Chapter 10: Cell

A few dark haunting hours later, Orochimaru had reached the entrance of his lair. Still having Sakura hanging off on the tip of his tongue.
“Let me go!” Sakura demanded instantly. Orochimaru ignoring every remark gave her a frightening glare. Kabuto followed anxiously behind him, adjusting his glasses every once in while that drooled over his haunting eyes.
Orochimaru was heading down the cold creaky corridor, every second a drop of vapor would hit the cold tile floor. To Sakura the stench of dead deceased corpses would be the roaming free in the hallway, she couldn’t take it, she couldn’t bare it.
Candles lit on each side of the lair, cold water dripping, humans wailing from their own cells.
I don’t wanna be here….. Sakura recited in her mind.

‘Sakura’ That was all the Uchiha was thinking.  No revenge, just about that one beautiful cherry blossom that was missing from him.

Orochimaru arrived at the last cell down the hallway, rusted walls, damped floor, steel hard locks. Kabuto went infront of him unlocking the door with a key, opening it and waiting for the Sannin to proceed forward. Orochimaru stepped forward, Sakura still struggling on the tip of his tongue as he released harshly, making her crash into the blooded stone wall. Sakura let out a cry of pain as her back collided with the stone wall. Orochimaru gave a slight chuckle at his accomplishment, leaving and telling Kabuto to lock the kunochi inside. Kabuto obeyed, locked the cell and taking the keys with him. Sakura now scared than ever cuddled herself into a ball, forehead on her knees as she rocked back and forth. Giving a slight cry as she went.

Re-closing, re-opening, two crimson eyes trailed the precise steps of someone that they were hunting down.
“What are you doing?” His friend asked. “Why are we here?” another question arose. Kisame stared harshly, yet grinning at the same time, as he stared at Itachi, his team member.
“I’ve told you many times but it seems that you never listen” Itachi said in a harsh tone voiced.
“I do….it just takes me time” Kisame replied back, earning no answer from the elder Uchiha he kept his silence.

Sakura continued to cry, she could hear the others wailing inside their own cells, basically she figured that they were all doing what she was thinking, feeling what she was feeling. Scared and alone.  

“Orochimaru what are exactly are you going to do with her?” Kabuto asked, concern on his master’s actions.  A slight chuckle escaped the snake sannin’s lips.
“What I’m going to do?” He restated the question “That’s easy……To lure Sasuke here”
“And what happens if he does come?”
“A swap….him here for Sakura’s freedom”

Sasuke was more furious than ever, his mind racing by the minute as he thought about the harsh doings of Orochimaru. The day that he first met him in the forest of death, the day he nearly demolished of all Konoha. Jumping from branch to branch he continued on, his katana placed on his waist, his knapsack on his back as he stormed forward towards the snake’s lair.

Neji was with Riku, there was silence between the two men, no talking, no eye contact, no nothing.  Neji marched on forward, silent. Riku looked back over his shoulder, how long they had walked.
“Riku” Neji called out to him. Earning his attention the Hyuuga continued on “Hurry up…..forget about them...I wanna finish this mission”  Neji spoke harshly, almost glaring at the client as he went. Riku nodded in silence as he walked a few more paces in front of Neji.

A haunting hour had passed as Neji spoke up yet again. “Riku….answer me this are you working for who I think your working for?”  No answer. “Answer me….if you don’t I’ll report you the Hokage”
“…………You already agreed to escort me to this country and there’s no turning back” Riku stated.
“So the Uchiha was right after all you are working for that bastard……”
“Yeah and what are you going to do about it?” Riku stated bravely, well bravely as he could.
“Since you’re a federal lord and your country needs you I will have to take you back…but after that I will have to report to the Hokage and explain your troubles” Neji glared at him even further. “Do we have a deal?”
“What’s the deal?”
“I’ll escort you back but……after that I’m telling Tsunade what happened every single detail”  Riku stared at the Hyuuga as he looked away from him and nodded in silence, making his way back to his own country…….alone…..
“I can manage this half….why don’t you go back to Konoha” Riku insisted as he headed towards the forest. Shaking his head in disagreement the Hyuuga headed the other direction.
“Bastard” he muttered under his breath.