Avenger's Destiny: Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – Finale

Scream. Keep screaming.

That was all her mind told her to do. That was all she was capable of doing. She couldn't save others, even after all these years. She couldn't even save the one person who had taught her all she knew about healing. Heal? What a joke.

She screamed until her lungs could take no more, then gasped painfully and screamed again, until she choked, until her world spun in a dizzying vortex and her throat felt like it was on fire, but she still lifted her face to the sky darkened by smoke and soot, and screamed, again and again.

Just scream. That's all you can do anyway.

N

Katsuyuu was in a fix, watching Sakura's screaming, kneeling there next to Tsunade's body, her hands twisted in her uniform skirt and her face uplifted, as if pleading with the heavens to return her beloved mentor.

It couldn't even feel the emotion of Tsunade's death – right now, it was only a fact.

A fact. Nothing more.

Medical slugs were practical things. They focused on saving the living. And now, it had to stop Sakura's hysteria or she'd drive herself into overload. Katsuyuu scrambled over and draped itself over Sakura's hunched shoulder, wriggling down into the cocoon Sakura had created by hugging herself. Her face was now cast downwards, as if in an acceptance of defeat, but she still screamed, over and over again, rivers of tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Dammit, Sakura, get a grip! What're you trying to do, driving yourself into hysterics?" the slug yelled at her. Ah. Yelling was rare for slugs, too. But never mind that now. Making a quick decision, Katsuyuu bit Sakura directly over her heart and injected a dose of sedative, enough to make her unconscious for awhile. She had to relax.

Slowly, Sakura's voice became fainter as her screams subsided into choking sobs, and her arms, previously hugging her body, fell limply by her sides. In a few moments, she crumpled sideways, silent and unconscious.

At that instant, Katsuyuu spotted a black-cloak-red-clouds figure materializing right next to Sakura, cushioning her fall with his shoulder. He saw the orange spiral mask bending over the pink-haired medic, and could somehow imagine the triumphant expression behind the mask. For the first time in his life, Katsuyuu felt panic.

"Well, thank you, Katsuyuu-san," Tobi's voice was deep, mocking. Perhaps he was smiling, under that damn orange spiral. "You've just made my day." Resting Sakura's head on his shoulder, with one hand around her shoulder and another slipping under her knees, Tobi lifted the slender kunoichi easily, and disappeared over the rooftop railing.

Katsuyuu had just delivered a jinchuuriki right into Akatsuki's hands.

N

In the battlefield, at the same instant, all of Katsuyuu's counterparts received the same memory, the same emotion. The orange spiral mask, the pink-haired girl resting limply in that despicable man's arms, the desperate panic that overwhelmed their minds at the mistake. All of them froze, smack in the middle of battle.

Hinata nearly tripped over Katsuyuu; Tenten barely missed squashing the slug underfoot; Akamaru and Kiba had to kick it out of the path of a particularly vicious Katon attack; Haku had to unfreeze the slug caught up in one of his jutsus; Shizune found it still and silent, not helping to heal the wounded; Shikamaru stared at Katsuyuu, who had halted in the middle of giving a report on the situation on the battlefield, and was now frozen stiff atop the table, next to Shikamaru's map.

The shinobis were startled. Katsuyuu was always reliable on the battlefield, in any situation. It was skilled at adjusting itself to suit the attacks of the team it was with, excellent for conveying messages when it was split into its smaller counterparts, and above all, Katsuyuu was always calm. Always rational. But now…

"What's wrong!" the Konoha shinobis yelled simultaneously as they continued the battle, dodging, attacking, but still worrying. "Katsuyuu, what's wrong?"

Tenten suddenly felt scared, as if she knew what was coming, what Katsuyuu was going to tell them. Her movements slowed as she hesitated, watching the slug intently, afraid. Neji yanked her away from a falling axe by the waist, holding her tightly against him as he fought, trying to rouse her from her stupor. "Tenten! Get a gr-"

He was interrupted by Katsuyuu's voice, a whisper from each counterpart that merged into one louder, yet frozen, voice, that echoed across the battlefield, silencing the sounds of war.

"Tsunade-sama… is dead. Sakura… has been taken."

N

Naruto froze, mid-sprint. He stood motionless before the closed gates of Konoha, his destination after having slipped out of the safehouses moments after Sakura. He hadn't been able to find her. Katsuyuu's collective voice reached him, continuously echoing, ringing in his ears, forcing the fact into his suddenly blank mind.

Obaa-chan… dead.

Sakura… taken.

Was this how he had felt when he'd received news of Gaara being captured by Akatsuki? When the Kazekage had lost his life to the extraction of the Shukaku? This blankness, this fear that threatened to overwhelm him completely?

No, this couldn't compare. This was worse. Unimaginable.

Naruto tried to stop the tears he felt coming, placing a hand over his eyes, only to find that his hands were shaking uncontrollably, from fear or from anger, he couldn't tell.

Sakura… taken.

Taken.

Gone.

He lifted his face to the heavens, and howled like a beast towards the moon.

N

Sasuke was struggling against Orochimaru's snakes binding him, unpleasantly reminded of his status during his stay with the snake bastard, which was somewhat like this situation – captured, bound and caged, even though he had gone there on his own free will.

A particularly large rattlesnake had just begun to coil around his neck when Sasuke, like everyone else, caught the echoing whisper spreading through the battlefield. The first sentence merely numbed him.

The second, however…

The Uchiha stopped struggling, his sword arm frozen mid-slash, leaving the snakes to coil around his torso, suffocating him slowly. The rattlesnake was already tightening its hold around his neck. His knuckles were white from gripping his sword so hard, and his face was deathly pale, contorted with fury.

Orochimaru, observing his ex-potential container like a mere curio, cocking his head to a side. "Oh? Tsunade-chan dead? And that little cherry blossom with Akatsuki… how tragic, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke wasn't listening, however. His whole body trembled, focused on that single sentence, as if trying to contain an inevitable, deadly explosion. His chest contorted painfully, it felt like a hand was gripping his heart, threatening to crush it with the pressure of the panic and fear that crashed down on him.

Naruto's anguished howl – it had to be Naruto – filled the momentary silence on the battlefield, and the blonde ninja's unmistakable tall figure leapt up atop the gates of Konoha, in the distance, still howling with heart-wrenching emotion.

As if connected, the agonized shouts from the two boys rose, united despite their distance, in a building crescendo, a lament that pierced the hearts of everyone on the stunned battlefield.

"GIVE HER BACK!"

N

Tenten, Ino and Hinata did not cry, or scream. Even when Sasuke and Naruto roared their anger, their voices thundering across the battlefield, the girls remained still and silent, their eyes wide, fists clenched, trembling with the rage they were so skilled at concealing. Women did not express hatred easily.

Around them, the enemy shinobi began to stir, spirits lifted by the obvious advantage on their end. However, they made the fatal mistake of saying something quite unnecessary.

"We've got the girl!"

"Ha, yeah – you think the higher-ups will let us have the body once they're done with it?"

The man who had spoken, a tall Amegakure shinobi wielding a cutlass and wearing a bandana, found himself soaring across the field, smashing into five of his ken. They toppled like dominoes. Hinata stood, white eyes narrowed, an expression of pure fury etched across her face like no one had ever seen before.

She didn't say a word. The Hyuuga heiress merely sped through the battlefield, taking down her enemies left and right with speed and agility that she had never achieved before, like a whirlwind that offered no chance, no reprieve.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Tenten was simply striding forward, clearing the path before her by forming an impenetrable barrier around herself and Neji, who refused to leave her side – he knew where she was going. Tenten's Soushoryuu dragons spiraled upwards around them, creating the cylindrical shield that protected them while delivering attacks by throwing a barrage of weapons outwards. The weapons' mistress' face was set in absolute determination, unshakable.

In the control center for the chakra dome protecting Konoha, Ino stood with her father, next to a swearing Shikamaru, fists clenched as Katsuyuu's words rang through the hall. She lifted her face to glance at her father, whose brow was creased, but gave her a look that said 'go'. He knew how important this was to her. "Tou-san…" she whispered, her voice shaking. Inoichi put an arm around his daughter, kissing her on the forehead. "Go, Ino. Stay safe."

"I swear I'll come back," the blonde girl whispered, before bending down to kiss Shikamaru lightly on the cheek. The Nara genius was tensed, still. "Come back safe," he said quietly, usually easygoing black eyes now intense. "And tell Sakura I'm going to kill her once she gets back." Ino let out a choked chuckle and squeezed his shoulder, running out of the room.

N

The snakes coiling around Sasuke's torso suddenly exploded in a flurry of shredded meat and blood. His sword had torn through the snakes, cutting even himself, but the Uchiha was past caring. Crushing the rattlesnake strangling him, Sasuke furiously yanked the serpent off and tossed it back at Orochimaru after lopping its head off, before turning and sprinting off towards the visible mass of black cloaks and red clouds.

Orochimaru moved to stop him, but a shock of white hair suddenly materialized before him, blocking his way. Jiraya stood before him, face set, all traces of his playful personality gone. His eyes and the lines on his face seemed to have deepened the moment news of Tsunade's death had reached him, they finally reflected the toll of his age. His expression did not show desire for revenge – he had known that this day would come. He also knew that his death would follow close after Tsunade-chan's – after he had finished this job that should have been finished years ago.

"You're not going anywhere, Orochimaru. Your fight's here, with me."

N

Sakura stirred. The first thought that struck her was that she felt very stiff, and very cold. Squirming, she recognized the rough texture of stone scraping against her bare skin, and winced. Blinking groggily, her body ran a systems check on instinct, trying to remember what she had experienced, what had caused her to blackout.

The cherry blossom felt her heart still as Tsunade's final moments appeared in the forefront of her mind. Her face felt tight and dry from the salty tearstains, a painful reminder of the loss she had experienced. But somehow, Sakura's mind had become somewhat calmer now, more rational. She needed to take care of some matters, the pain had to be locked away for the time being. There would be more deaths to lament for after this war – if she was still alive to mourn them.

Sakura sat up gingerly, looking around. Her hands were bound. The border of Konoha's forest lay to her left, the open ground beyond to her right. Where was Katsuyuu? Surely she had been atop the Hokage Tower previously? Why would the slug have moved her beyond the forest, into enemy terri –

Enemy territory? She sat upright.

The sounds of battle began to register in her clouded mind – the metallic clang of weapons, the cries of agony, the sickening squelches of weapons tearing through flesh. She herself was sitting on some kind of brownstone platform. Sakura lifted her face upwards to get a better look – a statue?

The statue stood tall, towering above the tree canopy. The moment she caught sight of its grotesque features, Sakura scrambled off the foot of the statue, feeling a shiver run down her spine as she stared up at its face, subconsciously backing away until her back hit the trunk of a tree.

Her knees buckled, still numb from the tranquilizer. Out of the nine eyes across the gruesome face of the beast, seven were open, each with a colour and seemingly, life of its own. Two were shut. Sakura's mind registered the significance at once. Seven for the tailed beasts already captured. Two still shut, awaiting the Nanabi and Kyuubi to give them life.

Sakura shuddered, drawing her knees up to her chest, struggling against the rope binding her, her calmness lost. She had always known, from the moment she first awakened with the Nanabi within her, that she was facing something that was far beyond her control. For someone who was used to being in control of herself, the prospect was frightening. And now, with the statue before her, her pending death seemed so much closer, so much more certain.

It terrified her. She had thought that she was ready to die, if it meant that others could be saved, but she had been so very arrogant about herself. She wasn't ready. She couldn't die. Sakura could see each and every jinchuuriki before her, suspended in mid-air, having their life force ripped away, bit by bit. She could see herself in their place.

"I don't want… I can't…" she whispered, her gaze fixated upon the seven open eyes that seemed to be staring down at her, reminding her of her fate to come. Death. Death. Death. Death.

She was so scared.

"You again,"

Sakura jolted and scampered backwards, forgetting that she had her back to the tree, and hit her head hard, instead. Through the wave of dizziness, she could just make out a familiar figure in Akatsuki garb, with dark hair.

"Itachi!" she gasped, automatically reaching for her weapons pouch – only to realize that her hands were immobile, and the pouch was missing. Sakura stared back at him, feeling her body suddenly go cold. Itachi wasn't someone whom she could fight against like this, even with weapons, even with her strength. What she lacked now was the willpower to fight.

Sakura watched as his hand made a single, fluid motion through the air, and winced, anticipating an attack. She slowly opened her eyes as she felt something land on her lap with a metallic clang.

A… sword? And a weapons pouch…?

Neither of the items belonged to her. The sword was a simple one, with no frills – a plain black scabbard, a black, cloth-wrapped hilt, a flat black guard. The Uchiha crest was carved into the scabbard.

But… why?

"Do not presume yourself worthy of standing next to my brother," Itachi's voice was level, cold as always. "Not if you are only capable of wallowing in self-pity."

Sakura's eyes widened. Itachi had taken several steps closer to her, and now he bent down to grab hold of her collar, pulling her up to face level. The weapons slipped off her lap and clanged onto the ground.

"You were determined enough to step before Sasuke when I used my Mangekyou Sharingan," Itachi's voice had suddenly turned harsh, spiteful, as his black eyes stared into her green ones. Sakura suddenly felt her hands coming free – Itachi had cut her bonds. What did he mean? Had her rage, her words, her determination during that last encounter changed him? Or was this just a dream?

He threw her down next to the weapons, and for a moment, an unfathomable expression flashed across his features. Hate… and regret…? "You are fortunate enough to have a choice. Find that determination of yours and use it."

Itachi turned to walk away. "Go. Tobi will be looking for you soon. You won't survive an encounter with him."

Sakura gazed up at his back, her eyes still uncertain. "Aren't you afraid of dying?" she whispered. "Aren't you afraid, knowing your brother is after your blood?"

He paused, but did not look at her. It was several moments before he spoke.

"It is easier to die than it is to live with the guilt of letting others die."

N

Sakura was still sitting there, staring after Itachi when he disappeared into the trees. What had just occurred? Had a member of the enemy just freed her, and told her to get her butt out there and fight? And was that man the guy she had gone on a rampage to kill?

"What the hell are you doing?" the Nanabi's voice rang out sharply in her mindscape. "Get the hell out of here!"

"What am I supposed to do?" Sakura demanded, still rather confused. Her hands clasped the weapons Itachi had left her.

"Well, for a start, get your ass off the ground before Tobi comes looking for you! Don't you recognize a miracle when you see one?" the Nanabi hissed at her. "Uchiha Itachi just handed you weapons and basically told you to join the battle!"

"Tobi… captured me?"

"Yes," Nanabi hissed, her tone obviously one of dissatisfaction. "Idiot you had to go scream yourself into hysterics, and that idiot Katsuyuu had to inject you with tranquilizer, and Tobi had the god-given opportunity to whisk you right out of Konoha just like that! You were lucky enough to have Tobi leave Itachi alone to guard you."

"Oh gods," Sakura whispered to herself, kicking herself for being so unreliable. She felt sick to the core, knowing that death was so close, but she couldn't wallow in self-pity now. And she had to do something, whatever it was, or this feeling was going to consume her completely. She didn't want to feel this rotten before she had to die. She wanted to see everyone she loved, if only just for a glance before she left them behind.

Sakura forced her numbed muscles to work, and stood up, slowly and gingerly, using the tree as her support. Lifting her eyes to look at the face of the statue towering above her, she suppressed a shudder, and gripped the weapons tightly, as if they were amulets to protect her from this horror.

"What do I need to do?"

"Break that ugly thing," the Nanabi grumbled. "Why do you humans always have to assume that we look like monsters?"

"We generally assume that anything that wreaks destruction is a monster, and a monster is generally assumed to be ugly," Sakura found a little of her dry humour back in her, it was slightly reassuring.

"Well, whatever. Break it. It's acting as a seal to suppress my brothers, and it would normally be impossible to destroy, but with your strength…"

"The scrolls are not with me," Sakura had a sudden, despairing realization. "I don't know if it's with Neji or Shikamaru!"

"Find it, then!" the Nanabi sounded irritated. "Hurry up!"

This was one seriously bossy bijuu, Sakura mused to herself. What had happened to that calming presence during the initial stages of their relationship? Had the Nanabi treated her so well because she needed Sakura to be a willing sacrifice?

Sakura shook her head to rid herself of the thought. It was useless to consider such things now. Closing her eyes, she shoved out morbid thoughts of death and destruction, and focused on organizing her priorities. This was like any other mission… she had her objectives, and her only concern was to achieve them.

Get out of here.

Find the scrolls.

Break the statue.

Seal the bijuu.

And die.

The cherry blossom strapped the weapon pouch to her thigh, slid the sword through her belt, and taking a single, deep breath, darted off through the trees.

N

"Useless, Itachi," Tobi chuckled from his perch atop a tree facing the battlefield, tossing a weapons pouch in his hand. Sakura's weapons pouch. "So soft. But then, Sasuke was always your weak point. You seem to have extended your sympathies to his girlfriend, too…"

The voice behind the spiral mask laughed, amused by his own monologue, then sighed lightly. "But what a way to reverse my lucky catch, Uchiha… the girl was in a perfect emotional breakdown - took me a spot of trouble to sneak in and kill Tsunade-chan too… you will pay for this later."

Tobi slid off the branch, allowing himself a freefall downwards. The branches never touched him, and he landed perfectly, catching the pouch he'd been playing with easily. He grinned, slipping it into his cloak.

"Now, to recapture my little cherry blossom."

N

Neji. She had to find him first. Shikamaru would be within Konoha's walls, strategizing. Neji was the warrior. Sakura hoped fervently that Neji had the scrolls with him, or all was lost. She did not doubt, for a single moment, that Tobi would find her before she ever managed to get back within Konoha's walls.

Sakura let her senses roam, searching for Neji's familiar chakra patterns. Once she had locked upon it, she darted quickly out of the trees and into the fray, her sword out in a flash. She cleared her path quickly and efficiently, keeping low as not to stand out too much. Her pink hair did enough of that already.

It happened too quickly for her to register it. One moment, she was tearing through blood and flesh, trying not to think about the lives lost and about how soon she will be among the dead; the next, she was out of the fray, inhaling mercifully, comparatively fresher air not so contaminated by the metallic stench of blood.

Sakura had barely managed to pull herself upright when she felt it. The crushing pressure of killing intent surrounding her completely, hammering into her, threatening to bring her down with just fear and raw power. She stiffened, bolt upright, emerald eyes zeroing in on the all-too-recognizable face bearing down on her. She had almost forgotten about him.

'Pein!'

The thought screamed through her mind, but her reaction was too slow.

N

They all saw Pein before they saw her. The six doppelgangers, all part of him yet separate, had suddenly moved in the same direction, the overwhelming strength of their chakra stunning all in the vicinity, forcing them to turn and locate the source of danger, an instinctive move of self-preservation.

Sasuke felt his heart clench agonizingly when he caught sight of Pein's six doppelgangers surrounding the pink-haired kunoichi. One had broken the circle, leaning in, clearly intent on striking the frozen girl. His lips moved but all that came out was a strangled cry, just like when he had seen his parents' corpses lying across the living room floor.

Soundless. Pain that could not be conveyed.

Tenten could sense it. Sakura's fear. Having been the one who'd lived with the girl ever since her parents' deaths, having been the one who helped her stand up again, Tenten was somehow connected to the cherry blossom, and she could feel what Sakura felt when they were close enough. But right now, she was not close enough to help. Gritting her teeth, Tenten forced more chakra into Soushoryuu, despite Neji's cautioning hand on her shoulder. She forced the tornado surrounding her to expand more, to clear her path faster, before breaking into a sprint, Neji close behind her, resigned to her determination.

Still, she was not close enough.

Naruto was almost there, his long strides taking him in leaps and bounds across the bloody battlefield. He did not bother to fight – he merely dodged and pummeled his way through. He had just ducked under a particularly nasty-looking curved sword when he caught sight Pein, all six of them surrounding Sakura on open ground. It was as if the entire battlefield had backed off, instinctively moving away from the raw power radiating from their mere presence, leaving them with a wide berth, crowding the edge of the circle, jostling to get away. He pummeled through the mass of scrambling people, but it seemed to be an endless task.

No one could reach Sakura in time. No one would save her.

N

'Move it! MOVE, DAMMIT!'

What was wrong? This was nothing. She could avoid it in a split second – she was a kunoichi, for God's sake. So why was she standing here, frozen, waiting for the tip of the kunai to tear out her heart? What held her here? Was it the despair that overflowed under the influence of Pein's powerful chakra? Was it fear?

"NO!" she let out a desperate scream as a sudden distortion in her vision caused her to lose sight of Pein. It was basic shinobi knowledge. Losing sight of an enemy meant that she had lost, she had failed to match his speed, and therefore her fate was sealed –

A sickening crunch rang loud in Sakura's ears, forcing her to open her eyes. With a jolt, she realized that the crushing force of Pein's chakra had decreased significantly – she could move. Was it over? It took Sakura several seconds to realize that she was unharmed.

Her protector crumpled to the ground as Pein withdrew his bloody right hand, expressionless. The only indication of his emotions was the scowl on his lips as he hissed at the shuddering figure. "You fool." The words seemed to be almost echoed by his other five doppelgangers, a collective expression of cold displeasure.

All six were almost immediately distracted by Konoha shinobis who pummeled right into them, Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi simultaneously attacking the doppelganger with the bloodied hand, Tenten, Neji, Ino, Hinata, Asuma, Genma, Kurenai, Sai among others taking their pick with the rest. Sakura was left in a whirlwind of motion, overwhelmed by gratitude and worry for her defenders. She fell to her knees next to the shuddering form of the man who had taken the blow for her.

"Shiroi!" the cherry blossom gasped as she recognized, with mixed relief, guilt and horror, the man crumpled before her. Relief that it wasn't any of her comrades. Guilt that she could actually feel relief when someone was hurt so badly because of her. Horror – Pein's attack had taken out his whole right lung, a bloody hole gaped before her. White blood. Pein was immune to its effects.

His body convulsed in shudders from the excruciating pain, but his silver eyes as he turned to look at her, were strangely calm. Like he had found a sort of tranquility that he had never discovered, his eyes seemed to shine with the life that they used to lack.

"Why?" Sakura whispered, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were paper-white. "I'm – I'm your enemy."

Shiroi let out a gurgling chuckle. Sakura felt hot tears trickling down her cheeks as blood trickled out from the corner of his lips. He spoke haltingly, his voice a faint, ragged whisper. "That… didn't matter… when you healed… me," Shiroi looked her in the eye, conveying through the connection what his voice, choked with blood, could not express. "Even… tho… I… kill… your… friends… furious… you de…fended your… choice…"

He gasped for breath, the exertion draining what little energy he had left. Yet Shiroi forged on, doggedly determined to get his words across. "I… you… defended… me…"

It never occurred to Sakura to ask how he knew that she had argued with her team for him. She had not done it specifically for him, she had been simply defending her professionalism, yet it had meant so much to him – so much that he had been willing to sacrifice himself for her.

Sakura felt like she had somehow betrayed him unknowingly. "The… white blood?" she raised a glowing hand, attempting to heal.

"Disease," Shiroi breathed as his gloved hand grasped her wrist to stop her from healing the wound. "Abandoned… Pein…sama… took me in. Taught me… became his… personal… messenger… assassin."

Sakura swallowed. How did Pein inspire this sort of blind loyalty, when he did not respect his subordinates himself? Was it desperation? Gratitude, that he had pulled them out of an abyss, even if it was for his own ends? "And you followed? Pein doesn't see you for who you are – he – "

The hand grasping her wrist tightened, in defense of his master. "But still – still…" Shiroi breathed. He could not continue, and struggled to hold back a cough.

"Stop questioning him, Sakura," The Nanabi warned suddenly. "There is no answer to such a question, you know that."

'What? But I want to know-'

"You didn't want to be questioned when people asked you why you still held faith in the Uchiha."

Sakura fell silent.

"Don't assume that things are always as they are. Who are you, a relatively sheltered and loved girl, to judge his choices? You have never led the life that he led. Never felt the desperation he felt, the need to be accepted. With that kind of condition, he probably gave up on being loved, and resigned to being accepted. Pein gave him that acceptance, work to do, a place to belong. It didn't matter if he wasn't viewed as a human being – he probably had never been seen as one. He had a place to belong. Don't judge him. You cannot understand."

Sakura felt a pang of indignance at being told off in such a blunt manner, but she'd dealt with this before. It felt like she was being lectured by Tsunade-sama all over again. Tsunade… Tsunade… would he feel as she had, if Pein were to lose his life?

"You don't have to answer," Sakura cancelled her previous query, gently extracting her wrist from his tightening grasp. His life was slipping away, yet he was spending his remaining energy defending his master. She watched him, her eyes brimming with tears. "I suppose everyone has reasons for their choices. But I just – just can't stand watching people dying for my sake. Even if it's you, the enemy. It hurts."

Shiroi lay still, his head tilted towards her, silver eyes fixed on her tears. Nobody had ever cried for him before. Nobody cried in Amegakure. The rain did enough of that already. He didn't know what to do, or what to say. Yet it felt right to smile. Just smile. His muscles had almost forgotten how pleasant that upward twist of the lips felt, his pain seemed to vanish. Smile.

"Oh God," Sakura sniffed hard, rubbing away her tears. "Ignore me. Just – thank you," she whispered fervently, her hands finding his gloved ones, clasping them. "Thank you."

He was still smiling, as his breath slowed. "A… life for… a… life… thank… you."

N

His face was a picture of contentment in death, just like Tsunade's. It was as if they thought that all they had done, what they had died for, was worth it. Like they knew that it was their time, that they had done all they could. Sakura wondered if she would die like that, too.

She stood, steeling herself, forcing herself to be steady. The exchange between Shiroi and herself had miraculously occurred undisturbed in the midst of battle, and Sakura now found herself surrounded by friends battling some of Akatsuki's most powerful. Something in her heart clenched again, fear for her friends, despair that they were doing this for her. But her encounter with Shiroi had left her a little calmer, a little wiser. They had made a choice. She could not interfere.

"Neji!" Sakura shouted, swiftly sprinting to where he stood, challenging one of Pein's doppelgangers, hoping against hope that he had what she needed. The Hyuuga flung the item out to her smoothly, his stance and attack never once interrupted by the movement. Sakura caught it, almost surprised that it was all so easy.

"Get moving! Tobi's coming!" the Nanabi disrupted her moment of surprise, jolting her to her senses. Sakura forcefully quelled the fear that rose up her throat in a whimper, turning, trying to ascertain her bearings, trying to relocate the statue.

'There!' Instinct shouted at her, and she whirled, her legs carrying her forward, dodging under the battles, clashing weapons, finding hands reaching out to grab her, then hindered by attacks that were undoubtedly her friends'. She could not fail them. She had to keep moving.

Sakura crashed through the undergrowth, her heartbeat accelerated beyond what she could have imagined possible. It was as if she was having her last bout of exhilaration before death, the same kind of exhilaration she felt during missions, in dangerous situations. She ran full-tilt, with the impatient gait of one who knew that they were so close to their goal – she knew that it was all going to end, this uncertainty, this fear. It was going to end very soon. She just had to get there.

"Listen carefully. We don't have much time. Tobi's closing in, he might already be there. Listen. I'll tell you the seal combination. When you get to the statue, activate the scroll with the seals, then immediately – immediately, you hear me? Smash the damn statue. Smash it to dust if you can, preferably, it's so hideous-"

'Just get on with it, will you?' Sakura snapped, impatient. 'I really don't care how hideous the statue is, just give me the damn combination!'

She was ten yards away from the looming statue. A flash of orange at the corner of her eye sent adrenaline surging through her veins and she pushed herself to run faster, knowing that Tobi would get there before her, but still trying. Another flash, this time yellow. Sakura didn't have to look to know that it was Naruto.

"Listen!"

'Listening, dammit!'

"Dragon, Boar, Rabbit, Rooster, Ox, Dragon. Got it? Dragon Board, Rabbit Rooster, Ox, Dragon."

'Dragon, Boar, Rabbit – '

Tobi's masked face sprung up before her, and Sakura lost concentration, almost toppling backwards to avoid him as his hand reached out to grab her. He never made it. Before she registered it, Tobi had tripped sideways as Naruto pummeled into him again, shoving the Akatsuki leader out of her path. No time for relief. No time for thank yous.

"GO, SAKURA!" Naruto shouted as he spun around to block Tobi from stopping her, swearing and darting off as Tobi disappeared.

Dragon. Boar. Rabbit. Rooster. Ox. Dragon.

Sakura didn't waste her time dwelling on her lucky escape. She'd wasted enough time dwelling on fate lately. She only had to move forward now, keep going. Her path was cleared, her thoughts were cleared. She just had to do it.

Dragon. Boar. Rabbit. Rooster. Ox. Dragon.

Two yards away from the statue. Sakura kicked off the ground, propelling herself upward to dart up the statue, leaping swiftly to the top, landing on the rough stone surface lightly, clutching the scroll tightly in her hand. She could feel the menacing presence behind her, a presence tainted by desperation, and knew that Tobi was catching up to her. No matter. Naruto was right behind him. Focus.

"NOW!" the Nanabi screamed in her mind, her echoing voice painfully high-pitched and urgent.

Now. Her hands shifted, mechanically.

Dragon. Boar. Rabbit. Rooster. Ox. Dragon.

Sakura flung the scroll out, high into the air, glimpsing the complicated runes unfurling in an epic moment as the scroll began to glow. Her free hand now shifted, prepared to execute the long familiar punch of pure strength that her mentor and left to her, imbibed into her as her second nature. She loved the feeling of power it gave her, the invincibility it offered. She was no longer crying, weak Sakura who brought Team 7 down when she wielded this punch. She was Sakura, Tsunade's apprentice. Proud kunoichi and member of Team 7.

The warm glow of chakra flowed comfortably down her arms, subtly at first, then gathering momentum, gathering pressure in the heart of her clenched fist. Clench it loosely, Tsunade-sama used to say. Let your power fill your fist, let it expand. Then let it flow. The most powerful punch is a subtle flow of chakra, contained in the right places – even if it's in just one finger. Let it seep into every pore of the object you want to break. Release it, and it'll shatter into a million pieces.

She could sense Tobi again, coming up behind her, but that didn't alarm her anymore. Ironically, she'd been desperately escaping from him just moments ago. It didn't matter, really, what he did to her now.

Her arm drew backwards, poised to strike downwards, straight into the core of the statue. The cherry blossom kept her eyes wide open, ensuring that even as her fist made contact with the harsh stone that crumbled into insignificance; even as a strangled cry filled her ears and a cold sensation pierced her chest from behind, a smile remained on her face and her eyes remained fixed on Konoha – her friends, her heart – her home.

N

Sasuke whirled away from Pein's barrage of punches, dodging under the swiping fist narrowly and lashing out swiftly, his sword tingling with electricity, in counterattack before regaining his balance several yards away. As he straightened, the Uchiha stiffened, finding himself face-to-face with someone he'd been wanting, yet dreading to meet for the longest time. He cast a quick glance backward – Kakashi was now facing Pein alone. He muttered a quick apology, knowing that Kakashi knew how important this was to him. That, or Kakashi would be indignant that Sasuke had had the nerve to assume that the Hatake Kakashi actually needed assistance in battle.

He almost laughed at himself. Since when had he been able to think in terms of humour? He really had changed since his genin days. Really. Smiling to himself, Sasuke lifted his face to look straight into Itachi's perpetually red eyes – eyes that he now somehow understood, were a curse upon his brother.

Sasuke was surprised at how wonderfully calm he felt. There was no rage that clawed at his heart, no rushing blood that blinded his sight to everything else. No burning desire to rip Itachi's throat out, no desperate yearning for revenge. Nothing.

How ironic, Sasuke mused. To waste all his life chasing after one person he never truly wanted to kill. Since when had he realized that? Perhaps witnessing Sakura's spell of blind, uncontrolled rage after Itachi's Mangekyou had traumatized her had shown him just how destructive desire for revenge could be. Sakura had completely lost herself, willing to turn on anyone who got in her way, even her closest friends. Sasuke had been chilled to the bone at that very moment, when he realized how revenge could twist the avenger's personality into that of a complete demon, when he saw his own hatred and emptiness mirrored in Sakura's eyes – eyes that were supposed to hold joy. It had terrified him. He had understood something that he couldn't quite describe at that very moment – but now, facing Itachi, he also understood what Kakashi had meant about 'being ready' for this. He was ready to face these ghosts that had haunted him for years – face them with a steady heart and not one of turmoil.

"Nii-san,"

Itachi's eyes widened as the long-abandoned honorific reached him across the battlefield. His surprise gave way to a much softer expression – the half-smile that Sasuke had so loved as a child.

"You understand," the Akatsuki member said quietly, the smile never leaving his face as he closed his eyes. He would have given anything to be able to explain the circumstances of the Uchiha massacre, to tell his younger brother that a single sacrifice on his part – the sacrifice of his pride, reputation and family – had been the best way to save Konoha from betrayal, and the Uchiha clan from humiliation. He would never be able to completely explain his reasons now, but at least he knew that Sasuke was ready to know the truth. This was where his journey of solitude ended.

Sasuke was startled when Itachi disappeared and reappeared two feet away from him, his hands grasping Sasuke's sword arm. Before he even registered it, Itachi had maneuvered Sasuke's arm and driven the sword through his own heart.

"What…" Sasuke whispered hoarsely, staring disbelievingly at his arm at the hilt of the sword piercing his brother's chest, lifting his eyes slowly to meet his brother's.

"You have killed me," Itachi's voice was dry, his body shuddered, but his words were unwavering. "You have achieved your goal, Sasuke… it's okay… to go home… and find your own happiness… look… in my drawers… and find… your answers," the elder Uchiha breathed, heaving the bloody sword out of his body before slumping to his knees at Sasuke's feet, his life draining away quickly in the pool of blood that gathered around him.

Sasuke was frozen, but Itachi's last words drifted up to him on a strangely warm breeze, a breeze that seemed to promise an ending, and a new beginning. His heart clenched, and tears fell.

"Love… you…"

N

The battlefield was driven into silence once again as a piercing cry filled the air, overpowered by the following loud rumble of crumbling stone and dust that disoriented the shinobi. The rumble was succeeded by a terrifying collection of inhuman roars that shook the ground and sent a jolt of terror coursing through every shinobi who had lived through the last war with the tailed beasts. Shinobi began backing off, terrified, scrambling away in a stampede in vain hopes that they might be safe from the unleashing of all nine monsters in full power. The Konoha shinobi and Akatsuki members stood their ground, though they had stopped fighting, squinting through the dust, wondering, fearing.

The dust cleared in the silence. They caught a glimpse of Tobi's orange mask, his hand reaching out for a floating object that burst into flames before his fingertips even grazed it. He let out a scream of frustration that broke the stillness.

But Konoha's shinobi saw only two things, blind to the rest of the world.

Naruto, crumpled motionless at the edge of the rubble of the statue.

Sakura, curled on her side atop the pile of rubble, a short sword struck through her heart.