Chapter 25 - I'm The Lightning Before The Thunder

Where was she?

Frowning, she sat up, her fingers curling in the moist grass beneath her. It stretched on for miles, its shade of green vibrant, so full of life. There was a hill a mile or so ahead of her and like the field, it seemed never ending, its height intimidating to her weak legs. It was clear to her that that was her destination – there was nothing else to be seen for miles.

Everything felt so odd, however. Off, in a sense. She could have sworn she'd been… Where? Where had she been? Her frown deepened and Sakura looked down at her hands, watching as they repeatedly clenched. There'd been a standoff, right? Right? She'd been ready to pummel someone. No, not just someone. A lot of people. No, no she hadn't. It was just one person she wanted, but others had involved themselves.

Better get moving, she told herself while standing, huffing with annoyance as she broke out into a jog towards the hill. She wouldn't find any answers sitting on her ass, would she?

Had she imagined the whole thing? Was she trapped in genjutsu? It was difficult to tell. Everything seemed so real. The breeze felt natural – looked it, as it disturbed the grass and flowers – and so did the greenery surrounding her. If it happened to be genjutsu, then the moisture was a nice touch, as was the–

She came to an abrupt halt halfway up the hill, eyes narrowing suspiciously on the clouds.

They were moving too fast.

Genjutsu.

The blood in her veins boiled as she set off sprinting, clawing at the grassy hill to increase her speed. Whoever the hell had dared to trap her in a genjutsu while she was so weakened was a coward and she was going to–

She froze when she reached the top, the sight of the Uchiha men and Naruto surprising her. In her mind, she'd been envisioning Danzo. She'd assumed he was attempting to control her again, to manipulate her mind with his stolen sharingan. But, she couldn't have been more wrong.

Shisui was the first to greet her as he turned, asking, "How do you feel?"

She frowned at his question, glancing around them at the others. Was it his genjutsu? "What's that supposed to mean?"

"This is my jutsu," Shisui informed her, unknowingly answering her thoughts. "And in this world, I have complete control. I can even control your minds, if I wanted."

"You're controlling my mind?" she demanded, horrified. It felt… Whatever she was feeling, ran deep and hurt like hell. Betrayal, perhaps? "Who the hell gave you the right?"

"Technically, you did, Sakura-chan," Naruto mumbled awkwardly. "During the last meeting."

Had she? Wide green eyes looked amongst the group, trying to find her answers from them and her horror only grew at their nods of agreement, telling her that yes, she had asked it of him. Why? Why would she do that? Hadn't she been through enough?

"I am not changing anything," he told her sincerely. "But I have silenced the voices for both yourself and Sasuke – it will only be in this world. Out there, they'll be back."

The voices? Green eyes widened further and she met Sasuke's guarded gaze. They – her own, at least – were gone. How hadn't she noticed sooner? The silence in her mind was eerie, like they were merely hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Could Sasuke feel it, too? Could he feel that disgusting sense of anticipation that made her stomach curl uncomfortably? His stance, his expression, gave nothing away.

"They've been fighting for control," she finally admitted to them now that she was able to. "And when I resist, it's like my mind's on fire."

Something in the little control Naruto had over his features broke and his chin grew dimply, telling her he was experiencing immense emotions. "You're in pain?"

"Every day," came her broken whisper.

"Can't we do something?" he demanded, glaring over at Shisui and Itachi. "Can't you take them away permanently?"

Sighing, Itachi finally involved himself, stepping closer to her and she frowned, unable to place the awkward tension in the air. She didn't understand why Sasuke suddenly side-eyed him so hatefully, upper lip curling momentarily before he was looking away entirely, turning his back on them all.

"It is more complex than that, Naruto-kun," explained Itachi and he gestured above them to what she'd previously noticed: the clouds. "Shisui usually has complete control over his genjutsu, to the extent where his opponent cannot distinguish the difference between the world he creates and reality. This, however, is sloppy." He met Shisui's gaze, frowning. "Your sharingan is struggling."

It was reluctantly that he nodded. "The damage my eyes endured has not been reversed, as of yet. I am capable of seeing and using my jutsu to some extent, but I am unable to control it as well as I once did."

She frowned at that. Why was he using his sharingan if it was such a risk? The most logical route to follow would have been to accept using it wasn't a possibility, being thankful he could even see considering how extreme the damage had been and strengthening his other jutsu, working on his technique and bettering himself in other ways.

Glancing around herself, she narrowed her eyes, her broken mind attempting to piece together the events that had taken them to their current predicament. It was clearly something major, otherwise Shisui wouldn't have felt it necessary to trap them all in his genjutsu, however without those voices, she couldn't remember everything. When she said they took control, she meant it. They each fought for it every second of every day.

"I believed this would be the best way for us to talk," Shisui informed them, like he was once more answering her thoughts and she refrained from scowling. Could he hear her thoughts? Was he reading her mind? Genjutsu was one thing, but to violate her privacy to that extent… "I also believed the brief walk would cool each of us off."

"What is there to talk about?" demanded Sasuke, already starting to walk away. "Itachi slept with Sakura. She said it herself-"

"What?"

Wait, no. He was right. Not about them sleeping together, but about her saying it – well, more like demanding it from Itachi, wanting to know if they had slept together. But they… hadn't. Had they?

"Sasuke, we did not-"

"Save it," he snarled in his brother's direction. "Everything's always come to you so naturally, you've always taken everything you wanted and received nothing but praise and respect for it. Why the hell wouldn't Sakura be any different? You wanted her, so you took her, knowing damn well-"

"Enough," Naruto interjected, rushing to stand between them, holding his hands out at each of them with a warning glower. "I don't wanna hear this shit-"

"Then get the hell out of my way," muttered Sasuke darkly, deciding he would now acknowledge Itachi properly, facing him directly. "This has nothing to do with you."

Much to her horror, like the drama wasn't bad enough as it was, Itachi straightened up, raising an eyebrow. "You wish to fight me?"

Blue eyes widened. "That's not nec-"

His upper lip curled. "You-"

Had she caused this? What the hell had happened? Things had always, always, been rocky between the two brothers, but it had never involved her – not once. To have them fighting over her made her feel sick to her stomach, had her feeling cold all over. They were brothers!

She ran forward just as Sasuke made a move, copying Naruto's example of rushing the pair, getting in their way, stopping them from reaching one another.

"Stop it," she begged Itachi, eyes pleading. "Please, stop it, Itachi."

He was only defending himself – no, he wasn't. He was allowing Sasuke to release his anger out on him and it wasn't fair. Allowing that wouldn't solve anything, it would only make the situation worse. It would brew more resentment towards one another and she knew Itachi was not immune to the Curse of Hatred.

She couldn't let him follow his brother down that dark path.

She couldn't lose them both.

Helplessly, she looked to Shisui. Would he step in? Did he know how to stop the two from fighting? She wouldn't be able to stop Itachi and while Naruto could certainly keep Sasuke busy, it wouldn't last forever. Soon enough, they would get to one another.

The sound of a punch connecting had her spinning in horror, her feet already moving towards her two teammates as the scuffle began. It was not their usual fight, but it would escalate to that. She knew in her heart that it would. Too many years of separation and heartbreak wouldn't be kept at bay for long.

"Stop," she yelled, throwing herself into them. "Stop it!"

"Sasuke-"

There was a deep sigh from the oldest Uchiha.

And her breath left her as they were each thrown backwards, unable to pull themselves away from the walls that suddenly shot up around them.

"Forgive me," Shisui said, turning to meet each of their eyes. "But this is getting out of hand. We cannot show the people out there that we're falling apart. What will they think of us?"

Her chest was heaving at the restraints, memories assaulting her mind of all the times she'd been strapped down and tortured. The heavy breathing only continued as she struggled, a cry of terror leaving her as she found they wouldn't budge. It was too tight, too secure. All she could move was a few measly centimetres, if that.

The blood was coming, wasn't it? Tsunade's blood. It was about to fall from the sky. Gods, she could smell it. She could taste it. Was it on her? Frantically, Sakura looked down at whatever skin she could see, her struggles increasing as she saw it. It was there. On her. She was covered in her shishou's blood–

"Calm yourself, Sakura," Shisui ordered, eyebrows knitting together. "You–"

"Get it off," she couldn't help but scream and damn it, there was no stopping the tears from filling her eyes. Any moment now, Danzo was going to tip her upside down and force her to taste it again. He would force-feed it to her through a tube. Dunk her head in it. "Get it off. Get it off! Get it off!"

"Shisui, release her," demanded Itachi. "Your control is slipping. She is falling into her memories."

"Get it off!"

Gods, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't–

The restraints disappeared and she felt herself falling into someone's arms, her fear increasing when she looked up into the sharingan. Out of instinct, she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the hold, but it wasn't until she began heaving that the arms disappeared, allowing her to spin on her heel and double over, emptying the contents of her stomach. When her knees grew weak, the hands returned, holding her up, supporting her.

"Sakura–"

"I don't know anything," she told him between heaves. "I swear I don't."

"This is too risky," she could hear someone – Sasuke, perhaps – snapping at the man holding her. "You're going to finish her off."

"It's okay," came a softly spoken voice and she felt them being moved, turning away from her vomit as they sat back on the grass. Careful, comforting arms came around her, bringing her back to his chest and she shut her eyes, willing the racing of her heart to calm down. "You're here with me, Sakura. You're not in that place anymore."

Shisui…

"I won't let you go back there."

Oh, Gods, she'd…

"I tried to blind you," she said, horrified and the tears returned, her grip on his arms increasing in strength. "I-I-"

"Breathe," he ordered calmly. "I don't hold any of that against you."

Was that relief in his voice? Why was he feeling relieved?

Turning slightly, she half buried her face in his chest, the feeling of his hand coming to the side of her head, brushing her hair away from her face, bringing forth a mixture of emotions that she had no hopes in understanding.

The others were staring at them, their watchful gazes unsettling her the longer she and Shisui remained seated there in one another's embrace, making her feel like an animal on display. Did they mean to look at her that way? It didn't matter. It still had Sakura pulling away from his comfort, though she found her legs were still unsteady as she stood.

"I want to go," she told Shisui, eyes dropping.

At least he looked vaguely apologetic. "There is too much to discuss, Sakura."

She didn't care. She didn't want to stay there any longer. Raising a hand, she made a seal, muttering, "Release."

Nothing.

Tears filled her eyes. "Release."

She couldn't stay there. She couldn't handle any more torture.

"Re-"

Shisui sighed, hands coming to hers, gently breaking her sign. "That won't work, Sakura. You know in your heart it won't."

No, it had to.

It had to–

"Sakura." The soft way her name was spoken had her looking over to Itachi, her expression helpless and she saw the upset it caused him. Even if he seemed composed to others, she knew him far too well. The pain behind his eyes was impossible to ignore. "Do you trust me?"

Of course she did. How could he ask such a thing of her? No matter what horrors she'd been through, or what she put others through, she knew Itachi would always remain loyal to her, would always protect her with every fibre of his being. He was her constant.

"Yes."

"Then, please. Trust me now. Shisui will never harm you."

Warily, her eyes shifted to the left, heart lurching into her throat at the sight of Sasuke's intense eyes. It was obvious from his activated sharingan that he'd already tried dispelling the genjutsu. He wanted to be there just as much as she did. Gods, what hope did she have, then? If someone as powerful as Sasuke was unable to break the genjutsu, then she didn't have a chance in hell.

"What are you trying to gain?" she asked Shisui, facing him again. Her hand came to her chest, fidgeting with the fabric of her shirt. "What does this solve?"

"We have to settle the conflict," came Shisui's response, accompanied with a faint frown and he gestured to the three still being restrained. "Things can't continue like this, not when there are so many who look to Itachi as their leader."

"Oi, don't go lumping me in with this shit," snarled Naruto and he struggled valiantly against the invisible restraints, teeth gritting as he lifted his head. Seconds later and the fight vanished, his head colliding with the wall with a sickening thud. "This has nothing to do with me," he yelled, frustrated. "Let me go!"

"He's only going to keep yelling," she warned him.

With a sigh, Shisui released the blond, not watching as he fell to the ground on all fours, growling about the lack of care he received. Instead, he kept her eyes on hers, making Sakura nervous, the urge to shift from foot to foot strong.

Then, he turned his heavy gaze onto the other two Uchiha, telling them, "We must assume that we are the last of the Uchiha." The words were heavier than his stare and she watched in awe as Sasuke calmed himself, scowling. "More than that, each of our eyes possesses a deadly power that Danzo would kill to get his hands on."

It was slowly that Naruto approached her, his eyes seeking out any injuries she may have sustained and her chest gave an uncomfortable squeeze. She'd assumed he was a traitor, a fake, due to how different he seemed to the boy in her memories. However, they had all changed, hadn't they? Why was he the only one who wasn't allowed to do so? Why had she immediately assumed he was an impostor? Was it Danzo's influence in her mind? Was he plotting something?

"They are looking to you, Itachi, for guidance. They want you to be their leader," he went on to say, eyes narrowing. "Yet, you allowed yourself to get sucked into this drama, to the extent that your hands are now useless on the outside."

Guilt nearly overwhelmed Sakura and she spun to meet his eye again, stomach curling with unease when Itachi remained silent, refusing to look in her direction. "Is it permanent?" she demanded, because she knew for a fact that it had been her. Nobody else would have gone for his hands – it would have been while he was restraining her, or going against her strength in some other way. "Itachi?"

"It is not as bad as Shisui makes it seem," he assured her. "At most, a few of my fingers and knuckles are broken."

"And you'll have full use of your hands when they're healed?"

He offered her a faint smile, trying to alleviate her guilt. "Yes."

"That is not the point I'm making," said Shisui, clearly growing frustrated. "What will they think, Itachi? You are their leader."

"Unwillingly," he argued.

"But their leader nonetheless."

Of course, he had a point. Who would want to follow a man who was caught in the middle of so much drama? They would assume that his attention was focused on the wrong things. They would think he wasn't capable of leading them. It was bad enough he was an Uchiha–

Green eyes widened, heart giving a painful squeeze.

Never – and she truly, from the bottom of her heart meant never – had she ever held any form of resentment towards the Uchiha Clan. So why? Why were her thoughts so hateful? The voices were not there to manipulate her. Did it run deeper than that?

"Why does it matter so much?" Sasuke demanded quietly, momentarily struggling against the restraints.

"It matters," stressed Shisui. Had he tightened the restraints? Was that why Sasuke suddenly grimaced? "It matters because I refuse to lose you both to the curse that has plagued our clan for centuries." He approached the youngest Uchiha slowly, the restraints vanishing, allowing Sasuke to drop to the ground. Instead of falling like Naruto, however, he caught himself, glaring up at Shisui. "It matters because this is Danzo's doing. He allowed Itachi to retrieve Sakura in hopes that it will tear us apart, making us easy pickings." Grabbing the collar of Sasuke's shirt, he pulled him closer, apparently not noticing Itachi slipping out of his restraints after a moment of intense concentration. "It matters because I refuse to lose the people I consider precious to me because of our inability to control ourselves."

Oh? Did Shisui know Itachi was freed? Had it been intentionally? Sakura frowned, watching the three men standing together, staring one another down, her heart in her throat.

"We are discussing Sakura like she is nothing more than an object of our affections," murmured Itachi with obvious discontent. "She is still a person who is healing."

She'd never told Shisui about Itachi's attempt to court her because it never really came up other than that time in the hospital, when he'd assumed they were together. What was she supposed to do? Bring it up randomly one day? Why? It never went anywhere. The clan disapproved of his choice, instead telling him to choose an Uchiha to marry. They refused to have their bloodline tainted and should he have gone against them, they would have stripped him of his title as heir to the clan. Without Sasuke there to step up, his clan would have been lost. Itachi had done what he'd always done: put his own wants and needs last. He put everything else first. And so their courtship ended before it even started. She'd assumed he'd moved on with Izumi and she'd been happy for him since that meant he would no longer be lonely. He would be marrying his oldest friend.

But what if that wasn't the case?

As for Sasuke…

"What's left to say?" snarled Sasuke and he batted the hand away that was gripping his shirt. "She's in love with all three of us." Narrowing his eyes, he asked nastily, "Do you want to share her, Shisui? Is that the outcome you're looking for? We'll have her two nights a week each, giving her a day to rest?"

The rage that suddenly swelled from the man beside her was unmissable. But somehow, they didn't notice.

She grabbed his hand, holding tightly.

Where did she even start with Sasuke? Sakura was fairly certain everyone knew of her unhealthy love for him. But after his attempt on her life, after he had looked her dead in the eye and tried to slit her throat, she simply… Sakura swallowed hard. It was harder picturing any kind of future with him, though that didn't mean she'd fallen out of love with him. More than anything, she'd just wanted him home. Safe. She wanted him to know how much they all loved and missed him dearly, how they were willing to take him back despite all he'd done. He still had a place to call home, no matter what he believed to be true.

Then, there was Shisui.

Gods, what did she do?

Her stomach felt like it was being branded all over again as she assessed her feelings for each man, as she watched their stare down, breath catching.

By her side, the blond turned his back on them all, the movement catching their eye.

"You don't have to decide anything, Sakura-chan," Naruto argued, sending a glare over his shoulder at the three Uchiha men. "We have too much shit going on right now for you to be forced into anything."

"Nobody is forcing-"

"Shut the hell up," he yelled at Itachi angrily. "What's all this if you're not forcing her into anything? Making her decide so that you'll all stop tearing chunks out of each other. She's not some compliant housewife waiting to become a broodmare, y'know."

Broodmare?

Sakura frowned thoughtfully, glancing down at her feet as she tried to reach a piece of information that was dangling at the back of her mind, just out of reach and–

Her stomach twisted sharply, mind transferred to a different time. A different place. No, not her mind. The entire scenery around them.

It was odd seeing herself being tortured.

She was pinned to a gurney, causing it to shake violently as she fought hard against her restraints, bloodcurdling screams tearing from deep within her chest and making her sound like a feral animal, head thrashing, fingers and toes curling into bloody messes against the cold metal. Tears were streaming into her hair, blood oozing from the deep wound on her lip as she bit down hard on it.

Weakly, Sakura brought a hand to her bottom lip, touching the wound that had yet to fully heal.

Beside her, she heard Naruto suck in a sharp breath, vaguely noticed him, along with the others, looking around, startled.

Her eyes were glued to the naked woman strapped down, legs spread wide as her feet were tied to the footrests, keeping her legs elevated, open. A medic with shaking hands, with tears in their eyes, leaned closer warily, the utensils being used making the memory version of Sakura's back arch, blood dripping to the ground below her.

She fell to her knees, hand uselessly coming to her abdomen.

"Sakura wouldn't…" It seemed to worry the others when Itachi was at a loss for words, swallowing. "She would not want us to see this."

"Shisui, stop it," snarled Sasuke, taking Naruto by surprise when he was the first to rush to Sakura, brushing by him, like he was trying to block the memory with his body. He needn't have bothered. She could still hear everything. The memory was still there in her mind. If she closed her eyes, she saw it from her own perspective. "End the genjutsu. You're losing too much control."

"D-Danzo-sama, I-I can't do this to her. Please."

Real. It was real. Everything around her was real.

"You will do this if you wish to continue living."

Unable to catch her breath, her other hand came to her chest, gripping at her shirt as she tried to breathe.

She needed them back.

"Give them back. I can't–" Couldn't think. Couldn't cope. Couldn't breathe. Gods, it was too much. All of it was too much. "Give me the voices back!"

Because without them, she couldn't cope.

"Shisui," Itachi finally yelled, losing his patience.

But one glance over in his direction told her all she needed to know: he couldn't control it. Any of it. And that frightened her even more, especially when the screams went up a notch, when she heard her own voice begging for the medic to have mercy on her, to not take something so important away from her.

"Now, she will no longer be of use to any of them," they heard Danzo's smug words. "What use will she be if she cannot bear them children? Their lineage will end with them."

Hands grabbed at her shoulders and she grabbed back, teary eyes meeting Sasuke's equally wide, disturbed ones.

"I-I can't…"

"Do something," he snarled at Shisui, grip intensifying like that alone could keep her grounded.

Vomit. She could smell vomit. And blood. And tears and pain and heartbreak and–

"Please," she heard herself begging. "P-Please!"

"What use are you now, Haruno?" questioned Danzo. "Are they really worth losing the one thing that makes you women useful?"

Through the gap between Sasuke's arm and body, she saw Naruto lunging on the memory version of Danzo, growling viciously, attempting to claw his face off. She saw Itachi approaching Shisui, speaking lowly to him, the pair of them attempting to regain control, his sharingan spinning, locked on Shisui's.

"Focus on me," demanded Sasuke, roughly jerking her face so that their eyes would meet again. Before her, he dropped to his knees, making sure their eyes were level. "Don't look at it."

When had she started to cry? "I can't have babies, Sasuke-kun," she whispered, sobbing. "I-I can't–"

Was she seeing things? Were his eyes glassy? "Don't focus on that for now–"

As abruptly as it started, the memory vanished, leaving them once more in the peaceful field with the clouds continuing to move too fast.

"End this now," murmured Itachi, stepping away. "You will destroy her mind, Shisui."

"We-"

"What is more important?" he questioned and his sharingan seemed deadlier than ever as it clashed with his, making her swallow hard, fighting back the memories. Both of her torture and how far Itachi repeatedly went to protect her. "Ending our conflict or saving Sakura from further pain?"

Still clinging to Sasuke, and grateful that he held her equally tight, she silently thanked his aid in her standing, hand twitching with worry when she believed he would pull away. He didn't. Instead, he allowed her to lean on him, to use his strength when she couldn't summon her own.

"Release us," muttered Naruto.

When Shisui looked to her, apologetic and broken, she felt fresh tears slip down her cheeks and she whispered, "Please."

Everything vanished a second later.

She awoke to the sight of a bloodied Hinata fighting desperately, moving faster than ever as she took on the enemy, chakra humming from her palms, causing devastation whenever they so much as clipped someone. It was like there was a wall separating the enemies from them, for they were piling up in front of her, not a single one of them passing her invisible barrier.

In an instant, Itachi was on his feet, followed by the other men, assisting her.

She could only stare, wide eyed.

Previously, she'd always been the one who protected Hinata. She'd continuously thrown herself in front of the other woman, refusing to allow any harm to come to her. But there she was. Tall and proud and determined, fighting despite her obvious exhaustion, refusing to let them break her invisible wall.

"Take her and go," ordered Sasuke, launching himself into the battle, creating an opening for them as he took several of the operatives back through the archway.

Did he mean her?

He must have, because Hinata didn't hesitate in spinning and reaching for her, panting for breath.

But then the Hyuuga's face twisted with pain as she was attacked on her blind side, being knocked away from her.

Itachi was there in a heartbeat, taking the operative out, then gone the next, assisting Shisui with a trickier opponent.

Had battle always been so chaotic? Sakura found she couldn't focus on one thing as she numbly stood from the ground, hand falling away from her stomach. She tried – Gods, she truly did try – to single just one damn person out from the mess of limbs, but nothing. It was too much of a blur to her.

A hand grabbed at her throat.

She looked to the masked face without fear as she was lifted from the ground.

Was there really any point in fighting? What did she really have to look forward to, anyway? A life on the run? Torn between three men who prioritised their feelings for her over everything else, including her own mental well-being? A… A childless life?

There was no doubt that those who weren't already dead had scattered – their numbers would be halved, perhaps even less than that considering just how many civilians had been with them.

"Fight," a voice snarled in her mind. "Fight back!"

But why?

"Sakura-chan!"

That was when she heard it. Just as her ears began to ring, just as her vision began to dim and the world started spinning. She heard a voice. A small, pitiful voice that had something bursting within her, fighting for control.

A cry.

"Save him," a different voice begged and she felt her head burning. "Please, please save him."

It wasn't like she had much of a choice, her hand moving by itself, effortlessly snapping the wrist of the operative.

Frowning as she was dropped, Sakura narrowed her eyes, focusing intently on the cry, ignoring the burning of her throat and the opening of the rope wounds that slowly seeped downwards, soaking the collar of her shirt. It was nothing compared to what she'd previously been through, after all.

It felt like she was on autopilot as she turned away from the man, ducking beneath a kunai whizzing by her, freezing in her spot when someone attempted to punch her, their fist missing her by several inches. Was that her usual ability? To dodge attacks? No, it couldn't have been, because it felt too different. It felt like it was happening without her knowledge. Something was guiding her. Was it controlling her?

Was it a child crying?

Someone came to her defence, keeping their back to hers as they left the meeting room, walking backwards while fighting. They were demanding something of her, but she couldn't hear them. Couldn't even tell who it was helping her. She was focusing too intently on the cry.

Everyone else had fled, it seemed. Those who were left had, anyway. The only people left were shinobi and even the majority of them had disappeared with the civilians, no doubt fighting to get them to safety.

It shocked her when dread trickled down her spine as she came to stand outside the medical room and she stopped, eyeing the archway with hidden wariness. How long had it been since she felt something like dread for someone else? Not because of them, but for them. It had been…

"M-Mama, wake up."

Just as fingers grabbed at her, she ducked and spun on her heel, hand coming to the ground, supporting the strength behind her kick. The attacker was thrown across the small hallway, colliding with the wall and causing the cave to shake warningly.

That had definitely not been her.

But for once, she didn't care to question it.

"Are you hurt?" she asked the boy, approaching him slowly.

He was kneeling over the lifeless body of his mother, shaking her weakly. Obviously, he would still be healing from his fight against sepsis. Had it cleared yet? Was he free of the deadly illness? She couldn't tell. She wouldn't be able to tell. All she did know was that he had to get out of there.

"Come with me," she ordered calmly, reaching for him.

"No, I'm not leaving her," he screeched, fighting her, making her curse under her breath. "I'm not leaving Mama."

She was already dead. Sakura couldn't tell what the hell had killed her – there were no fresh wounds on her body. No signs of a struggle. Had she simply passed away? They had checked her for sepsis too, hadn't they? No, sepsis wasn't contagious, but it made sense to test a woman who was displaying the same signs as a child who had it.

"She's gone," Sakura told him, ignoring a voice hissing at her be gentler with him, to be more understanding. They didn't have time for coddling. "We need to get out of here."

He screeched again when she tried to move him, the sound grating on her nerves, setting her on edge. "No-"

Without a second thought, she knocked a pressure point, waiting until he collapsed on top of his mother's lifeless body before grabbing him. For a moment, her knees buckled, the agony her body was in suddenly making itself known, but she fought on, ignoring the white hot pain threatening to take her out before ROOT did. Did it slow her down? Yes. Definitely. But she couldn't leave him behind. He was just a child.

She spun back into the medical room, clutching him to her chest, hand cradling the back of his head, when a water jutsu barrelled towards them. There was a noticeable shaking of her limbs, but she did what she could to ignore it, peering around the corner before snapping back into the room, just barely dodging a second attack.

They were avoiding close combat with her, trying to take her out without getting within spitting distance of her. She didn't have the strength or the mobility to get close enough to them and using whatever access she had to chakra was also out of the question. The boy in her arms wouldn't last two minutes, not if he was still sick. She had to escape without altercation.

The sounds of bodies falling to the ground had her warily peeking out of the room once more, eyes narrowing at the sight of Itachi and Shisui. They were bloody from battle, their sharingan glowing eerily, making the blood splattered across their faces more uncomfortable to look at.

She was…

Blonde hair flashed through her mind, her hands twitching, eyes going wide.

"Sh-Shishou," she whispered, suddenly aware of the eerie silence. How hadn't she noticed before? "Tsunade-sama?"

"Come, Sakura," Shisui ordered just as Itachi reached her, attempting to take the boy from her arms.

But she couldn't let go. Instead, she brought him closer, almost smothering him against her neck, not noticing his face was now covered in her blood. "Where is she?"

"Who-" Itachi cut himself off, seemingly realising and he reminded her lowly, seriously, "Tsunade-same is in your mind. Recall the genjutsu, Sakura. Remember what Shisui told you."

"I am not changing anything," he told her sincerely. "But I have silenced the voices for both yourself and Sasuke – it will only be in this world. Out there, they'll be back."

Voice.

Tsunade was just a voice?

Too stunned to fight him any longer, Sakura could only watch as Itachi took the boy, only sparing a glance into the medical room before nodding once to Shisui. There must have been a silent order, because Shisui proceeded to take her hand, his hold firm, secure. Comforting.

How could Tsunade be just a voice? She saw her. Heard her. Smelled her. Daily. If Sakura wanted to, she was able to reach out and touch the blonde. More often than not, Tsunade made psychical contact with her. How the hell could they say she was just a voice?

Struggling to keep up, she was all but dragged in the direction of the opening that guided them to the river where they'd often bathed.

The clearing was beyond recognition, Sakura noticed numbly and she flinched when Shisui came to an abrupt halt, gathering her in his arms and dashing out of the way of an incoming attack.

If the Tsunade she'd been conversing with was just a voice, then where…?

A searing pain flooded her mind. Had Shisui not been holding her, leaping out of the way of another attack, then rolling out of another, she would have collapsed. It had her going rigid in his arms, biting down on her lip to silence herself. She couldn't tell if he looked at her. Couldn't even feel him moving anymore. She couldn't hear anything over the loud ringing in her ears.

And then nothing.

It was like a blanket was placed over her, wrapping around her snuggly, shielding her from everything trying to harm her. Whatever it was, it aided her in seeing and feeling again. It allowed her to hear the battle and sense what was going on.

"I'm sorry," Shisui murmured, holding her closer. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm so sorry."

Why was he sorry?

What did he feel so guilty about?

"Genjutsu," she realised, saying breathlessly.

"I promise I won't let it end like the last one," he assured her. Eyes darting to the left, he spun, following Itachi and several others. It took her way too long to recognise Kakashi was there. As was Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke. "If I lose control, I will ask Itachi to take over."

Despite the fear clawing into her heart, Sakura dared to look into his eyes, frowning minutely at the level of pain she could see there. Was it due to the strain of using his sharingan? Was it the because of his failure to keep her from slipping into her memories the last time?

She didn't have time to ask, noticing the sharingan users' heads snapping upwards, bodies tensing, preparing to defend themselves.

Not even a fraction of a second later and Hyuuga Neji was intervening, deflecting the barrage of weapons with his Hakkeshō Kaiten.

"We need to move," warned Hanabi, leaping from a branch to stand before them, followed by a small group of weaker shinobi. Her long hair was now a jagged cut, showing that somehow, she'd been bested. No doubt they'd grabbed her hair in an attempt to subdue her. "There are more of them coming, though these ones aren't half as strong."

"Where?" Naruto demanded. "Where the hell are we supposed to go?"

There was nowhere for them to go. Nobody would want to take in Konoha's traitors, especially not ones as powerful as their group, who were running for their lives from enemies who were so much stronger.

"And how would we find somewhere with ROOT on our heels?" asked Kakashi.

Apparently, she was a cause for concern, as several of the group looked to her, their eyes assessing.

Was Shisui aware of how his hands twitched? How he brought her closer?

"She is a liability," Hanabi said what Sakura knew they were all thinking.

"Hanabi," Hinata began to snap, eye wide. "You cannot be suggesting-"

"You cannot argue with me, O-nee-sama. Not when it was more than likely one of her psychotic outbursts that attracted Danzo's attention."

"What will you have her do?" questioned Itachi, voice guarded, the child in his arms still out cold. Was that the leader Shisui wanted? Someone who seemed so unaffected by his friend's unavoidable abandonment? "Hand herself over to Danzo? Leave her to wander alone through the forest until they inevitably find her?"

Naruto was practically seething, gritting teeth close to grinding. "Like hell-"

"Why should we risk our lives for her?" asked Hanabi calmly and Gods, Sakura couldn't even deny that she was speaking rationally. "Look at her. You can only go so far for someone who refuses to help themselves. Something as simple as a haircut is impossible for her now. What use is she to our cause?"

"What use are you now, Haruno?" questioned Danzo.

It wasn't connected in the least, but it seemed those who'd witnessed her memories for themselves recalled it unwillingly.

Surprisingly, it was Sasuke who reacted, his katana just stopping short of Hanabi's throat. Sharingan spinning languidly, his bloody features seemingly detached, cold, uncaring, he stood tall, strong, his intimidating aura making Hinata gasp in shock. She tried to reach out, but Itachi coincidentally happened to shift his footing while adjusting his hold on the child, blocking her.

"They say nothing matters more to me than power," Sasuke muttered, his voice just as closed off as his expression. "That I don't care about others or what happens around me." The blade shifted, applying slight pressure and unhurriedly, he looked to Neji, daring him to move closer. "I will prove them all wrong by giving you an ultimatum, of sorts."

"Oi, oi," Naruto tried to interject shakily, but he went ignored.

Nobody dared to move, it seemed. Well, except for Itachi and Shisui, both of them apparently agreeing with Sasuke's rash actions and his temper.

"Uchiha-"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed fractionally.

"Neji-nii-san, please don't push him," begged Hinata, hand clutching at her chest.

"If you want to live, keep her alive," muttered Sasuke, bringing his attention back to Hanabi. "The second her heart stops," his words were accentuated by applying more pressure to her throat, making Hanabi stop breathing entirely when blood oozed to the surface, spilling onto the blade, "so will yours."

It was as Sasuke slowly lowered his katana that Shisui brought her closer to Hanabi, making Sakura grip at his arms when she was lowered to her feet, their eyes almost level.

"Tell her," demanded Shisui coldly, holding Sakura upright. "Look Sakura in the eye and tell her you want to send her back to that hell. After she went through indescribable torture for defending your sister, before she risked her own life to help her escape, tell her you want to hand her over to Danzo."

Her cold exterior cracked. She wasn't sure what expression was in her own eyes or face, but it was enough to shake the younger girl, forcing her to look elsewhere.

"That is not Konoha's way," added Itachi. "We protect one another. We do not hand our comrades over to try and buy ourselves time."

The invisible blanket around her strengthened and Sakura looked to Shisui, daring to look into his sharingan as he stared Hanabi down warningly, waiting for her to go against them. Was she too young to have heard of his powers?

Even if she was, Neji certainly wasn't, coming to stand beside her, saying, "Hanabi-sama is a child. You cannot blame her for wanting to increase her family's chances of survival."

Family. Not her own survival, but theirs.

"No, I don't blame her," agreed Kakashi at length, his lone eye hard. "But we are not scum."

The words had her looking to her teammates, her stomach twisting sharply at the memory that assaulted her mind, that reminded her of their training sessions and missions. Kakashi's expression alone reminded her of how hard they fought to protect one another and, when one of them lost their way, how hard they struggled to bring them back, to remind them of how important they were to them.

"I am a liability," admitted Sakura finally, gaze returning to Hanabi's, ignoring her barely visible flinch. "I'm all kinds of messed up."

"Sakura-san," Hinata tried sadly.

"But I have no intention of dying any time soon or handing myself over," she told her firmly, green eyes hardening.

The faces of her shishou and sibling disciple flashed through her mind, the agony they caused numbed by Shisui's genjutsu that calmed her mind.

"I'm not going anywhere until Danzo's dead."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and slowly, with narrowing eyes, Sakura turned, gaze drawn to the man appearing behind Shisui. Like herself, the others sensed his arrival, in turn spinning to meet his haggard, bandaged features.

"A bold statement."

Naruto was the first to react, rushing him. "You-"

They probably knew there was no use in stopping him, Sakura realised when Kakashi and Sasuke joined their teammate, flanking him, following up on his sudden assault. Sasuke appeared above Danzo when Naruto's punch was dodged, his bloodied katana coming down on him with a vengeful growl. Again, it was dodged, Danzo sidestepping straight into Kakashi, using his cane to stop the kunai from going through his only visible eye.

Was that where she was supposed to step in? Sakura couldn't help but wonder, green eyes wide, glued to the way Danzo effortlessly dodged and deflected the attacks of the other members of Team Seven.

"Guard her," Itachi demanded of Hinata. Momentarily, his eyes trailed to Hanabi, warning her, "Do not make the mistake of believing my brother won't follow through on his threat."

And then he was gone.

Her heart was in her throat when he leapt into the air, breathing out a powerful fireball jutsu that granted her teammates a breather from their continuous attacks.

"How?"

She looked to Shisui, frowning at the shock in his blood red eyes.

"How can he go against all four of them?"

Did the hows and whys really matter? Their main focus was Danzo and defeating him.

So why couldn't they move? Why were she and Shisui pinned in their places?

"He can't," Neji replied after a handful of seconds.

He seemed to see the same thing as Itachi, as the Uchiha suddenly whirled around, catching a fist. Then, her attention shot to Naruto, who was pinned with a loud yell of disbelief, struggling valiantly in a way that reminded her of Shisui's genjutsu. Only, this time, the restraints were real. She could see them. It was not genjutsu. He really had been captured.

"Naruto-kun-"

"Stay where you are," ordered Hanabi, holding out her arm to stop her sister's involvement.

But she went ignored as Hinata spun around her sister, deflecting the outreached hand and dashing towards the blond, hands glowing blue with chakra, mercilessly slamming into an operative who'd made a move on him.

The sight had Sakura's heart clenching, especially when she caught the attention of Danzo.

He dismissed Sasuke and Kakashi, dodging a final attack before they were attacked by ROOT operatives. They refused to let up, their follow up attacks demanding and powerful, forcing them back, trying to separate their small group.

No, a voice in her mind yelled through the blanket of genjutsu.

Had Shisui heard it too? Was that why he looked down at her in shock?

Stay the hell away from her you damned bastard, it continued to yell.

They could tell when the genjutsu shattered around her, her trembling hands clenching tightly into fists, chest rising and falling with a mixture of fear and rage.

Somebody moved to grab her, but whoever it was, missed her by a millimetre and her pace picked up when she sensed them chasing her – or were they fighting with her? Did it matter? Yes, it did – or did it? She couldn't tell. All Sakura could tell was that Hinata needed her.

Wide, terrified eyes filled with tears when they returned, grabbing at her, ignoring her begs and pleas as they attempted to drag her from the cell.

"Get the hell off her," snarled Sakura, stumbling forward, weakly punching one of them.

She was batted away effortlessly, head swimming when it collided with the wall. Instead of allowing it to keep her down, Sakura stood on shaking legs, upper lip curling.

"I said," she yelled, rushing them. "Get the hell off her!"

"Take me instead," she pleaded, panting as she shielded Hinata's body with her own.

"You cannot handle anymore-"

"Please." Green eyes were wide, fixed on Ibiki's emotionless stare. "Don't hurt her."

Danzo barely even glanced in her direction. "Deal with her."

The two operatives who turned on her only made that anger within her grow.

"You think you're the one who gets to kill me?" she yelled, laughing darkly. "Do you really think that after everything I'll die by anyone else's hand?"

Witnessing Sasuke dropping his katana, Sakura scooped low, grabbing it and rushing forward, ramming it upwards into one operative's head. She then yanked it free, lashing out at another, slitting his throat.

"Like hell! The only way I'm dying is by taking Danzo with me."

Adjusting her hold on the hilt, she hurled it with everything she had, eyes narrowing when Danzo abruptly stopped, leaning back, the blade missing the tip of his nose by mere millimetres.

"Sakura, don't-"

They weren't getting involved.

He was hers.

Someone tried to grab her again but she was already gone.

Where had the chakra come from? Sakura wasn't sure. All she knew was that it was there and she was using it, leaping from the ground, fist drawing back.

Save her.

"Shannaro!"