Sown

twenty-eight

"Sakura-chan . . ." Lee's voice broke the silence as the group made there way through the trees. Hanae recognized the path as heading back to Samurai Bridge.

"What?" Sakura barked. She was still on edge after her first plan fell through though no one could really say they were surprised.

The green clad shinobi looked to his love interest with worry, "don't you think you'd ought to tell Naruto the truth?"

Sakura didn't bother looking away from the path, "There's no way I could tell him. I just can't."

Kiba began to interject but his attention was soon drawn away. He looked to the path ahead and turned his nose up, "I found Sasuke. That Tobi guy is with him too."

Tobi? Before Hanae could ask, Sakura commanded for everyone to stop. Five pairs of feet skidded to a halt at once. Sai cast Hanae a knowing glance that the eldest returned.

"What? Why are we stopping? We already agreed on our formation!"

The kunoichi shuffled for something under her cloak ; the action caused Hanae to reach for her blade. "Kiba," Sakura beckoned. "Exactly how far away is Sasuke?"

Kiba tilted his head towards the Bridge's direction, "He's straight north, two o'clock. About half a mile ahead of us." On the bridge, the native realized.

Suddenly Sakura pulled her arm from her cloak. A paper wrapped ball was clutched in her gloved hand and she reared as if to launch it into the ground. "Guys, I'm sorry!" Sai grasped her outstretched arm before she could follow through with the action.

The other two boys looked to the spectacle in horror, Lee taking a step back. "What's going on?" Akamaru barked and whined, fueling the tension of the interaction.

The pink haired woman looked to the ground in shame as Sai forced the ball from her grasp. "Looks like Sakura wanted to take care of Sasuke on her own." Kiba and Lee voiced their outrage. The disappointed looks on their faces only served to further humiliated the young woman. Only when Sai made it painfully clear that he wasn't going to let anyone advance further did her expression change to rage.

The pale man made his way to the front of the group and Hanae joined his side. Both shared the same expression, forming a wall of defiance. "We're not letting anyone pass."

"I knew these two were shady!" Kiba barked in indignation. The words stung the redhead but she stayed her ground. "I thought you were helping us, Hanae! Why are you siding with him?!"

The eldest furrowed her brows, "I told you that I was only going to bring you into the Land of Iron. I also told you that if a threat made itself known I would have to uphold my duty as a samurai and eliminate the threat." Okay, maybe her words were too harsh. But Hanae had never been the best with words, she was more of the type to take orders and respond in the affirmative. "I'm not too worried about Sakura-chan, but I have no idea about Sasuke Uchiha or Tobi."

"There's no way we can beat Sasuke or Tobi. I promised Kakashi-sensei I wouldn't let you go."

Sakura shot daggers at the pair standing in her way. She pulled on the cuff of her glove, tightening the fabric against her hands. It was a silent threat heard loud and clear by all. "Sai, Hanae. I'm only going to say this once. Get out of my way . . ."

"We won't let you do this." Sai produced a modified scroll from beneath his cloak. He flipped open the wooden dowel from the center of the scroll and revealed the inkpot hidden within. With a flick of the brush against the paper, snakes erupted from the scroll and surrounded them both.

Lee furrowed his brow, assessing the threat, "he's going to tie us up with snakes."

"I understand Kakashi-sensei's point of view, but we can't let Sasuke run loose any further. I'll handle this." Kiba's outburst was drowned out by Akamaru's whining. "Don't chicken out on me!" He barked at the ninken.

Sai smirked, "apparently your dog's smarter than you."

Kiba launched himself at the smirking man. The action only served to get himself caught up by the slithering ink. Lee and Sakura advanced at the same time, aided by the distraction the tattooed boy had turned himself into.

Hanae drew her wakizashi and swung it at Lee careful to target him with only the flat back of the blade. Everything had crumbled in an instant ; she didn't expect Sakura to respond with reason, but she also didn't expect to get attacked. It only made sense for Kiba and Lee to follow suit. Like Sai said, they were the least trusted two and as such they were easily singled out.

Something caught her eye before Lee's kick could make contact. Three more paper wrapped balls fell to the ground as Kiba's feet. Hanae whipped the respirator out from beneath her cloak ; unfortunately before she could affix it to her face, Lee's strike found purchase against the metal. It shattered, a cheap imitation of the standard samurai equipment. Shards of material ripped into her hand as a thick white cloud enveloped the quarreling quad.

Everyone collapsed, even Akamaru. Their limbs were heavy and their brains became fogged. Coaxed into sleep by the sickly sweet vapor, Hanae watched as the kunoichi darted out from behind the tree she had shielded herself behind. She wanted to be angry at the girl, she wanted to chase her and stop her from moving forward. But no matter how treasonous her actions had been, Sakura was being fueled by love and a battered love at that. She wanted to be angry, but while she couldn't understand, she could empathize and forgive.

Lee on the other hand would have to answer for the state of her hand.

-

Kakashi watched the clone collapse into a puddle of swirling black ink. According to the imitation Sakura had been successful in incapacitating her allies and was no doubt making her way forward. She had really grown from the insecure little girl hanging off of Sasuke's arm into a strong young woman struggling her way through the roughest part of her life. It made him proud to see her grow even if he hadn't necessarily been the one to bring her up. He would have to thank Tsunade once she woke from her coma.

Following the faint scent of mulch and tobacco led him straight to the unconscious crowd laying in the middle of the trail. Aside from Hanae's bleeding hand they were all relatively unharmed. He expected no less from his student. The jounin cradled Kiba, resting his head on his thigh before gently slapping him awake. The boy faded in and out of consciousness.

"Where's Sakura?" Kakashi coaxed. The other male only murmured in response causing the lder to lightly shake him. "She went after Sasuke, didn't she? Which way did she go?"

Kiba's head lulled, "north . . . t-two o'clock. Half a mile." It was all he could muster before slipping back into a drug induced slumber.

It was a strong solution, no doubt something Sakura had learned from the sannin who trained her. But if she had been the one to make it, that meant it would wear off eventually and with no after effects. Regardless it was still a frustrating situation he found himself stuck in. Kakashi carried the unconscious group one by one into the clearing just off the trail. He did his best to lay them down gently, wrapping Hanae's cloak tightly around her body knowing that she hated the cold.

He cradled her face momentarily. Her averted gaze replayed in his mind. It had bothered him then just as it bothered him now. But it was something they would have to work through later, without the impending doom of his personal curse and the Uchiha curse of hatred looming over their heads. Kakashi left after one last quick glance, a silent promise that he would return safely.