Chapter Twelve: Shattered Glass--It begins to fall apart

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Tsunade massaged her temples as she reviewed the events of the past few days: Sasuke and Sakura were missing--presumed captives of Oto based on the evidence of Kabuto's presence in her apartment--Naruto was threatening to defect and go after them, and her hospital was backed-up with patients; mostly shinobi with minor injuries they couldn't explain in obscure places; a scratch on their chest or a bruise above their kidneys.

Growling in frustration, she looked over the ANBU report. They had been sent to scout Oto but claimed the only signs of movement--let alone inhabitation--were their own. Obviously, after Sasuke had taken Orochimaru out, Kabuto had relocated. But where?

Reminding herself that Sakura was her apprentice--and quickly gaining more and more ground on Tsunade--and that Sasuke was the Uchiha prodigy, she felt a strange calm. They were both capable, fast, strong shinobi.

And Tsunade was a Kage, not just to them, but to hundreds of other shinobi and civilians. They would fulfill their duties and she would fulfill her's.

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Sakura woke up in Sasuke's arms, even so the cold of the wet cell was hard to bear. The thin white silk slip she had on was damp and clinged to her in the worst places. She didn't even have her usually wrappings across her breasts. But she reasoned Sasuke was probably doing worse given that his shirt covered about a sixth of his chest.

"Sakura?" He mumbled, "Are you awake?"

She nodded gently.

"What time is it?" She wondered aloud.

"Probably about midnight." He replied, having kept inexact time since their capture three days earlier.

"Sasuke, last night, I saw him bringing in samples from the hospital in Konoha. And one of them had Hinata's name on it. If he's beginning to experiment with other DNA codes, then he must have already perfected it using the sharigan. And because the byakugan and sharigan are related, he'll be able to replicate the byakugan even faster." She said, knowing they needed a plan and quickly.

"What are you up to?" Sasuke asked, knowing she had a plan.

"I think that the next time he uses the nerve gas, I might be able to siphon it out of my system before it affects me. Then, I can pretend to be under its influence using a layering of genjutsu and medical ninjutsu to manipulate my vitals. But I wouldn't be able to help you until I got back to the cell..."

"Sakura, if it comes down to it, you get the fuck out of here and back to Konoha."

"You seem to forget Kakashi's number one rule." She smirked.

"Sakura..."

"Alright, look, if I can formulate a plan to get us both out before the next set of experiments, then you're coming--if not, I'll do what you ask me to."

Sasuke nodded and then pulled her closer against the chill of the early morning.

"Remember you word." He whispered.

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The gas began to filter in and Sasuke nodded as he laid back and waited for it to take effect. Sakura spun her chakra, pulling the toxin from her lungs before it could be dissolved into her blood stream. A few minutes later the flow began to stop. She waited for Kabuto's foot steps before she activated the previously layered illusions and using her medical ninjutsu.

Kabuto, despite all of his experience, was no more the wiser and took her without realizing she was feigning every reading he took.

Sakura waited until she was tied down--loosely, she realized gratefully--and Kabuto had left the room to gather supplies before snapping the restraints and running t othe consel that linked to their cell. Releasing the antidote into the air, she slipped into the hall and back toward Sasuke.

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"Dammit!" Kabuto cursed, realizing instantly he had been tricked. Sounding the alarm, he took off after the kunoichi.

She was tricky...and she possessed the potential to be a real threat should she escape.

He couldn't allow the years of work he had put into this project evaporate because of one bitch he had underestimated.

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Sasuke was conscious before Sakura reached him.

"Ready?" She asked.

He nodded as he charged his Chidori. Sakura backed away, pulling her chakra into her fist.

Cueing each other, they charged, both landing precise blows to the hinges of the cell. The metal door crumpled, falling to the side as Sasuke slipped between it and the wall.

"Where are we headed?" He asked as he sprinted beside her.

"No idea." Sakura responded.

"What?"

"Just trust me. I found a short-cut."

And then Sasuke saw they were running right into a wall. At the last possible second, Sakura sprinted ahead, splitting the concrete and vaulting herself through the ruin of the wall without breaking stride. Sasuke slid in behind her.

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"Here." Sasuke said as he turned the corner, the sound of approaching guards growing steadily louder.

Sakura hesitated, and when she did turn into the hall he was gone.

She looked back, the shadows of the guards dancing on the wall. A hand clamped over her mouth a moment later and she was hauled into the rafters.

"Shhh..." Sasuke whispered, holding her against his chest.

The shinobi passed right under them without a second thought. Motioning to the vent, Sasuke helped Sakura into it and followed after her, adjusting the grate as he moved into the tunnel.

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Sakura kicked out the vent and jumped, falling into a defensive crouch before slipping against the wall. Sasuke slid down beside her.

"This way." She said, grabbing his hand and leading him.

And then they found it...

Hundreds of tanks holding hundreds of bodies...each with labels specifying what kekkei genkai they held, what village it orginated from, and the name of the host whose DNA they were infused with.

An eerie green glow danced across the dark room, emanating from the damned bodies.

"I see you stumbled across my little secret."

They spun to face Kabuto.

"Well, I can't have you running around telling everybody about this." A kunai slid into his hand.

"Can I?" He asked with a smirk.

TBC