Raidou made a noise that might have been laughter, if he'd been able to get the air. It ended on a hitching groan and choked out. "I love--your pri-orities," he managed. "Who--doesn't want--killer lizards?"

Talking about home, that was important. To remember they were going to get out of this. It was rule--something. He couldn't remember. But it was one of the rules you learned during interrogation training. Keep believing. Keep your partner believing. Don't give up.

It'd take a whole lot more than a hot poker and cracked teeth to break a Leaf-nin.

Genma wanted him to stand.

Raidou started to clench his jaw, and stopped with a long shudder that rattled steel. Pins and needles rippled up his arms. Slowly, carefully, thinking about each muscle before he moved it, he straightened his legs and tried to get his heels down. The way he was chained wouldn't allow it, but he managed to brace awkwardly on the balls of his feet and wrench some balance back. Muscles trembled fitfully in his calves and thighs. His ribcage heaved. But some of the weight hanging on his shoulders and wrists eased, letting blood flow return to his hands.

It was not, in any sense of the word, pleasant.

He threw his head up and let it thump back against the wall, panting open-mouthed as fire arched through his limbs. It wasn't pins and needles; it was someone with a damn katana blade stripping the flesh off his bones. Sweat streaked down his face, slick over pale skin. His knees gave, dropping the weight back onto his shoulders, and numbness started to return.

"I can't," he gasped. "It's--"

Too hard. Hurt too much.

Genma wanted him to stand.

Raidou bit down on his tongue and tried again, forcing his weight onto his feet. Made his head stay up. Made himself keep breathing. If he had to do it then he'd damn well do it--

The manacles snapped open.

There wasn't time to catch himself.