Chapter 8

Our group spent the next four days trying to survive while searching for the rest of the group. The meeting place that'd been discussed was overrun by inhabited humans so we were left combing the massive city for other survivors.

The apartment complex our friends had agreed to meet at before our arrival was clear on the other side of town and it took us that long to get to it with the sheer amount of enemies roaming the streets. You'd think that hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people would be easy to hear, but you'd be wrong. Those humans aren't in control of themselves and are as silent as can be, so anytime we ran into some of them, it was akin to a jumpscare in a thriller movie.

When we finally made it, our hopes were struck down with vigor. There were a few enemies scouting the area, but they were easy enough to evade or knock out. The real problem was the state of the meeting place itself. The exact apartment we were instructed to enter had the door busted down and the inside was a mess.

The glass coffee table was shattered as though someone had fallen through it, blood stained spots of the dark carpet, and two of the bedrooms were in complete disarray as though a brawl had happened inside them. It was obvious someone had been here and they'd been ambushed.

The anxiety I was feeling in regards to our friends' safety was only getting harder to handle.

When we searched the rest of the building, just to be sure, we found a massive hole in the wall on the top floor, leading right outside. When we looked out from it, we noticed a large swimming pool within diving distance and I had to take a few moments alone to get control of my breathing.

The hole looked like it was caused by a person and there was only one person I knew who had the strength to bust through brick like that and drywall like that: Sakura. Did she jump from so high up and land in the pool? She must've had absolutely no other choice if so.

When we went back outside, we checked the area surrounding the clear water and saw no blood, so at least that helped ease my mind. If she did make such a reckless choice, at least she hadn't hit the concrete and died. Who knows, though? It could be that it wasn't even her that made that hole and I was just panicking for no reason at all.

After finding an abandoned house to convene within, the eleven of us tried to come up with a plan of what we should do since our search efforts have been in vain thus far. For nearly an hour, we argued back and forth on what the right decision was before finally deciding to get as close to the center of Suna as possible so Tenten could get to the roof of one of the taller buildings and use the scope of her rifle to search the place for familiar faces.

In an effort to be more stealthy, only the four of us from The Program were going to get super close, while the others will wait a block or two away for us to return, that way if things go awry not all of us would be captured.

So, after getting a good night's rest, we headed out the next morning in hopes of finding at least one of our friends or the remainder of the group from the haven in Konoha.

As the four of us snuck closer and closer to the large town hall building in the center of the city, I was grateful to be wearing clothes that weren't multiple sizes too big like I had in Oto. My movements felt much lighter and it was easier to keep them silent.

My pistol was at the ready, pointed down at the ground as we finally arrived at the apartment building just one block away from our target. Naruto and I gave Neji and Tenten a nod, signaling for them to go ahead. The two of us were to guard the two entrances of the building to make sure no one came in and interrupted them. Neji was going with her to watch her back in case someone happened to be inside.

Luckily, the two exits of the building were down the hall from one another, so Naruto and I crouched down back to back in the middle of it, one of us facing each door. It was silent for multiple minutes as we aimed our guns at the glass revolving doors before Naruto whispered barely loud enough for me to hear, "I'm getting a bad feeling."

I wanted to turn to see his face, but didn't dare avert my eyes from the door. As soon as he said the words, I came to agree. Something seemed off. Another five minutes or so passed before a single gunshot rang through the air somewhere outside the building, but it wasn't from above us so it wasn't Tenten or Neji.

My heartbeat quickened in my chest and my muscles seemed to vibrate with eagerness to move, but I forced myself to remain still with my eyes trained even harder on my target. The sound seemed to come from at least a block or two away, in the opposite direction of the town hall.

Suspense had me slowly trying to make my body smaller, make it somehow get even closer to the ground as I crouched, only for Tenten and Neji to come back downstairs. They joined us, mirroring our positions where Tenten was by my side with her back to Neji's as he crouched beside Naruto.

"The boys that separated from us after the asylum are here."

Just by the tone of her voice, I could tell she meant they'd been inhabited, but I could also tell she had more important news to share. Tenten's tone wavered as she obviously struggled to maintain her composure, "I saw Temari, Shikamaru, and Sakura fighting with some of the others. Ino was shot. I don't know if she made it or not. We need to leave asap if we want to catch up with them before they go into hiding again."

Tears blurred my vision in an instant and I frantically blinked so they'd fall and I'd be able to see again. So I'd been correct. Sakura had tried very hard to escape capture, only for it to be futile. At least she was alive. I have to keep telling myself that. It's not too late. They can all still be rescued.

The four of us made our way in the direction the gunshot had sounded from, Tenten leading us since she'd spotted them through her scope. It was just over two blocks away when we came upon Sasuke, Sai, Kiba, and Kankuro huddled around an unconscious Ino in an alleyway. Well, Sai and Kiba were tending to her while Sasuke and Kankuro appeared to keep watch.

The Uchiha man noticed us first and surprised us all by accepting a half-hug greeting from Naruto, who spoke in a hushed voice, "What's going on, man? This city is overrun!"

I couldn't stick around and listen for his reply and rushed over to kneel beside Sai, Tenten following me. He barely even acknowledged our arrival. Instead, he continued bandaging a wound on the young woman's chest with shaking hands. There was a lot of blood staining the front of her ripped shirt, but the blood flow from the injury didn't appear all that serious which had me confused.

Kiba met my eye as he held her head steady so it wouldn't fall to the side as she was leaned against the brick wall, "Sakura healed her."

Tenten shook her head, "I saw Sakura just a few minutes ago. She's inhabited. Why would-"

"She got control, somehow, just long enough to save her." We turned to see Sasuke glaring, but his rage wasn't directed toward us.

Kankuro hissed, "They targeted Gaara. Why?" The four of us that'd just arrived looked between him, Sasuke, and Kiba as they conversed.

"Sakura said Matsuri's been inhabited by The Meishu. Could that have something to do with it?"

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief, running a stressed hand through his messy black hair, "This is fucking insane. None of it makes sense."

"Did you guys find the Gosei plants?" Neji spoke for the first time.

Kiba nodded, pulling a small glass vile out of his pocket, "The other was in Sakura's bag, but we don't know what she did with it."

My eyes glued to the small blue leaves within the tube. All of our lives lie in the hands of that one little plant. To my surprise, Kiba shoved it into my hands. When I gave him a bewildered look and tried to hand it back, he shook his head, "It has to be you. I just know it." I don't know if it was the determination in his eyes or how the others wordlessly agreed, but I suddenly felt ready to face our enemies head on. I was reassured.

Before I could respond, Ino's eyes fluttered open. They were glazed over for a few moments before they finally focused and she sat straight up with her hands to her chest in a panic.

Sai held her shoulders in an attempt to keep her calm and when she noticed, she met his gaze with thick tears running down her face, "She's still in there! Sakura's fighting so hard, I can tell!" A heartbreaking sob passed her lips and Sai pulled her into his chest to comfort her for a few moments.

Neji spoke again, "We've brought reinforcements. Let's regroup with them and figure out what to do next." After verifying Ino was strong enough to walk on her own, we stealthily made our way a few blocks over to the house our new friends were waiting in.

Before anyone could make introductions, Ino spoke in a disbelieving voice, "G-Genma?!"

The man smirked, "Hey baby. Long time no see."

Sai and Sasuke shared a look before the latter cleared his throat, "I'm going after Sakura. You all can join me if you want, but I'm going either way."

I frowned, "It's too dangerous. They outnumber us at least four to one even if the rest of our reinforcements join us."

The Uchiha man's jaw flexed and his dark eyes bore into mine, "I don't care. Stay here if you're scared."

Ino moved to stand next to him, "I'm going, too." Sai wordlessly joined them.

Despite my mind telling me there's no way we'll be victorious, my heart was overpowering it. I turned to meet Naruto's eye and he immediately frowned, "Hinata, no."

I shook my head, "I can't let them go without me. None of this would've happened if it wasn't for my father's invention. Besides, those are our friends in there."

He cursed under his breath, anger bringing some color to his face, "Damn it…I'm coming too then." One by one, everyone came to an agreement that we were going to go for it no matter how much of a suicide mission it was.

We had four grenades between us and almost everyone had a gun, so we could at least do some damage, but that's not our goal. Our goal is to reach The Meishu, to reach Matsuri, and prove to them that this plant isn't what they've been searching for.

Kankuro explained that he, Gaara, and Matsuri had found some underground tunnels that ran alongside the sewer that could likely bring us close to the entrance of the town hall. We let him lead the way once we found a grate and climbed down into the very dimly lit area below the ground.

Tenten, Ino, and I walked side by side near the back of the group as we followed him closely. Sasuke was up front with Kankuro, a determined look on his face. Tenten asked exactly what I'd been thinking, "Is Sasuke alright?"

Ino shook her head, wincing as she adjusted the bandage on her chest, "He's been a mess since Sakura got separated from us."

"I knew they'd gotten close, but I didn't expect him to be so affected."

The blonde wiped at some tears before they could slip down her cheeks, "You won't believe how they act around one another now." She gestured half-heartedly at me, "It's damn near how you and Naruto are. I don't think he's going to handle it well if something happens to her."

Her chin quivered and she pressed a few fingers against the middle of her forehead in an attempt to regain her composure, "I know I won't be able to take it. So we have to save her and the others no matter what." Tenten and I shared a look before nodding and changing the subject.

Ino explained some of the stuff we'd missed while we were apart. She told us about how they had to fight off over a dozen inhabited persons at the Gosei factory in Iwa and how Kiba spilled the beans that he'd overheard Sasuke and Sakura use the "L" word with one another.

The most relevant information she provided was that the goal of our inhabited friends attacking them was to capture Gaara and nothing else. The only reason she'd been shot was because she tried to stop them.

I couldn't help but worry about what the redhead's captors could possibly have in store for him. It seemed incredibly out of character for them to target a specific person while ignoring the rest so it had to be a direct order from The Meishu. The question remains though: What did they want from him? And why Gaara specifically?

No matter their reasons, I focused on taking calming breaths and steeling my resolve. The battle we're about to encounter won't be an easy one.