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Chapter Four

The room is dark. Split into two parts. The first part, where we are standing looks like Ibiki's office. The one side is filled with coach and several comfortable-looking armchairs, with glass table in front of them. While the opposite wall has large glass window, which looks directly into the second part of the room. The second part of the room is dark, looking much like the cave. The prisoner is sitting in the middle of the second room, tied tightly to the chair with weapons of torture lined on his both sides. The door on the far end of the second room is locked. While another door connects the two sides of the room to one another.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku are sitting on the coach in front of the glass wall. Both of them look uncomfortable and annoyed even. Their gaze shift to us as soon as we step inside the room. The blonde man raises his eyebrows in questioning manner, while the Nara only sighs.

"Sit on the armchair, Sakura." Anko whispers in a low voice, and nudges me towards the emerald seat. I obey her, sitting softly on the armchair, ignoring the four adults staring at me. "Ibiki, you go first." The man nods and opens the door, stepping inside the dim lit room, closing the door behind him tightly.

"Are you nervous, Sakura-chan?" Inoichi-san asks me in gentle manner, much like the one, my father used on me, when I was scared.

"No." I shake my head and look back at the glassy wall. Ibiki is slowly walking towards the prisoner, his steps steady making him seem even more dangerous. Inoichi-san looks taken back from my response and lack of reaction at the sight in front of me.

"Okay, Sakura, it is about to start." Anko states once again and sighs, tiredly sitting down on the red armchair near mine. "Tell me if you feel unwell." She adds in a low voice and smiles as I nod at her.

Ibiki does not do much. I know that his tactics are more psychologically inclined, while Anko prefers physical tortures. Both of them work perfectly. Ibiki starts making several hand signs, creating Genjutsu and trapping the man tied on the chair in it.

At first nothing happens, the room is filled with silence, but then the loud, blood-freezing screams erupt from the man. He starts trying to move around, to break free from whatever he is through. His screams makes me feel uneasy, makes me feel as if I am about to puke. But I do not move, I do not look away.

This is the part of the life, I have chosen for myself. I have to fully embrace it.

The screaming continues, filling every little corner of the room, leaving no room for silence. Until the man stops, panting, sobbing in a low voice, yet not breaking. Never once breaking and muttering a single word, that might betray his village. I can feel respect building inside of me at the man. Even Ibiki has small smile plastered on his face. Many can stand the physical torture, but not many can take the mental one. Ibiki turns around, smiling at the glassy wall, slowly walking towards the door, leaving the panting prisoner behind. The door opens, revealing grinning Ibiki.

"Anko." He only calls out her name. The purple-haired girl jumps on her feet walking towards the door and passing Ibiki, closing the door tightly behind her. Ibiki takes Anko's seat, his eyes slowly studying me, before sighing loudly.

Anko stands in front of the man, with evil grin plastered on her face. She pulls the sleeves of her coat up, as if she does not want to get them stained in red. But we all know that after she is done, she will be bathing in blood.

"Hello, dear." Her voice is sugar-coated. Her stance is rigid. The man looks at her with wide-eyes. No matter how horrifying Anko can be, she is beautiful in her own way. "So, you refuse to talk, huh?" She grins once again, sending chills down my spine. "We will see how tough you will be after I am done with you." She whispers in a low, honey tone.

"She is pretty." I look up at my brother and smirk at his reddening features. He looks down at me and ruffles my hair.

"Yes, she is." He whispers in a barely audible tone, leaning down and pulling me up, carrying me in his hands. "Yet, she is dangerous and can...kill without hesitation." He adds in a low voice.

"She is strong, too!" I shout loudly and happily. Brother only chuckles, shaking his head, muttering something about crazy ladies in his life.

Anko is already covered in blood. Prisoner looks half dead with large wounds tracing his body. Blood is slowly oozing from his wounds, painting him whole. I can feel my hands trembling slightly, but I can control it, yet.

The images of my dead parents keep reappearing in my mind, the face of my brother keeps haunting me again and again. But I cannot let the memories bring me down. Instead, I focus on Anko. The expression on her face is driven by anger and rage. Her black eyes are full of emotions, she keeps taking all of her anger on the enemies of the village, becoming powerful, unbeatable, legendary.

Until she breaks.

Kneeling in front of the man, she takes out her kunai, slowly tracing it on his body, tearing the remaining clothes from his body, leaving him nearly naked in front of us. I fight the urge to cover my eyes, not wanting to see naked man at such early age.

But he is not completely naked, still having cloth to cover his private parts. Anko slowly starts making several hand signs, Producing small fire balls, sending them towards his private parts. The screams echoes in the rooms. Making me clutch my stomach, trying to hold down the vomit raising to my throat.

"Sakura-chan?" It does not go unnoticed to Inoichi-san, who has been observing me ever since the beginning of the interrogation. "Do you wish to leave?"

"No." I shake my head. "I am fine." I whisper once again, blinking away the tears filling my eyes, making things blurry. "I am fine." I whisper the words like mantra, focusing back on Anko and the screaming prisoner.

"If you want to become Ninja, Blossom, you should know the basics." Brother seems detached, cold, gone. He looks down at me with his emerald eyes, shade darker. "Sit." I nod and sit down on the mossy grass underneath me. I smile at the feeling of grass slowly caressing my skin. "You should know that Ninjas often put themselves in danger." I nod once again, already knowing this piece of information. "They are nothing more, but tools in the hands of Village." I nod once again. "And as a ninja, you will have to kill. Otherwise, the enemy will kill you." He states once again. "So, every time you feel scared." He kneels in front of me, old warmth returning to his eyes. "Whisper the words : I am fine." He whispers once again. "And repeat it until you start believing it yourself."

"I am fine." I whisper once again. The prisoner has been broken. His cries and speeches of betrayals filling up the silent room. I do not know what I was expecting from him, but I feel disappointed at him from breaking down.

"Come on, Haruno-san." Another Ninja approaches me. "I will take you back in the office." He states gently. I look up at Ibiki, who nods. I nod back and start following the stranger behind.

***

"What do you have to say about her?" Ibiki asks as soon as Sakura leaves the room, with door shutting tightly behind her. Anko stands next to the scarred man, her eyes frozen on the spot, where Sakura has been sitting several minutes prior.

"She..." Inoichi sighs, rubbing his temples. What can he say about the girl, who managed to control her emotions while looking someone being burned alive. "She has extraordinary control over herself." He adds after slight hesitation. "She had trouble, when she saw the blood, and she clearly felt uneasy when Anko started burning the prisoner." Inoichi starts explaining in a low voice.

"But she controlled her emotions." Shikaku adds in tired tone. "She is smart, her intelligence is...is greater than even mine." He whispers in a low voice. "She is ready for the real trainings." He adds and sighs. "But we have to keep a close eye on her."