31 Something Smells Fishy

Anko Mitarashi closed the door behind her with a sharp click, the sound echoing off the walls of the interrogation wing.

The room was a stark contrast to the darkness of the chamber she had just left, brightly lit with the harsh overhead lights that never seemed to dim.

She made her way down the corridor to a small, unassuming office where Ibiki Morino, the head of the Torture and Interrogation Department, was waiting.

She found him seated behind his desk, his face an unreadable mask as he reviewed a stack of papers. He looked up as she entered, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he could read the confused thoughts swirling in her mind.

"The case is too perfect, Ibiki," Anko began without preamble, her voice tense. "A murder, a single witness, and incriminating evidence that just happens to point directly at a genin with no history of violence or misconduct. It even comes gift wrapped with a motive. It doesn't add up."

Ibiki leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he considered her words. "I was thinking the same," he admitted slowly. "It's clean, too clean. It's as if someone laid out a trail of breadcrumbs, expecting us to follow without question."

Anko paced the room, her frustration evident. "And Yuji's reactions… they don't scream guilt. He's confused, scared, sure, but not deceptive. Orochi didn't react to him as he would to a liar."

"He could be a psychopath. We know they can fool Orochi."

"No. He's not. His emotions are genuine."

"Don't be so quick to dismiss that line of thought. We know of at least one psychopath who grafted emotions on himself using fuinjutsu. Unfortunately, we can't check his tattoos. He's still a ninja of Konoha."

Anko swallowed, trying to suppress thoughts of her former master. "I don't trust this case."

"Which is why we need to dig deeper," Ibiki said, his voice firm. "We can't afford to let emotions dictate the course of our investigation, but we also can't ignore the signs of a potential setup. Has the Yamanaka been called in?"

Just as he finished his question, there was a knock on the door. Anko glanced towards it, waiting for Ibiki's nod before she opened it. Inoichi Yamanaka stood there, his expression grave.

"Come in, Inoichi," Ibiki invited, gesturing towards a chair. "We were just discussing the genin's case."

Inoichi nodded as he took the seat, his blue eyes thoughtful. "I've been briefed on the situation. You suspect a setup?"

"It appears so," Anko replied, crossing her arms. "Yuji seems genuinely shocked by the accusations. His story hasn't changed, and there's nothing so far that conclusively ties him to the murder beyond circumstantial evidence and a conveniently placed witness."

Inoichi's gaze hardened slightly. "Mind walking will clarify whether he's hiding anything we haven't uncovered yet. Like all methods of divination, it can be fooled but I'll be able to pick up on some crumbs. If he's innocent, someone else is manipulating the situation. We need to understand why."

"Exactly," Ibiki said. "Proceed as soon as you're ready. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better for all involved."

"Understood." Inoichi stood, his demeanor resolute. "I'll head to the interrogation room now. Depending on what I find, we may need to adjust our approach."

Anko and Ibiki exchanged a look, both understanding the weight of what might be revealed. As Inoichi left the room, Anko turned back to Ibiki.

"If he's innocent, Ibiki, we're dealing with someone very cunning and dangerous. Someone who's not only willing to murder but to frame a genin for it."

Ibiki nodded, his expression grim. "And we'll find them, Anko. We'll find them and bring them to justice. Let's prepare for every possibility. Keep your team on alert, and let's tighten security around the department. Whoever did this might try to interfere further."

Anko acknowledged with a determined nod, her resolve firming. As she left Ibiki's office to oversee the next phase of the interrogation, her mind was already racing through potential suspects and motives.

********

The brisk wind that swept through Konoha did little to cool Naruto's simmering temper as he, Kakashi, and Sakura made their way to the ANBU office within the hokage Tower. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on Naruto's mind. Yuji, accused of murder? It just didn't sit right with him.

At the reception of the ANBU office, a masked agent looked up from a stack of papers, his eyes narrowing slightly under the traditional animal mask. "Can I help you?" the agent asked in a tone that suggested interruptions were less than welcome.

"We're here about Yuji," Kakashi stated simply, his voice carrying a subtle undercurrent of authority that demanded cooperation. Probably his ANBU training.

The agent paused, his demeanor changing as he recognized the seriousness of their visit. "Ah, yes. Genin Yuji's case. He's being held under suspicion of murder. The victim was found early this morning, and there was a witness who last saw them together."

Naruto stepped forward, his blue eyes flashing defiantly. "There's no way Yuji would do something like that! You guys are making a mistake!"

Sakura nodded in agreement, her fists clenched at her sides. "Yuji isn't capable of murder. There must be some other explanation. Are you sure the witness saw what they think they saw?"

The ANBU agent remained unfazed, accustomed to questioning and doubts cast by worried friends and colleagues of detainees. "The witness is very certain of what they saw. However, investigations are ongoing, and nothing is conclusive yet. We are looking into every possibility."

Kakashi's gaze sharpened behind his mask. "Who is handling the interrogation?"

"Anko Mitarashi is overseeing it, with assistance from Ibiki Morino. They are considering all angles, including the possibility of a setup," the agent informed, his voice even, revealing nothing of his personal thoughts on the matter.

Naruto felt a flicker of hope at that. "Can we see him? Or talk to the interrogators about this?"

The agent shook his head slightly. "I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment. Genin Yuji is in a sensitive phase of the interrogation process. Any outside contact could compromise the integrity of the investigation."

Sakura leaned forward, trying to find a loophole. "What about his well-being? Is he being afforded all his rights as a ninja of Konoha?"

"We ensure the physical and mental health of all detainees is monitored," the agent reassured, though his masked face gave away little of the empathy such assurances were meant to convey.

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, a subtle sign to ease the building frustration. "Thank you for the information. Please keep us updated with any developments."

As they turned to leave, Naruto cast one last look towards the agent, his mind racing with worry and frustration. "He's innocent. We have to prove it," Naruto said, more to himself than to his companions.

"We will," Sakura replied, her voice firm with conviction. "We'll find the real culprit."

A/N: Inoichi taking a look into Yuji's head. What if he finds the memory of Yuji jerking off to his daughter? Will he?

Here you go! Your second chapter of the day!