Sakura woke up with her arms above her head and her wrists shackled together. A separate chain on her ankle kept one of her legs raised. She felt a small draft as she realized her shorts had been removed. Her skirt was the only thing still protecting her. This was not her most dignified position.

It had all happened so quickly. It was supposed to be a surprise attack against the traitor Sasuke, but it had turned into a surprise attack against her. All she could remember was a group of nimble black shapes pouncing on her and knocking her to the ground. She would have thought it was all a bad dream, but the chains were enough to prove it was reality.

Sasuke finally appeared in the flesh. A small contingent of female subordinates trailed behind. He slowly eyeballed the laundry that had been left out to dry, probably trying to decide how he should finish her off. His eyes glowed red with the power of the sharingan, and the corner of his mouth was twisted in a perpetual grin.

"You've made your point. Go on, kill me." Sakura shot back with a scowl of her own.

Sasuke chuckled lightly. "Revenge isn't that simple. I had something different in mind."

He motioned to his followers, and two of them carried a large jar toward Sakura. Sasuke removed the lid to reveal its grotesque contents: A swarm of small black creatures resembling slugs. Their dark aura was enough to tell Sakura she wasn't looking at ordinary creatures, but she couldn't recognize them even with her years of medical training. Sasuke answered all of her silent questions as uncertainty filled her eyes.

"Tsunuku demons. Or their larval form, at least. They're pretty pathetic on their own. They mostly just wiggle around looking for someone to be their mother. But they can be extremely effective against enemy kunoichi if they're used correctly." He nodded to his underlings. "Isn't that right, ladies?"

Sasuke's escorts broke into collectively giggling. Their eyes glowed in a color similar to their master's. Sakura thought she recognized some of their faces from the brief glimpses she saw during the ambush.

"Don't worry, Sakura. These are just my test patients," Sasuke proudly proclaimed. "Simple novice girls who thought they stood a chance against me. They were all given the same treatment you're about to receive. The stronger ones managed to resist the demon's influence for a little while. Once its magic and natural toxins were coursing through their bodies, they were all under my control soon enough. The demon becomes content and remains in its larval form if it decides to bond to a human, but it demands very specific living conditions."

Sasuke extended his index and middle fingers as if he was going to use a sealing technique. He lightly poked Sakura through her vest, just below the navel.

"You, however, are already skilled enough to serve as my personal guard. All of these tests have been just for you."

He slowly dipped his hand into the jar and lifted a single tiny slug. As he gave his squirming pet a kiss on the head, Sakura pulled against her chains.

"I'll never help you, you bastard!" She shouted through grit teeth.

"We shall see," Sasuke answered with a look that was both assuring and threatening.

His hand traveled under her skirt. She could feel the cold, slimy creature brush against her inner thigh. It curiously crawled upward, and then she gasped.

Naruto found the prison a few hours later. Sakura was the only person inside, dangling limply from her chains. Without a second thought, Naruto bravely ran to her side to free her from the bindings. It was only when he got a closer look that he realized something was off. Sakura's limbs were rigid and warped. Her face was frozen with a wooden expression and a glazed look in her eyes.

It was a decoy.

The doll exploded in a cloud of pink smoke. Naruto had just enough time to raise his arm and shield his face, but he still felt a sharp sting as he was hit by shrapnel. A poison kunai had shot out from the doll and stabbed into his wrist. His senses were already growing numb when he tossed the weapon away. He barely managed to notice the shadow descending on him from the ceiling.

She planted the sole of her boot in Naruto's forehead. He stumbled to the ground, sat up back up, and tried to shake the cobwebs out of his head before he got a clear look at his attacker. She was dressed in an unfamiliar combination of red fabric, black mesh, and pink ribbons, but there was no mistaking her. The soft glow in her eyes only added to his horror.

"Sakura? Not you, too…"

He climbed back to his feet when Sakura continued her assault. A combination of the fast-acting poison and emotional shock caused Naruto to be caught off guard in almost every attack. When he started to lose his footing, Sakura flipped back into the air. She landed in a seated position on his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his neck and hanging her feet over his back. She was just light enough to not make him topple over completely.

"C'mon, Sakura! Give me a break!" Naruto coughed out for mercy.

"Okay." Sakura answered with a strangely playful smile.

She swiftly twisted her hips, snapping Naruto's neck in two. She launched off of his shoulders and landed on her feet as his body crumpled to the ground.