"Foolish Hearts"
'Chapter Sixteen'
They entered the hall, the elders all stationed in their respective seats, sitting at the end of the large space. Shikamaru bowed his head respectively, the elders did the same. The brunette took his hands out of his pockets trying not to feel agitated.
...there was something going on.
He didn't know what; but something was amiss.
Naruto's face was hard as he moved over to his own seat, he set the file on the table and gazed at their faces.
The weird feeling in the pit in his stomach wasn't leaving...
He glanced back over to Shikamaru; he needed the man to stay sharp.
Shikamaru eyed the elders before him, just watching -- his expression slack but the sharpness of his eyes wouldn't be missed. The man in front of Naruto picked up the reports, looking them over with his shrewd dark eyes. His fingers passed down the sheet as he read the characters before he gathered the papers and passed them to the next in the council.
It took a short while before the files were back in front of the kitsune, everyone having read the report, but none of their faces seemed to acknowledge anything one way or the other.
It almost seemed their mind was already made, despite what Naruto presented them.
"Uchiha Sasuke is to be sent to Ibiki as soon as possible." He spoke with a stern tone, his hands folded neatly in front of him, his robes loose on his bony shoulders. "Ibiki will give a thorough diagnosis and then we will consider you're own findings."
They didn't trust Naruto.
That seemed painfully apparent.
Shikamaru tried to push down his own irritation -- Naruto was the damn Hokage-sama, there should be something he should be able to do.
...it didn't really seem fair that despite his title the council still made all the decisions.
"You're going to subject him to unnecessary mind interrogation, after the evidence I have that the Anbu at my house were lying about the attack?" He asked his voice hard, but not raising in volume. He had learned to play hard ball, he had learned to keep himself composed under the council. "Those men attacked Uchiha Sasuke and inflicted their own wounds."
Naruto pulled the file out and started to dig through it, "This." He slammed the paper down, "Is a forensic report that ID's the wounds congruent with their own katanas." He narrowed his eyes, "If you would have read it, you would have found that flecks of metal were found in the wound and match that of the katana! You're still going to go through with this ridiculous accusation?"
The council didn't look moved in the least, one whispered to another and finally the one whom spoke before spoke again, "The Anbu attacked for a reason."
Shikamaru crossed his legs in his chair, foot twitching. This was ridiculous.
"Perhaps they inflicted their own wounds because they thought you wouldn't believe Sasuke was a threat otherwise?" He spoke in a clear tone, his expression blank. "On behalf of the village's well-being a thorough check of his mind is in order." He murmured softly, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture. "We can't keep the both of you caged forever, and it doesn't appear Sasuke is getting any closer to being sane."
"You had him under a death-binding jutsu if he stepped out of the boundaries!" Naruto yelled finally.
This was getting out of hand!
"The most he could have done was kill himself or destroy my house! That chakra bounds wouldn't have let him create a kage bushin, not even fully activate the Sharingan!" He snarled at the men and women. "So why were the Anbu attacking!?"
They didn't seem bothered.
"Why are you fighting us on this?" The man said easily, "If there's nothing to find in that mind of his, then what's the issue?"
The only woman on the council spoke up, her voice shrill, "If he's as sane as you think he is, if you think all our precautions are unnecessary then let him go to Ibiki, prove us wrong and perhaps you're demon Sasuke will be able to be a free man."
Shikamaru frowned, that was a little personal -- a direct hit, perhaps they too saw the emotion Naruto displayed when speaking of Sasuke.
...that wasn't good.
"In all due respect council," Shikamaru felt the need to intervene, "The Anbu never gave a clear report on why they attacked, they merely said Sasuke attacked them first but the Anbu are stationed well out of Sasuke's boundary."
The council was quiet a moment, as if trying to think of a way to side-step that obvious fact.
"So if he did attack first, they had to have been closer than that, and it doesn't make too much sense for them to be so close."
"Perhaps they viewed him as a threat, came in to rectify it before the Hokage-sama's house got destroyed as the Hokage-sama put so bluntly." The original speaker said before, his eyes narrow as he viewed the lazy ninja then swept his eyes back to their leader.
"We don't know any of that for sure."
"All the more reason to have Sasuke checked out." The woman said again, letting the conversation roll full circle.
God damn.
Shikamaru clenched his jaw, unsure how to continue.
They couldn't get out of this.
They had made a decision.
"I want to subject the Anbu to the same interrogation." The fox demanded. If Sasuke had to be subjected to it, then the Anbu who had obviously lied would be too. He'd get the truth.
"Denied."
"Denied?" Shikamaru spoke up then, "On what grounds?"
"The Anbu are telling the truth." The man said simply, "They are Konoha leaf ninja and I don't view them as traitors, do you?"
Shikamaru tried not to let his rising anger get the best of him, "That isn't the issue. The issue is a he said she said story that we should be able to get the true facts out of."
"It's a bit much..."
"Sasuke has to go through it, how is it a bit much for them and not for Sasuke?"
"Sasuke isn't sane enough to tell the truth." The elder said with conviction.
Shikamaru didn't know how to save the situation, he was at a loss and apparently Naruto was too since the blonde had yet to speak on the subject again. If Sasuke did have sanity now, even a bit of it; Shikamaru doubted he'd have any left after coming from Ibiki.
...this wasn't going to end well.
"Sasuke is to report to Ibiki as soon as possible." He said simply, "That is all."
Naruto was positively livid as the order was given.
He couldn't refuse.
Closing the file, his shoulders tense and almost shaking, he left it there.
"Council-men..." Naruto murmured in a dark tone as he started to leave. He opened the door, not slamming anything, just walking smoothly out of the room.
Shikamaru had walked after the blonde letting the doors shut silently behind him.
Composure...
Naruto had always been good at hiding emotions, but even the brunette had been worried back there. "…sorry." Shikamaru said a little awkwardly, unsure what to say in the situation, knowing the blonde must be feeling just as mad as he was.
Naruto leaned against the wall and took in a deep breath, trying to force himself to calm down.
Why were they being so difficult?
What was going on that he didn't see?
"Not your fault." he murmured, as he shook his head, still trying to calm down. "It's all with Sasuke now."
Shikamaru was quiet a moment, watching his friend and leader and wishing he had something better to say but he didn't. He set a reassuring hand on his shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze, "Something is up with them. They're mind was already made before we came here." Shikamaru sighed, letting his hand fall from Naruto's shoulder, "Someone is pulling the strings, but I don't know who."
The brunette started to walk away from the blonde, "…see you."
It started to get crowded in the halls, and it wasn't the time nor the place to be talking about something that could easily get them targeted for being traitors.
Naruto watched as Shikamaru wandered down the hallway.
He had to get back to Sasuke.
Sighing heavily, he pushed off the wall and started down the hall.
This all rode on Sasuke and his sanity.
"Shit..."
--
Sasuke heard the front door open, he was half-awake, still laying in bed and enjoying the softness of the mattress and the pillow he was still pushed up against.
Naruto was gone.
But he might be back now.
Sasuke wasn't sure -- his eyes were black crimson a ring around the obsidian as the drugs were slowly passing through his system. He wasn't pleasantly buzzed as he had been before, a little more alert, a little more aware but he had yet to force himself out of bed.
The fox sighed heavily as he walked towards the bedroom.
His face was still hard, but it was mixed with emotions.
Pain, fear, anger.
He couldn't free Sasuke, he couldn't save the man.
It was only Sasuke who could save himself.
He stopped when he stepped into the room, his eyes catching Sasuke's.
He couldn't do this...
"...We lost." He started, his voice soft, "You have to report to Ibiki." He slowly moved over to the bed, "They....they took this out of my hands..." He sat on the bed, and gazed into his lovers eyes, "...I'm sorry."
Lost?
Sasuke was forcing himself to pay attention, rolling onto the pillow and tilting his head up to the blonde.
Ibiki?
Sasuke frowned a bit, he rested his temple against Naruto's knee in a placid gesture, "…when?"
Naruto let out a shuddering breath. "As soon as possible..." He murmured gently. He reached out and wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulder, and leaned down over him. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke."
Sasuke was quiet, feeling the blonde over him and trying to push up his own strength. The fuzz on his brain was still an annoying itch but it was slowly going away. He turned in Naruto's arms, facing the kitsune his expression blank. He was trying to comprehend everything, trying to ignore the pulse in his eyes as the drug was nearly moot in his system now.
He reached up and ran his fingers over the blonde's cheek, pulling him down gently and pressed his lips to the fox's. He lingered there a few moments longer than needed, but Sasuke was savoring the feel, as if he knew he would fail the coming test.
...his mind was fragile.
Ibiki would show no mercy and Sasuke was unsure if he could walk away from that and be who he was right now. Slowly the brunette moved away from his lover, sleepily walking to the dresser and pulling out a pair of Naruto's pants and a shirt.
A bit big…
But, well, he was hoping wearing Naruto's clothes would make him feel better, they smelled like the fox and perhaps if he focused on that he could try and keep a bit of his sanity when he went to Ibiki.
...he doubted it.
But he was trying not to fail already.
He undressed slowly -- apparently trying to prolong the situation despite his knowing they needed to get there soon.
Naruto was staying strong for Sasuke.
He gave the man a soft smile and stepped up behind him, when he took off his shirt.
He had to remove the seal...
Channeling chakra to his hand, the fox gently pressed himself to Sasuke's back, and placed a kiss on the man's shoulder as he rested his hand on the seal, effectively removing it; now it was just a decorative ink mark.
He moved so he wrapped his arms around the man's chest, and slowly trailed soft, loving kisses up Sasuke's neck. "You can do this."
Sasuke enjoyed the reassurance, but wasn't sure if Naruto was correct. He tilted his head, caught up in the pleasant feel of the lips along his neck before he tugged a shirt over his head.
He let the pants fall to the floor and lifted the new pair, buttoning them before he turned in the kitsune's arms. He was still a tad sedated, perhaps that might help the interrogation a bit. He rested his arms around Naruto's shoulders, his forehead against the fox's as he just savored the feel of the other man.
He wanted to say so much...
As if he might not be able to say what was on his mind again.
He let out a quiet sigh before he parted from the blonde, "...let's get this over with."
Naruto smiled gently as they just stood there in the quiet.
He knew what Sasuke wanted to say, he wanted to say it too...
He nodded at the words and pressed a chaste kiss to the man's lips before he pulled back. "Okay."
--
It felt like it took forever to get to Ibiki's chambers, and Sasuke felt his mind getting sharper and sharper with every step.
...maybe he should have taken another pill.
He tried to keep his nerves calm, his eyes a muddy black-red color as he stepped into the dimly lit room. He resisted the urge to keep himself close to the fox, he knew it would compromise the situation further if he displayed any outward affection.
His insane mind had yet to surface, so Sasuke didn't have a problem keeping his distance. His other half would have forced himself close to Naruto by now -- wanting to show everyone his claim of their leader…and well…that wouldn't have went over very well.
Sasuke was silent, his dual colored eyes on the wall as Naruto addressed the man before them.
Ibiki, no matter what level you knew him on, was an intimidating person.
Naruto knew never to make small talk with him, it never worked, he was a work driven man, wanting to get to the point.
Ibiki had been waiting for Sasuke and Naruto.
He nodded towards the fox, his way of telling him he could go.
Naruto bit the inside of his cheek and glanced over at Sasuke, he tried to give him an encouraging smile.
He had to pass...
Sasuke tried not respond to Naruto's smile, trying to keep himself stoic as his usual self was. But it was difficult.
He wanted to turn to the fox, look to his blue eyes and drink in that smile; but he didn't. He kept his eyes on Ibiki, his back turned to the fox as the door shut behind them.
...Sasuke was alone now.
Ibiki didn't give away anything as he walked further into the dimly lit room. "Sit." He ordered as he dragged out a chair and set it down in the middle of the room. He moved to another and sat, waiting for Sasuke.
Sasuke took the seat in the center of the room, keeping himself calm -- finding it easier to do so as his mind started to finally wake up. Dull ruby eyes looked to the scarred man, sitting almost rigid in his chair.
Ibiki's trained eyes followed Sasuke's movements.
They watched for small facial movements.
Sweat.
He listened to the heartbeat.
He watched the darkening eyes, "Your name."
"Uchiha Sasuke." His lips twitched into a smirk, near taunting as the drug was almost completely out of his system.
Naruto wasn't here...
Nothing to focus on but the hot dim light above his head and the emotionless man before him. It was easier to let himself go; his sane self having trouble keeping the fear at bay. The sharingan would keep his fear out of him completely, make him harder to read. He didn't know what Ibiki was after, but perhaps he'd find that out soon.
Ibiki nodded.
He needed Sasuke to answer regular answers first, so he could get a feel for the man, his movements, his heart beat, before he moved on to the real questions. "Age. Birth date."
Sasuke continued to eye Ibiki, knowing this might take some time.
He wasn't entirely sure why he was here, it had something to do with the stupid Anbu he knew, but beyond that he wasn't sure.
It was the council's doing…
That he was sure over.
Sasuke kept his annoyance in check, his expression smooth despite the slight smirk. "Twenty, July twenty-third."
Ibiki nodded.
So far so good.
Sasuke was a cocky brat, he knew that before they'd started the interrogation, but to actually see it, it made him want to roll his eyes.
Kid was just a punk in Ibiki's eyes.
"Was your family slaughtered by your older brother, Uchiha Itachi?"
"Mm." Sasuke said easily, his red eyes almost calculating as they watched the other man -- as if he were in a position to taunt him.
"Uchiha Itachi is dead now." He spoke out of turn, but it didn't seem to bother Sasuke -- the Uchiha even moved to fold his arms and legs in a casual posture.
Ibiki almost raised an eyebrow.
He was rather surprised that the question didn't bother Sasuke.
No matter.
He had others.
"Is it true you willingly left the village at twelve to join with known traitor Orochimaru?"
Willingly?
Mm.
About right.
Sasuke shrugged slightly, his mind a little caught up in useless memories. He shrugged them aside when he swept his bright red eyes back to the man. "Yes." Sasuke said in that same smooth; even tone.
Ibiki nodded and let his tongue run over one of his sharper teeth.
"And is it true that at age thirteen Orochimaru sexually assaulted you?" He asked only pausing briefly in his questioning. "And at fifteen he raped you? And at sixteen Kabuto had you hospitalized for multiple rapes -- compliments of, Orochimaru?"
Sasuke tensed; apparently Ibiki had hit a nerve he was trying to avoid. He had tried to remain cool and casual as Orochimaru was mentioned; a little curious how he could have that information.
Public knowledge was it..?
Sasuke's knuckles were white as he gripped his own arms, his cat-like eyes glinting as he turned them away from Ibiki.
"…yes." He said his tone not as smooth though he kept the emotion from his eyes.
Did Naruto know that too..?
Sasuke didn't know what he was thinking, feeling, hearing his own heartbeat pulsing in his brain and he tried to keep his head level.
Ibiki almost smirked.
Elevated heart beat.
Shifting of the eyes.
He was still telling the truth, but he was getting thrown from his rocker now. "At seventeen you started to loose yourself to the power of your eyes." Ibiki started, "Which resulted in you killing your brother, is it not?"
Sasuke was glad for the change of subject even though the subject of his brother wasn't the best either.
Memories of the clan floated through his conscious and with a growl and shoved them from his mind.
It made him concentrate on his failure…
He couldn't destroy Konoha, couldn't kill Naruto.
"Yes." Sasuke nearly growled, forcing his gaze back on Ibiki, clearly having lost his even footing -- he was allowing himself to be baited; allowing himself to fall victim to his own tormented memories.
"Then you travelled through the region killing as you went before you ended up back at Konoha, where you killed another five Anbu, before trying to take out Naruto." Ibiki continued his voice still hard, but not giving away any emotions.
"But you didn't know that Naruto was Hokage, and started to loose what was left of your mind." He was giving Sasuke his own theory now. "You had planned on killing the entire village -- another twelve thousand people for you to butcher in cold blood-- before you would have saved Naruto for last!"
Sasuke smirked then, his eyes narrow as he shot the man a pointed look. He tried to ignore how the other speech had set him off footing -- but now he was back in control.
Murder in cold blood..?
That's how it would be viewed.
It was all for his revenge.
Sasuke had no remorse, not now; he didn't give a damn about anyone that had gotten in his way. That was until the one in his way was Naruto.
He turned his eyes away then, annoyed by his own failure but at the same time unable to voice his thoughts on it.
"You're wrong." Sasuke said in his cold tone, that same almost arrogant smirk on his lips. "Naruto wouldn't have died." He shrugged, catching his misplaced thoughts, "He would be the sole survivor, like I had been for my clan."
Though that was an excuse.
Sasuke just couldn't kill the fox, his stupid heart had saved him; that stupid compromise he couldn't go back on no matter how much he had wanted to.
Well...
It didn't matter now.
He owned the Hokage-sama.
Naruto was his and no one else's.
Sasuke let himself be drawn into that pleasant fact, avoiding Ibiki's gaze.
"Really." Ibiki snapped back.
"Twelve thousand people to let one be miserable for the rest of their life because they couldn't protect the ones they really loved." He shook his head, "What were you going to do with him, hm? Fuck him like you do now until there was nothing left but a body? And then what?"
His calculating eyes took in the way Sasuke's eyes seemed to perk up at the sound of death and blood and Naruto. "Would you do the same things to Naruto that Orochimaru did to you? Just let him waste away in his sorrow? And when he died three to four months later -- because his heart can't take it anymore - what would you do then, Sasuke? Dump him body off on the side of your travels and let it go?"
Sasuke shouldn't let himself get riled up.
But god damn it he wanted the man to shut up!
It wasn't true!
He wasn't using Naruto; he would never touch the fox like Orochimaru did to him!
But then...
Sasuke stopped, the words caught in his throat, emotions swirling oddly inside of him and he didn't know how to think.
Memories of Naruto on the floor; his neck bleeding, his body prone and writhing. Sasuke kept his glare on Ibiki but he didn't know what to say anymore.
...it wasn't true.
His mind was torn, half of him enjoyed the power -- liked controlling the fox -- knowing he was the leader of Konoha.
...but the other part of him...
Hated it.
But then a piece of him feared, feared Naruto really didn't enjoy him the way he did, was uncertain of the love inside of the blonde was the same as the deep rooted weak emotion inside of himself.
...love.
Sasuke hated that emotion.
Hated it with every fiber of his being.
Love for Itachi, love for his clan, love for Naruto.
...love of power, of death, of hate.
It was all the same, swirling and eating at his conscious and Sasuke was losing himself. He wanted to respond, react, and destroy that smug face that was staring at him.
He wanted to do something!
"Shut the fuck up!" He snarled, his nails digging into his own skin, the pain not registering as his eyes bled a dangerous red.
Ibiki didn't miss a beat at the threat thrown at him.
Sasuke was powerless against him.
"You would have continued on, wouldn't you? Fucking him when you wanted, then tossing him aside when you were done. Not caring about the tears, or the pleas for you to stop, or even to end his life." His voice was still easy going, just packing on the theory, not caring if it were true or not.
"You would wake up one morning and he wouldn't. His wrists and throat slit open by his own hand or a kunai in his heart..." He continued to paint the picture for Sasuke.
He could hear Sasuke's heart racing and the eyes darkening in anger.
"You would shrug and pack up, leaving the body without another look, going on to your next victim without a care in the world."
Sasuke was fighting with himself; he wanted the bastard to shut up!
Naruto wouldn't kill himself.
He wouldn't kill Naruto.
Sasuke's brow twitched, his whole body shaking from his inner rage, trying to force the images from his mind but he was having so much trouble.
Replaced were images of himself; of Orochimaru, of his own pain and the feeling of being used and destroyed from the inside out.
No!
Sasuke grabbed his own head, his nails digging into his scalp and pulling at his hair.
He wanted it all to stop!
He had lost composure, he just couldn't see anything but the snake bastard -- couldn't see anything but his dead blue-eyed blonde and it was killing his heart.
His body was burning, his heart beating frantically and he knew that Ibiki was feeding off of it, probably enjoying it.
God damn it!
He was so weak…useless…
He wanted to do something, he wanted to attack, he wanted to kill this bastard!
Ibiki smirked and stood up, "You'd go on living, killing, stealing, fucking whoever." He continued almost lazily.
He stood next to Sasuke, and gripped the man's wrists tightly and pulled them away from his ears as he leaned down, his lips next to Sasuke's ears.
"And then one morning, you'd wake up." He paused letting his voice drop, "And realize, you had become Orochimaru's successor."
Sasuke felt the hands on his wrists, his eyes forcing to stare up into Ibiki's as the man got disgustingly close to him.
He could smell his scent, feel his body heat, felt the warm breath over his ear and the words finally caused him to snap.
In a rush of movement Sasuke was out of the chair, forcing Ibiki away from him, twisting his small wrists out of the man's grasp as he threw him back against his desk.
He was breathing heavily, his heart pounding in his ears, his eyes wild. He had smashed the chair he had been sitting in, taking a piece of broken sharp wood and coming upon the larger man in a blur of movement.
He had the man pinned against the desk, his back contorted at an unpleasant angle, the wood stabbed against his throat, his hand forceful as he tried to keep Ibiki immobile.
His breathing were ragged pants, the wood not yet piercing the flesh, his expression hard to read as the thoughts raced through his mind.
Orochimaru's successor...
Orochimaru...
Shut up!
Sasuke put force behind the wooden steak -- hoping to drive it right through the bastard's tender neck.
Ibiki moved quickly as Sasuke started to push the broken wood into his neck.
Bringing his knee up into Sasuke's ribs, he knocked the man to the side, and easily slide his own wrist free, before he head-butted the Uchiha, the hiteate splitting Sasuke's eyebrow open.
He pushed Sasuke up and off of him, and ripped the wood out of the man's hands before he turned the Uchiha and forced him to the ground.
He set his knee in the small of Sasuke's back, and gripped the wrist tightly behind his back, pulling up, threatening to dislocate the elbow and shoulder joint.
Sasuke was completely unstable.
Looking up to the window, which was hidden by the darkness, he nodded, knowing medics would come in, sedate him and report to the council.
Sasuke had failed.
A/n:
Chapter complete. Finally right? Okay, me and Kareian have been working on this story like, non-stop which is a reason I hadn't had time to edit and post anything. That and I'm addicted to youtube abd facebook as of now.
Horrible right? Yeah, updated will come as quickly as I can get them out. Please keep supporting us!