A whistling shriek, accompanied by the hum of Wind Release chakra blades, rapidly closed in on Sakura.
Though momentarily stunned by her own horrifying deductions, Sakura Haruno's sense of danger was still acute. With a sickening squelch as flesh was torn, she stumbled backward again.
Pant, pant...
Sakura gasped for breath, sinking to one knee. She hadn't been cleaved in two, but she'd taken a solid, brutal hit. Gazing down at the gash on her chest, already knitting itself closed, Sakura pushed herself to her feet, her eyes fixed on the ANBU opposite. Just as she'd feared, her Hardening Technique was no match for blades imbued with Wind Release.
Facing these ANBU—quite possibly sent by her own master—Sakura's heart turned to ice. If this was all a trap, then the Infinite Tsukuyomi was a lie. Grandma Rika... she must have been manipulated, her kindness used against them.
The realization shattered what little composure Sakura had left. Master Tsunade... her Tsunade... actually wanted her dead? All because of some trumped-up accusation? Her master, the woman she revered, wanted to eliminate her?
How could this be? How could this be happening?!
Her fingers dug into her scalp, yanking at her own disheveled hair, her eyes practically splitting with rage and despair. Memories assaulted her: the three years they had spent together, day in and day out; their first spar; Tsunade's gruff affection, her unwavering belief in Sakura... All of it, every cherished moment, flashed before her eyes. This betrayal... this monstrous, unthinkable betrayal...
" I! WILL! NOT! ACCEPT! THIS! "
Roaring, bellowing, Sakura heaved for breath, her eyes blazing with the feral intensity of a cornered beast as she stared down the ANBU. The seed of fury within her heart had not just taken root—it was now a monstrous, savage growth, consuming everything.
Unleashing the full might of her Strength of a Hundred Seal, she supercharged her Lightning Release Chakra Mode. A blinding corona of lightning erupted around her hand as she lunged forward.
A dazzling streak of lightning seared across the ANBU's vision. One moment Sakura was there, the next she had vanished. He only registered a cataclysmic force slamming into him, an agonizing pain lancing through his chest, before his world plunged into blackness.
Sakura straddled the ANBU, her hand, crackling with the Lightning Blade, repeatedly plunged into the figure beneath her. The ANBU's upper torso was a mangled ruin under the relentless, furious storm of her attacks, life long extinguished. Yet Sakura continued, again and again, driving the Lightning Blade into the lifeless remains.
It all happened too fast. The remaining animal-masked ANBU and the two Hidden Mist operatives had barely processed the blur of motion. But their shock lasted only an instant. The second animal-masked ANBU, chakra blade in hand, lunged with the speed of a striking viper at Sakura, who was still lost in her frenzied assault on the mangled corpse.
The chakra blade sliced down, cleaving through the image of Sakura. Seeing his target struck, the ANBU let out a silent breath of relief. But before he could retract his weapon, an excruciating pain erupted in his chest. His strength deserted him. With immense effort, he forced his head down. A slender, pale hand, wreathed in lightning, had punched clean through him from behind, emerging from his chest, gripping his heart. The crimson blood staining its fairness was a gruesome sight. In the final moment before darkness claimed him, he heard a cold, dismissive snort from the owner of that hand.
Sakura withdrew her hand, which had punched through the ANBU's back and out his chest. She turned, her gaze falling upon the only enemies left standing: the two Hidden Mist ANBU.
The Hidden Mist ANBU stared, their hearts clenching. In mere moments, this kunoichi had dispatched two ninja far more skilled than themselves. It was chillingly clear: this was where they would die.
One of them turned to his comrade. "I'll hold her off. You have to get this intel back to the village."
His partner's voice was laced with bitter resignation. "I don't think either of us is walking away from this."
"Every last one of you will d—" Sakura's snarl was cut short as an enormous lid plummeted from the sky, crashing down directly on top of her, pinning her beneath its weight.
A flurry of shh-shh-shh sounds followed as ninja materialized all around. Two of them immediately began forming hand seals, their focus on the massive lid.
"Earth Release: Celestial Clay Drop!"
Above the lid, a rift in space shimmered into existence, and torrents of brown clay poured forth, relentlessly blanketing the structure. Immediately, several more ninja positioned themselves around the clay-encased lid, their hands flying through seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Blazing fire erupted towards the clay-covered lid. In moments, the intense heat baked the clay incredibly hard and solid.
The two Hidden Mist ANBU stared, dumbfounded, at the sudden swarm of Konoha ninja. Once the flurry of jutsu subsided, one figure detached himself from the group and walked towards them.
"Who are you people?" one of the Hidden Mist ANBU demanded, finding his voice first.
"Mm. I am Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of Konohagakure," the man, clad in battle attire, stated calmly. "And you two, I presume, are shinobi of Kirigakure?"
"The Third Hokage?! You're Konoha ninja?" The Kiri ANBU was visibly startled. He hadn't imagined a Kage himself would be deployed for this one girl.
"Indeed." Sarutobi gestured towards the blackened, hardened clay structure. "She is a rogue ninja of Konoha. Our purpose here is her capture. Might I inquire as to your business in this location?"
(Sarutobi knew perfectly well what these two Kiri ANBU were doing. However, if war was to be averted over this incident, feigning ignorance was the only path.)
The two Kiri ANBU slowly processed this, their initial confusion giving way to simmering resentment. "So, she is one of yours from Konoha!" one spat. "Is Konoha attempting to instigate a war?"
Sarutobi's gaze sharpened, his voice dropping to an icy tone. "What precisely do you mean by that? Konoha has never harbored any desire to provoke conflict. I suggest you both consider your words with extreme care. The consequences of inciting a war are not something you can bear."
Hearing Sarutobi's tone, a blend of threat and interrogation, the Kiri ANBU's bravado faltered slightly. "She assassinated numerous shinobi within Kirigakure," he stated. "Our village has issued a warrant for her. We were wondering if you would hand her over to us for judgment."
(The assassination of a Kage was not a matter to be broadcast; it was both a disgrace and an invitation for enemy forces to exploit their perceived weakness.)
"Is that so?" Sarutobi paused, considering. "I shall investigate these claims. However, she is a rogue of Konoha. I cannot simply hand her over. We can, perhaps, cooperate in her interrogation."
"We've lost eight comrades in our pursuit of her!" the Kiri ANBU growled, his voice a low snarl. "Is Konoha truly willing to risk war merely to shield this girl?" To him, Sarutobi's words were a clear attempt at sheltering their own.
"We have no desire for war," Sarutobi stated, his voice firm. "However, this individual has also murdered several shinobi from our own village. Return and report the truth. Should Kirigakure decide upon war, know that Konoha will not shy away from it."
(If there was a way to secure Sakura Haruno while averting war, Sarutobi would certainly attempt it. Having encountered Kirigakure operatives, a display of weakness was out of the question. War would be devastating for Konoha, and indeed for any village involved. The plan was to capture Sakura first, then negotiate. If negotiations failed... well, then they would have no choice but to... Ultimately, these two ANBU could not make Kirigakure's final decision. Thus, further discussion here was largely pointless.)
Just as the Kiri ANBU opened his mouth to retort, the ground beneath them suddenly shuddered. A short distance away, the massive clay structure began to tremble violently, emitting ominous creak-crack sounds.
With an earth-shattering BOOM!, the clay dome exploded into a thousand fragments, shrapnel rocketing outwards in all directions.
"Protect Lord Third Hokage!"
Konoha shinobi and ANBU instantly converged around Sarutobi, earthen walls erupting from the ground to shield them from the deadly barrage of debris.
As the dust and debris settled, Sakura Haruno stood in the epicenter of the destruction. Her clothes were in tatters, the dark markings of the Strength of a Hundred Seal stark against her skin, spreading across her entire body. The lightning aura clinging to her was noticeably fainter than before, and the muscles in her shoulders and arms trembled from exertion. Her normally vibrant emerald eyes now blazed with a raw, bestial ferocity.
Every shinobi present tensed, weapons drawn, their gazes locked on the figure in the clearing. They were coiled springs, ready to unleash deadly force at her slightest move.
Sakura slowly scanned the ring of figures surrounding her. ANBU. Konoha shinobi in their standard flak jackets. Faces she didn't recognize. And some... some she did.
A humorless "Heh!" escaped her lips. Sakura closed her eyes, drawing a deep, shuddering breath. When they snapped open again, she unleashed a defiant roar.
" EVEN! IN! DEATH! I! WILL! NEVER! SURRENDER! "