A/N: Sorry for the delay and thank you so much to everyone who has followed or favored this story, it means alot. I do not have a posting schedule unfortunately due to kids and my own depression, I have been kinda out of it for a while. I will post when inspiration hits so do not fear, I will not abandon this story.

Warning! (Readers under 18)-This chapter contains a dark theme of near death and graphic description, please be advised.

Happy reading ^.^ ~S~

Chapter 8: The Coup

Severus sits in a tree near the entrance to main house at a quarter past eleven, he is looking for activity. They had locked Fugaku up only hours prior but he has a feeling that something will happen despite the head of the operation being in disposed, it's just how human nature works. The first signs of movement are made near the south side of the compound and it is not the clansmen, he can see several people dressed in all black, even there faces are covered by black material leaving only their eyes visible. 'So the anbu have shown up after all' Severus flicks his wrist to produce his shielding charm once more, he had gathered all men, women, and children who had nothing to do with the coup. Thanks to his legilimency, he had been able to weed out the traitors and protect the actual innocents. He looks behind to the entrance of the house and nods towards Itachi, signaling for him to disappear from sight, along with Sasuke and Mikoto.

There is an older man walking toward Severus with purpose and this does not sit well with him, the man has short brown hair, training garb on, and a thick walking stick. He stays on the tree limb he is sitting upon and waits for the elder man to approach, the hairs on the back of his neck begin to stand on end. He uses his legilimens as the man stops in front of him, his hand quickly reaching for his wand should he need it for his more deadly spells.

"Who are you?" The man sounds weary but Severus knows it is a facade.

"You don't need to know that information," Severus jumps from the limb and lands a few inches from the unwanted guest, "you have no right to be here Danzo."

"How do you know my name?" The man hissed while stepping closer to Severus.

"Do. Not. Come. Any. Closer."

Severus bites out while raising his wand to the man's face in a challenging manner, he sees Danzo back up for only a second before raising his cane. The Anbu who had accompanied Danzo start to make a circle and a few are waiting for the signal from the aged man, Severus flicks his wand and vocally calls out his spell; unfortunately this partical spell cannot work without a vocal incantation,

"Fiendfyre!" Severus roars while aiming at the edge of his shield.

Giant flames erupt, shaking his arm and wand with the sheer furiousity of power the flames and he are producing, the vow fueling the power even more. Severus can feel the pull on his core as the fire shapes and completely surrounds the shielded house, all of the people staring in open shock. He shakes his arm free of the tension in his muscles and slowly moves his head toward Danzo, catching the momentary look of suprise that crosses the bastards face. A split second piercing pain and then numbness has his left leg going out from under him, Severus drops to one knee while never taking his eyes off Danzo but also quickly analysing who threw the senbon. He tosses the very thin and highly dangerous tube of metal to the ground.

"I do not know who are you and that does not matter now, your trick will kill all those inside and you will have done my job for me."

Danzo walks toward Severus only to be thrown back harshly by a silent reducto, Severus swallows a potion that he pulls from his cloak and within a few seconds, he is standing once more. His face morphs into a look of pure unadulterated rage, this makes even the Anbu step back, instincts overrulling.

"You will not live past this night..." The threat obvious.

"Who are you to threaten me!"

Severus watches as Danzo stands back up; he dodges more senbons as a side thought, the air around the man is murderous sending Severus's hackles on end. There is no more limp and the cane lay useless on the ground several feet away, he does not back up, he can't. He promised with his very being that he would protect everyone and he would be damned if he didn't do so, the flames behind him flicker and grow in size.

"You will not threaten a member of the Hogake's high counsel or the head of the Anbu training facility, you will show me respect."

"I don't owe you anything but a lesson on underestimating people you have no idea about."

Severus's mind is telling his sixteen year old mouth to shut up but it's too late, he watches as the banges on the old mans arm falls away. He is too late to look away as an eye looks at him for the briefest of moments before being covered by Danzo's hand, the trap has been set, he can feel the pressure upon his mental shields as he is dragged unwillingly into the Mangekyu. He can feel his body fall and hit the ground but that matters little to Severus as he gauges how his fiendfyre and shield are doing, dispite being pulled into a hellishly nightmare world very unlike Itachi's. He bites his tongue; because unlike Itachi, this man means to kill him, blood running down the corner of one side of his lip. The pain is worse than any curse that has ever been casted upon his persons, lighting every nerve and sensor up like fireworks, he can feel his body in this place, splayed on a cross.

'You will die in this place and leave a body out there as a warning'

A black sword nestles deeply within Severus's lower abdomen, he can't help the reflex of a scream and blood spraying from his mouth. Another sword nestles into his shoulder and another into his right thigh, each wound feels as if his skin is on fire and his insides are being melted. Hours of swords ripping his flesh, blood flowing freely all over himself, and the exhausting mental battle to not let his mind break have finally seen Severus reach his end. He falls from the cross as the Mangekyu dissolves, his body feeling heavy. He can smell the earth, the blood, and the fire.

"Looks like even you aren't a match," Severus can barely move his fingers in response, "Impressive resistance I have to admit. If I did not have to kill you, I would invite to join the Anbu."

Severus flinches slightly as he tries to get his body to respond, Danzo is standing over him and he can feel the point of a sharp blade poking the soft skin between his vertebrae and muscles in the middle of his back. Any wrong movement; which he can't do at the moment anyways, can kill him with a flick of a wrist. The heaviness is starting to subside but not in time, the blade begins to sink slowly into his back, the instant his mouth fills with blood he knows that he is in serious danger and is probably about to die. A scream rips from his throat and it is not of pain, it is of failure.

The blade goes completely through Severus's back and out just below his diaphragm causing his breathing to nearly stop, he is struggling to inhale but does not realise the heated pressure that is building, that has been building for some time now. He looks to the sky with tunneled vision to see the moon just at tree level, it's almost morning, he hopes someone can help and soon. His diaphragm starts spasming and he can't even get a breath in or out, his instincts are screaming and its as if time starts to stand still. A brilliantly bright light flashes, blinding everyone including himself. Then darkness consumes, Severus lets a painfully shaky breath out before his body completely relaxes.