A/N - Hello hello, I'm so very sorry for the long ass disappearances and the sudden short chaps. This one is also on the shorter side unfortunately, but it's a crucial point to get to the next chapter, where booze and hints help Tsunade understand (or lose her mind?). I'm not dead, and this story isn't either. Thank you for having stayed until now :) enjoy the ride~

CHAPTER 15 - The feral mother

There was something about Haruno Mebuki which hadn't been there before. A nervousness, an animosity - she was human. At least she used to be human. But now, what was left? She was but this shell of a person, filled with this… something. Palpable. A feral drive. It made Tsunade want to retch.

She had had multiple encounters with the Haruno matriarch when the latter was still a legal citizen. Coincidences and not-so-coincident incidents had steadily painted a portrait of the mother inside the Hokage's mind. Mebuki was highly intelligent and dedicated. Born a natural leader, ambitious and strategic. Restauration had never been her goal in life, Tsunade was certain of it. Why did the Haruno genius stop there, then? Maybe it was her instability. The tightrope she stubbornly kept trudging on. She could deal with all kinds of people effectively. In her own, unique way, she was bright. Despite the rarity of her smiles, there had been a brightness surrounding Mebuki for as long as Tsunade could remember. That aura wasn't particularly warm, but it held a light. A strong light.

During Sakura's medical training, Tsunade had felt a constant presence. Nothing truly alarming, but unsettling enough in its extensiveness. It was everywhere. After growing wary and relying on sensory enhancing potions, the Hokage had found out who was obsessively keeping track of her - of Sakura.

With blinding light came depths of darkness.

And today, the shadows were taking over.

"Tsunade…", Mebuki's voice wasn't firm nor appealing anymore. That was long gone. She could've become a professional alto, in her youth. Clear, charming, charismatic. Now, her voice reminded the guarded Hokage of a person dear to her heart, whose brilliant soul had crushed the last remnants of lights anyone could have sparked in him. Mebuki's throat was clogged, just like Orochimaru's.

"How wonderful to see you again." In spite of her physical advantage, Tsunade shuddered.

"How are you, dear? Is the village holding up well?" At that moment, the Hokage felt like a child. She was considered one of the most powerful shinobi in the history of Konoha, and yet this woman, chained to the floor, was asking her trivial questions with the most vicious tone the village leader had ever heard. And yet her self-control was slipping. Spine betraying her weakness to the world.

If she replied now, she would be giving in to the woman's petty game. She had to find a detail to hold on to, a cheap stab to annihilate the insolent grin flashing an unusually white set of teeth at her face. Tsunade's eyes landed on Mebuki's sleeping husband.

God, she hated herself.

"Look at him. Did you poison your husband too?"

She said it slowly, devoid of any sentiment, except for a tiny drop of pity, which she purposefully let transpire to rile Sakura's underserving mother up. It worked like magic.

For a split second, that awful smirk left Mebuki's face, and her eyes lost their deranged edge. She looked like her old self, confident on the outside but lost and anxious on the inside. Her weakness had been revealed to the world too, and despite how much the Hakage despised the swelling gratification of revenge she felt warming up inside her chest, she allowed herself to release the faintest, shakiest breath. Tsunade could go on safely if she managed to maintain her in that state, but the mother had no intention of making it easy for her.

As quickly as her face had dropped, Mebuki barked out a choked cry, which the blond realised shortly after was supposed to be a laugh. The volume rose, its newfound intensity piercing Tsunade's ears, frightening Sasuke still slouched on the other side of the cell door. A defence mechanism as obvious as day, yet impenetrable from the outside. Tsunade was unable to make her stop, both verbally and physically. She couldn't yell over the sheer noise, and for some obscure reason, she couldn't bring herself to touch Mebuki.

Without warning, everything went silent at once. Tsunade gradually opened her eyes - she hadn't noticed they were closed. Mebuki was still on the floor, panting slightly, her defying gaze rooted on the Hokage's face, as nonchalant as ever. Test me again, and it'll be much worse.

The shinobi cleared her throat, resisting the urge to straighten her clothes too. She had been shaken, but her status commanded her not to show it - although it was probably too late for that.

"Haruno Mebuki, please refrain from interrupting me while I speak. This is an official interrogation, and I will not tolerate any obstruction of justice. Should you do this or anything similar again, the consequences will be severe, for both you and your husband."

She could pretend like everything was fine and this was a normal situation. She could pretend that the charges weren't already heavy against Sakura's parents. She could lie to Sakura and claim they were salvageable. She could do all that if it allowed her more confidence as a Hokage. The Hokage. She could play dirty and threaten Mebuki with her weak point because she was the Hokage.

When, to her surprise, she received no answer, Tsunade took it as her cue to continue. "I'm sure Kakashi and Sasuke both explained why you are being detained." She wasn't, but she had a right to pretend. Upon Mebuki's quiet huff, the Hokage knew she was being seen right through. Stripped naked and pointed at. "Your daughter was brought here a month ago by a Sound ninja. She was close to death." Mebuki didn't stir. "After a thorough inspection, we were able to identify an unknown poison slowly gaining territory on her vital organs and a jutsu locking her mind, preventing us from going through her memories to catch the culprit." The lack of reaction from a mother whose child was being physically and mentally tortured infuriated Tsunade despite how much she had been expecting it. "Through manners of our own, we managed to retrace pieces of what happened. Sakura, even though she's currently being kept in an artificial coma, found a way to hint at your involvement in the attack, putting great emphasis on that particular point. Now," Tsunade took a step closer to Mebuki. "We don't know the specifics, so you're going to have to provide them to us. Remember, this is not about saving Sakura. We have everything we need for this part already." She could lie. "This is about your own fate. Both of you will be judged for your actions, so let us judge you appropriately."

There, a spark in her eyes. A slight jut of her chin. "So, is this about whether or not you'll let us live?"

Pure indifference in her tone, but a triumphant gaze wide open. Unlike the Hyuuga and Uchiha, the Haruno clan wasn't famous for its prodigious shinobi, secret techniques or political influence. Instead, its reach dominated the business area. Intercontinental deals as well as private industries were often handled by the Haruno clan, whose skills were famous for one reason: negociating. Passed down through generations, their teachings paired the intricacies of language and the psychology of the human mind to optimise persuasion. The Haruno were known for wielding people's words like weapons.

Mebuki was toying with Tsunade's deepest desires. It didn't surprise her the least that this woman was aware of the treatment reserved to certain inmates, which the Elders tried relentlessly (unsuccessfully) to conceal from the public eye. Even then, as the Hokage, being read like an open book by a criminal felt humiliating. Why was she the one treated like a monster? Balling her fists, Tsunade discarded her resolve of attempting to appear composed. She might've had lost her intimacy, but she wouldn't give away her dignity. "Let me repeat myself. Your statement will enable us to deter-"

"Yeah, yeah, cut the crap, I get it." Mebuki's wrist chain banged onto the wall as she threw a hand in the air. "But it's too late, Tsunade-chan."

The prisoner sat up straight, hugging one of her knees while she lowered her hand to softly stroke her unconscious husband's hair. With her eyes full of tenderness, she looked human.

Tsunade scoffed. She wouldn't be fooled by the same trick twice. "Don't deflect, Haruno."

Although her arms were crossed in apparent control, her nails were still digging holes into her palms inside her strained fists.

Mebuki yawned, lying down next to Kizashi, her gaze never leaving him. Everything about her demeanour, from her features to her voice, had calmed down. The contrast was almost terrifying. "How naive can you be, Tsunade-chan? Do you think I would harm that girl and let myself be caught without a plan? Do you even have proof that I did it? My daughter is dead, Tsunade-chan. I have nothing to do with the girl you seem to adore. Ask my husband! We're just travelling. Finding solace in each other's company. We fled this village because it brought so much horror onto our family, and yet you drag us back here by force. Isn't it cruel?"

Her palms were starting to really hurt. This was unexpected. "Let me sleep now, this is a pointless conversation. You never seem to listen to me when I tell you important things, Tsunade-chan. You should rest, too. I already told you, it's too late." She spared her captor a disinterested glance. "You're too late, Mrs Ho,"

Mebuki's lips curled into an imperceptible smirk.

"Ka,"

She exaggerated every syllable slowly, nails suddenly scraping her husband's skin.

"Ge."

Her eyes flashed in mocking excitement, which disappeared as soon as Tsunade blinked.

She was suffocating. Out. Rushing for the door, the last thing the staggering Hokage heard was Mebuki's haunting giggle, although it might have been her imagination.

And just as the last drop of sweat cruelly slipped down her spine, Tsunade found herself with the tip of a polished blade tickling the soft expanse of her throat. The door had been shut, her misery locked away. Instead, an Uchiha was piercing through her soul with his Sharingan, a breath away from doing so with her flesh.

A beat, silent and immobile.

Then, Sasuke withdrew. His eyes returned to their hard black as he lowered his sword, stalking through the corridor until he merged with the shadows and disappeared altogether.

Tsunade just stood there.

She couldn't process it all. Kakashi, Mebuki, and now Sasuke- her mind and legs were failing her. She needed to sit. A drink. The Hokage headed in the direction of her tower. Towards her office, where her drawer full of sake patiently waiting promised to clear her thoughts. She would down a bottle or two and call Sakura to make sense of this absurd situation together. The girl had a knack for these things.

Tsunade paused mid-step.

She would call Shizune.

Five bottles empty, Tsunade wanted to drown. Leave it all to the next Hokage, free herself of grief and responsibilities. Spend her remaining time preparing heaven for Sakura's arrival. Although she probably wasn't heading towards these gates. Sakura was, without a doubt. This bighearted child was nothing short of an angel. Well, a temperamental one. Tsunade hummed. She would be rewarded for her kindness and loyalty, as a medical ninja, as a friend, as a student, as a lover, even as a daughter. Heaven would welcome her with open arms as soon as the poison would overtake her main artery - in other words, soon. Very, very soon. Tsunade, however, wasn't going to spend eternity with her. She would be sent to hell, alongside Jiraiya, Kakashi, Gai and all the shinobi of her generation. They were doomed from the start, but the kids had their chances. Nevertheless, Tsunade would probably never see her precious student again. But she still hoped that when the time came, Sasuke would be sent to heaven too. His soul was not meant for such a place either, but for Sakura's sake, the Gods could turn a blind eye and allow them to spend eternity together.