Chapter 4
Sakura’s ears perked as she heard the familiar tap of knuckles against her bedroom windowsill, a distinct rhythm that announced his presence.
She turned just as he stepped inside, moving soundlessly from the ledge. The streetlamp outside cast a faint glow over him, making his white mask gleam in the dimness of her room.
“I need your help,” she whispered, wasting no time.
Tiger let out a quiet snort, amusement lacing his voice.
“Most people start with hello, Sakura.”
She did not smile nor fire back with a quip of her own. She needed to remain serious before she let herself slip into the easy banter she always shared with the man before her.
“I need you to recommend me for Anbu initiation,” Sakura said, ignoring his remark entirely.
Tiger froze mid-step, stopping just short of her bed. His body stiffened, the easy humor vanishing in an instant.
“What?” His voice was sharp with disbelief.
“You heard me.”
For a moment, he said nothing. Then he let out a short laugh and shook his head. “I guess I did. I just… was not expecting that.” His usual composure cracked, his mask tilting slightly as if he needed to see her better. As if he was trying to make sure she was serious.
But Sakura’s expression did not waver.
She scooted to the edge of her mattress, her legs parting slightly to make room for him to step closer. She looked up at him expectantly.
Tiger inhaled deeply, his dark eyes staring at her through the slits in his mask.
“Why?” he asked, voice barely more than a breath.
It was a simple question. One she had to answer carefully.
“There's no higher position for me to reach at the hospital,” she began evenly. “And I’ve been held back for years on Team Seven. This is my chance to serve Konoha in a greater capacity.”
“Bullshit.”
The single word rendered her entire excuse useless.
Before she could react, Tiger’s hand shot forward and caught her neck, gripping the delicate skin in between strong fingers. He pressed hard enough that she could feel her pulse pounding beneath his cold touch. A silent admission of tension.
“Tell me the real reason,” he demanded, pressing her for the truth.
Sakura swallowed, hesitating for only a moment before tilting her chin up, exposing the smooth column of her neck. Slowly, she let her eyelids flutter shut, pushing her chest forward just enough for the thin fabric of her shirt to strain against her hardened nipples.
She felt the shift in the air. Felt the way his fingers twitched slightly against her throat. His breath hitched, barely perceptible, but enough to tell her that, for a fleeting second, he was considering it.
Then, the sound of laughter filled the space between them. A sharp, cutting sound that sent a chill down her spine.
Sakura’s eyes snapped open just as Tiger’s grip vanished from around her neck, only for her world to tilt as he shoved her back onto the mattress. Her head sank into the folds of her blankets, her body trapped beneath his weight, leaving her no room to escape.
“You have a lot to learn about seducing a man, Sakura,” he murmured, his voice laced with mock amusement.
But then his tone shifted, humor giving way to something sharper.
His hand braced against the bed beside her head, his masked face hovering close enough that she could feel the coolness of it on her skin.
“Do you think I’m that easy to manipulate?” he asked, his fingers gripping the fabric. “That I’d be so easily distracted that I’d just forget what I asked you?”
“It was worth a try,” she admitted, nervousness fluttering in her chest. His body pressed against her, heavy and aggressive.
“Pathetic,” Tiger scoffed, pushing off of her with a frustrated huff as he got off the bed, standing over her once again. He shook his head at her. “Try that on someone else. Now tell me the truth.”
As Sakura sat back up, she could feel the man’s ire almost as if it were a physical thing she could touch. Taking a steady breath, Sakura met his gaze head-on. “Team Seven has been chasing Sasuke for years, but we both know it was just for show. Naruto made a deal with the elders, and the Hokage was forced to tolerate it.”
She let out a short, humorless laugh. “The missions were half-assed at best. I mean, fuck, we never even used Kakashi’s nindogs to track him…” She trailed off for a moment, her jaw tightening before she continued.
“Naruto’s been biding his time, hoping Sasuke would come back on his own. But now? Now that things have gotten bad enough, Anbu is going to take over.” Her eyes darkened with determination. “And I want in.”
The words hung in the air for a moment before Tiger moved in closer.
“He should’ve been put down years ago,” he snapped. “Him and his bastard of an older brother.”
Sakura’s brows lifted slightly. It was not often that Itachi was mentioned. His name had become little more than a ghost in conversations. A cautionary tale of betrayal and bloodshed. But she knew enough to understand that he was responsible for the Uchiha massacre and that he had been the catalyst for Sasuke’s obsession with power.
Somewhere along the way, she had almost forgotten about the man himself.
“Did you know him?” she asked eagerly, her inquisitive mind always desiring to know more.
Tiger scoffed. “You know you’re not allowed to ask me questions like that.”
Sakura’s disappointment flashed briefly across her face.
She steadied herself, pushing the distraction aside. “Well? Are you going to help me or not?” She said, bringing the conversation back to the point.
“Help you to kill Sasuke Uchiha?” disbelief lacing his voice.
Sakura rolled her eyes. “I know my limits.” She took a pause, needing to choose her words wisely. “I just want to be there…when it happens.”
“Anything else?” Tiger pressed once more.
The image of Kakashi came to her mind, his words echoing over and over in her thoughts. The same words that had been haunting her for days:
You can’t handle it.
His blatant lack of trust in her abilities still stung after all these years.
“I need to prove to myself that I am not weak or emotionally compromised.”
Tiger stared at her, weighing her answer, before letting out a long sigh.
“You have to understand what you’d be getting yourself into,” his tone more serious than she had ever heard it.
“I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
Sakura gasped, choking on air as reality engulfed her like a sudden, violent storm. The suffocating grip of the memory unraveled in an instant, leaving her disoriented and struggling to anchor herself in the present. Her breath came in sharp, uneven bursts as her mind fought to catch up.
Then she felt… restraint.
Panic flared in her chest as she realized her arms were suspended above her head. She jerked against the tight bonds at her wrists, her eyes snapping upward to find a thick rope looped around a ceiling hook. Her feet barely grazed the ground beneath her.
Instinct took over.
Channeling chakra in her arms, she twisted her body and yanked downward with all her strength. The rope gave way with a sharp snap, and she dropped to the floor, landing in a low, defensive stance.
Sakura’s eyes darted around, scanning her surroundings.
She was in a cramped room, devoid of furniture or any furnishings. Dirt lined the floor and filthy residue clung to the walls and ceiling. The only way out and in to the room was through a small door.
A Yamanaka man blocked the exit, his long blonde hair and clan symbol unmistakable. His hands were raised slightly, a silent indication that he meant no harm. Next to him, a taller figure loomed, clad in standard Anbu gear, a bear mask concealing his face.
Behind her, she sensed four other shinobi presences, but she kept her body positioned forward, unwilling to take her eyes off the man in the bear mask. His intimidating aura rolled off of him in waves, and she knew at once he was not someone to take lightly.
She sucked in a breath, her heart still hammering. Then, the memories pieced themselves together.
Earlier that night, she had woken to the presence of intruders in her bedroom. The second she had moved to defend herself, she had been knocked out cold. Now, she was here. They must have brought her in, hoping the Yamanaka could exploit her unconscious state to uncover her true intentions.
Understanding settled within her.
This was it – her Anbu initiation.
Tiger had vouched for her, after all. He must have spoken highly of her for them to bring her in just days after she had asked for his help.
Slowly, Sakura straightened, forcing herself to relax, though her body remained poised for anything. Then, with a flash of irritation, she realized she was still in her pajamas, a thin, cropped cami and barely-there shorts, both offering little protection against the crisp air.
Fantastic.
Before she could dwell on her annoyance further, a voice cut through the silence, pulling her attention.
“You pushed me out,” the Yamanaka said, curiosity flickering across his delicate features.
"Obviously," she replied coolly.
Ino had trained her to withstand every form of mental intrusion, and Ino had been the best of the best. Even unconscious, Sakura’s mind refused to tolerate unwanted presences. She had let him see only what she wanted. Just that one memory, the one necessary to satisfy the Anbu’s scrutiny of her intentions.
As for her secrets? Those would remain hers alone, no matter who they sent to pry.
A low, rasping chuckle filled the space.
"Let me guess," Bear drawled, his voice like gravel grinding against steel. "After all that posturing, you just spread your legs and got what you wanted anyway?"
Sakura’s blood ran cold.
Anbu often masked their voices, and his was no exception. The artificial distortion Bear had chosen turned his every word into something jagged, something that scraped like rusted metal against stone. It was a voice designed to unnerve.
But she refused to flinch. She would not give him the satisfaction. Besides, the man was not entirely wrong.
With a smirk, she tilted her head. "What can I say? It’s good pussy."
Bear did not respond, though a quiet snort from behind her signaled at least one of them had been entertained by her remark.
A distinctly male voice cut through the air, cold and arrogant. "Commander, wanting to join Anbu for a revenge mission is not enough to warrant her acceptance."
Bear nodded, and Sakura made a mental note that he was the Anbu Commander. She was right not to take her eyes off of him.
Another voice followed, this one full of skepticism. "I do not doubt she chose to show us that memory. Who knows what her real motivations are?"
Sakura lifted her chin, her hackles rising at the insinuation.
Bear’s voice rumbled through the space, sharp as the first time he had spoken. "What are you hiding?"
A woman’s voice swiftly joined the conversation, her vocal henge smooth and seductive. "The Hokage’s apprentice? Oh, I’d wager plenty," she mused. "Tsunade would be a fool if her prized pupil could be undone by something as simple as a Yamanaka mind probe."
The skeptical voice from earlier spoke again, this time more thoughtfully. "Sakura’s skills precede her. She could be useful… if she’s willing to commit to years of service."
“She’d be dead after the first mission,” a new voice interjected.
Sakura’s eyes narrowed at the all-too-familiar tone. She did not even need to see the face behind the flimsy henge and mask to know who had spoken. The snarky edge to the words was one she had come to know very well over the years.
Without missing a beat, she interrupted the conversation, her voice cutting through the room with biting sarcasm. "Your vote of confidence is so reassuring, sensei."
A loud, feminine laugh rang out behind her, only to be abruptly cut off the moment Kakashi’s killing intent flooded the room. Sakura’s body stiffened, her instincts reacting as if there was a nearby threat. Which, technically speaking, there was.
"Enough," Bear’s commanding voice rang out, cutting through the tension. "We’ll see if she can survive round one."
Sakura exhaled sharply, a brief moment of relief washing over her. At least she had passed the initial screening.
Three of the shinobi she had sensed behind her, the ones who had been deliberating her admittance, stepped forward, forming a tight semi-circle in front of her.
Eagle, Fox, and Squirrel.
Sakura barely registered the Yamanaka man excusing himself through a side door in the room.
The Anbu commander, standing to her left, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His posture suggested he was content to watch things unfold without much concern.
Her heart hammered in her chest, a mix of anticipation and nervousness coursing through her.
But there was still one person behind her. One person she especially did not want in her blind spot.
Kakashi's slightly altered voice broke the silence. "Kneel."
The command stunned Sakura. She froze, uncertainty gripping her for a split second.
Her eyes flicked to Bear, whose head tilted slightly to the side, watching her with an unreadable expression.
"Are you deaf or just stupid?" Bear asked, his voice dripping with disdain.
Fuck you, Sakura thought, biting her lip hard to hold back the words she wanted to throw at him.
She dropped to the dirt floor, her knees burning from the impact as a cloud of dust billowed up around her.
“Based on what we saw, she should have plenty of experience being on her knees,” Eagle said, his voice mocking.
Sakura narrowed her eyes into slits as she glared at him, not appreciating the unnecessary insult.
She felt Kakashi approaching her back and then, without warning, her wrists were roughly grabbed. Quick hands bound them together with rope, effectively rendering her useless.
Sakura shifted uncomfortably as her greatest weapons, her fists, were taken out of the equation.
Vulnerability was not a sensation that she enjoyed.
“If we deem a candidate worthy of joining Anbu, then the initiate must pass two rounds of testing,” Squirrel, the lone female captain, explained.
“What’s the first test?” Sakura asked, unsure of what direction this was going in but not liking what she had seen thus far.
She did not particularly care for the power dynamic of the situation she was in. She was defenseless and detained while several incredibly powerful ninjas stood over her, fully armed and clothed.
No one said anything as Kakashi finally joined the others, coming to stand before her. His thick silver hair spilled out over the top of his wolf mask. It was a dead giveaway. But maybe a physical henge would not matter. His unique abilities and fighting style were easily recognizable anywhere he went.
“Is no one going to answer me?” Sakura tried again, frustration creeping into her tone.
A sudden bout of cruel laughter from Bear made her stomach clench in dread.
“They beat the shit out of you.”
Sakura did not even have time to brace herself before the first blow came.
A fist slammed into the side of Sakura’s mouth, the crack of knuckle connecting with her lip ringing sharply in her ears. Pain bloomed instantly, radiating through her jaw as the metallic tang of blood flooded her tongue.
She leaned forward and spat, red saliva splattering against the dirt.
It was only fitting that a squad as ruthless as this would make her prove her worth in blood. Reputation and rank did not matter here.
She looked up. Eagle had struck first. No surprise there. His stance was solid, ready for another round, his expression hidden behind his mask.
Then, Kakashi stepped forward. Everything about him was different. Tension radiated off him in waves, palpable in the tightness of his shoulders and the clench of his fists. He was as intimidating as the Commander, and something told her he was far more dangerous.
No, this was not Kakashi.
This was Wolf.
His fist slammed into the left side of her face, and for a moment, everything went white. The world tilted, spinning dangerously as she fought to stay on her knees. Before she could even fully recover, another hit landed. The kunoichi’s fist drove into her nose with practiced accuracy and trained force. Hot blood rushed down Sakura’s lips, dripping off her chin, and her eyes stung with the effort to hold back tears.
Sakura gritted her teeth, willing herself not to falter.
The next punch landed, snapping her head sideways. A blinding flash of pain exploded behind her eyes, her skull ringing, and before she could regain her bearings, a brutal strike to her jaw sent her spiraling backward.
Her body slammed into the unforgiving ground with bone-shattering force. The shock of impact rattled her spine, her breath knocked from her chest. Her wrists, still bound, were crushed beneath her weight, pain shooting up her arms like fire. She gasped, trying to push herself back up, but the sharp ache in her body kept her from moving.
“Get up,” Eagle demanded.
Dazed, her vision swam, and her face throbbed in time with the pounding of her heart. But she had promised herself that she would not give up, no matter what.
In moments like this, Sakura found herself teetering on the edge of a precipice, staring down into the abyss of life’s uncertainties. She could stay down, fail the first round of Anbu testing, and leave Naruto to handle a life-altering mission on his own.
Or…
She could dig deep into the very core of who she was and rise. She would draw strength from her resolve, no matter how much it hurt.
Sakura had always been willing to sacrifice anything for those she loved.
She clenched her abdomen, her muscles screaming in protest as she pushed off the ground with her bound hands, using the strength in her legs to haul herself back into a kneeling position. Every nerve felt hot with discomfort. Her breaths were shallow and labored as her lungs struggled to take in air through the pain. But she was back on her knees, and that was all that mattered.
She looked up through swollen eyelids at the shinobi in front of her, her voice hoarse but defiant. “Do your worst.”
The words were meant to sound powerful, but the strain in her voice undercut the image she was trying to project.
Not that it mattered anyway.
Before she could even process the thought, Eagle’s fist was already slamming into her nose. This time, she felt the sickening crunch of bone giving way under the force.
The pain hit like a lightning strike, and in an instant, she knew.
He just broke my fucking nose.
Sakura considered herself past the point of vanity, but this? This was crossing the line.
Rage ignited in her veins. Before she could stop herself, her fingers twisted against the ropes, forming hand seals with practiced precision. Muscle memory simply took over.
“Doku Kiri!” Sakura snarled, exhaling a dense purple mist.
The toxic vapor condensed in an instant, sharpening into a spear that shot from her lips like a projectile, cutting through the air straight toward Eagle’s chest.
CRACK.
The hair on her arms stood on end as the unmistakable sound of a Chidori split the silence.
Blue lightning roared to life, illuminating the dim space in blinding glow. In a flash, the blade sliced through her poison spear, vaporizing it.
Her attack had been intercepted. Effortlessly.
Sakura’s stomach twisted with frustration, disappointment settling deep in her gut.
The room was still for a beat as the captains stared down at her, their surprise evident in their silence.
Then the Anbu commander, still lounging against the wall, clicked his tongue at her. “That was against the rules.” His rough voice held mild amusement, like she was a reckless Genin testing boundaries.
Sakura would not cower. “He broke my nose. What did you expect?”
The female captain laughed and tilted her head, appraising Sakura. “I like her.”
Sakura blinked, caught off guard. Despite herself, a small smile tugged at her lips, though with her split lip, it probably looked more like a grimace.
“She tried to attack me,” Eagle interjected, his voice sharp with irritation. “That goes against initiation protocol. She’s defiant and has no place in our ranks.”
Fox, who Sakura had not heard speak since she first woke up, came to her defense. “You started hitting her before we even went over the rules,” he pointed out. “Let’s not forget that, Eagle.”
Eagle scoffed, but he did not argue.
Bear pushed off the wall, his movement deliberately slow. “That’s true,” he mused. “Though, I can’t recall an initiate ever trying to attack one of us before. That cannot go unpunished.”
As he approached, the four captains immediately shifted back, giving their commander space. He crouched in front of Sakura, and every instinct in her body screamed at her to move, to put distance between them. Her muscles tensed, but she forced herself to remain still.
His gloved fingers brushed against her chin, wiping away a smear of blood. The touch was light, but it took everything in her not to flinch.
“Wolf,” he drawled, his tone thick with mockery. “What do you think? Shall we teach the little blossom a lesson in obedience?”
The room fell into a tense silence as everyone waited for Wolf's response, the air thick with anticipation.
Sakura’s gaze darted toward her sensei. His single eye flicked to Bear before he spoke, his voice as measured as ever. “If you think she needs a lesson, I’ll take care of it myself.”
His words did little to ease the knot tightening in her stomach. She had no idea how he intended to take care of it.
Bear’s grip tightened on her chin as he leaned in. "What a dutiful teacher you have."
Releasing her, he straightened and moved to join his captains. Sakura’s eyes followed him, but her attention snapped back to Wolf as he approached her.
As the two men passed each other, Bear’s voice was low, almost a whisper. “Don’t hold back, or I’ll step in.”
The threat was clear, and it sent a shiver down Sakura’s spine. She knew this was not just about teaching her obedience; it was about testing her sensei, seeing if there was any softness, any favoritism. Bear wanted her to suffer, but he also wanted to see if Wolf had the strength to be the one to deliver that suffering.
Either way, she was the one who would bear the consequences. But it was her own fault. Kakashi had warned her against this. And yet, here she was, bruised, bleeding, and entirely at his mercy.
Years ago, he had refused to spar with her, claiming her inexperience would only lead to injury.
Now? Injury was the lesson. Pain was the only option.
Wolf knelt before her, his presence suddenly overwhelming. The kunai twirling between his fingers only intensified the tension.
The Anbu mask prevented her from seeing the expression on his face, but Sakura saw his eye flicker with something unreadable.
Sakura inhaled just as Wolf pressed the edge of the blade right beneath her collarbone, the cool steel a sharp contrast against her heated skin. Her breath caught in her throat as he held it there, the sharpness pressing lightly into her.
Just as she was beginning to wonder when he would start his lesson, he dragged down the kunai in a slow, meticulous motion.
The pain was instant.
A searing heat shot through her as the blade carved through her flesh. Blood appeared in a crimson line, the drops flowing down in between the valley of her breasts. Her body instinctually wanted to pull away, but she knew she had to be strong.
All she could do was clench her fists and endure.
He continued to drag the blade down her body, slicing several more inches along the curve of her sternum. Wolf lifted the blade from her chest, and Sakura let out a shaky breath, grateful for the brief reprieve from the searing pain.
Bear, watching closely, spoke with a tone of detached boredom, “Five should do it.”
A sharp nod was her sensei’s only acknowledgment of the command. No hesitation, just quiet obedience.
And then the blade was back. This time, it pressed into the delicate skin near the base of her neck, the tip biting in before dragging downward with unbearable slowness. The cut was deeper than before, precise and punishing. Her camisole clung to her, soaked with sweat and blood. A violent shudder ripped through her, but she held firm.
"Three more," Wolf murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Then, softer, just for her, “You can take it.”
Sakura's body tensed in surprise, but the shock quickly melted into something else. Warmth unfurled in her chest before sinking lower, curling deep in her stomach.
It was not a taunt but an acknowledgment.
She looked past the mask, past the cold detachment of Wolf. At that moment, it was Kakashi kneeling before her and recognizing her strength.
You can take it.
It echoed in her mind, looping over and over until they became something else entirely. And suddenly, the blade against her skin did not feel as sharp, the pain not as overwhelming.
At the end of the third cut, Kakashi pressed the heel of his palm over the deepest part of the wound, an action meant to stem the bleeding. His hand was broad, his fingers splayed just enough that one grazed her hard nipple through the drenched fabric of her shirt.
A mistake. A fleeting touch. But her body did not care.
She was wrong for it. So, so wrong. She was on her knees, being punished and hurt by a man she did not even like. Yet, the unexpected praise, the double meaning that could be found in his words, the brief brush against her sensitive skin, all sent a slow burning straight between her legs.
All she could think about was the heat of his body so close to hers and how desperately she ached for his touch.
The fourth cut came agonizingly slow, the blade dragging just beneath her navel. Her head tipped back, teeth sinking hard into her lip, a desperate attempt to keep any sound locked behind her throat.
She did not know if a scream or a moan would escape.
When the blade finally lifted from her skin, relief and frustration warred inside her. Her head snapped forward once more, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. Heat pooled, and she became acutely aware of the slick dampness between her thighs.
Then, suddenly, fingers seized her jaw in a firm grip.
Her heart pounded as Kakashi’s hand tightened, tilting her face toward him. He leaned in and she could hear the sound of him deeply inhaling. Sakura knew he could smell the scent of her desire, and it only served as extra fuel to the flames spreading wildly within her.
Her gaze locked onto his, and her stomach clenched. His Sharingan eye was fully open, the tomoe spinning wildly as it memorized her.
Her.
A quick flick of her eyes downward confirmed what her body already knew. The fabric of his black pants was pulled taut around his crotch.
For a moment, the room faded, the other captains, the ache of her wounds that were already healing themselves, all of it inconsequential under the weight of his attention. Finally, his fingers loosened from her jaw, and he looked down at his hand for a long moment.
Then, without warning, those same fingers moved, hooking beneath the waistband of her shorts, tugging them down just slightly.
"Last one," he rasped, huskiness overpowering the henge on his voice.
The blade pressed against the spot just above her hipbone, slicing deeper than before.
A gasp was torn from her throat. Her nails curled into her palms, but she did not flinch. She took it, all of it. Every inch of the blade's path, every searing wave of pain that crashed through her. She was drowning in agony, her body aching in ways she did not know were possible.
Without thinking, her hands shot out, clutching at Kakashi’s flak vest. She needed something solid, something real.
He seized both of her wrists with one hand, and then she saw it.
His hand was stained crimson with her blood, droplets slowly slipping between his fingers.
A deep, almost primal throb pulsed between her legs, and she realized, with horrifying clarity, just how fucked up she was.
Her gaze lifted to his, searching, and what she found made her stomach lurch.
His eyes were blown wide, pupils dilated, but there was no mistaking the flicker of disgust in them. His breath hitched, and then he exhaled sharply as he snapped his lid shut over his Sharingan.
Whatever had passed between them, some dark, twisted thing that had temporarily taken over was gone.
He would not even look at her now.
And if she was being honest, she was not sure she could look at herself either.
Kakashi stood abruptly, dislodging her grip from his vest as if shaking off something he did not want lingering on his skin. Whatever hidden part of him that had slipped through the cracks was buried once more beneath the mask of Wolf.
“Punishment is complete, Commander,” he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Bear gave a sharp nod of approval. “Congrats, Haruno. You’ve advanced to round two. And you will never attack someone who outranks you again. Is that understood?"
“Yes, sir,” she choked out.
"Stay alert. We will call when ready," Squirrel instructed.
With that, the Anbu commander and his captains filed out of the room.
The door remained open behind them, an unspoken command.
She was free to leave.
Sakura remained on her knees for a long moment, her ears ringing, body aching, and mind reeling. Slowly, she pushed herself up and followed.