Chapter 4: The Hidden Compound

"GAH!" Naruto turned bright red and hastily shoved something into his back pocket; Sasuke was currently distracted from the couple on the floor and raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?"

"Nothing..."

"I doubt that, dobe. You're bright red."

Naruto turned still redder and leaned casually (which would have looked more casual had be not been twitching) against a nearby chair, shaking his head back and forth as if humming to the beat of an unheard song. "Don't worry about it."

Sasuke shrugged and was about to inquire further when with a jolt of anger he realized why he had come in here and caused a scene in the first place. Stupid Naruto, distracting him from ripping limbs and tearing people apart and making a scene, and he so wanted to as Lee stood up from the floor, struggling not to grin, and put out a hand for Sakura for her to stand as well. They stood straight, facing Sasuke, who seemed to grow taller and swell with indignation and merely spat, "Explain."

"Firstly," Sakura began; who was he to order her around like an overprotective father? "I don't need to 'explain' anything. Second, all I was doing was getting the map back."

There was a silence in which it was mockingly long. Sasuke spoke through clenched teeth. "The map?" There was disbelief etched on his face and in his voice and it was so blatant that it goaded Sakura to anger him even further.

"We studied Naruto's map for a while and then he left to go do something, so I wanted to study it further and compare it to the map of Kohona but Lee said it wouldn't be on there and I said it would, and, honestly, I believe I would know it better." While Sakura said this all with a would-be annoyed look, it sounded as though Lee had simply been teasing her and she him; Sasuke wasn't stupid and he knew this, but he continued to listen as she continued. "So he grabbed the map, and I told him he was wrong, but he grabbed it back and well, he was just being stupid," she said, again, attempting to sound as though she were really annoyed with the boy, but instead smiled in a frightening lopsided way and her nudge to Lee in the ribs didn't go unnoticed.

"Getting the map back," Sasuke started in a slow, dangerous voice; he sounded as though he were letting a death sentence fall, and in Lee's case he just might have. "Hn. That's why you two were rolling around like pigs in fresh shit."

"That's not funny," Sakura interrupted, smiling wider. "It's not my fault I'm ticklish."

Lee and Sakura erupted into laughter and Sasuke surveyed the pair of them with one of the most deadly glares, mostly Lee, who still had not-so-perfect strands of hair out of place and a flushed face. Did they really think he was an idiot? If looks could kill, that dropout ninja would have been eight feet under in the blink of an eye. At least they had only been 'tickling' as Sakura had put it, he called it wrestling with unnecessary touching, not anything worse...he didn't know what he'd let himself do if they kissed.

He stormed out, leaving the couple to continue to laugh, even if Sakura's was faltering; she'd noticed the kunai in his hand, and presumably he didn't remember how he had broken down, which was certainly going to lead to some fun questions. Naruto glanced around shiftily.

Sasuke stormed up the stairs for his delayed morning shower thoroughly pissed; throughout the house, angry bangings and stomping were heard as if he were a young child sent to bed early by that mean babysitter. A few pictures fell from the stairwell wall and hit a few stairs on the way down. Why the hell do I care so much? What am I to her?

What was he to her? A roommate, a former teammate, a friend...those all applied to Lee too. So what was the difference? And was this how Lee felt when the shoe was on the other foot and Sakura had been helping him walk to the bar that night? Rules abiding, Lee was supposed to like Tenten, considering that their group was now an even eight and had been knocked down a few members in the past few years. Neji was gone, Choji was captured and tortured into insanity, Asuma had been somehow murdered in his house without awakening Ino and Shikamaru and no forced entry, which had raised many raised eyebrows and inducted thorough interrogations for the young teenagers. There was talk and evidence of inter-clan issues, village issues...it was rare for people to travel outside the city anymore, and even down-town was scarce except for the unfortunate souls who had to work at night. Now all that remained was Team 7, Ino and Shikamaru, Lee and Tenten, and Hinata. It was fairly obvious that Naruto and Hinata were well on their way to becoming a couple, and if Ino and Shikamaru didn't hook up eventually on one of those drunk nights then he'd be fairly surprised. But Tenten was still hung up on Neji, and for the way he had (supposedly) gone, it was understandable, but there had always been a slight bond between her and Lee, but it might have been a simple teammate/friend bond. Sasuke didn't know...it was the sort of thing Naruto and Sakura had.

But why do I care what she does with other people? She's said it before...it's her business.

His obsessive personality dwelled on these unanswerable questions every moment possible; it irked him further to know that these answers could not be found by simply thinking about it. It took time, and he was an impatient man who didn't like time.

It was a few minutes before he found himself standing in front of the shower door, glaring at his own reflection, hand out waiting for the fluffy towel that someone had always handed him. A moment passed before he realized what he was doing, and he let his forehead fall on the cool glass of the sliding shower door. He couldn't even take a shower without help...this thought was not comforting as he dropped gingerly to his knees and ignored another wave of pain as he stuck his head into the cabinet doors under the sink, where of course there were no clean towels. He huffed, wondering vaguely why Naruto felt the need to use three towels every time he showered and made more laundry, when he heard a soft knock on the door; the top of his skull connected with the pipe from the sink and he cursed; smooth Sasuke.

He unlocked the door and opened it, looking around at eye-level; nothing. But he looked down and saw two neatly folded towels sitting at the door like a package ready to be opened. He forced himself not to smile and bent down to pick them up, looking around shiftily so he was sure no one saw him before burying his face into them, uttering an indistinct sigh of content.

Dryer fresh.

o0oo00oo0o0oo0o0o00oo

"He did what?" Tenten repeated, whirling her head around to look at Sakura, who was watching her feet as they walked down the street; they had both taken a walk to discuss the events of the past few days. Tenten's curiosity and surprise was apparent as her chocolate brown eyes widened considerably and her buns bobbed with every little move her head made.

"Yeah," was all Sakura said, still watching her feet. She did not know whether to hate or love the attention. Her friends could not keep hurting each other over this stupid pride, but a tiny, evil part of her secretly loved the attention she was receiving...she had been nothing to look at the academy, and it was probably at least 16 before she'd physically blossomed...that had been a lot later than the rest of her friends, including Hinata. And she almost wanted to make Sasuke angry...he would have to go out of his way to prove that she was his, but she'd never give up so easily.

"What did Sasuke do?" Tenten asked anxiously, expecting a fairly bad answer.

"Actually...he was so angry he just stormed off," Sakura replied, wondering vaguely what he was doing right now. He should have gotten the towels by now, and was probably scrubbing that stupid pretty head of his with his perfect hair, along with other pleasing and perfect physical attributes that sent her into a twisted daydream that Tenten snapped her out of about a minute later.

"He'll snap, Sakura," she said seriously. "He's done it before, as proven last night."

"Well on this trip, I'll try to keep them away from each other," Sakura stated with a fake confidence that was only skin-deep.

"Yeah, this is going to be a lot of fun...doesn't it sound like camping?" Tenten asked excitedly.

"It does," Sakura replied, finally raising her head high to greet the day and smiling a warm smile that made the sunlight seem to dim when it neared her face. Today would be fun, and who knows what would happen in a dark campsite around a fire with friends and most likely, Ino's liquor.

"When I called, you weren't home," Sakura said abruptly, a calculating expression gracing her features as the little worry lines (that Sasuke teased her about to no end and Ino said they would never fade). At least that's what Hinata told me...where did you go?"

Tenten did not answer at first. I told Hinata to lie and say I was asleep. Wait. Lie. Well, there's my mistake. But then she decided that as long as Sakura had been honest with everything about her and Lee and Sasuke, she sighed and kept her voice quiet as she muttered:

"I was pulled in for questioning again-"

"WHAT?" Sakura yelled, staring at with a disbelieving expression; her outburst caused several people out for market day to look at her, annoyed, and birds from trees to take flight in alarm. "Do these people have any decency? It was late!"

"I know," Tenten said miserably. "Three Black Ops officers, Gai Sensei, Hokage, they all came to my door and Hinata almost collapsed. Lee wanted to go with but...I told him no. He and Hinata waited for when I am came home but I didn't tell them...it was harsh. They don't believe me. They never will."

She lowered her head, closing her eyes against that painful interrogation last night, and gently touched her cheek.

"Look!" the officer snapped, angling the light directly into Tenten's eyes; she closed them out of distress and pain. "We know he didn't just disappear, alright? We're trained for this shit, and I'm not about to waste time dealing with someone who I know is flat-out lying."

"That's not true!" Tenten choked out, her face burning. They suspected. "I hadn't seen him since the afternoon, and the first I heard of him...he was already gone.

"This is important!" the officer roared, putting his face close to hers so he was screaming in her face; she closed her eyes and took it, fingers twisting around each other as if she were knitting, her body shaking as he rained accusations down on her. "We have reason to believe he's with the Akatsuki...and if not that...he was a high-level ranking officer. He didn't just vanish without a fucking trace into thin air. He was trained for that, he would have known."

"You're lying," she muttered, her head still down, body still shaking. "The Akatsuki...bullshit! I knew him...he'd never do something so goddamned low, he had more pride than that!"

"Exactly why we know he didn't just vanish all by himself. Someone contributed, someone covered for him, and that was you."

"I didn't, and even if I did, you have no proof!" Tenten yelled back, standing up and slamming her hands down on the desk, nose to nose with this unknown officer.

"I'll crack you yet. I did it to Kabuto and I will do it to you."

"Kabuto? Orochimaru's right-hand man? You caught him?" Tenten asked, distracted for the moment; she had never suspected that man for a second until it leaked out that he was in league with the Akatsuki.

"Caught him?" the man let out a derisive laugh and Gai shifted uncomfortably; in turn, The Third Hokage lowered his head in either shame or honor; she wasn't sure. "I killed him."

Tenten gasped and pushed away from the desk, mouth open in gaping horror. This man was insane, and he knew she was covering up for Neji...but he'd told her to...it was his dying wish, and she cared about him enough to do it for him. Teammates and friends, the unbreakable bond from childhood...she would never betray him, not even while he lay slain by the enemy...for her.

"You loved him, didn't you?" the officer snickered, his fingers splayed on the desk; Gai made a mumbling sort of noise, but did not speak up. "That's why you're covering up for him, isn't it? Was that his dying wish? You did it out of love, hoping that it would get you somewhere, but it won't. He's not dead, is he? He's hiding, biding his time, ready to help the enemy out, and you're the one who's letting it happen!"

"Stop!" Tenten shrieked hysterically; he was getting near the truth, and she didn't know how long she'd hold out against this. She struggled to keep her sobs to a minimum and her hysteria under control.

The officer raised one hand from the desk and made a few finger signs; Gai coughed, the Third Hokage stirred in the shadows, and suddenly Tenten let out a scream as the officer put out his hand as though waiting for something to be placed in his palm. She hunched over, her body twisting and writhing against itself as though someone were playing puppets with her very body; abruptly, he jerked a finger toward him and her chest was thrust out as though being pulled by it. A chair went skidding out of the way as the jutsu took effect and she was forced to glide across the floor out of her own control and well into his reach as he curled his powerful fingers under her collar.

"You're going to be responsible for many more deaths...you have heard the news, have you not? We're going to be at war soon enough, and we need to know who we can trust. If we can't trust you, a born and bred member of Kohona, who can we trust?"

"I didn't do anything wrong," Tenten whispered, straining at his fingers; the material cut into her neck and was beginning to cut off her airways.

"Yes you did. You let love guide you...the heart only leads to pain."

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Tenten screamed, and before she knew what she'd done, for she'd reacted instinctively, she pulled the kunai out of his stomach and he finally dropped her. She used the chair to pull herself up as she stumbled dizzily from the rush of oxygen, and saw him laughing at her. Gai was silent for the first time, and the Third Hokage was also. The officer grinned at her and shook his head.

"It'd take a lot more than that to kill me, dear. There are worse things than death."

"That's enough!" the Third Hokage said gruffly, speaking finally from his corner of shadows. "You are all dismissed."

The officers trooped through a door in the back of the room, Gai bringing up the rear, while the Third Hokage sat at his own desk and put his face in his hands.

The front door was wide open, the crickets chirping and moonlight shining on the dusty ground; Tenten had been long gone.

"Oh my god...how could they treat you that way?" Sakura asked, appalled; he was surprised Gai hadn't said anything.

"Gai couldn't help me," Tenten replied, her voice a whisper. "He had no power over the interrogation officers or the Hokage; if he had opened his mouth he could have gotten in serious trouble."

"And Kabuto...is dead?"

"That's what he said...interrogated, tortured, killed."

There was a pause, and Sakura put her arm around Tenten. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Tenten replied, letting her head fall back on Sakura's arm; she stared into the blinding sunlight that reminded her of nothing but brightly lit lamps in dark rooms. "It was expected."

"I think he really loved you, you know," Sakura stated bluntly. Tenten nodded in agreement.

"I hope he did."

Another pause.

"You left Lee and Sasuke in the same house."

A third pause commenced, and Sakura slapped her forehead. "Shit."

0o0oo00o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I knew it was porn," Sasuke said, shrugging. "You didn't need to hide it, Naruto."

"Uh-huh, cause you've never looked at porn. We live with Kakashi, okay?" Naruto said, as if any person his age was crazy if they hadn't.

"Anyway," Naruto continued, finally zipping his duffel bag, "What was your problem this morning?"

"Naruto, don't you get it? He was jealous," Lee said casually, strolling into the living room with his backpack on one shoulder and a smirk on his face.

Now, Sasuke would never admit that to anyone, for he barely could stand it himself, but he pointed a finger at Lee and simply said, "Shut up." The tone in his voice told anyone present that he was ready to have a showdown with the next person that looked at him the wrong way.

"I don't have to. You can't control what I do, nor can you control what Sakura wants to do. You don't own her."

Sasuke's face was twisted, once again, into an expression of pure hatred and rage toward this sarcastic bastard rubbing it in his face that he could not have everything he wanted. It was his fault that Sakura was not obsessing over him anymore.

I almost miss that. No, I don't. Do I?

"No, you have a point," Sasuke said with a demonic grin, and in one fluid motion, Lee was yanked up by the collar, off the floor and slammed into the nearest wall, "but I can make sure you don't do it again."

"Sasuke–" Naruto began, but Sasuke glared at him over his shoulder, and he desisted, closing his mouth.

"Sasuke!"

Oh god damn it. But I want to punch him, the jealous boy nearly whined to himself. Sasuke stiffened against her voice, cringing as though he were a child caught doing wrong, which, he sort of was. Her eyes were staring at his back, but it was still a full minute before the tension died and he lowered Lee to the carpet and let him go, roughly.

The tension rose again as Lee straightened up, glaring at Sasuke, who glared right back; Sakura was glaring at Sasuke; Naruto was rummaging through his just-packed duffel bag by the front door, and Tenten was giving Lee a maddening look that clearly told him to back down or risk getting his ass kicked twice, once from Sasuke and then her.

Muffled yells came from behind the wooden door, along with some thumping, high-pitched screeching, and the sound of the door nearly coming off it's hinges. Naruto glanced up at the door from his spot behind it, eyebrow raised, and received a face full of wood as the door was kicked open and he was slammed against the wall behind it, pinned, his bag forgotten. Ino and Shikamaru crossed the threshold; Shikamaru was carrying two bags, one black, one...purple. It obviously did not belong to him, and Ino stumbled through carrying two purple bags with her that looked like a luggage set; Shikamaru dropped the purple backpack onto the ground by the rest of the bags Ino had just set down and sat on the pile.

"I can't believe you made me carry your stupid purple bag. And of course it's the heaviest one," Shikamaru snapped, looking up at Ino, who flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and smiled.

"Oh, but Shik–kah–ma," she cooed, hugging him around the neck and accenting his pet name in a sickeningly sweet way. "You're so much stronger than me."

"What'd he do, spike her coffee?" Sakura said in an undertone, while Tenten twisted her lips to keep herself from saying anything and stifled a giggle; Lee simply stared, and Sasuke felt truly embarrassed for Shikamaru, who jerked his shoulder in a strange way and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You just wanted me to carry all the liquor," he said, scowling darkly and patting her head away. She laughed and ran up to Sakura, immediately beginning to talk her ear off with all the things she'd brought.

"Do you people ever knock?" Naruto yelled, pushing the door away so he could unpin himself from the corner; the door didn't completely close, for Hinata edged in through the small crack, not touching the door or doorframe; she poked her head around the door and smiled shyly down at Naruto, who grinned up at her. Unusually, she spoke first; "Good m-m-morning, Naruto."

"'Mornin', Hinata," he greeted in his obnoxious, cheerful way, and she put out a hand to help him up, only a tiny dusting of pink high in her cheeks. Physical contact was getting better.

"Are we all ready to leave?" Sakura asked loudly, cutting across Ino's rambling and Tenten pointing fingers and arguing with Lee; it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what she was angry about, and Sasuke watched them with narrowed eyes. A chorus of "Yeah's" sounded throughout the living room.

"Okay, well, I've got the map, everyone's got their things? I'm the last one out so I can lock up the house, get outside," she rambled, talking to herself slightly as she mentally ran through the list of things she needed to do. Naruto and Hinata walked out together, talking; Tenten took Lee by the elbow and dragged him out before he could protest; Sasuke watched as Shikamaru carried all the bags this time, and Ino jumped on his back and said, "Carry me!" He groaned, muttered "Troublesome,", but complied as he walked out the door, all hands full, and Tenten held the door for him. Ino leaned forward and pecked his cheek gratefully.

Is that what people act like when they're in love? Ugh. Sasuke wondered vaguely how Shikamaru dealt with that girl, but then again, how did he deal with Sakura? There's a big difference. Shikamaru and Ino are head over heels for each other, even if they won't officially date, but me and Sakura...there's nothing there.

What a lie.

Sakura emerged from the kitchen and gave a start, seeing him standing there, waiting for her.

"Hn?" Sasuke grunted. What are you doing?

"Leaving a note for Kakashi-Sensei," she said, not missing a beat; she could tell the difference between his 'Hn's and 'Ah's and sighs of content better than he could himself. "I'm sort of worried...he hasn't even called in days."

"Don't...ever worry," Sasuke said in a detached voice, hitching his back a bit higher on his right shoulder.

Sakura grew emotional over those words, the ones she had said just last night to him when he had been breaking down, not knowing where he was...did he remember? She would have to bring it up later, and apparently for the moment he had forgotten about the kunai.

"Let's go," she said quietly, and he let her link her arm through his and pull him along through the living room and out the door; she quietly inhaled his scent of being fresh out a shower. When the gazes of six other ninja fell on their linked arms, she hastily let go; Ino was smiling at her, Tenten was watching Lee, who stiffened a bit, the rest simply knew but did not show it.

And these eight friends walked down the street, ready to begin a unknown journey in an unfamiliar place with only each other to guide them along. Memories of past battles, fights, and everything else they had learned came down to this. Friendships tested, bonds broken and stitched back together, and pride. Pride was the biggest aspect.

And teamwork. A fundamental that had been pounded into their skills since they could comprehend simple words and barely stand. They would need that skill forever; they had to use it, and hopefully they would.

0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

But apparently it would take some time:

90 minutes later, the group was still lost.

"Oh–my–god!" Sakura burst out, turning the map sideways, upside down, any possible way she could to try to comprehend it, to no avail. Frustrated, she threw it on the ground and stomped it into the dust, rubbing it into ground fiercely, her face flushed.

"We still need that thing!" Naruto protested, tugging at the map from under her sandaled foot. "We'll get lost-"

"We are lost!" she snapped, letting him take the map from under her sandal but crossing her arms and beginning to pace. Naruto flourished the paper regally as if he were experienced in this sort of thing and his eyes traveled left and right, up and down, all over the paper; Hinata peered over his shoulder anxiously. He punched his fist into the air and Hinata giggled as she yelled.

"I got it!"

Seven pairs of eyes focused on him as he took a deep breath. "It's exactly 1,465 paces that way!" he stated as if he were speaking to the mentally challenged; he pointed a finger toward the way they had come.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, red in the face. "We've been going in circles and you of all people say we have to go back?"

"Yeah! I know I'm right, just trust me on this!"

"I don't think it could hurt," Tenten suggested lightly, trying to keep the tension down; Sakura looked ready to wrap her hands around the blonde's neck and choke him, while Sasuke placed a warning hand on her shoulder; god forbid she fly off the handle and scream or they'd be arrested for disturbing the peace.

Sakura complied angrily, grumbling and cursing under her breath like a hold full of drunken sailors, while Hinata followed behind Naruto anxiously as he carefully counted off 1,465 paces, putting his fingers in his ears to concentrate.

1,465 paces later, they found themselves facing a ramen shop.

"Okay, I take back what I said," Tenten muttered, rolling her eyes, as did Sasuke, who should have stopped this from the start; he poked a gentle finger into Sakura's spine as she opened her mouth to presumably berate the stupid boy.

"Naruto–" Sasuke began, but he'd already dragged Hinata into the shop; the door swung shut behind him.

There was a long pause.

"Well...it couldn't hurt to have lunch," Tenten said, trying to sound optimistic.

The group let out a collective sigh and trooped into the shop.

Naruto was already at the counter eating when the rest of the group took seats, all eight side by side. Ino put out a hand, and someone slid a drink down to her; Sakura stuck a hand in the way and stopped it, pushing it back down the counter top toward the man.

"Don't bother, she's underage," Sakura said, while Ino scowled and Shikamaru let out a strange noise that sounded like an amused cough and an "I told you so". Sasuke was sitting next to Sakura, so when the barman shrugged and sent the drink back down anyway, he grabbed it.

"I'm not," he said, and downed it in one gulp, smirking at Sakura, who lightly punched him in the chest.

"You're still 17 too, liar. You have exactly 1 week," she said in an accusatory tone, putting her hand out for a drink herself, but he took it again and held it out of her reach.

"And you have 3 months," he said, pushing her lightly away as she strained to reach it. I'm closer than you are."

"Give it," she demanded, still reaching for it, but her arms were not as long as his. He smirked and held it above his head, and that angered her, so she threw herself at him unexpectedly; the glass flew from his hand, and as he disappeared from the chair, for he was now on the ground, Sakura followed, rolling on top of him. The glass was now fair game, but Ino claimed it with a "Ha!" and raised her hands above her head.

"Yes!" she cheered, and enjoyed her prize with a smile on her face.

On the ground, Sakura pinned Sasuke to the ground with a twisted smile on her face. "If she sets fire to her tent, I'm blaming it all on you."

Sasuke chuckled in amusement and watched Naruto and Hinata lean curiously back on their seats to observe them on the ground. He scowled darkly; Hinata blushed and let out a quiet 'Eep!' while Naruto turned his head away, and they both returned their attention to the plate of food that Naruto was currently inhaling.

A few moments later Sasuke and Sakura returned to their seats and were greeted with too-understanding smiles and a few glares.

0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The sun was bright as ever and hanging high in the sky as the group trooped out, now focused on the issue at hand.

"Honestly, I don't know what to do," Sakura said, rubbing her forehead and pursing her lips in thought.

"Hey, look at this!" Naruto pointed to the Leaf Village symbol stamped on the front wall of the Ramen Shop.

"I didn't notice that when we came in," said Sakura quietly, slightly hurt that she hadn't noticed it.

"Hm, that's strange," Ino said, reaching out immediately to poke it; she pulled her finger back in half a second and held it, making a face. "It's hot."

So of course, Naruto, being the curious boy he is, reached out and pressed his palm against it; he howled in pain and brought his hand back.

"Idiot," Shikamaru muttered, shaking his head.

"Look," Naruto said again; the symbol was gone, now replaced by an arrow pointing to the right, toward the corner of the building. "You think there's more?"

"I don't know...follow the arrow and find the next one," Tenten ordered, running her finger in a straight line from the tiny arrow to the right; a gasp told her she'd found another symbol, the arrow pointing diagonally up and to the left.

For a few minutes, everyone took turns finding the hidden arrows; some were obviously meant to confuse and trick, so it took a while finding which ones to follow, eventually they led them to the alley between the shops, and a larger symbol than normal glittered ominously on the wall in the dimness of the alley.

"This one is bigger," Naruto stated obviously, reaching out to touch it. Sakura listened to him cry out as he touched the larger and probably hotter symbol on the wall...her eyes fell on the ground beneath them and she froze.

It happened in an infinitesimal second in time; the ground began to sink as his flesh touched the round symbol; she leapt forward and made a grab for her friend, but the ground fell through and he plunged into absolute darkness, along with Hinata, who had been ever-faithfully peering over his shoulder; although she had decent reaction time, the most she got of Naruto was the sleeve of his jacket. Now she was on her stomach, straining to support their weight, but it wasn't meant to be.

Hinata let out a frightened cry and Naruto yelled up, "It's reeeeally dark down here," as Sakura held them, suspended over the black abyss. Sasuke shoved himself between Ino and Tenten and dived toward the ground for Sakura, but the weight pulled her body over the edge and all he caught was her foot.

He continued to hold on; he twisted his neck as he heard a strangled cry as Ino and Tenten were swallowed through the ground too; Lee made a grab for Tenten and Shikamaru for Ino, but both missed and all four disappeared from sight.

"Fuck!" he yelled out loud, still looking over his shoulder for help; why did everyone seem to be walking by in a state of obliviousness, as if this wasn't happening? As his mind raced, what the hell do I do...a jerk ran through the line of people as he was holding onto them; Naruto screamed Hinata's name as her quiet squeak was swallowed into a distant echo, and Sakura yelled "Naruto" as he let go to go follow her. Sasuke was now kneeling over the edge, staring into the blankness for a sight of Naruto or Hinata, but they were gone, and now the only one left was Sakura.

"I knew we shouldn't have gone in there," he muttered, and he stared down at Sakura's wide, jade eyes that stared up at him.

"Pull me up," she ordered, "we have to get help!"

Sasuke made a noise of dissent. "No, I'm going to just hang around here all day-"

"Damn it Sasuke-"

Her warning wasn't fast enough, and someone jammed a heel painfully into his back, causing him to lose balance; he was suspended for only seconds, and he had no time to turn around to unleash his spleen on the person that had kicked him before his upper body weight betrayed him and pushed him over the edge; his face shoved into something very round and...soft...for a few seconds he let his imagination run around in forbidden thoughts, but after that, he tried to let his eyes adjust to the light as they continued to fall. It wasn't working, and he could hear the others screaming and yelling as they tumbled through nothing.

"Sakura!" he yelled in a wretched voice; he couldn't feel her anymore, he couldn't hear her anymore.

"Sa-AUGH!" His call for her was interrupted with a cry of pain as his head caught something on the long way down; he could feel the sides of whatever they were in closing in as he struggled to remain conscious; his head had slammed on a brick that had been jutting out of the wall and the taste of coppery blood flooded his mouth and made his insides churn.

As he opened his mouth once more, his head caught on another jutting brick; he yelled in pain again, the wound in the back of his head stinging painfully on air contact as he let his eyes roll up into his head. Screams were becoming distant...fuzzy...swirling colors danced beneath his eyelids–

Unconscious, he continued to plummet down into nothing.