- - - Chapter Ten - - -
It was past midnight when Sakura finally finished her conversation with Jiraiya. He had told her where she could find the video of his and Karin's adulterated relationship and though the idea of going to his studio was one of the last things in the world she ever wanted to do, she knew that if this would help clear his name, she would suffer the mental and emotional scarring it would undoubtedly leave.
With a quiet sigh to herself, Sakura collected her belongings from the guard behind the desk at the security checkpoint. She re-holstered her gun and pocketed her wallet and phone before she grabbed her car keys from the bin absentmindedly, her mind already mapping the route to the studio from the jail. At this time of night, the streets should be clear, but the journey would still take her at least half an hour, given that there was no construction or unplanned accidents. Then she would have to download the video to a flash drive and deliver it to the department or email it to someone in her unit and hope that they saw it first thing in the morning. Either way, Sakura knew that even if she did find this film, she would be awake all night, worrying if it would be enough evidence to once again clear Jiraiya's name.
She had her doubts given the autopsy report, but she would try and she suppressed another sigh as she prepared to exit. It was going to be a very long night.
With a small smile to the guard, Sakura handed her ID to the officer manning the gate and waited patiently as he ran it through the system. However, before he could finish, someone spoke over her shoulder: "You are not supposed to be here."
She froze as cold dread crept through her chest. Ever so slowly she turned around to face one of the last people she wanted to cross paths with given her current location. "Oh no," she muttered under her breath as she took in his stern expression. "Neji, what are you doing here?"
The older male's expression was cool and his body language was relax, betraying none of his thoughts. With a quick glance, she realized he was dressed in the same suit as earlier that morning and her eyes drew to the official file in his hand. It was obvious he was there for the case. "There were a couple of documents I needed our suspect to fill out," he answered coolly. "However, when I arrived, to my great surprise, he was already occupied with another visitor."
Sakura chewed her lower lip as she heard the undertone of disapproval in his voice. It fleetingly crossed her mind that perhaps Shisui had been right and she should have complied with Genma's orders, but she quickly dismissed the idea as Neji continued to pin her in place with his gaze, obviously waiting for an explanation. She hesitated though, unsure of how to proceed. She had the utmost respect for Neji, but he was one to carefully follow department policies and procedures, and she knew without a doubt that this encounter would be brought to Genma's attention. "I know this looks bad," she started.
"This is bad, Sakura," he interrupted. "Not only did you disobey the Deputy Chief's orders, but you spoke to our primary suspect without his lawyer present. Everything he told you is inadmissible in court and-."
"Did you consider perhaps that's why I spoke to him without his lawyer?" she countered sharply. Her words came out harsher than she intended and she diverted her gaze briefly to collect herself before she glanced back at him.
Neji crossed his arms as a heavy sigh escaped through his nose. He studied her face with a hard look and Sakura swallowed thickly as she waited for him to find his words. A deep frown had settled on his features and his eyes were unwavering as he scrutinized her, causing her heart to pound just a little harder against her ribcage. Eventually he took a deep breath as his gaze turned hesitantly curious. "Do you really believe there is a video?"
Her brow shot up in surprise. She hadn't realized he had watched her interview, but she forced herself to nod as dangerous hope began to bloom in her chest. "Yes."
Another moment of silence passed between them as Neji thought, but eventually he uncrossed his arms. "Alright, we will go together to retrieve this video," he told her. However before she could relax completely, he gave her a stern look. "Then you are going to come back with me to the department and you're going to call Genma."
Her mouth tightened into a firm line, but she nodded wordlessly. As unappealing as the idea of informing Genma she had directly disobeyed his orders was, she also felt a sense of relief that she wouldn't have to go to Icha Icha Studios alone. She opened her mouth to thank Neji, but he had already turned away from her and she closed it once more before she turned to the guard to collect her ID. He eyed them suspiciously but didn't comment on their conversation as he checked Neji out. As soon as they were both cleared, Sakura followed him out into the parking garage. He led her to their division's car and without a word, Sakura climbed into the passenger seat as he took the wheel.
The ride to the studio was silent with the exception of her periodic, soft-spoken directions. Every so often, Sakura would sneak glances at Neji out of the corner of her eyes, but he was focused entirely on the road and his expression was otherwise unreadable, making her wonder what thoughts were passing through his mind. She didn't know if he was upset with her for disobeying orders or if he had only agreed to go with her without immediately informing the Deputy Chief because he believed he couldn't stop her. Either way she was grateful to him that he had agreed to come along.
During her limited years working with him, she had built a great amount of respect for the man and if he had ordered her to return to the department to speak with Genma, she would have undoubtedly obeyed him, even though they were on par in ranking. She knew Neji never did anything without reason and though she didn't entirely understand what had influenced his decision to accompany her, she decided not to question it and just silently thank him instead.
With the lack of traffic, they arrived at Jiraiya's studio just over thirty minutes later. The parking lot was fenced in along the backside where it shared a small alley with the neighboring building, but the rest was wide open, allowing easy access for anyone to enter. There were a handful of cars scattered around the lot that she assumed belonged to Jiraiya for both personal use and 'production' purposes, but she didn't give them much attention as they were all unoccupied and entertaining the thought of how they may be used in a place like this made her stomach twist uncomfortably.
Neji parked in one of the first stalls they came across and climbed out without a word to her. She followed his lead but paused curiously as he dug through the trunk of the car. Understanding dawned on her when he located two flashlights and silently she accepted one from him with a nod before she shadowed his footsteps as he took the lead to the building.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary warehouse with the high walls and absent windows. The front door was nondescript, only displaying 'Icha Icha Productions' and the hours of operations on the glass. Instead of a keyhole, the door held a number pad with the display glowing a bright red, indicating the device was locked. Neji glanced at her expectantly and she easily punched in the code Jiraiya had provided her. She waited until the numbers switched green before she pushed the door open an entered the office space. The room was unsurprisingly dark and Sakura switched on her flashlight to establish her surroundings. Neji quickly did the same and for a moment they simply looked around as they each absorbed the room.
A quick glance informed her that they had entered into the reception area. There were desks lining the far wall next to a wide hallway that led further into the building. Even with her limited sight, Sakura's brow arched in surprise at the rich furnishings and classy entryway.
There were expensive red couches in the waiting area with a table off to the side that held complimentary water and coffee - both of which were currently empty with the closed hour. The walls were painted an off-white, but the building itself was old and there were pipes zigzagging along the walls and ceiling, giving the room a rustic feel. As much as she hated Jiraiya's occupation, she couldn't lie that the man had built himself a successful business.
"Where is the video?" Neji asked, his eyes slowly taking in the room as his flashlight followed a path of pipes up to the ceiling.
"Jiraiya said it's on his office computer," she explained. He must have stepped out before she completed her interview. "I assuming his office is further into the building though."
She could feel Neji's frown, but avoided glancing in his direction as she quietly continued past the reception desk and down the hallway. Framed pictures decorated the walls and curiously Sakura traveled her light across them only to grimace when she realized they were awards and achievements Jiraiya had won at the AVN awards show. The titles of 'Best Director' and 'Best Film' branded into her mind's eye and she forced herself not to outwardly blanch as she quickly diverted her gaze.
A sigh of relief pressed out of her mouth when her flashlight picked up on a set of closed doors up ahead and unintentionally she quickened her pace. Unsure of which direction to go, Sakura opened the first door and flipped the light switch only to stand rooted to the floor when she found herself in what appeared to be a small gym. There were a few weights scattered about the room, but she quickly realized those were only props as her gaze landed on the numerous unopened sex toys lining the only workout bench in the room.
"Oh…my god," Sakura murmured to herself.
She felt Neji stop next to her, but it was a moment before he spoke: "Shall we move along?"
"Please."
Spinning on her heels, Sakura led the way out of the room as she attempted to pretend she hadn't just walked onto an adult set. Neji closed the door behind them before he cocked a brow at her. She could see the concern on his face even in the lighting given off by their flashlights, but she merely waved at him to take the lead, not wanting to stumble onto a stage with more obscene props.
Now that she was here, Sakura was seriously beginning to believe that coming herself had been a bad idea. The entire building was making her skin crawl - less of the fact that it was a porn studio and more because it was a porn studio owned by someone she had once considered her father. The thought of what she might find hadn't really crossed her mind until now, but after seeing that room, she was beginning to feel nauseous. And that had only been the first door. She just really hoped Jiraiya's office wasn't sitting in the middle of a porn set.
For the next few doors, Sakura patiently waited out of view as Neji quickly opened and checked the rooms. For a brief moment, she wondered if Neji thought any less of her for knowing someone who associated in this type of business, but she refrained from asking. She didn't want to distract him from their current objective and honestly she really didn't want to discuss it yet, if at all.
Eventually Neji opened a door further down the hall and paused. His light flickered around a moment before he poked his head out of the room and looked at her. "I believe I may have found it," he told her.
Mentally steeling herself for what she may or may not see, Sakura entered behind him and blinked harshly when he found the light switch. The room was fairly large and messy with a computer atop a desk to one side and a bed off to another. She sighed in quiet relief at finding it appeared to be a normal room with a normal bed that was actually used for sleeping, but there were multiple posters with half-decent woman decorating the walls that Sakura did her best to ignore.
Instead she focused on Neji as he approached the computer and powered it on. They waited in silence as the start up process went through its routine until they found themselves on the home page. She was slightly surprised that there wasn't a login screen, but her attention turned as Neji brought up the video files. A soft hum came from him and she side glanced at him, wondering what the problem was.
"These videos are all titled. I'm going to have to search by the date," he explained.
"Karin was murdered on the twenty-first," she provided. She knew Neji most likely remembered the start date of their case, but she figured the less videos they were forced to view, the better.
Sakura was quiet as Neji sent the computer through a search and they waited patiently until two files appears, both with ridiculous names only a porno would have. Without hesitating, Neji opened the first file and they both watched with blank expressions as a busty blonde appeared on the screen wearing minimal clothing. She did a slow spin for the camera before she began to strip in a slow, teasing dance. Sakura forced herself not to gag at the display.
"Can we fast-forward this please?" she asked a little sharper than she intended.
Neji didn't reply but he hit the button to move the movie along faster. After they were sure Karin wasn't joining in later, he closed out and started the next video. Immediately it began to play and Sakura sighed in slight relief as an image of Karin sitting on a large bed in a large room filled the computer screen. She was smiling as she lifted a hand to gesture with a finger to someone off-screen to come closer. Sakura only caught a glimpse of Jiraiya's very unique hair before she quickly diverted her gaze. "That's the one," she said.
Fortunately Neji stopped the clip and closed out before he pulled out a USB and plugged it into the computer. The room was silent as he worked on setting up a transfer and Sakura took to gazing about the room to distract herself from analyzing what she had just seen. Her eyes landed on Jiraiya's bed across the room. The blankets were in disarray, telling her he either slept there often or never got around to straightening the sheets; she figured it was a bit of both. In the corner of the room at the foot of the bed was a small counter that held a pile of documents and a coffeemaker. His closet was next to it, left half-opened and just as messy as the rest of his room. Sakura wondered to herself how he found anything in this place, but she supposed most of his time was spent behind his computer.
A muffled thump from elsewhere suddenly made Sakura snap her attention towards the door. Her eyes narrowed in confusion at the quiet disturbance and she felt her hand automatically draw to her weapon. The noise had sounded like a door closing, but with the lateness of the hour and the building closed she had assumed the warehouse to be empty. The possibility that they were not alone made her heart begin to race and she spared a glance at Neji to see his sharp eyes were also focused on the door they had entered through. He had heard it too.
Neji spared her a glance, his expression hard with the possibility of a threat. Quickly but silently he finished transferring the file and ejected the USB before he pocketed it. He rose from the chair soundlessly and they both drew their sidearm as they moved back towards the door. Neji took the lead, killing the overhead light in the room and waiting a minute for their eyes to adjust before he dared flicker his flashlight across the hallway.
As soon as he deemed it clear, he silently gestured to her and together they made their way further into the building, searching rooms and clearing dark corners like shadowy assassins. All of Sakura's training kicked in and though her adrenaline was making the blood pulse in her ears and forcing her breath to come out faster, she remained calm, following Neji's orders and covering him as they moved room to room.
They were nearing the back of the warehouse when Neji opened another door and both officers were immediately blinded by harsh light. Sakura blinked hard until her eyes adjusted, but with Neji's larger form blocking the doorway, she couldn't make out the contents of the room.
"What the hell?" she heard him mutter more to himself than her. Very rarely did Sakura ever hear the older male curse and his tense murmur only made her adrenaline spike.
He cleared the wall just inside the door before he stepped further into the room, allowing Sakura to finally see what had colored the tone in his voice. The door had revealed a large room, much larger than any of the other ones they had searched. The walls were plain and white, similar to the entryway, but there were rose petals decorating the floor, giving a romantic vibe to the room.
If not for one very wrong fact.
In the center of the room, on a large bed was a woman with auburn-colored hair. She was laying on the sheets with her wrists and ankles bound in a very familiar manner and there was a cloth gag in her mouth. Her bra and shorts were keeping her decent, but she was struggling hard against her bonds in a desperate attention to break free. Without a doubt, Sakura knew this was not a set-up for a bondage scene.
Upon spotting them, the young woman's struggles increased and she made muffled noises in the back of her throat in an attempt to speak through her gag. Neji ventured further into the room, his gun out and his eyes focused as he finished clearing the room to ensure they were truly alone as Sakura quickly holstered her gun and hurriedly made her way to the woman's side. She froze when she got her first real look at the girl.
Her body was lithe and toned with what would have been flawless skin if not for the multiple bloody marks covering her body. A few on her shoulders and one on her neck were bleeding steadily and staining the white sheets below her, but it was the pattern of the markings that made Sakura's eyes widen in horror. The were bite marks. She swallowed thickly as they eerily reminded her of Karin's wound, but she inwardly shook herself as she drew in a calming breath and returned her gaze back to the woman's face. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I'm a Detective Sergeant with the LAPD," she informed her.
Her brown eyes were glistening with unshed tears of pain and fear, and Sakura had barely managed to remove her gag before she started speaking: "You have to get me out of here! He'll be back any minute."
Sakura's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who? Who is coming back?" she asked as she attempted to free her from her restraints. A frown of annoyance crossed her face as she found the knots were tied professionally and were harder to remove than she had wanted. Biting the inside of her cheek in frustration, she began looking around for anything she could use to cut the bindings.
"Well, I must say I wasn't expecting an audience this evening," a smooth voice murmured.
Abruptly Sakura spun around. Her blood turned to ice as her eyes caught the barrel of a gun aimed directly at her and she stilled as her heart seemed to stop in her chest. A long moment passed as she wondered if this was her last moment alive, but the bullet never came and her body forced itself to take a breath. Slowly she raised her eyes and met the gaze of a man she never thought she would see again.
"Orochimaru," she breathed.
He was as tall and as sickly-looking as she remembered with pale skin and a gaunt face. There was a sinister twist of his lips and his hazel eyes were cold and held a malevolence to them that she didn't remember him having during her childhood. As a teenager, Sakura could remember him joking with his best friends - her parents - and even playfully teasing her for having a forehead too big for her face. Now, however, his aura felt like a physical weight pressing down on her as he slowly approached her, dark and swirling around him like an evil shadow. It made it hard for her to draw a breath.
Behind her, she heard the young woman whimper slightly in fear and unconsciously Sakura stepped a little further in front of her as if she could protect her by keeping Orochimaru's gaze from her.
"Drop your weapon!" Neji ordered.
Orochimaru didn't react to him, but Sakura held up her hand to silently stand Neji down. This was a dangerous situation; she needed time to think.
From his shout, Sakura determined Neji was somewhere directly behind her. Inwardly she cringed, realizing that no matter how good of a shot he was, the closer Orochimaru got the her the less of a target he was. Her body was the perfect shield for him and she knew that no matter the danger, Neji would not risk her life to stop him.
By now, the blood was roaring in her ears, fogging her brain and making it hard for her to think clearly. Her breath was escaping her lungs in short, quick bursts as her eyes once more focused on the barrel of the gun as Orochimaru stepped up close enough for him to press the metal to her temple if he so chose. His close proximity made her skin crawl and she clenched her hands into tight fists until her nails bit into her palms to hide their subtle shaking.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Sakura?" Orochimaru said slowly as if he was tasting each word as they passed his lips. "You've grown so much."
He reached out with his free hand to trace a finger down her cheek and her muscles tensed in response. Her skin broke out into revolted goosebumps beneath his touch, but she didn't dare move in case he was feeling trigger happy; she hardly dared to breathe.
"I never thought I would see you again," he continued. "Tell me, how is Tsunade dearest?"
Sakura swallowed thickly and prayed that Neji would stay quiet. She didn't want to endanger her partner any more than she already had. "I wasn't aware you were in California," she finally murmured. Her voice was tight and pitched higher with adrenaline.
"Oh, you didn't know?" he mocked. His smile turned downright sinister and her breath caught in her throat as he waved his gun nonchalantly. "I've been working with Jiraiya for the past year. Didn't he tell you?"
The news made Sakura physically start. Her gaze turned away from the gun to stare at him with widened eyes and she opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat as she searched her mind for any reason why Jiraiya would have kept it a secret. She knew for certain the list he had given her was void of Orochimaru's name; she would have noticed it immediately had it been there.
Although what confused her further was why Jiraiya would hire him in the first place. Orochimaru had been close with her parents, but everything had changed when he had been arrested for having sex with a minor. The gossip had spread through their town in Florida like wildfire and had fueled Tsunade's decision to leave the state and start anew in New York. Sakura had been left in the dark over the details of his arrest, but if what she had overheard was true, why would Jiraiya allow a sex offender to work under him in the porn industry? Someone with Orochimaru's background would be far too much of a liability.
"No, he didn't," Sakura said slowly, her brow still furrowed in confusion.
Mentally she shook herself. She didn't have time to entertain such questions. She still had the issue of having a gun trained to her head and getting Neji and the injured woman out of this situation alive. Quickly she began sorting through all of the training she had ever received as she attempted to formulate a plan in her head. Her biggest concern was getting Neji out safely. If she could do that, then he could save the woman on the bed. Everything else came second.
"Pity," Orochimaru said airily. "It would have been nice for us to spend some quality time together."
The loud bang of a gun being fired made Sakura jump. She froze wide eyed as she waited for pain to pierce her, but the feeling never came and she turned slowly as she realized Orochimaru had not fired at her, but over her shoulder. Her gaze landed on Neji and she watched in horror as he crumpled to the ground, bright red splashing contrastingly across the cement where he stood.
"Neji!" she cried out sharply. Without a second thought, Sakura raced over and dropped to her knees next to him. Blood was already pooling around him and soaking stickily into her pants, but she ignored it as she followed the blood trail to his leg. She examined him quickly and panic struck her as she realized he was losing blood far too fast for the injury to be just a simple through-and-through. The bullet had either severed or clipped his femoral artery.
"Neji, you're going to be alright," she told him as she ripped his pants open wider so she could see properly.
As soon as she was able to determine where the bullet had entered, she dug her finger into the wound until she felt the blood vessel and pressed it against his femur to clamp the artery closed. Through her adrenaline, she heard Neji groan sharply in pain, but she didn't release or loosen her grasp on him. If she moved her fingers at all, it was likely he would bleed out and she refused to let him die when she could help him.
With her free hand, Sakura searched both herself and Neji, desperately hunting for anything she could use to make a tourniquet. His blood continued to stain the material of her suit pants, but she no longer noticed it as her eyes honed in on his belt. Quickly, she reached for it, only before she could grab it, a firm hand wrapped around her bicep and ripped her away from her partner.
"Let me go!" she shrieked as blood spurted out of his leg.
She struggled fiercely in Orochimaru's grasp, her instincts screaming at her to return to her partner's side. With a pained groan, Neji reached for his gun, but before his fingers could tighten around the grip, two more gunshots echoed through the air. Sakura watched in horror as the first pierced through his abdomen and the second through his chest. Her entire body down to her core turned to ice as she watched the man she had come to call a friend cough wetly and struggle to breathe for a long minute as his eyes darkened in indescribable pain. He met her gaze evenly before he let out a shuddering breath and did not move again.
For a moment that seemed to last a life-time and yet only a second, Sakura froze, unable to comprehend the sight before her as blood continued to pool around his motionless body. His dark eyes stared lifelessly at the ceiling as blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth, his fingers now lax around his gun. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her as her mind went blank, her brain still attempting to process the scene before her.
She didn't understand how his body could have shut down so quickly; how two small pieces of metal could leave his body soulless in an instant. It had been unnecessary for Orochimaru to kill him in his weakened state. There was no need to end Neji's life when he could move so little already. Why did he have to die?
A long pause passed with the world frozen in that moment, but then Sakura's body forced a breath into her lungs and her mind began to function again, and with it came an impossible rage, boiling hot and turning her vision red. Why did he have to die? "You bastard!" she screamed. Her hands twisted into fists and she spun on her heels so fast and so unexpectedly that Orochimaru was unable to dodge her attack before her knuckles made blunt contact with his jaw.
His head snapped back at the force, but he quickly recovered and his fingers twisted painfully into her hair before he yanked her head back. She cried out at the rough treatment, but quieted once more as cold metal pressed against the underside of her jaw. Even through her anger she understood the gravity of her situation and immediately ceased her struggle. She watched him through dangerously narrowed eyes as he glared at her, his jaw smeared with red from where her bloodied fist had connected.
"You should not be so unkind given your current circumstances," Orochimaru told her darkly.
She resisted the urge to spit in his face and instead settled for deepening her glare. "What do you want?" she ground out.
He studied her with a sinister look. "From you? Nothing."
His slowly loosened his grip on her hair and released her completely as he turned to look at the young woman tied to the bed. Under his evil stare, she whimpered softly and struggled weakly against her bonds. Sakura eyed Orochimaru as she subtly rubbed the kink out of her neck, still very aware of the gun a mere breadth from her throat. She swallowed thickly as she waited for him to make the next move, her heart still pounding painfully in her chest.
Even with her adrenaline screaming through her veins, Sakura was still very aware of Neji's unmoving body behind her, but she refused to focus on her partner at the moment. He was gone and there was nothing more she could do for him. She knew he would want her to do all she could to help the young woman tied to the bed, but given her angle and Orochimaru's alignment, any attempt to shoot him could result in her missing - or even a bullet going through his body - and hitting the victim. She'd have to reposition them first. Then she could make her move.
Desperate to distract him, Sakura said the first thing that came to mind. "Tsunade loved you, you know."
She wasn't entirely sure why she had chosen to go down this road, but her words had the desired effect and Orochimaru turned to her slowly. With the sharp lighting in the room, his features twisted into a dangerous snarl, making her breath catch in her throat. He slowly slid the barrel of the gun up her neck and the side of her face, almost in a caress, to press it to her temple. "Tsunade never cared for me the way she did for Jiraiya," he sneered darkly. "Do not speak to me about her relationship with me."
The obvious threat made her breath catch, but she forced herself to breathe slowly out of her mouth. What she said wasn't a lie. Sakura knew her mother cared for both of the men, but Orochimaru had always been a close friend to her; nothing more. However, she did not expect his reaction and she held out her hands defensively. She needed to tread more lightly or she would very easily lose the game she was playing and then there would be no one to save the woman's life.
Before she could back-pedal and attempt to placate him once more, Orochimaru sighed heavily and fixed her with an almost bored stare. "You've wasted enough of my time tonight and there is a matter I must return to."
With a start, she understood his meaning with a realization that turned her blood to ice. She was out of time.
Her eyes widened in horror and she watched as a grin slowly started to spread across his face. "It was so very pleasant to see you again, but-."
Before he could finish his sentence, Sakura moved. In one fluid motion, she reached for his gun as her fingers wrapped around her own and she sidestepped out of the way. Gunfire echoed painfully in her ears as a force ripped her hand away from his weapon and something knocked her shoulder back, like she had been punched. Fresh adrenaline pulsed through her veins and all her training kicked in as she stepped towards Orochimaru and unloaded her magazine into the side of his skull. Heavy gunfire rang throughout the room as blood and brain matter splattered across the ground and her hands, and she fired again and again until he hit the ground and did not move again.
For a long moment, Sakura stared down at his lifeless body, her weapon still trained on him as his blood began to spread and fill the formally unnoticeable cracks in the floor. His face was unrecognizable under the grotesque lumps of flesh and tissue, and though she knew there was no way he could have survived his injuries, she kicked the gun out of his hands anyway. Her chest heaved in the wake of her adrenaline rush and her heart pounded painfully against her ribs, but as her body's response to the threat of danger started to cool, stabs of pain began to surface into her awareness.
Slowly her eyes drifted down and her knees nearly gave out on her at the sight of the mangled flesh of her hand. Blood was seeping profusely out of the torn skin in sickening amounts and increasing pain was beginning to pulse through her palm. She could feel herself getting nauseous at the sight and she quickly diverted her gaze, unable to look any longer at the mess as her stomach churned. A spreading pain was also beginning to throb in her shoulder, but she didn't dare look for the source of the ache, already suspecting that another round had entered there. Her body was flashing hot and cold, and she felt herself sway on her feet for a moment.
Suddenly a quiet sob broke through her haze and Sakura blinked hard as she forced herself to focus. The young woman was still lying tied to the bed, but her eyes were large and she was staring at Sakura in horror.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura collected herself and hurriedly approached the woman. "Are you alright?" she asked.
She nodded slowly but her brown eyes were focused intently on her shoulder. "Y-you were….he-he's…"
"He's dead," Sakura confirmed. Her words came out harsher than she intended, but pain was making her voice tight and she ground her teeth together to keep from groaning as a flash of searing pain went up her wrist and forearm.
With her hand throbbing with fire, she struggled fiercely to untie the woman's restraints, but with a lot of pain and numerous muttered curses, she eventually was able to get one of her hands free. Sakura moved to help her with freeing her other hand, but she suddenly froze as a familiar smell reached her nose. The young woman must have noticed it too for she glanced around in confusion.
"What is that?" Sakura murmured as her eyes moved about the room.
For a long moment, they both looked around until suddenly the woman froze. "The pipes."
Confused Sakura followed her gaze only to freeze when she realized a stray bullet had pierced one of the pipes and by the smell of it, it was propane. Fortunately there was no open flame in the room, but Sakura knew nearly anything could become an ignition source and she turned back to the woman sharply. "We need to get out of here now."
Ignoring the fire lancing through her side, Sakura finished removing the rest of the woman's restraints with her help. As soon as she was free, Sakura pulled her phone from her pocket and shoved it into her hands. "Take this. Get out and call 9-1-1. You tell them exactly where we are and that there's an office down, but you tell them that absolutely no one is to enter the building. Do you understand?"
With wide, fearful eyes, she nodded, but rather than run, she continued to stand still. "What-what about you?"
"I am right behind you. Go!" she ordered.
As soon as the woman turned and sprinted out, Sakura raced back to Neji. His body was still spread bonelessly across the floor and a swell of emotion threatened to overcome her, but she forced it down. She had to get out. But she would not leave her partner here.
Gritting her teeth in pain, Sakura maneuvered Neji until she could hoist his arm over her shoulder and pull him up with her. The added weight to her shoulder made her cry out, but she tightened her grip on him even as tears of pain began to flood her eyes. Blinking them away harshly, she forced herself to take a step forward. His body immediately began to slip from her grasp, but she tightened her grip around his waist and secured her hold on him as she attempted very poorly to ignore what felt like a hot poker piercing through her hand.
"Come on, Neji," she ground out through clenched teeth. "One foot in front of the other."
Once she found her rhythm, Sakura was able to move faster. Together, they made their way to the door and Sakura did her best to ignore the pain in her uninjured shoulder as she accidentally knocked against the door frame as she exited the large room. She stumbled blindly down the dark hall, following the route back out of the building by memory. Neji was heavier than the training dummies they used at the department and she felt herself begin to slow down quickly with his weight, but she refused to rest, knowing that the building could go up in flames at any given moment.
"Almost there, Neji," she chanted. "Let's go."
She coached her partner, silently praying that if she dies from this, that she at least gets them outside where their bodies can be discovered. Neji had a family he needed to be returned to and she would not let his final resting place be inside this building. He deserved better than this and if it was the last thing she did, she could be happy with that.
Without warning, something caught on Sakura's foot and she stumbled hard into the wall, crying out as Neji's weight pressed into shoulder sharply. Her entire side from her shoulder to her hand throbbed with fire, but she forced a sharp breath into her lungs and held it before she pressed off the wall and continued down the hallway. Together they shuffled as Sakura half-carried, half-dragged Neji's limp body with her. Tears were spilling down her face as his weight made her pace frustratingly slow. Panic was beginning to rise in her chest as she wondered if she was going to make it out in time, but she didn't have the strength to control her emotions. The pain was nearly crippling, her adrenaline unable to mask the full force of it and her chest heaved with the effort of carrying the heavier male.
Sakura was on the verge of giving up completely when her blurred vision finally made out the front door and the street lights filtering through it. Relief swept through her, but she kept pushing, kept putting one foot in front of the other even as she groaned in pain with every step. With a great deal of difficulty, she maneuvered them through the door and out into the parking lot. The increasing threat of an explosion was clear in her mind as she staggered past their vehicle and made for the far side of the lot and towards the street, but even through her pain-fogged mind, she knew with a building this big, the explosion could take up a whole block. Somehow she needed to call dispatch and make sure the responding officers stayed away, but her phone was gone and she didn't have a radio on her person. She had no idea what to do.
Through her adrenaline-filled haze, she could hear the scream of sirens in the distance and she prayed that the young woman had told dispatch everything. Red and blue lights were beginning to reflect off of the surrounding buildings and Sakura blundered towards the street as her vision began to swim.
"Sakura!"
Her heart skipped a beat before it began to hammer so hard in her chest she thought her ribs would break. Familiar blond and black hair pierced through her dizziness and panic immediately began to flood her exhausted and pain-filled mind as she realized Naruto and Sasuke were running towards her. With a bloody hand, she held out her palm to stop them. "Run!" she screeched. Her order was so forcefully her voice went hoarse under the strain.
And that's when she felt it.
A loud explosion filled the air as Sakura was knocked off her feet. She hit the ground hard, her ears ringing with the force of the blow, and pain exploded in her head as she made contact with the concrete. The ground trembled beneath her hands and scolding heat warmed her back and the side of her face. She drew a ragged breath into her lungs only to choke on the acidic air. The pain was so intense it felt like she had been hit by a semi.
She tried to move, but this wasn't like the movies. There was no getting up from this and walking away. Her shoulder was on fire and it felt like her skull was being split open. Her vision swam as she finally dared open her eyes, but it wasn't long before her world rapidly began to darken.
It felt like only seconds had passed before she felt someone above her, shaking her and forcing her back into consciousness. "Sakura! Sakura, can you hear me?"
That voice did not belong to Naruto or Sasuke. She tried to open her eyes, but they felt like lead weights and all she could manage was a low groan. "Naruto, Sasuke," she coughed out. "Where are they?"
But the person wasn't listening. "I need an ambulance over here!"
Searing pain cut through Sakura's side. Her entire body shook under the excruciating throbbing and she rolled onto her back in an attempt to lessen the agonizing pressure. It didn't help. Forcefully she opened her eyes and stared up with blurry vision into mismatched eyes. She would recognize that gaze anywhere.
"Kakashi."
A hand pressed into her shoulder and she cried out sharply, her back arching with the pain. "Sakura, you stay with me. You keep breathing."
She ground her teeth together and pinched her eyes shut against the severe throbbing. It took her a moment to find her voice and she forced her eyes to open once more as darkness began to tunnel her vision. "Kakashi, I think…I think I'm dying."
Even in the darkness of the night, she saw his face harden. "You do no get to die on me, Sergeant."
She tried to reach for him, but her strength was waning and she could only manage a weak flex of her fingers. "I don't think I'm surviving this one," she murmured. The metallic zing of blood was beginning to overpower her taste buds and her chest tightened painfully. "Naruto and Sasuke, did they…are they?"
The strength of her voice left her as the world began to fade out again. She tried to fight against it, but the darkness in her mind swept her from reality and as she began to lose her grasp on the conscious world, one thought drifted through her foggy mind:
Did she just get her best friends killed as well?
A/N: The End.
Just kidding! That would be ultimate lazy writer.
So I totally left this on a cliffhanger and you guys are going to hate me but I can't update next Saturday. I don't have the time to write all of the next chapter by then so you guys are just going to have to live with me killing Neji for two weeks. Sorry.
I know some of you are disappointed it was Orochimaru, but he just makes such a good villian and I absoutely love killing him. I can't help it. I hope the suspense makes up for it being him though!
There are probably 4~ more chapters to go so keep with me; we're drawing to the finishline here!
As always, reviews fuel my writing. And I'm really excited to hear all of your crying about this chapter! Hah