Author's Note: I am so late! I'm sorry the few who actually read . Two weeks ago, I didn't have it finished in handwritten form; last week, I only got the first page typed. But this week it's all typed! I thought it was pretty long but apparently not so. The original chapter six is much longer, but I didn't type that up. It will be part of chapter seven. It seems I have a tendency to type less than I write, lol!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto! Just plotline and my OCs.

Chapter Six Missed

SAKURA WIPED THE SOILED blade of her wakizashi onto the apparel of the deceased Kumo shinobi before her. This was the second enemy unit her makeshift cell had come across. Things just seemed to get worse and worse. She sat her tired body, taking a three sixty to note the conditions of her teammates. She was proud of them, going through all this crap without complaint. She doubted she could be in a better cell – well, perhaps, if Kakashi and even Naruto were here. Though Naruto would've blown a top if he knew she had a child with an infamous S-Ranked criminal, he would support her. As of yet, Hinata was the only one to support Sakura. Sai was indifferent and Yamato was unsure, but all of them made sure to avoid awkwardness. Sai, in fact, went as far as to inquire about her six month adventure with missing-nin, both the large fish and the small fry. Which was most likely the cause of Sai's approach, as he had no evident injuries on him whatsoever.

"Haruno," he greeted, taking a seat by her. Boy, was she glad he dropped the "hag" nickname.

"You alright?" Sakura asked, though it was rhetorical.

Sai shrugged, reaching for his water canteen. "Mostly. Though, I do not understand, from your account, why that boy…"

"Toyotomi?" Sakura offered.

"Yes, him. I do not understand his frustration at his inability to clear your friend, Saori. It does not seem to me he like her so much as a person."

"Because he liked her!"

"That is not how one expresses love, I am taught."

"Different people express love in different ways, Sai."

"How can you be sure?"

"Well.. he did go out of his way to get her some fresh air. She'd be gone for hours at a time, always in a pleasant mood. She described these outings to me. I think it most definitely suggests affection on his part. Plus, I think he was the reason Deidara and Saori were not immediately executed."

"Deidara too? Elaborate."

SAKURA STARED HOPLESSLY ACROSS at Deidara. With Sakura's guidance, Saori was able to properly rebind Deidara's more urgent injuries from rips of Deidara's clothing and from a roll of bandages that had mysteriously hidden itself in an extra loaf of bread which Saori had received. Deidara was gaining back some color in his flesh though he spent less and less time awake as compared to the time he spent asleep. How long they had been in prison, no one seemed to know. There had been on particular day when there were absolutely no guards present, their absence unexplained. They came back drunk. Sakura nearly regurgitated right there, recalling all too clearly the vulgar behavior they had displayed. They played mind games with her, only her, teasing her and treating her like some tenant of a brothel. If it had gone any further, they probably would've have removed her from her cell. They had made fun of her resistance, her angry replies, and completely disrespected her. But Sasori had told them off, strangely enough, threatening that a few measly bars weren't going to stop him, not if he was angry and impatient. They believed him. She had been grateful that one time, but she refused to even thank Sasori. He did not seem to care, glaring at the guards until they had retreated to the end of the hall, where they were normally stationed.

"Will he be alright?" The sudden intrusion of a male voice startled Saori to her feet. From Sasori's impassive expression, Sakura assumed he was the only one to notice Toyotomi's silent approach.

"Toyotomi?" inquired Saori.

"Will he? I, I can try to get the medics -"

"They won't come," interrupted Sasori, whose thin eyebrow was perched slightly askew to give the impression he found the situation slightly amusing. Toyotomi only glanced his way, knowing that much was true.

"Did… Did you give me those bandages?" Saori asked.

"Yeah…," he replied with a hint of innocent embarrassment.

"Thank you. Really, Toyo, thank you."

"Yeah, yeah." Out of habit, Toyotomi rubbed the back of his neck. "So, um, I asked if I could, ah, take you out for a bit. Fresh air and stuff. And, ah, well, now I just need to know if you want to. Erm, go get some air." Sasori's eyebrows arched further in amusement. They just didn't make boys the way they used to. Saori turned away, toward Deidara's direction. It wasn't long before Sakura knew why. The pink-haired kunoichi could feel Saori's presence in her mind.

"Anything you two want me to do?"She supposed Saori was addressing Sasori in his own conscience as well.

"Food! Anything of nutritional value or that can fill the stomach," Sakura immediately replied. "Medicine, if you can find it. Deidara needs rubbing alcohol or iodine as soon as possible."

"Alright," came Saori's tired response. "Akasuna?"

"A way out of here, obviously," he hissed loudly enough for his thoughts to echo through Saori's mind to Sakura. Saori glared at Sasori from the corner of her eyes, allowing him to glimpse at the black iris upon a sheet of gold before they returned to their normal colors.

"Are you sure you can take me out" Saori asked Toyotomi, not turning to face him.

"Yeah! Besides, I can easily detain you if I have to."

Saori smiled, "Yeah, yeah, don't remind me, I'm still sore from our fight all that time ago." Toyotomi took her remark as compliance; as he removed her shackles, Saori casted a glance at Sakura, who gave her a reassuring smile. The former teammates left soon after. She was thoroughly searched before leaving the floor, and her wrists found home in a new set of chakra-sucking shackles, though it was less powerful than the first in terms of its chakra sucking capabilities. Guards removed all the potentially harmful materials from her possession, which were the gold necklace she wore often and her ninja hitai-ate. Toyotomi opened an umbrella, knowing the light would be a harsh change for her eyes which had been trapped in darkness. Saori inwardly smiled; the little things he did sent butterflies to her stomach. "So… where are we going?"

"My house," he returned. It wasn't so much a house, Saori inwardly noted. Quietly, he slipped his hand around her wrist, lightly tugging at it to indicate at which direction they were heading to, as if Saori or any other inhabitant of Iwa needed direction to the Ootowari's mansion. They were slow to get there; Saori wasn't sure if he was making sure she got plenty of fresh air or something else, but regardless, she kept her eyes peeled. There's only one want to get out of the prison, through the front door, accessible only to a long corridor. We'll have to go through that, but there are twenty-five centimeter thick solid iron gates in that corridor alone that can be electronically triggered. Once someone sets off the panic button, all twelve gates will close. If we make it through that ,the only two routes out of Iwa is the front entrance, towards Kumo and Konoha, and to the Ootowari Estate, toward uncharted territory beyond Rock Country. Even here there's intense guard patrols along the canyon that separates the Ootowari Estate from the rest of Iwa.

Speaking of which, Toyotomi, Saori, and their guard escorts had reached the canyon's edge on Iwa's side. Kilometers below was a river, small and shallow during the transition periods between winter and spring and fall and winter. It grew with strength as it ran to the sea, as all do, the north border to Fire Country from the end of Grass Country to the sea, through the Valley of End. Legend was that Hiroshima, the first Hokage, and Uchiha Madara caused the river to form, but that was all exaggeration. What they had caused in their fight was a steep elevation drop, which eventually became a waterfall. The river's source was a quaint and tranquil lake at the heart of a cluster of mountains in North Stone Country. During monsoon season, which starts in late March and ends in early May, the glaciers on the mountains melt and cause the river to nearly overflow for the next few months.

After some exchange of words and a thorough search of Saori, the party began crossing the lone bridge that connected the Ootowari Estate to Iwa. Saori stared at the ground, knowing underneath there were several bomb seals that could be activated at a moment's notice. If the bombs did not kill her, once glance at the canyon below and rest assured, no one would survive that fall unless it was monsoon season, which was still awhile yet. Saori could feel her heart pounding the longer she stared at the canyon, a wave of relief washing over her when the bridge met its end.

Healthy greens and vivid colors were the first things to greet her eyes. Toyotomi beckoned her at the front entrance, having long left her wrist. She and her guard escorts complied without word, dirtied shoes touching grand, polished peach-tinted marble floors. Two semi-circular stairs bordered the semi-circular foyer. From the looks of the prison guards, she wasn't the only one in awe. "You said you needed to use the bathroom?" Toyotomi said all of a sudden.

Saori glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes before replying without a hint of confusion or hesitation, "Yes, quite."

"It's just straight through on your right. Before I forget, I got you your jacket. Just in case you're cold. And be careful - the sink's edges are sharp and, ah, can cut you." Saori wrestled for control over the odd look she wanted to throw Toyotomi's way. Since when was that how sentences were formed? "I'll inform the butler that you're here. My mother wanted to meet you."

Saori nodded and entered the said bathroom, jacket in hand. She had no idea what Toyotomi was talking about - the jacket was not hers and was hideous in its bulky appearance and explosion of "…pockets," Saori slowly muttered to herself. She stared at the sink - it looked safe enough, sunken in glass. The corners were rounded and cuts didn't seem likely. "What the hell is he on?"

Getting onto her knees, she inspected the sink, a little smile creeping on her face. Toyotomi, by God I love you sometimes. Behind the sink, an assortment of useful items was hidden. The most noticeable item was the switchblade she could've easily cut herself on. She removed the tape which kept it hidden under the sink, stuffing it into one of the numerous pockets of the jacket. Next to come down was a brown label-less bottle. Unscrewing it, she took a sniff. Iodine. A roll of bandages, soldier pills, bomb seals, wires, gauze, tags with chakra sealed within them, and flash bombs were stuffed into the jacket, hidden into the cotton stuffing that explained the cause for the bulky look. It's the end of winter, but it's still cold enough up north here to wear winter jackets. Saori reached for the trigger to flush the toilet, to make it appear as though she had gone, but froze, feeling tape yet again. Slowly, she peeled it off. It seemed to glitter in her hands. A key.

Toyotomi had been waiting outside the room for her, and quickly ushered Saori away before the guards could inspect her or the bathroom. In the grand living room, a particularly beautiful woman, approximately in her late thirties, sat on the crème chaise. She had dark black hair and smaller than average eyes, the same Toyotomi had. "Mother, this is Saori. Or Sora," Toyotomi said as soon as they had reached the main living space. The woman, Toyotomi's mother, rose to her feet after what seemed like contemplation.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Ookamika Saori," she spoke. For a moment, Saori was transfixed by her voice. Is this… the kind of person the Ootowari take as wives? Beautiful, confident, and great orators? Saori ignored that she had none of the qualities that Toyotomi's mother had.

"The pleasure is mine," Saori quickly replied, trying to keep her voice fluid like the elder's. It could not compare. Toyotomi's mother motioned towards the matching crème chaise across from her. Toyotomi gently pushed Saori to seat herself when she did not.

"Toyotomi speaks of you from time to time. I am told you were quite impressive at that Chuunin Exam getup the Fire Country has running."

"Um, well, that's subjective…"

"Modest, too. I approve of your choice, Toyotomi." Saori's heart skipped several beats. What was this "choice" she was talking about? "It's a shame you have that Watanabe boy." Her hopes crashed into the floor. Still, she supposed, she should be delighted that such a sophisticated woman approved of her at all. "Likewise, it's unfortunate you've got yourself in such a situation, Saori."

"Indeed," Toyotomi half-muttered.

"I tried to get you a temporary release," Toyotomi's mother continued, "as a rather critical mission came up. Kurotsuchi's team took it in place of yours, Toyotomi."

"My apologies," Saori quickly replied, sensing her motive for mentioning it.

"It is quite a shame."

"Mother, if you don't mind…," Toyotomi interrupted. She blinked momentarily before waving Toyotomi to go. He motioned to Saori to follow. Once out of hearing range, he explained, "She gets intolerable after awhile." He led her upstairs, the upper floor just as stunning as the first in all its marble wonder. He opened a door on the right: a bedroom. Well kept, it appeared, no doubt at the hands of the maid service. On the grand cherry desk were various ink brushes, an inkwell, paper, and ninja tools. "This is my room."

"Y-your room?"

"Yes." Then, as he turned to the guards, "leave us." The door snapped shut behind them.

"Isn't it… improper for me to be in here? You know, without supervision?" He gave her a disbelieving look before chuckling a little. She could be dead tomorrow, and she was concerned about society's rules.

'there's something you should know," he started, having found seating at his window. "They want me to extract information from you." He studied her for a moment, but she offered no reaction. Insider, her heart sunk. "Clearly, you made it too easy. They don't believe a word of your confession, though you confessed precisely what they suspected you of, which is my concern. The precisely part."

"I figured you would find out eventually," Saori quietly added.

"You had me quite confounded when you fought Rock Lee of Konoha in the second round of the Chuunin Selection Examinations. For a moment, I thought you had the Sharingan or one of the other legendary dojutsu Kekkei Genkai. But I've been watching. Whereas the Sharingan predicts moves, you actually know them, for certain. I have never told anyone of this. I kept this our secret."

"…Thank you."

"Understand my reasoning when I ask, just how many minds have you read while in Iwa?"

"Truthfully?" Saori asked.

"It doesn't take a mind-reading ability to answer that."

"You wouldn't believe me if I said aside from the guards… none."

"No… I can believe that. I suspected it has a strong link to your past. I have not heard of the Ookamika Clan before I researched for abilities akin to yours."

"Are you angry?" He hated that she kept her eyes on the ground. "You, more than any one, I have deceived." She had been right about that. He had seen through her amnesia claim years ago, but that did not compare to the cheery, loyal girl he'd actually believed she was. That she was not a child born from poverty, that she had been running from an abusive father. No, she had been far from both assumptions; a child of the Ookamika, a prosperous clan who collapsed upon itself. He had believed every single part of her lie, her deception.

Toyotomi snorted, clearly more than just annoyed. "You pulled wool over my eyes, made a fool of me. You made me believe that I thought I was figuring you out when I wasn't. I believed you were here to stay. You're practiced. No one lies without remorse and with a straight face for eight years without practice."

It hurt. Perhaps not as much as she had hurt his pride, but it was deleterious to her heart, too. "I did what I did to survive."

"To survive?" Something inside of him snapped. Was that the best lie she could give him? To survive? She did not need to deceive him to do so! "What else do you 'have' to do to survive? Screw S-Class missing-nin too? Or, or, pretend to be a hero to Konoha? Hang on every word of an internationally wanted criminal?"

"Why would you even ask that?" she snapped. She only referred to one of his outraged questions, ones he had meant to keep to himself.

"They found an article of your clothing in his possession at the time of capture. I didn't think you had it in you when I found out. I really didn't believe it, scoffed at them for thinking so. But, really, I don't even know who you are!" His voice had escalated to a roar, leaving Saori to assume his walls were soundproof. He glared as viciously as he could, wondering if the mixture of hurt and anger in her own gold eyes was another deception meant to incite regret and guilt.

"You do know me," she hoarsely replied. "I force a happier personality, I have skeletons in my closet. But I'm still the same underneath. I'm still stubborn, prideful, and sensitive. I am still faithful. I am still loyal to you. I still won't let you down."

At this point Toyotomi froze, those same words from two years ago drifting back to him. He had been fifteen then, and Saori twelve. Despite enduring some nasty injuries to her back and in dire need of immediate medical attention, Saori had refused to go back to Iwa, afraid of failing his expectations. He wanted a strong team, to flaunt his leadership skills and the brilliance of his team. She told him she would not fail him. That she would not let him down. "You've been labeled a traitor. You already let me down."

"If I have, then why? Why postpone my execution? In normal circumstances, I should be dead already." I t took no genius to sense the self-doubt rising in Toyotomi. Saori seized it. "You said you wanted strong people to support you. I don't have to be in Iwa, be an Iwa shinobi to do that."

"That's not..." He hesitated as his frustration escalated. "Damn it, Saori! I wanted… I had it all planned out. I'm afraid of losing." Mind reading or no, she knew just what he had been intending to say.

"The time will come where you will have to fight for the Tsuchikage title. When that time comes, wherever I am, whether I have already moved on to the next life or just at the door, I will come back. I will make sure you get that title. You won't ever lose me."

"And this one?" Saori queried.

"It's a chrysanthemum. We make it into tea," Toyotomi answered. They had talked of various subjects after Toyotomi's burst of rage, little silly secrets Saori usually kept herself. She wasn't the type to openly share things about her life; having to put lies upon lies about her life to reassure herself, it was hard to open up. She wanted him to know who she really was. If she was to enter the other world soon, at least someone might know the kind of person she really was. She was a bit of a quirky girl; Toyotomi was quickly learning that he appreciated her individuality. He felt like for once in awhile he could forget about fighting his cousins for the Tsuchikage title when she shared fragments of her life.

She had fallen asleep after hours of talking. He had a guard carry her back to her cell, leading the way and making sure she got back into the prison with her jacket uninspected. She slept through until a little after lunch time, when Toyotomi came to take her out again. She visited the Ootowari Estate frequently and did not speak to her inmates whatsoever. She kept on reminding herself to talk to them about the escape plan, but she never quite got to it. The most she had been able to do was put iodine on Deidara's wounds before Toyotomi would come to pick her up.

"You guys have a diverse garden," Saori breathily sighed. There was that touch of wonder dancing in her eyes, the same he had seen when they were in the second part of the Chuunin Selection Exams. Accordingly to tradition, it had been a survival test. The objective was to retrieve a rare egg underneath Konoha and bring it back to the starting point. The egg Toyotomi had seen before, being privileged by his wealthy descent. It was nothing special to him. Saori, on the other hand, had stared at the delicate egg in complete transfixed wonder.

"Yeah, well…"

"Something bothering you?"

"Are you sure you don't have anything up with Deidara and the Akatsuki?"

Saori's face fell. "I thought we went over this. I don't know how he got my underwear. The Tsuchikage said I have been living in Deidara's apartment all this time, though I don't know if it's true."

"You have?'

"Apparently it was a long time ago, but I swore it was a woman who took me into Iwa."

"Really now?" Toyotomi chuckled.

"Yes, I'm serious!" she replied with a few laughs of her own. Toyotomi straightened up, Saori following in suit.

"There's something else bothering me, the one that's been quite the thorn in my side."

"What is it?"

"You know I've been postponing your execution… and Deidara's is getting the same treatment. But I want to know… well. I knew Deidara. He wasn't that bad of a kid, but he didn't really fit in and was just too obsessed with whatever the hell he calls art."

"Where are you going with this?"

"He hesitantly sighed bfore asking, "How much do you like Deidara? As a person?"

"Isn't that random?"

"No."

Saori frowned. She hadn't felt any interest stirring for her fellow inmate at all, so if Toyotomi was fishing it was pointless on his part. In her head, she reflected on the months that had passed in the prison. For the limited spaces of time Deidara had been awake, she recalled him to be humorous and acting hardly like the S-Class missing-nin she had in mind. Almost normal even. Just passionate about his art. He wouldn't let anything hinder its progress, not silly things like village affiliations. To her, Deidara was a relief from the stiff tensions evident from Sakura and Sasori's presences. He's an Akatsuki though. There must be a reason why they wanted him in their ranks. He should be executed, a little voice in her head reminded her. But he seems so normal. Toyotomi's probably thinking the same thing. If he's postponed our executions for this long it means he has a lot of influence. He can influence whether Deidara, Sasori, and I die or not. And if he's asking me what I think of just Deidara and not anybody else… this might decide what happens to Deidara. Whether or not he dies. Toyotomi could see the wheels of her head working as he patiently waited for an answer. It slightly irritated him that after all this coaxing, she still processed the truth before giving it to him. 'I think… he's a good person. I know he's a mass murderer, terrorist, and killed the Kazekage, but… I still think he's better than a lot of people in this world, even those in Konoha."

Toyotomi quietly drank in her thoughts. "Then I should tell you… his execution is scheduled for tomorrow at noon."

"What? Why?"

"His information is no longer needed. I don't know how much longer I can keep them from taking you, too." She opened her mouth to say something regarding his saving of Deidara, but before she could, he added, "Let's go back. You need rest." Saori obeyed, knowing that had been anything but a suggestion. He held her hands for a moment, sadness overwhelming him. "Saori."

"Yes?" she asked quietly.

"Please be careful."

"I SEE. THAT OOTOWARI boy was afraid of losing assets, but it became that he was quite enamored with her. I understand now," Sai replied, taking in the story. Sai couldn't really know for sure how it felt, breaking someone you loved out of prison, knowing her likelihood of surviving were slim. Had he been in that situation, and if Sakura had been imprisoned, he didn't think he could let her go, but rather would fight to clear Sakura, hard enough that even the thick-skulled Tsuchikage would listen to him. "So I take it you made your escape that night?"

SOMEHOW, TOYOTOMI AND SAORI made it back to the prison by noon, just twenty-four hours before Deidara was to be executed. Toyotomi was slow to leave, but eventually forced himself, knowing it would only get harder. By Sasori's expression, Sakura supposed he was confused. Sakura, on the other hand, knew exactly why. An hour or so after dinner arrived (who really knew what time it was), Saori shifted from her position in the corner of her cell. Without making a sound, she reached into one of the numerous pockets of her jacket. Sakura caught herself holding her breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement. Sasori was awake, too. If he could ever sleep, she never actually found out.

Saori's cuffs landed softly in her lap, the key glistening in the minimal firelight from the hallway torches. She gently placed the cuffs on the ground, working her wrists to get proper blood and chakra flow going. "Deidara," Saori hissed. He groaned in response. "Dei. da. ra."

"What the hell, yeah?" he muttered through grime-filled blonde hair.

"Move closer."

"Jeez, can't you confess your attraction to me at normal hours? I respond more positively then anyways, hmm." Deidara grudgingly attempted to sit up when he was met with no response, glancing to the side…. at an empty cell. "What the -"

" Shut up!" snapped Saori. Deidara winced, her thought ringing in his head. She was at the door of his prison cell, attempting to unlock it as quietly as possible, suppressing her chakra signature all the while. Once unlocked, she proceeded to work on the cuffs.

"Be careful yeah!" he grunted. "My arm is still broken…"

" I said, shut up! Why don't you go wake the Tsuchikage while you're at it?" His hand cuffs clinked against the concrete floor, soon joined by those of Sasori and Sakura. "Here, keep these with you," she thought, hands rummaging through the pockets of the jacket for various items all ninja need.

" Do you know the way out?" asked Sasori. She nodded in reply, leading the way to the end of the corridor. There, they found two sentries sound asleep. Sasori quickly removed them from the list of things to worry about. Sakura looked at him in disgust. He paid no mind.

The stairs were only a short way off; they snatched the ring of keys hanging on the wall. After a few attempts, they found the key that unlocked the iron gate which blocked the only passage upstairs. The door groaned in protest to its opening. "I thought there was better security than this," Sasori noted with a touch of smugness.

"Trust me, they do," Saori responded in her mind. "There's no way for outsiders to tell which doors require chakra in addition to the key to open them. If you try to open a door without the chakra for doors that require it, the alarm system will activate. Conversely, if you use chakra on doors that don't require it, the alarm system will likewise activate. I don't know where the motion sensors or chakra tripwires are, both of which will activate the system too. Neither do I know where the solid iron trap gates are. Once the alarm is activated, these gates will crash down, essentially trapping us in."

"Chakra tripwires are so outdated, yeah," Deidara thought, "You can always tell where they are -"

A piercing noise penetrated through any reachable space possible within the prison and in its immediate vicinity. At Deidara's foot was a faint blue horizontal blow, otherwise known as none other than a chakra tripwire. All pigment that was left deserted his face. "Well, dammit Deidara, I thought they were 'so outdated,'" Saori snapped irritably with sarcasm.

'Arguing about the little things and leaving the important issues unresolved will get you killed," intervened Sasori. Sakura found herself grateful she wasn't the only level headed person in the situation, even if the other was Sasori. He was some good distance ahead, attempting to find a way out without asking Saori. Not, however, that Saori wouldn't direct him anyways. Sakura noted with disdain what seemed to be iron gates about to fall.

"Take a left, the stairs are at the end of the corridor!"

"Haruno, keep that trap gate open for Deidara and Saori," ordered Sasori.

"W-what? I don't have enough chakra!" Sakura argued, though that was a clear lie. Sasori shoved a soldier pill into her mouth. She glared at his retreating back; of course she could keep the gates open with her brute strength, but if she exhausted her chakra, what would she defend herself with if Sasori decided to attack her? Or defend Saori, if the situation took a turn for the worst? Nonetheless, she complied; that was an "if" situation, but getting trapped by these gates would be a definite situation if she didn't comply. "Hurry up!" she yelled to Deidara and Saori, who had encountered some drowsy nightshift guards. "Sasori!"

Some ways ahead, he turned back towards Sakura, eyes slightly widening. Between Sakura and Deidara, who was with Saori, was another falling gate. "Damn it!" Sasori hissed, running back to Sakura's position. Back where Iwa's traitors were on the defense, Saori was trying to drag Deidara away, rushing to get him on the other side of the falling trap gate. Sasori lashed out chakra strings, latching them onto Deidara. Saori rushed to catch up. "Get Saori, too, you jerk!" Sakura screamed from behind him. There was slight hesitation on his part. A brief sigh of annoyance passed before Sasori attached chakra strings to the red-haired girl. The strings were extremely thin and threatened to break. Deidara slid under the gate, which had some two feet to go before completely sealing off Saori's exit.

"Saori!" Deidara yelled, wishing he head his exploding clay on him. One and a half feet left.

"Katon: Ryuuka Jutsu!" She breathed fire out, pushing her chakra to maximum efficiency. One and a half feet. I can make it, she thought. With Sasori's assistance, she got onto her stomach. She got her head through, but she could feel the weight lightly on her back. What if I don't make it?

"Of course, she made it through. The gate stopped. All the gates stopped falling. There was an electrical override. Sasori helped her out and she led us through the prison with less trouble than we had expected. They couldn't get eh system working again, so they forced a manual override. Sasori… really helped out. He even saved me. Probably because I could heal Deidara, but to save the person who helped kill you… is really something."

"He seems a very sensible person to me, had I not known him as an S-Rank criminal," Sai replied.

"Trust me, I wouldn't like him if he wasn't."

Thank God, thank God, thank somebody! Saori repeatedly thought this as the four prison escapees raced towards the only exit, three more floors above them. The guards could not slip through the one foot gap between the floor and the iron gate, allowing the four to gain precious seconds. "I don't like this," said Sasori. Saori veered left.

"Well I definitely love escaping over losing my head," Sakura sarcastically responded. She sneered at him when he glared back at her.

"It's too quiet."

"It's the dead of the night."

"No; he's right. They're probably clogging the front entrance or something," Saori interjected.

"Nope!" Deidara said. "They'll be at the perimeter of Iwa and around the prison outside."

"Hoe do you know?" responded Saori irritably.

"Those trap gates aren't only electric, hmm."

"Yeah, I know. They have to be lowered by a hand crank manually if it's been cut from its electric power source."

"Or, since we're dealing with smarter jounin and special forces and not genin like you, they'll just cut the chains that hold those solid iron gates up. That heavy of a door - it'd be down so fast, yeah!"

"Guard unit to the left!" roared Sakura.

"You guys go; I'll take them!" said Saori. She wasn't too found of this particular guard unit. Since she was already labeled a traitor, it wouldn't hurt to… Saori smirked. Out of the corner of his eye, Deidara caught it, and couldn't help but get the contagion. "Well, well, well, hello there. I didn't like you three so much."

The leader of the unit rolled his eyes. "We don't have time to deal with small fry like you. Get out."

"Oh, I'm trying, trust me. Kaotn: Sparrow Shuriken!"

"Gotta move faster than that!" Flaming sparrows hardly left Saori's fingertips when the leader got behind her. Saori spun to block his attack, momentarily ignoring his cohorts.

"Saori, hmm!" yelled Deidara, some meters a bit off back in the main corridor.

"You!" exclaimed the leader of the guard unit. Saori at first thought he had spoken to Deidara, but that was clearly no the case when he did not turn to address Deidara, but rather pulled Saori to him, a kunai at her throat. She hated the vulnerability of her tender neck flesh. The leader of the unit spun Saori around, her back to his chest. Two bodies fell to the floor, her eyes widened, immediately recognizing the shoes of the feet which were situated next to the two felled bodies. "You're a traitor now, too? Both of you - go, or I'll kill her!"

Toyotomi was unfazed. "Let her go." Saori's heart skipped for more than just a few beats. His beloved voice was so smooth, so calm. In the back of her mind, she was kicking herself for even getting caught this quickly. A few months ago, she would have never succumbed so easily. So what made this instance so different? Her life was at stake, yet she performed better when she had to show the rest of the world a strong façade for Toyotomi, when she had to protect not only her pride, but Toyotomi's. A few months ago was a time when Toyotomi had been proud of her, glad that she was a member of his team. A month ago, she had liked herself better. Everything had turned sour in a matter of days, and as the months dragged on, she retrogressed to the insecurity she knew when she was much, much younger. Wasn't her pride as a good shinobi worth protecting?

The guard unit leader oozed of confidence. Toyotomi had visited the prison too frequently; he guessed that Toyotomi would never risk the safety of Saori. He didn't think Deidara would have the cares to bother saving Saori either. After all, Deidara had once born an unmarred Iwa symbol on his hitai-ate and knew how to get out of the prison pretty well from here. But he was wrong.

Saori's eyes further widened, feeling warm blood soaking into her shirt. It felt absolutely repulsive. The leader's body crumpled to the ground, a pool of blood quickly forming. Behind her, Saori could hear the heavy, raspy breaths of Deidara, a kunai firmly between in his teeth and dripping in blood. Deidara's blue eyes stared intently with plenty of malice at Toyotomi, who seemed slightly disturbed by the sudden amassing blood on the floor. "Toyotomi…," Saori whispered. He favored staring at the unconscious guards he had knocked out. "We really couldn't do this without your help. So… thanks."

"Saori, just go. Take care of Deidara. He's a good person. Those arms aren't going to get him anywhere."

"I don't want your pity, hmm, Ootowari!"

"It's not pity, you fricken idiot." Saori sighed, making the motions to leave, though her heart did not want to go. She glanced at Deidara's angry expression momentarily before running back to Toyotomi, holding him in a tight embrace.

"Toyotomi, I'm going to miss you," she muttered into the folds of his shirt. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her. His gold armband, usually placed at his upper right arm, clinked as he removed it, forcing Saori off of him in the process. She was going to more than miss him; this could very well be the last time she might ever lay her eyes on him, ever hear him speak. Shinobi's lives were so uncertain. That of missing-nin were even more so uncertain. Five months out from then, she might be six feet under, but who would know? Would Toyotomi find out? What would she leave behind, to mark the earth so that generations later, children would know her? What she endured? If she did die so soon, so unexpectedly, would she be missed? The thought of her being forgotten, the thought of never seeing Toyotomi again, left her scared and hurt.

"You won't have to," Toyotomi replied after a few moments of thoughtful silence. He reached for her right arm, placing the armband around her upper arm. "You will come back one day. I promise, you will come back and return that to me."

"Saori, let's go, hmmm," called Deidara, thoroughly annoyed. She slowly backed away, fighting back the tears already spilling onto her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away. She was running for her life right now - there were no room for tears. They said emotions were to be kept in check at all times, but for some reason, keeping them in check when running for your life just seemed more important than when on routine border patrol. She turned around a final time, knowing if she looked back again, she would never leave. She felt safe in Iwa, quite ironically. She felt a longing for home here. Together with Deidara, they caught up with Sakura and Sasori, who were encircled by unconscious guards, his left hand on her right wrist. He was a bit wide-eyed, taking deep breaths. Sakura's eyes were by far the largest, her left hand hovering above her stomach, where her clothing had torn, most likely from a kunai blade. "Hey, hey, this isn't such a good time to be making moves, Sasori-danna, hmm. No need to keep Sakura so close."

Neither responded to his jest, both apparently very disturbed by something. "The exit is right ahead, on the right. Let's not waste any more time," Saori half-suggested, already running towards the exiting corridor. The other three followed, and not a moment too soon.

"Crap, yeah!" yelled Deidara, as an iron gate nearly fell on top of him. "Get moving, they're cutting the chains, yeah!" His directive was unnecessary; Saori was sprinting as fast as she could - pretty fast, Deidara noted on the side, as she was short and also young - while Deidara was right behind her, doing his best to muffle the screams of his broken arms. Sasori pulled Sakura after him, seemingly still mortified by whatever she had endured.

"You're going to have move faster," snapped Sasori, who had caught up with Saori. Behind them, Deidara jumped, his Akatsuki nearly being clobbered and trapped by a falling gate. Saori grabbed his collar and pulled him, despite knowing his arms were likely very, very inflamed. She ignored the wants to scream, her hair being torn out by narrow escapes. There was always a good reason to have short hair, and now she fully understood why. Deidara appeared to have been recently enlightened as well, wincing as a few of his blonde locks were yanked out. The only sound that served as any sort of relief was that of the iron gates falling behind them; they fell with such quickness that it amazed Saori that with all the chakra the four were pumping into their legs, they were making it out alive.

Sakura swore she had never seen anything as beautiful as the night sky, which she had missed for so many days. Behind them was a one hundred kilogram iron door. Luckily, they would not have to be concerned about lifting that up. That was the bottom of things Sakura was thinking about. There only existed one thought at the front of her mind at the moment: they had escaped alive.

Author's Note: Please review! Thanks :3