A/N: Brief reminder that Kazuo is the name Kakashi is assuming for his cover. Both start with K :)
Warnings: some violence
"I can't," Kakashi breathes, both hands clenched white-knuckled on the hilt of the kunai.
No, not Kakashi. Kazuo, because Kakashi has been a shinobi since he was five and probably has more kills under his belt than the Ame-nin scowling at him.
"He's just another traitor," the Ame-nin goads. "Do it."
Kakashi raises his arms again, putting the edge of the glinting blade against the prisoner's neck, dimpling the vulnerable skin. He's shaking, chest heaving with the sharp pants escaping between his clenched teeth. A bead of blood wells. "I can't," Kakashi whimpers, letting the kunai slip between his fingers and clatter onto the ground. His eyes squeeze tightly shut as he crumbles to his knees, his palms braced against the grimy floor.
There's an angry set to Hyaku's jaw, matching the thunderous expression on Yahiko face, and Rin has her bottom lip caught between her teeth, her expression pained. It's hard for Sakumo to look at the small, trembling form of Kazuo; it's almost unbearable to consider the three other, real, untrained civilian children who look frightened out of their wits. Children may be capable of killing in the heat of the moment, in self-defence (after all, even a cornered rat would bite)... But even with war as the brutal backdrop of these children's lives, it's unthinkable that they should be forced to kill in cold blood.
That's something that shinobi training provides for.
The Ame-nin scoffs and lets go of the prisoner, tugging Kakashi to his feet by the collar of his yukata and shoving him to the side. Shooting a concerned look at Kakashi, Snake steps forward and picks up the discarded kunai, looking up at the shinobi with pleading eyes.
"Shinobi-sama, Kazuo is my brother. If I do it," she breaks off, swallowing heavily, "will you let the both of us pass?"
Surprise flickers over the shinobi's features before his eyes darken. The backhand comes in the blink of an eye - slow by any shinobi's standards - but instead of instinctively flinching away, Snake smothers her training and lets the blow land squarely. It sends her tumbling gracelessly to the ground with a pained yelp, her lip bleeding where it caught on the edge of a tooth. The kunai flies out of her hand — another mistake no shinobi would have made.
"Nee-chan!" Kakashi cries out, tears welling in his eyes as he dashes over to Snake's side. Not for the first time, Sakumo wonders at Kakashi's acting, thankful that his Henge is so different from Kakashi's actual appearance.
"Impertinent brat," the shinobi seethes. "I make the rules here." Kakashi purposely fumbles as he tries to haul Snake to her feet. For a few seconds, the Ame-nin watches them edge away to the corner of the cell, an unreadable look on his face. Just as they're about to get to the door that still stands ajar, he speaks up again, his initial anger gone from his voice. "I'll take you upstairs later. So stay right there."
The hypothesis that had been floating at the back of Sakumo's mind coalescences into a realisation as the Ame-nin turns to the remaining three kids, intimidating them more before relenting when none of them accept the proffered kunai. It was all a test — but not the kind it had appeared to be.
Sakumo suspects that none of them are meant to "pass". Even if the Ame-nin had been testing for shinobi-potential, traumatising potential recruits from the beginning would be detrimental in the long run.
Hanzou is known for his vigilance. His servants come into closer contact with him than most of his own shinobi; any enemy shinobi would jump at the chance to sneak in one of their own amongst their ranks. Indeed, that is what is Konoha is attempting to do right now.
The test was not meant to be a show of loyalty but of weakness. A shinobi would have killed the prisoner or reacted to an oncoming blow on instinct, especially since the standard Henge would have dissipated with such a strike. It's a crude test but one that might be effective towards the average spy. It was also an opportunity to observe the children's disposition — what could potentially convince them to become assassins or informants? Material comforts, ideals, emotional ties?
True to Sakumo's speculations, when the Ame-nin brings them out into the gloomy sunlight once more, none of them are dumped back onto the streets. The butler comes by to collect them and the shinobi gives him a run-down of his recommendations. "That girl's a spunky one, but as long as her little brother's alright she should be fine."
The butler gives the cowering siblings a cool once-over, his eyes lingering on the angry bruise blooming over Snake's cheek. "Alright. Thank you for your work, shinobi-san."
The Ame-nin shrugs. "No skin off my back." He gives the rag-tag group of kids a grin that grows wider when they unconsciously shuffle back a step. "Don't lose these little ones so quickly this time."