A/N: Today's chapter carries with it great irony. I've recently experienced a very deep loss in my family that has reminded me just how easy come, easy go life really is. Friends, I do hope that you live life like there are no tomorrows. =)
XII: Easy Come, Easy Go
There was no time for Kiba to ponder the events up to this point. All that mattered was finding Ino and Akamaru and getting the hell out of here.
He lifted his nose and charged it with chakra. Took a moment to filter the layers of scent. The hell...? Their scents had concentrated in the house. What were they doin' there? Quickly, he used transformation jutsu to become Mrs. Nakamura's servant. Counting on the confusion outside to cover him, Kiba followed his nose into the house.
He knew of at least one nin…he should expect there to be more, so movement through the manor seemed painfully slow. Rashness begged him to raze everything to the foundation; rashness would not serve him.
Ino's blood-scent brought him to a scarred door at the back of the house, in the kitchen beside what smelled like the pantry. Throwing caution to the wind, he flung open the door. Ino's and Akamaru's scents intensified- -he was close to them. He'd met no one and so dispelled the transformation jutsu to conserve chakra.
At his feet, stairs plunged into abject darkness. He moved down them fluidly, keeping the door at the top open. Kiba may have enhanced vision, but not enhanced enough for complete darkness.
Dankness, mold, and dust invaded his sinuses. Light reflected off piles of unused furniture, selves of old glass jars, and sheet-covered stacks of what looked like crates. He followed a path between the junk; his hearing picked up labored breathing.
Along the very back wall of the basement, in the darkest part, Kiba discovered what looked like a row of cells. A barred door crossed the entrances of the small rooms, which had no floor, no windows, and cold stone walls.
The very last cell contained Ino and Akamaru. Both were unconscious, in a heap of limbs and fur, and Ino's poison-tainted blood overpowered even her basic scent. His logic forced the panic back, ignored his freezing blood.
Kiba examined the lock on their cell, which was a simple lock and key affair embedded in the door. No chakra seals or other containment jutsu were apparent. The door had hinges, and he guessed the holding cell was not for shinobi; whoever had thrown Ino and Akamaru in there had needed a quick fix.
Thinking quickly, he used a kunai to jimmy free the hinges from the wall. The door swung awkwardly away, pivoting on the lock, but he had gone inside to examine his lover and animal companion.
Akamaru had taken a few hits. Some bleeding cuts ran in dark swathes on the light fur, and some swelling showed where he'd been knocked around. He had no broken bones, but Kiba couldn't be certain he was mobile.
Ino was worse. She'd taken three poisonous needles to the upper-chest. A large bruise had formed over her eye, and he noted the scrapes on her knuckles. Kiba found no obvious broken bones, but the poison had worsened her condition. It had been her breathing he'd heard.
Both of them could be moved without causing debilitating injury, but it would take time Kiba sensed he didn't have. His best bet was to get one or both of them mobile at the same time. Akamaru would most likely be able to move himself; Ino, not so much. She'd have to be carried.
"Akamaru?" Kiba gently shook the nin-dog. "Akamaru?"
Akamaru didn't stir.
If Akamaru didn't wake, Kiba knew he faced a dangerous scenario. He was not strong enough to carry both Akamaru and Ino; one of them would have to be left behind. A plausible solution would be to carry out one, hide him or her and afterwards, return for the second.
That still didn't feel right to him. Think. Think, um, an idea…idea. Argh! There wasn't enough time for this! Ino looked so pale, her eyes scrunched together- -
- -that was it! When Ino had passed out before, Inoichi had used ammonia. Akamaru wasn't poisoned, so maybe he'd wake up. Then Akamaru could get Ino outta there. Yeah, that'd work. He hoped.
Kiba shifted Ino to get a hand into her waist pouch. Ino was med-nin, so he was about seventy percent sure she would have it on her; knowing his luck, however, that percentage decreased to probably about nil.
His fingers ran across the usual sharp edges, some first-aid equipment, tags, and what felt like a small glass vial. He swallowed hard and removed the vial, too scared to hope. Clear liquid- -that was good. When Kiba uncorked it, he cringed back. Ammonia. Just what he needed.
Kiba waved the ammonia under his dog's nose, speaking gently and supporting Akamaru's head with his free hand.
"Akamaru, c'mon, buddy, I need you."
Akamaru's tail twitched. Kiba's relief was so immediate and overwhelming, tears stung his eyes. He continued drawing the ammonia in front of Akamaru's black nose until an eye popped open, and paws scrabbled back and forth.
"C'mon, get up," Kiba said. "We gotta get goin'."
The nin-dog growled and with Kiba's help, shifted to stand. Kiba thought he looked wobbly, but there was no more time. Footsteps almost imperceptibly tread on the stairs. No scent. The conclusion came swift…this was the same nin who'd pursued him on the rooftops.
Quickly, he motioned to Akamaru for silence, and with a series of efficient movements, he flopped Ino over Akamaru's back. But her limp body slithered off. He shifted her again, but again, she slipped off. He and Akamaru exchanged a look, understanding one another without speaking.
They would have to use Beast-Human Clone jutsu. But Akamaru wouldn't have time to transform and carry out Ino without being attacked. Shit. That left one option: Kiba would have to distract or detain whoever so quietly had entered the basement.
He formed the correct hand seals; Akamaru became his clone. So gently, Akamaru-as-Kiba gathered Ino in his arms, and held her close to his chest. The only exit was up the stairs; Kiba would engage the enemy and allow Akamaru time to egress.
Motioning for Akamaru to wait, Kiba crept forward and peered through the dim light, mind clicking along at record speeds. Use the element of surprise; know where the enemy is and where your teammates are. Quick and clean, in and out. Allow the enemy no time for thinking.
A figure moved down the same aisle Kiba had taken. He had to hold the enemy long enough for them to get out. So he tossed a smoke bomb and barreled at the shadowy figure. His head hit the black-clad stomach, and his arms locked around a waist.
The bomb went off. Instantly, the smoke obscured his vision, deadened his sense of smell.
He didn't stop, popping up quick enough to slam a fist into the nin's head. The nose broke in a satisfying crunch; but the enemy recovered to duck under a second fist. Kiba writhed around with the nin, escaping and feinting with several basic submission holds.
But Kiba was quicker of the two. He caught an arm and heard the snap as he bent it. He released, though not fast enough to avoid an elbow aimed at his solar plexus.
Shifted just enough. Air escaped Kiba in a whoosh as the elbow rammed into his stomach instead. Hello, pain. The hit had surprised him, and he considered disappearing into the smoke. But only a few seconds had passed.
A little more time. They needed a little more time.
The nin appeared at Kiba's side, arm swinging straight out. He swept to chop Kiba's throat, but Kiba ducked. Bits and pieces of crate burst out, showering Kiba as he blocked a foot and another hand.
The tight quarters hindered Kiba's movement and several blows fell on him as he struggled to move freely. None of the blows hit accurately enough to incapacitate him. Several times his hands and feet destroyed crates rather than dealing damage on the enemy. All that mattered, however, was time for Akamaru and Ino to escape.
Something changed. The mood of the fight had shifted; Kiba intuitively knew that the nin had realized their plan. Now was the time to fall back.
Without hesitating, Kiba focused his chakra to perform Piercing Fang. He'd tunnel through the wall and ground to open air. Escape, afterwards, would be a matter of speed and deception.
He delayed a second too long. His enemy's fingers blurred and even as Kiba sent the signals to his body to move, he understood he'd been caught in a paralysis jutsu. A moment later, a blow to the back of the neck put Kiba into unconsciousness.
- -N- -
Garbled noise stirred him. In the darkness, Kiba rose to consciousness and discerned conversation.
A woman's voice. "…mean, the girl and dog got away? I thought you were in the Bingo book or something! What do I pay you for?"
A man's. "You wanted this one, so I got this one."
"Yes, and where is my leverage? Oh, yes, destroyed!"
Kiba recognized the woman's voice. His mind flitted around a name…
"You know why, ma'am."
A sigh. "This Inuzuka kid is difficult, and that Yamanaka…slut is another problem. Yukari can really pick them, can't she?"
"Hm."
Something cool and wet wiped his forehead. He didn't want to think just now.
"We'll have to push him harder. He won't behave, otherwise."
"Ma'am, his type is stubborn, persistent, not easy to control. We have to take the next step."
"I've already taken care of it. You need to keep an eye on Inuzuka, and report to me if he gets in contact with that Yamanaka girl."
Kiba remembered- -that voice belonged to Mrs. Nakamura. She and the man stood above his head.
"And where is Yukari?" Mrs. Nakamura continued. "She should be here by now!"
A moment's pause.
"Would you like me to retrieve her, ma'am?" the man asked.
"Yes, you idiot! Bring her to me!"
Another cool, wet wipe across his forehead had Kiba forcing his eyes open. Several thoughts collected in his mind: he couldn't move; the room was dim, not dark; someone else was there with him; sharp pains shot into his brain when he shifted; he was screwed.
He closed his eyes. Waking up wasn't worth the effort.
"Kiba?"
Yukari. What the hell did she want? Nothing she could say would get him to forgive her.
She tried again. "Kiba, I-"
"Leave me alone."
A wounded silence followed his curt statement. When she tried wiping his forehead again, Kiba twitched his head away, suffering the consequences when white light burst behind his eyes. The pain was excruciating and pounded the inside of his skull.
Footsteps fell somewhere outside- -the door was at his back. A knock.
"Miss Yukari, your mother is ready to see you."
Yukari shifted behind him and he heard her stand. Her light footsteps crossed the floor, the door shut, and Kiba was left alone.
The closed door muffled Yukari's voice, but Kiba was able to listen. "H-how did you know where I was?"
"A good guess, little lady."
Little lady? Kiba suppressed a groan.
"Whoa!" the man sounded startled. "Where did these tears come from?"
Some sobbing and sniffling. "H-he hates m-me!"
"Who does?"
"H-him!"
"I see." The man paused. "Give him some time. He'll come around."
Pfft. Not damn likely.
"W-what if he doesn't?" she whimpered. "What if…what if he hates me forever?"
"No one could hate you forever. Here, wipe those tears." The sound of Yukari blowing her nose. More sniffling as the man continued. "Are you ready? Your mother is waiting."
"Yeah. Let's go."
Footsteps fell away from the door. During the interval that followed, Kiba wiggled around, ignoring his agonized head. Feet were definitely bound. His hands were bound at the small of his back and his fingers had gone numb. He wasn't using jutsu to escape this time.
Then he reconsidered. The possibility of pumping Mrs. Nakamura for more information, such as how she thought he would cooperate, seemed the better plan.
"Where have you been?"
That would be Mrs. Nakamura.
"I-I was-"
And that was Yukari.
"And look at you, you're a mess! You look like you've been to a funeral!"
Footsteps above him; they were moving around.
"Answer me," Mrs. Nakamura demanded. "Where were you?"
A long pause. "With Kiba." Her words were barely perceptible.
"With…? Did you talk to him?"
Yukari mumbled something that Kiba didn't hear. There was a smacking sound- -Yukari yelped- -and Mrs. Nakamura responded angrily.
"Speak up, girl. I can't hear you like that."
A fresh burst of tears. "I said…he told me to leave him…a-alone."
"Shush, dear. Don't worry about him. Go wash your face and put yourself to rights." Another pause; footsteps crossed the floor. "Roach. Bring me Inuzuka."
"Yes, ma'am."
Okay, he was up. His worst character trait would be sorely tested…his patience. Patience had been something Master Kurenai had taught him first thing as a genin. Shino and Hinata had it in spades, but Kiba could never get the hang of waiting around. He liked action; he liked initiative.
Here, he had to keep in mind his goal, which was to find if Mrs. Nakamura had any more tricks up her sleeve. As much as he despised being jerked around, he would allow it to lull Mrs. Nakamura into a false sense of power. Then he would strike.
A physical battle, Kiba understood and excelled in. This psychological parlay shit was Shino's cup.
Footsteps outside the door again, then the door opened. Combat boots tread over the floor. No scent. He heard a blade of some sort exit a sheath; the binding around his feet came loose.
A rough hand hooked into his armpit, yanking him to stand. His feet were as numb as his hands, and the sudden circulation put everything below his ankles on pins and needles. Kiba hadn't even gained his balance before 'Roach' started dragging him.
He shook loose. "Gimme a damn minute, wouldja?"
"You don't have a minute," was the pithy remark back.
"Mrs. Bitch can hold 'er fuckin' horses."
Roach's hand shot out and grabbed Kiba's neck. Squeezing, he said, "Watch your tongue."
Kiba wasn't intimidated nor was he impressed. He snarled, even as his air passage closed under Roach's firm grip, and in a quick movement, kneed Roach in the crotch.
Roach grunted. Dropped. Kiba gave him a swift, hard kick in the ribs before Roach caught his foot and tugged.
The crash to the floor didn't hurt; the fist to the face did. Blood and pain pounded in Kiba's head; the tang of blood coated his tongue.
Roach hauled him to his feet again. "We're going."
The insult had sprung from Kiba's mouth without thought, but it had served a dual purpose: to gain him some time and to elicit a response out of Roach.
Roach's reaction was more than employee loyalty to Mrs. Nakamura. Kiba had seen the flash of very real anger in Roach's eyes before being choked.
Although he knew Roach found it necessary to shove him around, Kiba was able to keep on his feet and avoid going head-long into a wall. The trip to Mrs. Nakamura's office was made in tense silence, and when they eventually entered the space, Kiba made sure his face was impassive and controlled.
Mrs. Nakamura was at her impressive desk and in a show of busyness, shuffled some papers. Roach continued to grip Kiba's elbow, and Kiba sensed that Roach was looking for any excuse to debilitate him.
"Welcome back, Kiba," Mrs. Nakamura greeted. "I hope you found your defiance invigorating."
The venom in her words wasn't lost on Kiba. He shrugged and kept his eyes on her, even though there was a small movement at the back of the office.
"You think you're so smart, grabbing that envelope and running off. Well, let me inform you of the situation."
Mrs. Nakamura rose from her seat and rounded the desk. In her hand was an old-fashioned fan…the miniature version of the one he'd seen that Sand chick lug around. Only this fan was for show, not battle. She tapped the fan in the palm of her free hand.
"You've failed. Failed." She drew out the word like an insult, biting Kiba's patience to the quick. "You will marry Yukari, and it's just a matter of time."
Kiba spoke his words slowly. "Your words are fucking worthless. You ain't got nothing on me."
Roach shoved him for the remark, and Kiba fell to his knees. Mrs. Nakamura traced his neck and jaw with her fan, bringing his tightly reined nerves to a tizzy. His vulnerability seemed too evident. He sensed danger, a shift in the atmosphere.
"You know, Roach is special. He is very good at going undetected and very good at exterminating pests. It wouldn't be very hard for him to pay that Yamanaka slut a visit." She paused, and Kiba heard someone open the doors to her office. "You know, it doesn't have to be her. It could be your mother or sister…your teammates, your master. Anyone is a target for Roach."
Her ominous words rang in his ears, but he snorted, "Yeah, right," as Mrs. Nakamura glanced to the doors.
"They're here?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Excellent. Show them in. And Kin," she added, "secure the office."
Kin hesitated a second. "Yes, ma'am." Then he gestured at whoever had arrived.
Kiba whiffed several men- -five, in fact- -who'd smelled as though they'd been marinating in sake and living in a chimney. The heavy tread of five pairs of boots across the floor, the clinking of hardware and weaponry, and when the men entered the room, Kiba's bad feeling heightened. These men were tattooed and stank of wrongness.
They gathered in a small group in front of the door as the servant closed and locked it. From the outside.
"Gentlemen," Mrs. Nakamura greeted, and Kiba heard the irony in her voice. "I'm glad to see you. Do you have the product?"
Product? What product? Under the pungent odor emanating from the group, Kiba could tell they were anxious. One of the men in the front shifted his weight subtly before speaking.
"No, Miz Nakamura. We don't."
A long, long pause. Beside him, Roach's breathing accelerated; he was excited, like he anticipated an attack, but Mrs. Nakamura's face had gone smooth, marble-like. The fan snapped open-closed in her hand. Snap-snap. Snap-snap. Hair stirred on the back of Kiba's neck- -something bad was gonna happen.
"You assured me," snap-snap, "that no matter the circumstance that product was yours." Snap-snap.
The leader scratched his head and sniffed. "Yeah, well, that was before Leaf and Sand came togetha to guard the delivery. Dogs all ova the place. Even Lord Kankuro was there."
Snap-snap. "Did you even attempt to get the product?"
The leader chuckle-snorted. "Miz Nakamura. Mebbe you didn't hear me. We would've been sniffed out half-a-mile near."
"Imbeciles!" Mrs. Nakamura said through clenched teeth. Kiba heard a creepy scritscritscrit. "Have you ever heard of a diversion? Hm? Did that cross your drunken little brain?"
Some of the other men shuffled uncomfortably. The leader sneered, showing a glimmer of a gold tooth, but Mrs. Nakamura was on a roll.
"No, probably not. You're worthless to me if you can't even try to get the product. Roach," her eyes flicked to Kiba's captor. Her eyes had gone cold. "Show them we do not accept failure."
Roach moved, knocking Kiba to the floor. Where he landed, Kiba could see Roach's hand signs, feel the fluctuation in chakra. Scuttling, all over the place. Kiba saw the men reach for their weapons, glancing and shifting around. Silence. Then the lights in the room flickered- -a humming shadow darkened everything.
Before his eyes, Kiba watched the shadow gather on the men, coating them like living body armor. Terrifyingly similar to one of Shino's secret moves, the insects- - cockroaches - -encased each individual.
Shrieks, screams, and sobs, as they flailed or rolled on the ground. Kiba smelt blood. With a sick twist, he realized the cockroaches were biting flesh. And then Roach made an angry gesture. At once, the cockroaches seized, and in five plumes of red mist, it was over.
What were once solid bodies melted into frenetic mounds of cockroaches. The mounds decreased, decreased, until in a flicker of light, the cockroaches disbursed. Nothing remained of the group of men except five blood spots on the carpet of the office.
And like that, she'd taken the wind out of his sails. Evidence could be destroyed- -not a problem. Roach- -big fucking problem, especially since Roach, here, was a top-notch shinobi, one that was almost impossible to detect. And with that surprise cockroach jutsu…fear clawed at him.
Fuck. Fuck.
Snap-snap. "Nicely done," Mrs. Nakamura said, as if she was commenting on the quality of a sword.
Kiba couldn't tear his eyes away from the blood spots- -they'd been right fuckin' there!- -he didn't struggle when Roach pulled him to his feet. Snap-snap. Mrs. Nakamura had stepped nearer, and she leaned in to look him square in the eyes.
"Now do you understand?"
He swallowed hard. "I'm not concerned. They can take care of themselves."
Both Roach and Mrs. Nakamura laughed in a way that made Kiba shiver. His blood ran ice-cold. These people were psychotic, like S-class criminal psychotic.
Roach answered. "All shinobi let down their guard eventually. Then it's a matter of where to slip my blade or flick my needles or direct my cockroaches. She was lucky, you know, that you found her before I got back. I would have liked to know what she tasted like."
Keep calm. Keep calm.
"Yer bluffin'. There's no way you can get away with murderin' a fellow Leaf."
"You're forgetting something," Roach said quietly. "Missions are often dangerous, and accidents happen all the time."
Kiba felt like puking. They had him from every angle. He saw no loophole, no escape.
"And," Roach continued in a whisper, "I'm…not…Leaf."
Fear sent another shiver down Kiba's spine.
Mrs. Nakamura stepped back and leaned on her desk. Snap-snap. "Let's go over the conditions once more. You are not to tell anyone of your situation. You are not to contact, speak to, or be seen with Yamanaka Ino." Snap-snap. Kiba wanted to tear that fucking fan apart. "You are not to attempt to kill myself, Yukari, or Roach.
"You are to remain Yukari's love interest and to convince everyone that you are in love with her. If you so happen to break these conditions, someone you care about…will die."
Before Kiba could get a word in edgewise, the butt-end of a weapon pounded the back of his cranium. Dark blanketed his vision.
A/N: Next week: Shadows.
