Pain roared from my cracked lips as Stick stabbed another one of his cold, metal knife into my weak and broken body. After a threatening speech from Danzo -that I had accidently astral-dropped myself into- he had started to use more dangerous (and very painful) methods to break my spirit but I knew it was never going to happen now that I knew help was on the way. Apparently, Danzo was getting annoyed with waiting and wanted me broken; at all costs. It had been three days since I had been in contacted with Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke. I knew it would take a week to get here, so I was just trying to hold on until then. Besides, that was only if there was good weather and you were travelling alone. Either way I had to wait; not matter how much it was killing me. A few hours later, Stick finally gave up and after sewing me back up and then left the room. I had no idea what I was going to do now that I was left by myself. I wanted to go and talk to someone but it wasn't like I could talk to anyone around here or to anyone back in the village, I wanted to visit them but I didn't know if any of them would be at home; except for the kids but I didn't want to scare the living day lights of them with the form I can only travel in.
Well, why don't you try thinking of a person instead of a place?
Oh no, not you again.
Hey! Don't be like that!
I don't think you've notice but I've been strapped to a table and have been torture for nearly two months!
Dude, I'm you remember of course I know.
Where have you been anyway?
I don't know.
What do you mean?
It means that I don't know and before you get into an argument with me just try my theory out.
I growled at my inner self but decided to try it out anyway. Forcing my body to relax, my astral-drop slid out of my body and took in the room around me. Ok, so I've got to concentrate on a specific person, but whom? I don't know who's coming to get me. The first person that came into my head was Kakashi but thinking back to the meeting he didn't look like he was in any good shape to travel but then again Kakashi was full of surprises, I guess he'll should be the first person I should try, I thought to myself. Besides, even if he wasn't on the mission it would be nice to visit him, I smiled to myself. Closing my eyes I tried to think of my dad but after what seemed like a decade nothing happened. Well thanks for nothing inner me, groaned in my head but no reply came. Great! She can just come and go as she pleases but I can't have a go at her, so not fair. What was I going to do now? Not only was I depressed but lonely as well. Oh, if only the guys were here. Imagines of my friends flipped through my brain until it landed on Minato. I wished you were with me Minato, I cried silently to myself as I floated glumly around the room, it was weird but it was better than being strapped to a table. You would know what to ... Whoosh! I didn't know what just happened but one moment I was looking at the grey walls of my prison, the next I was standing right beside Minato. What just happened? I wondered to myself as I took in my surroundings for the first time. I was in some kind of forest near a lake that I kind of recognised. I also noticed that Minato wasn't the only one in the clearing. Itachi and Nene were there as well, all of them were wearing battle gear. Maybe this is the group the Hokage sent to find me, I wondered to myself. I was thankful if it was people I knew because I had a feeling that I was not going to be myself for a couple of days. Rustling from the bushes caught my attention. When I sensed whose charka presence it was I didn't know whether to groan or be happy that someone else I knew was here. The figure that emerged from the bushes also in his full ANBU outfit but the mask was placed on the side of his face.
"Alright everyone back to camp." Sasuke ordered with his usual emotionless face. Seriously it was like he was a ninja twenty-four seven, however, I guess you could say the same about my dad, always wearing a mask and everything but at least you could still see a bit of emotion in his face.
"Hai!" All three teenagers answered the older man and all of them were walking back to the camp but all of a sudden Itachi suddenly grabbed his father's arm and pulled him back a bit. I always found it weird at first at how Itachi and Sasuke could act like father and son at one moment and then comrades the next but I guessed it had something to do with Itachi having the mind of an adult and was also one of the most respected shinobi that helped out a bit. As I stood just a few steps away from the two I was trying to decide whether it was rude to eavesdrop on the conversation they were having or if I should follow Nene and Minato back to camp, until Itachi started talking.
"Is there a reason why you're acting tenser on a mission then usual?" Itachi asked. How his father could acted anymore tense then he already was I'll never know but I guess Itachi knew him better and knew when his father was happy or not under that mask he always wore. Sasuke only stared at his son for a few moments before sighing and began massaging the temples on his head.
"There no hiding anything from you is their Itachi." His father smiled. I still couldn't get used to that smile, I've only seen it twice in my life now and it was creepy. Itachi smiled back at his father and shrugged but his face became serious again when he repeated the question. This time his father answered. "I'm worried about Nariko, from what we can guess she's been tortured and a person isn't the same after an experience like that." I could only stand there with my mouth hanging open like an idiot. Did I just hear that correctly? I thought to myself trying to get my thoughts straight after what Sasuke just said. Sasuke! The one and only Sasuke. That is always giving my dirty looks and is moody all the time is worried about me. Hey, maybe this is a dream. Nah, sadly I'm not that lucky.
"I don't understand, you're worried about Nariko but ever since she's come here you've treated her like she's an unwanted disease. Seriously, what's going on?" Itachi questioned confused, I was nodding in agreement, I think it was about time I knew why the head Uchiha didn't like me that much. There was a moment of silence and Sasuke turned towards the river with a deep thinking expression on his face.
"It's because she reminds me to much of Sakura." His father finally answered with a mixed of sadness and regret on his face. I was staring at Sasuke in confusion and so was Itachi. What does my mum have to do with this? I wondered to myself, it seemed like ages before Sasuke finally explained himself. "Sakura was like a sister to me and when she left it hurt; really hurt. I guess I had been trying to hide away the pain and when Nariko returned, I couldn't help but unleashed some of it on her. For that I am truly sorry." After Sasuke finished his speech I could feel I was on the verge of tears. To be honest a part of me wanted to slap him around the head for being an idiot and taking out his anger on me but it wasn't like he did anything unforgiveable and he did seem truly sorry. Father and son stood there in silence for a few moments before Itachi walked up to his father and placed one of his hands on his fathers' shoulder for comfort.
"We all make mistakes dad but it doesn't matter, it all depends on how you get yourself back up again." Itachi smiled, making Sasuke smile back.
"I believe you are becoming to wise for your own good Itachi." Sasuke responded, ruffling his son's hair so it became all messy, while Itachi was laughing and trying to pile his fathers' hands away from his head. Even though I thought it was really sweet, it was still really weird. "Come; let's get back to the others. We need to go over the stagey plans for the army."Sasuke stated, turning serious again but not so serious as before. After all this time I thought I would never like him but here I am starting to like him a bit, I pondered to myself, smiling as I watched son and father walk away. However, something that Sasuke had said was thumping at the back of my head and it took me a few minutes to realise it. Wait! What? Army, what army? I debilitated with myself, quickly following the duo until I saw what he meant. In front of her lay a whole campsite of a Konohagakure army. My mouth dropped open with shock; it was quite an impressive site. My body (well astral drop) could do nothing but stare, I thought I recognise the woods; they were only a few miles away from where I was. How did they get here so quickly with so many people? I wondered to myself. I spotted lots of people I knew, including dad who was trying to ignore a talking Gai, who was going on about some youth rescues. I guessed it was mine. I wonder why it didn't work when I tried it with dad then? I thought, thinking back to where I had been trying to find him. Before I could think this through any further a cold tingle flashed onto my neck. Guess it's time for me to go, I thought sadly, over the days I had been trying to work on some sought of alarm to warn me that Stick was coming back and I didn't want to be zapped awake again since those things really hurt. Looking at the site once more, I closed my eyes and teleported back to face another session.
Stick came and went. I went through one of his torture sessions and watched helplessly as more drugs where put into my system to keep my charka restrained. I was still shocked over what I had witness back in the woods but I was also happy. Hopefully they would be here soon and get me the hell out of here. I don't how much time had passed when I woke up from a little power nap I had been having when Stick had walked back in with one of his ugly smiles on his face along with Danzo, who was surprised to see coming in here.
"Just wait what I had in store for you girly." Stick smirked at me why Danzo just stood next to him expressionless. I just rolled my eyes at Stick ignorance. Seriously when was this guy going to get it, nothing can break it. Well at least I thought, until I saw two guards drag someone through the door.
"No." I whispered, barely able to find the fire that had filled my body a couple of seconds ago. That's when I knew. It was game over.