"Look on the bright side," Asuma muttered, cradling his aching skull, "if we die, no one will ever know what happened. We'll go down in history as a cautionary tale for little ninja."

Tsume snorted quietly, the sound escaping between her unguarded fingers. A thin streak of dried blood still rimmed her brutalized nails. Asuma couldn't stop himself looking; it was like seeing a drawn sword with every edge blunted. Tsume noticed his regard and curled her fingers, hiding the tips from view.

That eliminated one plan in a quiverful of none. They had no way to damage the seals unless he ripped a bone out and sharpened it, which was definitely option Z.

Carefully, he tipped his head back to rest it against cool iron. It was nice to be able to think again, and even nicer to be able to move, but goddamn he missed the painkillers. It felt like someone had filled the space behind his eyeballs with hot lava--

Not helping.

He dropped his hands, paused momentary to pick at the bandage coming slightly unstuck over his cheekbone, and debated their options. The ninja didn't care about them as bargaining chips--didn't seem to care about them at all, beyond using them for occasional test subjects.

If he told them he was the Hokage's son...

No. He wouldn't let them use him against Konoha, even for Tsume's life.

Moonlight picked out the seals scratched into the iron bars. Asuma's gaze drifted over them, unfocused and distant, as he tried to weave a plan from the threads of nothing. Tsume's breathing evened out, easing into the slower cadence of sleep. She'd gotten none on the deck, standing guard at his back while he'd drifted in and out and drooled on the planks; even in their current situation, her body was taking any chance it could get.

Which was entirely sensible and he approved, even if it left him no one to talk to.

He let her have his closest approximation to twenty minutes, then moved to sit cross-legged in front of her, back held carefully straight, and woke her with a press of fingers against her kneecap.

"I have an idea." He held his hands out, yanking up a smile through blackened skin and split lips. Radiating confidence. "Ninja 101. And no arguments this time. I'm a very good teacher."