Wooo~~ Dang this chapter was hard to write... There we're so many different paths I wanted to take, hopefully y'all like this one! Let me know what ya think! Thanks for the support! 3
Chapter VI: Taken
It was so fast… Too fast. One moment I was holding what I thought was the dearest thing I could have in my life, and the next? He was gone, and so was the world around me. A wicked laugh echoed through the darkness, and I tried so hard to see in front of me but no matter how much I strained my eyes I could see nothing. Darkness, silence and that distant feeling of floating in water, like a terrible dream where your body just feels numb, and you lose the will to do anything…
Where was he? Was he safe? I tried so hard to remember who I was thinking about… To remember why I felt so lost and alone. The numbness took over, my aching heart beating slowly and with every beat, the feelings settled until I felt like I was lost in a quiet sleep. I gave into the floating motion, and let my body succumb to the slow sinking feeling of being adrift…
'What are you doing girl.' A voice called out from the darkness, their tone sounding annoyed. 'I thought we were stronger than this.' I could hear the click of a tongue. What was happening? Who was talking to me? I slowly opened my eyes back to the darkness, confused, my mouth feeling dry.
'You cannot see in his world… You know that.' They stated.
'Wh- "I was cut off by a rush of wind, nearly knocking me over.
'You know who!' they yelled, it was weird how the voice sounded so different, but familiar at the same time. I kept quiet and closed my eyes, trying to think, trying to remember. Slanted yellow eyes, and the grin only a snake could wear… Orochimaru. I could hear a faint drop of water in the background, echoing in the distance. This was his ability at work, his world, where he constricted your body and senses and preyed on your fear.
'Bingo…' the voice taunted. Another drop of water echoed in the distance.
"Who are you?" I asked, my thoughts clearing little by little, the numbness I felt fading away.
"You know who I am Sakura…" the voice was becoming clearer and I felt as if the shadows were beginning to form into something else. Another drop of water, this time louder and clearer, I slowly opened my eyes to a figure covered in the shadows, standing in front of me. She tilted her head, as a strange light illuminated the ground beneath us. We were hovering over water, and droplets were dripping from the bottom of the figure, causing small ripples to spread into nothing.
"I remember you…" I replied quietly, my thoughts filling with memories of lingering shadows and dark corners. The shadows that would stretch and follow me when I would sense someone's death. I felt a violent jerk, and heard a yell in the distance, I looked around while the figured stayed unmoving.
"What should I do?" I asked, as the water beneath us began to tremble.
"Wake up." The voice replied with a hint of amusement, before a force shoved me backwards, my body falling into the water.
"Sakura!" I heard Temari yell as I bolted up from the ground, coughing desperately. She took a firm hold of my shoulders and steadied me. My clothes we're soaked, and we were sitting next to a river, I looked up as four pairs of eyes looked back down towards me. Then my heart sunk as a notice the absent of jade eyes and burning red hair.
"Gaara? Where's Gaara!?" I grabbed Temari's hand, and looked around. Kiba and Naruto shared a glance as Ino looked down.
"I'm not sure Sakura… Kiba could only track you…" Temari replied softly, her eyes filled with worry.
"Lucky too, the water made it especially tricky." Kiba chimed in, sounding a little proud of himself, Naruto elbowed him in the rib cage.
"It had to be them…" I whispered, "They took him." I stared at the ground in horror, what did Orochimaru want with Gaara? Why would he just leave me here?
"We'll find him Sakura. They've messed with the wrong House." Naruto stated, cracking his knuckles. Kiba and Ino nodded, and Temari stood, helping me up.
"I'm sorry Tema- "she held her hand out, quieting me.
"You don't need to apologize Sakura, you did nothing wrong. The East just decided to pick a fight with the west, and if it's a fight they want… Then a fight is what they're going to get." A look of wild determination filled her face, she was so strong.
I nodded in reply, "I can take you to them… They have laboratories all over… and given the amount of time, I don't think he has gone back to the House."
"It would make sense, that way they don't have to travel in the day time." Kiba chimed in, "Let's head back home for- "
"No!" I cut him off, "We need to go now… Orochimaru is not one to wait around. He wants us to come for Gaara, he wants to kill two birds with one stone. Kill the Head of the House in the East, and get me back." If there was anything I knew well, it was that Orochimaru was waiting, and that he wasn't patient. My mind went to Gaara, and I deeply prayed that he was still alive, and unharmed.
"Well, I mean, he shouldn't have that many people with him. Being so far away, how could he move so easily if he has a large group?" Naruto asked, Kiba nodded looking down at the river.
"We'll send word to Kankuro and wait till sundown to move. Kiba look around for any trace, Naruto keep watch." Temari gave out order's as I slumped back down to the ground, clouds began to grow in the distance, and I couldn't help thinking that it was a bad omen.
My thoughts wandered back to the shadowed figure standing in front of me, the one who woke me up. What was it and why was it there at that time? I sent a silent thank you to the strange being, it wasn't for them, who knows how long I would've stayed trapped in Orochimaru's sleep. That was another thing too, how we're we supposed to get pass Orochimaru? He was like the legendary creature they called a basilisk, a giant snake who moved in silence. One look in its eyes and you were done, I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes, trying to forget the haunting yellow eyes that lurked in the back of my mind.
A cool hand slid to my shoulder and I looked up to see Ino offering a small smile.
"It will be O.K. Sakura." She stated calmly, her eyes showing nothing but honesty and hope. I laid my hand on top of hers and gave it a small squeeze, letting the warmth of her blue eyes wash over me and take my mind off the fear that everything wasn't O.K. 'Please be O.K…' I thought quietly.
It was just about dusk when a twig snapping nearby alerted everyone, jumping to our feet we we're surprised as a clumsy Kankuro and a disgruntled looking Shikamaru came stumbling to the riverside.
"Took you long enough, what were you doing? Polishing your puppets?" Kiba slapped Kankuro on the back, earning an annoyed look.
"Please, their always polished, and we may have… Gotten a bit turned around." Kankuro replied, looking a bit sheepish.
"You literally have one of the smartest men walking with you!?" Naruto blurted out causing Kiba to snicker.
"Leading the way is too troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered, taking a seat on the nearest rock, "Do we have any kind of plan?"
"Nope." Kiba and Naruto replied in unison, Temari rolled her eyes and Ino gave an apologetic smile.
"Why am I not surprised…" Shikamaru muttered, shaking his head, "Well, let's look at what we're working with. A dog, a cloning machine, a wind user, a puppet master, a wailing girl, and emotion reader and myself." We all watched him sigh, rubbing the back of his neck, muttering to himself. I side glanced at Temari, who's expression was borderline murderous.
"Shikamaru…" she growled, taking slow steps towards him. The young man was alerted immediately, but wasn't quick enough to dodge a punch to the head.
"Get your butt into gear! That mongrel has my baby brother!" she shouted, scowling at the now cowering man. He muttered an apology and some other unkind words before staring don at the ground in silence. With another sigh, he grabbed a twig from near-by and called us around him, "O.K. this is what we're going to do."
Darkness began to drift across the sky as we followed Kiba in the night, all of us alert and silent. He led us down the river, and across the cliffs that hung over head to a very rural area. In the distance, we could make out some sort of stone structure that looked normal from afar. As we got closer, you could start to faintly make out doorways and stone steps. I remembered this laboratory from my childhood, this was always the first stop, this is where our abilities were first tested. I fought the urge to spit, the memories leaving a bad taste in my mouth and followed closely behind Kiba, careful not to bump into him.
As we got closer, Shikamaru gave a small hand signal and we broke apart, Temari and myself through the front, Kiba and Ino through the back and Shikamaru and Naruto to follow us, after a certain amount of time. The dome like metal building was snuggled between the rocks in a small cavern, the night wind blew up dust as Temari and I quietly stepped into the entrance.
Immediately we were met with the smell of rust, chemicals and old blood, it was hard to breath and I felt like we had just entered an abandoned hospital. The path way was lit using small lanterns, out feet would kick small stones and rocks in the way, the noise seeming louder than it was in the silence. Temari took the lead, being careful not to make noise and pausing when we would come to a corner. The way she carried herself showed that this wasn't the first time she had gone through this situation, and it made me wonder where she got her experience from. After what seemed like forever, we came to an open corridor with two hallways, we paused and looked at each other.
"Should we wait…?" I asked quietly, eyeing the two openings, hoping that one wasn't a trap. Temari seemed lost in thought as she stared down the entryways, a hand on her hip.
"What do you want to do?" she asked, turning her gaze towards me. Without a doubt, I didn't want to wait, every second could be one that Orochimaru took Gaara's life. I gritted my teeth and looked toward the right corridor.
"I will go this way. If we run into anything, we call for each other." Temari smirked, pleased with my decision before kneeling and drawing a small sign in the scattered dirt on the floor. I gave her a confused look and she shrugged.
"Shikamaru will know, be careful." And with that I listened to the echo of her footsteps as she parted ways, her body disappearing in the darkness. I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders, urging myself to move forward, I will get him back.
It wasn't long until I came to a doorway, a deep rumbling shook the building and I wondered if it had anything to do with the others. I placed my hand on the doorknob, the cool metal making me nervous as I quietly opened the door. It was dimly lit and smelled of medicines and herbs, I crept in, careful to not make any noise. Five steps in and the door creaked, alerted me as I spun in time to watch it close. 'Crap…' I thought, frustrated as I slowly turned back around.
Test tubes we're scattered across multiple tables, jugs holding different colored liquids, and syringes left unattended. A memory of a figure in white drawing roughly drawing my blood came to mind, making me shiver slightly. I moved forward, careful not to hit any broken bottles lying on the ground, a noise in the darkness startled me as I backed myself up against the wall.
"Well, well, well…" a voice mused from the darkness, "Look what the pests dragged in." Crimson eyes suddenly came to life, as Sasuke emerged from the darkness, a smirk dawning his features.
"I knew you would come back to me." He stated, leaning against a wall, arms crossed across his chest. I glared at him, making him scoff and shake his head.
"Come on Sakura, you know you don't scare me… We've been together all our lives, and it has always been me to protect you." His voice was taunting, almost childlike in the way he wanted to sound better than her.
"Where is Gaara?" I asked, my voice staying strong, despite the fear that was starting to rise.
"He is… In a special place. With a certain someone I might add." He joked, with an amused smile. "Should have just come back like I told you too, then maybe you wouldn't have gotten your friends involved." I bit my lip and watched as his smile grew.
"You can have me, so release all of them. I won't run again." I pleaded, stepping forward in his direction. He began pacing around me, like he was in thought, his hand tucked under his chin.
"Well, you see? We can't do that Sakura, not after what I saw." I gave him a confused look, following his movements.
"What do you think we've been trying to do this entire time?" he asked, "For years our Master has been training you, using your ability, and pushing you to your limits." Memories flashed through my mind, and I fought them back, trying to stay focused on what he was saying, where is getting at?
"Your special Sakura, always have been… I can see it in you." He pointed to his eyes for emphasis, "I can see what everyone's abilities are, and I can tell how powerful a person is." A light clicked on in my head, the night I ran into Naruto and Kiba, that was the look that flashed through his face. He knew he wouldn't be a good match for both a person who could cone himself and another who could take the form of a beast. He retreated that night because he felt threatened, the thought made me smile inwardly, coward.
"You have power, but it's locked away, deep inside. Our goal is to get it to surface." He grinned, like he was accepting some unknown challenge. What was he talking about? I didn't have power… All I could do was sense when someone was going to die? Was it really that special? I shook my head, clearing away the memories of Orochimaru killing people in front of me while Sasuke held me in place, watching me with a satisfied smile.
"What happened to you?!" I yelled, my eyes beginning to water, "We we're friends! Look at yourself! He has made you this way!" I let anger fill me, washing away my nervousness and fear. The person standing in front of me was once someone I held dear, just like my friends in the House of Wind, what happened? I was caught off guard as Sasuke's laughter filled the room, I balled my fist, my frustration growing.
"What happened to me…? What happened to you! You used to follow me everywhere like a lost puppy!" he shouted in reply, waving his hand sin the air, "Always you were there, forever behind me, chasing me and following me to the ends of everywhere… And now look at you, running away from everything we are."
"We are not like him Sasuke!" I yelled back.
"Yes. We are Sakura." He stepped closer to me as I stood my ground, staring into his deep red eyes. "We could be so powerful together, we could end the House of Wind and take it for our own. We could get back at our parent's… For throwing us away, leaving us to fend for ourselves." The memory made my heart twinge painfully, it wasn't that he had changed, he had just been hiding all this anger the entire time. His cool hand came to my cheek, "Everything I have done… It's all been for you. For us." I felt a tear fall as I smacked his hand away, anger filling me once again.
"Are you serious!" I pushed him backwards, "How many times have you forced me to watch people die!? How many times have you left me on the floor crying myself into a horror filled dream! How many screams and cries have I had to endure while you sat back and did nothing to help me!?" My anger felt like a fire igniting inside myself as I stood there, staring Sasuke in the eyes. "I will never follow you again." The venom in my tone surprised me, the adrenaline sending chills through my body. Sasuke stood for a moment, staring at me with a look of disgust.
"Your annoying…" he stated simply, adding oil to the fire, "It's all because of that red haired sand user." My eyes widened for a moment as he mentioned Gaara.
"Where is he?" I asked, stepping forward, Sasuke's face held an amused expression and I knew that he thought of me as unthreatening.
"What are you going to do to me?" he tilted his head with a dark chuckle, and in an instance, he was behind me, "You can't even keep up." He whispered harshly before kicking me in the back, my body lurching forward into the dirt.
"How will you save him Sakura?" he asked, amused as a powerful kick sent me sliding across the floor and into a table. I grabbed my rib cage and coughed loudly attempting to lift myself up.
Sasuke lifted me up by my hair, his grip strong and unkind, "You were supposed to be mine, forever." He growled, my body pinned between him and the table, I winced as his grip tightened. My fingers scratched at his hand in my hair, trying to free myself from his hold, he pulled me forward just to slam me back into the table, I felt the cool glass under my fingertips.
"You will be mine Sakura, you will stay here, and after we take the House of wind, you will be there by my side when we rebuild a new one." His growl was low and possessive. I gritted my teeth and stared into his eyes, "I belong to no one." I growled, as my free hand used the jagged edge of the glass to cut my hair, my body free of his grasp. In one slow moment, I watch as Sasuke's eyes widened, discarded pink tendrils floating around us. I fell to the ground, my eyes landing on a bottle with a strange dark blue liquid. In one fluid moment, I jerked Sasuke down by the hem of his shirt and smashed the bottle and its contents right into his eyes.
His screams filled the room as he stumbled back, grabbing his face the liquid burning his skin. I watched for a moment, my breath ragged as I stood up the left-over pieces of my hair falling to the floor. I watched as he backed into a wall, his screams dulling into whimpers, for a second, my heart jumped. It was so cruel of me, and I waited for the shadows to stretch and for the burning sensation to rise as I began walking to the end of the room. Nothing came as I exited, leaving him there with a quiet apology and a stronger will. I will be free to belong to whom I choose, and I will free the one who showed me that I had a choice to do so. The cool air felt foreign on my now exposed neck, and my hair felt lighter. The urge to cover my brand rose and I stubbornly fought it back, letting my hand fall back to my side. I will no longer hide myself behind the past, and I will no longer cower in front of those who hurt me…