Chapter 13: The Breaking Point
Tsunade watched with hardened eyes as Uchiha Mikoto and her group of followers marched out of the village. Their leaving had confused many of the youngsters, and their newly appointed clan leaders were not pleased at being left behind to deal with the upset in balance.
Konoha suffered from their absence greatly; the civilians felt even more paranoid and worried about an impeding attack. Thankfully the young kunoichi seemed even more determined to prove their worth to their clans by finishing their training.
Standing beside the furious sannin was a saddened jinchuriki. Kushina's usual bubbly personality was darkened as she watched her good friend leave.
She sighed, and glanced at the sannin. "She finally snapped, huh?"
Tsunade remained silent as she openly glared ahead of her.
Kushina sighed once more, and stared blankly at the beautiful scenery. A dry smile wrinkled her face as she fixed her violet eyes all around.
Tsunade's description of their people being like Phoenixes rising from the ashes certainly held a pleasant and awe inspiring ring to it. Even their rebuilt village that stood out from the ruins acted as a visual reminder, yet the former will of Fire that was the life and heart of Konoha had stopped beating all of those years ago.
"Would you have gone with them if you weren't forced to stay?" Tsunade asked at last.
Kushina looked at her in surprise, before she turned away. "Our situation is different," she started softly. "I at least know that my son is somewhere out there under the protection of his mentor and father. Mikoto, however, lost everyone." Her eyes softened in pity for her dear friend.
The slug sannin hesitated, as if dreading to hear the answer. "If you were in her shoes, would you take the same course of action?"
Tsunade peered at the younger woman from the corner of her honey eyes. She was met by an impenetrable veil of red hair as Kushina's face was hidden from view.
"I… I would willingly allow the Kyuubi to take over me, as long as it meant that whoever took away my loved ones would die." She confessed.
The older woman cocked an eyebrow. "And risk killing innocent people?"
Kushina smiled darkly. "A grieving mother is capable of performing even the most unforgivable of actions."
Tsunade was unable to fight off the uncomfortable sensation she felt. If fate had been different, Kushina would have been a very dangerous and unstable enemy.
The older woman barely managed to repress a shudder at the horrible thought.
As if sensing her distress, Kushina fully looked at Tsunade and grinned. "Heh, don't have a heart attack while I'm here, baa-chan. You still have a village to run."
The slug sannin blinked rapidly to force the darker emotions away.
She managed a small smirk, and turned away from the balcony. "Don't fool yourself, Kushina. You're not that far behind me."
The red-head rolled her eyes, and followed Tsunade back into the office.
The blonde woman sat down at her chair, and sighed hopelessly at the amount of paperwork on her desk. "And to think I gave Shizune the day off today," she muttered to herself.
Kushina giggled. "I take it that you're more likely to die of mental exhaustion than by being defeated in battle."
Tsunade snorted unladylike, and grumbled to herself.
She suddenly sensed the subtle change in the air, and immediately thought of an excuse to shoo Kushina out of the room.
The red-head, however, seemed to already know as a wry smile formed on her face. "Well, I'll let you be, baa-chan." Her facial expression became more serious. "Please update me on how Mikoto and the others are doing."
Nodding in reply, Tsunade made sure the younger woman left the room before she looked away. "What happened?" She asked to the air.
Yūgao materialized from the shadows, and bowed.
Tsunade frowned. "A clone?"
The copy of the purple-haired kunoichi nodded. "It was necessary," she said. "Have you received my message?"
Tsunade's frown morphed into a displeased scowl. "Yes. I even had a little 'chat' with Orochimaru who confirmed it." Worry shone in her eyes. "How is Sakura?"
"She appeared shaken up, though she's fine considering her encounter with the Akuma." Yūgao's body abruptly tensed. "Tsunade-sama… Sakura-san has been impregnated."
The blonde woman's eyes widened, and her pupils became thin slits.
She stood up from her desk, and fumed. "That arrogant bastard! He dared to use my apprentice as an experiment?!" A guttural growl escaped from her mouth. "He knows Konoha doesn't have the manpower to fight in a war, and now we're in an even delicate situation thanks to those wannabe martyrs." She snarled.
"What does Orochimaru want?" Yūgao asked worriedly.
The slug sannin glared at the air. "Power, obviously. He founded the Land of Sound by blackmailing and killing those who opposed him. Since the former Daimyo is dead, Orochimaru lost his constant funding." The older woman cupped her chin. "If he were to take control of Konoha, Orochimaru be in the position to force the Fire Daimyo to give him whatever he wants, unless that old fool wants his death wish. After that, Orochimaru would have full control over the imports and exports from the other countries."
Yūgao nodded in understanding. "And then he'd become one of the most powerful men in the shinobi world."
A thick silence took hold of the room, each of the women were lost within their own troubled thoughts.
"It's been over a week since she's been gone. What's the status of the embryo?" Tsunade asked at last.
"From what Kabuto could muster after the scan he performed, he concluded that the embryo has been inside of Sakura-san for at least a few years." Yūgao replied.
The slug sannin looked confused. "That's impossible. She's never left Fire Country," she said.
Yūgao shook her head as if disbelieving it herself. "Whoever impregnated Sakura-san placed a seal that put the embryo in a dormant state. That would explain why not even she was aware of the entity." The purple-haired kunoichi stared nervously at the fireplace. "Sakura-san's carrying a queen."
A rather comical expression formed on the blonde woman's face. "A… queen?" She whispered in horror.
Yūgao nodded in confirmation.
The sannin's honey eyes narrowed dangerously. "And what is Kabuto doing with this knowledge?"
"The information is strictly between us and Sakura-san."
"You told Sakura?!" Tsunade yelled.
"Tsunade-sama, with all due respect Sakura-san deserved to know. She… had an encounter with another like her." Yūgao defended.
The older woman glared. "Explain," she ordered impatiently.
Yūgao coughed uncomfortably. "When Sakura-san tried to escape, an entity took control over her, and led her to Uchiha Itachi's room."
"That boy you rescued?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes," the purple-haired woman replied. "Whatever happened between them, it aggravated Sakura-san's seal, and she came into contact with the embryo she's carrying."
Tsunade sat back down, and cursed harshly. "If Orochimaru finds out, then we're as good as dead."
"That's why I have to remain there, watching from the shadows to make sure Kabuto doesn't do anything out of line nor inform Orochimaru of the truth."
"What's his goal? Why would he help us?" Tsunade asked with a raised eyebrow.
Yūgao shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. If he proves to be a threat to us…," the purple-haired woman grabbed a hold of her sword.
Nodding in understanding, Tsunade felt some of her fury dissipate at the thought of having her trustworthy scout watching over Sakura.
She rubbed her temples as she soothed a developing headache. "What else happened?"
"I met with one of Minato-sama's scout. It's safe to assume that he knows that the Akuma are responsible for the recent attack on Yuga."
Tsunade placed her hands underneath her chin as she adopted a contemplative look. "This is quite a slap to the face," she commented.
"And it will continue to be so until we find a way to properly get rid of the Akuma, and rescue Sakura-san."
"Since Orochimaru supposedly doesn't know about Sakura's embryo, what does he want with her?"
Yūgao sighed. "He wants her to find a way to remove Itachi's embryo without killing him."
The blonde woman raised a delicate eyebrow. "And that four-eyed medic of his couldn't achieve that?"
Yūgao shook her head. "Orochimaru believes that you are the better medic of the two, and since Sakura-san trained directly under you, she was the next best choice."
Tsunade pinched her nose. "This is starting to make sense," she said.
The purple-haired woman cocked her head. "How so?"
The slug sannin stared at the world map on the wall. "The Akuma's attacks have been getting closer to Oto. Since Itachi has been there long before Sakura arrived, I believe that the Akuma are somehow drawn to him."
"Could he be carrying that hive's queen?" Yūgao asked.
Tsunade shrugged. "Possibly. If that's the case, then Orochimaru is desperate for Sakura to remove Itachi's embryo so that by the time the hive arrives, he'd have found a way to control them."
"The Akuma attacking Sakura makes sense. She must be carrying their rival's queen."
"Yeah," Tsunade agreed.
Yūgao's eyes widened underneath her mask. "Then Sakura and Itachi's interactions could lead to…"
"Disaster," Tsunade finished gravely.
Neither women spoke for a while as the startling reality threatened to overwhelm them.
"What… are we going to do?" Yūgao asked hesitantly.
The older woman bit her bottom lip as she thought carefully.
She looked up at the waiting scout. "It's a good thing that you stayed behind. Keep an eye on Sakura; make sure that she stays safe. I expect a report every time something unusual occurs."
"Hai," Yūgao's clone bowed, and disappeared in a cloud of thin smoke.
Tsunade sighed heavily, and placed a hand over her forehead. She summoned healing chakra to sooth the throbbing, though not even her medical expertise would help mend her broken heart.
Throughout her long life, Tsunade has dealt with pain at the loss of her loved ones. She frantically prayed that the same fate wouldn't fall upon her pink-haired apprentice.
Sakura, please be safe," the sannin thought worriedly about her adopted daughter.