Apparently, as Haruno Sakura realized, you didn't feel any different after murdering a Kage.

Oh, sure, there was a vague sense of dread at the back of her mind, telling her that things could go very wrong, very fast with the whole situation.

But she was not feeling much in regard to Danzō being dead. She just felt the same as she had earlier, when she had been in the village.

Which meant she was terrified.

She knew she needed to hurry up, so that she could leave the village as soon as possible. But of course, she couldn't do that. Sakura had to find out where the three targets were, before that.

Yamanaka Kazuhiro.

Yamanaka Fū.

Yakushi Kabuto.

Patience had worked to get Danzō alone, after all. And she likely had a few more hours before the ROOT agents realized that Danzō had not gone off with his oldest friend.

…No, probably less. Danzō was supposed to be paranoid.

He might have some contingencies in place. Better to hurry, then.

Well, if he frequently did things as baffling as keeping a branch house Hyūga around as a way to check if people truly were who they seemed… Then maybe he wasn't half as shrewd as he thought he was.

Hanabi had told her a lot about the best ways to avoid getting caught by a Hyūga. The Byakugan could see through transformations, of course, but only if they paid close attention to a specific person. And masking her chakra was something Sakura did most of the time, anyway. But she had done so with much more care, tonight.

Not that it had really been needed.

The man in Danzō's service, Hyūga Shin, had been disgustingly easy to convince to leave Konoha. To think she had believed she would need to somehow get the drop on him. It made Sakura wonder how many of the Hyūga in service were coerced into it, under the penalty of death.

(They'd have to do something about this, too.)

And as for the other guards… well she just warped them away once she was sure no one was looking. The Hyūga had been very helpful on that front.

She walked through Konoha's streets at night, her chakra mostly hidden from sight.

Sakura felt something prodding at her mind. She opened the bond.

'Stay in touch with us, so we know what's happening at least.'

'We'll be staying around the portal, so that when you send them in, — or in case you need to escape urgently, but let's hope it doesn't come to it — we can take care of them. Like before.' Ino said.

Sakura sent her a mental picture of rolling her eyes.

'…Do you expect me to forget the plan on my way there…?' Sakura deadpanned.

'…'

'Hopefully, there are no Hyūga keeping watch this time. Finding a reason to get close to one to warp them away might be hard.' Sakura continued.

A big part of why she could maybe manage was that her face was still not too familiar to most Konoha ninja. For now.

She doubted this would still be true by the time she was done, tonight.

Night had fallen, now.

Sakura was unprepared for how bright Konoha would be on a summer night. It had been… long. She wouldn't say too long, because she hadn't really missed the place. She did wonder how her parents were, and she did feel the traitorous impulse to pay them a visit.

But she also knew how stupidly risky this would be, so she put it aside.

Konoha… hadn't changed much, overall.

Sakura continued to walk forward, trying to swallow her discomfort.

Ino repeated the address of the place she was supposed to go to, first — ripped straight from Danzō's mind. This would be the easiest one of the three, for sure. Sakura had thought most ROOT operatives lived in one place, but this turned out to be untrue for both of the Yamanaka men she was to find.

'119 Oshimacho, Komezakicho Ward' Ino repeated.

'Got it.'

Like most ninja villages, — even during wartime, or maybe even more during wartime, despite the additional number of shinobi patrolling the streets — Konoha relied too much on their barriers. It was no wonder, because the number of chakra sensors required to keep track of every single shinobi in town would be colossal.

Which meant that Sakura, with an impeccable Transformation technique, a little added help from Ino's skill with disguises, and her Cloak of Shifting… Was basically roaming free through the village.

And if anyone came too close to figuring out the truth, she would slip in a back alley, open a portal, and either slip away… or push the person in it. That was the plan, at least.

So far, it had worked pretty well.

Her feet carried her to the place. She breathed in… out. She was Water. The tension began to retreat, and so did her anxiety.

It seemed like a pretty… normal apartment building. Sakura guessed there were no alarm seals anywhere close. Well, even if there were, it would be way riskier to climb up to his third floor window.

She made sure that nobody was around, and weaved three hand seals. A thin tendril of water shaped itself around her finger. It snaked under the door, and she fumbled a bit, trying to figure out what kind of lock she was dealing with.

A basic one, apparently.

The door opened, and Sakura slipped in.

Instead of taking the wooden stairs that would undoubtedly creak under her weight, she jumped against the wall and slowly started to walk up Silently. She could have used water to dampen her footsteps, but it was harder not to leave tracks… and it just took much more focus, too. Nobody was around at this hour, and she went up the staircase smoothly.

She was on the third floor, now. Sakura walked upside down, having a bit of trouble reading the nameplates.

Nakama Yumi; Okura Kiku; Arima Hideaki… and Yamanaka Kazuhiro.

Alright, she had it. Without moving from her spot on the ceiling, — the blood rush was definitely starting to become unpleasant, though — Sakura sent a water probe above the door.

Hm. A trickier lock right here.

She focused, and wrapped a second layer of water around the lock itself, in order to dampen the noise. Any shinobi was likely to wake up, if he heard the rattle of it, otherwise.

Click.

Now she moved the layer of water to cover the door's hinges. She crawled down the wall on all fours, like the world's strangest spider, and then closed it behind her. She crawled in.

So… This was where one of the guys responsible for Toru lived…? It seemed like the guy had a pretty messy life, if the trash and litter that were found everywhere through his apartment were any sign.

She continued to walk on the ceiling…

And then she froze.

The man was wide awake. He was sitting at his kitchen table, reading through a scroll. Sakura had to muffle a noise she made in surprise. It still escaped her, though. Yamanaka Kazuhiro turned to her, his eyes opening wide in alarm.

Sakura jumped before he could finish his series of hand-seals. She kicked him in his Adam's apple, and he let out a choked sound. Sakura tapped the floor, and the man fell into the gateway.

'Got the first one!' She almost screamed through the link.

She waited a bit.

'…Warn us a bit earlier, next time please.' Naruto said dryly. 'We were about as surprised as he was.'

'Yeah, sorry.' She cut the communication again.

Sakura breathed out.

That was one. Two more to go.

Now…

Haruno Sakura pondered upon the following philosophical question:

'How the fuck am I supposed to sneak in a compound full of mind-readers…?!'

'You can't.' Ino said. 'There's no real secrets in the Yamanaka clan compound. Everybody knows what everybody thinks. And most are good chakra sensors. Some of them, even when they don't extend their chakra.'

'…I wasn't asking this to you, in particular.' Sakura laughed. 'But that doesn't exactly help me, here.'

'I know.' Ino smiled. But I know how to get him out, instead.'

'I'm all ears.'

'Hide away first. We'll send you the other one's mask.'

'I'm still in the apartment. Here should be fine.'

'Okay, then. Take the mask. Copy his clothes. I know how Danzō sends orders, now, and his codes. Here's what you're going to do…'

'Don't meet their eyes. At any costs.' Ino had said.

So that's what Sakura did, when she arrived at the Yamanaka clan compound's gate. She changed her voice with a quick application of chakra. Low and rough, one of the few she felt confident using.

"Orders from the Hokage." She grunted, handing a scroll to one of the men guarding the entrance. Kazuhiro's mask hid her face away.

"For whom?"

"That's not for you to busy yourself with." Sakura answered.

"…I'm not going to give this to anyone until you tell who it is for, exactly."

"Give it to Fū and stop asking questions." She growled.

"This mask… Kazuhiro?" The other guard asked.

Sakura panicked. She still went on.

"I have no time for this. Danzō-sama awaits him."

Sakura ignored the man's grumblings about what a rude asshole Danzō's training had made him. She left, feeling her heart thundering in her chest.

Yamanka Fū was to meet her in a small clearing.

Hiding from him would be difficult, even with a disguise, according to Ino, so she didn't bother with one, past the the little adjustments she had made on her face. Anything else, and the man was good enough to tell. And going as a fellow ROOT would never work, because Sakura had no experience with them, at all.

"…Are you the one Danzō-sama instructed me to meet, then?" The man asked as he came closer.

"Yes." Sakura nodded.

"…You feel familiar." He said, and Sakura's heart dropped.

'I'm going to send him through, right now.' She warned the others.

"I don't think we have met before." Sakura shrugged, coming closer.

"Stay where you are." He said. "Danzō-sama's orders or not, you are an unknown, right now. I don't even know if you are who you say you are."

"Fair enough." Sakura shrugged. "I could be-"

She attacked.

Sakura's water whip caught the man's ankle and she pulled. Hard.

Fū was sent tumbling to the floor, and Sakura stomped on his balls, with violence. A grimace of pain spread over his face, and Sakura used this moment to send him away.

She took a few seconds to breathe.

'…Why is he puking…?' Ino asked.

'He… lost our fight. Badly.'

'Oh. And here I thought he saw your face.'

'Hilarious.'

'Any information about the Yakushi guy?' She asked.

'Ino and Karin are working on both of the guys. We're not in the same room, either.' Naruto said. 'I'll take over, for now. They'll tell us if there's anything.'

'Alright. Where to go?'

'The hospital, apparently. That's where he works. Or… Pretends to work, if Ino's right about this.'

'Ino can be right, on occasion.'

He laughed. 'Well, she thinks he's a spy. Well, a triple agent. Posing as Danzō's spy, by posing as a medic-nin. She's not sure for whom he really is spying, though.'

'…Oh. That's pretty bad.'

'It is.'

'So… you mean… I should go to the hospital, right now?'

'Yeah. He often works late nights, according to Ino.' Naruto shrugged.

'Very well. Thank you. I'm heading there.'

'I have another question for you, though.'

'Yeah?'

'…It's about the fridge, down in Orochimaru's tower.'

'…Yeaaah?' Sakura asked, hesitantly.

'…'

'Is there something missing?'

'Yeah, all of my food.' He retorted.

'Damn, did someone take it…?'

'You did.'

'It wasn't me!' Sakura protested.

'Who else? Nobody else even wants to touch anko dumplings!'

'Well… Uh. It must have been somebody else. Anko, maybe?'

'…That's the best excuse you could find?' Naruto asked, dryly.

'…'

'Sakura…' His voice grumbled.

'I was hungry, okay!? Give me a break… It's just dumplings anyway. I really have to go, so uh… Keep the link up, though.'

'…' He growled.

'…Sakura. We might not come back here again, right?'

'True.'

'…There's something you might want to do before leaving, then.'

'How important…?'

'You tell me. It's just two messages to pass along, if you're willing. I have them ready already, you'll just have to pull them out of the Spirit Room if you're willing.'

'To give to whom…?'

He told her.

'Are you sure about this…?'

'Don't you want to?'

'Of course I do bu-'

'Then it's settled.'

'…Thanks.'

Getting inside the hospital was easier than Sakura thought it would be.

She silently walked through the place, assuming the disguise of a nurse.

'It's one floor above you.' Naruto guided her.

Sakura followed his directions.

One room was noisy. Then suddenly, no more sound came from there anymore. Sakura continued to walk.

'Okay, stop right here.' Naruto called. 'His office should be on this floor. Anyone in?'

'Yeah, the light is on.' Sakura replied. She had come here silently, whoever was in seemed to have heard her coming, from the sudden silence. 'And there is someone in, right now'

'…'

'I'm still going. This might be our best opportunity. If he finds out about Danzō, he'll probably escape the village, to whoever it is he is working for.'

'…Sakura. It sounds pretty dangerous. We don't know what he is capable of.'

'I have to. We won't be able to come back to Konoha so easily afterwards.'

There was a long pause.

'…Alright. Be careful. I'll be waiting to subdue him.' Naruto answered.

'I know you are.' Sakura grinned.

She cleared her throat, before knocking at the door. Three short raps, full of confidence she didn't feel. "Doctor Yakushi? It's Tachibana… Yoko!"

A random name she had stolen on the way here.

The silence that stretched was long, and heavy too.

"Come in." A deep voice said.

Sakura put a portal down against the wall. Then she opened the link fully, so that in case the man managed to escape, the others — well, Naruto, right now — might be able to get a good read on his face.

'I'm going in, then.' Sakura said with some trepidation.

Naruto didn't answer. She would need her focus.

She opened the door.

"Hello." She called, grinning. "I'm sorry to be this late-"

Sakura froze.

A scarred man with jet-black hair and blood red eyes was whirling away, carrying another. He laughed. There were pieces of a broken mask on the floor.

"And there is our last actress. Our little Hokage killer. Why don't you ask her, Bakashi?"

Naruto was screaming through the link.

'-AWAY GET AWAY FROM THEM-'

Another man was left in the room, his expression thunderous. The only thing Sakura saw was red.

"…I have had enough lies." The last man breathed out, his Sharingan whirring, peering into Sakura's eye. "With whom did you kill Shimura Danzō?"

That's what Naruto saw through the link, as well.

His blood froze. But his body didn't. The second he felt Sakura's world be consumed by an all-powering Eye, he was flying toward the gateway.

Karin and Ino were on another floor entirely, working on the ROOT agents, and he tried to warn them of where he was going. It was probably more confusing than anything, because right now, his entire world was awash in fear.

Uzumaki Naruto appeared in Konoha's hospital.

"-as well as Uzumaki Naruto. The one you knew as Sarutobi." Sakura's voice droned on, devoid of any emotion.

His Cloak of Lightning was already layering his body, and the very moment he appeared there, he kicked at the wall, destroying it entirely. And dispelling the portal, as well.

Naruto took in the entirety of the room with a lightning quick chakra scan.

A man he knew very well was standing, his eyes locked into Sakura's, whose own looked vacant. Sakura's chakra was twisted. And outside the windows, Naruto felt another chakra signature arriving toward them, at his full speed.

The whole process took less than a second. Considering who was in front of him, — and Naruto made sure not to meet his eyes — it was already too much time.

Hatake Kakashi broke eye contact with Sakura, who stood on shaky feet.

Naruto felt the man's eyes on him, full of disbelief-horror-shame-agony-hopelessness-disillusion-guilt-despair.

A broken man.

"Naruto." Sakura rasped out. He snapped to attention. "He knows."

Naruto felt his heart stop for a second, and he was afraid he would be rooted to the spot. But he wasn't. He took in Sakura's physical and mental state… and decided that they would need to leave right now. No matter what this meant for the future. And the trouble it would bring.

'Open a portal. We're leaving. Now!'

She didn't have the strength to contest it.

Two things happened, and Naruto saw it happen in slow motion.

Sakura set up a new gateway immediately and started fading through it.

Hatake Kakashi's sword flashed, leaving a white trail in the air. The steel bit Sakura's throat, and her control over her chakra went haywire. She barely managed to keep the portal from slamming shut before she herself went through it. It disappeared.

Naruto was left alone.

Sakura had to be alive. She had to.

If he lost anyone else, right now…

Something is raging through Naruto. He can't say what it is.

He can't bring himself to care. Naruto roars through the bond.

'DON'T COME — HEAL HER'

His thought rings, echoes through his bond with Karin and Ino, aimlessly. Yugito and Sakura herself probably feel it, as well. He shuts the link, putting his entire focus on the coming fight.

Kakashi spoke, his eyes filled with raw fury.

"I came here to unmask a spy…" He spat. "And what do I find instead? The person who gave me his gift, years ago… is the one behind half the mess we are in."

Naruto didn't know who he was talking about. He didn't care.

"…And now." Kakashi continued, his knuckles turning white around his sword. "I face the one behind the other half. One of my two surviving students… Has killed the Hokage."

Naruto didn't deny it.

Naruto spat. "Danzō is the one who killed Toru."

Kakashi didn't react.

Either he didn't believe him… or he knew already and found it less important than the fact they had gone after Konoha itself, several times now. And there were a fair amount of things that the man could blame him for.

Not that Naruto cared about the man's opinion much right now. His blade had ripped through Sakura's throat and was still dripping with her blood right now.

"What do they call you now…? Indra?" Kakashi spat.

"No." Naruto tried to keep from showing anger. He was not that man. The tension in the room still rose by a notch. "I go by my given name. Uzumaki Naruto."

"As you wish, then. Naruto. It's my fault we've come this far anyway." Kakashi said. "Both you and… him. You are my mistakes."

Lightning crackled to life around him.

Naruto had was not entirely sure who the hell he was talking about. Likely the man behind the mask, then. The one he knew was not Madara.

"Tonight, I'm correcting one of them." Kakashi finished.

"I think." Naruto began. "That you will soon find that the only mistake you can still correct tonight is staying here."

Lightning crackled to life around him.

It was time to face one of Konoha's most prolific killers. Naruto only considered himself a beginner in the art.

Ah. And there came one more of them.

Uchiha Shisui appeared, crashing through the window.

His anger mirrored Kakashi's.

And it mirrored Naruto's.