Chapter 195: The Unfortunate Secretary
Disclaimer:
Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 195: The Unfortunate Secretary
"This feels more like a dungeon. I was expecting a laboratory," Yamato commented. He was all too familiar with Orochimaru's research facilities.
"This hideout must have had a different purpose, like…" Kakashi leaned forward, peering down a set of stairs that descended further into the darkness. Along the walls of the stairwell were rooms with barred doors. "...a prison."
Yamato moved closer to see what Kakashi was referring to. "Of course…"
The rooms on either side of the stairs were unmistakably cells, their metal bars leaving no question about their intended use.
"He must have kept some of his experimental 'materials' here," Yamato said grimly, trying to avoid thinking of the past.
"But where are they? The place looks empty. It couldn't have been abandoned if Sasuke and one of Orochimaru's associates were just here," Kakashi pointed out.
"I can sense a few auras down there. It's not completely empty," Naruto interjected.
"You can sense chakra signals?" Yamato asked, surprised. Naruto's dossier hadn't mentioned this ability.
Kakashi glanced at him curiously. "Since when are you a sensor?"
"Since about six months ago," Naruto replied casually. His divine senses had awakened when he broke through the Core Formation stage. This ability allowed him to detect energy sources nearby...though only from living beings.
Kakashi wanted to ask more but decided the mission took precedence.
"Alright… let's find those people and see if we can figure out what happened here."
The group descended the long staircase.
The small cells lining the walls were all empty, but at the bottom, they found a large open area. More cells surrounded what appeared to be a fighting arena, with several corridors branching out.
Naruto pointed toward one of the corridors. "There's someone over th—"
"Help!"
A girl's scream echoed through the dark passage.
"Don't rush. It could be a trap. Don't forget where we are," Kakashi warned them.
They cautiously ventured into the dimly lit corridor, hearing repeated cries for help.
Eventually, they came across a wooden door on the side. It was clear the voice was coming from inside.
Kakashi carefully examined the door for traps. Once satisfied, he opened it.
"Oh, please! Over here!" The girl's voice grew more desperate as the door creaked open.
The room looked like a modest office, complete with a desk, chair, and shelves stocked with paperwork.
The source of the cries was a young woman lying on the floor. A large bookcase had toppled over, trapping her beneath it.
"Please, help me!" she begged, not even glancing at the identities of the men standing in front of her.
Kakashi glanced back at Yamato and Naruto.
None of them detected anything unusual about her. Naruto sensed only a faint trace of chakra, likely a civilian with no formal training.
Kakashi signaled Naruto to stay alert while he and Yamato worked to lift the heavy bookcase off the woman.
"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, relieved to feel the weight lifted off her.
"Are you injured?" Kakashi asked, examining her for any visible wounds.
Yamato helped her to her feet. She seemed unharmed, though she winced slightly as she stood.
"I think I'm fine… but my body is sore. I was so scared that everyone had left and I'd be trapped here forever…" Her voice faltered when she noticed the symbols on Kakashi and Yamato's headbands.
She gasped. "Y-You… you're from Konoha?!"
To their surprise, the girl didn't react defensively. Instead, she threw herself into Kakashi's arms, sobbing. "Thank Kami you're here to save us!"
Kakashi glanced at Yamato, who looked just as puzzled as he was.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Yamato asked gently. It was clear this woman wasn't one of Orochimaru's minions but rather one of his victims.
She explained that she was from a small village in the Land of Hot Springs, near the border with the Land of Sound. She had been kidnapped along with others and brought to this facility.
Most of the other captives who came with her, had died...either as a result of Orochimaru's experiments or in attempts to escape.
She had been spared because of her literacy and skill with advanced mathematics, which Orochimaru found useful. In exchange for her work as a secretary, he promised not to harm her or use her as research material. She had been here for almost a year, slowly losing hope that anyone would come to rescue her.
"I see… Don't worry, we'll get you back home," Kakashi reassured her. He chose not to mention that her country had never issued a mission for their rescue. The Land of Hot Springs likely didn't want to antagonize a Sannin over a few missing villagers.
"How did you end up under that bookcase? Did someone attack you?" Yamato asked.
"Oh, that… no…" She glanced back at the now-upright bookcase. "I was trying to reach for one of the books on the top shelf when the entire facility started shaking violently. The case fell on me. It must've been a strong earthquake, though I've never felt anything like it before."
"Ah…" Naruto's face lit up in realization.
"When was this 'earthquake'?" Kakashi asked.
"Hmm… about ten, maybe fifteen minutes ago," the woman replied. "I'm lucky you were nearby."
Yamato and Kakashi both turned to look at Naruto.
Fifteen minutes ago was exactly when Naruto had set off all the traps, causing chaos in the forest above.
"So… anyway, we should continue our investigation," Naruto said, quickly changing the subject.
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