Obito-Sensei

by Ser Serendipity

During the fateful mission to the Kannabi Bridge, Obito is too slow, and Kakashi ends up paying the price with his life. Years later, Elite Jonin Mangekyou no Obito is placed in charge of a very familiar genin team, determined to keep them safe in a world at peace. Or: Obito surviving wrecks everything, in twenty steps or less.

107. The Kage Summit, Again

Obito-Sensei Chapter 104

Accepts Their Mistakes

Sakura didn't know how long she lay in Naruto's lap after she woke up, feeling nothing but silent gratitude. She was utterly hollow: anger, regret, pain, fear, and relief had all in turn been flushed out of her, and now there was barely anything left beyond that quiet thanks. Her skin was paper thin, and her body light as a feather. She felt as though she would float away from a light breeze, drifting up beyond the clouds and out of sight forever.

But that didn't happen, and eventually, she shifted, breathing deeply.

"You don't have to move," Naruto said, quietly stuttering, and Sakura hid her smile from him. "It's okay-"

"I'm okay," she reassured him, feeling dizzy as she pushed herself up and looked around. The snow had stopped; the sky was blue. "I think. Sorry."

"You can stop apologizing," Naruto said with a bit of firmness. "It worked out."

"Where's-?" Sakura asked, looking around, before she stopped. She hadn't realized that Naruto's father was there; the Hokage was covered in barely healed bruises and looked to be meditating, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. Sasuke and Hinata were still there as well, quietly talking to one another.

Hinata's hand wasn't missing; it lay limply in her lap, palms and fingers pale while her wrist was an inflamed, painful red. She shifted, seeing Sakura look over. Sakura had expected and dreaded fear, but Hinata looked calm and sincere: she gave her a soft smile.

It just made her want to cry again.

"I reattached it," Naruto said, squeezing her shoulder. "Everyone helped, especially Dad. He's assisted that kinda operation before. And the cut was really clean. I've never done it before, but I think she should get full functionality back."

"It's numb," Hinata added as Sakura struggled to stay composed. "But I can see that the chakra network has reconnected. It should be fine, Sakura. And even if it's a little numb forever, I think that would still be worth it-"

"Why are you being so nice?" Sakura choked. "And where's Karin? Is she…"

"She's fine," Naruto assured her. "I got her too. She left to check in with the Amekage and mom."

"Okay," Sakura managed, trying not to hyperventilate. "I…"

"It wasn't you," Sasuke said. Sakura shook her head.

"It was me. You know that, Sasuke. All of you know that," she said, looking around. "Just like it was Itachi. Black Zetsu… helped me, but it was still me. You shouldn't…"

Trust her? Accept her? Let her live? Sakura wasn't sure what she should say, so she didn't say anything.

"Listen." Naruto bent in, whispering to her as everyone else watched. Minato had opened his eyes, regarding her emotionlessly. "Sakura. We're all ninja. We can all do terrible things." She turned and he locked eyes with her. "We have all done terrible things. We've killed people, or hurt them so bad that dying would be better." He took hold of both her hands and shifted, the both of them kneeling and facing one another. "You wouldn't stop apologizing, even after you passed out. It was you: I know that."

He smiled. "But that's alright. It really is. It might sound crazy, but you being the kind of person who could blow this whole place up if you thought it would make the world better… that kind of crazy is a big part of why I like… why I love you."

Sakura hiccuped, tears and laughter at war in her chest. "Naruto, that sounds really bad. That makes me sound really bad. Like a terrible person."

"A little," Naruto admitted with a laugh, his whole face bright red. His hands were shaking, but Sakura squeezed them and they stopped. "But it's the truth. I was thinking about it a lot, while you were crying. Asleep. Both, I guess. We're all crazy for coming here: you just had the bad luck of the Shadow not letting you second guess things. If it weren't for Zetsu, you wouldn't have hurt us, and definitely not Hinata like you did. We coulda argued, instead of fighting. So it was you, but at the same time, Sasuke's not wrong. It wasn't you. It was both. Can you accept that?"

Sakura tried to, but at that moment she couldn't. She remembered how she'd felt, the overwhelming rage, the urge to kill everyone that had wronged her even just a little, to wipe the slate clean and repay everyone for all the terrible things that had happened, even if doing so would have taken away everything from her.

But with Naruto sitting there as red as a radish, clutching her hands and so desperately trying to hold onto her, Sakura couldn't bring herself to give up.

"I'll try," she promised, and Naruto sighed.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Thanks."

"There's going to be a lot of that going around," Minato said, drawing Sakura from her internal struggle. The Hokage crossed his arms with a quiet laugh. "We're in the same boat, Sakura. Though I didn't have the excuse of an evil Shadow, unfortunately."

'The Hokage and Obito-sensei are… fighting?'

"Did something happen?" Sakura asked. "I remember Hinata said something, but I wasn't really paying attention."

"Dad tried to kill the rest of the Kage," Naruto said flatly, and Sakura blinked, staring at the Hokage as he gave an innocent shrug. "Obito beat him up and stopped him."

"Wait, then…?" Sakura asked, taking the ridiculous turn of events in stride: at this point nothing could surprise her.

"The Summit is still going," Minato said, gesturing down towards the base of the Fortress below. "Obito pulled them together, somehow. They're negotiating now. About us, the Bijuu, the Cannon, and more, I imagine." He smiled. "Given I was trying to kill them, I've opted not to participate."

"Was that your plan the whole time?" Sasuke asked as Sakura digested the new information. "With Nagato defeated, there needed to be someone else to draw everyone's attention…?"

"No," Minato said with some humor. "Well, maybe a little. Like I told Obito, it was a win-win. Either I'd kill all the other Kage and leave Konoha unchallenged, or he'd defeat me fighting in their defense and generate some goodwill." He stroked his chin, looking over them all with amusement. "But I didn't think he'd be able to bring them back together afterwards like he did. Frankly, it's not something I even considered; it never entered into my thoughts at all. All I cared about was making sure something like this would never happen to Kushina again."

"It's not gonna," Naruto insisted.

"So long as she lives, she'll be the Kyuubi Jinchuriki," Minato said, firmly but not unkindly. "That brings attention. As much as I'd like to believe you, Naruto, I just don't think it's possible."

Sakura finally found her voice. "Then you've got to remove the motivation," she said, Minato shifting back towards her. "Not the perpetrators. Or rather, there's always going to be more people after the Bijuu for the power they have." She managed a laugh. "Like I was. Even you couldn't kill all of them, Hokage."

"Not the Hokage anymore," Minato noted with a smile, and Sakura rocked back, trying not to lose her train of thought.

"Okay. Minato, then. Even you couldn't kill everyone after that kind of power," she said, feeling steady and whole for the first time in weeks. The false strength that had been pushing her forward for so long was gone, but she didn't need it. She never had. "So you've gotta remove the motive."

"Motives for power are endless," Minato said. "I literally could not list them all."

"True, but you could get rid of some of the worse ones," Sakura insisted, remembering the toxic feelings that had filled her up the last couple weeks. "If there's less threat of wars, especially the total wars like the Cannon threatened, then Bijuu aren't necessary to keep the balance between villages. That leaves individual nutcases, like…" She laughed. "Like me and Itachi. And those are a lot easier to handle. A lot less dangerous. Right?"

"Hmm," Minato said with an indulgent smile. "You're not wrong, but it's not as easy as just saying it."

"Yeah, you're right." Sakura struggled to her feet, Naruto protesting. "You said they're down there?"

"Sakura, you shouldn't move too much," Naruto insisted. "Your heart just got put back together."

"I'm not gonna sit around," Sakura shot back, her chest hurting. She hadn't noticed until Naruto had brought attention to it, but even his medical jutsu wasn't a flawless miracle solution. Her heart had been torn in half and knitted back together less than an hour ago and struggled with every beat, like it was pushing solid lead through her veins. She took in a deep breath, trying to take control of it and slow its tempo, but only barely changed its frantic rhythm. "If sensei's down there, I want to see him."

"That could complicate things," Minato noted. He'd stayed seated, but Sasuke and Hinata had risen as well, waiting to see what she'd do next. "You killed the Kazekage, Sakura. It might be better to stay out of sight, and out of mind; the other Kage may want to punish you. You could weaken Obito's position."

"If they want to punish me, they can punish me," Sakura declared. Naruto paled, but she knew it was the right thing to say. "I'm not going to let being scared keep me away. I came here to save Kushina and Fuu; I'm not going to let the rest of the Summit happen without saying my piece."

"I'll come with you," Naruto immediately decided, pale but brave.

"And me," Sasuke agreed.

"Me too," Hinata said, all of them falling behind her in the same breath. Sakura fought the urge to push them away, to let her fight on alone. She should have learned by now that doing so was a bad idea, but the urge was still there. "We all came here for that reason, Sakura. Let's go face them together."

"Okay." She accepted them all, breathing deep and trying to slow her heart further. "Minato?"

"Like I said," Minato said with an easy smile. "I came pretty close to killing them all. I think it'll be best to stay out of sight. I'll watch from up here." The smile faded. "Be cautious. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not to go, but things are in a strange place right now. Choose your words carefully, all of you."

They descended the side of the Fortress, picking their steps carefully and leaving Minato behind to guard the Cannon, along with several samurai that had been posted around the top of the Fortress: they watched without speaking, impossible to read behind their baleful helmets. Sakura started out in front but quickly fell behind, her breathing labored and sweat dripping down her forehead and the back of her neck. Naruto stuck by her side, while Sasuke and Hinata pulled a bit ahead.

"You're thinking about your alliance idea?" he asked, and Sakura shook her head.

"I'm not thinking about anything," she said. "I trust sensei. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I came here and all I accomplished was killing the Kazekage. I'd be a failure. I have to try something else."

"You killed Black Zetsu too," Naruto pointed out, and Sakura realized what she wanted.

"You're right. But I want to make something happen without killing anyone," she said. Naruto gave her a smile that did help her struggling heart in the slightest.

"I know the feeling," he said.

They could see the meeting as they descended: Obito and the Kage were gathered in a small circle, accompanied by their guards, Rin, and Jiraiya. They were spotted on the descent, of course. One of the Tsuchikage's guards, a one-armed woman with purple hair, separated from the rest and came to meet them.

Yui Tono. Sakura knew her by description, but the woman wasn't as intense as she'd imagined. They met at the base of the Fortress, slowing and coming to a stop. Sasuke and Hinata clearly weren't sure if there was a confrontation coming, but Naruto pushed out ahead, going to face the Stone ninja who'd been his nemesis without an ounce of fear or hatred.

They stared at each other for a moment before Naruto cleared his throat.

"You lost your arm," he said, sounding somewhere between surprised and disappointed.

Yui nodded. "Your father took it," she answered expressionlessly, and Naruto flinched.

"I could put it back on if it's around here?" he offered, and to Sakura's shock Yui laughed.

"It's crushed beyond repair," she said, and Naruto sighed.

"Are we gonna have to do this all over again?" he asked, so obviously tired that Sakura couldn't help but put her hand against his back, trying to provide whatever support she could.

"No," Yui said, and once more Sakura was shocked speechless when the woman bowed her head. Naruto looked even more surprised, his mouth dropping open. "I came here to thank you, Namikaze. Your father's obviously a lunatic, but there wasn't much you could do to help that." Her mouth twisted; Sakura couldn't tell if it was a smile or a sneer. "Thank you for taking my pain away. You're certainly a lunatic like your father, but of a different sort." She looked back towards the gathering of Kage. "If you learned that from your sensei, perhaps this meeting will end better than I'd hoped."

"Are you gonna stop us?" Sakura asked, and Yui looked over to her with an obvious appraising look. Sakura was too tired to care what this woman thought of her; she met Yui's eyes fearlessly, expecting judgement but finding an honest curiosity and caution instead.

"You're Sakura Haruno?" she asked, and Sakura nodded. "Frankly, your presence will probably eventually be requested anyway. Whether you come before the Kage now or later won't make a difference." Yui bent, gesturing past her with her remaining arm. "By all means: present yourself."

They moved forward together, Yui chaperoning them to the circle of Kage. Sakura had never laid eyes on the majority of the most powerful men and women in the world, and they were less and more than she expected. They all exuded an aura of undeniable power and authority; stone chairs had been formed from the ground by ninjutsu, and they sat in a circle not five feet apart, speaking measuredly as Mifune, the Samurai's commander, occasionally interjected to police the pace and energy of the debate. Nearest Konan's chair, Nagato was laid out on a stone slab, unconscious but breathing without trouble.

The Tsuchikage was a withered old man, the Mizukage a beautiful young woman, and she had briefly met Darui during the chaotic events in the Land of Waves. All of the Kage turned to look as Sakura approached, the conversation dying down. She looked over them, trying to form a coherent sentence.

Her sensei was there, and he looked perfectly in place among them. The Hokage's hat was held in his lap, just as the other Kage had set theirs down there or on the arm of their chairs, and he grinned at Sakura without compunction. Rin was at his side, closer than any of the other guards, but the other Kage didn't seem to mind.

However, there was a sixth seat, once obviously meant for the Kazekage, and the person in it did not look appropriately placed or at all comfortable about it.

Temari of the Desert looked scared out of her mind.

"And the instigator joins us," the Mizukage, Mei Terumi, said, her face curling into an amused, somewhat cruel grin. "What brings you down here, Sakura Haruno?"

Sakura steeled herself. "I thought it would be stupid to come all the way here and not say anything," she said, feeling smaller and weaker than she'd like. Mei laughed, a genuine chuckle that several of the Kage echoed.

"And what do you have to say?" she asked, and Sakura found herself at a loss. But only for a moment.

"Three things, I think."

She turned to Temari first. The Kazekage's hat was at her side, but Sakura could tell Temari did not see it as hers. The girl, barely older than her, was here as filler, to ensure that the Hidden Sand had some sort of voice at the most important meeting in the world. It was terrible, but not much more could be done: it wasn't likely the Hidden Sand would actually let a more experienced shinobi be sent to the Summit if Obito had shown up and asked, not without a lot of explaining.

Though she'd heard somewhere that the Kazekage was a hereditary position, from the First to the Fourth. If that was true, Temari could actually be the Godaime Kazekage.

"I'm sorry for killing your father," she said, and Temari sucked in a breath. Sakura bowed as low as she could, anxious but sure this was the right thing to do. "My circumstances did not excuse it. If I need to be turned over the Hidden Sand, I understand and accept that." She straightened up, looking for Obito in particular: her sensei was quietly watching her, looking both worried and proud.

Temari licked her lips, clearly choosing her words with care. The other Kage were watching her curiously; Sakura got the feeling she'd accidentally stumbled into a larger debate that she was ignorant to.

"I've considered it," Temari eventually said, and Sakura clasped her hands behind her back, awaiting judgement. Temari spoke evenly, measuring every word and doing her best to sound as mature as possible. "But the situation is complicated. You had assistance from my brother."

"I did," Sakura admitted. "He helped me in the fight against Rasa. I stabbed him in the back as thanks."

"Yes. That was ungrateful of you." Temari should have looked hateful, Sakura thought. But that wasn't what she was getting at all. The older girl was torn between… what? Fear, anger, and…

It couldn't be, right?

Relief?

"You came here as an international criminal and murdered the head of a village," the Tsuchikage, Onoki, cut in. "The Hokage has of course argued for your clemency, claiming a unique condition. I'm given to understand a manner of demonic possession." He snorted. "Extremely convenient. Though I suppose you're certainly more polite than I'd expect of someone who convinced this lot to attack a Kage Summit."

Temari had sunk back: she didn't have the confidence to speak over an experienced Kage, and Sakura couldn't blame her. She squared off with Onoki, facing him head-on.

"It's true enough," she said. "Something was attached to me, and influencing me; it took me over, and we spoke before I killed it. It called itself Black Zetsu. It was a sort of living shadow, and definitely a kind of demon. But I've spoken with a Bijuu." That got a stir; all the Kage sat up. "Through Fuu, the Nanabi Jinchuuriki. And I know Obito-sensei and Sasuke have spoken with Bijuu as well, mainly the Kyuubi. What they've described made sense to me. But the Shadow was different from that; it didn't feel connected to humans in the slightest."

"You claim you killed this demon? Your sensei said the same thing, but of course, such a thing is quite impossible," Mei asked, and Sakura nodded. The Mizukage looked back to Nagato. "Though I suppose the Amekage proposed a similar solution to the Bijuu. Perhaps you're our answer, Sakura Haruno?"

"I'm not sure how I did it, and even if I knew how, I wouldn't do it again," Sakura said, and Mei chuckled again. "The Shadow was something terrible. It helped me do terrible things."

"And you'd argue that an unwelcome passenger exempts you from the common laws of humanity?" Onoki said amusedly. "Murder is generally frowned upon, as I'm sure you know."

"I didn't come here to fight about what I did, or beg clemency for it," Sakura said solidly. The Tsuchikage crossed his arms as she continued. "I came here to apologize for killing Temari's father. I don't care at all if he was the Kazekage or someone without power; she deserves that regardless."

Temari finally spoke up; she'd found her confidence. "Maybe you can help me with this problem, Sakura," she said quietly, and Sakura turned towards her expectantly. "The Tsuchikage's right that you're a criminal. A murderer; this wasn't an assassination, like the villages have done in the past. You killed my father, not Konoha."

Sakura wordlessly agreed, and Temari continued. "Which means that you're the only person to be held responsible for his death. You and Gaara." She closed her eyes with a sigh. "And yet, what was it he said? 'A shinobi can't be murdered…' Right?"

"Sorry?" Sakura asked, confused. The other Kage looked just as confused as Temari gathered her composure.

"Father dragged my brother and I here to witness Gaara's execution," she said with clarity, emphasizing each word. "He told us that it would make us better shinobi, to see him die helplessly like that. 'Especially after all his failures,'" she quoted emotionlessly. "So I find it difficult to be upset over him dying because someone came here to prevent the Jinchuriki's executions. It seems to me to be simple karma."

"Ha!" Onoki let out a bark of laughter. "You'll refuse to hold her responsible because of a familial grudge? That's quite-"

"Rasa was a strong ninja, but a pitiful father," Temari shot back, and Sakura almost laughed at the stricken look on Onoki's face at being cut off. Mifune watched, calm and silent; he seemed content to let Temari get her word in. "And to tell the truth, a weak leader. Honored Elder Chiyo came here intending to disobey him from the start: she was the one who actually unleashed the Bijuu, not the other invaders!"

Sakura hadn't known that, but Sasuke gave her a nod of confirmation at her questioning look; he had been down there when the prison had been broken.

"She's dead and can't be punished," Onoki said harshly. "This girl is still alive."

"It's not a matter of punishment," Temari said, just as harshly. "My father brought his fate on himself. He used Gaara like a… like a dog, and built a personal animosity with Sakura during the Chunin Exam. That was just the kind of person he was! A bully who used his power to denigrate anyone he thought was weaker than him." There was strength in her now, the same kind of strength Sakura had felt before, that let a teenage girl argue with a world leader without blinking. "Well, the dog bit back. Anything that happened to him, he brought on himself!"

She turned to Sakura, who didn't have the energy to protest being compared to a dog. "If it's my decision, then I'll accept Sakura's apology, and that will be enough. My father, my predecessor, my decision."

Onoki moved to speak again, but Mifune interjected.

"Will you challenge Sunagakure's sovereignty, Tsuchikage?" he asked, not showing a reaction, and Onoki paused. "And seek justice for the slain ninja of another nation?"

Onoki pondered the problem, and the other Kage did too. Sakura could see them all making the same calculation. Letting a Kage-killer go free would set a terrible precedent, but at the same time, so much had already happened that with Temari all but thanking her, they simply didn't have the time or energy to busy themselves with one murder. All of them had done the same or worse, she was sure; the sanction of the state didn't make killing someone any more ethical when cutting them down in a battle to the death.

"No," Onoki eventually decided. "It is, of course, the Kazekage's prerogative." He sat back, seeming content enough with the situation, and Darui cleared his throat.

"There were two more, I believe," he said, seemingly genuinely interested in what Sakura had to say, and she gave him a grateful bow.

"The second is in regards to the Shadow," she said. "It's dead now, but I wanted to make sure sensei emphasized how dangerous it was. I don't know where it came from; I don't know if there could be more."

"I've talked a bit about it," Obito confirmed. "And aired some suspicions."

"I would have some more to add, if that's acceptable," Sakura said with a nod, looking around at the various Kage. Rin, she noticed, was smiling at her; she wasn't sure why.

"It's a curious story," Mei admitted, looking interested.

"And tied to old legends," Darui added, stroking his chin. "Well-known ones… in the Land of Lightning, at least."

"The Sage of the Six Paths, right?" Sakura asked, and Darui nodded. "Black Zetsu claimed to be his brother."

That got a stir, particularly from Darui, who pursed his lips and leaned forward, staring directly at her. "You're serious."

"It was serious," Sakura said, unable to fully suppress the shiver of fear at the memory of the darkness, the flat green eyes. "It had a plan to unite all the Bijuu into a single power: the Ten-Tails." She watched her sensei, looking for a reaction, and he noticed.

"It told you I knew about that thing?" Obito said, and Sakura nodded. The other Kage were mulling the notion over themselves, no doubt wondering just how terrible such a power would be.

"It did. And it wasn't lying. Which makes me trust some of the rest of what it talked about," Sakura said, searching herself for feelings of resentment and finding none. She'd been acting deranged, searching for a silver bullet no matter how bloody the cost would be; Obito had been right to hide the Juubi from her. If she'd learned about it while her Shadow had still been speaking to her, how far would she have gone to capture it? "It spoke about three sons, including itself."

"Of Princess Kaguya," Darui said quietly, and Obito nodded along.

"I'm not sure," Sakura clarified. "It only referred to its 'Mother.' But it spoke about Hagoromo, who I know was the Sage of the Six Paths, and another: Hamura, an 'unseen sentinel.' I'd never heard of him. Have either of you?"

Obito and Darui traded glances, both shaking their heads at the same time. Sakura frowned.

"Yeah," she said. "I had a feeling. I don't know if it's another demon like Black Zetsu, or a powerful man like the Sage, but after everything that's happened it's impossible for me to believe someone or something like that just faded away and disappeared into history." She breathed out. "There's more out there, hidden things from the beginning of shinobi, and I don't know what they're trying to accomplish. The Sage created the Tailed Beasts from the Ten Tails; Black Zetsu seems to have operated alone, trying to reunite them. I don't know where Hamura would fall in that conflict, if anywhere. But I do know I can't be the only one to know about it."

"You're truly frightened," Onoki said, and Sakura snapped up to look at him, not realizing she'd dipped her head or how much sweat had coated her forehead and neck until he spoke. His voice was soft and contemplative, a total opposite of the harsh mockery he'd managed before. "You?"

"Me?" she asked, and Onoki scoffed.

"The girl who planned to defy the Gokage, no, Rokukage, frightened of a shadow," he said, but once more, there was no mockery. "You really think there could be something else out there."

"I know there is," Sakura said, not trying to hide her fear. "If I hadn't… if Naruto and Sasuke and Hinata and Karin hadn't…" She couldn't find the right words. "The Shadow would have killed you all. And not because it cared about killing anyone here: just because that was the quickest way to accomplish its goal. I don't know how not to be scared of something like that."

Onoki stayed quiet for a moment; all the Kage did, but Obito broke the silence.

"It's a good opportunity to discuss sustained cooperation," he said. "To prevent anything like this from happening again, and present a united front if it does."

"A lovely thought," Mei said. "But what's the practical execution? You don't seem to have a suggestion, Hokage."

Sakura wanted to speak; she still had her third point. But for the moment, the Summit's attention had turned from her, and she was scared to drag it back. Naruto took her hand and squeezed it, and she squeezed him back as she gathered her courage, looking back to find Sasuke and Hinata quietly talking.

However, before she could speak, Konan said what she had been thinking.

"The problem is long solved," the Amekage said, sounding exhausted. "The solution has just never been embraced by shinobi." Her eyes traced over Sakura, a ghost of a smile flitting over her face. "Ambassadors."

"Glorified spies," Onoki said flatly, and Konan nodded.

"Essentially," she said. "We've all learned to accept spies as doing the cost of business. But in doing so, we've sacrificed the benefits open spying can bring us." She leaned back with a sigh. "Shared shinobi; ninja who rotate between the villages, completing missions for both, or even multiple, and forming dual alliances. Sakura's team-" she continued, gesturing to Sakura and Naruto, "could easily have prevented the war between Konoha and Ame, if not for Yahiko's determination to start a fight. Sasuke nearly managed it himself, thanks to his bravery and thoughtfulness. That was only possible thanks to the mutual trust placed in them by both the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. And indeed… perhaps Cloud would never have attacked us if we had been honest about the situation with Itachi and the missing Jinchuriki from the start, or at least had a spy we trusted with that information beyond Obito's students."

Konan breathed out. Her stony facade had permanently cracked, and Sakura could see the fear and hesitation as clearly as the optimistic calculation beneath. "A dedicated and sustained diplomatic corp, committed to the same mission and the same example; that's the answer to your question, Lady Mizukage."

"You propose that we give you promising shinobi?" Mei said with a coy smile, and Konan was clearly too tired to do anything but shrug.

"And we would do the same."

"And what if-"

"They were a poison pill?" Konan said, pre-empting the protest so perfectly that Sakura was sure Mei's surprised expression was because Konan had stolen the exact words she had intended to use. The Amekage looked around at the obliterated landscape with sorrowful eyes. "Then that returns to the fundamental problem of trust. If, even after this devastation, we cannot even conceive of shaking hands and agreeing not to stab one another in the back, then we should kill each other now and get it over with."

"You delivered the ultimatum that resulted in this," Obito softly pointed out, and Konan nodded.

"And so the path that led here is clear to me," she said. "Shinobi are growing stronger every generation, our weapons more complicated, our grudges deeper, our methods of war more all-encompassing. It's cooperation, or obliteration. That much is obvious to me. Seeing that, and seeing the positive influence Obito Uchiha's team had on my village before circumstances ripped them away from it, I would have no protest accepting foreign ninja into my village, and sending my ninja out to do the same."

Sakura looked around, praying Konan's sincerity would be met in kind. To her shock, Onoki was the first one to answer.

"It's not something I would immediately reject," he said, obviously taking pleasure in the incredulous look Mei gave him. Obito smiled. "It's no secret the Hidden Stone has emerged from this fiasco unscathed. If a simple exchange of shinobi would help keep it untouched, well, that's an uncomplicated solution."

There was bickering; Mei was hesitant, and Darui and Temari were both obviously not sure of their authority as the new Godaime being secure enough to execute such a radical policy. But with Obito-sensei, Konan, and Onoki all resolute in the soundness of the idea, steady progress was made.

Sakura watched without interrupting for twenty minutes, unable to believe one of her dreams was coming true right before her eyes.

Eventually, Mei sighed and conceded. "We'll return to details later," she said, accepting defeat. "For now, I'd like to finish Sakura Haruno's contribution." She turned to Sakura, who nearly jumped at the sudden attention. "You had a third offering."

"I did, but it's not as succinct as my first two," Sakura warned. Mei just smirked.

"Condense it, then," she said,

"I did want to beg for clemency," Sakura said, and the Mizukage curiously tilted her head. "But not for me."

She gestured towards Nagato, still unconscious. Behind her, Sasuke spoke.

"Really?" he asked, and Sakura nodded. "Sakura, that's kinda…"

"What's your reasoning?" Temari asked, and Sakura shook her head.

"I don't have a good one," she said.

"Give a bad one then."

"I'm sick of people dying," she admitted. "All of this happened because of Cloud attacking Rain, and then Rain attacking Konoha, and now both Cloud and Rain are here as part of this Summit. And that's… that's fine. That's good. People might talk about justice or revenge, and they're right to. I felt the same way." She sighed, throwing her hands up helplessly. "Nagato was just trying to fix something we can all see is broken, even if he did it the wrong way. He was even trying to do it with the least amount of death possible. And obviously… that was unacceptable to me. But it would break my heart for him to have to die, just to make everyone else feel safe."

It wasn't just that, she realized. Nagato had come to represent something greater, as someone like him had to. He, her sensei, Naruto's father, the Jinchuriki, and really, every ninja everywhere, were all feared as living weapons, and their treatment followed that perception. Now that Nagato had broken the status quo, the only logical thing to do was to kill him, but it wouldn't be the execution of a rogue national leader; rather, it would be the destruction of a dangerous weapon, the same as the Cannon.

She didn't want to keep living in that sort of world.

"He's unrepentant," Obito said, and Sakura found herself drawn to her sensei's effortless magnetism. "Or at least, he was the last we spoke. He was determined to fight until he was dead." He turned to Konan. "Do you think that will have changed?"

"It's hard to say," she said without compunction. "Nagato has strong principles. If the situation is explained to him, I could see him going either way."

"He's truly too dangerous to awaken," Darui noted. "The sane thing… would be to kill him in his sleep." He rose, and Konan tensed. "But awaken him, we must. While his fate remains undetermined, all these talks could be rendered pointless."

"I'm surprised," Onoki noted. "Considering he annihilated your village, Raikage. Not to mention the killing of your Daimyo."

He was surprised, Sakura thought, but there was genuine respect in his voice as well. Onoki might have been renowned as someone who sat back and watched, but he still respected decisive action. As Darui moved to Nagato's side, gesturing for Konan and Rin to join him, he spoke in the same measured tone he'd maintained throughout the Summit.

"We and the Daimyo launched an attack on Rain without solid provocation," he said. "It was assumed that Itachi Uchiha had kidnapped Yugito Nii on the Amekage's behalf, but that was just that… an assumption. The pain Nagato returned to us was impossibly dreadful, that's true." He sighed. "But it was not done without cause. We have both been brought to the edge of destruction. I think perhaps only I or the Yondaime Hokage could speak to him as an equal in that regard… and Minato Namikaze is not welcome at this negotiation."

He reached Nagato's side, with Konan and Rin standing on the other side. For the first time Sakura had seen, Rin spoke.

"I'll wake him," she said, the firm and confident tone of a medical ninja in their element. "His spine is still broken, but that won't slow him down much if he decides to make trouble." She turned to Konan, deadly serious. "I'm relying on you to keep him calm."

"I can do that," Konan said, just as seriously, and Rin nodded, looking around and getting the explicit consent of every person present, as if she were about to arm a bomb. Mifune was given the most consideration and nodded the most gravely, and Jiraiya was last, standing up with a wary look. It was only then that Sakura realized he had two eyes. She blinked, staring and wondering when his lost eye had been replaced, and because of that missed the exact moment of Nagato's reawakening.

His chakra washed over them all like a frozen pall, and Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Nagato didn't rise from the slab, but his conscious power was more than apparent. Konan bent down, speaking softly to him and explaining what had happened. His defeat thanks to the efforts of the Jinchuriki, Minato, and Obito; the battle between Obito and Minato to determine the fate of the other Kage; the renewed Summit; the problem now facing them all thanks to his inhuman might.

Nagato, to his incredible credit, did not interrupt. He murmured a question thrice, nodded several times, and then lay there for a full minute as the leaders of the world's ninja watched and waited for his decision.

"You'd want a concession from me, I imagine," he eventually said, loud enough for them all to hear. "Some indication or promise that this wouldn't happen again." Jiraiya approached as his student spoke, but stayed silent.

"But a promise from a man like you is not worth much," Mei said, and Nagato nodded. "We've all seen the truth of it, Amekage. You stood against all the Bijuu and some of the supreme ninja of the world, and could have won. If you walk away today, you could hold us all in the palm of your hand."

"I could," Nagato said, so thoughtful and sorrowful that Sakura felt she might cry. "And worse yet, the temptation would always be there. Now that the decision has been made once, it could be made again."

"You're a principled man, Nagato," Obito said. "If you said you'd retreat from shinobi life, I'd believe you."

"I couldn't make that promise, because it would be false," Nagato said with a bit of force. "So long as this power exists, the temptation to use it will as well."

Jiraiya finally spoke. "Power in of itself doesn't cause anything," he cautioned. "Nagato, it's not impossible for you to have a second chance here. There are guarantees only someone like you can make… you could have a place here."

"That's true," Nagato said bluntly.

Then, he moved so fast that none of the Kage except Sakura's sensei could react quickly enough to stop him. But as Nagato's hands came up, they weren't directed at the Kage. Rather, they were set for his own face.

Obito halted one of Nagato's arms, grabbing so hard the skin immediately bruised. But he hadn't been able to stop both.

Without hesitation, Nagato tore out his left eye and crushed it in his bare hand.

Everyone present sucked in a shocked breath: Rin flinched.

"Let me go," Nagato growled, and Obito shook his head. Sakura stepped forward, but Naruto caught her, shaking his head; he knew, and she understood that he was right after a moment, that this wasn't her place to interfere. Sasuke had stepped forward as well, but he held his tongue too. Sakura couldn't read the look on his face. Strangely enough, Rin shared it.

"That's way too much," Obito said. "Nagato, if you're going to mutilate yourself-"

"You're going to destroy the Cannon, aren't you?" Nagato asked, and when Obito nodded he continued, loathing obvious in his voice. "What's the difference, then? We're all weapons of mass destruction." The Amekage wrenched his hand away from Obito's grasp, but didn't bring it to his face; he lay it back down at his side as Konan stared down at him, stricken. "In a just world, everyone at this Summit would do the same. The best way to preserve the future would be to destroy ourselves."

That wasn't the right answer. Sakura felt her face screw up, trying to shut away her tears. Even here after everything, there still wasn't an answer to Ninjutsu, not a real, lasting one: only more pain.

"I can't agree," Obito said. "No one's worth can be determined by how dangerous they are, for better or worse. That's what I came here to stop in the first place. And anyway-"

"Nagato," Konan said, cutting Obito off. She spoke so plainly and so plaintively that everyone was forced to listen, even as all the Kage, Mifune, and Jiraiya began to rumble with their own agreements or disagreements. "Please, don't leave me alone."

No one, especially Nagato, knew quite what to say to that. He lay as still as a corpse, and after a moment Obito sighed.

"Is this enough?" he said, looking around with a wide gesture. "'Cause it is for me."

"I'm not an expert on mythical bloodlines," Mei said, managing to sound simultaneously genuine and sarcastic. "Will the destruction of an eye reduce his power?"

"If it's anything like the Sharingan, it will," Obito answered.

"He can repair himself, can't he?" Darui asked. "That was observed during the battle. Could he not… regrow the eye?"

"He could not." Jiraiya spoke up. Konan gave him a curious look, obviously wondering where his confidence came from, but the Toad Sage's demeanor was so serious that even Sakura couldn't doubt him. If anyone would be an expert on the Rinnegan's power, it would be him. "Nagato's Rinnegan is irreplaceable."

"There's no way to confirm such a thing," Onoki noted, but not too bitterly.

"But it is a powerful statement," Obito insisted, and Onoki nodded.

"It is. If the Amekage wants to join this Summit, he's welcome to. We can discuss more when he's sitting up." He waved at Rin, commanding her without a thought. "Though it would be unseemly for him to bleed everywhere."

"If you want, Rin," Obito noted. Rin rolled her eyes, bending over Nagato and mending the bleeding eye-socket.

"That's not what I wanted," Sakura said quietly, and Naruto nodded.

"It'll work though," he said, and she was forced to agree. "At least it was his decision."

Nagato had wanted to take the possibility away so that he wouldn't be tempted. Even if it wasn't the answer she'd been looking for, Sakura respected it.

But there had to have been a better way. No one should have to tear out their own eye to master their heart.

But then, to do the same she'd stabbed her own, so maybe today was just a day for imperfect solutions.

The Kage moved on to other subjects, the conversation fully turning away from Sakura and her team. After a couple minutes of Konan and Nagato speaking so quietly to each other that even ninja couldn't hear, Nagato falteringly joined the debate, speaking in support of the ambassador program. Sakura sat and watched, her urge to act depleted. She'd said what she wanted to say and done what she'd wanted to do, and now if what was happening in front of her wasn't so interesting she'd probably have fallen asleep right there.

Her perfect solution hadn't materialized and probably never would, but this was still better than the alternative.

Eventually, Katasuke Touno was brought before the Kage, vomited up by one of Jiraiya's frogs. He'd been swallowed in the chaos, and stood on a perfunctory trial before the village leaders.

It was a brief tribunal. Darui attested that Katasuke had been imprisoned and forced to work on weapons for the Yondaime Raikage against his will, and so shouldn't be held accountable for Cloud's use of said weapons.

"The Cannon will be destroyed, then," Onoki concluded, and Katasuke shook like a wet dog.

"Good," he said. He'd lost his glasses in the chaos, and without them his face looked even squarer, like someone had formed it with a novelty cookie-press.

"Perhaps," Onoki said, unconvinced. "But you remain a problematic man. We can hardly execute you if we intend to let traitors like Obito Uchiha and his team or madmen like Minato Namikaze and Nagato Uzumaki walk free." He laughed at Obito's offended look. "At least not without stiff opposition. So consider your life spared. But these are men bound by families and ideologies; you are a rogue with no such chains. So, how best to manage you?"

Katasuke actually considered the question, clearly accepting the conceit that he needed to be managed. Sakura wished someone would speak in his favor, but no one did. Even in the new age of shinobi that was forming right before her eyes, people would still be corralled and controlled due to their talents and beliefs: that was the way civilizations would always be organized.

She breathed out, accepting that reality and banishing the instinct to rage against the world as Katasuke answered.

"I went to Cloud in the first place for two reasons," he said, his shaking coming to a stop as he considered the problem. "Being paid by Rain was one of them, but I did genuinely want to advance my work on chakra prosthetics." He gestured at his leg which ended in a stump. "Mine was taken: if the village was destroyed by Nagato as I heard, I imagine it was destroyed. Being without it has only reminded me more of how necessary such things are." He screwed up his face, gathering his courage. "So I guess I'd have a proposal."

"Please," Mei said, gesturing grandly, and the other Kage and Mifune nodded in agreement. Katasuke's bravery failed him for a second before he continued, his voice starting meek and rising in volume over time.

"You intend to have shinobi be exchanged between villages," he said. "I'm barely a ninja, but I could permanently rotate. Provide my expertise, and assist in research and development for all of the villages, not just whichever cares enough to hire me." He looked between each Kage in turn, his desperation obvious. "I won't take responsibility for the Cannon, but that doesn't mean I don't have anything to make up for. Even if it wasn't my motivation, my work was used to kill… thousands, hundreds of thousands of people. I haven't been able to sleep for months. Providing chakra prosthetics for all the villages, and working on other medical and technological advancements, the kind that would be meant to be shared between all of them, not hoarded and used as a warfighting advantage… I think that's the only kind of work I could do that would possibly make me feel like I'd made up for my mistakes."

Mei looked impressed at the boldness of the proposition. "A shared resource," she said, and Katasuke nodded wildly. "And what if the first village you loaned yourself to proposed you rebuild your weapon?"

"I would kill myself, Lady Mizukage." There wasn't any fear or bravado in the blunt statement. Just acceptance. Katasuke looked miserable, but he didn't shy away from his words. "I couldn't let that happen again. I wouldn't be able to live with it." There, he hesitated. "I could go to the Hidden Mist first. If that would help."

"That determination could be made later," Obito said. "But it's a good idea, Katasuke. I'd support it."

The discussion continued further, but Katasuke remained silent for most of it, seeming relieved to have made a contribution. Sakura began to droop, lulled into a sense of security by the quiet sanity of everything she was watching.

Somehow, after everything, the Summit had resulted in a fruitful discussion. It wasn't the dramatic change she'd wanted, but it wasn't nothing either. She and her team had essentially led a coup against the Hidden Leaf, and the new leadership was guiding the villages towards a mutual path. The same kind of path she'd envisioned before the Cannon, before the Shadow, before everything had felt so bloody and hopeless.

It was terrible to just pretend so many people weren't dead, she thought. But it might be even worse to use them as justification to continue fighting. The paradox of justice and retribution made her head hurt, and she started to close her eyes.

"Hey, Sakura." She wasn't sure if Naruto spoke up because he noticed how tired she was, but the timing seemed too perfect to be anything else. "I'm gonna go find my mom. Wanna come with?"

"What? Oh, sure," she mumbled, realizing she'd missed a couple minutes of the Summit. The Kage were talking about mission payments, of all things; she'd missed a tangent. Obito was offering to fetch the Fire Daimyo and ask him about the matter personally, which seemed to shock the other Kage and amuse Konan and Nagato. Calling upon a Daimyo that casually was definitely a taboo of some sort, one that was almost interesting enough to make Sakura stay.

But she didn't want to leave Naruto's side, and she'd been the one to drag him down here. She looked back to find Hinata pointing to the south, telling Naruto his mother was there.

"They're all there," Hinata said, and Sakura realized the huge white mound to the south wasn't a hill, as she'd assumed. It was the Sanbi, coated in fresh-fallen snow and crumbled white stone. The tremendous Beast had lay down and gone still, looking like just another part of the craggy landscape.

"All the Jinchuriki?" Naruto asked, surprised, and Hinata nodded. "I thought they woulda gotten gathered up…"

"I doubt there was time for that," Sasuke noted. "Obito went straight from fighting your dad to gathering the Kage together. They're probably just happy their Jinchuriki are still alive." He frowned. "But Hinata says Karin, Gai, mom, and Itachi are there too. It's probably bad to have them near the Tailed Beasts, to be honest."

"There are some samurai too," Hinata said, obviously trying to dispel some of Sasuke's complicated feelings about his family; his face didn't hide them at all. "So it's not like they're all alone."

"Well, if the Kage don't care, it doesn't matter," Naruto decided, striding off towards the south. "C'mon, let's get there and see if we can find a place for Sakura to lie down. She needs to rest."

Sakura wanted to protest, but the idea of lying down was practically seductive, so she followed along without a word in edgewise. When they'd made it maybe halfway, Sasuke looked over to her.

"You didn't bring up Eiji," he said, and Sakura let out a cough that she'd meant to be a laugh, waving off Naruto's concerned look.

"I honestly forgot," she said, and Sasuke nodded. She was glad he didn't think she was lying; she might have thought so herself. "I was so focused on apologizing to Temari and letting everyone know I'd accept a punishment that I didn't even think about him."

She paused, trying to read Sasuke's face and feeling guilt flush through her. "Do you think I should…?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," Sasuke said with a trace of a smirk, "but Rasa and I were the only witnesses, and he's dead." He rubbed the back of his head, watching Hinata quietly chat with Naruto up ahead as they drew closer to the gathering of Tailed Beasts and the ninja that carried them. "You already got away with one murder; two might be more difficult."

"I don't know if that's okay," Sakura said, genuinely unsure for the first time in a long time. "If I'm okay with that."

"It's your decision," Sasuke said kindly. "But how many people have all of them killed?" He threw a thumb over his shoulder at the gathered Rokukage. "Even sensei. He went above and beyond here, but in the Third War, cleaning up ROOT, everywhere else? I doubt everyone he's ever killed deserved it. Not to mention what Nagato did to Cloud, what Cloud did to Rain…"

He shrugged: not helplessly, just tiredly. "Eiji attacked you: you tried to warn him off, but he didn't listen, and he died for it. It might not be right, but I think if you just don't mention what happened, you'll be on the same level as everyone else back there. Waterfall might ask questions; they might not. Either way, you'd probably get away with it. Would you be okay with that?"

Sakura stayed quiet for a moment. "I'll think about it," she eventually decided. Sasuke nodded. "Thanks, Sasuke."

"Anytime," he said with a friendly laugh. "Now, let's see what kind of mess we have over here, huh?"

As they approached, Sakura got a good look at everyone spread out beneath the Sanbi's shadow. All of the Jinchuriki were there, just as Hinata had said: Karin, Gai, Mikoto, and Itachi were off to the side. Itachi was unconscious, while Mikoto and Gai watched and quietly spoke occasionally. Karin had her eyes closed, doubtlessly watching everything nearby with her sensory abilities. Most present were sitting, though Fuu was standing and pacing.

Gaara was there, alive and well. Sakura met his eyes. She hadn't known what to expect, but she wasn't gratified with the reality. The boy shrank away from her, obviously frightened.

Her heart sank.

Kushina stood up as Naruto approached, a smile splitting her face. She threw her arms wide, welcoming them all.

"Hey guys!" she said brightly, and Sakura felt some of the darkness in her melt away. "Naruto, good news! We're forming a paramilitary organization! Maybe!"

"Huh?" Naruto came to a stop, baffled. "Parawhat?"

"Naruto!" Fuu said with delight, dashing over with a brilliant smile. She threw her arms around him and continued forward, tackling him into Sasuke and Sakura, bowling them all over as she babbled. "Thank you! I don't even know what to say, so I'm just gonna keep saying thank you! I love you guys!"

She looked up from the ground at Hinata, who looked almost terrified at the exuberance Fuu was putting off. "And you're Hinata, right?! You're Sasuke's girlfriend! I'm really glad I get to meet you too! Thanks so much for everything!"

Hinata recovered with impressive speed as Sakura tapped out at the bottom of the pile, trying to wriggle out from under Naruto and Sasuke as Fuu did her best to crush them all in the same hug. "It was my pleasure," she said with a flustered bow and a red face, defaulting to pleasantries her clan had long ago hammered into her. Fuu's smile grew even brighter. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Yeah!" Fuu said, finally letting the rest of them get up. "It's been really interesting! All the Tailed Beasts and us have been talking about what to do next!"

"Oh yeah?" Naruto asked, pulling himself to his feet and brushing snow out of his hair. "I didn't even think about something like that. So that's the paramilitary thing?"

"It's a proposal, at least," Kushina said, stepping in and getting her own hug from Naruto. Then, to everyone's surprise, she did the same to Sasuke, Hinata, and Sakura, holding them each close without speaking. She lingered for a moment with Sakura, and after struggling since waking up, Sakura's heart finally started to slow down.

She missed her mom. The thought was like a thunderbolt; Kushina was helping, but it wasn't the same. She had so many apologies to make.

"It's not a universal agreement," Kushina explained, gesturing to the circle. "Well, sorta. All the Bijuu agree things can't continue as they have, not that I can blame them. They're all sick of being ferried from person to person." She looked up at the Sanbi, and the titanic turtle shifted, its single eye swivelling down towards them all. "Did you know Isobu got captured three different times in like, a month? That's crazy, y'know?"

"Isobu?" Sakura asked, and Fuu snapped her fingers.

"Right!" she said. "You don't know their names!" She reached out, impatiently flipping her hand back and forth. "Here, grab me. C'mon, c'mon."

Sakura reached out, helpless before Fuu's enthusiasm, and took her friend's hand. An electric shock traveled the length of her body, and amber chakra gathered around her fingers, slipping past her wrist before coming to a stop near her elbow.

'Sakura Haruno.' A voice rushed through her mind, and she perceived a vast spectral form behind Fuu; the Nanabi, which she'd ridden on the back of so long ago. 'A Pleasure To Finally Meet You.'

Sakura, who had recently had terrible experiences with voices in her head that weren't hers, suppressed her shiver and the urge to back away. She could feel the Nanabi, Chomei's, intent through Fuu's chakra; communication, not violence. "Chomei?" she asked tentatively, and the Beast inclined its vast armored head. "Then, is this…?"

Gradually, more phantoms faded into existence. The other eight Tailed Beasts, each grander and more tremendous than the last. Fuu reached out and took Hinata's hand as well, and Kushina, with a reassuring look, took Naruto and Sasuke's as well. Their chakra connected, and all of them saw what Sakura saw; the invisible conversation and unseen observers that had been with them all this time.

"to you who secured our freedom, we give our humble thanks." the Gobi, Kokuō, a massive aquatic horse, dipped its head, and many of the Bijuu did the same. The only ones that did not bow to Team Seven and Hinata were Kurama and the Ichibi, Shukaku. "this tremendous bravery will never be forgotten."

Sakura licked her lips, utterly overwhelmed. "I… you're welcome," she managed, and Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata repeated her with various levels of enthusiasm. "But, I mean, I'm sure you know…"

The way of these things can be strange, the Yonbi, Son Goku, said with an obviously amused grin. It had the most human face, bearing the body of an ape as it did. I'm sure you know actions can have unforeseen consequences. Intent or not, you all bear a measure of responsibility for this great triumph. Wear it with pride!

"No problem," Naruto spoke up with a cocky grin, and Sakura gratefully ceded some attention to him. "So, what's the problem? Is it something we can help with?"

"It's not necessarily a problem, Naruto," Kushina said, squeezing his hand. "Just an uncertain path. Everyone's got to deal with that sometime, y'know?" She glanced up at the gathered Beasts. "Even giant, super-strong, immortal people."

"We Have Not Been Gathered In This Manner In Millenia," Chomei said. "Even When Hashirama Senju Collected Us, We Were Kept Separated, Locked Away And Silent." She paused, and Sakura sensed this could be the crux of some disagreement. "But Our Wise Father Foresaw This Meeting, And Advised Us To Not Waste It."

That set something off; all of the Bijuu shifted, excitement, uncertainty, delight and fear ricocheting among them. Kurama scoffed, leaning down and glaring between each of them in turn. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. NONE OF THEM ARE AS HE SAID.

I agree with Chomei, the Nibi, Matatabi, said, its blue flames flaring as Kurama turned towards it with a dismissive glare. Fuu is the one. We must listen to her counsel.

HER EYES ARE THE WRONG COLOR, Kurama said, like that made any sense. Sakura looked over to find Fuu just as confused as her.

"Her hair is not," the Hachibi, Gyūki, said, trying to sound reasonable as tempers between Matatabi and Kurama literally flared. Sakura felt the chakra connecting her to Fuu grow hotter, uncomfortably warming her hand, but not burning her.

"I'd call it closer to green than blue," the Ichibi, Shukaku, offered, and Sakura was astonished to find that the terrible Beast that had helped Gaara destroy Fukami City sounded so nebbish.

SHUT UP, SHUKAKU, Kurama growled. YOU AGREEING WITH ME MAKES ME FEEL SICK-

"Kurama," Kushina said sternly, in the same tone Sakura had heard from her when disciplining Naruto's bad language. "Don't be a bitch."

Well, he had to have learned those words somewhere.

"It was a homonym then," Isobu mused in a low, slow tone as Kurama and Kushina entered into a terrifying staring contest, glaring at each other with such force that Sakura wouldn't have been surprised to see lightning crackle between them. "But it's still not the eyes…"

"What Does Any Of It Matter?" Chomei demanded, drawing all attention to it. Sakura noticed Karin twitch; even if the girl wasn't linked in the same way, her sensitivity to chakra probably meant she could hear the 'conversation' loud and clear with how close she was. "Would You Reject This Child Because She Does Not Fit Your Precise Criteria? Our Father Was Old; To Mistake One Feature For Another Would Not Be His First Mistake."

Chomei proudly flared out its wings behind Fuu, demanding silence as it continued to speak. Fuu looked up at it, looking equally happy and confused. "At Every Turn, It Has Been Fuu That Has United Us. First In The Land Of Frost, With Utakata And Saiken, And Then With Gyūki And Killer Bee."

"true!" the Rokubi, Saiken, noted with a voice like a tea kettle. Her Jinchuriki, a dour young man with long dark hair, nodded thoughtfully. Gyūki offered nothing, and Killer Bee even less. Sakura had never seen someone who looked more like they didn't want to exist.

"And Here, It Was Fuu That Convinced Us To Fight," Chomei said emphatically. "To Struggle: Not To Lie Down And Die, As Many Of Us Had Accepted. Though It Has Been Not Even A Hundred Years, Already This Formalized Jinchuriki System Has Molded Us And Broken Our Spirit, Though We Had Not Realized It. Rationalizing Our Acceptance As Biding Our Time, Or For Our Amusement, Or Simply Enjoying The Excuse To Join In Battle…"

She looked around at the other Beasts as she spoke, focusing particularly on Kurama, Shukau, and Gyūki. "But This Young Girl Has Seen With Clear Eyes, And Saved Us From Both A Man With Father's Eyes And Our Own Ennui! To Reject Her Now Would Be To Repeat The Mistakes Of The Past, Which Even The Humans Have Realized Is Foolishness! I Will Not Allow It!"

AND WHAT WISDOM DOES SHE HAVE TO OFFER? Kurama asked after a moment, switching his attention to Fuu. IT IS AS YOU SAY. SHE IS A CHILD, IGNORANT TO THE WORLD. THAT SHE HAS ACHIEVED MUCH DESPITE THIS IGNORANCE-

"Because of," Sakura said quietly, and Naruto nodded emphatically. Kushina smiled at her as Kurama shifted, his eyes narrow.

BECAUSE OF, he said contemptuously, and Sakura scowled, meeting his disdain face to face.

"Fuu didn't know she wasn't supposed to be able to do any of that," she said. "So she did it."

"Pretty much," Fuu agreed. "But I had a lot of help." She looked at Chomei and the other Beasts. "If you guys are looking for a single person to show you what to do, I think you're probably gonna be waiting a long time? I don't know if I'm that person: I couldn't have done any of this alone. And really, I don't think you should wait for that kinda person. It's not like there's any single guy or girl who's gonna be so smart that they'll solve all your problems." She paused. "I mean, even the Sage of Six Paths messed up, didn't he? With Ninjutsu, and you guys, and everything else? No one's perfect."

YOUR WISDOM IS THAT ALL THINGS ARE FLAWED? Kurama asked with a laugh, and Fuu shrugged.

"I guess? I think what I'd say, if you were asking me, is that nothing's perfect. No one's perfect. Sometimes, they're not even good." She looked around and got affirming nods from all the humans present. "But that doesn't mean you can stop trying. So like, to get back to what we were talking about from the start… yeah, I don't think you guys should go back to your villages."

"That's the heart of it?" Sasuke asked, and Kushina confirmed as Kurama's chakra settled around his arm, no longer beginning to boil.

"Pretty much," she said. "I've talked about it before with Kurama, how I think the Sage probably made the Bijuu for a couple reasons. From the sound of it, he couldn't control the power of the Juubi himself, so he split it. That's logical enough. But he wanted people to inherit his beliefs too. It's what he taught his sons, and the Bijuu were his children just the same, y'know?" She gestured around at the destruction surrounding them, the self-apparent consequences of the Sage's will gone wrong.

"So you want them to be teachers," Hinata said quietly, and obviously hit the mark going by Kushina's reaction.

"I want them to try to be a couple things," she said. The Beasts were still talking, but quietly enough that Sakura could focus on Kushina without her voice being drowned out. "The Bijuu are unique. We're unique. Kurama says the problem is that humans forget lessons as soon as they're taught, and he's not wrong. But you can teach the same lesson over and over, and sometimes it'll sink in. They're immortal. They can be the ones to do that. And…"

She shrugged. "Well, they're strong. Not so strong that no one can challenge them: I think this Summit showed that pretty conclusively. But strong enough to be independent if they wanted to be. All the Tailed Beasts working together could accomplish crazy things."

"A deterrent," Sakura said, not as quiet as Hinata but not loud either. "An organization dedicated to stopping violence."

"You got it," Kushina said confidently. "It's all well and good to leave that responsibility to the nations and the villages, but we've all seen what happens when you put that much power into people's hands; everyone else gets scared, and then it's off to the races to see who can make the most powerful weapon, the deadliest shinobi, whatever. The Bijuu can dictate the course of history through action, so it's best that they do so through counsel and moderation instead. But if something did happen, with all of them working together to prevent a larger conflict… there'd be no way for it to escalate."

"It's still dangerous," Sasuke pointed out, and he was echoed by several Beasts. "Putting so much power in the hands of so few just changes the incentives. No one likes having a sword held to their neck, and it would be the whole world. The fact that it's cooperative wouldn't change anything about that."

"There's a balance to find," Sakura said, answering him but speaking to everyone. "People shouldn't leave their homes just because of the power they have. But a Bijuu Alliance or something of that nature, that would actually help." She shifted from foot to foot, some of her old uncertainty returning but buried under her new inner peace. "The Kage are planning to exchange ninja between villages, to try and lessen the chance of war in future by building mutual bonds. All the Jinchuriki could do the same thing."

"Build mutual bonds?" Rōshi asked. "Elaborate."

"It's all about loyalty," Fuu realized, and Sakura smiled at her, relieved that someone else got it. "Like we were talking about, Rōshi, Han." She started bouncing up and down, too excited to hold still. "You can be loyal to your village. That's admirable, right? But it shouldn't be the only thing you're loyal to!"

Han titled his head, Kokuō smiling behind him as Fuu continued. "We're not helpless: we can make our own decisions. And we should!" She gestured to Killer Bee and Gaara, both of whom had remained completely silent throughout. "When we don't, we get abused, and forced to do terrible things! And then, everyone suffers! It's like Sakura says: there should be a Jinchuriki Alliance!" Fuu's thrill, her excitement at the novel idea, was literally infectious: it spread through the chakra linking them all faster than fire could dream. "And the thing that Alliance should be loyal to, first and only, is the Sage's ideas! People cooperating, preventing big fights, making sure everyone can live their lives in peace, but with the village's help!

It was simple, and brilliant for that, Sakura thought. Just like Fuu. United, the Jinchuriki and the Tailed Beasts were perhaps the most powerful group in the world. If they agreed with one another, none of the villages would dare to go to war without their supreme weapons available, and even less likely if those same powerful people swore to prevent the war in the same place. At the same time, it would bind the villages closer to one another, ensuring they were connected by more than mutual ninja. Another imperfect solution, but better than mutilating yourself, at least.

"There's a problem with that." Gaara finally spoke. "I couldn't be a part of such a thing."

"Me neither," Bee said quietly. "It'd give everyone a fever."

"Cause of what you did with the Cannon?" Fuu asked, and Bee wordlessly nodded. "That was bad, yeah. Do you want to turn yourself in?"

Another wordless nod. Sakura watched, seeing the man that had dealt her so much pain in the flesh for the first time. At the beginning of the day, she would have wanted to cut his head off, but now, Killer Bee was so pitiful that the thought didn't even cross her mind. His self-loathing was heavy enough that she could practically see it, a dark miasma that weighed him down and pinned him in place.

And Gaara, she realized, was almost the same. The both of them were paralyzed by guilt, unable to move forward. After spending so much time chasing after the both of them in her own way, determined to bring them to justice for their crimes, she should have been happy to see them suffering.

But Fuu had been right. The both of them were just as much victims as all the people they'd killed. Gaara and Killer Bee had never known anything else beyond unthinking loyalty to their family, existing to kill. The one who was responsible for the destruction of Fukami City was Rasa of the Desert; the one who was responsible for the destruction of Amegakure was A and the Lightning Daimyo.

All of those people were dead, which was what let Sakura take a breath and shake her head.

"You shouldn't," she said, drawing Bee's attention. "Everyone's starting over with a blank slate. Well, mostly. If you try to surrender yourself for what the Raikage ordered, it could have consequences beyond yourself. The whole cycle of revenge could start again."

"Same thing'll happen if I go free," Bee pointed out, probably correctly. "The whole world would hate that killer, Killer Bee."

"Maybe," Sakura admitted. "But if you feel so sorry for yourself, how about you go make some apologies, instead of trying to throw yourself on your sword?" Bee cocked his head. "It was you, but it wasn't you. There's a lot of that going around. Right now's not the time to be moping about all the death's you caused: it's to be making up for them. How many do you think your life would be worth if you got executed, or imprisoned? All of them? Definitely not, right? No one person's life is worth that many!"

As the Beasts watched, Sakura found what she was trying to say, the words that could push her forward too. "Do you want your life to end here, or do you want to spend the rest of it paying for your mistakes?"

Bee was too stunned to respond, but Sakura wasn't done. She turned on Gaara next: this time, he didn't flinch away from her.

"And Gaara," she said, holding out her free hand. Despite being more than ten feet away, it felt like he was right before her, and the feeling was obviously mutual. He watched her hand like he was observing a snake coiled and ready to strike. "I'm sorry. For a lot of things. I'm glad you're alive."

Gaara didn't take her hand, but he did speak. "Someone gave their life for me," he said softly. "I'd resigned myself to bleeding to death, but an old woman came and tended to me. She died in the middle of healing me. My sand… didn't push her away." He was beyond forlorn.

"Then I'm sorry about that too," Sakura said, not pulling back her hand. Gaara stared at it.

"What do you want from this, Sakura?" he eventually asked. "Do you really believe we can forgive one another? I took your friend's finger." He gestured at Hinata, who seemed surprised that Gaara even remembered her. "I attacked you, hurt you, terrified you. I killed people to anger you; I slaughtered the innocent to reach you. I did it again and again, and now, you expect me to take your hand?"

"You protected me from your father," Sakura said, not backing down. "Spending time with Nagato changed you."

"It was thanks to her," Gaara said, limply gesturing towards Karin. "She and Nagato shared with me what I'd done. I saw myself without delusion. I was… it was… terrible."

Karin nodded, her eyes still closed. "It was terrible," she confirmed, and didn't elaborate.

"If that's the case," Sakura said, "then what I want from this is for it to end." She sighed. "You scared me. Hurt me. That's true. But I returned that to you. I made you bleed. I gave you that scar. I killed your father." She gave him a dour smile. "So maybe we can shake hands, like everyone else is doing right now, and promise one another to not hurt each other ever again."

Gaara stared at her, and then at her outstretched hand.

Cautiously, as if it would burn him, he took her hand in his own, the knot of scar tissue from where she'd cut his hand in half brushing against her palm, and shook.

"I don't think I love you," he said. Sakura smiled.

"I know," she said, and he withdrew.

The Bijuu resumed their conversation, and the Jinchuriki all joined in, even Gaara and Killer Bee. Sakura listened for a time, fascinated by the debate about how to use their newfound independence and the power it granted, but exhaustion was truly starting to overcome her now. After several minutes, she slipped from Fuu's grasp, looking for a place to lie down and catch her breath, and the voices faded. She moved over to join the other quiet observers, settling down between Gai and Karin.

"You were wounded, Sakura?" Gai said, eyeing the hole in her vest. Sakura waved him off.

"Naruto fixed it," she said, and that was enough for him. She lay back, closing her eyes and cushioning the back of her head with her hands. "What do you think about all this?"

"It's certainly unique," Gai offered. "Such a cataclysmic battle, and Obito taking up the Hokage's mantle as he did?" He laughed. "High treason, to be sure, but done with good intentions. With things having worked out as they have, I can only be impressed with his guts."

"It's not what we were trying to do," Sakura said. "I promise."

"I believe you. Obito did not even want to peacefully replace Minato; he spoke to me of his doubts after Shikaku approached him," Gai said. "But his hand was forced, and his flame of ambition was sufficient to meet the challenge. Rarely do such things go exactly as people would have wished."

"I guess so," Sakura said, not fully following. With her eyes closed, she could feel herself slipping away, but more footsteps approached; her team and Hinata had left the conversation as well, probably feeling that, like her, their role in it was over.

"Is Sakura asleep?" she heard Naruto ask, and shook her head to answer. "Okay, but don't stop yourself if you do start to. You need the rest."

"I won't," she promised. "Go ahead and talk if you need to. I think I could sleep through anything right now."

Naruto settled down next to her, leaning against her just a little; Sakura couldn't believe how comfortable the pressure was. She breathed deeply, sinking back into her hands and not minding the cold snow against them. Nothing was perfect, and that was okay.

Sakura passed in and out of consciousness, blurred reality occasionally encroaching on the pleasant haze of being half-asleep. After a period of time she could not track, a murmured conversation penetrated deep enough for her to pay attention, though she did not stir beyond turning her head to hear it more clearly.

"We should probably discuss what to do about our eyes." It was Itachi, faint and wheezing with every breath. "And all the murders."

"That can come later." Mikoto, sounding even more tired than Sakura.

"It can't. I'm a true international criminal, beyond any of these other crimes that have been relitigated. My actions were inexcusable." Itachi, despite how painful his breathing sounded, still spoke with admirable clarity. "I can see what you're going to say, Sasuke. But you recognized it yourself already. It was not the Shadow. It was me. There was nothing I did that did not emerge from my heart."

"Except for killing Shisui." Sasuke sounded bitter. Sakura couldn't blame him.

"Except for killing Shisui," Itachi agreed.

"What did you do with the Kotoamatsuki anyway?" Sasuke asked. "Was that… well, there's a lot that's happened…"

"Nothing." The word guillotined Sasuke's question and left it forever unfinished. "Nothing of consequence. I abused Shisui's eye constantly for the purpose of traveling unseen, uncovering information, and making alliances with rogue ninja. I used it on myself several times for the purpose of deceiving others, so that even truth serums or mind reading techniques would not uncover information I had concealed. But I never touched anyone important." A shift, and a sigh. "The Shadow wanted it because of its power, but it had no clear understanding of what to do with that power. It was a contingency, and one that never came to pass. In hindsight, that is clear to me."

"Then…" Mikoto asked, and Itachi grunted in confirmation.

"Shisui died for nothing."

They were struck silent by that for a time, but it was Hinata of all people that spoke up.

"You want to give Sasuke your eyes, Itachi." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Nothing but blunt acceptance. "It's the only way I can imagine atoning for my crimes."

"I don't want them." Sasuke was sharp, almost cruel.

"I can't let you go blind, Sasuke. That would be a final failure to a wasted life." Itachi sounded at peace, like he was already dead. "Please, don't refuse me."

"I don't want them," Sasuke repeated. "This isn't about the Shadow anymore. What you did was unforgivable, but you're still my brother. I'm not going to take your eyes just to keep my sight. I can just stop using the Mangekyo: my vision is still good enough for that."

"It's something you can't control, Sasuke," Mikoto said. "Things seem hopeful for now, but the future is always a mystery. There may come a time when you need its power again, and again, and again. And eventually, your light would go out."

"I can accept that," Sasuke said.

"I couldn't," Hinata responded. Sakura wished her eyes were open, but couldn't bring herself to manage it; each eyelid felt like it weighed three tons. "Your brother is making this offer in good faith, Sasuke. You shouldn't reject it without thinking about it first."

"I don't want to think about it."

"I understand that, and I respect it. But that doesn't change anything. Itachi is a mass murderer; he'll almost surely be imprisoned regardless of the circumstances once the Summit is done, either because of his existing crimes or to appease the villages he harmed." Hinata spoke kindly, but with a hard edge that commanded attention. "I'm sure Obito-sensei won't execute him, considering the Shadow, but he's trying to help you before he's locked away, perhaps forever."

"That's even worse." Sasuke was getting emotional. "Blind and imprisoned, that's…"

"I could try to recreate his eyes with Adamantine Rebirth," Naruto said frankly, obviously having been listening along. "It worked for your mom."

"It did," Mikoto said, no doubt confirming Sasuke's questioning look. "But we have no idea how such a thing would interact with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. It could disrupt the spiritual link between the eyes and destroy your vision; I wouldn't allow it."

"Really?" Naruto said sarcastically. "After what you did?"

"After what I did," Mikoto confirmed, explaining to Sasuke that she'd forced Naruto to repair her eye, permanently shortening her life. Sasuke was struck dumb afterwards, but Mikoto did not give away any despair. "That was a consequence I can bear myself; this would be different."

"Well," Hinata said thoughtfully, and Sakura heard Naruto let out a chuckle. "There are three of you."

"I don't think that would work," Sasuke said.

"What is she talking about?" Mikoto asked.

"A joke, kinda, that we had," Naruto said mirthfully, his voice enough to make Sakura smile. "You three all have the Mangekyo, and straight swaps don't work because of however the spiritual transfer works; the previous eye 'going dead.' And also, it's only ever been recorded between brothers: Madara and Obito, I guess?" He must have got a confirmation, because he continued. "But if it's just close family, you guys could do like, you know, a circle. Itachi to Sasuke, Sasuke to you, Mikoto, and you to Itachi. Just one eye each, instead of both, but…"

"That's deranged," Mikoto said flatly. "And a perversion of the clan's traditions."

"Oh yes, the proud tradition of eye transplants between dying people," Hinata said, just as flatly, and Sasuke managed a laugh. "Obito-sensei managed for a decade with a single transplant: it clearly does work, at least."

"I would refuse," Itachi started to say.

"Oh just shut up, would you?" Sasuke said. "Minato tried to kill all the Kage; Nagato blew up the Hidden Cloud and the Lightning Daimyo; Killer Bee destroyed a quarter of Amegakure; Sakura killed the Kazekage; there's not a single person at this Summit who hasn't done something bad. Even Fuu accidentally helped cause that disaster in the Land of Frost." A muffled thump, probably a kick. "You really want to marinate in misery so bad that you don't even want one eye?"

"I refuse because it would leave you with only one," Itachi said, and Sasuke didn't have a good comeback to that.

"There would be a similar solution," Mikoto said after a period of thought. "Itachi and I both make a contribution, so that Sasuke is left with both eyes."

"I don't like that either," Sasuke said.

"But it would be just," Mikoto said simply. "Neither of us would be left blind, but we made terrible mistakes, Sasuke. Mistakes that defined your life. Sometimes, the only way to make up for something of that magnitude is through sacrifice." A shuffle, and then what Sakura assumed was a hug. "We would each give you half our light, so that you could live a full life. It's a fair outcome."

"I don't care about fairness, though," Sasuke said. "So why-"

"We do," Mikoto said, and Itachi grunted in assent. "We do, and we love you, so please, let us do this for you. I think it's the only way we could feel we've atoned, regardless of any other trial we face."

Sakura could imagine Sasuke's face; the way it twisted up, how he looked around at Naruto and Hianta for affirmation, and then to her, barely conscious on the ground and only alive because of Naruto's love.

"I'll think about it," he said. "I won't promise more than that."

"Thank you, Sasuke." Mikoto sounded satisfied.

The conversation continued and turned to other topics, but Sakura was done. The day had been long, and she'd died twice; there wasn't any shame in leaving everything to everyone else now. There was still plenty she had to take care of. She had to go home: she had apologies to make, and more to get done when she had the strength.

But for now, she was content to fall asleep at Naruto's side, knowing that with him there there was nothing to fear, not even bad dreams.