Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Warning: Like I said before—awkward.

Puppet in Pink

19. A New Transparency

"Other monsters crowded around me,

Continually attacking. I treated them politely,

Offering the edge of my razor-sharp sword.

But the feast, I think, did not please them...

Thrashing there at the bottom of the sea..."

-Beowulf

"Sakura-chan? Are you in here?" Naruto choked out, in a voice intended to be a shout but sounding closer to a gasp. A feeling of utter nausea gurgled somewhere deep in the pit of his stomach, as red swept his vision in waves. The room spun like the inside of a top.

Kakashi was uncomfortably silent, forcing his eyes to avoid the crimson spatters crawling across the walls, the ceiling, the floor that he stood on—

He'd seen blood like this before, but that didn't mean he liked it. He'd seen blood like this before, but that didn't mean he was used to it. And the nightmares, oh the nightmares...

Instead, he watched his students as intently as he could out of the corner of his eye, forcing himself into the comfort of scientific observation, pulling himself and his delicate soul away from the situation. It's not happening to you, it's just an experiment, think logically about what you would do if you were in the position shown...

Naruto, though making his usual brave attempt at being brave, was pale and trembling, Kakashi noted. He moved his arms and legs in jerky, robotic spasms, looking exactly as he should have, given the circumstances. But Sasuke...

The raven-haired Uchiha boy looked disconnected, disoriented, almost drunken. Sharingan eyes blankly stared at everything and nothing. Kakashi took a moment to ponder what was going through his student's mind, but dropped the thought. They still had a mission to accomplish.

With mechanical fluidity, Sasuke walked towards the small stage that commanded the room. He didn't notice the darker patches interrupting the sheen of the red velvet curtains, didn't feel the delightful squish of the carpet that flowed scarlet with every step. He was a prisoner of his own mind, and a willing one at that.

Remember what I told you, you're the hero, you're the real man here, just look at those wimps, walk by them without a word, show them just how strong you are, come on...

The words were repeated like a chant, a mantra, a charm to protect him from himself. And it was working.

At last, Sasuke saw what he'd been looking for. A vague aura, probably that of a young child, peering out from backstage. Mindless of the crust of crimson-brown that flaked onto his hands, he pulled open the heavy draperies.

A girl, pink hair barely visible from under the blood, sat still as a statue, tied to a chair. A smaller girl, her back to the other, was lashed to another chair bound and gagged.

Haruno Sakura.

Otsubo Motoko.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, regaining his normal voice. "Are you alright?" At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, the littler of the two began to struggle with her bonds, making muffled sounds. Kakashi quickly cut her loose and untied the gag and blindfold. A pair of watery brown eyes peered from a tear-stained, frightened face.

"Are you here to save me?" she sniffled, her body tense with fear.

"Yes, yes, you're safe now. Did those men try to hurt you?" Kakashi tried to force his nervous voice into something that would pass for a kindly tone.

"Oh, no! Not at all!" Dropping her defensive posture, Motoko crossed her arms and shook her head firmly. "They were talking about money, though. And hurting my daddy and my mommy, too."

"They were bad, bad men," she added after a frowning pause.

"Okay...we're glad that you're all right." The silver-haired teacher offered a strained chuckle that he hoped would sound genuine. Meanwhile, Motoko was walking over to where Sakura sat, still tied up. The little girl tugged at the limp hem of the blood-drenched ninja dress.

"Mister, I don't know what your name is, but are you going to let the other girl go, too? I dunno how she got here or when she got tied up, but all the bad men went bye-bye so we can let her out now."

Kakashi gave himself a mental slap. How could he have been so stupid? He'd been so worried about what a four-year-old would think of him, he had forgotten all about their teammate. As quickly as he could, he slit the bonds and waited for her to jump into his arms, tears streaming in torrents down her cheeks.

The pink-haired girl didn't stir.

"Hey, missy...you can get up now! Wake-up! Wake-up!" Motoko climbed onto Sakura's lap and waved a chubby hand in front of the girl's vacant face. To Kakashi, she said, "She's not waking up, mister. I hope they didn't hurt her..."

Naruto's head had been swimming with the sight of the blood; the smell, the sound, the metallic taste in the air...but he heard the child's words. It forced him back to reality.

"Huh?! Sakura-chan's not waking up?" His tone was sardine-packed with disbelief of all colors. And new possibilities opened up their doors to reveal all-too-gruesome depictions of what might happen next...

I know this wasn't really the longest chapter I could have written, but I am currently being barraged with tests. I have the oddest intuition that I will hate science class this year...

To Maya Amano-sama: Your teachers sound so cruel...(shudder) I'm in junior high and hating every minute of it...the teachers either treat us like retards or slaves. (I prefer the 'retard' illusion, mainly because I don't have to do much work then!)

Try to review--tell me if something seems out of place here, because this chapter seems more awkward than the previous one...or maybe it's just me.