Third Person POV
Unable to bear seeing his teammates' condition any longer, Takafumi forced his body to move, trying to get the man's attention.
– S-Stop... – he begged, his voice weak. The man ceased beating Shisui, who was barely hanging on to consciousness.
– You want a beating too? – the aggressor asked impatiently – Or are you finally going to tell me what I want to know?
Amaya, who had been focused on her brother, now turned her eyes to her teammate, just as the man hurting them did. Takafumi glanced briefly at the Uzumaki, who shook her head, telling him not to do it.
– I'll only speak to your boss – Takafumi told the man, meeting his gaze.
– Takafumi-san, don't... – the redhead strained to speak, and the boy glared at her.
– Shut up! – he snapped at her quickly – I'm not obligated to go through this for your sake! Neither is Shisui!
The man who had been beating the Uzumaki's brother smiled with satisfaction at the obvious conflict between the kids. He stepped away slightly from Shisui and moved a little closer to Takafumi.
– You'd really betray your comrades who were enduring it all to keep a stupid secret? – the man questioned him.
– Like you said, it's a stupid secret – Takafumi replied, trying to keep his tone firm against the fear he felt – I won't get beaten to keep it for someone who isn't even normal... – He made his disgust clear when referring to Amaya.
The aggressor looked at the redheaded girl, who wore an expression of disbelief at her teammate's words. He laughed and headed for the door of the shelter where they were keeping the children, ready to go talk to Masao.
As soon as the man slammed the heavy door shut behind him and left, Takafumi looked back at Amaya, who was giving him a rare, angry look.
– How dare you...?! – she asked, and for the first time, he saw pure anger flashing across her face – How dare you make everything Shisui went through meaningless for your own safety?!
– Shut your mouth! – the boy shot back, also angry but somewhat cowed by her fury – I'm doing this for Shisui's sake! He got beaten because of you! Can't you see he's in this state because of you?!
The girl clenched her jaw to stop herself from speaking again. She knew herself well, she remembered what happened when she didn't control her anger – and she couldn't let that happen right now.
– Of course I know it's my fault – she said after a moment – And I hate myself for it, more than anyone else ever could – She stared at Takafumi – But I won't bow to someone's will just because I'm afraid to face them!
The Uchiha felt those words hammering his conscience. Fear. Yes, he was terrified. Afraid for himself, afraid for his best friend, even for the girl who was now yelling at him. He was afraid for their lives.
– I still haven't forgiven her for what she tried to do to my mother, and even when I try, I can't stand her presence – He clenched his bound hands and stared at Amaya – But I know that if we don't work together now, we won't get out of here alive.
The redhead stared back without a word, though a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. She understood his anger towards her, for what she had tried to do to Yumi – she blamed herself too. And she agreed with him: They wouldn't get out without working together.
– We'll settle our problem later – Amaya stated in the coldest tone possible, locking eyes with the boy – Our priority is to get out of here, as soon as possible. These men are... – The Uchiha interrupted her.
– Human traffickers, I know – His voice was calmer now – There's a rank B mission to hunt and eliminate them – He explained – I remember my brother mentioning it once... – Takafumi looked back at Amaya – We need to find our sensei or any Konoha jounin so they can handle this mission; it's beyond our rank to complete – He paused for a moment – You have an obligation to ensure someone completes this mission and to keep Shisui safe – She stared at him – You're the leader of this mission, understand me?
– I'll make sure every single one of them pays for what they're doing here – Amaya gave her word with a dark tone and conviction in her eyes – And I'll do everything I can to keep Shisui and you safe. Now the big question is: How do we create a distraction to escape? – The girl glanced elsewhere – Our gear is over there – She indicated the crates where their things had been deposited – We can get free without much trouble, but we need to be alone to slip out unnoticed.
– When those guys come back, I'll stall them. When they realize I'm not going to talk, they'll probably leave again and come back later to try and force something out of us – The redhead agreed – Can you still move? – She nodded – Good. Be ready for when we start our escape.
Before they could say anything else, the shelter door swung open. A streak of lightning crossed the sky, illuminating the silhouette of the man standing in the entrance. A loud thunderclap boomed.
Both genin, who had been talking moments before, turned their eyes to the man entering the room. Both felt immense rage towards the person they had for a time treated as their client: Masao.
He stopped in front of Takafumi, staring at him for a moment. Masao gave a sadistic smile to the Uchiha before him.
– It seems you've decided to cooperate with my business, unlike your companions – He glanced briefly towards Amaya and Shisui, who was struggling against his body to stay conscious.
– What do you want to know anyway? – Takafumi asked without delay.
– How and why does she have a lock of dark hair, being a member of the Uzumaki clan? – Masao questioned him bluntly.
– Well... Did you think maybe it's dyed?
– Don't get smart with me – The leader of the trafficker group scolded him – Do you know or not?
– Okay, okay... – The Uchiha said in a lower voice – I'll tell you what you want to hear.
The man leaned closer to the boy, bringing his face level with Takafumi's. With the proximity, Takafumi gave a weak smile and spat in the other man's face. The man stepped back, cursing loudly with a stream of varied profanities.
– Did you really think we'd talk, you bastard?! – the boy shouted, sporting a confident smile.
But the Uchiha didn't know he had just signed his own death warrant.
Masao pulled a dagger from his waistband and in one quick movement, plunged it into the lower part of Takafumi's abdomen. The boy screamed in pain from the sudden blow.
A feeling of anguish and worry overwhelmed Amaya. This situation hadn't been part of the plan she made with Takafumi; after all, they believed that since they'd been kept alive until now, they wouldn't be killed until a possible sale was decided.
– You little shit... – Masao swore – I don't need you when I have another Uchiha alive here – He glanced briefly at Shisui – You're expendable.
– Don't do this! – The Uzumaki screamed.
The man stared at the boy in front of him, finding an expression of pain and worry. He smiled sadistically and tightened his grip on the dagger, forcing it upward through the young boy's body.
– No! – Shisui, even with his consciousness fading, also screamed upon witnessing what his best friend was going through.
Masao, without hesitation, ripped open the boy's body from bottom to top.
Warm, thick blood gushed from the Uchiha's fragile body and splattered onto the trafficker's clothes. With the cut and nothing to block it – no cloth or flesh – the boy's entrails spilled from his body.
Large and small intestines now decorated the floor in front of the Uchiha and Masao. Up close, it was still possible to see parts of the young boy's liver, stomach, and pancreas inside.
Takafumi's body twitched involuntarily, remnants of his receptors and brain dying slowly with him. The boy himself could feel his heart beating, its rhythm slowing with each beat.
Blood still flowed from his body, running like that of an animal in a slaughterhouse at the moment of its death. The crimson liquid from his body met the floor, washing over and covering the ground.
It was a morbid scene.
It was an inhuman scene.
And the siblings behind the trafficker witnessed it all, powerless to do anything. Masao looked down and saw the boy's blood had stained his clothes and his shoes.
– And I got dirty with this piece of trash... – He commented with pure disgust and looked towards the other two children, who had stunned expressions – I'll deal with you later.
With that, he walked out of the shelter, slamming the heavy metal door behind him.
The Uzumaki girl felt frozen, observing the body of her teammate that had just been gutted before her. The information didn't seem to process in her brain – or rather, she didn't want to accept that it had happened.
She looked towards her brother beside her and saw him staring fixedly at his best friend's body. The Uchiha's expression broke her heart. The redhead partially shared the pain he felt, but even so, she knew it didn't compare to his.
– Shisui... – She called to him – Nii-san, look at me... – Even against his will, the boy turned his eyes to his sister – Look at me, okay?
She didn't want him to keep looking at his friend's mutilated body. She couldn't let him keep staring at it in that state. When the Uchiha's eyes met hers, she noticed two things about her brother:
The tears falling uncontrollably, and his activated Sharingan, but this time presenting a pattern completely new to the redhead: Its design resembled a four-pointed pinwheel, with a small circle in the center.
The Uchiha, even through his tears, could see the sad and worried expression on his sister's face as he looked at her. But what truly shook him was noticing the color of the girl's eyes: Red like the blood spread across the floor.
Before anyone could say or do anything, Shisui's eyes returned to normal and his head slumped forward. The last remnant of consciousness in him vanished at that moment.
Amaya looked back at Takafumi's body. Her mind tortured her, making her rewatch the scene and remember a similar situation: When all the children in the laboratory, except for her, were killed.
"Helpless, once again..."
That was the phrase permeating the girl's thoughts. She had said she would do everything she could to keep the boy and her brother safe, but all she could do was watch as that monster gutted her teammate.
And there, in the same moment, she remembered the other promise she had made to Takafumi: To make those people... No, they couldn't even be considered human. She had a duty to make those animals pay for everything and ensure someone would complete that mission.
To do this, I will willingly embrace my greatest fear..., she thought, and closed her eyes. There was only one thing the girl still feared in this world, and she was about to accept it to protect her brother: Herself.
In the laboratory, she had stayed alive thanks to her ability to empty her mind and remain impassive to others. She became what could be called a cold-blooded killer. With her mind empty, she focused solely on surviving and ignored all feelings that might make her empathize with her targets.
And the Uzumaki hated herself for being capable of that.
Amaya feared the day she would have to resort to that ability she had developed. She knew that once she started, no one would stop her. And for her brother's sake, she accepted embracing that side of herself once more.
Her eyes snapped open and her body swayed, ignoring all the pain signals it was sending. She swung on the hook she was on and lifted her legs, wrapping them around the chain holding the hook above her head.
She used the tip of the hook itself to cut the rope binding her wrists while she was upside down. The next moment, she dropped silently to the floor.
Before starting her mentally crafted plan, she went to her brother. As soon as she lowered the chain from the hook holding him, his unconscious body fell carefully into her arms.
She checked if he was breathing properly, as well as his heartbeat. His breathing was weaker than it should be, but he would be okay. And she felt the rage inside her growing disproportionately upon noticing the bruises marking the boy's pale skin.
Amaya draped his arm over her neck and carried him behind some crates, where he could stay hidden and out of sight of anyone who might appear in her absence.
I'll be back soon, nii-san...