Chapter Thirteen
The journey to Hozuki Castle was every bit as unpleasant as Naruto feared, even worse when his captors transferred him to the river barge. Despite being landlocked, the center of Kusakagure was the confluence point of several rivers as they formed into one massive river that flowed north to south, draining into the Land of the Rivers. The joining of the rivers formed an exceedingly turbulent inland sea on which the large peninsula holding the castle prison jutted out like an angry sliver of volcanic glass protruding from a gushing wound.
The barge banged up and down as the waves continued to batter the wooden vessel, aggravating Naruto's already upset stomach. The rations en route to the river had been meager and likely rancid. Even before being loaded into the barge, Naruto had upchucked. Now motion sick in the extreme, there was nothing left to purge. His body ached to the point of numbness as it searched for anything to purge and finding nothing. They're weakening you, trying to break you; don't let them! Maintaining hope was a tall order given the deep shit he was in. To discourage prisoner escapes, the Kusa constantly used different water and wind release techniques to make the already heavy current unnavigable to anything but specially equipped boats. Between swirling current and the frigid waters fed by ice and snow melt, taking a dip in the river here was akin to attempted suicide.
Despite the long odds, Naruto seriously considered making a break for it right now. Slipping the bonds around his wrist would be easy, and the seal on the box was a clever fake. He could be out of the box and over the side in less than two seconds. Better judgement won out over his dizzy and starved mind. And then what, genius? Once in the water, the current will make you founder in a minute, two tops. You'll die of hypothermia not long after, assuming the guards don't decide to kill you for fun. Naruto thought back to his water survival test back at the Academy. Kakashi had turned the water temperature down to near freezing for his group, and he had made it through. That was treading water for five minutes in an indoor pool with lifeguards nearby! Why are you being such a cowardly putz?!
Naruto stared up, dizzy. The castle swallowed up all light as the shadow blocked out what little sunlight was coming through the overcast sky. He knew why he considered the suicidal action: once inside, Naruto was on his own. He didn't have Shikamaru, Sakura, Choji, or Hinata with him. If he was lucky, Hinata was somewhere inside waiting for him, but he had no idea where. Even if he knew, he had now way of signaling her. In there you're not in control.
"Stop it, a ninja never gives up, or did you forget that shit?" Kurama chided.
A ninja never gives up, and I never go back on my word! That's my ninja way! Naruto had been in extreme danger before and come out on top; he'd do it again. I just wish we weren't in such a shit position to start with!
"Save your strength, kiddo," Kurama reminded him, "had they wanted you dead, they would have tried drowning your ass already."
Thanks, Kyuubi!
"Don't get all soft on me now, kid, we still have a few months left together."
Kurama added another cold breeze to the relatively frigid condition of the river. Naruto had six months left to win Kyuubi's respect, or he would have to let him free – same with Hinata. Hinata!
"All you have to do is ask," Kurama offered. Naruto had been so out of it, he hadn't even thought of using their chakra link from Nine-Tails. He closed his eyes and tried concentrating. For some reason, he wasn't connecting with Hinata directly. It was like the first time he'd discovered the link, feeling her emotional state. Hinata felt unwell. Naruto could at least sense she was here, but grey tendrils of exhaustion and anxiety pushed him back via their chakra link. Naruto severed the connection as the barge made contact with the dock. Oh fuck, here we go!
The box around him dissolved, and the guard behind him gave a swift kick in the ass. "On your feet, prisoner!"
"You don't know what you're doing," Naruto said, "I'm innocent."
"Right," the guard thrust him forward, "Everyone in here is innocent," the man laughed with wicked intent. From the corner of his eye, Naruto noticed the man's forehead guard featured the Kusakagure symbol – scratched through. These guys ain't guards! It made sense if the Akatsuki had taken over the prison. The prison was the dirty secret none of the Shinobi nations talked about – a neglected embarrassment used to hide other neglected embarrassments. There was a good chance no one was fully away of his predicament. Gotta escape sooner rather than later!
The guards led him up a set of stone stairs from the dock, maybe two-hundred feet to the top where the prison actually began. While there was land on either side of the castle, this side was a sheer cliff face. No railing, nothing to stop you if you slip, or if you jump… or if you're pushed! Naruto eyed the edge. It was an instant path to escape – and certain death. "That's right," the guard shoved him upward, nearly causing Naruto to slip down the steps, "Do us all a favor! Go ahead, jump!"
"You're an asshole," Naruto huffed.
A solid smack to the back of his head nearly caused Naruto to stumble, "What was that!"
I don't usually approve of lethal force, but I'm chucking your ass off this staircase before I leave this castle! Naruto held his tongue. Staying alive was the only way out of this. While the Akatsuki might want him alive, the guards – likely disguised prisoners – seemed to have no such compunction about killing him outright.
After what felt like an eternity, the unending climb up slippery steps while getting sprayed by the freezing water came to an end in front of an imposing iron gate. The rusty metal creaked on its hinges as the portal to hell opened before Naruto. A long receiving line of prisoners formed on either side of razor wire fences. Some offered indifference, a few made lewd gestures and shouted obscenities. Others seemed to be betting on any number of outcomes as the guard again shoved him toward the end of the gauntlet – another gate that led to what looked like the main yard.
Naruto spotted a building at the edge of the yard as they approached the gate. Now or never! Naruto stumbled forward and to his left, careful to trip the guard in the process. As the guard fell, Naruto rolled to the gap between the building and the outer wall, thankfully bathed in shadow. A quick hand seal, and he changed places with a shadow clone in time to evade the guard as he got back to his feet.
"Come here, you little shit!" The guard grabbed the clone by the collar and pulled the terrified doppelganger toward the yard, "Let's see how you like the welcoming committee!"
Naruto crawled then scurried in the narrow gap between the outer wall and the building. The clone wouldn't last long against the prisoner it was fighting against. When the clone dissolved, the alarm would go up, and they'd be looking for him. I'd kill for Byakugan right now! I could be walking into a guard patrol at the end of this passage and have no way of knowing!
The narrow passage terminated to a path between unmarked prison buildings. The clone was holding its own, but it couldn't hold out forever. Naruto crouched low and began scurrying along the side of the building to his left, careful to watch for guards.
He felt the shadow clone dissolve with a pop and the next three seconds stretched out in deafening silence. The low, rising intensity of an alarm siren gave away that the gig was up. RUN! Rubbery legs struggled to obey the hungry disoriented mind commanding them. Dizzy panic gave way to tunnel vision as he ran along the path between buildings.
Angry barking and padded footfalls renewed Naruto's impulse to run. Soon the sound of heavy leather boots on concrete were closing as well. Naruto took a sharp turn to his right, knowing it would take him back toward the yard. No way out this way or that way; may as well cause as much trouble as possible! Naruto ran across the yard toward the group that had mean to greet him – almost two dozen prisoners. As he approached, a tall bald man built of muscle looked visibly confused at the sight of Naruto running towards him – the man had beat the crap out of the shadow clone. Naruto clocked the prisoner in the face, staggering the man backwards, as Naruto ran through the group.
As predicted, the dogs began attacking the nearest prisoners, and the prisoners began attacking the dogs and handlers in return. That's right, cause as much disturbance as you can! Naruto zipped along toward another large gathering of prisoners, losing himself among their numbers. The guards began battering their way through, and soon other prisoners in the yard began rushing toward the growing battle.
Zigging and zagging though the large group, Naruto slipped out the back and down another path away from the courtyard. The construction past this point changed from classic castle architecture of wood and plaster to blockier, utilitarian concrete buildings. It would be a hell of leap, but he could get up on the walkway, and then onto the roof of the prison. And then what, genius? The land bridge is heavily patrolled and booby-trapped! Even if you did get away, you're not in friendly territory! Stick to the plan!
Before Naruto could contemplate how long he'd let the game run on, an unexpected force stopped him like brick wall. Naruto fell backwards on his butt, now out of steam. No! Not you! Ice froze in Naruto's veins as he recognized the horrific form that had stopped him. The man wore dark black robes and an orange swirl pattern mask with a violently red eye burning in a hole on the single hole for an eye. OBITO!
"You little snot-nosed punk!" Obito's hand snatched Naruto around the throat, closing Naruto's windpipe as he drove him into the ground. Despite surging adrenaline, the pressure of Obito's fingers driving into Naruto's throat made Naruto's vision Naruto into a dark, narrow tunnel until everything went dark.
Red, searing tendrils of pain greeted Naruto as his vision returned. "AHHHHH!" he groaned as he felt a burning sensation covering his body. Naruto's wrists were locked in manacles hanging from the ceiling in a cold, dingy room reminiscent of a dungeon torture chamber. An unfamiliar figure stood in front of him. The severe-looking figure standing with his hand on his Naruto's chest had unkempt brown hair and an eyepatch over his left eye. "You little brat, that should keep you from causing me anymore headaches!"
The sensation of whatever seal Danzo Shimura placed on him left Naruto feeling feverish and hollow. Kyuubi, can you hear me! No answer came through. Naruto could still feel his chakra, but his grip on it felt paper-thin. His whole life, Naruto had learned to master his chakra like he was trying to water a garden with a firehose. Now, it felt like trying water the garden using a drinking straw. "What… the hell…" Naruto heaved breathlessly, "… did you do to me!"
"Made sure you won't be doing anything fooling, like trying to escape again!" Danzo growled in his face. "The former warden used this seal on prisoners to control their chakra, and if they resisted," Danzo activated the seal, and Naruto's body writhed against the sensation of having been dipped in molten steel. "AHHHHHHHH!" Naruto screamed.
With a snap of his fingers, Danzo deactivated the seal, and Naruto heaved gulps of the cold, fetid, dungeon air to cool himself. The taste of the air was musty on Naruto's tongue. "The poor fool, he thought I could open the box; he was easy to manipulate."
"And what about you, Danzo?" Naruto heaved. "Did the Akatsuki buy you, promise you something, or did you promise them something?"
"Ha! I flattered you know me!" Danzo leered at Naruto. "Your old man wasn't as stupid as I thought!"
"He never took for granted that prison walls would hold you!" Naruto growled, "So why don't you tell me what the plan is," Naruto taunted, knowing Danzo was susceptible to flattery to a point. Danzo was arrogant, especially when dealing with people he held in disdain. The man currently reeked of disdain for Naruto.
"Heh, maybe I did underestimate your pops," again he grinned, "I thought he'd raise a stupid fuck judging by how Mizuku got under your skin at the Academy!"
"You knew Mizuki?!" Naruto balked. Instructor Mizuki had been Naruto's first teacher at the Academy, and had made the first term a living hell. Mizuki had later duped Naruto into stealing the scroll of seals just before graduation, and later murdered most of the Hyūga Clan elders during Hinata's duel with Hanabi.
"Who do you think was tugging his leash?" Danzo grinned. "I was hoping you'd freak out and cause a major incident at the Academy. I would have had much quicker access to you in a prison cell," Danzo gestured to the room around them. "But your old man had me arrested before I could finish that plan."
"So," Naruto hung limply from chains, "You got me by the balls, I hate dying from suspense."
"I suppose it won't save you, even if your chakra wasn't sealed," Danzo grinned. "About a year ago, the prison warden approached me, knowing my unique skills, he offered me my freedom if I'd help him open the Box of Infinite Bliss. I guess the damn fool tried opening it with his son, getting him sucked into it in the process."
"That's awful!" Naruto balked at he thought of a father using his son so recklessly.
"I used my contact with Orochimaru to contact the Akatsuki; they agreed to frame you in exchange for handing you over when we were done with the box," the older man grinned.
"You plan to betray everyone, don't you?" Naruto saw where this was going.
"The warden was easy to eliminate; he was so obsessed with saving his son he didn't notice my gang slowly murdering the guards one by one," his grin grew wider. "Taking over the prison was easy."
"Then you're not planning on opening the box?" Naruto feigned confusion.
"Oh, I'll open it all right. When your father comes to secure your release sooner or later, he'll find a prison full of guards ready to restrain him, and I'll throw both your asses into the box!" Danzo smirked thoughtfully, "After I have everything I need from you that is."
"What about the Akatsuki, Danzo? They want Nine-Tails, and I doubt they'll want to share!"
"Oh, there is plenty of space inside the box for them, too! After extracting Nine-Tails from you, I'll shove all of you in there! When it is over, I'll leave the prison, a sole survivor having avenged his fallen Hokage and his son!" Danzo laughed, "I'll finally have what is mine; I'll be Hokage. I'll have taken the best of the Senju," he revealed his right arm, complete with a series of red Sharingan protruding like crimson tumors, "the Uchiha, and soon the Uzumaki! All of the other hidden villages will fear me and the Leaf Village!"
He's lost his mind, for real! Naruto decided discretion was the wiser course of action now. "What about Sasuke?" Naruto gambled, "How did he fit into this?"
"The Akatsuki caught his worthless ass digging around months ago," Danzo scoffed. "I guess he was onto where their little Fatal Lust production was coming from. They didn't take kindly to him possibly robbing them of their main source of funding."
"Where is he?"
"Who do you think framed you?" the man grinned venomously. "I guess Orochimaru had an old cursed seal on him from the Chunin exams. It was never removed and was still quite useful. After they tortured him and peeled back the layers of his mind, well, let's just say your friend is no longer in there," Danzo pointed to his temple with sinister laughter.
Sasuke! The thought of Sasuke completely under an enemy's control sent chills down to Naruto's already frozen toes. "You crazy bastard!"
"You were the one who thought he could escape," Danzo grinned, "And your father thought somehow I wouldn't take revenge on the two of you if I could get you in the prison. The fact that he sent you means he thinks of you the same way he thought of me – expendable!"
"THAT ISN'T TRUE!" Naruto boomed, struggling against the chains.
"Is it?" Danzo again activated the burning seal. "How about I give you a taste of what I've been through!" he deactivated the seal and summoned the guards from outside the room. "Take this sack of shit to the hole, about three days and I be he'll be crying for that slut of a mother of his!"
"You bastard!" Naruto tried lunging for Danzo, but the chains held. Danzo left, and the guards used their clubs to bash Naruto in the gut. As they release the manacles, Naruto fell breathlessly to the ground, clutching his injured guts.
"Leave him to us!" another set of voices, came from the door. A set of severe looking guards dressed in all black stood at the door. "The boss wants him in the hole, that's our responsibility!" the guard's angry, raspy voice invited no protest. The other two guards left without a shrug, and the two guards in black grabbed him by the arms, dragging him down the hallway, deep into the prison's bowels.
After being dragged down several levels, they reached a guard station near the entrance to a dark and uninviting cell block. Another lazy looking guard sat beside a desk, sporting a self-assured grin, "Fresh meat for the hole, eh?!" the man grinned, "Stand in the markings, prisoner!" The man ordered. Naruto looked at the while markings shaped like feet on the ground and decided further defiance would likely be fatal. He did as ordered.
"Remove your clothing prisoner!" the sleazy guard stood, pointing his baton at Naruto. "Leave it on the ground in front of you for inspection." Shit! If they find the shuriken or kunai hidden in my outfit, I'll be both unarmed and have my chakra blocked! Naruto still saw no alternative. He reluctantly removed his armored jacket, his chafe guard shirt, his boots, and his pants. The whole time, he prayed the guards were half as degenerate as they had seemed. "Socks too, and stand in the markings!" the guard boomed.
By the time he got his socks off, the guards had rummaged through his gear. Much to his surprise, they hadn't found his weapons. A couple of first year Academy students could have found them if they suspected anything. Clearly these guys aren't the cream of the crop! "Nothing here, boss, looks like they took his stuff before sending him." The other two guards dropped his gear on the ground.
Naruto almost sighed with relief. "Hop leg to leg, prisoner," the greasy man ordered. What the hell? I'm not hiding anything in here, not that I could. Nevertheless, Naruto did as commanded several times.
"See, I'm not hiding anything!" Naruto stopped hopping, keeping his feet in the marks. Sleaze-bag nodded, seeming to agree. Naruto bent down for his stuff when the man's baton smacked against his hand. "Drop your shorts, too!" the man ordered, Naruto noted he'd donned a set of rubber gloves. Oh damn…
The two guards seized him from behind, locking his arms. "Hey wait!" Naruto shouted. The nasty guy didn't even slow down as he approached, grabbing fistfuls of Naruto's boxers and tugging one way as the other two yanked him backwards. "AHHHH!" Naruto was not the most body-conscious but he did object to being forcedly stripped naked. The two with his arms forced him forward to the cold concrete wall, like being forced onto a cold wall of ice. "AHHH!" Naruto screamed again as he felt the sensation of his legs being kicked apart and the rubbery feel of a cold, gloved hand searching his every crevice for anything concealed. Despite his every instinct calling to fight back, Naruto knew getting injured resisting now might imperil any chance at being rescued or escaping. "Nothing hidden," the guard snapped his glove, "too bad! I was hoping to have more fun with this one! Let him go!"
The whole process felt like an eternity, but it probably lasted only seconds. Naruto almost began crying at the embarrassment of being stripped and felt up by the guard, but he wouldn't let the prick have the satisfaction. Naruto committed the face to memory – he would take revenge on the ass. "Now show him to his cell!"
The guards dragged him naked about a dozen meters down the frigid, dark hallway before throwing him into a damp, unlit cell with no windows. They threw his clothes in after him as an after-thought as they closed the metal door, throwing Naruto into complete darkness. Well, super! Getting dressed in the dark proved challenging, and Naruto had no idea how long it took. At least they gave me everything back! The thought of huddling in the corner, naked and freezing, until released did not sit well with Naruto.
For argument's sake, he inspected the door. It was easily iron or steel, and didn't budge or show any sign of slack as he tested it. While he felt a narrow slit at the base that admitted air, no light came in from the corridor. He next inspected the rest of the cell by touch. The walls were either smooth stone or shaped concrete. In one corner what felt like a half-rotted wooden bucket stood. Great, probably leaky and will drain all over the floor if you don't manage to accidentally kick it over! A final survey revealed little else. There was no drain in the floor, no vents, and the ceiling was too tall to be reached even if he jumped. By best estimate, the room was two meters by two meters.
Deprived of any meaningful stimulus, Naruto's mind began rerunning everything that led to this situation. I should have listened to Hinata! I should have stayed at Mount Myoboku with her! I should have… Naruto shook his head violently in frustration. It's a standard torture tactic! They're trying to break you! Don't let them! You did this because your village needs you, maybe the world needs you! You have two groups planning on unleashing something they have no hope of controlling, and both would gladly kill the other and anyone else getting in their way. they have no hope of controlling, and both would gladly kill the other and anyone else getting in their way. You keeping your head together is the only thing stopping it right now! Help is on the way.
Assuming Dad didn't decide you were expendable like Danzo said. The invasive though crawled around Naruto's mind like a centipede crawling up his back to the base of his neck. "STOP IT!" Naruto slapped himself across the face, dispelling the toxic thought. Keep it together, this doesn't get worse!
The door mechanism began rattling and release, and light began shining from the slit under the door. Well damn! "Prisoner, step back in the cell, put your hands on your head, and drop to your knees. I promise I won't hurt you…"
Naruto felt his throat tighten. It was the sleazy perv. He could get his kunai in time, and Naruto could handle himself if it meant resisting an assault. And then what? Kill him and get left down here permanently? Have the other two kill you for fun? There wasn't time to think; he did as commanded. The door opened, admitting a blasting ray of lantern light. Naruto had to avert his gaze briefly. When his eyes refocus, the sleaze and one of the other guards was standing inside the door; the other guard secured the door. "Uzumaki," the guard's gruff voice caused Naruto's throat and ass tighten at the thought of being the victim of something so horrific that he hadn't even considered it up until this point.
"Yes," Naruto kept his voice steady.
"Naruto-kun," the creepy guard's voice rose an unsteady octave. The new voice was heavenly, completely alien to the body that just spoke it.
"Hinata?" Naruto's mind swirled at the impossibility.
The other guard dissolved in a puff of smoke, leaving an empty uniform and armor on the ground. The remaining guard's body shrank into a smaller, thinner frame. More importantly, the guard's face was replaced with her soft, rounded cheeks and her amethyst eyes. "Naruto!" Hinata was sweating, cheeks red with fever.
Elation washed over Naruto – he was saved. However, a lingering question turned elation into embarrassment. "Wait a… Hinata… THAT WAS YOU THE WHOLE TIME!" She watched me strip bare ass naked and felt me up for fun!
"N-Naruto-kun," she tapped her index fingers together, "I-I had not choice! These walls have ears! I couldn't run the risk of someone walking in on us and my shadow clones!"
The story made sense, but the lingering blush in Hinata's cheeks hinted she was leaving something unsaid. So, she did what Jiraiya would have done and enjoyed it; quite thinking with your tool and let's get out of here! "You were right about all this, you know," Naruto let the thought loose.
"We'll discuss that later," Hinata said, "Right now I need to get you out of here and back to the barracks."
"Barracks?"
"It's a long story," she swayed on her feet, a gentle trickle of sweat beaded down her forehead, "I can explain when we get there," she heaved. "Please," she gestured to the other guard uniform, "get dressed, and let's get out of here!"
Author's notes: Hello everyone, and Happy New Year if you're reading at the time of publication. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and are having a great start to the new year. I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for staying with the story thus far. Whether you've been reading since Volume One, Turbulence, or only just started reading, I thank you for keeping me going through the year that was 2020. The thought that anyone would read something I'd wrote, even a fanfiction, was a foreign concept to me when I started this project over a year ago. Without any of you, this story would just be a series of thoughts in my head. Thanks for giving me the chance to share them.