Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the native characters along with terminology normally associated with it. I do own this storyline so don't steal it or I'll sue you, mkay? ;)

Chapter Two: Grace is Gone part 1

Black cloaks with the notorious red clouds on them slithered in the brush surrounding the city's main gate. On Sasuke's mark they all dispersed into the night.

Kiba leaned against the stone wall with Akamaru asleep next to him.

"Do you really think he's going to destroy Konoha?" Sakura continued to stare out into the night.

"I don't know. But I do not doubt he has the power to do so," her eyes scanned the darkness for movements and chakra readings. Sasuke, I know you're out there. A scream brought her from her thoughts and focus. Kiba jumped up and they both looked over the wall.

"It's coming from the east corner where Lady Tsunade is!" Sakura snapped her attention to the Hokage's tower. Sakura was already maneuvering through the city. Her breathing was heavy and beads of sweat began to coat her body. She slammed the doors open of the tower and flew up the stairs to Tsunade's office.

"Lady Tsunade?" but Tsunade was standing facing the window, "Are you alright, ma'am?" the figure said nothing. Sakura took a step closer. A wind howled through the office and the doors slammed shut behind her. Tsunade turned around and smiled menacingly at Sakura.

"Oh, Sakura, you were always too trusting," Tsunade walked towards her student, "So gullible and childish. You see where that has gotten you?" and then Sakura was on all fours. I didn't even see her move. Sakura sputtered and coughed. "Come now, here I was expecting more from the great medic-nin of Konoha," Sakura looked up and Tsunade's figure began to melt away slowly to reveal a spindly looking girl with glasses.

"Karin," Sakura ground out.

"Oh so you do remember me, I'm so glad," Sakura stood up slowly regaining her balance and focus, "Sasuke-kun is here," Karin hissed, "Wouldn't you like to see him? Well, I'm sure you'll see him soon enough when you precious little town begins to burn with his black flames. He is a master of the sharingan now, did you know?"

"You're insane if you think you are going to win," Sakura spat. Karin glanced at the leaf-nin. "And you are sadly mistaken if you think he means anything to this city,"

"Huh, maybe you're not as stupid as I thought. Still," Karin pulled a poisoned kunai from her thigh, "it will give me great pleasure to dispose of one of Konoha's greatest kunoichi's and to finally sever one of Sasuke-kun's bonds." Sakura clenched a fist and threw a chakra infused punch into the ground. "Wha!" Karin jumped back and managed to somersault out of the way. When the debris settled Sakura was gone. "No!" Karin grit her teeth and then relaxed, smiling to herself when she felt another presence, "Hm, gotcha," whipped around Karin thrust the kunai through Sakura's shoulder. A smiled widened at the scream of pain that echoed through the room.

Sakura was huffing, willing her chakra to replenish itself. Her clone puffed away and she sank down onto her knees as Karin lie unmoving on the floor, a leaf-village poisoned kunai in her back.

"ANBU is holding them off for now," Shizune whispered meekly to Tsunade.

"How much longer do we have, Shizune?" her assistant hesitated before nodding and being honest,

"They're moving through the city much faster than any of us anticipated."

"Bring me Sakura,"

"Ma'am… no one knows where Sakura is…" Tsunade's eyes widened.

"I want them here now! Naruto, Kiba, Hinata, Shino and anyone else you can find! GET THEM HERE!"

"Hai! Right away, ma'am," Tsunade shed a tear for her student, fearing the worst, and knowing if she should get cornered with an advanced member of the group, she would be killed. The leader pushed those thoughts from her head and readied herself for battle.

The Akatsuki moved through Konoha no longer hidden or is silence. They sliced through anything in their way. The innocent fell, women, children, civilians, nin and ANBU falling behind them.

"Sasuke, we're awaiting orders," the Uchiha leader watched billows of black smoke rise through his hometown an heard the blood curdling screams of the fallen. Madara, masked as Tobi, watched Sasuke out of the corner of his eye.

"They will make a final stand."

"That should be no problem," one of the trainee's scoffed.

"Do not underestimate these nin. Kill any in your way but Naruto is mine." Sasuke moved forward into the city slithering through the homes of citizens. He slipped through a window to stay out of sight and slipped past those still keeping guard around the city. The flames illuminated everything and were consuming the streets he used to trod as a child.

"Sasuke Uchiha!" Sasuke turned to face a man who held a samurai sword in his hands, "You have brought dishonor to your clan and now you dare to make this city your punching bag. You reek of sorrow and incompassion. I know the weight of your guilt."

"You are a fool. Are you willing to die for this city?"

"No!" a shriek echoed from a darkened corner of the room. A woman came running out and at Sasuke. Her body fell to the ground at his feet. He then sheathed his sword that was still warm with the woman's blood.

"You're a monster," Sasuke's eyes turned to slits and he got very close to the man.

"You don't know monsters," staring into the man's eyes Sasuke released his mangekuyo sharingan. The homeowner gasped and made some cries before falling atop his wife.

"NO!" Sasuke whirled on his heel to stare at the figure in the doorway. Flames raging outside the door flashed illuminating the face. Sakura, hn. The girl's jade eyes lifted from the bloodied body of her parents to their attacker. Her fists clenched at her sides.

"Sakura," her voice slid from his mouth and made her cringe inwardly, "You should have been training instead of spending so much time with dobe chasing after me."

"We believed in you Sasuke! We wanted you to come home,"

"This is not my home. We walked the same path once Sakura. It will never be the way it was before."

"I will never forgive you Sasuke," Sakura then filled her fist with chakra. Sasuke smiled,

"I am not interested in fighting you Sakura," his smile disappeared, "but I will go through you if I must." He pulled his sword out again and charged. She raised her fist but instead of aiming her efforts at him she slammed it into the frame of the door causing the house to collapse on them both.