Chapter Text
Sakura wasn’t afraid to admit that she was scared. She had every right to be! Out of everyone on the team, she was the only one who didn’t truly matter. Sakura Haruno: civilian parents, civilian childhood, and though the top kunoichi of her year, painfully average in comparison to all the clan kids in her class. Simply put, she was only picked because she was average, just a body to fill out that last spot so that Kakashi-sensei could have a traditional three-man genin team.
In Konoha’s eyes no one cared about her (except her parents), and she had no outstanding achievements to make her worth more than it cost to make a leaf headband. In conclusion, here in this damp, dark cell, Sakura was quite literally on death row. A bug wedged in between bars of gold, where a single jolt of their cage could cause them to squish her.
When they finally sent someone to get her, she had talked herself into near hysteria, plagued by all the ways they could kill her. Hanging, beheading, flaying - or worse, her kunoichi classes reminded her, not at all.
“Get up, girl,” the man snapped, and she followed because that’s what you did when a scarred, muscular man yanked you up. She was a shinobi - a representative of Konoha - and she shouldn’t show fear, not even in the face of death…Sakura whimpered.
If only Sensei were here, Sakura thought as they dragged her down the hallway, her neck and wrists throbbing as he yanked on her chains. It was a silly thought because no matter how hard she wished for it, he wasn’t going to appear out of thin air. Sakura was on her own, and that was the problem – she wasn’t an Uchiha like Sasuke, or the Hokage’s son, she was just Sakura , and Sakura had only become a genin three weeks ago.
She knew that line of thinking was borderline treasonous: a shinobi shouldn’t be such a defeatist; they should fight to the very end. Except, Sakura had always been smart, had prided herself on her reasoning, and had always been told by teachers how logical and sensible she was. ‘My sweet girl is so smart!’, as her mother liked to put it.
The truth was, even though Konoha’s pride was on the line, Sakura couldn’t bring herself to commit to it. Not when things were so bleak, odds tipped so grossly in her kidnappers' favor. This…this was probably it for her, her rather brief and unremarkable shinobi career meeting a graceless end. Sakura sniffed, chin wobbling, she couldn’t help but wish over and over again that her sensei were here to save her from this.
They passed by other cells, filled with people who looked like they’d been there longer than she’d been alive, and it made her look down at the floor, guilt thrumming under her skin. Fear burrowed its way into her veins, her heart pumping fast. Her legs ached, and her butt was sore from sitting down for hours and hours. She thought about all the things she could have done differently that would have changed her fate, trying to figure out what she could have done to become stronger. Definitely shouldn't have focused on Sasuke so much , she grumbled.
They kept on walking until they were outside, and she got her first breath of fresh air in a week. It was humid, the sticky air immediately making her sweat. Night hung over them, draping shadows over their surroundings, receding only under the lamplight's touch. She couldn’t tell where they were, the trees unfamiliar and scary in the dark. It must have been raining for a while. Large puddles muddied the single dirt road and painted her scuffed shoes in black mud. When they stepped out from under the terrace, she immediately began getting soaked, her thin red dress darkening under the fingertips of a wet and pouring night.
Where were they taking her? A chopping block in the back? She shuddered, wondering if there would be anything left of her for her team to find. A large pit of longing widened at the sudden thought, her usual throbbing ache turning into a deep chasm that rapidly took over her mind, its speed fueled by panic in the wake of her impending death. It had been days since she last saw her team, torn apart from them and shoved into that cell almost as soon as they snapped on the chains. Were they okay? Were they hurt?
Days of silence have taught her a kind of fear she’d never have known otherwise, imagination now sharpened and decorated with all sorts of horror, and it ran wild in the deep recesses of her mind. What had happened to Sasuke? Where was Naruto? She remembered hearing screams from her cell ringing down the stone hallway, clear as a shrine's morning bells.
Had that been them? Were they torturing her teammates as she sat helplessly in her cell? Probably not. Unlike her, Konoha couldn’t afford to let them die at the hands of some second-rate shinobi. The thought made a rabid sort of jealousy and anger surge. Would they even cry when they learned about her death?
They better, she thought tearfully, her feet kicking up water as they trudged through puddles; the man's tugging made it impossible to keep her from splashing. Sakura winced, the water getting into her shoes. They weren't anywhere too north then, the wetness becoming like a sticky blanket over her skin. Had they gone south?
If only sensei were here, she thought once more, distress like a weight around her neck. When she last saw Kakashi, the men had pounded him into the ground with their feet and fists, until his body thumped uselessly against the floor with every landed hit.
They shouldn’t have been able to - he was so powerful and skilled, fighting against ninjas like Zabuza, winning each battle they’d come across, and showing her why Konoha was the strongest village in the world.
Except, Naruto had to go and run his big, fat mouth like always. He just had to rush into danger, dragging her sweet Sasuke with him, the two proud boys underestimating the bandits and missing the other shinobi completely. It wasn’t fair! Kakashi-sensei was distracted; he had to put his teammates first, and those cowards - they took advantage of it! And now, the last time she saw him, he was - he was -
“--kura! Where is she!? Tell me you bastards!” Her eyes snapped up from the ground at the familiar voice. It was Naruto! They’d arrived, and it wasn’t at some torture room, but instead the back of a wagon. Her captor snarled wordlessly, yanking open the curtain.
“Are you still fucking talking? Shut up!” He snapped, scarred face twisting in anger.
“No! I won’t! Where is she!?” Naruto screeched. Sakura’s heart twisted in worry, her eyes raking over her teammate. He was wrapped up in paper that was decorated with black words, bound tightly at the hands, feet, and legs. Despite the restraints, he stubbornly struggled, another frustrated yell leaving his mouth. “Sakura! I want Sakura!”
“Oh will you shut the fuck up, you insufferable brat?!” Another voice yelled, and she watched as a man reached in from the driver's seat to give him a violent shake, “We brought your fucking girlfriend, so just shut it!”
Suddenly, the big man lifted Sakura by the back of her shirt and threw her into the shelter of the wagon. Her nose wrinkled immediately, a sour and bitter smell hitting her in the face. Like her, Naruto must not have had the chance to bathe. Naruto let out a shout of surprise, which was then followed by a sob that sort of sounded like her name.
Up close, she saw that he was more than just tied up - he was practically a mummy! They had bound his knees, forcibly tucking them into his chest, and his wrists bound together in front of him. Not only that, the strange paper was covering almost every inch of open skin she could see, leaving only his eyes and mouth open. Even his nose was covered!
Sakura felt a sob build up in her chest - he looked horrible, eyes swollen with puffy purple bruises, mouth bitten red and bloody, obviously the victim of multiple nervous chewing sessions. It was if he'd been run over by a herd of cows! You wouldn’t be able to tell, though, with the way he was grinning. Even in the shadow of the night and poorly lit lamps, she could see the happiness and relief shining in his eyes, a dopey smile on his scabbed lips.
Sakura started to cry.
“ Naruto. ” She gasped, voice hurting from lack of use. She crawled over to him as quickly as she could, ignoring how her chains pulled taut, their captors locking her to a notch in the wagon. Sakura hugged him, sniffling and blinking back tears. “Oh, Naruto.”
“You’re alright,” he said, choked up with emotion just like he always was, except this time it wasn’t with excitement, and it made her want to cry harder. “I thought, I thought - ”
“Me too,” she said quickly, already knowing what he meant. Naruto doesn’t need to say anything because she knew - he thought she was dead, just like the way she thought Kakashi might be.
“Aw, how sweet,” the man who’d thrown her in snorted, “don’t get too happy now. You brats are headin’ to that snake fucker.” A cruel smirk scrawled across his face, deepened by the large scar, “I hear he loves to cut up little kids. Didn’t pay for you pinkie, but I’m sure he’ll be happy to get a little extra anyway.
The driver let out a cruel cackle. “Have fun with that girlie! When you’re squealing on some fuckin’ table, just remember it’s cause that monster of yours wouldn’t shut up about ya. He’s the reason you’re gonna die.”
Both of the men began to laugh, sliding the curtains close and leaving them in the dark. The rain pattered against the wagon's roof, beating it like a drum. Then they were off, the wagon pulling with a jerk that they swayed with.
For a while, all that was shared between them was sniffles and stifled sobs. Surprisingly, it stayed a quiet reunion. Naruto only let out silent, watery, unintelligent warbles, and Sakura, deeply afraid of making their captors angry, fought to do the same. Eventually, they calmed down enough to talk.
Where were you?
“Sorry, Sakura, I dunno. Bastards just put this crap on me and left me in a rotten cell!”
Where are the others?
“I-I haven’t seen anyone since we were captured.”
What did they do to you?
“...I don’t know. I think these are seals. I - I tried to take them off, but they just shocked me.”
Do you think anyone will come for us?
“O-Of course!” Naruto looked at her like she was crazy, because duh, he was the Hokage's son. No one was going to come for a genin team full of Sakura’s, but for Naruto? She couldn’t imagine the Hokage sending less than a hundred ANBU after them. The realization blew a fire of her hope in her chest. “There’s no way my dad is gonna let them take us!”
She leaned into Naruto, his warmth radiating through her wet clothes. They both stunk like crazy. That’s it, she decided, the first thing she’d was gonna do after getting saved was drag the whole team to a bath house. Then, they would all go out to eat at whatever stupid ramen restaurant Naruto was always shouting about, and then - then they’d go home.
She grinned as best as she could. “I hope they get here soon.”
They talk about everything and anything. What they’d do when they got back –
“I’m going to eat ten – no FIFTEEN bowls of ramen.”
“That’s too much…”
“Eh? You think so?”
– their favorite things to do –
“I like talking to Iruka-sensei. And pranking people!”
“I already know that Naruto.”
“Oh…then I like learning cool jutsus so I can kick bad guys asses!”
– what they’ll tell everyone –
“My mom’s gonna go crazy when she learns that I beat Zabuza!” He paused, “and Gatou, I guess.”
“You didn’t do that, Naruto. Sensei did.”
“Yeah, well, who’s gonna believe that lazy guy did anything?”
– and how much they’ll train so this never, ever happens to them again.
“I’m going to learn everything about seals,” Naruto said determinedly, his eyes staring down at his bound and wrapped hands. There was a foreign look of seriousness in his eyes. “That way, I can’t ever get trapped again! This totally sucks.”
Sakura sighed, her hands idly tugging at his knots. They were secured with seals too, and even though Sakura had chakra, she had no idea where to even begin to free him. She couldn’t even attack anyone, her jutsu's hardly strong enough to take out one guard, let alone all of them, and they had a lot of guards. For the past two days, they’d heard at least a dozen voices and seen shadows of people surrounding their wagon, always guarded and always outnumbered. They wouldn’t even be able to get off the wagon before getting dragged back.
Sakura shuddered. She’d seen enough in the cells to know that it wasn’t worth the risk.
Sakura knocked their shoulders together, desperate for something to distract her. “Well, when I get back, I’m going to exercise so much that I get big muscles. I don’t care what other girls think.” Sakura imagined herself bulky like a man, jumping from enemy to enemy, punching them so hard their faces crushed inwards, and she stood victorious . Like Kakashi did. “I’ll train so hard that e-everyone will be too scared to even try to kidnap me.”
“Heh. That sounds cool.” Naruto snickered, his chin lowering to rest on his knees. “Even better than my plan.”
“Really?”
“Totally!” He grinned, “Well, the ramen thing, that’s the best idea. But muscles? Those are great! I know this one guy, Bushy Brow–”
“Bushy Brow?” She said incredulously.
“Yeah! His real name is…uh…its…”
“Seriously, Naruto? You forgot his name?” She rolled her eyes, that familiar annoyance at his antics flaring up, except this time it was layered in a soft fondness. Sakura couldn’t help but grin, and if she ignored the stink and their guards, then she could almost convince herself that they were on a normal mission.
“Hey, you would too! Besides, my nickname is probably way cooler than whatever his real name is. Totally accurate too, since his brows are suuuper thick.” She snorted, and his eyes lit up.“I ain’t wrong! They’re like fuzzy caterpillars! Anyway, he’s awesome at taijutsu and exercising and has got big muscles for a kid. Oh yeah! I almost forgot — his teacher is Kakashi’s rival.”
“Rival?” She mouthed slowly in confusion. Was he serious?
Naruto frowned, brows scrunching, “yeah, I don’t really get it either, but Kakashi-sensei takes it pretty seriously so…” He shrugged, “I bet if we ask, Bushy Brow would totally be okay with teaching you some tricks! He’s nice even if he’s super weird.”
Sakura’s head tilted in thought. “Isn’t his teacher Sensei’s rival, though? Would it be okay for him to help?”
Naruto guffawed. “Huh? Of course he would! Bushy Brow is really into competition, but he’s not a jerk like Sasuke. Uh, he’ll probably wanna challenge you to something stupid though. But don’t worry! He’ll wait until you get stronger, which I guess won't be for a while since you're kinda —” He choked then, a wild look flickering in his eyes, “u-uh, not that you're weak S-Sakura! Just that he’s crazy strong. Even better than Sasuke!” In a quieter voice, he followed it with, “s-sorry, Sakura. I swear I wasn’t trynna insult you or anything.”
She sighed, the urge to smack him for implying something stupid about her refusing to rise. Maybe after they were rescued, but right now, she couldn’t care less. Besides, he wasn’t wrong.
“Don’t apologize, Naruto.” Sakura said, looking at him fondly as he stared warily, eyes flickering down to her hands, “You’re right. I...I’m not strong at all.”
He frowned, “What? Don’t say that, Sakura. Maybe you’re weaker than Bushy Brow, but so am I! Him and his team have been genin for like, two years.”
A part of her cringed, the idea of doing D and C-rank missions for that long, sounding awful. “That’s not what I meant, idiot. It’s just that…if it were Sasuke here instead of me, he would have definitely found a way out. Meanwhile…I’m too weak to even try.”
Things went quiet, and she looked down at her chained-up hands, taking the silence as a gentle agreement. Sasuke was so smart and skilled. If it were him instead of her who was unremarkable, he’d still be special because that was just how Sasuke was. He –
“You’re wrong.” Sakura looked up in surprise, and Naruto had such an uncharacteristic stare of seriousness that her words caught in her throat. A storm of determination rolled in, and Naruto was leveling her with a look that almost made him seem mature.
“Sakura, Sasuke may be better at casting jutsu and fighting and throwing shuriken and, uh, well – a lot of things! But he isn’t smarter. I mean, you saw what happened.” She did. She thought about their capture every single night since getting thrown into the cell.
Naruto continued, “I’m at fault too, but that’s not the point! The point is, uh, that if Sasuke were here, he would have tried to get out, and he might have made it far, but he probably would have gotten caught. Staying low like you’re doing it’s smart. And Sasuke’s ego is way too big for that.” She giggled because spending the last few days being mad at him had done a lot for her infatuation. She still thought he was cool, and strong, and totally cute, but anger had a way of making a mess of things, and now she wasn’t too sure about anything.
Encouraged, Naruto puffed up his chest and said, “You're smart, Sakura, so don’t go putting yourself down like that, okay? And if you don’t believe me, then you gotta believe my dad. Even he tells me there are times when a shinobi’s gotta know when to lie low. Lookin’ for the chance to strike, and getting them off guard takes skill. There’s always gonna be someone out there stronger than you, so to beat them, sometimes a shinobi’s gotta play it sneaky.”
She stared, surprise steamrolling over her. “You…when did you get so…”
Sakura didn’t think she’d ever been so at a loss for words, especially when it came to Naruto. Sure, when he was being stupid or annoying, sometimes she got so angry that words fled and she was left screaming and screeching, but this was different.
“Uh, I guess…” Naruto looked away sheepishly, an embarrassed air shoving aside his previous bolstering confidence. “I guess I had…a lotta time to think? They didn’t talk to me much so I just sat around a lot. Boredom should totally count as torture, ya know?” He said it so candidly that Sakura couldn’t help but laugh.
Sakura threw herself at him, fondness overpowering her anxiety, made warm with its glow. Naruto let out a grunt at her sudden embrace, but was quick to lean into it. For once, she didn’t hate the way Naruto took up the room, always finding a way to make his presence seem inescapable and calling everyone's attention to himself. Being the sole receiver of his energy was a boon she didn't know she needed, and it was almost enough to forget they were trapped on a wagon, heading to some creepy snake guy's place.
“You're a good person, Naruto,” Sakura said eventually, hoping she didn’t sound too choked up, “I’m really glad we’re friends.”
Naruto turned his head sharply, his hair tickling her nose. “Y-Yeah? Really? You like me?” In a quieter voice, he added, “I-it’s not just ‘cause of my dad, right?”
She huffed and pulled back, trying to channel that same confidence Naruto had directed at her, her hands resting on his shoulders and squeezing gently. “No, Naruto, it’s not because the Yonodaime is your dad.”
For someone so tied up, he seemed awfully relieved. It made her grin. “Then, I’m glad we’re friends too, Sakura!”
After that, things seemed almost happier. They talked about everything and nothing, and during it, Sakura reached up to grab his hands, trying to forget that they weren’t actually heading home. They stayed cuddled together, first to fight off their fear, then for warmth, the air growing colder the longer they traveled. If she rubbed her eyes on his shoulder and let out little sobs from time to time - well, friends didn’t make fun of each other when they were sad. They helped them. She made sure to return the favor, rubbing his shoulders when he quietly sniffled.
She really hoped the Hokage would save them soon.
On the fifth day, when they made their third stop, she knew it was because they had arrived. Everything was silent outside, the air empty of complaints (which is rare, their guards always complained), and for some reason, she had a hard time breathing. Naruto seemed to think so too, nearly crushing her hand with his grip.
“Y-ya think it’s my dad?” Naruto whispered, and they both knew that it wasn’t.
“Maybe,” Sakura said anyway, and watched the shadows that fell against the wagon's walls. It was nighttime now, so the torches shone dully through the tarp. It offered some comfort, and she imagined -- wished, begged -- that someone would trip, accidentally lighting their cart on fire and freeing them. Fires always distracted adults, and if they were distracted, then she and Naruto could run away.
They waited, breathing shallow as fear began to fill their little space. Her mind raced back to when she was dragged over here, desperately trying to decipher the words of the scarred man. The snake guy was a creep, right? Was that what he had said? Sweat ran down her temples, and she bit her cheek in nervousness. They had pushed themselves into the back corner of the wagon in an attempt to protect themselves, but with nothing to hide behind, it was more for their own comfort than anything practical.
There were some voices, some shuffling from the other wagon that she thought might have Kakashi or Sasuke, and then suddenly that commotion spilled around them. Anticipation scraped against her skin, raising goosebumps and her heartbeat.
She focused her chakra, trying to pool it in her ears carefully, just like the textbooks had told her. Enhancing her senses was dangerous and should be done with the supervision of a sensei, but they were already in danger, and there was a large and scary chance Kakashi was dead.
Step, step, step. She frowned. She was familiar with everyone's footfall now, thinking it might be helpful for when they were rescued (not that ANBU would need her help), and she didn’t recognize those. Sakura closed her eyes, focusing intently on controlling her chakra . Step, step, step.
“Sakura?” Naruto asked, confusion muddling the dread in his voice.
“Shh!” She hissed, losing her focus briefly. The sound went in and out until she got a handle on it again. Confused, she searched for that distinct pattern amongst all the others. Was it the Hokage? Maybe Sasuke’s brother? It was –
“My, my, how interesting.” Like the rattling of a snake, the voice slithered not in front of them where she had entered, but the back. They’d forgotten there was an opening on both ends!
Together, she and Naruto fell backwards, Sakura fisting her hand into his ropes and dragging him into her embrace. Between the two of them, Sakura was the only one who could fight. Plus, he was the Hokage's son.
The man (woman?) had long hair, slanted and pointy eyes, and his smile was far too wide. His skin was a pallor kind of white, and he had on strange clothing, with a large purple rope twisted around his waist. He was a shinobi, she was sure of it, an air of danger resting on his shoulder the way it did around Kakashi and Zabuza. He stepped in from the driver's side, and when he stood up, it seemed to make the wagon smaller. She gulped.
“W-who the hell are you, bastard?” Naruto demanded, his bravery shining through despite the heavy musk of terror that was filling the wagon.
“How rude,” the man drawled, and his tongue flickered out. “Naruto Namikaze, yes?” His head tilted unnaturally, far too much to the side, as if his neck were made of rubber and not flesh and bones. “I must say, you are an intriguing combination. You wear your father's face, but that mouth is all Kushina. Strange. I did not think you would remember much of her.”
He stepped closer, and Sakura jolted into action. Clumsily, she tried to form the seals to a wind jutsu, something she’d only learned the other week. Except, instead of calling her chakra forth, she felt herself freeze, an anvil of absolute fear slamming into her. It was as if it had taken physical form and dug claws all over her limbs, caressing her neck and locking her joints. She looked up, some primitive instinct demanding that she do, and immediately regretted it.
Before her, evil had taken human skin. Her breath stalled, and she blinked out tears. The man was a monster, and distantly, she realized this must be his killing intent. Like Zabuza, except far, far worse. She wanted to puke. Instead, she whimpered, and her hands, formed in a half-seal, fell away.
“Brave, but ultimately, useless.” He murmured, leaning over them. A snake, their captor had called him, and Sakura found the name terrifyingly accurate. “You are a rather odd addition to my purchase, girl. You had better prove to be worthwhile, hm? I have no use for useless things.”
Behind her, she felt Naruto flinch. “You stay away from her!”
The man huffed a laugh, intent lessening but not leaving. Like a cat trapping mice beneath its paws. Go away, go away, she begged in her mind, leave us alone.
“Now, why would I do that? The money I have spent on your team would fund a Daimyo's treasury for a whole year.” The man smiled, “Besides, I would be a poor owner to leave my things unattended.”
Sakura let out a sob, Naruto sputtering furiously. She dug her fingers into his side, not looking to silence him, simply curling them out of fear – she was terrified, cowed by a single word. Owners owned things , and no good ever came from becoming a human thing.
“My dad will come for me!” Naruto snapped, breathing becoming labored, his intakes coming in sharp and feral. “And w-when he does, he’ll kick your ass!”
The snake-man rumbled in chilling laughter, rife with belittlement. Sakura shuddered.
“Indeed, Jiraya’s runt has become a man shinobi seldom wish to meet on the battlefield. Unfortunately for you, Jinnchuriki, Konoha marches onto Kiri. It seems the intel I’ve crafted has convinced your father that Zabuza and his rebellion have delivered you to Uzushio’s conqueror. A clever story, if I do say so myself. They have been rather peeved since losing the Sanbi.” A hand shot out, past Sakura with a whish! And gripped Naruto’s face cruelly. “By the time they know the truth, the Akatsuki will have you and I, the Sharingan and Sakumo’s ungrateful whelp.”
His eyes slid to her, gaze like sticky oil. “I suppose you as well, child. Did you know I was watching earlier? Such control for someone so unremarkable…perhaps you will not be as much of an annoyance as I had previously assumed.”
His eyes curl, much like Kakashi’s, except completely devoid of any humor that her sensei usually had. Instead, it was glee, and all she could hear in her head was, I hear he loves to cut up little kids. As if he could read her mind, amusement trickled onto his face.
“My name is Orochimaru.” They watched in horror as his tongue poked out, out, out , until it was nearly as long as an arm. It curled, and the slimy appendage slithered upon her cheek, tasting her tears. “Welcome to Otogakure.”