Chapter Nineteen: The Awakening
The dense canopy of the Forest of Death loomed ominously over Sakura as she dragged both Sasuke and Naruto into the relative safety of a hollowed-out cave. Sasuke remained unconscious, his face pale, the curse mark on his neck dark and foreboding. Naruto, meanwhile, was still missing after setting off to secure the second scroll.
Sakura sat at the entrance, gripping a kunai tightly, her knuckles white. The weight of the situation bore down on her shoulders—she was alone, her teammates incapacitated, and danger lurking behind every shadow. The sound of rustling foliage made her heart race.
Her fears materialized as three figures emerged from the shadows. The unmistakable headbands of the Sound Village gleamed in the dim light.
"Found you," Zaku Abumi sneered, his smirk sharp and predatory.
Dosu Kinuta stepped forward, his voice calm yet menacing. "We've been looking for you. Orochimaru-sama will be pleased when we deliver the head of Sasuke Uchiha."
Kin Tsuchi grinned, her senbon needles glinting menacingly in her hands. "Looks like we caught a bonus. Too bad she's just a weakling."
Sakura planted herself firmly between them and Sasuke, raising her kunai. "You're not taking a single step closer!"
Zaku burst into laughter. "What's this? You're going to stop us?" He raised his hand, the air around it distorting. "Let's see how long you last. Decapitating Airwaves!"
A powerful gust of compressed air shot toward Sakura, uprooting trees in its path. She barely dodged, the blast grazing her arm and sending her sprawling to the ground.
"Stay back!" she shouted, scrambling to her feet. Her voice wavered, but she held her ground.
Dosu sighed. "This is a waste of time. Zaku, finish her off quickly."
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Reinforcements
Before Zaku could strike again, a hail of kunai whistled through the air, forcing the Sound ninja to retreat momentarily. From the tree line emerged Team 10—Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji.
"Not so fast," Shikamaru drawled, his hands casually in his pockets. "This is turning into such a drag, but we can't just leave her."
Ino rushed to Sakura's side, crouching down. "Sakura, are you okay?"
"Ino…" Sakura breathed, relief flooding her voice.
Chōji stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "You mess with her, you mess with us."
Kin smirked, tossing her senbon needles. "More pests. This is getting annoying."
Dosu raised a hand. "Take them out. We have a mission to complete."
---
The Battle
Chōji took the lead, activating his Expansion Jutsu. His body grew larger, and he launched himself forward with tremendous speed. "Human Boulder!"
Zaku countered with another blast of air, the shockwave colliding with Chōji mid-roll. The force sent Chōji tumbling back, but he quickly regained his footing.
"Is that all you've got?" Zaku taunted.
Shikamaru focused on Dosu, extending his shadow across the ground. "Shadow Possession Jutsu."
Dosu leapt back, narrowly avoiding the shadow's grasp. "Predictable."
Meanwhile, Ino squared off against Kin. She dodged the senbon needles with practiced agility, forming a hand seal. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
Kin sidestepped the attack and smirked. "Too slow."
The battle intensified, with both sides trading blows. However, the Sound trio gradually gained the upper hand. Despite their efforts, Team 10 was being pushed back.
---
The Curse Mark Awakens
Sakura watched helplessly as her allies struggled against the Sound ninja. Her heart sank when she saw Chōji fall to the ground, winded from Zaku's relentless attacks.
Then, a low groan from behind her made her turn. Sasuke stirred, his eyes fluttering open.
"Sasuke?" she whispered, hope and fear mingling in her voice.
His eyes snapped open, the crimson glow of his Sharingan illuminating the dim cave. The curse mark on his neck pulsed and spread, dark tendrils snaking across his skin.
"Sasuke… no…" Sakura murmured, backing away.
Sasuke stood, his expression cold and detached. He stepped out of the cave, his gaze locking onto the Sound ninja.
"Which one of you…" he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "…hurt my teammates?"
Zaku smirked nervously, raising his hand. "So, you're finally awake. Let's see what you've got!"
He fired another blast of compressed air, but Sasuke moved with inhuman speed, dodging effortlessly. In a blur, he was in front of Zaku, delivering a devastating punch to his chest. Zaku flew back, crashing into a tree with a sickening thud.
Kin tried to attack from behind, but Sasuke spun around, grabbing her wrist and twisting it until she cried out in pain.
"Sasuke, stop!" Sakura screamed, but her voice fell on deaf ears.
Dosu hesitated, the unsettling energy radiating from Sasuke making him second-guess his next move. "This isn't normal…"
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Naruto's Arrival
At that moment, Naruto burst into the clearing, panting from his sprint. His eyes widened as he took in the chaotic scene: Team 10 struggling to stand, Sakura trembling, and Sasuke standing amidst it all, his body radiating a dark, menacing aura.
"What the hell is going on here?" Naruto demanded.
Sasuke turned to him, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "Stay out of this, dobe."
Naruto's fists clenched as he stepped forward. He didn't know what had happened to Sasuke, but he wasn't about to let him lose control.
"Sasuke, snap out of it!" Naruto shouted, his voice firm.
The tension in the air was thick as the forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting to see what would happen next.