Chapter 4 – Seldom Do These Words Ring True

Darkness. That was all he'd known since the night of the attack – no, not even that. Half of the time he was unconscious or barely even aware of himself. The other half he was struggling to escape the confines that was Katsuyu's body, not fully understanding what or who was keeping him captive.

Oh, he was angry. Livid, in fact. Angry at his situation. At Danzo. At Sakura. Most of all, Shisui was angry with himself. Sakura should never have been put under so much strain, should not have had to make such difficult decisions. Even now, after however long it had been since that night, Shisui could feel her scorching tears that'd only briefly touched his face during their kiss. The decision to give herself up to save his life, to save all their lives, had terrified her. He hadn't needed his sight to know that.

"She's alive," Itachi confirmed and gestured to the slug who'd kept him trapped. No matter how hard he fought to escape, he never could. No doubt in her own world, Katsuyu was able to rely on her own strength, though continued to borrow Sakura's chakra to heal his eyes as much as possible. It made him feel sick with himself. "We are unsure as to where she is being kept – we are waiting for Hinata-san to wake-"

"You don't…" He hardly even registered the blond boy who handed him a canteen of water. Ignored it all as he kept his hard eyes on Itachi's. "You don't know where she is."

His friend didn't look away. "No."

Why he felt so angry, Shisui was unsure. It wasn't Itachi's fault they were in such a mess. Maybe it was because he'd always been so certain about the younger Uchiha's power? Maybe because he believed that, somehow, Itachi would have saved Sakura? Would have done what Shisui himself was unable to do? Maybe that was the true reason behind his anger – his own inability to save her that night, leaving her to hand herself over to Danzo.

"Why are you getting so worked up?" questioned the blond boy, his eyes narrowing. "How do you know Sakura-chan?"

Sakura-chan? Who was the boy and what did he mean to her? What did she mean to him? Shisui's sight wasn't completely healed – only Sakura herself could heal the damage due to her knowledge on the Sharingan – so he remained partly blind. Similar to the final healing session's results, he could see shapes and colours, but everything was blurred. It was enough to move around by himself, but not enough to be of use to anyone should he be needed in battle. He'd proven that on the night of the attack. Instead of helping, he got in Sakura's way.

"Shisui, this is Uzumaki Naruto," Itachi murmured. "Naruto-kun, this is my friend, Uchiha Shisui."

"Shisui?" the boy asked. There was an odd feeling in the pit of Shisui's stomach, leading him to believe Naruto was pouting. "Never heard of him."

"Sakura had been his carer for several months before the attack."

She had been much more – so, so much more – than that. The simple reminder of their almost kisses made his heart do strange palpitations. Then there was the actual kiss and… It certainly hadn't disappointed him in the least. Sakura's lips were full and she had kissed him with just the right amount of pressure – conveying her worry and desperation, sharing with him her feelings. He'd felt her feelings for him.

But now she was gone. She'd been left behind.

His fists clenched.

"I heard of your return," Kakashi spoke up casually. His outline told Shisui that the man was standing further away, leaning back against the wall. Altogether there were nine others in the room and he knew three of them were the Hokage's personal guard. "I wasn't sure whether to believe it."

With a grunt, he pulled himself to his feet, making his way over to one of the walls where he held up his hand, fingers tracing the clan's emblem to make sure what he was kind of seeing was real. "Which hideout is this?" Frowning, he turned his head in Itachi's direction and noticed he was also standing now. Was it okay to give away precise locations, or were they to assume everyone was a spy? "Last resort?"

"Yes." His friend moved closer to him though made no move to reach out. Probably wondering how long Shisui's body was capable of carrying him for. Honestly, he was wondering that himself. It hurt to move around too much, even though he'd only stood and walked a few steps. The coma had left him weakened considerably. "As you have already noticed, there are more than just Uchiha clansmen here."

A weight settled deep in his stomach. "How many Uchiha…?"

There was a beat of silence and it felt like nobody in the room would meet his eye. "Three."

"Including the two of us."

"Yes."

It annoyed Shisui that he couldn't read Itachi's expression. The kid had always been open to him – well, perhaps not always, for not a single person truly understood Uchiha Itachi, but that was beside the point. Danzo would not have risked any Uchiha making it out alive. Any survivors would have been tracked down and slaughtered. The hideout they were in was the last resort, the place they went to if Konoha turned on them. It was the only Uchiha hideout Konoha did not know about. All Uchiha who were there, were all the Uchiha left. Their clan had gone from a population of hundreds to three people.

A wave of despair washed over him, though didn't stop with a single wave. It continued to lash at him, to tear his heart to shreds. The pain damn near brought him to his knees as he thought about all those lives lost. While not every Uchiha was innocent, there were innocents there that night, including children.

And now they were all dead.

"Sasuke is the third, I take it."

From what Shisui could tell, not a single muscle (other than his lips as they moved) in Itachi's features twitched. "He is."

No doubt Mikoto had begged Itachi to save his younger brother. Even if she hadn't, he would have gone for Sasuke. Shisui knew better than anyone not to doubt an Uchiha's love. It didn't matter if that person had been in their life for many years, or mere days. If an Uchiha loved another, then little else mattered to them other than that person. Itachi's love happened to be his brother – the boy he'd cared for since the day he was born. It was always Itachi's responsibility to care for Sasuke, to ensure he got the attention and love he needed.

In his own case…

"What about Sakura?" he quietly demanded, looking to the slug. "Can't you communicate with her?"

"Perhaps if she had access to more of her chakra, then I could use a reverse summoning jutsu," Katsuyu explained and her head dipped slightly, followed by her optical tentacles. "Right now, however, Sakura-chan is too weak for me to try and communicate with her. She will need every drop of chakra she has available. There is also the probability of her not being alone – to drop in like that could put her life in danger, even more so should they so much as suspect you're still alive, Shisui-kun."

There was no use in asking why she would need every drop of her chakra. Shisui knew why. If Danzo stayed true to his word of overthrowing the Hokage, Senju Tsunade, then that made Sakura the best medic in the village, if not the world. He would do whatever possible, hurt her in who knows how many ways, to warp Sakura's mind. Even if he was contradicting everything he'd once said about protecting the village (by attacking said village), he would still be wise enough to try and recruit Sakura. Only a fool would overlook her skills.

More than ever before, Shisui was glad Danzo failed to steal his eyes.

"If he hurts her…"

Shisui tilted his head in Naruto's direction, fractionally narrowing his eyes on the pacing, seething blond. His memory told him that the boy was the Yondaime's only son, otherwise known as the Kyuubi jinchūriki. No doubt Itachi was keeping his trump card well-hidden, waiting for the day they took Konoha back.

"If he hurts her?" asked another. He didn't know the boy's name but could tell that he was a Hyuuga. "Look at Hinata-sama, Naruto. Do you truly believe that there's only a chance of Danzo harming Haruno?"

That was better, a childish, possessive voice hissed in the back of his mind. Use of surnames was far better than saying Sakura-chan.

"Quiet," hissed the other Hyuuga. Were they siblings? They looked as though they were. "O-nee-sama's waking up."

Another Hyuuga? Why were there so many? Okay, three wasn't that many, but it was still more than expected considering it was only the Uchiha Clan that was attacked. Then again, Danzo overthrew the Hokage, no doubt killing her. The shinobi would have retaliated and demanded vengeance for their Hokage, who, from what Shisui had heard, was a miracle worker in terms of healing abilities.

For Danzo to turn on two of the major clans of Konoha was ludicrous. No, it was terrifying. Was he losing his mind? How the hell did he win that night? How strong had ROOT become?

Everyone fell silent as the dark-haired girl in the sleeping bag began to move, as her features scrunched up and her hand swung up for her bandaged face – her eye, perhaps? Shisui tried not to, but he ended up squinting to try and see better, willing his eyes to grant him just a tiny bit more detail. He was wary of pushing them too much, however. Sakura was not there for the time being, meaning he was unable to reverse any damage straining them would undoubtedly cause.

At the faintest of whimpers that came from her, the other Hyuuga female reached out, taking the hand that was trembling on the bandages and holding it between hers, bringing it away from her face.

"O-nee-sama," she whispered.

"I-It's gone," came her whimpered reply, voice shaking almost as badly as her hands. "Danzo took…"

He took her eye. Shisui glanced over to Itachi, not surprised in the least to find his friend already looking to him. Danzo's fascination had always been the Sharingan – his own, more precisely. They hadn't even considered his possible interest in the Byakugan. The fact that he'd bothered taking the eye told Shisui the girl was from the main family, as to take a branch member's eye would be pointless – it was sealed away with their death.

"Hinata-sama," the male spoke up, leaning forward ever so slightly. "What happened?"

The girl, Hinata, swallowed hard, her already pale skin paling further and at the sight of her preparing herself to speak, the others drifted closer though were wary of overcrowding her. The only one who didn't seem concerned with crowding her was Naruto, who sat beside the Hyuuga man.

"The night…" Her voice sounded as bad as his own and Shisui looked down to the canteen in his hand before handing it to the youngest Hyuuga, watching the outlines as it was handed over and sipped from. Breathing out a sigh, Hinata managed to say, "Many were captured, from what I could tell. Anyone who didn't surrender, though were deemed an important asset, were taken to…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know where. There were so many corridors and doors – like a maze."

"More than likely ANBU headquarters," murmured the Copy-Nin.

"ROOT headquarters," Shisui argued. "ANBU's would be too predictable. Only a select few know where to find ROOT's."

The blond kneeling by her side leaned closer. "What happened after?"

He was pushing her for information on Sakura, to know of her whereabouts and what was happening to her, but Hinata didn't seem to notice and if she did, then she didn't mind. Her cheeks reddened when she looked to him (even Shisui could see that and his eyesight was horrendous).

"There were so many of us – they had to place several of us in the same cells and it was never silent. There was always some kind of…" Tears filled her only eye, her breathing turning shaky again. "Sakura-san was with me. Even though it was such dire circumstances, I was grateful for her presence. Without Sakura-san, I have no doubts I would have died. She saved me several times." The tears finally fell and she forced herself into a sitting position, her dark hair hiding her features as her head dropped. "Without Sakura-san, I never would have escaped."

Dread ran up Shisui's spine as realisation took his breath away.

In other words, she…

"You mean she helped you escape and you left her behind."

The new voice had many turning in the direction of the archway, the sight of Sasuke keeping Shisui's stolen breath away from him. The last he'd seen of him, Sasuke had barely reached his hip. He'd been full of smiles and cheekiness, always declaring that Itachi was the greatest and that no one could defeat him. Now, even without being able to fully see his expression due to how far away he was, Shisui could tell Sasuke was closed off. He could feel the cold, muted anger coming from the boy in waves. Whatever had happened in the past few years had hardened him, had made him the total opposite of the happy boy he'd once been.

Now, he was the boy who'd broken both Itachi's and Sakura's hearts on several occasions.

Hinata visibly flinched at his words. "I…"

"Oi, Sasuke," muttered Naruto as he pulled himself to his feet. "Don't put words in her mouth."

"Put words in her mouth?" he repeated blandly, staring the blond down. "She said it herself. Without Sakura, she wouldn't have escaped. You do know what that means, don't you?" When Naruto could only grit his teeth in response, the youngest Uchiha scoffed, further surprising Shisui with how cold he'd become. So this was the Sasuke Sakura couldn't bring herself to visit. "Danzo has just lost a bargaining chip. He's lost someone who could potentially benefit him in the future. A Hyuuga heir, no less. Something to fix his mistake of taking down the Hyuuga Clan."

"Oi-"

"Sasuke's right," Kakashi told them, cutting Naruto's angered growl off. "Danzo won't let that go."

There was a loud whimper, followed by the shaking of Hinata's shoulders. Her sister (Shisui still didn't know her name) shifted forward at the cries, trying to bring her closer, but even to him, the movement was awkward. Like she'd never been in such a position before where she had to comfort someone.

"I-I didn't want to," cried Hinata. "Sakura-san told me-"

"Sakura-san," came Sasuke's harsh sneer, "is tied to my clan and the Hokage. Her skills are now second to none and demand that she be kept alive. Do you know what that means?"

"Back off, Uchiha." The Hyuuga male's eyes were narrowing, his expression darkening.

But he didn't. He continued to glare at the trembling girl, muttering with clear disdain, "Sakura will be receiving the worst kind of torture right now because of your escape – anything before now will be child's play in comparison." It stunned them all when his eyes bled to red and black, narrowing dangerously. "She won't be given a relief from her suffering, only more pain and you left her behind."

"I didn't want to," she repeated weakly.

"You didn't want to, or you were thinking only of yourself?"

"Sasuke," warned Itachi, voice low.

"You're all cowards," he spat at them.

Shisui had to admit that he surprised even himself by summoning enough strength and speed to turn on the wayward boy, hand grabbing his throat and slamming him back into the wall, leaving cracks on the wall surrounding him. Their faces were mere millimetres apart, both sets of eyes narrowed and deadly – only, his own Sharingan was not activated. For Sasuke, he didn't need it. Never had. Never would.

"Do not use Sakura as an excuse to spread hatred," he muttered darkly, uncaring for the shock and disbelief on the younger Uchiha's face. He didn't care that Sasuke fully relaxed in his grip, obviously knowing that he didn't stand a chance. Even though Shisui was considerably weaker at that moment in time, the fact that he didn't activate his Sharingan would put Sasuke on edge, telling him not to fight back. "How many years has it been since you last saw her? Since you started breaking her heart?" It took everything in him not to tighten his grip, for he could see the faint shade of red Sasuke was growing, could sense the unease of the others behind him. "Do not pretend that you care now simply because you're being ruled by your anger and hatred."

He tried to swallow, tried to pull away, but Shisui held on. What that boy needed wasn't gentle words of love and encouragement to guide him back. He needed someone who wasn't afraid of him. Needed someone who was more than capable and willing to knock him back into place. Itachi, despite how desperately he wanted his baby brother back, wouldn't want to hurt him. The same went for his friends. But Shisui knew that it was necessary when fighting the Curse of Hatred. Faltering in the face of it, or feeding the curse, was not an option if they truly wanted Sasuke back. They had to be strong and determined. They had to endure the long battle.

"You are going to be silent while Hyuuga-san finishes her story," Shisui told him, expression cold and unmoving. "If you can't do that, then leave now. I would like to know what we are up against so that I am better prepared when the time comes to rescue Sakura."

"That's enough, Shisui."

He didn't look away from Sasuke's features as they smoothed out, as he hid his emotions. He could sense Itachi drifting closer, more than likely wishing to separate them, but he wisely didn't reach out.

"Why does she matter to you?" Sasuke somehow managed to demand, voice broken and raspy. "You've been gone for years… Y-You don't even know her."

"Don't know her?" he repeated dangerously and his eyes narrowed further. "I know her better than you ever will." When all that was met with him was silence, he released him while saying, "You can either sit down and listen to what Hyuuga-san has to say, without making the things she's been through that much harder, or you can leave. It's your choice." Turning his back on him, Shisui sat down at a respectful distance from the bed, tipping his head at Naruto's grateful smile. "If it is truly Sakura's well being you are concerned about, then by all means, join us."

It seemed Sasuke was still spooked by Shisui's sudden reappearance. When he sat down, it was at an angle that kept the older Uchiha in his line of sight. Shisui could feel his eyes on him, drinking in his features and trying to convince himself that what had happened, was real. The guy who'd disappeared for eight years without a trace had returned and turned on him.

Shaken somewhat by the altercation, Hinata struggled to force out, "S-Sakura-san is-" She cut herself off, losing the words. They all pretended not to hear Sasuke gritting his teeth with annoyance. "There are always… always four – no, five – guards who collect her."

"Collect her?" Naruto asked naïvely.

His question left Hinata unable to meet his eye, her own going to the sleeping bag that was covering her. On the covers, her hands were shaking. Shisui knew they would be shaking for a while.

"To torture her," came Kakashi's quiet answer. "They need that many guards in case she gains access to some chakra."

"That's Sakura-chan for you," the blond said with a proud grin. "Never goes down without a fight. Right, Kakashi-sensei?" Despite the pain in his single eye, the Copy-Nin managed a faint smile, nodding once. Then, turning back to Hinata, he said, "What else?"

Still unable to meet their eyes, Hinata replied weakly, "They return her to the cell hours later – I'm not sure how long." Swallowing hard, she then whispered brokenly with such a haunting expression that it made Shisui's heart hurt, "The states she returns in is… I can never forget it even if I wanted to. They're…"

"Torturing her," Sasuke muttered impatiently. "Get on with it. Did you notice any more guards other than the ones taking you to Danzo?"

"Danzo isn't the one who tortures the captives," she argued, voice quiet. "It's Morino Ibiki – Sakura-san said he's Ino-san's shishou."

Though it'd been a while, the thought of the giant man sent a strong stab of despair straight through Shisui's heart. If it was that man then…

What was going to be left of the woman he'd come to love?

A/N - I wasn't planning on updating, but one of my closest and dearest friends is stuck in the hospital for an unknown amount of time and is in a world of pain. Nena, this chapter is for you. I know you're crazy fast when you read and will finish it in like two minutes, but hopefully it takes your mind off the pain for at least a short while. Please make a full and fast recovery. I love you!

Reviews:

Pandapandawoah: Hmm, I'd say it depends on how long the Uchiha men (and Team Seven, obviously) can hold themselves back from a suicide mission, wouldn't you think?

meisnot: Thank you so much, it really means a lot.

Bsmiles123: It's adorable, isn't it? They've all made such impacts on one another's lives.

The White Leopard: Thank you. I'm doing a lot better now that I've taken two weeks off to recover. I recently had a minor operation and when they handed me a sick note for two weeks, I was like psssh, I'm not even in that much pain. Two weeks isn't necessary. But it's given me so much time to just breathe and write again, which I'm grateful for. I even managed to read a few books on the final year's reading list at university.

Thank you to: Fluttershy 2059123, TheAliceHuntt, Lonely Athena, Guest, yuzukikuran476, DarkSecretKeeper, Salinia, I'm in here, Uchiha Misaki, yaoi4adollar and -Chan. I'm really grateful for your reviews and it's nice to see both familiar readers and new readers. I hope you all enjoy the story.