3.- Traps

A small blood sample —which I would later alter to my liking—, was all I needed to invent an infectious disease for Sasuke, but that meant a greater risk by making him vulnerable to the feudal lords.

I thought about all the drawbacks and dangers this could cause, but I wanted to believe in myself and my brilliant mind to come up with a good plan that would save him from execution.

Sasuke was sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes, or so it seemed. Kakashi Sensei and I suspected that the whole deception of his arrest was based on the fear that Sasuke's eye power could endanger the well-being of the "powerful men" and that any wrong move could be fatal. We were more than convinced that they would do everything possible to eliminate his existence.

But I couldn't let that happen and I was willing to try anything to get Sasuke out into the world.

I took a quick glance at the guard, he definitely wasn't looking and was far enough away that he couldn't hear my whispered voice. I glanced at Sasuke as I carefully took his arm, noticing the thinness of his limb, he was undernourished and that would definitely get him into serious trouble if things continued like this.

"I'm going to take a blood sample for analysis," I changed the volume of my voice so only he could hear me. "Look, I know this is a lot to ask considering your condition, but I need you to pretend you're sick, say that your head and joints hurt."

Sasuke gave me a slight nod to indicate his agreement. I looked back at the guard and I swallowed saliva to calm my nerves. It wasn't the most salubrious place to take a blood sample, but I needed it to carry out my plan; I would explain everything to Kakashi sensei later.

"Please make a fist."

I palpated his arm with my fingers and when I found the vein, I applied the tourniquet. I disinfected the area and punctured to draw the blood and empty it into a tube. I didn't need too much, but even though I was going to lie about a contagious virus, I wanted to be aware of his defenses and all other aspects.

When I finished taking the sample, I put the tube away and loosened the tourniquet. Then I put a cotton ball with antiseptic on the puncture site and asked Sasuke to keep his arm flexed.

"I'll give you a pill to control the vomiting."

I pretended to look for the medicine in the first aid kit, I just took a bottle of water and opened it. I waited at least a few seconds before asking Sasuke to open his mouth, then I made it look like I was giving him the medicine and finally put the bottle over his lips and he drank the water.

My eyes were still scanning the cell, soon I noticed a very strange sound and although the dim light didn' t allow me to observe the room clearly, I could deduce that it was a drop that echoed as it fell.

I searched everywhere, my hand brushing the wall, trying to find the source of the sound. It was not a constant sound, but I could feel the moisture and cold shock of the substance on my forearm. I looked up and saw some kind of pipe coming out of the top of the wall, almost touching the ceiling. I went straight to my first aid kit and grabbed a small flashlight so I could check it out for sure. The guard reacted quickly to my movement.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to check something." I replied.

The moment I illuminated the area, I could see what it was. I was so irritated when I discovered it that I felt I was about to lose my cool.

"What the hell is this?" I turned to the guard, he frowned, "This! I mean this! It's a storm drain!"

"What about it? Haven't you ever seen one before?"

I clenched my fists and took a few steps forward.

"This is unacceptable! There's a person here, all this dampness and filth is going to make him sick! Don't you have any sense? Sasuke can't be in this place!"

"Look, Doctor, I didn't make the rules, I just keep an eye on the prisoners, but if you have a complaint, go to the warden."

"It's complete stupidity to put a water drainage pipe in the same building, whoever was the pathetic one who came up with that should occupy this cell. Of course I will complain to the warden, I will not tolerate this!"

"Well, I'm glad you have tremendous courage," I could see a mocking smile on his face and my blood boiled. "But keep in mind that this man is a criminal and shouldn't be in a bed of roses, besides, don't forget that he's here by order of the feudal lords and you're just a doctor, can you fight against that?"

My eyes never left the man in front of me. I felt the tension between my eyebrows and my lips tighten furiously under the covermask I was wearing, but I had to calm my emotions. Before I could say anything else, the guard spoke again.

"And since you even inspected the cell decorations, I want to tell you that your visit is over, so get out."

I turned my head to look at Sasuke, he was still sitting, dejected and with his arm crossed. I reached over to remove the absorbent cotton that was still hidden in his elbow pit and with a slight movement, I brushed my little finger against his skin.

"I'm going to get you out of here, I promise," I whispered.

"Now get out!" The guard hurried me along.

I took off the gloves and grabbed the first aid kit; I took one last look at Sasuke, then turned with the guard and walked past him. As he closed the cell, I seized the moment to rattle him and take revenge for his arrogance. I lowered my mask and looked at him without blinking.

"As I told you, Sasuke may have something contagious. If you are experiencing general malaise such as fatigue, headache, dizziness and/or fever, I would advise you not to self-medicate and see a doctor," I smiled, "because it could be that you have been infected.

The prison warden was not a docile and gentle being either, his sneer was so obvious that I could almost hear the answer to all my complaints in my mind. As his mouth moved to give me the thousands of excuses why Sasuke was being punished and his absurd rhetoric about a non-existent justice, my mind could only imagine scenarios where he would rip the ungrateful man's head off.

"I will make a formal request to move Sasuke Uchiha to another cell," I said and I could see him raise his eyebrows in a tired reaction.

"It's not going to happen, please stop insisting."

"I won't give up, Sasuke can't be in such conditions. You know he is sick, do you want him to die?"

The man leaned on the back of his chair and leaned forward, resting both elbows on the desk, he gave me a hard look that seemed to challenge me to a duel to see who could take the most.

"Either way, the prisoner will die here," he said firmly. Sasuke Uchiha is serving a life sentence. It would be convenient if his death came soon so that he could rest as much as he wanted."

My eyes began to weaken and I blinked constantly to try to alleviate the moisture that was building up in them. My nostrils widened and I got up from the chair to take a deep breath and calm down. I hated this situation of helplessness with all my might, I hated being so ordinary and not having the economic power to do and undo as I pleased.

My words had no weight for them, every day that passed was another chance that slipped through my fingers and for Sasuke, it was a dark, lonely and cold hell.

I left the building at a slow pace, my eyes lost somewhere on the horizon. In my left hand hung the medical kit and on my back I carried the tormenting need to save the man I loved.

When Sai saw me, he rose from the grass where he was resting under a leafy tree, dusted himself off, and waited for the distance between us to shrink with each step I took. Then I reached him and our eyes met, his sudden eyebrow movement was clear, he noticed it too.

"They want Sasuke to die," I said sadly but without crying, my words hurting like burning knives digging into the flesh of my body.

"Is Sasuke's health that serious?"

I shook my head.

"He pretended to be sick to receive my visit, they are slowly destroying him and the intention they have is for him to get sick and die in this cell."

"Sasuke faked it?"

It might be hard to believe, but it was true. Sasuke had reached such a point of despair that at least feeling the presence of someone else was a comfort in his nightmare.

I looked back at the building and the panorama around it. I tried to locate the possible place where the water had entered the cell where Sasuke was. After I explained it to Sai, he helped me with his ink mice; we had to be careful not to be discovered.

"It seems to be this place."

Sai said as we both looked at a hole in the ground next to the construction wall. I looked up and saw the architecture of this prison where one of the walls had a waterfall. With my hand, I drew a possible line in the air where the water fell and slid down that concrete curve.

Sai saw me and understood what I was trying to find out; he threw a pebble in the air and it slid down the wall and through the hole in the ground. Seeing this, we said nothing and turned to look at each other.

"Let's go back, we have to report this to the Hokage."

Kakashi Sensei rubbed the bridge of his nose and kept his eyes closed. Sai and I had explained the situation to him as well as some points of what had happened in the prison. Shikamaru was present, perhaps taking note of what was said in that office.

"It is clear that they want Sasuke to die," Kakashi Sensei said, "since they are not allowed to kill him directly, they want him to get sick."

I thought about talking about my plan to make the guards and feudal lords believe that Sasuke was sick, but I gave up at the last moment when Shikamaru spoke.

"It would not be convenient for Sasuke to be in that condition, if it were something contagious, they might even consider killing him to avoid an epidemic."

"You're right," Kakashi Sensei said. "By the way, Sakura, how was the medical examination? What's wrong with Sasuke?"

Kakashi sensei stared at me and I remained silent for several seconds. I considered the possibilities of every answer I could give him.

"I took a blood sample for analysis, I gave him medicine to control the vomiting. As soon as I know what's going on, I'll come and report it."

Sai looked at me for a moment, but I was grateful that he didn't say anything. I had to use every option available to me, even if it meant putting myself in danger.

"Okay, let's hope it's nothing delicate. I'll try to get a meeting with our feudal lord to request that Sasuke be moved to a more hygienic place."

"Thank you, Kakashi Sensei."

I grabbed the rest of my things and left the office, I walked down the stairs and although my body moved to walk, my mind went in another direction.

I went straight to the clinic to check the blood sample, I had no time to waste.

Sasuke's results showed that he was anemic, his defenses were low and there was something else in his blood.

I looked carefully at the sheet of paper with the lab results and meditated on it, it was some kind of fever and according to the thick medical book on my lap, he had contracted it from contaminated food.

I thought maybe Sasuke wasn't completely lying and his dizziness was real.

I massaged my temples and rested my chin on my fist, coming to a moment where I didn't know how to proceed with my plan. I wanted to upset the values and say that Sasuke had something contagious, but Shikamaru had said what I was so afraid of and that was that after giving such news as official, it would lead to him being executed for endangering the prison staff.

A cup of hot tea was placed in front of my face, the pale hand holding it made me quickly recognize the person next to me. I looked up to see Sai and next to him, Ino.

"You haven't rested well since the day you visited Sasuke," my friend said.

"Sakura, what's on your mind?"

I looked back at the sheet of paper.

"The conditions they have Sasuke in are deliberate, they are making him sick and if we let this go on, he won't be able to resist for long."

"I have read and reread the sentence for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment and the crimes for which he was convicted. Unfortunately, in his madness, Sasuke endangered the lives of the Kages and as they are military representatives of the Five Nations, he got himself into serious trouble."

I shook my head in acceptance of his words.

"I know. But there are people who have done worse and have not been punished like Sasuke. They have other intentions, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they hate the Uchiha and want Sasuke dead to end the legacy."

"So what's the plan?" Ino asked, forcing me to look at her face with her question.

"Steal, lie or kill?

My blonde friend's face changed with my last word. It was as if I could see the reflection of my desperation in her face, and in my head the crazy argument that came out of my mouth was still echoing.

"Kill? Who?" She asked again, "Are you willing to risk your own life for Sasuke's?"

My mind was filled with memories of my childhood, of the countless times my heart pounded at the sight of the black-haired teenager who entered the classroom early for a mission. For a long time I saw his back as a barrier to approach, and when I could finally see a true expression of remorse in him, he was being taken to the confines of a filthy cell.

"Yes, Ino. I'm willing to risk everything."

I saw her breathing hard, and though her white hand shook, she placed it firmly on my shoulder, letting me feel its warmth.

"You have my support."

"I will continue to look for a loophole in the law that can help us," Sai added.

"Maybe it's too much to ask, but I'd like to make a request... Don't tell anyone about this. I don't want anyone to get in the way, and if someone has to be blamed for the crime that I committed, then I'll accept my punishment."