Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Introduction**

Today would officially make it three weeks since Madara's Eye of the Moon plan succeeded. Three weeks since he became the Shinju's jinchūriki and put the entire world as they knew it under his control. His_ rule_. Now, with all of the great allied Shinobi Forces at his feet, he naturally became the ruler of the _new_ world. He called it his _"_Utopia"_. _It didn't surprise anyone when he sent in his troops to capture and kill all of the Konohagakure shinobi. He'd promised to shroud it in darkness, after all. What better way to do that than to create a massive tragedy? Turns out, he hadn't just meant the village. Madara twisted the entire world into a dark, ugly, unrecognizable landmass until it fit his demented needs. The land of fire was the first to go. After that, he gradually worked his way up to the top.

Three weeks. Madara had done it all in _three weeks_.

Sakura had been lucky enough to escape in time from the hidden village before the second wave of ninja hit. She wouldn't have ever even_ thought_ about it, but Tsunade had given her an _order_ to flee. At first, it had enraged her because that was _her_ family and _her_ friends out there fighting so why shouldn't _she_ be out there—and then there was that pleading look the Hokage had given her. Her teacher had fucking _pleaded_ with her. Indirectly, yet all the same. Then everything had become clear in that moment, opening her livid green eyes. Sakura had actually examined the large gashes and amount of blood seeping out of Tsunade's wounds, deciphering almost too late what _exactly_ that look meant. No matter what she or anyone did, they weren't going to win the war. It was obvious, no matter how much she'd tried to deny it. So she'd done the only thing left _to do—_the only thing that could possibly give the future _any_ chance of hope.

The kunoichi fled, hot, burning tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. Leaving behind her, a charred and screaming village in her wake.

.

.

**Chapter 1:**

Sakura's eyes shot open and she sat up abruptly to glance around at her surroundings. Her eyes met with darkness and for a moment, she panicked. Jumping out of her spot on the cold rocky ground, she immediately withdrew into a battle stance. With her arms raised and feet spread, she narrowed her eyes toward the exit of the cavern. A murky red light beamed through, carrying along a cold breeze of air that reeked of newly burned ashes. The kunoichi's nose crinkled at the horrid smell and she wondered if those ashes belonged to someone that was once living.

In her sleep, she'd heard hushed whispers nearby, clear as day. Now, everything was suspiciously silent and it was starting to worry her.

Sure to not let her guard down, the girl bit out scathingly, "Show yourself, you cowards! Don't think for one moment that just because I'm asleep, you can catch me off guard!"

The only response she received was the sound of water dripping eerily from the ceiling above. Sakura remained locked in her stance for a few second before eventually lowering her arms to her waist in resignation. She sighed deeply, running a hand through her pink strands. She was seriously reconsidering her mental state. Those voices had been vaguely familiar, which led her to believe that they were simply a memory that she had confused with reality. There were no chakra signatures nearby within _at least _a five-mile radius.

_You're going senile, Sakura.._

She swallowed in an attempt to ease her dry throat. That was the fifth time already that she'd dreamed of that night. Sakura wished she could sign herself up for psychiatrist appointments. Were things like the old days, Ino would've laughed in her face at the very thought of it. Naruto would fret over her mental state and watch over her while she recovered; and Kakashi-sensei would awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder and recite helpful advice like he usually did when she was troubled with something.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. But oh how things had changed. Sakura no longer lived in her amazing and peaceful leaf village. Her new home was a _creepy-as-fuck_ looking cave located somewhere up North in Earth country. While it probably wasn't the coziest of places, at least she was out of sight from any of Madara's bloodthirsty shinobi. Besides, it was hard to ask for more when she'd already survived _both _Konohagakure attacks. There was even a civilian village that she often visited for supplies and news updates. The most recent one was of no surprise—three days ago, Madara had announced to the public that any shinobi who wasn't in his army would be slaughtered upon spot. Apparently, he'd even provided them with an example to further prove his point.

Sakura scowled, wanting nothing more than to rip his throat out. However, since that was impossible at the time being, she needed to focus on her main priority—food. Which meant she'd have to make another trip into town again, which was risky. Each time she snuck in, her chances of being killed increased. Even more so with that new law around.. But, despite that, she had to go either way. It was the only opportunity for knowledge. As long as she was stealthy, no one would even notice her.

Turning around, Sakura kicked her pathetic excuse of a sleeping bag over to the side with the rest of her supplies. A lone bottle of sake rattled against the opposite wall. She frowned and walked across the damp floor, bending over to pick it up in her hands. Emerald eyes studied the light container. _Empty_. That was another thing on her list that she needed to buy more of, she noted, standing back up and letting the glass bottle drop to the ground. She bent over to grab her bag, slinging it over her shoulder unceremoniously. If anyone dared pick a fight with her, she'd quietly deal with them before they caused too big of a ruckus. Simple.

She pushed a stray strand of oily hair out of her face and turned back around toward the entrance once more. Sakura hated going outside now, but there was no other option. Picking her unmoving feet up off of the ground, she willed herself over to the exit. The red light penetrated her vision, blinding her for a moment. Then, she saw what she was afraid of. Dead trees littered the narrow cliffed valley along with a murky thick fog that had her holding her breath. It was still the same as last time, yet, somehow worse. Madara's army must've been nearby. She'd have to run again soon.

_Well, shit_. Sakura thought to herself ironically, _I feel like a missing-nin now._ She never thought she'd ever live to say _that._ It was funny, in a humorless kind of way.

With a huff, the kunoichi shook her head and continued on, paying no heed to the blood crimson moon above. The girl didn't feel up to being mind-controlled by a psychopath today, or any other day for that matter.

Sakura hadn't even took two steps when a shuriken suddenly zipped through the air just above her head. The kunoichi immediately came to a stop and crouched down with a kunai. Her eyes narrowed in anger. This was her first close-up encounter with one of Madara's men. She considered running, but it would only take her back the way she'd come which unfortunately, was a dead end. She had no other option except to fight them. If things got too bad, she'd just escape when she found an opening.

She blinked as a rush of pain erupted throughout her body. An agonizing burning sensation numbed her lower abdomen. Her henge flickered and she clutched at her side, gritting her teeth in distress. Sakura quickly brought her hand up to her face to judge the damage and let out a hysterical cry. Not only was the former pale hand coated in dark red, but it also painted her arm and dripped down to the dull rock below. They had gotten her good. She hadn't even _seen_ that attack coming. If the battle continued like this, she'd be dead in no time. Sakura needed to _get out of there._

Although, not without causing at least _some_ damage first.

With a snarl, her henge disappeared completely so that she could direct her chakra into her feet. Two shinobi lept down from their postions on top of the cliff and readied their shuriken threateningly. However, they didn't expect for Sakura to literally kick a large boulder at the one on the right, who had no time to dodge until it was too late. The rock hit one of the stone walls, leaving behind nothing but a gruesome blood splatter and some ugly figure laying in a heap on top of the rock.

She grimaced at the sight, turning her attention back to the other ninja. His face was concealed by a mask, but Sakura could tell from his stance that he was hesitant to attack again.

"Well? What are you waiting for? I thought you were going to kill me," she gloated, a smug smile playing at her lips. The medic knew that taunting this guy was a bad idea, but she was feeling victorious for once in a long time. A part of her wanted to savor the feeling.

He was on her before she could bat an eyelash. She held up an arm to counterattack, fully expecting him to lash out on her with his fist, but instead met with a sharp kunai that implanted itself into her forearm. Sakura's eyes widened and she jumped back, gasping in pain. Blood poured out of her fresh cut and it continued to pour down her arm. Her movements were unnaturally sloppy, that much was obvious by now. Was it from all that sake? Maybe she shouldn't have drank away her sorrows. Now, she'd given him an unfair advantage._  
_

Sakura cradled her bleeding arm, fighting back the habitual urge to heal her injuries. It wouldn't be good if she used too much chakra and alerted Madara of her location. Ever since she'd learned that the most talented shinobi were being hunted down and murdered, it didn't take long for her to realize how the madman was tracking them down. His new world allowed him to not only control everyone inhabited within it, but he could also sense chakra signatures from hundreds of miles away. And if he found _her_, one of the last surviving Konoha nin..

_Dammit!_

The kunoichi quickly dodged another attack that was aimed for her shoulder. For some reason, it seemed like the ninja's attacks were getting faster and her's were getting slower. Sakura _knew_ she hadn't lost _that_much blood. Something was definitely wrong. The sky was getting darker and her mind was beginning to fog up. Could alcohol completely numb your senses and make you feel like you had to fight for dominance to control your own body? No, the pink haired girl had been drunk before and it felt _nothing_ like this.

Her face twisted in fury. _What the _hell_ is going _on_? Why can't I move the way I want to?!_

Then, everything suddenly stilled. The enemy shinobi froze, the wind froze, _she_ froze. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura understood what this meant and it wasn't good _at all_. So, she inwardly screamed at her body to move, to do _something_ already! Panic flashed in her emerald eyes when she saw the ninja who was in front of her collapse to the ground as if he were but a mere puppet and his strings had been snapped. She pushed harder, willing her legs to move, to no avail. The medic was no longer in control of her own body. _Someone_ was controlling her, forcing her to stand perfectly still in that exact spot.

All at once, terrifying realization dawned on her. She could sense a dark chakra signature approaching from ahead that could only belong to one person. The _one person_ left in the world that could make her hair instantly stand up straight. The girl's face went pale and all of the color drained away from her expression completely.

Madara had actually managed to find her, after all of those weeks. And judging by the sheer force of his chakra, he was ecstatic.

_._

_._

**A.N.**

**Bleh, I don't like author notes clogging up my story, so I'm just going to delete what was here before. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

He was closing in on her, Sakura realized grimly. Her heart beat accelerated and she could feel a chill run up her spine. His sinister chakra seemed to overwhelm everything in sight, overpowering any nearby chakra signatures whether they were from vicious shinobi or smaller insignificant resources. Even her own energy felt puny in comparison to the large amount of darkness plummeting towards her at that very moment. It wouldn't be long until he finally arrived in full glory. What was she to do then? The medic _still_ couldn't move her own body. Tears began to well up at the corner of her eyes and she tried to blink them away, only to find that it was impossible just like everything else that she'd tried to do.

_Think on the bright side. At least you'll be reunited with your family again.._

The thought did little to reassure her. It only made matters that much worse. Dying alone had always been one of her greatest fears and it was finally about to come true. Sakura felt like someone had thrown a cold bucket of water over her head. She was actually going to _die_ and the last thing she'd see was Madara's cold, crazed rinnegan mocking her. There would be no _heroic sacrifice_ as she'd imagined before because in this world, there was nothing left _worth_ saving. For once in a long time, the girl felt utterly defeated. Numb, even. Was this how her friends had felt when Madara won the war? She tried not to imagine how creative the _bastard_ had been with Naruto and Sasuke's deaths. It would only make things that much harder on her already stressed psyche, anyway.

Pure hatred bubbled up in her stomach when she noticed a lone figure flicker into existence just a few feet away from her. From her position, she could only see the upper half of his torso, but she wasn't stupid enough to _not_ know who standing there. What kind of sane person would prance around with long black, spiky hair? There was only one person she knew of that would ever show their face around her with that appearance—and it being the very freak himself. Sakura wanted to pummel the prick until he was nothing but a lifeless and bloodied lump on the ground. However, she doubted that she'd even have the chance to get close enough. The sixteen-year-old cursed herself for her uselessness. After all of those years, she still couldn't seem to do anything right.

Madara's hair shifted slightly to the side and Sakura assumed that he was observing the area to perceive what had taken place earlier. His gaze seemed to linger on his dead shinobi's corpse for a little while longer, which filled her again with that victorious feeling. She must have struck a nerve. But then, his head moved back into her direction and she could literally _feel _the smirk curving his lips. A part of her wanted to scream in frustration. Was the heartless monster _amused_ by his own soldiers _death_? Her stomach lurched uneasily as her earlier death prediction became almost definite. Any delusional hopes of mercy was no longer an option at that point.

_Is this guy even fucking human?_

A voice inside her head that sounded a lot like Naruto told her otherwise.

Wide emerald eyes watched him slowly crouch down behind the unconscious ninja in-between them. It was at that time, did she finally see the face of death. As she'd suspected, a dark and sinister smirk was present that gave him an ironic godly atmosphere. And while she hated to admit it, he was easily one the few people left in the world that could still intimidate her. Not to mention the fact that he was practically _shrouded_ in the Shinju's violent, corrupted chakra. The man was dangerous. That fact alone had her feeling _extra cautious_. Madara's eyes glanced up to meet hers then, and she could've_ sworn_ his mouth quirked up a bit higher.

She could only wish for the power to look away from the familiar glow, but his genjutsu held her firmly in place.

_Shit! Don't tell me he's going to use__—_

"It's rude to stare, girl."

His amused voice echoed throughout the enclosed trench, immediately overpowering any of her frantic thoughts.

He was _mocking_ her, she instantly registered in the next second.

But then, her mind went blank. Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to backhand him for that outrageous remark or run like a bat out of hell. Unfortunately, both options were impossible in her current position so she quickly ended that train of thought before it set off. If she wanted to survive, she needed to think about what she _could_ do at the moment. However, she was soon reminded of the fact that there _wasn't_ anything she could do. The kunoichi couldn't even _blink, _for kami's sake! How the hell was she supposed to escape from him _alive_?

"I can see you've made quite the mess here," Madara continued offhandedly, tone eerily calm.

He motioned toward the brutal mess across the crevice with an upturned palm. His eyes narrowed in her direction before flickering back down to the lone shinobi on the ground beneath him. There was something akin to disappointment in his gaze, except it was short-lived and gone in the blink of an eye.

The motionless ninja didn't even stir when a pale, slender hand reached out and began tracing a lone fingertip against his windpipe. The Uchiha's disturbingly nonchalant expression during this process had her wondering if he was even more insane then she'd previously thought. Everyone had already known that the freak was a sadistic monster, but she'd never actually _seen_ his nerve-racking behavior herself. Sakura's throat grew dry when he suddenly dug his painted nail into the shinobi's flesh, drawing a trickle of blood. She wanted nothing more than to squeeze her eyes shut and block out the inevitable. Years of ninja experience prepared her for what was coming next. Though, the fact that she couldn't do anything about it made her sick to her stomach.

"I'm impressed," He sighed, shaking his head in a manner that vaguely suggested otherwise. "That departed man was one of my.. _more experienced_ soldiers. Crafted and forged into an elite shinobi within mere hours. It's unexpected for so much potential to come to an end so soon. And by a pathetic _leaf_ kunoichi at that. Pity."

A low click of the tongue followed suit. Disgust flashed in Sakura's eyes at the way he regarded his people with such uncaring apathy.

"As for _him_," She was then suddenly aware of how his hand had tightened around the_ living_ ninja's neck.

"While it is unfortunate that I have to resort to these methods, it appears that he is no longer of use to me." With the flick of his wrist—too fast for her eyes to even register—a sickening _crunch_ filled the silence. Madara withdrew his gloved hand and began to heave himself back up. "I cannot afford to take any chances with a shinobi who is incapable of following simple instructions. Incompetent ninja serve no purpose in this world."

She felt downright nauseated now. Sakura was grateful that she couldn't move anymore, or else she would have emptied all of the contents in her stomach. Her vision started to blur and the familiar aching from her wounds suddenly sparked back to life. Next it'd be her, lying lifelessly on the ground without any chance to fight back or defend herself. The once accomplished and powerful kunoichi was actually going to die and there was nothing she could do to stop it. And that_ really_ bothered her. If she was going to die, she wanted to go down with a _fight. _She didn't want to die like some worthless _sound_ scum! After all, she still needed to figure out what Tsunade had wanted her to _do_.

Inside, she was struck with a sudden fit of searing white-hot anger and emotion. Sakura could feel her chakra moving a thousand miles per second within her body, begging to finally be released. The overwhelming urge to leap out and attack Madara in a blind fit of rage crossed her mind, but his genjutsu kept her still. A more calm and rational part of her advised that she relax before she let her actions get the best of her. While she despised that particular side of her in that moment, the girl reluctantly forced her body to ease up from the electrifying tension. Reckless behavior would get her nowhere..

_Get a hold of yourself, Sakura, _she chided inwardly.

Madara studied her thoughtfully before proceeding to speak up in his usual low monotone. "You were Tsunade's student, correct? Wielder of monstrous strength that could rival only the old hag herself.." A knowing smirk twisted his lips.

"Only a _truly_ intelligent shinobi could ever elude me for this long. In fact, had I not found you, I would have said it impossible." At this, his eyes narrowed perceptively in her direction. "Now tell me, just _how_ did you manage _that_?"

The ability to breathe again had never felt as sweet as it did then. With just one deep inhalation, a heavy weight was lifted off of her chest. Sakura closed her eyes and relished in the feeling for a moment. It was probably the most refreshing sensation she'd felt all day. However, as all good things come to an end, she soon realized that he'd _released the genjutsu_. On her, that is. Which meant that she was able to move freely again. This new revelation caused her eyes to snap open at breakneck speed. The fear and panic that she'd felt before was slowly beginning to drain away.

Instinctively, she raised her fists up in front of her in a means of defense. Sakura kept her eyes glued to him, not wanting to be taken by surprise if he planned to attack. Despite being able to move again, she was still in a bad position. Nothing had changed the fact that he could easily overpower her within a few milliseconds. He was still in control, even though she hated to admit it. The only way to buy her some time to get out alive, would be to stall him and answer his questions until she found her way out. Engaging him would be like signing a death contract.

_Just stay calm. _Don't_ think about everything he's done..  
_

Sakura glared at him, fists tightening. "How is it any of your concern, anyway?" she questioned steely.

He did not answer, but she could _feel_ the tension in the air getting thicker.. She'd humor him.

"I didn't do _anything_. I survived using my basic survival skills—something everyone learns in the academy. Maybe your shinobi just aren't as great as you make them out to be." She glanced past him and over toward the bloodied corpse to prove her point further.

Maybe if she made him angry enough, he'd move out of the way of the exit so that she could make a run for it. Even though it wasn't her _best _idea ever, she wasn't going to be picky. She needed any opening she could get at this point and that seemed like her only viable option. Fighting him was out of the question, unless she had absolutely _had_ _to_. All in all, it was probably smarter to avoid that notion altogether. Sakura wasn't looking to die just _yet_.

He didn't even look _a_ _little_ affected by her remark. There was no trace of annoyance, displeasure, or _anything _negative. In fact, it looked as if he were _satisfied_ with her response. Madara's eyes lifted up to meet hers. Inside them, Sakura could see amusement dancing within them clear as day. That was the complete _opposite_ of what she had expected. But then again, it didn't_ really_ matter what kind of mood he was in as long as her plan succeeded.

Sakura bit her lip anxiously as she began to channel some chakra into her feet. Sweat beads were already starting to form on her forehead from the overwhelming strain that came in the form of Madara Uchiha. She had no idea how she was actually going to pull this off_—_or even if she had a chance.

She swallowed in an attempt to ease her dry throat.

_Well, here goes nothing then.._

Before she could hesitate, she slammed her palms together in front of her and squeezed her eyes shut. Time seemed to stand still for those few seconds. Everything around her_—_the cavern, the dead bodies, Madara, it all disappeared. The only image in her mind was her favorite Team 7 photo, the one that she had framed on her desk at home before everything went to hell. Sakura was reminded of how useless she had been and how she chose to make a difference later on in life. Every memory, every _snippet_ flashed before her eyes rapidly. Intent swirled through her mind. She had to do this.

She reopened her eyes again, only to find that she was no longer standing in front of Madara. Instead, Sakura realized that she was just a few yards out behind him_—_in the direction of her desired exit. She immediately took a deep breathe, knowing that it would probably be her last. If her calculations were correct, she had less than a few seconds before he figured out that the other her was only a clone. She used this limited amount of time to put use of the chakra stored in her feet. By the time her sandals touched the ground, she was already speeding down the rock path with all of her might. She knew better than to look back as it would only decrease her time to escape.

The wind had barely even begun to breeze past her when she suddenly felt excruciating pain blossoming in her chest. It felt as if the air had been knocked right out of her. Sakura opened her mouth to inhale, but found that she couldn't intake any air whatsoever. A look of pure horror crossed her face as she dropped down to her knees violently. Her body twitched, face turning an unhealthy dark shade of purple. Any of the air that she'd previously had was slowly dissipating.

_He was..he was _suffocating_ her!_

Just as that fact entered her mind, the man himself decided to appear before her. Madara_—_in the blink of an eye_—_reached down and hauled her upwards by merely the skin of her chin. His nails penetrated her flesh, intentionally digging deeper to cause more pain to her person. The burning sensation now erupting on her face was the least of her worries. Hazy green eyes met his twisted mirthful ones once again. Sakura wanted to go back and ask her past self exactly _why_ _she thought this_ was supposed to be a good idea..

Strained, chapped lips struggled to speak. "Go to hell..you_ bastard._."

He smirked. "Did you honestly believe that I would fall for such a _simple _technique?" His voice sounded so _bored _and _condescending_. "That was a foolish move, kunoichi. I expected better from the apprentice of the Godaime Hokage."

She gritted her teeth together, trying to string her thoughts back into place. Her mind had turned into a puddle of mush without any air to help it function correctly. In just a few more moments, Sakura would be done for completely. Even though she was desperately willing her body to break free, she secretly knew that there was no escaping his genjutsu. Only him miraculously deciding to drop the spell would save her now, which she would take with a grain of salt.

Tears began to sting the corners of her eyes. The pain was becoming unbearable by now and her vision was darkening. Sakura's eyes drifted toward the dull red sky above. Grey ugly ash inhabited the area that was once home to fluffy cotton-like clouds. The old and clear moon that she sometimes used to stare at on slow nights during missions was not very eye-catching anymore when it reminded her so much of bloodshed.

"I'm _sorry _for failing you, Tsunade..." she whispered shakily, keeping her gaze solely focused on the large moon ahead. The deep crimson glow was somehow calming, in that moment.

The life was quickly fading from her formerly radiant emerald eyes. Sakura Haruno was actually _dying_. She'd failed Tsunade, Naruto, and the entire world. But, there was nothing she could do about it. If it really was her time, then she wasn't going to quarrel with fate. She was going to be strong and accept death like an honorable ninja; no matter how terrifying it was to experience her own heartbeat coming to a still.

"_Insulting._"

Even though Madara's voice seemed so far away now, she could clearly identify the sarcasm laced in it. His mouth was suddenly at her ear, breath prickling the sensitive skin.

"As if I would allow the last remaining leaf ninja to get off so easily. Your logic continues to disappoint me, girl." His naturally apathetic tone_—_even in death, still got under her skin. "I have specific plans in store for you, _kunoichi_. Don't assume that this is your end_—_when in fact, it is only the beginning. When I'm finished with you, it is _death_ that you'll crave."

Sakura's eyes rolled into the back of her head, darkness overwhelming her completely.


End file.
