The Land of Iron is an icy, snow-covered country located among three mountains called the Three Wolves. Unlike the other countries of the world, whose militaries use shinobi, the Land of Iron's military was made up of samurai. Due to the differing ideologies between shinobi and samurai, there is an agreement among the shinobi not to interfere with the Land of Iron. Because the Land of Iron had little involvement with the shinobi world, shinobi frequently used the country as a neutral meeting place for diplomatic discussions.

xxxxxx

"It's snowing," Sakura whispered, looking up as snow fell from the sky, each flake shimmering like tiny diamonds in the pale winter light. Somewhere on the edge of a forest, where the trees embraced the chill of winter, she felt a sense of wonder.

"Put your hood up, Sakura," Sasuke said, his dark eyes scanning the surroundings. Sakura obediently pulled the hood of her black cloak over her head. From the information Itachi had managed to retrieve from one of the Cloud ninjas, they all wore black cloaks to blend in better and also to stay warm in the cold.

"Well," Sasuke said, gazing down at the ground as Suigetsu emerged from a small pool of water.

"Looks like they fortified their defenses because of the Gokage summit," Suigetsu answered.

"That makes sense." Sakura said, "All the important people are together."

"Jugo, use animals to scout out the path with the thinnest guard to the summit site," Sasuke commanded.

"Sakura, are you sure this was a good idea?" Suigetsu asked, worry etching across his face as he turned back from a pebble of water to his normal form.

"What do you mean?" asked Sakura.

"Not only are we going straight towards where basically all the powerful shinobi are together in one place, but you also sent Itachi somewhere else..." Suigetsu ventured nervously, crossing his arms in contemplation. The tension in the air hung thick, mingling with the crystal-clear snowflakes that continued their gentle descent.

Sakura took a deep breath, her chest tightening with the weight of her decision.

"It was necessary," she said firmly. "Itachi needed to go somewhere else, and this was the only way. We will wait for the meeting to end, and then we'll go after Danzo. I would prefer to attack him before the meeting where he will officially announce us as missing-nin, but we don't know exactly where Danzo is at the moment."

"I get that... it's just..." Suigetsu hesitated. "Last time, Sasuke was so blinded by his revenge that he injured you, and you almost died! Besides, I know you also noticed that the closer we get to Danzo, the more quiet he has become."

Both glanced over at Sasuke, who was focused on Jugo, impatiently waiting for him to show them the route they needed to take. Sakura felt the cold air punctuate Suigetsu's words. She was reminded of what had happened when Itachi and Sasuke were fighting, but the stakes were different.

"It won't happen again. I know it," Sakura finally said.

Suigetsu studied her for a moment, the storm of uncertainty swirling in his eyes."I hope you're right," he muttered under his breath, but his expression held a mix of skepticism and hope.

Deep down, Sakura also hoped she was right. Was it really okay to send Itachi off to do something else? What if Suigetsu was right? What if Sasuke was blinded by his hatred once again?

XXXXXXXXXX

"I need you and Hina to go somewhere for me," Sakura said imploringly, petting her cat on her thigh.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, intrigued yet cautious. "Where is 'somewhere,' Sakura? What are you asking me to do? And right now, considering where and who we would be facing?"

Sakura hesitated, the weight of her request hanging in the air like the thick mist of an impending storm. She took a deep breath, her fingers still gently stroking her cat's fur. It was a calming rhythm to prepare herself for what lay ahead.

"It's urgent, and right now I can only rely on you," she said, her voice steady but laced with urgency. "I have a feeling Naruto will try to do something to prevent us from becoming official missing-nin. He might go after Danzo and plead, or head towards the Summit and plead there in front of everyone. I need you to stall him as much as possible."

Itachi's expression shifted, a flicker of concern etching his brow as he processed Sakura's words. "You understand the risks involved in this, don't you? If you send me to intercept him, I may have to reveal that I am in fact not dead."

"Exactly," Sakura replied, shifting her weight as the gravity of their situation settled on her shoulders.

A contemplative silence enveloped them, amplified by the nighttime symphony of chirping crickets and rustling leaves. Itachi's brow furrowed, binding his thoughts to the myriad possibilities that lay ahead.

"Sakura," he began, his voice low and measured, "why is this so important?"

"Sasuke's mind at this moment isn't stable. We will go after Danzo; who knows what he might say to provoke Sasuke? And with Naruto going after us, pleading to return to the village—the village that Sasuke hates so much at this moment..." Sakura paused, her heart aching at the thought of the chaos to come.

"Naruto doesn't know the truth. He believes in the village, but Sasuke... he sees only betrayal. The last time they fought, it was really terrible. Who knows what will happen if they fight again, especially right now with Sasuke's current state of mind!" she implored, desperation lacing her words.

"Very well," Itachi finally said, his voice now resolute. "I will stall him. But you must promise me that you will keep Sasuke safe. No matter what happens between him and Danzo, I need you to protect him."

Sakura's heart swelled with gratitude, although it was tinged with uncertainty. "I promise, Itachi. I'll do everything in my power to keep my promise. But please, you be careful too."

"You should also be careful about Tobi. He might use this opportunity to try and persuade Sasuke again," Itachi replied.

"Trust me, I'm aware." Sakura replied. She resolved to stay vigilant; Tobi's manipulations were a constant threat, and if there was any chance that Sasuke would become ensnared in his web of deceit once more, she would need to be ready.

"There is also a favor I have to ask you, Sakura..."

Sakura looked at him, her brow furrowing with curiosity. "What is it? Just name it."

XXXXXXXXXX

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a bird flying back to Jugo's arm.

"And?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"There's a route that climbs up from the west, but there aren't too many lookouts," Jugo reported, the pale winter light catching the edges of his silhouette.

"Good. Let's move," Sasuke commanded, his voice steady as resolute determination fueled his steps forward."Karin, keep an eye on the chakra positions of the lookouts at all times."

"M-me too?" Karin stammered, her cheeks flushing slightly at the unexpected responsibility.

"Time to let your skills shine," Suigetsu cheered, a teasing tone in his voice that made Karin puff her chest out, eager to prove herself.

Sakura hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of uncertainty still lingering above her, but she forced herself to follow as the four began to make their way deeper into the forest. The snow crunched softly under their feet, creating a rhythmic disturbance that felt at odds with the stillness of the landscape around them.

"Can we just ambush and off him now?" Suigetsu asked once again, glancing sideways at Sasuke, his tone laced with impatience.

"You stupid!"Karin snapped, her tone sharp like the cold wind slicing through the trees. "If the Hokage's arrival is delayed, they'll know something happened! They'd send samurai reinforcements, and what if the other kages came too?!"

"When we have no idea of the enemy's abilities, it's best to bide our time and attack him on his way home, right, Sasuke?!" Karin turned to Sasuke.

"Just focus on the enemies' chakra positions, Karin," Sasuke commanded, cutting the banter short as they pressed deeper into the woods, now enveloped by the stillness of the snowfall.

"Sakura, we are almost inside the building. Itachi told you what he looks like, right? Just point out who he is." Sasuke called suddenly, bringing everyone to an immediate halt. They gathered around him, his expression serious. "We'll need to approach with caution. I want to hear nothing but whispers from now on."

Sakura nodded, determination coursing through her veins. She glanced sideways at Suigetsu and Karin, who were now quiet, the weight of their daunting mission settling prominently on their shoulders.

Once inside the building, from the high ground, they saw the Hokages entering one by one. The air was thick with anticipation, an electric hum that buzzed through each of them as they peered down from their vantage point.

"Follow them and listen to what they are talking about, but please be careful, Denki," Sakura softly commanded as soon as she summoned him. Denki nodded and dashed away.

Sakura felt her heart race as she glimpsed the figures of the five Kage entering the grand hall. Each one exuded a powerful aura: the stoic Raikage, the graceful Tsuchikage, the composed Kazekage, and the witty Mizukage.

"S-Sasuke, that's him—the geezer in the middle," Sakura pointed out with urgency, narrowing her eyes at the figure shrouded in an aura of authority. "That's Danzo."

There was no way Sakura could be wrong. The description Itachi had given her; it had to be that guy. Just as he had explained, his right eye was covered with bandages.

'Are you really sure, Itachi?' Sakura wondered as she thought back on the favor Itachi had requested.

"So, that's... Danzo," Sasuke repeated, his voice barely above a whisper yet filled with a burning intensity. Angered by the very sight of the man who had caused so much turmoil, he clenched his fists tight. As the Kage exchanged formalities and pleasantries, Sakura felt the tension escalate within Sasuke. She could see the muscles in his jaw tighten and the flicker of rage in his dark eyes.

Meanwhile, from the shadows, Denki maneuvered through the air, taking on a form so small that he was almost invisible. He perched on a nearby beam, curious and cautious. With sharp focus, he listened intently to the murmurs of the Kage below.

"Stay focused, Sasuke," she whispered, nudging his arm gently. "We need to wait for the right moment."

But Sasuke's gaze was locked on Danzo."He holds all the reins of manipulation, and I will make him pay for what he's done."The venom in his voice sent a chill down her spine.

"Sasuke—" she began, but it was too late; the moment had already slipped away.

"The samurai's movements have suddenly become frantic!" Karin announced, her voice trembling as she watched a group of armored samurai patrolmen alter their patterns below them.

"Sakura-sama!" Denki called out to her, rushing back to their side.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, her heart quickening at the urgency in his voice.

"They were discussing forming an alliance to fight against someone named Madara Uchiha. One of the bodyguards of another Kage began to question your target, that Danzo guy, about why his right eye resembled someone named Shisui's chakra. He requested that Danzo loosen his bandage to confirm whether it was true or not, but..."

'His right eye?! Shisui's Sharingan?! Itachi was right! He still had it! But I didn't expect him to have planted it into his right eye,' Sakura thought. The weight of the revelation settled heavily on Sakura's shoulders, swirling with disbelief and dread. It meant that Danzo was not only involved in the tragedy that consumed the Uchiha clan but had also shamelessly exploited their talents for his own ambitions

"W-What else happened?"Sakura stammered, shaking her thoughts away. She needed to focus on what was going on right this moment. "Why all the chaos?"

"A human-like face with green hair looked as if it had been split in halves, just emerging from the ground, announcing to everyone that Sasuke had infiltrated this place," Denki informed.

"W-What?" Sakura's heart sank as the implications of Denki's words struck her. The group's mission was one of silent infiltration, a shadowy dance among giants. Now, with the revelation of Sasuke's presence, the delicate balance they had painstakingly built was on the brink of collapse.

"A white figure? With green hair..." Sasuke mumbled. "It's one of Tobi's associates. Of course, he would involve himself at a moment like this."

"One of the Kages, a big guy, was extremely angry. He tried to choke the white figure and snapped his neck when the figure failed to answer more questions about you, Sasuke. He then stormed out of the meeting room with his guards, screaming that he was going after Sasuke," Denki continued, explaining.

"He is specifically angry at you, Sasuke. Do you know him?" Jugo wondered.

"One of the Kage is angry at Sasuke? It must be the Raikage. He must be upset about you fighting the Eight Tails... I thought you said he wasn't dead?" Sakura asked, her confusion evident amidst the upheaval and suspicion converging around them.

"It must be that Tobi guy. He needed the Eight Tails and used us to fight and weaken it, so he could take the opportunity to capture it for his goal," Jugo added, realization washing over him.

"Damn it!" Sakura cursed, turning back to Denki. "Thank you for your help. It might be dangerous from here on out. You are free to go back."

"It was a pleasure! Meow!" Denki said happily and disappeared, leaving a small cloud of smoke as Sakura released her summoning jutsu.

Sasuke's eyes flickered with intensity, the flame of vengeance igniting anew. "We need to prepare. If the Raikage is coming after me, I can't let him ruin everything. Our target is still Danzo."

Sakura assessed the situation, feeling the weight of responsibility crush her chest. "No, if the Kage's attention shifts, Danzō might slip away. We need to act quickly before they realize what's happening."

"It's no use... there are too many of them! We're going to be found and captured in no time," Karin protested, her voice quaking as anxiety laced her words. She shifted nervously, glancing around, afraid she'd need to face not only samurai but also the Kages.

"Sasuke—" Sakura was startled when Sasuke suddenly jumped down from their high vantage point. This caught the attention of some samurai and informed everyone that they had found Sasuke.

Not long after, more and more samurai quickly gathered in front of Sasuke, quickly drawing their swords and pointing them at him, taking a fighting stance. With their excellent chakra control, they channeled their chakra into their swords. This allowed them to extend the reach of their swords, altering their shape to resemble other weapons and launching the chakra across distances as crescents of energy.

"Wow..." Sakura muttered, her eyes wide in shock. The display of samurai power left her awestruck; she had always heard stories about their abilities, but seeing it first-hand crystallized the gravity of their mission.

"So that's how they use their chakra," Suigetsu whispered, a mix of admiration and apprehension in his tone. He tightened his grip on his weapon, narrowing his eyes at the gathering storm of samurai warriors surrounding Sasuke.

"Sasuke! Why are you showing yourself?!" Karin screamed, panic lacing her voice as she watched their leader stand resolute against a growing tide of enemies.

"I'm rather irritated right now. If you come at me, I don't think I can hold back," Sasuke threateningly said, his fiery gaze locked onto the advancing samurai.

"Sasuke, wait!" Sakura shouted; her voice nearly breaking through the chaos, but it felt like her words vanished into thin air.

"We could say the same!" one samurai exclaimed.

"Karin, you don't have to monitor the samurai anymore. Focus and find Danzo's location," Jugo instructed Karin.

"But what are we going to do about the samurai?!" Karin protested.

"I'll deal with them. Just find Danzo," Jugo felt adrenaline prickling at the back of her neck, a sensation that fuelled her resolve.

"Sasuke!" she shouted, desperation spilling over. "We can't fight them right now! We came here for a reason!""

"H-huh?!" Karin was startled when she suddenly felt something change—something that made her feel scared, something that made her tremble in fear.

"Karin? What's wro—" Sakura was interrupted when she saw Sasuke begin to engage in combat against the samurai soldiers, easily killing them one by one. In horror, she watched as blades clashed, the sickening sound of metal meeting flesh echoing in the chill of the air. Sasuke danced around the samurai like a shadow, utilizing his prodigious speed and skill to take down opponents with surgical precision. Yet, with every strike, fear sank deeper into Sakura's heart.

He was fuelled by rage again. Sakura felt the world around her blur, the reality of their situation crashing over her like an avalanche. Time seemed to stretch and break apart, filling her with overwhelming dread. The danger was not only from the samurai; if Sasuke continued down this path of vengeance, she feared he would lose himself entirely.

"Hey... after all his warnings to me not to kill anyone!" Suigetsu exclaimed, his tone a mix of disbelief and worry as he surveyed the chaos unfolding before him. He also noticed the change in Sasuke's behavior, and Karin was able to sense the change in Sasuke's chakra.

"This is..." even Jugo was surprised.

"I can't believe it's thicker than when he's in the curse mark second state... it's colder..." Karin mumbled in a low voice, but it was enough for Sakura to hear.

"Sasuke! Stop!" Sakura pleaded, her voice rising above the violent clash of steel. She took a tentative step forward but hesitated. Could she approach him now, amidst this storm of emotions? Would he even recognize her?

"Sakura, don't!" Suigetsu grabbed her arm, his grip firm yet gentle. "You can't go in there! If he's lost to rage, he won't see you. What if the same thing happens again?!"

The chaos grew louder, the frantic clashes spilling into the crisp air as more samurai arrived to reinforce their fallen comrades. Their disciplined movements clashed with Sasuke's erratic yet deadly grace. Every time a blade met flesh, a part of Sakura broke inside, feeding the horror and despair gnawing at her heart.

"Damn it!" Sakura cursed and jumped forward, pushing past Suigetsu's grip. She stood in front of Sasuke, stopping him from continuing his rampage while Jugo, who had jumped down as well, stopped any samurai from approaching them.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called out to him, but Sasuke's gaze was still locked on the samurai surrounding them, his chest heaving with untrammeled fury.

"Forgive me, Sasuke..." Sakura mumbled and raised one of her hands up in the air. She flew it across his cheek, the slap echoing through the frigid air like a thunderclap, momentarily halting Sasuke's relentless fury. His wide eyes snapped to hers, the fire of his rage flickering uncertainly, replaced by something deeper—confusion, pain, and, most importantly, recognition.

"Sakura..." he breathed, his voice barely audible over the din of battle. The haze of anger began to dissipate, giving way to the reality of what was happening. Surrounding him were fallen samurai, their bodies littering the ground—a stark contrast of bright red against the pristine white.

"Snap out of it! Did you forget what your goal is? Why we are here?! Your target?!" Sakura's voice cut through the chaos like a sharp blade.

"Damn it..." he muttered through gritted teeth, struggling to gain control of himself. The girl standing in front of him, firm and resolute, was a beacon amidst the storm. "Sakura, I..."

"Do you want to injure Sakura again?! Or us? Just because you are too blinded by your revenge?!" Suigetsu shouted at Sasuke from the high ground,

"Just because Sakura hadn't said anything after that, or the fact that we continued acting like nothing ever happened, doesn't mean I haven't forgiven you! We all counted on you to save Sakura from Itachi, who we thought was our enemy back then. In the end, it was not even Itachi, but YOU who injured Sakura! She almost died because of you!"

Sasuke's breath hitched. The memory of that battle—the recklessness that had led to Sakura's near-death—flooded back, morphing into a jagged spear of guilt that pierced his heart.

"Suigetsu!" Sakura interjected, her voice steadier than she felt. "This isn't the time to bring up the past! I already told you it was also my fault!"

"See what I mean?" Suigetsu chuckled sarcastically. "Even after her near-death experience, she still doesn't blame you."

"This really isn't the time! We need to go before—" Before Sakura could finish, the ceiling broke from a heavy impact. Jugo jumped away and landed next to Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke quickly pulled Sakura behind him as the debris crashed to the ground, echoing like thunder through the snowy forest. Emerging through the rubble was the imposing figure of the Raikage, his face a storm of anger and determination.

"Kid! I'm gonna teach you the fear of true fury!" the Raikage's voice boomed, reverberating through the open hall. He stood tall and fierce, his chakra radiating like a tempest of fury, the air crackling around him. Ready for battle, the Raikage wrapped his entire body in a layer of lightning chakra to enhance his strength and speed. Behind him, his bodyguards, C and Darui, joined the battle as well.

"They are from The Village Hidden in the Clouds... the giant in the middle must be the Raikage. This is bad," Sakura whispered, her voice barely audible beneath the rumble of chaos that had erupted in the hall.

~To Be Continued~

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