Ibiki stopped and listened, scanning the darkened path for some time before silently moving closer. The gatekeepers seemed restless. He wondered if that was normal behavior for them this time of night. They tapped their cans of energy drink on the counter for no apparent reason and fidgeted without making much conversation.
What little they did talk about was banal and uninteresting. They were performing to standard, stepping out at regular intervals to check for anything incoming that might be a problem. Given the late hour and the lack of activity, their diligence was a tad better than he would have anticipated.
The chance that this was the leak in their defense was rather slim anyway. At the time of Shiranui's whirlwind arrival, the gate had been properly manned as per usual. No unexpected activity had been observed during the time period of his disappearance.
All of the standard safeguards fell short. The sensory monitors hadn't seen much more than an occasional flicker in the continuity of the perimeter security during either event. So the perpetrator – or perpetrators – either found a way to elude sensory detection, or they were being aided by internals.
He reluctantly concluded that the handful of usual suspects might not be the only internal possibilities. His own ANBU might be housing a turncoat. Traditional thinking kept bringing him to one dead end after another. He had to loosen up, think harder. This was his job, damn it. It was unacceptable to keep coming up empty.
He released his chakra suppression as he stepped into the gatekeeper's range to identify himself. To his discerning eye they responded both timely and appropriately, and without undue nervousness. He allowed them their process and signed himself out, feeling their eyes drilling into his back until he veered off the path out of sight, pacing down the perimeter to give the outer structure a critical once-over.
The half-moon lit his way well enough. He re-established his chakra suppression and followed the wall for some time, thinking about the height, the footing, the visibility from both sides.
Genma disappeared from the village proper, as in, he left the boundaries of these walls for a period of time. Ibiki turned that assumption inside out from every angle, and he couldn't see any holes in it. Highly skilled professionals had searched promptly and diligently throughout the confines of the village. Ninken hounds and other, smaller, more surreptitious summons had combed every inch. Aburame insects had been called into play. No trace was ever found.
And the men at the gate first sensed, then saw, the direction of approach at the time of Genma's reappearance.
They were firm in their testimony that he had returned through the gates from the outside.
There were lots of ways one man might slip out, a henge being the simplest and most effective. But Genma was not capable of any of the methods Ibiki could think of, not even henging, in the condition he had been in when he disappeared.
Could he have been healed on the spot and then escaped?
Even if he could think of a reason for that, Ibiki strongly doubted it, given the complexity of the illness and the relatively short time that elapsed without witnesses. Add to that the full medical assessment during the debriefing, which determined that there had been immeasurably extensive recent healing; so recent that it was in fact still unstable.
No; someone else had to have performed a tandem transport with a fully disabled man, right in front of the crowd of witnesses, and had gotten them both completely out of the village undetected.
He stopped and laid his large paw on the wall, feeling the dampness, mulling over the solidity of the cold stone. Yes, the wall was a well-made and formidable physical barrier. But security-wise, it was nothing in comparison to the sensors who watched it from the thrumming nerve center, controlling the energy field that rimmed it. By touching the exterior, his action was registered immediately. At this very moment, they'd be extending their senses to identify him if they hadn't already. The standard chakra cloak he donned when he started this inspection was a test, in anticipation of measuring their efforts. With due diligence they should be able to identify him regardless. He would see if they picked up on his movement up as soon as he began skirting the perimeter. His subsequent review and assessment of their performance would be very thorough, in hopes of finding a telling flaw.
You couldn't go over to elude it; the field curved in and formed a dome of detection against airborne entry. You'd play hell going under it – it extended deep into the earth as well. It was meant to be the ultimate watchdog, but the sense of security it provided was not as reliable as previously thought.
It was his job to plug the leak in the Leaf Village armor, but it was unspeakably frustrating when there was so little to go on. Other men were acting as his eyes and ears and as perhaps as a direct result, he'd heard and seen nothing of use.
Social engineering? Traitor? Spy? He did trust his men, but maybe trust was a poison he'd been too willing to swallow of late. If he couldn't wring out more clues from the meager existing evidence, heightened personal involvement and vigilance might be a better tactic going forward. Best case scenario, he might catch them in the act himself and foil the next attempt before the village security was compromised yet again.
It was time to do his own legwork. But walking around out here wasn't going to tell him anything more tonight.
He checked back in wordlessly.
The gatekeepers watched him melt into the shadows and stayed on elevated alert for the rest of the night.
xxxxxx
Genma struggled with the walker for a few seconds and then flung it aside, staggering unsteadily to the bathroom dragging the toppled I.V. stand behind him. When he discovered the logistical error he'd made dragging all the tubes and cords across the floor he shrugged and did his business without being able to shut the door, in full view from the wide open entrance to his room. He stared back belligerently at the unlucky passer-by in the hall who glanced in, daring him to say something.
Cranky, exhausted and angry at himself for letting Ibiki's stupid-ass methods break him down, he was in no mood to be the perfect patient. Not that he wasn't grateful for the miraculous recovery. But damn it, they wouldn't tell him what the hell it was that he couldn't remember, and given the brutal, confounding interrogation and the way everyone looked at him, it had to be some very serious shit indeed.
And no sign of his friends, which meant he was off-limits. When had Rai gotten so lame that he couldn't sneak in for some forbidden extracurricular activity? They'd certainly done it enough times before.
He had to kick the damned pole back across the room to make any headway in the direction of the bed, and the racket and the beeping of disconnected monitors finally brought in the cavalry.
"No, no, no. The walker is only for use when you're assisted. You need to buzz for help before you go! That's what we're here for," the taller, more muscular nurse chided, lifting him effortlessly to install him in the bed. After checking on the damage he'd done to the IV, the rail was snapped back up to hem him in.
"Buzz this," he pouted, watching the pair pick and untangle and fidget with all of the crap. "I don't need any fucking walker. I just need all this shit off of me so I can get the hell out of here. Hey, what happened to Namiashi? When am I getting out of here?"
"Never at this rate," groused the short, bearded nurse, checking the clock furtively. He was more than ready to split right now, but he still had another hour of his shift to go.
"How about visitors? When can I have them?"
"It's not up to us. If you've got any questions, ask him."
It was then that the masked ANBU materialized, leaning in the doorway to survey the room.
"Hey wait. You were there in the hall the whole time? Why didn't you help me?"
After a long silent pause, the ANBU withdrew to his spot in the hall again.
"Damn it." Genma folded his arms in a huff only to have the two nurses pull them out straight to continue their work.
So much for sneaking out or trying to call up a summon.
Fuck, Raidou, hurry up and get in here! I need some answers and I want them now! Where did you go?
ANBU guards or not, he was absolutely certain that Rai would be able to get in if he wanted. His irritation was starting to give way to a little uncertainty.
Did I do something to him? Did we fight? Did something happen to him? Is it somehow related to what they're not telling me? He was always right here before, even when I was so bad off that I asked him to stay away. My memories are hazy, but that I'm sure of.
Enough of this shit.
"Get somebody in here that knows something!" he barked, making the nurses wince.
"You've done a great job overexciting yourself. You need to calm down."
"You're calm enough for both of us. Wake up, damn it! I want someone who has some authority!" He grabbed the rails and rattled them violently to punctuate the anger and frustration in his demand.
"His readings are going over tolerance," the taller man said, shaking his head at the monitor now that everything was plugged back in and working.
"Oh! Yeah! What are you waiting for?" the other nurse piped in, suddenly a little brighter. "Look at that. He's way over!"
"No…now wait…" Genma started backpedaling but it was too late. The flow in the IV was being adjusted and the warmth in his veins could only mean one thing.
"There, there. Don't be alarmed, we'll take good care of you," the taller nurse said kindly as his voice and image faded away. "Now you'll get the rest you need."
"We all will," sighed the bearded nurse in relief.
xxxxx
The bolt made its usual squeak of protest, one he scarcely paid attention to as he made the hand signs to seal his apartment for the day. The sun was starting to rise and his mind was racing ahead to his destination, his thinking clear and strong; though his muscles were still inexplicably tender.
The handle of his satchel felt good in his grip. A deep breath filled his lungs with cold, clean air, and he set out for the Academy with a surge of positive energy.
Out of habit, he scanned for presences in the area, though no longer expecting to be watched, really. Because of that measure of caution, he was not startled when he turned the corner.
"Iruka-sensei."
"Sai! Good morning. Nice to see you."
He was nearly past the stiffly standing boy when he realized it was not just a chance greeting.
"I thought you would be going this way. May I have a word with you, Iruka-sensei?"
"Would you mind walking with me? I was planning to get to work a little early today."
"Thank you. I will join you." Sai matched his steps as they took to the main path. "You are working at the Academy now."
"That's right. Is there some issue with the Academy?"
"No. It's just something that I heard that I wanted to confirm."
"Ah. You never attended, did you?"
"No. All of my training was private."
"I thought so."
"May I ask you something personal?"
Iruka nodded and slowed his pace just a little. Sai was always deadpan in what few interactions they'd had. Naruto spoke of him as someone he couldn't understand, despite his innate talent in reading people. Iruka could see where a child raised in Root would find normal behavior to be senselessly inefficient and actively shun human interaction. But Naruto would not want to believe that this was customary for Sai; he would never consider, even in abstract, that isolation and emotional paralysis could be valid training concepts, or an elective way of life. He would want to rescue Sai through friendship, and the cold resistance to his help would probably cause him to react with anger and hurt.
"Were you released?" Sai swallowed hesitantly, but to his relief, his own seal stayed dormant.
"From Root? I think that's common knowledge. Surely you would know already."
"Yes. But what I meant was - completely released."
"Oh. I see. Yes, I was freed of all my seals. I'm no longer bound by the Oath."
"Truthfully? With no restrictions?"
"Well. For the most part, the memories I would have been forbidden from revealing were lost during the process. So I don't know if that's the same as having no restrictions. I'm not under the Oath, or the control. But I suppose you could say that I have no choice as to whether I'm still sworn to secrecy. The secrets are still safe from being revealed to anyone, including me."
They walked in silence for a bit.
"Was that all?" Iruka wished he could figure out what the young man really wanted.
"I apologize for bothering you. Thank you for your time. Please forget that we had this conversation. I will leave you to continue on your way."
"Wait. It's fine…look, Sai, if there's something you need, if there's something bothering you, I'd be happy help if I can." He hesitated, but sympathy won out. "And if it's something you can't easily express, maybe we can think of a way that you can tell me. I don't remember everything, but I do know how awful it feels if you trip that seal."
Sai stared for a moment. Even if he could speak freely, what was there to say? Admit to questionable acts that smacked of treason and perversion? Warn him about Jeninki?
His brain quivered, itching with curiosity about the possibility that there might be a way to slip out from Lord Danzou's all-encompassing power and still survive. That itch started when he heard that this man had done so. Looking at him now was provoking on a whole new level. He was so clear-eyed and composed.
And it seemed feasible that this offer to be his confidant was genuine.
Iruka was a kind man who looked out for his students. Naruto's most trusted friend. The rare adult nin who was able to reach full Root assimilation. If Sai had any notion to break free, this might be the only person he could turn to for guidance and support.
These were contraband thoughts, but that did not cause him to banish them completely.
He stepped ahead in order to bow properly, expressionless but for a slight frown.
"Again, thank you for your time. I must be going."
He leapt away, catching Iruka's open-mouthed look, wondering if he should have waited to see what he was going to say next.
He had to refocus and get back to the tasks at hand. He had never before contemplated desertion since becoming fully instated. The one and only time had been long ago while still in training, in the vain hope that if he could think of a way for them to escape, he might be able to save Shin. He had already committed one grave transgression in letting Shin become important to him, and found that one sin led to the next too easily. He more or less learned his lesson from it. Emotional attachment proved to be as useless as it was sinful and forbidden. It saved no one, and only served to create pain and suffering for them both. The rules were not inherently wrong. It was life itself that was too cold and cruel, and the master's decree forbidding emotion protected his operatives by keeping them focused and strong.
Shin was long gone. Now it was Naruto that was making him question his obedience and loyalty. But if he decided that Naruto was important to him, wouldn't the situation be different? The risk would be his alone; unfettered by the Oath, Uzumaki wouldn't be violating anything.
Lord Danzou still filled his heart and mind at all times with his solid, dark expectations. He made it clear that Sai's right to exist hinged on his service and submission to the Oath. Without it, he had no value, and no place in this world. It had never been a matter of choice, but if it had been he wouldn't have felt any urge to resist the very purpose he was graciously allowed to live for.
Life was grim and serious. People existed as tactical elements of the environment. Emotion was a narcotic that poisoned the weak and blinded the powerful. And any alliance or relationship, outside of Root, was still a mortal sin. Until he was thrust into Naruto's team, it was his duty to accept these precepts without question. The lives of others all happened in the background and he was only aware of their status in general, as if the regular nin were some lower form of life altogether. They never made sense and he never tried to understand why they had so little discipline or direction.
But more and more, it was starting to seem like they did have value and purpose, just in different ways that were unfamiliar and hard to conceive. Changing to another purpose might work for him, too. There might be a life for him that was different. He had to keep paying attention, watch them closely and learn all that he could.
He had to be cautious, though. He wasn't convinced enough to fully commit to plotting a new course. These were merely questions, existing solely in his head.
Danzou didn't have a way to read his mind. So he was still okay. If he followed orders and didn't falter, nothing would change. He hadn't done anything wrong yet. He wouldn't be rejected or terminated. He still belonged.
Second thoughts reined him back. He almost convinced himself that talking to Iruka was merely a cover-up, giving him an excuse to be lingering in the area frequented by Hide.
He was still a loyal servant under the wing of his master. Nothing he'd seen or heard here had given him the will, much less the right, to disobey.
When the time came for Lord Danzou to give the order, he would have no alternative but to carry out his mission.
xxxx
Hide shouldered the grubby pack and waved to greet his approaching comrade. Munasawagi looked like he was feeling anxious again; they should find someplace private to talk.
"Did you check in already?"
"Yeah. I hope you didn't have to wait for me too long. Let's go to my place, okay?" Hide smiled. "I'd like to get home."
"Sure. Thanks."
Munasawagi turned his face away, walking briskly to keep up with Hide's longer strides. A firm hand on his shoulder brought his gaze back up again.
"I know how hard it can be. When we get inside, you can tell me all about it."
Munasawagi swallowed and gave his thanks in a ducking nod.
Hide hated to see the signs of emotional strain but he cherished the fact that it sent a new friend his way.
"Settle in. Help yourself in the kitchen. You've got some time, right? You just finished your shift?" Hide asked.
"Yeah, not too long ago. Thanks!"
"Good. If you don't mind I'm going to take a quick shower."
"Sure!"
Munasawagi ventured into the kitchen, rummaging in the cabinets for a cup, starting to feel more relaxed and welcome here. Hide had a scary rep among the T&I internals for being thorny, demanding and almost too good at his job. And the mission they'd drawn together while making his newbie quota left him unsure just how to take the guy. But after running into him off-duty a few times, his cautious attempt to get insights about working with Ibiki led to lengthy, friendly conversations. Their personalities just sort of meshed without either of them thinking about it; a very odd circumstance for two men so skilled in the behavioral and sensory engineering field.
The shower began its muffled hiss behind the closed door. He considered the greater height and lithe, athletic build of the man washing up in the other room and wondered about his own stature in comparison. Hide had been in internal staff but was now a rookie field operative with all the bells and whistles. It wasn't necessary to be really tall, but you had to be extraordinarily fit to make regular ANBU. Hide had all of that in spades. Munasawagi's height was only average so he spent his down time working out extra hard to make sure that his physique made the cut, although for the specialty he was being groomed for, he wasn't entirely sure that was necessary. Ibiki hadn't commented it one way or the other.
But it was a subject, among many, that he really wanted to continue discussing with Hide.
Like why he changed jobs, why he still seemed so leery of Ibiki, why he spent his off-hours following up on an assignment he'd been relieved of, shadowing men around the village that really didn't seem to warrant it.
He hadn't been settled in the chair for long before the door opened and Hide came padding out, just a few steps, to stand there damp and clean, a towel wrapped around his hips.
Munasawagi sat up straight, waiting to see what was up, returning the open stare with just a slight bobble in his gaze to take in the entirety of his host's image.
Hide took in every nuance of movement and expression and sampled the chakra in the air. He doubted that his unsuspecting guest noticed he was still using his professional expertise to evaluate their budding friendship, and that he had been examining it diligently from day one.
There was a good level of tolerance, interest and openness. As familiarity lowered his guard, he exhibited more unabashed warmth and willingness to cooperate. Munasawagi was fully engaged in the friendship quotient. There had been no wobbles, missteps or discomfort with their interrelationship so far. That was remarkable in the extreme.
So much so that when Hide excused himself to finish drying off and get dressed, he thought about that telling eye movement and struggled within.
If he stepped back out sans clothing and detected a green light – was that really okay?
Wasn't Iruka the person he thought of when it came to intimacy? Was it advisable to toy with getting into something like this with someone else at all?
The relationship he daydreamed about with Iruka was real, in a sense. If he had a physical encounter with someone else, it might be displaced. Reality would become a factor, where up until now, all desire was internalized and imaginary, and every aspect under his control.
There was another possibility with a magnetic appeal. Fantasy could be called into service at any time. If he always envisioned Iruka during the act…the act, even if with someone else, couldn't possible dilute his core desire.
He heard a rustle in the doorway and spun to face it, surprised that Munasawagi had approached while concealing his movement and trace chakra. For a split-second he was a little excited to think that his guest would be so bold as to use his skills to try and intrude on his bedroom, knowing he was naked.
There was odd, taller silhouette instead. As his eye caught the mismatch he moved to a defensive stance; but by achieving visual focus, he did himself in.
He was caught in the golden whirlpool of the Uzingan.
Helpless to react, his pulse quickened further at the sounds of struggle coming from the next room.
"Yes! I got him! We can do everything here and now," Jeninki crowed in his face, seizing the frozen, naked captive with far too much force.
"Stop that! Don't touch him!" Danzou barked, hot on his heels. "We'll take them away as planned, any other approach is too risky. You forget we'll have the empties to dispose of. Calm yourself!"
Jeninki's hand hovered, quivering with the sudden anger of being denied. The abnormal brain was starved for cruelty; it was all he could do stop digging his nails into the eye socket of his new possession.
Danzou took his wrist firmly.
"That is going to be yours, remember?" he warned, very cautious in the face of such uncontrolled behavior. "You're damaging your own body. This should be done properly, with a clean instrument."
Danzou so did not want to be a participant in the actual relocation of the abductees. Not again. But the way Jeninki went flying off the handle, insisting on not only participating but supervising, it was too much. The complication of his presence upped the risk that this would be too difficult for Sai to handle alone, and he was right. The boy could easily have secured the two men by himself, but not while dealing with Jeninki's budding insanity. That was a more delicate and difficult matter altogether.
Hide stood tall, frozen, his head pulled slightly to one side, a trail of blood dripping freely from his gouged eyelid down to the floor.
"He is a good specimen," Jeninki babbled. "A little different, though. Right? I'll say that. Not the usual type. It's not bad. But not very regal. Well. Then again. Fit and tall. Hair color's easy to change. It can work. He will do. He will."
"That's right, Jen. Calm down. Take it easy now. Let's not screw this up."
"Subject two has been rendered inanimate with minor injuries," Sai reported at the doorway. "There is a problem. He is not the Serow ANBU."
"Who is it, then?" Danzou demanded, starting to fear that the operation was growing much too complicated to succeed.
"The sensory type ANBU that I have been seeing near your residence."
"It's Munasawagi?" Danzou asked, eyebrows lofting.
He bit his lip to suppress a snort of happy surprise.
"Yes, Lord Danzou. Instructions?"
"That is the polar the opposite of a problem. He will do just fine. Step up the pace. Let's keep the idiots busy with some garbage to decipher," Danzou said, charged with fresh enthusiasm. "Misdirection worked like a charm with Shiranui. So let's see. We've got a trace of his blood here in the bedroom already. Cut Munasawagi and get a nice amount of his blood in here, too. Fling it around in odd patterns. Upend the table, and mess up the bedsheets. Then break the latch on the window and damage the ledge and that wall. I'm sure they'll be off to the races making up scenarios to fit. I doubt in my wildest dreams that they'll ever come up with the right one."
He kept a cautious hand on Jeninki's arm, allowing him a little latitude to milk Hide's injury for blood to add his own decorative touches to the room, restraining him a bit just to be sure he didn't get overexcited so Sai could complete his task.
"All together now. Keep your markers silent so we aren't detected."
Danzou held his breath, but Jeninki was well-motivated and he managed to follow the plan.
Three more rapid-fire teleportations took them far out of detection range of the village.
xxxxxx
Iruka was still keeping his distance, and given the schedules they had now, he'd just have to chance showing up at his door again to try to get him to talk about their problems. It wouldn't do much good to run into each other in public; even if it lessened the chance of an outright squabble, they wouldn't be likely to say anything of substance. And Kakashi didn't really think that revealing his presence when he did his covert window check would be a great foot to start that conversation off on, either.
He would apologize again, right off, for making a scene. Fuck Hide, giving him shit was nothing to regret. But unfortunately, the rumor mill managed to get all of the names right this time, and Iruka might be getting some negative feedback over their little discussion. He had voiced concerns about keeping up a good image, and yet Kakashi indulged in a public outburst that seemed to shine a spotlight on problems that Iruka had little or no control over. It probably felt like a stab in the back.
"You're staying for a drink, right?," the dark-haired nin asked hopefully with a touch to his shoulder, pulling him back into the moment.
"For a while. I'm getting tired of sitting, though."
Tenzo chuckled. He hated meetings, too, but some training applied to everyone so it made more sense to gather them all in a group and get it done. He already had his own methods of stowing gear, and packing for extended missions had never been an issue for him. But poor supply prep had nearly resulted in the failure of a high-profile mission last month, so the training would clearly be valuable for some.
Kakashi always had his dogs pop in and out with things he needed if he ran into an unexpected shortage, which was extremely rare given his fine memory and attention to detail. Tenzo noticed that the copy-nin held that trick close to the vest and didn't pipe up with it when they asked everyone to reveal their method for dealing with missing or damaged equipment and supplies.
"If you're through eating, let's move to the bar, senpai. A lot of people are waiting for these tables."
"I was hoping to see Raidou. I don't think he's out on a mission. Maybe we ought to go check on him."
"He's not always up for being social these days."
"My point exactly. He's had some bad spells lately. And the meeting itself was mandatory, not social."
"Wait. You're not worried that he might..."
Kotetsu leaned into their airspace to interrupt as they vacated the booth.
"Sorry for eavesdropping. I can't give you any details, but...a little bird told me that Namiashi's totally fine." Better to cut them off at the pass than to have them snoop around and potentially uncover the whole Genma thing before the gag order was lifted.
"Aha. Well, that's a relief."
They took him at his word. The gatekeepers sometimes knew more about where people actually were and what they were assigned to do than the record books and official rosters. For Ko to volunteer the information, he must be firm in his knowledge.
"So you have no excuses. Come on, let's grab a spot before it gets too crowded."
Tenzo hailed the barkeeper as they settled on the well-worn stools and let his shoulder press against Kakashi's warmly. "Let's start on something to kill the boredom."
Gai thumped down on the other side of Kakashi and leaned in as well.
"Feeling better about lugging your equipment into the field now that you have been official trained, my overly endowed rival?" he grinned.
Kakashi made a 'hmph' sound and wagged his fingers at the bartender, the signal to hurry up with his usual.
"Oh? In poor spirits? Is it because of your alleged manly dispute with that sandy-haired interloper? If you desire back-up, consider me at your disposal."
"Hell would freeze over before I'd need any help with that pussy." Kakashi threw back a shot and chased it with half his beer.
"You're still pretty angry," Tenzo mused, swirling the amber liquid in his glass reflectively while the first sip warmed his throat. "I would have expected you to cool down by now."
"I have. Mostly. It's the situation that hasn't cooled down yet. But it will soon. Don't worry about it."
Gai looked past his rival for clarification.
"The third party in that mishap hasn't quite forgiven him," Tenzo explained helpfully.
Kakashi stiffened and lost the urge to play nice.
"That's enough. Find a different subject."
His sharp retort was uncomfortably loud and forceful. Yet they complied with his order amicably, silently contemplating what to say next to their eccentric friend, in order to re-establish peace.
Gai tried for small talk and Tenzo quieted, shifting his focus on making his drink disappear.
Things settled down to normal. Kakashi had lived this evening fifty times if he'd lived it once. Gai would soon get jittery from sitting too long and take off to run laps, and once slightly drunk, Tenzo's great affection for his senpai would rise out of its careful hiding place and find its way to the surface. Suggestions would be made, subtle at first, more explicit later. For someone so stiff and serious while sober, it was disarming when he would ever so gently bump and paw and hug as discreetly as possible, the rare type of drunken behavior that could only be described as cute and appealing. It was regrettable to have to be the wet blanket in contrast to his tempting warmth.
Tenzo was a gentle soul, and it was unfortunate that he labored in such loneliness, bereft of family and friends most of his life. Kakashi really did wish, at times, that he could find a way to return his sentiments. But his strong affection for the wood user was platonic in nature. Tenzo wanted far more than that; he had no one else he seriously contemplated for personal entanglement, even though he understood it was a dream that would likely never materialize. Even though Kakashi had, firmly and honestly, told him no, time and again.
The evening passed benignly as they watched the antics of the other patrons increase, rising concurrent with the sheer numbers and level of inebriation. More nin piled in steadily, until conversation had to be shouted to be heard above the rowdy, spirited crowd. It was unusual to have so many ranked nin in one place at one time.
Tenzo, with his impressive jounin skills, did have a couple of chunin groupies of his own, and as luck would have it, they chose to stalk him by crashing the bar tonight, appearing behind him with enthusiastic hugs.
The timing was excellent. Now the wood-style user wouldn't end up moping and alone, at least not for anything Kakashi could be held responsible for.
Gai had left already, his vacated stool snatched by an older Inuzaka who was busy talking and hadn't gotten around to acknowledging Kakashi's presence yet. The milling crowd made it easy to abdicate after draining the second beer. In the hubbub, he was able to slip away with a casual goodbye to Tenzo, and without the usual whining from the hardcore boozers about his lame drink-and-run habit.
Iruka would have hated this, Kakashi thought, tucking his wallet away as the night air washed over him, the cool breeze taking the odor of smoke and liquor with it. There were too many loud-mouthed, bright red faces hogging the air to be able to feel at ease in such a poorly ventilated, confined space.
Since the meeting was mandatory for mission regulars, he supposed that his absence confirmed that while Iruka was officially part of the Academy staff now, he was still not considered on call for active duty. And since Hide wasn't there either, it implied that he was no longer faking his role as a regular jounin, since the ANBU were exempted from attending.
The two of them wouldn't have been alone together somewhere while everyone else was encumbered. Not during the workday. The thought was ridiculous. It just was aggravating that it came to mind.
Grim and mostly sober, he left the buzzing throng behind and made his way down the empty street alone.
xxxxx
Munasawagi's eyes were wide, terrified, and nearly empty of life. He experienced far too much before the injury that shut down his sensory techniques. The breadth of his invasive powers irritated his captors and they made him pay dearly for his impudence.
Danzou had indulged in a little payback of his own before letting Jeninki take over and blow off some steam; now the guy who had posed a growing threat to his operation was never going to be an issue for anyone ever again. The last thing Munasawagi had been shocked to detect through his powers was that the handsome young man orchestrating his demise was one and the same as the shrewd old fox he'd been hunting.
Danzou finally got a see a good reaction to his renewed youth. And rid himself of Ibiki's little spy at the same time. All in all, it was a very nice little bonus, an offset to the infernal complications yet to come.
Hide was shaken through and through, powerlessly waiting for his turn, nearly deaf to the argument that began raging in front of him. Munasawagi had been made to suffer horribly and not a one of them exhibited a moment's hesitation about it. It was unfathomable that these men were of the same village. Danzou's joy and laughter was the worst; he urged the other man on like a cheerleader even though the perverted frenzy of violence was practically rabid in nature already.
Jeninki. So this was the same man from prison, despite the fact he looked nothing like that prisoner. Hide knew the conjecture. He remembered the setup with Iruka posing as a fellow inmate and the attempt to expose his abilities, and the presumed death and subsequent disappearance of the eyes. He'd been distantly involved throughout.
But now he knew far more, and he was about to be involved quite intimately. Danzou had been the aid, and the abettor. He was not in fact old and decrepit, but youthful, crafty and strong. And Jeninki was a phenomenon of power, ability and unrestrained evil.
He understood, now, just what an amazing thing Iruka pulled off. This man could do just about anything to anyone. His eye technique was insurmountable. He had no limits or conscience. Yet Iruka had inspired him to spare his life.
They were positioning the beds closer and he heard metal on metal, instruments being set on a steel tray. Jeninki, urges finally satisfied from his ultimate abuse of the helpless Munasawagi, seemed anxious to get on with it, but he was also having a hard time forcing himself to follow instructions. He couldn't quite bring himself to take his place when Danzou told him it was time.
Hide struggled to get his unruly muscles to respond but they would not budge an inch as Sai placed him one of the beds, binding his body tight. They seemed to have been hoping that preparing him would help Jeninki cooperate, but he slapped Sai's hand away when he tried to guide him to his position.
An argument ensued. Hide wasn't sure what it was about at first, but then with a glimmer of hope, he realized that Jeninki was making a sudden bid to replace him with the silently observing Sai. There was no fight. Just a commotion and a war of words.
"He has my seals. They're fully potent. I freshened them the last time we made bodily contact. Removing his eyes might trip them. And if it didn't, you'd have to bear with the seals and try not to trip them until I could get them all disarmed and removed. Yes, he's a very fine specimen. They don't come much finer. But he has the seals. No, stop. Let go of him. Sai, get out his reach and stay back. That's an order."
"Seals, I can take care of that. I want those abs. I'll carve them off of him if I have to!"
"Jen. Snap out of it. This won't work if you get out of control."
Try as he might, Hide couldn't manage to get his hands to move, to find a way to get free while the bastards were distracted. He couldn't even move his eyes much, really. The blank skyward view was only broken by the occasional glimpse of Sai or Danzou's face, his point of focus primarily up their nostrils.
The pain of defeat made his eyes sting and water. He wished he could close them, and instead fill his mind's eye with comforting images; to embrace his dearest dreams as a shelter from grim reality.
It was too much to be held helplessly wide-eyed in the face of mortal danger; this he knew all too well from the other perspective. It was how many of the men he'd "worked" on were made to feel. He'd always known how cruel it was. He'd felt it too, to a degree, until he'd learned to consciously stifle his empathy.
The only thing those men had done that had ever helped them was to concentrate their focus within, on the things that meant the most to them on the deepest level. To remember and cherish the memories of what was good and right in their minds, and hold them like a shield against the pain and fear. It seemed like he should be able to use his skills and protect himself somehow, as they had, yet he was beaten on that front, too.
Maybe he could come up with a way to cope if this went on long-term, but he wasn't hoping for that. This had a pretty predictable ending from what he could tell. This lot had been fooling Ibiki and all of Leaf right under their noses for a very long time. No one would figure it out in time to save them, if they ever figured it out at all. He concluded that getting to that ending quickly was the only scrap of mercy left to wish for.
As if in answer to that sad, heart-pounding hope, the argument was over. It sounded like Jeninki must have finally settled down. Danzou's hand hovered with a scalpel, and soon the pain was as exquisite as it was horrifying. They removed his eyes without pain suppression, and he experienced every tiny sting and tear and cut. But after the second eye was gone, he was bathed in a strange, anesthetizing power, and the pain just disappeared.
It was Jeninki's voice in his head, disembodied, free of the sick venom and insanity from before. It felt warm and kind and he was unable to resist its gentle mercy, and inexplicably, he felt no need to. He flowed with it, filled with it, and crossed from fear and despair into the arms of a soft, protective comfort he would never have believed existed in a thousand years. The sensation of physical reality faded with surprising insignificance.
"I'm sorry for your pain but that's all over now. As ruler it is my pleasure to deem you worthy and welcome you. My village is a place of peace and beauty and comfort. You shall belong with me, with my people, as we all belong to one another, and always will. When I release you, the current will carry you and draw you into the protection of the fold. Thank you, Hide. Thank you for this gift. It's going to serve me well. And don't worry that you're going in alone. I held your friend back to wait for you. The two of you can now rise into my kingdom together. We'll be together forever when next we meet. Enjoy your new world, and your new freedom. I'll be back to visit with you soon."
Danzou finalized the transplant procedure, using his tools and charms one more time, seating and sealing the chakra connection between the body and the Uzingans and resisting the ongoing temptation to find a way to steal them for himself.
Jeninki's brown eyes blinked open, in gorgeous contrast to Hide's fair skin.
"We did it again," Danzo sighed as he collapsed back, shaking his head.
Sai watched silently, stifling his inner conflict, ready to follow his next instructions to the letter. They rigged Jeninki's vacated body to simulate Hide's, dressing and equipping it with the dirty uniform and effects they'd taken from Hide's home during the abduction. Sai was to take it, as well as Musanawagi's body, and set them aflame close to a path standard to most jounin non-stealth missions. The fake Hide had to burn completely to destroy the DNA, but the metal weapons, dogtags and equipment would suggest a positive I.D. For good measure he would purposely flub the burning of the other body, so that even a layperson could positively identify Munasawagi's grossly abused physical remains.
It would add to the mystery. And the confusion. And account for both missing men.
Sai obediently set to his reprehensible task, the reinforced seal in his mouth swelling to threaten him for his buried reluctance.
xxxxxxxxxxx
"Hands where I can see them. You went too far this time, Hatake. Not even your glorious performance record can save you now."
Kakashi started into a crouch, defensive instincts riled at the sudden intrusion in his home. Ibiki looked deadly serious. No less than four ANBU stepped up to surround him. He felt it safe to assume there was hidden back-up outside as well. He straightened, reassured that whatever was happening must be somewhat within protocol. At least there were too many witnesses for Ibiki to pull any underhanded crap.
"Well," he mused, quick to feign composure. "I could swear I've turned in all of my library books. Did I forget to floss?"
"Cold-blooded is such an understatement. You're going to have plenty of time to work on your stand-up routine in solitary confinement."
"Confinement? Why? I think I have a right to know what I'm being accused of."
"You're fully aware of what you've done. Maybe you didn't consider the consequences. But I can tell you this. The thing you were fighting over, the thing you want most? You've definitely lost it. He'll never forgive you. No one will, this time."
"You'll have to pardon me if I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"Save it. You two, search this place thoroughly. I want it sealed off before you leave."
"Water my plant, then," Kakashi said seriously. "Use the little pitcher next to the pot. Half full. Pour slowly. He gets watered every five days. He's due tonight."
"Shut up. Take him."
"Water it, or let me do it now!"
"Tell you what. I'll let it come in and visit you once a week. Just try not to get too frisky. Remember, there are video monitors," Ibiki sneered in disgust. This bastard was going down, and it was about time.
"Still that? You're still after me for that?" Kakashi gritted as they manhandled him roughly into position for transport, though he was not resisting at all.
Ibiki shook his head, smiling, and gave a hand signal that sent the thorn in his side away.
On to the next steps. Sometimes the most obvious cases made it the hardest to know which way to go.
xxxxxx
Iruka sighed and flipped on the light, tired from long day, but kind of antsy, too. He managed to sit down at the kitchen table and open his satchel, thumbing through the day's papers and trying to organize and calm his thoughts.
What's wrong with me? What's going on?I was fine all day. I'm not usually so jumpy walking home in the dark.
Something felt way off. It started just before sundown and never let up. His gut was on a rampage. Bad vibrations kept him restless and unable to concentrate.
He could only guess that this was some problem with Even again, that had to be it. He remembered feeling odd, then losing that little span of time when he apparently hurt himself a couple of days ago. Everything had been fine since then, but it could be worse this time. Without really knowing what took place, it was difficult to know what to do.
Maybe I need Hide's insight. He promised he would help. He warned me that this might happen, that I might have a relapse. And that if it happened, I was to get to him right away.
Yet he didn't think those thoughts with the intention of going to Hide for assistance.
He thought them in panic, like a lost child.
Because it felt like that support had suddenly disappeared. His clenched throat told him that somehow, it no longer existed.
He popped up and paced, arguing with himself, denying that ridiculous thought. Hide was on a mission but he was coming back – yesterday? Today? Something like that. And life certainly wasn't going to fall apart without him if he was busy. This whole move to the Academy was, in part, to get free of his constant interference.
He downed a beer standing with a hip against the kitchen counter, and waited to see how that would make him feel. It took a little of the edge off so he had another, this time at parade rest in front of the sink. It relaxed him and though not as much as he'd hoped, it was enough to enable him to try to ride out his anxiety at home alone. He wiped counters, tossed the empties and went back to check his papers. He'd been late getting home finishing up all this at the Academy; after confirming it was in good order he filed it back in the bag and left it in the darkened kitchen for tomorrow.
He sat on the bed fretting, debating, completely distracted from the fact that he'd only entered the bedroom to gather up a change of clothes to go take his bath. When he wasn't out on a mission, Hide always swung by at some point late at night to spy on him and rarely concealed it. So when he did, because of course he would, if he didn't try to make contact, Iruka could call out to him. He considered the best way to do that.
Or Kakashi might come by, but he usually hid his presence well, so it would be hard to tell. It would be okay to ask Kakashi for help now, to beckon him in through the window and let him know things were…better. It struck him that he didn't feel that strong, instinctive need to protect himself by avoiding the copy-nin when he thought about him. He didn't seem scary at all right now, and on a gut level, he actively ached to see him. But he'd been the source of so much emotional turmoil that in his exhaustion Iruka couldn't clearly recall any specifics, and without them, it was hard to say if things were truly all right, or if a lapse of memory was blinding him to threats unknown.
He puzzled over all of the shifts in his perspective, worrying that while he felt pretty good, it might not be due to improvement in his mental status, but the opposite. Time passed without detecting any evidence of either man at his open window. He couldn't quite give up hope that one of them would come. As fatigue set in, he mauled at the unruly bubble of anxiety, groping for the reason this moonlight vigil felt important. Was it desire for their company? Had he become dependent on their presence to feel safe? Or was he just afraid that they'd given up and abandoned him after all?
The sound of someone rapping sharply at his door propelled him out of the little room and into the hall, striving to pull together enough focus for the task of going to answer it, barely noticing the unusually late hour for a caller. He'd feel pretty stupid for spending all that time by the window if it turned out one of them had taken a refreshingly normal approach and simply come to the door like a civilized visitor. It would have been even nicer if they weren't masking their chakra, but you can't have everything.
An ANBU mask greeted him at the door in silence. He wasn't self-aware enough to realize that he looked a mess, and he wasn't cognizant of the time, or how odd it looked that he was still up and dressed and pale and red-eyed and wide awake.
"Something has occurred," the faceless voice intoned. "You must come with me immediately."
The ANBU didn't wait for a reply. He merely took the stunned man by the arm and pulled him out the door, placing a security seal on the perimeter as they walked and tripped away respectively, noting from his scan of the interior that there was no water running or heat on the stove. Had Iruka seemed more lucid, he would have asked what he was up doing so late at night.
Iruka managed to gather enough wits to wonder if he would be back home in time to prepare and get to the Academy; but he thought better of asking and held his tongue.
"We'll teleport from here," the ANBU said, immune to Iruka's unhappy groan.
And off they went.