A Team Chapter 1, a naruto fanfic

Sakura Haruno is desperate. Desperate to get Sasuke back. And she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goal. All she needs to do is get strong enough so she and Naruto can bring him back for good. But will that time ever come? Loosely based on the song The A Team, by Ed sheeran

A/N: This is loosely based on the song A Team by Ed Sheeran. I do not own Naruto. Thank you to my beta- MonaBee

I am resubmitting this fanfic as to see if it will take off and if should continue it. All feedback is appreciated!

A Team

CHAPTER 1:

The peaceful silence of the early morning misted over the sleepy village of the Hidden Leaf. The shutters were closed tightly and curtains still drawn from the previous night's slumber. The frost left by the chilly night lightly dusted every rooftop, giving it the appearance of a crystallized village, forged from glass.

Not a single soul stirred during the early hours of this particular morning, for they were all in their homes, tucked away and sleeping in their warm beds. All except for a certain kunoichi.

"Dammit, I know I left it here somewhere…" Sakura Haruno is digging through the garbage cans in the back alley behind the Zotomi restaurant, five blocks from her house, and three from Kotetsu's apartment. She is still slightly buzzed from the exhilaration of last night coupled with the pills she is searching so desperately for.

She digs into each trash can, flinging handfuls of garbage over her shoulder, searching thoroughly, madly, for the tiny glass bottle. Despite the chill in the air, her forehead perspires. Her heart is thumping in her ears. Two trashcans down and three to go.

The first signs of life are beginning to stir; two people have passed by the alley already. At this rate the whole village will be up and nosing into my business. She thinks bitterly to herself. In her haste, her nails cut a flimsy bag open and brown and green sludge completely coat her right arm, all the way up to the elbow. "This sucks." She hisses through her teeth. She wipes blindly at her black skirt in an effort to dislodge the warm rancid smelling muck off of her skin.

In the distance, a dog barks and the soft murmur of the early risers increases steadily to a dull roar. Her heart beats faster with every handful of litter she tosses. Just a little more. She urges herself. The door leading into the kitchen of Zotomi's flies open revealing a burly butcher, complete with a tightly knitted skullcap, and blood stains on his apron. Her time is up.

His eyes settle on her for a brief moment before he realizes what she was just doing. "Hey! What the hell?" He yells after her as she retreats into the busy street. There is garbage strewn all over the pavement, two and a half cans worth. The butcher curses the pink-haired girl who he knows nothing about.

Sakura was glad she got out of the dump before things got too serious with the man who looked like he wanted to kill her. She allowed herself a quick triumphant smile before she set her mind back to the task she had been interrupted while doing. I need to go back later and find those pills. I'm almost positive I left them there last night… What on earth is Sakura Haruno doing with drugs… and what gave her the idea she left them in a trashcan behind a restaurant? The story really begins months and months ago, with a simple phrase: "You're really annoying."

PRELUDE:

Sakura Haruno is bright. What she lacks in talent she makes up for with spirit and conviction. She wasn't always necessarily the top of her class in the academy, but she did study harder than any other student. It's not like she wanted to be the best she could be, no she only aimed to catch the attention of a certain classmate who seemed to make it his life goal to ignore her. No matter what she did, she couldn't get any closer to him, not physically, or emotionally. The time she did steal away from her other rivals, Ino and the other girls, didn't bear much fruit. A well thought out and articulated three-part question only received a simple "Yeah, hn," From the indifferent classmate.

Her thoughts would turn inward and she would completely scrutinize every detail of her being. From the way her hair looked, to the way she pronounced her 'S's, she left nothing untouched. It wasn't a secret that she had insecurities. Ino, with her loud mouth, made sure that everyone else knew about them too. What a good friend she turned out to be. Sakura was a fighter, a survivor, and would do whatever it took to come out on top... When things began to appear hopeless, even she couldn't help but second guess herself.

Yes, as time passed slowly, Sakura was beginning to toy with the idea that Sasuke just wasn't interested in her, and that she should give up. But that was before she got put on the same team as him. Team 7. The oddest, misfit group of genin a person could imagine; and with the most mysterious jonin leader to boot.

She wasn't sure when it blossomed, but inside her the warm feelings she felt when Sasuke was around, or talked to her, or even looked her in the eye, grew into a beautiful flower, rooted so deeply, nothing could shake it. Not only with Sasuke did she feel this, but she came to love her team almost as much. She felt at home with them and she took pride in being a part of such a successful genin squad. Although Naruto knew exactly how get on her every last nerve, Sasuke was there to give an arrogant remark. She pretended like he was defending her sometimes. Watching the competition between Naruto and Sasuke continued to drive her to excel in her skills as a kunoichi. She wanted desperately to keep up with them and play a vital role as a member of team 7.

Mission after mission, the bond of the team was refined until it was pure and unbreakable. Nothing could tear them apart. That was the true goal of Kakashi Sensei, and as naïve as it may seem, just when he believed they actually achieved this sacred bond, it all came crashing down.

One night was all it took.

The night of Sasuke's betrayal is a night that will continue to disturb Sakura's dreams. If she had just been a little stronger, a little wiser, a little something, then maybe he would've stayed. Maybe he would've given her a chance to fill in the part of his soul that was crumbling to pieces with misery… with revenge. Could've, should've, would've… they're all so haunting. Words tumble seamlessly in her mind, accusing her of treason, as she realizes this not a nightmare from which she can awake.

Days turn into nights, and nights into days. She is ill. Ill of the heart, the body, and the soul. Her thoughts never let her escape the blame she feels so violently is all her own. Sasuke, Sasuke… forgive me.

Of course Naruto is there to help her. He is the only one she can ever rely on these days. God knows she's completely useless. Yes, Naruto; so brave and valiant, and always willing. And all too soon his face will follow Sasuke's, haunting her sleepless nights. When he first returned, unconscious and practically dead, she ran from the hospital room and vomited. Kakashi and Tsunade were extremely worried about her psyche, by this point. They weren't sure how much more she could take. But Sakura was a fighter, a survivor. Ten minutes later, she came back, still pale, but carrying flowers for Naruto.

She sees his bandaged head and mummified body, completely immobilized, every time she closes her eyes. Naruto, I'm so, so, sorry. She cries silently to herself in her bed. The night is a merciless devil to the fragile girl. Its arrival drags along the very demons she wishes to bury and completely expel from her mind. Always and forever, there, reminding her of her inescapable worthlessness.

Believe it or not, this is not the event that causes the poor thirteen-year-old kunoichi to turn to drugs. As she was very depressed for months and unable to sleep, she turned to walking the same route through the village she had that fateful night. This was an attempt to get her mind off of things, and it usually helped. Her parents were devoted and worried as ever… Those affectionate beings, who spent so much energy looking after her were usually unconscious by the time she would sneak out. She hated to cause them so much grief, and what they didn't know wouldn't kill them…

It was around 4 A.M. on a Saturday morning when Sakura stumbled out of her bed, dizzy from lack of sleep, yet eyes wide open. She never bothered changing into night clothes anymore because she knew she would be out on the streets at one point or another. She slowly tiptoed down the stairs, paying special attention to avoid the third step which was notorious for creaking so loud, the neighbours could hear it. Her mother called it the burglar deterrent, Sakura just called it annoying. Once out the door, she breathed in deeply letting the crisp night air fill her lungs and exhaling slowly. She did this three times and by the third time her heart was usually beating at a normal tempo.

The sky was a beautiful black ocean filled with sparkling white oysters, watching them shine brought the ghost of a smile to Sakura's lips. She hummed pleasantly to herself noting important milestones she had reached on this night. Although she still had trouble sleeping, the night brought about a peace from within which she joyfully clung to. Every step she took became more confident than the last, and she no longer panicked when she rounded the corner that led to the Gates. She would stop and stare at the Gates for a while, etching their every detail into her mind. The auburn paint was slowly chipping away revealing the old olive green colour it used to be. The hinges were rusting at an alarming rate and she came to wonder when the whole thing would need replaced. She sighed heavily, knowing this would be the last time she would gawk at the Gate and all it stood for. It no longer mesmerized her the way it once did, and she felt like she had finally had made her peace with the timber wood. Freedom at last.

She took a detour back to her house, which cut through the playground where she spent most of her childhood. The fond memories tumbled along as the mulch crunched beneath her feet. The ruby red paint, of the slide, once a gleaming brilliant colour was now a dark maroon in the moonlight. She brushed her fingertips along the cool metal of the slide allowing the chill to tingle in her fingers. She gave a weary smile and planted herself on the swings. This was one of her favourite pastimes as a child, but it occurred to her that she couldn't remember when she stopped swinging or playing at the playground with her friends. Everyone just got so busy… no one had time to play anymore I guess.

Clouds moved in swiftly and violently, holding the stars and moon for ransom. The first raindrop hit her nose as she made her way past the first tavern. She only had two blocks to go until she made it back home. This was the longest she'd ever stayed out at a whopping two hours, if it weren't for the rain, surely hints of a sunrise could've been seen by now. She chalked it up to dumb luck and continued on her way. Past the second bar and one block from her house she heard the faint sounds of a soft meow coming from a side road. She looked around curiously, and saw no one except the shadows in the window of the tavern. The rain started to steadily pound down now and she was soaking wet, so what difference would it make if she spent a little more time out in the rain? She squinted down the alley once more, seeing nothing but tin cans and glass bottles. Another soft meow could be heard over the pelting rain so she finally decided to investigate. She walked halfway into the alley when the sounds of the kitten in distress ceased suddenly. And this, my friends, is when Sakura Haruno's world is spun upside down.

Her mother was in tears. She was muttering something fiercely. Her father's cheeks were rosy red and his bottom lip quivered. He couldn't look at his daughter. The monotonous beep, beep, beep, of the heart monitor told her she was in the hospital, but why, she had no idea. Sakura didn't know what happened, or what was happening. Everything seemed fuzzy and out of focus. Nothing in her recent memory seemed to make sense and she had an agonizing headache. There was a knob forming around her temple that throbbed in a different tempo. She tried to breathe deeply but the tubes around her nose and mouth just obstructed her attempt. As consciousness set in she realized it wasn't just a headache. Her whole body ached. She grimaced in pain and felt extremely nauseous. Her parents jumped at the subtle movement, exclaiming "Doctor! She's awake. She's awake!" Just like that a man in a full lab coat appeared in the doorway with a nurse assistant on his tail.

"Sakura, you're awake." He didn't seem nearly as thrilled as her parents.

"What happened?" She murmured, trying to sit up and finding it impossible. Her parents shared an anxious, almost knowing glance with each other. She was in too much pain to be suspicious… She couldn't think straight, or even see straight for that matter. She could feel the blood literally pumping in her brain, it was extremely uncomfortable.

"First things first, how are you feeling right now?" He took out his clipboard and flipped through until he reached the right page. He looked up expectantly.

"Like, my whole body'sgonnax'plode." She murmured. It took so much effort just to get those syllables out of her mouth. She didn't care how; she just wanted this pain to leave.

"Okay Sakura, I have something important to explain." He waited until she nodded in understanding.

The pain made her see streaks of white, so she closed her eyes tightly as he began to speak.

"I cannot give you pain medication just yet," Tears welled up in her swollen eyes, and leaked down the sides of her face. "-because the drugs in your body would cause a severe reaction to it, and cause your internal organs to shut down. Do you understand?"

No, she didn't understand any of this. Why was she here? What did she do to deserve this? And what drugs is talking about? This is insane. This isn't happening.

Her breathing became rapid and irregular, causing the heart monitor to spike. A knot had now formed in her throat and she couldn't swallow the excess saliva and mucus she was producing. Everything was excruciatingly unbearable. Her whole being was in pain. Everything… Why can't I just…

The voices surrounded and bombarded her almost all together. It sounded like one voice issuing order after order. Hands were everywhere on her body and she had no idea who was grasping her shoulder, hand or forehead.

"Sakura, Sakura! Calm down, we need your heart rate stabilized." Doctor?

"Sakura, you'll be okay."

"We need to get her to calm down!" Tsunade?

"My baby, what have they done?" Mom…

"She's a fighter, if anyone can come through this…"

"Sakura, you can count on me." That… tone… sounds... Naruto.

"Sakura, you're annoying." Sas…Sasuke?

With that last voice echoing in her head, her body gave in, and she completely blacked out.

The sky was a vivid pink and purple, fusing playfully together, with a dash of silver stars, sparkling brightly in the twilight. The sweet smell of wildflowers wafted in the warm breeze; the turquoise blades of grass swayed in easy waves over the rolling hills that stretch on, as far as the eye can see. A yellow path was nearby and along it were decorative spiral shrubs and benches made from cherry wood. A playground must've been nearby too because she heard the excited shrieks and thrills of tiny voices.

She wondered for a moment, if this was Heaven. Everything is cured… I feel so light, like I could float up into the sky any second. She closed her eyes and spread her arms out wide, fully embracing this new world. She was lost in bliss when she heard the muffled sounds coming from somewhere behind her.

"Sakura…"

She turned around and saw nothing but more of the same. Cotton candy clouds drifted overhead; the sounds of birds, happily chirping, were pleasantly within earshot. She closed her eyes once again and laid down on a soft patch of grass. Stretching her legs out and locking her hands behind her head she was content to never go back home. I want to stay here forever. She smiled and began humming, letting each new sound and smell completely envelop her.

"…kura…" She ignored it.

"Sak…" She ignored it.

"Wake up…" No.

"Sweetie…. Angel…" No… no…

"Sakura,"

She blinked. Once, twice, the blinding fluorescent light of the hospital had her rubbing at her eyes in attempts to adjust them.

"Oh honey!" Her mother couldn't take it another moment and jumped from her chair, roughly embracing her daughter.

Sakura tensed and braced for impact, expecting the pain to shoot throughout her body again, but it never came. Just a numb sensation as her mother planted desperate, sloppy, kisses on her forehead, ten times, muttering in between each kiss, "My baby."

Things were just as confusing as before, and Sakura was too exhausted to notice when Tsunade entered the room with Shizune.

"Sakura," The Hokage curtly nodded and Sakura's daze fell onto the woman. Her face was creased with lines and eyes were dark and bruised, she must've been up all night working. "Do you want your parents in here? There is something we have to talk about." Shizune shifted uncomfortably by the door glancing back and forth from patient to parents.

"What, I don't get it what's going on?" Sakura inched herself up into a half-slumped sitting position and watched Tsunade scroll notes into her clipboard.

"We are going to talk about what happened a couple nights ago. Do you remember anything?" Tsunade looked Sakura square in the eye, honey orbs piercing the girl to the core.

"N-no… but whatever happened, I don't mind if my parents hear too." She said slowly eyeing her mother and father. They looked sickly as Shizune closed the door and returned to Tsunade's side. They already know something… If she wasn't medicated right then, she probably would've felt sick.

With a deep breath, Tsunade began to explain the details of that night.

It came as a complete shock to the poor young thing. No wonder her mother was being overly affectionate and her father couldn't stand to look at her. She was ruined, tainted, disgusting. The shock, the mind numbing surrealism of those few simple words had her world crashing down around her.

And it stayed like this. For days. Or weeks? She didn't know, couldn't keep track. In the solitude of her bedroom, she came to realize time was just an illusion now, taunting her with every stolen minute.

The Haruno's chose never to speak of it again. It was easier to pretend it never happened and living with this façade made it all the easier for Sakura to deny the incident. Easier to believe it just. Wasn't. Real.

One, "good", life altering thing did happen during her stay at the hospital. Although she was forced to grow up much too quickly, she discovered the incredible effects a certain prescription had on her body and mind. This wonderful little pill allowed her to feel no pain, or hunger or mental fatigue. She was entranced while on this, and at home she used it daily.

Once able to go one with her normal life, Sakura began studying and training harder than ever, completely denying any depression or trauma. Those things would only slow down her progress. She still had extra medication that she used, sparingly, as a "pick-me-up". Only on days when she really needed them.

Once, she took two pills on accident and was still affected the next day as she joined Naruto for training. Without feeling any pain, she was able to train for hours upon hours. Her endurance was comparable to Naruto's that day, and even he was impressed. And a light bulb flickered on, for the first time in weeks.

This is it! If I can just get stronger, we can both get Sasuke back. And I won't have to rely on Naruto anymore. I'll be just as good as him. Hell, he'll need ME. And everything will go back to the way it was.

Yes, as first expected the medicine made her training a lot easier. She was achieving all kinds of goals within the first week of discovering these benefits. But it wouldn't last forever. This was despairingly clear as the pill bottle became lighter and lighter with every passing day. Tsunade had only prescribed enough for three weeks following her stay at the hospital. Time passed in a blink. Her supply was running too low, and she was becoming more and more desperate. Now she must make a decision. She was doing this for Sakura… for Naruto… and for Sasuke.

The pills are the only way.

Sakura is not a stupid girl. But, she is a deeply devoted human being, who will do anything for the ones she loves.

The underground of Konoha is filled with worms and roaches, all too eager to wriggle their way into the lives of the downtrodden. They entice you with sweet impossible promises. They know you're desperate for it. Once they've hooked you, there is no getting out. They will feed off of your soul, your blood, and won't quit 'til you're sucked bone dry. They will follow you to the depths of hell and back just to prove to you, they are capable of anything. If that doesn't scare you I don't know what will. Because our little heroine is about to get tangled up in the complications of that underground drug circuit.

It's easy to watch someone go down like sinking ship in the crashing waves, while you stay safe on the boardwalk, isn't it? Go ahead, look down; your boardwalk's built on sand, and you're about to be swept away too.