Morino sighed. He didn't like this at all. He already had his doubt about the pink-haired girl that Naruto was made to team up with, but now it turned out to be even worse than he thought it would be. 

He had expected a confrontation, some animosity towards Naruto, and maybe even a small fist-fight, but an outright attempt to kill Naruto? No, he had not expected that. 

Morino didn't know the details beforehand. He and Inoichi were going to talk to both Naruto and the girl, and he very much preferred to go in with as little third hand information as possible. 

They heard Sakura's version of events first and had determined her to be truthful. She looked genuine in her story and neither Inoichi nor Morino saw any signs of lies. But both of them also knew perspective determined truth, and what one perceived as true didn't necessarily mean it also was the truth for someone else.

The moment Naruto walked into the room, something felt a little off. The ANBU that was assigned as his guard looked unimpressed and didn't really show any interest in his charge. He just disappeared into the rafters as soon as Sarutobi waved his dismissal. The Uchina boy, on the other hand, was glued to Naruto's side and seemed pretty set on being allowed to stay. That was unexpected, but Morino was happy Naruto already made a friend. The quick touch Sasuke gave Naruto and the grateful puppy dog eyes directed back at Sasuke were enough for Morino to question the Uchiha's intentions with Naruto. He narrowed his eyes, watching the Uchiha take a spot in the corner. He'd need to find out if there was too much going on between them both. Of course this feeling had nothing to do with the overprotectiveness he felt towards Naruto...

What really looked off what Naruto himself. He acted skittish and timid and if there was one thing Naruto had never been, it was timid. Naruto looked around sheepishly. The chair for Naruto stood in the middle of the room. Morino and Inochi were standing close to it and the rest of people present were seated behind desks facing Naruto. It was supposed to create a pressing atmosphere, having so many eyes on you and literally being the centre of attention. Sasuke folded his arms and watched, clearly not completely agreeing with the set-up. 

After a few moments Naruto sat down. His eyes shifted through the room, seemingly to register every single person in the room in detail. There was a wariness in this eyes, fear of being judged by strangers, perhaps, but more there was more there that Morino couldn't place. Sarutobi stood up. "Naruto." Naruto's head snapped to Sarutobi, his eyes big like he got startled. "I would like to hear your story of the entire mission." He said in a friendly voice. Naruto's eyes shifted back and forth to him, revealing his blue eye to be shining, but not in the way it always did. It looked almost forced, the way his eyes were slightly closed like he was straining to see something. It was suble and left the impression Naruto was having a headache, sensitive to light and maybe sound with the way he reacted to being talked to. 

Naruto nodded and started his story. The most difficult part was just listening to Naruto. Morino could see the blond was trying really hard to keep himself on one and the same track, but both Inoichi and Morino already knew that something like that was difficult for Naruto and it just made him look like he was making things up. Morino half had in mind to tell Naruto to stop and start again, just so they could get the story out of him as they were used from him, random, incoherent and perfectly truthful. 

Morino and Inoichi didn't doubt he was telling the truth, but others weren't able to pick up on it as easily. Kakashi had trouble following, his eyes sceptical and a little narrowed at the blond as he spoke. Sarutobi wasn't sceptical, but he still seemed a bit troubled. 

Morino sighed. Naruto was stumbling over his words again and it was clear to Morino he was struggling to keep himself in check to try and make the most sense. Too bad he was failing at it. "Hokage-sama, can I have a short word with Naruto before we continue? I think Yamanaka-san will agree to the necessity of it." He said, interrupting Naruto, who seemed a bit relieved at that. Inoichi nodded his agreement.

Kakashi looked at Sarutobi to see what the old man would do. Ofcourse, Sarutobi allowed it and Morino stepped up to Naruto. He lowered himself into a crouch to be on eye level with Naruto. Up close it was even more clear that Naruto was in turmoil, but what Morino didn't understand was why Naruto was trying to keep his blue side at the forefront when clearly a more serious part of him would be better suited in this situation. "Naruto." Morino said in a voice quiet enough to go unheard by most of the room. "Why are you holding yourself back? You know you don't have to, right? Yamanaka-san and I are here and we know you better than this." 

Naruto wasn't looking at him, which struck Morino as weird, because Naruto was quite keen on eye contact most of the time. "Look at me, Naruto." Naruto looked at Morino, but did so reluctantly. When their eyes met it was clear Naruto had something going on, but the way he looked at Morino told him that it was an issue for later, something unrelated to the issue at hand. "Now tell me why." Morino added, trying to give a stern look. 

Naruto's eyes shot to Sasuke and then to Sakura before looking back at Morino. "I don't want to be locked up again." He confined to Morino, but not in a surpressed voice like Morino so everyone heard him. "But I also don't want Sakura to be in trouble..." He added. He seemed to shrink in on himself, making him look smaller than he already was. An unrestrained 'Hn' from the sidelines indicated that Sasuke had heard and disagreed. At the same time Sakura produced a sound between a huff and a gasp. She had already done her story in the same amount of detail as she had to Shikamaru and she had already made it quite clear she wasn't expecting any kind of punishment. After all, she was defending herself against a convicted criminal that had been taunting her for days prior. 

Naruto either didn't notice or ignored both Sasuke's and Sakura's reactions and instead waited for Morino's response. He seemed tense and nervous. "It's not like I died. I don't even have scars. I'd be fine just letting this go." He said in a small voice. Morino didn't understand why Naruto said this. What was going on in the blond's head to want to overlook an attempt on his life?

Morino crossed his arms. "That's fine if you don't want that, but that isn't your decision, Naruto. We have rules as a society that everyone needs to follow. The only thing you need to do is be honest, so the people trained to know the rules can judge by those rules." 

Naruto looked down and nodded. Rules. There were always rules. Most of them fair, but some definitely weren't. For a moment, a very short moment, Naruto felt like lashing out against those rules. Slash though everyone that expected him to obey the arbitrary rules set into effect by self-suppression of sheep-minded people. Hiding behind rules for their own lack of strength. Rules shouldn't matter to him. Trivial and cumbersome. But the thoughts were gone as quick as they came. He tensed for a second, not understanding where the thoughts had come from, yet knowing there was some truth to it. He blinked a few times, trying to get the weird pressure out of his head. There had been a pressure in the back of his head ever since he met Konohamaru. At first he barely felt it and easily dismissed it, but over the last few days it had gradually become more pressing. It didn't hurt, but it felt like there wasn't enough room in his head or something. That feeling shouldn't be that new to him, seeing as he was already balancing five personalities, but this was different. The pressure made everything more intense. Light, sound, the feeling of his clothing rubbing against his skin, the smells in the air. Everything seemed to have an edge of new-ness to it, like he was experiencing everything for the first time, or in greater detail. 

He shook his head, returning his focus to Morino. Morino was looking at him like he had just asked Naruto a question and was waiting for an answer, but Naruto had completely missed it. "Sorry, what?" He asked intelligently, grinning a little. Morino looked at him worried. Maybe Morino had noticed as well something was off?

"I asked if you could please tell us without holding yourself back so much. You make a lot more sense that way, believe it or not." Morino said with a small, but strained smile at the end. It was clear he wanted to break the tension with a small joke. Naruto returned his smile and nodded.

"Okay, I will... or maybe I could show you?" He said, ending the remark in a question. Morino stepped back, looking a little uncomfortable. He glanced at Inoichi, who looked puzzled as well. 

"How would you do that?" Inoichi asked.

In a flash Naruto looked different, his eyes shifted from red to blue and a smirk was plastered on his face. "I can play with your mind..." He said, then snickered into his hand. He blinked again and seriousness settled over him. "Genjutsu." He added in an almost whisper. 

Morino looked at Inoichi. "Is that even possible? A Genjusti of someone's memory?"

"Yes." It was Sasuke who answered, drawing all eyes to him. He looked around, almost surprised at the attention given to him. "It has been done to me, a long time ago." He added. "But that was through the Sharingan. Maybe it's not possible without it?" 

"I can." Naruto chirped enthusiastically, holding his hand up and smiling. "I could probably do it to everyone at once!" 

"You could?" Kakashi asked, looking interested in the possibility. 

"Maybe..." He said smiling. 

Morino and Inoichi walked over to the Hokage and discussed it quietly. Naruto cocked his head as he listened to every whispered word, catching all of them without effort. His smile morphed into a smirk as he heard the men reach the conclusion that they wanted to see. Not just because it was intriguing, but also because they thought it might speed up the process. 

Morino and Inoichi turned around and both nodded at Naruto. Naruto slowly stood up, raising his eyes to meet theirs. They were met with dangerously serious eyes, one gleaming red. He stepped around his chair and backed towards the door so he could see everyone better. 

He raised his hands, holding both hands up next to his head. He held up two fingers on both hands and moved them sideways slightly. His fingers drew in the attention of everyone in the room. The movements were captivating and smooth. A ticking sound joined his movement, like the tick of a second on a clock. The tick wasn't loud, but it was echoed by three more ticks a little less sharp and loud. It was rithmic, the loud tick on the second, the 3 others spaced perfectly between them, forming a four step beat. 

A low buzz was added, the sound started far away and seemed unimportant, easily disregarded. But it grew louder, more intence and slowly it became unavoidable. Sakura was the first to crumble. She shook her head, grasping at it, before she sank to her knees. Kakashi looked at her in alarm, but the sudden movement he made pulling him under as well, admitting to the pressure that the sound had build up. The rest followed shortly after. Before the next second ticked, everyone except Naruto were down and out. 

Naruto stood smirking, letting his memory fill the other minds in the room. For a few of them he pushed in a few selected other memories. Sasuke he granted a look into his past,  a specific memory of his childhood in which he met with an ANBU. The ANBU had saved him from an assault, even fed him a meal afterwards and he bad never asked anything in return. Naruto never saw him again, but Naruto had seen the Weasel-masked ANBU use his Sharingan, so he linked the man to Sasuke. Maybe Sasuke took some value in the memory.

Then Sakura, he gave her the the unabridged version of the day leading up to the moment they entered the forest. He stopped it there. No need for her to know the rest... yet....

He gave Sarutobi a few haunting memories from his time in the department, especially from the first few weeks he was there. He smirked, knowing the old man would be riddled with guilt for at least some time.

Kakashi got a whole other deal. The love of his books was turned real for him, letting his own thoughts guide him like Naruto usually used fear to guide the Genjutsu. It might seem kind, but Naruto knew the good Hokage had no use for female attention, pretty much like Sasuke read the smut, but also wasn't truly interested in it. After all, that's what made it possible for Kakashi to read that book out in public without nose-bleeding every couple of pages. He was one of the select few to actually read it for the sake of the story... So yeah, he was just purely messing with Kakashi at this point. 

He sat down on the floor in front of the door. This had taken more energy than he bargained for and he needed to catch his breath a little. It wasn't as bad as trying to use it while he had been in cuffs, but it definitely strained him. 

He sat there for a while, enjoying the silence and seeing everyone jerk from time to time. He turned his head sideways and then the other way, trying to lessen the pressure, but it didn't do much good. He left like everything was going as well as it could and he felt confident he wouldn't be locked away again. He would go home with Sasuke after this. He smiled at the thought of spending some alone time with Sasuke. If he was a little less intense, maybe they could have a very special moment together as a celebration.

And then he heard something. A whisper. It crept into his mind and seemed to ban all other thoughts and it made him stand up in a panic. The voice was cold and definitely not his but there was no denying it came from inside his mind. He had his hands open beside him like claws, a tic running through them from time to time as the voice echoed the same words once again.

"Kill them. Let's kill them. Savour their blood..."

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