Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto.

Chapter Eight: Drowning. And then drowning some more.

Let me just set some context here, I had always been pretty good at long distance running. Multiple trophies all throughout my high school years, thankyou.

Pelting my way through a foreign jungle with a 50 kilogram ninja pouch and a couple of delusional ninja hot on my tail, however, was not my idea of a good time.

"Samara, run!"

I heard Sachiko's terrified and desperate shriek resonate throughout even darkest corners of the dense and towering woodland.

I shouldn't have been surprised, I didn't think it would take long for Sasuke to fend off the two amateur ninja by the side of the restaurant. While determined they had been, it was obvious to even me they were inexperienced.

And Sasuke? Well, he was Sasuke.

My foot connected with a large and protruding tree root, slicked thickly with a slimy moss that made my feet slip out from underneath me ungraciously and I fought hard to keep a startled yelp at bay as I tumbled down a small valley, rolling to a stop as I hit a rotting log. Rebounding against the damp wood with a sharp crack, I thumped against the ground, littered in curling leaves and caked in mud.

I wasted no time, using both my hands and feet to push myself from the ground, I stumbled and crawled up the other side of the valley, my feet sliding and slipping on the muddy ground as I scrambled swiftly to the top of the hill.

I didn't dare look behind me as I continued my frenzied sprint through the almost pitch-black area.

Sasuke may be quick, but I had a roaring advantage and hell, I was going to use it every step of the way. He couldn't sense my chakra. Of course, he could go purely off noise and smell, but I doubt alone that would be enough for even the younger Uchiha to find me through the never-ending terrain.

It was simple.

All I had to do was make it far enough into the forest where I couldn't be seen, wait it out for a couple of hours and he would have long since run straight past my clever hiding spot. Genius.

I pushed my way through a particularly thick set of vines, the branches scratching sorely against my sensitive skin and propelled myself into what I assumed would be another long stretch of dense trees.

As I emerged from the thick tendrils, however, I realised just how exactly wrong I was.

Shooting into the sudden and open space, I jerked myself to a jolting stop, teetering suddenly on the very edge of a rocky cliff face that sat high above a crevice of sloshing water before met with an equally as big cliff face on the other side.

I had to pull myself backwards, only just not toppling over the cliff and into the black water below.

"Damn it. Damn it!" I snarled in frustration, kicking a nearby pile of leaves hotly. Just to show them who was boss.

Looking around reverently, it was obvious that there was no possible way to get around.

Backing a few steps away from the edge slowly, I whipped my head around when I heard a ruffle and the soft patter of feet.

The tree branches were bending and the leaves were rustling. I could tell someone was approaching and I swear I could see the slightest flash of ebony hair.

Looking from the thick clearing and back to the cliff face, I finally made my decision and twirled back towards the murky abyss below, just making out Sasuke's handsome face at the edge of the clearing as he pushed himself through the trees.

Running the few steps to the edge of the sharp rocks, I leapt off the top of the cliff face, letting out a short, sharp scream as I flew through the air before being enveloped and encased deeply in the rushing water below.

The very second I hit the icy water, I knew something was terribly off.

A burning pain shot from my core and my chest suddenly fluctuated painfully, almost as if an electric current erupted through my entire system. An eerie glow, the colour of blue-crystal seeped from every visible part of my body, stretching all the way up to the tip of my spine and twinkling unusually from every one of my fluttering fingertips. As the glow illuminated the inky pools around me, multiple vibrations ricocheted against the sandy, vined ledges.

Suddenly, the water was unnaturally calm for a matter of seconds before a singular ripple seemed to rip sharply from my very core, convulsing through the space of the water and creating a small wind surge to the trees in the surrounding area.

Without warning, the water changed rapidly and a huge wave crashed upon me, pushing me deep down and back into the depths of the void.

The light from the unearthly glow had long since disappeared and I was struggling against the suddenly fearsome current. Pitch-black and impossible to see a thing, I rolled and tumbled as wave after wave hit me again and again, pulling me sideways, pushing me longways and disorientating me terribly.

Reaching the surface at this point seemed impossible and I was very quickly running out of available air. When a treacherously gigantic wave thrashed into me from above, I was sent careening roughly into the sandy, rocky bottom of the gushing stream. Mouth opening with a gasp of winded pain, I felt water fill in through my nose and as I began to inevitably choke, my eyes burned and my lungs gagged.

Still, I persisted. Using my feet, I pushed myself strongly against the bottom of the ravine, only to find myself pulled back again harshly. I whirled my head around, using my hands to search the deeper area, only to find my foot snagged in a long and unforgiving vine that curled all the way around my left calf.

I clutched at it with my hands, pulling with all my might at the thorny plant but with little air and gumption left, the root would simply not budge. There was one last moment of panic as the water rushed dangerously into my already searing lungs.

Slowly, I felt the struggle come to an end. My limbs failing and my body falling limp.

I was drowning. Out of all the possible and ironically exciting ways to die in the ninja world, I was going to drown.

Floating vertically, it was almost peaceful as my arms stretched out lightly from my sides and my hair danced around my figure airily. I blinked up, just managing to make out the full moon through the rough water and felt the edges of my vision beginning to blur and blacken.

Startling me suddenly, I saw a splash flare at the top of my patchy vision and vaguely I made out an approaching silhouette as they swam evenly through the rapid water and straight for me.

It seemed like no time at all before Sasuke himself was right in front of me, the moon illuminating his figure from behind as he floated slightly above my immobile body. His Sharingan ablaze, our eyes locked. I blinked my eyes at the younger Uchiha calmly, sluggishly reaching my hand out to lightly dance my fingertips over his soft cheek.

I wonder how soft Itachi's cheek was? My lips quirked upwards lightly at the unfamiliar thought.

Here I was, dying an untimely (and incredibly boring, might I add) death, and all I could think about was the eldest Uchiha's skin texture.

Apart from the slight shifting of his eyes, Sasuke ignored my hand completely and whipped his katana out from the holder on his back, slicing the vine clean through at the stem and I felt it slowly slip from my leg and drop to the sandy floor with a light thud.

Clutching my hand still positioned against his cheek and gripping me tightly around the waist, he wasted no time and pushed his chakra-enhanced feet from the ground. The next second, we shot through the water and burst from the surface, leaping impossibly high and back onto the cliff's face once more.

Of course, I landed harshly on my stomach, my lungs still too full of water to take even a single breathe. It burned more than ever now that I was back in the air and I felt myself heave.

Sasuke's hand roughly grabbed at my shoulder, turning me around to face him and he let out a sharp curse. Sharply, his hand smacked me hard between my shoulder blades and he forced me onto my side. The pain from his chakra-infused hand shot through my spine and I choked up an enormous amount of sea water. Supporting my head against his knee, Sasuke kept one hand clutched around my face to keep my balance, and used the other to continue to push his chakra through my back and into my lungs steadily.

I coughed and wheezed for what seemed like hours until finally no more water poured from my lungs and exhausted, I slumped, clutching the fabric of Sasuke's pants as I gasped in deep breathes, squeezing my eyes shut as I concentrated on stabilizing my breathing pattern.

The younger Uchiha seemed to relax himself a little, shifting his weight from the balls of his feet as he sat himself down on the ground beside me, his legs now crossed beneath him. Ensuring that I was still facing the side in-case I decided to vomit any last amounts of water out, he kept my head resting against one of his knees.

After allowing myself another minute of quiet breathing, I shifted myself onto my back and looked back up at the Uchiha avenger, who didn't fail to glare down at me viciously in return.

"Well, sorry." I managed to whisper, my voice raspy.

His eyes narrowed even more, if that was at all possible and he ran his hand hurriedly through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Do you have a death wish?" He almost spat, his tone laced with disbelief.

I seemed to mull over his question for a moment in thought before clicking my fingers and pointing up at him. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"I have a wish not to be thrown into anymore hard surfaces?" I offered with a hopeful grin.

Sasuke just huffed at my reply and looked stubbornly to the side before seeming to catch himself with a thought, he whipped his head back down to look at me with renewed vigour.

"What did you do with my kunai?" He suddenly questioned, leaning his face forward slightly.

I blinked once. Twice. Three times, and let out an unusual noise from the back of my throat.

"Uhhhhhhhhhh." I began, racking my brain for some sort of an excuse.

I felt Sasuke's fingers curl.

"I…mayyyyyyy have, juuuuust a little bit…lost it? Ahh, hehe."

The younger Uchiha's attempted control over his emotions was almost comical. Really, I should give him a medal or something because for Sasuke, he was doing pretty damn well.

His face contorting only slightly in rage, he clicked his tongue twice in annoyance, drummed his fingers loudly against the ground and flared his nostrils at a rapid speed before huffing a second time and whipping his head to look to the side, glaring out into the distance and muttering something unintelligible under his breathe.

A loud ruffle sounding from the trees behind made me jolt up in surprise and Sasuke had to push me back onto his knee roughly in response to my sudden movement.

"Don't even think about it." He warned, to which I pouted.

Ignoring me for the umpteenth time, Sasuke composed himself swiftly and shifted his glance collectedly towards the newcomer.

Dazed, I glanced around and flailed my limbs bewilderedly in a poor attempt to gain a better view of the entrance to the clearing. With Sasuke's hand still placed firmly against my collarbone as a precaution to any sudden and potentially dangerous movements on my part, it grew increasingly frustrating to try and see around Sasuke's big fat head.

I was just about to reach a hand up and swat him clear in the ear when I froze. That wasn't the noise of a single pair of feet. It was the noise of two newcomers making their way slowly across the cliff face towards us.

Not soon after did I lock gaze with a familiar set of mismatched, mud-brown eyes. The slightly green hue of her dated skin and the limp curls of her greasy hair gave her away immediately – the jealous woman who had seethed a warning at Sasuke outside the restaurant.

Upon realising my position against Sasuke's lap, the look she shot me was piercing. Her lip trembled dangerously, curling upwards and into a snarl. I didn't miss the sharp point of her teeth as she ever so slightly teetered on the edge of her toes in a struggle to not hurl herself on top of me and claw the life right out of me then and there.

Glancing nervously back up at Sasuke, I noticed his usual glare, however, was set upon the other – completely ignoring the scrawny woman who was apparently about to strangle me to death any minute now. Using all my effort to not edge away and back towards the cliff face, I peered around and understood Sasuke's watchful gaze in an instant.

Beady, black orbs rimmed with thin and wiry, circular frames. Spiked, silver hair pulled harshly back at the nape of his neck and a mandatory Sound insignia engraved flawlessly on the navy headband plastered proudly upon his forehead. Kabuto Yakushi – Orochimaru's personal lackey.

Despite Sasuke's dark look, Kabuto seemed relatively amused – a cocky half-smile set onto his thin face as he silently goaded the younger Uchiha. Sasuke didn't seem bothered, until however, the elder man's gaze slunk slyly over towards me and his thin lips curled into an even bigger smirk.

Sasuke bristled.

"And who might this-"

"She's coming with us." Sasuke shot, his tone low and laced with warning.

Kabuto cocked an eyebrow but said nothing as Sasuke rose to his feet evenly, hauling me not quite so evenly to a semi-standing position. I stumbled against his chest wearily, fighting to stand once more after my near-death ordeal with the ravine.

Much like Itachi had done in the hotel a day or two ago, Sasuke curled his hand firmly around the top of my arm and marched uncaringly between the two onlookers and back through the blackened wilderness.

Kabuto and greasy-hair seemingly followed. To where? I wasn't sure.

xXx

My breathing was painful, heavy and rasping. My eyes watered and my knees seared with every swift-paced step I barely took.

Did I just see a stream of light? Had the sun risen? Was it morning now? Or afternoon? It was impossible to make sense of anything through the impenetrable forest.

Sasuke advanced briskly, setting his steady pace on the edge of a run. We had been travelling like this for hours upon hours and I never thought in a million years I would say this, but man did I miss being slung over Itachi's, even Kisame's, shoulders.

My feet ached, my back pinched and my chest burned as a managed to rattle air in and out of my lungs. Keeping up with Sasuke was not easy and the fact that I had not passed out from exhaustion was a sheer miracle. Not that I was given a choice in the matter – his hand still clenched tightly around the top of my arm and yanking me along behind.

For all the amazing things ninja could achieve, and they hadn't yet been able to manufacture any other form of transport other than running?

"Sasuke," I wheezed.

He ignored me.

"Sasu-" a coughing fit erupted before I could finish and I fought to gulp enough air down to keep me stable.

He didn't stop, or even begin to slow down, but the ebony haired Uchiha shifted his onyx gaze to meet with mine.

"For the last time, please tell me where we're going." I almost pleaded.

He watched me for a second, contemplating, before his gaze flickered back to the front.

I felt defeat sink low in my stomach. There was no way I could keep this up for much longer.

As if on cue, Sasuke leaped suddenly over a particularly large and protruding tree root, clearing the stupid thing with sheer and absolute grace. On the other hand, I stumbled cringingly and flailing pathetically, my feet connected with the top of the branch. Ah, we meet again ferocious tree root.

If it wasn't for Sasuke hauling me backwards by the shoulder, I would have careened straight into the thick trunk directly to my front. Using my hand to stabilise myself, I slumped to my knees and retched, sweat trickling down my forehead and into my eyes.

"How many god-damn times are we going to have to stop because of her?" Seethed our scrawny, green companion from behind.

She too was ignored and with his hand placed a little less firmly upon my arm, Sasuke gave me a small minute to catch my breath.

The woman let out a whine and I swear I could feel the vibrations of her foot as it stomped strongly against the slick, forest floor in protest.

"The root wasn't even that big!" She all but screeched in frustration, again trying to prove that I was utterly and completely useless and therefore simply must be killed on the spot.

I whipped my head around to meet her lethal gaze and shot back a smug-look in return.

"Big enough to knock you in the face with, I bet."

The woman almost exploded, her hands clenching and unclenching with incredible speed and when I wiggled my eyebrows in silent challenge, an audible, high-pitched growl ripped through her throat.

"You shouldn't get so upset, it'd probably be an improvement." I stated, matter-of-factly.

Sasuke's hand stiffened around my arm and it didn't take a genius to tell her was preparing for her to launch herself straight at me with any given second. Surprisingly, it was Kabuto who pulled the enraged woman back.

The scrawny woman's attitude changed almost immediately and with her head lowered, she shrunk back behind the silver haired man and bit her tongue. My eyes narrowed. What must he have done to cause such a strong reaction?

Sickly confident, Kabuto's gaze did not falter.

"There's no need to be so hasty, Leiko. The entrance is just ahead." Although he spoke to Leiko, his eyes did not for a second leave mine.

I glared, daring myself to ask the question I had so desperately been trying to get an answer for.

"The entrance to what, four eyes? And get your beady, little eyes off me before I pommel you with this tree branch right after Leiko over there."

Sasuke's lip twirled up slightly as Kabuto's eye twitched beneath his glasses. As he fought to keep his composure, however, his sinister grin did not once fade.

"Orochimaru's hideout, of course."

xXx

For the love of all the gods - new, old, good and bad - I dare anyone who has had the absolute privilege to step foot in one of Orochimaru's nasty hideouts to agree with anything other than the fact that it's without a doubt the smelliest, dankest, most treacherous experience of their entire life.

It had been bad enough actually getting in here in the first place – from being thrown blindly through a seemingly endless trap door, slipping through a tunnel composed entirely of mud and making our way through steel door after steel door only to listen as each one screeched shut like nails on a chalkboard behind us. Needless to say, I was more than done.

Trudging through the halls – black, damp and corroding with sludge – I bounced from left to right (as far ahead as Sasuke would permit) avoiding all sorts of weird stains and creepy crawlies.

Was that the constant sound of wailing and moaning I could hear through the walls? Oh lord. Take me to Orochimaru now. Akatsuki, even. Anything would be better than walking through this.

"For the last time," Sasuke began, mirroring my exact words from the forest earlier. "Would you just keep still?"

I threw my head around dramatically to look at the younger Uchiha, my eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Keep still? Keep STILL?!" I questioned loudly, my hysteric voice echoing through the halls. Obviously not dealing very well with the current situation in the slightest.

Sasuke merely rose an eyebrow delicately.

"I mean, I know you're a little loopy and all but are you clinically INSANE? The grime here is so thick it could probably scrape itself off the walls and whip your chicken butt all the way back to Konoha!"

Kabuto coughed awkwardly, Leiko tripped over her feet in shock and Sasuke seethed, letting out a low growl and gripping me once more by the arm before pulling me back into line roughly as we came to stop directly in front of the largest, rustiest metal doors I have ever seen.

A snake was carved into the metal, winding and twining intricately up to the very stop of the structure. I felt uneven all of a sudden, as if the creature's eyes weren't looking anywhere else but at my own.

Kabuto lent forward then and heaved the door open with a rather embarrassing struggle on his behalf. I, however, was much too concerned with what was waiting for me behind the twin doors to even think about making a snide comment.

The room was an unforgiving darkness, only lit by a small number of burning candles, their wax oozing down the walls and onto the stone ground in thick clumps.

Blood and rotting – that's the only thing I could smell. I was going to hurl.

I couldn't tell if it was the overwhelming darkness that inhibited my movement and vision, or whether it was the unforgiving gaze that pierced a deadly yellow through the darkness. Thickly rimmed in black and contrasting strangely against his sickly pale face, his gaze fixated on me. He didn't move, he didn't blink and he didn't falter.

I knew this man. It didn't matter that I didn't pay much attention to the manga or the anime. I knew him. Hollow cheek bones and thick hair that hung like velvet around his bony shoulders, this was a man that could torture someone to madness, kill without repercussion and snake his way into someone's mind and plant an idea within a person's conscience so that it wound its way like a weed into the very centre of their skull until it either succeeded in sucking the life out of its victim or suffocating them until they succumbed to defeat. Whichever came first.

Sasuke had to quite literally push me into the room, and yet my feet still slid against the ground as I tried reverently and all but discreetly to move myself in any other direction to Orochimaru.

"Don't do this Sasuke. Please don't do this" I whispered so that only the younger Uchiha could hear.

His face was set with a slight frown, but he kept me in place with a firm hand at the small of my back, the other gripping my shoulder lightly. His eyes only faltered ever so slightly as the door behind us swung painfully to a close.

Standing stock still, it was too late. I was in front of a predator.

"Strange." His voice was like audible poison. "I could hear you yelling all through the halls and yet here you stand, so silent."

Leiko had long since slunk away and into the darkness, eager to not be seen nor heard. Kabuto stood obediently to the side.

"Are you afraid?" Orochimaru licked his lips slowly, his hand cutting through the air like a knife as he gripped at my chin, forcing me to look directly at him.

He revelled in the way I trembled then, making a sickening and satisfying noise at the back of his throat. I pushed myself back and into Sasuke's chest and I felt his grip around my back only tighten as he stiffened slightly at Orochimaru's advance.

Orochimaru shifted his gaze swiftly towards the younger Uchiha then, a look of interest plain on his snake-like features, his hand still clasped around my chin and long fingers curling around my neck dreadfully.

"It's unlike you to bring me guests, Sasuke." Orochimaru hissed, delightedly. As if he was testing the waters.

His voice was like silk. A deadly kind of silk that could entrap you before choking the life out from the inside.

"She's not for you." Sasuke's tone was final, firm.

Orochimaru raised his eyebrows. "Oh? She isn't?"

His tone was mocking, he was enjoying this. Almost as if he was challenging Sasuke's statement, he inched himself closer, so much so that I could feel his breathe as it fanned out against my face.

"She was with Akatsuki. A prisoner." Sasuke began slowly and at Orochimaru's probing gaze, he seemed to give a small sigh of defeat. "Itachi had her. I want to know why."

"Ah." Orochimaru clicked his tongue in understanding before turning back to me once more. "Well then, little one, why is it that Akatsuki insisted on holding you prisoner? They're not known for taking their captives alive."

My mind was reeling. I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe, and my mouth was trembling too much to be able to form any sort of reasonable sentence.

"I don't," I began, but as Orochimaru lifted my head higher, his grip around my neck becoming slightly more painful, I decided it was definitely not in my best interests to play dumb. "W-wrong place. Wrong time. I don't know how I got here – I don't know why."

Even I knew I wasn't making any kind of sense, but just when I thought Orochimaru would snap my neck right then and there, his grip loosened and his head tilted to the side as he licked his thin lips ever so slowly.

"Interesting. Very interesting." He cooed. "How is it you came to be in Sasuke's hands, exactly?"

I opened my mouth, only to pause. Well, technically, I ninja rolled out of a hotel room door whilst Kisame was trying to beat the crap out of Itachi for keeping secrets.

"I..escaped?"

Yeah, let's just go with that one.

"Escaped? From the Akatsuki?" A grin so wide almost split Orochimaru's face clean in half as he watched me like I was a piece of meat. "Impressive."

"She has no Chakra. It wouldn't have been hard." Sasuke cut in then, re-affirming that it wouldn't have been my ability alone that would have allowed me to escape. Was he trying to waver Orochimaru's interest in me? I can only hope.

"Stating she has no chakra is in fact wrong. Indeed, she actually had quite a lot of it." Kabuto countered, causing Sasuke's eyes to narrow dangerously. I watched with terror as Orochimaru only became more and more intrigued.

"You can't tell me you didn't feel it, Sasuke? Not even when she fell into the ravine? It was spectacular, almost like a chemical reaction with the water. The chakra itself was just as unusual – like nothing we've ever tested before." Kabuto was gazing directly at Sasuke now, daring him to rebut his evaluation.

To lie directly to Orochimaru, however, was impossible - and Sasuke kept his silence.

"I've been researching other-worlders for quite some time." Orochimaru's low voice made me jump, causing me to shift my gaze back to his wide and eccentric yellow orbs.

"I never have, however, had the pleasure of meeting one face to face. I wonder, my dear, could you tell me the first thing you touched upon entering our world?"

I froze. He knew. How did he know? He wasn't giving me time to think, to come up with an excuse and I could feel myself convulsing.

"Water, perhaps?"

My face paled and I almost heaved.

At my lack of response, a look of sheer impulse and hysteria crept is way to Orochimaru's face.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru almost drawled, anticipation building. "Ready the tank."

Kabuto grinned at the same time as Sasuke stiffened, and before I could comprehend, two enormous animal-like humans rushed at me from the darkness.

Sasuke moved almost as quick as his brother had, taking the two beasts down within seconds. As the attackers slid back against the floor, Sasuke stood by me protectively, his hand resting on the hilt of his Katakana.

Orochimaru's look blackened.

"I told you." Sasuke stated steadily. "She isn't yours to experiment."

I could see Orochimaru's hand twitch and his eyes narrow with deadly intent before he seemingly began to relax slightly, a small grin stretching its way back onto his features.

"You said you wanted to know why Akatsuki, why Itachi, had the girl. Testing her Chakra is the only way for us to tell. Let me help you, Sasuke. Let me help you reach your goal."

Damn it.

Sasuke seemed almost torn and at his tortured look, Orochimaru chuckled. Inclining his head towards me once more, the animal-like men followed their orders and sauntered their way towards me, watching Sasuke cautiously. As they gripped at me, Sasuke made no move to stop the process.

I craned my head back to plead with Sasuke as I was pulled painfully along the cold, stone floor.

"Sasuke!" I shrieked. "Sasuke, please!"

I kicked and struggled against my attackers, but my onslaught proved useless as I was pulled through room after room against my will.

Sasuke had his own eyes averted from mine and his lips so tightly pursed that they began to fade white. He did nothing however, as he stepped in behind Orochimaru to follow us towards the tank.

The next room we entered was purely white and set at a temperature so cold that icicles dripped from the corners of the ceiling. There was nothing impressive about the narrow space aside from a large glass window which allowed me to see into what I assumed was another room. That, and the fact that it was the only seemingly clean room in the entire place.

As I was hauled into the room beyond the glass window, however, I began to realise something was off.

I was held pinned against the cold floor long enough for a large shackle to be secured tightly around my left foot. Before I could even push myself into a standing position once more, the attackers had exited completely, locking the metal door behind them.

Left standing alone, I gazed around the fluorescently lit space. Everything was made of a dull type of stainless steel. The room was large and when I moved even just slightly, the chain locked to my foot scraped along behind me discouragingly.

I blinked, confused, and peered back through the large window. There, on the opposite side, stood Sasuke, Orochimaru and Kabuto. My brow furrowed, was I being observed?

It was too late when I noticed the large drain to my left being covered up by a grinding, mechanical plug. It was much too late when I glanced at the large, industrial hoses hanging from each of the four walls.

As realisation hit me, the icy water began to flow.

This wasn't a room at all.

This was the tank.

The second the water sloshed onto the ground I began to panic. By the time I made it over to the plug, the water had already hit my waist. This wasn't going to be a slow process, in a matter of seconds I was going to be engulfed.

Sucking in a deep breath, I braced myself as I ducked my head under the water, clawing at the plug until my hands began to bleed. To no avail, I pushed myself out of the water and into a standing position once again.

Dazed, I waded through the water, searching the walls for some kind of exit.

As I trudged through the freezing liquid and towards the others, the water was sloshing around my chin and the second I made contact with the impressive, glass window, the water encased me entirely.

Looming above my head, I was pushed under. That was it, the water had hit the ceiling and there was nowhere for me to go. No air and no exit. No escape.

I pounded my fists loudly and painfully against the glass, screaming as bubbles rose from my mouth to the top of the non-existent surface.

Sasuke looked almost pained as his narrowed eyes looked into mine.

I felt the struggle begin. A familiar burning sensation shot from my heart once again, filling me completely until my chest began to fluctuate painfully. The electric current shot through me as the diamond-blue glow glittered from my fingertips.

The vibrations began and ripple after ripple ricocheted throughout the once calm water.

As the sensations intensified, I became more aware. Suddenly, I could hear everything, see everything.

Surges of water crashed around me as I gazed through the glass at the three spectators, their Chakra now so visibly clear. Each one different from the next.

Gathering all my strength, I slammed my chakra into the water, using it to push the waves against the window. It split with a large crack, but it was nowhere near enough for the glass to shatter.

Orochimaru's eyes were dancing with excitement, glowing like little yellow moons through the haze of the water.

Suspended by the long chain in the middle of the tank, I felt my resolve begin to fade as my need for air rose to its peak. The glow began to disperse and I felt the water rush scathingly into my lungs. The Chakra was leaving my body as quickly as it had appeared, and I was drowning once more.

As I floated almost calmly, taking in the last of my surroundings before my inevitable death, I just managed to pick up on two different sets of Chakra as they pushed through the hideout, gaining speed as they moved closer and closer to our location by the second.

Strange, where had I felt these before?

Then it hit me.

Itachi.

Itachi and Kisame.