Okay, had to do some research for this chapter. Couldn't find one thing. Which is how I found out it's not the right spelling. So it's not Hibiki. It's Ibiki Morino. So if I say Ibiki, you should know what I mean. Thanks to Killer Intent for finding this stuff for me and pointing out my mistake. On with the show!
Chapter 12
"Naruto, if you're tired, you should sleep." Hinata stroked Naruto's hair. Tired as he was, he didn't want to sleep. After last night, when Horyuu had tried to kill him in his sleep, he had but unable to sleep until early afternoon. Now it was mid afternoon.
"No. I don't like sleeping in the middle of the day. It throw me offs. It's not helping that you're doing that." Common sense told him to sit up, to take his head off of Hinata's lap. But right now he just didn't have the energy to move. Hinata sighed and covered his eyes with her hand. "What is this for?"
"Is it you're thinking that it's not good to sleep when the sun's up? Ignore the sun. Your body needs sleep." Naruto's next statement was stifled by a yawn. He could no longer resist the lull of sleep.
"Fine, I give up. Happy now?" Despite the tone of his voice he was smiling as he closed his eyes and began to breathe evenly.
--
Somewhere that was not far away found Ibiki Morino in the middle of a job. He had been ordered to interrogate the captured member of Satsukiyami. He had been impressed to hear that it was Naruto Uzamaki who had captured her. After all, he had been one of the proctor's at Naruto's chuunin exam. After everyone who had not given up had followed Anko out of the room, he had begun to collect the paper's. Naruto hadn't answered a single question on his written exam. Had it not been for the attack, Naruto would have been promoted to chuunin. Him defeating Neji had given everyone a good impression of the then floundering youth.
Ibiki turned his mind back to the task at hand. His victim sat chained to a stiff iron chair. Her clothes had been replaced with those of a prisoner's. Horyuu had also not eaten or drank since her capture. She had no physical injuries. His specialty was breaking his victims mentally. He rarely had to resort to physical torture. "So are you ready to talk?"
"I won't betray Shinku-sama or Satsukiyami. I've already said that. Why won't you give the jinchuriki up? We could solve one of your problems for you." Ibiki slapped her hard on her right cheek.
"Naruto is one of own. Other villages may have gladly given up their jinchuriki but not here. I'll come back in a few hours. We'll see if you're ready to talk then." Ibiki left and shut the door behind him. As the door shut he heard a faint whimper and tears hitting the floor.
True to his word, he returned a few hours later. Horyuu now sat resigned in her seat. She was sitting straight up with her head held high. He barely even sat down in his usual spot when she spoke. "I heard Konoha was a good place to live. But apparently not since brutish men like you are here. What would the other villages think if they knew this side of Konoha? Where girls are captured, tortured, and abused?"
Ibiki only shrugged his shoulders. "Every village has a torture division. And right now, you aren't a girl. You're the enemy. That's all there is to it. And what people think me doesn't matter either. I will break you and I will find out what I want to know. No matter what I have to do or how long it takes. I really don't like causing pain. Make it easier on yourself and talk freely."
Doubt flickered on Horyuu's face. It was there only for a moment before it was replaced with false bravado. She was beginning to break down. "Why? Shinku-sama won't allow me to be here for long. All I have to do is wait."
"Let me guess: You love your master, even though he's so much older than you. Do you really think he cares about you? Why isn't he here now? He'll probably just move on to another apprentice. Another apprentice to use and take advantage of." Horyuu struggled against the chains holding her down. Her hands moved as to make hand signs. But it was all for nothing. Those chains ate the chakra of those chained in them.
"Don't you dare make sport of Shinku-sama!! When he gets here you'll be sorry." Hate shone from her indigo eyes.
"He won't be alive for much longer. Not if we can help it. Now tell me about Satsukiyami. NOW!!"
"No, please, spare him. You don't understand him at all. Shouldn't you try to understand your enemy?" This earned her another slap, much harder than the first one. This time she couldn't stop the tears. She glared up defiantly this time, still crying and showing fear in her eyes for the first time. "No, he won't leave me behind here. He'll come for me. I know he will." The door opened and two ANBU walked in.
"We're ready. Is everything set up here?"
"Yes." He walked over to Horyuu and jerked her head up forcefully, making her look at the ANBU. The two quickly performed some hand signs. Her eyes were now glazed over. "You two ready for this?" Both nodded. Ibiki set up a video camera and started recording.
--
Shinku paced around his tent, a worried look on his face. Horyuu had vanished in the night. It was noon and she still hadn't returned. He had for a scout earlier and was now waiting for one to arrive. "You called, Shinku-sama? How may I be of service to you?" The scout was on one knee as he spoke.
"I think my idiot apprentice got it into her head to sneak into Konoha and try to kill the jinchuriki in his sleep. She's probably been captured by now. Sneak into Konoha and find out her whereabouts and situation. Don't try to get her out if she has been captured. If you find her fine and simply skipping out on lessons, bring her back at once. Report back to me at once when you find out." The scout nodded and zipped out of the tent. When he reached the borders of the village, he slipped in as a simple traveler seeking shelter for the night.
The scout made observations as he went through the village, heading towards the most obvious place for information, the Hokage Tower. He noted that the defenses had been fortified both in and out of the village. There were even some ANBU mixed into the crowd dressed as normal civilians. They blended in so well that he even he had trouble distinguishing civilian from shinobi. Many of these people were most likely shinobi. Only a few would be ANBU. It was a well known fact that their shinobi population was many times larger than the average village.
He slipped into the Hokage tower and made it to the top of the tower where the Hokage's office would most likely be. He reached her office and saw someone in the room with her. It was a man covered in scars. This man was talking to the Hokage seriously. "We ended up having to use truth drugs and jutsus. But we got the information we wanted. It's on this video tape." He placed a tape on her desk.
The Hokage slipped into it her desk. "And now where is Horyuu Hanone?"
"She's been heavily drugged and placed in a chakra eating cell under guard of the most experienced ANBU we could get our hands on. She's in the old cells under the village. I know you expect her to be treated at least decently. She will be."
"Understood. Keep a vigilant watch. They may come back for her." The man saluted and left. The scout took this at as a hint to report back. He left Konoha through the forest. The last thing he needed was to be captured too. This way was longer but safer. He eventually made it back to the camp and reported back to Shinku-sama. Judging by the sun, he had been gone for six hours. "Report." Shinku wasted no time in asking for the report.
"She's been captured. Through the use of drugs and jutsu, they found out everything she knew about us. Horyuu-sama is now heavily drugged and in a chakra eating cell in the old cells under the vilage of Konoha." Shinku was silent as he thought about what to do.
"I want you to spread the word that Horyuu is now a prisoner of war. Despite this, no one is to go in and get her. Her own rashness has caused this and now she'll have to understand the consequences. When we go in to get the jinchuriki, we'll get her." The scout nodded respectively and exited.
--
Saya walked into the living room and smiled when she saw her young master asleep, his head up on Hinata's lap. It was late evening now. And tonight would be the night she would contact her clan. "Hinata-sama, I'm sorry to do this but I have to wake him up."
"Don't worry about it. Naruto, time to wake up. Saya needs you." Naruto got up groggily.
"I'm sorry to say but dinner will be late tonight Master. I'm contacting my clan and thought you might want to be there." He came awake instantly. "Hinata-sama, will you be okay going home by yourself? I can ask Shinobu-sama to escort you if you'd like."
"I'm fine. Naruto, my father has invited you to dinner tomorrow night. So please come if you'd like." Hinata skipped to the door and left.
"This way." Naruto was led to the basement. Saya grabbed a torch and lit it. A secret door opened and she motioned for him to follow. They went down on a long dark tunnel until they arrived at a door. Saya opened it and lit the candles in there. "It's safe to come in." Naruto entered the room and saw a large symbol painted onto the floor. Saya stood in the center of it.
"Wow. This room is amazing." He walked over to the corner and stayed there. "What next?"
"I have to take off the genjutsu and show you my real form. After that, they'll come." The air seemed to ripple around her and she was now a different person. Brown eyes were now gold. Also, she wore long pants and sandals with with a long sleeved midriff shirt. As Naruto gasped in awe at how awesome she looked the air around her shimmered and shapes began to emerge. Shapes that were vaguely bear shaped.
--
Author's Note: So, what do you think? Also, thanks for those who voted. One vote is not included. My friend is too lazy to log in and vote. Also, she's being too lazy to update her awesome story!! Agh, it so sucks. It's tied right now between Rurouni Kenshin and Blood+. A few more votes can tip the balance though.
