This installment is pathetically short and I know it. Sorry. I figured I'd go on and get what I had up, since it's been soooo long, and then i can skip the part that's giving me so much trouble for the moment and get on with the story. :)
Dislcaimer reminders: See chapter 1.
"Ah, wonderful!" The interrogator beamed as his subordinates led a tar-covered Shino and a frightened Hinata into the room.
Shikamaru noticed his friends' eyes wander over his abused body, and he nodded a resigned greeting to them as the enemy shinobi tied them to additional chairs, side by side and positioned between Shikamaru and the desk, facing him.
"Shikamaru…" Hinata sounded like she might be about to cry, and the genius met her eyes with as much determination as he could muster. She swallowed.
Shino turned his head stiffly toward his teammate. "Hinata. Be strong. We will get through this."
"H-hai!"
The door clicked shut behind the guards as they exited the make-shift interrogation room, and the interrogator turned to face his three subjects with a menacing grin.
"Now, where were we? Shikamaru, was it?"
"Fuck you."
The man clicked his tongue. "Shame on you, Shika –I can call you Shika, right?" Shikamaru glared at him, and the man placed his hands on Hinata's shoulders from behind. "Foul language in front of a lady? That's just not proper."
He lifted one of his hands and walked around so that he was facing Hinata with one hand still on her shoulder. "My dear, won't you be kind enough to tell me what your friend here did with the scroll?"
She didn't say anything, and the man sighed. "I'm afraid your friend Shika hasn't been very helpful either, and you can see what it's cost him so far." He lifted his hand to stroke her cheek, and her pale eyes flashed in anger. "I'd hate to have to put something as pretty as you through that kind of pain. I'll ask again." He roughly cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Where is the scroll?"
"I-I'm not going to tell you anything!"
Shikamaru nodded once. "Good girl."
Instantly the man spun around, landing the back of his fist on Shikamaru's jaw in the process. Hinata gasped loudly, and the man gave Shikamaru a couple more punches before turning disdainfully away from him to face Shino.
"And what about you? You gonna tell me what I want to know?"
Shino didn't move a muscle. The man planted his fist in the bug-user's stomach, only to witness the bug-user disintegrate with a whisper of 'stay strong'. All eyes went wide, then the interrogator laughed heartily.
"Damn bug suicides. Oh well. I still have you two."
By now, tears were streaming down Hinata's face. Shikamaru's body was screaming at him, but his rage was even more overpowering in his mind. He struggled against the ropes, shouting curses at the interrogator.
After confirming what he already knew, that there was no escape from the chakra-eating ropes, Shikamaru finally stilled. When he did, he noticed a chakra blade at Hinata's throat.
"You won't kill her. Then we'd be right back where we started."
"Smart kid. But you know I can hurt her."
"Shikamaru!" Hinata shouted at him through her tears. "Don't tell him anything!" The man hit her across the face, hard. Her head turned with the impact and her eyes squeezed shut against the pain. "No matter what," she added in a tearful whisper.
"My men search you, brat?"
She didn't answer, and he jerked her chair around to face him.
"Answer the question!"
She still said nothing, and the man relaxed.
"Alright. Then I'm going to assume they didn't."
Oh…shit, Shikamaru thought.