Beta read by ibloo

''Hey guys, why don't you go to the back of the hideout while I take care of these two?'' Takira said, not taking her eyes off of her opponents, who were backing away from her.

''But-''Akihiko started, as much as he hated to admit it he was worried for his step-mother, since these two missing-nin seemed to be jonin leveled.

''Don't worry about me Aki. Just go and I'll follow you in a couple of minutes,'' she said, turning towards Akihiko and giving him a reassuring wink.e nodded and stood up with the support of his teammates. ogether they ran towards the end of the tunnel.

When they were out of sight, Takira took a step towards the two missing-nin.

''Quick! Fire is weak against earth,'' he said, as both he and his partner made hand signs to unleash a thick earth wall in front of them, trapping them insidethe wall, but away from the ANBU member's grasp.

''So we just stay like this?'' the missing nin, Kozui, asked.

''No. Ksuzu will beat that Uchiha brat and he'll come to us, answered the other nin.

''But are you sure he'll come for us?''

''Of course, he's the rebe-''

The missing nin was interrupted from his speech by various holes forming on the earth wall. Piles of mud landed on the ground from the gaping holes.

''What the fuck is happening?!'' Kozui asked, looking frantically around him.

Kozui ran towards the lowest hole and peered through it, only for a flame to engulf his face, he stepped back screaming, trying to get away from the fire, but the fire just kept pouring in through the holes in the wall until it filled the small space they trapped themselves in.

It wasn't long until the earth wall collapsed to reveal the second in command of ANBU, standing in the middle of a circle of fire. Hazel eyes glaring at the two missing-nin, who were caught in the flames and were trying desperately to turn it off by flapping their arms around, but the flames increased around them, and so did their screams, It went on like that until they're bodies surrendered to the heat of the flames.

When the fire cleared, all that was left was two barely recognizable human bodies.

.

''Metal release: Metal balls!'' Ksuzu said before three metal balls erupted from his hands. He threw them towards the lightning bolts that were heading towards him, but not a second later other lightning bolts were forming in the sky.

''How is this possible?!'' he shouted, as multiple lightning bolts formed in the sky. Sarada rushed towards him, ready to swing her sword.

''Everything is possible if you put your mind to it,'' Sarada smirked , attacking her opponent with her double swords, Ksuzu was forced to dodge instead of blocking and countering since one touch with her will get him electrocuted.

''What's wrong Ksuzu? You seemed so confident a couple of minutes ago.''

Ksuzu growled as he tried to move sideways, but he failed to escape as she managed to back him up into a corner. With a final swing from her lightning covered sword, Ksuzu's back hit the cliffside behind him. e closed his eyes, resigning to the fact that he could not win against his eyes tore open when the tip of the screeching sword landed beside his head, deep into the cliff. Ksuzu took a second to understand what happened before looking at Sarada.

''This is your final chance Ksuzu,'' she said, in a final attempt to rescue the friendship they shared all those years ago. She took a step away from him, giving him room to breath, but he took as a sign that she is underestimating him.

''My final chance at what? Surrendering to some smug ninja who has a little bit of power? Who call themselves Kage even though they are just ordinary ninja?'' He sneered, glaring at his former friend.

A tinge of sadness sparked in Sarada's eyes, but she didn't stop at that. She still had hope that there was still a tinge of light inside him.

''The Kage... they are chosen by the elite ninja of every village, obliged by duty to protect their villagers and rule fairly with justice. They are the heroes of their villages, and when the alliance came, they became heroes of all the villages. Bound by duty to protect any member of any village, even the villages that are not in the alliance. Ksuzu…'' Sarada stopped for a second, thinking of what to say next, ''you were once a candidate for a Kage position. You should understand that a Kage isn't a dictator that oppresses their villagers.''

''What do you know about it? The Kage have only become that now. The previous so called protector of my village is the reason why my parents are dead! And fucking hell Sarada, the Third Hokage ordered the death of a thousand of his villagers, which were your family! You should understand better than me what they truly are!'' he shouted, growing frustrated because his once friend got brainwashed by the people who have caused all of the misery the ninja world has lived through.

Sarada's mouth twitched downwards at Ksuzu's last words. Those words were what brought her tumbling down the stairway to darkness not so long ago. The words that made her doubt everything the Seventh has taught her, and the words that made her think about betraying the people she loved the most-the people she couldn't believe she ever doubted hadn't loved her.

She still remembers how they welcomed her when she got out of the hospital after that battle with the Kara members-the battle that brought back the kage-and the battle that rescued the villagers of the hidden leaf. They welcomed her with warm embraces, kind words, smiles and pats on the back. Sarada sighed, taking a look at her former friend, who has opened the door to darkness and failed to get out of it.

Then again, very few people could. Sarada thought.

''The times are different Ksuzu. The people are different. We no longer hold grudges that go back a hundred years. We don't wage wars over Kekkei Genkai. We've become one big united country, lead by the Five Kages who are responsible for everything that happens in this country. They would never harm a single soul pertaining to their villagers. Do you get it now?''

''Then what am I? Aren't I a citizen of this so called country or it's cause I am a threat that I should be rid off?'' Ksuzu mocked.

''We don't trade lives Ksuzu, but if you fail to understand with words, I have no chance but to rid the country of you. You're endangering the peace and safety ofthe villagers.'' Her grip tightening on her sword, having lost hope of getting him out of his darkness.

''I'm trying to prolong the peace, so what if a couple of hundred die? It's going to be worth it in the end when there are no wars and thus no more martyrs!''

''You're trying to fix something that isn't broken.''

''It isn't broken yet, but it will break and I won't just watch it break.o come on, you either kill me now or you let me go so I can continue my rebellion!'' Ksuzu shouted, taking a step closer to Sarada.

''Ksuzu…I'm sorry.'' Sarada said, gaze on the ground before lifting her head back up again.

''For what?'' he asked, still standing straight and trying to meet Sarada's eyes.

''For not being able to get you out of the darkness that consumes you,''

Those were the last words Ksuzu heard before a sword slashed at his throat.

.

.

.

''Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?'' Takira asked once again, looking towards her son in law as he struggled to climb the stairwell leading to the exit from the tunnel on his injured leg.

''I'm fine Takira-san,'' he answered, trying to speed up, afraid his leg was going to fail him and he'll have to take Takira's offer.

From all the competent ninja in the village, sensei couldn't pick anybody but her. Akihiko thought as his foot almost slipped.

''Can I take you up on that offer?'' Hotaru said, which earned him a kick on the head from Hana, who was climbing first, Hotaru second, Akihiko third and Tsubaki last while Takira was working on opening the vault over them. Throwing a glance at them every couple of seconds, when the door opened, she climbed up first.

Takira looked around for a moment before ushering the genins up, instructing Hotaru quietly to help Akihiko up before she wandered into the field, looking for her former teammate.

It was hard to see through the heavy rain, but the pool of blood forming beside the cliffside was hard to miss, but there was no body present.

She probably buried him, Takira thought.

''Sar?'' Takira asked, a hint of worry in her voice. She knew Sarada's long since recovered from what happened all those years ago, and she knew Sarada was strong, but this place would have brought painful memories to her. ''Here.'' Takira heard a voice, faintly above a whisper come from the right. She headed there and it wasn't long until she saw bright red eyes flashing in the dark.

''I see talking didn't work this time,'' the blonde woman remarked, crouching beside Sarada.

''Some people are in too deep to be pulled back up by words.''

The true meaning of what she said didn't escape Takira, she could almost hear her say I could have been like him.

''Are the genin okay?'' Sarada asked after a second of silence, her gaze moving from the ground towards her former lover.

''Yeah. They managed pretty well before I got there,'' Takira replied, remembering the missing-nin laying unmoving on the ground when she arrived.

''I see…''

Silence began again between the two of them, and Takira started to grow worried for her friend, she was about to say something reassuring when Sarada spoke first.

''Was Akihiko happy you came?'' Sarada asked, and Takira couldn't miss the teasing edge in her voice.

Takira let out a small sigh as her lips twitched upwards, making her dimples appear in full view. ''He was practically skipping with joy when he saw me,'' Takira began as she sat in front of Sarada before she continued, '' honestly, I think he would have taken his chances with those two goons if it meant not seeing me there.''

''Shut up. I'm sure he was relieved in his own Akihiko-ish way,'' Sarada said, corners of her lips twitching upwards as her sharingan faded off.

''Sometimes he's too much like him…''Takira said, humour fading from her voice.

''You mean emotionally constipated?'' Sarada said, taking a careful glance at Takira to make sure she's okay.

''Better than a blondie that squeals every time a new burger is released.''Takira taunted back as the smile came back to her face, but what she said earned her a kick from Sarada.

''Ow! That hurt bitch!'' Takira said as she kicked Sarada back.

''Is that blood?!'' Both Takira and Sarada startled upon hearing Hotaru's shout, a moment later, Sarada sighed.

''You met Hotaru haven't you?''