Chapter 37 - Rescue

"I'm so sorry, I hoped Kakashi Sensei was already back, I thought…"

"He quite clearly isn't," Sakura snapped at Kaeru as they were roughly ushered into a damp, dark cell deep underground, "and I hope he won't return at all so he won't fall into this trap you helped set with your grand stupidity."

"But I… I didn't..."

Kaeru faltered. He looked so guilty and close to tears that Sakura felt immensely sorry for her harsh words. Their situation wasn't Kaeru's fault, of course, she would have done exactly the same for someone she cared for. But before she could apologize for lashing out and add a few encouraging words, heavy bars were clanged shut behind them, the ugly sound echoing loudly in the closed space of these underground facilities. After turning a key three times, the prison guards walked away without paying them any further attention.

What a relief.

She had expected the Mizukage would order a mind search and torture, worse, she had feared that she would use Sarada for leverage - but that Keiki woman seemed to have some decency after all. For now.

Sakura turned around once to get a good look of their surroundings. Dim lights. No windows. Barren stone floors. A pot in the corner - instead of a toilet. Three old looking mattresses with no bedding.

Unacceptable. Not that she was an expert when it came to prisons, but surely, Konoha didn't have facilities this shabby?

Pouting a little, Sarada walked over to one of the mattresses and sat down, looking gloomy but not frightened as she picked a bit of gravel from the floor and began building a little pile. The child must be hungry, Sakura thought when her own stomach growled. Surely they would be dinner? But maybe she didn't want to stick around that long to find out.

"Okay, we're getting out of here as fast as possible," she declared, wrinkling her nose at everything.

"They suppress chakra down here," Kaeru said, "I've already tried moulding mine."

Well, damn. No wonder they had not bound their hands too.

"Still! As fast as possible," Sakura insisted. She wouldn't let despair set in. She would get them out of here before the night was over, chakra suppression or not! But first, there was something that needed her urgent attention. Sakura turned to Kaeru's sister Ichika who had sat down in a corner with her back against the wall and her head between her knees.

"Hey. I'm Sakura," she addressed her. "Can I have a look at your wounds? I'm a doctor."

Ichika lifted her head a fraction and stared at her with distrustful eyes, the fading bruises on her face a stark contrast to her otherwise snow white skin.

"She's a friend," Kaeru assured his sister, kneeling down next to them. "Ichi, let her help you."

"It is my fault," Ichika blurted out, her voice raw and vulnerable, "all is my fault."

"No," Kaeru said tearfully, "no, please don't say that."

"It's nobody's fault in particular," Sakura said bitterly, taking one of Ichika's arms between her hands. "I like to blame myself for things too, but in this case…"

More like a series of decisions and unlucky events resulting in a mess of grand proportions. Sasuke fathering a child of great value to the Shinobi world with a madwoman, Kakashi doing what he always did, which was trying to protect everyone except himself, and her falling in love with him and following him out of Konoha like a silly duckling. But no. It had started way before Sasuke had cheated on her, hadn't it. This went back to events that had occurred even before her own birth. To Kakashi and Rin. Kakashi, Rin, Obito and Madara… always Madara. How was it possible a dead person could still have so much influence over their lives to this day?

Some of Ichika's fingers were broken. She must be in horrible pain, the brave woman. Sakura noticed bruises on Ichika's legs too, visible underneath her dirty skirt, some of them old, some of them new. And dried blood on her thighs.

"That man…," she began haltingly, trying to catch Kaeru's eyes, fishing for information she wasn't sure she wanted. Ichika had clearly been beaten repeatedly… and worse. Sakura could only guess the level of abuse she had been through, but even without a thorough examination, what she saw was chilling.

"I have no words," the young man whispered and tears began trickling down his face. "What he did to her… locked her up and… I should never have let her live there. I should have known. How could I not know?"

"Bullocks," Sakura said gently and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry for what I said before, you did nothing wrong."

"But I... I failed to..."

"I killed him," Ichika suddenly yelled, "I did, not Hiroto! He should not be punished for it! It's all my fault!"

She started sobbing. Sakura looked at Kaeru questioningly, but Kaeru had dropped his head, unable to stop crying himself. If this was true, he had not killed anyone, but simply covered for his sister when the Kirigakure's officials had arrived? It had been an act of self-defence and a brother who tried to protect his baby sister?

It was unlikely the Mizukage had been able to plan this in detail, Sakura mused. She had probably just jumped on an opportunity that had presented itself, after having her people follow Kaeru. That was another relief, because for a moment, Sakura had feared that horrible Nohara woman was behind it all - and if her influence extended this far, they were truly lost.

Applying healing chakra was hard. As Kaeru had said, something in these facilities suppressed chakra or more precisely, made it hard to mould it properly. Still, Sakura managed to mend the fingers and heal some of the cuts and the worst bruises, it just took her far longer than it should. At one stage, Sarada came over to huddle down next to her. The girl extended her hands like Sakura did, trying to copy her.

"I can teach you medical jutsu once we're back in Konoha," Sakura smiled at her. "It's a little different from the jutsus Iruka Sensei and Kakashi tried to teach you."

"Yes, please, Auntie," Sakura said. "I want to learn everything."

An Uchiha choosing a medical profession? That would be a sensation. Sakura watched Sarada move her hands and had to smile again. The little one was going to be alright.

Soon after, Ichika fell asleep leaning against Kaeru who twisted his body so that she was as comfortable as possible. He clearly wasn't comfortable in the awkward position though, especially with his hands bound behind him. Sakura would have to do something about the chains! She tried to gather chakra in her fist, but it didn't work. She had used up too much.

"Thank you," the young Anbu whispered, his red eyes filling with tears again, "we're in your debt."

"You're not," Sakura said and got up with a little groan. "It's my job. But she needs much more than my clumsy healing. We have to bring her to the hospital to make sure her inner organs are fine and…," she didn't want to say the word before being sure, but she feared Ichika had had a miscarriage very recently. "And then, she needs therapy," she ended her sentence. Therapy and a place to heal.

"I have no money for such a treatment," Kaeru said miserably.

"Don't worry about that," Sakura said, "you're Anbu. Kakashi will make sure she gets what she needs."

"Oh, we must warn Sensei immediately!" Kaeru cried, almost jumping up in his sudden agitation before a worried glance at his sister. "He cannot come back here!"

"I know," Sakura said quietly.

Her eyes sought Sakura's. The child looked at her expectantly.

"Do you still have what Kakashi gave you in Konoha?" she asked.

Sarada's right hand went to her chest and to what she wore around her neck and hidden beneath her clothes. "Yes, Auntie. Do you want me to call the doggie?"

"Yes," Sakura said. "Exactly."

It might work. Even if she knew that it was extremely unlikely that this far away from Konoha, a dog would hear a whistle blown in an underground facility. But she would not let Kakashi do anything for her sake that jeopardized his own safety. She had been a burden too many times. Not anymore.

###

"Kakashi, what are you doing?"

Kakashi almost fell off the tree in surprise to hear a voice so close by his ear.

"Pakkun, dammit!" he pressed out between gritted teeth after grabbing a branch in haste and getting his balance back, "what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," the dog said and peered through the dripping leaves with much interest. "Whom are you stalking?"

"Shhhhhh!" Kakashi hissed. "Keep your voice down. There's at least one highly skilled sensory type kunoichi in one of these tents."

"No need to take this tone with me, I'm stealthier than stealth itself," Pakkun complained, his dog forehead furrowing as he looked at Kakashi with apparent displeasure.

"I would have called you had I use for you! I can't babysit dogs at the moment," Kakashi said angrily.

Okay, he was unusually cranky. But he had been perched on this branch for far too long without sleep and without being able to decide what to do next, had gotten thoroughly wet from a sudden, ice-cold downpour not ten minutes ago and the smell of something juicy roasting over the fire hitting his nose with relentless teasing didn't help his mood nor his painfully empty stomach.

"I'm not here to run an errand for you," Pakkun snorted. "I have been sent to find you by the woman who uses my shampoo."

"Sakura!?"

Kakashi's heart wanted to drop into his stomach.

"Shhhhhh," the dog hissed, "there's sensory type shinobi over there!"

"What happened, is she alright?"

"Yes, perfectly fine. She looks better with pink hair though, you have to tell her."

"How did she… oh. The whistle?"

"The dog whistle that uses chakra signals, very clever. You should have warned me, I thought my ears would explode! That thing is extremely loud over long distances!"

"Why did they have to call you?" Kakashi's heart was beating so fast he felt his pulse in his neck. Calm down, he told himself, calm down. The dog did not seem alarmed. The others were fine. Were they?

"Because you're here and not there?" Pakkun said and lifted his right front paw to study it. He proceeded to lick a small cut before continuing. "And they needed to pass a message to you."

"What is the message?"

"We are unusually impatient today, hm?" Pakkun asked, narrowing his eyes at him. "Geez, what happened to your hair? You look strange, Kakashi. Very… flattened."

Sakura would never call Pakkun unless there was a problem. A big problem. Running a hand through his wet hair, Kakashi looked at the tents in the clearing before him with a sinking feeling. If he left now… it would all come to nothing.

"She says the following," the dog volunteered the information after clearing his throat and changing the pitch of his voice to simulate Sakura, "Please do not return to Kirigakure. Kaeru found his sister and we have left the village. We are returning to Konoha. We will meet you there."

"What?"

"Please do not return to Kirigakure. Kaeru found his sister and..."

"I understood you the first time," Kakashi said, "but what's going on? Why would Sakura leave Kirigakure? She knows who's waiting out there to get her hands on Sarada and… wait. Did the Mizukage do something?"

He cursed. Keiki was ruthless, of course she'd exploit any possibility to one up him. He had hoped no such opportunity would arise, but apparently…

"Sakura ordered me not to reveal anything that could worry you."

"Thank you very much for nothing," Kakashi let his head drop into his hands, "that's not going very well. Out with it. What happened? No need to spare me."

"I don't know what happened," Pakkun admitted. "But they might have been in prison when they called me."

"In prison!" he exclaimed. Goddamn Keiki. She would regret this.

"Don't worry, they got out. That man helped them."

"What man!?"

"A man with glasses. He has a rather unpleasant odor, he smells like roses growing on pig dung."

"The Head of Research!"

"You have a fine nose for a human," Pakkun nodded.

"Why would the Head of Research…"

"He said he works for Kabuto, I overheard it. I think the woman who uses my shampoo was glad I did, she made round eyes at me and nodded her head at that moment. I'm guessing she wanted you to know."

Kakashi stared at Pakkun, trying to process all this information as quickly as possible. Kabuto? Kabuto worked for Mrs. Nohara, no doubt about it. If that Head of Research in Kirigakure was Kabuto's spy, Mrs. Nohara had established a foothold there. In another shinobi village. It meant they were doomed and anything he did now was just going to be icing on her celebratory cake.

Unless… Kakashi's eyes returned to the tents that lay quietly in the early morning light.

"The little one is fine too," Pakkun said, now looking a bit concerned. "You do not need to worry that much. You look like you've seen a ghost! Are you going to faint?"

He said they're okay. Sakura is very capable. Kaeru is too. Not all is lost. Why am I this fatalistic?

Kakashi took a deep breath, than another. Was this his new reality? Burdened by the past, burdened by the future, unable to act swiftly and decisively as he used to? Yeah, like he didn't know why they wanted unattached people in the military… his worry for Sakura made his stomach cramp and every step forward seem precarious.

Pakkun, who had moved closer, peered into his eyes. "Kakashi, are you going to cry?"

"Oh shut up," Kakashi groaned, "no need to dance all over me, I'm fine. It's good you're here."

"I'd say so too," Pakkun said, sounding pleased with himself as he put his ears in order with his paws.

"I do have an errand for you after all," Kakashi said.

"Are you going to say please?"

"I always do," Kakashi frowned.

"That's not true," Pakkun complained. "You know exactly that we like you a lot, but we also feel obliged to obey you because of the contract we have with you. It would be nice if you could be a bit less… bossy."

"I'm not bossy!"

Pakkun lifted the wrinkly skin above his eyes, looking at him with judging eyes.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little bossy," Kakashi sighed. Pakkun always complained about everything before doing a marvellous job at whatever he told him to do, but maybe he had taken it too much for granted. "You know I am very grateful for the pack's services, you've saved me from many a dire situation. I will say please from now on."

"From time to time is enough," Pakkun coughed, suddenly seeming a little embarrassed.

The relationship between Ninken and Master was a deep one. His dog affinity had developed after his father's death and shortly after he had quit Root. One day, the pack of eight had waited in front of his lonely house at the outskirts of Konoha, looking at him with tongues out and tails wagging. They were gathered here because he had summoned them, Pakkun had lectured him, when he had stared at them, thinking he was sick and they were some hallucination. He had not understood at all, he had only cut himself this morning when using a knife and had drawn a pattern on the kitchen table with it, on a whim.

Later he had found out that the entire pack had served a different shinobi before him, one from the Inuzuka Clan, but their master had died in battle many years ago and ever since, the dogs had been idle - and increasingly bored. They were very eager to make a new contract with someone and apparently, his blood had called to them, very loudly.

Seeing them for the first time… it was a memory that he had regained. A precious one. They were more than friends for him - they were family.

"Okay," Kakashi said, feeling all kinds of sentimental al of a sudden, "if you please, Pakkun, could you try and find Shikamaru and his team? They cannot be too far, they're looking for me."

"Yes, I did come across their smells when I tracked yours," Pakkun nodded. "But they went in the other direction."

"They are running away from the Hunter-nin," Kakashi explained. "Can you help mislead them with some markings? Some have very sensitive noses, others use tracking jutsu. When you get to Shikamaru, tell him Sakura is in grave danger. She and Sarada need an escort to Konoha and that's far more important than finding me. Tell them to travel as fast as they can, and avoid the main roads. Tell him I take full responsibility for everything and will be back in Konoha very soon."

"I can do that," Pakkun nodded.

"Okay. Once you have delivered that message, I need you to deliver another one. To Mrs. Nohara. The Head of the Orphanage in Konoha."

"Hm," Pakkun said, looking intrigued.

"Tell her I'll do it. Tell her I will become what she wants me to be, but only if she keeps her promise."

"It sounds like you are planning something stupid?" Pakkun asked warily.

"No, Pakkun," Kakashi said and perked up as two Oni-mask warriors exited the tent he had had his eyes on and disappeared into the forest. At last. "Not stupid. Desperate. I'm going all in. Either I win big - or…"

No need to finish the sentence. It had always been his credo, going all in or die trying, but when you had started considering a future for yourself with someone else, it just wasn't said with the same carefreeness.

"And if you see Sakura," Kakashi added and then had to swallow. Tell her I miss her so much I can barely concentrate. Tell her I want to be with her forever. Tell her I… , "tell her not to worry, everything is fine. I will meet her in Konoha. Soon. I promise."

###

Sakura, can you hear me?

Ino's voice in her head made Sakura yelp, but then, great relief flooded her. Ino was near! Tsunade had sent reinforcement after all!

Ino, where are you?

The forest was dense around here and everything was wet and dripping, the sneaky sound of falling droplets giving her scare after scare. Sakura was sure they were being pursued, it could not have been long before Kirigakure noticed their absence, and for the last few hours, she had lived with the panicked certainty of getting caught any second.

We are close! Stay put, we will distract the shinobi behind you and then join you. They are extremely proficient trackers, Sakura, you must heal the woman who is with you immediately, she is bleeding. Her scent is like a beacon.

Trackers… Hunter-nin? But…

Where is Kakashi? Sakura asked Ino, feeling renewed panic rise.

Escaped.

Escaped... whom? What is going on?

We'll talk soon. Bye!

"We're stopping," Sakura told the others lifting a hand. Kearu threw her a questioning look.

"Reinforcement is coming," Sakura explained, but what was Ino not telling her? She let Sarada climb down from her back, "I just got a mind message from Ino. Yamanaka," she added, since Kaeru might not know her. "They are in charge of the barrier team."

They were on a small clearing, not a bad spot for resting if they hid behind the bushes.

"Ichika, I need to see to your wounds again," Sakura said, watching Nurun frown as he surveilled the wet ground. Nice of him to join them, but he had very little combat training and wasn't particularly helpful. Besides, she didn't trust him one bit - his presence in Kirigakure meant Mrs. Nohara's influence did extend as far as she had feared.

Kaeru put his sister down gingerly. He was pale and very worried. So was Sakura - Ichika wasn't doing well, in fact, she was getting worse by the hour. Her breathing was labored and the pain was visible on her pretty face now.

Sakura gathered chakra into her hands, but it came with a great effort. She had used too much down in that prison - chakra had not only been suppressed, it had also been absorbed, leading her to spend far too much with very little effect.

Ino had said she was bleeding. Sakura glanced at the young woman's body but couldn't see anything. Internal bleeding? Sakura clamped her mouth shut before a sob could escape her. That was very bad.

"Lie down," she told Kaeru's sister, putting her burrowed cloak on the ground for her.

She saw her own desperation in Kaeru's face, but she wouldn't give up. Never again would she give up. She would put chakra into this woman's body until hers was depleted completely and more, but she would not give up.

"Stop," Kaeru begged her at one stage, "Sakura, you are giving too much!"

But there was no too much. There only was too little.

"Move aside," someone said much later - had time stopped? everything moved so sluggish - and to her surprise it was Ino who pushed her out of the way with little gentleness, her own hands green with healing chakra.

Sakura lay on her back where she had dropped, feeling the wetness starting to soak through her garments, staring up into the green leaves of a forest that could be anywhere between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, thinking feebly that it was unfair that after everything she had been through in her fairly short life, she still got to feel this inadequate and helpless, again and again. She had given her best. And her best… was still not enough.

"Eat something," someone said. Choji? Sakura tried to lift her head, but it was too heavy.

Someone began feeding her potato chips with barbeque flavor. She realized she was immensely hungry as she wolved the crispy treats down faster and faster.

"Sakura," Shikamaru addressed her, his head appearing above her, "can you walk?"

"Where is Sarada?" she whispered, thinking that the little beard he had grown looked quite good on him.

"You silly goose!" Ino chided her, shouldering Shikamaru aside roughly, "are you trying to kill yourself?"

Her friend helped her sit up, leaving her arm behind her shoulders for support. Sakura felt very dizzy and closed her eyes for a moment. Then another moment, until her vision cleared.

"Look at the state of you," Ino said, sounding appalled.

"Really no time to do my hair," Sakura coughed. "Sorry. But what are you doing here? You shouldn't go on missions anymore in your..."

But Ino shook her head at her, her lips a thin line. She hadn't told her comrades about her pregnancy? Why? But before she could say something else, Sarada came running over and slipped her hand into Sakura's.

"This is Sarada," Sakura introduced her, trying to lift her other hand to stroke the girl's hair. "Sarada, these are my friends from Konoha, Ino, Shikamaru and Choji. They're here to help us. We'll be back in Konoha soon."

"You are very pretty," the girl said to Ino.

"And you look exactly like your father," Ino replied bluntly, which caused Sarada to pout at her.

"Do you like potato chips?" Choji asked Sarada, who, after getting fractions of food pills that Sakura thought were appropriate for her size and weight, had to be famished. "You're cute as a button, but look at how thin you are!"

"Can I have a potato chip, Auntie?" Sarada asked Sakura with hope in her eyes.

"Of course, Sarada," Sakura said, "and anything else Choji offers you. As much as you want."

"Damn, girl," Ino said as she watched Sarada retreat with Choji. "You're a saint. She's the spitting image of Sasuke."

"Is he coming with us?" Shikamaru asked Sakura with a side-glance at Nurun, apparently choosing to ignore the fact that there was a child that looked exactly like Sasuke walking next to Choji.

"I guess so," Sakura replied, "I think he knows a few useful things I haven't had time to discuss with him yet."

"Do you understand what's going on?" Shikamaru asked.

Did she?

"Where's Kakashi?" she asked instead of giving an answer.

"We have orders to apprehend him," Ino answered in Shikamaru's stead. "Whom did he manage to piss off, girlfriend? There's even a price on his head. Tsunade was livid. More livid than usual!"

"That Nohara witch…" Sakura felt quite sick all of a sudden. Kakashi was all alone out there and everybody was out to get him?

"We didn't try too hard," Shikamaru said languishly, "he got away. Don't fret, Sakura. He sent his dog to us, that's why we're here."

"Where is he?"

"Don't know," Shikamaru shrugged, "But I'm sure he's fine. Don't know how he'll get out of this one though, a shinobi should know better than to get involved in politics. What a nuisance! Well, we'll take you to Konoha now. I'll explain to Tsunade… I'll try at least. If I don't make it out of her office alive…"

Shikamaru made a rueful face until Ino boxed him hard.

"Sakura doesn't look like she's appreciating your humor, you dolt."

"Pffft, women have no humor," Shikamaru murmured and then turned to Kaeru, straightening his back. "I'm taking command, any objections?"

It was standard procedure to clearly establish the line of command when a mere mission commander met an Anbu operative in the field - per default, Anbu had higher military ranks. But this Anbu operative was a pitiful sight. He had lost his sword, was not wearing a mask, was shivering from the cold and he looked like he hadn't slept for days, which he probably had.

"Leave him be," Sakura said out of a sudden, but strong impulse to protect him, "he's been through hell."

"Just making sure," Shikamaru said with a shrug, his eyes sweeping over the sorry lot of them. "We rest for ten more minutes, then we press on. We'd have brought blankets if we had known this would turn into a rescue mission."

"I'm okay," Sakura lied, "I can walk by myself."

"Choji, you carry the injured woman. I will take the girl. Ino, you make sure Sakura doesn't trip and fall. The Anbu and that scientist can fend for themselves."

The journey back was like a nightmare. Everything hurt and got progressively worse. Sakura wanted to curl up in a ball, hide her head and be done with everything. And then, she wanted to wake up in Kakashi's arms, realizing it had all been a bad dream.

Two people were waiting for them at the open gates.

One got up from his wheelchair with the help of the other, holding his body upright with the help of two crutches.

"Sakura," Sasuke said when she stumbled into the village, "I'm so glad you're okay."

His arm came around her shoulders and pressed her to his body, his cheek resting against her hair. He almost fell, but Naruto steadied him with a chuckle, murmuring something about invigorating reunions. With Sasuke's grip tightening around her, Sakura suddenly lost the rest of the meager strength on which she had run for the last hours.

A wave of grief hit her so hard she thought she would faint on the spot - and she started sobbing, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.