Nestled among the branches atop the tallest pine tree she could locate just outside Konoha's walls, Sakura had a clear view extending miles beyond her village's border. She'd come alone, taking time during her lunch break from the hospital to simply survey the peaceful landscape. This wasn't her first time standing at the top of those massive trees, staring out at the endless miles of unpopulated woodlands. The logical part of her brain reminded her time and time again that Sasuke and her friends were hundreds of miles away; there was no chance of spotting their silhouettes in the distance. Yet, that knowledge didn't stop her from taking that perch three or four times a day, nor did it help with the almost unbearable need she felt to set off after them.

Four days ago she awoke with a lingering smile on her face, eager fingers blindly searching beside her for Sasuke's warmth. When she found not only the bed empty, but his apartment devoid of his presence, her emotions wildly fluctuated between sadness and anger - with fear keeping it's gnawing presence known. She'd dressed haphazardly, dashing to the manned gate at the entrance of the village. The tiny hope of being able to catch up to them was extinguished when the shinobi within the guards box informed her their squadron left before sunrise. It was with a much more sedate pace that she returned to his apartment. She spent the day pacing his house or lounging on the couch wrapped in the blanket that still carried his scent. Several times she'd almost convinced herself to toss aside Tsunade-sama's orders and chase after them, but Sasuke's words would cross her mind, snuffing the indignant anger fueling that impulse. She obeyed her shishou's order, but that didn't stop her from returning to the woods day after day to stare at the horizon, praying for the tiniest glimpse of their figures.

The too short break from work was nearly at an end and the pinkette felt no need to stifle the sigh that passed her lips. Her work at the hospital did not prove to be a great enough distraction from the ever present worry she had for Sasuke's well being. Sakura was unable to keep that emotion from showing on her face as time and again one of her coworkers offered the line 'he'll be alright'. It was a chore to simply respond to their words with a cordial smile and move on her way.

Another glance at her watch had the medic gathering her things and preparing to return to the hospital. Thankfully, there weren't many acute cases for her to deal with, but rounds had to be made on the refugees of Kirigakure. While the number of people they received from the once proud village wasn't so large, the severity of their wounds were the greatest. Sakura had no doubt the other areas that lent aide to the survivors had competent medical personnel, but the complex cases Konoha had received tested even her and Tsunade-sama's prowess. With that thought in mind, the young woman did her best to set aside the worry for her absent friends and focus her attention on hospital matters once more.

The first tremble she felt came as soon as she landed on the forest floor. Sakura almost brushed off the incident, ready to attribute the feeling to an excessive use of her own chakra as she leapt from the tree. Until she felt the ground shake again, and with greater force than before. When leaves fell with the third tremor, the medic dashed back to the top of the tree.

The stillness settling over the forest mocked her watchful eyes. The wind swirled her cotton candy hair as she turned in every direction, searching for the origin of the unusual tremors. Her heartbeat increased, now pounding in her ears as a cold chill crept up her spine. With deft fingers she slid a kunai from her pouch, palming the cool steel as she slowed her breathing. The moments ticked by and still she did not move; she could find nothing to account for the odd shaking from just moments ago, but her senses were all but screaming at her of the impending danger she faced. Hesitant to move when she could not see the enemy, Sakura held her position, eyes darting in every direction for any movement.

A low pitched hum echoed off the forest floor, the tone not altogether unpleasant, but unusual to be sure. Sakura had no time to wonder who or what made the noise, for when it sounded the forest erupted in a flurry of activity she struggled to keep up with. Hundreds of birds flew from their nests, taking to the skies in such a massive wave that the sky was darkened for a moment. Towering trees were felled as something massive stormed across the ground at speeds belying its physical size. The earth shook, the tree she held onto vibrating in time to the fierce rumbling disturbing the once tranquil landscape. Though her mind had to wonder if the tremors came from the sheer weight of the creature moving so swiftly or the thunderous growl that raised the hair on her arms.

Sakura pushed chakra through her legs and leapt from her spot amongst the foliage, using her moments in the air to pinpoint the location of the great disturbance. It took but a moment to locate them. She landed heavily on a branch not far away and began a mad dash towards the village walls. She caught only a glimpse of their massive backs, but her memory swiftly recalled the frightened whispers escaping many of her patient's lips during the dreams that haunted them at night. The people of Kirigakure inadvertently painted a disturbingly clear picture of the things that stole their home...

And it seemed their nightmares were headed straight for Konoha.

"4th squadron in place."

"2nd squad in place."

"5th squad in place."

"Copy that," Shikamaru whispered, his finger gently pressing against the mic secured around his throat. "3rd squadron?"

"Approaching target area, sir."

"Good; all teams standby." The strategist made himself comfortable on the perch he'd secured in the large pine tree overlooking their target. The unobtrusive hole was barely visible through a small cluster of trees hiding the knoll in the forest, but the intel shinobi had given their lives for told them this was the southern most entrance to Kabuto's hideout. Almost unconsciously, Shikamaru ran his fingers over the numerous items tucked in his pouch - assigning each one to a particular task in the multiple scenarios he had on standby. Each piece of information he could acquire once they crossed the threshold of that hideout would help him decide the safest, most effective course of action.

As it was, the teams comprised of shinobi from the various villages would be going in nearly blind - a fact that gave his analytical mind hours of grief. There were five known entrances to, what Shikamaru hypothesized, was an underground network of tunnels. The outlying area had been thoroughly surveyed by ANBU. They catalogued Kabuto coming and going from only three but, thanks to their vigilance, the other two locations were found. Unfortunately for the detail minded genius, that was all they knew about the area. After numerous attempts to confront and capture Kabuto that resulted in the death of many shinobi, strict instructions had been given by all the kages to only track and monitor his movements. Thanks to their diligent work, they had his location pinned down to this particular area.

There were nearly ten square miles separating each of the teams - another factor that didn't sit well with Shikamaru. Though they had every entrance covered, the distance presented problems with escape routes, surprise attacks, and the inability to quickly reach their allies. The genius blew out a frustrated breath; there was too much riding on this mission to simply pull back over the mere possibility of something going wrong. While he might understand that rationalization, he didn't have to like it.

He shifted his gaze to Neji who sat quietly on his right, Byakugan activated, continuing his extensive survey of the area. The branch member had been able to give him a great deal more information on the interior of the structure, but the underground system was so massive and complex that it presented a labyrinth even his superior vision could not completely sort. One thing he was able to share was the presence of a dozen or more bodies lacking fully developed chakra networks. While it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that Kabuto had employed non-shinobi mercenaries, the more likely scenario was that Kabuto had taken civilian hostages. Considering his medical background and history, those hostages were more than likely being utilized as test subjects. Shikamaru shuddered to think what they were going to face inside.

His eyes dropped for a moment before seeking out Sasuke's rigid figure. The former avenger stood behind him, Sharingain activated and Kusanagi drawn while he waited for the orders to attack. Considering the scene they'd come across a days travel ago, Shikamaru was more than surprised the Uchiha hadn't rushed the hideout. While they had advanced notice - thanks to one of the surveillance teams - it had not prepared them for the gruesome sight. The ANBU members left Suigetsu's body to bake under the unforgiven sun for several days - yet another unavoidable fact Shikamaru could understand, but only with extreme distaste. The blood pooled around the body had congealed into a large black, viscous mass. His mouth was frozen open, a silent torturous scream captured for eternity on his face. The crystalline structure holding him upright shattered the moment Shikamaru ran his finger across the substance, causing Suigetsu's corpse to hit the forest floor with a dull thump. The numerous wounds covering his desiccated body told the story of a violent, painful death - a sight which enraged each shinobi present.

Naruto stood beside Sasuke now, just as he had when the Uchiha lit the hastily made funeral pyre for his former team mate. There was no time to linger over the body of a dead man, even one who - while still technically labeled as a missing-nin - fought beside each of them in the war against Madara. The teams knew the importance of making haste to Kabuto's location, but they made no sound of protest as Naruto carried Suigetsu's already decaying body to the edge of the forest and laid him atop a fallen tree. With the aide of a few clones, it took no time to prepare enough wood to construct a quick pyre for the young man. Sasuke said nothing as he cast the fire jutsu; he simply stood silently watching the flames consume everything they touched. The avenger was the first to move, taking to the trees with a speed almost to great for the others to follow. Naruto had lingered for a moment more, his head bowed in silent prayer before sprinting past all the rest, slowing only once he was back by his friend's side.

Shikamaru had not spoken his thoughts aloud, but Sasuke had garnered even more of his respect for the way he handled this latest blow. His former team Taka was now cut in half and while Sasuke did not have constant contact with the members, it did not make their deaths any less meaningful. Shikamaru knew he would not be as controlled as the Uchiha was; though, Naruto's presence surely played a large part in that. No one could hear the quiet words the village hero mumbled to his friend, but the fact that Sasuke allowed him to continue his one sided conversation spoke volumes of their repaired relationship. Shikamaru returned to observing their target; he could care less if Naruto was counting aloud the number of birds flying overhead, as long as it kept Sasuke in that semi-calm state.

"3rd squadron in place, Taicho."

"Copy that," the strategist responded. He cut the transmission and turned to address the jonin at his side. Neji must have felt his stare as he released his Byakugan and turned to face him. "Well?" Shikamaru prodded.

Neji gave a slow shake of his head. "It's as I said before; I can't make out any traps within the clear areas, but there are so many tunnels that intersect it would take me hours to clearly map it all."

"That's time we don't have."

"I'm aware. For the moment, Kabtuto's movements have been restricted to two particular rooms."

"For all we know he's creating some other bio weapon."

"And the longer we sit here, our chances of being discovered increase."

Shikamaru mumbled his agreement. There were still to many variables to his liking, but there was little other choice in the matter. He pressed the mic into his throat once more. "Move in."

The sentry stationed along the north wall surrounding Suna tightened the cloth around his face, doing his best to keep the sand from entering his nose and mouth. Unfortunately, the few areas of skin not covered by the cloth or goggles he wore was exposed to the near constant stinging from the fully formed sand storm now ripping across the land. The shinobi huffed his displeasure before once again walking the long distance of his route. He knew the constant surveillance was necessary, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about his current assignment. Though, he could have it worse. His friend Aki was stuck with hospital duty. After Kabuto's last attack on the village, certain areas lost vital staff members that had yet to be replaced. In order to lessen the burden, shinobi not sent on missions were being rotated through the areas. If they were on hospital duty, that meant helping with non-medical tasks - such as washing laundry or cleaning bedpans. The young man laughed at the thought of his friend's predicament, though his grumbling stomach ended his humor.

"Just one more hour," he thought to himself. Soon, his replacement would be on duty and he could get out of the harsh wind and put some much needed food in his belly. That thought alone was enough to bring an unseen smile to his face, but to further his good humor was the much anticipated date with a certain nurse that night. He had a box of her favorite sweets and bottle of sake sitting on his counter in preparation for her arrival. If everything went well...

A low rumble in the distance brought him from his musings. His tried to locate what made the sound, but his vision was severely diminished by the thick sheet of sand swirling in the violent winds. The sound reached his ears again, though this time from another position further back along his route. He ran along the allure, keeping his eyes to the vast desert in search of the threat. He reached the suspected area and stood at attention, straining to catch every sound, yet nothing but the whipping of the wind made itself known. Though he kept a constant vigilance, no sight of the mysterious noise was to be found.

"I must be hearing things." He relaxed once more, deciding his hunger got the best of him. The minutes ticked away and he returned to his patrol, daydreaming about the night yet to come.

The next time the sound reached his ears it was no longer an indistinct rumble, but a clear and menacing, deadly growl - one he not only heard, but felt. The young shinobi barely had time to send out the warning signal before the creature's massive jaws were upon him.

"Kenji-nii, wait up!"

In his haste to keep up with his older brother, the young boy scraped his hands along the jagged rocks of the mountain trail they walked. He winced as his skin tore on the stone, but didn't slow his pace as he hurried after his brother. The air grew colder as they climbed higher up the trail, but the child was used to the temperatures. Unbeknownest to his parents, his big brother had taken him into the uninhabited mountains numerous times, allowing the boy to watch his shinobi training exercises. Kenji-nii received his hitai-ate as an Iwagakure genin the previous year and wore it proudly everywhere he went. He was so proud of his big brother, but he couldn't wait to wear the village's symbol on his own head. Unfortunately, he was still in the academy and wouldn't be able to test as a shinobi for some time, but that didn't stop him from practicing skills with Kenji-nii. The quicker he learned how to be a shinobi, the sooner he could join his aniki on missions.

The child frowned as he finally reached the wide, flat area they frequently used to train - his brother was no where in sight. "Kenji-nii!" the child called out, receiving no response. He searched behind every tree, every rock, but could find no signs of his sibling. For just a split second, fear tugged at the young boy, until he remembered they came to the mountains to train. "He wants me to find him," the child reasoned. Pleased with his deduction, he flattened himself to the nearest tree with a barely stifled giggle. Since he didn't find Kenji-nii on the ground, he must be hiding amongst the trees. It took a bit of concentration, but slowly he walked his way up the tall pine - just the way his brother taught him. He half expected Kenji-nii to pop his head out just to tell him how proud he was that he remembered their lessons together.

Unfortunately, his brother didn't show.

The child held on tightly as a gust of wind swept down the mountain, swaying the large tree he stood atop. He shivered, not only from the cold, but from the deep, ominous sound the wind made as it slipped through the isolated forest. Something dark fluttered with the breeze, twisting and turning however the wind dictated. Grabbing onto a limb for better balance, the child stretched outward, grasping for the object as it came near. The dampness of the cloth first caught his notice. The fabric felt thick and heavy with the extra weight of the fluid covering it. The metal bracket bearing the symbol of their village was marred by two, deep vertical cuts, one of which nearly perforated the sturdy plate. The young boys body began to shake as he stared at the familiar headband; the fear, which he'd managed to shake off earlier, was now quickly and firmly rooting itself in his bones. He fought to keep his tears at bay as he looked at his hands now covered in a deep red liquid from the wet cloth. His brain finally registered the metallic smell assaulting his nose.

Another burst of wind shook the tree, but instead of the cold mountain breezes, this short lived gust was hot and carried a foul stench that turned his stomach. His fingers wound so tightly around the headband he felt the jagged corners of the metal pierce his already broken skin. A shadow fell over him, plunging his little piece of the forest into darkness. Stray tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as an overwhelming presence made itself known.

"Kenji...nii?" his quivering voice prayed.

With tears leaking from his eyes, the child turned to face the nightmare behind him.

The thick, dank smell of the air, chilling darkness - broken only by sparsely placed torches, and the ominous echoing of his own footsteps along the floors of the cave sparked vivid reminders of the years Sasuke spent with Orochimaru. During that time of his life where he laid his head mattered not; the steady growth of his power and his revenge were the only important factors on which he focused.

Now, after spending time surrounded by people once more, living in a comfortable environment and having a warm bed to sleep in, he found himself loathe to spend more time than necessary in this confined space.

Still, the knowledge he gained through his years of hiding in spaces such as the one the team traveled through now did not go to waste. He took point with their small group, leading them through the vast network of tunnels that not only intersected with other passageways, but grew quite narrow in places before widening once more into vast open areas littered with protruding rocks and floors dangerously slick with slime. Surprisingly little of the terrain had been altered by Kabuto; the areas that had were being targeted for more thorough searches by the squadrons. Sasuke reluctantly admitted that leaving vast areas as they naturally occurred was a smart idea. Should anyone come searching his hideout, they were much more likely to travel the areas he'd altered for use rather than the spaces that gave the appearance of being ignored.

Sasuke, however, was taking no chances in missing the former medic - a thought shared equally by Shikamaru.

Cold rage continued to burn in the avenger's gut. The atrocities committed by Kabuto were overwhelming - indiscriminate murders, attacks against entire villages, poisons targeted at children - these alone had Sasuke itching to run him through with his blade, but he felt no conceit at believing Kabuto purposefully tortured his former teammates before slaying them in order to send him a message. The medic had always been wary of him, but had also shared the same grim fascination of the Uchiha bloodline as Orochimaru. With his new found power, Sasuke knew - regardless of Kabuto's other aspirations - that he was being targeted for whatever retribution the medic felt he deserved. The raven haired man may have not had any qualms about going his separate ways with the team he'd put together for one specific purpose, but the gruesome fates they met were uncalled for in his eyes...even with Karin's supposed involvement with the snake.

Two taps to his left shoulder blade had the avenger bringing the party to a halt and concealing themselves further amongst the shadows. His discerning eyes could easily read the Hyuuga's silently mouthed words, "Possible civilians. Past the next tunnel, on the right." Sasuke nodded his understanding and led the team forward once more; though their pace was slower, their movements became more cautious.

A torch lit each side of the tunnel they entered dispersing the cover of darkness they'd utilized, but one glance at the unknown individuals Neji identified and the team knew they were in no immediate danger. Fury and pity waged war within each man as they took in the sight of the tortured and tested villagers slumped along the walls of their cells. Their bedraggled appearance left no doubt in each man's mind they'd been held for a long period of time. Men, women, and even children lay virtually motionless in the cramped spaces; their eyes seeing the shinobi's form, but the hope of rescue had been so beaten from their minds that they did little more than acknowledge their presence. Naruto's hands griped the steel bars, his teeth grinding and body shaking while he tried to contain his anger.

"We need to move, Naruto."

The jinchuriki's head whipped to Sasuke's stoic form. His eyes wide with disbelief as he stared down his friend. "We can not leave them like this!"

"If we don't find Kabuto quickly, he'll escape and do the same thing to hundreds of other people. We don't have time to waste right now."

Shikamaru agreed with the avenger, but tried to offer some solace to his friend. "We'll come back once we've dealt with Kabuto."

It wasn't that he didn't understand the urgency they faced, but the pain he could feel emanating from these villagers, the suffering Suna went through, the devastation in Kiragakure, the pain of his own villagers...the tragedies jumbled together in one big mass of pain and suffering within his mind. The anger he'd felt for Madara paled in comparison to that of Kabuto. The bastard was not only using such sadistic methods on innocent people with no remorse, but from the very few witnesses to his destruction - he seemed to be enjoying his spree. Naruto could feel his breath quickening, his heart racing at the mere thought of Kabuto.

"Those are some dark thoughts there kid."

The kyuubi's voice pierced the thick haze clouding his mind, quickly stalling every other thought and allowing him the moment needed to calm himself. With deft fingers, he summoned a single clone to take his place as he joined the rest of his team.

"We don't know what Kabuto has ahead," Shikamaru began. "You should probably conserve your chakra."

"It's fine," he replied, his eyes never wavering from the path. "I've got plenty to spare. A single clone won't effect me."

As the jagged terrain smoothed out to reveal a more traversed hallway, Naruto gave silent thanks to the kyuubi. Instead of the taunting tone the village hero expected, the fox had given him a warning, pulling his thoughts back from the dangerous road they began traveling. The jinchuriki shook his head and focused on their surroundings. Wall torches were found more frequently, the floor was smooth, and there were even a few doors down the long, empty hallway. They searched each room carefully, but found nothing in each chamber. A fork appeared just ahead of them, but there was no need to decide which path to take. With a single hand raising, Neji called a halt to the team. His pearlescent eyes focused on a single spot just beyond the damp wall. The Hyuuga gave an affirmative nod and the shinobi tensed their battle ready muscles; Kabuto's chakra was moving towards them.

Without warning, the walls around them began to tremble. The stone shifted, jutting outward and creating indentations in such a rhythmic fashion that one could believe the cave was breathing. The frightening, yet fascinating, sight took mere moments and before they could act, the paths had been sealed behind several meters of dense stone. From the one remaining opening, steady footsteps could be heard and a figure cast an ever growing shadow on the chilly walls.

"Steady," Shikamaru whispered to the group. "Remember our plans."

His cloak could be heard shifting the loose silt as it trailed along the floor. Though he was walking towards his adversaries, he continued at a leisurely pace, seemingly unconcerned with the strong opponents baring their weapons at him. Long, pale fingers rose to slide the hood from his head.

"Sasuke-kun, you brought friends." A low chuckle slipped past his malicious grin. "I can't tell you how pleased that makes me."

Ignoring Shikamaru's detailed plans, Sasuke and Naruto made a lunge for the former medic.

A/N:

So, I know it's been a while, though the struggle has been real over here. During the storms sometime back, three trees fell on my home. Thank God no one was injured, but the rebuilding process is so much less than fun. Slowly but surely life is returning to some semblance of normalcy.

I can't thank all of you enough for the many reviews, pm, and favs. Thank you so much for your continued reading and encouragement. I hope you enjoy the chap and, as always, please leave me a review!

hanks again!