Sadly, I was not immediately given access to a ninja lawyer, partially because even the as the 'nice' ninja Village, Konoha didn't exactly bother with Miranda Rights and providing you with your one phone call, but mostly because it didn't really seem to be a thing in the first place.
"That seems like a glaring oversight. How can you have a ninja Police Force to catch criminals, have a ninja jail to throw those criminals in, but not a ninja justice system in place to actually determine whether or not those guys are even criminals in the first place? Hell, there's not even someone who provides their defense after they get arrested!" I ranted, lying on my cot and throwing up my arms in frustration.
Jūrō merely chuckled, leaning against the bars of my cell, having returned me to my current residence after the ANBU beat a distinctly hurried retreat across the single drawbridge over the active caldera, racing back towards Konoha.
From observing the guard's routine, I knew Genda and Okabe were supposed to hand over their shifts to Kenta and Ryoma for the night patrols soon, but Genda had muttered something about not feeling well and Jūrō had volunteered to escort me back instead.
Okabe, as always, had said nothing, seemingly content to keep munching away on his sunflower seeds.
"That's because, as you said yourself, they're criminals. The Hokage said so, after all. Or ANBU did. Same thing."
"But what is there to prevent an abuse of power?!"
"Simple. We don't elect a Hokage who would do that. Duh."
"… Jūrō, you know I love and appreciate you man, but you really need to try out critical thinking one of these days."
"Why would I? I'm not the one behind bars here."
"Ouch."
Jūrō just chuckled, though thankfully, once I pressed him a bit, he was willing to elaborate on what he understood of how the justice system usually worked in Konoha, though he admitted that he didn't know if similar systems existed in the other nations.
Normally, if the Police Force suspected you of being up to no good, they'd investigate you, arrest you, charge you and then hand you over to the ANBU, who being the physical extension of the Hokage, would then pass judgement on you. If you got lucky, or had the appropriate backing, like a Clan, then you could contest the charges, get witnesses involved, provide counter arguments for the ANBU to either accept or dismiss (or even go over the ANBU's heads and raise a fuss directly with the Hokage himself), but this being a ninja village, you were pretty much expected to set all this up yourself.
"You on the other hand, were literally caught red-handed committing high treason and the only person who would've argued in your defense with the ANBU is currently in a cell like you. Sorry buddy, but ain't nobody on the outside left willing to stick their necks out for ya."
"I wish Tsubaki hadn't done that." I wistfully say at that, but Jūrō, being Jūrō, interprets it wrongly of course.
"Love man, it's a powerful motivator. Nice to see you wish your fiancée was free, but it's because she wished the same for you that she's in here right now too."
'Not what I mean, but sure. Sucks for her.' I made sure to not roll my eyes with the burly guard's gaze on me, letting out a forlorn sigh instead that saw him grabbing for his handkerchief again.
"Seriously? Man, we gotta get you some cable TV in here."
"Meh, we tried that, but can't get that stuff to work in here, at least not for extended periods. Thermal interference from the caldera or something. One of the eggheads tried explaining it to me once, but I stopped listening after he told me we won't be able to watch Kokoro no Hana Saku. Hell, can't even get a proper signal back to HQ, not even radio."
'Interesting. Explains why Mizuki's original escape took so long to get a response from Konoha- wait, what?'
"… 'Blossoms of the Heart'? What-"
"You ever mention that show to any of the guards and I'll throw you off the island straight into the lava."
"Jeez, alright-"
"They'll never find your body."
"I said alright."
Jūrō glares at me from between the bars, pointing to me, to his eyes and back at me again, his craggy face set in a deep scowl, enhanced by the shifting shadows cast by the flickering torches.
"Nobody must ever know."
"Jūrō, relax, I get it."
Seemingly satisfied, for now at least, Jūrō turns on his heel before he stills, glancing back at me over his shoulder.
"… I'll see about getting you and Tsubaki some work, get you outta that cell at least, stretch the legs. Not the prison yard. Know how you feel 'bout that. Laundry duty or something, sweeping the hallways. Light stuff. No promises on putting you on the same shift, at least not for now."
I blink in surprise, finding myself genuinely touched at the small gesture. I've only felt the heat of the caldera indirectly through the windows and I'd honestly been dreading hacking away at volcanic rock out in the prison yard. This was a welcome peace offering and I nodded my head at the burly guard.
"Thank you, Jūrō. Appreciate it man."
"Don't mention it. No, really, don't. Not sure if I'm even allowed to do this much, but also the rest of the inmates probably won't take kindly to you getting any signs of favouritism. They know we give those out as part of an incentive program for snitches and well…"
He shrugs at that, before moving away, throwing a lazy salute over his shoulder.
"Just sit tight Mizuki. The Hokage is a great and learned man; he'll know what to do with you and your little lady."
"Just sit tight, huh? Not like I got much of a choice.' I groused, lying back onto my cot, fingers interlaced behind my head, silver hair splayed out around my face.
That was a good point Jūrō had inadvertently made. Canon Mizuki had broken out by instigating a mass riot, seemingly being the leader of the other inmates, though he only bothered taking the Legendary Stupid Brothers with him. Either he considered the rest too weak, or the reverse was true and he wasn't seen as powerful enough to strong-arm the others in sticking with him, choosing to scatter instead.
However, my initial plan had been to get chummy with the guards and by extension Konoha authorities instead. Still something I considered worthwhile, but if what Jūrō had said was true, it might actually compromise my safety for as long as I was forced to remain on the inside. And I still had no idea how long that might be or what Hiruzen would decide to do with the truth bombs I'd thrown in his lap.
Orochimaru and Danzo might be the most acute dangers to Konoha's safety with the exception of Pain himself coming in to turn the Village into a crater and both happened to be massive, personal and emotional blind spots for the aged Hokage. It wasn't as if I had concrete proof of the intel I'd provided either, between the amnesia and the dissociation, they could just decide it was all the ramblings of a madman.
'But my information is almost too specific. Too many details to ignore outright. Hiruzen survived Three World Wars and who knows how many assassination attempts. He won't just let this slide without at least putting out feelers. But Orochimaru and Danzo are so dangerous precisely because they can look over his shoulder and peep into his playbook. How long until they know what he knows? How long until they decide that I'm a loose end that's better being trimmed off?'
Ironically, despite having set things in motion that could potentially gain me my freedom, I began to feel more trapped than ever on this island. Sure, the outside world was kept away by a ring of lava, but the inside of prison was a dangerous enough environment on its own that could easily be taken advantage of by potential enemies. All it would take is to pressure the right guard, or entice the corrupt ones, or even just provide a shiv and an excuse to one of the other inmates and I would be found bled dry in my cell the following morning.
'If they don't just deal with the body in the first place, that is…', Jūrō's threat, no matter how joking, rang in my ear.
I couldn't wait on Hiruzen and the ANBU deciding what to do with me, especially since that decision didn't necessarily need to be in my (or Tsubaki's) favour, now that I had confessed to the murder of Mizuki's teammate that he already had been investigated for in the past.
'Well, the night's still young.'
I rose from my bed, the rusted springs loudly protesting at my every movement, and approached the large lock set firmly in the door of my cell as I recalled how Genda had leisurely flipped through the keys on his chain, as he almost always did when he had to open it for whatever reason throughout the day.
It had been just after noon when Genda and Okabe had retrieved me for the ANBU, and despite it passing in a blur, Frog's genjutsu had apparently put me under for several hours at the very least. Then there had been the aftermath which had consisted of Okabe and Genda quietly and unobtrusively sweating in a corner, Tiger and Frog holding a very intense whispered debate that was only interrupted by trying to glare holes through my skull and me loudly complaining about the lack of legal representation in this Village.
Jūrō had spent that time just scribbling away in his notebook like an artiste possessed.
It had lasted all throughout dinner, and it wouldn't be long until the day shift clocked out and the night shift started their first rounds of the evening.
'One and a half hours, give or take. That should be enough to make some progress at least.'
Kneeling by the door, I once again raised up my index finger in front of my face as I had done these past few days after each of my gruelling training sessions. Slowly, very, very slowly, I extended chakra through the tenketsu right on the edge of my finger, letting wispy thin blue chakra leak and flicker out from just above the skin. It wasn't a Chakra Thread, not yet, but slowly I began to refine it, making it thinner, while also making it firmer, stronger. Over half an hour of my one and half hour window was spent solely on thinning and condensing the chakra until it was at least somewhat thread-like. Still quite not what the Puppet Corps of Suna was renowned for (and until I managed to get my hands on one of them or their training scrolls, it likely never would be) and quite frankly utterly useless for any sort of combat scenario, but for this, it'd be good enough.
The chakra had reduced in size, but thickened in colour and outline, going from flickering and translucent to something stable and distinctly visible, more like a shine glinting off wire. Still not thin enough for my tastes, but it was thin enough to fit in a keyhole. Slowly, gently, mind focused wholly on the subtle string of chakra to keep it from falling apart, I pressed the tip of my finger against the keyhole, snaking my chakra inside.
Feeling it remain stable and firm, even in the cramped confines of the mechanism, I let out a silent breath, before leaning further forward, resting my ear against the lock. There was a very odd sense of tactile sensation, a distant feedback that felt more like someone tugging on your sleeve rather than anything resembling touch coming from the thread inside of the lock.
'Right, so according to the teeth on the key that Genda used, then the first tumbler is further in… nothing on one… nothing on two, three is binding… nice click, can feel a little movement in the core… nothing on four and five, click on six… alright, back to the beginning… nothing on one, two is binding…'
Progress was further slowed by needing to be extra careful of how far I pushed the thread. Even in its unshaped form, when I had first started experimenting with it, it had been firm and sharp enough, almost needle-like, to leave scratches in the hardened stone of my cell. While it was stronger now after literal days of near non-stop training, I still didn't think it would be powerful enough to pierce through the hardened metal of the locking mechanism, but it probably was powerful enough wear down the tumblers if I wasn't careful and messed up too often. Not enough to make it fall apart, but probably enough to make it jam the next time a guard tried to insert a key.
Best case scenario was they'd let me stew in my firmly locked cell until they managed to get a ninja-locksmith out here, but more likely they'll connect it to my flight-risk status and make good on Jūrō's promise to throw me right into the caldera instead.
Still, working at it steadily, going tumbler by tumbler and going for accuracy and care over speed, meant that after under half an hour later, the lock gave a very satisfying (if loud) click! as I cut off the chakra I fed into the thread, allowing it to dissipate.
'Man, Konoha security really is shit. Why has nobody else thought of this? … then again, most of the guys in here are Konoha born and bred, shinobi from other villages either get killed in the field, interrogated until nothing of their mind is left, or if they get lucky are ransomed back to their own Village. Could be most of the guys in here don't even know what Chakra Threads are, let alone how to shape even the basic knock-off version I came up with.'
Putting the thought out of my mind, I straighten and gently turn the handle on the cell door. It moves an inch, before the metal starts groaning in protest, its rust grinding away and I still completely.
'How much time until Kenta and Ryoma make their way down here? I must've been at it for an hour now or so… dammit, first order of business once I'm on Jūrō's work detail is try and get my hands on a watch. Either steal one or barter for one.'
With no reliable way to tell the time and thus know my window of opportunity, I forced myself to do the most difficult thing I've ever had to do since I woke up in this place: I pulled the door shut. The sound of the door falling in place seemed oddly loud and echoing to my mind, but I pushed through, kneeling by the lock again, and once again reshaping my Chakra Thread.
Inserting it and giving it the same adhesive properties that I've become very familiar with during my many training sessions, I recalled the order that I used to open it, and went past each tumbler in reverse, grabbing them and pulling them back into place. I'm down to two more when I hear footsteps echoing off the wall, coming down the hallway towards me.
'Shit!'
"Man, why does day shift always get the exciting stuff? You hear the buzz today? ANBU, again. What's that, second time this week?"
"Meh, heard some rumours. Apparently one of the traitors lost his damned mind."
"And Konoha sends freakin' ANBU to fix it? Don't tell me you actually believe that?"
"What's there to believe? You don't question ANBU."
"Fair, but you also don't go to them for therapy. They're the ones that make you need therapy."
"Could be something in that mind that they find valuable enough they don't want it broken too?"
"So, like an informant? Ohh, or maybe a spy!?"
"Keep your voice down! Whatever the case, it's got Spec Force interested, which means I'm not. Got it?"
"Fine, fine. We know who the guy is?"
"Ryoma-"
"Look, all I'm saying is, we don't wanna 'damage the goods' if ANBU got their eyes on him, you know what I mean?"
"… tch, fair enough. It's the new blood, Mizuki. Apparently his girlfriend or wife or whatever turned herself in not long after. She's on a higher floor though. Not even sure she's officially booked yet, what with ANBU crawling all over this case."
"Damn, can't decide if that's the most romantic or stupidest thing I've heard all day. What do you think?"
"Yes."
"Jeez, fine. So, this Mizuki bastard, he's on our block?"
"Right here, actually. Hey! Mizuki! Wake up you traitorous son of a bitch!"
A fist impacts the frame of my cell and I startle on my cot, blearily looking around in confusion, the bed silent underneath me.
"W-wha-?"
"That's the guy that got ANBU interested? He don't look like much." One of the guards scoffs and as my eyes adjust to the low light, I see it's the younger of the two, Ryoma, who talked, a lean and wiry young man, early twenties at most who always carries his hitai-ate just a bit crooked, like he's too distracted to notice or too carefree to be bothered.
His patrol buddy is a much taller, well-built man, middle aged with a shaven head and a face that seems to be set in a permanent scowl. Kenta's brow furrows even further than usual as he glares through the bars at my still confused looking form lying on the cot.
"Don't underestimate guys like that Ryoma. Guy's in here not just for theft, but for the attempted murder on a fellow Konoha shinobi. File says they were friends even and this guy still almost severed his comrade's spine."
"Oh man…" Ryoma says, now looking at me wide eyed as I look back in confusion.
"I'm sorry, but I don't-"
"Don't remember, yeah, so I've heard. Doesn't fix your buddy's spine though, now does it." Kenta rebuffs me and I shrink back on my cot.
"Makes you wonder what ANBU would want with a bastard like that, huh?"
"Ryoma-" Kenta sighs as he turns away from me, his younger colleague looking up at him with excitement.
"Oh come on, don't tell me you aren't even a little interested! Betrayal like that, but he just gets thrown in here instead of executed and then not only has his girlfriend show up here, but ANBU as well? Twice even! He could be an amnesiac spy Kenta, imagine what-"
"Exactly, he could be a spy, which means I'm very firmly not interested. Why are you so hung up on him being some super-secret agent anyways? Don't you realize that it just makes things more hectic around here, kid?"
"We could use some excitement around here, night shift is so boring though…" the younger guard, still a kid really, trails off with a sigh, before Kenta smacks him around the head.
"Idiot. We're prison guards. Things being boring around here means we're doing our job properly. C'mon, we're falling behind on our route."
"Fine, fine!"
The two make to move away before a hand suddenly clamps down on their shoulders, hard, the grip felt even through their uniforms, a breath hot and heavy in their necks, an ominous chuckle filling the hallway. It seems made impossibly large by their oppressive surroundings, the large shadows stretching and flickering as if mocking them and suddenly both guards feel very alone… and yet not alone enough.
"Most spies 'don't look like much'. That's rather the point, actually. And you'd be surprised what you can learn once you're on the other side of the fence… or bars, as the case may be. Experience the weaknesses firsthand, spot the… 'irregularities'. Of course, that's no use if you can't report it back to your side… and such reports are much more difficult to make if people stick their noses where it really, really does not belong… you know how much ANBU like their little secrets after all, don't you?" the voice is deep and growling and wholly unfamiliar.
It breathes low, as if letting them in a joke they aren't meant to hear and both guards hurriedly nod.
"You know what? It's late. The heat of the lava gets to everyone. In dark places like this, who knows who heard what? I think we can all agree this conversation never took place, right boys."
It's not really framed as a suggestion and again both guards nod, Ryoma swallowing.
"Of course, uh, sir."
"Thank you boys. On your way now. And remember… we never spoke…" the voice retreats as the grip on their shoulders is lifted and both guards instinctively take a hurried step forwards, before simultaneously turning on a dime.
A torch nearby sparks and sputters, throwing some more light into the prison cell…
"What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
… where I'm still lying on my cot, my ratty blanket underneath me as I innocently blink back at the guards. Ryoma's mouth is wide open, while in contrast Kenta's is reduced to a microscopically thin line. He stares from the bars back to me, before he draws himself up to his full height.
"Go back to sleep, prisoner. It's lights out soon. Ryoma, come." He states brusquely, before resolutely turning on his heel and stalking away, even reaching out to grab the kid by the back of the collar when his colleague still stands looking wide-eyed at my cell.
The younger guard is almost dragged out of view completely, pausing just long enough to throw one last look over his shoulder, eyes widening when he sees me leaning against the bars, arms crossed over my chest.
I give the kid a conspiratory wink which causes his eyes to go wide, before Kenta physically drags him around the corner and I slump over, breathing heavy. I glance back over my shoulder at the Illusionary Clone still lying on my bed, allowing the technique to dispel. While the basic clone was incapable of producing sound, ninja were able to throw their voice. It worked to my benefit that the darkness of the subterranean levels obscured my cell enough the guards hadn't been able to spot the usual imperfections that usually gave clones like that away.
Even better that humans in this world (save elite ninja, which these guards were not) also had a very bad habit of not instinctively checking ceilings to spot prisoners who stuck themselves flat against it, hiding in the shadows.
Though casting the clone, jumping to the ceiling, throwing my voice, then dropping back down once their backs were turned, then jumping back up again when they turned around, then dropping back down again to mess a bit more with Ryoma had all been tiring, it actually wasn't as bad as the sheer nerves I had to fight from showing in my voice or the whole act was up.
'Man, what a gamble. For a second there I thought I misjudged Kenta, he looked like he was two seconds away from busting into my cell to beat the crap outta me!' I think, doubled over with both hands on my knees.
Thankfully, overhearing their conversation had allowed me to read the tall guard correctly as someone who preferred to keep his head down and his nose out of other people's business. Imagination spurred on by the excitable Ryoma and it was clear Kenta bought my suggestion and in the future would look at everyone but me should there be anymore… 'excitement' around here. Ryoma would be the opposite, but the kid was also clearly a bit naïve and easily impressed. Both approaches could work to my advantage, giving me more wiggle room, especially when combined with Jūrō's lighter work detail.
And as the saying goes, in the land of the locked-up, the one allowed to walk around was king.
I glance back down at the lock in my cell. It was getting late and after all of the excitement of today, I didn't feel much for more of my brutal work-out sessions. I'd pick those up first thing in the morning. But that didn't mean I couldn't train. I kneeled by the lock and once again began forming my knock-off Chakra Thread, trying to shape it faster than before. Placing it against the lock, I recalled the sequence.
'Right… let's go faster this time. Nothing on one… nothing on two, three is binding…'
//
"Mizuki? Is something wrong, dear-… ah, I mean, what I meant was-"
"It's alright Tsubaki-san. And I wouldn't say something was definitely wrong per se, more really, really annoying."
"Oh, what is it?"
"I'm pretty sure someone in here is trying to have me killed."
"… what."
I just hum as I lean on my broom, Tsubaki some meters behind me as we're sweeping one of the hallways on the second floor, the highest we're allowed to come. The upper floors are off-limits, even to prisoners with our special status, as that's where the guard quarters are, along with administration and communication offices. My hope is that in one of those offices are the controls for the security systems of the prison, few and outdated as they are, but the chances of me being allowed there are slim to none, even with Jūrō and Ryoma in my corner and Kenta pretending I'm not even here.
It's been a little under a week since my little bit of theatre with the night shift guards and I've been steadily dropping small hints here and there to keep 'em guessing. Pretty sure Ryoma thinks I'm practically this world's version of Jason Bourne, while Kenta seems to be convinced that I'm some sort of prison inspector or security consultant, given how strict and appropriate he acts around me.
Somewhat ironically, that actually worked to my advantage as Kenta was all too eager to point out security systems to me in order to assure me they were all working as intended.
Whatever they thought I was, I started seeing the effect it had on the other guards. I caught more than a couple staring at me before quickly glancing away when they felt my attention on them. Small nods in the hallway, little signs of respect they'd never give a prisoner, slipping me larger portions of food when I humbly requested it (I needed the fuel for my training after all), that sort of thing. Jūrō had come through for Tsubaki and I as well and despite my medical leave having officially run out, neither one of us had been forced to work out in the yard yet. So far it had mostly been laundry duty and various odd jobs and cleaning tasks. While it was annoying that these tasks ate into my insane training schedule, I was grateful for the increased freedom nonetheless, steadily working further on my mental map of the place and squirreling away the odd bits and pieces that I felt could be useful. Anything that could be fashioned into weapons, screwdrivers, oils for the rust on my cell door, etc, further supplemented by what I could find on my nightly outings.
We were even allowed a set of simple clothes instead of the standard prisoner uniform, which only reinforced Ryoma's and Kenta's theories about me.
However, Jūrō's warning had rung true. Turns out, most prisoners don't appreciate someone else getting preferential treatment. The first time I was allowed to eat in the mess hall with the other prisoners in gen pop instead of having it delivered to my cell like the rest of supermax, I was hit by a wave of hostile gazes and not because I was the new blood.
It was only two days later when I was down in the laundry room that two other inmates entered and I was starkly reminded of Morgan Freeman's speech in Shawshank. One of them had a shiv, the other just had his fists and both had seemed enthusiastic to use them on me. They lost that enthusiasm when I threw a bucket full of boiling water at them. Their fault for jumping me right as I was in the middle of loading up the soaking vats.
I had expected that to at least dissuade the other prisoners, especially as it didn't take long for ANBU to show up after the incident, though sadly I didn't get a chance to speak with them. However, the very next night, I got an unexpected visitor when a prisoner stalked silently through the hallway, approaching my cell.
To my surprise, he fished out a key to carefully unlock my door and move over to my cot, shiv in hand.
To his surprise, the me asleep on the bed disappeared in a puff of smoke as he stabbed it in the heart.
To his even greater surprise, the real me dropped down from the ceiling, knees in his back and slamming his head through my bed into the ground. And then a couple of times against the flagstones for good measure.
Ryoma was left gaping when they found me during their next patrol, leaning against the railing overlooking the central hallway, my would-be assassin still out cold and slumped against the bars of my cell next to its opened door.
Kenta had simply scowled before nodding at me.
That had seen ANBU visiting again and apparently there was a bit of a fuss within prison command considering they had been thoroughly chewed out after the Special Forces units came to the same conclusion I had: these were not separate incidents, someone had ordered and facilitated these assassination attempts. The fact the second guy got his hands on a key meant that that someone wasn't just another inmate.
"But… then who?" Tsubaki asked as I explained my reasoning.
I turned to the woman, broom resting over my shoulders as I gave a shrug.
"Mizuki's old enemies? My own new ones? Could be one of the guards, could be someone on the outside who has enough pull with the guards. Ultimately though, that doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter-? Mizuki, you were almost killed! Twice! You're not safe here, we need to alert the guards-"
"Who are almost definitely in on the scheme to kill me, remember? No, I need another safety guarantee."
"How? Mizuki, if you plan to run away-"
"Why shouldn't I?" I snapped, before catching myself.
Even though I tried to put up an easy-going front, the stress of my imprisonment was getting to me, especially as the assassination attempts weighed heavily on me. I had never had to fear for my life before…
"I'm sorry, Tsubaki. I didn't mean to shout." I apologized, but the woman just shook her head sadly.
"It's alright, Mizuki. I understand. But please, reconsider. Have faith in the Hokage."
'Have faith in the guy who has let every traitor and mad scientist slip through his fingers, the guy who promised to take care of Naruto and then left him to a life of loneliness? Yeah, sorry, but no.'
I didn't say anything at all. Instead, I gave Tsubaki a small smile and a nod and went back to sweeping. But in my mind I was already making plans.
'I need to get assigned to kitchen duty. I need allies.'
And I had just the two candidates in mind.
//
Fujin and Raijin, also known as the Legendary Stupid Brothers, were easy to manipulate, if risky to interact with. Solely motivated by food to the point that they even killed their own comrades over a dinner spat, I knew I had to pick my words carefully, or they'd pick their teeth with my bones.
Which is why, the evening after my talk with Tsubaki on one of my nightly explorations, I didn't just unlock their cell door and invite myself in. I led with throwing in two bean paste buns instead, leaning against the railing of the hallway outside their door, their cell on the edge of the same block as my own.
Both brothers, hulking, almost boulder-like shapes in the darkness, the numbers 12 and 13 on their backs, descended on the snacks after a brief scuffle, practically inhaling the buns that looked comically tiny in hands that were large enough they looked like they could envelop my entire head with ease.
Beady little eyes glinting with hunger, the brothers searched their cell and after finding no more magically appearing bean buns, they turned their attention outwards instead, their gazes landing on me.
"Hey Big Bro, look! There's a guy out there and it ain't one of the guards!"
"I see that Little Bro. Maybe he threw in the food?"
"Let's ask him! Hey, you! Little man! Did you throw in that food?"
Their voices were booming and I cringed at the volume, putting a finger to my lips as I tried to shush them.
Raijin, the taller of the two, hair in a high ponytail, just blinked at that, tilting his head.
"Hey Big Bro, what's the little man doing?"
"Foolish Little Bro! He's letting out all the air in his body of course! That's why he's so small." Fujin, shorter but stockier and sporting a goatee, explained proudly.
"Ah, Big Bro, you're so smart!"
"Please be quiet!" I hissed at them and Fujin narrowed his eyes at me.
"Or what?" he rumbled lowly, his voice more dangerous now.
"Or, I won't be giving you anymore food. That one was a gift. Free, from me to you. But if you want more, you need to do some things for me in return. You do want more food, right?" I try to entice and for a moment, both brothers are silent.
"Yes, we do. And we want it now." Fujin growls, before he grabs the bars of their cell and to my shock, begins forcing them apart as if they're made of wet pasta.
It's the work of seconds and I'm taken off-guard by his sheer speed when an arm as thick as a tree trunk shoots out in a blur, grabbing the front of my chest and hoisting me easily off the ground.
'No wonder Mizuki wanted these guys on his side if they can do that!' I thought panicked as I swung from the elder brother's grip.
"Where are you hiding the food, little man?" Fujin said and I had to swallow as I rapidly thought of the right answer.
'How did Tsunade deal with them in the anime? Dammit, this would be so much easier if I had bothered with the filler episodes!'
Calm. Strict, but calm. These were essentially giant toddlers. Giant, murderous toddlers that could crush my skull like a grape, but still. So, I crossed my arms over my chest as I dangled from Fujin's grip, glaring down at the large man like a parent disciplining their child.
"Put me down, right now, or you I won't get you your food."
"Get us food, or we kill ya." Fujin made his counter 'offer', but I just upped my glare.
"If I'm dead, then I can't get you any food. At all, ever. You'll starve."
"Starve?! Uhm… Big Bro, I don't wanna starve…" Raijin pipes up, leaning over and brushing aside a bent steel bar as if parting a curtain to get a better look at me and Fujin's heavy brow is furrowed in deep thought.
"You're right, Little Bro. I don't wanna starve either."
And with that, I'm released from his grip, landing on my feet as I kept up a calm façade, brushing the front of my crumpled shirt with an even expression.
"There. Did what ya wanted, let ya go. Now, the food." Fujin states, his earlier murderous aura gone as he looks at me with an expectant smile.
"There is no food now. I'll have to prepare more for you. It has to be secret, or else the mean guards will see that I'm making more food for you, and they'll take it all away, leave you with nothing."
"Damn. They can't have our food." Fujin says, rubbing his bearded chin with one of his massive hands.
"Right! Go on, little man. Be sneaky now. Don't let 'em see you. Then you come back tomorrow with our food, all secret-like!" Raijin says, as if letting me in on a secret plan, turning me around and giving me a gentle push in the back as he sends me on his way.
"Fix your cell! They'll see something's wrong with it, it needs to be secret-like!" I whisper back and the brothers nod before grabbing the bars and forcing them back into proper shape again.
… while they're standing outside of it, both of them looking at me with big smiles on their large faces.
"Just… just stand back please, I'll let you in." I say with a sigh, preparing a Chakra Thread from my finger.
As I lean down by the lock, I can hear the two giant brothers attempt to talk in whispers far above my head.
"Hey, Big Bro?"
"Yeah, Little Bro?"
"Is it Tomorrow yet?"
"Of course not Little Bro. You need to wait a bit before Today turns into Tomorrow."
"Why do we need to wait?"
"To give the sun the chance to disappear of course. It gets tired, hanging up in the sky all day, so it goes to bed. When it comes back, then that Today is the Tomorrow."
"Ohhh… hey Big Bro?"
"Yeah, Little Bro?"
"Where does the sun go then, when it goes to bed?"
"It goes down in the west. In the Land of Stone, actually, near Iwagakure."
"Ohh, Big Bro, you're so smart!"
I just sighed as I kept working on the lock.
//
"You know, apparently I built Tsubaki and I a house? It's supposed to be a simple thing, but the location is gorgeous, right outside Konoha walls even-"
A simple conversation during lunch.
"You know, you gotta wonder sometimes how many people they put on guard duty. Sometimes it feels like several hours between rounds in Block C-"
Idle talk during menial labour.
"Was watching the weather lately, looks like we'll be getting a storm later tonight, thunder's gonna make it so you can't hear anything, much less hear yourself think-"
Passing remarks as I'm on my way.
"Here ya go boys, extra ration of bacon for the both of you."
"Thanks Boss!"
And of course my nightly supply run to the Legendary Stupid Brother's cell.
It'd be tonight, I had decided. The weather conditions were right. Okabe was currently doing rounds solo, Genda having called in sick again, Kenta and Ryoma would likely cut their own patrols short if the weather got too bad, since the lava flows shift when the storm is bad enough. Shifting magma also means generators have a chance of failure. And all of the day shift guards should be checking in right about now at an overcrowded infirmary with severe cases of bowel issues and Natsuki (the head doctor who had treated me on my first day) would find to her surprise that her pills cabinet was suddenly understocked.
'Jūrō, you're a dear, but you really shouldn't have given me access to the kitchens. Or the second floor. Or any part of this facility outside of my cell, really, but I'm glad that you did.'
Each factor on its own was an opportunity if you knew how to take it and I left enough breadcrumbs amongst the other inmates to put the idea of escape in their heads. They weren't co-conspirators, not exactly. In fact, once they got recaptured (and the lucky ones who didn't resist too much inevitably would be) none of them would be pointing fingers at me, thinking they all came up with it on their own.
The board was set, but it still needed players and a starting signal. Part of that would be covered by the Legendary Stupid Brothers, but thanks to Kenta, I knew I still required one more member on my team for my escape to work.
I had questioned Kenta on the lack of seal-based security, something that he had surprisingly expected. It seemed my rants at Frog about Konoha's idiotic lack of safety measures had leaked to the rest of the guards, something which had only reinforced his opinion of me, which is why he pointed out that the seals that I had expected were impractical to keep running constantly on such a large scale.
However, that did not mean that large scale Barrier Ninjutsu couldn't be set in place, to be activated with seals if necessary. The clue was in the shape of the island, he revealed, the three points of the kunai forming a triangle, not only the strongest shape in geometry, but also a fundamental sealing array. Not that Kenta was a sealing master by any stretch of the imagination, but he was taught that adding more points to an array would make it more powerful, but also exponentially more complex, especially on this scale.
With a seal in each corner of the island, a similar barrier to the one Deidara and Sasori used when they extracted the One Tails from Gaara could be erected, but instead of keeping people out, it would keep people in. It would form a dome that was inescapable unless the tags were removed, truly cutting the prison off to the outside world.
That, or the person whose chakra powered the tags, in this case the prison warden, was killed. Guess that explains his fate in canon when Mizuki and the rest of the prisoners escaped.
While Raijin, Fujin and I made three, I didn't trust the brothers to work independently from one another, which meant I needed someone else. Which is why, when the ventilation pipes on the third lower level suddenly ruptured to the alarm of the guards, I immediately made my move towards the minimal security holding cells two floors above me.
The pipes didn't burst on accident, though an after-action report might chalk it up to the violent storm raging outside and its effect on the roiling sea of lava churning around the island putting too much pressure on the overworked and outdated system. The real reason they burst was because I cracked the pressure valves three days ago when I had gone with a small maintenance crew to fix a faulty generator. I hadn't done it right there, but I had marked a ventilation shaft that snaked its way through the facility, with one of its access points ending down further in my hallway. So over the past three nights, I'd sneak out, climb the wall until I got to the vent, undid the screws with a screwdriver I fashioned from a spoon and crawled my way back into the utility room and began messing with the facilities like a demented wrench-monkey.
Not enough to cause another investigation, but enough that faults became to accumulate, with the storm as the final tipping point. I dashed out of my cell, picking the lock old hat at this point and dashed down the hallway towards the immense stairs leading to the upper floors. Hallway lights flickered not by chance, but because I stripped the insulation with a fork wrapped in strips of fabric taken during laundry duty and rewired the breakers behind the boiler room wall. My steps were sure, no hesitation at crossroads or forks in the upper hallways, not bothering with checking the names of the doors, relying on my mental map of the place.
The door at the top of each staircase, barring access to the level above, was circumvented with a copy of a key I had made by stealing a key chain off a rack when I snuck into one of the guard's supply rooms, pressing the key in a bar of soap I had stolen from the laundry room, and then painstakingly filing the profile of the key into the dulled blade of a knife I stole from the kitchens by coating my finger in chakra after I returned the original keys to their rightful place, none the wiser.
The door unlocked, wet heat slapped me in the face and I was off. Meanwhile, more and more alarms began blaring as electrical and ventilation systems began to fail in a cascade. Underneath the alarms though, came the swelling noise of shouting. Seems like the Stupid Brothers at least stuck to their assignment, having broken out of their own cell with frightening ease and making a beeline towards the Western corner of the island, ramming straight through walls and other cells if need be.
Enough destruction and commotion for other prisoners to start breaking free. To their surprise, they found their escape made easier by unlocked doors, a distinct lack of opposition, scorched fuse lines and circuitry in those rare instances I had found some, and none suspected it was because of me. I knew the guards, already at half strength due to the day crew collectively shitting their pants in Natsuki's med bay (soon to be followed by the night crew should they come across the raging Stupid Brothers) would descend the levels from the guard tower at that Western point, thus missing me on my own mad dash up along the Eastern corridors and stairwells, until I found myself in front of a nondescript door, leading to an equally nondescript room if it weren't for its occupant.
Tsubaki was already awake when I kicked her door down, clearly alerted by the alarms and the steadily increasing noise of shouting and combat coming from below. It wasn't a proper cell, so even though I was no Raijin or Fujin, this was doable enough.
"Mizuki?! What's going on?"
"Tsubaki, I can't answer that right now. But I need you."
"O-oh… I mean, is this the time…? N-not that I m-mind, n-not necessarily…" the woman suddenly blushed, the chaos of the moment seemingly forgotten as she pressed the tips of her fingers together and I blinked a few times before I understood what she meant.
'Oh. OHH. Damn woman, you got it bad. Mizuki, where did you even find her? And how fucking stupid were you that you threw it away for that snake-themed paedophile!'
"Ah, Tsubaki, I'm uhh, flattered, truly, but that's not what I meant. I need you to help me."
Tsubaki blinks at that, disappointment on her face.
"So, this was your doing then? You're still trying to escape?"
"We've had this discussion before, Tsubaki. I'm not safe here and Mizuki, for all that you knew him before, for all that you see of that man in me now, was a very bad person for a long time. My presence does not erase those crimes. Or their punishment."
"I… I just wished better for you." The woman says softly, head downcast and I step closer to her, my hand coming up to grab her own.
"I understand, Tsubaki. It's very noble of you and I truly appreciate your faith in me, and admire your faith in Konoha. But I'm afraid I cannot trust them as you do, after all I barely know them and what I do know of them, I've learned from behind bars. I'm trying to gain my freedom, Tsubaki. And if you really, truly want what's best for me, you'll help me. Because I literally cannot do this without you. And if I fail…"
I leave the rest unspoken, letting her own imagination fill the blanks. I know I've convinced her even before she nods her head.
"Alright. Alright, I understand. What do I need to do?"
Hurriedly, I explain her part of the plan, before stepping into her shaking hug. She tilts her head up at me, eyes tearful and slowly we move closer, our lips brushing together, her flowery smell in my nose and the salty taste of her tears on my lips. Then she shakes herself loose and hurries through the door, leaving me to stare at her retreating back, her thick braid swaying wildly behind her.
'Damn… I'm just as much of a fucking bastard as he was, huh?'
My mouth feels like ash and there's an odd aching feeling in my gut, yet I push through. With Tsubaki and the Brothers off to take care of their tags at the base of the island, that leaves the one at the tip for me. The furthest away, the riskiest and thus the one that I entrusted only to myself. This time I don't bother with the hallways. I retrace my steps from days ago, when I was taken to a nearby rec room to meet Tsubaki for the first time, nearly throwing the door completely of its hinges as I barrel inside, sprinting in a beeline towards the window in the far wall. I leap through, flipping in the air, slapping my hand against the outer wall and abseil down towards the curtain wall that lines the triangular island.
From there, it's a dead sprint towards the squat guard tower at the far end of the island and I'm more grateful than ever to Jūrō looking out for me, because even without the added strain of intense physical labour, just running past the roiling sea of agitated lava is enough to instantly soak me from head to toe. The heat is something you need to physically push through, the wavering air scorching as its dragged into your lungs, as if you're constantly taking a drag on the wrong side of a cigarette. The only blessing is the relentless rain cooling me down somewhat, but it caused thick clouds of steam to rise from around the island, lit up with an angry dull red glow.
Still, I'm moving at decent chūnin speeds, slightly above even thanks to a sense of urgency and my brutal training this past half month and in a thankfully short time I arrive at the door leading from the curtain wall to the guard tower.
Kenta hadn't told me exactly where the seals for the creatively named Three-Seals Barrier would be, just their general locations, but I figured they'd either be somewhere deep below or up high. Somewhere the inmates would be unlikely to come and stumble across them. Tsubaki and the Brothers would likewise have to scour the guard towers on their corners of the island.
'Let's go high. I know nothing about sealing, but Kenta kept mentioning the difficulty in covering such a large area, which to me means the seals have a hard time staying connected if they're too far apart. Probably don't want them covered by meters of rock in that case. …probably.'
I dash up three sets of stairs, running fast enough that I end up using Wall Walking to round the corners instead of smacking into the walls, bursting out onto the square area at the top of the tower, overlooking the yard below. To my surprise, the tag is right there, a square piece of unusually thick paper, larger than my torso, the kanji for 'forbidden' writ large in glaring red ink. It's placed against the wooden back wall of the overlook platform.
Yet looking at it, I'm filled with a sense of foreboding and it's only my recent experience with assassination attempts that I throw myself flat to the ground. A whistling sound pierces close to my ear and a black blur takes a few errant silver hairs with it. A dull, heavy 'thunk!' sounds out as a kunai buries itself in the far wall, just inches away from the sealing tag.
"You know, for a guy without his memory, you sure are predictable, Mizuki." The sound of Genda's slick voice comes from above, barely rising above the sound of the surrounding storm and the swelling lava and I turn to see him drop down from the overhanging pagoda-like roof onto the balustrade lining the platform.
'That's what I get for giving other people flak over not looking up enough.' I grouse a I rise to my feet, settling in a combat stance.
"And for such a slacker, I didn't figure you'd show up for work after calling in sick. What's the matter, the thought of never seeing me again too much for you?!" I call back as Genda just laughs, leisurely straightening from his crouch, one arm coming up to lean on the overhang.
Lightning flashes overhead, the pale blue light making him look sinister as it contrasted the burning orange glow coming from below.
"On the contrary! The thought of ridding myself of you forever was worth it to come in, completely free of charge! Nobody else knows I'm here after all and soon…" he trailed off with a shrug.
"Well, soon nobody will know you were ever here at all." He trails off in a low growl and things fall into place.
"It was you. You set up those assassination attempts." I realize, another flash of lightning throwing his face in sharp relief, clearly showing off the sheer hatred in his wide eyes.
"Fools! All of them! But I couldn't do it myself, too many eyes, on you, on all of us. 'Security concerns', bah! Fucking ANBU, the fuck do they know, thinking they can stick their nose in everything. The few times I managed to ditch that munching fool Okabe, there you were, chatting it up with that simpleton oaf, Jūrō! But, now you're finally alone…" Genda chuckled, his earlier anger replaced with his signature sadistic glee.
I square my stance, falling into what feels comfortable and natural to Mizuki's body.
"As are you." I point out, but Genda goes from simply chuckling to letting out a full, deep laugh.
Another flash of lightning mirrored in his sharp grin as he straightens.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that."
My stomach drops as two more silhouettes descend from the overhang, landing in crouches at Genda's side. The two idiots who tried to Shawshank me back in the laundry room, the burns on their arms and faces still not fully healed as they glare hatefully at me.
"Well… that does complicate things."
"Not for me. Get him boys."
The two prisoners let out growls as they brandish their weapons, proper kunai instead of makeshift shivs this time, supplied by Genda no doubt as they lower themselves from the balustrade. Slowly they circle wide around me as I keep stepping back, trying to keep them and Genda in view, until I'm standing with my back against the sealing tag. Despite their superior weapons and numbers, the two are wary, our previous encounter giving them pause and I take the opportunity to try and talk them down.
"Look fellas, I get there's some bad blood between us, but just look around. Three of us and just one guard? Let me take this tag off and you've got your freedom back! Isn't that worth more than whatever Genda promised you?!"
"Maybe the first time around. That was just business. This? Oh, this is all pleasure…" the larger one grunts, twirling his kunai before holding it in a reverse grip.
"Just lie down and die, Mizuki. Cheap shots won't work this time. You're all alone…" the smaller one leers.
Which is when all three of us are taken off guard when a limp body, head covered in thick bandages, smacks straight into the small one, carrying him into the balustrade behind him, the wood shattering as he falls over the edge.
For a second, nobody says anything, before a gruff voice comes from the other side of the platform.
"He's not alone."
"Jūrō!" I sigh in relief, seeing the familiar shape of my favourite guard silhouetted by the surrounding storm and the surging lava like he's straight out of a Batman comic, the large man staring daggers at Genda who just glares back.
"I see you ran into the guy I sent to off his bitch. Tch, they sure throw in some of the lousiest assassins in this place, huh?" the lithe guard growls as the crony that got smacked with said lousy assassin shakily climbs his way back up the platform through the hole in the balustrade.
"You wanted to kill Tsubaki? Why?! She did nothing to you!" I find myself shouting, taking a step forwards, the still standing prisoner taking a simultaneous step back, keeping his distance as he glances from me to Jūrō and back.
"But she's everything to you! It's only appropriate I take it from you, after you were about to take everything from me!"
"What-?"
"How long until those nosy ANBU decided to investigate me, huh?! There were already talks of screening all the guards for corruption after you survived that first attempt! What were you thinking, exposing Orochimaru-sama's agents like that, you fool!?"
"Wait… you too…" I trail off, seeing the man in a new light.
"You were a failure to our master, Mizuki. Failures are to be discarded, you were lucky you were considered so utterly useless you were allowed to keep your life instead, so long as I kept an eye on you. Made sure you didn't spill, which I figured was the easiest job in the world, babysitting an amnesiac. Turns out that, even without your memories, you still chose to betray our master instead. Failures can be discarded. Traitors, however… traitors need to be culled."
Shifting his gaze from me to his two cronies, he nodded in Jūrō's direction.
"Take care of fatso over there. I'll join you once I claim Mizuki's head."
"Genda you coward! Face me!" Jūrō roared as he leapt forwards, but the larger inmate intercepted him mid-air, kunai clashing against kunai and then he had to disengage as the smaller inmate came at him from the side.
Giving Genda the room he needed, falling forwards so he was resting flat against the side of the balustrade, bending his legs and pushing off with enough force to crack the wooden beams, a blur moving towards me, a black arrow of death, the steel tip of his kunai cutting through the air on a straight shot towards my chest and I just couldn't move, fuck, why can't I move-?!
"Mizuki! Catch!"
Another black blur passes right in front of me and purely on instinct my hand shoots out, closing around a wrapped handle, just barely in time for the clang of steel impacting steel to ring out, a blow shaking the bones in my arms, travelling through my shoulders and spine as I'm slammed into the wall.
The flat of Jūrō's kunai scrapes against the tip of Genda's knife, forcing it aside as I shift my body to the right, Genda's attack slamming into the wooden wall, his kunai sinking deep as the man looks at me with wide eyes, our bodies close, his pinning mine to the wall.
So I headbutt him.
He jerks back with a curse, so I bring up my knee into his side, before swiping my kunai forwards. Even disoriented as he is though, Genda falls away from me, simply leaving his kunai embedded in the wall and fishing a fresh one out of his equipment pouch, blocking my strikes with wide swipes of his own.
Sparks flare, the sound of the storm seems to pick up in intensity as the lava churns away at the base of the tower and behind me I can hear the sounds of combat as Jūrō fends off his own attackers.
Something ugly and sadistic shines in Genda's eyes and despite how he's clearly pressed by Mizuki's body running on auto-pilot and sheer adrenaline (with me mostly just along for the ride) he lets out a large grin that immediately sets me on edge.
Ducking to the left, he fishes out another kunai, before whipping it forwards suddenly, letting the black steel fly to the right. At first, I think the combat is getting to him, since I followed his dodge and am thus nowhere near where he aimed-
"Jūrō!"
-it wasn't aimed at me, it's a straight shot towards the guard's unprotected back. I don't even make a conscious decision, I just leap backwards, pouring every ounce of speed I have as I race to get ahead of the kunai, Jūrō looking over his shoulder at my shout, seeing the danger, but unable to react in time.
He doesn't need to as I force Mizuki's body to its limits, almost performing a Body Flicker, but it's enough as I strike at the kunai sending it of course.
"Mizuki!"
Not without paying for it, Genda having stuck right on my heels. As I turn and swipe the kunai meant for Jūrō out of the air, Genda unleashes with a brace of shuriken. My arm still wide, I can't dodge or block and three of them sink into my chest, two more in my left arm. Not deeply, but agonizingly painful and Genda uses it to close in on me in a flying tackle, kunai leading the way once more.
Half on instinct, half on accident, I fall backwards, impacting the wooden floorboards hard enough to smack the air out of my lungs, but still I push through, pulling in my legs and in a picture perfect Simba imitation, I catch Genda in the stomach, lifting and throwing him over me and sending him smacking right into the balustrade and straight through it.
The wounds in my chest are aggravated as I roll over my shoulder, and I need a moment to push through the pain, blinking stars from my vision. It's only for a moment, but it's enough to see Genda slapped a hand on the edge of the outer stone wall, pulling himself back over the edge with a murderous glare on his face.
Which is replaced by a shocked look when I tear out one of the shuriken on my lower arm, sending it spinning towards his dangling form. With a curse, he jumps up to catch the edge of the pagoda roof, swinging himself over it, the throwing star nicking his leg instead of burying itself in his face.
In a blur I follow him, smoothly jumping off the remains of the balustrade, uninjured arm stretched out, catching the underside of the tiled roof, sticking myself there with chakra at the very tips of my fingers and using it as an anchor point, swinging my body up and around with my sheer momentum, leading into a kick that impacts Genda straight in the chest, who as I expected had been waiting to gank my ass.
He's sent flying but comes up in a smooth roll, deflecting my opening strikes, the sparks of our clashing kunai offset by the flashing of the sky above us as we try to keep our footing on the tiles made slick by the heavy rainfall, howling wind ripping at both of our clothes and hair. Furious exchanges of steel are supplemented by kicks and punches wherever we see an opening, even trying to transition clashes into grabs and grapples as we shift across the slickened tiles.
For all that I keep deriding the canon Mizuki, he was still a decently powerful chūnin and it shows in the battle against Genda. I've been training my ass off, while he's gotten complacent in bullying people who were powerless to fight back. There is however one crucial difference between us.
I have the body of a hardened shinobi, yes, but not the mind of one.
Below us there's a roar and then a splintering of wood as the roof lurches underneath us and despite the furious combat, I can't stop myself from glancing away from my opponent, catching the form of the larger prisoner as he's launched straight through one of the pillars keeping up the roof.
The moment costs me as Genda strikes my kunai hard enough to wrench it from my grip. He turns back in again, aiming a two-handed strike to my midriff, but both my hands trap his, staying the blade, keeping it hovering mere centimetres from my soaked shirt. We stand there struggling, thin rivulets of blood flowing from my chest and arm, while similarly crimson trails leak from his nose, covering his lips and teeth, visible in the sharp grin that only grows wider as he manages to force me to a knee.
Seeing death inch its way closer and closer to me, I do something insane. I begin gathering chakra right underneath where one of the shuriken is embedded in my left pectoral. I have no Byakugan, no way of knowing where each individual tenketsu is, but I can very clearly feel the exact point where the steel is piercing my skin, so I gather my chakra right there.
It takes a lot of my focus and I'm forced further down as Genda takes advantage of my distraction, bloodied grin growing wider and wider as he pushes in closer to me.
"Imagine the favours I'll get, Mizuki! From Konoha! From Orochimaru! All for the sheer pleasure of killing you! Hahahaha, I would've even done it for free!"
I've gathered enough chakra into a singular point, feeling the electrostatic forces buzzing just under my skin, right along the contact point between my flesh and the steel, attraction and repulsion in a careful balance.
"What's the matter Mizuki?! Where's all that cleverness now?! Those clever little quips of yours?! You're about to die, and got nothing to say?!"
"Fucking… f-fuck… you! You f-fucking…. FUCK!"
I break that balance, shoving out all of the gathered chakra, letting out a scream as my skin tears further at the explosive release, a large jet of blood shooting out. But my scream is drowned by Genda's as the shuriken flew from my chest, right into his eye. He rears back, kunai in his hand forgotten for just a moment and ruthlessly I grab the inside of his forearms, throwing them wide, dislodging the kunai from his grip. It tumbles slowly as it falls to the floor, but I don't let it. From my prone position on the roof, my foot shoots out, sticking the kunai to the sole of my sandal, the sharp tip extending past my toes.
And I ram it upwards, right between Genda's legs, his scream chocked off as he gurgles his own blood, remaining eye wide, the iris a tiny pinprick as he sinks to his knees. Gasping for air, I climb to my feet as Genda lets out a low groan of pain.
I stand tall over him, lightning flashing at my back and slowly, twitching in agony, Genda's eye raises to meet my gaze.
"Sucks to be an introductory villain, right? Trust me, I'd know…" I pant, seeing the man's eye struggling to make sense of my words through the world of pain he's in.
"Unfortunately for you… I have absolutely no intention of battling filler villains in the future. Goodbye, Genda."
And with that, I spartan kick him hard enough he goes flying off the roof, his roar of rage and pain swallowed by the surrounding storm as he sails past the guard tower, smacking in the roiling sea of lava at its base.
The wind whips at my soaked clothing, throwing strands of silver hair in my face as I come down from the adrenaline, aches both dull and sharp lining my arm and chest, especially around the wound I expelled the shuriken from.
Then a crash from below reminds me of the other battle and I quickly pick up the kunai Genda had struck out of my hand, before vaulting over the edge of the roof, landing on the platform below. Thankfully, the crash was apparently caused by the body of the smaller prisoner turned would-be assassin forming a crater in the wooden planks, Jūrō standing bloodied but tall.
Like me, he's panting heavily and for a moment our gazes lock, neither of us staying a word, both of us covered in wounds, both of us holding a kunai in hand.
"Well… what happens now?" I ask after a moment and Jūrō's eyes seem almost hidden in the craggy shadows his pronounced brow casts.
He glances from the prisoner at his feet to the side where I had thrown down Genda, before glancing back at me.
"Now? Now I go to find a superior and tell them the truth." He says, before to my surprise he turns his back to me, approaching the tag on the far wall, extracting Genda's deeply lodged kunai from the wood with a grunt.
"And what is the truth, Jūrō?"
"That I gave it my all in stopping a traitor to the Leaf of course." The guard responds, shooting a significant look to the side of the tower where the disgusting scent of burnt flesh and hair is wafting up to us, carried by the screaming winds.
With that, he raises both kunai, before slashing them straight through the middle of the tag. My eyes widen, before I glance back to the other side of the island. On the Eastern one, I can see a small figure with a thick braid stand on top of the roof, waving a bit of white fabric at me that I can only assume is Tsubaki with her tag. The Western tower… is doing a convincing impression of the leaning tower of Pisa, much of it reduced to rubble already.
Judging from the commotion I can see moving towards the main guard structure at the base of the island, connected to the single drawbridge, I can only assume the Legendary Stupid Brothers held up their part of the plan. Well, that and the fact there's no barrier bubble locking down the place tight.
I turn to look at Jūrō, who sinks back against the wooden wall with a grimace on his rough-hewn face as he lets out a deep sigh.
"… thank you. Truly."
"Don't thank me. You got any idea how rich I'm gonna be off writing books about you? Screw being stuck in here, watching reruns of Kokoro no Hanu Saku from dingy tapes, I'm gonna be a superstar myself, like Jiraiya-sama." He says with a tired chuckle and I crack a smile.
"Let me know when you're ready to publish, I'll drop by and sign a limited edition copy. Make it a collector's item."
"Heh, I'll hold you to that. Now go, I need to get my story straight."
With the next flash of lightning, I'm gone. The sprint back over the curtain wall takes longer this time, wounded and tired as I am, but I'm met by Tsubaki at the base of her guard tower, who thankfully seems unharmed. Seems like the Brothers did a good job of drawing the security forces to their side of the prison, the mass break-out and riot spreading from there.
"Mizuki?! What happened?!" she immediately starts fussing over me, but I gently push her away, grabbing her hand as we move towards the drawbridge instead.
"Later. I told you I wasn't safe here. We need to escape. With all the recent scrutiny, I can't imagine ANBU will take long closing in on all this commotion."
I can tell Tsubaki isn't satisfied with the answer, but thankfully she picks up the pace, even draping my injured arm over her shoulder as she lets me rest my weight on her. While the pain from my physical wounds is somewhat lifted, that guilty churning feeling in my gut intensifies.
"Boss! Hurry up, they're raising the gate!"
The deep voice from Raijin pulls me from my thought and I can see both brothers straining, holding down the edge of the drawbridge that's raised to chest height, trembling in their ridiculously strong grip.
"On it!" I call back, Tsubaki and I leaping over their heads, not onto the bridge itself, but the large chains to its side.
We scale it at speed, ninja balance and Wall Walking making easy work of the acrobatic feat and it doesn't take long before we close in on the top of one of the twin towers at the other side of the moat. We're practically free already. We could just jump past, make it to the woods, leave this prison behind…
"Mizuki?" Tsubaki whispered and I glance back at the prison, where I can see the Brothers still struggling, and even further, to the tower where presumably Jūrō is nursing his wounds.
"Let's give them a hand." I whisper back and we flit through the open window into the top floor of the tower.
Two shinobi are straining against a massive wheel around which the chain is wound tight, faces red and sweating as their entire form trembles. Hey, I found Kotetsu and Izumo!
… still don't know which is which.
"W-what the hell… is jamming the chain!?" Kotetsu (or Izumo) called out, eyes wrenched shut in effort.
"D-don't… know… keep… going!" Izumo (or Kotetsu) called back.
"Have you oiled it recently?"
"Of course we oiled it, who asks such… a stupid… question?" one of them gradually trails off, looking up to see me staring down at him with a smile.
"Kotetsu, watch out-!"
Ah, so that's Izumo. He doesn't get much further than that though as I smash the rounded handle of a kunai into the base of his skull, knocking him out cold. Immediately I move around the large pulley-system.
"Izumo!"
"I apologize, fellow Konoha shinobi-san, but it's necessary for our safety. Please forgive us." I hear Tsubaki's voice sound out, seemingly calm and I round the corner just in time to see her deliver a beautiful roundhouse kick that sends Kotetsu flying headfirst into a nearby stack of crates, knocking out the other part of the famous duo.
Immediately the wheel flies madly, the bridge falling down and Tsubaki and I leap out of a window, sliding down the side of the rough stone as from across the far end of the bridge, the Legendary Stupid Brothers come barrelling towards us like a herd of rhinos. Despite their enormous size and rotund appearance, they're frighteningly fast and catch up to us in moments.
In fact, clearly they think our own speed is insufficient as without a word, Fujin throws me over his shoulder like I'm a sack of shuriken-riddle potatoes (completely ignoring my whimpers of pain, rude!) while Raijin takes Tsubaki and bridal carries her, the woman looking wide-eyed as the two brothers' legs keep hammering against the ground, pushing us forwards with speed.
From my position slung over Fujin's shoulder, I throw one last look at the prison that had confined and defined my world ever since I woke up in this new life… and then the tree canopy closed around us, hiding it from view.
We were free.
I was finally free.
//
Fun Fact: Frank Abignale Jr., the con-artist on who the film Catch me if you can with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks is based off, once managed to convince the guards of the new prison he was transferred to that he was a prison inspector with ties to the FBI. They gave him civilian clothes instead of a uniform and he was free to roam the grounds, not confined to his cell. After his girlfriend called the prison, claiming to be from the FBI and that Frank had important, secret information to share and needed immediate extraction, the guards collected Frank and walked him out the gate and to his girlfriend's car.