I'll Protect you With my Life
Chapter 1
Cell Mates
(Kakashi)
"Get in there!" I was pushed forward into the dark cell and fell awkwardly to my knees trying to stay upright. If I didn't keep myself up I would find myself with a mouthful of dirt and unable to get up again, my arms were bound together wrist to elbow so that I couldn't form any seals with my hands, not even one handed seals. I sighed as the door slammed shut behind me, wishing at least for the distraction of Make out Paradise. But they had taken my book along with all my nin-do and even my clothes. The only replacement I was given was a dirty wraparound loincloth that was so small I was sure it wouldn't last. But at least they had let me keep my mask, of course I had told them that I had a terrible disease that was transmitted through the air and that the mask prevented it from escaping and infecting others. Whether or not they believed that they didn't try to take it from me after that.
I glanced around the small dank prison cell and wanted nothing better than to curl up on a mattress and rest, but they hadn't even provided that or a blanket for that matter.
"Kakashi-San?" Came a voice through the bars, and my heart plummeted to the floor, I thought I had given them enough of a distraction and time to escape. Had the fools tried to rescue me as they had in the Wave country with Zabuza and the water prison? No, they weren't that foolish to take on so many opponents by themselves.
Kakashi-San? Are you all right?" The voice came again. I grunted in acknowledgement and pushed myself back up from my knees and staggered in the direction of the voice. She'd sounded so weak, I had to know if she was alright. I remembered telling Sasuke in the wave country that I would never let a member of my team die. But perhaps even I couldn't keep that promise. "Please not that." I said in my head, over and over. "Please don't let that have happened."
I dropped to my knees beside her body and fell sideways against the wall breathing heavily. The beating had taken its toll on my body as had the Sharingan use, I was lucky to still be able to move at all right now.
"Are you all right, Sakura?" I whispered through my mask and into her ear as I panted trying to take deeper breaths. "They didn't...I mean have they-" I couldn't bring myself to speak the words to the young kunoichi. Tears spilled out of my eyes, as I slumped further down the wall. I only hoped Naruto and Sasuke had managed to get to safety and were even now making their way back to the village. If we were fortunate Tsunade would send out an infiltration and retrieval team for us and the two hotheaded genin's would remain safely in the village while they did.
"I'm fine Kakashi-San, I don't know why but they didn't do or even say anything to me once they captured me. They just tied me up here. I'm afraid I used up most of my chakra though just trying to hold the genjutsu long enough for the boys to get away. It was all I could do."
It was strange to hear her sound so defeated I hadn't heard a tone like that from her since before she started training with Godaime and before we had recovered Sasuke from Orochimaru. She generally also didn't take chances like that. Usually it was Naruto or even Sasuke who would try to do something noble and stupid. They should have all just stayed as a team and gotten away they were stronger as a three man cell than a two man unit. Besides Sakura was the healer, if the were hurt, they wouldn't have anyone to patch them up now. Not that it was a worry for Naruto, but Sasuke while an Uchiha was still just a normal human and would heal like one. His Uchiha blood helped him run faster but it wouldn't do squat for healing.
I sighed, but I couldn't say anything. I had done the same thing, sacrificing myself to save the rest of the team. I just wished I had been the only one, and I just wish I knew why these people, this group, whoever they were, had been so intent on capturing us. They weren't enemy ninja, but they were well trained. It was as if I were fighting an army of Rock, Lee's.
"Don't blame yourself Sakura, I'm sure your efforts allowed the boys to make it to safety and even now reinforcements may be coming." But even as I said it I didn't believe it myself. While the boys were fast, they wouldn't even be halfway back to Konoha yet. And as I thought this I knew I could no longer hold off the darkness.