The Beginning of The End

Tsunade frowned, an angry expression casting dark shadows across her face, as her eyes filled with hate, piercing deep into Sakura.

"Sakura… from what you've told me, Itachi is telling you to go to this place, using his sharingan to manipulate you in your sleep… and knowing that bastard…" Tsunade paused for a moment, and they both sat in utter silence, neither wanting to speak.

Sakura reviewed everything Tsunade had told her about the Mangekyou Sharingan, how the power could allow the user into people's dreams to convey messages or manipulate them, and how the power could be used to torture individuals into not sleeping, so they would be vulnerable to attack. But that was just it. Tsunade believed Itachi was beckoning her to her death, it seemed to her that for some reason he wanted Sakura out of the way, and was luring her away. Somehow, though, Sakura knew that wasn't it. She didn't know why she trusted the mass murderer, but for some reason, she felt she could rely on him. However after analyzing her dream, she though of a possible reason; in her dream she had witnessed something she had never seen before. She had noticed a deep sadness in Itachi's eyes as he spoke of his former clan.

Sakura was not sure how to react to this anguish. It seemed to haunt her… the brother who killed his entire clan, leaving nobody but a young boy to live a life of revenge, feeling remorse? Sakura felt the need to speak with him, she had a terrible urge to seek him out, ask him questions. She felt almost as though she was hexed into finding him. She shook her head uneasily.

Perhaps Tsunade was right? Perhaps Itachi was luring her to her death… lurking in the darkness, ready to take her out with a single swipe, or perhaps with a brief glance of his deadly eyes. She sat in her bed pondering these thoughts, which began to mix with thoughts of how she might be able to get to the set meeting place. After describing her dream, still vivid in her mind, to Tsunade, they had been able to decipher the setting: The Uchiha shrine. She wanted to go, but at the same time, she felt nervous. She wanted to just disappear, and arrive alone before the Uchiha, but she wanted Naruto by her side to help her. She wanted the best for Naruto, but curiosity tugged at her, and she began to come to a conclusion. She opened her mouth to declare her decision, but was interrupted by the harsh and stern voice of Tsunade.

"Sakura, I refuse to let you go." Sakura blinked, letting out a small gasp. How had she known… "And especially not with Naruto. I worry about you both, and the last thing you need is to be tangled up with Itachi. He's not someone you want to meet, never mind someone you'd want to speak with alone." Sakura began to protest, but Tsunade's angry voice overpowered her. "I will not let you go!" Tsunade thrust her chair back as she stood up, sending the chair careening into the wall, just as Shizune had come into the room with two cups of tea. Taken by surprise, Shizune jumped, dropping the tea, and soaking not only her clothes, but the surrounding carpet as well. Tsunade, taking no notice of the distraught Shizune who had tumbled in from the hallway, stalked out of the room, slamming the door violently behind her.

Sakura quickly scrambled out of bed and helped Shizune to her feet, watching as she brushed off her now-soaked dress. She sighed and looked at Sakura with worry.

"What's wrong now?" Sakura shook her head and told Shizune about her argument with Tsunade, as she helped Shizune clean up the mess. Shizune stopped cleaning half way through her story and sat up, with her head bowed, and her hair covering her eyes.

"Sakura… I think…. You should act based on your instinct. I trust your instinct. That and-" Shizune cut herself off, looking away for a moment, before meeting with Sakura's eyes. "That, and Tsunade has been worried about you and Naruto… And she doesn't want you to go alone… and…well… I know I shouldn't tell you this, but she doesn't plan on letting Naruto out of the hospital for a while. She's planning on sacrificing her life…. To bring back his…"

Sakura froze and let out a small gasp. Shizune nodded, and continued to wipe up the last bit of the stain. She stood without speaking, and began to head out the door, but paused, her hand on the doorknob.

"Sakura-san… I suggest… if you do it, do it tonight… Tsunade's going to be gone, and I'll be in charge. But before you do, let Naruto-kun know. I'm sure he'll want a say in this." However, before leaving, a sudden smile sparked across her face. "Ah! I almost forgot! The Akatsuki member… Deidara, was it? I found him! It took a lot of explaining to convince Ibiki-san, but he's ok now." Her smile faded, though, as she spoke again. "He wasn't in the best condition, but we got him out of there… he's in a room just down the hall right now, but I'm afraid you can't speak with him… He needs all the rest he can get."

Shizune frowned, seeing that Sakura was still preoccupied with Tsunade. She opened the door and smiled weakly, before slipping out into the hallway, and softly shutting the door behind her.

Sakura stood up and sat back on her bed, tired from moving so much. She was happy that eidara was ok, but she was more worried about getting to talk to Itachi. She wanted to take the rest of the day to relax, but Shizune was right, she needed to tell Naruto about her plan. Sakura laid herself down, resting, for she was not completely recovered from her injuries. However, she only allowed herself to rest for a short time, watching as the shafts of sunlight on her bed began to fade, the sun sinking slowly below the horizon. When she had regained her energy, she slipped out of her room, and headed to Kyuubi's room.

Sakura opened the door to his room softly, and slid into the room, leaving the door behind her slightly ajar, for the room was dark, and the only light source was that from the hallway.

"Kyuubi?" She called to him, keeping her voice low and soft, but steady. He did not respond, but in the dim light, she could see his form on the bed. He sat hugging his knees, his eyes fixed on the blank wall ahead of him. She made her way over, and placed one of her hands on his shoulder, calling his name again. However, instead of replying, Kyuubi shrugged off her hand and continued to stare at something invisible to Sakura.

"I'm so sorry… Sakura-san…I…I really am… a monster…" He buried his head into his clothes, and Sakura could see his shoulders shake slightly as he choked, trying to suppress sobs. Sakura drew back her hand, and knelt beside Kyuubi's bed, wrapping her arms around him, and consoling him with soothing words.

"Kyuubi-kun… I forgive you… You didn't mean to, I know. And no, Kyuubi… you are not the monster… Sasuke is. He's the one who started this mess, not you. Everything is his fault, not yours. But I have a plan to end it all… that's why I'm here." She spoke softly to him, and after several moments, his sobbing subsided, and he finally met her eyes. He wiped away tears and listened intently as Sakura explained her plan to him. When Sakura was done explaining everything, he had returned his gaze to the blank wall, his brow furrowed as he thought.

"My fighting may be hindered, since this body is still weak, but if we can end it soon... Sakura did not respond, but nodded, and bode her farewell until later that night, when they would set out together for the final battle.

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A beautiful blood-red moon, full and spectacular, illuminated the night, but it was ominous, as it was the color of the blood that was soon to be spilled. Two silhouettes slipped through the village, weaving between walls, and leaping from roof to roof. They slid past a cracked wall with a faded Uchiha symbol, and the first paused, whispering lightly to the second.

"This is the way… I don't know why… but for some reason, I know this place… Itachi is in the hideout, but I'm not exactly sure where it is in this village…" The second nodded, and pulled out a kunai, wielding it to protect not only himself, but also his partner.

"This place always gives me the creeps…." He said, before creeping after his comrade, his step more of a stagger than a steady walk. After a few moments, he stopped, and leaned against the wall of a nearby house, too tired to continue on. His partner paused, seeing him slumped against the wall, and with a slight twinge of aggravation, walked back over to him.

"Are you going to be ok? I can go it alone from here, Kyuubi-kun. There's really no need for you to come." Kyuubi shook his head.

"I'll be fine… plus, don't forget… you're meeting with Itachi. There's no way I'm letting you go by yourself." Sakura sighed, and helped Kyuubi to his feet, letting him lean heavily on her. She knew he was weak, and wished he would just stay back. If a fight broke out, she would not only have to protect herself, but also him. Even though she was happy to have someone beside her, he was a hindrance to her as well.

Sakura scanned the village questioningly, trying to decide, if she were an Uchiha, where would she hide the secret Uchiha shrine? After all, it was the storage room where all the Uchiha files were kept, including some of the darkest secrets of the former clan. She walked over to several houses, pushing open the deteriorating doors, and glancing through the dusty and cracked windows.

Sakura thought back to Kyuubi's previous comment, the Uchiha village was definitely an eerie setting. Even though it was dark because it was night, the village seemed to have a thick, and heavy air that lingered ominously overhead, making it even more dark and mysterious. The houses, neglected for many years, were now a dull gray, the stone weathered and crumbling, and the windows fractured in innumerable places. The gardens, that had once been beautiful and elegant, were choked with weeds, and the surrounding walls were splattered with old stains of blood, probably, Sakura guessed, from the last time the village had been inhabited, from before the massacre. She shivered, thinking about the massacre, and for the first time in a while, she was scared, knowing that in a short amount of time, she would be face to face with a sinister killer, someone who had dispatched an entire clan within one bloody night.

Sakura walked cautiously to the back of a house, Kyuubi still leaning heavily on her, and opened another door, briefly glancing in, before continuing on.

"Oi, Sakura… I don't think we'll be able to find it on our own… we're going to need to find help, somehow." Sakura shook her head, but froze suddenly, hearing rustling behind them. Kyuubi seemed to hear it too, for he stopped, and seemed to be listening carefully. Several tense moments passed, and both stood in utter silence, listening for any sign of life. Everything seemed quiet, and all she could hear was her heart thumping rapidly against her chest, and Naruto's heavy breath.

Then, suddenly, a hand landed heavily on Sakura's shoulder, and she yelped as it pulled her back, and an arm wrapped around her neck. She struggled desperately to get free, terror filling her thoughts, but to no avail, for the arm held fast.

"Heh, you should see the look on your face!" Sakura stopped struggling as soon as she recognized the voice, and both anger and relief replaced her terror. She pulled away, frowning at the blonde who now smiled, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Damn, if you weren't on my side-" She stopped, hearing giggling behind her. She turned to see Tobi, who was now supporting a very disheveled-looking Kyuubi. "How did you both-" Deidara laughed.

"We've got our ways, un." Sakura smiled softly, she could not stay angry at the two, and she was relieved to see them both safe. Deidara frowned and watched as Kyuubi returned to Sakura's side, still leaning heavily on her, his eyes flickering between red and blue. "You've lost a lot of chakra. You should not be out here… it's easy to see that you're in no state to be out and wandering around. He turned back to Sakura. "Speaking of which, what are you doing here, anyway?" Sakura explained to Tobi and Deidara about her dreams, and how Itachi had beckoned her to the Uchiha shrine. Deidara listened intently to Sakura and his expression darkened as she spoke of how she had seen a sadness in Itachi's eyes.

"Itachi… that bastard…he's manipulated you into coming here. I think you should leave. With Kyuubi in this state, it was stupid for you to have come." Deidara stood, and began instructed Sakura and Kyuubi to leave, but neither moved. Tobi stepped forward, and spoke to Deidara in a voice, much more serious than either Sakura or Kyuubi had ever heard from him.

"Deidara-sempai, they came at their own accord. I think they should speak with Itachi if they want to." Deidara glared at Tobi, but did not respond. Sakura sighed.

"Thank you Tobi… but there's one problem… we have no idea where the shrine entrance is…" Tobi sighed, and pulled off his mask, chucking it onto the ground.

"You seem to forget one thing- I'm an Uchiha." He smiled, and scratched his head. "Though, I must admit, I don't remember much about the village. It's so… different." He glanced briefly around the desolate streets. "I remember it being so much… busier… there was always a constant bustle. Kids running around and playing with the stray dogs…" Tobi trailed off, reminiscing about his former clan. "Although… I can't blame Itachi for what he did…"

Sakura did not say anything, but shot a questioning look at Tobi, but he ignored it, averting his one good eye from her. He sat down on a nearby porch and scanned the destitute streets again.

"I don't…. remember… any of this…" He rubbed his head, then sighed, looking up at the night sky. "I suppose this means I'll have to reactivate my sharingan…Maybe then, I'll remember." He stood up, and created a seal, concentrating his chakra. The air around him began to swirl, and dust began to encircle him, his chakra strengthening as he gathered all the energy he had. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow in concentration. Suddenly, a wave of air washed over the other three, his chakra dispersing. He fell to his knee.

"Sh-shit… I don't have enough power to reawaken my sharingan… I need my other eye… but that's impossible… because…. Kakashi… wouldn't help me… he doesn't trust me…" Tobi breathed heavily. "Shit… I just used a good bit of my chakra…" Sakura knelt beside Tobi, helping him to his feet.

"We have to get Kakashi… there's no other way to get to the shrine!" However, as she spoke, an ANBU member appeared a few feet away.

"I heard there were some ninjas snooping around the Uchiha village, and I was ordered to check it out… you four, however, were the last ninjas I expected to see here." The ANBU's voice was familiar, and he removed his mask to reveal a familiar face, a young nin with two colored eyes, one black, and one a bright red.

"Kakashi-kun!" Sakura leaped up in excitement, but Tobi looked up at the nin with resentment. Deidara sighed, recognizing the nin who had attacked him but a little while ago. Sakura continued. "Kakashi-kun, we need your help!" Kakashi nodded, and sighed.

"I know." He turned to Tobi, sadness filling his eyes. "I… I'm sorry… Obito… please… I didn't realize it was really you until it was too late…" Tobi nodded in understanding.

"It doesn't matter now. What's been done is in the past. Right now, you can repay me with helping me. I need your eye, for just a moment. And probably, some of your chakra as well. Kakashi nodded. "Ok… here's what we'll do… Kakashi, I need you to concentrate all of your chakra into your sharingan eye, and think about unlocking it, as though it weren't permanently unlocked." Kakashi nodded, and began to concentrate his chakra. Tobi followed suit, and soon, both had immense amounts of chakra swirling around. Then, suddenly, the chakra exploded, as Tobi opened his eye, revealing his awakened sharingan.

Smiling, Tobi scanned the streets for a third time.

"I see it now… I see it all!" He shot down the street, and slid, taking a left. "It's this way, I remember it!" Sakura darted after him, Kyuubi with her, followed by Deidara and Kakashi. They followed Tobi into a large house, and down the stairs into the cellar. There, he unlocked a secret door, and slid into it.

As Sakura entered the secret passage, she stopped dead in her tracks, instantly recognizing the hallway from her dream.

"Th-this is it! This is the passage that leads to the throne room!" She felt herself fill with excitement. They were finally here, they had found it! She stepped forward, and looked back at her companions. Kakashi smiled, and looked away.

"I must leave now… I must report back to Tsunade and tell her that the four ninjas were nothing more than a few kids… Be careful. I'd help you with this battle, but I feel that it is yours to be won… Be wary of that which lies ahead…" And with that, Kakashi was gone, disappearing with a bright flash.

Sakura turned back to the long hallway, looking at the shafts of moonlight illuminating the way. She walked slowly to the end of the hallway, careful to tread lightly across the stone. When she reached the door, an overwhelming feeling of excitement washed over her.

This was it… She could feel it… This was the battle they had been anticipating… this was the end.

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Oooh! I'm getting so excited, in two chapters, I will be finished with this story! X3

It'll be the first Fanfiction I've ever completed! Anyway, as I told my beta… I've set a goal to be finished before Christmas! So, I hope to update soon! X3

Ah, but before I finish up, I want to thank you all for the comments, faves and alerts! I really appreciate the support[Insert heart here

Inuluvr