𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐑𝐄 | sasuke uchiha

With Shisui

I was awakened not by a loud blast or shout to announce that we had arrived, but by a small, passing wind as I felt someone's presence pass me.

Opening my eyes so that I could just see through slits, in the darkness, I could make out a figure working at the back of the truck, gingerly picking up one of the lonely, younger children and cradling her carefully in their arms. Blinking to clear my vision, I realised that the figure was Shisui, and rubbed my eyes as my sight adjusted to the darkness. I looked around, and everything was still. Everyone was asleep. Everyone left on the truck, that was.

"Oh, Kohana. You're awake?" I looked up with doe eyes as Shisui made to pass me, looking worse for wear himself.

"Are we here?" I asked groggily, shaking my head to wake myself up. The kinder Uchiha gave me a worn out smile.

"Mmm. Naruto and I are just bringing the kids in now. I was actually considering carrying you in myself for a moment," he added in a joking tone, making me chuckle.

"You wish. I'm too heavy for you," I mused in reply, getting to my feet and blindly feeling in the dark for my shared backpack with Ino. Upon finding it, I grabbed the now light backpack and slung it onto my shoulders, before further bending back down to pick up Yuki and Ryo. Once I had safely secured Yuki in my right arm, I did the same for Ryo in my left, all while Shisui stood and waited for me.

"Sorry about it," laughed Shisui, waiting for me to get off. I carefully lowered myself so that I was sitting at the edge of the back, and slowly lowered myself to the ground outside. As I heard Shisui get off behind me, I looked around at our surroundings. We had gotten off into what appeared to be a large, dimly lit garage, which was immediately across from a door with a light hanging over it. Seconds after Shisui got off behind me, the door opened, and a yawning Naruto emerged, his arms outstretched.

Upon seeing me, the blond blinked vicariously, before shaking off his befuddlement and waving half enthusiastically at me.

"Hey, Kohana. Morning." With that, he strode past Shisui and I back to the truck, while I waited for the dark haired male to take the lead.

"Ah, yeah. Here, through the door." Shisui quickened his pace and leapt before me, opening the door up.

"Thanks." As the door swung open, a well lit hallway was revealed, resembling that of a prison. I shivered at the thought and shrugged Yuki and Ryo further up my shoulders, quickening my stride as I walked in ahead of Shisui. He followed suit, shutting the door behind him, and after ensuring that it really was just the two of us around, I decided to ask some questions.

"Sir, where are we headed to now?" I asked precariously, staring at the Uchiha as we walked down the long, narrow corridor. It was both daunting and harrowing, the stretch of gray on both sides seeming endless and eternal.

Shisui chuckled, adjusting his grip on the little girl in his arms.

"You can call me Shisui."

"Right. Shisui. What happens now?"

Shisui bit his lip, looking straight ahead.

"You and the children will be relocated to your rooms for the night- everyone from the same orphanage is placed into one room. You and your two colleagues will be put together with those two-" he nodded at Yuki and Ryo,"- until daybreak. Then, you will all be categorised respectively, by clan."

"What if you don't have one?" I asked, puzzled as to how they would know what clan an orphan would come from.

"Under the unlikely circumstance that we can't track one's bloodline, then you'll be grouped according to your chakra affinity. More likely then not, Kohana, but if you and Ryo's clans are still unknown by the end, it's more than likely you two will end up together for the next stage of the screening."

None of what Shisui was saying made any sense to me, but I shook it off and continued to pester him with questions anyway.

"Affinity? Next screening? What?"

"It's a long process," sighed Shisui as the end of the hallway came into sight. It was a narrow staircase leading up into the second floor, prompting me to believe that we were currently underground.

"Well, I want to know this process!" I exclaimed hotly, shooting Shisui a deathly glare. "I want to know whether Yuki and Ryo will be safe! What are we being rounded up for?!" Shisui, as patient as ever, gave me a weak smile.

"The children will be fine, I promise you. If I were you, I'd be worried for my own being," he said, in a kindred voice of counsel. "I assure you, the children won't be sent off to do anything quite yet. If anything, this will probably be the most fruitful and prosperous time of their lives. They will learn to mould and utilise the chakra they possess, and I won't lie when I say that this is a long process. At the most, none of them will be sent to fight until they've at least completed their basic training. Keep in mind that this basic training is enough to overpower any weapons or machinery that the enemy plan on throwing our way."

"Will we be doing the same thing as the children?" I asked curiously, wondering how long it would take for us to master this so called art of chakra wielding.

"From what I know, your colleagues will be. As soon as I saw their names, I knew that they were already a part of shinobi clans.."

"Ino and Sai are from... shinobi clans?" I asked in disbelief, making sure that Shisui knew what he was saying sounded absurd.

"And that pink haired girl," he added. "As for you and Haku... well, you two have big question marks hanging over your heads."

"What will happen to us?"

Shisui shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't know," he said casually as we reached the foot of the staircase, finally reaching the end of the corridor. Shisui beckoned for me to go first.

"I can't talk to you once we're above ground, Kohana. Hell, if someone caught me telling you all this I'd be killed! But please, be prepared for the worst. If things work out the way I hope they will, then you won't have to worry about a thing. Hopefully after the next couple of days, I'll be able to see you again. I promise you, the children will be taken care of well. Just think about yourself for now. Don't worry about anyone but yourself. Please. That's the only advice I can offer you."

I nodded slowly at Shisui, barely ingesting his words. He offered me one last smile, before beckoning for me to begin climbing the stairs. Solemnly, I bowed my head and headed up, emerging into an open space. Looking from side to side, I could see the vast complex of what appeared to be a prison, and paled at the sight of soldiers pinpointed at different locations. Stairs went up, up, up, and doors were closed shut. Nudging me a little from behind, Shisui broke me out of my trance and urged me to go forward. There was another staircase ahead of us, and at the top of this one, we were on a floor with cell doors lined on the left. There was one guard posted here, and upon seeing me, he frowned. Then when Shisui appeared behind me, he nodded at the Uchiha before stepping aside, letting us through. Shisui led me to the door farthest away from the staircase, opening it up for me. Inside, I caught a glimpse of Ino and Sai, both sitting on the ground opposite of the single bed in the room. It was a tiny room, but it would do for the night.

"Hey," I greeted, perking their attention. Both blinked groggily at me, nodding slowly. They didn't reply, and I walked in with Yuki and Ryo.

"Take care, Kohana," said Shisui softly, offering me a small smile. I shot him one back, nodding in gratitude.

"Thank you." With that, Shisui closed the door on me, and I heard locks click in place. Turning, I made to lay Yuki and Ryo into the bed, Ino moving to remove the thin blanket that would get them through the night.

"What time is it?" asked Sai after we'd tucked the children away. I sighed and settled beside the Shimura, taking off the backpack and pulling out my handbag and phone.

"Three thirty-two," I said, wincing at the brightness of my screen. "Yeowch. No reception here."

"Who knows, maybe they'll confiscate our phones tomorrow," shrugged Ino, sitting on Sai's other side and leaning against his side. I wanted to tell them all that Shisui had told me, but sleep was beckoning for me.

"Who knows," I murmured, before allowing my eyes to close once more.