Disclaimer: I own nothing more than a set of Pigma pens and a dream... (How poetic.)

A/N: Yeah... this is going to be a really depressing little story if I have my way. I only want happy reviews, though, FLAMERS WILL BE EATEN (I'm serious, I'll find out where you live, little man).

Rated PG-13 for: Language, Adult situations, violence, and implied rape. Don't like it, don't read.

Summary (longer one): Orochimaru was said to have taken away children to his village- but how will Haruno Sakura tie in with this? After Naruto, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, and Neji leave after Sasuke and all the jounins are tied up with the threat of further war, who is left to protect the village's lone cherry blossom? No one realizes her danger until it is too late.

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Haruno Sakura, a local kunoichi of the Konohagakure, sat alone in her bedroom, gazing forlornly out of her window at the pale half-moon that graced the night sky. How long had it been since Sasuke left...? Almost a week now...? Her heart seemed empty, but not nearly as empty as the village.

All of the local jounins had been assigned missions, most of which were A or B-ranked. The village was in desperate need of money for repairs now, after the first attack by the Sound-nins and the Sand-nins. Wherever Sakura went now, people would be hustling and bustling around making hasty repairs to damaged property, shops, and monuments. Her own house had been damaged- a gaping hole dominated her dining room ceiling, result of gigantic snake tails flailing around carelessly.

"But at least I train, unlike SOME people I know," Sakura sighed to herself as she turned away from her window and flung herself onto her bed, her face buried on her pillow. Her mind wandered to her greatest rival- Yamanaka Ino- who was, undoubtedly, working towards repairing her family's flower shop. The blonde seemed to have no qualms about cancelled classes, but seemed to rather enjoy the newfound life of flower keeping.

But how long would it last...? Her self-training methods seemed hardly adequate, so how far behind would she fall without proper instruction? Perhaps she would try to visit the Hokage tomorrow...

No, The Hokage was probably insane with exhaustion already. It would be dangerous for Sakura to visit in such a busy time. Though, Sakura thought, I really would appreciate a one-on-one session with Tsunade-sama. Maybe I just want someone to talk to, someone who understands what I'm going through.

What was it, though? This feeling in her stomach, the feeling clawing at the back of her mind...? The strange sense of anxiety, of fear? Was it caused by fear of attack by the Sound? The fear of war, of being alone?

Or was it... something else? Was that gut feeling of dread a premonition of things to come? Sakura longed to talk to some other woman who could maybe, just maybe, explain. But it seemed now that everyone was too preoccupied with the village to care about one lone genin, especially a girl with no real potential as a ninja.

Maybe if Sakura had talked to the Hokage, she could have saved her spirit from the danger lurking in the shadows.