Chapter 12

After her failed escape attempt, Sakura was kept separate from the other girls. In fact, Danzo had her handcuffed to the heavy desk in his office, so he could personally ensure she didn't cause trouble.

The woman's muscles were sore from the electricity that'd flown threw them hours ago. She also received a few cuts and bruises when they were in the process of bringing her up here, and she fought tooth and nail to get free. They ended up injecting her with a sedative. Her lip was busted, but the worst injuries were the cuts on her wrists from the cuffs. The criminal old man was nice enough to put a bandage around the one currently cuffed again to prevent it from digging deeper into her skin.

It was dark outside now, and Sakura watched with half-lidded eyes from where she lay in a heap on the floor as Danzo sent away the last of his employees, shutting the office door behind them before facing her with a sickly smile. Though her body desperately needed rest, she wouldn't allow herself to fall asleep because she wasn't sure if he'd try anything.

"Ah, finally, a moment of peace." She could only watch as he came to stand before her, just far enough away that she couldn't reach, "Tell me, dear, was it you who patched Madara up after he'd been shot? An employee of mine says you're studying to become a doctor. I could use someone like you."

"Go fuck yourself," the girl weakly rasped out, not having the energy to put more bite behind her words.

"Are you sure? If you accept, you'll no longer be on the auction lineup." Sakura glared at him but didn't say anything else.

He seemed to understand she wasn't interested because his grin tugged wider, "I suppose I'll win either way. The party is technically hosted by a local charity, meaning I can bid on items, too." That had the woman's eyes widening. "As you can imagine, I've never come across a woman quite like you, Sakura. I'll have you one way or another, whether it's by contract or ownership."

The man brushed some hair out of her face with his cane.

She smacked it away with her free hand, hissing angrily, "You won't lay a finger on me, or I'll castrate you, Creep."

A cry of pain left her lips when the man swung the cane down like a mallet, and it smacked against the left side of her back and waist. She curled in on herself and cried, trying to breathe through the white-hot burn dusting her nerves. "Defiance won't be tolerated. The sooner you learn that, the less I'll have to damage the merchandise."

'He might've broken ribs….'

Not long after, Danzo left the office, turning the lights off and locking the door from the outside before leaving Sakura alone. She considered herself a little lucky that he hadn't attempted to force himself on her yet.

At some point in the night, she lost the battle with her exhaustion and fell asleep. She was woken next by someone nudging her bruised side with their foot. She yelped, the touch sending a wave of stinging pain through her body. When she looked up, the blue-haired woman glared at her. It was daylight, but Sakura had no idea what time it was. Though she expected the female guard to retaliate for what she'd done. Instead, she uncuffed her from the desk and guided her down the hallway and into a different room.

The moment the door closed behind them, Sakura turned and hit the woman as hard as she could. A snarl or growl left the bluenette's mouth, and she straightened her spine, blood running down her cheek from the cuff, leaving a slice just under her right eye.

Apparently, that was the last straw because she slapped Sakura as hard as possible, taking her to the ground and straddling her hips to land another hit on the same side of her face. The metallic taste of blood met her tongue, but she didn't cry. No, she held the woman's glare, speaking disgustedly, "Your boss is gonna be pissed you bruised my face. Control yourself."

Orange eyes widened, the woman's hand still raised in preparation for a third hit. She uncuffed Sakura, climbed off of her, wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, and warned her, "Shower and patch yourself up," the gun from yesterday was suddenly pointed her way, her voice lower, "If you try anything else, I'll shoot you one limb at a time until you're compliant."

So, Sakura had no choice but to walk into the ensuite bathroom connected to the large bedroom. Angel stood in the doorway as the pinkette undressed, not caring if she saw. The air in her lungs got stuck when she was in her underwear and turned to face the tall mirror. A massive, pitch-black bruise went from her hip diagonally to the space between her shoulder blades.

Looking at her sad appearance for too long threatened to make her sick, so the woman climbed into the shower and scrubbed her body and hair clean. When she returned, she brushed her teeth before finally noticing another presence besides the blue-haired woman.

Emerald eyes landed on familiar red hair, disbelief locking her limbs. It was Karin, the girl Sasuke cheated on her with.

"What are you…?"

"Doing here? I work here."

Sakura's brow furrowed, and she gritted her teeth angrily. Karin grinned, tilting her head as she looked over her appearance, "I'm supposed to make you look nice for the auction. I suggest you behave because I don't have the same patience as Konan."

'So her name's Konan, then?'

After providing her with clean, new undergarments, Sakura's hair was blow-dried and put into curlers while the redhead began doing her makeup. The hits Konan landed had left a bruise, almost making the pinkette happy because she would undoubtedly be in trouble. No matter how hard Karin tried, it couldn't be hidden with concealer. The swelling went down quickly, though.

When the makeup was finished, an expensive-smelling perfume was spritzed over her, the curlers were taken from her hair, and Sakura was led out of the bathroom. She was stunned to see the very dress she helped Danzo pick out for his supposed wife lying atop the bed.

'I couldn't have been more stupid, huh?'

Surprising no one, it fit perfectly. It was low cut in the front, coming down in a "v" between her breasts. The back was low, too. The entirety of her back was bare, minus a thin strip of fabric across the middle to keep the dress to her body and prevent it from falling. Black heels were placed on her feet, and then it was apparently time to go.

It was already dark outside.

Konan pointed her gun to the center of Sakura's back while Karin got the door, a silent threat to behave. The pinkette was trembling with fear. Not only was the cold metal of a deadly weapon against her skin as she walked between the two women, but extravagantly-dressed guests were also passing them in the hallway. Each wore a masquerade mask, but they weren't enough to hide the predatory looks they sent her. Not one seemed concerned or tried to help.

The trio of women turned down a hallway the others weren't using and entered the first room. Sakura was handcuffed to the rail on the wall like she had when she first awoke in the mansion. Konan and Karin were gone before she could even turn around, and the door shut behind them.

"Sakura, thank God! I thought you were killed!" The woman looked over to see Ino and the other three girls, also dressed to the nines and cuffed.

"Ino…." her voice cracked with emotion, "Ino, I'm so sorry. I-I tried…."

The blonde sniffled, shaking her head as her pretty blue eyes took in her appearance, "Are you alright? Your back looks awful." The pair simply stared at one another in silence after that. There wasn't a point in answering because everyone present knew much worse was to come.

Over the next two hours, the paintings and other items were taken out of the room one by one, then the women. Ino and Sakura sobbed when the blonde was finally led out of the room.

"I-I'll save you, Ino, I swear it! Just stay alive until then!" The blue-eyed beauty didn't get a chance to respond before she was dragged around the corner and into the next hall.

A moment later, Konan appeared with the orange-haired man from before, some crude stitches amidst the gash Sakura'd given her cheek. Rather than the woman handling her like before, the man roughly removed her from the railing, cuffed her wrists behind her back, and began shoving her ahead of them.

Time was running out, and it had her feeling desperate.

Though she was shaking like a leaf in a storm, Sakura still tugged at the man's grasp, cursing loudly, "I really am gonna fuckin' kill you both; just you wait!"

The trio approached a large set of double doors on the subfloor of the mansion. The pink-haired woman tried to stomp the guard's foot with her pointy-heeled shoes, all but yelling defiantly, "Get your filthy hands off me!"

"Settle down, or I'll start cutting," suddenly, an arm reached around her shoulder, and something cold and sharp pressed to her neck. A knife.

The double doors opened, but Sakura returned to fighting the guards, "Go ahead; see if I care! Fuck you!"

Then she realized bright lights were shined on her as she was shoved forward. The woman realized they were on a stage when she lifted her gaze. Over a hundred masked people sat at tables in an elegantly decorated room, all with their eyes on her.

"...H-Ha…." Sakura's voice failed her as dread finally did her in.

The knife at her throat was removed, a chain was clamped to the cuffs on her wrists, and then the duo of guards left her on the stage, doe-eyed and fearing for her life.

"Our final item of the night is quite exotic, as you can see. A one-of-a-kind beauty," a strange, masked man approached with a microphone in hand, the spotlight following him, "Sakura, a fitting name, is twenty-one years old and has never had children. For a treasure this rare, we'll start the bidding at two-hundred and fifty thousand. Any takers?"

Sakura couldn't see any faces in the crowd because the lights were too bright, but the emcee narrated the event, her heartbeat racing faster with each word, "Alright, we have two hundred….Oh, we have five hun- My word! The current bid is six hundred and fifty thousand, folks! Can we get to a million?"

The man came to stand near the woman, lifting a thick strand of her hair, "She has naturally pink hair, people…. Ah, I see an offer of a million out there! Our highest bid to date. Truly outstanding! Any other bids?"

Sakura snapped out of her terrified stupor, jerking her head away so her hair would slip from the man's hand. The chain behind her rattled as she tried to attack him, only to become taut and hold her still when she moved too far away, "Don't fuckin' touch me! Who the hell do you think you are?"

Rather than retaliate for her misbehavior, the emcee simply chuckled, shooting her a wink, "We have a fighter here, everyone. You don't see many of those these days, do you?"

The metal dug into her already raw and bleeding wrists as she pulled, yanked, and tried everything she could to free her arms, but nothing worked. The auction resumed.

"We have one point two million!"

"One point seven five!"

"Two million, people! Outstanding! Any further bids?"

Tears flooded Sakura's vision as she continued fighting despite knowing it was useless. It was like she was an animal. Livestock. Over a hundred pairs of eyes looked at her like she was a piece of meat, not a human being.

It was degrading.

It was humiliating.

It was downright inhumane.

"Sold for two million! Congratulations, Mr. Shimura!"

Her chest heaved as she turned to see the person who betrayed her in the worst possible way. Madara walked across the stage, his face stoic and unfeeling, and his aura professional as though he were just completing a random job. Sakura wanted to be sick at the sight but had no food in her stomach to be rid of.

Unlike with the other guards, when he unhooked her cuffs from the chain, she was too traumatized to fight.

The woman couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe. Where his hand touched the small of her back to urge her forward felt as cold as ice.

Green eyes were wide with disbelief as he guided her off the stage, through multiple hallways, and into a large bedroom, where none other than Danzo stood in wait. The very last of her bravery disappeared when she saw the victorious grin on his face. Her chest became tight, and her breaths came in short, panicked bursts.

"I did tell you I'd have you one way or another, didn't I?"

Sakura's head fell in defeat, silent sobs shaking her shoulders as Madara walked her across the room. Suddenly, when he began unhooking the cuffs, she felt him start to spell something against her skin, on her back where Danzo couldn't see.

P…I…L…L…O- "Where's the fierceness you've shown until now, Sakura? I want my money's worth from this," the disgusting man waved a hand at Madara, but his smile remained in place, "Leave us, my old friend, unless you'd rather watch."

The metal left her wrists, and the Uchiha man stepped away. Sakura couldn't bring herself to beg him to save her. It was impossible for her to speak to him at all. She couldn't even meet his eye.

He left.

Madara left her there, at the mercy of an undeniably evil man, and he didn't pause for a second before shutting that door behind him.

In the blink of an eye, Sakura was shoved onto the bed. She rolled onto her back, holding her hands up defensively when Danzo climbed between her legs. Her entire body was trembling, and she could barely see with the amount of tears flooding her cheeks. When the man tried to grab the skirt of her dress, she snapped. She began shoving and kicking him with all her might, yelling for help despite knowing no one would come.

"Scream all you want, Sweetheart. This room's soundproof."

They fought, Sakura getting more frantic by the moment and Danzo losing his patience. He may be old, but he was still a man, and when he finally grew tired of her resistance, he stopped holding back and forced himself between her legs.

"N-No, stop! I'll never forgive you for this!"

The woman finally landed a good hit, a punch to the man's face, and he didn't appreciate it one bit. The Shimura man reared his fist back and hit her without an ounce of restraint. Sakura saw stars, her body refusing to obey further. All she could feel was her heart beating against her ribcage and the throbbing pain shooting through her head.

"That's better. I must say, you don't disappoint. This has been very entertaining."

The dress was pulled down from her shoulders to reveal her chest, one of the straps ripping in the process, and no bra was worn with that clothing style. A low, pleading moan left her lips as she tried to get her consciousness to return to one hundred so she could fight again. As he pressed against her, the skirt of her dress was lifted so he could see her underwear, one of his hands running up her thigh as he hovered over her. Then his lips were on her neck.

Tears ran down the sides of her face and into her hair on the pillows as she weakly pushed at his shoulders, failing to hinder him. In her half-dazed stupor, she suddenly realized what Madara had been trying to spell because she was resting her head on one: pillow.

Not moving too fast so Danzo wouldn't notice the difference, Sakura slid a hand beneath the pillows, feeling cautiously around until something cold and heavy met her grasp. It was a gun. Brilliant relief would've left her high on life at the news that Madara was still trying to help her, but she was still in too dangerous a situation to celebrate.

Careful not to make sudden moves, she properly gripped the weapon, sliding it out from beneath the pillow and bringing it to Danzo's temple. When he felt the cold metal on his skin, he froze, moving back a bit to confirm what was happening.

Sakura glared, finally grasping her consciousness and becoming overwhelmingly enraged, "Get the hell off of me, or I'll blow your brains out."

The powerful man was wise and knew better than to push his luck. He knelt between her legs, his hands raised near his shoulders, "You don't want to do that, dear."

The pink-haired woman sat up, pulling her legs away from him, "Oh, I really do." Though angrier than ever, she could think rationally enough that she wanted him to live so he could pay for all he's done. So, she shot him twice, once in the thigh and once in the shoulder.

Danzo fell to the floor near the foot of the bed, a hand to his bleeding shoulder as he glared at her, "I'll have your head for this! Do you know who you're messing with?"

"I suggest you make a tourniquet if you don't want to bleed out," she didn't say anything else to him other than that. Instead, she fixed her torn gown so her chest wasn't bare and hurried out of the room. The man had a limp before being shot, so she believed he couldn't get up in his state. He'll be there waiting when the cops finally arrive later.

Sakura took off the annoying high-heeled shoes to travel more efficiently and quietly. Then she hurried down the hall, checking each room for her friend. Disgustingly, the three rooms adjacent to hers were obviously already used but were vacant. At least three of the other women were already taken off the property.

'Please let Ino still be here! I'll find her and shoot our way out of here if I have to!'

The last door on the subfloor is where she found her. Surprisingly, when the woman peeked inside, Ino'd used the heel of her shoe to stab a deep gash into the man who'd purchased her's head. He wasn't dead, but he was unconscious.

"Sakura, is that you? Help me! I'm stuck!"

Hurrying inside, the pink-haired woman searched the awful man's body, found the key to the cuffs, and freed her best friend. Unfortunately, he didn't have any weapons, so the gun was all they had to protect themselves with. In all the rooms, there wasn't a single phone, so they had no choice but to go to the floor level of the mansion.

"Stay close and be quiet," she hissed at the blond girl, who nodded and moved closer to Sakura's back, eyes darting around anxiously.

Just as they neared the staircase, a familiar face almost ran right into them. Sakura shot to her full height, pointing the gun at Sai with both hands, her finger on the trigger, "Make a peep, and I'll shoot."

His dark eyes danced from her face to the gun to Ino, and then they softened, an unfamiliar expression on his usually emotionless face. "I was coming to rescue you, Ino."

The woman in question hissed, "Shoot his ass, Sakura."

Sai held up his hands, his brow furrowing, "Look, I know it's my fault you're here, but I swear I didn't know they were going to kidnap you. I was told to get close to you so I could verify Sakura's identity. If I'd have known…."

He swallowed, averting his gaze as his hands fell to his sides, "It wasn't me who sent that message asking to meet up. I didn't even know they were selling people. If you want to kill me, then do it. I deserve it. If you don't, I'll help you two escape."

The pair glanced at one another before quickly resticking their gazes on the seemingly apologetic man. Ino hissed, "How do we know you're not lying?"

Sai reached behind his back in a blink and pulled out a smooth, black pistol. Sakura bristled, body tensing as she prepared herself to shoot, only for him to sit the weapon on the ground and kick it toward them, "Here. I could've killed you both by now, and I haven't. I know I won't ever be able to make it up to you for any of this, but at least let me get you out alive."

Ino's voice cracked after she picked up the gun and began pointing it at him, "Why are you doing this? You knew we were in danger even if we hadn't been kidnapped."

The man made a sheepish, almost self-hating expression, "I've never met a woman like you before. Hate me all you want, but I think I might love you."

"We barely know each other!"

"I don't care. It's the truth."

Sakura interrupted, "Both of you shut up! Sai, lead the way. If you try anything, we'll kill you."

The trio made their way upstairs and down a hallway. When they turned a corner, gunshots suddenly rang out, and Sai ushered the girls backward and into a room, closing the door and locking it behind them. He brought a finger to his lips, eyes trained on the handle as they waited with bated breaths for someone to come through.

He whispered barely audibly, "Give me a gun." The women hesitated, but the door opened, and Ino frantically handed over the pistol.

Sai and Sakura both shot, as did the pair of guards trying to enter the room. A stray bullet hit the dark-haired man in the midsection as the last body fell, and he doubled over with a wince.

"Sai!" Ino rushed over to help him sit with his back to the wall, lifting his shirt to see where the bullet had landed. It was just under his left ribcage. The chance that it hadn't pierced a lung was shallow.

He shoved her hands away, tugging his shirt down again and handing over the gun, "Go. Take the next two rights, and you should be able to find your way from there." The blond woman took the weapon, frowning tearfully but nodding when he gave her a firm stare. To everyone's surprise, she kissed him before tearing away and following Sakura out of the room.

They followed Sai's directions and took the next two right turns, only to come face to face with Madara.

He grabbed her, and she grabbed Ino, and they all rushed into the nearest room. The moment the door was closed, and the Uchiha man turned to face her, Sakura hissed, her grip tight on the gun, "If we make it out of here alive, you have a lot of explaining to do!"

Madara nodded, accepting that he was in the hypothetical doghouse, "That's fair."

Then he kissed her in a way that left her breathless. When the man pulled away, he immediately refocused, glare turning to the door, "I texted Sasuke and told him where to send the police, but it'll be at least ten minutes before they arrive. We just need to survive that long."

~

~

'Just text her. She probably thinks you're acting weird.'

Madara was angry with himself because he chickened out of asking Sakura if she wanted to date when they woke up in bed together after spending a long, fantastic night together. Things weren't necessarily awkward, but he could tell she was uneasy. Since she was anxious, so was he, which led to them not speaking much during the following week.

'Christmas is in two days. Ask her then. She's busy now, anyway.'

He knew how stressed she was with mid-term exams approaching. On top of that, she's been working almost double the hours as usual.

"Hello, Handsome."

Karin, one of Danzo's few female employees, pulled the Uchiha man from his thoughts. He didn't like her for many reasons, the biggest being that she tried to seduce him every time they met.

Trying to simply walk past her through the door of their boss's favorite home, the mansion east of Konoha, just outside town. The redhead placed an arm in the way, "Not today, Sweetheart. The boss said to take the day off to rest for tomorrow."

Madara wasn't about to complain about not having to see the creepy man, so he turned on his heel and spent the day running errands. It was dark when he returned home. An air of disappointment overcame him when Sakura didn't answer her door, meaning she'd already gone to bed. Sighing, he turned to walk back to his own apartment.

'She needs rest, but I want to see her.'

Rapidly approaching footsteps met his ears just before he could close his door. He reopened it, looked out, and was stunned to see a concerned-looking Sasuke arrive at Sakura's door and knock loudly. He didn't even acknowledge Madara, who stepped into the hall because seeing the younger Uchiha in such a state was odd.

A moment passed without an answer, and he knocked again, even louder, "Sakura, open up!"

"I think she's already in bed. Is something wrong?" The two Uchiha men didn't get along but could act civilly when the pink-haired woman was involved, at least.

Sasuke jumped, seeming to only just then notice his presence. He paused as though debating whether or not he should respond before narrowing his eyes and sighing, "She hasn't changed her emergency contact info at work yet, and they just called me and said she's more than three hours late on returning from deliveries."

At first, the older one felt unbelievable dread but quickly tried to rationalize, 'She probably got sick from overworking and went home early. It's still odd that she didn't tell anyone, though.'

Madara pulled out his phone, "Let me call her. It'll probably wake her up."

Sasuke shook his head as it rang, "I've been trying for half an hour now. She's not picking up." Just like he said, it rang through to her voicemail.

The dread returned, turning his blood to ice.

Though it went against everything he believed in, Madara retrieved his keys and unlocked the girl's apartment, giving the younger man a warning glare when he opened his mouth to ask why he had a key to the place.

It was empty.

A million scenarios passed through his mind, each worse than the last. Just as the pair was about to say something to one another in the middle of Sakura's living room, the phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, sighing in relief when it was a message from the woman in question.

'Hey, my car broke down and had to be towed. Spending the night with my parents because it's closer. Sorry if I worried you!'

"Is it her? What'd she say?"

The relief was so great that Madara almost smiled but didn't, "She said she had to get her car towed and that she's staying with her parents tonight."

Sasuke didn't react how he expected. No, the concern on his face doubled, his skin paling as he snatched the phone away and read the message for himself.

"What's wrong?"

The younger Uchiha snapped out of his daze, handing the phone back and speaking in a monotone voice, "Her parents are out of the country for the holiday."

And then the gutwrenching uneasiness returned as Madara cursed himself. He knew her parents weren't home, too. She told him about that when they first made plans to spend Christmas together. The fact that he'd forgotten made him angry.

He texted back, telling her to call him. If it was really her, he'd recognize her voice and feel better about it.

'Maybe they canceled their vacation, and she forgot to mention it.'

Five minutes passed without a response, so he called her again, only for it to be forwarded after just two rings.

"I'll call my brother and dad. They're cops. They can help look for her."

Madara barely stopped himself from telling Sasuke not to but bit down on the objection because he'd look guilty if he said something like that. If the police were going to be around, he couldn't be, so he nodded, "I'll drive out to her parent's place and check there." The two exchanged numbers, a temporary peace treaty intact for the serious situation.

As he drove, his fingers were tight around the steering wheel. He could only pray to a God he didn't believe in for Sakura to be safe with her parents and not in danger.

The Uchiha men searched for Sakura all night, only to come up empty-handed. Sasuke joined his father and brother in visiting the customers she'd delivered dresses to the day before, asking if anyone had seen or heard anything unusual. Not one of them could provide information that helped. Madara couldn't rest because he couldn't think straight.

'Please don't let this be what I think it is. If Danzo had her killed….I'll burn everything he loves to the ground and kill him when he's at his lowest.'

By the time four in the evening came on Christmas Eve, Sakura had been missing for just over twenty-four hours, but he had no choice but to show up for work. On the slight chance that Sakura wasn't in danger because of him, he couldn't risk pissing off his boss. At least he could put some feelers out and try to determine if the powerful man really had put a hit out on the pink-haired woman.

"You look exhausted! I had you take the day off yesterday to rest. Are you ill?" Danzo patted the man's arm, offering an approving smile when he looked over the Uchiha man's well-tailored black tuxedo.

"It won't hinder my work."

His boss spoke affectionately, "Of course," he gestured for the door of the office they were in, "I'll have you overseeing security in the auditorium with one of my newer employees this evening. Show him the ropes and ensure no fights or thievery occur."

Madara wondered why they weren't using the man's usual office but didn't ask because that'd be out of character. So, he assisted some of the other staff with preparing tables in the large room the auction was to take place. The new hire he was supposed to train was sidetracked by a different errand, so the man was alone when attendees began arriving shortly after sunset.

'Where are Yahiko and Konan? Danzo usually has the three of us working the same jobs.'

Within the next hour, everyone was seated properly, and the auction began. Madara focused entirely on his task until an emotionless voice sounded at his side about halfway through, "My apologies for my tardiness. Please give me my orders."

He looked to the side, only for his heart to feel like it'd stopped in his chest. It was the man Ino went home with when they'd gone clubbing last week. There was no doubt about it; Sakura was missing because of Danzo. The only question was if Madara was too late to save her.

Skillfully steeling his expression, he pretended not to be having a panic attack, "Stand there and watch the guests for anything out of the ordinary. Do not speak unless you see something."

"Understood."

The crowd clapped as the painting of peacocks that he'd stolen was sold. Though his mind was racing with concern and possible scenarios, Madara couldn't make a scene, or he'd be killed. He also couldn't leave to search for her now that his subordinate had arrived.

"Now, onto the items you've all been waiting for. Tonight, we have five incredible pieces available for purchase. Please remember that all transactions must be complete before leaving the vicinity with your merchandise."

'What are they talking about? Everything the three of us stole was sold already.'

The room went silent as the door at the side of the stage opened, and murmurs filled the air when an attractive brunette woman dressed in a sultry green dress was guided out and chained to the stage by the cuffs on her wrists. Goosebumps rose upon his entire body as he began to put the pieces together, entirely surprised that human beings were for sale. If he'd known about it, he never would've become involved.

'Danzo wouldn't go that far. He wouldn't try to sell her right in front of me. She's either already dead or being held somewhere.'

The bidding began on the poor woman who stood with her head low, tears running down her face, and trembling like a leaf. When the sale was complete, she was ushered offstage, the man who purchased her exiting through the door he and Sai were manning. Madara's hand flexed by his side at the disgustingly smug look of satisfaction the man had as he passed. Somehow, he kept it together.

The next woman, also a brunette, was brought out, but this one was taller with tan skin. Time passed in a haze as the Uchiha man glared at the back of Danzo's head, who was sitting in the front row across the room at a table full of Konoha's elite.

As the third girl's sale was finalized, this one a redhead, an irritating voice came from Madara's side, "I'm here to pass along a message, handsome." He and Sai both turned to see Karin smiling seductively, a skintight black dress clinging to her body.

Her eyes lit up excitedly, "Bossman says he expects you to show your loyalty, both of you," she kissed her fingers before pressing them to Sai's cheek, waving them as she began walking away, "Don't disappoint him, or you know what'll happen." As calmly as the confident woman had delivered the message, both men knew it was a threat to fall in line no matter what happened amidst the remainder of the night.

Sai stiffened, his usually unemotional eyes widening as the crowd began chattering more loudly than before. Madara followed his gaze, reacting similarly when he recognized Ino. The blonde was more defiant than the other three girls, cursing at the man chaining her to the stage and trying to pull away, but it was futile.

The Uchiha man hissed at his colleague before he could bite his tongue, "You're a sorry excuse for a man. I should kill you right here and now."

"Ino…."

Madara glanced at him before staring back at the poor woman crying onstage while monsters bid on her. The pale man beside him looked shell-shocked. He looked afraid.

'He really didn't know…?'

As the woman was being led off stage, one of the lower leveled guards came through the door, awkwardly avoiding his gaze while handing over a small set of keys, "Excuse me, Sir, but Mr. Shimura requests that you take my place. Please take the merchandise to room 7A immediately after purchase."

Sai and the Uchiha man shared a glance, and then the guard left once more.

"Get a weapon under the pillows in that room. Sakura won't leave without Ino. She'll save her," Madara whispered, barely audible. It was almost certain the night's finale would be the pink-haired woman. The underling nodded once before slipping out of the large room.

"-if I care! Fuck you!"

The shrill, hateful voice that met Madara's ears terrified and relieved him equally. It was her. Sakura was alive, that much he was thankful for, but when she was shoved onto the stage, every fiber of his being became burning hot with rage.

The married couple he usually worked with was with her, Konan appearing rather beat up. Even with a knife to her neck, Sakura tried to free her arms from behind her back, but when she noticed the crowd watching her, it was like she was a terrified child. From where he stood, Madara could tell there was a bruise on the side of her face.

'Damn it! I knew this would happen! I should've never-'

"Our final item of the night is quite exotic, as you can see. A one-of-a-kind beauty," the emcee announced excitedly, "Sakura, a fitting name, is twenty-one years old and has never had children. For a treasure this rare, we'll start the bidding at two-hundred and fifty thousand. Any takers?"

The bidding began, the ice-cold ire in Madara's gut becoming heavier by the minute. He couldn't tear his eyes from the beautiful woman onstage.

A minute or two later, the emcee approached the woman, fingering a strand of her curled hair. Sakura appeared to snap out of her daze at the exact moment the Uchiha man did because she jerked her head away so he'd release her hair before trying to tackle him, only to be stopped by the rattling chain behind her, "Don't touch me! Who the hell do you think you are?"

It wasn't the time, and he knew it, yet Madara couldn't help but feel proud of her fire.

As the numbers climbed higher, she fought more desperately. Tears threatened to rise in his eyes when she temporarily lost the battle with her fear. Her chest heaved, her shoulders shook, and her head fell low as she sobbed. Sakura never stopped fighting, though. No, she quickly took a deep breath, lifted her head, and glared at the emcee with the fury of a soldier.

Shakily catching his breath, Madara gritted his teeth and went through the hall and onto the stage once who else but Danzo placed the final bet. When the woman's watery green eyes turned onto him, he wanted to pull the gun from his lower back and start shooting any and all who had a part in her capture. Sakura was trembling with negative emotions as she watched him grow near.

The man forced his face and posture to remain blank, but it faltered for a millisecond when he stood behind her to unlock the chain from her cuffs. The gorgeous woman's dress suited her very well, but it was backless and showed the black bruise that ran from her hip to the center of her upper back. Her wrists had deep cuts, and blood was slowly dripping onto her hands.

'Don't lose it now, not in front of all these people. She's hurt, but she's not broken. She'll survive tonight, and you'll make sure she's safe until every last one of Danzo's employees is dealt with; then, you'll leave.' Sakura walked stiffly in front of him as he guided her to the designated room, not speaking a word the entire time.

'She hates me. I don't blame her.'

Danzo didn't meet Sakura's eye when the pair entered the room. No, he smiled his usual grin with his gaze on Madara's. In his eyes, he'd won yet again. He kept his teeth gritted as he walked the woman across the room and knelt to uncuff her wrists, where he slowly began spelling out the word "pillow" onto her back, praying she would understand.

They were interrupted, and Madara squeezed his eyes closed as he shut the door behind him, unable to bear another look at either of the people inside. When the lock clicked, dark eyes shot open with malice bleeding from his aura.

'Time to get to work.'

~

Each body that hit the ground as a result of Madara's rage only made him angrier. Seventeen out of nineteen. That's how many guards he could debilitate before almost mowing down the woman plaguing his thoughts in the hallway while he searched for his last two targets: Konan and Yahiko. Concerned they'd be seen, he pulled them into the nearest room.

When the door was closed, he turned to face the two girls, only to be stunned silent by the fire in Sakura's eyes as she pointed angrily at his chest, hissing, "If we make it out of here alive, you have a lot of explaining to do!"

"That's fair."

After all she's gone through because of him, Madara knew well that he didn't deserve her, and she was almost certainly going to hate him for the rest of their lives, but he couldn't help it. Upon seeing her alive, the relief that flooded his entire being was overwhelming.

He kissed her.

When he pulled away, the look of bewilderment on her face was understandable, but he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he explained that the police were on their way and that he'd taken care of most of the guards. The final two roaming the mansion were the most dangerous of all, though.

The room door flew open as though thinking of them was some sort of summoning spell. Madara caught a glimpse of orange and shoved the girls behind the nearby desk, shooting his own gun at them. Pain erupted in his shoulder. He'd been shot, but he kept going. Ultimately, his dominant arm and shoulder were shot, as was his right thigh. His weapon slid through his fingers as the throbbing ache finally registered since the enemies were dead.

"Are you alright? Can you walk?" Sakura whispered in an unexpectedly concerned tone.

The Uchiha man looked at her, nodding toward the door, "You two should go." The pink-haired woman had her arms around a trembling Ino, who had her hands to her ears, eyes squeezed shut, and tears pouring down her cheeks.

"None of you are going anywhere."

The trio turned to see Danzo leaning against the doorframe, a gun pointing at Madara with his uninjured hand. Blood drenched his pant leg and his shirt from where Sakura had obviously shot him, but she should've known better than to leave him alive.

'I shouldn't have expected her to kill coldly like I do.'

"I've seen many rebellions in my time, old friend, but have come out on top of each one," the powerful man had an unhinged glint in his dark eyes, his smile more twisted than usual, "Surrender now, and I'll make your deaths quick. None of you are leaving here alive either way."

Madara spat in his direction, voice dripping with malice, "You'd better pull that trigger because if I get my hands on you, you're going to wish we never met."

'Sakura, run when he shoots. Please kill him and go,' he tried to telepathically communicate his regret and desperation to the woman crouched nearby, her eyes trained on the evil man at the door.

"Very well. Let's see if you can reach your weapon before I end you."

There wasn't a long, dramatic pause like you see in movies. No, Madara bent to grab his gun as Danzo lifted a finger to his trigger. The familiar deafening ring of gunshots filled the air for a few seconds, and then the room was silent again.

The Uchiha man's eyes were wide and on his weapon, which he'd yet to grab because he froze when the first shots were fired.

'I didn't shoot. How am I…?'

Another gun clattered loudly to the ground before him, and he lifted his gaze to see Sakura standing before him, blood dripping heavily from her arm.

"You…!" He couldn't get out any other words as his eyes fell on the body of Danzo Shimura, lying amidst Konan and Yahiko's in the doorway.

"We need to move," her voice was soft and unsteady, but it was apparent she wouldn't faint.

Madara stared as she turned, his breath leaving his body at the determined expression on her face. Bullets had grazed her cheekbone and neck, but one was fully embedded in her bicep. None of the wounds were fatal so long as they were treated soon.

"Ino, help him walk."

The man snapped out of his daze as the blonde woman wordlessly maneuvered herself under his arm and helped him stand, "Sakura."

She spared him one last glance before picking up the gun with the initials M.U. engraved in it and stepping over the bodies in the doorway.

'She's not going to leave without me, the idiot. After all this, why does she care if the cops arrest me?'

He was dying to know but couldn't find the words as the trio made their way outside and climbed into the first unlocked car they could find. To his surprise, the pink-haired woman expertly hot-wired it and sped off the property like a bat out of hell.

"Where'd you learn to do that, Forehead!"

"My dad always says a girl should know how to survive on her own, no matter the situation."

'I really am in love with her.'