto. She had to get Sasuke away from that man, that monster, who'd taunted him and offered him power.

She shifted her gaze away from Uchiha Itachi to focus on Sasuke, willing him to fall back, to regroup around their fallen teammate. But it was almost all she could do to stand under the gathering chakra as Itachi and that monster combated each other silently.

"Orochimaru," Itachi said tonelessly. "I told you to stay away from my little brother."

The monster-man laughed, "I couldn't help it, Itachi-kun. He is such a tasty little bite."

That disgusting tongue slithered out and Orochimaru licked his lips. "His ambition makes him so...delicious."

"I can see why you had to leave Konoha to find fulfillment for your ambition, Orochimaru. You really are very stupid."

Orochimaru made a noise that sounded like steam hitting stone.

"Go back to your team, little brother."

Sasuke's spine had straightened, fists clenching at his side, but before he could retort Itachi had disappeared. The tree Orochimaru had been leaning against shattered under the force of Itachi's attack and the monster howled.

They couldn't get involved in this. Pushing herself up, Sakura looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" Her voice was shrill and too high but she didn't care. It caught his attention.