AN: I don't own Naruto, also, if you're not up to date on the recent anime or manga chapters…this chapter might not make sense….if there are any misspellings for Naruto's references…blame my auto correct!
Previously:"Shit." Sakura thought, but before they could get away, someone stood in front of them and blocked off the bombs with a swirling barrier of chakra.
"Neji?" Sakura asked.
"I'm glad to see you're still in good health Haruno." Neji said.
"Neji-kun. Where have you been?" Hinata asked. In Neji's hands he had three thins suits of chakra armor.
"Courtesy of the snow country." Neji said before giving them to Sakura. "When we get a chance, you have to go back to help Naruto, and Uchiha."
"Thank you Neji." Sakura said. Neji just smirked as he faced Deidara. "Let's go."
Chapter 16 – Coming to an End…PT. 2
"Tobi, you useless son of a bitch!" Kazuku yelled when Orochimaru stabbed the Akatsuki member in the heart with his sword. Tobi fell to the floor as Orochimaru advanced to the village.
"Kankuro, let's finish him off!" Temari call out as she lifted her fan. "Damn Akatsuki!" Temari thought. She didn't need to look back to see the heartbreakingfaces her friends had.
"He only has two hearts left Temari. Aim for the left heart, I'll get the other." Kankuro said as he sent out his puppet.
"Got it!" Temari called out as she slammed her fan towards the ground. Giant gusts of strong wind that made trees tears from their roots shot Kazuku into the air. "This is for Asuma-san!" Temari called out as she waved her fan once more. Before the Akatsuki member could get in control of the situation, he was swallowed in a small tornado. Left and right, Kazuku was cut by the wind blades that blew around him. One of his hearts was pierced as Temari threw a kunai into her tornado.
"One left." Kankuro said as he sent his puppets into his sister's jutsu. "Go to hell you bastard." He muttered as the tornado turned red with Kazuku's blood.
"Neji!" Sakura yelled as he was kicked in the stomach. Hinata came up next to him and attacked Deidara enough to force him into the air once more. Sakura appeared next to them. "Are you ok?"
"Just fine." Neji said as he coughed up some blood. "Sakura, Hinata-san and I will both attack his charka points. In the mean time, I want you to go to Naruto."
"Be careful you two." Sakura said as she gave each a smile.
"Don't worry Sakura-chan." Hinata said as she activated her byakugan.
"We'll be fine." Neji said as he placed his hand over hers reassuringly. "I won't leave important friends so early." Sakura's grip on the charka suits tightened as he activated his byakugan.
As Deidara flew down at the three with a small flock of clay birds around him, Neji and Hinata got into positions.
"Get Ready Sakura." Neji said as the Akatsuki member got closer. Just when the bombs got in reach of the group, Hinata activated her kaiten, causing the birds to explode around them.
"Now's my chance!" Sakura thought as she saw Neji lunge forward and attack Deidara directly.
"Two strikes, four strikes…" Neji said as his numbers doubled. By sixty-four strikes, Hinata joined in on the assault as well. Sakura quickly headed to Sasuke's direction with the suits in hand.
Sakura ran as fast as she could to where she remembered Naruto and Sasuke was fighting. "Naruto!" Sakura thought as she remembered the seal in her kunai pouch. She suddenly felt a huge amount of charka coming from where she was headed.
"No, it can't be…I can't be too late!" Sakura said as she saw huge waves of red charka light the darkening village.
"I'm afraid you are." Someone said from behind her.
"O-" but Sakura was knocked out before she could make another sound.
"Tsunade-sama! The sound army is retreating! The tailed beasts and the Akatsuki are left." Shizune said as she busted through the hospital doors.
"How many nins are there left to fight?" Tsunade asked as she stitched up a large wound in Kakashi's chest.
"Only about a fifty or so." Shizune said hesitantly.
"That's it?!" Tsunade said as she placed charka into the wound. "What about the anbu squads?"
"They are taking care of the tailed demons as we speak."
"Have Shikamaru and Hinata's teams help with that too. Also, ask Gaara if he-"
"Kazakage-sama is already in the battle field. He took down his own one tailed demon raccoon."
"…Oh…Well then, execute my other orders. I want this war to end as soon as possible!"
"Hai!" Shizune said as she rushed out of the emergency room.
"You better not die Kakashi." Tsunade said as she cleaned her bloodied hands with a towel. "Who knows what might happen to your team if you're gone." Sensing a dark presence nearby, the hokage left the room to the nurses as she quickly exited the room. She ran out of the hospital and into the streets.
"This charka…How could he be here?" Tsunade thought as she jumped over undamaged roofs. When she finally made it to her destination, her eyes widen in fear when she saw Sakura's unconscious body next to Orochimaru's feet.
"Sakura! Damn you Orochimaru!" Tsunade said as she ran forward.
"I came to make a bargain." Orochimaru said as he smirked. Tsunade stopped in her tracks. "You will surrender, and I will allow this girl to see another day."
"One life can't repent for the thousands here." Tsunade said sternly. No matter how much it pained her to say those words, it was almost true to her. She was a hokage, she has to think what's best for the village.
"I'm surprised Tsunade. You would let another precious person die right before you?" Orochimaru said as his eyes gleamed with mischief.
Tsunade fist clenched at the haunting memories, but then soon gained her focus. "Let her go you snake."
"If you won't surrender with just your apprentice's life, what about all the lives at the hospital."
Tsunade felt fear clench her heart as her she stared at him in shock.
"Did you think I would retreat like a frightened child? Unless you surrender I will send the rest of my army to kill everyone in the hospital, then I will kill dear Sakura right in front of you." Orochimaru said as licked his lips.
"Damn you Orochimaru." Tsunade said as her arms dropped to the sides.
"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled as his four tailed teammate attack both him and Itachi. Naruto was pitch black with the outlines of a miniature fox demon. Naruto stopped and started to form a huge concentration of charka in front of its mouth. In a matter of seconds, a huge ball of black chakra was shot at both Uchiha brothers. Sasuke had no choice but to retreat. His brother came to the same conclusion. The two Uchiha's dodged left and right as theythey progressed futher into the village. "We're heading too close everyone else." Sasuke thought as he stopped in his tracks. Naruto in turn stopped and roared like a mad beast.
"Is this really Naruto?…" Sasuke said as he stared at the small fox demon fighting Itachi in inhuman speeds.
Naruto then stopped all of a sudden and clenched its head. Sasuke got out of his small trance as he watched the unthinkable happen. Naruto was aiming the largest form of chakra straight at the heart of the village.
"Naruto! Snap out of it!" Sasuke said as he put some distance between him his friend. From the side, Sasuke was almost burned alive if he hadn't dodged in the nick of time. Itachi quickly took this chance to finish off his brother and take on the kyuubi by himself.
"You couldn't even kill a snake." Itachi said as he activated his mangekyou. "You couldn't obtain these eyes." Itachi caught Sasuke off guard and punched him square in the stomach. "There is no purpose in keeping you alive, you pathetic weakling." Itachi activated a genjutsu and forced his younger brother to look him in the eyes. "Goodbye little brother."
"Mother, Father, Naruto, Kakashi…Sakura. I'm sorry." Sasuke thought before finding himself tied to a wooden cross. "Itachi, you jackass." Sasuke said with a smirk before Itachi's katana pierced through his gut.
"I thought they retreated." Shizune said as she stabbed another sound ninin the throat with a senbon needle. Twenty more nins surrounded the medic. "I need to save my charka." She thought as she took out another nin. The rest of the nins came at once and Shizune found it hard to keep up with their relentless attacks. From behind her, one sound nin smirked as he held a kunai above her head. When Shizune turned around, her body froze as she watched the nin bring down his blade. She closed her eyes at the last moment to feel no pain at all. "What the hell?" She thought as she opened her eyes and saw the nin stab himself with his own blade.
"Looks like we came just in time." Shikamaru said as his team, Kurenai, and the sand siblings stood in front of her. Shikamaru took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew out some before throwing it to the floor.
"Don't forget us!" Tenten, Shino, and Kiba called out.
"Leave this pathetic army to us. Just take Asuma-san back to the hospital." Gaara ordered as his sand gave her Asuma's dead body.
"Let's go!" Temari called out as the nins engaged in battle once more.
"I suppose that you were planning on handing these to Sasuke-kun's team, hm? This would help in defreating my army." Orochimaru said as he took the three charka suits away from Sakura's unconscious form.
"My nins don't need those suits to kick your ass."
Tsunade only scowled as she watched the special armor burn in his hands. "So what do you say Tsunade? Do we have an agreement?"
Tsunade gritted her teeth as she looked at Sakura. "Ye-"
"Hell no!" Sakura said as she kicked Orochimaru's ankles. When Orochimaru fell forward, she quickly grabbed his long hair and flung him into the air. Tsunade took this opportunity as she jumped up after her ex teammate.
"That little b-" but Orochimaru was cut off when Tsunade punched him straight in the mouth. Orochimaru flew straight to the ground and created a huge crater. Dust flew into the air as one half of Orochimaru's body stuck above the ground.
"Now this is the Sakura I know. I wouldn't believe that he would be able to get you so easily." Tsunade said as she watched her apprentice give her a smile. As Sakura came to her side, Tsunade finally noticed that Naruto and Sasuke weren't with her.
"Where's Uchiha and Naruto?"
"Itachi." Sakura said sadly. "Tsunade-sama, I have to go to them before Naruto goes berserk!" her apprentice said worryingly.
"Then let's finish him quickly." A man said as he stood beside the two kunoichies.
"Jiraiya-sama?!" Sakura said in shock.
"My Sakura, you look prettier every-"
"Where the fuck were you this whole war?!" Tsunade yelled at her old teammate.
"I was doing some business and-" Tsunade didn't let the perverted hermit finish his excuse as she knocked him over the head.
"I came here to help, not get killed." Jiraiya said as he covered his head with his hands. The two continued their bickering and Sakura just sweat dropped as she watched the two.
"He's just like Naruto…I hope we don't end up like that…" Sakura thought.
"Anyways." Jiraiya said, finally getting serious. "Sakura, we'll take care of this problem. You go help your team." Tsunade agreed with her teammate almost immediately. Without another word Sakura said her goodbyes as she raced back to where Sasuke and the others were.
"Neji nii-chan, we…we have to think of something quick." Hinata said panting. Neji and she were both hiding in the forest as they watched Deidara circle them from above.
"You think I don't know that?" Neji said as he took a kunai out of his back. "He knows our blind spot." Neji thought.
"Neji nii-chan, he's coming!" Hinata said as she pushed herself off the tree she was resting on.
"Hinata-san, I got a plan. This is what you do." Neji said. After the short briefing, Neji went running out of the tree.
"W-what?!" Hinata asked, but Neji was already in combat with the Akatsuki member. Neji ran up the tree and jumped onto Deidara's clay bird. With his index and middle finger of each hand, he closed all the charka flow to his arms. "No more bombs from you." Neji said before using his kaiten. Deidara fell off his bird and was falling straight toward Hinata.
"Now!" Neji called out as Hinata activated her byakugan.
"Don't miss Hinata." Hinata thought to herself. "Just don't miss." As Deidara came into range Hinata unleashed 128 strikes with a charka infused kunai in each hand, all straight into Deidara's heart. Hinata fell to her kness and panted heavily as she watched Deidara drop to the ground dead.
"Naruto, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said as she slowly stepped into their battle field.
Itachi was fighting with Naruto. When Sakura found that she was too late, she almost doubled over.
"He already has four tails." Sakura muttered as she heard the fox demon growl. Naruto shot another blast at Itachi and made a direct hit. The Akatsuki member flew back into a building and made it crumble to pieces.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said in panic when she saw his body on the floor. She ran to his side and checked for any major wounds. When she found none, she could only guess that he was hit with Itachi's mangekyou. Forming special hand signs, Sakura placed her hand against his forehead and emitted green charka into his mind. Just like the time she watched Tsunade bring Sasuke back the first time from the powers of the mangekyou, she watched his onyx eyes slowly flutter open.
"Sasuke-kun…Sasuke-kun?" Sakura whispered as she watched his eyes come to focus.
"Sa-Sakura…" Sasuke muttered before sitting up.
"You alright?" Sakura asked as she placed her hand on his forehead again. She pushed more charka to help him recover faster as a raging battle took place only meters away.
"Sakura!" Sasuke said, finally coming back to his senses. "Naruto, he's uncontrollable. We have to stop him!" Sasuke quickly stood up, but fell back down.
"Don't be so hasty, you just got over that damn genjutsu." Sakura said as she helped him sit up straight.
"Shit, all three of them are here?" Itachi thought as he dodged another strike from Naruto.
"Sasuke-kun, I need Naruto to be held down long enough for the seal to take effect." Sakura said as she took out the slip of paper from her kunai pouch.
"I'll try and do it. We just have to keep Itachi away. Naruto would be knocked out after the kyuubi is suppressed again right? We can't let him have the chance to take him." Sasuke said as she stood up. After testing his grip, Sasuke and Sakura ran into the battle together.
"So much for the sound army." Ino said as the last nin fell to the floor dead.
"Gaara, what now?" Kankuro asked.
"We help the leaf anbu with these damn tailed beasts." Gaara said as he walked toward the explosions. Everyone followed behind.
"Hey Shikamaru, make us a plan will you?" Temari asked as she cleaned the blood off her fan.
"Troublesome women." Shikamaru muttered.
"Kakashi?" Sai said as he walked down the hallway. "Shouldn't you be in the-"
"Our team needs help." Kakashi said before falling to his knees.
"I'll go. If you keep trying to move, you might reopen your wound." Sai said as he help the jounin back into his room. "Take care Kakashi. I'll make sure nothing happens to our friends, I promise." With that Sai disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Please come back safe. All of you." Kakashi said as he looked out the window to see a full moon.
"Hinata we have to hurry!" Neji said as he and his cousin approached the battlefield. He froze in place when he saw a small version of the Kyuubi attacking Sakura, and Itachi fighting with Itachi.
"Sakura!" Neji called out when he saw the black fox demon claw her arm. Blood spewed to the floor as Sakura healed her arm, pain written all over her face.
"No!" Sakura yelled when Naruto grabbed the seal, that she dropped, with one of his claws. The seal burned on contact and ashes fell to the floor. Naruto stood right in front of Sakura as its four tails all pointed at her. At each tip, a small black orb of charka formed with electric sparks around it.
"Naruto, it's me, Sakura!" Sakura begged, hoping that her friend would come back to reality. "Naruto don't let the kyuubi control you!" Tears began to form in her eyes.
"Get out of there Sakura!" Sasuke yelled as he blew fire balls at Itachi.
Neji raced forward to aid the kunoichi, but Naruto stopped him with one of his tail's attack. Neji was able to avoid it, but the explosion it caused made him lose his balance as he slid back to where Hinata stood frozen in fear.
"Na-Na-Naruto-kun?..." She muttered her figure trembling.
"If that kind of blast was just from one tail's attack, Sakura would be surely killed if she got hit by three of them!" Neji thought as he made another attempt to get to her.
"Naruto, you're not a monster." Sakura said as more tears spilled to the floor. "Don't let yourself become one. You have more power than this…Remember you dream Naruto. Remember all those important to you. We finally have Sasuke-kun back. Our team's back together. You remember the team right?...You, me, Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-san, and Sai too… " Sakura pleaded. "Please come back Naruto…Please come back…" The fox demon looked at her, his eyes glowing. "Naruto…"
The demon fox just aimed all four tails at her as the charka orbs around them grew larger.
"Sakura!"
"Sakura!"
"Sakura-chan!"
"Naruto…" Sakura muttered as a single tear dropped from the side of her cheek.
Flashback
"Promise what?" He said in a low tone.
"That no matter what, you be hokage, that you take care of everyone here, that you succeed your dream, and that, you keep everyone happy…..Also, that you come back to Konoha, with Sasuke-kun."
"Don't forget about you too, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said as he gave her a warm hug. Sakura hugged him back. "I promise, no matter what happens."
"Thank-you…Naruto."
End flashback
Sakura heard these last thoughts echo into her mind before looked straight at her teammates eyes.
"Fight it Naruto." Was all that was said before, Naruto unleashed his attack.
AN: Whooooo! Finally done with this chapter. I think I might finish this up soon, so stay tune for the ending next chapter! Not really sure if it happens, but a hint for the next chapter will be! (…members of Team 7 can never be together.)