"Don't leave!"
Tears fell harder down Sakuras face while she watched her teammates back grow farther and farther.
"If you do, I'll scream!"
She felt a cool ruse of air brush her cheek before Sasukes hot breathe tickled her neck.
"Sakura.. Thank you."
A slight pressure grew in her neck before darkness took over.
"Stupid. Teammates. Why does everyone seem to leave when I need them most?" Pale fists thumped the tree trunk harder creating medium sized dents in their wake.
Green eyes clouded with emotion, the most prominent ones were anger and confusion. Sweat beat down her back, the sun high marking it in the early afternoon. She'd been her for the better part of the day, yet she'd yet to make a dent in her anger.
"Ne Sakura-chan, don't worry! I promise I'll bring Sasuke-teme back dattebayo! Then we can be a team again, this is the promise of a lifetime!"
Blue eyes shined so brightly, that Sakura didn't have the heart to tell him what's on her mind. She didn't want Sasuke, she wanted Naruto. She needed a teammate now more than ever and he's leaving.
She smiled at him through watery eyes and waved at his back while he left with the toad sannin.
She resorted to kicking once her knuckles and fingers were so bruised and bloody they barely resembled the soft, enticing digits from before. She'd already destroyed seven trees over the time she's been here, their trunks mangled beyond recognition.
'Sakura-chan, you're going to run out of trees soon. This isn't healthy.'
Sakura ignored her inner in favor of attacking one of the boulders littered around the area once the tree she'd been attacking gave away with a sickening 'crack'.
The sun was starting to set and a lone pinkette sat on a tree branch, legs curled up close to her body and head squeezed between them. Her tear ducts stung after she exhausted herself crying.
She arrived at Training Grounds 7 at five in the morning per usual, it was the day after Naruto left and she tried her best to get back into her daily schedule.
But when the sun hit the horizon and the moon began its greeting, she realized Kakashi-sensei had given up just as much as her other two teammates had.
God did it hurt and her Inners soft words offered little comfort.
Her last resort had given up on her and it was ironic that after her sensei spent lesson after lesson stating "Those who gave up on their comrades were worse than trash" he bailed out at the last second when the lesson mattered most.
Boulder after boulder fell similarly to the trees, her calves were battered and her fingers bloody but her emotions still ran strong.
Collapsing on the grass, she breathed heavily under the beating rays of the sun. Sweat mingled with blood as it slid down her body and onto the green bed underneath her.
Sakura rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face into the ground, hell bent on releasing the pent up aggression by screaming her pain into the dirt so loud the devil would hear it.
Ten minutes later, her throat was scratched raw and tears had begun to fall once more. Her arms too tired to move, she rubbed her face into the blades of grass cushioning her cheeks.
Birds chirped in the distance as if mocking her and her pathetic state.
Dirt got up her nose and clogged her sinuses but she paid no mind to it. Long pink hair fanned out in a halo as it broke from its high ponytail. The hair band snapped and landed a few feet from her body but she could bring herself to care.
Unbeknownst to Sakura she didn't notice the piercing yellow eyes watching her every move from the very beginning. And she certainly didn't notice the figure that belonged to the eyes move closer.
Dark spots clouded her vision as blood loss began to set in and exhaustion take over. Blood stained the ground and she could only mumble, eyes closed, as she was rolled over.
The unknown figure tsk-ed when Sakura passed out.
Crouching, he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "My my, what's a little flower like you doing all the way out here?"
He wasn't the least bit surprised when he received no response from the unconscious girl on the ground. He fiddled with the headband on her head and trailed his hand to stroke her cheek in an seemingly loving manner.
Getting on his knees he picked the girl up bridal style. Ignoring her subconscious hisses of pain he made his way to the hospital. Ignoring the strange looks he received from the civilians on his way.
Sneering at them, his thoughts clouded with distaste.
'Damned trash. Living peacefully while my comrades die to protect them. And they still have the audacity to stare.'
"Ohayo Fu, it seems you went flower picking today?" The ninja, Fu, stiffened when he heard the voice that interrupted his thoughts. Moving his Anbu mask to the side, he turned around to face the silver haired ninja the voice belonged too.
Not glancing up from his orange book, he placed his free hand in his pocket. But Fu noticed his eyes not moving along the page and his tense posture, very unlike his usual relaxed one.
Civilians moved around the two shinobi, sensing the hostile air crackling between them.
"Hai, and it seemed I pick one in mid-bloom. Which is always fortunate, they are the most desirable that way." Fu had a defiant glint in his eye.
Kakashi tensed even more so and placed his book back in his hip pouch. "It seems I must apologize, this flower belongsin my garden. I'll see that it gets taken care of."
Fu moved back when Kakashi shifted to take Sakura from his arms and smirked at him. "It seems you allowed some weeds to grow near this flower, I can't allow that to happen again. I would definitely be the one most qualified to take care of the little blossom."
"That's not for you to decide scum." Despite his words, Kakashis one visible eye closed in an upside down U shape. "So why don't you step back and allow me to handle this."
Sneering at him, he tossed the girls unconscious body at Kakashi. "Enjoy your flower Inu. For now. I know of a certain elder that is just looking to decorate his new office. Flowers always look brighter under the right care. And yours, I must say, is definitely dimming hers.
Disappearing without another word, Kakashi glared at the spot where Fu once stood. Holding tighter onto his students' body, he raked his eyes over her form to make sure no harm had come to it. Fortunately, and unfortunately, the wounds looked to be there result of repeatedly hitting against a hard and rough surface.
'Oh Sakura, I have truly let you down this time. I am sorry, but this mess is entirely my fault.'
Walking towards the hospital, dread filled Kakashis body at the thought of the future and what it holds.
The soft 'whoosh' of the shunshin jutsu was the only alert to Fu and his arrival in the office of his master. He knelt down and bowed his head in respect. The scratch of a quill did not falter despite this intrusion.
"Danzo-sama."
Danzo made a soft noise in the back of his throat but made no other acknowledgments besides that.
"I've come across a new recruit, one with the utmost potential."
Danzo stopped writing and looked up at Fu, one eyebrow raised. Placing his quill back into the inkpot he folded his hands and waited for Fu to continue talking.
Sensing his approval, Fu looked up at Danzo and began speaking once more. "Haruno Sakura, genin, teammate of Hatake Kakashi, the Kyuubi, and the last Uchiha. I came across her training and her untapped potential is enormous. Along with super strength, her resolve is quite high. Her stamina could use work but that is easily fixed. After digging around, she was able to resist a Yamanaka mind transfer and is no doubt a direct connection to the last Uchihas eyes."
Danzo gestured for him to go on.
"She has amazing chakra control and will no doubt excel in Genjutsu. Also the possibility of an analyst or a poison expert. She has a photographic memory and her intelligence is on par with the Nara boy." He pulled out a thin folder from underneath his cloak and pushed it towards Danzo.
Standing up and moving over to collect it, Danzo scanned its contents briefly before snapping it shut. "This is your gamble Fu, if this backfires it will be on your shoulders."
Fu nodded and bowed his head once more. "I am aware of the consequences but she will not fail. Her mental state is weak; her destruction of Training Grounds 14 is proof of that. Her teammates have left the village and there are rumors of Hatake joining Anbu again. We are free to manipulate at will."
Danzo hmm-ed and walked back to his desk and sat gracefully in the plush leather chair behind it.
"Oh what a coincidence. It seems a one Haruno Sakura's file was placed on Ibikis desk with a shining recommendation from an Elder attached it. For now, you keep Hatake away from her. There's no doubt in my mind that the second he catches wind of his student in Anbu he'll put up a fuss."
He peered over his desk down at Fu's kneeling body. "Dismissed."
Fu disappeared without a second thought leaving Danzo alone in his office. Pulling out an Anbu recommendation sheet from the pile in a drawer, he wrote Sakuras name in neat print.
'A new piece has been added to the playing field, everything is coming along smoothly. I have high expectations for you Haruno Sakura. Do not fail me."
In a hospital bed in the recovery room of Konoha Hospital, a pink haired pre-teen jerked awake.
Gasping heavily she wiped cold sweat from her brow while making note of the white bandages wrapped around her hands and forearm.
Lifting the hand to shield her sensitive eyes from the florescent light, she listened to the soft beeps of the heart monitor and occasional drip from the IV bag.
'It seems I worked myself to the ground.' Chuckling under her breath she made a move to remove the IV from her arm, only stopping to do so when a cough from the corner of the room broke the silence.
"Come now Sakura-chan, they put that in there for a reason. It'd no doubt be rude to pull it out and ruin all of their hard work."
Whipping her head to look at the orange haired man in the hospital room, her eyes narrowed. A blank mask adorned his face, making his face unknown. She tensed in anticipation.
The man raised his hands in a passive surrender. "Don't get so tense around me, if I wanted to do you harm I would've done so in the field back there. It's not often I find a cute little genin vulnerable to the world. You're lucky I passed up the chance to do serious harm."
Sakura still wasn't convinced, in fact his statement made her even more wary of the unknown shinobi.
'I don't trust him Sakura-chan, if he moves any closer press that nurses button.'
Sakura nodded in her head at her Inner and kept her eyes trained on the man.
Sighing, Fu rubbed the back of his neck in annoyance. Ignoring her tensing of her body when his hand moved, he pulled out a scroll and tossed it to her.
"My name is Yamanaka Fu, and under Ibiki-samas orders you have directions to report in three days to Anbu headquarters. Failure to do so with result in immediate punishment. You are being placed on Squad Four under Tonbai Hosado. The rest of the information is in that scroll. Good luck."
Fu made his way out of the room, hands linked between his neck and he began to whistle freely and slightly off-tune.
'Don't let my gamble on you fail little flower. Whatever happens to me I'll do onto you ten fold if you fail'
Sakuras nose twitched in annoyance and she furled her brows while she unraveled the scroll.
'Anbu? What the hell did you do kid and who did you piss off to get this. We're not going to last the end of the week in that hellhole. Where's our stupid sensei, I want some answers!"
'Hush Inner-chan, there's nothing we can do. Whoever recommended me for this obviously overrides the Hokages orders, we've just got to grin and bear it.'
Gulping as she scanned the scrolls contents, Sakuras heartbeat quickened at what's expected of her.
'Though, this is most unfortunate. It seems we've had the shittiest past few months huh?'
'Shitty is an understatement. Get some rest Sakura-chan, our journey isn't over yet. I've got a bad feeling about this.'
'Me too Inner-chan, me too.'
Re-raveling the scroll, Sakura placed it on her bedside table and laid back down into the starchy sheets that belonged to the Hospital. Closing her eyes she sighed and tried to push the bad thoughts out of her mind.
Maybe this would be good for her, Sasuke and Naruto left her behind. This is a great opportunity to catch up for them.
Twisting her lips and biting the inside of her cheek, Sakura thought some more.
Yes, it's definitely the perfect opportunity. Rolling over to her side Sakuras brows clenched.
'I won't be left behind Inner-chan, not anymore. It's obvious we can do something; the recommendation is proof of that. We've just got to see how this plays out. This could be good.'
Her inner was silent.
Sighing she nodded off to sleep, exhaustion taking over and adrenaline fading out of existence.
Okaaaaay. So I updated this one faster than my others. I seriously suck. Like complete butthole. I JUST HAVE SO MUCH INSPIRATION FOR THIS. I promise I'll update my other stories within the week, I just seriously need to get this out of my system.
But ooooh spooky, what's in store for Sakura-chan? Nothing good if Danzo is involved. Don't forget to R&R and thank you for reading! Till next time!