The Strength of Humanity (A Naruto Fan Fiction)

Chapter Two ~ Imprisonment

"An entire team?" Kakashi asked.

"At this point, I believe it best that we treat her as hostile. We don't know what traps may be inside her mind."

Tsunade walked away, leaving Kakashi behind. I sat with my head pressed into the corner of the wall and bars, clutching at the iron rods.

"You have killed me," I told him, no emotion leaking into my voice as I spoke of my death.

"I've saved you," Kakashi replied, looking at me sadly.

"They will have sent an assassin after me by now," I said softly, "The replacement Claw."

"I thought there was only one Claw?"

"There is only one Claw. The Claw never changes. It is an image. A message. Stronger than just a shinobi. The person behind the mask may change, but the fear that comes with the Claw never will," I whispered.

"You said you were the best," Kakashi stated.

"I am. Which is why I will survive for a while. But only for a while. Soon... Well, there will always be someone faster, always be someone stronger, always someone bigger, always someone smarter. Eventually I will lose, as we all will."

"Depressing thought," Kakashi commented.

"Just a realistic one," I countered.

"Huh. That's more like the Cashile I knew." The corner of his mouth tilted upward slightly and he rested his hand gently on the cage they've confined me in.

It wasn't as cruel as I was normally used to, the cage. It was spacious and there was soft bedding on the floor in one corner, unlike the jagged edges and hard metal bars and the cold white snow seeping through between the bars of the cages the Phoenix kept me in.

Bad tool, bad tool, bad bad bad tool.

I couldn't resist flinching slightly, feeling the microscopic vibration from Kakashi of the Sharingan putting his hand on the bar.

What Cashile did he know?

Who was Cashile?

Memories bounced through my head causing painful spasms as the past memories were quickly replaced with torturous ones.

"Hey, hang in there," Kakashi said gently, trying to comfort me. But why was he trying to comfort me?

He sat in a chair, reading a book that he is thoroughly fascinated with, keeping guard over me. No doubt to make sure I do not escape.

I don't even attempt to. By this point They know I've been captured. They know I'm being held. And soon, they would kill me, to ensure that all their secrets would not be divulged from my mind. I'd been trained well to not release any information upon capture. But safeguards were in place.

It was too late for me: I had failed my mission. All I could do now was be a good tool to the finish and resign to my death.

But if I was going to die anyways-- No!

I shook every thought away, allowing the mind numbing persona of the Claw to wash over me once again.

22 hours and 42 minutes pass by before my next visit from the hokage. During these hours I sat up, still, alert, and ready to take action. Kakashi continued to read his books, shooting worried glances at me every couple of minutes the entire duration.