Nenshō removed his cloak and let his heavy metal armor slip off his body bending it around his arms and torso letting it rest on the ground in the snow hidden away from sight his black undershirt and pants remained along with a pair of steel bracers. He pulled his winter cloak back on and hefted the sword onto his back again.
"We're going to need to be fast in there." said Ino looking at the massive sword strapped to his back. "Are you sure you can move fast enough with that thing on your back?"
Nenshō smirked, "two years ago you'd be right but I've taken a tip from Guy to help me with that."
Ino raised an eyebrow inquisitively, "Lee's leg weights, only instead of leg weights you made your armor heavier and trained with the extra weight to increase your speed."
"He'd still be a lot faster without that ridicules sword through." Interjected Raion.
Nenshō sighed. "No need to bring up something that isn't going to happen, you ready Ino?"
She nodded, "As ready as I can be."
Nenshō nodded back and leapt into the forest clearing the distance to the ruins with no trouble. Ino immediately noticed the immense change in his speed. He took the lead sword drawn and ready for anything. He descended from the trees and leapt over the wall spotting one of the patrolling guards and rushing him only appearing to the man as a mere blur before his head came flying off. Ino and Raion followed in trying to keep up with him as he delved into the dark tunnels below.
Itami dipped his hands into the water basin washing the blood that had gathered on his hands, a souvenir from his last interrogation with Kumo. So far his results were the same as before completely fruitless only managing to receive obvious lies from him as he added more cuts to his body and smashed his hands. He feared Kumo wouldn't be talking any time soon and he was working on borrowed time already. He dried hos hands off with a rag still dirty from the last time he cleaned the blood off his hands.
He spotted the cat masked ANBU moving through the hall towards the tunnels exits. "Where are you going?" he asked making him turn.
"It's time I returned and gave my report to my superiors." He explained turning back and continuing on. "It's time they heard about our progress."
"Progress?" said Itami. "We've yet to make any progress… I need more time, if I have more time I can get him to talk I swear."
"That's not for me to decide." He said turning the corner around the tunnel. "I hope for your sake you can get some answers when I return."
Itami sighed knowing he didn't have much time to work with; he was going to need to speed up his progress with Kumo if he wanted to keep his job as well as his life. He grabbed his knife and began strolling back to Kumo's cell thinking of maybe cutting off one of his ears for his effect maybe he'd get loosed lipped once began removing body parts.
He moved into one of his rooms where his collection of tools choosing a lengthy blade that should be able to remove a couple fingers an ear or an eye shouldn't be too difficult.
He placed the knife on his belt and grabbed a fresh apron; he was planning on this session to get plenty messy. He closed the door and suddenly felt something slip over his head and throw him into the wall. Before he got a chance to get his bearings he felt his chest being kicked and the wind being knocked out of him. He opened his eyes and staring over a thick heavy sword pressed against his throat. He stared into the gray steely eyes of Nenshō Kinzoku who pressed the surprisingly sharp sword into his soft flesh. He glanced over his shoulder to a blond haired Kunoichi who he recognized as the woman in the photograph Kumo carried. He looked down seeing a black furred red manned lion walking up to him and sniffing him. "He has Kumo's blood and sent all over him." the lion stated stepping back from him.
Itami felt Nenshō press the blade harder into his throat, but his enraged stare was what frightened Itami even more.
"Take me to Kumo Sabaku… now." He growled.
Ino kept the knife pressed firmly into the prisoners back. Nenshō had taken the blade from the frightened man and handed it to her she figured she might as well make use of the weapon and spares her kunai the chance to taste this man's blood if things went wrong. Raion took the lead keeping his sharp nose at the ready as while Nenshō covered their rear sword at the ready. They had all expected to face fiercer resistance once they had entered the structure, but so far they had only managed to find a few guards all of which they easily dispatched quietly and without any trouble. From the look of how this nameless enemy was set up in these tunnels and abandoned buildings it didn't look like many were here and those that were didn't look like they planned on staying longer than they had too. The man pointed to a large wooden door down the hall from them. "In there" he said trying to keep himself composed.
Nenshō stepped up and grabbed the man pressing a kunai into his back. "Go check it out." He told her, "I'll watch this guy." He handed her the keys he had confiscated from the prisoner. Ino took the keys and fumbled through them until she found the proper one to open the cell. She turned the lock and threw open the door. Shure enough Kumo was there lying on the floor unconscious. She felt her heart sink at the sight of him. Deep cuts were all across his blood caked body, his kneecaps looked shattered and large bruises along his body suggested he had even more bones broken across his body. His face was covered in cuts and scratches blackened by bruises that where swelling badly, it was likely he was going to get a bad infection in these conditions. She moved to his side taking his hand to feel a pulse. Kumo jolted at her touch sitting up at looking at her with those piercing white eyes with a feral determination sending a punch her way. She dodged the strike easily, not that it would have hurt her he seemed so weak she didn't think he was capable of hurting anyone at the moment. "Kumo." She said grabbing both his wrists trying to restrain him. "It's me Kumo it's Ino." she said managing to keep his arms pinned as he struggled trying to free himself from her grasp not believing her words of reason.
"Are you ok?" asked Nenshō peeking his head in his eyes widening as he saw the crazed and broken Kumo before him. Ino turned back to Nenshō. She looked into Kumo's white eyes drawing his gaze into hers.
"Kumo it's me Ino. Do you remember what you said to me when we left? Because I do. You promised me when you got back from this mission we could have all the time we would need together, no more distractions. Do you remember that Kumo? You promised me." She felt his arms relax at her words his fierce eyes relaxed and truly looked at her. "… Ino?" he said sounding delirious and exhausted. She released his wrists and wrapped her arms around his body hugging him tightly. He accepted the embrace feeling overwhelmed. He reached behind him and grabbed something off the floor trying to hand it to her. "Ino…" he breathed opening his hand revealing a bent golden band with a beautiful purple amethyst. "will… you… will you ma… you marry…" he babbled to her holding the ring out to her trying to form a coherent sentence trying to force the words past his parched throat and dry lips. Ino looked at the smashed golden ring and tried to fight the tears they were welling in her eyes as Kumo tried to complete the sentence. She grabbed the ring knowing what it was and the question Kumo had behind it. She closed her hand around the piece of gold and felt the tears come forward. "Yes Kumo of course I will, but right now I need you to be quiet and relax we're going to get you out of here ok I'm going to try to heal you." Ino charged her hands with green chakra and set forth trying to fix Kumo's broken body.
Nenshō watched the scene from the door feeling his stomach turn as he watched his best friend propose to the woman he loved in an exasperated state of delirium brought on by obvious torture. He turned away from the sobering scene feeling like he would feel sick of he kept watching, and right now he wanted to hold onto his burning anger. He punched the prisoner in the face breaking his nose and sending him back against the wall. "Did you do this to him?" he growled gripping the man's throat. The man only closed his eyes as if in expectation of another punch. "DID YOU DO THIS TO MY FRIEND!?" he yelled doing as the man feared and giving him a heavy right hook. "Answer me or I'll break every bone in your body."
"Yes" he admitted spitting out a tooth, "My name is Itami and I was in charge of interrogating him. I wouldn't have had to have done that if he just talked like I asked and given you up."
Nenshō kicked him in the ribs breaking one of them before grabbing Itami again and throwing him back against the wall. "That's your excuse!? He wouldn't talk?" he growled taking his kunai and pressing it into his belly running the blade across his skin drawing blood and screams. "I was just doing my job… please stop."
"Tell me where his gear his." He said digging the blade in deeper trying to hold in his desire to end the man's life on the spot.
"The room at the end of the hall." He squealed tears forming in his eyes. Nenshō warped his metal kunai and bracers letting the metal wrap around Itami's body. "Next time you feel like torturing one of my friends remember that not everyone fears pain like you do you pathetic worm." Nenshō walked down the hall towards the room where Kumo's gear was all stashed while Raion watched the door. The metal that had worked its way onto Itami's body engulfed his chest and began constricting. He screamed as he felt his bones begin to crack. "Please" he screamed, "you promised me you wouldn't kill me if I talked."
Nenshō stopped and turned looking at the dying man. "I promised you I wouldn't break every bone in your body, and I'm only breaking the ones in your chest."
He walked away enjoying Itami's final screams as he opened the door to retrieve his friend's possessions. He soon returned carrying Kumo's stuffed bag and scorpion puppet, he looked into the room watching Ino work her healing Jutsu on him. Kumo had fallen asleep again as she tried fixing his body up.
"How's he look?" he asked not sure if he really wanted to hear the answer.
"Not good" said Ino composing herself very well considering the circumstances she was working in. "He can't stand let alone walk with us back to Konoha, he's dehydrated and both kneecaps have been broken, he's also been drugged with something its blocking his chakra and making it difficult to perform my medical Jutsu."
Nenshō clenched his fist trying to keep his anger in check this time. "We can't stay here I don't know how much longer we're going to be lucky but we need to get some place more secure where you can treat him."
"Konoha?" she asked making Nenshō shake his head. "The ANBU will be expecting that and it's too easy for them to stage an ambush on the way over there. We need Kumo back to full health before we even thing about returning there."
"Then were ever we go I'm going to need easy access to plenty of herbs and other plans so I can work on curing whatever this drug is." She explained pulling a blanket out of her pack and wrapping it around Kumo.
"I know a place." Said Nenshō "its south of the border sixty miles by my estimate, so we'll have to move fast. Do you think you can carry Kumo?" he asked.
"I have to." She reasoned seeing the already large load he was carrying on his back. "Where is this place?"
"It's in the land of earth it's a small village I've gone to now and then they let me travel through because I took care of a few bandits a year ago. An old woman there owns and manages a herbarie just outside of town she'll supply you with whatever you'll need."
"Do you trust her?" asked Ino not sure she wanted to entrust the life of her finance to a total stranger. Nenshō nodded, "Defiantly she'll help us I guarantee it."
The ANBU removed his cat faced mask revealing his white eyes and stone cold face. He activated his Byakugan and watched as his pray exit the castle ruins. He smirked at the sight of Nenshō Kinzoku taking the lead with his massive sword strapped to his back. "It seems the prisoner was right." Commented one of his men. "The Kinzoku man did come for him, what are your orders?"
"Follow them." He commanded, "Keep your distance and wait until they are vulnerable, then bring Nenshō Kinzoku to me alive. Kill the others they no longer have any other purpose to serve."