Torture

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

A/N: I needed some humor... so there is a little at the beginning in this chapter... I think...

When Sakura woke up the next morning she had a small panic attack.

Her eyes were open but all she could see was white, glowy... whiteness... She went rigid for a moment before flailing her arms, successfully pulling the hospital sheet from over her head.

Sakura could hear Kakashi chuckle from the other side of the room, along with a snort that sounded suspiciously like Naruto. She blinked once and turned to look in the direction the sounds of amusement had come from.

Ah, yes. Just as she thought, there sitting in the little plastic chair was Kakashi, and beside him, leaning in the doorway was a now snickering Naruto. Sakura tried her best to glare, but it quickly gave way to giggling as she threw her pillow at the now outright laughing blond. It smashed into his face making him stumble back before falling on his ass, with a rather girlie shriek for someone with such a deep voice.

Sakura sat up slowly, throwing her feet over the side of the bed. "Good morning boys. I suppose I did probably look rather foolish fighting off a sheet, ne?" Kakashi nodded, trying to stifle another bit of sniggering.

Naruto had gotten back to his feet and walked over, sitting down beside Sakura, "I take it your feeling better this morning?"

"Hai, actually. I really am feeling quite a bit better... I didn't dream last night, that must have had something to do with it." she tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment before she turned and looked directly at Naruto. He stilled. Like a deer caught in headlights, his eyes grew large. He of all people knew, to be the end Sakura's complete focus could be dangerous... if she was angry, and sometimes you didn't even know she was mad. She would stare at you and them BAM, she would beat the crap outta you for whatever transgression she thought you had committed...

He was broken from his wide eyed fear when she spoke, rather than hitting him.

"So, I have been gone for over 3 months... What do you think that means?"

"Uhhhh, I don't know, you want... a...a...heh, you want a party?"

"No, if you would be so kind as to send Ino here the first chance you get. I need need need to know the new gossip!" She pulled her hand back like she was going to smack him. Naruto cringed, Sakura brought her hand down softly on the top of his head and ruffled his hair.

"What, did you think, I was gonna hit ya'? I missed you to much to hit you... yet."

Kakashi was laughing inwardly as he watched the two interact. Things would only get better again, he could only hope.

"Hai, sure thing Sakura-chan! Well, it's almost 8 and I have guard duty this morning. Unlike some people I like to be on time. So I will see you later, okay?" He gave Kakashi a meaningful glance.

"Okay, I will find you when they let me outta here."

"Ja na." He then made a couple of simple seals and used a transportation jutsu to poof out.

"I'm not 'always' late am I?"

Sakura looked at him as if considering his words, "No. Not always. When it counts the most you are right on time."

Before he could reply there was a knock at the door, Tsunade stepped in followed by Ibiki. Tsunade motioned to Kakashi, who nodded and stood.

"I will see you later Sakura."

Sakura's eyes widened for a moment and went back to normal, she looked around the room a little, biting her lip. Kakashi noticed her hesitancy and walked over, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder he spoke calmly, "Don't worry, I'll be back when their done. 'Kay?"

Sakura nodded and then gave him a rather tight hug, "You promise you will be here as soon as their done?"

Kakashi couldn't figure out why she was being so hesitant about this whole thing. She knew they weren't going to hurt her. Why was she so worried?

"Yea, I promise." Sakura nodded against his shoulder and then released him before looking up, "Sorry... I am being pretty foolish, aren't I..."

Ibiki and Tsunade looked at one another after they watched the worry and hesitation, fear and embarrassment cross her face.

"No, not foolish. I will see you in awhile, alright?"

"Hai, oh and... uhm, Kakashi? If you run into Ino could you bring her too?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes, Sakura and her gossip mongering... "Yes."

He turned and walked out of the room after nodding to Ibiki and Tsunade. Ibiki then stepped forward,

"Haruno Sakura, shall we begin?"

Sakura nodded and sat a little straighter, her grip on the tousled sheet growing unconsciously tighter until her knuckles were white. Tsunade stepped just outside of the room and grabbed another chair, dragging it in she sat down. Ibiki took the chair Kakashi had been sitting in only moments earlier, moving it so he sat in front of the nervous girl.

" We will begin with a basic assessment, please answer the following questions to the best of your ability, can you do that?"

"Hai."

Ibiki noted that her voice was slightly strained and her grip on the sheet was extremely tight. Probably a subconscious reaction, she knows what's coming...

" How many people interrogated you?"

He spoke in an even and calm tone.

" One."

No hesitation before her answer, her hand that was gripping the sheet twitched, her pupils grew minutely, her answer was short and to the point.

" How many times a day were you questioned?"

She closed her eyes slowly, her eyes moved quickly beneath the lid, darting left to right and back again. Her eyes opened, looking directly into his own when she spoke.

"If I was conscious, I was questioned."

Her eyes never moved from his own, her jaw was tight as she spoke.

" What were the methods of interrogation used on you during you captivity?"

She was visibly shaking for a moment after he spoke, but reigned in her control and stilled herself, closing her eyes as she answered.

" Torture, both psychological and physical..."

Her eyes clinched shut, wrinkles forming in her brow.

" He... Kabuto... I can't find words to describe the psychological methods he used..."

"Try."

Her eyes snapped open and met my own before she closed them again, not as tightly as before and ran her hands over her face and through her hair.

"He was... sadisticly kind... and horribly rude at the same time... does that make sense?"

Her eyes opened again as she searched my face for comprehension of what she was trying to explain. He did understand.

"Yes. Please continue."

She nodded briefly.

"Physical... there was a lot, I guess I will go in order of appearance, ne? It started with the basics, senbon, thumb screws, basic beatings, electrocution, drugging and starvation... after all of them he would heal whatever he had inflicted just enough to keep me living while still in as much pain as possible, that would go under psychological I guess..."

Her voice cut out. She coughed a little.

" After 4 days with no results he stepped the efforts up a notch, conscious surgical cuts, 'organ play' I believe is what he called it."

She swallowed hard, her eyes becoming a little unfocused.

" He strung me up by my wrists to a bar of some sort running wall to wall..."

She was going into further detail, interesting.

" Whippings, he started with 50 lashes, he was rather decent with the whip, he knew where to strike to create the most pain... he was a medical ninja after all I guess I shouldn't be too surprised... sorry,"

Drifting off subject slightly, notice of skill.

" Every whipping session the lash count raised by 1. In between those he implemented vices, stretchings, tendon cutting and re-attachment, water torture and r... r...ra..."

Stuttering and coughing, her eyes shut tightly again, lowered head, chin to the left, slight angle cantering right, she was fighting a flash back. Both hands fisted in sheet before wrapping arms around self and gripping arms, she is drawing blood with her nails, tears appear to be gathering in one of her eyes, her teeth were clenched, she was baring them as well.

"Rape... he and uh, he let some of his subordinates... uh... do it too..."

Her voice was cracking wildly. Eyes never opening once, her shoulders jerked.

"What questions were asked?"

"Where is Tenshi?"

Back to short, undescriptive answers, however she was also quoting. Voice wavering, her eyes opened again, fogged over, trance like.

" How did you respond to Kabuto's questions?"

He watched closely for her reaction to his use of her captors name, she flinched slightly, her eyes moving down and to the left for a brief moment. She was remembering pain. Her jaw clinched tightly, her teeth ground slightly before answering.

"Name, Haruno Sakura. Age, 21. Rank, jonin medic class. NRN# 012601."

Her entire body jerked, hands trembling she grabbed for the edge of the bed. Missing she started to fall forward before arching backwards, eyes flying open and body convulsing she hit the mattress. Tsunade flew into action, pushing chakra into the base of Sakura's neck to surpress the reaction her body was going into.

Ibiki watched as the young woman's head flew back, colliding with the wall and she screamed.

Ibiki shuddered, for as long as he lived he would not forget that sound, the keening, gutteral keening wail that passed the woman's lips as they and the rest of her face contorted and twisted into a grimace of pure, unadulterated suffering.

Ibiki had heard many people scream, cry out or just simply wail in his line of work, but he had never heard anything even remotely as disturbing and frightening as the sound that had just passed her lips and undoubtedly filled the entire hospital.