It had been sixteen days since the team of mercenaries had thrown her in that cell. Locked away in the subterranean dungeon that had once been Konoha's loosely termed 'jail'. Official terminology had encouraged referring to the underground prison in more flowery language such as; 'holding cells' or 'contained housing' and a variety of other terms that were more befitting of Konoha's pristine reputation.
However having been trapped in the 'contained housing' for nearly a week, Sakura could not find a more befitting terminology to describe the place other than 'hell'.
The weeks seemed like months in the windowless cell. Her only method of gauging the duration of her imprisonment was through the, what she presumed were, daily visits of random lackeys sent to bring her food. They never spoke and never lingered. The interaction lasted all of a minute as they carelessly shoved a tray of unappetizing gruel at the foot of the bars and retrieved the remains of her meal from the previous day. Her arms were just small enough that it allowed her to reach through through the metal rods housing her and shovel the tasteless slop into her mouth. Although most of her meals remained largely untouched. Her appetite was already in a pitiful state and her general anxiety made it a chore to keep anything down.
Upon completion of their task the guard would quickly turn on their heel and march away, leaving her alone until the next visit. The never acknowledged her in anyway, likely having been ordered to ignore her entirely. Sakura had tried to get a rise out of one or two of them. She asked questions about the future her imprisonment, studying their faces meticulously in hopes of gaining information. Goading the soldiers with insults in hopes of inspiring a reaction had garnered little more than an annoyed sneer in her direction. She had tried initially to appeal to the humanity of an individual guard but could hardly build a relationship in such a small time span. One of her younger visitors, a boy that could have been no older than 14, had graced her with a tiny smile as he gently set down her tray. Still he remained silent to her prodding only offering her a pitying glance before turning away.
Ultimately even if she had managed to guilt the poor schmuck into helping her it would hardly matter as the guard who delivered her rations were never the same. She wondered idly if the barrage of changing faces was meant to be a display of the sheer numbers of ninja under Sasuke's control.
When her plea for sympathy had failed she resorted to aggressive confrontation. She screeched and threatened the nameless men, slamming her fists against the bars and shaking them until she heard the metal groan as it rattled in her grasp. The guards however seemed unconcerned. They both knew that even if she managed to breakout of her cage she would never see daylight before being recaptured by the squadron of shinobi roaming the corridors of the building.
Sakura knew the guards were there. Even if she was too weak to sense their chakra, she knew they were there. Her isolation was plagued by a seemingly unending silence. It had made her hearing sharp to any noise that might disturb her bubble of quietude. Occasionally she could here the murmurs of chatter between guards posted outside the entrance to her 'contained housing'. However, she could never distinguish any words from behind the door, only to listen to the tone of their cadence. She had come to familiarize herself with two of the voices most commonly posted at her door.
One belonged to a gruff sounding man, presumably in his mid to late 30's. His muted chattering sounded gravely and deepens through age. He rarely ever spoke but when he did his mumbling was curt and to the point. Contrastingly his usual accompaniment was significantly chattier. The voice offered Sakura a constant flow of muffled jabbering that she did not necessarily dislike. Entertainment was severely lacking within the walls of her cell and she would sometimes let her mind invent a dialogue to accompany the babbling sounds. To her embarrassment she had mentally developed a rather detailed storyline between the two guards. A sort of soap opera only she was privy to. In her fantasy the talkative guard was currently dealing with a misbehaved pet and was seeking advice from his gruff coworker. She hadn't quite decided exactly what sort of pet it should be. Perhaps something exotic like a snake?
Immediately after the thought carelessly entered her mind she cringed and opted to abandon the plot altogether. Perhaps she would weave a new tale centred around the older guard. Perhaps his wife was a terrible cook yet he was unable to tell her. His poor diet attributed to his grumpy behaviour.
She knew these flippant musings were childish and stupid at best. However, solitude was inherently boring and pathetic as it was she would take whatever entertainment she could find.
Mostly she heard the groaning of pipes embedded in the walls that moaned every time water worked its way through the buildings outdated plumbing system. She often suspected one of these ancient pipes had burst somewhere nearby. A consistent pattering of water smacking against concrete could be heard sometimes following the creaking of a pipe. The rhythmic drips were akin to a faucet that had not been properly turned off, and she found the noise to be annoying to say the least. The sound of the neglected leak drove her damn near mad during what she had deemed was sleeping hours. Not that she was gifted a proper rest anyways.
The steady drips of water were hardly the primary reason behind her lack of sleep. She could manage the annoyance. Even the ratty cot she had been provided in the corner of the room was manageable to sleep on. She had slept on worse.
It was the sound of footsteps that gripped her with anxiousness and paranoia. The muted slapping of shoe souls against the stone floors seized her entire body with fear. Her mind spiralled into paranoia that it would be his footsteps that treaded towards her.
However, her logical mind reasoned that his footsteps would be silent. He was always unnervingly swift. Without even meaning to his movements were naturally that of a ninja. Silent and deadly. He could be inches away from her and she would remain ignorant to his proximity until he chose to make her aware of such. Like so many of his victims she would never hear him coming. This reminder disturbed her like no other and she would spend the remainder of the night with her back pressed against the cell walls. Her bloodshot eyes, heavy with exhaustion, fixated on the entryway. Her body's crippling desire for rest took a backseat as her erratic fear of his approach took precedence.
She could go days before the strain became to much and unknowingly allowed her self to slip into a desperately needed slumber. She would later awaken horrified that she had allowed her guard to slip. Dreading the possibilities that could have occurred in her moment of vulnerability. Her mind would launch into a new bout of paranoia and the vicious cycle would commence anew.
Today was one of those days where sleep would evade her once more as angst flooded her system. The bars seemed to grow closer together and encroach upon her, making the cramped space unbearably suffocating to its lone occupant. Her gaze was hawk like upon the old metal door that resided just beyond the rusted metal bars that housed her. She had come to know that door like the back of her hand. Every dent and chip was engrained in her mind. Every screw that held it together was more familiar to her than the village she once bled for that lay just beyond it.
That door was a barrier between her and the monster who had shut her behind it. Every time it opened to allow passage for the poor sod carting her meal set her on edge. Because she knew that one day it would open and he would be behind it. She dreaded that day more than she dreaded the thought of being a prisoner to that door for the rest of her miserable life.
As if the universe sensed her thoughts and sought to play a cruel joke, she heard a tell tale creaking noise. Cracks of light emerged as the door was propped open.
Her heart raced at a concerning pace, each beat that thrummed in her chest physically wracked her quivering torso. Her meal had already been delivered for today, she was sure of it. It was impossible that a full day had passed even with her shaky grasp the concept of time.
This was it. This was the day she had been dreading.
Her eyes had become sensitive to light and she squinted as the heavy metal barrier was fully pushed aside. Her retinas ached slightly as they adjusted to the shift in luminance in the tiny space. She was only able to distinguish the silhouette of the approaching figure.
The figure seemed to be on the shorter side, not absurdly so, but definitely shorter than the average male. The sharp clacking that accompanied foot steps indicated the presence of shoes bearing a heel of sorts. Giving Sakura the impression the wearer was likely female. Her suspicions were confirmed by a sharp intake of breath that sounded distinctly feminine and as her eyes adjusted she was able to make out long red locks swaying whimsically around the white lab coat sported by the woman.
"I didn't think it would really be you." The woman said in a breathy tone as she appraised the broken form of the girl behind the bars that separated the two.
Sakura nearly failed to register the woman's words. Her mind tripped over itself to piece together the statement. Out of practice from being denied verbal communication for so long. Despite the rare luxury of conversation her foggy sleep deprived mind only allowed her to give a weary grunt in response to the woman.
"I thought you'd just be another fake. But it's really you isn't it. I'd know that face anywhere." The red head said clicking her tongue as if to make her point. "I see you kept the pink hair. Would've thought you'd dye it or something. Gutsy move. A bit stupid but gutsy." The woman continued crossing her arms as she stared down the dirty mop of pink hair. "Not that I wouldn't recognize you with out it, but still." She finished.
The woman's cavalier attitude began to irk Sakura and she bit down an insult opting to let the obnoxious woman talk her self into a hole. Perhaps she might pick up something useful.
"I'm surprised you were so easily captured after all this time. To be honest I had written you off as dead. But then again he's always right about these sort of things, even now. Kind of annoying really." The red head scoffed.
At the haughty dismissal of her capture Sakura snapped at the woman.
"Did you come to simply make redundant statements. Or is there a purpose for you being here?"
The woman gave a dry chuckle before bending down to meet the other girls level.
"I remember you being nicer, but I guess if I was in your shoes I'd be a bit of a bitch too."
"Fuck you!" Sakura barked glaring into red eyes shielded by matching spectacles. The rogue colouring of her iris's made Sakura's gut twist but the glasses sparked a recognition. At the insult the woman rolled her eyes before giving her irritable counterpart a knowing smirk.
"You don't remember me do you?" She drawled amusedly, unbefitting of being victim to the other girls hostility. "Well I suppose we only really met the once, but I'm sure you remember that day just as clearly as I do." The woman finished in a somber tone.
At the womans words Sakura searched the recesses of her memories and dawned a look of recognition as she placed a name to the face behind those witchingly familiar glasses. The last time she had been so close to the woman the red head had looked significantly different. Her skin had been a few shades paler and blood had tinged her lips a devilish rogue. The woman seemed much taller now standing before her, hardly resemblant of the broken figure crumpled in a heap and knocking on deaths door.
"...Karin." Sakura mumbled more to herself than the female before her.
"So you do remember." Karin replied. "Good. This will be easier if we can forego introductions."
"What are you doing here?" Karin heard the girl grumble. With a resigned sigh at the girls question she began to craft an explanation.
"I've been assigned to-"
"No, what the fuck are you doing here?" Sakura repeated louder as if raising her voice would see to a proper answer for her questioning.
"I don't-?" Karin replied confused at the girls outburst.
"He stabbed you through the chest!" She hollered. Her voice breaking at points from its previous lack of use. "He practically killed you! He would have killed you if I wasn't there! And now you're here! One of his minions!"
"Shut up! You don't know-"
Still Sakura continued near hysterical at this point.
"He killed you and you went crawling back to him! You let him become this! You helped him become this! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Karin screeched, growing red in the face at Sakura's accusations.
"I should have let you die! No! I should have killed you myself! One less soldier supporting this madness!"
Karin gave the girl a scathing look before hissing in a low tone,
"Bit late for that now isn't it?"
"You're pathetic!"
"Hah!" Karin guffawed. "Coming from the girl in the prison cell."
"At least I have my pride!" Came the jailed girls retort. "At least I played no part in supporting that monster!"
Something in Karin seemed to snap at her words.
"Pride!? What good is pride locked away in a jail cell!? You think I want things to be like this!" She shrieked, her arms flailed erratically to gesture to their surroundings. "I was given the same choice as everyone else! Which is no choice at all! Join or die. What good is pride if I'm dead! Look where your pride has gotten you!"
"My pride allowed me a life free of catering to the whims of a maniac! My pride allowed me to fight against this madness! You chose the easy way out!" Sakura growled, her voice thick with bitterness.
"I chose to survive Sakura! It is not the life I wanted but as I'm sure you know it is far better than the alternative!" Karin barked as she motioned to the decrepit prison. "There is no fighting this. If you were smart you would accept that and move on. This is our world now. Play by the rules and you can have a life here."
"Is this your attempt to get me to play nice." Sakura scoffed. "I'd rather rot in this cage."
"You saved my life once. This is me trying to return the favour." Karin whispered solemnly, her eyes beseeching the kunoichi to see reason. "They're going to start the interrogation soon you know. I've been sent here to confirm your identity so they can begin the process."
"Why couldn't he have walked down here to do it himself?" Sakura spat acidly. "Why hasn't he shown his face!? Is this a way to torment me!?"
Karin glanced over her shoulder towards the guards stationed outside the room before speaking in a hushed tone. As if she were sharing a dirty secret that was forbidden to speak of.
"He... He's not well these days. I shouldn't be telling you this but most days I don't think he even realizes you're down here..."
Karin mentally recalled her encounter with Sasuke the previous day.
He had summoned her back to Konoha through a letter a week or so ago. The letter had not disclosed a reason behind her summoning but regardless she made haste to gather her bearings and depart for the village accompanied by a squadron. She heard her travelling companions hushed whispers speculating on the reason behind their voyage. Rumors circulated of a captured spy. Some claimed it to be an enemy general from Cloud. While others were positive it was the leader of some rogue faction or another.
"No, no, no! You're all wrong!" A ninja by the name of Ryuu had spoken up one day. He was a cocky brat and Karin held a quiet distaste for his rowdy nature. It reminded her too much of Suigetsu. Still the gossip made the long journey go by faster, and she half heartedly tuned into his boasting.
"It's a kunoichi they picked up in some po-dunk town on the boarder. My cousin's got a friend who was part of the squad that brought her in see!" Ryuu said with a smirk, idly twirling a kunai as he spoke.
"So if it's just some random rogue why are we getting called in?" His companion retorted with a tinge doubt lacing his tone.
"Well here's the weird part... Apparently the team who found her went to get her processed, you know all that legal mumbo jumbo, but when they got there they got orders to take her straight to home base. I heard she put up a hell of a fight too when they got there. My cousins mate got a nice shiner on his ribs cause o' that chick. And my cousins buddy's a big guy too. Dame musta had a hell of an arm."
"That's why I won't date kunoichi's man. You piss em' off and they'll tear you to pieces." The other man joked.
Karin had barley raised a brow at Ryuu's tale but refused to speculate on the circumstances of her trip. It wasn't until the shinobi continued to blabber to his teammate that she truly paid attention.
"You haven't even heard the craziest part of this whole thing yet!" Ryuu exclaimed excitedly as he waved his arms for his captivated audience. " Turns out buddy got off lucky with a bruise. The squad captain ended up loosing an arm!"
"She ripped off a guys arm?!"
"No! No! Not her! ...HE did it..." Ryuu said letting his voice fall to a whisper.
"Him!?"
"Yeah apparently the captain had it out for the girl and roughed her up a bit on the way there. Well when the captain went in to give his report to him apparently he walked in with two arms and left with one."
"You're full of shit!"
"Swear on my life! Apparently the whole thing was a bloody mess. No one knows exactly what went down in that room but it messed the guy up. Guy's down an arm and all twisted in the head now."
"What do you mean twisted?"
Ryuu responded in a hushed whisper
"He did something to him. Captain left the room holding the arm he lost in his good one and was rambling some nonsense. No one could get anything out of him for weeks. He just kept saying; 'Arms... I'm not proud of these arms...' Over and over again."
Karin felt her blood run cold at his words.
'It couldn't be..." She thought. 'After all this time.'
"She's still out there." He had once told Karin in a rare moment of idle contemplation.
"Who?" She had asked.
Ignoring her question he continued to muse to himself as though she weren't present.
"I can feel her. She's still out there..."
"Do you mean-"
"Still out there..." He continued dazedly cutting off her words. It was clear to her now who he was referring to. For Sasuke there was only one person that could be 'her'. Karin had silently thought to herself that the girl was more than likely dead or seeking refuge on the other side of the world far from his reach. She kept such thoughts to herself though. It was foolish to voice things regarding this particular topic to Sasuke. Karin was unsure if he even realized he was voicing his musings aloud.
"I'll find her..." He muttered. "...I'll find her..."
She couldn't be sure if the captive described by Ryuu was in fact Sakura. It could have been idle hearsay muttered between the more gossip inclined soldiers. However, the pitiful captain's fate truly sounded like a byproduct of Sasuke's handiwork. And these days such a violent reaction could only be sparked by a small number of transgressions. The lines seemed to come together in Karin's mind. Biting her tongue she forced herself to withhold preconceived notions until speaking with their leader.
However, upon entering his office she realized that the rumours held far more truth than originally suspected.
It broke her heart everytime she had the chance to come face to face with Sasuke. He had become such a twisted reflection of the boy she once knew. His eyes were painted with dark circles that screamed he was barely sleeping. They danced in and out of lucidity, only offering a dull spark recognition at her presence.
"You summoned me my lord." Karin began in stiff tone. Opting for formality despite their shared history. Sasuke was unpredictable these days and the years spent travelling with him in their youth meant little to the ruthless husk of a dictator before her now.
"Karin." He mumbled and to her chagrin she felt her heart swell at his acknowledgment. She consciously sought to burry these feelings when they arose despite herself. It would be unendingly foolish to love a man like the present Sasuke. Dangerous even, and doomed to end in heartbreak. Still old habits die hard.
"You requested for me Sasuke?"
He appeared confused for a moment. His mind seemed to escape him and a long pause of heavy silence fell between the two.
"Aah..." He drawled lazily. "I need you to confirm something for me. The guard outside the door will take you there and then you will report back to me yourself."
Karin nodded and headed towards the door but in a moment of brashness she halted herself. Curiosity getting the better of her.
"Is.. Is it her?"
Her question went unanswered and the man seemed to not even realize she was still there. His eyes were glazed over and his lips appeared to be muttering something without letting out a sound.
She jumped when she finally heard him speak but his words only disturbed her, as she worried for his mental state.
"I'll find her... She's out there I can feel it... I'll find her..."