Let's see…I own…my house…my pets…but I do NOT own Naruto
Author's note: Why I didn't seal Hachimata inside of Sakura: It's better for the story this way. Why?
#1- I think it's important to have one of the unsealed demons remain that way. It would be too easy to just seal her away…and it's kinda unfair when you think about it—still just shinobis using them for their powers and all.
#2-I didn't want to take the thunder away from Naruto. He is, after all, the one that's supposed to convince the demons to help them.
#3-I think this would change Sakura's character too much in my story for her to remain true to her personality in the manga. And it would alienate her from Sasuke and the rest of the crew.
Also—I don't care if anyone else in the fanfiction world wants to use this idea. Have at it. Please, write a story better than mine. I do not mind at all…take the idea and run with it. It is "fanfiction" after all. And fanfiction of my fanfiction is still just fanfiction.
Chapter 23: Explanations, Return to Konoha
Jiraiya blinked.
He blinked again.
Damn, why's it so bright?
He leaned up on his elbows.
"Hey! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto rushed over to the sannin. "Kakashi-sensei! He's awake!"
"Ughh" Jiraiya's hand went to his head. "Naruto, not so loud."
The young man knelt next to him. "Pervy old sage, are we glad to see you!"
Jiraiya looked from the face of his apprentice to the blasé features of Kakashi. Without a word to either of them, he took stock of his surroundings.
He was damp, despite of the warm fire Saruwatari sat and tended. All around him was stone, and in the background, though he could not see it, was the steady rush of the waterfall. Somewhere to his side, he could hear the rustling of another blanket.
Sakura!
"Sakura!" His eyes widened with fear. "Where's Sakura!"
"Here," Sasuke said. "Sakura's here."
Jiraiya turned.
Sakura lay under a mound of blankets. Her face was pale. Her eyes were closed. But, to the sannin's relief, her breathing maintained a long, deep rhythm. Sasuke sat beside her, legs crossed, chin resting on his hands. His eyes bore into Jiraiya.
"Sakura," he sighed. "Sakura, forgive me."
"Perhaps, you should explain to the rest of us, just what happened?" Kakashi's soft voice was cold.
Jiraiya sighed. "It was…a secondary plan." He looked up at Naruto's questioning eyes. "In case Hachimata attacked us straight out, or wouldn't listen to our story. Tsunade and I decided that if that was the case, as it probably would be, that I would—"
He looked away from Naruto.
"—seal the demon within Sakura."
"What!?!" Came the simultaneous cry from Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto.
Before anyone could blink, the Uchiha was next to Jiraiya. He hit the sannin as hard as he could and the punch sent the freshly-conscious man across the floor of the cavern.
Everyone froze for a moment, stunned.
The Toad Sage stood, wiping away the blood from his nose. He had deserved that. Otherwise, he would have at least tried to block the punch. But it was best to let them get out their anger now.
"You bastard," Sasuke seethed. "You would have done that to Sakura?"
"Sasuke," Jiraiya frowned. "Sakura had given me her permission."
Everyone's eyes went wide.
"Now, hear me out," The sannin walked over and knelt next to the pink-haired medic. "Sakura did this for you—all of you. She agreed to it only after I told her it was the only way to save everyone. She knew the risks. She knew it might take her life, just as she knew it would certainly take mine."
"The sealing jutsu," Kakashi said. "The same jutsu the Fourth used."
Naruto's hand went absently to his stomach. The kyuubi seal. "Sakura-chan…she…she would go through that for us?"
Kakashi looked at where the young man's hand rested on his abdomen. Naruto. Out of everyone, he understands the most. He knows how it feels to be viewed as a container and not a person. He knows what a sacrifice it would be to willingly take on that kind of isolation.
Jiraiya nodded. "Even though it might have taken her life, Sakura was willing to go through that on the chance that she could make a difference."
"So what happened?" Naruto asked. "How did the Akatsuki interfere?"
"Well, I had only started the seals when I noticed that Hachimata was feeling the effects much more than Sakura. The demon was much further along in the transformation than her intended host. I knew something strange was going on. After a moment, it dawned on me. Hachimata said Akatsuki had come and spoken with her, warning her that we were going to seal her and then kill her. As it turned out, that was what they were planning themselves. Sakura had already lost consciousness when I glanced up and saw a figure on the ledge above."
He placed a hand on the young woman's forehead.
"They must have started the sealing moments before I had."
"And you kept this from everyone?" Kakashi shook his head. "Foolish."
"Foolish? Maybe. But necessary. Would any of you have allowed Sakura to take such a risk? Would you have quietly stood by while I gave up my life to secure the sealing?"
At their downcast expressions he continued.
"The Fifth knows too well how close you all are. She knew that secrecy was the only way to go."
All the while, Saruwatari had been silent. Now, she walked over to Sakura and placed a warm wet cloth on the girl's forehead.
The Raiju woman stared them all down. "Nonsense! All nonsense! All you can do is be mad about the 'why' and you've lost track of the most important thing!" She gestured to the sleeping woman. "I'll ask since no one else seems to care. Why hasn't Sakura awoken?"
Jiraiya cringed under her scrutiny. "I don't know. Normally when a jutsu isn't completed, it simply just doesn't happen. But a sealing is different. It is a series of motions that induce different stages. I…I've never heard of one being stopped halfway through."
They sat quietly for a while until the sannin looked up at Kakashi.
"So…Akatsuki have the eight-tails now?"
The copy nin rolled his eyes, knowing that his blond companion had by dying to tell the story.
Naruto grinned. "Pervy Sage! You slept through the exciting part!"
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Sakura shivered.
That was the first thing her mind acknowledged. She was cold.
To Sakura, it seemed like she had been floating. Her body felt suspended in nothingness, blackness completely enveloping her. Within the strange space, she didn't think; didn't feel. She simply was. She felt like she had been there her whole life.
But now, as she felt herself being drawn out of the blackness, she shivered again.
The void was fading now. It shrunk away from her at frightening speed.
And suddenly she was shocked back into consciousness.
Her unexpected wide-eyed gasp made Sasuke jump.
"Sakura!"
She looked over at him, uncomprehending. "S-sasuke?"
She looked at her shaking hands and held them up to her face. Was it…Was it a success? She didn't feel any different. She closed her eyes and searched her inner mind. Nothing different.
"Hachimata?" She looked at him questioningly.
Sasuke frowned slighty. "You are still only Sakura."
So he knows.
She looked around. The rest of her team was staring at her—including Jiraiya.
Sakura hung her head. "We failed?"
"No," Kakashi was suddenly at her side. "But it's a long story. We're just glad that yo—"
"I'll tell her!" Naruto hopped up. "Sakura-chan, wait till you hear what happened!"
Sasuke inwardly let out a sigh of relief as the energetic blue-eyed shinobi recounted the entire tale to Sakura.
Though he was angry, the Uchiha was unsure if his anger was mostly at Sakura and Jiraiya or at himself. There was no doubt that he felt slightly betrayed by the actions of his teammates. Yet he also felt a deep respect for what they had tried to do and he knew, deep down inside, that he would have expected no less from a fellow ninja.
Sasuke thought back to the evening he had spent with Sakura in the tree. She knew then. She knew what she would have to do and all she wanted was me to believe in her. He was such an idiot. She probably would have told him the plan if he hadn't made such an ass of himself. Instead, he had hurt her intentionally with his words, not waiting to hear what she had wanted to say.
You almost saw her die again. She almost died saving you. That's twice now.
Sasuke's attention was brought back to the conversation at hand by Sakura's soft chuckle.
"So you saved Hachimata!" She said. "Naruto, you're amazing!"
The kyuubi boy turned a dark shade of red and grinned awkwardly.
Sakura smiled back.
Her expression turned thoughtful. "But…where is she now?"
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"Are you sure about this?" Kakashi whispered to an equally leery sannin.
Jiraiya scowled. "Me? I'd rather walk back to Konoha on my hands then to do this."
They both looked up at the beaming face of Naruto. He waved to them.
Kakashi stepped aside and motioned to Sakura and Saruwatari. "Uh, you two go ahead. Ladies first."
The Raiju woman punched him in the arm as she walked by.
"Scaredy-cat."
Sasuke followed them, rolling his eyes as he passed the copy nin.
Kakashi and Jiraiya looked back up at the rest of the team as a large, leafy head leaned down next to him.
"Well?" Hachimata waved her tails impatiently. "I'm doing you humans a favor and you have the insolence to make me wait?"
Her red eyes narrowed.
"Oh, sorry," Jiraiya pushed Kakashi along in front of him. "We're just old, that's all."
The dragon looked at Saruwatari seated on her back. The Thunder ninja shrugged.
"Alright," the demon leapt up into the air. "A favor, for a favor." One of the heads looked back at Naruto. "Do not ask more of me than this. I might still be inclined to eat you."
"Haha!" He smiled. "Come on Hachimata! Back home to Konoha!
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The silence in at the edge of the forest was oppressive.
The Akatsuki leader looked at the message in his hands and shook his head. "They failed again. This is becoming a habit."
"Oh well," he continued. "We cannot wait any longer. We still have more than half of the demons. It will be more than enough."
He looked out at Konoha.
"Tomorrow we destroy this pitiful place."
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Coming soon: Chapter 24: The War to end all Wars
Author's Note: Since this is going to be the "beginning of the end" it may take a little longer for me to post the final chapters. I want to make sure that they are the best that they can be and that I cover everything I need/want to cover.
Thanks!