Chapter 12: Sakura vs. Konan

Sakura looked up at the form of Konan, and knew that battle was inevitable. She then looked at Naruto, and knew this battle had to be ended quickly.

Konan, apparently, was thinking the same thing…and so it began.

Konan launched the first attack on Sakura, and Sakura had no problem dodging it.

"Evasion is a medical ninja's first priority." Sakura thought

But continuously dodging attacks wouldn't get her anywhere. She pulled out 6 kunai from her pouch, and fired them at Konan.

Konan simply tilted her head to dodge the kunai, which landed with a thud on barks of trees.

"You're that apprentice of Tsunade, aren't you?" Konan said

"And if I am?"

"Your fighting style…is exactly like hers. Evasion is a medical ninja's first priority, isn't it?"

"Evading isn't getting us anywhere, so I think it's time to change it."

"You're right."

Konan launched herself straight for Sakura, and attempted to restrain her with different techniques.

Sakura was unable to dodge her technique, and found herself tied up, the paper being transformed into ropes. But Konan knew it wasn't that simple.

Sakura appeared right behind Konan, and intended to stab her with one of the 6 kunai she threw earlier at her. Sakura managed to stab Konan, but Sakura knew they were just playing games with each other for now, something Sakura could not afford to do.

"Looks like we'll be fighting with shadow clones for now."

"No, we won't."

Sakura punched the forest ground, and it sent shockwaves at Konan.

"She wants a taijutsu fight, obviously." Konan thought

And if she wanted hand-to-hand combat, that was what she would get. Konan threw the first punch for Sakura's face, but the pink-haired healer blocked the punch and sent a kick for Konan's chest.

The Akatsuki member dodged the kick, and sent a kick of her own for Sakura. The student of Tsunade pulled out another kunai from her pouch, and Konan was forced to take a few steps back, thus stopping the kick short.

"This should be interesting. I've definitely underestimated you."

Not far from Sakura and Konan's fight, the form of Zetsu emerged from a tree. He looked at the two battling ninjas, and knew this fight would get intense.

"This should be a good one to watch. In this battle, mindlessly using powerful techniques won't get you anywhere. It has to be a slow, drawn out fight." White Zetsu said

"She was one of them. That came on the mission." Black Zetsu said

"Let's watch for now. It seems we've arrived just in time."

Next to Zetsu, another form appeared. He sat himself next to Zetsu, who protruded from a tree.

"Aren't you going to watch Pain's fight?"

"Pain's fight is simply a delay, to prevent those other Leaf ninja from coming here, where the real fight is happening." The figure was Madara, his Sharingan visible from his mask

"And while we watch the fight, you tell me where all the members of that council are located."

"They've been split up into numerous countries, most notably the Land of Lightning…and the Land of Fire." Zetsu reported

"With us weakened at this point, I'm sure they're talking more openly about finishing us off for good. Is there anything of importance you might've caught them saying?" Madara said

"No." Zetsu replied shortly

"Which means they know the value of information. No matter, though. There are things about us they will never know."

Madara and Zetsu watched Sakura and Konan continue their taijutsu fight. From the looks of it, they would just continue pummeling each other until one side was too weak to continue.

"What will we do with Naruto?"

"Nothing. We already acquired all 9 Tailed Beasts. And the only reason why Pain became leader."

"What do you mean?"

"His eyes…the Rinnegan…give him a very rare ability. There is only one known kekkei genkai that can control the Tailed Beasts, but that eye can only control one of them. As you know, this would be the Sharingan…and the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"However, the Sharingan can only control the Nine-Tails. The Rinnegan has the ability to control all of the Tailed Beasts."

"What does this do?"

"It allows him to combine the Tailed Beasts at will, creating something so powerful, it would instantly eradicate a country in a split second. However, a technique like that can only be done once in a lifetime.

"And because of that, nothing can go wrong, especially since we're so close to the end. And considering the fact that council is doubling its efforts to finish us off."

"Does Pain know yet?" Zetsu said

"No. And I think it's time to go inform him. You stay here, and bring me back the details of this fight."

Madara disappeared, leaving Zetsu by himself, who decided to watch Sakura and Konan's fight. He didn't understand how this was the fight to be at, as Madara put it. He would much rather be watching Pain's battle, but, he had his orders.

"Another one of them is near. I can feel it." Shikamaru said

"Which one?" Shino asked

"I don't know." He replied

Next to Pain, Madara suddenly appeared.

"More people trying to delay us?!" Sakura said angrily

"I just came to tell him something." Madara plainly stated

"And we're just going to stand by and listen?"

Sasuke's Sharingan suddenly flared to life, and he charged at Madara with a sword. Sasuke's speed was impressive, but Madara saw right through it.

"I don't have time to play around with you children."

He disengaged Sasuke from his sword, and stuck it in the ground. Sasuke knew he had been beaten, and jumped back.

"They're coming. And it's with him."

With those words, Madara turned his back to everyone and started walking away, before vanishing into thin air.

"This is interesting. Now we will truly be able to enjoy this battle."

In a forest outside the Lightning Cloud Gorge, several figures dressed ominously in black robes talked in lowered voices. They all wore masks, baring pentacles on them.

Much of their conversation was inaudible to Madara, but he knew these were members of the Council of Shadows, who had come to this exact place for only one reason: the elimination of Akatsuki.

And from the looks of it, Madara had come just in time to see the Council of Shadows going over their plans for the final time. This was definitely a huge advantage for Akatsuki.

Madara decided to advance to hear more of their conversation, and this turned out to be a smart choice, for he was about to receive some valuable information which would soon aid the Akatsuki's cause.

"Now, Kazake, you're going to kill the leader, Pain. I'm assigning this task to you because you're the strongest here." The other robed man said

Kazake narrowed his eyes and saw Madara parched on a tree near them. He decided not to say anything, for he would kill the Akatsuki intruder himself.

However, Kazake looked at the masked man again, and this time, Madara nodded his head slightly. Kazake knew this was his cue.

In a flash, Kazake took out his sword strapped on his back, and quickly eliminated all the other members without a word.

"Nicely done." Madara jumped down from a higher branch to a different branch formation where Kazake stood

The hood fell, and Kazake took his mask off, and it turned out he was a completely different person. Kazake then took off his black robe and threw it on the dead bodies.

"They always thought they were the ones watching us, when, in reality, someone was always watching them…from the inside." The figure turned out to be none other than the infamous Kisame Hoshigaki, Samehada in hand

"And that was what they failed to notice." Madara said

"But there are more…a large concentration around the Lightning Cloud Gorge." Kisame said

"Then…I think it's time for Kazake to pay them a surprise visit." Madara said

Kisame grinned as he reached for his robe and mask. As Kisame put on his robe and mask, he jumped from tree to tree, away from Madara, getting ready to continue the next step of his goal.

A few seconds later, though, Madara was met by another person…one of Pain's bodies.

"Well?"

"Everything went smoothly."

"That's good to hear."

"Where's the next batch?"

"This forest is south of the Lightning Cloud Gorge. The next concentration of them would be to the west of the Gorge."

"How many?"

"Concentrations of them normally range from about 10 to 15. I wouldn't be expecting anything different at the next point."

"You do realize…that if Kisame keeps eliminating them at this rate, we won't make it. We have to start eliminating them faster, which will require…us to assist, which would be almost impossible." Madara said

"I'll eliminate them…but in a different way. I won't be the one doing the killing…you understand, right?" Pain said

"Of course. Will you still be able to delay those Leaf ninja?"

"Don't worry. I'll handle it from here." Pain said

At the entrance to the Lightning Cloud Gorge, 50 figures in black robes and masks were silently scanning the area for any trace of Akatsuki.

"What do we do?" One of them asked

The leader of the group of 50 called everyone together.

"Fear not, fellow members…four of Akatsuki's five members are right here. With the army we've brought, they've no chance against us. Once we eliminate these four, the fifth will just give himself up…this is certain." The man said

"Akatsuki is the snake…and we are the hawk! They will fall by our hand!" The leader shouted

The others cheered, but they knew not the horror that was watching them. As they cheered, a figure up top, high on a tree threw a kunai, killing one of the members.

They all reacted to the kunai instantly, and attempted to find the person responsible.

With blinding speed, the person instantly teleported down and fired 100 kunai, two hitting each member. In a few seconds, they were all dead…except for one.

"The mighty Akatsuki leader Pain. This should definitely be interesting."

"Aren't you going to get rid of the mask…Orochimaru?"

"You always did have an ability identifying people." Orochimaru said sadistically

"Whatever you're trying to accomplish…you will fail. Just like that explosion you tried to trigger."

"Yes, I suppose that did fail, even with the help of the other members." Orochimaru replied

"And now you bring an army and attempt to eliminate us? Your methods have gotten you nowhere ever since you left our organization." Pain said

"This organization…the Council of Shadows that I created, is nothing more than a pawn in a brilliant plan. After I left Akatsuki, I became the leader of this group, and we began planning the elimination of Akatsuki." Orochimaru said

"I knew it would take years to craft a scheme such as this, but it is finally complete!"

"You call this a brilliant plan, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru laughed.

"You fail to see the bigger picture, and soon, you will see what I have been working towards all these years!"

As Pain ran his hands through a few seals, Sakura panted behind a tree.

"She's good. And it will be hard to beat her." Sakura thought

Sakura stood near a river, and watched the water flow freely. Her fight with Konan was like a dam in the water, and she didn't know when it was going to end. She looked at the near-dead form of Naruto, and wondered what could be done.

She couldn't heal him while fighting Konan; she would be killed in a matter of seconds…but with each passing second, he was losing life. Something had to be done…and fast…but Konan was too powerful.

She would need the help of someone else in order to take her down now.

She closed her eyes and struggled to think. Had Tsunade taught her anything concerning moments in the heat of battle? She doubted it. She was a medical ninja. Her job was to heal people, not kill them.

But she had a feeling she could use Konan's techniques against her. The natural surroundings favored her…and there was one universal solvent that could make her victorious…right now.

Meanwhile, Konan looked around for Sakura. Things were not going as planned. This battle was dragging on way too long.

"Where is she? What could she be doing?" Konan thought

As Sakura, Konan wanted to end this battle quickly. She had her own matters to attend to. But for all the attacks they launched at each other, they were just canceling each other out.

Before Pain, Orochimaru lay on the ground in a pool of blood.

"You disappointed me, Orochimaru. That was what you've been doing all these years?"

"Y-you…h-how did you get so powerful…?"

Before Pain answered, Orochimaru's head fell to the ground for the last time. Behind Pain, Orochimaru smiled maniaclly, Kusanagi sword out of a snake's mouth.

Pain knew Orochimaru was behind him, but he didn't move. Before Orochimaru had a chance to kill him, he was impaled by someone else. Pain continued staring while the figure behind held him a blood-stained sword.

The figure dropped the sword next to the dead body of Orochimaru, and walked up next to Pain.

"I see you made it, Madara."

"Would you have actually killed him if I didn't come?"

"Yes, I probably would have. But there's no need to concern ourselves with that anymore."

"How is Kisame progressing on his mission?" Pain asked

"Kisame just eliminated another batch of that council east of the Gorge." Madara replied

"I need to head north; I've found a massive concentration of that council north of the Lightning Cloud Gorge. They're attacking by water from the north now, it seems, instead of by land from the south."

"And one more thing. Tell Konan to hurry up with her fight. There's not a lot of time." Pain said

He then left, leaving Madara standing next to the dead body of Orochimaru, his cold, black eyes staring out into the void.

Behind a tree, Sakura finally opened her eyes after a long while of thinking, and she knew how to end this battle in one, final, attack.

The problem now was luring Konan into it. With both of them almost completely out of chakra, Sakura knew her next attack couldn't go wrong.

Sakura took a deep breath, and took the first step out of her hiding space. Her gaze determined, she called out Konan, who also knew this was the end of their fight.

"Well then…it looks like this is the end for one of us."