Ok, updates may be slow, I have important exams in June and my parents insist I start revising now.

There is a transition in here where Max goes from being referred to as 'Murdock' to 'Max', there is a reason, shout-out-character goes to anyone who figures it out. (If you already have a shout-out-character then it will definitely appear more)

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~Shout-out-character for Bubbles of Ebil, may or may not become a recurring character~

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Weeks passed, the white room remained constant, slowly driving Murdock crazy… crazier. She could feel the hunger pangs, they kept her grounded mostly but sometimes they only helped her insanity. Maybe the nurse would be feeling her soon.

If she had any sense of time, Murdock would know that she only got fed once a week. The nurse would attach a tube to a valve now imbedded directly into her stomach, pureed food would then be pumped in. The feeling of helplessness didn't help, she couldn't stop whatever it was being pumped in, nor could she even see what it was.

She was still in the dark about where she was, the nurse showed no sign of village affiliation nor did she talk. No one else visited her, not while she was awake anyway. Murdock did have a distinct feeling not all of the times she fell asleep were voluntary, she could feel a needle in her left arm, it could be delivering anything into her bloodstream.

-

Members of Akatsuki had discovered the theft of some of the rings and as such had called a meeting. Itachi and Kisame had been sent to Orochimaru to see if that one had been stolen too. Deidara had been berated after losing two of them, had Hidan been around he would have been berated too. Even if they did find Orochimaru's ring had been stolen Itachi and Kisame were to find as much about the thief as they could.

While getting into Sound, it was painfully obvious something had happened, the security had doubled since their last visit. Kisame and Itachi split to cover more ground, they were both confident that they could take on anyone who saw them as a threat. Kisame took the village while Itachi snuck into the base itself, his use of genjutsu would allow him to get in undetected.

-

"Do you like green eggs and ham?" Murdock whispered in English, her voice unused to much more than a whisper, though the syllables still flowed freely from her lips.

"I do not like them Sam-I-am." She would never forget her mother tongue and how it felt. "I do not like green eggs and ham." It had taken weeks for her to feel like she could do more than just sit there.

"Would you like them here or there?" If they were going to break her she would take someone with her.

"I would not like them here or there." She had memorised this a long time ago. "I would not like them anywhere." To anyone listening it sounded like nonsense.

"Would you like them in a house?" Even if they did understand the language it would still be meaningless unless they were Louise or Laura. "Would you like them with a mouse?"

It would be a while before anyone realised she was repeating herself, the nurse was sat in a room nearby observing the girl on some monitors, the sound filtered through speakers.

The only reason she hadn't been silenced was because her observer thought she was repeating a code, one that she might alter and give them some clue of what it was.

Murdock was succeeding in one way, she was driving them insane. Their boss was not going to be pleased, though Orochimaru rarely was.

-

Another person walked the corridors of Orochimaru's base, and as far as anyone was concerned he was unwelcome. If anyone noticed him anyway. Itachi had been ordered to check out the entire base, just in case it had been moved to a less conspicuous place. As he wandered down the hallway, peoples gazes just slid right past him as if he wasn't there. Unlike most of the ninjas assigned to the Hogwarts mission he actively use magic to aid him, it was useful in some ways but Chakra far outstripped it in other ways.

A corridor piques his interest, the cells of Orochimaru's prisoners. Akatsuki were always looking for new blood and Orochimaru only let the strongest live. He looked at the clipboard outside the first room, nothing outstanding so he moved on. Some of the clipboard showed some potential, he might suggest a raid soon. Even if it did go wrong he could read their weaknesses and use them if needed.

At the end of that corridor was a window looking into a dark room with a couple of screens on a table next to a door. A woman sat inside watching the screen and writing something down. The screens were too small to see anything distinguished but there was still a clipboard with the prisoner's details. He lifted it off its hook to inspect and then almost dropped it.

Name: Maxine Hakie

That was impossible.

-

A few cells down a girl woke up, something had changed the usual monotony. There was someone new. The girl could tell, only new people showed these kinds of emotions, regulars were never shocked by what they saw unless someone had escaped. This new person was beyond shock, more like disbelief on the verge of full out denial. The girl knew no one had escaped to cause the shock, she would have felt the lack of their emotions. She could feel everyone's emotions in the block.

She could feel the stranger stopped outside the lost girl's room, the always present apathetic woman between the newcomer and lost girl. The girl sat up in her cell, she hadn't been restrained and so was free to move, she pressed her ear up to the door, hoping to hear something interesting. Emotions around here never really changed so she had to take the drama that she got.

The newcomer moved down the corridor, leaving, the same emotion emanating from him, increasing then decreasing in strength as he passed her cell.

-

Itachi was at a loss. He had absolutely no clue what he should do now. He couldn't break her out now, as much as he would love to have. After all he did owe her after the whole rescuing him in a towel thing. But there was also the fact this was Orochimaru's base. Wandering around unnoticed was one thing, breaking someone out was a completely different kettle of fish. Akatsuki wasn't likely to help him either, Deidara might but the others wouldn't.

He met up with Kisame outside the village, both empty handed, and they began their trek back to base.

"Something's bothering you," Kisame said. Itachi knew there was no point denying it.

"It's none of your concern"

"Orochimaru's experiments were that disgusting?" Itachi just remained silent, neither confirming nor denying it. It would be a long night.

-

Max wished that the sedative was more effective, she was building up a tolerance and who ever was in charge didn't seem to notice, or care. She'd woken up while being injected with something, it had been painful and intrusive. The shocked look on the woman's face showed Max hadn't been supposed to wake up. As had become routine Max had started to recite 'Green eggs and ham' in English.

She had no idea of who had been there a few days previously and who was planning her break out.

A couple of hours later she lost conscious, the needle in her arm delivering the sedative like clockwork.

Then all hell broke loose.

A couple of cells down the door exploded, unfortunately killing the man inside and cracking some walls. A figure walked straight passed it, it was only there as a distraction. He continued down to the end of the corridor and entered the nurses room, killing her before she even noticed his presence.

A little piece of the figure broke when he saw Max. Her face was as pale as her hair, which itself almost blended in with the white walls. Hoisting the girl over his shoulder, the figure walked out of the girl's cell to freedom.

As he walked down the corridor a girl crawled through a crack in her wall, one that joined her cell to the deceased mans cell. The girl knew he was the same person who had been so shocked. She followed him, he was taking the lost girl with him, the girl could tell he had feelings for the lost girl.

Itachi didn't care that another prisoner was escaping, nothing in his appearance or scent would link him to his true identity so as far as he was concerned she wasn't a risk.

-

It was on the border to fire country Itachi could finish his part in this rescue, he could feel a familiar chakra heading towards him, he was glad it was just one.

He stood in the middle of the path, Max still slung over his shoulder. The girl who had also escaped was by his side. He strangely didn't mind.

Kakashi dropped from the trees to face Itachi, His visible eye widening at the sight.

"Take her home," Itachi said, absolutely no emotion in his voice. "Tell her we're even." He place Max on the ground, she was still in the straitjacket, Itachi didn't want to risk her killing him when she woke. Itachi then turned on his heel and walked down the path, the empathic girl following.

Had Max not been there and in the state she was in Kakashi would have attacked the Uchiha. But with Max there almost as a peace offering Kakashi restrained the urge. He picked her up and began the journey home.

-

The next time Max woke, nothing looked different, still a white room, still no sign of anyone. Something felt different though.

"Sam I am," Max started, why break a habit?

-

Observing via a screen Sakura watched the girl. Max's presence was a high class secret due to her state and the means by which she was found. Sakura listened to the words, recognising them as English but she didn't know much of the language. She would have to talk to Tsunade to get a fluent English speaker in. Laura and Louise had specifically been banned from knowing anything, any judgement they made would be considered influenced by their friendship with Max.

It was actually really difficult to find someone who hadn't come into contact with Max, spoke English and Japanese and was cleared to visit the village. They eventually found one, a marine who'd only recently been transferred to the Stargate base in the elemental countries, his babysitter had been Japanese leading to his learning the language.

The first time he heard what Max was saying he thought it was a joke. Then he remembered where he was.

"She's reciting a book, a children's book, Green eggs and ham by Dr Seuss," he said. "Doesn't have the same rhyming sounds in Japanese though"

-

Laura and Louise had been underestimated, within ten minutes of the marine arriving at Max's cell they knew about it, they could only draw one conclusion. Only one other person spoke enough fluent English to need an impartial translator.

Max.

This of course lead to both girls questioning just what was going on, Max was dead. If they hadn't been called to translate then the guards probably had orders to stop them from getting in.

This called for alternative measures. Tsunade herself would not be able to observe so who else but her apprentice, Sakura. Sakura who still had a crush on a certain someone.

"Sasuke…" It was something in the way Laura said that the made Sasuke wonder what scheme they were planning for this time.

Another ten minutes passed and Sasuke returned looking slightly puzzled.

"Any idea if there's a meaning behind 'Green eggs and ham?" The effect was immediate. Sasuke was rewarded with a brief kiss from Laura before the two girls disappeared. Not even Tsunade would be able to stop those two girls and Sasuke had the distinct feeling that they been kept out of this loop on purpose.

"You may like them. You will see. You may like them in a tree!" Max was still at it, part way through her second repeat.

"I would not, could not in a tree. Not in a car! You let me be." Someone continued, Max's head shot upright, clicking her neck slightly at the sudden movement. In the door way stood Laura and Louise, behind them looked to be a knocked out guard. Max's mouth opened but no words came out. Her mind had immediately regarded the image as a hallucination and therefore dismissed their presence.

"I see the report of your death was exaggerated then," Laura said looking over her friend.

"She doesn't look any crazier than usual either"

"I do not like them in a box. I do not like them with a fox. I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am." The last words were said with contempt. Both of her friends frowned, not the reaction they had been expecting. They were hauled out of the doorway and the door closed, Max was once again left in the white room on her own.

"What do you two think you're doing?" Tsunade demanded.

"Seeing our friend," Louise answered glaring at the Hokage.

"We aren't even sure if that's her, it could be an a spy"

"Who can recite an English book… in English. Wow, I'm impressed," Laura said sardonically.

"I'm saying she may not be herself, many countries use brainwashing on captives and considering it was a missing nin who brought her back we can't be too careful"

"Itachi brought her back, didn't he," Laura said, her mouth forming a grim line. If it had been any other missing nin then Tsunade would have given a name. "Do you know what she's saying?"

"The words to a children's book." Both girls shook their heads.

"It's more than that. Way more," Louise said.

"Max is using it to assess where she is and whether she's safe. By giving a line of the book she may be aware she's safe, but confused why she's restrained, that may be why she didn't react to us." Laura explained.

"It's also telling us she's in her own frame of mind, which is why we should free her," Louise said opening the door and walking over to Max fully intent on undoing the straitjacket. Laura stood in the doorframe blocking Tsunade's entrance. In such a small area it would be ridiculous to use the super strength, she was also certain that any of the girls had found a way to negate it.

"I should fire both of you"

"You could also start a civil war, but you won't," Max said, speaking in Japanese for the first time in a few weeks. She was leaning heavily on Louise, after sitting in the same position for weeks on end her muscles were protesting at supporting her weight. Laura immediately moved to share the weight with Louise.

-

Miles away, Itachi was setting up camp with the escaped empathic girl. Neither of them had said anything, they didn't need to, Itachi could read her body language and she could feel his emotions. At least she wasn't trying to manipulate his emotions again, he'd figured that out and put a stop to it when she had tried. The girl could be powerful as part of a ninja village but she had no intention of joining one. She would wander, her unique ability helping her. She would stay with Itachi for a while longer, until he sorted out his emotions anyway.

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