Falling asleep with an empty stomach is close to impossible. The sound of the stomach crying for something edible is unbearable. Itachi turned on the other side, eyes wide open, ears bleeding from the sound made by his stomach. He ate something but far from enough and the night is still young. Lately, the nights feel much longer than they used to. He is tired, hungry and he has no more energy to fight. And no desire. Itachi turned one more time, cursing in silence. He has this reflex of chewing although his mouth is empty. "Water," he whispered and stretched his hand towards the bottle of water. Water is the only thing he has as much as he wants and nobody has the intention of taking it away. Getting on his rear, he emptied the bottle of water, trying to fool his stomach. Damn, he cannot fool his stomach just as the leaders cannot fool him that this war is good.

A few tents away, Shisui has more or less the same problem. There is someone in the tent next to him who is snoring so noisily he cannot fall asleep. He is also a little bit hungry and he wouldn't mind some bread but that is not his biggest concern. The only thing he can have at the moment is sleep as food is something rare. Shisui got on his rear and looked around his tent: a backpack with weapons, a shirt and a bottle of water rest next to his futon. His head hits the tent top and this tells him how little the council cares for their comfort. He reached for the bottle of water and drank while listening to the snores. Who sleeps next to him? Neji? Choji? Kiba? No, most likely it is from Shikamaru. That bastard snores terribly when he falls asleep from exhaustion. Throwing the bottle on his pillow, he grabbed his shirt and shoes and walked out of his empty and yet crowded tent. Shisui looked at the sky, dark clouds covering the view. This is more depressing than the impossibility to fall asleep.

Shisui took a peek inside the noisy tent, confirming that Shikamaru was having the sleep of his life. He kicked the ground annoyed, a small rock being kicked inside and hitting Shikamaru's chest, and walked between tents, no direction in mind. He wants to sleep and yet there is no place for him to rest. Since he left Konoha he often feels like he belongs nowhere. A drop of water crushed on the tip of his nose, forcing Shisui to look back up. Heavy rain will catch him off guard unless he finds a place to shelter him. The rain is dangerous taking into account all the ways a shinobi could send a poisonous cloud towards them. Another drop of rain fell on him, forcing him to rush to the only tent he could infiltrate in.

Sakura's tent was empty. He rushed inside, prepared to step on her as he did so but he safely fell on her neat futon, no trace of her there. He looked around while taking off his shoes, surprised nobody was there. With no hesitation, he crawled inside and rested his back on the futon, eyes staring at the rooftop. From what he knows she should be in her tent at this hour but maybe there was an emergency with a patient and had to leave. It is good she is not here to kick him out in the rain.

The camp is separated in two: at one side sleep women and at the other side sleep men. This implementation happened only recently after many women accused men of sexual harassment. Separating them did not really solve the problem but at least women felt a little bit safer in the nights. And now nobody could complain to the council for doing nothing and not carrying for them.

Sakura's pillow is comfortable but the bitter scent reminds him of the medical tent. The smell makes him feel a little uncomfortable. It reminds him of colleagues he saw for the last time in the medical tent before they died. It reminds him of the horrible cries coming from the tent whenever he goes to eat. How can she live with this smell following her around and constantly remining her of death? Shisui closed his tired eyes, thinking of Sakura in the medical tent trying to save as many lives as possible. It feels reassuring.

They haven't seen each other lately, mission after mission forcing him to leave the camp often. Despite their distance, he often thought of her, the green grass reminding him of her eyes and making him feel she was there with him. Although an illusion, it felt reassuring to imagine a medic like her following him around. In the quiet nights when all he had to do was spy or guard, he could swear that the stars were aligned to show him shapes of her body. Those nights tormented him with lust and memories of their time together. To his surprise, his interest in her has not faded as he initially thought.

The air felt hot as he inhaled, drunk with the memory of that night. Shisui licked his lips remembering the night he slept with Sakura, her small breasts quivering as he thrusted inside her, small moans of pain leaving her pink lips. Although not a beauty for his standards, it is hard to imagine how she refrained herself from having sex. A virgin… When she shamelessly grabbed his member through his pants and started rubbing it, he thought he found an experienced woman but when he penetrated her, her body got stiff. He knew but he didn't want to stop the pleasure he was feeling, her muscles locked around his penis as if forcing him to stay inside. With the memory of that night, he fell asleep, the noise made by rain acting like a lullaby.


The sudden wave of rain caught Sakura off guard while she was training. Not being able to sleep, she had this amazing idea to go out and do some shuriken training. She trained alone until her fingers started painfully pulsing from friction, satisfaction growing with each aim she hit. Rain was not part of her plan, but she needed to stop so she gathered as fast as she could her weapons and rushed back to her tent. As she reached her tent, clothes already wet, she felt a stranger's presence in it. Realizing she knows the chakra signature, Sakura felt a sudden pressure on her chest which made breathing difficult. She hasn't seen him lately as he was always out but she thought about him. She healed his squad members and heard them talk about him, some of them proud of working with him while others resenting him for not keeping them safe. Her ears heard stories about him often and she found herself at some point longing to see him in person and talk to him. Even she sometimes thinks of their night together and just like his colleagues, sometimes she gets hot and other times she resents him.

Sakura swallowed harshly before she crawled inside her tent, thinking of how she will react when they will meet. However, to her surprise, he was sound sleep; with one hand resting under his head, Shisui was sleeping completely oblivious of his surroundings. Sakura kicked off her dark blue sandals and sat on her knees on the edge of the futon, eyes scanning his sleeping face. She feels like she has never really paid any attention to his face, each of his traits seeming unfamiliar to her. Sakura bit her lower lip, a little bit happy to see him sound and safe. Now that she spends a few moments to truly see him, she notices things she does no like about him, like his nose which seems too outstanding. He does not have the face of a man who could seduce her and yet he successfully managed to do it without a problem.

Feeling a shiver going down her spine, Sakura looked around the tent for her backpack to grab a dry shirt. Stretched above him, Sakura reached for her backpack to grab it but losing her balance she grabbed his knee instead trying not to fall over him, alerting him and making him wake up. Shisui opened his eyes the moment he felt pressure over his leg and jumped on his rear with a defensive intent. His black eyes locked with Sakura's green ones reminding him that he was neither on the fighting ground nor in his tent.

The sudden closeness between them is making him slightly uncomfortable and he cannot help but question why she is above him. But seeing her feels as assuring as he imagined during his missions. Shisui relaxed his muscles under her touch, eyes scanning her surprised face, green eyes shyly glancing back at him from beneath pink bangs.

Feeling too close to him, Sakura slightly blushed and released his knee, gathering her balance back on her knees and rested her rear on her heels. She bit her lower lip finding herself in the situation where she has nothing to say and yet she feels like she must say something. The awkwardness between them is pressing her to come up with something. "Why are you here?" she asked finding the question suitable given their situation. After all, that is her tent and he shouldn't casually be sleeping there.

Shisui reached her cold face. He noticed right away her trembling lips and wet hair. "Needed a quiet place to sleep," he answered, mind processing her cold and wet figure. Her lips are turning purple. "You should undress," he said leaning closer to her to grab her shirt.

Embarrassed by his boldness, Sakura grabbed his hands and pushed them away. "You sure are a jerk," she growled not getting his intentions.

The rejection felt rough and annoying. "You will get a cold," he growled back.

Sakura nodded, agreeing with him that she should put on something warm, but his presence there is making things difficult. She is aware he knows parts of her better than she does but she still feels shame. "Go back to your tent." Sakura shifted her position and reached her backpack to take out a dry shirt.

"Will you push me in the rain?" he asked hearing the rain getting heavier.

Agreeing that she is not that inhumane as to push him out, she turned around to change. "At least look away," she whispered feeling his stares on her as she rose her shirt above her bellybutton.

"Closed my eyes," he lied anticipating her moves.

She knows he lied but she is too cold to continue on arguing with him. With fast movements she removed the shirt and threw it on the ground. She regrets leaving her tent without a bra, her breasts visible to his hungry eyes. Shisui did not have the best view but he noticed she wore no bra, imagining that her nipples must be hard. Sakura covered her body with a wretched old shirt and abruptly turned her head to look at him. "Asshole," she hissed as their eyes met.

Somehow their meeting feels different from before. He no longer feels like a stranger and she can tolerate him more than she used to. Maybe it is because there is nothing to hide anymore. He knows her to the deepest point and there is nothing left to hide. Even changing her shirt before his eyes felt unusually easy. When have they become like this?

The old shirt has small holes here and there making her skin visible to him. He longs to touch her creamy skin and feel her beneath him. Shisui reached her shirt, penetrating a hole with his index to feel her cold skin. Sakura winced in shock, grabbing his wrist in defense.

"Nice reflexes," he complemented leaning closer to her. She smells like the forest and like the rain. "Nice scent," he continued and leaned even closer.

He looks healthy, she thought as she stared down his neck. His skin is clean, healthy and with no trace of injuries. She is envious of him for his abilities. Feeling his hand fully rest on her middle, his finger gently stroking her bare skin, her bones melted until she leaned in, resting her forehead on his shoulder. She swore this will never happen again and yet his touch alone is the attention she longs for every day. His touch can compensate for everything bad that happened that week. His strong and worked hands give her the reassurance she so desperately needs. She is safe as long as he is there for her, regardless of his intentions.

Sakura gives him reassurance. Her trained hands are light as they travel up his arm and feel weightless as she clenches his sleeves for support. How long does a medic have to train to be so light and unobtrusive? He never thought he will find comfort in a pair of skinny hands. His other hand traveled up her back and clenched her pink wet locks which make her feel unreal. After all, who on earth is born with pink hair and green eyes if not a celestial being?

"Is this your real hair color?" he whispered in her ear, gentling pulling her locks.

Sakura bit her lower lip as a shiver flashed down between her legs. His voice sounded deep and his breathe felt hot against her skin. She nodded as she slid her fingers beneath his lips to cover her burning ear. Why does someone like him have such an impact on her? "Of course…"

When has their relationship changed? She grew on him so much. Her unusual appearance captivates him and makes him search for her everywhere. What makes her so special?

Sakura licked her lips as she looked down, eyes scanning the lump in his pants. She blushed but did not look away, part of her flattered of the effect she has on him. Nowadays not even Naruto tries to flirt with her. She often feels unattractive and she is aware that her looks are not the best. She has no idea how other kunoichi manage to look fresh and appealing all the time while she always looks tired and grumpy. Despite how bad this might sound, she is sometimes envious of how other kunoichi get sexually harassed while she doesn't.

He sees her in a different light. It is nice.

"Do you hate me for that time?"

The question caught her off guard; she never thought Uchiha Shisui will give a damn about her feelings. She cannot blame him for something she wished for and she cannot ask him to take responsibility because she doesn't care enough. "Why did you leave soon after it?"

He knew she will ask that and he had a reply ready for her but her shaky voice erased all his arrogance. Shisui can act indifferent towards her only when she is not close to him and he cannot feel her. She is the weakness he doesn't want. She awakens feelings he does not need. Her presence is annoying. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. He is really sorry for it but he has yet to decide if the regret comes from hurting her or from not being able to have her again.

The lump in his pants pulsed under her stare. Will it happen again? Does she even want for it to happen? She wouldn't push him away if he initiates something. Sakura blushed at her own thoughts. If he could read her mind she would be in great danger. Shame he cannot.

It doesn't take a genius to read her. Her body is growing warm under his touch and he can tell that she wants him. He can smell it in the air. Or maybe he just wishes this were the case because her scent and the feeling of her skin drive him crazy. His erection is painfully pulsing for attention, for her attention. The most difficult part was to have her the first time, now it should be easier. At this point she no longer has anything to lose.

Shisui released her middle and slipped his hand beneath her shirt. She remained calm, her breathe growing hot over his neck. This is the sign he needed. Not taking his time to be gentle, Shisui grabbed her shirt and took it off with one move. Finding herself naked before his eyes, Sakura threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips over him, hungrily sucking his lower lip. It is his fault for happening again.

The kiss is sloppy but her cold lips are sweet and feel nice over his. He cannot complain for her lack of skills but instead he feels grateful that the night ended like that. She is driving him crazy. Shisui broke their kiss to her disappointment and she found herself pulling him back to kiss her again.

"Sakura," he gasped stroking her arms, "I want to take off my shirt." To please her, he leaned in for a fast kiss, the only key to unfold her arms around him. Shisui acted fast and blindly threw his shirt on her pillow, his eyes never leaving hers. Sakura patiently waited for him to undress but the moment his shirt was off, she pressed her chest over his skin, longing to continue their kiss. "You sure are a hungry one," he chuckled over her lips.

Sakura bit her lower lip as she put space between them. "You don't want me?" she seductively whispered, growing more confident with each second.

"Don't break the little restraint I have," he whispered on a raspy voice. He could break the rest of her clothes and have her before she could blink but he wants to make it better for her this time.

She has no idea what got into her but she longs to have him inside her. In his arms she feels safe no matter how annoying he might be.

Shisui took care of their clothes quite fast and they crushed over the futon while kissing, their teeth painfully crushing. They hissed in pain but did not let the incident to stop their act. He travelled his fingers down her body, rolling them around her breasts and pinching her nipples. She moaned in pleasure and reached out to touch his cheek and get him to bent down and kiss her. He obeyed her without delay but continued his journey down her abdomen.

"There is no doubt this is your real hair color," he chuckled slipping his fingers through her hair.

Sakura blushed embarrassed at the sudden realization that she had no time or possibilities to take care of herself. She jerked her left hand to take his away and cover her shameful area. Shisui had fast reflexes and grabbed her wrist before she could cover herself and pushed it down next to her ear. "Don't," he growled threatening. She seduced him and drove him mad with her hungry kisses. There is no way he will let this end before he finishes. "We're finishing this." His hungry lips cupped a pink nipple, gently sucking it until she limped beneath him and allowed him to open her legs. "It doesn't bother me." In the current context she is at her best and he has no expectations of her to be shaved.

Sakura blushed hearing his words but the feeling he was leaving beneath his touch was stronger than her will. She feels powerless under his hot touch, something inside her belly pulsing for more. She wants this sensation to last forever. The feeling is lingering on her skin and makes her anticipate his next move. The embarrassment of his statement is turning her on and makes her want him to reach faster down between her legs. Only during sex she feels like it is alright to get turned on by such shameful statements and long for more to happen.

Sakura gasped for air the moment she felt one of his fingers slide inside, tensing and relaxing within seconds when his thumb started rolling over her clit. It felt good, much better that the first time. Now he takes his time to please her, no hurry in his actions as he searched deep inside her so that next time she will not ignore him and let him come back for more without having to restrain himself and just take her with no words. Sakura bit her lower lip, air getting caught in her lungs as he was getting closer to the sweet spot inside her.

He can read her like a book, her face a mirror of her feelings. She cannot hide or pretend anything especially when her body starts moving as well for better friction. He slides another finger inside and thrusts harder and deeper, her hips slightly raising for a better, more pleasurable angle. The presence of a second finger did not make her feel better but she could take the slight sensation of pain. She felt like there was no space left inside her, her walls stretched to the maximum capacity, and wondered if he could feel it too. Indeed, he could feel her tight walls pulsing around his fingers, sucking him deeper, making him fasten the pace until her back arched and her thighs closed trapping his hand.

It was clear that he will cause her pain again once he enters her but at least this time he will compensate with the orgasm she just had. Afterall, he is not kind enough to spare her this and pass his fair share of pleasure. He worked for it. Just the way his penis throbbed inside his pants while touching her, her vagina should tear apart for him.


Sakura sighed tired from all the work she went through in the medical tent today. She woke up quite early, Shisui already left her tent by then, and went to work. Only three hours later the canteen opened and by that time she was so hungry that she didn't pay much attention to her poor breakfast. She ate everything at a high speed and left with her coffee to finish her work. By the time she came back, there was a big line in front of the tent – patients waiting to be seen by her. Sakura cursed in silence as she walked inside. This is war time and people should only visit if they came with missing limbs from a fight. Those who come there because of food poisoning, headaches or colds are asked to go back to their jobs, their pain not important enough to require attention. Nobody has time to treat things that can treat themselves in time. And if one is capable to stand in line for a checkup then they are as healthy as they need to be to fight.

The first patient came inside, a girl with brown hair and blue eyes. By inside it should be clear that right at the entrance of the medical tent was a table with two seats, one for the doctor and other for the patient. No pills, no bandages, nothing but a register and a pen for Sakura to write names down. Those who enter the tent on their own feet are not considered sick patients and are just registered and sent back to work. The girl walked too slowly to Sakura's annoyance and at first glance there seemed to be nothing wrong with her. Sakura enjoyed a sip from her coffee until the shy girl sat on the stool in front of her. "So?" she asked losing her temper.

"This is…um…my period is two months late," she whispered embarrassed people might hear her.

This is another situation considered an emergency. Any shinobi who is at risk of becoming unusable should be taken care of as soon as possible. "Go further ahead to Tsunade-sama," she said detached. Even so, she has no excuses she got pregnant. Why didn't she take the medicine? Most likely the girl will get some sort of punishment for it.

Sakura watched the girl as she shily walked away. She can no longer feel bad for people. If war taught her something that is to never pity anyone regardless of the situation. Nobody there wants pity – especially from people who are pitiful themselves. "Next," she called and waited for another patient to be ignored. The man walked inside with his head up, looking around and making Sakura feel slightly suspicious of him. She remained composed and waited for him to sit. She saw the face before but she doesn't know his name.

"I hurt my knee," he said and made Sakura question him right away.

He never limped once since he walked inside and showed no signs of pain as he sat down. "In front or behind the knee?" she asked.

The man shrugged his shoulders and leaned to touch his knee beneath the table. "Behind," he replied faking pain.

Sometimes shinobi come faking problems in hope that they will be sent home for a few days but so far nobody managed to go back to the village. She has not seen her family since forever and even if she is Tsunade's student she still does not get preferential treatment. Sakura crossed her fingers over the register and looked at him with no emotions. She is past getting emotional over everything and a liar does not even deserve to be spoken to. "This place is not for games. Come when you have a real emergency," she said on a cold voice. "Name?" she will write down his name in the register with the mention that he is a liar and wants to go home for no reason.

"If I could speak with Tsunade-sama and explain her my…"

"We do not bother her with unimportant things," she cut him off. "Name."

The man hissed annoyed and jumped on his feet, proving there was nothing wrong with him. "This is unfair!" he shouted catching everyone's attention.

Sakura also got up ready to sent him flying outside the tent. "This is the last time I am asking for your name," she said on a low voice.

The man clenched his fists and jumped from the table. "Bitch," he growled and walked ahead past her.

Sakura felt something snapping inside her the moment he named her bitch. Maybe it snapped because she is aware that her relationship with Shisui is not exactly acceptable. But a stranger does not have the right to call her names. Sakura turned on her heels to throw him a good punch and send him flying through the other exit but seeing the man flashed further ahead in the tent, she dropped the idea with the intention to chase him.

It is impossible for Sakura to narrate what happened next but she heard a click and the air inside the tent suddenly became hot. The walls started vibrating violently under the sudden wave of air which came from the man who became violent moments ago. After that everything is nothing but flashes of images which she saw before a wave snapped her body and threw it though the tent and outside in the field. The man's shirt tore to pieces and his henge no jutsu broke, revealing a suna shinobi. There were paper tags on his chest. Wounded patients were thrown through the walls outside. Tsunade shouted something to Sakura before the second wave which pushed Sakura outside. As she found herself outside, the girl witnessed with fearful eyes the tent crumbling to the ground and getting eaten by fire. Her back hit a tree and she crushed to the ground.

Everything felt as if it did not happen. The scream. The insult. The teleportation. The suna nin. The fire. Sakura blinked, ears painfully buzzing and making her woozy. Green eyes stared ahead with no light in them, seeing nothing but flashbacks of the incident. She cannot hear anything but the click and the buzzing. Did anything really happen? It feels like a bad dream before waking up and realizing that it did not happen. Did it happen?

When she woke up this morning, Shisui was already gone, only his scent lingering on the pillow. This time she could not get angry with him. He was gentle with her last night and kept her close to him, one of his hands securing her middle. After so many weeks she slept with no fear and no nightmare to hunt her. Maybe the sex did not feel right again but the sleep compensated for everything.

A smack on her back was all she needed to release the air caught in her lungs. She felt an urge to throw up but she did not, only saliva slipping through her parted lips. The hot wave of air burnt her airways all the way to the lungs.

"Get yourself together!" Ino shouted pressing her hands over Sakura's back to heal her. "We need to start healing others!"

Sakura heard very little of what Ino said, the buzzing in her ears covering most of it. She did however hear 'healing' and it was enough for her to understand that she had a job to do. To what extend she can actually do it it is yet to be found out. Her mind cannot think straight, brain still playing flashbacks from time to time. When her mind takes a break between flashbacks she notices her surroundings: burning grass, burning tent, legs passing by in a hurry, people on the ground barely breathing and severely wounded.

"I'm done. Get up!" Ino shouted jumping on her feet and expecting Sakura to do the same. "We need to go back inside the tent and take people out!" Ino took a step further but seeing Sakura remaining motionless on the ground she turned back and shook her shoulders. "Sakura! Get up!"

"What are you doing?" Koharu shouted seeing two medics standing and doing nothing. "Get to work!"

Ino turned as if burnt by the woman's words. "Sakura was in the tent when the explosion happened. She is not well…"

"Then leave her and go do your damn job!" Koharu ordered not really carrying much for Sakura. "And drag her after you!"

"We need to evacuate the patients inside," Ino said walking towards the tent and leaving Sakura behind.

"No! Forget them. Care for those outside!"

Ino froze in place not believing what she just heard. "Abandon them?" she asked on a trembling voice.

Koharu's high pitched voice reached Sakura's ears. The girl flinched trying to regain control over her body. Koharu comes and leaves whenever she wants and travels from camp to camp to give brilliant destructive orders before leaving behind scarred shinobi. This is how the elders lead from the shadows and their excuse is always the same: the situation asked for it. Sakura rested her palms on the ground and tried to get on her feet, her head spinning the moment she got up. She leaned over the tree behind her and looked around the camp horrified by the scene. Everything is burning and people run and scream scared.

"Don't question me!" Koharu growled annoyed by the blond girl.

Sakura closed her eyes to stop the spinning. Hearing no sound from Ino, the pink haired kunoichi felt it was her duty to motivate Ino. "It is an order…" she said barely speaking, the air not feeling enough no matter how much she gasps.

Rule number 4 – a shinobi must always put their mission first. No matter how wrong it might be, an order is always above anything and personal feelings are irrelevant. If they are ordered to leave people behind, then this order will guide them regardless of whom they have to abandon. She saw people being ordered to stay behind and die so the others can ran and survive. This order fells less cruel than that one. They are no longer human but shogi pieces and when you are ordered to die, you die. Succeeding the mission and surviving is equal not following the rules. Sakura opened her eyes and glared at Ino. The blond girl bit her lower lip and teleported towards the first wounded she could reach.

"You too," Koharu spat annoyed for being ignored by the blond girl. The old woman turned and walked towards a safer place, leaving everyone burn alive behind her.

If she survives this war she will kill the old hag before going back to Konoha. Sakura pushed herself back on her feet and walked with small steps towards the crowd of shinobi. She still feels as if everything is nothing but a bad dream she has to wake up from. Sakura kneed down next to a man with severe burns on his face. Her eyes cannot focus properly on his face as the image keeps on spinning and duplicating. She feels sick again.

At the other side of the camp Shisui is splitting his squad into smaller teams. They have to search the forest nearby for suna shinobi and they must check the camp to make sure nobody else is planning an inside attack. He does not need to be there to guess that this terrorist attack was caused by sand shinobi. His men nodded and off they went to accomplish their missions. Shisui activated his sharingan and went searching the camp as well.

A few moments later Tsunade, who barely managed to survive the explosion, invoked Katsuyu and started healing everyone outside the tent. This gave Ino courage to jump towards the burning medical tent and get inside. The scene played before Sakura's green eyes. The girl sighed feeling powerless. She has yet to recover and she cannot concentrate chakra in her arms but her mind is clearer than before. One thing is sure: she cannot let Ino step on an explosive tag and do nothing. There will be serious consequences if Koharu finds out Ino didn't follow a simple and clear order. Sakura bit her lip as a small Katsuyu reached her leg and started sending chakra through her nervous system. She shouldn't find herself in this situation but there is nothing she can do at this point. Sakura grabbed Katsuyu and jumped towards the tent with a clear mind. She will go to hell for a childhood friend.

"Thought this is the wrong thing to do," Ino growled bothered by the presence of the pink haired kunoichi.

"It is the worse thing to do," she admitted kneeing next to a bleeding man. She put her hands on top of the open wound and started the process to stop the bleeding. "We will suffer consequences I am not ready for but I am going with you Ino."

The two looked at each other after which they turned to the wounded and started healing. Their work got easier the moment Kakashi and Choji appeared to help with the tent. While Tsunade and the rest of the medics who survived struggled to heal those in the camp, the two girls struggled to save the ones inside the tent.

The fire ate the medical tent and the canteen withing hours. By the time most of the people got medical help and the fire was put out by water jutsus, the sun was down and it was growing dark. With no more chakra to heal with and no more power to keep her eyelids open, Sakura walked towards the river in the forest. Some tents miraculously made it, her tent included. If she gets to rest tonight, she will have a roof above her head to keep her safe. Sakura dragged her feet towards the river feeling nothing but chakra exhaustion. Everything was her fault and real consequences will come from that. The girl kneed next to the rived and started at her reflection: she has burnt locks and her face is dirty. She fucked it. This time not even Naruto can save her sorry ass. How could she let the man get past her and destroy their camp? She knew right away something was fishy about him and she reacted too late. Her eyes are painfully dry and no tear can surface but deep inside her heart she is crying frustrated. Real fear is not dying but getting punished for allowing something like this to happen.

The kunoichi drowned her head inside the cold river. She will not sleep tonight in her tent. If she is lucky to sleep at all it will most likely be in a cell after getting a good beating.

Shisui's presence alerted her and she got her head out of the water and looked over her shoulder at the serious shinobi who is walking towards her with small steps. His eyes are dark and fix her with no emotions. Shisui is going to deliver her to Koharu? Does he know as well that she allowed something like that to happen? He is remorseless as he approaches her with fingers clenched into fists. If only it wasn't him who had to catch her sorry ass and drag her to them. She could jump in the river and swim away from anyone but him. Shisui will grab and drag her back on the shore before even touching the water. He knows how to follow rules and he doesn't fail the way she does.

His heart is throbbing painfully in his chest. When Koharu called him and told him to bring Sakura to her without fail, he knew right away that something bad will happen to her. As he walks towards her he cannot help but notice her skinny and powerless body that could concede beneath any punishment. In his eyes she is an unfortunate victim. Someone has to get punished and she is the unlucky one to be chosen. Nobody cares who is punished for something as long as they set example and release their anger on someone. He could pretend to look away and give her time to run but where would she go? For better for worse, she still has a place to return to right now. After the punishment she will get back to her normal life and hopefully find forgiveness in her heart. He is fully aware that he will not fail an order on purpose. His pride would not allow something like that. The vow he made is a seal over other useless feelings.

Sakura turned her head to face the river and got up with a straight back. When she turned to face him, he was already next to her but her face no longer looked frightened. She looked at him with a serious face, no fear visible in her green eyes. Sakura will not make this difficult for him. She wiped the wet locks away from her face and waited for him to speak out. He reached her wet face and tamed behind her ear a lone lock which remained on her cheek. This is not betrayal. This is an order he has to carry out. She knows better than him why he is there.

"I cannot say anything cool like 'I won't let anyone hurt you'," he started as he clenched her arm. "But I know this is not your end."

"It's fine." She does not need such sweet words that appear only in romantic movies. If this were a movie the main theme would be war. There is no romance in what happened between them. That was nothing but lust and desire, no strings attached. She never expected anything from him and he never considered there could be more than just plain sex. Even if this is her end, she has no regrets when it comes to him. He gave her things he is unaware of; the safety she felt next to him as she rested for the first time in months means more than love. How many women felt this safe in the hands of a stranger? How many women can be themselves and still appeal to a man? How many women were lucky enough to sleep in his arms? Maybe that would be her only regret, she slept only once in his strong, protective arms. If only…he hadn't left the first time. "We can go."

With the other hand Shisui went around her head and clenched her wet hair, water dripping down his fingers. He cannot sweeten her situation with empty lies. He cannot promise her she will be alright. This is the first time he feels the humiliation after understanding what lack of power feels like. Shisui pulled her hair to force her to look up and let their eyes meet. "Shall we, then?" he asked as he leaned in and pressed his lips over hers.