Mystic-Panda: Hey, the reviews that I have been getting, though few, were nice. I'm just glad that some people like my story!! . Well here's chapter 4, and pretty please review.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto

talking- "Panda's are coming!!"

thinking-panda's are coming!!

inner Sakura-panda's are coming!!

Chapter 4- New Friendships, Silent Enemies

Sakura was in the girls bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face and looked into the mirror. She didn't like the look in her eyes. They were scared, confused, but most of all alone.

The note that was passed to her in homeroom read:

Sakura, please meet me in the girl's bathroom during lunch. I would like to talk to you. H.H.

Sakura was curious about who would want to talk to her. She was calmer now, seeing as she let off some of her stress this morning in that fight. Even if he was easy to take down. She thought about this morning:

Flashback:

Sakura got a good laugh when Sasuke walked into class with a red sore face and still had a slight green unibrow. Everyone was laughing. He must have scrubbed hard to get most of the marker off. He was looking at her as if he was contemplating something.

Then really quickly, he grabbed her and kissed her hard on the lips, and then whispered in her hear, "I like them feisty, you just make me like you even more." Half of the fan-girls in the class were glaring daggers at her. Especially Ino Yamanaka (Sasuke's Monkey).

End Flashback!!

Sakura was thinking about how it would be nice to have people defend her and be on her side. Maybe having friends wouldn't be so bad. Maybe they could get her out of her personal hell. Just like a family she never had.

Wait, am I actually considering making friends? NO! I can't, they could get hurt, and I don't want someone to suffer because of me.

Come on, we could be happy for once in our lives. It's not like we deserve the life that we have. But we got it, so let's try and make the most of it. What do ya say?

I'll...think about it. 'Kay?

She was still thinking about this when she heard the bathroom door open. And coming in was Ino Yamanaka, a.k.a. Sasuke's Monkey, she stopped when she noticed that I was there.

She gave me a nasty glare then came right up to me and, though weak as it was, slapped me on the face. I just looked at her with an expression like 'are you done?'. She then got right in my face and said, "Stay away from my Sasuke-kun, just because he kissed you doesn't mean he likes you."

I just smirked and replied, "Well, that's not what he told me. But you can have him, he's not my type, I don't date sexist, wimpy men."

Ino's face was priceless, she was shocked, and stormed out knowing that she couldn't win in a battle of wits with me. Just as she walked out, Hinata walked in.

I just looked at her, understanding suddenly lighting my face. I then said, "So, Hinata, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

She looked at me and quietly stuttered, "Um..w-would you l-like to h-hang out a-after school?"

I sadly looked at her, "I, uh, well I have work after school. But I get off at 6:30, if you wanted to hang out then."

Hinata looked happy, "Okay! Y-you can come and meet my friends. The two groups are pretty much friends except for Sasuke, Ino, and Ami. Ino follows Sasuke like a lost puppy, and they only hand out with the populars. Well, Ino hangs out with some fan-girls and sluts. Ami is the same with Gaara, only she is a little tougher, but no one really likes her."

Sakura looked at her in shock, "Hinata, did you know that you just talked, with stuttering only once?"

Hinata blushed and answered, "Well I only stutter around Naruto, and strangers. Around friends I talk perfectly fine."

I sadly looked at her, "Hinata, why are you being nice to me and calling me your friend. I don't...I don't want you to get hurt, just because of me."

Hinata looked at me with determination, "Sakura, you deserve a better life. You act like anyone who wants to be close to you is going to be harmed. But you told me that you don't want me to be hurt. You are a good person, I can tell, and you deserve friends. And I'm sure that you've noticed that all my friends are like a family."

When Hinata said that they were like a family, she noticed Sakura's eyes get sadder. She then softly said, "You do want friends. You really want to be close to people, don't you?"

At that Sakura started crying and Hinata hugged her. Sakura quietly said, "After all these years, you are the first person to be nice to me, and talk to me. I don't want to be alone anymore, but...they wont let me."

Hinata just looked at her and said, "Don't worry."

Sakura stopped crying and went to the sink to splash cold water on her face again, and then she looked at Hinata and said, "How about we meet at 7:30, then I can meet your friends. We can meet at the park where we first talked, okay?"

Hinata nodded and then she asked Sakura if she wanted to eat lunch with her, but Sakura declined and said she was going for a walk.

When Hinata left, Sakura ran out of the building and went into a small cafe where she ordered a coffee. She was actually excited to meet Hinata's friends. But then she came back to reality.

They would never accept you. You are like a monster, they will probably be scared of you.

Come on, give it a shot. If Hinata accepted you, then don't you think her friends will at least give you a chance. You deserve to have at least one time of fun in your childhood.

I did remember? Before mom and dad died.

But can you remember it, can you honestly say that you are still friends with the four year olds that could only pick their noses and get sand in their pants?

They were safe then, I don't know what Brice or Doreen might do. They could send people after them to hurt them. I don't want them hurt because of me!

I know, but...what about us. Don't we deserve to have at least someone in our life to lean on? Don't we deserve fun, and friendship?

...

Well? Don't we?

Truthfully? I don't know.

Sakura went back to school and the rest of her classes passed by quickly.

Sakura walked to the mall to get to work. Thinking about meeting Hinata's friends.

Her heart and her mind both told her that she needed good people that could take care of her.

With a deep sigh, she decided to give Hinata's friends a chance, let them into her heart just a little. She was scared but excited at the same time, scared for everyone's safety, but excited to finally get a chance to have good friends.

She walked into work with a small smile. She went up to Josh and sarcastically saluted him and said, "Reporting for duty sir", and chuckled a little at his slightly shocked face.

"Well, that's a way to get someone's attention I suppose," he said with an amused tone in his voice, "so, anyways cadet, you can stock just like you did yesterday."

And with that he walked to the counter.

The rest of the day went smoothly, and she got out at 6:30 right on time. She made her way to the apartment, wanting to take a quick shower.

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When she got to the apartment, she sensed that Brice was home, and was drinking. A lot.

Uh-oh. This is not going to be pretty.

Get out, slowly. And let's hope that he doesn't notice us.

"Sa-kuu-raaa, come 'ere, got somethin' to tell ya," yelled Brice, in his drunken stupor. His voice froze her instantly. She just stood there, hoping that she was only hallucinating.

"SAKURA!"

She wasn't.

She slowly made her way to the front room, head bowed. She stopped in front of him. She felt his eyes on her and she knew what was coming. She knew that when he raped her that she wouldn't get pregnant or get any diseases. She once came upon a journal of his, and he wrote that every time he did the...funky monkey(A/N:be quiet)...with Doreen he always wore protection. Not to mention the fact that he's only done it with Doreen, and herself.

Sakura knew that she wouldn't get pregnant because after the first time, she bought morning after pills, and regular birth control pills. She had to because he never used protection with her.

Brice grabbed the front of Sakura's shirt and brought her face to his. He looked at her for a minute then snarled, "You are a pretty little slut aren't you? Did you know how worthless you are, if you ran away, nobody would care. I would still hunt you down, so there would be no point. You are just a worthless mistake in the world."

And with that he got out his knife and attacked, hitting, kicking, and cutting her. After she was unable to move, he dragged her to her room where he finished off with her. After he was done he just left her there.

When she was sure he was gone from the apartment, she put her bloody clothes back on and she grabbed her backpack and stuffed what little she had into it, including Oreo, and walked into the kitchen to look at the clock. It read 7:28.

Damn.

Let's go, they must be waiting.

Sakura began arguing with herself as she ran away from the apartment, and then from the building.

I'm not sure about whether I should still go or not.

Give them a chance, let them help you.

Sakura sighed, she was getting closer to the park.

One chance, only one, and if anyone gets hurt-

We'll leave them, but we don't know exactly what's going to happen, do we?

Fine.

Sakura was at the edge of the park. She was getting weird stares from people who noticed her. But she didn't care. She looked over toward the benches where she first talked to Hinata and saw that she was there along with Neji, Tenten, Gaara, Naruto, Temari, Shikamaru, Kankuro, and Kiba who had Akamaru on his lap.

She paused for a moment but then she slowly walked up to them. When she reached them, she looked to Hinata. They hadn't noticed her yet because they were faced the other way and were talking. Sakura went towards Hinata, but not too close because she didn't want to scare her, and spoke softly.

"Hey Hinata," her voice sounded broken, and she fell to her knees.

"Oh god, Sakura!!" Hinata said, wide eyed, and came to help the now coughing Sakura.

Everyone looked at Sakura, with a look of pure shock and worry on their faces.

"Don't worry Hinata, but could you help me bandage my cuts?" Sakura asked. She started to get up.

She looked at the group, who were stunned, and spoke, "Hi! I'm Sakura Haruno, at the moment I'm losing blood and I can't really stand, but other than that I'm good! Nice to meet you!" The group just looked at her with a face that said 'are you kidding me'.

They all rushed to her to help, but right when Sakura heard the word Hospital she stopped them.

"I can't go to a hospital! I have a first aid kit, it's top notch, so just take me somewhere that no one will find me and I'll be ok. I just need to get bandaged up, take a pill, and I'll be just dandy... Did I just say dandy?" she looked at them with tired expression, they all just nodded.

Temari then spoke, "We all live together, so we can take you to our house where you can get better and explain everything. Ok?"

Sakura only nodded, she was getting even more tired. Gaara carried her to the house where it took them an hour to get Kiba and Naruto to stop screaming their heads off, Neji to stop twitching, and Kankuro to stop using the bandages as mummy wrappings.

When they were done, Temari and Hinata helped Sakura into a spare bedroom, leaving the rest of the group behind.

Sakura then reached for her pack, but winced when her cut on the side of her stomach almost reopened. She then asked Temari, "Could you hand me my pack please? Or just get the white bottle out of it?"

Temari nodded and got the white bottle. When she looked at it, she gasped, and stared at Sakura. "Does this mean what I think it means? Did you get raped?" Sakura only nodded. She took the glass that Hinata put beside her from when she took painkillers. She took the pill then looked at Hinata.

She then heard the door open and the whole group gathered in the room, most of them on the bed. She quietly spoke to them, "I'm sorry to be a pain. I'll leave in the morning, but if you want to know why I'm like this, I would like to ask Hinata to explain?" Hinata nodded, and it took her about half an hour to explain the whole thing. By the time she was done, all the girls and Naruto were in tears, and the rest of the guys were completely shocked.

Temari then said, still sniffling, "Sakura, you are going to stay here from now on. But we won't call the cops until your ready. If you want to call them at all. And no arguing about staying here either, you need a good family. But we don't completely know what happened this time, would you like to tell us?"

Sakura sighed and looked at all of them, "Brice as you could tell, beat me and cut me. B-but he also raped."

Gaara's hands were in a fist and Naruto punched the wall. Everyone was angry.

When they first heard that Hinata had befriended Sakura, they were skeptical, but when she said that Sakura was really nice but only afraid that people would get hurt, they softened towards her. If Hinata thought she was good, they had no choice but to believe her. When they saw her beaten, they worried over her like she was their sister, Gaara like her more than a sister though.

Sakura finally fell asleep, and they all left her to have a peaceful slumber.

They went downstairs to talk, and discuss what they were going to do to protect her. Not knowing that Gaara's little follower Ami, was listening with interest. Thinking that it could be used to her advantage in the future.

Mystic-Panda: Sorry if it was a sadistic kind of sad. But I plan on turning things around to being funnier and hopefully more enjoyable in the future chapters. Please review, LUVS YA .