The Darkness of Sakura

by RyokoMist

Sakura discovers that her father is Orochimaru and that he, along with Sasuke are coming to get her! Read Sakura in her greatest battle yet, trying to retrieve the memory her father took from her, and return to the light. NaruSaku, Sasusaku, and kakasaku!

8. Chapter 8 The Light the end

Hi Everybody! RyokoMist here! I am soooo sorry that it took me like three months to finally conclude this story, but HERE WE ARE AT LAST! The italic words at the end of the story are the lyrics to Avril Lavigne's song Alice. This song really helped me to wrap of this story and I thought it felt pretty well! I kinda started to lose focus on the story and in the end I got aggrivated so I ended it kinda quickly. I made it blunt and to the point cuz I was just starting to get fed up with myself! Anywho, thanks so much for your supprt and I hope you enjoy this! Please comment on my story (PS: I just might write a story about Ryoko in the future! tee hee!) Thank you once again! ~ RyokoMist

Beginning of an End:

The Light of Darkness

"You can't be serious Sakura?" Kakashi slams his fist hard on the table. His teeth are gritted in immediate anger.

Sakura merely looks at him with expressionless eyes. "I am, Kakashi."

"No! I will not let you fight Orochimaru! We have to get you somewhere safe, and our daughter! Let the Sannin handle it."

Sakura sighs out. "They won't be able to. Besides, I must finish this myself." She folds her hands together and looks down at the floor. "I'm sick of running." Sakura can feel her eyes growing hot as the tears begin to form within them. She hated this feeling of insecurity and weakness. To not be able to do anything was something that the Jounin resented. How could she be so strong, yet so weak?

Kakashi shakes his head in dispute and places one hand over his face. He couldn't understand why she was so willing to face death! His body quivers, whether from anger at her opinion or grief at the thought of losing her, he did not know. "I made you Sakura Hatake because I love you. I want to protect you." His free hand clutches at the glass table tightly and it begins to crack under his fingertips. "Every night I fear that the next morning will bring him back…that you will leave; either in his control again, or through death…" The fingertips squeeze tighter to the glass. "Sakura," his voice urges in a whisper, "I will not lose you…not AGAIN!" The glass shatters defiantly, slicing into his hand, causing his blood to drip freely on the floor and around him.

Sakura looks at his arm and hand covered in the red scarlet of life in absolute shock. She can feel her body tensing and beginning to shake. Her pulse raced in fear at what had happened and at the strange comfort she was feeling at the sight of her husband's blood. Kakashi just raises his hand and looks at the damage with an emotionless face. Sakura can see the slight grimace of his mouth through his face mask. "What have you done?" she screams fearfully, running to him. She gently takes his arm into her hands and examines it. "Bad," she mutters. "Hold on, this might hurt." Sakura makes her chidori-like lightning course through her fingers. The lights above them flicker. Sakura allows the lightning to go inside his arm as Kakashi flinches, pulling out every piece of glass within him. He had forgotten the healing properties of her power. The lightning then closes the wound. Sakura hold his hand to her face. "Calm down, please. I hate it when you're angry." Sakura looks at some blood that still laid fresh upon his flesh. She parts her lips and begins to lick the blood from his arm. What a terrible trait to have inherited from her father!

Kakashi stares at her in disbelief. How could she do that? It was obvious that there still some darkness in her. Kakashi remains silent as she rubs ointment on and bandages his arm. Sakura leaves to make sure that Ryoko is still asleep and not disturbed by the sudden "event". When she returns, she notices Kakashi looking out the window, as if watching someone leave. He notices her return and states, "I won't let you fight Orochimaru…"

Sakura sighs out in frustration. It was as if the past few years had never happened. Her father was coming, again, and now everything had been placed into perspective. What could he want? To bring her back again? That wasn't possible, so perhaps to kill her then? A soft smiles plays upon her lips: That wasn't possible either.

"Sakura…" Kakashi grabs her arm and pulls Sakura's body close to his own. "I don't want to lose you. Is it that hard to understand?"

Sakura holds her head down. "Kakashi," she whispers. "I love you. I can't live without you. But…" he voice grows strained and full of mounting frustration. "How can we be happy knowing that my father is still out there, hunting, waiting to take me away again?" She can feel her husband's body stiffen against her frame. "This has to end now. And I have to be the one to do it." There was no way she could live with immortality and this feeling for the rest of her days. Surely she wasn't given immortality to live in fear.

Kakashi heaves his shoulders. "Sakura," he murmurs her name slowly and gently. The once Black Ops member turns his wife to face him. He places a hand on her lower back. He loved her, and the fear of losing Sakura now had caused the time of desperate measures. Kakashi grabs his wife's face and forces her to look into his eyes. His eye takes the form of the Sharingan…the Tsukuyomi. Yes, it was true. Kakashi Hatake was now able to use the Tsukuyomi. "I'm sorry," he explains, "but I will not watch you suffer and taken from me again…even if that means putting you out of commission for a while!"

Sakura gasps in horror as she feels the room around her begin to swirl into a blurry light of black and red. Sakura somehow manages to squeeze her eyes shut and slaps Kakashi away, causing him to fall back against the table frame. Sakura screams out angrily, "You BASTARD!" Kakashi, his face still turned and throbbing from her blow, remains quiet as she exclaims, "You were going to use the same torture on me that Itachi used on you? Dammit, I'm your wife!"

"I know that. And it's not that I was going to use it…" he stands up straight. "I AM going to use it!"

"Like hell you will," Sakura defies. She knows that there is one place that she could possibly be safe. The female Jounin runs down the hall and makes a sharp right. Sakura burst open the door but gasps in surprise. Ryoko was gone! "Ryoko? Ryoko!" Sakura screams. She is about to run back out of the room when she bumps directly into Kakashi. "Ryoko's gone!"

"I know," Kakashi answers coolly. Sakura's eyes open wide in shock. She can feel the blood leaving her face. "When you went to tuck her in, I told a friend to take Ryoko away once the opportunity opened. I didn't want our daughter to be here for this."

Sakura is appalled. She can feel her body begin to drift off to the side. Her eyes begin to water as she looks at Kakashi's careless eyes. Why was he doing this? But then the hurt of betrayal begins to sting. "Where's my baby, Kakashi?" Sakura demands, her hair beginning to float around her face. "WHERE IS RYOKO?" But he remains silent. The lightning blazes along her fingertips and hands. Without another word she lunges her white chidori-fire at the man she loved. It came to this? The clone dissipates, and the pink-haired automatically turns towards the real figure standing beside her. Her fingertips touches his stomach and the lightning courses through him, just as Kakashi grabs her by the throat and looks into her eyes. He had her.

In the red, sketchy shadows of the void, Sakura stands before Kakashi. "You -," she begins, but her sentence is cut off and hard metallic chains grab hold of both of her arms and legs, yanking her into mid-air. Sakura pulls and struggles but cannot move as she hangs there as if on an invisible crucifix. And though the time would be short, it would seem like forever to not only Sakura, but Kakashi as well. 1. He was injured. Sakura hadn't held back on the attack she unleashed upon him. 2. To hurt her was to hurt himself a thousand times over. However, Hatake does not reveal this on his expression.

He raises his hand and a sword appears out of the shadows. Without a word, it lunges for Sakura, stabbing her right in the gut. She coughs, and her eyes shut tight in pain. And then three more pains shoot through her body. All four swords are placed within. Sakura stares at Kakashi with hateful eyes. Her breath becomes hard and raspy, her lungs filling with her own blood. Kakashi then summons up a kunai, looking away from her. The child of Orochimaru smiles weakly. "Do it," she whispers. Kakashi's eyes widen in absolute terror. "Kill me…my love." She mutters it over and over again, tormenting Kakashi instead. Finally unable to hear her taunts any longer, the kunai is thrust forward and, just as she had once seen as her death with Sasuke in the Forest of Death, hits her straight in the head.

Kakashi bends over, clasping his head over his mouth. This was affecting him more than he thought it would. There is a gasp. As expected, Sakura awakens again from death, no sign of any injuries. Kakashi faces her once again and says, "I can't keep doing this. It's time you met your match."

The copy-cat ninja raises his hands towards Sakura and pulls at the air. Sakura's front jerks forward, a pulling and twisting sensation ringing throughout her body. She grits her teeth, struggling. And then, a black form seeps slowly out of her stomach. It gathers together, beginning to take form. The mass hardens and gains a body…her body. And once the transformation is complete is when they recognize it. It was Sakura…the evil, dark, true spawn of Orochimaru! Her skin is so pale it grey. Her hair is black as tar and flowing down pass its feet. Its eyes are a lifeless green, like that of dying grass and its pupils are that of slits. Her ears were pointed and her fangs well defined and sharp as daggers. An evil smiles spread across its lips as Sakura writhes in horror.

It was her true self! This was the thing that Sakura feared the most! This was the creature that she had called: Akuura (evil Sakura). Akuura tilts her head to the side, appalled at the weakness of herself. Sakura's green eyes shift to Kakashi, who is taken back at the evil chakra flowing from the evil love of his life. She begs him. "Kakashi! Help me please! Get me out of here!"

Akuura leans in towards her good self, teeth bared. "Kakashi, PLEASE!" Sakura screams in blood curling fear, fighting to break free of the chains. Kakashi nods, realizing that it was enough and prepares to step forward; only to discover that he cannot. His feet are trapped within a black hole. "Sakura," he yells out. How could this be? The evil Sakura could not gain control of HIS world…could she? Either way, Kakashi throws Shuriken and kunai at the beast. Then, she vanishes; reappearing in the hole beaneath him. Her evil smile still blazing, she crawls out of the hole, up his legs and side, finally wrapping her arms around Kakashi's neck and tightening her legs around his outer thigh.

"Kakashi…" it murmurs, hair floating about its body. She rubs his face with her cold hands.

"Leave him alone!" Sakura threatens. She bares her own fangs and lets out a vicious blood-curling hiss.

Akuura replies just as viciously and releases herself from Kakashi Hatake, flying towards Sakura. The dark aura emanating from Akuura is stifling. It was as if she breathed destruction and death from her beautifully terrifying features. She stops, just inches from Sakura's face, both still baring their fangs and hissing and growling. The young mother strains at her chains, attempting to break free. She may have been frightened of her true self, the mere sight of her making Sakura's hear stop constantly, but she knew that she had to fight against the evil one.

Akuura's black hair begins to tighten itself around Sakura's neck; causing the good version of the female to gasp for air. Akuura says in a dark hiss, "Foolish cur! You cannot even think of defeating me! I AM YOU!" She then bites down on Sakura's neck. "You cannot fight me. I lie within…soon you will embrace what you are meant to be, you will give me life, finally, once again…we shall be ONE…and Kakashi and Ryoko and ALL will feel my power."

Sakura yells out and the chains break. "NOOO!" She leaps upon Akuura and they crash to the ground. Sakura's form begins to change. Her eyes turn darker in form; into a pale golden color, her hair grows down pass her knees; ears become distinctively pointed. She squeezes Akuura's throat, a joy of killing something reverberating through her like the beat of a drum. Her fangs are visible and her eyes are opened fully in absolute happiness of what she was doing. How wonderful it was to feel life slipping away in her own hands! The sheer thought gave Sakura a dangerous strength despite her "injuries" from the Tsukuyomi. A dark smirk shows itself at the corner of her lips. The was wondrously pleasant! Akuura matches Sakura's expression. It was nerve wrecking seeing the two staring at each other, smiling at the thought of death. It was like a mirror.

Akuura smiles, happy in seeing the connection between them. Death brought them together, and killing was a satisfying trait for them. She explains, "It's already begun…and there's nothing you can do to stop it!" Sakura seems to regain herself at the words, and weakens her grip, afraid at the thought of turning into the evil creature that was within. Akuura hisses in annoyance at Sakura loosening her hold. She turns into the black vapor once more and forces herself back inside of Sakura. Now this was the real torture! All the memories, the pain…that was worse than any death the Tsukuyomi could bring. Kakashi's legs break free and he runs to Sakura, who is on her knees, bending over backwards, just as she had seen herself when Orochimaru had showed her her death before she realized she was his daughter…could it be that he wasn't showing her her death, but rather, showing what she would endure in the future? It didn't really matter. But she remembered the excruciating pain!

Kakashi grabs hold of her and the void begins to disappear. How could something like this happen? He always misinterpreted the true capacity of the evil that laid within her, and it was Sakura who always suffered more than he did! And when they realize they have returned to the reality, Kakashi gasps. Not at Tsunade and the other ninja that were there; but at the appearance of his wife: she was still in her (beginning to change) dark form. It had really happened. The ninja whisper amongst themselves and Sakura notices this as well. She grabs her hair and lets it flow between her fingers. The kunoichi's eyes are wide in terror and a sound begins to grow in her throat. "Uh….Uhhh….Uhaaaaaa…UheeEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" She keels over to her side and her knees pull up as her body cringes from insanity. Her eyes were still wide open but she uses her hands to clutch at her face, covering her mouth in an attempt to suppress the scream…to no avail. Kakashi crawls towards her; the extent of his injuries too much. He throws his arms around her and pulls her into his chest. "I'm sorry," he whimpers. "Please…don't give in…I love you, Sakura…please…" he grows unconscious, as she too begins to wind down within her arms. Tsunade places a healing hand on Sakura's head; killing some of the pain…of the insanity.

*****%%%%%%*****

A twisted smile plays across the pale mouth. "She's turning," the evil voice says with a sneer. Orochimaru's tongue traces around his lips. "Mmm. It's delicious. I can taste the darkness…mouthwatering."

Kabuto leans against the wall twirling a kunai in his fingers. "I'm glad you're satisfied master."

Orochimaru cackles. Within a few days he would arrive in Konoha and would take his daughter back. She was very valuable to him alive. Her powers were too great to simply waste. He could kill her, perhaps, (she had gotten stronger. There was no telling if she could defeat him or not yet) but he would much rather have her alive, even if that meant erasing her memories again. Besides, he loved his offspring. It had started as having an heir to assist him in conquering the lands, but he never considered the bond one could have with his own child. She was just like him: TWISTED.

The thought of having his child back made him joyous. Oh how selfish he was! He cared not about what life she had in Konoha. He only cared about what she meant to him. Kabuto smiles, "You know, sources tell me that she gave Kakashi immortality some time ago."

Orochimaru turns. "Hatake? Why?"

Kabuto looks up at the ceiling. "She married him." Orochimaru sighs. That would be a problem. "But," Kabuto continues, "that's not all. You have," his eyes shift to his master, "a grandchild."

Orochimaru smiles. "Really? How quaint. I suppose I could use that to my advantage. Kill Kakashi, and threaten to kill the child if Sakura doesn't join me. Or I could kill them both. What would Sakura have to live for then?" He pauses. "Of course that might just make her want to kill me even more."

"Or you could kill Kakashi, erase Sakura and the child's memories, and tell them that Konoha was responsible for killing everyone they know, and that you three barely made it out with your lives. Keep some memories of Kakashi, that way Sakura'd be thirsty for revenge. Besides, the child just might be of some use to you. Any seed of Sakura will have some of her powers. She might not be as powerful as her mother, but the child will be strong enough."

"Hmmm. That's a good point. What would I do without you Kabuto? I must say I'm rather impressed. Your heart is becoming as cold as mine. Let's hope you don't try to succeed me. I'd hate to kill my most loyal servant." Kabuto smiles in amusement. "What is the child's name, Kabuto?"

"Ryoko."

"Ah…the dragon child. How wonderful of a name." Orochimaru cackles. "Let's get ready shall we?"

"Yes, my master."

*****%%%%%%%%*****

A week has passed since the "incident" Sakura had forgiven Kakashi, and immediately began training for the oncoming battle. Because of her strength, the effect that the Tsukuyomi should have had on her never happened. She healed herself and Kakashi. They needed to be ready for whatever came their way next. However, Sakura's form remained the same. She was not completely in the Akuura state, but she had changed far enough to make herself, as well as her loved ones nervous. Ryoko immediately noticed the change in appearance in her mother. She had asked why mommy's hair was pass her knees and why her eyes weren't green anymore and looked like dying grass. Sakura would always grow quiet and leave and Kakashi had no idea what to say. None of the other shinobi (her "aunts" and "uncles"; her parents' dear friends) explained anything to her, and this made Ryoko concerned. No matter how much they tried to sway the child and keep her from thinking about what dangers were to come, it had no avail. Ryoko was very observant, noticing the stress of her mother. She was a very intelligent child, able to pick things up very clearly.

On this morning, Ryoko is sitting on the roof of a building, thinking quietly to herself. She was not as good as her mother at hiding her true emotions, so she had to sneak off. She knew something was coming; and she knew that no matter what she did, she didn't have the power to stop it! Oh how she wished she was older! But then, Ryoko turns to hear the voice of someone behind her. It was her best friend, Minato Uzumaki. Minato was the son of Naruto and Hinata. It was obvious to tell that he would be a very handsome man when he grew up. He was tan and had blonde, spiky hair (like his father); but his hair was long, running to the middle of his back (a trait from his mother). Minato's eyes were the color of blue lilacs due to the mixture of his father's blue and mother's lilac purple eyes. Minato was named after Naruto's Hokage father, Yondaime (Minato Namikaze). Like his grandfather, Minato had a girly beauty, but he was strong. He was pretty quiet and shy, but once riled up, he was just like his boisterous father.

Minato sits beside Ryoko, his orange jumpsuit rising up. "What's wrong Ryoko-chan?"

Ryoko answers, "Something bad is coming. I can feel it. Mama and Papa can feel it too. It's got me scared."

Minato places his tanned hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Ryoko-chan."

But Ryoko shakes her head and draws her knees tighter to her chest. "Uh-uh. I think something bad is gonna happen to them. And if that happens…I don't know…I'm scared, Minato-kun."

A breeze blows through their long hair. Minato is about to tell Ryoko she's being a scaredy-cat, when he notices the tears forming in her eyes. Minato pauses, as Ryoko draws her hands to her face and weeps visibly. It didn't make any sense to Ryoko why she felt like her parents were going to die….like she might die too. But then, she gasps as she feels her body tilt over and rest against something. Minato looks her deep in the eyes as she rests against his little chest. He says with a serious finality, "It's okay, because I won't let anything happen to you Ryoko-chan. I'll protect you." Suddenly, he becomes embarrassed and blushes. Ryoko is shocked at first. Then, she smiles softly and holds Minato's hand, growing more comfortable leaning on him.

Sakura watches from the street and grins. But then there is a low whistle. Shizune appears beside Sakura and looks at her with serious eyes. "Sakura…he's here." Sakura frowns. So it was time, was it? She turns once again to her daughter. Kakashi appears beside her. She looks at her husband with a pained expression. There was a possibility that she would never come back again…that they would never return. Gracefully, Sakura vanishes and reappears on the edge of the rooftop. Kakashi appears behind the children. Kakashi wraps his arm around his daughter's back and hugs her tight. Sakura, holding on to the edge of the roof with her fingers, practically floating in mid-air, leans in with her eyes closed and kisses her child's forehead. The moment that she leans in so sweet and sad it was as if it was happening in slow motion. Their love was emanating strongly in the air. Sakura reaches out a hand and pulls Minato into the embrace. He was like her own son because of her relationship with Naruto. She kisses him as well and whispers, "I love you." Without another word, Kakashi and Sakura vanish from sight, leaving Ryoko there on the roof screaming for them to come back.

*****%%%%%%*****

As the two Jounin run through the village to the front gates, they remain quiet, holding each other's hands. Words could not express how they felt at the moment. Just one another's touch was enough. They knew that the children would remain safe in Shizune's care. They race forward, arriving to the gate and running through it, Tsunade and Naruto and the other once Genin, their friends, with them. They would not let her fight alone. Renji pulls alongside Sakura, a nod indicating that he was with her till the end. Kyo was staying behind to comfort Ryoko.

The group arrives to the clearing…and there in the center, was Orochimaru. They stop, ready to fight, but Sakura holds out her hand, indicating that she did not want to involve her friends. She turns to them, smiling softly at the group behind her: Neji, Ten Ten, Lee, Choji, Ino, Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Renji, Tsunade, and Naruto; all willing to die for her. They notice her signal to stay back and, resentfully, respect her wishes. But before she moves forward, Naruto steps out of the group and stands before her. Sakura is taken back at first. And then Naruto grabs her arm and pulls her into his embrace. He cups his hands against her hair and presses his face into her neck. Sakura's eyebrows raise in grief. Could it be that he still loved her? No. They loved each other, this was true, but romantically it was not so. They were a part of each other, best friends, a team…nothing could ever break the bond they shared…not even death. This was a good-bye, a last show of love and emotion between them before the end. Sakura holds him back tightly, feeling the heat of his body against her own…they were one and the same: both young, both carrying monsters within themselves…both hurting…both glad that they had found each other. Sakura pulls away from him and cups her hand against Naruto's face. Sweetly, she kisses his cheek as he holds her hand.

Sakura takes a step back and gazes at all her friends. The emotion that flowed in the air was suffocating. The sun was setting behind her. Sakura smiles softly at them as the vibrant colors of sunset danced behind her. They gasp. Never had she looked more beautiful, more alive. It was a good life. She faces her father then, taking a deep breath. It was a good life.

Orochimaru states, "Is it time daughter? Are you ready to come home?" He makes a hand sign and a shield forms around the group that came. He wanted to make sure they remained spectators.

Sakura frowns and stands ready. "I'll die first, father." She charges him with mind blowing speed. She swings her leg to kick, but Orochimaru ducks and swerves to the right. He catches her leg; however Sakura places her free foot on his chest and flips out of his grasp. She lands on her feet and skids back into the earth, the dust floating disturbed into the air. Orochimaru's hands fly into many signs and a giant serpent appears beneath him. The snake lunges for the Jounin female and she dodges. She then leaps unto the snakes head and shoots her chidori-lightning into its brain, killing it instantly. Sakura then angles herself and fires her chidori-lightning at Orochimaru. She hits her father, causing him to crash to the earth. And then, she sees a vision of the memories she had with him…how happy she was…Could she really kill him? But Orochimaru vanishes and reappears behind Sakura, reaching a hand around her and stabbing a kunai into her stomach. Sakura lets out a yell of pain. She falls on her knees and clutches at the earth.

"MOMMY!" Sakura turns her head slowly to the side as she spies Ryoko coming through the trees, tears streaming down her face and afraid.

Orochimaru exclaims, "Is that my granddaughter? She sure is pretty Sakura, just like her mother." He begins to take a step for Ryoko. Kakashi immediately stands in front of his daughter; hands spread out in a protective stance using his Chidori. Sakura grabs her father's foot and holds tightly. Her lightning dances around her fingers, striking Orochimaru.

"Don't you go near my child."

Orochimaru cackles softly and shakes off her grip. Sakura reaches a hand out for him, the tears falling down her face uncontrollably. The Kunai he placed within her was poisoned, she could feel it. Why was it so difficult to fight him? Orochimaru says, "Which would you rather choose? Your loving husband for life? Or your daughter?"

"I can't!" Sakura screams, struggling to her feet.

"Can't choose hmm? Well, perhaps I'll have to kill them both!" Orochimaru makes three clones surround her husband and child. Sakura fears for the lives of her family. She couldn't choose. She had to have them both! "DADDY PLEASE!" she screams at the top of her lungs. Orochimaru pauses. That was the first time she called him father and really meant it. And then, the clones attack. Kakashi fights them off the best he can. He fights, but they are stronger than he remembered. The clones turn into snakes and bite Kakashi on the neck, arm and leg. Their venom courses through his veins rapidly and he collapses to the ground. Ryoko screams out and kneels beside her father. And then she looks up at the shadow above her.

Ryoko murmurs, "Grandpapa."

Orochimaru pulls out a kunai. From behind him, Sakura sees his arm swing down and a splatter of blood. The group yells out in absolute rage. Naruto bangs his fist against the shield and Tsunade punches at it. Choji turns into the spiked bullet tank, trying to break through. Renji yells in anguish. He could not stand watching this happen. He wished he was powerful enough to break through the barrier! To fight and protect his mistress!

Sakura's eyes widen in absolute terror as she sees the body of her child fall to the ground on Kakashi, covered in blood and unmoving. "NOOOOOOOO!" The sensation that writhes through Sakura now is unshakeable. Her body has slight convulsions as she stands to her feet. The lightning of her hands dances around her entire body. Her hair becomes black and her skin pale. Orochimaru turns to see his daughter in her most ferocious form. She takes one step and is immediately in front of him. Orochimaru gasps in surprise. Sakura swings her arm and hits his face, causing him to fly across the earth, tumbling upon the ground. Sakura stares at the bodies of her husband and child. She then turns and faces her father once again. She lifts her fingertips as they dance with lightning. The white fire is larger, grander, and more powerful. And then she does something no one expected: Sakura puts her fingers to her own chest, shooting herself with the energy.

Orochimaru opens his mouth in surprise as Sakura collapses to the ground. Orochimaru runs to her then. "Sakura!" he cries as he takes her into his arms. "What are you doing?"

Sakura smiles, blood oozing from her lips. "You made me choose…Kakashi…or Ryoko…but I couldn't…I need them…so I chose to die…as well."

"No!" Orochimaru defies. "You can't die! I need you here! That's why I did all this, so you could be with me again."

"Sorry…father…but…without them, I am nothing. I am not powerful…not what you need me to be."

And then, a tear escapes from Orochimaru's eye. That was the first time Sakura had ever seen him cry. "You idiot! What I need you to be is my daughter!" Orochimaru leans over to Kakashi and bites his arm. "I need you to live." Kakashi takes a deep breath. The once Sannin member then bites Ryoko and her wound heals and she too takes a breath of life. Sakura is appalled at what she is seeing. Her father was bringing them back. "They're alive now. The rest is up to you…or have you really decided on death this time?" Orochimaru kisses her forehead. "I love you daughter, never forget that." Sakura's eyes close and a drawn breath exits from her lips as the her skin turns normal and her hair turns pink once again.

*****%%%%%%******

Her eyes open slowly. There is a faint light shining in her room. It is the moon. She turns and sees Kakashi and Ryoko asleep in the hospital beds, each on a side of her. Sakura smiles. Was that real? At the feeling of the pain in her chest, she knows it was. She knows that her body had returned to normal. Her hair was short again, but she could feel it touching her shoulders; it was little longer than it was before…but short was better. Sakura looks again at the calm faces of her resting family. It was finally over.

*****%%%%%%*****

Some years had passed since that fateful incident. Akuura was finally dead, though Sakura still held her powers, and though some habits were hard to kill (like licking someone's bleeding wound for example). Konoha rested easier with the whole threat completely annihilated. Who could blame them? Sakura's evil side was dead, and so was her blood lust.

That evening, under the full moon, Sakura sits on the roof of her home, Kyo's body curled around herself and Kakashi and Ryoko. It was a full moon and the family felt peaceful. Immortality wasn't bad, if they could continue to live like this.

Orochimaru was now dead, thanks to Sasuke, and while many people rejoiced, Sakura was a bit sad. He saved their lives and proved that he did love her for more than her powers. He had snuck into Konoha many a nights watching the family as they slept. Ryoko told her mother that she had played with him lots of times in the Forest of Death. It was strange, knowing that Orochimaru was capable of love…and as Sakura holds Ryoko in her lap and leans on Kakashi, giving them both a kiss, she looks at the full moon and thinks to herself, "I loved you too… Father."

Tripping out, Spinning around. I'm underground, I fell down, I fell down.
I'm freaking out. So where am I now?
Upside down and I can't stop it now. It can't stop me now!

I, I'll get by. I, I'll survive
When the world's crashing down, when I fall and hit the ground, I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop it?
I, I won't cry

I found myself in Wonderland
Get back on my feet again
Is this real?
Is this pretended?
I'll take a stand until the end!

I, I'll get by. I, I'll survive
When the world's crashing down, when I fall and hit the ground, I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop it?
I, I won't cry

THE END