Despair

Kiba roared and tried to throw himself at the guard. One of the men punched him in the stomach and dragged him to a cell. But it didn't stop the young Inuzuka from struggling like a madman, shouting insults and threats. A mixture of primitive terror and animal rage increased his strength tenfold, but his arms were still shackled. His gestures were rendered awkward by the rope binding him.

Kiba tried to free himself as if his life depended on it. Another of Gato's henchmen grabbed his dog by the neck. Akamaru was struggling with all his might. Kiba could feel its terror, which acted as an echo of his own fear.

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouted. "If you touch Akamaru, I'll…"

"Put it in the cell too," A masked ninja ordered in a soft voice.

The masked ninja didn't give out the same feeling of danger as Zabuza. But he imposed a certain respect as the henchman holding Akamaru didn't argue with the order. He shrugged his shoulders, ready to obey. But Gato caught Kiba's gaze, who was burning with rage, and smiled with a malicious air.

"No. Kill it!"

"You bastard! Don't you dare touch Akamaru!"

Kiba began to howl and struggle like a possessed man. Akamaru uttered a terrified bark, like a cry for help, and Kiba's scream of terror redoubled in intensity.

The masked ninja timidly tried to protest, but it was of no use. With his drunk voice, Zabuza ordered him to leave. The kidnappers dragged Kiba to the basement, while the one holding Akamaru remained upstairs. Before the door closed, Kiba had time to see Zabuza pull out a kunai from the pouch attached to his thigh. 

Kiba's mind refused to admit what was happening. His throat burned as he kept yelling his dog's name. He shouted out insults and even added threats. The pitch of his voice went higher under his hysterical terror. The door closed. They dragged him down the corridor, but Kiba could still hear Akamaru fighting, there was still a chance…

Then Akamaru's growl abruptly cut itself off… and Kiba's world shattered.

The spiritual connection that he shared with his companion died out like the flame of a blown candle, and Kiba screamed.

***********

When he was younger, Sasuke vowed never to be weak again. Never again be vulnerable, powerless. He was still having nightmares of that fateful night when Itachi had almost killed the entire clan. He wanted to be strong. He never wanted to be afraid again… Never wanted to see anyone die in front of him again. Those strong emotions may have been what had awakened his Sharingan. The terrifying realization that Kakashi would die if no one acted. And Sasuke was the only one who could act.

The young Uchiha wasn't altruistic like Kazuma, who wore his heart on his sleeve. No, Sasuke was more similar to Jun. He worked with anger. It was rage that had fueled him when he saw Zabuza capture his sensei. Desperate and visceral anger seized him when the nukenin was toying with him.

Didn't Sasuke suffer enough? Without even thinking, he had fought back, revealing without the slightest hesitation the whole panel of skills Jun had taught him… Walking on water, Katon Jutsus, Taijutsu moves aiming for the vitals, a vicious Raiton that electrocuted the target at the slightest touch.

Even if he didn't get to use everything, Sasuke had been so proud, so proud to save Kakashi. He had felt joy at the time. But he didn't think the situation would immediately turn into disaster.

Zabuza knew Itachi. Zabuza wanted to get his ransom from Itachi. Sakura and Kiba were captured with him. Akamaru was dead, and he had no idea what happened to Kakashi.

They had been imprisoned for almost three days now.

The first day, Kiba had screamed like a madman as he banged on his cell door over and over again. Then he began to cry, and that was probably the worst. Kiba, noisy, boastful, and exuberant, now cried softly, moaning like an injured animal. But now, he was silent. He no longer ate. Sakura called him several times, but he didn't answer. Sasuke also hardly spoke. He tried to find a weakness in his cell and the chains tying up his arms. The silence in the basement was heavy like lead, which stank of anxiety and despair.

Sasuke didn't even like Akamaru. The puppy had been stupid, boring, annoying, and quick to pee in the most unusual places. But it was Kiba's dog, his partner. He had been on their team because it was part of Kiba, and Sasuke should have protected Akamaru. He should have protected them all.

Sakura spoke little, too. She had cried a lot the first day, but then her sobs had been dry and without tears. She had no more tears to shed. When she called Sasuke or Kiba, her voice was hoarse and hollow, without any emotion. It was as if she had passed the stage of sadness or fear or other primal emotions. Sakura was a daughter of civilians, a daughter of no one. She wasn't prepared for this situation.

Sasuke had always scorned her with contempt, but he was a little ashamed now. Yes, Sakura was weak, and she needed help. But that didn't mean she wasn't worthy of help. But what help could Sasuke give her now? He was as helpless as she was.

On the second day, Kakashi tried to save them. It was probably that which had most destroyed their morale. He had tried but failed. Their sensei was always late. He was infuriating, stupid, boring, but he was a jonin. He should have succeeded. The sounds of the fighting had come to their basement, with the clapping of steel, and the sounds of Jutsus colliding. 

But the swordsman, Zabuza, had pushed him away. Him, and Haku, no doubt. Kakashi had been very close. They had even heard his voice rumbling with threats. And Sasuke tried to call out. They all tried to call him. But Kakashi didn't come.

Was Tazuna, their client, dead? Did Kakashi fail to protect him? Why hasn't he tried to save them again? They had no clue, and it made Sasuke sick.

Everything made him sick. The water given to the prisoners was probably tampered with some kind of drug. Sasuke was nauseous and tired all the time. The dry bread they were given was barely enough to feed them. Kiba didn't eat his share. Whenever Gato's men came down with their food, they cruelly mocked the genins and imitated Akamaru's powerless cries before Zabuza killed it. 

But when it was the masked ninja, who they came to know as Haku when he removed his mask and introduced himself, he didn't make fun of them. His voice was soft and compassionate. Sasuke wanted to hit him just for that.

"I'm sorry," Haku whispered.

He said that every day. Sasuke clenched his teeth in silence. Kiba remained mute too. But there was a rustle in Sakura's cell as if she was dragging herself to the gate. As if she had finally gathered enough courage and thought she could plead her case with the guy.

"Why help him?" Sakura asked in a voice made hoarse by dehydration. "That guy, Gato, he's awful. What he does to people…"

Haku hesitated briefly, then he lowered his eyes.

"Master Zabuza has a contract with him. He wants to fulfill it before returning to Kiri and confronting the new Mizukage."

Sakura remained silent, probably not grasping the importance of this revelation. But Sasuke knew more about geopolitics to grasp what it meant.

"Kiri was ruined by the civil war. Zabuza plans to use Gato's money to return to Kiri and become Mizukage, right?" The Uchiha said.

Haku gave him a brief look and nodded his head. Sakura uttered a hiccup of protest, and there was a metallic ringing as if clinging to the bars of her cell.

"But it's bad! He doesn't need to do that, and... And... Haku, your name is Haku, right? Please, we have nothing to do with this situation. Konoha has welcomed many refugees from Kiri, our two countries aren't enemies right now. Let us go. We don't have to be enemies!"

Sasuke didn't share her point of view. They were enemies because Haku served Zabuza, and Zabuza killed Akamaru. It was simple in his eyes. They were enemies, and Sasuke hated them.

"No," Haku whispered. "I'm sorry, but I can't go against Master Zabuza's wishes. I want to be useful to him. That is the reason for my existence."

Sasuke clung to the bars so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The reason for his existence. As if we needed a reason. Life had no hidden meaning or absurdity like that. We just had to hang on and fight.

"That's all? Are you going to exist for someone else? It's a weak mindset." Sasuke retorted.

Sakura made a worried noise in her cell as if she was afraid that he would provoke Haku. But Sasuke didn't take back his words. He stared at their enemy defiantly. Haku merely leaned his head to the side, looking dreamy. He kept his distance from Sasuke's cell, but he was so close to Sakura's that she could probably touch him if she reached through the bars.

"Really?" Haku replied. "I think it's when we have someone to protect that we can really become strong."

Sasuke clenched his teeth. Jun had told him similar words too. Things like… to be loved by someone gives you strength, and to love someone gives you courage. Jun was so self-righteous sometimes. But he wasn't wrong, was he? Haku wasn't wrong. Real strength wasn't terrorizing civilians as Gato did. Real strength was being able to protect the ones you care about.

That was the kind of strength Sasuke wanted. In another life, maybe he would have had nothing worth hanging onto other than his revenge. But he had his family. Jun, Izumi, Kazuma, Neji, and even Karin. They were his people. He wanted to be strong for them, to protect them. It was the kind of strength he desired to have. And he realized this Haku guy may have achieved that. 

The realization made him think of Jun. But Sasuke chased the thought away. Jun wasn't here. He was the strongest person Sasuke knew, but he wasn't here. He couldn't protect him. And Itachi ... Sasuke tightened his grip on the bars, trembling with rage, fear, and sorrow. Itachi had been strong, so strong… but he had betrayed him. He had abandoned him, tortured him. We only became strong if we had something to protect… But what could Sasuke protect from Itachi Uchiha?

"What's the point of being strong if you're using it for someone like Gato?"

Haku looked sad. Maybe he was thinking about Gato. Perhaps he disapproved of his actions. But it didn't matter, because Haku would never oppose it. He was just a tool for Zabuza. A puppet who blindly obeyed Zabuza.

Haku turned away, ready to go. Sasuke realized that after this conversation, Haku might not come down again to give them food.

"Wait!" he commanded in an imperious tone. "How does Zabuza know Itachi?"

Haku stopped. A strange expression passed over his face.

"Itachi Uchiha has lived for several months in the land of Water, taking advantage of the chaos to blend in with the mass of nukenins roaming the borders. Master Zabuza and he…They were working in the same area. We crossed paths several times.

"You… You saw him?"

Haku looked almost sad, suddenly.

"Yes," he admitted gently. "He looked lonely."

Lonely? He chose this path. He killed his clan members and his parents. It was his fault if he was lonely.

Sasuke had so much on his mind, so many questions. But he didn't know where to start. So in the end, he said nothing, and Haku left.