Author's Note: Okay everyone! Only Secret, I'm starting to think you're my favorite reviewer. Why? Because you make me need to explain things and that helps me improve. Now, to explain the 'joking' Sasuke characterization at the end of the last chapter (something that confused a few of you). I purposely wrote Sasuke like that with his intent to wake up Naruto because I figured it would be like him to go out of his way to enrage his rival and close friend. I could be wrong. But everyone, thanks for the responsiveness. And I'm dedicating this chapter to Only Secret—thanks for beta-ing this for me!

Sacrifice: Wilted Blossom of Spring

Chapter 2: Self Fortification

Sasuke began forming seals, his Sharingan keeping close watch of Sakura's advances in the tree canopy. The branch he stood on was cracking, but he had enough time to summon forth the chakra needed for this fire attack. Shooting his gaze to the left, Sasuke watched as she positioned herself amongst the leaves, already knowing the attack she would need to defend against.

Gathering the chakra into his chest, he prepared himself to heave out the fiery jutsu and finish their sparring match. He was annoyed. Sakura was usually much more confrontational in their training; he had tried to push it off as her attempting a new tactic she'd though out, but the entire half an hour had been the same. He was wasting chakra on a target that never attacked back.

Pain pierced his leg muscles out of nowhere, causing him to fall forcefully on the already cracking branch. Sakura stood above him, chakra surrounding her fingers and a distance gaze in her eyes. Her replication in the trees disappeared from existence, smoke filling the area in its wake. With Sakura's added weight, the branch snapped and the pair went toppling from the tree tops.

Sasuke managed to land on another branch before smashing into the forest floor; he reached out and took Sakura's hand before she could fly past him. Her hand began to tremble in his grip as he pulled her up; the moment he let go, she unconsciously moved away from him and straightened out her clothes. He chose to ignore that strange behavior; his legs were in too much pain. Leaning against the trunk of the tree, he draped his arms over his knees.

"You were planning an ambush the whole time." He noted. "What did you do to me, anyways?"

"I severed some of your muscles." She responded lightly. "And it was an attack of opportunity, I didn't plan it."

Sasuke gave her a skeptical look before nodding in response. "You win. I need to stop underestimating you."

She placed a hand against the muscles in his legs that she sliced, healing them instantaneously before sitting back on her legs, pushing the infamous tan skirt to cover as much of her exposed flesh as possible.

The movement didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke, yet he pretended to be oblivious her sudden bashfulness. When they had traveled to the training area that morning, Sakura had kept an unusual distance from him. She hadn't stopped fidgeting since then.

Why was she suddenly so uncomfortable around him? The nagging voice in his head prompted him with tempting offers and strategies to go about discovering the root of her sudden strange actions; Sasuke ignored it. It wasn't his place to ask; if she had wanted him to know, she would have said something.

'But this feeling isn't going away… something bad happened on that mission.'

"Sakura…" he began, rubbing his hand over where the wounds were.

"Yes?"

Sasuke shook his head before responding. "When we spar like this, how much do you hold back?"

She blinked. "Why would you want to know that?'

"I need to know if I'm fighting the full abilities of a medic nin." He responded coolly. "Today you seemed to be letting me off pretty easy."

"I was afraid of getting to close to you."

His gaze was quizzical. "I wasn't going to hurt you."

Sakura began to stammer from nervousness, trying to scrape up an excuse. "If I had come too close, you would have predicted my movements with the Sharingan."

"Hn."

"So that's what happened." Tsunade stated, her eyes dull. "No wonder that part of the mission report was scrawled so hastily."

Kakashi nodded. "I didn't think she'd tell you. The others are worried about her, but I doubt she'll tell them either."

"It's my fault." Tsunade stated. "I was the one who told her to do whatever it took to make the mission successful."

Sighing, the Hokage set her chin on her hands and gazed toward the wall, creating images in her head of what could have happened to her pupil. She felt like throwing a tantrum. Sakura had been such a promising kunochi, and now they would need to monitor her mental state to be sure she was capable of going on missions or working at the hospital. An act such as the one taken against Sakura could maim a person for the rest of their lives, destroying their social and emotional stability.

There was no medicine in the world Tsunade could create to save the pastel haired girl.

"I'll write this into the report and then we'll go from there. If she seems stable enough, I'll send her on the next mission Shikamaru goes on." Came Tsunade's response. "I'll inform him to keep an extra close eye on her movements and mannerisms. If she hesitates at all, he'll remember it."

"Who else will be in the four man cell?"

"No one else from team seven will be on the team."

The blank look she received showed Kakashi's disapproval. "Fifth, you do realize that will be forcing her into a more difficult situation?"

"I have to test her. She can't be with Sasuke and Naruto all the time; there is nothing to guarantee that she feels remotely comfortable with them as it is. I can't place her in an all woman squad because the brute force of the male is usually needed." Tsunade responded. "If she can't go through with someone she is remotely familiar with, then missions will be impossible for her, as will hospital work."

"What are you going to do if she doesn't perform up to par?"

Tsunade's look was grave. "Let's just hope she realizes she'll have to improvise."

Poking at her ramen, Sakura listened as Naruto argued with Kakashi. She hated being the center of arguments, but she had no drive to stop this one. The news had been earth shattering; her heart was racing even though she appeared to be calm and unfazed. It was far too soon for her body and mind.

She wasn't ready to go on another mission.

"We've always gone together!" Naruto cried, throwing a chopstick toward the man he used to call sensei. "Why is she separating us now?"

"You just can't stand staying home when Sakura goes off to do something dangerous, can you dobe?"

"Sasuke-teme!"

"Sakura's a medic nin— the only one who isn't on a mission right now. Every jounin group needs a medic nin with them on a mission." Kakashi tried to compromise. "Your skills weren't needed for this mission. That's why Sakura's going alone."

"We knew this would happen." She stated, breaking into the conversation. "Once we became jounin, wewere no longer Team Seven. We're individual ninjas now. We won't always be together… if we ever are."

The group remained silent momentarily.

"I'd better go prepare." Sakura stated, pulling out her money and setting it on the counter. "Excuse me."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto stated, watching her with worried eyes.

She turned to him, a fake smile on her face. "I'm fine Naruto. You don't need to worry."

"You're going too, Hinata-chan?" Naruto whined. "First Sakura-chan, and now you! Is Old Lady Tsunade trying to take all my friends away?"

She smiled. "Naruto-kun… it's a mission. You go on them too."

"That's different!" he scowled.

"How is it different? When you leave, I'm still here alone, aren't I?" Hinata questioned. "There is always something left behind, Naruto-kun."

Naruto pointed a finger then dropped it as he sat on the chair near Hinata's desk, watching her rummage around her apartment to pack up for her mission. She had stopped wearing the large jacket and gone straight to her jounin uniform—something which accented her look much more nicely. He smiled as he watched her; Hinata had changed since the first Chuunin exam. If he could be so bold, Naruto would say the only that hadn't changed about Hinata was her gentleness.

"Naruto-kun…"

He jolted out of his daze. "Aa, Hinata-chan?"

"Can you pass me that photograph on the desk?"

Turning around, Naruto grabbed the familiar picture of Hinata and himself, taken a few weeks after they had started dating. He hated the way he looked in it; dressing up was never his best thing. He had a sour face of frustration in the picture, and Hinata was blushing while fixing his collar. Why she had chosen that picture to frame, he'd never understand, but he handed it to her nonetheless.

"Why did you want that?"

She smiled lightly and blushed slightly. "I always take it with me. That way you're always with me."

Naruto smiled. "I'm glad you'll be with Sakura-chan. You can look out for one another."

"We will."

"You'll be careful, right? Remember to let everyone else fight and never get yourself stuck in a one-on-one battle!" he stated.

She scowled at him. "Naruto-kun! I can fight!"

"I know." He smiled. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Sakura-chan will be there. She can heal any injury I could receive." Hinata responded, zipping up the bag. "I'll keep an eye on her like you asked."

When she finished zipping the bag, Hinata flung it over her shoulder. She took her kunai holster and attached it to her leg, then adjusted her forehead protector around her forehead instead of her neck. Naruto stood when she turned to head for the door, following her like a love sick puppy as they headed down the stairs and out the door. Even if she wasn't saying so, Naruto knew that she was nervous. He took a hold of her hand and she smiled, allowing him to lead her to the entrance to the village.

Sakura cursed for the seventh time that night, bandaging up another small wound. Her hands were shaking so much that it was hard to hold her kunai; they kept slipping from her fingers, cutting her, and then landing ungracefully upon the floor. Her vision was blurred from the tears she'd shed in fear; her body was reacting worse than she had anticipated.

She would be alone on a mission with other freshly graduated jounins, preparing to kill yet another high ranking retired ninja. Every step she took in retrieving the needed supplies was forced and unsteady. Sakura couldn't get her body to move in a dignified manner. Why was she so nervous? She wasn't the one doing the assassination this time; it would be a group effort, with Shikamaru in the lead. Hinata would be there to lend support and keep watch, Anko would be the one doing the assassination, and she would merely be back up and medical assistance.

Pulling on her jounin jacket, Sakura turned toward the mirror to re-adjust her outfit. She dropped her weapon bag when she turned toward the mirror, a momentary flash of her body after the last mission infiltrating her mind. Her breathing became ragged and uneven; her heart started racing. The room started to spin and she fell backward, crashing harshly on her wooden floor and smacking her head on the end table across from the mirror. Her hand went straight to her forehead, revealing the blood from the premature injury.

'Why… why am I having an anxiety attack? I can't stop it…'

She could hear the increased beating of her heart and feel her blood pulsating in her ears and arms—it hurt. Her movements were shaky but she managed to stand once again and throw a blanket over the mirror. Taking a few deep breaths, she regained her composure and gathered up her supplies again. Her body was still shaking with the increased flow of adrenaline; something she needed later that night, and not right that minute.

Locking the door behind her, Sakura stopped to regain control over her emotions. She needed to do this mission, and she needed to complete it perfectly. There was no way she'd let what happened to her rule her life.

A frown covered her face—she was too late for that, she realized. The moment she donned pants for a mission instead of a skirt, she knew it was controlling her. Sakura let her gaze fall to the road as she continued toward the exit from Konoha. This mission wasn't just a mission for Konoha to her; it was an obstacle she needed to prove to herself that she could still function enough to keep her secret.

Author's Notes: Okay everyone. Sorry, I know this chapter doesn't shine like the rest and I also realize there still isn't much romance between Sakura and Sasuke… it will come, you just need patience. I know what I want to have happen, the only issue is I'm not sure how to bring Sasuke's character to the point he's with Sakura enough to get the fluff started. Not only that, Sakura's going in reverse as well. We'll see how this pans out. Thanks for all the reviews! Remember to read and review this chapter as well!

Love and hugs—

Crystal Renee