Restoration Book 3/3: Sakura's Fate

Chapter 7

It must've been Sasuke waking up that cut our connection because I didn't wake for a while longer. First thing in the morning, those controlling Temari, Shikamaru, Hidan, and I were summoned to The Meishu's office. For nearly twenty minutes, we stood there with nothing to do but listen and watch as Matsuri appeared to argue with herself, pacing back and forth in front of us all.

After being threatened with two varieties of torture, I couldn't bring myself to struggle or even directly acknowledge the thing controlling my body. I'm scared. I'm petrified.

Bluffing probably isn't within these things' abilities, so if I step out of line too much, I'm going to be put through something worse than I've ever experienced in the past. I'd instead go through two more months of isolation at the asylum than let that happen.

And Sasuke... I know he'd never judge me, but I know he'll find a way to blame himself. He loves me, and I love him, but even the most vital relationships can crumble under the right amount of pressure. The fallout might be too much for us, and I don't want to test that theory.

Then the Meishu finally addressed us, pulling me from my thick haze of anxious thoughts. To my utter disbelief, Matsuri told us to find and capture Gaara immediately and to keep him alive at all costs. Just yesterday, I was forced to disclose all those inhabited people outside to deal with any humans lurking around with whatever means necessary, even if it means killing them. Now, all of a sudden, Gaara Subaku is the sole exception. Not only that but a search has been issued for him. That means hundreds of beings are targeting him, and for what?

My curiosity and confusion got the better of me, and I chanced to ask the invader in my head once we all turned and began walking back downstairs, "Is it normal for The Meishu to make these kinds of requests?"

My voice was a bit hoarse as it responded, "It is not our place to question The Meishu, only to obey." I asked some other questions, like why that's the case and what exactly The Meishu can do that differs from the rest of their kind, but I was completely ignored.

After relaying information to the rest of the people in the building, Hidan chose Temari, Shikamaru, and me to be in his group. Hidan seems to be some type of captain or something. Everyone reports to him, and he reports to The Meishu. He delegated the task of organizing the massive group outside to Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, the orange-haired man with odd eyes, and an incredibly tall man with long brown hair and bizarre, stitch-like tattoos. Then our group of four left to begin the hunt for Gaara.

My controller was ordered to lead since my body's capable of dishing out and surviving more damage than the others, minus Hidan's self-healing ability. We ran through street after street, alley after alley, the other three following with a small gap between us for nearly twenty minutes.

"You have to take a break or something! My lungs are going to give out!" I mentally begged.

We're pretty far from the town hall now and haven't paused once other than to peer into windows and nooks for hiding human beings. The damn creature can't feel the sharp sting each thin breath is sending through my ribcage, so of course, it isn't going to heed my warning. My pleas were ultimately ignored.

A movement suddenly caught my eye near the entrance of a thin alleyway ahead, and my neck snapped to the side, my body following as we turned to continue in that direction. The others followed wordlessly, keeping their small distance without any hiccups.

The moment I turned the corner into the alleyway, I came face to face with the revolver barrel. Terrified blue eyes locked onto mine, wide with disbelief. I begged the thing inside me to back away slowly while trying to vocalize my desperation to the familiar face before me and failing.