Hinata trailed Karin around the building, the latter providing a detailed account of each room and sharing snippets of her past experiences. Eventually, they arrived at a particular room.
Karin's smile widened with anticipation. "My friend is in here! Let me introduce you," she declared, gripping Hinata's hand and guiding her into a room aglow with an ethereal blue light. "Him and I were friends for a long time. Just a heads up, he's annoying and a real flirt," Karin muttered with a hint of exasperation, her mood shifting slightly at the mention of her friend's flirtatious nature.
Hinata remained silent, her eyes moving across the room, taking in the sight of bodies suspended within test tubes. Karin continued her narration, recounting experiments and experiences that had transpired within those very walls.
"All he could do was watch. But I could see the pain in his eyes," Karin's voice held a tinge of sorrow as she shared a poignant memory, her gaze momentarily turning somber. Turning her attention to Hinata, Karin's expression shifted to one of determination. "I'll get you out of here," she vowed, the conviction in her voice unwavering. "Trust me!"
They moved forward, arriving at a specific test tube.
"This is my friend Suigetsu," Karin pointed at the glass enclosure, where a naked man floated within the liquid. Karin's annoyance seeped into her voice as she delivered a reprimand. "Stop flirting with everything you see!" She chided, as if addressing someone within the tube.
Hinata's brow furrowed, a mixture of curiosity and unease evident in her gaze. Was Karin conversing with the lifeless body as if it were responding to her?
Karin's giggle broke the momentary tension. "I know, she's quite striking! I'm going to help her get out of here," Karin stated with a resolute nod, seemingly addressing the floating figure.
Hinata's concern deepened, her eyes narrowing slightly as she observed Karin's interaction. Was there something more to this exchange than met the eye? Karin's gaze met hers, the confidence of her smile unwavering.
"He almost escaped once, until he was caught. That's why he's in there," Karin explained, the weight of history evident in her tone.
Hinata's gaze shifted, her voice laced with a mix of surprise and concern. "How long has he been in there?" She inquired, her voice soft and filled with empathy.
Karin's response widened Hinata's eyes in astonishment.
Sasuke's glare bore into the folder clutched tightly in his hand, the very folder left at his front door by Jiraiya. Holding the phone to his ear, he listened as Jiraiya's voice resonated. "I've extracted files on Kabuto, the very files you're holding right now. However, remember, Sasuke, I'll stop at nothing to retrieve her. Yet, the harsh truth is, time might have slipped through our fingers."
A blend of confusion and anger clouded Sasuke's thoughts as he awaited further explanation.
Jiraiya's voice carried a somber weight, his words revealing the chilling depths of Kabuto's malevolence. "Kabuto is infamous for unleashing unimaginable suffering upon his victims. He dismantles them to mere husks, hollow and broken. Those who endure rarely last, incapable of bearing the weight of the torment he inflicts. Kabuto revels in leading us astray, sometimes revealing his captives' locations solely to taunt us."
Locked in a fierce stare with the folder, Sasuke's mind flickered with thoughts of retribution. "Once I track this guy down," he seethed, his voice dripping with a deadly vow.
A note of caution punctuated the gravity of the situation. "You won't lay a finger on him. Sasuke, understand the threat this man poses. Let the experts handle it. While I appreciate your determination, you must place your trust in those trained for this endeavor. We'll harness every resource to uncover her."
The folder remained clutched, Sasuke's grip unyielding, his determination palpable. "I'll find her," he affirmed, his voice a quiet but unwavering declaration.
"Leave the search to me; focus on your own well-being," Jiraiya's final words came through before the line went dead, leaving Sasuke to grapple with his convictions and the daunting journey ahead.
He sank onto the couch and opened the folder before him. Within its pages were images of individuals he had seen in newspaper articles. Their faces bore the marks of brutality — bruises, scars, and telltale signs of torment. Dark circles shadowed their eyes, and redness encircled their pupils. Sasuke's thoughts drifted to Hinata, his heart aching with worry.
Would she end up like these victims? His Hinata?
His fists clenched in frustration as he continued to examine the distressing evidence, pushing himself into the early hours of the morning until exhaustion finally overcame him at 3 am.
In his sleep, he found himself in a room — a recurring dream, once shared with Hinata, now replaced by rows of test tubes holding lifeless bodies.
A voice echoed through the space, urging urgency.
"You better hurry," it warned, leaving Sasuke to search for the source, his gaze darting around the void. "Right now, she's not that scared, but she will be soon," the voice added cryptically.
"Who are you?" Sasuke called out, his voice echoing.
"Suigetsu," the voice replied. Sasuke attempted to locate the origin, his footsteps echoing in the emptiness. "She's a pretty one."
Sasuke's confusion deepened as he tried to comprehend the nature of this encounter. "How do you know her?" He demanded.
"I met her today," Suigetsu's voice responded, suddenly next to him.
Sasuke turned toward the source and found himself face to face with the figure of a man, his gaze fixed on a test tube.
"I died a long time ago," the man said, his tone somber. "But she doesn't have to. So hurry."
Sasuke's brows furrowed, his bewilderment evident. "What's happening? What's going on?" He questioned, seeking answers from this enigmatic presence.
With a frown, Suigetsu's gaze locked onto Sasuke's. "Your girlfriend's going to die."
Sasuke's frustration surged as he pounded on the glass, each strike reverberating with the weight of his desperation. "Where is she, damn it? Why is no one telling me anything?" His voice was tinged with anger and helplessness, the glass barrier mocking his efforts.
"You do know," Suigetsu's voice cut through the air, a whisper that carried with it a disconcerting certainty.
Sasuke's gaze snapped towards the source of the voice. "I don't," he retorted, his tone sharp and defensive.
Suigetsu's figure moved with a fluid grace within the test tube, his face drawing closer to the glass until it was mere inches from Sasuke's. "You've been here before, Sasuke, with her. Think about it. How else would I know her if we hadn't crossed paths?" His smirk revealed a row of sharp teeth, adding an eerie touch to his ethereal form.
Sasuke's glare deepened, his skepticism evident. "You're just a dream. I've only been to this place in my dreams," he declared, his frustration manifesting in the force of his punch against the glass. A hairline crack spread across the surface.
Suigetsu's eyes widened as he observed the fracture. "How did you…?" He trailed off in disbelief, his form wavering.
With a renewed glare, Sasuke met Suigetsu's gaze head-on. "Tell me where she is," he demanded, his voice cutting through the tension.
Suigetsu's expression shifted, his demeanor becoming more solemn. "I don't know where they've moved us. Remember, I'm not among the living," he explained, his form hovering towards the top of the tank.
Sasuke's patience waned, his anger coiling within him like a tightly wound spring. He struck the glass once more, the crack now gaping wider. Water began to seep through the fracture, spilling around him. "Damn it!" Sasuke's frustration found voice in a groan as he unleashed his frustration upon the weakened glass, this time with all his might.
With a resounding crash, the glass shattered, water cascading around him in a torrent. Suigetsu's body fell to the ground, freed from the confines of the test tube. "Thank you for freeing me," he acknowledged, his voice both grateful and eerie in its finality.
As the water swirled, Suigetsu's form began to dissolve, his parting words lingering in the air. "As you wake up, remember to think. You've been here before with her."
And with that enigmatic statement, Suigetsu's form transformed into water, leaving behind a soaked and baffled Sasuke, the remnants of the dream clinging to his consciousness like a cryptic puzzle demanding to be solved.
Sasuke's gaze swept across the expanse of test tubes that surrounded him, absorbing the disconcerting sight before his eyes. Amid this unsettling display, one tube stood out like a haunting memory. Abruptly, vivid flashes of Hinata's form, trapped within a similar tube, her features twisted in a desperate scream, surged through his mind. A chill raced down his spine as recognition set in — this was the same room, identical test tubes, mirroring the scene from his prior encounter.
Guided by a mixture of apprehension and determination, Sasuke stepped toward the tube that had etched itself into his consciousness. Its contents were vacant at the moment, but an unspoken intuition resonated within him, foretelling that Hinata's fate was inexorably tied to this eerie chamber.
From the depths of the void, a voice materialized, soft yet resolute, cutting through the silence like a beacon. "I promise I'll get you out," the voice reverberated, its words carrying an unwavering commitment. "Trust me."
A surge of emotion tightened Sasuke's chest, and he knew the voice was not addressing him, but rather, it was meant for her — for Hinata.
"What do you mean Suigetsu's tank exploded?" Orochimaru's voice hissed, laced with a mix of disbelief and anger. His eyes bore into Kabuto, demanding answers.
Kabuto met Orochimaru's gaze with a mixture of concern and confusion. "I was in the process of transferring another failed experiment into a containment tube when his enclosure shattered right before me." He gestured toward the scene, his voice tinged with unease.
Orochimaru's gaze remained fixed on the shattered remnants of the tank, his frustration palpable. He couldn't comprehend how something as secure as bulletproof glass could fail. "Bulletproof glass," he murmured, his words a mix of incredulity and frustration.
Kabuto's attention shifted to the scattered glass and the water-soaked floor. "I know, sir. It's baffling."
Orochimaru's expression remained stern as he assessed the situation. The dead body of Suigetsu lay on the ground, a stark reminder of the unexpected turn of events. "How is it possible for such a robust material to break?" Orochimaru's question hung in the air, directed more to himself than to Kabuto.
Kabuto's gaze shifted between Orochimaru and the broken tank, his brows furrowing with uncertainty. "I'm at a loss as well, sir," he admitted, his voice carrying a touch of frustration.
