[His stop is less of a screech than an abrupt pause and he realizes that the exit would be to jump over the robot and flee, but he isn't sure Sakura would handle the motion that well. For all her skills, she's still a child.
And he does not intend to leave her behind to be trapped in a barrier on her own.
Katon! Have an Itachi is already performing the motions necessary to shoot a fireball from his mouth right at the robot in front of them. Unfortunately, this won't stop the one coming up from behind.] What do they seek from us?