Ino and Sakura were sitting on the couch of the small living room drinking sake and having a few laughs. Ino was telling Sakura about her day in the hospital and the pink haired girl found out that she was missing all of the commotion in the building:"Shizune was so mad that she send all of the nurses home." Sakura laughed and imagined her senpai's face. The blond then asked her how did the dinner last night go and Sakura told her everything including her little episode with Sasuke:"He made me feel really weak and ugly. His words actually made me feel sick."
Ino just looked at her and muttered between her lips:"He is such a jerk. Even if he says otherwise he only thinks about himself." Sakura was a little bit surprised she knew that Ino had feelings for Sasuke but she never figured that she almost hated him right now. But the girl looked pretty happy with Kiba so she decided not to ask any questions.
That night in bed Sakura was tossing and turning as the nightmares overtook her again. She was strung up on the Gedo Mazo vessel with the black chakra poles piercing her hands. The immense pain she was feeling was the same one she had felt once she had defeated Madara. Goosebumps were covering her naked body. Below her she could hear Madara laughing:"Look at you now. So weak and pathetic I can do anything I want with you now." He drew one more pole and threw it like a spear in her direction. The contact made her scream at the top of her lungs. The pain made her vision blurry and her eyes started tearing up. She let out one more scream.
Sakura awoke to Ino's worried voice:"Sakura wake up! You are dreaming!" She shot up from the bed and felt a streak of sweat travel down her spine. She looked around the room to make sure that she was back to reality. She met Inos' worries expression:"Are you okay?" Sakura massaged her temples with her hand before responding in a tired voice:"Yeah I am fine now."
They went to the kitchen where Ino was fixing Sakura a cup of green tea to calm her nerves. The blond kunoichi was actually really worried. She was woken up from a scream coming from her friends room and rushed over there to find her screaming and tossing on the mattress like crazy. The war had taken a tow on all of them. Sometimes even she had some nightmares but by the looks of it Sakura was tormented even till this day. The pink haired girl was sting at the table squeezing her hands together in an attempt to stop them shaking. There were drops of sweat on her forehead and her hair was messy and tossed aside in a loose pony tail.
Sakura took the cup Ino handed her in her scarred hand and took a really long sip before saying:"Thank you Ino you are an angel." Ino smiled at the words but then asked in a concerned tone:"Sakura how long have you been having these nightmares. Sometimes you look tired and I guess that is because of them." Sakura took a deep breath and put the cup on the table in front of her. She looked through the kitchen window and smiled at the scenery:"Let's go out on the porch and I will tell you."
Both girls put on short satin robes over their sleeping gowns and went to sit on the two chairs they had placed on the porch. Ino let out a sight at the sight before her eyes. The sky being painted in a deep orange color from the sun streaks that were showing from the horizon, the clouds were a dark grey color and were moving slow in the early morning sky, Sakura broke the silence first:"Ever since I went to the fire temple every night I dream I die in a different way." Ino's aqua blue eyes widened in shock:"I can sleep only until four o'clock every night. Even if I try I can't sleep more. It's too big of a torture." The last line was said with a smile on her soft lips. Ino grabbed Sakuras' burned hand and lightly squeezed it:"If you want we can use my jutsu before you go to bed. It might give you some peace of mind.' Sakura highly doubted that but since she didn't want to raise any more questions she simply nodded and continued to admire the beauty of today's sunrise.
Kakashi had to admit he was surprised when there was a knock on his door at nine in the morning. The two ANBU agents surprised him even more:"Your presence has been requested by Ibiki-san at the ANBU headquarters." Kakashi simply nodded and closed the door in their masked faces:"Why does he need me?" he thought while he was walking back to his small bedroom so he can change.
The trip to headquarters didn't take that long but Kakashi made sure to use his signature to be late. As he arrived he was escorted by an agent to Ibiki's office. He found the man sitting behind a desk reading papers. He briefly raised his gaze to see who was entering the office and muttered one simple:"Come in." The door behind Kakashi closed and the silver haired jounin walked closer:"This is unusual even for you. I haven't been here in a long time."
Ibiki crossed his arms in front of his chest and started his explanation:"The reason I called you here is to tell that I have decided to request from the Hokage that Haruno Sakura joins ANBU. Since you are her ex-sensei and a renewed ex-ANBU I decided I should tell you my intensions." Kakashi was confused by this statement. ANBU almost never excepted medical ninjas into their ranks. The work just wasn't right for them. While medical ninjas always had their defenses up ANBU agents had to engage always:"May I ask why did you decide that?"
Ibiki smiled which made the scar on his lips look even more sinister:"I think you know very well. The person who defeated Uchiha Madara will be the best asset into ANBU. To be honest I don't think she will even need to pass the tests to get in. Her actions will get her accepted automatically. Plus I think ANBU can give her more than the hospital." Kakashi rarely showed his emotions but this time he was boiling. He wanted to punch Ibiki in the face but held himself back and instead muttered between his teeth:"Sakura is not some trophy to be handed off to someone who wants her. She is capable to make her own decisions. If you really go on with this I will make sure to refuse her a recommendation." With those last words he left the office but before he slammed the door he said with a smile on his masked lips:"Besides I don't think you will have that much luck Sakura hates ANBU."
Sakura was really bored. Since Ino left for her morning shift at the hospital there was nothing to do. She leaned the whole house then had some coffee but pretty much the whole day was uneventful. She was actually surprised when there was a knock on the door. She was glad to see Naruto standing on the porch with a wide grin on his face:"Good morning Sakura-chan."
She smiled at him and moved aside so he can enter and while he was taking off his shoes she carefully concealed her hand behind her back and hurried to her room so she can put on her glove. When she came out she found Naruto looking at her with a sad expression which made her feel guilt all over again:"What is it Naruto?" she asked careful not to reveal her emotions.
He walked to her hugged her tightly against his chest. The surprise she felt in that moment was ruined by the voice in her head:"Mmmm perfect all this power near you." Sakura realized that the voices in her mind were reacting differently to everyone in her mind she made a mental note to test something:"So how come you are alone? She asked while retorting back to the kitchen to fix some coffee."
Naruto adjusted himself on the kitchen counter so he would be close to her:"Sasuke wanted to stay home and Kakashi sensei I have no idea. So I decided to come here and ask you if you want to train or just hang out." Sakura looked straight into his eyes and found what she was looking for. It was better to be the only girl in the team since you get to know your male companies so well that you can tell what they were even thinking:"There is something wrong isn't there?" Naruto put on a goofy smile and scratched the back of his head:"I have no idea how you know these things but yeah you are right there is. Yesterday me and Sasuke were talking about…"
He was cut off by puff of smoke. Once the smoke lifted an awkward shake of the hand and the cringe of an eye greeted them:"Yo." Naruto jumped off the counter and almost screamed and the Copy ninja:"You have the worse timing ever. I was saying something important." Sakura couldn't hear the rest of the quarrel since she focused on the voices in her mind. She gripped her forehead and grunted. Her mind was chaotic. One voice was purring with pleasure the other was screaming in ecstasy. She suddenly felt her feet weak and wobbly. She adjusted herself while using the counter for support and when she thought she was going to be sick she felt a cool hand on her shoulder. Her head snapped in the direction only to meet a masked face and pure silence in her mind.