Torture

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters there in.

A/N: I just realized the time line in this story is all kinds of wonky, I don't feel like going back at this point, so, I will explain the time line as quickly as I can here, I will eventually go back and fix it...

Sakura's mission started 2 months before she was taken by Kabuto.

She was held captive for 12 days before Tsunade sends Kakashi and co.

It takes 4 days to reach the first safe house run by Idate outside of Degarashi Port from Konoha. On the second morning, after Kakashi's team arrives and Kakashi and Neji have already left to scout for Sakura; Genma, along with Tenshi, heads out for Konoha.

It takes 2 days to locate the base Sakura is being held in.

18th day Naruto, Sasuke, Yamato and Shikamaru head out. It takes 3 days to reach Safe house number two, located just outside of Fishing Village.

Halfway through day 19 Naruto's group meets up with Genma's group and Pakkun. (and Pakkun is super fast so the travel time doesn't matter for him or any other of Kakashi's dogs)

which brings us to the present time, 20 1/2 days after her initial capture... On with the story!

---In Konoha (some point durring Day 21)---

Genma and his companions were just about to finish their report when a a loud bang was heard behind them. They all turned to take note of a very irate looking Sai come huffing into the room. He stomped up to the Hokage's desk and slammed his hands down on the top of it.

"Hey, Baa-chan, where the hell is the Hag?! My team encountered that rat's ass glasses freak that hung around the snake bastard. He told me that Hag was in trouble, that he had taken her... he said he was gonna make her suffer because our guys had gotten her out. Where the hell is she! Tell me that fag was lying! He said to tell his 'hime'..."

He spit after the words were out as if they had been poison before continuing his rant to a rather angry looking Tsunade. Oblivious to the stares he was garnering from the others present in the room, " To tell his 'hime' that she would be his again and to remember the rain, what the hell was he talking about!?"

Tsunade reguarded Sai with a malicious smirk before cracking her knuckles and relaxing herself, thinking he was worried about his teammate and friend. "You, Sai, have been hanging around Naruto a bit too much. You are picking up his bad habits of bursting into this office and calling me OLD WOMAN!" she yelled the last before retaking her seat and cradling her head in her hands, murmuring to herself about arrogant brats.

Sai quirked an eyebrow and continued waiting for an answer to his questions. Tenshi turned to face the Hokage, "Hokage-sama, if I may?"

"Hai, hai, go ahead."

"Arigato," Tenshi turned to face the young man who had burst into the room again before speaking, " My name is Hanatako Tenshi, I requested a bodyguard that specialized in the medical field about 2 months ago. Haruno Sakura was the nin assigned because of the dangers involved with watching over me in my last months. It was planned to be a 5 to 6 month mission, s-class, because Kabuto is after me. He seems to have gotten it into his head that I can help resurrect Orochimaru. On this point he is incorrect, I however wish to live out the last of my life at peace and not being a test subject. Your friend...?" she asked questioningly because of the names he had called the young medic.

Sai nodded, "Hai, she is indeed my friend, Hag is a nickname I gave her when we first met. Please continue with the explanation as it has not quite answered my inqueries."

The pale woman coughed a bit before continuing, "Well, she took me to a safe house in Tea country, run by a very pleasant young man named Idate... I digress, forgive me. As I was saying she took me to the safe house and cared for me as well as making sure that no sound-nin, nor Kabuto himself, would find me. One day about 3 weeks and 2 days ago, she did not return from her routine patrol.

Idate couldn't get any mail out of the safe house for fear that she had been taken and that they could be watching. He told me that Sakura had instructed him to hold down the fort, as it were, if she were to go missing. That someone would send help rather promptly considering it would be highly out of character for her to miss any kind of appointment, especially progress reports.

She was correct in her assumption it appears because almost two weeks later some of your comrades arrived and set out in search of her, leaving Genma-san there to watch over me. They decided that it would be safest for me to be brought here and we met up with these two gentlemen on our way home and two other young men. The other two continued on and should have arrived there already.

According to the Hokage, they should return here with her in tow in about 4 days now. They were successful in retrieving her from Kabuto and his men."

Tsunade nodded in the affermative. Genma and Yamato both looked as though something had suddenly hit them when they both spoke up, "Your dying?!"

"Yes. I have a little over two months left."

----The next morning at the safe house (day 22)----

Sakura woke up from the first night of decent rest she had gotten in just over 3 weeks and yawned. She looked around the room and noticed Sasuke and Naruto asleep against the wall. She smiled when she saw them.

Sasuke cracked open his eyes and the first thing he saw was Sakura smiling at him and the dobe, "G'morning" he said groggily.

"Good morning Sasuke, we should probably wake Naruto up. I bet the others are ready to head out." Sasuke nodded and moved to wake Naruto, while Sakura got up and headed into the hallway to go to the bathroom.

Sakura shut the door behind herself as she slipped into the bathroom and reguarded herself in the mirror... she had seen better days, her hair was a mess and she still had bags under her eyes. She could also see the faint remnants of the damage the water torture had done to her face, swelling and cracking it after prolonged exposer to water. It would probably heal rather quickly now that her body could draw upon her chakra though. She raised her shirt over her head and inspected her new scars.

She had already gained quite a few during training and on other missions, but these new additions stood out. Kabuto, being the sadist he was, never healed any of them completely just so they would scar. Sakura never bothered with small insignificant wounds, but those he had left untended were awful. They had been allowed to get infected before he would do anything about them... he only ever healed her just enough to keep her alive and yet still remain in the worst pain possible.

Long angry, red scars ran down her arms now, and across her stomach and chest. Scars from gougings marred her hips and thighs... Oh well, she would just have to get used to them, such was the life of kunoichi.

After assessing the permanent damage she went about her normal morning routine.

---in the other room with the boys---

Sasuke practically had to drag Naruto out of the back room to meet with Neji and Kakashi to finalize their travel plans.

"Okay, so She is in no condition to be running this long a distance, so we will trade off carrying her. I will go first, Naruto your second, Sasuke third and Neji you are fourth. Every time we break we will trade. Got it?"

Every one nodded in acceptance before Kakashi continued, "We cannot under any circumstances leave her by herself. She will likely have more episodes like the one you two..." he motioned to Naruto and Sasuke, "... arrived in time to see. It is typical with PTSD, which I have no doubt she is suffering from. Try your best not to upset her, we need to keep her stress levels as low as possible."

All three responded with their respective, Hai, Hn. , and understood.'s.

They all looked up as Sakura emerged from the back of the house, she had just taken a bath and her hair was hanging wet around her face, there were tears lingering in her eyes, "Can we go home now?"

Kakashi nodded, he would ask about the tears later. Each of the others picked up a pack and headed outside while Kakashi stood at the door waiting patiently for Sakura. She walked with slow and deliberate steps out the door and past him.

Once they were all outside Kakashi motioned for Sakura to get on his back, Sakura glared at him for a moment, "I am perfectly capable of walking on my own, thank you."

When she recieved disapproving looks from all present she pouted, hopped onto Kakashi's back and they were off.