***

Sasuke finds the situation almost, almost amusing. Was this pink haired girl honestly trying to protect Naruto from his ultimate demise?

How fucking pathetic.

It's like watching seconds go by and wishing to stop it; only for it to soon turn into minutes and then hours. Next thing you know, a year has passed by. And yet you still wish to preserve time. Just like you wish to keep your ice cream, or someone's life. The anthology is stupid, but whatever.

From his prospective, it was honestly futile to keep trying. He could tell this girl-- whoever she was, (pink hair though? Why was she familiar?) -- was depleting her chakra reserves and her teamates were out cold.

He should put her out of her misery.

Pink hair.

He activates his sharingan.

Eyes of bottle green glass.

The susanoo curls around him like second skin.

Flaring temper.

The sound of a thousand bird chirps into life.

"Sasuke-kun!"

The volt of elecriticy is supposed to plunge through her.

But it doesn't. Instead, a reptilian steps out from the shadows and grabs his oncoming wrist, stopping it from reaching his target.

He turns to face the person who dare lay in his path and obliterate them, yet one look and sasuke almost freezes.

Those slits of eyes and cold, cold skin could never be forgotten.

***

Sakura doesn't know what's happening.

One moment she feels an immense chakra flooding behind her, and the infamous chidori cackling to life. And she knew, at that moment, that it would be her end. But as long as she can protect the blonde ball of sunshine; her only happy place, then she's fine in doing so.

Her mind has succumbed yet her heart beat frantically, and then a dead silence took over as another presence entered the field.

"Tsk tsk, sasuke-kun."

Fucking Kabuto Yakushi

***