Sakura was afraid. The kunai was shaking at the rhythm of her sweating hands. Killing intent obscured her view and chakra mist suffocated her. Her heart bounced at the pace of eight words, again and again. Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, collarbone , kidney and heart. Larynx, spine ...

'Sasuke-kun ! Help me !'

She wanted him to hold her hand, fight and win 'because Sasuke-kun can't lose'. But the boy stood motionless. His eyes were wide, the kunai clutched in his hand as unstable as her's. She could feel tears forming, blurring her view and the wet strands of hair falling in her eye were not helping. And heart. Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, collarbone, kidney ...

'Kakashi-sensei ! Please !'

But his comforting words were not for her. All she could do was fall back in stances learned in school. Stances were good, stances were easy, stances protected her from attacks. She could feel the broken prayers of Tazuna along her skin, slithering slowly down her spine. She couldn't protect him. Kidney and heart. Larynx, spine, lungs, liver ...

'Behind !'

She jumped. Without thinking about Naruto, Sasuke and even less about their client, she jumped. It wasn't graceful or ninja like, only survival instinct. Her knees hurts. She had survived. Lungs, liver, ... One after the other clones disappeared. Who was false ? Whose was real ? Was it water or was it blood ? Her joy skyrocketed before plummeting. Her fear lead to relief then came back again. Until the panic arrived. Kakashi was kicked away. Collarbone, kidney,... Panic was a strange emotion, she mused as she run. Whereas fear was cold and would freeze you, panic was red hot. Larynx, spine... Panic makes you move. Move against all rationality or even reality. Because there was no other explanation as to why she darted toward the blade half anchored to the earth. How else could she gain the speed to reach for the handle before its rightful owner ? Yet, she did. And as the missing nin, still unaware went to grab it, she swung. And heart.

It was heavy. Too heavy for her to form a real threat. So of course he dodged it. Knowing that the kid was too weak to use the weapon, Zabuza followed Kakashi in the water. He couldn't let the jounin escape. A clone will suffice to put her down. As the mist became thicker, a clone slowly emerged from it.

Sakura was terrified. Her breath was shallow. Adrenalin bumped trough her veins. Her eyes were trying to see but the mist was even denser than before. Her hold on the hefty sword tightened. She swallowed. 'Dead. We are dead.' Her view was blurred. Was it the mist or her tears ? 'Why ? Why did we do that ?' She wanted to let the weapon fall and run away, give it back and beg for her life. Yet, her hold stayed firm. Larynx, lungs,...

'N-Naruto ! I swear if you help me I will go on a date with you !'

Naruto was down. She could feel the body falling to the ground at her right, his hitai-ate clicking as it touched the ground. Kidney, collarbone, ... Was he dead ? She couldn't see anything. The mantra of the missing nin was still singing in her ear. The smell of blood was suffocating. 'Blood?' Jugular vein and heart.

"... take Tazuna and run !" Did she hear panic in his voice ? Didn't he swear to protect them ? Spine, lungs,... "... His clone won't follow you !"

'Liar' she thought. Sakura knew that the missing nin will never let her run away with the sword in her hands. And her hand refused to collaborate and let the fucking sword down. 'Protect yourself' Like she could. The swatika formation from before had been useless. She wasn't brave enough to await death to give the old man a parody of protection. 'Attack' But how could she when the weapon was so heavy ? She was so much smaller compared to it. She needed strength. But how ? Liver,... What could she do ?Lungs, ... What could she do ? Heart, ... What ...

'Sasuke-kun ? Why are you there ? Why is he strangling you ? Aren't you strong Sasuke-kun ?'

His left hand was around the boy's neck. His hold tightened cutting oxygen. She would be next. Panic grabbed her heart. She didn't want to be next ! If only she could move. Chakra started gathering along her arms. 'It's gonna be us if we don't do anything'. She needed to attack. Kidney, kidney,k-...

Unlike Sasuke she didn't cry out as she shot toward his exposed side. Even if he heard her ( she knew he did) he would have to free Sasuke or to let her touch him. She hoped for the former because she didn't have the strength to stop the blade from also cutting her teammate. The sword swung, this time more forceful thanks to her chakra, the clone couldn't stop it without risking exploding. As expected he tossed the Uchiha and retracted, dodging it. Knowing that she couldn't stop its movement, Sakura followed it, spinning round and round, forming a protecting dome. When she finally stopped she was far enough from the clone as to feel safe. 'As long as he is alive we won't be safe.' Her vision wasn't stable, her arms throbbed painfully from the frantic chakra that she had injected forcefully and her head was still full of the never ending mantra. Larynx, heart , lungs,... The pinkette felt dizzy, she wanted to throw up. ' Stay alert !'

The clone was now in front of Naruto. 'Run you idiot !' Yet the blond stayed in the ground. Shaking like a leaf ,his eyes wide. And as he finally decided to move, his injury stopped him again. 'What are you doing ?' Sasuke was out cold for the moment, she couldn't feel her arms and Kakashi was still trapped, nobody could protect him. But when the blond ran, it wasn't in their direction, toward safety. He darted, yelling, without any kunai, toward Zabuza. Spine, kidney,...

"Naruto !" she yelled.

In less than a second the boy was back a their side. Not by choice though. Blood was dripping down his lips. The sword pulsed in her hands. Sakura stared at the weapon. She could feel it vibrating, hot with something. 'I-Is it alive?' cried Inner. The smell of blood which burned her nose increased. Wide eyed, the genin concentrated on the blade. There was no trace of blood, the metal was so neat that she could see perfectly her reflection, no scratch injured the smooth surface yet ... 'It comes from it'. There was something wrong with the sword, something dark. Was she the only one to sense this aura ? And as Naruto and Sasuke talked with Zabuza she couldn't help but only see the sword. Her chakra, erratic surrounded it yet it purred. Again the sword pulsed. She lost awareness of the world around her. The panic faded away by the gentle lull of the weapon, the fearful hymn in her head finally stopped. Sakura held unto it like a lifeline and like a old friend Kubikiribocho comforted her. 'Kubikiribocho ?' But Outer wasn't listening. Blood. She could bask in this feeling all her life. A drop. Her hand skimmed fondly the blade. Just a little. A red tear trailed the edge and Sakura drowned in the wonderful peace that overcome her. 'Outer ...'

" Sakura-chan !"

Who ? 'Outer !' Couldn't they let her in peace ? She wa- A force crashed against her cheek sending her flying. Larynx, heart, kidney, larynx, heart, kidney, spine, la- No ! Her heart was racing. No ! Her entire body was shaking. NO ! The pinkette glared at the clone. Kubikiribocho was in his hands. Collarbone, kidney, jugular vein, kidney, ... Without thinking she rushed toward in him. 'Stop Outer !' Her arms were still hurting her and her head was throbbing at the rhythm of her heart. Spine, lungs, collarbone ... Trying to forget the pain, she directed chakra in her hands. She succeeded in dodging his first hit but as her fingertips brushed him his elbow collided with her back. Heart, spine, spine,... She met the ground. He was talking, but Sakura couldn't hear him. Heart, spine, lungs, ... Her spine was hurting. 'Stay low !' As feet descended brutally on her back , she cried out. Fear compressed her heart. She wanted to go back to Kubikiribocho. She could imagine the yell of Naruto, and the taunting of Zabuza. The earth vibrated. 'Naruto's clones.' Taking advantage of them she discreetly pulled out a explosive tag. And while Narutos surrounded Zabuza, she acted. 'Get out there you idiot !' Sakura knew that she was too close but if she didn't have much time before her tag was spotted. So preparing herself for the pain, the pinkette rolled as far as she could go before flaring her chakra. Larynx, spine, heart, jugular, ...

Her back was burning. Her head screamed and her hymn of fear was still playing. Jugular vein, collarbone,.. She crawled toward Kubikiribocho a few feet away from her in a puddle of water. Heart, kidney,... Her hand reached out. Larynx, spine, lu- Silence. As her bloody hand grabbed the sword silence met her. Kubikiribocho purred as blood surrounded it, giving the girl the peace she nearly died for. Sakura passed out, a small smile on her lips, hugging in a bloody embrace the sword.