"Ohhhhh you almost got me!" Sakura quickly dodges another blow, and sprints out of her opponents range. She draws chakra into her fists, and smiles while dashing towards the opponent.

"Catch this!" Sakura swings, instinctively aiming at the other's shoulder. However, the opponent skillfully ducks in time and palms Sakura's wrist. She grimaces, and feels her left arm succumb to numbness. Her arm now immobile, unwilling to comply and move.

With immense sarcasm she taunts, "Wow you managed one single arm I'm completely impressed."

"Oh stop your whining, you're just mad because that ties up the score" Hinata laughs and playfully mocks by pretending to punch the air and yell.

"I do not fight like that!" Sakura huffs, "Okay maybe I do, haha."

Hinata giggles and looks beyond the horizon while the sun is gently sets into the lake. Almost swaying down, enticing her to stare untill black spots cloud her vision momentarily. Sakura interrupts her trance, "I guess we'll call it a draw in our training..for now!"

Hinata nods in agreement and walks over to her comrade. She gently raises her limp arm and begins to massage, returning the blood flow and chakra to its previous functionality. Sakura scans the glimmering sunset, peering into the pink rays bursting from the massive star. She notices the shades of red sneaking out of the sun, lighting the sky before disappearing and allowing night to overcast. The seeming beautiful image quickly turns into a darker one, a day of a red haired man seemingly convinced he was going to kill her. She was convinced as well until the very end, until they miraculously beat all odds and defeated him. Sakura remembers slipping up a few times, getting poisoned and what not. She almost lost her life to that porcelain-faced bastard. She shudders at the intense memory of his piercing gaze, then nausea quickly overwhelms her senses at the memory of poison filling up her lungs, he body.

Hinata gazes upon her friend, she's paler than normal and doesn't acknowledge that her arm is back and working. Hinata taps her shoulder affectionately "Hey there, you okay? You don't look too good."

Sakura lets out a startled yelp, "Oh haha I'm fine really I think I'm just a little dehydrated is all, could you get me a water please?"

Hinata nods and goes for the back pack. Hinata wonders what was on Sakura's mind, but dismisses it as nothing but a little dehydration as she said. She grabs the backpack and unzips it, grabbing two waters. She runs over to her friend, and places one of the bottles in her hand.

"Hey you, drink up you need it." Hinata begins to unscrew the cap of Sakura's bottle, and pushes it towards Sakura.

"Yeah, yeah I know." Sakura headily drinks it, savoring the crisp fluid. She straightens her posture and nods over to their usual spot.

"Might as well camp out for the night, you know, for old times sake." Sakura nudges Hinata and giggles. Hinata nods, "I don't think you brought the proper supplies though." Sakura tugs her arm to follow her to the usual spot. "Already got it covered, I was going to make you camp tonight whether you wanted to or not. "

Hinata frowns, "Some great friend you are, forcing me to camp."

Sakura jests, "Oh whatever you want to and you can't deny it!"

They set up camp and start a fire whilst reminiscing old battles. Remembering the time before peace came and enveloped their village in safety. The fire crackles, and they stare into the stars, considering the difference in their lives just a year ago. It felt distant and yet fresh.

Sakura feels disheartened as she remembers how close Sasori came to killing her, so close to being his puppet. She remembers the poison dulling her senses, sickening her, beckoning her to stop fighting and give in. But she pressed on, and eventually pierced his heart with his own blade. He grinned chuckled, seemingly so unconvinced that death was nearing him, but his poison bled into his heart. Eventually, slowly killing him. She smashed all the puppets, all his art. She burned his body, and made sure to destroy everything. He was finished that was it, had to be. So why was she still unsettled? The thought of him being alive still crossed her mind. Maybe she was worrying over nothing, maybe she's just being silly.

"Sakura." Hinata called out to Sakura as she dazed off. She intently watched her face, discomfort flickered across her features but was quickly replaced with a smile.

"I'm fine, really. Just thinking about how we can't shower till we go home tomorrow morning." She continued to reassure her friend, "I'm positive."

Hinata doesn't believe her, but holds off her pursuit.

Sakura fidgets, and sits up "I think it's time we ate."

"Yeah, me too."

"I'll get more wood, the fire is dimming" Sakura left, struggling to repress those painful memories. His face flashes across her mind, and she wishes she could convince herself he was dead. Sakura stops at a near by tree and rests her forehead and hand on it. The fear and trauma weigh her down almost suffocating. Those last final words haunt her,

"I'll be back, and you'll be my pretty little doll...It'll be fun...trust me."

She contorts in disgust, how could he do that to innocent people? That's awful, just plain evil. She sighs and picks up the smaller twigs and branches. She heads back to camp but stops. Her sense go on high alert, someone else is here. Someone more sinister. A dark figure approaches and wills her to step forward. She feels unsure, slightly fearful but brave.

Apprehensively, Sakura takes a step forward, preparing to fight, "Who are you?"

The figure ever so slightly steps closer, but remains silent. It beckons their hand to come closer once again, and she shakes her head in disapproval.

"Who are you? Answer me." She takes

The figure chuckles a low, deep laugh. It frightens her, but she stands strong. The man sprints forward and his gloved hand reaches out to grab her, and his free hand preparing to bludgeon her. Sakura is quicker, moving in for the first hit. He swiftly moves aside, and throws her against a tree, and kicks her off to the side. Sakura effortlessly flips off the ground and once again goes off to engage with her opponent.

Sakura goes to power up her once limp arm, but is aware of the lag her previous battle with Hinata caused.

"Damn it, I can't hit him just yet..." Her head feels foggy as the wind picks up, bringing up the dirt. She inhales deeply and momentarily prepares to jolt towards him. She sways slightly and puts her fists up again, and wipes at her eyes. Her eyes feel teary, and... burning? Her nostrils and eyelids flare at the contact of the wind. Instinctively, she throws her hands up to her face to aid her wounds. The burning slowly escalates till she drops to her knees...Her lungs desperately heave in air, her eyes welt and sting, her mouth dry as a bone and tasteless. She can't move, she can't breath. She panics, her thoughts race and the medic in her desperately tries to process her situation. Her body burns more as the presumable poison sets in. She shifts her weight to her side while blindly reaching around her for her med pack. Then a boot stomps on her hand, and all of her delicate fingers crunch beneath the weight.

Sakura stammers to keep her cry of pain in, but lets a small whimper escape her ragged breath. The man peers down at his target and shakes his head in annoyance. "I wouldn't do that if I were you...Sakura..." Her name rolls off his tongue seductively, enticing her to cease all fighting.

The boot presses down harder and twists her bones, effortlessly breaking them further. As she tries to heal them among her burning eyes and dry throat, her chakra flickers out. All her energy suddenly dissipates at a moments notice. Resorting to violence, she punches her opponent's foot with her other hand, and is kicked swiftly in the head. Sakura rolls over, spitting out a couple of teeth while hunched over. The poison continues to drain her of strength as she slowly stands up. She wills her body to stand tall and ready to fight once more, and dares to stare down her target.

Something is off. Not quite right. He steps into to her personal space and yanks her by her hair and is suddenly pressed against a nearby tree by a cold body. Twitchy fingers tug at the back of her head, forcing her to look up. He laughs, touching her soft, delicate skin. He's practically gushing, she's so weak, so vulnerable and it pleasures his sick desire to rebuild her. Sakura tries to squirm her way free, but it's futile. He licks his lips and grins, "Hush now little one, we'll have more fun later."

She freezes and he tilts her chin a bit.

"But...you're dead?", she questions, bewildered by the small chance that this man, or thing, could possibly be alive.

He kisses her, shoves his tongue in her mouth. She attempts to turn away, bu the grips her harder and continues to force himself upon her. "Stop fighting, look at where it's gotten you Sakura..."

He licks her jawline and the outside of her ear and whispers to her, "Now we can play Sakura, I have a doll house waiting for you. You'll be the perfect doll child, everyone will be envious of how beautiful you''ll be. I can't wait to play with you, making you dance for me. Itll be so much fun, I promise."