Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea
Three Weeks Earlier
Dan considers himself to be a pretty laid back Hokage. He doesn’t gripe at people too much about getting work done or micro managing. He gives people chances and if they don’t succeed on those chances there are meetings to get to the bottom of the issue. He’s a leader that finds ways to advance the village through improved laws and regulations. Building on the previous ones that have already proven successful. He's civil and when there are skirmishes between other forces they handle it through diplomates and meet half way.
He sends new ideas to his advisors who sends them back for revision and then are passed. And it works, since he’s been in office things have been smooth.. in part that is due to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Minato Uzumaki, Fugaku Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake. They have paved way for Konoha to have a brighter future and a chance for him to accomplish his dream without Danzo being a thorn in his side.
Danzo was one of the few that hated Dan. He does’t know what he did to the man but needless to say whatever it was never warranted a hit on him. When Dan informed the counsel his plans to train to become a future Hokage while Sarutobi was in office he was met with silent and deadly resistance.
It was a banquet with only about a dozen political guests and their dates.
He had started feeling sick after having several sips of champagne, not knowing he had been poisoned. It was complete chaos, so he heard after recovering, and was one of the many events that led to Danzo's downfall. Of course back then it was only the beginning of discovering ROOT and that night he knew that he couldn’t do it without Tsunade. She saved his life that night. And that morning he proposed.
He sighs and feels a sense of relief at how far they have come.
Almost all shinobi cells at this time have at least one or two shinobi who has training in medical jutsu. And since the increased training the hospital has seen a decrease in deaths from infections. A study showed they were losing more shinobi on their way home from infections than on the field itself. Something had to change and that’s where he and Tsunade came in.
His new directive for all shinobi to receive medical training passed only a couple years ago. And it’s going to take a couple more years for everyone to be trained and that’s pushing it. Then there are the older shinobi that are too stuck in their ways and don't want to learn and avoid their trainings. Kakashi for example. Dan shakes his head thinking about it.
Tsunade has been his saving grace with getting the ball going on offering flexible classes for shinobi to take from beginners to advanced. She also told Dan it would help if hospital workers had an incentive to help train shinobi's and so Dan did just that and it blasted off the project with incredible speed.
When an Anbu came in with pictures of the young girl from Kakashi’s team today he was surprised because Tsunade usually brags about her talented ones. The pictures of the pinkette destroying rocks and using chakra scalpels shows every bit of talent. Tsunade's style of fighting is distinct and this girl is a replica. Knowing his wife though he's surprised she would teach one of Kakashi's because she’s already so busy… And Kakashi never mentioned anything either...
“So when were you going to tell me?” He mutters into Tsunade's neck. They’re home and in their bedroom and finally able to relax before going to bed. He kisses the side of her neck.
Tsunade chuckles and rocks into his embrace, “Tell you what Dan?”
“That you have a student.” Dan says and spins her around, “I’m sure Kakashi is thrilled about it.”
“A student? I have many! And what does Kakashi have to do with it?” Tsunade tilts her head confused and goes to the bed, sitting down before going to remove her shoes.
“His pink haired student that took the break, I forget her name.” Minato tries to think. "You taught'er the creepy chakra scalpel move you do."
“What?” She snaps and stands up kicking off her other shoe. “She's using my chakra scalpel move? Sakura?”
“Wait, you don’t know?” Dan frowns. “Anbu brought to my attention she's smashing through rocks and using chakra scalpels.”
He knows from the look on her face that she’s disturbed by this, “I’m sure there’s an explanation. Nothing gets by Kakashi.”
“Dan.” Tsunade goes to him and pulls him down to a kiss, “You find out.”
Dan smirks into her lips.
………..
Present
Kakashi, Obito and Itachi finally arrive at the reported shrine. Immediately they scope out the area to ensure no one is around and then stand before it taking in the peculiar subject. The shrine is the centerpiece of the small opening surrounded by the forest standing perfectly center. It stands just as tall as Kakashi, and the high pile of dried mud stands supported by femur and arm bones while at the base is a pile of different colored feathers. In the feathers are broken skulls. One skull stands out from all of the rest. It’s the only one still in perfect shape and is that of a child’s with something lodged inside its jaw just slightly poking through.
Obito turns in disgust and looks into the trees, his sharingan looking for anything that might look suspicious. Itachi stares at the shrine with his sharingan but there’s no chakra signals or anything out of the normal from looking at the mud sculpture. Itachi doesn’t know who dubbed it a shrine or why but the scroll only stated this was a place of worship to the unknowns. Definitely a cult of some sort. Kakashi bends down to the child’s skull and takes a stick and goes to open the mouth.
“Wait.” Itachi stops him. The stick slightly trembles in Kakashi’s hand just shy of touching the bone.
“I already checked for any possible traps.” Kakashi says. He hadn’t seen anything, no chakra lines or genjutsu surrounding them, but Itachi and Obito’s judgements always come first when it comes to the sharingan.
Itachi shakes his head. “I don’t see any either but… I’d leave it until we know more.”
Obito mutters quietly, “And you guys pick on me for being superstitious.”
“Yeah…” Kakashi sighs and backs up from it trusting Itachi’s gut instinct he puts the stick down and turns away. “Let’s go.”
They immediately take off and settle high above into the trees where they have perfect sight of the shrine below. They blend in with their surroundings having brought along their special cameo gear for this terrain. Even though they are right next to Suna the forest is similar to Konoha’s. The northern part of their region has more humidity and rain but that ends right as they get to the dessert. The forest itself is alive with loud wildlife chittering and singing as they made their was through, but as soon as they came to their destination it became silent.
Itachi sends several crows to scour the area to keep watch for anyone or anything approaching.
“Never know, they may come back. Then we tail them for a month and then report to the Hokage.” Kakashi whispers from where he’s laying in the tree. “Easy peasy.”
“I’m surprised how long he wants us out for.” Obito whispers back, he’s below Kakashi. “A month…” Usually Obito isn’t sent on long missions because he’s a teacher and they have other capable shinobi who could be gone for this long. According to Obito the Hokage felt this mission could use Obito’s skills more so than the kids need him home. And Iruka isn’t left short handed as there’s substitutes that cover them when they are out.
“He must have his reasons.” Itachi whispers to them, and they all understand his double meaning. Either this is a major recon mission which seems unlikely OR the Hokage suspects them all of treason and wants them out of Konoha during their investigation.
Kakashi wants to believe the Hokage still trusts them however it is very coincidental that the three of them were picked for this odd mission. And maybe it’s that hope that blends in with the heavy feeling he gets from the sinister shrine that there is a real possibility this won't be a simple recon and the Hokage felt he needed the best for it.
He looks over at Itachi who meets his eye. Itachi gives him the 'shits bout to hit the fan' eye. He stares back giving Itachi his, 'there’s something fishy going on' eye. Itachi nods. Working with someone for so long you just know what they say with a look. Obito shifts position to take watch behind them while Kakashi and Itachi watch forward toward the shrine.
The trees shifting in the breeze is the only noise to be heard. Bright pink and purple hues pitter patter across the sky above without any birds to enjoy it. Soon enough they’re enshrouded by the night and the soft soothing sound of the trees has Kakashi listening more intently than before.
Kakashi clenches his hand around the tree limb he’s been resting on and hoists himself quietly up to get a better view. He takes a look down at the shrine using his sharingan to find two dim red ruby lights staring back at him from down below. Heart jumping he picks up his binoculars and takes a closer look and can’t believe what he’s seeing. Not wanting to bring attention to whatever is below he quietly flags the attention of the other two.
He points down to the ground where he noticed the lights.
Obito and Itachi re-adjust in their spots to get a better view of the paranormal. Kakashi decides to stop looking at the ruby lights glinting from the ground and turns to the other Uchiha waiting for their reactions.
In the dark hand signs are harder to pass along, but he catches Obito sign, ‘Kekkai Genkai’
As they think of possibilities they watch as a chakra line begins to run up what is the mud mound. Kakashi turns to Itachi who is signaling to them.
‘Sending crow’
Itachi’s crow is hard to find in the dark until they see the fluttering in the night as it gets closer to the shrine. The crow lands before the lights and pecks at the ground, and once it does the bird combusts into flames. They watch with shock but Itachi’s gasp has Kakashi and Obito turning to find Itachi bent over with a hand on his face and the other holding the tree.
Obito continues to watch Itachi while Kakashi immediately turns to the ground, the bird is still in flame and the chakra lines begins glowing brighter.
Bum dum Bum dum Bum dum Bum dum Bum dum Bum dum
It’s such a soft noise that at first Kakashi thinks he’s imagining it but looking back at Obito he finds he hears it too. Itachi looks up with a tear coming down his face.
Bum Dum Bum Dum Bum Dum Bum Dum Bum Dum
The beating drums pick up the rhythm and starts getting louder and louder. Kakashi feels the sound go straight into his soul causing him to shiver while he quickly starts to gather their gear. Obito takes hold of Itachi’s arm and throws it over his shoulder.
Kakash catches their weary stares and signs, ‘Out’
They stealthily make their way through the trees not stopping until the deep thrums of the drums are no longer heard. Whatever that was just now was not something they needed to get caught up in. Kakashi and Obito make sure the area is safe while Itachi slowly sets up camp. They’re near a river just on the skirts of the tree line.
Once they are sitting Obito is the first to ask it, “What the hell was that?”
Kakashi shakes his head and turns to Itachi, “Are you alright? What happened?”
“While the crow was burning it was sending me its pain.”
Kakashi and Obito are quiet with shock, both wondering the same. How can a summons send pain? Was it the shrine or was it the summons?
Itachi rolls his shoulders before voicing their exact thoughts, “I’ve never had that happen before. I don’t know if my summons was angry I sent him to his death or if it had to do with the shrine.”
“How much could you feel?” Obito whispers.
“All of it.” Itachi dully states, exhausted from the experience. The bird was on fire for a couple minutes, which felt like an eternity.
“We should include that in the report.” Kakashi says.
“And that drumming was so creepy! Why do we have to do this mission? This should have been Suna’s jurisdiction, it’s closer to them anyway and it’s probably something they are familiar with.” Obito complains while opening a beef jerky and tearing into it. “The sudden chakra line in the mud! What the heck could do that?!”
Itachi shakes his head and remains silent. A part of him feeling slightly guilty at having killed a summons, he knew it was a probability but he didn’t really consider the summons feelings before now. He will inquire about this with Nekomata-sama when he gets home.
Kakashi frowns. “I’m willing to believe anything nowadays…” He wonders if Sakura had experience with this before. “We will get some rest, Obito takes first watch then I’ll take this morning, I want you to get rest Itachi and then we’ll head back just before nightfall. This time I want to find a better view of the shrine.”
………………..
“So, you want to talk yet?” Scarface asks her again.
Sakura screams out as her finger snaps back, this time he didn’t even give her time to answer because the last three fingers she hadn’t talked so he’s just finishing up her hand now.
Crack! She can’t even swear or talk or gasp she’s in so much pain. The pain is blinding. It’s through sheer determination she hasn’t passed out yet and that’s because she doesn’t want to risk being thrown back inside her head. Snot and tears run down her face as she tries to take in a breath and regain composer. Her hand is shaking uncontrollably from the nerves throbbing so bad, and as she tries to elevate it so it won’t hit the table the interrogator grabs it and slams it on the table.
“Ahhhhhnnn…..” She clenches her teeth while moaning in agony.
“Ah, the thumb… that’s a tougher one to break, I like to use the hammer for the thumbs.” Scarface gets up from his seat and goes over to his tool kit in the corner. Sakura takes a quick look at her hand to find her four fingers on her right hand bent in awkward angles. Kami she would throw up if she wasn’t afraid she’d choke on it. The sound of metal tinkering inserts images of the horrific weapons he probably has in there, his deep chuckles all the while isn't helping.
“Found it!” Scarface laughs and makes his way back over and slams it down onto the metal table right next to where her hand is laying. Chakra cuffs are strapped to her wrists with a few inches of chain and not enough to move her hands to avoid the oncoming hammer.
She flinches as he just misses her hand. He quickly slams the hammer down again causing her to flinch again. BANG! BANG! Each time he misses she continues to flinch so hard her body finally gives up after the umpteenth time he slams it down that she has no more strength to flinch.
BANG! CRUNCH! The hammer connects with her thumb, she lets out a blood curdling scream but the pain is too much and she blacks out. Or whites out.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
She’s wakes to the dreadful white void and finds Dimension Sakura looking down at her with a smirk.
“I apologize, I should have warned you about T&I but it kinda fled my mind when you were calling me Loser. Hey, does this mean I can call you Loser now?” What an asshole.
“Kami, shut up!” Sakura rolls to her side and lifts her head surprised her hand isn’t injured.
She looks at her healed hand and feels like the pain from just seconds ago is a ghost of a memory. Sakura looks up at Dimension Sakura who has her hand on her hip.
“Your hand will be fine. You need to learn to disassociate when you’re in pain. One thing I learned is to go inside your head, not deep like in here, but where you won’t feel anything. Inner Sakura used to be helpful for that.”
Dimension Sakura has a far off look in her eyes but it’s only there for a second before her eyes snap back to her with a look of pure loathing. This Dimension Sakura has been through a lot, she knows, but why should she be her target!?
“I’m sorry you went through that.” She says trying to soothe the anger she feels boiling just beneath the surface.
Dimension Sakura scoffs, “I want you to toughen up and get back out there.”
“How? I feel like the last time was a fluke.”
“Simple, because if you don’t go back out there, I’ll just have to torture you myself.” Dimension Sakura looks borderline mad. “You myself.” She cackles. “You probably don’t even know who is torturing you do you?”
Sakura gets off the ground and begins putting distance between them. “But you just healed my hand!”
“So?” Dimension Sakura bursts out laughing at her shocked expression and begins walking towards her.
“Ibiki Morino, head of Torture and Interrogation, is going to break you Sakura. But that’s only if you aren’t broken by me first… I’ve thought about it. If you’re too weak then maybe I should take over. This stupid place is driving me up a wall and I’m just itching to get back out. If I switch back with you now while you’re in T&I I might even feel at home.”
Sakura shakes her head and continues to walk backwards. “Y-you said… you don't want to live!”
Dimension Sakura tuts while taking out a pair of gloves from her back pocket. Where did she get those? She puts them on and raises her fists to her.
“Being in here sure isn’t dying.”
Sakura takes off into a run and narrowly dodges a fist to her face. Fear overwhelms her and makes her clumsy and so in all clumsy Sakura fashion she stumbles back and falls to the ground. Only seconds, not even a fight!
“S-stop!” She pleads as the crazy bitch quickly gets on top of her using her weight to hold her down.
Dimension Sakura grabs her by the throat and starts choking her in a two handed tight grip. Sakura tries to kick and buck her off while trying to pry the hands off her but her fingers are weak against the others tightening ones. Jealousy burns through her at the others strength but no amount of her anger now can throw off the dimension assailant. The intense pain increases in her neck, lungs and face as building pressure without air continues. She's really killing me! Unbridled fear grips her soul so much that she wishes to be back in the T&I cell and once their eyes connect within close range does she feel the pull she felt before.
Dull green eyes filled with murderous intent suddenly changes into to a look of relief? And as she feels herself be pulled back all she can think of is ‘Oh that bitch’.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Naruto jolts awake. He sits up wiping the sweat from his brow and tries to forget the nightmare he just woke from. Lately his nightmares have been of beating Sakura and killing her… the demon inside of him letting loose and gaining control. Why did he confront the other Sakura like that? That’s not like him, that’s not who he was raised to be nor want to be. And even though he was angry at this other Sakura, she was still A Sakura…
Naruto puts his head into his hands still exhausted.
“Hey Naruto, I made your favorite breakfast!” His mom says poking her head into his room.
“No thank you mom.”
“What! You gotta have breakfast, ya know! Get up!” Kushina comes over to Naruto and pulls him up. “What’s wrong? I heard Sakura is back you should be happy and go see her!”
So far his mother only knows that Sakura passed out during training and returned from where ever. Ino had stopped by and let her know but neither knew the specifics why Sakura was in the hospital. Kakashi left before telling them, no doubt wanting Naruto to man up and do it himself. If only that were easy.
“Mom, I have to tell you and dad something…”
Kushina sits down besides him on the bed. “Your father is at work now. How about you eat and you can tell us later tonight. I have to get going as well because today is when we start preparing for the evacuation drills.”
Naruto nods and takes a deep sigh, “Sounds good. I’m going to meet up with Sasuke then head over to the hospital.”
Kushina pulls him into a hug, “I’m sure Sakura will be fine, ya know!”
Naruto thinks of how Sasuke and Sai probably thinks of him now as he walks to the training ground. He doesn’t even know how much they know or saw the other day because he was too busy crying and hovering over Sakura. All he knows is it was him and Kakashi with Sakura and then Kakashi took her to the hospital. Naruto went straight home to wallow in self loathing after that, not wanting to know the damage done.
He arrives at the training ground and finds Sasuke doing some basic warm ups.
“Hey…” Naruto greets.
Sasuke turns around and frowns. “What happened?”
Naruto shrugs and swallows hard. It’s difficult to own up to being an asshole… he wonders how Sasuke can manage so easily. But even Sasuke hasn’t knocked out Sakura with the intent he had.
“I uh…” He clears his throat. “Hit her pretty hard, she had to go to the hospital.”
Sasuke stops and stares with furrowed brows. “It’s training. She should be taking it more seriously.”
Naruto rubs his chest and sniffs. “No, I attacked her.”
Sasuke rolls his eyes and goes back to his warm ups. He starts with lunges to stretch his legs so he can work on higher kicks.
“I was so angry about… you know, her.” Naruto begins talking while watching Sasuke continue his stretches. “She wasn’t taking me seriously and that pissed me off so much cause we’ve seen her…She can fight.”
Sasuke pauses in his stretch and looks over.
“I put in a lot of force into my hit because I thought she’d block it, ya know? Then at the last second she… she just took it. And I knocked her out. Kami Sasuke! I really thought for a second that I… that she was… that I killed her, ya know!? I...” Naruto wipes a hand down his face.
Sasuke doesn’t think he’s ever seen Naruto look so haunted, not even with the coup drama happening. He tries to think of what to say, what Itachi might say to him if he were in this situation. He sighs and goes over to the blonde.
“You fucked up.” Sasuke states. “Now you gotta fix it.”
Naruto bends over and puts his hands on his thighs trying to keep composure. Sasuke pats his back awkwardly.
“You don’t get it! It’s not that easy, you didn’t see how I acted towards her, Sasuke! I was ruthless!” A demon. He shoves Sasuke away and starts walking, ignoring Sasuke as he does.
“Idiot!” Sasuke calls but doesn’t follow after. Naruto needs space and time to reflect and he wasn’t about to get in the middle of that.
Itachi informed their parents he had a month long mission, and then informed Sasuke that Kakashi was also going to be absent.. so asking Kakashi is out of the question. Perhaps he should go check up on the pink haired girl himself.
He thinks better of it and goes back to his stretching then moving on to high and low kicks. As he continues all he can think about is Sakura and how she is doing. It’s hard to imagine Naruto going batshit crazy on Sakura of all people. Naruto has had a crush on Sakura since the first day at the Academy. If this was a normal day, minus dimension drama, he would think Naruto’s exaggerating the entire incident. But the way Naruto has been the last couple weeks especially since that day on the mission when Sakura mentioned Danzo he wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t exaggerating. He stops his kicks and wipes the sweat from his forehead and looks at the sun… it’s mid afternoon, now would be a good time to visit.
Sasuke puts his hands in his pockets and starts his stroll towards the hospital. Maybe he should pick up some flowers for her. No, then he’ll run into Ino and she’s annoying, she’d probably start interrogating him about it all. He starts down another way to avoid the shop so he doesn’t run into the Yamanaka.
“Hey! Uchiha!”
He turns and finds the shadow user. Ugh.
“I don’t know anything.” Sasuke greets unkindly.
The Nara, if can, looks even more unimpressed with him.
“Yeah, I know that.” Is the lazy response he receives.
“So?” Sasuke takes his hands out of his pockets and starts beginning his walk again. Shikamaru following besides him not saying a word until they reach an alley where he’s lightly pushed in. So this guy is gonna be like that, huh..
Shikamaru looks around then down the alley using his shadow to check if there’s anyone hiding behind the trash cans further down. Sasuke using his sharingan as well not trusting the Nara to be thorough. Once they are in the clear Shikamaru turns to him.
“Were you going to the hospital?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“She’s not there.”
“Fine.” Sasuke pushes Shikamaru to leave only to be grabbed and pulled back.
“She’s not home either." Shikamaru gets close and personal leaning next to his ear whispering. "T&I has her.” Shikamaru lets him go returning Sasuke's glare then leaves him with nothing more.
“Kami.” Sasuke grips his hand into a fist then slams it against the wall behind him. Does Naruto know? Kakashi? Is this because she’s from another dimension or because of Naruto? His brain is spinning. They wouldn’t take Sakura to T&I for nothing. And to do so without Kakashi around? Everything about it is suspicious. He takes off to Naruto’s house then thinks better of it and rushes home instead. If anyone can help Sakura right now, it's his father.