I stared forward in silence as my lips twisted into a smile. They glared at me, hatred filled in their eyes. They asked me the same question over and over again followed by hollow threats. Some interrogation this is. You’d think that they’d actually back up their threats instead of making more of them.

“C’mon boys, how much times did I tell you? I can’t answer any of your questions regarding my clients. It’ll affect the business.” An enraged scream emitted from one of them as he lunged forward intending to choke me to death. I stared wordlessly at him as if in slow motion. I waited for the pain yet felt none. Across of me was a jounin while my attacker laid on the ground unconscious.

“Ibiki … Morino. What a surprise.” In his hand held a suitcase. I felt my hands that were handcuffed to the chair clench. The rattle from the chain banging against the chair was the only sound in the room. Emotions came in a wave slamming brutally against my heart. Was it fear? No, it wasn’t that.

“Do you plan on using the same tools of interrogation that murdered the remaining of my clan?” I asked innocently staring into his eyes. His eyes narrowed piercing back into mine. I, in turn, stared back. He then turned around and started back to the door.

“O-o-oi! Why didn’t you…” One began.

“I dealt with enough to know when they’ll talk or not. She won’t talk. It’ll be a waste of my time.” With that, he left. After walked in my former teammate. Her short purple/white hair flowed perfectly as she took a seat in front of me. Bags formed around her dark purple eyes clouded with worry.

“God Hiroko, you look like shit.” A chuckle escaped my mouth.

“Look whose talking. Besides, I’ve been through worst-”

“Don’t give me that crap, dammit!” She, Hikari, interrupted. “You haven’t even eaten and slept in days! Why can’t you just answer their questions?!” She yelled. I pretended to think deeply.

“Ah! You mean the ones as to what the Akatsuki’s plans are and Orochimaru? I’ll tell you what I told the others. I’m not at liberty to speak about it. It’ll affect busine-” I was rewarded with a painful slap across my face.

“Who the hell … who the hell are you?! The Hiroko I know would not purposefully keep such secrets to hurt people. I … I don’t know you anymore …” I looked away from Hikari avoiding her eyes. A smile found its way across my lips.

“… You never did.” She fell to the ground her hand to her mouth as she began to cough up blood. Immediately, my other teammate came to view. What was his name again? Aoichiro?

“Do you even care if someone dies because of you, if Konoha gets destroyed because of you?!” He growled. I glanced at him as my smile widened.

“Did you know, Aui-kun, that Konoha destroyed my family? My family was one of the biggest in the Land of Lightning. It used to rival Konoha in population that is … before Konoha destroyed it. They killed innocent people so when you really think about it, wouldn’t it be fair if Konoha gets destroyed too? After all, you know how it works, and eye for an eye should be fair so shouldn’t a soul for a soul be fair too? After Hikari goes, then hey! We’ll only have nine hundred ninety nine left to go.” I replied in a dull optimistic voice.

He then appeared in front of me, a kunai against my throat. His hand was shaking as if trying to hold back. His knuckles were white due to his grip on the kunai.

“Temper temper Aui-kun.” I drawled purposely using his old nickname that brought up memories from a lifetime ago.

“Do not … do not ever show your face to me or Hikari ever again.” He then dropped the kunai to the ground as he took Hikari and poofed away. All that was left in the room after that was the dropped kunai. My handcuffs dropped to the ground as the door to my cell closed leaving me in the darkness of solitary confinement.

Slowly, I heaved myself onto my feet. My legs felt like jelly as my stomach growled in hunger. What a bland cell. Just a table, a chair and a new feature, that kunai knife. I sighed as I glanced out the window, at the moon, the only friend I’ve got now. No wait, cut that. The moon is free to roam around while I’m stuck in a concrete wonderland. My cell overlooked Konoha in all its glory. Signs cluttered the streets while the only lights that showed were ones from bars.

My eyes traveled to a different part of Konoha, one of green hills and stones on each hill. Each separated evenly and well-kept. Some stones were big, showing glory and honor and smaller stones for the less important ones. Yes, my destination, Konoha’s memorial. That’s my only reason for coming back here before I die, to see one last gravestone to fulfill my promise, my promise to the third Hokage.