Revived
Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

'I can't do it anymore.' Sakura thought as she was thrown back into the room that had been her prison for close to eight weeks.

'Naruto...Kakashi...Yamato...Sai...Tsunade...Shizune...Ino...I'm so sorry.'

'Don't you dare give up!'

Sakura's eyes widened as another voice filled her mind. From somewhere in the depths of her mind where her last vestiges of self-doubt and insecurity resided another presence arose: Inner Sakura. And that entity now screamed at her, egging her on with orders to get up and not give up.

'I can't...'

The presence finally hit a sore spot: 'Are you as weak as they say, after all?'

"I'm not weak!" Sakura screamed as if she expected the entity to materialize beside her.

'Then get up!'

Sakura pushed herself up on her bruised forearms, groaning with the effort it required. She reached up, gripping the bed frame and staggered to her feet. She was weak, shaky...but she was standing.

'I thought you'd see it my way.' The presence stated as it receded back into her mind.

Sakura steadied herself against the bed post, taking a moment to regain her balance. She weaved slightly when she stood, but she didn't fall. She faltered several times as she wove her way across the room to the single pitcher of water she was offered every day. She didn't drink it, choosing instead to pour it over her bloodied face. Feeling conscious again, she tossed the container aside and pulled herself up on her shaky limbs.

Now all she needed was a plan.

Though she could ill afford to lose anymore, she cut her hand open and brought it to her mouth. She forced the coppery liquid down her throat until nausea overtook her.

Kabuto entered the room once again and picked the kunoichi up from the pool of her own blood. She apparently hadn't moved since he had been their last. He wasn't exceedingly gently, nor was he openly violent as he roughly dragged her up. He did, however, feel some disgust as her blood congealed hair plastered across his chest.

He walked down the hall to his torture chamber lab with her in tow. Wasting no time in stringing her up, he began the day's 'procedures': Harvesting her, torturing her, throwing her back. The first was over in a relatively short amount of time. But he wouldn't get very far in the second stage before making a crucial mistake: He had been testing her endurance for physical pain when he had struck her in the stomach. Consequently, he was covered in the blood she vomited seconds later.

Thinking quickly, he cut the day's proceedings short and had her taken back to her quarters and placed in her bed. He would have to wait several days before resuming anything.

Sakura waited for the click of the lock and the receding of footsteps before she pushed aside the sheets and stood up. She had been counting on Kabuto's fear of Orochimaru's wrath and his apprehension at pushing her too far. She had ensured the only content of her stomach was her own blood, there by ensuring a reprieve from the hell of the Oto nin's experiments.

But it had cost her dearly. The lack of blood and food had left her dizzy and clammy. She also knew her little trick wouldn't last very long-two attempts at most-before Kabuto caught on.

So she did the only thing she could think of: She fell to her knees and prayed.

The veil of desperation that had enshrouded the rescue squad for weeks suddenly lifted.

"Naruto?" Sai asked.

"Yeah. She's alright." The replied with a confident grin.

"Let's go!" Kakashi ordered with more authority than he had possessed for weeks and Yamato smiled for the first time in over a month.

'Watch out, Oto!' The Kyuubi carrier thought