Stupefy
Chapter 15: Stupefy
Naruto-
Hagrid-san hadn't seemed to trust that Naruto wouldn't run away a second time. He didn't let go of Naruto's collar all the while that they walked back towards the school. Naruto couldn't think of any way to get away from Hagrid-san without giving the mission away. The whole walk back through Hogsmead and up to the school Hagrid-san spoke long and loudly with the general message that Naruto - or Sasuke, rather - was a fool for going to Diagon Alley, what did he think he was doing playing down there, and how did he ever manage to find the passage?
Naruto kept quiet. It wasn't easy, but his mouth stayed shut. It was at the gates of the school, just at the edge of the forest, that the Headmaster of the school met them. He seemed ancient - as old as the third Hokage or maybe older. The man's beard was very long and his little spectacles, perched on the end of his nose, made him look all the older. For all that, his eyes were bright and lively.
"Ah! Hagrid. How good to see you this evening. And what are you doing with Mister Snape?"
Hagrid-san didn't release Naruto. "Just takin' the boy home, sir."
"Dragging him? Has something happened?"
Hagrid-san paused. "No, sir. Nothin' for you to worry about."
The old man nodded slowly. "All the same, why don't you let him go? I'd like a word with the boy."
Hagrid-san shifted around a little and pouted, but he did let Naruto go. He gave Naruto a sever look. "You go straight back to the school after you've spoken to the headmaster, hear? You're not to go traipsing back down there!"
Naruto nodded and stood sullenly while Hagrid-san made his way towards his home.
"Naruto," the old man turned into Kakashi-sensei. "Where have you been?"
"Looking for that jerk!" Naruto huffed. "Didn't my toad talk to you?"
"Lower your voice! Come on." He led Naruto into the forest before speaking, again. "Yes, your toad found me. Where did you lose Sasuke?"
"I didn't lose him!"
"Fine. Tell me what happened."
"Sasuke got spotted by Hagrid-san. I changed myself to look like Snape-san and I tried to distract Hagrid-san. When I lost Hagrid-san I went back, but Sasuke was gone. I followed his trail for a bit and it led me to a shop. The shopkeeper thought I was Snape-san and was surprised to see me. He said I was supposed to be at Malfoy Manor and seemed to think I should be with Snape-san's uncle. He gave me a tin can and said I couldn't get to Malfoy Manor today without it. Hagrid-san found me and dragged me away. When we were going down the street Sakura-chan saw me. I dropped the can for her. She picked up it, then disappeared. I'm not talking about a transportation jutsu, it was definitely the tin can." Naruto felt sick. Lost half his Cell… incompetent.
Kakashi-sensei closed his eye and cursed softly. "A port key, I think. Trouble."
"What's it do?"
"Just what you saw - makes people disappear. What I've been told is that it's a way to take people directly from one point to another. They should be together."
"Good. How do we find Malfoy Manor?"
Kakashi-sensei's shoulders tensed. "We don't."
"What?"
"I know this is going to be hard for you to accept, Naruto, but you and I aren't going after them." Kakashi-sensei turned sharply and jumped up into the tree branches. "In the long run, that would do more harm than good."
Shocked, Naruto could only stare, then spluttered as he took off after Kakashi-sensei. "What are you talking about! We have to go after them! What if they're hurt? Sasuke was kidnapped!"
"Keep moving, Naruto. We need to share this information with Gai."
"Are you crazy?! He'll tell Neji and Neji will think Sasuke skipped out on us and go after him. He's been on Sasuke's case since the mission started! Can't we just not tell Cell 9?"
"They'll notice Sakura's gone, shortly. We could lie about her disappearance, but what would that solve? Think about it - what is this mission for?"
Naruto frowned. "To observe… "
"No. What is this mission really for? What is the most important thing we can get out of this mission?"
It struck Naruto hard. "Proof of Sasuke's trustworthiness."
"And lying to our partners about him would look really bad when the Hokage hears about it in our mission report and it would get into the mission report. Do you trust Sasuke?"
"Yes!"
"Then trust him, now. We both know he didn't betray us, again. We tell Cell 9 the truth and what comes, comes."
"Neji will kill him if he thinks Sasuke's betrayed us!"
"He will try to. We will stop him. Have faith. I told you before… I'll never let my comrades die." As they virtually flew through the trees, Kakashi-sensei asked, "How's your throat?"
"Better. Mostly." Naruto didn't tell him about the lingering soreness as Sakura-chan had already assured him it was normal with healing. "It's funny… I've never taken so long to heal from anything. Without Kyuubi, things are going to get harder."
Kakashi-sensei glanced at him, then looked away. "That's something I've wanted to talk to you about, now that we're away from the others. What's going on with Kyuubi? Has he said anything?"
Naruto scowled and clenched his fists. No one ever understood. "I don't talk to him much. Not like you’re thinking. He isn’t hurting me, he just didn't help and yes, I know why he's not helping. He's angry with me."
"Angry enough to affect the mission?"
Naruto frowned. "I don't think so. He's not trying to get me killed, really. He's just angry. He thinks I'm not taking care of myself and… oh! I don't know! He's just not happy with me. It's a feeling he keeps giving me. He's trying to punish me."
"Do you know why?"
"Kyuubi doesn't like Sasuke… or you."
Kakashi-sensei cast him a look, but with his mask, Naruto couldn't tell what he was thinking. "You'll have to explain a bit more."
Naruto shifted uneasily. "Kyuubi liked it how things were. He liked me being alone. He thought it made me stronger, that I would have to learn to defend myself. He was right, I guess. Then I went to live with Iruka-sensei. That was okay because Iruka-sensei was helping me stay alive by giving me food and a warm place to sleep. Kyuubi could understand that. Then Sasuke came to live with us. Kyuubi thinks Sasuke's a threat and wanted me to get rid of him. When I didn't, he said he wouldn't protect me if I didn't protect myself. Then you started coming around. I think… " Naruto scratched his head and shrugged. "I think Kyuubi sees you and Sasuke as threats because Iruka-sensei will start feeding you and there will be less food for me… or something. I'm not sure, but that's what it feels like."
Kakashi-sensei was silent for a long while. "And what do you think of this? Without Kyuubi, you won't be as powerful as you've been in the past."
"So what? I can take care of myself. I don’t need Kyuubi to do my duty. I don't think he wants me to die. He's just not going to help with little things."
"That fever you had a few months ago was no little thing, according to Iruka. He said you came close to dying, at the end. Kyuubi wasn’t helping you then, was he? None of the healers could help you - not even Tsunade."
Naruto clenched his fists. "But I didn't die. Tsunade said it was only bad because I'd never been sick before. Kyuubi's powerful… you can't imagine… if he wanted me dead, I think he could do it. He hasn't. All my life, he hasn't tried to hurt me at all."
"He's sealed…"
"It's more than that!" Naruto insisted. "A seal keeps him inside me, but he can lend me his power whenever he chooses. If he can do that, shouldn't he be able to just kill me with it? I think so. Anyway, no matter what, I'm not giving into him! He doesn't get his way in this! I’m not giving up my home or Sasuke or you. I can cope without him healing every little cold or scrape. I'm shinobi, not him! I'm the one with all the training! He's just inside me. I'm strong without him and even if I'm not strong enough, well… that just means more training!" Naruto stared determinedly ahead. "I'm not weak. I can live without him."
Kakashi-sensei's eye narrowed as it often did when he was amused, though Naruto didn't know what could have pleased him. "Just wanted to hear you say it. So long as you believe it, you'll do just fine. Don't worry about Sasuke and Sakura. I'm not abandoning them."
They met Neji and Tenten halfway to the base, but Kakashi-sensei didn't say anything about Sasuke until they met with Gai-san at the base. When Kakashi-sensei finished telling what Naruto had told him, Neji frowned. "He just happened to disappear after sending you off? Convenient."
Naruto snapped, "He didn't run off! He was kidnapped!"
Neji stood up and stepped away from Gai-san. "Possibly. It's also possible that he left on his own initiative. You've got no proof either way. Frankly, I'd be shocked if someone with his power were kidnapped."
Naruto's anger flared in his eyes. "You've seen what the wizards can do. They're stronger than I ever thought. They could have done something to him."
"Regardless of your hopeful wishes, I say there are reasonable grounds for questioning his actions."
It stifled Naruto momentarily. Neji was perfectly correct in his logic. "Sasuke didn't disappear. He and Sakura-chan are danger and we have to find them."
"We have to continue the mission, also." Tenten broke into the conversation. "We know where they are, Malfoy Manor, all we have to do is find it, presuming that they haven't left, already."
"Right." Kakashi-sensei nodded, then lazily lowered himself to sit on the tree's branch. "Gai, why don't you and Tenten go after my two brats? I'll baby-sit Neji for you."
Neji said, "I should go."
"No." Gai looked hard at Kakashi-sensei, then at Neji. "I need your eyes here to complete the mission. You said you still had some places you hadn't finished mapping. Trust me."
"Yes, sir."
Naruto hated it. He saw the logic. If it were Gai and Tenten who rescued Sasuke and Sakura-chan, then no one would be able to say that Kakashi-sensei and Naruto were covering for Sasuke. Gai would see for himself that Sasuke wasn't at fault and Gai was a well-respected jonin. Tsunade would listen to him. More importantly, Kakashi-sensei wouldn't send Gai if he didn't trust him. In the end, it was only Kakashi-sensei's trust that let Naruto keep his mouth shut and not protest when Tenten and Gai left.
Malfoy Manor-
Sasuke-
Itachi smiled and repeated himself. "We have. Haven't we? Why, you look so like my younger brother that it's uncanny."
Sasuke felt very small.
It was like that night - that damnable night! - so long ago when he'd sat on his knees in the blood and Itachi had stood over him. He couldn't breathe… couldn't move.
"Don't be frightened." Itachi's hand, still held out, was steady and calm. "I'm not a bad person. Not really."
‘Why?’
‘Blood everywhere. Mama on the floor… eyes empty and staring.’
Sasuke tried to swallow, but his throat was bone dry. He couldn't breathe. His lungs were burning, but he couldn't make himself breathe. His whole body felt cold. ‘The mission!’ "No. We've never met. I'm Severus Snape. Pleased to meet you."
"And you." Itachi leaned fractionally closer and whispered so softly that only a shinobi could hear his voice. "Do not look Voldemort in the eyes." Then, louder, with a teasing smile, "Breathe, young man. They'll think I've done something untrustworthy."
Sasuke's breath returned to him and he was more aware than ever of everyone in the room watching him. Even as he bit back the bile rising in his throat, he knew he'd fouled up - again.
Dinner was a formal affair, and the table itself was like nothing Sasuke had seen before. The table was decorated, as if it were meant to be looked at. There were large vases of flowers and bowls of fruit that seemed too perfect to be real. The table was hidden by a white cloth and tall candelabras stood every few feet along the length. There was so much decoration that there seemed hardly any room for the food. All the same, Itachi and Sasuke had a perfect view of one another.
Sasuke spent more time focused on Itachi than on the Malfoy's, Prince-san, or Voldemort. Sasuke ate mechanically, hardly tasting the food he put into his mouth though he did take the time to smell for any scent of familiar poisons, and he often forgot to listen to the conversation. He was too focused on Itachi, sitting across from him at the table.
Itachi laughed. He smiled and joked with the elder Malfoy-san. He sipped at his wine and, after nibbling at his food, dabbed his lips with a linen napkin. Though it all, he gave no further sign that he knew Sasuke.
Cruel.
Prince-san gave Sasuke a nudge. "Forgive him, my Lord. My nephew's head seems to be in the clouds, today." He said it through clenched teeth, a poor attempt at hiding his short temper. "He's not used to such esteemed company. Answer Lord Voldemort, Severus."
Lord Voldermort smiled benignly. "No trouble at all. I'm eager to see what interesting things young Severus has hidden away. I asked, what do you want out of the future, Severus?"
The same thing everyone wanted, surely. Respect. He shrugged and poked at some kind of meat with his fork. "I haven't decided, exactly. Things are… up in the air."
Prince-san rapped Sasuke's hand with his knuckles. "Look at Lord Voldemort when he speaks to you!"
Sasuke did look up, but his eyes first fell on Itachi, who raised an eyebrow. Sasuke then focused on Voldemort, but instead of looking at his eyes, he looked a the man's eyebrows.
"Ah. Yes. The indecisiveness of youth." Voldemort stood and gestured to the room's door. "Would you walk with me, Severus? Perhaps away from extra ears you'll be less inhibited and speak to me more candidly."
Sasuke stood and followed Voldemort from the room. They didn't stop until they were several rooms away and Voldemort stood at a large window looking out at a pristine garden.
Voldemort stood with his hands clasped behind his back and his face turned to the sun. "I know. About your uncle. I know he murdered your parents. I know you were there. How painful it must have been for you. I suppose you think I'm a heartless man for allowing him to go unpunished. I'm not. He was useful. I'm sure you - a Slytherin - understand." He said it very easily. "It must have hurt more to return to Hogwarts and have no one believe you."
"How do you know all this?"
"Your uncle told me. He thought I would be pleased to know he killed a muggle and a muggle sympathizer. Foolish. He also told me how he is working to gain legal control of you. He and young Mister Malfoy have sung me praises of your skills. He wants to give you to me." He turned and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Your parents did not deserve to be butchered at the hands of their own family. I don't condone the murder of innocents, no matter what foolish choices she made in life. Your uncle is influential in the government and I have need of information he gives me. I hope you can forgive my use of him."
Sasuke turned his head back to the doorway they'd passed through. Two murderers sitting at the same table. Both were family killers. He wondered if Itachi found the whole thing amusing.
"You must feel so alone. Desperately trying to convince everyone around you of your honesty. Fighting the law to keep yourself away from a killer. Through it all, you have to live with the torment of your classmates. No one to help you… support you… it must be so tiring. I can help. Let me see your arm."
Curious, Sasuke held out one arm.
Voldemort took hold of Sasuke's wrist and pushed his sleeve back. "Here." He placed the palm of one hand on Sasuke's forearm. "Here I can place my mark on you and forever more you will live under my protection. You doubt my word, perhaps. Many have already allowed me to mark them. Even your friend, Mister Malfoy, has already given his word that he will submit to me after his graduation from Hogwarts - when he is a man."
"Why not now?"
"Because Dumbledore would be… upset. He is the enemy, after all. Such ideas he has… such treacherous ideas. He's got too much power for one man. He controls too much of the Ministry, even if he does it discretely. He must be removed from that power so the will of the people - to remain segregated from muggles - is heard. His will can not be allowed to supersede all others, can it?"
It sounded logical.
Voldemort's hand tightened around Sasuke's forearm. "I would like to sponsor you."
"Sponsor me in what, exactly?"
"Everything." The smile never left his face. Never faltered, never twitched even when he spoke. It was unnerving. "I can help you go far in life."
Sasuke understood the main point - Voldemort was enticing young followers into his company in a long-term strategy to gain political power. Obviously, he had already ensnared the Malfoy's and Prince-san. He had clearly stated that he was a threat to the Headmaster of the school, but not to the school itself or the students. Sasuke judged the man not a threat. "I will consider your offer. If you will excuse me… "
Voldemort's hand tightened more on Sasuke's arm. "Consider carefully. I have so much to offer you."
Sasuke knew the moment Itachi entered the room. He pulled away from Voldemort and spun to face his brother.
"Forgive me," Itachi bowed his head slightly to Voldemort. "If I may, Lady Malfoy is asking after you."
Voldemort released Sasuke's arm and went back to the dining room without a word.
The atmosphere in the room went still as Sasuke stared at Itachi's mouth. Sasuke knew he couldn't risk looking into Itachi's eyes. The mangekyo sharigan had destroyed better shinobi than he.
Itachi closed the door behind him and Sasuke suddenly felt all the more vulnerable, even though he knew no one in the house could, and probably wouldn't even if they could, help should he need it.
"You were wise enough to heed my warning, little brother." Itachi's smile had faded into the empty expression Sasuke had seen that last night before Itachi had left Konohagakure. "Very good. Voldemort is able to see the thoughts of those who are unable to shield their mind by simply looking into the eyes of his opponent."
Sasuke said nothing.
"No words for me? It's been such a long time."
"You were my hero." Sasuke felt like throwing-up. "I trusted you."
"Trust is a handicap and is ill-befitting a shinobi." Itachi’s expression didn’t change - no anger, hate, regret… nothing. Just emptiness. "You've already been hurt almost more than you could bear. Let's hope your current Cell does not disappoint you so bitterly."
Sasuke snarled. He had faith in his Cell… though once he'd had faith in Itachi.
Itachi slowly walked towards Sasuke. "What is your mission?"
"It's not your business." Sasuke's heart began to race, painfully thumping against his ribs. He felt cold with fear.
"Isn't it? Does your mission have to do with me? Or does it overlap my own mission? I wonder. Still, be cautious. Voldemort plans on marking the boy you're imitating. Don't let it be done to you. You've already got one mark too many."
Sasuke unthinkingly put a hand to his throat.
"Yes. I know. Your defection to Orochimaru's side was news that spread through the world rather quickly. It wasn't hard to learn a few facts. I'm glad you didn't stay with him. He was weak." He paused a moment. "I didn't come here for you. I didn't even know you'd be here. It is a fortunate coincidence, however. By village customs, where you go, so goes your Cell. But I have been watching and have seen no sign of Hatake-san or your other Cell mates. I have seen no sign of Naruto. Though I didn't come looking for him, he would be an excellent bonus to this trip."
Sasuke felt himself tense. "You can't have him."
"It's not Naruto I want, but Kyuubi. You can have your friend's corpse when I'm finished. I don't expect he'll live through the ceremony."
It broke Sasuke's control. He leapt at Itachi with both arms outstretched but, as could be imagined, he was easily held back.
Itachi seized him by the throat and held him off the floor. "You'll fight for your Cell?"
"I have no one else to fight for." Sasuke swung both fists at Itachi's head and kicked as hard as he could, but Itachi took the blows without complaint. Sasuke took hold of Itachi's arms with both hands and began to focus the chidori.
"So very determined, aren't you? I'm proud." Itachi's hands tightened around Sasuke's throat. He kept increasing the pressure until Sasuke couldn't force air into his lungs. Stars danced before his eyes and the world turned gray around the edges of Sasuke's vision. Itachi shook him hard enough to jar Sasuke's teeth. "Hatake-san's favorite trick won't work. You'll pass out before you can focus enough chakra for the chidori."
Sasuke blinked and shook his head. He kicked again, but it was weak. He could feel the chakra he'd been forcing into the chidori fade as his body frantically drew back what energy it could to keep him alive. Sasuke squeezed his eyes tightly shut and dug his fingernails into Itachi's arm.
Weak. Always weak. No matter what jutsu he tried, no matter how fast or how strong he'd become, Sasuke knew he was no match for Itachi. He would never match Itachi's strength - not without Orochimaru's power. Sasuke's eyes sprang open and he stopped trying to breathe. He stopped fighting and focused. The world closed in around him until he could see only Itachi's uncaring eyes. ‘Left me alone.’
With one last stubborn surge of power, the chidori exploded from his hands in a brilliant flare of light. It threw Itachi, still holding onto Sasuke, backwards, but he stopped himself before he hit the wall and tightened his grip on Sasuke's throat as if he meant to pop Sasuke's head right off. He didn't so much as cry out.
"Such a lot of noise, little brother. If you can't be quieter, you'll be heard."
Sasuke felt sluggish and weak. His lungs burned from lack of air. Desperately, he aimed his fingers at Itachi's eyes, only to have his hand batted away like it was nothing more than an annoying insect.
"While I am curious about your mission, I'm more than happy to let you go on your way, little brother. Are you willing to do the same?"
Sasuke shook his head as much as he could.
Itachi almost looked like he wanted to laugh. "So much anger, but you're not there, yet. You haven't taken the final step to the mangekyo sharigan. If you hated me, truly hated me, you would do it."
It WAS hate. Sasuke did truly hate Itachi. Itachi had destroyed so much. He'd cracked the safe world Sasuke had lived in as a child and he'd taken away what meant most to Sasuke - Itachi's love. However, in the end, it was Sasuke who'd thrown away what was left of his life, not Itachi. It was Sasuke who'd betrayed the people who had grown to mean so much to him. It had been Sasuke who'd turned away from the Village that had given him nothing but respect and honor and it was Sasuke who'd cemented the idea in everyone's mind that the name Uchiha was synonymous with traitor.
It wasn't all Itachi's fault.
As much as Sasuke hated Itachi, there was one overpowering reason why he didn't follow through with the ritual to gain the mangekyo sharigan - Itachi wasn't worth the life of any of Sasuke's friends.
Itachi released Sasuke and let him fall to the floor.
Sasuke caught himself on his hands and feet and looked up at Itachi. He balled a fist and leapt at Itachi, but Itachi vanished and Sasuke's fist crashed through the wall Itachi had been standing in front of. He heard the sound of footsteps and voices coming towards him. Sasuke yanked his hand out of the hole in the wall he'd made. He looked quickly around the room, but Itachi was gone and had left him with a fist-sized hole in a wall that he had no way to explain. Sasuke heard the doorknob being turned and made his decision - for good or ill. Pulling his arm out of the hole Sasuke pressed his hands together to make the hand-sign he needed.
Instantly, in a puff of smoke, he was outside Malfoy Manor, crouched on the grass.
There was a man, staring at Sasuke The person was masked and it took Sasuke a moment to realize it wasn't an ANBU mask, but one of plain, featureless white.
"Stupefy!"
Earlier-
Sakura-
The world shifted and suddenly Sakura was in another place entirely.
Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a moan when her stomach twisted painfully.
She looked around at the grove of trees she suddenly found herself in. It wasn't a forest, it was too tamed to be called a forest, but the trees gave some comfort. There was a cobblestone road and Sakura could just see the rooftops of a few houses above the trees. She could smell smoke and saw it rising from tall chimneys. Ignoring the discomfort she felt from the magic travel as best as she could, Sakura looked around, once, before she took off for what seemed to offer the best cover - the trees. Once she felt safely concealed, Sakura took a moment to look at the tin can Naruto had dropped. She turned it over in her hands, but it was just a rusty tin can with fading wrapping.
The tin can was the obvious answer. Naruto had looked so urgent when he'd dropped it.
‘Sasuke's gone. Naruto was in a near panic about this tin can. Magic.’ She kept staring at the can in her hand. ‘Naruto was looking for Sasuke and this can brought me here. It's possible that Sasuke's here, too. Where?’ She frowned and tapped her fingers on a tree trunk. ‘Forest or houses? House. He was brought here. He doesn't know enough about magic to come himself, therefore he was brought here. A person would likely take him to a building for some purpose.’ Her frown deepened. It wasn't impossible that they would have gone into the forest.
Sakura went back to the place where she'd arrived and studied the ground. There were faint traces of someone standing there, but nothing that indicated it had to be Sasuke. The footsteps led away and, as it was the only clue she had, she followed. The trail was obvious and led Sakura to the gates of a large house surrounded by a colorful garden.
There were guards. It surprised Sakura, but she supposed that it shouldn't. The guards wore the impractical robes all wizards wore and had their faces hidden by white masks similar to ANBU masks. There weren't many of them, but enough that Sakura spotted them all around the house. She'd counted thirteen patrolling the exterior of the house in a seemingly haphazard manner. She guessed that they must be amateurs. They weren't efficient enough to be professional guards.
She crept quietly, staying close to the tree-line as long as she could, then slunk around the large shrubs that decorated the garden until she could get close to the house. When she drew close to a window with heavy curtains and muted voices coming through it, Sakura paused. Too far from the house to tell whether Sasuke was inside or not, Sakura could feel herself being watched. It wasn't one of the cloaked people, she was sure of that.
Sakura watched the house's windows, but though she saw movement inside, she couldn't make out any faces because of heavy curtains covering the windows. She had almost decided to venture into the house when one of the first-floor windows lit with a bright light - like lightening.
Her heart leapt.
‘Chidori!’
The flare of light only lasted an instant before it was extinguished. Sakura chewed on her bottom lip until she got close enough to the window that she could have reached out and touched it. She heard voices and smelled the lingering burn of the chidori. All at once, there was a great crack and raised voices.
Sasuke appeared about twenty feet away from where Sakura crouched near the house. He looked quickly around with wide, fearful eyes.
Fear.
Sakura had only ever seen Sasuke afraid when they'd faced Zabuza and Haku. He hadn't even looked so afraid when he'd faced Gaara's monstrous power in the chuunin exams. Sakura opened her mouth to call out to him, but one of the masked guards rounded the house at that moment and had a wand out, aimed at Sasuke.
"Stupefy!"
Sasuke's face froze. When the guard put their wand away and casually approached Sasuke, Sakura became worried. Sasuke didn't move. When the guard reared back and struck Sasuke hard enough across the face to knock him over, she was astounded. He didn't move even as he fell. He fell onto his side in exactly the same position he'd been in when the spell had hit him. It was like watching a chair being knocked over, as if Sasuke weren't even alive. Sakura felt a terrible chill overtake her. Wizards were capable of terrible things.
"Hey!" The guard called out. "We've got an… "
Sakura launched out of her hiding place and threw herself at the guard.
The guard, a man by his voice, let out a yelp when she knocked him to the ground and gasped when she slammed her fist into his stomach. He started to reach for his weapon, but Sakura swung her fist and caught him in the side of the head. It dazed the man long enough for Sakura to yank his mask off. He opened his mouth to yell, but Sakura took one last strike and punched him in the head. His eyes rolled and he fell limp.
Sakura jumped to her feet and went to Sasuke, still as he'd been when the spell first struck him. "Come on. Up! Can you hear me?"
Sasuke stared straight ahead with unblinking eyes. He didn't so much as twitch.
Sakura carefully picked Sasuke up and balanced him in her arms, but she heard someone behind her before she'd taken so much as one step.
"Curio!"
When the spell hit her, it was enough to make her drop Sasuke. The world went white with pain . It was incredible. It reached every part of her. The pain shot through her veins and seeped into her mind. It coursed through her whole body until there seemed to be nothing but the pain.
There was shouting from behind. Despite the pain, Sakura snatched a kunai from her holster and charged the wizard. It was another masked person, but this time she didn't intent to disable them. She struck him in the side of the head with her kunai. The blade sunk in clear down to her hand clenched around the handle and the man fell. Blood oozed out around her hand.
The pain didn't end with the wizard's death as Sakura had hoped. She left the body and went back to Sasuke. She picked him up and began running. She kept to the trees, but in sight of the road until she was certain she was far from the house Sasuke had come from. When there were no houses to be seen and she was certain they were far enough from danger, she stopped and lay Sasuke down.
For a moment, Sakura breathed deeply. The pain still lingered in her system, even after the long run.
"Well… what now? No idea where we are or how to get back to Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. No idea how to wake you up." She touched his face lightly and extended her power into him, searching. He seemed untouched, physically, except for Orochimaru's mark and a ring of darkening bruises around his throat. His heart was strong and his breathing steady. She took care of the bruises on Sasuke's throat easily enough, but after that had no idea what to do. "When in doubt, fall back on logic." Sakura pressed her hands together in the correct sign and broke Sasuke's jutsu.
Sasuke's face faded back to his own. All that was left of the illusion of Snape-san was the robe with the green snake crest.
"There," Sakura sat heavily on the ground. "Save your energy. So long as we're not at that school, there's no reason for you to be disguised." After a short rest, she stood and picked up his stiff body. "Let's find out where we are and how to get back to Kakashi-sensei."
To be continued…