Response to Challenge #4, "Thanksgiving"at Lethal Empathy on LJ. Of course, I do not own Naruto.

Sakura grabbed her side, trying to staunch the flow of blood gushing from a wound. From all sides enemy ninjas advanced and for the first time since entering the battle, she felt that it might be hopeless. Backup was, at best, another half hour away and she feared some members of her team would not make it that much longer if she didn't get to them soon.

As she dodged another attack from her right, she realized she would have to worry about keeping herself alive if she wanted to help anyone else. Sakura wasn't sure at which point things went horribly wrong, but the enemy had backup before they did and things were deteriorating quickly.

Agility was her only ally as she jumped into the trees to evade a handful of deadly kunai thrown at her. Losing her attackers in the coverage of the thick leaves, Sakura ran until she spotted one of her teammates lying wounded on the ground. Wasting no time, she began doing what she could to heal him. There was only a small opportunity to do what she could before another attack came. Her team was spread too thin to offer any coverage.

No sooner than she had begun to heal that her attacker from earlier caught up to her. A katana came swinging down from overhead and Sakura, arms raised in defense, braced herself for the blow.

It never came.

Her eyes opened to behold a horrific sight. The katana that was to strike her was suspended in mid swing. The body of her attacker was encased in sand and for a moment she could hear him scream before the coffin imploded, crushing the body within. Her eyes went unfocused in terror as blood rained down on her. When her eyes focused again, she saw him, arm outstretched and fist clenched with the most satisfied look on his face.

Their eyes met and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. Sakura could not look away and he seemed unwilling to break the trance on his own. Something passed between them in that moment. She could feel it tingling her skin and fluttering in her stomach.

With his eyes still holding her captive his body faded away to sand and she knew that he was now somewhere in the thick of battle, enjoying the chaos and bloodshed. As she exhaled the breath she'd been holding, she couldn't help but to be thankful that Gaara was on her side.