Starring:
Asankaru (emitter), Yuzuna, Fudo
Date: June 18, 2013
Summary:
Yuzuna and Fudo look into the boy who'd reportedly gotten his eyes replaced by the false dojutsu doctor
"Eyes For Sale - Looking Through Fresh Eyes"
Uchiha Village
People are starting to truly miss normal days.
This would be one of them, were it not for the troubles ailing the Land of Fire at the moment. The tension of it could be felt in the Uchiha village. The children that usually played here did not, the people that walked or watched from their windows rarely had open expressions, and finding a lone policeman traveling was rare. And plenty of the visitors are scrutinized. Despite the trouble that the populace siding with TFM or looking to enforce the Daimyo's levy have caused, though, the policemen haven't taken to interrogating random people they're not too sure of. But that could be because they're not sure of very many people, these days. Trust is rather low.
Yuzuna was sure to move swiftly as she makes her way through the Uchiha district, knowing that a Hyuuga would look a bit out of the ordinary. It couldn't be helped though. Instead of moving over the rooftops, she walks through the streets, lifting her pale eyes up at the building where Fudo lives, she pausing at the front door just long enough to rap her a precise knock on the surface. When he does answer the door, the kunoichi meets his eyes, "Ready?" she murmurs. They were going to talk with the Uchiha boy there's been vicious rumors about, the boy that had fanned the flames of fear.
"He doesn't live too far away." Fudo stated as he stepped out, gazing at Yuzuna with a nod. "Though… getting past his parents may be a hurdle. Eyes are pride after all… for both of our clans." Fudo would say a bit grimely. It was like he was disabled, but worse than that, it was similar to him being disfigured more so than having a deformity or going through an accident. It was a symbolic as well as literal lack of something that would now plague the boy and his family. He would lead Yuzuna towards the home, sticking close by her to ensure that she was not seen as too out of place before he knocked on the door to the home of the victom.
After a small while, nearly long enough to make one believe that nobody would come to the door, it finally opened. A crack at first, nobody peering out from it. A murmured voice. And then the door opened fully, revealing man who appears traditionally Uchiha.
Black hair. Eyes so dark they nearly seemed to be the same shade. The clothing he wore was the uniform of one of the village's police officers; A force that many of the clan found themselves a part of. He stood at an even 6 feet, eyes traveling down to his… visitors. A hyuuga. And… this one. He speaks only one word.
"What?"
"Hm," is Yuzuna's only reply as Fudo emerges, a small bit of agreement if anything as they move through the nearly empty streets of the Uchiha district. Not much else needs to be said. Few moments pass, and when they stop in front of the door, her soft lips part with a small exhaled breath. Talking with Uchiha is always a tense situation, at least from her experience. The door opens not long after and they're met face to face with an Uchiha man, no doubt a police officer from the look of his uniform. Yuzuna tries to look disarming, attempting a small smile and bending at the waist in a low bow towards him, showing her respect. "Good evening." she murmurs before straightening. "We were hoping to talk with the boy that lives here, if it is not any trouble."
Fudo stood calmly before the officer as Yuzuna spoke graciously to him. He looked at the man to get an idea of what his thoguhts may be, of them, of the question asked, and in general his demeanor. He had nothing to add for the moment as he focused on these details.
A scowl flashes across the Uchiha's face, bringing darkness to his features. "It is trouble. Plenty of it," he speaks, an angry venom in his tone. "We've enough. We don't need more dropped on our laps by the traitor's pet," his displeased gaze falls on Fudo, "Because he can't keep his lips shut to a pretty faced Hyuuga. I know what you've heard and you can forget that you did. I'll take care of it." And with that, he stepped back, moving to close the door.
Straightening, Yuzuna lifts her pale eyes up at the man. "Pardon me, but he has nothing to do with how I have heard about this matter." she murmurs. "Both of our clans are talking about it, because it is a very serious issue." The kunoichi reaches up to place a hand on the door before it has a chance to close completely. "Sir… we only want to prevent this from happening in the future. From happening to anyone else's child and going without justice. We want to help."
Fudo kept his eyes on the man. This is what he figured may happen. Naru's actions would hinder this process and they needed to find a way around that. "And how exactly is an officer of the Konohagakure police force going to take care of this situation that is obviously not within this village?" Fudo would ask with a tilt of his head. "Are you going to officially sanction the arrest of people outside of your jurisdiction… or are you gonig to go flashing your Sharingan about and replenish the supplies of the merchant all the easier?" Yeah, the boy was being flippant, but he wasn't being stupid. If this man wanted to allow his pride to dictate his actions, then Fudo would make sure that he realized that's all he had gonig for him. "I am sure that he would appreciate your assistance… but might I suggest that you use the tools in front of you? Two teenaged people with dojutsu whom are curious enough to seek out this merchant for enhancement or… even to "Stop them foolishly". We could get closer to this than you ever could, if you are willing to allow us to get the proper information. I also doubt many people in Konoha have as much experience with Fuuma Alley as I do. So you can either show a bit of trust in the Shinobi of the village that you are charged with protecting… or you can wallow in your own pride with nothing to do but be angry."
The man's eyes snap to Yuzuna as she puts a hand on his door, intensity in the gaze. There is violence behind his gaze, behind his face, within his form, and it come to the fore in the guise of an activated sharingan, this one boast two tomoe in each eye. It is painfully clear that the man's tensions are high, and this situation has just become a volatile one. "Remove your hand from my door or enjoy your final moments with it…" This he murmured, danger leaving his voice both sharp and smooth in the same instance.
His red-shadowed eyes shifted to Fudo, then, just a flicker of the gaze. "You overestimate yourself and underestimate me, boy. If you think insulting me and my intelligence is going to get you through these doors, I -really- hope you're expecting to get through it in pieces. Now take this chance to stop trying to break into my home… and step away… or the jailhouse will be holding two more people."
Between the man at the door and Fudo, it isn't all that surprising that Uchiha are known for their hot tempers. And in his current frame of mind they wouldn't be able to make much progress. Hyuuga were so much easier to deal with. Exhaling a small breath through her nose, Yuzuna doesn't hesitate to withdraw her hand, though clearly not intimidated by his empty threats. Or valid threats even. "We only want to help end this, sir." she replies lightly. "But we understand. And I apologize for the disruption." This probably wasn't the best way to approach this. Not when this man is standing guard at the door.
"Yes… I do underestimate you…" Fudo stated as his own eyes would flash red with Sharingan, three tomoe spinning about his pupil as he stared at the man. "It is no wonder the boy was able to leave to easily in the first place. Fine… allow your pride to blind you. Try not to make any more mistakes in the mean time." Fudo stated as he'd turn his back on the man, done dealing with him for now. They had other ways of going about this; this would have simply made it easier.
A harsh breath, anger reaching a sudden pitch in the man. But the sharingan was disengaged and the tension pushed out of his form, as though the breath had merely had a delayed effect in taking the anger out of him. There were no words. Just the sound of the door closing on Yuzuna. Firmly.
The door is closed in her face more or less, but despite Fudo's harsh words nothing came from the butting of heads. Something of a relief. Yuzuna watches the door for a moment longer before she pauses, narrowing her gaze with thought as Fudo turns around with the intention of leaving. "Fudo-kun…" she murmurs, alerting him as the kunoichi moves around the side of the building, where she heard the faint sound coming from. Just as Yuzuna suspected, there's a rope ladder from inside the high window.
After she had grabbed his attention, Fudo would turn to follow her. He had heard something was off but knew nothing about what it is. He followed her around the home to where there was apparently a rope ladder leading up to the window o nthe higher floor. "Hmm." Fudo stated as he tilted his head slightly. "I really hope that's not all the kid did to sneak out of the house."
Soon enough, a bare foot appears at the rope, tentative in applying it's weight to the material. But soon it's followed by a second, and the two squeeze it to get a proper grip. Purple shorts, and a red shirt with the Kanana Moon logo on the back soon come after, followed by a messy head of black hair. Slowly, the boy begins descending…
Yuzuna quietly lifts a slender brow, but doesn't immediately reply to Fudo. Instead she moves towards the other side of the rope ladder so that it's between him and herself, silently watching the Uchiha boy when he begins to descend. When he reaches the halfway point, the kunoichi lifts a hand to her mouth and coughs audibly, alerting him that there was someone down on the ground.
Fudo just shakes his head and sighs. "Seriously… how incompetant can you be…" he'd mutter under his breath about the police officer. It was as if he lived in a pocket dimention outside of the reality of a shinobi village. But it was more likely that he underestimated the boy… perhaps his son. And for what ever reason was too blind to truly check after him or give him attention. Maybe that's why he escaped to do something so stupid in the first place, to be accepted.
The cough from below the boy had him suddenly looking down, red eyes frantically scanning the ground below before he started climbing back up. "Oh man, oh man, oh jeez, come on.." Not very swiftly, and with his hands missing the rope every now and again, he makes his way back towards the window, spooked by the unknown presence below. But rushing and being unused to blindness, the boy soon found that his grip was not where it should have been and he'd started moving his legs too soon. Where… was the rope? He had to…
He was falling…
It was almost amusing, seeing the boy's reaction. Yuzuna calmly lifts a slender brow as he tries to climb back up on the rope, missing rings while she scrambles for the window. However, his grip slips and he falls through open air. Luckily the Hyuuga girl is quick, and with a blur of speed she smoothly catches him in both arms. "Trying to escape are we?" she asks lightly. Even with his fading eyesight her pale eyes are apparent, especially when he's so close now. A small smile touches her soft lips through her otherwise passive expression. "We needed to speak to you. About where you got your eyes."
The boy's scream got lodged in his chest before it could even get stuck in his throat, his descent in what would have been a nasty and potentially fatal fall a silent one. But he was saved from such a fate by the very person who'd helped cause it, a surprised sound escaping him with a whoosh of air. He looks up at the Hyuuga, squinting. Shocked. Not quite sure what to say.
"E—… What?"
If he wasn't surprised before, he certainly looks it now. Yuzuna quietly narrows her eyes as she glances him over, quietly shifting her arms to set his feet on the ground. "Are you hurt at all?" she asks. He doesn't look like it, but it would be better to ask just in case. And he found his voice too. "You should be a little more careful. That was a really high fall."
Once the boy has his bare feet on solid ground, he seems to reign himself in, staring up at Yuzuna with slightly faded red eyes as defiant as if they had a true sharingan and weren't half blind. Uchiha were definitely harder to deal with than Hyuuga in many respects. "I'm fine," he said, a stubbornness in his voice. There was a slight quiver to his jaw before he repeated, "Just fine. And my eyes are fine too, so go away."
The smallest hint of a smile tugs at her soft lips, if only for a moment. He reminded her of Fudo after all. "That is good to hear." Yuzuna says politely, though her expression becomes serious. "But I can not do that. I need to know where you got your eyes from. From who and from where." she murmurs. "I want to meet him myself."
The Uchiha boy shook his head, messy dark hair shifting with the motion. "No, you don't," he said. "He's evil and stupid and mean and he'll trick you. He'll trick you and he'll say that everything's alright when it isn't, and you won't realize it until later when everything goes wrong and…" He takes a shuddering breath, tears filling his eyes. "Just… Why don't you just…" Abruptly, the boy whirls around, dashing down the alleyway away from the Hyuuga and the Uchiha.
Yuzuna lifts a hand to touch his shoulder, showing a small amount of sympathy though when he tries to pull away, she merely holds them there. "Look…" she says softly, her voice trying to be reassuring, "I do not want to buy eyes from him if that is what you think. I want to keep this from happening again." Once more a hint of a smile faintly touches her lips. "What if what is happening to you also happens to someone else? Someone smaller even? If you could protect them, you would, right? They are Uchiha, your family. Well I want to protect them too." Her free hand reaches up to place her fingers over her own heart. "We might be from different clans, but I think of everyone in this village as part of my family. If someone is hurting them, I want to stop it. And I can not do it without your help."
The boy struggled under the Hyuuga's grip, grunting as he tried to break her deceptively powerful grip. But his efforts slowly dwindled as her words reach his ears until he's only standing there, head hung low. When the boy turns around and looks up at Yuzuna, tears are truly streaming from his eyes, coursing over cheeks blushed red from the shame of shedding tears in front of this woman and Fudo. A shuddering breath left the nine year old, not seeming to calm him in the least.
"I just… I don't want to be blind."
He was so young… and he wanted so badly to have the Sharingan that he put his eyesight at risk to do so. A reckless move by a child that didn't know any better. And now he was losing his eyesight completely, maybe permanently. Yuzuna breathes softly as she kneels down on one knee, so that they were placed on a more even level. "I know you do not… Do you think he will take it away from you if you tell?" It was a small hunch, but what is the likelihood of that happening?
The child gives a shake of the head, looking tired behinds his tears. No, he didn't think someone would take his already failing eyes. Really, he just wanted someone to hold him and tell him things would be alright. But adults never understood. His brother sure hadn't. But he was Uchiha. He had enough pride to bare that in silence.
He seemed to draw himself up with the thought. At the very least, the guy who did this to him could get what was coming to him. "There's this man named Piper in Fuuma. He heard me arguing with my brother while I was there with him. You know. To help find this eye doctor. I begged him to let me go, just… so I could get these eyes. But… Piper brought me to somebody else. A tall guy with bad teeth, and bad breath. He blindfolded me and brought me to someone else. And then I think I was given to a few other people. Eventually I gave my payment, then I had my surgery. And when I woke at the train station, I had these eyes." He turned around again and started towards his rope ladder, not seeming to want his time out anymore. "That's all."
Yuzuna saw the small change in the boy before he began to speak, talking about his time in Fuuma and about the man named Piper. As many people that he was passed around to, she began to wonder if this might be gang related. More than just one rogue surgeon out to make some profit with illegal organs. She also knew that it was allot for the boy to talk about. He was traumatized. His eyes will never be the same again. And he may even loose his eyesight. Her hand is pulled away as the Uchiha boy starts towards the rope ladder. Yuzuna softly presses her lips together as she rises smoothly to her feet. "We will get him." she quietly promises, regardless if he can hear her or not.
The boy would've been beyond the range of such a comfort even if he had been near enough to hear the words. They wouldn't bring back his eyes or his pride, and he had no hopes that climbing this ladder would ever get easier. The best he could hope for was that the dark blotches at the edge of his vision stayed there, and that they wouldn't consume what little vision he had left. But as he stumbled on his way up the ladder, even that dismal hope proved too much to cling to. So instead, he climbed back through his wind to find a place to cry to himself in solitude.
