Chapter 19

"I'm so sorry," Karin whispered, letting her head fall forward and her hair curtain her face so that it was hidden from view, but Sakura could see the shimmering tears dripping from her chin onto the floor.

So much pain.

Sakura propped herself up into a sitting position, feeling the strength return to her limbs as her body healed itself, and climbed unsteadily to her feet. She offered Karin her hand and the redhead looked up with surprised and teary eyes before she took it and Sakura pulled her to her feet.

"I don't blame you," Sakura said in a low voice and moved to crouch next to Sasuke. Asleep, he looked peaceful, like an angel, like the old Sasuke she remembered before Ino had dug her claws into him. Asleep, he was free. Until he woke up again.

She extended her hand to him, wanting to touch him, to be reassured that he was really right in front of her and wouldn't disappear again, but faltered as the images of him ripping out Gaara's heart flashed across her field of vision: the hopeless look in the Kazekage's eyes, him whispering her name before he died, and the sound of his lifeless body hitting the gravel at Sasuke's feet. When she had looked at him that night, all she had seen was Ino. Stop it, she snarled at herself, angry at herself for being cowardly and stupid. I am not afraid of him; he isn't in control of his actions. I'm only afraid of the one controlling him.

Sakura gently brushed his fringe from his face with a sad smile. You don't belong to her, and I promise I'll make sure that you never will, Sasuke. "I know it's not your fault." Karin watched her with silent admiration and understanding, nothing like the infatuated and malicious girl Sakura had become accustomed to. Ino changed her too.

"Didn't I tell you, youngling?"

Sakura's head shot up quickly and she snarled, baring her canines when she saw the Mizukage standing in the doorway at the end of the hall, still just as beautiful and flawless as she had been since their last encounter, with the strange white-haired boy standing behind her. His eyes were an unusual bright purple and glowed brightly through the darkness. Sakura didn't like the arrogant smirk he wore. She couldn't help, however, noticing and admiring the wild and rebellious fire that shone through the purple orbs locked on her, like no one was truly the boss of him. I wish my eyes could be the same.

"Mizukage," Karin bowed her head quickly and respectfully and Sakura wearily got back to her feet and backed away, her eyes constantly darting between Sasuke and the three figures standing in front of her. Traitors.

The Mizukage's sharp, emerald eyes flashed and she was gone, the boy smirking at her through a now empty doorframe. Sakura froze when she suddenly felt the tall woman's breath on the back of her neck, icy and cool, and squeaked with surprise. She turned quickly, stumbling. She hadn't even seen the Mizukage move at all. Karin caught her from behind and stopped her from falling backwards before taking a step back so that she was standing next to the purple-eyed boy who had moved down the corridor. He handed Karin a dark cloak.

"What do you want?" Sakura demanded, taking a fighting stance and the Mizukage chuckled with amusement. "My, my. Still so spirited. I would have thought that perhaps the Yamanaka child may have broken you by now, but I suppose my assumptions were incorrect, human." Sakura growled defiantly and the tall woman chuckled again and cocked her head curiously. "Tsunade was right. You are a strong one."

Sakura froze. Lady Tsunade? "You've seen Lady Tsunade?" She asked in a small voice and the tall woman nodded gravely. It was the most serious Sakura had even seen the Mizukage but that didn't stop the anger that burst forth through her. She pointed an accusing finger at the woman watching her with an indifferent expression. "It's your fault! You helped Ino take the Leaf! And it's because of you that Lady Tsunade was taken captive! How can you say her name so casually? As if you were friends?"

The Mizukage watched her with a bored expression that only annoyed Sakura more. "You younglings know so little about war," she rolled her eyes. "Even without my help the Yamanaka child would have still taken the Leaf with the forces she already had. Not long after, she would have taken the Sand and then eventually, my Village, the Mist. Tsunade and I saw it coming."

"She already knew about the Yamanakas' plan?" Sakura breathed with disbelief and the Mizukage rolled her eyes again. "It's a Kage's job to know, human. She and I made an agreement that I would ally myself with the Yamanakas should the time come, and work as a double agent. I was simply playing the part given to me by your Hokage, human." She mock pouted. "You do me an injustice."

Sakura could only stare wide-eyed at the woman in front of her with disbelief and stunned surprise. She's a double agent? As the Mizukage's words sank in, Sakura remembered how the woman had called off the Akatsuki and had allowed them to escape from the Leaf knowing that they were no match for Ino's forces on their own, but that had only led to Gaara's death afterwards. Sakura snarled. "You could have at least told Gaara about this plan." The Mizukage's uncaring and indifferent mask cracked and for a split second, Sakura could see the regret and guilt in her emerald eyes before the mask was immediately put back into place. "That was regrettable," she said flatly, "He was incredibly wise for someone so young. A true prodigy."

"You could have done something sooner," Sakura snapped, growling and the Mizukage flipped her hair nonchalantly. "What use would I have been to Tsunade hypnotized?" Sakura had no reply for that. The tall woman gestured to herself, the white-haired boy and Karin. "We are the resistance, human. We are not your enemy."

Sakura relaxed her stance after finding no deception in the three vampires' eyes. But still, sincerity can be faked. That didn't stop her from being cautious and weary.

Sasuke stirred and Sakura knelt next to him again as his eyes opened hazily. "Sasuke," she whispered softly and the raven-haired boy moved to prop himself up on one elbow as his obsidian eyes immediately sharpened into focus, still empty and cold. Sakura didn't even have the time to blink before the white-haired boy's fist made contact with the side of Sasuke's head and the raven-haired boy collapsed again onto her lap.

"Suigetsu!" Karin covered her mouth with shock and Sakura's stunned and furious eyes met the purple eyes of the boy kneeling parallel to her as he raised his head. He smirked, revealing two rows of shark-like teeth. "Him waking up would cause... complications, for us."

"Correct," the Mizukage said, circling around Sakura slowly so that Sakura could hair the soft rustle of her blue silk gown dragging across the floor. "We cannot help him here."

"Can we even help him at all?" Sakura demanded, feeling a sense of hopeless desperation start to grow in her chest.

"Lady Tsunade will know how to help him," Karin said, offering Sakura her hand as Suigetsu lifted Sasuke and slung him across his back as though the raven-haired boy weighed nothing. Sakura took the redhead's hand and was pulled lightly and easily to her feet. She looked at the Mizukage. "Do you know where Lady Tsunade is?" The brunette chuckled. "Didn't I already tell you, human? It's my job to know." She gestured for the three teenagers to follow her. "Follow me, younglings."

Sakura followed the group down corridor after corridor, around corner after corner and she couldn't help but notice how empty the manor was. It was like everyone had just disappeared and Sakura knew that this had been Ino's base. She didn't question or say anything as she followed them down a set of stairs into a dimly lit room and to a wooden door set in the wall on the far side of the room.

"Neji and Kiba aren't here," she heard Karin whispered as they followed the Mizukage through the door and down a flight of stairs made from cold stone.

"Is this a dungeon?" Sakura breathed, marvelling at how cold and damp the room was, and the way it was lit by dark blue light. It looked like a scene from a movie, like one of the dungeons hidden underground beneath the old and medieval castles.

They reached the bottom of the steps and the Mizukage led them quickly down a path lined with prison cells on either side. Sakura forced herself not to look at the dead eyed and empty eyed prisoners but couldn't help but hear the quiet whispers and murmurs of, "Sakura," and "Human," as she passed them. So this is what happened to the Leaf's vampires, the ones that weren't hypnotized.

They stopped in front of a cell with thick silver bars and Sakura felt her heart start hammering when her eyes fell on the tall and thin woman lying beside them. Sakura recognised her immediately. Is it really-

"Lady Tsunade," she sobbed, falling to her knees in front of the bars and the woman's eyes opened, warm and golden, and Tsunade smiled as she looked up at her. "You've grown up, Sakura." Tsunade sat up and caught the vial of blood the Mizukage tossed to her through the bars and downed its contents immediately before standing and flexing her hands experimentally. "I need you to move, Sakura."

Sakura jumped to her feet quickly as the Hokage's slender hands grasped the silver bars and Sakura gasped with surprise when they didn't burn. The loud screech of metal echoed across the stone walls of the dungeon as Tsunade bent and ripped the bars from the ceiling and floor before tossing them aside and moved, with natural grace, so that she was no longer standing in the prison cell.

"I did tell you the time was almost upon us the last time I saw you, Tsunade," the Mizukage smirked coyly as Sakura threw herself at her mentor and hugged the woman tightly.

"I can see the changes in you, Sakura," Tsunade said as Sakura released her. "In your eyes most of all. These last few weeks must have been hard on you." She looked down at her with golden eyes filled with guilt and regret. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into all this. This isn't something a human should have to get through on their own."

"I had help," Sakura said shakily, wiping the tears from her eyes. "From the Sand and the Druids especially."

"Druids?"

"It surprised everyone," Suigetsu shrugged, rolling his eyes. He lowered Sasuke onto the ground.

"Can the Uchiha's mind still be saved?" The Mizukage asked seriously and Tsunade's brow furrowed. "Healer's Blood can heal anything. But getting him to drink it is another story entirely." The Hokage pointed at the three vampires in front of them and then at Sasuke. "Each of you, hold Sasuke down. Sakura will make him drink."

"But surely your blood would be more effective?" The Mizukage raised an eyebrow and Tsunade shook her head. "I am still too weak. There's no telling how much he will need to be able to fully heal himself after being manipulated for so long."

I'm finally going to be able to help him. Sakura couldn't help the excitement and happiness from building in her chest, as well as the nervous anticipation and dread. What if it didn't work? What if Sasuke was too far gone to be saved? I still have to try.

Tsunade and the Mizukage gripped Sasuke's arms tightly and Karin and Suigetsu held his legs. Sakura knelt beside him and drew the chained vial of her blood from around her neck and uncapped it. The sweet and strangely refreshing scent of it immediately filled the air around them and Sasuke began to stir as he inhaled deeply. "Hold him down," Tsunade warned and the Uchiha's eyes flew open, sharingan activated and wild.

"This is going to help you," Sakura told him with a trembling voice as she brought the vial closer to his snarling mouth. He began to struggle, violently and frantically against the bonds holding him down and Sakura felt tears well in her eyes as she watched him writhe, like a traumatized animal.

"He won't open his mouth," she hissed and Suigetsu used his free arm to elbow Sasuke sharply in the stomach, causing the Uchiha to open his mouth as he cried out with pain and surprise.

"Now, Sakura!" Karin exclaimed and Sakura forced the contents of the vial into his mouth and used her hands to shut it as he growled. Suigetsu elbowed him again, forcing Sasuke to swallow.

The effect was immediate. Sasuke thrashed and cried out in pain, clawing at his chest and throat as though he had just swallowed fire, and Suigetsu quickly pulled Sakura back to avoid getting hit by the boy's flailing limbs.

"You didn't tell me it was going to hurt him!" Sakura cried as Sasuke writhed in agony, growling, snarling and crying for an eternity before suddenly jerking sharply. He froze and fell still, unconscious.

"It was the only way," Tsunade said gravely. "Karin, I want you to stay here with Sasuke. It will be a long time before he wakes. "

"And where are you going, Hokage?" Karin asked respectfully and Tsunade turned to face the stairs, flexing her hands and breathing in deeply. The Mizukage smirked knowingly and Suigetsu's hand grasped the hilt of the sword strapped to his back, grinning toothily and Sakura already knew where they were going.

"I'm going to take back my village."

xxxxxxx

"Bring me Deidara," Ino snapped, stretching herself out across the couch of her new chambers in the Tsuchikage's mansion in the Village Hidden in the Stones. She couldn't have been angrier. Sasuke hadn't met them where she had instructed him to and she had been forced to leave without him. She couldn't bear the thought. She had been forced to leave her most precious belonging behind, her Sasuke, and it made her want to break every single piece of furniture in the room.

She felt tears well in her eyes at the thought that someone might have killed him. That would be one of the only reasons he wouldn't have followed her instructions; he couldn't possibly have broken free of her powers, she had bound him too strongly for that, and there was no way Sakura could have possibly survived. She's only human after all, a weakling, inferior.

But, she smiled nastily, I now know where the Sand is. Another one of her spies had met up with her and her escort and had shown them the hidden entrance she had been searching for for so long. But the thought didn't keep her happy for long and she snarled. Almost half of her army were returning now which would only mean that Sakura's army of vampires and Druids were winning. Ino shrieked as she tore a pillow in two, sending feathers and fabric everywhere. Sakura would have the Leaf back now.

"Druids!" She screamed, gripping her hair so tightly that it hurt. How could someone so weak have ended the feud between the two races in such a short space of time? "It's impossible! It isn't fair!"

"You shouldn't scream so loudly," Deidara smirked. "Some might think you've gone insane."

"Shut the fuck up," Ino snarled before smirking back at him. He watched her curiously as she stood and moved to stand in front of him, making sure that their bodies were so close they were almost touching. She took a strand of his long blonde hair between her fingers and examined it as she spoke. "Karin told me about a certain bomb of yours before I left. I heard it was a work of... art." Ino smirked again as she looked up and saw the blonde's eyes light up manically at the compliment. "Art like mine is unforgettable, because art is-"

"An explosion?" Ino finished for him coyly and the Akatsuki grinned down at her. "Exactly."

Ino took one of his hands and tickled the mouth set in the palm playfully; out of all the Akatsuki members, Ino liked Deidara the best. "How many can you make for me before morning comes?"

Deidara watched her with a dazed expression as she brought the hand to her mouth and lightly traced the lines of the back of his hand and fingers with her lips. "How many do you need?" His voice was breathy.

Ino smiled again, revealing her fangs, gleefully thinking about the aftermath of the decision she had just made.

"Just make me two." Sakura will die.

xxxxxxx

Tenten was still lying outside the gate of the Uchiha compound when the group found her. The pretty Yamanaka boy was still there too, still unconscious. Sakura ran to Tenten before Tsunade pushed her out of the way and crouched beside the brunette. "I will help your friend. Keep going." Sakura knew that now wasn't the time to disagree with the Hokage and nodded before taking off at top speed through the now empty streets, with the Mizukage and Suigetsu at her sides.

The fighting had all moved to the edge of the city and the smell of smoke and burning was stronger now than it had been before. The cavern, once light by pale silver-green light, was now lit by red and orange from the enormous flames devouring what was left of the buildings. Dead and unconscious littered the ground everywhere and Sakura avoided looking at their faces, just in case she saw someone she knew.

"Horrible, isn't it?" She heard the Mizukage murmur from beside her as they looked down at the chaos below from the top of the burning shell of a building. "Growing soft, Mizukage?" Suigetsu grinned and Sakura growled back at him with irritation. "Do you think this is funny?"

A scream pierced the air and Sakura was surprised by how quickly Suigetsu's amused expression turned deadly serious. His eyes flashed dangerously and he growled back at her angrily, "Of course not. War isn't funny." Sakura gaped at him with wide eyes and the Mizukage chuckled. "Time to go, younglings."

The three of them leapt from the building, landing lightly amongst the chaos and immediately attacked.

"We're winning," she heard the Mizukage say to her loudly as she brought her water whip down and blasted her opponent with shards of ice before leaping to the next enemy and blasting them with a powerful breath of lava. She moved beautifully and fluidly and Sakura doubted that the tall woman had practiced gymnastics and contemporary to be able to move that way.

Sakura blasted the ground with her fist and the resulting shockwave threw her opponent off balance, and Sakura landed lightly on the slender woman's shoulders and broke her neck. She was immediately surrounded completely by a least seven new opponents and she felt her breath hitch. She had never had to fight so many vampires at once before. Her eyes quickly darted to where she saw Suigetsu cutting through enemies easily, definitely facing more than seven and Sakura quickly turned back to her opponents.

"Looks like we've got the human," she heard one of them hiss before they all attacked at once. Sakura did her best to dodge and strike and she managed to kill three of them before she felt the silver blade pierce her through the side.

Silver.

Sakura felt her body convulse at the burning pain that shot through her, burning coming from the blade now lodged in between her ribs. Silver burns me. She felt her knees give out and as her knees hit the ground her chest burned like she was inhaling fire, and she coughed up blood, tasting the metallic taste of it in her mouth. She should have known that she couldn't have handled so many opponents at once. I'm only human. But she now knew that she was less human than she had originally believed.

She fell forwards onto her hands and knees while her opponents laughed from all around her. I need to get the blade out so that I can heal. She wasn't used to being in so much pain for so long; her Healer's Blood usually healed her wounds almost instantly. Sakura didn't like feeling so out of control of the situation. She felt herself begin to panic as her breathing became laboured.

Her opponents' laughs and sniggers turned to growls and snarls before they became silent, but Sakura couldn't see properly anymore as she collapsed fully onto the ground. Her hand gripped the hilt of the blade and she hissed as the silver burnt her palm and fingers. She tugged and shrieked as a newer, sharper and more agonizing burning pain shot through her. I can't do it.

"Fuck," she whispered, before jerking with surprise and pain as the blade was suddenly pulled free from her ribs in one clean movement. "I can't let you die," Suigetsu explained as he helped her into a sitting position. "Mizukage's orders." The burning faded and slowly ebbed away to nothing, but Sakura couldn't understand why she hadn't been able to heal properly until the blade was removed.

"Silver mostly neutralizes the effects of Healer's Blood," Suigetsu explained in a low voice as he pulled Sakura to her feet and quickly dispatched an enemy lunging toward them with his enormous sword. "It is a vampire's ultimate weakness. Which is why it makes such an effective weapon."

"Thank you-" Sakura began before she was cut off by the sudden silence that fell over the battlefield. Druids and vampires from Sakura's army parted to allow two figures to move through. The Mizukage, tall and proud and beside her, Lady Tsunade. She was dressed for battle now, looking healthier and stronger than when she was in the dungeons not long ago. Her eyes were like two orbs of golden fire, furious and unforgiving and Sakura had never seen the Hokage look more beautiful. Sakura had also never seen two more intimidating figures than the two Kages. The two women's eyes scanned the masses before them, challenging the enemy, and Sakura did the same. Ino's forces were now heavily outnumbered, like most of them had just fled or just disappeared and Sakura knew that the battle was won, whether the fighting continued or not.

"FALL BACK!"

The terrified voice pierced the silence and Ino's forces immediately broke and fled for the balcony and tunnel, their spirits broken.

"Sakura!" Sakura looked up and saw Hinata and Tenten running toward her, expressions relieved and so happy. Sakura met them halfway and the three girls embraced each other tightly.

"We did it," Hinata said happily and Sakura felt tears fill her eyes as she held the dishevelled looking brunette tightly. "I owe you my life," she whispered as Tenten hugged her back. "You need to live a bit longer before you can say that," she teased. "You had a bigger role to play in this battle than I did."

"Hey, what is that?!"

Sakura looked up at the enormous white bird circling above them and the manic looking blonde riding on its back, grinning nastily. "ART!" He shrieked and Sakura felt her stomach drop with realisation and understanding as he pulled another white bird, the size of a large cat, from the folds of his cloak and held it up above his head.

"Run! Now!" The Mizukage shouted, her eyes wide with horror, "Get below ground!"

"Suigetsu! Sakura!" Tsunade barked, "Get to Karin and Sasuke!"

"Okay!" Sakura shouted back and Suigetsu nodded as the two of them took off. Their surroundings passed them as blurs as they ran as fast as they could over broken glass and charred wood toward the mansion dungeons.

"IS AN EXPLOSION!"

Deidara released the bird and Sakura felt Suigetsu's arms around her as they were engulfed by the flames and searing heat.

xxxxxxx

Karin stumbled and fell onto her hands and knees as the ground shook from above them and bits of stone from the dungeon ceiling rained down around her. She looked around her and saw that she wasn't the only one affected. The prisoners she had released were also on the ground and looked just as stunned as she felt.

She looked down at Sasuke; he still hadn't woken up but frowned as if he had felt the tremor as well. She felt her breath hitch and nausea overcome her as she remembered the clay bird Deidara had shown her. No, Ino wouldn't. Had Ino ordered him to drop one on the Leaf? Breathing became harder as Karin realised that yes, Ino would, and had.

Sakura, she thought, climbing to her feet, Suigetsu, Lady Mei, Lady Tsunade, she lifted Sasuke, her strength making it easy, so that she was piggy-backing him. Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee. She raced up the stairs. She could see light at the top, which was strange. Hinata, Tenten. She reached the top and screamed with despair and anguish at the sight of her surroundings.

The cavern looked empty, charred, and with only a few shells of former buildings remaining as well as dark holes leading further underground to cellars and basements. Had everyone made it underground in time?

Sakura must have been on her way here if she knew about the bomb. She would have wanted to be with Sasuke. Karin hastily wiped her eyes. "I know you aren't dead," she said, her voice trembling. "I know none of you are dead."

I will find you.