Chapter Nine: In the Enemy's Embrace
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!
Sakura turned over in her sleep and found herself in someone's arms. The chakra was vaguely familiar--enough so that for a moment she wondered why Sasuke was in the room. But no...it was cold and hard...too much like the edge of a kunai.
"Kabuto!" She snapped.
"That's right, my little cherry blossom." He smirked as he shut down her keirakukei network.
Sakura writhed, his face blurred by her damaged retina. Forcing chakra into her eyes despite the excruciating pain it caused, she watched him come into focus.
Mentally wincing, she brought her knee into his groin before sprining away from the bed.
The groaning clone dissipated into a cloud of rapidly thinning smoke.
Sakura ducked before she had time to consciously register the fact that he was behind her. Throwing her weight to the right, she brought her leg around as she pulled into a rather awkward handstand.
Kabuto planted his hand firmly on the tile and twisted away from her attack.
'Think, think, think!' Sakura screamed at herself as she reached for the weapon she always kept strapped to her thigh.
Sasuke had at first resisted the impulse to check on Sakura...but finally gave in.
Rapping lightly on her door, he heard a faint sound come from the bedroom.
Figuring she was asleep, he turned to leave. Until he heard the distinctly familiar sound of a kunai meeting wood. Slipping in through her window, he charged in between the battling nin'i.
'Perfect.' Kabuto thought as he side stepped Sasuke blade and calmly brought his chakra-haloed hand towards the Uchiha's spine.
"No!" Sakura cried as she parried the chakra scalpel with her own.
"Isn't that cute?" The Yakushi sneered, "Fighting to defend each other."
Sakura didn't reply as she pulled another weapon from beneath the hem of her silk slip.
Likewise, Sasuke channeled his Raikiri into the blade.
"Well now, if you aren't going to play fair...neither am I!"
Sasuke saw an ominous black chakra begin to emerge from his former servant...Orochimaru's chakra...
"Move!" He yelled as he grabbed Sakura and hoisted her away from the blast.
'Aid will arrive any minute, time to finishi it.' Kabuto thought as he sprang at them.
Taking Sasuke out, he let his dead weight pull Sakura too the ground before he knocked her out with a medical ninjutsu.
Sakura groaned as she forced herself up.
"Sasuke? Are you alright?" She asked as he sat up beside her.
"Fine." He replied shortly.
This obviously wasn't a pleasure trip: Their cell was dark, damp, and reeked of mildew.
"I see you're awake."
Sakura shot Kabuto a glance that dripped with hatred.
"We can begin soon enough." He laughed.
TBC