Sakura Shippuden (#2 Sakura Trilogy)

Prologue

Sakura's body thrashed, her mind stuck in a nightmare; a nightmare that had once been reality, her time in the laboratory. Suddenly, she shot up and panted heavily, the scene still fresh in her brain. The pink-haired girl attempted to "ground" herself, as Tsunade called it, by trying to identify the five basic senses: the chirping of cicadas, the smell of her freshly-cleaned bedsheets, the shorts and camisole she wore...

Regardless, it didn't work, and Sakura soon found herself reliving the nightmare.

She found herself in a significantly colder room, as if she had plunged underwater and then washed up on the shores of Kirigakure.

"Sasuke, my dear boy...today we'll be doing something a little different than the usual training." The Snake Sannin gave her former teammate a sickeningly sweet smile.

The usually reserved boy raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, staring at the empty tanks behind his superior. "What will we be doing?"

Orochimaru laughed, his voice raspy and sounding like sandpaper being rubbed together. "You'll be training your body to be immune to different poisons, adapt to certain environments, and much, much more."

"Tch, let's get this over with."

"Oh, and Sasuke-kun? It would be better for Kabuto if you didn't struggle."

The boy immediately tensed. "What." Suddenly, out of nowhere, the grey-haired medic jumped Sasuke and tapped a glowing finger to both his legs, disabling them. However, before he could go in for the arms, the boy had reacted. He grabbed both of Kabuto's wrists, preventing him from inflicting further damage. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded, shaking his Kabuto's arms and glaring hatefully at Orochimaru.

"Sasuke-kun, I already told you...we're preparing you for your fight. If you can't handle this, how can you beat Itachi? Or even more so," his golden eyes glimmered, "how can you be stronger—?" His voice had become warbled for a short time, making it impossible to hear what he was saying.

Sasuke paused in his actions, which was more than enough time for Kabuto to flash towards one of the tanks filled with a discolored liquid. Sasuke struggled again, realizing what was about to happen, and managed to elbow the medic in the face. However, instead of loosening his grip, Kabuto held on tighter, and the boy found himself being forcefully submerged in the mysterious liquid.

For the first time in years, Sakura had watched Sasuke's expression morph into genuine fear and panic as he struggled and cried out for them to stop whatever it was they were doing, but they did not listen.

Orochimaru only cackled as the boy's resolve began to weaken, as his thrashing began to slow. "Kabuto, for future reference, be more careful when handling Sasuke-kun. His body needs to be in perfect condition." There was an unsaid threat in that statement that the Snake-Sannin had omitted.

Kabuto only pushed his glasses up in annoyance, the lenses flashing as it reflected the dim light of the laboratory. "Of course, Lord Orochimaru." Then, he turned to the cylindrical tank and jotted down notes on a clipboard, watching the submerged boy let out a few more air bubbles before passing out.

Sakura shivered involuntarily, reliving her childhood, reliving the constant switches from tank to tank, watching others like her that had survived the first three parts of the process she had undergone, die. She stared out the window of her small apartment, her eyes hardening with resolve.

Orochimaru was having his way with Sasuke, all in the name of gaining power. Even if Sasuke didn't want to be subjected to those tests, he would stay. For strength. For his revenge.

If he is getting stronger, then I must too.

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