Chapter 8
The time passed quickly. Baki signed paperwork, Ibiki got forms approved by Sandaime, and he informed the people he'd chosen for his team and given them time to assemble and get a briefing. On the T&I side of things, he was taking Shimon, Tonbo, Inoichi, and himself. There were also going to be no less than four ANBU teams for backup power.
They'd eaten lunch, and eaten dinner, lunch from the cafeteria and dinner from takeout menus.
Then, it was time.
Ibiki stood and flexed his hands, feeling the way his heart wanted to speed up. He kept his breaths steady. "Alright. Let's go."
Baki led them to the rendezvous. Ibiki's team trailed after, as far behind as they could get without losing sight of him. The ANBU teams were in turn trailing Ibiki's team from a distance.
Ibiki couldn't sense them in any way; he just knew they were there because they were supposed to be.
Baki headed to through the trees to the set location, adopting his usual no-nonsense demeanor and fast-paced walk.
Sure enough, when he arrived, Kabuto was waiting there, dressed in his usual white and purple outfit and wearing that odd smile of his.
Baki bowed. "Konbanwa, Kabuto-san."
Kabuto bowed in return. "Konbanwa." He straightened and adjusted his glasses. "So, everything is according to plan."
Baki nodded. "The scrolls have been given to those doing the summoning ceremony; Gaara is prepared to transform."
Kabuto looked out across the trees.
Ibiki was glad everyone was professional enough to know that this didn't mean Kabuto had somehow miraculously detected them. No one moved a muscle. Not a flicker of chakra was released.
"Soon, the Leaf will be no more, ne?" Kabuto mused. "Well...everything has an expiration date." He shrugged and turned back to Baki. "You have done your job well, Baki of the Sand. The Sound will uphold its part of the agreement. While you are keeping everyone busy with your team, the Sound Four will be moving in on the position of the Hokage. Yondaime-sama is going to have a clean playing field."
He chuckled. "It should be quite a battle. I regret that I cannot be there."
Ibiki received the signal from ANBU. Finally. He understood ANBU's desire to let Kabuto talk, but he was doing an interrogation. They didn't need to put Baki in unnecessary danger. He gave the signal to Shimon.
Shimon dropped out of his hiding place in the trees and placed his hands on his temples, sending out a pulse of chakra as he performed his jutsu.
Kabuto turned on his heel and froze.
Shimon's kekkai genkai was being able to freeze someone completely, down to their ability to think and speak. The tradeoff was, for as long as the person was conscious, Shimon was locked in an identical state.
"We've got him!" Ibiki snapped. "Let's go."
Tonbo flew into action, ripping off the bandages over his eyes and landing in front of Kabuto. A flash of red light, and then Kabuto was on the ground. Tonbo stood calmly wrapping up his head again. Once he was done, he signaled that it was safe to approach.
His jutsu matched Shimon's well. One thing he could do with his kekkai genkai was knock someone unconscious with a single glance.
Inoichi dropped out of the trees ahead of Ibiki and knelt by Kabuto, checking the fugitive. "He's unconscious."
Ibiki walked over to Baki a placed a hand on Baki's shoulder. "Good job. It's a perfect catch."
Baki gave him half a smile. "Thank you. I admit, it took all my stoicism to listen to him say 'Yondaime will have a clear playing field' and not react. Rat bastard." He sighed.
Ibiki squeezed Baki's shoulder. "I know." He gestured to the others. "Let's go. Let's get Kabuto into containment."
"Hai, Taichou." Tonbo nodded. On the battlefield, he was all business.
The team gathered around, and with Ibiki and Baki, they teleported into the interrogation room they had waiting.
Shimon and Tonbo didn't even pause at the disorientation of suddenly changing locations. They dragged Kabuto to the inclined table in the middle of the room and restrained Kabuto to it, using built-in metal bands. Two for each arm and each leg, and two large metal bands for the torso area.
"Usually, we don't use this thing," Ibiki said. "It's a little barbaric. But for him..." He gazed at Kabuto's unconscious face without sympathy.
"It's necessary," Inoichi finished. He saluted. "Well, my job is done. You just needed me to testify whether Kabuto was incapacitated or not."
Ibiki nodded. "You may go. Thank you for the help."
"No problem."
Inoichi walked to the door and let himself out. The door locked behind him.
Ibiki folded his arms across his chest and chewed the inside of his lower lip, trying not to be obvious about it. "Now, we wait."
Baki nodded. He didn't know how the jutsu worked, so he had no idea how long it would take Kabuto to awaken.
Tonbo took in Baki's expression - somehow - and grinned. "It'll only be a few minutes. Shimon's jutsu doesn't last that long. If we had to wait half the night, the Taichou would just punch Kabuto in the face. Isn't that right, Captain?"
Ibiki grunted noncommittally.
Tonbo chuckled.
"My jutsu?" Shimon flicked an imaginary speck of dust off his sleeve. "You're the one that knocked him out."
"But you're the one that froze him so he can't even speak," Tonbo said.
"Boys," Ibiki said.
They silenced their building argument.
Baki smiled to himself.
Kabuto came around with a groan five minutes later. He looked around with a comical level of confusion.
"Hi," Ibiki said.
Kabuto flinched, his eyes going wide at the sight of the head interrogator.
"You didn't think I was gonna catch you, did you?" Ibiki said.
Kabuto shook his head. "No, I did not."
"Well, here you are," Ibiki said. "The world is still full of things you didn't expect."
Kabuto suddenly looked weary. "Can we just get this over with?"
Ibiki turned to Baki. "Depends on what this man wants for you."
Baki gave Kabuto a very unpleasant smile. "My sensei and kage is dead. I'm not feeling overly merciful."
"Dead?" Kabuto protested.
"Game's up," Ibiki said. "I told him everything." He smirked, himself. "Including how you killed his Kazekage."
"That was Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said, looking from one to the other.
"Oh, you helped," Ibiki said. "Don't deny it. I wouldn't believe you if you did. So you're stuck with that part of the story."
"How could I help kill someone with a gold dust jutsu?" Kabuto pleaded. "Do you know how outclassed I am?"
"His bodyguards didn't outclass you, though," Ibiki said.
"What does a man like that need bodyguards for?" Kabuto scoffed. "He's invincible all by himself."
"Those bodyguards were also my friends," Baki snapped.
"I didn't know that. How tragic," Kabuto said.
If Ibiki hadn't known that everything Kabuto said was insincere, he would have believed the man.
Baki resisted the urge to punch him in the face. Barely.
Ibiki glanced at him. "Go ahead."
A fake smile sprang to Baki's lips; he raised his fist and punched Kabuto with a heavy blow.
Kabuto's glasses smashed and flew off, the frames clattering to the floor without any lenses in them. Kabuto winced, and Ibiki was pretty sure the man's nose was broken. It was also leaking blood down his lips and chin.
"Thank you for your heartfelt condolences," Baki said snidely.
Kabuto blew blood from his lips and retorted, "Your friends chose a dangerous profession. If it wasn't me, it would have been someone else." His voice was slightly distorted by the broken nose.
Baki was ready to strangle him.
"That also explains why you're here," Ibiki said. "If it hadn't been you who was Orochimaru's right hand man, someone else would have been here."
Kabuto struggled against the metal bands for the first time, squirming uncomfortably. He couldn't manage much. "I haven't done anything wrong, you know. This is a revolution. Revolutions happen. It's a fact of life, Taichou."
"Says the traitor against the Leaf." Baki smirked.
"Well, you're a traitor against the Sand," Kabuto shot back.
"A man's not a traitor if he doesn't know his leader is dead," Ibiki said.
Baki crossed his arms. "Exactly."
Kabuto narrowed his eyes at Baki. "So I suppose you think the invasion is off now."
"Oh, I assume Sound will go right ahead," Baki said. "But I'll make sure Sand isn't part of it."
"How, exactly, will you do that?" Kabuto asked.
"This is an interrogation, not a discussion," Ibiki said. He sounded bored.
Shimon and Tonbo still hadn't moved. They were standing guard on either side of Kabuto's interrogation table.
"First of all, you are going to tell us at what points the Suna government is infiltrated, including any members of the military that you claim as your own." Ibiki rattled that off in a droning voice.
Kabuto blinked. "I...I don't know." He pouted.
"Wrong answer," Ibiki said. He glanced at Baki. "Baki, go ahead."
"My pleasure." Baki slugged Kabuto in the jaw, although he didn't use enough force to break it. The man had to be able to speak.
Kabuto groaned. "I don't know anything, I tell you. Orochimaru-sama keeps that stuff to himself."
"I don't believe you," Ibiki said. "You're enough of a rat to know whether Orochimaru wants you to or not. So spill it."
Kabuto looked at him resentfully.
"We can always call Inoichi back to rape your mind," Baki said helpfully. "We don't have to do it the old-fashioned way."
Kabuto paled.
Tonbo laughed. "If it's mind-rape you want, Shimon can do that. We don't even have to bother Yamanaka."
Shimon inclined his head.
"Now that's convenient," Baki said.
"It's everyone," Kabuto blurted. "Everyone knew they were working with Orochimaru but Yondaime! They knew he'd never go for it! So they didn't tell him. They thought - they thought we would convince him to join our side! They were idiots! Why would we waste time convincing the man if we could just impersonate him? They handed Yondaime over without a fight."
Baki nearly vomited.
Ibiki stepped back, startled, and put a hand on Baki's shoulder, squeezing hard.
Shimon and Tonbo were shocked into silence.
Baki took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. My sensei... He'd been stabbed in the back, just like that.
"When Orochimaru-sama contacted them, they didn't care how they got their victory," Kabuto said. "They didn't care. We didn't have to tell them anything. All they wanted was to be the best again. During the war...during the Third Shinobi World War, Suna was the most powerful village of all the Great Shinobi Nations. Afterwards...peace suited Konoha too well. They grew. The Council was jealous. All they wanted was their old power back. They didn't even care what happened to Konoha. I offered to let the village stand under our rule, and they told us that was our business, because Konoha was our village. They didn't care."
Baki sighed. That sounded just like the Council to him: save the village at any cost. Apparently even the cost of Yondaime's life. Plus his two bodyguards, who had surely been tossed out as expendable tools.
Now that having the information yanked out of his head was on the table, Kabuto was almost hysterical. He hardly paused to take a breath. "Yondaime was different. Orochimaru-sama said...he had morals." He let out a small, unhappy laugh. "Orochimaru-sama doesn't like people with morals. Not at all. I knew something bad was going to happen from the start."
"And yet you didn't stop it because you were on the wrong team, right?" Ibiki said. He stood by Baki, still squeezing Baki's shoulder.
Baki knew Yondaime put the village first, but not to the extent of going against his own beliefs. Or, in the case of Orochimaru, his own sanity. He ended up staring sightlessly at the side of Kabuto's table. "Of course," he said.
Ibiki knew he'd need to do a lot of TLC tonight after this was over.
"So the man had solid beliefs," Baki said. "So you killed him and ripped off his face." The last part came out as a hiss.
Kabuto flinched. "Well..."
"Don't say anything," Ibiki advised. "It wasn't a question."
Baki was clenching and unclenching his fists. Ibiki's advice was wise.
"Who else?" Ibiki said.
"Well, the military is acting under the Council's orders," Kabuto said. "So the military is going to attack...the Council wants a war, after all."
Baki felt ill again. I have to be able to stop this!
"And when is this mythical attack set to occur?" Ibiki said.
"Two weeks from now, at the Chunin Exam," Kabuto said. "Of course. What more perfect place for Orochimaru-sama to strike?"
"So, in other words, more than six days from now," Ibiki said.
Kabuto frowned. "Yes...why?"
Ibiki stared at him. "So that we can send a message to the Council, and they can sent a message to their generals."
"Like what?" Kabuto protested.
"How about, like, 'We're totally ready for you, since we captured one of Orochimaru's cronies, and if you do this, we'll totally fucking call off the treaty and slaughter your village'?" Ibiki said. "Just a suggestion."
"Or 'We know about your alliance with Orochimaru and Sound. You've lost the element of surprise. Call it off now.'" Baki was a bit less bloody about it, given it was his village that would be slaughtered.
"Something like that," Ibiki agreed.
Kabuto looked horrified. "You can't do that."
"Why not?" Ibiki asked.
"Because it's - because it's not fair!"
"Ha!" Baki's voice was sharp. "It's not ifair/i that my sensei and kage was ruthlessly murdered. I don't give a fuck about what happens to you and your beloved master's plans."
"Now that's just selfish," Kabuto said.
"Hit him," Ibiki said.
Given that they'd all been equipped with listening devices before heading out to pick up Kabuto, the message had already been sent to the Hokage by listening operatives. That meant a message to Suna was probably being dispatched by hawk right now. As well as, probably, an ANBU team carrying the same one, to make sure it arrived.
Baki complied with great gusto, punching Kabuto right in the gut.
Kabuto made a satisfying 'fuah' noise, and would have doubled over if the restraints had let him.
He twitched, wheezing.
Baki was only mildly satisfied by this outcome.
"Go ahead and hit him again," Ibiki said. "Shimon can heal him."
Shimon saluted. "I will be happy to heal Kabuto as many times as needed."
"Now, wait a minute." Kabuto squirmed. "Isn't this police brutality?"
"We're not the police," Ibiki said impassively.
Baki went for dirty and punched him in the nuts.
Kabuto screamed and let out a sob, trying to shield himself in vain.
Ibiki smiled. "I like how you think."
Baki smiled back. "Why thank you!"
"I think it's only fair that Kabuto be your punching bag for the rest of his life," Ibiki said. He shrugged. "However you want to cash in on that is fine with me."
"Y-You can't," Kabuto choked out. Twin tears welled up and rolled down his cheeks, one on each side. "I'm important."
"Really? So am I!" Baki rubbed his fist. "Or did you think I become Yondaime's children's sensei out of good luck?" He smirked. "I'm just important enough to beat up important people, then. I think that's a fair argument."
Kabuto fell silent.
"Good. That's better than your dumb excuse." Baki delivered a stinging slap to his face. "Now I wonder how long it's going to take me feel better about the loss of my sensei and friend? Hmm..."
"Take as long as you need," Ibiki murmured. He felt a deep stirring of sympathy for Baki. He knew the grief and the anger too well.
Baki proceeded to rough Kabuto up pretty thoroughly.
Kabuto was heaving and sobbing and bleeding.
Ibiki couldn't care less.
Baki finally had his fill and stood back, wiping blood off his knuckles and onto his pant legs.
Ibiki closed the distance between them and rubbed Baki's back with one hand. "That's enough. For one day, I think. We'll be back later to give you your due. Consider this a down payment." He escorted Baki from the room, leaving Shimon and Tonbo on duty. In the hallway, where Kabuto couldn't see or hear them, Ibiki drew Baki into a hug. "I love you. It's going to be okay."
Baki slipped his arms around Ibiki's waist and leaned his head on his shoulder, sighing deeply. "I hope so. I still feel faintly nauseated."
"I know." Ibiki stroked his back gently. "You're going to feel that way for a while, perhaps. But I'm here." He realized for the first time that maybe Baki's recovery would take longer than a month. What then? Am I going to abandon him? Of course not! He'd have to think of something.
He'd never expected the Council to be involved.
Perhaps that was naive of him.
Baki took a deep breath, trying to calm down his stomach, and nodded. "I know. I'm glad you are here."
Ibiki hugged him tightly at that. "We'll go home. Let's go home now. I'll take care of you."
"Yes, let's." Baki returned the squeeze, then released him. "Let's just...get out of this place."
