Sacrifice and Surrender

20: Control

Tobirama paused briefly when he felt the explosion of Nine-Tails chakra and then cursed and increased his speed. He had to get to them now. There was no time left to lose. If Mito had lost control, it meant something terrible had happened - to her, to someone else. He dreaded to think of what it was. He was so close. He could feel the strain in Sakura's chakra, and in a split-decision, went to her first. He felt his chest jolt when he saw her laying on her side, twitching on the forest floor, holding herself tightly. He flickered to her side.

"Sakura, I'm here," he said.

He looked up through the trees to see Mito moving forwards, radiating anger.

"Tobi," she grunted through clenched teeth.

"What happened?"

"Kumo," she said. "Lightning. I can't - I can't get it out."

Tobirama understood. He pressed a hand over her the wound in her shoulder and pushed his chakra into her body, she groaned in pain as he changed his chakra form into earth to disable the lightning. She gasped as her twitches stopped and thanked him.

"We have to get her back," Sakura said, jumping to her feet.

Her face was still pained, but he could feel her sending chakra through her body, healing herself. His focus was becoming blurred by the negative energy surrounding Mito in front of them.

"We can't let her lose control any more than this. If she forms a Nine-Tails cloak, she might kill us all by accident."

"That won't happen," Tobirama said.

Sakura put a hand over her shoulder and healed the stab wound.

"You're not in good shape."

She sent him a glare. "We need to get Matsuri and Asami away," she said to him. "That man, he completely masks his chakra. I don't know how he's still standing after that punch, but he's strong."

Tobirama noticed the man for the first, backing away from Mito. He frowned in concern, realising he didn't feel any chakra at all, which was not a good sign.

"They're after Mito."

"I figured." He gripped Sakura's arm. "Are you ready?"

She gave a short determined nod. Tobirama took out a couple of marked kunai and within a second, had carried them across the field, behind Mito and the man, and right beside Matsuri and Asami. The female shinobi spun on her heel and Sakura attacked her, while Tobirama grabbed Matsuri and Asami, flooded them both with chakra to break the genjutsu and then transported them back to the trees. They both blinked and looked at him in shock and disorientation.

"Tobirama?" Matsuri peered at him.

He could smell sake all over her.

"Lord Tobirama," Asami breathed, fear in her eyes. "What happened?"

"You were captured by Kumo shinobi after Mito," Tobirama explained.

Asami and Matsuri both gasped. There was a sudden rumble in the ground, and Tobirama turned to see Sakura smashing the female into the ground with a punch and Mito ferociously attacking the man, who was barely keeping up with her. Tobirama had never seen her so violent before.

"Mito! Sakura!" Asami cried.

"Stay here," Tobirama said to Matsuri and Asami. "Madara, Yuri and Takuma are on their way."

Matsuri nodded and was gripped by Asami, who was trembling in fear. Tobirama passed Matsuri a kunai and she accepted it without hesitation, her fingers gripping the hilt, in a familiar manner. He knew she would defend Asami with her life, despite her having retired from the shinobi lifestyle. As far as Tobirama was aware, Madara considered her a skilled shinobi, and even retired, a shinobi never forgot. Confident that Matsuri would take care of Asami, Tobirama disappeared back to Sakura's side. They shared a look.