Caution: This chapter involves heavily implied torture and implied sexual contact. The author wishes to convey that he does not condone torture in any way, shape or form, and that he doesn't mind if you skip such scenes.
The next morning they advanced.
The forest thinned as the team moved out, and soon they were moving through rocky terrain, a mass of steppes covered by a thin layer of mossy grass.
The peninsula that was technically outside of the Land of Fire was a relatively minor route from the Land of Water, but one a quick one. The terrain made it hard for trade wagons to move across the land, but for small parties of shinobi, or horseback messengers, it was the preferred route.
Naruto's cloak took on the mottled texture of the stones and grass, and enjoyed moving from rock to rock. The newer environment gave him a chance to constantly test his path finding. Rock to rock, shade there, a hollow there. Thin brush. He analysed the land as he went, moving constantly from place to place in a jinking run.
Ibiki called the group to a halt, and they slid into the cover of a small hole under a rock.
"Right, our information believes that the target will be moving through this region during today. There is a strong chance they will use this road, as it goes through one of the few passes into Iwa's central territories.
Our target has vital information which we must obtain for the safety of Konoha. Unfortunately, they have high profile connections. We have to kidnap and take care of the targets silence out here. If we take too long, they'll send a search party.
The plan will be to take out any guards or teammates the target has, subdue the target, and then extract the information."
He turned to the trio of chunin.
"Ishosi, Yahu, Mago, your job is to prepare this area for the extraction. I'll need more space, and it'll need to be well hidden. 2 sweep hidden."
They nodded.
"Anko, Naruto, your job will be the capture. Use whatever tactics you need to, you're both ambush specialists."
They nodded.
"I need to prepare a couple of things for our guest."
He smiled. It was a smile that nobody could mistake as a happy one. It was the smile of a man who knows he's going to cause pain and that's he's good at it. The smile of someone who enjoys their job.
The chunin set to work, using doton jutsu to compact and move the rock and dirt so that a relatively large hole was being created. It was big enough for four people to be in comfortably. Not six though. He realised that that was the point. Make it small and claustrophobic to make it even worse for the target.
Ibiki opened a scroll and unsealed what looked like a child's chemistry set. Naruto watched in fascination as several small vials were readied for use.
Anko saw his expression change to one of interest and smiled.
"I take it you didn't expect Ibiki to be a chemist?"
"No. I thought he specialised in psychological and physical torture. Unless he uses that as part of either."
"It's both. You'll see why."
They moved away from the foxhole and sunk into cover near the road. Naruto's cloak allowed him to practically hide in the open. He ran through the hand signals for the basic chameleon jutsu he had known for the better part of nine years to hide the rest of him.
The jutsu was crude, and an experienced ninja would easily see where the illusion frayed around the edges. It was a standard for all academy students, and hence was low power and low chakra dependant. Most ninja forgot it entirely after the academy, moving on to more exciting jutsu.
For someone like Naruto the technique was still little used, he preferred the night and the shadows for his work, but in the daylight it could surprise an unexpected surprise.
Anko marvelled at how easily he slid into a hiding posture, his body becoming rigid. She tapped him on the shoulder.
"Yes?"
It was just loud enough for her to hear. She realised she'd nearly trodden on his bow, hidden next to him within easy reach.
"I'm going to the high ground to spot better, you seem happy here, so take this."
She passed him the radio headset. Useful for communication when a team had to split up. Naruto had never had to use one before.
He slid the power and transmitter under his cloak and turned on the mic set. He checked the frequency, and waited.
The voice slipped into his ear as if she were whispering into his ear.
"Darkie-kun, do you hear me?"
"Yes."
"Yes who?"
"Yes Anko."
"Yes Anko what?"
"Yes Anko-taicho?"
He heard the sigh down the mic.
"No, Anko-chan."
"Oh."
There was a crackle as Ibiki's gruff tones made it onto the airwaves.
"Are you in position?"
They gave their affirmatives.
"Good, bring the target in when you've captured her."
Aside from the mission documents, that was the first bit of characterisation Ibiki had given to the target. A girl from Kiri apparently, who knew some secrets that Konoha needed to know.
He'd read the mission documents thoroughly, even the background reading on the Land of Water. Kiri, it transpired, was in turmoil. The Kage had unleashed great amounts of hurt on his people, and the people had fought back.
He'd found, upon some analysis of the material, that there was a definite bias towards the rebels. It was subtle, but the use of certain phrases had triggered the conclusion.
Phrases like 'noble struggle' and 'tough dictatorship' were used to describe either side every so often, so even though the account was nominally equal, it was designed to turn the mind towards the rebels.
He'd given moments thought as to whether Lord Danzo, or one of his former colleagues had been behind some of the nicer phrasing.
Either way, the current Kage was in power, and as they were trading with Konoha, an emissary came every so often. So when the spies had told of an unexpected visit, and discovered documents marked for Rice and Suna, suspicions had been raised.
Intelligence was something you put your best on.
His musings were interrupted by Anko's voice in his ear.
"So Darkie-kun, whilst we wait for our guest, care to learn a little?"
"About what Anko?"
"Sorry, who?"
This was silly.
"Anko-chan."
"Good boy. About whatever you want."
He could have sworn that was not a tone of voice used for teaching. He wasn't sure how to respond properly. Ibiki cut in.
"If you two are going to chit-chat, at least keep it business. No corrupting the poor boy Anko."
"Awwh. You ruin my fun."
"Teach him about some stuff about poisons. That may at least keep me from just switching this thing off, and maybe give me some inspiration."
That last word was loaded. Naruto imagined the man saying it. It didn't fit, and that worried him. A lot about his colleagues worried him. They were even more eccentric than the genin teams, even if they were more focused and experienced.
'Why are you all so...weird?'
He realised that he'd whispered it to himself as opposed to thought it. A chuckle from Ibiki granted him from the other end.
"You've really been kept in the dark haven't you?"
"Yes. I kill from the dark."
"It was a figure of speech."
"Oh."
Anko's voice became a touch more urgent.
"Target sighted. 4 guards, coming in from the East.
Naruto activated his Byakugan and got used to the transition from real world vision to the odd mixed vision using both eyes simultaneously gave him.
The signatures were there, and rising fast. He slid the first bolt into the slot on his bow.
The riders got to within bolt range, but he could see the chakra levels were near those of Haku, if not a little higher. This bolt was going to have to come from closer range.
They got 10m closer, he could pick out their formation, the man at the front taking glances left and right as he ran. Scanning for figures. He hadn't seen them.
He looked at the other teammates and surmised their positions in the team.
The man at the front had the smallest amount of chakra, and seemed to be the nimblest and most aware. A scout.
The two middle men were thickly built, and carried weapons. The muscle, the brutes.
That meant the one at the back was the leader. Able to see everything and react accordingly. He had to die first.
He prepared to fire. First he'd clip one of the grunts, and then hit the leader whilst he was distracted. From there, he could attack the rest.
He ready his finger on the grip when Anko's plan started.
The scout drew a kunai and sliced at something which rose from the ground towards his leg. It twitched and bit him on his ankle.
He yelled, and one of the brutes moved to help him before his weapon was swinging to take out another snake.
The leader was looking towards Anko's position. He fired.
The bolt went straight into his skull and lodged there, sending a small spray of blood and bone into the air. The thunk attracted the attention of another brute before the second bolt took him in the throat.
The scout was down, his face an odd shade of blue. The final brute was still occupied with the sudden mass of snakes. Another bolt placed into his back spun him on his axis before he fell and the snakes got their shots in.
The target was running away as fast as she could, but Naruto could tell she wasn't a ninja. In a flash Anko had delivered a controlled chop to her neck, before slinging her over a shoulder.
She walked towards Naruto's foxhole as he rose up, crossbow still held ready; he had nearly relaxed his aim when he saw the movement behind Anko.
"Down."
Anko obeyed with good haste, and the bolt took the leader in the neck. Somehow the shot to his skull, which still jutted out awkwardly, had not been enough to kill him. Naruto was amazed the man had got up, let alone been about to use a jutsu.
Anko looked round.
"Damn. You are good with that thing."
"Your snakes are very effective too."
"Thanks. They're my favourite. Could you hide the bodies for me whilst I get this into Ibiki's care?"
He nodded. He'd had to hide dead bodies before, it happened every so often on his old missions. Sometimes the guards just got in the way of his objective, and then they had to die.
He recalled all the occasions where he'd moved a body into a cupboard, or propped it up so it looked asleep. Well, at least until they checked anyway.
He recalled the poor maid who had come up onto that rooftop for air, her face caught in a silent scream as he had killed her.
He shook his head to clear it of the woman's face. Why was he remembering that now?
Then the target's themselves.
Most of the time they were killed privately to be discovered later. He recalled with pride getting the kill on a man who thought his toilet had been safe. He had actually made it back to base before anyone had dared to check on him.
The woman's silently screaming face came back into his mind, playing itself onto all his victims.
He blocked it out, deactivating the Byakugan he realised he still had active.
The bodies were easily hidden, there were enough spare rocks around to hide them under, and crevices off the track where nobody would ever look. Ninja using this trail tended to stick to the road. With luck, rain would wash away any remaining blood traces soon enough.
He slid his blade across the neck of the scout, who was still burbling gently, his congealed saliva a colour it shouldn't have been. He felt it was better that way; after all, he wouldn't want his death dragged out if he was caught.
He finished his handiwork and wiped his hands down on the mossy grass before heading back to the hole they had used for cover. It wasn't so much a hole as a chamber. A torture chamber.
He'd only briefly seen one from the root cells. A small slit on a door just before it was shut, and the face of a man who looked defiant. He recalled the screams that he'd heard moments later.
He watched out of the entrance with his Byakugan to scan for approaching trouble. He wasn't expecting any.
He heard the rough slap and the gasp of the woman waking and heard the interrogation.
"Right, Ukuno Juha, Intelligence officer under Mizukage Yagura correct?"
"No, I'm just a client of Kiri needing passage into the Land of Fire for"
The pleading voice was cut off by another slap. It was a deliberately loud one, the noise echoing in the chamber. The chunin skulked menacingly around behind them whilst Anko stood behind Ibiki with a smirk on her face.
"And I'm the Sage himself. We knew who you are."
There was a rip of clothing.
"See the tatoo on you hip? We know what that means, Ukuno. Pure blood mark the Mizukage bestows on his followers to say they are free of the bloodline curse."
The woman tried to plead again but another harsh slap cut it off.
"If you're going to talk, tell us why you're headed to Suna. To the Rice Country and Grass Country. Maybe Iwa too?"
The woman's voice was heard again, the pleading act dropped into a serious tone.
"You think I'll tell you? If I don't reach my destination within two days they'll know. If I don't make it they'll know who did it. You've already lost."
There was the sound of spit and another slap.
"Oooh she's defiant. Can I have some fun Ibiki-kun? Can sweet little Anko have some fun with the pretty lady."
The was the soft sound of a finger tracing flesh.
"Get off me bitch."
"Awh, not going to let me play nice? I can be nasty if you want to."
"Now now Anko not yet, I have a few more persuasive tools to use first. Pass me syringe one please."
A chunin dressed in black, he wasn't sure which, passed him a needle.
"I bet you want to know what this does don't you?"
She remained silent, as he stood next to her.
"This liquid will make you more easily open to suggestion. Very easily open."
"Try it dickhead."
"With pleasure."
There was a small grunt of pain as the needle was inserted roughly but expertly. It was tossed aside with a clatter.
"So, how do you feel now?"
Silence.
"Anko, have any suggestions for her?"
"Ooh, Anko-chan thinks she needs a woman's touch. Don't you want that?"
There was a sound of a zip slowly being undone, and the sound of hands on flesh. There was a feminine moan.
"Stop Anko, I think she's enjoying this too much."
"Awh, I was only just getting started."
"You...bastards. Why do I want...want...?"
"More? Maybe we'll give you more if you give us things we need."
There was a jangling sound as the figure struggled.
"Oh don't struggle; I thought you'd already won? Or maybe you know you're going to talk. You want to talk."
The figure cried out in desperation and anger with more jangling.
"Tell us, and Anko can be nice again."
"I was discussing...treaties."
"About what Ukuno?"
"Not telling."
"Anko?"
"Mmm with pleasure."
He watched the outside, never once turning back as this pattern repeated itself. He didn't know what Anko was doing to the woman, only hearing a dark chuckle from one of the chunin every so often. He surmised it was something pleasurable.
Eventually though, even Anko's touch wasn't bringing them more.
"So military treaties with the minor nations? Has Kiri fallen so low?"
"Please...no more. No more of her. She has no hold on me."
"Awh seems number one has worn off."
"It was, bring me number 2."
"What will...this one...argh!"
"This one is going to hurt. For the first couple of minutes, it should just be like a toothache all over. Of course, it gets worse and worse for hours, unless I insert the antidote. And I don't feel like injecting it until I hear what I want to hear. If you make it through that, well then, I could use more traditional, metallic methods."
The figure was trying not to make noise as it strained against the cuffs. He realised that he had started watching now, the outside forgotten.
The woman's face was slowly contorting in agony. It looked like the maid's face from those years ago. He stared, he couldn't help it.
She screamed in pain. The same scream, the same face.
He stumbled outside and enjoyed the silence aside from the distant roar of the ocean. He hid, taking up his former position overlooking the road. He forced himself to clear his mind.
He wasn't sure how long he had waited, time was immaterial. But it wasn't long before a figure emerged.
The woman looked like nothing had happened, and was soon making her way along the road.
He walked back to the chamber to see the team packing up, Ibiki and Anko were chatting as they did so.
"Definitely some interesting information, no doubt there."
"I wish I could have used the snakes on her...I had a new little nerve toxin ready and everything."
"Interesting time ahead. Ah, Naruto is back."
Anko rose and swaggered over to him.
"Did you enjoy the show?"
"I wasn't watching."
"You saw a little. You turned round when the pain toxin was used. Nasty stuff, some of my favourite work."
"I don't want to be near that."
"Good choice."
"How did you get her on her way again?"
"Oh. We can suppress the memory. Ibiki knows one or two mind jutsu that he can use to alter the perception. As far as she knows, she never had a team to go with."
"What about when she makes it home?"
"Oh, we also inserted a toxin in a slow release pill. Quite interesting stuff actually, it's made of a material that biodegrades in the body, slowly releasing the dose. With luck, it'll go off and make it look like a heart attack."
Naruto couldn't help but be impressed. It was subtle, brilliant, and a perfect way of killing some off. Why had he never used toxins in the past?
Ibiki finished sealing up his equipment and turned to his team.
"Good job. Let's get the information home."