THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

While the demon wreaked havoc on the force of Konoha-nin, I found myself doing my own damage. My katana was already deep red with blood. Bodies fell continually around me.

Soon enough Naruto stepped in, his eyes were already shifting colors.

"What?" I spoke in the fake innocent voice that I'd developed. "You're giving me the scary eyes, Naruto-kun. I don't like them."

Next thing that registered in my eyes was that he had me pinned to a tree with his hand around my throat.

"I told you, never to call me that! I am no friend of your's, Sakura! You lost that privilege the day you left Konoha, and you destroyed any chance you had of regaining it when killed Neji." He growled at me and tightened his grip.

I was started to feel a bit light headed now, but I disguised the ill feeling with a smirk.

"Naruto-san then. Anyway, would you like to know what happened to Neji? Do you wish to see what he saw? I'll show you." I brought my hands together to form that one single sign and Naruto's hand dropped from my neck like a bomb. Once again, the world turned red and black. Everything stood still, the fights around us had stopped, falling blood did not hit the ground.

"Sakura, what is this?" He whispered. The genjustu had already started working. His breathing was slow and labored and I could tell he was starting to see things that weren't really there.

I walked up to him and circled around him, stopping when I was behind him. Then I leaned over and spoke into his ear.

"This, is what I used on Neji. This is a genjutsu of my own creation. This has been and will be the downfall of many."

A small sting hit my shoulder where it made contact with his back. I looked down and realized that red chakra was starting to poor out of him. I jumped away. Shit. This is not good! My mind screamed. The chakra just rolled off his body, changing his appearance drastically.

Suddenly it shot out, destroying the illusion. I stumbled back. Everything was moving again. I turned and stabbed a chuunin behind me.

The next moment, my attention was back on my old teammate in front of me. We both stood at a stand still as the battle continuing to rage on around us.

My fingers flew through the hand signs as I started the technique.

"Suiton Suriyuudan no Jutsu!" I summoned forth the water and the liquid dragon flew at the blonde. He expertly dodged it and I rolled my eyes before jumping from an attack myself.

Moro appeared beside me. She studied the young man in front of me before speaking.

"He is strong." She said casually.

"Do you think I haven't noticed that? But it doesn't matter, he's not as strong as me." I hissed.

Moro nodded.

"You might want to hurry it up though, the poison in your father's body has suddenly started spreading at an alarming rate. I don't know how potent it is or how long he'll last." She told me.

I took a glance at my father, the Leader of Akatsuki, and saw him stumble. One of Deidara's explosions rocked the ground we all stood on and caused a bright yellow flash blinding us all. By the time I could see again, he had fallen; laying on ground, breathing erratic.

I made a move towards him, but a kunai shot in front of me, reminding me that I still had an opponent to take care of.

"Moro!" I yelled. "Combine!" Our bodies merged and I let out an snarl. I bull-rushed Naruto, lashing out at him with my, now claw-like, nails. He just barely had time to jump aside, landing on his back. I didn't give him any time to recuperate though. The moment he was back on his feet I delivered a sharp round kick to his stomach then switched my feet and, as he fell, kicked him in his back, sending him flying face first into a tree.

He slid down the bark some, before just toppling and falling to collapse on the ground.

I looked once more at my father on the ground, before looking around at everyone else. Kisame was wounded. Deidara was starting to suffer from chakra burnout. Tobi was, well, actually he was doing amazingly well. Zetsu was beginning to feel the toll of the many small wounds he'd collected. Hidan and Kakuzu, actually, I wasn't worried about them. Hidan was masochist and I hated Kakuzu, not to mention he was nearly immortal. Konan was surrounded, but still fighting well, with no sign of major injuries.

Itachi. Where was he? I narrowed my eyes as I searched for him. There! He was swaying on his feet. I immediately cursed. The idiot had used his Mangekyou. Then I looked down at his feet and saw the person whom he'd been fighting. Jiraiya.

"Sakura!" Moro shouted in my mind. "Your father, he is falling fast!"

My eyes quickly slid back to the man on the ground as the Wolf God and I separated. Indeed, he was almost at the end of his life. I rushed to Pein's side and took hold of his hand.

"Father! Don't die. Please don't die. What about the Akatsuki?" I whispered.

He only smiled, his eyes unfocused and staring up at the stormy clouds above us.

"Sakura-chan, you and I both new my end was coming, besides, did I not make you my successor? Take charge of the Akatsuki and have a good life with Itachi." He coughed harshly and a small dribble of blood fell from between his lips. The poison was actually burning and eating away at his insides, soon it would reach is heart and he would die within a few seconds. "I must tell you though, leave for now. This battle is not worth continuing on this day. Everyone is wounded and all though you are all powerful, they outnumber you greatly. Save the fight for another time and leave while you still can."

I bowed my head as his breathing slowed then hitched and blood poured from his mouth. I would follow his orders.

"Hai, Otou-sama." I said to his corpse as I placed a hand over his unseeing eyes.

I felt a chuunin try to sneak up behind me and I turned, fury filling me now, leaving no room for sorrow.

I wanted to kill. I wanted to have the ground covered with blood and have the trees stained crimson. I was angry. I wanted death to surround me.

It started to rise in me and I smirked, inviting it. The blue flames flickered to life and the air became thick. The 'Demon Death' technique had started.

I shattered the chuunin's legs, causing him to collapse on the ground. Then I stabbed him straight through the heart. My sword dripped blood and I grinned. I placed my finger to catch some and watching in horrid fascination as it ran down my pale skin, dying it.

So caught up in it was I, that I didn't even feel Naruto coming up to me. Not until the kunai was already embedded in my skin.

I cried out in pain and shock. The pain only spread as I turned to face my old teammate. His eyes were hard and cold and blood dripped from his body.

"I'm sorry you turned out this way, Sakura. I'm sorry that you felt like we abandoned you. But I won't feel sorry about killing you. A long time ago, I swore to protect Konoha; and if protecting it means killing the monster you've become, then I will gladly do it." He spoke.

I growled before stumbling backwards as the world shifted. Strong arms caught me and gathered me up. I knew it was Itachi. I lashed out at the blonde in front of me, screaming at the Uchiha to let me go.

His grip only tightened.

"Kisame and Hidan are dead." He told me. "We're unsure whether or not Zetsu will survive. We need to leave, Sakura. Please, we cannot leave without you. Pein-sama is dead, you are now the leader of Akatsuki."

His words sunk in and I found myself agreeing with him. I gave a slight nod before speaking to Naruto.

"One day, Naruto-san, Akatsuki will capture you and extract the Kyuubi. And the same goes for that brat Jiinchuuriki, Hikari you protected! Watch out, Naruto, I'm not dead." I spat at him.

He growled at me, but stayed in place, not making a move. I smirked then nodded to Itachi, telling him that I was ready to go. He saw my silent command and we disappeared from sight, along with the rest of Akatsuki.

Itachi held me gently in his arms as we raced through the trees, going from limb to limb, always careful of my wound. I smiled softly. I was in the one place I could let my guard down.

My vision started to blur from blood loss and I felt dizzy. Against my medical knowledge and instincts, I started to slip into sleep. I couldn't help it. I was so tired for some reason. My body and my mind were exhausted. I looked up in my last few moments of consciousness and saw Itachi's eyes on me. I smiled and whispered.

"We'll take them down another day, and then they will fall to Hell."

My hand stung as the spell for the Demon of Death retreated, bringing the creature back to the depths of darkness. My vision went black and it is there that I slipped from consciousness.

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Alright! Sorry for the wait people. .' I'm got sick after coming back from NYC. Anyway, this is the last official chapter of 'Through Crimson Hell' but there will be the epilogue up soon (I hope). Don't worry, she doesn't die.

Sorry, but there's just too many reviewers for me to put down!! That's actually a really good thing. If you reviewed, then thank you. Know that I love ya.

And 'Jenny', I'm sorry that you didn't like my story, but you could have at least told me why you didn't like it instead of just telling me that it sucked and that you hate it.

Sasuke will appear either in the epilogue or early in the sequel (as a flashback). Okay, once again, sorry about the wait, but I hope you like me and my story anyway.

PureElement