A/N: (Updated: March 10th 2021)

Hello my lovely readers,

it's been a while. Sorry I have been lacking motivation to keep writing. I'm blaming it on this semester, just too many papers to write.

Thank you to all that leave me reviews. I am happy that you enjoy my work. Your words are very kind.

That said, this chapter is filled with violence, so you have been warned.

This story is rated R for a reason - you have been warned.

Happy Reading ^^

Chapter 17. Carnage

'Twas a hecatomb, a bloodbath, a slaughter. These words rung in her head as she stared doe-eyed at the carnage before her. The lifeless bodies strewn across the oaken floor, their blood spreading and mingling with one another, covering the ground in its gore. Then there were the old wooden walls, mottled red. She breathed slowly, in shallow breaths, as her sense of smell became overwhelmed. It was not just the smell of copper that hung heavy in the air, but it was the presence of an overwhelming stench of the burnt human flesh that invaded her senses. She felt nauseated and yet frozen — unable to move to help the dying men, unable to move to escape to safety. The sound was staggering — the clang of heavy metals colliding with one another, only to be replaced by the sudden sound of a blade penetrating its target. This was a carnage of spilled blood caused by unruly men within the confines of the meeting hall. It was a butchery.

As a physician, she has seen her share of blood. Sakura had seen her share of mangled bodies, chests ripped open, blood pooling around, squirting from the chest. She had her hand deep within the chest cavity many times. She had seen the horror of some devastating injuries — for goodness sake she had helped save a man mauled by a bear once. And yet, here she has been, huddled in the corner, eyes wide as she watched a body after a body hit the ground — and the only thing that came to her mind was that they were all going to kill each other.

Her eyes flashed from the Uchiha to the remaining Senju, and then to the remaining council members and guards. One after another fall to the ground — this was madness. Her eyes focused on Itachi as he danced with his blade, plunging it through a Senju guard nearly effortlessly. With a quick flick of the wrist, he had removed the blood from his sword before he clashed his sword against another. Her eyes flickered over to Aoi, who was trying to shield her from harm by fighting off a few of the Adachi guards that entered the meeting hall.

"ENOUGH OF THIS MADNESS!" Adachi called out, as he was shielded by several of his guards.

Fugaku's target was Hashirama. He poured all his hatred and all his anger into the thrusts of his blade. He wanted revenge. He wanted the Senju to pay for the loss of his family members — his brothers Madara and Izuna, but most importantly his beloved Mikoto. Fugaku stared down Hashirama, as they readied their blades against one another again. The pair moved around a small spot in the center of the room, moving in a circle like a predatory dance.

"You will pay! You will both pay!" He snarled at Hashirama.

"It's time we end this Fugaku," Hashirama replied as they clashed swords once again.

The two clan heads swung their swords viciously against one another, neither was going down without a hellish fight.

Sasuke was swinging his blade against Tobirama, his electric chakra emitting small sparks from his blade with each clash. This was an unfinished fight between him and Tobirama. His memory flashed back to the Senju farmlands and how Tobirama fled the scene once the lightning chakra overtook Sasuke. He decided today would be different.

And then when he had an opening, as Sasuke was ready to plunge his sword through Tobirama, he was pulled back, by the back of his haori by another's hand. As Sasuke stared at the blade heading towards his neck, it was diverted by the blade of the Yamanaka clan head. Sasuke growled as he noticed that it was Shimura who pulled him off Tobirama and tried to dispatch him from behind. Yamanaka clan head swung his blade, engaging Danzo in a duel, leaving Sasuke to pounce back to Tobirama and the rest of the guards, only to be subverted by the Hyūga clan head, only for the Namikaze clan leader coming to Sasuke's aid — the father of his closest friend. It was madness. Pure chaos.

And then, Fugaku came to a sudden stop as within his sights he watched an old friend fall to the ground. There, behind Hashirama, Yamanaka Inoichi fell to the ground with a single large slash across his chest at the hands of Shimura Danzō. That single moment of distraction was all he needed — it was all Hashirama needed to plunge his sword through Fugaku's heart. And it was sudden. The cold blade punctured his body in a single thrust, carving deep through him. Fugaku's mouth parted, but no sound came.

"FATHER!" Itachi called out, his eyes widening in horror as Hashirama withdrew his blade from Fugaku's chest.

It seemed as if all the fighting had stopped. The Uchiha heir quickly dispatched the guard and rushed towards his father. Fugaku dropped to his knees, blood spilling from his lips. Then, he blinked a couple of times and by the time his body hit the wooden floor, the proud Uchiha patriarch was gone. Itachi dropped down, collecting his father and turning him over, seeing his once fiery eyes completely vacant. He pressed his hand against the gaping wound in his father's chest, as if to restart his life again. Itachi's mind was racing. This should not have happened. They were supposed to fix this. He and Sakura were back so that they could prevent further losses. He looked up and searched the hall for sight of his intended.

"Sakura! Please!" He called out to her, looking over to the rosette hiding in the corner.

Sakura nodded, and although she was seemed still petrified by fear, she walked over to him. She kneeled down next to her lover. She pressed her over his that rested on his father's chest and she let her chakra pulsate for a moment — as if only to indulge him even though she already knew that there was nothing in her power that she could do. The green glow dissipated, and she looked over to Itachi — taking in his blood-stained features, seeing that he was barely holding it together. She parted his lips. The sound that came from her was timid, barely audible with her shaky voice.

"There's nothing I can do. His heart, he sliced through his heart. I'm... I'm so sorry," Sakura managed to say.

She retracted her hand, and she rose to her feet, taking a deep a breath. Itachi nodded, hiding his emotions as he removed his bloodied hand as well. This was not supposed to happen. His eyes flickered around the carnage in the meeting hall. There was so much blood. It was as if he were somewhere on a battlefield. This had to stop.

The younger Uchiha felt different. He felt his hurt consume him. They had lost too much. They lost the matriarch and the patriarch in a matter of weeks. He lost his mother. He lost his father. All because of Senju. And so, Sasuke's eyes darkened, his body was shaking with anger, and his chakra began to flare wildly. And then he was engulfed in a vivid purple glow, and his body was consumed with lightning, his blade was consumed by lightning. And all Sasuke saw was blood. Senju blood.

"ENOUGH! SASUKE ENOUGH!" Itachi hollered at his younger brother.

The voice of his older brother snapped something in him. He blinked a few times, his vision sharpening once more as he took in his surroundings. His blade was still in his right hand was still sparking with lightning, slowly vanishing into the metal as Fresh blood dripped from the blade. He glanced down to his feet, taking in the face of his now defeated opponent. He did not remember how he dispatched him. He did not know what came over him. It was a single moment, and it felt like he was no longer in control of his body, as if he was someone else. How could he have defeated this opponent when his uncle and even his father could not? There, by his feet was Hashirama, his lifeless body spread out on the wooden floor.

"No! This is war Uchiha! This is war!" Tobirama declared as he stared at his older brother's lifeless body.

He took a step forward towards his older brother's corpse, his hands shaking as he let the green Senju chakra wash over Hashirama — as if he was searching for something, a sliver of hope, a miracle that this was just temporary. He refused to believe that the Senju lost their leader to the young Uchiha brat.

"It's over Tobirama," Itachi declared as he sheathed his blade.

Tobirama released his chakra and rose to his feet. He gripped the hilt of his sheathed sword, his hand shaking as he struggled to contain his grief.

The fighting was over. It had to be. This was far too much damage to more than one clan.

Then, seeing her real father's struggle and needing revenge, she rushed forward. She stood in front of her lover, shielding him from potential harm from her father's blade — the blade he was just itching to unsheathe.

"Han...Sakura, move out of the way," Tobirama commanded, calling her with her preferred name for the very first time.

She shook her head, as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"No, no more bloodshed father please," Sakura called out.

At her words — her acknowledgment of him, his hand slipped off the hilt and the remaining Senju brother eased his anger as he remained on the young scares pinkette before him. He took in a closer look, seeing the trauma of what she witnessed plastered all over her face. Her soft features were sprayed with blood. But she was not hurt. At least, not physically. And in that moment, he knew he failed as a father. He failed to protect his only child from witnessing such a monstrosity. He let his hatred for the Uchiha consume him — he felt wronged by them, for taking her when she was but a child, and for causing his wife to die an untimely death. He did this. Had he not ordered the mercenary to infiltrate the Uchiha compound, this would have never happened. And his daughter's life would not have been threatened.

"I'm sorry little one," he said softly.

Sakura raised her hand up and wiped her tears with the sleeve of her white haori. She took a deep breath, as she steadied herself on her feet and she pressed her back against Itachi's chest. Instinctively, he put his arms on her, helping her steady herself to stand on her own.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Itachi asked calmly, the tone of his voice laced with evident concern for her well-being.

"Hai, I'm alright. I just want to go home," she replied as she looked at the Uchiha heir — now their new head, the reality of that sudden promotion not really sinking in just yet.

"We will. As soon as we are done here. I promise," Itachi said and then he-

"My daughter is with an Uchiha?!"

Sakura's eyes flashed back quickly at her father, and upon seeing him unsheathe his blade rather quickly, she remained in place, shielding Itachi from potential conflict. She had to protect him. She was not willing to lose another precious person. Mikoto was already too high a price.

"Yes! He is my husband. Now, you know why I refuse to leave the Uchiha compound. I love him. He is my husband. I won't abandon him. So please, father, do not hurt him," Sakura quickly announced, thinking that it was the only way to protect Itachi from her father's possible outburst.

Then came the daimyō's voice.

"Sheathe your blades at once! Let no more blood be spilled over this conflict!" Adachi declared as he walked between the remaining members of the room.

"But, Adachi..." Tobirama started only for the daimyō to step in once more.

"I said enough! Your daughter is an Uchiha and you need to accept that once and for all Tobirama! I will not have you destroy the rest of this council! I will ask you one last time. SHEATHE YOUR SWORD!"

For a second it seemed that the Senju hesitated, but in the end, he sheathed his blade. Then he proceeded to take a seat next to his brother's body, his fingers reaching over to his eyes, closing them shut. He was tired. He should have listened to his brother. Things would have turned out differently.

"It is alright to Grieve your brother Tobirama. He died a warrior's death. A fitting end to such a clan leader," Danzō commented as he sheathed his blade as well.

"Sakura-san, if you are capable, please seek to the wounded that are still with us," Adachi asked.

"Of course," she agreed without hesitation.

Sakura was leaning over Namikaze clan head, her hands glowing as she tried to stop the bleeding from a chest wound. Her hands were visibly shaking — no doubt from the slaughter she had just witnessed— and yet she remained focused on the task at chakra deeper into the wound cleaning it and sealing it. It was not a large wound but if it was left untreated, it would fester rather quickly. Once she was finished, she pulled away from the clan leader.

"You should take it easy Namikaze-san, but you will be alright," she said.

"Thank you, Sakura-san, but please call me Minato," he answered as he sat up slowly.

"Alright, take it easy Minato," Sakura replied.

Then she looked over to Aoi, who was sitting next to Minato, already recovering from the injury she sustained on her sword arm.

"Still having pain Aoi-chan?" Sakura inquired as she looked over the nearly healed wound.

"Yeah, you did good as always. Don't worry about me. Takes more than a little prick to bring me down," Aoi said all confidently.

The daimyō took a step among the remains of what once was the council's meeting hall. There were servants and other guards belonging to the Adachi clan — clad in the burnt orange shade of the regal house — collecting the dead and removing them from the hall. There were three Uchiha warriors, who lifted their dead clan leader and carried him with the utmost care out of there. So much death confined within a single meeting. For a daimyō, such a slaughter among his own council was unheard of. And yet, here they were, suffering terrible losses that would only weaken Niwamachi and the land of Fire. At first, Adachi Shinsuke's eyes were upon the fallen. Out of the seven clan leaders, they had lost four: Uchiha Fugaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, Senju Hashirama, and several of the guards from the Shimura clan, Senju clan, Hyūga clan, and Adachi clan. This was a needless butchery. He lifted his gaze and looked towards what remained of the council. His eyes traveled from the ones remaining standing: Shimura Danzo, Hyūga Hiashi, one Hyūga guard, Senju Tobirama, Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Aoi, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi and Haruno or Uchiha Sakura or was it Senju Hanae now?

"We have lost four clan leaders, four members of this council," Adachi said.

"How do you wish to move forward?" Minato asked.

"There had never been such a blatant disrespect for this meeting hall and for this council. This council has been cut down to five members," Adachi continued only for the young pinkette to step in.

"With all due respect Adachi-sama, you cannot simply cut out the clans out of Niwamachi. They are a part of the land of Fire, and therefore essential to its defense. Yes, what transpired here today was horrific and needless, but do not punish the men that stand here before you," Sakura chimed in.

"Careful doctor. I may have granted you the honour to speak before the council before, but your opinion here is neither wanted nor required," Adachi replied hastily and then he glanced over to Itachi and continued, "Itachi-san, you should teach your wife how to behave respectfully before men."

For a second Sakura believed that she would find common ground with the daimyō, yet now she knew that she was mistaken. Her voice was not valued. She glanced over to the man standing next to her. Itachi met her gaze, as if to ease the brewing storm of doubt within her.

"I have no need to do such Adachi-sama. My wife is my equal and her opinion is always wanted," Itachi stated simply as he took Sakura's hand in his — as if to reaffirm the rosette that it was alright that she called him her husband in front of everyone, even though it was not true, not yet at least.

Adachi stared down the Uchiha heir for a moment, his brown eyes delving deep before he decided to continue.

"The Senju are responsible for what transpired here," Adachi declared.

Tobirama rose from his seat and stared at the daimyō in disbelief.

"You're blaming this bloodshed on the Senju clan?!" Tobirama asked angrily.

"Did you not admit to being responsible for Uchiha Mikoto's death? Your admittance to such a crime is the only reason we are now here," Adachi replied firmly.

The Hyūga Hiashi rose to feet as well, and he walked over to stand by the daimyō. Then, he nodded in approval as he glanced over to the lone Senju.

"I agree with Adachi-sama. It is only proper and just that you punish the Senju by casting them out of our peaceful city. This conflict between the Senju and Uchiha had cost us enough blood to last a lifetime. If they are so intent on destroying one another, let them do so, but not in Niwamachi," Hyūga stated.

"What?!" Tobirama exclaimed, completely appalled by the suggestion.

"Hold on just a minute. The Uchiha are not willing to continue this farce of a conflict with the Senju clan. This conflict ends with this massacre," Itachi said suddenly.

"Exactly, the Namikaze clan supports the Uchiha clan's decision. There is no need for more bloodshed," Minato piped in.

And then Danzō moved over to stand on Adachi's right side, taking his time to speak — as if he was carefully selecting which words to say.

"It is a fitting punishment. Isn't that what you insisted on when the Uchiha supposedly kidnapped your daughter, Tobirama? I think it is a fitting punishment for the Senju to be cast out as well considering they murdered another clan's matriarch which resulted in the slaughter here today. Death of a matriarch is a far more grievous offense than a mere thievery of a clan member's child," Danzō commented.

"And where do you expect the Senju clan to go?! Our estate out of the city has been burned down to the ground by the Uchiha, along with our farms. Where do you expect me to take a clan of eighty people?" Tobirama questioned, as his mind was racing.

He was unsure of what was he to do. Hashirama would have known what to do. He on the other hand — he knew battle, he knew how to wield a sword, and now he was expected to become a clan head of the Senju. This was not what he wanted. Hashirama's clanship should have passed down to Hakura and not him. Hakura's death in the burning Senju fields was needless.

The daimyō glanced over and spoke calmly yet firmly," With respect to the memory of my late aunt Ai, your wife, I will grant you one month to vacate the city. This type of behaviour is unacceptable. As daimyō of Niwamachi of the land of Fire, I hereby cast out the Senju clan out of this city and out of this council."

A/N: Just a heads up, (Sakura and Itachi are not married, it was stated in simply in the spur of the moment)

Until next time. Stay safe. Don't forget to review.