I smelt fire, felt it's waves lick at my skin. My body was limp, bouncing slightly in some stranger's arms. Now, one may be asking what is happening but, in all honesty, I haven't got a clue. My face was pressed against a warm cloth, which happened to smell like trees. Their strong arms carried me in bridal style, my face buried in a covered chest. It was safe to assume that it was a man holding me with such care.

His heart was beating rapidly, I felt him propel us into the air. While he was doing so, I attempted to convince him that I was asleep. Keeping my chakra at ease and maintaining a steady heartbeat. Unfortunately for me, this man was not easily fooled.

"Sakura-san, I am quite aware that you are awake."

His deep, monotonous voice was nearly a whisper. I decided to open my eyes, but I was met with black and red cloth. I stiffened, the thought of the Akatsuki sent shivers down my spine. I soon relaxed, as the memories came to me. There was yet another war started by Uchiha Madara. Pein, the leader of the Akatsuki, thought it would be wise to begin an alliance with Konoha and Tsunade agreed. Unfortunately, even with the extra help, Madara had already destroyed most of villages, leaving us for last.

'That explains the fire..' A voice that sounded nearly identical to mine muttered. 'Inner?' I thought, dumbfounded. The last time she uttered anything was when Sasuke came back.

Sasuke...

The name brought a sad smile on my face. When he came back, I hesitated to speak to him. I had gotten over my crush on him quite some time ago, but to see him in the flesh, without killing intent, was too much to handle. He had done something that was absolutely out of character for him. He had initiated a group hug between us and Naruto.

Naruto, being lighthearted, accepted the hug with no problem but I...I ran. I somehow ended up at the Hyuuga complex and basically told Neji everything. Over the years, Neji and I had formed a tight-knit friendship. After a while, Sasuke and I ended up being friends again, despite the awkwardness of his comeback. I was genuinely happy, all of Team 7 were back, bonds were made and it was a happy period in my life...

Then Madara attacked.. Multiple Shinobi tried to hold him off while the Hokage tried to get Naruto to safety, but he had defeated them as if they were mere genin.

There was so much bloodshed, which was expected, but for one man to be so ruthless... Despite the attempts to keep Naruto hidden, Madara had found him. I had protected Naruto as much as I could, but the Uchiha had thrown me like a rag doll. Thankfully, a shadow clone of Naruto's was able to catch me, but not before asking
where 'Sasuke-Teme' was.

It broke my heart to tell him that his dear friend was dead, and it also broke my heart to tell him that all of our other friends shared his fate too. That was the trigger for him. Naruto had called on the Kyuubi and was attempting to exact his revenge on Madara. But that was exactly what the insane Uchiha wanted, his anger...his hatred had made him stronger and he was able to kill Naruto..

...The words 'Naruto' and 'Kill' should never be in the same sentence..

Forlorn, I was nearly going to attempt to kill the bastard myself when the smoke got to me. Which explains why I woke up in the Akatsuki leader's arms.

Speaking of Pein, his voice had knocked me out of my thoughts. He had informed me that Tsunade was waiting for us, she had decided to try something that may help with our situation. I was confused, but I decided it was best not to question the pierced man about that specific detail. I instead noticed how close to him he was holding me.

"Pein-sama-" I began, getting his attention. He gave me a confused side glance as he jumped from tree to tree. "You do know that I can walk, right? There is no need to carry me for much longer." I told him, making sure not to offend him.

With a nearly non-existent smirk, he answered me with a sly "I want to carry you.", which shut me up. Inner, on the other hand, was as loud as can be. 'Pfft, who knew the leader of such an intimidating gang was so smooth!?' Her laughter was beginning to annoy me.

"You do know we're in the middle of a war, right?" I had asked, not intending to say it out loud.

Pein threw me an amused glance. "Hai, Sakura-san. I am quite aware of that fact." He answered with a raised eyebrow. My face was the colour of my hair. I tried to say something, but I kept stuttering over my words.

The ginger gave a small smile and patted me on my head. "I'm holding you because the process of which Tsunade is trying may take a lot of your chakra." He said bluntly. I nodded, choosing not to say anything else until we reached our destination.

As he climbed the Hokage monument, I was watching, with a melancholic interest, most of my village burn down to the ground. I didn't cry as I thought I would..I just stared at my former home.

When we finally came to the Hokage's office, a grim looking Tsunade was sitting there, waiting. When our eyes met, her face had lit up. "Sakura, you're safe!" She exclaimed, getting out of her tattered chair. She took me out of the pierced man's grasped and embraced me. Tsunade-sama has always been like a second mother to me, even after I surpassed her.

Pein coughed, getting both of our attention. They shared a look and the blonde haired woman sighed. She looked at me with a sadness in her eyes that made my heart clench.

"Sakura, as you know-" She began. She inhaled sharply before retaining a straight face. "There have been many casualties in this war." I nodded. Despite her calm demeanor, I could tell she was really torn up this. "I..I thought that since all of our allies are dead, we need a way to stop this. Once Madara reaches us, there will be no way to stop him." I nodded, though I was a bit confused. She went to her desk and after doing several hand signs, a scroll appears.

My eyes widened, this was a scroll that I've never seen before.

My posture became tense, my hands clenched, and my eyes narrowed. "Do you need me to deliver the scroll?" I asked, ready to take on the task. She gave a raspy chuckle. "Always eager to help...No, I have something else in mind." Sweat dripped down my brow, my stance probably showing how nervous I am. Sensing my uncertainty, Pein put his hand on my shoulder. "Keep calm, Sakura."

That's all he said, and somehow..I wasn't as tense anymore. Still, I didn't like how shady this was.

"Tsunade, what exactly are we doing with this scroll? You never answered me directly." Pein asked, and I had to agree with him. "I'm getting to that!" She nearly yelled.
She looked at me and gave a shaky smile. "Sakura, would you do anything to stop this war?" She asked me, watching for my reaction. I nearly snorted, of course I would! When I nodded, she gave a smile. A smile that seemed a bit condescending.