Sasuke reached the top of the hospital stairs and stopped to lean over the metal barrier. He looked downwards at the glossy cream wall. Somewhere between the lower landing and here is the lift, Sasuke thought. That secretary said that Naruto is in a bad way; I don't know about Kakashi or the doctors. He walked out of the double doors to the hospital corridor and sat down on a metal bench that was bolted to the wall.

Hunching over, he rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his clasped hands. Looking over to the metal doors of the lift, he spotted Tsunade leaning against the wall opposite while a doctor stood in front of the lift doors, waving away people who came close. Sasuke got up and walked over to her purposefully, ignoring the doctor who protested violently to his approach.

He stood in front of Tsunade. "Hokage. What is the condition of Naruto?"

"He can't be seen. Leave!"

'I know that he is in the lift. I know that he is in there with Kakashi and two medical ninjas and that they are stranded somewhere between the second and third floor. I know that none of your destructive moves are useful as it could cause debris to fall and hurt the people inside. You are thinking of a way to rescue them, as am I."

Tsunade looked horrified. "Who told you?!"

"The secretary and my own intuition. Have you contacted anyone yet?"

Tsunade walked over to the metal bench and sat down, Sasuke joining her. "No. We have no idea of the condition of any of the people inside that lift. We also don't know if they are attempting to escape - if they are, any movements we make may jeopardise their escape."

Sasuke frowned and rested his chin on his clasped hands. 'Well, we could get the lift doors open, at least!"

Kakashi, upon realising what was about to happen, bolted forward and yanked an unconscious Naruto off the hospital bed. The doctor standing with his palms on the ceiling flinched and a sharp piece of metal fell from the ceiling, showering the bed with debris. The group had found there was a layer of thick plasterboard between the 2 pieces of metal that made up the ceiling. The lift was cloudy with dust and the air was saturated.

Kakashi and the other doctor moved Naruto on to Kakashi's back and pulled the now-very dusty IV drip stand closer towards the two. Looking up, Kakashi watched the doctor as he once again braced himself and closed his eyes before releasing a more powerful jutsu on to the growing indentation in the ceiling. Another shower of debris scattered the floor of the lift, and the doctor coughed.

Noticing this, the doctor tending to Naruto took the boy's discarded black shirt and ripped a wide square off of it which he handed to the medical ninja on the bed who tied it around his face. Proceeding to rip off two more squares for himself and Naruto, he folded it into a triangle and tied it around Naruto's mouth and nose before doing it, himself.

Kakashi spoke. "How are we doing?"

The doctor looked down. "I'm through, but I need to widen the hole."

Kakashi nodded and shifted his unconscious student further up his shoulders. Naruto hummed a little, his eyes moving under his eyelids. The doctor next to Kakashi put the temperature strip back onto Naruto's forehead. Reading the result, he turned to his companion. "He's dangerously hot!"

The medical ninja turned away from the ceiling. "Alright, I'm just going to blast it. Move to the corners!"

Kakashi shifted backwards, pressing Naruto's back to a wall. The doctor moved to the opposite corner. They both nodded and the doctor on the bed pressed both of his hands around the cavern in the ceiling. Muttering the words needed, he pressed. A metallic screech reverberated upwards, and then the sickening sound of the huge metal cords slowly snapping. Kakashi's whole body filled with dread. The light in the ceiling flickered off, and they were plunged into blackness.

The three ninjas braced themselves as the whole lift jerked and plummeted downwards. Kakashi only had a moment to register he was in free fall, the sound of someone's screams echoing around him, before the lift hit the bottom of the shaft hard, the metal folding like paper.