Chapter VI: Setting Into Place

Tatami Iwashi shifted uncomfortably as he stood watch. Two other chuunin guards were by his side, behaving the complete opposite of him. They stood upright, calm and collected. Of course they were probably used to guard duty, unlike him, but still that wasn't what sent him a bit off edge. Neither of them had watched the Chuunin Exams, and consequentially they didn't think much of this new prisoner.

But Iwashi knew otherwise, he'd still remembered that video footage he saw with Anko and the two other ANBU. Those cold eyes…

The door screeched open, quickly breaking away his thoughts. The giant form of Ibiki walked out, followed by an ANBU, both of them all too serious. This was the third day they had been interrogating this prisoner, and once again they had come out empty handed.

"He's not saying anything," Ibiki said more to himself. He motioned for Iwaski to follow as well, considering that they needed to examine his footage again.

"Those Sand genin are tough," the ANBU commented walking beside the Jounin. "They were able to complete the second exam in 97 minutes. Clearly they're way above their rank."

"No, that's not it," Ibiki responded walking away from the steel doors and acknowledged the guards supervision.

"What is it, then?" The chuunin asked keeping pace with his two superiors.

"He hasn't said anything since he got here. It's been two weeks and he hasn't said one word. Not even to ask where he is," the ANBU answered.

"That kid… There's something wrong with him…. Mentally," Ibiki said continuing to walk ahead. "It's like he's in his own world. He just sits there, and stares at the wall."

Iwashi gulped. Despite his size and age, this kid was disturbing.

"I doubt this kid is going to do anything, but just in case continue to keep him on full watch. Anything he does report it to me."

"Hai!" Another subordinates saluted, watching as Ibiki pass through a second steel door and disappear down a corridor.

"Sir, what are you going to do with him? The other Sand genin told us he didn't know anything about Orochimaru; what makes you think that he'll know something as well?"

Ibiki suddenly stopped almost causing Iwashi and the ANBU to crash into him.

"That boy was meant to do something for his village. I just want to know what," he said eerily picking up his pace again. "Besides we have other things to worry about."

"Yes," the ANBU said lowered his masked face to view the ground sadly. "Tomorrow is Hokage-sama's funeral."

----

Metal clanged on the floor as the blonde kunoichi tried to move her bounded hands. The simple task was hard enough, considering that her body was feverous and weak. She looked down at her wounded arm, remembering how the silent needle stabbed deeply within her flesh. It hadn't been that serious of a wound back then, but now the wound had considerably opened to show the raw muscle tissue. The destroyed tissue was no longer a deep red, instead it had transformed into a nasty greenish color. Clear pus would trickle down her arm, informing her that the wound was deeply infected.

"Stupid fever," Temari scowled out loud, trying to wipe the sweat that was forming on her forehead. It would only be a matter of time before this fever got too high; draining the little amount of energy she had left.

After waking up into the dark and small cell, she had a premonition on what had happened. Now, her only thoughts were the whereabouts of Kankurou and Gaara. Being a brilliant strategist, she began to formulate a plan to escape from this cell and search for her brothers. The problem was that the opportunity hadn't sprung up for her to take action. No one had come by, so she was stuck sitting around patiently waiting for a chance.

Sighing deeply, Temari closed her eyes in deep thought. "Guys I hope you're alright."

----

"Hey what the hell is that stuff?"

"Huh?" The older Leaf chuunin turned his head to what his younger comrade was pointing to. Both of them were in charge of examining and recording all the objects that the prisoners carried when they were captured. There was always the usual weapon, medical supply, and food; however these Sand genin had been carrying strange objects with them. Naturally it was put into storage, but it was only up till now that they were actually looking through them.

"Must be those Sand genin stuff," the older man replied turning to write something on the clipboard he was carrying. "I heard they used them as some sort of weapons during the Chuunin Exams."

"You're kidding me! Are you saying that someone would a use heavy gourd and a gigantic fan as weapons?"

"Guess so," the older man responded not really carrying about the younger Leaf.

"These kids must have some serious back problems. I mean look at that gourd it has to weight at least 50 lbs!"

"Yeah," the older ninja responded, finishing from signing the documents. He sighed. Rookies, they just had to leave him with the new guy.

"I wonder what's in the mummified one."

"Just leave it alone. We're going to exam that stuff later," he said turning around to leave.

"Why can't we look at it now?"

"Because we have to meet with Ibiki, that's why. Something about check up on that kunoichi tomorrow."

"Oh?" the younger responded.

"Yeah, that's what I heard. Good riddance too, it'll be an easy job, instead of looking through all this rubbish. "

"How so? From what I heard in the finals, she was pretty scary against that Nara kid."

"Yeah, but that kunoichi's probably dead. She did have a nasty wound when we brought her in. At least we'll be able to leave early tomorrow, for the memorial service."

He snorted.

"Good thing too! I can't wait to get out of this place! I mean the entire place stinks and there are rats everywhere." He complained and just as cue a fat, black rat came out of a hole in the wall, immediately his face turned into deep disgust.

"Hurry up we have to get going," he said walking out of the small room.

"Alright, I'm coming!"

As he was about to leave he felt something walk across his foot. "Eek… Maybe that's why sempai is so upset about this place. It is rather disgusting," he said to himself as he realized that the rat had dashed into the storage room; its bare tail hid behind the Sand genin's weapons.

The younger chuunin looked backed at the odd weapons. Who would really carry such useless objects around? The mummified objected stood out the most: brownish type hair stood on the tip, resembling an ear of cob.

"I wonder what's in that thing…. I suppose a quick look won't make any harm," he convinced himself bending down and lifted the bandaged object, grunting slightly at the weight.

Whatever was in there sure was heavy.

Maybe this is a corpse, the rookie thought to himself. He gripped the end of a bandage and slowly began unbind it. Unrolling and unrolling it, he was slightly amazed on how much bandage this thing actually had. As he near the object inside, a light brownish color started to appear. Bit by bit the shape started to form. An eye started to appear, follow by three crooked teeth.

But that only drove his curiosity.

Another two eyes started to appear, while the bandages started to become harder to pull apart.

Hard brownish texture touched his fingerprints and he realized that the brownish hair texture was really connected to an oval head.

Finally when he was at the very end on the bandages, he looked at the object that was inside and gasped out loud in horror.

"AHAHAA!"

"What's the matter?" his comrade called out running back to the room, a kunai in his hand, ready for any action. However he didn't expect to see the idiotic rookie on the floor, bandages all over the place, and an ugly wooden round object on the floor.

"What the hell I thought you were attack! I ran back all this way, for nothing!"

"Sorry about that," he said grinning sheepishly. "It was some type of marionette that was inside, and its head fell off," he stood up, shutting one eye, and walking away from the decapitated marionette he was so curious about.

"Baka," his comrade scowled walking away from him. "Leave those things alone. Pfft, you might start crying about that giant fan as well."

"Geez… I said I was sorry!"

----

The puppet master sat alone in the dark small cell. His fingers twisted awkwardly. The metal handcuffs were discharged behind him. Thin chakra strings sprang from his right hand, running on the floor. Despite the pain of his unhealed fingers, he grinned widely.

"Good job Karasu."