Madness Contagion

(A/N: Damn I really went overboard with the updates… I can't promise they'll always be so soon like this, I'll certainly try my best to always update quickly like this, but no promises, I can, however, promise at least one a week, if you can try to review as well. I really like suggestions, so if you have one you could PM me or whatever, I'd really like it.)

Standard disclaimer applied.
If I owned Naruto I'd have enough money to hire a maid who would clean my room for me, but alas, I do not.

Chapter Two; the Importance of Defense

Sakura was surprised to find Sasuke already awake and prepared in the training clothing Kabuto-San had dropped off at his door later the night before, grey sweatpants and a tight white tank-top. Sakura herself wore short black spandex shorts and a crimson tank top, her long locks pulled into a ponytail as her bangs hung freely in place, Sasuke followed behind her silently as they made their way to the first training ground, where Oto guards were already being lined up by Kabuto.

Sakura's breath hitched slightly at the sight of Orochimaru, he usually never participated in watching training, and Sakura highly doubted he would be teaching Sasuke anything himself considering the current state of his arms, although Sakura could understand his want to watch the young Uchiha in battle, to get a proper evaluation of his skills.

However upon entering she noticed his head motioning to her in a 'come hither' indication and she made her way across the room, wanting to slap him as his eyes traveled along her body, but knowing her place and holding her tongue were two things she was very good at.

"You healed Sasuke-kun, ne?" The older man questioned, shaking his long, inky locks from his face as he grinned at the raven haired teen now sparring with one of the Oto guards, who looked more confident with the pinkette on the other side of the room, although it was short lived as Sasuke brutally dragged a kunai across the guards throat without hesitation, Sakura felt her eyes narrow as her hands lit up green and she prepared to go and heal the injured man before he died, but Kabuto's arm jutted out and paused her in her tracks (He had walked beside them moments ago), she sighed and took a step back, the glow slowly receding into her hands as she placed her palms into her lap, watching the Uchiha kick away the man's body before another was plucked from the group and thrown into ring with him, this one looking much more cautious of the ex-Konoha genin before him.

Sakura's hand curled into a fist at her side as she watched him chop through Oto nin after Oto nin mercilessly, even she if prompted to kill others made it swift and painless, she got nothing out of taking the life of another, but this boy- he seemed to be enjoying it, his own eyes blazing a crimson of sorts like her own, although from what Orochimaru-Sama has told her it's a doujutsu within his eyes that allows him to see and repeat jutsu, quite impressive, she had to admit.

The pinkette studied his movements with her eyes, all of his attacks focused on offensive strike, while he was precise with his strikes, assuring them to be in very sensitive, fatal areas, he miscalculated when he attempted to hit them, he was going for difficult areas to reach, using brute force as his advantage, leaving much room for error, not that the Oto nin noticed, he was too busy fearing for his life, but to a skilled opponent, Uchiha Sasuke was not impressive. He was lacking strategy and defensive technique, Orochimaru-Sama must have noticed this as well, because he turned to her, wincing slightly as the motion tugged on his dead arms, his golden eyes cloudy with illness although he farced a sinister grin "Hime, would you mind helping Sasuke-kun a bit? I've grown quite tired."

I offered a nod and watched from the corner of my eye as Kabuto lead Orochimaru-Sama out the door, before my eyes narrowed dangerously on the genin before me, I called a stop to the battle and watched as he turned to me, crossing his arms over his chest in clear displeasure as I walked forward, pulling a scroll from my kunai pouch strapped to my left thigh I completed a series of single-handed seals, and with a poof of smoke, a kusarigama (1) appeared in my hand, I grabbed a handful of the long, silver chain in my left hand, and gripped the base of the curved blade with the other, nearing Sasuke with slow, strong strides.

And as I tossed the blade through the air, using the chain to direct it, as predicted it sliced into Sasuke's shoulder, he grunted, unappreciative the blow that had been done to him as he glared openly at he woman who was standing before him, hands on her hips in disapproval, "Come at me." Were her slowly spoken words, he followed her direction, charging at her, kunai in hand, she easily evaded his swipe, grabbing onto his arm and using it as leverage, twisting it behind his back and curling her own hand around his wrist, forcing his hand to press a kunai harshly against his back, he was breathing heavily now, agitation rolling off of his body in waves.

"Defensive attacks are equal to, if not more important than offensive. Some attacks are two powerful to match, and you must be able to defend yourself from them." She said in smooth instruction and she released the Uchiha, pressing a hand to his shoulder, healing torn flesh and muscle, although she was not apologetic, bastard deserved it.

He looked annoyed and the pinkette resisted the urge to break her mask and chuckle, but the arrogant glimmer in his eyes reminded her that showing such weakness in this place meant imminent death.

"Try only defensive attacks." She instructed, taking his small nod as an indication to begin, she took an offensive position and aimed a kick for his gut, slowly, not using her enhanced speed, allowing him to catch her calf and use his weight to push to her the floor, kunai at her throat. "Good, now I'm going to move a bit faster this time, okay?" She nodded and stood, aiming a punch for his head, he caught it, swaying slightly at her strength, at that point she aimed a kick for his chest, and he slid backwards with a grunt under the force.

She ran towards him, sweeping his legs from beneath him, he caught himself mid-back flip and used the momentum to force his heel upwards, it connected with her gut but she didn't flinch under the blow and grabbed his leg, using it to swing him in the opposite direction, he caught himself and landed on his feet, she charged again, a blow to his sternum connected and she used the moment of weakness to connect another blow to his cheek, rattling him under the impact.

As she extended a hand to her opponent he took it, and she slowly helped him up, with a nod she put some space between the two, taking yet another offence stance.

"Again."

-X-X-X-

Several hours had passed through their training, her and Sasuke sat on the floor in silence. Sasuke covered in a healthy sheen of sweat and panting slightly, Sakura looking calm and composed, her long hair now hanging around her as the rubber band in her hair had snapped at some point through the training, sweat glistening lightly on her alabaster skin, Kabuto had come back and brought them rice balls for lunch, and they ate in silence, but Sakura could feel the Uchiha's eyes wandering on her from time to time, fed up, the pinkette sighed, "Is there something you'd like to ask me, Uchiha-San?" She questioned, biting into her second rice ball, eyes unfocused and staring blankly into the wall across the room.

"You're from Leaf." He stated blandly, on his fourth rice ball and still counting, his eyes cold and calculating as he sized up the girl beside him, honestly the only way he'd been able to recognize her was her exotic hair, he presumed not many people had pink hair, although her name confirmed her identity.

She nodded, "Hai." A simple response, the Uchiha's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance before he dropped the subject, it wasn't his business why she was here. Possibly for the same reason he was; Power. To become stronger, he didn't really care; it had nothing to do with him.

"You improve quickly." She stated calmly, taking a sip of tea as she peered at the Uchiha beside her, who offered he a small grunt in response, something he did often. He wasn't very talkative, which was fine, most people she had come in contact here weren't, and the ones that were, she surely wished weren't. It was however true, in just a few hours of training, Sasuke's defensive attacks were becoming more precise and accurate, perhaps he was a prodigy, he had always been top of the class in the Academy, at least from what she could remember.

"Your fighting style is mainly defensive." He stated, his voice a calm monotone, although it held the underlining tones of his exhaustion, he hadn't ducked into his chakra reserves once, however, it was strictly taijutsu today, which for someone who favored Ninjutsu, such as himself, was not bad, not impressive, but not all together awful.

Sakura nodded once more, "I find it more effective."

"Why? Wouldn't offense in battle make more sense?" He questioned, his tone held a genuine curiosity as he addressed her, taking a sip from his own cup of tea, one of the overhead lights blinked slightly, but the pair ignored it.

"Offensive attacks use more energy, and if I can avoid killing in battle, I will." She spoke silently, earning a raised eyebrow from the raven haired teen beside her, she sighed and set down her cup of tea, staring thoughtfully ahead of her, "No one deserves the right to take the life of another, for whatever the reason. We are all merely human." She spoke so silently it was hard to hear her. She noticed her words had brought some kind of rise from the boy beside her because he silently stood, and excited the room, his face twisted into a kind of a scowl.

She merely shrugged it off; it was none of her business what his preferences to life were. He asked her a question, and she answered it, not all shinobi had to be merciless killers.

You know you love it Sakura, when blood stains your hands, the power and thrill you get out of bathing in the life blood of people whom dare step into the arena with you-

That's enough. She stated, silencing the darker thoughts that crept into her mind ever since the curse seal had been implanted within her, it darkened her thoughts, and constantly had to be controlled, it was unstable, as only the second Cursed Seal of Earth Orochimaru-Sama had administered, the first being Kimimaro, it wasn't quite as stable as the rest of the Sound Four. Sakura couldn't speak for Sasuke's Cursed Seal of Heaven, she didn't know the dynamics of the seal, but for him to be able to control it so early in was what made it clear the seal was more controlled than her own.

She sighed as she heard the door open, and watch Kabuto stroll in, his expression smug, she supposed Orochimaru-Sama had complimented him on the silver-haired medics treatment of his arms, while the medic could in no way heal him, his treatment alleviated the pain and kept infection out, although it didn't stop the deterioration of the snake Sannin's arms, no blood flowed through them, so the cells in his arms had began to decompose, the scent of wretched corpses followed the Sannin wherever he went, Sakura couldn't help but think that he really didn't mind.

"Good evening Sakura-Hime, how did Sasuke-kun's training go? Well, I hope." He spoke casually, offering a hand to the pink haired beauty to help her stand; her crimson orbs stared at it in distaste before she smacked it away, fluidly standing before the man almost a head taller than her.

"Uchiha-San is improving well for only one day of training." She nodded mechanically, noticing the small frown on Kabuto's features, sneering at him openly, she wasn't in the presence of Orochimaru at the moment and she was free to show her distaste for the medic before her, knowing that if he were to 'tattle' on her the snake Sannin would simply side with the pinkette, he always did. She was his most useful weapon, for the time being.

"Sasuke-Kun seemed a bit agitated when I passed him, did you say something to put him off?" Kabuto questioned innocently, ignoring the deep glare the pinkette shot him, cringing slightly at the maniac grin that split her beautiful face.

"I told him I would skin him alive if he continued leering at me." Her tone was light and airy, rattled with madness, Kabuto took a defensive step backwards from the barrier of killing intent that surrounded the pinkette, he would be lying if he said the pinkette didn't scare him, she was well above Jonin-ranks at fourteen, not at a level of prodigy paring with Uchiha Itachi, but well on her way.

Sakura knew how she affected Kabuto; she knew that sometimes the slips of insanity or dark words coming through her lips weren't just nonsense. She was in no way deluded, she was well aware of the dark thoughts and intentions that swam in her mind. She knew she was tainted. She was well aware she had killed, and not been as merciful as others. She was no Buddha, but in fact, quite a dark creature all her own. She simply tried to be a good person to her best abilities due to her limited conditions, if possible, she would have never chosen to become a ninja, then perhaps she never would have been kidnapped that fateful day, but she was and nothing could change it.

Every decision in this world came with consequence.

She left the silver haired medic in the training room without hesitation, but her insanity festered behind her.

Haruno Sakura was not merciful, but she wouldn't sink as low as to enjoy bloodshed.

…

Ah, Short, but a slight encounter between Sakura and Sasuke, a bit of plot unwinding, Kabuto is being a smug asshole as usual. Che. I hate Kabuto. I really, really do. Anywho, thanks for my first three reviews, Really cool that you guys took the time to do that.

-Tobiismyname