Compromises
Naruto stirred, breathing in. Sasuke smelled like rain, like earth, mixed with the salty tang of sweat. He opened his eyes, vision sliding into focus, and found the Uchiha staring up at the ceiling, a grimace marring his features. Naruto sat up, yawning and watching him.
"You should probably leave before the toads come looking for you again," Sasuke suggested. Naruto arched an eyebrow, giving Sasuke a long, searching look.
"What's up with you? What were you and Fukasaku talking about anyway?" Of course Naruto got right to the point. Sasuke sighed in aggravation.
"Well you wasted no time. I guess you were too preoccupied to ask me earlier." Sasuke said with a languid stretch. His hand shot out, staying Naruto's annoyed fist and stopping it from colliding against his shoulder. The blond sighed, sitting up, and put his head in his hands suddenly. Sasuke didn't doubt that if the nausea persisted this way, Naruto would soon be as green as the toads on the mountain.
"Was it about the baby?" Naruto asked suddenly, seeming to get over it. Sasuke blinked. Calling it "the baby" made it sound too personal. Too alive. For a moment, he contemplated confiding in Naruto. He knew the blond's personality well. Sure, he would become angry and feel betrayed, but wasn't he the very epitome of a ninja who fought and sacrificed "for the greater good"?
Sasuke thought of Itachi and he grimaced. Itachi had chosen world peace over familial love and connections. While the dream to sustain world peace was arguably selfless at its heart, the actual act to attempt to keep it had been gruesome and undeserving in Sasuke's eyes. Could the same be said for Naruto? Would he choose the most "sensible" decision for the sake of the ninja world, or would he be biased? Since Sasuke didn't really view the unborn demon child as a real connection (in his opinion, it was still hidden away from the world, more of an idea than a true life. How could Naruto choose a life that hadn't yet begun over lives that already had?) he couldn't see the logic in saving it. It had no personality; it was unable to show love or hatred, and therefore it was unable to elicit similar emotions from him. Why not do it a mercy before it had a chance to live a nightmare, and possibly grow to become one?
Naruto belched loudly, rudely interrupted Sasuke from his thoughts. He threw the blond an annoyed look, but Naruto only stretched and pretended not to notice as he searched for his clothes in silence.
Why was it imperative that Naruto not know about the child's future demise? Where was the advantage in that? If he could be told, and he could be made to see reason and agree to it, they could all stop this nonsense now…but Sasuke hesitated. How well did he really know Naruto? How well had he thought he'd known Itachi? He had thought (albeit, he was young and naïve) that his brother would always protect his family and clan. In a twisted way, he had, in the form of Sasuke, but…
"How badly do you want the kid?" Sasuke heard himself ask. Naruto blinked. He frowned, hunched over as he picked at a hangnail in thought.
"I...well...enough to not want the abortion, I guess," Naruto said finally, faltering a little.
Sasuke studied him. "If you had to choose, would you pick the kid, or the end of the war?"
Naruto swiveled his gaze over to Sasuke, his eyes narrowed and dark. "What kind of question is that?" Naruto asked, voice tinged with suspicion and anger.
"Choose," Sasuke insisted.
Naruto bristled. "What the hell? That doesn't even seem that realistic-"
"It is realistic. It's like asking my brother to slaughter his entire family to keep world peace, or let them continue to scheme and cause another world war." Naruto quieted, eying Sasuke in an incredulous way. He remained silent.
"So, what would you choose?" Sasuke pressed after a moment.
"Do you think Itachi chose right? What would you have done in his place?" Naruto asked suddenly, throwing him off guard. Sasuke scowled, unhappy with the turn in conversation. It hit a nerve, but he controlled the tumult of sudden emotion.
"I don't think the innocents of my clan, like my mother, had to die for the faults of a few corrupted men. Unfortunately for them, they were guilty by association. If anything, the government should have imprisoned or executed the masterminds, quietly and efficiently. There was no need to murder the clan's women and children. Obviously, the government felt too threatened by the Uchiha as a whole to consider innocent lives." His voice was low, the slightest of quavers making it tremble like a spark of electricity in hot, stagnant air. Naruto was still staring at him, as if trying to figure him out.
"You never answered my question. What would you have done?"
Sasuke turned away, suddenly angry. "I couldn't have followed in my brother's footsteps." He admitted, keeping his gaze averted. Naruto was silent for a few moments before answering.
"Well, I'm not sure either."
Sasuke, huffed, suddenly annoyed. He didn't like how the tables had turned. "If the sake of the world was at hand, would you sacrifice the kid?" Sasuke asked again. Naruto sighed in exasperation. He rose from the mattress, naked, the feeble light from the torch on the wall playing off his tanned skin. Sasuke pretended not to care or notice.
"You brother asked me once what I would do if Konoha ever faced you as an enemy. If I would kill you for the sake of my village and its people."
Sasuke looked to him sharply. "What was your answer?" Sasuke wanted to know. Naruto grinned, pulling on his pants.
"I told him I would find a way to save Konoha without killing you, and I did. We don't always have to be faced with do or die situations. I won't give up until I find a way to save all those I care about. I leave no one behind. And I'm not the kind of person who's going to sit here and condemn someone because of a demon's touch that was out of their control." He grinned as his head popped through his shirt and he smoothed it out, his face alight with a fierce determination. Sasuke regarded him thoughtfully. So that was it. The situation was pulling at Naruto in a very familiar and sensitive way.
"You're naïve, Naruto," Sasuke said finally. It was obvious the correct answer to Itachi's question for Naruto would have been to end Sasuke's life immediately, and for Naruto to not allow his emotions to compromise the safety of his hidden village.
Naruto scoffed, ruffling his hair with his fingers. "No. I'm just a fighter." With a final challenging glance Sasuke's way, Naruto left, leaving Sasuke to contemplate his words.
The moon was high and bright in the sky, and Naruto was happy for the silvery light. The late night air was cool as it slipped past him, its touch helping to clear his thoughts as he walked. He hadn't stopped thinking about Sasuke's question.
He knew this child was one in a million. It was the key to unlocking devastating power willingly and efficiently without hassle. A weapon. A much more controlled weapon that most Jinchuuriki could ever hope to be.
Go ahead, try and cut it from your belly. I will stop you. Naruto remembered the maniacal light in the Kyuubi's yellow gaze, and his stomach churned. Could he really allow a similar evil to escape into the world? He shook his head. He thought of afternoons spent alone on a swing, trying to escape the hardened glares of people who believed him a monster. And at that age, he could never understand why. Why was he so terrible? Was it something he could have done differently or controlled about himself?
Was he really a monster? Was he really someone who was evil, even if he didn't feel or think that way? He remembered these painful thoughts with startling clarity, and he felt a hollow pang in his chest at their recollection.
For what he'd gone through so early in life, he'd been lucky, he supposed, as he thought of his home. He frowned, thinking of Tsunade's words. This is what's best for your village.
No, I felt this child. It isn't like that! he thought. Naruto reflected on what he had once told Konohamaru: All ninja will be confronted with terrible decisions at one time or another. Sasuke's question had disturbed him, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. If he had to choose, what would he do? There was a truth to Sasuke's question Naruto couldn't deny: the end of the child would possibly save a lot of lives and unnecessary risk on the Leaf's part. He was troubled by this conclusion.
Finally, after spending a good hour or so skipping stones, he came to a conclusion that satisfied him. No, he didn't have to be faced with ultimatums. Naruto fought for the greater good of his country, for his village. He fought for those he cared about and those he loved. He fought for people he didn't even know, in the hopes they and their children would live in peace.
Whatever was said, whatever was believed, this child had committed no crime. This child was not the Nine Tails. This child was not guilty by association. He just knew it. He would protect his world. He would protect his village. He would protect Sasuke. He would protect the child.
He was completely decided, and he felt satisfied. He would keep it. He would live with this decision, and he would live with it comfortably for as long as he lived. That was all there was to it. He would try his damnedest to find a solution. He left no one behind.
The toads did not ask him where he had been when he stepped into the bungalow, worn but smiling. He sipped his broth, thanked Shima and bid the couple good night, and slept more peacefully than he had in years.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade woke with a start, eyes blinking as her vision adjusted to the dark. She was in bed, in a slip of a nightgown, with a pounding headache. She grimaced at the acrid taste in her mouth as she started awake. Who the fuck dared to enter her bedroom (her bedroom!) at three in morning? Not only were they unwelcome, they had gone unnoticed by the highly trained ANBU guards stationed around her home. Someone was in for a hell of a beating, and a few broken bones for catching a glimpse of her in the skimpy shell pink nightgown.
Immediately she was on her feet, in a defensive stance, eyes searching for the intruder. She paused as she noticed the small figure at the foot of her bed. A messenger from the toads. She sighed in exasperation, relaxing, and rubbing her temples.
"I am sorry to disturb you at this time of night, Lady Tsunade. My humblest apologies!" The toad bowed his fat head.
"This better be about Naruto," she growled. The small toad bobbed his little head. He looked vexed. Tsunade's heartbeat picked up its pace.
"He arrived at Mount Myoboku via a reverse summoning. Fukasaku deemed it unwise to wait for a signal any longer. Naruto arrived alongside Sasuke Uchiha."
An icy hand gripped Tsunade's heart. Her breath hitched. "Uchiha? Is Naruto alright?"
"He is safe," the toad assured her.
Tsunade exhaled in relief."Keep him there. Arrange for a team of ninja to enter the toad lands to collect Sasuke Uchiha-"
"That will not be permitted, my Lady," the little toad quipped, interrupting her.
Tsunade blinked in stunned surprise. Then she grew angry, much to the toad's distress. "Not permitted? He is a rogue nin, and a world-wide wanted criminal. He belongs to Konoha. He must face punishment for his crimes! You cannot withhold a rogue nin from his village!" She was shouting now. The toad sighed, wincing at the anger in her voice. He whipped out a small handkerchief from his ill-fitted vest and mopped his brow.
"I'm terribly sorry, Lady Tsunade, but we will not permit Leaf nin to access Mount Myoboku-"
"Myself, then."
"That will also not be permitted."
Tsuande bristled, seething. She resisted the urge to kick the toad in the head. "The toads have no reason to include themselves in human political affairs. The war is of no concern to Mount Myoboku. You will hand Uchiha over to Konoha! This is not a matter for debate!"
The little toad shook his fat head once more. "We have taken Sasuke as our prisoner. You cannot legally come into our lands to retrieve him without us granting permission. To do so would be seen as a violation. We are withholding him for the time being."
"I demand a meeting with the toad sages!" Tsunade fumed. "Sasuke Uchiha belongs to the Leaf!"
"Sasuke Uchiha now belongs to Mount Myoboku, for the time being, anyway. Nowhere in your laws does it state that Sasuke Uchiha must be returned to the Leaf to face justice. You said yourself that he is a world-wide wanted criminal. Therefore, whatever lands he is captured by has the ability to administer their own punishments. Yes, he is a rogue nin, and therefore his body belongs to Konoha. Should he die, we will allow a team of Leaf nin access to Mount Myoboku to retrieve his body and safely deliver it back to you."
Tsuande was stunned, and so angry she was speechless. Never in her history of being the Fifth Hokage had she been denied like this.
"What would the sages want with Sasuke Uchiha?" she asked in disbelief, curbing her temper.
"That information is classified. I'm afraid I am not even aware. However, the sages will be willing to meet with you to explain their reasoning."
"Arrange for a meeting immediately," she snapped.
"Very well-"
"You might be twisting my arm behind my back when it comes to Sasuke Uchiha, but Naruto is of another matter!" the Hokage warned. The toad hesitated, unsure of what to say.
"Just arrange for the meeting, but be sure to relay that to your sages." Tsunade waved him away, still furious. She slipped back into bed, but not before grabbing the sake bottle on the floor, and opening it with an angry pop.
"It would be in your best interest to cooperate, Hozuki."
Suigetsu laughed at the scarred man's words. Heavy set, tall, a fearsome scar marring his once agreeable features. Yes, Ibiki Morino was definitely a classic example of what a little child would label as "scary". Unfortunately for Morino, Suigetsu only viewed him as a troublesome prick.
Suigetsu's injuries had been seen too, and his nose fixed (thank the gods). He hadn't seen Juugo. When Suigetsu asked for him, he was pointedly ignored. The redhead was being confined and drugged, for fear of a lethal outburst the Leaf did not want to bother to deal with. Hence the tranquilizing dart during their capture. Precautions were made to ensure the lives of the Leaf's best nin. They couldn't be too risky when the best were needed for war.
"If you will not speak, I will break you." Morino growled, and Suigetsu was forced to realize where he was.
He had been trying to keep himself sane by assuring himself that this was only an illusion. A foul little trick to scare him into talking (not that he had had much to say on the whereabouts of Sasuke anyway. Not that the Leaf would readily believe that). Ibiki had resorted to genjutsu after a forceful interrogation hadn't worked. Suigetsu had been tied down to a chair, and asked again.
He tried his luck and told them what he knew of Madara, hoping for a little relief, but said nothing of Sasuke. It wasn't enough to keep the blade at bay. The phrase Where is Sasuke Uchiha felt like it had actually been carved into his chest. Every time he denied his knowledge of where Uchiha was, a character had been added, sliced slowly into his skin. When that still hadn't worked, Ibiki had constructed a more tortuous genjutsu.
In this illusion, Suigetsu was in a small and transparent box-shaped cell. Chains bit into his skin, keeping him tied to a glass wall. He didn't even try to struggle anymore. When he refused to speak, the chains would bite deeper. Suigetsu bit on the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out. But by now, his mouth felt raw and bloody. The chains kept tightening little by little, until he could slowly feel the metal embedding into his skin as well as squeezing the breath out of his lungs. The chains had broken through the skin a while ago in this illusion, and were slowly cutting deeper. Dried blood coated the chains. He'd stopped trying to keep from yelling.
It's only an illusion. This isn't really happening. It's only an illusion…Suigetsu thought wildly, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Pain is not an illusion." Ibiki cried, seeming to read his thoughts, and the chains restricting Suigetsu bit even deeper. Suigetsu cried out hoarsely and watched as blood dripped down his torso. Ibiki really knew how to milk it. What a fucked up bastard. It was driving Suigetsu crazy, how slowly he was being cut into. Even breathing was becoming difficult because the chains were bound so tight. He marveled at how an illusion could feels so real, so painful.
"Tell me where Sasuke Uchiha is, and this will all go away. In an instant, I swear to you, the pain will stop." Ibiki's voice had been become soft.
Suigetsu swallowed, blinking back tears and a sudden cry that threatened to clog his throat if he tried to speak. He managed, though.
"I don't know where Sasuke is!" he confessed for the umpteenth time. The chains went back to work, but this time, they kept cutting at a slow rate instead of stopping after a second. After a minute, Suigetsu was screaming.
"I don't know where he is! I don't know where he is!" He cried out as the chain bit through more muscle.
"I don't know where he is! I don't know! I don't know! Please!" Deeper. Deeper. It's only an illusion, he tried to think, but he couldn't. It felt too real. His thoughts had stopped working. He started to howl. Gods, were the chains scraping against bone now?
Pain is no illusion.
He screamed, trying to thrash against his painful restraints. He wondered if the chains would begin to cut through the bones, and he became terrified, his mind brittle with new fear.
I will break you, Ibiki had promised.
Did Sasuke abandon us? Suigetsu wondered through the pain. The thought was too much.
"I don't know!" He howled through ragged breaths. Suddenly, the illusion shattered, and Suigetsu was gasping and thrashing about in a corner of a small cell, damn close to hyperventilating, still crying out in pain that no longer existed.
"Stop! Enough!" a female voice shouted. Ibiki turned his back to Suigetsu, and was now speaking to the Hokage. Suigetsu was too busy trying to control his breathing and rapidly beating heart to care. He clutched at his chest, relieved to realize that there was nothing carved in his skin.
An illusion. It had only been an illusion. Gasping, he staggered upright, but fell on his knees and vomited wretchedly. His stomach was in painful knots, and churning so badly he wondered if it would ever settle. The pain and blood had seemed so real that it was a shock to suddenly land in reality, while still trying to manage the illusionary pain and fear.
"Get him out," the woman said through clenched teeth, disgust lacing her voice as more vomit splashed sickeningly on the concrete floor. Ibiki grimaced, opening the door to the cell. He grabbed Suigetsu roughly under the armpits, dragging him upright. Suigetsu was taken to an adjacent room and thrown into a chair. The blond woman who had stopped his interrogation handed him a glass of tepid water, which Suigetsu took gratefully. His throat stung as he swallowed.
"Tell me, was it Madara's intention for Sasuke to infiltrate the land of the toads in order to capture Naruto? How is Madara gathering intel on my plans?"
Suigetsu swallowed too hard on his next gulp and winced. So that was where Sasuke was! But why would he leave his team without bothering to explain his motives? It bothered Suigetsu deeply, but he was suddenly too tired to muster the strength to feel angry.
"I know nothing of Sasuke being on Mount Myoboku, and I'm sure Madara knows nothing of it either," he stated honestly, although he was sure he wouldn't be taken to heart. He raised the glass for another sip, but Tsunade slapped it from his hands so that it shattered by his feet. Suigetsu scowled.
"Don't lie to me." she warned, the gleam in her eyes bordering on murderous.
Suigetsu fixed angry violet eyes on her. "What would I have to gain by further lying to you? I have been tortured, caught in horrifying illusions, and still I stick to the same story. You want the truth? Sasuke left Madara. Juugo and I accompanied him. We killed Kisame and Black Zetsu and hightailed it."
There was a silence. Tsunade's eyes bored into him. She raised a fist, and but Suigetsu was undeterred by the obvious threat. He gave her a defiant look that clearly said hit me. The vein in Tsunade's forehead was pulsing, but she refrained and waited for an explanation.
"During the time Naruto was taken to Yama, the prosperous village nearest the Fire Country's Wall of Fire mountain range, we entered the village disguised as women. Sasuke was even able to spend a night with Naruto, under the guise of a prostitute."
Tsunade was livid. Yes, there had been word of two women the night Naruto was in Yama, but Takumi had dismissed them as mere prostitutes looking for a night's pay and a warm bed to share. Her first thought was how the hell do a couple of teens pull a trick like that on a seasoned ninja like Takumi? But then again, she was forced to admit that this was Sasuke Uchiha she was dealing with. He was up to par, no doubt, with ANBU forces. She gritted her teeth.
She was also forced to admit that at seventeen and a ninja at that, Sasuke Uchiha was no mere teen. No, most nin lost their childhood innocence at thirteen, sometimes younger, depending on the region, and then the only other transition they made was to adulthood. Ninja were not children; though they may be subject to the desires and outbursts of one at certain ages. Ninja grew up, and fast. At seventeen in Konoha's walls, Sasuke would now be considered a legal adult, but he had been thinking and acting like one for years. She had never been dealing with a child or a teenager, and she knew this.
"Sasuke had every opportunity to take him to Madara, or even kill Naruto himself, then. He didn't. It is true we ran off with him when Madara's henchmen attacked Yama. I'm not sure what the extent of that plan could have been. I told you, we deserted the Akatsuki. We killed Black Zetzu and Kisame in cold blood. There's no going back. We severed our ties. No doubt Madara is looking to kill us. Call me a liar if you wish, but no matter how often I am hit or thrown into a torturous illusion, I will repeat the same story, because it is the truth."
The tense silence that followed made Suigetsu fidget, but he didn't break eye contact with the Hokage. Finally, she broke her gaze and motioned for a word with Ibiki, leaving Suigetsu to his thoughts.
Why the hell had Sasuke up and left without a word? There must be a logical explanation, but Suigetsu couldn't help but feel abandoned and betrayed. Overall, he was angry with his and Juugo's situation, and the supposed safe location of his team leader.
Was it possible Sasuke had sensed the approaching Leaf ninja and ran to safety with Naruto, leaving his team behind to face the Leaf's wrath? Suigetsu sighed. He wanted to believe that Sasuke, while callous and often viewing missions and goals in a single-minded manner, could still have some semblance of honor and loyalty for his team. However, Suigetsu was forced to admit there were more than one occasion where Uchiha's decisions regarding the team had been less than noble. At his core, Sasuke was still the same single-minded, cold, calculating, and vengeful person that hatred had carefully sculpted through the years spent with Orochimaru. At his core, Sasuke was selfish. Everything Uchiha had done since Suigetsu had known him, he did to ensure his own success.
Naruto might have been important enough to Sasuke to lift the evils of Susano'o, but that didn't mean Sasuke had completely lost the personality he had gained from years of perfecting the mindset of a vengeful killer. If Sasuke believed Juugo or Suigetsu to be an inconvenience to him in any way, it was very possible Sasuke had cut his losses and deserted them, running away with his prize.
Suigetsu frowned, fists clenching. He could have stayed with the Akatsuki and he would have been a hell of a lot safer than he was here, on the run. He might have never helped kill Kisame and Zetsu, not if he hadn't believed in Sasuke and believed in a future separated from darkness. He had done it all hanging onto a thread of hope. It had been his chance, his moment to escape, to prove he was someone different. More than the tool he had become, or an experiment long forgotten.
Tsunade and Ibiki returned to find Suigetsu hunched forward in his chair, his chin resting on a knot of entwined fingers. His eyes gleamed dangerously. He had been completely clueless to Sasuke's whereabouts, yet it wasn't a complete secret…only to his teammates.
"He abandoned us, didn't he?" Suigetsu hissed, watching them. Ibiki had no answer to give. Tsunade considered him for a moment, lips pursed. There was a spark of annoyance in her eyes. She started to turn, but cursed and looked over at him. She seemed to think twice before she spoke.
"If what you say is true, I will release you. In exchange, you must swear loyalty to the Leaf and work with our Black Ops division. I want to know about the abilities and weaknesses of the opposition, and you will teach my ninja how to defend themselves against certain techniques and counter attack accordingly. Also, you will offer any more knowledge you have on Madara. His methods of attack, any secrets that may have been unearthed, et cetera."
Suigetsu hesitated. "Is that all?" he asked, clearly believing there was more to this deal. Tsunade stepped up close, planting her hands on either arm rest on Suigetsu's chair and bending forward, so that she looked him squarely in the eye.
"When I ask it of you, you will bring me Uchiha."
Suigetsu narrowed his eyes. Tsunade turned to Ibiki and motioned for him to leave. He did so, albeit grudgingly.
"He's my comrade, and nothing but death will greet him here," Suigetsu answered stubbornly, more so just so he could hear how far Tsunade was willing to go in order to get him to betray Sasuke. He had realized his question had been left unanswered. There was a possibility Tsunade was keeping more than a bitter truth from him in order to take advantage of his rage. Tsunade studied Suigetsu before answering.
"Loyalty means little to a nin who has abandoned his village and true comrades."
"I suppose if that were true, I would have sold Sasuke out the minute I smelled a good deal," Suigetsu retorted. Tsunade seemed to bite back her words, her golden eyes calculating. A tense silence stretched on for a few moments before Tsunade took a step back. Suigetsu noticed, however, that she looked far from defeated.
"Very well. He's your comrade, your leader, the reason you weren't kept as a pet by some ambitious scientist following in Orochimaru's footsteps, but he's not your friend." The ice in her voice made him frown.
"You fail to realize I'm my own man, and not easily manipulated by the threat of betrayal, that's why I work well on my own. I expect it. Even from you and your tempting offer," he countered. Her pink lips twitched into a grim smile.
"I'll make it even sweeter. Take the first half of my offer. Be with Sasuke, and you can decide in the end whether or not to bring him to me once I summon you."
Suigetsu arched a pale eyebrow, not having seen this. The Hokage seemed so confident that sudden doubt sliced cleanly through his confidence like a knife. He hid it well, however, and tried to nurse it back to its original strength.
"Your choice. Stay here and rot for all we care, or give yourself a chance at life. You said it yourself, Hozuki, you're your own man. Therefore, any allegiance you have to Sasuke shouldn't hinder your decision on such a safe offer."
Suigetsu laughed. "There's always a catch."
She raised her hands, palm up, as if surrender. "No catch." She assured him. "If you fail to bring him to me, you will still be given the option of returning to the Leaf." Suigetsu wrinkled his nose at this, sensing a hidden threat.
"And if I were to leave with Sasuke?" he asked. Tsunade grinned.
"You will be seen as a fugitive who aided in Sasuke Uchiha's escape. Your name isn't on the world-wide wanted list of criminals, but I'll be sure to have it placed there," she vowed.
"So choose," Tsunade said again. "Choose to take my offer and be allowed the option to consider aiding me, or stay here and allow your name to be added to Sasuke's. It would be fitting, seeing as how stubbornly loyal you're proving to be to him."
"If I stay here?" Suigetsu pressed.
"I said you would rot. I never said how." Tsuande's grin was venomous. Suigetsu swallowed nervously.
"I will consider," he said finally.
Satisfied, Tsunade turned curtly on her heel, the hem of her green robes swishing softly on the concrete floor of the interrogation room. Suigetsu was hit with the scent of blossoms as she walked away. He heard her voice from the hall.
"Ibiki, he is no longer to be tortured and treated as a prisoner of war. That does not go to say, however, that he should not be watched like one. I will grant him an apartment to stay in. I will send the information to you shortly after I have found something open and suitable under government housing. See him to the dwelling safely once you receive notice. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a very important meeting to attend."
Alone again, Suigetsu wondered where fate would now take him.