Sakura found a few long sticks and taped them together. She wiggled them, but they didn't give. Good, they were sturdy. She gathered more bandages and medical tape and draped them around her arm. Itachi was drenched in cold sweat, and Sakura was almost certain he was going to pass out. Any other person probably would have.
"I'm going to set your leg," she informed him, and Itachi groaned.
"Can't we just wait till we get back to the village?" he pleaded, but Sakura wasn't having it.
"No, we have no idea when we'll be back, and it might not heal properly. If that happens, we'll have to break it to fix it again." She waited for his response.
"Okay, do it," he consented.
Sakura straightened his leg, and Itachi cursed. She shoved down the guilt for the moment, and tied up the sticks to his leg. "That should hold it for now," she breathed. She hung her head. "I'm sorry."
Itachi lifted his head to look at her out of the corner of her eye. "When did Sasuke stab you?" he asked, piecing the information together. Sakura sighed, her shame overwhelming her.
"Earlier."
Sakura couldn't help it. She ran to Sasuke and hugged him, her arms tight around his torso. Sasuke was surprised, she could tell, but eventually, he softened and returned the embrace.
"Tell me the things they've been saying aren't true. Tell me, please," Sakura whispered, her grip on him tightening. Sasuke stroked her hair.
"You know me, Sakura," Sasuke said simply, and in just a moment, her faith in Sasuke was restored. "I'm sorry I left, but I'm not coming back."
Sakura separated herself from him. "Why?"
"You wouldn't understand, but I promise I won't let anything happen to any of you." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I had to slip away, but Mora will know I was gone. I need proof that I hurt you so as to not arouse suspicion." He held out a kunai from his pack. "Will you do this for me?"
Sakura's breath hitched, and she tried not to tear up. "Of course. You know I'm never going to give up on you, right?"
Sasuke stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I know."
Then Sakura made a shallow cut on her abdomen.
Itachi wasn't mad or disappointment. More than anything, there was empathy in his eyes. And Sakura hated that. "He tricked you."
"Looks like you're not the only one who is emotionally compromised," she said softly, sitting next to Itachi. Itachi nodded.
"You should sleep," he said. Sakura shook her head. "Please. I've slept enough, and I'm in too much pain to rest. You slept for less than an hour. You need to be at full strength, Sakura. For both of us."
She bit down on her lip, hard. "Okay."
Shisui felt sweat drip down his neck. "Where are we?"
Genma scoffed. "Some type of dungeon I guess." He smacked his lips together. "They've drugged us," he slurred, barely able to keep his eyes open.
Shisui struggled against his shackles, but it was no use. His body had no strength. "Fuck."
"I'm sorry." Shisui strained neck so he could look to his side. "I was the one who attacked you. I didn't mean to."
"What do you mean you didn't mean to?" Shisui spat, his nails digging into his palms.
Juugo frowned. "I'm a prisoner here, just like you."
Shisui looked over Juugo from head to toe. He spotted it on his neck. "The curse mark."
"I stay here so I don't hurt people. But even then…" Juugo trailed off. Shisui felt rage bubble up from his stomach. He could tell the man was being sincere. They kept him here for their own demented purposes. If he got out of here, he would rip them to shreds.
Genma exhaled. "What I wouldn't give for a cigarette right now."
Itachi let his head rest upon Sakura's neck. They were halfway to Konoha, and he couldn't help but admire the strength she had. Not many women could travel in sweltering heat without break, and on top of that, she was carrying him on her back. His leg throbbed uncontrollably, and the pain was starting to make him delirious.
He inhaled deeply. "You smell good," he said droopily.
Sakura jumped a little at that. "I kind of doubt that," she replied. "Why don't you get some sleep?"
"Too hot, hurts." He couldn't be bothered to speak intelligibly now. It was a bad day, a very bad day indeed. "You can do it, Sakura."
Sakura laughed shortly. "You're quite loopy now."
"Doesn't mean it's not true."
Sakura would never admit it, but just that little bit had made her smile.
Suigetsu licked the blood off his knife. Genma's mangled knuckles burned, but he tried not to let the pain show. It wasn't the first time he had been tortured, but the protests and cussing from Shisui were not helping any.
"Juugo, you want to join in?" Suigetsu offered, his grin spreading from ear to ear. Juugo was curled up into a ball.
"Please stop," he begged. "The blood…"
Suigetsu pouted. "You're no fun." He put his knife away and locked the cell up. Juugo trembled.
"I'm not strong enough. The blood…the blood!"
Shisui and Genma watched in horror as Juugo turned into a monster.
Sakura fluffed up Itachi's pillow. She snorted. He was so tired that even that didn't make him stir. Tsunade knocked. "How is he?" she asked.
Sakura shrugged. "He'll be fine. I'll bet he's enjoying his liberal does of morphine."
Tsunade chuckled. "I'll bet he is." She sat next to Sakura. "How are you holding up, kiddo?"
An uneasy tension filled the air. "This is my fault."
"Your emotions got the better of you. It happens," Tsunade said simply.
Sakura shook her head. "It's not supposed to happen to us. Not to me. Not during a mission. Now we don't even know where Genma and Shisui are." Tears filled her eyes. "And we can't even look for Sasuke anymore. The thing that attacked us… no one stands a chance."
Tsunade's lips turned downward. "They will only return them if we stop looking for Sasuke, correct?" Sakura shook her head 'yes.' Tsunade scratched the back of her head. "We can't afford to lose Genma and Shisui. They're two of the best shinobi we have." She patted Sakura's shoulder and left the room, sliding the door in a gentle manner uncharacteristic of her.
Sakura let the tears fall.
Later that night, the search for Sasuke was officially called off.
Shisui awoke to quiet sobbing. "Please be quiet, Juugo," he implored.
"Sorry," sniffed Genma. "It was me. Juugo's asleep."
"Oh." Shisui decided to spark some conversation. It was awkward enough hearing him cry, but the burning in his arms was enough to decide that a little distraction was in order. "You're not usually the type to cry."
"I'm not," Genma agreed.
"So why?" Shisui asked very bluntly.
Genma looked tired and broken. "Did you know that I have a daughter?"
Shisui's eyes widened just a fraction. "No, I didn't. Why would you keep something like that from us?"
Genma laughed bitterly. "Because I'm a sleazy man and a terrible father. And now I'm probably going to die here and…she will grow up knowing that her father abandoned her. I have no chance to make it right."
Shisui fell silent. He couldn't even imagine. "That's rough," he said finally, unable to think of anything else supportive to say.
Juugo piped in. "What's your daughter's name?"
Genma coughed. "Pardon?"
"Your daughter's name," Juugo repeated.
Genma smiled, just a little. "Mari. She's six."
Juugo nodded. "You will see Mari again. I promise."
They watched the curse mark spread over Juugo's body, but this time, he was in control.
"What are you doing?" Shisui asked.
Juugo laughed sheepishly. "Believe it or not, I can be rational and in control and when that happens…" Juugo grunted as he kicked the steel door down. "I can do anything." He walked over to Shisui and Genma and ripped their shackles from the ground. "I'm sorry I can't do much else."
Genma was filled with renewed life once again. He stumbled as he stood up and had to lean on Shisui. "Believe me, Juugo. This is enough."
Words: 1387
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