The Good Wife

Insanity

Insanity

Suigetsu felt uneasy. He could not describe the heavy dread that settled in his stomach as Sasuke manoeuvred around the room, both of them alert. The air was heavy, and something smelt unattractively sweet - like honey mixed with some sort of heavy spice. Deep within his gut, Suigetsu got the feeling that it wasn't Hyuuga Astra's perfume that permeated the air.
"Smell that?" Suigetsu asked.
"No," was Sasuke's curt reply, just as the Uchiha came to standstill before a painting pinned to the wall. Suigetsu hopped over, and both men stared at the painting in absolute shock.
"I told ya this woman was a nutter," Suigetsu grumbled. "She's messed with our heads, or well, yours."
Sasuke grunted, his focus shifting to the various scribbles on the walls. He could not decipher them, and all the mess reminded him of was a psychiatric patient that scratched their madness onto walls. A sense of dizziness overcame him, and he had to shake his head to regain his balance. The writing on the wall suddenly seemed blurry...
...And then Suigetsu collapsed onto the ground in a heap.
"Funny," Sasuke grumbled. "Get up, Suigetsu."
But Suigetsu did not respond. Sasuke sighed and kicked the white-haired man's legs, but still no response. Annoyed, he got onto his knees, ready to pummel the stupid bastard. Now was not the time to play silly games, Karin was danger!
But just Sasuke felt his knees make contact with the wooden floor, the dizziness increased, and before he knew it everything went black.
Kurama had made the decision to share what he knew regarding Shimura Ayaka, and how she had 'promised' him she would gain power and overthrow Naruto. Naruto listened to his story with rapt attention, his finger delicately tapping his chin in thought.
When Kurama concluded his retelling, Naruto sighed. "Why is there always someone who can't fit inside the box?"
"Nobody ever fits inside the box, Naruto. Your way of thinking is far different from your predecessors and some of the radical changes you made makes Shimura feel threatened," Kurama replied.
"What radical changes?" Naruto asked. "The other Bijuu and your freedom was a long time coming."
Kurama smiled softy at the confession. "And we are grateful for it. But that wasn't the only changes you made, and one of your changes has now become Shimura's tool to bite you back."
Naruto clicked his tongue as he swivelled in his chair to overlook the village from the window. "The High Council was never meant to gain any power over the law."
"I know," Kurama responded. "You recommended the introduction of the High Council to the Daimyo for them to act as your advisors and to represent the people to balance the power. It was a good proposal, Naruto, and has served the village well. But something is astray here, and somehow they have become corrupt and are no longer responsible or representative of the village."
"By astray you mean Ayaka is trying to take control?" Naruto queried.
"Well, yes, but we both know she does not have the power, nor the resources to control the entire High Council alone. There's another factor, someone else in the picture perhaps..."
Naruto suddenly shot up from his seat as Kurama's words sunk in. "Control!"
"Say what?"
Naruto spun around to look his friend in the eye. "That's exactly what it is, someone has used Mind Manipulation to control the actions of the High Council."
Kurama frowned. It was a sound theory, and made the most sense. The members of the High Council were all elected by their clans or the people they represented, and were loyal to Naruto. There was no possible way they could ever have been convinced to turn against him, not with the level of loyalty they had shown before. So, to have such a complete turn-over, Mind Manipulation made the most sense. But Shimura Ayaka had no such power, and Kurama could not think of a single member of the Yamanaka clan who would use their abilities for such dark purposes. So it had to be someone else trained in the art, but who?
"Would you like me to snoop around, find evidence that this is the case?" Kurama asked. "Is that why you summoned me?"
Naruto's brow furrowed, deep in thought. Truthfully, he had only summoned Kurama to make the High Council quiver in their seats a bit. But now that the fox was here, it would be good to utilise his skills.
"Yes, that would be good," Naruto replied. "But I have another request as well."
Kurama quirked an eyebrow, intrigued. Naruto shuffled through some paperwork and finally pulled out a map of the village, a big red dot clearly marking a location in the shopping district. He handed it to Kurama and sat down, arms crossed.
"Beniko warned me of a foreign chakra residing at that location," Naruto explained. "Apparently it is similar to the disrupted chakra flowing through Ino since the transfer of dimensions. I want you to investigate and report any findings."
"Interesting," Kurama hummed. "And if I find the owner of this chakra?"
"Arrest them," Naruto stated. "I think it's time I have a little chat with this person."
Kurama nodded. "I'll leave now. Mind if I swing around later to see the kids?"
"Kaguya is on a mission, but Minato will be very happy to see you."
Kurama nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The earth was shaking. Why and how, Suigetsu was not certain of, but something was not right. The world around him was surrounded in darkness, his senses all cut off. He could not see or smell a thing. He was engulfed in a deep black sea. And all he could sense was the feeling of being shaken.
"Wake up!" a voice echoed around him, followed by a stinging sensation in his cheek. Suigetsu blinked, now even more confused.
"Let me," another voice said, and the stinging sensation, which now felt like a small heated fire, moved from his cheek to his stomach. That seemed to send a jolt through him, and suddenly Suigetsu found himself sitting up, the darkness gone and in its place was the light from windows and two faces that belonged Uchiha Sasuke and...the Kyuubi?
"What happened?" Suigetsu mumbled as he blinked rapidly to get accustomed to the light.
"We are still at Hyuuga Astra's house," Sasuke stated. "We passed out."
"Eh, how did we, two Jounin level shinobi, manage that!?" Suigetsu demanded. Had he seriously lost conciousness? He couldn't remember...
"It's a herb," Kurama stated as he lifted himself from his crouching position and moved around the room. He sniffed the air. "It's similar to Valerian root, but was specially cultivated by botanists to induce a coma-like state with the senses of smell and sight cut off."
Suigetsu pulled a face. "And how did Sasuke and I get exposed to this herb?"
Kurama came to a halt before the painting of Naruto, Hinata and Astra. He stared at it in silence, his expression blank. He then turned to face Sasuke and Suigetsu. "This Hyuuga woman burns it like incense. I can smell it all through the house. You better get out of here."
Suigetsu grumbled. "Well, that explains the disgustingly sweet smell I got a whiff of when we got here."
"No!" Sasuke grunted, completely ignoring Suigetsu's comment. "I am not leaving until I find my wife."
"She's in the basement," Kurama stated, his eyes darting to the door that led to the front of the house. "I can sense her emotions. But this herb is dangerous, I was able to wake you up with a shock from my chakra, but I can't protect you from its effects. Go, I'll get your wife."
Sasuke clenched his fists, the anger boiling beneath the surface of his skin. The damned fox had no right to order him around, not when Karin was involved, but he also knew that Kurama had a point. With that in mind, Sasuke inhaled deeply to calm himself, then nodded slowly. However, just as he turned to Suigetsu so they can leave, a noise echoed through the house.
Kurama clicked his tongue. "Looks like the owner of the house is back."
"I can't sense her chakra," Sasuke muttered, which was unusual even for him. Sasuke and Suigetsu glanced at each other, a silent message passing between them. Suigetsu nodded and pulled a flask from his hip. He would need some hydration if a fight was to break out. Sasuke turned his attention back to Kurama. Kurama seemed to sense what the Uchiha wanted to ask, and he nodded in response.
"I'll get your wife," Kurama whispered. "I'm immune to the herb, so I can move freely around the house. Naruto wants the Hyuuga woman in custody, so I'll leave her capture to you."
Sasuke nodded. That was exactly what he was going to suggest.
Kurama slipped to the doorway and pressed himself against the wall. He listened carefully to Astra's movements, she seemed to be busy in the kitchen. Sasuke and Suigetsu were whispering how they would distract Astra and get her outside so they can escape from the herb's effects. After a plan was formulated, they dispersed, leaving Kurama alone.
The sound of Astra's shoes meeting the wooden floors echoed through the house. She seemed to be unaware of the unwanted guests in her house, but Kurama concluded that was due to Sasuke and Suigetsu being intelligent enough to mask their chakra like he did. Or, perhaps, she was aware of their presence and was just taking her time in confronting them. He could hear cutlery brush together now, which meant she was rummaging through drawers. He knew he could not dawdle, the supposed 'cutlery' could be kunai instead, and could mean the woman was on to them.
He quickly slipped down the hall and into the small alcove that led to the basement. He was not familiar with the layout of the house, but the Uchiha's wife's emotions was his guide. The door's lock was a simple dead bolt, and was easily broken without making a sound. He quietly slipped down the stairs and into the large basement.
Uchiha Karin looked extremely pale, her skin was as white as milk. Her rich red hair had no life to it and her wrists were chained to the wall. While she looked exhausted, she did not look ill - at least the Hyuuga woman had made sure the redhead got some sustenance. Her piercing red gaze was locked on to him and for a minute he wondered why she looked so calm, and then he remembered that she was an advanced sensor, and probably had been aware of his presence from the beginning.
He did not utter a word and simply rented the shackles around her wrists in half. She stood up, but stumbled from weakness. He quickly steadied her, and motioned for her to be quiet, which earned him a glare.
They both listened to the movement above. Astra had moved from the kitchen and was now in the bedroom. From her calm movements, it could be assumed Sasuke and Suigetsu was yet to make a move. Kurama turned to Karin and explained how they would sneak upstairs and escape through the front door.
"Astra is a sensor," Karin explained. "She knows you're here, she's planning something, hence why she hasn't attacked."
Kurama frowned. "Then in the event she attacks, you escape and leave me behind."
Karin blanched. "You would do that? For a lowly human?"
"Don't get me started on the human debate," Kurama groaned. Karin chuckled softly, and oddly it reminded him of Yoko's soft melodic laugh. He made a mental note to introduce the two women sometime in the future, he had a feeling they would get along swimmingly.
Kurama and Karin slowly made their way up the stairs, Kurama making sure to stay close to Karin to support her if she felt dizzy. The herb's effect was still potent, and could kick in at any moment. They made it to the hallway, where they both hid behind a wall and listened for Astra's movements. Karin frowned when she heard small soft whimpers and whispers coming from the bedroom.
"Is she talking to someone?" Karin asked, keeping her voice low.
"No, she's alone," Kurama responded. "I have a feeling this woman has a few loose screws in her head."
"That's rude," Karin huffed.
Kurama rolled his eyes, but his gaze quickly turned very serious. Karin blinked at the rapid change.
"What is it?" she dared to ask.
"She's talking to herself, but she keeps saying 'Ino'," Kurama replied, his brow furrowed as he concentrated.
"Yeah," Karin hummed. "Ino's her target."
This alarmed Kurama, and he knew he better get this news to Naruto as soon as possible. He motioned for Karin to slip from the little alcove they were hidden in to the door that led to the front of the house, which he believed was the shop area. Karin nodded and quickly crept down the hallway.
Astra did not make a move an remained pacing in her bedroom, the name 'Ino' continuing to slip from her lips. Either she was waiting for an opportune moment, or she was so distracted by her insanity that she didn't notice her unwanted guests were on the move. Just as Kurama was ready to join Karin, a loud crack echoed through the house. He froze, expecting Astra to react.
React she did, but not to his presence. She cursed loudly, and he heard the backdoor that led outside slam. He waited a few seconds, and when he heard two kunai blades clash he knew Sasuke and Suigetsu had made their move. He quickly joined Karin, and the two escaped through the front door.
The escape had been surprisingly easy, but the herb's effects were taking a toll on Karin. She collapsed once they were outside, and Kurama quickly scooped her into his arms and disappeared into a puff of smoke. He only trusted one woman to help without asking too many questions.
He just hoped this younger version of Ino knew medical ninjutsu.
The house was quiet without Kaguya, and Minato was very vocal about it. He missed his sister, and had thrown a tantrum that morning before school. It took the whole morning to calm him down, and a bribe with chocolate cake and a new toy later had finally calmed him down. Ino had sighed in relief. She had never expected children to be such a hassle.
She was angry that she had to bribe him though, and promised herself she would never do it again.
After dropping Minato off at school, Ino had spent the rest of the morning and a portion of the afternoon at work, where Kana had reported that a garden bed had died. The whole five hours she had spent at work had been spent on cleaning out the garden, and completely refilling it with fresh soil, fertiliser and replanting the plants that had perished. They were still uncertain what had caused the plants to die, but they all assumed something strange must have gotten into the soil.
She then had to write a report for the hospital, explaining that there might be shortage in some medicinal herbs due to the incident. She had received a prompt reply from the director, who was more than content with getting the herbs from an external supply in the meantime. Ino returned home utterly exhausted.
After brewing herself a cup of tea and settling on the couch, she dived into the pile of letters that had arrived in the mail. Most of them were bills, completely boring and of no interest. And then she found a letter with familiar cursive writing, the return address from Nadeshiko Village. She grinned and quickly ripped the envelope open, happy to see that Shizuka had once again responded to her letters.
Salutations Ino,
Thank you once again for your letter. It was good to hear more news of Juugo and how he is fairing. Kasumi is most anxious to meet him and I must admit, I am also getting restless. I understand that time is always an issue, especially for someone such as yourself, but I was wondering if we could be a bother and come by next week? I am more than content at staying at a inn, for I do not wish to intrude. However, I would very much like it if we share stories over some tea during our visit. I am quite excited at the prospect of meeting you.
I shall await your answer patiently,
Shizuka of Nadeshiko.