Anko was waiting for her at training ground 42. It was one of the smallest and most secluded training grounds in Konoha, filled with huge trees, large insects and fenced out from the rest of the world.

"You're almost late."

Sakura dodged the senbon that accompanied the words, and the other two that followed the first one, but allowed the last one to puncture her bicep.

"You're slower today. It'll be a nice little session!"

"What is it?" Sakura asked woodenly.

"It's a hallucinogen. Targets the irrational mind. Brings all kinds of fear front and centre."

Sakura's heart dropped.

"I like it when you look like I kicked your kitten." Anko grinned.

Inner tried to take over, even though Sakura resisted. She spent the next few moments shifting and changing her posture as her pupils narrowed and dilated. Anko watched. When Sakura finally settled, panting and a furious Inner raging in her head, Anko pouted.

"I was waiting for that bitch. I have a special something for her."

Inner froze, then started screaming with rage, rattling at the cage Sakura had locked her in, calling Anko things that Sakura didn't know she knew.

"Never mind. I'm sure I'll meet her some other time. Today we are reviewing torture and interrogation again, while you're under the influence of that hallucinogen." Anko gestured towards a tree whose bark had been mutilated. "You know the drill."

Sakura's heart started pounding as she walked to the tree and allowed herself to be tied to it.

"Did you read the scroll from earlier today?" Anko asked as she wound ninja wire around Sakura's torso, keeping her arms locked to her sides, then slowly made her way down till her legs were bound as well.

Sakura nodded, careful to not look Anko in the eye.

"The mission is to keep that information a secret, while I try to extract it." She grabbed Sakura's short hair at the base of her head and pulled so her head was tilted upwards. "Look at me when I talk to you." she said.

Sakura nodded again, looking into Anko's eyes, Anko's dead eyes, Anko's cold eyes. Anko who hurt and hurt and hurt her. Anko who tied her to trees and cut at her. Anko who poisoned her to build an immunity. Anko who found every little weakness and prodded at it until Sakura was ready to break, but was forced to get rid of the weakness instead.

"If you fail, I'll go after your two little boyfriends. I heard the blond one heals very fast. Imagine how much fun I could have, playing with him."

Sakura didn't want to imagine, but she could do so with a clarity that horrified her. Naruto's cuts healing seconds after they were made, him hurting and healing with no blissful darkness at the end. She could hear him scream and cry as Anko stood over his tied body,kunai and senbon and blood moving. It was so real, she could see the drops of blood jostling the long blades of grass they fell on.

"Or the dark haired one. I've heard Uchiha have the sweetest blood. I'm curious to find out if it's true."

It was Sasuke now, tied to the tree. Eyes incandescent with rage, but helpless as a bird. And despite his rage, he still bled freely and hurt deeply.

Sakura had started sobbing, but she didn't know it. Anko was still talking, but she didn't know it. She was locked in a place were Naruto and Sakura howled with pain and bled out while she tried and tried but couldn't stop it. Her hands were stained red with their blood and her ears rang from their screams.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, tripped over in panic as she turned. Her shoulder had been keeping Kakashi upright. As she took the support away, he collapsed sideways, senbon in the side of his neck. His masked face remained in darkness, but she could smell rot and death from his body.

She vomited and passed out.

Sakura woke up alone in training ground 42.

There was a bright moon overhead, and a soft wind whistling through the trees. A black insect, the size of her pinkie, was rooting about in a cut on her leg. She shuddered and jumped to her feet. It remained put on her leg. She slapped it away with a chakra coated hand in panic, pieces of it went flying through the air. She rubbed her hand on a nearby tree and ran on shaky legs towards the centre of Konoha.

When she let herself in to her parents' house, Naruto and Sasuke, who were eating dinner, wrinkled their noses at her appearance and smell. She ignored them and rushed to take a hot bath.

Naruto found her an hour later curled up on her bed, clad in a wet bathrobe, and bawling her eyes out. He made sure she dressed and ate, then gathered her into his arms and let her cry till she fell asleep, like he always did.

Sakura was jolted awake from a nightmare where Kakashi's rotting body fell on her. She sat up abruptly, jostling Naruto.

Naruto rolled over sleepily and bumped into Sasuke, who rolled out of bed to stand defensively with a kunai in his hand, and a wild look in his eyes. He saw Sakura's tear-stained face and Naruto spread-eagled and snoring, made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat and threw the kunai handle deep into the wall.

That finally woke Naruto who scratched at his armpit, rubbed at his eyes and then sat up slowly. He glanced from Sakura to Sasuke, then at the kunai in the wall.

"Training session, eh?" he asked, running a hand tiredly through his hair.

Sasuke left the room without another word. Sakura grabbed clean training gear and went to the bathroom to change. Naruto flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"What is that crazy snake woman having you do?" Naruto asked after their training session when they'd collapsed into bed again.

Sakura was loose-limbed and relaxed after the training session. Trying to beat the boys and avoid getting beaten herself, finding her strengths and whittling down on her weaknesses, stretching her muscles and using her body together with her mind. It was wonderful, her body ached in the best ways and her mind was quieter. She was tired out and close to sleep. It was easy to talk in this state.

"She's helping me develop immunity to common poisons, and building my mental strength."

"What does building mental strength mean?"

"It means she puts me in simulations of tough situations and gives me an objective to accomplish."

"What kinds of situations?"

"Torture & Interrogation mostly, because that's what she knows best."

Naruto suddenly sat up. Sakura's eyes opened. He looked down at her.

"So the cuts you have after training with her... She deliberately hurts you?"

Sakura waved a hand and then grabbed Naruto's collar and pulled him back down.

"I told you, it's training. Different than normal, but still training. And it's making me stronger."

"She's crazy, I don't like her. What if she really hurt you?" Naruto asked, allowing himself to be pulled onto his back, but turning his head to look at her.

"She can't. I won't let her." Sakura said.

"Can you losers have your heart-to-heart at a time when I'm not trying to sleep?" Sasuke grumbled, turning around to glare at Naruto.

Naruto ruffled Sasuke's bedraggled hair.

"You have have a turn if you're feeling left out teme."

Sasuke slapped away Naruto's hand. "If you touch my hair again, I'll cut your hand off."

Naruto's hand swooped in and touched Sasuke's hair again. "I don't think you can match my speed."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand, and tried to flip him off the bed. Naruto grabbed his arm in turn and pulled him along. They both fell onto the floor with a thump.

"If you guys want to wrestle, get out. Don't destroy the room again. I'm trying to sleep here."

Sakura peered over the edge of the bed and showed them two senbon between her fingers, the tips coated in something dark.

"Or I can put you both to sleep on the floor. You know I won't miss at this range."

Naruto and Sasuke glowered at her, but disentangled themselves and climbed back into bed quietly.