Escape (( a naruto oc story ))

Chapter 28

Yuzuki awoke to the familiar floor of her cell room. She once again wore a cloth dress of rags, her legs and arms were shackled. The walls were exactly the same and for a waking, confusing moment she wondered if the Sakura village, if it all had been nothing more than a dream.

Then footsteps began to echo closer as the loud clang of a door opened. "You certainly took your time waking up." The Elder himself stood just beyond the bars smirking down at her. He wore a pitch black outfit where the seams glittered with silver thread. "I'm sure you've missed me dreadfully much, but I've just set everything up for a fun little game I'm sure you'll enjoy." He took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. As the cell gate swung open The Elder held his hand out for Yuzuki to take it.

"Come along and see what your friends have been up to, I'm sure they hate waiting."

When Yuzuki shuffled indecisively on weither she should follow him, he just rolled his eyes and lashed out inside the cell. A kunai embedded itself into the crumbling brick behind her. A strand of her hair fell to the ground as a shallow scratch opened on her check just below her eye. The Elder motioned for her to step out.

"I will aim higher next time." Instantly Yuzuki stepped out and bowed her head lightly into submission not trusting her eyes to show only the emotion The Elder wanted to see. He gripped onto her wrist suddenly and began hauling her through the various halls.

Watching the tiles, yuzuki had the strangest feeling and glanced up to watch the walls pass. Not too long ago she had felt as if the walls themselves were dangerous, everything a challenge or a fear. Yet she had bested this place once and that knowledge filled her soul, replacing the fear with determination. She would best it again, these people again, and she would find all of her friends including Kayla and 512.

"You should feel honored truthfully," The Elder spoke abruptly as they turned a corner. "I am escorting you myself."

Yuzuki felt the urge but resisted rolling her eyes and instead bit the inside of her lip.

"Of course Elder-sama." She nearly stumbled and he jerked her roughly not allowing her knees to even hit the ground as she fumbled for her footing.

"LIES!!" Just as she stood on her feet again he flung her into the wall, the thin paint cracking. Yuzuki groaned as she slipped to the floor her ears ringing, dark spots dancing in her vision. Mercifully the skin on her back did not reopen, perhaps truly healed this time. The Elder knelt in front of her and his hand clasped tightly around Yuzuki's neck cutting of her air entirely. Strangled sounds gargled up out of her gaping mouth.

The Elder shoved her skin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. Open fear swayed in the depths of her ruby eyes, but stronger than that, raged absolute hatred.

Slowly a smile cracked open the Elder's lips. "Yes... That look is perfect." And the wall behind her grew warm, as cold dread settled in Yuzuki's stomach. A chakra latch released as the wall began to rotate, revealing the huge chasm that Yuzuki knew so well. The Elder dropped her abruptly and she hit the ground once more gasping for breath as he merely sauntered away, long hair swaying behind him.

By the time Yuzuki looked up, the Elder had disappeared. Probably, if she had to guess, where ever he always went to watch the fighting. So she slowly stood and stepped away from the wall, crossing her arms. The arena was as barin as always, but the surrounding stadium seats were completely empty. The quiet laid on Yuzuki heavily, this was an area of chaos and pain. The quiet simply did not sit right, and she grew instantly anxious.

Abruptly rattling shook the air, at first the sound was a welcome break to the unnerving silence, until she saw the source.

A metal cage slowly extracted itself down from the shadows around the high ceiling. "No." Yuzuki whispered as something moved in the cage, it's walls of thin but study looking steel bars. "No!" Yuzuki repeated as she left her post by the wall and sprinted toward the cage, even as it hung high above her head. A pale hand reached down toward her from between the bars.

"Yuzuki!" Riku's voice cut through the air, and Yuzuki almost dropped to her knees, weak with relief. The cage was just low enough that she could see him through the thin gaps in the bars. He stood in a pair of gray pants, with one knee ripped, but other than that looked unharmed. Tears came to Yuzuki's eyes as she saw two more forms slumped in the cage.

"Are they ok?!" She shouted desperately, noting that either Kayla or Hazu were moving. Riku swallowed uneasily before answering.

"Kayla is banged up pretty bad, her eye wound is reopened and it looks like she was beaten up expertly. Punches and kicks to only the softest places. At least three ribs are cracked and she's out cold. If we get out of here she will be fine once treated." Riku looked over his shoulder at the huddling form of Hazu in the corner of the cage. He was stripped entirely, with his knees pulled up to his chest, and had not uttered even a single word.

"Hazu is physically fine." Yuzuki blinked at the strange tone of his voice knowing instantly that perhaps Hazu was in a worse state than Kayla. Bones could be treated, the mind was a much harder thing to heal. She surprised herself at the water in her eyes and forced her tears back, there would be time for emotions later. Right now she had to help them.

"Ah, reunions are so touching." The Elder's voice came out from the walls, using the same system as always. "Aren't they, Saki-chan?"

"Absolutly." A woman's voice cooned through the air and Hazu clamped his hands over his ears tightly.

"Let my friends go!" Yuzuki snarled hands curling into trembling fists, the words sounding pathetic even to her ears.

"You know I cant just let them go." The Elder spoke slowly as if addressing a confused child. "But I have always been an understanding man." A heavy door opened on the opposite side of the arena. Then it was Saki who spoke.

"Kill our weapon and we will let your friends return to you. If you die they will continue to take your place on the experiment tables."

Yuzuki snarled and flames flickers on her fingertips glancing up at Riku as he stared helplessly down at her. She cursed loudly and colorfully at the corner they had her group back up in. She did not even know where they were holding Daisuke. She stepped toward the door, ready to fight for their lives, as a shadowed figure took its first steps out into the arena.

The flames vanished as Yuzuki's breath caught in her throat, and she bit her lip. Iron screeched against iron as the figure stepped closer, a cloak dropping to the dirty floor. Impossibly shiny blue eyes stared forward impassively under a curtain of black hair.

"Target acquired." The man that was not a man spoke and even his voice screeched like turning gears.

"513."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

((SURPRISE!!! I hope you all like this chapter not only was it a source of a long period of Writer's Block, I also had difficulties with Wattpad glitching and deleting my copies a few times... but that is that! I love hearing everyone's opinion, so please comment! And if you love the chapter please vote! You readers mean so much to me so just thank you for reading!! ))