While Kaiho wasn't the kind of person to brag about her own skill, she did pride herself on the few abilities she possessed. One of them was observation. There weren't many things that could get past her. She'd seen the imposing walls, the ridiculously tiny windows, and the single giant ironwood door of the stone tower. She'd seen Suigetsu shudder as they'd entered it. But none of that was a good enough indication of what was to come.
The sight of the men wailing from their confines was.
This wasn't just a building. It was a prison.
The sole visible entrance of the tower led to a tiny passage illuminated by a yellow-green light. Kaiho shivered. For a structure that appeared so majestic and large, it seemed to squeeze all the air out of her.
The trio walked in a single file, the tapering space bringing Kaiho in close range with the prisoners she wanted to ignore. They made clawing motions through the bars of their cells as if to latch on to the closest living being they could find.
Kaiho averted her eyes hastily. Concentrating on the motion of her fingers, she started practicing hand signs again with renewed vigour.
Snake... Rat... Hare... Bird? Ugh!
It was all she could do to not look into their light-deprived eyes, which seemed to gaze right through her. Kaiho hastened, placing one foot after another. Her steps shortened, becoming more sprightly and unsteady until she bumped into something. Ramrod straight, rigid and unyielding. For all its similarity to a damp stone pillar, it was warm and hissed at the touch.
"Sorry," Kaiho mustered.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Suigetsu? His voice lacked the confidence he usually seemed to have. Relief welled inside of Kaiho.
At least she wasn't the only one feeling uneasy about this place.
The sight of a figure stopped the three of them in their tracks. Squinting, she could just manage to identify it was a woman. As she walked towards them, Kaiho's attention was drawn to the style of her gait — strong and self-assured, with no hesitation of any kind.
Her crimson eyes flashed behind dark spectacles, briefly piercing Kaiho and Suigetsu. "I knew you were coming," she said, smirking at Sasuke. "What brings you here?"
Sasuke came straight to the point. "I need your help, Karin."
The woman's calm expression turned serious. "The rumours are true, then. We can't talk here, with so many of them" — she gestured around her vaguely — "eavesdropping."
With that, she led them to an empty room. Much more spacious than the corridor they'd just been in, the room was furnished with a chair, a stone bench, and a table. Suigetsu sunk into the chair, stiff posture finally melting into a more relaxed one. Karin wrinkled her nose with a mixture of irritation and disgust before focusing on Sasuke.
"I can't leave," Karin sighed. "Orochimaru made me in charge of the men here."
Sasuke addressed her wearily. "Orochimaru's dead, Karin. You're free to join us."
Karin shook her head in disapproval. "And the prisoners?"
Sasuke dismissed her query with a quick wave. "Suigetsu, Kaiho, release them."
Kaiho wrung her hands in response. Sasuke made it clear that she was to follow his commands. However, those captives were creepy. They must've been placed in those cells for reasons.
They were probably hardened criminals. Or insane.
Or both.
Before she could come up with a reason to stay behind, Suigetsu arose. "Always acting like the boss, eh?" He glowered at Sasuke and yanked the keys out of Karin's outstretched hand. "You heard the man, Kaiho. Let's go."
Their footsteps echoed in Kaiho's ears as they left.
Facing the narrow passage once more, she heard the door shut behind them. Suigetsu gave her a quick smile, one that was almost reassuring.
"Best if we kept away from that lunatic," he spoke, leading the way.
Surprisingly, Suigetsu appeared to be back to his usual animated self. There was a spring to his step that had been missing earlier. Still, Kaiho couldn't help but sense that something was off. Not that she could blame him. Her own legs trembled while walking towards the first cell. She stuck close to Suigetsu, watching him unlock the door.
A bony hand grabbed her fingers, trying to pull her close. Kaiho shrieked, prying them off at once. The culprit stumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. Gawping at her with befuddlement, the dazed look on his face began to clear. He balanced himself, grinning. The sudden shine in his sunken eyes unveiled an excitement long since extinguished.
"You're... real?" he rasped through parched lips.
Kaiho peered back at him, equally confused. "I... am."
First of the many questions that came her way, each one left Kaiho more and more in the dark.
"Is he truly dead?"
Who was he?
"We're free, right? Right?!"
Why were they trapped in the first place?
Eventually, she backed away, avoiding their relentless questions. Suigetsu continued releasing the prisoners, answering the ones who surrounded him.
"Orochimaru's dead. We're freeing you, got that? And stop touching my sword!"
With no particular work at hand, Kaiho started observing the liberated people. For the most part, they were civil, if only a bit wary and nervous. Her heart twinged, remembering a few of the people she escorted out. They were simply not convinced that they were being liberated, turning their backs on her. They crouched into the corner, their skeletal frames blending like shadows into the wall, hunched over in terror. It took a lot to assure them that this was no joke, that there was no secret test. By the end, she was certain that even the ones who lost their tempers were just frightened people.
Meanwhile, Suigetsu was thrilled every time someone tried to take a swing at him. His beam widened whenever he got the chance to draw his sword. Seeing the men scurry like mice made his violet eyes gleam with exhilaration.
Nevertheless, that wasn't enough to keep his interest for long.
On opening the last gate, he unsheathed his blade. With a menacing glare, he growled, "Run. Before I change my mind and cut you all down."
They didn't need to be told twice. The men toppled over one another, making a mad dash for the exit. Suigetsu cackled with glee.
Kaiho frowned at him. "How mature."
Suigetsu scowled. "Not everyone plays nice."
Job now complete, the two returned to the room Sasuke and Karin were in. Much to his dismay, Suigetsu found the door locked. He leaned against it, putting his hands in his pockets.
Standing outside the room, Kaiho found the perfect opportunity to ask the questions bugging her. "Who's Orochimaru?"
Suigetsu eyeballed her for a moment before his jaw dropped in shock. "You don't know?"
She shrugged.
"Only one of the Leaf's legendary Sannin," he replied in a voice mingled with revulsion and reverence. "The ninja who managed to capture me, Suigetsu Hozuki," he continued, his words laced with faint disappointment. "And the guy who made the crackhead in charge," he added as an afterthought, nodding towards the door.
Suigetsu appeared to think that his answer sufficed, but it did nothing aside from bewildering Kaiho further.
What were 'Sannin'?
Kaiho had accepted her lack of knowledge about the ninja world a while ago, but Suigetsu's disbelief showed that there was much to learn. Regardless, his reaction dissuaded her from asking anything else. Besides, she wasn't too sure of what he was saying.
Karin was pretty cool.
With no other questions to sate his restlessness, Suigetsu straightened up. "This is taking too long." He raised his sword.
Kaiho's eyes widened.
CRASH!
The door splintered in two, revealing a blushing Karin and a stoic Sasuke.
Kaiho looked at Suigetsu thoughtfully. In spite of his wiry build, he had sliced the wood like it was butter.
No wonder ninjas were said to be powerful.
Suigetsu strode in, ignoring Karin. "Sasuke, let's go. Clearly, she doesn't want to come," he said in a weary tone.
Karin straightened her spectacles. "I'm coming, Suigetsu. Only because MY destination happens to be along the way."
"Well then, let's go get Jugo," replied Suigetsu, turning away nonchalantly.
"JUGO! He can get unstable, you know! Are you sure about this?"
"Why do you care? You're coming only for part of the way, aren't you?" A smile teased at Suigetsu's lips as he watched Karin become increasingly flustered.
"Of c-course! I was just a little concerned..."
Kaiho covered her mouth, chuckling into her palm.
Catching the soft sound, Karin rounded up on her. "And what are you laughing at?" Kaiho shook her head quickly.
"N-Nothing!"
As they left, the mildewed walls resonated with the squabbling of Karin and Suigetsu, Sasuke's sharp reprimands, and Kaiho's mumbles. The gloomy atmosphere had lightened considerably since the time they'd entered. Despite the difficulties Kaiho had encountered so far, only one thought crossed her mind.
This was turning out to be... enjoyable.
