Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any other characters. Sorry ya'll… it's not my job to own these guys.

Author's Notes: Yes, I know, all my other readers are going to be so mad at me. Crystal Renee has changed her addictions, yet again, and her Rurouni Kenshin, Inuyasha and Teen Titans stories are going on an even longer hiatus for the coming of her first Naruto fan fiction. Yes, this is my first. Not my first fiction, but my first Naruto one. I'm sorry if I do some extreme OCC by accident—I have read the manga up to chapter 271 and I've been watching subbed episodes for a while, but that doesn't make me an expert and this idea just came bounding into my mind not to long ago. So you'll have to forgive me.

Sacrifice: Wilted Blossom of Spring

Prologue: Deflowered

When the signal was given, the four man Jounin group split into two man teams and went separate directions. Sakura followed behind the man who was once her sensei; this was her first mission as a Jounin. Kakashi had requested for his entire team to be reunited fortheir first mission, and Tsunade agreed without hesitation. All three had recently graduated together from the Jounin exam; normally they would have been separated into separate teams and gone on separate missions. She was willing to make one exception, just for them.

Kakashi shook his head as he slunk along the building; his team was strong. They had always been strong, even before each was taught by one of the three legendary Sannin. He just felt it was his duty to be on their first mission.

'For old time's sake,' he thought 'even though this time I can't read Icha Icha Paradise.'

His hand went up, signaling Sakura to halt in her footsteps. He fell back into a position against the wall, one hand in front of his bent knee and the other fanned out over his kunai holster. Footsteps came barreling off the corridor walls with a deafening echo before they died down. Sakura kept her breathing in check by wringing her hands together. They had all been alerted to how dangerous this mission was-- a high A-ranked mission, entrusted to them because of the power they held together as a team.

She only hoped Naruto and Sasuke were doing alright and not fighting with one another. There was no time for that.

Another sweeping hand movement had her separating herself from Kakashi and turning down a separate hall. She hated these traditional buildings; the walls were thin and sound traveled though them easier, making it more difficult to mask her presence. Every footstep left a creaking sound, light and nearly inaudible. Shadows were cast on the dusty floors where moonlight didn't reach from the high windows; Sakura shrouded herself there and continued snaking along.

At the end of her hall, a door was open. Light poured out and the sounds of human interaction boomed. She swallowed and took a few steps closer, listening to the voices to determine how many were within in the room. Could one possibly be their target? Kakashi and herself had taken the easy way in to make a direct assassination; Sasuke and Naruto had to deal with the guards and other Jounin that would hinder the operation.

Sakura had been selected as the one to deal the killing blow. They didn't want bloodshed, they wanted secrecy and silence. Tsunade had told her to do whatever was required in the situation, but to use her medic nin skills to kill. It mattered not how she went about that, as long as it was completed in a silent, efficient manner. Her hands began to shake; even if she was a Jounin, she had yet to kill another, let alone the grand ninja she was supposed to assassinate. It was daunting. She was a medic nin; her job was to save lives, not steal them.

That was what made her the perfect choice for the situation; she was an unexpected and surprising choice for the assassin.

"Kakashi, I have him. There are three in the room, but I think I can manage." She whispered into her radio headset. "Continue?"

"Wait for the report from Sasuke and Naruto." He told her. "If they don't report back in fifteen minutes, make your move. I'm rounding the outside of the building again to get to the room your at. Where exactly are you?"

"End of the east hall. There are lights from the room; you should be able to spot it."

"Okay. Wait until you hear from the others or when I radio in and say go. Then let us know when you've completed your task."

Sakura sighed, preparing herself for what she needed to do. "Right."

The radio was silent for a few moments. "Sakura… nothing will go wrong. I'll be right outside and if I think you need help, I'll jump in."

She didn't respond; there was no reason to.

"Sakura?"

She jolted slightly; the radio had been quiet for a while. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Sasuke and Naruto aren't reporting back. Go in. I'm not where you are just yet, I have some things I need to deal with first. You can handle this on your own. Just don't get hasty." Kakashi's voice told her. "I want you to go. Now."

"Right."

She turned the radio switch to off, feeling around in her kunai holster for the poisoned syringe she'd packed (poison was a quicker method of killing than trying to get in close and use her chakra to sever blood vessels). Sakura had enough of the poison to administer to ten men within that single syringe, but it was only meant for the final target. She pulled up her sleeve as she edged closer to the doorway where laughter and business chatter flew out; under it were poisoned needles set up in slingshot form for precision and power. These were to take care of those obstacles in her way of the target.

Stopping at the edge of the doorway, she opened her palm and positioned the mirror within it to show her a view inside the room. There was a bookshelf she could hide behind after killing the two who were in her way not far from the doorway. The table where all three men were sitting and conversing was in the center of the room, the assassination targets back toward her. A silent sigh escaped her lips; this was turning out much simpler than she had expected.

Counting to three she burst from her position and simultaneously shot her poisoned needles. The two men guarding and conversing with her objective fell paralyzed with needles in their neck, the poison immediately rendering them immobile while she disappeared behind the bookshelf. The syringe came spinning out of the kunai holster, her fingers positioned to quickly push the poison out and into her victim.

Sakura found herself throwing her body against the bookshelf as six shuriken grazed by her arm. The mirror was pulled out again, angled so it couldn't be seen by the person intending to kill her. She could see his perfect stance, the way his hands began forming seals. Snapping the mirror shut again she focused her chakra into her fist. She was going to stop this attack.

The fire technique commenced and she pounded viciously upon the bookshelf, shattering in into enough pieces and with enough force to push the fire shot at her back toward the creator. Without wasting a moments time she shot forward through her own attack, the syringe in her hand and poised to penetrate.

Then he took hold of her wrist holding the syringe, a single kunai positioned under her left breast. She looked up at her captor before kicking forward and forcing him back; his grip never wavered and she went flying forward with him. A short struggle later she found herself pinned beneath him, her syringe out of reach and the kunai still positioned above her heart.

"It's not everyday I get such a beautiful woman after my life."

'Not this…I can't move my legs or the rest of my body for that matter. What did he do?'

"You just took some of your own poison." The dark haired man explained. "I doubt it was enough to kill you, but your pretty well paralyzed for the next… five minutes I would say. Pity, you should have been more careful when fighting a retired hunter nin."

Sakura grit her teeth together. 'Dammit, how am I supposed to get out of this one? No one is here to help me and it's my job to kill this guy… in five minutes he could have me dead since I can't move.'

He got up and threw the kunai across the room where it took residence in his wall before looking down at her. "Nishi Kiyo won't go down so easily. Actually… my guards are more than enough for you."

She watched Nishi walk toward a window and look down toward the front gates. "Seems the veteran on your squad has his hands full, it's a shame. From the looks of things, the other two members of your team are already captive."

"What?" she rasped. 'I have to fight this poison… I have to save them!'

He smiled. It was that smile, she noted.

Sakura cringed.

"My men are waiting for my call. I'll give you a choice. You can be stubborn and condemn them or you can comply and save their lives. It's your choice."

She didn't even wait to see what she was consenting to. If it was for her teammates, she'd do it. They were more important, and a person who didn't take care of their comrades was lower than trash.

That was something Kakashi had taught her.

Sakura refused to meet his eyes as her arms wrapped around his bare back.

'Do whatever it takes to finish this mission Sakura… whatever it takes.'

The grunting noises he was making made her want to throw up. She was still numb from her paralysis so she couldn't feel him moving freely in and out of her body, which was for the best. Sakura flung her head to the side, staring longingly at the syringe just barely out of her reach as Nishi dropped his head down to envelop her neck in kisses. Her eyes flew shut and she cringed at the slight sensation. She didn't want this.

She never thought her first time would be given to the enemy in order to rescue her comrades; it never crossed her mind that she'd be throwing away her innocence she'd saved just to rescue Naruto. What would he have to say about this? Naruto would be fiercously vengeful, she knew that. Kakashi would be indifferent.

How about Sasuke, the one she had been saving herself for in the first place?

He didn't need to know, she decided.Sasuke wouldn't treat her any different, nor would he think twice about what happened to her. Sakura sighed as she stretched her arm out. Sasuke had been right after all; she was weak.

But she had to finish this mission.

Her fingers grazed the edge of the syringe, slowly pulling it closer to her hand. If she could grip it, there was a chance…

Nishi was distracted. She could do this.

Her hand clenched around the syringe, pulling it upward as Nishi arched his back, pulling her up with him for the final movement before he climaxed. She waited, watching his expression until his eyes shut.

The syringe embedded itself into his neck and she shot the poison into his body, shoving him off with her hands and out of her body. Nishi lay dead within two seconds, completely naked upon the floor. Sakura pulled her clothing closer to her body, sobbing into the Jounin jacket she had been so proud to earn along with the rest of team seven.

Kakashi landed next to the window, looking in. He saw the dead body, naked and devoid of clothing, and he saw Sakura crying, gripping her clothing while she attempted to straighten her voice before turning on the radio again.

He slunk away from the window, head facing the ground. Her voice would come, normal as ever, over the radio and he'd pretend he saw nothing. Kakashi was no fool; he knew what went on in that room.

Sakura had made the ultimate sacrifice for the team.

Author's Notes: Okay, so there was no real interaction with the other characters, but there is a reason behind this. Expect this to be a Sasu/Saku fic, because that's my favorite coupling. I needed the prologue to be this way purposely. Every small factor of this will eventually come in to play if I can remember to update on a regular basis.

Please let me know how I did and review!

Love and hugs—

Crystal Renee