Thank you Dame Loli, Takayu, Itooshii Koneko (my best fan whose been with me since the beginning), Lanie, and yoaifangirl1020, for you generous reviews. I really appreciate them, makes me feel special *hugs self* Hope you enjoy this chapter also.
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"Thank you, Konahamaru," the man said as he turned to the boy. "Uchiha Sasuke," the older man said holding out his hand, "it's hard to say, but I'm glad to see you.
Sasuke took the man's hand in a firm shake and smiled. "I understand."
"But I think you may have come too late." Iruka nodded in the direction where Naruto hung limply.
"I don't think so," Sasuke said with confidence. "If I can get him back to my place then I should be able to get our Naruto back. But it might take some time."
"Iruka, we must hurry if we are going to help them," A woman stepped forward, her long dark tresses fell to her waist and she watched the procession with deep crimson eyes. She smiled at the others in the group before pressing her point, "the ANBU are moving through the streets and are now searching houses, they have correctly guessed that the intruders could have gotten help from one of the villagers."
Iruka nodded, "You're right, Kurenai." He turned to show the team into a dark hallway. Pointing, he said, "At the end is a latch that will open a door. There is a tunnel behind the door that with take you under the wall. It comes out about 150 meters from the gate. The exit is hidden behind several large boulders so you shouldn't have any problems getting away unseen. Now hurry and I hope to see Naruto soon. Tell him...tell him that I'm proud of him."
Sasuke nodded and led the way his team following closely behind him. There was a scraping a shuffle behind them and the tunnel went pitch. Sasuke felt around in the dark until his fingers brushed over a peculiar dent in the frame of the door before him. He pushed at the dent and heard a muffled click then the door swung open into more darkness.
"Kuso," he muttered moving forward one hand on the wall and the other before him just in case he ran into a wall or some such. Slowly they moved through black so dark that it gave the illusion that they were moving through tar. Sasuke's hand was growing numb from brushing against stones that were ice cold and his eyes wanted to play tricks on him in darkness so complete that his sharingon didn't work.
The hand he held out in front of him met a metal bar and he explored it and the area around it finding that they had reached a ladder.
"Okay I think we're at the end of the tunnel, I'm going to go up and take a peek," he whispered, but even that sounded so loud in the dark that he flinched.
"Hai," said the three behind him.
Sasuke climbed the rungs which seemed to extend into forever, at least, until he hit his head on a wooden plank above him. Cursing he reached up and pushed at the plank. It wouldn't budge. He ran his fingers over the board and around the edges until he felt a thin rope which he grasped and tugged on. He heard a hollow slither and a smooth thunk. Hoping that this meant that the latch had been sprung he pushed against the plank again. This time the top opened with a small squeal.
Sasuke peered out and seeing only rocks and grass he opened the hatch bit by bit always on guard against chakra sources that would tell him that their escape had been discovered. Once the hatch was fully open he quickly scouted the area and found that they were indeed where Iruka said they would be and no one was around. He hissed into the hole that they area was clear. The first guy came through the hole still carrying Naruto. Sasuke relieved him of his burden and slung the limp body over his own while waiting for the others.
Once again above ground they took stock of everything around them then leaped into the trees looking like nothing more that shadows.
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Sasuke peer through the bars at there captive, who paced the deep shadows with rumbling growls. He ended up being the one to bring him meals and see to his other needs because he had terrified everyone else into keeping their distance. The boy was more of an animal than human, and in the past week since they had returned he began to wonder if Iruka was correct and they had waited too long.
"You know, Naruto, the growling, barking, howling, and other noises are beginning to get annoying," he told the man.
Naruto threw himself against the bar making then rattle in their moorings. He had yet to utter one syllable. He hadn't even recognized Sasuke even though he had search for him for three years solid, even though Sasuke was the reason for him being so powerful that he was able to bring an end to the Akatsuki's machinations.
Sasuke was sitting down leaning against the wall as he watched Naruto's attempts to either scare him into going away or to try and get away himself. He heaved a saddened sigh as he tried to think of a way to reach Naruto.
"Do you remember the country of the waves? Kakashi-sensei decided that we needed more training and so he had us climbing tree using just our feet. I didn't think much of it at first, I was sure that I would reach the top on the first try but I only made it five feet off the ground. You didn't even make it three feet though," Sasuke began talking.
He talked about their days in the academy, about seeing Naruto for the first time while sitting on the dock near his home. He spoke to Naruto about his fetish with Ichiraku Ramen, their first mission chasing a stupid cat that refused to stay with its owner; he even talked about the dog that had dragged Naruto into a mine field. He chuckled over this last bit.
"You looked so funny sitting there with that huge dog on top of you," he smirked. The kyuubi had settled down and was sitting in a corner of the cell, knees drawn up to its chest, head pressed into them.
"Naruto," he said in a more serious tone, "I need you to talk to me. Help me so that I can help you. What did Danzou do to you?" The questions remained unanswered and he thought the boy had fallen asleep.
He rose to his feet and walked to the door; he paused and looked back at the blond. Naruto had risen his head watching as Sasuke was leaving. The blood red eyes flickered to blue for a second before switching back. That glimpse of blue made Sasuke's heart ache for the friend he had lost.
"If I had known that it would have turned out this way, Naruto, I never would have agreed to the undercover mission that the Third gave me," he whispered. "I would have stayed by your side and protected you while you protected me and the village. That they turned you into this…I don't know if I can forgive myself." He closed the door softly behind him and listened with gathered tears as a lonely howl came from behind the wood.
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Yes, I know the drama, the suspense, the anguish!!!!!
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