"HUH?! WHY DIDN'T HE FIND ME SEXY? IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIM?!" Ino muttered, clearly mad, her fists clenched up.
Shikamaru, on her right, sighed and shook his head. "Women," he muttered.
"Hey, is that fist you're shaking in my direction? Do you want to fight me?" Neji said in a threatening voice, turning his head back to Ino.
"O-of course not!" Ino flinched, stammering.
"Then get lost!"
"Wait!" Tenten instantly stopped Team 10.
"Oh, man, why did she stop us?" Shikamaru muttered, exchanging glances with Ino and Choji.
"We can have their scroll. Which scroll do you have?" Tenten asked.
"U-um... H-Heaven Scroll," Ino said, pulling a cream-white scroll from her pouch.
"Oh! We have the Heaven Scroll, too. That means there's no point in us fighting for scrolls," Tenten said, also pulling out a similar-looking scroll. Team 10 sighed in relief.
Neji snorted. "Even if they had an Earth Scroll... I wouldn't demean myself by taking a scroll from losers like them. Now, get lost."
"O-OKAY!!" Team 10 instantly disappeared from the area, running and huffing.
"Well, it seems we're safe now," Choji said as they stopped, pulling out a packet of chips.
"Huff, that Neji! How can he treat a beautiful girl like me this way?!" Ino's outburst drew another sigh from Shikamaru.
Choji offered her some chips. "Don't be angry, Ino. Here, eat some chips." Ino turned her head to Choji and took a few chips.
"Well, it's alright. Let's move and see if we can pick off some weaklings!" she said, adjusting her blonde hair.
Shikamaru shook his head. "I doubt we'll find anyone weaker than us!"
———
As they walked, Choji stopped munching, his head turned in another direction. "Hey, isn't that Sakura?"
"Huh! Where?" Ino and Shikamaru followed Choji's gaze and saw Sakura firmly gripping her kunai in front of three Genin from the Sound Village, who clearly did not look pleased.
"Yeah, that's Sakura. But why is she alone against those creeps? Where's Sasuke-kun?" Ino pondered aloud to her teammates.
———
Sakura wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. 'Three against one, I don't think I can take them on alone. But I can't let them get close to Sasuke-kun and Naruto.'
She took a deep breath, and with a determined look, flickered towards the Sound Village team. Zaku, looking very angry, instantly jumped in front of her.
Whoosh!
He extended his arms and created powerful shockwaves in Sakura's direction. Sakura was propelled back several steps but managed to control herself and narrowed her eyes. She didn't have time to think, as Kin landed to her left, wielding senbon in her fist and throwing them at Sakura.
Sakura used the Body Flicker Technique, moving back and creating a significant distance between herself and them.
'Where's the third one?' She then noticed Dosu's absence. Her brows furrowed. Her guards were up as she scanned the area, noticing someone behind her. She tried to move, but a powerful punch landed on her back, throwing her to the ground between Kin and Zaku.
"Argh," she groaned. Dosu's Resonating Echo Speaker Jutsu had caused her pain despite her late notice and attempted dodge. Zaku and Kin grinned, jumping at her with their weapons.
"Genjutsu: Double False Surrounding Technique!"
Sakura muttered, weaving hand signs, using a high-ranking Genjutsu taught to her by Kakashi.
Zaku and Kin instantly jumped and passed through her, which shocked Dosu, who was watching from a distance.
'She's even talented in Genjutsu! It would be a waste to take her out. I should take her to Orochimaru-sama!' Dosu concluded to himself, clenching his right fist, his metal gauntlet tightening. He immediately jumped back towards her.
Sakura noticed him, but her focus was on the Genjutsu, and she knew she couldn't dodge this attack in time. Because of this, she lost focus on her Genjutsu, which released Kin and Zaku. She tightly closed her eyes, ready to take the attack head-on.
Bang!
Just as Dosu's gauntlet arm was about to reach Sakura, a blue, spiraling chakra ball hit the gauntlet, crashing into it with a loud bang and destroying it completely.
"Huh! Naruto, Sasuke-kun, you're both awake!" Sakura cheered, opening her eyes and sighing in relief.
"YOU!" Dosu was dumbfounded by his broken gauntlet, his only main source of attack. He glared at the blonde kid in front of him, lightly holding his bleeding right forearm.
"Last time you were lucky, but not this time," Naruto simply said. He formed a Rasengan on his right palm and smashed it into Dosu's stomach, sending him flying and crashing through trees, knocking him out.
Kin and Zaku were too late to notice the change of events after released from Sakura's Genjutsu.
"Sakura, you take care of that girl; I'll take care of him," Sasuke spoke in a plain voice, his eyes gleaming with three black tomoe in their crimson depths. His expression was blank.
Sakura nodded, got up, and moved towards the confused Kin. Zaku was also confused, looking back at Dosu's unconscious figure, then at Sasuke, who was coming at him.
He tilted his head, and a smirk tugged at his lips. "Aha, Sasuke, I will—" He didn't get to finish, as lightning crackled around Sasuke. His eyes glared directly into Zaku's soul. Zaku gulped but couldn't move.
Bang!
Sasuke formed a Chidori, flickered close to Zaku, and pierced his hand through Zaku's chest. Zaku's eyes were wide with horror, and blood came out of his mouth and chest.
"W...HA... T.." His vision blurred as he was slammed back onto the ground. Sasuke pulled his hand out, looking at Zaku with an expressionless stare.
———
"Ino! You still think they need our help?"
Shikamaru whispered, all three of them hid behind the bushes, watching the fight unfold. Ino shook her head silently. Even Choji had stopped eating his snacks so no sound would come from their hidden spot.