Next day, the hospital was active. Last night, Uchiha Sasuke arrived with a bloodied Sakura, and he was almost bathed in her blood due to its large quantity. Shrieks were heard before the nurses scurried by to help accommodate her. The Hokage was informed an hour after Sakura arrived at the hospital and her condition was stabilized and she rushed to the hospital, and found Sasuke silently waiting outside the operating room. She entered, and stayed inside for who knows how long.

Twenty minutes after being able to pull Sakura from death's door, Tsunade stood at the podium at the village square in front of a large group of confused villagers and announced,

"Uchiha Itachi kidnapped Sakura and Sasuke's children."

LOST Chapter 8: Bound in Invisible Chains

I'm drowning.

Drowning.

It's so dark.

But where am I? How did I come here?

A light. There's a light in the distance.

I stretched my hand.

Oh no. I can't reach it.


"SHE'S WHAT?!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice resonating the disbelief of the people in the room.

"Unstable."

"But, but," Naruto continued on blubbering. "You told us she was stable! Out of danger!"

"I am wondering as well, Tsunade-sama." Neji interrupted. He glared at Sasuke for a moment before continuing. "If Uchiha will not be responsible for this, then at least I can take hold of it."

Sasuke angrily stood up. He faced Neji and asked in a threatening tone, "What was that Hyuuga?"

"Sit down, both of you!" Tsunade interceded. "We have enough problems here without you two adding to it. Be seated!"

After one last heated glance at each other, they resumed their seats and sat broodingly.

Tsunade sighed. This isn't working. "Sasuke, you say your brother visited you and told you that this will happen."

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

"None."

Naruto, not being to stay still in such conditions, burst out. "This is disgusting! I want to do something but we don't know anything!"

"Do you think you're the only one?!" Ino tearfully answered. She was wrapped in Shikamaru's embrace, and was crying non-stop since she learned what happened.

"Naruto, please." Hinata asked.

Naruto finally settled down and took his place beside his wife.

But then, what can we do? Sakura, only you can help us now.


"Natsuke-kun. Natsuke-kun!" someone urgently called.

"Be quiet, I'm sleepy…" Natsuke mumbled.

"Natsuke-kun, we're not home!"

This got his attention, because he fully opened his eyes and whipped his head around to survey his surroundings. He was in a dark room, and the only light came from a high, barred window. The only door to the room was at the corner left from where he was, at the center of the room.

Based from the light, it was mid-morning.

"Nagisa-chan! Momma!"

"I'm here, Natsuke-kun."

He whipped his head to the pole beside his, where his sister, bound, was woefully staring at their surroundings.

He finally calmed down, knowing at least that his sister was fine – er, alive and unhurt at least – and since panic was over, he finally noticed that he was tightly tied too, and his wrists and ankles are surely bruised and battered.

"Nagisa-chan, what are we doing here?"

Nagisa tearfully looked at him and said, "I don't know! I don't know! I just woke up here! And Momma's not around!"

"So, you're finally awake."


"When does he plan to visit her again!?!" Naruto yelled, distorting the silence that filled the room.

"Naruto-kun, please, quiet down. We still are in the hospital." Hinata asked.

"Naruto," Kakashi said, attracting the blonde boy's attention. "You may think it's 'immature' of Sasuke not to be here, but he's greatly affected. He believes this is his fault. Leave him alone, for the time being."

After a moment of disbelief and harried look of annoyance, knowing he can do nothing of it he pouted. "Fine, but that doesn't mean I'm happy with it." Naruto mumbled.

"Oi, Kakashi," Neji raised his head and directly gazed at Kakashi. His white eyes hardened. "We both know he's the key to solving this. If he doesn't come here in time, I'm going to drag his sorry ass until he does what we want. Clear?"

As you see, whatever the situation, Kakashi can still find things funny. Putting this event in the 'funny' category, since Neji barely says complete sentences, his eyes widened. His companions realized this. This catastrophe was no exception.

Kakashi chuckled. "Just make sure I'm warned beforehand so I can bring my video. Sakura would've loved to see it, once she wakes up."

A second later, a greenish-white blur was seen flying through the beautiful blue sky, an orange book behind it.


Sasuke was walking through the streets of Konoha that day, dwelling upon everything that has been happening lately.

"I don't feel sorry about that bitch at all, hogging Sasuke-kun up," sneered a female, nose up in the air and all, to the vendor selling fruits.

Sasuke, obviously, raged inside at this, but tried to hide the flames as much as he can. Still, he wasn't able to old off the dark look that settled in his eyes, which, fortunately, is currently glaring in the ground.

To his surprise, the vendor actually defended Sakura. "No. The girl is the nicest I have ever met. She found my adopted child in the forest one day and healed her without asking questions."

The obnoxious, loudmouth, and true representation of shame in the female race snorted. "You're just giving an excuse because the bitch is sassier that you are, though compared to ME, you both are dirt in the ground." The vendor lowered her head at this as the woman buyer laughed. "I can't believe Sasuke-kun chose that girl who would take on any man just to be filled. Ha!"

For the civilians passing by, and putting (stapling, sealing, laminating, and framing) in mind that Sakura and his so-called friends would hate him if a resident was hurt by a ninja, high-ranked no less, but this was too much and nothing in the world or in high heavens could contain him. So expectedly, he burst.

Stalking to the woman, he raised her up by the collar, and threw her at the wall nearby. The woman yelped, slid down and cowered at the sight of his activated Sharingan. Pure terror swept to her body, realizing how he was capable of petrifying enemies at a single glance. How much more when he was staring at her so intensely, so chillingly?

"Never badmouth Sakura ever again." He simply stated in an unnerving tone, his gaze and silent wrath currently directed solely to the recoiling being in front of him.

He then turned around and nodded to the vendor, who slightly smiled in spite of the situation as Sasuke walked out of the scene, gaping people left behind him.


"Sa-Sasuke-san?" Nagisa stuttered. She and her brother were gaping at the unmoving figure beneath the high window.

The shadowed form stepped from beneath and into the light. At clearer examination, the man is older and more built than the familiar personage the twins are acquainted with.

Natsuke squinted to scrutinize the individual more closely. "Who are you?"

"Uchiha Itachi."

Nagisa audibly gasped and Natsuke breathed in sharply. They definitely have not been expecting this… trouble at this time, being children.

"You're going to be useful."

Natsuke, not being able to stop his tongue, shouted, "Bastard!"

Ah, yes, strong and skilled, yet children nonetheless.


Where am I?

Sakura…

Who?

Sakura…

I'll be waiting…


"I'll be waiting…" Sasuke murmured after hours of silence by Sakura's bedside. He was uncharacteristically holding her hand, staring at her unmoving form.

Earlier that day, minutes after Sasuke stalked from the onlookers, Naruto hurriedly found him, yelling to the high heavens of Sakura's condition.

"SASUKE! SASUKE!" Naruto yelled out loud for the whole vicinity to hear. He then almost bumped to the very person he was yelling for.

"Sasuke! It's Sakura! She's –"

Sasuke stared at him disbelievingly before grabbing the blond-haired man roughly and shaking him. "She's what?!" he demanded.

"She's stable! All we need to do is wait for her to wake up!"

That moment, he breathed a sigh of relief. He never noticed that he was holding his breath while Naruto was speaking.

So since then, he was in the hospital waiting. And waiting. But hours had passed and the awaited moment did not occur.

He turned at the sound of the knob being turned, revealing an outline of a figure staring at him intensely with white eyes, his face masking the façade of anger, impatience, and annoyance. Oh, and maybe a tad of jealousy.

"Hyuuga." Sasuke recognized the person and voiced out his name in a wary tone.

"Uchiha." The way Neji made out the name could be recognized as something spat out of disgust. "What are you still doing here? Guilt eating you up?" He smirked. To his surprise, Sasuke was not turned to him but staring at the angelic face currently twisted in distress.

Sasuke gently held her hand – saying that Neji was surprised by his unusual tenderness was an understatement – and held it close.

And he said the very thing he kept calling all day, in a voice full of locked up emotions yet of warmth and hope.

"Sakura…"

And then the knob clicked, a man somberly withdrawing from the room.


There it is again.

What is it anyway?

So annoying.

Sakura…

Wait a moment.

Sakura…

I know that voice. It's familiar…

Sakura…

It's…

Please! Wake up! The children are in danger!

Flashback

Sakura soothingly held her children beneath a tree.

"Allay your fears, you two. Nothing's going to go wrong when you are with me. I'll protect you with my life."

End Flashback

That is me?

Children… are not here…

Nagisa… Natsuke…

They are not here!

And another…

Sasuke…

SAKURA!

Sasuke… SASUKE!

And then, two brilliant green orbs opened to the world once again.


Authoress Notes:

1. I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. I really can't stop without one!

2. I don't think it's SasuSakuNeji ok? I like that pairing, but only a bit of it will suit this fic.

3. Rochelle Amistoso , you promised to read this. You better read this.

Sasuke: You better read it, the young lady said so.

Lila: He likes Sakura and I! maniac laugh You lose! This is my story after all! Take COY (KOI) and be off!

4. Vianne, good luck with Lem. I really do. I've tested so many sites for pairing measure, and yours really paid off. He DIGS you. If he's embarrassed at front of you or something, get a camera and take a pic of it, coz that's a great indication. If it's not, what do you call "The lovers of Parsci" a.k.a Ceo and Ade?

5. Jazpurz08, good luck with Jerome. And please review, although it's really scary and threatening the way you do it, knowing that Good Heavens no it's possible for you to do so because you're in the class directly below our room.

6. Hazel, where is my review, bestfriend?

7. Aj, don't lie, I know you never read this. But thanx for dropping by anyway. Oh, and to that person who told you my site, thanx too.

8. To all my reviewers, please enjoy my fic that I'll bet will continue on! I want to leave one for each, but I don't think that will be possible! sweatdrop Please continue your support, for I look forward you for the gasoline to fuel my next story! Thanks again!