Author's Note:

Stay tuned, the next chapter will be out shortly!

Leave comments and things, they make me giddier than a five year old in a candy store and help to keep me writing. XD

As always, a big thank you to my most wonderful beta and resident Orochimaru expert, Umbra. YOU'RE AWESOME!

Be safe out there wonderful people and enjoy!

-J.E.

The next thing I knew was pain. Biting and mind-numbing, its jagged claws scoured every inch of my body.

God, what is this?

Violent throbs tested the structural integrity of my skull. And yet, I'd never been so glad to feel that pain.

Pain meant that I was, by some fucking miracle, alive.

Summoning all that I had left, I'd attempted what was hands-down the stupidest stunt I'd ever pulled. I'd managed to force my heart to stop beating. Just long enough to eject Chino's contaminated chakra from my bloodstream.

I was gambling with my life. And like Senju Tsunade, I was shit at making bets.

But this time, it had paid off. The downside? It left my chakra reserves low. Dangerously low. Once chakra levels reach that critical of a level, the body will begin to give out.

Blood. It was everywhere . Seeping from my tattered body like I was a perforated human juice box. The metallic liquid coated my tongue as I coughed and choked.

Bright blonde hair and glowing red eyes caught my eye. The glint of a kunai in a small hand. No doubt destined to meet the flesh of my throat.

Running on nothing but fumes and adrenaline, I pulled a last ditch effort. Chino could not walk out of the arena victorious.

Death's icy grip slithered around my being while I struggled to stand and walk off. My vision went hazy as I wavered and stumbled.

I didn't even react to the arm that slid around my waist to support my broken body. They were small and slender, which meant they weren't Itachi's or Kisame's. Was it a medic or something? I really hoped so…

A honeyed voice began whispering soft, reassuring words in my ear. A voice that I struggled to comprehend while swimming in and out of consciousness seemed oddly familiar.

And not familiar in a good way. I couldn't put my finger on who the gentle voice belonged to. Nor did I particularly want to. I needed fucking help.

"Don't worry, Sora-chan. I've got you."

I-Is that… Karin?

Blinking my weary eyes open, I went to rub away the sleepy haze, but was halted by a strap around my wrist.

My panic mode activated.

The fear had me jerking my battered body upright, only to be yanked hard back against a bed. I hissed at the ache.

"Hey, look! She's awake!" A cheerful voice said from the doorway.

"Suigetsu?" I gawked, watching the silver haired boy make his way over to my bedside.

A single sharp canine stuck out over his sly smirk. Karin strode in behind him, ensued by none other than the Snake Sannin himself.

Oh, fuck. This is very bad.

"Sora, what the hell did you do to yourself this time? I've never seen you so close to knocking on death's door." Suigetsu's grin faded into a small frown. He looked just as pitifully adorable as I remembered. That single snaggletooth melted my heart.

"She did something incredibly stupid, that's what." Karin answered.

I snorted a laugh, "Oh, Karin. Always giving me a run for my money in the sass department—how I've missed you so." She shot me an unamused look to which I gave her a cheeky grin.

She was having none of it. "Suigetsu isn't lying. You almost died." She pushed her scarlet glasses up with a finger. "I had to resuscitate you twice on the way back here. You threw off your sinus rhythm and were too low on chakra to heal. I honestly am shocked you're even alive."

Twice, yikes…

"Stopping your heart–what an incredible feat, Sora-chan." Orochimaru's sly, raspy voice made my blood run cold as he leaned against the doorway.

I'd hoped he was away, at another hideout maybe… what wishful thinking that was. "And, I must say, what a truly heart-stopping show you put on."

I scowled at him, "Cut the shit. What the fuck do you want Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "My, so hostile. Is that any way to speak to the person who saved your life for a second time?"

"When I'm speaking to the slimy bastard who saved me for the sole purpose of being a lab rat, then, anything goes." I spat back, narrowing my gaze.

"Your sole purpose?" He reiterated with a smirk. "No, my dear. You offer much more than that. And don't think anyone will come for you. You aren't important enough to the Akatsuki. Nor to Itachi. You're back home, where you will stay. And be useful." Waving his hand dismissively, he slipped out of the room.

"Huh?! Itachi? Sasuke's older brother?" Suigetsu blurted out.

I heaved a breath, "I was put on a team with him and Kisame." A burning throb rippling up my side forced me to recline back against the bed. For as shitty as my situation was, being in a bed was worlds better than the usual hard metal table.

"Wait, Hoshigaki Kisame—the one who's got Samehada?" Suigetsu probed, a million emotions dancing in his violet eyes.

I shook my head, then lifted a brow. "Do you know each other?"

"Uh, yeah. I knew him—he was friends with my master who was also one of the Legendary Swordsmen of the Blood Mist." Suigetsu's eyes went momentarily distant before he blinked and looked back at me. "But wait—why did Orochimaru mention Itachi specifically ?"

"Oh, ho, ho. Are you and him—" A mischievous grin pulled at the corners of his lips.

Karin's hand slammed into the back of his head, causing it to burst into a puddle of water, soaking the floor.

"Will you shut up, Suigetsu! That's Sora's business." Karin demanded, handing me some pills and a glass of water. "Take this. You need to replenish your blood and chakra."

I silently did as she asked, nearly choking on the enormous horse-pills. An unease filled me as I looked back up at my red-haired friend. "So, Karin… what's he got planned for me this time around?"

Sending Suigetsu a quick, dismal look, she sighed. "Orochimaru-sama used the last of your cells. He needs more–a lot more. I don't really know what the plan is… but what I do know is he's growing tired of you."

"He wants to figure out how to keep your power, without having to keep you around." Suigetsu whispered, shielding the side of his mouth with a hand.

I wasn't surprised. It's what he'd wanted from the beginning. And, honestly, I'd caused him more issues than I was good for. I was just surprised he hadn't thought to do it sooner.

"We need to get you out of here before Sasuke gets back." Karin used a finger to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

Shit… Sasuke cannot show up.

"What a shit show that would be…" I muttered, closing my eyes in defeat. He could very easily walk in at any time. And if Itachi was anywhere even close to the hideout, Sasuke would go ballistic.

We had to do something, I needed to get the fuck out of there. Fast.

"I need your help, guys," Suigetsu's face lit up as Karin cocked a brow. "I need to get a message out to my partners. Then, you guys have to help jailbreak my ass out of here."

Suigetsu's face warped into a wicked smile, "Oh, we're way ahead of you. We talked about it while you were struggling to stay conscious on the way back from the arena."

"I've mapped the hideout by tracking people's chakra," Karin pushed her glasses back into place. "I know the routes. The problem is, you're on full lockdown. Jugo and Kabuto have been taking turns guarding the door."

"However," Suigetsu drew my attention by lifting a scholarly finger, "I'll distract them. Jugo agreed to take some serum that will set him off," I furrowed my brows at him. I knew Jugo… and I knew he hated his "episodes".

Suigetsu dismissively waved a hand, "Relax, he wants to see you get out of here almost more than we do. And that'll draw the attention away from us, so we can make a break for it and get you back to your boyfriend." I shot him a death glare.

"You're still weak, you can't be expending chakra. So, as much as I know this is going to be suck to hear," Karin paused, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You'll have to rely on Suigetsu. But, I'll be talking him through the hideout with a waterproof earpiece."

"What, and we're supposed to just waltz out the front door?" I doubted, cokcing my head to one side.

"There's a back entrance, stupid." Karin refolded her arms, leaning on a hip.

Ignoring her sass, I looked at them both, "Wait–when you were coming back here, did you happen to see any crows?"

Suigetsu shot me a confused face, "Crows? I don't think so…" He tapped a thoughtful finger to his chin.

"Wait," Karin chimed in, "I saw a crow. It had a particular chakra about it too–like a summons."

Hope had my heart skipping a beat as I sat up a bit straighter. I fought to contain my optimism. That was probably Kurohachigo…

But, just how long has that bird been following me?

That was a stupid question. The creepy Uchiha had no doubt done it. I wondered just how much he'd seen and hid my small shudder.

"Was that one of your partners or something?" Karin asked.

"Something like that, yeah. That means they know where I am." I tried to hide the slight smile pulling at the corners of my lips.

"So," Suigetsu began, "your boyfriend and Kisame are coming to save you?" Rolling my eyes, I groaned.

"My partners are coming, yes," I replied while scanning the restraints around my ankles and wrists before glancing back up at them. "So, how soon until you can get me the fuck out of here?"

Itachi's Perspective:

Getting information from En went smoothly. His non-compliance was easy to fix after activating my Sharingan. In a matter of moments, I'd burned him at a stake for half a day in the Tsukuyomi until he cracked, divulging everything we needed on the location of the Four tails jinchuriki in mere minutes.

After leaving En unconscious on the floor of the suite, Kisame and I headed to the hospital. We were overdue to get Sora, and the uneasiness in my gut told me something was amiss.

We must have checked every room in that damned hospital, to no avail. She wasn't there. She was gone–most likely taken.

And I'd allowed it to happen. My dumb ass had literally watched her be carried out of the arena.

I never should have believed that sharp-tongued, red-headed girl.

After running out of the hospital doors and places to look, I regrouped with Kisame. "She's not here… That red-haired girl took her. Do you recognize her?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, pushing the tightness building in my chest aside. This was not the time for my illness to flare up. " I have a pretty good idea who she works for."

"Orochimaru…" Kisame growled.

"Hmm," I hummed, putting out an arm for Shisui's crow.

A moment later, the bird landed and perched itself on my arm. The shuriken in his red eye gleamed. "Show me where she went." Cawing, he pumped his black wings and took off, blazing the trail to wherever Sora had been taken.

"You already had a crow on her? Damn, when did you do that?" Kisame asked as we sprinted in the wake of my winged companion.

"I've had him looking after her since we got the mission." I confessed, not exactly thrilled to be admitting that I'd been essentially spying on Sora.

"You creepy fucking Uchiha." Kisame snickered. Rolling my eyes, I knew he was right. I'd seen some things that I… probably shouldn't have. But I'd been charged with keeping her safe.

And I wasn't taking any chances. Even if that meant encroaching upon her privacy.

"You love her, don't you?" Kisame probed.

I remained silent, keeping my attention focused ahead.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

After glaring at him, I exhaled a tired breath with a subtle rasp. "That's irrelevant. It doesn't change the fact that I'm a dying man–she deserves better than that." Hearing the words aloud still stung, however true they may be.

"She could fix you, ya know." Kisame mumbled.

"I won't burden her with that, Kisame." I kept my gaze fixated on the crow leading the way in through the increasingly overcast sky.

"She had sex with you. I'm pretty sure you can ask her to do that. And she's the organization's medic. It's kind of her job ."

Watching the crow idle overhead, I halted, ignoring Kisame's comment.

Sora's chakra was not far off. We'd made it.

Breathing an internal sigh of relief knowing Sora was alive and Sasuke was not nearby, I watched Kisame walk over to an auspicious looking rock.

With a hard push, the boulder rolled away to reveal a shadowy hallway. The entrance.

"Nifty…" Kisame remarked, taking a step back to observe the passageway.

"As much as I hate to say this," I ran my fingers through my hair, "we're going to have to wait."

Sitting on the ground leaned up against another large stone, Kisame sighed. "You think she's plotting to get out of there, too, huh?"

"Hm…" Humming in response, I had no doubt that she was. Sora hated Orochimaru. Almost as much as she hated Danzo. Which was saying something.

Sitting beside Kisame, he patted my back. "We'll get her back–don't worry so much. She'll be fine."

She's alive and we're here… so why doesn't it feel like it's enough?

A few days later, Orochimaru had left for the Eastern hideout. It was go time.

"Mission impossible" as we called it, sounded deceptively simple.

Karin would navigate Suigetsu and me via an earpiece to the back exit. And if Kisame and Itachi weren't there, I'd start walking. They'd have to find my broken ass wandering around eventually.

When Karin mentioned two chakra signatures lurking in the trees outside the back entrance, hope made my heart swell.

They came. They actually fucking came…

I waited. And waited. Until, finally, the vibration of Jugo smashing into something shook the hideout.

That was my signal.

Breaking free from the shackles Karin had loosened, I hugged her tight. "Thank you, Karin… I'll make it up to you. I promise."

"Thank me after you get out of here, okay?" She squished me harder. "Send me some taiyaki or something."

Breathing a laugh into her tomato red hair, I realized just how much I'd missed her. She was, and always would be, my wonderful, equally sassy counterpart.

After shooting her an earnest look, I peeked my head out of my room, keeping an eye out for Suigetsu's silver hair.

"Pst! Over here!" Suigetsu whisper-yelled from behind a shadowy pillar off to my right.

Staying silent, I nodded and slipped through the doorway of the medical prison of a room.

"Okay, go left at the next fork. It's clear." I heard Karin say through the black small device situated in Suigetsu's ear as we made our way down the dim corridor.

"Wait–stop!" We both froze in place mid-step, exchanging anxious glances as we waited for Karin to tell us what was going on with baited breath.

"Go right, not left." She corrected, "And you need to go now . Sasuke is nearby. Double-time, kiddies."

Quickly shuffling down the proper corridor, Suigetsu glanced back and weakly smiled at my dangerous glare. He knew why I was pissed.

They'd negated to tell me Sasuke would be coming back so soon. That was a big fucking problem.

I really wasn't in any shape to handle that, both physically and mentally. The exhaustion made even walking feel like I was climbing a mountain.

"Keep going straight. The exit is all the way at the end of that hallway." Karin instructed.

After slithering down what felt like miles of dim purple passageways, we came upon a set of stairs. My lungs heaved for oxygen as my head pounded.

But those dingy, cement steps were my ticket out of this hell-hole, and I would get there, damnit. Come hell or high water…

The faintest flickers of red and blue chakra flashed from a ways up ahead. Much to my dismay, there was another chakra signature speeding towards the hideout–burning the same bright purple as my own.

Sasuke–he's almost here. Hustle.

I willed my weak legs to move faster, but it was futile. My muscles were outright disobeying me.

"Don't kill me for this, okay?" Suigetsu fretted, swooping me into his arms and full on sprinting towards the exit.

For as much as I wanted to protest, I didn't. I couldn't .

This wasn't the time to be petty. I was weak… and slow. The chakra exhaustion struggle was a real one.

We made it there in a flash. Setting me down on the second stair as quick, but gently as possible, Suigetsu rushed to examine the lock on a small, metal panel above our heads.

It was a door. With one of the strangest locks I'd seen ensnared around the handle.

He shot me a snaggle toothed smile. "Game," his pointer finger morphed into rippling liquid before he jammed it into the keyhole. "Set," his hand rotated left, then right. The lock clicked open, clattering onto the stairs below. "Match."

Concern furrowed my brows as he huffed, jumping to push open the door. "Suigetsu… you and Karin aren't going to–"

He put a hand up to halt my words, "We'll be fine–chillax! We don't have time for that!" He dropped to kneel on the staircase, stacking his hands on top of one another with a sharp-toothed grin.

"You two had better be…" I pinched his cheek before stepping onto the step he'd made with his hands.

After using the wall to steady myself, I reached for the awkward doorway. The blinding overcast sky flooding my sight had me squinting. Despite Suigetsu's aid, my arms wobbled as I tried to hoist myself up and out of the hole.

"Where is she?" Sasuke growled from the bellows of the lair now beneath my feet.

"Shit…" Suigetsu cursed before vanishing back down the hallway.

I was suddenly weightless, floating upwards like smoke from a chimney as hands gripped my quaking arms. Sharp pain radiated from the helping hands and left me wincing, sucking in a tight breath as I was lifted to my feet.

"There she is!" Kisame chirped.

"Fancy meeting you guys here." I tried to joke, shielding my watery eyes from the oppressive daylight. A spell of lightheadedness made me grip my forehead.

The fire of adrenaline that had gotten me out abruptly died. My knees went numb, threatening to crumple beneath my own weight. All too familiar hands steadied my shoulders. "Let's get you out of here," Itachi murmured, emotionless and composed per usual.

Heat flooded my cheeks. I'd never felt like a damsel in distress, and frankly, detested the trope. Yet, there I was. Practically becoming the poster child for it.

I never thought I'd miss the monotony and stoicism in his deep voice, but something about it was profoundly reassuring.

Itachi and the Akatsuki don't care, my ass.

Throwing my arms around him, I jammed my head into Itachi's chest, squeezing with what little strength I had left.

"Hey, I'm here too!" Kisame whined, encasing the both of us in his massive arms in a quick group hug.

I was okay. I was back with people who didn't want to harm me. With the people I loved. With the person I loved…

Not sparing another moment, Itachi scooped me up into his arms and took off after Kisame into the trees. I glanced up at the man carrying me. He looked tired, the bags under his eyes were a dead giveaway.

Something wasn't right.

But before I could think on it further, I began swimming in and out of consciousness, lulled into a state of forced relaxation from sheer exhaustion and the welcoming presence of my comrades.

"Stay awake, Sora…" Itachi was doing his best to hide the worried undertone that to me was terribly apparent. "I need you to stay awake–we're almost there."

My weary lids blinked open to gaze up at the stunning man taking me away to safety. My partially drugged, groggy brain wanted to touch his beautiful face… it really wasn't fair how handsome he was.

"So pretty… How are you so pretty?" I half-consciously murmured, letting my fingers caress his cheek, slipping to trace the smooth line of his jaw. "You're prettier than me, that's not fair."

Giving me a concerned, but slightly bemused glance his hand fell to mine, "Pretty, huh ? That's a new one."

"How do you not see it? You do own a mirror, right?" I half slurred. "You're fucking gorgeous ." The disbelief at how the boy couldn't see that he was an absolute god complex was… unbelievable. To say the least.

The faintest blush stained his pale cheeks, "I–uh… thank you?" Hearing the ever confident Uchiha's mask crack was just about the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

"No, thank you ," I booped him on the tip of his pointed nose. "for coming to g-get me…" I breathed with a weak smile. Small beads of a cold sweat broke out as black spots began speckling my vision.

"Kisame, hold on–something's wrong." Itachi's voice was dull against the blood pulsating in my ears.

Such extreme and abrupt sickness usually had one cause…

Poison.