A/N: The 1st few parts of this chapter are taken at the perspective of Sasuke's team (because the previous chapter was Kakashi's) just so we know what's happening at the other side. Hehe.
WARNING: This chapter contains sexual abuse triggers. If you are under 18 or are easily offended, you may choose to skip this chapter. Otherwise, PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
Chapter 42: Turnabout
Day 2 of Sakura's abduction | The Witch's lair
"Goddamit! Why can't I remember the way back?!"
Naruto was frantically running through the wide, maze-like corridors of the second high rise they were transferred in while trying his best to look for his team's meeting place.
Ever since they were forced to take on the role of Orochimaru's security detail, there was not a day where they permanently stayed at one place. Instead, they kept on moving from one syndicate property to another to evade all the other mafias who couldn't meet Orochimaru's price but wanted to get a hold of the package.
That's why Naruto had difficulty memorizing the floors, rooms and offices especially when everything looked so alike inside a 50-plus-floor building. He hated it. He also hated the fact that he sucked at directions.
"Goddamit! Gotta call Kiba!"
Naruto hastily dialed Kiba's number, and upon following Kiba's directions, he was able to finally locate the room they agreed upon as their meeting place. He startled his three companions who instantaneously drew their weapons upon hearing the loud bang on the door when he came in but he paid them no mind. Instead, he immediately blurted what he had to say.
"We have to save Sakura! We've got no time left!"
A few minutes earlier…
"Looks like we're moving again. So, where to next?" Dosu, who was one of the persons tasked to transport Sakura asked Zaku, but the latter only shrugged.
"Dunno. The doctor guy with the round specs went up to the Lady Boss to ask for directions." Zaku answered, but there was a glint in his eyes which told his companion that something was brewing in his mind.
"Looks to me like you've got something."
Zaku chuckled and nodded.
"You know how the specs guy and the Lady Boss take their time? I'm thinking of doing something worthwhile while waiting for them."
"And what would that be?"
Instead of answering, Zaku simply cocked his head towards the direction of Sakura's cell and made thrusting movements with his hips while holding out his hands in front of him as though he was grabbing an imaginary waist.
"Know what I mean? Huh? Huh?" His eyebrows wiggled.
"Been there, done that, but look where it got me." Dosu said as he pointed to the plaster covering the bridge of his nose which still throbbed by simply remembering what the woman did to him.
"That's because you lack force, man! You gotta put some pressure. You gotta threaten her! Manhandle her! Show her who's tough." Zaku said while making spanking motions with his right hand.
"I'll pass. Besides, how would you do it? The woman's room has a camera in it."
"I checked her surveillance video before. There's a huge blind spot in the corner."
"It's all up to you, man. Wouldn't wanna touch her again. My nose is still healing. And have you seen the body of that woman? It's black and blue."
"I know. That's why it's better to do it now because even when you roughen her up a bit, punch her here and there to keep her quiet, it wouldn't show because she looks already beaten up."
"Ah. I like how you think. Fine then. Count me in. But first, I'll stand guard while you do the woman. You do the same for me before the Lady Boss appears." Dosu grinned. His eyes seemed to turn into slits as the thought excited him because of what they were about to do.
Dosu watched Zaku enter the metal door of their prisoner's room who eventually shut it until he heard a click. The bastard just locked the door behind him. Good thing was, he had the key. So, maybe he could watch some live action a little later while waiting for his turn, he thought as he laughed to himself.
Sakura opened her eyes the moment she heard the door open and footsteps came in.
'They're going to move me again.' She thought as she heard the footsteps drew closer. Then it stopped right at the foot of her lumpy cot.
"Stand up and change. We're gonna move you in a few." The voice of the man said.
If Sakura wasn't mistaken, she had heard this voice before. He was one of the occasional men sent to torment her while she was under the drug's influence.
'What was his name again? Ah. Right. Zaku.'
With little to no strength left, Sakura got up from her cot and timidly faced the man who threw another identical 'hospital garb' at her face.
Sakura didn't move. Instead, she looked at him blankly in the face. The man scoffed.
"What? Ya think I'm gonna leave? I've seen everything, babe. There's no point being shy now."
However, instead of talking back, Sakura's eyes shifted from him towards the camera installed at one corner of the room.
She'd take stripping in front of the man because he was right in saying he had seen everything. He was, after all, one of the men who tore her red dress the first night and strapped her inside a straitjacket. What she couldn't take was to allow that one person who was behind the cameras to watch her take her clothes off.
She no longer cared that a lot of different men watched her day after day of her torment. 'Pigs are gonna stay Pigs.' Sakura thought. But the bitch was probably watching her every move too, and she was probably waiting for her to humiliate herself even more! But Sakura refused to give her that satisfaction…
That's why, she chose to not move an inch and simply gripped the rough cloth given to her as she waited for another beating that would come from the man.
'If I allow him to throw a punch and surprise him with a counter halfway through, would I be able to strangle him using this cloth? Do I have the strength left?' Sakura wondered as she focused on gathering whatever energy she had left. Unfortunately, the man only clicked his tongue in annoyance because of her lack of movement and Sakura was surprised when he cocked his head to the side and spoke.
"There's a blind spot on the side if you're too embarrassed to strip under the camera." He said, and judging by the location of the camera, Sakura deduced that he was indeed telling the truth.
Sakura's eyes narrowed in suspicion but she eventually complied as she walked on the particular corner pointed by her tormentor. Unlike the rooms they put her in to torture her, her sleeping quarters didn't have the same huge, one-way mirror. Hence, it was indeed safe for her to face the wall while her back faced Zaku.
It didn't matter whether Zaku had seen every inch of her. Sakura still possessed a little self-respect even when she had been stripped down to nothing and was treated like a rag doll. That's why, despite having extremely sore muscles and a body full of bruises and scratches, she didn't take her time in slipping out of the hospital garb and into the new one. Instead, she changed as fast as she could while gritting her teeth to endure the pain all over her body— but even before her head could get past the garb's neck hole, she was suddenly shoved into the wall.
Zaku had pinned her naked body on the cold concrete wall using his own weight. Her naked breasts were forcefully squashed to the wall and her cheek felt the roughness of the concrete but she couldn't find the strength to push back because of the weight of his forearm on the nape of her neck. She grunted as she tasted the blood when she accidentally bit her lip upon being shoved.
Then, Sakura heard the sound of zipper being pulled down until she felt the warmth of Zaku's member which he boldly rubbed over her bare skin. She helplessly closed her eyes.
"Ya feel that? Huh? Huh?" Zaku excitedly asked in a breathy whisper as he wedged his dick in between her butt cheeks, dry humping her while he panted like a dog in heat.
Sakura bit her lip to stifle a whimper as she forced herself not to cry.
They could burn her skin or chop her fingers, they could slice through her flesh or punch her and kick her senseless. She could take all those, all the torture, all the humiliation, all the hell they could manage to offer…
'But not this. Not this.' She silently begged as her tears began to fall while Zaku continued to rub himself against her.
Sakura's stomach turned upside down as she forced the bile to stay in while her skin started to crawl. She felt so dirty with every thrust against her skin, and she wanted to claw herself raw until all the pain that she could feel was her own doing.
'I'd rather die than for this to continue. I'd rather kill myself if that's all that it takes for this to be over.'
Sakura sobbed as she squeezed her eyes shut, cursing her fate as Zaku continued to molest her by making a grab for her breasts while he forcefully wedged his other hand in order to part her legs.
But the moment her eyes closed, Sakura had a glimpse of the smiling faces of her friends. Her mind suddenly replayed all those happy memories she had with them—from their childhood memories up to the most recent memory she had—and then an image of Kakashi appeared, but his back was turned to her, and he was walking away from where she was.
She called him.
"Kakashi! Wait…"
In Sakura's mind, she ran after him as he slipped further and further away. She kept on screaming his name but he just won't stop—until she slammed in what felt like a huge wall. But when she opened her eyes, Kakashi was already there, holding her close to him, caressing her cheek and brushing her lips with his slender fingers. He had a calm look in those beautiful eyes of his, and he just looked and felt so real.
He spoke.
'It's okay to be scared, but don't you ever give up. Wait for me, Sakura. I'll come get you. Wait for me.'
It didn't matter whether the hallucination was brought by what little will to live she had left—but the moment she opened her eyes, her resolve to survive had been revived.
She spoke.
"Stop. I don't like this." She gritted, forcing the words out of her mouth because her face was mushed to the wall.
"Don't worry, we'll be quick. It's not like you have a choice." Her molester panted as he circled his free hand in front of her and tried to cup her sex but Sakura's knees remained closely shut together.
"No. What I mean is…I don't…I don't like this position. Let me…let me face you. I want to see your dick shoved into my pussy."
At that moment, the weight that was pinning her to the wall was immediately lifted while Zaku let out a howl of excitement, allowing her to move.
"Now we're talking!" He rambunctiously cheered.
However, when Zaku flipped her, Sakura used that chance to gather her remaining strength, drew her head back for momentum and slammed her forehead on the man's face.
The man no longer howled in pleasure. This time, he was howling in pain.
Since Zaku was taller than her, she managed to slam her forehead on his mouth which resulted to him, spitting blood on the floor. But since the impact was too forceful, and considering how weak she already was, Sakura had a difficulty regaining her balance and vision that even when she had already blinked multiple times, her vision remained hazy and unstable which forced her to seek the help of the wall behind her for balance.
Zaku's screams were fireworks to her ears as well as the strings of curses he spewed towards her. She knew she needed to use that chance to escape, but her temporary blindness prevented her from moving an inch which gave Zaku the chance to wrap his hands around her throat for revenge.
"You fucking cunt! I should've skinned you alive when I had the chance!" He screamed at her face. Sakura could even feel the splatter of his spit and blood on her skin but despite this, she still managed to let out a chuckle.
"But you didn't, that's why you lost several of your front teeth. Y-you look even fucking u-uglier than before." Sakura defiantly mocked which angered Zaku even more, making him tighten his grip on her throat until she could no longer even gasp for breath anymore.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" He kept on screaming while Sakura felt her eyes start to roll towards the back of her head—when suddenly, she heard a peculiar sound as though Zaku just choked on his own saliva.
"Ack!"
That's when Sakura felt a spray of something warm on her face and chest and Zaku's grip around her neck had also effectively loosened. This allowed her to catch her breath and to cower away from him.
Sakura slammed her back on the wall in order to help her regain her balance while her vision was still swarming with blood red dots in a sea of black. When she opened her eyes, Sakura was surprised to see blood trickling down the side of Zaku's mouth, and not only that… The tip of a seven-inch knife had protruded out of his throat which completely startled her as his body fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
The image of Zaku's dead body, his blood bubbling out of his mouth and her temporary lack of oxygen made her head swim once more that even before she could look up, she felt her body falling forwards but it never reached the cold tiled floor.
Instead, Sakura felt large warm hands around her body as her cheek landed on something hard but smooth. She didn't need to open her eyes to see who it was that came to her rescue, because she could never forget the smell of the man whom she fell deeply in love with.
"Thank you." She managed to whisper before she completely lost her consciousness.
At last, someone had come to save her.
Sasuke caught Sakura's battered body before it fell on top of the dead man lying in between them. He was fast to grab the hospital gown which Sakura was supposed to change into and safely covered her with it.
He then wiped the splatter of blood that landed on her face and chest when he attacked Zaku from behind. And while doing so, he wished so hard that his touch could ease every pain and erase every bruise Sakura had on her face and body.
Heaven knew how he wanted to do so much more to the bastard when he saw what the piece of shit was doing to Sakura. But he resolved on using a swift kill method in order to loosen the man's grip on Sakura's neck whose lips were already turning into a deadly shade of purple because of being strangled.
For the last two days, he and his team were forced to watch everything Anko and her men did to Sakura behind a thick one-way glass. They were also prisoners of the woman as she made sure to surround them with all of her father's men, making it look like they had no choice.
But it's not like they had no choice. They just didn't want to make rash actions that would put Sakura in a much graver danger.
During those times, Sasuke made sure to avert his eyes away from the scene and focus instead on the blank wall straight ahead, making it seem as though he was watching every tortured minute of it. But he didn't. He couldn't. And looking at her now, his heart couldn't help but break and cry for the rag doll that Sakura had become.
Her once fair and smooth complexion had become the color of ash. Her skin had become rough and ragged because of the numerous bumps, bruises and scratches her body endured. Her beautiful plump pink lips had been reduced to nothing but a colorless jagged skin and her eyes…her eyes were devoid of that usual spark it had. They've been turned into hollow, glazed orbs that no longer focused and no longer shined, and it hurt him.
Sasuke held her closer to his chest, cradling her head as gentle as he could while he listened to the sound of her breathing. For a short while, he was suspended in a reality where Sakura had forgiven him for what he did, for what they all did. But he was soon sent back to the present when Naruto entered the room and called his name.
"Sasuke, we've got to go. She's here."
Sasuke securely wrapped the hospital gown around Sakura and carried her out. He was met by Anko and the guy with round spectacles including a handful of her own men in the hallway
"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. If it isn't the knight-in-not-so-shining armor saving the damsel in distress. How sweet of you, Sasuke."
Sasuke saw Anko's eyebrow menacingly rise while her eyes darted from him to Sakura, and to the rest of his lot as she sarcastically said those words.
He attempted to take a step forward but was stopped by the spectacles boy because he also made a step forward. Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru immediately stood in front of him, shielding him from a possible assault when Anko suddenly laughed.
"How pathetic." She said. "Do you honestly think that that woman will forgive you for doing this? For 'saving' her?" Anko made an exaggerated quote and unquote gesture with her fingers while rolling her eyes as she spoke to them.
Sasuke had no problems with Shikamaru, but he knew that Kiba and Naruto were already at their wits end with the woman.
Anko stepped forward until she was only a few short meters away from them.
"Killing my men just because they wanted to have a little fun? What's a little rough play and a little sexual assault? Huh? That bitch is probably horny too. Isn't getting horny a side effect of the drug?" Anko looked at the spectacles boy for answers but he shook his head in response. Then, he spoke which annoyed even Sasuke who had the longest patience of them all.
"But it would be really interesting to measure the pain index that that woman would feel in a case of sexual as-"
"Don't even." Naruto suddenly interrupted as he glared intensely at the man whose round spectacles glinted under the fluorescent light. The man only chuckled.
That's when Sasuke finally spoke, breaking the tension which was already building up.
"We have to move now if we're sticking to our schedule. I've received word from your father that men from another syndicate will be paying this establishment a visit." And by visit he meant that those people were probably carrying out their infiltration procedures as they speak.
Sasuke then walked past the human shield his team made for him and was about to pass Anko when her hand suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Where do you think you're going? The truck is that way." Anko cocked her head towards the opposite direction Sasuke was going to, but he didn't budge. Instead, he lowered his head and whispered to her ear.
"If you're itching to use the truck, then why don't you haul your ass in there like a fucking pig and let your men drive you around?"
Anko's eyes sharply snapped towards him as she whispered in a growl. "Why you…"
But Sasuke continued to speak. His warm breath fanning the shell of Anko's ear as he inched closer, making sure that Anko heard every word he said.
"You know? For a woman, you disgust me. No wonder he only used you as a play thing, a past time, a second option. And this is you, having your little fucking tantrums just like the fucking bitch that you are."
Sasuke immediately shrugged Anko's hand off and put a distance in between them. He continued to walk even though he could feel Anko's radiating anger through her glare but he couldn't care less.
"My father will hear of this!" Anko screamed to which Sasuke answered back.
"Your father doesn't even give a fuck about you. He only cares about the money."
"What the? Don't you even dare try to escape, you piece of shit!" She screamed while the rest of Sasuke's team passed by her. However, Shikamaru and Kiba fell back and slightly faced Anko.
"Just so you know, if we really wanted to escape, we'd have done it 2 days ago."
"What he said." Kiba exclaimed as he pointed at Shikamaru who was now a few steps away from him.
"And just so you know? You nag too much. Just like a squealing pig." Kiba added before he followed the others and took the exit his team went through, leaving Anko pissed and fuming in anger.
Radio announcement: [Better make sure to bring your umbrellas, folks, because cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are to be expected for the next few days in this region.]
The ride towards the next location was a quiet and dreary one. Only the soft hum of the car's air condition and the pitter patter of the rain on the car's roof and its windshield could be heard as Shikamaru lowered the volume of the SUV's radio while they followed the truck where Anko's men were.
"Can't we just escape?" Naruto suddenly asked which prompted Sasuke to take a glimpse at him from the car's rearview mirror. It was Shikamaru who answered.
"And what? Risk the unnecessary pursuit? What I told Anko was only a bluff. I just really wanted to piss the bitch off because she's grating on my nerves."
"But Anko's right. Sakura's suffering because of us." Naruto whispered.
"Well, obviously." Kiba blurted. "But we also know that we'd get our heads chopped off and our bodies thrown at sea by this syndicate if we did something foolish without a full proof plan."
"Then what's our next plan?" Naruto asked.
"We'll just have to wait for the next buyer." Sasuke quietly stated.
"And how long will that take? Would Sakura even be alive by that time? Sakura's being treated like an animal, and she was almost raped a while back. She's going to suffer the same thing the moment she wakes up tomorrow morning!" Naruto argued angrily but was only met by the silence of his friends.
"Will our friends be able to forgive us?" He hopelessly whispered. That's when Sasuke spoke.
"They will." Sasuke assured him. "But they won't be able to forgive me..."
Like Shikamaru and Kiba, Naruto's eyes lowered as he shifted them towards the greyscale view of the surroundings outside. He wanted to believe in his friends. He wanted to think that they could all go back to how things were before.
But could they? Could they really?
"We could explain." He eventually told Sasuke, but his best friend's answer erased all his hope.
"There's nothing to explain Naruto. Nothing."
Back at the Senju Mansion...
2AM in the mansion meant that everyone was already fast asleep—everyone except Kakashi and his team who were still looking hard for a lead on where to find Sakura.
"Do we have anything on Company X?" Kakashi asked as Sai brought in another cup of steaming hot coffee and placed it beside him.
"None boss. There's no sign of Sakura or Sasuke's team, though it was verified that Company X belongs to the Basilisk."
Kakashi grabbed his coffee mug and took a sip.
He still hadn't gotten a decent rest ever since the incident in his gallery took place. His side wound was still healing and his head was throbbing but he refused to stop the search until they find something.
It was only with the help of caffeine in his system that kept him going, and probably a little bit of liquor to numb the pain.
"Boss, may I be permitted to speak?" Sai suddenly asked which piqued Kakashi's interest.
He knew that Sai usually didn't ask permission to open his mouth, but now that he does, Kakashi was sure that there was something. Sai had always been like that even before their superior-subordinate relationship started. So, he permitted him to continue...
"If you're going to point out the dark circles under my eyes I'll put two in yours right away."
"Er, no. Though it has gotten darker since yesterday..."
Kakashi gave him a look which made Sai clear his throat.
"Anyway, there's just something I've noticed on the blue prints of two of the companies we've sent spies on."
"What is It?"
Sai gathered all the buildings' blueprints they've collected and separated two of it from the group. He then unfurled the huge rolls and pointed his finger on a particular spot on similar locations of the blue prints. Now, even Yamato and Genma had taken interest on what Sai was explaining.
"These two right here have basements. And judging from how it was designed, it looks like a holding cell. The rest, there's none."
Kakashi looked at the illustrations thoughtfully before looking at Sai. The latter slightly nodded.
"I need all the other blue prints of the other establishments we haven't investigated yet. If Sai's hunch is correct, we could narrow down all the other places where our targets would move next."
After sending out his order, Genma and Yamato immediately went to work. That's when Tsunade suddenly barged inside the room.
"Sis…"
"It's 2am. You guys should be asleep."
"You know that that's a luxury we can't afford at the moment." Kakashi said as he turned his gaze back on both the blue prints Sai presented.
He noticed how similar the buildings' designs and illustrations were. If this were the case among all the other establishments, then it was probably safe to plan out his team's infiltration procedure. However, he failed to reach his focus when he felt Tsunade stand by him as she placed a hand on top of his head.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Kakashi eventually asked.
"I'm a doctor, I'm used to making graveyard rounds in the hospital."
"Boss, look here." Yamato suddenly called, pulling Kakashi's attention away from Tsunade as his subordinate brought the laptop closer to him, accidentally pushing Kakashi's coffee mug off the table.
Fortunately, due to his 'still' sharp reflexes, Kakashi was able to simultaneously grab the mug with his right hand before it fell and stopped Tsunade's hand holding a syringe with the other.
He turned his head to look at Tsunade with disdain.
"Wrong move, sis."
"Uh, actually, I'm right."
Because out of nowhere, Genma's hand suddenly appeared and with him was another syringe containing a similar colored liquid like what Tsunade was holding.
That's when Kakashi pushed his mug back and grabbed Genma's hand in return.
"Dammit! Aren't you even tired?!" Genma complained.
"I told you, we don't have t—" Kakashi's face suddenly landed on the table. Behind him, stood Sai who had a third syringe in hand which was now empty.
"Since we know that Kakashi doesn't have a blind side, we attack him from behind." Sai calmly stated. "Of course that information stays inside this room." He added.
That's when the door to the room suddenly swung open.
"Good job, everyone." Tobirama said as he made his appearance inside. He looked at Kakashi who was now in a deep slumber before speaking to the rest.
"You know that we had to do this to prepare him for the next few hours." Tobirama reminded them.
"Injected in his system is a drug which Tsunade and I developed. It'll immediately make you unconscious but It'll give you an unusual boost of energy and alertness when you wake up which is similar to the feeling of having completed a full cycle of sleep." He explained.
"You three will have similar shots after you've placed Kakashi in his room. Please proceed to yours afterwards and Tsunade and I will administer the drug. In a few hours, preparations will ensue for the rescue of Sakura Haruno. Be prepared."
Genma and Yamato immediately ushered Kakashi towards his room while Sai collected all the scattered blue prints they've reviewed and kept them.
In a matter of a few minutes, the remaining three had returned to their own rooms and waited for their Big Boss. They have already been instructed on the following courses of events that would take place in just a few hours. Because as expected, Tobirama had already uncovered the identity of the head of the Basilisk. He just didn't tell Kakashi the first time because he still lacked concrete evidence.
Fortunately, with the help of a very important person, Tobirama was able to ascertain the identity of their enemy. The question now was, what would Kakashi do when he sees their visitor? What would his friends do?
Kakashi woke up with a deep frown on his face as he remembered what happened last night.
His team tricked him just so Tsunade could use him as her guinea pig! He was pissed beyond explanation because every hour was a crucial time in locating Sakura; however, he noticed that despite having only slept for a few hours, he didn't feel tired at all.
Interesting...
Kakashi just got out of bed when a knock came to his door. He told the person to come in and saw that it was their head servant bringing him news so early in the morning.
"Good morning, Kakashi-sama. Your presence has been required by Senju-sama in the open garden of the mansion."
"Tell him I'm busy." Kakashi said as he just walked out of his bathroom after having freshen up. He was about to go into his secluded workplace when the head servant spoke again.
"Senju-sama said that your presence is a must because there's a very important visitor waiting with everyone in the living room."
"Visitor?"
"Yes. And Senju-sama asked me to tell you that this visitor has news about the whereabouts of Haruno-san."
Upon hearing Sakura's name, Kakashi wasted no time and walked past the head servant to go to the garden.
Upon descending the grand stairs, Kakashi saw through the wide, floor-to-ceiling glass that his friends, his team and Tobirama had already gathered outside—and all of them had dreadful looks on their faces.
He immediately knew why.
"Father…" He called, making his presence known to the group. "What's the meaning of this?" The question was directed to Tobirama but even before the latter could reply Kakashi had already faced their visitors.
"What are you doing here, Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha?"
Kakashi stood tall and firm as he faced the parents of the person who abducted his most important.
He knew they were here to negotiate in exchange of the information they have with Sakura. Now, he was thinking whether to accept the terms even when he was fairly aware of what they wanted to ask.
It was the Uchiha patriarch who was first to speak, and Kakashi watched as he held the hand of his wife.
"As I have told Tobirama, we are here to negotiate and to make a request."
Fugaku Uchiha looked at Tobirama, who in turn looked at Kakashi and nodded. It was Tobirama's sign of telling him that he ought to hear the man's requests.
"Fine. Let's hear it."
Kakashi noticed how Mikoto Uchiha fidgeted in her spot. But he also noticed the small gestures her husband made in order to calm her. Somehow, Kakashi saw Sakura in the woman.
"I know what my son has done and I know how burdensome this is to all of you…" Fugaku Uchiha started. "That's why, my wife and I are here to apologize on behalf of our son and to extend whatever assistance we could. I know where they took Sakura and I am willing to discuss all the details…"
"Oji-san." Ino interrupted. "If you really want to help, then why don't you just tell us now where Sakura is? I really don't want to come off as rude, but I believe you're in no position to demand requests."
Kakashi understood where Ino was coming from; however, it was in his nature as a businessman to study and listen to all possibilities involving huge deals before eventually making a decision.
So, he held his hand up signaling for Ino to stop and then looked at the Uchiha spouses, urging Fugaku to continue—but it was his wife who spoke, and her words were directed towards Ino.
"Ino, my dear… I understand that you're angry and I feel that! But out of everyone here, it's you who should know that Sakura is like a daughter to me, and what happened to her breaks my heart as well—but there's a reason why my son did it…"
"Don't we all?" Sai suddenly quipped. "Don't we all have reasons why we do the things we do? Reasons we tell ourselves to justify even our mistakes and wrong doings?"
"Please…" The Uchiha matriarch suddenly sobbed which startled even Kakashi. "Please… I-I just want my sons to be saved."
"Sons?" Kakashi asked as a frown formed on his face.
"Yes." Mikoto sobbed. "T-they also have our eldest, Itachi."
At this point, it was Fugaku who explained to them how things turned out to be as they were.
He told them how he formed contracts with the Basilisk for huge investments six months ago. But what he didn't know was that the foreign mafia had been stabbing him in the back from the very beginning by tricking and taking all of his investors, pushing a lot of their companies into bankruptcy.
He told them that right at this very moment, all their properties were in danger of being liquidated, and that it was impossible for them to exercise their right of redemption because the Uchiha family had already fallen into so much debt that they couldn't even purchase a single property back.
Fugaku also tried to redeem their riches—and he, who had exceptional luck and ability when it came to gambling, gambled with the little money they had left against the head of the Basilisk. However, as it turned out, instead of paying off their debts, all the games he played with the head of the foreign mafia only dug a hole deeper than he could climb.
That's when the head of the foreign mafia made a proposition.
"I heard you have two sons? To be honest, I find the second one interesting…but I might have other uses for him in the future." He was pertaining to Sasuke and his special team.
"So…why not let your eldest work for us? He's actually doing quite well in bringing a lot of my businesses down, considering how good he is as a lawyer. All the corporations that hire him are indeed very lucky...very lucky…" He said. But of course, Fugaku retaliated.
"You can take anything you want. But I refuse to allow my sons to work for you."
"Is that so? Then I guess I should just make a grab for your wife and sell her as an escort? With a beauty like that I'm sure she'd pay half of the debt you owe me in no time. And if she continues her work for...say…2? 3 years? All your debts would be paid! Doesn't that sound good?" The enemy further taunted.
"Do not touch my family." Fugaku hissed which only made the man before him smile a sinister smile.
"Ah, but I could. If I wanted to."
That's what made Fugaku disclose everything to his eldest son—and Itachi was furious.
He was a lawyer who was famous in the corporate world for bringing down shady multi-million dollar companies. What they didn't know was that a lot of those companies were auxiliaries of the Basilisk.
Eventually, after thinking things through, Itachi agreed as he accepted the proposal to work for the foreign mafia. In his mind was the intent to bring down the organization from the inside as he flew to their country to settle their end of the contract—but days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months...
Until one day, the Uchiha manor received a sealed letter addressed to Fugaku Uchiha. Inside were pictures of a battered Itachi with a caption that said: I'll be taking my time with him. When he dies, consider half of your debts paid. Or would you like to enter into another contract in exchange of the life of your son?
That was when he finally called Sasuke and reminded him of their pact:
[I just want you to remember where your loyalties lie son. Put the family first before anything else.]
"The mafia wanted the Topaz. They bargained with me using the life of my son and the disc! And at that time, everyone in the underground council knew Sakura's connection to it." He explained as Fugaku gripped the hand of his wife who was still silently sobbing beside him.
"I was wrong. I was wrong to ask him to do such a thing. Because in the midst of all that, I have forgotten that Sakura was family too. I-I just sold my family to the mafia…"
Now, even Fugaku was in tears as he finished his story.
Kakashi watched the spouses as they wiped each other's tears. Even his team fell silent after hearing such words. Even his friends were shedding their tears for the family.
Indeed, there was a reason for everything. But no one had expected that it would be as complicated as what they had just learned…
Mikoto Uchiha spoke.
"Please. My sons. They w-were forced to do this." She sobbed.
"If that's the case, why are you here? Why not go to the police?" Kakashi seriously asked.
They may have known of his relationship with Sakura, but Kakashi was positive that even if Fugaku was a member of the underground council, he still didn't know the existence of the Black Ops. So why? What pushed them to ask for help?
"Because not even the police could go against the head of the Basilisk. Only one person could do it…" Fugaku said.
"And who might that be?" Kakashi asked.
"You should know him. He is under the Senju family's wing. The White Fang."
Upon hearing what Fugaku said, Kakashi slightly frowned and glanced over to his father. Tobirama, in turn looked at him straight in the eye.
White Fang…his mind echoed.
But how could that be possible? The one and true White Fang was already dead.
While Kakashi was lost in thought, Fugaku had started explaining the location of Sakura's whereabouts to the group. The head Uchiha knew about this because he had a tracking device installed inside Itachi before he sent him to work for the Basilisk. And as it turned out, both Sakura and Itachi were kept in the same place.
Kakashi was still left inside his own thoughts when he heard something which Fugaku said.
"What did you say?" Kakashi suddenly asked.
"The head of the Basilisk mafia is called Orochimaru. No one really knows his true identity because word says that he loved to disguise himself in order for him to deceive his enemies as well as to enter into different contracts with multiple corporations. But my sources say that he has one distinguishing feature which couldn't even be concealed by lenses."
"And what is that?" The group simultaneously asked.
"They said he had yellow eyes."
Kakashi's heart just stopped.
A/N: I hope you still remember who Zaku and Dosu are! ('Friends' from the Chuunin exam. LOL)
And if no one had still figured it out, the round spectacles guy is Kabuto. HAHA!
TBC
