Between the Walls

Chapter 11 — Is Trust

It had been the fourth night of patrolling the cheap building that Tsunade had called a research center. So far, Madara had not done anything in order to approach the building or even relay any interest in the building. It was plain and simple that at least half of the Akatsuki would stay and keep watch over the center from the time it closes to the time Tsunade arrives back early in the morning. This had pleased Shizune to no end due to the fact that her busty blonde mentor had stopped drinking so much due to the seriousness of the issue, however the dark haired girl did wish that it was under better circumstances. The two women still did not completely trust anyone in the criminal organization much rather half of them patrolling around the vicinity, but they had done their job thus far and Sakura as well as Pein has been kept safe.

The blonde had sighed in relief at this fact as she quickly swerved her car into the empty parking lot and approached the center. It had looked empty with no criminal occupants, but she had known better. There was a reason why no one in the Akatsuki had gotten caught yet other than their orange haired member, Pein. Quickly she slammed the car door shut and pressed the lock button three times, hearing it beep distinctly three times. It was a hidden signal for the Akatsuki that she had arrived and was allowed to lower their guard and not attack when she unlocked and entered the dark building.

"Tsunade-san," a call was given in greeting along with a slight bow from a crimson haired male. The blonde researcher had recalled that Sasori was one of the few polite members alongside the weasel, and so she gave a curt nod in greeting as well. "We have detected no signs of Madara near the area."

She nodded in approval, "Good."

However, before she could continue into her office, she heard him clear his throat as the other few members gathered together. Last night Madara had demanded that some of them accompany him in doing some of his 'errands', so it had only been Sasori, Kisame, Deidara and Kakuzu. In fact, Kakuzu had oddly volunteered patrolling the area since day one of the agreement and had done a thorough job of it. Said man began speaking in a cautious tone, "Actually, Tsunade-san, we are growing concerned. As of late, Madara has not taken any interest. Usually that would be a good sign, but having to work and be around the dangerous man long enough, I can safely say that he must be planning something."

Tsunade stiffed at this news and turned around to face the group, "What are you implying that we do then?"

"Relocate."

...

The past four nights had been restless for Pein as well as Sakura, however mainly for the fiery haired man. Lately, he had taken notice of obvious presence inside the building as soon as the researcher and her assistant leave the area. He only knows this through Kakuzu, the man that had appeared in several of his recollected memories from dreams and nightmares. The masked man had been slipping paper through the small opening under the door where the food tray would normally slide through. The room was still an abyss of darkness, but luckily Kakuzu had kept the little door where food would be placed opened so a crack of light shined in, enough for Pein to read said notes.

They had been updates of what was happening so far within the vicinity and who was there with them that night. A note that he had gotten recently had specifically told him that it was not safe to escape yet. The word 'yet' had resonated with him and signaled that they would be aiding his escape soon. He had told Sakura the news in a voice filled with excitement, but all he received from her was silence. "Sakura?" he called out, hand pressed against the wall. Why wasn't she responding? She should be just as thrilled as he was—wasn't this what she wanted to begin with?

"Where would we go?" was finally her response followed by more questions. "What will we do? When will we escape and more importantly… How?"

These questions had slowly instilled a new sense of fear within Pein. She was right. What would they do? Where would they go? There was always that matter and issue of Madara that would follow and track them down like rodents. Silence had filled both rooms as they both heard distinct voices in the background of what sounded like Tsunade shouting. Sakura quickly hugged herself in order to suppress a shiver that ran down her spine, quickly recalling a similar memory of loudness and white.

...

"What the hell do you mean I can't see her?!"

"Ma'am, she's in very critical condition right now and—"

"Like hell. I am a qualified doctor and I—"

The loud woman's voice was interrupted again, "A qualified doctor from another region; I'm sorry ma'am, but in this area we're not qualified to let anyone in her room other than family."

There was a chilling silence that Sakura could hear from her white room in which she assumed would be her hospital room. The loud familiar voice softened remarkably and heaved a sigh, "Look… I'm the closest she has to family—a surrogate mother. Please…"

Sakura could hear a soft sigh as the nurse acquiesces to the woman's request and gently opens the white door that led to her white room. There had been a long silence as honey brown eyes stare straight into a viridian green. She saw the loud woman's golden hair split into two loose ponytails and abundantly large breasts that put any women to shame. Finally, the woman spoke, "Sakura…"

The salmon haired girl looked around the room for the first time and did indeed confirm that she was in a hospital room. She looked back at the woman who now sat in a chair near her bed. She seemed familiar, but she could not remember. In fact, she couldn't remember how she got here to begin with and why she felt an immense pain in her arm and chest area. All she knew was that she was Haruno Sakura, she had petal pink hair, green eyes and that she was twenty-two. Looking back up into the same warm eyes, she muttered, "Who are you…?"

Sakura could tell the question had stung the woman internally but nonetheless she replied, "Tsunade."

...

Tsunade fumed at the suggestion and desperately wished she had something in her hand to throw at the men standing in front of her with expressionless faces. "What do you mean 'relocate'?!"

"Move th—"

"I know what it means," she hissed, pinching the bridge of her nose in attempts to settle her gradually growing headache and let out a heavy sigh, "Wouldn't relocating the two be more trouble? Madara would only suspect more and he would take action sooner."

Kakuzu shook his head, "The opposite, in fact. The plan would be to secretly relocate the two, but keep up the guise of having the two in this building and you continuing your 'research' on them. Madara would not suspect a thing, and if he did or if he did find out, then he would have to change his plans, thus delaying his course of actions."

"If you moved them, then how would I continue my research?" she raised a blonde eyebrow at this.

Kisame interrupted this time, pointing out blatantly, "We all know that you're just using this 'research' business as a way to keep Sakura for yourself. You only took Pein because you needed further stability to prove that you're taking this experiment seriously."

The knot in Tsunade's throat tightened at this as she gritted her teeth together, turning her back to them. She forced out a scoff, muttering, "Am I really that much of an open book? God damn Sakura rubbed off on me."

Deidara stepped up this time and put a hand on the blonde's shoulder gently in reassurance, "We want to keep them safe just as much as you do." He hated to admit it, but the pink haired girl was what kept Pein from completely falling apart after Konan's death and she did attempt to save him after his admittedly stupid accident with the apartment building fire.

"When?" Tsunade shrugged the other blonde's hand off her shoulder as she turned again, worry glazed over her eyes for a mere second before it was replaced with seriousness once more. "The relocation—when, how and where?"

"It will happen tonight while Madara is out of the city," Kakuzu answered, "We will inform Pein of the plans since he has the key and we will send them off. I cannot tell you the whereabouts just in case Madara…" He didn't dare say more because it was already implied that Madara may have his way if Tsunade let it slip of the two's whereabouts.

Tsunade nodded and raised an eyebrow, "I won't ask where or how Pein got the key… But, how can I trust that you will take care of them? How can I believe you'll take care of Sakura?"

"We've been taking care of them for the past four nights while you are away," Kisame pointed out. "If you do not trust that we will take care of the little brat then trust Pein of taking care of her. If Pein trusts her, then we trust him."

The woman bit her lip nervously before clicking her tongue in reluctance at the statement, "I don't trust any of you, but if Sakura trusts Pein then… Fine," She quickly left the men as she slammed her office door shut. She no longer wanted to talk about the future loss of her surrogate daughter. She hated the fact that relocation was the best possible way to ensure both of their safety, but if she had to trust anyone—it would be Sakura, and she knew that the amount of care and affection the petal haired girl held for the fiery haired one was large enough for this to be done, even if Sakura could not remember what had happened.

...

The night quickly approached and soon enough, both Pein and Sakura could hear the familiar clicks of the locked doors. Apparently, tonight it had only been Kakuzu guarding. The plan was to still commence as organized and it was to run smoothly without suspicion. Everyone else in the Akatsuki had to either accompany Madara on his trip, run other errands or to stay in one of their various bases to keep watch. Unfortunately, Kakuzu still had to keep watch at the front to make sure their only exit was open.

"Sakura," Pein murmured, pressing his back against the warmth of the corner as he stood up, "Kakuzu said he will give us the signal. Listen for security system to disarm itself and be at the door. I will unlock my door and then unlock yours and we'll leave together. Kakuzu will take us somewhere safer from Madara."

From the other side, Sakura nodded, "I trust you…" Butterflies swarmed like flies in her stomach as she nervously bit her lower lip, constantly brushing her long pink locks out of the way. She realized that the first thing she would want to do as soon as she gets out is to see how much has changed from what she could remember and to also get a haircut. However, what made her stomach really flutter was the fact that she would see Pein soon. The memories that she had recollected of him had been pleasant, and she couldn't remember or at least couldn't recollect any unpleasant memories of him so far.

From the outside, Kakuzu stood eerily still, green irises flitting in every angle and every corner to check and see if the coast was clear. Soon enough, a small black Volkswagen Jetta appeared in a silent stop in front of the research facility. Its tinted windows rolled down to reveal the calm and collected cardinal red eyes of Itachi who gave him a nod. Without further hesitation, Kakuzu pressed the necessary buttons on the keypad in a long complicated series and soon enough, the red lights within the entire building at each corner shut off at the sound of a quick beep.

"Sakura," Pein's eyes widened, hearing the distinct and familiar beep as the security system was disarmed, "Go to the door now!" He heard quick shuffling of the feet on the other side as he quickly got up himself and rushed over the door, accidentally stepping on some pebbles on the dark ground as he jammed the key into the door handle and soon enough, it clicked open.

He did not expect to meet a similar darkness again as he had in the room. The security system must have also shut down some of the lights in the area as well. Pein needed to act quickly because he knew anything could happen with every second that he stalled that kept Kakuzu waiting worriedly and impatiently. He quickly felt his way towards another door that emitted a low light from the cracks underneath. It must be where Sakura was kept. "Sakura," he knocked quickly, trying not to shout, "I'm here! I'll get you out soon." He couldn't comprehend what she had said but took it as a murmur of acknowledgement. Before he could even find the handle to her door, he heard a soft eerie chuckle in the background. For once, Pein was afraid of the dark that he had grown so accustomed to.

Outside, Kakuzu tapped his foot impatiently and stared nervously at the calm Uchiha who still sat in the driver's seat of the black vehicle. This was taking far too long. They both locked eyes and nodded, quickly making a mental agreement to go in and see what was going on. As they both entered the building, the click of the front door locked yet again with a secured beep signaling the security system was on yet again. It was impossible to enter or leave the vicinity without the code each time the front doors opened. The two of them sucked in breath as they traveled down the long halls lit with a dim red light from the security system that told them it was on. Itachi held a pistol close to him, the safety clicked off as he used his cell phone as light.

Soon enough, the light was shining down on a pale faced Pein, a revolver pointed straight at his head by a gray skinned man with familiar grass green hair and yellow eyes. Kakuzu growled in detest, "Zetsu."

"You thought Madara didn't know?" the crazed man broke out in laughter, yellow eyes never taking its focus off the two men just as the revolver he held never left the side of Pein's messy orange hair. "You thought he'd just let you get away with it?" The loud laughter never ceased as well as Sakura's banging on the large heavy duty door to be let out. "What fools you all are! You see, we knew from the very start. We just decided to play at your little game and see who would win. But, of course we would win! You may have had a small chance of winning—but Madara always gets what he wants."

His speech was short and fast paced, the crazed look in his yellow eyes told both Itachi and Kakuzu that they had the advantage since they had Zetsu literally trapped in the corner. Slowly, Itachi lowered his pistol from Zetsu, "Calm down…" he could see Zetsu tense up further as the cardinal red eyed man slowly stepped closer to them as he lowered himself and placed the gun on the floor, "All we want—"

A loud gunshot was heard as Kakuzu shouted, "Go Pein, get her out now!" Kakuzu had kept a gun hidden on him at all times and took advantage of Itachi's stalling to catch the green haired man off guard as he shot him, but unfortunately missed any critical or fatal areas and had shot him on his upper leg instead. The revolver dropped as did Zetsu from the sudden pain in his leg. Quickly taking Kakuzu's command, Pein jammed the key into the keyhole and attempted to turn the knob.

Realization hadn't hit him until Kakuzu and Itachi forcefully shoved him into the black car and drove off further away from the vicinity. It all happened too quickly for his mind to currently put the order of things together. All he could remember was that Zetsu had taken a cheap shot at Kakuzu while on the floor in pain and hit his arm. At that point, everything else was a blur from Itachi's shout of retreat and Kakuzu's heavy pained breaths as the two of them had to drag Pein out of the shrill cries of the alarm from the building. He glanced to the empty seat next to him and ringed eyes widened as a heavy weight had dropped into his stomach.

Sakura's door had a different lock. He had a different key. She was still in her white room.

Well, I promised I would update on Monday… A little bit late, I apologize—but it's still Monday! Thank you so much for the support so far. However, I do have a quick question for readers of fanfiction:

How do you guys know when a fanfiction has updated a new chapter?

I know some of you guys check your email, or you review and check your review history for that little orange flag, but I've always been curious. If it'll help, I could reply to reviews as soon as a chapter has been put up so you guys would know when it's been updated? Not sure. I hope the pace at the end wasn't too quick, and the pace in the beginning wasn't too slow.