Chapter 86. Kage Summit.

We were the last to arrive.

The room was thick with tension as we walked in and took our place around the large table. I regretted wearing heels as they clicked against the marble floor, making everyone hyper-aware. I glanced over at the oldman that sat at the head of the table, a pair of Samurais in casual clothing by his side.

That must be Mifune.

It was earlier than the original timeline, but the same setup, with one exception being the chief of the Hidden Waterfall village and Fu, the seven-tail Jinchuriki. He looked out of place among the powerhouses that were the Kages. Even Yagura, who appeared young, was more menacing.

Hopefully, with the Kages addressing the Akatsuki earlier, we can avoid future deaths and issues they caused.

No more Pein destroying the village, please.

Sitting down, I smiled at the people present. Naruto and Sasuke stood behind me like my personal bodyguards. They glared, trying to be intimidating.

It was cute.

All the Jinchurikis gathered in one place for the first time. Most of them died in the original: sacrifice for the schemes of a madman and a rabbit goddess.

"Apologies for the tardiness," Hiruzen apologized. "We had some trouble finding our Jinchuriki."

I smiled brightly, wondering how long they were looking for me. How long was I out in the cold?

"It would seem you have no control of your Jinchuriki," Onoki commented, focusing a fierce glare at me. I winked in turn.

"As Jinchurikis are their own person with their own agency, it's unreasonable to expect complete control," Hiruzen said.

"So you have no control over your shinobis either?" Onoki scoffed. "That white fang of yours is infamous."

"My way of governing my shinobis has only brought good results so far," Hizusen smirked. " That seems to be holding their own against your genins."

"You!"

"Enough," Mifune called, stopping them before they began a physical fight. "We're here to solve a problem, not cause one."

Once the room was silent, he continued taking out a scroll.

"We're gathered here today to discuss the issue of the Akatsuki and the threat they pose to the Jinchurikis," he looked at the Jinchurikis in the room. "As I understand it, each of you had an encounter with the Akatsuki at some point. Or, more specifically, Ina Uzumaki."

The name caused memories of the past to flash before my eyes. She was an anomaly. Something that should not exist, a variable. Naruto brushed his fingers through my hair, returning me to the present. I hadn't realized I was rubbing my scar until then.

"This is clearly the Leaf Village's doing!" Raikage yelled. "They're the ones with ties to the Uzumaki!"

"You mean the same Uzumaki's that you scattered to the wind?" Hiruzen asked coldly.

"It's not like you were welcoming them into your village," Onoki remarked. And the tension rose again.

"Instead of arguing over pity grudges and placing blame, I suggest you call cooperate," Mifune said with a tired sigh. I felt pity for him; he was too old for this crap.

"Ina Uzumaki first appeared in our village five years ago, along with a band of traveling merchants," Hiruzen began. "After determining she wasn't a threat, she was allowed to roam. However, one night, Ina and a masked man claiming to be Madara Uchiha slaughtered the Uchiha clan leaving only two survivors. That was the last we heard from her until she showed up in the land of Waves and again in root to the Fire temple. After the second encounter, it became clear the Akatsuki were becoming a threat. They are gathering the scattered Uzumakis and missing-nin. We believe they are also targeting the Jinchurikis as well. For what purpose, I can't say."

"I can confirm that they approached Gaara and tried to recruit him. Though they didn't say what for," Rasa said, glancing at his son, who was having a staring competition with me. I was losing.

Yagura giggled, "They said the Uzumaki will rise again and some stuff about world peace," he said with a shrug. He was more casual than I thought "The Tyrant" would be. If anything, he seemed amused about the whole situation.

"Is this the case for everyone?" Mifune asked. The other Kages nodded.

"They kidnapped our civilians," Raikage said. Lighting sparked around him as his anger grew. "They targeted those with Kekkei Genkai and ties to the Uzumakis."

"Ties to the Uzumaki?" Yagura smirked. "Could it be that you were accommodating Uzumakis after we went through all that trouble to scatter them?"

Yagura reminded me a bit of my brother. That smirk was what someone in the "Know" wears. He was acting as though he knew very well what was happening and was enjoying everyone's confusion. Our eyes met, and he smiled at me. We stared each other down as the others explained their encounters with the Uzumaki.

The Jinchurikis all received a similar speech; the village didn't want them, and they would have a place by her side in a world of peace. Only Gaara, apparently half Uzumaki, was told he was family and would receive love by her side.

"They entered our village without any sign of hostility, though the talk they had with Fu was brief; it is as you have already described," the Chief of the hidden waterfall village, Shibuki, spoke for the first time. "They had a missing-nin of ours twitch them, Kakuzu; I thought he was already dead since it's been decades."

"Kakuzu?" hiruzen hmmed. "I believe that was the shinobi that tried and failed to kill the first Hokage.

Shibuki winced. "Yes, that's him. He killed our elders and fled the village after failing his mission."

"What? Did they think Kakuzu should not have returned after failing his mission?" Yagura teased. "And to think he offered your worthless village a Jinchuriki," he shrugged. "This is what kindness gets you in this world.

"Hey, we didn't ask for the seven tails!" Fu yelled, trying to defend her leader.

"But you still took it," Raikage pointed out. "And in the end, tried to kill the man that gave it to you."

"Like you're one to talk," Onoki muttered. "Your village is quite ungrateful as well."

"I'd say you're all ungrateful," I spoke up, tired of the bickering. "Hashirama only gave out the tail beast in an effort to establish balance. He knew you fools would envy his power and try to kill him." I pointedly looked at the hidden waterfall. "He grew up in a war; he wanted to enjoy peace, but, nooo, you warmongers just don't know how to be civil!"

"Sakura," Sasuke warned behind me, but I didn't back down.

"The Akatsuki is a threat, as is the return of the Uzumaki clan, but I'm not in favour of slaughtering the clan again, so if that's what you guys are leading to, you can forget it." I narrowed my eyes on them. I watched an entire clan die without being able to do anything. I won't stand by again. We need all the manpower we can get, and here they are, being idiots.

Triggerhappy idiots.

"What makes you think you have any say in the matter?" Raikage stared me down.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I feigned surprise. "I thought my presence here meant I had a say. My apologies. I'll be more careful from now on." I waved. "Carry on; just pretend I'm not here."

Folding my arms, I leaned back in my chair and adopted a blank face.

Maybe I should kill them and pass leadership to the younger generation.

It would be a waste. Be patient. Soon no one will be able to look down on you.

The room went quiet; no one expected me to back off so easily. I know what the Akatsuki was capable of, and seeing the roster for the new Akatsuki. Yeah, they'll be begging for my help before long.

I already know I can't stop the war, but I hoped we could all sit down and talk about it. Talk no jutsu was one of the most potent jutsu, after all.

"It's clear the Akatsuki are gathering missing-nin and building an army," Hiruzen said in the silence. "It would be wise to prepare for war."

"Since this affects all the villages, might I suggest an alliance?" Mifune offered. "If the great nations work together, we'll resolve this matter quickly."

Aw, Mifune. Always a peacemaker.

"Or we can stand by and watch the villages fall one by one before swooping in to get their resources." Yagura offered. I take back what I said; he's a tyrant, alright.

"There's no way you wouldn't be affected by the war," Rasa pointed out.

"Oh, I'm a Jinchuriki," he reminded them. "I don't have to die in a war if I accept her offer. Joining her side is on the table for me."

My jaw dropped. I see now why he was so relaxed. If all else failed, he could switch sides.

"You coward!" Raikage yelled, standing up and slamming his hands on the table.

"You're just mad because you didn't receive such an offer," Yagura retorted. "We're not friends. I don't need to be loyal to any of you." pink eyes narrowed in determination.

"True enough, but what is to say you won't be betrayed by Ina as soon as she has what she wants," Hiruzen offered. "Your village also participated in the annihilation of the Uzu."

"And your village failed to protect their alley during that annihilation. You didn't even take in one Uzumaki, did you?" Yagura smirked. "You are the one that betrayed the clan, Lord Third."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, and I frowned.

How did we end up here after the proposal of an alliance was announced? They were supposed to be reluctant but gathered together to face the threat. Right? Why is it different?

They were yelling now, calling out each other's failures and their role in the rise of the Akatsuki.

Was the timing too early?

What made them work together in the original?

Jinchuriki, sensing the situation, stood ready for a Kage scale fight. Naruto and Sasuke also stepped forward to protect me.

I flinched as I felt it.

Chakra was so heavy I thought I would be crushed.

Shatter!

I broke

"AHHHH!"

The scream was involuntary. It took Naruto shaking me for me to realize I was still in one piece, and then I felt it again, a shatter, followed by another. I hugged myself and doubled over, my stomach threatening to fail.

The springflys Madara informed me, showing me their last moments. An army of soldiers was marching in the snow, heading to the village.

"Sakura! What's wrong!" Naruto was yelling now. The Kages looked at me in confusion, but I had no time to focus.

I sent my chakra into the delicate creatures saving those not exposed to the malice. With them able to withstand the pressure, I could finally see.

And I could believe my eyes.

"Terracotta soldiers?" I muttered aloud, my eyes distant, and I viewed their approach from all angles. There was no mistake; it was the Ghost army of Moryo, but what were they doing here, now?

Passing the threshold, my seals activated, creating a barrier between unwelcome guests and the village. They crashed into it, and I grit my teeth.

"Is it the seals?" Naruto asked frantically.

"Oi, what's going on with your Jinchuriki?" Raikage asked.

"Shatter!"

"Ugh!" I did puke, then. They marched through my barrier like it was glass.

"In coming!" I groaned. Sending the springflys to stall them. "From the south."

They turned in that direction, and the sensors among them could tell immediately.

"What is that?" Hiruzen muttered in awe and confusion.

"War," I answered simply.

I watched on as the Ghost Army marched towards the three-wolf mountain.

"Ina."

I looked back at my attack squad and smiled. The priestess, the scientist, and the demon stood together. There was a joke in there somewhere.

"How are you holding up, Miroku?" asked the priestess that risked her life to seal away Moryo in the previous timeline.

"This feels so wrong," she confessed. She was against the plan of using the demon from another dimension. Much like Moryo, Miroku's family was from another world and was constantly at odds with the demon. I looked over at said demon. He wasn't what I expected. I knew from Miruko's memories that Moryo had a humanoid form, but I didn't expect this.

He looked Asian with long flowing black hair and pale skin; his narrow eyes were purple and glowed with power. His face of indifference only made him more mysterious.

After saving Miroku and sealing Moryo: it wasn't too hard to use Kotoamatsukami and convince him that he was Miroku's lover. Spoiler alert, he already had a thing for the priestess and was heartbroken when she chose the humans over him. What a love story. I was envious, truly.

Miroku, who had memories of him trying to kill her daughter, wasn't something she could overlook. So the two were in a lover's quarrel.

"Don't worry, so long as you're here, nothing bad will happen," Orochimaru stated dutifully.

Orochimaruto was all too pleased with the turn of events; he was Moryo's only friend, yes, I know, and was acting as a mediator between them.

Moyro controlled the Army, Miroki controlled Moryo, and Orochimaru kept them both in check.

Moryo frowned as his army came to a halt.

"What is the matter?" I asked.

"There's a barrier," he said in a deep voice. Sage, damn it, Miroku was so lucky. "It won't hold," he informed me, and I heard a shatter as the jutsu failed.

Someone was expecting us. I smiled. This was becoming interesting.

"Someone is attacking me," Moryo's face was indifferent as he spoke. "They look like butterflies."

"Sakura," Orochimaru and I said at the same time. I giggled.

"Quite the bus body aren't you Yang," I mused.

"Push through," I commanded. "She won't be able to keep this up for long."

"No one can stop what's about to happen," Orochimaru chuckled.

This is war.

Next Chapter

August 15

I'm going on vacation with my family so I won't have access to a computer or the Internet. Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger but we all know what's gonna happen next.

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.