I can’t help but feel we are missing some key fact about the enemy invading to our north. If we don’ find he truth of this and act soon, I fear Konoha itself will be unable to lend any more help.
- The Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand

Konoha Mission File
Mission Rank: A Start Date: 31 April 112 YOL
Mission Type: Escort Client: Konoha Business
ATTATCHMENT F
PERSONAL ACCOUNT:  HARUNO, SAKURA
EVENTS OCCURING ON MISSION DAY 3 (2 May)
Classification: SECRET – Releasable to the Hidden Village of the Sand

“Even though I am seeing it again,” said Kakashi-sensei. “I still have a hard time believing it’s possible. And you’ve learned it so quickly, Naruto. You know, I really . . .”

             “Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto interrupted with a wry smile. “If you tell me you’re in love with me again I’m going to flatten you, I don’t care what kind of shape you’re in.”

            I looked back and forth between my own lover and my first teacher. My mouth hung open in shock, and I tried to decide how to ask . . . or if I should ask. Kakashi-sensei held up his hands as he bounced off another tree branch.

            “Ah-aha, its nothing Sakura. Just an inside joke we formed while training.”

            “Right,” Naruto grumbled.

            I decided to let whatever it was go. As we sped through the trees, with me still in Naruto’s arms, I soon had more pressing concerns on my mind.

           “Where’s Kurenai-sensei?” I asked, trying not to let my voice quaver.

           “Safe, for now,” Kakashi said, glancing over his shoulder at Neji, Shikamaru, and Shino.

          “What do you mean?” I pressed trying to look back at the three over Naruto’s shoulder. “Naruto, I think I can . . .”

           “You sure?” He asked. “Your back looks pretty bad.”

          I didn’t want to be let go, but there was work to be done. I hoped there would be time for him to hold me as much as I needed later.

         “Yes,” I said. “Chimochi’s secretions are working well.”

           Naruto furrowed his brow. “Chimochi?”

          “One of the slugs I’ve learned to summon. I’ll explain later.”

          I gripped Naruto’s shoulder and flipped from his grasp, falling into step with Shikamaru and Shino, while Neji took up the rear guard to make sure we weren’t being followed. It hurt like hell to start moving again, and I grimaced, but I could feel Naruto watching me, and I couldn’t let him see my weakness.
Over the air howling in my ears I thought I heard him say, “. . .not the only one who’s been training hard.”

            I smiled. I couldn’t wait to show him just how far I’d come.

           “Shikamaru,” I began to ask. “What did Kakashi-sensei mean, where is Kurenai-sensei?”

           Shikarmaru lowered his eyes. He still looked very worried, like he was going to be sick. “Well, um . . .”

          “Here,” said Shino, holding out a small toad in the palm of his hand.

            I frowned at the small, slimy, brown creature as it were some alien I had just discovered.

           “Rib-bit,” said the toad.

           “Eh – eee!” I squeeled disgustedly. “I don’t want that thing! Besides, isn’t that Naruto’s-“

          “Kurenai’s in there,” Shikamaru said with a sigh. “The toad’s stomach keeps her in stasis, or so Naruto says.”

          “And my bugs are scared of this creature,” Shino added. “So you carry it, please.”

           I nearly panicked as the little amphibian jumped onto my shoulder and latched itself there. I’m so glad it could do that because I think I would have been too clumsy to handle such a slimy but important little animal. My teacher was in there, and I knew she was fighting to stay alive.

           It was at that point when our reinforcements that I had managed to send for finally made contact with us. Kakashi-sensei noticed their presence first, and halted the rest of us while he took out a small strobe light about the size of a cigarette lighter.

           If you’re reading this and you’re from the Village of the Sand, these lights are standard issue among Konoha ninja. They were designed with a flip-up cover, so a ninja could either activate a full white-light strobe as a signal, or with the cover down, the signal could only be seen by someone with special goggles that could see in the infrared spectrum. The relief force found us within moments.

          It included Anko, Shizune, and two other medical ninja dressed in white medics uniforms that I had never met before. We brought them up to speed quickly, and Shizune immediately wondered if she should enlarge the toad and be swallowed herself so that she could treat Kurenai. They had brought advanced medicines into the field with them after all. But that process would have taken too long and we began moving in a scattered formation, with Anko reinforcing Neji on the rear guard. Shizune concentrated her efforts on helping to heal minor injuries, and I assisted where I was asked.

          While we were working Shizune explained that over the last day and a half the situation in Konoha had grown ever more precarious. There had been reports of incursions by unknown ninja into the village, and Tsunade was already being pressured for authorizing two off the record missions that went outside of her usual authority over the ANBU. As a result, Konoha was locked down tight and a curfew was being imposed.

          I started getting a sinking feeling in my stomach at this news, and I knew that it was more critical than ever that we hasten our return with Naruto, and that we could not let anything slow us down.

          Nothing did. Not even the sensation that we were being watched. The night was quiet. I thought it was too quiet, and the unsettling feeling in my gut began to grow.

           We were three kilometers out from Konoha when we began to see the strange orange glow on the horizon. No one spoke as we all increased or speed to a full sprint. My heart raced and my mouth went dry, and there was a collective gasp from all of us as we reached a hill about a half a kilometer out.

           Konoha was in flames.

            The houses and shops were burning, the rooftops billowing smoke.

           “No . . .,” I breathed.

          Shino swore. Kakashi sensei was silent. I could hear Shizune’s teeth grinding.

         Naruto bellowed, and I feared the worst. Before I could reach him he had darted forward at an amazing speed. I followed as best I could, and I could feel the others scrambling to keep up. When we reached the village gates, we could hear the shouts and screams of battle. But there was also a horrible sound that had never belonged in any battle that I had ever been in.

         The screams of the innocent chilled me to the bone. The cries of children as they called out to their mother. The desperate please of those who could not defend themselves.

          “No . . . please!” I heard a woman beg. “We don’t know anything about the Hok . . .”

          “Liar!” a male voice screamed. Then I heard a slap. I leapt over a rooftop to see if I could help. I saw a man standing over a woman, who was a shopkeeper that I recognized. The ninja was dressed in the attire and flak jacket of a Konoha jonin, but it was blood red instead of the usual green. I also noticed his headband had a deep scratch across the Konoha symbol right away. He held a squealing child in his arms, and had a kunai to the young boy’s head.  “You’re a traitor and a loyalist to Tsunade, who you know planned to hand the village over to Akatsuki once they had caught that monster!”

          The man raised his hand to strike again.

          “Just what are you planning?” I yelled down to him from the rooftop. “Attacking a citizen of your own village!”

           “You!” he said pointing. “You’re that traitor’s apprentice!”

            What was going on? Tsunade was being called a traitor? The Hokage?

          The man threw a kunai at me. Or at least he thought he did. I amused myself by pretending to have it turn into pudding as he threw it, only to have it land in his face after a big gust of wind blew it in the opposite direction. The amount of pudding grew and spread from his face until his whole body was engulfed in brown goo. The shock of not being able to breath and drowning in a blob of pudding knocked the man out. I don’t know why it was the only thing I could think of. I must have been hungry - or craving chocolate.

          “Are you OK?” I asked the mother and child. “What’s going on here?”

          They nodded at me, but their gaze was behind me, on Anko who had followed me, and Neji.

          “A member of the Hyuuga Clan!” The woman cried. “Please . . . don’t hurt us.”

          Neji was stunned. So was I.

           “Wha .  . Why would I-” Neji began, reaching out his hand. But the woman recoiled, scooped up her son, and fled. The three of us were left to stare after her in bafflement. Of course we weren’t going to pursue a woman already as frightened as her.

           A voice interrupted our stunned silence from above.

            “Come on!” Kakashi-sensei called down to the three of us. “Let’s get moving toward the Hokage mansion. “It seems a full civil war had broken out!”

           “Kakashi-sensei!” I yelled as I leapt back onto the rooftop, the smoke filled air began to rush by my ears. “Where’s Naruto!”

           I had just got him back, and already he had slipped out of my sight again. I had vowed never to leave his side again, and here he had already charged off without me. He was going to get an earful when I caught up to him. I didn’t know then just how bad things were.

          “He’s already up ahead,” Kakashi said as we caught up to him. “At the Hokage mansion. Be on your guard, and expect an attack from anywhere.”

          “Right!” the three of us in trail of him said in unison.

          The four of us landed to Naruto’s right in front of the burning mansion. Shino, Shizune, the two medics, and Shikamaru landed a few seconds later to his left. I patted the little toad on my shoulder as I remembered that Kurenai was also with us, and needed help soon. I couldn’t afford to be reckless while I was carrying her. We all just stared at the burning building for a moment, the sounds of battle still echoing around us. We also stared at Naruto.

           He stood with balled fists, and I wondered if I should approach him. A strange purplish energy enveloped him, and the power coming from him was mind blowing. It didn’t feel primal and untamed, like that time over a year ago against Ochimaru. It felt, controlled, and Naruto stood with confidence, even though I could tell he was angry. I realized I was in awe of him.

           I felt a tap on my shoulder.

           “Miss Shizune says we should take the patient from you now,” a shorter, medic ninja with round spectacles said politely. “We’re not trained for field combat like you, so please leave her in our hands.”

           “Right,” I nodded.  Without me even saying anything, the toad leapt from my shoulder. I spun back toward Naruto. I walked up beside him. His eyes were glazed red with controlled fury, and his fangs were elongated, but when he looked at me, I wasn’t afraid.

           “Grandma-Tsunade is still in there,” he said matter-of-factly.

            “Are you sure?” Kakashi asked, sneaking stealthily up next to us.

           Naruto nodded.

          “My bunshin have just confirmed it. She’s hurt, and trapped. Danzo left a few minutes ago. I don’t know how yet, but this was his doing. The elders and the council are dead.”

           “What are we waiting for!” Shizune said in a panicked voice. “We have to . . .”

           “No.” said Shikamaru, holding out an arm to block her.  “There’s more, isn’t there Naruto?”

          Naruto only had to say one word, just a name, and I was amazed at how easily the others were beginning to follow him.

           “Neji.”

           Neji nodded, commanding his eyes to focus with the word, “Byakugan!”

          The genius of the Hyuuga clan gasped.

         “This fire’s still being controlled, the building is set to explode into intense flame if anyone else enters, and the chakra signature  . . .”

         “It’s an Uchiha signature, isn’t it?” Shikamaru said with a nod. He sat on the ground cross legged and began to withdraw into his own world. I hoped he would think of something quickly.

           “Uchiha,” Shino said thoughtfully. “Did Sasuke get ahead of us?”

          “I don’t think so,” Kakashi said. “It has to be him, the one calling himself Madara.”

           Naruto’s gaze snapped to regard his first teacher at these words.

          “Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto said in a low serious voice. “Please copy my movements.”

           Then Naruto looked at me. His crimson eyes flashed with admiration, and I knew I could trust him.”

          “Sakura-chan, please be ready to knock down the door. It’s not going to just open normally any longer.”

          I nodded and got into a ready stance.

         “Be precise, Sakura-chan,” Naruto continued. “The superstructure isn’t going to be stable, so your target area for the breach is going to be small.”

         “Right!” I said confidently. Was this really Naruto? He had always had a certain charm to him before, but now he was being so . . . cool! Every girlish hormone in me was squealing in excited admiration.

         “Shikamaru, Neji, Anko-san, Shino,” spread out and look for Madara to appear as soon as I start. I expect he’ll react somehow . . .”

         “Naruto,” Shikamaru interrupted. “I don’t have time to explain, but Madara won’t be alone, and Sasuke acting as he did to try to get to you first was part of his plan. He expected Sasuke to act as he did.”

           Then Shikamaru looked at me. “Just like Sasuke expected to use you to gain intelligence on Naruto.”

         I heard Naruto grunt in anger.

         “Hey, Shikamaru, what are you saying?” he asked.

         “Sakura was ambushed by team Hebi at the Valley of the End, but Sasuke planned it that way. He was already calling them Team Taka by that time I suppose.”

          I was stunned. My mind reeled, trying to remember. “Sasuke was  . . .”

         Karin had been so desperate, and Jugo, he had reacted as if he believed I was actually in contact with Sasuke. Still there was the note . . .Karin took one glance at it and fled. I never gave her or her team much thought after that.

         “Sasuke wanted them to capture you and force you to lie about where he was, Sakura. But he must have told his team that you were investigating them and getting too close, and that he wanted to know how much you knew. What he was really after, was Naruto’s location. Forcing you to lie might have given that away, but it seems you stopped the interrogation in time.”

         “A-and I didn’t give anything on Naruto away.” I tried to point out.

        “No, but the investigation into Sasuke’s involvement with Akatsuki, and the Hokage’s eventual need to call upon Naruto did. Sasuke was just the assistant leaving bread crumbs.”

          “I was followed?” Kakashi said in disbelief.

        “Yes,” Shikamaru nodded. “But not by Sasuke. By Madara.”

        “It all makes sense,” said Shikamaru standing. “The reason none of us saw it before is because none of us believed that Madara Uchiha was still alive. But seeing this fire, and knowing what we know about Pain and the civil war that happened in his village, it’s easy to see he’s been behind all of this. . . .”

        Shikamaru gestured around. “The wars, Akatsuki, the annihilation of not just the Uchiha Clan but also the Kaguya Clan and the clan of that boy you met from the mist village. You know, the one with the swordsman Zabuza?”

        A memory flashed in my mind - Haku, stepping in front of Kakashi-sensei’s attack, dying on the spot with a smile on his feminine face. Shikamaru studied my stunned expression.

         “I went back and studied that report from your first mission as soon as we identified the one called Suigetsu as one of your attackers,” He explained to me. “You wrote in you’re recent report that he had Zabuza’s sword so I looked into it. Now all the connections are starting to fall into place.”

         I nodded. This was getting downright spooky. To think that three whole clans could be so devastated, all because of one man - it was all almost too much for me to believe.

         “The Hyuuga-clan,” Neji said worriedly. “Is he after us next?”

           “I don’t know anything about that,” Shikamaru said. “Maybe we should ask him?”

        Kakashi-sensei lifted his headband, signaling that he was ready.

        “Right,” the copy ninja said. “Let’s get going. The Hokage needs us.”

        Naruto began making hand signs. I think I counted at least thirteen separate ones, and Kakashi followed along flawlessly at a slightly greater speed as he caught up to Naruto. They both released the jutsu with voices crying out in unison.

       “Water Style, Water Tornado Justu!”

        The wind shifted as if a sudden storm had blown in, and before my eyes two giant spinning spouts of water began to form. Naruto and Kakashi-sensei stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes closed in concentration as they controlled the massive water spouts and moved them toward the burning mansion. The spots twisted and tipped like striking serpents, bent on extinguishing the fire. But the flames burst forth from the roof in a giant flame umbrella. Huge mountains of steam erupted where flame battled water and wind just meters above the house. Naruto began to growl low in his throat as if he was trying to lift something heavy, and I saw Kakashi’s shoulders begin to tremble with the effort.

          As the fire intensified toward the roof, it began to go out toward the base. Through the steam I could clearly see the entrance to the main hall. But I stood gaping like an idiot and Naruto. He could use water elemental chakra too!

         “Sakura!” Naruto yelled, snapping me out of it. “Go!”

         With my fiercest cry I charged the doorway. My fist was vibrating with power as I prepared to batter down the doors by concentrating on the weak area between them. Two ninja in ANBU masks flashed into existence in front of me. Their flak vests were a blood red instead of the usual green, and I made some hand signs, preparing for a fight.

        My replacement jutsu was just in time. A deadly bladed cutting net sliced the log I left behind to ribbons. I could feel the heat from the house as I got closer and Naruto and Kakashi seemed to be in a struggle of huge chakra proportions. I didn’t have time to deal with two ANBU, even if I thought I could. To emphasize this, a section of the east wing of the mansion collapsed under the strain of the elemental battle taking place at rooftop level. I swore as the two ANBU began making hand signs of their own.

         If only Naruto had left someone in reserve, I thought. But I knew they were all searching for Madara in the hopes of extinguishing the source of the flames.
That’s when four great black lions tackled the two ANBU from behind. They screamed as they tried to fight the somewhat discolored beasts off of them. It was like they had been called upon from somebody’s nightmares . . . or drawn.
Sai landed next to me and with a giant thumbs up and the most genuine smile I had ever seen on him said, “Now you’re clear Sakura-san.”

         I thanked him, and in half a second had busted through the front door. As I sprinted up the stairs with Sai on my heels, though I did not know it yet, outside the true battle with Madara’s forces was already beginning. Explosions began rocking the village like earthquakes and a portion of stairway fell away under my feet. With a leap, I managed to make it to the fourth floor landing, but Sai fell.

        “Sai!” I called, checking to make sure he was OK.

         He stood up slowly among flames and pieces of staircase, shaken, but unharmed. His face was passive once again, but he waved me on.

         “Go!” He shouted. “Get to the Hokage!”

          I gave him a tight-lipped nod and a small salute as I told him. “Hurry and catch up!”

        In eight seconds I reached the end of a hallway that was still smoldering. The heat was intense, and I reached into my equipment pouch and strapped on a cloth filter mask that was normally for medical purposes.

        As I burst through the great double doors to the office, I found my master lying unconscious under three heavy wooden beams.  Normally, she could have lifted even that amount of weight easily, or just broken them apart with a finger. But I could tell she was hurt bad, and from the looks of it drained of chakra. The office was a mess. The windows were shattered and there were three large holes in the wall to my left.

        “Master!” I cried as I rushed to her side.

        It only took me two punches and a bit of heavy lifting to clear the debris from her. Even though the building was still very much on fire, I didn’t want to move her right away before I determined the extent of her injuries. I began healing her most visible injuries immediately starting with a nasty gash on the head. She startled me by groaning as she started to come around.  

         “Who . . . who did this?”

         Tsunade stirred as I brushed the hair from her bruised face.

         “Nnnnnn,” the Hokage groaned. “Sss . . . Sakura?”

         I’m so foolish. I didn’t even hear the footsteps approaching behind me. Or maybe I thought it was Sai. I also assumed Neji would have seen if there were any more of the enemy in the mansion. In any case, I should have been more aware.

        Meanwhile, Tsunade’s eyes fluttered halfway open.  

        “Get out,” she tried to say. But I didn’t understand.

        “What?” I asked.

         “T-Trap. You must . . . must leave . . .”

        “I’ve come for you master,” I said shaking my head. “I’ve come to get you out of . . .”

         “Pain!” Tsunade coughed. “He’s here! Go now.”

        “Too late,” said a female voice behind me. “There is no escape from Pain.”

        I turned and thought at first that I was looking in a mirror. Only when the figure moved out of the smoke cloud surrounding her and I could see her face clearly did I realize that it was only someone who looked very similar. She had piercings all over her face, and red-orange hair.

        “What the?” I said to myself. “Pain’s a woman?”

         Then I noticed there were two others flanking her to her right and left that had similar facial piercings. One was a large man with a square chin, and the other had long flowing orange hair that fell to either side of his face. All of them wore Akatsuki black robes with red clouds on them. None of them were affected by the heat or smoke.

         Had Akatsuki replenished their numbers so quickly? I wondered.

         A horrible feeling began to settle in the pit of my stomach. I can only describe it as dread. I was frozen with fear. I reached for a Kunai, but as soon as I made the movement I found myself pinned to a charred wall. I coughed as a strong hand gripped my throat, and I kicked uselessly as my feet were dangling of the ground. Then I gave a strangled scream as something sharp entered my side.

        “Sakura!” Tsunade coughed. “No, leave her . . .guh!”

         Someone had struck Tsunade again, and I fought to see if she was still conscious. I still hadn’t gotten to determine the extent of her injuries - But now I was worried about mine.

          The sharp instrument, a kunai perhaps, twisted in my side. I screamed again.

          “We all experience pain,” the woman said. “I’m sure yours is exquisite. Call to him.”

         “Whoooooooooooo!” I screamed as the sharp instrument twisted again.

         “The nine tails boy of course,” The woman holding me said. I twisted my head to look into her strange eyes. The raw power in them was immense, and I felt paralyzed in that spiral pattern. “Call to him, and this stops.”

         “I’ll do no such thing!” I started to say. I only made it to the word no before I had to scream again. I heard the roar of lions in the room, and I heard the slashing of steel and the sound of something splattering. Dimly, I was aware it was ink. Sai had arrived.

         “What the hell?” The woman Pain said just before something long and dark coiled around her and snapped tight, binding her arms to her side. I dropped to the ground coughing and clutching my side. Sai had bound her with two tremendously long snakes.

         I struggled to my knees as I applied healing energy to my wound. It was deep and I knew I might be in trouble if I didn’t get more help soon. Still, I knew I had to help Sai if I could. It was three on two and we were way outmatched in power. Sai was holding off the big guy with his short sword, but the long haired one was flanking him and making hand signs.

          I recognized what he was doing immediately, and I used some of the blood from my wound to make my own signs. I completed my summoning a mere split second after the enemy, and it saved Sai just in time.  

          A jet of cutting water erupted from the long haired Akatsuki’s mouth. My slug split into three in the same moment. One of her smaller selves knocked Sai out of the way with a sliding tackle as she used her slick secretions like a toboggan. The other two roped sticky spray like lasso’s around the long haired enemy, dragging him to the floor and holding him down. The water spray continued in an arc and began to tear down the walls and roof. Finally, the cutting water ceased as the roof collapsed onto the man.

         The floor began to creak, and I was sure we were all going to fall through at any moment.

       I rushed to Tsunade’s side. She was still conscious, but in bad shape. Sai ran and knelt down on the other side of her. I caught his eye, and we agreed nonverbally that we may need to risk moving her.

        “Master!” I said loudly enough to get her attention. “Can you move? We’ve got to get out of this building before . . .”

         I heard a snapping sound behind me, and with a growl the woman who had identified herself as Pain was free of Sai’s snakes. I turned and punched will my full force. My fist met hers in a terrible shockwave that sent splinters of wood flying everywhere. I punched again in the second portion of a combo, and she caught my wrist in her palm. She squeezed and a crunching sound let me know my left wrist had been crushed. She was just as strong, if not stronger than my Master. It was unreal. I bellowed in pain and fell to my knees.

         Sai began to draw something on his pad, but had to leap out of the way as the big one came crashing down at him. Several small vicious looking bats flew from Sai’s scroll, but every single one of them was somehow absorbed by the hulking Akatsuki. And suddenly the long haired one was also free. Sai was now flanked on two sides.

         Meanwhile, Pain still held me by my crushed wrist. I tilted my head. The angle was perfect for a visual connection.

        “Hmph. That’s cute,” said Pain. “Trying to connect to these eyes. The Hyuuga can’t see a god, what makes you think you can control the mind of one? Now, call to your demon fox friend, and you might yet live.”  

        “No need to call me,” said a voice behind me. “I’m here.”

        “Naruto no!” I screamed in terror. “There’s something very wrong here! Leave.”

        “Don’t worry Sakura,” Naruto said as he made seven shadow clones. “I didn’t understand it until now, but our real enemy isn’t here. Take Tsunade and go, I’ll cover your retreat.”

        “No . . .” Croaked a raspy and shaky voice. “I’ll do that. All three of you – nnnn – get out of here now.”

         “There’s no escape for any of you,” Pain began.

        My master began to glow with bright blue chakra. Symbols etched themselves across her forehead, and her pigtails stood out on end.

       “No!” I yelled as I realized what she had done. The Hokage had released the regenerative chakra stored in the diamond behind her forehead. But I knew she did it at a price. How long would it shorten her life this time? Healing energy swirled around her and she was even lifted a few inches off the ground by the shear power unleashed.

        “I don’t have as much as last time,” Tsunade said, flexing her hands as if they were brand new. “But I should be healed enough now to hold them off. Now go, find the real one!”

         “I don’t understand!” I yelled. “What do you mean real one?”

        “You better not die Grandma!” Naruto said as one of his clones attacked with a Rasengan on Pain. She let go of my wrist and ducked out of the way easily.  That’s when a second clone of Naruto’s scooped me up and carried me to the threshold of the building.
   
        Suddenly a new Akatsuki was in our way. This one had short orange hair and at first glance I almost thought it was another Naruto clone. My master was quicker than him though, and he was forced to abandon his position or eat a hail of acupuncture needles she sent flying his direction.

        I kicked away from Naruto’s clone on my own power, and as we hit the ground in front of the mansion, we kept running without looking back. I didn’t look back even though I could hear the thunderous sounds of my master fighting for her life above us. I just tried to concentrate on healing my wrist while I fastened a thick adhesive bandage to my side.

         All around us an impressive battle raged. Neji and Shino were locked in combat with a dark haired Akatsuki who kept spreading into deadly sheets of paper. Kakashi and Gai Sensei were fighting a close combat battle with a shark-faced Akatsuki who I remembered from the files as Kisame. Many, many more of my comrades fought ANBU who had dawned red flak jackets.

         Strangely, I saw no sign of Madara. Nor would anyone else report seeing him after the day was done. Perhaps if we could have located him, things might have been different. But we were fighting a lost cause, and everyone seemed to sense it as Kakashi-sensei threw a special explosive note attached to a kunai in the sky.

        It exploded in a large red flower pattern, and all Konoha ninja knew what it meant. Retreat.  

       We retreated up the Hokage Mountain, covering each other’s retreat as best we could. Several Konoha Ninja fell in battle this day, but no one in my age group. When we reached the top of the mountain, I looked back and saw the Hokage mansion flash three times as it was rocked with huge explosions. The earth shook, and I screamed. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as the whole mansion collapsed. The Hokage was still inside.  

         I lunged for the mansion as if I could reach out my hand and pull my master from the wreckage from all the way on the top of the mountain, but Naruto held me back in his arms as I screamed and fought to free myself from his embrace. When at last I calmed myself, I stared at the fiery wreckage for several seconds, wiling my master to somehow leap free and rush to join us - but no one came. I buried my face in Naruto’s chest as I cried.

         “No . . .” I sobbed. “No, this can’t be happening!”

         As Naruto held me tightly, I heard Kakashi-sensei approach Naruto.  
  
         “Naruto, use you clones to spread the word to everyone you can find,” he said quickly. “Let them know of the new fallback point we agreed upon. We can’t use Konoha standards in this situation.”

        “Got it!” Naruto said. Then he made several hundred clones without ever letting go of me. I saw them scatter in all directions as he kissed my forehead.

        “Come on Sakura-chan,” he said. “We can’t waste the chance she gave us.”

         I nodded, and we were off, back down the other side of the mountain and north through the wilderness of the Fire country. I risked one more glance back at the glowing orange sky and shook away the last of my tears. The unthinkable had happened. Konoha had fallen.