I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.


Escape

Ryuu charged forward the enemy shinobi doing the same. the guards and doctors watched from above as the two neared each other but at the last second, they both slowed to a stop and shook hands then leaned against each other's shoulder, Ryuu waving at the doctors and giving a false smile as the guards all sighed and drew swords.

"You ready for this?" Ryuu muttered.

"Not in the slightest," the boy grinned. "Never did tell you my name did I?"

"Nope," Ryuu grinned. "I'm Ryuu Uchiha."

"Tomu," the boy replied. "I would love to have your eyes. I mean, being able to see an enemy's move before they make it? That's awesome!"

"Seeing is only half the battle," Ryuu stated. "If you can't react you still die."

"I've heard," Tomu nodded. "Personally, I have a very special ability."

"Don't we all?" Ryuu smirked.

"Well, technically yes," Tomu nodded. "But I live up to my name."

"Tomu?" Ryuu questioned. "Fulfilling dream? Oh, you're that Genjutsu kid. Nice to meet you."

Tomu nodded just as the door in front of them opened and two soldiers walked out.

"Shall we?" Ryuu questioned standing and creating a Flame Sword which Tomu copied with his Kekkei Genkai.

The two sprinted forward, jumping over the guards and kicking them away from the door then sprinting through it and closing it behind them. They sprinted up the stairs and then took a left, heading away from the doctors and guards and opened a door to another coliseum where two more patients were fighting.

"FREEDOM!" the boy shouted running out the door, slipping past reanimated corpses as he did.

The girl followed, wavy blonde hair fluttering behind her. She skidded to a stop and hugged Tomu then smiled at Ryuu.

"I didn't think you could actually do it," the girl stated.

"Come on Kurai," Tomu smirked. "You know me better than that."

Kurai smiled and shrugged and they all ran up the stairs to the guard house only to skid to a stop. two men were standing there, one of them holding the boy that had run ahead of them by the upper arm while he struggled to get free like a disobedient child. The man holding the boy had fire engine red hair that fell around his head in a messy curtain that failed to hide his broad, stern, unimpressed face. He and the man beside him wore matching outfits with the exception of the man beside him still wearing the cloak Kakashi had ruined.

"What is this?" the man holding the boy's arm growled. "Looks like a riot but I'm not seeing even a little bit of success."

"You're gonna die!" the boy shouted drawing a kunai and swinging at the man.

The man merely squeezed his arm which shattered instantly and the boy dropped the kunai, screaming in pain.

"Ryuu," the other man spoke. "I brought you here so that you could be studied in peace. Now, you're going to have to go to our least pleasant facility."

"Less pleasant than killing children?" Ryuu feigned a gasp. "You must be talking about Hell."

"You'll wish I was," the man sneered. "Unfortunately, you'll need to be transferred to the transition base first."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ryuu growled.

"Warden, would you mind?" the man questioned the other.

The other man threw the boy he was still holding away and began walking forward. Tomu formed a solid steel wall between the two only for the Warden to tear an opening in it and drag Ryuu through by the face. Ryuu smashed his knee into the Warden's stomach and felt it break.

"You are being transferred," the Warden growled. "But first, I get to break you."

And with that, he smashed Ryuu into the steel wall, breaking his back before letting him fall.


Ryuu cracked an eye open, seeing the doctors all facing away. He was at his new base after transferring through the transition base to what truly was the absolute worst place he had ever heard of. During his twenty eight days there, he had been subjected to invasive experiments, brutal beatings from several dozen guards, painful blood tests, and just about everything they could think of short of carving out his eyes and cutting them open. Coincidentally, that was what they were about to do. Thankfully, Ryuu had been expecting it and had already come up with a plan.

Another thing he had learned during his stay, was that Sasuke, Kakashi, Yugao, Naruto, and a handful of others had tried to rescue him but had taken too long to find him and had missed him by almost a month. They had obliterated the base he had met Tomu and Kurai at a few days ago. Then, apparently, they had gone home from a lack of any more leads.

"Alright," a doctor spoke up picking up a scalpel. "I'll remove the first Sharingan."

As he turned toward Ryuu, Ryuu activated his Sharingan. The doctor stepped up to the experimentation table Ryuu was strapped down on and Ryuu instantly placed him in a paralyzing genjutsu.

"What are you waiting for?" another doctor demanded. "Cut the eye out already!"

Just then, a smoke bomb went off in the middle of the room. While not a part of Ryuu's plan, Ryuu used it to his advantage, instantly having the doctor cut him free before taking the scalpel and killing the doctor before standing and looking through the smoke with his Sharingan, seeing the silhouettes of the doctors dropping as blood flew through the air. Then, the smoke cleared and Ryuu looked around. The doctors were all dead and there was a single person standing in front of the door. A girl.

She had mint green hair to her shoulders with two locks framing her face, the right one of which held an orange hair clip that matched her eyes. She wore a short sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white armlets, fishnet shorts with a short white apron skirt over them, a Takigakure forehead protector on a white backing tied around her right upper arm, and a large cylindrical object on her back wrapped in a red cloth that crossed in an "X" on her chest.

"Ryuu Uchiha?" the girl questioned.

"Yes," Ryuu nodded slowly. "Who are you?"

"Fu," she stated. "I'm here to get you out of here."

"There's no way we can fight our way out," Ryuu stated. "I take it you have a plan."

"Two jutsus for you to copy," Fu stated. "Attack Prevention Technique and the Chameleon Jutsu."

Ryuu nodded and Fu demonstrated both. Ryuu copied them, memorizing how to do them then walked out of the room past Fu.

"Where the heck do you think you'll going?" Fu demanded catching his arm.

"I need my weapons and necklace," Ryuu stated. "This base has the collection stash. I'm getting my stuff back before we leave."

"Fine," Fu nodded. "Let's go then."

They both turned invisible and crept out into the hallway then along git as it wound and wrapped through the base. After about three minutes, they stopped at the doorway where three shinobi were talking. One had Ryuu's trench knife, another his tanto, and the last wore his necklace proudly over his shirt.

"Sorry to interrupt but I'll be having those back now," Ryuu stated turning visible again.

"Kill him!" the one with the trench knife ordered hurling the knife.

Ryuu caught it and threw it back then caught a kunai from the one with the tanto and hurled it back. Both knives found their marks, killing both ninja instantly. The ninja wearing the necklace darted to the second kill and grabbed the tanto, charging at Ryuu. Ryuu blocked the first slash then slammed his knee into the ninja's elbow, breaking it before taking the tanto and driving it up through his brain, killing him instantly. He pulled the tanto out and set the body down gently, taking his necklace and putting it on before closing his eyes and putting his hands together silently for a moment before moving to the other two bodies that were together. Fu watched in silence for a moment before speaking.

"Are you...praying?" Fu questioned.

"No matter what someone does, no matter what they take, or who they hurt, nothing gives you the right to take a life," Ryuu stated. "Praying for their forgiveness and mine is the only way I can find peace as a shinobi. Someone once taught me, killing in inexcusable, even when necessary. Everyone you kill could be you. They could have friends, family, children, a lover. Killing anyone has the same effect on their friends and family as your own friends and family being killed."

"Your friend gives good advice," Fu stated. "I suppose they have a point."

Ryuu pulled his trench knife out of the man's chest and cleaned both of his blades before he turned to Fu.

"Ready," he stated and they both turned invisible again, following the hallways until they reached a large room where the facility's Warden, a tall man with green hair, solid steel teeth, and a very nasty addiction to drawing blood, sat in a throne watching as a victim was being autopsied.

The Warden also enjoyed watching fights, gore, and deaths. He hated the prisoners, disobedience, and any attempts to break out. And there had been several. If he noticed Fu and Ryuu, they were most likely dead. The man that had kidnapped Ryuu avoided angering the Warden.

"Come on," Fu whispered.

They silently began to make their way through the room but stopped as the door opened and the same man that had kidnapped Ryuu strode through the door.

"Hello Warden," the man greeted. "You've failed, just as the other did. Isn't that right...Ryuu?"

Ryuu froze as the man turned and looked directly at Ryuu and Fu and the Warden followed his gaze.

"And the great Fu as well," the man continued. "Aren't we lucky?"

Fu and Ryuu both allowed themselves to be visible and backed up against the wall as the Warden landed beside the visitor.

"The Great Fu?" Ryuu questioned. "I didn't realize you were so popular with these creeps."

"We've...met," Fu admitted. "Unfortunately."

"Well, let's get this bloodbath over with shall we?" Ryuu sighed.

"Do you know why it's a bloodbath?" the man questioned. "Allow me to enlighten you. My brother here..."

He indicated the Warden who bowed.

"...is one of eight," he continued. "They are the Wardens of my facilities, and I am the Master of all. I am the oldest and strongest. But all of our true power comes, not from us being powerful, but from these."

He pulled his new cloak open and showed them his armor as his brother lifted up his black shirt to show a matching set.

"They weaken the people around us unless they are wearing a suit themselves," the man stated. "Your jutsus and attacks have about the same effect on me that a ball of paper would you. Paper bombs could still be lethal if they were used right, but the armor also allows for a low-level barrier around us that shields us from the damage of a few paper bombs. The barriers have weak points and limits, but nothing I should worry about from you."

"Be ready," Fu whispered.

Ryuu drew his trench knife and a kunai and crouched as if he were about to attack. The brothers laughed as Fu slammed a smoke bomb down and both she and Ryuu darted out of the smoke, turning invisible as they went. After they had gone around several corners, they heard running feet behind them.

"Now what?" Ryuu questioned.

"Use the other one," Fu instructed. "The exit should be a hundred feet forward and three levels up. Go! Now!"

Ryuu nodded and sank into the ground, disappearing as he followed Fu's directions to the exit. Once he was out, he killed the two guards, who he noticed were also wearing armor, and sprinted away from the base. After a while, he stopped and hid in the hollow of a tree and waited silently. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for, probably the Warden and his brother to rush past searching for him.

After a few minutes of silence, he was about to step out when Fu sprinted past looking around frantically.

"Fu!" Ryuu quietly shouted running over to her and making her skid to a stop.

"There you are!" Fu sighed. "Come on. I gave them the slip but it's not safe for us to stay here! You have to get back to your village where they can protect you!"

"What about you?" Ryuu questioned. "Will your village protect you?"

"I was banished from my village," Fu said quietly. "I will find no shelter there."

"Then come with me," Ryuu offered. "My village can protect us both and you would be welcomed there...I think."

Fu stared at him for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes before spilling over. She wiped them away and smiled but shook her head.

"I can't," Fu stated. "I'm sorry. Thank you for the offer but there's...I have to...I can't."

Ryuu nodded slowly then smiled.

"Alright," Ryuu nodded. "But you have to come with me at the very least until we see my village. Just so that we know those two aren't following."

"Alright," Fu nodded smiling. "We should move."

Ryuu nodded and they turned, sprinting toward Konoha and away from the facility. After about a day, the village came into view.

"You sure I can't change your mind?" Ryuu questioned.

"I'm sure," Fu smiled. "Good luck with your village. Maybe we'll meet again."

"I hope so," Ryuu smiled instantly noticing the guilty look on Fu's face but ignoring it.

He stepped forward, hugging her and she hugged him back after a moment.

"Thank you for saving me," Ryuu smiled stepping back and seeing fresh tears on her face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Fu smiled. "Just worried that when you get back you're going to forget to tell everyone you had to be saved by a girl."

They both laughed halfheartedly for a minute before Ryuu hugged her again then turned toward his village.

"Good luck," Ryuu smiled back at her.

"You too," Fu replied smiling before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Ryuu turned back to his village and began walking. After a few minutes, he was home.


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