The mine reeked of despair. The sharp, acrid smell—a blend of blood, sweat, alcohol, and waste—clung to the damp air, making every breath a struggle. The narrow, dimly lit passage seemed to swallow the group whole as they descended deeper into its shadowed confines.
"Captain Kakashi, where are we?" Shiranui Genma's voice was tinged with unease, his normally relaxed demeanor replaced by something far more serious.
Leading the group were Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Shisui, their expressions unreadable. Behind them followed an assembly of notable ninjas: Kurenai Yuhi, Uzuki Yugao, Mitarashi Anko, Shiranui Genma, Raidō Namiashi, Iwashi Tatami, Might Guy, and a seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi. Each step into the unfamiliar mine added to the tension, the weight of the unknown pressing on their shoulders.
Kakashi's gaze flickered back momentarily, his mismatched eyes cold and indifferent. "This is a frontline prison," he stated curtly. "For holding and interrogating enemies."
Genma's jaw tightened, his unease deepening. Even Might Guy, usually a bastion of unwavering positivity, looked grim.
"I trust Kakashi," Guy said firmly. "And I believe that anyone who betrays the Will of Fire will face justice."
His words hung heavily in the air, met with silence. The others didn't need an explanation; the tension in Kakashi's voice and Shisui's somber demeanor spoke volumes.
For Kurenai and Yugao, the bloodstains scattered along the ground were unnervingly vivid. As undercover agents serving under the Third Hokage, their roles had been clear: observe and report. Yet, the sights before them stirred a maelstrom of emotions.
Kurenai's thoughts churned. Have they discovered my identity? A pang of guilt struck her, mingling with an odd sense of relief.
Yugao's face remained a mask of composure, but her heart clenched painfully. Lord Yoru… do you no longer wish to see me? Her lips tightened in self-reproach. I'm just a spy… I have no right to think of such things.
Anko, by contrast, was seething. "Anyone who dares to harm Yoru deserves death," she muttered under her breath, her eyes flashing with fury. To her, the enemies here were not just adversaries of the Leaf but threats to Uchiha Yoru, her unwavering commander.
At the rear, Shisui's voice was soft, almost instructional. "Itachi, remember this: sometimes, the enemy isn't from another village. Sometimes, they're closer than you think."
The boy's dark eyes widened slightly. "I understand, Brother Shisui," he replied solemnly.
The group's footsteps echoed like a drumbeat, pounding into their ears as they approached their destination. Finally, Kakashi came to a halt.
"We're here."
All eyes turned to the heavy wooden door before them. It creaked open slowly, the sound grating against their nerves. Inside, the dimly lit cell revealed not the figure some feared to confront, but a Leaf ninja sitting cross-legged on a pile of straw. The man's chakra was sealed, evident from the intricate markings on his forehead protector. His weary eyes lifted to meet the group, and a faint, bitter smile played on his lips.
"Kakashi," he murmured, his voice rough with exhaustion. "You've come."
The man's gaze swept over the assembled group, pausing momentarily on each face. Kurenai and Yugao both froze, their breaths catching. He wasn't the figure they'd feared, but relief was fleeting—it was clear that his story was tied to something far darker.
Kakashi reached into his pocket, producing a crumpled letter. "Your wife sent this," he said, handing it over.
The man's trembling hands accepted the letter. His eyes, once dull and lifeless, lit up with hope. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he read, his lips curving into a smile of bittersweet joy.
"They're well," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "My wife… my child… they're thriving."
Anko's voice cut through the moment like a blade. "Did you think of them when you betrayed the village?" she snapped, her eyes blazing.
The man's head snapped up, his face contorted with rage. "You… Orochimaru's disciple," he growled. "You're no better than me! If not for Lord Yoru's intervention, do you think you'd be standing here?"
His gaze turned to the others, his voice rising. "Do any of you understand what it's like to be abandoned? To have your family threatened by those you swore to protect?"
The room fell silent as his words landed like blows. Even Anko, usually unshakable, faltered.
Kakashi's voice broke the tension. "The ones threatening his family weren't from another village."
Stunned silence followed. Itachi's young voice, calm yet probing, cut through the disbelief. "If someone from the village has that much power, why couldn't a special jonin resist?"
The man's bitter laughter echoed in the cell. "Power?" he spat. "The power to destroy everything you hold dear. The power to make you a puppet for their schemes."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. The cracks in their idealized view of the village grew deeper with every word he spoke.
"The one who forced me to act was from the Sarutobi clan," the man continued, his voice trembling with suppressed fury. "The eldest son of the Third Hokage, to be exact."
Gasps filled the room. Even the most hardened among them were shaken by the revelation. The man's gaze bore into them, daring them to judge him.
"Tell me," he demanded. "What would you have done? Would you have chosen your village over your family? Would you have accepted the lies they fed you, knowing the cost?"
No one answered. The silence was deafening. The weight of his words lingered, forcing them to confront the shadows of the village they served.
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