A/N: chapter 2, it's up pretty quickly because I pretty much had it half done when I posted the first chapter. But anyway, I seriously don't know where this is going now, and it's getting a little dramatic. Oh well.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its components in any way, nor do I make a profit.

They were all chuunin, Team 7, and technically, they didn't need to have a jounin teaching them. For some reason, they all still did. Perhaps this was their last feeble grasp at their childhood memories, a steady anchor in their rapidly changing world.

When she reached the apartment that she had recently bought, she stepped inside and locked the door, flinging her shuriken holster and weapons pouch on the table. She felt a little sweaty, and as far as she was concerned, a shower would be the best remedy.

Before she had had this apartment, the Academy had been giving her a place to stay, as she had no parents and no living relatives to care for her. Sakura had decided that she rather liked having her own place. There was no one to disturb her, and she could do whatever she wanted.

But at the same time, it was lonely. Every day, Sakura would come back to her empty apartment, her social life over for the time, unless she had previously made plans with Ino. She often longed for someone who understood, and had quickly befriended the sand ninja Temari during the chuunin exams. Of course, Temari lived in the Sand Village, and it was not often that she was in Konoha long enough for them to talk.

After her shower, Sakura dressed in clean clothes and decided to go out. It was nearly dinner time, but she wasn't terribly hungry, and she had time to kill. Though she wanted to be rested for their mission tomorrow, she felt an obligation to a little bit of fun.

She was sixteen, and she needed a release from all of the shinobi standards and expectations. Slipping into her new mini and a workable top, she fixed her hair up and darted out the door, heading for the hot new club down the street.

It was fairly new, and as she had already been there twice, having been yanked along by Ino, she knew what to expect at night. Crowded, pulsing music, thick heat, and a wonderful opportunity to let loose. She slipped in with no problem and found a spot in the middle of the dance floor, among the many crushing bodies.

Closing her eyes, she managed to block out the flickering strobe lights and the jostling people around her, and focused on the music, a slow, sensual beat that led her to sway her hips and throw her arms in the air. It was amazing, to feel nothing but this perfection, a flawless blending of body and beat.

How long she stayed like this, she didn't know, but she only snapped out of her reverie when a hand tapped her shoulder. Startled, she opened her eyes to a boy that looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't seem to place him.

"Hey, do you want something to drink?" he asked, giving Sakura a small smile.

Sakura stopped dancing and stared at him. He had shaggy brown hair that flopped in his face and startling hazel eyes. Glancing around and finding nothing suspicious, she shrugged and nodded. He led her to the bar and paid for her drink, then they both moved to a booth.

"So," he began, smiling at her. "I don't believe we've met, but you are Haruno Sakura, right?"

Sakura's fingers, which had been playing with her straw, stilled. "Yes…" she answered slowly, then squinted up at him, trying to make him out in the flickering lights. Suddenly it clicked.

"Kyone Harati!" she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "You went to the Academy the same year I did."

He grinned. "Yes, that's right. I've had a crush on you since we were seven," he confided, a sheepish look on his face.

Despite herself, a blush crept up Sakura's face and heated her cheeks. She looked down, taking a nervous sip of her drink to cover it up.

"So you're a chuunin now?" Kyone questioned, watching her face intently. Sakura nodded.

"Yes, but I'm currently still training with my genin team." They chatted for a few minutes, making small talk.

"Can I walk you home?" Kyone asked suddenly, leaning his elbows on the table.

Sakura looked up, surprised, and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that," she answered, just barely loud enough to be heard over the music.

Kyone grinned at her and she felt herself blushing again. This isn't like me, she thought slowly. She was around lots of cute guys, and she never blushed whenever they smiled at her.

Sasuke, for instance. Well, that wasn't a really good example. She had blushed, when she believed herself madly in love with him. Plus, he never smiled, and the guy was enough of an asshole to blot out his looks anyway. Shikamaru, Naruto, Hutame, Kilon, Neji (also a jerk), and even Kakashi (though there was some speculation about that one).

Kyone held out a hand to her, and she took it, abandoning her drink and stepping out of the booth. Surprisingly, he didn't let go of her hand once she'd stood, and pulled her gently through the crowd out into the street.

She took a deep breath, relishing the cooler and fresher air. Kyone looked down at her, still holding her hand, she noticed.

"Are you cold?" he asked, seemingly concerned. Before she could reply he had tugged her closer and slung his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened, but didn't move to break his arm off. Was this unpleasant? She wasn't completely sure.

There was something about the way that he had moved in so quickly on her that set alarms blaring in her mind. But, for some reason, she didn't want to think, couldn't think. It was getting easier to just let his arm remain there, to lean into his embrace.

Her vision was for some reason foggier, her movements slower. That was when she realized that they weren't heading in the direction of her house. In fact, they were heading in the opposite direction. She tried to speak, to tell Kyone that he was going the wrong way, but all that came out was a cross between a whimper and a whine.

Kyone looked down at her and smiled. "Almost there, dear," he said, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. Sakura knew something was wrong. She tried to pull away, but managed to lazily lift her head and sluggishly move out of his grip.

"S-stop. You put smnnnthgg in my drnnk," she slurred, blinking rapidly. Kyone laughed, and the sound echoed in her misty mind.

"Little late for that, hmm? Now be good and let's keep going." He reached out to pull her close again when a hand grabbed his wrist.

"I'll be taking her home now."

Sakura turned her head slowly and her hazy vision picked out a navy blue shirt and white pants. Sasuke…

Alright, she would have to lower his asshole rating a bit for this one. If there was anything Sasuke had, it was impeccable timing. It was lucky that he had shown up in time, or who knows what could have happened.

She merely looked on, too drugged to respond as Sasuke verbally beat Kyone off. He sounded furious, a cold, hard edge to his voice. Probably at me…being…stupid, she thought drowsily, watching Kyone fly into a wall with a dreamy smile on her face.

"Sasuke-kunnn," she purred, wrapping her arms around her rescuer. He froze, and looked down at her sternly. She only smiled back, realizing yet again how handsome he was.

"Sakura, you're going home now. Tell me where you live."

She tried, tried very hard to remember, and finally produced some vague directions. Sasuke only nodded and swept her up, slinging her over his shoulder as easily as if she were a backpack.

Normally she would have protested, but instead she allowed herself to be carried back to her apartment, through her door, and set gently on her bed. The last thing she remembered was Sasuke covering her with a blanket and mumbling something about her immaturity and stupidity, followed by a hasty "good night".

Then the door shut with a reassuring click and everything fell away into blackness.

Beep beep beep beep beep

Sakura's eyes cracked open, and she immediately shut them again as a wave of nausea washed over her. Groaning, she rolled over on her stomach and pulled the pillow over her aching head. What had she done last night? She couldn't remember.

Finally the incessant beeping drove her crazy and she flung the pillow, successfully knocking the alarm clock to the floor. The assailant silenced, Sakura slowly sat up, cradling her head in her hands. She felt as if someone had whacked her over the head with a baseball bat.

Had she gotten drunk? She didn't think so. Sighing, Sakura stood and gingerly made her way to the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth.

As she glanced in the mirror, she noticed she was wearing the same clothes she had been in last night. When she had gone to the club. Where she had met Kyone, if that was even his name. Where Kyone had slipped something into her drink. Where Sasuke had come to her rescue.

Sakura's eyes widened and she clutched the edge of the sink, the fuzzy memories beginning to return. She realized how close she had come to waking up in some random room and not remembering a thing. How could she have been so careless?

Looking in the mirror again she took in her own pale face, anguished and frightened. Her hair hung in disarray around her face, her makeup smeared under her wide green eyes. She looked fragile. Like a single tap could break her, shatter her into a million irreparable pieces.

Clenching her jaw, Sakura forced her expression into one of blankness. She was obviously not her usual cheery self, but neither was she a terrified little girl.

Next she tried to look strong, audacious. She narrowed her emerald eyes and glared at her reflection, but she didn't feel as if she pulled it off. Instead she felt like a child playing dress up in her mother's clothes. It wasn't right on her, she couldn't fill it out. Would it always be this way? Was she destined to always be weak, when she had tried so hard to become strong?

Sakura was a kunoichi, a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. Her job was to protect the citizens of Konoha, first and foremost. How could she be trusted with that job when it seemed she couldn't even protect herself? Sighing, she let her expression slip once again into blankness, the neutral zone.

She had been taking tentative steps in her confidence level, as her training and methods seemed to improve. But now it all seemed like a joke. She could believe all she wanted, but when it came down to it, she was still the same person inside that she had been years ago.

She gave her reflection one last searching look, and turned away, disappointed. She would of course have to thank Sasuke. God knows what he would have to say about her sense of judgment because of last night. On top of that, he now almost certainly viewed her as the same weak genin assigned to his team four years ago.

It was amazing how horrible life could become in the span of one night.

Sakura took a quick shower, scrubbing her skin until it was red and raw and massaging her scalp, hoping to dull the pain in her head a bit. She didn't know what had been put in her drink, but she figured it would be better to get herself checked out before their mission.

When she looked at the clock in her kitchen, she was dressed, with her bag already packed for the mission. She still had an hour and a half before she had to meet Team 7 at the gates. Still feeling a bit nauseous, she decided against breakfast and instead made her way to the hospital.

She sincerely hoped the Fifth Hokage wasn't in at this hour. While it killed her enough that Sasuke knew about her irresponsible actions, it would crush her for Tsunade to think of her that way as well. The woman was everything she wanted to be. Strong, self-sufficient, successful…

With a sigh, Sakura walked through the doors and up to the desk, explaining that she wanted a simple physical. The woman assigned her to a room on the second floor, and Sakura thanked her quietly, then took the stairs up to her room.

While she waited on the table, she bit her lip. Whomever the nurse was, she would have to explain the situation and trust that it wouldn't be repeated to anyone else. The door opened, and Shizune walked in, a smile spreading on her face when she saw Sakura.

Relief engulfed Sakura as she smiled back at Shizune. This woman, though the Hokage's assistant, was someone she could trust. Shizune wouldn't see her as an irresponsible child.

"Ah, Sakura! Nice to see you." She looked down at her clipboard. "A physical? Didn't you have one last month?"

Sakura lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Yes, but you see…last night I went to a club downtown, and I met this guy there." Shizune's mouth was turning down more and more at the corners as she went on.

"He offered to buy me a drink, and I accepted. I thought he used to be in my genin class at the Academy. Anyway he asked if he could walk me home, and while we were walking, I started feeling sleepy. My vision was blurry and it was very hard to think, and then I realized that we weren't heading towards my apartment. I tried to pull away but I was too weak. Then Sasuke showed up, and saved me. He took me home." She was glad that her voice hadn't cracked from shame in the middle of her explanation. 'I was too weak'. The words seemed to burn in her mouth.

Hearing the story from herself made it seem all the more reckless and stupid. She was stupid. Letting a guy do that to her, when she should be able to care for herself. She shouldn't need Sasuke to look out for her. She didn't want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't, though.

Sakura slowly let her chin drop until her head hung in humiliation. Shizune hadn't said anything yet. Suddenly she was in front of Sakura, and she tilted Sakura's chin up with her finger. Her eyes were kind and understanding, and Sakura allowed herself to draw strength from them.

"Sakura," she said softly, shaking her head. Sakura raised a brow in confusion.

"I'm sorry this had to happen to you. It's not your fault."

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? It is my fault! I should have been able to protect myself! And I couldn't, Shizune-san. I failed myself and Konoha by confirming what people have been saying for years," she exclaimed, and she could feel tears gathering in her eyes. Damn it all to hell.

Shizune shook her head again.

"No, Sakura. You didn't fail. People like that have many ways of tricking women into drinking or eating something. It was not your fault, and you shouldn't be ashamed. That man should, for the things he was willing to do. I'm just very glad Sasuke showed up before it got much worse," she replied, watching Sakura's face.

"And what do you mean? What did you supposedly confirm?" Shizune asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"That I'm weak! The most pathetic member of Team 7." This she said emotionlessly. It was a fact, after all. Shizune actually rolled her eyes.

"No one has ever said that, and it's not true. Anyone who works hard will get their reward, and you, Sakura, work hard. Even Tsunade agrees with me. You'll see, in time. There are different types of strengths, Sakura."

Sakura was in shock. Tsunade? The Hokage? Impossible. The thought filled her with a giddiness that she hadn't felt in a while. She certainly didn't want the Hokage's view of her marred, especially now. Perhaps that was what she would do. She had an image to uphold with someone she admired greatly, and she had something to prove to her teammates and herself.

Sakura watched Shizune. "Tsunade…?" she questioned, astonishment clear on her features.

Shizune smiled gently. "Yes, Sakura. Tsunade has commented to me that she believes you surpass your teammates in ways unknown even to you, even if you may not feel that way. She thinks that wherever it is you want to go, you'll get there." Her expression turned thoughtful.

"You've never been one to give up, Sakura. Don't start now."

Sakura was reeling. The Fifth had said that about her? Well, then. If Tsunade believed it, then it must be true. But how? She was not physically stronger, that was obvious. That was something that she could change, though. She was shaken by last night's events, physically and emotionally, that was for sure. Sakura needed to get her feet back under her and plow on, harder than before.

She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself, because when she succumbed to the temptation to despair and give up, that was when she was truly weak. She lifted her head and looked Shizune in the eye.

"Hai, Shizune-san. I won't let you or Tsunade-sama down, I promise."

Shizune smiled, and Sakura thought that she looked proud for a second. Then she was all business, the therapist side of her gone and the doctor taking over.

"So I assume you want me to check for traces of the drug and flush it out?" she questioned, checking Sakura's pupils with a small flashlight.

Sakura nodded. "Hai, arigatou."

Shizune placed her fingers on Sakura's temples and as her soothing green chakra flowed, Sakura's headache ebbed and disappeared all together.

After a few minutes, her stomach seemed to settle back into its rightful place, and the nausea faded. Finally Shizune pulled away.

"Alright, you're all set. It was a common drug, thank god. Easily removed. And, Sakura, when you get back, please turn this man in. We don't want him walking around looking for more victims. Now I believe you have a mission today, yes? You had better get going."

Sakura hopped off the table, feeling better than she had in a while, and it was not just due to the healing.

Before she went out the door, Sakura stopped and looked back at Shizune.

"Arigatou, Shizune-san. Truly," she said, giving her a soft smile.

Shizune smiled back. "You're welcome, Sakura. If you ever need to talk, let me know, alright?"

Sakura was floored by the compassion she had received from this woman. She nodded, then turned to leave, but hesitated. Running back, she threw her arms around the short woman, hugging her tightly. Shizune returned the embrace, still smiling. Sakura turned and left the room, hurrying down the hallway.

Shizune stared after her, silently wishing the girl luck. She knew Sakura, and if anyone had the determination and loyalty needed most in a ninja, it was her. With everything that Sakura had already been through, including losing her parents, it was understandable that she needed a few encouraging words now and then. But Shizune was confident. Sakura would pull through, and she would come out on top. After all, Tsunade had told her so.

A/N: ok, now you know what to do. Review please! If you have any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. ;)