Final Chapter: Save me

.:Save Me:.

This is the final chapter of this story. I hope you all enjoy!

Normal POV

Kurama stared down at Sakura's form still on the ground from where he threw her. She stared up at him with startled yet longing eyes. Team 7, Minato, and Itachi could only stand to the side while silently watching.

"How dare you challenge the love Toshira and I have for you?! I don't care how big of an ass anyone else in your life is, but that will never change how your mother and I feel about you!" He took another step closer to her, his form only a foot away from her. "I know everyone could have done more to help you, but they can't read your mind either."

"I-" Kurama didn't allow her the chance to speak as he stepped closer.

"You decided to seclude yourself instead of facing the issue. You decided to take the easy way out instead of fixing what was broken. You were never taught to run from an issue. You were taught to face it head-on."

"I tried to!"

"Then why did you run away?!" Sakura gaped, her eyes widening. After a beat, however, her eyes narrowed, her fists balling at her sides.

"I did run, but you did too!" Getting to her feet, she glared up into her father's red demonic eyes. "You shut yourself off from the world with mother! You hid from the world while I had to live in it as the daughter of the woman who brought the nine tails to the village! Unlike you, I didn't have the option to hide from that!" Kurama reeled back from that, but he didn't lose his hard exterior.

"You aren't a demon- you can still live a normal life. I can never have that option."

"You could but your powers were more important than mother and your daughter!" Kurama's eyes practically burned with rage at her words.

Before he could speak, Sakura lashed out at him, swinging her fist at his head. Kurama gripped her fist easily before curling his hand in the collar of her shirt and lifting her to his eye level.

"I would have given up all of my power for you and Toshira. I would have lived the rest of my life as an ordinary human if it meant I could be with both of you, but that's not what I was born as. I am a demon. I can't ever escape the instincts that control me, but you can! You're better than me. You don't have to give in to the demon- you can live the life Toshira and I always dreamed of, but you have to choose too!"

"I can't!" Sakura screamed back, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I can't fight them without my power!"

"You'd sacrifice your humanity for a battle that others could fight?!"

"No- I'd throw it away so they can't use me to kill the people I love!"

"They will if you keep this up! What do you think they'll do when they know you aren't around?! They'll just find a new weapon that no one knows about to destroy everything you love! Stop trying to be a martyr and fight!"

"I'm not! You and everyone else is too blinded by your own guilt to see that something terrible is coming! So stop lecturing me and let me save everyone!"

Kurama's mouth opened to say something else, but Sakura acted before he could. Pulling her knees to her chest, she kicked him in his chest forcing him to let her go. Twisting in the air, she threw a kunai, hitting him in the chest causing his body to explode in a cloud of smoke.

"A shadow clone?" Minato whispered as he stared at the spot Kurama once stood.

"Since you won't do what's necessary, I'll end this now."

"Sakura-!"

Itachi lunged for her, but she moved faster. Heading out of the door, the group followed her just in time to see her jump out of the window of the office across the hall. Following her, the group jumped out of the window, landing on the mutilated street below.

Most of the fires that were started before were put out, but there's significantly less shinobi fighting the three foxes. Bodies of fallen shinobi and unfortunate civilians were scattered but, there weren't as many as they were expecting. Actually, it looked like their deaths were caused by buildings crushing them rather than the foxs' attacks. However, the group didn't have much time to examine it further. A fourth fox covered in red fur was summoned a yards from where they stood. Sakura stood on the fox's head as she stared down at the group.

"You have one last chance to stop this!" She leaped from the fox's head, landing on a pile of rubble that was once a store. "It's either me or the village. It's your choice!"

"Sakura, don't!" Itachi tried to lung forward, but the red fox swung its tail, swiping him away. Catching himself mid-air, he landed on his feet, sliding back a few feet.

"I said choose!" Sakura's hands flew through a series of hand signs before ten more foxes of various sizes appeared. They ranged from the size of an average man to the massive monsters like the original four. The foxes spread out, wreaking havoc everywhere they went while the red fox and a new giant orange fox lunged for the group.

"Shit!" Minato went through hand signs of his own before he summoned his giant toad, Gamabunta. The toad immediately grabbed the red fox, spun with it, and sent it hurling into the orange one.

"What did you bring me into? This village is going to hell… again." Gamabunta grumbled, preparing himself as two more giant foxes and three more foxes the size of two-story houses were summoned. "Do you expect me to fight all of them? There's at least twenty of them!"

"We just need to hold them off long enough to get to Sakura!" Minato yelled from on top of the toad's head.

"Then summon the rest of the toads- this is going to be rough." Running through the hand signs, Minato summoned the final two giant toads.

"What the hell happened here?!" Gamahiro said as he watched the white and black fox set fire to a line of rubble.

"Apparently someone opened the gates of hell," Gamaken responded, pulling out his swords.

"Take out as many of these foxes as you can. Minato-san will handle the pink-haired girl." With that, the three foxes leaped into action.

As each one of them took down a fox, three more were summoned to replace them. Even team 7, Minato and Itachi couldn't get close to Sakura with the smaller foxes attacking.

"How are we supposed to stop her if we can't reach her!" Naruto yelled in frustration as he kicked a smaller fox away.

"Keep fighting until we get through them!" Sasuke responded as he used a Chidori to take out a mid-sized fox coming for him.

The group kept battling the foxes until sand enveloped three of them, crushing them within seconds.

"Sand?" Kakashi stated, throwing his kunai at another fox. Before he could even face the next one, sand shot up from the ground, squeezing it until it disappeared in smoke.

"I thought you might need help." The group looked up just in time to see Gaara descend from the sky using his sand.

"Gaara! What are you doing here?!" Naruto shouted, confusion making his eyes narrow.

"I'm here to save an old friend." His eyes stayed glued on Sakura, her own glaring back at him.

"You should've stayed away," Sakura growled, two smaller foxes flanking either side of her.

"And you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened." Gaara retorted, his eyes narrowed on her. That drew everyone's attention to the red-haired man.

"I won't let something like that happen again!" Sakura was nearly hysterical as her fists balled and her eyes misted over with unshed tears. The foxes beside her tensed, their snarls growing vicious.

"It wasn't you that attacked us, Sakura. You weren't the one that tried to kill us."

"What are you talking about?" Minato chimed in, his brows knitted together as he looked between Gaara and Sakura.

Is there something that he's missing? Did something happen before Sakura got here? Is that why Gaara came? And does Gaara mean that she wasn't the one that tried to kill them? Who else was involved?

What the hell happened while she was gone?

Gaara spared Minato a glance before returning his attention to Sakura.

"I'll save that for later. For now, we need to focus on stopping this nonsense. My shinobi and I will help stop the foxes. You all worry about stopping Sakura." With that, Gaara sent his sand towards the foxes beside Sakura.

They dodged the attack and lunged towards him allowing Gaara to lead them away from the others. With the combination of the added Sand shinobi, Gaara's sand, and the three toads, the foxes were slowly dropping in numbers.

"Surrender Sakura. Then we can get the truth about everything." Minato called to her. Sakura snarled, frustration clearly written all over her face as her body shook.

"Why can't you understand I'm trying to protect you?!" dark blue chakra visibly began to build around her. The sheer potency of it chilled the air making it hard for the four men to breathe. "Just kill me!" She screamed, releasing a massive number of tendrils across the village.

The attack dispelled all of the fox summons as well as the toads. All the shinobi were left paralyzed on the ground, the attack electrocuting their bodies. All that was left was Sakura on her knees, panting harshly before the paralyzed group.

"S-sakura!" Naruto gritted out, trying to move his limbs. The jolt that went through his body made his body feel like jelly, leaving him immobile and frustrated. "S-Sakura!"

From his far-right, the shaking form of Itachi Uchiha rising to his feet on unstable legs shocked him into silence.

"I should have been able to stop this mess from the beginning. I'll end it now." He panted before stumbling his way to the Sakura's hunched form.

Sakura didn't even have the energy to rise to her feet. Her own body was weak from overexertion. The only thing she could do was glare as Itachi grew closer.

"I won't give up- I won't let you capture me!" From sheer will, Sakura was able to throw a weak punch at Itachi once he reached her. He allowed it to contact his shoulder. Losing the rest of his strength, he fell to his knees in front of her.

"Sakura, I'm sorry."

"I don't want your apology! I want-!"

"I'm sorry for failing you." Sakura reeled back as if she was hit. Her eyes wide as she stared into Itachi's. "I'm sorry for not being there for you when I should have." Her lips curled, tears falling down her face.

"Shut up!" Lashing out, she slapped him across the face, causing a loud echo. Itachi's head snapped to the side, but he turned back to her. His gentle expression never wavering.

"I'm sorry for not seeing the signs that you needed me. I'm sorry for not being strong enough to care for you as you did for me. I'm sorry-" Another slap cut him off, but like before, he brushed it off and turned back to her. "I'm sorry for allowing you to go through the pain alone." She hit him again, but the blows grew weaker as her tears flowed faster. "I'm sorry for being too caught up in myself to see you needed someone too." By now she was consistently hitting his chest while crying hysterically. Itachi merely allowed her to do so. "I'm sorry for not recognizing you're just as human as I am. Most importantly, I'm sorry for abandoning you when you never left me. I'm so sorry, Sakura."

"I don't want your apology!" She cried, shoving him back into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry for all the things I've done, and I will do everything within my power to make things right." A choked gasp left Sakura. "I won't let you be alone anymore. I won't ignore the signs any longer- and I will never abandon you again." Slowly, Itachi leaned forward again. Placing a hand on the side of her face, he brushed her blood-stained strands out of her face. "You don't have to be strong anymore. Now, you can lean me too." Silence reigned for a long time before a choked sob left Sakura.

"How can I trust you?" A small smile stretched Itachi's lips.

"Have I ever lied to you?" She didn't want to believe it.

She really didn't want to believe him. She didn't want to give the power to betray her to him again, but she couldn't stop it. It's been so long since she felt relieved from the weight of the world. So long since she felt the sincerity of someone she loves so dearly directed towards her. What else can she do?

With tears pouring down her face, she put her head against his chest and cried. Cried for the time she missed with them. Cried for the loss of her mother she wasn't able to mourn properly. For the people, she hurt because of her own pain. For the time she wasted in seclusion because she couldn't find her way out and for all the other losses she faced. She cried for them all.

"It's alright." Itachi patted her head, allowing her to cry. "From now on, you won't have to be alone."

As day gave way to night, Konoha was lit by the remaining flames from the attack while Sakura's cries echoed.

A Few Months Later

It took a lot of effort to begin the repairs to the village after Sakura's attack. Even after four months, the rebuilding wasn't even halfway completed, but with a newly formed alliance between Sand and Konoha, the process went much smoother than what would have been possible. It also helped with Gaara, the new Kazekage, staying in Konoha to help Minato with political matters until the rebuilding was completed. However, that didn't mean there weren't major issues internally.

In The Hokage Office

Minato's POV

"How are you planning on sentencing Sakura?" Gaara asked from his position across from me. His tone was neutral matching his relaxed posture with his hands laced in his lap and his legs crossed at the ankle.

No wonder he became a Kage at his age. He's really good at staying calm.

"It depends." I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Resting my head against the chair, I looked up at the nearly repaired ceiling.

"On what?"

"Whether I want to give the people justice or do what's right."

"What's the difference?" The dark undertone of his voice brought my attention to the young red-haired boy.

The black lines around his eyes seemed to darken, his jaw tensed, and his body unnervingly still. He looked as if he was ready to pounce at any moment.

Which reminds me…

"How are you related to Sakura? To my knowledge, you two have never met before." He blinked at me, his body still coiled. After another second, he relaxed slightly, his eyes drifting towards the wide window covering the right wall.

"That's a long story and not mine to tell."

"You can't expect me to just accept that after everything that's happened, right?" He didn't react as he kept his gaze averted. Finally, he took a deep breath before returning his attention to me.

"Sakura is the nine-tailed demon's daughter. I'm the bijuu for the one-tailed demon." My brow rose as his unwavering stare watched for my reaction. Apparently, he didn't see what he was looking for as he sighed deeply. "We're connected because of it. The fact that Shukaku is fond of her also furthers that theory."

"Shukaku?"

"The one-tailed raccoon dog demon. That's his name." I hummed, leaning forward.

"So, I'm assuming you two met while she was away and bonded over that, right?" He nodded. "And, before Sakura came back, something big happened that involved her attempting to kill you and others."

"She wasn't in control of herself." That made my brow raise again.

Was someone controlling her? Who could have the ability to do that?

"What happened?" At that, his brows knitted.

"Even if I wanted to I can't answer that. All I know is that it has to do with a rising terrorist group." I hummed.

"You mean the Akatuski. The group that wears red clouds?"

"Yes, however, I only saw one member. Somehow, he was able to completely take control over Sakura's mind." His forehead wrinkled, a troubled look overcoming his face. "She couldn't distinguish friend from foe. It was almost like… he made her forget her humanity." That caught my attention.

"What happened when she forgot?" Gaara opened his mouth to respond, but a deep frown washed over his face instead.

"If I told you, what would you do to Sakura?" A small smile spread my lips as I leaned back.

"I assure you she's under my protection."

"Will you protect her even if the people want her dead?" My smile morphed into a frown as the thought swirled in my head.

That's a good question.

"If the people called for her execution, then it would be justified given what she did." The air around Gaara thickened, a murderous aura coming off of him in waves.

"So you'd kill-"

"I didn't say that's what I'll do." His face darkened, a nasty glare forming on his face. "If I wanted to give the people justice, that would be it, but it wouldn't be the right thing." The rage surrounding him shifted to curiosity. "Yes, she caused the death of many when she attacked and those deaths deserve repayment. However, what good would it do to prosecute her for a crime she was forced to commit?" That completely caught Gaara's attention.

"Your elders were targeting her?"

"Especially after the shit show those old bastards caused with the Uchiha," Tsunade grunted as she waltzed into my office with her assistant, Shizune, right behind her holding her pet pig, Ton Ton.

"What does that have to do with Sakura?" Gaara questioned, as Tsunade plopped in the chair beside him.

"So the brat didn't tell you about it?" His eyebrow cocking was answer enough. Tsunade's expecting amber eyes landed on me. "Should I tell him or will you?"

"I'd say you'd know more about it then I would since your taking over their position as a village elder. I only know what Sarutobi-sama passed on to me. I believe the elder's personal files must have more information on it." Tsunade snorted, a sneer appearing on her face.

"You'd think the old bastards would've been smart enough to get rid of the paper trail." Her lip upturned in disgust as she waved a dismissive hand. "Then again, they probably wanted to save the evidence as leverage if they wanted to try again."

"What exactly?" Tsunade's sneer deepened.

"Massacre the Uchiha clan, frame Itachi Uchiha, and then use Sakura Haruno to kill him while simultaneously turning her into the villages weapon."

Now that's something I didn't know.

"I still don't see how the Uchiha clan correlates with Sakura," Gaara stated, his brow raised in confusion.

"Besides Sasuke being on team 7 and Itachi her main watcher when they were younger, I can't find a correlation either," I admitted, resting my head on my fist. "Is there something the elders knew that we don't?" Tsunade grunted, mimicking my own pose.

"As it turns out, Mikoto has been shielding both Naruto and Sakura from the elders using the Uchiha's position since they were born. If the massacre had occurred, there wouldn't be anyone left to keep them from their goal." The snarl returned with full force, her eyes narrowing. "And Danzo was the one pulling all the strings while Homura and Koharu let it happen."

"Oh…" The shock hit like a brick.

How could all of this happen without anyone finding out? How could Sarutobi not know about any of this? Where the elders that good at hiding their true intentions?

So what Sakura said was true… but why do this?

"Sakura mentioned that Danzo was stealing eyes from Uchiha clansmen, but I don't understand why. Without their bloodline, he wouldn't be able to use them to their full potential. Even Kakashi faces side effects from his own eye. What use could they be to him?" Tsunade hummed, her face falling into a soft frown.

"That was the one thing they left out of the documents." She grunted, crossing her arms. "The only one that can answer that would be Danzo, but he's hiding in a rathole somewhere." Taking in all the information, my eyes drifted out the window.

Looks like things just keep getting messier…

"Given all that, what's the right thing to do, Minato-san?" The calm tenor of Gaara's voice did nothing to hide the threatening edge. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath.

"Sakura found out about this at some point if her treatment of them is anything to go off of. Since Danzo is missing, the only other person that can give us any answers would be Sakura. However," Opening my eyes, I allowed them to drift back to the two in front of me, "we can't ignore the extreme lengths she took at solving this issue."

"So what are you suggesting?" Gaara's eyes narrowed, his gaze unwavering from my own.

"Intensive intervention." Both of their brows rose.

"You want to hold an intervention with someone who attacked the village to kill three old bats?" Tsunade's disbelief wasn't lost on me. Shaking my head, I leaned forward.

"Not the kind you're thinking of."

"Then what do you have in mind?" Glancing at Gaara, I took a deep breath.

"For many years, those who knew the truth have ignored the mental effects it's had on Sakura. Special abilities or not, a small child has no business being forced to solve adult messes. That kind of pressure will change any person. Kakashi and Itachi are proof enough of that." Both of them grunted in agreement.

Sighing, my shoulders hunched as the weight of my next words began to sink in. "Despite everyone's effort to hide the truth, it only made things worse. It left her without the tools that could have helped her cope with the powers she was developing. Having that kind of power without proper guidance can corrupt anyone. As the leader of this village, I at least owe her the chance to heal from that. That's why sending her to a psych doctor rather than execution is the right thing to do." A small smile spread my lips. "And I owe it to Toshira to care for her daughter when she did the same for my son."

For the better part of a minute, neither of them spoke. Both of them looked thoughtful, mulling over their own opinions.

"I can't say your idea is unbiased." Tsunade began, her brow pinched. "But, how do you expect the village to respect this decision?"

"That's where I'll need help." Crossing my arms, I allowed my features to relax into a neutral expression. "I want to reveal what the elders did to the villagers." Tsunade's eyes widened in shock while Gaara remained passive.

"What makes you think that's going to go over well? They'll think you're trying to blame the elders to save her!"

"That's where you come in." Her brow rose but she remained silent. "The villagers know you have no connections to Sakura and you've had nothing to do with politics since you've been back. You're also a respected doctor and the First Hokage's granddaughter. If you reveal this, then it'll have significant weight amongst the people."

"That may be true," She started, her eyes staring me down, "but how do you expect me to do that?"

"Reveal the elder's documents." Her brows shot up, disbelief covering her face.

"Do you have any idea what's in those? It would reveal everything everyone has done- including the Uchiha's attempted revolt, Itachi's orders, and how dangerous Sakura could become."

"And that's the only thing that can redeem her in their eyes. If they can see that she was meant to be a pawn by the time she was nine, then they'll be able to sympathize with her situation." Tsunade's eye twitched before she dropped her head, rubbing her eyes with her hand.

"That's a bold move, Namikaze." I grinned, the weight on my shoulders finally subsiding.

"I can't risk anything less." She snorted, raising her head.

"Then you better not back down when the shit hits the fan." My smile widened until I was beaming.

"When have I ever backed down from a challenge?" She snickered, rolling her eyes.

"What do you need me to do?" Turning my attention to Gaara, my smile never wavered.

"That's going to involve a longer conversation- and much more time to resolve." His brow cocked but he kept his eyes on me expectantly. Leaning forward, the corner of my lips dropped into a deep scowl. "We need to handle the Akatsuki."

In Konoha's Prison

Normal POV

Sakura laid on her stone bench, a thin pad separated her from the cold stone and a thin blanket covered her.

"Are you awake, Sakura-chan?" The soft whisper caused her to crack her eyes open.

Since the prison was underground, the only source of light came from the torches lining the hallway outside. There wasn't even a window in her cell to bring in outside light. So, when the orange flames illuminated bright yellow hair, deep blue eyes, and shadows of whiskers, Sakura immediately knew it was Naruto. Not to mention his unmistakable scent of sweet grass and sunflowers that she's memorized since she was a child.

"I am now." She mused, sitting up. Turning her body to face the bars to the left of her bed, Sakura gave him a soft smile. "Is it your turn to watch me?" He rubbed the back of his head, a nervous chuckle leaving his lips.

"I may have taken Kakashi-sensei's place."

Cocking her head to the side, Sakura scanned his form from head to toe. The scrutiny wasn't lost on Naruto as he cleared his throat, grabbing the lone wooden chair situated outside her cell. Placing it in front of her cell, he sat down, facing her.

"Actually… I wanted to talk to you." Sakura blinked but waited patiently as he tried to find the words to continue. Eventually, he sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "The last time I saw you before you left… I wanted to apologize. Really apologize." He let out a frustrated huff, his arms dangling on his knees. Looking at Sakura, his eyes shined as he continued. "I know it wasn't your fault that mother died. I knew it then and I shouldn't have blamed you for it."

"You've said that before." Sakura slowly stated, her eyes softening as she watched him.

"And I need to say it again." The air between them felt heavy to Sakura, a deep feeling that this conversation was about to take a turn settling in her gut. "You couldn't save mother and it's not your fault." A lump formed in Sakura's throat as Naruto's eyes grew brighter. "You aren't a god. No matter how many impossible things you could do, you can't do everything. You're only human. I'm sorry for not accepting that. I'm sorry for expecting you to fix everything." Taking a shaky breath, the first tear fell as his shoulders slumped. "And I'm sorry for not recognizing your pain when mother passed away."

Turning away, Sakura took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she counted backward from ten, the burning behind her eyes causing the lump to grow bigger in her throat.

"You were grieving too-"

"That's no excuse for what I said."

Opening her eyes, Sakura saw the tears streaming down Naruto's face. He didn't even try to wipe them as he allowed them to flow freely.

"I should have been better. You're my sister and I treated you like you weren't even human. I treated you like you were above all of us and didn't need to be cared for too. Somehow, I lost sight of that." Hanging his head, the tears fell faster, his shoulders shaking. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm so sorry."

Fabric rustling and soft footsteps made Naruto raise his gaze slightly. The sight of Sakura's gentle eyes, her hands resting in her lap as she knelt before him.

"I'm sorry for shutting you out." A tear of her own rolled down her cheek as a sad smile graced her lips. "I treated you as if you couldn't handle the problems I was dealing with. I didn't give you the chance to be there for me. All I did was hide instead of believing in you." Reaching a hand through her cell, Sakura cupped the side of Naruto's face. Using her thumb, she wiped away the tears. "I'm sorry, Nii-kun."

Shock widened his watery eyes before it melted into relief. Sliding his arms through the cell bars, he wrapped them around her bringing her into a tight hug. For a long time, the two siblings stayed like that. Each comforting the other through all the built-up emotions they've held in for so many years.

Later

Sakura sat on the stone bench meditating silently while Naruto sat protectively outside. His arms crossed, his legs hip-width apart, back straight, and his head tilted back. A soft smile made it's why to her lips as he began to snore softly signaling he finally drifted off. Opening her eyes, she turned her head to see his sleeping form.

"Sasuke isn't going to be happy when he comes." Sakura chuckled to herself as she leaned back.

Although the air was surprisingly warm given they were underground, the walls were ice cold. It was only the slight vibration that gave away the layer of chakra suppressant encasing the cell. However, if she were being honest, she could still use her chakra if she wanted to. She just didn't believe the trade-off for doing so would be worth it.

As long as you don't try to die again I don't mind staying here for a while longer.

The seal also didn't do anything to keep her other half silent either.

There's no need for that anymore.

There wasn't one to begin with! Next time we see him- I'm ripping that red-eyed bastard to shreds!

Sakura hummed as she fidgeted with her hands. Given the damage hecaused, she's not too keen to see him again. Ever. If it weren't for him, so many people would still be alive and she wouldn't have almost killed her father's brethren either.

Or should I call them my uncles?

The metal door at the end of the hallway creaking open silenced her thoughts. Three sets of footsteps echoing in the stone hall roused Naruto from his slumber. His eyes popped open and his head snapped in the direction of the intruders, a snarl already prepared if they tried to harass his precious sister.

"Calm down, baka. It's just us." Sasuke's cool tenor only made the snarl on Naruto's face grow.

"I'm not a baka, teme!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he stopped in front of Sakura's cell. Next to him stood Kakashi giving his usual wave and, shockingly, Mikoto. Sakura was taken aback at seeing the Uchiha matriarch.

How long had it been since the last time they saw each other? It had to have been her mother's funeral if she remembered correctly.

That feels like a lifetime ago…

Now direct that into killing that red-eyed bastard and the old croon!

"Let's take a walk, dope. My mom wants to talk to Sakura and Kakashi-sensei alone for a minute." Before Naruto could protest, Sasuke grabbed him by the ear and dragged him down the hall. Naruto's screams of protest bounced off the walls until the heavy metal door silenced it. The only people left in the stone prison were Mikoto, Kakashi, and Sakura.

"How are you, Sakura-chan?" Mikoto asked as she faced Sakura. To Sakura's surprise, Mikoto didn't look at her any differently than she would have before. She still held that serene, loving demeanor even after everything she's done.

"Better… even though I'm in prison." A small smile cracked Mikoto's lips as she folded her hands in front of her.

"I'm happy to hear it. You had us all worried for a while."

Sakura's smile wavered, her shoulders slouching.

"I'm sorry about that."

"That's what happens when you're a shinobi. Your parentage doesn't change that." At that, Sakura looked at Mikoto closely.

"You don't seem as shocked as I expected you to be." A soft smile played on Mikoto's lips.

"That's because Toshira-chan told me when you were born." Kakashi and Sakura both looked at the dark-haired woman in shock.

"You weren't afraid of me?" Sakura asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Even though you knew my father was a demon?" The slight shake of her head made Sakura's heart flutter.

Did Mikoto really not care about what she is? Even though she's known since Sakura was a child, Mikoto still didn't treat her any differently. Now that she thinks back, there's never been a time that Mikoto even hinted that she knew.

No wonder mother always called her for help when she needed it.

"Since Toshira told you, why didn't she tell me if I was going to be teaching her daughter?" Kakashi muttered, his gaze upturned as he thought about the different possibilities that kept the late Haruno from spilling the secret to him.

"That's because I owed Toshira-chan a favor." Mikoto stated. Pulling the chair over, she sat down so she could look at both Kakashi and Sakura. "It's about time I told you about it."

Sakura's brow scrunched as she watched Mikoto. There were secrets her mother didn't tell her? She thought her mother told her everything before she passed. What could be so important that her mother felt wasn't right telling her?

"Is it… something bad?"

Mikoto hummed, a thoughtful look coming over her features.

"It depends on how you feel about it."

Sakura's frown increased as she glanced from Mikoto to Kakashi.

"Does it involve Kakashi-sensei?"

Mikoto nodded patiently, her eyes raising to Kakashi's equally confused face.

"He is your sensei. Given that your parents… aren't around, he is the closest to being your legal guardian." Sakura nodded, sharing a glance with Kakashi before the duo turned their attention back to Mikoto.

"What's this about?" Kakashi finally spoke up. Mikoto let out a silent breath before sitting up straighter.

"In order for both of you to understand, I need to tell you the backstory of why I owe Toshira." Neither Kakashi nor Sakura spoke as they waited for Mikoto. "When Itachi was three, he was kidnapped by unidentified shinobi." Both Kakashi and Sakura blinked in shock, but neither interrupted Mikoto. "I thought I would never see him again, but that same night, Toshira appeared at our door with Itachi." A grateful smile formed on Mikoto's lips, her eyes lowering as she reminisced. "I can't describe the relief and gratitude I felt. If she asked, I would have given Toshira my own life for saving Itachi. But for a long time, Toshira didn't want anything." Her smile fell as her gaze returned to Sakura. "That changed after the nine-tails attacked."

"When I was born." No matter how many times she's told it's not her fault, Sakura can't help the pang of guilt that sits in the pit of her stomach when someone mentions that fateful day.

"I was shocked when I first heard that she was back and in labor. When I was sure Sasuke and Itachi were safe, I went to see her in the hospital. To my surprise, she not only had a daughter, but also adopted Naruto." She sighed, her eyes drifting off as the memories played through her head. "I didn't know what to expect when she told me she wanted to ask me a favor. I thought she would ask me to be your godmother." Her eyes found their way back to Sakura. "That's when she told me who your father was." A soft chuckle left her lips, a fond smile playing on her lips. "Of course I didn't believe her at first, but then so many things began to make sense…" Her voice drifted off as the thoughts whirled in her head. Clearing her throat, she refocused, flashing a soft smile. "That's when she asked me to help protect you." Running a hand through her hair, she let out a deep sigh. "At first I didn't know what to do. I thought no one would know who your father was unless Toshira said something. However, Toshira was adamant that something was going to be coming for you. So, I made her a deal." Even though her face was blank, Sakura's mind was racing a mile a minute as she watched the older woman decide how to say the next part.

What kind of promise could her mother have made? It couldn't have been for money. Mikoto isn't the type of person to ask for riches when it comes to her precious people. Her mother also wouldn't have given Sakura away to her either. Toshira was far too protective of her children to do that. So what could she have gambled with?

"What was the deal for?" Kakashi finally spoke up, one arm crossed as he pinched his chin with the other in a thinking pose. "It has to be something serious if I'm here as Sakura's guardian." Mikoto nodded patiently.

"You're right about that." Mikoto's eyes drifted between Kakashi and Sakura before she finally settled on the pink haired woman. "In exchange for my protection of you and Naruto, I proposed you as my candidate for Itachi's wife." Neither Sakura nor Kakashi could keep the shock from showing.

"Oh…" Sakura whispered, her mind still reeling.

She's a candidate to marry Itachi? After all that's happened, she thought she'd be the last person they'd suggest.

A glance to Kakashi showed her he was thinking something similar.

"Why go to this extreme?" Kakashi slowly began, his brow narrowed. "If you wanted to offer protection to them, you could've just done it. You didn't have to offer a marriage proposal." Mikoto hummed as she watched Kakashi carefully.

"There were several reasons why I did. The biggest is because of power." Her brow twitched as her lips thinned. "The Uchiha clan is painfully traditional. Even though I'm the matriarch, I don't necessarily have the authority to order the protection of outsiders without a valid reason. It doesn't matter what Toshira had done for me- in the eyes of my clansmen, no outsider is deserving of our clan's power." Her eyes drifted to Sakura, a sad shine covering them. "Unless they can bring power to the clan."

"And I'm the daughter of the strongest of the tailed beasts." Sakura finished, understanding making her shoulders sag.

So they just want to use me…

"I didn't tell them, of course." Mikoto quickly added. "But I did suggest that you have great potential that shouldn't be overlooked. Since then, they've agreed with the idea even more." Her eyes darkened, her hands balling into fists in her lap. "Especially after you stopped the attempted massacre." Sakura's heart skipped a beat, her breath halting in her throat.

How does she know about that? No one was ever supposed to find out!

Even Kakashi didn't seem shocked as he looked at his only female student.

"How do you two know about that? No one is supposed to know. It could hurt-"

"Itachi?" The way Mikoto's lip twitched into a frown showed Sakura that the older woman knew everything about that night. "I know, Sakura."

"But… how?"

"The new village elder, Tsunade Senju revealed old documents from the previous elders about that day." Kakashi answered, his eyes narrowed in distaste. "Including how you should be watched in case you could become a weapon or a liability." Sakura could only blink as she looked between the two of them.

Why would they reveal something like that? It's too risky!

But it explains why you went ballistic on them.

"I also know Itachi was meant to carry out the massacre that night." Focusing on Mikoto, Sakura's throat felt tight as she stared into Mikoto's glassy dark eyes. "I don't know what you did, but thank you for saving him. If you hadn't acted, I don't know what would have become of him by now." Her lips tightened, the tears threatened to spill over. Squeezing her eyes shut, Mikoto took a deep breath.

"That's why you're bringing up the marriage proposal again, right?" Kakashi asked, after a moment of silence. "Because you owe Toshira and Sakura for saving Itachi." Mikoto slowly opened her eyes as she nodded.

"And the only way I can do that is to give Sakura the backing of a powerful clan. With that, even if someone wanted to come after her, they'd think twice knowing the Uchiha would retaliate. It's the greatest form of protection I can offer. But," a sad smile played on Mikoto's lips as she looked at Sakura, "the one condition Toshira-chan and I agreed upon is that it would be your decision to make." Sakura blinked again.

"Since I'm not legally an adult yet," Her eyes trailed to Kakashi standing beside her through the bars. "Kakashi-sensei would have to approve it." Kakashi hummed, his eyes focused as he thought over the possibilities.

"You don't have to decide anytime soon." Mikoto finally spoke up, standing from the chair. "Itachi doesn't even know about the arrangement yet so there's nothing pushing you to make a decision." Stepping closer, Mikoto brushed a stray hair behind Sakura's ear through the bars. Flashing a bright smile that reminded Sakura of her mother, Mikoto cupped Sakura's cheek. "Whenever you're ready to make your decision, let me know."

The Next Day

Sakura sat on the floor, her head tilted to the ceiling. Her mind swirled with everything that happened yesterday. Given that, she asked for privacy from her team at least for the morning. There's far too much for her to think through to be able to hold an adequate conversation with any of them.

I could marry Itachi if I choose to.

Shocking considering how much the old bastards hated you back then.

But… would he want to marry me?

If he's smart he wouldn't. But he isn't the brightest apple in the bunch when it comes to you.

Sakura couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips. Honestly, life has been so much easier since she was taught how to co-exist with her inner demon. More so, it's improved since she learned what her inner demon is.

I thought we were talking about your future mate… and mine by extension.

Sakura rolled her eyes, as she closed her eyes.

Then we can reminisce about that later.

The familiar creak of the door made her open her eyes. Only one set of footsteps approached as she waited patiently to see who was visiting her today. When long black hair and deep onyx eyes invaded her vision, her heart skipped a beat.

Speak of the devil and he'll appear.

The laughter of her inner demon echoed in her brain as she swallowed. Standing, she made her way to the bars. Itachi just watched her, a small smile on his face.

"How are you today, Sakura?" She blinked at him.

"A little caged in, but I'm alright." His smile grew as he pulled out a set of keys from his pocket.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as he casually opened her cell. He even stepped to the side, leaving the door wide open.

"I'm supposed to be-"

"Hokage-sama gave me orders to carry out your sentencing." Even though she was expecting this, she couldn't help the sinking feeling.

What did he choose?

"I'm guessing it's not execution given your smile." Itachi shook his head. "What is it?" He cleared his throat, his back straightening as he gestured to me to walk out. Keeping an eye on him, I did as he asked, stopping before him.

"By order of the Hokage, you are sentenced to spend a year in the care of Konoha's top psychiatrist. In that time," Stepping closer to Sakura, Itachi pulled out a metal bracelet from his pocket. The band was covered in kanji forming a powerful seal. "Your chakra will be suppressed until your doctor deems you not to be a threat to yourself or those around you. If you fail your assessment at the end of the one year time frame, you will stay in her care indefinitely until she either sentences you to prison or execution. If you pass your assessment, you will be placed under probation for three years with limited access to your chakra. If you have been on your best behavior within that time, you will be eligible to continue your shinobi training." His grin returned as he looked at Sakura's shocked expression.

I was expecting much worse.

I told you the old bastard's dirty laundry would help you.

"Is… is this because everyone knows what the elders did?" Itachi's grin slowly faded into a neutral expression as the thought of them came to the forefront of his mind.

"That's a big reason." Sakura nodded, lowering her eyes.

Told you.

"You said she when you mentioned my psychiatrist." Sakura spoke up, ignoring her inner. "Do you know who she is?"

"Right here, brat." Sakura blinked, as she watched a woman with two blonde pigtails standing in the now open doorway at the end of the hall.

"Who are-"

"Tsunade Senju, newly appointed elder, and your warden for the next year." Tsunade's eyes narrowed, her eyes darkening in warning. "I'll be watching you closely."

I like her.

Sakura sighed as she looked between Itachi and Tsunade.

Who knew this is how things would end up?

As Sakura was escorted out of the underground prison, she had a hopeful feeling for the future.

However, this was only the beginning of what was to come.

With that, Save Me is finished! I hope everyone enjoyed the story. If you did, then I'm happy to say I've planned on two spin-offs to complete the story. The first is the sequel to this story called I'll Find You. Thank you so much again for reading my story! Until next time! XOXO