Premonitions

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, sadly.

A/N: First of thanks for all the reviews and PMs I received. I am once again sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I was really trying to complete it shortly after the last chapter but I got a really bad case of writers block and couldn't seem to finish it. Plus work is as usual consuming my life so I am sorry that it took so long.

Oh and Shimo's sister Hibana has red hair. Shimo's hair is silver. If I messed that up somewhere in the chapter then I apologize.

Chapter 13: Innocence Lost

Sakura pushed herself up from her mattress her arms aching with the obvious signs of chakra exhaustion. The splitting headache she had had for a few weeks now seemed to have gotten worse during her uneasy rest if that was possible.

'Two months,' Sakura almost couldn't believe it.

They were in the almost finished living in this hell. She at first refused to count the days until their teammate, their protector, their savior walked through the door and removed them forever from this hell. But as the days slowly dragged by Sakura had allowed a small flicker of hope to once again catch hold in her heart, now only twenty days separated Ino and herself from freedom.

And the best part was they had so far gotten away with just their techniques against even the more talented shinobi who called upon them for their services. The only problem was so far they had discovered very little about the Cloud's upcoming offensive against their home village.

Sakura turned her head toward her still sleeping companion only to have her neck pop sending a shot of pain through her entire body. She yelped in surprise causing Ino's light blue eyes to flicker open and settle on the pink haired kunoichi.

"Hey Forehead you ok?" Ino questioned as she stretched her aching body.

"Yeah just a little sore how about you?" Sakura questioned rubbing her neck in attempt to work the knot out of her muscles.

"The same as always," Ino managed a small grin.

"You two better be up already, we have work to do!" a strong female voice came from the other side of the door that separated their quarters from the hallway.

"When this is over I am going put a kunai in that bitch's heart," Ino sneered gaining a weak smile from Sakura.

"Come on Ino we better get to work or we will have to finish after hours," Sakura responded as she pushed herself up into a standing position.

Sakura moved to the door and lifted the latch and noticed it was not locked. There was no need to lock the doors anymore Sakura doubted in her present condition that she could make it to the Fire country border before she passed out. She knew Naruto had a box of solider pills in his possession that was for their escape. But until he arrived to save them they were constantly in a state of severe chakra exhaustion.

Pushing to door open Sakura and Ino filled out into the hallway and turned to the right and approached another heavy wooden door. Knocking twice the door creaked open and allowed Sakura and Ino to move into the ornate hallway that was used for customers. Sakura and Ino moved quickly as they began to gather up the various linens scattered through the rooms and stuffed them into several baskets.

Ino moved quickly as she stepped out into the warm, clean, mountain air and proceeded to begin washing the various articles of clothing and bedding in the small water basin that was situated in the back of the building. Her keen eyes quickly noticed the pair of yellow eyes watching Sakura and her from the shadows as they washed the dirty linens.

The eyes were a constant reminder that Naruto was nearby. The small toad had been with them since the beginning and while it had never spoken or even revealed itself fully to either herself or Sakura, Ino was determined to reward the amphibian's diligence once she was back in Konoha. She would simply need to ask Naruto to summon the creature and then she would hug the little bastard until his eyes popped out.

"Ino," Sakura whispered causing Ino awaken from her humorous daydream.

"Wha…" Ino started as before noticing Sakura's eyes looking off to the left.

Ino followed her fellow kunoichi's gaze until her eyes also rested on the three men standing on the other side of the wall watching them. Ino instantly recognized the three men even without their mutilated Mist forehead protectors. Her eyes narrowed as the three men disappeared behind the fence.

"I don't like this," Sakura announced her keen mind beginning to churn.

"What do you think they want?" Ino questioned.

"Well they may be planning revenge for the death of their comrade or they could just be looking to try to rape us again," Sakura responded.

"Should we tell Naruto?" Ino whispered careful not to allow anyone else to hear.

"He probably already knows," Sakura responded as she motioned toward the shadows where the toad had been hidden.

"We should be prepared," Ino reasoned as she hung up several clean but soaked sheets to dry.

"I agree there is no telling what they are planning," Sakura responded as she moved to give Ino a hand.

Five hours later the sun was beginning to set and the brothel was busy with women attempting to make themselves more attractive. Sakura had to admit she didn't really mind this part of the mission. Very rarely did she take the time to fix her hair and put on more then a very light amount of make up. Even when Ino and herself went to a club or to a festival she didn't take the amount of time she did ever night in this hell hole.

"You look nice tonight Fore-head," Ino joked as she pulled a silk kimono around her slender body.

"You too Pig," Sakura smiled as she finished applying the last bit of mascara to her eye lashes.

Sakura watched as Ino tied her long platinum blonde hair up into a tight bun. And then remove several kunai from their sleeping mats and deposited them high on her thigh. Sakura had already hidden several of the razor sharp knives on her person and was now in the midst of attempting to gather enough chakra to cast her genjustu, but she needed to be careful not to gather the charka too fast or it would alert any nearby shinobi. Ino also had begun preparing her body for the night ahead her body ached as she pulled charka from it molding it in preparation for her technique.

"It is time get your asses out here and make some money," a man's voice called from the other side of the door.

Sakura sighed as she moved slowly to the door wondering if tonight would be the night that her genjustu would fail her and she would actually have to resort to sleeping with one of her patrons.

Sakura followed Ino out into the expansive lobby of the brothel as the fat little man flicked a switch on the wall that lit up the red lantern on the outside of the building. It would be only a matter of time now until the filth started wandering in looking for the company a beautiful woman.

"You all know what to do," the man sneered as he sat nodded to the madam of the house and shut the door to the upstairs behind him.

"Ok ladies, it's time," the older women sneered as she walked around the end of the bar taking up her position behind it for the night.

Sakura sat down on a circular couch across the room from the women and shut her eyes. This had become a tradition, every night when the brothel would open for business she would take a seat in the same spot and shut her eyes and offer a prayer to who ever was listening. Ino would often join her but tonight Ino seemed to be preoccupied with the visit from the three former Mist shinobi.

Ino did not like not knowing what was going to happen next. She craved, even needed the control over her own destiny and the sudden appearance of the three men who threatened their mission the most was unsettling for her.

"Ino?" Sakura whispered.

"What?" Ino hissed as she smiled at an older man who seemed to frequent the brothel.

Ino followed Sakura's gaze until it fell on the man who had just walked through the door. His flowing green hair spilled out from his scarred Mist forehead protector. He gave the two women an evil grin before heading toward the bar to have a word with the madam.

Ino watched the man intently, resisting the urge to pull a kunai from her thigh and throw the deadly weapon into the man's spinal column. She stole a quick glance back at Sakura not wanting to take her eyes off the large shinobi.

Sakura was also watching the green haired man intently her fingers nervously played with the sleeves of her kimono.

'This is not good,' Sakura pondered as she motioned to Ino to look toward the bar again.

The man smiled at the women behind the bar as she quickly opened the door to the upper level of the building. Sakura and Ino watched in amazement as the man disappeared into the shadows of the stairwell.

"Well what do you think?" Sakura questioned.

"I don't have any idea; I only know that as long as he is here we are not safe. Not only did he try to kill Naruto and rape us but his two companions are no where to be found," Ino whispered back disguising the action with her sleeved as she waved to a patron from across the room.

Sakura instantly looked to the corner of the room and to her shock did not see the two carefully hidden yellow eyes in the corner. This meant only two things, either the toad had already left to inform Naruto of the man's presence, or the toad had never returned from this afternoon. The last opinion scared Sakura to her core. In their condition, Ino and herself stood no chance of winning against the former Mist ninja. Plus the fact that any battle between them would certainly bring several Cloud shinobi to investigate.

"Shit we are screwed," Sakura announced as she motioned Ino to look toward the toads vacant hiding place.

"Don't worry Sakura, Naruto is probably on his way," Ino placed her right hand on top of Sakura's and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"You two are coming with me," a deep voice announce from behind them.

Sakura and Ino both froze as she large missing ninja appeared from behind them. He grinned at them evilly as the two women shrunk back in fear.

"Oh come now there is nothing to fear I simply want to make us of your services come lets get some sake," the man smiled disguising his true intentions.

The man snapped his fingers and the women behind the bar appeared beside the trio with a tray and a few bottles of sake. The woman was obviously nervous about the man's presence as she quickly sat the sake down on the table in front of Sakura and Ino and scurried back to the bar. The large man quickly grabbed on of the bottles and drank from it as the two women in front of him eyed him carefully.

"Come on, there is another bottle for the two of you," the man pointed toward the second bottle of sake still resting on the tray.

Sakura offered a small forced smile before reaching for the bottle and pouring some of its contents into two of the cups that had been provided. She offered on of the cups to Ino, who tentatively excepted the intoxicating beverage.

Sakura slowly sipped the drink and felt the hot liquid roll down her throat. The man smiled as she watched the two women drink.

"That's my good girls," the man smiled evilly his mood suddenly shifting.

He leaned in close to Sakura and Ino his head resting between the two of them close enough for him to whisper.

"It is such a shame, if you two weren't kunoichi from Konoha I wouldn't have had to do this," the man whispered.

Sakura leapt away from the man as he relaxed back against the couch as Ino started to reach for the kunai hidden on her body. The man made no move to stop the two kunoichi he simply kept the same wicked grin on his face as he watch the two ninja move to strike.

Sakura was still in shock as she moved without thinking about it her instincts took over as she lunged at the man only to collapse on the floor crushing the small table in front of the man and spilling the sake all over her self. Ino's eyes widened as her vision began to cloud, she pinched her eyes shut and opened them again but all she could make out was the man's general shape. The last think the two women heard was the man's laughter as they slipped into unconsciousness.

Sakura's emerald eyes opened slowly, she blinked trying to focus on her surroundings. He head ached and she attempted to reach up and rub her temples but discovered she couldn't move. Suddenly realization flashed through her mind and her eyes shot open completely. She noticed her hands were bound as were her feet. She turned her head trying to see what else was in the room.

Ino was slumped up against the far wall apparently not yet conscious from the poison they had ingested.

'Fuck I can't believe this is happening,' Sakura thought as she continued to scan the room to see if she could determine where Ino and her self were at.

"Sa-Sakura," Ino's ocean blue eyes opened slowly as she began to regain consciousness.

"Ino are you ok?" Sakura questioned as she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Yeah I guess where the fuck are we?" Ino questioned as she looked around the small room.

"I have no idea I have never seen this room before and I doubt if we are still in the village judging from the trees outside," Sakura responded just noticing the window on the far side of the room.

"Looks like the two of you are finally awake," the voice sent shivers up and down the women's spines.

Sakura turned to the door and saw the green haired shinobi walk through the open door followed by another man Sakura had never seen before. His headband announced him as a Cloud shinobi.

"Is this them?" the tall Cloud shinobi questioned.

"Yes, I sent my other two men to deal with the man that was with them, but I have no evidence that he actually is a Konoha shinobi. They probably were just using him to get into the Lightning Country," the former Mist shinobi responded.

"Are they up to the task? He is quite powerful," the Cloud shinobi questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Does it really matter if they kill the man or not they distracted him long enough to get these two out of the village their lives mean nothing to me if they are not strong enough to come back alive," the green haired man grinned.

"Tsume is quite powerful he was placed on my team for a reason, you would be wise not to underestimate him," the nameless Cloud shinobi responded.

"I know full well how powerful he is and I have taken precautions to ensure the success of my men's mission," the tall missing nin replied.

Naruto could easily handle to two former Mist nins and once he recognized them he would know something was up if he didn't already. But he probably had no idea where the where considering Sakura had no idea herself. Plus the Cloud shinobi knew Naruto's other persona seemingly personally and the green haired ninja seemed to have something up his sleeve to deal with Naruto when he was finished with the two ill fated former Mist shinobi.

"To think Konoha would send such accomplished kunoichi as Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino to their deaths," the Kumo shinobi smiled evilly pulling Sakura out of your thoughts.

Ino looked up toward the man with wide eyes full of worry and surprise.

"My payment?" the green haired shinobi questioned.

"Very well I will send word to have the funds collected for you, I will return in the morning with a squad to escort this trash to Kumogakure for interrogation and imprisonment, until then you may do what you like with them," the tall Kumo shinobi gave the man a wicked grin which was returned in turn.

"Thank you very much," the man smiled as he closed the door behind him leaving the two women to contemplate their future.

"Sakura we have to get out of here now," Ino hissed as she fought against her bindings.

"I know, but I can't mold even a small amount of chakra what ever he gave us must be blocking us from using chakra. Plus these ropes have been imbedded with chakra I couldn't break them even if I had all of my chakra at my disposal," Sakura responded as she strained to break her bonds.

"So what we are just supposed to sit here until they haul us off the Kumogakure tomorrow?" Ino questioned.

"No get over here and see if you can untie these ropes around my wrists," Sakura ordered.

"Don't you think they would have thought about that before they bound us Sakura?" Ino questioned.

"Got any other ideas? Because I am fresh out," Sakura responded a slight bit of anxiety evident in her voice.

An hour past and Ino finally gave up trying to untie Sakura and collapsed on the floor.

"How long until this shit is out of our systems?" Ino questioned.

"I don't know Tsunade-taichou taught us how to make something similar to this that caused the subject to be unable to mold chakra the correct way for up to twenty four hours," Sakura responded as she laid back against the wall and stared out the window.

"Hey Sakura…?" Ino questioned.

"Yeah?" Sakura whispered.

"Naruto is coming right?" Ino whispered back.

"I..." Sakura started.

"It is just you have been teammates a long time and well you know him better then anyone else besides Jiraiya-sama," Ino interrupted.

"Ino if I know Naruto he would trail us all the way to Kumogakure in order to take us home, he never fails a mission," Sakura allowed her self a small smile.

"Your right Sakura I don't know what I was thinking," Ino responded.

"So Naruto is his real name?" the male voice from the doorway startled Sakura and Ino.

"What do you want?" Ino spat attempting to be brave.

"I think we all know what I want and I am going to get what I want one way or the other," the green haired man grinned as he took a step forward.

"Fuck you!" Ino screamed as the man reached out for her.

"I see you are getting the idea," the man replied as he hauled Ino to her feet by her hair.

His lips slammed into hers causing her to attempt to recoil only to be stopped by the man's suffocating embrace. Sakura watched in horror as Ino feebly attempted to free her self from the kiss.

"That was pitiful lets see if your friend can do any better," the green haired shinobi replied as he let Ino fall to the ground and moved toward Sakura.

As the large man neared Sakura, Ino managed to trip him with her feet causing the man to fall forward a few feet away from Sakura.

"You fucking bitch!" the man screamed as he kicked Ino in the face sending the women flying into the wall.

Ino smiled as the man picked himself up a small line of blood dripping from her mouth.

"I was going to try and keep this as gentle as possible but now I guess I will have to punish the two of you!" the man screamed as he pulled Sakura up by her neck.

"LET HER GO!" a deep voice echoed through the room.

The man's eyes widened as he dropped the pink haired kunoichi and looked around his eyes finally settling on the two red embers burning in the darkness outside the room's window.

"I see you managed to defeat my subordinates," the green man announced his lips pressed into a thin line.

To Sakura's absolute joy Naruto rocketed through the window and landed in a crouch several feet away from her tormentor. His muscles tensed as he stood, his eyes burned a deep crimson as they seemingly danced with a fiery rage.

"You are already a dead man, if you don't want your death to be slow you will release the women now!" Naruto's baritone voice growled out.

The former Mist shinobi studied the large blonde for a minute seemingly searching for something before an evil grin crossed his face.

"You are the one who is a dead man, in fact you're already dead you just don't know it yet!" the evil shinobi laughed.

Naruto stared at the man as if he had grown another head.

"My subordinates didn't seem to be up to the challenge of killing you but they did complete their mission," the man responded to Naruto's questioning gaze.

Naruto could not comprehend what the man was so confident about. The two men Naruto had been attacked by were easily disposed of and they had only managed to inflict one shallow scratch across his right cheek.

"Looks like I am going to have to spell it out for you," the former Mist ninja grinned as realization dawned on Sakura.

"Naruto he is a poison user!" Sakura screamed as the man produced a kunai and charged Naruto.

Naruto's right hand tightened around the pummel of his ninjato as the man closed in on him. The man feinted to the right before slashing left; a move Naruto easily saw through his ninjato erupted from its scabbard and came down as the man thrust the kunai forward.

Naruto expected to feel the resistance of the blade hitting the man's humerus but to his surprise felt only the blade slip from his had as his vision distorted. Naruto turned and saw Sakura and Ino looking at him with absolute horror in their eyes. His own eyes followed their gaze to the kunai sticking in his side just below his armpit.

Blood erupted from his mouth as he slumped down still not comprehending what had just happened. The large green haired man stood before him his evil grin plastered across his face.

"Do you understand now? I knew full well my men could never defeat you, hell I couldn't defeat you in a fair fight so I evened the odds or more precisely tipped them in my favor. Though I must admit I never thought it would take you this long to feel the effects of my poison," the man announced as he turned and moved back toward Sakura and Ino.

Naruto couldn't reply his breathing was shallow he knew the kunai had punctured his left lung and the organ was now filling with blood. The wound would be fatal if the fox's chakra was not healing it. Yes, just a few more seconds and he would be fine. But nothing was happening he could feel the warm liquid beginning to pool around him as his vision faded from clear to hazy.

"I must say this does make things more interesting. Now I can have an audience while I fuck these two into submission!" the former Mist shinobi bellowed as he grabbed Sakura by the hair and threw here against the wall.

Naruto's now blue eyes went wide as he attempted to move but his body would not respond. It wasn't his wound that was hindering him from moving.

'It must be the poison, it is blocking my chakra,' Naruto's thoughts raced

'USE IT!' a voice deep in his mind echoed.

Sakura saw Naruto's sad eyes lock unto hers in an apology before closing. Her trembling body failed to respond as the man's tongue snaked across her neck.

A/N: Another chapter down! I have made a new resolution to work on my story for an hour a night so hopefully I can start putting more chapters out since this arc is kind of just a precursor to the actual story.

Next Chapter: Hell Unleashed

Scary I know.

Please Review

PM me if you have any questions about the character or story (except pairings and plot as those will be revealed in due time).