With a deep breath, Sakura focused on the seal at the center of her forehead, releasing the chakra from it. The seal slowly started to spread across her face, and with this, she made her final move. Something unexpected, something out of the blue. Quickly, before Danzo could do any more harm, she drew out her katana and pierced herself, taking Danzo from behind with her.
"S-Sakura?!" Sasuke yelled, his eyes widening as fear and anger flooded his heart. In that moment, time seemed to stretch. This was the first time she had seen him make such an expression. No, she was wrong. This was actually the second time, but when?
'Oh right... when I stood between him and Itachi... when I almost died from their attack... ' Sakura thought back and felt slightly guilty for doing this to Sasuke, but she had no choice. His eyes were saying that he didn't care if she died. She was certain that he was once more too blind in his revenge. This was the only way to prevent him from going down a darker path.
Sakura gritted her teeth, pain shooting through her as she pulled the blade deeper into Danzo's side, her resolve unyielding.
"You want to kill, right? Then take your last breath knowing that even in your final moments, I refuse to be a pawn!" Her voice was fierce, each word imbued with the strength she had cultivated over the years.
Danzo's gaze faltered, his grip on the kunai loosening as shock coursed through him."You... how could you...? You're nothing but a—"
Seeing this was the perfect moment, Sakura quickly took the item she had received from Itachi before he left. Biting her lip to prevent herself from screaming in pain, she pulled the blade out of her and turned around to face Danzo. Even though it felt like she would vomit for doing such a thing, with Danzo completely caught off guard, she reached out to Danzo's right eye, and with force—but gentle enough not to damage it—she pulled out the Sharingan from Danzo's face.
Carefully placing it inside a bottle she had received from Itachi just for this specific Sharingan, she remembered he had a feeling Danzo might have done something with Shisui's Sharingan to use for himself, like Kakashi was using his former teammate Obito's Sharingan. And he was right.
"Y-you!" Through pained breaths, Danzo glared at her, fury intertwined with disbelief. He coughed, blood spilling onto the ground, soaking into the blue stones of the Samurai Bridge.
Sasuke staggered towards them, each step heavy as the weight of his emotions pressed upon him more than any physical wound could. He watched, captivated, as Sakura claimed Danzo's Sharingan, the realization of what she had just done sending shivers down his spine.
"Shisui's Sharingan?" Sasuke whispered as he recalled when Itachi was suspected of murdering his best friend Shisui. Itachi had told him that Danzo was behind it, but he didn't know that Shisui's Sharingan had been taken by Danzo.
"Gah!" Sakura coughed as the world around her began to blur while she sank to the ground. She swayed unsteadily, the warmth of her blood pooling beneath her as her vision dimmed. The adrenaline that had surged through her veins, propelling her to act in that harrowing moment, was now fading, leaving behind a painful reminder of her sacrifice.
Sasuke rushed to her side; the distance between them felt like an eternity. Placing his hand on her shoulder and with a trembling, concerned voice, he spoke, "Sakura... I... I..."
"Sakura!" Karin now proceeded to her side and rolled up her sleeves, "Hurry, bite me."
"N-no, n-need," Sakura answered, and with trembling hands, she made a tiger hand seal and started to focus on her chakra,"Ninja Art; Creation Rebirth."
By releasing a large amount of chakra at once, Sakura's cell division was forcibly stimulated. The stab injury she inflicted on herself began to heal instantly, regardless of the severity.
"W-wow..." Karin gasped, wide-eyed as she watched Sakura's wound heal.
Sasuke, trembling with emotion, his heart pounding wildly against his chest, looked at Sakura with a mix of admiration and trepidation."What are you doing? You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for this old man—"
"Enough, Sasuke!" Sakura interrupted, her voice hoarse but determined. "We both know why I did it."
"Besides... don't worry," Sakura pointed towards her Strength of a Hundred Seal at the center of her forehead."It's not perfect yet, but as long as this is active, I cannot die."
"Yeah, but aren't you shortening your natural lifespan whenever you use such a jutsu? I know these forbidden jutsu have extreme consequences," Karin interrupted.
"What?! Is this true?!" Sasuke barked, his emotions bubbling to the surface.
"We really don't have time for this!" Sakura quickly changed the subject and pointed them toward the person they needed to focus on.
With each rising breath, Danzo felt his life slipping away. He proceeded to hop across the Samurai Bridge, desperate to survive, as Sasuke merely walked behind him, smirking. Sakura was right; he needed to focus on finishing this battle once and for all.
Thinking about how he could never reach the same level as Hiruzen Sarutobi, namely by becoming Hokage, Danzo settled for dying in honor just as Hiruzen did, by trying to take Sasuke with him. Seeing Sasuke approaching him, he used his Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Jutsu.
"S-Sasuke, get away from him quickly!" Sakura screamed desperately as soon as she saw the seal across Danzo's chest.
Danzo unleashed a black sphere with the objective of drawing and sealing Sasuke's soul into his body; however, Sasuke managed to get out of the sphere's radius with Jugo's help. Just in time, he and Suigetsu arrived at the scene and watched as Danzo killed himself.
"Jugo, thank you," Sakura said, and slowly stood up from the ground, with Suigetsu's help."Don't worry, Suigetsu. Nothing happened, and I'm fine."
"Yeah, tell that to the stab wound in your shirt,"Suigetsu mumbled, his tone a mix of sarcasm and concern. The tension in the air was still intense as they observed the remnants of the battle unfold, Danzo's desperate gambit to take Sasuke down with him evaporating into nothingness.
Sasuke took a deep breath, steadying his raging emotions as the reality of the situation settled in. He glanced at Sakura, wiping the blood from her lips, marveling at the selflessness she had shown just moments ago. "You—"
Sakura nodded, cutting him off. "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but what are you guys doing here, and how did you find us?"
"I was too worried that something might happen to you again, and from the looks of it, I'm half right," Suigetsu glanced at Sasuke. "Might you explain to me how Sakura received a stab wound, Sasuke?"
"Enough, Suigetsu!" Sakura shouted, feeling both anger and fatigue coursing through her. "I'm fine. Look at me! I'm still standing! I'm not bleeding! I'm not unconscious! I just fought two of Danzo's guards while Sasuke was busy with Danzo himself. That's all!"
"Right. But first, let's deal with the real aftermath. Danzo's gone, and it's a fragile moment for the Leaf Village. It's wise not to stay here for long,"Jugo interjected, a somber awareness lacing his words.
"What now?" Karin asked, glancing around, her expression earnest.
"Jugo is right; let's head back before anyone else shows up, and..." Sakura's gaze drifted towards where Danzo had fallen. "Jugo, can you take Danzo's body with us?"
Jugo nodded solemnly, moving towards the spot where Danzo's lifeless form lay sprawled against the blue stones of Samurai Bridge. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows and creating a surreal, almost peaceful atmosphere after the turmoil that had just unfolded.
"Well, that was intense. Look at all the damage this bridge has taken," Suigetsu remarked, crossing his arms as he surveyed the scene. "But why do we need his body?"
"I want a proper burial for those Sharingans Danzo had stolen and implanted into his arm," Sakura answered with solemn determination.
The group fell silent, reflecting on Sakura's words. Sasuke stood nearby, feeling the weight of their actions and the burden they carried. It was not just a battle; it was a turning point for all of them.
"He implanted Sharingans in his arm?!" Suigetsu felt disgusted upon hearing this.
"It's no use, Sakura. The consequence of using that jutsu he used to keep coming back from the dead is that you will become blind," Sasuke replied. "But... do what you want..."
Sakura glanced at Sasuke, her heart fluttering from the mix of emotions swirling around her—anger, fear, admiration, but most of all—a deep concern for him and their fragile futures.
As Jugo hoisted Danzo's body onto his back, they were about to leave the battle scene when Sakura froze as soon as she heard a familiar sound coming from the forest.
"SAASSUUKKEE! SAAAKUUURRAAA!"
Sakura felt a shiver up her spine at the sound of Naruto's voice calling out her name, his tone laced with urgency. Up ahead, she saw him emerging from the forest with Kakashi by his side.
"So it really is true; you guys attacked the Kage Summit..." Kakashi said, disappointment lacing his voice. Kakashi recalled when he used to wonder how the Third Hokage still had a soft spot for Orochimaru despite everything Orochimaru had done, and finally came to understand how the Third felt.
"Sasuke... let's just go, please? We came here for one thing, and we succeeded," Sakura pleaded, but it was no use. He was completely shutting her off from his heart, his mind now focused on the raging tumult of emotions that had been stirred up.
"This isn't good," Suigetsu whispered, frustrated at the situation they were in.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out to him."Tobi told me the truth about Itachi! I don't know if he was lying, but it doesn't matter. What you've been doing... I get it."
'Tobi told him the truth? Why?!' Sakura thought as she glanced back and forth between Sasuke and Naruto. Infuriated by this, Sasuke reminded Naruto that as he had no parents or siblings, he could never understand how Sasuke felt. Wanting nothing more than vengeance, he declared that he had already killed Danzo, a village elder who was responsible for the Uchiha Clan's downfall.
"H-he killed Danzo?" Kakashi exclaimed, shocked to hear that Sasuke killed Danzo all on his own. "Sasuke, I don't like to repeat myself, but I'll say this once more: do not become possessed by vengeance."
"My father... My mother...! My whole clan! Bring them all here! Do that, and I'll quit right now!" Sasuke shouted, the intensity in his voice echoing against the backdrop of the serene Samurai Bridge. The weight of his words hung in the air like a storm cloud, dark and heavy.
Sakura felt an ache in her chest as she watched Sasuke spiral. For all the strength he had shown in battle, his emotional state was brittle, teetering on the brink of destruction.
"You're all... laughing. You're laughing at the cost of Itachi's life! Laughing like fools, all together, completely ignorant!" Sasuke continued lashing out. His hatred caused Susanoo to progress to a new level. With this intense chakra that Sasuke was releasing, Jugo, Suigetsu, and Karin slowly backed away.
Sakura, however, froze in place, fear gripping her heart as she witnessed the sheer intensity emanating from Sasuke. She knew she was losing him if this conversation continued, but what was she supposed to do? She quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Sasuke's Susanoo dissipate immediately afterward.
"Ugh!" Sasuke rested his hands on his eyes, rubbing them intensely. His vision finally succumbing to blindness.
'T-this isn't good! So soon! Itachi did tell me that something like this could happen if Sasuke overuses his Susanoo,' Sakura thought panickily as she sensed this and quickly stood next to Sasuke.
"Stay out of this, Sakura," Sasuke gritted his teeth as he formed his Chidori and began to approach Kakashi and Naruto. Naruto responded to this and created two shadow clones, while Kakashi, however, stopped Naruto from engaging in combat. He pleaded with Naruto to flee instead, since he did not want Naruto to see what he was about to do.
"Kakashi-sensei... you're going to kill Sasuke?!" Naruto shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. "He's still our friend!"
But Kakashi shook his head, the weight of his own memories and responsibilities heavy on his shoulders. "Naruto, if it comes to that, I'll do what's necessary to protect the village... and Sasuke himself. He's lost in his own darkness."
Gritting his teeth, Naruto had a shadow clone restrain Kakashi while using the other to form his Rasengan and rushed towards Sasuke, who was also running towards him.
"Sasuke, no!" Sakura yelled in a frantic attempt to intervene, but her voice was drowned out by the roar of clashing chakra and the intensity of their conflicting emotions. Time seemed to slow, the reality of their choices hanging heavily in the air like smoke after a fire.
With a powerful clash, Naruto's Rasengan met Sasuke's Chidori in an explosion of energy that lit up the Samurai Bridge, scattering debris and casting eerie shadows on the surrounding trees. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, shaking Sakura to her core as she watched in horror.
The blast sent Naruto and Sasuke falling backwards toward the rock walls. Kakashi caught Naruto, while Sasuke was about to hit the wall when another hooded figure jumped out of the forest in time to catch Sasuke.
"What are you doing here, Itachi?" Sasuke wondered and glanced back as soon as he felt his brother's presence behind him.
"Your eyes..." Itachi whispered, his voice calm and a hint of concern.
Sakura, watching from her position by the bridge, felt a surge of protectiveness for Sasuke. Despite Itachi's calming aura, she could see the flickering shadows crossing Sasuke's face. She approached hesitantly, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder."Sasuke, let's just go. Please?"
"I knew it! When I went into my Sage Mode to find you guys, I felt a familiar presence around the area, but it didn't make any sense to me. W-what is going on?!" Naruto shouted as soon as he felt a familiar presence, which could only belong to the one person who was supposed to be dead. "Why is he here?! How is he here?!"
"None of your business!" Sakura shouted back, her frustration boiling over."Karin, Suigetsu, help Sasuke, NOW!"
Suigetsu and Karin did what Sakura instructed and threw Sasuke's hand over their shoulder as they began to walk away from the chaos surrounding them. Itachi stood still for a moment, observing the tumultuous emotions etched on Sasuke's face. It was painful for him to see his brother trapped in a cycle of vengeance and despair.
"Wait!" both Naruto and Sasuke called out simultaneously.
"I'm done waiting!" Sakura shouted back and threw a bunch of smoke bombs onto the ground. Dense clouds of smoke filled the air, obscuring their surroundings as they used this moment to run away.
"N-no! Wait!" Naruto shouted desperately and dashed forward, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the conflicting energies, the rage, and the pain, and it was all spiraling out of his control. "You can't just leave like this! We need to talk!"
Just when he was close enough, hoping to grab Sakura, Sasuke, or just anyone to stop them, Naruto saw a fist clench through the smoke before connecting with his gut, sending him sprawling backward.
"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, rushing to catch his student as he fell.
As Naruto coughed, struggling to catch his breath, he felt a mix of frustration and helplessness surge within him."W-what the hell was that?"
The smoke slowly began to dissipate, revealing Sakura alone in the clearing, her heart racing.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto called out.
"I'm done staying quiet. It's my time to talk..." Sakura declared.
XXXXXXXXXXX
~To Be Continued~
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Next chapter: January 8, 2025.
With this, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
See you next year :) (in a few weeks XD)