DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FANFICTION.
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This was a fortuitous day indeed. It had been three years since he'd seen the girl and here she was, showing up with his target.
And not only that, she had friends he could use against her.
The man smiled, revealing straight, white teeth.
"Keigo, take the antidote to the yellow house on Dockstreet. Don't let them see you."
"Sir?" the young man was confused, why would his master cure a peasant girl?
"I want her alive. Sneak into the house and give her the antidote then leave."
"Yes, sir."
Keigo left the compound with the small corked bottle of yellow liquid. It looked more like piss than an antidote to him, but if the boss said it was an antidote, then it was an antidote.
No matter what it looked like.
---
"Sasuke? Is that you?"
It was dark, she couldn't see, couldn't feel, couldn't hear. The darkness pressed in on her senses, rendering her helpless.
She tried to lift her foot to take a step forward, but her legs were too heavy.
Something pressed on the back of her head and she tried to lift her arm to find what it was, but her arms were heavy as well.
"Sasuke? Sasuke, is that you? Why won't you answer?"
Something cool touched her lips, forcing them open gently, and she tried to scream, but nothing would come.
Something was sliding down her throat and she swallowed it.
"Good, good girl."
"Sasuke?"
Silence.
"Sakura? Are you out of bed?"
Bed? Am I asleep? Then why can't I move?
"Sakura?"
Something fell over with a thump and she could swear she heard a window open.
"Sakura, Sakura are you okay?"
Tenten? Am I hurt?
She struggled to open her leaden eyelids, and Tenten's face came into view.
"Sakura, there was a boy in here, did you see him?" Tenten was frantic with worry.
Was he trying to kill her? Is that why Tenten was so scared?
But he couldn't have been trying to kill her. She was feeling better already.
"No, I didn't. I had a really strange dream though." her head was pounding, but her nausea was gone, as well as the heaviness in her limbs.
Had she been given an antidote?
"I need to tell Naruto. You keep lying down."
Tenten left Sakura's room feeling more confused than ever.
---
When Naruto returned with Kiba and Lee after some pickpocketing in the market an hour later, Tenten had look of guilt on her face that told him instantly that something had happened with Sakura.
"Tenten, what happened?" he was face to face with the shorter girl.
"I was in the kitchen because I wanted to finish baking the bread I'd been making and-"
"You left her alone!" Naruto yelled, dashing up the stairs. "Sakura!" he burst into her room and caught her with her back to the door, changing clothes.
"Narutoooo!" Sakura screeched, holding her clean shirt to her chest as she punched him. She slammed the door and Naruto heard it lock.
His forehead knitted with concern. The door-locking wasn't new, but what had been on her back was.
The scar on her back. He'd never seen it before. It looked like initials, but they'd been sideways, and he hadn't gotten a long enough look at them.
What was more, it looked to be only a few years old.
What else had she hidden from them?
He stood, rubbing his nose gingerly. She'd punched it hard, but had deliberately pulled the blow so that his nose didn't break.
"Sakura? Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"Fine, actually. Really fine." she opened the door suddenly and Naruto flinched from force of habit.
"What? Why?"
"I dunno. I had this really weird dream where S- someone poured something down my throat and when I woke up, I felt better." she hoped Naruto didn't notice she'd nearly said Sasuke's name.
"Sakura, what were you doing with Sasuke Uchiha?" He had her backed against a wall, one hand on either side of her body.
"We- I just- I picked his pocket. He followed me so I had to hide. Then he sent people out looking for me." she couldn't look Naruto in the eyes at all.
"We both know you're a bad liar, Sakura." Naruto said, turning to leave. " I don't know what you're hiding from us, but remember: we were your friends first."
He left and the door closed, leaving her in the darkness.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
---
She climbed out her window and dropped lightly to the stones below.
She had promised to come back and take Sasuke out.
She wasn't going to break her promise.
---
Naruto slammed his fist onto the table, sending clay plates and cups into the air.
Kiba and Lee managed to grab the majority of the flying dishes, but two cups and a dinner plate weren't so lucky. They fell over the edge of the table and shattered on the floor.
"Naruto, cool down!" Kiba said, "I know it's late, and I know she's gone again, but we can't stop her. We've never been able to. You know that."
"Shut up! We're going to Uchiha's tonight. I want to know why Sakura was with him and why she's lying about meeting him." Naruto's blue irises were turning red, as they did when he was truly pissed. Sakura's leaving had left him with no doubts that there was something going on between her and Sasuke.
And he didn't like it one jot.
Kiba looked out the window, face creased with thought.
"It's already dark out."
"Then we're going now."
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A/N:
=)
R&R please