After her debrief with Lady Tsunade, Sakura found herself heading toward the Land of Frost. It was unusual, but the fifth Hokage didn't give Sakura a lot of information. All she was told was that nearly half the villagers in Shimogakure had possibly contracted a new virus and Sakura had to prevent it from spreading to neighbouring countries. Especially as Frost and Fire were not too far apart.

Sakura also found it unusual to be going alone. Even the support of a civilian doctor would have been helpful to her, how was she expected to heal half a village by herself?

She assumed travelling through Hot Water country would have been have breeze and a speedy process. Even after all her years of training to becoming the ninja she is today, bandits and thieves still think she's just an innocent vulnerable young woman. Easy pickings. They were lucky to escape with only broken bones and their fate in the local authorities hands. Any other ninja would have killed them in a heartbeat.

Knowing Sakura was coming close to Frost, the temperature was dropping. How Kakashi knew she was heading this way she'll probably never know. But now was not a time to question how he came across such knowledge, she would be eternally grateful for the extra warmth from her cloak. Unlike Hot Water country, she couldn't camp out in their glorious forests, she would have to find some sort of inn soon. Not being a fan of camping in the cold, Sakura always pushed for finding an inn on her missions with Team Kakashi.

It would be same argument every time, Kakashi telling her they couldn't spent all their mission budget on a warm bed when they had free tents to use. Naruto cuddling up to her saying she could have his warmth, with then her playfully punching him in the arm. And Sai… he had learnt to stay out of these heated discussions because he knew better than to go against his captain and Sakura.

The pink haired ninja always won and somehow with Kakashi always footing the bill afterward from his own pocket.

Even to this very day, Naruto and Sai have never found out how Sakura convinces him to spend money like that.

The memory made her giggle as she was coming toward a small village. It was the first one she had found so far and this certainly wasn't a time to be choosey. Slowly walking through the village, she noticed something very strange about her surroundings. It could only be late afternoon and there was no one to be seen at all. Lights were off in homes and all she could hear were a few birds in the distance.

Eventually, Sakura came across a tavern. She nearly walked past it if it weren't for the lantern hanging outside. Slowly pushing the heavy wooden door open, the scene she came across was dismal. The bartender looked like her eyes had been pinned open so she could stay awake, a man in the corner who had just slumped over his table and small mixed group quietly chatting among themselves near the bar. As soon as they saw her enter, however, their conversation abruptly came to a halt.

Lowering the hood of her cloak, Sakura hurried herself to the bar. "Hello, are there any vacancies here?"

The bar maid's gaze looked over Sakura's shoulder and replied in a monotonous tone, "Yes. Six thousand Yen for one night."

"Umm… great. I'll take it."

"Here are your keys, you will need to leave by ten in the morning," the bar maid said, reaching for the keys behind her and giving them to Sakura, "I also ask that you do not disturb anyone else in this building."

"That won't be a problem" Sakura said to herself.

As she was telling the pink haired ninja where to find her room, one of the men in the group at the bar started violently coughing. Just as she turned on her heal to go to her room, as Sakura was sure it was nothing, there was a shriek.

"NO. NOT BLOOD!"

Sakura was quickly at this mans side, "I'm a doctor." She said calmly as the looks she was receiving were not friendly.

Quickly examining the man's chest, she gasped in horror. His lungs are deteriorating at an accelerated rate. I can't stop it!

"All I can do for this poor man is make him comfortable I'm afraid. There's nothing i can do for him," she said quietly. "I can give him so-"

Before she could finish her sentence Sakura was pulled away by the bar maid. "You were told not to disturb anyone. Do it again and I will ask you to leave."

"But I was ju'"

Interrupted again, "Go to your room ninja."


Laying in bed, Sakura was wide awake. She couldn't get that man out of her mind and how everything happened. Not once had she ever been turned away from helping someone before. Then there was his lungs, it was abnormal to say the least. If there was anything Sakura could have done to save his life, she would have fought to still be downstairs. Easily predicting he wouldn't last an hour, she respected their wishes.

Just as she had pushed these thoughts out of her mind to sleep, there was a small knock at her door. Slowly getting out of her bed and reaching for a kunai, Sakura walked over to the door and whispered, "Hello?"

"Let me in." Came a whispered reply.

Kunai ready in her hand, she unlocked the door and let her uninvited guest in.

Unable to hide the surprise from her face, this girl was the last person she was expecting to come and see her. This was the poor young lady who had altered Sakura to what was going on.

"You have to help us ninja." She began, "It is not what it seems."

" I know, I felt it. What happened to your friend was unnatural."

"We are the people of experimentation. The rejects of our country. We failed to serve so now we are exiles." She looked to her feet as she said this and just sounded… broken.

Sakura held her hand and put her kunai down. "Come sit with me and tell me everything."

"I cannot. My time is done, I am next." Pulling her hand out Sakura's and backing away from her.

"Let me help you!" Sakura exclaimed.

"I am next." As the young girl said this, she held her chest as a sharp pain ran through her. She turned around and bolted out of Sakura's room.

Immediately following her Sakura looked down the corridor and she was no where to be found. No trace, nothing. As if she didn't even exist.

It was a rough night and Sakura had barely slept. Slowly opening her eyes, a face loomed overhead. "You need to leave now."

The bar maid from last night was there. How did I not wake up to her presence? More things just not adding up!

"Fine. If you'll excuse me so I can get my things together, I'll be out your hair." Sakura replied stiffly, she didn't appreciate the rude awakening and certainly not this woman's attitude either. With no other words spoken, she was gone.

Wasting no time, Sakura paid what she owed and left the tavern fast. With it now being early in the morning, there was still no one in the streets. Not wanting to delay her mission any longer, Sakura sped to the outskirts of the village, however she wasn't expecting to find a welcoming committee.

"Halt leaf ninja. We cannot allow you to carry on any further in our country." Their leader said with menacing eyes. Apart from him, the four other had their faces covered with masks. Unsure if they were ninja as no head bands were worn, she tested the water.

"And who are you to deny me to continue my journey?" She asked with confidence as she clutched the kunai attached to her side.

"We are protectors of our land. We will not ask you again."

Without anymore notice, she appeared behind their leader with the kunai to his neck. "You don't threaten me." Sakura in a low tone. "I could kill you in one move."

She expected a reply, but her opponent had vanished from in front of her. So had the others. She tried sensing them in the surrounding area but couldn't feel a thing. Sakura turned around and looked back in to the village and it was full of life and filled with people. Trying to trick me… so I'll go home and leave.

Knowing better, she placed her hands together and said, "Release."

With the distraction gone, she had been surrounded by her foes with the leader approaching her with a needle. She needed to stop this now. Jumping up in the air, she backed off. As soon as she landed she hit the ground as hard as she could with the ground breaking and immobilising them. Sakura then quickly found the leader and went to take the needle from him but it was gone. Searching his jacket, she managed to find one still in tact. As soon as she found somewhere safe, she would divide the contents so Shizune could examine some and herself the other.

Now was definitely a good time to leave, Sakura pulled her hood up on her cloak and vanished leaving the village behind her.


'Tsunade-Sama!" Shizune called as she hurried to her office. "I have a report from Sakura!"

"Quick, give it to me," The Hokage replied calmly when Shizune walked in.

Tsunade opened the scroll with a small vial inside. Written inside was the code that the three of them had worked out together. Read by anyone else, it would look like complete nonsense. "I have tried every test I can think of and I still can't identify the sample she's sent." Shizune said with a frown. New substances in the ninja world was always infuriating. It took copious amounts of time to find the cure and by then enough ninja had died.

"As soon as I'm finished here I'll come down to the lab with you and we'll have to break it down further." Tsunade said swirling the liquid in the vile. The rest of Sakura's report was disturbing. "I don't understand the resistance she met though. Frost is an ally."

"Maybe it was just that village Tsunade-Sama. Frost doesn't control all it's villages. But what this young girl has said to Sakura is very odd." Shizune gave a questioning look to Tsunade, "Do you think she needs backup?"

"By the time we sent reinforcements it would take a week for them to arrive and then to find Sakura it could take even longer. I think she'll cope and she hasn't asked for anything." Tsunade put her head to her hands.

Shizune looked at her mentor. It was hard for the both of them as Sakura was like a sister to her and a daughter to Tsunade. She was very hesitant to send Sakura on her own in the first place. The mission required a medical ninja, but the best. They couldn't have just sent anyone. Then there was the decision on send a team, a pair or just a solo. A team would raise too much suspicion and a pair had to be right otherwise it would fall through.

Slamming her hands to her desk, she startled Shizune, "We leave her be."

"What?" Stunned still by her action and Tsunade's decision. Shizune was expecting the Hokage to send Sakura a team.

"After the initial attack, if we send more ninja in to an already delicate situation it'll arouse suspicion." Tsunade wasn't only trying to convince Shizune, but herself as well, "I'll give her a month. If all is going to plan, we'll have wasted ninja for nothing. For now, what will help her is by analysing the sample she sent."

"Yes ma'am."