A/N: Hello
everyone and welcome back!
Rated: "M" gore /
adult situations / torture / violence / language
Welcome to Chapter 17 of "The Collector" – Going Downhill
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Sai, Sakura, and Ino had been taken inside a medical tent and given warm blankets and tea, each waiting to be interrogated by a special anbu team. Ino sat on one of the cots, subconsciously rubbing her fingers over the rim of her teacup. Sakura paced back and forth across the room, anxious to find out the condition of her teammates. Sai merely stood expressionless off to one side, his arms crossed over his chest. Each person was so caught up his or her own thoughts, they all failed to notice the purple haired anbu that entered the tent. Clearing her throat, the trio was startled to attentiveness as she said briskly, "It is imperative that I take note of your experiences to better understand what exactly happened here. I'll need names, places, times, …"
"Sai? Sai!" a teenage male with shoulder length silver hair popped his head inside the tent. The female anbu's eye twitched at the interruption. The teen then dashed inside and ran up to Sai, throwing his arms around the pale teen, hugging him tight. Sakura looked on curiously.
"That's Shin, Sai's best friend," piped in Ino.
"I'm glad you're alright," Shin said happily.
"Yes," Sai replied coolly, slipping out of Shin's grasp. "The injuries I sustained have been tended to."
"I honestly thought I'd never see you again. Let's hope the Konoha anbu and our fellow villagers are as lucky in finding Master Sasori and the others who are missing as well," said Shin. "You wouldn't believe what's been going on, the speculations, the battle with this crazy monster…"
"OUT!" the female anbu barked. Shin winced, then hastily made his exit. The anbu turned back to the trio and sobered. "As I was saying, my name is Anko, and I'm here to make a mission report. Let's start with you, Sakura."
"Of course, Anko," the pink-haired girl replied. Stepping forward, Sakura was abruptly cut short by Sai, who had sprung forward and now held a firm grip on her upper arm.
"I think we should let Ino go first. After all, she'd been stuck in that twisted place the longest. It's best she tells her story, and then get some much needed rest. Wouldn't you agree, Sakura?" Sai emphasized her name by squeezing subtly, yet painfully, on her flesh.
"Good idea," Sakura said, forcing a smile in agreement. Ino raised a brow, but Sakura waved her on. "Go on. Anko is a good person, you can be honest with her."
"If you insist," Ino said, setting down her tea. She took a quick glance at Sai and sighed. Her boyfriend was acting stranger by the moment. Frowning, she followed Anko out of the tent.
"Honesty. An interesting concept, isn't it?" Sai mused.
"Cut the crap, Sai," Sakura snapped. "What are you planning this time?"
"No need to be so bitchy," Sai said calmly, releasing his grip on the girl. "I just want to talk."
"Whatever you have to say, you can forget about it!" Sakura whirled around. "I'm through with you and your conniving ways!"
"Watch your tongue, girl," Sai hissed. Quick as a flash, he slid behind Sakura, the cool edge of a kunai pressed up against her neck. Sakura's eyes widened. "Your anbu are sloppy," Sai flat lined. "Though I suppose they are a bit pre-occupied for the moment." "Now," Sai's voice lost its bland edge as it dipped low. "Listen carefully for you see, I have a new version of how things happened. Call it being 'creative,' if you will."
"Creative my ass," Sakura mumbled, not liking where this was going.
"Resentful, are we?" Sai mused. "I'll put it in perspective for you then." Sakura gasped as the blade pressed further into her throat. "I can make it so you never see your precious Naruto and Sasuke again.
"You wouldn't," Sakura challenged.
"Hmm…do you know how easy this would be to make it look like suicide for you? We all know how estranged emotions can lead us to take undesirable actions and drastic measures. Oh, and don't think this is a one time deal either. The threat will always be there if you refuse to cooperate. Don't believe me, just try me." Sai dared, pricking her fragile flesh with the edge of the blade. A small drop of blood beaded, then ran slowly down her skin.
"What Ino sees in you, I'll never understand," Sakura uttered bitterly, attempting to mask her fear.
"Leave Ino out of it," Sai clipped. "She has no idea of the abduction and force I used to rescue her. The funny thing is, I didn't even save her," Sai laughed humorlessly. "Everything I did, all that effort, for what? Nothing. And so, I am not going into punishment labor for this nor will I be stripped of my position."
"What do you have in mind," Sakura asked resentfully.
Sai smiled smugly. "You remember our dear friend, Deidara, don't you? Well, let me tell you how it all really happened." Sai moved in close, leaning in to whisper into Sakura's ear. Her eyes grew large at the web of lies Sai had concocted. It was all said so smoothly and was so convincing that even she began to doubt her own experiences.
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Deidara heaved a sigh of relief as he approached the end of the escape tunnel. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be outside, Sasori." The redhead was silent, trapped in unconsciousness. Deidara frowned, uncertain as to how his friend was fairing. Soon, both men came face to face with a narrow wall where the tunnel dead-ended. "Alright then, to get it open I'll have to...ugh!" Deidara grunted, feeling Sasori's weight lean heavily against his side, putting pressure on his broken ribs. "But first," Deidara's eyes scanned the tunnel, his vision having adjusted to the inky darkness back when they first entered the tunnel. "Perfect!" he said, finding a smooth section of a sidewall in which he leaned Sasori up against. He then set about to exploring the nearby stones surrounding the dead end wall. "This is just as frustrating as it was the first time," Deidara muttered. He was on his second time around searching the stones when the sound of muffled voices drifted inside the tunnel from the other side.
"Yeah, copy that," he heard a male voice say.
"What is it?" another replied.
"Orders are we're on the lookout for a blonde haired guy, blue eyes, medium build and height. Mid 20s. Our superiors want us to find and capture him. But we need to be cautious as he's considered to be dangerous and crazy."
"What?" Deidara was startled. That description was of him, though he didn't think he was dangerous or crazy. Looking down at himself, he saw dirt, grime, sweat, and blood, so maybe people would disagree, but they had no idea of what he'd been through. He was confused. Why was he was being made out to be the culprit rather than a victim? Slowly and quietly, Deidara began to back away from the wall, completely forgetting that Sasori was sitting near his feet. He cursed under his breath when he tripped over his friend.
"Did you hear something?" the younger man asked from the outside. Deidara froze, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. He could see the silhouettes of the two men standing on the other side of the fake wall.
"Yeah, I think it came from somewhere over here," the older voice replied. "Let's check it out." Flashlights were scanning along the wall, darting closer and closer.
A headset crackled, "I need everyone to meet up in the center of camp. It's time to set up teams to head inside the building. Seems there is a lot more going on than just a façade of a hospital."
"Got it," the man answered.
"But what about the sound we heard?"
"Never mind. It's probably just some rats. Come on." The flashlights and footsteps grew dimmer as the men retreated.
As soon as the only thing Deidara could hear was his own ragged breathing, he hastily returned to finding the hidden lever, its location being jarred back into his memory. Pulling down on a particular stone, the door silently slid open. Deidara stuck his head out, the coolness of the fresh air lifting his spirits. He wasn't sure how much time had pasted since he and Sasori had first entered this hellish place, but now, he could see the sun was just rising over the horizon, casting the sky into a rainbow of reds, oranges, pinks, and blues. Snow blanketed the ground, its soft surface disturbed by the men who were prowling nearby. "Wait a minute," Deidara furred his brow. "If people are here then… Rhage is dead." He didn't know how it happened, but he felt no pity for the creature. He shuddered at the memories of Karin clearly enjoying herself as Rhage worked its mind-warping abilities on him when he was young. At the very mention of Karin, Deidara darkened. She was still alive, hiding inside Huntington Ridge. He glanced between the darkness of the tunnel and his injured friend who lie just inside. He didn't have much time to think about it before he felt the sharp tip of a sword poking at his back.
"Hello, Deidara," a familiar voice said, though there was no warmth or friendliness in the greeting. Deidara turned slowly, shocked to see Itachi. His dark eyes blazed, his long ebony hair was tied back in its usual ponytail, as it cascaded over a black coat. Deidara gulped, then took a step sideways.
Itachi was wary, but that feeling was overrun by anxiousness seeing the sun highlight his friend's shaggy red locks, "Sasori!" He could see the redhead was badly in need of medical assistance. "What the hell happened?" he growled to Deidara.
"Well…it…ah…" Deidara floundered for the right words. How to describe everything that had happened since the very beginning, it was all too much for him. He swallowed nervously.
"Why am I asking you anyways," Itachi muttered, pointing the sword at Deidara's face. "You can't take the word of an insane kidnapper."
"Kidnapper?" Deidara said incredulously. "I'm no…"
"Shut up." With one hand, Itachi made several hand signs, then shot off three fireballs into the sky. "All right Deidara, back against the wall and don't even think about trying to run," Itachi ordered the blonde. Deidara didn't like it, but if it was to help Sasori, he'd obey. The bartender then entered the tunnel and gently bent to lift his friend. His voice sobered, "Sasori, hang on, I'm here." He was horrified seeing the blood, bruises, and sores that covered his dear friend. Trying to fight the bile that rose in his throat, Itachi brought Sasori outside. His eyes never left Deidara as he stuck his sword into the snow, then reached into the backpack and pulled out a thick wooly blanket. Shaking it out, he flung it over both him and Sasori. Itachi withdrew the sword once again, it's blade aimed straight at Deidara's heart.
Voices grew louder as they approached the trio's location. "Good, they saw the signal," Itachi nodded in approval.
"If you just listen to me…" Deidara started.
"You know, Sasori trusted you," Itachi interjected, his voice hard as steel. "And what have you done to the other people who have gone missing from our village? Are they barely hanging on to life, or did you already kill them?"
Deidara didn't bother to reply. It didn't matter what he said or did. He was already deemed guilty. Glancing about quickly, Deidara figured he only had seconds to act before the cavalry arrived. It was time to act. He reached out boldly, grabbing the blade with his bare hand. But no blood flowed from the prosthetic limb.
Itachi was surprised as the weapon was torn from his grasp. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Itachi said angrily.
"I'm sorry, Itachi," Deidara said quickly, swinging the hilt into his other hand. The tables had turned, and he now waved the sword threateningly at the bartender. Itachi's mind was racing with options. At the moment, Sasori hindered his movements, so the best he could do was try and stall."
"Deidara, if you turn yourself in, the medics will help you with whatever wounds you have," Itachi offered. Even he had to admit, Deidara looked just as bad as Sasori.
"I hate doctors," Deidara growled. Hastily, Deidara backed away from the older man, his free hand following the wall until he found the tunnel opening again. He slunk inside the darkness, shadows covering his body, only his icy eyes visible. They softened briefly as he said, "Please take care of Sasori."
"Over there!" men shouted, pointing towards Itachi. Deidara's eyes turned cold as the secret panel began to slide closed.
Itachi called out hastily, "Running makes you seem guilty." Deidara flinched. What choice did he have? The door slid shut, its outline disappearing into the paneling of the structure.
"Itachi!" a man panted up to the raven-haired male. "Who is this…Master Sasori?! Quick! Get a medical unit over here immediately!" More men and women came running to help both Sasori and Itachi.
"We saw your flares," a woman said. "Were they strictly for medical assistance or is there something more?"
Itachi opened his mouth and found himself surprised at what came out. "Just the medic team. Sasori had just made it out here when he collapsed." The medic nodded, jotting down notes. Itachi didn't know why, but he didn't want to bring up his confrontation with Deidara. At least, not yet.
"Well, his pulse is faint, but stable," the nurse said. She turned to her fellow ninja and ordered them about. "Time is of the essence people! Let's get moving!" Itachi waved off assistance of his own, watching the medical team take Sasori from him and head back to the Village of the Trees. The raven-haired male stood, full of conflicting emotions. Sure, he was relieved for his friend, but his eyes wandered to the secret door. Just what was Deidara up to and why did he lie for the blonde?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Deidara slumped to the floor, his arms wrapped around his knees, his head down, his hair spread out, burying him in long blonde waves. Silent tears ran down his cheeks, but he didn't know who he was crying for, the fact that Sasori would finally be helped, or the fact that his life was further screwed.
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Tsunade sighed, running her hands through her long blonde bangs. She'd just been to a session with the council elders of Konoha. "Annoying old fools," she muttered. It seemed that even the position of hokage had its 'ball and chain.' It had been days since they took Naruto into custody, and with each passing day, their patience was stretching thin. The fox was being held inside a cage of powerful seals, hidden deep inside Hokage Mountain. Anbu constantly kept guard, weapons at the ready, while top ninjas from all around the country were called in attempt to free Naruto from the fox's possession. Tsunade had stood watch, shaking her head dismally as attempt after attempt failed. The fox meanwhile, merely scoffed at the ninjas, turning away to pace inside its tiny cell. There were still wounds and blood along the fox's body as it sulked back and forth. The neck chain was kept taut, the fox snorting every time it reined him in.
The last time Tsunade had been near the fox it looked her straight in the eye. She was unnerved seeing such confidence inside those giant red orbs. It smiled slowly, then flicked its tails, dismissing her. She'd left then, forming her own strategy to counter whatever the kyuubi had planned. The council members wanted nothing more than to destroy the beast, but Tsunade would hear nothing of it. She fought tooth and nail, fighting for the fact that Naruto was still reachable and they'd be killing one of the best ninjas the village had to offer. The council members had quieted then, grudgingly granting her a small amount of time in order to 'find a solution.' She knew as more time passed, the kyuubi would regenerate fully, its power breaking though the seals while its fury was released on everything and everyone.
Sobering, she rubbed at her temples with her fingers. "I suppose if exterior methods aren't working…" she paused, an idea entering her mind. "Yes, it could work," she murmured. "But would it be sentencing him to death?"
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Sakura was finally able to break away, her liaison with Ino and the Village of the Trees put on hold as the investigation of Huntington Ridge reached a standstill for the moment. She'd wasted no time in returning to Konoha. After completing the mission report at the anbu center, Sakura snapped the folder shut and headed straight for Hokage Tower. Placing her hand on the handle to the spiraling staircase, she stopped. Her fingers trembled slightly. Her jade eyes floated down toward the offending folder. Inside, she'd written the fabricated story as Sai had instructed her, but was she really going to lie to her own hokage?
"Sakura?" Tsunade stepped up behind the pink haired anbu. Sakura gave a startled yelp of surprise. The hokage raised a brow. "I'm surprised you didn't sense my presence. You're going to need to work on that."
"Yes hokage-sama. But…um…there's something I'd like to talk to you about," Sakura began.
"Ahh! The mission report. Excellent." Tsunade's caramel-colored eyes lit up. "Maybe I can finally make some sense out of what's been happening." She began to thumb through the neatly hand-written pages.
"But Tsunade," Sakura tried again.
"Yes, yes," the hokage replied briskly. "You want to know about your teammates." It wasn't exactly what Sakura needed to discuss, but she'd take it. She nodded eagerly. "Naruto is…unavailable," she said cryptically. "As for Sasuke, he's at the hospital in the ICU unit." Sakura's face fell. "Don't worry, I will do everything I can to save them," Tsunade vowed.
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Sai was growing restless waiting for his turn to be interrogated. Things were moving quickly with the girls, but before he was able to state his version, Anko had been called away to investigate some bodies that had been discovered inside the underground of Huntington Ridge. Sai yawned, boredom etched on his face for he wanted nothing more than to skip the formalities and leave. However, he needed one of the anbu to unseal his chakra, and that would only happen after he gave his testament.
Sai yawned, eyeing one of the small cots inside the tent. When was the last time he'd slept? Striding over to the bed, he tested in, and although not the comfiest thing, he laid down, stretching his long limbs. Through the thin fabric of the tent itself, Sai could hear people muttering about Sasori's 'kidnapping' by Deidara. "Good job Sakura," Sai smiled to himself. At least now, he'd be off the hook, his reputation still intact. He closed his eyes and smirked. "With the proper motivation, anything is possible." Sleep came swiftly to the pale teen, but it was anything but restful…
Sai slowly cracked open an eye. Things were blurry at first, but his vision soon came into focus. Both eyes flew open as he realized who stood before him.
"Miss me," Suigetsu drawled.
"You again!" Sai sputtered. The pale teen was appalled at the man before him. Suigetsu was splattered with blood, the crimson liquid clinging to both his hair and flesh. He stood bare-chested, liking at his lips. A heavy fog floated at waistline, making visibly zero to none. Sai paled, not sure what the man was wearing, if anything at all.
"Hey, I wouldn't be here if you didn't want me to," Suigetsu replied. "Seems like last time wasn't enough for you, hmm?" the older man mused. He scratched subconsciously at his slit neck, his fingers seeming to disappear inside the mortal wound.
"Stay away from me," Sai said fearfully.
"Wha? Something bothering you?" Suigetsu lifted a brow, then casually licked at his blood-soaked fingers.
"I'm warning you," Sai growled.
"I don't think you're in much the position to debate about it," Suigetsu said wryly. Sai growled, ready to punch the cocky bastard, but was cut short. He glanced up, seeing his hands bound above his head. Looking back down, he was relieved to see he was at least still clothed. "Don't get too comfortable," Suigetsu leered, stepping towards the pale teen. He lifted one hand to the zipper on Sai's shirt, and began to slowly unzip the obstructive device. Sai sucked in his breath, seeing blood prints cover the small metal piece.
"Why are you doing this?" Sai choked out.
Without breaking a stride, Suigetsu answered, "Well, you and I are a lot alike."
"Never!" Sai spat.
"Come on now, you're selfish and just as deceitful as I was not to mention…"
"Was?" Sai cut in.
"Yeah, Deidara fucking killed me," Suigetsu snarled. "The blood you see is his handywork. Gotta admit, he was a clever little bitch. Speaking of," Suigetsu's tone turned to one more lecherous as he gripped Sai's jaw between his fingers.
"B…But if you're dead, then how…?" Sai began incredulously.
"Let me tell you something," Suigetsu leaned in and whispered into Sai's ear. "No one ever leaves this place without being…affected in one way or another." The zipper loosened, spreading the fabric of Sai's shirt, revealing a lean, pale torso. Suigetsu ran his fingers along Sai's ribs, making the teen shudder. "Seems the place deemed me to be your personal tormentor. How interesting," he continued, voice dripping with lust. He then began to bite at Sai's ear, his fangs cutting into the soft flesh, new blood mixing with old. His hands began to rub up and down along the ridges of Sai's ribs. It didn't take long for his fingers to find the tiny buds of Sai's nipples, which were now hard and taut. "I love how easy it is to get a response out of you," Suigetsu murmured. Sai moaned then tried to push away from his assailant. His attempts were weak at best. The older man chuckled.
"There's nothing funny about this!" Sai panted.
"You're right. We really should get to business then," Suigetsu forcefully grabbed onto Sai's cock. The pale teen gasped. "Better?"
"You're nothing but a sick, twisted son of a bitch," Sai said through clenched teeth.
"But this bitch, as you say, gives you what you want," Suigetsu smiled. He then moved in to bite and suck at the pulsing vein in Sai's neck. "Tell me something, do you fear this? Or does your need make you scared?" Sai squirmed, feeling the other man's hot breath on him. Suigetsu's hands were like magic running along his chest. "If you ask me, Hell's not nearly as bad as they say it is." It wasn't long before Suigetsu's lithe fingers began to drift south, where they began to creep inside the waistband of the younger man's pants. "To think, this is all nothing but foreplay. The real action starts after I relieve you of your pants and show you the real meaning of the word fuck."
Sai's eyes shot open, the nightmare dissipating instantly. He could swear he was able to hear Suigetsu's laugh still echoing in his mind. Looking down, his face reddened at the effect his vision had on his body. He grabbed a pillow and placed it between his legs. He never believed in ghosts or the like, but that was too real for comfort. "I have Ino," he mumbled to himself, his mind's eye trying to recreate the young, pale blonde teen. His attempts failed, and nothing was left but him wanting more from the dead sadistic man, Suigetsu.
Sweat beaded out along his brow, He shivered then rose, making his way to the edge of the tent. Along the way, he stopped short, seeing his reflection catch off a silver tea tray. His eyes grew large, his skin paling even more than normal. Along his jawbone and down his neck, he saw bloody prints. Shaking his head, he looked again, only to see them gone, everything back the way it should be. Was he losing it? Warily, he felt around his neck, recalling the horrible wound he saw on Suigetsu. Did Deidara really do something like that? And could he be next? He knew he'd certainly pissed off the blonde more than once.
Shaking his head, he stuck it outside the tent, taking in deep breaths of fresh air. He noticed that night had fallen. There were still anbu about, most of them gathered around a large bonfire, likely discussing the investigation thus far. His midnight eyes were drawn to the large reddish-orange flame, and then at the lone building that stood some distance behind it. An idea burned inside his mind, and a crazy smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He'd be in control again. "I won't let you win, either of you."
OoOOoO
END CHAPTER 17
Hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks!