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Covenant
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Synopsis: Four years into the Fourth Shinobi War, Orochimaru offers to turn.
He all but requests Sakura by name to be the contact.
It is, quite clearly, a trap—least of all because he's supposed to be dead.
But what is a losing side to do except take the hand that's offered?
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12. The Test
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A BIRD flew into the Kage tent, teleport tag disintegrating from its body as it pushed its way through the burlap of the door. The sound of wings startled the four shinobi out of the tense standoff between student and mentor. It landed on Sakura's shoulder, cawing lightly in her ear.
"It's Orochimaru's summon," said Kakashi. "That's the bird that always comes to me."
She held her arm out for the bird to hop onto, pulling the small piece of rolled-up parchment off its leg. Report now. Sasuke's—not Orochimaru's—handwriting. A second teleport tag was folded neatly inside. Her seal tingled with the unanswered command.
Sakura cursed under her breath; it was terrible timing.
Coaxing the bird to fly away, she turned to Ino, who leaned against Kakashi with a hopeless expression. Sakura placed green hands on Ino's shoulders, washing the woman's body in warm numbing chakra. The blue of her irises was cold and fragile as ice.
"Are you leaving?" Ino whispered.
"I'll be back soon," promised Sakura.
"Ino's moving to Iwa base tomorrow," Tsunade needled behind them. "And you've been requested in Kumo, Sakura. You're to head there immediately."
Sakura ground her molars. "I'll go after I make contact. I've been summoned."
"You have five hours, maximum. Then you'll port to Kumo's battle base. Report there sooner if you can."
"I'll report when I've finished gathering."
"You'll report when you're ordered to report, in five hours or less."
Sakura felt the anger boiling in her belly like a volcano readying to spew. Tsunade was kicking a horse while it was down for no reason other than that she was irritated with Sakura's threat. Did the woman have to be so hard all the time?
Kakashi watched them with a worried gaze. The last thing Konoha base needed was a battle between the two top medics in the army. He shifted Ino's light body into Sakura's arms.
"Why not dismiss these young ones, Hokage? I believe we have some matters to address between the two of us," he said.
"It's a matter to discuss between you, me, and Sakura. You're dismissed, Yamanaka."
"Tsunade." Kakashi's tone was disapproving. "Allow them to say their goodbyes. They're still some of your top commanders. You've had a bit more to drink than what this called for."
Tsunade sneered at the man. "Oh, now you're choosing to make decisions?"
Disregarding her, Kakashi glanced down at Sakura and Ino instead. "Go on. Go say goodbye." He pushed the two of them towards the tent's opening, then through it. "Do try to hurry to Kumo's base if you can, Sakura. They've just come off of battle and need the assistance." He lowered his chin to look her in the eye, sheltering his voice so only she could hear. "And I'm sorry."
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The seal released a heavy dose of endorphins when she landed in Sasuke's bed chamber as a teenager.
It wasn't enough to override the overwhelming resentment and dismay that sought to suffocate her. Sakura and Ino were given eight minutes to say goodbye before Tsunade pushed the tent open and ordered her to, Go make contact, already. Kakashi had stood behind the Hokage with creased brows, clearly opposed to what was happening.
But he hadn't done anything to stop Tsunade, and he hadn't done anything to keep Ino from being pulled back inside to sign the contract herself.
So he cared, but he didn't care enough. Or he disagreed with how it happened but agreed that it should have happened. One way or another, Kakashi had done nothing as Tsunade made to send Ino far away to wither alone. The sting of betrayal wormed its way through Sakura's blood.
Just like he did nothing to keep his students together, she thought.
Sasuke was in the bathroom opening, donning a loose grey zip-up turtleneck that had to be a remnant from his teenage years. She glanced at him once, then stared emptily at the ground by his feet.
"I don't have much time," she monotoned. "What is it?"
"In a hurry?"
"Yes. What did you call me for?"
He studied her under the light from the lamp on the desk. Even without seeing it, she felt his gaze cross her body, seal warming under his perusal.
"Is something wrong?" he asked after a minute.
Groaning, she glared at him. "Does every conversation have to be a runaround? Just give me the information so I can go. It's fucking exhausting talking to someone who only knows how to speak at people."
His brow raised as if amused, face otherwise passive—only further pissing her off.
"It's like pulling fucking teeth. You don't answer my questions, you act like civility might kill you. Half the time, you leave me holed up in this stupid fucking gremlin cave by myself with nothing to do but go insane with boredom! Just give me the damn intelligence you called me here for! I'm sick of this shit!"
She ended in a huff of breath, having said the whole thing in one. Sasuke regarded her like one might a wolf caught in a steel-jaw trap. Or maybe a mouse on a sticky pad.
"...What's a gremlin cave?"
Her face twisted into something between shock and contempt as he stared at her blankly.
She was going to scream—she was going to scream at him—legitimately scream at the top of her lungs. Steam might really billow from her ears she was so mad. Seduce him? She wanted to kill him—wanted to launch herself across this space and rip his hair out strand by strand—
The corner of his lip turned slightly up, a chuckle sweeping low across the room so quiet Sakura nearly missed it. Then he turned his back to her and walked into the bathroom.
A rock door rose to separate them.
Sakura stood in stunned silence. Anger boiled over and evaporated as she gawked at the newly-formed wall.
Did Sasuke just...laugh at her?
Sasuke Uchiha?
No. She shook the improbable thought away—she imagined it. None of his actions should be given any extra weight, she reminded herself. Her mind shouldn't run on the matter.
Too much had happened today. It felt like she was processing even more than she processed after a battle. At least in battle, she'd trained herself to block out most of everything that happened around her.
Maybe she was breaking; maybe Ino's separation was the last straw.
The soft splatter of water on rock came from behind the stone door. Unsure what else to do, Sakura lay on the sleeping mat and faced the wall, staring at the flower bed. Surprised he hadn't scratched it off yet.
His scent clung to the pillow and sheets. It was all earth tinged in soap, a backdrop of smoked hemlock from travel fires. Heat bloomed across her seal and up her neck.
Honey-colored eyes gleamed at her in her mind. You could even seduce him. It was said like one might say, Cook if you're hungry. Except, she had no food to even begin cooking with. Where was she to hunt? How would she skin whatever prey she captured? With what would she build and light a fire? How could she start a fire without giving away her position?
It wasn't as easy as the Hokage made it seem. Sakura didn't have the tools or the training to accept such a mission.
She closed her eyes and pushed away the thoughts of seduction.
There were more pressing matters...like war and separation.
If the army was starting to integrate its militaries, then the separation policy likely wouldn't have much effect on Sakura and Ino. But the simple fact that Tsunade had taken it so far was the troubling part; Sakura found it hard to believe that her excursion to Suna played no role in the decision.
The Hokage, if anything, had a nasty vengeful streak. She hated being disobeyed.
It was also true, though, that their separation was probably inevitable from the moment the war ramped back up. Ino struggled too much to maintain composure, her bonds ran too volatile.
Secondarily, if the troops were integrating, she'd soon be in far more frequent fights. Her finger found the wall, scratching out more flowers to the garden. How often would she be ordered to the battlefield when the five armies acted as one?
How many more people would she be unable to save? Would she have to mercy kill her patients during evacuations again? Tag them alive to the corpse pile to die? Watch them fall into the earth, too injured to save themselves?
Her breath caught in her throat. Her finger froze.
Who would scream at her to heal the dead body of a friend next time?
How many more fresh medics would she have to watch freeze over the lifeless stare of someone precious?
Whose young child would she force to choose between quick or painful death?
She couldn't breathe.
That legless man sat beside her, his gaze a condemnation of everything she couldn't promise. There was Ino, lost in a sea of rotting corpses. There was Naruto in a cage she couldn't reach. And she was there too, swallowed in the midday battle, trapped in a medical coffin below the fighting.
Bodies dug down through the earth as zombies in search of her. The dirt encased her as a tomb, only it wasn't dirt anymore, but hands—the hands of the injured Allied shinobi she'd killed during the Iwa battle—Santa's hands around her ankles, his voice in her head then suddenly gone forever—Lee's hands across her neck—she screamed, but no air was left in her lungs to press out any sound. She screamed, but the battlefield was filled with thousands of screams, her own washed in the sea.
Hidan slashed Tenten in half, then ripped Shikamaru's head from his body. Tobi shoved his hand through Kakashi's stomach and pulled out his intestines in a single motion. Madara had Naruto by the hair, on his knees, the entire Allied army bleeding out under them. She, herself, crunched into guts and carnage at Madara's heels.
They were going to die.
They were all going to die and Sakura couldn't save them.
The dead looked upon her with indictment from every direction—it was her job to save them, so why were they dead? She couldn't even save herself, the screaming engulfed her, and Lee squeezed her trachea until there was no space at all—she was going to die—
"Breathe."
Sakura struggled against Lee's hands that had moved to her shoulders, pinning her down. She was going to die—her throat burned at having been strangled—
"Breathe."
Fingers dug into her shoulders, her shoulder blades flattened into a mat on her back. Her vision swam into focus. Corpses that piled all around dispelled into a shaded rock ceiling. She shut her eyes, eardrums hit with a piercing scream—her throat ached—she couldn't breathe—I'm dying, I'm going to—
"You have to stop screaming, Sakura."
Words sinking in as an order, her jaw clenched closed the next second. The sound disappeared.
Her seal sizzled with fire, endorphins exploded across her synapses, and she fell into the pleasure it offered like a disciple before God. Sakura whimpered, two hot tears leaking into her hair, gulping air as if pulled from water.
Hands pressed into her, anchors to reality. She blinked and was met with one red and one purple eye leaned over her, spinning. His midnight hair fell around his face as a backdrop, mouth turned down in a scowl. So close she needed only to push forward a foot or so to meet it.
She gazed at Sasuke, who stared back with unease. The room was quiet again. His hands loosened, then withdrew completely.
"You have the Rinnegan," she whispered. The single coherent thought she could grab and present in the moment.
The crease between his brows grew darker. "Was that a panic attack?"
Her inspection traveled down his kneeled posture and back up. One of his legs supported his elbow, the other was crouched lower, both parted wide before her in his loose black slacks. His shirt was halfway unzipped and hung from his chest, the line between his pectorals peeking from under it. His hair was damp and jagged across his forehead.
This close, it was almost painful to look too long at him.
His crimson eye was back to black and endless, the purple one still and lethal. To stare straight into the Rinnegan was heretical. A death sentence, but she wasn't afraid. She would let this man kill her if he wanted. She'd let this man do anything he wanted.
The purple made him look slightly inhuman—something closer to a prophet. Something even less like herself.
"Sakura." He snapped once in her face. "What was that?"
Heart stuttering at her name on his lips, her mind veered back to the present. "Nothing," she breathed out.
"Nothing?" His eye flicked red again as he moved his sights across her dispassionately in skeptical appraisal. "Are you injured?"
She dared not move, skin prickling under the attention. "I'm not."
"...If we hadn't been in my room, your screaming would've alerted the whole base. It can't happen again."
"I'm sorry," was all she could say.
"It could compromise the agreement. If you aren't...stable. And—" Sasuke's mouth froze for a moment, as if physically trying to stop the following words from coming out—"The seal alerted like you were in danger before I summoned you. What's going on?"
"I'm stable." She frowned. Wasn't she? Then with a sigh, "It's nothing to concern yourself with. I'm fine."
"I'm not concerning myself with it. I'm concerned about the agreement."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Scowling, Sakura dropped her head to the side, staring at the flowers again.
And then, like word vomit, she explained the separation policy to Sasuke, who hadn't asked. Information spilled out of her, irate and fast.
She told him how the contract forbade the two signed shinobi from basing together or teaming together for missions. How it exempted formal battles and temporary battle bases. How a Kage signed every contract—how breaching it resulted in a court-martial for both parties—how the signed Kage was immediately alerted when a breach occurred. How she'd been separated from Naruto and was now separated from Ino.
How Ino wouldn't survive this war alone.
Then, suddenly, she was saying Choji's name. She was telling Sasuke about how he was dead, and so were Kiba, and Neji, and Lee. A third of their rookie class—gone forever. The words spewed out as if she were speaking to someone that could possibly empathize, not to a man who fought for the side that killed those very people.
She promised him she'd never forgive Tsunade. Ever. Thought aloud that she might never forgive Kakashi, either; failing to act was an act itself, and their sensei seemed to always choose inaction.
Sakura glanced at him when she finished, surprised he hadn't interrupted or told her to shut up through the whole thing. He sat against the wall near her head, spinning a kunai through his fingers.
"It's a ridiculous policy," she concluded, almost comical in its brevity juxtaposed with her ramblings.
He shrugged. "It's practical."
Her eyes narrowed on his profile. "You would think so."
"Anyone would, objectively speaking."
Under her breath, she mumbled some choice opinions on his mindset. Like he were a politician, Sasuke ignored it...or more like he thought her a fly.
"Take you and Naruto. You'd die to save him without even thinking, I've seen you try. That's a huge risk for the Kage."
"Of course I'd die for Naruto. We can't lose him."
He chuckled, and it rang in the air like the smell of coming rain. "Exactly. The Allies can't afford to lose a top medic over that sentiment of yours. Same goes for the idiot—he'd die for you. They'd never allow it."
She rolled over to face him, propping her head on a bent arm. It almost sounded like he was complimenting her.
But—she was probably pressing meaning into meaningless things again. She was the top medic, after all. It was more of a fact than praise.
However, this was undoubtedly the most cordial conversation they'd had this entire agreement. The first genuinely amiable one in eight years, really. And most remarkably, it was about Team Seven.
His chakra had opened slightly and rolled calmly under his skin. His head rested on the wall, eyes closed. A kunai glided expertly between his fingers, his other arm casually across his knee.
Like this, he seemed a grown version of genin Sasuke.
It was the first time she and Sasuke shared a space like this alone when he didn't need healing and when he wasn't concealed. In this moment, it nearly felt like no time or distance had passed between them at all.
Was this the seal at work?
His earlier words flitted into her mind. "You can sense when I'm in danger?"
The kunai fractionally paused, then resumed.
"The seal alerts me to your position and state of mind. I can tell if you're agitated. Did you get any new information?"
It's a seal that gives you considerable control over the other party's emotions. If Sakura told him that now, she could avoid Tsunade's order. He could fortify himself against whatever the effects were. Knowing Sasuke, he'd just erect barriers in the form of contact-through-Orochimaru-only. It was a foolproof way to ensure the mission's failure.
"Not yet," she said, diverting her eyes, unsure why she so quickly chose to keep the secret. Then, to change the topic before he noticed anything off, "How did you get the Rinnegan?"
"I told you already. Orochimaru experimented."
She wanted to dissect that. Wanted to know the why, the how—the when, where, and what. But this man would never disclose everything to her. Unlike Orochimaru, who could be wheedled into offering information by playing his games; and Suigetsu, who'd probably get around to saying anything if she let him talk long enough—Sasuke was locked tight.
Just use the seal, Tsunade commanded.
Two opposing opinions on the issue battled one another within. If Tsunade was right, it would be wrong to manipulate Sasuke like that. But, if she was right, it might secure Sasuke's faithfulness to the Allies and discern his true intentions.
It was a quickly-won match—about as fast as her original decision to hide it from him.
Sakura wrapped the seal on her neck with chakra. How was she supposed to feed it, exactly? Settling on the most obvious answer, she focused on the order, Be more talkative, and pressed the thought into the seal.
"What kind of experiment?" she asked casually, mentally repeating the order.
"He implanted the First's cells into me."
"Why?"
"Madara wants to know if they fail others, too."
"How do Hashirama's cells give you two the Rinnegan?"
"Theoretically, any Uchiha could achieve it. The cells expedite the process unnaturally."
"Does it hurt?"
"It used to. Recently though, only when I overuse its techniques."
It was working. The order faltered in Sakura's mind as she processed the experiment, both pleased and astonished. How much information could she get?
"Is that how Obito got his?" she continued.
"No."
"How long have you had it?"
"Since I woke up from—" Sasuke's mouth snapped shut the same instant the kunai stopped twirling around his fingers, hilt clasped in a clenched fist. His eyes slid open onto her.
She peeked at him through her lashes like a deer caught by flashlight.
"What are you doing?" His voice edged near a threat.
"What do you mean?" she replied innocently.
Sakura weathered his accusatory glare, afraid if she broke first, he'd have her cut and dry. Soft and growing steadily, her seal hummed in their eye contact. She saw the moment a curtain seemed to fall across his face as he closed off to her again. Stiffly pushing himself up, Sasuke moved to the desk, pulling down a clean piece of parchment from the shelves.
A burgeoning confidence bloomed in her gut. The Hokage's promise: It will make things much easier than you think, swam in her thoughts.
Was it...really that easy?
He'd opened up like a rabbit under the gutting knife. His words flowed without hesitation. He sat close enough to her that his heat radiated across her skin as he spoke easily of bonds he'd purposefully cut years ago.
Could it really be that easy? Had the seal been working like this the whole time? What did she miss when she hadn't known?
She almost felt guilty. Almost. But his dark, amused chuckle haunted the recesses of her mind, and she couldn't make the guilt stick. Rather, a heady longing settled upon her.
Women have been seducing men all throughout history. Sasuke's face over hers, gazing down at her, roving down her body. Hot hands gripping her, holding her under him, pressing her into a sleeping mat in his bedroom. Two of them alone under a soft light. His bloodline spinning in both eyes, only for her. The quiet order, Breathe.
Heat spread through her belly. It slicked past her navel and settled into the space between her legs. Was she supposed to seduce him, or was he seducing her?
It felt dangerous. Reckless. Suddenly, it felt like she needed this.
Wrapping the seal with the thought—Want me—Sakura peered at him as he scribbled on the parchment. Want me, she begged, pressing against the chakra pooled within. Desire me.
The heat under her navel matured into an inferno, curling her toes, sight watery from the blaze that burst from the seal simultaneously. Sasuke scrawled away, unperturbed. If anything, this strategy was backfiring. She rested her head on the ground and squeezed her eyes shut, fisting her hands into the bed sheet.
She thought of cool water—of bloody, smelly patients—of every ingredient and its measurement to make soldier pills. Anything except the searing craving fast engulfing her.
"Hurry and read this."
The order settled in the seal. Sakura lifted her head painfully. Standing over her with a scroll, Sasuke glared with renewed ferocity. Still upset that she'd pried so much information off of him, surely. He dropped the scroll unceremoniously on the floor at her feet; it bounced against the stone and rolled her way.
Of course it wouldn't be that easy, she thought, sitting up to obey. She kept her vision trained away from him, worried he'd notice the flush of her cheeks.
The written warning immediately doused the flames in her belly.
Large attack on Iwa Division's main base in five days.
Four generals. 5,000 troops.
Madara will join if the jinchuriki join.
Madara is aware the coordinates are being attacked.
Expect increased security.
She blinked before stuttering out, "I-I have—I need to go—"
"Then leave," Sasuke nearly snarled, snatching the scroll from her hands and replacing it with a teleport tag.
Before she got a second look at him, Sakura was pulled from the room.
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She landed hard in Kakashi's tent.
She didn't bother following protocol and porting back to her own; she burst through the door and made for Kage Tent in her transformation. By the position of the sun, less than two hours had passed. But for the entire Allied army to make a coordinated showing in Iwa in five days, they'd need every hour. Every minute.
When she arrived, Sakura threw open the burlap door, mind racing.
"Who the hell—oh. It's Sakura, don't worry. You're supposed to be in Kumo."
"I must report immediately, Hokage. It's—" Striding to Tsunade's desk in two swift steps, she shuffled papers around until she found an empty space. "Critical. Release."
Ink streamed from her mouth to the parchment. With a raised brow, Tsunade leaned forward to read it.
Sakura used the moment to take in her surroundings: Shizune and Ibiki sat across from the Hokage, both appraising her appearance. She nodded at them as she released the transformation.
Ibiki looked impressed. "You'll have to show me how—"
"Shizune, call Kakashi and Ino here immediately. Then pack medical for movement and battle. Ibiki, go to Shibi Aburame. Tell him to send his bugs towards Iwa base and set teleport markers along the way. As many as his bugs can place. Have him enlist Shino and one other he trusts with the same orders. Dismissed."
Tsunade's voice was grave. They flash-stepped out of the tent hastily, without question.
The two women were left awkwardly alone.
A hundred things were on the tip of Sakura's tongue—she wanted to remind the Hokage that she was done with this war if Ino died, to shout until Tsunade saw reason. To ask what had been Tsunade's breaking point—what turned her into...this.
War changed everyone, but there were other paths Tsunade could've taken.
Instead, after a beat, Sakura bowed to the Hokage. No doubt she was still angry, but little time and space existed for resentment in war. The battlefield they were trapped on would soon be upon them all.
"What are my orders?"
"We'll brief Kakashi when he arrives to handle our deployment. I'm calling an emergency Kage meeting. You'll come with me."
"Yes, Hokage." Her stare bore a hole into Tsunade's desk.
A deep exhale fluttered to her ears, then a warm hand barely rested on the crown of her head.
"When this is over, I hope you know that you're one of the most essential shinobi the Allies have in this war. Certainly so in Konoha." The hand lifted away. "And despite what you think, you're the most important person I have left. I'm doing everything possible to ensure you make it through this, Sakura. I'll do anything to increase the likelihood you live to see the end of this fighting, even if it means you grow to despise me."
They were words a Kage ought not to say to a single shinobi in times of war. Words she'd expect from Kakashi in private quarters, but not from her mentor. Sakura finally lifted her eyes to Tsunade, surprised.
The Hokage had already turned away.
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They popped into the Kage's secret meeting room in Yugakure. Tsunade grabbed Sakura's arm to steady her when she stumbled the next second. After three days of travel, three teleports over such distance in two hours dipped deep into her active chakra reserves.
Sakura said a quiet thanks and swallowed a soldier pill. One of many more to come, she thought.
In return for a guarantee the town could remain unofficially neutral without repercussion after the war, Yugakure permitted the Kage to maintain a teleport location in an abandoned house within its borders. Yugakure was not expected to join any of the five armies nor host Allied troops.
It was, perhaps, the last almost-neutral area in the whole shinobi world. Madara hadn't ever bothered with the town, despite it being Hidan's birthplace and defection. No shinobi were left here, it held no strategic value, and it lacked any resources for war.
The meeting location was rarely used and only for emergencies—to maintain its secrecy. Yugakure would likely cease to exist entirely if Madara caught wind of this teleport's existence, regardless of its general uselessness.
Small and dusty, there was a warped, wooden fan on the ceiling; the single light at its center oddly cyclopean-looking. A pentagonal table was situated in the middle of the room, barely large enough for five people to sit at each side. No windows. No decorations. A single door was deadbolted from the inside.
Sakura pulsed her chakra through her feet and into the floor—it ballooned then deflated back to her. They were toward the back of a storefront-like building, perhaps a storage of sorts, every other room seemingly empty. Stretching her chakra further, she noted the surrounding buildings were much the same.
She could glean better-detailed information if she gave the structure scan more attention, but none of the signatures outside had the chakra of a shinobi, and it was probably best that she didn't know too much about the room's exact location.
Four narrow strides were all it took for Sakura to reach the opposite wall and flick a switch, buzzing old wiring to life. Citrine light flooded the room and cast them in fluorescent yellow. The fan blades puttered into a slow turn.
Tsunade sat down in one of the five chairs and tapped her foot against the floor in a quick rhythm, Katsuyu on her shoulder. Sakura stood guard behind her and waited with clasped hands.
The Raikage was first, followed by the Mizukage the next second.
"Hello, Raikage. Hokage. Haruno." The Mizukage smiled at each and took a seat, as graceful as she always was.
"This better be necessary, Tsunade. I'm still pulling my base back together," shot the Raikage. "We're just off a battle, or is your age catching up to your memory?"
"Watch how you speak to me, A," Tsunade warned.
The Mizukage waved the Raikage toward an empty seat. "Let's not start our meeting in this manner. Come, sit with us, Raikage."
Gaara popped in as the Raikage sat with a sour expression. The Kazekage's eyes landed on Sakura first, a knowing look warming their hollows.
"Greetings, Kage and Sakura. Hokage, have you received—"
The Tsuchikage ported into the room so close to Gaara that the younger man was knocked off balance and fell into the wall.
"Be lighter on your feet, boy," the Tsuchikage admonished, chuckling.
Gaara smiled briefly, his earlier thought left in the air, and the two men took the last two seats. The room's attention fell on Tsunade, playfulness vanished. The Hokage leaned into the anticipation that hung on their shoulders.
"An attack is headed for Iwa base in five days." She laid the page with intelligence before her. "A big one. We'll need a coordinated effort to fight back."
"Another!?" the Tsuchikage barked, on his feet again, barely taller than the table. "We fielded an attack a week ago! Where did this information come from?"
Tsunade glanced at her.
Locking her knees, Sakura dipped her head. "Sasuke Uchiha provided it."
"You and that Uchiha again, huh?" The Tsuchikage eyed Sakura with disdain before scoffing. "Are we still giving that traitor's word merit?"
"He hasn't provided wrong information yet, and we've no time to argue if this is true," said the Kazekage, tapping the piece of paper as he spoke.
"Personal opinions aside, Konoha is already moving its army toward Iwa base. We're sending two thousand shinobi and placing teleport markers ahead of our troops to move quickly. I've brought coordinates to a hundred or so tags that we've placed outside Konoha base. Troops from Kiri and Kumo can port to them and start traveling to Iwa as well."
Tsunade's definitive tone kicked the other Kage into strategy mode. Bodies bending into one another across the table, their words picked up in speed. A single line of thought seemed to flow between the five of them. Sakura watched in learned silence.
"That's a long distance," the Mizukage pointed out. "My troops will need soldier pills. Can Konoha provide them at the port locations?"
"Inform Shizune of the request, Katsuyu."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
"If so, then Kiri can also send two thousand shinobi. We likely only need an additional five hundred soldier pills. We can bring some of our own reserves."
"Kumo can send a thousand fighters, but I can't share any medical or special forces. As I said earlier, we're still recovering from our own battle."
"Understandable. Konoha will handle medical if Kiri and Suna can field some medics," Tsunade offered.
"Suna can send a team of six medics and two thousand troops," said the Kazekage. "We can also house base medical if needed. By the border or in Earth, if you allow it, Tsuchikage." He summoned a message bird, tagged it, and teleported it away with a hand sign.
The Raikage turned to the Tsuchikage. "How many troops can you field?"
"...One thousand to fifteen hundred. Maybe."
"We have to start preparations and moving now. Everyone keep Katsuyu with you so we can maintain contact." The Hokage lifted Katsuyu from her shoulder, and the one slug split into five. Four crawled onto the table towards the other Kage. "Who will lead command?"
The Mizukage motioned towards Gaara. "Let the Kazekage. The different divisions don't mind following his direction."
"Any objections?" Tsunade surveyed the other Kage; no one took up the challenge. "Good, then Gaara will lead. Send your commands through Katsuyu until the Yamanaka can set up a mindlink on battle base. Anything else?"
Sakura opened her mouth—then shut it. The question was directed to the Kage. It wasn't her place to speak in this meeting, she reminded herself, studying the paper that lay as an island in the middle of the table.
She'd expected them to discuss the entire message, not only the first half. Granted, the first half was most urgent and dangerous, yes—but Sasuke must've provided those coordinates and asked the Allies to destroy the rooms for good reason. Some dialogue should be had on moving forward with that mission alongside the upcoming battle.
Lips pressed in a thin line, her gaze returned to the Kage. To her surprise, the Raikage's and Mizukage's sights were on her.
"Is there more, Haruno?" asked A.
"...Then, if I may... Regarding the coordinates mentioned at the end of this message. I believe there were three in Lightning Country and two in Water." She hesitated, wondering if she should leave it there and let the leaders pick up what she was laying down.
The Mizukage nodded. "There were two in Water, yes. What about them? Did you get additional intelligence?"
Five expectant stares drilled her, so Sakura continued. "I didn't get any new reports, but I think Kumo and Kiri should dispatch squads to those locations while Madara's army is focused on Iwa. It'd be difficult for him to maintain the fight in Earth and respond so far to the east."
"A great idea. We should take advantage of the distance and the distraction if your divisions can manage it on top of helping Iwa," agreed Gaara.
"Yes. I'll send teams," the Raikage decided immediately. "What can we expect at the coordinates, Tsunade?"
"Use the five releases on the coordinate until you gain access. You'll need a gifted chakra sensor to open the door. Once inside, use the opposite release to what granted access on the tree or whatever's there. The two we destroyed were both trees. The place will collapse once you've done it, so be careful."
Summoning a messenger bird, the Mizukage, like Gaara, tagged and ported it away. "Kiri will dispatch two teams, too."
"Very well. Good thinking, Sakura," commended Tsunade. "Okay, if there's nothing else, let's return to our bases and ready the troops. Raikage and Mizukage, you two need to coordinate who's using which teleport locations. You'll have to get three thousand people through a hundred tags as fast as possible. We'll coordinate the commanders and battalions through Katsuyu for now."
"I'll ready a battle base," said the Tsuchikage solemnly. He'd been reticent the last half of the meeting. Pulling a tag from a pouch at his leg, he disappeared without another word.
The four Kage left shared a look.
"We can't let Iwa fall," Gaara declared.
The Raikage slammed his fist on the table. "We won't. They're attacking when they just lost in Lightning. They'll have low morale."
Tsunade stood and turned to Sakura. "Come, we must start medical preparations."
Placing her hand on the tag Tsunade held out between them, Sakura blinked, and they'd already landed back in the middle of Konoha base.
It was a barrage of activities. Shinobi sprinted in every direction, packing items and sealing weapons. A base about to deploy was a base with no resting souls.
Sakura bit her thumb and pressed it to the ground, summoning a small portion of Katsuyu for herself. Straightening, she bowed in the Hokage's direction.
"May I be dismissed to help medical?"
Tsunade was already shouting orders at various people running by. "You'll be commanding medical, Sakura. Make sure you have enough soldier pills for such a large army." She spoke over her shoulder in-between commands. "I'll handle base medical, but I'll be using Healing Ground there, so I won't be able to help you with it in the field. At some point in the next two days, you need to rest properly and restore your active reserves."
"Yes, Hokage." She had to yell over the frenzy. "...Will the Tsuchikage be okay with my role?"
Tsunade pivoted, directives forgotten, eyes hard and leveled on Sakura. "Whether he's okay or not is irrelevant. You're the ranking medic in this army. You can do anything you damn well please if it relates to medical."
Her hand lifted and rested on Sakura's head for the second time that day. Uncharacteristic—so much so that Sakura discretely analyzed her mentor's countenance for any concerning signs.
"Yes, Hokage," she repeated when she found no answer.
"Go see what you can do about those soldier pills. Dismissed."
.
.
Sakura spent the next nine hours crushing soldier pill ingredients in medical.
Rounding up 20-some young shinobi that weren't being deployed, including Rei Nohara, she ordered them to gather what extra ingredients they could find in the surrounding forests. The army was running dangerously low on rice, but the pills were essential, so the rice would just have to be used.
It would be roughly 8,500 against 5,000. A big battle. Smaller than the larger ones of two years ago, but massive compared to the skirmishes of late.
She decided on 22 medics to staff field medical, including herself. Seven teams of three, plus one. Kiri and Iwa could both field four, and Suna confirmed they'd send six. Konoha would bring the last eight. Sakura was fielding virtually all of Konoha's top healers below herself and the Hokage. The rest of Konoha's, Suna's, and Iwa's medics would station in base medical.
With a larger platoon in the field, the plan was not to rely too heavily on base. Comprised of mostly low-ranking and new medics, base medical might not keep up with the battle's demand. Tsunade's Healing Ground could only do so much, considering the types of wounded that were transported to base medical.
...But Sakura tried to keep her thoughts from spiraling too far down that path.
The monotony of pill-making was surprisingly helpful in this aspect. Her hands moved in a practiced cadence, over and over, completing the same tasks in the same order. Moving without thinking. Moving without thinking.
To think was to hear the injured bodies piling up around her, screaming and crying and bleeding. It was to feel the shuriken slice through the muscle of a stranger miles away from her as she funneled into his specific Katsuyu. To know that once the fighting ended, she'd have to make that walk through the battlefield, searching for her friends. Praying not to see their faces in the corpses. Knowing it was her fault if she did find them.
To think was to become overwhelmed and paralyzed by the pressure.
It was best not to think at all. And here, that was possible. There were movements and sounds all around to distract herself with and tasks to devote herself to.
Here, there was rice that needed to be ground, flowers that needed quick dried and mashed, seeds that needed smashing, water and chakra to be mixed to bind them all. Grind, dry, mash, smash, mix, bind. Grind, dry, mash, smash, mix, bind.
Pill after pill, piling slowly in the crates at her feet.
Soon she would be responsible for the lives of over 8,000 shinobi. Thousands were likely to die under her watch—under the protection of her very own jutsu. They would die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
They would die because she couldn't keep them alive.
They would die as her wards and resurrect to haunt her nightmares. Dead in the real world but very much alive in her mind—forever. A seance she could never leave. One she hadn't lit a candle to start in the first place. Ghosts that would never give her peace.
Soon she'd have to face the responsibility that came with training so hard to catch up to Naruto—to help save Sasuke—that she became the very best. Team Seven pushed her to the pinnacle of her field, and now that she'd achieved it, she stood on the brink of battle alone.
No one had warned her that the price of becoming a Sannin was a sentence of solitude.
There was no Team Seven here.
There was just Sakura, responsible for keeping everyone alive. Tasked with fulfilling an impossible order. Destined to fail.
Her skill had transformed her into a compulsory apostate, forced to make the necessary choice that only God should. It was on Sakura to decide who lived and who died. Who would receive healing and who wouldn't. The grim reaper hiding behind the mask of a healer.
Every single shinobi on that battlefield would be her responsibility.
Every corpse would be her burden.
She left the thought. The pestle dug into a new batch of rice in the mortar. Just move, don't think. Move, don't think.
Right now she needed only to be responsible for soldier pills. Grind, dry, mash, smash, mix, bind.
.
.
When she and the Konoha medics arrived in Earth Country four days later, they were met with a massive force of Allied troops.
The battle base was concealed behind layers of genjutsu. From the outside, it looked like an expansive, empty field of brown rock that went for miles in every direction. Once ten steps into the jutsu, tents jutted from the earth like a small city.
They had less than a day before the battle.
As she jumped through the base towards the commander's tent, the atmosphere parted around her like the first battle four years ago.
Divisions intermingled, yet it was somehow apparent what shinobi belonged to which countries. The reds and yellows of Iwa ninja. The dark, lustrous tones of Kumo ninja. The grey, lined clothing of Kiri. The gourds and giant weapons of Suna. Sakura smiled as she rushed past the crowds—seeing such cooperation on display was energizing.
She tried to imagine the Hidden Villages coming together like this outside of war. What would it have been like? What could've been achieved?
What could've been avoided?
She reached the biggest tent in the middle of the base. Masked ANBU standing at the opening bowed as she approached to enter. Inside was set up as a war room, bare but for its centerpiece: A small rectangular table housing a map of Earth Country. Various markers were positioned across it, a large yellow one on the battle base's location.
A lilac embrace swallowed her the second her foot passed the threshold. She returned Ino's hug tightly, observing the other attendees over Ino's shoulder. A battle commander from every base was present, plus Ino for linking and herself for medical.
"Sakura! Good," said Shikamaru. He stood with the other four commanders around the table. "Can you summon more of Katsuyu for communication? Ino's resting until absolutely necessary, and the other Yamanaka clan members aren't permitted in here."
"May I, Lady Katsuyu?" she asked politely.
"Of course."
Biting her thumb, she summoned more. Katsuyu immediately separated and slid toward those in the tent.
No Kage were here; it was Shikamaru, Darui, Kurotsuchi, Chojuro, and Temari. Konoha had a disproportionate amount of leadership in this battle—as it did in most battles where their Division fought. It would surely be a contentious point should the war ever end.
...When it ended, Sakura reminded herself.
And everyone in this room was so...young. The oldest, Darui, couldn't be older than 30. Shikamaru was the youngest at 20. They'd all spent significant portions of their lives in war and were now expected to lead this army to victory—barely adults themselves. Children plotting the course of the entire shinobi world.
Their generation would be decimated when this was over, and that weight was theirs to bear.
The Kage sat safely in base while their progenies held the cross. How would any of them stomach this unbearable responsibility when Madara was defeated? It'd be on these commanders' heads when the final tallies were marked, Sakura's included.
There was no undoing these choices they made, kids trammeled by the authority their prowess bought. No one in this room would ever escape this battlefield.
"If possible, Lady Katsuyu, can you go to our second-in-commands as well?" Shikamaru asked his portion directly. His voice pulled Sakura back into the room.
"I can, but you'll have to take me to them," the summon answered. "I probably don't know them, so I can't find them."
"Everyone go do that and return as soon as possible," ordered Shikamaru.
Lady Katsuyu better be awarded the highest honor in every village after this war, thought Sakura. Where would the Allies be without the slug?
Certainly dead.
"Thank you, Lady Katsuyu."
"No need to thank me, Sakura. I'm happy to help."
The five other occupants left the room, those from other divisions bowing slightly to Sakura as they passed. All but Temari, who eyed her with a question Sakura couldn't read. When only Sakura and Shikamaru remained, he gestured her closer and surprised her with a hug.
"I heard about you and Ino... You okay?"
"I—yes. I'm okay... I'm worried more for her." She sighed into his chest, then shifted out of his hold. "I requested to be in any battle she's ordered to."
Concern crossed his face. "If the other divisions hear they can get two of you by requesting one, you'll both end up overextended."
"So be it." Then, because there was no reason to discuss what couldn't be changed—"Tell me what your plan is, then I'll explain what I want to do with field medical."
Shikamaru spared her two more seconds of his apprehensive regard before his commander persona fell back upon him. That was all the time they were allowed to ignore the battle. A minute and a half. A mere 90 seconds to care about a loved one.
Personal losses in the interim mattered little when the stakes were an entire division.
"I'm splitting us into four battalions of roughly two thousand. We've got fifty dedicated gatherers for Hidan and the same number of fighters for Tobi. But at this scale, it'll be difficult to keep either contained. I'm giving medical and linking a fifty-group guard—"
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I'm amazed last chapter seemed to get so many reviews and views!
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Last but not least & as always, thank you to my beta-reader Leech :)