Of Resolves, Orochimaru, and Curse Marks
-Of Resolves, Orochimaru, and Curse Marks-
The two stared at each other for a moment, a tense silence filling the air.
Pulling out a kunai, Sasuke brings it up to his mouth and holds it with his teeth. 'All I cared about was surviving in order to defeat my brother. What a fool I've been. I see the truth now. Naruto... Sakura... Amaya... If I haven't the courage to face this demon, how can I ever hope to face him?!' He thought to himself before charging forward. And the Grass nin makes a hand sign in response, sending out another gust of wind like moments prior, prompting Sasuke to jump into the air to throw the kunai in his mouth with an additional two.
The Grass nin dodges the three weapons and looks up as Sasuke gathers chakra in his feet to help him stick to the underside of a branch above. The Uchiha then pushes off the branch towards the nin, and the two engage in a Taijutsu battle.
After aiming a kick, that was blocked, Sasuke jumped over the nins head. The two stared at each other for a moment before charging once more.
During their second round of Taijutsu, the nin disappears, and Sasuke begins to follow her movements with his Sharingan as she weaves through the trees and branches. 'I can see... I can see!' He thought to himself, jumping backwards to blow another fireball in her direction.
The Grass nin brought up her arms to cover her face in hopes of blocking some of the attack. Soon enough, she in enveloped by smoke, making the trio tense as they wait for her to show herself once more.
Eventually, she charges from the smoke and makes a swipe at Sasuke's abdomen, only for him to dodge by jumping backwards. Once he's far enough away, Sasuke lets out a sigh and readies himself.
'Oh good... You anticipated my attacks and your aim is true. You can see my moves, can't you?' The Grass nin thought, making a hand sign to send out another burst of wind.
Sasuke dodged and used the chakra gathered in his feet to stick to another branch. Looking down at her, he pushes himself off and makes his way towards her quickly. Much to the nins surprise, he doesn't attack, opting instead to clutch onto her back. Shifting his weight, Sasuke pulls backwards, forcing himself and the nin to fall headfirst towards the ground.
Amaya and Sakura move themselves to the edge of their respective branches to watch Sasuke and the screaming nin fall.
Sasuke looks down and locks his eyes on a quickly approaching branch, tightening his grip, he ducks his head right as the nins slams hers into the bark, splitting the branch open from the impact.
Sasuke freezes for a moment as the nin goes completely limp before letting go. He jumps and flips backwards, putting space between them. After a moment of silence, the nins mouth suddenly opens as her eyes roll up in the back of her head, her body begins to lose shape as it turns brown, running off the branch like mud. Sasuke's eyes widen. "Substitution!" He yelled in realization, right as a kunai flys by and cuts him on the cheek.
Looking into the weapons direction, Sasuke quickly moves away and off the branch as a barrage of weapons follow behind him. As he falls, Sasuke pull out some wire and wraps it around a branch, swinging himself around and in the direction of where he last saw Sakura and Amaya.
Landing on a branch a little ways below Sakura, he turns to look back to see if he was being followed. Suddenly, footsteps approach from the opposite direction, and as he turns back, he is met with a punch to the face. The Grass nin doesn't let up on her attack as she continuously sends kicks and punches his way. She knees him in the face, sending Sasuke down onto his side.
Sakura sends a glance in Amaya and Naruto's direction before looking back over the edge of the branch she was standing on. "Sasuke!"
Both females watch as the nin walks forward slowly. "What a disappointment you turned out to be. Your ancestors weep. The Uchiha clan should thank me for killing you. Silly little worm." She said, not noticing how Sasuke's eyes opened or the sizzling of small ball shaped bombs hooked into her shirt.
She lets out a cry as the bombs go off. Sasuke, taking this chance, jumps away. Turning around as he moved backwards, he pulls out and throws multiple shuriken attached to wire. Using his hand and mouth, he manipulated the shuriken through the wires so that the nin would be completely surrounded.
"Incredible! The Sharingan Shuriken Trip Wire Attack!" The nin exclaimed, looking around at the almost invisible wires.
Sasuke doesn't say anything and pulls the wires before pinning them to the branch before him. The action causes the wires to tighten and constrict around the nins body, pinning her against the tree behind her. Seeing her trapped, Sasuke then began to form hand signs. 'Katōn: Ryūka no Jutsu!' He thought, taking a deep breath before sending out a large stream of fire towards the nin, who screams out in agony as she burns.
"He did it!" Sakura yelled happily, earning a tired smile from Amaya in return as she relaxed against the bark behind her. The pinkette didn't wait for a response and jumped down, running to Sasuke's side. "Sasuke! You did it...!" She exclaimed, pausing as she took in the boys panting form. "You okay? Don't worry, it's all over." She added, placing a hand on his shoulder as he hunched over tiredly.
Amaya closed her eyes for a moment, wincing at the pain erupting from her throbbing shoulder. Opening her eyes slightly, she brought her hands up to make a sign. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu..." She murmured, and soon enough she was face to face with herself. The clone looked at her waiting for an order, prompting her to motion her head towards Naruto. "Go get him before he falls." Amaya orders, watching as the clone gave a nod and moved towards the blond.
At the sound of wires snapping, Amaya looked down and watched with the duo below as the Grass ninja slowly stepped forward. Amaya's eyes widen, and she pressed herself closer to the tree she was sitting in as the nin slammed her hands together, her killing intent alone made the air so thick that Sakura and Sasuke froze in their spots. 'Just like earlier!' He brunette thought before noting that she could move. 'She must've forgotten about me for the moment... I'll have to wait for the perfect time to strike her down.' She added with narrowed eyes, inching her hand to pull out a kunai.
Looking over as the clone landed silently beside her with the blond, Amaya motioned for it to hide as a backup plan formed in her head.
Sakura quickly lost her balance and fell to her knees.
Sasuke's eyes widened and he glared out of the corner of his eye at the nin. "No! Impossible!" He yelled, making the nin chuckle.
"Such a mastery of the Sharingan at so young an age." The nin hummed, her voice changing into one belonging to a man. "You're a true Uchiha after all. Yes, you'll do nicely." The nin said, bringing a hand up to "her" headband for a moment before moving it away, revealing a musical note. It was also at this moment that they all realized a small portion of the nins face was burned away, revealing a single snake like eye surrounded by a purple marking.
Sasuke's body twitches as he tries to move, only to let out a cry of frustration when it was deemed impossible at the moment. "You are definitely his brother. If anything, your eyes are keener than Itachi's." The nin said, giving them all pause. Mostly Sasuke and Amaya, as the name sent off alarm bells in their head.
"Who are you? What do you want?!" Sasuke yelled, barring his teeth as he glared ferociously.
"She" chuckles and brings out the heaven scroll "she" proclaimed from Naruto. Tossing it up into the air a few times before catching it. "My name is Orochimaru. But as to what I want, that will have to wait until we meet again. Which won't happen until you finish this test with the best score of all."
Suddenly, the scroll catches aflame with green fire, making their eyes widen. "The scroll!" Sakura cries with a gasp.
The newly dubbed Orochimaru, smirked. "First, you'll have to defeat the Hidden Sound ninja who serve me." He informed, earning a glare from Sakura in return.
"I have no idea what you're talking about! But if you're finished, just beat it! If we ever meet again, it'll be too soon!" The pinkette snapped, causing Orochimaru to laugh.
"Oh? He and I will meet again." He replied as he made a hand sign, and the three could only watch in awe and disgust as Orochimaru's neck elongated, becoming similar to that of a snake's. Suddenly, his head came forward, his teeth bared revealing fangs as he bit into Sasuke's neck.
"Sasuke, no!" Sakura yelled, Amaya and herself watching wide eyed as the boy quivered from the sudden action.
Amaya's shocked expression turned dark. Clenching the kunai in her hand, she made her move. She dashed from her spot above the trio, making eye contact with Orochimaru as she neared.
The nin was then forced to let go of Sasuke as Amaya made a swipe at his neck with the kunai. His head - and neck - beginning to quickly revert back to normal, though the brunette sped up the process as her clone appeared and kicked him in the face.
Orochimaru hissed in pain, glaring up at the brunette as she landed safely onto the branch in front of the two. His eyes moving away as her clone made another move to attack, however, it was dispersed as he sent out another burst of wind.
"Amaya!" Sakura exclaimed, looking at the brunette in surprise.
The Minamoto didn't say anything and kept her eyes locked on Orochimaru, who sneered in return. "Stupid girl! I should've killed you when I had the chance!" He spat though not making a notion to move from his spot.
Amaya growled, and her eyes shot up to the already darkening sky. 'By now somebody has to know he's here... He's definitely not a Genin, that much is obvious, and he doesn't have time to stick around.' She thought, looking back to the nin before her.
Suddenly, Sasuke let out a cry on pain as he fell to his knees. Amaya took a chance and glanced back at his neck, spotting a dark three tomoe symbol on his neck, right above where he was bitten. 'What did he do?'
Sakura looked from the Uchiha and back to Orochimaru. "You! What have you done to Sasuke?!" She asked, making the nin laugh ominously as he brings a finger up to his mouth in a "be quiet" motion.
"I've just gave him a little parting gift. Very soon, Sasuke will seek me out. He'll desire my power." Orochimaru replied before turning to look directly at Sasuke. "In the meantime, I'll enjoy the demonstration of the powers you already possess." He added with another laugh before his body sunk into the branch, and with that, he was gone.
Sasuke lets out another cry and leans over, resting his forehead against the bark, prompting the two girls to crouch at his side. "Sasuke! What is it, what's he done to you?! A-are you--"
Sakura didn't get to finish her question, nor did she get an answer. The only sound they got from the boy was pants and grunts of pain. Sakura leans forward and helps him sit up. "It's okay..." She murmured weakly as the Uchiha grips her hands tightly as another round of screams tear from his throat.
Sakura looks up to Amaya with worried, watery eyes.
Amaya could only shrug with a sigh before crawling around to be face to face with Sasuke. Tilting his head slightly, she pried his hand gently away from his neck before gripping it tightly in one of her own. She then brushed her fingers over the two puncture wounds below the mark.
Sasuke shuddered and recoiled in pain, another yell coming from him as he leaned forward and pressed his head into her uninjured shoulder. Sakura scowled at the brunette. "Stop! You're hurting him!" She scolded, making the brunette sigh once more.
"Saa~... What do you expect me to do? I'm not familiar with Medical Ninjutsu, and I doubt that it would help him anyway. Do you know what that is?" Amaya asked pointing at the mark, the stern look in her eyes taking the pinkette aback. And when she didn't get an answer, her eyes narrowed. "That looks like a curse mark."
Sakura's own brows furrowed. "H-how do you know that?" She asked, her worry growing as Sasuke continued to cringe and gasp in pain.
Amaya squeezed his hand reassuringly. "The Minamoto have curse marks of their own... Well one that I know of anyway. I've never seen anything like this one though, so maybe it's something that Orochimaru guy created himself." She replied and at the pinkettes confused expression, she decided to elaborate. "The curse mark that Papa made me study was one that only specific clan members can use. It's too much to explain to outsiders, but basically it can cut off the Yōso no Mage permanently. According to our scrolls, it's only ever been used once, by a clan head during a rebellion. And the way that Orochimaru talked, I think this one builds power instead of blocking it."
Sakura's eyes turn solemn as she stares down at the Uchiha as he lets out another cry of pain. "Oh, you're gonna be okay..." She murmurs gently, only to go stock still as he collapses onto her lap unconscious. "Sasuke!"
Amaya's brows furrow as she tries to examine the mark once again but stops when Sakura begins to sniffle. "Sasuke..." The pinkette mumbles before she starts to cry.
"Naruto! Sasuke's hurt! We need you! Naruto!" She cries out, making Amaya reel back in realization as crows fly up into the sky.
Looking over her shoulder, Amaya's eyes lock on the blond's form as he lay unconscious on her previous branch. "I don't... I don't know what I'm supposed to do..." She hears Sakura murmur.
Amaya glanced back at the crying Haruno. 'I gotta take control of the situation. We're sitting ducks out here, and it's getting dark. We'll need a place to lay low until they wake up.' She thought before prying Sasuke's hand from hers. "Sakura." She said, making the pinkette look at her. "I can't carry these two on my own, especially with my shoulder this way, so I'm gonna need you to stop crying, okay?" She asked gently.
Sakura nodded, her eyes finally zeroing in on the kunai, sticking out from the brunettes wounded shoulder. "You're bleeding..." She stated, her face falling even more as she noticed Amaya's pale and fatigued appearance.
"I know, I'm gonna use some Shadow Clones to help us carry them. I'll deal with my shoulder once we find a place to rest." Amaya replies, earning an unsure nod from Sakura in return.
Sakura watched as Amaya preformed the necessary hand signs, making two clones appear. The sight of the brunette taking charge of the situation made her brows furrow. Looking down at Sasuke, she bit her lip harshly. 'How useless am I...? Amaya's injured and she's still trying to stay strong for me...! All I can do is cry...'
Once the clones obtained the unconscious Naruto and returned to their side, Amaya turned back to Sakura with a sigh. "Saa~... Hey, don't get all down on me now. I'll help you carry Sasuke, the clones can handle Naruto." She said, watching as Sakura nodded and rubbed her face with a sniffle. "We'll figure this out. Don't worry." She adds, patting the pinkette on the head gently.
Sakura nodded once more and looked up with determined eyes. "Right!"
***
Minutes later, the two found a small alcove hidden beneath thick roots of one of the many trees in the forest. And after deciding it was better than nothing, the two took it and were currently spending their time meticulously watching over the two unconscious males before them.
Once they had settled, Amaya picked up a stick and motioned for Sakura to come over with a hand.
Sakura gently stepped over to her and crouched down, staring at the kunai embedded into Amaya's shoulder. Looking up, Amaya nodded, signaling that she wanted the pinkette to do. Sakura shook her head frantically. "No! I don't want to hurt you!"
Amaya let out a quiet laugh. "Saa~ It's gotta come out, Sakura. And I'm already hurt, you won't be doing any more damage than already done."
Sakura bit her lip and stared at the kunai with a hard look. Amaya took her silence as a signal to bite down onto the wood, she then gripped her pant legs tightly. "Like a bandaid?" Sakura asked, making eye contact with Amaya, her statement earning a nod and a huff of amusement from the brunette.
Sakura took a breath poked the weapons handle. The slight movement sent a wave of pain throughout Amaya's arm, though she bit back the groan wanting to come out. Suddenly, Sakura yanked the kunai free and dropped it on the ground.
Amaya groaned loudly as she clenched her teeth around the stick, her vision turning white for a moment as pain and slight relief coursed through her body. Once her vision returned back to normal, albeit a bit watery as she held back tears, Amaya threw the stick down and reached with her good arm into one of her pouches. "Always getting injured in some way." She informed after seeing Sakura's curious expression when she pulled out what little medical supplies she carried.
***
After helping Amaya somewhat clean and dress the wound tightly, Sakura helped the brunette adjust her shirt before moving back to her previous spot. Sasuke suddenly lets out a groan, prompting the pinkette to lean over to check his temperature with the back of her hand. "At least he's finally breathing easier now. But he's still got a high fever." She mumbled, her green eyes trailing over Naruto before looking up to Amaya.
A light sweat had now coated the brunette's skin and her breathing had become somewhat ragged due to exhaustion. "Amaya, you should rest." Sakura advised, worry filling her green eyes as the brunette peeked through the openings in the roots to scour the area.
"Saa~ I can't just leave you up and alone." Amaya murmured, sending her sharp gaze in the pinkettes direction. "You heard what he said, didn't you? He'll be sending someone after us... I know it, and I have a pretty good idea on who it'll be."
"I don't care! You need to rest. I'll wake you if something happens or if I need to sleep." Sakura said sternly before moving her gaze away to also look out into the clearing next to their hiding spot.
Amaya sighed and after a moment of fighting with herself, she relented to the Haruno's wishes. "Fine. I'll rest my eyes a bit, but it something happens you wake me up immediately! Got it?"
Sakura nodded and watched as Amaya slouched back and closed her eyes. However, her posture remained tense, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. The pinkette then looked down at the two boys. 'Looks like it's up to me for the time being.' She thought, taking in her three injured teammates appearances.
Unbeknownst to her or the trio beside her, three sets of eyes were watching them from a distance, waiting for the right moment to strike.