Alone Together...

First Kill

Normal POV

"Is she okay? She look's horrible!" Genma's distinct voice was heard coming up to them. He stood beside Hayate, Kakashi, Haku, and Zabuza.

"Gee thanks...That's exactly what I want to hear after saving someone's life." Sakura mumbled as she turned her body to lay on her side.

"Oh, so you're not unconscious." Hayate stated as they stopped right in front of them.

"If I was, my clone would have poofed away. Anyways, what are you guy's doing here? Shouldn't you be defending the village or something?" She asked as she lifted herself into a seated position.

"If you were paying attention, Most of them have left. The other's can take care of the small fry." Zabuza stated with a grunt. Sakura frowned and rolled her eyes.

"Well sorry I wasn't paying attention to you guy's. I was concentrated on the other's." Sakura informed as she stood from her spot. The little monkey's climbing back up to their preferred spot—her head. She turned towards Hiruzen and had her back facing them. Unable to see their reactions, she had missed their trained eyes on her injures. It had been obvious to them with one look that they had been through a lot.

"Shishou, you still good?" She asked with a tilt of her head as she kneeled down beside him. Hiruzen chuckled and lifted a hand to her shoulder.

"I'm still good thanks to you." He responded and Sakura smiled in relief.

"Good...and Shishou, don't ever use that jutsu or next time it might not be a tackle to the ground, okay?" She instructed with a smile and missed the immediate nod he sent her.

An explosion was heard from their far right causing them to tense up.

"Ah, maybe I should check up on them?" Sakura mumbled. She was worried that they had yet to finish.

'Inner would have already gotten here if they were done.' Sakura thought as she closed her eyes and scratched her head in thought.

"Kazumi! There's trouble!" Inner said back from within her mind. Sakura's eyes snapped open and she shot up as soon as she registered her words and realized her clone had poofed away.

"Sakura?" Haku asked in worry as they looked at her. Wondering what had caused her sudden movement.

"I was overpowered! I'll explain on the way, just go help the other's! They can't move!" Inner explained and Sakura immediately started to move. She looked at her clone.

"Stay here and heal, once done, go and heal other's who need it." Sakura instructed as she bolted away from the roof in a flash of pink. Mamoru's surprised shout's and his sister's excited one's could be heard as she ran towards the explosion.

"Go after her. She's in no condition to fight right now." Hiruzen instructed the group that had arrived. They promptly nodded and ran after her.

~*oOo*~

'Those stupid Sand traitor's!' Sakura thought as Inner finished explaining the situation. She ran through the tops by herself. The monkey's had decided to leave since their job had been fulfilled.

Along the way Sakura was listening to the retelling of what had occurred on Inner's side.

Inner had helped Sasuke fend off Gaara towards the beginning, so that took up most of her chakra. Gaara still had the same thoughts about her not being the real Sakura, so he didn't go easy on her. In fact, Inner was surprised that she hadn't poofed away sooner. Gaara's sand was swift and hard to avoid while she tried to keep both Sasuke safe as well as herself.