The next day, Tenzo receives a summons from Root: Master Danzo expects him to report immediately. Instinct kicks in and he's halfway to the Root complex before he remembers that he really should have told his captain before going. It seems rather silly to go all the way back to Anbu now though, especially since in his experience reports to Master Danzo don't take very long: loquacity is not encouraged at Root. Surely Kakashi will understand. Still, he feels a twinge of guilt as he descends into the underground entrance.
Master Danzo is waiting in his office. It's just as he remembers: really it's as if he never left. Even the wooden paperweight carved in the shape of a fox has not moved. It sits on the desk, staring down at him as he kneels respectfully.
"You summoned me, master?"
"I did." The commander of Root drums his fingers slowly and deliberately along the wooden surface of his desk. "I trust your Anbu assignment is going well?"
"Yes, sir." No one's told him otherwise, at any rate.
"I believe you have a new member on your squad. An Uchiha?"
"Yes, sir. Uchiha Shisui." It's almost strange, not to feel a twinge of annoyance at the mention of that name. Being inside Root makes it so much easier to control his emotions.
"And what do you think of him?"
Tenzo blinks in surprise. He's never been asked for an opinion before. "Sir?"
"Have you seen the boy in combat?" Master Danzo leans forward, hands clasped in front of him. He seems almost eager.
"No, sir. He.. he was only assigned to the squad yesterday." Why is he so interested in Shisui?
"I see." He leans back and sighs, as if disappointed. "Are you aware of the Uchihas' special abilities, 17201?"
It's a jolt, hearing his number instead of his new name. Barely more than a few weeks have passed, yet he's grown used to it so quickly. "No, sir."
"The Uchiha clan has been known since before the village's creation for their battle prowess," Root's highest ranked teacher begins to lecture. "They possess a Kekkei Genkai that resides in the eye, and bestows powerful abilities on its bearer. I have heard that this particular Uchiha has an especially powerful one."
That explains why Shisui is a part of Anbu then, despite his young age and general lack of Anbu-related skills, like (to name a few) stealth, discipline and emotional control.
"Should you witness this young man use his Kekkei Genkai," Master Danzo continues, "You will provide me with a full report. Leave nothing out."
Tenzo bows his head obediently, but can't help wondering why all the interest. Surely nobody could see Shisui as a threat to the village? Or does Root wish to recruit him? He knows better than to ask - he hasn't been gone that long! - and when he's dismissed he leaves in silence.
#####
Danzo watches the door slide closed, and purses his lips in consideration. On one hand, his favourite graduate and future weapon seems to have settled nicely into Anbu, and is still responding satisfactorily to commands. On the other, from the reports of Danzo's other plants in Anbu, he has taken his own name and appears to regard Hatake with some kind of hero-worship. It remains to be seen how much trouble this will cause, but it's at least worth keeping an eye on. At least the Uchiha boy is a pleasing development.
He rolls his shoulders to release a cramp, and imagines what he could do with the kind of power that child possesses. It's a heady image. Normally he would not have divulged such potentially corrupting information to a subordinate, but 17201 has never suffered from such things as ambition or a lust for power. And in this case, the benefits outweigh the risks. He needs first hand information if he is to find a way to take that power for himself.
#####
From the rooftop of a building two streets away, Kakashi watches his second-latest charge walk away from Root headquarters and back (presumably) to Anbu. It could be a coincidence that Danzo Shimura summoned him to report as soon as he found out that one of the Uchiha's emerging stars had been assigned to the same team.
Perhaps.
Kakashi doesn't believe in coincidences. At least, not a coincidence as blatant as this one is. He's going to have to report this to the Hokage. He isn't looking forward to it either, because he likes Tenzo. There's no malice in the kid, just a sometimes aggravating desire to do everything exactly right, and exactly by the book. It's understandable, considering where he came from. Kakashi can sympathise. Anbu has a lot of ninja like that; he is by no means a minority.
More troubling is this tendency to obey without question. Two weeks is a short time to earn someone's loyalty, but Kakashi is still a little disturbed that the boy responded instantly to Danzo's summons, and without informing him. It probably says more about Danzo than it does about Tenzo, but still. The point remains, and the Hokage will have good reason to question the kid's loyalty.
Personally, Kakashi would like to shut down the whole Root operation. There are acceptable methods to train ninja, and Danzo Shimura's are not among them. Tenzo is not the first damaged teenager he's seen come out of that hellhole.
But in the meantime he has to obey his Hokage's orders, and that means trying to make a team out of a kid who's never learnt any social skills, another one that doesn't care about the social skills he does know, and a woman who believes ninja don't need to interact with anyone at all.
No one seems to realize that teamwork means working with your team, not around them.
It's enough to send a guy into an early retirement.
#####
Plink.
Plink plink pink.
Water runs everywhere. It swirls under his feet, runs down his back and trickles along his arms. He hears it dripping down rocky walls, hidden in the dark, too dark for him to see.
But it's only dark because his eyes are closed, shut tight because he's asleep - or at least he was asleep. But when he opens them, two reptilian eyes are staring back, right in front of him. They blink slowly, in mild curiosity. Long, pale fingers hold up a syringe, filled with a yellow fluid. The needle glints silver and sterile.
More fingers grip his head, holding him still.
Those eyes are still watching him, calculating his every reaction with a scientific interest.
Then pain erupts at the back of his neck; sharp, piercing, all-consuming pain that sends roots of fire down his back and into his chest.
Tenzo wakes up screaming.
He jolts upright in bed, hands clenched tight over the back of his neck. His breathing comes in short gasps as his body struggles to pull in enough air.
The book he was reading the night before falls to the ground with a thump.
Early sunlight trickles through his window and traces delicate patterns on the floor beside his bed. There's no one else in the room.
Tenzo bites down on his lip until his teeth cut through the skin and blood trickles down his chin. He struggles to control his breathing, to force himself to slow down, to breathe deeper, to calm his heart rate.
He pulls his legs into a meditative stance with shaking hands and focuses on his own chakra, repeating over and over in his head the chant that has soothed him ever since he joined Root.
I am alone, I am alone, I am alone.
When he feels calmer, he realises there's something brushing against his shoulder; a soft, gentle touch that somehow feels like sunshine, rain and cool shade all at the same time. He turns his head to see a branch - or several branches. The tree outside his bedroom, he remembers. He must have grown it accidentally.
Tenzo strokes the leaves softly. It almost looks like the tree has reached in to comfort him, which makes him smile. And if he whispers a soft thank you as he pulls the tree back into its original shape, there's no one there to judge him.
The Anbu grounds are quiet, though not empty, when Tenzo makes his way there. It's still early, Kakashi won't arrive for a while yet. He takes up his favourite perch on the fence where he can look out over the forest. The great trees have a calming influence, he's found.
This is the first time his dreams have had such a strong effect since joining Anbu. Perhaps it came back because he felt more settled, perhaps it was because of his visit back to Root the day before. Either way he needs to pull himself together - he absolutely cannot allow his own mental weakness to interfere with his duty to his team.
And then, of course, there's the new member joining the team today. No matter what he does, he can't quite figure out Shisui Uchiha, so he's going to need to be extra alert and watchful - especially since Master Danzo is so interested in him.
It's ironic, then, that he's so focussed on being alert and prepared that he doesn't notice his name being called, and it's not until there's a light touch on his arm that he realizes someone is standing behind him.
He whirls around, startled, and Shisui skips back, holding his hands up in a placating gesture.
"It's just me, don't freak out!"
Shisui eyes him warily, obviously remembering their last encounter at this fence.
"It being you seems more of a reason to freak out," Tenzo retorts, before his horrified brain can catch up to his mouth. Why, oh why could he not just say something normal?
"What? Hey, no, that's unkind!" Shisui protests, slowly lowering his hands and inching forward now that the danger has passed. "You wouldn't freak out just for me, would you?"
"You're very early," Tenzo says quickly, trying desperately to change the subject.
"So are you." Is the obvious reply. Seriously, how did he not see that coming? Good job, Tenzo.
At that moment, an Anbu kunoichi releases a barrage of projectiles at her training target. Tenzo catches the glint of a needle, and a twinge of phantom pain has him flinching and his right hand instinctively covers the back of his neck.
"Wow, you're really twitchy, aren't you?"
Shisui is looking at him strangely. Tenzo can't decipher it, so he snaps back quickly.
"I am not!"
"Okay, okay." He holds up both hands again, eyebrows raised. "Clearly, you are a model of tranquility. My mistake."
Tenzo glares and takes refuge in silence. He's found this is the most effective method of dealing with Shisui, who cannot seem to bear silence for any length of time and who will inevitably start chattering about something unrelated in an effort to have some kind of conversation.
"Mai's a Nara, isn't she?" Shisui asks, immediately proving him right. "Does that mean she's really smart? My mother said..."
Tenzo tunes out whatever Shisui's mother said, because he has just spotted Kakashi approaching them with Mai in tow. He jumps off the fence and stands up straight to wait for them. On his left, Shisui spots the others as well and waves to them happily. "Hey guys! Good morning! Let's get started!"
Tenzo wishes he'd stayed in bed.
He wishes it even more when he finds out that now they have another new member, they have to repeat all the training they did when Tenzo first joined. Kakashi calls it learning to work as a team; Tenzo thinks it's more like finding every complicated situation and taking a blind stab at any course of action. He doesn't find it any easier than the last time.
In the evening, when the sun is going down and Tenzo is thinking longingly of food and sleep, an Anbu operative comes to find them. By the way Kakashi immediately calls their training to a halt, Tenzo can tell that this is going to be something important.
#####
"Please tell me we're getting paid overtime for this," Shisui grumbles as they dash through the trees. There's barely any moon tonight, making it that much harder to pick out anything through the gloom of the forest. Pakkun is just up ahead, hard on the heels of a group of enemy shinobi.
Kakashi rolls his eyes in amused exasperation - of all people to be complaining, it should not be the only one with two fully functioning Sharingan. At least he can see where he's going.
Kakashi raises one hand to the band over his eye, considers removing it for a moment. But Pakkun's taking them down an easy path, and none of the enemy pose any threat in terms of strength. Just in terms of classified intel, he thinks wryly, and picks up the pace.
Their targets must know they're running out of time, because suddenly Pakkun veers sharply to the left. Kakashi follows without missing a step, checking behind him to make sure the rest of his team has caught the change of direction. Mai is tailing on his left flank, keeping at a good distance with the ease of experience. Tenzo, on the other hand, is following a little too closely and paying too much attention for a simple chase, while Shisui trails too far behind and is paying so little attention that Kakashi is surprised they haven't lost him already.
It's a work in progress.
They bound past a huge oak tree, and Kakashi glimpses a figure up ahead as it leaps away. They're close now, so close.
Then Pakkun stops abruptly, and Kakashi lands next to him; it's a large branch overlooking a clearing in the forest. A kunoichi stands below, kunai drawn - obviously she's stayed behind to gain time for the others to escape. They must be pretty desperate to get that intel back to the Sand village. Unfortunately for them, the Leaf village is just as desperate to keep it secret.
She's had no time to set up wires or bombs, so Kakashi wastes no time and leaps into an attack before the rest of his team can even catch up. He dodges the shuriken she hurls, feints to the right and ducks low under her kunai, and then spins to slam his heel into the back of her knee. She goes down hard. Kakashi kicks away the blade and presses his knee into her lower back to keep her on the ground, just as his three teammates land beside him.
Mai quickly pulls out a rope to secure their captive, and Kakashi is left with a conundrum. They can't take the girl with them, she'll slow them down. Can't kill her; T&I need to find out how she got into the village. Can't leave her here alone; she needs a guard. He should leave Mai, since she has the most experience, but he also has a feeling the two ahead will split up, and he needs to be able to do the same. Shisui is out of the question - for obvious reasons - so that leaves Tenzo.
He hesitates for a second. He's still not sure where Tenzo's loyalties lie, or whether the kid is really trustworthy enough to be left alone. But it'll be a couple hours max, it's a simple task, and he does seem painfully eager to do everything right.
Surely it'll be fine.
Mai has finished binding the prisoner; he's already wasted too many seconds on this decision. His team is looking at him questioningly, and they have to catch the other ninja. Tenzo will have to do.
"Right, Mai, Shisui, you're with me. Tenzo, you're staying with her. Keep her here, keep her alive, ok?"
Tenzo salutes, body rigid with determination. "Yes, captain."
Is that salute something they teach in Root? He should probably be grateful that Tenzo doesn't do the whole drop-to-one-knee thing every time he talks.
Pakkun doesn't wait for an order, but hurls himself back on the trail. Kakashi follows immediately, the other two right behind him.
The enemy has made good use of their distraction, and it takes Kakashi just under an hour to catch up to them. It's a pretty boring chase, to be honest: just trees and more trees flashing by as they leap from one branch to another.
He knows when they start getting close again, because the two remaining ninja split. One goes southeast, one goes northeast. Kakashi sends Pakkun, Mai and Shisui in one direction, and chases the other down by himself.
Five minutes later, the trail runs out. The shinobi's body lies propped against a tree, an empty poison capsule on the ground where it slipped from one outstretched hand. Kakashi walks over slowly, staring down at the corpse in a mixture of pity and revulsion. He's going to have to carry it back too - the shinobi didn't bother to destroy his body, so it probably doesn't hold any secrets, but it never hurts to be thorough.
The man's face looks familiar. Kakashi's eyes narrow - it's enough (no, too much) to be a coincidence. Where does he know this man from?
When it comes to him, he turns and bolts back into the forest. The corpse lies abandoned behind him. If the Hokage wants it, he can send someone to get it later.
#####
Tenzo is pacing.
He starts from the west side of the clearing, scans the trees for any signs of movement, then marches over to the east side, checking north and south as he goes, to scrutinize the trees on the other side. The captive watches him warily, her eyes tracking his every moment. She hasn't said a word since the others left, which was about an hour and a half ago, but that really just works in Tenzo's favour. If she were making a racket he'd have to shut her up somehow, and he's not particularly keen on explaining to Kakashi how she got beat up.
A leaf crackles somewhere to his left and he spins sharply, scouring the trees. There is someone out there, he's sure of it - too many leaves have crackled for it to be happening naturally.
Or maybe he's just paranoid.
Master Danzo has always told him to second guess his instincts, because he tends to see or hear things that aren't really there (like snake eyes and dripping water). His judgement is questionable, so he should always look to others - to his superiors - for orders. He will never be considered for leadership roles, because he cannot be trusted to determine the correct course of action to take.
But here and now, there is no one. No Danzo, no Kakashi, no superiors. Just Tenzo, and his questionable judgement. And the water constantly dripping at the back of his mind.
Another leaf crackles, and there's a kunai in his hand before he realizes he's reached for one. His captive has turned her head as well, so he definitely didn't imagine it this time.
Then there's a snap and another crackle and a form steps out of the shadowy trees into the clearing. Tenzo blinks and the blurry outline condenses into a man, or more precisely a ninja. It's someone from Root, he realizes after a moment - one of the senior members who work directly for Master Danzo.
The man approaches slowly, not revealing his hands but not making any threatening moves either. Tenzo finds himself caught in a dilemma: does he bow, or is this ninja not technically his superior anymore? Especially since Kakashi has left him in charge of the captive, and showing that kind of weakness is a good way to quickly lose control of the situation. He contents himself by inclining his head and shoulders in a half-bow, but straightens up after a moment.
"17201," the Root agent says, "you know who I am?" "Yes, sir."
"Hmmm." He seems disapproving. Tenzo has a sinking feeling that he was expected to drop to one knee. "I come bearing orders from Master Danzo. The woman you have apprehended is to be taken back to the headquarters immediately for processing and interrogation."
Tenzo was afraid of this. But all the rules say that while on mission, his immediate loyalty should be to his captain, and no one else.
"My captain has ordered me to guard her here until his return." He manages to keep his voice steady and firm.
The agent scowls. "This is an extremely sensitive situation that must be dealt with immediately. You will hand over the captive now."
"My captain is Kakashi Hatake," Tenzo says, still vaguely hoping that a compromise might be found, "and when he returns, I'm sure he will be able to help you…"
"Operative!" The man snaps, and he flinches inwardly. So much for that plan. "Are you refusing to follow my orders? Orders that come directly from Master Danzo himself?"
Tenzo stares at him in dismay. What should he do? If he disobeys Kakashi, his captain, he will be thrown out of Anbu - the only goal he's ever had in life. But if he disobeys Master Danzo, he will be sent back to that place. Back to the darkness.
He cannot argue further. Doing so would be worse than useless; Root agents do not brook questioning from their inferiors. The decision must be made, but he can't bring himself to do it.
And then suddenly, to his overwhelming relief, the decision is taken from him, because Kakashi himself comes hurtling out of the shadows to land in the space between them.
He must have done something very good recently, Tenzo thinks, to have earned this much karma. His captain is facing down the Root agent, arms sternly crossed, and Tenzo has never been so happy to see anyone in his entire life.
"Can I help you, agent?" Kakashi inquires coldly. His casual demeanor falls away like a discarded cloak, and he looks as tightly wound as a cobra ready to strike.
The Root agent doesn't seem so pleased. Quite the opposite, in fact, and Tenzo remembers belatedly that he will have to face Master Danzo himself at some point, and without Kakashi to hide behind.
"As I was saying," the man continues after a moment, "my orders are to bring this woman in for questioning."
"That's unfortunate," Kakashi replies evenly, "since I have similar orders. But as mine come directly from the Hokage, I'm afraid you'll have to take it up with him."
The other man inclines his head in silent defeat. His next words are through gritted teeth.
"As you say."
He fades back into the shadows, just like the way he came. Tenzo finally breathes out, and feels suddenly light headed. He glances at Kakashi in slight apprehension, wondering if he is about to be scolded for not being able to deal with the Root agent by himself.
But Kakashi gives him a rare smile and claps him on the shoulder.
"Good job," he says, and while Tenzo's standing frozen in surprise he strides over to the captive and pulls her to her feet. "Let's get this one back to Inoichi."
When he returns to his barrack room, Tenzo finds a message from Master Danzo, ordering him to report as soon as he returns. This time he intends to inform Kakashi first, but his captain is not easily found. A quick search of the Anbu premises reveals nothing, and he can't bring himself to ask his colleagues - not least because he doesn't know any of them, but also because it feels a little too embarrassing to ask for the whereabouts of his own captain. So he goes to Root anyway, because keeping Master Danzo waiting is a Very Bad Idea.
He leaps through the trees in a hurry, though if he truly wanted to make up time he should have gone through the village. It's faster, being in a direct line, but Tenzo prefers to go through the forest. Being surrounded by so much wood has a calming effect on him. He's already in trouble anyway.
A Root operative shows him into the main study, where their master is seated and reading through paperwork. His cane is resting against the wall to his right, and he does not look up as they enter the room. The operative announces Tenzo, then swiftly steps out and closes the door behind her.
Master Danzo raises his head from his desk with agonizing deliberation. Tenzo feels a clench in his stomach: he can tell by the look on his master's face that he has failed expectations. Those condemning eyes bore into him as he drops to one knee and bows his head further than normal.
"You are late."
Is that the only thing he's done? "Yes, sir."
Tenzo forces himself not to twitch in the awful silence that follows. He stares at his boots and promises himself that next time he will not delay for anything.
"I realize," Master Danzo's voice is cold, his speech calculated. "That things in Anbu are different from what you are used to. I do hope," here he pauses again, and Tenzo thinks he can feel the gaze on the back of his neck grow more intense, "I do hope that you will not develop any bad habits from these people. The Hokage may tolerate such disrespect. I do not."
"Yes, sir." Tenzo says miserably, horrified at himself. "I meant no disrespect, sir."
He hears the shift of cloth as Master Danzo leans back in his chair.
"Very well. I would hate to think that you, of all my subordinates, would choose to disappoint me. You remember, I hope, how lucky you are to be a part of Root at all?"
A cold wave rushes through Tenzo, and for a moment he's not in Root at all, but back in that horrible place where the only smell is death and the only sound is water. He shudders, forcing himself back to the present, and manages to choke out,
"Yes, sir."
"Very well." Master Danzo says again. "Your report, then."
It's difficult to get the words out. Tenzo opens his eyes wide and glares hard at the lacings on his right boot as he struggles his way through the report. At least with his head bowed, no one can see his face.
When he's finished, he hears the scrape of wood against the floor of a chair being pushed back. Footsteps approach him, but he doesn't dare look up.
"Your report is satisfactory, 17201."
He barely has time to feel a flood of relief that this, at least, he hasn't screwed up, when there's a blinding flash of pain in his left hand. Then there's a snap as his little finger breaks. Tenzo grits his teeth and doesn't make a sound. He has no right to complain.
After a moment, Master Danzo lifts his cane and walks back to his desk. Tenzo draws in a deep, shaky breath as slowly as he can, trying not to move. At least he doesn't actually use that finger. He's gotten off lightly.
"You will not be late next time." It's both a statement and a warning, and Tenzo agrees earnestly. Then, finally, he is allowed to leave, and as soon as he is out of the Root compound he makes a dash for the sanctuary of his Anbu barrack room.