Chapter Ten; Immortal

Dry.

I tried to open my eyes, but I felt too tired, my body was so cold, I was propped up against something hard and damp, I felt the goosebumps on my body as the cold intensified, I couldn't feel the back of my thighs,

My mouth was dry, so dry, and the back of my throat was raw and sour, I could smell the musk of dust and age in the stuffy room.

My eyes slowly opened, with much protest, they were blurry, and the room seemed to be tilting sideways, going in and out of blackness. I shivered, The metal links attached to my wrists were freezing the skin below, I could feel the blood burning behind my cheeks at the freezing air.

Footsteps, I could hear footsteps, I opened my mouth to scream but as I parted my lips they peeled at dry skin and soon I could taste the metallic taste coming from my dry, sore lips, I had no chakra, These cuffs must be sucking it from me, and I felt too cold and helpless, I must have pneumonia by now, at the least.

I shivered, The footsteps stopped just outside of the large, steel door, I assume the thick cement walls were the source of the cold room, It looked like a jail cell, and at this point I would believe it.

The door swung open and I looked up, my muscles so sore and stiff the action caused me to cough and groan, I met the eyes of the very man who had sealed me here in this world, The very man who was once the love of my life, and now resemblance to L.

"Hello Sakura." He deadpanned, He wasn't dressed in basic ninja uniform, or the clothing he had always worn, He didn't look to have aged a day, He now wore a tight black shirt, that clung tightly to his muscles and black pants, His arms were crossed as he leaned back against the cement walls of my prison.

I felt sickened by his presence, He did this to me, He brought me here, who knows how long I've been here, and did I really care? Who was there left to run to?

I felt his presence beside me, but I didn't look, I could see that he was kneeling beside me, in what would be a comforting manor if it was anyone besides him. I closed my eyes, trying to remember being taken here, surprisingly I was taking this all quite well,

Or was it the maddening feeling of hopelessness that for some reason filled me.

I flinched from a hand that reached out to touch my cheek. I heard an annoyed grunt and then the sound of Sasuke taking a seat beside me, I raised my head slightly, Looking at him, His eyes were cold, and empty, a deep purple resided beneath them, but an ill-looking purple for him, not the cute way L's looked.

"Sakura, I can release you, You know." He said softly, I know he held no feelings for me besides that of a friendship, But I needed to know what was going on, how I got here in this era and how he did too, perhaps he could help me escape…

I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn't bring myself to say a word, I flinched when I felt Sasuke's hands on my wrists and heard the click and shattering of the clamps being dropped from my wrist.

For once his hand felt warm, It tingled on my frostbitten wrists, and I coughed, feeling the dust whirl in my lungs.

I sighed, my throat burned with thirst and the cold.

"Are you thirsty?" He asked, for once Sasuke was being kind to me, and I didn't have the energy to protest, "Follow me." He nodded, returning to his feet.

I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't hold me up, What was wrong with my body? Why was I not trying to run?

Where was inner?

Sasuke

She couldn't even stand.

Madera told me the poison would just eat at her chakra a few hours and make her a little cold, She looked like she had slept through a blizzard, She had been asleep for three days now, She hadn't eaten or drank anything, Her beautiful lips were blue and her skin paler than usual.

I tried not to frown, but I couldn't keep up the façade I knew how bad I had hurt her when I hit her with the chidori, I didn't understand what I had done, and now… She's here, it's impossible,

I looped my arm around her waist and took her into my arms, She just flinched and locked her eyes to the ground, I wasn't surprised she was feeling or acting this way; It was Madera's presence, his chakra sucks the drive in life out of you.

I frowned and looked at the girl in my arms, she was shivering and one of her hands was pitifully clamped to my shirt, as soon as Madera's presence wears off she's going to be confused as hell…

Her eyes were squeezed so tightly shut I'm surprised she wasn't having a nightmare or something, she looked to be in a great amount of pain, I would have never allowed Madera to do this to her if I knew this is what it would do, Goosebumps rose on her skin and the clicking of her chattering teeth were enough to assure me on my next actions,

I took her to my bedroom, at the top of the staircase and at the end of the hallway, I moved in closer to the bed, and shifted her in my arms so I could pull down the corner of the blanket and slide her in, one of her eyes opened for a moment, but it's as if her body forced them shut.

I sighed and pulled the cover up around her, and she seemed to snuggle into them, She had just woken up but Madera had told me she would be ill for quite a while after the large dosage he had to give her.

She was a medic after all, He would have had to give her a high dosage of anything for it to take effect otherwise she would just remove the toxin from her body, I scratched the back of my head and walked down the massive stretch of hallway and down a set of stairs that led to the main section of the house,

I quickly boiled some tea and went to find Madera, perhaps he had something to lessen the damage to her body.

As I neared his office I could hear a chuckle and the clicking of his door coming unlocked, "Welcome Sasuke." He smiled as he took a seat in the chair behind his desk.

"Hn." I nodded, Remaining standing considering the fact that I needed to check on Sakura soon.

"So, How is our beautiful blossom?" He grinned, striking a touchy nerve for me, Like always.

"She's sick, I need you to leave for a while." I stated, Growing weary.

He smirked and stood, "Of coarse, in the girls state my dark presence must not be helping, But I warn, I will be back soon, Sasuke."

I turned as he disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, and returned to the kitchen. Sad to say that the very man who had caused me to kill the girl who is now laying in my bed is now a team member of mine.

Sakura

I sucked in a sharp breath as I crawled to the bathroom, I could hear shallow words from below the floor, I believe I have been poisoned.

I had little to no chakra, but I could sense the injection sight, The poison is concentrated and I could remove it manually if I could find a kunai or scalpel, but I don't believe Sasuke would leave me the luxury of giving me one since all of mine were taken.

I made it into the mall bathroom and stumbled to my feet, taking in a sharp breath as I cupped my hand and put it under the faucet of the sink, Drinking in the delicious water that made me feel like I could breathe again, I got a grip on my motor skills and opened the medicine cabinet,

"Bingo." I whispered, finding a razor, the blade was just sharp enough to do the trick, I broke off the plastic and pulled the blade free, I panted due to exhaustion, This was definitely a strong dose of whatever I had been given.

I scrawled across the floor and leaned against the side of the bathtub, outstretching my forearm and letting some water spill into the tub, silently, like I had hoped, the injection sight was slightly red and sore, easily found,

I grit my teeth as I slid the blade across the sight, re-opening the wound, The spike in adrenaline caused some of my chakra to build, and I flowed it into the wound, mixed with the water it took only moments to remove the poison from my system.

The problem now was I was completely drained of chakra and losing consciousness, I felt the vomit build in my throat and gagged, puking into the toilet across from where I was sitting, and wiping my mouth.

I panted slightly, the room around me seemed to spin, and I needed to-

I need to…

Sasuke'

I dropped the tea to the floor, spilling it across the white carpeting and running to Sakura, who was propped up against the bathtub, blood spilling down her arm.

She was unconscious.

"What are you doing Sakura…" I mumbled, scooping the small girl into my arms and carrying her to the bed, she felt much warmer now, but she didn't have any chakra left whatsoever, which would effect her health greatly if I didn't get her something to eat quickly.

Damn woman must be insane! I growled and walked into the bathroom, cleaning her blood from the tiled floors, when standing I noticed there was a puddle of blackish-purple liquid in the bathtub.

She had removed the poison with the last bit of her chakra, I couldn't help but smirk, She really hasn't changed at all.

I would have to take care of her until she is healed, and then I would have to start playing the 'bad guy' once again.

I growled and tossed the bloodied rag into the garbage, going to look down at the sleeping girl who was starting to re-gain some of her color.

I gently stroked her cheek with the back of my hand,

"I'm going to have to hurt you a little blossom, please forgive me."

L

"Where is she!" I snapped, something I rarely did.

Watari's face was confused and the bruise around the side of his throat where the attacker had stuck him to cause unconsciousness seemed more present than earlier.

"They took her." He sighed, looking genuinely sad for a moment, I knew we all cared for the girl.

I snarled, "We're going to find her."

I swear we were going to find her, and rip apart whoever had taken her.