Naruto: The Prince of Lust

With the guiding principle of serve and return—a genuine interaction to help build trust and communication—Mabui begins reaching Samui by asking, "would you like to be friends?"

Though Mabui would never condone a personal relationship when treating a patient, she's more than aware that a good relationship is the key to healing trauma. Mabui also knows Samui doesn't respond to active therapy in a professional setting. If the tranquil beauty performs best on missions, then that is the best environment to establish a bond. Additionally, they're both nearly naked, a physical show of trust.

When Mabui doesn't hear more than a body delicately laying down, she continues, "I'd like it if I could talk to someone about things. Would it be okay if I spoke with you about my life?"

"We're on mission," Samui speaks.

"Correct," Mabui agrees with a more authoritative constitution, spreading out her sleeping bag. Hoping to establish a safe connection, Mabui affirms, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but ever since I met you, I've been interested in getting to know you more. Would you be okay with that?"

Mabui felt the small victory of Samui's silence be snatched away when Samui answers, "no. Please go to sleep."

Mabui didn't take offense nor will she push it. Pushing never works. It's a momentary setback at most. Instead, she returns to a professional demeanor as she voices, "earlier this afternoon, I infiltrated Konoha's Library."

"Understood," Samui responds. Without another directive, Mabui assumes she's approved to continue.

KAKASHI

Observing his student in a white room through the one-way mirror in a secured underground section of the hospital, Kakashi observes Sasuke remorsefully answer Inoichi, "yes. I know what I did was wrong. I know where that emotionally based decision stems from and I feel dishonored and ashamed. Despite killing being allowed, I know I went too far, Yamanaka-sensei."

The white room was padded and the bandaged Sasuke and Inoichi were seated with a metal table between them. His raven-haired student has been questioned extensively about his interaction with Orochimaru as well as his willingness to accept anything Orochimaru offers. Some of Sasuke's answers seem disingenuous to Kakashi, and no doubt the Sandaime also in attendance observing. It was a lengthy session that started at seven in the morning, however, Inoichi does his job diligently and it's nearly noon when the mind-walker exits the room.

"Well," Hiruzen asks Inoichi.

"He's saying everything I want to hear," Inoichi easily relays before soberly adding, "if I only wanted to believe that he simply lost his temper and made a mistake due to his past and unresolved anger issues."

"But you don't believe that," Kakashi reasons what they can all agree on.

"If he were hiding red flags, that would be a good indication that he's lying, but he's smart enough to speak honestly, if flawed," Inoichi explains. "He learned from the psych evals after the massacre. By the end of those sessions he wasn't fidgeting, he made clear eye contact, expressed himself convincingly through his gestures and did everything else any educated psychiatrist would gauge as progress." Focusing on Sasuke through the one-way mirror, he reports, "he's admitting it to me because he needs to be patient and play along or he won't get released. In my professional opinion, he'll wait until we're convinced. When we then let him go, he'll go revert to the way he was."

It's as clear to Kakashi as it is to all the men who've seen that same corrosive anger in many soldiers who've lost more than they can bear. Against so much rage and anguish, the mind has to find a manner by which to regain control or risk insanity. To ease the pain, some men turn to the bottle, others to women, and if they're lucky, regain a semblance of control. The majority turn to violence and vengeance. Staring at the remorseful black eyes on the Uchiha's face, Kakashi's not fooled. He can see it clearly; the path of revenge.

"No matter how many of his thorns prick us," Hiruzen starts. "I cannot remove a shinobi of his potential from our ranks."

"Nor should you," Inoichi advises. "To him, his entire existence is dependent upon seeking revenge. At this stage, Uchiha-kun doesn't have the mindset to listen—at least, not truly—and if he doesn't listen, nothing anyone says will get through to him. I recommend he stay active because if he wasn't a Konoha shinobi, it wouldn't surprise me if he left the village to seek his revenge."

"He's using us," Hiruzen remarks before asking, "do you believe his loss against his teammate might've assisted in humbling him?"

"It's possible," Inoichi answers with a deep exhale. "Or it could've only made him that much more willful. It's a single defeat versus the massacre of his entire family and clan by his brother. I'm afraid I can't see how one loss would rewire the entirety of his mental makeup."

"Uzumaki Naruto mentioned he may know of a way to help Sasuke-kun," Hiruzen remarks to Inoichi. "Any idea what he could mean?"

"Did… uh, did he mention anything else," a slightly startled Inoichi asks. Though Kakashi noted the hesitance, he couldn't know Inoichi needed a moment to mentally separate the blond boy from beside his blond daughter.

Kakashi replies, "he said, 'nobody knows the truth.'"

"Hmm, nothing comes to mind," Inoichi comments ignoring the dread of his beautiful daughter shattering her innocence by eventually dating, marrying, and having children of her own. Driven by aching thoughts of his beautiful child, Inoichi sadly reasons, "but then again, Uzumaki-kun is a very surprising ninja."

Unaware of Inoichi's turmoil, Hiruzen laughs his slow elderly laugh before he agrees, "that is certainly true. You can never tell how he'll do a thing, but you can be sure he will and with great enthusiasm."

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