Chapter V – Breaking Point

The plaintive cry of the eagle circling the white sky drowned out Sakura's own frustrated growl as she dragged her feet over the ice and snow covered rocky landscape. Immediately forgetting her frustration at their forcefully slow travel, she tore her eyes from the rushing river on her right and looked up. The majestic bird she'd gotten from Tsunade for her sixteenth birthday was looking towards the far left side to the mountains and let out another cry. Taking that as warning enough, the kunoichi let her chakra flare the tiniest bit, becoming the bird back. It answered with a short sharp noise and spiraled down towards her.

Pulling up the zipper of her cloak, she lifted her arm, baring her elbow length glove as her sleeve split in the middle. The eagle landed on her arm with ease and looked at her with keen intelligent eyes. It couldn't talk, but she understood him perfectly. Her eyes clouded over for a second as she absorbed what he'd told her. Patting the bird's proud head and strong beak with her other hand absently, she waited for Kakashi as he neared her.

"What is it?" he asked with a slightly widened wheezing voice, the cold was taking its toll on him as well.

"Iwa nins," she replied shortly, still petting her summon absently.

Kakashi nodded sharply and looked towards the mountains. They were dangerously close to the border of Stone territory, but they'd still thought that they wouldn't cross over even if they detected their movements. Unfortunately, ungoverned territory was free to anyone after all, especially so to a hostile group like Iwa shinobi. "How many and how long?"

Too many and too soon, was what she wanted to answer, but that was neither professional nor what Kakashi would accept as an answer. "About three squads, twelve, maybe more, hunters. And they'll reach here in a matter of minutes."

Kakashi swore under his breath and took off his cloak. They would have to fight there was no other away. Sending her bird up to the sky again, Sakura took her own cloak off and looked around. It was a terrible terrain to fight. She would have to limit herself to close range, hand-to-hand combat since even if she managed to disrupt the ground beneath the thick layer of snow, she would hinder herself and Kakashi as well. It was another story altogether for the Copy Ninja. The river would come in handy for his water jutsus and the Raikiri and Chidori weren't dependant on the terrain. She could only use the offensive medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. Genjutsu had a fifty-fifty chance on an opponent wearing an ANBU mask. Great. Just great.

She didn't get much more time to analyze the situation as they were suddenly swarmed by thirteen enemies, twelve in ANBU gear and masks, one in a jonin uniform. This is going to be interesting, thought Sakura grimly, only mildly unsettled as her Inner self agreed without putting up an argument. She can't go all out, but she could as hell give it her all and she was going to. No third class Iwa ANBU was going to claim victory over her. Not on Tsunade's name and her pride.

Their opponents were the type to attack first and ask questions later, both Kakashi and Sakura figured as kunai and shuriken came flying. They also weren't ones for strategizing, it seemed. Either that or they hadn't heard of the Copy Ninja yet. Both options only spoke for how dumb those guys were. But nothing would help them much in their situation. Nobody survived attacking Hatake Kakashi outright and without any kind of defense plan.

Snarling at the insolence of those idiots, Sakura changed the direction of her jump in the mid-air and charged the only jonin of the group. Get rid of the weakest link first. He didn't put up much of a fight. Underestimating her because of either her looks or her gender, he blocked her kick with his arm. First mistake. The bones shattered from wrist to shoulder under the impact and he screamed in agony. For a moment angry, he attempted to swipe at her with a kunai, his stance completely open. Second mistake, the last he would make. Grabbing his wrist in her hand, she snapped it with ease and ground her knee hard into his sternum, destroying his torso and killing him before he had a chance to scream a second time.

Throwing her dead opponent away, she landed in a crouch and looked towards Kakashi. He'd taken advantage of the ANBU's shock at seeing her one-sided battle and be-headed two of them, while running a Raikiri through another's heart.

Recovering from their disbelief and realizing their mistakes the remaining ANBU quickly regrouped, and then split three going at her and six charging the Copy Ninja.

She jumped out of the way of several kunai just as Kakashi landed on the river and began making rapid hand-sings. She recognized them as the Water Dragon jutsu he liked so much. Thinking quickly she sprinted towards the forest, her three opponents hot on her heels. She jumped up on the highest branch of the first tree she saw just as Kakashi's Dragon crushed on the ground and washed away the majority of the snow. The Copy Ninja was fighting three of his own pursuers on the river, the other three attempting to stand up after being washed away by the icy water. Her three ANBU were untouched. Didn't matter. Jumping over their heads, she took advantage of the situation and pumped her fist with chakra, slamming in into the ground as she landed, jumping up again in the same instant. Besides washing the thick layer of the snow away, the water had also been absorbed into the earth and frozen in a matter of seconds in the cold air. The ground shattered with a loud groan and trapped two of the ANBU who weren't quick enough.

Kakashi didn't have to look away from his opponent to know what had happened. The two trapped ANBU were dead in the blink of an eye as the pink-haired kunoichi rushed at them and crushed their skulls before they could free themselves. Five hunters down, seven more to go.

Getting tired of playing around with the idiots, Kakashi made lightening fast signs and blew a monstrous ball of flame through his mask, catching two of the hunters charging at him and burning them to ashes. If the Uchiha were good for anything than it would be their katon jutsu.

One of the ANBU who'd targeted Sakura suddenly lost his composure, it must be hard watching his comrades being dispatched off so easily. Unfortunately, he also lost what little brain he had in his skull. Whipping out a large, spiked lead ball on a long chain, he twirled it in the air for a few seconds before throwing it as the kunoichi. The weapon was obviously far too heavy for him and he didn't have much experience with it, it flew fast, but at an almost totally straight line. An academy student would be able to evade that, not to mention a medic-nin specially trained in evasive techniques. It was too easy. That's why Sakura didn't bother jumping out of the way. She drew out a kunai and pumped it with chakra. Watching the speeding ball, she judged the speed and the distance and then threw her weapon with as much power as possible. The small knife whizzed through the air, collided with the ball and passed right through. She watched in satisfaction as the ball of lead exploded in small bits and pieces and her kunai, unhindered, flew forward, and imbedded itself into the ANBU's skull, mask, and all.

Only two were left.

Sakura and Kakashi exchanged a look before going at their remaining opponents.

The horse-masked officer didn't get a chance to do much but let out a grunt and wheeze for a second as Sakura's fist collided with his chest and before he collapsed on the ground, dead. His snake-masked companion only twitched and jerked as electricity coursed through his body, courtesy of a Chidori through the stomach, grilling him from the inside.

Finally able to wind down, Sakura sighed and dusted her hands off. She was tired. If the fight had lasted only a little longer she would be out of chakra. Looking at Kakashi she scowled, he hadn't used his sharingan at all and looked as if he'd just finished a walk in the park and not a fight against thirteen opponents. Damn him.

Huffing and turning away before she said something that would only embarrass her, she stalked off towards her cloak and almost screamed as she bent to retrieve it.

"Oy!" she shouted and turned towards Kakashi, her scowl darker than before.

The Copy Ninja straightened after picking up his own cloak and turned to his teammate. "Hmm?"

"This is your entire fault, you bastard!" she ground out angrily, holding up her cloak that was strangely stiff. The slight confusion dissipated from Kakashi's face as realization dawned on him. Her cloak had gotten wet when he'd used his Water Dragon jutsu and now it was frozen solid.

"Ahahaha, oops!" he laughed awkwardly, but promptly stopped when he saw the look on her face. She was livid.

"Oops? Ooops? Is that everything you have to say? Goddamnit, Kakashi! Give me your cloak and I might consider not to fucking kill you in your sleep!"

Even if her threat was empty, he would rather not take chances with her. He'd been on the receiving end of that fist before, if only during sparring, and he didn't want to know what it felt like when she was pissed. With Naruto it always looked pretty damn painful, but Kakashi was no glutton for punishment like the Kyuubi Jinchuriki and didn't consider Sakura's fist anywhere near his body worth any amusement he might get from pissing her off. Being a man that treasures his own well-being, he handed her his cloak without a word of protest and remained quiet as she slumped down with her back to a tree and pulled her knees to her chest.

He let out a quiet sigh and thanked his own foresight for having put a warm wool shirt over his usual jonin regulation shirt. He still felt naked without his vest. It didn't offer any warmth, but he'd worn it for so long, it felt like a part of him, of who he was. If he'd ever get to wear it again, he didn't know and frankly, he didn't want to know. Worrying wasn't in his nature; he'll take the things as they come. Besides, Sakura worried enough for the whole lot of them.

Chancing another glance at the irate girl, he had to smile a little. His cloak covered her from neck to toe and dragged on the ground, but it would keep her warm, and she looked absolutely adorable, sniffing at the fabric and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. At least the cloak was clean; he'd made sure to wash it before Pein attacked, as if he'd known he'd need it.

Banishing those thoughts from his mind, he took a last look at Sakura before gathering the bodies of the dead hunters. It wouldn't do to just leave them all over the clearing. Really, he couldn't care less about 'disrespecting' a living being like that, but as a missing-nin he couldn't just leave such blatant pointers. Anyone who'd ever heard of him or Sakura would immediately recognize their individual fighting styles if they ever saw the bodies. He couldn't burn them, that would make too much smoke and could attract more attention to them and they didn't need that so shortly after a fight. He would have to bury them. Luckily, Sakura'd used her signature move and created a fissure big enough to fit all eleven bodies. A small water jutsu softened the earth a little and he had no problems closing the fissure again. Just as he finished snow started falling again. Great, it would cover the last traces of their fight; he couldn't have made it better if he'd tried.

Sakura hadn't moved from her place and he figured that she wanted to be alone. She was probably tired and fighting those hunters must have driven the truth of their current existence harder into her brain than she could handle at the moment. He would leave her to sort herself out for a while and search for a place to stay the night, the sun was already going down over the mountains.

Spotting a small cave up on the first small rise of the mountain looming over them, he decided that it might be just what they needed for the night. Walking by Sakura, he caught sight of her eagle on a branch right above her head. It was pecking at the inside of its outstretched wing before it lifted its head and seemed to glare at Kakashi with a small, unfriendly cry. That bird had never liked him and he had no idea why. Taking his eye off the hostile bird, he quickly forgot about it and concentrated on the cave that would hopefully provide them shelter. If it was big enough and inhabitable and if some local animal hadn't already taken up residence. Contrary to what that bad tempered eagle thought of him – if it could think that is – he liked animals just fine and wouldn't throw a small, defenseless creature out in the dangers of the night just so that he could be warm and comfortable. If all of Sakura's summons were as hostile as that eagle, he was not sure if he would reach their destination alive.

A glance at Sakura brought a small smirk to his features. She was biting her right thumbnail and tapping a foot lightly against the ground. He didn't know if she was aware of it or not, but she'd adopted some of Tsunade's characteristic behaviors over the years; chewing on her thumbnail when worried being one of them. He was somehow glad that she'd formed herself with Tsunade as a role model. Aside from the drinking and gambling habits and the uncompromising temper, Tsunade had been a great woman, a strong kunoichi, and an even better leader, Sakura taking after her could only be good for the girl, and it assured him that Sakura would never forget Tsunade. Just as he'd never forgotten his father after he'd been ready to admit his own mistakes and realized that despite the manner of his death, Sakumo had never regretted putting his team's welfare over the success of the mission. The White Fang had had only ever regretted not being able to show his comrades the wrong of their ways. But being called a hero after his death was good enough for his father, Kakashi supposed. He'd been a low-key man and wanted almost nothing for himself.

Looking up with a small start as Kakashi's leg moved into her filed of vision, Sakura watched as he started slowly walking away from her. Instinct took over and a small hand flew out, clutching at his pant-leg. Kakashi stopped in his tracks and looked down. Sakura was watching him with a somewhat lost expression, her eyes huge and unfocused. But before he could inquire what was wrong, she started talking, her voice small and insecure.

"Don't… Don't go… Please, don't go away… Please, don't let me be alone…"

Genuinely worried for the girl, Kakashi knelt down in front of her and took her hand; it was icy cold.

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

"Please, don't leave me all alone," she whimpered, clutching his hand in a vice grip. He didn't mind.

"I'm not leaving you, Sakura," he said gently, clasping his other hand over her small shoulder and squeezing. The contact seemed to calm her a little. "I was just going to see if we can stay in that small cave up there for the night."

She shook her head violently, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't! Please, don't go away, Kakashi! Please! You can't leave me as well!"

"Sakura, calm down! Calm down, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here."

Now alarmed by her strange behavior, he sat down next to her and slung his arm over her shoulder, pulling her in. She relaxed a bit against him, resting her head under his chin, and fisting his shirt. They stayed like that for a little while before she started talking again.

"Everyone is leaving me. Shishou… Shishou died and left me all alone… Doesn't she know I need her? Naruto and Sai left too. Naruto promised he would always be there for me, that he won't abandon me like Sasuke did. He lied! And Sai said that he's not Sasuke and that he will not turn his back to his teammates and throw us away! He lied too! You can't go away, Kakashi! You're all I have left! I can't lose you, too. I don't even have a home anymore! If you go away I won't have anything! Please, Kakashi, don't ever leave me!"

Thoroughly disturbed by her breaking apart like that and fully convinced that she was near a nervous breakdown, Kakashi did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He lifted his eye-patch and forced her to look into the swirling crimson of his sharingan. She was out like a light, a second later.

Leaning back against the three, he gathered the small girl in his arms and held her tightly. How blind could he have been? He'd never noticed just how much Sasuke's defection had affected her. It should have been obvious. It should have been more than obvious to him of all people. Of course, she'd developed abandonment issues after the whole fiasco. She'd been young and weak at that time, the strong Sakura he held now had first emerged after Tsunade took her under her wing. Back then, she couldn't have been able to handle it. And she hadn't. Naruto leaving for training shortly after that had probably worsened the whole thing. As for himself… He'd abandoned her too. And now… All those old fears and insecurities must have surfaced again full force, Tsunade's passing, and the situation in Konoha had probably affected her twice as much as they would have if Sasuke had never left. Damn that young fool. Didn't the boy know how much he'd hurt the people who cared for him? Betraying Konoha, Kakashi could forgive, but leaving behind Naruto and Sakura as if they didn't matter at all was unforgivable. Trampling on Sakura's feelings was even worse. Kakashi knew how much that hurt. He'd made the same mistake with Rin. She'd died before he could make amends. He hoped for Sasuke's sake that he wouldn't have to go through the same thing.

The night had already settled over the snow and ice when Sakura woke from her sharingan induced dreams. If one could call them dreams. She'd slept peacefully, but all she could remember was a jumble of images, none of which made any sense. Naruto had been there and Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi and strangest of all Uchiha Itachi. She wondered briefly how one could dream of him and it not being a horrid nightmare. But from what she remembered, the Uchiha genius had sat at Ichiraku's eating ramen of all things, whit Naruto of all people.

The sharingan fucks up your head even without the Tsukiyomi, Inner Sakura murmured from somewhere in her sub-conscious mind. She wasn't ready to wake up. Too bad her over-active mind had other ideas. Even having only half a recollection of what happened before Kakashi knocked her out, was enough to embarrass her to death. What a huge, messy breakdown.

It had to happen; you know, her Inner counterpart commented, much more in tune with their inner workings than Outer Sakura. You were suffocating me in all that angst.

Too bad you didn't drown in it, Outer Sakura snapped, not in the mood to listen to her own psychotic complaints. I really need my head checked, big time.

About time you finally realized that! But leave ME out of it; I am completely sane.

Now completely pissed off, Sakura didn't bother with thinking her reply. "Shut up, bitch!"

"I… didn't say anything," came the silent observation from somewhere to her right and Sakura straightened, mortified.

Deciding to play dumb, she turned to face Kakashi who sat near a fire, a blanket around his shoulders, book in hand, and smiled. "What?"

Raising a silver brow, Kakashi regarded her with slight amusement. That might work on Naruto and Sai, but she'd never been able to fool him. "Arguing with Inner Sakura again? You two need to work those differences out, you know. Living together in such close quarters and constantly fighting can't be healthy."

For a moment, she gaped at him like a fish before his words registered fully and a vein popped in her forehead. The nerve of that man!

"You have a death-wish, Kakashi? I can help with that, you only have to ask. And the next time you decide to insult me… DON'T!"

"Yare, yare, Sakura-chan. Now don't be angry at your old sensei. I'm only getting senile, so be a little understanding. I don't always know what I'm saying."

Not in the mood for his jokes, she just huffed and glared a bit harder. "Cut the bullshit, Kaka-sensei, I'm not in the mood!"

But in the end, she realized, it had been his smile that she'd needed the most. She could face anything if he was at her side, she was certain of it.

A.N./ Chapter five! Woo, this took forever! I'm not so good at writing battle scenes since I tend to get repetitive and lose myself in a jungle of words halfway through. But I'm somewhat satisfied with this. Please tell me what you thought of this, I'm always happy to read your comments; they spur me on to continue writing even when I get suck like with this.

Julie

PS. Check out my drabbles under Julie's Travel Notebook, since I'll probably type out whatever I've written in there and post sometime soon. I don't know when since I've just started working at the hospital. Can you imagine how humiliating it is for a med student to work as a nurse assistant? I knew I should have taken up the offer and volunteered as a Candy Stripper.