A/N: This takes place just after Naruto and Sasuke release the Infinite Tsukuyomi together. As of right now the T rating is subject to change in the future. Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Edit: I've revised this because my formatting got screwed up.
You give me peace of mind, Captain Yamato!
-Sakura, Yamato's Dream in the Infinite Tsukuyomi
Sakura watched with unrestrained horror as a kunai plunged into Naruto's abdomen. He tipped his head back to gaze into Sasuke's face whose expression couldn't be seen from Sakura's viewpoint. From what she could tell, it looked like he was murmuring something to Sasuke as blood seeped from the corners of his mouth and down his chin.
It took her a few seconds to realize the shrieking sound echoing throughout the valley was being wrenched from her own throat. She clapped a hand over mouth, her body trembling with fear as she started crawling backwards.
She wondered how it had come to this. It seemed like only minutes before they had come to a truce - that Sasuke had finally seen reason. He had even smiled at her when she healed his arm, although there was something eerie about it. It was like he knew something she didn't.
I should have known something was wrong, she internally berated herself.
"I'm sorry," Sasuke spoke above Naruto, his voice sounding completely neutral. From this distance Sakura could barely hear him over the sound of the waterfall.
"I'm going to make this world right," he started before ripping the kunai out of Naruto, causing the blond to collapse into a heap on the blood-soaked ground, "myself."
"Naruto!" she screamed, the reality of the situation slamming into her like toppling boulders. She scrambled to her feet, every muscle fiber aching in protest, before attempting to run to Naruto's crippled form.
A heavy hand on her shoulder prevented her from taking more than a few steps, but Sakura did not glance away from the grim sight in front of her.
"Sakura, run," Kakashi whispered into her ear hoarsely, clearly straining with the effort to stand up.
"Kakashi," she sputtered out, glancing between him and Sasuke with wide eyes.
"I'm going to distract Sasuke. I'll see if I can't manage to change his mind," he sighed, ignoring her fear-stricken gaze to instead assess the situation in front of him.
From this vantage point Sakura couldn't decipher if Naruto was dead or alive. She knew with certainty he wouldn't be alive for much longer if she was unable to reach his side to close that wound.
Kakashi moved in front of her suddenly, taking on a defensive posture while his hands twitched with eagerness to form hand signs.
"Kakashi wait-" She protested, reaching out to grip one of his arms so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"I know it's dangerous," he interrupted, "but I want to know I managed to save at least one of my students." The small upturn of his lips was visible through his mask, but his eyes were sorrowful. She swallowed back the sob threatening to escape.
Sasuke lifted his gaze from Naruto's body to turn and face them fully. She shivered as fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins like ice the moment Sasuke's calculating eyes latched onto hers.
"Go," Kakashi insisted forcefully, one hand pushing her backwards.
"I'm going to inform the others. I'll get you help," she conceded with a wavering voice while releasing the grip on his arm.
"Thank you," he responded curtly before embracing her in a quick one-armed hug. Sakura thought she would burst into tears that moment, but only the eminent threat of death stopped her. She had to get him help because she knew she was in no condition to be of any use.
"Go now," he demanded while shoving her away more vigorously this time, causing her to stumble over her own feet.
Some primitive part of her brain warned her not to break contact from the eyes which promised you're next, but the rest of her body was already moving into action.
Forcing what little chakra she had left in her reserves to power her feet, Sakura ripped her eyes from Sasuke's and ran. She never once looked back as she raced away, fearing what sight might greet her if she did.
Her heart was thumping arrhythmically in her chest and her calves burned with fatigue as she maneuvered through the torn landscape. Sounds of shouting and the screeching birds of Kakashi's chidori reverberated behind her, but Sakura's mind was focused solely on reaching the village.
Even without an arm, there was no doubt Sasuke could still overwhelm them both. Sakura had to get Kakashi help, and she would drain her chakra dry in the process if that was required.
The village was taking more time to reach than she expected, causing Sakura to feel like she was on the verge of a panic attack with each passing moment. By the time Konoha came into view, Sakura's mind was chanting prayers for Kakashi's survival.
Villagers and shinobi alike were celebrating in the streets, completely unaware of the looming danger threatening them. Running through the streets at a breakneck pace, Sakura completely ignored those around her calling out to her with greetings and praise. She needed to find Tsunade, and the best location for that was the Hokage's office.
Although she felt a small sense of relief when she finally reached the academy, her body gave her little rest as it screamed in protest from chakra expenditure. Just a little further, she encouraged herself.
The stationed guards standing at the academy's entrance gave her quizzical looks when she flew past them, but they didn't choose to halt her. She was grateful for that, at least.
Another set of guards stood in front of the doors to the Hokage's office, this time making her pause in her steps.
She took a few seconds to finally gulp in some much needed air before telling them in a rush, "I need to see the Hokage."
"She's in a meeting," one of them responded, making no indication he was going to move for her.
"The village is in trouble. I'm her damn assistant and I need to see her now," she ground out, glowering at both of them. They shared a confused look between each other before shifting aside to let her in.
Sakura didn't hesitate, practically bursting down the doors to get inside. Her entrance was met with surprised glances from all the Kage's, except Tsunade whose expression was concerned. Obviously she must have interrupted their meeting.
"Where's Naruto?" Gaara asked immediately, his gaze turning weary.
"Sasuke stabbed Naruto," she gasped out, rushing to the front of Tsunade's desk. The other Kage's began murmuring amongst each other at her exclamation, but Tsunade and Gaara's expressions turned dark.
"He said he's going to make the world right," she started before anyone could interrupt her, her tone becoming hysterical. "Kakashi's trying to fight him right now, but he needs-,"
"Sakura, calm down," Tsunade interrupted her, rising from her chair before making her way to Sakura's side.
"He's coming for me," Sakura began again, fear leaking into her voice. "I think he wants to kill me."
Tsunade gripped Sakura's shoulders then in an attempt to soothe her, but her mouth was set in a thin line of irritation. Gaara also moved to hover near them, appearing unusually agitated, as if he was ready to escape the office and retrieve Naruto himself.
"What are Naruto and Kakashi's conditions?" Tsunade inquired.
"I don't know if Naruto's alive - I didn't have a chance to check him. Both him and Sasuke lost their arms when they fought each other, but I had to chance to stop their bleeding. I thought everything would be fine, but Sasuke betrayed him. Kakashi is nearly out of chakra, he isn't going to last very long. You have to help him," Sakura pleaded, her words tumbling out in a rush.
Tsunade turned to some guards located near the back of the office, ordering them to assemble a large team to retrieve Naruto and Kakashi while restraining Sasuke so he could be sent immediately to Ibiki.
Normally Sakura would have balked at the idea of Sasuke in the same room with the infamous interrogator, but she was far more concerned about the wellbeing of the rest of her team. Sasuke had betrayed them all, and as hard as that might be to accept, Sakura just couldn't afford worrying about him anymore.
He had hurt her too many times now, and this was the last straw.
"I'm going with them to get Naruto," Gaara declared, vanishing in a swirl of sand before anyone could protest.
"The person Sasuke wants most as of currently is you, right Sakura? Perhaps it would be best for all of us if you moved to another location for now," Mei suggested behind them with a thoughtful expression.
"If he knows you're here, which I'm certain he does, he'll be making his way to Konoha now. Well, it's not like I can't take the brat on even in this condition," Onoki stated confidently with a grin.
Tsunade sighed then, her eyes flitting to the cabinet holding her secret stash of booze. "Unfortunately, they're right. For your own safety we need to relocate you away for Konoha until he's dealt with," Tsunade spoke, casting Sakura a sympathetic gaze.
There was no way Sakura was going to let herself be a liability, not when her village needed her now more than ever.
"That's not necessary, I can-" she started.
"No. You're in no condition for fighting or healing," Tsunade interrupted. She cast a quick glance between the remaining Kage's before leaning in close to whisper, "none of us are in a condition to protect you right now, Sakura. You're the best healer I've got, I can't afford losing you."
"I understand," Sakura replied bitterly. She could see that the other Kage's probably thought of her as nothing more than a risk factor right now. They would fight to defend themselves, but not her. Not except Tsunade and Gaara.
Knowing her presence in Konoha might result in Sasuke attempting to destroy the only home she knew just to reach her left Sakura with a sick feeling on her stomach. Perhaps it is better if I just stay away from Konoha, she lamented. It's not like I'll be gone forever.
Tsunade summoned a couple of guards while Sakura was lost in her own thoughts. "Bring Yamato and Sai, pronto," she demanded. That brought Sakura back to reality.
"Wait, are they coming with me?" she asked incredulously.
"You didn't seriously think I'd cast you out all by yourself, did you? You need someone else to help protect you," Tsunade clarified, placing her hands on her hips. "I'll have Lady Katsuya inform you when it is safe to return."
Sakura wondered then if the only time she'd be safe was when Sasuke died. Maybe his death would leave everyone better off. That was a hard thought for her to swallow.
"Where will we go?" she queried. She still couldn't believe this was actually happening. Sakura wanted nothing more than for this to be completely over with - for Naruto and Kakashi to return to her safely.
"To the border near Tanigakura. There's several remote villages there you can choose to settle into."
This made sense to Sakura, at least. It was the opposite direction of Sasuke's last location, The Valley of the End, and also a midpoint between Konoha and Suna. If shit really hit the fan, at least she had a couple of options she could run to.
The guards from before poofed back into existence with Yamato and Sai in tow, both of them looking a little worse for wear.
Sakura felt elation seeing her former captain, glad he had managed to return after his capture. She gave him a small smile and he returned it with a tired one of his own.
"Yamato, you and Sai are going into hiding with Sakura on the border of Tanigakura," Tsunade spoke to them. A look of confusion crossed over both of their faces. "Naruto is incapacitated right now and Kakashi is not faring any better."
"Where are they?" Yamato asked, his expression perplexed.
"Kakashi's battling Sasuke. He stabbed Naruto," Sakura answered him, her expression turning sullen. A flash of surprise passed over Sai's neutral face while Yamato grimaced at the information.
"Sakura can explain the details later. Get your supplies and go," Tsunade ordered them.
"Lady Tsunade I want you to know that Sasuke might come after you and the other Kage's. I believe he's going to attempt taking over all of the villages," Sakura informed her. She still wasn't entirely sure what his plan was, but she believed it was warranted to tell Tsunade of the danger.
"I'd like to see the kid try," Tsunade remarked sarcastically.
Sakura knew her teacher and the other Kage's were powerful, but there was no telling how they would fare against Sasuke. Now that he possessed the rinnegan, she could only imagine the destruction he was capable of.
Giving Tsunade a respectful bow, Sakura made her way over to her new team. Everything is going to be fine, she attempted to soothe herself. Sasuke will be taken care of and then I'm free to come back and heal everyone like usual.
Sakura walked with her team in awkward silence to the outside entrance of the academy when Yamato suddenly halted them. She couldn't help but to fidget beneath her teammates heavy gazes as they all paused to stand still.
"Both of you get your stuff and meet me back here in ten minutes. We'll set out then," Yamato instructed after a moment. He looked like he wanted to ask her something, but was refraining from doing so.
Nodding that she understood, Sakura instantly set off for her parent's home. She would deal with their questions later, needing a few moments to herself to fully process everything that happened.
Moving quickly through the heavily populated streets, Sakura began to wonder if her parents managed to escape the war unscathed. That worry vanished, however, the moment she entered her house.
"Hello sweetheart," her mother greeted her, looking tired from the day's events.
"Can't stay for long mom, I gotta go," she announced, giving her mother a quick kiss on the forehead before scurrying to her upstairs room.
Sakura wasn't sure how long she'd be staying in seclusion, so she opted to grab a handful of different supplies to stuff into her bag. Her body was on autopilot as she gathered her things while her mind was going into overdrive. She almost felt nauseous from the worry she had for Naruto and Kakashi, her racing thoughts filled with the worst possible scenarios.
It only took her five minutes to gather her stuff before she was scrambling back down the stairs. After reaching the bottom of the staircase she was met with concerned looks from both her parents.
"Do you have to leave on a mission so soon?" her father asked her.
"Everything will be fine, I just have things I need to take care of." she lied, not daring to tell them the truth of the situation. They would worry themselves to death if they knew what was happening out there - that their daughter was being chased by her psychotic former teammate.
"Well, just be safe" her mother called after her as she was already making her way out the door.
She imagined her parents would be so disappointed when they heard what Sasuke had done. They always teased her over the crush she had on him, asking her when they were going to get married. Not in a thousand years, she decided.
Meeting her team back at their rendezvous point, Sakura realized it was starting to get late, putting her on edge. The last thing she wanted was for them to be completed blindsided by Sasuke in the dark.
Yamato must have sensed her worry because he gave her a reassuring look. "If Sasuke's lost his arm then I doubt he's in the best condition right now to chase after us," he reasoned.
"But when he is feeling better…" she trailed off.
"If he isn't captured by Naruto's rescue team, he'll get caught when he comes for us. The Hokage expects he's going to chase after you so she's stationing several teams along our path," Sai interjected.
"How do you know this?" she questioned, not understanding why Tsunade hadn't deemed it fit to give her this information.
"The guards told us. They've already begun assembling several teams."
I see, so I'm going to be bait, she thought bitterly. If it meant Sasuke was caught for good, she could live with that.
"If everyone's ready, we should go ahead and set out," Yamato mentioned.
"Just a sec," she said, fumbling for one of the chakra pills stashed in her pack before swallowing it. She hoped it would give her enough chakra to last their trip. "Alright, I'm ready," she confirmed, bracing herself for their journey.
They set off without another word, reaching the forests lining the outskirts of Konoha in no time. The chakra pills she took earlier had begun to filter through her system, but she was still unable to shake off the feeling of exhaustion.
As they hopped along the tree branches, Sai trailed ever closer to her side. She could already tell he was going to ask her something. In fact, both of them looked like they were teeming with questions.
"Why did Sasuke stab Naruto?" he asked her directly, choosing to get straight to the point.
"He said he was going to change the world by himself - that he's going to bring peace to it. Something like that, I guess, " she answered with a shrug of her shoulders, the action causing a lace of pain to travel along her neck and arms. She bit her lip and forced her expression to remain neutral to hide her pain.
"So he's changed from his previous plans to destroy Konoha," Yamato remarked casually even though his back looked tense. She wasn't so sure that Konoha was out of the woods just yet.
"I don't understand why world peace requires killing you and Naruto," Sai wondered, his furrowed brows indicating he was deep in thought.
"I don't get it either. Sasuke has always been weird like that. Sometimes I think we've always been nothing more than obstacles to him," she agonized, her face twisting in a painful expression. Sasuke would always remain an enigma to her.
Once again she tried to calm her overwhelming emotions, opting to put on a calm facade. Knowing she was never that good hiding her emotions, she figured they probably saw right through her anyways.
"Perhaps it's not that Sasuke truly hates you, but rather you two are causing him some sort of cognitive dissonance," Sai suggested, eyeing her curiously.
"Or perhaps it's because he knows they would never stand for whatever he has planned," Yamato intercepted.
"That's true. Naruto would chase Sasuke to the ends of the earth if it meant returning him to Konoha," she affirmed. It was painful for her to acknowledge Naruto cared so deeply for Sasuke and yet the man had no qualms with betraying him.
"I'm sure Naruto won't be too happy when he recovers. It won't be long before he's chasing after him again if he's not already captured," Yamato said.
"Yeah, I hope he'll be fine," she murmured.
"He's not the type to be easily killed," Yamato pointed out with confidence, glancing behind to give her a comforting smile.
Sakura was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, knowing Naruto was the type to weasel his way out of the worst situations.
That's right, he's not gonna let himself die by Sasuke's hands, she mused. Kakashi is the one who's at the most risk.
Swallowing thickly, Sakura attempted to think of happier thoughts. Even with lighthearted memories of her childhood floating through her mind, Kakashi still lingered in the back of her mind.
They decided to settle for the night in a remote clearing located inside the forest. She calculated they were at least several miles away from Konoha and only another day trip to the border.
Realistically, they needed to move farther, but Sakura was just about to collapse from complete chakra exhaustion. She never complained nor mentioned once how weak she felt, but they seemed to sense it anyways from the worried glances they kept giving her as time passed.
Once Yamato carefully observed their surroundings and confirmed this was a safe location to set up camp, Sakura nearly fell to the ground from fatigue. She wanted nothing more than to unfurl her bedroll and then pass out on it.
"We'll leave early in the morning. I'm going to take first watch for the night and Sai will be second," Yamato said.
Sai nodded in affirmation and began the process of compiling wood for the campfire.
"What about me?" she asked, already anticipating the response.
"You need to rest," his replied sternly, his expression showing he was concerned about her wellbeing. She could tell he wasn't going to leave any room for protest.
It only took Sai a moment to prepare a fire, which she was thankful for. "Should I inform Tsunade of our location," he asked Yamato.
Yamato appeared to consider this for a moment before shaking his head. "Not currently. We don't want to risk our location getting into any enemies hands." Obviously he was talking about Sasuke, but she figured he refrained mentioning him for her sake.
Good, I'm so tired of thinking about him.
While her teammates moved into their respective positions, she went and placed her bedroll close to the fire. She didn't even bother with changing into her nightclothes, opting to huddle beneath her thick blanket.
Sakura thought with her body begging for sleep she would pass out instantly, and yet her tumultuous thoughts wouldn't allow for rest. Normally, staring into the campfire's crackling flames would help lull her into sleep, but all it did was make her think of Sasuke's red sharingan. The smoke wasn't helping much either - it only served as reminder of the scorched battleground from before.
Closing her eyes tightly, Sakura shifted her face into her pillow and moved the blanket above her head. Surrounded in darkness seemed to bring her some relief, and she was able to relax her body into her bedroll.
The sky had turned dark long ago before Sakura managed to doze off. She had just entered a dream when a soft, feminine voice awoke her. Startling into action, Sakura gripped the kunai under her pillow before facing her attacker.
The voice belonged to a medium sized Katsuya who was peering down at her. "You're awake now," she remarked, seemingly unaffected by her aggressive move.
Sakura immediately tucked the kunai away and shoved off her blanket so she could stand and bow for Katsuya.
"Forgive me for my rudeness, Lady Katsuya, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon," she confessed. Right now she hoped Katsuya's early arrival meant Sasuke was captured and she could come back home.
"Do not fret over it, Sakura," Katsuya reassured, continuing, "Unfortunately, I do not bring you good news."
Sakura couldn't breathe.
"Naruto is alive, but severely injured. Kakashi did not make it."
She couldn't say anything. She couldn't feel anything. It was like her mind was completely shutting itself off.
"Is Naruto going to make it?" Sai asked. She didn't even notice he was there.
"Tsunade's with him right now. She thinks he's going to have a full recovery," Katsuya replied.
This seemed to ground her just a little bit. At least he made it. At least I didn't lose them both.
"And what of us?" she murmured.
"You continue to hide. Sasuke was nowhere in sight when they arrived. They believe he's set off with a team in the direction of the Fire Lord."
"Well, it means he's not looking for me."
"Tsunade still does not believe you are safe. There's no way to confirm what he's planning."
"Thank you for informing us, Lady Katsuya," Sakura stated with a bow.
Katsuya had disappeared in a poof, but not without confirming she would be back when Tsunade had news. The slug's departure left her and Sai standing together awkwardly as they both tried to figure out what to do next.
"I'll go tell the Captain," he offered after a moment.
"No, I will," she asserted. She didn't exactly understand why she felt the strong need to tell him herself. She figured it was because he deserved to hear it from someone who cared about Kakashi as much as he did.
Taking a deep breath to try and steel herself, Sakura braved the forest to go find him.
It took her a few minutes to finally reach him as he was situated in a dense section of forest on the far perimeter of their clearing.
The second he saw her she was greeted with a small smile. Sakura didn't know if she could bear to break the news.
He must have saw she was troubled because he immediately began to frown, appraising her with a concerned gaze.
"What's the matter? Are you okay?" he asked apprehensively, his posture turning tense.
"Kakashi's dead," she choked out, several tears she tried so hard to hold back dripping down her cheeks.
Expressions of disbelief, anger, and sadness flitted across his face briskly before he settled on a neutral mask. Sakura had to give him points for effort, but it was clear he was not taking Kakashi's death very well.
"Naruto is in critical condition, but he should be okay. Lady Tsunade says to continue hiding."
"Go back to the camp. We'll continue with our plan for in the morning," he said with a voice hoarser than usual.
She could tell he needed to be alone, and she couldn't blame him for that. She too needed some time to process Kakashi's death.
Leaving Yamato to his thoughts, Sakura made her way back into camp with a numb mind. She crawled back into her sleeping bag, ignoring Sai who clearly wanted to say something to her.
Although her mind felt empty and dull, several tears streaked across her face to land on top of her pillow. She pulled her blanket back over her face, not wanting either Sai or Yamato to see her cry.
It seemed like both her mind and body had finally given out because only a few moments later Sakura found herself pulled into a dreamless sleep.
When morning came around, a gentle hand was what shook her awake. She blearily opened her eyes, the fuzzy form of Yamato becoming crisper as she blinked away excess tears.
His eyes were red-rimmed and his gaze haunted. He had been crying.
End Notes: Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you look forward to the rest of this story.