A/N: This is the final chapter of Paradise Found. I'm sorry if it's a little anticlimactic, but there's a reason for that. I will be starting the sequel soon, so don't despair! (P.S. don't own Naruto or the characters from the show, just my OCs and Kagure itself!)


Chapter 46: The Final Assault

Dark, foreboding clouds rolled over Kagure as the day progressed. Large, freezing droplets of rain fell, making it seem as if the heavens themselves were crying. A long figure was walking down the side of the street, it's hands in it's pockets. It was one of those days where everyone wanted to stay inside, where it was warm and dry. However, this one figure didn't seem to notice that it was cold and wet. Instead, it seemed intent on making it to one place…the Southside Orphanage.

The figure stopped just in front of the orphanage and stared at it. It seemed so innocent, so peaceful. But for those with even a smidge of sixth sense, they could tell there was an underlying evil to it. The figure looked up at the sky and sneered at the large building. "Loving, caring homes my ass. You probably used those kids for your own sick experiments." the semi deep voice of a young man growled. When the young man looked back towards a familiar tree, he scoffed.

"They'd known…those guys that had been sitting there. Even the freak knew what was going on here. I wonder what they had thought seeing me come out of that place…" he shook his head and walked over to the tree. He looked all over until something made him smile. "Jackpot…" he whispered and lowered himself into the ventilation shaft.

Madara was frantic. Lotus was still missing and he wanted to know just where the hell she'd gone to. He asked every person in the base if they'd seen her. Some said no, but they seemed to be hiding something. Others said they'd seen her in the training room, which was broke, but she still used anyway. No one could tell him for sure what was going on.

He was rubbing his eyes when there was noise. He looked up to see Lotus stumbling in, clutching her head. He'd never seen her this uncoordinated since, well…ever. He ran up to her and caught her just before she hit the ground. He looked at her and something went through him. She had a bruise on her cheek and her eyes were dilated. She'd been drugged and abused. Who could have done such a thing?

"Lotus…Lotus are you alright?" he watched her eyes lift towards him slightly and then glaze over.

"Highest…bidder…" she mumbled and shook her head. He gave her a strange look and picked her up bridal style.

"Lotus, I don't understand what you mean. What does 'highest bidder' mean?" her hand clenched in his lab coat and he looked down to see the first emotion on her face ever…revulsion.

"Hetumi…highest bidder…council…" she murmured incoherently. Madara stiffened and looked over her carefully. Her clothes were torn, her hair was wild, and she seemed unable to think clearly. Those signs made him very nervous.

"What did Hetumi do to you, Lotus?" another emotion crossed her face…hatred.

"He…he touched me. He…did things…things I've never had done before. Things…that hurt my body more than the training. I've…I've never felt pain before…not like this…I couldn't block it out…I couldn't make him stop." he saw tears come to her eyes and shame color her voice and face. At that moment, Madara felt human. He felt as if his own child had been hurt so badly that he would kill whoever hurt her. She wasn't just an object anymore…she was a human.

He looked down at her and felt that familiar presence rise up and squash what remained of his humanity. She wasn't human, now or ever. She was a tool, something he had planned on using himself to perfect his bloodline. However, Hetumi had trespassed on what was his, and now the man would pay. Madara took the now unconscious Lotus to her room and laid her on the bed. He covered her up and walked out, locking the door behind him so that no one could enter but him. Lotus would be able to leave, but no one else would get to her.

Shikamaru huddled up in the shadows with the rest of his team. They'd split up not long after arriving. Choji was in front of them, his large, armor plated body their shield. Lacey's Serlena were stretched out as far as they could safely go from her body, 'feeling out' anyone close by. If someone came too close, they'd snatch them up and take care of them. Lacey stopped, her eyes glowing. Choji felt her hands tighten on his shoulders and stopped. He looked over his shoulder at her and she held up her hand.

She held up two fingers, two circles in front of her eyes, telling them the guys were scientists. She also held up three fingers and made a 'gun' with her hands, meaning there were three guards as well. Shikamaru nodded and closed his eyes. There was just enough light here to generate a shadow for him, and plenty of shadows to use to stretch his all the way to one of the scientists. He took control, using the man's own hands to quiet him as he brought the scientist to them. Choji grabbed the man and hit a pressure point in his neck, putting him to sleep.

A small radio on his ear beeped and he pressed it before replying quietly. "This is shadow master, go ahead team leader." he heard a thump from the other end and a groan.

"Things are taken care of here. Thanks for the distraction, Shadow master." came the light voice of Haruno Sakura. Shikamaru said nothing, but knew she knew what he was thinking.

Two figures were creeping towards the labs where all the computers had been kept. They could hear cursing and knew that they wouldn't have much work to do. The computers hadn't been fixed since Sakura had last come through here. This would make their job that much easier. However, one figure seemed a little tense for some reason.

"Sparx, is there a problem?" came the low, gentle voice of the young man with the anxious youth. A young man with sunglasses looked over at another young man, but this one was wearing goggles. The male in goggles shrugged.

"Sorry Hoodie…just feelin a little anxious that's all. Something don't feel right, and I don't think it has anything to do with us or the fact we're here." the man in the hood nodded and motioned the youth in goggles to follow.

"We will investigate once we neutralize our targets. You take out the computers and the other electronics. I'll take care of all the organic things." the goggled youth nodded and slipped into the neural stripping room, where a light yelp was heard and then a thump. The hooded man looked in and found a lab tech out cold and the goggled youth working on frying the computers and all the data on them. He nodded and went about working on his own assignment. However…he, too, had a bad feeling about something…

Karin felt revulsion stir in her chest as she saw the lab that had been her birthplace. It had been here she'd been created. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she pushed them away. She felt a hand squeeze hers and she looked at the young man beside her and smiled sadly. He stayed with her, knowing she wasn't born the same way as most humans.

They were sneaking to check if there were anymore children here that they hadn't found. However, an argument sidetracked them. Especially when Karin recognized the voice. Her eyes widened and she quickly made her way to where the noise was coming from. When she did, her throat clogged as she saw her father, Minotsu, arguing with her uncle, Hetumi.

"What were you thinking, Hetumi? She may not have been born like you and I, but she's still a human girl! She's not some animal you can sell off!" Karin's eyes widened and she looked back at Kankuro, who narrowed his eyes on Hetumi.

"Oh get off it, Minotsu. She's not even close to being human. She doesn't feel emotions, she has no personality to speak of…how can you be human and not have at least those?" Karin watched her father glare at her uncle.

"She has a soul, Hetumi. That makes her human. You should never have put your hands on her. This is only going to piss Madara off more." Minotsu sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "What's more, I heard a rumor that Lydia was kidnapped and brought here. What do you think?" Karin noticed the change in her uncle immediately. She gasped, which drew Minotsu's attention. "Did you hear that?" he asked quietly, not aware that Hetumi was pulling a dagger from his coat. Karin's eyes widened as she watched Hetumi approach her father with the intent to kill him.

"DADDY!" she screamed and rushed in. Minotsu's eyes widened as he saw Karin rush towards him. Hetumi lunged then, driving his dagger towards Minotsu's chest. Karin cried out a denial and suddenly, light burst from her hands and hit Hetumi dead on. He was knocked back and the dagger clattered to the floor at Minotsu's feet. The older Hatori son looked dazed.

"K-Karin?" he stared at her, then at the dagger, and then at his brother, who was lying against the wall, dead. Karin had tears in her eyes as she looked at him. With a sob, she ran into his arms and hugged him.

"Daddy…I'm so sorry daddy. I didn't mean to hurt you and momma, but I didn't know who to trust. Jii-chan said that I couldn't trust anyone but Sakura because she knew how to help me with the side effects from Project Crystal." she sobbed into his shoulder. He snapped out of his daze and instantly started trying to calm her.

"Karin, what on earth are you talking about? You're my baby girl…that's all you have ever been. I don't care that you were born in a test tube…what matters to me is that I love you and so does your mother. We've been worried sick about you!" Karin cried more into his shoulder and it was then that Kankuro and Naruto came out.

"We can't stay here. It isn't safe. Karin, we can bring your dad, but he has to be quiet." Kankuro's eyes were cold and made the older man flinch slightly. It was Naruto, however, that made him nervous.

"Hn…after the way he's acted, I'm not sure we can trust him. It's hard for me to believe he's not in this up to his neck. It's rather convenient that his niece is killed in this very lab and he didn't know. Also, I don't buy in that he didn't know about the kids being brainwashed to kill for Madara or the fact that Madara's been killing innocent people for years to get what he wants." Karin felt her father stiffen and looked up at him. He was in complete and utter shock.

"Lydia…Hetumi's Lydia? She's…she's dead?" he sounded heartbroken at the news, but Kankuro narrowed his eyes on the man.

"Sakura managed to save her. Lydia was murdered under the orders of your brother, Hetumi. Sakura went through hell to get Lydia's body and went through even more to bring her back to life. She had to perform a dangerous ritual in order to save Lydia." Minotsu looked at the ground, tears in his eyes.

"I didn't know it would be like this. When Hetumi asked me to join the council, he said it was to ensure that the government wasn't run over by all the newage activists that were gaining popularity. A revolt by the masses would end in war and bloodshed. I don't want my daughter to grow up like that…" he said in a pained voice. He looked at the three before him and sighed.

"Dad was right…I should have stayed out of this. If I had, this wouldn't have gotten so out of hand." he looked back at his brother, who was slouched against the wall. "When Hetumi came to me and told me dad wouldn't be a problem anymore, I wondered what he'd meant by it. When I got news he'd been shot, I panicked. I yelled at Hetumi for being so stupid, but he said that I'd just as much pulled the trigger as he had. I've been living with the guilt this whole time…if only I'd went with dad that day…maybe I could have prevented this…" he shook his head and looked down at Karin, who seemed sad.

"I know you think I've always ignored how smart you are, but the truth is, I didn't acknowledge it because I was afraid it would attract Madara's attention to you. It's why I allowed you to be in the spotlight so much. If I managed to keep you in the public eye, they wouldn't be able to kill you should they ever find the want to." he hugged her and closed his eyes.

"You're the only thing that matters to me. You and your mother. I was jealous of Sakura's relationship with my father, but I've talked to your mother more and more and I know the way I feel is just my own insecurity. I know it's not Sakura's fault and I know keeping the two of you apart was a mistake. However, I will never regret loving you as my own child, Karin. From the day you were born I have loved you." he kissed her on the head and then stepped back from them.

"I can't stay here. If Madara finds me, he'll most likely kill me. One of the lab techs said he has every intention of killing me once our plans come together. I'm going to our winter home in Munich with your mother. Call me when you're safe and this is over." he kissed her on the head and cupped her cheek. "I do love you Karin. Even if you don't want to believe me…" Karin hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.

"Tell momma I'm going to enjoy shopping in Munich with her again when all this is over." Karin smiled and looked over at Kankuro. "I also have someone special I want you to meet. This is Kankuro, my boyfriend." Kankuro nodded to Minotsu, who nodded back.

"Pleased to meet you." Minotsu said carefully, eyeing the boy.

"Likewise. Now, please hurry and get your wife to safety. The longer you stay, the more danger you're in." Minotsu nodded and took off. Karin smiled at Kankuro and Naruto.

"Let's go kick their asses." she smirked, making the two males chuckle.

Silver eyes narrowed as the owner and his two team mates crept towards the central part of the building. They'd been instructed to hang back, just in case. Shino and Raidu were destroying the labs, Shikamaru's team was taking out the guards systematically, and Naruto's group was searching for people to save. He had no idea what Sakura was looking for. She'd already taken all the Center's cash, had alerted the Children's Ministry to the danger of being at Southside Orphanage, and had taught them all the transport coordinates for Gokuraku.

A noise caught his attention and his entire team froze. They watched carefully as one of the grates not too far from them was kicked out and a figure dropped down, looking around carefully. Those silver eyes narrowed as he watched the figure walk past them, oblivious to their presence. He could hear the figure talking.

"Bastard's been holed up here the entire time…should have known…he's too damn arrogant to die." those silver eyes narrowed more as he recognized the voice of the male that had harmed his cousin…Uchiha Sasuke.

His first inclination was to attack, but he'd been told to hold their position, so that's what he did. However, he did radio ahead about the intruder. Sakura told them to leave him…he'd just be a distraction. Lifting a hand, gloved fingers pointed in the opposite direction as Sasuke had gone and the three man unit headed out.

Raidu could feel his stomach churning. Something was very wrong here…something was very, very wrong. He looked around and noticed that his work was done, so he set out to look for his little brother's heart throb. The idea still creeped him out, but if his brother was happy, that was all that mattered to him. He quietly walked into the lab, where Shino was finishing up destroying all the organic materials. He watched the young man's insects work their magic and had to give them credit, they were excellent at their job.

A noise caught his attention and he turned just in time to see a bizarre looking creature rush towards Shino, something in it's hand. Moving before thinking, he pushed Shino out of the way just as the object came down where the taller boy's head had been. The object caught Raidu in the shoulder and pain sliced through him. He hissed and sent a couple thousand volts of electricity through the hulking monstrosity. It screeched and turned to ashes shortly after. Raidu was panting as he sat down heavily on the ground, all feeling in his shoulder gone.

Shino knelt by him and looked the wound over. A large metal spike was sticking out of Raidu's shoulder, vertically. There was no way he could remove it without causing more bad than good. So, he looked at Raidu. "You should stay here and rest. Things will only get harder from here out." Raidu nodded and leaned back against the test tube behind him. He sighed as he watched Shino walk out without him.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths as he thought of the time he'd spent with Lotus earlier. Thinking of her made him smile, and made him reach for her. When he touched her mind, he found revulsion, shame, sickness and pain. He hissed and pushed himself to his feet. She hadn't been feeling that way when he'd been pulled back to the mansion by Sakura. She'd been sleeping in one of the safe houses she was accustomed to staying in.

He could feel tears in her mind as she huddled in a corner of her mind. She'd been wounded…harshly. Who'd hurt her and why? He walked towards her room, holding his shoulder. He'd find out what was going on and kill whoever had hurt her.

Sakura could feel Lotus's pain. It was a tangible thing as she walked through the halls of the Center. She could also feel Madara's anger, the entity inside him trying to break free. Madara was squashing what was left of his humanity and she knew it. She shook her head and walked towards where she knew Madara was. This was the final battle…this would determine everything. Sakura's face hardened as she walked up behind Madara, who was standing over something.

Sakura looked at the man who had caused so much pain to so many people. She heard him cursing, but she heard two voices. "You idiot, you killed my body! What were you thinking!?" came a sinister voice. Sakura stiffened as she recognized that voice. It was Orochimaru. She narrowed her eyes on the man before her. The body at his feet was none other than Uchiha Sasuke…the serial rapist and Madara's own son.

The black haired male in front of her hissed back. "The fucking brat attacked me! What was I supposed to do, let him kill me? He had a knife and he knew exactly what he was doing. I'm going to have trouble moving as it is. He scored a pretty good hit before I broke his neck. Worthless garbage." Sakura felt a niggling of pity for Sasuke then. He was getting insulted even after his untimely death. However, that was not the issue right now…Madara was.

"So this is where you retreated when our world was blown apart…Orochimaru." she said it in a conversational tone and watched at the monster from her past whirled around, one eye red with the Sharingan and the other gold with serpentine amusement.

"Ahhh…my little weapon. Sssso you've finally figured it out…" Sakura laughed once, a cold, emotionless sound.

"Oh, I've known you were inside Madara for a while now. Still the scheming bastard, I see. Tell me, how did you escape the void I sent you to, eh?" she was curious as to how he'd managed to be reincarnated. He just laughed.

"Your precious necklace, my dear. I was trapped inside with the countless other souls until Madara chipped that piece off. When he did, I entered his body through his blood, which was smeared on the crystal from his careless acquisition of the shard." Sakura made a face and shook her head.

"Not surprising…" she said and glared at him. "You always were a parasite." the male hissed at her and glared. However, there wasn't time for them to nitpick one another because Lotus came stumbling into the room suddenly. She looked horrible and Sakura became concerned. What had happened to her? Sakura watched Madara/Orochimaru's face. Suddenly, Madara pushed his personality forward.

"Lotus, what are you doing out here? Haruno will kill you if she gets the chance!" Lotus shook her head and gripped it tightly.

"The images wont leave! I can't get them out…I can't make them stop!" She screamed and slammed her head into the floor as she crumpled to her knees. Sakura gasped and looked at the girl. There were tears in her eyes…emotions on her face. Something horrible had happened to her. Sakura reached out to Lotus with her mind and recoiled when she saw Hetumi raping the bioconstruct. Sakura took a step back and shook her head.

"Hetumi raped you." She whispered and noticed Madara stiffen and then glare. Sakura couldn't help but feel sorry for the young woman. However, Lotus screamed again and slammed her head into the floor again.

"I can't get his face out of my head! His scent, his laugh…so disgusting! I can't make it stop!" she was about to slam her head into the ground again when something restrained her. She screamed and struggled, but the person grunted and hissed in pain. It then spoke to her gently.

"It's alright, Lotus. You're safe now." Sakura noticed Lotus stiffen and then whirl to find Raidu sitting behind her. There was a metal spike sticking out of his shoulder, as if something had mistaken him for a marshmallow. Sakura watched the two, but also kept her eyes on Madara, who seemed to be seething. Lotus touched Raidu's face and tears started pouring down her own face.

"Raidu…I can't make it stop…I can't get his face out…please, help me get rid of him…" she begged him and threw herself into his arms. He held her and comforted her. Sakura heard Madara growl and then curse.

"Stupid bitch…you've been fooling me this whole time. You pretended to not have emotions so that you could sneak away and visit that piece of trash!" Madara bent down and picked up the knife Sasuke had used to stab him. Sakura yelled in warning, but she couldn't react fast enough as shock settled over her. The distance between the two lovers and the psycho scientists was much shorter than her own. She closed her eyes as she heard the metal of the knife meet flesh. However, a grunt caught her attention and she looked up to see Raidu hovering over Lotus, his back to Madara.

Sakura could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she saw the knife sticking out of Raidu's back, all the way to the handle. She could see Lotus's horrified face and Madara's surprised one. Sakura noticed Raidu grab Madara's hand, which was still on the blade. Suddenly, a few thousand volts of electricity went through the mad man's body and he roared in pain. When Raidu was done, the man collapsed, his body smoking.

Raidu chuckled and then collapsed in Lotus's arms. His breathing was shallow and his eyes glazed over. Sakura ran over to them, intent on healing them, but Lotus pushed her away. "Get your people out of here, Haruno-sama!" Lotus cried out and looked up at her. There was pain in the young woman's eyes. With sad eyes, Sakura nodded, but reached out to Lotus and hugged her, taking all the pain and sadness from her. Sakura could feel the tears in her eyes and she looked at Lotus.

"Take care of him Lotus." the young woman nodded and started chanting something. Sakura could feel wisps of energy gathering in and around Lotus. Sakura's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. She sent out the mental command for all of her people to get out and get as far from the area as possible. She felt Gaara touch her mind from where he was. He was busy fighting something he'd encountered on his way to reunite with her. She urged him to get out, along with all the others.

Her radio buzzed just them. "Leader, I can't find Sparx anywhere. Do you have an lead on his location?" Sakura's breath hitched and she looked down at she ran out through one of the vents. She hesitated before keying her radio.

"Sparx is with Lotus…they are beyond our help…" she could feel tears gathering as she said this. They'd all slowly become somewhat attached to the caustic, sarcastic young man that was Sai's brother. She felt the silence as heavy as any blow and scanned to see if her people were out. When everyone checked in as being out, she raced up the ladder and away from the area.

Just as she was over the small hill, she felt the shockwave. It threw her a good ten feet and had her landing on top of Gaara. She looked up at him and blushed slightly when he arched a brow at her. She pushed herself to her feet and slowly went back up to the crest of the hill. She looked over and gasped at what she saw. Where the Southside Orphanage had once sat was nothing but a gigantic crater. There was nothing left but ruins…and not much of those.

Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Gaara. He had his eyes on the wreckage, but she could feel his sadness. Lotus and Raidu had been lost in this mission…and they would never be forgotten. Sakura heard a sob and looked up to see Karin crying into Kankuro's shoulder. Lacey looked sad and was holding tightly to Lee, who was rubbing her back. Tenten was looking at the ground, tears in her eyes, and Neji had his hands on her shoulders. However, Shino was staring at the ruins with wide, shocked eyes. His mouth was slightly gagged open.

"He…he was right behind me…how…" Sakura felt tears fall down her face as she looked back at them all.

"Raidu threw himself between Madara and Lotus. He was stabbed and killed by Madara, but he managed to injure Madara enough so that Lotus could destroy him. However, Lotus was so heartbroken by losing him, that she took her own life in order to insure she killed Madara. She used her own body as a type of atomic bomb." everyone looked at her in shock and then back at the ruins. That certainly looked like the type of damage a bomb would cause…

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her eyes opened when she felt arms wrap around her gently. She looked back and found Gaara standing behind her, looking out over where the Center had formerly been. With a sigh, he whispered "It's finally over…" Sakura looked back to the crater and had to agree with him. Yes…it was finally over…for now.

A/N #2: i may or may not repost this...it's 7 am here and I haven't slept all night...stupid storms and crap made it impossible. I kinda like it this way because it sets the stage for the first chapter of the sequel...you know this ended just a little too quietly for it to be over...