A new story, as promised! I loved writing Breaking Point, I had so much fun with it and hearing everyone's positive feedback made me love writing even more. This was always a hobby of mine but it's now become a real passion and I hope that you guy's enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them!

So, it's another NejixSakura with some minor SasukexSakura, which should be interesting as I have never written Sasuke as a character before … wish me luck! There will be other couples as well, don't worry; if anyone has any requests for couples they'd like to see then please do feel free to ask!

Anyway, on with the first chapter!

xox

His feet were nimble as he sprinted through the dark tunnels, his eye's flickering and glistening in the occasional flaming torch that lit the way in a deep orange hue as he ran. Two more Anbu flanked his side and he felt safe at least to know his blind spot was covered in these damp hall's. His mask slipped on the sheen of sweat that was covering his face and he quickly readjusted it, keeping his keen sight trained on the room ahead; her still form was visible through his vision and even though her chakra pathway's were still running and active, he could tell she was either unconscious or restrained so she couldn't move.

The rest of his team had already dispatched of the enemy and were currently guarding the perimeter whilst they searched the interior for the victim. She was a friend of his, not exactly close, but he had grown up with her and as such when the Hokage found out about her predicament, it was him that he had sent. He was the best he had, his skills were unparalleled and he was at the top of his game. He had had to sit in the Hokages office, however, whilst he fought back angry demands and threatened him to bring her back or he would loose his position as Anbu captain.

He did not take those threat's lightly.

He skidded to a stop as they came to the thick, wooden barred door. He held a hand out for his two colleague's to stop and gestured for them to go either side of the closed entrance. He concentrated on the enemies chakra that was currently running around the perimeter of the door frame and with a simple press of his finger's, shattered the barricade. He threw his shoulder into the door and busted the lock open, stumbling into a completely dark room. Light spilled in from the now open door and he suddenly spotted her form slumped and tied to a post ahead of him. He grunted and pressed a finger to his ear piece.

"Victim secured. No serious harm seem's to of been done. Any sign of enemy contact?"

A buzzing sound filled his sense's as he waited for a response from his team outside. "Captain. Perimeter still secure."

He straightened up from his defensive crouch and made his way over to her, carefully still analysing their surroundings. He noticed her shift and lift her head to face him; she must of been playing dead in case it was the enemy. Her green orb's widened at the sight of three Konoha Anbu and he watched as her face contorted and a cracked sob of relief escaped her throat. Tear's streamed down her cheeks as she leant her head back against the post and shut her eye's tight, a look of sheer exhaustion taking over her features.

He knelt in front of her and leant around her body, running a chakra laced kunai through her tight bond's and gently catching her form as she fell forward's. His hand's felt odd on her shoulder's and he almost let go at the sudden feeling that filled his being; he wasn't a very openly emotional person and felt uncomfortable when people were in his personal space, but she was sick and injured and clearly had no energy left to keep herself straight. He pushed her back slightly so he could see her face; apart from the obvious beating she had taken to the head and the cut's and bruise's that marred her perfectly tanned skin, he could see no further serious damage.

Unfortunately, the most damage would probably be mental. Overcoming being kidnapped and tortured was a ninja's highest hurdle.

His eye's caught her bright emerald one's as he finished analysing her injuries and he felt himself stop thinking as he took in the sheer relief splashed so openly across her face. Tear's were still streaming and she was sniffing and breathless with each sob that escaped her. She lifted one arm and placed it on his mask, her finger's grazing across where his cheek would be as she gazed through the slit's to try and see her saviour beneath.

"Thank you..." She whispered, over and over again and he felt trapped as the world stopped and all he could see was matted pink hair and mottled blue skin and he suddenly felt angry; angry at the people who had done this and that Konoha had let this happen.

Her face changed as she became slightly desperate and hooked her fingers underneath the edge's of his mask, trying in vein to remove it. His hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, shaking his head slightly; she knew it was against Anbu protocol to remove a mask whilst a mission was in progress.

"Please." She begged. "Do I at least know you?" A hopefulness filled her eye's and he imagined that she perhaps thought that the Uchiha had come to her rescue and would be disappointed by the image of him, but then he saw something else, something other than hope that clawed at the human side of him and that she was quite obviously looking for comfort in a familiar face.

He felt his resolve weaken at the look in her eye's and with a deep sigh, he broke one of the most basic procedure's known to Anbu and reached up with both hand's, pushing his mask back up and over his forehead so that it rested loosely on his high ponytail. His trademark tattoo was covered with bandages and his chiseled features had hardened with age into an extremely handsome young man. His white eye's, that were filled with lilac fleck's and rimmed with thick dark lashes, stared into her emerald one's and he felt his male pride swell slightly as she instantly recognised him, her hand's coming up to cover her face as she broke down again, her sob's much more sporadic and uncontrolled.

"Neji, Neji, thank you. Thank you so much." She repeated his name over and over, thanking him endlessly for saving her life.

He removed her hands from her face and caught her gaze again. A rare smile offered it's existence across his lip's in what he hoped was some form of comfort.

"Your safe now, Sakura."

xox

"Do you think she'll wake soon?" Ino asked, running a cool damp cloth over Sakura's forehead for the hundredth time that morning.

Tenten rolled her eye's, kicking her boot's off and resting them on the end of said woman's hospital bed. She rolled her aching shoulders and took in the disgruntled visage of her friend, sighing in defeat. She'd just gotten back from a rather gruelling two week mission and had heard that Sakura had been found safe and sound. She had come straight to the hospital to see her, knowing that she would find all of the other women of team twelve there and would no doubt get the gossip on what happened.

"She will be fine, Ino, so stop bothering her with that dam cloth and let her rest!"

"Well excuse me." She huffed, waving her hand's at Tenten's leg's so she could walk through the gap and round to the other side of the bed to rearrange some of the many bouquet's of flowers that lined Sakura's room. The bunned shinobi replaced her feet and tipped her head back, taking a moment to rest after such a long time from home.

"You know, you'd think all our friends would buy the flower's from my shop but noooo, they go that new place just down the road where that young pretty thing is. Oh gosh, what's it called again?" She squinted at Hinata, waving a finger through the window and vaguely in the direction of the stall.

"She." Hinata blinked. "Is called Chiharu."

"Yes! That's it! You know I went round there the other day." Ino giggled. "You should of seen the look on her face!"

"Fascinating." Tenten drawled.

"I think she's rather nice." Hinata smiled. "I went in the other day to get -" She politely stopped talking and went back to reading her book when Ino's steel gaze landed on her face.

"Hinata, you think everyone's nice!" Tenten pointed out, unclipping her Anbu gear. "You've already said you forgive Madara!"

"Yes, well..." The young Hyuuga straightened out her skirt. "I think he was just misunderstood, that's all. He clearly had some issue's-"

"Issue's?!" Tenten barked a laugh, throwing her thing's into the corner of the room. "Yea, like trying to kill Naruto! Not to mention almost succeeding with Neji!"

A somber tone settled in the room as a silence echoed and bounced off the wall's, all three women's thought's now back on the war that they had all only just scraped through by the skin of their teeth. That time would haunt them forever; you can't un see what's already been done. Ino fiddled with the leave's on a lilly stem before frowning at it, noticing it sitting in small glass vase on it's own. There was no note, no nothing, just a single lilly sat in water amongst all of the other huge bouquet's that made Sakura's room look like a tropical oasis.

"Whose this from?" Ino asked, holding up the flower and turning it in her hand's. "There's no note or anything."

Tenten and Hinata exchanged a knowing glance, familiar with the custom of one man they both knew rather well.

"It's from Neji-nii-san." Hinata surmised, flicking a page in her book and settling back into her chair.

"Nani?!" Ino shouted, rousing Sakura slightly before the pink haired nin settled back into her pillow's and continued to sleep. Ino flinched in response. "Nani?" She repeated, whispering this time.

Tenten smiled. "Neji only ever leave's one flower. " She shrugged. "It's his thing, I guess. Cheap ass..." She muttered the last part, knowing Neji earned quite a bit as Anbu captain and not to mention being a Hyuuga, yet she had no idea what he spent it on.

"Tenten!" Hinata chastised quietly.

"What!" She laughed, waving off Hinata's criticism. "The guy never does anything besides work! I'm curious to know what he does with the money?"

"If you must know a rather large sum of his paycheque goes to the clan." She said quickly, feeling the need to defend her cousin.

Tenten frowned, "Gomen, I didn't know."

Hinata gave her a small smile. "It's ok, not many people are familiar with the custom's of our clan. Their quite... traditional." She frowned at the last part, turning her purple haired head to look out the window in thought.

A silence settled on the room again, occasionally broken by Sakura's soft snoring or the page's of Hinata's book rustling against one another as she read. Tenten shut her eye's and enjoyed the moment of quiet, her body's hard work suddenly catching up with her as a wash of fatigue settled over her muscles. She felt sore and achey from the constant travel and fighting they had done and was looking forward to the few day's leave she had booked off in anticipation of feeling like crap after this particular mission.

"You know, he's never gotten me a flower!" Ino accused, whirling around to face both women.

"Maybe he just think's that because you work in a flower shop, you'd be sick of receiving them. He's quite literal like that..." Hinata murmured, frowning.

"Oh my god." Tenten sighed loudly, throwing her head back and rubbing her temples. "When you next see him Ino, why don't you just ask him?" She smiled sarcastically before going back to closing her eye's and resting.

Ino raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the weapon's mistress. She was a force to be reckoned with, one of the most powerful female ninja still on active roster. She was covered head to toe in rock hard sinewy muscle and she oozed confidence with every stride of her powerful leg's. She trained vigorously with her old team which kept her alert and strong not to mention incredibly physically fit. Ino shifted her weight and sniffed in indifference.

"Shouldn't you be at the Hokage tower filing your mission report?" She sent her a sickly sweet smile, picking up the damp cloth and rubbing Sakura's head with it again.

"Shouldn't you be running a flower shop?" Tenten shot back, not bothering to lift her head or make eye contact.

"We're closed for the day!" Ino snapped.

"Yea, well, that's probably why everyone goes to Chiharu's now!"

"Tenten!" Hinata's warning tone made her skin crawl with annoyance.

"What?! Maybe, if the shop wasn't always closed then we would actually go there to buy flower's and Ino for the love of god stop moping her brow, she's not a fucking kitchen floor!" Tenten shouted, leaning over and snatching the cloth from her hands.

Ino opened her mouth to respond but stopped when a loud groan escaped Sakura's lip's. All head's turned in her direction as the young medic opened her green eye's slowly, squinting at the sudden, blinding lights of the hospital. She gripped her stomach again and groaned, squirming uncomfortably between the scratchy bed sheet's as her skin paled and her eyebrow's furrowed in discomfort.

"Sakura?" Ino cooed soothingly, stepping forward's to rest a hand on her shoulder. "Er, Hinata? She doesn't look too good..."

Before the Hyuuga had a chance to stand Sakura promptly sat up and emptied the content's of her stomach across the bed. A silence stretched throughout the room as she coughed, clearing her throat of the acidic taste. Ino's hand still lay on her shoulder, her gaze facing straight ahead as her face paled and an awkward stiffness settled in her back. Tenten sat staring wide eyed at her bare feet that were still propped on the end of Sakura's bed and now soaking wet.

"Oh, Sakura! Are you ok?" Hinata rushed forward's, pushing Ino aside. The blonde stumbled back and into the awaiting chair, a hand on her chest as she tried to recover from the sudden shock.

"You know, I knew I must of smelt pretty bad from the mission and all, but this is disgusting..." Tenten's nose wrinkled in disgust as she felt a wash of nausea rise in her throat.

"I wasn't expecting that..." Ino muttered.

"There's a small wash basin through there, Tenten, go clean yourself up! And Ino, don't just sit there, get me a fresh set of sheet's from the cupboard." Hinata waved a hand at them both, gently laying Sakura back onto her pillow's.

"Sorry..." Sakura muttered, her voice coarse and scratchy.

Hinata smiled. "You just rest now, Sakura." She said softly, stroking a hand through her hair. "It's just a side effect of the concussion."

"So, how do you suppose I get to bathroom without ruining these lovely white floor's?" Tenten drawled sarcastically, her hands on her hips as she looked at the pristine tiles of the hospital room.

Without missing a beat Hinata responded. "I don't know, your a ninja, I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Tenten frowned in disapproval before leaning forwards and walking on her hand's towards the bathroom, trying to avoid dripping anything on the floor.

"Here." Ino handed Hinata clean sheets and proceeded to help her change them around Sakura, keeping her hands well clear of the sick and letting Hinata handle the messy stuff.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, taking the glass of water from her side table and sipping it gently, trying to relieve some of the nausea.

"Don't you remember?" Hinata frowned.

"Tsunade-sama did say this could happen." Ino nodded, shrugging her shoulders. "What's the last thing that comes to mind?" She asked Sakura gently.

The pink haired nin groaned again. Ino backed away quickly making Sakura grin despite her headache. "I'm not gonna blow, pig."

"You took a pretty big knock to the head. It must be sore." Hinata frowned. "I'll go get Tsunade-sama." She smiled, taking her leave.

"Hey, what if she puke's again!"

"I'll help!" Came the muffled reply from the bathroom across the room.

"Sorry Tenten..." Sakura called out, cringing slightly at the memory; thank god embarrassment wasn't a strong emotion for her. A muffled exclamation of her forgiveness came through the closed door and Sakura sat back satisfied with the response. She shut her eye's tight and forced herself to think, trying to remember the last thing she could. All that came to light was her leaving the gate's for her mission, Naruto's enthusiastic wave of goodbye one of the last image's in her head before the headache stabbed through again and a darkness took over.

"All I remember is leaving. That's it." She sighed, rubbing her temples gingerly. "I take it the mission didn't go to plan?"

"Oh no, your mission went great!" Ino started, pulling up a chair. "It was on the way home that you ran into a few problem's..."

Sakura blinked. "Problem's being...?"

Ino stayed silent, averting her gaze to the floor whilst she tried to find the right words to say to tell her best friend that she had been kidnapped, tortured and abused for information about Konoha. She felt a hand grip hers and she looked up into emerald green eye's as Sakura's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Ino? What happened?"

"You know, let's wait until Tsuande-sama get's here and she can explain everything. I don't know all the detail's, ya know?" She pulled a face and waved her now free hand, standing to fluff some more of the flowers.

Sakura frowned, but agreed anyway; she was too tired to argue. She turned to look at the bouquets that were littered throughout her room and noticed the single flower in it's vase resting on the edge of her side table.

"Oh a Lilly! How pretty!" She smiled, picking it up in her hands gently and turning it in her finger's, admiring it's white petal's with pink dustings. "Who got this? Lillie's are my favourite! "

Ino gasped. "They are?! Oh this is good gossip!" Ino squealed. "Hyuuga Neji!"

"Ehhh?! Neji did?" Sakura smiled gently, snowy white eye's and dark hair now filling her vision. "How sweet." She smiled. "But why would he get me a flower? We're not exactly close..." she mumbled off the last part, suddenly feeling guilty for their lack of friendship despite sharing the same group of friends.

"Oh you didn't know?" Tenten started, walking out the bathroom and drying her hands, her bare feet now clean. "Neji brought you home. He's the one that saved you."

Sakura blinked. "He did? Oh..." She returned her gaze to the Lilly in her hand's, her pale fingers becoming all she saw as she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards him.

xox

She pushed her weight forwards and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his chest as she grasped him in an iron tight hug, her fingers digging into the cloth of his anbu gear and the skin beneath. He was aware of her crying still but much less audible as he picked her up bridal style, her head still buried into the nape of his neck and her arms still wrapped tightly around his shoulders. He turned to face his two subordinate's and blinked at their seemingly shocked visage's, having been an audience to the scene that had just unfolded. He sniffed in indifference, replacing his mask quickly he readjusted his hold on the young woman in his arms and gestured for them to get moving, jumping into a sprint again as they raced back to re-group and head straight back to Konoha.

He had better get a pay rise for this.

The trip back to Konoha was at least a three day trek without stopping and Neji was forced to let his team camp for night at the request of his medic who insisted that he treated Sakura's injuries before they got back to Konoha. He was unfortunately met with some resistance.

"I promised Hokage-sama that I would return Sakura as soon as possible." Neji resisted, the young woman still wrapped firmly in his arm's. Her sleeping head resting against his shoulder.

"And what do you think he will say when you return her in this state?" The man gestured to Sakura's wounds, in particular the one across her temple. Neji hesitated, knowing the man was right. He sighed in defeat.

"All right. We'll make camp tonight and head out first thing tomorrow."

His team seemed pleased at the opportunity to rest and he fleetingly wondered whether or not he should be so hard on them. Missions were gruelling and tough work at times and he always pushed them to their absolute limits, but that is why their the best in Konoha and at the top of the list for mission's like this. He made his way over to where Fumio was setting up his medic station, standing back and waiting patiently for the young man to arrange his medical kit. He glanced over at the rest of his team and noted them setting up camp, tent's had been pitched and he blinked as he suddenly noticed the dark grey cloud's rolling in overhead.

Great, it was going to rain too.

He frowned, that was something he usually would notice much sooner than he had. He turned his attention to the sleeping woman in his arm's as she mumbled something incoherent, shifting slightly to get more comfortable in his grip. She had grown over the years, he had to admit. Since the war she had become somewhat of a prodigy in the village. With that status, hard work and determination, she was able to secure herself a position as chief medic at the hospital as well as being made a part of Anbu and not to mention helping Naruto in his training to be the next Hokage. She also managed to make all of their social events, train regularly with everyone they had grown up with and maintain a strong relationship with her mentor's. She truly was a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention a true beauty. She had kept her hair short to frame her petite face. Her eye's were cat like and a fierce shade of emerald green that shone like fire when you riled her up. Her body was toned and flexible, but not skinny; she had curve's to rival Tsunade's, despite her vicious training regime. She was proud and confident and everything a woman should be.

"Captain? You can put her down now..."

Neji realised that he had been staring and he calmly but surely made his way over to the small tent Fumio had pitched and began to lay her down on the roll mat, keeping a blank facade but burning with embarrassment on the inside at getting caught. He struggled slightly and frowned as he was unable to remove her grip from his Anbu top. He blinked and cast a sideways glance at the medic who was seemingly fidgeting with the idea of helping or keeping his distance. At the hard glare he received from his captain he jumped forwards and pried Sakura's finger's from said man's back.

Fumio gently lay her down, his hand's immediately going to the large gash and growing bruise across her head. He frowned and reached for his kit, pulling out swab's and viles of solutions.

"What? What is it?" Neji asked, catching the look on the young boy's face.

"She's received a massive blow to the head. It may be worse than we initially thought. It's quite possible she may suffer some amnesia and not remember the whole ordeal at all."

Neji blinked, his white eye's returning to Sakura as he leant over to get a closer look at her head; medical ninjutsu had alway's fascinated him. He stepped back and out of the way, however, when Fumio cleared his throat, quietly asking Neji to vacate the premises whilst he worked.

"Thank you Fumio. Keep me updated."

The young man bowed as his captain exited the tent and stepped out into the gentle pitter patter of rain, readjusting his mask as he activated his Byuukagen to check their immediate surroundings. Neji sighed, enjoying the cool dampness that came with the storm and relished in the diminishing awkwardness that had settled in his shoulders. He often wondered if he was as difficult as Tenten made him out to be; she had alway's said he was slightly socially awkward but he had never really noticed it. However, lately, with his new team, those moments seem to arise more and more and despite his best efforts, he alway's managed to embarrass himself in one way or another.

He sighed again. He was only human, after all. Nobody's perfect, not even him.

A hot beverage was thrust under his nose and he accepted the drink, pushing his mask back and taking a sip.

"Captain, your mask-"

"The perimeter is secure. I've already checked." He noted, his silver eyer's catching her dark blue one's as the young woman nodded, also removing her own mask.

Amaya was a complete enigma to Neji. She was born into a noble clan and had been sent to Konoha by her father to train under the best ninja he could find. As a result, she was incredibly talented and a force to be reckoned with once in battle, but she also acted rather strange around him. He would catch her staring at him in quiet moments on mission's, or she would offer to sit with him at night to keep watch even when he ordered her to sleep. She would inadvertently make skin to skin contact with him too, which irritated him to no end; one of his pet peeve's was people's complete and utter lack of respect for another's personal space. She would brush up against him when she walked past, lay her sleeping mat next to his or even occasionally lay a hand on his arm for what he hoped was reassurance but was starting to think was something else.

He held her steady gaze with his for a few moments more before closing his eye's and turning his head away. "Arigatou, for the drink. Now, get some rest Amaya."

She blinked, seemingly none to pleased with the dismissal of her presence but consented anyway, turning around and heading for her tent. Neji watched her go before turning toward's a nearby tree and talking shelter from the now pouring rain. He pulled his pack off his back and grabbed his thick blanket, wrapping it tightly around his shoulders before grabbing one of his ration meal packs and leaning back against the trunk of the tree, staring up at the the now darkening sky as night started to sweep in and litter the world with sparkling moonlight. They were close to Konoha, so the threat of enemies was slim to none and he took the opportunity to shut his eye's for a moment and catch a few minutes rest before taking up his position for the first watch of the night.

He awoke with a start when a hand rested on his forearm, his pale eye's coming face to face with Fumio.

"Gomen, Captain, I didn't mean to wake you."

Neji noticed night had fallen completely now and suddenly realised that he had fallen asleep for longer than anticipated. He sighed, rubbing his eye's slightly to rid himself of the tiredness.

"I'll take second watch." Amaya whispered quietly, waiting patiently for him to stand so she could take her place. "Hey Fumio." She tilted her chin at him.

He nodded back, turning his attention back to Neji. "I've finished the healing, but she's asking for you, Captain."

Neji blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Sakura. She's asking for you." Fumio gestured at him, frowning as to why he didn't understand him.

A silence settled for a moment before Neji cleared his throat. "Why?"

Fumio shrugged. "I'm not sure to be honest, but she's heavily sedated now and falling in and out of sleep, constantly mumbling your name and asking for you."

"It sound's like she's in a dream like state. I'm sure it's nothing, Captain. Why don't you take my tent and rest for a while too? I don't mind keeping watch for a few hours." Amaya was insistent, her dark eye's reflecting the light of the moon in a cat like manner; that had alway's unnerved Neji and he looked away to avoid her intense gaze.

"Actually, she's quite distressed..." Fumio trailed off, trying to ignore the tension that had settled in the air around them.

"Surely she should be in a deep state of sleep by now?" Neji asked Fumio as he stood to follow him, gesturing for Amaya to take his place. "She's been through a lot."

Fumio nodded. "You would think, but she's resisting. Perhaps your presence will calm her?" He looked around at Neji as he held the tent flap open for him to enter. Neji stared at him for a moment and noted the almost smug look on the young man's face as he seemingly enjoyed putting his captain into an awkward situation.

"I'll try." Neji deadpanned, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he stepped into the warm atmosphere of the tent and took in the sleeping form of Sakura.

Her head was turning back and forth on the pillow and her eye's were open slightly as she mumbled something quietly. He stepped forwards and heard his name on her lip's. He hesitated, unsure of what to do before finding his nerve and pulling up a stool, gently leaning over her form so he could try and catch her gaze. She stopped when she saw him and a smile graced her features, her flushed cheek's caught his attention and he took a damp cloth from the bowl beside her bed and dabbed her forehead with it.

"Neji..." She mumbled again, this time her eye's shut completely and her breathing became deep and heavy as her head fell to the side and she instantly fell asleep.

"Strange..." Neji mumbled to himself as he placed the cloth back in the bowl and pondered as to why she found so much comfort in his presence.

He suddenly froze and glanced down to see her hand in his lap. Her palm was resting across his thigh and her finger's were grazing the inside of it. A light tinge tickled his cheek's as he lifted her hand into his and placed it back by her side. Her fingers closed around his and he checked her face, only to find her still deep in sleep. He stared at their entwined hand's and took a moment to enjoy the feeling of her small finger's resting against his larger ones, his snowy white eye's imagining a life where something like this was actually possible. He hated people in his personal space and yet he didn't seem to mind with Sakura. Perhaps because they had known each other for so long and she had healed him so many times now that he was used to it, but it still evoked a sensation in him that he wasn't sure whether he liked or not. He looked back up at her face and saw the small smile there and decided that everything he did, how dam hard he worked and how much effort he put into protecting Konoha was all worth it when he was able to bring someone home to their friends and family.

Even if she doesn't remember, he would, and that would be enough.

xox

Tsunade took a seat beside Sakura's bed as she lifted her hands and cupped one of her smaller one's gently. There was a sad smile on her face as she looked at the worn and bruised woman who she once called her student. The wrinkle's in her face deepened as she felt anger bubble at the men who had done this to her, that had done this to her Sakura. Kakashi had assured her that they had been taken care of by Neji and his team and wouldn't be bothering Konoha again from the grave, but they were merely missing-nin and rogue's banished from other village's; Sakura should of been able to hold her own, she should of been able to fight her way out.

Something had happened and she desperately needed to find out why.

"Tsunade-sama? Are you ok?" Sakura frowned, squeezing her shishou's hand.

The older woman blinked out of her thoughts before smiling again, "Hai." She squeezed back reassuringly. "How are you doing? Hinata tell's me your not remembering much."

"All I remember is leaving Konoha for my mission. That's it." She shrugged it off as if acting indifferent but Tsunade saw the flash of fear in her eye's at not knowing.

"That was three week's ago now, so that's not too bad for the blow you took to the head. We were expecting a few month's." Tsunade nodded to Hinata reassuringly.

Sakura choked on air. "Three week's?! I've been gone for three week's?" She fell back onto her pillow's in shock.

"Sakura." Tsunade's tone grew serious as she caught the young woman's emerald gaze. "Do you remember anything that happened in that time period? Anything at all?"

Sakura frowned, casting her gaze away from Tsunade to the other women in the room. All looked sad and somber, their visage's screaming sympathy as they watched. She turned back to the older woman, shaking her head slowly, suddenly dreading what she was about to hear. A bundle of nerves knotted in her stomach and a tingle of fear ran up her spine, spreading goosebumps across her skin.

"Shishou... what happened to me?" She breathed quietly.

"The last we heard from you was on your way back from Sand. All it said was mission complete and to expect you in three day's time. Five day's past and Kakashi began to grow concerned." She started, picking her word's carefully whilst eyeing Sakura's reaction. "He immediately sent scout's out but after a week past without hearing anything from you he had to formally declare you missing and send out a rescue team."

"That's where Neji-nii-san come's in." Hinata nodded quietly.

"Hai. He cancelled all of Neji's up coming mission's and made this his sole priority. He sent the best we had." Tsunade smiled, trying to get Sakura to find comfort in that.

"I don't understand. Where was I?" Sakura interrupted, frowning and becoming impatient. "What the hell happened?!"

"You had been kidnapped…" Tsunade said quietly, squeezing her hand but sinking inside at watching Sakura's face pale in shock.

"K-kidnapped?..." She whispered.

"Hai. You were being held in an underground bunker just outside of Konoha's borders. It was an extensive network of underground tunnel's once used for shipping cargo but now abandoned. It took Neji and his team a week of tracking to find you and then a further week of searching, scouting the area and planning the rescue before they could attempt anything."

Tear's started to well in Sakura's eye's and she blinked a few times. The overwhelming emotion of fear, guilt and embarrassment becoming almost too much to bare, but Tsunade pushed on anyway, determined to get this moment over and done with so they could start the healing process.

"When we got you back home it was obvious you had been beaten. The damage to your head was the most concerning and we treated it right away in the hope's of minimising the memory loss. But your test result's showed a few other things."

She stopped suddenly, her throat becoming dry as she swallowed back the tear's and tried to keep a brave face on for Sakura who was currently struggling and failing at keeping her emotion's at bay.

"What other things?" She asked, almost shouting. "What other thing's Shishou!" She knew the answer, but needed to hear it anyway.

Tsunade exhaled, steeling her resolve. "Physical and some sexual abuse."

The world shattered around Sakura as the word's spun in vicious circle's around her head. She stared at her hand's, ashamed and embarrassed to be seen by anyone in that moment because she felt so dirty, so violated and so raw. She hugged her arm's around her chest, suddenly aware of the four pair's of eye's watching her. She rocked slightly squeezing her eye's shut.

She had been sexually abused and she couldn't even remember it.

That in itself was torture enough.

She leant forward and buried her head into her knee's, letting out a cry of frustration before breaking down into cracked sob's, tear's streaming down her pale cheek's as she let her emotion's take over. She was vaguely aware of all four woman around her, cooing soft word's of comfort and rubbing her back gently but she kept her head down and buried, wanting desperately to just run and jump out of the window and escape.

As she wept a familiar face entered her vision, and her emotions latched onto the image of snowy white eye's and dark brown hair, taking comfort in the strange feeling of safety that overwhelmed her senses at the sight of him.

Hyuuga Neji. She had to find Hyuuga Neji.

xox

R+R! Constructive criticism is welcome, as always!