The sealed kunai

Chapter 46: F.U.B.A.R.

Sakura kneeled over the injured Tayuya and steadily healed her wounds from Sasuke's attack. She had been electrocuted, suffered multiple electric burns, had her heart stopped, and luckily was able to have it restarted by Naruto's Kage Bunshin before it left for some reason, "How are you feeling Tayuya?" She asked.

Tayuya gave her a dry look as she lay still on her back and allowed Sakura to work, "Like some prick with an iron grip grabbed me around the throat and fucking shocked me into cardiac arrest. I feel fantastic Pinky, can't you tell?" She said sarcastically as she shifted uncomfortably on her back, "Thank Kami for Uzumaki..."

A nod was all that Sakura could give in response, "This was all my fault... If Naruto hadn't shown up you would have been-."

"No shit." Tayuya said without remorse, "And it wasn't even necessary. We had the prick. He underestimated us and you could have smeared that pretty boy's face all over your knuckles and half of this forest if you had just grown a spine and unloaded on him. One shot." She coughed out a chuckle, "I don't think hitting anyone in the face ever felt any better to me in my life. After you hit him you probably could have put him back together. You trained with Tsunade didn't you? You sure as hell didn't get her rack size from her so you got the healing part at least didn't you?"

Sakura looked away from Tayuya, "I know I screwed up-."

"Yes." Tayuya said, cutting her off from what was sure to be self-deprecating remarks, "That's the gist of it, you fucked up. We almost got killed. You hesitated, against a known missing-ninja that managed to take Orochimaru down on his own, and didn't cream that asshole when I served him up on a silver platter." Her face was completely serious, "I'm reporting this when we get back. I have to. You're a chunin for fuck's sake. What would you have done if it were you leading the team? What if you were the jounin instead of me? What would you have done, let him kill your team?"

Sakura shook her head, but couldn't say anything. She let the healing jutsu drop from her hands and she turned away fully.

Tayuya shook her head. Her body was still completely numb, but she could move enough to know she wasn't paralyzed or anything, "This isn't a fairy tale. You can't turn the misunderstood dark prince with kisses and fucking sunshine. He doesn't give two squirts of piss about you." She narrowed her eyes at Sakura's back as she sat up, trying to work the feeling back into her body, "If I ever find out you did anything like that again, I'm going to fucking maim you." She stood up and started walking about, muttering to herself, "I swear... Crazy Snake Bitch had the right idea after all... beating the stupid out of these fucking airheaded 'kunoichi' Konoha's got running around."

"Right here. Here's where I left them." Pakkun's voice said from a short distance before the rest of the squad from Konoha arrived on the scene with Sai and Maki in tow, "What happened?"

Tayuya crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against a tree to take some weight off of her legs but get them used to standing again, "Pinky had a nice little reunion with her Uchiha prince, who then preceded to try and kill us while she tried to talk him down. He's long gone."

Kakashi noted the multiple visible wounds on Tayuya and the relatively pristine Sakura in comparison. He figured Tayuya must have gotten hurt covering Sakura while she tried to reason with Sasuke. He looked at Sakura and shook his head, "This is why Tsunade-sama told you it was a bad idea to come on this mission. You wouldn't be able to stay objective." He turned his attention back to Tayuya, "Are you alright?"

"I'll live." She said in reply, "Thanks to Uzumaki."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "You saw him?" He nudged his head towards Maki, "She said she was with him before she got to us and the other new guy."