-1Chapter Two

The Inn

Sai and Sasuke gave up on trying to get Naruto to tell them what happened with Sakura. The blonde would stare at the ground and shrugged, so they figured he did find out and was forced to promise silence. Sai proposed a game with only Sasuke because Naruto would probably warn Sakura. He met up with the Uchiha in the morning on the way to the gates.

"We'll both ask her on a date. I'll go first because I came up with this idea, and then you can go. Naruto and Kakashi can't know about this, or they'll kill us. We'll start after the first week, so we have to leave her alone with the whole advancing thing," Sai said. Sasuke nodded and shook the ex-ANBU Root member's hand.

Sakura was the first to show up, and Kakashi wasn't late, for he came right after her. She would sit far away from him though he was trying to talk to her. He didn't realize that she didn't want to talk to him. She didn't even want to be here with him alone.

"How did you get hurt? Everyone is locked up tight about your mission because even ANBU can't get access to it. You want to talk about it?" Kakashi asked. Sakura looked up at him with eyes that made him want to jump into a group of S-class criminals. "Sakura, you have no reason to be angry at me. I've rarely seen you before and after the mission. While you were away, I was gone to!" Sakura turned away and tried to ignore him because if she couldn't, she'd start crying. Weakness wasn't needed now. "Sakura, I failed my mission because I blacked out mid-way on my travels back to the village, and I then woke up in a hospital. Someone said your name, so what did you have to do with my black out?" Sakura remembered the mission even though it was better to forget.

"I carried you. Mostly dragged, but your butt was taken to the hospital by me because I found you with a head injury that I quickly took care of," Sakura said. It was partly a lie, but he didn't have to know that. She could keep it her little secret. Just like the mission. Just like what Naruto found out. She had too many secrets to hide behind.

"Good morning, Sakura! Hi, Kakashi!" Naruto shouted as he ran up. He wasn't in his normal orange jumpsuit, but in a pair of black shorts and an orange shirt. He was grinning like a madman and kept talking about some jutsu he learned earlier. Sasuke and Sai showed up right at eight. They looked at each other and nodded, but no one noticed except for Sakura, who ignored it as a 'guy thing'.

The inn wasn't a shack with water. It was amazing and looked like it was for rich people. Kakashi chuckled at the boys' shocked face, but then he realized they were shocked about the inn. Sakura was laughing at something. This was the first time anyone heard her laugh since the mission. Something in Kakashi's stomach twist into a knot without him knowing why.

"It's so stupid how people fall for appearances of a place. I've been here before, and it's cheap compared to the design," Sakura said. She walked in before them, and Naruto hurried to catch up to her. He sent a quick glare back at the other three, but they didn't know it was aimed at Kakashi. The three soon followed, but Sai and Sasuke were confused by Naruto's sudden attachment to Sakura.

"Sakura, you'll be sharing a room with me because Tsunade only booked two rooms for us. Naruto, Sai, and Sasuke will be taking the other room," Kakashi said. He missed the look on Sakura's face. She was about to demand why when Naruto shouted it. "I'm the more responsible one." Sakura followed him to their room, which was pretty large. She took the far end and placed her bag on the floor. She could just feel his eye watching her. "Can you tell me what's wrong? Sakura, you know that since you were a Genin, you can tell me anything. I'm here to help. So, what's wrong?" Sakura didn't look at him when she froze from unpacking her pajamas and blanket.

"The mission was stressful, and I'm upset about being out of the shinobi field for a little bit," Sakura lied. Kakashi knew she was lying, but he noticed she didn't want to talk about it. He left for the hot springs, and Sakura bit her lip to keep back the tears. "Damn you for not remembering." She changed into her blue boxer shorts and a big grey t-shirt. Wiping away her tears, she went to bed. One day, she'd tell him everything, and her secrets will finally be known. She wouldn't have to hide anymore. Freedom was someday.

The next week was spent with the boys exploring the forest nearby while Sakura and Kakashi stayed at the inn. Sakura walked around the place and felt oddly familiar with it, but she couldn't place it. As she wandered the halls, she ran into a man she didn't see and fell unto her butt. Fear exploded through her veins for some odd reason as his hand was held out. She took it and was helped up.

"Are you okay, miss?" the man asked, worried. Sakura looked at him and nodded. He was about a few inches higher than her with a boyish face. His brown hair looked home-cut, and his kind blue eyes looked relieved that she was okay. "You should really watch where you're going around here. Some bad people sometimes stay here. Oh! I'm Taki, the inn's owner. I hope your stay here is pleasant." Sakura introduced herself and forced a smile. Something about this man was all too familiar and sent fear through her body. "See you around." Taki walked away as Kakashi walked over. He looked at Sakura and then at the inn owner.

"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," Kakashi said. He put a hand on Sakura's shoulder, but she ran away with an even more terrified look on her face. Kakashi just stared, but his mind was calculating what was wrong. Everything he thought of was somehow flawed deeply, and he couldn't find the truth in the facts. "Sakura, what happened to you? You used to be so damn cheerful." He walked away to find the boys.

The only thing Kakashi's eye didn't notice was Taki standing at the end of the hall with a smirk. The boyish looks were gone and replaced by an eviler and more sinister look. He laughed and looked at his hand, which held a scroll. He opened it up and laughed once more.

"Oh, my dear Sakura, when will you tell Kakashi everything? He can't remember a thing, but you'll go on remembering him and the monster he is. My poor dear, you'll never survive this," Taki said. He placed the seal on the door he stood next to and watched it disappear. "Kakashi try as you might to save her. She's too far hidden within lies." Taki walked back down the hall and disappeared.

Sakura wandered a bit longer before going to get Naruto to take her to dinner. She was stopped by Sai. He smiled at her, which caused her to take a step back. Something was off about him. She just couldn't figure it out. It was bugging her now.

"Ugly, do you want to have dinner with me?" Sai asked. He cleared it with Sasuke, and the Uchiha didn't care. Sakura looked at the sixteen-year-old boy in front of her. She didn't want to talk with him because he was insulting. "So?" He was impatient too.

"No. I was going with Naruto. Another time, Sai," Sakura said. She walked past him without noticing his smile disappearing. He had failed, so Sasuke's turn started now. Luckily for Sakura, Naruto came out of the room the boys were staying in, but unluckily, he walked into her. Naruto was the one who fell down because Sakura was caught by Kakashi. She shrugged him off and looked at Naruto. "I need to go." She went to her room without looking back. Naruto sighed and stood up. Kakashi just watched the room door.

"Knock off whatever you're trying to do! She's in a lot of pain!" Naruto scolded the Jonin. Kakashi was clueless and didn't bother asking. He wouldn't get a straight answer anyways. Naruto walked away and caught up with Sai and Sasuke. Kakashi continued to watch the door for only a few more minutes before walking in. She was sleeping on his side of the room. It wasn't that he cared; it was that it was strange. He walked over and put his blanket around her. She shivered and screamed. It was a nightmare.

"Stop it! Wake up! Please wake up," Sakura shouted. Tears began to fall, and Kakashi felt helpless. He shook her, thinking it would wake her up, but instead, it got him a punch to the ribs. He was thrown back into the table and listened to more of her pleading before blacking out. He missed the final part of her one sentence. No one would notice them missing. The rooms were sound proof and the two made it hard for people to find them. "Please wake up. Please." No one would care to look in the room for a long time.

How's that? New computer to work on, and had to install the internet on it. It was horrible. Next chapter something will be revealed. It'll be pretty dark, so look forward to it!