Sakura Haruno felt like shit.

Complete and utter shit.

Sighing for the 5th time that afternoon, she slammed her car door behind her with a bit more force than necessary. Overhead, storm clouds gathered, thunder booming off the distance. It wasn't the best weather to go for a run, but she needed to get her nerves in check, and a run would hopefully do just that.

Gathering her pink strands back into a ponytail, Sakura began her stretches. After being hunched over the desk all day studying for school, it felt good to stretch her limbs. But even as she took deep breaths—in and out, in and out—she still felt the tension building behind her forehead, aching behind her neck, twisting her stomach into a bundle of nerves.

I'm a terrible person, she thought to herself for the hundredth time that day. I hurt him. He was perfect in every way, but…

Exhaling shakily, she looked across the landscape of the park before her, seeing the community pool across the green field. She heard the laughter of children overtop the hill, probably playing soccer or frisbee. Across the road was an elderly woman in a highlighter pink shirt, speed walking with a poodle dog trotting beside her.

What else could you do? Sakura reasoned with herself as she did some lunges. You couldn't love him the way he loved you. You shouldn't stay with someone just out of pity, but…

A glimpse of red eyes flashed through her mind, and the pink-haired girl flinched a little from the sudden image. Pale skin. Raven hair. A voice that chilled her to the bone.

Sakura.

"What the hell?" Sakura snapped out loud, frustrated. Where did that come from? It was almost like she knew the person—as ridiculous as it seemed, she's even had dreams of the red-eyed man. Dreams that always spooked the hell out of her; he was handsome beyond her own imagination but there was something about him that…

Get it together, finals are coming up, Sakura decided, taking off down the road at a steady jog, setting off the right pace. You're stressed out and feel guilty as hell. But you had to rip off the band-aid. Rock Lee is a nice man, and any girl would be lucky to have him. He'll find her some day, but it's just not you. You need someone…

Who did she need? Her best friend Ino Yamanaka always teased Sakura about her high standards. Sarkua wasn't even sure if that was what she'd call it. It was just, she was looking for the one, and she hadn't met him yet. She knew that once she did, she'd just know.

…Right?

A police car cruised past Sakura, patrolling the park. Lately there had been crimes committed in the area. Sakura remembered hearing that they uncovered a dead body in a car parked at a nearby grocery store. For this reason, Sakura refused to put headphones in and kept a close watch on her surroundings, careful to spot anything suspicious. It seemed that in this area, dead bodies were being found every other day. When Sakura first started school here, the crime wasn't on this level—

A beige car sat, idling, a few feet in front of her, right underneath the shade of the tree. Sakura watched it closely. It was a park, yes, but it wasn't an ideal day to be taking a day out and enjoying the sun. In fact, Sakura started feeling raindrops kiss her cheeks. She kept a close eye on the car, not bothering to hide her suspicion, and started wondering, if they come after me, what will I do?

She had been planning on taking defensive courses lately after her dreams got worse and worse. She didn't know how to fight. She knew how to study for exams and answer questions asked by professors. She knew bones in the human body or what to do if someone got lacerated. But when it came down to physical fighting and if someone came after her, the truth was jarring.

She'd be screwed.

She glanced to her left, at the bridge crossing over the river in the park. If someone tried going after her, she could perhaps outrun them. Unless they had a weapon, of course.

Ino's voice echoed in her mind. You shouldn't go jogging by yourself, Forehead.

But today, Sakura just couldn't wait for her best friend to get off work. Either way, Sakura strained her ears as she jogged by the beige car, listening for any sudden noises. Then she heard the low hum of an engine, wheels crunching on gravel.

She glanced over her shoulder.

The car was coming her way.

Are they following me? She wondered, panic settling in the pit of her stomach. She considered crossing the road and jogging across the bridge, to gain some distance. But all too soon the beige car cruised alongside her, and Sakura caught a glimpse inside the tinted windows.

Relief flooded her. It was an elderly couple. She briefly remembered the senior citizen center at the top of the hill, where she had used to volunteer quite often before school got too hectic. It was then the rain started coming down, hard, nearly soaking Sakura in seconds. She picked up her pace, nearly springing the rest of the way to her car.

As she approached it, she let herself pause in the rain, getting her breathing in order. Yes, it had felt great to run. But her nerves were still there, guilt working its way into her mind. Rock Lee was an amazing boyfriend; he adored her, even she could see that. But for some strange reason, she only saw him as a friend.

Why can I never feel the same way about them? Sakura wondered. As if to answer, the man with the red-eyes appeared in her mind. His lips moved, forming words, but there was no sound. He seemed so calm, so self-assured, but when she saw his eyes, she saw unrelenting determination.

Determination for what?

Sakura finally got into her car, the rain coming down hard, in thick torrents, wind howling overhead. She turned on her engine, warm heat filling the space. As she pulled her car into reverse, she saw—off in the distance, standing under a tree, a dark figure. She saw a speck of red on whatever it was they were wearing.

Are they…watching me?

She couldn't see their face from this distance and the lack of vision clarity due to the rain, but she felt eyes peering at her. She got that same jarring sense from her strange dreams.

This day just can't get any weirder, Sakura thought, shaking her head. But, first things first. I won't come here by myself again. Lesson learned.

That night, they were having a girl's night at Ino's place.

Ino lived in Sakura's same apartment complex, so it was only a short walk to get there. Sakura brought a bottle of red wine, but as she stepped into Ino's apartment, hearing a round of laughter from the kitchen, she realized they had already started drinking.

Ino loved to drink. Luckily for her, Ino only had to take 1 final this semester, but Sakura had to take 3.

Sakura's eyes still slightly burned. After her afternoon jog, she spent nearly 4 hours in her room, studying and making flash cards. Quizzing herself. Researching more information.

It never seemed to end.

But now, as Ino pulled her into a tight hug, Sakura felt some relief. Maybe tonight she could relax for a bit, take a break from studying and just enjoy being with her friends.

"You okay?" Ino asked softly as everyone else was busy pouring themselves another drink or filling their plates with food. In the living room, Legally Blonde played—the part where Elle Woods realized she wasn't get proposed to, but broken up with.

"Just got done studying, so it's been productive," Sakura said, smiling.

Ino narrowed her eyes. "You'll drive yourself to the ground. Tonight—no more studying, you got that? It's just us and some food and some drinks! Here, I'll make you a cocktail."

Ino's cheeks were flushed with the alcohol she already had, and Sakura took a seat at her best friend's bar stool. The night did go well, all of them joking about professors they've had or exams they failed. But everyone in the room was passing their classes so far, so that was good. Sakura had a few drinks and could feel the warmth spreading, her muscles loosening. She smiled more and laughed easier. Back in the day, she remembered smiling more, too. But right now she was working on her career, and she knew why.

She wanted to find the love of her life one day.

Then, she wanted her own family. She wanted to be able to support her family, and becoming a medic seemed the way to do just that.

"How's Rock Lee doing?" Tenten asked, pouring Sakura another drink before she could protest. Ino winked at her across the kitchen, glad to see her best friend loosening up for a change.

But at the question, Sakura's face dropped. "Oh, we broke up."

Several of the girls stopped mid-talk. Even Ino dashed forward, eyes wide.

"You broke up?" Ino asked. "How come you didn't tell me?"

"It just wasn't working out. I couldn't…I didn't care for him the same way he cared about me. I tried giving it time, but…" Sakura trailed off, opting to take a long gulp of her drink, letting the alcohol warm her throat and further drown away her thoughts.

But when she focused back on her friends, they were gone.

She sat in the empty kitchen.

Or so she thought.

Sakura.

The voice sounded behind her. She whirled around, only to find Ino's empty living room. The lights seemed dimmer, and the air suddenly felt chilly.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded, setting down her drink with a clang. "I'm fed up with this! What do you want from me?"

For a moment, she was only met with silence.

Feeling a bead of sweat fall down her forehead, Sakura chastised herself. Now you're really losing it. You're talking to someone who doesn't even exist? And now you're seeing things. Something is seriously wrong with all of this.

"Oh, what am I kidding?" Sakura grumbled bitterly, sitting back down on the bar stool and rubbing her forehead. "This isn't real, anyhow."

Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her.

A chill went down her spine.

Someone's breath ghosted across the back of her neck, causing goosebumps to line along her arms.

Then the voice whispered two words.

Two words that chilled Sakura to the bone. But as soon as she turned to face the person, being, whatever the hell they were—she was staring at her friends, back in the present. A fully lit kitchen. Shocked faces, and Ino staring her down, raising a blonde eyebrow.

"Well?" Ino asked sharply. "Are you going to spill? Or am I going to have to beat it out of you?"

"Do I have to go kick Rock Lee's ass?" Tenten added, crossing her arms over her chest.

The words the person whispered echoed in Sakura's mind, blocking off any thought from the present. Feebly, she muttered that she was going to the washroom, and she stumbled down the hallway. Closing the door loudly behind her, she bumped her knee into the counter and winced.

Then she straightened and looked in the mirror.

She washed her face with cold water.

She pinched her arm.

"Please don't tell me I'm losing it," she muttered to herself, voice shaking. "I've got finals to pass. Things to do. I can't afford losing my mind."

Am I losing my mind? She wondered. That voice from earlier—it seemed so real. She felt someone's breath against her skin. She felt the coldness in the air. It was like she had been…somehow transported to another space entirely.

She looked hard at her reflection and heard the two words the person whispered to her from earlier, clear as day, as if he still stood behind her, whispering in her ear:

You're mine.

Author's note:

Heya everyone! This is my first time writing a fanfiction for Naruto, so I am very excited! A few things about me: I've recently got into Naruto so yup, I'm very let discovering it but I AM IN LOVE WITH IT! What else...I'm 23 years old, I have 2 adorable dogs, and I love to write! Years ago I used to write fanfiction avidly and took a break when I got into school, studying speech language pathology. Needless to say, after discovering some really good fanfics, like .Summer NEE LazyApples's Hunting the Shadows, which I HIGHLY recommend! I decided I'd give it a try, and I must say I am very thrilled to be writing fanfiction again! Anyhow, please let me know what you think. I will hopefully upload the next chappie by next Tuesday, or sometime next week.