-24- Mission start-
- 24 - Mission start -
-Minaru-
“Okay, let’s slow down for now, Mina-chan.”
Minaru let out a large sigh and slumped down to try and catch her breath. She looked up at Akane who smiled brightly at her. “You’re getting better at controlling the metal parts.”, she said and flipped one of the kunai she had brought with her at Minaru.
Minaru sighed softly and caught the handle between her fingers. “Thanks. But it’s still nowhere close to the control I felt during the fight on the bridge.”, she answered, twirling the weapon around her hand.
Akane laughed and ruffled her hair. “It takes years to master metal bending. Don’t stress yourself.”, she said. She looked at Minaru’s tired eyes. “But I think that was enough for today. You said you have a mission tomorrow, right?”
She nodded and hummed lowly. “Yeah, with Shisui, Sai and Shin.”
Akane nodded as well and reached out to put a hand on Minaru’s shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Mina. Don’t take too many risks.”
Minaru chuckled. “I can’t promise that.”
“At least take fang and claw with you then.”, Akane said with a scowl.
Minaru smiled at her aunt. “I always take them with me. I need them for most of my techniques as ‘Bird’.”, she said.
Akane chuckled. “Well then try to get some more sleep.”, she said and reached out to ruffle Minaru’s hair.
Minaru nodded at her and waved her goodbye before pulling herself out of her mindscape. Blinking her eyes open she got up from the couch where she had sat with crossed legs. She stretched and touched one of the big ferns next to the windows - a gift from Inoichi and Hanako - while passing towards the kitchen.
She made herself some tea before she returned to the living room and looked out of the window towards the Nara-woods.
Claw leaned against her hip and purred, when she petted him. ‘What’s on your mind, kitten?’, he asked her.
She sighed and looked at him. “Do you think I should tell Shika and Cho everything?”, she asked.
Claw looked at her and tilted his head in a silent question.
‘Everything?’, Fang asked from the doorway that led out toward a small balcony and the roof, and came over to them on silent paws. ‘What else could you tell them? You shared your memories.’
“About Bird.”, she said.
The two cats looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them. ‘That would be against the ANBU rules, wouldn’t it?’, Claw asked.
Minaru snorted. “You know that our whole team is against the ANBU rules, right? A team that answers to only one person, no hierarchy at all? That’s not ANBU standard at all.”, she said. Then she sighed, before continuing. “I’m more worried that it could put them in harm's way if they know about our double life.”
The two cats purred and wrapped themselves around her. ‘You don’t have to decide right now. Take your time to think this through.’
She smiled lightly. “I will.” She just hoped she wouldn’t miss the right moment.
- The next evening in the T&I building -
-Anko-
Night was already falling when Anko came back from her trip to get some much needed food for everyone who was still working in the building. “He’s still not talking?”, she asked Inoichi as soon as she entered the room. The Hokage had ordered them to question Mizuki about his connections to the Root. They had been at it since early this morning and everyone was getting exhausted.
“No word.”, their leader said and slumped down into a chair. He started massaging his temples. He reached out and took some spring rolls from one of the boxes she had brought with her.
Anko cursed and joined him. They needed to get at least something out of him. But it was like his whole brain was wiped clean. Something was definitely fishy about him. But how would they be able to prove it without any evidence?
Right at this moment Kakashi and Tenzo entered the room. She looked at the two of them and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “What are you two doing here?”, she asked. Normally nobody was allowed to enter this part of the building when they were in an investigation like the one they had to do now.
“The Hokage told us that Mizuki is still silent. We might know why.”, Kakashi said, his hands buried in his pockets. He looked deceivingly bored, but Anko knew him better.
Anko’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. “You do?”
Tenzo looked uncomfortable. “We might. I need to check something for that.”, he said and fidgeted with his hands. Very unusual for the normally stoic Shinobi.
Anko and Inoichi looked at each other and the leader of the T&I nodded. “All right. This way.” Inoichi said and led the three Shinobi into the interrogation room.
Ibiki - who had stayed behind to watch Mizuki - lifted his head, when they entered. Mizuki’s whole body was covered in sealpaper, the seals making him unable to move and normally they should also make him more susceptible to questioning. Normally. But he seemed to be immune to that part of the seals.
“Can you open his mouth?”, Tenzo asked, his eyebrows pulled together as if he was in pain. Slowly he approached the man.
“Sure.” Anko went over to the captive and reached for his chin. Mizuki struggled a bit, his eyes almost popping out of his skull, but finally she was able to force his mouth open. She hissed, when she saw what Tenzo had hinted at. “Holy crap! These fuckers! Why would they… I can’t believe that!”, she cursed loudly
“What?” Inoichi asked and looked at her in mild amusement. That’s why she loved working with him and Ibiki. They didn’t expect her to control her language.
“He has the seal!”, she hissed in anger, releasing Mizuki as if she had been burned. How had they gotten their hands on a teacher? Or had he been one of them the whole time and he had managed to sneak his way into the academy?
Inoichi growled in anger only to be interrupted by a slow clapping. “Well, you figured that much out. But it won’t do you any good.” Anko whirled around, a man was standing in the door with some more masked figures pouring in behind him. “You won’t live to tell the tale.”, he said with a smirk.
She knew the man. His short hair was brown and he wore the standard Shinobi uniform. He was one of her higher ranking colleagues. “Taichi?!” Inoichi asked, sounding floored by the fact that he was a traitor.
She understood him. They had thought him to be a bit quirky but overall a valuable part of the T&I. How deep had these guys gotten, how many agents were put in positions where they could influence the village?
“You do realize, that you face off against 5 of the best ninja of Konoha?”, Kakashi growled out.
Taichi waved his hand as if chasing off a fly. Then he looked at Ibiki with a grin. “Why don’t you tell him, head interrogator? About the specialty of this room.”
Ibiki growled, but then he said: “This room has Chakra-muffling seals embedded in every wall, plus the floor and the ceiling. It’s supposed to hinder attacks from the captured.”
Taichi grinned brightly, clapping once more. “Yes, awfully practical, don’t you think? And the captured ones right now are you guys.” He cackled and approached, lifting his hand. “Because I invented something to counter this effect. And you didn’t.”
An earth jutsu threw Anko against the wall and she could feel her shoulder pop. With a grimace she got back up, trying to gather enough Chakra for a small fire-jutsu but just as Ibiki had said, her Chakra got sucked right out of her, leaving her feeling dazed.
Taichi appeared in front of her and she was barely able to lift her arms to block the punch aimed at her chin. The man sneered at her. “Freaking abnormal bitch. I always wanted to teach you a lesson. And finally I can!” He kicked her in the stomach and Anko fell to the floor, pain spreading in her abdomen.
What the heck was going on? Why was she feeling so much pain?
Taichi chuckled. “Oh, it’s already taking effect? That’s perfect.”
“What the heck did you do?!” Inoichi ground out. Anko looked around and saw that he was on the floor as well, clutching his stomach. Ibiki was a little to her left, half slouched over. Kakashi and Tenzo were both surrounded by at least 5 shinobi.
Anko frowned. “The food I got… you poisoned it?”, she asked.
Taichi shrugged, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Of course I did. My master gave me a poison that would let you suffer. And boy, am I going to enjoy that.”
“I’m sure, you will.”