As he glanced around the room, Finlo wasn't sure what Sakura was hoping to find. Hints of the Uchiha? Some sign that her friend still existed under the boy who had left the village? He just hoped they didn't run into Sasuke himself, because there was no telling what would happen.
Finlo wanted to find anything he could on Orochimaru. What experiments was he working on? What people did he surround himself with? He knew of Kabuto and Sasuke, but there were countless others that ranged from loyal experiments to shinobi who joined Orochimaru for whatever reason.
This room didn't look very lived in. There were no personal touches, nothing on the walls or desk. That told him this room was for sleeping only and not much time was spent in it. The lack of personal items could mean this room was for less permanent residents or this was where the guards slept. It wasn't uncommon for shinobi to keep the bare minimum in their living quarters.
But even Finlo had comforts in his apartment. Nothing about this room was comfortable. No windows, stone walls, and a cold bite to the air that even he could feel.
He looked under the bunk beds and found nothing. Lifting up the mattress produced similar results. He went back to the door to check the hall and made sure they weren't about to be snuck up on. Empty. Finlo turned to Sakura. "Find anything?"
As he glanced around the room, Finlo wasn't sure what Sakura was hoping to find. Hints of the Uchiha? Some sign that her friend still existed under the boy who had left the village? He just hoped they didn't run into Sasuke himself, because there was no telling what would happen.
Finlo wanted to find anything he could on Orochimaru. What experiments was he working on? What people did he surround himself with? He knew of Kabuto and Sasuke, but there were countless others that ranged from loyal experiments to shinobi who joined Orochimaru for whatever reason.
This room didn't look very lived in. There were no personal touches, nothing on the walls or desk. That told him this room was for sleeping only and not much time was spent in it. The lack of personal items could mean this room was for less permanent residents or this was where the guards slept. It wasn't uncommon for shinobi to keep the bare minimum in their living quarters.
But even Finlo had comforts in his apartment. Nothing about this room was comfortable. No windows, stone walls, and a cold bite to the air that even he could feel.
He looked under the bunk beds and found nothing. Lifting up the mattress produced similar results. He went back to the door to check the hall and made sure they weren't about to be snuck up on. Empty. Finlo turned to Sakura. "Find anything?"
“Oh my…” Sakura muttered under her breath, her hands shaking slightly as she dug through the trash. This seemed like such a cliched move—something out her drama show, really—to find information thrown away haphazardly in the trash. But…here it was. Perhaps the carelessness of the guards outside extended to the guards inside. Maybe after years of nothing happening to this base had bred complacency in the current guards. Sakura stood up, smoothing the half-crumpled paper in her hand.
“Look at this,” she hissed out, eyes rapidly scanning the medical data listed. She felt like she was unraveling a puzzle as she connected the columns of information. “What Orochimaru is doing to these people. It’s barbaric!”
All the data hinted at experiments involving genetic manipulation, chakra augmentation, and other unethical practices. Each new row was a new unwilling test subject. Most, if not all, unwilling. “He’s building an army.”
Sakura glanced at Finlo, handing him the paper so he could have a better read. If Orochimaru ever found out about Finlo, the Anbu would no doubt be next on his capture list.
“Oh my…” Sakura muttered under her breath, her hands shaking slightly as she dug through the trash. This seemed like such a cliched move—something out her drama show, really—to find information thrown away haphazardly in the trash. But…here it was. Perhaps the carelessness of the guards outside extended to the guards inside. Maybe after years of nothing happening to this base had bred complacency in the current guards. Sakura stood up, smoothing the half-crumpled paper in her hand.
“Look at this,” she hissed out, eyes rapidly scanning the medical data listed. She felt like she was unraveling a puzzle as she connected the columns of information. “What Orochimaru is doing to these people. It’s barbaric!”
All the data hinted at experiments involving genetic manipulation, chakra augmentation, and other unethical practices. Each new row was a new unwilling test subject. Most, if not all, unwilling. “He’s building an army.”
Sakura glanced at Finlo, handing him the paper so he could have a better read. If Orochimaru ever found out about Finlo, the Anbu would no doubt be next on his capture list.
Finlo frowned as he went over the crumpled paper Sakura had found. It was indeed a list of experiments, showing their status and rather or not they needed security due to being unstable. There were quite a few of those, suggesting that many of these experiments were powerful. He grimaced and stuffed the paper into a pocket. He'd been experimented on once and he had no desire to repeat that experience in this life or any other. "We should go, this is big enough to warrant a warning to Lady Tsunade. For all we know, this army will shortly march on the village." And if he and Sakura were caught before they could deliver a warning…
He didn't really want to think what sort of damage would be done if Orochimaru attacked the village again, this time with an army of experimental shinobi.
This wasn't exactly what he'd hoped to find, but he didn't think it was wise to continue searching with such a big threat looming over them. Finlo moved towards the door only to come face to face with a guard, who looked just as surprised despite having his chakra masked.
The blonde Sound ninja flipped backwards to create space between them before launching several shuriken. Finlo blocked them with a kunai and sent a blast of fire down the hall, the flames scorching the walls. His attack wasn't quick enough as the enemy ninja turned and ran the opposite way they'd come in, presumably to give warning about their intrusion.
Finlo frowned as he went over the crumpled paper Sakura had found. It was indeed a list of experiments, showing their status and rather or not they needed security due to being unstable. There were quite a few of those, suggesting that many of these experiments were powerful. He grimaced and stuffed the paper into a pocket. He'd been experimented on once and he had no desire to repeat that experience in this life or any other. "We should go, this is big enough to warrant a warning to Lady Tsunade. For all we know, this army will shortly march on the village." And if he and Sakura were caught before they could deliver a warning…
He didn't really want to think what sort of damage would be done if Orochimaru attacked the village again, this time with an army of experimental shinobi.
This wasn't exactly what he'd hoped to find, but he didn't think it was wise to continue searching with such a big threat looming over them. Finlo moved towards the door only to come face to face with a guard, who looked just as surprised despite having his chakra masked.
The blonde Sound ninja flipped backwards to create space between them before launching several shuriken. Finlo blocked them with a kunai and sent a blast of fire down the hall, the flames scorching the walls. His attack wasn't quick enough as the enemy ninja turned and ran the opposite way they'd come in, presumably to give warning about their intrusion.
Sakura’s face turned serious as she listened to Finlo. Her heart sunk a little at the thought of leaving so early when there was so much of the base left unexplored. What if there were patients—no victims—trapped further in and they could rescue them? What if they could find something about Orochimaru? Or Sasuke? Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but sensibility forced her to stay silent. Despite what her emotions were telling her, Sakura knew that Finlo’s plan was the best course of action. The whole village was at risk. “You’re right,” she admitted softly. “If yesterday’s attack is any indication of their strength, Lady Tsunade and the village must be protected.”
With one last glance around the room, Sakura turned back to look at Finlo…and yelped out as she backtracked from the newcomer at the door. The heat from Finlo’s attack felt familiar as Sakura watched him try and stop the guard.
“What do you want to do? Run after him or try and escape?” Sakura asked, a bit frantic as she hoped Finlo’s Anbu knowledge would help make this decision.
Sakura’s face turned serious as she listened to Finlo. Her heart sunk a little at the thought of leaving so early when there was so much of the base left unexplored. What if there were patients—no victims—trapped further in and they could rescue them? What if they could find something about Orochimaru? Or Sasuke? Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but sensibility forced her to stay silent. Despite what her emotions were telling her, Sakura knew that Finlo’s plan was the best course of action. The whole village was at risk. “You’re right,” she admitted softly. “If yesterday’s attack is any indication of their strength, Lady Tsunade and the village must be protected.”
With one last glance around the room, Sakura turned back to look at Finlo…and yelped out as she backtracked from the newcomer at the door. The heat from Finlo’s attack felt familiar as Sakura watched him try and stop the guard.
“What do you want to do? Run after him or try and escape?” Sakura asked, a bit frantic as she hoped Finlo’s Anbu knowledge would help make this decision.
It was one of those lightning fast decisions that any shinobi would have to make, weighing the options in their mind, calculating the consequences versus the gains. "We need to get out, back the way we came." They had no idea what was waiting for them deeper inside the base, but they did know the way out. If they'd been a full squad then they could have sent someone back to the village while the other three stayed behind. That definitely wasn't an option here. It would waste precious time chasing after the guard, Finlo was sure there were traps.
He took off the way they'd originally come. If the entire base security descended on them, they were screwed. And he didn't want to get captured by these people, he'd rather kill himself.
The door was still wide open. Finlo couldn't sense anyone, but that meant little if someone was masking their chakra. He stopped and closed his eyes to sense nearby life energies, even masked chakra could be detected this way, if barely and it could easily be mistaken for a small animal. There were several out in the woods, but that told him nothing.
"There could be at least three guards out there," he said when he opened his eyes "If we get seperated, head straight to the village. Warning them is the priority." Most shinobi would say this warning would take precedence over his orders to protect Sakura, but he wasn't most shinobi. Finlo produced several kunai and crept through the door and into the cool night air.
It was one of those lightning fast decisions that any shinobi would have to make, weighing the options in their mind, calculating the consequences versus the gains. "We need to get out, back the way we came." They had no idea what was waiting for them deeper inside the base, but they did know the way out. If they'd been a full squad then they could have sent someone back to the village while the other three stayed behind. That definitely wasn't an option here. It would waste precious time chasing after the guard, Finlo was sure there were traps.
He took off the way they'd originally come. If the entire base security descended on them, they were screwed. And he didn't want to get captured by these people, he'd rather kill himself.
The door was still wide open. Finlo couldn't sense anyone, but that meant little if someone was masking their chakra. He stopped and closed his eyes to sense nearby life energies, even masked chakra could be detected this way, if barely and it could easily be mistaken for a small animal. There were several out in the woods, but that told him nothing.
"There could be at least three guards out there," he said when he opened his eyes "If we get seperated, head straight to the village. Warning them is the priority." Most shinobi would say this warning would take precedence over his orders to protect Sakura, but he wasn't most shinobi. Finlo produced several kunai and crept through the door and into the cool night air.
