Simple Manipulation

.:Ten:.

...Cause them to fall apart...and move along to better things...

"The first question would be...why were you out so late at night?" The man looked at you in such a way that made you feel like you were guilty even though you hadn't done any of the things they were accusing you of.

"I-I had just gotten a note from Itachi...I went to ask him what it meant." You broke eye contact and looked down at your hands.

"That can't be all. What else? Were you planning to have sex with him?"

You frowned up and bit your lip, turning your head away from him as your eyes watered. He sighed loudly with disgust and stood up, kicking his chair away. "Be straight with me! Why else would you be out that late at night unless you knew something was going on?"

You didn't answer. The door opened and your stomach flipped. "Why don't you allow us to handle it from here?"

"Kakashi-sensei. Tsunade-sama." You breathed and bowed in your seat. The first pair of friendly faces (aside from Ko's and her mother's) that you'd seen in a week.

"(Y/n)." Kakashi nodded in your direction and took a seat. The guy left and Tsunade leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "Are you okay?"

You looked around the room and sighed. "No."

"Understandable." He nodded. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"I was in my room reading when I heard something at my window. I checked and it was a note from Itachi. After about an hour of debating whether or not to go ask him about its meaning, I put on my shoes and jacket and went to see him. When I found him, he was standing over Sasuke's body with a bloody katana."

"Did he say anything?" Tsunade prompted.

"Yeah. I asked him if he killed them all and he said yes. Then he picked up Sasuke and said he'd be back. After that I woke up in a jail cell."

Kakashi nodded and looked over his shoulder at Tsunade. "Well?"

"We'll have to investigate. No one seems to be all that anxious to go find Itachi and Sasuke..." She let her sentence die off as her gaze returned to you. "I'll ask them to stop the questioning. You've been through enough."

"Thank you so much." Your eyes watered with tears.

~---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~

Against Tsunade's suggestion, a trial was held for you to decide your innocence. It was worse than the one's you'd watched on TV or read about in the newspaper. The prosecutor used every single detail he could find against you...including your parents. He made it seem as though their passing was the reason you lashed out and mingled with Itachi. To make matters worse on your heart, your defending lawyer ran along with the idea that because you were an orphan, you were more vulnerable to Itachi and needed a friend. The jury seemed to be more open to this suggestion and thus had sympathy for you. It took a lot of self control to not lose it and start screaming at them all to leave your parents out of it.

"If anything...it may help you out." Kohana's mother whispered as Kohana was allowed to hug you during the break while the jury decided your fate.

It helped...just not a lot.

"How do you find?" The female elder asked the jury. One person stood up with a piece of paper and read it aloud for all to hear.

"We find the defendant...guilty as an accessory to murder."

One piece by piece, your world started to fall apart as the words weighed you down in your seat and the shackles became heavier than they'd ever been. It was as if glass had shattered and suddenly all the color of your world fell to the ground in pieces leaving you utterly alone and in the cold dark.

"No." You whispered to yourself feeling your cheeks become wet.

"WHAT?!" Kohana screamed. She launched herself towards the elders' table but was intercepted by Kakashi and Gai then hauled out of the courtroom.

"Very well." Dansou nodded grimly. "The sentencing will be held tomorrow morning at ten." He banged his gravel and the council stood to leave. You felt a tug on your arm telling you to get up but you refused to budge. If they wanted you to go anywhere they would have to carry you.

"I'm sorry...(Y/n)." You heard a gentle masculine voice and turned to see Iruka bending over to pick you up. "I thought you'd prefer a friend to escort you than some stranger who doesn't care that this is wrong."

You nodded unable to speak and allowed him to carry you out of the courtroom.

You were processed into the village's prison that afternoon after being allowed to spend time with friends. You were fingerprinted and forced to be checked for weapons. At the very least, Tsunade's order to allow you to have your own cell was honored. You knew it was more for your protection than anything at it allowed you to sleep somewhat at night. By the end of the first week you had your first visit.

"Ko."

"Geez you look like hell." She muttered sitting down across from you and touching your hand briefly.

"Thanks." You gave a half smile. "How's the outside world?"

"No different from last week. Tsunade's filing for an appeal. As soon as we find solid proof that you had nothing to do with the murders, you'll be free again."

"Is it hard?"

She nodded after a pregnant pause. "Yeah. It all happened so quick, you know? It's like a thirty minute window from when you left your room till when you were found. Hell, we can't even find your aunt."

You looked at her. "Maybe she left on one of her spur-of-the-moment trips? I don't recall having seen her that day..."

"Maybe." Kohana pursed her lips and frowned as if in deep thought then suddenly her expresion brightened up again. "At any rate, I'll have you out of here in no time. I promise."

You nodded again as your eyes watered and opened your arms as much as the shackles would allow. She stood and leaned across the table to hug you tightly. "Thank you for caring."

"Stupid." She chuckled as she leaned back and sniffled, hiding tears of her own. "You'd do the same for me. Right till the very end."