Chapter Thirteen
Sakura awoke groggily, her senses sluggish and dull. Her body was heavy, like lead had replaced the blood in her veins. Somehow she was still upright, propped up in a chair with her hands bound tightly behind her back. Likely the only thing keeping her from falling forward. Not that they were necessary in her current state.
Nearly every joint in Sakura's body ached and her eyes refused to open, no matter how hard she tried. She pushed chakra through her system but it moved like water through her fingers. There but difficult to hold without her whole concentration. Which only made the pounding in her head that much worse.
Somewhere just beyond, she could hear others. Or rather one other as they paced agitatedly. "I told you I wanted her alive."
"She is alive, sir. Just sedated."
Ah, so that's what they had injected her with. No wonder her chakra felt so heavy in her pathways.
"How much did you give her?" Danzo asked, his voice laced with just the slightest edge of displeasure.
His subordinate briefly hesitated. "All of it."
Even drugged, Sakura could feel the dissatisfaction rolling off of him as strongly as if it were directed at her. He returned to his pacing as the shakes and rumbling of battle sounded so close and yet so far.
Through the fog that filled her mind, Sakura was reminded again the state of the village. That this man had wreaked havoc on her most beloved home. Her teammates, her friends, her family were out there suffering because of him. Ino and Naruto and Sasuke...all of them were in danger. She didn't even know if they were still alive or not. It made her angry. Angry enough to make her want to rip him limb by limb. But also scared.
Danzo had sent his men after her for a very specific reason. And she knew he would use any means necessary to get the information.
Drugged and bound, panic threatened to overwhelm her but she reminded herself to breathe. They still thought she was unconscious. They wouldn't do anything to her. Yet.
Without stirring, Sakura took a moment to assess her injuries as best she could. Her forearm stung where she had blocked the swipe of a kunai and the back of her neck ached from the blow that had knocked her unconscious, but she was otherwise uninjured. Just worn down and exhausted. Not that surprising. They had intended to capture, not kill, her from the start. To interrogate her for information on Tsunade.
Even with that threat looming overhead, the drugs continued to run rampage through Sakura's body and she faded out again. The murmur of voices reached her ears but she was unable to make out their words like she had been plunged underwater. She didn't know how much time passed like that, her head still swimming as she balanced on the edges of conscious and unconsciousness.
Eventually she came around again, her head slowly beginning to clear. As a medic, her metabolism worked at a much higher rate and while the drugs weren't yet fully out of her system, they would be soon. She just needed a few more minutes for her chakra to begin flowing regularly again. Then she could accelerate the process and work a plan to get out of this situation. But first she needed her hands.
They were still tied behind her back. If Danzo was smart, he would have had his men tie her up with chakra-sealing restraints. But he was arrogant. And she prayed that he thought he had bested her by pumping her full of drugs. There was only one way to find out.
Danzo stopped his pacing again. "Where are the other men I sent after her?"
"Long beyond saving," Sakura finally spoke. Her voice was low and rough but it was heard throughout the half-destroyed office. Danzo turned towards her.
"I see you're finally awake," he said as he approached her. He wasn't quite glaring but there was an unpleasant frown permanently settled upon his lips like he would never find a reason to smile again. Apparently he didn't appreciate her throwing his words back at him. "You have been quite the nuisance for me this evening. And I'm on a tight schedule so I'm only going to ask you this once. Where is she?"
The village elder towered over Sakura, forcing her to angle her head back sharply to meet his gaze, but the drugs in her system made his intimidation roll right off her. The corner of her mouth twitched in a smile. "You are more than welcome to search the village, but I can promise you, you will never find her."
"Do not make me force it out of you."
"If you think there is anything you can do to me that will make me tell you, you are kidding yourself. You'll have to kill me first," Sakura said with more bravery than she had. She was pretty sure the drugs were making her lose her inhibitions, making her mouth move faster than her filter. "And if I die, she lives anyway and you will fall regardless."
Danzo stared at her like she was an annoying child he had been forced to babysit. "Unlikely. We both know Tsunade won't survive the night."
Sakura met his gaze steadily. "If you wanted me to believe that, you shouldn't have made a point of dragging me back here. You want confirmation that Tsunade is dead. I promise you she is very much alive and well."
So maybe that part was a lie but Danzo didn't need to know that.
"For now," he agreed haughtily.
He turned away from her then to stand before the wall where the large window once sat. His robes blew in the soft breeze as he watched the destruction continue to unfold within the village.
Sakura used the distraction to test the restraints around her wrists. She bit back her smirk. They were made of reinforced leather. It seemed Danzo had underestimated her again. She would make sure it was the last time he would ever do so.
Her eyes then fell to the other men in the room. There were three Root agents lining the opposite wall, two on either side of her and another four guarding the door like silent gargoyles. A total of nine. In this state, she wouldn't be able to take them all down. Even uninjured and well-rested, it would be difficult for her to manage them in a space this confined.
But it didn't matter. Danzo was her primary target. As long as she got him, it didn't matter what happened to her.
Sakura glanced towards the crumbling wall. The ceiling was surprisingly intact but the floor was cracked under Danzo's feet where Tsunade had fallen. Sakura tried not to notice the pool of blood staining the wood dark, tried to push down the rage threatening to build in her chest. Instead she forced herself to focus through all the drugs and the anger and pain. She only had one shot at this.
"Even so, Konoha is still on the verge of falling," Danzo continued, his visible eye still observing the fires blazing in the distance. "And when it does, it will be built anew with a new regiment."
Sakura failed to conceal her snort. "With you as the new leader."
"I already told you. I will bring Konoha back to its former glory. With me as the new Hokage-"
"You are no Hokage," she interrupted, her voice full of unmasked disdain and contempt. "A stolen crown doesn't make you King."
Danzo rounded to face her. But rather than being irritated with her obvious disrespect, he seemed amused. Or as amused someone like him could be. "And yet here we stand."
"The night is still young."
"Perhaps. But it does not change the outcome of the morning," he waved her off. "Tsunade is merely a loose string that will be dealt with eventually. By now, she and your shinobi are either dead or dying in the streets."
"Because of the poison you created," Sakura ventured a guess. "The poison your men modified to make a person's antibodies attack their own cells."
Danzo smiled, but it was cold. Lacking humor. "I see you've done your research. But it's far too late. It's on every blade my agents carry. A single scratch is all it takes to infect the bloodstream. Most will only survive minutes."
Sakura nodded her agreement. Then stopped. "Unless they have an antidote."
That gave him pause. He didn't outwardly show it but his silence was enough. Victory roared through her.
"You didn't make an antidote," Danzo said, as if trying to make the words true by saying them out loud.
"No, I didn't," Sakura said. Then she smirked, "But Shizune did."
He crossed the room again, stopping immediately in front of her until he loomed over her. His face was composed but his jaw was set, daring her to contradict him. "You may be Tsunade's prized student," he said it like an insult, "but even you are incapable of getting an antidote out to everyone."
"True," she nodded. "I guess it's fortunate that there is one thing in common everyone needs in order to survive." When Danzo simply stared at her, she provided, "Water."
Brief understanding passed over his features. "You tainted the village's water supply."
"The science of Medicine is a beautiful thing," she smiled. "With the right modifications, drugs can stay in the body for hours. If you've had any water within the last twenty-four hours, even a traitor like you is protected."
"You bitch," Danzo snarled.
Like a porcelain mask, his composure broke. He struck her abruptly, his hand coming down across her mouth, sharp and sudden. The unexpected power behind it wrenched her face to the side sharply, nearly cracking her neck. The metallic taste of blood immediately filled her mouth and coated her tongue. Pain lanced through her jaw but she refused to let it show as she collected herself.
When she glanced back at him, her face was hard. "You hit like a man."
Her voice was soft but there was no denying the obvious insult. His blows held nothing compared to Tsunade's.
Anger flickered darkly across his face. "You will tell me where Tsunade is. Or I will make you."
Sakura had never considered Danzo evil before. Arrogant and intimidating, yes. But not evil. However, there was something downright sinister in his tone. It made her skin crawl. Whatever bravery she might still held melted away like salt in the snow. She said nothing.
"Very well," Danzo said darkly. "I have other ways of getting the information I want from you."
Sakura didn't know what he meant by that, but it became all too clear when Danzo slipped his right arm out from his robes. It seemed it wasn't as useless and disabled as he had made everyone believe. Her shock grew when he pulled his sleeve up to reveal nearly half a dozen sharingan eyes implanted into his forearm.
Izumi was her first thought. Followed by horror as she wondered how many Uchihas had he killed for these eyes. Her stomach twisted into sharp knots, not even sure she wanted to know the answer.
"Tell me what I want to know," Danzo demanded.
His expression was downright menacing as he raised his arm and leaned further over her, the eyes on his forearm beginning to spin. Her heart pounded painfully behind her ribs, hard enough that she could feel each beat throughout her chest. She still remembered only too well the last time she had been locked in a genjutsu cast by the sharingan. She wouldn't do it again. She wouldn't!
That's when Sakura fainted.
She slumped in her chair, her eyes slipping closed and her head falling forward. Danzo stepped back and glared at the agents on either side of her. "Dammit! You gave her too much of the drug. Wake her up. We need to move quickly."
The Root member on Sakura's right immediately sprang into action. He pressed his fingers to her neck, feeling her pulse before he lifted her face. He blinked in surprise to find her eyes opened and the diamond on her forehead missing. Instead, seals branched out from where it had once been, wrapping around her face and across the skin beneath her clothing.
Sakura didn't give him the chance to move. She ripped herself free of her restraints and grabbed the man, throwing him behind her and directly into the other agent guarding her. Danzo too stared in shock but quickly recovered.
He stepped back, allowing the other agents to come between him and the powerful kunoichi. But Sakura knew she was out of time. She didn't have the stamina to deal all of them and Danzo on top of it. And if the village was the survive, Danzo could not.
Cocking her fist back, Sakura drove it down onto the cracked floor. It spider webbed further but didn't collapse, like she had intended. Damn drugs were still affecting her. But she didn't hesitate. Gathering her chakra, she reeling her hand back, intending to strike again when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. Someone grasped the back of her shirt and threw her back and out of the way.
Sakura stumbled but managed to catch herself. She looked up just in time to watch as four Root members turn on the others. In a matter of seconds, the office had become the scene of a massacre as blood splattered through the air and bodies hit the floor. Danzo didn't bother asking questions. He fled the office through the gaping hole in the wall and disappeared out into the night before the first body hit the floor.
As soon as the other Root agents were dead, the remaining four turned to her. Sakura dropped back into a defensive stance, her fists raised, not quite sure if she should be fighting or fleeing as well. It all became clear an instant later when they dropped their henge.
Itachi. And Shisui and Genma and Kakashi. They were all here.
"Oh thank Kami," Sakura breathed.
Relief struck her like a physical blow and her knees nearly gave out on her. Not that it matter. An instant later, Itachi was beside her, his arms around her to support her weight. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, taking comfort in his familiarity.
"You're okay. I've got you," he murmured into her hair.
Sakura didn't speak. Only dug her fingers into the back of his shirt as she held onto him like a lifeline. Like he was the only thing keeping her grounded, keeping her strong in the face of everything that had happened.
She wasn't sure how long she held onto Itachi for, but eventually his grip around her loosened enough for him to look down at her. He touched the corner of her mouth where Danzo had struck her. Sakura flinched slightly but smiled anyway.
"I'm okay," she said, answering his wordless question.
Itachi searched her face a moment longer before the concern in his dark eyes faded. When he finally released her, Sakura realized everyone else was watching them. Kakashi and Genma each shared a look of surprise, though Kakashi hid his better than the senbon wielder, while Shisui looked like he was trying very hard not to grin. A strange sight considering his sharingan was still activated.
It was then that she realized Itachi's eyes were black. Like he knew she was still shaking from the effects the sharingan had had on her all that time ago. A new wave of gratitude and fondness for him hit her. Strong enough that it nearly knocked her off her feet. She was just so relieved she hadn't been alone.
"What are you guys doing here?" Sakura asked. "How did you get in here?"
"We were here before you," Kakashi said.
"Which is probably a good thing," Genma added. "Otherwise the Hokage Tower would be a pile of rubble."
His mouth twitched in a teasing smile. Sakura matched it but hers didn't have quite as much heart to it. Itachi was still standing so close to her. Like he knew she had planned on bringing Danzo and all of his Root agents down with her. She knew he wasn't happy, but it had been her last resort. Since she had awoken, she hadn't thought she would be leaving the Tower alive.
"We need to find Danzo," Sakura said, redirecting the conversation. "He won't stop until Konoha is under his control. Or he thinks his plan is completely lost."
"It's likely he's just moved elsewhere and is still within the village," Itachi said.
"Agreed," Shisui nodded. "We need to hurry. Before he regroups."
"We should spread the word too," Genma added. "So everyone knows it was this bastard and not the Uchiha Clan leading this attack."
Sakura nodded her agreement but Itachi quickly contradicted them. "Our primary focus needs to be in finding Danzo. There will be time later to clear the clan's name."
She caught Itachi's gaze out of the corner of her eye but he didn't hold her gaze for long as Genma pressed, "We should tell the village anyway. It'll make it harder for him to hide."
"Genma has a point," Kakashi said.
Itachi didn't immediately answer as he weighed the pros and cons. Then he nodded. "Alright. Let's get the word out."
Only before they could move, there was a shuffle of movement in the corner of the room. A last Root agent bleeding, broken and dying. But still alive. Like everything had slowed to quarter speed, Sakura recognized the exploding tag on his body. Watched the raise of his hand in that familiar hand seal, followed by a single word:
"Kai."
Adrenaline hit like a bolt of lightning. Everyone moved in the same instant. Genma launched himself at the Root agent, Kakashi a pace behind. Itachi reached for Sakura, Shisui for Itachi. And in the center was Sakura, her hands pressed together into a seal just as blinding light filled the office.
And then there was darkness.
##
Sakura came back slowly. Something heavy was pinning her in place, threatening her ability to breath and immobilizing a majority of her body. She was barely conscious but she managed to flood a little chakra into her hands, pushing the heavy stone off her.
"Sakura!" a voice called.
Hands reached for her, pulling her from the rubble. She choked on her first inhale of breath as she coughed hard against the dust and particles clogging the air. When the worst of it cleared, her heart dropped into her stomach.
The Hokage Tower was gone. It had collapsed completely, stone and wooden supports spilling out into the street like a gutted fish. Kakashi was the one holding her, pulling her from the pile of stone she had been trapped beneath. He was covered in dust and ash but otherwise unharmed thanks to the white and blue striped creature on his shoulder.
There was a slug on Sakura's too. It was secreting a thin mucus-like substance infused with chakra that worked like a salve, healing her wounds and protecting her from injuries that could have left her much, much worse. Sakura was suddenly grateful she had asked Tsunade to teach her the technique after Pein's assault years before.
"Katsuyu…" Sakura breathed in relief. She had activated the jutsu in time. "You're all right?" she asked Kakashi.
"I'm fine," he said as he pulled her to her feet.
The summoning may have healed the worst of Sakura's injuries but she had pushed her body to the limits that night and she momentarily swayed. Her ex-sensei steadied her with a firm hand.
As soon as that feeling of weakness passed, Sakura immediately scanned her surroundings. "Itachi? And Shisui?"
Itachi glanced towards the call of his name. His shoulders sagged in relief at finding Sakura only a few yards away, a little shaken but for the most part uninjured. He had tried to reach her before the explosion but hadn't been able to get her out in time. He was grateful Kakashi had found her. Grateful Sakura had managed to call upon her summon in time. He didn't think any of them would have survived a blast that close and in such tight quarters. It seemed there was more to the seals on her body than he knew.
Shisui was beside Itachi, his hair and clothes covered in dust but he was okay. The only person Itachi didn't see was Genma.
Sakura noticed too. "Where's Genma?"
The slug on Sakura's shoulder shrunk a little, its eyestalks turning down in sorrow. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san. Genma-san took a majority of the blast. There wasn't anything left to save."
Those words hit Itachi like a second blow. Beside him, Shisui grew still, his eyes wide and full of a mix of sorrow and disbelief, like he couldn't understand how it had all happened so suddenly. Itachi wasn't sure he could entirely process it yet. That was war. Teammates were there, strong and healthy. And then suddenly they weren't.
Silence overcame the street as they mourned for their fallen comrade. When Itachi turned back to Sakura, she was leaning heavily on her ex-sensei like she could no longer find the strength to hold herself up. Which was likely true. She had been through so much tonight. Losing a comrade, losing a friend was just another blow.
Itachi took a step towards her, but the action was interrupted by the arrival of more shinobi. Inuzuka Hana, Anko, Morino Ibiki, and a handful of other Konoha ninja dropped into the streets. They didn't immediately speak, taking in the sight of the widely- recognized landmark laying in pieces in the street. Praying that it wasn't a symbol of what was to become of Konoha.
Hana was the first to speak, "What happened? Are you guys alright?"
Kakashi nodded, but his face was tense. Still trying to come to terms with Genma's death. "It's Danzo. He's trying to bring Konoha under his control."
"Danzo?" Anko asked sharply.
"I figured as much," Ibiki said, surprising them. "I thought I recognized a few of those men as Root."
"Root?" Hana repeated. The ninken user glanced at Konoha's main interrogator, a puzzled look on her tattooed face. "I thought they were disbanded years ago."
"The Hokage ordered it," Ibiki agreed. "But it seems Danzo continued his project behind her back."
"Slimy bastard," she muttered.
"Hey...where's Genma?" Anko suddenly asked. She scanned the area before glancing at Kakashi. "I thought he was with you?"
Automatically Itachi glanced at Sakura, but her eyes were downcast, unable to meet anyone's gaze. That familiar swell of grief settled in his chest again. So heavy, so hollow. Kakashi didn't speak. Only shook his head.
Like a wave, shock and sorrow spread through the small group that had gathered. Every one of them had known Genma well, had worked alongside him or grew up with him since the academy days. His loss would be felt by all. Most of all by Shizune. Itachi already knew it would destroy the kind woman. And Sakura would likely be the one to tell her.
Collecting himself, Itachi pulled his eyes away from Sakura. There would be a time to grieve, but it wasn't now. They all had to move if the village was to survive the night. "We need to find Danzo," Itachi said, breaking the tension.
"Where do we even start?" Anko asked.
A dark look crossed Hana's face. "How about with him?"
Confused, they followed the jerk of her thumb towards her ninken. The large dog had a bound and gagged Root agent in his teeth, claw marks obvious on the man's flank. It looked like he had nearly been mauled to death. Which judging from the blood streaking the canine's fur likely wasn't far from the truth.
Upon Hana's command, the dog dropped the man in front of Ibiki. The older shinobi frowned. "I can try but I'm not sure how much he'll give us. Root is trained in torture techniques. And if Danzo placed a seal, it'll be impossible to get any information from him."
"Only one way to find out," Hana grinned.
She yanked the gag out of his mouth. The moment it was out, he spat at her and sneered. "I will tell you nothing. I am loyal to Danzo. He is the true Hokage. Once you fools and your Hokage have fallen-"
Before anyone could move, Sakura was on the Root agent. She grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the eight feet of wall that remained of the Tower. The force behind it caused cracks to splinter through the stone but she held him firmly in place.
The Root member went limp, his eyes wide. "What-what did you do to me? I can't...I can't move."
"I severed your spinal cord," Sakura told him, her voice dark and laced with pure venom. "You're completely paralyzed, but don't worry, you can still talk and breath. For now. Now you will tell me what I want to know."
It was the razor-sharp ice in Sakura's tone gave Itachi pause. Her prowess was known infamously through the village. Her abilities and accomplishments were not a secret. But this...this was something else entirely. Chakra swirled around her menacingly as the anger and fear and stress she had endured that night reached a boiling point. Itachi didn't think there was a time he had ever seen her more enraged or dangerous than now. And if the way the others were watching her silently, neither had they.
Covered in blood and dust, and spitting with rage, Sakura was something straight out of a nightmare.
"Tell me where I can find Danzo," she demanded.
A series of expressions flickered across the man's face. Like he was still trying to regain control of his body. Sakura knew he never would. Even with her medical expertise, the cord was long beyond saving. Just as she had intended.
"I can't," the Root agent finally said.
Her hand around his neck tightened. "Can't? Or won't?"
"C-can't," he wheezed. She loosened her grip again, just enough for him to talk. "Danzo...Danzo put seals on all of us. If I try to reveal his plans or anything about him, I'll seize and fall into a coma or die."
His lack of help only made her more furious. It wasn't his fault he wasn't able to provide them with the information they needed, but he wasn't a victim either. He was a soldier under Danzo. He had been a part of the army that attacked the village, their teammates, their friends. In a roundabout way, he was responsible for Genma's death. And that was Sakura's breaking point.
"Then I guess you're of no further use to me," she said. And with a burst of chakra, she tightened her hold and snapped his neck.
No one moved as he hit the ground bonelessly. Something in the air shifted like a collective understanding passed through the group. There was a reason this kunoichi was feared. A fact Itachi hadn't appreciated until that very moment. Her expression was cool but calculating, her eyes hard as if they had been cut from stone. Like one wrong step and her wraith would fall upon her next victim.
Ibiki was the one to break the silence. "We need to find Danzo."
"Agreed," Hana nodded, slowly pulling her eyes from the sight they had just witnessed.
"Yes, but Danzo is still a village elder," Kakashi said. "We need to treat this situation very carefully."
Anko crossed her arms and scoffed. "He's the reason we're at war in the first place. If we kill him, black ops can get the village under control again."
"It is not that simple," Itachi said, finally tearing his eyes away from Sakura. "Danzo has carefully planned this attack. If we kill him without orders from the Hokage, it will only incite another civil war."
"So let's get orders from the Hokage."
Upon those words, Sakura's anger dissipated like dew in the morning sun and a hard lump settled in the pit of her stomach. The image of her mentor weak, pale and unconscious on the Uchiha's dining room table was burned into her mind. She tried to block the image out, tried to push her own emotions aside for the time being but when she spoke, her voice was heavy, "The Hokage isn't in any state to issue orders at the moment."
The stares that met Sakura's words made her chest constrict again. She looked away, unable to say anything more.
"So what now?" Anko eventually asked.
"In the event the Hokage is unable to take command, protocol dictates another is to be voted in as interim," Itachi answered.
"So we need to appoint a new Hokage?"
"It should be Itachi," Shisui said. "He was being considered for next Hokage."
Shocked, Sakura glanced at Itachi sharply, but he wasn't looking at her. He wasn't looking at anyone.
"It cannot be me," Itachi said. "The village believes the Uchiha are behind the attack. And until we can clear up the clan's name it must be another. Someone the village trusts explicitly."
Silence fell as all eyes turned to one person.
Kakashi blinked. "Why are you all looking at me?"
"You're a senior shinobi. Ex-black ops, ex-sensei. You would fit the position well. The village would accept your orders without suspicion and without hesitation," Ibiki added.
Kakashi looked unhappy but everyone else was nodding.
"All in favor?" Ibiki asked.
A ring of agreement came from everyone but Sakura. Hana looked at her expectantly. "Sakura? The Hokage trusted you above everyone else. Your vote is hers. What do you say?"
Sakura stared, surprised to find everyone was in fact waiting for her vote. Shizune was closer to Tsunade. She'd be more fit to make that decision, but she wasn't here. Sakura was. She had never considered herself a senior shinobi, but in that moment, her decision carried the most weight. Being the one to bare that responsibility awed her. And also humbled her.
Sakura nodded, looking at Kakashi directly. "Tsunade-shishou trusts Kakashi explicitly. She knows he would hold the village's best interest at heart."
Itachi turned to Kakashi then. "What are your orders then?"
Kakashi didn't immediately answer. He stared past them, his eyes lingering on the smoke and fires still burning through the village in the distance. When he turned back around, his face was grim. "Find Danzo," he told Itachi. "And do whatever you have to do to stop him."
The Uchiha Heir nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama." He then glanced at Shisui, a wordless communication passing between them, before he turned towards the other shinobi gathered around. "Inuzuka, I will need you too. And Mitarashi."
Both women nodded, their faces settling into battle-ready masks.
A bolt of jealousy went through Sakura that Itachi hadn't asked for her as well. She wanted to pummel Danzo to the ground and remind him what came of those who messed with the ones closest to her. But she was exhausted and low on chakra. She was in no condition to go after the traitor. Already the black marks from her Yin Seal were fading.
Sakura glanced at Itachi to find he was already looking at her. There were a million things she wanted to say to him: "Be careful", "Don't push yourself", "Come back safely." But she said nothing. Only met his gaze, her concern relayed in a single look.
Itachi inclined his head minutely, telling her without words all the things neither of them could say with so many others around.
Then he gave a silent signal and he was gone, along with the rest of his team.
Sakura stared at the spot she had last seen him until Kakashi said her name. He approached her quietly until he stood beside her. "I know you've done the impossible tonight and I know you're exhausted, but I need you at the hospital."
She turned slowly to face him. It was strange how things within the village had shifted so quickly. He had always been someone she looked up to as her sensei and then team leader. Now, he was neither. He was her leader, her Hokage.
Sakura nodded respectfully. "Of course."
He rested his hand on her shoulder. She knew he was smiling slightly by the way his mismatched eyes creased. "Watch your back," he told her. Then he glanced at Ibiki, "Go with her. Ensure she isn't delayed."
The intimidating interrogator nodded. Then Kakashi was was gone, along with the rest of the shinobi, leaving her alone with Ibiki. Sakura didn't waste any time. She bolted from the ruined street, heading straight for the hospital, Ibiki on her heels.
Sakura avoided the many battles taking place throughout the streets. She sprinted across the rooftops, jumping across a half destroyed home and landing on the next one over. They were only a few blocks from the hospital before a small team of Root Agents intercepted them. She stopped short, avoiding the downward swipe of a katana. She parried his attack easily with a kunai and slipped under his guard, nicking his throat with the tip of her weapon. He clapped a hand over the wound before he went for her again. Only before he could strike, a blade suddenly burst from his chest, blue lightning dancing along the metal.
Sakura stilled. She stood frozen as the Root member slumped to the ground, dead. Behind him stood Sasuke, covered in dust and blood but otherwise uninjured.
Sakura launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around the normally stoic male and to her surprise, Sasuke let her as his own arm slipped around her shoulders to pull her close. They shared a moment of relief, grateful the other hadn't been taken in war.
It lasted only a brief second, their moment interrupted by the sound of Ibiki finishing off the last Root member. Sasuke pulled back first to look her over. She flinched as his fingers swept across her temple, finding an injury she hadn't even realized was there.
"You okay?" he asked.
Sakura nodded. "Yeah. You?"
"I'm fine. So is Naruto."
She followed his nod just in time to see their blonde teammate use his Rasengan against a Root member. The powerful jutsu sent the man flying into the wall of an already half-collapsed business. Bricks fell from the damaged roof, burying him.
Naruto merely turned away to glance up at Sasuke. As soon as he spotted Sakura, he jumped up on top of the roof to join them. "Sakura! You're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, accepting his quick hug too.
As soon as he released her, Ibiki stepped forward, covered in new stains of blood. "You can make it the rest of the way to the hospital, Haruno?"
"Yes, thank you."
The older shinobi nodded before he disappeared back into the fray.
As soon as he was gone, Sakura continued towards the hospital with her teammates of either side. Naruto was the first to asked what was going on. She filled both of them in, explaining quickly about Danzo and his plans to take over Konoha. She told them how Tsunade had fallen, how Kakashi had been voted in as Hokage and how he had sent a team after Danzo in little detail, making sure to leave Itachi's name out. Sakura suspected Sasuke knew it was his brother that had been sent, but she didn't clarify. She knew her teammate. Knowing would only be a distraction.
Naruto was unsurprisingly angry. "Danzo," he hissed. "That slimy bastard. I swear when I get my hands on him-."
"You need to stay out of it," Sakura said sternly. She rounded on her teammate when they reached the hospital. "I know you want to help but let Kakashi handle it. If you really want something to do, go find him and get your orders. Otherwise, do what you can for the village. The civilians need your help more than ever."
The blond frowned but nodded nonetheless.
"Be careful, alright? Don't do anything stupid," she said. "And watch each other's backs."
It took a moment but Naruto mumbled his agreement before he turned away.
Sasuke didn't immediately follow. "I'll make sure he stays out of trouble," he said.
Sakura flashed her teammate a smile before Sasuke joined Naruto and together, they slipped back into the smoke.
Inside the hospital, things appeared better off than Sakura had anticipated. The halls were overrun with the injured and dying but the staff was moving through them methodically. Pride briefly came over her. She and Shizune had trained their staff well.
But the feeling didn't last long as Oyone ran up to her. The medic had a stack of bandages in her arms. "Sakura-san, you're here! Thank Kami!"
"What do we have?"
Immediately Sakura fell into step beside her as they hurried further inside the hospital. It quickly became apparent that they had moved the worst injuries closer to the surgical floor while those that could wait were relocated elsewhere in the hospital. Dozens of injured shinobi and civilians lay in beds, all of which were already being treated by nurses and medics. Sakura assessed nearly half a dozen patients before she suddenly found herself beside a familiar face.
"Ino?" Sakura called. She stepped away from her now-stable patient to approach her friend. The blonde was supporting a civilian that had an obviously broken leg. "What are you doing here?"
Ino shot her a look. "You need help. I know I don't have much medical training, but I can sure as hell put a bandage around a wound. Where do you need me?"
Sakura simply stared as gratitude filled her. She was suddenly overcome with the urge to hug her blonde friend but she resisted. Instead, Sakura directed her and the civilian towards the closest bed and together the two women got to work.
##
Things remained chaotic for hours. But there was an organization to the madness. Medics and nurses rushed by, triaging and dropping off supplies as they were needed. They had managed to clear most of the surgical floor before an entire team of black ops had been rushed in, all in critical condition.
Somehow, they managed to save them all. But only just barely.
The entire staff was exhausted. Sakura herself was beginning to run on fumes. Her chakra levels were nearly dangerously low and the stress on her body was starting wear her down. She wasn't going to be of much use much longer.
This is what occupied her thoughts as she watched two nurses wheel one of the shinobi out of surgery. She counted in her head the number of medics and nurses still working, how long most of them had been going and how much longer she thought they could last. The hospital wasn't bad off just yet, but they would be soon.
"Oyone," Sakura called before the experienced medic could head back into the thick of it. "Tell the nurses that need it to take a rest. I don't want anyone passing out from exhaustion. We're going to need everyone at their best a little while longer."
"Yes, Sakura-san," she nodded.
The dark-haired woman turned back towards the door but before she left, Sakura called to her again, a sudden thought running through her head. "And do you know where Shizune is? I haven't seen her yet. I figured she would be here already."
Oyone didn't answer. She stared at Sakura with an expression of surprise. Before it changed to one of deep, deep sorrow and regret.
Sakura's heart dropped into her stomach as dread settled in her chest like a stone in a pond. "No…"
"I'm so sorry, Sakura-san," Oyone said miserably.
Sakura just shook her head, already feeling the swell of unshed tears in the back of her throat. She knew what the nurse was trying to tell her, but she wasn't sure she could quite believe it.
"Say it," Sakura demanded softly. "You have to say it. Or I won't believe you."
Oyone stared at her for a long moment, her expression reflecting her grief before she finally spoke those condemning words:
"Shizune is dead."
The breath left Sakura's body, like a physical force had pushed it from her lungs. The hows and whys crossed her mind, but none of those mattered. Because Shizune was gone. Along with Genma.
"Thank you for telling me," Sakura said, her voice stronger than she felt. "Please see to the nurses."
Oyone opened her mouth, wanting to say more, only to close it again. Instead, she slipped out of the surgical room, letting the door close soundlessly behind her.
Alone, Sakura's emotions threatened to consume her. She turned around, her hands gripping the counter along the wall hard enough that her knuckles turned white. She pinched her eyes closed as she fought to keep her tears at bay, fought to keep the hole in chest from ripping wide open. A few tears managed to slip out, but she refused to let herself break down. She feared she would never collect herself if she let go.
It was almost a welcomed distraction when the door burst open again less than a minute later. A young medic stood in the door, her eyes wide. "Haruno-san! Please come quick! We need you."
Sakura didn't immediately move, like her body had turned to stone. Shizune was dead and Tsunade was in a coma. The hospital was now under her direct supervision. Everyone would be looking to her for direction and she couldn't help them if she didn't keep a level-head.
Taking a deep, calming breath, Sakura wiped the tears from her face before she straightened her shoulders and turned towards the young woman. "Slow down. Just tell me what we have."
Without delay, Sakura fell into step beside the other woman. She filled Sakura in quickly, giving her a rundown of the injuries and condition of the shinobi that had come in. A severe chest wound, second-degree burns along the shoulder and right flank, and multiple, minor lacerations. They had their work cut out for them.
The two medics reached the operating room just as they sedated the patient. Even covered it blood and severely injured, Sakura recognized him: Uchiha Fugaku.
Her heart jumped into her chest. A million questions ran through her mind: How did this happen? How was Mikoto? Where was Tsunade?
But she didn't allow herself time to dwell. Sakura trusted Mikoto to keep Tsunade safe and until she had reason to think otherwise, she had to believe her mentor was still hanging on. Fugaku, on the other hand, was not. He needed her help and she couldn't delay treatment. Only she was nearly out of chakra.
"Okay, everyone," Sakura said, her voice collected and full of confident authority. "We are going to do this quickly but thoroughly. The Uchiha Head is not going to die on this table tonight."
to be continued...
Due to all the wonderful reviews I got, I was able to bang this out in two weeks. So thank you all for your amazing feedback! That being said, I'm not sure this chapter came out exactly as I intended in terms of how the plot was expressed. So be sure to leave me your thoughts.
Again, writing for free. Reviews are appreciated! Much love!