The next chapter of Blossom in a Cage of Bones. Kimimaro and Sakura find themselves fighting for their lives as the history of The Kaguyas and The Uchihas is written.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Something felt off, Sakura knew as she walked around the compound. It was just her which was odd. Almost always there was Sound Ninjas going through on patrol or standing guard over the rooms. But it was empty, there was no one here except for her.

"Something doesn't feel right." Sakura muttered as she looked on as it had been hours since Tayuya had killed Aya, Sakura had gone back to her and Kimimaro's home and was a little surprised to not find him there. She had thought nothing of it at first but as the time passed on she couldn't help but feel a gnawing pit in her stomach at his absence.

As if something was happening right now that she couldn't understand. With the way the place seemed deserted like a ghost town she felt as if something was about to happen very soon.

"Maybe I'm thinking too much into things." Sakura said to herself. "I'm sure he'll be back soon." She assured herself knowing that he Kimimaro was more than likely fine right now and had nothing to worry about. "I suppose I should check and see if Kabuto has restocked on penicillin like I'm asked him to." She said and went to go the room where medical supplies was kept at.

She reached to the door and turned the door handle to open it when she suddenly sniffed something. A foul odor that was coming from the room. One through her years of training with Tsunade she quickly deduced what it was.

Gas…

She leapt backwards as green gas poured out of the room narrowly dodging it. Channeling Chakra she smacked the palms of her hands together making a wind gust which blow it away. Sakura looked on at it, if she had inhaled that that could've been serious trouble for her.

"That was suppose to kill you." A voice said and Sakura turned her head and looked off to the side.

"Karin." She said anger in her voice as she looked on at the redhead who glared at her.

"I've hated you the moment I've laid eyes on you, Miss Perfect, who is hailed even by the fools here as an angel who brings relief on the battlefield." Karin said to her.

"The feeling's mutual, I hate you as well." Sakura said to her who scoffed.

"Jealous that I took Sasuke-kun?"

"You can have him," Sakura said to her. "He's your problem now for all I care, he can treat you the same way he's treated everyone else and be miserable and unhappy with the bastard for all I care."

"How dare you talk about him that way!" Karin shouted at her in fury.

"He is a bastard," Sakura responded. "He's ditched and betrayed me and the others at Konoha as he has no loyalty to anyone but himself and if you stick with him he'll likely betray you as well." She said to the glasses wearing girl.

"Hmph, apparently you inherited The Kaguya's barbaric stupidity due to Kimimaro bedding you, and he's not here to protect you now."

Sakura glared at Karin as she got into a stance. "I don't need him to protect me from trash like you." She said preparing herself as this was going to be a battle to the death between the two of them.

Karin ran at Sakura and pulled out a kunai and slashed at her with Sakura dodged. She avoided and dodged the next slashes and swings aimed at her and pulled out a scalpel and slashed at Karin's arm cutting through the sleeve of her shirt just missing the flesh. Karin attacked her and Sakura blocked it and overpowered her and kicked her in the stomach knocking her back.

Sakura charged her preparing a fist channeling her chakra into it when Karin disappeared replaced with a copy that exploded and Sakura quickly brought a barrier up to protect herself.

Karin charged her from behind when Sakura threw a smoke bomb down disappearing. Karin stopped and lifted her kunai up and blocked Sakura's attack surprising the pink haired girl that she knew where she was coming.

"You know I can detect your chakra and know where you are and when you're going to attack right?" She said with a smug smirk. Sakura responded by head butting her making her tumble backwards clutching her skull.

"Detect that." Sakura replied to her. Karin let out a cry of fury and threw shuriken at her which she covered herself up as they hit her some leaving cuts on her skin.

Karin then took advantage and opened her mouth and spewed out poison gas hitting Sakura. She grinned as Sakura was consumed by it.

"And that's that." Karin said with a laugh. However footsteps were heard and she saw Sakura step out of it perfectly unharmed.

"What?! How!" She said in disbelief.

"You really think I didn't learn anything at all from Tsunade or even the likes of Kabuto?" Sakura told her as the gas had no effect whatsoever. "When I threw the smoke bomb down I took that time to drink an antidote that I created by studying Lady Chiyo's and Sasori's poison to make me resistant to all of them." Sakura said to her and Karin snarled at her and charged her throwing punches and kicks at her.

Sakura dodged and avoided her attacks, having worked out with Kimimaro having improved them, dodging and blocking her attacks. They almost seemed to be going in half speed to her as she avoided them with little trouble.

Karin threw a fist at her and Sakura grabbed it and twisted it pinning it against her back snapping it as she had had her done to one knee.

"I've dislocated your arm." Sakura informed her. "Yield, don't make me break it." She said as she added pressure to it.

Karin glared at her in defiance and smirked suddenly brought her other arm up and formed a symbol and they began to glow preparing a jutsu. Sakura realized what was happening too late as there was an explosion covering the two of them in it.

Sakura landed on her back covered in cuts and bruises from the attack. Groaning she pulled herself up and looked on as Karin had healed herself, having purposely done the attack to wound them so she could restore herself.

"There is nothing you can do to stop me." Karin taunted her with a smug smile. "You will soon die."

"There is something I can do." Sakura told her.

"What's that?"

"Hyakugou no Jutsu!" Sakura shouted and her body began to glow much to Karin's surprise.

"What? What's going on?" Karin said not understanding. Sakura's body was covered in a glow and her wound and cuts healed restoring them all much to her disbelief. Sakura was bathed in it and it began to concentrate on her forehead where the chakra focused at.

Her forehead began to glow a green color and slowly a mark began to appear on it. Sakura opened her eyes as she felt it course through her body, strengthening her and empowering her as it flowed through her body as she had unlocked Tsunade's greatest power and Souzou Saiyei having mastered it at last.

"Impossible!" Karin shouted in shock and disbelief at the jewel mark on her forehead as she knew what it meant. "No o-one but Tsunade herself can-"

"No one except her and me." Sakura stated and rushed and threw a fist which hit Karin right in the jaw and made her head snap sideways breaking her neck from the force and impact of the blow as she fell to the ground.

Sakura looked on and saw that she was dead. She let out a sigh at what had happened. "I have to get out of here, I must find Kimimaro and escape!" She said as she wasn't going to leave without him. She now had the power to escape her as she had stored it for so long and could finally use it. But even though she could now likely escape, she would not leave without her Husband.

She ran through the building going through it as fast as she could using her chakra to propel herself. She had expected someone to appear, most likely Kabuto to show up during and after the commotion from the fight but no one ever did. But she didn't let that bother her as she made her way.

She stopped however when she spotted someone standing there before her. Blocking her path and escape as he was in her way.

"Sasuke," She said looking on at him as he stood before her, his sword hung over his shoulder. Sasuke emotionlessly looked on at her not even seeming to notice the jewel mark on her forehead. Despite his casual stance she could tell something was off. "What have you done?" She said to him.

"Orochimaru is dead, Kabuto is dead." Sasuke told her and her eyes widened in shock at what he just said to her. "I slew Orochimaru when he was ill, and I cut down Kabuto when he discovered me standing over his corpse. They are dead and Sound has no meaning to me anymore." He told Sakura who stared at him. "I'm leaving, I have nothing left here. There's no point in me staying in this place anymore. I plan on taking those I can use, such as that freak in the dungeons and have them help me with my goal."

"Where will you go?" Sakura asked him.

"To find my brother, discover the truth for what he did, and kill him at last." Sasuke replied to her. "Don't think about and attempt to try and persuade me to not go, it'll work as well as last time."

"I killed Karin." She told him and Sasuke dismissed her death as irrelevant and a non factor.

"I told her not to do anything rash or stupid as she was going to accompany me as I had use of her abilities. Other than that, she was little more than a bed warmer though, but I am in need of a Medic since you killed her." He told her. "Join me, come with me. And maybe after I've slain my Brother I'll let you carry my child." He said offering to her. "This is it isn't it? What you wanted all your life? What you dreamed of? To be with me? Come with me and I'll make your dream come true." He said enticing her with what he had desired she believed.

Sakura looked on at him at what he was offering her before she stood her ground. For a moment she saw an older version of herself with him and was tempted to say yes. But as she looked at the image of it she saw that she wasn't happy in the picture, as if although she was with Sasuke like she had dreamed of as a Genin, it wasn't what she thought it would be. Another image, one of a white haired figure appeared in her mind replacing the image and she saw herself and him with a baby girl. The two happily looking down at their daughter with love in their eyes to her and at each other. That image was more pleasing to her than the one with Sasuke and one she wanted to have. She lifted her head and glared at him as she got into a battle stance.

"You refuse me?" He said surprised.

"Sasuke Uchiha," She told him. "For your crimes as a Missing Nin of Konohagakure: The Hidden Leaf Village, I Sakura Haruno, sentence you to die." She said as she pulled out a kunai in one hand and a scalpel in another.

"So, you made your choice. Fine then," Sasuke said as she brought his sword forward. "Itachi obtained his Mangekyo Sharingan when he killed Shishui, perhaps I'll obtain mine after I have killed you."

Sasuke fired lightning from his sword at her and Sakura avoided it and charged him and slashed at him with the scalpel that was glowing. Sasuke blocked it with his sword and she attacked with her kunai in hand. Sasuke leapt back from it avoiding it and saw that she had left a small cut on his skin from it. Turning to look at her he activated his Sharingan using it.

"I'm more powerful than you ever believed I could be Uchiha." Sakura told him and he sneered at her.

Sasuke lunged at her swinging his sword which was longer than her weapons at her forcing Sakura on the defensive dodging his attacks and strikes. Sasuke drove her back but Sakura showed no signs of worry on her face as she dodged them. Fire enshrouded his sword and he slashed at her and she leapt over it and kicked him in the face making him jerk backwards.

"Aww, did I hit your pretty face?" Sakura taunted him as she had left a bruise mark. Markings covered Sasuke's appearance as he activated the Cursed Seal and attacked again as he used its power drawing on it and forcefully extracting chakra to use.

Sakura carefully dodged them as one misstep and she was a goner. She blocked and dodged them as he swung at her and she suddenly disappeared replaced with a log.

"You're still using Academy tricks?" Sasuke said in disbelief that she used the Kawarimi against him. He heard a snapping sound and turned and saw that she had pulled a pillar from the building up and was carrying it effortlessly.

She chucked it at him looking to crush him underneath it. However lighting surrounded Sasuke and he slammed the hilt of his sword shattering it to her surprise and he concentrated and fired a blast of lightning right at her.

The blast hit her and knocked her backwards crashing through the wall into another hallway. Groaning she reached at her head and saw Sasuke leaping up preparing to kill her now that she was immobilized.

Only for a pair of bone swords to appear before her and block the attack stopping it.

"Kimimaro!" Sakura shouted seeing him. Kimimaro had returned and had blocked the attack and kicked Sasuke away. Sasuke landed on his feet looking on at the two.

"Your plan to have me killed failed Sasuke." Kimimaro told him as he stood over her protecting her.

"Your Master is dead dog," Sasuke told him.

"Then you did me the favor of killing him, I was just on my way back to kill him and you as well." Kimimaro responded as the two enemies glared at one another. "He is no longer my master as I am free. I have no master anymore."

"Free?" Sasuke said and smirked at him. "You're not free. You got yourself a different master I can tell," Sasuke said his eyes mentioning to Sakura who pulled herself up and glared at him. "Quite intent to follow her around like the lost puppy you are until she'll gets bored of you. Then you'll just attach yourself to another person and repeat the process." He said with a sneer.

"Uchiha, die." Kimimaro said and rushed him and his bone swords became enflamed as he attacked Sasuke as only one Clan would still be alive at the end of the day.

Weapon clanged against weapon as the two fought one another hatred in each other's eyes. The two slashed and swung at each other as they collided like two titans in battle. Sakura as she recovered watched on as she was the sole witness to the fight.

They slashed, countered, parried, and fought against each other exchanging blows and techniques against one another the two Survivors.

Kimimaro spun his swords and threw a wheel of fire at him which Sasuke blocked with a barrier. Sasuke retaliated by slashing at him with his sword covered in electricity and Kimimaro sprouted swords out of his ribcage to take the hit and stop it.

"You never could defeat me Sasuke, not in hand to hand or in weapons!" Kimimaro shouted as he fired multiple bones at him. Sasuke deflected them batting them away with his sword.

"Then I'll just need to defeat you in another way." Sasuke responded and summoned a snake which fired acid at him from its mouth. Sakura quickly acted fast and summoned a barrier to stop it. Kimimaro summoned his own snake which fired acid of its own at Sasuke who dodged it. He then charged at Sasuke who rushed him and they reengaged in battle.

Sasuke glared at Kimimaro as they were at a deadlock between them, neither backing down from the other their blades locked together as the test of strength happened between them.

Kimimaro stoically stared ahead at him and began to push him back overpowering him to Sasuke's surprise. Pushing him back and gaining the advantage which would leave Sasuke open to a fatal blow.

Sasuke's Sharingan eyes glowed at him engulfing him and Kimimaro found himself disappearing. "Kimimaro!" Sakura's voice could faintly be heard in his ears

Kimimaro suddenly found himself in a different place. He looked and saw several dead bodies as the area was filled with chaos and battle. He watched on as he saw the dead and he recognized them as he studied them.

His clan…

This was the day they fought Mist and had been wiped out except for him who had run away from the battle. The day all his kin were killed in combat.

Although there was several dead enemy ninjas as well, The Kaguyas were defeated He looked on at them as he studied their pained faces and expressions. The numerous dead loitering the ground before him. He began to walk amongst them carefully making sure not to step on them as he looked on as he saw the bodies of men and women

Yet, Kimimaro's expression didn't change at all, even when he saw his Father's body. He remained stoned face as he looked on at the dead.

"Is this all?" He asked and brought his hands forward together and shattered the Genjutsu bringing him back. Sasuke staggered backwards a look of disbelief on his face at the fact that nothing had happened to him.

"Why? Why didn't it work?" Sasuke said not understanding. He had just witnessed his Clan dying but he had appeared unaffected by it whatsoever. He should be broken by seeing them dead. "Mist wiped out your entire line! Every single one of them! Why are you not affected by it?!"

Kimimaro opened his eyes and gave his answer

"I moved on from my Clan's destruction. I recall their deaths everyday." Kimimaro told him. "But I have not let it consumed me unlike your own. I know that I will never see my clan ever again, that they are gone forever and there's nothing I can do that will bring them back as I am the final one. But I have left that part of my life behind while you still dwell on it. I pity you, for never letting go of the past." He said to his surprise. "Scars, Wounds, they may last even for years Sasuke, but they eventually go away." He said to the stunned Uchiha.

Sasuke snarled at him in fury as it didn't work and his words. "Yes, they do go away," He admitted. "But only so new ones can appear!" He shouted and lunged at him, no at Sakura. "If that won't work than maybe killing her will!"

He was suddenly grabbed and Sasuke was tackled to the ground and picked up and thrown against the wall.

Kimimaro and Sakura looked on at who had done it and they recognized the person even though he was transformed

"Kimimaro!" Juugo shouted as he had broken free of his cell. Sensing his friends' life in danger he had battered the cage bars like they were nothing and broke free rushing to his aid.

Juugo in his transformed state roared and charged Sasuke intent on killing him. Sasuke dodged his attacks and slashed at him but Juugo did not feel the hit.

"You won't hurt my friends! Kimimaro and Sakura won't be harmed by you!" He shouted at Sasuke and grasped him by the head and lifted him up and squeezed down preparing to crush his head like a grape holding him off the ground.

Sasuke suddenly pulled out a hidden knife and slashed him across the eye, blinding him in it and forcing him to drop him. Sasuke then hit him with a fire attack knocking Juugo back.

Sakura suddenly appeared and kicked him in the side knocking him away crashing through a wall as the whole compound was being torn apart due to the battle. Sasuke emerged from it and an aura surrounded him as his eyes had madness in them.

"You miserable pathetic fools!" He shouted at them in fury and slashed at Sakura and she narrowly dodged it. She stomped her foot on the ground to create a tremor but it didn't effect him or he ignored it as he fired bolts of lightning at her. Sakura leapt to dodge them but one hit her and another did and they wrapped around her binding her.

Kimimaro lashed out at Sasuke and they engaged in battle again fighting one another. Kimimaro's body was covered in flames as he attacked him. He deflected Sasuke's lighting attacks and attacked him back

Their swords sung against one another as Kimimaro swung at him. Sasuke suddenly changed forms fully activating the Cursed Seal and became covered with them and struck Kimimaro and followed it up with a powerful jutsu firing a Hawk made out of Electricity that hit him and knocked him through a wall.

"NO!" Sakura shouted as she watched him disappear and fearing the worst. Sasuke slowly turned around to notice her.

Seeing her Sasuke focused and began to channel his chakra, preparing an attack.

Sasuke began to charge The Chidori as she watched on hearing the familiar bird chirping noise. She struggled against what was holding her trying to get loose as she saw him

"Now you die!" He shouted as he fired The move at her leaving her with no attempt to block or dodge it.

Juugo took the hit, The Chidori tearing through his body yet he knew he did it with no regrets. Having sprung to take it and protect her from it.

"J-Juugo!" Kimimaro having made it back shouted eyes in horror as he watched it hit him. Sakura gasped in shock as his body was torn apart by it as he hit the ground not moving.

Kimimaro charged Sasuke and dropkicked him away and made it to Juugo.

"K-Kimimaro, Sakura…are you…okay?" He asked them.

"Be quiet, you need to keep up your strength! You'll live!" Kimimaro told him.

"Kimimaro…you're my best friend…" He told him. "I'll always remember that my friend," Juugo said to Kimimaro who looked shocked as he saw his wounds and that he was dying. "I hope in the next life there's plenty of birds and other animals for me to play with." He said as his eyes began to shut. "I'll see you there…my friend." He said as he passed away.

Kimimaro seeing his sacrifice shut his eyes in pain and then stood up and pulled out multiple weapons at once out of his body. "Sasuke, you will not live past this day!" He shouted and rushed him wielding multiple bone weapons and slashed at him attacking them with him filled with rage and fury over the death of his friend.

Sasuke blocked and dodged them as Kimimaro had been driven to madness by him killing Juugo but his attacks were off as anger guided them instead of clearness like before, thus giving Sasuke openings to attack.

Sakura looked on as she watched the fight and knew she had to do something to help Kimimaro, at this rate he may lose against Sasuke. She looked and spotted something nearby.

Her scalpel was nearby and Sasuke was too focused on fighting Kimimaro to notice her.

Sakura saw it and grasped it. Her eyes steeling in resolve as she channeled chakra into it and it glowed as she pulled herself up.

Sasuke and Kimimaro continued their battle, fighting like demons against one another as they fought to the death. Cut and Wounds on each person's body there was but each only would not stop until the other was dead.

"If I knew killing that freak would grieve you, I'd kill him sooner!"

"His name is Juugo!" Kimimaro shouted at him as he slashed at him looking to take his head clean off. Sasuke dodged it and summoned a giant snake which slammed into Kimimaro pinning him in the floor and bit down hard on him causing him to cry out in pain. He stabbed it in the head causing it to cry out and escaped it only to be hit hard by Sasuke's sword making his lose his own swords as he crashed to the ground.

Kimimaro struggled to pull himself up as Sasuke approached him coldness in his eyes.

"Now you die!" Sasuke shouted and brought his sword back poised to finish him and drive The Kaguyas to extinction.

The arm holding the sword suddenly fell to the ground as it had been cut off still clutching the weapon. Sasuke looked at it a mixture of shock and horror in his eyes at what just happened as he saw that Sakura with The Scalpel in hand had cut right through the flesh and bone cutting it off.

He didn't have time to react or say anything to her as Kimimaro plunged his sword into Sasuke's abdomen. Sasuke let out a gurgled sound unable to form words and coughed up blood as he felt life slipping away from him right now to his disbelief. He saw Sakura staring at him with dispassion showing him the same look he had shown her. He tried to form words and plead for her to save him but no voice escaped him and her merciless green eyes bore right into him. He found himself staring at Kimimaro who backed up and took his weapon in both hands overhead ready to deliver the killing blow that he could not do anything to stop.

"May no one ever remember you or your family existed." Kimimaro told him.

With a great cry he slashed through Sasuke's throat with one swing of his blade, leaving a great line as blood poured out of his death blow. The light in Sasuke's eyes faded away as he fell down to his knees standing on them for a long moment and then fell over face down in the dirt. Thus ending his life and The Uchiha Clan.

Kimimaro fell to his knees after killing him and seeing his wife grabbed her as she ran towards him and the two embraced each other in their arms.

"I thought I was going to lose you." Sakura said as she hugged him her head buried in his shoulder. Tears one the verge of falling out which she allowed.

"I'll never leave you, not in this life or the next one." Kimimaro said to her clutching Sakura.

"Hold still," Sakura said and held her hands above the both of them and a glow encircled them and their wounds and injuries faded away. She hugged him again tightly not wanting to ever let go of her husband. The one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, he made her happy and feel loved. "I love you…" She whispered saying the words for the first time.

"I love you as well," Kimimaro said to her. "And like I said on the day we was wed, if anyone even Shingami himself tries to take you away from me. I will kill him for daring to do so." He promised her and Sakura smiled at him.

The two leaned over and kissed deeply and passionate in each other's arms.

Kimimaro pulled away from her. "It's not over it, there's something we have to do." He told her and Sakura nodded at him.

Almost all of the inhabitants of Otogakure had gathered in the streets. They had heard the sounds of battle and the explosions coming from the compound yet none had dared to venture forth and investigate what was going on there. Ninja and Civilian looked on not sure what to do. Tayuya in her wheelchair looked on as well watching what was happening.

When Kimimaro and Sakrua appeared on the steps to it standing there in front of them, they realized that something had happen. That The Sannin and his men were dead.

"Orochimaru is dead." Sakura called out to them and their eyes widened and they were murmurs in the crowd at what they just heard. Kimimaro then spoke up.

"Kabuto is dead, Sasuke Uchiha is dead!" He shouted out so that their voices could be heard.

The mass group of people looked on most in shock and disbelief over the fact that Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke were now dead. Some had no clue what to do as all their lives from before had been serving him for all their lives until they died.

The two looked on at the wide throng of people some starting to get into fights and brawls. Looks of confusion evident on their faces over what had happened with the news that Orochimaru had been slain.

"Quiet, Quiet!" Kimimaro called out to them and his voice made them stop what they were doing.

Kimimaro and Sakura looked on at them all. All eyes on the two survivors.

"Listen, Listen!" Kimimaro said to them. "We're not puppets! We're not slaves! We're not tools to be discarded!" He shouted at them. "All that Orochimaru has told us and made us to believe to be is a lie from his tongue that he told us everyday! We're human beings, not weapons for someone else to use as they see fit. Not tools that people believe that they can use and then discard once they are bored with you as if you don't feel anything. We can make our own choices and lives now!" He said to them all his voice heard all around the village as they looked on.

"You can do what you wish now! You can be farmers! Be a ninja! Sculptors, Blacksmiths! Whatever you desire you can now achieve! Raise your own families, do what you wish now, no one else has the right to tell you what to do! Not Orochimaru, Not Kabuto, Not even myself!" He said to them. "We have a chance for once in our lives to make out own decisions!"

One Sound Nin stepped forward and drew out his sword that he had which had a hilt of a snake's mouth on it and held it in front of him. All looked on at him. Since he had become a Ninja of Otogakure all he had been told was to murder and destroy Orochimaru's enemies and do what The Snake Sannin had told him with no question. He now had a choice at what he could do now for the first time in his life.

He of his own free will dropped the blade as it clanged to the ground.

He then bent to one knee before Kimimaro and bowed his head. "The Otokage!" He claimed suddenly.

Two more stepped forward and bent down as well. "The Otokage! The Otokage!" They shouted pronouncing their loyalty to him.

More and more did so as well taking off their masks showing their faces and dropping their weapons, those in attendance who watched on bent to one knee. Until everyone, man and woman, had done so and was chanting.

"The Otokage! The Otokage! The Otokage! The Otokage! The Otokage!" They shouted hundreds of voices as one as they announced what they wished to do now.

Kimimaro looked on at them as they chanted in unison and Sakura grasped his hand in hers tightly and he looked at her and she nodded her head at him letting him know what they wanted.

He would be The Nidaime Otokage, and both he and his Wife together would guide The Hidden Sound Village to a new future. One better than anyone could dream of it being.

A/N: That's it for this chapter. The next one is the finale.