Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 12

"Stay out of this." Sakura told Ino. The blonde, however, didn't listen and got into her stance. She knew this fight would be difficult, but with the Akatsuki member on her side...

That shield of hers... Sakura thought. I didn't know she could do that.

"I think - I THINK - she trained." Younger said.

"Yeah, no shit." Inner replied, not noting the sarcasm.

"Fine." Sakura announced. Ino raised her eyebrow but didn't turn to her former best friend. "Take on the other two. I get Sasuke."

It seemed reasonable enough so the Konoha Kunoichi agreed. The girl with the red hair looked as if she barely fought - no doubt she was the medic - but the boy had a great sword on his back that he grabbed to fight with in this battle (Sakura narrowed her eyes upon realsing it was Zabuza's sword).

Jugo stood far away from the standoff, but his hand began to shake and animals evaded him because of his aura, although he wished they would comfort him rather than run away from him.

Sasuke attempted to appear behind Sakura with his unbelievable speed, but the pinkette could see it coming. She was fast herself due to chakra manipulation and effortlessly dodged his sword.

'I'll kill you, bitch!" Karin screamed, running at the Akatsuki member with a paper bomb in hand. However, Ino slapped her and she flew away from the group, unconscious on the ground.

That was easy. Ino thought before turning to Suigetsu.

"If I win..." The sword-wielder began, smiling devilishly. "You get to be mine."

"Yeah, right." The blonde laughed.

"Oh, honey. You won't have a choice."

"How rapey of you." Ino slammed her fist onto the ground, crumbling the earth as it moved quickly towards Suigetsu. He jumped up into the air and water shuriken were produced from his body, showering over Ino.

The Konoha ninja used her shield once more, blocking the barrage of water. Forming a hand sign with one hand, she made it so her enemy couldn't move. With another hand, she threw a paper bomb that exploded him into a splash of water, making Ino believe it was a clone.

She sensed for his chakra... But it was scattered. And then she felt it behind her. Suigetsu solidified his body and knocked the Team Ten kunoichi away with his foot to her back.

This was going to be harder than she had initially thought.

On the other hand, Sakura was having a blast. Sasuke was injured from his last fight so he was a bit tired and she seemed to be toying with him a bit, making him run around as she flew about in the form of cherry blossoms. He knew she was messing about with him and that only made him angrier. So his attacks became more desperate and reckless.

Lightning crackled around his body suddenly and he attacked her before her body could de-materialise into cherry blossoms. She stumbled backwards but quickly collected herself, skidding on the ground. She mentally berated herself for letting her guard down, she even felt as if Madara was staring down at her with shame.

"You're dead!" A sudden monstrous voice screamed. Sakura didn't really think of the big guy. He seemed like he was going to only observe the fight. But when he charged at her through the air as fast as a jet, the pinkette knew she had to get rid of him to fight Sasuke.

Pushing her hands upwards, a multitude of wooden beams shot upwards, one hitting Juugo in the stomache and pushing him high into the sky. Sakura followed him by pushing herself up with a wooden beam.

All of a sudden, Sasuke appeared in front of Sakura with his chidori activated. He striked at her chest and it hit. However, her body turned into cherry blossoms and the pink petals pushed passed the Uchiha and his teammate. A paper bomb was hidden in the collage of petals and detonated, forcing Sasuke to retreat to the ground. The cherry blossoms reformed into Sakura when she was just above Jugo. She charged at him and flew down to the ground with him once she punched him with her chakra-enhanced fist - the same fist made from Hashirama's cells.

Smoke filled the battlefield after the destruction of the wooden beams and the ground. Once it cleared, Sakura could be seen standing over Jugo's corpse.

Rampaging beasts die quickly... She thought to herself, staring at the man she had just killed.

"Sasuke, that bitch killed Jugo!" Suigetsu yelled, pausing his fight with Ino. He had increased the size of his limbs since Ino proved to be an annoying opponent for him.

"Get Karin. We'll fall back for now." Sasuke replied, making his former teammate frown.

"You're leaving already? We barely had any fun." She said, activating her Sharingan.

I want to fucking kill him. The cherry blossom thought.

"Why are you so passionate about it?" Inner asked.

"Yeah, just let him go." Younger added.

"You're only saying that because you like him."

"Fine, whatever." Sakura grumbled, allowing him to leave. She walked away from Jugo's body as Sasuke picked him up. A small part of her wanted to make a snarky comment, such as: "You didn't pick up Naruto when you knocked him out at the Final Valley." But she advised against it. She was tired herself and fighting him seemed less fun now.

Ino didn't like the idea of letting Sasuke just leave. But there was only one of her, and a bunch of them. She needed to call for back up.

Tsunade-shishou? She called, hoping to be able to get into contact with her from so far away. However, it didn't work.

Team Hebi left the scene, leaving the former best friends alone in the clearing. Wordlessly, Sakura picked up her Akatsuki cloak and put it on.

"You killed two people." Ino said after a bit of silence.

Sakura snorted. "Grow up, Ino." She replied.

"Do you think I could convince you to come back?" The blonde asked. When the cherry blossom shook her head, her friend sighed.

Sakura paused for a moment. Ino noticed how she activated her Sharingan, but she didn't know why. It was active for a few seconds before it faded away. "I'm not coming back." She said with full confidence. "But you could come with me."

The chunin's eyes widened at the offer. Had Sakura just invited her to join the Akatsuki? A criminal organisation, one member of which killed her sensei?

"You're crazy." Ino whispered and Sakura physically flinched, the blonde's comment hitting a nerve.

"Fuck you!" She spat.

"Do you seriously think I would betray Konoha?" The Yamanaka asked her, her eyes narrowed. "My village, with all of my friends... except you."

"We're not... friends." It sounded so childish and also, so similar to when they stopped being friends back in the Academy. But we're not rivals, I'm much stronger than her.

"What did they do to you? This isn't the Sakura I know."

"That Sakura is gone!" The pinkette suddenly exploded. "She's no longer around so... Just stop!"

"No. I know you're still in there. I know you want to come back to Konoha."

"I know what we have to do." Inner said. "Kill her."

"What?!" Younger shrieked.

"We need the Mangekyo Sharingan. Who better to kill than Ino?"

"You can't!" Younger screamed, her voice filled with desperation.

"Kill her, Sakura!"

"No, don't!"

"KILL HER!"

"No..."

Younger's voice phased out and Inner's voice chanted those words over and over again.

"SAKURA, KILL HER!"

Sakura yelped out in pain, clutching her head. "Stop it!"

"Sakura!" Ino yelled out, watching as her former best friend began to have an inward battle.

Kill her... Kill her and it will stop. Kill her for the Mangekyo Sharingan... Kill her for power. Kill her for Madara-sensei.

"It's the only way."

The Akatsuki member screamed bloody murder before launching herself at Ino.

"What are you doing?!" Ino exclaimed as she dodged the Cherry Blossom's fist. It shattered the earth where the Yamanaka previously stood.

Wood Clone Jutsu! Three wooden Sakuras jumped from her back and charged at Ino. The blonde slammed her fist into one, destroying it. The other two attacked her with their daggers simultaneously to which she countered with her chakra scalpals. She cut one down immediately but the other sliced at her head and she ducked swiftly. If she had had longer hair, it would have been cut.

Suddenly, the real Sakura was above them and slammed her fist down. Ino skidded out of the way but stumbled from the after shock. In sheer panic, she made it so Sakura couldn't move.

Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu! She used this technique so she could move her own body and move as far away from it as possible. When she would undo her jutsu, she would be far away enough to retreat.

She did not expect that it would fail.

"What the fuck?" She whispered to herself.

Sakura still couldn't move and began to shake with anger. One big move... One big move and she'll die.

"Still think the old Sakura is here?" The pinkette said, pointing her finger at Ino.

"Kai!" Ino released the genjutsu immediately. The Akatsuki member simply smirked as she realised that she was, once again, able to move. Of course, with any over-powered technique of the Yamanaka clan, there was a time limit.

Sakura took out one of her daggers and transferred chakra to it before appearing right behind Ino. Their chakra blades clashed together in a series of swipes, each girl annoying the other. Ino was agile so it was hard to land a hit but Sakura was skilled with her daggers, having gone through rigorous training to be the best, so she was shocked when her former best friend was able to keep up with her.

"Enough of this!" Sakura yelled, infusing chakra into her fist and striking Ino, who blocked with her Chakra Shield. The cherry blossom continuously punched the shield, weakening it with every strike. Eventually, it shattered and she broke through.

However, Ino quickly - abnormally quickly - slammed her fist into Sakura's face with such power that the rogue ninja was sent flying into the forest, hitting and destroying many trees.

What the... A dizzy Sakura thought, noting the sting in her cheek. That bruised.

She stood up among the destroyed trees, regarding the blonde with curiosity. Her friend stood there, a look of fierce determination on her face and a blue diamond seal on her forehead.

"No..." The pinkette breathed. "You can't... How do you know that?!" Her face went red and she clenched her fists. "So all this time, she was training you as well?! Were you conspiring against me?! Is that it?!"

"What? No, I-" Ino began to explain, a look of worry on her face. This was all just a misunderstanding.

"Fuck you, Ino. I'll fucking kill you someday, just you wait." With that, she dissolved into cherry blossoms. She wanted to kill her but Madara advised her against fighting when she was angry, shown by how reckless she was when fighting Kakashi and Naruto at their reunion.

I should have killed her when I had the chance... Unshed tears were in the former Team Seven member's eyes. Furiously, she wiped them away.

Ino's no longer the exception. No one is. I'll kill her and get the Mangekyo Sharingan. Madara-sensei will be proud of me.

"...So that's what happened." Ino finished giving her report to Tsunade. The sanin closed her eyes so her student wouldn't see the hurt shining in them. She was so hurt that she couldn't even find the urge to congratulate Ino on mastering the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

"Thank you, Ino. There's another mission I want you to go on. Kakashi will fill you in on the details." The blonde left the Godaime to her thoughts. As soon as the door closed, Tsunade began to weep.

The pain she felt about Sakura was too great. Fate was cruel for this to be happening. How many curveballs was life going to throw at them?

A few days later, the elder toad, Fukasaku from Mount Myoboku, visited the Hokage with some devistating news.