Okay so now is when the story is gonna finally pick its pace! SO sit tight and ENJOY! And please review!
-x-
Epsiode 10-Ignite.
"Sakura?" Ino asked as the pink haired beauty's eyes lost focus again. "Sakura? Are you listening?" Sakura flinched and looked at the blonde with confusion. "Huh?" Ino shook her head and groaned. "Sakura, you've been spacing out a lot! What's wrong?"
Hinata looked at her face as it fell into a scowl. Sakura shook her head and opened her mouth.
No one knew. Not one of them knew how it happened. Or why it happened. But when the siren echoed through the town, they knew something bad had happened. Something worth alerting the civilians. And as the siren sounded again and again through the town, and the whispers grew around him, Naruto looked up from his notebook to out the window. "Old man." He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.
The cars and people all stopped mid road. As the sound of people screaming in confusion increased around him, Sasuke narrowed his eyes and jumped from the roof of the administrative block.
Red and white strokes overlapped with the yellow as the crowd started travelling to the Hokage's tower outside. And with a final flick of the brush, Sai mumbled "It has started." And beneath the painting of the flame he wrote 'Fire'. Because everything would soon burn down.
-x-
Neji furrowed his eyebrows as outside his fellow clan members prepare to head out. A sudden knock at the door alerts him and he nearly shouts. "Come in." A very tired Hiashi walks in with a smile. Something about the smile chilled Neji to the bones. And as they nod to each other, Hiashi wastes no time in speaking. "Neji. I have a favour to ask of you."
And what he asked of him, made Neji wish he could never say 'yes' to him.
-x-
Time and time again, Konoha had seen moments when it had almost fallen. But Tsunade swore that it had never seen what it was soon about to go through. And as the sky darkened with the red light and the shrill siren, Tsunade smiled sadly and whispered. "So, he's gone already."
-x-
The old. The young. And even the infants had gathered in front of the tower. He could have sworn that people were already wondering whether they would make it to the end of the day. His eyes land on a pink haired girl up in the front below and narrow in excitement. She was accompanied by two Hyuuga's on her side. This was going to be fun.
-x-
Sasuke cut through the crowd in desperation as he tried to find her. Finding her was not that hard as he had thought. She was way up in the front with Neji and Hinata by her side. He had opened his mouth to shout her name when a figure appeared on the Hokage tower's rooftop. His eyes darted up and narrowed in anger. It was Danzo Shimura. His old skin was wrinkled in billions, with bandages covering his right eye, hand and few other parts of his body. A growl made up his throat as the old man's eyes met with his. A hand stopped his advance, accompanied with Naruto's calm voice. "Don't do anything stupid." Sasuke looked at him and inhaled before looking up again. What was going on? His eyes land on Sakura and he sees her hand grasp Hinata's as Danzo finally speaks.
-x-
His speech was transmitted through all the channels, speakers, and bollards in the town. And as he cleared his throat, he saw many look at him with fear. He smiled and waved his hand to silence them. "Hiruzen is dead."
The crowd below him gasped in horror. He saw many young ones tear up and scoffed with a smile. Soft. His voice found its way out again as he moved towards the hand rail. "From now on, your new Hokage is me."
Someone fainted amongst the crowd. He recognized him as the young grandson of the late man. He scowled. His family was going to be bothersome. He inhaled slowly and started again. "And as your Hokage, I announce that from now on the ways of Konoha will change. Sarutobi had been a good enough Hokage. But he was a coward…" Many curses were heard in the crowd. He had guessed that all those loyal to him would rebel. But it wouldn't stop him. "He did not extend the potential our legends had to offer. I've seen you all. Every legend, every human. I must say, marvelous potential wasted. His ideas of cowardice acts of mercy inflicted upon you all. I was disappointed. But not anymore. I will make Konoha strong. I will make my legends the strongest…"
The crowd listened to every single word he threw. He was sure that many had stopped breathing just to listen to him. But then…
"I call for those who want to get ahead. And I tell every criminal that he will have no mercy. Traitors will be executed…"
Sasuke and Naruto exchanged glances. They were sure he looked at them when he said that. Why wouldn't he? Naruto being the dead man's apprentice and another dead Hokage's son. And Sasuke being, well, an Uchiha he presumed.
"I declare war…" The crowd gasped and shook in horror as he smiled. "I declare war against the Wind Country."
Sakura swooned as Hinata caught her. War against wind country? Was he out of his mind?
"Those who will join the fight, shall live in glory. Those who want to live in peace shall be left so. But those who wish to oppose the change will be declared as traitors. Now…" He narrowed his eyes as he gave the silent order. And soon, the crowd bowed down before him. His smile reached his wrinkled eyes as he turned to leave.
"What did you do to lord Sarutobi?" A loud feminine voice echoed through the vicinity. If it wasn't for his acute hearing he would've ignored it. But the voice had reached him, so he had to turn. After all, the crowd was still watching.
The crowd eyed her with mixed reaction. Some with horror. Some with anger. And some with mutual sadness and guilt. But all Sakura could see was the man standing above them all. In hatred.
Danzo smiled a fake smile as he eyed the crowd around the girl and shook his head. Something shifted in his eyes as he spoke again. "Young blood."
His bandaged arms lifted upwards slightly as a man placed a coat around him. On the coat was written 'Hokage' with bold letters. "Young blood is precious. Full of potential. Hiruzen had let that potential decay. And as I said, those who oppose the change will be declared as traitors. And traitors will be executed."
And as he walked away, every man and woman in the crowd realized silently the meaning of his words. Hiruzen Sarutobi was killed.
-x-
Sai knocked on the door thrice and heard a faint 'come in'. But even in this low voice was an undermined threat. A threat only he could sense. Sai bowed and raised his head again to see Danzo sitting on Hokage's chair haughtily.
"Ah, Sai. Thank you for coming." Danzo's smile was replied with Sai's gentle nod. "Is there something I can do, my lord?"
Danzo's eerie smile broadened at his question. "I need you to bring me Sakura Haruno."
After a quiet pause Sai nods. And as he leaves he wonders what he could possibly want from her. But then he shook his head and sighed. He wouldn't care as long as Ino was safe.
-x-
A bit of political agenda here people! How was it? Is it *cliffhangling* enough? Reviews please!
Tell me what you guys think.
