Chapter 1

Battle for Konoha

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.

It was time.

Finally the moment they had been waiting for. The moment they had been training for.

It was time.

The team stood tall and proud awaiting the attack of thousands of sound-nin who were pouring into Konoha by the millions. The Sound ninja appeared sinister in their black assembles and masks. But, even more so with their leader bringing up the rear.

The Sound-nin parted like the red sea to allow space for their leader to walk through.

"Surrender now Konoha, or every man, woman, and child will suffer." He said softly, making shivers pour down the spines of those who were on his side and the opposing side. This man wasn't even a man. He was made up of a different entity all together.

The blond with blue eyes standing in the front clenched his fists with fury and was ready to raise his voice at the snake, when the Hokage responded in kind, "Did you really think we would just surrender, Orchimaru? Don't you know from experience that Konoha ninja's do not give up that easily!".

Orchimaru glared at his ex-team mate and stepped out of line to allow the black haired and eyed man to pass in front. Lifting his hand on the man's shoulder he stared right at the pink-haired woman to the left of the blond and oily smiled. "Say hi to Sasuke everyone, my apprentice! He was once your friend, your brother, your love. Now…

he is your worst nightmare."

Sakura could not remember how to breathe. It was like all the air had been sucked out from her lungs and they were burning to inhale.

Sasuke

What had happened to him? She thought in horror. Of course she had prepared herself for the worst, but this was worse than worse. Her heart felt seared with heat and she felt bile rise in her throat at the sight of Sasuke standing beside the greatest enemy that ever existed of Konoha. He had grown obviously. But the change was unexpected compared to when she last saw him. His features were chiselled and scarred from his many fights. His physique appeared more muscular, emphasized by the second skin uniform of the sound. His eyes however are what truly shocked her. They were black, with swirling vivid red irises that would make any rational ninja run. But she wouldn't run. Sakura was tired of running, tired of being weak, tired of failling Naruto who became the equivalent of a brother to her.

There was pity in her heart for the boy he used to be and the great man he could've become, had he stayed in Konoha and not succumbed to his greed for revenge. Averting her gaze from him, Sakura focused instead on protecting her teacher and scanned the army of sound ninja's, that were still flooding through Konoha's gates, looking for any suspicious movement. Her gaze stopped on a sound ninja to the far left. This ninja had his hand behind his back, his head cocked toward the Konoha's Hokage. Thinking quickly, Sakura stepped up in front of her teacher, letting her know that an attempt was being made on her life.

Flinging to the right side of Tsunade-shishou, she heard a swoosh, feeling the blade slip past her cheek, digging deep enough to remain lodged and create a scar. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the Sound Hokage and yanked the blade out, skewering the wound deeper but making no move to heal it. Sensing her kyuubi friend reaching out for her in concern, she quickly glanced at him and nodded in okay, watching until he stepped back into place. She fingered the blade and black hilt, before flicking it with straight on accuracy towards the leaders' heart.

Sakura watched as a snake head emerged from the high left of his chest where his heart was supposed to be, and swallow it.

Naruto positioned a few feet away, cringed in disgust. Tenten shuddered at the disgusting display, while Ino and Hinata paled in colour. Neji and Lee who were standing beside their female team mate leaned slightly forward in a protective stance, as did Shikamaru and Chouji with Ino and Kiba and Shino for Hinata. So... he possessed the bodies of many snakes to create this one-mused Sakura. Before anyone could see her move, she spun around and vanished, to appear beside Naruto but facing the opposite direction of her opponents to heal the wound, knowing that if Sasuke copied this technique he would use it on himself in times of battle, and she did not want that to happen. Sakura then turned around to face the intruders and smiled devilishly at them.

The Sound-nin appeared shocked, as did Sasuke who had narrowed his eyes at the display of speed that he never expected from the pink-haired girl. What had shocked him the most was her confident smile. Did she really think the frail Konoha warriors would win this battle? He had been training for years at Sound to reach his supreme level of power and only gained the power he had because of his will to avenge his clan. Sakura however had nothing or no one to train for, to fight for...to get stronger for. He did.

Sakura looked at Tsunade and nodded in respect. Her teacher flicked her fingers and that was the signal.

Sakura stepped forward, with her eyes trained directly at the Sound Hokage, Orchimaru, and whispered "You Orchimaru, will not destroy this village, will not lay a hand on its people, while these ninja before you are alive. So we are giving you a chance to leave before going all out." She tossed her shoulder-length hair from her face, waiting for his response.

Orchimaru raised his eyebrow at the absurd question coming from this tiny, petite female, who dared stand up to him, and asked,

"Or what?"

Sakura's expression remained blank as she took out her gloves and slipped them on before flexing her hands in the material. She kept her gaze on him, allowing him to see the smirk that transpired across her face.

"We'll kick your ass."