"How important is the intel?"

"Priority A. Mostly we don't want it spreading to the other villages, and we need to be fast."

I hummed lightly and cock my head at the Iwa-nin, whose gaze is jerking around the delightfully damp little hole we are sitting in, lit by the sickly yellow glow of something which I suspect may be a fungus.

I have been feeling… tacky, of late. Past fears are like cat hairs stuck in tape, muddling my intent with stray wisps of terror; the feel of poorly dried paint clinging to my dreams, slowing me down and distracting me from a purity of purpose. I want to do something… demonstrative; something which will show beyond a shadow of a doubt my commitment to the Village, to survival, to service, a symbol not just for them, but for myself.

"So we don't necessarily need him intact then? It would be acceptable if he broke?"

Wolf-taicho nods slowly, the lines of color on his mask tinted oddly by our surroundings.

"Suboptimal, but within mission parameters."

"Well, I think I have a solution then."

I peer through my clay face with burning eyes and stand in front of the prisoner.

"Hello there! Look into my eyes please? Tsukuyomi."

. . .

I stand next to the man in the Red World.

"I wonder what you're afraid of?"

Chains leap from the ground to cling like amorous vipers and begin pulling him down; the dirt turns to water as he breaks the surface, and I float into the depths beside him.

"Iwa... not a lot of water, is there? A fear of drowning maybe?"

The breath bubbles from his lungs and he starts to struggle just a little, facade cracking a hair as the pressure starts to build, the desperate need to breathe growing more immediate but the weight of thick, almost gelatinous purple water slowing even chakra enhanced strength.

"Well, I'm sure we'll find out together."

. . .

"Oops, no, no, I need you to stay conscious Jinbe-kun, that's what good boys do."

My hands glow teal as I clap them to the sides of his head, healing the micro-strokes induced by the technique even as my eyes start to drip blood.

"Tsukuyomi."

. . .

A Red moon in a Red sky in a Red, Red World.

"Well that's water, lightning, and earth. I wonder what you think of fire?"

. . .

"Cat-san, you can perform a chakra transfusion, yes? I am afraid this is proving somewhat more taxing than I originally anticipated."

Jinbe's eyes are darting frantically around the room.

"No! Please! I'll tell you everything! I will!"

I pat him lightly on the cheek as I get resettled from a quick stretch, Cat's hand on my back and a flood of daisy fresh chakra filling me fit to burst. My hands once again clutched at the captive's head.

"Oh, thats so sweet of you Jinbe-kun. I wish I could believe you. Tsukuyomi."

. . .

We are looking at a human brain. Jinbe's, as it happens.

"See, this is the wonderful thing about this technique. It isn't necessary to remain constrained by what is possible in reality. I can do anything I can imagine here. Look!"

His brain starts to convulse as creatures made of needles and razors dance across it and he screams beside me, his muscles writhing and snapping at the sudden strain.

"But it doesn't have to be all bad Jinbe-kun. Can I ask you to do something for me?"

An image of the Deidara appears before us, blond hair and scratched headband and all.

"I need to really believe in you, Jinbe-kun. So kill this shinobi for me."

He does as ordered, hands twitching slightly, but he does it.

"Very good Jinbe-kun."

The brief burst of pleasure is mind numbing, made even more intense by the sudden relaxation of the pressure I have been slowly building over the past hour, and suddenly we are standing in the interrogation chamber.

"Take off the restraints, he should be cooperative now."

The moment his manacles are released Jinbe tries to kill us all with a suicide technique. It fizzles and he stares at his hands in horror before the skin starts to drip off his bones like so much pink paint. Every face in the room turns to him, and every one of them is me, the earthen walls sloughing off like festering flesh to reveal the Red World once more.

"That was very naughty Jinbe-kun. How can I ever trust you?"

. . .

My subject is starting to convulse slightly in my hands.

"Hmm, Otter-san, you have a bit of medical training, yes? I think I need a bit of help. Almost done though, it should only take one or two more cycles."

Hands settle on the back of Jinbe's head, a slightly lighter shade of jade joining my own efforts.

"Tsukuyomi."

. . .

Jinbe twitches nervously as he walks out of the hideout with us, eyes darting here and there before he shoots away in a burst of previously undisplayed speed as our attention lapses momentarily. We try to chase him, but another squad of Iwa-nin come to his rescue, delaying and distracting us from the pursuit. His breakneck pace leads him inexorably home, where he finally falls to his knees before the Tsuchikage.

"They- the Leaves- they did- they have a- Sharingan."

The hunched and weathered form of the Tsuchikage tuts gently under his breath, face shadowed by the hat he wears.

"That's very bad news. Terribly, terribly disappointing. You're a bad boy, Jinbe-kun."

Jinbe pulls up his gaze, face already lined with despairing understanding as he looks into my eyes. I shake my head and tut saddly in unfeigned regret over the sound of ripping and snapping echoing through the office.

"Why do you make me hurt you this way?"

. . .

I rub tiredly at my eyes under my mask, clearing away some of the blood, before bending to the task once more.

"Tsukuyomi."

. . .

I pat the figure staring up at me with blank adoration in a friendly way.

"You have been a very good boy Jinbe-kun. I think we're nearly done. Would you like that? Would you like to be done?"

He is obviously unsure of what the right answer is, and for a moment his face twists into abject terror before the programing asserts itself and he settles into a slightly nervous smile.

"I want to be able to serve… But I need to be punished for all the times I was a bad boy. Will… will I be done making it up to you soon?"

I smile gently down at him, humming quietly under my breath.

"Oh yes. Just a little while longer."

. . .

I stand, ANBU-training working overtime to hide the tremble of fatigue, and remove my hands from the former Iwa-nin. Former, for he is mine now, forever.

"Jinbe-kun, who do you serve?"

The response is slightly rushed, and he looks up at me with trusting, pleading eyes.

"Konoha. I am the loyal dog of Konoha. Jinbe is a good boy. Good boys serve Konoha."

I pat him gently on the head on my way past him to the exit.

"Very good Jinbe-kun. These people had a few questions they were hoping you could answer. Do your best, okay?"

I walk through the door calmly, but once outside the cell I sprint till I get to the bathroom. My mask comes off in a hurry and I empty my stomach into the toilet, dripping blood mixing with the bile to form a foul slurry, staining the pristine porcelain with the physical evidence of my guilt and horror.

No. I feel no guilt. Guilt implies that I did something wrong. It was terrible, yes, but necessary. I serve the Village. This is my function. The sludge in the basin is hesitance expelled, reticence ejected, cobweb clinging desire for the other rejected and expunged so it can no longer tie me to defunct and obsolete modes of thought. I am left pure, the obscuring shadow on my path dispelled by the warm sunlight of commitment. I am calm, I am focused, I am unashamed.

The door creaks behind me and I stand quickly, putting my mask back in place.

There is no Hiroki, only Squirrel.

Wolf is staring at me, and I cannot read his body language. Not that I was ever very good at that, of course, but ANBU helped at least a little. I can't figure out my teammates though. Too professional.

He simply looks at me for a long moment before his face shifts to the stall I just vacated. I turn slightly and kick the handle to flush away the residue.

"Apologies, Wolf-taicho. I have never tried that before. It was more draining than I had allowed for in my initial estimates."

He stares at me for a long moment.

"That was… unnecessary. You did not have to go that far. If you need some time…"

I shake my head placidly.

"Thank you for the concern Taicho, but I will be fine with rest. Strength is Life, Service is Purpose. I serve Konoha, and the Hokage. There is nothing else."

His mask tilts down a little, but the Genjutsu on the eye holes keeps me from seeing anything beyond a dull gleam.

"We're going drinking once we get back to Konoha."

I nod, gingerly.

"...As you say, Taicho."

. . .

The masks come off, new ones take their places. Not as thick, no, not as opaque or concealing, but in ANBU the mask never really leaves you. I envy Kakashi-sensei.

I haven't seen my team's faces before; it hasn't come up in a job yet and at any rate ANBU culture says to wait until after you've completed a hard mission to offer that level of trust.

I blink as Wolf takes off his mask. Speak of the devil…

"Hello sensei."

His face breaks, only very slightly, as he recognizes me. How sweet!

"Hiroki? I…"

I smile, blank and pleasant, and with my eyes as well. I can't get it quite right anymore though, and I can see that on his face, even with the mask, that little flinch at the wrong-child's plastic expression. It's doubly disappointing because I really am more than halfway glad to see Kakashi. Not sure what I'm doing wrong anymore; perhaps I just never learned how to do it properly?

"It's just Chou right now, sensei. All the Uchiha are dead, remember?"

Cat removes his mask.

"I am Tenzou. Nice to meet you."

I blinked, slightly taken aback, but then Otter's mask comes off as well, long hair flipping behind her as she shakes her head.

"Uzuki Yugao. I helped with the cleanup. You did efficient work."

Shoot, there it goes again, all the little eye muscles going slack and wide. I try to make up for the slip by stretching my mouth broader, but I can't quite keep my expression as I want it when people perturb my inner equilibrium, non-essential pieces of my body forsaking conscious control in the flickering scream of memories through my mind's supreme crystal eye. The massacre is still a sore spot. I'll have to keep working on that.

"Thank you! Now, I believe we were going to get shitfaced?"

. . .

Never gotten drunk as Hir- oh. Chou. Never gotten drunk as Chou before. Turns out I'm a silly-drunk. And a little bit angry-drunk. And a little sad-drunk? It got sort of blurry eventually…

"Tenzou~ Why- hic- why are you so scary? Tenzuu? Tenzomato! Yamazo? Mmm… rum. Rum is good. And cherries. Fuuuuuuck I love me some cherries."

Uzuki-chan is giving me a strange look, and I slap at her general direction, briefly obscuring some of the neon light which is glittering around the bar in blues and purples and giving me a tiny headache already. The Henge remains rock steady concealing my identity though; thanks ANBU.

"Don't look at me like that! 'Sides, you gonna be all sad. Be happy now! He's gonna get killed by that Sand guy, Bari? Bara? Baka. Heh, Bakashi!"

I snuggle into Kakashi-sensei for a moment, enjoying hugging him even if he is as stiff as a-

"Logged! You logged me! Bad Bakashi-sensei! Lemme hug you fuker! No, no, no, do'n, don't feel bad, I'm, I'm sorry! Wasn't your fault, fucking Genjutsu asshole, fuggin' Ma-"

I break off into a gurgle and Tenzou gives me a firm slap on the back. I wave him off and get my breath back, taking a gulp of my drink to clear my throat.

"Not choking! I can breathe and drink at the same time! Not at the same time, same time, but like, differn' times at the same time. W'as I saying? Oh yeah, fuck Ma-glech! Oh, right, can't say it, bad bad, shoosh! It's a secret! Can't say it! Bad bad shoosh! Stab me in the throat asshole! I'll show you! Fucking moon fucker!"

Tenzou and Kakashi are giving me very concerned looks now, and Yugao is looking from me to the small stack of tumblers from my rum and cokes while rubbing her forehead and wearing a tolerant smile. Rum and cherry cokes! Very important that bit. I try to calm down my male teammates with more waving but it makes me a little bit dizzy.

"It's okay Kashi-sensii, everything is gonna be Oh! Kay! Just you wait and see! I told you! I told you! You too Tenzouwoahwoahwoah! Show that snake hole what for! But then he gets better? What the fuck Kishitomo, fuckin… 'no he didn' mean it, he comes from circumstances and cares!' like what? What even? Just, why? Why? ...Why? Fuggin'- why mom? He wasn't that great, you could have told him to fugg off, who cares if you're married to 'im, you could just, just, why?"

My head is on the table somehow and my vision is getting really blurry for some reason, and my voice sounds weird, and… everything gets really sleepy.

...Am I flying? Oh, right, fucking ninja.

"Mmm, Kashi-se'sei, don' wanna go home yet, 'ers no rum there. Rum is good."

"I think you've had enough for tonight."

"Pfff hehehehehe! Get'n a fuggin, evelen year old drunk! Elven? Twelve? Ha, Ho- How old am I again? Too old for this shit!"

Kakashi slides me off his back and onto the faded orange comforter on my bed pretty easily, despite my efforts to hang on a bit tighter. He tugs my sandals off and I'm starting to wake up a little bit, just enough to make grabby motions at him.

"No, don' go, stay. Stay? Please?"

He blows a heavy breath out his nose.

"I don't think that would be very appropriate."

I wave my hand at him in inebriated irritation.

"Nah, nah, just, just touch me."

That got a raised eyebrow high enough to see even in the dark.

"Not like that! Fuggin', perv. Icha Icha moer fugger. Nah just, come here."

A flailing hand catches his and pulls him a little bit closer to the bed. Once he was near enough I put his hand on my head and sort of smooshed it around a little.

"Just, pretend I'm one of your ninken. Just… just touch me."

His hand moved a little bit, enough that I let go to allow him freedom. Fovea hopped out of his bed and curled up under my chin. Good kitty. Best friend. The cheer of the evening is leaking out a bit, leaving me feeling deflated and suddenly tired, the buzz no longer an enjoyable relaxation of a rigid exterior, but an unpleasant loss of control.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

The hand pauses for a moment before resuming the light stroking.

"It's okay. I know."

I hug my cat a little tighter, and my eyes can't seem to focus on anything.

"I'll do better. I promise."

My quiet murmurs turn into a hypnotic rumble, lulling me closer to sleep. I catch on that floating moment before loss of consciousness, and experience an almost lucid instant.

"I see him. Every night. He looks at me. I'm sorry. I'm so scared."

The hand keeps moving, and the world falls away.

. . .

A/N: ANBU are not nice. And FFN doesn't do in text Hyperlinks so pooh.

I think the juxtoposition of children songs into scenes of horror is rather cliche, but still quite nice for all of that. There's a Hole in the Bucket is one I particularly like for this because it is one of those loop style songs. The man needs to patch the hole in the bucket, and they go through all the things he needs to do to patch the hole, ending up with needing a fixed bucket to get the supplies, "But there's a hole, in the bucket, dear Eliza." Though I hadn't heard the actual melody the first time I read the lyrics, so the way I sing it in my head is more bum baaaaaaaah bah da dum dum, bah da dum dum bah da dum dum, bum baaaaaaah bah da dum dum, bah da dum dum dun dun.