Chapter Thirty Five

Sakura stared at him with wide eyes, she wasn't expecting him, Hinata or TenTen maybe sure...but not Kakashi...Sakura's stale heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, the cracks that laced her heart through the years of damage stung sending lighting through her veins.

"Do you like my new toy?" Malachite grinned, "Kakashi of the sharingan makes the perfect body guard, don't you think?"

"Oh." Sakura breathed out with a chuckled. "-I am going to enjoy pulling you apart." She turned looking at Malachite's face.

Sakura could see the blood-soaked stain on Kakashi's stomach where he was stabbed by the reapers fourth in command that day inside the leaf's forest. Damn...to Sakura that day felt like years ago. She felt an urge to reach out and touch him just to see if he was real or if this was another twisted nightmare her brain tormented her with. She missed him so much it hurt her to breathe living without him, life has been one long hellish slap in the face since he died.

As Kakashi stood before her, both his eyes glowing read all she could do was stare. When she buried him, he took pieces with her and she hadn't been the same since. Sakura knew she still wouldn't be able to put back the life she had here before Kakashi was taken away. She could feel Naruto's gaze on her back, looking from her and then to Kakashi.

Sakura remembered everything that had happened when team seven traveled to the waterfall village searching her out when her memory had been stolen by Kaguya. There wasn't any turning back from the things she did to them, she balled her fists up she could still feel her hand punching Naruto until he bled...she truly was a monster that didn't deserve people like Naruto in her life. The only thing she could do that could possibly make up for that was to end this fight and give Naruto back his friends, his girlfriend and his sensei and then leave.

Kakashi wouldn't be as easy to trap as the other three under the Reapers control, he was activated and would see it coming. Sakura felt herself splitting off, creating a clone--just what the world needs, another tainted thing like her.

"Dawn, Diem." Sakura called without pulling her eyes off Malachite,

"Commander!" The two perked up,

"Defend the Leaf Village." Sakura ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Dawn and Diem nodded, Naruto watched Sakura and then looked at Kakashi with his heart slamming against his chest.

"Carver, Raiden." Sakura called sending fearful shocks inside their chests.

"Y-Yes!?" Raiden's voice was unnaturally high.

"Keep him at bay." Sakura nodded towards Kakashi. "I'm giving you a clone to aid you."

"Wh-What?" Carver frowned.

"I don't recall you ever being this organized." Malachite grinned watching Sakura turn her eyes off Kakashi and onto him.

"Only when it comes to killing you." Sakura smiled back, she moved to get closer to Malachite but Kakashi reacted, causing Sakura's clone to get in the way blocking his kunai with the copy of her blade.

"Very clever Reaper." Malachite smiled drawing his sword. "But are you sure you want to do this? You do still have my poison coursing through your blood, and you are injured, are you not?"

"I don't care." Sakura said with a shake of her head. Naruto, Carver and Raiden went to aiding Sakura's clone to keep Kakashi in check. Sakura knew how to free Kakashi and the others, she just knew it was going to cost her a high price to do so.

"This fight could end up killing you." Malachite warned, trying to scare Sakura off from her march towards him. He did not want to fight her today; he wasn't expecting her to show up here and get in the way!

"I am counting on it." Sakura didn't fletch as she clashed swords with Malachite, Naruto glanced at Sakura as her and the leader of the reapers danced off into battle.

"Aren't you going to go after her!?" Naruto yelled over the loudness of battle towards Carver who looked at him confused.

"Are you going to keep him here?" Carver asked gesturing to Kakashi.

"Well..."

"I didn't think so!" Carver yelled as he, Raiden and Naruto circled Kakashi keeping him from following Malachite and Sakura. Raiden glanced over his shoulder at Hinata, TenTen and Lee who were beating against the domes they were trapped inside. As long as those domes stood, so did Sakura...

----

"Sakura!" Karui jumped into sight, Sakura glanced over seeing the woman running towards where she stood, Malachite's blade digging into her side. She felt warm blood tickle down her chin as she smiled, ignoring Karui and looked at Malachite who held a shocked expression. Malachite had been controlling Kakashi and the others through a red orb which he held on his person and it was connected to him through his chakra. The only way to get close enough to destroy the damn thing was to allow Malachite to injure her, this was the price she knew she was going to have to pay as he quickly backed away holding the shattered orb in his hand.

"No!" He screamed seeing he lost his new toys. Sakura knew Naruto and the others would be able to take down the remaining reapers with the help of her commanders. Sakura rose to her feet, stepping in front of Karui.

"The war is over-" Sakura said picking up her fallen sword as she held her bleeding side. "-it is time for the age of the Reapers to come to an end."

"No." Malachite shook his head. "This is not over!"

"Yes-" Sakura moved towards him, ignoring the pain she felt in her body as she focused on Malachite and the fact that Kakashi was alive again. Knowing that fact gave her the strength to move forward, she wanted to kill Malachite and see Kakashi just one more time before she bled out.

"This battle may be over, but the war is just beginning!" Malachite laughed as he vanished.

"Sakura!" Karui gasped closing her eyes, Sakura cursed flipping around kicking herself into her friend's direction as she tackled her to the ground away from Malachite. Sakura quickly sat up,

"Until next time Reaper." Malachite's chakra vanished from sight causing Sakura to cure as she fell onto her back.

"Are-Are you ok!?" Karui breathed looking at Sakura's torso.

"I hate you." Sakura said looking at Karui.

"You do not. Come on-" Karui said, "-we need to get you help."

"I am good." Sakura breathed feeling sleepy.

"Your bleeding out!" Karui yelled gripping both sides of Sakura's face.

Naruto was feeling himself sweat as he panted looking at Kakashi whose eyes had returned to normal, he stood there staring off into space.

"Kakashi...?" Naruto asked slowly, Carver and Raiden stood beside him also looking at Kakashi feeling skeptical. Raiden turned seeing Sakura's domes had shattered, Hinata and the other two fell to the ground.

"What's going on?" Carver breathed watching Kakashi fall as Raiden quickly tried to catch him but got crushed under Kakashi's larger statue.

"Help me!" Raiden breathed out but Naruto turned running towards Hinata who laid on the ground with Neji beside her.

"It's really her." Neji breathed touching Hinata's face,

"Is she-!?" Naruto dropped to the ground feeling frantic as he looked at Hinata's closed eyes.

"They are breathing!" Guy cried out hugging Lee, with Naruto beside Hinata Neji turned to TenTen and touched the side of her face.

"Are they...alright?" Neji wondered studying TenTen.

"They should be." Dawn said walking over as Diem was looking around for his commander. "They may be tired and need a couple days of sleep but..."

"How did the control over them break?" Diem wondered.

"Where is Sakura?" Carver scanned the growing crowd.

"Help!" Raiden breathed out a couple feet away still under Kakashi, Carver ignored him and went to searching for pink hair in the crowd.

"I don't know." Dawn muttered, her domes broke, and she isn't here...how did she break the reapers control?

"Oh, thank you!" Raiden breathed feeling the weight being lifted off him, Raiden looked over and jumped seeing Kakashi was looking at him and had sat up. "Ka-Kakashi!?" Raiden blinked and then jumped, hugging the masked shinobi with tears in his eyes. "I have missed you!"

"Kakashi!?" Naruto saw his sensei was looking very confused as Raiden hung on him.

"How are you feeling Kakashi?" Carver asked as Kakashi stood and moved towards the group, Raiden still clinging onto him.

"What um..." Kakashi looked around seeing there had been a battle he missed, "...what is going on?"

"That is long story." Carver said tilting his head back, "I am just glad to see you're alright!"

"Yeah!" Raiden agreed, Naruto smiled looking up at his sensei with tears. If he didn't have Hinata wrapped in his arms, then he would bear hug Kakashi.

"Do I know you?" Kakashi tilted his head looking at Carver, and then down at Raiden.

"Huh?" The two said.

"Kakashi..." Naruto breathed, gently putting Hinata down and moving towards him. "...do you not remember them?"

"Should I?" The masked man looked down at his student, Kakashi reached over and placed his hand on Naruto's head. Naruto brightly smiled missing this feeling. "You have gotten taller?"

"Huh?" Naruto opened his eyes, "Kakashi?"

"Sensei." Kakashi added on with a closed eye smile.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Sasuke stepped in.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi felt surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Confusion filled the crowd.

"What is going on?" Carver turned to Dawn, she looked from Carver then to the leaf shinobi all around her.

"I don't know." She said.

"Kakashi!" Guy cried hugging him tightly.

"What are you doing?!" Kakashi groaned as Guy refused to let go of him.

"What do you mean!?" Guy gasped, "Kakashi you have been dead for the past ten months!"

"What?" Kakashi's eye widened,

"It's true!" Naruto said, "Well..." Naruto turned, "Was he dead?"

"Yes and no." Dawn answered.

"That..." Naruto sighed with an annoyed look. "...that didn't answer anything I just asked."

"Wait..." Raiden felt a sting in his chest as he looked up. "If Kakashi can't remember you or I..." He said to Carver who quickly caught on while the others around them didn't.

"He won't remember her." Carver realized.

"This is temporary right!?" Raiden ran into Dawn's personal space. "He will get his memory back!?"

"I-I don't know!" Dawn kicked Raiden away. "All of this was just theory!"

"What!?" Naruto yelled, "You mean you could have broken control over them and Hinata and Kakashi would have died!?" Naruto glared at Diem.

"It was the best we got, and Sakura was right so what is the problem!?" Diem glared back.

"But-"

"Kakashi." Carver turned hearing her tired voice.

"Sakura-" Carver went to warn her, but he was too late Sakura practically ran into his embrace. Sakura smiled feeling the familiar feel of his body against hers, this was all she wanted. She just wanted to be wrapped inside his strong grasp and everything else she could deal with now. Kakashi looked down seeing pink hair.

"Sakura?" Kakashi's voice sounded confused but still sent shivers through Sakura's body as his arms wrapped around her. She felt him look up to someone, "Naruto, Sakura is alive!" Sakura opened her eyes feeling something was off, his tone was...different.

"Kakashi?" Sakura breathed looking up to see his face, he was looking back at her. She pulled her lips together as she felt a need to cry in relief, for months all she could see when she closed her eyes was Kakashi's dead stare stained inside her brain. Sakura looked at the man who proposed to her on his death bed, his ring rested on a silver chain tucked inside her shirt in order to protect it.

"Look how long your hair is!" Kakashi smiled under his mask, Sakura frowned as she furrowed her eyebrows confused. Carver closed his eyes as he watched it click inside her head.

"You-You don't remember me..." Sakura breathed stepping away from him, her heart heavy as she felt another crack chip her heart adding to her large collection.

"Of course, I remember you." Kakashi grinned, "You were my student after all-"

Sakura's heart crushed at that word...student...he didn't remember falling in love with her, Kakashi couldn't remember their shared moments together and he didn't know how much he selfishly got her to love him. Sakura turned her head as this all sunk it, Kakashi may be alive with a beating heart but the man she loved, he remained dead living inside her faded memory. Sakura pushed back the pressure on her eyes as she watched him move away from her, TenTen and Lee had woken and was looking around confused.

"He didn't remember us either." Carver said shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah." Raiden agreed.

"Get them to the hospital." Sakura ordered without looking at anyone as shock filled her body.

"Right..." Raiden nodded as he and Carver began to push the large crowd towards the direction of the hospital. Karui watched them walk away but she turned and saw Sakura was staring off into space.

"Hey..." Kurai breathed, "...you need to go there too."

"I-" Sakura said feeling the shock leave her body and anger replace it, she felt her side and the blood leaking down her leg. Sakura instantly shut up feeling his chakra behind her. Karui backed up seeing Malachite looked at them with wild eyes. "You really are stupid." Sakura smiled as fire ignited inside her hand, she bit her jaw down as she placed the heated blaze against her wounded side.

"Sakura-"

"Get to Dawn." Sakura ordered.

"But-"

"I said go!" Sakura snapped, "Before you get in my way again!" Karui turned on her heeled boot and ran towards the direction everyone walked, Sakura watched to make sure her friend was moving from harm'sway before turning to Malachite.

"Reaper-"

"Are you coming back because you think you'll be able to kill me?" Sakura smiled wiping her bloody wet hand on her pants before pulling her blade out. Sakura knew she had injured him just like he injured her, the question was how bad did she get him?

A darkened smirk spread across Malachite's face as he summoned two boxes beside him. Sakura braced herself as the lids opened, Malachite wasn't in any better condition Sakura was in, he couldn't continue fighting, so he was going to have to use the entire reason he came here. Malachite didn't mind giving his new toys a test drive though, and if it took down the reaper who had been the biggest thorn in his side than that would just be a bonus.

"Fuck me." Sakura sighed watching Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze step into the open. This just wasn't her day; Sakura knew Malachite couldn't go far if he wanted to control Naruto's parents. But Sakura also knew she couldn't just kill them to get to him, Naruto would never forgive her.

Naruto's parents bolted forward; Sakura defended herself matching the yellow flash's speed. Sakura gritted her teeth at the pain in her side as she blocked Kushina's kunai. Sakura was feeling tired and hungry, she was running low on chakra and didn't have much energy left.

Malachite had a plan, he quickly texted people on his phone setting off attacks in other villages. Those villages would then activate Sakura's seal's, Malachite knew from an inside source she had not reset thosevillage seals with their own little supply since her memory was wiped clean and she didn't care enough to do it. The seals around the village would draw from her personal chakra supply and he knew by now she couldn't have much left since he was in the same boat as her, plus she had lost a lot of blood and her pale, sweaty skin showed signs of blood loss.

Sakura jumped over Kushina and ran towards Malachite who enjoyed the show, she tried to break the orb in his hand-four villages activated the large seals sucking her chakra from her like a thirsty kid drinking from a straw. She cringed falling to the ground, her eyes activating. Sakura rolled over onto her back the cut on her side burned and screamed, questions floated around her skull asking her why was she doing this?

Kushina appeared and plummeted her kunai into Sakura's shoulder. Sakura looked up biting the scream as she looked up into the blue sky. What the fuck was the point of fighting to get her memory back? As Sakura drew her leg up, kicking Kushina off her Sakura saw from the corner of her eye the red orb in Malachite's hand shattered, blood dripped down his hand as he ripped the kunai out of his palm. Dawn and Carver jumped after Malachite who vanished before they could reach him.

"Ugh!" Carver sneered feeling his chakra vanish; Malachite was right there they were so close to ending this!

"Sakura!" Raiden moved towards her as she picked herself up off the ground, her eyes burned inside her skull and her mind felt like it was flat lining. Her body froze in place as a shield bloomed around her.

"Fuck!" Diem said walking closer to his commander, he quickly looked above seeing a dome explode over the leaf village.

"What does that mean?" Raiden asked.

"It means Sakura is so tired she can't function." Dawn said in a duhed tone.

"Why are you such an asshat!?" Raiden glared into Dawn. Carver ignored Raiden and Dawn bickering looking at the two who were just freed from Malachite's control. They were looking at their bodies and then to each other. Carver tilted his head, who were these two and why did Malachite want them?

Kushina and Minato looked at each other and breathed smiling at each other before quickly embracing.

"We are alive!" Kushina breathed after Minato kissed her, "How-Why?"

"I-I don't know." Minato shook his head, he turned to look at the four watching them.

"Who are you!?" Raiden yelled not understanding.

"Why are Sakura's shields up!?" Naruto came running towards them with Karui and everyone who should be inside the leaf hospital getting looked at right now behind him.

"Yo!" Raiden waved seeing the group, Naruto froze, his eyes widened as his heart stopped.

"M-Mom?"

"Huh?" Carver looked over.

"Dad?"

"Are you talking to Sasuke?" Raiden wondered, Naruto ignored their comments as he ran towards Minato and Kushina whose minds were still rattling around in confusion.

"Naruto!" Kushina cried, tears falling down her face seeing her son as she opened her arms wide ready to huge her son for the first time.

"Sensei?" Kakashi breathed seeing Minato.

"Well..." Raiden smacked his lips. "...there is so much I do not understand."

"We know." Carver said with a laugh. Sasuke tilted his head seeing Sakura staring off into space with a blank look on her face.

"Yeah-" Diem noticed Sasuke, "-I wouldn't do that if I were-" Sasuke ignored Diem and reached out anyway, he came in contact with the shield placed around her and flew backwards being electrocuted.

"Sasuke!" Naruto saw.

"He is fine!" Carver called holding his arm up trying to calm the group who was getting excited.

"I told you not to touch." Diem muttered as Sasuke sat up.

"You could have been louder!" Sasuke glared.

"Don't touch a woman without permission." Diem said, "That is something you should have been taught as a child, where are your parents I need to have a conversation with them."

"They are dead." Sasuke's voice was flat.

"Aw." Diem said, "That explains just so much with you."

"What does that mean!?" Sasuke felt offended as Shikamaru muffled his laugh.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked moving closer to her with his parents beside him.

"She is..." Carver trailed off; he couldn't say fine because that wasn't entirely true.

"She will be fine." Dawn stepped in.

"But-"

"She is powering the shields." Dawn said looking up above her head.

"Did the other villages activate theirs?" Raiden asked, "But why?"

"Maybe Malachite planned this I don't know."

"Why does she look like that-" Sasuke said motioning to Sakura's blank face.

"This is her fail safe." Dawn yawned feeling tired and a little hungry. "The past few months have been...difficult...in that time she hadn't replenished the village's seals since they used all the stored chakra. So, since they activated the domes around the villages, she will power them and remain like this until she recovers."

"She is bleeding." Raiden narrowed his eyes on her shoulder.

"I-I um..." Kunshia blushed, "I did that, I am so sorry I didn't mean-"

"We know." Carver said, "She knows to, you weren't in control."

"Forget her shoulder!" Kunai said stepping closer, "Worry about her side!"

"Her side?" Sasuke questioned,

"That freak Malachite stabbed her!" Kunai gushed, "She cauterize the wound before going up against you two-" Kanai pointed to Naruto's parents.

"There isn't anything we can do." Diem said, reaching out towards Sakura but got shocked the same as Sasuke.

"Why did you-" Sasuke wanted to know why Diem didn't fly back like he had!

"I am not a bitch." Diem rolled his eyes as Sasuke's face.

"So we just going to let her bleed out!" Karui looked at all the faces around her. Carver licked his lips as he glanced over at Kakashi who stood beside Minato. Carver sighed turning back to Sakura, he had no idea if this was going to work or not.

"Kakashi!" Carver called,

"Hm?" The masked shinobi turned hearing his name.

"Come here." Carver nodded, Kakashi did as told and moved to stand beside Carver. "You're up."

"What?" Kakashi asked as Naruto felt nervous.

"You may not remember shit." Carver crossed his arms. "But she did just save your village, freed you and your sensei to so...give it a go." Carver backed away giving Kakashi room. Kakashi sighed, turning to look at Naruto and then Minato who smiled. Kakashi's head was spinning but he moves forward anyways lifting his arm towards the shield. Raiden's mouth dropped as Kakashi's arm went through with ease.

"Well son of a bitch." Diem muttered, Kakashi walked up to Sakura gazing down at those glowing eyes. The silver fox had so many questions but for now, he wrapped his arms around her as he picked her up. Her body moved despite how stiff she appeared.

"Let's get her to the hospital!" Carver called as Kakashi looked around holding Commander Haruno not knowing what to do now.

----

Sakura was lying in a hospital bed with Kakashi following Dr. Yu's instructions, not even her own doctor could touch her withput being shocked. Carver chewed on the inside of his cheek watching Kakashi patch up Sakura's shoulder that Naruto's mother had stabbed and her side. It shouldn't surprise everyone that the one person who could touch Sakura when her body and mind went into lock down would be Kakashi. He may not remember or even love her anymore, but Sakura still cared deeply for him Carver realized this today.

"Alright, that should be good." Dr. Yu smiled. "Now let's get you checked out."

"I am-"

"Let's go." Dr. Yu said dragging Kakashi out of the room against his will. Carver, Raiden and Sakura's two commanders were left standing inside the room.

"This has been a weird day." Dawn sighed sitting down.

"Yup!" Raiden laughed, that was an understatement!

"She can't seem to catch a break." Carver turned seeing Naruto walk in.

"Hey." He said, "How are your parents?"

"They are good." Naruto smiled, not use to hearing those words.

"That is going to be weird." Raiden laughed, "You have parents now!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Both my parents are asleep." Naruto smiled weakly looking down at Sakura. "I just wanted to check in on her and see how she was doing."

"She is stable." Dawn shrugged.

"How long will she be like this?"

"It varies." Diem answered,

"It took what-" Carver turned to Raiden, "-two weeks last time?"

"Yeah."

"I see..." Naruto muttered, turning to Dawn and Diem. "...how is she back?"

"Yeah!" Raiden perked up, "How the fuck-!?"

"Took you long enough." Diem muttered with a sleepy face.

"What did you guys do?" Carver wanted to know.

"Nothing." Dawn shrugged.

"Huh?"

"You know how she is-" Dawn chuckled gesturing over to Sakura. "-we should have figured she wouldn't have liked the fact Kagua fucked with her memories."

"So, Sakura made Kaguya give her memories back?" Naruto guessed.

"No." Dawn yawned, covering her mouth. "From what we know, Sakura tracked down the jutsu Kaguya used on her and got rid of it."

"That's it?" Carver wondered not understanding.

"I guess, Sakura didn't go into much detail about it and honestly I didn't care enough to question her, she is back that's all that matters."

"So...she remembers everything she did while not having half her memories?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"She does." Dawn nodded.

"Hm." Naruto hummed looking back at her, he could still feel her hitting him in the face repeatedly until his eye swelled shut.

One long ass week dragged itself through the leaf village. Dawn and Diem were having trouble laying low while stuck inside the village due to Sakura being stuck powering domes around five villages.

Carver and Raiden spent most of their time trying to knock something lose inside Kakashi's head, but no matter how many stories they told him or how many pictures they showed him; he remembered nothing. The shinobi who were thought to be dead have been forced to stay inside the hospital under observation by Tsunade's orders.

While the leaf village began picking themselves up and fixing their broken village a long-forgotten shinobi was found wandering around in a daze looking rather confused. He had died years ago but stood inside the training grounds looking around at how much had changed. His niece Shizune was the one to find him, she rejoiced and dragged him to the hospital where Tsunade was checking up on the six who had returned to them.

"D-Dan?" Tsunade breathed looking at her lost lover who she watched die before her so long ago. He appeared to be the same, he smiled at Tsunade's ghostly expression as he hugged her. "Wh-What?"

Sakura opened her eyes on the eighth day, she blinked her burning eyes and looked around the room. She quickly recalled events and remembered where she was, Diem and Dawn had been staying inside her hotel room. Sakura let out a deep breath as she sat up.

"Sakura!" Dawn stood; Diem was by Sakura's side in a heartbeat. Their commander hummed in response as she rubbed her face. "Why are you getting up?" Dawn demanded to know watching Sakura pull the blanket off her legs and move to stand.

"Should you be getting up? I mean you look-" Sakura shot Diem an annoyed look, "-fantastic as always but aren't you tired?"

"How long was I out?" Sakura questioned spotting her shoes on the counter.

"Eight days." Dawn answered with her eyebrows knitted together looking worried. Sakura's throat was dry as she nodded. She breathed seeing the room was empty, she blinked trying to push the burning sensation away.

"How are they?" Sakura questioned pulling her shoes on.

"Um..." Diem looked at Dawn.

"Carver and Raiden are fine, they are..." Dawn smiled weakly, "Adjusting well into this village." Dawn's face for just a moment, showed how she missed those two knuckleheads raising hell inside the waterfall village. "The eight shinobi who were under the Reapers control-"

"Eight?" Sakura turned,

"Uh yeah- Diem said, "Another person was found...Don...Dan...I don't know."

"Uh-huh." Sakura nodded, that name didn't ring any bells.

"They all appear to be healthy and ready to return to their normal life. The Hokage has kept them inside hospital just in case but I am sure with your word she will let them go home."

"They do-" Diem stepped in, "-all have memory loss, which wasn't something we were told about by our snitch."

"Figures he was holding back." Sakura stood grabbing her phone off the in table. "Are you ready to go?"

"Go?" Dawn repeated.

"Go where?"

"Home." Sakura's voice as tight as she pulled wind into the room in order to send them home.

"But your-your hurt." Dawn shook her head confused.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to anyone?" Diem scratched his neck.

"Do you want to be stationed here?" Sakura asked,

"No." The two commanders replied.

"Very well then." Sakura said with a nod, "Time to go."

Sakura closed her eyes; she could feel his chakra and it brought her great joy and well as painful sorrow to feel it inside the world once more. For a single moment she thought about breaking this seal, she thought about running into his hospital room to look upon his face once more. Somehow, someway she caught his eye and stole his heart if he truly loved her once then he could, again right?

Sakura opened her eyes remaining inside the seal as it closed whipping her and her two commanders from the leaf village. Team seven look past her painted mask and gazed upon her true face, she remembered Naruto's terrified face as he took in what she really was. Sakura licked her lips as she looked around the waterfall village and its quiet streets.

Sakura walked forward to her office as her commanders followed her, Malachite was still out there. She was kidding herself if she believed she could playhouse inside the leaf village with Kakashi. Sakura plugged her phone in as Diem and Dawn sat in their usual spots looking at the map of the world and drawings of other dimensions they had been in during the search for the reapers hideout, it was back to square one in searching Malachite out.

Sakura pointed to the place on the map as she spoke, she was tired of masking what she had become after being banished. Sakura was a war machine, she loved the kill and now that team seven saw it she didn't see a need to hide it from them anymore. She was ready to kill team seven that day, she wanted to storm through those leaf village gates and string up those shinobi like ornaments on a Christmas tree. Sakura realized it was too late for her, she was already broken and stained, she was one of the things that go bump in the night.

So, in order to protect the last thing she truly cared for in this world...fuck it...if trouble must come then let it all come to her, inside the shadow of night she will crawl into the flames to protect them so they did not have to feel what she has already endured, she was ready to die anyway.