Without Warning (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 26: Ray of Light...ning

WITHOUT WARNING

CHAPTER 26

RAY OF LIGHT...NING

Sasuke hadn't anticipated the cold water that waited for him below. The icy sensation penetrated his skin almost immediately and it gave him the feeling of a thousand incessant pinpricks from the top of his head down to his toes, but he didn't mind. In fact, he welcomed the feeling and almost embraced the numbing pain that came with it. It helped shake him back to concentration as he broke through the surface of the water as silently as possible. The feeling had cleared his head of the worry that consumed him.

He raised himself over the surface of the water so he was standing over it, keeping chakra pooled under his feet as easily as if he was breathing. He walked over to the edge, and almost grinned with satisfaction as he saw pieces of the girls' items littering the ground. His hypotheses had always been on point rendering him the title genius since he was a genin. 

He had no time to enjoy the minor victory as he realized his chakra sensory capacity was even more dulled within the hideout. He cursed under his breath, irritated yet simultaneously impressed by the meticulous work done by Orochimaru in order to conceal his hideouts. It was the main reason why they were so difficult to find regardless of how many were scattered about. And a lot of these, if not all, were humongous and expanded a vast area.

He wasn't going to easily find Hinata and Karin in this maze-like hideout as it was one of the few he had never been to during his time with Orochimaru. There were many things he knew, but even more than he didn't about the Snake Sannin. The very layout of this place was unknown to him. No matter how favored Sasuke was by the most controversial Sannin, he still kept Sasuke at an arm's length and carefully avoided disclosing his most kept secrets and hideouts.

He guessed there were various important documents kept here or experiments of the highest classification being done, or it was possibly considered a secure facility enough for Orochimaru to escape to in case his other hideouts had been found, else Sasuke should have at least been able to hear about this particular one. But no recollection came to mind even as he racked his brain for any sense of familiarity towards the place.

He didn't bother checking the items that lay on the ground. The girls could easily purchase new ones he thought, and begun walking through the large tunnel that stood before him. 

The darkness that loomed ahead didn't faze him in the slightest as his only thought was annihilating whomever was responsible for jeopardizing his plans of the Uchiha restoration.

* * *

Hinata had been the first to wake after being rendered unconscious with a hit to the neck. She did not appreciate the ache left on the area where she had been hit. She struggled to bring up her hand to the ease the spot -- only to realize her hands were tied. And so were her feet. Her mouth had been left open and gagged with a thick cloth, hindering any coherent sound from her apart from her muffled voice. She had been left unceremoniously on dry ground. Voices were then carried over to her ears and she didn't need to put in any effort in eavesdropping considering how loudly the men talked over each other. In fact, she wished she had the ability to go deaf at that instant she realized what their captors were talking about.

"Can't we just have a short good time before we sell them back?"

"Yeah, I hear ya. The one in the jacket seems to be hiding some fine mounds beneath all that cloth. I'd love to get a taste of her."

"I get dibs on the redhead if either of you manage to get the boss to agree to this. Those legs are just begging for it." 

"Imagine what I can do to those young bodies. I can have them writhing underneath me."