Chapter 7:

Reformation Is Impossible

AN: Seppuku is...eh, wikipedia it if you don't know.

The bright moon was far from leaving as the long night continued. Kankuro used Crow's electronically charged replacement arm to fry the electric lock after many trials to see what kept the door in place. Killer Bee stepped out after finally realizing these people didn't want to kill him. The two of them proceeded to retreat using the the strange electronic box or elevator; again with trial and error. They awaited the box to arrive on their floor for nearly two minutes. The humming machine dinged and the doors slid open.

A flash blinded everyone in the area then a loud smack noise followed. Killer Bee was in a fighting stance, pulling back his right arm after contact. "Who're you? Stupid foo."

The shadow against the elevator door slumped over, another shadow charged out of the box and pinned Bee against the wall on the other side of the room. "W-Wait, Bee!" A familiar scratchy voice cried out.

Bee was released from the hold. "Yo. Naruto! Long time." The ninja bumped fists with one another. "How ya been? Makin' friends?"

Ross hopped up off the metal floor and was then knocked back down by Kankuro. "Ow! What in God's name is wrong with you!? You saw what happened between those guys right? We're good guys..."

Ross hopped back onto both feet. Another punch sent him to the floor. Kankuro stood over the former Chunin with a menacing grimace. "Sorry, didn't see what happened. It was accident."

"Uh...heh. Yeah." Ross grumbled.

Naruto stepped toward the window. "Woah... I just got a...strange feeling. Hey guys, can you escape ahead of me?"

Kankuro laughed. "You're joking right? We came all this way to save you and you want us to go ahead? Sorry, that ain't gonna happen." He pulled a red ball from his pouch and tossed it as high as he could into the air outside. A red light enveloped the sky in seconds, covering the entirety of the moon for almost five seconds.

"Ohhh shit!" Killer Bee said in awe. "That was cool."

Naruto turned back towards Kankuro. Another person was now behind him. "Look out!"

"Calm down." The man moved to the middle of the room. He wore a standard flak sand ninja flak jacket with a white mask and veil that covered his entire face with a slot for eyes. "My name is Muhai, the one and only man to safeguard the Suna Rebellion. Please get closer so that we can get outta here. And please leave the questions for after we arrive in the Sand Village." The man looked deep into Kankuro's eyes, who nodded with a wince. "Grab hold."

Without a second wasted in confusion, Naruto rushed toward the ninja until his vision blurred and faded to black. Within seconds, as the light returned, it became clear that they were not in Teito anymore. If only the Number One Knucklehead Ninja could've known what was happening with his "best friend" at this exact moment not a kilometer away.

The loud yell stopped Sasuke; he moved his head toward the doorway. "You broke the Izanami? Of all the people in the world, it had to be you?" The flames and smoke blurred his vision, but the person in his eyes was clear. "Why are you here?"

Tsunade's lungs filled with air as the possibility of not dying set in. Sasuke's attention had found a new target. Unfortunately not one that she would feel content with dying. "Why ARE you here!? Run! Please...Sakura just go!"

"Lady Tsunade...why would I ever leave your side?" Sakura spoke with courage. The flak jacket that clung to the contours of her chest was ripped in many places. Blood fell from cuts on both of her pale white legs. She brushed away the light pink hair that fell into her eyes. "I knew you were here... Sasuke I knew you were here so I escaped from them to see you again."

"Sakura... I heard what you said to Naruto when we last fought. I thought you were going to give up on me?" Sasuke widened his Sharingan eyes. "I can see right through your lie. Deceiving him to keep holding on to me. That's...just like you."

Sakura crouched down, held her legs, and hid her face. "Is it? Sasuke...is it!? You don't know anything about me! I am not the same little girl that you used to know!" She firmly boosted into a run with a kunai in her left hand. "Sasuke...!"

Sasuke awaited until the last moment, then wrapped his hand around around hers and pushed it forward to put it behind her back so they faced each other. "Pathetic." She looked down but his other hand grabbed her chin and pulled it close to his face. "Look at you... Covered in blood, delusional, and...what are you crying now?"

"S-Sasuke..." Sakura closed her teared up eyes and let them fall. "I...I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? Why the h—" Sasuke was interrupted by a sharp pain that grew insanely worse. "Agh..." He figuratively bit his tongue. The Sharingan put itself away as he fell over on Sakura. "Sca...lp...el?"

Sakura struggled to hold him up, deciding to toss him aside. She raised her right hand, it was engulfed in a aura with a sharpened end. "I'm sorry... I held on to you but...but it was for a different reason. I can never let you go in my heart. You are dangerous though...and the people's needs and wants come before my own."

Sasuke stayed motionless on the hard floor. He couldn't move if he wanted to, but he didn't. "You haven't changed..." He tried to pinpoint exactly where he had been hit. "Heh... You shut down almost my entire nervous system and tried my heart. You couldn't do it though, not to me. My life is far too important, so you purposely diverted the blow."

Sakura closed her tear soaked eyes with confidence. "You won't trap me in your genjutsu... Izanami failed because I accepted my mistake and now...now... N-Now Sasuke take me with you!"

What was a surprise to Tsunade did not shock the young Uchiha at all; he replied with a smile. "After...all that bullshit about people's needs being above your own, you do this?" I..I want revenge..." His breath was severely labored. "But...I want to do it alone... Are you...so stupid...to not realize this!?"

"Think about it...Sasuke think of what I have in my arsenal! I am one of the best medical ninjas in existence! From what I did to you; can't you see what I am capable of!?"

"Heh...gack...hehehehe... When you put it that way..." Blood began to fill his mouth. "Maybe...you would be...useful...to me..." Sasuke managed to finish before slumping over; motionless.

Sakura's eyes weighed heavy with tears, the same weight crushed down upon her heart. "SASUKE!" She threw her arms around the lifeless body. "No...NO! Please..." Both hands glimmered with healing energy attempting to resuscitate the body. "I...thought I missed any vital organs... I-I just needed more training... S-Sasuke..."

Sakura's constitution broke apart and whittled away to nothing. Tears stopped streaming because the pain was too much. Such a careless accident ended the flame that burned passionately for the traitor. "Lady Tsunade..." She glanced over at the barely alive body of what seemed to be her master. "I'm s–"

Those words were all that managed to come out before the sword ripped into her neck and dragged down to the middle of her torso. A foot rested down on Sakura's back and was used to yank out the blood covered blade. "Almost Seppuku... Painful isn't it?" Sasuke giggled as the Saikyō No Ken vanished in a volt of electricity. "What a terrible end for the two of you."

Sakura, wrought with horror, laid down upon the body under her. The Genjutsu had lifted completely to reveal not Sasuke, but Tsunade who lie there in a near death state from the wounds afflicted by her own student. Words couldn't even begin to form from her mouth even if she had the ability to speak now.

"Both of you are almost dead... Tsunade, betrayed and killed by her own pupil, who did not even realize what she was doing. The Sakkaku Sharingan is truly the ultimate power... Two annoying people down without me even trying. Ch...but I'm talking to much. Enjoy Hell." Sasuke's body was engulfed in black fire, disappearing from the room.

Tsunade struggled to do anything as Sakura lay dying in her own immobile arms. "It's...okay. We...can get through this together." The room began to crumble around the kunoichi. "Just...breath..." The words began to soften. "Don't die. Listen...listen to my voice... Don't die!" The entire castle wing shattered into hundreds of pieces, crushing down upon all in its path. An explosion ended the deadly experience at last, leaving only a single sound besides the crackling of fire.