Warnings: Some coarse language.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto and affiliated companies do.
A/N: This one's a bit short, sorry. It was originally longer, but then I had to split it and it just seemed right to end it here. Anyway, on with the story!
Chapter 3
You could almost hear the sound of my captors' minds whirring in the silence that followed. Blondie's jaw had dropped open – just a little, like he'd forgotten he needed to use his facial muscles to keep it shut. Ibiki… well, Ibiki's range of facial expressions were a little limited, in my personal opinion. There was angry, suspicious, and sadistic- and then there was the thinking face.
This was the thinking face.
After a few long seconds, Ibiki seemed to come to a decision. He leant forward again, right into my space- and I leant back to get away, because I was under absolutely no illusions that he was leaning in for a hug.
"Prove it."
And- uh oh. I'd known it would come to this, but somehow I was still unprepared. What to say-time?-classified-can I tell? and, do I know anything about Ibiki?-no-oh shit flashed through my mind simultaneously. Overwhelmed, I fell back on my previous conclusion.
"How long since the Kyuubi attack?" Please, please, please-
"…Twelve years," Ibiki revealed slowly, reverting his suspicious face.
Twelve years. Thank god. I relaxed; if it had been any part of the timeline before the start of the series, I probably would have been stuffed. After being gutted and before being strung up on a pike. And- well. This was much preferred.
I drew in deep breath, enjoying it thoroughly – hey, it could well have been my last – and found the answer on the tip of my tongue.
"The night of the Kyuubi attack," I started, "the Fourth's son was born. His wife, Kushina Uzumaki," Ibiki's eyes sharpened, and Blondie's bugged, "was the container on the Kyuubi, and… her seal was weakened by the birth-" I could see I was about to be interrupted, and rushed to finish, "-but it should have held. It would have."
My breath shuddered out- I hadn't even noticed I'd been holding it. "…Except, someone intervened." Is it just me or is the temperature dropping in here-
"His name- um, sorry, is he allowed to hear this?" I shot an awkward side-glance at Blondie.
"Hiro, out," Ibiki ordered without looking away. "Let the Hokage know he'll have a visitor."
(My heart leaped; I was going to see the Hokage? Yes! Oh, thank god-)
Reluctantly, and now looking all kinds of curious, Blondie- sorry, Hiro- slipped out the door and closed it behind him.
"Go on."
I paused to gather myself.
"That man's name is Tobi, formerly Obito Uchiha… who… was presumed KIA after he was crushed in a rock-fall at Kannabi Bridge, during the Second Shinobi War."
I paused, watching him warily. Holy shit, was I really doing this? Can I trust him? Going out on a limb, I haltingly continued.
"He… used the Mangekyou Sharingan to control the Kyuubi," I pressed, "tore it from Kushina's seal and… compelled it to attack Konoha. The Uchiha Clan were not to blame." I closed my eyes, feeling sick. Gods, on a computer screen the massacre seemed so far away. "It was on Danzō's orders that they stayed out of the fight, Danzō's suspicions that… lead to their isolation, and… it was Danzō who directly defied the Sandaime and… blackmailed Itachi Uchiha into… killing them, though… he was helped by a third party- I… can't remember who."
And- all of a sudden I couldn't breathe.
It was like the very air was turning solid, I couldn't- but- "Sasuke," I forced out. "He's- if he hasn't already… at the Chunin Exams he's going to- Orochimaru-", breathe, goddamnit-I'm scared-I'm scared-cold-numb-acknowledge and conquer-BREATHE-
"Breathe," Ibiki commanded, and I reacted without thought, by instinct. Drawing on the cool assertiveness in his voice, I drew in a shuddering breath, centred myself, focused, and drowned the fear out.
Finally, my heart rate slowed to a manageable level.
"…Sir," I acknowledged shakily, head bowed, and when I spoke next my voice was almost- almost- even, but mostly blank, "Orochimaru is going to give Sasuke his curse seal, like Anko's, but- different. More complicated. Kakashi will teach him Chidori-"
"That's enough."
Unbidden, my eyes jerked up, but when I realised it was tears that were prickling them, I ducked my head again. Gods, this was- I shouldn't be-I need. Control. Get control. Conquer.
"That's enough," Ibiki repeated lowly. He moved stiffly, removing a pair of seal-engraved handcuffs from his belt. Wordlessly, I held out my hands, and he cuffed them- not roughly, but with the air of one unaccustomed to being gentle – and I stood placid, allowing him to test my bonds and then blindfold me.
It was in my nature to be ruthless when threatened.
On an ordinary day, I was, I thought, a very agreeable person. (I didn't like drama. Drama made things more complicated, and normal life was complicated enough.) But this was not an ordinary day. Indirectly, the circumstances and whoever was behind it all were threatening my people. My mum, my dad, my brother, my friends- hell, even my neighbours. If I didn't get back to them, they were as good as dead to me. And like a wolf defending her pack, my hackles raised.
While Ibiki escorted me in silence, my mind folded itself into a defensive corner. Panic was my enemy.
So I forced down the panic.
I wove anger and logic and mindless obedience into an impenetrable shield.
And I breathed deeply, in… and out… in… and out…
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