"Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live." ~Oscar Wilde

The Cloudless Sky

Acts of Selfiness

.5

She threw up. In the bin in her office, fixed her mask back over her face and pulled herself back together. Trying really hard to ignore his laughter at the back of her mind, the memory forever etched there. Lodge there because of pent remorse, regret. Owl stepped in and wordlessly took the scroll from her hands as she handed it over to him.

"I think it's time we talked to Shimura." He mutters, emotionless but she recognized his tone as beyond pissed. She understood the feeling, she was too.

This whole situation just kept getting worse. The deeper they went down this hole the harder it was becoming to climb out. How utterly ridiculous it had all become, how far her home had actually fallen. Racoon nodded her head, following dutifully behind Owl.

"After we talk to Shimura we will update the Sandaime on the situation. In the meantime this is our eyes only. Understood." She nods because it's all she can do now. Follow orders until she's pulled herself wholly together.

As they walk down long snaking corridors, in almost complete darkness her mind races. Trying it's best to piece together the how and why. How was Obito even alive? Why had he wanted to kill Minato and Kushina? What purpose had it served?

"What the fuck is going on here?" She can't help but to mutter. Because what even was this? How had they arrived at this place? Smothered in secrets and lies, shrouded by darkness. It was enough to make her sick again.

Owl shakes his head, kami knew he was asking the same thing. "I'll lead this interrogation Racoon. But we have to remove the porcelain mask and our obvious weapons, due to how dangerous this situation is slowly becoming. Shimura despite being locked up in the most secure cell still cannot be trusted." She nods in understanding as they make the last turn before reaching the holding cell. There is a single agent standing by the door.

Boar, a guard specialist gives them both a silent nod. They pause to remove portions of the gear in front of the one way glass. This was the first time Racoon had seen the traitor since learning the truth. She held her anger in.

Carefully she removed her mask, her face still partially concealed by a half mask underneath. Deep brown eyes that once used to reflect golden had since dulled and aged over time stared at her in the reflection. Hollowed out, empty, tired was how they stared at her now and kami she felt it. Waist length chocolate locks braided in two ponytails hidden under a cap and by the wig she'd adorned when becoming ANBU all those years ago. So even though her porcelain mask was gone her identity was still protected. If by nothing more than a thin piece of dark fabric and a deep blue wig.

As if it really truly mattered. She was sure that it didn't matter at the point, not anymore. Not while they dealt with him.

Racoon closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath. Steadying her racing heart, willing her anger to subside. Doing everything in her power to resume normalcy, a clear level head.

But normalcy had long since abandoned them. Nothing would ever be normal again. Normal didn't exist here.

"Are you ready?" Owl almost sounds concerned. As if he was asking if she was okay rather than ready.

"Yes." I will be.

As if there was a difference between the two. Racoon wasn't so sure there was at this point. Or why he even bothered to ask. How could she be okay, be ready when this treachery was right in her face? How was she supposed to feel about coming back to this? Just when she thought she was healed, thought that she had put all her sorrow and her suffering behind her. This whole situation just kept getting worse. Kept on dredging her back down into darkness.

Boar gave them both a once over to make sure they could indeed enter safely. He nodded once bringing his hand to sign a release seal. "Once you enter you'll have fifteen minutes. During this time I will not be able to let either of you out." He informs them. Owl nods.

"Good thing this won't take longer than fifteen minutes. Watch our backs Boar."

"Of course."

That statement alone was enough reason for Raccoon as to why Shimaru and his ROOT had to go. Shimaru didn't care about watching their backs, ROOT was not here to protect and to serve them. No… how could they have, when he utilized such a morally corrupt methodology of training. When he himself had gone so far off the deep end. He wasn't looking out for the village, he had only been looking out for himself. That's why this ended here.

Why this could go no further. He didn't get to be selfish any longer. Selfishness was not the ideals of her village. Selfishness had no place here. Racoon stared ahead, her eyes level with his as they entered.

Steal and rage, calmed only by an unfathomable will. He could not break them anymore. She wasn't going to let him. Even if she had to wield the sword herself.

"I was wondering when I'd be graced by the presence of the ANBU commander and his pet Racoon." Shimaru speaks first, trying to hold some control of them but all Owl does is roll his eyes.

"It's customary for me to interrogate you once before execution. But I'm sure you knew that already Danzo. Since you seemed to have stolen that from us for your little band of misfits." Owl taunts. It's intentional, directive, it should sting.

Racoon hoped it stung.

She wanted this next part to hurt him.

Like he had tried to hurt them. Hurt the village. Hurt the ones she loves. Ruin the people she cared for. All because of selfishness. She'd always hated people who chose to do things only because of selfish ambitions. It wasn't a code she would stand by, wasn't one she could believe in.

"So my old friend has really turned his back on me, how pathetic." Had she been a weaker individual she would have leaped across the table and screamed in his face for the insolence. For the shee ridiculousness of his words, but luckily for her while the elders had called her emotional she held herself to a high standard of self control.

"I think we both know that that is not what happened here. Now would you like to proceed with what little amount of dignity you have left or would you like me to implicate a stronger force? Which will it be old man, the easy way or the hard way?" Danzo rolled his eyes, one last show.

"I suppose the easy way, I'd like to keep what I have left of my face for burial."

"Wonderful. Let's begin then, tell us how long you knew that Oorochimaru was planning on betraying the village and just why exactly did you not let anyone know Uchiha Obito was still living? And trust me it better be the best damn reason I've ever heard, because if not any hope you had for keeping your dirty laundry in the dark goes out the fucking window and you will go down as the man who allowed the Yondaime to be assasinated."

And just liked they had expected the answer had not been one that was either acceptable or forgivable. So as the bell tolled at the fifteen minute marked Owl killed the traitor without a second thought. As Shimaru Danzo lay dying in a fit of wheezing coughs and shallow breaths, Owl turned to Raccoon, a dark glint in his old tired opal eyes.

"Shimaru Danzo suffered a sudden heart attack in the middle of questioning, with no way out for a few minutes due to the seals there was nothing we could do." She nodded her head in understanding. The cell door opened and Boar stepped in; he barely glanced at the now corpse before turning his attention to Owl.

"What would you like done with the body?" Neither miss the slight satisfaction lingering on Boar's tongue.

"Black procedure Boar, burn his body in this room. It's too dangerous to let anyone try to get to him. Even if he is a dead man." Owl's command is met by an obedient nod.

"Raccoon with me, we must go inform the Sandaime of what has transpired."

"Yes sir."

…

Shimari collapses on her couch seconds after entering the apartment. Face firmly pressed against the couch cushion. She could just fall asleep right now, or cry from the sheer amount of overwhelming stress she felt in that moment.

"Um… Mari are you alright?" She rolls her head slightly to look at him, eyes drooping, not attempting to lift it from the couch. Head too heavy to bother trying to lift.

"Huh?" It was the most she could possibly manage at that moment. Not the most eloquent but it would do. Maybe. Shisui would piece it together, he was smart enough.

"Do you want a blanket? Or a pillow? How are you even comfortable? That couch is the devil." He informs her as if she wasn't already aware of this fact. It was a pre-furnished jonin apartment, comfort was not a part of the contract.

Besides, most jonin replaces the couch almost immediately. Since very rarely did they ever actually make it to their bed. Similar to her current situation, most just fell on the first semi comfortable flat surface after missions or long days. Everyone in her group had.

"Erh. Sure. I am aware." Short. Sweet. Too the point. Exhaustion fueling her responses currently.

Had she mentioned just how tired she was? Oh yeah. Well that's how tired she was that she didn't even remember all she had mentioned.

"I'm going to go get you a blanket." She waved him off before letting her arm fall over the couch's edge.

When Shisui returns with a pillow and blanket for her she's out. He drapes the blanket over her and stuffs the pillow between her head and the back of the couch carefully, she'd adjust it in her sleep later he was sure.

"I'm sorry for putting this all on you. Thank you for being you and taking it on anyway." He told her sleeping form softly,walking away quietly afterwards. She'd only chew him out for his apology if he tried to give it when she was awake, instead he made sure to tell her at least once when he knew she wouldn't just push it away.

If only because he was selfish and needed it for himself to be able to become better. To be okay. Afterall Shimari wasn't the only one who needed to recover from everything that had transpired. Shisui needed to find a way to make peace with all of this.

For both of their sakes.

XOXOX

And I will leave this chapter here as we work on progressing further in the story line as pieces start to look like they might be coming together. I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for reading!

Until the next chapter!

Sincerely, La'Rae