Black and red painted the skyline. Hundreds of figures in cloaks stood on the cliff overlooking Konoha, some sharpening weapons, others staring at the Hokage Monument with something like amusement. A large man with spiky hair pointed an axe at Tsunade's face carved in the rock, and made a sweeping gesture with the blade, as though cutting her throat. It was a promise.
Their leader had demanded that 'pain' be given to the village. He had made a big deal out of destroying something great yet corrupt and allowing something pure to rise from its ashes. He wanted everyone dead and every building burnt or torn down.
Two main objectives.
Naruto, alive.
Tsunade, dead.
This was Akatsuki's big moment.
And Sakura was going to destroy it.
A girl with bright green hair and an eyebrow piercing wandered over to Sakura's side.
She raised her eyebrows and grinned, showing broken teeth from getting punched in the mouth one too many times.
"Guy over there's trying to cop a feel," She explained, jabbing a thumb behind her at a guy who was nearly seven feet tall, "Didn't like to complain in case he broke me in half. Mind if I stand with you?"
Sakura glanced at Itachi, who stood a few feet away, looking pensive.
She didn't have it in her to smile. Not today. She just nodded and pointed to the spot next to her.
The girl's grin grew wider, "Ta. People like to call me Teeth, cause they're so fucking hilarious. Real name ain't Teeth, that's all I'm saying."
"Right." Sakura said softly, eyes on the doomed village in front of her.
Don't be nice to me. I'm going to kill you if I get the chance.
Teeth displayed her namesake happily, "You got a name or am I gonna have to call you Pinky?"
Sakura glared at her, "My name's Sakura."
No point in making up names, false stories.
Either Konoha would fall, or they would. Either way, the surviving side wouldn't give a damn that she'd been truthful with one girl named Teeth.
"Cute. Where you from, Pinky?"
"It's Sakura. I'm local." She pointed to Konoha.
Teeth widened her eyes, "What, there? Konoha? You gonna destroy your home town?"
Sakura wordlessly pulled her shirt up to expose the scars on her stomach.
Teeth's smile died a little, "Oh. I see. Not a great place then? Well good. I got a conscience, not that you'd know to look at me. I know it's war and all, but it kinda sucks we gotta kill children."
It 'kind of sucked' that they had to kill innocent children? Teeth was friendly enough, but she had a collection of scars peeking out from underneath her clothes and a slightly manic gleam in her eyes. Sakura had seen it enough times. Years of abuse, usually parental, left behind physical and emotional scars. Kids joined wars to survive. Whatever side would take them. Then they died and no one cared enough to bury them.
Teeth was probably about fourteen, only a kid herself.
With a jolt, Sakura realised she was only a few years older than Teeth. Maybe she wasn't as much of a grown up as she thought.
Nearly seventeen is no age to fight in a war.
Mind you, Itachi fought in the Third Shinobi World War aged four years old.
"What's your weapon of choice?" Teeth asked, pointing to the sword strapped to her back, "I do just fine with a katana."
"I fight with my fists." Sakura said dully.
"Cool." Teeth said happily.
"Sakura, focus." Itachi said coldly, "It only takes one second of ill-attention to die on the battlefield. Be assured, I will not exercise any effort to keep you alive."
"I assure you, sensei, if I will be anything on this battlefield, it will not be inattentive." Sakura bit off, glaring at him, ignoring the flicker of surprise in his eyes. No, she would not go along with his cruel-teacher and ill-treated student game. She didn't care if anyone thought it odd. She didn't care about keeping up appearances. Today was going to go her way. She was going to fix everything and take care of anything that tried to get in her way.
Teeth looked confused, "Oi, Pinky," She hissed, nudging the older girl, "That your teacher? Bit rude, isn't he?"
But a man in red was stepping forward, gesturing for those behind him to follow.
"Second wave." Itachi commented.
"What?" Sakura asked, startled, but it could not begin yet, surely, she wasn't prepared –
"They have already infiltrated Konoha. We are the brute force component of Pain's army," Itachi said, now lowering his voice so that only she could hear, "This is where he intends the less capable of his army to die as distractions. They make a lot of noise, do a lot of property damage and draw out Konoha's defences. Then, the elite forces slip past unnoticed and Pain doesn't have to deal with a bunch of untrained amateurs after the invasion."
"He expects us to die?" Sakura asked blankly, taking a step back unconsciously.
Itachi's jaw clenched. He looked away.
Sakura shook her head in complete disbelief, "No," She said bitterly, "He expects the less capable ninja to die, including myself. You, he expects to live. I am bait. The inhabitants of Konoha will want me dead, they will recognise me. Pain wants them all to be drawn to me, to protect his precious elite ninja! Fine. If you are safe, I don't care," She turned her eyes back upon the village, where smoke began to rise in several places, "Let them come for me. I'll take whatever I can if it keeps them from you."
Even now, in his devastation, Itachi could not keep the tenderness out of his voice, "I do not want you harmed. I wish you had agreed to run away with me, ignore his orders, go live somewhere anonymously…"
Sakura's head dropped down, eyes damp, lips pinched together, "I will not stand back when there is the slightest chance of saving at least one of my loved ones, or anyone. I couldn't live with myself knowing I did nothing to prevent this."
"It's that sense of justice you have that I find so attractive about you." He commented sourly, "But it's also what may get you killed."
Sakura tossed her head back, her Akatsuki cloak flapping in the head. Not today. She had no time for nerves, tears or regrets. No more staying in the background, being careful to never cross that line. She no longer had to hide the techniques she learned from Itachi. She no longer thought him or his jutsu evil. She could finally fight properly.
It was time for the world to see how strong Sakura really was when she didn't hold back.
"I'm through with hiding. I'm part of this, like it or not."
Itachi was about to reply when Teeth suddenly lurched forward.
"Look!" She said eagerly, "It's starting!"
The people in front of them were beginning to move forward, sprinting towards the village, making a lot of noise and using up valuable energy. These were clearly the expendable forces. She was included in this.
A tall, gracefully-built woman strode forward from within their line, breaking the spell of nerves that had attacked their group. Others quickly stumbled after the beautiful woman, Teeth bounding away happily.
"I'm with –" Itachi began awkwardly, pointing to a group of people gathered together, talking quietly.
"The elite ninja." She sighed, feeling the fear curl in her stomach at the thought of going in alone, without Itachi by her side.
"I'll keep you safe," Itachi promised, his eyes dark and regretful, the wind whipping his hair around and nearly swallowing his words up, "Just call Raban."
"I'll be fine," Sakura said steadily, ignoring the cries and chakra flares from beyond the wall surrounding the village, "Take care of yourself."
Someone barked at her to hurry up and then everyone around her was running straight down the hill, herding her with them. She turned her head as she ran, catching one last glimpse of Itachi standing alone on top of the hill, his cloak billowing in the wind.
The teams before them had broken through the west wall at some point, they all filed through the gaping hole, pulling out weapons and shouting war cries.
One by one she saw them fall, kunai buried in throats, chests, senbon in vital areas, screaming under genjutsu…
The tall man who'd frightened Teeth was on fire.
Sakura saw it all and buried her horror deep within herself, detaching herself from what was happening all around her. They had stupidly tried to gain access to a village via a gap that had been there long enough for enemy ninja to gather around and guard, picking off whoever was foolish enough to climb through the hole.
She ran up the wall, chakra gluing her feet securely, giving her speed as a bonus. The sky was clear blue above her, the air hot and humid, her feet pounding off of the wall in a blaze of chakra. She could hear the civilian invaders shouting as she ran.
Fuck being bait.
She cleared the wall with a leap, time slowing as she launched herself into the air, the sun blinding her.
Two Konoha shinobi rose to meet her.
She barely registered their presence, soaring through the air, their kunai whistling past her ear, the sickening lurch in her stomach as she fell –
And then the sharp, hard landing, pain in her knees and ankles, rolling forward, hearing screams and cries…
She was on her feet, kunai drawn, when the shinobi landed a few feet away from her.
Ino and Shikamaru.
Her palms started to sweat underneath her gloves.
She was staggering backwards, shocked and searching for a way out, when Shikamaru's shadow suddenly snapped forward.
She growled in frustration, preparing to throw herself into a series of backflips to avoid his jutsu hold, when Ino shoved at him, shrieking, "No, it's Sakura, Sakura, don't you see? It's her, she's back! She's alive!"
"I see her," Shikamaru said grimly, "I don't think you do."
Ino's relieved grin faltered.
Sakura saw her big blue eyes tracing the Akatsuki cloak. She tore her eyes away, shaking her head, mouth wobbling, "No, Sakura would never –"
"She would, Ino! She was brainwashed, she'd been brainwashed all along!" Shikamaru snapped in an uncharacteristic display of temper, "If you aren't prepared to fight her, you need to leave or you'll get killed!"
Ino was staring at her, her mouth hanging open, utter disbelief written all over her attractive features.
"You wouldn't." She said quietly, her eyes silently pleading for Sakura to confirm her faith in her was valid.
Sakura closed her eyes and let fog seep out, sweeping the area. Shikamaru cursed under his breath.
"Sakura, please!" Ino cried out.
Not today, Ino.
She turned on her heel and ran away.
Tsunade was in danger.
xxxxxxxx
Buildings were on fire.
The shops she'd passed every day of her childhood were crumbling to the ground, smoke rising above them in big, grey clouds, almost blocking out the blue sky. The ramen stall was gone, a blackened crater in its place. Heat from the fire within the Yamanaka flower shop had cracked the windows, glass littering the streets, paint cracking and bubbling as flame licked the walls, the flowers burning in a haze of red smoke.
People were screaming, real screams of terror and pain, uninterrupted sounds of anguish piercing the aching silence that fell through the village. The everyday sounds she knew so well were gone – the cheerful calls of the market people, the laughing kids playing in the streets, barking dogs and hissing cats – even the insects had fallen silent.
The absence of those noises was crushing.
Suddenly, as she picked her way through the rubble, her mind desperately calculating where Tsunade would be, she sensed something heading her way.
Her arm flared and she shouted, ripping herself away.
Hinata and Neji stood side by side in defensive Hyuuga style, arms up in matching positions. Neji's face was cold and without any recognition. Hinata was trying and failing to stop her emotions from showing on her face.
It was Hinata who had ripped the muscles in her left arm in that single strike, Hinata who had struck the first blow without hesitating, Hinata who was staring at her with such resigned sadness that Sakura felt something twist in her gut.
Hinata had improved so much in her absence.
Then suddenly, battle cries resounded through the area and people flooded through, swallowing up the two Hyuuga, both of them staring at her through the crowd hopelessly, pushing and fighting to get to her.
The tall, graceful woman, her head pouring with blood, calmly grasped Sakura's arm, ignoring her pained hiss, and healed the ripped muscles without a word.
Sakura went to thank her but the woman was already dashing into the crowd to take care of the Hyuuga team.
The clouds darkened slowly, spreading over the sky in a steel grey blanket, blocking out the sun and casting gloom over the village. A Konoha shinobi stood on a rooftop, forming the seals for water.
Rain hissed, big fat droplets falling to the ground, unnatural and chakra-infused. The fires that burned all around them steamed, heat blazing.
The crowd was being taken down swiftly, but the graceful woman was clearly causing trouble, going toe to toe with Neji, Hinata defending herself from the enemies all around her.
A heavy-set man went flying when a spinning kick landed him on his backside, two green blurs landing either side of Neji and Hinata.
Gai snapped the graceful woman's neck so fast Sakura's eyes couldn't even catch the movement.
Sakura brought her fog forward, spreading it about herself. It wouldn't stand up to any Byakugan's scrutiny, but Lee and Gai would be blind to her presence, allowing her to watch safely. The shadowy figures of the crowd fell beneath the hard, cracking blows of the duo, Lee and Gai demonstrating their fierce taijutsu style, Hinata and Neji moving in unison, gracefully taking out their opponents.
Just when she decided to head for the Hokage Tower, assuming Lee and the others would be fine, a spiked chain flew out and dragged deep cuts through her waist, ripping through the cloak and spilling blood as she spun away, falling into a defensive pose.
Tenten brandished her now bloody chain with a high cry of, "Lee! Neji! Look what I found in this fog!"
Sakura clamped her hand over the bleeding welts in her side, eyes flicking to the blurs that ripped through her fog, landing next Tenten.
Lee's fists rose automatically but they dropped partially at the sight of the new foe – an injured Sakura in an Akatsuki cloak. Gai's normally jovial features were hard, his eyebrows drawn together, his eyes glaring at her. Of course – he was Kakashi's best friend, and she was his treacherous student.
Hinata and Neji could stop her, but the rest of Team Gai could not. She didn't have time to explain, to stop Lee's eyes filling with tears, to prevent his shoulders drooping visibly, she could only form the seals lightning-quick and grit her teeth against the sounds of her former friends' fury.
"You traitor! We trusted you! I believed in you when everyone else told me to stay away from you!" Tenten roared even as the fog grew thicker and Sakura disappeared.
"Sakura-san! I don't understand!"
"Sakura!"
Her name, a chorus ringing out in the fog, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura – she couldn't take the shame searing through her and sprinted through the decimated back alley behind her, hearing them follow and desperately wishing they wouldn't.
But they were cut off, more people in cloaks swooping down, taking advantage of the poor visibility to get the drop on them.
Teeth lay on the ground, an axe buried in her stomach. Her eyes were wide open and glassy, her mouth still spewing blood even as she died.
Sakura ran, feet slapping against the wet ground, the rain soaking through her cloak, her breath the only thing she could hear.
The grey sky above her formed a roof. She was trapped in the back alleys like a rat in a maze, splashing through puddles and slipping as she turned corners. All the while, the crushing silence filled her ears with a dull roar, the awful sense of being truly alone back with her, no friends, no allies, just enemies all around on both sides…
She could make her own ally.
She crouched in a corner, back to the wall, glancing around her suspiciously, and swiped her thumb along the sluggishly bleeding wound in her side.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu." She whispered.
A black seal formed on the ground from her blood, wings spreading through the floor, the black tips of feathers peeking through the stone first, followed by a sharp beak, until the entire crow flew out of the ground, flapping its wings furiously.
"Raban." Sakura said in a low voice, not wanting to alert anyone lurking in the area, "You know where we are, what we are doing?"
"Itachi might have mentioned something about an invasion, yes." The bird said dryly, beady eyes flickering over her, "You should probably heal that. What's our mission?"
The wound disappeared as she ran her hand over it impatiently, "Fuck the mission. I'm saving my village."
With that, she turned and dashed in the vague direction of the Hokage tower. Raban followed swiftly, wings beating a rhythm as they sped through the alleyways.
She reached a clearing and skidded to a slippery halt, the way blocked by two figures.
"And they come in two by twos." Raban muttered, landing on her shoulder.
Kakashi stood with Kurenai, both of them gazing silently in her direction.
Shit.
Sakura was filled with the desire to confide everything in Kakashi, to beg his forgiveness, to ask him for help –
His posture subtly shifted from relaxed to alert. His eyes connected with hers and she felt a little jolt at the lack of emotion written there. His Sharingan began to spin slowly. Kurenai was dressed in a plain black dress, a tool belt hastily slung around her hips.
"The wanderer returns." Kakashi stated, fixing his hitae-ate more securely away from his eye, letting the Sharingan pierce through her shaking form.
"Didn't the Uchiha traitor use crows?" Kurenai pointed to Raban.
"That's Uchiha-sama to you." Raban croaked.
"I was going to go for traitorous psychopath myself, but whatever works for you." Kakashi drawled.
"He isn't a traitor, or a psychopath." Sakura said quietly, her eyes downcast. She couldn't face looking him in the eyes.
Kurenai scoffed loudly, "I am beyond disappointed in you. You had such potential, but you allowed it to go to waste."
"I only want to keep Tsunade and Naruto safe," Sakura said sincerely, gathering the courage to look at her old sensei once more, "Where are they?"
Kakashi laughed bitterly, the sound echoing eerily. Fog surrounded them, not of her own making.
"You think I would tell you? So you could kill them?"
"I'm not strong enough to kill either of them. I don't want to kill them. Please, Kakashi-sensei, you have to believe me!"
"Don't call me that," He spat, "I am not, nor have I ever been, your sensei. You proved that. Congratulations. You fooled me. But it's not you I blame. It's that damn bastard who lied to you, broke your mind and took you away –" He cut himself off with a forced cough, looking away.
Sakura stared at his averted eyes steadily, stroking Raban's head to calm him.
"Why have you come back, Sakura? Did you want to twist the knife a little more –"
Sakura interrupted Kurenai's speech by glaring into her eyes and forming the release seal with her hands, breaking the genjutsu the older woman had been trying to weave.
"Such a talent for genjutsu," Kurenai murmured darkly, "Kakashi noted even back then how unusually gifted you were for such a young child. But you haven't learnt from me in years, Sakura. I wonder if your skills are rusty?"
Sakura tilted her head and waved her hand slightly.
The clearing darkened, the shadows spreading into one, unified blackness beneath them. Kakashi and Raban melted into the darkness. Crows cawed from the sidelines, feathers rustling noisily. There was something foreboding about the shadows around them, something sharp within its folds, a thousand beaks and claws tearing –
"Enough." Kurenai gasped.
Sakura broke the jutsu without a word. She hadn't caused her any pain, only frightened her.
Don't try to play on my pride, Kurenai-sensei, she thought angrily, you won't like what you find.
An explosion rocked the village, the ground shaking beneath them. Fresh screams erupted in its wake.
"Consider this," She said slowly, "Everything you think you know is wrong. Itachi never betrayed Konoha. The Council forced him to kill the Uchihas –"
Kakashi was shaking his head incredulously, "My God, he's actually convinced you, hasn't he? He's fed you these lies and made you believe he's this innocent little angel –"
"I've never lied to Sakura if I could help it." Itachi said smoothly, dropping down next to her, making her jump violently and grab a kunai.
Kurenai covered her eyes belatedly, but Kakashi just glared right at Itachi without a care, fury rolling off him in waves.
"You – you get the hell away from her," He started to say hotly, "I won't let you poison her mind any further! Sasuke didn't get the chance to kill you, but I will –"
"Kakashi-sensei, I'm so sorry," Sakura said tiredly, "But I need to save my friends. There's no time for any explanations. Naruto and the Hokage are in danger. I will do everything to save them. Don't make me go through you."
Shock flickered through Kakashi's eyes as Sakura stepped forward threateningly.
Itachi stepped with her, putting his hand on her shoulder in a show of support. Kakashi's fists clenched.
"I'm not a stupid little girl being lied to and manipulated. I'm here by my own choice. Just think, Kakashi-sensei. You once called me the smartest genin in the Rookie Nine. I'm telling you now, as the student you taught and know, Itachi did not betray anyone. The Uchihas were planning a coup to overthrow Konoha. Itachi was ordered to massacre them to protect the village. Think about it. You can believe what you want, but I'm going to save my friends and I'll be damned if I let even you stand in my way!" Sakura said firmly.
The rain continued to pour.
Kakashi didn't believe her, that much was obvious in the hate-filled glare he was drilling into Itachi's eyes. He truly believed she had been fooled. Itachi had indeed lied to her for all of those years, but Sakura knew deep down that he was telling the truth about what happened the night his family died. He had no reason to lie to her. She sighed wearily. Kakashi would never believe her.
Raban looked at Itachi, who nodded.
He whispered in Sakura's ear, "The troops are being withdrawn for the day. We're taking heavy losses. Pain isn't pleased. We need to go now."
Sakura let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding, feeling her tenseness dissipate. Tsunade and Naruto were safe for now. Surely Itachi would have heard if the Hokage had been killed or their main target captured?
She threw off her cloak, noting that the rain was stopping.
Kakashi frowned, moving forwards.
A quick hand seal and a muttered word later, and the cloak set alight, the hated fabric eaten up by Sakura's conjured fire.
She met her old sensei's eyes through the smoke and flickers of flame, her face set in determination.
"I'm not Akatsuki," She said, holding her head up high, Anko's coat swirling around her legs, "I'm a chuunin from Konoha, like it or not, and I'm not here to fight with you."
"I've had enough of pretending. Fuck this charade. I won't be that naïve little girl creeping out of her window at night to talk to strangers. I won't be that chuunin endlessly searching for a way to prove her loyalty. I won't wear this fucking cloak, and pretend to be something I'm not. I'm Haruno Sakura, and I'm here to save my Hokage, loyalty to Akatsuki or Konoha be damned!"
The invasion begins.
Sakura's out of her depth with everything she loves burning to the ground around her, but it's often in crisis we find out just how strong we really are. She's had enough of cover stories and being cautious. In the middle of a war with strict rules, she's doing whatever the hell she wants without caring about the consequences. Finally!
It's up to you to decide if any of the people Sakura met were holding back when they fought her.
Poor little Lee… his reaction was deliberately short and vague, couldn't bear to detail how upset he was…
You guys should know by now, if I make an OC, I'm probably gonna kill 'em. Lol, I dunno, it keeps happening in my stories!
Teeth was a cool little lady, shame she had to die like that…
No ItaSaku really, but next chapter should have some! Yay! Coming up to the end now, folks.
Quick poll for BLOODY MASSACRE, muahahahahahahaha!: Choose a resident, any resident, to die from Konoha. MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
A) Chouji, cause he really should have fucking died way back when, if only cause I'm still mad I wasted tears over his stupid not-death! You owe me a death, butterfly boy!
B) Ino, because the ANGST her death would bring would be MIND-BOGGLING.
C) Iruka, because OH GOD I CAN'T DO IT I LOVE HIM SO, OK, FORGET HIM, SOB,
D) Pick someone else, for the love of God!
Ahem.
Please excuse me, I've been listening to sad songs and necking energy drinks. Hyper and a little bit maudlin at the mo.
You can literally pick any resident of Konoha you don't like and/ or don't care about to be killed off, but I'm not guaranteeing their death will occur. Let me know, MUAHAHAAHAHHAHHAHAA.
I've missed writing this story, I forgot how melodramatic this Sakura can be.
*Tosses cloak with dramatic flourish*
I love how informal these little polls are.
I make them up on the fly!