Ripples

Chapter 1

                            Capture

Sakura had been sent to a village in Fire Country to deal with an outbreak of a particularly nasty strain of measles. It wasn't much of a concern to mature, healthy adults, but several toddlers had contracted the disease and later died from it. It had taken a few days, but she'd managed to isolate all those infected and those suspected of being infected, planning to let the disease run its course in those who were otherwise healthy and strong. The young children – the danger group – she'd performed healing jutsus on to cure them.

Unfortunately, such complete healing was very draining, and Sakura had set off for home with very low chakra – mistake number one.

Then, when she'd heard the sounds of battle and cries of distress on the road ahead of her, she'd sped forward to help without really considering the consequences – mistake number two.

In short, a few mistakes that had led to her current predicament – battling with a bunch of Sound ninjas in an attempt to liberate a group of travelers they were in the process of kidnapping.

A battle she was swiftly losing. Her chakra was low, she was exhausted, and she had leapt into a battle with twenty-plus enemy ninjas without really considering the consequences.

'Good thing you can't be criminally stupid, or I'd be judged guilty as charged within five minutes.'

The fight had gone from 'help the people they're kidnapping' to 'try not to get abducted yourself'. She didn't know why they were being so indiscriminant about the people they were grabbing up, but all their attacks had clearly been meant to incapacitate her, rather than kill – maybe Kabuto needed people for his experiments or something...

Sakura danced backwards, avoiding a spray of darts that were undoubtedly tipped with some kind of poison...and discovered she'd forgotten to take the position of the river into account when she moved.

'Another sign you really weren't up for this battle,' she told herself as she let her body go limp so the tumble down the steep bank wouldn't break any limbs. 'You're not even thinking straight! Idiot!'

The plunge into the water nearly winded her, but Sakura had enough presence of mind to refrain from breaking the surface instantly. Instead, she yielded to the current, hoping it could carry her out of danger before the breath in her lungs ran out.

She took a moment to be thankful it was the rainy season – thus, the strong current – and that the river was deep.

When Sakura finally broke the surface and clambered onto the grassy bank, she allowed herself to hope for a moment that she'd eluded them...until she heard the shouts, and the sound of many people crashing through the forest.

Whatever position these ninja held in Sound, stealth was not their strong point.

Unfortunately, she'd reached a lull in the river – the current would not sweep her along very fast here, and it certainly couldn't take her far enough away from them in time. She could run, but Sakura doubted she'd get very far. Or she could fight...and die in a blaze of glory.

Frankly, Sakura preferred the option of fighting – at least that way she wouldn't end up at the mercy of twenty-plus shinobi without morals or scruples, but...

Naruto would never forgive her. More importantly, Sakura would never forgive herself. She'd seen the despair that hovered over her friend like a cloud after their disastrous meeting with Sasuke and she wouldn't – couldn't – excuse taking another friend from him.