My Precious People

by Serious Sam

Many years have passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War. Now twenty-six, Naruto has returned to Konoha to help someone precious to him. He finds some unexpected changes, among them the son of Hinata whom no one knows who the father is, and a new danger looms on the horizon. Rated M for language and lemons. Adopted and rewritten with permission from Nube De Cristal.

34. Darkness In Life

"And behold, I shall be a Blight upon the land, and everything I touch... shall wither, and die." – Derek Powers, a.k.a "Blight", Batman Beyond

Hello, everyone. It's been far too long since I pushed out a new chapter and I apologize. The usual stuff got in the way - work has been killer. The foster child in our home is starting to come around and is acting like a more normal, active nine year old. That means I don't get a chance to write until she goes to bed and by that time, I'm exhausted. it's both good and bad in a way. Plus, I've done some beta work and pushed out chapters for X-Rank and the other story I'm helping finish for Ayrmed (who passed away), Love's Never Easy. That doesn't even count the massive amount of writer's block I had. This chapter fought me the entire way.

I guess I learned my lesson on having too many projects.

I also want to apologize to all my readers for not personally responding to all my reviews from last chapter. That'll be the last time that happens, I promise. Everyone will get a response this time.

Also, fair warning - after this chapter, I have beta work to do on one story, ideas to help out with another, push out a chapter of Love's Never Easy and then it's back to this one. Matt and I will work on the next chapter of X-Rank in-between all of that.

Rant and blame game is done. Moving on.

I'd like to thank my anonymous beta for his help and support. Thanks for sticking with me, and for your insight and approval of my work. And of course, the usual heartfelt thanks to MattWilson83 who took time to help me with ideas, flow, additions and subtractions to the chapter. He helps make this story better in so many ways.

I also want to say that DeviantArt sucks ass for their stupid, ridiculous rules. They banned MattWilson83 for a month for drawing a picture of Sakura in her underwear and said it was too "suggestive" because they consider her underage, even though in Boruto: The Movie she's married and has a 12-year old kid.

A couple of story updates - I've followed these and recommended them for awhile, and they seem to get better and better with every chapter. Head on over and give them a read - the authors would really appreciate it:

Snow Angels – DeisuiNeko

Our Ninja Way – Just Retribution

An Uzumaki Scorned – SilentSambo88

Sanctuary of the Wounded – weirdismyname

And now on to credit where credit is due:

Hektols: thanks a bunch for coming up with a simple way to explain the Rinnegan on Sasuke. Yeah, I screwed up on that one and had to find someone creative to bail me out. The idea was all his.

Petran: the name for the new member of the Mienai Segi was his idea. Good one, too. I think it fits perfectly.

MattWilson83: the idea for using the Nidaime's jutsu was all his. Absolutely brilliant.

Also, a little late credit to myafroatemydog for the idea in chapter 32 where Sakura and Hikaru talk.

Now, on to the disclaimer (it's back!). This one is a lot more obvious and I've been binge watching the old episodes at night when the Munchkin (that's my name for my foster daughter) finally goes to bed.

Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And hello there, uh… you. Fancy meeting… you here.

Woman – You don't know my name, do you?

Disclaimer – Sure I do. It rhymes with a female body part.

Woman – What is it?

Disclaimer – Umm… Mulva?

Woman – That's it. I'm outta here.

Disclaimer – Oh, wait! I know! It's Delores! (+1 if you get the reference. +5 if you know the body part).

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Chapter 34 – Darkness in Life

A latch clanged, and a steel door swung open on rusted hinges, groaning in protest the entire time. Deep inside the mountains of Iwa, Gideon walked into a well-lit torture chamber followed closely by Nyx. Of course, he wasn't looking to torture anyone just yet, but the location definitely encouraged people to answer his questions. For those that didn't – well, that's what he had Nyx for.

Basically, resistance was futile.

In the center of the chamber, stretched out on a rack that was tilted at a 45-degree angle was a woman with pink hair and bright emerald green eyes. Her clothing was shredded and in tatters – what was left more closely resembled a crop top and low-rise pair of shorts. And despite the half dozen chakra suppression seals plastered over the rack, she still managed to struggle against her bonds, which groaned as she strained them to their limits.

"Well, well, well…" Gideon leered, "you're a feisty one, aren't you? I can certainly appreciate enthusiasm such as that."

"I'll show you more enthusiasm than that if I ever get loose." Sakura said threateningly as she glared at him. "Who are you? Where the hell am I, and what do you want?"

A hollow chuckle escaped his lips and his eyes flashed, showing her a brief hint of the anger and madness behind them. Then in one sudden, swift motion he backhanded her across her face with enough force to cut her cheek.

"While I am generous enough to allow some leeway due to your situation…" He casually wiped her blood off his knuckles, dragging them across the remnants of her shirt which barely covered her chest. "…you need to keep your tone in check."

Sakura hissed in pain and glared at him with murderous rage. "You're signing your own death warrant. Do you know who I am?"

"Oh, I'm very aware of who you are." Gideon clasped his hands behind his back and casually strolled around the rack, scrutinizing her like a fine piece of artwork. "Sakura Uchiha, disciple of Tsunade Senju. You are well known for your exploits in the Fourth Shinobi War, as well as your chakra enhanced strength and healing abilities. Wife to Sasuke Uchiha, who was the disciple of Orochimaru and at one time, also a member of the mercenary group known as Akatsuki."

So he had quite a bit of public information, which wasn't that big a deal but the unspoken hint was he knew a hell of a lot more than that. Private things. Secret things.

Cocky bastard was way too sure of himself.

"Then since you know who my husband is, you should also know he's someone you shouldn't fuck with."

"Oh, I might be… concerned if he knew you were alive," he waved his hand dismissively, "but more than likely he believes you are dead. If he came to any other conclusion than that I'd be very surprised. The people I sent to intercept your group left behind some very convincing false evidence that pointed rather compellingly towards your demise."

Her confidence level dropped after hearing that. "What happened to my teammates?"

"Dead." Gideon casually shrugged his shoulders. "The two chūnin accompanying you were basically turned into a compost pile by my very large associate, along with that female you were trying to buy time for in order to allow her to escape. However, their deaths did serve a greater purpose in helping convince your Hokage and those that advise him that you were among the casualties."

Tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes but Sakura held them back. She wouldn't give this asshole the satisfaction of seeing her cry. After a moment, she narrowed her eyes accusingly at him. "And yet, you kept me alive. Why? Planning on raping me?" She jutted her hips out at him. "Go ahead. Stick your dick in me. I guarantee that'll be the last place it goes where it isn't wanted."

His face hardened, he took two steps forward and backhanded her face once again, this time leaving a bruise on the opposite cheek. "I warned you once about that sharp tongue of yours. This is your second warning. Trust me when I say you'll regret it if I have to make a third. Are we clear?"

Sakura blinked groggily, trying to get rid of the stars that flooded her vision and bring her eyes back into focus. The strike was hard enough that she didn't feel like being on the receiving end of another warning. "Alright. I get it." She swished her tongue around in her mouth and spat a wad of blood onto the floor, noting that she now had two loose teeth. "But I'd still like to know why you specifically went out of your way to bring me here. Who am I to you?"

He chuckled dryly. "Let's just say you're my… for lack of a better word… guest at the moment."

"Guests don't get kidnapped or strung up on a torture rack. They usually get a room at a hotel with a bath and food."

His look suggested how close she was to stepping over the line again with her tone of voice. She glanced away and nodded, heeding his warning.

Satisfied, Gideon stopped in front of a nearby table that was covered with various implements of torture and picked one at random – a whip with sharp metal barbs embedded into the leather. "I'm merely taking precautions…" he said, smiling in satisfaction as he snapped the whip a few times, each flick ending with a loud crack, "…at least until I hear your answer regarding the proposal I'm going to make."

"After what you did to me and my team, why would I listen to anything you have to say?"

Gideon tilted his head in thought, then nodded in agreement. "That's a fair point, but honestly what do you have to lose? Your situation is the only thing at risk at the moment. You'll have a chance to improve it based upon your answers."

Sakura eyed the whip, zeroing in specifically on the dried blood still coating the metal barbs in the leather. The person who used it was probably at least as skilled as Ibiki Morino, otherwise there'd be shriveled pieces of flesh hanging on them as well.

As long as he doesn't use that whip on me I'll play along, she thought, mulling over several possible scenarios in her head. All I need is one good opening to escape. Once I'm off this table, punching my way out of wherever I am should be easy, and maybe I can get some intel while I'm at it. Sasuke and Naruto should know as much about this as I can tell them.

"Fine," she said flatly, "I'm listening."

With a last flick of his wrist, Gideon tossed the whip back on the table. "Then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gideon, and I'm the leader of an elite organization known as the Mienai Segi." He smiled disarmingly at her. "Perhaps you've heard of us?"

Sakura shook her head. "Can't say that I have," she answered honestly.

Another shrug. "That honestly doesn't surprise me, since we go to great lengths to keep the existence of our organization, along with the identities of our members, a secret. However, you may be interested to know that your Hokage was once counted among our ranks."

Sakura's eyes widened almost imperceptibly at the news.

"People come to our organization on the pretense of seeking death. An event happened at some point in their lives – one so traumatic and damaging that the idea of living with that kind of pain is too much to bear." He glanced sideways at her. "Your Hokage never told me what his particular event was – perhaps you know what drove him to seek us out?"

He was rewarded when Sakura flinched visibly, which meant she either knew what the source was, or she WAS the source. Either way, he thought smugly, she definitely knows more than she has let on. I wonder what other treasure troves of information will be discovered when I turn Nyx loose on her mind?

"Our ultimate goal is to bring peace to the world through sacrifice – unifying all of the elemental nations under one rule. Through power and fear, we will eliminate war and infighting. Everyone will answer to me… and my word will be law."

Sakura cringed internally from the horrors she saw reflected in his eyes.

"However, in addition to this I have a personal goal as well… the complete and utter destruction of Konoha."

Sakura's jaw dropped in complete shock. "You… You want to destroy Konoha? Why?!"

"To punish your Hokage, of course – along with all who are under his protection. His betrayal of us – of me – and our organization cannot be forgiven."

Great. Another nut job with a God complex and an out of control ego. "And why on earth would I help you destroy my home?"

"For any number of reasons, actually." He ticked the items off on his fingers. "Depending on your relationship with your village, it could be revenge, retribution, or even justice. Or it could be that I'm simply making you an offer you can't refuse." A look of hunger joined the megalomania he was emanating. "Whatever life you had there would pale in comparison to the one I'm offering you. Join us – help us realize our goals, and nothing will be out of your reach. Power. Money. Servants that obey your every whim. I can make all of that a reality, and more."

The man certainly makes a tempting offer, Inner Sakura added from out of the blue. It's too bad your weak-willed conscience won't consider it. I'd accept without a second thought.

Then it's a good thing you aren't. "Sorry, the answer is no. I'm actually quite happy with my life in Konoha."

Liar.

A pause. A smile. "I was hoping you'd say that… because in this case, doing things the hard way will be much more satisfying." A hollow laugh filled the room. "Plus, this way I won't have to be constantly questioning where your loyalties lie."

He hooked a finger in the tattered remnants of her top, ripping it off and exposing her smallish breasts.

"You will be joining us…"

He grabbed the fabric of her shorts and ripped those off as well, leaving her naked from head to toe, exposing her well-groomed pink pubic hair as she struggled futilely against her bonds.

"…you will do so willingly…"

He roughly grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, savoring the fear in her eyes.

"… and in the process you'll be reborn, in the same manner you were brought into this world…"

He reared his fist back and landed a right hook to her face, knocking her unconscious. Sakura's head lolled to one side, blood dripping from her split lip and pooling on the already stained floor.

"…and once your mind has settled, you will think differently, and perhaps even thank me. Because, my dear Sakura, I will be the one who has set you free."

Nyx watched as Gideon continued to stare at the naked pinkette – not in a lascivious or sexual way, but rather like a Shōgi player who just regained a valuable piece. He was plotting tactics and moves because of it, and she knew better than to interrupt his thought process at times like this.

"How long will you need?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"A day, maybe two at the most," she replied casually. "You're asking me to do two high level jutsu at once. I need to make sure the whole thing is done right. If I make a mistake, the final product could be damaged."

"Then get to work. Once you're done, provide our new member with some clothing and send an ANBU to notify me. I have a little… initiation I'd like her to go through."

Nyx watched as he turned, almost with a flourish and walked out of the room. She sighed, then walked up to Sakura and pried open one of her eyelids, nodding in satisfaction at how far her pupils were dilated.

"Alright… let's see how far down the rabbit hole we need to go."

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"So, you found no sign of her?"

Hana shook her head sadly. "No, Lord Hokage. We searched ten miles up and downstream, along with the surrounding wooded area. We didn't find any footprints, Kaya's kikachu didn't detect any foreign chakra, and Kanomaru said her scent ended at the riverbank. Sakura either drowned and was washed downstream, or she doubled back to help the chūnin in her party fight off their attackers."

Naruto nodded solemnly. Even though it sounded like Hana and her team did a thorough job, he privately entertained the idea of sending another search party out to comb the area again. He refused to believe what seemed like the only inevitable conclusion.

"What happened next?"

"Sasuke and I started building a makeshift litter for Shizune. After a few minutes I had to swap out with Asami, since she was having a hard time keeping the contents of her stomach down." A chill went up her spine and Hana shuddered, while Kanomaru whined and buried his nose in his paws at the memory. "Using our hands, Kaya and I scooped as much of that… flesh, as we could into a pile." She extended a storage scroll towards him. "We sealed what we could in this."

Naruto eyed the scroll like a poisonous snake. He didn't want to touch it because he was afraid that Sakura – or what was left of her – might be part of what was sealed inside.

The other, and certainly more private reason was that on the inside, he was seething with anger. The scene was a dead ringer for how Gilgamesh ended almost every job. Hinata had been right – the entire thing practically reeked of Gideon and the rest of the Mienai Segi that went rogue.

He hesitantly reached out and took it from her grasp. "How many bodies would you say made up what you found?"

"It's… hard to say." Her skin paled a shade or two. "A lot of it seeped into the ground, but if I had to guess, I'd say two or three at minimum."

"And where are Kaya and Asami right now?"

"As soon as we got back, I sent them straight to the hospital with Shizune." She reached down and scratched Kanomaru behind his ears, hoping the gesture would calm both of them down. "I figured you'd want Lady Tsunade working on her as soon as possible."

He nodded in agreement, then decided to address the elephant in the room. "What about Sasuke?"

Hana's eyes softened. "He… didn't say anything on the way back here, and we really didn't try to strike up a conversation with him about anything. When we asked him to use Susanoo to help get Shizune back here as fast as possible, he didn't even argue about it – even though he exhausted most of his chakra getting us out to the campsite in the first place." Then she perked up as she remembered something. "Oh, and you should know he has the Rinnegan now."

Naruto's eyes snapped to meet hers. "That shouldn't be possible. You can't get the Rinnegan without having Senju DNA, and that's one thing Sasuke doesn't have at all."

"Try telling that to my team," Hana snapped testily. "Something happened when he found Shizune, because when Kanomaru and I found him his eyes changed. All of us could literally feel the anguish and rage pouring out of them."

This whole mission was fucked up from the get-go and right now she was exhausted physically, mentally, and chakra wise. All she wanted right now was a hot bath and a good night's sleep. She'd start drinking tomorrow.

Naruto rubbed his forehead – the fallout from all this was going to be massive. The council would somehow try to turn this whole fucking fiasco into a declaration of war on Kusagakure. He cringed at the thought of what Tsunade would try to do to him. Ino was helping take care of Mikomi until Sakura got back, and Sasuke…

…he needed to find his brother before he did something drastic.

"Any idea where Sasuke is now?"

"He… headed off to a bar." She stared sympathetically at the Hokage. "He said you'd know which one – you were a frequent guest there before you became Hokage."

The Rusty Kunai. He'd drowned his nightmares there on more than one occasion. The stuff they served there could barely be called booze, half the regulars thought they were tougher than they really were, and every night at least one of those overconfident assholes got sent to the hospital. Perfect place for someone looking for a fight.

"Thanks, Hana. I appreciate your team pushing themselves so hard to complete this mission. Hopefully it'll be enough to save Shizune's life." He waved her towards the door. "I know normal procedure is to submit a full written report within twenty four hours, but due to… circumstances I think it's only fair I give you a couple extra days. Now you and your team should go home and get some sleep."

She nodded gratefully and walked wordlessly out the door, Kanomaru padding softly alongside her. Naruto watched her go, and once he was alone he picked up the storage scroll and glared at the thing, turning it over and over in his hands while dozens of questions, scenarios, and outcomes played out over and over in his head.

This whole thing started because Gideon wanted to get his hands on Tsunade. Sannin, former Hokage, healer, summoner… he could take his pick from any one of a dozen legitimate reasons. Problem was, Gideon despised consolation prizes almost as much as he hated people who failed him.

Gilgamesh couldn't bring back Tsunade because Naruto didn't send her on the mission. That made Sakura – along the rest of her team – dead weight. Literally. And the pile of pureed flesh sealed inside the storage scroll was the result. The only reason why Shizune didn't end up shredded with the rest of the bodies was probably because Gilgamesh thought she was as good as dead anyway.

Naruto hated the thing in his hands. It was a physical reminder of his greatest fuck-up as Hokage to date – the only thing in question now was would they find Sakura's DNA? On the off chance they didn't, at least there'd be hope she was still alive.

He wanted to throw the thing away. Burn it until there wasn't even ashes left, but none of that was an option. He needed to know. Tsunade needed to know.

Sasuke and Ino deserved to know.

He snatched his coat off a nearby hook and walked out of his office, stopping at Mina's desk.

She pushed aside her latest research project and looked up at him. "Yes, Lord Hokage?"

"I'll be gone for a few hours." He felt and sounded like a man who was going to his own funeral. "I have a couple of stops to make, but I should be back by noon at the latest. Unless it's a major emergency, make sure no one comes looking for me."

"Understood. But just in case someone does need to find you, where will you be?"

"I need to drop this off at the Research Division," he said, holding up the storage scroll. "They need to run a DNA test on the contents for me."

She nodded and made a note. "And the second?"

He frowned, then let out a heavy sigh. "Visiting my relatives."

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A light wind blew over well-cut grass; the blades swaying back and forth underneath the midday sun. Naruto padded silently along past row after row of stone markers, heading towards a private and very secluded section of the cemetery. The people buried there had made the ultimate sacrifice for their village, giving their lives to save countless others.

Hashirama and Tobirama were there. Hiruzen should have been, but they buried him next to his wife Biwako in the Sarutobi clan section. There was a marker for Jiraiya, even though Naruto knew the grave itself was empty.

His sad gaze lingered on it for a few seconds, then he pushed himself past it, walking eight more steps before finally reaching his destination. A marble obelisk that stood around six feet tall, with two symbols carved in the top. The first was an eight pointed star. The second was a red swirl.

The symbols of the Namikaze and Uzumaki Clans, respectively.

Beneath that were listed the names of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. The inscription on it read:

I carry your heart with me, throughout life and death. I shall never be without it. Wherever you go, I will go.

You are the root, the leaf, the bud, and the sky of the tree of my life. It grows higher than the soul can hope, or the mind can hide.

I will fear no fate nor want no world. You are my sweet, my darling, and ne'er shall anything keep us apart.

A lump formed in his throat as Naruto stepped forward, his fingers tracing the deep grooves that made up his parent's names. He swallowed heavily, trying to make sure his words didn't come out as a hoarse croak.

"Hey."

He failed.

"I'm sorry I haven't come by here more often. I've been busy with being Hokage – but that's really just a pathetic excuse." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to form. "The truth of the matter is that I'm a coward. Coming here… it reminds me of what I didn't have as a kid, or as a teenager or even as an adult. Don't think I blame you for any of that – you saved my life. You did what any good parent would have done for their son." A wry smile formed on his lips. "I think that's another reason why I have such a hard time coming here. I can only imagine how disappointed you guys would be with me over how I'm doing with Hikaru."

"I mean, don't get me wrong. He's a great kid. Smart, energetic, hardworking, ridiculously protective of Reira – that's the little girl living in our house that swears she's gonna marry him someday. But he can definitely be a handful sometimes. When his temper flares up…" Naruto shook his head in mock denial. "…he reminds me of you, Mom. At least if all the stories I've heard about you are true. I think you would've liked him. I'll bet the two of you would've gotten along great."

Eyes still shut, he pressed his back against the monument and slid slowly to the ground. "There's no one else I can talk to about this. Hinata wouldn't understand, Tsunade and Iruka probably want to kill me, Kakashi was never really good at helping other people with problems and Sasuke… he's more than likely on his fifth bottle of saké by now." A break in the clouds caused a stray beam of sunlight to shine through and Naruto leaned his head back, letting the warmth was over his face. "And I hate burdening anyone else with my problems, but honestly I… I don't know where else to turn."

The wind changed direction, rustling through the leaves on the trees surrounding the cemetery. The sound wove through others around him; birds calling out to one another, water flowing through a nearby fountain. The air blew over his forehead, like a mother's touch running her fingers across a weary brow. And maybe it was because he was trained in the Sage Arts, but he could feel the nature energy around him, reverberating through him, speaking to him…

We are here, Naruto. We are listening.

This time a tear actually fell from the corner of his eye, crawling down his temple and over his cheek. "I fucked up, Dad. I fucked up bad and now people are dead because of me."

Language, the voice scolded him.

He didn't know how, but he could tell that was his mother. "Sorry," he apologized, even having the decency to look chastised.

Accepted. Now, what did you do?

"I failed to follow my own teacher's advice and look beneath the beneath. I trusted other people to do their jobs and the mission I sent my shinobi on turned out to be a trap."

A good leader needs to trust people.

"And look what happened when I did!"

Can you do every job yourself?

"No, but that's not the point!" he snapped angrily. "Hinata figured out Gideon was behind the whole thing in five minutes… FIVE MINUTES! Yeah, she's smarter than me, but I'm the Hokage! I should've thought of that first! I should've known better!"

No one is perfect. Even Hokage make mistakes.

He stubbornly bashed the back of his head on the monument. His parents were being frustratingly logical. "But I swore when I took this job that people wouldn't die under my watch because I was being blind or stupid. That any fuc… ummm, I mean screw ups I made would be minor. And now…"

A cloud passed overhead, blocking the warming rays of the sun. The wind flowing over his body turned cold, causing him to shiver from the sudden change in temperature.

Sakura might be dead.

"Yeah," he nodded, realizing his body now matched the sullen mood of the conversation. "I mean, Sasuke is my friend, my rival… hell, he's basically the brother I never had. What can I possibly say to him that won't sound like a bunch of pathetic excuses and apologies? Nothing, that's what."

Give him space for a few days. Let him come to you.

Naruto grunted skeptically. "And what if that doesn't work?"

Seek him out. Offer your support.

"He'll probably want to kick my ass," he added sarcastically.

If that will help, then consider it.

A lifeless chuckle escaped his lips. They were trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn't helping. He wrapped his arms around his chest and leaned forward, hugging himself as hard as he could.

"I miss you," he said, sniffing a few times as he choked back a sob. "I miss you both so much."

And we miss you, son.

The sun didn't come back out but the warm wind returned, wrapping around him like a blanket. But despite how comforting it felt, it couldn't take away the pain and anguish in his heart.

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Pink hair framed hunter green eyes that glared at the two jōnin escorting her through the underground halls of Iwa.

Two days earlier, Sakura had woken up in what seemed like a general, run of the mill guest room. It was sparsely furnished, not lavishly – more functional than anything. It was definitely a far cry from the torture chamber, which was the last thing she remembered before Gideon's fist slammed into her jaw and she blacked out.

Her body was weak. Her heart was beating rapidly, like she'd just run a marathon. The sheets and pillow of her bed were soaked in her sweat. Even in the low light, her eyes throbbed painfully and her vision was blurry. Her hair was matted against her face. Even something as simple as trying to move her arms caused her nerve endings to scream in agony.

Oddly enough, even though her head felt like it was splitting apart it also felt… light. The pressure that was normally there was strangely absent. Everything was quiet. Calls to her subconscious went unanswered.

A hoarse croak and a lamp shattering on the floor was enough to summon help. A woman about fifty years old entered the room – it was pretty obvious she wasn't a kunoichi – and tossed a set of clothes onto the bed before helping Sakura sit up. A wave of nausea hit the pinkette and a wastebasket was placed under her mouth, a just in time for Sakura to empty the bile and minimal contents of her stomach, while the woman rubbed her back soothingly the entire time.

After ten minutes, when there was nothing left and the dry heaves stopped, Sakura finally had a chance to look down at her body. She blinked a few times, clearing her vision to make sure she was seeing things correctly.

She was stark naked. Her body felt like she'd just woken up from a coma after a year of binge drinking. Normally she'd be mortified, but right now modesty was at the bottom of her priority list.

"Name's Juru," the woman introduced herself. "I was told to take care of you."

Sakura tried standing but her legs were shaky, so Juru provided some support as she guided Sakura to the bathroom and straight into the shower where she let the hot water run over the pinkette's body as she carefully scrubbed Sakura from head to toe. Afterwards, Juru dried Sakura off and dressed her in the simple outfit she'd brought. The clothes were an almost exact replica of the Uchiha outfit, except the colors were earth tones instead of the red, white, black and pink she usually wore.

Juru spoon-fed Sakura some chicken noodle soup and helped her drink some milk through a straw. Being treated like an invalid or two-year old child pissed Sakura off to no end, but she didn't utter a word and just let it happen. The pinkette was too weak to fight about it.

"Get some rest," Juru instructed, pulling the covers up over her. "You've got a long road of recovery ahead."

Not likely, Sakura sulked to herself. She still had the Hyakugou seal on her forehead, even though she could tell a good chunk of its power was gone for some reason. I'll be out of bed and back to normal within a week. No one's spoon-feeding me longer than necessary.

Turned out, she was wrong. She didn't need seven days.

Each morning, the pattern with Juru repeated itself. Bathe. Eat. Sleep. During periods of rational consciousness, Sakura secretly used the Hyakugou seal to accelerate her healing and do some limited solo physical therapy. She'd healed herself countless times before, but this one felt different. The entire process seemed almost alien, like she was wearing someone else's skin.

It was on the second day Sakura began to realize it wasn't just her body that felt strange. That morning when Juru helped her out of the shower she finally had enough strength to shove the old caretaker away.

The difference was she didn't just think about doing it, she actually did it.

Sakura wiped the fog from the full-length mirror in the bathroom and stared at herself. It was her hair and face… the eyes were more green than usual, but they weren't filled with pain, or sorrow, or regret. They seemed more dispassionate, or cold.

Those same eyes traveled over her arms, chest and luxurious long legs. There wasn't a mark or blemish on her skin. In her opinion, other than being in desperate need of a tan she was absolutely perfect.

"No fucking way…" she muttered, as a dry laugh caught in her throat, "someone must have heard me after all. I wonder who pulled it off?"

Juru was confused. "I'm sorry, I don't understand…"

"It's fine," Sakura interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "Everything is just fine."

Things moved faster after that. It didn't take long before Sakura was out of bed and walking around on her own. She was eating solid food a day later. Physical therapy sessions got more intense.

But no matter how much she used the Hyakugou seal, she couldn't get back to normal. Sakura reasoned someone must have siphoned off a large chunk of her reserves, which would explain why her body was so weak and her healing abilities were limited.

The bigger questions were who did it? What did they need so much chakra for? And why was she having such a hard time getting it back?

Ironically enough, that's when two jōnin showed up, telling her that Gideon wanted to see her immediately. They slapped on a pair of chakra restraints, then hustled her out of the room and down several hallways. The cold resonating from the stone creeped over her skin, meaning they were deep underground.

It didn't take long before they arrived at a thick, rusted iron door. One of the jōnin turned the latch and opened it, then pushed her inside.

Sakura recognized the place immediately. It was the torture chamber where she had been strung up on a rack except this time, someone else was in her place with a hood over their head. Gideon stood to one side, hands behind his back, waiting patiently for her to arrive.

He smirked and then motioned his head towards her. "Remove her restraints. I don' t think we'll be needing them."

One key and three seconds later the restraints, along with the two jōnin were gone from the room. Sakura rubbed her wrists, trying to restore the circulation as she slowly felt the strength returning to her body.

No chakra suppression seals here, she wondered to herself. Why?

"To answer your unasked question, the reason why you're not being restrained by chakra seals at the moment is because you'll be needing your strength." Gideon ripped the hood off the person tied the rack, revealing the face of a man with a gag shoved in his mouth. "Do you recognize this person?"

Sakura studied him for a few seconds, then shook her head. "Can't say as I do. Who is he?"

"A spy, sent here by Konoha." Gideon yanked the man's hair painfully, making him wince. "We discovered this about three weeks ago, and have been feeding him false information since then. I had him arrested yesterday and brought here, because he's going to be your test subject."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Test subject?"

"For proving your loyalty." He walked over to a nearby table, grabbed a kunai with a serrated edge and tossed it across the room. It clattered on the floor in front of her. "Kill him. And make sure you do so without the slightest bit of reluctance or hesitation."

Sakura picked up the kunai and turned it over in her hand, examining it. He obviously didn't consider her to be much of a threat if he was giving her a weapon, which meant he knew how weak she still was. But was it worth it? Yeah, she'd probably kill a few people on the way out trying to escape but in her current condition she stood virtually no chance of making it out alive.

Her eyes flicked to the man tied to the rack. He was staring at her, eyes wide with terror. He knew his fate was sealed from the way her soulless eyes stared back at him. There wasn't one ounce of compassion or sympathy reflected there.

I'll kill him. You know I will. And I'll enjoy it, Sakura laughed cruelly into her subconscious. If you plan on saving this man's life, you'd better stop me now.

Nothing so much as twitched in her mind.

Suit yourself. His death is on your conscience.

She strode forward and buried the kunai in his abdomen. A thrill went through her as the steel slid easily into his flesh. The man screamed in pain, but it was muffled by the gag in his mouth. Blood fountained from the wound, splashing her face and she licked at it, enjoying the warm, salty taste of the blood.

He stared at her pleadingly as his eyes glazed over but rather than pity, she felt nothing but satisfaction and power. His life was hers to take or save and this time, she didn't take the path of the trained medic. Saving him against all odds wasn't the only choice she had anymore.

One corner of her lips turned up and Sakura sneered as she dragged the kunai to the right, slicing him open and then yanking it out roughly. Pieces of flesh caught the edge of the serrated blade and his intestines spilled out from the slit.

"Was that good enough?"

"I believe I told you to kill him," Gideon said, glancing briefly at the man. "He still appears to be alive."

With an almost casual shrug of her shoulders, Sakura turned and stabbed the man through his right eye socket, driving the kunai into the rack and killing him instantly.

"Sorry," Sakura apologized halfheartedly. "I figured you'd appreciate a slow and painful death. My mistake."

After a moment, Gideon chucked lowly. "I must admit, I wasn't prepared for such creativity from the outset. In the future I will either expect it, or be more specific with my requests."

"I'm just full of surprises." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Got any additional requests?"

"Just one." He crooked his finger at her. "Follow me. We have another stop to make." He opened the door and led her down the dimly lit hallway, making several turns along the way. "I have one final test for you."

He ushered her inside another room. There was a man in a hospital bed there, hooked up to an EKG, EEG and several other machines. An oxygen mask covered his face, and a ventilator was off to one side. It had either been used recently or was there simply as a precautionary measure.

"Who's this?" Sakura asked, jerking her head toward the man.

"One of my associates. Several weeks ago, he was involved in a fight with a powerful adversary who… well, frankly we underestimated. He has been in a coma since his return and despite the best efforts of those in my village, we have been unable to improve his condition."

She walked over and professionally scanned the printouts coming from the machines. "Let me guess. Fixing him is the second part of my initiation, right?"

"Yes. Can you accomplish this?"

Sakura checked the oxygen saturation level, then grabbed a nearby stethoscope and pressed it against the man's chest, listening to his heartbeat. "He's got about a sixty five percent chance. I can't give you better odds than that."

He glared frostily at her. "Care to repeat that?"

"Fine. I said at best, he's got a sixty five percent chance." Despite his threatening tone, Sakura wasn't fazed in the least. She was used to dealing with people like him at the hospital. "Look, from what I can tell other than some muscular atrophy and malnourishment, for the most part his body is fine. It's his brain that's the issue. I won't know the extent of the damage until I do a more thorough scan, but at the very least he's got a contusion or two. If he's not, then we're looking at a coup-contrecoup or diffuse anoxal. If I'd gotten to him sooner…" She shook her head in denial. "Anyway, if I can fix it – and I still don't know if I can – it's going to take time and a shitload of effort."

"Then begin. Whatever you require to complete your task will be provided…"

"Hold on a minute," she interrupted him, "I'll do it – but I've got some conditions first."

"Is that right?" he replied haughtily, cocking an eyebrow at her. "And what might these conditions be?"

"First of all, regardless of whether or not I succeed, I get to join this little group of yours. Second, I want what you promised. Food. Clothes. Servants. Money to spend wherever and whenever I want. Third, I want a place at the table – I'm not going to be some lackey taking orders. I want to be free to speak up, offer my ideas and opinions and have them listened to and considered. Finally, I want your word that when you attack Konoha, you will spare the lives of my husband and my daughter."

"Normally I kill people who make demands of me, but you've made me curious. If you don't succeed in healing my associate, tell me why exactly I should give you what you want?"

"Because you need recruits." She pointed at the comatose man lying on the bed. "He's probably jōnin, or elite jōnin. Maybe even stronger. Shinobi like that aren't easy to come by, and you wouldn't be asking me to heal him if you had a dozen more like him to choose from."

The muscles in Gideon's jaw flexed angrily. "And?"

"And my husband was in charge of the ANBU." Sakura leered at him. "He had a secondary office at the Uchiha compound full of stuff he brought home from work. Sasuke was a little too trusting with me and never locked the door. Curiosity got the better of me on more than one occasion… Anyway, long story short I know things about Konoha that most people don't. Patrols. Black site locations. Encryption keys. Secret ways in and out of the village." She tapped the side of her head. "What I have up here is an information goldmine."

"That doesn't necessarily make your life valuable," he countered. "I could just as easily have Nyx rip that information from your head."

Probably that short, evil looking bitch that was in the room with us a few days ago. "But wouldn't you rather have an active participant on your side?" She placed her hands on her hips and stared back at him defiantly. "I fought on the front lines of the Fourth Shinobi War – I didn't hide in some tent way in the back. And don't forget I'm the best medic in the elemental nations. You want Konoha burned to the ground, right? Well, so do I – and I've got a plan to help you out."

"I can give you all of that and more," she teased, just like he'd done with his initial offer. "And it's not like I'm asking for a lot more than you were planning on giving me in the first place. Give me what I want, and I'll help you get what you want. All in all, I'd say that's a fair trade."

Gideon stared at her impassively, but on the inside he was fuming. He barely tolerated someone trying to negotiate with him, and he usually shoved a fire jutsu down the throat of anyone stupid enough to try making demands.

Melting someone from the inside out was always enough to get his point across. The fact that he enjoyed it was just icing on the cake.

But this woman was far smarter than he'd initially thought. Her tone of voice wasn't rude or abrasive, just… confident. But to him, that was like fingernails on a chalkboard.

For all the reasons she'd mentioned and more, he couldn't kill her. And she knew it.

"Before I give my answer, I would like to know… are there any other lives in Konoha you would like to petition me to spare?"

The question surprised Sakura a little bit. Dozens of faces flashed through her mind, but only three of them lingered. Ino. Tsunade. Hikaru.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "No one."

"Then I accept your proposal." The lives of two against the entirety of Konoha was a trade he could accept. And if she failed him, he could always kill her later. "Now, what exactly is this plan you have?"

An evil grin split Sakura's face. She got what she wanted, and she'd get even more before she was through. Hell, if she played her cards right she'd end up number two in the pecking order around here. "Iwa has some good fighters, but Konoha is way too strong. We need an ace in the hole; something that'll raise the fighting power of anyone we send against the village significantly. So while I'm here trying to fix your associate, I need you to send a few of your shinobi on a mission to find someone. The last I heard, she was holed up in a hidden base somewhere around the ruins of Uzushiogakure."

Gideon raised his eyebrows. "And who might this person be?"

"Karin," she spat the name, her voice dripping with venom. "Her name is Karin."

.

---

.

Knock, knock.

Naruto blinked a few times, then dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and rubbed. The bags underneath his eyes were a telltale sign of how little sleep he'd gotten over the last few days. He could probably count the number of hours on one hand, and his prospects for the future looked just as bleak.

There were three reports sitting on his desk. He'd shoved the stacks of paper that usually cluttered the top into a corner of his office.

The first was a complete account from Hana of the mission, down to the smallest detail. Knowing more didn't make a difference, though – in all honesty, it actually made him feel worse. His former associates had been vile, sadistic and then vanished without a trace.

No scent. No chakra. No footprints. Not even a glob of spit. Just a bunch of bodies that more closely resembled ground hamburger than anything else.

Gilgamesh and Nyx had been very thorough. He'd expected nothing less.

The second was a medical report from Tsunade on Shizune. The prognosis wasn't good.

There were five lesions on her brain, two blood clots, three cracked ribs, a broken femur and a depressed skull fracture. Hana tried to heal the bones on the way back, however since they were moving fast she didn't do a very good job and they had to be broken and reset properly. Tsunade caught the clots before they caused any permanent damage, but the bruising was going to cause some major gaps in her memory.

That meant she probably wouldn't remember anything about what happened. Hopefully she'd still remember being married to Iruka.

The last report – the one he was currently reading when the knock on his door interrupted him – was the results from the Research Division. Based on weight and mass, there had only been enough… flesh in that storage scroll for one, possibly two bodies but they'd found four strands of DNA. The two chūnin he'd sent – a third, as yet unidentified male party – and Sakura.

He'd never use the word impossible, but unless through some miracle she was hiding in a nearby village nursing her way back to health, at this point the odds that she survived were extremely slim. Almost non-existent.

So it went without saying that his entire morning FUCKING SUCKED. Every word he read was like a repetitive slap in the face. So when he heard someone knock on his door, he was more than grateful for the distraction.

"Come in."

Ino walked in, pushing a stroller. Mikomi was asleep inside, wrapped up in a blanket and hat to keep her warm against the slight chill in the air.

"Ino?" He quickly used his arm to sweep the reports he'd been reading into one of his desk drawers. "Hey, umm… what's up?"

"I… hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, her face riddled with worry. "I wondered if you had some time. To talk."

"Oh, uh… Sure." He had an inkling what the conversation would be about since she brought the baby, which would make him more depressed than he already was. But he motioned her towards the couch anyway, and she sank into it and sighed gratefully. "What's on your mind?"

"Sasuke."

Okay, that was a bit of a surprise. "What about him?"

"I'm worried about him," she said, wringing her hands. "Since he got back, all I see him do is drink. He leaves the house early, but I don't think he's going into work. Is Kakashi is still running the ANBU for him?"

"I… honestly don't know," Naruto reluctantly admitted. "I had a couple ANBU keeping an eye on him, but I haven't been asking for reports. They're just supposed to let me know if he starts looking violent or suicidal."

"I think he's drinking to keep those thoughts suppressed. The last few days I've fallen asleep on the couch waiting for him to get home at night. I never hear him when he comes in, but I can sure as hell smell him." Ino shuddered at the recollection. "And he goes straight for Mikomi's room when he comes through the door. He just… hovers over her crib, staring at her until whatever he drank finally catches up with him and he falls asleep in a chair next to her crib."

Ino's statement gave Naruto a whole slew of new problems to worry about. Avoiding his job was bad enough, but having Sasuke both depressed and drinking was a recipe for disaster. An angry, drunk Uchiha was bad enough, but add in the Rinnegan? No thanks. The last time someone like that showed up in Konoha, Nagato turned the place into a crater. Even if Naruto managed to keep his brother in check, the property damage would be staggering, not to mention the blow to his reputation.

"So you've been taking care of Mikomi? Sasuke hasn't been helping out at all?"

Ino sadly shook her head. "No, and I know that's wrong but… Dammit, how fucking horrible of a person would I be if I yelled at him right now? I mean, he just had a ton of shit dropped on him about…" She drew a shaky breath and looked at him with pleading, hopeful eyes. "Did you get… I mean, do you know if…"

"Yeah." Naruto reluctantly picked up one of the scrolls. "Just got the results this morning. Research Division found four separate sets of DNA. One was from Sakura."

"Is… Is there any hope? Could she still be alive somewhere?"

"I'll never say never Ino, but…" He wearily rubbed his forehead. "…we've got some intel on the people who did this. They're dangerous. Every one of their members is S-rank at the very least. They were after Tsunade, and the guy in charge hates it when things don't turn out the way he wants. The only reason why they'd capture her is so that asshole could torture and kill her himself, so the odds of Sakura still being alive are about as thin as it gets."

Ino squeezed her eyes shut against the news. She was Sakura's friend… maybe her only friend. Sakura had leaned on her for a lot of things while she was trying to repair her life and now… it was all gone. Everything Sakura had worked towards over the last few months. All the progress. All the effort.

It was all gone. Because Sakura was gone.

"Then Sasuke is all Mikomi has left." Her lower lip trembled as tears fell from the corners of her eyes. "You have to do something, Naruto. Sakura asked me to help take care of Mikomi and I will, but… but…"

"I get it, Ino. I get it," he said as he placed an arm comfortingly around her shoulders. "I'll make sure Mikomi doesn't lose both her father and her mother. And that's a promise of a lifetime."

.

---

.

Sasuke pushed the empty bottle of saké towards the bartender.

"Again."

The bartender stopped wiping down the counter and frowned at him. "It's almost noon. Shouldn't you be going somewhere else to eat?"

Sasuke glared back at him with Rinnegan eyes. "I don't need food. What I need is for you to shut up and get me a new bottle of saké." He slammed some Ryo down on the counter. "Like I'm paying you to."

The bartender sweatdropped. Intended or not, he considered the statement a veiled threat. As a former chūnin, he'd seen more than his fair share of fighting and while he wasn't the best, he was no slouch either. He was still in pretty good shape, and had more than enough skill to throw the occasional drunk out onto the street. The ANBU dealt with any jōnin that got out of hand, which thankfully didn't happen all that often. Jōnin tended to be more a disciplined bunch.

But the Rinnegan? He was around when Pain attacked the village a little over twenty years ago. He died, and would've stayed dead if it hadn't been for the current Hokage. He didn't stand a chance then, and he didn't stand a chance now against those eyes.

The entire village didn't stand a chance against those eyes.

The bartender somehow managed to keep his face impassive as he pushed another bottle in front of Sasuke, who grunted in thanks before filling his saucer and downing the liquor in one shot.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and started talking again – lowly at first, but their voices became louder as the minutes ticked on. It didn't take long before everyone was yelling at each other, or for another round of drinks. The atmosphere in the bar was back to normal…

…until five minutes later, when an imposing figure with blonde hair wearing a white, knee-length trench coat darkened the doorway. Silence hit the room like a wrecking ball when everyone recognized who it was.

Every head followed the Hokage as he strode into the room. The metal legs of the barstool groaned as Naruto pulled out the one next to Sasuke.

"Fire Whiskey," he said, slamming a pile of Ryo down on the counter. "And make sure it's top shelf – not the watered down stuff you usually serve to the idiots who don't know better."

"I don't water my drinks," the bartender growled.

"Yeah. Right." Naruto pointed at Sasuke. "My friend's eyes can tell if someone is lying. Wanna try your luck?"

The bartender glanced at Sasuke who was staring back at him, one corner of his mouth turned up in a self-satisfied smirk… basically daring him to call Naruto on his non-existent bluff.

Three lock clicks, one sliding panel and five seconds later a bottle of single barrel fire whiskey, aged fifteen years was placed in front of the Hokage. A clean saucer clinked on the counter, the bartender scooped up the Ryo and moved away, busying himself with washing glasses and cutting lemon wedges.

Naruto cracked the seal and poured himself a drink, downing it in one shot. Sasuke poured his own shot and downed it, then quickly drank another which Naruto mirrored. The two of them matched each other shot for shot, drink for drink, until half of each bottle was gone.

"I'm sorry."

Sasuke stopped in the act of filling his cup. "Excuse me?" he asked dryly, cocking an eyebrow at Naruto.

"I said I'm sorry." Naruto took another shot and hissed as the burning liquid went down his throat. "Look, we've been through too much shit together, Sasuke. You'd know if I was being genuine, or just telling you what I think you want to hear." He opted to stare at his drinking cup, rather than look him in the eye. "I don't know what else I can say that won't sound hollow, pathetic, or like I'm trying to push the blame off on someone else. I'm the Hokage, so ultimately the responsibility is mine and I'm just… sorry. Really, really sorry."

Sasuke watched as Naruto went back to drinking like a man possessed, the bottle and saucer never leaving his hands. His eyes followed Naruto's hands as they shoved as much Fire Whiskey down his throat in the shortest time possible.

Once he was finished Naruto hunched over the empty bottle and saucer and waited for – well, he honestly didn't know exactly. Hatred for him at the very least. Outright violence was certainly a possibility, and it wouldn't take much for innocent bystanders to be caught in the crossfire. Ameratsu, Susanoo… Hell, even large scale property destruction wasn't off the table. Naruto had a few Hiraishin seals set up to get them out of the village in case that happened, but he still had to get close enough to use them.

Sasuke had a lot of options to choose from.

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted, downing his own drink. "It's not your fault."

Naruto's head shot up fast enough for his neck to make a loud crack. That was the absolute LAST thing he expected to hear from Sasuke. "Come again?"

"I said it's not your fault. While I was at the hospital getting these looked at…" Sasuke pointed a finger at his eyes, "…Tsunade told me how hard you argued against sending Sakura on the mission, and she was the one who convinced you otherwise." He took another drink. "If anything, I'm pissed at her way more than I'm pissed at you."

Somehow, that didn't make Naruto feel any better.

Well, maybe it did. Just a teeny, tiny bit.

"By the way, did she happen to mention how you got those eyes?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. Turns out Obito used some of Hashirama's cells to enhance the healing process when he transplanted Nii-san's eyes. He only used a small amount – just enough to get the job done." This time, he took three large swigs straight from the bottle. "They just needed something… big enough to trigger the change."

Naruto didn't know whether Sasuke intended his words to sound bitter and slightly accusatory, or just as a general statement. He hoped it was the latter and not the former.

"Makes sense, I suppose." He swallowed, metaphorically eating the words Sasuke had flung his way and they burned going down his throat like the Fire Whiskey he'd just finished off. "Still doesn't change the fact that you're pissed, though. I'd be too if I was in your shoes, but we gotta find a way to burn off that anger. Any ideas on how we can keep you from erupting like a volcano?"

"Hmmm…" Sasuke glanced sideways at Naruto, raising his eyebrows. "Valley of the End?"

Naruto blanched. The Valley of the End was the scene of their last fight. Well, fight was really a misnomer. When Kakashi found them afterwards, he'd told them the landscape resembled a war zone more than anything else. Both of them had basically been on the brink of death and spent the next week and a half in the hospital recovering.

It'd taken over a month to repair the damage. Tsunade had been ultra pissed.

It was one of more than a dozen memories he'd like to forget. So he definitely wasn't eager to repeat the whole experience. Plus, they were both a whole lot stronger than before. They might not be able to fix what they broke this time.

He opened his mouth, planning to ask Sasuke to think of something less violent and… destructive, but before he could say anything he remembered what his parents said to him a few days ago…

"Sasuke probably wants to kick my ass."

"If that will help, then consider it."

It might be the worst idea ever, but he'd be the world's worst hypocrite if he told Sasuke that since he'd pulled the same stunt with Tsunade.

Sasuke needed a way to vent his anger, and he figured this would do it. Naruto was the only one in the village who could take him on. And he knew the pain his brother was feeling. After all, he'd caused it. So how could he refuse?

"Damn," Naruto grunted, "you know this is gonna hurt, right?"

Sasuke drank the last swig of saké and slammed the empty bottle down on the counter.

"It already does."

That time he was sure Sasuke said it on purpose. The guilt stabbed him in the heart like the sharpest kunai, and any hesitation Naruto might've had vanished. He'd deal with the fallout from this whole thing later. His brother needed him. This was something he had to do.

He brought two fingers to his lips and blew a piercing whistle, silencing everyone in the bar. A few seconds later two ANBU appeared in front of him.

"Yes, Lord Hokage?"

"Sasuke and I are heading to the Valley of the End for a little… umm, sparring match."

The two ANBU looked at each other, then back at Naruto. "A… sparring match, Lord Hokage?"

"As far as you and everyone else in the village is concerned, yes. Spread the word to the rest of the ANBU and keep everyone away from there because it won't be safe. Also, I need you to tell Tsunade and Kakashi to come get us when we're finished."

"And how will they know when you're finished?"

Naruto glared at the ANBU. "Because things will stop exploding, that's how. And I need one of you to bring a message to my wife."

The ANBU on the right nodded. "What message would you like me to give Lady Hinata?"

"Tell her I won't be home for dinner. Tell her where I went, what I'm doing and that this time, it wasn't my idea. And please…" he said sadly, as he placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "…tell her how sorry I am."

Half a second later, the two of them disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

.

---

.

Things were quiet for about an hour or so after they left. Nothing seemed strange or out of the ordinary as everyone continued to go about their daily lives. It was an average, run of the mill day in Konoha.

That is, until somewhere off to the north, the sky began to rumble.

It was low at first, like the beginnings of a thunderstorm but as the minutes ticked by it grew louder, darker… angrier. Flashes of lightning were added after that, the color varying between shades of white, blue and at times even purple. The bolts grew longer and thicker, traveling farther across the horizon and the rumblings of thunder were now loud claps, akin to small explosions.

Then the lightning stopped, and the sky turned orange and red. Fire was raging off in the distance, and anyone watching who had even the slightest knowledge such things could tell the flames were burning hotter than normal. Plumes of smoke climbed to the sky… black, thick and full of ash and it was a testament to the size and intensity of the blaze that the ash actually reached Konoha, falling over the village like black flakes of snow.

A breeze started, blowing gently through the streets and alleyways, taking the ash that had fallen and making it dance in miniature twisters, dust devils and whirlwinds. The black flakes that were caught in it swirled upwards, higher and higher until they disappeared into the clouds far above Konoha.

In-between all of this, the ground felt like it was shivering in fear. Tremors ran underfoot, not the beginnings of an earthquake but more like aftershocks. They were small, not strong enough to dislodge anything hanging on a wall, but definitely noticeable. Glasses that were placed too close together clinked. Dogs and cats either hid in the shadows or cowered in the corners of buildings and alleyways.

For over three hours, the 'storm' raged on the horizon, flashes of golden yellow and purple intermixed with what seemed like Mother Nature herself throwing a tantrum. For that entire time the ANBU had their hands full, maintaining order and keeping the villagers calm, telling them the Hokage was personally taking care of the 'problem', and there was nothing to worry about.

At least, that's what the ANBU hoped. But as the minutes dragged on, their confidence started to waver because they knew if this battle between two of the strongest, if not THE strongest shinobi in the elemental nations got out of control and made a beeline for Konoha, there was little anyone could do to stop them.

And they weren't the only ones with that belief.

Despite the Hokage's specific instructions, after two hours of watching the sight from atop the north wall, Tsunade Senju and Kakashi Hatake took off towards the Valley of the End. Not a word was spoken between the two as they ran toward the scene of mass destruction, ignoring any potential danger to their lives.

The reasons were very simple.

For Kakashi, it was the past coming back to haunt him. He remembered the last time this happened, when he found his former students broken, bloodied and on the brink of death over ten years ago. He wasn't going to add one more item to the long list of failures in his life, and there was a lot more riding on him now compared to back then.

For Tsunade, it was similar yet different. She remembered when Kakashi and his shadow clone barged into the hospital carrying Naruto and Sasuke. She hadn't seen injuries like that since the Second Shinobi War – if it'd been almost anyone else they'd have been dead long before Kakashi even found them. But she refused to give in to defeat, and for the next twenty four hours straight she worked to save Naruto and Sasuke's lives, mending broken bones, reattaching muscle tissue and patching up various lacerated blood vessels.

They were stronger now. The damage would definitely be worse. Killing each other wasn't a slight possibility, it was a strong possibility and her deepest fear was that she wouldn't make it in time to save them.

As they got close to ground zero it grew quiet, like the eye of a storm. Both of them wondered if this was just a temporary lull in the battle, but when nothing flared up again after ten minutes they figured Naruto and Sasuke finally reached their limits, and there was nothing left to destroy.

It turned out they were right. 'War zone' didn't even begin to describe what happened in the Valley of the End.

The two statues of Hashirama and Madara had been reduced to rubble – pieces of various sizes and shapes were scattered over the landscape, like a bomb had gone off. The only parts left even remotely identifiable were the ankles and feet.

The cliff behind the statues was more like a steep hill, and the waterfall was now a river… or maybe stream was a more appropriate term as it wandered around and through various boulders and rocks that dotted the slope. Not to be outdone, the lake was now a crater three times bigger than before, although most of the water was gone – the rest was probably evaporated by whatever mass-scale fire jutsu Sasuke used.

For a mile in every direction of the crater, the forest was mowed down. On one side of the crater at random points, pools of lava of various sizes and shapes still bubbled and seethed, glowing red and angry compared to the black and brown dirt surrounding them. Sharp, jagged rocks and walls of earth rose up out of the ground, like spears and shields between the pools of lava and various points of scarred, blackened ground. Charred stumps and trunks of trees stared back at them like lifeless dead soldiers, purposely left on the battlefield as a reminder to anyone who questioned the strength and power of the two shinobi involved. The rest had been completely vaporized and turned to ash – the same ash which no doubt had fallen over Konoha only a few hours ago.

On the other side, the trees hadn't been burned at all, but instead had been blown apart by whatever lightning jutsu Sasuke used, reduced to nothing but slivers of wood and branches no more than three feet long. Fissures of varying length and width zigzagged everywhere. It was almost like the earth had been violently ripped apart by the hands of a giant.

The smell of ozone still lingered in the air. Every breath they took stung their nose and lungs.

"Over there."

Kakashi pointed to the far side of the crater. A body was lying against a particularly large slab of rock.

"Hair is black, not blond. It's gotta be Sasuke." He jerked his head towards the Uchiha. "Let's take a closer look before we go find his partner."

Tsunade nodded. One quick shunshin and they were standing in front of Sasuke. Their skin paled, eyes bulged and jaws fell when they saw the condition he was in.

There was a large bloodstain where his head had struck the rock, streaking down to where his head currently was. Every limb was bent at two or three awkward angles, and bones were sticking out of the skin at each break. Four or five large bruises comprised of different shades of yellow, blue, purple and black pulsed angrily back at them.

"Holy shit…" Tsunade breathed.

Sasuke was covered head to toe in claw marks, plus there was a large gash running diagonally from his left shoulder down across his chest, stopping at his waist… almost as if he'd been mauled by a large tiger, bear or maybe a fox. The cuts were deep but didn't bleed, like they'd been cauterized with fire – or extremely corrosive chakra. His eyes were closed but tears of dried blood ran down his cheeks, soaking the high collar of his shirt and staining it dark red.

Kakashi listened to his breathing then placed two fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse. "He's alive. His breathing is shallow, but it doesn't sound like his lungs have collapsed." He pulled out a storage scroll, which turned out to be an advanced medical kit. In addition to the standard items like splints, bandages, antiseptics and painkillers, these included pints of blood for emergency transfusions, several general antidotes for poisons and sterilized surgical tools. "I'll take care of him. You should look around and find your idiot grandson. I've got a hunch he'll need more help than Sasuke does."

Tsunade shot him a scathing look, but didn't argue the point because the odds were definitely in his favor. She reasoned that high ground would be the quickest way to find Naruto, and there was a particularly tall pillar of stone only a few hundred feet from them. She jumped to the top and scanned her surroundings.

There, she thought, narrowing her eyes as she spotted a tuft of blonde hair peeking up from a secluded area about halfway down the slope. She jumped down and ran in the direction she'd spotted him, dashing between, around and oftentimes punching through any of the boulders that stood in her way. In less than a minute, she carved a path to where she spotted Naruto.

Tsunade couldn't stop her lower lip from trembling when she saw the condition he was in. It was only a matter of time before the tears started to fall, though.

Naruto had most of his body submerged in a pool of water about twenty feet wide – only his head, neck and right arm were exposed. He was clutching his hitai-ate in his right hand and with every measured, shallow breath his body shuddered in pain. The water was clear enough to see that he was naked, and that he was using the water to help numb the pain…

…and treat the second and third degree burns that covered most of his body. Patches of angry red skin with edges of charred black were everywhere. Blisters of yellow and white covered the left hand side of his face, and half of his hair and scalp had been burned away.

Naruto opened his eyes when he heard her sob. The right one was his normal sapphire blue, but the left one was milky white. His lips cracked and started bleeding when he smiled at her.

"Hey, Baa-chan."

Tsunade jumped in the waist-deep water and slogged over to him. "Shut up… just shut up…" she sobbed as she pressed her glowing green hands against his chest. "You don't know how lucky you are that I'm here right now."

The smile vanished from his face. "Trust me, I know."

"I can't believe you did this," she said, shaking her head in mock denial. "What's the matter? Decided our fight wasn't good enough for you? Felt like you needed to set a new record for personal injuries and mass destruction?"

Naruto closed his eyes and leaned his head back, resting it against the rocks as her medical jutsu soothed his injuries. "Not really. At least, it didn't start out that way. But once we started flinging forbidden jutsu at each other, things just kind of…"

"Escalated and got out of hand. Yeah. Wonder where I've heard that one before?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Why isn't Kurama helping to heal you?"

"His chakra is kinda… tapped out at the moment. I used a lot of it when Sasuke started using the Rinnegan." He chuckled halfheartedly before a wracking fit of coughing struck him. Flecks of blood appeared on his lips. "That Rinnegan of his is something else. He's better at using it than Nagato ever was. Being an Uchiha instead of an Uzumaki really makes a difference."

"You think?!" she snapped at him. "What the hell possessed you to start a fight with Sasuke?"

"Actually, it was his idea."

"Then you're both stupid, idiotic morons." At this point, Tsunade wanted to smack him upside his head, but between the blisters and the burns she knew he was in a tremendous amount of pain, and would be for a few days. "You knew this is how it would turn out. Why'd you agree to it in the first place?"

He gave her a withering look, which seemed far worse than usual because of his one bad eye. "That's the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it Baa-chan?"

"Excuse me?"

"You fought me knowing you'd lose, right? But you did it anyway… so why? It's because nothing was off the table. You wanted to help me get past the pain you caused. You'd do anything to make up for what you did." He blinked slowly, and a tear fell out of his right eye and slid down his unmarred cheek. "Yeah, it was stupid, but…that's the same thing I wanted to do for Sasuke. I wanted to help him get past the pain I caused."

The statement alone wasn't much, but it was enough for Tsunade to know he got the report back from the Research Division, and that their worst suspicions had been confirmed. Barring some miracle of survival, Sakura was dead.

"Hey." Tsunade slid one hand up his chest and cupped his cheek lightly, taking extra care with the blisters and burns on his face as she continued her healing jutsu. "Those two things are completely different and you know it. What I did was my fault. What happened to Sakura wasn't your fault. Sometimes bad things just… happen. And sometimes they happen to important people, like family. And friends."

"No…" He shook his head slightly so as not to dislodge Tsunade's hand that was healing his face. "I'm the Hokage. So were you. You know how this works. The responsibility is mine no matter what happens."

He was only half right, but she knew arguing with him about it would be pointless. She'd have a better chance of reasoning with a brick wall since he was too busy wallowing in self-pity, so she decided for the moment to keep quiet instead.

"…and now Sasuke is alone again. It's just like when he was young, and Danzō ordered Itachi to kill his entire clan."

"That's not true Naruto," she said sympathetically. "The scale of those two things is entirely different and you didn't order anyone to kill Sakura. Plus, Sasuke isn't alone. He has lots of people around that can help him get through this. Kakashi, his friends… and he's got you. He thinks of you as his brother – that means a lot."

"You're right. It does," he agreed, "but that's also the problem."

That didn't make any sense to her. "Okay, you lost me there."

"I'm not his brother," he explained, "or at least not his real one anyway. It's a lot like me and your brother, Nawaki. You've said I remind you of him, right?"

"Yes," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

"But even though I remind you of him, I'm not him." His eyelids drooped tiredly as he smiled at her. "Tell me honestly, Baa-chan – can anyone truly take the place of Nawaki in your heart?"

Tsunade bit her lip painfully; hard enough to draw blood. After everything she'd done, she couldn't answer that question. She wouldn't. She'd caused this man and his family enough pain, and she'd vowed months ago never to do something like that again. He was important to her – special to her unlike anyone else in her life, but…

When she remained silent but her lower lip started trembling, Naruto had his answer.

"Hey," he soothed her, "it's okay."

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto," she said as the tears began to fall, "I…"

"Don't apologize. There's nothing wrong with that. I know it doesn't mean you love me any less. You wouldn't have adopted me if you didn't, right?"

"Of course, but…"

"And that's my point. No matter what I do, or how much I try Itachi is his real brother, not me. Sakura… yeah, we both had our history with her but to Sasuke, she was more than just his teammate. She was his wife and the mother of his child. She was the only real family he had left."

"And I took that away from him." His own tears started to fall, matching Tsunade's as they dripped into the water. "I didn't see what was right in front of my face, and now Sasuke is alone again because of me."

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A door of iron bars swung open at the end of a dimly lit hallway. The torches provided just enough illumination to see each holding cell, but nothing beyond that. There were ten prison cells, and each one was clouded in shadow.

Footsteps echoed off the cold, hard stone as Sakura walked down the hallway, flanked by two stone-faced chūnin Gideon had 'given' her to act as her personal servants. When they first met they stared lewdly at her body because they thought 'personal servant' also meant being a sex slave whenever the mood hit her.

Fucking idiots quickly learned their place after she beat the shit out of them and castrated them with a rusty hand saw.

Her body was for Sasuke and Sasuke alone. Nobody touched her sexually but him.

Nobody.

The eunuchs stopped halfway down the hall but Sakura continued on, finally stopping in front of the last cell. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and smirked as she stared though the iron bars, into the inky blackness.

"How's the cell?"

A body shuffling against dirt and stone was her only answer, as whoever it was moved around inside.

"I know it's a far cry from what you're used to. To be honest, I've had a change of scenery myself," she said smugly. "I've got a new place here in the village that used to belong to the Kamizuru clan. It has twelve bedrooms, separate quarters for the servants, three kitchens, six baths including a private onsen… There's even a training room with various weapons and specially reinforced walls made of Alexandrite. It takes up the entire peak of one of the mountains around here."

The occupant of the cell obviously didn't care, because they didn't answer.

"What do you think of the new outfit?"

She held her arms out and turned around, showcasing her new clothes. She was wearing a white, sleeveless top with armor plates covering her breasts. Her skirt was black, secured to her waist by a belt made of chain links. Knee high black leather boots with silver buckles and gauntlets with retractable, poison coated blades finished the look.

"Since I have a new life here in Iwa, I thought a new look should go along with it. I've even got a new name…" Sakura grinned maniacally, "…Erinnys. She's the Goddess of Vengeance in one of the lands to the west. I think it fits me because of what I plan on doing to Konoha," she growled lowly, "and to you."

A scraping sound of metal against stone came from inside the cell. Then something flew out and hit Sakura in the face with a wet 'smack'.

"What the fuck?!" she sputtered, clawing the stuff out of her eyes.

"A little gift from me to you," a dry, raspy female voice echoed from the darkness. "Something to go with your new outfit. No need to thank me."

"This is shit… YOU THREW SHIT AT ME!"

"You don't like it?" the prisoner jeered. "And I worked so hard on it, too. But maybe you're right. Throwing shit on something that already looks like shit seems like overkill, now that I think about it."

"Get her out of there," Erinnys commanded the two chūnin that came with her, "and don't be gentle about it. If she bleeds that's fine, but don't break anything. I'm saving that for later."

They inclined their heads like the obedient servants they were, unlocking the door and roughly throwing it open before quickly moving inside. She could tell they were fighting from the sound of things but also that the prisoner was definitely taking the worst of it.

After a minute the chūnin dragged the woman out by her arms. One of them grabbed her hair and jerked her head back, making the prisoner hiss in pain. Now that her face was exposed to the torchlight, everyone could plainly see her left eye was red and beginning to swell, but the right eye could see just fine…

A pair of forest green eyes stared vengefully into emerald green eyes. Clean, brushed pink hair contrasted gnarled, dirty pink strands. Tanned skin and muscles overshadowed pale, dry, filthy skin on a malnourished body. A burlap dress and belt made of rope didn't compare in the slightest to the new, dramatic and decidedly darker outfit her counterpart wore.

The average person on the street would think the women were twin sisters, or at the very least related in some way. There were five people in the village who knew the truth, though. They weren't twins, or even sisters…

"You have no idea how grateful I am to Gideon." Erinnys' voice practically dripped with malice.

…more like mirror images of one another…

"Using the Nidaime Tsuchikage's Fission technique to split us up was absolutely brilliant."

…or more specifically an inner and an outer mirror image.

"I may have been forced to split my chakra and strength with you, but it's a small price to pay for my freedom." Erinnys roughly grabbed Sakura's chin and smeared a glob of the shit she'd thrown over her face.

"I told you once that if I ever got out, you and everyone in Konoha would rue the day that I did."

Sakura tried to spit at her, but her throat was too dry. "And I told you more than once to go fuck yourself."

"Oh, we're going to have a lot of fun, you and I…" Erinnys cackled, showing just a hint of madness, "you're like a shiny new toy I'm going to enjoy breaking bit by bit, inch by inch. I get to torture you whenever I'm feeling bored, or frustrated… basically whenever the mood strikes me. And I'll make sure you're good and healed after every session – we don't want you dying prematurely now, do we?"

"I should have lobotomized your sorry ass when I had the chance," Sakura growled.

"Like that ever would have worked." Erinnys snorted dismissively. "Get her to the torture room," she instructed the two chūnin holding Sakura, jerking her head toward the door at the end of the hall.

"I think I'll start by flaying the skin from her toes."

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A/N: And that's all, folks!

I hope I threw you guys a curve ball with that ending. Last chapter I teased the word "Nidaime" on the scroll, and a lot of you thought it dealt with Tobirama but you forgot that THEY'RE IN IWA. I originally thought about having Inner and Outer Sakura just swap places, but MattWilson83 told me to use the second Tsuchikage's Fission jutsu and split them up into two bodies.

Fantastic fucking idea. And everyone fell for it.

So, yeah. This will be the last we hear about or from Sakura for awhile. Hinata needs to re-enter the picture in a big way and keep Naruto sane and centered, so I'll focus on that. And there's a few other plot points to focus in on, so things will move forward a bit faster in the next couple of chapters.

Stuff like what, you might ask? Well, there's babies to be born. What's the significance of capturing Karin? What's the idea Erinnys has to take down Konoha? Will Shizune ever recover? There's more, but I won't list them here. I'd rather see your questions in the reviews you leave.

Recommendation time! I made a couple of promises for this chapter, and since it's been such a long time I'm pushing out two of them.

The first is called A Whirlpool Full of Sunshine by Petran. It's a collection of short pieces of literature (much like Sparks by Tenneyshoes), but the author has a lot of other great stories. He's a really good writer and I'm pretty positive you'll like his stuff.

The second is Master of Jiongu by The Dark Dragon Emperor. Hiruzen uses the same kinjutsu Kakuzu used on his own body to save Naruto's life after he gets fatally injured. It also helps him forge unlikely friendships and an earlier, encouraged and approved relationship with Hinata. Great story, constantly updated and the writing is top notch. It's already got a ton of followers and favorites, which means it doesn't necessarily need my endorsement but if you don't know about it, give it a look.

REVIEWS! Okay, I have to be honest and say that for the first time since starting this story, I don't know how many reviews I got for the last chapter. But for everyone that left one, I really am thankful. My story has great numbers because of everyone who reads it.

I hope to see more of that. As I always say the reviews are a big motivator so please, help keep my creative juices flowing and leave me one. Even if it's just something as simple as 'I loved it', I'd really appreciate the effort.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

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Serious Sam