Monster:

A/N: I wanted to thank all the people that reviewed on this so far, and those who favorited. It means a lot!

~xxx~ Chapter 3: A Quizzical Question ~xxx~

Sakura woke the next morning to three ANBU soldiers knocking on her door. Taka, Neko and Karasu. Neji, TenTen and Rock Lee. Sakura had to laugh at the originality of their names.

"God what did I do this time?" She asked, irritated that they would dare threaten to wake her so early in the morning.

The guard in the hawk mask spoke first. His voice was calm and collected, "The Lord Hokage is requesting your presence Haruno-san."

Sakura raised a single pink brow, "You don't have to be so formal so early Neji, really. Did he say what he wanted?"

The cat masked answered next, "Something about the retrieval of a number zero-zero…"

Sakura nodded, "What are we waiting for?" She inquired as she walked out the door, closing it behind her, "Lets go."

She hated ANBU escorts. They were always too pushy and in her personal space, it wasn't like she was going to run off on them and leave the village. Besides, it wasn't like she could out-run Neji, TenTen and Lee. She'd have to be crazy to think that the masked people to her sides and her front would let her get even ten feet away.

"So what exactly is this number that you're retrieving, a disclosed file?" The one in the crow mask asked smoothly. His voice showing no emotion, not even the slightest bit of curiosity, but Sakura knew it was there somewhere. "Perhaps a forbidden technique?"

Sakura shook her head, "It's classified."

"Awe, well." He replied.

"Where's Shikamaru?" Sakura casually asked noticing the fourth member of the team missing.

"Lord Hokage requested that he stay for briefing. He has a solo mission."

"I see."

~xxx~

Sakura said nothing as she was escorted into Naruto's office; she only bowed her head in respect and stood silently next to Shikamaru and his damned wolf mask painted with black swirls and black outlined clouds.

Naruto waved his hand, "Taka, Neko and Karasu, you're all dismissed."

The three ANBU nodded their heads and left respectfully.

Naruto looked up at Sakura, "You have three months to figure out what's wrong with him. He attacked three guards last night, broke an 'unbreakable' two-way mirror with his hands and tore up his padded confinement-cell. All in all, he did some serious damage without chakra; therefore Shikamaru is being assigned as your protection unit. He's the only ANBU member with no prejudice against the man that attacked his village. You'd better thank him for being willing to help you out."

Sakura sighed and turned to Shikamaru, "Thank you." She whispered, "You didn't have to do this." She managed a weak smile.

"Like my father said, he's not a man that would turn against everything he believes in on purpose." He answered her.

Sakura turned back to Naruto, "Are we picking him up, or is he being escorted?"

"He's in a solitary cell below the tower. You're to use a transportation jutsu to escort him to your home." Naruto hung his head, "It's all I can do for you Sakura-chan."

She nodded. "Thank you."

She and Shikamaru left without a word and made their way to the holding cells beneath the city.

"So, what do you think is wrong with him?" Shikamaru inquired coolly. "Naruto said you noticed some anomaly in his chakra?"

Sakura looked up at her taller friend as they passed through a security point; they waved quickly then went back to their conversation. "Well, it was an anomaly, I'll give it that. But I don't know if it's literally in his chakra, it should have affected other parts of his system besides his head by now." She wrapped her arms around herself shuddering at the chill she felt as they neared Kakashi's cell.

Shikamaru lifted his mask to the side, "Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi picked his head up, looking at the duo with interest. "God I must be in heaven. Sakura has brought another visitor." Kakashi said his voice laced thickly with sarcasm.

"Hey!" Sakura scolded, "We're on your side, so suck up that pissy attitude before I knock it out of you." She threatened coldly.

Shikamaru gave her a fleeting glance before looking back at Kakashi. "We're taking you to Sakura's house. You're under permanent isolation to her property until further notice. It's better than a cold damp cell."

Kakashi sighed and nodded, "That it is. Did you ever get your heating fixed?"

"No, but we brought over your clothes, so you'll have to put on a couple extra layers." She answered with a smile. "You ready to go?"

"I've been in a cage for three months, what do you think?"

Shikamaru shrugged at Kakashi's viciousness and unlocked the cell with a 'Kai, Shadow Release'. Kakashi stepped out and sighed as Shikamaru transported them back to Sakura's winter-wonderland of an apartment.

Kakashi looked around and smiled. It was nice to really be out of that damned prison. He turned to the duo again, "So what makes you think I didn't trash the village on purpose?"

The younger Jounin's exchanged glances before Sakura answered, "Well, There seems to be something wrong with the chakra flow in your head." She told him smoothly, "We don't know what it is, but we intend to find out."

"Great."

"Why don't you get some sleep, Kakashi? The spare room is yours, and there are extra blankets in the closet." She told him with a weak sigh.

Kakashi nodded and went to the room down the hallway, slamming the door behind him.

Sakura looked up at Shikamaru as she sunk to her couch, "Why is he so upset about this?"

The cloud gazer shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe because you sort of just told him the only reason he got out of there is because there is something wrong with him?"

Sakura rested her face against her palms, "Fuck. Well at least he's out of there, right?"

"Mm…he'll get over it. What do you think those rampages look like; I was out of town when he hit Konoha."

"I was out too, I came back to find out he was in prison the day after." She said with weak shake of her head, "I've been fighting for his freedom the last three months."

Shikamaru nodded, "I heard he was like a whole other person from some of the guards, he was like an animal."

"Like a monster." Sakura whispered to herself.

~xxx~

Sakura was surprised when she woke up to find Shikamaru and Kakashi sitting at her small kitchen table eating bacon so early in the morning. She did a double take as she poured herself a mug of warm tea.

"Where'd you guys get the meat?"

Shikamaru and Kakashi both exchanged glances before looking back at Sakura. "You didn't buy it?"

Sakura shook her head, "I don't remember buying any. I haven't been shopping in a long time…Was that in the fridge?"

They nodded their heads slowly…

"You might want to spit that out then…" She told them with a snicker.

"It tastes great." Kakashi muttered as he took another bite of the meat. "Better than that shit I ate in prison. Your shower is nice too; you have no idea what they want to do to a guy like me in a place like that."

Shikamaru spit his milk across the table and Sakura coughed as the last couple words left his mouth.

Shikamaru's eyes were wide in fear, "What'd they do?"

"You don't even want to know…terrible, horrible things! Things that give us nightmares…." He leaned in closer, "They take your pocky and…and they eat it. In front of you."

"You are so fucked up in the head!" Shikamaru belted out as he started rolling against the table with laughter; Kakashi's face still completely serious.

Sakura cocked an eyebrow and looked to Kakashi, "They take your pocky? How the hell do you get pocky?"

"We were issued a box every month. They go kind of like cigarettes…but those we had to sneak in." He answered composedly. "Speaking of which, you don't have any do you?"

"Cigarettes or Pocky?"

"Do I look like I'm in the mood for Pocky?"

She thought about it for a moment, "Yes."

Kakashi smiled fakely at her, "Then get me some damn pocky, woman."

"Who the fuck do you think you are? I am not getting you pocky, get it yourself." She asked astonished. "I got you out of prison, at least be grateful for it!"

Kakashi sat back in his chair and stared at her, "I want pocky."

"Get it yourself."

"No."

"Yes."

"I don't think so."

"Well I do."

"I don't."

"I do."

"I don't."

"Sakura…"

"Kakashi?"

"Sakura, now."

"I don't think so, Kakashi."

"Well I do."

"Sakura!"

"Kakashi!"

"Shikamaru!" The ANBU officer added with a smile.

Both Cell Number Seven members glared at him coldly. "Do you want to get the pocky?"

The cloud watcher held his hands up in defense, "I have to live here too; I just didn't want to be left out."

"What happened to the you that didn't care about anything?" Kakashi asked, irritated that he'd interrupted their conversation.

Shikamaru scratched his stubble-covered chin for a moment, "He doesn't like to be left out?"

"Ah, that explains everything." He said sarcastically, "Please let us finish, or go get the damned candy."

"I thought you didn't like sweets, Hatake."

"Pocky is fine. Who doesn't like pocky?"

"Why the hell are we arguing over pocky?" Sakura yelled over the both of them.

"Why the hell aren't you getting me any?"

"Get it yourself!"

Shikamaru stood up, "I will go buy some fucking pocky! You," He snarls pointing at Kakashi, "Don't kill her." He points to Sakura. "Sakura, Don't kill Kakashi. Got it?"

"Yeah." They answer in unison.

They both watch as he left before Sakura turned around and pulled a box of pocky from her cabinet tossing it at Kakashi. "Have at it."

He smiled, "So how long do you think it will take him?"

"To buy you pocky?"

"Well, when you said you wanted to talk to me alone, I figured I'd better come up with a good reason to get him out of the place." He said as he opened the small package. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"I was wondering if you had any medical history that involved trauma to your head."

"He had to leave for that?"

Sakura shrugged, "I also wanted to talk to you about the jolt I felt when I examined your head."

"Okay."

"It was a chakra based jolt, but...it was different, like it wasn't even your chakra Kakashi. It scared me." She told Kakashi as she sat across from him at the table, coffee mug in hand. "I think it might have something to do with your temper lately."

He nodded her words sinking in. "Okay, what do you suggest we do about it?"

"I suggest that we screen you for other mentalities and mind sets. Then we'll check your chakra flow and Ninpou points and make sure none of your lines are disconnected. Alright?"

"Okay, one thing though."

"Mmhmm?"

"What if something is wrong?" he asked wearily.

She sighed, "We'll deal with that when it gets here."

~xxx~

This chapter kind of kicked my ass. At least they are making progress now, right? Um, and Shikamaru just kinda didn't want to be left out. That's all I have to say at the moment, so until next chapter…

-regas