I don't think there is a good way for me to apologize without me giving a ton of excuses. But thank you to Lethal Temptress for helping me and giving me ideas on how to continue this story! I appreciate it and dedicate this chapter to you! As well as you lovely readers. I don't quite have a schedule set up for when I will update the story, but I do feel that the story will no longer be on hiatus. I mean it. So…welcome back! Hope you all have been living life the best you can since I last spoke with you all and hope you continue to do so.
AND NOW…WITHOUT FURTHER ADO!
I do not own the characters in Naruto or the anime/manga Naruto itself. All rights go to their respective owners.
Enjoy.
"Look Naruto-"
"She has been missing for a week and I'm just finding out now!? Did you plan on telling me at all, Tsunade-baa?" Naruto growled out, barely keeping a hold on his anger. How could this have happened? When did it happen, and why does no one want to tell him what's going on? For an entire WEEK, his teammate was in the hands of an enemy, most likely the Akatsuki, and it appeared they weren't going to inform him on this until after everything was solved. But nothing was solved, was it? Sakura is still missing and for all the blonde knew, she could be half dead screaming in pain as one of those sick Akatsuki members tortured her. With all these thoughts and worries in his head circling, Naruto was finding it harder and harder to keep the kyuubi at bay.
Tsunade sighed and walked to her desk, moving papers around to stall.
"Naruto, you have to understand. You had to be kept in the dark about this, or else you would charge into the Akatsuki head first. Practically delivering yourself to them on a platter! This could very well be the reason they took Sakura, and I'm not about to let this continue. It's horrid enough that she's been with them for so long as is." The hokage stopped shuffling the papers and moved behind her desk, taking a seat with a weary sigh.
"I planned on sending the Nara and Inuzuka out but it seems Kiba is missing as well. Therefore," she fixed Naruto with a stern expression, "You are going to the Inuzuka compound and inform Hana she is to report to me in an hour. If you come across Shikamaru, you are to pass on the message to him as well."
Naruto clenched his fists at his side and bared his teeth.
"And afterwards, us three will be briefed on the mission?" Tsunade didn't miss Naruto's assumed position on the team and felt a headache forming. She leaned back in her chair and really looked at Naruto. How he has grown from everything that was thrown at him, no longer the whinny brat that pulled pranks on the civilians of hidden leaf…well almost. But the mature look of determination set firmly in his face to retrieve his lost comrades was truly a sight to behold. It's not very often one comes across someone so caring of their teammates that they'd risk it all for them. Her eyes softened when she noticed his nails had torn open his palm from being clenched so hard.
"You aren't going on this mission, Naruto. There's too much risk than there is benefit, you know that. However, you are right. I do tend to keep you in the dark about such things and you do deserve to know what goes on when your friends are in danger. I understand that." Tsunade interlocked her fingers together and leaned against her desk, eyes closed.
"But until Sakura and Kiba are safely returned to the village, you will be under lock down."
Naruto's eyes widened and for the first time in quite a long time, he was struck speechless. As Naruto tried processing what was said, two anbu guards came up behind him and grabbed his wrists, restraining him. One of the guards came around behind him and secured chakra restrains on, tense by how quiet the blonde had become. Said blonde, looked to Tsunade, betrayal clear in his eyes as he was ushered away, both arms locked behind him to the lower levels to be contained.
Through the entire exchange, Shizune was quite shocked with how Tsunade had handled the situation. To lock Naruto away to ensure he doesn't leave was a bit of an overreaction. Surely there was another way…wasn't there?
"Hokage-sama?"
"Shizune, retrieve Hana Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara, and…Hinata Hyuuga." The hokage muttered under her breath, eyes still closed with her brows pinched together. The raven-haired woman bowed her head once somberly, picked up Ton-Ton, and left the office.
As the silence took over, Tsunade let out a shuddered breath.
"It's for the best."
The midday sun was settling overhead…or at least that was assumed. When was the last time anyone came to visit her? How long has it been since her last visitor, Kisame, had come in and delivered her breakfast? Was it around lunch time? Sakura didn't know anymore. What she did know was she was tired of waiting around, and doing nothing. After her nightmarish run in with Hidan, she kept her eyes firmly locked on the door of her highly-upgraded-but-still-inhuman prison with no windows. Sakura sat on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest. So, the first plan was a no go. If she thought about it, she realized of course it wasn't going to work. She thought she could honestly escape the Akatsuki base during the day? When the members are running around? The pinkette shook her head, her pale pink locks tickling her nose as she did so. How could she have been so stupid? Perhaps it was her desperation and fear of her first "customer" that would be showing up in a few…hours? Minutes?
What time was it?
Sakura stretched her arms behind her back and after hearing a few satisfying pops, slumped onto her side on the bed. Her plan would just have to be tweaked slightly. She still had the whittled down piece of wood that would help her unlock the door. Ah, but what if Hidan blabbed to the Leader that she had escaped her room? Then what? Sakura figured she could play dumb and claim Kisame had left it unlocked after her breakfast. That could pass. She needed to leave her room and explore during the night. Not today though, she chastised herself. Sakura cut it too close today and by a stroke of sheer dumb luck, came out of it relatively unscathed. A part of her cried out in agony at what she had to do but it seemed there was no other choice.
She had to play along.
She had to lie back, and play the "submissive woman" card. The thought made her want to vomit. Letting these disgusting, murderous men have their way with her body. But if she wanted to escape with her life, she had to swallow her pride and fear. This would give her the opportunity to learn the rotations of the members and give her the ability to gain some semblance of time keeping. She could count the minutes after someone delivers her meals and keep track of how long between each meal she had.
Sakura rolled on to her back, thoughts racing. 'Perhaps I ought to meditate before this 'Konan' guy comes…' If she was lucky, she could learn to throw herself into a trance whenever she has to see her "customers". It would help her cope if nothing else. The pinkette nodded her head once to herself, satisfied that she had found something at least semi-useful to do with her time. Sitting up, she pulled her legs into a stanza position with her hands placed delicately on her knees, taking a deep breath. As she slowly exhaled, she kept up a steady mantra in her head.
I will prevail, I will survive. I will prevail, I will survive. I will-
Red.
Pale eyelids fluttered open.
So much red.
A shiver ran down her spine, hinting at nearby danger.
Too much red.
"Is…is someone there?" Sakura's voice betrayed her fear. Emerald eyes flew to every corner of the room, searching out the cause for the sudden ominous pressure of the roo-
Maggots…blackened mud…running…running…RUN!
Sakura shot up off the bed, hair flying wildly as she frantically searched her room.
"What do you want!?"
…
"Soon."
…
The walls seemed to echo the foreboding message. The pinkette placed a hand on her chest to calm her heart which was very much resembling a panicked bird its cage. Several moments based before Sakura deemed it safe enough to head back to her bed. Still wary from…whatever that was, she scanned the room one last time for any signs of an intrusion of some sort.
A soft knock startled her from her thoughts. A few seconds passes as she stared at the door, wondering if the owner of the ominous voice was behind it.
"Lunch." A soft baritone voice called through the door. Sakura slowly crept towards the door, all senses on high alert. When she was about two feet away from the door, she lowered the hand from her chest and exhaled softly.
"Come in."
Not a few seconds later, the door knob turned to reveal first a pale hand decorated with purple nail polish. Sakura's eyes followed the hand up the arm to rest on the shared face of a past love, long gone and forgotten. The pinkette quickly looked away before she met his eyes. Though it had been a few years, it was still painful to think about him.
'Sasuke…'
Itachi, with the grace the Uchiha linage was known for, glided into the room and set the tray of food -which looked to be about the same as what she had for breakfast- on top of the cherry wood dresser. Sakura could feel Itachi's eyes falling on her form but refused to acknowledge it.
"Hidan claimed you left your room."
She sucked in a breath softly.
"How."
"The Land of Waves…her trail is dead after this point, I'm not picking anything up. What about you, Akamaru?" Kiba looked away from the edge of the tree line, leading into the front entrance of the land of the waves. His canine companion looked to him, about to answer is question with a bark when his fluffy white ears twitched and he whipped around, growling towards a couple of branches a few feet up. Instantly alert, Kiba whipped out a kunai from his pouch and crouched into position.
"Where are you…" the Inuzuka's eyes narrowed as they focused on the branch just above. Akamaru's growling was growing more menacing by the second. Whatever set him off was clearly a threat.
Suddenly, a figure dropped down to the grassy floor below, his bright orange hair swaying slightly from the movement.
"Identify yourself." Kiba called out to the unknown man. From what he could tell, there was no forehead protector on their person. The clothes were odd as well, what looked to be hospital wear. A slight muscular build was all Kiba had to go off when the figure stretched to his full height. Blazing red eyes locked with his own as they stared the konoha-nin down.
"Juugo. I've come…to ask you a few questions."
"Why? Who sent you?" Akamaru crept forward slightly, lips still pulled back into a snarl as he sniffed in the man's direction.
The man tilted his head slightly as if thinking of how to answer. Finally, he seemed to have gathered his thoughts and looked towards the dog barring its teeth threateningly in his direction.
"I like your dog."
Kiba blinked.
"What?"
"Your dog. Very fluffy…I like it." The man now known as Juugo spoke quietly, shifting in his spot awkwardly.
"Can we sit and talk? I have questions for you."
Kiba looked out of the corner of his eye towards Akamaru, slightly conveying a message to back down a bit. Straightening out of his own tense stance, the Inuzuka kept a firm hand on his kunai as he nodded his head towards the direction of where a stump was located.
"Fine. I have some questions for you as well."
So…this is a bit longer than my previous chapters to make up for my absence. Am I forgiven? No? That's okay…I don't blame you. I'm pretty pissed with myself too. But YAY! New chapter, and the story continues! Will Sakura survive being interrogated by Itachi? Will Naruto rebel and flip out in his temporary cage? Will Juugo and Kiba gush about how freaking adorable Akamaru is? Don't know. You'll find out in the next chapter. Favorite, review, follow, the whole shebang. And I will so all of you lovely readers soon.
Lovingly yours,
~Kanixia
