Sakura glanced around at the group awaiting the Hokage. All of them had just been summoned for a mission. Team Ten, Team Guy, Herself, Kakashi, Anko Mitarashi.... All without much information apart from "come to the Hokage tower and wait for instructions".

Anko currently had her own mini-mission to annoy Guy as much as possible, with Kakashi promising a bounty of dango, so her former sensei was quite happily reading his book while his mercenary was trying to freak out the green-clad Jonin by making Rock Lee and Neji Hyuga as uncomfortable as possible. Asuma and Shikamaru were passing time with Shogi, with Choji watching on.

And that left her with only Ino to talk to. Or rather, left only Ino to talk to her.

"Any idea at all what this is about, Forehead?"

"I already told you, Ino-Pig, I know what you know. Tsunade-Sama just told me to come down here and wait for everyone else to show before she came."

Ino huffed.

"What good is it having someone apprenticed to the Hokage if they can't get any gossip..."

"Sakura, remind me again, what exactly happened before Tsunade issued the orders?" Kakashi said, not glancing up from his book.

"Well, we were leaving the hospital when a messenger arrived, saying a team had returned and needed to talk with her right away. She sent me back in to help Shizune out, and then about twenty minutes later I got told to come here. That's all I know."

"What team?" Ino pressed

"I've no idea. It could have been one of the rookie teams that just graduated for all I know."

"Unlikely, they'd still be on D-ranks. It's troublesome but I'm betting this has something to do with Team Eight." Shikamaru said.

"Well, any other guesses why they'd need to see the Hokage right away?" Sakura asked, not missing that Neji had frowned, or that Asuma had briefly tensed up.

"Well, they were out of the village, they want to keep whatever they have secret and it's urgent, and based on the rest of us being here... It might be something to do with Naruto."

Sakura shook her head.

"I don't think so. I met Hinata before she left on her last mission and she was heading the wrong way to be heading in the same direction Naruto and Jiriya are. Even if they are trying not to be tracked it would take... Uh, well, I can't actually say but I know that Naruto is nowhere near where Team Eight were."

Ino sighed. Sakura was hearing the good gossip after all... If she was hearing secret stuff like that she'd surely be hearing much better things?

"Well, maybe it was..."

"And they were nowhere near Oto either, Ino, so don't press on that one." Sakura cut the blonde off.

All speculation ended as Tsunade arrived.

"I'll be quick  and brief here, but what I'm about to say is to be kept secret. Two hours ago, Kurenai and her team came in to report that a group of missing nin had attacked them on their return from their mission. I can't explain exactly what happened as we're still looking into it, but Kurenai's team is essentially out of commission for the time being."

Asuma and Neji looked alarmed.

"Don't worry, everyone's alive, but things could be complicated. We know little about this group. They used to operate nearer Suna, and we're trying to see if they might have anything else, but that's it. We know they were kicked out of their village by their own claims, but what village it was, we have no idea. The last part, and what makes them so dangerous, is why they were kicked out." Tsunade paused to ensure everyone was listening.

"The rumours say this group has been attempting to develop a number of jutsu that cause transformations on the target. They're supposed to be able to turn people into animals, objects... Even clothing. The victim's minds are left intact and aware. It's similar to some other techniques but these ones are long lasting without outside interference and have longer ranges usually. The good news is most of them seem to need concentration and a little bit of a charge time, so in a fight that should work against them. But we need this group brought in alive if possible, and that's where you all come in - each of you has a role vital for the shared mission ahead of you. "

Tsunade nodded at Asuma.

"Asuma, your team's role is obvious. Ino and Shikamaru will be useful in capturing the enemy and neutralising the threat of their jutsu, while you and Choji will add to the hitting power and keep them from using the jutsu. Guy, your team has Neji to help track the enemy, and the four of you can fight them at any range. Kakashi will add to tracking, Sakura will be the medic, and Anko... Well, it might be a good idea to start interrogating them as soon as possible."

The group all nodded.

"Any questions? The Chunin and Genin should go get their things ready, I need to speak with the Jonin for something else."

The younger members of the group all left, even as Ino grouched about secrets being kept from her.

***

That had been a day ago, Sakura noted.

They had been sent to a town where the enemy had been reported, and had been forced to split up to search it. And out of all the people on the team, Sakura had managed to find them. She was hiding on the rooftops, and the three below were just walking along.

Her orders were clear. If she found them, call in the others.  So she did.

"This is Sakura. I think I found them. They're moving through the east of the town, it's a market." She radioed.

"Sakura, how busy is the street?" Kakashi asked.

"There's dozens of people here, but they seem to be leaving."

"Good. Keep tracking them, and we'll come closer. Let us know if they get somewhere quieter. We can't attack them in a busy area."

"Okay..." Sakura obeyed, and decided to try and listen in. They were talking loud enough in the street below

"...Anyway, so, the bitch was being a complete bitch about it all, so I just turned her into one." The woman in the group said.

One of the males sighed.

"So she bit you."

"Well, yeah. But I used the other jutsu. She's not biting anyone now. Except in the wallet. Even with that price tag someone will buy that little toy doggie."

'She claims she turned someone into a stuffed dog?' Sakura frowned.

"And all because she didn't like you bumping into her..." One of the men said.

"Better for her than the last little bitch, huh? Wonder if little miss pale-eyed cockroach is still bugged about what I did to her?"

'Hinata must have been attacked by them. Or Kurenai. But they're safe back in Konoha at least. Still, if they're really doing things like this to people...'

"I still think we should have just got the whole group. Bugboy into wood for his little termites, dog boy into a bone, and that freaky eye Jonin into... Well, I guess that's your department." A male said.

"Uh, I gotta go take a leak. Wait here." One of the men said, moving into a side alley.

'Damn, splitting up, I can't track them... Wait...'

A thought occurred to Sakura. The alley might easily lead a way...

She started moving away, keeping less of an eye on the two below and watching to be sure she wasn't being hunted by the other one, when the woman screeched

"Damn, he's moving back! Did you see him properly?"

Sakura was smart enough not to be insulted, but instead was already seeking to exploit their error. They would look for a male, not a girl. So simply dropping down and heading into the crowd meant that she could slip away, and maybe even keep them under observation and...

"I see her perfectly." The male who needed a leak said, leaping up right behind Sakura, a kunai in his hand.

He swung, but it was a lazy swing and she ducked under the attempt to stab her. Her return attack was a kick, which he dodged too. He was however, very alarmed when Sakura's missed kick shattered the chimney instead of his skull, and Sakura tried to exploit that surprise to run.

"This is Sakura, I'm..." She tried to say into her radio, only to realise it was gone.

'That wasn't a swing... he was stealing the radio!'

She decided to keep running, only for the other male to leap up, making signs for a Jutsu. He then spat out a   rope of some sort of web, which Sakura managed to dodge. However, behind her, she heard... Herself.

"This is Sakura, they're heading west now." The male who stole her radio mimicked her voice.

The surprise wasn't enough for her to see the woman had some kind of glow over her eyes right before a green beam shot out, skimming past Sakura by mere inches. It hit a startled crow instead, and the bird plummeted from the sky.

Sakura did not notice that the crow had turned grey, solid, and would narrowly avoid injuring a man three streets away when it fell and shattered.

The next beam missed, but the web-rope did not. Sakura yelped as her ankle was pulled from below her. Swinging a kunai to cut the web around and trying to get up was ruined as the voice-copying male dived onto her.

The force of him landing was less than pleasant, and Sakura found herself crushed, winded, and slightly concussed as her head struck the roof. In a daze, she tried to stand, only for limbs to give way, and for her to fall into unconsciousness.

***

"So, what do we do with her?" A male asked.

"When she comes round I have a plan." The woman said.

Sakura tried to look as not-coming-round as possible, but her awakening body betrayed the plan by stirring and allowing a small groan.

"Sleeping Pinky wakes!" The other male said, and yanked her to her feet.

"Don't play dead, missy." The woman demanded

Reluctantly, Sakura opened her eyes. She found that her wrists were bound, as were her ankles, by the web-ropes, and now her feet were stuck to the floor by more web.

"Anyway, little pinky, I was going to interrogate you all nice and violently, but, I have to say, I was impressed. You tracked us with that hair, and we took a good while to spot you I bet. So, how long did you have us in your sights?"

Sakura stayed silent.

"Want I should get her to talk? How about a toad?" A male said.

The woman shook her head.

"Nah, she won't talk. Not where she's going. Plus, I love that shade her hair is..."

Sakura remained silent.

"I bet you're hoping the others are coming right?"

'No. I know you sent them the other way.' Sakura thought to herself.

"Impressive bunch. Another damn pale eyed freak, and that bastard Kakashi... His dogs dug up my flowerbeds once." The woman said.

'What? Flowerbeds?' Sakura frowned.

"Oh, come on. You aren't seriously adding that to your list..." One of the men moaned.

"Give the Hyuga roach credit, it was some good excuses. But the Inuzuka clan had someone pee on the new flowers instead."

'List of excuses?'

"Oh, pinky won't know. But she'll be very close to us soon, so I'll let her know. See, I make up excuses to fight people. Help me justify doing horrible things to them. Like you, my excuse is you're too damn skilled sneaking around with that hair. You're nearly as bad as that story about the bright orange punk who can be practically invisible roaming around with one of the sannin..."

'He's not that stealthy... And even Jiriya couldn't make him easier to hide in that getup after only a couple of months...' Sakura thought to herself.

"But yeah, time is a wasting." The woman said, and performed a Jutsu. Sakura tried to move, but the webbing had her stuck fast... until it simply vanished.

"...Thanks?" Sakura said, confused as she leapt away towards the door, but they didn't stop her. She paused.

"...Tracking. Your Jutsu makes me easier to track, doesn't it?" Sakura realised.

"In a way, you'll be very easy for me to track soon. I'll know exactly where you are."

"Then I'm not leaving."

The three seemed indifferent as she drew a kunai.

"Suit yourself, you weren't getting far anyway."

Sakura then felt a little woozy, and was surprised to see her fingers drop the kunai. Surprised, because they had begun to droop.

"What..."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, pinky, not a tracking jutsu. You're turning into cotton."

Sakura looked up in surprise, as her whole hand then flopped down. The shock was increased as she felt her ankles and feet literally fold under her, causing her to fall over and out of her shoes.

Sakura was stunned, watching as her hand began melting into itself, thinning out and flattening.

"Wait, cotton? Why cotton?" A male asked.

"You'll see..." The woman smirked.

Sakura's limbs below elbow and knee were now retracting ribbons of cotton. She was so surprised she couldn't even protest as slowly, it kept going. Her legs inside her shorts vanished and thinned, leaving the spandex garments to flop down. Her arms were now small ribbons, and her pelvis and torso were flattening out.

She managed to scream, but it was muffled.

"Good timing on the noise reduction jutsu. I bet she screams like a banshee." One male complimented the other.

"Come on, guys, be nice, I like pinky. She had the sense to scream before she had no chance to, and boy... Is she going to want to scream."

The process kept going, and Sakura collaposed into a thin, cotton-cutout, of herself, that slowly shifted into a rectangular shape.

'I'm a sheet of cotton... This is impossible!' She thought. It had all gone dark for her.

She was even more surprised a moment later when the sheet of cotton she was, was tugged out from inside her dress.

"Look at this. Fine material eh? And look at that dye spread..."

'How can I see and hear? I'm cotton!'

"Lovely shade of pink."

Sakura did not see that the pale-flesh coloured cotton she had become was pink at the corners, where her hair had been, but that pink was now spread out across the whole sheet.

She felt the next change though, an odd shifting and bonding sensation as the cotton she was morphed further. It made her feel somehow empty, and cold...

'What now?!'

"Ooh.. Nasty. Very nasty. But a cute little pair." One of the males chuckled.

"Yeah. They're not done yet. Oh, quick,  mirror..."

Sakura was still held up, and then was very surprised by the mirror that was held in front of her.

She was looking at a pair of women's underpants.

A pink pair of briefs, that seemed to be growing frills at the edges, and a small ribbon atop. To add insult to injury, a Konoha symobl was stitched in red above the crotch.

The pair of panties that Sakura had became screamed in her trapped mind.

"So... What are doing? Leaving her in a clothes shop?" One of the males asked.

"Hell no! She's coming with us... She's hardly Shinobi colour, but she's so much cuter than some of my other pairs..."

'She's going to wear me?!'

The female missing-nin pulled her own underwear off via her skirt, and grabbed Sakura. The formerly human garment felt herself stretch a little, as she was pulled up the woman's legs, the waistband feeling a little odd and tingly as she was pulled up. Sakura screamed and screamed mentally, as she was slid into place, with a strange feeling of cold emptiness fading for replacement by the very unwelcome sensation overall of being warm, and worn.

"Well boys, let's head off. Leave her clothes behind. Let them look for a cockroach or something. I reckon a good three days running will do. " The woman said, and pulled open her waistband to talk to her underwear.

"Yeah. Three days of sweaty running, with no chance to stop to change clothes. Being a ninja can be such a gross job, huh?"

Sakura did all she could really do in reply.

The woman didn't hear her screaming. But she would have been pleased if she could...