To Love and to Love Again Chapter 35: The Ties that Bind
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!
Naruto was prepared for any sudden attacks after that declaration. Sasuke didn't disappoint as he drew his sword and swung, only to be blocked with a much smaller blade he was quite familiar with.
"Kunai," Sasuke said eyeing the small weapon. "A little old school don't you think?"
"This coming from the guy wielding a big ass katana," Naruto muttered. "Blade against blade seems better than my gun don't you think?"
"Who says it's just a blade?" Sasuke asked as the look in his eye changed. Naruto had just managed to jump back before the blade began to glow blue. Strands of electrical volts grew around it with the cracking sounds of activity sounding like the hum of a thousand birds.
"Where the hell did you get that sword?" Naruto shouted. He had seen this technique before, knew who it came from, and was determined to get an answer from him. "I've only seen that technique from one other person and he sure as hell isn't you!"
"Kakashi has my bloodlines eye and he's been fittingly deemed a copycat because of it," Sasuke answered. "When I read his file and saw what he was capable of, I thought it was only fitting that I copy something of his as well…only I found a better use for it. What did you think I've been doing while I was gone?"
Sasuke had to take time to recover and worked through the pain to get back into his fighting body. Learning the Chidori technique from paper was no small feat, but his bloodline helped him succeed.
"Who else's file have you been reading?" Naruto demanded. If Sasuke was able to read his file, Naruto didn't know how he would handle that.
"The list of who I haven't is shorter," Sasuke replied.
Naruto almost flinched at his choice of words, as they matched what Sakura said when he asked her that very same question right before she was taken. Is that why she was so determined not tell him who she knew about? Did Sai record what kind of monster dwells within his body, waiting to explode? Was she afraid of him?
No, she couldn't be. She was finally ready to ask him for help, something he had been waiting for her to do for months. She waited too long and now she's gone. He wasn't about to wait for Sasuke's permission to help. He was getting it whether he wanted it or not.
"I'm assuming you know just how messed up I am on the inside then," Naruto began. "I also assuming that you know I'm no push over when it comes combat. You have your skills sure," he said shrugging. "We all have our own set of skills that come in handy when needed. But you have to know that I can kick your ass harder than any of the others so let's not waste any more time and just find Sakura and the kids."
"You're CIA, and for that you can't be trusted," Sasuke said.
"The CIA is a team and we stick together; something you don't have to reject," Naruto shot back.
"And you're so sure that you can trust your own team?" Sasuke demanded. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Someone in there knew who I was and didn't bother tell any of you. Someone in the CIA is responsible for all those security breaches and if you look even closer, which is something I always do, you'll find that someone's been messing with the data compiled from the missing person's problem. Someone in there is helping this sick fuck and that's how I was able to find him! You've all be so busy trying to find me that you didn't even bother to see what was right there in front you."
"What the fuck are you talking about? This can't be an inside job it-"
"It's the perfect way," Sasuke interjected. "Think about it. How else can something on this large of a scale go unsolved for so long? Someone's dirty and they're using me as the perfect distraction to carry on with this. So don't be so trusting dobe. It'll get you killed one day."
"If there's a dirty agent, it's not one of my friends," Naruto defended. "I've known those guys as long as you have and you know none of them are capable of something like that."
"Did you ever think I was capable of what I've done?" Sasuke countered. "You know what I was dobe. You know what I'm capable of and you didn't see any of that in me because I didn't let you. People only see what we let them see."
Naruto just smirked "You know how I know that you're different? It's not because of what you let me see. It's because of what you can't hide. You're a jerk and a certified ass, but you make sure everyone is taken care of. You love your daughter, you care about your friends, and you work crazed hours to make sure that hospital you ran has everything it needed to help its patients. You even found it in yourself to fall for a woman who came with a wall around herself with a ton of emotional baggage. You took all that upon yourself and did everything you knew you could to protect her. Hell, you literally took a bullet for her. Besides, the most damning evidence is what you just said," Naruto said grinned. "You said 'You don't know what I was', and if that's not proof you've turned around then I don't know what is."
Sasuke had nothing to say to that. His blood-red eyes assessed his blond counterpart and realized that there was more to the dobe than idiocy.
"You want Sakura and the kids found alive and you want to destroy this bastard into oblivion. I get that," Naruto continued. "But you're going to need my help. I consider you a friend, and I don't abandon my friends."
Sasuke knew Naruto wouldn't back down, and he forced himself to realize that he may have a point. If the dobe wanted to arrest him, he would have tried already. Nothing in his senses doubted his motive.
"You get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you," Sasuke said as he took off into the woods. Naruto grinned and followed.
"That's if you think you can," he teased before they disappeared into the woods.
"We have a general area," Shino announced when the satellite signaled a connection. "But it has a three hundred mile radius and no discernible county."
"Can we get any more specific than that?" Kakashi asked. Shino sat up from his hunched position. Kakashi and Shikamaru decided to corner him at an inconvenient time.
"I've recovered enough of the hard drive to begin tracing. So far we've managed to isolate the general area, but nothing more than that. I need more time to dissect the signal," he informed.
Shikamaru knew that could take a while. "In the meantime, we can cross check any potential spaces that could be used and filter them through with what we know of the potentials. But if this guy is as careful as I think he is, then he's got to be underground in the literal sense."
Kakashi nodded. Every second that went by was eating at his nerves. He exited the lab with Shikamaru as they both made their way to the command center. They stopped by the medical room next. Shizune greeted them and gave them their progress.
"Tsunade is currently running labs. She has a hunch but won't tell me what it is until she's sure. We're otherwise done with the body," she said glancing at the covered remains of the poor woman who was scorched beyond recognition.
"Any clue as to what that hunch might be?" Shikamaru asked.
"Even I don't feel comfortable saying it unless I was sure," she said pointedly, glancing at Kakashi.
"We've got a problem on our hands," Jiraya said as he entered the room. "Naruto is nowhere to be found," he said, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Naruto is supposed to be on 24 hour surveillance since the Kyuubi stage resurfaced," Kakashi said. "Why weren't there eyes on him?"
"Because he saw fit to knock those eyes out with his left hook," Jiraya answered while shaking his head. "His security detail was found passed out and stuffed in a storage room. Both of them rehashed how Naruto subdued them when they tried to prevent his exit. They also mentioned he was fully dressed in his combat gear."
"Where do you think he's gone?" Shizune asked.
"If I know that blond knuckle head he's off on a mission to find Sakura himself," Jiraya replied. "He goes with his gut that one, and I'm sure something came to him that he felt we wouldn't support."
"Naruto," Kakashi said shaking his head. The last thing they needed was for him to lose control again in public. He had to be found immediately. Yamato entered the exam room at that time.
"Kakashi, Naruto is-"
"Missing," Kakashi finished. "So I've heard. Any luck tracing him via GPS?"
Yamato, stunned that everyone already knew, took a moment to be embarrassed for letting his quarry slip when he was the lead Agent in the containment division.
"I don't know how he got under my radar, but his GPS chip has been disabled," Yamato admitted.
"I don't know why we bother with those," Jiraya said. "Naruto knows the detail we put on him in the event of a relapse. Considering it's him, it wouldn't be much work using his cells to disintegrate the thing."
"But the chance for a second relapse is increasingly high," Shikamaru stated. "Especially if he's stressed," he added.
"With his personality it'll take quite an event to stress him out," Jiraya mused. "He's on the scent of something and since there's nothing we can do about it until he contacts us, I say we focus our attentions elsewhere," he said just as Tsunade came rushing into the room with papers clutched in her hand.
She paused and gave a disgruntled look at the amount of people in her sterile medical exam room, mucking up her process. "I'd deck you all for entering here without the proper precautions but that can wait until later. Call a meeting. I've got some news and it isn't good."
Kakashi felt the fear infiltrate his soul at her tone, but gathered it together enough to nod and lead them to the command center. It took no more than five minutes to assemble the troops.
Once again, everyone who was anyone had assembled at the command center, bracing themselves for any kind of news. Hinata sat by Ino and Tenten and kept an eye out for Naruto. He hadn't returned and she was growing more worried by the minute.
She caught Jiraya's eye and felt that he knew what she must have been thinking. He simply winked at her, as if telling her everything was going to be okay. Since he was Naruto's mentor, Hinata felt she could trust him, but the fear lingered. She drew her attention to the front as Tsunade made her way to address them.
"I didn't want to have to pull any of you from your tasks unless I found something that could narrow this down more. I just did so listen up," she said with all the authority she could muster.
"This perp is doing something to the bodies, that much is clear. The bodies I'm talking about are the ones that have gone missing since last year. It's more than likely that a good chunk of them are no longer among the living," she said, checking to see if everyone was following before she continued.
"Since he's taken so many people of all different types, it was difficult to isolate the precise reason. I took a closer look at the cells on the woman from the woods and discovered that there was a large amount of decomposition mixed with regenerative cells. It's as if the body couldn't decide if it was dead or alive."
"So we're talking zombies?" Kiba asked more perplexed than amused.
"In a way, yes," Tsunade answered. She exchanged a look with Jiraya. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was. "But they have a very specific purpose."
"This is falling on increasingly familiar territory," Jiraya noted. When she nodded, he knew that they now had one more possibility to consider.
"I'm afraid so," she said. "The Sound Organization is definitely tied into this more than we realized. Whoever is taking these people is messing around with the theory of regeneration, namely the concept of reviving the dead. This is not the first time the idea has been entertained."
"Regeneration is impossible," Gaara commented from his spot against the wall. "The very core of the idea is scientifically inaccurate."
"That's true. But there are those who work to defy the odds," Tsunade said looking around the room. She was miffed to know that she was older than all of them, aside from Jiraya. A few of the older Agents were familiar with the cases from her time, but a lot of the younger ones weren't up to speed.
Yamato was one of the few that caught on to exactly what she was implying. "Are you saying that Orochimaru's work has continued?" he asked. The name alone reverberated throughout the room.
So the legend lives, Tsunade thought as she assessed the shockwave. "Yes. Though Orochimaru himself is dead, someone has picked up the pieces and has been actively pursuing his work. I believe this is the root of the mass disappearances that have plagued the country and why all kinds of people vanished without a trace. Two of our biggest cases are connected."
"But how is that kind of work possible?" Shikamaru asked. "It just sounds like a death trap."
"Orochimaru was what most would deem as a mad scientist, but a scientist none the less," Tsunade stated. "Some of you Senior Agents are aware of the history, but I'm going to enlighten the rest of you. You see, he used to be one of us. Orochimaru was a former CIA Agent who went rogue."
That statement certainly got a reaction. "And to answer your question Shikamaru," she continued "His work wasn't all that impossible," she said before glancing at Yamato. He nodded, knowing what she wished him to say. He stood up and went to the front of the room.
"What she says is true," Yamato confirmed. "Orochimaru not only toyed with the idea of regeneration, but DNA manipulation as well. He experimented on countless people including children. In the end, most of them died save for a select few. I happen to be one of them," he confessed as he glanced around the room before he continued.
"I was abducted along with sixty other children to be experimented on. We were all subjected to DNA testing and manipulation. He tried to infuse us with the DNA of others who had special capabilities in hopes that it would be replicated through us. The results were catastrophically lethal. Orochimaru was discovered by the CIA and was forced to abandon the research, assuming we had all died. But I managed to survive, and not only that, the experiment worked on me. My DNA is infused with that of a former Agent, whose abilities enabled him to contain unstable cells. This is why I was placed in charge of the biological containment division."
The Agents were stunned. The severity of their agency's history was a lot to take in. Tsunade knew this would be hard for them to handle.
"The CIA has its own dangers and mistakes, the likes of which we're still dealing with today," she began. "You all have the right to know about the internal conflicts that have plagued us throughout the years. We have done our best to eliminate the dangers, but we and any future generations must always be aware of our mistakes in order to prevent them in the future. We lost one of our own years ago, and he turned into one of the greatest threats to humanity we could have imagined. Now the ideals of Orochimaru are being carried by someone else and we need to figure out whom that is."
"But what does that mean for Sakura and the children?" Neji asked. "They weren't a random kidnapping. They've been targeted for almost a year. He took them now for a reason."
"And I'm afraid that reason is still to be fully understood," Tsunade said. "But what we can assume is that the three of them will be subjected to his experiments at some point in time. We need to figure out who he is."
"So this guy is an apprentice," Kakashi said hurriedly. "He's taking over Orochimaru's mission."
"The drive has been passed down to someone," Tsunade presumed. "Orochimaru had many followers, most of which we've secured but we have no idea just how many he may have had. He traveled extensively and could have picked up an apprentice anywhere within those travels; someone no one else would miss but with the mental intellect to grasp and even obsess over the possibilities. Whoever this is heavily believes in his work."
Before the ramifications of that could settle, Kakashi was notified of a call coming in. Since the entire team was in the conference room, Kakashi directed the call to the hologram projector. The wavelengths appeared, and the call identified. Hinata gasped when she saw it was Naruto.
"You're on with the entire group, and you better have a good excuse for your absence," Kakashi said. "Where are you Naruto?" The wavelengths moved with his words.
"I have no idea where we're going, but I'll let you know as soon as we reach it," Naruto answered as the wavelengths moved with his words. When Kakashi saw that the signature matched Naruto's voice and that they weren't manipulated code from an enemy, he narrowed his eyes.
"We?" he asked.
"Oh yeah…I found Sasuke," Naruto stated as if it wasn't anything big. A collective round of sheer surprise took hold in the conference room. Hinata was about ready to pass out.
"Naruto…," she whispered.
"You found Sasuke Uchiha?" Kakashi asked.
"You better believe it. I had a hunch and followed it."
"What is your location?"
"I don't know. The bastard wouldn't tell in case I relayed the info to you. It was the only way I was going to be able to follow him. He knows where they are," he said enticing more gasps from the room.
"Put him on the line," Kakashi demanded.
"Can't," Naruto responded immediately. "All he's told me is that if you guys went swarming in, Sakura and the kids won't stand a chance."
"Dammit Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, slamming his hands on the table. "If he knows where they are then we need to know!"
"All he's told me is that that would be a bad idea. He won't tell me anything else."
"And you trust him just by that?" Kakashi asked. "Naruto you are bound by duty to this organization and you are no exception to its protocols. Tell us where they are."
"I already told you, I have no clue," Naruto repeated. "But Sasuke does and if this is the only way he'll let me help then I've got to go with it."
"Don't forget that he's an S Class criminal and should have been brought in. You know the law Naruto and you are not above it. The rules are there for a reason," Kakashi declared.
"He's also my friend," Naruto said calmly. "And someone I highly respect once told me that those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. If my friend just happens to be a former S Class criminal, so be it."
The entire room turned and watched their Commander in silence.
It was a surreal feeling to hear those words coming from Naruto. Kakashi closed his eyes and lowered his head. The day had finally arrived when Naruto would use the lessons he learned against him. There were several truths to this world and few truer than what he just said. It was a lesson his father had taught him; what Obito Uchiha confirmed when he died giving him his Sharingan eye. He had to trust his pupil for his daughters' sake, and he had to trust another Uchiha for Obito.
"Naruto…"
"We all have the same goal here," Naruto continued. "For now, back us up. I'll send you the coordinates the minute we get there, and it better not take you more than ten minutes to get here this time or you better believe I'll be pissed. Be on the ready." And then with more hesitancy, he added. "And Hinata…" he said making her jump at her name. She looked at the moving waveforms longingly, wishing she could see him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. I'll be back soon…believe it."
When he shut off communication, Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke, who hadn't uttered a single word during the call.
Sasuke directed him to a small lethal looking vehicle that would have put Batman to shame. He allowed Naruto to call simply because he wouldn't stop whining about letting the CIA know where he was. He made no comment when Naruto defended their friendship, but the dobe was simple enough to understand. He would help in any way he could. Defying the agency showed Sasuke just how much Sakura and the kids meant to him as well.
"You know if you told me those coordinates now, they can be there within the hour," Naruto commented as they drove through the area. Sasuke continued to stare straight ahead with his eyes glowing in the darkness of the vehicle.
Naruto could tell he was still enraged at Sakura's capture. But the kids must have been driving him to madness. The possibilities were endless as far as the Sound Organization, and he would know just how ruthless they could be.
"You plan on telling me who's responsible for this shit or am I just supposed to be surprised?" Naruto asked. Sasuke didn't spare him a glance as he spoke.
"As soon as you tell me who you think is responsible for the security breech in your own organization." Judging by the following silence, he knew the dobe didn't want to dwell on that. Too damn bad.
"I honestly can't," Naruto admitted. "I can't see anyone in that organization betraying us, and I've been told that that side of my personality is one of my biggest flaws."
"Whoever told you that was right," Sasuke said. "To trust someone completely is like handing your enemy a gun and daring them to shoot you. You're blinded by that trust and because of that you let one of your own betray you. The CIA may or may not have the idea that there's a dirty Agent somewhere. Either way, you haven't caught your own perpetrator yet. You're priorities have been off."
"Our priorities are all over the place," Naruto said defensively. "One of our own is missing, and another one may have betrayed us. When it hits this close to home, it's hard to be objective. That's also a flaw for us, I get that. But Sakura is one of us. She's our Commander's daughter and more legendary than she could ever realize."
Sasuke was glad that he at least realized that much. After a beat of silence, Naruto decided to ask "Do you know who's been undermining our investigation? I didn't mention that to Kakashi in case the dirt bag happened to be in the room, but I should know at least."
Sasuke wasn't about to tell him. He wasn't taking any chances at this point, even it was the dobe. "It's being taken care of," he finally said.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "If you know who's been-"
"I do know," Sasuke interjected. "I know a hell of a lot more than I would have cared to about the CIA. You wouldn't believe the amount of internal cover ups they dish out. Your agency is as much of a danger to its own Agents as the crime it tries to prevent."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto shouted.
"You want to tell me how you got that condition you're so paranoid of?" he asked, only to receive immediate silence. "That's what I thought."
"I figure I don't need to rehash something you already know," Naruto replied. "The CIA sure as hell isn't perfect but it has something for everyone. Thinking back, I'm glad you didn't join. I know you would have gotten sucked into ROOT."
The mention of that word had Sasuke's hands tightening on the wheel. That was the key to all of this. That hidden organization began the foundation for this entire mess years ago.
"That guy Sai," he began catching Naruto's attention. "What was his deal?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "If you're asking me then I'm assuming you haven't read Sai's file.
Sasuke's face didn't give anything away, but there was something in his tone when he spoke. "There was no file…because the man you knew as Sai never existed."
"What the hell are you talking about? Of course he did!" Naruto shouted.
Sasuke almost laughed. "What do you really know about the ROOT division? What do you really know about the organization you fight for? They have their foot soldiers, and then they have their secret weapons like ROOT. None of them have files. They were made to be untraceable and disposable. That's why there's no record of him."
"Rewind and freeze," Naruto demanded. "What did you mean when you said Sai never existed?"
"Think about it dobe," Sasuke said. "He existed as a person, but Sai wasn't his real name. I don't even think he had a real name," he said recalling all the times he tried searching for the man and turning up blank. No marriage registrar, and unlisted on his own son's birth certificate; deliberate interference on the CIA ROOT division's part.
"I dug up some dirt about ROOT, even though they thought they swept it under the rug," he continued. "That division picks up stray kids and strips them of their humanity before programming them to be machines. No names, no emotions, no relationships, no identity. Their only purpose is to do whatever the hell ROOT commands them to do. The only file the agency has is on the character, not the man. "Sai" was a name given to him when he got one very particular assignment."
"And what assignment was that?" Naruto asked, even though he felt he already knew. Sasuke simply glanced at him, and Naruto was forced to accept it. "So Sai only became Sai when he was assigned to protect Sakura."
Sasuke's eyes hardened, and once again the killing aura enveloped them. "Sai's mission wasn't to protect Sakura," Sasuke said dangerously. "His mission was to kill her."
"Look up all of the graduating class from Sakura's year," Shikamaru directed. "Now cross reference all the male students born at least five years older. Sakura entered young and so everyone would have been at least that much older than her."
"That leaves us with 200 possibilities," Neji said. He, along with the rest of the group not immediately needed elsewhere had taken up post at the analysis division to begin narrowing down suspects.
Hinata was being closely watched by Neji, as the news of Naruto's escapades sent her into a more delicate state than she cared to let everyone know. Neji swore to beat the shit out of Naruto when he got the chance.
"At least it's a list we can start with," Tenten said at her post near a large computer screen. She was going through a topographical search of the country, trying to locate any vicinity that could possibly be of use to their perp. As part of the tactician's team, it was her job to come up with a battle plan most advantageous to the area. "The sooner Shino narrows down a more specific area, the sooner I can refine my own search."
"Filter through those 200 and eliminate those that didn't have any classes with her," Shikamaru ordered.
Neji complied. "That leaves us with 53 subjects."
"How many of them came from stable backgrounds?" he asked.
Neji filtered some more. "Twelve," he answered.
Tenten cringed. "Wow, only twelve people came from normal homes? That's kind of frightening."
Shikamaru agreed. "Now factor in birth records. How many were born in country?"
"All of them."
"Alright now let's do a year by year background search," Shikamaru suggested. "Tsunade said that this guy could have been picked up by Orochimaru sometime in his childhood and anywhere in the world as far as we know. If this guy traveled at all and often enough to be approached by him, we should be able to find some missing gaps in his history."
Neji began the search, filtering through the history of the remaining forty-one suspects.
"Who does that leave?" Shikamaru mumbled silently to himself as the pictures filtered back and forth and light speed. This guy had to be in here somewhere and they'd find him if it took everything they had. Shikamaru braced himself to stay with this branch of the investigation, having confidence in relaying his other responsibilities to a very trusted individual.
He wondered if it was wise to do so, consider who she was. But Anko was no push over. She was exactly what he needed considering the assignment he passed down to her.
Anko entered the lab after she had been given the proper attire consisting of a white Hasmat suit that made her feel like the Pillsbury doughboy. Pushing the way she looked aside, she made her way toward the figure dissecting the fragments of the tracking device.
Shikamaru was wise to have her take over this aspect of the investigation. It was more of her specialty than his, and since he filled her in on exactly what he had been working on, Anko was able to make a few leaps he might not have otherwise been able to make.
But before she could tackle her main objective, she had to get this part of her job out of the way.
She waited until Shino noticed her, knowing how particular he was about his work. Shino continued his observations as he acknowledged her. "I've just about set the calibrations to begin tracing the receiving coordinates. It took a while but I used the concept of tracking based on one scent as the Bikouchu would do and configured the satellite trackers to pin point a general area no more than twenty miles of the receiver. If this works we'll have a location soon."
"We're running out of options, so this better work," she said eyeing all the containers of insects dispersed among the mounds of lab material and technology. It was an odd combination that nonetheless worked.
"I should know if this will work in a few hours," Shino replied.
Knowing a dismissal when she heard one Anko simply turned around and left, heading toward the training arena. She ripped the suit off and happily stuffed it down a soiled gowns dispenser before making her way through the base.
Other cases still mattered and new recruits still needed training, even in times of crisis. That was what she took on as a result of the shift in priorities for Kakashi. It was one less thing for him to worry about and she was more than capable of keeping things running here. Plus it put him at ease with her condition and gave him less time to nag her about it.
Unfortunately it gave her more time to think about what her genes would do to the baby. Suki Uchiha was an example of the curse mark being recessive in a child. But the passing didn't come from her mother who incubated her. Anko was constantly filtering the blood to her child, and she had no idea what it was doing to him.
It's a boy. That's what she told Kakashi at the last meeting when he looked ready to die. She never knew when the right time to talk to him about these matters was, but when she saw how the situation with his daughter was destroying him, she had to give him something good. Either way, he didn't die on her and that had to count for something.
Now it was time to move in on her real target.
She walked to the interrogation unit. She had a date with a very particular member of the Uchiha family.
She saw Ibiki Moreno, the agency's top interrogator walking down in her direction. Judging by his scowl, he still hadn't managed to crack Itachi Uchiha in an interrogation.
"Mitarashi," Ibiki said. "Shikamaru called. I can't say I'm thrilled about your participation in this."
"Itachi getting to you Ibiki?" she asked knowingly, making him frown. "He learned how to counter interrogation from you. It won't be easy to destroy something you built."
"And he knows it," Ibiki said running a hand down his scarred face. "He's involved with this somehow. He's our best bet as the tip off for his brother. Cracking him is like trying to put a crack in water. It's impossible."
"And that's an Uchiha for you," she said, instinctively placing a hand on her abdomen when the baby kicked. Frisky little guy, she thought when he settled down. Ibiki glanced at her baby bump. It wasn't like it was avoidable at this point. That was one particular reason he didn't want her in there.
"Does Kakashi know you're out and about?" he asked. He earned quite the glare in response. "He's given everyone look out duty on you, just so you know. He doesn't want another kid to end up like the first."
"Duly noted," she said dryly. "How about you let me have a go at Itachi? Pregnant woman can make men uncomfortable, as you certainly are and maybe he may actually blink when he sees me. Besides," she said walking away from him. "Water can be cracked…you just have to freeze it first," she said before opening the door and walking in.
Anko entered the interrogation room with her eyes focused on Itachi Uchiha sitting in the center of a dark room illuminated only with a bright white light in his face. It wouldn't have any effect on him; not with those eyes of his.
She made her way over and sat in the chair directly before him. "So, you want to admit now that you're the one who tipped off Sasuke or shall we just drag this out a bit more," she asked conversationally.
Itachi's cool collected eyes remained trained on her own without wavering.
"I know you could have busted out of here whenever the hell you wanted," she continued. "I know there's a reason you didn't. Everything about you is about purpose Itachi. You don't do anything without one."
He continued to stare at her, assessing her the way he always assessed his surroundings. Anko wasn't going to fool herself into thinking that Itachi didn't intimidate her, but she sure as hell wasn't going to show it.
"Now, protecting your little brother may be a noble effort, but when he's an S Class Criminal your helping him in anyway is considered to be the work of an accomplice. This is all stuff you know. So what gives Itachi? What more are you working on sitting behind this desk and pretending to be interrogated. Something is keeping you here instead of helping your brother. I think it's one of two things," she said sitting back and placing her hands over her belly. Having a big one came in handy for that at least.
"One, you're just bored and you just want to mess with Ibiki's bald ass head. Or two, you're working Internal Affairs. That being said, what better way to gain information than here in the interrogation room, where the questions provide more answers themselves rather than the source of you inquiry?"
She thought she saw just the slightest upward tilt of the corner of his mouth, but it was gone so quickly she might have made it up. What she did know was that she was spot on.
From the two way mirror, Ibiki nearly choked on his coffee. What the hell? Itachi was working IA? His skills were slipping. He stared at the scene before him: Itachi Uchiha being hounded by a pregnant woman.
"Who are you interested enough to linger here?" Anko asked. "I can already exclude myself. The most reckless thing I did this year was getting knocked up. So who?"
Itachi's eyes penetrated her skin, evaluating the source of her anxiety. His voice never wavered when he said "The child you carry will not succumb to the curse. The borrowed Sharingan he inherits from his father will carry him through it."
She made the mistake of staring at his eyes for far too long before she lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was in the infirmary with an uncomfortable looking Ibiki.
Anko groaned. "Mother fu-"
"She's awake! Inform Kakashi!" Ibiki shouted over her curse to someone in the distance before turning to her. "Damn, this is why I didn't want you in there. Now that we know he was working IA we've got our eyes peeled for a dirty Agent. But damn it all Anko, he still got away," he said quickly before she could ask the obvious questions.
Anko dropped her head against the pillow and sighed in defeat. "We have a dirty Agent…damn," she said, closing her eyes. "You know what to do Ibiki."
He nodded before leaving.
Anko couldn't be too upset with Itachi even if she wanted to. He may have Sharinganed her ass, but not before giving her some peace of mind. Now she owed him one.
She was drained of her energy. She couldn't feel anything. Even with her closed eyes, her heart drummed with all the fear a mother could muster. Damn that bastard. He had her babies.
They kept knocking her out. Whenever she would begin to thrash they simply injected her with more damn drugs so she wouldn't hurt herself. The restraints were digging too deep into her wrists, leaving angry red welts in their wake. They had since replaced them with soft sponge cuffs and belting the rest of her at various levels against the bed.
She hadn't seen Kabuto since she smashed his head in. She had only seen one other person since she had been here, and this time she was determined to get to him. She didn't sense him when he entered the room.
Sakura was startled awake when she felt the needle injected into her arm. She immediately began to trash, but couldn't due to the restrains belted around her.
"If you haven't learned by now that it won't do you any good, you're not as smart as they say you are," said the now familiar voice. Sakura opened her eyes and stared into the dark soul-less depths of a man she had come to familiarize herself with.
His white hair, seemingly gray in the lighting along with his impassive gaze had her on edge. She saw him pull the needle out and hold up a vile of her blood. At least he wasn't drugging her this time. Perhaps she only lasted this long without them because they wanted her blood free of drugs.
There was something about him though that had her wondering. The doctor in her would never stop. His physical characteristics were unique. He was young, but he had been suffering from something for quite a while. It was possible he may still be suffering from it. Either way, he was running on something she didn't know of.
He placed gauze over her arm where the needle had been and taped it secure. His eyes glanced down to her arms, were the red welts were still prominent. When he looked back to her face, he could only freeze in place when he found himself locked in her intense gaze.
He'd never focused on her face for any length of time, and this was why. Those eyes unnerved him as they penetrated his soul. Green fire burned through them as they tried to figure him out. Damn if they didn't bring him right back to his past; right back to her.
He couldn't look away.
"How's your leg?" she asked quietly, making him tense. "It must have hurt… when my son stabbed you. I know it must have left permanent damage."
He could tell by her subdued voice that she was running low on energy. With everything they were pumping into her, he wasn't surprised. She refused to eat anything, and Kabuto didn't want to do anything rash to force her in risk of injury to her.
Kabuto thought of her as the picture of perfection, but he was blinded by his obsession. If he could only see just how she was deteriorating…
"What is that sick bastard doing to my children?" she asked. She wasn't pleading with him, she was demanding. "And what's your part in all this?"
"What makes you think you'll get any answers from me?" he asked, pulling out a tube of ointment and placing it on her wrists. She didn't flinch as the burning sensation seeped into the cuts. Why he was helping her was beyond her, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that he may be the only way out of this. He was the only thing that didn't make sense.
"Because you're the one that doesn't fit in all this. He'll kill them," she said. "He'll kill my babies. It won't work. You know it won't work. They're only children. How could you let him do this to them?"
"You brought this on yourself," he said moving to the next wrist.
"How?" she asked. "How the hell did I bring this on myself? How does anyone bring being abducted and having to watch her children being…" she couldn't continue. The image of them she saw on the monitor…she just couldn't bear the thought of what was going on.
"She's not even yours," he said as he watched her try to control herself. "The Uchiha girl shouldn't even matter to you."
"Clearly, you've never been a parent," she whispered. "Suki doesn't have to be born from me to be my child. I love her like I love my son. Both my children are innocent in this. Kabuto's a sick fuck, but I don't get you."
"Get this," he said getting close up to her face. "You made your bed when you got in one with an Uchiha. Now you reap what you sow."
She wasn't so out of it that she didn't pick up on the hatred that came from him when he said Uchiha. "What did the Uchiha's ever do to you?" she asked. He didn't comment. He turned to walk away when her next statement stopped him.
"Hit a nerve did I?" she asked. "Sasuke will find us."
He turned and gave her a thorough stare. She believed he would. He could see the hope in her eyes. Such faith…in that bastard…
"I've been prepared to kill him for years. I hope he makes it," he said before walking out of the room. She waited until she was sure he was out of earshot when she broke down in tears.
She didn't know how much time had passed since she was taken. She didn't know what was happening to Sora and Suki right now. She was so weak and exhausted and scared out of her mind. But she needed to get out of here and get to her kids. She just needed to think.
Kabuto wanted the cells with the curse mark. He wanted to revive Orochimaru. He wanted to harvest Suki's genes and infuse them into Sora. The only solace she could see was that the blood transfusion itself wouldn't harm Sora. He was type AB and thankfully a universal recipient. But Kabuto showed no interest in what happened to Suki, and if he drained her of enough blood she wouldn't survive.
Both children were still in danger. If they didn't make it, he planned to use her to make another child. The nausea made itself known again at the sick plan. Think think think. What could she do to get out of here?
Nothing, she thought. Nothing but wait and see what he would do to her. She was here, her kids were somewhere here, and all she could do was cry.
"Daddy…," she choked, thinking about her father and all that he had done to protect her from this. "Sasuke…" she sobbed. Where was he? She needed him now more than ever. Why wasn't he here?
He didn't care. He walked away from her before she could rattle him anymore than she had, but he still heard her break down.
Kabuto wasn't taking care of his quarry nearly as well as he imagined. Considering the bastard was obsessed with her, he pretty much left her to her own devices. All he ordered was the occasional blood draw and injection of sedatives, and leave it at that.
Just because he took it upon himself to look in on her once in a while didn't mean anything. He wanted her alive. The Uchiha would be weaker if he had something to fight for. She was no use to him dead.
He heard movement up ahead. He concealed himself in the shadows, not wanting anyone to know that he was keeping tabs on the woman. Two lab rats walked by, carrying some papers in their hands. He stood still and let them pass. He had been walking around without paying attention to where he was going, and he saw that it lead him to the lab.
Those two kids were in there. The fact that he wasn't permitted entrance into the lab was only a mild curiosity on his part. His only goal was getting to the Uchiha, but he was well aware that he was being used. He was fine with that.
But that Haruno woman's green eyes plagued him. Aya's eyes were once like hers; so alive and bright and burning with life.
He stood outside the lab, debating whether or not to see for himself exactly what Kabuto was so set on doing. More footsteps made his decision for him as he went into the storage unit adjacent to the lab. The footsteps passed, and with each minute, he grew more perplexed at his own behavior.
He blamed it on that woman. She was getting to him whether he wanted her to or not.
When he looked around the large room he saw that he was surrounded by rows and rows of shelves, all filled to capacity with various things. Piles of clothing, jewelry, possessions, cellphones, handbags, wallets, shoes. Everything from everyone they had ever taken when this whole organization started. Every missing person that Kabuto had him abduct, and every single one that didn't survive; this was where their possessions ended up.
They couldn't dispose their belongings elsewhere and risk having them found. When he saw just how many people he had helped eliminate, he realized that his soul was damned for his part in all of this. So great was his hatred for the Uchiha bastard that he was willing to play a part in all this. But it was the only way to get the opportunity. The only way to avenge her.
He had so much taken away from him since he was a child. Aya was the last straw. Life was through messing with him. Why did he have to lose everything? What the hell had he ever done to deserve all this?
He closed his eyes, recalling the last moment he had spoken to her. The night that changed everything.
"Shin," she said looking into his eyes with all the compassion in the world. "We can't do this anymore."
Shin stared at her from his position only a foot away. They were at the park, at the spot they had always met to be together. It was where they first met, where he first began to make a recovery from the illness that plagued him since childhood. He had all but given up on life. He severed all his ties and had gotten out of the organization that owned him at the cost of everything that was dear to him, only to suffer endlessly with disease.
Then he met her: Aya Jin.
"What are you talking about Aya?" Shin asked. She looked so guarded, and so torn. She couldn't hold his gaze long as the wind blew in her hair.
"I can't see you anymore," she whispered.
"Why?" he asked. "What's holding you back?"
She looked so hesitant, but she held on strong. This was what she had to do. "I'm getting married."
The jolt that overcame his system was stunning. He stared at her in shock for a mere two seconds before that shock turned into rage. "Who?" he asked.
"Shin…"
"Who is it?" he yelled. "Who's forcing you into this?"
"No one is forcing me," Aya said. "I made this decision on my own."
"The hell you did!" Shin yelled. "What brought this on?"
"Shin, it's settled," she said. "I'm getting married soon. I can no longer see you. I'm no good for you. Please don't make this any harder than it already is. My fiancé...he's not-"
"Is he the one forcing you into this?" Shin asked grabbing her arms. "Is he making you marry him?"
"No," Aya said. "Shin he's a good man. And my father is-"
"Your father's forcing you to marry him."
"Shin, listen to me," Aya pleaded.
"I won't. I won't lose you. My life has been nothing until you came into it. I was dead before you. Tell me who he is. I'll kill him."
Aya's brilliant green eyes widened at the threat, because she believed him. She knew what he was capable of; what he had endured before they found each other. But this was for his own good. Her father would kill him if he ever found out about their relationship. It was the only reason she agreed to marry another man.
"Shin, please. I'm marrying Sasuke Uchiha…and there's nothing you can do about it," she said firmly. She hated saying that, because the hurt and betrayal that flashed through his eyes broke her. She could never tell him the reason why; never explain to him just how much she loved him to sacrifice herself, but if she did, he would only get himself killed. She couldn't live that way. She couldn't live in a world where he wasn't alive.
Her father would see to it.
"I do love you Shin," Aya said as her eyes watered, catching the moonlight. "So please…be happy without me." She broke free of his hold and ran in the opposite direction.
Shin was set to run after her. Before he even took a single step, a figure emerged from the shadows. Shin couldn't make out who it was, but heard the man give out an order.
"Get him," he said. Shin didn't stand a chance as several men in dark suits surrounded him.
"Who the hell are-"
He didn't get to finish. A swift punch to the jaw stunned him enough to be subdued and knocked out.
When he woke, he found himself in the hospital. His last memory was of Aya running away from him. He found out that he had been unconscious for a week, and that Aya Jin had been married off. When he looked into whom she had married, that's when things began to make sense to him.
Sasuke Uchiha.
He was a rich business mogul, and now that he thought about it, those men that jumped him in the park…they must have been Uchiha henchmen. They were the reason Aya was no longer with him. That was the truth he had come up with and carried with him for all those years.
He had planned to confront Uchiha after he had gained his strength. He worked hard and had obtained medication that enabled him to control his debilitating disease. But by that time, he discovered that Aya was pregnant. The betrayal that had seeped into his soul intensified, and delayed him enough to let things slip from his grasp.
Then…Aya had died. His whole world died with her.
Vengeance was all he had to live for now.
"Dammit!" Shin cursed as he recalled the memory of the day his life went to hell. Raw emotions bubbled onto the surfaced, something he had never allowed to happen before. But damn it, damn the Haruno woman and the eyes the reminded him so much of everything he had lost.
He punched the nearest rack in rage, not even caring as the items on the shelf fell out of place. He was breathing heavily, trying to calm himself enough to walk back out of the storage area and strengthen his resolve not to get involved with this any more than he was.
He wouldn't care, not matter what. He bent down and picked up the stuff that had fallen on the floor, shoving them back randomly. He only registered that they were the clothes the Haruno woman had been wearing when she had been brought in.
Further enraged, he shoved them back as forcefully as he could, not wanting anything to do with them or her, from here on out. The forceful movements pushed the handbag she had off the shelf. The clasp opened and something square and black fell out and opened.
It was a book.
Shin turned to pick it up…then froze when his eyes landed on the book. More specifically, the page that displayed itself had him stop. Carefully, he lifted the book off the floor, and stared at the two images on it.
They were drawings…one on each page. There was a familiar dark haired man on one page…and on the other…
It was him.
The two figures held hands in the middle.
Gasping in shock, reeling from what he held in his hands, Shin stumbled back and gapped.
"This can't be…" he gasped as he stared into the drawings done by a hand that he knew well. He turned the book over and studied the composition. He knew this book…he bought this book years ago. He gave this book to a very specific person. Why did the Haruno woman have it?
"…Brother?" he gasped as he stared into the face of the boy he thought he lost all those years ago.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Hello all. Mystery dude two is finally revealed: It's Shin.
I've been calling him "Mystery Dude" since the dawn of this fic because back then he was nameless. It was before Kishimoto revealed that his name was Shin in the actual manga lol.
REVIEW PLEASE!