Chapter 9

This story WILL have a happy SasuHina ending!

Thanks for reading!

-Sasuke's POV-

The only thing that kept me from losing my cool was the knowledge that Hinata would only suffer for a few more days. It's the only reason I let her leave that motel room without an argument. Something had to have happened between her and Toneri that caused her to end things so firmly, especially after we agreed to start seeing one another again.

Gaara did everything he could to keep me distracted over the weekend. It was apparent, and I appreciated his efforts, but they were in vain.

Finally, Monday arrived, the day we'll officially press charges against those involved in the blackmail. The four of us only have vocal lessons today, meaning we'll be finished at the agency by noon. The meeting with our attorneys is at two o'clock.

At eight in the morning, the three of us arrived in the practice room to find Jiraiya sitting at the piano like usual. Hinata didn't show up, even after half an hour of us waiting.

"You don't think…?" Sakura asked, her fear evident in her tone.

I cut her off, "No." She wouldn't give up on her last six months of freedom just because things were awkward. Her music means too much to her for something like that.

"I'll try calling her," Gaara offered, pulling his phone from his pocket.

Everyone, Jiraiya included, waited with baited breaths as he did. Hinata's more likely to answer for him out of the three of us because she knows he won't try to emotionally manipulate her into something like Sakura or I might. That being said, the call rang through to her voicemail.

Gaara frowned, obviously more concerned than before. He met my eye and spoke firmly, "Call Itachi."

Hinata apologized profusely for leaving us worried after hiding from us after leaving the hospital. She swore never to do it again, no matter the occasion. Even if her messages have been short and professional, not to betray her emotions, she's been actively informing us of her whereabouts via text in the group chat. I looked down at my phone's screen at the last message she sent to us. She confirmed she'd safely arrived at Toneri's condo on Friday night.

A bad feeling was eating at my gut, a sense of dread.

I called my brother, who answered but sounded panicked, "I can't talk right now." Then he hung up.

My mouth fell open slightly.

Something's definitely going on.

No one moved momentarily, but then we were hurrying to the exit. Jiraiya didn't say anything because he likely understood something serious was happening. Without speaking, we rushed to Kakashi's office. Sakura didn't bother knocking before bursting inside, only to stop in her tracks. Itachi sat in a chair in front of Kakashi's desk.

I breathed out, feeling more apprehensive because my brother appeared highly apologetic when he turned to look our way, "What's going on?"

Kakashi quickly interjected, "Come inside and close the door."

We did as asked but immediately set our sights on Itachi and waited for him to explain. He stood from his seat and turned to face us, "I just arrived, so I haven't told Kakashi anything-" "Where is she?" I cut him off.

His gaze met mine before averting guiltily to the floor, "That's why I'm here. No one's been able to reach her or Toneri since Friday night. He didn't show up for work this morning, and when his apartment was visited, it was empty."

All three of us from Prestige were speechless as we took in his admission. Kakashi was the first to overcome his shock, "Have they begun tracing their phones?"

Itachi shook his head, "They were left at the condo," he met my eye again, frowning, "Some clothing and toiletries are missing from both of their rooms, as well as one of Toneri's cars, so it appears as though they chose to leave."

"He, not they," I hissed.

Without verbally acknowledging my statement, my brother continued, "Our parents seem genuinely concerned, Toneri's father as well. They've decided to hold off on issuing a missing person's report until the end of the week. It's their hope they're taking an impromptu couples' trip."

The expression on Itachi's face informed us that he knew they were wrong, but he continued, "The reason I've come here is that I know you plan to press charges soon, and I need you to hold off for now."

Sakura spat angrily, "Is this a joke? Why would we do that?"

Kakashi answered for him, his tone blunt with understanding, "If Toneri learns of it before Hinata's found, he may disappear with her."

My heart beat so fast that it felt like it'd soon burst from my chest. Ever since the tour ended, it's been one battle after another for us all, but especially for Hinata. It's just not fair.

The rage I expected didn't arise. Instead, a cold dread iced my blood. The marriage contract is serious, but this is different. She could be in actual physical danger now, and no one knows her whereabouts, so there's no way to swoop in and prevent it from happening.

As I tried not to succumb to my panic, Gaara asked, "Isn't there some way to locate them? Have their cards been checked?"

Itachi nodded, his sullen aura sinking lower, "Toneri made a large cash withdrawal from an ATM near his condo early Saturday morning. Nothing's shown up on either of their accounts since."

It was apparent Sakura was about to burst into tears, "He definitely took her, then! There's no question about it!"

My head suddenly felt light after pounding stressfully from the moment I lay eyes on Itachi, and I took steps back to lean against the wall with my hands on my knees. What if the tragic encounter at the motel was the last I saw her?

"Sasuke, are you-" "His car! You said he took one of his personal cars, right?" Gaara interrupted Sakura. My glazed-over vision refocused, and I lifted my head to see Itachi's brows raise.

"Yes, I did. What about it?"

Gaara pulled his phone out and began dialing someone's number, "I know someone who may be able to track its GPS." I glanced at my brother, and he glanced at me. The slightest glimmer of hope lifted the monstrous weight on my chest.

The friend that Gaara called for a favor was none other than Shikamaru Nara. The lazy producer soon arrived with a laptop in hand. With the CEO's permission, he sat at Kakashi's desk and immediately got to work. The bored drawl of his voice didn't change, regardless of the seriousness of the situation.

"What is the exact model of the car?"

It took a long time, nearly two hours, for him to hack into the website that allowed a vehicle's owner to track their car, but when he did, he almost immediately had a rough location of its whereabouts. The best he could do was narrow it down to a four-block radius, but that was better than nothing, so everyone except Shikamaru wasted no time making travel plans.

Toneri's vehicle is in Kumogakure.

Gaara and Sakura took the redhead's Jeep, while Itachi joined me in my car, and Kakashi drove separately. We tried to call the local police, so they could begin searching before our arrival, but they refused because they didn't have proof that someone's in danger. The only thing they allowed was for us to file a missing person's report. We did so just in case locating this vehicle doesn't end this awful experience.

Itachi wasted little time to begin speaking once we were on the road, "Perhaps I should drive, brother. You're not in the right mindset."

I shot a glare at him before refocusing. The car became silent for a long time, almost an hour. Then I couldn't help but ask, "Do you think he'll hurt her?" Neither of us likes Toneri, but Itachi knows him better than me.

He sighed, taking his time composing a response, "I'd like to say no, but truthfully, Toneri's true nature is still a mystery to me."

His response left me unsatisfied and angry, but I know it's not his fault. That white-haired dick seems like a different person every time I meet him.

When I couldn't find the words to reply, Itachi hesitantly said, "...I'm trying to convince myself that she's okay, no matter what. Hinata's stronger than she looks." Irritated and on edge, I grumbled, "I don't need you to tell me that." The car fell silent again, so I focused solely on driving.

Please be okay, no matter what.

-Hinata's POV-

Shortly after waking up cuffed to a bed, Toneri came back and aided me in drinking some water. By that time, I'd sobered up and put an end to my crying. It won't do me any good.

When the man pulled the glass away from my lips, I studied his face carefully, "H-Have you decided what you're going to do?"

The man's usually smug grin didn't appear as I expected. He simply nodded before leaving the room once more.

Moments later, a dizzy feeling came upon me. As someone who's experienced it in the past, I immediately recognized the effect of roofies but couldn't do anything about it before it became impossible to keep my eyes open. Then my mind scattered with the drug until I gave in and passed out.

Time passed in a vibrant haze of feverish dreams. Then I woke again. I felt incredibly nauseous but also realized I was starving and dehydrated, so there wasn't anything in my stomach to throw up. Only one of my wrists was bound to the bed this time, but I didn't recognize the room. I did, however, recognize Toneri's face as he lay by my side under the covers.

Unbearable rage flooded my veins, and I slowly moved to prepare myself to attack him, only to freeze when I realized I was only wearing a bathrobe. Anger turned to terror. Did he…?

Thunder suddenly rolled so loudly that it physically made me jump in fear. It also woke the sleeping man beside me. Tears arose when Toneri rolled over to face me, eyes widening slightly when they met mine.

"T-Toneri, you didn't…?"

"Of course not. What kind of man do you take me for?"

Relief flooded me, but it didn't last long as I snapped at him, "The kind of man to kidnap his fiance and handcuff her to a bed because she disobeyed him."

The man rolled over on top of her, holding himself up with his hands as he glowered annoyedly, "I wouldn't have to do this if you'd stop slutting around with that Uchiha."

"I broke things-" "That's what you said last time, too, Hinata!"

A glint of something terrifying met his gaze, and Hinata panicked. She brought her knees up to push him back, then she kicked his chest as hard as she could, sending him backward off of her.

Icy blue eyes locked angrily onto mine for a millisecond before the man descended on me, an unhinged glint in his eye.

I shouldn't have fought him. It was a mistake. After waking up in handcuffs the first time, I should've realized Toneri's much more dangerous than I imagined. It's been two days, I think, since I woke up in this unfamiliar room. I've lost consciousness several times, so I can't be sure.

All I know is that the backlash from kicking Toneri wasn't worth the small victory. Minor bruises dusted most of my body, but the most significant injuries I suffered were the cut to my forehead and the damage to my throat.

When he first attacked me, I tried to defend myself and ended up somehow having my head bounce off the cuff holding my wrist. It cut a deep wound into my skin, making blood run heavily down my face, making it impossible to open my left eye.

Other than the chance that I'll bleed out before the wound stops bleeding, I considered the pain in my throat worse.

He choked me. He wrapped both hands around my neck with all his might until I passed out. I thought I'd died, but I woke up unable to make a sound and had difficulty breathing.

Toneri appeared to realize how serious the situation had become last night when he finally tried to offer me water, and I couldn't swallow it because the swelling was too severe. The insane man dared to apologize for going too far, as though a simple "sorry" would fix the problem.

I looked around the room without turning my neck, my one usable eye feeling slow and heavy. It's daytime because light's trying to shine in from behind the thick curtains, but I don't know what time it is.

Toneri wasn't here when I woke a while ago.

Tears slowly rolled down into my hair.

I'm going to die here. I need water, or I'll dehydrate completely, but I can't drink it because of my injuries. That's if I don't starve or bleed to death first. The fucking monster of a man will never give in and admit he messed up. No, he'll let me rot. Then he'll return home with some outrageous story about how I ran away, claiming to have been searching for me the entire time he was missing.

Hours passed, my energy fading with the sunset. Toneri still hadn't returned once night had officially fallen. Suddenly, a terrible thought passed my mind. What if he was caught by the police and refuses to tell them where I'm at? I'll die!

As stupid as it is, the only thing I could think about in what may be my last hours alive was Sasuke Uchiha. I wish I could change the last words I spoke to him with all I have. I'd tell him I love him, only that I love him. That way, our story will have ended on the only thing that matters, the only thing I want him to remember.

My only realistic wish is that if I do die here, Sasuke won't see me like this. It's bad enough I've hurt him so much already. Dying will do damage that may never heal, but I can only guess how awful I look. The image will haunt him for the rest of his days. I can't stand the thought of it.

Please, God, don't let that happen.

-Sasuke's POV-

For some reason, I'd allowed myself to hope finding Toneri's car in Kumogakure would be easy. That wasn't the case. Privately owned garages littered the four blocks to which we could narrow its location. The fact that the area we were searching had no less than five hotels or motels didn't help. The cherry on top was that the side of town we're at is obviously dangerous.

We arrived in Kumo early on Tuesday morning after driving all day and night. Since then, we've spent the last two days scouring every possible inch of these streets. Almost everyone we came into contact with immediately tried to leave the conversation, either seeming concerned we were police or irritated that we were bothering them. Even the businesses reacted that way.

Shikamaru called us several times to inform us that the car was on the move, but somehow we always missed it. Then it'd return to its original spot, making us assume they're at one of the hotels or motels. It just didn't make sense to me. How can four blocks be so hard to search? There are only so many places to hide.

Come Wednesday night, I began to lose hope. Maybe the GPS tracker is malfunctioning, and we've been searching the wrong place the entire time.

The five of us were in four rooms, Gaara and Sakura being the only ones to share. I tossed and turned for hours before finally losing my temper. In an attempt to get rid of my nervous energy, I got dressed and left the hotel to go for a walk.

The hotel we're staying in is the only one that would give us any information. The other four refused to answer a single question. That being said, our hotel didn't have anything useful to offer.

Rain beat heavily onto the hood of my jacket as I walked with my hands in my pockets. In a low-income area like this, you'd think it'd be easy to spot a bright red sports car, but apparently, you'd be wrong because no one will admit to seeing one.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, I turned the corner. In the dull light of the street lamps, I finally lay eyes on the vehicle I've been looking for. It was parked in the lot of a twenty-four-hour drug store. My pulse blared in my ears as I jogged toward it. I froze when the business's doors slid open, revealing a man with a hat and face mask carrying two large bags. The slightest bit of white hair was visible from under the ballcap, and my adrenaline began pumping when he opened the trunk of the red car to place the bags within.

Without sparing a single moment to think, I rushed up behind the man and shoved him against the car after he closed the trunk. Pinning his hands to his back, I lost my temper completely, "Where the fuck is she?"

The man turned his head and confirmed Toneri's identity when light blue eyes widened upon seeing me. He tried to free his arms and failed, "If you ever want to see her again, you'll let me go."

As much as I'd like to say I regret what I did then, I really don't.

"Oh, my God!" Sakura gasped when I shoved a bloody and beaten Toneri into her room.

Gaara quickly took the man from me, "What happened? Where did you find him?"

I could barely take my glare off the white-haired man for more than a few seconds. His blue eyes held mine defiantly, even after I beat the hell out of him.

"He won't talk."

Sakura looked between us, her face pale, before shaking her head and turning toward the door, "Let me go get the others, so we can make a plan."

"Stop," All of us looked at Toneri, whose tone wasn't nearly as defeated as it should've been.

He grinned at me, blood dripping from his bottom lip, "If you don't let me go, Hinata won't make it through the night. She might be dead already."

I immediately stepped toward him, ready to try hitting him again, but Gaara stopped me with a firm look. The redhead spoke in a dangerously low tone, "Tell us where she is, and we'll take you there."

Toneri laughed until Gaara applied more pressure to his wrists, which had him hissing in pain. He tried to pull away as he growled, "I'm not lying. Go check my trunk, Pinky."

Sakura and I shared a glance before I handed her the keys, "Get the others before you go outside." She nodded, leaving the room with a determined look.

Once she was gone, Gaara dropped his composed facade and forced Toneri to the ground, a knee to the man's back between his shoulder blades, "Tell us where Hinata is." My teeth gritted as the dark expression on his face made even me uncomfortable. No wonder he waited for his girlfriend to leave before showing it.

Toneri gasped for multiple moments before the redhead let up so he wouldn't faint. Then he laughed again, breathlessly, "You won't kill me, and you won't turn me into the police because then you'll never find her in time, right? So what're you gonna do?"

Moments later, the door reopened, and the other three stepped in with the shopping bags from Toneri's trunk. Sakura and Kakashi dumped them out on the bed. It felt like my throat would tighten so much that breathing'd be impossible. Bandages, gauze, antibacterials, ice packs, and a sewing kit.

Itachi's hand landed on my shoulder before I realized I was about to pounce on the man again.

Kakashi spoke calmly, but the look in his eye was one I'd never seen before, "I suggest you give us Hinata's location. Aggravated assault is a much lesser sentence than manslaughter. You may actually get out of prison before you die."

Sakura spat at the white-haired man before he could respond, "What were you thinking? Surely you didn't believe you'd somehow get away with this?"

Two hours passed, packed to the brim of us all trying to get the man to speak, but it was all in vain. Eventually, I needed a break and walked outside for some fresh air. It was my plan to rest a moment before going back inside, but when I looked at the shiny red car in the parking lot, I realized we made a mistake in not searching it.

I unlocked it with the key and sat in the driver's seat before checking under both sun visors. Nothing. Then I check the dash console. Nothing there either. Finally, I checked the console between the driver's and passenger's seats.

Dozens of receipts were messily tossed inside. Fingers shaking, I pulled them out and filtered through them. My heart felt like it stopped and restarted again when one was for a motel two blocks away with a private parking garage. There were no thoughts in my head other than my need to save Hinata before it was too late, so I started the car and sped away.

My phone rang as I was pulling up to the curb in front of the motel's office, and I answered it. Before anyone could speak, I told them the address and hung up again.

When I entered the office, the same middle-aged man I met the last time I came here was behind the counter. He frowned, "I thought I told you to fuck off. If you don't want to rent a room, I have no business with-"

I was utterly fed up with everyone not cooperating, so I reached across the front desk to grab the man's shirt and pulled him closer. The annoyed look on his face sank to one of shock.

"A thousand dollars."

His brow furrowed while he tried and failed to pry my hands off him, "What?"

I brought him closer to me still, "I'll give you a thousand dollars cash if you tell me what room the white-haired man is renting."

The man shook his head, "No, I can't-"

"Five thousand."

His mouth fell open in shock.

I narrowed my glare further when he didn't reply, "Ten."

The color drained from his face, and I finally lost my temper. I pulled him clear over the counter and shoved him against the wall. Before I could raise my fist, he held his hands up defensively, "Okay! Okay, I'll tell you. Just, please, stop!"

Slowly, I released him. He smoothed his clothing out, the color returning to his cheeks, "Twenty-three."

Without another word, I walked around the front counter, located a ring of keys, and then walked out of the office to find room twenty-three, ignoring the man's protests, "H-Hey, you can't take those!"

Each step I took made my heart beat faster, and each door number I looked at that wasn't the correct one heightened my unease. Finally, I located number twenty-three. After trying key after key, the knob eventually turned, and I hurried inside, "Hina…?" The room was large, dark, and completely silent.

Feeling my way blindly, I ran my hand over the wall just inside the door until I found a switch and flipped it. The key ring fell from my grasp, and my entire body stopped responding momentarily.

She's here.

Dark red blood, almost black, contrasted greatly with the pale white of her skin. It ran down her face from her forehead and down her arm from her wrist. Tears swiftly rose to my eyes as I snapped out of it and came to the side of the bed, kneeling to get a closer look. A massive purple bruise surrounded her entire neck.

I tried to say her name to wake her, but it barely came out as a whisper. Hinata didn't stir either way.

Fast footsteps sounded behind me, followed by a few gasps, then Sakura was on the bed on her knees and checking Hinata's pulse. I couldn't move my eyes from her face. She's pale, too pale.

"Call an ambulance! She's alive!" Sakura barked at whoever else had arrived with her.

The words broke some sort of seal in me because the tears in my eyes fell heavily down my cheeks. She's alive…. She doesn't look like it, though.

Sakura's breath hitched when she lifted the blanket to look for more injuries before hurriedly covering Hinata again. I met her eye. Neither of us said anything because I knew what that reaction meant. The chance that she was hurt another way was high.

"I'll kill him," the words left my mouth emotionlessly.

Slowly, I got to my feet and turned to walk toward the door, only for Itachi to grab my arm. Gaara was the only one not present, likely having stayed back to keep an eye on the fucking asshole I was about to murder.

My brother's grip tightened when I tried to pull away, causing me to burn a glare into his, "Let me go."

He shook his head, his eyes also watery as he struggled to keep his gaze averted from the injured woman handcuffed to the bed, "She needs you here."

Sirens could be heard slowly getting closer outside.

I turned to look at Hinata again, my brow furrowing as the rage all but tore through my chest. Keeping her fingers to the woman's jugular to feel for a pulse, Sakura looked back at me, "Sasuke, please don't go." Her face was bright red as she cried, too.

So, against every fiber of my being, I returned to Hinata's side until the paramedics arrived and asked us to leave so they could work properly. To my surprise, when I stepped out of the room, an officer pressed me against the building and began cuffing my hands behind my back.

Kakashi had to hold Sakura back, "Let him go!"

"You're under arrest for intimidation and aggravated assault."

My struggle stopped. I looked toward the office to see the worker standing beside another officer with a glare on his face. Then the door to the room reopened, and the paramedics began carrying Hinata out on a stretcher.

I could only look at Itachi as officers descended on the others.

Kakashi's voice met my ears, but I still didn't look away, "The others are on their way. They'll get us out."

Then I was shoved in the direction of the police cars.

To all that have suffered through this bleak first half of the story, THANK YOU!

After this chapter, things begin to look up!