Chapter Five
Don’t suffer fools lightly, in fact, kill them so they are never your problem again.
- Lieutenant Uchiha
Team Beast are inordinately clean people it would seem, as all the cleaning duties I have to complete is a simple wipe down of the bathrooms and kitchens. I thankfully do not run into any of them either, as they are all off base for rec day leave, and it is the most peaceful morning I have spent on base in a long time.
I am just finishing up wiping the bathrooms when Captain Guy finds me and asks me to come with him as General Tsunade has requested to see me urgently. He has a troubled, almost worried, look on his face and my stomach swoops uncomfortably, mentally preparing myself for a bad update on my captured team.
We walk in silence over to the administration block and he walks me to one of the large conference halls.
“I have Lieutenant Haruno, General Tsunade” Captain Guy says as we enter, and I take in the disciplinary council lined up before me.
General Tsunade sits as Chair in the middle and to her left is the stern looking General Ibiki and Major Iruka. My mouth waters with impending vomit, everyone knows Major Iruka only gets called to inform people of deaths or serious disciplinary actions and I brace myself for the news of one of my team passing. I walk over as Captain Guy takes up position on the side of the room with none other than Captain Hatake and I firmly ignore his presence, not happy that he will witness me receiving this news.
“Lieutenant Haruno, I want to make this brief so you can enjoy the rest of your rec leave day and recover well for this next week.” General Tsunade begins, taking in my bruised appearance with annoyed sympathy, as Hatake shuffles slightly at the comment. “It has come to our attention that in the mock scenario drill your team participated in with Team Beast there was an incident between yourself and Lieutenant Jiro. CCTV footage from that watch tower has been reviewed and Lieutenant Jiro has been stood down from active duty pending charges, but we suspect he did not attack you on his own volition. Would you like to make any comments for the record and provide any further information about your attack?”
I don’t answer for a moment, for some unknown reason I find myself looking over to Hatake who holds my gaze intently like he is waiting for me to drop the anvil on his head.
“Lieutenant? Would you like me to ask Captain Hatake to leave the room?” General Tsunade asks gently, and I break the intense staring with Hatake to look back at her.
“No, Ma’am. Captain Hatake and his team were not involved to my knowledge; Lieutenant Jiro admitted he had a penchant for uh… roughing up military women. I believe he acted out of his own sick wants and not on the orders of anyone else” I lie.
“Are you certain that is your version of events?” General Tsunade asks me pointedly, glancing between Hatake and I with a frown.
“Yes Ma’am, that’s all I have for the record” I confirm and force myself to hold eye contact with her until she breaks it and writes something on the paper in front of her.
“Well then, Lieutenant Jiro will face the committee in a week, and I will keep you updated on the charges and reparations afforded to you for this incident. You will have full access to the counselling services should you need and any other support required following this, is there anything else before we close?” General Tsunade asks and I shake my head as she dismisses us.
I turn and high tail it out of there not wanting to get caught by Hatake to explain any of this, but it is just not my day because I am barely out of the building when he is suddenly right behind me.
“Lieutenant Haruno, wait” Hatake says, and I huff a sigh as I look over my shoulder at him.
He falls into step with me, and we make our way back towards Team Hound’s barracks. He doesn’t say anything, which is annoying because I kind of want him to get it over with if he is prissy about the higher ups finding out what happened, but the man stays annoyingly aloof as we walk back. He finally breaks his silence when we reach the door to his office, and he asks me to come inside for a moment.
“You were lying,” is all he says as he turns to me with his hands in his pockets and studies my face.
“What? Did you want me to turn your team in?” I ask confused at his question and he looks equally confused at me response.
“You think I actually put that bastard up to that?” Hatake asks incredulously and I must give him props for his acting, he is very convincing.
“Right, you had no idea” I scoff sarcastically but the smile slides from my face as Hatake walks closer and I see the cold fury in his eyes.
“Haruno, why do you think someone put him up to it?” Hatake asks intensely and I can’t help but frown at him as I shake my head.
“Because he told me!? And, I caught Sasuke admitting it when I found him and Naruto” I splutter and Hatake’s face clouds in anger.
We don’t say anything for a minute as Hatake just watches me, “why didn’t you tell them that?” Hatake asks quietly after a few moments, breaking the strange atmosphere.
A great question because I don’t really know myself.
“I guess… my team is still out there, I didn’t want to waste time tied up in bureaucratic red tape and pull any resources from the hunt of finding them” I half-admit to the floor. I wasn’t ready to admit out loud that I also didn’t want to give Sasuke the satisfaction of getting to me.
“Well, not that he deserved it, but thank you for not handing Sasuke over. He is a real pain, but his skills will be useful in finding our comrades. I will deal with him and see that he is appropriately punished for his actions in getting you hurt…” Hatake says in a soft tone that is jarring considering our usual heated exchanges.
“You really didn’t know he put him up to that?” I blurt before I can stop myself, looking up into his face to see if I can spot him lying.
Hatake watches my face for a moment and my breath freezes in my lungs when his hand comes up and brushes a stray piece of hair away from my jaw and traces the splotched bruising there. Time seems to stand still as we both stop breathing and then Hatake clears his throat and steps back.
“I didn’t, I thought your injuries were from fighting Sasuke and Naruto. I would never condone…” Hatake trails off and I know he is telling the truth because I can see the anguish in his eyes. “I am taking up your rec day Lieutenant, please go rest and recover.”
I don’t know what to do with myself after that moment and I nod jerkily, spinning on my heels to leave his office as he crosses to his desk.
“Oh, Haruno” Hatake calls, and I turn back to him cursing how hot my cheeks feel right now. “Catch.”
Hatake gently tosses me a small silver key and I catch it flipping it over in my hand with a frown.
“For your room, I think the door has been playing up, so I got a new key” Hatake says, and I nod in appreciation of the proverbial olive branch he is offering.
“Yeah… stupid thing wouldn’t open, thanks Captain” I joke back, and he snorts a laugh as I exit his office to take the longest nap of my life.
Despite the bone deep exhaustion and pain I am in, I fall asleep with a goofy grin on my face that maybe my time in Team Hound is finally looking up.