Restoration: Book 1/3

Chapter 12

Masumi arrived just a few moments after Orochimaru disappeared with Karin's body. No one dared move to continue training like we'd been instructed, so she barked out at us when she saw us standing in a group with horrified expressions, "Get to work!"

Sakura was sobbing into Ino's chest, and when everyone slowly began heading into their usual groups to exercise, the two girls didn't part ways. The pregnant woman stalked over and roughly pulled Sakura away from her friend by her arm.

That was it: the last straw.

Before I realized what I was doing, I grabbed Masumi's wrist tightly and yanked it away from the trembling younger woman. My voice was like ice, accurately conveying the absolute rage I was trying to hold back, "Don't touch her."

My stepmother's eyes widened before she snapped out of it and tugged away from me with a glare, "I'll have you punished."

She meant the threat whole-heartedly and was probably excited at the idea, but I didn't back down and remained between her and the two girls, "He just killed someone, Masumi. Things have gone too far."

People whispered nearby as they watched us, but I couldn't care less. The older woman seemed to hesitate momentarily before she steeled her gaze and pressed a button on the side of her cell phone. Her lips were in a stubborn line, and she looked down her nose at me like she'd won the argument.

Two minutes couldn't pass before the door to the training area busted open. Madara and Kabuto stormed in, the former looking more enraged than I'd seen him. Every fiber in my being wanted to run and hide as he approached with a terrifying glare in his dark eyes, but I had to stay strong for Sakura.

"What's the meaning of this?"

I opened my mouth to reply but felt the familiar sting of a swift slap across the face. The murmurs around the room picked up, yet I held my ground, "Karin was just killed in front of us all. She's not coming back, Madara!"

He didn't respond to me but wordlessly motioned for Kabuto to come forward.

The silver-haired cook descended upon me, wrestling me to the ground to get my hands pinned behind my back before pulling me to my feet and guiding me roughly toward the exit. In my blind rage, I heard Madara threaten the remainder of Group B that outbursts like mine wouldn't be tolerated.

I was removed from the training area before I could hear the rest. I thought Kabuto was going to take me upstairs to be punished. Still, to my utter disbelief, he pressed a few buttons on what I thought was the thermostat, and part of the concrete wall between the two training area's doors turned to reveal a hidden passageway.

Panic rose in my throat, and I struggled to free myself from his grasp, but it was futile. I was shoved forward and down a winding hall with door after door on either side. He selected one room, seemingly at random, and threw me inside. I caught myself before my head could smack against the ground like Karin's had, but when I turned, the door slammed shut, and I had nowhere to go.

The room looked like the M.A.T. rooms but only had one chair rather than two. This chair also had straps ready at the wrist and ankle area, which shot a chill down my spine. The helmet sat on a counter built into the wall. I waited for what felt like forever for someone to arrive to enact whatever punishment they had in the works for me.

My entire body was shaking with fear by the time Madara stepped through the door. My adrenaline had finally worn off, so I wasn't feeling nearly as brave as I had. I cringed away from his appearance as he shut the door and locked his unwavering gaze on me.

"I warned you."

I tried to fight him off as he forced me into the chair, but he was so much larger and stronger than me that I didn't stand a chance. He handled me roughly as he strapped my limps with the leather clamps.