Chapter 2: Stress
Something felt off.
This wasn't just an internal sense that appeared out of nowhere either. The feeling of apprehension and anxiety had been plaguing Hiruzen Sarutobi, current leader of the Hidden Leaf and reigning Hokage, since the moment he had stepped out of bed that very morning.
While these two emotions werent uncommon, especially with the current job and responsibility he shouldered on a day to day basis, it had never been as bad it was currently. The two feelings manifested in his body like bacteria on wet bread, causing jitters and a heavy feeling in the pit of his gut that refused to disperse no matter what he tried.
Initially, Hiruzen just assumed that he was feeling this way due to the nature of his work environment. As the leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, also known as Konohagakure, his main task was to oversee it and all of its ongoing activities. This included and was not limited to, assigning missions, filing paperwork, regulating tasks, negotiating with other towns and villages, and many other things that required his near full attention. For stress to accumulate over time would've been something that made total sense and easily the main cause as to why he felt so out of it.
He was so confident that it was merely a mental problem that he went ahead and took some time off to himself, allocating a few hours of his previously busy schedule to focus on some relaxing activities.
Painting, reading, and writing. He fully immersed himself into pastimes that normally soothed the stress and erased any pent up negative thoughts and emotion. Aside from that, he even went for a casual walk around the Village in hopes of letting his mind wander while also checking up on the many citizens he met along the way.
In the end though, none of it helped in the slightest and he ended up right back in his office, slumped over his desk and shuffling through another stack of paperwork. The anxiety continued to sit within his stomach, churning every so often to the point where the man wondered if he just ought to forget about work that particular day and get some much needed rest. The only trouble with this was there was still so much work that needed to be done and, should he choose to forgo the day entirely, he would end up falling behind.
Now, sitting up in his seat, pondering on his next move and whether or not taking time off was the right decision, Hiruzen let out a breath.
"This is rather troubling," He muttered as he set aside another sheet of paper. "Whether or not I'll have enough energy to keep going is another question I'll have to think about."
He tried to dive into his work one last time, a futile attempt to try and focus wholeheartedly on his duty as Hokage, but was interrupted the moment he started on the next stack of papers. A man appeared front and center of the room, standing at attention dressed in the standard Anbu attire consisting of black clothing, a grey flak jacket, metal arm guards and gloves, ninja sandals with spikes for travelling into mountainous regions, three ninja pouches on his back-waist and a signature spiral tattoo on his shoulder. A porcelain mask in the shape of a cat with red lines was carefully fitted to hide every inch of his face.
"Lord Third, I'm here to report in," The man said, a rather deep voice drifting from behind the mask.
Hiruzen looked up, dark brown eyes furrowed as he set down the piece of paper clutched in his hand. "You may proceed, Red."
The man in front of him wasnt actually named Red but rather a codename given to him the moment he joined the Anbu Black Ops, a separate branch belonging to elite ninja who specialized in much darker and more covert operations then the standard shinobi. The identity of those who joined the Anbu remained shrouded in secrecy as they were appointed cover names and given masks to erase any chance for fellow villagers to pick them out. Of course, as Hiruzen worked closely with the Anbu on the daily as well as being the current Hokage, he was privy to such information and knew each and every one by name and even by their set Kirin masks. Even so however, he kept up the habit of using their codenames even he was alone with them, choosing to respect them and their positions as best he could.
Red nodded and bowed slightly in respect as he began his report, garnering Hiruzens full attention. "Approximately three minutes ago, near the entrance to the North, an intruder was apprehended. Said unknown was male, 13, around 154cm, black hair, and possessing unusual clothing. Unaware of how to proceed with the juvenile, we have him detained and prepared for questioning."
The room fell silent as Red finished his report, emitting no further details other then the ones he had just described. It was clear that he was awaiting for further orders as he stood there, unmoving, as still as a statue.
Hiruzen let out a small sigh as he rose up from his seat, now completely disregarding the sheets of paper as he grabbed his hat, a traingular headpiece primarily being white with a mostly red top along with the kanji for fire being located at the front point, a long white cloth was attached to the back. The hat was basically a stmbol, one that indicated his status as one of the five Kage, one of leaders of the five major ninja villages.
"Is there any other piece of information youd like to share?" Hiruzen asked as he donned the headpiece, carefully adjusting it. "If not then you may be dismissed. If the boy is compliant and willing to talk then feel free to gather what you can from him. I'll be there momentarily."
Red gave a small nod, an indication that he understood, and then disappeared in a small puff of smoke.
The third Hokage let out a breath of relief as he stepped away from the desk. Despite this probably being a semi-serious case, he was slightly glad to be able to leave his desk under the guise of actually working. The previous feelings of apprehension and anxiety were still lurking about but at least now he had something urgent to hopefully take his mind off of everything.
Of course, nothing was that simple as, just when he was preparing to leave, another member of the Anbu, one codenamed "Stripes", appeared in the room.
"Lord Third, there's been an incident."
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It can be terrifying when waking up to darkness, and no one was more familiar to it then Zetuo. However, it was something that he had gradually gotten used to, having been in by far more perilous situations then he would've liked. This time was no different.
When Zetuo opened his eyes, he was greeted with a light shade of black tinged with orange, the image of a dark grey ceiling being the first image to cross his mind. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but after a while he managed to get to the point where he could make out his surroundings from his position on the stone ground.
He was in what could only be described as a medieval style jail cell, a square cube of grey bricks that was blocked off with thick iron bars. The only real light that allowed him to be able to even see were torches that lined the walls, casting the orangish glow that he was already quite sick of. It wasnt the usual place he was taken to when he got kidnapped, but to him it was still nicer then about half of the other places he had been. He had learned quite a while ago that things could ALWAYS be much worse if given the chance and/or opportunity.
Zetuo let out a sigh as he attempted to push himself up into a sitting position, but was stopped short when he found himself unable to separate his arms.
"Well....thats unfortunate," He muttered softly as his unusually black eyes fell upon his hands. "I dont like being the sub in BDSM. Freakin weirdos."
Both of his hands were stuck together, enforced and situated in some sort of metallic clasp that prevented his hands from touching each other. Though there wasn't enough light to actually see properly, Zetuo noticed the a rectangular sheet of paper slapped over the top weird cuffs, a weird accessory that he took note of. It was his first time seeing something like this in his 13 years alive and it sort of intrigued him, but it also reminded him of some contraptions used in some sub/dom relationships hed seen on the internet.
"Whoever's holding me captive has some strange tastes," Zetuo said as he wiggled himself into a sitting position. "Of course I'm not one to judge. A hobby is a hobby."
Judgements aside, the young man wasn't too worried about what came next. If anything, the cuffs were akin to a blessing in disguise, offering up a sort of weapon that he could utilize when he plotted his next move. He couldnt just sit down and wait for his detainer to make the next potential play. A key part of any great escape was manipulating the next set of events and predicting all possible outcomes, narrowing it down the most possible route depending on who or whom he was dealing with.
Of course, in order to do anything substantial, he needed to understand the mindset of those who captured him, which led him to his first problem.
Who had captured him?
After having thought about it for a few minutes, there wasnt any way it could've the murderers he had ran into earlier. There were many clues that pointed away from them, the main one being time itself. Unless they possessed superhuman speed and senses, one of them climbing into a tree to throw something sharp at him seemed rather ludicrous. This lead him to believe that he had instead ran into someone who could pose a much larger threat then the murderers could.
Before he had passed out, Zetuo remembered seeing three figures garbed in similar grey clothing, their faces covered by Kirin masks. He was almost certain with a 98% chance of success that these were his captors, them having used some sort of drug like Propofol (a drug used to put patients to sleep before surgery was performed) or some other fast acting chemical designed to knock one unconscious.
As Zetuo ran through ideas in his head, his eyes now fully closed, something moved on the outside of his cell, causing him to snap back to reality. His pupils dilated as his gaze focused on the new arrival standing on the outside of the bars, a figure dressed in grey and donning a Kirin mask, similar to the ones before. The only thing that distinguished this one from the one before were the different markings that decorated the masks.
"Anyone ever tell you to knock first?" Zetuo asked as he shifted his body to face the masked man, his heart beating faster ever so slightly. "Its common courtesy to alert others to your presence before appearing. Giving others a potential heart attack isnt the play by any means."
To be quite honest, Zetuo was surprised as hell. His instincts were a good deal above average in nearly all of his five main senses, especially hearing and smell, allowing him to easily detect things other couldn't, making the smallest details stand out. However, he hadn't heard the slightest sound when the man was approaching, not a tap nor a scuffing of a foot against brick. It was almost like he had appeared from nowhere, materializing from the air itself, as quiet as a ghost and just as quick.
(("This guy could be trouble,")) Zetuo thought as he moved his weird shackles into a spot where he could freely swing should the need arise. (("Trained veterans always give off a different vibe. This guy isnt someone I stand a chance against, let alone escape from. I'll have to plan the next move carefully."))
The man in the Kirin mask was dangerous, this much was certain. If he wanted to get out of this alive, relying on strength wasnt the plan but rather it was to utilize his own vast knowledge and quick thinking to gain the upper hand. Thankfully, it wasnt the first time Zetuo had run into someone of this caliber so he had a slight experience dealing with the scenario.
"Who are you?" Zetuo asked, his voice calm and steady. "Are you the one who put these cuffs on?" He gave the weird metal locks a good shake for emphasis.
The man didn't answer right away as he stood there for a few seconds, unmoving. When he did finally respond, it was with a deep and rather grating voice, one that filled the whole cell.
"I am no one of importance, but you may refer to me as Red." The man paused before continuing, exuding a slight shift in tone that Zetuo barely had time to pick up on. "I'll be the one interrogating you. From this moment, it'll be beneficial to you to comply and answer truthfully. Should you refuse to cooperate, other methods will be put into place such as torture and other unsavory acts. Please keep this in mind."
The man spoke robotically, void of any emotion. It was like he was reading a script that he had read multiple times and had grown bored of it, similar to how officers were forced to recite the Miranda rights during arrests. Of course, officers wouldn't be holding him in a cell with the threat of torture so the simile wasnt really a good one.
Moving back to the matter at hand, Zetuo had a few questions that had popped up but ones that he forced back down.
"I'm willing to talk," he said simply.
Red gave what Zetuo assumed was a nod before beginning the interrogation. He didn't stray from the subject nor did he ask for the young mans in depth personal information, just straightforward questioning that went something along the lines of:
Red: "Whats your name?"
Zetuo: "My birth name is Zetuo Testsuya but you can call me Jinx."
Red: "Where are you from?"
Zetuo: "New York City. Isn't it strange to ask something you should know when thats where you kidnapped me from? Not very good sleuthing, Mister Sherlock Holmes.
Red paused here for a second, his head tilting ever so slightly. "Incorrect. My team intercepted you in the area around the Hidden Leaf Village and, following protocol for potential threats, we had you subjugated and then detained for questions."
(("Hidden Leaf? protocol? Subjugate?")) Zetuo had so many questions pop into his head from this small bit of information that it was surprise he didnt blurt any of them out. An overwhelming curiosity began to take root within his mind as he gazed at his interrogator. (("Am I talking to a cultist? A soldier? He certainly speaks like a soldier would or someone with strict discipline at the very least."))
"Okay, lets say that I intruded upon your said Village. What now? What happens next?" At this point, Zetuo just really wanted to cut to the chase, so he stated what he wanted to know. "Can we make this quick? I actually have things to do today? If your gonna kill me then do it."
Judging from the mans tone and array of questions, Red had no intention of killing him and would even keep him alive for an unspecified period of time. It also sounded like, if things went as he was thinking, Zetuo would be let go if he just answered the questions honestly, or so he hoped. Of course, he could also be dead wrong, but his situation was rather limited and under the current conditions, this was the best he outcome he could think of.
"Well, if you want to make things quick and easy for yourself then there is another method." Red stepped away from the bars as his voice got slightly deeper. "Allow us to perform a technique that delves into your mind and glance over your memories. Do that and, should you be found innocent, you may be set free in the process."
"A technique? I'm sorry but that doesnt make sense." Zetuo couldn't tell if this guy was pulling his leg or not. Of course, judging from the way this guy had been talking, Red was dead serious and had been since the very beginning.
"It doesnt have to," A voice said from further down the hall, a ways away from the opening of the cell Zetuo was in. "All you have to do is comply."
From the depths of the shadows, a man appeared, a man of average stature and slightly greying brown hair. He wore a red robe with a white overcoat, a red triangular cap situated on his head and an old fashioned tobacco pipe protruding from his mouth. He looked old but, for some odd reason, Zetuo could feel an immense power from him that completely overshadowed the masked man. It was like comparing a highly trained adult to a toddler, with Zetuo being a newborn baby in comparison.
The hopes for an escape were dwindling down to the single digits.
"Lord Third," Red said, nodding in respect. From this one exchange, the hierarchy was firmly established in Zetuo's mind as the one called Third nodded his head back at the masked man.
"You may leave," Hiruzen said as he waved his hand. "Go and get everything ready."
"Sir," Red said before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Zetuo's black eyes remained fixated on the spot Red had been standing, his brain having momentarily ceased functioning.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone