Here's a quick lil one-shot, enjoy!

As a proud kunoichi of Konoha, I was raised from my academy days to not show emotions and how to conquer a good majority of them. Fear was one of them. So why do I shake at the mere thought of the haunting face? All it was, and will ever will be, was a childhood nightmare, a figment of my imagination brought to life to haunt and torment my young mind. But if that was the case, why did it come back? The grotesque figure seemed to have come back to pester me after years of absence.

But why now? I was finally content with myself and what I had. True, I didn't like the fact I now lived alone in a small flat, finally moving out off my parents house. But I wasn't lonely seeing as I was surrounded by friends. The only part I am not content with is how much room the flat had, it was just a little too much for me alone.

I closed my eyes and lightly massaged my temples, I was tired and the boisterous blonde next to me continuously talked about his last mission. 'The cookies in the Land of Tea are amazing.' 'You should have saw Hinata do her twirly move.' 'I rasenganed his ass to next week!'. He just kept talking. I loved this blonde idiot, but he needs to shut up.

"Sakura, are you listening? Are you alright?" the words floated in and out without me paying much attention.

I stood up, much to his surprise and excused myself from Ichirakus, claiming there was somewhere I needed to be. Which, none to surprisingly, was home. I entered my small sanctuary and glanced around. Books piled on top of every solid surface of the room. The books ranged from anywhere between the anatomy of the brain to hypnosis and mental stability.

I sat on the couch heavily, tired of the fear my brain installed into the imaginary monster my youth conjured. I was physically exhausted too, and my couch was so soft. I closed my eyes and smiled contently and leaned back, resting my head atop the back. In my relaxed state, I opened my eyes, only to stare into the snake like pupils of the olive skinned monster. I jerked and sat up, not bothering to check if he was still there, already knowing it disappeared.

This is ridiculous a kunoichi the age of 19, apprentice to the slug princess, and part of the infamous Team 7 was being reduced to a frail girl afraid of monsters. I pounded worst things into the ground! I pulled at my hair in frustration. I can't continue living like this. So I stood to continue finding a way to rid my mind of the creatures plaguing face.

My desk was covered in notes, scrawled hastily on clean sheets of paper, some ever crossed out. Pictures loitered underneath a few pages, peering at me with the grotesque face of the creature and its angular features and it's lazed posture, some pictures showed his mouth drew into a tight line giving a look of indifference, others showed its lips peeled back showing jagged teeth in a 'V' shaped cheshire grin. I shuddered at the look before glancing over my latest notes.

I crossed out so many hypothesis' that I came up with over the past few weeks, even a couple of ideas on how I could rid myself of its illusion. So many ideas were tossed aside with ensuing migraines. How long must its ill will continue to elude me? What does it want?

My head hit the table as I groaned. So badly I wanted to sleep and quit worrying about its appearance.

A knock at my door was all it took for me to sit up with an annoyed groan. As I walked to answer the door, my boogeyman slithered out to peer at me from behind my book case at the end of the hall. I stared in shock, suppressing a shiver. It peeled its lips back to give me the feral grin that haunted my being and strode towards my position. I hurriedly flung the door open and looked at the person standing at the door.

Kiba glanced at me worriedly, "You alright Sakura?" as soon as he finished I turned and glanced behind me. My house was once again monster free. I turned to face Kiba, composing myself before speaking.

"I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed." I stated then ran a hand through my hair a tad aggravated.

"Mhmm." he rolled his eyes then allowed Akamaru to poke his big puppy head into the house, sniffing before he barked softly to Kiba, "Akamaru smelt a strong stench of fear up here. What are you scared of?" Kiba teased lightly at the end, irking me.

"Me? Scared? You're talking to the girl who can crumble mountains." I said clenching my hands into fists at my side.

He became serious suddenly, "I'm also talking to the fragile girl who hides things to appear stronger to her comrades."

"I am strong, I've proved it on countless occasions!" I growled out at him.

He pushed his way past me and sat on my couch, "Then prove it again, the strong can only become stronger when they can share their burdens." he then looked up and gave me a knowing look, "You don't need to be alone in a struggle Sakura, you have friends who want to help."

I shook my head and leaned against the wall behind me and looked up to answer Kiba, only to stop at the sight of my imaginative friend hanging behind him. I gasped and stepped back, pressing myself flat against the wall. It smiled as it rounded the couch towards me. I was terrified, until something wet touched my hand. I glanced down to see Akamaru's worried expression. I relaxed only slightly then reached a hand up to pet his head. I only relaxed more as I stroked his fur.

I glanced up at Kiba, "I was afraid, my imagination brought back a nightmare I lived early in my childhood. I saw it every where and it plagued my thoughts countless times. Every time I see it, I tense and just get so scared." I continued to pet Akamaru, my nerves calming with each stroke.

Kiba glanced around and nodded then looked at Akamaru, "Did you know that having an animal companion helps you relax? Just their presence is enough to calm a person." he looked back up at me, "You need a dog." he then stood and proceeded to drag me out and to the Inuzuka compound.

I sat up straight, tense as the monster defined itself in my room. I stared, to afraid to move, when suddenly a weight jumped onto my bed and pranced towards the pillows, nudging my hand onto its head as it barked once happily. A few strokes later and I was asleep with a small white pup nuzzled up into my side.