A/N: If you thought last chapter was bad….*whistles* I did put Horror in the summary right?

Sakura's POV

This chapter has been BETAed by kizukatana.

Nothing But Fear

Unlike yesterday where I didn't have to do anything for PE today I have to stretch with the other girls before I go off on my cardio work out with Lee.

Before that, though, I have to change into my PE uniform. Which is nothing more than short blue shorts and a white, short-sleeve, tee shirt.

All around me in the locker room are girls changing, some stand in bras and panties of various colors and designs, others sneak into the stalls to change. Afraid of being made fun of for their body. We only have ten minutes to get our uniform on.

I unbutton my blouse, then leaving my black under shirt on I reach for my tee.

"You can't do that," snickers a voice.

I turn to see Ami flanked by two others. She stands with her hands on her cocked hips while her breasts puff out in pride as if she could just intimidate me with her obviously push-up bust. Her lacy black bra and sheer panties show me way too much of her than I needed to see.

"I knew you were gay! Look stop checking me out already I don't swing that way."

Baffled I blink at her. "I'm not gay. I was just wondering if you have nothing better to do then go around showing off your bush to all of us innocent bystanders." A few girls whoop out in laugher.

"What!" Glaring down at her crotch Ami snarls. "I just waxed two days ago! I know nothing's down there!'

I shake my head at her before resuming putting on my shirt.

Suddenly my black undershirt is being lifted and I stumble on to the bench behind me as I'm left in only by bra and leggings.

Humiliated I shut my eyes as I'm forcefully turned around. Gasp's echo's throughout the now silent room. I know what they see, the long scar the runs from below my collar bone and traces the bottom of my rib cage. The countless holes, dimples and scars on the creases of my elbows from all the IV's and shots I've had in the past. They would have seen more on my thighs if not for my leggings. The other scars from where my liver and kidneys were transplanted.

"Ew! Look at all those scars!" Someone cries out.

"Oh my god!"

"That's disgusting!"

"All those marks on her arms, do you think she's a druggie?" Ami, I recognize her voice.

"Heroin! That's probably what she takes."

"She must have been so desperate for drugs that she sold her organs! Look that's where her kidneys are supposed to be!"

"Guys, maybe she got in a c-car accident or something."

"Shut up!"

"I know! She was all over Sasuke yesterday for his money! She wants to buy more of her drugs!"

"Sick freak! Get away from us!"

"Stay away from Sasuke you whore!"

"Billboard-brow doesn't seem to fit her anymore. She looks more like Frankenstein's Daughter!"

"Sick slut!"

"Girls! Calm down!" Calls out the voice of the female PE. Instructor Yugao. "Its time for class! Everybody get out!"

Slowly the voices left, leaving behind stinging whispers of how I'm an addict, a whore, a gold-digger. How I've sold organs and would sleep with others so long as I get my drugs. How I've seduced Sasuke and for his protection they would keep me away from him.

I just sit, shivering from the cold but too scared to move. I feel tears fall down my face, the burning trails the only heat I feel until a hand pats my back.

Opening my eyes I look up to Hinata dressed in sweats and her hair tied back in a high pony tail. Yugao-sensei stands beside her in grey yoga pants and a white tank top. Her long deep purple hair flows freely down her back while she stares at me with pity in her eyes.

"Sakura," Yugao starts. "I won't let this happen again. I know of your situation and I've heard the girls when I stepped in here. I'll set them straight before their rumors spread around the whole school okay. You can take some time before going out to stretch; I won't mark you tardy." She turns towards Hinata. "Stay with her and stretch with her in the gym when she's all dressed. After you two are done stretching, Hinata, make sure Lee takes over and then come join the rest of the class on the track field."

After Yugao-sensei leaves I start to look around for my under shirt only to find Hinata holding it out to me with a pained expression on her face.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I tried to stop them but…" Ashamed, she looks away.

I remember the one voice, the one mentioning the car accident. "You were the only one who tried to help me." I recall.

"I failed."

I shake my head. "You knew Ami was full of shit and spoke out to defend me when nobody else did. That was very brave of you, Hinata. I didn't even speak out for myself." If Inner were here she probably would have forced me to, I think with a small smirk. I look up and meet Hinata's astonished gaze with a warm smile. "Thank you for saving me, Hinata!"

After putting on my uniform I stand. Reaching my hand out to her I properly introduce myself. "I'm Sakura Haruno! Want to be friends?"

A moment of surprise then, Hinata smiles as she grasps my outstretched hand.

After befriending Hinata, PE isn't so bad. Without the pressure of the other girls constantly breathing down her back Hinata is able to hold conversations with both me and Lee. Lee is the TA who is in charge of making sure I work out at a steady pace. From his overly excited personality and looks I think he is related to the boy's teacher, Gai-sensei. When I ask him this though Lee freaking starts crying before exclaiming that is one of the best compliment's he's ever heard. I swear I saw the sun set behind him as he proceeded to call out to Gai-sensei and tell him what I said.

Lee and Gai-sensei are some of the strangest people I have ever met.

When class is over I dread returning to the locker room. Hinata offers to go get my belongings so I can change in the hall bathroom but I decline. I need to learn to stand up for myself when Inner isn't around. At the hospital it's easy to do that because nearly everyone I interacted with were with me for years. I grew comfortable with them and trust them to keep me alive and well.

But this is my second day here, and so far I've only made a handful of friends who I can trust. Sadly, as much as I want to, I can't trust Ino to always have my back. Whatever she went through after leaving Seven Swords caused her to have a fear of ruining the reputation she built. I now know that whatever I do may ruin that for her. Even though she changed so much I still remember the brave girl who sacrificed herself to protect me so many times at the claws and fangs of demons. I hope she is still in there somewhere.

When me and Hinata walk into the locker room a majority of the girls won't look my way. Those that do are either giving me pitiful stares or, like Ami, heavy glares. It seems as if Yugao-sensei kept her promise. But does that mean she told them everything? Like my schizophrenia? Or just my physical weakness?

I don't get to find out because we change as quickly as possible before me and Hinata go our separate ways for the next period.

Choir apparently is an easy class as the substitute is still there and still has no clue what to do. So again we watch a sing along movie to pass the time.

In Asuna-sensei's class I take my seat from yesterday. He stands in front of the class chewing on gum while going over the Three Great Wars.

Surprisingly enough this I do know. My tutors in the hospital taught me much about the bloody wars of the past and the way each is won.

Inwardly I groan when my history teacher put's on another movie. Why can't I have a day of school filled with learning? Sasuke's lesson from lunch was extremely interesting; he went over quite a lot that left me wondering about many things. It kept my mind active, which I love to feel.

I sigh; resting my head on my crossed arms that lie on my desk I watch the boring movie.

"Sa-Sakura…"

I open my eyes to find myself on an empty road. All the shops surrounding me are abandoned; broken glass litters the floor from where the windows used to be.

"Sak-ku-kura…He-help.."

The words echo through the air, but I can't pin point where they're coming from or who is speaking. It's so faint that I can barely understand what is being said.

"Sa…ura.."

Slowly I turn around.

The first thing I see is dainty feet, swaying to and fro at eye level. They are wearing black ballet slippers with gold trimming. Gulping I lift my gaze, taking in the long white dress with red capris underneath. The dangling hands have a simple gold wedding ring and bracelet on opposite hands. I start to pant. I know that ring, that bracelet, those shoes…

No, oh god please no.

As if against my will I'm forced to raise my head, reading the sign that dangles from the neck.

I Failed Her

Tears start streaming down my face as I shake, fighting against the need to continue looking up.

I won't see it! It's not real, this can't be happening.

The feeling of hands grip my head wrenching my head the rest of the way up, forcing me to stare into the dull dead eyes of my mother.

No…

"Sa-saku.." croaks the voice again.

Sobbing, I stumble around and nearly faint at the sight of Naruto weakly walking towards me. He appears unhurt, except for the fact that he is holding his stomach and his usually tan skin is pale and flushed.

"Naruto!" I run towards him, my blurry eyes preventing me from reaching him as I'm stumbling. It isn't until I'm a few feet from him that he collapse to his knees and flings back his head, his hands reach for his throat as if he is choking and with a painful gurgle he coughs up blood just before a large red paw shoots out of his mouth.

I scream, halting in my tracks as another paw reaches out. They grip the roof of his mouth and jaw and tearing his cheeks open. Blood flies through the air, sprinkling onto me I think. I'm numb from terror. Naruto's mystical blue eyes that once mesmerized me go dull before rolling back as a blood soaked furry head breeches out of his throat. Born again is the fox Inner once described to me.

Naruto's body falls to the ground , jerking weakly as the Fox is using its claws it digs its way out of the corpse of my friend, dragging its self towards my frozen form. Muttering words that grow louder with every second.

"Up….ngry…wa….food…hun.."

Only when its paw grabs my ankle do I break out of my coma. I shriek while trying to run away, then, with a vicious yank, I fall backwards. However I don't land on the ground as I feared but onto a hospital cart where I'm held down once again by faded black hands that become straps. Suddenly I'm moving and the sky above becomes the familiar lights of the Seven Swords Hospital halls. Movement jerks my eyes to see who is pushing my cot and I see that it's Dr. Orochimaru and Kabuto. They grin down at me; the insanity in their gaze makes me scream.

"…Her fault….You did this to me!" Calls out a familiar voice laced with rage, its volume louder then my voice thus bringing my attention to my old friend.

I twist my head to see Ino on one side of the hall, her once long locks gone replaced by the boy short choppy hairstyle that she used to have. Her constant jerking of her head causes her hair to stick up on end almost as bad as…Naruto's had been. She's being dragged by two faceless male nurses and is wearing a strait jacket. But that doesn't stop her from struggling to get to me, practically foaming at the mouth as she snarls.

"Wake up! It's your fault this happened! Now wake the fuck up and save me!" She yells at the top of her lungs as I pass her on the fast moving cart. I hear doors opening from above my head. The last I see of her as the doors slam shut at my feet is one of the nurses taking out a syringe then bringing it down into her neck, silencing her crazed screams and trapping me in darkness.

The moving feeling has stopped just as a bright light from above rains down on me. I try to move, to escape, to save Ino. I just know I have to get away.

"Kukuku, looks like she's ready for surgery…" Booms Orochimaru's voice from all around me. Frantically I fight against my restraints while searching for his location, but he is no where in sight.

"Dr. Orochimaru, I haven't performed a transplant before. I don't believe I cut her open correctly." This, I know this…I think I've heard it before….

"So long as she survives I don't care. I need her alive to…" His voice cuts off as a click brings another bright light into the room to my right.

"Kura…up…"

I freeze. No, how? I glance to the side.

There aren't any railings of my cot to block my view. In fact my cot is gone, replaced by a metal table the blindingly reflects the light causing me to see a soft glow and squint my eyes. After a moment I see a body lying on another metal table, this one unbound and wearing only a pair of jeans. Its pale arms are spotless a lead me to see the red and white sticking up from its chest but at this angle I can't tell what that is. But the stench of rotting flesh is overpowering and causing me to gag. When I look at the face however I see the decayed face of an otter staring back. One red eye is looking my way, shrunken, while the other is merely gone. Yellow teeth dripping with viscous black mucous overlap before opening so the zombie can croak out.

"…ake…u…"

I scream so loud that my head starts to ache, flinging my head away from the sight I meet my startled eyes in a mirror that is hovering behind the lamp above.

My chest is cut open, revealing my scared organs for all to see as my heart contracts and convulses in between my damaged lungs. The blue-white of my ribs is framed by gore of the pulled back flaps of my skin and breasts…

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The mirror doesn't end, with a pulse that beats in time with my heart it stretches out to the side. As it grows my eyes follow it's movement then I see the mirrored vision of Itachi's corpse, open and bloody. The only difference is there is no heart in his chest.

"…it's all your fault." Breaths a voice as soon as my terrified shrieks ends.

Exhausted and teary eyed, I slowly turn towards Sasuke's voice. When I meet his red gaze I try to speak out with my cracking voice only to choke as his hands strangle me, slowly crushing my wind pipe.

"Seeing you, murdering bitch, in the act has awoken me. I now know what I am, what I must do." He snarls through his teeth. "I'm an avenger! I will kill everyone and thing that has hurt my family! Starting with you Sakura!" He whispers my name, but the word chills me through to my bones.

I start to twitch, my cuffed hands try to lift themselves to fight off my would-be murderer to no avail. I try to cough, but all that accomplishes is Sasuke's hands tightening. My vision blurs.

Crunch!

Suddenly the grip on my throat is relaxes, I suck in air, coughing as I breath out. After a moment I see Sasuke swaying next to my table until he falls to the floor. Just as he falls I see on the left side of his head there is a large, bloody dent.

"That was close huh?"

Shaking I see Inner standing where Sasuke previously stood wearing her black nightgown. Draped across her shoulders is her pipe, the end of it covered with blood, bone and brain matter. She's giving me her usual shit eating grin, as if she hadn't just murdered someone I care about.

"In-Inner! What's happening?!"

She drops the pipe, a clank echoes through the room as the darkness fades. The red walls of my room fill in the spaces, I breathe out a sigh of relief at the comforting sight.

I was just dreaming.

"I'm hungry…" she mutters, though the intensity of the words reverberates through me.

Suppressing a shudder I meet Inner's blazing pink gaze. Her purple stripes thicken as she straddles my stomach, pain lashes through me. Looking down I see that my chest is still open.

"Time to wake up Sakura." Inner smiles, revealing sharpened fangs before she strikes.

The ring of the bell jolts me awake.

I'm sitting in my history class, the students surrounding me are packing up their bags and leaving for their last period of the day. The movie Asuna-sensei was showing us about the 3rd Great War on the projector is over. The menu screen constantly looping the depressing instrumental music.

A chill creeps down my torso, I look down to see the two black hands from my nightmare quickly gliding down my body and onto the floor. Panting, my eyes follow them as thy retreat to the shadow of the sleeping boy in the back of the class with the pineapple hair. He sits up with a yawn before he begins to gather his things.

What the hell was that!

"S-Sakura-san? Are you alright? "

Hinata is standing next to my desk. Worry clouding her features as I struggle to catch my breath.

"I…I don't know." I say truthfully. "Hey, Hinata. Who's that back there?"

With an uncomfortable grimace she mutters, "Shikamaru."

A/N:

I've been dying to post this chapter for forever!

Pretty freaky right?

Sorry no Inner this week, but this chapter has been bubbling in my mind for months now and this is the perfect place where is needed to be. Again sorry. We'll get back to Inner soon but remember this is a SAKURA fanfiction. Inner is important, though so I won't leave her floating away.

So what do you think Shikamaru is? How did you like Hinata and Sakura's friendship starting? Did this chapter freak you out?

Please review!