Chapter 55
Kankuro (one month later, approximate time: 3:00 PM)
Patiently but clearly troubled, Lord Ebizo spoke from the raised U-shaped platform of one of the Council's trial chambers. "Young Lord Kankuro, would you care to explain your actions from earlier last month to the Council?"
"Oh yeah, I can explain alright," the one in question, Kankuro, replied. He, having been called—not to one of the Council's meeting chambers like he had been in last—but in one of their trial chambers. Like the ones used to decide the discipline of rogue Suna-nin. "But which part?" Kankuro asked casually. Even despite being in one of the Council's trial chambers, he knew he wasn't the one on trial. "I'd be happy to report that after being recaptured by the ANBU and Gaara's request of long-term visiting permissions being granted, that the Oto-nin he brought in hasn't shown any attempt to escape again," he said close-eyedly.
There was a bang as one of the council members slammed their hands onto the table. Kankuro lifted his brows as he peeked open his eyes, stuffing his hands into his pockets and tilting his head. Really, the Council would be the one on trial depending on how they handled themselves.
"Something the matter, councilor?" Kankuro asked benignly. Senior Erusa, Kankuro recognized. Of course she'd be the one to make the most noise about his defense of Gaara.
"Of course something's the matter," Senior Erusa inhaled deeply as if trying to contain herself. She shifted to face her colleague. "Senior Councilor Takeo, I know you care for Lord Kankuro. Surely, you're aware of how dangerous yesterday was, between Lord Kankuro, an escaped criminal, and the Jinchuriki," she tried, using an indirect tactic.
Takeo, Kankuro's shishou, replied evenly. "I am."
"And are you aware how many died when that girl tried to escape?"
"Fourteen dead, some fifty-two injured… Give or take a few unaccounted for injuries of shinobi that hadn't left their stations for medical care—if—the recent reports are accurate."
Kankuro watched the exchange with an expression of neutralized curiosity. It could have been an indirect warning of the Council possibly adding digits to the injury or death toll in post, he would later recognize.
"Fourteen dead and fifty-two of our own ANBU in serious or critical condition—and you're alright with that? And the risk of losing Lord Kankuro?" Senior Erusa asked.
In response, Takeo roundedly steepled his fingers. "I'd have expected the son of the Kazekage to be able to handle himself," went the reply. "And I see no evidence to suggest he didn't."
"So you support this?" Senior Erusa asked rhetorically.
Takeo bowed his head. "As a member of the Suna Council, my job's to advise whoever may or has taken the position of Kazekage. Whether or not I support moves they have already made doesn't matter… And either way, and as a council member, my job's still the same: to advise whoever holds the position of Kazekage to best support our people."
"Including the fourteen dead and fifty-two injured?"
"Especially the fourteen dead and fifty-two injured… and their families," Takeo rebutted. "We don't know many would've been injured by the time the escaping Oto-nin got up that border wall. Regardless of whether or not Kankuro intervened, we'd still have fourteen dead and fifty-two injured. And as a member of Sunagakure's military, I wouldn't take issue with him doing duty to defend the people—regardless of his status—if I were you."
Senior Erusa fell silent.
"A fine point, but I believe we're neglecting the number injured in the Jinchuriki's defense of the escaping Oto-nin?" Senior Tojuro asked, picking up the discussion. Senior Tojuro turned his head back to Kankuro. "If you don't mind, Lord Kankuro, if you don't mind explaining your support of the Jinchuriki back then? You stepping aside would have allowed better-trained ANBU to step in."
Kankuro restrained a frown. "The way I remember it, the Oto-nin we brought back—Katiya—yielded to Gaara in battle. She was cooperating with us as we led her back here—because of Gaara—! So I made the judgment call to help him because even though there's better trained ANBU, they don't have the familiarity with her Gaara had!" Kankuro coughed. "Sir."
There was a pause as council members whispered among themselves. Kankuro, worried he said something wrong at that, suppressed what would have been a reflexive nervous gulp.
Katiya (approx… app… i dont know)
"… So why don't you stay?" Gaara asked in her mind. Or—rather—her mental image of him. Her mind, on repeat. He told her he might have to be someplace else the day before so her mental image of him was what kept her company that day. Though she'd have preferred it if he didn't.
I don't belong here… we're all monsters in the end… we belong… we belong… in the dark, underground, buried. Dead. In hell, she mentally replied to him. You know that. Gaara.
The name, pronounced as if foreign to herself. Even in her mind.
"But what about the hurt your own death would cause?" Gaara—this time—painedly.
What hurt… ? When a monster doesn't kill you, you thank it. When a monster's dead, you celebrate it… It minimizes the pain—who said monsters could feel? Minimizing the pain, isn't that what you want? she mentally replied to him.
"Friends don't want to see their friends hurt… What about the hurt your own death would cause?" Gaara asked, cross-legged, in front of her. "If you don't know… why to do something, why do it?"
If there's no logical reason why to do something, why do it? her mind asked her, repeating, almost. What Gaara had said.
—I don't—I want it because I want it—everything that I am just—led me—here, she breathed. How did one know what one wants if not by who one is? And who was she, if not a product of her past? Who am I if not a monster—who am I—? What—?
"—A friend," went the reply, "the people who mutually—"
—But only a fool—her mind started—A tiger's stripes—it said at the same time before breaking off.
Katiya hugged her knees, shaking her head.
A tiger's stripes…
Kankuro (approximate time: 3:30 PM)
"If this… 'Katiya' were indeed cooperating," a council member said, carefully enunciating the word back at audible volume. "If this 'Katiya' were indeed cooperating, why did she make the move to escape? Last we spoke of her, you and… your brother were attempting to delay her interrogation. A day-visit permit was granted to him… and then she attempts to escape only to be recaptured. With. His. Aid. Isn't that a bit—"
"—Speculation," Senior Lord Ebizo forcefully grumbled out, looking irritated at the number of times he had to say the word in recent dealings between himself and the rest of the Suna Council.
"—Coincidental?" that same councilor continued. "I don't remember pointing out coincidental fact as being 'speculative'."
Lord Ebizo narrowed his eyes at the councilor—Senior Councilor Yura?—as Kankuro tentatively identified.
Takeo—Senior Takeo—cleared his throat. "As great of a question as that is," Takeo told his colleagues, "I don't think Kankuro's the one best equipped to answer it. Tokubetsu-style interrogation of all Suna natives and people involved in the death of the former Lord Kazekage's at a standstill right now until we have a new Kazekage or start interrogating the former ANBU head, but I think that question is better posed to Gaara himself."
Senior Councilors Ebizo and Yura exchanged glances, their faces carefully neutral.
"Agreed," Lord Ebizo eventually decided. "If we're done here, council members, shall we move to dismiss Kankuro?"
Hearing no disagreement Lord Ebizo bid Kankuro to leave. Kankuro bowed, his mind busily brushing over the save his shishou threw to him.
Baki (approximate time: 4:00 PM)
"Baki. Our records have you as the sensei of all of the late Lord Rasa's children and captain of their team unit. Is that correct?" Senior Councilor Tojuro asked in what was an interrogation-like conversation format while Senior Lord Ebizo watched impassively.
"Yes sir," Baki replied tersely.
"Under the current Kage system, if any harm were to befall on Lord Rasa's children, it would be a tremendous blow to Sunagakure's overall stability. Are you aware of this?"
"Yes sir."
"Given the current Kage system and our current lack of an incumbent Kage, are you aware the Council has collectively established the safety of the Kage heirs as a top priority?"
"Yes sir."
"Are you aware of the situation we had on the nineteenth of last month with an escaped foreign shinobi from their holding cell?"
"Yes sir."
"And for what reason did you allow your students to interfere with the recapture of a foreign shinobi by the ANBU and tokubetsu divisions?"
"None sir. I was unaware that anything of that nature was happening that day, sir."
The councilors in the room exchanged glances.
"Were you or were you not aware of the recent recapture situation with an escaped foreign shinobi?"
"At the time of its occurrence, I was not," Baki replied. "I was informed after the fact by one of my students. Sir."
The councilors exchanged glances again.
"Dismissed, Baki," Lord Ebizo decided with a tone of finality.
Temari (approximate time: 4:00 PM)
Kankuro let himself slouch over one of Temari's couch seats. "You're lucky you missed the big chunk of the situation last month," he told his sister.
Temari turned off the fire to her simmering pot of lentil curry. "I bet," she replied, knowing which situation Kankuro was referring to without asking. "I'm surprised whatever happened had happened, you know."
"Meh," Kankuro replied. "I dunno… I kind of expected it. Maybe not Katiya trying to escape, but the Council making a big deal out of it, yeah."
"Oh," Temari remarked lamely.
"Y'know, Gaara's probably killed more Suna-nin than Katiya has," Kankuro verbally tossed out. "They made a big stink out of her killing fourteen though. I'm pretty sure Shukaku's rampage alone permanently knocked out like at least two hundred."
"I heard they called Gaara in for a Council meet. How'd that go?"
"Don't know. I think it's still in progress," Kankuro replied. "They way they were going after me, I think a couple of them were planning on pushing for getting rid of the Kage system."
That gave Temari pause. "Eh?"
"Got to see some Council cross-talk—might be projecting a bit, but yeah," Kankuro said by way of explanation.
Temari went silent.
"You doing okay?" Kankuro asked to her silence. "I know we haven't really talked lately but you seem a bit quiet. Something up?"
Temari startled. She wasn't really sure she noticed anything off herself. "Probably just me being cooped up here for too long," she said, brushing the remark off. "Been bored out of my wits basically playing 'housewife' here," she joked while sliding a bowl of curry and plate of flatbread over the coffee table to her brother.
Kankuro flicked his brows up in sympathy. "I think the Council might hand us a mission to keep us busy pretty soon if it helps at all," he told her, "but I feel you."
Gaara (approximate time: 5:00 PM)
"… Gaara. Let's start with your attack of Suna ANBU members in your… defense… of the escaping Oto-nin last month," the one we'd recognize as Senior Tojuro started, acting as speaker for the Council again. "On that day, there were fourteen dead and fifty-two injured, eighteen of those people reportedly injured by your hand. What do you say to that?" he asked.
Gaara exhaled slowly as his eyes surveyed the Council at their raised seats before turning his head to look slightly behind him. Shukaku was yelling about death as usual, an inordinate number of ANBU behind them and along the walls where the Council was.
"Their injuries were minor."
The response gave Senior Tojuro pause. "And how do you know that?"
"Their attack triggered my automatic sand barrier. It pushed them back… and they landed on the sand..." While Gaara's voice wasn't quite the same soft near-whisper it was as of late, in the current context, at least it wasn't his old sandpaper-rough growl. If only barely.
"… Sekka?" Senior Tojuro prompted his collegue. Senior Councilor Sekka, the head of the medical division.
Senior Sekka coughed lightly. "The injuries… are minor, consistent with superficial impact with a sandy surface."
The ones we'd recognize as Seniors Tojuro and Joseki openly scowled at the remark. Senior Joseki spoke. "That still doesn't do anything except add to the Jinchuriki's other transgressions," he replied, bitingly, to Sekka. "Nor does it answer for the fourteen dead and fifty-two injured by the very rogue-nin whose escape he was attempting to aid."
"R-right," Senior Sekka stuttered in reply.
Gaara. "I wasn't attempting to aid her escape."
"Then what were you trying to do when you got in the way of the ANBU?" Senior Joseki questioned.
"I was attempting to save her from herself."
Pause.
"—Lord Gaara, can you elaborate on that?" Senior Ebizo prodded.
"… Had I not intervened, Katiya would have died by her own hand. The ANBU were intent on capturing her dead or alive… They would have only made things worse so I pushed them aside," Gaara replied methodically. "I only intervened to save her from herself."
Some of the councilors began whispering amongst themselves, but Senior Joseki only seemed more incensed by the response. "By doing so, you still injured members of our ANBU. That shows you still prioritized the life of hers, an outsider and a criminal, over theirs. Those aren't the actions of a Suna-nin loyal to Sunagakure. Besides your word, we have no other evidence you were doing anything but aiding and abetting the escape of a rogue-nin."
Gaara shut his eyes, breathing very slowly inwards. "If… it had been my intention to help her escape… you would not have been able to stop me."
Several ANBU in the room defensively put their hands over their weapons pouches, as if in preparation for attack.
"… If it had been my intention to kill the ANBU that had attacked me, you would not have been able to stop me," Gaara continued in his even almost-but-not-quite growl. "And if it had been my intention to go rogue and kill everyone in this room... you would not be able to stop me."
Shukaku clawed up the sides of his nonphysical cage, writhing loudly in Gaara's gut. Flicks of images of what it'd be like for him to kill everyone in the room flashed through his mind alongside Shukaku's regular yowls. They were feelings, not thoughts, Shukaku was generating—he could manage it. Gaara let out an exhale and opened his eyes. Some of the councilors gulped nervously under his gaze, others scowling, but a few of them bowed their heads in silence.
"Do we have a suicide watch on… Miss Katiya?" Lord Ebizo asked, turning towards his medical division colleague.
Senior Sekka shook his head. "We don't give those to imprisoned shinobi," he replied.
Ebizo breathed a quiet sigh. "Do we know why Katiya intended to escape in the first place, then?"
Gaara replied no. "But it is true, she only attempted to escape after my latest visit to her. During that time, she did not say much to me. Though, I think informing her that… I had delayed her interrogation might have been what prompted her."
"It seems we have to pay a visit to her in that case, Lord Gaara… Thank you. You're dismissed."
A commotion erupted from the councilors.
"—Wait," one of them balked. "So what—are we now going to forget about the shinobi that died as a result of this unfortunate event?! Fourteen dead and fifty-two injured—not to mention how many were hurt or killed at the Jinchuriki's hands?!"
"—The yariman is already suicidal—!" another one remarked, "Skip the niceties, interrogate her and let her off herself already—! We need the information she has to help protect Suna—but the girl probably wouldn't even notice the difference—!"
"—Their families will demand justice, Ebizo! She needs to be punished to the full extent of the law! If anything, the recent events should at least allow us to suspend the current interrogation policy! She killed our people!" another councilor cried indignantly.
"Sunagakure as a shinobi village killed thousands in the last war," Gaara replied, his steady even tone breaking through the clatter of the councilors'. "And that is not including the number of civilians injured as collateral… The people Katiya injured and killed were shinobi. They knew the risks. More death won't bring the dead to life. And she isn't any more punishable than we are when we would do the same."
Gaara's eyes met those of the councilors'. "If you want to question Katiya, I will accompany you," he told Ebizo. Then, looking to the councilor that wanted a full interrogation, "But I will not allow you to harm her even in the name of Suna's law… If you choose to harm her… I cannot guarantee that I will not kill you…" he said, finally flicking his eyes to the one who called him a Jinchuriki.
The room went quiet. In Gaara's mind, his remark was much more a warning than a threat, the Council fully aware of his abilities. While he did not want it to be his way to use fear to get what he wanted, the Council's use of torture would not have bode well for anyone as he sensed it'd have only made Katiya more loyal to Orochimaru—no matter the cost.
Katiya (the next day, approximate time: after food delivery time.)
Her first meal showed up but she hadn't yet touched it. Gaara usually visited her before the meal would be sent to her, but he didn't that day. She maybe thought it was related to why he hadn't been around the day before the day before but another part of her thought that whatever kept him away from her then was just an excuse to leave her. People did that. She understood why. She did it too.
She curled up into the corner of her cot facing the wall and closed her eyes to sleep without sleeping.
…
Some time later, she heard people talking amongst themselves. They had been there for a bit but she hadn't thought they were for her.
"What do you want?" she asked without moving.
Someone cleared a throat. "Hello. My name is Ebizo, head senior of the Suna Council," his olden voice said. "We cannot formally interrogate you until we appoint a Kazekage and new ANBU head, but my colleague and I are just here to talk. You can think of it as a conversation and I've brought along Gaara to make you more comfortable… I'm told you two are close."
She turned her head at that. "Could be a genjutsu or a Transformation Jutsu and I wouldn't even be able to tell right now. Any of you could be, anyways. And if you're good enough at genjutsu, you could just interrogate me without anyone knowing since it'd all be in the head."
She went silent and the councilor-person didn't reply.
"What do you want?" she asked again, this time rolling around and sitting up, resting her hands on the cot edge.
There were two… councilors… there if the near-identical robes were anything to go by. Seniors Ebizo and Erusa, we could recognize. They all flicked their eyes to Gaara involuntarily at her remark. With narrowed eyes, the feminine looking one with the bun of aging hair braids—Erusa—turned back to glare at her.
"Let's start with your identity… Gaara here has been calling you 'Katiya' but the registered shinobi ID we acquired from you upon intake has you as 'Katsu'. Who are you?" Erusa interrogated.
"Whichever one you want," the one being interrogated replied in a monotone. "I've also got a civilian Land of Waterfalls ID with the name 'Reikiya', some other one with the name 'Amaya'… Another civilian one from the Land of Rice Paddies under the name 'Reiya'… And oh yeah. A fake Land of Wind ID with the name 'Okemia'… Really. Couldn't care less which one you call me."
"Which name were you born under?" Ebizo tried.
"Katiya," she replied honestly, averting her eyes. "Unless you were referring to this… identity's… 'birth name', then I guess it'd be 'Katsu'. Katsu's probably the shinobi one you want anyways."
"Gaara says you yielded to him in battle willingly," Ebizo prodded. "Is this true?"
"… Yeah."
The one with the braids jumped in again. "If you yielded to him willingly, why did you attempt to run back to Orochimaru? That was your intention when you escaped, wasn't it?" Erusa asked sharply.
Katiya rubbed the side of her face and rested her fingers over the bridge of her nose. "Yeah. It was."
"Why. If you yielded to Suna willingly?"
Because I was stupid and naive.
"Because why not. I'm a shinobi of Otogakure. I'll never be accepted here—because I'm a foreign rogue-nin first and everything else second. The whole reason why I'm here." She gestured to the cell. "After you're done interrogating me, at best I rot in a cage. At worst, I die," she smiled humorlessly. "I know how it works. I don't know why a rogue would ever want to be caught."
"So why did you yield to Suna in the first place?"
I don't know, she replied in thought. "I don't know," she replied verbally.
"You yielded because you knew I was right," Gaara replied to her, brows furrowed. "You're more than just a rogue killer."
"... Fourteen dead, wasn't it?" Katiya asked the councilor who introduced himself. "One of the guards told me."
"... That's correct."
She looked back to Gaara. "Try telling that to the families of the people I killed. The only reason why you're not dead is because no one here can kill you without letting your demon out—and no one wants that," she replied to Gaara coldly.
"Lord… Gaara has told me you had attempted suicide when you learned you could not escape. Do you mind explaining why you chose to do so?" Ebizo asked.
"… After getting cornered, I realized my lord has no more use for me now. After you finish interrogating me, you'd have no more use for me and either and likely do the same… kill me to save expenses… Everything dies at some point. I figured I might as well finish the job myself…"
"So attempted suicide to avoid spilling information during interrogation, is that what it is?" the one we know as Erusa asked.
"At least it'd be less painful. He was kinder to me than you are… and I'd rather die for him than you."
Erusa scowled. Ebizo pulled his beard in thought.
"If I can guarantee your life, would you be willing to yield information about Otogakure and Lord Orochimaru without torture?" Ebizo asked.
"If you want to leave me to meaninglessly rot, I'd rather take death."
"House arrest for a year or until we can verify the validity of the information you provide," Ebizo responded. "And depending on how that goes, a potential probationary parole status. You're a medic in Otogakure, aren't you?"
"I guess," Katiya replied. "Not really much healing going on over there."
"Probationary parole status and the provision of your service to Suna's shinobi hospital," Ebizo amended.
"—Are you serious?" Erusa protested, "She's a criminal and you want her serving Suna's vulnerable?!"
"I intend to assign her under Senior Sekka and our strongest ANBU team following, if she is willing," Ebizo replied. "Senior Sekka has at least your skill in combat," he told his colleague. Then, without waiting for reply, Ebizo nodded his head towards Gaara and said, "You're right, 'more death won't bring the dead to life' but perhaps this way, Suna can benefit from the lives saved."
Erusa sent Ebizo a scandalized glare.
Ebizo ignored it and turned back to face Katiya. "You won't be allowed to leave the village while you're on probation, and you'll still have to wear chakra suppression bands—you'll be performing your duties as a civilian medic—but if you're willing to yield information about Otogakure and Lord Orochimaru, after saving an equal number of lives as you took, you'll be free to go."
"So I need to save fourteen people in life-threatening condition… in your shinobi hospital… without chakra. Do I get paid?" Katiya asked.
"—No." Erusa sharply replied. "And you'll have to be checking in with me and with Sekka while you're on probation!"
Ebizo hummed, agreeing to the terms. Katiya narrowed her eyes in thought. "Do I get any penalty for making a person have life-threat—"
"—Kill anyone while on duty or do anything to make the ANBU agents assigned to you even think you intend to escape again—and you're dead—" Erusa snapped, pointing her finger emphatically, "—You're lucky enough I'm even willing to let Lord Ebizo try this!"
Behind Erusa, Gaara let out a low hum. While the death part was gruesome, the terms were rather fair. "You said you wanted to die in the name of others' justice," Gaara told Katiya. "But what about living?" he asked.
"—A friend," Gaara repeated in Katiya's mind, "the people who mutually—"
… If I cared for you, I would have gone back for you.
"I need time to think," Katiya would verbally reply.
Author's Note
Suna Council positions & responsibilities. Somewhat randomly assigned because of the lack of any information on the canonical characters, but *shrugs. It's what I'm rolling with.
1) Ebizo: Council High Command
2) Tojuro: Council Secondary Command
3) Joseki: Trade & Finance Division
4) Yura: Armory & Munitions Division
5) Erusa (OC): Foreign Intelligence Division
6) Sajo: Domestic Defense Division
7) Sekka: Medical Division
8) Ryusa: Diplomatic Relations Division
9) Goza: Strategy Division
10) Ikanago: Cipher Division
11) Takeo (OC): Puppeteer Corp
12) (vacant): Tokubetsu Division (& ANBU)
*cough. Well, Sasuke and Orochimaru… and Kabuto all later get to go scot-free in Konoha after killing who-knows-how-many people. Law in the Naruto-verse is odd. The arrangement Katiya's getting in this fiction is my take on that oddity.