Before Dawn

Author: MsILoveAnime

Rating: T

Summary: Before daylight can even make its presence known to the world, there has to be darkness and with that darkness comes the chance of finding retribution, hope, and peace. All they had to do was just hold onto until dawn.

Peering through her dark lashes, Sakura swallowed hard as she jumped from one tree to another as she immediately picked up on the massive concentration of chakra gathered just a few miles ahead of her. Reaching up to adjust the dark cloak that was tied securely around her shoulders, She couldn't help but look over her shoulder every now and then before looking up into the sky to see a lone blackbird following her closely. Scoffing mostly to herself, She had just barely missed a large tree branch as she simply shook her head before pushing more chakra into her legs.

When she had finally arrived at the clearing, where the battle was set to take place, Her emerald eyes quickly scanned around the area before locking onto the form of Naruto as he knelt down breathing harshly. Wasting no time, She pushed just a bit more chakra into her legs, easily making her way over to him, her chakra already being pooled into her hands.

"Sakura" He breathed as his blue eyes locked onto hers just as she made it over to him. Watching as he struggled to pull himself into a standing position, much to the soft protest of Hinata, she lent him a hand just as Naruto engulfed her into his arms in a tight hug.

"You don't know how much I missed you," Naruto spoke, his voice cracking slightly.

"I missed you more that you know." Sakura spoke softly as she wrapped her arms around him"Geez I've been gone for a few months and you're still being reckless as ever, I thought you would've learned by now." She teased

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "You know how I can go overboard sometimes."

She smiled as she pulled herself back before gently pushing him to the ground and placing her hands on his shoulder.

"How long has he been up there?" Sakura asked as she looked away from Naruto and at the thousands upon thousands of shinobi, who stood at the bottom of the cliff in anticipation of the man, who sat above them all.

Madara Uchiha.

"For a couple of hours, No one sure what exactly he's waiting on."

As she looked over the allied village shinobis, She couldn't help but think back when they had first learned of Tobi's or rather Madara's request that the eight and nine-tailed jinchuriki be turned over to him and the Akatsuki.

After they were given 2 weeks to decide, Anticipation and speculation had kept her on edge the whole time. She only saw this going two ways.

One would be to hand over Naruto and Killer Bee and let the cards fall where they may or Option Two, would be to refuse his demands and possibly send them all to an early death.

But after weeks of speculation, Word had gotten back to her that the allying countries would not turn over the two remaining jinchurikis and He did what was speculated and declared the fourth shinobi war. During her time away she had tried her best to not only pry information out of any possible source that would know about him but also to learn all that she could so that she could possibly lead the allying villages with all the information that they needed to defeat the so-called immortal man but even with all that she had learned . She didn't see it as a way to defeat the man but still loyal to her country and her home so she passed on what she could.

"Sakura"

Looking down, She could see Naruto's head tilting upwards towards her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked clearly knowing that something was wrong.

Yes "No" She replied quickly as she shook her head "I just wish I knew how this is going to play out, this just doesn't seem-Her sentence trailed off as she shook her head

"You have to believe that we'll win." Naruto spoke trying to reassure her

"I know"

She truly had to admire Naruto and his believing spirit; she knew that someone needed to have it especially if she didn't have it at this moment. Turning her head back towards the battlefield, she had to shake whatever doubt she was feeling out of her system or she wasn't going to be good for anybody that needed her. As she kept her eyes trained on the shinobis below them and continued to work on Naruto, Her gaze suddenly shifted to her right as someone materialized in-front of them.

A soft gasp made its way past Sakura's lips as her emerald eyes widened as they stayed locked onto a figure that she'd hadn't seen in a while.

"About time you made it, Sasuke."She could hear Naruto say

An almost inaudible hmph came from him as he looked over his shoulder at the two of them before looking at Sakura and just staring. As she looked over her teammate, the first thing Sakura had noticed about Sasuke was the change, it just wasn't a physical change that she had noticed but it was something in his eyes. That dark yet dangerous look in his eyes meant that he had also undergone a changed mentally.

Seeing a loved one die can do that

Her eyes softened as her heart suddenly felt ten times heavier as if a large weight was holding it down.

She could only hope that whatever darkness that was still lying in the depths of his soul, She could only hope that Naruto or even herself could pull him out before it was too late. Easily recalling the memory of when the had finally tracked him down in one of Orochimaru's many lairs, He was still hell-bent on ending his brother's life and avenging his clan no matter how dark the path was.

"He's moving."Hinata's soft words pulled the shared moment between teammates to an end as everyone's attention was pulled towards the battlefield.

Watching as Madara Uchiha slowly pulled himself to a standing position, from the rock. He lifted up the end of his War Fan and jammed it into the rock, splitting it almost down the middle. Sakura watched closely as he stretched momentarily before jumping to the ground below barely even making a dent. Slowly reaching into the pouch, situated on her right hip, she pulled out her gloves just as Naruto rose to his feet.

"Sakura" Looking down, Sakura's line of sight fell on a smaller version of Katsuyu, who stood at her feet. Bending over to pick her up, She lifted her up so that they were at eye level "Tsunade-sama is asking that you pull back Sakura."

"What! Why?"

"She doesn't want you to get involved at the moment."

Her gaze shifted towards Sasuke I'm about to get more involved than I want to

"I know to keep my distance but I'm going to stay here because we never know when things could take a turn." She spoke looking back up as the thousands of shinobi's voiced roared to life signaling that this was the beginning. Putting Katsuya on her shoulder, She easily slipped on her gloves just before retrieved a lone kunai knife out of her side pouch, gripping the kunai knife a little tighter her gaze shifted to Naruto and at Sasuke then back at the battlefield just as the large mass of people moved towards Madara.

"What do you have planned Sakura? "She could hear her inner self ask she tried to follow Madara's every movement.

"There you are."

Looking up, Sakura could feel her breath catching in her lungs as her blood suddenly ran cold as she stared into a pair of the red and aged eyes belonging to none other than Madara Uchiha. Unable to look away from his cold and almost lifeless looking eyes, Her hands curled into a fist as she stared at him.

"Do you know how I searched for you?" Madara asked just as Sakura slid her legs apart slightly as she lifted the kunai knife "But I must've not been looking that hard at all."

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked as he and Naruto took a step forward as if to protect her.

"Two things Sasuke but this kunoichi here knows what one of those two things are."

Sakura swallowed hard as she exhaled softly

"I want his body"

Her gaze never faltered as she felt everyone's eyes fall on her for a moment before locking back on him but she continued to stare at him"I don't have it, I burned it on the outskirts of Amegakure after that run-in with your little lackey Zetsu."

"Lies" He seethed

"I'm telling you the truth and If you don't believe me, You go and ask him. He watched me do it before I knocked him out."

His cold eyes then narrowed "So you're the one who interfered?"

She just stared at him

"I've had my suspicions about you little one and I was right to have them. If anyone else can't see it, I can." He spoke as the corners of his lips turned up "You're a force to be reckoned with and I admire that, it's a shame that you weren't born into the Uchiha clan. I could've groomed you to be much better than you are now."

"I must've been blessed, I couldn't live with a clan who were born with hatred buried so deep within their roots."

He scoffed as a smile appeared on his lips "But look how much power that gave the Uchiha clan."

"And where are they now?" She asked "Nothing but ash in graves that you and Itachi put them in."

"Granted but where would they all be if they had not perished?"

"With Itachi and Sasuke leading the charge right here and now taking you down instead Itachi's ashes are scattered across the world instead of in the village that he died protecting" She spoke calmly

"What!?" She threw a glance over her shoulder to see Sasuke staring at her.

"M-My brother's dead?"

"Shame isn't it, Just a wasteful death don't you think."

Sakura's head whipped back towards Madara Uchiha as her emerald glared at him angrily

Before anyone could even blink, Sakura had thrown the kunai knife into the ground at her feet before charging towards Madara when suddenly a flash of orange invaded her vision as she suddenly felt someone wrap their arms tightly around her midsection.

Sakura's head whipped around as the sound of Sasuke's chidori screeched loudly as he sped past her and within a blink of an eye, three hooded and masked figures appeared out of nowhere and while one quickly grabbed Sasuke by his collar, and forcing their knee into his back and forcing him down to the ground catching everyone's attention. The two others stood in front of Sasuke's pinned body as they started at the three of them, She could feel Naruto's grip loosen some before Sakura easily pulled her chakra into her hand, rooting him in place.

Madara's head tilted to the side "Now this is a surprise little one but now I'm curious about your guests."

Watching as Madara disappeared, Sakura could feel Naruto's grip completely loosen on her.

"Who in the hell are you?" Naruto growled

Turning slightly, Sakura watched as Sasuke struggled and struggled underneath the weight of the person as he laid there when suddenly the four of them disappeared into thin air.

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