Deceitful (A Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter 60: Sakura

Hey y'all I'm not dead and this story will be finished soon, and then maybe rewritten. At the very least, it'll be edited so the beginning isn't super awful. It's really been a wild ride, starting it in 8th grade and ending it as a college student. Thanks for your dedication all these years, and I hope you enjoy!

-Author

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Striding swiftly to the closest cabinet to me, I opened multiple drawers and found various types of liquids in vials of all shapes and colors. Picking up a few labelled vials that matched the milky white color of the drug in the syringe, I laid them all out on the desk in front of me. Taking my time to look over them, I noticed slight variances in color. They otherwise had the same base white. A rush of recognition hit me as I utilized my old skills as a medic. Shaking my head, I allowed myself a sad smile at what I used to be. All of the vials had similar properties as benzodiazepines; anti-anxiety medications. Shaking off the bittersweet memories, I retained focus.

The plan was straightforward enough. I'd take one of the anti-anxiety liquids, put it into a syringe so it looked similar to the drug Izaya gave me, and accidentally end up injecting "the wrong one" into my system. Instead of the anti-anxiety drug being taken under the guise of needing to calm down, it would be the chakra amplifier. An easy switch that was brilliantly simple. My acting would have to smooth this transition over.

Initially I hesitated, but ultimately came up with the conclusion that I trusted Shikamaru. How could I not? He'd been there for me more than once. I'd seen him lead teams and formulate unbelievably detailed plans with more than a dozen alternate outcomes depending on all kinds of variables.

He was smart.

And not just that, but he knew how to take calculated risks. He prioritized mission objectives, sure. But that didn't mean he would forgo anything else that came secondary. Like my mental health he had recently taken an interest in, for instance. I couldn't help but feel that the Nara had begun to integrate that into his planning, placing more importance on it than I would've liked. In my mind, the mission should come first. And most others would agree with me.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Yamanaka-san had mentioned something about it. Or Shikamaru himself had made it a concern as well, after we had been working with one another. I shook my head with a slight smile.

If he believed this was the most optimal way to get the results he wanted, then so be it. I had faith that he knew exactly what he was asking me to do when he came up with the plan. Shikamaru had given me these instructions and I would follow, regardless if I was unbeknownst to his end game.

Doing just that without much thought, I loaded up an identical syringe that had been lying on a metal cart close by. Examining both drugs in their respective containers, I turned each within the fluorescent lights, making sure that anyone would be able to mistake one for the other, including a trained medic. That was what would it end up being. An honest mistake.

Resting my upturned arm against the desk, I rolled up my sleeved shirt to reveal my veins. I wrinkled my noise in mild annoyance that I'd be pricking my skin, which I recognize is ironic in of itself. Pain was nothing new, and this was a relatively minimal sensation I'd be feeling. It probably was just the nerves kicking in. My heartbeat began to pick up as the gravity of the situation began to surface.

Taking a deep breath, I inserted the vial containing the drug into the vein nestled in the crook of my elbow. I mentally applauded myself for calming any panic I was feeling. This could prove to be an easy fix in terms of degrading the substance once it was within my system, or it could be more on the challenging side. I wouldn't know until I pulled the trigger, and considering my qualms with the unknown, I surprised myself when I felt a smile grace my features. Once an adrenaline junkie, always an adrenaline junkie.