Chapter 2:
He was closing in on her, Sakura realized grimly. Her heart beat accelerated and she could feel a chill run up her spine. His sinister chakra seemed to overwhelm everything in sight, overpowering any nearby chakra signatures whether they were from vicious shinobi or smaller insignificant resources. Even her own energy felt puny in comparison to the large amount of darkness plummeting towards her at that very moment. It wouldn't be long until he finally arrived in full glory. What was she to do then? The medic still couldn't move her own body. Tears began to well up at the corner of her eyes and she tried to blink them away, only to find that it was impossible just like everything else that she'd tried to do.
Think on the bright side. At least you'll be reunited with your family again..
The thought did little to reassure her. It only made matters that much worse. Dying alone had always been one of her greatest fears and it was finally about to come true. Sakura felt like someone had thrown a cold bucket of water over her head. She was actually going to die and the last thing she'd see was Madara's cold, crazed rinnegan mocking her. There would be no heroic sacrifice as she'd imagined before because in this world, there was nothing left worth saving. For once in a long time, the girl felt utterly defeated. Numb, even. Was this how her friends had felt when Madara won the war? She tried not to imagine how creative the bastard had been with Naruto and Sasuke's deaths. It would only make things that much harder on her already stressed psyche, anyway.
Pure hatred bubbled up in her stomach when she noticed a lone figure flicker into existence just a few feet away from her. From her position, she could only see the upper half of his torso, but she wasn't stupid enough to not know who standing there. What kind of sane person would prance around with long black, spiky hair? There was only one person she knew of that would ever show their face around her with that appearance—and it being the very freak himself. Sakura wanted to pummel the prick until he was nothing but a lifeless and bloodied lump on the ground. However, she doubted that she'd even have the chance to get close enough. The sixteen-year-old cursed herself for her uselessness. After all of those years, she still couldn't seem to do anything right.
Madara's hair shifted slightly to the side and Sakura assumed that he was observing the area to perceive what had taken place earlier. His gaze seemed to linger on his dead shinobi's corpse for a little while longer, which filled her again with that victorious feeling. She must have struck a nerve. But then, his head moved back into her direction and she could literally feel the smirk curving his lips. A part of her wanted to scream in frustration. Was the heartless monster amused by his own soldiers death? Her stomach lurched uneasily as her earlier death prediction became almost definite. Any delusional hopes of mercy was no longer an option at that point.
Is this guy even fucking human?
A voice inside her head that sounded a lot like Naruto told her otherwise.
Wide emerald eyes watched him slowly crouch down behind the unconscious ninja in-between them. It was at that time, did she finally see the face of death. As she'd suspected, a dark and sinister smirk was present that gave him an ironic godly atmosphere. And while she hated to admit it, he was easily one the few people left in the world that could still intimidate her. Not to mention the fact that he was practically shrouded in the Shinju's violent, corrupted chakra. The man was dangerous. That fact alone had her feeling extra cautious. Madara's eyes glanced up to meet hers then, and she could've sworn his mouth quirked up a bit higher.
She could only wish for the power to look away from the familiar glow, but his genjutsu held her firmly in place.
Shit! Don't tell me he's going to use—
"It's rude to stare, girl."
His amused voice echoed throughout the enclosed trench, immediately overpowering any of her frantic thoughts.
He was mocking her, she instantly registered in the next second.
But then, her mind went blank. Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to backhand him for that outrageous remark or run like a bat out of hell. Unfortunately, both options were impossible in her current position so she quickly ended that train of thought before it set off. If she wanted to survive, she needed to think about what she could do at the moment. However, she was soon reminded of the fact that there wasn't anything she could do. The kunoichi couldn't even blink, for kami's sake! How the hell was she supposed to escape from him alive?
"I can see you've made quite the mess here," Madara continued offhandedly, tone eerily calm.
He motioned toward the brutal mess across the crevice with an upturned palm. His eyes narrowed in her direction before flickering back down to the lone shinobi on the ground beneath him. There was something akin to disappointment in his gaze, except it was short-lived and gone in the blink of an eye.
The motionless ninja didn't even stir when a pale, slender hand reached out and began tracing a lone fingertip against his windpipe. The Uchiha's disturbingly nonchalant expression during this process had her wondering if he was even more insane then she'd previously thought. Everyone had already known that the freak was a sadistic monster, but she'd never actually seen his nerve-racking behavior herself. Sakura's throat grew dry when he suddenly dug his painted nail into the shinobi's flesh, drawing a trickle of blood. She wanted nothing more than to squeeze her eyes shut and block out the inevitable. Years of ninja experience prepared her for what was coming next. Though, the fact that she couldn't do anything about it made her sick to her stomach.
"I'm impressed," He sighed, shaking his head in a manner that vaguely suggested otherwise. "That departed man was one of my.. more experienced soldiers. Crafted and forged into an elite shinobi within mere hours. It's unexpected for so much potential to come to an end so soon. And by a pathetic leaf kunoichi at that. Pity."
A low click of the tongue followed suit. Disgust flashed in Sakura's eyes at the way he regarded his people with such uncaring apathy.
"As for him," She was then suddenly aware of how his hand had tightened around the living ninja's neck.
"While it is unfortunate that I have to resort to these methods, it appears that he is no longer of use to me." With the flick of his wrist—too fast for her eyes to even register—a sickening crunch filled the silence. Madara withdrew his gloved hand and began to heave himself back up. "I cannot afford to take any chances with a shinobi who is incapable of following simple instructions. Incompetent ninja serve no purpose in this world."
She felt downright nauseated now. Sakura was grateful that she couldn't move anymore, or else she would have emptied all of the contents in her stomach. Her vision started to blur and the familiar aching from her wounds suddenly sparked back to life. Next it'd be her, lying lifelessly on the ground without any chance to fight back or defend herself. The once accomplished and powerful kunoichi was actually going to die and there was nothing she could do to stop it. And that really bothered her. If she was going to die, she wanted to go down with a fight. She didn't want to die like some worthless sound scum! After all, she still needed to figure out what Tsunade had wanted her to do.
Inside, she was struck with a sudden fit of searing white-hot anger and emotion. Sakura could feel her chakra moving a thousand miles per second within her body, begging to finally be released. The overwhelming urge to leap out and attack Madara in a blind fit of rage crossed her mind, but his genjutsu kept her still. A more calm and rational part of her advised that she relax before she let her actions get the best of her. While she despised that particular side of her in that moment, the girl reluctantly forced her body to ease up from the electrifying tension. Reckless behavior would get her nowhere..
Get a hold of yourself, Sakura, she chided inwardly.
Madara studied her thoughtfully before proceeding to speak up in his usual low monotone. "You were Tsunade's student, correct? Wielder of monstrous strength that could rival only the old hag herself.." A knowing smirk twisted his lips.
"Only a truly intelligent shinobi could ever elude me for this long. In fact, had I not found you, I would have said it impossible." At this, his eyes narrowed perceptively in her direction. "Now tell me, just how did you manage that?"
The ability to breathe again had never felt as sweet as it did then. With just one deep inhalation, a heavy weight was lifted off of her chest. Sakura closed her eyes and relished in the feeling for a moment. It was probably the most refreshing sensation she'd felt all day. However, as all good things come to an end, she soon realized that he'd released the genjutsu. On her, that is. Which meant that she was able to move freely again. This new revelation caused her eyes to snap open at breakneck speed. The fear and panic that she'd felt before was slowly beginning to drain away.
Instinctively, she raised her fists up in front of her in a means of defense. Sakura kept her eyes glued to him, not wanting to be taken by surprise if he planned to attack. Despite being able to move again, she was still in a bad position. Nothing had changed the fact that he could easily overpower her within a few milliseconds. He was still in control, even though she hated to admit it. The only way to buy her some time to get out alive, would be to stall him and answer his questions until she found her way out. Engaging him would be like signing a death contract.
Just stay calm. Don't think about everything he's done..
Sakura glared at him, fists tightening. "How is it any of your concern, anyway?" she questioned steely.
He did not answer, but she could feel the tension in the air getting thicker.. She'd humor him.
"I didn't do anything. I survived using my basic survival skills—something everyone learns in the academy. Maybe your shinobi just aren't as great as you make them out to be." She glanced past him and over toward the bloodied corpse to prove her point further.
Maybe if she made him angry enough, he'd move out of the way of the exit so that she could make a run for it. Even though it wasn't her best idea ever, she wasn't going to be picky. She needed any opening she could get at this point and that seemed like her only viable option. Fighting him was out of the question, unless she had absolutely had to. All in all, it was probably smarter to avoid that notion altogether. Sakura wasn't looking to die just yet.
He didn't even look a little affected by her remark. There was no trace of annoyance, displeasure, or anything negative. In fact, it looked as if he were satisfied with her response. Madara's eyes lifted up to meet hers. Inside them, Sakura could see amusement dancing within them clear as day. That was the complete opposite of what she had expected. But then again, it didn't really matter what kind of mood he was in as long as her plan succeeded.
Sakura bit her lip anxiously as she began to channel some chakra into her feet. Sweat beads were already starting to form on her forehead from the overwhelming strain that came in the form of Madara Uchiha. She had no idea how she was actually going to pull this off—or even if she had a chance.
She swallowed in an attempt to ease her dry throat.
Well, here goes nothing then..
Before she could hesitate, she slammed her palms together in front of her and squeezed her eyes shut. Time seemed to stand still for those few seconds. Everything around her—the cavern, the dead bodies, Madara, it all disappeared. The only image in her mind was her favorite Team 7 photo, the one that she had framed on her desk at home before everything went to hell. Sakura was reminded of how useless she had been and how she chose to make a difference later on in life. Every memory, every snippet flashed before her eyes rapidly. Intent swirled through her mind. She had to do this.
She reopened her eyes again, only to find that she was no longer standing in front of Madara. Instead, Sakura realized that she was just a few yards out behind him—in the direction of her desired exit. She immediately took a deep breathe, knowing that it would probably be her last. If her calculations were correct, she had less than a few seconds before he figured out that the other her was only a clone. She used this limited amount of time to put use of the chakra stored in her feet. By the time her sandals touched the ground, she was already speeding down the rock path with all of her might. She knew better than to look back as it would only decrease her time to escape.
The wind had barely even begun to breeze past her when she suddenly felt excruciating pain blossoming in her chest. It felt as if the air had been knocked right out of her. Sakura opened her mouth to inhale, but found that she couldn't intake any air whatsoever. A look of pure horror crossed her face as she dropped down to her knees violently. Her body twitched, face turning an unhealthy dark shade of purple. Any of the air that she'd previously had was slowly dissipating.
He was..he was suffocating her!
Just as that fact entered her mind, the man himself decided to appear before her. Madara—in the blink of an eye—reached down and hauled her upwards by merely the skin of her chin. His nails penetrated her flesh, intentionally digging deeper to cause more pain to her person. The burning sensation now erupting on her face was the least of her worries. Hazy green eyes met his twisted mirthful ones once again. Sakura wanted to go back and ask her past self exactly why she thought this was supposed to be a good idea..
Strained, chapped lips struggled to speak. "Go to hell..you bastard.."
He smirked. "Did you honestly believe that I would fall for such a simple technique?" His voice sounded so bored and condescending. "That was a foolish move, kunoichi. I expected better from the apprentice of the Godaime Hokage."
She gritted her teeth together, trying to string her thoughts back into place. Her mind had turned into a puddle of mush without any air to help it function correctly. In just a few more moments, Sakura would be done for completely. Even though she was desperately willing her body to break free, she secretly knew that there was no escaping his genjutsu. Only him miraculously deciding to drop the spell would save her now, which she would take with a grain of salt.
Tears began to sting the corners of her eyes. The pain was becoming unbearable by now and her vision was darkening. Sakura's eyes drifted toward the dull red sky above. Grey ugly ash inhabited the area that was once home to fluffy cotton-like clouds. The old and clear moon that she sometimes used to stare at on slow nights during missions was not very eye-catching anymore when it reminded her so much of bloodshed.
"I'm sorry for failing you, Tsunade..." she whispered shakily, keeping her gaze solely focused on the large moon ahead. The deep crimson glow was somehow calming, in that moment.
The life was quickly fading from her formerly radiant emerald eyes. Sakura Haruno was actually dying. She'd failed Tsunade, Naruto, and the entire world. But, there was nothing she could do about it. If it really was her time, then she wasn't going to quarrel with fate. She was going to be strong and accept death like an honorable ninja; no matter how terrifying it was to experience her own heartbeat coming to a still.
"Insulting."
Even though Madara's voice seemed so far away now, she could clearly identify the sarcasm laced in it. His mouth was suddenly at her ear, breath prickling the sensitive skin.
"As if I would allow the last remaining leaf ninja to get off so easily. Your logic continues to disappoint me, girl." His naturally apathetic tone—even in death, still got under her skin. "I have specific plans in store for you, kunoichi. Don't assume that this is your end—when in fact, it is only the beginning. When I'm finished with you, it is death that you'll crave."
Sakura's eyes rolled into the back of her head, darkness overwhelming her completely.