Lay Me Down

Chapter 1: Jade

One muffled shift too many outside the bathhouse changing room made Sakura get to her feet, half-naked to investigate.

Believing the establishment to be empty, save the owner, Sakura had come to unwind that evening but a cautious kunoichi should be ready for anything. Especially considering so many people were still going missing from the village and neighbouring villages with the return of Orochimaru's experiments.

She cursed, knowing a moment of peace was too much to ask for times like these.

Holding her discarded shirt in front of her modesty she quickly darted outside with her luminous chakra-infused fist. Ready to strike she drew her toned arm back and with a swing her fist was just centimetres from the face the perpetrator's face.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jiraiya fell on the ground with an abrupt crash as Sakura pinned him down.

He looked rather pleased with himself.

"You wouldn't harm an old man, would you?" Sakura hesitated but not because of the shinobi's lame excuse. She thought about Tsunade and dreaded her reaction when Sakura's name was splashed across the news in the morning for attacking one of the legendary Sannin.

Jiraiya's eyes were alive with excitement however, rather than fear.

"Try me!" she increased the flow of chakra to her fist and it buzzed and shone a luminescent green hovering centimetres from the man's face as she considered the punishment she'd receive for beating him to a pulp.

She was shocked; she'd never been one of Jiraiya's victims before. And the violation that she felt as a result of his snooping both infuriated and prepared her to attack.

The man chuckled with a lecherous grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Ah…can I get up now?" he asked. Sakura lingered before sharply unmounting him and skirting away from the man.

"I'm only going to ask you this once, what the hell do you think you're doing here?" she whispered slowly.

Jiraiya reorganised his crumpled clothes as he got to his feet. "Well, you see, I was lost and then I decided to take a relaxing bath only to realise this is the women's bathhouse. Silly me."

"You were spying on me you pervert!" Sakura shouted. Perhaps her volume would alert the owner.

He went to open his mouth and then paused as he considered his words and decided upon something Sakura was sure he'd quickly made up. "Actually, I was just making my way out. I came to see if anyone was here."

"Thought you said you got 'lost'?" she huffed.

He was caught. "I never did get my story straight." He laughed, infuriating Sakura further.

"If you don't want me to tell Tsunade so that she rightfully destroys every bone in your body for trying to violate my privacy, you have to do something for me." The words left her mouth before she realised what she had said.

"Anything, sweet cherry blossom." The man seemed delighted by her ultimatum. Then again, anything was better than being on the receiving end of Tsunade's rage. Jiraiya of all of people would know.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she paused, thinking intently. "You have to train me."

Jiraiya stilled.

"You heard me."

Jiraiya cocked his head to the side reminding Sakura of her half-dressed state; she fixed her shirt in front of her cold torso and reminded herself that she shouldn't be having a conversation with him in this state.

But he had asked for it and she needed to get her own back.

Become an opportunist.

"Train…you?" Jiraiya looked Sakura from the tips of her toes right up to her flushed face with a smirk and then made a face as though he may laugh.

"You filthy pervert! Not like that." She snapped and shook her head. "Are you deaf as well as blind? I know you can read, it says 'Women's bathhouse' on the entrance." She pointed up to the sign that was posted in multiple places, though the owners of the bathhouse had dealt with Jiraiya's kind previously and needed the reinforcement.

"I'm a writer, maybe you've heard of my work. I needed inspiration! For my new book!" he said scratching his head, his long mane of white hair almost touched the ground. "I was thinking of calling it Icha Icha Blossom, or Icha Icha Cherry! It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Sakura snarled at the man.

He nervously continued, rethinking his words. "Okay. You got me." He said holding his hands out.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have followed you. It's not every day I get the chance to see a pretty cherry blossom take a bath. I'm a busy man, you know. I would have liked to join you."

She fumed. "Look, you perv, if you've got enough time to be spying on girls in a bathhouse for 'inspiration' then you've got more than enough time to train me." She replied.

Sighing she went on, "I should just report you to, Lady Tsunade," She crossed her arms. "I'm sure she will be interested to hear what you've been up to, again."

Every now and then women would pass their complaints to Tsunade's secretary and speak of the lustful shinobi making unwanted advances towards them. It seemed, Tsunade never had anything positive to say about the Sannin nor any woman within Konoha.

"Ah, that won't be necessary!" Jiraiya said nervously shaking his head. His hands stretched out in front of him to show her he was unarmed. But Sakura knew better. "I'm harmless, I swear." He laughed again backing away slowly. Something told Sakura it was the fact Jiraiya liked having his ribs intact which made him say that as she'd seen the man in hospital before after being caught simply irritating the Hokage.

"Then you will train me." She said firmly. By her tone he knew Sakura had already decided her words were final regardless of what he thought.

His smile slowly receded and was replaced by amusement at Sakura's demands. "I guess I have no choice."

"You're very right. Now get lost so I can get dressed. I better not catch you around here again or I will inform Lady Tsunade of your trespassing. Your perverted ways are criminal, may I remind you."

He chuckled. The idea of this grown man, a legendary shinobi constantly prowling the village for unguarded women irritated her immensely. Surely, he could do something better with his time and abilities?

"Tomorrow morning at seven. The training grounds."

"That's rather early, isn't it?"

She paused.

"Be there or expect to wake up to broken legs." She warned him.

Jiraiya backed away slowly, tripping as he did so while Sakura huffed and walked away to get dressed.

"Sakura." He purred.

"Jiraiya-san." She spat.

"So polite," He cheered clasping his hands together. "I guess we should get started."

"What exactly do you want to learn?"

Sakura raised a perfectly pink eyebrow. "I'm sure you don't ask your students questions like that. When you train Naruto, you do not ask he what he wants to work on, do you? Shouldn't that be your decision as my mentor, to take charge?" she said. Clearly she'd been following Tsunade for a long time by the way she quickly judged Jiraiya's lack of preparation.

Jiraiya was lost for words. "Ah, take charge. Alright then."

"I guess we can start with some ninjutsu then."

He readied himself and put his hands on his hips. "Do you have a special technique we can focus on to start with?"

Silence.

"Any will be fine."

Sakura tightened her lips. "No?" he appeared surprised but Sakura hoped this wasn't his way of mocking her.

"No one's ever taught me one." She said shortly. He knew she was studying under the Hokage and for that he was right to expect more, much to Sakura's chagrin.

"Well, Kakashi's good for nothing then, isn't he?" he said. "He was your sensei, why didn't he teach you Chidori or Rasengan at least, just to start off with?"

The look on his face was of genuine concern which only added to her humiliation.

"He just didn't, okay. Moving on, teach me something." With her current stance she looked ready to fight, Jiraiya however, was not entirely convinced that she was ready to move forwards.

"Perhaps we should me at my humble abode before we continue. I'd like to plan your training sessions before we go along with them."

"No, you perv," She said angrily. "Look, I didn't come all this way to have you try to distract me. I'm in the right mind to go and tell Tsunade-shishou what you've been up to."

Jiraiya laughed and placed his hands on his hips. "A good shinobi takes the time to plan prior to jumping into some new, strenuous routine."

"You just made that up."

"But it's true, is it not?" his welcoming gaze was questionable but if worst came to worst, at least she would have reasons for fighting off the shinobi.

"My house at eight." He grinned.

She bit her lip. "For training?"

"For training." He assured her.

With a sigh she complied. "Fine, but no funny business. I swear-"

"No funny business. I promise."

After retrieving Jiraiya's address from the Konoha council on 'business affairs' she made her way to the edge of Konoha.

Everywhere, men, women and children began lighting lanterns and candles as darkness rolled through the village.

She was beginning to reconsider her sharp demands. What could she possibly learn from the hermit?

She'd never actually seen him in action but she could not deny that his reputation preceded him. If there was one man besides Kakashi that was praised by every ninja in Konoha, it was Jiraiya. And Naruto certainly respected the man, though she suspected for various reasons not limited to his famed skills.

When she approached his door she said goodbye to the peace she'd had on her journey there. In the coming months she'd begun to hate the moments where she had to social. But it was to better her skills, she reminded herself.

She knocked and soon after Jiraiya came to door and revealed himself. He wore a simple long jade green kimono with a white trim and oak wood sandals, not exactly the ware Sakura could imagine as fighting gear. He smirked and stepped aside to welcome Sakura in.

"I'm glad you could make it."

"Hm." She said. Sakura stepped inside cautiously and forced herself to discard the temptation to tell Jiraiya the deal was off.

"Tea?"

"Oh," Sakura was stunned. "Yes please."

Jiraiya's home was well simply designed and traditional to her surprised with only a short-legged table and cushions in the centre of the room, a larger stool by the wall and a bookshelf that stretched the entire length of the room.

In the next room there seemed be a kitchen but the dim lighting of the candles lit across the room made Sakura unsure.

Then Jiraiya motioned that she sat. Sakura was hopeful that this 'planning', or whatever Jiraiya called it would not take up the whole evening but his calm disposition told her he would not be in the mood to spar unless to defend himself against her losing her patience.

Sakura watched as Jiraiya sat opposite her and poured them both a small cup of brown liquid.

Sakura sniffed the drink and tasted it before making a disgusted face "Did you put alcohol in this?"

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked loudly.

Jiraiya smiled.

"It is fermented but it's not alcohol." He offered her proof by handing her the box the tea had come from on the side of the table for her to observe. She took a moment to sniff and look around its contents. She calmed herself and cursed for overreacted.

"Sorry."

"I've already forgotten." He motioned for Sakura to finish her beverage.

"Ugh!"

"It's good for you."

Sakura quickly downed the rest of the small cup and then moved it far away from her side of the table so that Jiraiya would not pour her another as her eyes drifted away.

"Orochimaru…" she breathed.

Jiraiya turned his attention to Sakura's gaze. Team Hiruzen stared back at him from a pristine photograph framed on a table a few feet from them both.

Jiraiya took his time to observe the image whilst Sakura watched him for his reaction. He searched the image intently like he had no doubt done before many times but the look in his eyes sought to find something he might have missed.

She noticed that he'd gone quiet.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to...um…" Sakura said looking down. "I'm just shocked to see you'd keep your team picture with him, after everything that's happened."

A flicker of discomfort crossed his face and Sakura was sure the memories of their battles hurt. After a long time he said, "It's okay."

"Tsunade's in it too," He reminded her, his smile returning softly. He then pointed to what she could easily assume was a young Jiraiya. "And this handsome young devil, why wouldn't I want to keep a picture of him around?"

Sakura snorted.

She looked back to the photograph and at the young shinobi.

The red markings by his eyes had been much shorter, pointed and his hair a fuzzy white mop. In the photo he was smiling, much like Naruto did, with an expression of complete and utter satisfaction. Oblivious to his teammates' emotions.

Tsunade seemed uninterested by her teammates but nevertheless, posed for the photograph besides a doting youthful Hiruzen.

But what kept catching her eye was Orochimaru, lurking in the background with disdain and though there was no resemblance, his demeanour made her think of Sasuke.

"Was he always, so…?"

Jiraiya nodded. "But, that's for another time." He said waving his hand indifferently and raising the corners of his lips to smile.

She understood, not wanting to further intrude.

"Why were you at the hot springs Jiraiya-san?" she said slowly.

He beamed. "I told you, research."

"I thought you hadn't published a book in a few years." She said tilting her head to one side. Jiraiya made a face which conveyed his astonishment.

"How do you know that?" he laughed inquisitively. "Does this cherry blossom read Icha Icha Paradise?" he said leaning on forwards dreamily.

"You wish." She scolded him. "Kakashi doesn't talk about much outside of training, and when he does, ninety-nine percent of the time it's about your salacious books."

"Salacious? I take offense at that."

Jiraiya brought his cup of tea to his lips and then paused. "I heard crying."

Sakura avoided the Sannin's gaze and for a while they sat in silence.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," He said taking a sip from his cup. He came to look serene in the candlelight as it glimmered. "But naturally, I was concerned."

Sakura searched his face and found sincerity.

With his large build, he towered above her but he was not overbearing or domineering. She felt small in front of him like she did in Tsunade's presence, but it served to remind her of power used in a productive way. For if she were in Orochimaru's company instead, she was sure the Sannin would go out of his way to make her feel far more uncomfortable, unlike Jiraiya.

She'd heard stories of his travels from not only Naruto but the women of Konoha who spoke of the numerous women that used throughout the evening. However, as Sakura looked around, she saw no evidence of his mass orgies and conquests.

"What is your relationship like with your teammates?" Jiraiya asked unexpectedly.

"Um," she began, perplexed. From her years under Kakashi's tutelage, she assumed this to be a test but she could think no grand answer to impress the white-haired man. "Well, I don't see much of Kakashi, nor Yamato. Sai tries to be social but I think deep down he prefers being by himself."

Jiraiya stared, as if to will her to continue.

"Naruto's always busy, I'm sure you've got a lot to teach him but I don't see much of him."

Jiraiya sipped his drink. "I haven't seen Naruto in a long while."

Sakura frowned. "Huh? He says he's always with you. He never has time for Team Seven anymore."

The man shook his head. "Well he hasn't been with me, I'm sure for at least a month or so." He claimed.

"He's been lying to me." She concluded – that had to be it. "That's not like Naruto."

Jiraiya finished the last of his tea and went to pour himself another, only to realise he'd already finished the teapot.

"I'm sure whatever it is, he simply didn't want to concern you."

"Oh! Look at the time." Jiraiya said suddenly.

"Looks like we got a bit side-tracked, but tomorrow shall be the beginning of the new and improved Sakura!" he declared. "We will start then."

"Same time tomorrow?" he was beaming. "I promise we will make a start then."

"Fine." She glowered.

At least she'd learned something that day.

"Hi Sakura, Tsunade-shishou is waiting for you. You can go right in." the Hokage's secretary said signalling the woman's office. Sakura went straight in, immediately hit by the strong scent of strong liquor.

"Tsunade-shishou." Sakura bowed respectfully. The blonde kunoichi stirred from her slumber. It wasn't the first time Sakura had caught her asleep at her desk with a bottle in her hands.

She was overworked.

The woman yawned. "I've got a job for you." Tsunade stretched her aching body, bottle still in hand. Her chestnut brown eyes were wistful.

"I want you to keep an eye on Naruto," Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "Usually I wouldn't waste your time with something like this. You have enough work at the hospital and your own training to do but he won't suspect you. He trusts you."

Sakura faltered at the unusual request.

Naruto and Sakura had been together as friends for so long it was alien to her to imagine him distancing himself from her but she would be lying if she denied her awareness of his reasons since it was happening now.

Naruto was an open book, he had nothing to hide, or so she thought. Sakura felt uneasy about it all.

"Naruto hasn't been reporting to meetings with Team Eight. Nor has he turned up when I have summoned him as of late and I want to know why." Sakura pondered on Tsunade's request and questioned why she hadn't been asked to investigate sooner.

"You want me to follow him."

"If necessary, yes."

An image of Tsunade dragging the blonde boy by his ear entered her mind. Something communicated to Sakura there was more to this story.

"You have a different idea, girl?" Tsunade interrogated.

"Uhm…" she began. "I think we might have an issue with that."

"How so?"

"Jiraiya told me that he's not seen Naruto in so long and yet Naruto's been telling me-" she started curiously. She was confident that if anybody believed Naruto were missing then it would have been reported within the time she'd seen him last.

"Why were you talking to that old fool?" the woman boomed.

"Uh…just walked into him," She claimed. Tsunade raised an eyebrow but did not further question her along that path. "I wanted to know where Naruto was. I was worried." It wasn't a complete lie.

The woman leaned her chin on her palm and gazed at Sakura exhaustedly.

"First of all, I want you to ask Hinata if she knows where he is and then report back to me."

"No offense Tsunade-sama, but why not ask her yourself?" she said. "Not that I mind doing what you ask of me."

"Because that girl looks like she's going to faint whenever I talk to her and I can't deal with that nonsense today." Sakura nodded understanding the woman's dilemma. She'd never been close to Hinata and she deduced that the girl seemed far less intimidated with females her own age.

"Yes, shishou."

The woman gazed into space.

"Is there anything else you need of me, Tsunade-shishou?"

The woman opened her mouth but it was a long moment before she spoke quietly as though the connection between her thoughts and mouth was compromised.

"Don't disappoint me, Sakura."

When had she ever? Sakura bowed and moved towards the door gingerly.

"I won't let you down, shishou."

Sakura scoured the village for Naruto, asking around as she made her way to see Hinata. It wasn't difficult to find her, in amongst a crowd of familiar faces was the young Hyuga.

She was sitting at a table outside a popular ramen restaurant, the kind of place Naruto would live in if he could.

"Hinata." The sound of her voice startled the girl but she greeted Sakura kindly.

"Hey, I was wondering if you've seen Naruto?"

The girl frowned slightly and shook her head. "No." she said shortly, her voice was quiet but firm.

"Do you know where he may be?"

"No."

Sakura wasn't quite convinced, but she didn't want Hinata's fainting to be her cause.

"Sakura." He hummed.

"Can we just get started?"

Jiraiya nodded.

"Can you summon Katsuyu?"

"I can, yes." Sakura answered. She expected him to ask for proof and then he cocked his head.

"I think you need to develop your own original technique." She blinked, her mouth agape - that was unexpected.

"Tsunade-sama is always so busy now. She doesn't have the time to spend training me one-one," She admitted. "I wouldn't know where to start."

"How good are you at chakra control?"

"Pretty good." She guessed. Tsunade had at least considered teaching her how to conjure the Strength of a Hundred Seal before more important matters had absorbed her devotion.

"I don't want to lead you astray and make you think you can develop a new technique within just a few hours." He casually put his hands into his pockets. "I'm sure someone on this amazing green earth can. Perhaps Kakashi, or Yamato even."

He took a moment to ignore Sakura's fumes. "But you're not Kakashi, or Yamato, or whoever. You're Sakura." He reminded her. Truthfully she wanted to shout at him but he spoke only the truth. Damn him for that.

"How long?" she bit her lip, fearing the worst.

"It could take a few months," He said shrugging. "Or years."

"It won't."

He sighed for the first time. "You must understand the delicate nature of creating jutsu. It requires so much patience and control." She knew that he knew what he was talking about thinking back to her classes as a child on history and the legendary battles he'd fought alongside Tsunade, Orochimaru and other great shinobi. "If you make the wrong calculations, you might just end up in hospital."

But she so badly wanted him to be wrong. So badly wanted to right on this occasion alone.

"Yes, but I can't wait until I'm fifty to be useful to my friends. I need to be useful now." She said desperately.

He paused.

"How hard are you willing to work for this?"

"Every day, every night. In my dreams even. I want – no, I need to do this," She revealed. "Please Jiraiya-san. I don't want to follow in other people's footsteps for the rest of my life, I don't want to be great - I need to be."

"What's wrong with being a follower?" he mused, his countenance was friendly. "Some of us were made to rule, others to follow. What's wrong with doing what you're good at?"

Sakura imagined herself at the hospital tending to careless children whilst Naruto and Sasuke clashed for the final time only to destroy each other both.

"I don't want to be in Tsunade-sama's shadow for the rest of my life." She started deliberately. "I don't want to just copy her techniques."

"What if you're good at them?"

"I am good at them. But that is beside the point." Sakura said. "Can you stop stalling and teach me something, anything?" she decided in that moment that if by the end of the day she had learnt something new, it wouldn't be considered a wasted day. Time was ticking and her options were wearing thin.

Jiraiya understood. "I'm not going to go easy on you." He warned her, his tone was now serious. "I'm going to push you harder than you can imagine. You will probably want to give up and never talk to me again."

Sakura thought it best not to dwell on his words, especially considering he was probably correct. It would do her no good to try and prepare herself for something which would change her immeasurably.

She closed her eyes. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, now, let's begin."

"We already have."

To Sakura's delight, the two began immediately with Jiraiya's first request. It was time to show him what she was capable of.

Jiraiya offered Sakura his hand as she laid thinking about how much longer she could last. She gripped his hand and heaved herself off the ground.

"That is the last time I will be helping you up." He told her strictly.

She nodded; she didn't want him to go easy on her and she was becoming accustomed to 'this' Jiraiya. Perchance she could learn something from him after all.

Her level of chakra control had surprised him but he wasn't expecting her to be able to control the pure chakra expulsion within the environment on her first try. She'd heard stories of jounin-level ninja being ripped to shreds by their miscalculations of control the first time that they'd tried to manipulate its raw power. And seen the evidence too.

"How are your hand-signs?"

"Quick." She said catching her breath.

"You need to develop your own ninjutsu, your signature move. Or one thereof." She suddenly made the connection and understood his test of her chakra control to be a check of her strength alone. But even Tsunade did not use these kinds of technique.

"Okay. Using what?"

"I have an idea," he said. "I think you should focus on the nature around you, perhaps flowers. Cherry blossoms to be exact."

Sakura put her hands on her hips.

"Hear me out," She narrowed her eyes but gave into his wish. "You say no-one guesses you would be an equal opponent, use that to your advantage."

"Not everyone can jump onto a battle field and simply scare their opponents with their appearance." He said. "You must work to your advantages. For example, I wouldn't take you for a ninja if I saw you outside of your uniform. I could however, imagine you as a sweet young girl, a waitress at a bar maybe." She tried to ignore his crass comment.

"You mean like when you make stupid grandiose statements before your battles?"

He laughed, nodding. "To distract my opponents. They underestimate me. And for that they end up losing the upper hand." He grinned. "See? I knew you'd understand."

"Now, try." He demanded, but Sakura did not know where to begin.

She searched around, looking for answers in her spring surroundings. Tree leaves fluttered across the training rink gracefully.

"Wait a minute," She stopped. "What if there are no flowers, or even plants around me? Like in Sunagakure. How am I going to use it then?"

He smiled at her question. "You develop the justu first, then shape it to suit your new surroundings when you have to. Baby-steps Sakura, baby-steps."

"And perhaps try not looking as though you want to murder your gorgeous sensei." He chuckled folding his arms.

"Why?"

"Like I said previously, your best ally is your secrecy and your appearance. Looking at me like that sort of gives away your intentions to harm me. Only you should know what you're about to do next," He said. "That's not to say you cannot teach your techniques to someone else at a later time, but before that you need to master it. And that means I cannot create it for you."

She nodded. Jiraiya took a seat on the ground with a heave muttering something about his advanced age.

"So, from now on, any ideas must come from you alone."

"Okay, I've got an idea." She said. Sakura turned her back to the man to calculate her hand seals before turning back around and approaching him.

"Can I sit with you?" she suddenly said.

He seemed surprised, but played along. "It must be my lucky day, come hither pretty lady."

Sakura smiled pleasantly and took a seat by the Sannin as cherry blossoms began to drift through the air, swirling and twirling as they did so. He put his heavy arm over her shoulder and pulled her close to him.

"It's a nice day out today." She said softly. She was shocked by her own conviction, but she wanted to make headway today and show Jiraiya she meant business.

The cherry blossoms began to pick up speed in the rush of the warm evening breeze. The trees rustled shushing each other and swaying in the wind.

"How pretty." As the wind picked up they began to rain down on tenderly. Sakura reached out curiously to let a pale pink flower fall into her palm. She looked down at it, realising in all her time being named after such a beautiful flower, she'd not given her time to inspected them up close since she was just a girl, fawning after Sasuke with Ino in tow.

She offered the flower to Jiraiya, "Look." She said sweetly. He seemed pleased with her and took the cherry blossom into his palm before it melted upon contact. The falling blossoms seeped through his clothing leaving pink, flower-shaped stains in their place as a tingling sensation drifted throughout his body.

Sakura drew a kunai in a flash, hoping the man were distracted but Jiraiya was just quick enough to disarm her. He sent her kunai flying away. He gripped her wrist and as she fought his hold he pulled her on top of his hard body.

"Good!" Jiraiya exclaimed looked up at Sakura. "Using cherry blossoms as a vessel to drain your enemies chakra before they even know you're a threat is a smart move. I'm thoroughly impressed." Sakura thrashed in his grip and tore away from him. She felt a hand wandering about her waist.

The man looked a little too comfortable as Sakura scrambled off of him.

"Very good cherry blossom," He smiled sitting up. "You surprised me." He admitted - Sakura wasn't so sure.

"I surprised myself." She said catching her bearings.

"I would wait however, to draw your weapons," He chuckled. "Tomorrow?" he offered lazily.

Sakura looked at the time on her watch and pursed her lips.

"Tomorrow."

As soon as it was safe to relax, Sakura collapsed into the comfort of her bed. She could pride herself on her focus but not necessarily her stamina and did not want Jiraiya to see just how much energy their training session had taken out of her out of fear he would call the whole affair off.

She'd reported back to Tsunade on the way home and had little energy to do anything other than have a quick shower.

Then it hit her. She was a fool.

She'd spent the whole day tirelessly searching for Naruto and pining for Jiraiya to help her. If Tsunade found out, she wasn't sure what the woman would do. She despised her former teammate, the sound of his name alone sent her into a foul-mouthed tirade and Sakura was beginning to feel it wasn't simply because of his perverted ways.

By the time she was ready, all of her teammates could be dead. Naruto, gone. Sasuke, dead.

Tears stung her eyes. She couldn't bury them.

She refused to.

Then she thought back to the way Jiraiya had touched her when he'd disarmed her. His fingers had danced along her skin like he wanted to possess every inch of her. She closed her eyes tightly to make the tears stop but they were in control, not she.

Shinobi made sacrifices for the greater good – she was a shinobi, was she not?

Jiraiya opened his front door to see who was visiting at that late hour.

"Sakura?" the man tiredly greeted her. His hair and clothes were dishevelled allowing his muscular chest to peak through visibly. "Well, I can't say I'm not surprised. It is rather late, can I help you?"

"Can I come in?" she chirped, hoping the man didn't already have company.

"You may." He said quietly standing to the side.

Sakura walked in and then turned to face the man, there was no easy way to put what she asked of him but when she did, he noticeably paled.

He lowered his voice and his agreeable manner was all but disappeared.

"That technique is forbidden for a reason. I know you are aware of that." He was ready to show her the door, but she was not ready to leave.

"I cannot be responsible for teaching you kinjutsu. It is illegal, not to mention it will corrupt your soul." Among other things, she was sure.

"Not if I only use it when I have to." He stopped, probing for the meaning behind her words. She watched as his eyes examined her closely.

"And when would you use it?" his voice was almost silent.

"When the time is right." She would give her life for Konoha.

"You know this would end your life as you know it?"

"Yes," She didn't hesitate. "I would end my life for my friends, for Konoha." She said tearing up.

When Sasuke had left, she hadn't been able to give him a reason to come back to her or even drag him back herself by force. She was no match for him then and she was no match for him now. How could she ever hope to be useful to Konoha when she watched from the side-lines as her teammates destroyed themselves?

Sakura sniffed, willing her tears not to show in front of Jiraiya. He'd already caught her crying once. "Please." She walked over to him until they were bare inches apart and then she wrapped her arms around him tightly, fearing he would reject her. "Please." She repeated. She felt him tentatively close his arms around her with sympathy and pat her back.

"Sakura?"

"I will do anything, I will give you anything." She said softly. Sakura looked up at the man in her arms and gazed at him with her shimmering green eyes.

"I won't tell anyone it was you." She whispered, her voice was hoarse. "I will give you myself in return, please."

The man's expression spoke of his shock and astonishment. He took Sakura's shoulders in his powerful grip and gawked at her.

"I won't take advantage of you, Sakura." His voice was shaky in lieu of her proposition but Sakura was determined and she had already decided.

She gently raked her hands through his long tresses and then settled her fingertips on his powerful back. She thought of what she asked but not of what she was becoming. She moaned into his chest. "If you do this one thing for me. I will give you everything, all of me."

He went silent, attempting to mask his heavy breath. Then his hand began drifting south and Sakura's whimpering ceased.

A/N: Intrigued? Leave a review! Until next time.