Sacrifice

Summary: When Naruto and Sasuke came back they didn't expect a heroic parade but a warm welcome from Sakura. So you can just imagine how they'd feel when they came through the gates beaten and tired but there was no Sakura to greet them. Why?

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto

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Last Chapter…

It was then that Sasuke remembered the eerily glow on her forearm when he last saw Sakura. He then looked at the gem on Tsunade's forehead and figured that it was a chakra storing Jutsu that Sakura may well have the right amount of chakra to make herself a living bomb.

But for now his mind is only set on one thin and like his revenge, he wasn't going to rest until Sakura is safe and out of the clutches of death.

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Eleventh Chapter: Infiltration

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"Team 10 in position" Ino's voice crackled through Kakashi's earpiece.

"Alright, wait for my order to go"

"Hai"

H glanced behind him where the rest of his team was, all crouched on branches a few meters away from him and tensed to go. Kakashi nodded towards them to signal for their plan to commence.

Kakashi looked at the base once more. In front of him was a large mount of earth in a middle of a semi small clearing and it had a large boulder on top of the mount.

This was Akahomura's hideout; more then one of HellFire's most elite trackers had traced a faint lingering of Sakura's chakra here.

When the whole platoon of Konoha Shinobis and HellFire men came to check it out they had found a large Genjustu upon it and when Shino's bugs were sent to check the perimeter it was indeed Akahomura's hideout.

It turned out that the base was larger than they thought. A few miles out were three more mounts identical with the one they found first.

The four mounts were the four entrances of the hideout and they were pretty far away from each other. Their plan was to split in four teams like they already were, and attack those wings.

The HellFire that was brought along were also divided into four teams of 3. Team 10 were to attack the west, Team Gai to take the south, Team 8 to battle the east part of the base and Team 7 along with Isamu's team was left to do the north part of the base.

So after a couple of minutes of dispatching and getting ready in position they were awaiting orders from their joint leaders, Isamu and Kakashi.

Kakashi felt Isamu beside him but never looked away from his stare on the base, "Are your HellFire teams ready?" he asked.

Isamu nodded, his eyes also trained on the base still hidden with the powerful Genjustu, "Yes, my Shinobis are in position awaiting my commands. Once HellFire's Genjustu specialist team, grouped with your Team 8's, have dispelled the Genjustu, is the time when we commence our infiltration. I believe a Genjustu as big and powerful as this one, once it is dispelled will alert the whole base instantly."

"I also believe that they would be ready for us, anticipating our rescue of Sakura"

Kakashi smirked, "Who cares? We might not have the element of surprise but what we've got is much more powerful."

He then glanced at Team seven's determined expression. Isamu followed his gaze and his eyes softened, "They really like Sakura don't they?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Nope, not even close…"

"We all love her…" Kakashi said softly, still looking at the team he had once thought hopeless when he first encountered them.

"Sakura was a true friend to Sai. To him there is nothing more important than his cherished friendships with people. Sakura was a special friend for him."

"Naruto loves Sakura like a caring brother would. They have been each other's pillars since Sasuke left and you can understand why Naruto's leaving was a part of Sakura's reason for going to HellFire in the first place. Destined siblings."

"And Sasuke…he's scared out of his mind…"

Isamu looked at Sasuke then at Kakashi, "On the inside right?"

Kakashi nodded, "I think that Sakura was the missing factor Sasuke was unconsciously hoping to find. I might not have been there to see Sasuke's and Sakura's first interaction in years but I can tell that Sasuke had fallen hard for Sakura."

"For now it might be rocky, his feelings for her, but it'll be rock steady eventually" Kakashi looked at the base now with a blank face, "But…I'm not sure if they'll get their time…I have a feeling that Sasuke might be too late in recognising his feelings for Sakura."

Isamu frowned t Kakashi, "I hope your not implying that we're gonna lose Sakura or this battle especially when we haven't even started yet."

"A lot of people are messed up right now and I guess I'm one of them. But…I still can't shake the feeling that something is going to go horrible and cruelly wrong…"

Isamu returned his gaze towards the base. He didn't let a flinch escape his inner walls because it would mean that he was agreeing to what Kakashi said.

But as he waits for the right time to strike, he can't, like Kakashi, Shake off the feeling that something so wrong and undeniably sad was going to happen.

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Sasuke never once took his eyes off the base area. He couldn't believe how he had just let Sakura get taken away like that, after all these years of training and abandoning everything to go off to that snake-Sannin, it was all just to have someone close to him get taken away in front of him.

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, that Manabu guy was gonna be the receiving end of Sasuke's wrath once he gets his hands on his neck.

Sasuke was woken from his thoughts when he felt a curt tap on his shoulder. He allowed his stare to go from his front to his back to see Naruto with a serious face on but worry evident in his cerulean eyes.

"Teme…remember not to get too flared up. You can't let your anger get the better of you." He whispered.

Sasuke grunted and retuned his eyes onto the base once more. Naruto shook his head but followed Sasuke's gaze nonetheless.

"You fell for her didn't you teme?" Naruto softly asked.

Sasuke would tense if he wasn't already tense already but his even breathing stopped for a moment then continued Naruto noticed this and took this as a sign for yes.

"Don't worry teme; this is Sakura-chan we're talking about. She won't give up that easily just you see. She'll be alright when this whole thing is over."

Sasuke grunted but in his mind he hoped for the same thing.

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There was only tense silence all around the four teams dispatched and waiting at their positions. Kakashi and Isamu turned to each other and nodded.

Isamu spoke in his communicator piece to get ready and for the Genjustu team to get themselves ready. Kakashi looked behind him and nodded for Sai, Sasuke and Naruto to get ready. They all nodded their head and took out their weapons as a ready.

"Genjustu team, ready to dispel the Genjustu." Isamu murmured, taking out a kunai out of his pouch whilst Kakashi activated his Sharingan.

Kakashi nodded "Alright, in 3 seconds dispel the Genjustu." Isamu repeated the instruction in his communicator piece.

Kakashi looked towards his team, "We go instantly once we se the entrance of the base. Be swift and precise, our main priority is to rescue Sakura-" at this Sasuke's grip o his kunai tightened, "-and…you guys better be alive after this."

Sai put on his fake smile for Kakashi whilst Naruto gave him a thumbs up and a goofy grin. Sasuke just grunted not wanting to be distracted as to keep his mind on the goal of rescuing Sakura.

Kakashi let a faint smile creep on his face as he looked in front of him again, proud of how his once 12- year-old Genin teams to have grown into strong Jounin level Shinobis. It was times like these that he was glad to have become a shinobi sensei.

Kakashi gave the go to Isamu who started to count, getting himself psyched up on the inside.

"3..."

Team 10 consisting of Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji with the three elite HellFire Shinobis readied themselves to pounce. Whilst on another wing, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Kurenai and the HellFire Genjustu specialist got their hands ready to form the cancellation Jutsu.

"2…"

Ten-Ten held onto her kunai and shuriken securely and pumping chakra onto her feet. Lee looked determined to go ad Neji activated his Byakugan.

"1…"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed in anticipation and sweat was trickling down Isamu's bald head. Naruto was raring to go and Sai held got his small paintbrush ready with ink. Sasuke's eyes were swirling Sharingan activated as he pumped chakra into his whole being getting ready to infiltrate the base.

He caught himself chanting in his mind to rescue Sakura over and over again. Whilst Isamu's mouth began to make the shape to commence he found himself finally admitting, finally realising why he was doing too much for just one girl.

I love Haruno Sakura…

"I'm, coming for you…Sakura." Sasuke softly whispered

"GO!"

Everyone jumped into action. Everything was fast paced and destructive. Just as Kakashi and Isamu predicted there were Akahomura ninjas waiting for them inside the base. Every team besides team seven was caught fighting with large groups of expert Shinobis.

They only came up to the third sector whereas team seven wanted to go into the fifth sector where the prisons were supposed to be.

Teams seven was surrounded by a large number of Akahomura shinobi. Sasuke looked every one of them in the eye and not once found the burning evil of Manabu's eyes anywhere.

Suddenly Isamu's team charged at the enemy making an opening for team seven to go.

Kakashi looked at Isamu who was fighting three enemy Shinobis at a time, "Go Hatake! Save Sakura!"

Kakashi nodded and proceeded with team seven to go into the fourth sector. There were so many winding hallways that for a moment they didn't know where to go. Naruto found a large double door and glimpsed something pink at small door windows. His eyes widened and had no hesitation at deciding that it was there that they cold find Sakura. After all that as the only lead they had.

"Guys! Over here I found the prisons!"

But as they neared the opening they were stopped in their tracks by three large men, all had tattoo and pricing on them.

One had half of his body mechanised, the other had large muscled and sporting a large scar all across his bare muscled chest whilst carrying a large hammer. The other one had a katana on him he was smaller then the other but by the look in his eyes he was a slick and powerful one nonetheless, probably skilled in using his katana in perfect precision and skill.

Then the guy Sasuke wanted to kill came out and stood behind the three enemies, a smug smirk on his face. Manabu's snake like eyes landed on Sasuke's rage filled ones.

"Ah, Uchiha Sasuke. We meet again. What? The last defeat wasn't enough with you?"

Manabu taunted.

Sasuke growled, "We want Sakura. Now." He said calmly although his voice was harsh and serious.

Manabu laughed, "I'm afraid she doesn't want to come back. You see, she wants to stay here, to be all of Akahomura's slut. Right guys?" The three men agreed with a taunting laugh.

Sasuke's blood started t boil and Naruto was about to explode with anger. Sai's fake smile was replaced with a malicious expression and Kakashi looked like he wanted to slaughter them right there and then.

"Give us back Sakura-chan NOW!" Naruto cried releasing spurts of the Kyuubi's orange chakra.

Manabu smirked, "Well if you want Sakura-chan back…then you're going to have to come through us.

Everyone tensed I anticipation for another fight. Sasuke turned to the guys, " That Manabu bastard's mine." He growled. The rest didn't ask question but just nodded, not wanting to make unnecessary banters. Besides they had a feeling that Sasuke was the most affected by that comment.

The muscled guy was the first to attack, he swung his hammer down onto to them but they dodged easily, but they were separated too. Naruto was faced with the large guy with the hammer, Sai was forced to fight with the mechanics guy and Kakashi was paired off with the sword specialist enemy. As they fought with strength and determination, Sasuke was fighting with Manabu, they were both volleying punches and kicks and the odd Jutsu now and again.

Sasuke had to admit this Manabu guy was strong but he couldn't let this guy defeat him because he still had to set things straight with Sakura.

He made the hand signs for his Chidori and plunged it towards Manabu. Surprising Sasuke, Manabu had a counter Jutsu for Chidori but with their powers immensed they clashed. Manabu flew back and into a wall, breaking through the next sector where team 10 and 8 met up and fought together.

Sasuke was propelled back and crashed into the prison room. He landed on the ground and made a huge impact on it. When the dust settled, he slowly stood up, wound bleeding and his arm dislocated. He shakily took a few steps forward and onto even ground and proceeded to pop his arm into place. He winced slightly in pain.

He was about to go back into fighting with Manabu when a whimper that broke his heart stopped him in his tracks.

"S-Sas-suke…"

There, chained to the dirty wall, clothed ripped, wounds scabbed red and pink hair matted with blood was Haruno Sakura.

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