The Spaces In-Between

Living Sacrifice

Y/N managed to get one hand free from the bindings and almost screamed at the pain caused by the blood rushing back into her numb fingers.  She shoved the rest of the rope off the other hand, wincing as the blood rushed back into it as well.  She started weaving her hand signs and burned off the rest of the bindings before hurrying to Guy's side.  He was still unconscious and heavy as hell.  She couldn't leave him though.  They would kill him the minute they saw she had escaped.

She hooked her arms under his pits, remembering the way that the officer's at her old job had trained to carry an unconscious body.  She pulled him as fast as she could, the chanting and voices growing steadily closer.  She was already fighting her fear of the darkness of the cave, a fear that had followed her from childhood.  Those voices made it all the worst and she could feel tears rolling over her cheeks.

She could have ignited her fire but then they would be discovered that much faster.  She was fighting not just for her life and that of her child, but also the life of Might Guy.  She would never forget how hard he had tried to defend her.  They were going to catch up to them soon.  She did not have the strength to carry Guy out quick enough to escape.  She looked around, her eyes somewhat adjusted to the inky darkness.  There had to be some kind of fissure or cave she could hide him in until she could escape and get help.  Something...

Y/N almost missed it.  It was so small that it did not look like a child could even fit into it yet... She went to it and looked inside.  The opening was small but it opened up into a slightly bigger space.  They would never look there for them as it was so small.  It was going to be a challenge to get Guy inside there but she had to do it.  She twisted him, shifted him, and pushed with all her might to get him through the tight opening.  He barely fit through and only after having to twist him in multiple directions.  She got his feet inside finally, then looked towards a medium size bolder not far away.  She had to push with almost the last of her strength but she was able to partly push the boulder in front of the opening, making it look even smaller.

She breathed heavily then stilled as she heard them enter the chamber where she had been.  Her breath hitched up in her throat and she covered her mouth to cover the sound as she silently went deeper into the darkness.  The fear of it was almost overwhelming but she did not have a choice.  She had to keep going as far from them as she could go.  The deeper she went into the darkness, the more she quaked inside.  She wondered if she would wander aimlessly in the darkness forever until she died, lost forever.

It was so dark now that she had to keep her hands out in front of her to keep from walking into the walls.  Her feet, she scooted along the ground just in case the flooring disappeared.  She still was too fearful to ignite her fire, fearing it would draw them to her.  Yet... she needed just a small spark to see enough so she would not inadvertently fall into a chasm.  She closed her eyes, listening for any sound of pursuit.  The chanting had stopped a while back.

She silently prayed that Guy would not be discovered as she went deeper into the cave.  She closed her eyes and focused on her chakra, only wanting a small fragment to give light to one of her fingers only.  The focus needed to create such a tiny light was as challenging as climbing that tree and only then did she realize that was what she had learned from the training.  It was all about controlling chakra into fine points.

As light came to her eyes, she slowly opened them.  She almost cried as she saw the tip of her right index finger glowing with a tiny fire.  She almost gasped as she saw a large opening in front of her with a drop off just before it.  A little bit further and she probably would have fallen to her death.  She crept slowly towards it, casting a glance behind her as she listened for any pursuers.

Y/N was surprised they had not picked up her trail yet.  It was not like she had been able to do anything to hide it, especially dragging her feet as she had been.  Yet they were not in pursuit and it gave her a moments hesitation.  Why would they not be following her?

As she approached the wide cavern before her, she stared in wordless horror as to why they had not pursued her.

***

Kakashi was almost out of his mind by the time they reached the location Sai and Yamato had sent.  Even with Naruto flying them to the location, all he could hear was a clock ticking.  All of the memories he had shared with Y/N were going through his mind like a knife.  Yamato looked over at him with a grim expression on his face.

"They took Y/N and Guy in about twenty minutes ago," Yamato told them at their approach.  "Everyone is in position, just waiting for orders."

"We need to move, now," Kakashi responded, his hand already glowing with his purple lightning.

Naruto nodded his agreement, "Let's do this Captain.  Take prisoners if possible but any resistance, meet it with lethal force."

Yamato whistled and motioned with his hand before they started forward.  Kakashi ran ahead of them, hearing Yamato say a curse under his breath with the words, "So much for stealth."  He did not care.  His only thought was reaching Y/N before they had the chance to sacrifice her to the beast.  Whether or not the beast actually existed did not even interest him.  What mattered was that this cult believed that it did and that was the real danger.

He was merciless as he cut through the men and women that attempted to stop him.  He did not linger against any resistance, just pressed forward and cut through with the lethalness that had at one time earned him the name Cold Blooded Kakashi.  He was anything but cold blooded.  His horror at what might be happening to Y/N was driving him with a burning fire as he went deeper and deeper into the compound.

The sounds of fighting as the rest of the team encountered the enemy rippled off the walls, echoing around him.  Hold on, Y/N, hold on.  I'm coming.

***

Y/N covered her mouth with both hands and turned to the side, pressing her back into the stone wall of the cavern.  She had almost screamed when she saw it.  It was huge and the smell of sulfur was almost gagging as it drifted up towards her from the pit.  She had run right into the lair of the beast itself.  A low growl echoed off the walls and she carefully peered around the rock she was hiding behind to look at it.  It appeared to be sleeping, only the occasional rippling of red fire drifting out of its mouth revealing it's black scales which shimmered like a dark pool of water in the night. Then those eyes opened as it suddenly took a deep breath.  Red pools glowed in the darkness and she quickly extinguished the small fire she had been using.

"Mmmm....." a voice rumbled from the darkness.  "Your blood... it is different than the others..."  She could hear it moving slowly in the darkness and her heart pounded in her chest.  "Where are you from...  You are not from here..."

Y/N was frozen in her place, too terrified to move and believing with everything in herself that the creature would see her if she did leave the place she was hiding.

"Speak... for I am listening... what is it that you desire... money... power..."  A long silence stretched. "SPEAK! I SEE YOU!"

Y/N stumbled back as she realized that the creature had entered the mouth of the cavern and it's red eyes were upon her.