Chapter 37: The Last Guardian

A/N: Hey guys sorry for the delay. But here's the next chapter… Read and review till the end.

Her crimson liquid of life trickled down her hand as the gigantic gate gradually opened. Thick smoke emerged from the inside making it impossible to see what was beyond the stone barrier.

Two huge silver orbs illuminated the dark cavern followed by a huge earth-shaking roar. The earth vibrated with each footstep of the unknown beast while the three guardian beasts stood behind the cave as the clouds blocked the moon's blood shade.

This is it; the beast that possess the ultimate chakra, my key to revenge. Sumire gripped her katana in anticipation of what was to come. After a while, a huge paw stepped out of the smoke as the clouds gave way for the moon to bath the beast's gigantic body with its crimson light.

Sakura and Kamui eyed the beast as it emerged from its den. It was a huge white tiger with silver eyes and golden claws. Lowering its head, his feline orbs reflected the two daring humans in front of him.

Someone jumped in front of the two and started to cast a ritual spell. "Sumire," the pink haired kunoichi said surprisingly. "Oh beast forgotten by time, pledge your loyalty to me the heir of the noble bloodline…" Sumire began as the incantation spell started to materialize on the ground around the beast.

As if realizing what was happening, the tiger growled in anger followed by an ear-splitting roar. The mountains shook, seas crashed, wind blew and fire sprung from the cracked earth.

The lady chanting the ritual spell was unnerved by what was happening but when the beast revealed, right in front of her, its rows of sharp teeth she stepped back. "What's happening?" she knew her the spell wasn't working at all. While the effects of the spell didn't really affect the beast, it still restrained it from moving. But with its uncontrollable strength, the tiger swiped its monstrous claws at the three humans in front of him.

"Sakura what's happening! That was the ritual spell designed to control the imprisoned beast isn't it? Why isn't it working!" Sumire yelled at the kunoichi as they evaded the tiger's attacks.

She can't help but smile. "Why are smiling bitch! Wait… don't tell me…" Sumire's brown eyes narrowed in agitation and wrath. "YOU TRAITOR!" she drew her katana and launched towards the kunoichi.

Upon reflex, Sakura withdrew her kunai to block Sumire's sword. As their blades were crossed in front of them, "You still don't get it do you? You were given a warning," the pink haired warrior had to hold her kunai with both her hands since her left arm was badly injured from before. "What do you mean?" Sumire pushed her blade as Sakura retaliated. "The prophecy of the Xenolith priestess, it seems you became too confident," the kunoichi smiled sarcastically.

Sumire gritted her teeth and gripped her sword in anger. Sakura flinched in pain as the wound on her left shoulder began to burn again. Taking this as an opportunity, her opponent held her katana with her left hand as the right withdrew something from her back. A second katana! The kunoichi cannot defend since both her hands are holding her kunai.

"What's happening!" one of the three men behind asked as they saw the ritual had gone wrong and that Sumire was know attacking Sakura, "Whatever happened I'm sure 'she' has something to do with it," the other man replied as they prepared to fight the traitor as well. Before anyone could even move, a kunai stuck the ground. "Hey, hey, hey three men against one woman… just isn't right," a blond shinobi jumped out of the trees and landed in front of them.

"He's just a brat. We can take care of him easily," one said as they prepared to battle the noisy ninja. "Sorry but I brought company I hope you didn't mind," Naruto grinned widely as three other shinobi landed beside him. "This ought to be fun," the ninja with jet-black hair smirked.

Thunder split the skies as the beast struggled ferociously to get out of the spell.

Spitting out blood as she still held on her kunai, Sakura looked at her opponent victoriously. "Let me refresh your memory… "Beware you who have gained eternal beauty…when the red moon appears and bathes the earth… the blood stained purity of the petals will sunder your shadows and render then useless," she proclaimed in between her groans as the blade was plunged deeper at her side. A blast from behind them caught, Sumire's attention upon focusing her chakra in her eyes, she saw a battle between her comrades and Sakura's friends.

"Heed my words… when the cherry blossom withers… the tainted earth shall reclaim what was theirs from the very beginning… you who cannot die shall kneel before the power of the angered sand. Only the warmth of the risen phoenix can quell his wrath," she was now gasping for air as her blood was drank by the earth. "What good will the phoenix be if she's dead," Sumire declared as she withdrew her sword from her opponent's side, preparing to impale her again.

Sand erupted from the ground in between the two warriors. Sumire jumped back as Sakura staggered back wards. A pair of strong arms carried her as they both jumped back.

"You're late," she muttered against the chest of her savior. "Gomen," he said as they landed beside Naruto. "Are you alright Sakura?" a blond kunoichi ran beside her. "No," she said blatantly followed by a huge grin. "I'll be fine Ino," the pink haired kunoichi stared at the people in front of them.

This is it… their final stand. Sumire together with three of her allies across of them was Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Sakura and the sand master, Gaara.

Before the battle could even begin, a black blade appeared out of nowhere and landed in the middle of the battle field. "Hellscream," Sakura whispered behind the sand master. In a flash, the sword was surrounded by sand and was crushed with monstrous pressure. The pink haired kunoichi sighed in relief as the accursed wound vanished from her arm.

"What is the meaning of this…? KAMUI!" Sumire screamed as she looked at the place where Hellscream came from. "Late as usual" Sakura said as too look at the same place.

A man with long silver hair walked in between the battle. His golden eyes looked from Sumire to his comrades then finally resting on Sakura. His lips formed a smile as Sumire's eyes widened "YOU TRAITOR!" as her scream echoed throughout the place. The beast roared again and this time it was followed by a sound as if a thousand of glasses were broken.

Its paws stepped forward and its tail swung dangerously. The white tiger was finally free.

As the beast ran to their direction aiming to destroy all, everyone evaded it's dangerous attacks. Kamui caught up with the sand master as he said "Leave her to me." Gaara's eyes narrowed in doubt as his hands gripped Sakura's shoulders tightly. "I'll be alright," the maiden in his arms reassured him.

Landing in a barren field, he carefully handed Sakura to Kamui. "There you are… Kuchiyose no justu!" Sumire appeared from behind them and summoned a huge wolf. The sand master stood defensively in front of Sakura and Kamui. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu," smoke materialized in the battlefield as the falling of sand was heard.

"That is…" the shadow master looked back as he caught his target in his shadow binding technique. "Shukaku!" Sasuke said in astonishment after he plunged his chidori in his opponent's back.

Fierce battle between the wolf and the Shukaku was about to begin. "Can you get up?" Kamui supported the kunoichi to stand. "Kamui-niichan, are you underestimating me?" she smirked as she formed quick hand seals. Tattoos appeared on her face as her wound started healing rapidly. "Genesis of Rebirth!" as the marks on her face vanished, so did her injuries.

"Let's go," Kamui dashed to the gate. Sakura looked up to see Gaara also staring at her. He nodded at him so she smiled back then she ran to follow Kamui.

They arrived at last to the threshold of power. The opened gate stood in front of them. Sakura took her phoenix pendant and "Wake up… Whisperwind," she commanded and upon seconds the invisible sword materialized. Kamui took hold of his pendant as well and "Wake up… Hellscream," his blade too came into sight. "But how did you?" she was about to ask. "You only have to destroy my blade once to counteract the curse," he quickly explained. She had no reaction left but to force a laugh.

The two positioned themselves beside each of the gate. Sakura on the left and Kamui on the right, soon after they planted their swords in the ground. Light illuminated the area and halted the thunders above.

Thud…Thud…Thud… the footsteps echoed throughout the battlefield followed by a wolf's painful howl as the Shukaku planted its compressed air ball right in its face. The summoned wolf disappeared with a loud puff of smoke.

The battle was over and yet the true challenge starts here.

The tiger stood in front of the gate as did the Kamui and Sakura. "Last guardian of the vanished shadow, I am Haruno Sakura the last templar heed my call," she proclaimed with all her strength. "True you bear the blood of the summoners but that is not enough… call me by the name your ancestors has bestowed upon me. The name the strikes fear in their enemies and might in their allies." Its silver eyes reflected Sakura's battered image.

Gaara and the others stood there in the background as the ritual commenced. He didn't unsummon the sand raccoon just in case things would go wrong. His viridian eyes were fastened on the courageous kunoichi, standing before the enormous beast, having no fear.

"Heed my words…" I don't know its just that this name seems appropriate for a guardian… she recalled in the middle of her statement."Azrael!" Sakura proclaimed.

"Azreal? Isn't that the name of your tiger cub?" Naruto elbowed the sand master. "Yeah," Gaara replied in slight irritation.

Its gigantic feline eyes narrowed and for a moment Sakura thought it would swipe it's massive paw at them but then the white tiger… bowed before her.

"Today we will finish what our ancestors cannot. We will seal the vanished shadow completely." Kamui declared as she stepped beside the kunoichi. "Very well then…" Azrael rose, the dragon and the phoenix flew as the unicorn galloped.

Now, Sakura and Kamui took turns in reciting an incantation as a huge spell circle sprung from the earth. Azrael stood on the north, the dragon on the south, the phoenix on the left and the unicorn on the right. As the ritual progressed, Sakura's and Kamui's chakra became visible to all as did the mythical beasts. "Let this seal be completed as the broken clan be reunited." They chanted simultaneously. "Your blood," Sakura slashed her palm. "My blood," Kamui did the same. "Our blood," they joined their hands.

Their mixed blood dripped on the spell circle making it shine in a blinding glow. Azrael growled, the dragon roared, the unicorn stomped its hooves and the phoenix flapped its wings until the crimson shade of the moon was purified back into a silver white light.

At last… the seal was completed and everything else… is over… Sakura rejoiced mentally before her vision grew blurry until darkness prevailed.

In Sakura's Dream…

The battered kunoichi stood in the middle of a white place.

"You did well Sakura…" s female voice said. Turning around, "Seiya…" the woman with long light blue hair nodded. "Now everything is in it's rightful place," a man hand in hand with a woman walked to them. "Ken… Reika," Sakura smiled brightly.

"We're so proud of you," a female voice she knew all too well said. Slowly looking back, her eyes quickly formed tears but she did not let them flow. Right in front of her was her foster parents. "Mom! Dad!" she wound her arms around them as if they would disappear at any moment.

"Expect nothing less from Sakura," a man with short orange hair winked at her as a woman, who looks almost like her expect for the black hair and eyes, merely smiled. "Kyo-niichan… Sayuri," she released her parents from her hug then held Kyo and Sayuri's hand.

"You've completed something we cannot… you really are amazing…" a figure concealed by a dark cloak said as other cloaked figure approached her. "Maiev…"

"We would like it so much if you stayed a bit longer but…" Kyo grinned widely. "Someone back there wants you back terribly…" her father smiled.

Sakura had been asleep for a week already and in all those time the sand master never left her side. Praying… hoping… that somehow she'll be okay. Gaara held her unresponsive hand then said…

"Sakura… you've been running away from me a lot… come back already," a voice she knew all too well as if it was her own echoed throughout the entire place.

Tears that she held back now freely trickle down her face. "But… I'm afraid…" she choked back her tears but to no avail. "Of what?" the sand master's voice asked gently. "If I open my eyes… will you be there?" "Of course..."

He looked into her face intently as her eyes gradually opened. "Welcome back…" he whispered before he took her in for an intimate embrace. "I'm back…" her tears kept on falling despite her smile. They released each other only to let their lips meet in a fiery passion.

"Sakura-chan!" the ever so noisy ninja barged into her room interrupting their dramatic reunion. "Naruto!" the gang shouted in unison as they saw what he had messed up. Gaara groaned and Sakura smiled.

A/N: Okay the next chapter would be the last… the epilogue… so come on don't be greedy. Share your reviews. By the way do you like a sequel? Or is it good enough to end like this? Tell me!