Sakura stood frozen, chest heaving, fists clenched, as she watched the Konoha Jōnin flee like a terrified rabbit. Her breathing was ragged, her heart pounding in her chest. The effort she had just exerted was beyond human. Adrenaline still coursed through her veins, but slowly, the heavy silence of the valley pressed upon her senses.
Around her, a field of corpses—bloody, mutilated, twisted—scattered in a grim, chaotic display. The breath of death ruled this place, where no one had escaped her devastating wrath.
The few Uchiha still standing watched her in silence. They didn't know what to make of this unknown woman. Who was she? Why had their leader allowed such destruction? And now, what were they supposed to do? Would they provoke her fury if they dared to move?
Silently, they decided to wait. It was better to remain still, cautious witnesses to this carnage, hoping they wouldn't be next.
Sakura finally tore her gaze away from the forest where the Konoha ninja had disappeared. In front of her were hundreds of dead bodies, smoke rising from the battlefield—all that remained of her unleashed rage.
Her breathing slowed, as did the beat of her heart. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her body began to decompress, the flow of chakra dissipating, bringing her back to a normal state. The Fūinjutsu seals faded from her skin, and her hair, which had floated wildly during the battle, returned to its usual state.
The adrenaline ebbed, but another pain surfaced. The massacre she had just committed had not brought her any peace. On the contrary, the suffering inside her burned even more intensely. This pain was one she knew all too well: it stretched back to the day she arrived in the Sengoku era.
As she paid attention to it, she realized that the wound she thought had healed had just reopened. How much had she suffered, accepting that everyone she had loved in the past had to die for her to change the course of history!
Just as she had managed to rebuild her life, as the sacrifices finally made sense, her soul was once again torn apart. The first person who had welcomed her here, who had helped her overcome her torment, was dead, murdered before her eyes.
Sakura wondered how peace could ever be achieved if it involved so much pain.
So many sacrifices?
So much hatred?
Despair seized her, and her shoulders slumped. Her entire body began to tremble, at first imperceptibly, then with increasing intensity. She could no longer control her reactions. Tears blurred her vision, first silently, then her sobs grew louder and louder.
At that moment, Madara, who had been standing nearby, approached. He placed a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder. Sakura flinched—she had forgotten she wasn't alone—but she instantly recognized his chakra.
Madara... That name echoed within her like an anchor. Her husband was there, for her and their daughter, Nozumi. They were all she had left to help her continue pursuing her dream of peace. Without them, she might have let herself die in her own time, swept away by the Fifth Great Shinobi War.
She suddenly turned toward him, and in a fit of despair, she clutched his kimono, burying her face against his chest. She no longer had the strength to fight. Nothing mattered anymore except letting her pain explode. She clung to him like the last buoy keeping her afloat, and she wept, screaming out her suffering without restraint.
Madara, for his part, was not accustomed to such situations. He had learned from a young age to suppress his emotions. Even in the face of his brothers' deaths, he had never shed a tear. But since meeting Sakura, he had come to understand a fundamental truth: even a ninja, despite the need for control, remained a human being. And emotions, repressed for too long, would eventually erupt. Sakura had to release all that pain to move forward.
The Uchiha knew this, and for the first time, he made a gesture that no one would have thought possible. Slowly, he raised his arms and gently embraced his grieving wife. His movements were filled with infinite tenderness, a quiet compassion. He applied slight pressure, as if enveloping Sakura in a protective cocoon, while softly stroking her back and hair.
Although the situation was unprecedented, Madara glanced toward his clan members, who watched, stunned, at their leader's behavior. A single look was enough for them to understand: not a word.
None of them would dare comment on the scene. Their leader, returned from the dead, was a miracle in itself. They were simply grateful to see him once again leading the clan.
Gradually, Sakura's sobs subsided, and the tension eased. She slowly regained control over her emotions.
."Forgive me," she whispered between sobs.
"Never apologize to me, Sakura," Madara murmured softly.
"Why did Konoha do this?" she asked, still in disbelief at such a betrayal by her former village.
Madara paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to worsen his wife's emotional state, but some truths needed to be said, even if they were difficult to hear.
"I warned you, when you told me about your vision of peace: the world wouldn't let you achieve it. You know as well as I do how this works. What does one country do when another becomes troublesome? It destroys it from within," Madara replied, holding her tightly.
Sakura closed her eyes, pressing her face even harder against his chest. She remembered that he had never fully embraced her utopian vision of peace, but he had followed her anyway. Together, they had managed to turn that vision into reality.
A shiver ran through her. She cursed herself for not being able to prevent this disaster.
"It's my fault," she murmured, crushed by the memory of Hitomi.
Madara, aware of the heavy guilt weighing on her, gently loosened his embrace and met her gaze. Her eyes, still wet and reddened, were streaked with dust and blood.
"No, Sakura. This is not your fault," he said firmly. "Despite the loss of your friend, her sacrifice will not be in vain. With this attack, Konoha has given us a legitimate reason to show the world what happens to those who threaten Ta no Kuni."
Madara had a way of finding the right words to comfort her, keeping her from sinking deeper into her grief.
"Thank you," Sakura whispered.
"Believe me, Konoha will pay. And no one will dare touch our home again," Madara added. "Go pay your respects to your friend. Afterward, we'll return home and give her and her family the proper burial they deserve. In the meantime, I need to speak with my clan."
Sakura nodded weakly, but before stepping away, she shot a cold, merciless glance at the Uchiha standing nearby. That brief exchange was enough to remind them that she wasn't just a fragile woman. Beneath that apparent vulnerability was a fearsome kunoichi capable of obliterating anyone who dared stand against her. Some of the clan members swallowed nervously.
She then approached Hitomi's lifeless body, kneeling slowly. She gently touched her friend's face, her heart heavy with pain. Silent tears flowed down her cheeks again.
"I'm sorry, Hitomi," she whispered before bowing her head in mourning.
Meanwhile, Madara rejoined his clan members, who immediately greeted him.
"Madara-sama!" several voices exclaimed in unison, but he silenced them with a simple gesture.
"I want to hear nothing," he ordered sternly.
The silence was immediate. No one dared defy the man they had once betrayed. They knew he had not yet forgiven their actions.
"Return to Konoha and inform the clan of my return. Prepare them for what's coming. This is their last chance to redeem themselves by joining me. Those who refuse will meet the same fate as Konoha," declared Madara, as Sakura placed a final kiss on Hitomi's forehead.
"Madara-sama..." one Uchiha dared to ask.
"What?" Madara replied coldly.
"Who is this woman?"
"She is your Matriarch," Madara revealed.
That simple phrase was enough. As Madara's wife, she was their superior. After witnessing what she was capable of, no one was surprised that their leader had chosen her as his partner.
The men absorbed the information in silence and prepared to carry out their orders. They knew that if Sakura alone could destroy so many seasoned warriors, Konoha was likely to suffer a similar fate. Without further delay, they left, following the same path as their former commander to inform the rest of the clan.
As the Konoha shinobi departed, Madara raised his eyes to the cliff from which they had arrived. He spotted Ashina, leading a contingent, observing the macabre scene that lay before them.
A single signal from Madara was enough for the Uzukage to join him.
"Konoha," Madara answered the silent question of his ally, who thoughtfully stroked his mustache as he gazed at Sakura kneeling before Hitomi's body.
Ashina examined the bodies strewn across the ground, wondering how such carnage could have occurred when only Madara and Sakura had been present.
"What techniques did you use to annihilate all these men?" he asked, recalling the destruction Madara had wrought in the past.
"I only finished the job, preventing them from fleeing like the cowards they are. The rest is Sakura's work," replied Madara, with a hint of pride.
"I see..." murmured Ashina, astonished.
The Uzukage had always known that Sakura was a formidable warrior, but he hadn't imagined that she could cause such devastation on her own. He even regretted not having witnessed the battle.
"Tell the men to take care of the bodies. We will bury our dead with honor in the city. As for the others… burn them," ordered Madara as Sakura approached. "Once that's done, summon the war council. Konoha must pay for this unjustified attack. First, the assassination attempt on the Daimyō, and now this... They want war? Well, they'll have it."
Ashina and Sakura silently nodded. The orders were given. The bodies, or what remained of them, were gathered. The villagers' bodies were treated with respect and transported to the city for proper burial. Sakura helped in gathering the remains, finally reuniting Hitomi's husband and son. It was a small consolation for her, but at least the family would be laid to rest together.
Day 772
The ten members of the Uchiha clan managed to return to Konoha without attracting attention. They passed through the village's security checks with ease. After all, the entry and exit logs were rarely consulted, and the ninjas in charge of them weren't informed of the missions assigned to those leaving the village. However, they knew it was crucial not to be noticed by their Hokage. They headed straight to the Uchiha compound, where their interim leader awaited, until Madara would resume command. They had to report what they had seen and accomplished during their mission.
"What did you say?" asked the man who had been leading the clan since Madara's disappearance, incredulous.
"Madara is alive! We fought alongside him, and he's preparing an attack on Konoha!"
"Kagami was right, then," murmured the leader, quickly considering the implications. "What does he want from us?"
"He has ordered us to make the right choice this time," they replied in unison.
The leader nodded, weighing the gravity of this revelation. Kagami had made these predictions months ago, and now they were proving true. The situation required swift action.
"Stay discreet. Clan council tonight, at the usual time and place. Spread the word to everyone."
"At your command !"
The shinobi dispersed to inform the clan members about the night meeting. By evening, the gathering room was buzzing with tension and anticipation.
"Why the urgency?" one member asked, arms crossed. "Does Kagami have some new whims to share?"
Kagami, present in the room, ignored the remark, though he was surprised to have been invited.
"Kagami has nothing to do with my request tonight," the leader retorted sharply. "At least, not directly… I'll get straight to the point: Madara is alive, and he's preparing to attack Konoha."
A heavy silence followed this announcement. It took a few seconds for the information to sink in before murmurs rose. The leader had to call for silence to continue.
"I'm certain. Madara, whom we believed dead, is alive. He has become the Kage of that city they talk about in Ta No Kuni, and he's planning an assault on Konoha."
"Why would he do that? We haven't done anything!" several voices protested.
"Unfortunately, that's not true. Some of our men were sent to raid Ta No Kuni, and it seems Hiruzen Sarutobi even ordered the assassination of their Daimyō. It was on the battlefield that Madara reappeared."
"Impossible! The contingent hasn't returned."
"It won't return," one of the Shinobi who participated in the attack declared coldly. "Everyone is dead."
This news chilled the assembly. A murmur spread through the crowd before someone finally asked:
"Did Madara kill them all?"
"No… It was his wife who did it," another answered gravely. "We survived because we chose to turn against our comrades. Madara warned us: we must make the right choice."
"When did you return? No one questioned you?"
"Do you really think they bother checking who enters and leaves Konoha? Since the last war, the controls are only there to monitor civilians. But we are still cautious. Our matriarch spared Commander Nobuo. It's strange that he hasn't returned yet..."
"Who is this matriarch?" asked an elder of the clan.
"She's the woman with pink hair we heard about during the war. A fearsome warrior, with immense strength. She can devastate an entire battlefield on her own! I'd say our leader finally found a woman who matches him."
"Show me," ordered one of the clan's elders. "I want to see for myself what she's capable of."
It was no small request. The Uchiha rarely used their ocular techniques on one another, except in specific cases like Izanagi or Inazami. The elder stepped forward, willingly locking eyes with the young shinobi, activating his pupils to experience the memories of the battle.
What he witnessed exceeded his expectations: he saw the massacre orchestrated by Sakura and heard Madara whisper the command to make the right choice. When he emerged from the Genjutsu, he closed his eyes for a moment, catching his breath.
"Well?" people asked around him.
"It pains me to admit it… but even we would be powerless against that woman."
The veteran's confession stunned the room. Few could claim to surpass a member of the Uchiha clan, and yet...
"What should we do?" someone finally asked.
"We hesitated the first time," the elder began. "Madara is alive, and he's offering us a chance to redeem ourselves. Should we really remain loyal to this village that despises us?"
"Because Konoha is our home?" another voice interjected.
"There was a time when I would have thought the same," Kagami responded, breaking his silence. "But Konoha… Konoha is no longer what it once was. I am at the heart of the Hokage's decisions, and I see how the Will of Fire has lost its meaning. It now serves only the interests of a few. If Madara offers us a future that aligns with our values, then I will follow him without hesitation."
A murmur spread through the assembly. If Kagami, so respected, was ready to follow Madara, why should they hesitate? They all knew what they had to do: rally to their legendary leader.
Their decision was made.
While the Uchiha unanimously decided to leave Konoha at the first opportunity, intense debates stirred the village's major clans. The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi had gathered, as they often did due to their long-standing friendship and alliance.
"You can't be serious. Since when does Konoha attack a neutral country without reason?" asked a man with long blonde hair, incredulous.
"I didn't want to believe it either, but it's true: Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered an SS-rank mission. The assassination of a Daimyō!" a member of the Nara clan responded grimly, arms crossed.
"And do you know if the mission was carried out?" asked a large man from the Akimichi clan.
"I don't. But why else would he have sent a thousand men towards Ta No Kuni? It's certainly not for trade relations," the Nara remarked pensively. "I've been wondering about something for a while..."
"About what exactly?" asked the Akimichi.
"Can Konoha still truly meet our expectations?"
A moment of silence fell in the room before the Yamanaka, visibly shocked, spoke up:
"You're not seriously considering leaving Konoha, are you? This is our village, our home! Our families, our traditions… everything is here!" he protested, only to be cut off by the Nara.
"I know that. And you know just as well that I never speak without careful thought. The Sarutobi have always had our trust, but I can't ignore what happened in the last war… and all the rumors circulating in the village. You know, some of our civilians are already considering leaving Konoha. As clan leaders, we have the responsibility to ensure their safety."
"Are you saying you're putting your personal interests above those of the village?" the Yamanaka remarked accusingly.
The Nara remained silent for a moment, weighing those words. But he had already thought long and hard about the matter.
"Sometimes, you have to be selfish, especially when our personal interests ensure the survival of our people. I'm telling you, my friends: I don't know how Ta No Kuni will react to Konoha's attack, but if Hiruzen continues to provoke our neighbors, what will happen when we face an enemy capable of striking back?"
The Akimichi and the Yamanaka remained thoughtful, absorbed in the gravity of the situation. After a few minutes, the Akimichi finally spoke.
"You've always been wise in your counsel. We will follow you, for the good of each of our clans."
The Yamanaka nodded, silently sharing the same concerns.
On the Inuzuka and Aburame sides, similar discussions were taking place. The leaders of these clans were asking the same questions: why did Konoha seem incapable of recovering from the last war? Why were some missions being carried out without apparent explanation? Despite these questions, both clans concluded that their place remained in Konoha. For them, abandoning the village was not an option.
They were convinced that, through the Will of Fire, Konoha would regain its former glory. The Aburame, in particular, couldn't imagine leaving the forests of Konoha, as their insect-based techniques depended entirely on the unique environmental conditions of the region.
Among the Hyūga, the reflection was just as intense, but the clan was divided. As one of the oldest allies of the Senju and a founding pillar of Konoha, their loyalty to the village was unwavering. However, one major concern persisted: the prolonged absence of Nao Hyūga, a member of the main branch.
Nao had not returned from his last mission, and although no one knew the exact details, his absence was a source of great worry. As a member of the Soke, he was to be protected at all costs. Even though he bore the cursed seal to protect his Byakugan, his limited chakra reserves heightened concerns about his prolonged absence.
If the worst were to happen and Nao did not return, the Hyūga hoped they could at least give him a funeral worthy of his rank. They knew they couldn't prevent death in the line of duty, but they were determined to honor their dead, especially a member of the main branch.
Day 780
The distance between the Ta No Kuni border and Konoha no Sato could be covered in less than a day. Yet, it had been ten days since Nobuo, the commander of Konoha's army and the only survivor of his contingent, struggled to reach the village. "Running" was no longer the right word, as although he had initially rushed as fast as his legs would allow, he had soon become inexplicably exhausted.
At first, he attributed it to shock: he had seen his men decimated by a single woman, all because he had executed a prisoner. How could a woman possess such power? Could she be a Jinchūriki?
The memory of the attack chilled him. Her cold eyes, filled with hatred, the graceful yet deadly movements with which she had slaughtered his men... He could still see the image of his comrade, his heart ripped from his chest, which made him gag. Unable to hold back his nausea, he stopped, his legs weak. His entire body trembled, drained of chakra, as if it had been siphoned by an invisible force.
Nobuo looked down at his chest and saw a seal marked on his skin. He remembered the woman's words: "You have only a few days to live." A sudden panic overwhelmed him. He needed to get back to Konoha as quickly as possible, report what he had seen. He tried to stand, but his strength had abandoned him.
He had to face the reality: resting was his only option. Despite his anxiety, he soon fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke a few hours later, he could only walk a few minutes before exhaustion forced him to stop again. Thus, intermittently, alternating between periods of rest and short advances, Nobuo finally glimpsed the gates of Konoha. He dragged himself to the entrance, struggling against exhaustion.
Ten days. It had taken him ten days to return.
Still alive, but for how long? Was it a curse or a trap? He needed to see the Hokage, report Madara's return... and that woman...
Ignoring the usual formalities, Nobuo entered the village, under the astonished gaze of the guards. But as soon as he passed through the gate, a violent kick to the stomach propelled him backward. The force of the impact made him land hard on a roof, clutching his stomach. Why was he being attacked here, in Konoha?
Struggling to rise, he saw a group of ANBU surrounding him, ready to strike again.
"Who are you?" one of them asked coldly.
"I need to speak to Hokage-sama!" Nobuo replied, panic in his voice.
He didn't have time for these formalities. The village was in danger, he had to deliver his message and find someone who could remove the cursed seal.
"State your identity," the ANBU ordered.
"Nobuo, commander of the contingent sent to Ta No Kuni," he said, straightening up and revealing the Fūinjutsu seal engraved on his chest.
"Where are your men? Why did you return alone?"
"There's no time! I need to speak to Hokage-sama!" Nobuo insisted, his voice trembling.
The ANBU frowned, silent. A commander returning alone, without equipment, could only mean one thing: the mission had failed. He signaled to his men to withdraw, and Nobuo could finally continue, though too weak to move quickly.
As he descended from the roof, Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared before him, the Hokage himself.
"Nobuo? What are you doing here?" Hiruzen asked, surprised.
In front of his leader, Nobuo felt his strength draining away again. His muddled mind struggled against fatigue.
"Where are your men? The mission? What happened?"
Nobuo stammered, struggling to organize his thoughts.
"Dead... they're all dead... You didn't have the right information... They... they fought back..."
"How? Who?" Hiruzen asked, alarmed.
"Madara... Madara is alive," Nobuo whispered, confused.
"Madara?" Hiruzen exclaimed. "He's the one who attacked you?"
"No! It was her!" Nobuo almost screamed, reliving the massacre.
Hiruzen looked at his commander, bewildered. Nobuo was an experienced Jōnin ; why was he in such a state of confusion?
"She killed them all... alone," Nobuo said, his voice trembling.
"Who? What woman? Speak, damn it!"
"The Daimyō of Ta No Kuni," Nobuo replied in a frightened voice.
"What?" Hiruzen was taken aback.
"She... she told me they were going to attack Konoha!" Nobuo announced.
"When?" Hiruzen asked, suddenly worried.
"Ten days ago...," he confessed, looking at his chest.
Since he had been in front of his leader, Nobuo felt an increasing discomfort. The seal on his chest seemed to itch and then burn, like a bad omen.
"TEN DAYS!" the Hokage shouted, eyes wide. "And you're only coming back now?!"
How could such an experienced commander take so long to deliver such crucial information? Hiruzen's gaze then fell on Nobuo's chest, where the seal glowed faintly. Hiruzen Sarutobi, master of Fūinjutsu, needed only a moment to understand: it was an enemy seal.
The Hokage approached, extending his fingers to decipher the formula, but as soon as he touched the symbols, he recoiled sharply, jumping back. The ANBU, on alert, moved closer immediately. Sarutobi scanned the surroundings with a practiced eye, as if searching for an invisible threat, before murmuring rapid orders to the ANBU, who vanished into the shadows.
Nobuo didn't understand. Why had his Hokage retreated so quickly? He opened his mouth to ask, but a burning sensation suddenly crossed his skin. An intense heat emanated from the seal, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. He frowned, surprised. Wasn't it too early for the village's stalls to start cooking?
Then the pain hit him full force. It was no longer a mere itch: the seal was consuming him from within. The shock of realization plunged him into deep terror.
Is this how it ends?
His heart pounded as the suffering intensified. The seal now emitted a reddish glow, like that of an explosive tag.
"An explosive seal?!"
When he finally understood his fate, Nobuo felt a visceral panic. He didn't want to die like this! He looked desperately for Hiruzen Sarutobi, but all he saw was helplessness in the Hokage's eyes. The Hokage had already understood the fate awaiting his subordinate. But, as village leader, he had to think about the safety of his people. The ANBU had already begun evacuating the few civilians near the village.
Hiruzen shook his head slowly. The message was clear: there was no hope left for Nobuo.
The Jōnin, writhing in unbearable pain, was now convulsing in agony. His skin burned, his body crackled, and an inhuman scream escaped his lips, blending with the explosion that consumed him.
The seal, placed by Sakura, turned Nobuo into a human bomb. The explosion devastated everything within a radius of more than thirty meters. Windows shattered, walls of nearby buildings cracked. Hiruzen barely had time to leap into the air to escape the blast.
This treacherous act from Ta No Kuni was equivalent to a declaration of war against Konoha.
Once the situation was under control and the area inspected to ensure no one was injured, Hiruzen immediately ordered a complete closure of the village. No one could enter or leave, and a maximum alert was declared. If Nobuo was telling the truth, Konoha had to prepare to face not only Uchiha Madara, supposedly returned from the dead, but also this mysterious woman with pink hair.
Hiruzen had neither the time nor the resources to devise a complex strategy. He urgently summoned the clan leaders. He needed to ensure the loyalty of each, especially the Uchiha clan. If news of Madara's resurrection spread, what would this clan do? Would they become an enemy of Konoha as well, or would they remain loyal to their village?
Barely an hour had passed since Nobuo's explosion when the great gates of the village were smashed with a deafening roar.
A cloud of smoke and dust spread at the entrance. The ninjas of Konoha, alert and responsive, instantly gathered around their Hokage, all senses on high alert. With their eyes fixed on the entrance, they waited, motionless, for the smoke to clear.