Sakura's stomach continued to churn with anxiety as night befell them. Although, she couldn't actually be sure if it was even night time. The hideout itself had no windows to allow in natural sunlight so her sense of time relied heavily on the schedule set by the Root members. She figured it was just another method for them to assert control.

She waited patiently for Sachie's breathing to adopt the steady rhythm of sleep as she mulled over the events of the day. In less than 24 hours, she needed to have a plan. As frustrating as Souta was, she knew he was right. She had gotten too comfortable with sitting by and gathering information that she didn't see the consequences of her inaction. A kunoichi, she knew, had to do more than just passively gather intel.

When she was sure that Sachie was asleep, Sakura brought her thumb to her teeth and bit until she drew blood. Weaving the familiar hand signs, she quietly summoned a small percentage of Lady Katsuyu's form. Right before her eyes, a miniature blue and white slug appeared, no bigger than the size of her hand.

"Lady Sakura," the slug greeted. "You look different but I'd know that chakra anywhere."

With a chuckle, Sakura responded, "Hello, Lady Katsuyu. I'm sorry to bother you again but I have a favor to ask."

"It's no bother at all," Lady Katsuyu responded as she gently nudged Sakura's hand.

"There isn't a lot of time so I can't give you too many details but I'm currently in an enemy hideout and I'm trying to come up with an escape plan. The only thing is there's no way I could get around undetected, even with a camouflage jutsu."

"I see."

"Could you please see if you could find an exit?"

With a silent nod, the miniature slug split her body in half and slid beneath the door and out to the hallway. Lady Katsuyu's other half climbed onto Sakura's shoulder and settled near her ear. Sakura said an inward prayer that she would be able to navigate the hideout detected; although Lady Katsuyu's special ability of splitting her body means she would be perfectly fine even if she was found. The only consequence would be them accidentally sounding the intruder alarms.

"This hideout is quite complex," Lady Katsuyu relayed into Sakura's ear as she communicated with her other half. "I'm in what appears to be a large room with a domed roof."

Sakura nodded, "the training grounds."

She couldn't help but drum her fingers with impatience as she waited for more information. It felt like a lifetime had passed before Lady Katsuyu spoke in her ear once again.

"To the left of the training grounds, there is a corridor that leads to higher elevation. I am following it now."

"Be careful, Lady Katsuyu."

"Always, Lady Sakura"

Several more tense minutes passed until Lady Katusyu spoke again. "If you follow the corridor until you reach the third door on the right, there is a supply room. Weapons, it looks like."

"Of course," Sakura whispers in reply. "There has to be a room where they would receive incoming supplies."

"But it's heavily guarded, Lady Sakura. I can sense at least five chakra signatures, although I don't believe it is anything you can't handle."

"Thank you, Lady Katsuyu—both for your help and your confidence."

"I am sure that if you can find this room, there will be an escape route. I can sense the changes in the hideout's structure at the far left corner of the supply room."

Sakura nodded as she gently chewed on her lips in thought. With an escape route in mind, she was one step closer to having a solid plan for Souta. But one thing was still bothering her: it was far too easy for Lady Katsuyu to navigate the hideout. Sakura reckoned that this was only due to the amount of injuries sustained during today's events. It was likely that the number of guards would increase in the coming days. If she was going to escape with the twins successfully, she needed to account for additional obstacles.

"Lady Sakura?" Her animal summon's voice interrupting her thoughts almost caused Sakura to jump.

"Yes?"

The tone Lady Katsuyu used next sent a chill down Sakura's spine. "There is something you must know about this hideout. There is something peculiar about the structure, as if there was chakra lining the walls."

"What do you think that means?" Sakura asked even though her mind was already reeling for answers, some of which she didn't like.

"I do not know, Lady Sakura, but please do be careful." Lady Katsuyu sounded grave, so unlike her typically gentle nature of speaking. It terrified Sakura.

With that last warning, Lady Katsuyu gently nudged Sakura's cheek from where the half of her summoned form rested on Sakura's shoulder before returning to Shikkotsu Forest, disappearing with a puff of smoke.

Truthfully, Sakura had noticed the unusual nature of the hideout before but she had pushed it to the corner of her mind, dismissing it as irrelevant. Or perhaps because it was a conclusion that she didn't want to reach. Nevertheless, she was a kunoichi and being suspicious had to be in her nature. She chastised herself for her carelessness.

Kakashi-sensei had warned her before about the dangers of this mission, how she needed to scrutinize everything—including her friends. She was wrong to push her intuition aside. She hoped to whoever was listening that she was wrong but even so, she knew she had to be prepared. She had to be ready to fight someone she regarded as a friend.

The next day, Sakura mindlessly trained the entire morning, lost in thought as she calculated the details of her escape. With her and Souta's combat skills combined, she was sure that any guards in their way could be easily taken down. It was only a matter of whether they could do so while remaining undetected.

True to Sakura's suspicions, there seemed to be an increase in new faces among the Root members acting as guards today, likely sent in from their headquarters to replace those who were injured or killed in yesterday's explosion. Sakura still couldn't be sure of the exact number of victims but she counted at least three less familiar faces among the recruits and even more among the guards. Those copycat paper bombs could deal quite a bit of damage.

Fortunately, their day passed uneventfully as the recruits were herded to follow their usual schedule of training. As night time and the deadline she had set with Souta neared, Sakura found that her palms were beginning to sweat. It wasn't that she was nervous about her plan. In fact, she was certain they could succeed. It was the fact that she wished she could have a better, more complex one. Compared to the battle schemes she had seen Shikamaru and Sasuke come up with on the spot, hers seemed almost too simple, childish even.

But as soon as the thought came to her mind, she fought to push it away. She was a capable kunoichi, the only student of the revered Fifth Hokage, and one of the only two wielders of the Byakugou seal. It didn't matter how simple her plan seemed as long as she succeeded. She already had a mental map of the escape route and memorizing the guard shifts before embarking on the plan was easy enough. Her fists clenched in determination. There was no need for her to be nervous.

When it was finally time to return to their sleeping quarters after a brutal afternoon of endurance training, Sakura found herself once again shaking with anxiety. She blamed it on the fatigue that she could feel deep in her bones and the fact that Sachie looked at her with so much hope that it hurt. And when her gaze fell on Souta, her heart lurched when she saw that same hope flash across his usually stoic features.

The twins watched her expectantly from Sachie's bed, much like the day before. Sachie sat with her legs crossed, a pillow clutched in her lap while Souta only half-sat, supporting most of his weight on his legs as he leaned back on the cot. His arms were crossed and tensed.

Sakura let out a calming exhale before she began to speak. "Souta, you can perform ninjutsu, correct?" She watched as Souta opened and closed his mouth as if to speak but when no words came out, she continued, "Good, I'll take that as a yes. Can you make a shadow clone?"

This time, Souta answered with a nod. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sachie watch her brother in disbelief. Sakura wondered briefly how much of Souta's life was a mystery to his own family.

As she explained the remainder of the plan, the twins did not speak, choosing instead to listen solemnly. Sakura and Souta were to create two shadow clones and cause commotion on each end of the hideout. Doing so would ensure that fewer Root forces would be guarding the route to the supply room, hopefully minimizing the number of guards they would have to face to reach the exit. The plan was simple and Sakura knew better than to assume that it would work without a hitch. But she also knew that if it came to it, she had enough chakra reserves to make a break by force.

"When do we do this?" Souta finally asked. He was visibly less tense now but Sakura could detect an edge to his voice that told her he had the same doubts she did.

"Tomorrow night. We need to make sure we know the new guard schedule first so the clones can slip into position undetected."

Souta nodded, "Leave that to me."

"How are you going to do that?" Sakura asked, curious about what other hidden skills he possessed.

"The less you know the better," he replied smugly, mimicking her words from the night before.

"That's fair," Sakura retorted and she swore she heard him chuckle wryly, something that sounded so foreign coming from him that it was comical.

When he made a move to leave, Sakura's voice stopped him. "Wait, take this."

She quickly reached into her pocket and produced a paper bomb slip, one of the two that she had swiped during the chaos that was their weapons training, and said an inward prayer that they weren't discovered when the guards searched each recruit. She pressed the slip of paper into his open palm and when their eyes met, she knew that he understood exactly what she needed him to do. The bombs would serve as the diversion tomorrow night.

Souta nodded in acknowledgement and for the first time, she could see something other than disdain for her in his gaze. There was a gratefulness there, she realized. He was trying to hide it behind the emotional walls he built but she recognized that expression. Suddenly it dawned on her. Souta reminded her of Sasuke: always ready to sacrifice himself for others no matter how much he tried to hide it. They were both aloof and apathetic but she could see the strength and determination that boiled beneath the mask.

Without another word, he exited the room and pulled the door gently shut behind him. When her eyes traveled back to Sachie, she was met with a curious glance that darted between Sakura and where Souta once stood. A knowing smile spread across her face and Sakura shot her a questioning look.

"I think he trusts you now," Sachie finally said.

Sakura scoffed, "I would hope so."

"Mariko, if we get out—"

"When," Sakura interjected abruptly.

"Okay, when we get out…" Sachie averted her eyes and fiddled with the fabric of the pillow in her lap. "Will you stay with us?"

"Sachie, I—"

"I don't mean, like, forever. But it would feel safer for a bit to know that you're there to help us, you know? Just stay for long enough so we make sure they don't find us again."

The hopefulness in the young girl's face made Sakura's throat ache. She was told that she and Souta were twins but it was so hard to believe. Sachie just seemed so much younger, so much more innocent. Sakura realized then that Souta's sacrifice was likely why. He gave up his childhood to make sure that his sister could have hers.

The revelation left Sakura wondering if perhaps he served in the Fourth Shinobi War. She wouldn't be surprised if that was also when he received the shinobi training. The Shinobi forces needed the numbers and weren't above using child soldiers. Hell, she was barely seventeen during the War, a child soldier herself.

"I won't be able to stay, but—" Sakura said quickly when she saw Sachie's face fall, "I can ensure that you and your family are safe. I can't tell you specifics right now but as soon as we get out of here, I have people I can contact who will protect you."

Sakura knew that with her renowned reputation in Konoha and her connection to Kakashi, she could easily grant Sachie and her family citizenship in the Hidden Leaf. They would be protected there. With Naruto and Sasuke, no harm could ever come to the village. She was sure of it.

"Are those people strong like you?"

Sachie's words caused Sakura's breath to catch. Strong, Sakura thought, she thought Sakura was strong.

"They're stronger than me," Sakura responded with a smile.

"I don't think that's possible," Sachie teased

Sakura gave her a sheepish grin once she surmised that Sachie was recalling the time she broke her arm with barely a twitch of her wrist. "Sorry again."

"No harm done, plus you fixed it anyways." As if to prove a point, Sachie swung her arm wildly, still in a sling even though it no longer needed it.

The girls shared quiet laughter, reminding Sakura of how much she missed her friends and how much her body missed laughing. The weeks she had spent here had drained her more than she let on and the weight of her recent knowledge threatened to crush her. Seeing Sachie now, happy with the thought that tomorrow night they would all be free was such a refreshing sight that it left her chest swelling with joy.

As the duo quieted and the threat of sleep fell upon them like a heavy blanket, Sakura found herself lying awake, unable to calm her racing thoughts. Along with the anticipation of leaving this place, her mind was filled with unease. What if she wasn't as good of a strategist as she thought? Sachie and Souta were relying on her to succeed. What if she let them down?

Shaking her head, Sakura willed the doubts to dissipate. She knew she was no longer the weak girl who begged to be saved but years of being told to stand back and let the boys handle the danger still etched deep into her brain. It was a habit she couldn't yet break. And it especially didn't help when her two male teammates were literal reincarnated gods.

At the reminder of Naruto and Sasuke, a wave of sadness overcame her as she recalled Naruto's words for her at the gates. It was her turn to bring Sasuke home, but how? She could never understand him the way Naruto did. She could guess what he was thinking sometimes, maybe predict his next move, but Naruto connected with him on a level she could only dream of reaching.

With a sigh, Sakura turned in her bed and pressed her forearm across her eyelids in an attempt to soothe the sudden headache radiating across her temples. During her lunch with Ino and Hinata, which seemed like it was so long ago, she had said that she wasn't planning to wait for Sasuke forever. But she knew that was a damn lie. She loved him and it would take more than time and distance for her feelings to fade. Frankly, she wasn't sure if anything would stop them at all.

Behind her closed eyelids, images of Sasuke danced across her line of sight: his black hair speckled with snowflakes as he waited outside the hospital one winter night to walk her home, the small twitch of his lips when she tripped in front of him and vehemently denied it, and how his gentle yet fleeting touches seemed to increase the more time they spent together. She especially loved the memory of seeing his black flames come to her rescue during Kido's attack, even if he didn't stay long enough for her to see him. Sakura smiled to herself as she drifted to sleep. He felt something for her, she knew it. It may not be love, not yet, but it was something. And right now, just that knowledge was enough.

When Sakura met up with Souta for their morning practice, a brisk nod from him aimed in her direction confirmed that he had gathered the intel they needed for their escape tonight. She still felt uneasy but the tips of her fingers buzzed with excitement. The kunoichi spirit in her that yearned for adventure was as loud as ever in the back of her mind.

The trio sparred with newfound focus. They just needed to get through today and then the twins would be safely united with their family and Sakura with her friends. She almost trembled with anticipation; however, anxiety continued to bubble beneath her skin. Her suspicions of the identity of Konoha's traitor left a bitter taste in her mouth and she knew it would only grow worse when she had to speak the information aloud to the Hokage.

A kick to the side of her head pulled her from her thoughts and sent her tumbling to the ground. When she looked up to find that her assailant was Sachie, she could barely contain the approving smirk that spread across her face. She shouldn't underestimate Sachie, Sakura realized. Her newly acquired combat skills would be just as useful during tonight's escape.

When lunch came around, the tension in the air was palpable as they neared the first obstacle in the way of their escape. Sakura prayed that today would progress as usual, without another round of one-on-one combat that determined who would be sent to the mysterious Re-education. According to Sachie and Souta, the fighting that they had witnessed a week earlier was the first since they joined. Sakura hoped that it meant at least two weeks passed between each round of fights. Her entire plan rode on that.

But when the recruits were once again herded towards the training grounds, Sakura struggled to breathe and the meal she just ate threatened to make an appearance. She clutched her midsection, both to urge the bile to stay down and to give herself some sort of comfort. Glancing to her right, she watched as Sachie did the same, looking even sicker than she felt.

The lump in Sakura's throat constricted her airways even more when she saw the familiar pattern drawn in the ground and the four Root members encircling it. When her eyes briefly met the captain's, she shivered. In his eyes were pure evil and she knew without a doubt that there would be bloodshed.

As the recruits fell into position, she allowed her eyes to wander, first briefly meeting Souta before settling on Sachie. The twins, who both stood to her right with rigid backs, shot her opposing stares. Sachie looked terrified. It was fleeting, gone as soon as she turned away to face forward but Sakura could feel the emotion radiating from her. Souta, on the other hand, looked both defeated and determined, as if he was telling her that he knew this would happen but he was confident they would be okay. When the captain began to speak, it was the look in Souta's eyes that she held onto as she steeled her gaze and stood with conviction.

Sakura drowned out the captain's speech, choosing instead to occupy herself with thoughts of tonight's escape. They will be okay, Sakura reassured herself. Their combat skills have improved greatly the past several days and there was no reason for any of them to be selected. Even as she thought so, she found herself breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't see familiar faces among the first two combatants who were led to the ring.

The fights commenced with a blur as the roaring in Sakura's ears became louder with every passing minute. Although her posture and exterior expression suggested otherwise, she was a wreck on the inside. She needed to have faith, she knew, but she couldn't stop the dread that built inside her as the second fight came to a close.

When a Root member dragged the second bloodied body of the day away, Sakura couldn't help but allow her eyes to unfocus, willing the scene before her to vanish. Just a couple more hours and they'll be free, she repeated silently. She trained her eyes on the line etched in the ground as she lost herself in thought and reviewed, for the thousandth time today, how her escape plan would unfold. She was so enraptured in her own ruminations that she almost didn't hear the shuffle of footsteps as the final pair of combatants were brought before the captain. Cursing inwardly, she reprimanded herself for being so distracted. Such behavior was unfit for a kunoichi of her status.

Slowly, she allowed her gaze to drift up to observe the new combatants but as her vision focused, the image she saw brought cold sweat to her brow. It took all of her strength to keep her knees from buckling and when she dared to glance to her right, she saw Souta shift his weight uncomfortably between his two feet. Sakura finally faced forward again, drinking in the sight before her as her fists clenched with so much strength that her muscles shook.

There, in the center of the ring, stood Sachie.

A/N

Hello hello! As promised, here is the next chapter. Sorry I had to end on such a cliffhanger but you may have all guessed by now that I love to do that lol

Just in case some of you may not know, I made a reference to the Sakura Hiden novel when I mentioned Kido. To avoid anymore spoilers, I recommend you catch up on some of the Naruto light novels (especially Sasuke Retsuden!) as I will likely continue to reference them.

Anyways, I hope you all had fun celebrating our boy Sasuke's birthday last weekend! Thank you for taking the time to read this fic (and also my ramblings in the author notes). I look forward to seeing what you all think of this chapter!