A/N: Welcome to the "24" episode of this here fanfic…read on and you'll see just what I mean.
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. FACT. The food smells good. OPINION.
Chapter title is from the song Time is Running Out by Papa Roach
The Start of The Ten Minutes
The guard had just shut the door and flooded light into the containing cell so Sakura could see her teammate scrunched against a wall, wrapped in chakra restraints.
"Sasuke," she began immediately, not wanting to waste a nanosecond of time, "I came here to say I'm so sorry about what I said to you. I was frustrated and I just wanted to say something to get your attention, but I was totally out of line. I didn't mean a word of it."
He nodded, still not looking at her, "That's not the only reason you came."
"Yeah, I also came to tell you the court is expected to call for your execution."
"Hn."
"Don't you care?"
"Not...particularly." He dragged out every syllable. She wasn't sure if it was the drugs still lingering in his system or if he was doing it on purpose to kill time.
Sakura furrowed her brow, "Sasuke, please look at me. I'm sorry, okay? I wish I could make a more heartfelt apology than that, but I'm not good with words and I've only got eight minutes and four seconds left. Please don't just ignore me right now just to make me feel awful, cause I already do, but it's really going to hurt you in the long run."
Sasuke shifted his weight awkwardly. His finger drew figure eights on the prison's cold, hard floor, "I accept your apology," he whispered after some time.
"Good, so now we can try to work something out on what to do about the court of elders." Seven minutes, fifteen seconds.
"What do you suppose?"
"I think your best bet is to give the court the information that I know you've got," her words were coming out rapid fire, "Just tell me where it is and me, Tsunade-sama, and Naruto will handle the negotiations with the court."
"I already told you the information stays hidden until I get total amnesty."
"Think for a second, Sasuke! The chances of that happening after what you did to your apartment are slim to none, and slim just left town!"
He snorted a laugh, "Clever."
Six minutes, twenty-four seconds. "Seriously! Where the fuck are the documents? Just trust me okay? I'll do everything I can to get you out of this, but you need to give me something to work with!"
Sasuke wasted two agonizing minutes considering her words then finally spoke, "Did you really see my mother? Her ghost?"
"We don't have time for that now!"
"Did you?"
Sakura grunted in frustration, "Yes!"
"Why would she show herself to you, and not me?"
"I don't know, just please tell me where you've got the—"
"I've spent eleven years praying to see her again, and she just pops up for you."
Sakura pressed her face against the bars, "Sasuke, I swear to you as soon as we get you out of this fix, we'll figure out what's happening with your mom, but please just let me help you now."
"There's nothing left for me in this world, and besides," He began tracing up his chains, "…If I die I'll see her sooner anyway, right?" Then tracing downwards.
Sakura had tears in her eyes now. He'd given up. Sasuke Uchiha had lost the will to live.
"No! Don't talk like that! You've still got so much to live for, you still have to revive your clan!"
"I won't damn a child by having it be mine." Three minutes, thirty-two seconds.
The tears were streaming from her green eyes now, flooding her light face. Her fortitude was far too fatigued to cap her emotions anymore, "I need you!" And just like that she was thirteen again, begging him to stay. Begging him not to leave her alone again for what would be the last time. "I can't lose you now, not when I just got you back! If you leave me this time, I'll follow you I swear!"
He seemed to contemplate a speck of dirt on the floor for eighty-eight excruciating seconds, "Why?" He asked finally.
Well there's no tip toeing around it now…"Because I fucking love you, you asshole!"
That got him to make eye contact. One minute, one second.
"So please don't leave me," she whispered through her sobs.
"There's a village sixteen miles west of here. Go to the Okoshi Inn and tell them you're looking for Hebi."
"Snake?"
"Just trust me," he sat up straight and continued, speaking much more quickly now, "Ask the name of the person who greets you. If their name is not Suigetsu, Juugo, or Karin, do not trust them. Once you find them tell the 'to hell with orders.'"
She nodded, wiping the tears from her face, "Alright. I'll go right now." Taking one last glance at him she smiled.
"Be careful, Sakura," his face was stoic as he pushed himself away from the wall on which he leaned, "Juugo sometimes loses control of himself, Karin is obsessive, and Suigetsu can be overly...animated" A small smirk appeared.
"Duly noted," she let out a quick giggle, appreciating his warning that was so dare she say it...warm? Zero seconds.
"Take Naruto with you."
"Why?"
"Just do it…I'd feel better knowing you had someone with you."
The door screeched open and a guard told her sternly, "Times up."
She went with him, reluctantly but didn't offer any resistance. "Arigato, Sasuke-kun."
2 Hours Later
The two leaf ninja arrived at the Okoshi Inn at about noon. It seemed to be some kind of hot spring resort type thing judging by all the people walking around in towels, letting it all hang out and such. A lazy eyed employee sat at the front to top off the serene scene. Sakura, head held high and eyes straight ahead, marched straight to the front desk and demanded with an unusual amount of conviction in her voice, "We're here to see, Hebi."
Suddenly the man's eyes jumped all around, his body soon following, "I'll get them, now!" And he ran away.
"So we're looking for Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu, right?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah."
After a few minutes a shirtless boy, about their age made his way into the lobby, rubbing his white hair with his towel, "So you've finally come, Sas—" he looked up from his drying, "You are way to pretty to be, Sasuke." He said upon laying eyes on Sakura, then looking over to Naruto he said, "And you…well, you're too fucking blonde."
A tall boy made his way into the lobby next. He was completely shroud in a blue cloak and looked totally out of place among the other guests who were as aforementioned: Letting it all hang out. Though, interestingly enough he seemed to have the same peace of mind the rest of them did.
"I'm Suigetsu," the white haired boy offered his hand to Sakura then Naruto to shake, then gestured to the taller boy, "That's Juugo."
The high pitched sound of a woman came from the hall, "SASUKE-KUN'S BACK!" she shrieked happily until she saw the two visitors that came in her boy-toy's stead, "Who the hell are you?" Sakura noticed the same employee from before peeking his head out from behind a door frame and mouthing something along the lines of, "Please, get rid of her!"
"I'm Naruto!" the blond blurted out.
"I could care less, who's the chick?"
Oh, this bitch is going to get on my fucking nerves… "The chick is Sakura."
"Hmph," she shrugged and twirled her red hair.
Suigetsu sighed, "And that lovable character is Karin."
"Now that we all know each other, would you mind telling us how you found us here?" the Juugo boy finally spoke up, his voice calm and deep, he sort of seemed the most like Sasuke out of all of them, "Sasuke told us he'd find us himself."
"Sasuke is locked up," Naruto almost shouted, "And he needs the information he's got on Kumo to free him."
"We're assuming you all have it," Sakura added.
Suigetsu nodded, "We do, but our orders were clear enough. Boss-man said don't give anyone the information even if they say he sent them."
"Sasuke told me to tell you all 'to hell with orders.' He really needs those documents."
They all glanced at each other uncomfortably, unsure of whether or not to trust the rosette's words, finally Suigetsu spoke again, "I wanna believe you, really, and that does sound like something Sasuke'd say, but if there's even the slightest chance that you guys weren't sent by Sasuke…We're all dead."
"Come on! We really don't have time for this! Sasuke threatens to kill people all the time he doesn't necessarily always mean it, trust me," Naruto yelled, "Just give us the info, we're on Sasuke's team from the village, just trust us!"
"Keep your voice down," Karin whispered loudly.
"Oh, you're one to talk!" Sakura couldn't stop herself from saying it. What is with my big mouth lately?
"What the hell do you mean by that?"
Again, Sakura just couldn't help herself and imitated Karin's opening line with a squeal and an ever so dainty leg pop, "Sasuke-kun's back!"
Karin was about to retaliate when Suigetsu's laugh cut her off. Even the stoic Juugo wore a smirk.
"I like you, Sakura," Suigetsu declared through his chuckles, "Karin really needs that occasional shut down!...Tell you what. We'll get the documents and accompany you back to the village gates. You let them take Sasuke out, with no additional guards, so we know we won't get ambushed, and you guys can have it. Deal?"
"How about to just give us the damn—"
"Deal."
"What?" Naruto snapped, "We don't have that kind of pull with the jail."
"Tsunade will do anything for that information," Sakura whispered to him, "Even beg for a huge favor from the prison and ANBU." She turned back to Hebi, "Hurry up. Let's go."
A/N: So yeah…I know I was talking about faster updates and such ironically right before I took an abnormally long break between updates. Fun story! While I was in San Francisco I was inspired to write a sequel to my oneshot Strangers' Fall From Grace…but then my computer's hard drive over heated and I lost my four page file before I had a chance to USB it up and I had a total mental breakdown ^_^ ANYHOO, I'm back so make sure you review mi amici!