I had absolutely no idea if Tsubaki's plan would work (I was inclined to think it wouldn't, considering you know, we live in a ninja village after all, and generally speaking ninja aren't exactly… nice) or what the long term repercussions would be, for her or me.
The more immediate repercussions though, those quickly became apparent when the sappy guard returned not long after, flanked by three of his comrades and-
'Ah… crap.'
Three people in a black uniform, shoulders bared to show off their unique flame-like tattoo, with a tell-tale gray flak jacket and the iconic white porcelain masks, each adorned with a vibrant animal motif. Somewhat ironically, considering who I was now, the one in front looked to represent a stylized tiger.
"You two. Take Tsubaki-san and get her to a holding cell. Boar, you're with them. Mild interrogation, simply treat her as an accomplice for now. You two, you stay with Hawk and I. What's the closest interrogation room?" Tiger commanded, questioning the nearest guard.
He wasn't barking out orders per se, in fact I was surprised at how calm he sounded, as if all of this was just a routine inspection or something, or a man out doing his groceries. And yet, the other ANBU reacted immediately to his orders with sharp nods and salutes. The guards, just a tad slower, practically jumped into action, their expression a mixture of awe and trepidation, which was understanable.
It's a common misconception that ANBU stand above jonin in terms of power in the same way that jonin stand above chūnin and chūnin over genin in turn. This wasn't necessarily true. Hell, some ANBU weren't even jonin in the first place. All being in ANBU meant were that these were black ops compared to usual soldiers and mercenaries.
A ninja would just be hired muscle for someone else, for whatever reason that someone wanted. Catching cats, babysitting, construction and yes, even assassination. That's just the job.
These guys were spec force though. They worked for the Village, or more practically, directly for the Hokage. They did missions alright, but not because a client wants to outsource some menial physical labor. They did missions that directly safeguarded the power of Konoha over its rivals, the shit that needs to be off the books because it would look bad if the village's ledgers ran red. The type of shit that the Hokage would needed cleaned up while also being 'unaware' of, just in case someone else starts pointing fingers and thinking of open war.
Their identities are secret even to other residents of Konoha (though in some more famous cases like Kakashi, the secrecy is more a polite fiction than anything) and not even the Military Police (now run by the Fūma clan after the destruction of the Uchiha) can't arrest them, as they answer directly to the Hokage, whose authority is absolute and not to be questioned.
Plenty of reason for the guards to be awed then and I saw Tsubaki freeze in her seat with good reason.
Me, though?
'Oh god, shit, shitty shitty fuckity fuck! Fuck me right in the ass with a Chidori-!'
Yeah, kinda like that. It went on for some time too.
Because if ANBU are spec force soldiers, then the people who are a secret even to ANBU themselves, hidden and embedded within their very own ranks, are like Konoha's KGB or Gestapo. Whichever dictator you feel aligns more closely with Danzo, take your pick.
And I had absolutely no way of knowing if these guys belonged to the ROOT organization. Hell, if only one of them was, then even the other two wouldn't be aware of it.
'Calm down, calm down. If one of them was ROOT, then they likely would've sent the others away for some "alone time" with me… unless they are all ROOT- no, don't, don't go there, just. Fucking. Calm. Down.'
"W-what's going on? Where are you taking her?" I said, wide-eyed and playing up my concern as I looked past the Tiger-faced ANBU to the door the Boar-faced ANBU had just led Tsubaki through.
I had no illusion about hiding my initial knee-jerk reaction from pros like ANBU, but I could throw them off the scent, make them think it wasn't because I recognized them (and thus the level of shit I was now in) which would difficult to explain what with the whole amnesia-angle, but because of concern for the woman who had called them down on my head in the first place.
"Not your concern." Tiger simply rebutted.
He didn't even snap at me and yet I found myself slamming my mouth shut with an audible 'click!' as I fell back in my seat. For a moment, those dark eye holes in his mask seemed to bore through me, before he snapped his fingers (nearly startling the prison guards right out of their flak jackets).
"Well? Nearest interrogation room?"
"Right! Uhh… medium or, you know… severe?" the sappy guard from before hesitantly asked and Tiger's voice was glacial, his porcelain mask still fixated on my slumped form.
"Medium. For now."
"Right. Just this way please." The guard responded, gesturing to the door.
His buddy stepped towards me in order to walk me to it and like a seamless shadow, Hawk pretty much appeared at my other shoulder, easily falling into step with us as we trooped out of the room, despite somewhat surprisingly being near a full foot shorter than me.
'Aren't you a little short to be an ANBU? Nah, nobody would get the reference. Besides, it isn't even accurate, considering chibi-Itachi ANBU captain was a thing.'
We didn't walk long, thankfully, just down this corridor and two lefts (which I added to my mental map of the place), the sappy guard throwing open a door that thankfully just read 'Room 4' in kanji on its surface, instead of the more ominous names the pervious rooms on the lower floors had sported.
Even the room itself was rather mundane, if noticeably more cramped. Less "break room" where we had just been, and more like one of those interrogation rooms with a mirrored glass wall you see in pretty much every detective show. It had a window though, which would've been nice if it weren't for the fact the view was a molten hellscape of flowing lava and the opening let in all of that warmth full force like you've shoved your head into an oven.
If the ANBU were at all uncomfortable because of the heat, they did a great job of not showing in, instead smoothly following the guards and I into the interrogation room, looking on silently as the sappy guard sat me in one of the chairs at the table opposite the door, open window to my back.
Which was pretty much soaked immediately by the way.
'Well, at least if I start sweating uncontrollably in fear at some point, they'll chalk it up to the literal volcano behind me instead.'
"Hawk. Begin calibration." Tiger called out almost the moment my butt met uncomfortably warm steel, its surface clinging unpleasantly to my rough prison suit.
'Well, that sure doesn't sound ominous at all…' I thought darkly to myself as the other spec force agent took a seat across from me.
The prison guards, clearly feeling a bit out of their depth, settled for taking up perimeter positions around me, one by the door and one by the window, cutting off any means off escape, clearly not realizing that the biggest deterrent to freedom was casually strolling towards the long end of the table, folding his arms over his grey flak jacket and his Tiger masked absolutely still as it remained trained on Hawk and I. Without preamble the other ANBU stuck their right hand out towards me, holding it palm up.
"Place your left hand in mine." Came the dry command and I was somewhat surprised to hear it was a woman's voice.
I did what I was told when Hawk shifted her grip suddenly, hand snapping further up so her index and middle fingers were pressing tightly, almost painfully, in the underside of my wrist and I couldn't suppress a flinch.
"Right hand. Palm up."
Somewhat wary now, I again followed her orders. This time I was a bit more prepared for her strong grip, her left hand over my right so that her thumb was held tightly over my upturned wrist. For an oddly long second we just sat there, hand in hand, before Hawk spoke again, voice soft but surprisingly clear coming from behind the porcelain.
"State your name, age and shinobi registration number."
"… what?"
"Answer the question." Came the immediate, almost whip-like response and I flinched hard when her grip briefly turned to steel, digging sharply into my skin.
My eyes flitted over towards Tiger, but the tall ANBU remained as still as a statue, eyeholes of his mask still laser-focused on me, as if ready to pounce within the blink of an eye.
"State your name, age and shinobi registration number." Came the command again and I swallowed, throat dry.
"My name is Oniyuri Mizuki. I… I don't know exactly how old I am. Late twenties, I'm guessing? Shinobi registration number… absolutely no clue." I said, trying to keep my expression neutral and voice serious, doing everything in my power to not come across as flippant.
Something tells me ANBU don't exactly have 'flippant' in their dictionary, unless it's listed as a synonym for 'flaying alive'.
If the ANBU are taken off guard by my response to the simple question, they show no signs of it (those expressionless masks help a ton, no doubt), Tiger's voice sounding out cool, calm and collected.
"Oniyuri Mizuki. Age: 27. Ninja registration number: 011141."
I blink at the sudden information, before the pressure on my wrists again sharpens for a second and my eyes are forcefully dragged back to Hawk's mask.
"State your name, age and shinobi registration number."
"W-wha-?"
This time I didn't even get the chance to finish the question, the grip around my wrists tightens, hard, far more painful than before, though it leaves as abruptly as it arrives, no more than half a second.
No more than half a second and I still need a moment to catch my breath, the sudden pain taking me off guard and crumbling what little composure I have, probably intentionally.
'What the hell woman! You already heard the man, or does that mask cover your ears too?!'
"State your name, age and shinobi registration number." Came the command again and I can already tell this little sentence is gonna keep rattling around my brain for the nights to come, like a mantra.
Thankfully for my wrists, I'm a quick learner.
"Oniyuri Mizuki. I'm 27. My registration number is 011141." I say, and I find myself automatically focusing on enunciating clearly.
Don't want the scary ANBU lady missing one of my answers and abusing my poor wrists again. Somewhat to my surprise, the pain doesn't come this time, instead Hawk remains absolutely still for several seconds.
It's Tiger that's the first to move between the three of us, his mask shifting ever so slightly towards his fellow ANBU.
"Well?"
"Truth." Hawk immediately responds and I blink.
'Right, so she's a living lie detector of sorts. Is she just reading my biometrics or is this ninjutsu? Perhaps even genjutsu? Because if she is using biometrics, well I know those can be fooled at least.' I thought to myself, before my own mind immediately pointed out the flaw in my thinking.
'Sure they can, but do you know how to fool them? More importantly, do you think you can fool her?'
'… crap.'
"Continue calibration." Tiger ordered, his mask again turning in my direction.
Hawk didn't even so much as nod, instead launching directly into her next question.
"Name of parents?"
"… I don't know?"
Behind me I could hear the guard standing by the window facepalm and I saw Tiger shift minutely.
"Hawk. Situational questions only."
This time, the response from Hawk took a second longer and she bowed her head in acknowledgement.
"What is this facility called?"
"… a jail?"
Another bone-crushing grip on my wrists, another facepalm, this time from the sappy guard by the door.
"Name of facility." Hawk pressed, the first slip of emotion in her voice this time, exasperation.
"R-right. Konoha Strict Correctional Facility, formerly Ninja Prison for Capital Offenses and Felonies. They, uhh, they downsized."
"… Truth."
This went on for a surprisingly exhaustive time. The questions were incredibly mundane to the point I almost felt like I was being treated as a toddler instead of a traitor. Questions like 'what did you have for breakfast today?' and 'are you currently wearing a short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirt?', one fired off almost immediately after I had just finished answering the previous one and despite their simplicity, I quick began to feel wrung out.
Either establishing a baseline took longer than I thought, or they were just waiting for me to weaken psychologically, because once I got to that point, feeling tired and oddly empty with the beginnings of a headache blooming behind my eyes, the questions began to shift in intensity, and not subtly either.
"What colour is your hair?"
"A sort of silvery-grey."
"Do you intend to destroy Konoha?"
"What?"
Pain. Again. God dammit woman, leave my wrists alone! I feel like my hands are gonna fall off at this point!
"Do you intend to destroy Konoha?"
"No, of course not!"
I could see that Hawk wanted to immediately continue with the next question, but surprisingly Tiger moved from his position for the first time since the interrogation started, taking a seat next to his fellow ANBU.
"Well?" was all he said, Hawk giving a small bow of her head.
"Truth."
Over their shoulders, I could see the sappy guard from before blink in clear surprise. If Tiger shared his disbelief, he didn't show it, his body language revealing as little as his porcelain mask did. All he did was lean slightly forwards in his seat.
"Elaborate."
"Elaborate? I mean… why would I want to?" I blinked in genuine confusion.
I was even being honest. As I had already realized back in my cell, I didn't have Mizuki's personality or hang-ups. Yes, my current circumstances sucked more ass than a Kamui at an OnlyFans convention, but that was hardly Konoha's fault, was it? It's not like they intended to throw me in here after all, for all they knew they had locked up a dangerous traitor. I don't blame them for not preparing for some bullshit isekai-scenario.
Not that the ANBU knew that that's what they're dealing with right now of course, so I could understand their scepticism.
"It threw you in jail." Tiger simply responded and I tried to shrug, though my arms were still held firmly by Hawk.
"They threw in Mizuki, not me. I just woke up here, after all. If anything, I blame that guy for landing me in this spot."
Tiger's face slightly tilted to his side and Hawk's silence was a heavy thing.
"Truth." It came after a pregnant pause.
Tiger remained quiet for a moment, clearly looking for the right question to ask.
"If you're not Mizuki, then who are you?"
"I'm… huh. I guess what remains of Mizuki, if you remove all memories from him? So, uhh, his instincts, maybe? His base self?" I hazarded, and this time both Tiger and I glanced at Hawk, curious.
This time the silence was significantly longer than before, almost as if Hawk was reluctant to call it out.
"Inconclusive." She eventually settled on and Tiger leaned back in his seat as I blinked.
"Elaborate."
"He does thinks it might be true, but he doesn't fully believe it himself. He likely has an alternative theory."
Seeing Tiger's face mask wordlessly turn to me, I gave a half-shrug.
"I have several, actually."
"Truth." Hawk's response came, surer this time and Tiger gave a considering nod at that.
"Have you ever been in contact with the traitor Orochimaru of the Sannin?"
"I've been told that I have. Apparently, this tattoo is evidence of it, but I've no idea how I got it or when he gave it to me."
"Truth." Came the immediate response.
'Hell yeah, not watching filler for the win!'
"He's very pleased about something."
'Damn woman, you scary!'
"I'm glad it's confirmed I don't have any conscious recollection of meeting Orochimaru. Considering Tsubaki-san mentioned my meeting with him as the catalyst for the ill-advised actions of Mizuki earlier this week, I hope that the fact I have no memory of the man will aid in my exoneration." I hurriedly explained at Tiger's piercing look.
"Truth."
"Do you have any plans to seek him out?"
"I think if I do that, I'll end up on a slab myself."
"Truth."
Tiger kept silent for a long moment and briefly I wondered whether he'd caught that, technically, I hadn't answered the question.
"Do you have any plans to escape this facility?"
"…"
Despite the caldera at my back, its heat pressing down on my exposed neck with a hot and heavy breath, I found myself sitting in a sudden cold sweat, the room temperature abruptly feeling like sub-zero instead. The painful hold on my wrists sharpened with a vengeance, but I barely even felt it as my gaze seems almost trapped by the dark eye-holes of Tiger's mask, their shallowed depths growing and growing until they're larger than the room and I feel like I'm falling down a deep hole, sucked away.
"Oniyuri Mizuki. Answer the question." Tiger said softly, voice almost a whisper and yet each single word thunders through my skull.
'What are you doing?! Say NO!'
A vice-like grip around my wrists, ANBU across from me, prison guards to my front and back… no use.
"… yes."
The whisper is near-silent, yet the reaction is immediate, cold steel suddenly at my neck as the prison guard has moved away from the window and placed a kunai at my jugular within the blink of an eye. Hawk's grip on my wrist is like iron, and yet all of my focus is trapped by Tiger's eyeless gaze.
"Does this plan involve the murder of Konoha personnel?"
"Not if I can help it."
"Truth."
"Does this plan involve the destruction or partial destruction of this facility?"
"If I'm truly desperate, but I have no idea how I'd do it."
"Truth."
"Is your plan of escape feasible on a close timeframe? Say, accomplishable within the next month?"
"No."
"Truth."
"Half a year?"
"No."
"Truth."
"A year?"
"Probably."
"Half-truth. He seems convinced."
"How are you so sure that it'll take you about a year?"
"I should be strong enough within that time frame to escape."
"Truth."
"Where would you get that strength from?"
"Trying to increase my chakra control and capacity. Weight training. Trying to see if I can make friends with the prisoners here. Anything that would build off the meagre skills that Mizuki had before I woke up."
"You have none of his memories, but you do have his skills? His jutsu, his control? Reserves?"
"Seems like it."
"How do you figure?"
"Trained a little bit during the nights. Not much. Didn't want to alert anyone. Also was afraid there was some sort of sealing, on my body or my cell, that would incinerate me if I tried moulding chakra."
For the first time since his rapid-fire questions, Tiger pauses for a moment, almost as if my answer took him off guard. Nobody in the room moves, least of all me. Hell, I barely dare to even so much as breathe at this point. Just giving answers has agitated the tip of the kunai pressed into my flesh enough, a thin rivulet of blood is steadily flowing down my throat.
"… does this year-long plan of yours include outside aid of any kind?"
"No."
Tiger's head snapped towards Hawk, the most expressive I'd seen him so far. As if feeling the pressure, the woman didn't respond for a moment, hands firmly gripping mine, mask locked on my face.
"Truth."
'Of course it is, considering my original "outside help" is currently being interrogated two rooms down!'
Tiger remained silent at that, thrumming his fingers on the metal tabletop for a moment.
"You've said you wish no harm against Konoha. Say you escape from this facility, what would your next course of action be?"
My brows furrowed as I wondered where this line of questioning was going, but I promptly answered nonetheless, the kunai at my neck a great motivator.
"Get as far away from here, lie low to the best of my abilities and pray to whatever god is listening and doesn't require human sacrifices that you guys don't find me and drag me back and throw me in this hellhole again." I answered truthfully.
After all, that would be step one. All the other steps in my plan would only come afterwards, but technically he hadn't asked about those yet.
"Why not flee to another Village?"
"Don't trust 'em."
"… truth." Hawk revealed, sounding somewhat surprised.
Tiger leaned back in his seat as he crossed his arms over his grey flack jacket. He seemed to mull my answers over for a bit, before to my shock he waved away the guard holding a kunai to my throat. I resist the urge to reach up and rob the spot where sharpened steel had lain against the skin, considering the ANBU agent still firmly attached to both my wrists. Instead, I held Tiger's searching gaze as best as I could, trying to suppress the trembling of my body.
"So, you hold no ill will towards Konoha, you are not in contact with outside forces and instead only intend to train yourself for the coming year and upon escape you'd just go to ground instead of providing aid to Konoha's enemies, least of all Orochimaru who set Mizuki on the path to steal the Scroll of Seals in the first place." Tiger summarized and since it wasn't worded as a question, I played it safe and didn't answer, keeping silent instead.
Again the room fell quiet, the only sound the ever-present rumbling of the shifting caldera underneath us and the occasional sprays of lava outside the window. When Tiger next spoke, I almost expected his next words. Or word, rather.
"Elaborate."
I felt like there was a lot that I could say here, should say really. It would be crucial for the way Konoha viewed me, some much needed damage control after that forced confession. I needed to take away all suspicion, make myself look meek and harmless and just a good boy who had done nothing wrong, ever, in his life, honestly sir!
… heat pressing in on all sides, the painful grip of ANBU around my wrists, steel at my neck, blood slick and sticky on my skin…
'I'm so… tired. Empty.'
I felt like I should give a speech. All I could do was bow my head.
"Please."
The word was a whisper and yet Tiger's chair creaked slightly as the large man leaned forwards in his chair.
"Please. I don't want to be here. I don't think I deserve to be here. I want to be out there. Be free. Not trapped underground in some tiny, dank cell, constantly feeling the heat of the lava all around me, above me, constantly hearing its rumble. I haven't slept properly in days and I'm thirsty all the time. I hate to even think about next week, when my medical leave is up and I actually have to go out into the yard. I don't hate Konoha for it, I don't hate anyone really, but please. Please don't make me stay here any longer, I…"
At some point, tears had begun to flow down my face, joining the blood lining my throat.
"I just want to go home…" I managed in a choked sigh.
"… truth." Hawk's voice came softly, almost hesitantly.
I looked up in surprise at the woman, my surprise turning to shock as she finally let go of my arms, sharp thin bruises already forming on my wrists. Both ANBU shared a glance before they rose as one.
"I'll make a report of this interrogation. I'll request an operative skilled with the Regressive Hypnosis Technique, hopefully the genjutsu will allow you to access Mizuki's memories, give us intel on his dealings with Orochimaru. It's usually not an intensive technique, but considering we seem to dealing with a disassociation of personality on top of the amnesia, best to get in an expert." Tiger declared simply as I blinked up at him, needing a moment to catch up to the sudden shift in the way my interrogation had been going.
'Translation: your mind is so fucked I'm not gonna risk rooting around in there myself.' I thought somewhat cynically as the ANBU made to leave the room.
I should've left it at that. I really, really should've. But as the guard from before hurried to open the door for the spec force agents (very badly disguising an absolutely soaked handkerchief, come on man!) something in me made me spring up from my chair, its legs scraping loudly over the ground.
The guard twitched, so did Hawk but less obviously, but Tiger remained the very picture of calm, his mask turned slightly, one eye-hole staring back at me over a broad shoulder.
"Please… what's going to happen to Tsubaki-san?"
"As she herself mentioned when she turned herself in, she withheld vital information from her superiors while sheltering an enemy of the state. That makes her a traitor."
"She only did it out of love!"
"Cool motive. Still treason."
"Please, she was only trying to help me. Even her turning herself in, she did that to help me. Threw here entire life away just… just to help someone who doesn't even know her…" I trail off, the realization only now truly sinking in.
Yes, I had absolutely zero faith in Tsubaki's plan, none whatsoever. Zilch, nada, nix. In fact, when she blindsided me with it, I was actually annoyed with her, if too shocked at the time to be outright angry, considering she was much more useful to me on the outside. But even then, I couldn't ignore the significance of the gesture itself.
'Mizuki… you may be a bastard, but you sure know how to pick 'em.'
"… Boar will have finished with his interrogation by now. I'll add his report to my own. We will meet again, Oniyuri Mizuki. Soon." Tiger gave his non-answer and turned to leave, but right as he set foot on the threshold, he paused, glancing to the guard standing by the door.
"Get yourself together man." He commanded, before striding down the hallway, Hawk right on his feet, while the guard from before hurriedly stuffed his soaked handkerchief down his flak jacket.
Feeling the flat stares of both his fellow guard and myself on him, the guard's blush increased in intensity.
"What?! You have any idea how monotonous things get around here after a couple years?! This is some good drama!"
Fun Fact: Mizuki's bloodtype is AB.