A wonderful day in the nei-borhood! Whoo…I worked in the window today at work, and holy cow does it get hot. I think it scrambled my brain a bit this time O.O
Thanks for reviewing; I'm glad I didn't scare anyone. Well, except when I got some folks mad that the babies might be dead. I won't tell anyone what's gonna happen, but trust me!
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The Chase For Her
Love
Chapter 14: The Man In The Mask
Sasuke entered Sakura's apartment the moment they entered Konoha. He'd kicked the door in, splintering the wood when he found it looked and no one opened up. Neji searched the house, even as the Uchiha practically tore the place apart searching for his woman.
"She's not here." The Hyuga said in a mono-tone voice and tried not to cringe underneath Sasuke's death glare.
"Then where the hell is she?"
Naruto grabbed his friend's shoulder and slapped the man's face none too gently. "Calm down! We'll know when we get to Tsunade."
They did just that…
The Sannin was just locking up her office when the three ninja halted before her. "You're back?" she asked and narrowed her eyes. "What happened?"
"They found our location." Neji said, "So we've come back. Our reconnaissance is complete." He handed her the encoded scroll and she frowned at it.
"And?"
Sasuke couldn't contain himself any longer. "They know about Sakura and mine's assassination months ago. They know and they are after her."
"That's stupid." Tsunade said. "I just spoke to her three hours ago. She's nobody's target, the Rebels need no motive to take her."
Sasuke gave her the most painful, fierce look she'd ever seen and she glared back in response. "Why so nervous about this?"
Naruto decided to pipe in before Sasuke found himself on the bad end of Tsunade's anger. "Me and teme interrogated a Rebel messenger and he told us some pretty disturbing things…"
The Sannin was still, but her eyes were wide. "Go one…"
"He said the Rebels were pretty pissed that Sasuke and Sakura killed their men and they wanted revenge. Sakura was walking a month ago back to the village and-"
"I know, she told me." Tsunade said and rubbed the back of her neck. "I can only assume there was a witness. These rogue ninja are more dangerous and intelligent than I thought. Someone strong and very cunning is leading them."
Sasuke took a step forward, his crimson eyes wide and wild with trapped panic. "Tsunade…I have reason to believe that they are coming for her."
"And you, teme." Naruto added and gripped his friend's shoulder to steady him.
The Sannin took a deep breath and groaned. "Fine…I want to go home, but I cannot ignore this. Come on, I'll take you to where she's been staying."
ooo
They knocked on Ino and Choji's front door and waited for a while until Sasuke started getting very edgy. Finally, after many more knocks, a groggy-eyed TenTen opened it up, rubbing her eyes with one hand the other on her slight belly.
"What time is it?" she muttered and looked up, her eyes drifting over them until she spotted Neji and they shot to lividness.
"It's about two in the morning." The Hyuga said with a grin as his wife burst into tears.
"Neji, oh my god!"
Naruto, Tsunade and Sasuke entered the house, leaving the couple to reunite, and she led them upstairs. The Sannin knocked on the door, waited, and carefully opened it when she heard no response. "Sakura?" she whispered and then looked at the bed, her eyes wide and frightened.
"No!" she cried and was pushed into the door as Sasuke and Naruto barreled into the room. The two shinobi stopped short, eyes locked on the heavily blood-stained sheets crumbled the bed.
The Uchiha felt his soul burn with rage and his Sharingan began spinning within his irises.
He was going to lose it…
Tsunade noticed the heavy chakra building and she easily spotted Sasuke's veins in his neck. She reached out, slapped him hard and pulled his face close to hers. "We don't know if that is her blood. We need Kiba and Akamaru and I want Shino here as well."
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The big white dog sniffed at the sheets while the ninja crowded the room. Ino, Hinata, Choji, and TenTen were out in the living room awaiting the news.
Sasuke sat in a corner of the room, crouched down into the unlit shadows as Naruto gripped the shoulder of his friend's shirt, as if to reassure them both it would all be alright.
The dog huffed out air through his nose sharply and licked the blood. Sasuke felt himself revolt within, and he fought to keep his stomach.
Kiba stepped up, spoke with silent words to his dog, and looked up with a sigh of relief. "What a dumb trick…it's pig's blood."
A resounding breath of relief went around the room and Tsunade turned to Shino. Do you by any chance have a bug planted on her still?"
The dark-haired man with sunglasses nodded. "Unfortunately no. She found it long ago and…killed it."
Kiba raised his hand suddenly. "Akamaru and I will come. He can track her scent. Especially because of the babies."
Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes at the man's mistake. It was only one baby that he and Sakura were having. It if was even alive anymore.
Fuck…If their baby was dead, he'd never forgive himself…
Tsunade began pointing around. "Kiba, Shino, Neji, Naruto, of course Sasuke, and I want Hinata on this mission too. You can never have too many three-sixty eyes on your side. You'll all be needed for this, and I think I should send a few more with you. Met up in half an hour at the gates."
ooo
Sasuke waited anxiously for the remaining group in their party, and he jerked when Neji slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Be calm, Sasuke. We will find her."
"I know. I won't stop until I do…"
Naruto smirked up at his friend and looked over as several more appeared. Rock Lee dropped in first, hopping up and down, getting his blood pumping. "Alright, Sakura-chan and her baby is missing, we must find her!"
Sasuke found himself grinning despite his greatest despair, and he stood up when Kakashi and Choji showed up too.
The ex-sensei stepped up and spoke candidly with Naruto and Sasuke. "I have Pakkun tracking her already. Akamaru is there, and he's already picked up her scent. She's alive Sasuke, so stay calm."
The Uchiha nearly glared. Easy for you to say! "What about the baby?"
"Alive."
Sasuke closed his eyes tight with relief and looked up as the others gathered around. He saw Neji, Hinata, Naruto, Kiba, Shino, Choji, and Kakashi; all willing to look for Sakura. It humbled the man immensely.
"Let's begin." He said and they didn't need to wait for Akamaru to shoot off out the gates, the eight ninja on his heels…
ooo
Tsunade stood at the highest point of her tower and watched the ninja disappear from sight into the trees. The wind's fingers brushed through her hair as Jiraya materialized by her side. She didn't need to look at him to know he was their; they had a deep connection.
Tsunade knew, from what the scroll revealed, the Rebels were attacking the village at dawn. And Konoha would be ready for them…
The Hokage had ninja on stand by, waiting at her word to mass and fight, and they we already prepared. She'd have to pray her people were ready for war again so soon…
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Sakura woke on her side, head aching from the drug that had knocked her out. Her heart was fluttering with leftover shock and she closed her eyes to concentrate.
Chakra flowed throughout her body like normal but she forced it to center within her womb, as she'd done many times, and she tried to feel the beats of her babies' hearts.
For a fleeting moment she thought they were gone, but then she felt their strong little hearts, steady and speedy as they should be. She barely caught the whimper in her throat before it could leave her.
Sakura didn't know if her captors knew she was pregnant; she still didn't look it too much. She might have passed for normal because of the over-sized t-shirt she wore and the black spandex shorts. She was only so glad she didn't sleep in the nude…
The door at her back opened with an eerie creak and she felt shivers of dread race up her spine. She heard the soft foot beats on the ground but she hardly expected a hand on her shoulder.
Sakura jerked as she sat up, lost her equilibrium, and had to slouch down onto her forearms to steady her twisting vision.
"Easy, easy. You know you have to be careful with a little baby inside you."
She struggled to look at the man, but he was wearing a familiar mask with a single hole where his right eye should be. "Tobi," she said, "Just back off, or you'll pay. Sooner or later…" she murmered and held her aching head in her hand, not taking an eye off her captor.
The man crossed his arms and looked up. "That's no good. Despite your condition, I think you'd have a good chance of leaving me hurting before I managed to kill you. A fierce mother protecting her little baby..."
Sakura swallowed the spite that pooled in her throat and she struggled to remain calm. The drugs were still affecting her mind and she didn't know what she'd do if she didn't stay relaxed…
"So why am I here?" she asked. "What the hell do you want?"
Tobi took off his mask suddenly and Sakura blinked in shock. He looked...Uchiha. The features of Sasuke and Itachi were impossibly recognizable, though he looked more like the elder brother and a bit more raggety; the insane genius. His face was lined and was twisted into a sneer, as if he'd heard a good joke recently, and she felt the need to curl up, away from him.
"I need your body…"
When she narrowed her eyes and backed away, he started laughing uproariously. "Alright I was kidding. I've really taken you for one reason, but I must say, I intend on angering Sasuke as a pleasant side-effect. My true motive is to keep the little Uchiha that's growing in your belly. That baby will be of use to me... After all it will be an Uchiha, like me, and I have a purpose for the last of our clan."
Sakura glared fully upon the man. "You're sick!" she snapped and he only laughed more as she laid a protective hand upon her stomach.
Tobi clutched his side, straightened and gained his composure. He was suddenly looking at her seriously and she caught the unmistakable essence of the Sharingan within the dark room.
"You'd best behave while you're here. I can't guarantee that the men who've taken to calling me boss won't take advantage of you. Though I don't understand how a pregnant woman could desirable, every one has their fetishes. And these men aren't picky when they come across a female."
Sakura didn't like the way he spoke and she pushed the shivers back down as they tingled up her spine. "I understand. I shouldn't leave this room or I'll be raped."
He smirked and winked at her and she felt the need to hurl. "You got it sweetheart! Just be a good girl for Tobi and hand over your baby when it's born. You'll get to leave after that. In the mean time, Tobi will get you some food; no reason to torture you. Your purpose is coming soon enough…"
Sakura watched him leave and she put a hand on her belly. How long was she going to be there? Until labor? And what the hell did that Akatsuki rogue want with her babies; or baby as he thought…
What was he going to do with them once he had her children?
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Alright, so I know Sakura has seen Tobi in Shippuden manga: 397 and I know Tobi is actually Madara Uchiha and he's kind of crazy. But we still don't know much about him or the reason Itachi took out the whole clan, though we can guess to their reasons…
Anyways, I'm working with Tobi (Madara) to the best of my abilities. I'll make this as believable as possible, and I hope it was so far.
Thanks; hope to hear from you! :)