With a nod from Fox, the group disappeared in a blur, using Shunshin to quickly travel to the T building. They reappeared in front of the cold, foreboding facility in an instant, the transition smooth and silent. Kakashi landed lightly on his feet, just behind Fox and Hawk.
As they entered the facility, the dim lighting cast long shadows across the steel walls, creating an eerie, suffocating atmosphere. I really hate this place. At the entrance, they were greeted by a man in standard T uniform. His face was hard, etched with lines of impatience, but it wasn't his appearance that caught Kakashi's attention. No, it was the smell. The smell of fear... her fear.
Kakashi's gaze narrowed beneath his mask as he instinctively stepped a little closer to the unconscious girl. This man... he was the one who had been interrogating her.
The man barely spared them a glance as he gestured for them to follow. "This way, please." he said curtly, his tone devoid of any warmth or sympathy. His gaze briefly darted to the girl, cold and detached, before he turned on his heel and led them down the dimly lit hall.
The interrogator led them through a series of cold, sterile corridors until they reached a small, dimly lit room. The room was small, starkly lit, with the typical sparse setup for an interrogation—just a table, a few chairs, and nothing else. It was unnervingly clean, the sterile scent overpowering. The air inside felt heavy, stifling almost. Something is off.
Kakashi frowned, his nose twitched. The room… It didn't smell like her.
If she had truly been held here, there should have been some trace of her—her fear, her confusion, her scent. Nothing. No scent. Kakashi's brow furrowed beneath his mask.
The girl, still unconscious, was placed in a chair by Hawk, who handled her with surprising gentleness. Her small frame seemed even more fragile under the harsh lights of the interrogation room. She stirred slightly, a soft hum escaping her lips, but she didn't wake.
Kakashi moved closer to Hawk, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Something's off," he murmured. "This room doesn't smell like her at all."
Hawk shot him a sideways glance and asked to the room, "This where she was before? Shouldn't we find a place with a cot?"
The interrogator, stiff and unreadable, ignored Hawk's observation and gestured toward the door. "This is a restricted session. You'll need to leave now. The interrogation will resume without your assistance."
As if. Kakashi took a step forward, his voice cold and unyielding. "I'm staying."
The interrogator's face tightened with irritation, his gaze darkening as he glared at Kakashi. "This is a classified operation. Your presence isn't necessary, nor is it authorized."
Before Kakashi could push further, Fox cut in smoothly, his tone as calm as ever. "After observing the detainee, it's clear she doesn't communicate through standard human language. That's why we brought Hatake. He's established communication with her."
The interrogator's lips thinned into a hard, disapproving line. Clearly, he wasn't pleased with the ANBU's decision to involve Kakashi, but before he could retort, the door to the interrogation room slammed open with a resounding crack. The Fourth Hokage stepped in the room, his steps measured and calm. His presence filled the room instantly.
Minato's usual warmth and gentle demeanor were replaced by something far more serious. His sharp blue eyes scanned the room quickly, llocking onto the girl slumped in the chair before they finally landed on the man who had been interrogating her. Shiba padded beside him, tail low, but alert.
Minato's expression remained calm, but Kakashi swore he saw something dangerous flicker in his sensei's eyes. He nodded at Kakashi, acknowledging him, but his attention quickly shifted to the man standing in the room.
"Why was I not informed that a young girl was being interrogated in T ?" His voice, though quiet, carried an undeniable authority.
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat. He has no idea what is happening. Minato should have known everything happening in the village, especially something as sensitive as a young girl being interrogated by ANBU.
The silence that followed was deafening. Hawk stiffened beside the girl, and Fox, ever the calm one, shifted uncomfortably. It was clear none of them had expected this question. How had Minato, of all people, been kept in the dark about this? But the real surprise was the interrogator. He showed no reaction at all, his calm facade eerily intact.
Tiger, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, his voice low and measured. "She was deemed a potential threat to the village. We brought her back after she escaped."
Minato's gaze darkened as he turned to Tiger, his eyes cold. "Who gave the order to bring her here? I don't recall authorizing any such mission."
Fox cleared his throat, trying to bridge the tension. "The report came through the proper channels," he said, though there was a trace of confusion in his tone.
The interrogator, maintaining his composure, spoke in a detached voice. "The situation was handled internally. There was no need to involve—"
Minato raised a hand, cutting him off mid-sentence. He stepped closer to the man, his expression unreadable, but his presence commanding enough to make the interrogator take a small step back. "I want to know why I wasn't informed about this," Minato's voice was ice-cold, and for the first time, the interrogator's mask of calm faltered.
"I was told she was suspected of... questionable objectives. It was just a routine questioning—" the man answered, fixing his detached mask.
"Questionable objectives?" Minato's tone was cutting now, every word sharp enough to slice through the tension. "Who decided that?"
All eyes in the room shifted toward the interrogator, who hesitated, unsure of what to say. It was clear now that whoever had orchestrated this had gone around the Hokage, and Minato wasn't going to let it slide.
Minato's eyes flicked toward Kakashi, his expression softening slightly as he addressed his former student. "Kakashi."
Kakashi straightened, meeting Minato's gaze. His expression shifted from the concern he had felt moments earlier to something more professional. Time to act like an ANBU again.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi began, keeping his voice level. "I encountered the girl around eighteen hundred hours. She had apparently escaped from custody by then. Her communication isn't verbal like we're used to—she uses gestures, sounds, and animal-like cues —purring, for instance." He cringed inwardly, but there was no avoiding it.
Minato raised an eyebrow, a glint of amusement momentarily breaking through his serious demeanor. "Purring?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi fought the urge to groan. This was not going the way he had hoped. " I know how it sounds, but from what I observed, she's lived her entire life in the forest. The way she moves, the way she reacts to her surroundings—it's instinctive, almost like she's part of the wild."
Minato's gaze softened as he looked at the girl, then back at Kakashi. "And you've been able to communicate with her?"
Kakashi nodded. "It's... rough, but yes. I believe I was beginning to understand her, and she was starting to trust me. However..." His eye flicked toward Tiger, a barely restrained glare burning beneath his calm exterior. "After the ANBU's rough handling, that trust may now be broken." His voice dropped, barely masking his frustration.
He paused for a moment, then continued, his tone professional once more as he faced Minato."From what I've observed, she's not hostile, Hokage-sama. She's afraid and doesn't understand what we expect from her. If we handle this on her terms, we can avoid further complications."
Kakashi took a breath, steadying himself. "As for her being held here… This room doesn't match her scent. She wasn't kept here. Something's off."
The interrogator faltered for a moment, his posture stiffening. He cleared his throat, his eyes darting to Minato before returning to Kakashi. "She evaded containment, escaped multiple times, and showed signs of hostility during her capture. Protocol demands we investigate further."
Before anyone could respond, Minato's chakra flared—just for an instant, but it was enough to send a wave of pressure crashing through the room. Though controlled, the sheer force behind it unsettled everyone. Even Kakashi felt his pulse quicken.
It was the girl, however, who reacted the most.