Piper: I bet you thought I completely forgot about this story? Naw. It's time it got finished, I'm tired to being lazy with it.

I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 29 - Combat

Sakura Haruno

Searing hot lightning the color of the ocean cut through multiple layers of flesh, and I could feel each hit as though my arm was a hot knife cutting through butter. All I could see was jagged blue and slick crimson, and all I could hear was the crackling of lightning, the rip of flesh, and the splatter of warm blood. I could feel the blood all around me, and I could feel bones snap beneath me as I surged further into the wave of human bodies.

None managed a hit on me, not with my lightning arm. It was blue hot, and I struggled to keep holding it as long as I good. The more I took down, the less casualties on my side. Even though we weren't truly together again, I could not bare it to watch Konoha fall. It took a lot to realize that. No matter how much I tried to deny it, I could feel my ties to Konoha and I knew that they would never die no matter how much I favored the Akatsuki.

Finally, the lightning died, and I went into action. I wielded my fists and I beat down anything that looked remotely hostile. I could feel Konoha ninja and Akatsuki alike fighting along side of me. My Akatsuki whipped around as I furiously took down opponent after opponent. The spiritual heat of chakra was all around me, and I could feel them all grinding against my own furiously. They clashed and fought, like trying to put two magnets directly together.

I put my hands together and began to sign, channeling my chakra. I summoned ten shadow clones, and I cast them around to help those slacking. I felt a kunai fly towards me, and I snapped my head to the side. I could see it fly by in the my side vision, and I could feel another approaching. I reached for my kunai pouch, ready to block it, but another being covered for me. I looked up, and saw Naruto, a kunai in his hand. He looked at me from over his shoulder, his blue eyes striking my soul.

"Naruto," I breathed slightly, catching my breath from all of the excitement.

"Sakura," He returned sadly, before we both dodged the spray of a water jutsu.

A huge whip of water came at us, and I heard Naruto call my name loudly before we were both slammed in the chests. We flew through the air at top speed, crashing through trees. I hit the ground and rolled, the whole world spinning around me like a tornado. I quickly hopped to my feet, and saw Naruto doing the same. I could feel a familiar chakra surrounding us, pulsing with pure evil. Naruto and I both looked around quickly, trying to find the chakra.

Something suddenly shot around in the grass next to me, slithering like a snake. I grunted as it hit me, and I flipped away from it quickly. I snapped my head to look at it, and I saw myself staring into the eyes of a snake.

"Orochimaru," I whispered.

He licked his lips, and my spine jolted in digust at the length of it. For a moment, I felt like a small mouse underneath his gaze. A nice, juicy mouse to be prayed upon by a coiling snake. But, then I felt Naruto take position at my side. Glancing at him, I felt my stomach blossom with warmth. My ex-team mate, who I had been so angry with, still wanted to stand at my side despite our falling out. He wanted to fight by me just as much as I wanted to fight by him.

I felt that a piece of us was missing, however.

"Hmm," Orochimaru purred, "I wasn't exactly expecting to fight you two, but you'll have to do."

"Forgetting someone, Orochimaru?" A dark voice said from behind.

We turned, and I watched as Sasuke walked onto the field. His hand was lazily resting on his katana hilt, similar to how mine was at the moment. The Uchiha caught my eyes, and for a moment, I thought that he smiled. Sasuke joined my other side, and the incomplete feeling slowly dwindled away. We were the original three academy students of Team Seven, and we were going to fight on the same side once more. We were fighting for not only our home, but our whole world.

"Ahh, Sasuke," Orochimaru hissed, inclining his head forward at his old apprentice, "I was wondering if I would be able to see you again. You do have a choice, you know. I will completely forgive your attempt to kill me if you just cross over now."

My spine shivered. The way this man spoke could sending waves of fear rolling through you. He literally was a snake. He spoke with a voice of disgusting charm, with venom laced in every word. His eyes were that of a predator, one that strike at any unpredictable moment. But, with my old Team at my side I found that it was impossible for me to feel like a mouse any more. I felt like a tiger, a large beast prepared to claw the snake in half before it could sink its teeth in.

My eyes flickered to the Uchiha, just in time to see him scoff. He slid his katana from its sheath, and I found myself copying his movement with a smile on my face.

Orochimaru scowled, and his oddly angled face darkened. He licked his lips once more, before he whispered, "Pitty."

The snake sprung, and we moved into action. He dove for me, his arms at his sides as he quite literally moved like a snake. His body moved and slithered, and his jaw almost seemed to unhinge as he went into deep laughter. I cut out with my katana, but he swiftly dodged backwards. I bit my lip, and watched as several Naruto clones sprung forward. I bored my teeth when I saw the real Naruto get swatted away like some kind of pest, and I charged forward.

I could feel Sasuke running along side me, and we began to move in synchronization. It felt almost natural to fight at their sides, even though my heart was still pained with the ache of betrayal.

My sword missed its mark, but Sasuke's caught the tip of the snakes shoulders. He laughed at the mark, before he shot forward. He slithered right underneath Sasuke and came for me. I gasped, but tensed in preparation.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled, and I could feel him trying to get closer.

I snapped out my foot as the snake came closer, and he twisted unnaturally. His hand caught my heel, and I twisted in his grasp. I threw my fist to his stomach, and was satisfied to hear multiple ribs crack underneath my knuckles. His breath was knocked out of him, and it coiled around my face. His breath was icy and smelled of death, making me recoil my head as I realized that he had breathed out some kind of poison.

My hand covered my mouth as I began to cough, watching as several Naruto clones began to corral the snake man away from me. A hand touched my shoulder, and I could feel Sasuke's dark eyes bore into mine. I placed a hand over where my lungs were located and to began to pulse my chakra. I could feel the poison began to fight against my medical jutsu, but soon it was evacuated up my throat. It tickled badly, and I threw up once.

When I found that all of it was gone, I nodded once to the Uchiha and we sprung back into the fight. We got close enough to see Orochimaru finish the last of a series of hand signs. The ground began to rumble dangerously. I felt something slither around my legs, and I looked down to find snakes spewing up from cracks in the ground. The snakes continued to pool out, and I struggled to released their strong grip around my legs.

I finally got the snakes off, when I felt Orochimaru coming for me. I looked, and saw through horrified eyes as his neck began to extend. It coiled forward, his teeth bared. I snapped my foot up, trying to kick the snake man's head away, but he dodge my foot and went for my neck. For a moment, I thought that he had marked me, but realized instead that he was trying to bite my jugular.

"Sakura!" Naruto screamed, currently struggling to fight Orochimaru's body, which seemed to have no problem fighting whislt his neck was extended.

His teeth tore through my neck, and wrapped my hands around his throat. I squeezed, digging my finger nails into his soft flesh. I pulled him from my neck, feel blood begin to roll down my neck. I stared right into his eyes, which were wild and lit with the pleasure of the fight. Blood from my neck rolled down his chin, and he tauntingly licked it away before my eyes.

Disgust rolled through me, and I pulled his neck, before throwing his head away as hard as I could. It whipped back, towards a concerned Naruto. I focused on healing my neck, and I saw two Naruto clones kick the head between them before his neck began to shrink back, placing his head back onto his shoulders.

"You three are strong," The snake man chuckled, and I could see some of my blood lingering on his teeth.

I pulled my hands away from my healed wound, breathing heavily.

"But not strong enough!" He snapped, his eyes slitting. His hand clapped together and he began to preform hand signs.

There was a loud explosion, and I shielded my eyes away as dirt and rubble was flung into the air. I heard the shift of scaled skin, and quickly removed my arm. A giant snake towered over me, and I felt my breath get blown away at its size. I flipped away as it swept its tail around, almost hitting me. Naruto and Sasuke appeared at my sides, and I tried to catch my breath.

"That snake," I whispered, "It's Orochimaru."

It was true, this snake was no summon. I could see its resemblance to the snake man in every way. Its scales were the shimmering colors of white and purple, with black designs atop of its large head. Its eyes were the same gold as Orochimaru's, and they held the same feeling they did while he was in human form. The man truly was like a snake, being able to unleash himself as a snake.

"Sakura, I'm sorry," Naruto whispered, his eyes not leaving the enormous snake.

I swallowed, and took their hands in mine. "I am, too."

"I have a plan," Sasuke interrupted, not seeing a point in our little sorry fest. "Pick the biggest attack your chakra levels will allow. And on my signal, the three of us will attack at the same time."

We nodded, and I took my hands from theirs. We moved to different positions around the snake. The snake watched us, before it opened its mouth. Smaller snakes before to fall from its jaws, and disgust rolled through me. I went through all my jutsus in my mind, and I knew exactly which one I needed to pick.

"Start studying that scroll I gave you when you get back to your room," Tobi instructed, and I nodded at him once more.

He vanished from sight, and I started to make my way back to the base. The air was frigid cold, from the rain that had been pouring down an hour ago. Fighting in that rain had soaked me to the bone, and I was freezing. I quickly entered the base and found my room, and took a warm shower. I switched into some relaxing clothes, and began to study the scroll I was given, like Tobi instructed me to do.

It was the elemental fist scroll he had given me in the library so long ago, and I was beginning to learn the hand signs for it. It was slightly frustrating to learn the hand signs for this jutsu at first, because they tended to go in an order the boggled my mind a bit. I would go through the appropriate signs, and suddenly notice I missed one or confused one. Now I could go through them almost perfectly, and I was getting good speed times for getting them through.

Every time I practiced the hand signs, my chakra would stir. I had yet to actually test the jutsu. Tobi had told me to test it once I felt ready, but I didn't know if I was.

I glanced over the technique once more. I didn't know which element to try first. I bit my lip, and looked over the different paths I had to follow. Each element had a different path, and it the jutsu seemed much more simple then before. I now realized that I didn't need to learn how to do each elemental path. If I wanted to, I could, but it would be much easier for me to do the paths that my chakra leaned towards first.

I watched the snake, waiting for Sasuke to preform the signal. There was a small explosion from Sasuke's side of the snake, and I knew that it was the signal. I sprang forwards, my hands in a fierce dance of hand signs. I could feel my chakra building up in my scarred arm and my other arm, and I begin to pull them back into fists. I jumped forward, heading straight for the snake.

"Elemental Fists!"

"Kirin!"

"Rasenshuriken!"

A large explosion covered the land, and Konoha could see the explosion even though it was miles from the village. The large clash of jutsu exploded in a bright array of colors, and for a moment the whole sky went white. Konoha nin and Akatsuki alike had to shield their eyes from the light, only to be hit by the strong burst of wind that came from the blast. It knocked nin of their feet, and crumbled down weak houses in its path.

When the light faded, the ninja could no longer see the snake that was Orochimaru any longer. Once the blast settled, everyone held their breath for a long moment. Suddenly, cheers began to burst out through the crowds. People began to cheer, whilst some began to cry. They held their fallen loved ones in their arms, but couldn't help but feel relief at the victory just as the others did.

Tsunade stood up from a newly healed ninja, her eyes staring at the wrecked around her, and felt her stomach swell with pride. Even if the village was destroyed, it could be restored. They had one, and that as all that mattered at one point. She looked around, and saw the Akatsuki pulling their ranks together to make sure that they were all there.

Pein glanced across each members face, and found that they were one short. He looked around, his eyes twitching back and forth almost frantically. His eyes met Tsunade's, and he called out to her, "Where is Sakura?"

Tobi seemed to twitch slightly, and he began to move his masked face around at his leader's words. He searched almost frantically, the other Akatsuki seeming to be doing the same.

Tsunade's head snapped around and found herself frantically searching. She noticed two important others missing. "Sasuke and Naruto are missing, too."

Kakashi heard what she had said, and felt his heart thump in his chest. His three students were missing. They couldn't be dead, he decided. He refused to believe it. They were strong, they had taken down Orochimaru. He refused to loose any of them, even the little Akatsuki student of his. He couldn't exactly call himself her teacher, because as he looked back her realized just how little he taught her. Either way, he cared, and he couldn't bare to see the war end this way.

Suddenly, ninja could feel the approach of three chakra signatures. They looked towards the gates, and instantly they were filled with relief. Three heads, topped with a familiar pink, yellow, and black, approached the crumbling village. Their hands, people noticed, were intertwined. Most were surprised that the young Uchiha even allowed himself to be touched, let alone have his hand held as he walked. But, he seemed perfectly fine with the contact.

The pink haired girl connecting them at the middle was smiling, bigger than the blond on her left. There was something different about her smile, Madara noticed. It was a smile that not even he would've been able to give her. She seemed full, almost complete. She looked lighter and much more happy then he had ever seen her.

Kakashi found himself breathing a breath he hadn't been able to release since he found out that his pink haired student had left the village. He slowly stood, ignoring the smarting of his body. He, like a few others, moved to greet the three at the destroyed gates.

Pein watched as the Akatsuki hurried towards the small pink haired girl, Tobi leading the pack. He, however, hung back to simply observe. She had grown so much, he realized. She had grown from the small girl who clung to his pant leg, asking for him to train her. She had grown from the memory-less girl who found her comfort in him. And she had grown from the pain-struck girl, who had been hindered by the truth of the of her past.

She had accepted what had happened, and she would be the bridge between two seemingly untouchable sides. Konoha and the Akatsuki were like to magnets that couldn't be forced together, so she was the piece of metal between them that they stuck to. She connected them together almost easily, Pein realized, as he felt slightly neutral towards the Village Hidden in the Leaf.

Pein watched as Tobi, or Madara, scooped the pink haired girl into his arms and begin to run away from the growing crowd, towards the remains of the inner village. He was instantly chased by several Akatsuki members and Konoha ninja. Pein didn't like that Madara was so interested in the pink haired girl, but there truely wasn't much he could do about it.

If she could defeat Orochimaru, he was sure that she could keep Madara on his toes.

Sakura Haruno

"There, that's the last of it," I whispered, shutting my closet with a soft thud.

I threw myself onto my bed, groaning into the pillow. I had never expected moving to be so much work. But, being back in Konoha seemed almost right. It made me feel complete. I lifted my head and placed my ear onto the pillow instead. I could hear my fellow Akatsuki waddling around the house, moving their things into their rooms and talking to each other.

I smiled softly to myself, but shivered when I felt a hand touch my waist. A body lay down next to me, and I was pulled into their chest. Fluffy, dark black hair tickled my face as it pooled over the other bodies shoulders and onto me. I lifted my hand and began to run my hand through their locks, smiling when I heard a hum of approval.

"Hi, Madara," I said softly, and I felt his lips touch my neck once.

"Hello, Blossom."

I turned in his grasp so that I could face him, and found my eyes staring into dark onyx. "Are you moved in properly?"

He nodded, kissing my lips softly. I smiled, pulling away before burying my face into his neck. His arms made a protective cage around me, and I found myself slowly falling asleep in his grasp. I felt his fingers petting along my spine, across the mark of the old seal placed on me. Despite how it broke, the seal forever stained my skin. It was much more sensitive, and Madara knew that.

I almost liked the seal. It was an explanation and reminder of my life. I would never forget the hardships I went through, and I didn't want to. Through them, I became stronger. I became a new woman, a new ninja, because of it. I made it through the war, and I managed to make new bonds to replace broken ones. Sometimes, there was bitterness, but it was easy to get it to pass.

Some people were still weary of the Akatsuki, but most had warmed up after seeing the Organization fight so fiercely for their village. Which, they truly did. That aside, it took me quite a while to completely warm up to and forgive the village. However, wounds healed. Even mental wounds could heal, with a little love. I reconnected with many whilst we helped rebuild the destroyed parts of Konoha.

It was still hard to be around some people, like the Council, but it slowly became easier to tolerate. It became easier to tolerate those who hated me, who hated the Akatsuki. It was easy to tolerate that it was time to forgive and forget. It was time to stop fighting, and start mending.

My life was like my seal. It was bathed in Crimson, blood shed and pain. But it was easier to deal with, easier to think about when the crimson was only ink. Some of it could be washed away, while some of it needed to stay. They would be reminders that would make me stronger.

My ending wasn't perfect, but I was perfectly content living a life stained in Crimson Ink.

Piper: And that's the end. I'm quite happy with this, considering I finally got off my ass and finished this. I had such bad writers block for this, but I refused to give up when I was only one chapter away from the end. I hope all of you enjoyed the story, and you can expect another story to come out sometime soon. Thank you all for reading and sticking with me through a lot.

Please review, and thank you all!