Sorry about not updating this story last month I was preoccupied with updating another: Breaking the Cycle!
Not my longest chapter but keep in mind there's a lot going on here. Pay close attention!
On with the show!
Naruto grinned with a small smile as he walked next to Konohamaru and Hanabi through the village; mask on.
From the second part of the Chuunin Exam the Hokage had explained the hidden purpose of the Chuunin Exams to the exhausted Genin: A cold purpose of political battles measuring strengths and weaknesses and attracting bags of money for the betterment of each village. Since then Hiruzen told each contestant to train for one month for the third part of the Chunin Exam to give the audience the best show for their money.
Days later the genin had begun training madly for their matches in the finals.
Now, however, Naruto and his 'sisters', as Hiruzen referred to Haku and Tenten, were assigned to study under Anko in preparation for their end in T&I training. The Hokage had said to learn from various sources to diversify their repertoire. Personally, Naruto wished to end a person's silence the fastest way possible, so reluctantly he agreed. He was pretty sure that was Haku and Tenten's goal as well from their late night chats when the couch and the coffee table was the most comfortable.
But right now Naruto walked beside both the Hokage's grandson and the Hyuga's princess with a soft laugh. Gentle sun brilliantly alive tickled Hanabi's cheek. Cool faced she had the bearest of smiles akin to Konan's.
Naruto chuckled as Konohamaru checked to see if he was still following. The boy and his girlfriend had dragged him away from his 'sisters' to bring him to a restaurant for something important. Vital if he was feeling jestly enough.
The place was called Flange, a nice little Café known for it's airy atmosphere and natural lighting, not to mention the parfaits. The strawberry ones were his favorite. When they entered from a busied street and ordered, the three sat in comfortable silence. Sounds of pitter patter from the waiters and waitresses tapped a erratic string of music with the sounds of customers amusement for the vocals. After a moment, Konohamaru checked long for their waiter, as if the slightest disruption would corrupt his important message.
"So what do you want to talk about, Konohamaru-kun?" He looked to Hanabi, "Hanabi-chan?"
Konohamaru's cheeks blushed while a smile graced him.
"I wanted to know something."
"Ah, You know a lot right? I mean, a lot, a lot. "
At this, Hanabi blushed.
He shrugged his shoulder, halfway concerned and amused."I know about as much as I think I do. What do you want to know, Konohamaru-kun?"
Concerned, Naruto leaned forward and in wonder, he tilted his head gently. Eyes narrowed considerately.
"We were wanting to know if you could..." Konohamaru looked away. Asking people for help suited him like fire to skin, yet he persevered, "Hanabi-chan and I were wanting to learn about being strong ninja."
The blush in Hanabi's cheeks deepened; she looked away in shame or embarrassment as Naruto stared at them curiously. His curiosity shot up in tandem with his thoughts.
Waves of soft light fluttered like butterflies into the Café likened as light as his hair.
Naruto had a bag-full of people he could ponder up that would be more adept at combat.
Chuunin or not he was only just promoted. Passing on training habits and tips that might not be so valid could get them killed if they developed the same.
"You know this can be discussed with more than just me, right? Haku-chan and Tenten-chan are aware of my skills and could help clarify better. Also Iruka-san has a lot of connections to higher-ranking Shinobi and Kunoichi from his days before teaching. He would be a better person to talk to about this."
"Ah, well, I, we..-"
"We wanted to know about relationships…" Hanabi spoke up.
"Relationships?"
Addled, Naruto shifted in his seat. Relationships numbered in last when both Konohamaru and Hanabi talked to him.
Now that he thought about it Hanabi had been around Konohamaru more since she joined their "family". Maybe Hanabi had taken his speech to heart since those days way back.
"To be frank, honestly so, I don't know much about relationships, but," he raised his hand, as if to dissuade them," if you are willing to bear with me I can offer what I know, small as that might be."
With relief in his eyes Konohamaru nodded with lighter nods and reddened cheeks. A shit-eating grin yet poked at Naruto's unkindled inner-antic when Konohamaru added, "You can throw the Shinobi advice in there too, if ya want."
"Maybe. Why did you not want Haku-chan or Tenten-chan to hear this?"
"Too embarrassing."
Rearing his head slowly back, Naruto considered this couldn't see why, until both the two stared straight into his own befuddled gaze. "Haku-neechan is shy and Tenten-neechan is too rough, you're just right!"
"Punny." Naruto grinned smally. "Well, sure, sure why not?"
An hour or so later, Naruto walked out of Flange. Their conversation over romance had been… informing. What he had with Haku and Tenten... they'd discussed it all… his talking with Konohamaru had been innocent enough and he had only told him about what Haku and Tenten did with him. Even so, his gears were turning, his thoughts were working over time and he wondered something: Were Naruto, Haku, and Tenten already on their way to a relationship, or were they already in one ?
Not knowing was what aggravated him.
Naruto pinched his nose as he turned into a back alley. He slipped his mask off. Was polygamy even legal? A relationship with two girls? Legal?
No one did that today. If there was a time when that was possible that time was long gone. He loved Haku and Tenten…
Naruto's head ached. He laid soft against the wall in thought.
Did he love them?
Wilder images still invaded his imagination with one especially disturbing him: He did not want to be some sort of pimp with a leash on them! But, how would he? Rubbing his hair in frustration and clearing his thoughts Naruto went back to the apartment to prepare for the assignment.
These thoughts were coming too fast.
Gush. A man grunted and heaved with only the barest of sodden light left in his eyes; bloodshot and struck by manic fear; his legs trembled. He gasped. Little lights above flickered on as palpable dark veiled each cone of light. A mirror reflected his ugly face. But only half or so while sweltering bruises and cuts lashed across his face like neat trenches. Lingering in the air smelled a raw odor of iron and burning hair that made his mouth and eyes water.
Blackness overshadowed him: A woman in shape with a deadly smile and acute eyes stared blankly down at him. From below he could see beginnings of a blackened cloak dangle below her ankle with strong black boots.
The mirror mocked him as his single eye widened. He felt blood down his leg but knew not to look for his own sanity.
"This part is always exciting." She grinned gently.
A graceful smile adorned her cheeks as his eyes widened and fear seized him again. Pain accompanied those words and he screeched in horror and wretched agony while his throat scrunched and tightened. Breaths did not summon with ease and his chest pounded as if every ill-fated puff was bluntly flailed by a hammer forged of strong steel.
His heart tore to pulse. He lurched forward…
However, two hands held him firmly in place, digging like daggers into his throat.
"Relax."
He watched as the figures arm stretched and spun a small valve behind him while sounds of iron and rust creaked.
Another cold rush of wind entered his veins and a roar of violent spasms trained the silence to fall and soon his clattering chair scraped to silence and stopped. When his body stilled the woman flicked his neck before a finger was placed.
She felt for a pulse.
One…
Two…
Three…
Another minute and her voice rang, "He's dead. Do you see now what this means for you?" She smiled and giggled after, but intentionally let the question dangle wanderlessly.
An empty silence filled the room. Zabuza watched on in silence as the light above that man flickered and eventually burned to nothing. From his place the twitching body was morosely silent as she plucked many tubes from his arms and necks and untied the bindings on his wrists and ankles. Pity glimmered in his eyes as blood squelched from the slashes and deep carves in the corpses naked chest .
That's what happened here if they were stupid, and silent. Many sized tubes were shoved into their veins and pumped full of some silvery liquid as the interrogators watched from a sheath of dark in what was essentially an execution, except with no trial and no jury.
Zabuza closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His wrists were coiled by leather bindings along with his ankles, knees and chest. Above hung two lamps, about as sardonically glaring as ever.
He had been captured a month or so before with his apprentice and dragged to Konoha where his long-lost pupil was now. Anger and betrayal marked his mind then, when he was captured. Then, wonderment on how Haku had changed, at how that boy with red-chakra was so close with her. Now though, his mind was orbiting just seeing her, to see if she was truly Konoha's.
"Joy, what do you want me to say?" Zabuza said boredly.
The woman wiped her hands but stayed within the womb of dark. "I want to know, you."
"What exactly makes me? " Zabuza asked with sarcasm.
The woman shrugged with a rattle snake coming to view from her sleeve, it's scales glaring as it's strong muscular spine peaked to view. "What do you think makes you? I wouldn't know. All I hear are rumors and reports."
Zabuza sighed and bit his face-wrappings, to bite air instead. That's right, the guards took his gauze.
"What do you want to know?" Zabuza wondered out light. The interrogator stayed quaint and let Zabuza speak. "What will get me and the brat outta here fastest?"
'And let me see Haku-chan' Zabuza added, thinking.
…..
Many bundles of information crossed Zabuza's mind. One of the Kiri rebellion, but Konoha would gain nothing. A few bandit camps would serve well but not for his purposes of leaving alive.
Zabuza's brows knitted together.
"...Have you heard of Kisame?"
The woman tilted and shook her head with crossed arms.
Zabuza nodded as his thoughts went awry. Temptation begged his tongue. "I want to make a deal, first."
"A deal...? Speak."
"I want to see Haku."
The lights in her eyes reflected dully as she stepped into the light slightly to reveal a bored-looking Anko.
"No," she stated pragmatically. With a tilted head Zabuza watched as she slinked around him. Hands slithering atop his skin like feathers to wind.
"Why?" Zabuza asked slowly, "Why won'-"
A whisper hushed near his ear, that of which quelled him, "The one captured is no more than a pet. While Haku is a prize unworthy of you and your wandering dog. Now," she quipped quietly, slowly "be silent of that. Speak only of importance and maybe I will consider not killing your pretty little Haku."
Zabuza's brows furrowed. "But you just said she was a prize?"
"A prize worth killing."
Suddenly, his ire rose and his patience was gone. "You wouldn't dare!" Tensing his muscles he scrambled under numerous bindings and seals that kept him locked and his energy ceased. He tugged and tested the bindings, finding nothing to break.
One more strong tug and he fell back. His breaths heavy and drowned from loss of strength and he knew he wasn't going anywhere.
Zabuza laid bare on a plane of steel, blinded by the many lights above.
"Oh, I would."
The woman's purple-hair whipped as she stared to the door and nodded, a numbing silence accompanying. Sweat dotted his forehead with his black hair disheveled from many beatings but with only dried blood now left.
Another few minutes were spent in pregnant pause. Anko cleaning blood and muscle from the corpse beside. And before long she shoved the body down a shoot before 'Schlick' light flooded and dominated the palpable dark to reveal a predictably small white room before Haku appeared, she dressed in black with a classy haori. The mask of white Kimimaro said he remembered on her hip. Amusement was on her face before the sight and smell of blood stilled a disquiet air around her and slowly disgust deformed her beautiful face. Her hands flew to her mouth quicker than a kunai, and he watched in alarm as Haku choked and bent over as bile rose in her throat.
Zabuza laid there with none of his clothes to cover him except for some prisoner garbs with a bright orange color. This was of trivial note though as he watched Haku struggle.
After a short time Haku gulped and straightened. Pale like a corpse there was little doubt she was still innocent.
"A-Anko-san, why am I here?"
Kunai in hand, Anko stepped behind the girl and his ire turned to fury as he tried once again to break free. Haku turned to ask again when she stopped. Letting out a solemn roar Zabuza stopped and directed his unsettled and shaky eyes to Haku's gentle soul as fright quickly lit her face. His teeth grit. Anko neatly placed her kunai on the girl's neck. And pressed. A trickle of blood quickly fell to hide in the girl's top as only the tip slipped in. Whispers of death snuggled into Haku's ear before Anko licked her lips in clear content.
"Now speak, Little One."
Restlessness ebbed at Zabuza, until he he sighed and let his words flow. His eyes gorging Haku as she quickly left the room, tears budding in her beautiful hazel eyes.
Unbeknownst to Zabuza Haku went up in a fit of smoke and disappeared once the door shut.
A few hours later and Anko stepped out. His story was long and she was tired of listening. She rubbed the bridge of her nose to stall the headache approaching. To her left were several Chunin with clipboards sitting behind the mirrored glass. Their job was to listen and record and by the looks of it they were wrapping up just as well.
Rings and beeps from machines in neighboring rooms chimed and the hallway sounded like a busied office during rush hour with people maneuvering around her by the tens and twenties-many of so nodding with respect as they went on their way. Dressed in black and intimidating with scars sometimes on their cheeks or brows, most were interrogators, or simple workers. Yet it was extra difficult to be intimidated, as the T&I department should, when they were focused on making their next meeting.
Wiping sweat from her forehead, Anko let one man take her coat and give her a black coffee before he was quickly gone. The lights slowly returned to her eyes when she took a small sip, a graciously bitter flavor following. Then, some refreshing fresh air snuck in her nose as the air-conditioning breezed by her, a distinct smell of newly printed paper.
"Anko!" A man two years her senior stopped in front of her. "How'd the interrogation go? Would it be correct for me to assume you killed the both of them, or is that last cadaver you sent us without a matching pair?"
His name was Hide-and throughout the offices it well-known he had a crush. Often he could be found taking glances to her but heeded him she did not.
"Without," Anko said brusquely. Her eyes were glued to the reports the recorders had given. "Send for a cleaning crew to sweep and wash room 305, the usual will be fine, and have another team transport Zabuza to the showers to get cleaned up," she moved past him but turned to add, "the team to watch him is to be Chunin and higher and when he is brought back to his cell keep Kimimaro quiet. He has a tendency to get annoyingly loud."
"Hai, Mitarashi-sama"
Anko nodded before she turned to go.
"Mitarashi-sama!"
She stopped and just barely tilted her head to let the barest detail of Hide's face into view "What?"
Red lit his face. "I-I was th-thinkin', thinking, eh, if you were available later, could we?"
"Could we do what, Hide-san?"
'Come now, speak, let's see how fast I say no,' Anko thought cynically.
"Go to a movie?"
Anko barely retained a groan and shifted her face forward. "No."
Then, like a spirit she was gone without a trace.
Hide looked down in embarrassment and shame before he turned to carry out his orders.
Minutes later Anko appeared in her office, the sounds of work and bustle a faint ring away. Opening her door a pleasant sight of a shifting Ibiki filled her vision. Some sort of document hidden in his hand before he stored it in his jacket. Dark as it was she couldn't she make out what it said. For a moment she saw confusion leering from his eyes but pushed the thought away when the door shut with a soft click.
"What do you want?" Anko started curtly. Blood and sweat, along with a disturbing amount of dust lined her boots and legs and she desperately desired a shower.
Ibiki's brow rose. The dark of the room extinguished as Anko turned on the light and let the innocence devour his evil look.
Playful as he could Ibiki made a jester's face, which looked oddly queer on him, if he saw himself. "I saw what happened between that boy and you." Ibiki teased, "Getting close to him, are we?"
…..
'...What...?' Anko thought.
"Death would be better."
Ibiki chuckled, "Sure it would be."
Anko didn't smile, which forced Ibiki to continue, with a cough, "Anyways, what have you learned? What does our Little One have for us?"
At that Anko's slitted eyes seemingly glowed in thought. She sighed. "Hokage-sama will want scholars to discover the meaning because I have no idea."
Ibiki grunted with a nod as he caught the report in hand after Anko tossed it. The contents held securely by paper clips and clamps. Ibiki went to the door, intent on leaving, when he stopped in thought before he turned to her.
"Konan is doing well teaching those three, I thought you should know."
'Schlick', the door opened and again, 'schlick', the door shut.
Anko leaned back in her chair. How long had it been since she had spent some quality time with Naruto, Tenten, or Haku? Without anyone else? She didn't like to think their time away was long but unfortunately the truth was she hadn't spent much time with them by herself.
She shook her head. First the issue with Kimimaro and Zabuza needed to be resolved before she thought about the trio.
That, was months ago.
"Zabuza-sama, these 'missions' Hokage-sama has us doing is pointless."
Months later and Zabuza and Kimimaro were released.
"Quit whining brat. You're just lucky I pulled our asses outta there. Just do as Hokage-sama says. He has his reasons."
Zabuza handed him a stack of tiles to which Kimimaro grunted in thanks. Both wore their outfits they were captured in except for the Kiri headband, newly replaced with the Konoha symbol on the metal.
Kimimaro dressed a bitter mood. Under his eyes were close flourishes of blood red strokes. Two dots the size of cherries were pinned to his forehead and just as red.
"Those reasons are?" Kimimaro asked, albeit a snip sarcastic.
"To become familiar with the village, that's why."
Taking his stapler, Zabuza stapled a tile in place. He patted it, making sure the tile stayed, before he moved on.
"Poor reasoning is why," Kimimaro talked back, he stapled twice.
With one hand Zabuza stapled another tile in place while he snapped his fingers at Kimimaro.
"Kimimaro, Hokage-sama's reasons make sense. Bitching about it doesn't make things better for yourself when we should be happy for what we have."
Kimimaro spared a glance to Zabuza to see a small smile under the pure white gauze wrapped around his face.
"Konoha brainwashed you, you poor fool," his bitter observation was just only heard by Zabuza, but that was enough.
Zabuza stopped in place and stood tall over the boy, his glare reflected against the sun, while shadows collected over him and made him look like a menace. No sword at Zabuza's back he found solace in the fact that even in Zabuza's state he was bitter over the loss. Their 'processing' included subjugation of the mind, Kimimaro thought insecurely.
"Yagura-teme is dead," Zabuza leveled his fierce stare and fiery grin to Kimimaro while his guttural voice stated calmly in contrast, "Hokage-sama gave me the report during the Chunin Exams. Mai-sama will be taking over soon and Konoha is sending teams to help secure her rule. I have a right to be a little 'brainwashed'."
The two stood solely on one of Konoha's roofs. Some cold wind willed through them, blowing their clothes with the wind, leaves dancing with in a spectacular show, even some children laughed from below as the leaves fell from the rooftops.
Zabuza had been tortured day and night for months until he was wrung; violated by probes and silver-mouths. But he still returned normal.
"What they did to… ugh!" Kimimaro stumbled on his feet before he collapsed to his knees." It wasn't right! She is a prisoner here as much as we are!"
"She's not. Do you really think that Haku-chan's life was in any real danger?"
"Yes! You don't do that to someone! Especially not to someone like Haku!"
"Hokage-te… sama can't keep us from…" Kimimaro growled. Throbs of lightning shot through his head whence Haku's name was to leave his mouth.
"Shut up and keep working." Zabuza sighed, stapling another tile to the roof. "Trying to fight the mind is impossible without someone's help to mend it along. All you're doing to yourself is screwin' your brain more."
"I know, but I can't help it!" Kimimaro stated dryly, almost hotly.
"Look, Haku-chan doesn't want us here." That stung like a bitch, even to him. He stapled another tile. "I'm not going to say it again. The more you fuck with that seal in your head, the more you're gonna be in pain. She is not visible to you anymore. You can't even say her name for Kami's sake. Your senses are blind to her, her chakra, so let her go."
"Shut up…" Kimimaro whispered quietly.
I'm happy to see you've survived my chapter! Now, here are the Review Responses:
EndlessChains: Thank you for summarizing my story for me! Will I say you got everything right? Not necessarily, that's left up to you ;)
BrownEyedHoneybadger: Don't want none unless you got buns hun!
Bigun03: I hope you are enjoying it! And I've been working, just editing, on this story for a week, which should be fairly telling :P
MiseryWolf97: It will be explained in upcoming chapters, patience! My intents are yours to be guessed ;)
Harpy81: You'll see ;)
SithLordNilis: Not necessarily. You see, the stories on here can be very very political in how reviews are dealt and sometimes people just don't feel obligated to review no matter how well written a chapter is.
Agrond: Perceptive as always, I see. Who is telling the truth and telling the lies? Go ahead and guess, maybe I'll tell you if you're right!
Bakaneko-chan11: Tenten smirked evilly at the kitten as she got on her knees. From her hand a kunai met the barest of skin on the kitten's neck. "Review and you can be my best friend." Tenten's grin grew and her eyes glinted with insanity as more weapons appeared from her scroll. "Come now, be my best-friend."
RereMcFluffles: Thank you for pointing that out! ^.^
Thor94: I'm having trouble understanding what you're talking about O.o
Treant Balewood: Thanks for reviewing!
LordTicky: We've had our talk! We both know what happens now!
Here are some stories that are either being written or have already been completed - which isn't many, mind you.
Left in Silence-Naruto/Kurotsuchi-Romance/Adventure (Will only be a few chapters)
Breaking the Cycle-OC/Azula-Romance/Adventure (This one... I don't know how long this will be. We'll see.)
Saving Venom-Naruto/Anko-Romance/Adventure (I don't want to exceed 20-25 chapters, but I will if I have to.)
Dying in Love-Naruto/Tenten-Romance/Tragedy (Completed)
Eve-OC/Little Sister-Romance/Tragedy (Will only be a few chapters long.)
All these stories will be completed at some point, but it's up to you to leave reviews to let me know just how well I am doing as a writer.
See ya.