Disclaimer: I don't own shit.

Sakura is sick and tired of being the insignificant member of Team 7.

She isn't useless, but she is by far the physically weakest on the team. Therefore, she was given the tasks during missions that carry the least amount of risk. Sakura always does what's asked of her and never lets her team down, but they are always protecting her. They are always putting their lives on the line for her, but she can never do the same for them. They've always got her back, but does she ever have theirs?

It makes Sakura feel like a burden. Like she's nothing more than dead weight.

She'd just like to be the one to protect her teammates for a change.

So Sakura starts to train a little more after they get back from Wave. She buys some weights for her legs and arms that she uses while training, and she gets just a little faster and a little bit stronger. She also finds time to check out a couple of scrolls on basic genjutsu in the library and manages to master a couple of C-ranks.

Sakura's proud of her improvements, no matter how small they might be, because she's getting more powerful.

But then Kakashi-sensei said that the chūnin exams were coming up, and Sakura wasn't anywhere near ready for the chūnin exams. She knew it, Kakashi-sensei knew it, they all knew it.

But she signed up anyways, because she couldn't let her team down. She wouldn't let her team down.

They were always protecting her, but this time she was going to protect them. She was ready to put her life on the line for her teammates, just like she had been ready to do so for the bridge builder.

So when Sakura sees the elongated head of a goddamned snake demon heading straight for the love of her life, she doesn't think about terrified she is. She doesn't think about how she might die and leave her civilian father, who is a simple baker, all alone.

She just moves.

Sakura pushes her dear Sasuke-kun out of the way just in the nick of time. She saves him from the snake demon and sacrifices herself in the process.

Sakura gets bit in the neck, and for a few moments, all she knows is suffering.

A searing pain instantly radiates throughout her entire body; it feels as if 1000 kunai are flaying her like she's a goddamn fish. On top of that, she has a migraine from hell, black spots are rapidly filling her vision, and she can't fucking breathe.

But she's also happy, happier than she's been in a long time. If she hadn't moved then Sasuke-kun would be feeling this pain instead of her, and his life has already been horrific enough.

Sakura would get gladly get bitten a million times over if it means that Sasuke-kun never has to go through this pain. It's just what you do for your comrades, for the boy that you love.

So despite the unimaginable pain she's in, and even though she'll most likely never wake up again, Sakura passes out with a slight smile on her face.

She finally protected her team.