FOURTEEN

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The night of coup d'etat

They knew.

Sasuke waste no time in breathing evenly as he pace up to run after Shiroku Yuko. That old woman surprisingly had a lot of trick behind her sleeves. Whoever thought she would be able to pull out an entire Special Army along with its infamous Captain, against Sasuke, the Otokage?

His plan was to take down the Elders slowly; by joining their side, being their perfect doll and win all their absurd whines, even the most absurd whines about him taking bride and produce heir as soon as possible, then take them down quietly. He didn't expect the string attached so many people, so many people who wasn't supposed to be dragged down, and now it was pulled...

A bloody mess of field was what becoming of them.

It's not like Sasuke have attachment to any of the soldiers; but he knew their names, he trained them when they had nothing to protect their own country. Goddamit, he was the one taught them how to fight enemies who threat the stability of a small country they built. The same technique that was now being fired to him, just because three damned people brainwashed everything.

No, he doesn't have attachment. But he did felt pity. And now, the scumbag woman ran away after leaving the soldiers who fought for broken idealism she put. She ran away for her own live while leaving the people behind to die...

Sasuke gritted his teeth when in sudden a kunai come across his cheek, almost scrathed him. His steps halted, his mind racing at the sudden realization that this was not over.

"...who are you?" he stop at a branch, quietly breathing while his bloody red eyes staring across the dim forest. He was pretty sure it's not on Oto's border anymore, but this area supposed to be neutral, there's no one rule this area officially. He didn't break any rule, so he wasn't supposed to be attacked like this.

Oh, don't tell me...

"This is a neutral area. If you attack a Kage without any reason, you are considered violating the treaty of peace."

This time, no answer come in the form of words, but a series of kunais targeted him like a sudden rain. In no time, Sasuke's eyes activated his Amaterasu, shielding him from those pouring kunais.

Just how many people had been brainwashed by those people?

How many of them scattered among the countries?

If he stop here and facing this new enemy, he may lost track of Shiroku Yuko. But he was pretty sure if he keep going, another rain of kunais will pour on him, and his Amaterasu wouldn't last for so long. He had used his eyes too much lately, it took on his toll like it never before.

And if he died on the process, who will inform Tsunade and the rest of other Kage about this information?

Sasuke held one of his bleeding eyes, frowned deeply. He had chosen this way to redeem his sins by offering himself to be in suicidal mission of taking down Oto Elders. But now it gets bigger, and his objective wasn't only three people anymore. He had no real connection with other Kage either; he got to hold this on and inform Tsunade first before the web of strings get even more uncontrollable.

He couldn't just blindly killing anyone who disturb his way.

"I get it." He whispered to no one in particular, his Amaterasu roared and burned a way on the forest. He wouldn't kill people blindly without knowing their side yet. "But this is far from end."

He knew the newly enemies didn't die because of his fire, but they got his messages and no more raining kunais over him. Now that both his eyes were bleeding; he can only saw red when he walked down the burned path, back to the Oto field again to take care of the dead soldiers. He couldn't let anyone knew he lost Shiroku Yuko, he should took care of her before the minions of her knew all of this and start the open war within the country.

Every dinner he had since he's in Oto was never had a taste, but now after eating late dinner Sakura re-heated after he came back home left him with a taste; a bitterness of blood. He coughed up blood after putting Sakura to the bed, a quiet coughed that left all the taste in his mouth all bitter.

The longer he stayed here, Sakura would surely catch his deteriorating health. He couldn't risk of telling her just yet all of this broken plan, he needed to get the words first to Tsunade. In his form, it's almost impossible to get out of Konoha easily. If he was right, that damned Elders had minion all over the nation now, it would be even more harder to differentiate allies and enemies.

"Sasuke...?" a soft knocked arrive on the bathroom door. He looked over the mirror where a trail of blood still coming out of his lips, for once, Sasuke thought about many things outside his own goal.

What had he done?

Those elders were not the only one who dragged people down. He did exactly the same thing; he drag Sakura into all this mess. He was supposed to be the only one in this suicidal mission; take down them at any cost, leaving Oto as Konoha's subordinate, and all his redemption over with his death...

He was too arrogant. He thought that things would go as he planned, that he would take down those Elders sooner without having to involve anyone further than they had to, and then he would die peacefully.

But now he had responsibility to get Sakura out alive from this chaos.

"Sasukeee?" Sakura knocked the door again, more impatiently this time. "I need to use the bathroom..."

He should drive the possible enemies away from her for now, until he knew which one stands on where.

He wiped the last trail of blood and allowed himself to chuckle a little. Sometimes, she can be as oblivious as Naruto, but now that nature of her was a benefit for him. He opened the bathroom, looking at sleepy Sakura.

"I'm done."

He's going away this morning, he determined.

Three days ago

He knew it would be a scary morning when people finally get to see the mess. He knew Sakura would felt burdened, and got angry at him when she found him nowhere to be seen. He knew his people would start to think back to the time when Elders keep changing and no peace within this country.

What he didn't was wheter the man in front of him was enemy or alley.

"Oto Elders were killed." A man with eagle mask standing in front of him in North border of Oto. Sasuke was on his way taking a detour to Konoha when he encountered the familiar suit of a ROOT.

"..." Sasuke didn't say a thing. With what happened last night, he couldn't be sure how far the Elders had infiltrated and mess people's mind.

"Are you planning to attack Konoha now?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes; he was still seen as the war criminal in every part of country, it's not a surprise to find such a rude accusation.

"I have a meeting with Hokage."

"Why take detour, then?"

"Not your business."

"A traitor who come back sneakily is my bussiness."

"If," Sasuke breathed. "I use the main way to Hokage office, would you assure that no one, not even your comrades, see me?"

"That sounds like you just invite me to my own death. Not a chance, Uchiha."

See? This is what happen when someone messed with nation who was just recovered from war. Everyone hold their prejudice begrudgingly. Well, he knew he wasn't saint either.

"Then..." Sasuke made a gesture, and soon from nowhere cames over the crow he inherited from Itachi. The masked man stared at him intentionally. "Allow my crow send the message to Hokage."

"And how do I know it's truly a message and not some bomb or any dangerous weapon you make?"

"If you're truly a ROOT, you would've known by now." The masked man narrowed his eyes, but didn't say a thing.

"I can allowed as much." He said finally. "You got to keep your words of not sneaking around Konoha's border as well." Sasuke didn't reply the threat as he saw the crow soaring high in the sky after taking a scroll.

One last look at the ROOT, Sasuke turned around and going back to his own border. If anything happen to the crow, he'd know, and no ROOT would be able to stop him entering Konoha.

When he came back, the funeral had been done. He saw Sakura's hardened face on the middle of the crowd who paid their last respect to the Elders and the rest of the soldiers. He saw the families of them cried over dead soldiers, he saw the childen of the Captain clung to their crying mother.

He saw a country being torn back from the inside.

Even if he showed up now, it only added problems. He couldn't show himself in crowd just yet, who knew where's the enemies and allies lies, who knew how many innocent people could be dragged down in this fight?

He could no longer care only for his goal of redemption, when now he had so many people to be responsible for...

"Uchiha Sasuke."

A cloaked man arrive in front of him, his face were shadowed. He has big built, supposedly a fat man. By his gesture of not just suddenly showed up behind or throwing weapon at him Sasuke conclude this man wasn't going to face him in combat.

"Who are you?"

"The council." He replied. "You never met us because you're the Otokage ever since the three. You never had to face the changing Elders as you here. Now that the Elders and Special Army was no longer, we take over the government. We need to talk to you about this."

So he also knew? Sasuke frowned a bit. Where did this so called Council stand on this battle?

"And whose side are you on?" the cloaked man hesitated a bit before he slowly took of his hood, showing him his grey hair and fat face.

"No one." He answered. "We worked on behalf of Oto." If anything Sasuke learnt from the war, it's almost impossible to not take sides, no matter how noble your intention is.

They stared at each other for a long time, before the man broke the silence again.

"I am a medic-nin as well. Although I didn't consider myself to be a part of any side on the battle, it's my duty to protect the lives of Oto people." He looked up at Sasuke. "And I can tell you have internal bleeding since the morning. Maybe since last night, on the battle against Elders."

"...so?"

"I can heal you."

"I don't need it."

The grey haired man staring at him intensely. "...suit yourself, then."

He walked away, and now Sasuke knew what to do after this; find a clue about what this Council about... and where they stand.

Sasuke decided he would keep an eye for Sakura from afar, he couldn't risk telling her anything yet when the unstability was so far off.

Two days ago

The crow had came back to him. Tsunade informed that she had planned a meeting with Tsuchikage, whose border was right on the South side of Oto. Her agenda was to let any refugee to Tsuchigakure, if the war ever broke down on Oto. She would tell him if any agreement had been made.

Sasuke's eyes changed into sharingan the moment he felt someone walk toward him. It changed back almost immediately as he recognized the presence.

"I heard about the coup d'etat." Yamanaka Ino came into the sight, her long blonde hair shined brightly under the sun. "I heard you haven't come home since yesterday too."

She walked hesitantly toward him, but she step closer anyway.

"Are you okay?" she asked slowly.

"Did you talk to Tsunade?" he asked, fully known why she was placed here in the first place.

"Yeah... and she didn't give me any instruction but to keep an eye to you and Sakura. And it's harder when you both not in the same place, you know."

"You wouldn't even have the time to keep an eye on both of us if we're in the same place." because all we do if fighting whenever we're in the same place, it seems. Suprisingly, Ino seemed understand what Sasuke implied.

"Hei... is it that bad? Is there truly moles within the five nations? Are we going into another war?" even after all this time, Sasuke still found the Yamanaka heiress asking too much. But again, wasn't that the problem with woman in general?

Sakura would surely debate him in that, he knew.

When did he start to associate everything with Sakura... he didn't knew either.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded slowly. He knew Ino can feel people's presence, so if she dared to talk about this with him in the open forest, she must've known there's no one at least five miles away around them. For the first time since that battle night, Sasuke felt slightly at ease.

"Have you told Sakura all of this?" He stared at her long enough for Ino to decided the answer. "Why? she deserve to know−"

"What you think she would do once she knew?"

The question struck her, Sasuke knew by looking at silent Ino. Being lied to, being dragged down into a war she knew nothing about, being used... it's all everything Sakura hate on.

And nothing more would angered her than knowing everything she hated on is being done with the person she loves, that much Ino knew.

"Still, she needs to know, Sasuke-kun." Sasuke didn't say anything as Ino slowly step closer to him again. "You two needs to talk things out..."

If anything Sasuke hate more than his own life, it'd be being taught. His ego always had the better side of him, and that was the very first reason why he left Konoha when he was twelve after figure out Naruto's true strength. Funny now Yamanaka Ino was the one who asked him to talk things over with Sakura, despite being the most person who supposed to know Sasuke was no good of a man to be with his bestfriend. For some reason, Sasuke sometimes wonder how war can change person so much. But he was no exception, so maybe he should just stop wondering.

Uchiha was a clan who held their ego over everything. Ego was his very strength and his worst weakness at the same time. But this time, Sasuke tried his hard to fight his own demons and breath calmly, as he let Ino's word sunk into him. A touch of gentle chakra flowed into him, sew back the possible broken bones inside, stitching the wounds that had been bleeding for quite some time since yesterday.

As he stood there letting Ino healed him, Sasuke let his thought at the possibility tthat maybe, maybe things not gonna be so bad if he talk to Sakura about this. Maybe by then he can do better to get her away from this chaos. Although he can already heard all the things she would say; how she perceived his suicidal mission and all, how she would questioned the logic behind all his 'redemption', how she always threw tantrum over his trial to covered the plan by act accord to the Elders's whine. He only used her to keep his plan going...

It'd be too much to hope Sakura would even believe his plan, furthermore get on the board with him.

She would, certainly, angry at him for choosing her at the first place.

He came back to their home at night, but Sakura wasn't home.

Taking his time to wait at home and think of all information he had gathered until now, Sasuke formulated the new plan. First of all, he needed to know who was who. He would have to held back the enemies that could harm the entire country, but as he was now the Otokage and still labelled as traitor, he couldn't get hand to the mole on another country. He should talk to Tsunade, who will deliver this to that brainy Nara Shikamaru. Sasuke pretty sure the shadow user can think of better idea than him.

As he lied on the sofa, his mind played back at the scene night ago; on how people battled him just to protect their broken idea, which being placed by unresponsible elders. Internal conflicts, civil wars, coup d'etat... all always result in bloodshed. The memories of how his entire clan was being slaughtered because of the same internal conflict, same elders pulling strings on innocent lives, still burning painfully behind his eyes every night.

There was no use having attachment in this world, that much Sasuke knew. For him, there was no use of having a strong feeling to protect something, because he was no Naruto who can see the bright even in the darkest situation. He didn't have anything to be fighting for, to keep alive, because war had taken his everything and not even Itachi's memories of kindness deserved for someone like him.

He just had to end all of this. Paying for all his sins and leave for good.

He just didn't have any more feelings, to be wanting anything, to be fighting for something, or someone...

There's knock on their door, a calm, collected, a knock that he knew for sure didn't belong to Sakura, or anyone else who ever knock his door.

"I know you're here, Otokage. The Council wants to meet you."

Of everything he knew about this said Council was; they were a very secretive people, who act as the Guardian of Oto, whose names didn't even put on the history. And if anything being that much secretive, there was only two option remained; either this organization was really good or really wicked.

And he was never an optimistic man.

He stared on his door, the shadow shown a man, a familiar appearance he met during the funerals before. The grey-haired man. He said the word 'we' while coming alone, Sasuke pretty sure they would still have conversation even if he didn't open his door.

"What do they want?" there's silence followed for seconds, the figure move a bit.

"To meet you. To talk."

"I need to know which ground are they gonna stand on." The shadow moved again, looked like he folded his hand over his chest, a gesture of contemplating.

"I told you we don't choose side. We can think of you as enemy if you keep refusing the offer."

The door opened slowly, showing grey-haired man in the long robe, his cloak was gone so Sasuke can see a long, grey hair.

"What offer?"

A day ago

Council, as far as he could conclude, was people whose name was unknown and whose face didn't even showed to the world. In a short words; nobody knew the existence of Otogakure Council but the Council and Elders.

But what's scarier was, the grey-haired man, wasn't a man afterall. He was body who served to sent messages from the elders.

Last night, he finally understand the hardest part of this battle yet.

When they were walking long enough to the deep of forest yesterday night, the guy stop walking in a sudden. It was dark, but his eyes can make out the greyish hair of the man, and how he stunned there, as if he was being cursed into a stone in sudden. Sasuke wait in silence, alarmed and guarded.

Until a voice broke down the silence.

"Still couldn't find me, Uchiha?"

Shiroku Yuko.

Sasuke drew his katana in no time, his eyes changed. The grey haired man still didn't move at all, but by the strong wind that suddenly came over them, Sasuke knew he was facing up an oncoming storm.

"If you're gonna kill this man, you'll violate the very core of Otogakure." Sasuke's grip on his katana tightened. "You wonder why you couldn't see me?"

"I can see you or not doesn't change the fact that I'm gonna kill you."

A scary laugh was heard on the forest. A bunch of birds flying away, probably felt the evil presence.

"You don't know your opponent, Uchiha. You should've just followed our order." Ever so slowly, the grey haired man turned around and Sasuke saw the man's eyes was entirely white, and his lips opened up everytime Shiroku Yuko's voice came out. "You think you get rid of Okuto and Yushin? You...only get rid of their physical body."

The wind was strong, but Sasuke knew the source of his sudden cold feeling wasn't because of the wind.

"There's secret that only Elders and Council knew about Otogakure... the reason why you will never win against us."

Secret?

"What?" a scary laugh erupted at his question.

"You think I will tell you so you can kill us? No, the mighty Otokage, no. You're just gonna tired yourself chasing a tail you couldn't even see."

Sasuke jaw hardened.

"All I have to do is to keep killing you until you're no longer remains."

Another thrilled laugh erupted from the man. "He thought he was so smart? After deluded us in pretense to be our good doll, he thought he was able to defeat us..."

This time, it's the old man Yushin's voice. The man he was so sure was dead a few weeks ago.

Sasuke's neck suddenly went stiff.

No, he looked at that man's dead eyes. His katana went through him.

What's going on here...?

"He doesn't even understand that no matter how much Elders had changed, we always here since the beginning of Otogakure..." Okuto's voice, the man whose body he decapitated that night, came this time. "...that no matter how many times our body died, we can always come back−"

Sasuke swing his katana this time, cutting the man into half.

Blood splattered his body, his face, and although he was sure that his kata had piece through and thorough the man's body...

The grey haired man remain alive.

"Meet the one of the Council, Uchiha... the man whose healing ability was created on par with the great Tsunade-sama."

The wind didn't stop howling.

Sasuke felt even his hand that gripped his katana become colder.

He was never the man who run away in a battle, not even once.

The battle was rough; and no matter how many times he attacked the man, he never, able to put him down. As the battle keep going for hours and the sun of new day comes, Sasuke understand one thing;

There must be something, something about the Elders and Otogakure that he hadn't known yet, because no one should be able to have healing abilities on the level with Tsunade. The secret of their immortality, or why they said Sasuke would chase a tail he didn't even see.

No, wait.

The only one who crazy enough to create things by stealing other's ability were...

"You can never win against us." The man said while Sasuke catching his breath. "Even if you win against this man's body... there's no way you can get rid of us entirely."

Sasuke stop, contemplating his choices at the moment. It was clear that their object was to make him tired and struck him. He was not in a good place, a good situation, and he was the only one who knew this newly information that looks like those Elders only being killed physically, and they have this secret of immortality...

He didn't have much choice. He shouldn't, couldn't use all his strength here.

This is undeniably a start of a terrible war, he should give this new information, at any cost.

"If I couldn't put an end at you here, at least I should stop you from causing any wreck havoc at town." Sasuke quickly made a sign, and a giant snake resurface from the ground.

"Llllong ttttime nnno seeeee, mmmasterrr." The giant snaked hissed while bending down to him, and Sasuke felt the corner of his mouth turned into a smirk.

Today

Been long since the last time he felt this way.

It took hours for Sasuke finally manage to drag himself to the Hospital. It wasn't the wound of his body not depleted chakra, it was his eyes that tortured him with excruating pain since he was able to buried the man this morning. He knew he's overusing it, but he just couldn't find any idea on how to stop that insane man.

Sakura greeted him with bitter remainder that he was late for his eyes session, and Sasuke had to hold himself in not to be evoked by her sarcasm. Just like he guessed; he was on the verge of losing everything by overusing his eyes. But what bothered him most was when she said she's gonna see Tsunade. He went through a great deal of protecting this entire village and her, but she's gonna walk into her own grave just like that?

So he agreed. He's not gonna used his eyes for a week, as long as she stayed. With his chakra level now, Sasuke not sure he can manage protect Sakura on the way home to Konoha and this entire village at the same time. The thing he hated most was Sakura just have to questioning him everything, while he wasn't even formulate a better plan to tell Tsunade that this matter was bigger than just killing three Elders.

"I need to know, Sasuke. You gotta tell me what is actually happening. Don't you dare telling me it had nothing to do with me. I am a Kage's wife. Otogakure now matter to me as much as it matter to you, there's no way I could turn blind eyes at this."

He was stunned. He never knew she had this tendency. Haruno Sakura had surprised him a lot these days, evoked many strange feelings he never knew he able to had. His mind couldn't perform a good enough calculated plan as his body felt the need to hold her against his body.

"...trust me, Sakura."

And the next thing he knew, the need of having her lips against him was so strong it betrayed the rest of poor logic left inside his head.

But did he even worth her trust?

"Just... make sure to protect her. You know, if they couldn't get to you... they would target her next."

Sasuke didn't need Sai to remind him that, but he refrained himself from retorted back at the ROOT in disguised. He didn't know why Sai had to changed his identity entirely like that, but not like he had nothing else to wonder about that weird guy anyway. Whatever he's doing here (or in what form he's doing it in), as long as it was Tsunade's plan, he didn't care even if Sai gonna showed up as a woman in front of him (although he really didn't like to think of his female version. He didn't feel the need to see how far the guy's disguise skill).

After borrowing Sai's ink creature to send his message immediately to Tsunade (it's clear now that he was isolated within his own country), Sasuke decided he would go back to Otokage's office and sort out the lack of Elders by now. There must be some kind of protocol here to what should he do to keep this country from torn apart...

"Oh, Otokage-sama!" his secretary greeted with her flirty outfit as usual. True, that he once played around woman here to gather information, but not like he did things with feelings back then. He didn't lie when he said Sakura was the first, and the only woman he had ever kissed.

"How's situation?" he asked, sorting out some paper scattered on his desk. He had given notice to her the morning on funerals that he's going on an S-level, highly confidential mission and no one can now about that. She did her job well, even making Sakura angry, it seemed.

"Uhm, Sakura-sama been here two days ago, asking me about you..."

"Anything else?" she shook her head. He was pretty sure he never found a protocol book on the office, so he asked her in case it was some tradition at the people here not even bother to write about. "Say... what happen when the Elders got to change?"

She put her hand on her cheek in a pose of cutely thinking, but Sasuke didn't even battling eyes. "Hmm... the Council took care of that matter."

"Do you have any information regarding this Council?" the girl laugh as if he was asking a funny question.

"We don't need it, Otokage-sama. Everyone knew the Council and we can meet them whenever we like! In fact, one of the Council just come here before you arrive..."

Sasuke woke up from his seat almost abruptly.

"Who?"

Tons of stone didn't stop him from coming off the grave, huh?

Although he walked calmly like he always did, his heart was on fire. The stupid secretary said the man came just now to get a seal of official Otokage stamp, and she said she saw a letter of arrest was being brought.

There's only one possible place where that damned guy go.

"Excuse me, but do you know where Uchiha Sakura's office−" the receptionist shouted in horror as Sasuke pulled the grey haired man's collar from the back so hard and threw him against the wall.

The impact was enough to crush the wall, and soon the lobby turned into pile of pieces and dust. People running away screaming. When the guy started to wake up from the pile, Sasuke waste no time to punch him again and again, crushing even more wall and destroyed half of the lobby.

The guy prevented his punch by using his hand to shield his face, and when Sasuke's punch collided with his glowing hand, an explosion erupted and the world was being thrown into dust evenmore. This man was not only had super healing ability, but apparantly he also able to produce explosion by his own body.

"...a normal greeting would be good, Otokage-sama." The man smirked. Sasuke tightened his fist. "Coming to see me arrest The First Lady?"

"Don't you dare..." he charged forward and choked the man, he knew this man can recover quickly, but he just need a moment to stop his breathing for once, for Sasuke's own peace. If he couldn't stop this man's breath forever, he needed to stop this man's breath even it's only for minutes.

But before long, a familiar voice called him to sense.

"SASUKE!" Sakura ran over the broken pieces toward him. Sasuke flinched at bit.

"H-help..." the man faked a yelp, although Sasuke knew he wouldn't be died that easily. He's trying to win Sakura favor.

"What the hell, Sasuke?! You can't just barged in and kill a man in my hospital!"

Sasuke's bloody red eyes shifted a little at Sakura, and that's the time when the man released himself so quickly using another explosion, though it was weak and only pushed Sasuke back a few steps. Sasuke already charged again, but Sakura interfered this time, putting herself between the two men.

"Just tell me what's happening here!"

"Get off, Sakura."

"No! you can't just kill a civilian without telling me a reason, Sasuke!" why at a time like this she couldn't read the atmosphere? Do I look like I'm having fun killing innocent here? Just what the hell are you think of me, killing people with no reason?

Goddamit, Sakura.

"Saku−"

"I can tell the reason," too late. The grey haired bastard already healed himself, now he looked like he just fell a bit and not just recover from a deadly duel. He dusted off some pile from his clothes before looked up straight at Sakura, who was staring in awe at his healing abilities. "Uchiha Sakura, you're being arrested in excuse of betrayal."

Sakura's face went even more pale.

"If you didn't follow me in peace, I gotta use force to get you in jail."

No, no one talk about putting anyone to jail in this country without my permission.

Especially her.

Sasuke's eyes about to turn into bloody red again, before something halted him... and the guy's movement altogether. The reason being an elongated shadow that melted into one standing man on the remnants of Lobby's door.

The only one and only;

"Enough. I didn't expect things to be this bad already."

Standing in safe distance, Nara Shikamaru staring intensely at him.

A/N : it's a back to back update!

Yes, Nara Shikamaru is here. If there's anything your logic couldn't solve, we had just the right man arrived in time. Wait until his bright mind solved all the mysteries for you.

Next chapter would be about 'the talk' between our main pairing and maybe... The Council.

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Thank you for reading until now!