[Konoha Hospital, mental ward]
Ino Yamanaka.
The Kazuya Matsui sessions |
"Kazuya, can you please tell me about your Anbu squad?" Ino inquires.
"I've been assigned to so many squads, I barely remember half of the names." Kazuya shrugs.
"Sigh...can we not do this?" Ino rubs her temples.
The Yamanaka heiress is wearing violet trousers that reach her ankles, leaving her feet bare under her beige sandals, and a matching sleeveless crop top, exposing her toned stomach and delicate arms. Ino's hair is tied back into a ponytail, reading glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, and her manicured fingernails are tapping her pen against her notebook.
Seated across from her is Kazuya Matsui, the former Anbu is in a stray jacket; his legs are also bound to shackles enhanced with weight seals to ensure Ino's full safety throughout the sessions. Kazuya didn't seem to mind this, even with his wild mane of brown hair, as the hospital has restricted him from using any sharp objects.
"Kazuya. "
"Doc, how do you expect to open up to me when I'm chained up like a rabid dog?" Kazuya hums in amusement.
"You know why we have to do this, even though you're mentally unwell; that doesn't neglect the fact that you are a trained shinobi of Anbu rank." Ino reminds him.
"Of course. When you spend decades fighting for your nation in the shadows, you get rewarded with a four-wall hell hole and a musty stray jacket. " Kazuya jokes.
Ino bites down on her bottom lip; her light blue eyes tracking the twitches of his eyebrows. "What inspired you to join the Anbu?"
"Pfft-inspired?" Kazuya snorts.No sane man would join the Anbu unless it's for their salary; even with that motivation, you're insane," Kazuya cackles loudly, filling Ino's office with his forced laughter.
"Then why?"
Kazuya's shoulders stiffened, the laughter vibrating from his chest snuffed out. "I had no other choice. "
"What do you mean, you had no choice?" Ino presses.
"I was a part of a generation unlucky enough to experience two Shinobi wars. My parents were low-ranking Chunin at best and devoted to the Will of Fire. I didn't even get to graduate from the academy by the time you turned 13; you were already deployed to fight on the front lines, kids forced into survival against seasoned ninja that wouldn't even blink before slitting your throat. " Kazuya recalls.
Ino's hands were feverish in her writing, keeping note of Kazuya's facial reactions and wording. "In the Second Shinobi War, were you the sole survivor of your squad?"
"Yes," Kazuya responds, "My team barely knew one another for more than two weeks, but my mind has their deaths cemented. "
"What happened after your first war? Did you return to the Anbu or help with construction?"
"During that time, there was no Anbu Black Ops; we were all under Danzo's control. Lord Hiruzen and the Sanin were too busy doing damage control in Konoha, leaving us Root to tuck in the shadows. "
"What does tucking in the shadows mean?" Ino follows up.
Kazuya looks into her eyes. "It meant we had to get rid of the body parts of children obliterated by explosions, finish off any surviving enemies, and 'help' the mentally broken. "
"How did you help them?" Ino tentatively asked.
Kazuya showed a tired smile, the dark brown of his eyes shading to a soulless grey. "The only way we know how to...ending their suffering." He concludes.
Ino swallowed down the spit in her throat. Can you tell me how you ended up with the name, Weasel?"
Kazuya shakes his head. "Sorry, doc, that's all I can give you." Kazuya refuses.
"I understand. We can take it slow, picking up on the next session?"
"Sure." Kazuya nods.
Ino slams her notebook shut, signalling for the male nurses outside to escort him back to his room. Kazuya didn't fight back at all, allowing the anxious nurses to drag him back to his room while he kept his gaze on Ino.
"Until next time, Doc."
"Until next time, Kazuya. "
---
[Squad-0 training ground]
"This is amazing!" Tenten praises with a passionate glint in her eyes.
"Don't hog him," Taiju grumbles.
To no avail, Tenten continues to gawk at his blade, her fingers trailing the chrome spine of Shifuku.
"This is the finest blade I've ever seen.." Tenten mutters.
"Don't boast the Buddha's ego."
"The Buddha?"
Taiju scratches his chin in deep thought, "From what Ringo-sama said about swords is that each weapon has its own manifestation of a personality to relate to its master; think of it as an expansion of your soul and depending on your true nature, the weapon will take form to be one with your soul." Taiju tells Tenten.
The brunette ninja looks at him with a puzzled look, "So, Shifuku is a manifestation of your soul?"
"Yes."
"In the months I've known you, nothing about your personality is spiritual nor enlightening. " Tenten bluntly replies.
"Ouch, Ten. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover." Taiju pouts.
"You literally challenged my sensei to a death match!" Tenten snaps back.
"That was pre-rebirth, Taiju. I'm a changed ninja. "
'He's an idiot like Lee and Guy.' Tenten cries internally
"Speaking of your sensei, my Sin forms are a blatant copy of the Eight Gates." Taiju admits, "Similar to how the Eight inner Gates unlock more brain activity, which enhances his physical limitations and chakra at the cost of damaging his body completely. My Sins technique just enhances my physical abilities to a berserk-like state at the cost of destroying blood vessels. " Luckily for you, Ringo has helped me improve my suicidal technique~"
"The fact that you're still planning on using it proves to me that you're an idiot. " Tenten scowls.
"This idiot is going to be the reason you get more deadly," Taiju smirks.
"Don't you dare put me on more training with Guy! My body can't withstand their psychotic conditioning. " Tenten pleads.
"Don't worry, Ten. I'll never turn you into a female version of those two lime-wearing freaks."
"Thank Kami. "
"You and I are going to spend a lot of time on scrolls~" Taiju giggles.
"...I hate this already. "
---
[Hyuga Compound]
"Again. " Masami ordered.
Whoosh
Hinata launches into fluid gentle fist strikes, using her flexibility to modify the Clan's stiff style of Taijutsu, she maintains her feline grace while still packing the aggression of the palm strikes. "
"Good, Princess." Masami praises from her spot on the mat.
Masami is the second Hyuga to ever join Anbu as her impressive mastery of the Gentle fist fighting style, her near-perfect 360° vision, and her Byakugan can see objects from 900 metres(0.9 km or 2953 feet) away and like her fiancé, Neji, she mastered the Main family's advanced technique, Eight Trigrams Heavenly Palms techniques.
Masami watches Hinata's combinations carefully, tracking her foot placements, wrist rotations and her Byakugan's tracking.
Don't pivot too much on your left and stop straining your eyes during battle, your Byakugan needs to be fully open like an owl hunting. " Masami instructs.
"Yes, Masami-nee." Hinata nods, adjusting her footing and widening her eyes more.
Masami nods at her lady; even with the mark of her Branch status and the Anbu emblem inked on her right arm, Masami remains hopeful for a change in the Hyuga clan's leadership and restrictions.
'You got this, Princess. '
End.