Sorry for not updating last week- had a tonne of work so I've hope those who were actually looking forward to another update can understand. Hope you guys enjoy this- And thanks for sticking with me this far!
Don't forget to drop a review .
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
"We have an address. We have a number of potential victims. We also have confirmation that they're engaged in human experimentation. Problem is, we don't have a warrant." Sakura said as they once again gathered in the Hyuga mansion.
"But if we don't move in now, chances are that rat Kabuto will run back to his master and have the location changed. Then we lose our edge." Kiba bit back.
"And if we leave it any longer we risk more kids being victimised." Ino added.
"But he could have been lying. His information left enough loopholes." Hinata said meekly.
"He wasn't" Sakura said with assertion. She had interrogated enough people to know who was or wasn't lying.
"I'm not doubting your interrogation! B-but what if he wasn't giving you the entire truth?" Hinata said.
"We're not about to come back with false information. It's safe to assume he was telling the truth." Ino said, having taken part in the interrogation herself.
"But either way they aren't going to leave a stronghold containing 250 children in broad daylight ! We can't act brashly! What if they hurt the children or try to use them as hostages? Or what if we've got the wrong location ?" Choji said.
"But every second we waste may lead to the death or injury of yet another one of those children! Civilian life is our first priority!" Ino said.
"Enough of your bickering. You've given him the facts, now it's up to Neji's judgement to decide." Arisa said, coming into the room, having listened to the conversation from outside and cutting through the ensuing argument, before turning to Neji, "You don't need to push for a decision right now Neji. Shikamaru is drawing up everything we need on the location. If we decide to move, we mobilise in an hour- everything's arranged. You can wait before making a decision- if things go wrong the repercussions on either side are severe." She looked at him pointedly.
"No." he said with a finality that closed the conversation with his following words, "My decision's made. We move now."
The so called 'warehouse' was rather a large mansion. Not just large - seemingly uninhabited, or poorly tended. Several windows were broken, the shutters hanging dejectedly off rusted hinges. Slates were missing from the roof and the yard was akin to an overgrown forest. It was an unregistered property, and there were no records of ownership.
Though the weather was slowly transitioning to warmer climate, standing outside the house made the temperature seem to drop to subzero. They were faced with an eerie, chilly, unwelcoming mansion- one which was big enough to compete with the Hyuga mansion.
"We've surrounded the perimeter." Came the assertion through her headpiece.
"Good. Stand by until we move in. Wait for our signal." Sakura said.
Her team would enter the property in pairs. She and Neji. Ino and Hinata. Kiba and Arisa. Choji would stay outside and send in back up, monitoring the situation.
"Checking in with all teams- everyone ready?"
There came a unanimous positive response.
"Then let's go save some children. "
They moved in.
The first thing which struck her once inside the mansion was the statues.
Grotesque they were, the first thing which greeted them inside the house were three ogre like carvings, each with distinct ugly features. Shrouded in shadows, they were more than a little unnerving.
"Split up or stay together?" Sakura asked softly.
"it's best not to let ourselves become too easy a target." Came Neji's reply. In all honesty, she knew he was just as spooked by the house as she was, and was unwilling to admit he didn't want to search the place alone.
They proceeded to walk down the eastern hallway, torches and guns at the ready.
The hallway was cluttered with sheets and furniture obscured from view by dusty white sheets. Thick cobwebs hung from the corners.
"This place looks like it hasn't been lived in for years." Sakura said, walking up to one of the furniture pieces- from its height, it looked like a coat stand. Taking hold of the white sheet, she pulled it off in one swift movement, sending up a billowing cloud of dust.
When the dust cleared Sakura felt her eyes widen in surprise.
Her eyes fell on an ivory face contorted in agony, only inches away from her face.
Two silver hoops hung from the ears.
Lips parted in a silent, feral scream of bloodlust.
A short gasp escaped her lips followed by quickened breaths as she fully took in the atrocity before her.
The lower half of its face was painted in splattered red.
Her stomach lurched as her heart jumped to her mouth- pumping wildly as fear and horror overwhelmed her.
Red that could have been either real or paint.
Tortured eyes no whites- gleaming maliciously, with ash blonde locks limply framing the demonic face.
Her instincts screamed at her to run- as far away from that abomination as possible.
She reached out a shaky hand to touch it's cheek- skin as white as snow, blood as red as roses. Beneath her warm touch, it was as fragile as china.
And then she realised that it was just a doll.
An abomination- but not human.
Nor had it been taken from a human, or sculpted after a human.
But still brutally monstrous.
It made her want to turn around and leave that place as fast as humanely possible.
It made her want to scream in anger at whichever bastard had tried to keep children in a place home to things like those.
But all she did do was study the doll, and the surrounding room, with shock and surprise, but with as much serenity as she could muster.
She took several steps back as Neji came up next to her, saying, "Porcelain dolls. These things go on the market for a fortune." He said, looking at the one in front of them, but putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She was thankful for his presence- whoever lived in that house was a sadistic bastard, and though she was a trained FBI agent, even she was unnerved by the sick creation in front of her.
Sakura turned to the other sheets throughout the room, wondering how cruel the captor would have to be to keep children captive in a place like that.
Slowly, she walked around the room picking off the sheets one by one.
More dolls.
There was no real furniture in the room- only disembodied mannequins and amputated porcelain dolls.
Shocked, surprised, sad, dreary- each bore a different expression. Some had wings but no arms, some held veils over intense stares. Each so lifelike, carved sculpted and crafted by seamless mastery- but soulless and empty within.
Her attention fell on a pair of Siamese sisters, joined grotesquely at the hip and shoulder. Their eyes were hollow and lifeless, heavily lidded and melancholy, as their heads rested against each other in defeat.
Creepy was too weak an adjective.
"Let's get out of here- there's still more ground to cover." Neji said, diverting her attention.
They moved to the adjoining door to the next room.
The room was empty save for another box shaped object, covered by a white sheet.
They trod over maroon carpet to the centre of the room, and Sakura tentatively lifted the sheet off the object, looking down at the glass coffin which cased yet another doll- a sleeping girl, silvery hair spread around the peacefully sculpted face, dressed in a white Victorian dress. The doll was covered in red rose petals- an imagery that looked all too much like fresh blood.
"Who lives here?!" Sakura asked through gritted teeth.
"Relax Sakura- at least it's not living bodies." Neji said, although his expression showed that he was equally perturbed.
"Let's get this over with." She said, moving to the next door.
Lined with two rows of beds with sheets pulled over the top, the walls were a pale sickly green. Bulges were observed under the sheets of each bed.
"Do you think-"
"Are those children ?" Sakura asked.
They moved closer to a bed, and exchanged wary looks, uncertain of what they may find.
Pulling down the sheets they released the breath they had been holding as they stared down in a mixture of horror and relief at the sight of more porcelain dolls- these ones cracked in various places interrupting the smooth continuity. These were the imperfect ones- the failures.
Sakura suddenly stiffened as she heard a faint distant wailing.
"Do you hear that?" She whispered.
They located the direction the sound was coming from. It was faint, but not as distant as they had taken it to be. A wooden armoire stood covered by another white sheet in the far corner of the room. Edging towards it, they confirmed that the sound was, in fact coming from there.
At first everything was silent- quiet enough to hear even Death's footprints.
And then, once again the faint wailing was heard.
Still on guard with the objective of finding captive children, they moved cautiously toward the armoire, pulling off the sheet.
The wailing grew slightly.
"On the count of three." Sakura nodded as she counted silently,"One.."
They could find more abominations behind the door.
"Two..."
Or at least some hint towards the children. Either way, being FBI, their execution had an innate preciseness that could not be curbed.
"Three."
They moved in or prefect synchronisation, moving together to pull open the cupboard.
At the bottom of the cupboard lay a small doll- A four or five year old girl dressed in a bonnet hat and tartan dress.
And the doll opened its mouth to activate the inbuilt sound mechanism-now broken- that was capable of only one sound now.
A small child's wailing.
But there were still no children.