Spirited Away

Rae followed the fresh trails Kabuto left behind like a bloodhound. With an injured Sannin in his hands, the usually careful spy had no time to backtrack and leave fake trails.

Rae was honestly surprised that the poison and paralysis worked so well on the Sannin, considering that Orochimaru has a high resistance to poison due to his own self-experiments and his natural affinity to snakes. Rae will never underestimate the poisonous plants in Mountain's Graveyard for the rest of her life.

Rae faltered on her step when she felt the world shift under her feet. She leaned on the side of the tree she landed on as she forced to reorient herself. She couldn't afford to lag behind Kabuto too much or he'll have time to hide his trails.

A pained gasp left her lips, and she fell on her knees.

Rae whipped her head around, checking for the familiar apparition of the Shinigami when she felt the cold grip that she could only associate with Death.

There was none.

The cold pressure slowly intensified until she could barely breathe. (Been here, done this. I could do it all over again). She pointedly ignored the dark spots multiplying in the corner of her vision as she focused on breathing. A sharp pain pierced her whole being as if her soul was tugged on harshly. Her limbs became numb and cold. Her grip on the tree slacked and she fell down a dozen feet to the ground. Her fall stole what little breath she had left and unconsciousness immediately claimed her.

~

The last thing Zen remembered before going to sleep was the cold hard floor of the dark cage she was put in by Kabuto. (It was actually a concrete four-wall torture cell with a squeaky metal door. She'd rather be in a classic barred cage, and not in this eternally dark cell that is only blessed with light when Kabuto comes in.) She doesn't know how long it has been since she's been there or how long it was since she'd been separated from Karin. Counting the meals became pointless when Kabuto figured out what she was doing and changed the schedule of when her food would be brought. (damn intelligent little bastard) Sometimes it felt as if she was only fed once or twice a day. God forbid, sometimes she feels as if a whole day or two has passed since the last time she was fed.

Every meal came with a price too. Sometimes, Kabuto would take a vial of blood from her. Or hair. Sometimes, a small chunk of flesh. She hates it when he does that. It doesn't matter that he heals her afterward, the pain was a real bitch. The only painless sample he took from her was her saliva. Sometimes she wonders whether Karin is in the same position as her or she gets better treatment because of her Uzumaki genes being useful to Orochimaru. (Zen would be eternally relieved if it was the latter)

But anyway, she's not there anymore. The first thing she noticed was the glowing lightbulb on the ceiling. A ceiling that is painted with ugly squiggly lines. Gingerly sitting up, the next thing she noticed was the people around her with their hands clasped in the basic Ram seal. Counting out, there were 15 of them around her, all in the same outfit - uniform - and hands mirroring the same hand seal as if they had just finished a group performance.

Ah. I think I know what happened here. Tentatively, Zen glanced at the floor. Pursing her lips together in displeasure, she shakily stood with great difficulty on her weak legs. Damn you, malnutrition.

"Thank you for freeing me from captivity," Zen started with a tight smile, looking straight at one of them in the eyes. There was no indication who the leader is among them, so she'd just take her pick. "But may I know what cult is this? And why have been I summoned like a demon?"

"I see that the ritual is a success" A familiar voice said as a pair of people came into the room. Zen felt her throat clamp down, making it harder to breathe.

[Angry grey eyes stared down at her. A slim, calloused hand descended upon her and tightly grabbed her small arm in a bruising grip.

Her cry of pain only resulted in her getting a sharp slap across the face]

She knows this person all too well.

[Storm grey eyes staring down at her in disdain]

The very first person in her memories here in her second life. The first face she saw when they peered down in her crib. Wheredidyourbrightsmilehadgone? The first voice she had imprinted in her memories. Humming a soft lullaby.

Zen couldn't remember when everything had gone wrong. All she knew was one day, her mother's warm eyes became as cold as steel. And then, everything hurt.

[Undecipherable words slipping out of thin, chapped lips as manic grey eyes glared down at the trembling child on the floor. Words that Zen had never understood before]

But now, she does.

"Welcome home, darling!" The monster in front of her chirped. Seemingly totally different from her memories. Zen felt dread when the woman approached nearer. She flinched at the first sign of hands raising. She instinctively curled into herself and tightly closed her eyes when those hands whipped out towards her. All she could feel was the fearfearFEAR that was etched in her soul.

The only associating imprint she had now of her mother is the feeling of feardreadPAIN.

["You have no worth to me, you demon! I carried you for 8 MONTHS! Risked my life when you came out prematurely! And this is what your father had rewarded me?! A small shack in the middle of NOWHERE?!"]

She stopped breathing altogether when she felt herself be pulled into an embrace.

"Your journey must've been tiring," The older woman crooned, "Come. I've prepared a room for you."

["All you ever do is cry, eat, and shit like a DOG! YOU WORTHLESS GARBAGE!"]

"Lady Hara" The one who came in with her mother stepped in to block their path. "What do you want us to do with the other one?"

"Seal her away" Her mother replied, voice still soft and cheery. "She's useless to me."

["YOU ARE AS WORTHLESS AS YOUR FATHER!"]

.

.

.

Zen wished that she was back in Orochimaru's torture cell.

~

When Rae opened her eyes again, she's standing inside a vaguely familiar room. Movement from the corner of her eyes revealed the diligent studying form of her pink-haired best friend.

"Sakura?"

The pinkette didn't even flinch.

With a frown, Rae cautiously approached her friend.

"Sakura?" She called again, hand outstretched to tap her friend in the shoulder.

That got her a reaction.

Haruno Sakura was quick to draw a kunai like the seasoned shinobi she is. The pointy end of the weapon scant centimeters from her throat.

"WOAH THERE!" Rae jumped back just in time to avoid getting skewered to death.

But something was wrong.

Slim arms retracted back as Sakura's green eyes roamed her room in apprehension. As if looking for something that is not there.

Rae stared, uncomprehending what her friend is searching for that the pinkette doesn't even bother to address her.

.

.

.

It only took a moment for Rae to connect the scattered clues in front of her.

"You've gotta be kidding me"

WHAT THE FUCK?!