Hello all. Sorry for the long wait; I know that is update is long overdue. There will be some spelling and grammatical errors I didn't catch so please bear with it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this plot.

Chapter 11: Mysteries

When the name of the man he had been searching for reached his ears, the assassin became infuriated. He clenched his free hand, wanting to throw his fist into the nearest object to unleash his building anger. When he had set out on his personal mission, he had followed every solid lead uncovered; unfortunately every time he was close, Sasuke found himself a step behind. The assassin knew Suigetsu would never give him false information, but there was a chance the lead was a ruse to lure him out.

"You still there Sasuke?"

"Where is he?" Sasuke hissed.

"I don't know," Suigetsu answered honestly. "Two of my girls came back claiming they were promised some sort of procedure from him. All I can say is whatever he did to them, it sure doesn't seem harmless."

"Make them talk," he ordered.

His patients was wearing thin and it was evident in his voice. He didn't care if the club manager had to resort to his old ways to extract information; as long as he got what he needed out of it he could care less if it was extreme torture. The need to avenge his broken family was long over due and the death of his daughter was the last straw for him.

"Can't do that Sasuke." Suigetsu sighed heavily. "Both of them need serious medical attention. I got them both pumped up with some drugs to keep them alive. If they don't get the needed care now, you won't get a single word."

He turned his gaze toward the kitchen and saw his wife setting eating utensils down on the counter. The urge to leave filled his system, but he wasn't going to let revenge blind him and take over his life; he knew pursuing the path of vengeance now would only cause more pain and sorrow. This morning was the first time after the whole ordeal did she look perfectly content with no worries or fear haunting her. Sakura was his life and seeing her happy was everything to him.

"Call Jiraiya," Sasuke said, frustrated with the position he was placed in. "He'll send a team over."

"What about you?" Suigetsu questioned.

"Just call Jiraiya," Sasuke ordered, rubbing his temples. "I'll head over later."

The dark haired man hung up without saying another word, unwilling to listen to anything else the club manger had to say. He tossed the cellular device onto the couch and took several deep breaths to clear his heavy mind. His day had only started and already he had to deal with an unnecessary headache. He would have to leave later to assess the situation over at the club and talk to Suigetsu. Remembering the request for a doctor, he thought of asking Sakura to go with him, but wasn't sure how she would feel about it.

Last night he had used the excuse of having dinner to accomplish a mission and she wasn't happy about that. In the end the mission was a success, but she ended up getting shot accidentally by Naruto with one of Jiraiya's absurd unapproved invention. He was aware she wasn't quite comfortable with the idea of what he did as a profession, but this time it involved saving lives to get information.

"Breakfast is ready," she called out to him.

Sasuke headed over to the countertop table to join his wife, debating over asking her to go with him. She placed the hot plate of food before him and noticed that he looked slightly troubled. Immediately she figured it had to do with the phone call he received and that it was serious. Regardless of the topic, she knew that it had to do with his job. When he reached out for the fork, Sakura stopped him by placing her hand over his. She turned his attention toward her so that they were facing each other.

"I understand if you have to leave," she said. Her right hand reached up and stroked his cheek. "You don't have to worry about me; I care for myself."

His eyes soften at her as he took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. She was an angel, enduring through the hardships his job brought. Her comprehension of his world was building day by day despite the difference in occupation.

"Come with me."

"Sasuke-kun I can't–"

"They need your help," he stated, cutting her off.

She was surprised to hear that he wasn't going to end another's life, but potentially save one. Last night's dinner had been a ruse in order for him to carry out a plan and she was unsure whether he was lying to her because of another mission he had to complete. She looked into his dark pools, trying to find any indications of him lying to her. Unluckily for her, Sasuke had been trained to mask his emotions, making it difficult for her to read him. He had been completely honest with her since they had been together, except for the secret of his true occupancy.

"I'll go with you..."

—xXx—

After quickly finishing their breakfast and cleaning up, Sasuke informed his wife that they would be heading back to the complex within ANBU headquarters. Saddened by the news, Sakura was aware they needed to pack their belongings. Though she felt indifferent about living at the agency, she had enjoyed the time of solitude she shared with her husband.

The assassin was holstering his silver handguns to his belt when his wife entered the garage. He immediately went over to her, grabbed her things, and deposited them onto their mode of transportation. Her emerald orbs caught sight of the things attached to his belt when he was loading their belongs onto the SUV. She wanted to voice her discomfort about him carrying his weapons, but she understood he was armed as a precaution. Keeping her opinion to herself, she got in the passenger seat and pulled on a gray beanie to cover her hair.

It was late in the afternoon and all was quiet as the couple returned back to Konoha and headed toward their destination in the outer area of the metropolitan. Neither had spoken a single word since leaving the hidden family cabin, making the environment slightly uncomfortable for Sakura. It wasn't the silent that was bothering her, but the fact Sasuke hadn't told her where they were going and what she would be doing. The only thing he had told her earlier was that whoever they were going to would need medical attention.

She became confused when her husband steered the vehicle into the warehouse district. Paranoia began to settle into her mind as they ventured further in; based on the various movies and literatures she had watched and read, secluded warehouse areas were known for all sorts of heinous crime. Her hands clenched and unclenched the hem of her coat, wondering how much fiction could be real. Her eyes shifted to look at her husband and saw that he was calm, unbothered by the lack of human presence, then again he was probably used to situations like this.

As they approached their destination, Sakura recognized a few familiar vehicles she had seen back at headquarter. After pulling into an empty parking spot, Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the reflections in the side and rear view mirrors. He locked the doors as a safety precaution for his wife, as he unbuckled his seatbelt and unlocked the sunroof. The moment the motor died down, two masked men appeared on either side of the door with their guns drawn. Sakura looked over at her husband, wondering why they were on the receiving end.

"This is a restricted area," the one standing outside Sasuke's door said. "Put your hands up where we can see them."

Annoyed by the newbies, Sasuke pulled out his phone and dialed a number on speaker.

"I said put your hands up!" the man ordered again.

"Finally decide to call teme?"

"You got ten seconds to get these rookies out of my way," Sasuke said.

Without another word, he hung up the phone and pocketed the device away. Sakura stared at her husband, wondering if he was going to pull out some sort of identification to show his relation to ANBU. He glanced over at his wife only to see her worried expression; she was definitely uncomfortable with being on the receiving end of the gun. A small smirk appeared on his lips as he took her hand in his. He placed a kiss on her knuckles and he gave her a gentle squeeze to reassure her everything was fine. Once he released her, Sasuke slid open the overhead window and jumped out of the SUV. In a matter of seconds, the two new comers were disarmed and laying on the snow covered ground groaning in pain. The experienced agent set the firearms he took on the hood of the SUV as he gazed at his wife inside the vehicle.

"You didn't have to beat them up teme," Naruto said as he approached his best friend.

The dark haired man was indifferent about having bullied the rookies; he saw it as an opportunity for them to learn and improve. Someone had to toughen them up if Naruto was just going to befriend them. The blond was aware the quick light beating they took knocked the wind out of them and that was all they needed to be intimidated. The knucklehead and several other agents always betted on how many rookies would consider quitting after one round in the ring with Sasuke. If they thought the young Uchiha brother was tough, those that got sent back to beginner's training by Kakashi had cried. The only ones to ever pass the masked agent's notorious inaugurating test were the only ones he had ever taken under his wings.

Sakura figured it was safe to exit out of the SUV after her husband had taken care of the minor inconvenience. She opened the passenger side door and allowed herself out into the chilly weather. Upon seeing the medic, Naruto rushed up to her and engulfed her in a bear hug.

"You're alive Sakura-chan!" he hollered out in joy. "I missed you so much!"

She returned the embrace and smiles at his goofiness; even though he has accidentally shot her, she couldn't stay mad at him. The bubbly agent released the woman and smiled a playful grin toward her. Sakura was confused when she notice his mischievous cerulean orbs shifting back and forth between her and Sasuke. Knowing immediately what he was thinking, the dark haired man pulled out his gun and pointed it at his partner. She jumped at the sight of the firearm aimed at Naruto, hoping her husband wasn't serious.

"One word," he threatened. "And I'll make sure not to miss this time."

Sasuke would never forget the insistent even if Sakura had forgiven the knucklehead. The blond put his hands up and stepped back from the medic. Keeping his left hand still, his right hand pulled an imaginary zipper closed over his mouth and twisted a lock. A brow rose on the face on the dark haired man as he watched the childish action display before him.

"My lips are sealed teme," Naruto reassured. "I'll pick up the slack here."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blond and tucked his gun away. He took hold of Sakura's hand and lead her toward the chaos that was his job. When they reached what she assumed was the entrance, standing guard was Tenten and Neji. The weapon specialist spotted the pink haired woman and quickly shoved the dark haired man aside. The male glared at the female agent him, irritated by her action. She sent her own glares back at him before turning her attend to the woman before her.

"Do you know how much trouble you caused?" she scolded. "It's dangerous for you to be out and about."

The pink haired woman smiled slightly at her friend. "I know... but I can't live like a caged bird and let fear take over my life." She took Tenten's hands in hers. "It is my decision to get involved and I won't back down."

"Is there any way I can convince you to stay put in headquarters?" Sakura shook her head and the agent sighed in defeat. "Fine, but if you're planning to get involved in anything dangerous again, you let me know."

Her smile widened. "It's a deal."

"Sakura..."

The said woman released her friend's hand and went to her husband's side. Knowing the situation occurring inside required the presence of a doctor, Tenten was aware Sasuke was planning to bring Sakura in to assist. She figured it would be best to give the medic a warning of what she would see inside before she was exposed to it.

"There are customers inside," Tenten said. "Whatever you see or hear inside, just ignore it."

Sakura was confused by her words, but she knew the brunet well enough to take the advice seriously and not doubt her. She nodded in understanding before allowing her husband to take her inside. Sasuke lead the way with his wife following closely behind him. The sound of music was muffled by the walls and she guessed they were at some sort of underground club. They walked down the short hallway and up a flight of stairs directly to the second level's observation deck. Once they arrived at the top, they were able to see everything that was happening in the main area. Her emerald orbs observed their surroundings and found the contents of the club slightly disturbing.

The music was loud and upbeat with the main lights dimmed, giving the area a warm welcoming atmosphere. Waitresses serving their customers were dressed in revealing French maid outfit with the top dipped down low to show an ample amount of cleavage and the dress short to reveal white lace panties. Girls were on stage entertaining the male population either dressed only in their undergarments or completely nude. They were all erotically dancing to the music with each other or on a pole. Men were tossing bills of various values at the dancers, hooting and hollering at them to keep going. There were areas sectioned out for customers to have their own private shows if they didn't want to be with the crowd.

Sakura looked away quickly as her cheeks grew red, focusing her eyes on her husband's back. She was embarrassed to be at such as place with her husband. She didn't have the right to judge the women that were making their living here, but she disliked the idea of what they were doing. To think ANBU had business in such a place was unbelievable, especially after being informed they dealt with disregarded and dangerous ordeals. She could understand this place being disregarded, but under what circumstances did this situation fall under ANBU's care?

Whey they reached the other end, two masked guards stood at the entrance of a curtain covered doorway. They were heavily built and dressed in black from head to toe. Sakura assumed they guarded the doors to a lounge area from unwanted visitors, specifically the customers. As the agent approached the entrance they watched over, they drew their batons out. Before they could raise it fully to block his path, Sasuke drew out his firearms and pointed one at each.

"It's alright boys; he's an ANBU member."

A purple haired woman appeared behind the two, smoking a cigarette. From her eye shadow to her lipstick, the sparkle of gold contrasted against her tan skin tone. The layer of makeup gave her an older look when she was only in her mid twenties. She wore a pair of undergarments the same shade as her locks and a fishnet patterned mesh over it. On her feet were a pair of six inch black pumps to give her the added height.

The guards put away their batons, trusting the word of one of the employees. Sasuke held his firearm up until the two men went back to their regular standing position. Once things looked a bit friendly, the woman went back inside, allowing the agent to enter. The assassin took hold of his wife's hand and pulled her into the lounge. The smell of chlorine was strong, indicating there was a cleanup done recently. There were a few girls present, taking a break from their demanding jobs. Most were eyeing the male agent, but when they saw his hand linked to the pink haired woman's, they turned away.

"Where are they?"

The purple haired woman took a drag of her cigarette. "The sterilized room to your right," she answered, pointing in the direction of the door. "Make sure you have a strong stomach."

Without thanking the woman, Sasuke quickly led the way. When they entered the second room, the metallic smell of blood was strong. The floor was smeared with the red fluid, showing the direction the girls were dragged in. There were two lowered stretchers occupied by the injured sedated victims that were the cause of ANBU's appearance. Kakashi was standing at a distance interrogating Suigetsu, trying to make sense of what happened to the two woman. Shizune was crouched over one of the girl's, trying to close the bleeding wound to the girl from losing too much blood. Feeling the grip on this hand tightened, Sasuke knew his wife wanted to go help. He released her and gave her a little push toward the older medic. She didn't look back at her husband and went over to provide whatever medial assistance she could.

Sakura quietly approached her senior from behind to observe what she was doing. Shizune was working hard, attempting to stabilize the patient she was working on for transporting. She was having some difficulties stitching with one hand as her other hand switched between the tweezers and absorbent cotton pads. For added light, she held the flashlight with her mouth to laminate the area she was suturing. Due to lack of information and having been rushed, she wasn't able to pack the proper equipment that would make her task slightly easier. Seeing the brunet needing assistance, the young medic took off her jacket and pulled one of the surgical gowns over her own clothes and a pair of gloves. She took hold of the flashlight and the pads, signaling the older medic to release them. Shizune took a quick glance to see who was next to her and was relieve to see she had help.

After observing his wife for a few more seconds, Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets and he walked over to the manager and his mentor. Kakashi's sole eye looked at his son–in–law with indifference as he approached; though he was disappointed with his action of getting his precious daughter involved, he knew his student had his reasons.

"You're finally here Sasuke!" Suigetsu bellowed.

"Nice of you to join us," the senior agent said.

"Any information on Kabuto's whereabouts?"

Kakashi shook his head. "We don't have the leisure to question them here. Shizune has been stabilizing the victims to ensure they will be ready for transportation." He pulled out his mobile device to check for updates. "Transport will be here in ten."

Sasuke looked over at Suigetsu. "What exactly happened to them?"

—xXx—

With the provided assistance from Sakura, Shizune was able to stop the bleeding and stitch the large wound. Her brown eyes watched as Sakura changed the intravenous drips on both sedated victims. One had been bleeding from a fairly deep gash on the left side of her abdomen and was delirious. The other girl was beaten up badly, suffering a few bruised ribs and a fractured wrist. The employees working at the club were all treated well and feed, but both girls were severally dehydrated and showed signs of malnutrition. Based on what Suigetsu had told her, the girls had been gone for about three days; it was unusual to see a person's health plummet drastically in a short amount of time. The only theory to support their current state was that drugs were involved. As she stepped back to get a breather, she had a bad feeling that wouldn't leave her.

"I need you to check her left leg Sakura," Shizune said, pointing to the girl whom they had just worked on. "I was told she was limping."

She nodded at the request and grabbed a pair of surgical scissors and began to cut open the patient's jeans. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; there weren't signs of bruising or swelling to indicate any sort of injury. The only thing that looked slightly peculiar was that her leg's skin tone looked a few shades lighter than her other leg. When Sakura reached the bottom of the knee, she saw a clean incision that had been poorly sown up, but when she adjusted the pants leg, she couldn't believe her eyes. Two inches under the patella was a whole other leg surgically attached.

—xXx—

"I saw them a few days ago and they were perfectly fine," Suigetsu said. "They requested a few days off and I granted it. Next thing I know they come in here looking like hell and begging for help. Told me they were promised a harmless procedure, no trafficking involved."

"What else?" Sasuke asked.

"After mentioning Kabuto's name, she collapsed," the white haired man said. "Word on the streets is you're looking for him so I called you and you told me to call Jiraiya."

"How did you know Sasuke was looking for a man named Kabuto?" Kakashi questioned.

"As I told ya, words on the street." The club manager crossed his arms. "I have my ways of getting information on what's going on and I'm not going to share them."

"Did he ever come to the club?"

"Nope. If he did and I had a description, I would have tossed him out before he step foot inside."

Sasuke was irritated; he knew Suigetsu well enough to know he was withholding valuable facts. The only way to get the information out was to bargain with the man, but either agent had the time for that. At this point the younger assassin didn't care anymore about following questioning protocol and was ready to beat everything out of the manager.

"Kakashi." The said man turned his attention to the older medic. "You need to come see this."

Kakashi went over to see what medical issue had arise, leaving his student alone to ask more questions. Sasuke turned his back toward the team and narrowed his eyes at the man before him.

"Talk."

"How is it that you see right through me?" Suigetsu asked casually.

With lightening speed, his right hand flew out of his pocket and latched onto its victim's neck. The club's manager grabbed onto his assailant's arm in attempts to free himself from the strong grip. The more he struggled the tighter his wind pipe was being crushed.

"I don't have time to play games Suigetsu," he threatened. "Either you tell me what I want to know or..." His eyes changed from black to crimson. "I will personally make your life a living hell."

Aware Sasuke would carry out his threat if provoked, Suigetsu quickly nodded his head in understanding to avoid the mental torture he had seen executed many times before. The younger Uchiha brother gave his victim a slight shove before releasing him. Suigutsu took in the much needed air his lungs craved; this was his first time on the receiving end of Sasuke's wrath and he didn't want to experience it again.

"Kabuto was here once and that was on Halloween night," he said rubbing his sore neck muscle. "Everyone was dressed up and ironically his costume choice was a doctor. Unfortunately I didn't recognize him immediately; took me a few days until it clicked. When the bastard was here, he caught the attention of one of the girls."

"Why was he here?"

"How the hell should I know?" Suigetsu crossed his arms over his chest. "But he pulled out a real scalpel and attempted to cut the girl open. Branded a danger to the girls and other guests, he was kicked out. Since then he never came back and we never saw him again. If ANBU had put out the warrant several months earlier, he wouldn't be out loose on the streets."

"Where's the girl?"

"Disappeared the next day after her shift." He rubbed his temples. "I closed the club for two days and had all employees searching for her. We couldn't find her anywhere and figured she decided to bound without letting us know. I even contacted my sources and they couldn't find any trace of her either; it was like she didn't exist."

"Name?"

"Her stage name was Saki and that's all I know." Suigetsu took his phone out from his pocket and searched for the photo he had saved. "She was sold to become a prostitute through trafficking. I found her on the streets and brought her here. She agreed to work to earn money to save up for a better life and she was here for over a year before her disappearance."

"Any belonging left behind?"

"Nope," Suigetsu answered. "She lived here for two months then decided to move out and only came here for her shifts. When we went to her apartment, it was cleaned out ready for the next occupant to move in." He held the electronic out with the picture displayed. "This is her."

Sasuke took the devise to look at the photo. The young woman looked to be in her early to mid twenties with light peach skin, long blond hair, and bright emerald green orbs.

"When a girl decides to leave, whether it's a vacation or for good, they always let me know," Suigetsu said. "Saki was the only one that never did and no one else knew of her plans either." He rubbed his chin. "Now that I think about it, Namine hasn't been here for a few days."

"How long?"

"She usually takes three days off to spend time with her daughter," he answered. "But she didn't tell me if she was taking off or call about needing to take time off. The last time I saw her was when she was leaving with those two after closing few days ago." Suigetsu turned wide eyed at Sasuke. "Think she could be another victim?"

He snatched the phone back to search for the photo of the mentioned employee. As he was frantically swiping through the various images, one of the guards approached him.

"Got a moment boss?"

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Suigetsu said, irritated by his employee.

"We got a problem," the guard informed.

"If the customers are harassing the girls, you kick then out."

"It's not customer related sir."

"Then what is it?"

"ROOT agents are at the entrance," the guard said. "They stated receiving an anonymous tip in regards to illegal activity."

"What?" the manager yelled out in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Danzo is here too."

The moment the name of ROOT's commanding officer was mentioned, Sasuke knew things were serious. It was rare for Danzo to ever make an appearance, but for him to come now meant he had personal business.

"This isn't good," Suigetsu said. "Make sure everyone follows emergency protocol. Buy us all the time you can until I come out."

The guard understood his boss's orders and went to relay the information to others. Suigetsu personally hated ROOT, especially during his crime days when they had a bounty on him. Thanks to ANBU, he was completely off their radar until today. He had a few suspects in mind that could have tipped off ROOT, but wasn't going to make that known. He figured it was best for him to do the dirty work himself to enforce a message to any spies instead of letting the agents handle it.

"You need to get the girls out of here fast." He turned his gaze to the agent before him. "His team may have already infiltrated in. I can help buy more time with Danzo, but it won't be long before he realizes who I am and have me arrested." He pocketed his phone. "I'll send you all the information I have filed about Namine to you later."

Sasuke nodded in agreement and quickly turned to the others to assist in any way possible. He pulled out his communicator and placed it on his right ear to listen to the team's updates. Shizune was packing the supplies she brought as Sakura injected both patients with another dose of painkillers. Kakashi was checking his magazines to ensure they were all fully loaded before locking them into their respected gun.

"We need to go Kakashi."

"Transportation has arrived," Kakashi said. "Leave the way you came; Shizune and I will take a different exit. A team will be waiting to receive."

"And ROOT?"

"Alive," Kakashi said. "Just get them out of our way."

The older male pulled out a small taser and an armband with ten filled syringes. The needles were short, but long enough to penetrate the needed layers of muscles to inject the solution. He went over to his daughter and strapped the armband onto her left bicep. She was bewildered by the situation, but figured it was better to be ignorant of the circumstances ahead. With the band fastened, he held out the taser to Sakura.

"Protect yourself and your patient," he said. "Your task is to get her into the awaiting vehicle. Leave any disturbances along the way to Sasuke."

Sakura nodded at the instructions she was given as she took the defensive item, knowing there was no room for arguing. Once everything was set, she wheeled her assigned victims out with her husband leading the way, pulling the stretcher. As they walked, Sasuke would look back to make sure no one was planning to approach his wife from behind. Half way toward the stairs, two uniformed men appeared to stop them from going further. Sasuke rushed forward, throwing a right jab at the one to his left before sending his elbow into the other. To prevent them from recovering from the assault, the defending assassin roundhouse kicked one to make him stumble into the other. Sakura pushed the stretcher quickly pass her husband as he dealt with the blockage.

The medic was only a few feet away when she was grabbed from behind into a headlock. She released the stretcher and jabbed the taser at her attacker. The temporary muscle paralyzes allowed her to free herself and shove the man back. When she turned around, Sakura saw Tenten come up the stairs to receive them. Before she got the chance to continue forward, she was forcefully kicked to the side by another attacker. Her body slammed against the rails painfully, making her drop the defensive weapon. Remembering her father's words, the medic leaned against the rail and swiftly kicked the stretcher toward the female agent; protecting the sedated woman was a task she was given and she wasn't going to let a life she was charged with die.

"Don't worry about me!"

Tenten was hesitant to leave, but she needed to get their only source of information to safety. She nodded at the medic, trusting that she would be safe and that Sasuke would aid her soon. Sakura turned around and using the rail as an anchor, she aimed a sidekick at her assailant's head. Her eyes widened when her foot was caught five inches away from making contact. She persisted to pull her leg back, but the grip was strong. The man pulled out a hunting knife, ready to slice her open. Leaning her full weight on the rail, she kicked her other leg up into her assailant's elbow to force her release.

As she stumbled back, the blade was swung toward her throat. She quickly ducked, pulling out one of the syringes and removing the cap. She invaded the man's space and plunged the needle into her assailant. Before she got the change to inject the full solution, she was forced to retreat back to avoid the blade from cutting her. The medic felt a stinging pain along her right forearm and quickly gazed down to see she had been scratched by the blade. She had knowledge of self defense, but she didn't expect to be at a disadvantage; maybe she should have listened to her father and leave the fighting up to Sasuke.

With her injured arm, she grabbed another syringe to prepare herself for another attack. He stepped toward the woman and before he got a chance to strike again, the dark haired assassin came up from behind. Sasuke kicked the man's legs from behind then swung the baton at the target's head. After knocking the man out, Sasuke pushed his wife forward, shielding her from behind as they attempted to escape.

"We got other hostiles," Sasuke reported in.

"I know," Kakashi answered. "We're all loaded up on this end. What about you?"

"Patient's out," Sasuke replied.

"Teme I'll get the car and pull up and get you two!" There were some grunting sounds on the other end of the line. "Might be while though!"

"Hurry up dobe!"

As they rushed down the stairs, Sasuke pushed his wife to the side right before someone tackled him from behind. They rolled down the stairs and crashed onto the ground in a struggle. The assassin punched his attacker across the face only to receive it back in the gut. He countered back by sending a barrage of punches toward his victim's gut, but it only seemed to irritate the man. When the assailant swung at his head, Sasuke quickly ducked down to avoid the punch only to be hit by the second. Dazed, the dark haired man was turned into a chocking headlock and he did his best to fight his way out of it, but he had difficulties trying to overpower the monster.

"You won't be able to get out of this," the man gloated. "I got the strongest grip among the boys."

Sakura took a syringe and jabbed it into the attacker's neck, injecting the solution. He released Sasuke and turned his attention to the medic. He backhanded her, throwing her off balance toward the stairs. When her foot hit the back of the first step, she fell back and hit the side of her head against the stair edge. After seeing his wife knocked down and bleeding, the assassin saw red.

He got up, grabbed the man's jacket from behind, and swung him into the opposite side of the wall before he could attack the medic again. The man quickly composed himself and began to sent a range of punches toward the assassin. Sasuke blocked and dodged the punches with ease. When he sent a right straight punch, the dark haired man caught it and twisted the arm. Sasuke smirked then pulled his victim toward him and sent his forearm into his throat. He turned the man around and kicked the back of his leg, sending him down on his knees. He grabbed the other arm and pushed his right foot against his victim's back.

"You're proud of these arms?"

Sakura was shocked at the sight before her; her husband was enjoying the torture he was putting his victim through. The fact he was inflicting pain onto another human being didn't phase him.

'This isn't...' Her mind was trying to process what she was seeing before her.

With much added force, Sasuke pulled the arms as his foot pressed down, the smirk never leaving his lips. In a matter of seconds, a loud popping sound was heard. The assassin released his victim, unconscious from the enormous pain from having his arms dislocated forcefully. Sasuke looked up toward the stairs and saw another ready to rush down toward his wife. In a flash, had his wife standing up on the other side of the room as he stood at the base of the steps with his gun drawn at his new target.

"Don't Sasuke-kun!"

Ignoring his wife's words, he fired the weapon directly into his target's leg, making him stumble down the steps. The injured man looked up to see the end of the barrel aimed at his head. Before he got the chance to beg for mercy, the trigger was pulled.

'This isn't Susuke-kun...'

Sakura was trembling, fear of what her husband was becoming was scaring her. The first night she had seen him kill, he wasn't a monster; he killed to survive not for his own entertainment. Was this the demon he had mentioned before? Was this the side of him he didn't want to share with his wife?

He heard more footsteps coming toward the top of the stairs looked up.

"Hope they'll let me have more fun..."

He pulled pulled out a kunai blade from his back holder and was ready to ascend the stairs to take on the next pointless onslaught coming to stop them.

"Stop!"

Sakura rushed up to her husband and hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms as tightly as she could around him. Tears were rushing down her cheeks as she leaned her head against him. Her looked down at his arms and saw his clothes beginning to soak up blood from the wound on her arm.

"Please stop..."

They heard the car pull up by the door and Naruto honking the horn to signal them to hurry up.

"Please..." she begged.

PLEASE REVIEW!

Sorry for the long awaited update everyone. The ending of this chapter pays homage to the another familiar scene many know of.

To all of those that have reviewed, favorite, and followed, I thank you all so very much. I hope to hear from all of you.