Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Chimera vs Kiri Demon
While the real Sakura quietly walked with her team, blending seamlessly into the chaos of Naruto and Sasuke’s bickering, Kakashi beside her talking about eh, hobbies. Her shadow clone had reached its target—a chakra signature too potent to ignore. Traveling in the tick earth with the " Hiding like a mole" Technique she burrowed closer and closer.
Emerging silently from the dirt, Sakura’s clone wasted no time. It launched a devastating punch at the figure, sending them crashing into the trees. The force was enough to shake the ground, scattering leaves and birds into the air. Her fist hit the under the chin of a tall person, she twisted her fist with a sicking thunk, the person urged and was launched back. Her victim flew and hit againts tree with another argh.
The shadow clone’s green eyes narrowed. No panic, no hesitation—just cold precision. She assessed her opponent as they steadied themselves against a massive tree. Her heart stuttered momentarily when she realized who it was: Zabuza Momochi, one of Kiri’s legendary Seven Swordsmen. Her eyes shifted into the Sharingan turning one tomoe spinning around her black pupil.
“Just my luck,” Sakura’s clone thought. A figure of this caliber meant trouble. But at least her shadow clone was confronting him, not her team. If Zabuza attacked them directly, they wouldn’t stand a chance. Well, Kakashi could have easily taken him down if he was alone. But the Jonin had 3 freshly minted Genin ( technically she wasn't but hey) and a Civilian. In a scenario, if she hadn´t been here, Zabuza might have killed at least one of them.
Zabuza wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, his massive sword gleaming as he drove it into the ground to regain his balance. His sharp eyes locked onto her, widening slightly in disbelief.
“What the hell? A pink-haired girl with silver Hatake chakra... and a Sharingan? This makes no sense!” He paused, his tone sharpening with suspicion. “Why isn’t someone like you in the Bingo Book? Who are you?!”
Sakura didn’t answer. She couldn’t afford to waste time explaining herself. She had to neutralize him before he found her real team.
Her right foot activated the seal, unlocking her suppressed chakra reserves. The chakra reserve surrounding her intensified, clipping from genin, chunin, and jonin and halting at Anbu. Her chakra swirled like a raging storm. Her Sharingan spun to life, the single tomoe in her eyes transforming into two.
“Chakra Style: Scalpel Jutsu, Hatake Version!” she muttered coldly, forming a series of handseals: Tiger → Horse → Rabbit → Rat → Dog.
Her hands glowed with a sharp, blue light that quickly turned silver. They then emitted a high-pitched hum that cut through the air like a razor. Like a hot pan cooking hot water her chakra chiped like hungry baby birds. The sound was unnerving—like the screech of metal on metal.
Zabuza flinched at the huge chakra surge. The girl seemed like a Genin then suddenly jumped her chakra to anbu?!?! His instincts screamed at him that this jutsu wasn’t normal. “Impossible! A chakra scalpel as a combat technique?!” He was not an expert in medical ninjutsu but he knew that medical ninjutsu needed to be in a stable movement. Not in attack!
This girl!
Well, Zabuza was right. Medical jutsu like the scalpel were designed for precision in surgery, requiring a steady, stationary hand. Not for Sakura she could disregard such notions She had mastered it as a weapon, thanks to her unparalleled chakra control. It was a skill Danzo had often praised her for during her time in ROOT—a twisted compliment, given the atrocities she’d been forced to commit under his orders.
Before Zabuza could react, Sakura vanished into the ground, her presence completely masked.
“What the—?!” Zabuza swung his massive sword reflexively, but Sakura’s clone reemerged from the earth, her chakra scalpel aiming straight for his neck. He barely managed to twist away in time, her glowing blade grazing his shoulder. Blood splattered onto the forest floor as he stumbled back, clutching the wound.
Zabuza’s teeth clenched as he analyzed her movements. She was fast, precise, and relentless—too skilled for a genin. Worse, her gaze was cold, devoid of any hesitation or mercy. This wasn’t just a child. This was a trained killer. Why did Konohagagure keep this girl a secret? He always thought the village was full of softies. If she wasn´t an enemy he taught, he would have praised her Ambush, it was incredible. She ambushed him! The master of the silent killing technique!
Sakura didn’t let up. She delivered a spinning heel kick to his midsection, sending him skidding back, his feet digging deep furrows into the dirt. Zabuza gasped, the force of her blow rattling his ribs. As he staggered
“Damn it… How is someone so small this strong?!” he muttered. Her kicks were like stones and her speed matched his own. An elite ninja of all people.
Sakura’s Sharingan gleamed, locking onto his every movement. She vanished again into the ground, launching hit-and-run attacks with terrifying precision. Zabuza swung his blade wildly, trying to anticipate her movements, but each time she emerged, her attacks grew closer and closer to a fatal blow.
“What is this… a deadly game of whack-a-mole?!” Zabuza growled, his frustration mounting.
He tried to disengage, retreating deeper into the forest to gain some distance, but Sakura’s relentless pursuit didn’t falter. She tracked him like a predator, emerging from the shadows with chakra-enhanced strikes that left deep gouges in the terrain.
At one point, Zabuza embedded his sword too deeply into a tree, momentarily leaving himself open. Seizing the opportunity, Sakura leaped onto the blade and ran at him channeling chakra into her legs to propel herself toward him. Her chakra scalpel sliced through the air, flying passed him, narrowly missing his face and instead cleaving through a nearby tree. The massive trunk fell with a deafening crash, splitting cleanly in half.
Zabuza’s hands trembled as he gripped the hilt of his sword. “She’s not human… She’s a monster,” he said with a smile.
Sakura landed gracefully, turning around, her eyes never leaving her target. Her hands formed another seal as she slammed her fist into the ground. “SHAANNAROOO!” she roared, her voice echoing through the forest like a terrifying war roar. Her fist was still engulfed in the chakra scalpel barrel down to the ground, breaking the earth open like it was paper.
The earth beneath Zabuza erupted violently, sending massive chunks of debris flying in all directions. Dust and shadows obscured his vision, forcing him to rely on his other senses. He stumbled back jumped, dodged, and swung his sword cutting nearby debris before it hit him. Where did she go? He jumped to the right on a small flying earth piece and propelled himself to a safer stop.
Suddenly, he felt a shadow looming over him.
Looking up, his heart stopped.
Sakura descended from above, her chakra scalpel blazing like a comet.
“Damn it!” Zabuza cursed, twisting desperately to avoid the strike. But her blade caught him across the chest, carving a deep gash through his flesh. Blood sprayed into the air as he let out a pained scream, staggering back and clutching his wound. He almost died. Sakura continued to plummet beneath him, cutting earth pieces along like a surgeon cutting skin with ease.
The forest fell silent, save for the sound of Zabuza’s labored breathing.
Sakura landed softly, on the ground in a fight stance. Her Sharingan spun, scanning for any sign of movement. Looking up she spotted Zabuza. The area finally calmed down. A few smaller pieces crashed to the ground. The whole beneath her feet was agape like a horrified face. The two ninjas studied each other like a book. Then the tension broke. She dashed and sprinted toward Zabuza who was atop a tree branch contemplating what to do. The girl, his attacker was too deadly. Was she a bounty hunter? If so why has he never heard of her? Zabuza coughed in pain. He, an elite ninja was driven to the edge by a girl half the size of him probably 12 or 11 years old and he was almost dead. Danm it!
Zabuza’s grip tightened on his sword. He was injured, but not out. Not yet.
“This girl…” he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice tinged with both fear and admiration. “She’s a deamon like me!” He wondered if she had to kill fellow comrades like him. For the first time in forever, Zabuza finally felt excitement.
Sakura's crimson eyes glinted coldly, not a sound, just like she had been trained to in ROOT. A ninja was a tool, and a tool only talks when taken to, something Danzo had drilled into her with torture and harsh punishment. Even if he was dead the ghost of the man and his insane training had shaped her into a deadly monster.
But her time was running out. The shadow clone was nearing its limit, and she needed to ensure Zabuza didn’t interfere with her real team.
With a burst of speed, she charged at him her chakra scalpel aimed straight for his heart. He raised his sword, and exited for their battle:" Show me what you got, pinky!"