When Sakura opened her eyes, she was lying on a bed in a box room. Looking around, she saw she had a small table with two chairs in the middle of the room, a toilet to her left and a sink. She simply looked around the room before her eyes landed on the mirror opposite to her bed.

Standing, she looked down to see she now wore clothes and all her injuries had been healed. She stood and sat at the table, simply because she could.

From behind the one way mirror, Naruto, Sasuke and Tsunade observed her.

"I feel like we went overboard," Naruto grumbled.

"You said it yourself, Naruto," Tsunade replied. "She attacked Sasuke the moment she saw him. If what Karin said was true, Sakura has purposefully sealed away her memories."

"But why did she attack me?" Sasuke asked. "Karin had been with her for a while and wasn't attacked."

"Maybe it's your physical similarities to Kuromaru that set her off."

"That's what I wanted to figure out while we wait for Ino to be ready to enter her mind."

"But did we really have to have Hinata-chan close her Tenketsu?"

Tsunade raised a brow at the blonde. "Would you want a psycho, monster-strength, Sakura breaking out?"

"Touché."

Sasuke stared at his wife who spoke to herself about nothing important. There was a knock before Kakashi entered with Sai.

They took a moment to watch Sakura before looking back to Tsunade.

"We're ready when you are," Kakashi stated. "The rest of the Rookies are waiting in the hall."

Tsunade nodded. "You two wait for my signal. Let the others in on your way out and keep your guard up."

Kakashi nodded as he exited with Sai. Silently, the others entered solemnly.

"If it weren't for her talking to herself, I'd say there was nothing wrong with her," Kiba spoke softly.

"You said she attacked you, Sasuke?" Shino asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"We'll figure it out," Tsunade assured and nodded to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru knocked twice on the door to the hallway and a moment later, Sai entered.

"First, Sai, who resembles Sasuke in appearance," Tsunade informed them.

Sakura's eyes darted to the door as it opened, letting in a man she's never seen before. Sakura tilted her head slightly as she studied him. When he didn't move, her eyes slowly drifted away from him. Not interested.

Tsunade tapped on the glass once.

When the man moved from just inside the door, Sakura's eyes tracked him immediately. He held her attention until he sat at the table. She didn't move, just watched. He sat still, staring into her eyes that seemed to look inside him. She kept watching him for a couple of minutes before her eyes drifted away again, ignoring him.

Tsunade tapped on the glass twice.

Sai placed his hands on the table for Sakura to see and she watched them curiously. Then he grabbed her hand. The change was instant. Sakura yanked her hand back and kicked the table at him. Sai dodged and the table smacked into the glass with a loud bang.

Their view was slight obscured by the table and Tsunade knocked on the glass. They could see Sai who stood tensely, watching Sakura intently. Sai didn't take his eyes off his target as he moved sideways to move the table away. Once it was moved, they could all see Sakura who was crouching on her bed, lips curled back in a snarl as she glared at Sai.

"Sakura," Sai spoke soothingly.

When Sai moved closer, she tried to back away until she cornered herself.

Tsunade knocked on the glass three times and Sai pulled away. He backed up until he was by the door and swiftly exited. Sakura was panting on her bed as she slowly eased down. Nodding to Shikamaru again, he knocked on the door twice.

Then Kakashi entered with his back to them.

"Yo," he greeted as he closed the door.

He looked up at Sakura and her defensive attitude turned aggressive.

"Kill!" She screamed and lunged for him.

Kakashi dodged her attack and everyone watched as she kept swiping at him time and time again.

"What the hell happened?" Naruto asked.

"Look," she said, pointing to Kakashi.

When Kakashi ducked under Sakura's arm, they got a good look at him.

He had the Sharingan.

Kakashi sighed as he entered the room with everyone in it. They stared at him in silence and he removed the red eye contacts.

"So it's the Sharingan that sets her off?" Sasuke asked.

"It looks that way but I suspect it's red eyes to be more precise. Kuromaru had red eyes naturally so I don't think it's as specific as the Sharingan," Tsunade spoke before nodding to Shikamaru again.

With another knock, Shizune entered.

Sakura looked at her and lost interest immediately. Shizune moved to Sakura and she didn't even spare her a look. When she placed her hands on the pinkette's shoulders, they all held their breath. Sakura looked at her but didn't move. Once Shizune removed her hands, Sakura turned away.

"Hmm," Tsunade hummed to herself.

Shikamaru knocked again and Sai re-entered.

Her reaction was the same as before. She watched him.

This time, instead of going to touch her, he grabbed Shizune. Sakura tensed and began to lower herself into a pouncing position.

Both Shizune and Sai watched Sakura cautiously before Shizune spoke.

"Help."

Sakura lunged for them. Sai dodged and Sakura smacked into Shizune from her momentum but did not strike her. Instead she went after Sai again.

"I've seen enough," Tsunade spoke and tapped on the glass.

Sai managed to subdue the pinkette as Shizune injected her with a sedative. Sakura struggled and yelled until she finally went silent.

"Fucking hell," Kiba grunted.

Tsunade turned to Ino.

"How soon can you start?" She asked.

"Right now."

Ino sat before Sakura who was now awake and back in the other chair. Everyone was still behind the glass, trying to take note of any and everything that happens.

"Sakura?" Ino asked.

Sakura was still in a daze, smiling and mumbling to herself.

"Sakura," Ino asked a little firmer, clicking her fingers in front of the pinkette's face, drawing her attention back to her. "There. Do you know who I am?"

"Maybe. Yes. No. Do we know her? I don't think so. I don't remember. Maybe we just forgot? How do you know?"

The pinkette continued rambling while Ino tried to follow before shaking her head.

"Sakura," she cut her off. "I am your best friend. We grew up together."

"We don't remember you? No. That's right. Are you lying? She's lying. I don't think so. You don't know anything. Shut up, you."

"Forehead!" Ino snapped, causing Sakura's mouth to snap shut.

"What...did you call me?"

Ino watched her cautiously. "Forehead. I used to call you Forehead all the time."

Again, Sakura got side tracked talking to herself and Ino slapped her face and she turned to look at the mirror, even though she could see only her and Sakura's reflection.

"This is going to take a while."

Ino grabbed Sakura's hands, forcing the girl to look into her eyes.

"Sakura, I'm going to go into your mind-"

"No!" Sakura screamed and backed up. "No more!"

She went straight for the corner and blocked her ears, shaking and screaming.

"No more! Nononononononono!"

The sight along broke Ino's heart. What torment had Sakura been forced to endure? Ino slowly moved to the pinkette with watery eyes.

"Forehead," she called soothingly, her voice thick with affection.

Sakura turned frightened eyes up at her forgotten best friend.

Ino placed her hands gently on Sakura's face, staring straight into her emerald orbs. Sakura's own hands came up to grasp at her hands desperately.

"You can trust me, Forehead," Ino whispered. "I am your friend. Let me help you."

Sakura said nothing as she shook but Ino took comfort in the fact that Sakura was clutching to her hands. She led Sakura back to her seat.

"Close your eyes," Ino spoke and Sakura allowed herself a few minutes to watch the blonde before her eyes hesitantly closed.

Putting her hands together, Ino formed the seal of her family's renowned jutsu and in she went.

Darkness.

That was all Ino could see with random fragments of what looked to be like glass.

"Inner?" Walking slowly, she tried to inspect the pieces of glass but a sudden crack drew her gaze down. A large crack covered the floor, something Ino had never seen before.

"What the h-"

With a loud shatter, the entire floor fell through. Ino let out a scream as she plummeted down. Her eyes clenched shut as she awaited the bone-crushing impact but when minutes passed and no ground was reached, she opened her eyes. She was still falling but...not?

Ino looked around her wildly and saw a particular large chunk of glass pass her. Her head tilted back as she passed it and watched it disappear into the infinite darkness before looking down, only to see the same piece of glass. She was in a never ending loop. Concentrating hard on moving, she pushed herself over until she was in the spot the glass would reappear. As the glass came back, she crashed into it but it didn't shatter.

Ino wheezed as she tried to get her breath back and held onto the cracking glass. Putting her hands together, she released her jutsu.

The next day, there were no experiments. A knock alerted Sakura as a man entered. She'd seen him before and she tensed as she looked at his eyes, only to relax when she saw black instead of red.

Sakura tilted her head out of curiosity.

"Sakura, my name is Sasuke," he introduced himself.

She started mumbling to herself and Sasuke allowed her a moment before cutting in.

"I've brought you some clothes," he stated as he held out a black yukata.

Sakura didn't move, but her mouth continued to run.

"You'll be leaving your room for a little while today."

Sakura stopped talking and looked at him. "Really?"

Sasuke nodded. "The sooner you put these on, the better."

He placed the clothes on the table in front of her and left.

When he came back an hour later, Ino was there, pulling the yukata closed and tying it as Sakura stared into space. Ino looked at him before looking back down to her hands that were patting out any wrinkles.

"Come on, Sakura," Ino spoke as she slipped her hand into the pinkette's and tugged her gently towards the door.

With the blonde's encouragement, they were out and on the street.

Neither the Yamanaka woman and Uchiha patriarch spoke as Ino led the way down the streets of Konoha. Sakura's eyes were looking all over the place, taking in her surroundings.

Eventually, they reached the cemetery.

The rest of the Rookies were there and waiting, along with their sensei's and a few other ninja. Naruto stood before the small crowd patiently behind a wooden coffin.

Tenten's coffin.

Ino joined the rest with Sakura securely beside her, quietly chattering.

"We're gathered here today to bury our beloved friend and fellow kunoichi, Kunai Tenten, who fell in battle while trying to rescue someone she cared deeply for," Naruto began. "In Konoha, it is believed that when we die, our Will lives on in others, the Will of Fire. While Tenten may not be with us physically, she will be with us in spirit, guiding us."

The crowd was silent with a sniffle here and there.

"Does anyone care to say a few words as we lay roses on her coffin?" Naruto asked.

"I will," Lee offered and moved to stand before the crowd.

As he began to speak of Tenten and her accomplishments, one by one, people approached the coffin to place a flower down. Ino went after Sasuke, who placed a bouquet of blue roses down.

"Thank you for your sacrifice," Sasuke murmured so softly, Ino only heard it because she was behind him. "Thank you for your help in rescuing my wife."

When Sasuke turned around, Ino nodded to him as she brushed her tears away. Sasuke nodded back and stepped aside. Ino released Sakura's hand and moved to the coffin. She placed her white rose down and turned back to Sakura. She gave Sakura the other white rose she held and gestured for her to go to the coffin.

Sakura by the coffin and stared at it for what seemed like an hour. Slowly put her hand out and placed the rose on the coffin before Ino came back and pulled her back to the others.

No one, not even Sakura noticed her own hand trembling.

A couple of days passed with nothing eventful as everyone was still in mourning. After a week, Ino called a meeting with everyone again, having finished her diagram of Sakura's mind compared to an average persons.

"I don't think I'm following. You're saying where the average persons mind has some kind of ground but Sakura's doesn't?" Kiba asked.

Ino nodded. "It was an endless cycle of falling because there was no support. I believe this is the reason she can't focus."

"But how did her mind lose ground?" Shino asked. "You said it yourself, other victims of torture didn't lose such a fundamental thing."

"My father and I have discussed this over for quite a while and at first we thought it was the result of the mental trauma Kuromaru forced her through with his mind attacks, but it shouldn't have had such a devastating result. I personally feel like she lost her grounding because of a possible clash between Inner Sakura and Kuromaru's jutsu."

"So how do we help her?" Hinata asked worriedly.

Ino's blue gaze intensified as she looked at all of their gathered friends.

"We're going inside her mind," she spoke finally. "All of us."

Sorry I took so long..

I got lost on the path of life.

A response to some of my reviews.

annie - tbh I think I am sick but you know what? I've got over 150,000 views on this story. Safe to say the people love this sick bitch.

Guest - nope I don't hate Sarada, just a bit annoyed, ya know? but after chapter 5 of gaiden, I felt bad for her...

Cloporte - how am I the worst fan ever for calling Sarada a bitch? I called Karin a bitch, does that make me 'the worst fan ever'? also, I didn't think it was stupid to make her go through this, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?

and

nahh fuck it, can't be bothered with others.

Yall get the general idea.

OMG did you guys ready the new chapter of gaiden. pretty sure it was 5 where Sasuke, Sarada, Naruto, Chou Chou and Sarada get attacked? Sakura was on THE way and she was ANNOYED with a capital FUCKING.

Somebody better pick up that phone coz I fucking called it!

XD

I don't like how now there is someone who could possibly be a lot worse than Kaguya. I mean, are you fucking kidding me?

That rabbit bitch was like the first fucking ninja, fucking goddess and all and now theres a fucking ugly ass dude whose fucking beyond comprehensionly stronger?

Are you gonna make Naruto and Sasuke even stronger, Kishimoto? Why don't you give them wings and make them fly-oh that's right, YOU ALREADY DID!

How much stronger can those two get and I think if someone is even stronger than Kaguya, Sasuke and Naruto won't be strong enough to beat them coz the only reason they are as strong as they are is because they are reincarnations of those guys whose names allude me right now.

Can we just say, the world was destroyed and fucking be done with it?

I heard you might even make Bolt fucking god mod.

Face palm, buddy.

There is NOTHING special about Bolt. Nothing. No Kyubi, no reincarnation, no prophetic child. Nothing. Zip. Nada. So the fuck?

If you pull out some more bullshit out your ass, I'm done...

You could just make the new shit be able them going on missions and doing other shit and romance and some action but enough with the random crap.

Please.

Pretty fucking Please.

Rant over.

For nowww...

Review people, again, they encourage me to keep going!

- Mee 3