Chapter 2: Strength
What on earth had happened in two weeks? How many people had Danzo murdered in the name of justice?
With Tsunade no longer in power, Danzo must be taking initiative. But slaughtering prisoners? That was just insane.
'Sakura, look out!'
I sensed three chakra signatures appear behind me. They had snuck up on me while I was busy gawking at insanity. I slowly stood up, keeping my back facing towards my opponents.
Wait a second, I recognise that chakra signature…
"Don't even think about running, Hag, it won't do you any good."
Hag? Only one person called me that.
"I am too shocked and injured to do anything of the sort, Sai," I said turning around and facing him and two other ROOT agents. I stared him straight in the eye, not even bothering to glance at the others.
'I don't think we're getting out of this situation any time soon. Sai knows what you can do.'
"Put your hands above your head and don't move," the shortest of the three Root said.
"Hai, hai, there's no funny business going on here, but perhaps you should try down there," I said slyly while pointing towards Danzo and the crowd. I obeyed their orders and place my hands above my head.
The shortest ROOT agent walked behind me and brought my hands together and bound them with chakra infused cuffs.
Deciding whether or not to go with them was tough. If I resisted they most likely would have gave chase and I would have been caught. By going obediently with them, I might be able to see what was going on, and who was still alive.
"So Sai, it seems you've stooped to the lowest of the low. Are you Danzo's bitch now? Or were you part of the coup?"
'Oh yeah, that's smart, make him angry!'
Sai didn't even give me a second glance. He grabbed my arm and we began walking, well I suppose he was dragging me, to the rickety old elevator that would take us to the bottom of cliff.
"Taking me to meet the new Hokage? I thought you preferred Tsunade, but these days I hear she's dead," I said as acidly as I could, trying to get a reaction from him.
"Yes, and perhaps you're correct. No one knows what happened to her," he said with a blank expression. His voice didn't give anything away.
I wasn't expecting that response. So no one knew what had happened to Tsunade?
'Maybe she escaped before they could kill her?'
But then where was she now?
Sai stepped onto the elevator's platform, dragging me with him. The other two ROOT agents began to operate the elevator's system, and stayed on the cliff. There was a clunking sound then started we were slowly moving down the side of the cliff.
I turned and faced Sai, now that we were alone it was time to find out what really happened.
"Sai, what's really going on? Is Tsunade alive? What about the others? Did anyone else die?"
He just stared at me, getting a lost look on his face, then all of a sudden, engulfed me in a hug.
"We thought you were dead," he whispered in my ear. I was stunned by the hug and by what he said. So I was presumed dead.
"B-but what else? What has been happening?" I desperately muttered out. He stopped the hug and took a step back, his face showing his familiar fake smile, then back to the blank stare.
"Danzo has completely taken over the village. He has enforced rules that every Leaf citizen must obey. There is a curfew in place for 7pm to 7am," he paused looking at me warily, "Danzo has gathered the highest security prisoners in the Hidden Leaf and is executing them in front of the villagers to send a message," The elevator made a another loud clunking sound.
"They're going to kill you, Sakura."
. . .
'Well, shit.'
"What is he trying to prove?" I asked, keeping my face expressionless. I didn't want to worry Sai by letting him know I was scared. If I was going to die, I was going to be brave about it.
"On the day of the attack, shinobi fought back, some were killed, incapacitated, captured, but others went into hiding. I can't say who-" he paused, opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue while pointing at the seal that was branded on it, "-but I can say it's people we can trust."
I didn't have time to ask him any more questions as the elevator reach the bottom of the cliff with an almighty jolt. Sai held my arm forcefully once again and walked me towards the large mass of people gathered around Danzo.
As we grew closer people began shouting and screaming towards us, towards me.
"TRAITOR!"
"You abandoned us!"
"Where were you when we needed you!"
"…All your fault!"
I didn't realise until I tripped on it, but Sai was pulling me up the steps of Danzo's 'stage'.
"This is how it has been Sakura. People are scared, panicked and losing control," he said, I could hardly hear him over the shouting. I didn't know what to think.
'This is more than losing control, this is madness.'
"I'm so sorry, Sakura," was the last thing I heard, before hands grabbed my arms and forced towards the centre of the platform. I was forced onto my knees, with my hands still bound behind my back.
There was a loud bang. Then silence, no one was shouting anymore.
"Sakura Haruno," a loud voice boomed across the crowd, "You are here before us today to stand judgement for your crimes against the Hidden Leaf Village."
"NO! Sakura!" I heard a voice scream from the crowd. I looked up and searched for the pleading voice.
Ino.
She was standing in the middle of the crowd, crying, with a horrified face, next to her, stood Shikamaru, with the same face.
"Stop! Please! She's done nothing wrong. Please! Just let her go…" Ino screamed through the looked about ready to run and save me, but Shikamaru held her close, which I was glad for. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt, especially Ino.
"Silence!" shouted Danzo, and then he looked me directly in the eye. "Sakura Haruno, your crimes as are listed; betrayal of the Leaf village, consorting against your current Hokage, and murdering the Fifth Hokage, Princess Tsunade Senju,"
Did I just hear that? Did he really just…?
I lost all control. How dare he… how dare he blame me!
"No!" I shouted maniacally, "How dare you blame me for your crimes, for killing Tsunade! That was you, that was all you! TRAITOR!" I screamed the last word. "You killed her! ROOT may have murdered her but you may as well have done it with your own hands, you filthy cowar-"I was interrupted by a rough kick to the jaw.
My body flew to the left and I slammed into the platform's flooring. My mouth filled with a familiar metallic tasting liquid and I slowly looked up at my attacker.
"How dare you speak to me with such lies, you traitorous fool!" Danzo shouted down at me. Then he turned to the silent crowd and spoke, "This is what, we, as a village must fight against! This resistance is holding us back, we must eradicate them in order to win!" Then Danzo looked back down at me with a disgusted glare.
With mouth still filled with blood, I spat at his feet. I would never obey this untruthful murderer! I would rather die.
'I think that was what he was counting on.'
The crowd let out a gasp as they saw me show him such disrespect.
"I will never bow down to you," I said in a raspy voice. Glaring at him with hatred was all I could do. These restraints stopped me from ripping out his throat.
"Hold her still," he ordered the ROOT agents. He turned to the crowd once more, "As punishment for her crimes, Sakura Haruno, is sentenced to death."
"No!" I heard Ino cry. I couldn't look at her. The pain she was feeling, would be much greater than mine.
Death seemed peaceful to me. But if I died, how could I accomplish my goals? Naruto would be so disappointed, I promised him we would bring Sasuke back to the village together, that we would reunite and become team seven once again. Oh Sasuke, why did I ever let you go? The one man I ever truly loved and I let you slip through my fingers.
Not to mention, how could I avenge Tsunade from the grave? Danzo deserves to die yet I can't do anything about it.
I'm such a failure. When they say your life flashes before you die, I think whoever said such stupid words were lying. All you feel is guilt. Pain. And you remember every single decision you ever made.
"Do it," Danzo ordered the ROOT agent to my left. The man pulled out a kunai, and held my head back, and placed it against my throat. Then he looked to Danzo for the final order, who gave a nod.
I looked into the crowd searching for a face that I knew wouldn't be there, and then I felt a painful sting against my neck and saw the world in front of me fade into darkness.
Oh no! My poor baby was killed! I wonder who she was searching the crowd for? And poor Ino, I really should have been nicer but I love it when characters feel emotions :) New chapter soon guys. But just think, if you review, it would motivate me to write more!
Please, Read & Review! Any feedback would be wonderful!
THIS IS NOT THE END!
-Sweet