Outside Konoha

Spoiler:

Hidden deep within the forests outside Konoha, there were numerous dungeons, hideouts and more scattered accross the land, but one of the few massive dungeons still in use by the Konoha shinobi under strict control of the ANBU and thus under direct command of the Hokage, was the most highly secured prison of the village, housing many criminals that were either impossible to kill or were simply to valuable to simply just die a quick death.

Many of these criminals were still interrogated daily, their prisonlife a continuous walk from one ANBU operative to another, from one question to another.

The complex had about ten levels, with the most dangerous ones hidden even from their fellow prisoners, but only the tenth floor, all the way at the very bottom of the dungeon was usually empty, as it was reserved for those few criminals who could equal or even exceed the kage class shinobi. It WAS always empty, as it now housed a single man, or a monster depending on which person visited him.

This man, Orochi Enaka, was once one of Konoha's unsung heroes, a man who had seemingly served the village without any fault, but his secrets had piled up and an unknown source had revealed them to the Raikage, who in coordination with the Konoha ANBU had captured and detained this monster, who was sent to this prison without any trial, locked away in the strongest possible cells the prison had.

Hidden behind a four inch steel door, a guard duty of at least a dozen trained ANBU jonin and stuck in a cell riddled with various seals to suppress his powers, the man once known as Orochi Enaka sat down on his bed, ignoring the guards that watched him every passing instant, quietly reading and writing stuff from and in a small notebook.

When his candle, providing the only light in his cell, started to flicker for an instant, the man closed his notebook, laid it down on the small nightstand next to his bed, placing his stumpy pencil on it and lifted his head up, showing a cold glare towards the guard, who despite his mask, took a few steps back and turned his head to the other guard at the other end of the corridor, near the entrance to the tenth level.

"I dont think he'll help you," Enaka spoke calmly, reacting to the guard's panicking moves. "You shouldn't be affraid. Someone's coming to visit me, someone who thinks he can control me. So, do please calm down."

Two masked ANBU ninja could be seen bowing to Sousetsu before beginning their escort into the vast dungeons of the many tyrannous villains that were captured within the land of fire. The cries of broken men echoed from the cells as he passed them by and many hands reached out towards the three in hopes of any form of contact. Some may have been seeking a benevolent figure but one was not among them, not this day. For even Sousetsu, a man known for his pacifistic nature, grew weary of the troublesome times that he had endured for the sake of the village. A hand stretched out from one of the cells and brushed against the ANBU operative to his left, and in return, he was pulled towards him so that his face pressed against the bars where he was then given a swift attack to the solar plexus, knocking him out in an instant.

The Senju's eyes returned to the path ahead, refusing to acknowledge the assault. It almost seemed as if this place left a cold mark in his heart. Forgiveness was hard to come by and in this prison in particular, would not be given by the Hokage. The ten levels marked the sincerity of their crimes, the more dangerous the farther down they went, and the tenth was his destination. Clenched fists and a tensed jaw accompanied the ferocious gaze of the beast who walked down the narrow hallways of lonely souls with only memories to keep themselves from giving in to complete madness.

The final door opened. The door to the floor with only one recipient. The guards etched away from door to greet Sousetsu with their formal bows to which he nodded in return before gesturing to let him in to see the man known as Orochi Enaka.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-Sama. We cannot let you in there. Tenth floor rules." one guard stood tall and stoic made clear.

A glare escaped the Hokage having the guard question his own set of rules. "Open the door..." a deeper voice emerged from the Senju. Once the door opened, he knew that once he stepped inside he would also be restricted in power. With his blade firmly in his grasp he would not allow any harm come to himself. The guard closed the door behind him, leaving only the two in a room. Alone.

"Sit down and answer my questions." he ordered instantly.

"Not so much as a deep breath or I will leave with more than I came here with." he nodded towards his fingers. They both knew full well that creating jutsu without them would be proving quite difficult.

"You are only here because you are manipulative. There are threats more dangerous on the third floor than you. Now... Who was the kunochi you hired to kill the Senju? I need a name and where to find her." he ordered as he maintained his eye contact onto the snakes. He did not waver, would not. He could see through this man from the day he met him and it was nigh time that he could extinguish the flames that sparked from whatever relationship they had. His hand remained ready on the hilt of his blade.

Many of the prisoners watched as the Hokage with his ANBU escort entered the prison and walked through it. Some of the prisoners knew enough, as there was no way the Hokage would be there for the likes of them, he had to be coming for someone special, someone who had done something more 'personal' to the hokage.

The sound of the massive steel doors opening, made Enaka smile courteously towards the guard who had been sweating beads in front of his cell for the entire time already. The guard quickly scrambled towards the door, greeting the visitor to the tenth level of the prison, only to realize that it was the Hokage himself who had entered the prison, promptly giving him a salute, as the important Konoha shinobi came through the doors.

My my, the Hokage in person comes to greet me in my humble abode," The Orochi clanmember spoke these words with a rather teasingly pleasant sound of glee in his voice. As soon as the Hokage ordered him to sit down, Enaka seemed to meekly follow that request, settling himself snuggly on the small bed he was permitted to have. "Dear me, I wonder why you are so snappy these days, Sousetsu-sama."

When finally the question was asked, the once important man seemed to ponder about his answer to that question. With his eyebrows arching up slightly, Enaka looked straight at the Hokage, even if this one tried to avert his gaze completely. "A good question...but why should I answer?"

This was a clear challenge to the Hokage, surely Enaka had the knowledge and the intelligence to know not to enrage the man sitting in front of him, but the way around was the same. He wondered why the hokage would ask something like that, after all...did he not take the blame and the fall for the attack made on him, was it not enough or was this man so desperate to find out an answer he would not like at all?

"Before you will get my answer, I will ask you the same question I have asked you a few months ago, Sousetsu-sama," The former Ouroboros regent exclaimed on a calm and smooth sigh, leaning slightly forward, completely ignoring the obvious tension consuming the Hokage. "Are you willing to go to war...or rather, or you willing to take the fall as the cause of a war?"

"A good question...but why should I answer?" the snake retorted.

A glare found its way to the orochi as his patience were seemingly being put to the test. His teeth came to a grind as his jaw tensed as he eagerly awaited the answer but received nothing more than disrespect for his wish. He was the one who came here to question the prisoner, the snake had no power here, certainly not to undermine the Hokage. A tighter grip across his and a stare that could not be escaped before he continued his speech.

"Before you will get my answer, I will ask you the same question I have asked you a few months ago, Sousetsu-sama," Sousetsu's anger rose significantly. This was not the place for anyone to ask him questions. Not one prisoner deserved even to be spoken to, let alone take up much more of his time. The dreary and bland surroundings were all they could talk to here. Rock and dirt, steel and metal, doors behind doors. The Orochi leaned forward slightly, disobeying the order he was given. Was this a threat? Or a mockery? Orochi Enaka was a man with no-one to follow but his own ill-will and poor judgement by Sousetsu's findings. The tension stacked higher as the snake before him seemed to think he had more control than he really had, allowing himself to continue with his own questions.

"Are you willing to go to war...or rather, or you willing to take the fall as the cause of a war?"

Within a blink of an eye, the blade within Sousetsu's grasp skirmished between the two, leaving its mark as it passed them by. Enaka no longer bore a little finger or a ring finger, but could be found next to their feet. The Senju then placed the blade against the snakes neck with another glare that he would soon leave etched in the previous advisers mind.

"I said, 'Not so much as a deep breath...' his face moved closer as the determined eyes locked deeper into their opponents. The first finger for this reason.

"Answer my questions... Do not speak freely." The second reason. He sunk the blade slowly into the skin of the man's neck. He stood slowly back to his original position. The silence soon filled the room before the blade was withdrawn back into its sheath, at the ready in case it was called back into its owners hand.

"If there will be a war, I will aid the leaf. If I am to blame, I will not deny that." Sousetsu humoured the Orochi. If he answered the question, even vaguely at that, he figured that he would receive an answer in return.

"The woman..." he ordered.

It was a quick action, so quick and so full of anger and seething hatred, that even Enaka, with his restricted powers, was not able to react properly to the Hokage's act of anger, cutting off his pinky and ringfinger in one fell swoop, whilst holding the blade against the man's throat in such a manner that there was not much movement to be made for the Orochi lord to lose his life. However, not a scream nor a single yelp left the man's mouth, with only a cold, empty glare looking towards the Hokage. Despite the threats, the action already taken and the still to be answered question lingering in the air, the former advisor seemed to show all signs of apathy and seemed to ignore the very idea of being threatened.

"The woman you seek is Shinobu, which I know to be an alias," The man said with a soft smile on his face, apparently not impressed at all by the Hokage's angered appearance and voice. "Her real name is not known to me, but she is affiliated to Kirigakure and part of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist."

Which would probably surprise the hokage however, was that the man took up his two fingers, placed them against the stumps that were there after they were cut off and with a simple concentration of chakra, he seemed to manage to heal his fingers quite nicely, reattaching them with outmost ease. But not only that, as he quickly jumped forwards, placing his hand against the hilt of Sousetsu's blade, while his lips were pretty close to the Hokage's ears.

"Dont...ever underestimate me, Lord Hokage," The cold voice ressonated in a hiss, his hand clenching firmly around the weapon's hilt. "No matter where I am, no matter how much you manage to intimidate me...you are nothing but a welp compared to me. I gave you the information you need, but be wary...for the wheels have started turning and a storm is coming, wether you like it or not."

Easing up, the man sat down again and gave the Hokage a wide smile, as if he hadn't done anything seconds before.

"You do know that there is someone who probably DOES know the name of the person who attacked you," The man smiled, but his eyes did not convey the same warmth, seeing as they stared coldly at the Hokage.

'Shinobu of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist.'

The name engraved itself within his memory despite it being an alias. He now had a strong lead and knew that his travels would now lead him to Kirigakure. His head raised slightly as the fork in the road became a single path that he would take. The grip on the hilt of his blade still firm as he continued to watch the man retrieve his fingers that lay lifeless on the floor. Another movement, yet he allowed this. A small amount of chakra was all he needed to restore his hand despite the limitations that the room provided. Sousetsu was not worried, his face unwavering as Enaka was an accomplished medic according to the background check he scanned thoroughly before their first encounter. What came at a slight surprise however, was the hasty movement he witnessed moments later. Enaka lunged at the Hokage, placing his own hand at the hilt of his blade also. A glance at his eyes as he passed to reach his ears to which he remained transfixed at the position he was currently in. Unwavering as he was before.

"Dont...ever underestimate me, Lord Hokage..." a cold hiss resonated within his ear. He never did. He was manipulative as ever, but his words would never sink beneath his skin. He entered this domain and while his chakra was diminished greatly by being here, his power was far gone. A perfect Sage, natural energy could be used anywhere. In this cage, the snake was locked in the room with him. He continued to speak with insults towards the current Hokage, he never believed in him as a leader but as the downfall of the village, that much he knew, but also knew his tongue was laced with venom. However, even Sousetsu could not disagree with his following statement. A storm was already brewing and it was only a matter of time before it reached his doorstep. With a tensed jaw, his eyes darted to the side to meet the medics cheek as he edged his way back to the seat before him.

Another deceitful smile that bore the ghost of the previous lingered upon the Orochi's face, greeted with the piercing eyes the Senju always bore for him.

"You do know that there is someone who probably DOES know the name of the person who attacked you," the sentence accompanied the deadlock of eyes.

The Senju's nails were already growing, hair slowly creeping out from under his skin as the transformation was underway. Faint gold etchings fading onto his face while his hair unnoticeable grew millimeter by millimeter. The transformation halted as he searched his mind for another who may know of the intruder personally. Was it his niece, Risu? That day when she was nothing more than a puppet confirmed that she had no knowledge of this entire organised upbringing. The one who controlled her however, that was a possibility. A right hand? One who was beneath his rank in all of this. In some occasions, over-thinking a situation such as this, the answer is so very clear. She was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist. Who else would assign that role than none other than the Mizukage.

A curled lip became a smirk from the Hokage towards the previous adviser. He could not help but feel at a constant battle of wits in his presence, a worthy adversary he must admit, but it was not his own plans that were foiled on more than one occasion.

"You still think of me as an incompetent leader. Nothing more than a pacifist in a world that has no need for one. Sometimes, it is the pacifists that you should be worried about most of all, Enaka. The mind needs to see new surroundings daily or else the one behind it will begin to question their own sanity. That is why you are here at the tenth floor. Alone. Your punishment, is for your brain to rot within these four walls. his infamous grin had arrived once again. He leaned in just as Enaka had done so, speaking into his ear almost mimicking the exact process. With his sage also in tune, sudden movements could be read carefully. Who was to say he could muster enough chakra to create a scalpel? If that was so, his following words would ring true before any harm would come to him.

"You attempt to touch that which is mine again... You will have no hands to help sow the rest together." a darker than usual tone came from the authority figure. It was unlike Sousetsu to go so far with a threat but the beast that he had come to tame within him was aching for so much more.

A simple chuckle escaped the man's lips when the Hokage started to try and grant himself the benefit of the doubt through his words, trying to make it so that his inherent or rather incessant pacifistic behavior and view upon the world were exactly what it needed, but in reality he must've known that without action, without the strength of character and without the power of true resolve nothing would ever be accomplished. Enaka's smile grew way more vicious and his eyes became darker and somehow larger with every passing moment.

"You truly do not comprehend the world or life itself, my dear hokage," The former Ouroboros regent spoke rather calmly, with a tone of voice smoother than silk, but with a dreadfully eerie look in his eyes. "You think you hold all the answers, that you have control now that I am locked away in this dungeon. You think I pose no danger and that you are now safe from all the pain and suffering that was about to strike Konoha, if not the entire Shinobi World, but you are wrong, so terribly wrong.

Enaka simply seemed to relish this moment, this tiny moment of planting the seeds of doubt and despair into a man who had never gotten his approval in the first place. Despite all this man's power, all his knowledge and even the blessing of having the same name and strengths as the First Hokage, this man, this seventeenth hokage was but a mere child, a pawn of the times and a pawn of the truly powerful.

"Let's see...you threaten to cut off my hands, to see to it that I rot away in this cell for all eternity," The man's smile vanished, his expression becoming as neutral as neutral can be. No a trace of emotion was left in his expression, no curling lips, no squinting eyes. No, in fact, his eyes were even worse than neutral, so deep and dark, they could've been described as an endless abbys, a void as cold as space itself. "You dont know what's going on, you have no idea what you're doing. You're hunting the person who attacked you, but you forget those who 'seemingly' support you. Pacifists like you tend to be detached from reality in the sense of not seeing clearly what is happening in front of their nose."

The Hokage's former advisor slowly placed his hands together, leaning slightly backwards on the chair upon which he was sitting, noticing that the guards no longer stood nearby to watch the two, probably because the Hokage had managed to convince them that he did not require any help and that there was no need to be afraid. Surely, he was right, the danger did not come from Enaka, he did not desire to fight this man, he did not desire to test Sousetsu's skills or strengths, but what he did desire to test, was how much he could take, how long it would take for him to realize that he could not have been further from the truth. How much it would take...to send this Hokage over the edge, that was his goal for now, a good way to pass his time.

"Let's take that beautiful young woman of yours...Senju Chisaki, I believe her name was, correct?" A soft smile came upon Enaka's face, one which would no doubt irritate, yet also challenge the Hokage. "I've seen it, her true nature...yes, that very form you must've witnessed when she was fighting my dear niece. Pity that I was not around to witness that, for it must've been incredible, my niece released from all her emotional limits against a pure concentration of hatred and chaos. They both have such potential, but while I have thoroughly tested and experimented on one of them, I would so love to see how far the potential of the other one goes, wouldn't you agree with me, Sousetsu."

Suddenly making a doubtful expression, as if he was thinking about something, Enaka suddenly chuckled and started laughing softly. A sound not many had ever heard before, the sound of Enaka who was delighted and truly interested in something, such an insane and unnerving sound coming from someone who almost always seemed to be composed.

"You've got so much to worry about, my dear Hokage," The former Ouorboros regent exclaimed with obvious glee within his voice. "A woman who bears hatred for all things living, a woman who no longer cares about life and a woman who delights herself in pure destruction and death. You will suffer, you will feel despair and when you do finally crumble under the weight of all your pain, you will know that the only person you can turn to...is me."

"You truly do not comprehend the world or life itself, my dear hokage," a calm snake carried his voice towards him in a calm tone. As an adviser, Enaka came to know his audience quite well and his ability to speak his mind was his strong suit, dressing insults in layers of hidden blades that spat with every sentence. He exclaimed that Sousetsu's way of life or current self-awareness was next to despair and doubt. But he already knew this... He knew that his safety did not come from detaining this man, his followers were still lingering within the village. He knew the suffering would never end within the village or throughout the shinobi world, it would be foolish to think otherwise. What Enaka seemed to forget was the Senju's purpose. He would burden himself with the pain and suffering so that others would feel much less. A protector of his own people despite the level of danger it inherited. The battle of the infamous Uchiha Hao was proof of that. A revered wandering soul that lay destruction behind every village he ventured to, his tracks halted the day he met Sousetsu and his comrades, never to continue from that moment onward.    

The Orochi continued to speak his mind, reviewing the threat that he had received from the Senju before him. His expression was distant, almost lifeless where with a remnant of how cold the man could be. Sousetsu remained composed, collected, unwavering from the change of demeanor to the man who now resided within the cell. He challenged the deep and cold stare that carried a void of any positive emotion, meeting them with his own of determination, ferocity, and a will that was attempting to compose itself the longer he lingered within the cell.

"You don't know what's going on, you have no idea what you're doing..." a statement with a hint of truth beneath it. The seventeenth Hokage had always struggled with the idea of becoming a good leader for the village hidden in the leaves. So much, that he forgot he was even their leader at times. Clouded judgement, questionable morals, indecisive methods, all conflicted with the ways of previous Hokage's. There were a few regiments of ninja in dark clothing right under his nose, defecting from his own rule. When ones own shadow must be watched, that was a sign, a call for change was underway. What would the seventeenth Hokage do?

The sounds of water trickling from a nearby wall dripped, releasing the same sound every few seconds to break the silence that the two basked in. Sousetsu scanned the man before him carefully as he leaned backwards on his chair. A tensed jaw and his eyes then darted back to meet his, reaffirming that any needs to attempt an escape was futile. His hand still firmly grasped on the blades hilt, ready to strike at any given moment that he gave him a reason to. The conversation continued despite the Senju getting the answers he desired. He had no reason to be here any longer. He did not owe this man any more of his time. He stood tall and inhaled deeply through his nose, lifting his head slightly before turning towards the door. Not a word would escape him any longer.

"Let's take that beautiful young woman of yours...Senju Chisaki, I believe her name was, correct?" He stopped dead in his tracks. His ears twitched at the sound of her name before his head turned to the side followed by his body to meet face the snake once more. "I've seen it, her true nature..." Sousetsu's hand carried the blade from its sheath a mere few inches, warning the Ouroboros clan regiment of the waters that he began to tread. Anger flushed his face at the thought of ill-spoken words towards the one had come to love. It appeared that a messenger had reported to him of Chisaki's transformation the night of the puppet-user.

"... They both have such potential, but while I have thoroughly tested and experimented on one of them," The Senju's eyes widened while a small exertion of breath escaped him. Just how far did he go with Lamya, his own  niece, against her will? The Beast's fangs edged their way to a grind as he the outspoken snake traveled into territory he was not welcome to. "I would so love to see how far the potential of the other one goes, wouldn't you agree with me, Sousetsu." No, he did not. The daggers in his speech were beginning to poke and prod the Beast as he was now wakened from his slumber, his attention brought closer to the snakes presence. Another issue that had fallen to the Senju but this seemed to excel in importance compared to the others.

"... You will suffer, you will feel despair and when you do finally crumble under the weight of all your pain, you will know that the only person you can turn to...is me."

"Enough! The Beast roared as he lunged towards man that sat idly. The perfect Sage revealed himself as his nails were now sharper than any knife, his hair proceeded with its exponential growth, his face reddened with etchings of gold markings. A grip of the throat led his nails to scratch into the neck of the previous adviser while his opposing hand still lay residing on the blades hilt. Forcing the body up and pinning him to the wall behind him with a slam, the face the Hokage bore was that of an animal moments before eating its prey.  

"What do you know of that!?" he demanded, disregarding the volume of the roar. What did he know about the transformation of the dark presence when he was not there that day? He had seen it before? Or was the attention to detail from one of his subordinates enough to go on?

"You may mock my leadership, or laugh at my suffering. But if you dare speak her name again I will rip out your tongue!" He became a bull seeing red. This was no threat. This was a promise. He raised the man higher against the wall, allowing his nails to sink into the skin until he seen blood trickle form the points of entry. A pacifist no longer.

"Talk! Or you will wish you were dead!"

"Quite entertaining...urgh," The man slightly coughed, while feeling the Beast's nails dig into his neck, like razorsharp scissors closing in on his flesh. However, the same expression of slight interest remained on Enaka's face, a soft smile adorning his handsome and unusually ageless face. This was an expression befitting a man who had seen far worse than what sight the Hokage was delivering him now. "Let's see...I already knew about that young woman's...excessive nature during the chuunin exams, we had a little chat after all."

The man started laughin, not showing the slightest impression by the Senju's rage. Sure, the Hokage was powerful, even intimidating in this spectacular perfect sage form, a power Enaka never managed to obtain, no matter how long he had searched for the cave of his ancestors; the Ryuchi cave, he did not manage to find it, but this young Hokage had found his place and had apparently mastered the senjutsu very well.

"You want to rip out the tongue of the person most capable of...finding a solution to the problem her darkness holds for you?" The former advisor remained against the wall, smiling audaciously, challenging the Hokage's anger with his own calm demeanor. "Interesting...so in this form you lose all reason and become no more than an aggressive beast with a penchant for blood. You know, I might actually like this side of you alot more than that indecisive, wimpy and pathetic excuse of a man you usually portray yourself to be."

A chuckle escaped the Orochi's mouth, his eyes calmly going from the Hokage's face all towards the hand which held the former advisor in its grasp, making sure, or rather foolishly believing it would be enough to hold him in place. Feeling the powerful grasp strengthen, lifting him even further and the nails finally piercing his skin, still he chuckled because this was quite an interesting sight on itself.

"Do you know why I was put here on the tenth level, my dear hokage and not...let's say the fourth or the fifth level?" The man suddenly inquired calmly, as if he was going to spill some incredible secret. "Think about it...just think about it. Do you think I have been sitting still ever since I retired publicly as a shinobi, do you think I simply 'acted' as a leader to my clan and those who work for me? If that is what you think, you are surely mistaken, but you dont think that way, isn't it? Despite how brutal and how aggressive you act now, deep inside yourself you know it dont you? You know that you can't kill me, not because I have information, not because I have value, but because deep inside, you know why none of the hokage before you have ever tried to touch me. Because you are all beneath me, every single one of you...you know it and that's why you'll be a good boy and release me NOW."

A strong pressure came into the cell, a surge of chakra inside Enaka was enough to know where this pressure came from. The Vault might've limited the powers of this man in the way of making it harder to mold any chakra, but when the Hokage would not have problems with molding his chakra, did he really think that it applied otherwise to the former Ouorboros Regent?

"If you want to save your village and the woman you love," The man within Sousetsu's grasp hissed with an immensely cold, yet powerful tone rummaging through his voice. "You'd do best to remove this hand of yours and accept the fact that as you are now, you are unable to stop the wheels from turning. The first thing you need to know...is that sadly for you...Konoha will fall without me to guide it from the shadows."

The neck of the snake tightened as he coughed through the grasp of the Senju. Red stained his fingertips as the blood began its course, running down his hand with small trails. Of course, this man had age and experience by his side compared to the current Hokage, refusing to acknowledge that this pain could compare to any that he had undergone before. He began to speak, revealing that his knowledge towards Chisaki's dark presence had been lingering as far as the Chuunin exams. His eyes widened in response. How could he have been so blind? Has it really been that long? The sounds of laughter soon emerged from the adviser which Sousetsu returned his determined eyes back into his.

"You want to rip out the tongue of the person most capable of...finding a solution to the problem her darkness holds for you?"

"You can still write, can't you?" he barely gave a moment for the sentence to settle. A tightening grip was underway, wishing to squeeze what life force he had left into one last breath. A satisfying wish he was willing to uphold. Obtaining the perfect sage mode was not an easy task, but the powers he had been given in return were a benefit, his strength being one of them. Enaka always seemed to be enticed with his own voice, observing aloud for Sousetsu to hear his thoughts on seeing this side of him. An aggressive beast as opposed to the man who kept it in a cage. Another moment, another tightening grasp. The laughter resonating against the four walls, echoing into his ears like a timid hyena in a valley.

"Do you know why I was put here on the tenth level, my dear hokage and not...let's say the fourth or the fifth level?" The Beasts fangs gritted as he looked up to the man against the wall. He spoke of leadership and how he was doing much more behind the curtains of the hidden leaf village. He knew this much, never trusting the snake in the first place. Using shinobi to aid in his small adventures only to report what really happened to compare their stories. From the moment they met, they both knew. "... Despite how brutal and how aggressive you act now, deep inside yourself you know it don't you? You know that you can't kill me, not because I have information, not because I have value, but because deep inside, you know why none of the hokage before you have ever tried to touch me. Because you are all beneath me, every single one of you...you know it and that's why you'll be a good boy and release me NOW."

His hand... remained tight. If the other Hokage did not dare touch him, then Sousetsu was the first. He was also the only one to go against his advice, offering alternative paths to the same objective in a way that the seventeenth Hokage seen fit. So what did that make him? He was not the same as his predecessors. Could the same be said about him? He never let status define their greatness for even he would show the same respect to a child as he would a veteran. No-one was beneath him. No-one except the ones he believed deserve to be, such as a man in his cell for unspeakable acts.

Sousetsu sensed a presence of chakra that soon seeped into the room they resided and entered the body of the snake. A questionable feature in this room that limited the use of chakra, yet here this man was defying another rule. It was still not enough to be a threat to him at this point as he could feel the pathways beneath the exterior of cold and defiant host. A power only a few could utilize. What came next however, was something he never wanted to hear. Something he could only see as another pitiful excuse to be free of this nest of criminals, or to reign supreme in the grand scheme of 'leadership.' All of which greeted by the hiss that became a common sound to the Beast.

"If you want to save your village and the woman you love, you'd do best to remove this hand of yours and accept the fact that as you are now, you are unable to stop the wheels from turning. The first thing you need to know...is that sadly for you...Konoha will fall without me to guide it from the shadows."

Nothing rang true. He could not accept that his answer lay with the man he held against a wall, in a prison where only the most severe criminals lingered. But he already knew too much, more than he knew about Chisaki or what was going on behind those curtains that hid the truth of what was really happening in the village as it stood. The adviser and the Hokage's minds would appear to do battle once more as the Hokage contemplated his next course of action.

"Like I said before... Sit down and answer my questions." the tightened grip around the neck of the snake was soon tugged, with a small grunt, Sousetsu threw him into the chair at the far side of the room. His footsteps grew heavy as he made his way towards Enaka, like the walk of the angel of death, it could be heard echoing throughout the room.

"I am unlike the other Kage before me. They were bent to your will, while I was not. The obstacle you wish that would simply vanish, am I not? To say that I am beneath you... Do you truly believe that?  The Village will not call upon your aid for you were the one behind many of the ploys that led it to where it is now. You are not the guide here, you are the shadows that tries to swallow it whole. To me, you are only alive because you have information. Nothing more." he retorted  

"Let's start with your subordinates. They wore silver chains but others possessed more, I figure they are higher in rank. Give me the names and locations of your highest ranking officers." his arms crossed as he stood tall, towering over the man. "The truth." his deepened voice like a prideful lion dared him to say otherwise.

"Next. Chisaki. How do I rid her of the dark presence?" he came closer to the man, his hand returning the the hilt of his blade once again, ready to be used when it was called upon. "You better know something of use." he added firmly.  

Two objectives to overcome. The first steps towards shedding light on the village hidden in the leaves and Chisaki. Teams of ninja could handle the officers in question while he tended to his love personally. Who better than Sousetsu, the one so familiar with her, and the Hokage, whose power was still to be recognized throughout the land.

Enaka could feel how the Hokage's muscle's tensed, his grip slightly loosening, while he was thrown towards his chair. Despite all this, the former advisor still smiled calmly. It wasn't because he was mad, though maybe some would've believed he was mad regarding his obssession with finding perfection. His smile was nothing more than a natural phenomena of a man so deeply immersed in research towards physical perfection that he was actually quite content to be able to observe the Hokage's renowned sage form from such a close end.

"My my, how forceful can you get?" The Orochi lord laughed, croszsing his legs and placing his hands together on his lap. "If you refrained from all those brutalities, I could've simply given you the answers you sought, but I should've expected you to use this opportunity to your advantage. After all, in here is the only place where you'd be able to kill me, but then again...would you take the risk?"

It was a cryptic challenge, a hint towards the Hokage's weakness perhaps, but also a warning. Enaka's imprisonment wasn't instigated by the Hokage, no it was his own niece who had issued the command. She had stolen so much from him, but he knew she would come back to ask for more, after all this was all part of his plan and he was so delighted to see it all work out as he had wanted it to.

"Allright, I'll indulge you...before you go all frantic and do something irreversible...even for me," Enaka said, suddenly no longer smiling, but keeping up a neutral expression to match the Hokage's fury with a cold calm. "The silver chains simply showed the potential of my officers, of those who served me within the Black ANBU. One chain represents those around spec jonin level to jonin level, two chains represents jonin to S rank level, three chains however...represents those who could match or even exceed the kages. So far I have only one subordonate with three chains like my own and you most certainly know about who I am talking. Itsukuchi hataro is the person who has the potential to equal, if not exceed me...for now. However, not even I know where he hides himself, though someone else might know..."

A simple cough left his throat, while he leaned backwards to think through his next answer, would he or would he not tell the Hokage the full truth of his findings, of his research and observation?

"As for the solution to...miss Chisaki's problem," Enaka now spoke calmly, with his eyebrows slightly wrinkling, showing an expression more befitting an old doctor than a man with an ageless appearance. "So far I have only been able to analyze the katalyst for this 'presence' as you call it.the katalyst is doubt, but from what I've seen...Fear is the absolute answer to find the solution. She indulges in the fear of others, but what would happen if she came accross an imposing force, stron enough and immovable enough to overwhelm her with fear of her own...than she will no longer have need for this presence."

The snakes tongue continued its hiss, challenging the Hokage's patience with its every remark. It was clear by this point that Enaka would refuse to succumb to his intimidating demeanor, reflecting a smile with his every reaction. Sousetsu was here for answers, and received them in riddles. Time was not something he had lately as one opportunity for another shadow would form, presenting itself with each step he took and every corner he came across, the burden of being such a high authority figure. He spoke ill of the Senju's ability once more, daring him to risk all he had sought from the snake with the personal vendetta he now held. A glare was given from the Senju once again as the snake willingly tested his patience as if it were sport.

"... After all, in here is the only place where you'd be able to kill me, but then again...would you take the risk?"

He wouldn't. Not because the favor was on his side but because the Senju would be left unsatisfied. These walls restricted his true display of might that he wished for the snake to endure. He wanted to see fear in his eyes however subtle it may be before a righteous fury would rain down on him. Whatever Enaka had planned, the beast would always lay in waiting. Waiting for the snake to leave its nest before chasing his prey out in the open, for the world to see. His grin was seeping through his anger the thought lingered. Sousetsu Senju, the pacifistic Hokage, smiling for a reason to slaughter. A twisted sense of righteousness as the man before him only proved to be a thorn in his side and for too long, pulling strings.

"Allright, I'll indulge you...before you go all frantic and do something irreversible...even for me," The Hokage's hint of a grin receded while his head cocked upwards in a split moment, snapping back to reality. He began to revert to his cool-headed self in some sense as anger subsided for the time being as curiosity had shown itself. He spoke of the ranks within his band of ninja and how the chains represented them, just as he had thought, but to his surprise he had only one subordinate with three. The very same man he stood against that dark night. The puppeteer who reigned over the hidden leave village for one moment in time, casting his dark shadow among the rooftops as the lightning flashed. He soon remembered that it was Enaka's own kin who was involved with the puppeteers strings. How was he so comfortable with allowing this action to take place? He did not know of the location of the man however, but another who could lead him the way. With widening eyes he expected to hear the answer but instead, he was left in the dark once more.

Enaka eased back, proving that his comfort zone was anywhere he chose it to be before he spoke of Chisaki. "... Fear is the absolute answer to find the solution. She indulges in the fear of others, but what would happen if she came across an imposing force, strong enough and immovable enough to overwhelm her with fear of her own...than she will no longer have need for this presence."

The hand that lay dormant on the blades hilt left its side to cross arms once more. An answer with a riddle of its own that Sousetsu was willing to figure out regardless of help. Chisaki needed to face fear head on it seemed. His head wandered to the side as he thought of any solution that could match the imposing force. Could he be strong enough to face her? Or would be he be able to? A deep inhale led him to look back at Enaka, his demeanor gradually slipping away from aggression and more to curiosity as the conversation shifted ever closer to the answers he needed.

"Who knows the location of Itsukuchi Hataro?" he bluntly and abruptly spoke. Something he could not decipher, for even Enaka did not know the location he sought despite being his superior. His hand slipped to his side once more, slightly tense but prepared. Once he knew who to find, his next step would be clear. It would also appear that this unknown figure would have his own explanation to answer for joining the snakes forces. He would not be taken lightly by the Hokage's demands and would find him one way or another.

"You mentioned you could reverse Chisaki's form. How?" another blunt inquiry. He only wished that this time there were no more riddles but what should he have expected from an adviser. Mere suggestions dressing more than one issue at once. What exactly did Enaka know? He would no doubt hide the full truth behind his experiments as any scientist would, only until it was complete would he reveal all. This was another opportunity presenting itself however, as it may simply feed Chisaki's state of darkness. Too many risks for the Hokage lay in the hands of the adviser.

Enaka sighed, a deep and tired sound. It almost seemed as if he had aged considerably within the time he had spend in the Prison, so deep undergorund, though at the same time, he was crafty enough to make it just look like that, after all, who would he have been if his spirit was broken that easily. The former advisor's hand went to his left temple, rubbing it gently while trying to look into Sousetsu's eyes.

"Oh you know very well who must know Hataro's location, my dear Hokage," Enaka suddenly hissed, his eyes quickly regaining their vitality or rather their rotten, dark and void appearance. Arrogance and amusement were yet again going hand in hand within his expression. "Let's explain it this way: My research projects, my test subjects have a knack for finding eachother and tormenting one another. They will clash just to see who is the strongest. For now I was always certain that Hataro was my most powerful subject, but who knows...a project that has taken thirteen years of my life can possibly outstrip him."

A cryptic explanation indeed, but at the same time this answer would've been very clear, if only Sousetsu could tie the loose ends together. Konoha was nothing more than a perfect testing and breeding ground for the man sitting right in front of him and even worse, there was some semblance of truth in that idea, for was it not Konoha which had delivered so many of 's world's most powerful shinobi in the history of the shinobi world.

"As for your...other problem," Enaka chuckled, crossing his legs, while resting his head into his hand. His tongue sliding accross his lips, as if he wanted to taste the stress, the tension that was hanging in the air. "Fear is what drives her and fear is what can stop her. It's ironic isn't it, that you'll have to instill a fear unlike any other into her. However, I do believe you are incapable to such a feat, is it not my poor Sousetsu, you could never make that young woman hate you, fear you from the bottom of her heart. You lose all her love in exchange for keeping her into her current state. A dillema of sorts, I'd call it. Take a pick: losing her to insanity or losing her to fear, than again...you could simply...no, you wouldn't, you aren't capable of something like that, nor do you have the guts to do what I would do. It seems you almost have no other choice, isn't it? Either you do it or I do it."

His eyes met the advisers as his hand met his temple, caressing it as he looked back into his. He should have known who could tell him the location he sought. He explained that his 'subjects' had never seen eye to eye themselves, only to dwell on their source of power to overcome one another. But who else had he experimented on that he would know of? The many faces of shinobi who had shown their true colours and swore allegiance to Enaka were great in number, a thorough investigation was required and time was not by his side.

"...but who knows...a project that has taken thirteen years of my life can possibly outstrip him." a hiss continued.

His head raised slightly as concern began to reign in his eyes. Thirteen years as a subject? To have such loyalty over a given time was questionable. Who would undergo such torture for thirteen years and remain loyal? Maybe they were not loyal... Maybe they were a prisoner? His eyes darted to the side as he gave a brief moment for himself to think more clearly. It made sense. Enaka struck him as a man on a conquest for power, that much was for certain. And so his 'subjects' must be at perfect condition, the peak of their abilities. A strong willed individual who fought tooth and nail to keep themselves above the murky depths of dark waters, willing themselves to keep their fiery will lit. A prisoner. It brought him back to a question he asked himself time and time again. Was Risu involved?

"As for your...other problem,"

Sousetsu's ears peaked, his attention brought back to the man behind the curtains of, what seems like, all the current events in the Senju's life at this moment in time. Fear. Something Sousetsu lived with side by side during his time as Hokage, something he lived with since he was Jounin... And Chisaki was the one to help him overcome his many fears, which is why he could not simply stand by and watch as it slowly swallowed her into its dark abyss. Even to come as far as to talk to the man responsible for the many shadows that overlooked the seventeenth Hokage.

"...you could simply...no, you wouldn't, you aren't capable of something like that, nor do you have the guts to do what I would do. It seems you almost have no other choice, isn't it? Either you do it or I do it."

"That's enough!" Sousetsu bellowed before gritting his teeth once again. His hand did not reach for his blade, he made his way towards the door. Slowly walking by the snake, he stopped at his side but continued to look forward.

"If you lay another hand on her again, I will let her have the pleasure of killing you..." he spoke deeply, looking down to his side towards him once more. He continued to walk towards the solid door that bound them within. Heavy footsteps echoed within the four walls as it had done so before, and with a hand gripping the handle, opening it just a mere foot he let off a small sigh. "And I will deal with Chisaki myself."

The door slammed behind him. The many bows of the shinobi who stood guard accompanied his journey back to the surface. He left the man to ponder of his words for it was not Chisaki he spoke of to begin with. A small subtle riddle of his own. Was he correct? Concern grew heavy on his shoulders as the solid steps allowed him to climb higher out of the prison. His cause of concern, were the advisers choice of words. 'Either you do it or I do it.' Possibilities were not something that took kindly to Sousetsu lately.




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The former Ouroboros regent reacted by giving a soft smile, when the Hokage made a final, yet cryptic thread. However, here was the truth about their difference in intelligence, because even though the Hokage was far from stupid, he couldn't even grasp the very intellect hidden behind those two most untruthful eyes of the so-called snake. The man knew all to well that he was referring to his 'other' test subject and that he had surprisingly guessed well.

"As you please milord," The ageless man said with a keen glint in his eyes, granting the Hokage a simple, yet courteous nod before he left the cell. "Do remember...you can always turn to me for advice...as long as I am here that is."

He hoped those words had rung through, before Sousetsu vanished from sight. It was a good thing that the Hokage had not really paid attantion during his entire ordeal with Enaka, for if he did, he would've noticed that someone had concealed himself in the shadows of the corridor near the guards and that this someone had now moved to the cell where Enaka was calmly looking at his notebook.

"Did he believe what you say, Milord?" The dark, cold voice asked from the shadows, with only a shimmering shadow visible and two deep white eyes peering from within the shadows. "How much longer are you going to fool the Hokage and your niece?"

the man in the cell closed his notebook and turned his face towards the shadows, waving around his fingers like some orchestra maestro, directing every instrument separately in an imaginary crescendo.

"All in due time, Hataro," The former advisor spoke calmly, closing his eyes, while humming a soft tune. "Do you hear it, Hataro? The wheels have started turning and we are watching as Konoha will have the choice between restoring itself or devour itself completely. You, my boy, will have a critical role in this event. Soon, you will be found...soon, when that happens...show me, show me who is most deserving of my interest."

The shimmering shadow only chuckled, vanishing in thin air. "When that time comes, I will be ready."