Sakura and Konan sat on Itachi's bed, giggling away at the stories that had been shared between one another since their chat began.
"I think it's truly amazing that you have stuck by the leader's side through all of these years. I really hope that I can do the same for Naruto. He's like a brother to me, and I'm always most comfortable taking on missions if I know that I can work with him," the pink-haired kunoichi explained, a large smile on her face.
"If your heart is dedicated enough to your cause, you will have no problem remaining by Naruto's side as a teammate and friend, just as I am sure that you will have no problem remaining at Itachi's side as a companion with a bond like the one you two share," Konan replied, returning her friend's smile before allowing it to fade. "Sakura… I feel as though you deserve to know that the goal of the Akatsuki as a whole is to bring peace to this world. We thought… that to instill how meaningful peace is and to bring it about, we had to first show people what true pain and suffering meant. I was speaking with Nagato—I mean, Pain—and we have been rethinking our methods. Your arrival has shown us a light that we seemed to be blinded to before—a light that we once had and lost. You came as a captive, and you are now a valuable friend; you are carrying the child of a man who, not long ago, was planning on his younger brother essentially aiding him in suicide. You creating a family with Itachi has led the rest of us to realize that we—the Akatsuki—should be striving to become a family. We cannot understand the world completely until we have bonds that are precious to us."
Sakura gripped her friend's hand in her own, obviously happy to hear what Konan had to say. "In my time here, I've realized that the members of this organization have so much to offer the world. I'll do everything in my power to help get the Akatsuki's true message out to the world, so long as you all are willing to change the way that you approach the issue of peace. I can't thank you guys enough for—"
Before the younger woman could finish her speech, the two kunoichi heard an echoing crash. The noise sounded as if thousands of birds were chirping in unison, over and over again, before slamming into the Earth.
"Wh-what was that?!" Sakura shrieked, instinctively throwing her hands over her head.
"I'm not sure," Konan started, looking out of Itachi's bedroom window to be greeted by the sight of smoke originating from the other end of the hideout; at the spectacle, she began making her way out of the room. "You must stay here. I am sure Itachi will seek you out or send someone with instructions of what you are to do. The Akatsuki has many powerful enemies, and although I do not doubt your strength and willingness to fight alongside us, you are not just responsible for your own life any longer."
With her last words, the blue-haired woman swiftly shut the door behind her upon exiting the room. Sakura sat in fearful silence; the only thing she could think to do was to place her hands on her stomach. As she remained where she was, shaking in anticipation, she began thinking back to the sound that had shattered the serenity of the hideout. She had heard it before, but where…
Sakura sprang to her feet as she remembered exactly what the sound was. Why are you here now, Sasuke…?
Itachi raced outside with Kisame trailing closely behind him. Upon exiting the hideout, he and his partner were greeted by smoke and immense damage to the building. The once green ground was charred to an almost black tint, and the material that had once made up the structure had been reduced to nothing more than ash. This damage… It looks like it was inflicted by lightning-style ninjutsu. As the midnight-haired man finished his thought, he met the gaze of red eyes that resembled his own through the smoke.
"It's been a long time, Brother…" Sasuke stepped out into full view, a stoic face presenting itself. "Did you think I couldn't track you down?"
"Little brother, I would never put your capabilities passed you." Itachi's voice was cold once again, not reflecting the true nature of his emotions. "Listen, Sasuke. You must stop this. I have something I must tell y—"
The elder Uchiha brother was cut off by onyx flames rushing towards him and Kisame. Both Akatsuki members easily jumped out of the way as Sasuke began speaking again.
"Words have no meaning to me now. You know why I'm here. Capturing my former teammate wasn't a smart move; rumors began circulating, which is how I found you. What did you do to her, huh, Brother? Have you murdered her in cold blood yet? I hope she was able to heal your eyes before you got rid of her like the useless piece of trash she was; that way, we can at least have a good battle."
Itachi's eyes narrowed in anger and sadness at his sibling's words. How could he not have seen that Sasuke was speeding down a path of destruction? Despite all that he had done to make sure his last living relative would be safe and strong, his younger brother could not see the light any longer; he embraced the darkness.
"I will destroy this hideout," Sasuke continued. "And then, I will destroy you."
The young rogue ninja raised his hand high above his head, mouthing, "Be gone, with the thunderclap." He pointed his fingers towards the already partly demolished building, as booming crackling sounds could be heard from the sky above. SAKURA! Itachi thought to himself right before a flash of white and blue descended from the heavens.
Crumbling. Smoke. Deafening silence. Kisame left unconscious by the blast. A sly grin plastered on Sasuke's face—that is, until the smoke of his mighty attack began to clear. There stood his brother, in front of the hideout, enveloped in an orange aura. It was the ultimate defense—it was Susanoo.
The Susanoo was an extension of its user's will that could be achieved by awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan in both eyes. It took on a slightly different shape depending on the user that it was summoned by, as to reflect their personal spirit; however, it always had the general appearance of a samurai warrior—a proud portrayal of true willpower and defense.
Itachi's Susanoo had been able to absorb the attack just in time; there had been no further damage to the hideout. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the elder brother's eyes. Blood trickled down from them as if he were crying crimson red. He knew what the cost would be in attempting to summon his ultimate defense, but his eyes being almost completely destroyed and running the risk of death in return for ensuring that those precious to him were safe seemed like a small price to pay. If it had not been for the small amount of healing that Sakura performed on him, he would not have been able to summon Susanoo at all.
Unable to maintain the orange warrior any longer, Itachi's shield fizzled out, leaving him to collapse onto all-fours. His eyes pulsated in his head; he could feel himself fighting to stay in touch with reality. Upon glancing up, the incapacitated man could vaguely make out his younger brother's silhouette standing a good distance in front of him, though he could not pinpoint exactly how far.
"What a shame, Brother. I guess Sakura wasn't of as much use as you were hoping she'd be. It doesn't matter. I'll still get pleasure out of doing to you what you did to our entire clan. Goodbye, Itachi." At Sasuke's final words, he conjured up his Chidori—a technique that his former sensei had taught him years ago—and began running towards the one remaining family member he had left in the world to deal the finishing blow.
"Sasuke, stop! Please!" A pink-haired woman appeared in front of Itachi, arms outstretched in a protective stance. The former team seven member recognized his old comrade; although he was surprised to see her still alive, he assumed she had to be under Itachi's control to be trying to defend him, so he rationed he would cut through her too and end her miserable life.
Blood flew as the Chidori chirped. Sakura's eyes remained shut for a moment as she waited for death to claim her, but to her disbelief, not even pain overtook her body. Slowly, she opened her eyes to a scene that left her body frozen in shock. Standing in front of the paralyzed kunoichi was timid Hinata with Sasuke's hand protruding through her back; the Byakugan user held tightly to the Uchiha's arm, preventing him from going any further.
"Hinata… Why did you…" Before Sakura could muster the composure to finish her sentence, the gentle young woman addressed her.
"B-because… I never go back on my word… It's my… ninja way… I told Naruto… that I would put my life on the line… to get you back safely…" Hinata's lips curled into a slight smile. "I'm happy… that I could be strong like N-Naruto… in the end…"
Sasuke yanked his arm out of the Hyuga girl and jumped back, allowing her to fall. Before she could hit the ground, Naruto appeared and wrapped his arms around her, propping her up into his lap.
"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata managed out, her eyes reflecting a kind of peace at her predicament now that the man she loved was at her side. "I… I'm sorry that I… couldn't get me and her home alive… but I made you a promise… and I was determined… to keep it…"
The dying girl struggled through labored breaths while Naruto fought through his tears to speak.
"Hinata…" he started, attempting to compose himself. "I wish I coulda seen your strength sooner… Maybe then, none of this would have happened. I'm so useless!"
The distraught young man slammed one of his fists into the ground, and tears fell from his face onto Hinata's chest. The evening sky was so colorful; it was almost like the heavens were mocking the tragedy that had come about.
"You… will always be… my hero, Naruto… I'm so lucky… to have gotten the chance… to stand at your side… even if for only a while… You have people who need you… more than anyone needs me… Sasuke… He needs you to guide him through the darkness… I'll die… as a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village… and as… a woman who was blessed… with your love… there are no greater honors… in this world… Naruto… I…I love… you… Please… fulfill your dreams… I'll be by your side… all the way…"
Hinata looked towards the beautifully painted sky as her breathing became slower and slower. "I love you too, Hinata… and I will… I'll become Hokage, and you'll be one of the reasons that I made it there." At Naruto's last words to her, the grey-eyed young woman mustered one last smile before taking her last breath, a lone tear of happiness making its way down her cheek.
The blonde-haired ninja wept silently over his dear friend's body for a moment, and then he laid her lifeless body gently onto the ground. He rubbed the sleeve of his jacket across his face to wipe away his tears, turning to his comrade. "Sakura, what's going on?"
"Naruto… I'm so happy to see you! And… I'm so sorry about Hinata… But it doesn't look like there's much time to explain, so I'm going to need you to trust me! Itachi and the other Akatsuki members aren't the evil, bloodthirsty monsters they have been made out to be! Itachi wants to explain to Sasuke his true reasons for everything he has done, but Sasuke won't listen! I know this is a lot to take in, and what I'm saying is lacking a lot of details, but please, please! You just have to believe me…"
"I do," Naruto simply replied, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You've never lied to me before, Sakura, but I gotta ask: If the Akatsuki aren't actually evil, why are they fighting our comrades? Tsunade sent out all of the old rookie teams to find you when we realized that you had gotten kidnapped, and when we got here, it looked like a battle was already going on. All of a sudden, we were attacked by the Akatsuki. Hinata… She sensed something was extra wrong and ran ahead."
Sakura thought for a second, trying to quickly gather her thoughts into a comprehensive idea of the situation. "Well… I don't think that the other members know that it was Sasuke who attacked this place. They may have run into you guys before being able to thoroughly investigate. The whole thing must just be a huge misunderstanding—you guys came during an attack that was already underway, which looked suspicious to the members, and of course, the Akatsuki are dubbed as criminals by the Leaf as well as my captors, so of course our friends would begin fighting… Naruto, we have to stop them!"
"Got it! We'll go n—"
"Not so fast." A cold voice cut the Hidden Leaf hero off. For the first time since his arrival, Naruto made eye contact with his old friend and rival. "Do you think I'm going to let you run off that easy, Naruto? I'll kill you and my brother right here, right now. He's too weak to put up much of a fight, and you're too incompetent to give me a hard time. I'll sever any remnants of the bonds I once had."
"Sasuke, please," Naruto began, his usually loud and obnoxious voice sounding calm. "Sakura says there's more to the story than you're getting. Don't you want to hear your brother out? He's the last family that you've got, since you don't look at me as anything more than a hindrance. We can fight; we can end the cycle of hatred and violence here, but at least listen to what your brother has to say!"
"I'll tell you what I already told him: Words are meaningless to me now. Nothing he says can change the hatred I have harbored for him for all these years. Why waste my time hearing someone out who will be dead soon? Now, move aside so I can finish him, and then we can finish the business between us."
Sakura bent down and wrapped her arms around Itachi once Sasuke was done speaking. Tired, he leaned into her chest. "What your brother has to say is the last thing in this world that might help you see the light again! Please, Sasuke!" the rosette-haired girl pleaded, green orbs boring into her old friend's red eyes.
Sasuke examined the way Sakura held his brother. His eyes narrowed in not only hatred, but anger and disgust as well. "Do you… care for my brother?" he hissed out while placing a hand on his sword. "Disgusting. I always knew you were pathetic, but I never would have thought you would fall for someone like him."
Naruto stepped to the side and blocked Sasuke's view of his brother and former teammate. Once again, the usually obnoxious ninja spoke with certainty and maturity in his voice.
"I can't let you hurt her, Sasuke. You know that. You already… You already hurt one person important to me; I can't let you do the same thing to another friend of mine. You're precious to me, and you're my friend. I'm willing to kill you if it means saving you from yourself. I already told you: I don't mind dying with you." The young jinchuriki pulled out his kunai and made his way into a fighting stance. "Sakura, take Itachi somewhere and get him in a stable condition. I'll distract Sasuke for now."
Sakura stared at her best friend for a moment, not wanting to leave him to fight their battle alone once again, but she knew that she needed to stabilize her lover's condition—not just for herself, but also for Sasuke. Plus, she had already endangered her unborn child's life once, and she didn't know if she could ever forgive herself for that; she wasn't going to purposely do it again. In the end, the medical kunoichi offered her longtime teammate a few words of encouragement before taking Itachi somewhere safer.
"I believe in you, Naruto, just like I did when you told me you'd do everything in your power to bring Sasuke back to me. Thank you, and be careful."
With that, Sakura threw one of the elder Uchiha brother's arms over her neck and darted away. Naruto turned his attention back to his friend and rival, eyes sparkling with determination.
"I've always wanted to fight you, but never like this. I'm sorry for failing you, Sasuke. I'll make up for it here. Even if it costs me my life, I'll save you from the darkness!"