Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

While Kyuubi Rages

Sakura and Hyuuga Aron spotted the bulk of Konoha's survivors collected together in the forest on the far side of the crater from the battle between Kyuubi and Deva Pain. The small child she was carrying wriggled and ran to a relative as soon as Sakura put him down, and Aron carefully settled Hinata in a sheltered area out of the crowd. After an anxious glance at Gamachiki still holding an exhausted Tsunade, Sakura paused with one of the AMBU and a Katsuyu piece. The crowd watched the distant, massive explosions.

"Any luck locating Yamato-san?"

"He's already headed in," the AMBU said.

"Good. Work with Katsuyu to ensure we've got everyone out, and send a runner to the nearest village for medicine, supplies. And scout for a site near water. We'll need shelter for the injured, a triage area, -" For a moment Sakura's voice quavered, at the enormity of the task, at all the things that would be needed in the days and weeks to come. Then her mouth firmed, and she added: "I'll be tending to Hinata-san. Bring me anyone else who is critical."

Trying to focus only on the things she can do, rather than the tasks which were beyond her, Sakura crossed to Hyuuga Aron, followed by the Katsuyu piece, and lost herself in the precise absorption of medical ninjutsu. She succeeded in blocking out the world completely until a faint voice captured her attention.

"N-naruto-kun?"

"Still alive," Sakura said tersely, knowing that while Hinata was out of immediate danger, she needed to stay quiet. But she was also curious. "Why did you go up there, Hinata-chan? None of us are at that level. You could have died."

"Naruto-kun – was trapped. I couldn't – I had to tell him – I couldn't let him be defeated and not try, not tell-. I know it was the wrong time..."

Hinata's voice faded in agonised confusion, leaving Sakura staring down at her in startled realisation. But then she couldn't help but smile. She'd always known Hinata was very absorbed with Naruto. How wonderful that he had someone who felt like that about him.

"It's never the wrong time to tell someone you care, Hinata-chan," she said softly. "I know, whatever happens, Naruto will be glad he got to hear that."

Whatever happens. Nodding to Aron to stay with Hinata, Sakura crossed to look across the crater as another explosion decimated acres.

"Pain and Yamato have both been defeated," Katsuyu said, the slug's eerie voice too peaceful for the delivery of such news. "A seventh tail has formed."

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, searching for something, anything. Tsunade-sama had said that Yamato-sensei was the only person able to stop Naruto like this. Without him, what would happen to Naruto? She couldn't lose another of her precious people. She couldn't.

Her mind shied away from the grief and uncertainty she'd struggled with since that strange masked man had told her Sasuke was near death. Sasuke-kun was-

A murmur of consternation behind her made her turn, and the blood drained from her face leaving her light-headed, dizzy, as a tall, grim and so-beloved figure stopped at her side and stared out over the pit of rubble and dust which had been the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Sasuke. Here, now. Right in front of her.

"Naruto did this?" he asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

"An Akatsuki called Pain," Sakura said, her mouth so dry, but at least able to speak, able to do more than stand paralysed and scream in her mind notdeadnotdeadnotdeadnotDEAD! "But Naruto lost control of the Kyuubi during the battle."

"The Fourth's seal is failing," Katsuyu added. "When the ninth tail forms, Naruto will die."

"How many now?" Sasuke never did bother with fuss, gazing at the latest explosion.

"Seven." Sakura's attempt at a wry smile went awry, and then she felt her knees lose all reliability as Sasuke gave her the swift assessing glance which she'd grown to expect when she'd been part of his life.

"Don't worry," he said, and her whole world turned over. There was no hate in his eyes, nor the cold emptiness she'd last seen, only the calm focus that was Sasuke. The Sasuke of the best days.

He turned to three strangers who were standing a short way behind them. "Wait here."

"You think you can beat that?" asked a thin, washed-out boy, disbelief competing with entertainment.

"Sasuke-kun, you can't!" insisted a strident, red-haired girl. "That thing makes the eight tails look like nothing! You can't possibly hope to win against that monster."

"I'm not going to fight him," Sasuke said, simply. "That monster is my best friend."

And then he was gone, a blur skirting the edge of the crater. Sakura stared after him until finally she couldn't see him any more and had to overcome her own paralysis.

The strange girl was glowering at her, and the washed-out boy shaking his head. The third, a yellow-haired giant, said: "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Sakura laughed, and dashed away tears, sniffed firmly and then took herself in hand. "Hell, yeah," she said.

Sasuke would take care of Naruto. She had a village to organise.