The battle raged well into the next day, keeping Sakura busy with her medic experience but even with her healing abilities the fight had fallen on Sasuke and Naruto and Sakura prayed that all would end in their favor. She still remembered everything and in her brief departure she knew Sasuke had come to the realization of his past as well and though she was unsure if Naruto recalled everything in its entirety, she could see his eyes flicker with pieces slowly fitting place to make his memories. Yet she wondered if he realized he had saved them from the clutches of death by using his heavenly sent Chakra that had been locked away beneath him till now or if he had deemed it a lucky circumstance. She watched her comrade's rage in battle, staying close to the other Shinobi that were too drained to carry on and aiding them when necessary. She wanted to fight a long side her team but she knew her abilities were of better use off the battlegrounds rather than in them.
"Sa-kura…" A soft voice called to her and she recognized it to be Lee, who had taken a harsh blow in order to protect Sasuke and Naruto and as such had been one of the first to falter. Sakura had healed his injuries but sadly she knew the only cure for Chakra loss was rest.
"What is it Lee?" She asked gently, inching closer to his weak body.
"Sakura…they need you." Lee wheezed through rugged breaths, opening one eye to glance at her beautiful glowing face. "Without you…they don't stand a chance to win against Orochimaru…you're the missing piece…" He watched her eyes widen in amazement and he gently smiled up at her "go make history."
She stared at him for a moment longer before she shifted her green orbs to look at the battle that raged on in the distance, her brow gently wrinkling while her eyes assessed the fight at hand. Lee was right…Naruto and Sasuke were just strong enough together to keep Orochimaru at bay, however they were growing weary and she knew that she had to do something before they ended up like the rest of the team.
"Naruto, Sasuke!" Sakura's voice rang out against the sounds of war and she towards her beloved comrades, catching the stern look of a rather pre-occupied Uchiha.
"Sakura!" He growled, his Sharingan eyes baring deep into her soul "get away from here!"
"We've got to do this together!" She cried "we can do this but we have to do it as a team!" She stared Sasuke down her eyes overpowering his Sharingan glare.
"How, Sakura?" Naruto questioned through a weary voice, his exhaustion showing in every being of his body but her warm smile filled him with the hope he had lost. Gently he felt her warm fingers touch his, their skin igniting a twinge of a visible spark and he stared at her dumbfounded watching intently as she did the same with Sasuke, their touch causing the same reaction.
"Hold hands…" Sakura cooed, catching the look of disgust cross the two young men's faces at the thought of touching one another outside of a well deserved punch. They hesitated and slowly let their fingers brush, a spittle of a spark igniting between them.
Naruto smirked "Why Sasuke…I didn't know you felt that way."
Sasuke's eyes churned blood red and he towered over the blond "Shut-Up, Dobe! Or I'll give you such a fat lip you won't be able to smart off for a month!"
"That so?!" Naruto fought back, pressing his chest against Sasuke in an attempt to assert his dominance only to crumble to his knees with Sasuke to follow suit, releasing howls of pain as Sakura tightened her grip around their hands.
"Anymore smart comments from the peanut galaxies?" She fumed before slowly unclenching the grip she had on her two male companions, letting them rise to their feet. After she had made her point clear they did as instructed and formed a three person ring and with little effort their silver Chakra began to stream off their bodies. Their eyes gently closed and their minds cleared of all other clutter and noise they relaxed and focused on one thing, ending the reign of Orochimaru. Within seconds light erupted from their bodies, their eyes stricken with light as their flesh became immortal and their souls burned with the eternity God had buried with their memories so many years ago. With their power and light, their presence erupted through the land and shook the earth from miles away their power initially blinding their comrades that were within viewing range of the incident at hand. Slowly God's power flowed into the land and Orochimaru knew he could not hide from the presence that had damned him sense the fall and with a pain stricken defeated cry, he was slowly reduced to nothing but embers of smoldering ash.
As quickly as it had been ignited the power recoiled itself back into each individuals body before they fell backwards onto the ground all of their hair had become elongated in the process and sprawled out around their limp bodies. With the theatrics at a standstill, their comrades, though exhausted rushed to their aid and stood over them in awe as they lay in the tattered grass. Slowly the each began to stir and each one of the lingering Shinobi let out a sigh of relief before helping them sit upright.
"Ug…" Naruto groaned, placing his palm to his scalp before opening one eye to asset his surroundings then the other to gawk at his other male team mate who had suddenly grown longer hair than any female he had seen in the village. "HOLY HELL!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing his index finger wildly at the Uchiha "you look like a girl!!"
"Doooobe!!" Sasuke growled, before popping a few knuckles right in Naruto's upper lip.
O-o-O-o-O
AN: Tee hee - roughly only one more chapter to go