The room was black and empty, save for Hinata who sat with her back to the curved wall furthest from the door. Her knees were pulled to her chest and she used them to rest her head. She had already canvassed the area. She could tell the Hokage tower was nearby and the building around her was occupied by several shinobi of various skill levels. There was no doubt in her mind, she was being held within the foundation. Knowing where she was being held offered little comfort. She wouldn't be able to escape on her own. The door creaked open, light filtering in causing her to squint.
"Are you ready to talk now, child?" Danzo asked from the entryway.
"I have nothing to say." Hinata rebutted. "You're a paranoid old man who made a grave mistake."
"Insolent malapert."
"What are you so worried about anyways?" She asked, shifting onto her knees to look up at him. "What dirty secret are you so desperate to keep hidden? To coupe against the current kage, or perhaps one against the deceased."
"Silence child." Danzo warmed.
"I'm not afraid of you." Hinata assured him. "This darkness and isolation isn't enough to break me. I can see despite it all. The Akatsuki have more teeth."
"I have avoided my usual tactics out of respect for your clan, but make no mistake, you will talk regardless of what it takes."
"You respect power and fear." She noted. "You have no power over me, nor do I fear you. Do what you will, but Sasuke will come for me and I promise you he will not be alone."
"How will they find you?" Danzo smirked, an air of arrogance around him. "No one outside of this organization is aware of this place." Hinata rested her head on her knees once again, no longer wishing to contribute to the power trip of the old man. "I will return, next time I expect more cooperation from you." He remarked, feeling as if he had chipped away some of her resolve. Regardless of what he thought he'd accomplished, Hinata wouldn't be so easily disheartened. Sasuke and Neji would come for her, they would find her even if her father refused to get involved.
…
Sasuke rested his hand on the fence next to Sai's face, unexpectedly halting the artist's walk. Neji flanked the fourth member of team Yamato, his face neutral and void of any emotion.
"Where is the foundation?" Sasuke demanded, his tone even and cool.
"I wondered when you two would come around." Sai admitted. "He's had her for nearly six hours. I thought she was better looked after."
"She is plenty looked after." Neji defended, a ping of guilt cutting through his gut. He had been asking himself for hours why he'd taken so long to look for her.
"Besides she doesn't need keeping, Hinata is perfectly capable of caring for herself." Sasuke added, offended at the implication that she needed caring for.
"Regardless of the high standards the two of you have placed on her, Hinata is being subjected to sensory deprivation as we speak."
"You've known but remained quiet this entire time?" Sasuke snapped, his frustration building.
"What could I do?" The artist asked. It was difficult for Sasuke to discern if the boy was being sarcastic or genuine.
"He should understand how useless that is." Neji remarked, his brow furrowed as he called attention back to the situation at hand.
"Why?" Sasuke asked, refocusing. "Why take her? Why subject her to low level torture?"
"Because he wants to know what the two of you have learned about him." The pale boy shrugged.
"He is dense." The Uchiha remarked. "Whatever he was worried about her finding out she has certainly found it now. Besides, sensory deprivation will never work."
"How can you be so sure?" Sai asked. "It has broken even the toughest men."
"Because when she was held by the Akatsuki Hinata was subject to much worse: beatings, sleep deprivation, and even sensory deprivation. She's unbreakable."
"You let he go through that and yet you claim to love her." Neji spat, his stoic demeanor faltering briefly.
"I didn't let her go through that. I had limited control; when members of Taka struck her they were reprimanded. I couldn't do much about Madara, or whoever he really is."
"The orange masked one?" Sai asked. "She opposed him alone?"
"Openly and on more than one occasion." Sasuke nodded. "Frankly we're lucky he didn't kill her."
"He has underestimated her." Neji stated. "Just as Danzig has."
"How can we find her?" Sasuke asked Sai, impatience brewing. The conversation had dragged on too long and the brief derailment had only served to hinder their mission for intel.
"I can't betray the location." Sai stated plainly. "But I will say, if Neji looks hard at the Hokage tower he may very well find her."
"You make no sense." Sasuke grumbled.
"That's a conclusion we've all reached at some point." Neji chided.
"I want to be a friend to you both, but I physically cannot betray the organizations secrets." Sai explained.
"Thank you, Sai. You've given us enough." Neji assured. "Sasuke, we should get Lord Hiashi now."
"Let's be quick about it." Sasuke nodded. "He's had her long enough." The two boys left Sai, heading for the Hyuga compound.
…
Sakura walked into the greenhouse outside the Yamanaka house. Ino was sitting in the middle of a garden of medicinal herbs, tending to the freshly grown crop.
"Wow, it's really coming along." Sakura noted, officially announcing her presence.
"I'll take that wow as a compliment." Ino giggled, looking up at her pink-haired companion.
"As intended." Sakura smiled.
"So is this business or pleasure." The blonde asked, continuing in with her work.
"Business for now." Sakura closed the distance between them and sat on her knees in the dirt next to Ino. "I just left the hospital, the rebuild is coming along nicely and our supply levels are phenomenal…thanks to you and our other contributors."
"Just doing my part as a patriot of the leaf."
"So, do you wanna maybe go out tonight?" Sakura asked, resting her fists on her thighs.
"Three dates in one week." Ino smirked. "You'll spoil me."
"Maybe that's the plan." The pink-haired girl shrugged. "Keep you around a little longer."
"I'm not going anywhere." The blonde remarked, reaching her dirt covered hand up to caress Sakura's cheek. The medical ninja grabbed Ino's wrist, halting her advances.
"I can't go meet with Lady Tsunade covered in dirt." Sakura giggled. "6:30?"
"Sounds fantastic."
"See you then." Sakura beamed, offering a quick kiss to her lover before dropping her wrist and moving to leave.
"I can't wait."