Don't Leave Me Alone: [SasuSaku fanfiction]

Chapter 7-The Unknown Assasian

Sasuke landed underneath the dirt, the atmosphere reminding him of orochimaru's old hideout. The musty thick scent in the air despite his mask, and the dim light made an eerie glow among the narrow stone and dirt walls.

Juro landed next to Sasuke neatly, nodding at Sasuke. "I know where all the traps are, I've been in here enough times to memorize the rooms." He said, then frowned, a look of uncertainty passing over his face. "but watch out for guards. They're going to have the intention of killing you and well as myself, since I escorted you here."

Sasuke nodded, all too familiar with having to kill guards and be wary as well as observant of traps. However, he felt as though this one was going to be slightly different than recent prisons he's been in.

"The room where Sakura would be in is the one posted with half of the guards." Juro told Sasuke as they began to walk down the hallway. "Brace yourself, though. These guys are practically thirsty for blood and won't take any limitations, even going to extent of using forbidden jutsus if they consider you a real contender." Juro said. "And they're not just clumsy. Since were an assassination village...they're swift, as well as sly, and can come behind you any moment and.." Juro nodded at Sasuke, and Sasuke didn't reply, although getting the picture. He was going to have to keep his guard up .

"I'm not soft myself." Sasuke responded. "I'll kill anyone, even children, if I have to." He told Juro, and narrowed his eyes. "And just a heads up, I'll kill you also, if it comes down to it."

"To this village, that's not an extent." Juro replied, looking Sasuke squarely in the eye. "That's a practice of our life. I don't understand it, but somehow, killing connections and bonds, they think it makes us stronger" He looked away, and didn't say anymore.

Sasuke didn't make eye contact with Juro; too caught up in staying in defense, and suddenly, the voice of Juro snapped him back to reality. "Trap on your left!" He yelled.

Both of them dodged kunai heading straight for them, and right where they stepped, two explosive tag kunais were on the verge of exploding. Sasuke and Juro, alarmed, both nearly stumbled backwards, leaving the kunai to explode.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Sasuke asked, irritated at having to suddenly move like that, less than graceful than he was capable of.

"I didn't know!" Juro said defensively. He looked around, a frown creasing on his face as he swept a gaze across the narrow hallway. "Huh, they must have tightened security-look out!" Juro yelled, abruptly cutting himself off mid sentence.

Kunais shot from either directions from the wall, and Sasuke jumped backwards, landing neatly on his feet, only to flip backwards more quickly when the floor beneath him gave out, revealing explosive tags of kunai, and he and Juro both jumped backwards, as each space on the floor revealed a assortment of explosive kunai, and Sasuke winced as an kunai pierced into his skin, and he quickly tossed the kunai the opposite direction, resulting in a loud explosion.

"Damn, that was close." Juro gasped, breathing heavily. "But usually their defense mechanism is much more tighter than this." He narrowed his eyes. "Sasuke, I hate to say this, but I think it's best if we split up."

Sasuke didn't question this. It made sense; they were both capable of handling enemies, and there was a higher chance of finding Sakura. He nodded. "Where should we meet up?" He inquired.

Juro pointed at the spot where they were at. "Right here. Easy enough?" He inquired.

Sasuke nodded. "Alright. Let's go." He said, and turned and body flickered down the hallway, passing door after door, and silently skidded to a stop as he spotted a group of ninja guarding a rusted door, all the way at the end of the hall, so far, Sasuke was sure he would lose his way back.

'Sakura must be in there. With tight security..' Sasuke quickly shook off the thought and began to proceed to examine the guards.

The guards weren't in top condition. There was a guant look was in their faces, coughing every now and then, and the wobbling in their knees were clear. However, he could see one of the guards with the key dangling on it's pants.

Sasuke wasted no time flickering behind two guards and easily karate chopping them in the back of the neck and knocking them out. The two other guards leaped forward unsteadily, and Sasuke turned and punched the two of them in the neck

Stepping over the fallen guards, he took the keys from the guard and unlocked the door, screeching it open with a rusty groan, and bits of plaster fell onto the ground, and Sasuke peered into the room from the dim sickly light. There was a rusted floor, moss creeping on the corners, mold and water seeping down onto the ground.

Making out a shape in the darkness, there was girl, no older than Sakura, huddled in the corner, her long black hair draped over her body like a curtain, clear orange tints streaked on her hair, and her head didn't move, and her body stayed stiff and sodden as she moved. A air of misery and regret was thick in the air as Sasuke frowned at how dark her chakra was.

'who is she?' Sasuke thought for a split second, but once again, waved away the uneccessary thought. That had no use to it. This women wasn't Sakura, for all he cared, but before he left, he decided to ask where Sakura was. It was best to gather information.

Proceeding with caution, Sasuke left a kunai hanging out slightly, and he stepped into the room, trying not the gag at the sickly smell that filled his lungs.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked as he stood in the middle of the room, towering over the woman who was huddled there.

There was only silence that met Sasuke after his question lingered in the air once more. He studied the woman once more. Nothing was odd about her. Only the mask, which he was not yet used to, was covering her slightly revealed face.

Sasuke decided to waste any time on personal questions. Instead, he cut straight to the chase, for what he came here for. "Do you know, or heard about anybody named Sakura Haruno?" He inquired.

Again, silence was stretched thin.

"I'm only asking one more time." Sasuke said and deftly pulled out his kunai with the slightest clinking sound, careful not to make any sound. "where is Sakura Haruno? Do you know her? If you answer, you'll come out alive." But as still, silence was only the answer, Sasuke headed towards the woman, ready to keep on his word. He told her he would kill her. So he would.

But when Sasuke silently, and as quick as he could be, moved the kunai toward her exposed neck, a hand, quick as a flash, so fast Sasuke couldn't see it, landed on sasuke's wrist, firmly gripping the hand which he held the kunai.

'how?' Sasuke thought in disbelief. The kunai was going as quick as his hand could go, but yet, even without looking, this woman simply caught it in her hand, as it were a game of catch. He narrowed his eyes. This woman was better than he thought. and she could move.

"I'm impressed." sasuke told the woman shortly. "Your fast."

"What do you want?" The woman spoke for the first time, lifting her head, and Sasuke could only see a thick mask on her face, a deep gash across the front, and two eye holes.

"The question I asked before." Sasuke said shortly, using his rinnegan to switch places and have him standing at the doorway. "Where is Sakura Haruno?"

The woman looked at Sasuke, silent for another moment, then replied. "I hear nothing, I know nothing of Hidden Mist. Not anymore, anyways."

"Then who are you?" Sasuke asked. "And I want to see your whole face, and state your whole name."

There was another silence. Longer this time, tension burning in the air stretching longer and longer, until finally, her hand reached up and removed her mask, unveiling a toned skin and dark green eyes.

"I am Hotaru Kate." She said, narrowing her eyes as she stood up. "The Unknown Assassin"