Her breath escaped her lips as a cough, the taste of bile floating across her tongue. Strands of light brown hair clung to her wet skin and her joints ached from the position of her restraints, which she had been in for at least five consecutive hours.

Standing on her tiptoes, Sakura struggled to relieve the pressure from her shoulders. Her wrists were bound together and tied to the ceiling above her head. The position left her standing with her feet floating just above the ground had she not bent her ankles to point her toes. Any slight shift gave her bound wrists the painful responsibility of supporting her entire weight.

A hand gripped at her scalp and lifted her head by her hair. Her eyes raised to meet that of a man, whom she had come to know as Sachie's captain through how the others greeted him.

"I don't like to ask twice,' he growled. "What is your connection to Sasuke Uchiha?"

She fought the urge to narrow her eyes in anger and spit at him. Instead, she feigned ignorance and terror as she widened her eyes and willed tears to brim on her lash line.

"I don't know! I'm serious!"

His grip on her hair released and he took a step back before beginning to weave hand signs that she now came to recognize as the ones that summoned the Drowning Water Blob Technique. As he completed the last sign, water rose from a bucket beside his feet and began to swirl mid-air, its movements making the liquid seem more like a jelly. Sakura braced herself for what was to come by drawing a deep inhale.

Her head was soon submerged in the confines of the water bubble, the liquid filling her nostrils and plugging her ears. Holding her breath as best as she could, she willed her heart rate to slow and shut her eyes—both to avoid the stinging of the water and also to offer herself a sense of solace. It was easier to pretend she was somewhere else than to face the reality of her predicament.

But her body soon betrayed her as her lungs burned for air. In an attempt to find relief, she slowly released the breath from her chest through her nostrils, forming tiny air bubbles within the blob of water. Her efforts, however, were futile.

Instinctively, her arms fought against her restraints as they strove to claw at the liquid prison engulfing her head. The bubbling ache in her chest grew more intense as the remaining oxygen she held dissipated from her lungs. As soon as she felt herself slipping away, the water blob released her. However, it was temporary and only lasted long enough for her to draw one short, desperate gasp for air.

As the obstruction of her airways continued, her legs curled up from the ground and she struggled to pull herself away from the assault. The pain in her shoulders from the strain of her weight was nothing compared to the agony radiating from her lungs. In a last-ditch effort to ensure that she didn't reflexively open her mouth to breathe while enveloped in water, she curled her lips inwards and bit them together until a metallic flavor drifted across her taste buds.

The water blob was removed again and relief flooded her system. Her breathing was ragged and rapid as her body desperately accepted the oxygen that was now finally available to her.

"Where is Sasuke Uchiha?" the captain demanded, his voice dangerously low.

"I don't know!" Sakura sobbed and she couldn't stop the tears that sprang from her eyes as she hung from the ropes in limp agony.

"I told you I don't like to ask twice" He deadpanned and Sakura could feel the large bead of water begin to engulf her once again.

"Captain," a voice interrupted before she was able to draw in a reserve of oxygen. At the sound, the movement of the water blob stilled with only her right cheek submerged in the fluid.

"Captain, I think she's had enough," Sachie's monotone words came from a corner of the jail cell. "Anymore and we might risk psychological damage and that will stop us from ever getting any useful information."

The captain studied Sachie for several long minutes before allowing the droplet of water to dissolve into a puddle on the floor.

"We continue tomorrow," he announced dismissively and turned on his heels to leave.

Sachie anxiously eyed Sakura while the pair of women waited for the sound of retreating footsteps to vanish. When silence finally met them, Sachie rushed to the captive woman's side and began to undo her restraints.

Once freed, Sakura collapsed to the ground in a heap, her knees slamming painfully against the hard concrete. With an apologetic squeak, Sachie placed her hands underneath the former-pinkette's arms and gently lifted her body before leaning her back against a wall to rest.

"Thank you," Sakura finally choked out once she regained her bearings, an immense pressure still remained in her head from the lack of oxygen she experienced. Sachie only nodded wordlessly in acknowledgment before swiftly leaving the room.

Finally alone again, Sakura sagged against the wall and let her arms fall limply to her side. Her shoulder joints ached dully and her wrists stung from where the rope had rubbed her skin raw. She concentrated on her breathing, drawing in slow, even breaths. She'll never take fresh air for granted again, she told herself.

Prior to arriving at the Root Headquarters, Sachie had warned her of the interrogation techniques and she was thankful she at least was able to mentally prepare. Her training as a kunoichi also allowed her to have a higher tolerance to various methods of torture. She shuddered at the thought of how normal civilians would fare under the abuse.

Sakura was also lucky with the fact that her captors seemed to profoundly underestimate her. She wasn't even restrained in her cell now that the interrogation was done for the day and she knew that with just a simple concentration of chakra, she would be able to make her great escape. However, she knew she couldn't risk losing her cover. Doing so could cost Sachie and her brother their lives and Sakura refused to break her promise to save them. Besides, she had no idea how to get out of the compound anyways, even if she did punch through the walls. She was completely unconscious from the moment she met Sachie's comrades in the forest to when she woke up on the cold floor of the prison cell.

Placing soft fingers on her byakugou seal—the violet diamond now hidden from her forehead due to her transformed appearance—she allocated additional chakra into her reserves. She needed to ensure that she would always have enough to keep up her disguise. She knew that if they were to discover her true identity, her interrogation and torture would be increased to a level she didn't even want to imagine. At least as a civilian named Mariko, she could feign ignorance.

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to relieve the pressure in her skull. Inwardly, she thanked the gods that it seemed like Sasuke was safe and that Root had no idea of his whereabouts. However, her concerns were not diminished. From Sachie's limited knowledge, Sakura was able to deduce that Root was actively recruiting members through threats on their family and it seemed as if their efforts were not in vain. Sachie had described that they had at least three hideouts; including the one they were currently in. Root was growing and it was growing fast.

The hours (or perhaps days, she couldn't be sure) that she spent in this cell gave her some time to work out the details of her plans to get information. For now, Sachie would be her informant and will pass intel along to her as best as she could. The girl had also promised Sakura that her twin brother would agree to help. Sakura could only hope that it was true.

But she knew her time here was limited. They wouldn't have to interrogate her for long before they'd discover that she truly had no information. Neither Sakura herself nor her undercover identity as an innocent civilian knew Sasuke's location. Sakura fought to ignore the chill that ran down her spine at the thought of what they would do to her once she was no longer of use.

Pushing the images of her broken body aside, she focused again on her goals and added saving the civilians that Root cruelly recruited to the list. So that meant she would now have to find out exactly what Root wanted with Sasuke, how she could dismantle the entire organization, and what she could do to prevent it from forming again. Not to mention, she still had the ultimate task to figure out who inside Konoha was supplying Root with the classified weapons.

Her headache intensified as the list of her responsibilities grew. Agitation erupted deep in her belly as the stress of the mission began to dawn on her. She could only hope that it was possible for her to accomplish these things before it was too late and more people got hurt. Gods, she hoped she wouldn't be too late.

Three days passed since Sakura's initial cruel interrogation. Or at least, that was the number of days Sachie had told her. In the dark prison cell, she only had her internal clock to tell her that time was passing. But even then, her body was unreliable—too weak from the constant abuse in addition to sleep and food deprivation.

Sachie had only gathered and reported minimal intel over the days. Her brother—Souta was his name if Sakura recalled correctly—had been off on a so-called mission since her arrival at the Root Headquarters. What his mission entailed, she wasn't sure, but Sachie's anxiety over not hearing news of her brother was noticeable only to Sakura. Fortunately, the girl was wise and talented enough to hide such emotions.

That was another thing Sakura learned from her unwelcomed stay with Root. The organization still operated the same way as when it was an extension of the Konoha ANBU forces. Even though it now has grown to become an international operation, the rules were the same: all members must undergo grueling training until they were devoid of emotion.

The thought brought Sakura back to her memories of when she first met Sai, one of her former teammates who joined long after Sasuke left. She remembered the odd and borderline terrifying look in his eyes. She had never seen someone look so empty in her life. These memories made her fear for Sachie's wellbeing.

According to what she has gathered, Sachie and Souta had only arrived as new recruits four days prior to their first encounter in the forest where Sakura was captured. While Sachie reported that the timeline was unclear, she knew that all recruits were to undergo arduous training suppress their emotions and build up their tolerance for torture. Apparently even with cursed seal—or the Mark, as Sachie called it—Root wanted to take zero chances that their members would reveal the underpinnings of the organization.

From the looks of it, however, the new Root seemed at least somewhat less cruel than how it previously operated under Danzo. According to Sachie, they were still able to keep their original name. And it seemed—or at least Sakura desperately hoped it was true—that siblings wouldn't be forced to fight in a deathmatch in order to sever all emotional attachment. The old Root also worked as a secret force that committed unspeakable deeds for the good of the village. Or at least that was what Danzo claimed.

To Sakura, the new Root seemed as if it were identical to the original organization in name only. And while it may have adopted some of its principles like the emotional detachment training and cursed seal, the new operation seemed to function under different goals. What those goals were exactly, she had no clue.

The sound of jingling keys at her cell door let her know that her daily routine for the past three days was about to begin again. Every day, guards arrived at her cell, tied her up, and called in their captain to continue with his interrogations. And everyday, her answers were always the same. She didn't know.

Anyone else would have succumbed to their wounds from the torture. But thanks to her advanced knowledge in medical ninjutsu and her chakra reserves, she had been able to discreetly heal the damage to her injuries each time the captain attempted to drown her with his jutsu. Her secret healings were especially helpful after the interrogation session on day two when she accidentally aspirated the water into her lungs. If not for her ability to remove the substance from her airway, she likely would not have lasted this long.

As the guards approached, she could sense that something was off. Instead of picking her up and tying her to the ceiling by her wrists like they have done so many days before, they each grabbed her upper arm and hoisted her to her feet before dragging her from the room. Distressed by the sudden disruption of routine, Sakura fought against their grasp, struggling uselessly to free herself.

A blindfold wrapped over her eyes and the guards led her captive form out of the cell and down the hall. Each twist and turn made her head spin as she desperately tried to discern and memorize the route they were taking. The sound of several doors opening reached her ears and finally, she was deposited on the ground as one of the guards carelessly ripped the blindfold from her face, pulling out several strands of her hair with it.

Sakura squinted at her surroundings, taken aback by the sudden light that entered her vision after the darkness. Around her stood at least twenty people, each standing side-by-side in a circle with expressionless faces, their arms clasped tightly behind their back and their legs shoulder-width apart. To her right, she could make out Sachie's face. Beside the female recruit, stood a man who towered at least a foot over her with identical brown hair and round eyes. He looked about eighteen—the same age Sachie had said she was. Souta, Sachie's twin brother, Sakura concluded.

Directly in front of Sakura stood the captain, the man she had seen every single day since her arrival. The man who submerged her head in water until her breath ran out. She was always astonished to see the youth on his face. His voice and cruelty led her to believe that he was much older but in reality, he was two years older than her at most, with facial features that were shockingly soft and seemingly benign. Still, the sight of him forced an involuntary tremble to course through her body.

"Sachie," the captain nodded in the direction of the girl.

Taking it as her cue, she came to stand directly beside where Sakura was sprawled on the ground. As Sachie took her place, the guards from earlier approached to bound Sakura's legs together and her arms behind her back. Then, one of them held her by her hair, exposing her throat. She didn't bother to struggle, knowing she was vastly outnumbered.

Sachie had warned her previously that this day would come. After fruitless interrogations, the captain would eventually have no more use of her and she would be "disposed" of. Sakura remembered how Sachie looked uncomfortable and nervous as she spoke the words. But the kunoichi had given her a reassuring smile. She had a plan. It was risky, but at least she had one.

In the present room, Sachie silently accepted the sword that was held out to her by the captain and positioned it right on Sakura's throat—so close that Sakura knew if she as much as swallowed, the sharp blade would pierce her skin. As she watched Sachie's face, she was pleased to see that it held no emotion, her brown eyes trained on the captain with a fawarway look. It always impressed her to see how well the girl could don her mask.

"I am allowing you one last chance to give me the whereabouts of Sasuke Uchiha," the captain warned as he met Sakura's gaze. "Depending on your answer, we'll decide whether you get a painless death."

"I don't know," her voice came out cool and measured, afraid that if she spoke with more fervor, the sword would cut her skin.

"Wrong choice," the captain nodded at Sachie whose grip on the weapon tightened as she prepared to slit Sakura's throat. No one but Sakura could see the hesitation in her movements.

"Wait!" Sakura shouted. "I—I have a better plan. I can be useful."

"Explain," the captain commanded.

"That man—Sasuke Uchiha—I can help you find him. He saved me once so he knows I won't hurt him. Let me in as a recruit and I promise I'll do everything I can to help."

The captain regarded her curiously as he weighed her proposition. No doubt, he had already considered this an option but was hesitant due to one thing. He found it unlikely that a prisoner he had tortured for so long could ever be loyal to him and to Root.

"How do I know you don't betray me?" He asked after a brief pause.

"You don't," her voice was stronger now as her confidence peaked.

The man's expressionless eyes continued to silently study her.

"You don't know but I'm willing to try, I'll do all of your training. I'll do anything, " Sakura pleaded with as much sincerity as she could muster. Her plan—no, her life—depended on his agreement to her offer. "Put me to the test and I'll prove it to you."

"Captain, if I may," Sachie finally spoke up.

"Go ahead," he acknowledged.

"Over the past several days, this prisoner has been surprisingly resilient against our methods of interrogation. I think her skills may be useful." Sachie's voice was so deadpanned, Sakura struggled to identify it as the one belonging to the terrified girl she had encountered in the forest mere days before. The instinct to survive was one hell of a motivator.

A palpable quiet fell among the crowd as the captain curled a finger around his chin in thought.

"Okay," he finally acquiesced. "But on one condition." He shifted to face Sakura again as the guard holding up her head finally released his grip, "Are you grateful that Sachie spoke up for you?"

Sakura couldn't help but wonder if it was a trick question. A true Root member would not feel any gratitude. Actually, a true Root member would not even be able to identify the meaning of gratitude.

She steeled her voice before speaking, "No."

"Hmph, smart girl." The tone in the captain's voice indicated that while he acknowledged the answer Sakura chose to give, he didn't believe her one bit.

He stepped forward to where Sachie stood and removed the sword from her hands. His eyes then trained on Sakura before he turned to lazily stroll back to his previous spot. With a wave of his hands, the guards undid the rope on her limbs, freeing her at last. She stood and clenched her fists as she watched the captain turn to face her.

After regarding Sakura for several more breaths, he finally spoke matter-of-factly, "break her arm."

"What?" Sakura couldn't help the raised pitch of her voice as her jaw dropped in shock.

"Show that you will be loyal to Root and no one else. Break your savior's arm." His lips curled into a sadistic smile. This was the first emotion she has ever seen on his face and the evil behind it made her stomach twist uncomfortably. Beside her, Sachie did not move or react and off to the distance, Sakura could see that Souta did the same.

"Ten," the captain began. "Nine."

"Wait, stop!" she begged, but her pleas were ignored.

"Eight. Seven," he continued.

Blood rushed through Sakura's ears as she focused on Sachie. To the girl's credit, her outward appearance held a flawless aura of calm but the bead of sweat that formed on her brow and began to roll down her cheek gave her away.

"Six. Five."

Sakura was frantic now as she fought the voices in her head that steered her in opposite directions. One part of her knew it was wrong and that her training as a kunoichi forbade her from harming an innocent civilian. But the other part of her knew that not doing so would cost not only her life but also the mission.

"Four. Three," the captain taunted.

With a final silent reassurance that a broken arm was not a life-threatening wound, Sakura braced herself to do something that each and every one of her instincts protested against.

"Two," he called out.

In one swift movement, Sakura grasped Sachie's forearm and snapped the bone cleanly in two. A deafening crack filled the room as Sachie gritted her teeth in agony, somehow still keeping silent. As she watched the face of the girl she has grown fond of over the past few days twist in pain, Sakura couldn't help but gasp to herself, What have I done?

A/N

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay, I've been really busy with work but things are starting to clear up. Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter and please let me know what you think! (p.s. I would love it if you guys check out my art! You can find the link to my social media accounts here: /artfullypoetic )