Saved From Stoning

Chapter Fifteen: Sasuke Uchiha is Silenced

Honoka's guards searched high and low all over Kimon City for the people who had carried out bombings in an abandoned building. The blast had awakened many people who came out into the streets, either because they were being evacuated or they were curious to find out what was happening.

"Where are the whelps?" Honoka demanded as a guard appeared before her. "Where are they? Did you find them or not?"

"We couldn't find them anywhere," answered the guard. "We will keep looking until we can't find anything anymore."

"Do so," hissed Honoka, stamping her left foot down hard on the ground. "And if anyone with the slightest suspicion is spotted, bring them to me. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" replied the guard and took to the air.

Honoka then proceeded to move towards the scene of the blast. The building was blown out and fires were popping up at random. Using her hands to cover her eyes, Honoka made her way into the building and no sooner did she get inside did the Empress of Azura discover a horrifying sight.

"Oh, you vile, vulgar barbarians!" Honoka gasped in disgust as she saw a dismembered man's leg at her feet. The sight of it almost made Honoka feel sick to her stomach and even made her close enough to vomiting. Flashing several lights from her flashlights, a small group of guards came into the building, using their magic to put out the fires. "This man is dead!"

"Over here, Your Majesty!" called a guard and Honoka ran over to see another dismembered body part. Now Honoka was becoming more and more suspicious of what was happening. "It looks to me like it's from the same man."

"I found something else!" called a guard and he came over holding what appeared to be a piece of parchment that had miraculously not been burned or harmed in any way and Honoka hastily snatched it away when she saw what appeared to be a message written on it.

"To the dictators holding our leader captured,

This is a message demanding that unless you drop the charges against our beloved Danzo, the next bombs will be directed at you and you alone! This entire nightmare that you are putting our leader in is unacceptable and, until you honor our request, you will suffer the consequences!

Sincerely yours,
The defenders of our beloved Mayor Danzo Shimura."

After reading the scroll, Honoka immediately left the destroyed building and hastily returned to the castle.

"Empress Honoka!" cried Sakura, opening the door to her quarters. "What's going on? What's happening?"

"A message has been spoken to us," answered Honoka, ignoring Sakura. "A message from those who wish to free Danzo and it is a message that people will be put to death if we don't comply."

Sakura felt her heart sink and wondered about the possibility of being targeted at last by the devils who hunted her and Kazuya Watanabe down. Just then, the doors to Asahi's quarters opened and the Emperor of Azura darted over to his wife.

"Milady, what happened?" he asked. "Is anyone hurt?"

"Only the perpetrators," answered Honoka, handing Asahi the scroll. "It seems as if they want us to free the condemned prisoners we are keeping."

Asahi read the note and threw it down onto the floor.

"Well, I will say this," he said firmly, looking at Honoka. "We will not bow to their demands. This trial will go on and we will not release a monster like Danzo like cowards."

Asahi then stopped for a moment and realized that there was a possibility that whoever carried out the bombings were being directed by somebody, somebody who was in confinement but still having the ability to carry out orders.

"My love, what's wrong?" asked Honoka.

"That foul scum!!" remarked Asahi and he stormed away from the scene, leaving both Honoka and Sakura to wonder what was going on or what Asahi was intending to do.

Asahi stormed faster and faster down towards the dungeons and it didn't matter if he didn't have his royal accessories on. He was still an emperor and it showed. Approaching the prison cell holding Sasuke, Asahi banged on the door loudly and angrily.

"Sasuke Uchiha!!" he yelled in his Royal Kimon voice. "Get up at once! I know you ordered a bombing tonight in Kimon City!!"

Sasuke didn't stir and Asahi motioned for the guards to open the door to the cell. Asahi furiously entered and Sasuke was found lying on his bed trying to pretend like he was asleep.

"Get up, Uchiha, you sniveling coward!" snarled Asahi, grabbing Sasuke, who was clearly wide awake. "Do you even realize what you have done?"

"What have I done? All I did was send you a message in the form of a massive explosion?" he laughed. "That's what we do to enemies who threaten us, my dear enemy. We send explosive warnings."

"Sasuke Uchiha," snapped Asahi, growling as he threw Sasuke against the wall of his prison cell. "You have tested my patience and harmed my subjects for the very last time! Now, you are about to be given a punishment that is only reserved for the cruelest and unforgiven villains of Azura!"

"What do you plan to do?" laughed Sasuke again. "Kill me? You don't have the guts to do such a thing, just like when you left Kimon on a silver platter for that wizard who almost stole all the power and magic or left that whore of my now ex-wife alive..."

Furious, Asahi forcefully opened Sasuke's mouth and he caused him to scream loudly in pain, which Asahi ignored. Chanting a spell, he pointed his finger right at Sasuke's throat and he kept doing these chants for several more minutes as Sasuke screamed louder and louder.

Then, almost as quickly as it began, it was over and Asahi released his grip on Sasuke, throwing him back onto the bed. Sasuke tried to express his displeasure, but to his shock and horror, he couldn't say anything. All he could make was the sounds of strained screams and grunts.

"Now you will learn to silence yourself, Sasuke Uchiha!" Asahi said. "I have taken away your ability to speak and until you learn to accept your fate, you will remain unable to speak and thus, will no longer be able to carry out any threats similar to what you have done tonight!"

Sasuke continued to glare at Asahi as he left his prison cell, having lost his ability to speak any clear words.

'Let that be a lesson to you, Danzo Shimura,' Asahi thought as he left Sasuke's prison cell. 'That if you cannot learn to keep yourself quiet, you will suffer the consequences.'