Helloooooo? Anybody still here? Just asking. You know, because it's been almost a year since I published the previous chapter...

A year... Fuck! I won't bother you with details, let's just say I used to have little free time... Well, last year, I had even less. -.-' I just hope it will get better later on, otherwise I'm gonna have a very hard time finishing my fics...

Anyway, for those who are still following this fic, I hope this new chapter will be to your liking... and that you won't have to wait for a whole year to read the next one...

And of course, many thanks to those who left me some reviews, it's always nice to get feedback from my readers.

. . . . . . .

Previously, on 'Corridors of Time'…

Man, we're in such deep shit!

I knew it was a bad idea. This whole story reeked of trouble right from the very beginning. Honestly, investigating a murderer on the run and a shady scientist killed by a bomb in his own house, it was bound to get messy sooner or later.

Hacking the network of a high-security lab such as Asclepius was quite a bold move already, now we're planning to break into it in the middle of the night, and to do the same with Konan's house. Even with Kin, Dosu and Zaku – who turned out to be former expert buglars – to help us, this is still risky as hell.

To top it off, Kankurô just called, asking us to come at the hospital A.S.A.P. It appears Sasori is currently between life and death. He didn't give us much details but I got a feeling the explosion he mentioned wasn't just a sad accident.

Naruto, if we all get out of this mess alive, I swear you'll owe me big time!

I just hope Hidan is as good a ninja as he claims because at this rate, next week, there'll be a bunch of assassins out to kill us all.

And now, on to chapter 13 !

As always, author's notes are at the bottom of the page. Don't forget the diagrams available on my profile as well. Happy reading!

It was a quiet night at the Trafalgar hospital of Dentech. No trouble to report regarding the patients under observation, few visitors, most of which suffered merely of minor injuries, only two ambulances dispatched… To the staff accustomed to constant uproar, calm periods like this one were no short of a blessing.

It was however disturbed by the sudden arrival of twenty or so youngsters, each sporting an even more worried expression than the next. The Alba Madonna's gang barely took time to get the directions from the front desk before venturing into the maze of corridors. They soon reached the appointed operation block in front of which a grim-looking Kankurô was waiting, sitting on a bench. Even his siblings couldn't recall ever seeing him so eaten up with anguish, worry and guilt.

Leading the procession was Kiba who rushed to embrace his lover in a vain, albeit welcome, effort to comfort him, soon followed suit by Gaara and Temari.

"How is he?" the latter inquired as they broke away.

"I don't know," her brother replied in a trembling voice which clashed with its usual confidence. No one's come out yet, I don't even know if he'll pull through or…"

He trailed off. Not that he needed to say more…

Ensued a heavy silence that could have lasted forever had Shikamaru not resolved to shut down his compassion. Obviously, one couldn't blame Kankurô for feeling so depressed, and under normal circumstances, he would have supported him like any good friend. However, he couldn't allow himself to wait here idly for hours while the situation was developing. The culprits – whoever they were – were still at large, and more victims could follow any minute. He had to stay focused on the investigation and ask the necessary questions, starting with the one on everyone's lips.

"Kankurô, I'm sorry if I sound like an asshole but I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

As expected, Kiba and Temari were both glaring daggers at him before his sentence was even finished but he didn't falter. Still, he had bet the boy's wrath would be even worse, yet to his surprise, he showed incredible understanding, having apparently realized that the Nara wasn't being an insensitive jerk for sick fun but because someone had to play this annoying part.

Voice filled with emotion, he thus related the discussion he had in his car with Sasori and the latter's reaction to their discoveries, their visit to Deidara out of the blue and the revelation of his role. He explained how, after the explosion, he had picked the rubble in panic and had miraculously found them both alive, albeit wounded and unconscious, how he had then called for help and had followed the ambulance here before contacting the team, requesting they came as fast as possible.

Although at first sight Shikamaru remained unfazed throughout the whole tale, he was in fact more disturbed than ever. And it wasn't just him; upon the first mention of Deidara's name, he couldn't refrain from taking a sneaky peek at Hidan, and it was clear that both of them were prey to the same agitation. The blond's appearance strengthened a bit more their hypothesis of a link between the present events and the ancient Akatsuki, which was definitely not reassuring, quite the contrary.

Once he had gotten as much details as he could out of Kankuro, he let him in peace with a smile holding a mix of gratitude, apology and compassion even as his genius brain was analyzing the newly gathered data to come up with a plan.

"So the bomber is now identified and neutralized," he summed up. "Now, we must hurry and find out who hired him, before someone else gets hurt."

"We could search through what remains of his workshop." Karin was one of the few able to detach herself from the tragic circumstances and take an active part in the reflection. "Since he lived and worked there, all his stuff was probably stored there. If we're lucky, we might be able to find something useful: documents, a computer or whatever. Hopefully, the blast hasn't destroyed everything."

"Too late for this, the place must be crawling with cops, not to mention news crews. When they hear that another Asclepius scientist is involved – if they haven't already –, they'll connect it with Orochimaru's murder and it's likely they'll order the whole area to be cleared and thoroughly inspected to determine whether it was another bomb or a regrettable accident. There's no way we can have a look until they are gone. They'll be there for a couple of days at the very least, and I doubt there'll be much left for us to find. Going there is pretty much pointless. I believe we should head for Sasori's flat instead.

Despite the deep emotional distress he was currently experiencing, Kankurô didn't miss this last sentence and immediately cut in, intrigued and, above all, indignant to hear them incriminate his best friend in such a way.

"Why Sasori? What are you hoping to find at his place? In case you've forgotten, we dragged him into this mess. He had nothing to do with all this to begin with."

"I know, I'm not accusing him," Shikamaru reassured him, silencing his earlier reservations about the redhead. "The point isn't what's in there but what others might be hoping to find."

The Nara interpreted the numerous confused expressions around him as an invitation to elaborate.

"Something's been bugging me. Deidara had the key to Orochimaru's house. This means whoever hired him could easily search the whole place while Orochimaru was busy at Asclepius before getting rid of him. So why blow up the house first? Why risk the cops finding what they're looking for before they can recover it? It doesn't make sense."

"Unless the cops are working for you," Sasuke objected. A compelling argument, even for the genius.

"Point taken. But even so, it doesn't change the fact that if Pein was an accomplice of the murderers, he would have come before the explosion, not after. Therefore, it's reasonably safe to assume that he plays an entirely different role in this mess. If so, then maybe sooner or later, he'll try to break into Sasori's place like he did at Orochimaru's three days ago. Of course, it's only a theory. Maybe Pein will never show up. However, if I happen to be right, then we have a golden opportunity to nab him and learn more ab…"

Shikamaru abruptly stopped talking as a man in his fifties dressed like a surgeon came out of the operating room. As soon as he did, Kankurô threw himself before him, inquiring about his friend's condition. Good news, he was alive and his wounds, although serious, weren't critical. Bad news, there was a peculiar problem with his heart, something potentially life-threatening. When pressed on this matter, the doctor refused to provide more details on the grounds that he didn't know whether he was authorized to do so.

While he was busy pondering on this weird justification, words whispered in his ear by his immortal lover brought the Nara out of his thoughts.

"Hey, Shika. Look who's here."

Indeed, a familiar face – at least for the two of them – had just appeared down the corridor and was now walking towards them at a brisk pace, a serious look on his face.

Nagato…

Of course, their immediate reaction was to deem his presence here suspicious. However, an explanation came when he walked up to their group.

"Doctor Law? Nagato Ishtar, from Asclepius."

"Ah, thank you for coming so quickly. The videoconferencing equipment you requested is ready," the surgeon notified him, motioning him to enter the operating theatre.

"Good. My wife is on her way to the lab, she'll contact us as soon as she finds the documents we need for…"

As the door closed behind them, the duo's voices no longer reached them.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Hidan asked Shikamaru.

"Yup, but we'd better hurry."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke inquired, the swiftest to voice what everyone was wondering.

"The guy who just went in is Konan Ijuuin's companion. If he's here and she's at Asclepius, it means there's nobody home."

"Alright, no need to say more, we get it," Zaku chimed in.

"You don't mind going there unprepared, no recon or anything?"

The former burglar shared a glance with Dosu and Kin, his irreplaceable partners in crime, who confirmed what he already knew. The trio was never one to back down from a challenge.

"We'll manage. It's not like it will be the first time anyway. We drop by our flat to pick up our stuff and we'll be heading there."

Struggling to restrain his impatience and his urge to tag along, Shikamaru arranged to meet them in front of the house as they took off. But first, he had to make sure every aspect of the plan would be taken care of, starting with Sasori's flat.

Shino volunteered to keep watch over it, along with Hinata who refused to let him go alone. When Neji attempted to oppose her, stating that she shouldn't be putting herself in danger, all had the privilege of witnessing one of the rare occasions when the excessively shy girl unleashed an ire so fearsome that even her overprotective cousin was reduced to silence. Realizing that insistence would be futile, the latter decided to go with them, arguing that if an opportunity to capture Pein presented itself, it would be better for at least one of them to know how to fight. As a precaution, Lee and Tenten completed the team. Should a battle occur, they'll be able to back him up.

Kankurô was easily convinced to hand them the keys as well as the entry code to the building under the pretence that an indoors ambush would be both wiser and safer than assaulting him in the middle of the street. Although officially, it was only a matter of tactics, officiously, the Nara intended to check whether Sasori wasn't leading them on.

Far from paranoid delusions, this hypothesis was fairly plausible because based on known facts. Indeed, Deidara had demonstrated that he possessed the proficiency required to set up an explosion so it would damage Orochimaru's living room while leaving the rest of the unscathed. Consequently, it was possible that the destruction of his workshop was controlled as well, that he knew exactly where to stand in order to survive and suffer moderate wounds only. Somehow, this whole mess could be just one big sham meant to trick them into trusting the redhead.

Whether Kankurô liked it or not, and despite what sympathy Shikamaru had for Sasori, it was still too early to lower their guard; not while some substantial doubt remained. He wasn't looking forward to getting stabbed in the back after being too trusting.

For her part, Karin offered to go check the ruins of the workshop, in case the Nara's prediction proved inaccurate or something strange happened there. Ignoring Suigetsu's protests, she took him and Juugo with her.

As for Hidan, he hesitated until the very end between joining Shino's and Shikamaru's teams. Both could run into Pein, in which case his ninja skills would give them a considerable advantage to capture him. In the end, he figured the first one should be able to defend itself against a Pein lacking his former powers without his help, especially with Neji and Lee among them. These two were not to be underestimated, especially in duo. He would take care of escorting his lover and the burglar trio.

The rest of the group would be staying at the hospital to support Kankurô through this ordeal but also to watch the place, monitor the notable comings and goings and warn them of any evolution in the situation.

A few minutes later, several cars were leaving the parking lot, each group heading towards its assigned objective.

This was going to be a long, eventful night…

. . . . . . .

It took team Shino a quarter of hour to reach the town of Deen.

The apartment block Sasori resided in was located in one of the residential districts built over the last decade. His in particular, due to its rather low rent, its ease of access as well as its proximity with many colleges and universities but also with pubs and nightclubs, was mostly inhabited by students. Thus, it was no wonder the streets were still bustling with activity, as it wasn't even past midnight. On the bright side, they had the advantage of melting perfectly into the crowd, so much so that nobody was paying attention to them.

Fortunately, they were able to park just a few meters away from the building and split up. The plan was for Shino and Hinata to stay on the look-out by the car under the guise of a young couple busy kissing and snuggling, while the others would be going inside.

The trio climbed up to the fourth level and unlocked the redhead's flat, a humble abode for someone with his job and salary. Entering the lobby, a door straight ahead opened onto the kitchen while an archway to the left led into the living room. A small corridor similar to a crossroad connected the latter to three more rooms: on the right, the bedroom; in front, the bathroom; and to the left, last but not least, a workshop, presumably the one where he was making his puppets.

Once the door was closed behind them, Neji reminded his partners to make as little noise as possible so as not to alarm the neighbors. After a quick walk around to determine the layout, they split up and proceeded to search every nook and cranny for compromising clues.

The task was made easier thanks to the whole place being clean and tidy, Sasori being kind of maniac around the edges. Only exceptions were the dirty glasses and small plates lying on the coffee table as well as the dust and wooden shavings on the workshop's floor. Those were probably due to him and Kankurô leaving in a hurry for the Alba Madonna, especially since they were already pretty late for the meeting.

Several minutes later, they were halfway through but had yet to find anything. Save for the computer on the bedroom's desk in which they had plugged the USB key provided by Shikamaru to hack its contents, they hadn't discovered anything. No conclusive evidence, no incriminating document, nothing linking the redhead to their investigation except for a number of pictures portraying Deidara either with or without him but considering their friendship and the feelings he harbored for him, there was nothing suspicious in him keeping some of those.

In the bedroom, Lee was done with the desk, the shelves, the drawers under the bed and was now heading over the wardrobe. Inside were shirts, suits, a traditional black puppeteer outfit… but also a familiar face.

Pein, the intruder filmed on Orochimaru's cameras, stood there, index finger on his lips. And should politeness prove insufficient for his order to be obeyed, he had a very convincing argument: a Glock pistol pointed at the brunette's heart.

Despite his reputation as the undisputed king of daredevils, Lee still had enough common sense to comprehend that at such short range, he had absolutely no chance to dodge a bullet. And between his icy cold stare and serene demeanor, his aggressor was obviously a pro who wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Helpless, he resigned himself to the only reasonable option: raising his hands in the air.

Pein then motioned him to step aside so he could get out of his hiding place. Putting himself behind him, he whispered in his ear the instruction to call his accomplices with the promise of an express, painful death should he refuse to cooperate.

"Huh, Tenten," he stuttered, struggling to sound natural. "Can you come for a second please, I need your help."

"Coming! What's the problem?" she inquired, freezing on the spot when the intruder holding her friend at gunpoint came into view.

"Don't try anything funny !" Pein warned her before she had time to react. "Keep your hands up and your mouth shut. Do everything I say, answer my questions and everyone will go home alive and well. A shout, a sudden move, anything I don't like and you're food for worms. Did I make myself clear or do I need to be more… demonstrative?"

Upon his last word, both could hear the clicking noise typical of a gun being cocked, a most unambiguous warning of Lee's impending fate if they attempted to resist. The duo nodded, having no choice but to comply anyway.

Pein invited them to continue this conversation in the living room where they'd more comfortable and where it would be easier for him to keep an eye on both of them, especially once Lee would be tied up using the adhesive tape that Tenten was asked to fetch from the workshop.

Taking proper precautions, he had them lead the way and maintained a safe distance between them, long enough to counter any offensive yet too short for them to flee without ending up with a bullet in the back.

Their only hope resided in Neji who had been smart enough to stay quiet as soon as he grasped what was going on. Hidden behind the door, his mind already switched to battle mode, he was ready to ambush the mysterious bastard who dared threatening his best friend and lover.

The moment the gun entered his field of vision, his right hand darted like an arrow towards his opponent, thus engaging the fight.

Alas, Pein was no beginner who would foolishly drop his guard. Quite the contrary, based on experience, the possibility of such a trap hadn't eluded him and he was ready to react accordingly. As soon as he perceived the movement, confirming his intuition, he swiftly pulled back his weapon and used his other arm to elbow the Hyûga hard in the stomach. The latter, wrongly persuaded that he benefited from the element of surprise, ended up caught off guard and unable to dodge.

His enemy now neutralized for a few precious seconds, Pein shoved him away using his free hand, then brought his Glock back on him. However, he didn't get the opportunity to shoot, stopped in its tracks by a mighty jump kick to his wrist which sent the gun flying. An in extremis rescue, courtesy of Lee who had dashed at full speed to assist his partner.

The second he touched the ground, the brunette threw another kick, a spinning one aimed at the redhead's head. Sadly, despite his impressive speed, his foe managed to block the leg between his arms and instantly swept the other with his own right leg, causing Lee to fall.

Smelling a new offensive was imminent, Pein let go of him and turned his attention on Neji who was coming back in the fight. The fist missed his face so barely that he could feel a wave of air brush his cheek, yet it didn't seem to faze him in the slightest. His face remained calm and focused, devoid of fear and hesitation.

In a swift motion bearing witness to his mastery of judo, he caught the Hyûga's arm as it skimmed past him, then used the latter's strength against himself to send him flying and crash heavily on the ground.

He was about to deliver another blow when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lee still lying on the ground, crawling hastily towards the Glock that had landed nearby. Aware that he had to prevent him from seizing at all costs, he rushed at full speed and kicked the weapon which glided all the way across the room only to rest under the buffet, where one couldn't reach it easily. He then intended to grab the brunette but the boy promptly rolled to the side while Neji was back on his feet as well.

Ensued a brief pause during which all three fighters got back into fighting stance, each seeking a weakness in the opponent's guard to exploit during the next assault. Barely a couple of seconds passed before the hostilities resumed, though it felt like an eternity to them.

After a series of furtive hand signs to his partner who nodded in reply to this silent message, Lee opened the second round. The exceptional prudence he was observing was the most obvious proof of how tough their enemy was. Clearly, he was as good as them, if not more, in one or several martial arts.

Against all expectations, when he launched his first attack, rather than defend himself, Pein suddenly turned away and bolted towards Neji. Caught off guard again by this odd initiative, the latter attempted to stop him but once again, the redhead ducked, the arm grazing his spiky hair. Not slowing down one bit, he clutched him at neck level, taking him off the ground and dragging him along in his course to finally smash him on the coffee table, shattering the glass surface to smithereens.

Seeing his friend in a real tight spot, Lee threw caution to the wind and rushed to help him. His vengeful fist flew towards Pein's back with a strength increased tenfold by anger, alas he missed once more. Having foreseen this furious reaction, the latter used the mirror to watch him, know the nature of his offensive and determine when and how to best counter it.

At the appropriate time, he whirled around all the while stepping aside, parried the brunette's attack, retaliated with a powerful knee to his belly, to finally hurl him against the nearest wall. Far from over, he then walked up to him before he had time to get up, picked him off the ground with astounding ease – yet one more proof that his muscles were no joke – and pinned him against the wall.

Struggling not to give in to panic, Lee wrestled in vain to free himself, however his enemy wasn't just strong, he was also pretty skilled and resilient, taking in the various hits he couldn't avoid without flinching. From the redhead's expression, he guessed that the balled fist was meant for his face, so he snapped his eyes shut and braced himself for the impact.

Yet, instead of a sharp pain, he felt the grip on his neck loosen as a loud cry filled the room. Out of instinct, he instantly kicked the ribs of his foe who let go of him and staggered backwards, a blade embedded in his arm.

Spotting Tenten standing under the archway with a kitchen knife in one hand and a bunch more in the other, he understood whom he owed his salvation to.

"It's over!" She exclaimed with a firm voice. "No matter how tough you are, you can't fight alone against these two and dodge my blades at the same time. And in case you think it was just a lucky shot, know that my mother's been teaching me knife-throwing since I was a kid. Even if you keep moving, I won't miss. Now surrender, you're no match against us!"

During her speech, as if to back up her claims, Lee helped Neji get back on his feet. Both were now standing beside her, ready to go for yet another round, their energy and motivation restored by the positive development of the situation.

In front of them, while clearly not giving up, Pein at least looked more hesitant now. He was probably aware of his disadvantage because his azure eyes kept darting between the three youngsters, seeming like he was sizing them up, seeking a flaw that would allow him to turn the tables around.

Suddenly, his gaze regained its confidence. The trio had made the huge mistake of neglecting the hand of his wounded arm, too focused on his gaze to see it slowly disappear behind his back to pick an object that he threw at them in a flash.

Fearing a grenade or any other such weapon, Lee and Neji plunged swiftly each to a different side, the Hyûga pulling Tenten along while the latter attempted to fling a second knife at Pein. Alas, thrown off balance by her boyfriend's protective initiative, the blade merely scratched her target's cheek.

As expected, the projectile detonated. However, instead of a classic fragmentation or concussion grenade, it turned to be a flashbang; a fact they realized when the explosion blinded them. Of course, Pein had made sure to cover his own eyes, and they heard him run at full speed towards the door and exit the flat.

A few seconds were necessary before Lee could start chasing him, racing down the stairs, soon followed by Tenten. Neji, being slower and in worse shape, decided to stay back to quickly finish the search in case the police was on its way, called by a neighbor concerned by the racket.

Outside the building, the couple was chatting peacefully all the while keeping an eye on the entrance as agreed when they suddenly had the surprise of seeing Pein, the very guy whose arrival they were waiting for, storm out and scoot towards the back of the building. For a moment, they were torn between pursuing him and checking whether their friends were okay. Their fear was dispelled seconds later when Lee emerged in turn. Hinata indicated him the alley through which the redhead had fled, instructing him to stay in contact using his phone even as Shino started the engine with the intention of driving around the block.

Lee tracked Pein to a nearby street where the latter was already getting into a car. Despite a desperate final spurt, he was unable to reach him in time to stop him peeling off. Fortunately, he hadn't turned yet that the others arrived, barely slowing down to let their friend hop in before giving chase.

Though not a seasoned pilot, nor a fan of crazy driving like Kiba or Suigetsu, the Aburame's eternal coolness allowed him not to keep up with their target and not lose sight of him who, unlike him, definitely had experience in the field. Alas, even so, the gap between them was slowly widening rather than narrowing. Eventually, after about ten minutes, a bold – not to say suicidal – maneuver from Pein at a jammed crossroads put an end to their pursuit, the trio ending up stuck behind a bunch of halted vehicles while he vanished in the urban maze.

With little hope of success, they attempted to find his trace him once the road was clear, expectedly to no avail. Frustrated, all they could do was trail back to pick Neji and Tenten before returning to the hospital.

They could only hope that Shikamaru's team would be more successful than them.

. . . . . . .

Meanwhile, in Dentech, the burglar trio was springing into action under the watchful eye of their one-night accomplices.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait long until there was no soul in sight. As soon as the area was clear, all five sneaked into the garden and walked around the house to the back.

First obstacle: electric shutters blocking every single access. The only obvious exception was the main entrance located by the street, which was thus far too exposed. Shikamaru and Hidan pictured their friends breaking their way in using specialized tools of their trade. Instead, they were puzzled to see them scanning the surroundings. Barely ten seconds later, they found what they were looking for: a small electrical box inside which were four wire ends. As they tested various combinations, the fourth proved to be the right one, causing curtain of the kitchen door to open.

Next step: unlocking the now accessible door; child's play for Zaku, the master lock-pick of the group. The erstwhile reflexes soon kicked in, allowing him to deal with it in a jiffy.

Then came what was bound to be the most difficult part of the mission. Indeed, through the window panes of the door, they could make out multiple laser beams in the darkness. The trio identified this very particular high-end alarm system, one they had encountered twice in the past, always successfully. The principle was simple: touching any of the beams activated the siren and sent a warning to the police requesting a unit to be dispatched. Only good news: it implied the lack of potentially troublesome pets, or at least that those were locked in a room where they couldn't trigger a false alarm.

This model generally included a number of remotes to turn it on and off from the outside. However, to prevent the owners getting locked outside their home in case said remotes were either lost or broken, a control panel was also installed near one of the entrances. Sadly, there was no sign of it in the kitchen. Therefore, two probable locations remained: the main door and the garage.

The challenge would be to explore the house, find the panel, reach it without touching a single laser, then use it to switch off the whole system.

The acrobatic part was the responsibility of Kin, the uncontested champion in terms of agility. First, she prepared herself by tying her long mane to her outfit and putting on a customized headset and equipped with a tiny flashlight among other things. Then, after gathering all the stuff she might need later on, she set foot in the arena.

She quickly understood that the most direct route was a no-go as opening the required door would inevitably trigger a beam. Forced to go all the way around, she moved towards another door on her right and entered the living room where her friends could no longer see her. With incredible nerves of steel, she crossed the wide room, crawling under a table, striding over a sofa, contorting herself, progressing inch by inch, weighing each step carefully to determine the most promising path. At the end of an interminable length of time which proved more stressful for her partners than for her, she reached the other end, right next to the main entrance. Unfortunately, still nothing in sight. Not losing heart, she pressed on, continuing her journey amidst the beams and proceeded into a corridor, checking every door along the way until she found the one leading to the garage. Only a few more meters and she was finally standing in front of her objective.

It was then Dosu, the IT and electronics specialist's time to shine. Thanks to the video camera, micro and earphone integrated into the headset worn by Kin, he could analyze the panel at his convenience, determine how to hack it and guide her step by step throughout the process. Judging from the ease with which they acted in concert, it was obviously not a first.

In the end, fifteen minutes passed between Kin going in and the alarm system being switched offline; a flawless performance which impressed Shikamaru and even Hidan, albeit a bit lengthy to the trio's taste compared to their former feats, even though they couldn't help but feel proud that their skills were almost as sharp as ever.

With the security down, the team could leisurely comb through the house.

The Nara was both pleased and disappointed to find out that the computer sitting in the study on the second floor wasn't protected. Sure, it made it easier for him to browse through its contents, however it also implied that there was no important data on it. And indeed, the only noteworthy documents he found were the couple's financial records, a rapid analysis of which didn't reveal anything suspicious.

He wasn't finished yet when Hidan, who was taking care of the bedroom, called him to show him something: a picture on which he recognized three familiar faces, all smiles in front of a famous foreign monument. Standing in the middle was Konan, seemingly in her twenties, surrounded by Nagato on her left and another boy on her right, one who resembled Pein albeit without the piercings collection. An annotation on the back dated this trip back to twelve years ago, however similar photos later confirmed that the trio was formed much earlier, back in grade school.

A detail intrigued Shikamaru. Given the high number of pictures on which they all appeared, if was safe to assume that they were close friends who hung out a lot together. Yet the most recent one was more than two years and a half old. Since then, no more Pein; like he had completely vanished from their life. What had possibly occurred? Did they have a serious quarrel with him? Was it somehow related to their case they were investigating?

So many questions, so few answers. It was truly getting annoying.

The group continued its search for almost an hour, checking and re-checking every room to make sure they didn't miss anything but despite their efforts, they didn't come upon any noteworthy evidence, not even in the electronic safe unlocked by Dosu. Aware that it was pointless to linger around here, the Nara eventually stated it was time to leave, though not without programming the reactivation of the alarm system, locking the door and closing the curtain behind them in order to cover up their tracks. Back in their cars, they drove off towards the hospital.

Disappointed by this mixed success, even if he was kind of expecting it, he wasn't about to give up.

The night wasn't over yet. Maybe Lady Luck would be more inclined to smile on their friends.

. . . . . . .

Thirty minutes later, the whole gang had gathered in front of the operation block again.

A deathly silence hung over the corridors. Between the doubt regarding Sasori's condition, the failure of Pein's capture, the disappointing results of the infiltration at Konan's house and the lack of shady activity by the ruins of the workshop, the night could hardly be any shittier, hence the dark atmosphere currently radiating from them.

When, after what felt like a harrowing eternity, the doors finally opened to reveal the redhead lying unconscious on a stretcher, Kankurô instantly ran to meet the nurse who was taking him to his room and bombarded her with questions. The latter, probably experienced in handling these post-surgery situations, didn't look fazed one bit and kept walking all the while informing him with a soothing, motherly tone that his friend should be out of harm's way, although they would still monitor him for at least two or three days. Full recovery would take much longer due to his fractured leg and broken ribs. However, she refrained from making any comment about his heart, suggesting they ask the surgeons or the consultant instead, as they who would be far more capable of answering than she was.

Once the transfer was complete, she proceeded to shoo everyone out, claiming her patient required some rest and quiet, but she eventually yielded to the brunette's insistence and granted them a few minutes, albeit only to a handful of them and under her constant watch. The others would have to wait until regular visiting hours, which didn't bother them so much since they were here to support Kankurô more than for Sasori himself. Shikamaru and Hidan were among the latter, watching through the window.

A third person soon arrived next to them and started talking to them in a voice that sounded kind of familiar.

"You're still here? Do you know Sasori well?"

Turning their heads towards the man addressing them, they recognized Nagato, bleary-eyed, a cup of steaming hot coffee in hand. Both froze for a second due to the irony of the situation; chatting with the very guy whose home they had broken into earlier this night. Aware that it would be wise to let his smart lover deal with him and avoid dumb screw-up, the immortal remained silent.

"Not really. Only Kankurô here is close friends with him," Shikamaru replied, pointing a finger at the brunette.

"Ah yes, his puppeteer friend. I heard he's the one who called for the ambulance."

The Nara confirmed with a hmm. "He was waiting in the car when the explosion occurred."

As he finished his sentence, the small group allowed a brief stay in the room came out. Kankurô then rushed straight towards them.

"Doctor Ishtar, right? What's wrong with Sasori's heart? Please, I need to know. The surgeon and nurse won't tell us anything."

The redhead's already worried expression darkened even more. Surprisingly, there was also some compassion in it; fake or genuine, hard to say.

"Sasori didn't tell you anything, did he?"

Kankurô's confused look was enough to confirm that he hadn't indeed. Giving a deep sigh, Nagato went on.

"Okay, you know he's a cybernetics specialist, right? Well, there's a reason he chose this specific field. Long story short, his research aims to develop high-end, fully functional prostheses able to replace missing or defective limbs and organs of the human body. And if he's so invested in his work, it's because he needs one himself."

"An artificial heart," Shikamaru deduced aloud, sounding like he doubted his own conclusion. "I thought this technology was still in experimental stage."

"It is, Sasori's model is just a crude prototype. He never shared how it happened but back when we first met, he had some shrapnel stuck in his heart. Basically, he could drop dead at any moment should the damn thing suddenly decide to move. That's why, when he was hired, he struck a deal: in exchange for working at Asclepius, he'd have carte blanche along with full access to every possible material means to work on this artificial heart project. Considering the urgency and complexity of this task, a small group agreed to aid him, including myself. Then, when the first functional prototype was complete, he asked us to transplant him with it."

"This explains why the hospital called you. It's completely unknown to them."

"Precisely. We had to make sure his prosthesis hadn't been damaged in the explosion, so I came here while my wife went to the lab in order to find the various schematics I needed."

"So he's okay, he's gonna make it?" Kankurô chimed in, a hint of hope in his voice.

Nagato sighed again, hesitating between optimism and caution.

"Well, I haven't noticed anything abnormal, everything seems to be working fine. Just to be on the safe side, my wife is contacting the various colleagues who took part in the conception and transplant as we speak so we can examine him together first thing tomorrow morning. And in case some unexpected problem comes up, we're bringing the spare prototype here and I already gave instructions to the hospital staff in order to keep him alive long enough so we can proceed with a last-minute replacement. I won't tempt fate with a promise but I believe he'll pull through."

Kankurô's relief was evident on his face as he thanked the redhead for his frankness.

"By the way, keep all this to yourself, okay?" the latter hurriedly added. "Sasori's a good friend, I'd rather he didn't hold a grudge against me for divulging his secret to you. Plus it will spare you and I some trouble with the company's lawyers who are quite a pain in the ass when it comes to professional secrecy, non-disclosure agreements and all that boring legal stuff."

Once they had assured him this would stay between them, he bade them goodbye and went to get some well-deserved sleep in order to be fresh should his assistance be required again. As he walked away, he invited the group to do the same; the anesthesia would keep the redhead in dreamland for a few more hours at least, so they might as well head home and visit him tomorrow.

A few minutes later, they were about to leave when an unfortunately familiar blonde emerged from the adjacent room in haste, looking panic-stricken like the demons of hell were hunting him, calling Sasori's name as he was looking for him. He had trouble walking, dragging around a transfusion pole to lean on, his body covered with bandages, albeit trivial compared to the redhead's.

Kankurô's blood boiled as soon as he spotted Deidara. The grim expression he'd been wearing for hours disappeared. From his whole body now emanated nothing but a strong urge to kill to which he yielded faster than Naruto smelling a bowl of ramen.

"You bastard, this is all your fault!" he roared, dashing towards him and tackling him to the ground like a rugby player.

His face-smashing was aborted after the third punch thanks to Hidan's prompt reaction – on Shikamaru's request. He managed to neutralize him with far less difficulty than he let on. Despite the unending flow of insults targeting him, Deidara didn't falter and addressed Kankurô.

"Sasori's in danger! We must …"

"No shit, you asshole! You blew a fucking building on him and now you're just trying to finish him off!"

"It wasn't me!"

"Bullshit! I was there, dumbass, I saw you…"

Drawing from some newfound energy, the blond straightened, staring defiantly at Kankurô, and cut him short with even more rage in his voice in the brunette's.

"No, you didn't see anything, you goddamn dork, you were outside! I didn't trigger the explosion, for fuck's sake!"

End of chapter 13 !

You thought Sasori and Deidare were dead? Well, guess again! They arent dead... yet... 3:D

What really happened in Deidara's workshop, you ask? Well, find out next time !

On a side note, I just noticed that the links to the diagrams on my profile no longer work. Thanks for nothing, dear site... -.-' Anyway, I'll try to fix this A.S.A.P.

The title for this chapter is a reference to a soundtrack from "Castlevania - Dawn of Sorrow", a DS episode from the great Castlevania Series.

As always, thanks a lot to all those who took time to review up until now. If possible, if you're too lazy to login (happens to all of us from time to time :p), please be sure to use your exact member name as I try to reply to every single one of you.

Thank you for reading, even more for reviewing. See you on chapter 14! Hopefully, before next year. ^^'