Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Haruhi didn't stay down for long. From the shadows, he surged back into the cave with a burst of strength. The mountain groaned and shuddered, crumbling around them, but Haruhi didn't seem to notice. His eyes locked first onto Naruto, then Sasuke—burning with hatred—before finally landing on Sakura.
The look he gave her made Sasuke's stomach turn. Every instinct in him screamed to drive his fist straight through Haruhi's smug face.
Adoration. Obsession. Blatant, lustful desire.
It was all there, plain as day, for everyone to see.
But Sakura didn't flinch. She simply cracked her knuckles again, her glare hard enough to shatter stone.
"S-Sakura-sama," Haruhi stammered, desperation leaking into his voice. "I love you. I've always loved you. If you would just forget the Uchiha—if you would just see me—you'd finally be happy. I promise you."
Sakura narrowed her eyes. Disgust curled in her chest.
"Love?" she repeated coldly. "You think this is love?"
She took a slow, deliberate step forward, the ground trembling beneath her boots. Sasuke and Naruto moved with her, a silent, lethal force at her back.
"Controlling someone isn't love," she said, her voice razor-sharp. "Manipulating them isn't love. Love means putting someone else's happiness before your own. Love means wanting the best for them, even if it isn't you." Her fists tightened at her sides. "And you can't love anyone until you learn to love yourself, Haruhi."
She shook her head, pity flashing across her face for just a moment. "You don't love me. You just want to possess me."
"I love you!" Haruhi shrieked, voice breaking. "I've always loved you! Ever since the Chūnin Exams—since the first time I laid eyes on you!"
"Oi," Naruto barked, crossing his arms. "This guy's seriously getting on my nerves."
"Hn," Sasuke muttered, his eyes flashing dangerously as he drew his sword. "Enough talk."
"Let's finish this," Sakura growled, slamming her fist into the ground.
The cave floor split open with a deafening crack, sending shockwaves through the mountain. Massive chunks of stone plummeted from the ceiling, the world collapsing around them. Yet amid the chaos, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stood firm, their gazes locked on Haruhi as he scrambled to dodge the falling debris.
There would be no more chances. No more words.
"Sasuke-kun, Naruto," Sakura said. "Let's go."
Haruhi let out a low, feral snarl. "Fine! Have it your way... If I can't have you, Sakura-sama, then no one can!"
Before their eyes, his skin began to split and tear, jagged white bones erupting from his back and hands like twisted, living weapons. Sakura's stomach twisted in horror as the bones sharpened into jagged, sword-like protrusions.
With a guttural roar, Haruhi launched himself at her, moving with reckless, terrifying speed.
Sasuke reacted instantly, darting in front of Sakura and raising his sword. Metal met bone with a screeching clash, sparks flying as Sasuke strained against the force of the blow.
Naruto circled around quickly, trying to land a few well-placed punches. But every time he got close, the sharpened bones forced him to pull back, leaving shallow scrapes on his skin where he'd barely been nicked.
"Careful, now," Haruhi crooned darkly, a twisted smile curling on his lips. "My body's poisonous now. Courtesy of a little vial I took earlier." His eyes gleamed with sick glee. "One scratch... and you'll rot from the inside out."
Naruto gritted his teeth, retreating for just a heartbeat before lunging back into the fray to support Sasuke, dodging the deadly spikes with gritted determination.
Meanwhile, Sakura narrowed her eyes and charged forward, chakra already crackling in her palms.
"They don't have to worry about poison," she said, her voice sharp and steady. "Not with a medic-nin like me around."
Her fists glowed with green chakra—and with something much more dangerous: raw, unstoppable strength.
But Haruhi was one step ahead. He swiped out at the three of them and then drew back, activating his new Byakugan. "I can use it all. All of her power." Blood spurted from his mouth and he grinned. "It comes at a cost. But nothing I can't handle."
Forming a deadly triangle around Haruhi as the mountain crumbled around them, Team Seven moved in perfect, ruthless synchrony.
Naruto struck first, a fierce left hook slamming into Haruhi's jaw and sending him stumbling to the side. Before he could recover, Sasuke was already there—silent and swift—driving a brutal right hook into Haruhi's ribs. Haruhi barely had time to react before Sakura was on him, spinning into a vicious roundhouse kick that sent him crashing right back toward Naruto.
Each hit landed with bone-cracking force, more powerful than the last. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were relentless, their teamwork seamless, overwhelming Haruhi from every angle.
But Haruhi had Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's power. And he was ready to wield it.
In a blur faster than eyes could follow, Haruhi twisted, chakra exploding from his body in a violent shockwave. The ground beneath him cracked, sending shards of rock flying outward like shrapnel.
Naruto threw up his arms to shield his face, gritting his teeth as the force shoved him back. Sasuke skidded across the crumbling terrain, Sharingan spinning wildly as he regained his footing. Sakura planted her feet, digging chakra into the soles of her boots to anchor herself against the blast.
Haruhi touched down lightly, his grin gone—replaced by something colder.
"You think teamwork can stop me?" he said, voice low and sharp. "You think you can cage a god?"
Without warning, he surged at Sakura first, his palm glowing with raw, concentrated chakra aimed straight for her heart. She ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow, but the pressure of it grazed her shoulder and sent her stumbling.
Haruhi chased after her, his desire to have her—to possess her—was so strong it distracted him for a moment.
Naruto roared, lunging forward, a Rasengan already spinning to life in his hand. He thrust it at Haruhi—but Haruhi weaved around it effortlessly, his body flowing like water. He caught Naruto's wrist mid-attack and snapped it aside with bone-shattering force.
Naruto snarled, but Sasuke was already there, sword drawn, lightning crackling along the blade's edge. He swung—a perfect, killing arc meant to sever Haruhi in half.
Haruhi caught the blade between two fingers.
For an instant, everything froze.
Then Haruhi ripped the sword from Sasuke's hands and shattered it against his knee like it was no more than glass.
"You're strong," Haruhi admitted, tossing the broken hilt aside. "But not strong enough."
Sakura, blood trickling from her mouth, wiped it away with the back of her hand. Her emerald eyes sharpened, and she moved back into formation without a word.
Sasuke and Naruto mirrored her.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Together, they launched at Haruhi again—because even if they were facing a god, they would fight until the very last breath.
The mountain above them began to collapse entirely, and somewhere deep within the falling rubble, a forgotten power stirred.
"You good Naruto?" Sakura asked, not bothering to take her eyes off Haruhi.
"I'm good," he replied. "Hashirama's cells are healing my wrist. And the poison... I'm good for now."
Sakura nodded.
Haruhi couldn't keep his eyes off of Sakura. She was beautiful in all of her might. But that would be his downfall.
"Oi, Sasuke, Sakura-chan," Naruto called out, flashing them a mischievous grin. "Don't kill me after this, yeah?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, already suspicious. "What are you planning?"
Naruto didn't answer. Instead, he clapped his hands together with a shout, "Hāremu no Jutsu!"
In an instant, the clearing exploded with dozens of clones—not of Naruto himself, but of Haruno Sakura, each one dressed in revealing outfits that left very little to the imagination. They giggled and twirled, surrounding Haruhi in a dizzying, pink-haired whirlwind.
Haruhi stood frozen, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, a sparkly gleam of pure infatuation lighting up his expression.
Sakura stared, horrified.
"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered, disgust dripping from every syllable.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Sasuke stiffen. A blush crept on his cheeks, but with a sharp shake of his head, he recovered before anyone could point it out.
"Haruhi-kun," the Sakura clones cooed sweetly, weaving around him with exaggerated sighs and fluttering lashes. "Haruhi-kun, we love you so much! Oh, Haruhi-kun!"
Sakura's brow twitched. "What an idiot..."
Before Haruhi could regain his senses, Naruto launched himself out from behind the wall of clones, his fist cocked back. With a resounding crack, he nailed Haruhi square in the jaw, sending him stumbling.
Naruto landed lightly and smirked at his teammates. "Ready for round two?"
Without hesitation, Sasuke and Sakura moved in, flanking Haruhi from both sides as they launched into their coordinated assault. And no matter how desperately Haruhi swung back, no matter what he tried to throw at them, it wasn't enough. Against the full force of Team Seven—together and unbreakable—he didn't stand a chance.
"This is for Hinata," Sakura snarled, driving her knee into Haruhi's gut with brutal force.
The impact lifted him off the ground, sending him flying upward through the dust and debris.
Desperate to escape, Haruhi twisted midair, gathering chakra to make a break for it—but Sasuke was already waiting.
"Lion's Barrage!" Sasuke barked, his voice low and dangerous. He drove a powerful kick into Haruhi's back, slamming him back toward the ground with crushing momentum.
The mountain finally gave way around them. Chunks of stone crashed down, and in the next heartbeat, clear blue sky spilled through the cracks. Morning sunlight bathed the battlefield, shining over the ruins as Team Seven stood atop a broken mountain of rubble.
Naruto whistled low, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Man, that brings back memories," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Didn't I, y'know, improve on that move, though, teme?"
Sasuke let out a rare chuckle. "Remind me how you 'improved' it, dobe."
"Gladly," Naruto said, flashing a foxlike grin. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
In an instant, a squadron of clones burst into existence. They surged forward, each clone launching Haruhi into the air with a coordinated attack, shouting "U-ZU-MA-KI!" with every blow.
The real Naruto sprang off one of the clones, rocketing skyward with ease. Midair, he twisted into a spinning heel drop, slamming his heel directly into Haruhi's chest and sending him plummeting back down like a meteor.
Haruhi hit the ground hard, barely conscious, landing right at Sakura's feet.
Groaning, Haruhi weakly raised a trembling hand toward her, his fingers twitching in a feeble, pathetic reach.
Sakura just smiled coldly.
She lifted her fist high and brought it down onto Haruhi's head, knocking him so hard he saw stars bursting behind his eyelids.
Haruhi didn't get up again.
"It hurts, Sakura-chan," Naruto whined, wincing as Sakura worked to force the poison from his body.
Sakura rolled her eyes, not missing a beat. "Stop being such a baby and just hold still." She threw a glance at Sasuke, who was standing a few feet away, glaring down at Haruhi's unconscious body. "You okay, Sasuke-kun?"
"Ah," he said gruffly, barely glancing up.
"Man, that was epic," Naruto chuckled, flashing a grin. "Brought back so many memories. Kaka-sensei really needs to send us out on more missions together."
"Sure, Naruto," Sakura said dryly, raising an eyebrow at him. She wiped her hands clean and asked, "How's Hinata doing?"
Naruto's grin faded. He shook his head, his expression darkening. "He slashed her eyes. Karin gave her some chakra to speed up the healing, but..."
He trailed off, clenching his fists.
"But her eyes aren't fully healed," Sakura finished, nodding grimly. "I won't know the full extent of the damage until I can do a proper examination... ideally somewhere I can concentrate better."
"Like... a hospital?" Naruto asked, frowning.
"That would be preferable," Sakura said. "But if not, Orochimaru's old hideout would do. At least there, we have supplies and privacy." She turned to Sasuke. "If Team Taka's willing to host us, that is."
Sasuke gave a short nod. "Of course."
"And it'll be a good opportunity to adjust Jūgo's mood stabilizer medication too," Sakura added thoughtfully. "But first, we need to check in with Kaka-sensei. Let him know everything that went down."
"Way ahead of you," a familiar voice called out.
Sakura turned, spotting Sai leaping up the crumbled mountainside with his usual effortless grace. He landed nearby, taking in the wreckage—and Haruhi's battered body—with a raised eyebrow.
"You guys really don't know how to hold back," Sai said blandly.
"Oi!" Naruto snapped, scowling. "We didn't kill the bastard."
"Barely," Sai said with a faint smirk. "But considering what he did to Hinata... and to Sakura and Jūgo..." His gaze hardened. "I can't exactly blame you."
Sasuke's jaw tightened. "He deserved worse."
Sai gave a small nod. "Hinata's safe. She's in the forest with Suigetsu, Karin, and an unconscious Jūgo. Suigetsu tried tracking down Team Oboro, but—"
"They escaped?" Sasuke cut in, brow raised.
"They escaped," Sai confirmed grimly. "Along with a good chunk of the cursed seal army you took out. Pity you didn't kill them when you had the chance."
"They were being controlled," Sakura said sharply, glancing down at Haruhi. "I just hope they return to their senses now that he's defeated."
Sai hesitated. "It's not that simple. The Hokage's been doing some digging... Turns out, some of them defected willingly. They believed in Haruhi's ambitions."
Sakura's heart sank a little. "So it wasn't just mind control after all..."
"At least we took out the mastermind," Naruto said, trying to sound optimistic.
Sakura frowned. "Did we, though?" Her voice dropped lower. "Haruhi mentioned higher-ups before he lost it... I think there's more going on."
Sasuke's eyes darkened. "A bigger enemy?"
"Maybe," Sakura said, glancing once more at the unconscious Haruhi. "But right now, we don't have answers."
Naruto sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his head. "Let's just get out of here. Haruhi's down, and I wanna see Hinata."
"It d-doesn't hurt, Naruto-kun," Hinata reassured her husband as he anxiously inspected her for the fifth time. She gave a small, brave smile. "A-Aside from losing my sight, I feel perfectly fine."
After Team Seven had descended the massive heap of rubble that had once been the mountain's summit, they regrouped with Suigetsu, Karin, Hinata, and Jūgo at the forest's edge. Jūgo remained unconscious, slumped heavily against a tree, while Suigetsu kept a vigilant watch over him.
"You're not perfectly fine," Naruto muttered stubbornly, his frown deepening as he glanced back at Sakura, desperation written all over his face. "Ne, Sakura-chan... when can she get her sight back?"
"I told you," Sakura said, a little impatiently, "Once we find somewhere stable and quiet where I can properly concentrate, I should be able to help her recover. But that last fight drained me. I need to rest first."
Naruto's shoulders sagged, and he pouted, making him look far younger than his years. Sasuke scoffed quietly and crossed his arms. "Have a little patience, dobe. Sakura will heal your wife."
"I know," Naruto whined, kicking at the dirt childishly.
Karin, arms crossed and curiosity written on her face, turned to Sakura. "You can really do that?"
"Yeah," Sakura replied confidently. "I can use a variation of Chikatsu Saisei no Jutsu—the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique—to repair Hinata's eyes. Thankfully, she doesn't need a full body reconstruction thanks to your healing abilities." She shot Karin a warm, grateful grin. "Thanks for that."
"I-It was nothing," Karin stammered, turning away and scratching her cheek in embarrassment, her face tinted pink.
"A variation?" Sasuke echoed, his voice laced with curiosity.
"It's something I've been working on," Sakura answered a little too quickly, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Sasuke's gaze sharpened, catching the subtle shift in her tone. She was hiding something. But for now, he let it go. He'd find out eventually.
"That's amazing, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, a broad grin finally breaking across his face.
"We should get moving," Sai interrupted, eyeing the unconscious Haruhi with wary suspicion. "There are still rogue shinobi from that cursed seal army lurking around. They'll want Haruhi back, and we can't risk losing him—not before we get the answers we need."
Sasuke nodded in agreement, then turned to Suigetsu and Karin. "We're using your base for the night. Think you can spare a few rooms?"
Karin glanced at Suigetsu, who shrugged casually. "Yeah, we've got space. Follow us."
"This is... quaint," Naruto said, glancing around the surprisingly spacious examination room. The walls were spotless, and the equipment was meticulously organized. "Orochimaru might be creepy as hell, but I'll give him this—he sure knows how to set up a lab."
Sakura rolled her eyes and stepped inside, already scanning the room for what she needed.
"Bring Hinata over and set her down in that chair," she instructed, pointing to a padded seat near the center. "I need to examine her."
Naruto hesitated, frowning. "But you said you can't heal her until tomorrow. Why bother looking now?"
"Because," Sakura said with a sigh, already pulling on her gloves, "I need to assess the extent of the damage first. I can't form a proper treatment plan without seeing exactly what I'm working with."
Grumbling under his breath, Naruto gently guided Hinata to the chair. Once she was settled, he flopped down onto a nearby patient bed, kicked off his sandals, and closed his eyes. Within seconds, loud, rumbling snores filled the air.
Hinata stifled a giggle behind her hand while Sakura simply shook her head.
"He was like a mad dog all night," Sakura muttered as she began her examination, her chakra-laced fingers hovering over Hinata's clouded, unfocused eyes. The damage was extensive—delicate tissues torn—but it was nothing Sakura couldn't handle. "Wouldn't stop—couldn't stop—until he found you."
Hinata's cheeks turned a soft pink.
"I-I knew he'd come for me," she whispered. "I just... I feel guilty that I was used as bait to get to you, Sakura."
Sakura paused, her hands stilling for a moment. She gave Hinata a small, rueful smile.
"Haruhi would've found another way to pull me into his twisted plans. If it hadn't been you, it would've been someone—or something—else."
She flicked a glance at Naruto, making sure he was still dead to the world. Satisfied by the steady snores, Sakura lowered her voice.
"He didn't..." she began carefully, "He didn't do anything to you?"
Hinata's face grew more serious.
"Aside from the usual t-torture?" she said softly. "No. Team Oboro... they had other plans, but... you showed up before they could act."
Sakura exhaled slowly, her jaw tightening. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Hinata shook her head, a small, sad smile on her lips.
"We're shinobi," she said simply, almost like a mantra. "W-We were made for this."
"Doesn't make it any easier," Sakura murmured.
"N-No," Hinata agreed quietly. "It doesn't."
Deeper within the twisting corridors of Orochimaru's abandoned hideout, Sai and Sasuke had strung Haruhi up against a rough wooden plank, his arms shackled high above his head. The two moved with quiet, lethal efficiency—no words needed between them. They knew exactly what had to be done.
As Haruhi groggily stirred, his head lolling, Sasuke stepped forward. The cursed transformation that had warped his appearance earlier had faded, leaving behind only his usual self—red hair matted to his forehead, blood crusted at the corner of his mouth.
Good, Sasuke thought coldly. It would make this easier.
"All right, asshole," Sasuke said, his voice a low growl. Haruhi blinked blearily at him, struggling to focus. "Start talking."
For a beat, Haruhi just stared at them, calculating. Then his eyes sharpened—and he smiled.
"I won't say a word," he rasped, "Until I see Sakura-sama."
A dangerous flicker crossed Sasuke's face. How dare he speak her name so casually after everything he had done to her—after everything he had tried to do?
Sai sighed behind him, already anticipating how this would go.
"Looks like it's going to be a long night," he muttered.
Sasuke said nothing. He simply stepped forward, flexing his fingers, the sound of his knuckles cracking echoing ominously through the room.
"I'm going to enjoy this," Sasuke said darkly.
Sai smiled nervously.
Yes, it would be a very long night.
