Author's Note: takes place during 'No Good Deed' (part 4 of BS). Isas's opinion on Saburo, and what he's doing to our lovely Iruka-sensei.
Author's Note II: Please Review! Comments and Criticism Welcome!
Author's Note III: Part four of BS is up, called 'No Good Deed,' and waiting for you to read it! If you haven't, you should do so. . . .
Terrible Things
A Breaking Symphonies Interlude
by sparklehunter
As a ninja, I've seen a lot of terrible things. As the head medical-nin of a prison camp, though my version of 'bad' has taken a bit of a dive. Or maybe a raise. Yeah, torture sucks, but here it's a fact of life. I may not like it – as a medic, it goes against every fiber in my body – but it has to happen. Most of the prisoners who are tortured, to be honest, aren't that messed up. The interrogators here (we have seven) are all skilled, and most don't need to physically cause harm to get what they need. And if they're not physically injured, it's not my field.
Every once in a while, though, we get someone who won't break that easily. Someone who survives the labyrinth of terror the interrogators design, and petty physical tortures, someone who just doesn't break. The Powers That Be send for Saburo, then.
Saburo's pretty, did you know that? Long pale hair, large eyes (one a shade of blue so pure it steals the breath, the other a hazel-brown, like autumn leaves), lithe strong frame. His entire clan's was noted for their beauty. His brothers, Goro and Shiro, aren't as pretty, but that's because Shiro paints himself red every day, mimicking tongues of flame on his body, and Goro's been in so much shit there barely an inch on his body clear of scars.
But Saburo's also the scariest guy I've ever met. Every time he comes here – he takes the five prison camps on rotation – I wind up with an infirmary of patients. He takes over talking with the prisoners, with his brothers, takes over breaking the unbreakable, shaking the unshakable. He's brilliant, cold, analyzing the tiny clues and putting them together to form something terrifying.
The Powers That Be called for Saburo to deal with Uzumaki. When the mystery Shinobi freed him, they decided to sick our personal nightmare on him, instead.
It's been two weeks, and he hasn't said anything. Goro, the youngest, is pissed, because Saburo's come up with a method that involves hours and hours with just the prisoner and himself. Shiro's upset because Goro's upset.
Saburo was delivered a prize, yesterday, from the big man himself, someone that needs breaking quickly and quietly, and Saburo's closeted them in the darkest hole he could find to finish the mission. Four hours ago, he gave me a quivering mass of flesh and told me to 'keep it alive, we aren't done with him.'
I've seen a lot of terrible things as a ninja.
From what the guards tell me, Saburo took a brief nap before heading back out. Shiro and Goro were taking their frustrations out on the mystery nin since about noon.
The guards say Goro snapped, and started in on the mystery nin. No one would care, if we didn't know he had information we need. But Goro snapped, and Shiro went in to protect his brother, though I'm not sure what from. Saburo and his brothers are an odd bunch. But Shiro grabbed the mystery nin, and flooded him.
People don't survive Shiro's floods. Pure chakra, pure power, pure personal power, shoved into the body of an unwilling accomplice. People die from it. And if it doesn't kill you, it leaves you weak and susceptible to every illness from here to Hell and back.
Mystery nin survived.
Saburo walked into his cell to check on him and his brothers, and pulled Shiro off mystery nin, unlocked the nin, and fixed as much of the damage as he could before carrying him to my office.
. . . Walked in with a bundle of white skin and bones, short dark hair, and a bluish hand wrapped around his wrist like it'd never let go.
I've never someone survive so much damage. And the punk wouldn't let go of Saburo the entire time, either. Freakiest thing I've ever seen.
Worst thing I've ever seen.
Because this nin should be dead. He's paralyzed, bloody, broken, tortured. He's been starved and beaten, and flooded with all of Shiro's deadly power. He's holding onto Saburo, his main torturer, like a lifeline, has been holding onto Saburo since I've seen him. He wouldn't let go during surgery – and Saburo just stood there smiling. I couldn't do anything to make him let go, not with his condition as it was.
He's okay, now.
Saburo looks at me as I walk into the room, his odd eyes glittering in the dull light of the room. "Iruka," he says.
"Hmm?"
"His name is Umino Iruka." And then Saburo laughs and laughs, looking young and joyful, and it scares me.
"Kakashi," Umino groans, soft and sweet. "Ka . . . ka . . . shi."
Saburo rubs his thumb over Umino's hand, still laughing. "Oh, he's not broken, Doctor. Not yet." His eyes are like a great cat's, you know? Large and deadly. "But when he finds out what he's done . . . it will be easier."
I walk out as he starts humming.
Saburo's a nasty sonofabitch. Makes me glad he's on our side. I just wish he were farther away.
What he's done to Umino Iruka . . . is a terrible, terrible thing. And I've seen a lot of terrible things.
End