Displaced

Act I— A Complicated Truth

And finding answers,
Is forgetting all of the questions we called home,
Passing the graves of the unknown.

As someone once said— it is better to walk through darkness with a friend beside you than walk alone in sunlight.

Never underestimate your friends; they are the family you choose.

(Choose carefully, and love with your whole heart.)

There are approximately two dozen Root-associated locations large and inaccessible enough that records could be stored within. I've cobbled this map of mine from Itachi and Kakashi-sensei's recollections and extrapolated other possible locations by abusing the hell out of the ability of the sharingan to see patterns.

There are far more than a dozen locations if I widen my search criteria... but I can worry about the less likely ones later.

Root headquarters are likely based in the maze-like warren underneath Konoha; I plan to stay the hell away from there if possible. My targets are what appear to be randomly placed bunkers throughout Hi no Kuni. There a handful of facilities placed outside our borders as well, of course, but those are even less accessible. Besides, who would store sensitive information there?

Getting into these bunkers could be problematic, as I must remain undetected. Even given my facility with genjutsu, this is going to be troublesome, as some might say.

Still, despite the fact that Kakashi is my superior officer, he didn't stop me. And Aniki didn't require that much badgering to agree... Who am I kidding, this is a crazy idea. But as long as I acknowledge and accept the risks, that's fine.

Leaning forward, I scrutinize the map. The seventeenth is probably too well-protected for an early attempt. I need to become more familiar with their security before going there. Regardless, that leaves several options: two, thirteen, fi— a familiar voice interrupts my thought process. "I seem to recall that we had this discussion before, Sasuke. Particularly after you insisted on facing Uchiha Itachi alone."

I flush in mortification at being snuck up on. Unless I'm actively focusing, the members of Team Seven don't register as a danger to my senses. Glancing over my shoulder, I find Shino looming in a rather unsettling manner. 'You are involved in something dangerous and attempting to leave us behind again' is strongly implied in his glare. It's an… oddly specific glare.

He eyes the map I've been bent over for the past half hour with suspicion. "Ino sent me. You are late for dinner," he adds as an explanation for his presence. We're both on an 'off' week for ANBU, focusing mostly on training and taking lower ranking missions close to home. Messenger duty, gathering intel, bandit elimination... Maintaining our cover as chuunin. At least that's what I'm supposed to be doing.

"Hn." I gesture to the map, scowling. "I'm busy."

"Unimportant. You will be joining us for dinner, unless you wish to deal with Ino in a mood." Reaching over, he grips my shoulder, leaning forward. "You have been distracted. Ino is worried." And she's not the only one; the fact that he's initiating any sort of physical contact is an obvious sign.

"You are not permitted to leave us behind again. Why? Because we are a team. Do not make me repeat myself."

Shit, but I should have expected them to pry. Fingers combing through my bangs, I sigh in frustration. "...Did Kakashi-sensei put you up to this?" On the other hand? Waving a hand, I dismiss that idea, "No, never mind—" It's unlikely, and you wouldn't admit it anyway.

"Shino, this is related to what we discussed after the last time I was... distracted. And—" that mission as Eleven and Four, my hands sign in the shorthand that mixes ANBU signals and the more personal sign language our genin team developed. The immediate tenseness in his frame and soft hum of aggravated kikaichuu signal his understanding.

"Given that, are you certain you want to get involved?"

Giving a reassuring squeeze to my shoulder before releasing it, Shino nods solemnly, "Yes. And Ino does, as well. Have we not said so already?"

Even if it could easily be misconstrued as treason? Hell, forget misconstrued, even if this can easily become treason!

I close my eyes in defeat, knowing they won't let this go."Alright." If we fail, we fall together. I seal the map and relevant notes away, storage scroll disappearing into the depths of my pockets. "Then let's go to dinner before Ino decides we're both trying to skive off."

Mealtime is tense; I am distracted by my thoughts and pick at my food. The meeting we have afterwards even more so— but I now have two willing co-conspirators, much to my chagrin.

Even so, it feels good to know that I am not alone.

It takes weeks for the three of us to scout the more low-risk targets and choose one to infiltrate. I must admit it would have taken me five times longer were I trying to do this by myself. Once again, I find myself immensely thankful for my friends' unwavering loyalty.

I honestly don't know what I did to deserve them.

We decide to begin with what appears to be, according to some preliminary scouting by Shino and his allies, a rarely-used bolt hole. Said bunker is conveniently located near a Konoha outpost, on the far side of Hi no Kuni. Convenient, as chuunin messengers typically deliver missives to said outpost on a monthly basis. As current intervillage tensions mean nobody below full jounin rank travels alone, a 'lucky' duo of chuunin is assigned to the task. That duo being Ino and I— she recently petitioned for mission time outside of the T&I division.

Looks like Fate is on my side for once. Funny how that is.

Ino and I travel through the trees a reasonable speed for chuunin, taking advantage of the forested terrain. Summer is slowly relinquishing its grip, and the leaves that surround us as we travel have are vivid shades of yellow and orange, with the occasional smattering of red. The morning that we set out is cool and crisp, but by noon the oppressive heat and humidity of early autumn in Hi no Kuni has reasserted its dominance.

We arrive at the outpost precisely on time, and leave early the next morning, after a quick breakfast of the usual nutrient-rich but barely palatable rations. A few miles out, I gesture, weaving an illusion to cloak us, and we melt into our surroundings. We veer from the officially planned course back to Konoha, heading towards our target.

Soon enough, it is in view. A ramshackle hut, its roof half-caved in by rain, a young tree peeking out from within the resulting hole. The building looks decrepit, as if it is about to be swallowed up by the forest. It does not look like a suitable shelter even for the most desperate traveler.

Impressively unappealing.

We linger at the edges of the overgrown clearing the hut is in, safely hidden in the foliage of a large oak. I tap Ino's shoulder, murmuring quietly, "I've covered both of us with a sound-dampening illusion. Unless you tie in and start feeding it chakra, it will only hold for fifteen minutes after I depart. Twenty at best." I sense no other human heartbeats in the area. "Play lookout for me?" She is more than capable of intercepting and incapacitating anyone that approaches the building.

Ino rolls her eyes— we decided our roles early into the planning phase for this renegade mission— but nods nevertheless, adding, "Be safe."

"I'll be fine." Flashing her a roguish smile over my shoulder, I give a small wave before dropping to the forest floor.

According to Shino, who was responsible for initial scouting, the entrance should be inside a half-rotted wardrobe. Carefully prying open the shack's only door, I peer into the dank room, letting my eyes adjust to the low light. My eyes catch the glint of light reflecting from ninja wire, as thin as spider silk and sharp as any blade, and easily overlooked by an unwary intruder. A veritable web of filamentous, clear wire covers the floor at roughly ankle-level, a second layer is placed a little below chest-level for an average-sized adult male. Additionally, there is some sort of seal painted on the far wall— just slightly off-color compared to the surrounding wood. Suppressing a sigh, I activate my sharingan, taking a closer look at the walls and floor for any other hidden surprises.

This place... is completely loaded with traps. And I really need to study up on more obscure fuuinjutsu used for security.

I step carefully, torso twisting this way and that to avoid the wires, nimbly weaving through the possibly-very-permanently-lethal obstacle course. Making it to one of the farthermost corners of the hut requires acrobatics, but I am up to the task.

The wardrobe is remarkably innocuous. After examining the outside thoroughly, I nudge the doors open with my foot. There it is—the entrance. In full view.

I can't help but think this is too easy... Stepping back, I turn my head and consider the seal on the wall. I suppose I could try to overload it, but even if that works, it might cause an explosion... Hn. No, I suppose it's better to call for backup.

Hands flying through familiar gestures, I intone, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Nao," placing my dominant hand on the ground. Black script crawls down my hands, forming a circular seal on the dirt floor.

There is a sound of displaced air, and a waft of light gray smoke.

The salamander that appears is unusually small, about the size of a cat despite being a fully-grown adult. And the reason that I summoned him? Nao specializes in fuuinjutsu. "Nao-senpai... could you take a look at the seal on that wall?" His specialty are seals for demolition and storage, particularly storage seals that can hold unstable poisons. This is because, despite his coloring, a particularly vivid neon green, Nao has no poison of his own. Nor does he have chakra control fine-tuned enough to be more than an average medic. What he does have, is a head for mathematics, a steady hand, and a mind like a steel trap. So, understandably, he adapted. He is one of the few salamanders that dedicated himself to a field other than poison-based techniques or iryojutsu.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, you always get into the most interesting messes! As far as I can tell, that's one part doorbell, and one part lock. Needs you to pulse your chakra in a specific pattern to unlock the door. And if you choose the wrong pattern... you notify whoever's on the other side and, well, you can guess the result."

I curse vehemently under my breath. So much for a stealthy approach! "Any chance you can figure out the combination?"

"Hmm... Well, it's not my specialty, but I should be able to build a temporary workaround. Give me a few minutes."

A tense ten minutes later, I touch the seal, pulsing my chakra— three short bursts, and one long one. The hatch in the wardrobe opens soundlessly.

"Anything else?" Nao demands tersely. "I've got teaching to get back to."

"...Come along and help keep an eye out for traps, please? Somehow I doubt that's the last of them, and your fuuinjutsu knowledge by far outpaces mine."

"Sure, sure. I suppose I can." Giving a put-upon sigh, Nao clambers over to my outstretched arm, then hurries up to my shoulder, settling there and looping his tail around the back of my neck for stability. This gives him a better vantage point, and is no hassle to me.

Nodding in thanks, I stand to my full height, and reach in the wardrobe to pull open the hatch. "Thank you, Nao-senpai. I appreciate it."

The air is a little stale, but otherwise unremarkable. No scent of blood or death this time, I think with a sardonic smile, not yet anyway. Cloaking us in a genjutsu, I enter a winding hallway leading downwards, the floor at perhaps a forty-five-degree slant.

The walls are the plain grey of solid concrete. I follow the path slowly, footfalls silent, pausing at each turn— the hallway proves to be a downward spiral. No doubt a defensive measure. Regardless; the traps are easy enough for us to spot, and no living enemies make themselves known. I cannot sense any heartbeats besides Nao's quiet flutter, and my own steady beat.

The first archway we come to leads into a small office— modest metal desk paired with an uncomfortable-looking, unembellished chair. A half-empty bookshelf stands to the left of this set. A quick perusal reveals a handful of training manuals for more common taijutsu forms and the like. The only thing of interest on the shelves is a leather-bound, unlabeled book. Flipping through it, I find what appears to be detailed records of supplies— cookware, basic first aid kits... It seems to contain lists of things procured for this hideaway; again, nothing exciting. I let the cover fall shut, and slide it back into place.

Stalking back out of the room, I continue on my way. In short order, I find a moderate-sized training room with lightly padded floors, with a fully-stocked armory attached. The next door leads to a dormitory of sorts, six narrow bunk beds packed into a relatively small space; the arrangement is such that the room feels claustrophobic. Next, a dining hall and kitchen, fully-stocked with non-perishable food.

This place just seems to be an unused bolt hole.

How annoying.

All that effort, and this bunker is a complete bust. The only interesting things inside are the traps.

Amusingly, despite his grumbling about the chaos I always involve him in, Nao seems just as disappointed by this fact as I am.

Early morning light filters through the canopy above her, bathing the wooded area she's watching in a golden-yellow tint. The morning is quiet, barring the birdcalls, the usual sounds of forest wildlife going about their mornings. The air is clear and crisp, a cool breeze rustling the leaves hiding her from view.

So boring! Ino bemoans in her head as she waits, settled in a relaxed crouch. Balanced on a large, sturdy branch, the trunk at her back, there's not much to do besides watch and wait. Why did I miss taking missions out of the village again? She can't quite recall. Ah well. I doubt Sasuke-kun's self-appointed task is much more exciting. And in this case, boring is probably a good thing, she admits, nose wrinkling in distaste.

The crackle of a branch breaking underfoot pulls Ino from her reverie. The birdsong disappears.

Noise? How unprofessional. Anticipation blooms to life in her chest as she waits for the likely enemies to approach closer. She eases into a standing position, form relaxed, eyes gleaming with amusement, donning a predatory smile. I suppose I'll just have to teach them a lesson.

Her opponents are trio of ninja, one visibly younger than the other two, and most likely the least experienced of the three— that much she can tell at a glance. Least experienced, does not mean the least dangerous, mind. While their body language is neutral and their cloaks and masks similar to the ones worn by Konoha ANBU... well, considering their approximate ages, the blank masks are all she really needs to see to verify them as potential targets. Hm! She thinks with a twist of her lips, Let's see how strong Danzou's mockups truly are.

Shinranshin no Jutsu. Her will and chakra are as sharp as any kunai, slicing into the two older shinobi's minds, severing their control of their bodies. The youngest shinobi in the trio startles in confusion when they turn, and thus is quickly felled with a blow to the side of the head.

Ino lands in a squat behind her two temporary puppets, brushing off her shorts as she rises. She directs them to restrain her unconscious hostage, first tying him securely to a tree, and then casually shattering his wrists— a sharp crack that echoes in the clearing— and tying his fingers together in a complicated pattern. She does the same to her two temporary lackeys, before releasing them into unconsciousness with judicious use of violence— blows to the back of the head.

Humming softly, she strips her fallen adversaries of their weapons, then their masks, finding their faces are reassuringly unfamiliar. Lastly, she checks them over for any last gambits— suicide capsules in their teeth and the like. She does find some of the latter, and gleefully extracts the suspect teeth. The seal she finds tattooed on their tongues, however, is more troublesome, to quote one of her oldest friends... It is not as if she can remove that particular appendage and still expect a coherent conversation.

On the other hand, there are always the Yamanaka specials, too. Though experience has taught her that as feared as her family techniques are, they are not fool proof. Nothing ever is. A sufficiently well-trained mind and powerful will can resist her. When used against shinobi targets, Yamanaka jutsu designed for information retrieval are best used in combination with torture, or at the very least, psychotropic substances. A well-kept secret, and the reason why Yamanaka often take a year or two working in Konoha's T&I department.

Waiting for one of her new playmates to regain consciousness, she toys with the idea of stripping them naked, just to be extra sure they're defenseless. Besides, there is a certain amount of psychological stress they would suffer because of the lack of control. It might be to her benefit.

It's certainly not because she's a bit of a letch due to Anko's influence. Really.

Surprisingly, it's one of the two she'd subdued with her jutsu that begins to stir first. Brown hair, hazel eyes— wholly unremarkable face. She checks on the other two, injecting each enemy ninja with a dose of sleep-inducing poison to ensure they remain incapacitated.

"Oh? I'm glad you're awake, shinobi-san! We're going to have such fun." She says with a beatific smile, kunai dangling loosely in her left hand. Let's see how long it takes to make you sing.

By the time Sasuke returns from his venture into the bunker, Ino is scowling, gaze drifting between her three downed opponents, flipping a bloodied kunai in her off hand. She eyes the restrained shinobi with a hint of frustration.

Sasuke quicks a brow in question, gesturing to the haggard-looking trio, "I see we have company. Anything useful, or..?"

She shakes her head, "Bastards won't speak. They're not mute; they can scream just fine. There is some sort of seal on their tongues, paralyzes them when they try to reveal anything useful. And, well... Their minds are protected somehow. I can incapacitate them, but their surface thoughts are— slippery, is probably the best description. I've never encountered anything like it. Unfortunately, we don't really have the time for a proper, deep mind-dive." And I don't know if it would help, anyway. For all we know, they have a suicide seal that is triggered by that level of mental contact.

Canting his head slightly, Sasuke glances to the Salamander perched on his shoulder. "Nao-senpai, would you be willing to take a look?"

The summons hops down from the Uchiha's shoulder and scampers over to and up the torso of the closest enemy shinobi, prying his mouth open, surprisingly nimble digits grasping the man's tongue. A quick look and he is ambling back, expression apologetic, "Sorry, Sasuke-kun. That seal is beyond my skill level. It's something an Uzumaki could unravel. Or the toad's perverted summoner; he's supposed to be a master."

"I see." Ino and Sasuke share a glance, understanding passing between them. We won't be able to get anything more from them. All three Root shinobi summarily find themselves with a kunai buried in the back of their neck, severing their spines. The cadavers are swiftly incinerated with a fire jutsu; the only hint of their passing is the trio of singed tree trunks. That, and a tongue etched with a fuuinjutsu, secured in preservative fluid in a small glass jar.

After sealing away his prize, Sasuke bows to Nao. "Thank you again for your help. Any requests?" The green salamander gives him a shrewd look, before nodding resolutely. "Omuraisu."

It takes a moment for Ino to understand the exchange. Ah! He bribes them with his cooking? Sasuke-kun, that's so unfair!

"As usual, huh. I'll send your portion back with someone after I get home. Tell Kuroi-chan I said hello?"

"Hmm, of course. She'll be glad to hear from you as usual." He nods sagely, "Anyway. It's been fun, but I suppose I should get back to work." The salamander disappears with a near-silent pop, leaving behind a waft of grey smoke.

Ino grins impishly, batting her eyelashes at Sasuke. "Ne, Sasuke-kun... So can I have some Omuraisu too?" Chuckling softly at her antics, the Uchiha nods, "Sure. You know I'm glad to cook for you and Shino anytime."

Many of the places that Shino, Ino and I infiltrate are locked with that alarm seal. Always, the entrances are rigged with an abundance of traps. Often, alarm seals as well as trap-type seals are distributed throughout the hideaways we explore. We seldom encounter Danzou's shinobi, and after the first time, those we do see remain unaware of our presence. No need to interact with them. After all, there's nothing to gain from an encounter.

I pass through the various hideouts and bolt-holes like a ghost, barely stirring the air. Always searching... But there is little information to be found, incriminating or otherwise. A sinking feeling settles in my gut. I begin to suspect that we will have to consider infiltrating the maze concealed beneath Konoha.

Luckily, on the seventh attempt, I finally find what I've been searching for.

It is a small room, tucked away from the central areas of this base. Dim lighting illuminates rows of shelves, tightly packed with scrolls. The room is relatively clean of dust, and I spot a discreet seal above the doorway, a standard preservation one I recognize. It is likely no one comes here with any sort of regularity.

Good, then if I find any incriminating information, I can replace the scroll with a blank.

The shelves are labeled with dates, and several sport small, carved symbols. Clan symbols. Some are familiar, but most are not.

After scouring the area for traps, I grab the nearest offering—a scroll from a shelf without a clan symbol, and scan the contents. I find a long list of names and ages, occasionally with an additional mark or note beside the name.

Male, Age: 14, Designation: Sora

Female, Age: 17, Designation: Nana, potential medic.

There are records of younger children—toddlers— with even less information. A string of numbers and letters instead of a 'designation' or name.

Male, Age: 2, SZ0093, poor eyesight.

Checking the symbols present on the shelves, these are likely records of clan members shanghaied into Root over the years, whether willingly or not— Aburame, Kurama, Nara... a handful of others. The number of scrolls for clan members is significantly lower than those with apparently civilian backgrounds. A few minutes, and I locate records marked with a familiar uchiwa fan. There is, indeed, a scroll dated after the massacre.

I suppress a reflexive snarl, expression twisting with anger before it smooths into a neutral mask. I really hate being right.

A close examination of the paperwork reveals that there are Uchiha currently in Danzou's clutches. I scan through the records hurriedly, sharingan active, mindful of what could be a limited window of opportunity. This base has been empty of life so far, but...

Uchiha Male, Age: 15, Designation: Sai

Uchiha Male, Age: 11, Designation: Noh

Uchiha Male, Age: 7, U0016

Uchiha Female, Age: 5, U0027

Uchiha Male, Age: 3, U0042

Uchiha Female, Age: 3, U0043

Horror curls in my chest, the feeling of a serpent constricting my heart.

Six children.

Six children, mostly boys, all of them younger than me. Judging by the ages, several of my newly found cousins were likely conceived in a test tube. And guessing from their 'serial numbers' and the difference in age— whatever process Danzou's people use does not have a high likelihood of success.

I clamp down on my emotions further, swallowing my anger; I can't afford to descend into a rage right now. Leaving traces of my presence could place me under suspicion, yes. If there are members of Root in this bunker I would likely have to fight my way out, as well. More importantly, if I get caught now, those children— innocents, my blood, my family, my responsibility— would remain in Danzou's custody, if not culled to hide his misdeeds.

Only the Kami know what he's planning to use them for.

I inhale slowly, and then exhale, pushing those thoughts aside. The incriminating scroll is tucked away, hidden on my person, replaced by an empty fake. I stroll aroung the room, picking a handful of other scrolls at random and replacing them with blanks as well.

I have the proof I need.

Well. The level of casual violence certainly went up more than I expected/planned. (When did Ino become so terrifying? She insisted on having some screen time, but did it have to be so disturbing...)

Also, please pardon me while I laugh maniacally.

Quick question— should I up the rating to M? It's hard for me to guess the appropriate rating given that ninja-world violence is... yeah. I'm not planning to write smut, but you should expect the level of violence to increase as conflicts escalate.

Finally, for guest reviewers:

Xiu: No problem, I think I got the gist of what you were saying. No, I'm not planning on writing yaoi or slash. Barring something wild and weird spat out by my muses, Sasuke is going to be pursuing a relationship with Temari.

Felius: Sasuke's summons were intentionally not mentioned in Transposed and instead revealed in a Transposed 'verse side-story (Fellowship). They're also mentioned in a second side-story (Chasing Shadows). Per several reviewer's requests, I've edited the first chapter, adding a summary of what has happened so far in Transposed 'verse at the bottom. But assuming you read this chapter, you'll know what his summons are before you get to this message...

*Lyrics quoted at the top of the chapter are from "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.