TONFA
The Original Naruto Fanfic Archive

Main Categories

Het Romance [1092]
Any Naruto fanfiction with the main plot orientating around different sex couples.
Alternate Universe & Crossovers [651]
Where cast of the Naruto Universe are inserted into an alternate universe.
Essays & Tutorials [17]
An area to submit intelligent essays debating topics about the Naruto Universe and writing tutorial submissions.
 
General Fiction [1739]
Any Naruto fanfiction focused without romantic orientation, on a canon character in the current Naruto Universe.
OC-centric [865]
Any Naruto fanfic that has the major inclusion of a fan-made character.
Non-Naruto Fiction [291]
Self-evident
 
Shonen-ai/Yaoi Romance [1575]
Any Naruto fanfiction with the main plot orientating around male same sex couples.
MadFic [194]
Any fic with no real plot and humor based. Doesn't require correct spelling, paragraphing or punctuation but it's a very good idea.
 
Shojo-ai/Yuri Romance [106]
Any Naruto fanfiction with the main plot orientating around female same sex couples.
Fan Ninja Bingo Book [125]
An area to store fanfic information, such as bios, maps, political histories. No stories.
 
 

Site Info

Members: 11985
Series: 261
Stories: 5884
Chapters: 25418
Word count: 47689150
Authors: 2162
Reviews: 40828
Reviewers: 1750
Newest Member: Redxkenny
Challenges: 255
Challengers: 193
 


Sakura's Nightmare by Zooie3v1l

[Reviews - 10]   Printer Chapter or Story
Table of Contents

- Text Size +
Chapter notes: Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Hey ya’ll, this is my first fanfic. It is a Sakura-centric mystery. There’s a secret behind the story, lets see if you can figure it out. *insert evil chuckle here*

-----------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1-Atropa Belladonna


Sakura walked down the hospital corridor with her nose in a foot thick encyclopedia of medicinal ingredients. As a medical-nin, Sakura had to be fully versed on the identification and use of wild medical plants. In the field this information could be life saving but for now Sakura sighed. It was late and she was losing focus. She rubbed her eyes and began to reread the entry for Belladonna. As her fingers traced the words, Sakura read it aloud.


“Atropa Belladonna, or as it is more commonly know Deadly Nightshade can be very beneficial if it is used correctly. It is most commonly used as an anesthetic. Due to its poisonous nature however great care should be used when it is used in the treatment of ulcers.” Sakura pulled a pen from behind her ear and underlined a few parts of the entry. She had a sinking suspicion that belladonna would be on this weeks test from Tsunade-sama.
.

Sakura had been studying with the Hokage for almost a year now, but to the young Kunoichi, it seemed like much longer. Everyday Sakura would spend countless hours by herself, memorizing medical facts, looking at anatomy diagrams, practicing her charka control and doing strength training. On top of that, Sakura spent any left over time observing and helping other medical ninja at Konoha’s Hospital. Sakura couldn’t complain though, Tsunada-sensei was the Hokage, to expect anymore of her time would be selfish. Sakura looked up from her book when she heard a loud buzzer go off down the hallway. A red light flashed above the emergency ward entrance. Sakura tucked her book under her arm, stashed her pen behind her ear and dashed over to see what was going on. As soon as she had poked her head inside the door, a nurse called to her to give them a hand.


“Observe Nashiku-san and assist him if needed” the nurse told Sakura as she connected monitors to the patient’s chest. Nashiku was a doctor Sakura often observed, he was a young doctor who specialized in muscle damage. Sakura grabbed a pair of gloves and watched as Nashiku began to examine the wound on the patient’s leg. A large gash ran from the inner part of the knee, across the calf and down towards the ankle. The sides of the wound where ragged and pieces of skin and muscle seemed to be missing. Instantly Sakura recognized the signs of an animal bite and judging from its size and shape it had probably been caused by a member of the canine family.


Sakura suddenly shook herself; it didn’t matter how or why the patient had been injured, her only concern should be to render aide as efficiently as possible. Tsunada-sensei had often told Sakura that it was not important how much knowledge she possessed but how she made use of it. Sakura tried not to let her mind become distracted as she watched Nashiku begin to stitch the muscles together with his charka. First one layer, then another, Nashiku slowly wove the damaged flesh back together.


At last he took a deep breath as he pressed the paper thin skin close over the wound.


“I did the best with what was here. Hopefully when it heals the scare tissue it won’t hinder movement.” As Nashiku spoke, Sakura could hear his exhaustion.


“That was amazing Nashiku-san.” Sakura examined the closure carefully.


“Please continue observing if you’d like. I need to rest a bit.” Nashiku said before he left the emergency ward.


Sakura continued observing until the patient had been stabilized and was ready to be transported to the intensive care ward. Sakura walked back towards the entrance but paused when she reached the head of the table. She looked down at the patient’s face for the first time and saw that the lined and wrinkled face of the old woman was smeared in blood. Her skin was tan and it would have looked like leather if not for the paleness. Sakura thought of a quick prayer and said quietly, “I hope you are better soon, Obasan”


At Sakura’s words, the old woman’s eyes flashed open; she reached out and grabbed Sakura tightly by the wrist. The old woman’s mouth moved hurriedly but no sound escaped her lips. Sakura cried out in pain as the pressure on her wrist increased. Without warning, the old woman flung Sakura away from her. Sakura lost her balance and fell over backwards into one of the instrument tables, sending clamps and bloody gauze flying. As Sakura’s head hit the ground, everything faded to black for a moment. Sakura heard a surprised yell from one of the nurses and felt a pair of hands pull her into a sitting position. She opened her eyes and found that the nurse that had called her into the room had come to her side. Sakura looked up and watched as another nurse jabbed a large syringe into the old woman’s shoulder; puzzlement cross the old woman’s face for a brief moment before she passed out.


“Are you alright?” The nurse next to Sakura asked. She tried to nod but the motion of her head sent a wave of pain through it. “Here let me help” The nurse placed her hands over Sakura’s head. A warm feeling spread out from her fingertips, erasing the tendrils of pain.


“Arigato” Sakura said.


“You shouldn’t have wasted your breath on her, Sakura-chan,” the nurse standing near the old woman said solemnly. “This woman’s appearance is deceiving. This morning she snuck into the village and attacked the Inuzuka Clan. Although she’s lucky to be alive, she might not agree once she recovers and is fit for interrogation.”


“Attacked the Inuzuka clan?” Sakura asked surprised as she was helped to her feet. “Was anyone injured?”


“Just one Genin and a nin-dog, who have been hospitalized with poisoning,” The nurse sighed, “It’s actually quite fortunate that the poison was discovered before it affected more people.”


“Excuse me please.” Sakura was able to blurt out before she ran out of the room. Sakura knew whom the nurse was speaking of; the only current Genin of the Inuzuka Clan was Inuzuka Kiba. As quickly as her feet could carry her, Sakura ran through the hospital searching for him. After several wards, Sakura flung open a set of doors and a familiar flash of red caught her eyes.


“Kiba-kun?” Sakura gasped as she saw Kiba’s smiling face looking up at her. He was laying in one of the hospital beds wearing a thin white gown and a large smile.


“I heard about the attack. I thought…weren’t you poisoned?” Sakura asked. She had been envisioning Kiba in pain but he seemed normal, happy even.


“Hey, Sakura-chan” Kiba reached back and scratched his head. “What are you doing here? I thought you were doing training with the Hokage?”


“Tsunade-sama has me do most of my training here at the hospital so that I can be on hand for emergencies. Speaking of, what happened to you?”


“Well…um,” Kiba’s smile faded a little. “We were going to have this big party for my cousin; she became a Jonin last week. My mom had made tons of food; for the main course she made her famous roasted deer, it came out all juicy and the smell was so wonderful… um Anyways I was hungry before the party so I snuck a bit of meat for Akamaru and me to snack on. I was sitting in front of my house eating with Akamaru when Shino and Hinata came over for the party. We talked for a few minutes, then I offered a piece of the meat to Shino, he took it and was about to put it in his mouth when his bugs detected the poison. Shino alerted my Mom and they started searching our compound while Hinata brought Akamaru and me here. You know where they found that bitch?” Kiba’s voice was a low growl. “She was at our well, trying to poison it.” Kiba ran his fingers through his hair. “It was a good thing that I ate the meat first. If I had waited my whole family might have been poisoned.” Kiba tried to smile weakly. “The doctors say it’s a slow moving poison, so I have plenty of time to sit back and wait for them to come up with an antidote.”


“What?!” Sakura said in disbelief. “Don’t they have the sample of poison from the meat to create an antidote with?”


“No, it broke down before they could test it.” Kiba’s hands trembled as he spoke. “That bitch was watching us; she knew when we would eat tonight and made it so there would be no trace. She just walked in and we didn’t have a clue, not even Kuromaru, my mother’s dog, smelt the intruder.” As Kiba finished talking Shino and Hinata walked into the room. Hinata was holding a small vase with a tall white flower in it.


“Good evening Sakura-san” Hinata gave Sakura a weak smile as she walked over and put the vase on Kiba’s bedside table.


“Good evening, Sakura-san.” Shino echoed. “We were told we would find you here.”


“Why were you looking for me Shino-san?” Sakura asked.


“The three of us have been assigned a mission together. We have orders to investigate Kiba’s poisoning. The Hokage suggested that we add you to our team. I have been assigned as leader so please gather your gear and meet us at the Inuzuka compound in a half-hour. We will start with a search the Inuzuka residence and compound for anything suspicious.” As soon as Sakura nodded in understanding, Shino and Hinata turned their attention to Kiba. Knowing that they would want to be alone with their teammate Sakura turned and left the room quietly.


Other than a spare kunai that she always kept with her, Sakura had left all her gear in her apartment at the Hokage’s tower. She ran quickly across the rooftops of Kohona in the approaching twilight. As she reached the landing, Sakura noticed that there was light coming from inside her apartment. Sakura leaned towards the door and listened for intruders.


“Her vitals are fluctuating rapidly” The voice Sakura hear through the door was young and sounded like it was coming from very far away.


“Move her immediately to the intensive care unit. The Genjutsu that was placed on her must be unstable. Also, I want you to summon Yuhi Kurenai; she should be out training with her team. She may be able to help us. Now get going.” Sakura recognized this voice immediately. She reached out and opened the door without hesitation. As she entered her apartment, Sakura saw the Hokage standing next to the open balcony door, looking out over the village. She turned to greet Sakura.


“Good evening, Sakura” the Hokage said as she took a seat on Sakura’s bed. “I was wondering if you would come. I sent Shino and Hinata to find you at the hospital but I wasn’t sure if they would find you before you came home for the evening.”


“Oh, yes. Shino asked me to gather my gear and meet them at the Inuzuka compound.” Sakura’s curiosity was getting the better of her. “Were you talking about that old woman just now?” She asked cautiously, knowing the Hokage did not like eavesdropping.


“What?” Tsunade looked puzzled.


“You know, the one that poisoned Kiba, I thought you weren’t going to try to interrogate her until she had healed a bit?” Sakura tried to clarify.


“I see, however her interrogation does not concern you so please do as Shino asked and get ready. I will speak with you later.” Tsunade stood up, walked past Sakura and strode out the door. Sakura opened her mouth as if to call the Hokage back but thought better of it. Instead, she quickly gathered her gear and headed out into the night.


As she jumped from roof to roof, Sakura thought about what had just happened. It was unusual for the Hokage to be secretive with her. As her apprentice, Sakura was sometimes at hand when the Hokage spoke about secrete or dangerous matters. Sakura’s thoughts were disrupted however as she neared the Inuzuka compound. The smoke of many fires drifted though the air and as Sakura passed though it she saw a large cluster of small shabby houses. The light from the fires illuminated everything, from the well-worn dirt pathways that led into the forest to the upper branches of the trees that drooped over each home. Sakura came to a halt in the center of the cluster, where a large empty patch of dirt served as the meeting ground for the Inuzuka clan. Several members were having a heated discussion as Sakura dropped down from the trees.


“It happened on Inuzuka grounds. It is our duty and out duty alone to protect the clan.” An older man nearly shouted.


“The Hokage has decided that a normal Shinobi team should investigate. She is sending Kiba’s teammates and her own apprentice to help us. You should be grateful.” Sakura recognized the young woman who spoke now as Kiba’s sister. She had a fury in her eyes that made the older man shrink back. As the old man took his seat, Kiba’s sister tuned and greeted Sakura.


“Good evening, Sakura-san. I was waiting for you when this man decided to shoot his mouth off and…” Kiba’s sister took in a deep breath. “Anyways, where are Shino and Hinata? I was told they would be with you.”


“Sorry. I must have arrived a little early. They stayed to speak with Kiba while I got ready. They should be arriving soon.” No sooner had Sakura spoken than Shino and Hinata dropped down next to her. Shino stepped forward and nodded at Kiba’s sister.


“Ah, onee-san, I was told to meet with you as soon as we arrived. The Hokage sends her regards and her thanks for dealing with the intruder so quickly. Now if you could please accompany us to your dwelling. We are to start the search from that location.”


Hana gave a curt nod and called Haimaru Sankyodai to her side. Her three large nin-dogs lead the way as Shino, Hinata and Sakura followed close behind them through the trees. After a few minutes Hana spoke.


“Since my grandfather’s time our family has lived near the edge of the compound. That’s probably why we were targeted; all that lies between our home and the main wall are trees. The clan elders have started talking about putting up a fence or wall around our clan’s land but my mother is strongly against it. She says it’s important to be open to the rest of the village lest we slowly drift apart.”


“How is your mother doing?” Hinata asked quietly. Sakura could hear the concern in her voice.


“Well, as our clan’s leader she has been very busy. She had to stop a fight earlier when the village police came to help investigate. There’s been bad blood between us for a long time. Anyways, she left to check on Kiba just before you arrived. Ah, here we are.” Hana looked down and pointed. Sakura turned her head and saw that they had reached their destination. There were no lights coming from the small house and as they landed in front of it, Sakura could see a paper barrier across the door warning others not to enter.


“Onee-san, I know you have not been assigned to assist us but…” Shino was cut off in mid sentence.


“I’d be glad to help Shino-kun.” She turned, tore off the barrier and walked inside. “Some medical-nins have already been by to take the food for testing, but other than that nothing has been touched.” Hana said as she turned on the light in the kitchen. Sakura looked around and saw loads of dirty dishes stacked up on the large table but not a scrape of food could be seen.


“We will be dividing into pairs to conduct a complete search of the area. Hana will be with me, and Sakura you will be with Hinata. Your task will be to search for any physical evidence while Hana and I will try to track the intruder’s movements. Sakura, the Hokage told me that you have been working on the Ashi Ga Tsuku no Jutsu*. It helps to detect traces of charka left behind correct?” Sakura nodded to Shino. “Then maybe you should start where we found the intruder. Hinata please show Sakura the way to the well.” With that, Shino turned and began to release his bugs into the air. Hinata took Sakura by the arm and led her out the back door.


“It’s just a little ways down this path Sakura-san” Hinata mumbled as they started down a dark path between the trees.


“You seem to know where you’re going Hinata-san, have you been out here often?” Sakura tried to make small talk to relive the tension she felt.


“Oh, um…yes, we train out here often. Our team specializes in tracking. Shino has his bugs, I have my sight, and Kiba…has Akamaru.” Hinata sighed, and then she continued in a softer voice. “I think I know how you must feel now.”


“What do you mean?” Sakura asked curiously.


“Your team…is um…broken up.” Hinata was slowly getting quieter. “Sasuke is…gone, and Naruto…is away training. It’s hard…to think that our team might be…broken too.” Hinata was staring at her feet as a tear slid down her cheek. Sakura grabbed her shoulders and pulled Hinata into a hug.


“It won’t be broken. Kiba will be back soon.” Sakura could feel her eyes water. Even though she had said Kiba, in her heart Sakura had thought of Naruto. The only thing that kept her going each day was the knowledge that Naruto would come back and help Sakura heal their team. It was too easy to lose hope if you though you were alone. Sakura looked at Hinata and smiled. “It’s up to us to help him get better, right?” Hinata looked up and Sakura could see a spark of hope in her eyes.


“You’re right. Let’s hurry.” Hinata took Sakura’s hand and they ran the rest of the way down the path. When they reached a clearing Sakura looked around and saw a small stone well set in the middle of a patch of long grass. Its lid was lying on the ground and all around the area were signs of a struggle.


“This is where Kiba’s mother and Shino found the intruder. Other than a small vial in her hand, she had no other equipment. Um…I…think we should start here.” Hinata stood still for a moment then Sakura saw the veins around her eyes pop out and her pale eyes shone brightly in the darkness. “I think I’ll just check this area, and then when you’re ready we can expand our search.” Sakura nodded and sat down on the ground. She closed her eyes and sought out the strands of charka that crisscrossed the clearing. Right away, she had to push away Hinata soft purple waves of charka and her own tendrils of green. Under their strands of charka, Sakura could feel another thin wisp of energy. It was so faint; it faded in and out of Sakura’s awareness. She focused on the charka and pushed everything else from her mind.


“Ashi Ga Tsuku no Jutsu*” she said softly. When she opened her eyes again, Sakura could see a small blue thread of charka snaking its way into the underbrush.


“Hinata” Sakura called out. “I’ve found something.” Sakura waited a moment but there was no reply. “Hinata!” She called a little louder. “She must have found something as well,” Sakura thought. She wanted to go and find Hinata but Sakura knew that if she left she might not be able to find the blue thread again. She stood up and began to follow the strand into the forest.


Sakura walked slowly past trees and bushes as she traced the path of the blue thread of charka. Out of the five different types of Charka Sakura had seen before, the blue swirls of wind were the rarest, in fact Sakura had only seen it once before. When she had first begun her training in charka detection with the Hokage, Asuma had come to report and Sakura had seen his blue charka whipping around him. The blue thread was slowly widening as Sakura followed it deeper into the woods. From far behind her, Sakura heard a faint voice call out.


“Hinata?” Sakura called back. She turned around but all she could see in the surrounding darkness was endless rows of trees. Sakura turned back to follow the thread only to find that it had vanished.


“Damn it!” She cursed. Sakura sat down and tried to coax the lingering energy into a path she could follow, but every time she would feel the blue charka, it would slip out of her grasp. Sakura was concentrating hard when a new sound interrupted her. This time the voice was calling out from in front of Sakura, in the direction the thread had been going.


“Come back.” The voice called to her, it was faint but Sakura could hear what it was saying now. She stood up and walked towards it. As she rounded a large tree Sakura saw that the thread of blue was back, thicker that before. What was going on? Sakura paused, something felt wrong. The voice and the thread were both coming from the same direction. What if there was another intruder out here, waiting for her in the darkness? Sakura took a step back, she wanted to go and find Hinata. Being alone in the dark like this was sending shivers down her spine.


Sakura shook herself; she was a ninja of Konoha, one that had inherited the Will of Fire. Hunting down an unknown intruder should not cause such fear to grow inside her. How could she ever find the strength to reunite her team if she could not do this? Sakura pulled a kunai from her pouch. Whatever was waiting for her, she would be ready.


“Come back” The voice floated on the breeze. Sakura ran as quietly as she could as she followed the thread. Suddenly she found herself at the edge of a large circle of trees. The thread continued on to the center then stopped above a small hole in the dirt. Sakura approached cautiously. As she neared the hole she spotted a small smudge of orange lying within it. She reached out her free hand and picked it up. It was a swath of orange fabric. Its ends were frayed and there appeared to be a bloodstain near one corner. Sakura began to examine it when the rustle of leaves startled her. Sakura twirled around, but she couldn’t see anything. She raised her kunai in a defensive position. She could feel something out there.


“Sakura?” a familiar voice whispered in her ear. Sakura was shocked, she dropped her kunai and it fell with a dull thud to the dirt. That voice…his voice echoed in her head as Sakura tried to turn, but she found that her body was frozen in place.


“Naruto?” She whispered into the darkness.

---------------------------------------------

*Ashi Ga Tsuku - To be traced or leave a clue.

So, did you think you know what's happening? Kukukuku
You must login (register) to review.