A/N: Hi everyone and welcome to chapter 3! I finally managed to edit this part and I'm proud of how it turned out. This chapter gave me a lot of trouble, but I'm happy with the final result and I hope you will be too.

This is not too much of a spoiler, but some original characters are introduced in this chapter. I don't like being a pushover when it comes to OCs, but I needed them for the sake of the plot. Their names are of Japanese origin and therefore their meanings are explained at the end of the chapter.

Anyways, enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 3

The sun was slowly rising above the horizon and daylight was seeping through the curtains of the room. Sakura shifted in her sleep as rays of sunshine hit her closed eyes. She started to wake up, squinting her eyes before the light. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she managed to lift them, her vision blurry.

Her head hurt.

It took her a few moments to recognize the room to be the one she and Naruto were staying in. Once she took in her surroundings, she realized she was in a bed and was covered with a hefty blanket. Her vision now cleared completely. She yawned, trying to remember the events of the day before and the cause of her current headache.

Sakura tried to roll over to lay on her side, but she bumped into something that prevented her from doing so. The rosette looked up in confusion. Her eyes widened once she realized she had bumped into the person beside her.

She shot herself up into a sitting position, her heart beating rapidly and her cheeks turning red. The rosette gulped as she stared at Naruto's sleeping form. His hair was ruffled and the expression on his face was calm and dreamy, his mouth slightly parted as he snored quietly. His arm was stretched out and she could only assume that she had been sleeping in his embrace through the night. To top it off, she could tell by the imprints on the mattress that she had been the one who moved in her sleep over to his side of the bed, not the other way around.

Sakura's cheeks started to match the color of her blouse and she quickly got up from the bed and ran to the bathroom. She locked herself inside and leaned back against the door, sighing in relief.

Her heart was beating rapidly. She couldn't believe the sight she woke up to; she was sleeping with Naruto! It wasn't the fact that it was Naruto she was sleeping next to, it was the fact that she was in his embrace. She would've been completely fine with everything had she only woken up on her side of the bed! The medic-nin slapped her forehead. Her head was pounding.

She then felt a cloth-like material wrapped around her scalp. The rosette moved her hand away in confusion. She stepped closer to the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. There was a white bandage wrapped around her head. She blinked, remembering how she hit her head the day before. She remembered one of the men punching her in the head, causing it to bleed, which was the apparent reason it was hurting. She knew she didn't patch herself up, meaning Naruto must have been the one who took care of her.

„Naruto..." Her face softened. He tried to treat her, even though he had no experience in the medical field.

She brought her hand up and touched the back of her head. She winced, confirming that there was still a bruise. In the process of doing so, she also inspected the bandage and found it a bit too loose.

„He could really use some practice on basic first aid." She whispered to herself, re-tightening the bandage back.

The rosette proceeded to stare at herself in the mirror, slowly taking in her disheveled appearance. Her blouse was wrinkled, and her rosy hair was a mess, which she didn't bother fixing at all. She pulled away from the sink and looked down at her bruised arms. She frowned, now remembering completely what had happened. She was beat up by only a few men and Naruto had to come to her rescue again. She was upset by the whole event. She wouldn't have ended up helpless if she had been more careful and had fought them off in the first place. That way, it wouldn't have come to Naruto turning into a beast-like state. „If it only hadn't been for that shinobi's ninjutsu..."

The rosette then recalled on the wounds the blond had gotten, realizing he could still be in pain. The night before, he refused to let her heal him because she was incapable to do so. Now that she had recovered, she could properly tend to his wounds. It was her responsibility as a medic, whether he liked it or not.

She looked back at the door. As soon as she'd be done healing him, they'd have to head out.

Sakura unlocked and opened the door, and to her surprise, she saw Naruto sitting up in bed. He was scratching the back of his head in thought. When he realized that she was in the room, his cerulean eyes looked in her direction.

„Hey." He greeted her.

„H-Hey..." She scratched her arm, a bit unsure of what to say as all the previous events caught up with her.

„It's good to see you moving on your own again." He pointed out.

Sakura blinked, then looked down. She almost forgot she was even paralyzed. „I told you I'd be more than fine."

„I'm glad to hear that." The blond smiled.

„So... Did I wake you up?" The rosette asked, hoping he didn't see the way she freaked out.

„No, I woke up just now. I-I was actually wondering where you were." He stuttered, then looked away sheepishly. „You-You're not mad at me, are you?"

„Why would I be?"

„Uhh..." He scratched the back of his head again. „You passed out and I let you sleep on the bed. I-I tried sleeping on the floor at first, but I couldn't fall asleep. After a while, I decided to climb into the bed-"

„I-It's okay! I'm not upset at all!" She waved her hands in front of herself to show she was completely fine with it, surprised he'd go that far just because of her. Although, she could've done without waking up being snuggled next to him.

„O-Oh, okay." He said, surprised. „I kinda expected you to punch me through the wall or something for doing that." He let out a nervous chuckle.

„In most circumstances, I probably would, but..." The rosette brushed it off, giving him a smile. „If anything, I should thank you. You did bring me back safely and managed to take care of me, after all." She pointed to the bandage.

„About that… Your head was bleeding." He said. „I found some bandages in your bag and tried to stop the bleeding. I didn't know what else to do about it."

„You did good." She admitted, taking a seat on the bed. „What about you?"

„What about me?"

„About your wounds." She specified. „Did you take care of yourself?"

He looked down. „Well, no. But I'm fine, Sakura. Really, I am-"

The rosette frowned. She reached out for his left arm and grabbed it. The blond winced in pain. She lifted the sleeve of the jacket to reveal red blotches and torn skin beneath.

„This doesn't look so fine to me, Naruto." She insisted with a serious tone.

He lowered his sleeve down. „I don't want you wasting your chakra. You might need it later today."

„The same goes for you. We don't know what we're going up against." She replied.

Naruto gazed back at her with a concerned look in his eyes. He knew she was going to be stubborn and he knew there wasn't anything he could say to stop her. He wouldn't mind her help if it wasn't for the fact that she wouldn't have much chakra left after healing him.

„At least heal yourself first." He finally said.

Sakura raised her brow. „Why? I'm not in as bad of a shape as you."

„I'm just prioritizing you over me." He compromised. „Your well-being is more important on this mission than mine."

The rosette sighed. „Would it make you feel better if I did?"

His face lit up. „Certainly."

Sakura smiled lightly and brought her hands up to untie the cloth. „Alright, but you're not off the hook just yet!"

Quite a while passed since she finished healing the bruises on her arms and the wound on the back of her head. Once she completely recovered, she started healing Naruto, but struggled to heal him properly. Since it was the beast's energy that caused the wounds, it took a lot more time and effort to heal them than it normally would. Her hands traveled from his forearm to his shoulder, not missing a single spot on his arm. She then moved to his back and healed the skin there, before moving to his front. He was currently sitting shirtless in front of her with her hands close to his chest, green energy emitting from them.

Naruto had always been amazed by her powers and deep concentration. He didn't know the first thing about medicine, but even he could tell she had outstanding medical skills. There was also something so firm, yet gentle about her chakra that was really soothing. He'd feel a sting every now and then from skin being replenished, but it didn't hurt as much.

The blond got lost in the emerald green of her eyes. She was so focused on healing him that she didn't even notice him staring at her. Sitting so close to her like this, made his heart race faster with each passing minute and he prayed to the heavens she wouldn't notice. Moments like these reminded him of how much of a close bond they shared. It made him realize that Sakura worked hard to change, both in her skills and as a person. And it showed.

Three years without teammates made her notably independent and strong but caring as well. He took notice of how she was more than eager to help anyone in need, whether it was during a battle or just in everyday life. She had always been selfless, and the fact that she decided to become a medic confirms just that.

Naruto couldn't help the smile appearing on his face. He admired her so much for all that she had accomplished. He felt lucky to be able to call her a friend. She was a great person. One he'd do anything for.

„Alright, all done here." The rosette declared with a heavy pant. „Now turn around so I can look at your right side."

„I think that's enough, Sakura." He looked away to try to hide the forming redness in his face. „I-I can see you're out of breath. If you keep going, you'll be completely drained."

„But..." She started but didn't finish her sentence. „Well, all right, but you should at least get bandages."

„I don't need them." The blond said, picking up the jacket and the t-shirt that were laid on his pillow. „I can still move and fight."

„But you're right-handed, Naruto, and you might even get an infection!" She frowned. „The wounds are also going to slow you down during combat."

„So are bandages." He added, putting his clothes on. „It's going to make me slower either way. Besides, my right arm isn't as bad as my left one was, and I can't get infected because of the Nine-tails' constant healing."

„True…" She reluctantly said. „But you need to get treatment once we get back."

„Yeah, yeah." He replied and stood up from the bed to stretch his back. In the process of doing so, his stomach rumbled, loudly.

An uncomfortable silence followed, broken by Sakura's snicker.

„Wow. You must be starving." Sakura couldn't help but to laugh. Naruto turned in embarrassment and held his abdomen.

„Not my fault we barely ate yesterday! All the shops were closed!"

She managed to stop herself from laughing any further. She looked at him with a smile on her face. „It's okay, I'm quite hungry myself. Why don't we go out and get something for ourselves?"

„Good idea." He then looked down at her with a sigh. „I suppose we still need to overlook the village for the sake of our mission, huh?"

„We'll do that on the go." The rosette stood up and gathered her belongings. „We still have time. It's only 2 p.m."

„Alright then." He looked around and picked up what little bearings he had. Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, he turned and saw her standing by the door. „Lead the way, Sakura-chan."

The day was sunny with little to no clouds in sight. It felt like it was a completely different season compared to what it was like in The Leaf. Naruto and Sakura were walking through the streets, and again, very few people were there.

An awkward silence it was, he had to admit. They hadn't spoken much to one another ever since they left the inn. Naruto kept glancing back and forth between his teammate and the street, not really knowing what to say. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Sakura as she pointed to something in the distance.

„Naruto, look." She said. „Food stands."

The blond looked in the direction her finger was pointing to, and indeed, there were lots of food-selling shops and stands.

„We found the market place." He said, remembering the streets he was passing through the day before.

„So, I take it you want to get ramen?" She turned her gaze to meet his.

„Well, yeah." He said, then looked down. „But we can get something else if you want to."

„No, I'm fine with ramen." She agreed, looking back to the street. „Although, we could get something else with it too."

They stopped near the closest food stand and Naruto nudged her by the elbow, pointing to the menu items. „Go ahead and choose then."

„Let's see what I'm in the mood for..." She muttered, looking through the menu. In a moment, something caught her eye. „How about dumplings?"

„Sounds good to me." He smiled.

They approached the stand and took their seats. Much like Ichiraku, every ramen stand was mostly the same. They both ordered pork ramen and a portion of dumplings. The chef began making the dishes, leaving the two in each other's company. Figuring he had nothing else to do, the blond started the conversation.

„So, after we're done here, where do you think we should first head off to?"

„Well, I suppose this market is a good place to start. We should also get ourselves a map of the area." The rosette said, and he nodded in response.

„I hope it's just me, but..." Naruto muttered. „I feel weird in this village. It's downright strange, especially with the small number of civilians. Not to mention, we haven't encountered any Sound shinobi so far." He turned to look at her. „I find it kinda odd."

„I was thinking the same thing." She admitted. „We should be careful."

„Two pork ramen coming up!" The chef announced as he placed two bowls in front of them. „Fresh from the pot!"

„Thank you." They said in unison and started eating.

It wasn't as good as Ichiraku's, Naruto thought, but it was still ramen nonetheless. He slurped down some noodles and glanced at the rosette in the corner of his eye. He could tell she was hungry from the way she was eating, and he now felt guilty for not finding something to eat the day before. During missions, he'd usually get used to being hungry and could easily forget about that thought, but he didn't know if it was the same case with her.

Soon enough, both of their bowls were empty, and the second part of their order arrived. Sakura stared in awe at the plate as it was set before her.

„Something wrong?" Naruto asked.

She shook her head, still staring at the delicious food. „It's just that... It's been so long since I last ate dumplings." She blinked and looked back at him. „Actually, I think the last time I had dumplings was during that last meal we had as a team three years ago."

„Really?" He asked, chuckling. „Has it been that long?"

„Yeah." She took a bite. „Time really goes by fast. Still can't believe we're that much older now." She said, briefly reminiscing their genin days.

The blond got lost in thought. „Come to think of it..." He muttered. „Isn't your birthday in March? Around this time?"

„Yeah, it is." She said, surprised he remembered it at all. Her gaze became distant for a moment. „In fact, what date is it now?"

„It's the 31st, I think."

She narrowed her eyes a bit. „Oh..." She muttered. „Then it's been three days ago."

„What?!" He looked up in shock. „Why didn't you tell me?!"

„Honestly, I forgot it myself." She shrugged. „It's really not that big of a deal. I had a lot of work this past week, so I didn't even remember. Besides, I haven't really ever celebrated birthdays anyway."

„How come?" He asked, raising a brow.

She sighed. „I don't know. I don't have a large family, so there weren't ever many people to celebrate with me and I didn't really have friends when I was younger. Then we became a team, but you and Sasuke left, so even then it stayed the same. I mean, of course Ino, Tsunade and the others have congratulated me through the years, but that was basically it."

„I didn't know you had to go through that..." He muttered. „I didn't have anyone to celebrate birthdays with me either, but when I was with Pervy Sage, he really wanted me to have fun on those days, so I got to experience it." He then looked down. „But I feel bad for you, if I had known, I would've gotten you a present or something."

She smiled warmly. „There's really no need for that, but I do appreciate it."

He smiled back. „So, you're what, seventeen now?"

„Yup." She said, leaning against the table. „Almost an official adult."

„Yeah." The blond agreed. „I always keep forgetting that you're half a year older than me." He chuckled.

„The difference in height doesn't help things either..." She muttered, a bit annoyed. It was true, he had grown over the years and now was a few inches taller than her.

„Don't worry, Sakura-chan, you'll grow some more too." He chuckled. „Besides, you're more mature than I'll ever be, so it evens us out."

She tried to keep a serious face, but it softened into a smile. „Well, neither of us are kids anymore. You're not as much of a goof as you once were… And I kind of miss it." She admitted. „You've certainly matured more than I thought you would."

He blushed a bit, unsure of how to react to the compliment. „Oh..."

„Aside from the influence of Jiraiya, that is." She stated coldly, reminding him of the stunt he pulled the first day he returned to the village.

„Oh, come on!" He looked at her in disbelief. „You try traveling with him for three years and come back acting normal!"

She tried to keep a straight face, until she burst out in laughter. Naruto groaned, realizing how easily he fell for her teasing.

„Oh relax, I'm just giving you a hard time." She smiled.

„Yeah, I can see that..." He muttered, leaning into his palm, his elbow resting on the table. He then looked back at her as she ate the last bite, a smile still spreading her lips. Although she didn't see it, he too, smiled slightly. Seeing her happy like this was more than enough to make his day.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the chef came back to collect the dishes. Sakura was about to reach into her bag for her wallet, but Naruto was ahead of her, already giving him the money to pay for them both. She stared back at him, dumbfounded.

„What?" He looked back at her.

„I could've payed my own share, you know." She huffed as they sat up from the stools.

„I know." He smiled, looking into her eyes. „But the least I can do for you is treat you a meal. As a late birthday gift, if anything."

She blushed and averted her gaze to the ground as they continued to walk. „Idiot..."

„So, that's the place?" The blond asked, looking into the distance.

Sakura nodded. „I'm positive."

The two stood atop of one of the buildings in town, the sun setting behind them slowly. A few hours had passed since they left and began surveying the village. They hadn't encountered anything unusual or suspicious so far. The blond scratched the back of his head as he looked down at the map in his hands, trying to pinpoint the location of their objective.

„Alright, we've checked the area over here..." Naruto mumbled to himself. „It should only be a quick 10-minute run from here."

The rosette nodded, looking at the saloon place at the opposite edge of the village. It seemed quite far from their standpoint, but she knew they would reach it quickly.

„We still have some time before the sun completely sets." Naruto pointed out. „Wanna do something while we wait?"

„Sure." She said, taking another look at the map, analyzing it for a few seconds. „We've checked almost everywhere."

„Except here." He added, pointing to the area around the inn and the streets they were walking through the day before.

„Do we really need to go back there?" She grunted and looked away.

„We've got nothing better to do." He shrugged and then sighed. „Listen, if you're paranoid about what happened last night, we won't go."

„It's not that I'm paranoid, it's..." She stuttered and crossed her arms. „We've been there already, so there's no point in going there again. We'd just be wasting time."

The blond studied her face for a moment, realizing he shouldn't bring up the topic. He slowly nodded in understanding. „So, how about we take a walk to the bar?"

„Sure." The rosette sighed, letting her arms fall back into place as she looked in the direction of their objective.

The rooftops were more of a convenient road for them since most of the buildings were built in a line, creating an easy-to-follow path. The sky was littered with orange-red hues as they kept walking. A soft breeze blew their way, making leaves in the streets below them rustle against one another, filling the silence. Naruto gazed at his feet, thinking about their conversation, unable to take something off his mind. He finally spoke up.

„Hey, Sakura." He began. „Can I ask you something?"

„Go ahead."

He rubbed his temple, trying to figure out how to form his thoughts into a sentence. „Well, about yesterday…"

She narrowed her eyes slightly and raised a brow. „What about it?"

„Last night," The blond started. „I… I was wondering what went down before I got there. I was pretty confused after it all happened, I still am." He looked at her. „You remember everything, right? I'd like to know what happened."

„Oh, that…" She said quietly, deep in thought. „It happened sometime after I left the inn. I was walking down the street when I sensed someone in the alley where you found me." Her jade eyes glanced at him before looking at her feet. „I thought it was you at first, so I called out to the person."

The blond nodded, urging her to continue.

„I got nervous after I didn't get a response. I was about to reach for my weapon when I was blinded. Before I knew it, I was ambushed. I was pushed against a wall and had no way of escaping." She muttered. „This man… he used his ninjutsu against me and-"

„Wait, ninjutsu?" He interrupted, a confused look on his face. „Those guys weren't shinobi. I fought them, I could tell." He stopped walking.

„They… weren't?" She narrowed her eyes before slowly widening them. „So… You're saying…" She mumbled. „I was overpowered by some men who weren't even shinobi?" She lifted her hand to her forehead. „That's humiliating…"

„Oh, come on, even I would be helpless in that situation." He protested. „Sakura, you were fighting on your own, of course they defeated you! Even if they weren't shinobi-"

„That's beside the point!" She argued, turning her head to the side. „I shouldn't have let that happen to me in the first place. If you hadn't showed up, who knows what would've happened to me."

His eyes narrowed at the thought. „You're smarter and tougher than that." He retorted. „Even if I hadn't gotten there in time, you would've found a way to get yourself out of there."

„How the hell would I do that? I couldn't even move!" She insisted. „I know it's my fault for not using force when I had the chance, but-"

„Sakura." He suddenly grabbed one of her shoulders, surprising her. „You wouldn't have ended up in that situation if I hadn't lost track of time and returned sooner. Don't blame yourself when it's my fault to begin with." He loosened his grip. „And stop doubting yourself, you're stronger than you think."

After a moment of staring at him, she blinked in denial and brushed his hand off her. „If that was true, I wouldn't have needed to be rescued. And the fact that I needed your help isn't reassuring at all." She muttered and turned away from him as she began walking again.

He sighed as he followed her. „What's gotten into you…"

They continued walking in silence after that. Neither of them would speak up, aware of the tension in the air. A few minutes passed, and Sakura finally calmed down, realizing Naruto did nothing to deserve the way she treated him. However, the simple fact that she was outmatched still upset her.

„I'm sorry…" She apologized quietly, which made his blue eyes look up at her. „I know you mean well, but I just feel so stupid for letting all of that happen."

He looked down at his feet. „Yeah, I get that. Don't sweat it too much, Sakura-chan." He smiled, then shook his head. „Sorry I interrupted you. You were saying something about this shinobi…?"

„Right." She said. „You know how I couldn't move at all? Well, there was this man who threatened me, he ran away the moment you appeared." She glanced at him. „Even if the rest weren't shinobi, I'm certain he was. He used a ninjutsu on me to prevent me from fighting back. He electrocuted me and disabled my nerves temporarily."

„So, that's why you couldn't move…" He muttered, then glanced at her. „He ran away?"

She nodded. „He told me they were ordered to capture me. They were about to drag me away right before you showed." She offered the last bit of information she deemed important. „That's all that happened, really."

„They had orders?" He asked, a confused look on his face. He let her words sink in for a few moments and he widened his eyes as a disturbing thought crossed his mind.

„Hey, you don't think…" He looked up at her. „You don't think any of this has got something to do with those rouge shinobi involved in our mission?"

She widened her eyes, disturbed by the thought. „I… I'd like to think it doesn't." She looked at him, confused. „How did you come to that conclusion, anyway?"

„I don't know." The blond shrugged. „I just find it strange. The fact that your capture was ordered is a bit unsettling." Naruto muttered. „Which means they somehow knew you'd be here."

This statement got her to tense. „I-I don't know…" Her voice became silent.

The blond looked up at her after he noticed her silence. He realized that he had unintentionally disturbed her by talking this way.

„Hey." He rested his hand on her shoulder, a gesture of support. „Don't worry. Whatever happens today, we'll get through it." He smiled. „Besides, I'm always watching your back. I won't let anything happen to you."

She blushed momentarily before clearing her throat and looking away, a smile on her lips. „Th-Thanks, but you don't need to worry about me." She averted her gaze at him. „After what happened yesterday, I think I'm prepared for just about anything."

He chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The rosette smiled at him before looking ahead of them. The bar wasn't so far away anymore. It was only a few blocks ahead.

They reached their destination quickly. The two jumped off the roof of a building and landed swiftly on the ground below. The sun had set completely by now and the street lights were dimly lit. They sneaked behind the corner of a building and walked into a shadow to avoid getting spotted.

„So, this is it." The rosette said. „You ready?"

„I am." He whispered. „Are you sure you can handle this on your own?"

She nodded confidently. „Yeah, I think I'll be fine. This isn't my first time doing something like this." She said, and Naruto looked at her with a confused look. Noticing his expression, she rolled her eyes.

„I'll be fine, it's easy to fool someone when they're drunk, you know." She explained. „I also have some shuriken and kunai knifes, so don't worry too much. And besides, if anything goes wrong, you'll be there with me." She said, and he nodded.

„Alright," The rosette started. „I'll enter the front and you try to find the back entrance. You need to keep distance, but make sure you're able to see me." She said. „I'll find a place to sit and look around for them. Once I find them, I'll give you the signal and I'll approach them. If everything goes smoothly from there, we should be able to do this without a hitch." The rosette then looked up at him. „I was told you'd receive a photograph of these men. Do you still have it?"

„Ah, right." Naruto blinked, remembering his conversation with their former sensei. „Now that I remember, Kakashi gave me a photo of one of them." He reached into his pocket and dug around. A few moments later, he pulled out a small picture. He handed it to Sakura.

She observed the photograph for a few moments, it was a bit blurry and only one man was recognizable from the photo. She slowly nodded. „Thanks."

She then dug her hand into her pouch, searching for something. Once she found it, she pulled her hand out. What she pulled out seemed to be a packet of pills.

„What are those for?" Naruto raised his brow at her.

„These are for chakra loss. As you know, shinobi are weaker when they can't use chakra. The chemicals in these combined with alcohol is enough to make anyone pass out. I plan to use these after I find out everything I need to. This way, I'll be able to escape knowing that they're unconscious and be sure that we're not followed." She said as she popped out three pills.

He nodded. „What do you even plan on asking them about?"

She put the pills into her pocket. „To start off, I need to find out their identities. I'll ask about their occupations and find out about the people they might be working with. They might spill some useful information unintentionally, but what's important is that I gather some clues about their current camp, so it's easier to track them down in the future."

„Easier said than done." He concluded.

The rosette nodded and proceeded to take her headband off, to which Naruto responded by looking at her in confusion.

„We need to take these off, you don't want them noticing we're ninja, do you?" She muttered annoyingly.

„Oh." He said, reaching behind his head to untie the knot. „Sorry."

Once they were all set, the rosette took a deep breath, as if to calm her nerves. She glanced at the bar once again before looking at the blond.

„Alright. Good luck, Naruto." She said.

„You'll need more luck than I will."

After parting their ways, Sakura headed for the main entrance of the bar. Before she entered, she once again made sure that she didn't give off any hints that she was a ninja. Both she and Naruto sealed their belongings into scrolls and hid all their weapons. Beside the pouch on her belt, nothing else could've exposed her.

Once she stepped inside, a smelly wave of alcohol and male breath hit her. It took all her willpower not to cringe and run outside for fresh air. She quickly walked over and seated herself on one of the stools near the bartender.

She looked around the place. Altogether, only about ten men were in the saloon, most of them loners, drinking their beverages at their own tables. She was about to look closer to see if she recognized any of them when the bartender whistled, drawing her attention.

He approached her. „Can I get something for you?"

„Just a lemonade, please." She was still underage, and she didn't favor the taste of alcoholic beverages.

„A lemonade?" The barkeeper looked at her skeptically.

„Yes, please." She narrowed her eyes at him. He quickly got the message and began preparing the sour drink.

The rosette proceeded to observe the men that were sitting around, none of them resembling the one in the picture. There was sudden laughter at the other end of the bar. She turned her head in that direction as it caught her attention.

Two men were sitting in one of the sofa booths and were talking to each other. She widened her eyes, realizing that one of them matched the description of their target. He was averagely built; his hair and eyes were black, and his skin was pale. He had a small beard stubble and couldn't possibly be older than 25. The other man was quite muscular and was the body-builder type, probably was taller than his friend as well. Other than that, all his other features were almost identical to the other man. The rosette narrowed her eyes, knowing something wasn't right. The info from their intel said all three shinobi would be there, yet one of them was missing.

She heard the stool beside her being shifted as if someone sat on it. She turned her head slightly to see who it was, only to find out it was Naruto. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at him. He wasn't supposed to come near her.

„What in the hell are you doing here, you idiot!?" She whispered. „You're gonna blow my cover if they notice us!"

„I came in through the back and waved at you, but you didn't pay attention." He shrugged. „Your fault I had to come up to you to talk."

She huffed and leaned further away from him, trying to act as if she wasn't talking to him. „Well, what is it?"

„Have you noticed them yet?" He asked and a moment later she nodded. „What's the plan?"

She paused for a second, thinking of a strategy. „I'll head over and meet them. I don't know where the third guy is, but if his absence is intentional, this could easily become an ambush." She warned him.

He nodded. „Yeah. I'll keep an eye out for him."

He was about to wish her good luck one last time, but the barkeeper came back with the drink in his hand for Sakura. He watched her as she took the glass and got up from her seat. She glanced over at the blond, taking a deep breath. „Well, here goes nothing..."

She turned and was about to walk away from him. Before she did, Naruto quickly grabbed her hand, stopping her. Surprised by his move, she looked back.

„Just… Be careful." He said, his blue eyes filled with concern. Sakura parted her mouth slightly as she stared back at him. She looked down at his hand before nodding in response.

He let go of her hand and watched as she gave him a smile before she walked away, as if to reassure him everything would be fine.

All Naruto could do was simply hope for the best.

She tried not to make it obvious where she had headed, but it wasn't like anyone was paying attention anyway. She reached the sofa booths and walked past a few of them before she saw the two men. She continued walking toward them, thinking of how all of this would go down. Taking a deep breath, she stopped in front of them, prepared to act out a fake personality.

They looked up at her once they noticed her standing there.

„Hi there." She greeted them and leaned onto a wooden pillar that was separating their booth from another. „Mind if I join you two?" She smiled.

Both men seemed surprised. They were clearly not expecting to meet anyone. Their red faces gave away their drunken states.

The man she recognized from the photo smirked at her. „Of course we wouldn't mind being in presence of such a pretty young lady." He said, his voice deep and scratchy. „Please, take a seat." He said, making room for her on the couch.

She smiled as she sat next to them, propping herself and pushing her chest out. As she did that, they did nothing to hide the way they were looking at her.

Somewhat annoyed, she cleared her throat. „So, what are your names?"

The man she knew from the picture kept staring at her for a moment longer before jerking his head at her question. He chuckled. „Oh, right, how rude of me. My name is Osamu, it's a pleasure to meet you." He pointed to his friend. „And this is Dai." The bulky man lifted his drink in greeting.

„Osamu and Dai." She thought to herself. „So, those are the names."

„May I ask for the lady's name?" Osamu turned to look at her and smirked.

She gave him a smile. "My name is-"

She stopped momentarily, realizing she couldn't tell them her real name.

„C-Crap! I didn't even think about that! Uh... Think, think!" She internally panicked for a moment.

„Hm?" Osamu looked at her confusedly.

„Hana. My name is Hana." She smiled politely. „Nice to meet you."

„Hana, you say?" His buffed friend asked her in a gruff voice. „That's a common name these days."

„Y-Yeah! I get that a lot, actually." She faked a laugh, feeling a droplet of cold sweat trickle down the side of her forehead. It was the first name that came to mind, being one of the most popular among girls' names.

„So, Hana..." Osamu started. „What brings you here? Felt like chatting with losers like us?"

„I just wanted some company." She said, regaining back her confidence. „I was feeling lonely. Besides, it's kind of a shame to spend the evening alone."

„So you say..." Dai chuckled. „We know what it's like, we tend to be loners ourselves."

„I can't see why. You are quite attractive." She smiled, to which they both smirked.

„Oh, well..." Osamu started with a chuckle, looking into his glass. „We don't exactly have a good reputation around these parts."

„And why would that be?" She asked obliviously.

„Err… Let's just say..." He thought for a moment before averting his black eyes to look at her. „We have a tendency to cause trouble, so people don't really like us. They keep away from shinobi like us."

His answer wasn't all that unexpected, but she acted surprised. „Oh?" She raised her brow, leaning onto the table and crossing her legs. „You guys are shinobi?"

„Yeah, but not the type you're probably used to seeing." Dai chuckled. „As Osamu said, we're quite troublesome. But it's fun."

She widened her eyes in interest. „Are you one of those rouge shinobi I've heard of?"

They both narrowed their eyes at her comment. „You're not from around here, are you?"

She leaned back, crossing her arms and pushing her chest out further. „No, in fact, I'm not." She said. „But there are rumors about this village and the kinds of shinobi that reside here."

„Really?" Dai looked at her skeptically. „And how do you know that?"

„Are you kidding me? It's almost the only thing people talk about when asked about this village." She then gave a suggestive smile. „For some reason, I feel like I should be afraid, but I'm not. Guess I'm feeling a bit adventurous tonight."

Osamu whistled and chuckled. „You don't say."

„So, you guys are rouge shinobi, right?" She asked in a clueless manner and they both reluctantly nodded. She widened her eyes in surprise. „That's so cool! Can you please tell me more about it?"

The two were startled by her positive attitude at first, but soon figured she must have not been aware of what those kinds of shinobi were. To a civilian, rouge shinobi were just criminals.

„Well?" She asked in anticipation. „Don't you guys have a secret base or something?"

Seeing how well she responded and how interested she was, Dai smirked in his drunken state. „Yeah, it's awesome. We do all kinds of experiments."

Her inner self took note of the information, but she widened her eyes, pretending to be surprised. „Wow, that's amazing!"

„Oh, you'd be thrilled to see what goes on in there." Osamu chuckled. „It's not something you see every day."

„Do tell." She smiled, then lifted a brow. „So, is it just the two of you, or are there more people involved with this…?"

Osamu shot her a stern look. „Of course, but that's private. We don't just go around telling anyone about the people we're working with."

„Ah! M-My bad!" She apologized with a nervous laugh, startled by his sudden tone. „Didn't mean to indulge your privacy!"

„Come on, she's harmless!" Dai laughed, jabbing at his friend's shoulder. „Why so serious? She's just curious."

„And you're just a perverted asshole." She thought to herself, her eye twitching in annoyance.

„Whatever." Osamu took another sip of his drink, his composure turning back to normal, as if nothing happened.

„So, uh… Where do you live? In your base?" She asked cluelessly.

„Most of the time." Dai answered. „We tend to travel a lot too."

„Really?" The rosette tilted her head and pouted. „I wish I could do things like that... I never trained to be a ninja, so I couldn't do so even if I wanted to." She leaned back and sighed, making sure their attention was returned to her. She crossed her arms under her chest, emphasizing her bust. „I've always wanted to be a part of the ninja world, it all seems so cool and secretive… It's a shame I'll never get to see any of it…"

„We could show you around." Osamu chuckled drunkenly as he gazed at a specific part of her body. „But you need to promise not to touch anything or tell anyone about it."

„He actually took the bait!" She thought, proud of herself for executing her lie so well. Her lips curled into a smile.

„Really?! Is it close to here?" She exclaimed, and they both nodded. „I can't wait!"

They both chuckled, and Sakura took a sip of the lemonade in her hand, processing everything in her head. So far, everything was going according to plan. If everything was to go smoothly, she could even let them lead her to their hideout. It was risky, maybe even a trap, but they seemed too drunk to recognize her and they didn't seem like they were lying. Still, there was a huge chance their mission could be ruined. She wasn't sure she would go that far for the sake of the mission, at least not until consulting Naruto.

In the corner of her eye, she saw the bartender approaching. She hoped they'd order something strong to get themselves even drunker. The man stopped at their table and turned to them.

„Want me to get you anything else?" The bartender asked them, and Sakura showed him her glass, telling him that she didn't want to order anything. He then turned to the two men.

„A round of the strongest sake you've got." Osamu smirked.

Sakura's face fell at the thought. „Am I supposed to drink that?"

The man nodded and turned around. As soon as he was out of sight, she nervously looked at the two. „Y-You know that I already have some-"

„A little sake isn't going to kill you." Dai laughed.

„S-Sure."

„So, when you said you felt a bit adventurous tonight..." Osamu cleared his throat and smirked. „What did you mean exactly?"

„Uhh, well..." Her face became red in embarrassment, only now realizing what she blurted out and how it must've sounded to them.

„Stop giving her a hard time, jackass." Dai snorted. „I think you very well know what she meant." He turned and grinned at her. „Right?"

The rosette took a moment to think of something to say. She was at a loss for words, not planning the outcome of this situation. Fortunately, she saw the waiter waving at them to get their drinks. If this was a chance to get away, even if only for a few moments, she was taking it.

„Excuse me." She cleared her throat and got up. She walked up to the front table where he had left the beverage.

„This better work..." She muttered and secretly pulled out the pills from before and put them in two of the cups. She then turned and walked back to her seat, hoping the drugs' effects wouldn't take long to take a toll on them.

„Here you go." She handed them their sake.

Completely clueless, they took the cups. „We'll chug it on three!" Dai grinned, hoisting up his drink.

„One, two, three… Go!" The two exclaimed in unison and chugged the whole cup. Sakura made a nasty face and took a sip, but she spat it out.

„Gross! How can Lady Tsunade drink this stuff?"

„What's the matter?" Osamu asked, putting his glass down, dizzy from the drink.

„I don't really like sake." She told him, putting her glass away.

„So…" Dai turned to her, ignoring what she said. „Let's get back to the topic." He said, creepily running his fingertips over her thigh underneath the table. Sakura tensed up, unprepared for the touch.

„Say, it's a bit of a shame to end the night on just chatting." Osamu smirked, pulling closer to her, so that she was sitting right in between them. „How about you come with us and we have a little fun?"

„What are they trying to pull all of a sudden?" She wondered momentarily.

„O-Oh… I-I don't know about that…" Even though she was visibly uncomfortable, they still didn't notice it or at least pretended not to notice.

Osamu took a step further to wrap an arm around her shoulders playfully as the two of them kept talking to her, his fingers traveling up and down her arm creepily. She inhaled sharply as she felt cold chills in her spine. At this point, the mission wasn't such a priority anymore. She didn't feel like finding out any more information as she already found out enough, and frankly, she didn't want to be around them anymore.

She tried to put some space between them and herself, but they didn't budge. She was starting to feel immensely uncomfortable and anxious. She hated that their bodies were so close to hers, she could practically smell their breaths.

The rosette was beginning to care less about the mission as the minutes passed. She just wanted to get out of there, one way or another.

This went on for a few more minutes and she did her best to stay calm, paying only a little bit of attention to what they were saying. It wasn't like they were talking to her either, they were conversing on their own. „How long do the pills take to work, anyway?" The medic began thinking of ways to make them move away from her, or even escape.

How did she even get herself into that situation?

An alarming thought popped up in her head then. She forgot about it, but all this time... Naruto was watching her.

She gulped, lifting her gaze and searching for him at any of the other tables. She couldn't see him in her peripheral vision, but she knew he could see everything that was happening. What would he think of her if she couldn't get out of this? She was afraid to even think how mad he'd be at her for letting this happen, especially after promising him she would be ready for anything.

The rosette suddenly felt the same hand on her shoulder move lower. Osamu's fingertips brushed over her chest and in the next moment, he groped her breast.

„Oops, my hand slipped." He chuckled. She widened her eyes. It took all her willpower not to scream at the onslaught and kick his face in. She had to put a stop to it; she finally got up and moved away from them, her arms covering her chest.

„I... I need to go to the restroom... I'll be back in a minute."

„Take your time." They grinned to each other.

She quickly made her way to the other side of the bar where the toilets were, but also noticed the door to the back entrance in the corner as well. She looked behind to make sure her enemies weren't looking. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her, clutching her fists.

„Those fucked-up bastards..." The rosette cursed and hit the outside wall, making a big crack. She repeated the process a few more times, until she felt satisfied.

She panted heavily, the chilly air helped her cool down. She told herself she was prepared for this mission and what they did to her wasn't unpredictable, but it didn't change the fact that she felt disgusted and disturbed by it.

The medic-nin turned around and looked at the scenery before her. The saloon was settled on the very edge of the village on a hill, so no wonder the view was astonishing. The stars shined brightly in the dark sky and the moonlight allowed her to see the high mountains in the distance. The sight alone was enough to calm her mind, even if just barely.

She didn't know how long she stood there, but it was quite a while before she heard footsteps coming from the inside. The door opened and when she turned to look behind, she saw Naruto standing there.

His expression held a mixture of feelings and she couldn't quite tell which they were, but none seemed to be positive.

„Don't look at me like that." She turned away from him. „I know you're mad at me-"

„What are you talking about?" He startled her with his harsh tone. His brows furrowed. „Why the heck would I be mad at you?! It's those assholes who pissed me off!"

She clutched her hands and looked away. „I-It's my fault, I was being provocative-"

„You were just doing your job. It's them who were being absolute creeps!" He argued.

Sakura was about to protest but ended up shutting her mouth. She huffed quietly and turned away from him. He wasn't wrong. It wasn't all her fault, but she couldn't help but to blame it on herself. She felt the situation was slipping out of her control and she panicked at the thought of the mission failing because of her.

That was what she felt was her fault.

The rosette had to take a deep breath to calm her nerves. She would rarely become this anxious on a mission and it worried her that she couldn't regain her focus now when she needed it the most. It all went downhill the moment she acknowledged Naruto's presence in the bar. It was the moment she felt the most uncertain and insecure.

Why did she even feel that way?

The thought hit her like a wall.

She had grown accustomed to having her guard down around Naruto and feeling at ease when he was there, knowing that he was her backup and that she could rely on him. This was different. She was afraid of failing, afraid of letting Naruto see how vulnerable she could be. She didn't want him or anyone else thinking of her as weak and helpless, like she once was. It was one of her biggest fears. A fear that drove her to work hard and make sure she would never end up like that again, yet all that effort seemed worthless now. First the assault in the alley, now this. The way things were going made her afraid to even think about what might've been coming next.

The rosette bit her lip at the rush of emotions. Confusion, misery, fear… She felt it all in her gut and it made her want to scream at how humiliating it made her feel.

„Sakura?" The rosette heard him call out to her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She felt something wet sliding down her cheek and she quickly lifted her hand to brush it off. For a moment she thought it might've been a raindrop, but she quickly realized it was her own tear. She looked at her wet fingertips with confusion. Why was she crying?

And why did he need to be there to see that?

She felt a hand on her shoulder as he turned her around, his expression more relaxed but still worried.

„Hey, you okay?" His eyes giving a concerned look.

The medic gulped, feeling a lump in her throat. „I'm fine." She lied.

He wasn't as dense as she thought. He could see right through her words and his gaze showed it.

„Sakura, I…" Naruto said silently and shook his head. „I-I'm sorry I yelled at you, but it makes me mad to think about what they did-"

„And you don't think it makes me mad?" She snapped. „I can't stand them! I thought I was prepared and I kept telling myself it didn't bother me, but... How could it not? Especially when…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

He lifted a brow in question. „Especially when what?" He asked.

She sighed, trying to avoid eye contact. „It's just that… You were there. You saw it all happen." Her voice became quiet. „I wouldn't want anyone to see me like that. Especially not you."

He stayed silent, trying to think of the right thing to say. He knew it was humiliating and embarrassing for her, but he wanted her to know it didn't make him think any less of her. Those shinobi were criminals and he expected their behavior to be bad, but what they did was invasion of a person's privacy in every sense of the word. He sighed in frustration, scratching his head.

„It's not like I wanted to see something like that happen to you either…" He said. „I understand that you don't like being-" He narrowed his eyes at the disgusting thought. „Being touched like that-"

„Of course I don't like being touched by some creeps, let alone strangers!" She yelled at him and he looked back at her, shocked.

A moment of silence passed as they stared at one another. Sakura then turned to look away from him, realizing there was no point in trying to explain how she felt.

„Just forget it." She said, her voice cold. „What are you doing here anyway? You should've stayed inside."

Her sudden change of mood threw him off. Although it pained him for her to say that, his brows furrowed in determination as he kept his composure.

„I came out here to make sure you're fine. You were gone for a while."

„I am fine, I don't need your help." She frowned, looking back at him.

„What's gotten into you?" He raised a brow. „You know I'm just worried-"

She groaned in frustration. „I don't need you to worry about me. I'm capable of taking care of myself."

He stopped briefly before answering. „I know you are, Sakura, but we're dealing with some high rank rouge shinobi that just happen to be disgusting perverts as well." He grumbled quietly. „Of course I'm worried."

They both silenced down, aware of the tension in the air. They stared at each other for a brief moment before Sakura turned her head and Naruto looked down at the ground. The blond scratched his head, knowing that she was upset and that he didn't do her any good by bickering with her. He looked back at her, her expression in silent despair, jade eyes staring at nothing.

His brows narrowed slightly from the hurt he saw on her face. Naruto took a deep breath before taking a step closer to her.

„Listen," He said. „I don't get why you're saying this all of a sudden, but the reason I'm worried is not because I think you're weak. You're one of the strongest people I know and I'm fully aware that you could kick the crap out of me at any given moment." He chuckled slightly before looking to the side. „I know I can seem a bit protective when it comes to you, but it's simply because I care, Sakura." He said with a gentle voice. This caught her attention, making her look up at him.

„What I want to say is..." He scratched his neck. „I value our friendship. I wouldn't do these things if you didn't mean anything to me…" He looked up at her, his eyes so sincere in the moonlight. „But you know you do. So, don't be surprised I care." He finished.

The rosette proceeded to stay silent, staring at him in sheer shock. She could've sworn she felt her heart skip. She wanted to shake off the feeling, but it lingered.

Why was he able to make her feel like that?

Regret was forming in the pit of her stomach, realizing how ridiculous her reaction to a friendly gesture was. Instead of being thankful for a friend that was simply worried about her, she disregarded him completely. In all honesty, she knew she didn't deserve him. She realized how unfair she was, being selfish and thinking only about herself when he did everything he could to make her feel better. Not once did she stop to think about his feelings.

This was Naruto. Why did she think he would ever see her as a weakling and not as someone he cared about?

The rosette closed her eyes tightly, her lips quivering. She felt like her emotions would burst out at any moment.

Why was this happening to her?

She turned around, facing the wall now and wiping her newly formed tears. She couldn't keep her emotions intact and it frustrated her that she didn't know why.

„Sakura?" He looked up in surprise. „Sakura?! Did I say something?" He put his hand on her shoulder. A concerned, almost panicked look on his face.

Of course he'd be concerned.

„You... You selfless idiot..." She wiped her eyes. „You need to stop worrying about others… People like me don't deserve it." She mumbled.

„Huh?" He raised his brow.

The rosette smiled sadly, her eyes puffy. „I-I'm sorry for everything I said to you." She whispered, and a small laugh followed. „I guess… I'm just overwhelmed. I never thought you cared this much."

„Well, I don't blame you." He said. „We haven't seen each other in years. It's been so long since I got to spend time with you like this." He chuckled and grinned. „But I'm glad I at least got to be on this mission with you."

The rosette looked up at him, a genuine smile on her face, eyes a bit red, glistening in the moonlight. Naruto felt a lump in his throat as she gave him the look, only now realizing how close they were standing next to each other. He tried taking in the details of her features; how the breeze was blowing through her rosy locks and how redness was spreading over her cheeks and nose, either from blushing or the cold.

It amazed him how clear and bright her jade eyes were. The way she stared at him felt like she was looking into his soul. And it took his breath away.

His heart skipped when he suddenly felt her arms wrapping around him into a tight hug. His eyes were wide, and a light shade of red was spreading over his face.

Was Sakura hugging him?

He had to blink twice before he could convince himself that it was happening. His hands were a bit shaky, but they found their way around her waist as he returned the hug. His hold on her was gentle, but firm enough to secure her in his arms.

Her embrace... It was warm.

„Thank you, you know... For everything." She whispered. „I know I don't really show it, but... I'm glad you're there for me."

He chuckled, still having a hard time comprehending the situation. „You're welcome, I guess."

The blond reluctantly let go as he felt her moving away. She blushed as a nervous smile crept up on her face.

„Hey, Naruto." She said. „When this mission is over... And when we get home..." Her face reddened even more. „How about we... Go on that date you always wanted us to go on?"

He blinked, his mouth parting slightly. His eyes grew wide in disbelief.

„Wh-What?! For real?" His voice cracked in shock and she nodded.

She wasn't joking.

„I..." She turned her head slightly. „I want to spend more time with you and… Well, get to know you better. I feel like I owe you that much, at least." She said, looking back at him. „If you don't mind, of course."

„N-No, of course I don't mind." He stuttered, eyes still wide. „I-I'd be more than happy to do that!"

„Good." She smiled, then took a deep breath and looked at the door behind them. „We... We should get going, they should be knocked out by now."

The blond nodded slightly, watching her walk ahead of him and through the doorway. His thoughts, however, were far from the mission at hand, as he was still concentrated on processing everything she said. It was all so surreal.

A nervous breath escaped his lungs as his lips formed a smile.

He couldn't wait to get back.

They both walked back and reached the entrance to the large room. Upon walking further into the center, they were met with a surprise. They stopped in their tracks, staring in the direction of the sofa booths.

Osamu and Dai were standing alongside their table, perfectly awake and alert, seemingly waiting for Sakura. Shock was evident on her face as her gaze focused on them, she was sure the pills would work. She gulped in anxiety as they looked up and noticed her and Naruto standing there.

„Well, well, look who we have here." Osamu proclaimed, suddenly sounding sober. His brow lifted at the blond. „Is it not the jinchuuriki of the Leaf himself?"

Naruto frowned at him, taking a step forward, standing next to Sakura. „The hell...?"

She shook her head slightly. „I don't know what you're talking about-"

„Drop the bullshit act," Dai rasped before smirking. „Haruno Sakura."

She widened her eyes. „How do you know who I am?" Her mouth parted in shock, her brows furrowing. „And how come you're awake!? You should've passed out long ago!" She yelled.

„Ah, so that's what's bothering you." Osamu smiled, pulling out two pills from his pocket. „Is that what these are for?"

„Bastards!" Naruto hissed. Before Sakura could react, he reared his fist back as he ran towards Osamu to hit his face. He closed the distance between them and the rouge flew into the back wall, cracking it. However, the man just smiled sinisterly.

„You call that a punch?" He snickered. „I'll show you…" He looked up. „What a real shinobi attacks like."

He whispered something under his breath and made some hand-signs. In the next moment, he directed his hand toward the blond.

The jinchuuriki frowned as he stepped back cautiously, but in the next moment, he felt lightheaded.

Naruto suddenly felt darkness caving in on him. He found himself in an empty space, away from both his teammate and their enemies, panicking and looking around warily. He tried to yell out for help but each sound he tried to make got stuck in his throat and never seemed to escape his mouth. He felt completely isolated. Cold sweat trickled down the side of his forehead at the thought. He was all alone.

Whizzing sounds flew from somewhere around him. He turned around frantically to figure out what was it that he was hearing. Once he got his eyes to focus, he realized sharp weapons were being thrown at him.

He felt sudden pain in his side once another blade flew by him. The blond looked down and saw a bloodied line where it hit him. A few more weapons came flying at him. For some reason, his movements seemed unusually slow, so he barely avoided any of them. He felt like the air around him was so thick that he couldn't move in it. He inevitably got hit multiple times, getting cut all over his body.

He breathed heavily, trying to block the weapons with his hands, but it didn't do him any good. The pain from the cuts wasn't that bad, but the throbbing all over his body was slowing him down even more. He crouched to the ground and hissed as he got hit repeatedly.

„...ruto!"

He heard an echo of distant yelling in the black void around him. He narrowed his eyes and tried making out what it was. The weapons that were hitting him seemed to stop.

„Snap out of it!" Somebody yelled, this time louder.

In the far distance, Naruto could barely see a weak light and a silhouette running toward him. Soon enough, he recognized the figure to be his teammate.

He started to feel lightheaded again and it made him want to throw up, his head spinning. The darkness was beginning to fade away and he could see Sakura sprinting toward him, clear as day.

„Naruto!" The rosette shrieked.

The blond opened his eyes and found himself back in the bar. He widened his eyes as he felt sweat on his forehead.

He blinked as he took in his surroundings and found himself on his knees, clutching his body in a few places. He removed his hands and saw newly-appeared cuts on the places he was covering himself. He looked down at his bloodied hands and widened his eyes.

„The hell?!" He almost stumbled back as he stood up. He looked down at his body and found the same cuts he received in the illusion.

Confused as he was, he looked up and found his comrade fighting off Dai, all on her own. The rouge charged at her and threw fists in her way. She jumped backwards and landed on the ground a few feet away. He was visibly muscular and could probably match the same inhuman strength as her, making him an even more dangerous opponent. He leaped at her again and brought his knees together in the air to crush her with them. Fortunately, she moved away fast enough, but as he landed, a large hole appeared in her place as the ground beneath him shattered.

The rosette fell back and moved close enough to Naruto to put some distance between themselves and their enemies.

„What was that?" Naruto stuttered as he looked up at her in shock. „What happened?"

„Genjutsu, I think." Sakura muttered, looking at him warily. „As soon as Osamu pointed at you, you were out of it. Your body was suddenly getting cut all over without any reason, and I couldn't figure out what was going on. You fell to the ground and started bleeding, but you didn't seem to react to anything that was happening around you."

She looked back at the two men. „And as soon as I tried attacking Osamu, Dai stopped me immediately and wouldn't let me get anywhere near him." She said. „Seems to me like he needs to be still in order for his genjutsu to work."

„I..." The blond muttered. „In the illusion I was in, I was hit by a lot of blades and got cut." He looked down at his scratched palm. „And now I'm cut in real life too? What kind of a jutsu does that?"

Sakura gave him an unsure and a worried look. „I wish I knew."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he looked back to the corner where Osamu was. Dai was huffing on the other side of the room, catching his breath after exchanging blows with the kunoichi. Osamu let out a shaky breath as he stood on his legs warily.

„He might be weaker now." The blond observed and frowned. „Now's our chance!"

Before Sakura could stop him, he lunged at him and managed to get close enough to land a hit. Dai, however, got in his way and prepared to block him. He did so and kicked Naruto to the side. The rouge widened his eyes in surprise when the jinchuuriki's body was substituted for a piece of wood.

In the next moment, Naruto appeared behind Osamu and aimed a punch for his head. The rouge, however, turned and blocked his attacks with ease, which shocked the blond. Before he could get hit, he quickly jumped away and briefly managed to catch his breath as he observed his enemies.

Naruto widened his eyes as he suddenly heard a painful groan coming from behind him. He turned and saw Sakura holding her stomach. Someone was standing behind her and she quickly evaded this person's blade, moving to the side. The man behind her was a spitting image of the other two, with spikier hair and dark circles under his eyes, but was shorter and slimmer than them both.

The tanto blade in the shinobi's hand was covered in blood. Naruto's eyes widened as he took a glance at the rosette and saw her hand clutching the left side of her stomach, blood gushing through the space between her fingers. She took ragged breaths as small red droplets travelled down her uniform.

„Dammit." She grunted. „So, you're the third one, I assume."

„You don't say." He sarcastically said, his voice arrogant.

„Wait," Sakura widened her eyes in thought. „That voice…!"

„Kurai! Took you long enough to get here!" Osamu complained as he brushed some dirt off his shoulder. „I can't believe your perfect timing, you lucky bastard."

„Yeah, yeah." He voiced with his ignorant tone and turned to glance at Naruto. „I'll make it up to you."

„You…" Sakura growled, sending the rouge an infuriated look. „I know that voice. You're that guy from yesterday, aren't you!?"

The rouge turned to look at her, a smirk appearing on his face. „So, you noticed, eh?"

„What the hell is going on!?" The blond growled. „How did you know we'd be here?!"

„You guys are nothing but predictable, we had you walking right into our trap." Osamu explained, re-appearing next to Dai. „We prepared ourselves ever since we apparently became a threat to the Leaf. We hired a spy to sneak into your village and we were surprised to hear that no one noticed you had an infiltrator. Within a few days, we received information that the Leaf was planning on sending us their best medical ninja." He shrugged. „Blame it on your village's poor security that you're in this mess now."

Naruto's eyes went wide in shock. The rouge was right. They had a shortage of patrolling shinobi since so many of them were out on missions. He lifted his hand to his forehead, he couldn't believe that this was happening.

„So... Y-You knew all this time...?" The blond stuttered in disbelief.

„Isn't it obvious? Of course we knew!" Dai said, his voice full of annoyance. „We knew she was here the first day you arrived! Who do you think payed those idiots from yesterday? Kurai should've captured her and made our job easier, but she proved to be a challenge..." He grunted.

„Your fault for underestimating us." The rosette muttered and narrowed her eyes.

„Who would've thought... You actually fight well." Osamu chuckled, looking directly at the rosette. „But despite the rumors about your strength, I gotta admit..." He smirked and creepily licked his lips. „You are quite womanly... It sure felt nice feeling you up-"

Naruto kicked his face in, shutting him up before he could talk any more. The blond's frown showed distinct rage and disgust. Sakura stared back, her face holding almost the same emotions, but in her case, rage was replaced with horror.

The rouge flew back and disappeared in a puff of smoke as a wooden log fell in his place. Naruto could hear him snicker, the sound coming from behind his back. „Provoked much?"

Osamu chuckled. „All of that being said, we decided we'd play along with your mission. Our plan was to lead the girl to our hideout to spare ourselves of this mess. In other words, we knew a lot about Haruno's mission and we planned out everything perfectly…" Osamu then narrowed his eyes. „But what we didn't know…" He said. „was that the Jinchuuriki was coming along with her."

„Don't you dare harm him." She turned toward the rouge, her brows furrowing in anger. „It's me who you're after, is it not?"

Kurai stepped in. „It's debatable which one of you would be more useful." He grumbled. „But even with your strength you don't stand a chance against us."

„Don't underestimate me." She gave him a warning glare. „You might regret it like yesterday."

„I doubt it."

He charged at her with the same tanto blade he wounded her with, but Naruto cut him off before he could even get close to her. The blade grazed across his cheek and shoulder in the process of him doing so. The blond managed to put some distance between himself and their enemies. He stood in front of Sakura, suddenly feeling immensely protective of her as he got into a defensive stance.

„How bad is your wound?" He asked her. „Can you fight?"

„It's bleeding, but it's just a scratch." She narrowed her eyes. „Don't worry, I'll kick his ass for it."

„Alright, I'll get Osamu and the other guy." He muttered. „I trust you, Sakura. Try not to get killed, though."

„You too." She smiled.

They both charged at the men and got into a fist fight. Naruto fought against Dai and Osamu, evading their attacks, but having a hard time landing any of his own. He proceeded to make a few shadow clones to fight alongside him, not that it helped much, as they dissipated soon after getting hit. Sweat started to form on his forehead as he concentrated on the two men and their attacks.

Sakura, on the other hand was the aggressor against Kurai. He was a lot faster than her and able to dodge all her attacks, but she was stronger without a doubt. One good hit and it'd be easier for her to take him down. She groaned in frustration and aimed a fist for his face, but he caught it and punched her instead. She backed away from him to catch her breath, but he wouldn't let her. He grabbed her by the forearm and spun her in order to make her fly across the bar. However, she held onto him and used the momentum to bring her knees to her chest and push her feet outward to hit his stomach. He flew into a wall from the impact of her kick and breathed heavily as he coughed up blood. She dashed at him again, this time a kunai in her hand.

Their blades clashed. They exchanged blows for a few minutes and she got cuts all over her body. Soon enough she had an opening to attack, so she struck him. She managed to take a good chunk of flesh off his biceps before pulling away. The man groaned in agony and held his wounded arm, blood dripping at the ends of his fingers. He glared at her with a crazed look in his eye. He suddenly smirked creepily, and Sakura lifted her kunai in defense, furrowing her brows at the man's actions.

„Oh, I'll get back at you for this." He said. „You're gonna pay."

He retracted his tanto and made a few hand signs, activating his ninjutsu. Electricity started sparking around his palm and he reached behind him to pull out a few needles. He threw them in Sakura's direction and she managed to dodge them, but she saw the strings attached to them too late. He pulled them back and one of them hit her shoulder blade. She groaned in pain as she felt a jolt of electricity run through her body and the needle digging deep into her flesh. She managed to pull it out with her right hand but was unable to move her left shoulder and arm, her nerves under shock. She winced, cursing at the pain.

„Careful." He smiled, pulling out more needles and blades. „Trust me, you don't want any more of these to hit you."

Naruto shot a glance at Sakura, who desperately fought to avoid the needles flying toward her. The blond unintentionally let his guard down and Dai punched him in the face. He fell to the ground and wiped the blood off his lip as he looked around. „Not good." He thought. „At this rate, they'll wipe us out in no time."

He got up and made a few shadow clones. One of them helped him make a rasengan while the others were stalling his enemies. They all eventually dispelled, and the real Naruto charged at Dai with his jutsu. Caught off guard, he got hit and yelled in pain as he felt the skin on his abdomen crumble. He fell against one of the tables and groaned, not even bothering to get up.

Despite holding the attack, Naruto was too, blown off by the strength of it. He fell back, hissing as he felt sudden throbbing and a burning sensation in his right arm. He cringed and lifted his sleeve, only to see the scratches and blotches from before acting up in pain. The blond cursed, knowing it wasn't a smart idea to make a rasengan without being properly healed beforehand.

„Shit, this is bad." He hissed as he tried covering his arm back, regretting his earlier decision when he refused to be healed by Sakura.

Osamu growled in anger at Naruto and dashed at him, full speed. The blond hardly blocked any of his strikes and was practically losing this fight. He backed away a few feet, breathing heavily as blood poured from his nose and mouth.

He widened his eyes as a painful shriek came from the other side of the room. He looked up and saw Sakura leaning over in pain. Kurai was standing above her, his blade protruding through her already open wound on her abdomen. What shocked him were the electricity bolts coming from the weapon and into her body.

„Sakura!" Naruto yelled, but Osamu grabbed him and held him back from running toward her.

„Kurai, what the fuck are you doing!?" Osamu snapped. „We need her alive, dammit!"

He ignored him as he watched the rosette struggle. She gripped the knife and grunted, fighting against the pain the best she could. At last, Kurai kicked her and she fell to her knees.

„NO!" Naruto shouted, fighting against the man holding him back. „Sakura, hang in there!"

„Nngh..." She tried getting up, but in vain. She supported her upper body weight on her forearm, while her other hand was on her waist. She clutched her bloodied stomach in pain, trying to heal herself the best she could with the little chakra she had left. Her muscles convulsed from shock and she was shaking profusely. Her vision was becoming a blur, only hearing dim voices now. Her body had suffered immensely, draining her chakra just to keep itself going.

„SAKURA!"

„Naruto..." She whispered. It was the last thing she could do before she fell to the ground and hit her face. Her world became white, then everything faded to darkness as she finally lost consciousness.

Continued in chapter 4...

A/N: Well, what do you think?

Hopefully, you enjoyed reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the current story. Do you have an idea of how this might end? You'll find out in the next chapter, but until then, review to let me know what you think!

Name meanings
Osamu - discipline, study (character's strength based on genjutsu and manipulation)
Dai - large, bold (character's strength based on taijutsu and brute strength)
Kurai - dark, ignorant (character's strength based on ninjutsu and agility)
Hana (Sakura's made up name) - flower