Title: Vindication
Author: Sparklehunter
Summary:
Part: 1/3 (?)
Author's Note: Number eleven, part one in a series of snapshots about the aftermath of an almost-death. Sequel to Breaking Symphonies/Edged in Silver.
Author's Note: Originally, this was the first of three parts. Unfortunatley, this one doesn't cover as much as I wanted it to -- but the extended ending didn't sound right, so this is the cut version. The extended scenes should show up in 'Here,' (title tentative), which I'm working on as soon as I finish uploading this. I promise.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry to anyone who was waiting for this; real life caught up with me (with a vengeance). This one goes to Zeldafitz, for reminding me this was on my harddrive. Somewhere. So, without further ado:
Vindicatiom
Underestimated
by sparklehunter
"You underestimated me, you fucking bastard."
During the 19 years Iruka has been a ninja, he has spent 7 in training, 8 teaching, and 4 as an active Shinobi. Naruto has been in his life for 16 years. Kakashi has been a friend for 7 years, a lover for 4 years. His parents have been dead for 21 years. He has spent 15 months paralyzed from the waist down. He has spent 2 months as a prisoner of war.
He has spent 3 days curled in Saburo's arms, biting through his lip and everything he knows and guesses about state secrets and what military plans and actions. He has spent 3 days with fire in his thighs and ice in his calves. He spent 3 days out of his head with pain and fear and grief and the knowledge of total failure. He spent 3 days in the closest thing to comfort he's experienced since Kakashi left for war.
He's wasted 3 days in (Saburo) blind stupidity.
Iruka licks his lips, tastes blood that, for the first time in months, isn't his own, and snickers. His legs hurt, but they're hurting. He can feel them, move them, walk upright. Iruka thinks he is damaging the muscles, using them after so many months, but he doesn't care.
"You underestimated me, you fucking bastard."
Iruka grins. The body hits the floor, another breadcrumb tracing his path to freedom. Around him, there is shouting and flashing lights and noise. Beside him, Isas makes a small sound. Iruka grins again.
"I'm going," he says, "to take you with me, to the edge. And then I'm going to cut your hands off. And then I'm going to leave you, there, so your assistants can stop the bleeding and keep you alive. And I'm going to go to sleep every night, thinking about how you'll never save someone's life again."
Isas stumbles as they duck through another door. "You're crazy," he says.
The medical-nin says the words like they should mean something. Iruka thinks that he'll think about that later. When he's safe.
Iruka's pretty sure he'll never think about it.
He has the flat of the knife in his left hand resting against Isas's carotid artery. His right hand alternates between Isas's shoulder and the throwing knives he's been stealing from the Shinobi he kills as he leaves. The level of ineptitude among the dead guards surprises Iruka. He's confident that they (SaburoSaburoSaburo) don't expect this, can't expect this, never expects a paralyzed nin, not -
Isas looks at him. Iruka memorizes his eyes: yellow-brown, with a dark gray ring around the outside and a light gray ring almost swallowed by his pupil. There is a little fear, a little horror, and a lot of pain in the hazel. Iruka feels better knowing he put it there.
Iruka kills, again.
"You underestimated me, you fucking bastard," he says.
TBC in 'Here'
Review, please.