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Description
Chapter One is here: [link]

Chapter Two is here: [link]

Chapter Three is here: [link]

Chapter Four is here: [link]

Chapter Five is here: [link]

Chapter Six is here: [link]

Chapter Seven – The Crest of the Wave

Tenten knifed through the water.

Ahead, her friend was dying.

Twenty feet, ten, five... Tenten lunged forward and seized a handful of Sakura's hair down close the scalp. With a great have and a powerful scissor sweep of both legs, she launched herself from the sea floor.

She powered to the surface. Open air was her friend's only hope, the re-breather wheezed and clicked empty. She spat it out with a mental curse and continued to kick for all she was worth.

Her lungs began to burn as the strain mounted, but finally, Tenten broke the surface, hauling Sakura up behind her, keeping her face out of the water.

Sakura wasn't breathing.

Ino popped out of the water a moment later and between them,the two girls hauled the inert form of their friend onto the dubious safety of some of the boat's debris.

“Breathe for her!” Ino barked, already the green energy of healing chakra flowed around Ino's hands as she pressed them to Sakura's chest, trying to clear the girl's lungs.

Tenten cleared Sakura's mouth and nose as best she could, tilted the girl's head back and pressed their lips together. Sakura's chest rose, but only slightly.

“There's a blockage somewhere!” Tenten reported as she tried again.

Ino shifted her hands slightly, worry etched in her eyes. Sakura was so still, so cold. Ino's healing felt so tenuous... her friend was dying.

Something in Ino's chest lurched. No. No, it was not going to happen. She would save her, save her friend.

The green fire blazed forth suddenly, and Sakura convulsed. A choking, frothing plume of water erupted from her mouth.

Her green eyes fluttered open, as if surprised to be functional, and tears welled. Slowly, Sakura curled into a ball, and began to cry.

Ino cried out in joy and collapsed atop her friend, her own tears streaming. Tenten just sat back on her haunches, relieved.

***

The sealed box sat on Tsunade's desk. The three new Jonin standing at attention as Shizune fumbled with the unlocking jutsu.

Finally, the box fell open.

A single shinobi headband fell to the desk with a clunk. Engraved upon it was the shark beneath waves.
A note was affixed to it's backing. It read simply “Stand proud upon the land, the Hidden Depths shall soon rise and our great wave will turn your granite to shifting sands, and sweep you beneath our tide.”

Tsunade watched Sakura steadily. Something bothered the girl, she could tell. Sakura refused to make eye contact with anyone. She spoke only when spoken to, and her replies were brief.

Sakura was obviously in pain.

***

Hours later, the three Jonin sat at a yakitori stand Tenten favored. Various morsels of chicken cooked before them as they all sat quietly. Finally, Ino gave up. “OK, out with it. What's eating you?” she demanded of Sakura.

“Nothing.”

“Uh huh,” Tenten replied. “Come on, you damn near died girl. WE know it's not something you just shrug off but still...”

“It's not that. It...I... Look, just leave it all right? I'll see you two later. I need to be alone right now.” Dropping a few bills on the bar, Sakura left.

“Let her go,” Ino said, grabbing Tenten's wrist as she made to follow. “Trust me, whatever it is, she'll tell us when she's ready.”

***

“You still didn't tell them,” Shizune accused Tsunade.

“Tell them what? We still don't know for sure. The girls' nerves are frayed nigh unto breaking, but they're the only ones who have faced these Hidden Depth ninja and survived. I'm not going to add to their pain right now.”

“They'll hear it elsewhere, you know that.”

The filth Hokage's fist smacked into her desk, damaging the surface. “No one else knows. I hate this as much as you do, but... it's what we have to do.”

***

“This pace always smells of dead fish...” Ame complained weakly. She'd only been allowed out of bed the day before, still weak form her near death at the hands of the Leaf kunoichi.

Yuki glared at her twin.

The figure striding before them took no notice. It was an honor when the Umikage had asked the twin ninja to accompany her to the facility. Ame's flippancy risked annoying their leader.

The Umikage was a mystery, even to her ninja. Her form was concealed beneath both formal robes, and an almost armor-like encasing skin of thick, opaque water. The fluid glowed with the green of healing chakra, but it would be a mistake to assume that the Umikage was wounded. She was the deadliest person in all the seas.

The room into which they entered as crowded with tanks of all sorts. Many held fish or other denizens of the seas, some, held people, both living and dead. In one, the corpse of Kana, the third member of their squad, drifted listlessly. Her dead eyes still open and starring.

Ame and Yuki averted their eyes.

The Umikage paused before a bank of computer terminals, an elderly woman sat hunched over the central console.

“How go the efforts?” The Umikage's odd, rippling voice came from the glowing water shell. “Will the courier fulfill our purpose?”

“She will indeed, my lady,” the scientist gestured to the central tank, where floated a figure tethered by a breathing mask. “We await only a sample of the life waters to begin the re-programming.”

The Umikage lifted one hand, and a few drops of her shell drizzled into a containment dish at the scientist's elbow. “Make her mine, doctor. We must accelerate our plans. Use the rest of the water to revive young Kana, as well. I perceive a great purpose in her...”

“At once Lady Umikage.”

“Can't we just kill the leaf girl? Slowly?” Ame asked angrily. “For what they did to Kana, and me...”

“Patience daughter, patience...” The shrouded form soothed. “Soon we will deal the Leaf a far greater blow than any mere revenge killing. They think their courier was killed... it will be the perfect cover for our friend here. Won't it my dear?” The Umikage reached a hand to stroke the tank's outer wall.

Within the tank, Hinata Hyuga tried to shy away, tried to hide, tried to scream, and felt it all ebb slowly away.

-END, Hidden Depths 1

Description
Chapter One is here: [link]

Chapter Two is here: [link]

Chapter Three is here: [link]

Chapter Four is here: [link]

Chapter Five is here: [link]

Chapter Six is here: [link]

Chapter Seven – The Crest of the Wave

Tenten knifed through the water.

Ahead, her friend was dying.

Twenty feet, ten, five... Tenten lunged forward and seized a handful of Sakura's hair down close the scalp. With a great have and a powerful scissor sweep of both legs, she launched herself from the sea floor.

She powered to the surface. Open air was her friend's only hope, the re-breather wheezed and clicked empty. She spat it out with a mental curse and continued to kick for all she was worth.

Her lungs began to burn as the strain mounted, but finally, Tenten broke the surface, hauling Sakura up behind her, keeping her face out of the water.

Sakura wasn't breathing.

Ino popped out of the water a moment later and between them,the two girls hauled the inert form of their friend onto the dubious safety of some of the boat's debris.

“Breathe for her!” Ino barked, already the green energy of healing chakra flowed around Ino's hands as she pressed them to Sakura's chest, trying to clear the girl's lungs.

Tenten cleared Sakura's mouth and nose as best she could, tilted the girl's head back and pressed their lips together. Sakura's chest rose, but only slightly.

“There's a blockage somewhere!” Tenten reported as she tried again.

Ino shifted her hands slightly, worry etched in her eyes. Sakura was so still, so cold. Ino's healing felt so tenuous... her friend was dying.

Something in Ino's chest lurched. No. No, it was not going to happen. She would save her, save her friend.

The green fire blazed forth suddenly, and Sakura convulsed. A choking, frothing plume of water erupted from her mouth.

Her green eyes fluttered open, as if surprised to be functional, and tears welled. Slowly, Sakura curled into a ball, and began to cry.

Ino cried out in joy and collapsed atop her friend, her own tears streaming. Tenten just sat back on her haunches, relieved.

***

The sealed box sat on Tsunade's desk. The three new Jonin standing at attention as Shizune fumbled with the unlocking jutsu.

Finally, the box fell open.

A single shinobi headband fell to the desk with a clunk. Engraved upon it was the shark beneath waves.
A note was affixed to it's backing. It read simply “Stand proud upon the land, the Hidden Depths shall soon rise and our great wave will turn your granite to shifting sands, and sweep you beneath our tide.”

Tsunade watched Sakura steadily. Something bothered the girl, she could tell. Sakura refused to make eye contact with anyone. She spoke only when spoken to, and her replies were brief.

Sakura was obviously in pain.

***

Hours later, the three Jonin sat at a yakitori stand Tenten favored. Various morsels of chicken cooked before them as they all sat quietly. Finally, Ino gave up. “OK, out with it. What's eating you?” she demanded of Sakura.

“Nothing.”

“Uh huh,” Tenten replied. “Come on, you damn near died girl. WE know it's not something you just shrug off but still...”

“It's not that. It...I... Look, just leave it all right? I'll see you two later. I need to be alone right now.” Dropping a few bills on the bar, Sakura left.

“Let her go,” Ino said, grabbing Tenten's wrist as she made to follow. “Trust me, whatever it is, she'll tell us when she's ready.”

***

“You still didn't tell them,” Shizune accused Tsunade.

“Tell them what? We still don't know for sure. The girls' nerves are frayed nigh unto breaking, but they're the only ones who have faced these Hidden Depth ninja and survived. I'm not going to add to their pain right now.”

“They'll hear it elsewhere, you know that.”

The filth Hokage's fist smacked into her desk, damaging the surface. “No one else knows. I hate this as much as you do, but... it's what we have to do.”

***

“This pace always smells of dead fish...” Ame complained weakly. She'd only been allowed out of bed the day before, still weak form her near death at the hands of the Leaf kunoichi.

Yuki glared at her twin.

The figure striding before them took no notice. It was an honor when the Umikage had asked the twin ninja to accompany her to the facility. Ame's flippancy risked annoying their leader.

The Umikage was a mystery, even to her ninja. Her form was concealed beneath both formal robes, and an almost armor-like encasing skin of thick, opaque water. The fluid glowed with the green of healing chakra, but it would be a mistake to assume that the Umikage was wounded. She was the deadliest person in all the seas.

The room into which they entered as crowded with tanks of all sorts. Many held fish or other denizens of the seas, some, held people, both living and dead. In one, the corpse of Kana, the third member of their squad, drifted listlessly. Her dead eyes still open and starring.

Ame and Yuki averted their eyes.

The Umikage paused before a bank of computer terminals, an elderly woman sat hunched over the central console.

“How go the efforts?” The Umikage's odd, rippling voice came from the glowing water shell. “Will the courier fulfill our purpose?”

“She will indeed, my lady,” the scientist gestured to the central tank, where floated a figure tethered by a breathing mask. “We await only a sample of the life waters to begin the re-programming.”

The Umikage lifted one hand, and a few drops of her shell drizzled into a containment dish at the scientist's elbow. “Make her mine, doctor. We must accelerate our plans. Use the rest of the water to revive young Kana, as well. I perceive a great purpose in her...”

“At once Lady Umikage.”

“Can't we just kill the leaf girl? Slowly?” Ame asked angrily. “For what they did to Kana, and me...”

“Patience daughter, patience...” The shrouded form soothed. “Soon we will deal the Leaf a far greater blow than any mere revenge killing. They think their courier was killed... it will be the perfect cover for our friend here. Won't it my dear?” The Umikage reached a hand to stroke the tank's outer wall.

Within the tank, Hinata Hyuga tried to shy away, tried to hide, tried to scream, and felt it all ebb slowly away.

-END, Hidden Depths 1