Blind Sight

By

LigerJager

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Scroll 2: Memories

Something was happening. That much he knew. They had changed their routine. After all, why would they make so much noise, for ninja, if something important wasn't happening?

He also had the suspicion that it was somehow centered around him.

Why? Because, it was a general rule of thumb in Konoha, everyone brought attention, both consciously and subconsciously, by any means, subtle or not, to the jinchuuriki whether or not he wanted it. At this point he didn't want it, but it was there.

Plus the noise was made outside of his working perceptions…or so they thought. Who knew that the loss of one primary function in the human body, would lead to the unnatural strengthening in all other parts.

And with him, being who and what he was, it was laughably, incomprehensibly, and utterly ridiculous as to how quickly his body adjusted. And then enhanced what he had naturally to an almost supernatural degree, even for a shinobi.

That however was made clear, after a flash of insight, and a serious beating from his best friend for stupidity, some years later. It was explained why he understood so much around him without so much as a hint from his captors.

He first inkling of this hyper awareness, or perception, of both his surroundings and significant changes in his physical being, happened somewhere between foot steps of the remnants of Team Seven approaching his solitary confinement and the final parting gift of Haruno's temper, broken cartilage and blood respectively.

That aside, he knew something was happening beyond the solid, sealed, iron cell door. And it most likely pertained to him. As well as the fact that this was the twelvth week after his confinement began.

If he were to wager his already meager assets, he'd bet the entire lot that they had finally come to a decision about him. All that remained to be seen was what exactly that was.

It wasn't time for meals. It wasn't time for the requisite emptying of the bedpans though he couldn't locate his, and it wasn't even time for the mandatory weekly heart to heart between himself and the resident interrogation expert assigned to his cell block.

It wasn't long before he heard the click of the lock being turned and the door sliding open upon its track. After which he felt the cuffs of his shackles loosen. Having been without support or means of movements for so long, the young blonde crumpled to the ground unceremoniously in a heap of rags and bones.

"Up." An emotionless voice commanded before his arms were roughly yanked up. It didn't help that his muscles had atrophied and cramped painfully. Having been in one position for a majority of his stay, the sudden movement caused Naruto pain.

Impatiently the hands of the men who released him propelled him forward, forcing the jinchuuriki to move painfully and stiffly. Being in the situation that he was, Naruto was forced to either adapt or be dragged down the halls.

"W-Why?" he managed to rasp, is voice cracking from disuse. His head was hanging while he was literally almost being carried through the stonework.

He was dragged down a few more corridors before he was given an answer. The loss of muscle tone and circulation caused him to be jarred painfully more than once and hauled up roughly a few times after a stumble.

"You've been summoned."

It wasn't too hard for them. The boy was actually teetering on a dangerously thin line between skinny and malnourished. His already low body weight was leaning towards the fatally low percentage in body fat because of his unnaturally high metabolism and the extremely nutritious gruel the shoved to them once a day.

"The village elders would like a word with you."

And with that they exited. That had been the last time either male had spoken to the blonde.

"That better not be what I think it is." The growl that permeated the entire sentence would have made it intimidating for the current recipient had the said person not been on the receiving end of it many times before.

Sparing a glance at the small stack of folders in her arms, Shizune looked back at her superior with an arched eye brow. Tsunade had become increasingly irritable as it became evident that she would soon be stepping down from her office and thus causing a rush of last minute papers and applications.

"You might find this stack more interesting reading than the last." Was all the younger medic replied as she dropped the bundle in front of the Hokage. The blonde was about to open her mouth and argue when she caught the look that crossed her protégé's face.

Settling back into her chair, she opened the top file and began skimming through. About halfway down she stopped and looked back up with narrowed eyes.

"How many?"

"Thirteen this time." Shizune automatically parroted the number as it had become something of a ritual whenever she brought these specific files in.

"Where does that leave our count at?"

"Eighty-two."

A moment of silence spoke volumes of the Hokage's shock. She looked through the files again, causing her amber eyes to widen disproportionately as the ranks within registered.

"That's…"

The younger medic picked up where her mentor had left off, seemingly reading her mind.

"…almost our entire senior force…including both the black ops and the upper echelons of the elite."

The older medic frowned in dismay. Even though she was leaving this station in a relatively short time, it still did not bode well for village all of their older, more experienced and most powerful shinobi suddenly retired.

"What in the world is going on here?"

"I think the older shinobi populace is making their sentiments known, Tsunade-sama." However her sentiments spoke differently as she looked at the overall view of their seemingly bleak future, 'Like rats abandoning a sinking ship.'

"What am I supposed to do about that? Everything is already decided."

"You could withdraw your support from the recommendation."

"I never did support it. It just kind of stuck. His was the only nomination that both civilians and clans responded to." 'Both positively and negatively.'

"I will never understand you." The comment slipped out of the younger medic's mouth before she could check it. Tsunade's head snapped up, as she sat ramrod straight in her seat, and glared at the other woman.

"That's enough Shizune. There are some situations that come with this position where the majority is more valuable than an individual. Now, don't you have a hospital to run?"

"Of course."

The younger medic, more out of habit than respect, bowed and left. Ever since she found out what happened that day fifteen years prior, she felt something had changed within the woman whom she had studied under.

Sometimes it felt like she was talking to a complete stranger. Of course she didn't know all the facts, but what she did know seemed completely foreign to what she knew of the woman. 'Like I said, I'll never understand you. You find a reason to return and then you banish it within a few month's time…I'll never understand.'

Without another word the door clicked shut and the Hokage was once again shut off from the world. Much like a metaphor for when she shut her heart to the village of Konoha, save for a select few. It was even rumored that she resembled an ice queen more than a fire shadow.

She knew what was being circulated in the rumor mills outside of her office. She knew and she didn't care. She stopped caring a good twelve years before. It had taken her three long years of trying before chucking her efforts out the door.

She found that she just didn't care. She was loyal, no one would ever doubt her of that, but she could really care less about those under her command or what happened to the village proper. There was no love and there wouldn't be…ever.

The blonde Hokage just sighed. Her assistant and friend would not leave her alone. Not that she would change the other woman for the world, but the same argument was just plain old. Not that there was truly anything to argue about.

What was done was done. And some things would never change…like the past. She'd have to sit Shizune down and clarify the situation, even after all the time had passed, and give her the facts.

Perhaps she'd do that later, though when 'later' would come she never knew. And she was frightened. Frightened that she'd lose one of the last people she held near and dear to her icy heart.

After all, some sins, no matter how repentant the sinner, could never be forgiven…or forgotten. She just prayed that they would not come back to bite her.

Normally it would have been a simple task to accomplish, just slip on over to the headquarters where the black ops were stationed and request the commander. If he wasn't there then someone would generally point in the direction where he was or contact him directly.

However, such was not the case as said commander was suspiciously absent and seemingly no one knew where he had disappeared to. Though, it was especially curious, and more than a little disturbing, seeing as how practically everyone within the corps was sadistically amused when the question of his whereabouts was brought up.

Those eerie smiles were just plain creepy.

Not that it helped that the reputation of those within the elite were a few screws shy of being sane. Then again for their line of work it was understandable.

It still didn't help put the chunin's mind at ease.

Normally what the Kazekage wanted he got. And usually when it involved the living force of nature, otherwise known as Kachuu-san, it was almost instantly taken care of.

That being said…such records in history rarely mattered during the present time. And said messenger was beginning to sweat as he cooled his heals in the lobby of the Suna's infamous Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai.

It was just his luck that he was a rookie in the Chunin ranks. What was even better was that he was not truly acquainted with the decidedly more…terrifying…stories that were circulated about their elite.

And today had been his first official day on duty too.

Failure was not an option and it loomed ominously in his bleak future. The messenger was definitely not willing to report the failure of his small task.

Even if their Kazekage was decidedly human after the extraction of his biju, he still was a terrifying entity to behold. And what he could do with the sand, even without the Shukaku…it was just unnatural even for a shinobi.

He shuttered as doom, death, and destruction whirled around his mind in a vicious cycle complete with graphic and utterly gruesome endings. It didn't help that the secretary behind the desk hadn't stopped pinning him with an unnatural stare ever since he had stepped foot in this place…or was that stare directed at his jugular vein in his throat?

He shifted again, subtly covering his exposed skin with the color of his beige vest. The staring continued. And he began to fidget…badly.

Perhaps those unbelievably childish horror stories about blood sucking, psychotic ninja weren't so fantastic after all…if he were to judge anything based on the last few minutes he'd spent under the gaze of a disturbing, somewhat humanoid…thing.

So lost in his thoughts, the Chunin messenger didn't notice until a gloved hand shook him out of his reverie. And it took all of his will power and trained constitution not to shriek, in the most manly way of course, as he found himself looking into the eerily blank orbs of the nin that had him so disturbed.

"The Commander will see the Kazekage in an hour."

The equally monotonous voice was thoroughly unsettling. And with a hasty bow and quick thanks, the shinobi was out of there in a flash. So disturbed, that he forgot to shunshin back to the Kazekage tower.

Had the chunin stayed a moment longer he would have witnessed another shinobi literally fall out of his justu in laughter. The 'secretary' fell into a heap of appendages, hair and wood.

"Gets them every time." He chuckled while wiping a tear from his eyes before it could smudge his facial paint.

:Tsudzuku:

A/N: I had a choice. Start the events of this fict during the last part of the first arc or during Shippuden. It would have worked for both.

However, I decided that most of the events in Shippuden will be either altered or ignored altogether. I just cant bring my self to like the latest turn the manga has taken…at all. But everything will serve a purpose.

Shrugs

Questions? Comments? Input? (all are very much appreciated)

Until next time.

LJ 7/3/2008