UPDATED! I AM ADDING NEW CHAPTERS, AND THIS IS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE REST! IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REDONE!

Oh, and this is really important. REALLY IMPORTANT! In order to avoid the whole creepy relationship of like, 49 year old teacher and 21 year old student, I came up with this.

(Yes, it will be explained in later chapters….)

Kakashi is about 28 or so (maybe 29, still haven't really decided….) in this story and Sakura is at the ripe age of 21 (drinking age! Yes, this plays a key part as well…. Muahahaha….)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, sadly, or else Itachi would never die, Sasuke wouldn't be so much of a bastard, Naruto wouldn't be so blind to Hinata's love, and Kakashi wouldn't be so old...

Chapter 1: Melancholy

Melancholy; noun; a gloomy state of mind, esp. when habitual or prolonged; depression

Her pink mouth opened in a silent scream of pure agony as her arms were stretched behind her, pulled by the laughing enemy. Her chest was thrust out, head tilted back as she could only kneel there on her knees while she was tortured and beaten. Pained jade eyes were concealed, tightly closed, desperate to hold back the tears caused by the throbbing pain of her shoulders being torn from their sockets.

"Sakura!" "Sakura-chan!" Kakashi and Naruto yelled out, their bodies pulling against the chains that were connected to the wall. Both men were desperately worried for their female team-mate's condition, and they could hear the sound of bones separating, tendons and ligaments snapping and popping. This was the first time they had seen her in days, but she didn't look as bad as she could have. Captivity had prevented them from being together, informed on the other's physical state of being. Kakashi and Naruto had been kept together in this very cell, being beaten and kicked and tortured throughout the whole time. The few reprieves they had had were consumed with sleep and softly discussing strategy in code.

Sakura's knees scraped against the dirty stone floor, blood welling up from the small cuts. She cracked open her eyes for a moment to stare at the chains that had once held her to the wall when she had originally been chained beside her comrades days before. The kunoichi kept her gaze focused on the chains, trying not to cry out in pain to give her captor the satisfaction.

"I will stop if you give me information on your village. Anything will do. Anything at all." The vile man chuckled, digging for information on a certain subject. They couldn't extract anything from the girl earlier during their interrogations, and resorted to torturing her in front of her team-mates. Maybe then they could retrieve data from Konoha Gakure's finest. He waited for them to speak, but when his answer was silence, he continued tugging at the pink haired Kunoichi's arms.

Sakura's hanging head was thrown back once more as she bit back a shriek of pain. When he released the pressure, she dropped her head, the crown only visible to Kakashi and Naruto.

"Do your worst, you filthy sick bastard." She spat, venom etched into her voice. Physical pain, she could handle, not the mental pain they had inflicted upon her before. Her body was strong. Her mind? She wasn't so sure anymore.

Growling with renowned anger, the enemy yanked back a final time, and both of Sakura's arms were dislocated from their sockets. Her comrades heard the sickening pop of the dislocation, their eyes watching the color drain from the female's face as wrenching agony tore through her shoulders like fire. Her eyes snapped open, wild, pain-crazed jade staring at her comrades, and they could see everything that she was feeling through those circular windows.

"Oh, I plan on it, you little bitch." The man sneered back, mad laughter following his retort. He tossed Sakura to the side, and she landed roughly against the wall, this time, a cry of pain escaping her tightly pinched lips. Kakashi and Naruto continued to tug at the chains, but were held back by the lack of chakra and steely strength of the metal.

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask, trying to calm himself and save Sakura some pain. Kami knows what had been done to her before they brought her in. "Yaka-san, surely there is a better way at interrogating us than by going for the female of the team." He offered sincerely.

"You will regret not speaking, bitch." The enemy, Yaka, growled, ignoring Kakashi. Grabbing Sakura by the hair, he forced her up onto her knees again, before slamming her face down into the dirt. She coughed and spluttered, dirt filling her nostrils, her open mouth. She could feel her cheek swell and redden, a bruise already beginning to form under the rosy hue.

"I regret ever coming into contact with you, it sickens me so." The Kunoichi said, oh-so-sweetly.

Roaring in fury, Yaka slammed his foot down onto her dislocated arm, and everyone in the cellar could hear the nauseating crunch of her bones splintering into pieces as he added chakra to the stomp.

Sakura screamed out, pure anguish and suffering written over her face. Thankful that her team-mates could not see this, she tried to stop the flow of tears and screams that tore from her throat. Now was not the time to make her team-mates feel even guiltier than they probably already were. She was the female of the team after all, and the med-nin. Despite her adamant resistance to those facts, the two males continued to protect her, no matter what. And seeing as to that she was the one being tortured at the moment, guilt was foremost in their minds.

Yaka chuckled victoriously, stepping over her slim, battered body to stop on the other arm, the same sickening sound repeating, an echo of the first.

Tears were brimming in Sakura's eyes, but she held them back, forcing the pain from her mind. This time, she did not scream, did not even whimper. She made not a sound, except for the small, whispery words she let escape.

"Is that all you got?" she murmured into the dirt, and in the silence of the cellar, minus the harsh panting, and rattling chains, her voice was heard. "Your interrogation methods really suck." Sakura taunted.

"What? Damn you, bitch! You'll rue ever insulting me! You should have just given me the information to what your Hokage is planning. I know she's fucking devising a plan to take down Sound!"

Sakura paused, her face clear of anything that she was thinking about.

Tsunade-shishou is not planning to take down Sound. What is this baka talking about? She thought to herself, storing the information away to discuss with her mentor later when they returned. If they returned. If her fragmented mind could pull itself together long enough to remember.

Yaka continued on with his rant. "It would have been a benefit to you and your team, but no. You just wish to make them suffer more." Yaka barked, kicking her in the side so that her petite body slammed up against the opposite wall, to the side of Naruto and Kakashi.

Something inside Sakura stirred at his harsh words, and she glanced at her comrades quickly, before returning her gaze to Yaka. She blocked the pain from her mind, pushing it aside so that she could think.

"No, actually, I'm enjoying it." Sakura murmured after coughing up the salty liquid of blood. She was slumped against the wall, and at least had the strength to lift her head and smirk at Yaka, infuriating him more. Her insults were a distraction, giving her the time to assess the situation.

Their enemy was going for the supposed weak link: the female. It showed how naïve they were, and weak. The counter to this assumption was that they were caught.

And being caught was a mistake. It never should have happened. We were careless. Sakura thought to herself angrily. Resisting the urge to rub the spot on her neck that burned she continued to glare at Yaka. Being shot with knockout poison first, and then only taking out 2 of the bastards who shot us pisses me off. Glad to know that Kakashi got at least 3 as well, and Naruto 2… Her thought stilled for a moment, running through different events to come up with a plan. And even this bastard should know better that our village comes first before self-preservation. As it does before death. Another glance to Kakashi and Naruto made her grit her teeth and think harder. They would stick by her decisions no matter what, and she knew neither would speak of Konoha's secrets, or of the false accusation that Yaka had previously stated .

Both men continued to struggle, although Kakashi's was calmer and more discreet, while Naruto resisted the urge to start growling and yelling at their captors. He no longer acted like the genin he used to be, but the Jounin he now was. They had to stay strong for Sakura, or else she would never make it. They had to be there for her, or else she would shatter, just like her bones.

Kakashi continued his angered frown beneath his mask. They had been caught with a knockout poison, a mistake he elected to take responsibility of, and dragged to this hideout, which was fairly large. A holding facility of some sort. The elder Jounin eyed the headbands of the enemy, recognizing the symbol as Stone. He wondered why Stone would be interested in the idea of Sound's annihilation. Kakashi stored the question away for later discussion.

"You're so pathetic, I could insult you all day." She taunted him, and Naruto stared at her incredulously. What was she doing? Digging her own grave? Why was she irritating Yaka more, shortening the fuse of the man's mental time bomb. Was she trying to set him off early and kill her?

Naruto lunged forward. "Sakura-chan, no! What are you doing? He'll kill you!" he hissed, but the pink haired woman's cold smirk stopped him dead. Her eyes were flat, merciless, no emotion, not even pain. Kakashi sat back calmly, watching Sakura's movement's carefully, as well as Yaka's, trying to use anything to strategize.

Yaka gnashed his teeth together in silent rage. "Then let's see how much your team-mates enjoy you being fucked." He hissed, a lewd, disgusting smile creeping across his lips as he sauntered over to the broken woman, lying in crumpled pile against the wall. "Sound familiar? I'm sure our little visions provided you with one or two rape scenes..." Yaka growled, referring to the interrogation techniques used to torture the girl earlier.

Sakura glared at the man, appearing unafraid. She lifted her chin slightly in a challenge, even though she flinched at his words. The images she had seen were not very inviting, but very intimidating.

The enemy male grinned, crouching in front of her. "Look-y here, boys." Yaka lifted her chin, surveying her face, eyes skimming over the satiny skin stained with dirt, ignoring the large bruise on her right cheek.

Using his other hand, he beckoned his companions to look, motioning for them to add extra restraint in accordance to the chakra drainers that surrounded Naruto and Kakashi's ankles and wrists. One of the minions performed a quick interrogation jutsu which forced the two Konoha nin's eyes open so that they had to watch. He stood off to the side once he was finished, smirking cruelly as his eyes roamed over Sakura leeringly.

"Did any of you ever touch this pink vixen? Bit of a Spit Fire, ain't she?" he murmured through wide, grinning teeth. His cohorts chuckled and cat called in response. "Let's see how much fight you have left after I'm done having my fill of you..." Yaka grinned evilly.

His dirty fingers rubbed a lock of hair between the pads, feeling the silken texture. "Such pretty hair to match with a pretty face. Too bad you're just a filthy kunoichi of Konoha." And with this, he smacked her, his hand colliding with her bruised cheek; sending firing darts of pain streaking up her face. The skin broke across her cheek bone, and blood beaded up from the small cut.

Making sure not to make any noise, Sakura continued her strong glare at Yaka, even as his fingers began a path down her throat, leaving behind a trail that felt dirty to her. Her skin crawled at his touch, and her stomach heaved.

I refuse to sit back and let this bastard take control of me. I've got only a small bit of chakra left in my system, only because I'm keeping it in my head so as to stay conscious. I've got no use of my arms, and my legs are as good as dead at this point. She paused, assessing why her legs were not able to move.

Poison.

Beautiful.

Thankfully, it's a paralysis poison, disabling my limbs, allowing me to feel everything, yet unable to move. Kakashi and Naruto must not have it, seeing that they have mobility… It's a simple poison.

Something she could break down in seconds if it weren't for her lack of chakra. The poison was known to Sakura, but she was slightly worried at how her body lacked the immunity to the poison's effects. Specifically, it targeted her arms and legs, but she could still move her head and torso. They hadn't used this kind earlier, when she was separately interrogated. It made her feel even more defenseless.

What other weapon have I left? No strength, and they have some sort of chakra bond traced on the skin of my arms. Neji-san taught me how to keep my chakra pathways blocked, so that not everything can be drained, and that small amount of chakra is in my head, but if I can move it up to my for head and tightly pack it… she trailed off on the thought, concentrating on opening up the pathways across her face slowly, without activating the chakra bonds etched onto the skin of her arms.

Even if she didn't have the ability to use her insane strength, Sakura at least had her natural ability of chakra control.

The kunoichi forced herself to remain calm, refusing to let her heart-beat race uncontrollably. Just then, the enemy's fingers settled over her throat, measuring her fear and pulse. With a sneer, Yaka punched her in the stomach, and Sakura doubled over his fist, coughing up another mouthful of blood.

"The little bitch isn't afraid of us, boys. Guess I better fix that, eh?" Yaka chuckled, and his comrades called out their agreements.

What else can I use?

The pink haired Kunoichi forced herself to sit upright again, glaring at Yaka, cursing herself for forgetting about her pulse. She should have made more of an effort to appear afraid! But the adrenalin in her system seemed to stimulate her courage and block the pain from her injuries.

"Matte, matte! What are you going to do to Sakura-chan?" Naruto yelled out furiously, and a gag was placed in his mouth, muffling his loud voice. The captors would probably take it off if the boy was willing to give up whatever he knew.

That's it. When all else fails, Kunoichi may resort to use their appearance and virtues as weapons. And what do I have that any male would want?

She had no need to finish the thought. Sakura knew what had to be done, whether she liked it or not. She had no right to feel sorry for herself when her team-mate's lives were possibly on the line. The medical-ninja glanced at Naruto, sending him a short glare. "Udesai." she hissed, silencing him. Naruto's worried expression would only chip away at her hardened resolve. Sakura had to do something in order to save her friends, no matter what the cost was.

She had to let Yaka think he could take advantage over her, and at worse, actually let him. When he would be at his weakest, sated from his release, then she would attack if need be. She had learned this from the interrogation jutsus used to show her terrifying scenes of pain, embarrassment, betrayal, meant to break her from the inside out. Sakura prayed that it wouldn't come to that, that her chance for freedom would come before her defilement.

The Kunoichi's eyes moved to Kakashi. He was silent as ever, and his brooding stare sent shivers up and down her spine. Sakura licked her suddenly dry lips, and her pulse fluttered with true fear. Would he accept her decision? Would he think badly of her? Be disappointed in her judgment?

Trust me… You've got to trust me… she mentally thought, willing him to understand when she herself was still unsure.

What needs to be done needs to be done, Sakura. So what? You lose your virginity? You were bound to lose it someday. There's no need to over think this. Many Kunoichi have done so before on missions, so what's the difference now? Just do it. Just let it happen. Time it, make it count. Sakura's inner voice piped in, her voice scolding almost.

Sakura's eyes focused on her first, original sensei, waiting for a response, a reaction. Anything. And without even the slightest movement of the head, Kakashi's lone eye said it all, or what Sakura hoped to have been said.

"Ahh, now we've got fear." Yaka suddenly said as he caught Sakura's increased heart-rate. "Boys, make sure the old one's watching, I'm sure he'll enjoy what he never could touch." Yaka said cheerfully, and his hand moved down, settling over Sakura's breast, squeezing roughly so that probably there would be a bruise later.

He leaned forward, his lips brushing Sakura's bruised cheek, opposite to what Kakashi and Naruto could see. "Have you ever lain with a man, pink vixen?" he murmured, and her eyes widened, genuine fear mixing with adrenaline this time. Her stiffened posture was his answer, and the swift intake of breath his assurance.

Maybe I'm not ready for this…

Of course you are, baka. Quit being a fucking pansy and get it over with.

And with that inner pep-talk, Sakura's resolve hardened, and she made the first step to her decision.

"Do your worst." She said loudly and clearly, refusing to whisper, to show weakness.

Kakashi could feel a sinking weight in his stomach. He knew Sakura was an innocent or at least it still seemed so, since he didn't know what had gone on before. Did she know what she was getting herself into? What was to come? She would be scarred for life, no turning back. Would she, could she, ever trust men again? Him again? Could she ever look Naruto or him in the eye after this?

Her earlier look had told him to trust her, which meant she had a plan. He hoped she did, because his mind had drawn a blank. Even after assessing the situation, Kakashi could not conduct a plausible solution. They had no chakra, the chakra-draining cuffs made sure of that, and they had no weapons. And the most annoying of them all, he could not use his Sharingan, because it was covered by his hitai-ite.

Cold dread seeped through his veins. What was the man whispering to Sakura to make her look so frightened? He knew to the others, she looked confident and calm, unaffected, but Kakashi could see it in her eyes. It was in the way her body stiffened slightly, and the way her lips parted to gasp sharply. Why had Yaka brought Kakashi into the factor of watching? To scare Sakura more? To further humiliate her in front of an older man, her team-leader, her team-mate? Most likely.

And then she challenged him loudly, in front of everyone, appearing unafraid of the terrorizing man threatening to take her innocence. His heart swelled with pride, heat returning to his cold bloodstream, boosting his confidence as he strung together the facts.

Kakashi recognized the interrogating jutsu, performed by Yaka's minion, which kept his eye open, making him watch as Sakura was groped roughly. And he filed away the emotions he felt due to the scene before him. Kakashi would remember this when he used it on others in the future.

The sinking weight returned. This was not how a woman should be treated, not in this vial act of torture. It sickened him, infuriated him that his female comrade was to be soiled without love or thought, only the red haze of male lust.

But she had told him to trust her, and he would do so until the end. She had faked fear before. Had she planned this? Had Sakura deliberately evoked Yaka's anger so that it would come to this? What did she intend to do?

The questions were endless, and the Jounin was tired of not having any answers.

Kakashi's lone, dark eye observed the violating scene with disgust, watching as Yaka leaned forward to kiss Sakura wetly, his lips slanting against hers, leaving behind a slobbery sheen of saliva.

When Yaka tried forcing Sakura's lips open, she bit his lower lip, drawing blood. He yelped, pulling back slightly before straddling her hips with his knees. The adversary back-handed her so that Sakura's head was knocked to the side, a mixture of blood and spittle flying from her bruised, swollen lips. Her face was turned towards Kakashi and Naruto, and she forced a cocky, brittle smile, trying to convince them that she was alright.

Turning back to the man slowly, Sakura gathered more of the salty mixture in her mouth and spat it in Yaka's face, the wad dripping down his cheek. She smirked in triumph, victory evident in her expression. She looked more confident than he thought she felt.

Kakashi's mask hid his own smirk, and his heart swelled with pride again. He knew his pink haired team-mate wouldn't go down easily. He had learned this by watching other young boys try to date her. Each would pull the wrong move, and end up in the hospital. It was horridly ironic how everything was turned around on her.

His amusement ended, though, when Yaka sliced open her shirt with a kunai, leaving behind a long, red line from beneath her naval, to just below her sports bra. On opposite sides of the wound, her flat stomach was exposed, taut and dipping into the creases of her hips. Yaka drew out a kunai, cutting open the constricting fabric of her bra and bindings, her breasts spilling out for his view. His shoulder and side blocked the view of Kakashi and Naruto, thankfully sparing them of the exposure of their team-mate. His filthy hands molded themselves to her breasts, squeezing roughly. Yaka's harsh breathing mixed with joyous laughter echoed in the room at the thought of raping the information out of Sakura.

Kakashi refused to let out the soft sigh of his own guilty emotion that was pent up in his throat. He could have prevented this, somehow, some way. Looking through his peripherals, he could see Naruto's wide eyes, a blush staining his cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and fury. The poor boy had never dreamed of seeing his childhood crush like this, under these conditions.

Yaka moved then, and Kakashi could see the slope of Sakura's right breast and firm stomach. He was spared seeing anything else, her torn clothing draped over her skin, hiding the rather revealing areas. Although he was grateful of such, Kakashi's worst fears had yet to come, and he still worried for Sakura. His panic increased just as Yaka's hand traveled down her thigh, and up her skirt, to where he touched her. The beautiful kunoichi stiffened in reaction, and he knew she ached to twist out of the way, trying to remove the enemy's hand from her most private area. Her movements were restricted, though, most likely by a paralysis poison, Kakashi deterred.

More time…. I need more time… I can't stand this! Make it stop! She screamed in her head, and even as she felt Yaka's probing, dirty fingers touch her woman-hood, brushing aside the fabric of her underwear with a harsh tear, leaving them in shreds. She held back her whimper of fear and sickening revulsion. Sakura's eyes refused to travel in Kakashi and Naruto's direction. She didn't want to see their expressions, didn't want to see the disgust in their familiar orbs. Calm down. Calm down. Concentrate on the chakra. You can do this. I can do this. I will not lose! She forced herself to think, to not roll over and accept defeat.

Kakashi's stomach rolled with nausea as he was forced to watch Sakura's violation. This was beginning to get out of hand. Was his pink haired team-mate going to allow it to go further? Where was this plan she had supposedly come up with?

His eye would have narrowed, but the jutsu prevented such. Kakashi could tell Sakura had a small amount of chakra, but she had it condensed, hidden. The chakra-draining cuffs had been removed from her right after the interrogation jutsus had stopped, and Yaka had walked into their holding chamber. It was cruel to give her such hope, when it was only taken away the second Yaka wrote chakra binding symbols on her arms.

Looking to his left again at Naruto, Kakashi noticed that the young man was close to chewing through his gag, using his sharp teeth. He didn't seem aware of this, the gnawing of the material more out of agitation than for true purpose.

If only I could get my hitai-ite off, I could use my Sharingan. We may have a chance at getting out of here. Kakashi thought, his attention returning to the pink haired female. He, just like Sakura, had kept the chakra all in his head, poised behind his Sharingan just in case he got the chance to use it. She had a satisfied, smug look on her face, which gave him a small amount of hope. At least the look of fear was gone.

Finally! I've got my chakra condensed enough in my for head to knock him out for a good couple hours. Sakura thought triumphantly, but she gasped at Yaka's fingers plunged deep, breaking through the thin layer of skin marking her as innocent. She sensed the familiar electric feeling of chakra and realized that Yaka was doing much more than just tearing her maiden-head.

Crying out softly as blood spurted over the enemy's fingers, and Sakura whimpered softly, her concentration breaking, a blackout spreading over her vision. The chakra nearly exploded outward by the lack of focus, but she gripped hold of the energy with her control, forcing it back to her for head. Images flashed through her head, memories that were not her own, depicting visions of pain and anger, betrayal and humiliation. Did those scenes belong to her memory? Had this particular violation happened before? She couldn't remember. Her mind was finally fragmenting.

The fiery pain that bloomed low in her gut provided her with a focus, bringing her demented mind back to reality. Yaka's profound digging reminded Sakura that she was losing what made her pure.

No! Keep going, you can do this, Sakura. Just concentrate. The kunoichi encouraged herself. You're still pure, your hymen just broke. Think like a medic and a nin, not just a woman. This is simply another obstacle to overcome. You've not lost your innocence. The hymen is merely a cluster of tissue made up of cells. Simple anatomy, not a legal document stating that you're a virgin… You can deal with the pain. You've gone through worse.

Allowing the pep talk to boost her strength, Sakura gather up the last of her chakra, what she had gained since the bonds had been taken off. Sucking in a deep breath, the female drew Yaka's attention up to her face, where she smirked at him, her lips quirked tightly in pain.

"Sleep tight, ass-hole." Sakura ground out between clenched teeth, before slamming her for head to his, adding the condensed chakra she had gathered to the blow.

Yaka's body flew backwards, hitting the wall a few yards away. His body slumped, unconscious to the floor, his head lolling onto his shoulder limply.

"Boss!" Yaka's comrades loosened their grip on Kakashi and Naruto slightly, worry for their leader etched on their faces, and disappointment that they had to stop watching Sakura's torture. The interrogation jutsu broke as the wielder lost his concentration.

"Now, Naruto! My headband!" Kakashi ordered quickly, and the blond, acting on impulse and years of taking orders from his sensei, leaned over and grasped the headband's fabric between his teeth, tugging until Kakashi's Sharingan was freed. With a hard head-but behind him, the Jounin slammed his head into his captor's stomach, Naruto mimicking the action. Both enemies fell to one knee, and the silver haired male caught them in his spinning gaze, releasing his pent up chakra from behind his eye. The Sharingan captivated the adversaries' attention before forcing them into unconsciousness.

Kakashi glanced at Sakura, who was softly panting against the wall. The Elder Jounin could not see her face, her head bowed strategically so that her comrades could not see her expression. Quickly, he fumbled for the keys that lay on the floor beside one of the unconscious guards. His fingers stretched to capture the pieces of metal, but his movements were still restrained by the chains. He gained possession of the keys soon enough and began unlocking his and Naruto's cuffs. Kakashi stood, rubbing his wrists slightly to get the circulation flowing again. Bits of chakra began to flow as he regained his strength back, and the man knew they'd need a bit of chakra to get out of here alive.

"Kakashi-sensei. They put an extra seal on me to keep the Kyuubi's chakra from spilling out…" Naruto ground out as he winced, the seal burning harshly now that the cuffs had been removed and red chakra began to course through his body, his fury adding to his strength.

The Ex-teacher glanced at Naruto and nodded, peering down at the seal. It was a simple binding seal, but complex in its own way because it was meant to bind those who had a larger amount of chakra, not too abnormal in these parts. So, it was safe to assume that their captors did not know Naruto was the Kyuubi container. Placing his hand over the seal, Kakashi quickly unraveled it with what little chakra he had gained.

At the nearby flare of a chakra source, the Sharingan wielder lifted his head, eyes alert. "Naruto, can you feel them?" he asked, his voice merely a deep rumble.

"Hai." Said the boy, nodding his head. "I know where they are. They're not bothering to hide their chakra, damn bastards…." He growled.

"Do you have the energy to fight them?" fury continued to be the backbone to his words.

Naruto smirked, cracking his knuckles slightly. "I've got enough to take 'em down, if that's what you're asking." He answered. In response to his confidence, red chakra swirled around him. Within a few seconds, it faded to blue as Naruto controlled his anger and directed his energy to taking down the bastards who captured them.

"Good. Meet you outside. Don't take long."

The Jinchuuriki nodded and with one last look at his childhood friend, he set off for their enemies, running quickly down the hall.

Turning back to his battered team-mate, Kakashi called out to her. "Sakura…." she flinched, turning her bent head farther away from him, ragged breaths escaping her bruised lips. Sakura's right cheek was swollen now, a bright red color marking the bruise like a target. The older male walked over to her slowly, slipping an arm around her shoulders, ignoring how she stiffened and tried to pull away from him, not making a sound. He was very careful, making sure he was gentle to her destroyed arms.

"Sakura." Kakashi repeated, his voice stern, "We need to go. I can only trace two others here in the building, and Naruto's gone off to fight them. We need to go now before he brings this compound down on top of us." He informed her, his heart clenching in his chest as he watched her. Sakura's body stiffened and locked into place as the adrenaline washed away from her bloodstream, replaced by the pain she had held at bay. She moaned softly once, a low guttural sound of pure agony.

The pink-haired Kunoichi shook her head slightly, refusing to speak, quivering in fear and shock. Her shoulders were swollen beyond relief, arm bent at an askew angle, the bone poking at her skin. Kakashi placed two bent fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face so that he could examine it. She moaned quietly in response, the slight movement of her head jarring her shoulders. Sakura couldn't take anymore of the pain, wanting to let go of it all, to sink into the arms of that dark pit that promised to take away the agony she felt.

Kakashi's expression tightened beneath his mask after finally seeing her face, taking in the pained expression and her closed eyes, shielding him from the worst of the pain he knew she felt.

"We're going to get you out of here, Sakura, and back to Konoha, where Tsunade-sama can heal you. Alright? So hold on till then, Sakura. I know you can hold on that long…." He murmured to her, slipping his other arm beneath her knees, lifting her up to his chest.

She's gone into shock from what Yaka did to her. If I'm not careful, she could slide deeper, and slip into a coma. He thought gravely, the hidden lash of fury aimed towards the unconscious man laying in a crumpled mass on the floor on the opposite side of the room. It took everything within him not to go over there and activate a horrible torture jutsu on the man and then slowly kill him with a kunai and his own bare hands.

The elder male lifted himself and Sakura from the ground, barely even stumbling as he adjusted to the added weight. His eye was focused on the woman cradled against his chest, an unknown emotion in the dark orb.

Sakura lay quietly in his arms, appearing to be asleep, but Kakashi knew that she was fully awake and aware of the situation going on around her, if a bit vaguely. Assuming that her senses were dulled by the heart-stopping pain, Kakashi wasn't sure what could set her off and force her into a coma.

Kakashi walked slowly down the same path, careful not to jar the woman in his arms. Just to be sure, he talked to her, helping her to focus on his voice instead of the pain.

"Sakura. Listen to me. I need you to stay awake, okay? Don't go to sleep. Stay awake for me, do you understand?" Kakashi ordered to her, making his voice firm.

The pink-haired kunoichi cracked open her eyes slightly and Kakashi stared into the turbulent, stormy jade eyes. He nearly looked away at the desperate, pained emotion swirling in the hazy depths of her orbs. She was in so much agony, that she followed his request by sheer will power.

Sakura didn't move or say anything, keeping her vigil, but Kakashi knew that she had heard him, and would obey.

"Good girl. Now hold on. Naruto's going to take care of the other two guards, and then we'll be out of here soon enough." The Jounin continued to talk to her, muttering anything from how Naruto was going to eat a ton of ramen when they got home, to how he was going to buy her a bouquet of flowers from Ino's shop when she was done being healed by Tsunade. Hell, he'd even take her out for dinner and pay for it all!

Even though they were out of the worst part of danger now, Kakashi could feel the cold dread seeping through his veins.

The shiny luster that was once in Sakura's eyes, the sparkling shimmer of jade whenever she laughed had dulled to a faded, worn green.

Damnit. I'm going to kill that fucking, sick bastard if it's the last thing I do.

Because Kakashi knew that Yaka had won part of the battle. He had broken Sakura like nothing else could.

And the man would never know.

Outside the compound, Kakashi held Sakura closely to his chest, his lone eye searching for Naruto. Keeping his Sharingan closed so as not to waste any chakra, the Jounin surveyed the area, but quickly glanced down when he felt the ground shudder.

Suddenly, with a rocking explosion, the compound blew up with a cloud of dust and smoke. Shouts of terror and anger echoed throughout the air, and Kakashi could barely pinpoint each voice.

Sakura flinched in his arms, burying her face into his shoulder more so, the loud noises moving through her shattered bones in frequencies that she choked on a low moan. Kakashi looked down at her, his brow creasing with concern. Her body and mind seemed to struggle with the idea of letting a man hold her, as if asking if protection would come from the embrace, or pain?

"Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!"

With a swivel of the head, the elder male turned towards the direction of the yell, recognizing the tone and naming pattern to be his ex-student. Carefully moving his arms slightly from beneath Sakura's back, he placed a hand over her ear, pressing her head into his chest to block the loud sounds. A dark form approached as he did this, and from the cloud of dust emerged a grinning Naruto, waving to him happily.

Did he have to blow up the whole compound? They took all our weapons away, and he couldn't have had that much chakra to take it down himself… Kakashi wondered, marveling in his former student's abilities and stamina.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei. When I was going to take down those two guys we sensed, a whole bunch began to show up, but they all had some hid their chakra, because I couldn't sense them coming, I only heard them. So once I finished off the two, I took off, knowing I couldn't take them all." At this, he took a breath, finally catching up to the spot where Kakashi stood.

He's really grown up and matured, hasn't he? The Jounin took a moment to allow that small portion of approval to course throughout him. Sakura stirred in his arms slightly, trying to move away from him again, rejecting his touch like she did in the compound. The brief minute of peace washed out of Kakashi's body like a tidal wave as his guilt replaced the warm feelings. With a sigh, he tightened his grip on her, determined not to let go or allow her to fall.

"What else?" he asked; knowing there had to be more to the explosion than just Naruto running away.

"I found boxes full of explosives; not just the tags either, but tons of dynamite," his cerulean eyes focused on Kakashi. "So instead of letting them keep it and detonating it later, I did them a favor by setting them off now." Naruto grinned, his boyish face taking on mature enjoyment of taking out their enemies.

The life of a Shinobi.

The thought came naturally to Kakashi, the long years of fighting for Konoha had drilled the rules of a Shinobi into his mind. The killing didn't bother him, nor did the never-ending loneliness.

He glanced down at the pink-haired kunoichi in his arms, and a smile briefly touched his lips.

She keeps the loneliness at bay.

Kakashi's mind reeled back instantly, remembering a memory from a mission they shared five years prior to this one.

"Kakashi-sensei?" the call was quiet as the kunoichi leaned against a tree, her face illuminated by the moon. The gentle silence had been broken, but he wasn't peeved.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi's response came easily, not even muffled by his masked lips.

"How can you stand killing so many people, and still manage to act normal right after you do?"

The Jounin's eye focused on her for a moment, the dark orb questioning. "Why do you ask?"

She snorted, glaring at him. "That's not an answer, Kakashi-sensei."

Ah, so she's in one of those moods… Kakashi thought inwardly, making a mental note not to intentionally piss her off. "Well, I'd have to say that after the first few kills, it became easier and easier, as long as I stuck to the Shinobi code. Besides my Sensei, they were my guidelines, my rules. I lived by them, and they seemed to make Shinobi life simpler, not as complex as everyone seems to deem it."

Sakura paused, a frown puckering her lips and creasing her for head. "I guess that makes sense…"

"Do you think differently?"

The pink-haired kunoichi glanced at him, giving him a small smile. "I memorized every single rule as a genin. I had no qualms with reciting them, but they did me no good when it came to fighting. Saying the rules were not going to save my team-mates. It was the meaning of them that did. Words are just words until you read the importance behind them."

Kakashi stared at her for a moment, his own smile twitching at his lips behind the mask. She was right, and he was proud of her that she had come to realize this on her own.

"That's a very good answer, Sakura-chan." He murmured, supposedly returning his gaze to his book, but his attention remained on his former student who continued to smile softly. She leaned back against the tree and sighed contently. In response to the peaceful look on her face, and her perfect answer, Kakashi spoke up. "I'll take first watch. You go ahead and sleep."

"Hai. Arigato, Kakashi-sensei." She murmured, and drifted off in a light slumber, using her pack as a pillow.

He never woke her up that night for her turn to guard.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The said Jounin glanced up at Naruto, who was staring at him with a frown on his face.

"Hai?" came the quick reply, trying to cover up the mistake of reminiscing on a mission.

"I said, I don't know how many made it out, but I know there was a ton of them coming out as back-up. I think we should get back to Konoha so that Tsunade-ba-chan can fix Sakura-chan." The Jinchuuriki said, taking a quick glance at his best friend. His frown only deepened, adding years to his young face.

Kakashi took note of the respect in Naruto's voice as he mentioned Lady Tsunade's name, despite the disrespectful way he announced her name. The young man must really hope the Hokage could save the woman in his arms. The Jounin noticed Sakura's body shivering against his. "Here, take off your jacket first, Naruto, she's cold, and my vest would be no help and too heavy for her fragile arms." he said, watching as the young man immediately yanked off the warm piece of clothing and draped it over Sakura's exposed chest, shielding her from the cold, and them from the embarrassing view.

Then Kakashi nodded, immediately turning towards the direction of Konoha, from what he could tell, and began taking off in a quick run. His movements were steady and fluid as usual, but he took more care in his actions so as not to jostle Sakura.

As soon as both he and Naruto settled into a comfortable, but fast pace, he glanced down at the woman in his arms. Her face was twisted in a pained grimace, and her lips parted on a silent moan. Shallow breaths escaped the cracked mouth as she tried to get enough air from her sore lungs and bruised ribs.

"Sakura, stay awake for me, okay? We should be back to Konoha in a few hours. I promise that we won't stop unless you want us to, okay?"

She didn't move. Didn't respond.

Kakashi frowned. "Sakura?" he received no response, nor any sign that she had heard him. "Damnit, she's slipped into a coma already," he deemed harshly, knowing that she would not have just fallen unconscious on her own accord. She had enough chakra to heal whatever damage was done to her head in order to force consciousness, but not enough to fight off a coma.

Naruto glanced over; his handsome face a mask of concern for their female team-mate. "What do we do, Kakashi-sensei? She's the medic nin, and neither of us know enough medical jutsu to heal her wounds."

The elder Jounin shook his head gravely. "Even if we did know enough med jutsu, we wouldn't be able to stop her from slipping into a come-like state. We could mend her bones, somewhat, not all the way with what little chakra we have, but not much more than that. We just have to hope that Tsunade-sama can help her." At Naruto's unconvinced frown, he added, "Or that she pulls through on her own."

He didn't mention the warm blood he felt soaking into the fabric of his arm, positioned beneath her legs, yet close enough to her sex to catch the flow of fluid. Whatever Yaka had done to her down there, he new it was more than ripping her hymen. Virgins didn't bleed that bad, unless more than the cluster of cells was torn. Kami knew what the bastard had done to her delicate flesh down there.

The Jinchuuriki nodded, picking up his speed a bit, impatient to get to Konoha before Sakura's state worsened. Kakashi matched the quicker pace easily, not so much as winded, even with the added weight, and lack of chakra.

At a minimum of two hours later, Naruto broke the silence of wind rushing through their ears.

"Kakashi-sensei, why did Sakura-chan let that bastard Yaka go through with what he did?"

The sound of his former student's troubled voice set Kakashi's nerves on end. The Jounin glanced at Naruto before looking at the woman in his arms, a frown etched upon his masked lips. "I don't truly know, Naruto." And he really didn't. The man had no idea what was going through Sakura's head when she taunted Yaka, and drove him to the point of nearly raping her.

She was a strong fighter; no one would ever doubt that. There were few Shinobi who could beat her in strength and skill, and fewer who could outwit her, besides Shikamaru.

But it was that damned air of innocence that surrounded her that gave her away. It was that small piece of herself that she had kept safe throughout all the killings and assassinations. The little portion of her soul that was shy when it came to boys and love and whatnot.

So if that small piece of herself was so important, why was she so willing to let it go? It was the remainder and reminder of her purity, that she was still innocent, even through all the killings. Sakura had decided to keep it, when many other kunoichi were eager to give it away, to cast aside their innocence like an old kunai. So why did she choose now to discard that innocence? It made no sense to Kakashi.

The thoughts nagged at him the entire way back to Konoha, and in the silence, there was nothing to distract him from thinking about it.

Dammnit, Sakura. How would you know what would happen if that bastard went through with it? You're an innocent, so how could you know? What were you thinking? Don't tell me you wanted to prove something to yourself, or even worse, us. You don't need our approval. You're strong enough and we respect you for it. So don't act like such an idiot.

But that nagging voice in the back of his mind spoke otherwise.

Was it because she was tired of waiting on the side-lines, being the helpless, innocent female who could do nothing but wait?

And then the effects of what Sakura had done hit him.

Sakura's innocence had been taken, even without the intercourse of a male body. So, if that small piece of her was taken, what was left? What would she become?

Because when you no longer had any innocence, you were corrupted, right?

No, it had to be incorrect. Kakashi himself had lost part of his innocence when his Father hung himself, when Obito died, and then another portion when Rin had gone MIA. Then, when Sasuke left, Naruto joined Jiraiya, and Sakura went to train with Tsunade, he thought he had lost that little bit, the very portion that allowed him to smile every day without breaking down.

So was he corrupted then? Would Sakura be as well?

Kakashi could only hope his contemplation of the situation was pessimistic and just over-worrying.

A bitter thought brought a grim smile to his lips, even though it appeared to be more a grimace than a grin.

And so fate deemed me worthy to have a partner as lost as me.

Damn…

Alright. First chapter redone and completed. I will be posting the next two right after this, so be happy! Sadly, this one is double the next two chapters, seeing as chapter 1 is 8,000 words and 2/3 are 4,000 each. Sorry... I think 4,000 is my limit for each chapter... It just works that way.

Anyways. To review is to encourage faster updates!

Ren Mizuki