Artes animi.
Disclaimer :I don't own Naruto.
An : Wow it's been a while.. I am sorry for the long delay, it just took me some time to organize my thoughts for the story.
Chapter 24.
He was running.
He run like he never run before, his body overflowing with chakra.
He was close, so close to the camp, he needed to arrive to the village.. They needed to find the traitor as fast as possible!
His entire team was dead.. They had no chance.
He bit his teeth, feeling a pang in his heart.
He didn't care for them, they weren't close or anything.. But they were allies, allies who he lost.
His hands clenched as he gritt his teeth, when he found that traitor he would make sure whoever they are will pay.. Because of them he nearly died! And with his death Konoha would miss important Intel.. This was unforgivable!
On the horizon he could see the hills that held the secret entrance to the camp.
A small smile appeared on his face.. He was safe.
Strange how he felt safe at any place other than Konoha.
An hour later he finally reached the entrance, hidden between the hills he knew more than felt the numerous eyes watching him.
After giving the password he passed through, arriving at the gates where he was identified before he was let through.
His immediate destination was the mizukage's office at the entrance of which he was stopped by a pair of sentries.
"Stop right there" one of them said his eyes narrowing "What Is your purpose here?" he asked.
"I have an urgent report for the Mizukage.." he replied.
The urgency in his voice and the mask on his face apperantly made an impression on the guard who walked in before returning after a few minutes.
"Lady Mizukage will see you now" he said curtly moving from his position to let the masked boy pass.
Entering the familiar office Sakurai was greeted by the two most influential people in the entire camp.
"Wolf" the Mizukage spoke "You're back" she said quietly.
Falling on his knee the boy nodded.
"Indeed milady I'm back.. But unfortunately I bear terrible news" he said his voice oddly calm.
His cast down eyes missed the look that passed between the two.
"I see.." the woman said gravely "From the fact that you're here and not your team leader I can gather that your mission ended up in a failure".
The boy nodded.
"They were ready for us.. They knew we were coming. We had no chance" he said closing his eyes under his mask.
"And how did you survive?" Ao's deep voice sounded in the room.
"I was saved by Viper.. She saved my life with the cost of her own".
Ao sighed deeply shaking his head.
"That is a true tragedy.. They were some of our best operatives.. Truly the traitor striked painfully deep this time" his voice was grave.
Sakurai nodded, saying nothing.
"Please get up Ichirou, you must be tired from your journey and the experience you had" Mei Terumi said "Ao will you please ask to bring some tea in?".
The man nodded leaving the room.
Sakurai looked at the troubled look on the woman's face but said nothing, waiting for her to initiate the conversation.
A few moments later Ao came back holding a trey with three warm cups of tea, putting one if front of the boy another in front of the redhead leader while taking the final one into his hands.
"This is indeed troubling" the man said holding the cup between his hands before taking a sip from his cup.
Sakurai nodded taking off his helmet to sip from his own cup.
His body ached, his eyes felt heavy.
"You know Ichirou, when a traitor sneaks into your group sometimes in the effort to rat him out other people suffer. Sometimes you are unable to find the traitor because the rat is very smart.
And sometimes its because you simply refuse to see the truth" the older man's voice carried through but To Ichirou it sounded coming from afar, as if through a fog.
What did the man want? Sakurai wasn't sure.. But the only thing he knew was that he was utterly tired.
It was weird, as if it was induced by something outside of his organism...
His eyes grew wide in realization as he looked at the cup in his hands, before his eyes closed and he lost consciousness the cup falling from his hands on the floor, breaking.
When he woke up he blinked trying to make sense of where he was.
The dank walls around him, the cold stone floor.
He looked around noticing the bounds holding him to the wall.
His eyes widened, causing him to wake up completely.
This was the prison! How did he come to be here?
A cup of tea.. The weird speech Ao spoke.
His eyes widened up impossibly high.
They suspected him!
He looked frantically around, trying to find something - anything that would help him.
Unfortunately he couldn't find anything aside from the blank walls.
Taking a deep breath he slowly got himself under control.
He was innocent, at least in this particular case which means he just needed to somehow identify the actual traitor which means he still has a chance.
Nodding to himself composed himself, right now there was nothing he could do.
A metal being moved and the noise of the door opening caused him to turn his head toward the source, his eyes meeting with the red hair of the village leader.
"Lady Terumi!" he exclaimed.
"Tell me Ichirou" her voice wasn't cold but neither was it warm "Why did you do it? Why did you betray us?" she asked her voice hurt.
"I didn't milady!" he exclaimed "I'm being framed!" he shook his head vigorously "There is no way I would ever cooperate with the killers of my family!".
The woman looked at him sadly.
"It's pointless to deny Ichirou, you're the only possibility. All the signs pointing at you, the first discovery of the treachery, your survival.. Do you know Ichirou aside from you me Ao and the team no one else knew of the mission.. Not even the requisition officer" she spoke sadly, softly "Just admit it.. And you'll be granted a fair trial"
Sakurai gritt his teeth.. It couldn't end here! It won't!
Suddenly his eyes widened.
"The requisition officer didn't know?" he asked her his eyes narrowed "Ikumi knew though, I told her myself after all" he said quietly, feeling something clenching at his heart.
Now it was Mei's turn to look widen her eyes, before she quickly narrowed her eyes at him an expression of disgust appearing on her face.
"You dare?" she hissed at him "Are you accusing Ikumi of being a traitor? After all she done for you?".
Sakurai shook his head "I don't know!" his voice rose up "I don't know who the traitor is! But I do know that I am not him! I also know that I personally told Ikumi about this mission!" his nostrils flared in rage "How Ao said.. Sometimes we just refuse to see it!".
Mei flinched at his tone, never before hearing the usually calm boy exploding.
She was about to reply when a hand rested on her shoulder.
"Please calm down milady" the collected voice of the head hunter sounded from behind her "Even if he is a traitor we still can't let anything slip through our hands.. We should investigate every possibility".
Sakurai looked at her with wonder.
"Sensei" he muttered.
The woman looked at him through her mask "Until you are clear of all charges you will not call me that" her voice was cold.
Sakurai nodded, his head lowering in submission.
"We'll leave you for now" she said moving around, the mizukage walking right behind her not sparing a glance toward him.
The Yamanaka was left there, seating on the cold floor his eyes closed.
Someone framed him, he knew that.. But who could it be?
Ikumi's face appeared in front of him but he shook his head in denial.
There was no way she betrayed him.. They were freinds after all.
He remembered how worried she was about him, how helpful all these five months.
And yet the small dark voice in the dark corner of his mind whispered softly to him and refused to vanish.
"There is no way" he muttered "she would never betray me".
She looked at the speed woman's face staring at her.
"Tell me" the head hunter spoke softly a small smile dancing on her face "Did you really had no information about the mission? I know you have already been asked about that however we need to make sure." she asked softly.
Ikumi was relaxed, seating in her house drinking tea with Crane.
Ikumi shook her head "I did not, aside from the fact that he was going on a mission" she replied steadily sipping lightly from the steaming beverage "Ichirou would usually give me some details after he returned from the mission.. I hope he will return safe" she said lightly closing her eyes.
"I see.." the woman said "Did you perhaps notice anything weird in his behavior lately?" she asked.
The requisition officer put her hand to her mouth thinking "Not really.. Aside from maybe from time to some late night training.. I mean really late night" she shook her shoulders "Its not like he leaves here".
Crane nodded and they continued to talk, at some point they brought some sake out, after her brother had already fallen asleep.
Slowly as the hour got late Ikumi felt herself get blurry, her mind hazy.. Maybe she drank too much.
Crane approached her yawning.
"Well I guess it's time I'll be heading home.. Lord mizukage will be awaiting my report" the head hunter said lightly.
Ikumi nodded her mind hazy "Yeah.. I guess he will await a report, damn jinchuriki monster" she yawned.
Not noticing how the other woman's face morphing into an expression of pure shock before being replaced by her usual calm expression.
Ikumi walked another step before she turned around, her face a mask of pure terror.
The last thing she felt was something being injected into her before she was surrounded by darkness.
Mei looked at the unconscious woman in front of her, her hands playing with her long red locks before glancing at the head hunter.
"So that's what she said huh?" she asked shaking her head sadly "I still find it hard to believe" she muttered.
"Yeah" Crane muttered darkly her face once again hidden under her mask "Tell me about it".
"I guess now we should interrogate her for real?"
Mei nodded "Please do.. Before we let Ichirou go we need to make sure he isn't part of this" her hands clenched in anger.
Crane nodded before silently injecting something else to the woman.
"Wake up" she muttered, carefully watching as the woman stirred lightly.
The noise of the metal door sounded once again but the boy didn't look up, his gaze directed at the floor in front of him.
He lost track of time and for how long he was here.
Initially he tried to train his mental ability as he had nothing else to do, but soon found out that the doubts in his mind didn't let him.
So here he was, seating on the cold floor looking at the stone floor.
"Sanada Ichirou" the voice caught him by surprise, causing him to look up.
There standing in front of him was the Mizukage, her face grave.
"Due to the newly acquired information, you are hereby released of all charges" she said.
His eyes widened "I.. I am free?" he asked.
The woman smiled softly at him "Indeed you are" she said.
She approached him and gently unlocked his binding.
"And for what it's worth.. I am sorry" she said.
He looked at her "Milady.. Who.. Who is the traitor?" he asked, his voice trembling.
She didn't reply instead turning around.
Just before she walked out she looked at him sadly "You already know the answer" she said before walking out of the room, leaving a dumbfounded boy there.
End of chapter!
Apologies for the long delay..
Now I hope to finish the ark in two to three chapters and return to Konoha..
Until next time!
