Human Again

You Are Enough

You Are Enough: Citizen Soldier

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tell me again what Tobi said, his exact words."
Anzen demanded, pacing back and forth in her temporary office. Minato, who was propped up on a couch, sighed.

"He said he didn't escape wherever Madara was holding him. That he was put under some kind of control. He said he stabbed himself to get out of the influence, the pain was the only way to override it."

Kushina shivered in the corner, refusing to think about what her child had been put through. The Kage had found it a struggle not to star at his wife for long periods of time. After what Obito said, about their unborn child, he couldn't stop thinking about it. It wasn't the time to bring up or worry about such things in the time being. They had bigger problems, but still. Anzen spoke again.
"It would make sense if that is the case."

"How so?"

"Think about it. Every time he's snapped out of his daze to talk reasonably with you is after he's been injured or suffered a lot of pain. After the explosion and his leg was injured and then again after he rips that injury open."

"So, your saying the only way we are going to talk to him is through putting him in pain?"

"Absolutely not!"
Kushina snapped from where she sat at the doctors desk.

"Of course we're not going to do that!"
Shooting Kushina a glance Anzen paused her pacing.
"There is another way of getting Tobi to talk."

"What way is that?"

"Obito wakes up and talks when he's in pain, however, Tobi seems quite content to mouth off about everything to Itachi Uchiha."

"Fugaku won't let Itachi anywhere near Obito. You saw what he did when he found out they had talked a few times."

"Yes, I did, Minato. But if we order him to do this as a mission, and nothing more, Fugaku won't have a choice in the matter. Itachi went under the Hokage's command the moment he put on that headband. After that he was no longer subjected to his father or mother. They can complain but in the end they do not have the final say."

The Kage rubbed his brow.
"We are already pushing our boundaries with the Uchiha's by investigating Madara. They have become uneasy, something is causing doubt in them and I would not like to fuel that."

"Isn't it worth it?"
He looked up at his wife.
"For our child, isn't it worth it? We can handle the Uchiha later but isn't Obito worth pushing the boundaries for?"

Minato sighed again and dropped his head back.
"Our children need help, they need stability and care, why is this so hard? How have they gotten so tangled up in messes that force us to choose between them and political problems?"

"I wouldn't know. But your right. They need help. Our help. Obito needs to heal his mind, and Kakashi—"
Kushina huffed a laugh.
"He broke down in front of me yesterday."

"He went to you yesterday?"
Minato's head popped up.

"Yes, he wanted to apologize."

"He came to my office wanting to apologize."
They both seemed to freeze, Anzen paused too.
"When did he go to you?"
Minato tried to push away the feeling of his gut dropping out of his body. Kushina's face visibly paled almost to a green color.

"A few minutes before I was called in about your injury."

"That was right after he talked to me."

"Have either of you seen him since?"
Anzen raised a brow, looking between the couple.