Most likely, I will shift my update schedule slightly and update every other Tuesday morning. Updating on Monday has become impractical.

Chapter Fifteen: Answers

There was a strange silence in the room in the wake of the brief and pitched battle. Ino and Sakura were taking the bodies out of the room and disposing of them as well as they could. Hinata had tried to be helpful but quickly found she was only getting in the way, so she retreated to the chair beside Sasuke.

"Silly Sakura, getting herself poisoned," Ino was muttering, quite audibly to her subject. "I'll bet you got yourself poisoned just so Sasuke would pay more attention to you."

"Did not," Sakura shot back, flashing a poisonous glance of her own. "Not any more than you let yourself get poisoned, anyway."

"Did not. I don't need to attract his attention, because apparently I already have it." Ino flicked a bit of blood off a long lock of hair. "You'll notice that when Sasuke joined the battle he decided to help me, not you."

"You were probably just closest," Sakura argued back. Neither was keeping up a pretense of being quiet, but Hinata wasn't about to speak and Sasuke was saying as little as usual so it didn't really matter. "Besides, he probably just trusted me to get the job done."

"To get yourself poisoned, you mean? No one has time to think logically in a situation like that; he probably just moved instinctively. So he defended the person he cared most about... me, of course."

Blinking, Hinata glanced to her right at Sasuke. He was sitting exactly as he had been before, his arms folded, his head slightly tilted forward. She could barely see his eyes between his hair and the high neck of his cloak. Though he was vaguely annoyed, she thought it seemed like he was more focused on other things.

"I... have a q-question," she whispered to him, hoping Sakura and Ino wouldn't hear her. They weren't paying the slightest attention. Sasuke opened his eyes silently and glanced at her from the shadows. "If you don't want to answer, that's alright," she added hurriedly, "but I am curious why you really did decide to defend Ino-san."

"Her opponent was stronger than Sakura-san's," Sasuke answered. "They both would have won, given time, but I wanted to end it quickly."

"Oh, I see. Thank you, Sasuke-san." Hinata paused for a moment. "But what about my opponent? I thought he-"

"He was probably more dangerous than Ino-san's opponent," Sasuke interrupted her, closing his eyes again. Hinata was about to ask what he meant but stopped once she realized it for herself. Sasuke had actually trusted her to finish her opponent. Maybe she really was strong enough not to hold him back, or at least close.

Sakura and Ino finished at about the point that Matthew emerged from one of the side hallways, carrying a pack over his shoulder. He'd changed clothes, and was now dressed in civilian clothing; a loose white shirt and nondescript pants. Both seemed suitable for supernaturally fast movement. After setting down his pack heavily, he glanced toward Sasuke.

"Do you want to talk to the prisoner now?" he asked. Sasuke didn't answer verbally, but got to his feet. Both of them vanished into the office.

With a slight groan the man opened his eyes. Such blinding light... his eyes ached, and his head was swimming with the aftereffects of something he couldn't quite grasp. They'd been attacking and then his memory started to become fragmented. No, it couldn't actually be like that, it must be pre-battle jitters.

"You're awake."

Shocked, the man forced his eyes open to look at who had spoken. He didn't recognize the voice. That was a bad sign, even in camps such as theirs, where men shifted in and out. This voice sounded dangerous, and something about it put a shiver down his spine.

Directly above was the ceiling he had been staring at before. When he glanced to his right, however, he looked directly into the eyes of a man standing over him. He was wearing a long black cloak, and his eyes burned down upon him from over the collar. Abruptly the man realized that this man was Uchiha Sasuke and he shivered. Behind the Uchiha was another man, standing some distance back, his eyes narrow and unusually calculating.

"I suppose you think you've captured me," he managed to grunt. His voice rasped a lot more than he intended it to, and his bravado fell apart before those intense eyes. To avoid an instinctive reaction of fear, he attacked, sending a kunai through his opponent's leg and leaping up to kick him in the chest.

Nothing happened. The most physical movement he could accomplish was weak muscle twitching and speaking. They'd probably poisoned him while he was unconscious. D cowards.

"I don't care what you think," Sasuke told him darkly. "Tell us why you attacked us in the first place."

Despite being nearly immobile, the man's lips twisted in such a way that his entire face became a visage of pure spite. "What makes you think I'll answer you?"

The next thing the man knew he was being jerked off the ground and smashed against a wall, sending pain shooting through his body. His interrogator's hand was at his neck, and though their eyes were at the same level the man's feet were still dangling in the air. Sasuke's eyes hadn't even flickered with emotion.

"I need information," Sasuke continued in a low, cold voice. "Who is hiring you? Why are so many of you fighting?"

"There's no way you'll make me betrayed the others," the man spat at him. "No matter what you do to me, no matter how much you torture me, I'll never tell you anything. You can kill me, it doesn't matter, I know you will anyway. I don't have anything to live for anymore except justice!"

"Justice?" the other man asked, tapping his glasses back into place. "What is unjust?"

"Ask the Uchiha," the prisoner spat, "he knows. All of you, no matter where you lurk, are going to pay! Even if you kill me, you can't stop what's coming!"

"You intend to strike at the problem before it can strike you?" the same man asked carefully.

"Ye-" the man cut off, but it was already too late. He was already giving them some information without realizing it. The man standing behind Sasuke had a strange expression on his face; Sasuke himself was glancing over his shoulder, eyes narrow and unfathomable. Closing his lips firmly, the prisoner refused to speak more. They couldn't trick him if he didn't talk. Better yet, he'd bite off his own tongue and choke on the blood. Then they'd lose their prisoner an-

Just before he could bite down Sasuke struck him across the forehead with two fingers, completely knocking him off balance. The man felt a fine, stinging pain in his arm, and then the entire world began to spin, tumbling about and shifting colors and eventually fading to a dull grey.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked, glancing down at Matthew. The doctor pulled his syringe from the arm of the prisoner and made it vanish inside his clothing.

"A serum that should make him talk more easily," Matthew answered calmly. "He's still conscious, but some of his higher brain functions have been... nullified. If you ask him questions he'll give you at least some answer."

"Before that," Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "how did you... never mind. We'll finish this now." He turned to their prisoner, whose head was lolling lazily and gave him a slight shake. "Why did you attack those shinobi?"

"Orders," the man answered vaguely, eyes trying to focus on Sasuke's face and failing, "had to get rid of 'em eventually... kept killing off other agents... only people on hand." A slightly puzzled expression crossed his face and he squinted at Sasuke. "Who are you again?"

"Who ordered you to attack them?"

"...never actually see 'em. Guy always just comes. The boss always sends mysterious agents who bring the new mission and then vanish entirely."

"Who is the boss?"

"Business guy, of course... funds all the missions, does a lot of stuff we never see. Doesn't like to give his name... where am I again? Who are we tryin' to kill next?"

"Where is the business guy?" Sasuke's eyes were beginning to narrow in annoyance. Obviously, their opponents kept most of the minions in the dark. That much was to be expected, but at this rate they weren't going to get any truly important information.

"City," the man mumbled.

"What city?"

"Errefeen," the man slurred the name. It sounded vaguely familiar, but Sasuke couldn't immediately place it. He glanced over his shoulder to Matthew.

"Erafin." Matthew nodded in understanding. "It's a fairly large city to the northeast."

Then it was the one. Exactly where they were going in any case. Reassuring, but not exactly helpful information. He turned back to the man and shook him out of another fit of near-sleep.

"What do you know about the man?"

"Nobody knows much," the man said, blinking his eyes repeatedly. "Real hidden type, uses agents for agents for agents. I hear he's involved with Ragnarok Incorporated somehow; bet he's the guy in charge. Everybody says different stuff about him personally."

He continued rambling, but it didn't matter anymore. There, that was the detail that he needed, an actual lead to follow once they got to the city. At the mention of the name Ragnarok Matthew had taken in a sharp breath. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, let the prisoner slump to the floor and turned.

"Ragnarok Incorporated? Ragnarok... I don't think I know the word." Sasuke carefully gauged Matthew's reaction, which didn't even flicker... but that didn't mean anything.

"It isn't a term you should be familiar with; it isn't a part of your culture."

"But it's a part of yours?"

"Yes." Matthew inclined his head slightly. "In effect it means the end of the world."

"Strange name for a corporation," Sasuke mused, then pointed at the delirious man with one foot. "Do you think we'll get any more information out of him?"

"Probably nothing you don't already know."

In response Sasuke moved in a single violent motion, ending the attacker-turned-informer's life instantly. Flattening both his palms in the air he aimed them at the man for a moment, then discharged a shot of chakra. The body vanished in a cloud of smoke. For a moment Sasuke and Matthew glanced at each other, unsure of what to say, and then Sasuke moved to the door.

His hand froze just as he touched the knob. "What do you have to do with all of this? How are you connected?" He glanced over his shoulder, Sharingan appearing subconsciously. Matthew did not answer. Without batting an eye he readjusted a lock of his hair . "Very well. You may travel with us for the time being... but eventually I will need to know."

"When that happens, we'll talk," Matthew answered. Pausing, Sasuke blinked once, then nodded. For now, that was enough.

The fire was still crackling merrily when Hinata returned from her slow walk. She hadn't had any place to go, but also had not wanted to return to the campsite in any way. Sakura and Ino were actually barely bothering Sasuke, but he was distracted enough by recent events that it was annoying him more than usual. Because she could do nothing to help him it was starting to depress her. Matthew had been completely silent during the conversation, watching the fire but taking in every detail. He'd been that way every day they had been traveling so far.

Her walk had done her a lot of good, and she made a personal vow to do so whenever it was practical. It appeared that her problem was gone, too, at least for a while. Sasuke was gone, leaving Sakura and Ino much subdued and merely staring at the fire contemplatively. Matthew looked exactly the same as he had before.

When she sat down by the fire Sakura and Ino didn't even notice her, as was usual. Hinata had been curious about Matthew, because she really didn't notice him. She was used to being unnoticed by people and observing, and it was odd to find someone who turned the tables. Unlike many people, he did notice her, and made a polite nod of greeting. Other than that, the silence continued to be broken by no more than the campfire.

"So, Matthew-san," Sakura eventually spoke up, tearing her gaze away from the fire. "Why did you want to come along with us, anyway? I mean, I know that some of those assassins were after you and that you didn't want anyone in the town getting hurt, but why are they after you?"

"Yeah," Ino added. "It isn't like traveling with us will make you any safer, either."

"In reverse order, I'm not interested in my own safety and it's personal," Matthew answered immediately and rapidly. The three women on different sides of the campfire blinked in confusion. "I mean that I care more about the people there than I do about my life and that the assassins were after me for reasons I would rather not have to explain."

"Can't you tell us anything?"

"If it will sate your curiosity," Matthew answered with an almost imperceptible roll of his eyes. "In the beginning I wasn't sure who they really were, but after I interrogated your prisoner with Sasuke I found out for certain. They are from someone I have worked for in the past.

"In the city of Erafin, which is our destination, there is a massive corporation that controls much of everything. Most of the local government is on their payroll, in any case. However, this is not readily apparent. Evidently someone from within this corporation began to organize assassins to attack many people... which is where you come in."

"What's this corporation called?" Sakura asked, leaning forward slightly.

"There is not any one name, but most of it is controlled by a few men, or perhaps merely one man. In any case, the organization that is causing our immediately problems is termed Ragnarok Incorporated. I've never heard of it before, nor do I know anything about them, but I'm pretty sure that the corporation I referred to earlier is behind it. If that is the case, when we get to Erafin, we'll get to them."

"Were you really high up in this corporation? You seem to know a lot."

"Hardly." Matthew smiled just slightly. "My position was clerical, and the equivalent of scum. But I did have enough knowledge of the greater organization, or at least they think I have enough, that I am worth killing. Fortunately, I figured out what they intended before it happened and fled to a small town. That worked, but only for a brief period of time."

"Then why are you heading straight toward the people trying to kill you?" Ino asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Matthew merely smiled in response.

"If I may point out three things. First, that is the last thing they would expect me to do. Second, in the presence of four shinobi I am far safer than on my own regardless of the situation. Lastly, you are also going straight toward the people trying to kill you." Matthew ended with another inoffensive and consequently annoying smile. Ino grunted but didn't speak again.

"Where do you think Sasuke went?" Sakura asked, glancing uselessly into the woods. "He generally doesn't leave this late in the night."

"I have no idea," Ino told her. "That is kind of weird."

"Most of the time," Hinata spoke up before she could help herself, "when Sasuke leaves, he trains by himself." Her words caused an immediate reaction: Ino started and Sakura nearly jumped out of her seat. It was a moment later that Hinata realized that Matthew's gaze had flickered to her the instant she said it.

"He needs someone to train with," Sakura announced. "It's dangerous to train alone at night."

"Especially with you around," Ino muttered, on her feet and in step with her. The two moved into the forest, eyeing each other carefully. Their absence left a sudden gap which was filled only by the continual crackle of the fire.

Nervously Hinata pressed her fingers together, trying not to glance at Matthew on the opposite side of the flames. Something about him made her vaguely nervous, and she couldn't identify exactly why. Perhaps that was part of the reason he made her nervous. Though he seemed perfectly nice and even kind normally, there was definitely something scary about him. She knew that he was really smart from some of the things he had done and from what Sasuke had said, but that intelligence seemed determined to make you forget it.

Maybe that was what unsettled her. Something about him seemed so mundane and ordinary that when his exceptional nature became apparent it set her off balance. Like the swift glance that he had shot her when she mentioned that Sasuke usually trained. She couldn't understand what he was thinking.

She hadn't had many opportunities to look at his eyes, but she had gotten a few general feelings. Other than shifting to look at objects, his eyes rarely moved as most people's eyes did. It was as if he had almost no feelings and was only intent on the situation. The only revealing thing his eyes did was to occasionally become unfocused. Though she wasn't as good at eye psychology as Neji was, she was pretty certain this happened when he was thinking heavily about something.

"I have a question." Matthew's words cut directly into Hinata's thoughts, startling her. She hastily glanced up at him to find he was staring at the fire intently

"G-go ahead."

"Sakura and Ino... what is their relationship? It strikes me that they care very deeply for one another and would defend the other to the death, yet they are nearly constantly at each other's throats. Both of them are obviously infatuated with Sasuke and dislike the other for the same trait."

"I don't understand what your question is," Hinata said timidly after he had pondered silently for a moment. He had pretty much summarized the situation.

"Why are they like that?" Matthew asked, still not looking at her. "I do not have any context other than what little I have seen of them."

"They've been rivals for a really long time," Hinata told him. "When they were young they were each other's best friends until... well, until they reached the age where both of them fell in love with Sasuke-san. After that they were always competing with each other. At least that's what I've heard."

"Ah." Matthew nodded in understanding. "Interesting. It's obvious that it annoys Sasuke, as well. If I had to guess, I would say that a lot of girls have acted exactly like them and that while he doesn't like it there is nothing he can do to change it. Strangely enough, assuming that this has been happening for some time, it seems that he hasn't ever grown to accept it."

Obviously? It had taken her a while to discern everything he had just said. Sasuke was so good at hiding his emotions that she estimated very few knew anything about how much it annoyed him. That was another scary thing about Matthew.

"Yeah... Sasuke-san always had people chasing after him."

"Well, it certainly makes for an interesting team dynamic," Matthew smiled and shook his head slightly. "We have two friends who are also rivals for the third person, who dislikes them both but is too devoted to duty to get rid of them. Meanwhile, they'll never understand that, and the cycle will just perpetuate. Certainly a very interesting situation..." abruptly Matthew's eyes snapped up to Hinata, all trace of amusement gone, "but you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Hinata gasped and shrank back, startled by the intensity of the statement. The next moment Matthew softened, but that didn't stop her heart from continuing to beat rapidly. What did he actually know? How could he know?

"Ino and Sakura both don't know how Sasuke feels about them, but no one knows how you feel," Matthew continued, lacing his fingers over one knee and sitting back. "Perhaps not even you."

"No..." Hinata admitted meekly. "I know. But it isn't like that!" she immediately insisted.

"Right," Matthew nodded slightly. "Sasuke doesn't seem annoyed by you, and you know more about him than they do. Friends, I take it? Meanwhile, you realize that all this annoys him and you're struggling to decide what to do." For a moment, Matthew paused. "Your reaction was fairly extreme, so this is probably a relatively recent discovery for you. You seem like the kind of person who hasn't ever had a lot of self-confidence, perhaps even a major relapse of doubt, so I'm guessing that you decided to keep quiet about everything and hope that the status quo will be acceptable." Finishing speaking, Matthew drifted into silence, again watching the fire.

"M...Matthew-san?" Hinata asked. His gaze snapped to her. "Why did you say all that?"

He blinked for a moment, then smiled slightly nervously. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very kind, was it? By nature I analyze things, and that includes people. Sometimes I go too far and forget that there really are people I'm dealing with." He smiled slightly. "You don't need to worry about me doing anything. No, I'm more than happy to stay out of all your business."

"Thank you, Matthew-san... I guess."

"Yeah, it's a dubious statement, I know." He glanced back at her, curious but not intensely so. "You all seem to know each other from a long while back. I don't really know anything about how shinobi villages work... what's your connection?"

"We were all in the same graduating class at the academy," Hinata explained, glad that the focus of his intellect had shifted off her. "For a while we were always in the same classroom, but after we graduated we sort of split up, but you still see others a lot. Most of the time you're on missions, but the rest of the time everyone is at the village – but I guess that I shouldn't explain all that to an outsider."

"I can understand that." Matthew nodded. "One thing, though: do shinobi generally work pretty closely in teams?"

"Very closely. Teamwork is one of the most important aspects of a well-functioning team. Generally at higher levels there are fewer people in one team, but this mission is an exception."

"Interesting." Matthew sat back a bit further, putting his back to a rock. This time when he paused he did not speak again, and Hinata was grateful. Slightly aside, she noted that silence passed between them very easily and not uncomfortably. Having him with them wouldn't be that much of an inconvenience after all, assuming that he could stay out of the way in combat.

Some time later Sasuke emerged from the shadows, conspicuously alone. He gave a scarce nod to Hinata and a curt one to Matthew and sat down. None of them spoke, because there was almost nothing to say, and the silence continued to pass easily. With Sakura and Ino gone, the general atmosphere was almost friendly.

But Hinata noticed that Matthew's eyes had been locked on Sasuke.

No worries regarding the gender thing. I also had a person ask about my age; I have no problem telling you, but I'd like you to guess first, primarily out of my curiosity.

Laundry Detergent: No, you don't really sound sexist, though you definitely sound as though your experiences withthe gendershave been fairly one-note. I believe there is a massive difference in thinking styles between people. None of the characters in this story think in a manner similar to mine, regardless of gender. My conversations with friends of both genders have led me to believe that everyone is more different than is commonly believed.

The previous chapter wasn't really filler, but was somewhat more difficult to write, in that it wasn't one of those scenes that I had very clearly in my mind before I began to write. This chapter is more along the lines of what you were talking about.

Matthew's role in the story is... unusual. I'm not certain exactly how I'd classify it, but it will become clearer in time. Our friend the anonymous ellipse said he seemed very intelligent for a "mere doctor", and I'll respond merely by saying that Matthew is a prodigy, of a sort, and noting thatmost doctors are fairly intelligent anyway. If you mean the phrase to express suspicion about him, I have no comment.

Regarding Lee: my previous prediction falls short. More happens before his role than I had previously estimated. So sorry, it will be a little while.