Forged Beyond

Mission Begins

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Sakura stood suddenly, her eyes narrowing.

Shizune's chakra was close—too familiar to miss.

A second later, a knock nearly landed—but Sakura opened the door before it did.

Shizune blinked, then smiled faintly. "Got all your stuff." She motioned behind her to a large sealed bag, nearly half Sakura's height.

Sakura exhaled through her nose. "Thanks, senpai."

She hoisted it over her shoulder like it weighed nothing and walked it back to her room, where it landed with a thump on her bed. The scent of old scrolls and medical salves drifted out as the zipper unsealed.

She returned to the living room a moment later, hair tied up, notebook in hand, pen clicking open as she dropped into her seat across from Naruto and Sasuke.

Sakura leaned back, eyes steady. "So... what's the plan?"

She jerked her chin subtly toward the door, signaling them.

"Let's go," Naruto muttered.

They stood and made their way down the quiet Uchiha street. The air was heavy, the sky still blanketed with slow, grumbling clouds.

Izumi's house was warm. Sliding doors. Paper windows. The wooden floor gleamed beneath their feet. But there was a couch in the corner, sleek but low to the ground, cushions lined with red stitching, and a tea table in the center made of dark walnut. A blend of old world and now.

Izumi opened the door before they could knock, stepping aside to let them in.

"Itachi's in the living room," she said, and her voice was...tired.

The four of them gathered, and Naruto didn't waste time.

"We need to clear Itachi's name. That has to be the first step," he said, tone grave. "Only then can we even begin to take on Danzo."

Itachi lifted his eyes. "Danzo gave me a deal," he said quietly. "If I kill Sasuke and bring him the body... he'll clear my name and keep Izumi out of it."

Izumi stiffened beside him.

"...They never even came near me," she whispered. "That part was a lie, wasn't it?"

Itachi nodded once. "He just wanted me to believe it."

Sasuke stepped forward, arms folded. "Then we flip it."

Everyone turned to him.

"I'll take the blame for our parents' deaths," he said coldly. "Just like they told you I had to die to protect the truth—you can tell them I was the killer. I snapped. I turned. That way, your name is cleared."

"You would never—" Izumi began, but Sasuke cut her off.

"They already think we're monsters. Let them think what they want. If it gets Danzo to stop looking our way, it's worth it."

"No," came a voice—firm and icy.

Sakura's.

She stepped forward, arms folded, eyes gleaming.

"No one is dying. No one's name is getting dirtier to clean someone else's mess."

Everyone watched her as she dropped her notebook on the table and pulled out a blank page.

"I'm going to make a puppet," she said slowly. "It'll look like Sasuke. It'll bleed like Sasuke. Same chakra signature, same scars, same skin temperature. A perfect copy."