Chapter 13: Consequences

Shikata Nara hadn't expected to actually become friends with Sakura's medic-nin students, but somewhere along the line, he'd started to think of them like that. Hikari Shimura, with her endless smiles and enthusiasm, but with constant focus and determination behind her cheery facade, was far smarter than she appeared and generally less annoying than he'd thought she'd be. Shouta Uchiha, with his brooding manner but still growing fiercely competitive spirit, was surprisingly easy for Shikata to understand and get along with. They were tiresome and troublesome, but he tended to enjoy the time they spent together in the mornings. It was definitely somewhat of a reprieve from the repetitive and tedious training he had to do daily for the clan and for the Ino-Shika-Cho tradition.

So when he heard from his father that Sakura was off to face the Nine-Tails and her students weren't going, Shikata was confused. They were entirely dedicated to Sakura: Hikari idolised her, and Shouta had some kind of attachment to her that Shikata hadn't figured out. He knew that they would follow her into a fire if she asked them too. So why hadn't they fought to stay and go with her?

When they showed up on his doorstep an hour after the Hokage and his elite shinobi force had left the village, his questions were answered.

"Are you coming or not?" Shouta asked him.

They were just waiting for the right moment. Shikata gave a lazy grin and sighed.

"How troublesome."

Mito Uzumaki had always felt like she was born to do something important. She'd always been someone important: princess of the Uzumaki clan, fuinjustu master, elite kunoichi, wife of the legendary Hashirama Senju, wife of the Hokage of Konohagakure, a mother. But none of that had fulfilled that sense that there was something more to her life. For the first time in a long while, she was dressed in full battle wear. Her decorative hair tags replaced with chakra infused tags that would paralyse or seal her opponents if needed. Her obi and belt her laden with scrolls sealed with all manner of things; weapons, elements, fuinjutsu secrets.

She looked down at her son, sleeping peacefully in his little crib and gave him a soft kiss on his head, scrunching her eyes shut and pouring love into him. It had been close to an hour since her husband and Sakura had left the village, and it was time for her to go. Tightly clutching the small scroll with the message to her father in her hand, she ran directly to the aviary and told the surprised shinobi the importance of the message.

Like she guessed he would, Tobirama met her before she reached the gate.

"Where are you going?" He asked, taking in her appearance.

Mito took a breath. Sakura never told her not to say anything, but, she couldn't bring herself to tell him the full truth.

"I'm doing what I must for the sake of the village," she answered.

Because she was. She believed Sakura, and she saw the conflict and regret and guilt in the girl's eyes when she came to see her. She knew that Sakura was telling the truth, that maybe they could change something for the better. Whatever those Lighting shinobi wanted with the Nine-Tails, if Mito could seal it first, then maybe whatever fate had in store for Tobirama would shift and his death could be avoided. The growing feeling of right inside her told her she was doing the right thing. Tobirama stared at her.

"You and Sakura know something," he said slowly. "She went to you."

Mito nodded.

"She did. Tobirama, let me go. Sakura only came to me because she felt like there was no other choice. If this works, then there's a chance that something terrible could be avoided."

"She was afraid," Tobirama said.

Mito had seen that too. He stepped aside.

"Don't blame me if Hashirama reacts badly to this," he said. "Be safe, Mito."

Mito put a hand on his arm.

"Try not to frown so much. You'll get frown lines."

She gave him a little smile, and then she ran off, her mind running through all the techniques that she would need, and gathering the courage and confidence she'd have to possess to pull this off.

"Mistress, I have a message from Lord Tobirama," Katsuyu said to her.

"What is it?" Sakura asked as she ran along with the other Leaf shinobi.

"He says that he hopes you know what you're doing, and she's an hour behind you," Katsuyu recited.

Sakura clenched her jaw.

"Tell him I hope so too."

Sakura and twenty shinobi, including the Hokage, ran at full pace across the Land of Fire to an area that Sakura hadn't known existed before. There were many things that had apparently been wiped away from historical records in relation to the tailed beasts. They had temples and areas in which they resided. Jinchuuriki had eliminated the necessity for them, and all the secrecy around them had meant knowledge had been hidden and lost.

Sakura's jaw felt like it was fused shut, her teeth pressed firmly down on each other. She was nervous and afraid. There were many things that Sakura knew she was capable of, knew she was powerful enough for, but facing the Nine-Tails gave her pause. Her life had been filled with tales of terror about its sheer power. She's seen Naruto when he'd lost control. She'd felt its malicious chakra and overwhelming killing intent. But she'd also seen Naruto and the Nine-Tails as one. Even though she'd faced the ten-tails, even though she'd faced Kaguya and been a part of Team 7, she'd never had to rely on her self like this before. As much as she respected and admired Hashirama and Madara, they didn't feel like a real team, and this wasn't the Nine-Tails who'd bonded with Naruto. This was a Nine-Tails who was filled with hatred and rage; who'd killed Itachi.

If the Kumo shinobi reached the Nine-Tails before them, and it was antagonised, she could only hope that Madara and Hashirama were powerful enough to subdue him, and then Mito could arrive in time to be the catalyst for a great change in the world. The hardest part in thinking about Mito was that she didn't want to put her friend through this, to face Hashirama's anger for going behind his back. But if Mito didn't do this now, she was certain that someone would do it in the future, and Sakura didn't trust Kumo. This wasn't the Fourth Shinobi War where they were allies. She'd been thinking about everything she could in relation to Konoha and Kumo's history as she ran.

Kumo had never upheld a peace treaty. They'd tried to kidnap Hinata and it had resulted in Neji's father's death. They'd been enemies in the First Shinobi War and ended up killing Tobirama. They'd attempted to kidnap several shinobi over different periods of time from inside of Konoha, they stole jutsu, not just from Konoha, but from all nations. Even if the new Raikage said the Gold and Silver Brothers were part of a rebellious faction in Kumo, there was no way that Sakura could entirely believe him. Kumo wanted tailed-beasts, and this was just the beginning.

The group was met by a single shinobi from Madara's pursuit unit, who was looking for Sakura. They'd discovered the half of the unit Tobirama had sent out to the outpost injured and half-dead in the forest. They'd been attacked in an ambush by the Kumo shinobi. The pursuit unit had given them as much field care as they could, but they needed a proper medic if they were going to have any chance of making it home. Sakura had mild panic at hearing 'Madara' and 'injured' in the same sentence and then felt guilty that she was relieved hearing that he wasn't the one that was injured.

Hashirama decided that she had to tend to the wounded first, and then when they were stable, rejoin him in battle. She sent Akira Inuzuka, the one who'd come to find her, to bring the medical squad that was on its way, got directions on where the injured where waiting and then quickly headed out in that direction. She tried desperately not to think about how clear it was that the Kumo shinobi clearly had no qualms about making their presence known, nor about how ruthless they were. She was more worried than she imagined she would be about Madara.

It took her fifteen minutes to reach the shinobi. There were three of them, plus an Inuzuka hound. She dodged a poorly thrown kunai before they recognised her.

"It's Lady Sakura," one she recognised as Natuso Sarutobi said.

He had blood pouring down the side of his face. The Inuzuka was unconscious, his hound whining beside him. The third, a kunoichi from the Senju clan, the one who'd thrown the kunai, was pale and drawn, her hands holding down a wound from her abdomen. Sakura went to her first. She knew that abdominal wounds were nasty.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked her.

"Emiko," she said, shaking her head. "Go to Mamorou. He's more hurt than me," she winced.

Sakura shook her head, and pulled Emiko's hands off her wound.

"You're in danger of bad infection, internal bleeding and a number of other nasty things. Let me work," she said. "I need you to lie on your stomach for me."

Sakura helped the girl lay on the ground.

"You okay, Natsuo?" Sakura called to him.

"No worries," he replied. "Just a headache."

"Can you do me a favour? Check Mamorou's pulse, and tell me what his skin feels like?"

She pulled up Emiko's shirt and inspected the wound. Blood leaked out of it at a consistent rate. It was deep and jagged. Internally she cursed, it was obvious Emiko had made sure the other two were triaged by the pursuit unit and not herself. Sakura held her hands over the wound and poured her medical jutsu into it.

"How are you feeling Emiko?" Sakura asked her after a moment.

Emiko's breathing had become more even, but her colour was still pale. She needed blood.

"Her arm is broken too," Natuso called out. "Mamo is.. he's cool and sticky."

Emiko's face twisted in irritation.

"It's fine to want your teammates and friends to be healed and make sure they're okay," Sakura said to her. "But if you die, how do you think they'll feel?"

Emiko looked away. Sakura felt the wound begin to close. All the internal injuries were healed. Using her chakra, she filtered the blood that had been pooling back through the body, reentering the circulation.

"Emiko, don't move an inch. You've lost a lot of blood, and if the wound opens up again, you'll be in trouble," Sakura said firmly.

"His breathing is shallow, and his heart rate is low," Natsuo said, his voice concerned.

"I'm not going to fix your arm now. It's a clean break and there's a medic squad on its way, and I need to look at your friends. So don't move," Sakura said.

Emiko nodded. Sakura rushed over to Natsuo and Mamorou. Mamorou was in bad shape. It took more chakra than she wanted to use to get him out of danger. Luckily, she stabilised him and he regained consciousness, if only for a moment and showed regular brain function, before falling back to sleep. His canine companion ceased her whining and snuggled beside him. Natsuo had a mild concussion and cuts and bruises. Sakura left him with a scroll of instructions for the medic and told him to watch over his teammates.

As she was leaving, she reached into her bag and ate one of the soldier pills she'd made. She was yet to approach Hashirama with them and make them widely available, but she was glad she'd made some in any case. With the soldier pill restoring her energy, Sakura pushed forwards.

Madara could feel the Nine-Tails chakra. He was so familiar with it, it was impossible to forget it. They were getting close, and they still hadn't come across the shinobi from Lightning, from Kumogakure, so he was growing concerned that they were already there. He couldn't forget the sudden panic that flashed across Sakura's face at some memory she had of Kinkaku and Ginkaku. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that it was important and if they failed he couldn't shake the feeling that something they could have avoided with her knowledge would happen.

With him, Madara had Yuri and Takuma Senju. He'd sent Akira Inuzuka back to take Sakura to the injured. All three of them had proven to be elite, highly skilled shinobi, and they were the only ones available on such short notice. Although he hated to take Yuri away from Matsuri when their daughter was only days old.

"Madara, just ahead," Yuri suddenly said.

The three of them stopped in their tracks. The Kumo shinobi were waiting for them. Unlike other enemies they'd faced, these shinobi didn't bother to hide. The Gold and Silver brothers stood at the head of the group, their yellow and grey hair displaying which was which, and their muscular arms folded over their chests with anxious and eager smirks.

"Well, well, Kinkaku, it looks like we have some more of those Konoha ninjas to play with," Ginkaku said, mockingly.

"Looks like you're right, Ginakaku," Kinkaku replied, equally mocking.

"I wanted to play with the Nine-Tails first, but taking down Madara Uchiha is definitely going to be fun too," Ginaku's smile widened.

Madara observed the two of them with some interest. They had an air about them that was rare to find - a complete lack of fear in a way that was different from shinobi like himself or Hashirama. Kou Inuzuka was right, they were likely a level of insane. However, there was a larger group of shinobi behind them, and still, only three of them. It would be a tough battle, and if the rumours were true, a battle of the magnitude it was sure to be would draw the Nine-Tails out. Clearly, that was the intention of these shinobi, who easily could've gone on ahead.

"Taku, can you sense where Hashirama is?" Yuri asked Takuma quietly.

"Not in range yet," Takuma replied after a moment.

"I can sense him," Madara said. "Fifteen minutes." And Sakura was closing in too.

"Madara, we shouldn't engage," Yuri said to him.

"We don't have a choice," Madara responded. "We can't afford to draw this battle out. The longer it goes on, the more likely the Nine-Tails will come."

Takuma nodded. As a fellow sensor-type, Madara knew he could feel the chakra of the tailed-beast too. Madara's activated his Sharingan.

"On my mark, scatter."

He stepped forward, addressing the enemy shinobi.

"What are you shinobi doing on our lands?"

Kinkaku and Ginkaku shared a look.

"We got lost."

"Lies," Takuma hissed.

Madara looked at them with disdain.

"You'll come to regret losing your way," he said after a moment.

With lightning-fast quickness, he formed the hand-sign horse and released his jutsu.

"Great Fire Annihilation!"

A wall of flame spurted from his mouth, spread high and wide towards the enemy shinobi. Takuma and Yuri scattered - Yuri into the trees on the side of the road on one side, Takuma to the other side. Madara stopped the jutsu. The ground was scorched, the trees were alight. An earth wall created to shield the enemy was crumbling in front of him. It broke and fell, and Madara saw that the brothers had kicked it down. They were both now armed with weapons he'd never seen before, and he guessed these were the weapons the Raikage had been worried about. Madara unsealed his gunbai and kama. His Sharingan quickly assessing the shinobi before him.

There was a moments pause, and then the battle broke out. Yuri and Takuma attacked from the sides. Uncaring about their fellow comrades, the Gold and Silver brothers launched their attack at Madara, which he'd been expecting. All his sensed screamed at him to avoid the glowing yellow rope on one of their arms, and force their tools away from them.

Gold swung the red and white fan, producing a powerful wind jutsu that Madara deflected and rejected with his gunbai, directly back at him, while Silver attempted to use the momentary distraction to slice him with the strange sword he held. But Madara was faster, and his gunbai caught the sword, while he swung and sliced at Silver with his kama. Silver jumped back, avoiding the blade, and Gold took his chance to attack. Madara avoided him and used his kama to simultaneously attack Silver. He swung his gunbai, forcing both Gold and Silver back.

The next attacks consisted of ridiculous taunts that Madara didn't fall for and the attempt for them to force him into touch the gold rope wrapped around Gold's arm. There were several times that they came close to succeeding, but Madara's speed and keen ability to predict their movements kept him constantly out of reach. The brothers seemed to get annoyed and impatient as time wore on, making their movements more hasty and reckless, something good and bad for Madara. His silence seemed to agitate them as well, though he couldn't understand why. Although it was clear the pair were skilled, Madara was tired of their games. For shinobi who were apparently powerful and reckless, they were slow and relied on their tools too much.

Madara swiftly forced his kama into the ground and put his gunbai on his back, and blasted them both with another fireball jutsu. He ran through the flames, using the gunbai on his back as defence from attacks from behind while he used a quick succession of taijutsu to get a grip on Gold's wrist, below the gold rope, a foot crushing down on his foot, and using his Mangekyo Sharingan, he cast Gold into a powerful genjutsu.

Madara ducked as he sensed Silver swing the blade at him, and twisted as he crouched, coming in close to Silver, gripping his forearm using the kunai he'd taken from his bag to slit Silver's throat. Silver stared at him with wide, shocked eyes, like he couldn't believe what was happening. His hands went to his throat as blood poured from it, and out his mouth. Madara kicked him back to the ground mercilessly.

Gold was trying and failing to get out of his genjutsu. Madara took his kama and sliced off the arm that was bound in the Gold rope. The genjutsu still didn't break and inside it, Madara made sure that Gold knew his brother was dead and so was he. He didn't bother to break the genjustu or act against him again. Gold raged inside the genjustu, but he would bleed out soon enough. Madara had no mercy to spare on enemies who killed his comrades so mercilessly.

Madara just in time to turn and see that Yuri and Takuma had captured three of the shinobi. But it was clear that Yuri was injured. He frowned, sensing that Hashirama was close, as was Sakura. He saw Yuri drop to his knees and flickered to his side.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Wasn't paying attention," Yuri grunted. "It's fine."

"It's not," Madara muttered. "Suri will kill me if something happens to you."

Yuri chuckled then winced. Takuma and Madara helped him to his feet.

"It was a lightning technique," Takuma said.

"Probably why my heart feels like it's about to give out," Yuri muttered.

His eyes shifted to the scene down where Madara had been fighting.

"What did you do to them?"

Madara shook his head.

"Arrogant brats," he grunted. "A couple more years and they might've been real trouble."

He looked up.

"Hashirama's here. Sakura's close. Just hold on and wait for her."

Yuri nodded.

"Go," he said.

Madara left him and Takuma and went to Hashirama, who had appeared on the road, stopping at the sight of the dead shinobi.

"What happened here?" Hashirama asked him.

The group of shinobi all gathered around, taking in the scene.

"They were waiting for us," Madara said. "I took out the Gold and Silver brothers, while Takuma and Yuri fought the others. They caught three prisoners."

Madara turned when he heard the thud of a body behind him. Gold had finally fallen.

"They were using some kind of ninja tools," Madara said. "We should collect them."

The gold rope was no longer glowing around the severed arm.

"We should get going soon. This much death so close to the Nine-Tails might draw it out," Madara murmured to Hashirama, who nodded.

Sakura suddenly came running out of the trees. He saw her pause, take in the scene wide-eyed and then heard her name called.

"Yuri!" She exclaimed.

She ran over to her friend. Hashirama ordered the recovery and sealing of the ninja tools, and while they did that, Madara and Hashirama both made their way to Sakura.

"Is he going to be all right?" Madara asked her.

Sakura's hands glowed green over Yuri's chest. She nodded.

"Yes, but, he can't use any chakra until I check him over at the hospital. Some of his coils have been damaged."

Yuri cursed under his breath. She gave him an apologetic look.

"Sorry," she said.

The glow from her hands faded.

"Someone should take him back now. The sooner he returns the better."

"I'll take him," Takuma volunteered. "It was my fault anyway."

"No it wasn't," Yuri retorted. "Don't be a hero."

Takuma snorted.

"Yeah, yeah."

He lifted Yuri onto his back, and with Yuri muttering how humiliating it was, they departed. Sakura finally turned to Madara and Hashirama.

"They're dead?" She asked. "Kinkaku and Ginkaku?"

Madara nodded. A myriad of emotion passed over her face, but the one he could make out the most was relief. Palpable relief.

"What did they do?" He asked, intensely curious.

She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a world-shaking roar. Everyone froze.

"I smell death."

As much as Mito wanted to tie the three of them in a sack and send them home, she couldn't help but admire the resolve of Sakura's little followers. Hikari, Shouta, and Shikata all shared a look of fierce determination and rebellion in their eyes, and Mito allowed them to accompany her under the condition they stay out of the way.

A feeling of danger rose on Mito's skin, as she felt an increase in dark intent the closer they came. She could sense the gathering of chakra, including her husband, Madara, and Sakura, but she also could feel the Nine-Tails. She felt the passing of two chakra signatures, one was unstable and damaged, the second weakened, but she recognised them as shinobi from Konoha, and they passed by each other without pausing. She assumed one was a sensor as well, or they were in a hurry to return.

Mito felt the sudden rise in the Nine-Tails chakra and she held out her arm, stopping the group.

"What is it?" Shouta asked her.

The evening was ripped through by a roar that shook the very air around them. The Nine-Tails had come. Mito clenched her jaw. She needed to hurry, but she couldn't bring the kids any further.

"What was that?" Hikari whispered, cringing back in fear.

"That was the Nine-Tailed Fox," Mito told her. She turned to face them. "Your Hokage, Sakura, Madara and the elite jonin of Konoha are about to enter into a battle that may end in all of their deaths. I can't allow inexperienced chunin to come any further."

Shouta stepped forwards.

"We have to support Lady Sakura," he said adamantly.

Hikari looked frightened out of her head, but she gave a shaking nod, and Mito knew that fear wasn't going to hold the girl back. Shikata also seemed quite determined, but there was a thoughtfulness to his gaze and he was looking at Mito curiously, no doubt wondering what she was planning to do and why she was there in the first place.

"You will only be a distraction and get in her way," Mito said harshly. "Sakura doesn't need your help. She needs you safe."

Shouta set his jaw stubbornly but said nothing in response. Mito couldn't risk using any unnecessary chakra before the sealing, so she couldn't seal the trio and keep them away. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at them and tried to make them understand. She could feel the battle beginning. Hashirama had let his full chakra out from its mask, and she felt the spike in Madara's.

"Listen to me right now," she said to them, growing angry and impatient. "The three of you will stay here. You have disobeyed direct orders from your superiors. What did you think you would accomplish, coming here? You are not strong enough to face the Nine-Tails Fox and live. Your Hokage is fighting now. Sakura is fighting. Let them do their job, I can't protect you and I have to go."

Shikata let out a long sigh.

"This is such a drag," he said.

Suddenly, Shouta and Hikari stiffened, and Mito saw that Shikata had used his jutsu to hold them.

"Shikata, let me go," Shouta grunted.

"You better get going, Lady Mito," Shikata said. "I can only hold them for so long."

"Thank you," Mito said to him. She looked at the other two. "If anything happens to you, Sakura…" Mito shook her head. "Don't let her lose someone else," she said.

Hikari bit her lip and lowered her eyes shamefully. She caught eyes with Shikata, who was already straining with effort. Mito turned and ran, leaving the three of them there. She couldn't risk the distraction of those kids getting caught in the fight when she needed to concentrate on doing what she had come to do.

As Hashirama commanded the shinobi who'd followed him to take the prisoners and get away from the area, staying alert for support but not to engage, Sakura passed Madara a soldier pill.

"Eat this," she said to him. "It'll replenish your chakra."

He looked at the round brown ball with distaste and Sakura fought back a smile.

"It tastes as good as it looks," she told him.

With a heavy sigh, Madara ate the pill. His nose scrunched at the taste and Sakura held in a smile.

"You're right," he said after a moment. "What is this?" He asked with wonder.

"Soldier pill," Sakura said.

Madara suddenly looked away and then frowned, and looked back at Sakura, giving her a long look. She felt suddenly worried.

"Sakura, Mito is - "

Madara's eyes widened fractionally, switching from black to his Mangekyo and he suddenly cut off, hugged her tightly, and flickered them both a distance away. When they landed, he let her go, and Sakura felt the pulse of malicious chakra. She spun quickly around to see that the Nine-Tails had appeared suddenly behind them, looking at them group down its nose. Sakura's heart pounded in her chest. He was so fast, so incredibly fast and huge. She couldn't help but think of Naruto when she saw him, but this wasn't the same Nine-Tails. Sakura remembered what Madara had been saying.

"Is she here?" Sakura breathed. She turned desperately to Madara. "Is Mito here?"

Madara nodded, looking concerned at her. Hashirama suddenly called out his wife's name in shock and Sakura turned to see her running towards them. She ignored her husband and ran straight to Sakura.

"Sakura, I'm here," she said. "I can do this, but I need time to prepare."

Sakura stared at her for a moment, then nodded. There wasn't time to think. Hashirama suddenly launched massive wooden pillars at the Nine-Tails, throwing him off balance. He roared again.

"You arrogant humans!"

"Madara!" Hashirama shouted. "We can't let him form a tailed-beast bomb."

Madara looked torn between Sakura and Hashirama.

"Go," Sakura said. "You have to work together."

"Sakura. Get to safety," Madara told her.

She shook her head.

"No. I'm not going anywhere. You stay alive until we're ready."

Madara looked between them both, but there wasn't time to say anything else before Hashirama called for him again. He flickered away and Mito and Sakura were left alone, while Hashirama battled the Nine-Tails. The others had already retreated.

"What do you need?" Sakura asked Mito.

Mito took a breath.

"Ideally, I need the Nine-Tails immobilised," she said.

They both looked up to see the Nine-Tails being attacked by Hashirama and Madara.

"But I definitely need time to gather my chakra and perform the seals."

Sakura nodded.

"I understand, but," she hesitated. "Are you sure you want to do this? The Gold and Silver Brothers are dead, Tobirama is safe from them now. They never got to the Nine-Tails to do whatever they wanted."

Mito gave her a look of compassion and gratitude and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I am glad for Tobirama's sake, but I thought a lot about it as I came here. There will be others who come for the Nine-Tails," Mito said. "And the village will become a target for its rampages when they fail, and if they succeed and harness its power, our land will be under threat. There is no other choice in my mind, I will protect my home and my people in the way that I can. This is it," she said.

A massive gust of wind blew across the area from the battle that Hashirama and Madara were engaged in. Sakura briefly saw the blue flash of Madara's Susanoo high above the trees. Katsuyu murmured that she would tell Tobirama what was happening. Sakura wanted to argue with her, but she couldn't. Instead, she took a breath and gathered her courage.

"I'll go tell them what you need," she said.

"Don't let Hashirama be distracted. Keep him focused," Mito warned her. "Give me four minutes."

Sakura nodded. She closed her eyes and released her Strength of a Hundred Seal. Black marks ran down her face and over her body.

"I won't let you down," Sakura said.

She turned and ran towards the battle, pushing away the part of herself that doubted her sanity. Hashirama and Madara had pushed the Nine-Tails back some distance and were fighting it from within Madara's Susanoo. A giant step from the Susanoo crushed the ground, and its punch to the Nine-Tails jaw pushed the tailed-beast away. Sakura needed to get their attention somehow. She ran, jumping from the ground into the trees, to the tallest one she could find, before launching herself from the highest branches as they crushed beneath her feet, onto the Susanoo. She found herself being pulled inwards and upwards.

"What are you doing here?" Madara growled at her.

Hashirama stared in surprise at her face. It was the first time he'd seen her seal released. She wasn't going into a battle against the Nine-Tails unprepared.

"Listen carefully," Sakura said to them. "We need to give Mito time to prepare, and you need to get the Nine-Tails immobilised."

"Mito time to prepare for what?" Hashirama asked her.

"Hashirama!" Madara shouted.

They turned their attention to the Nine-Tails who was attempting to make a tailed-beast bomb. Hashirama used his wood style to disrupt the formation of it, and the Nine-Tails roared in anger at them.

"She's going to seal the Nine-Tails," Sakura told them.

Hashirama looked at her with wide-eyes.

"What? How?" He breathed.

"I don't know how, I just know that she can and will," Sakura told him.

"You knew. You're the reason she's here."

Hashirama looked at her with a mix of betrayal and anger.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Sakura said to him. "But it's the only way. She needs you to immobilise the Nine-Tails."

"Hashirama." Madara looked at him. "Don't imagine your wife would do something like this just because she was asked too. Mito is stronger than that."

Hashirama clenched his jaw, gave one last, angered look at Sakura, and then turned away and Sakura felt as if he'd just hit her.

"How much time does she need?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Three minutes," Sakura said.

"Sakura, go back to Mito," Madara told her.

She nodded and gave Hashirama's back one last look.

"I'm sorry," she choked out.

"Protect my wife," he said without looking at her.

Sakura swore that she would. She ran back to Mito. Two minutes. Mito was standing still, her palms pressed flat against one another as she concentrated. Her eyes were furrowed, but one lid creaked open when Sakura returned.

"Sorry, Sakura," she muttered.

Sakura frowned, about to ask what for, when she saw three familiar faces running towards her. One minute. They reached Sakura and Mito.

"Go back now!" Sakura shouted angrily at them.

Hikari's and Shikata's eyes were wide and afraid, staring at the Nine-Tails in the distance. Shouta looked only at her.

"This isn't your fight!"

"Lady Sakura, we just - " Hikari tried to speak.

"We're here for you, Lady Sakura," Shouta said.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and turned as she felt the ground shake and a gust of wind blow by then. Trees and debris flew through the air.

"This is not the time!" Sakura said frustrated. "Please! Go back now!" She looked pleadingly at them. "You're in danger here."

"So are you!" Shouta yelled.

Sakura grabbed him by the collar.

"Shouta Uchiha. You are responsible for the lives of your comrades here and now. Take them both and get out of my sight before you all end up dead because you disobeyed my orders."

"Sakura!"

Mito called to her. Sakura let Shouta go. Mito was brimming with energy. She gave one last look to Shouta, Hikari, and Shikata.

"Go back!" She shouted.

She turned to Mito, but the hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she snapped her head up to the Nine-Tails, who'd apparently decided that if he couldn't defeat Madara and Hashirama, he could kill everyone else. Her chest froze and her stomach plummeted.

"Mito!" She screamed.

Mito saw what she did and jumped out of the way. The Nine-Tails jumped unbelievably fast, escaping the Susanoo, and crushing the forest as he landed by them. His giant clawed paw came down towards them, and the three stupid kids who'd come to find her were going to die. Sakura moved faster than she ever had before. She felt the talon pierce through her. She vaguely heard the screams of the people around her. She looked at the claw that had passed through her body, and her hands tightened on it. They seemed very small gripping the talon. All her body strained with effort, as she forcibly removed the Nine-Tails from her body.

She coughed blood and looked up at the Nine-Tails, who although enraged had a look of hate-filled interest in his eyes.

"You'll have to do better than that, Kurama," Sakura said.

"Mistress!" Katsuyu cried.

She knew he heard her when she saw the look of outrage on his face. Hashirama's wood-style surrounded the Nine-Tails, and with as much strength as she could, she pushed out the last part of the talon and threw his heavy, giant paw away from her. Her body shuddered slightly in pain and shock, and she felt the healing process begin. Steam rose from the edges of the hole in her abdomen and it began to slowly heal.

She looked over at Mito, who was looking at her in shock, but then they caught eyes and Mito nodded. Sakura briefly saw Mito's own seal on her forehead released into a small flower-like shape and felt the immense chakra that she released, but Sakura was weak and she closed her eyes as she stumbled back.

The Nine-Tails had big talons. Her breath was heavy and laboured, but she could feel the wound healing. She felt the arms of the three kids holding her up. Hikari was crying and pouring medical chakra into her, which did very little to speed up the healing process, but Sakura was grateful all the same. She was using up a lot of chakra, more than she wanted or thought she would.

"This is why I said to go home," Sakura grunted at them.

Hikari continued to cry and apologise, while Shouta and Shikata remained silent. But from the pained looks on their faces, she knew they understood how wrong they'd been. Sakura felt the wound heal completely, and she pushed away from them. At some point, she realised Katusyu had dispersed and knew her chakra had to be running low.

Hashirama's wood style had completely immobilised the Nine-Tails, and Mito was making a series of complicated hand-signs, weaving an ink seal through the air that was drawing the chakra of the Nine-Tails into her. The Nine-Tails thrashed but couldn't escape. Mito began to cry out with the effort of the sealing, but she stood strong as the Nine-Tails form became weaker and smaller, converting into chakra, and was eventually sealed away inside her. The world became very quiet for a moment, and Sakura ran to Mito.

"Mito, Mito." She took her by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Mito blinked and looked at her. Her eyes were red with black slits, but as Sakura watched they faded back into her own dark eyes.

"It worked," she said before her eyes fluttered shut and she fainted.

Hashirama looked on the scene with horror as he used his hotei technique to capture and hold the Nine-Tails. Madara was frozen beside him. Sakura was skewered on the talon of the Fox. She'd moved so fast to save those three kids who'd appeared, and taken the blow. As angry as he had been, it all vanished when he saw her move into what was certain death. But then she moved. Slowly, at first, and he realised she was removing the talon from her body

"What is she?" Hashirama breathed in awe.

He was torn between concentrating on holding the Nine-Tails at bay, and watching Sakura in disbelief and wonder. She said something, he couldn't make it out, but the Nine-Tails apparently understood and he thrashed against the wood holding him down. Hashirama reinforced it, and when he turned his gaze back to Sakura, she threw away his paw, like it was nothing. Both Hashirama and Madara flinched at the sight of the gaping hole through her middle. Hashirama felt his stomach drop, there was no way she could heal that, and all he thought was that it was a great irony that both Sakura and Itachi would come back in time to die in the same way.

The Susanoo faded, and both Madara and Hashirama's feet landed on the ground. Hashirama saw his wife begin the sealing process. Madara took a step forward, but no more.

"What is it?" Hashirama asked him, surprised he wasn't rushing to Sakura's side.

"She's healing herself," Madara replied quietly. "It's like your regeneration ability."

Hashirama watched as Sakura healed herself. The gaping hole growing smaller and steaming as she healed. Hikari Shimura was crying and trying to help with her own medical jutsu. Both Madara and Hashirama were dumbfounded at what they saw. But Hashirama had no more time to spare for Sakura, as Mito had begun to scream out.

"Hashirama, the Nine-Tails!" Madara reminded him.

Against Mito's sealing, the Fox had begun to resist. Hashirama tightened the hold on the Nine-Tails and was torn between admiration and fear for Mito. Within moments, faster than he thought possible, the Nine-Tails form became just chakra that flowed continuously into Mito, like it was being sucked away by some impossibly strong force until it was all gone. He and Madara watched in surprise as Sakura, apparently healed as if nothing had happened, sprinted over to her and then Mito proceeded to faint in Sakura's arms.

"Mito!" Hashirama cried out in fear.

He ran to her as Sakura laid her on the ground and poured medical chakra into her.

"Is she okay?" Hashirama asked worriedly.

Sakura nodded, the black marks of her seal receded. She looked up at Hashirama, and he saw that she looked exhausted.

"She just needs rest," Sakura said.

Her voice seemed distant and her eyes glazed over. Before Sakura fell, Madara caught her and took her over to the three kids who'd followed her, barking orders at them to inspect her. Hashirama scooped up his wife in his arms. Mito's eyes fluttered open briefly and she smiled up at him.

"Don't be angry with her," she murmured. "It was my choice."

Hashirama gave her a tight nod and leaned down to kiss her forehead. She closed her eyes again and slept in his arms. He could feel the turbulence in her chakra as her body adapted to the Nine-Tails chakra. He walked to Madara, who was being told by Hikari that Sakura's chakra was low.

"I know that," he snapped. "Is she in danger?"

Both Shouta and Hikari laid their hands on her and gave her their own chakra. After a few moments, Shouta seemed satisfied and he stopped Hikari when she didn't.

"We need to get her back to the hospital," Shouta said quietly.

Madara glared at them all.

"Count yourselves lucky she's not dead," he hissed at them.

He was holding Sakura tightly, and Hashirama knew he was terrified of losing her.

"She's like this because of you three," he told them angrily.

They all flinched back at his words, shame and sorrow and regret on all their faces.

"Madara," Hashirama stopped this angry tirade.

Madara looked at him with dark, narrow eyes and Hashirama looked down at Sakura with conflict.

"Let's go home," he said to them all.

There would be many things to discuss when they got back to the village.