A/N: Hello everyone! I've had this idea for I while and I actually wrote the story once but repeatedly chickened out of posting. It's my first story but no need to be gentle. I can take the heaviest criticism so please, feel free.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
SECOND WEEK OF APRIL
Chapter One : Beginnings
Hinata was Blank.
In reality, she was jumping from branch to branch with the rest of Team 8, halfway between Konoha and the agricultural city of Galen in South Fire Country. In bodily functions, she was slightly sore, warm, and suffering the last days of menstruation. The Village knew her to be on a 2 week reconnaissance mission. Her father knew she was not home. But in her mind, she was Blank.
Hinata cherished these moments of Blankness when she had no obligation to think of anything. In the morning when she woke up, she thought of hurrying to be at the breakfast table before her father. At breakfast, she thought of her last mission and mentally prepared a mission report. On the way to the Hokage Tower, she composed all her actions and prepared justifications for each one in case she was questioned. But right now, with a day and a half of travel time left before they arrived at the mission site of a friendly recon (where there was traditionally very less mission info), she didn't need to think of strategies or subtle ways to mark her route or look out for threats. She didn't need to think of anything. Hence, she was Blank.
Hinata, being on autopilot, didn't notice the scattered evergreens among the other deciduous trees. So when she landed on springy spruce instead of steady maple she momentarily lost her footing and had to stumble in midair to regain it. The jolt was enough. Hinata was no longer Blank.
"What's wrong, Hinata?" asked Kiba slyly, "Your little run-in with Naruto still on your mind?"
Hinata flushed deep crimson.
Trust him to bring that up! I had almost forgotten.
Kurenai-sensei looked at her questioningly with a small smile, knowing what her former-student must mean.
As usual, Shino said nothing.
The long-awaited return of Naruto had been marred with humiliation. She'd looked him in the eye for all of twelve seconds-Kiba counted-before promptly fainting at his feet. Her carefully premeditated reunion-the healthy offspring of three years of on-and-off planning and careful research of Kiba's sultry novels (some of which she read through her fingers)-was struck dead by his Jack-in-the-Box personality-literally. He had sprung himself at her. What was she supposed to do? It wasn't that she didn't think. She did-fervently. She probably fainted because there was too much blood traveling to her head.
They're right. I am too weak.
After training nonstop with newfound reason, Hinata had finally managed to gain some of her father's respect though from odd comments here and there she understood that she'd always had his love. Her mind unwillingly went back to the conversation she'd overheard just before she left.
"It's true that she has become stronger sir but, with all due respect to Hinata-sama, she is still much too…hesitant…indecisive…fragile, even."
"Nonsense. Hinata may be timid at times but is that not the shyness expected in a young woman? She'll grow out of it."
She didn't have the heart to listen to any more.
My timid nature, no doubt.
Everyone faced the same trials she did but not everyone had them pinned on a meeting board for "topics to be minutely observed and criticized". The fact that her father had stood up for her did nothing to ease the already unbearably weight on her shoulders. That combined with her duties to the village…
Emerald eyes framed by pink locks…
Platinum hair glowing in semi-darkness…
Something hard digging into her hip…
Intrusive voices considering, contemplating, condemning…
All along the murky smell of rotting parchment.
Hinata gave a small shake of her head.
Naruto-kun is back. Father respects me now. I have been made a Chuunin.
This is the time for a new beginning.
Considerably cheered, Hinata quickened her pace onto the city of Galen where her new beginning awaited her.
Tsunade gazed silently at Konoha from the Hokage Tower.
The argument she had with the Councilors still reverberated in her mind. Just thinking of the things they could do with their life-is-a-shogi-game-with-people-as-pieces philosophy and just a little bit of energy shook her to her soul. What scared her more was the fact that they might be right.
Are my feelings for Naruto clouding my judgement?
If it was anyone else, would I allow them to retrieve a deserter in a situation where there are this many unknowns and that very person's life has been threatened by forces two high-level combat-type platoons couldn't defeat?
Is his personal growth really all that much more important than his safety?
Suddenly an image of the Hyuuga girl popped into her head. She pushed it away furiously along with the slight twinge of guilt that followed.
"You were right, you know," came a voice from behind her. "They can't keep Naruto hidden up their sleeves like some kinda trump card for what's up ahead."
With that, her inner turmoil dissolved. If he thought she'd done the right thing, then she'd done the right thing. Who cared about those old fossils? Deep down, she knew that Jiraiya was probably the only person alive she actually looked up to…
…and loved.
"I know that, baka."
She'd never tell him that though.
"Hmm. Sorry for caring."
Moment of truth over. Back to schoolchildren days.
Something caught her attention.
"What do you mean 'what's up ahead'?" asked Tsunade, lines appearing on her forehead.
He sighed heavily.
"I'm not just here to watch your backside," he paused, "Pun intended." Another line appeared, "I've actually been doing research."
"Shocker."
"World-hangs-in-the-balance research."
"Here, in Konoha?" The fine hairs on her neck were rising.
Here in Konoha…
He perched himself on her desk.
"Yep. Security checks, mostly. I don't mean to pee on your turf but the lowest underdogs have caught the minute whiffs of something. They don't even know what it is. Nothing substantial. Just a sniff here and there. It's like," he stopped to think, "like a colony of ants. You know how they get right before the first snow fall? They're nowhere in sight. Their anthills are nowhere in sight. All clogged up so the snow can't get in and they're as deep as they can get."
"The Calm before the Storm." said Tsunade, impatiently.
Everyone knew about the telltale signs of a full-blown war. About the quiet right before the first battle, when operatives went missing and livestock began to vanish and none of your contacts knew anything. This was the period the most Psych Leaves occurred.
"Right, right," said Jiraiya, placatingly. "Bear with me. Before the Calm, there's the Rush. When-"
"When the ants are worked to death to bulk up the food pile their carcasses are then thrown on." Tsunade guessed. The Rush to Arms when both sides prepared for war right before and right after war was declared. Part of what made the Calm so scary was that it meant the Rush was complete. This was the period the most dehydration cases lined up at the hospital.
"Precisely! There isn't a cloud in the sky and its 27 degrees outside but the ants are flipping. And a week before that, there's the skirmishes. The ants have territory fights with rival hills; they eat butterfly eggs and kill off grasshoppers: knocking out the competition."
The Beginning.
This sign had no textbook name because it wasn't in textbooks-it wasn't taught. Only the most brilliant strategists could pick it out from the everyday hubbub of the ninja world and identify it as the first sign of war so there was really no point. In the end, defenses, militia, arms, and supplies-none of it mattered; if a country was planning a war or if a war was unavoidable, whosever strategist picked up on it early was almost always triumphant.
Well begun makes well ended.
The initial stage of any war, the Beginning could last for years until a spark came along and set off the Rush.
For those in the know, this was the darkest time of any war. This was when silent atrocities, dark things you weren't authorized to have nightmares about, were committed.
Our survival is intended…
Tsunade's forehead cleared even as her neck hairs stood on end.
The rest is noise.
She and Jiraiya had always been in the know. Their eyes met.
"How long have you been staring at bugs exactly?"
"I spent a whole afternoon at it."
"And you thought you'd share this with me why?"
Jiraiya held her gaze, all playfulness gone. "Because before the ants know snow exists, they fatten up subconsciously, realizing they'll need the calories. My contacts are fattening up. The ninja world is fattening up. There's no danger in sight except a pack of renegade ninjas so why the blubber?"
All of Tsunade's hairs were on end now.
"Who were you researching here in Konoha?"
Jiraiya appraised her silently. "The old fossils. In particular, Danzou. It's nothing alarming. He's just been making slight changes," he eyed her meaningfully, "to official requests; assigning plumbers who at one point worked for a subsidiary business owned by a large company that has mutual board members with a Packaged Food conglomerate that serviced ROOT during the altercations in the South 43 years ago and what not. As if he's preparing for something. You know, expecting something to happen."
Tsunade stared.
The Beginning?
"What is the nature of these requests?"
"Domestic, mostly."
"If he's making 'slight changes' on a national scale, other countries would have picked up on it by now even if we hadn't. They would have figured it was a sign."
"Who said they were on a national scale?"
"You just said-"
"I said they were domestic."
All the hair on Tsunade's body went haywire.
Here in Konoha.
No wonder no one had picked up on it. Who would expect a Village to plot against itself?
She was silent for a long time.
"For how long?"
"At least ten years."
"That son of a bitch. He sold us out. We keep having meetings about security. They keep asking if it's all I can do. THOSE DINO-POOP FOSSILS!"
Enraged, she threw a vase. Jiraiya caught it effortlessly and set it down. He was here as support. He'd tolerate Tsunade's unimaginative insults and make sure she didn't trash her office. Most importantly, he'd keep her focused. All in a day's work.
"So what are you going to do? You need to protect the Village. They've been keeping you in the dark. Now it's your turn. You're the Hokage. Improvise."
"How? I have no idea what the hell's going on! I have no idea because THEY do. They keep holding POINTLESS meetings to FUCKING SLAUGHTER my time!"
It hit Tsunade like an avalanche.
"A slaughterhouse."
"What?"
"Where'd you pick up on the 'slight change'? The first one?"
"Re-canalization of the Herbalist's Street close to the wall four years ago. A joint popped or something and the pipes had to be fixed. The pipes were prehistoric. They were all changed just in case. It was very small, ordinary work but it passed through the Hokage's office because-"
"Because any constructions work within 0.87 kilometers of the wall has to be approved by the Hokage and the head of the Direct Investigation Gross who has to deploy a Five-point investigation. We get a hundred of them a year. There are NOCs to approve and AAAAs to sign. Loads of paperwork." Tsunade began rummaging through the shelves. "So much, in fact, that we only keep this year's on hand." She pulled out a huge tome with a triumphant sound. "I made Shikamaru take part in some them and finally," she opened it to a page, "he took lead on one. It was another re-canalization on some minor route off the Birch Road." She finished, showing him the page.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, "Shikamaru? He's sixteen."
"He's a rising star," she corrected, "Tremendous job he did, too. I had him report directly to me because it was his first case and he said there were no suspicious circumstances; that the pipes' warranty had run out leading to leaking in some places and the street in question was a less-used one with no strategic importance."
"Don't fire him," deadpanned Jiraiya, looking through the very boring report. "…used mostly to herd livestock…no anomalies in soil structure…very few residents, one civilian-owned business… A very thorough report. I take my hat off to him: he stayed awake long enough to write this. I see no persons of interest among the workers."
"It's doubtful we'd get that lucky again." Tsunade pressed a button on the corner of her desk. "Shikamaru mentioned something else. He said that because of the re-canalization, a slaughterhouse would get water directly from the old Uchiha Source and lots of it-the new pipes were very efficient, long-lasting ones. There was no room on the road to install a switch until after the slaughterhouse owing to the debris turbine someone insisted be installed. So the water can't be turned off. Lucky slaughterhouse."
"Nice catch." Jiraiya paused. "You know Tsunade, I wanted you to become Hokage foreseeing something like this. I thought that you'd be the best-suited for this role." For a moment he looked like he might say something else but then changed his mind, as if he'd used up his emotional quota of the day.
"Bet you knew you'd be useless."
Schoolchildren days are over…
Shizune barged into the room, breathless, clothing askew.
"Tsunade-sama!" she gasped, "I was-"
We're at war.
"I don't care," interrupted Tsunade. "My office gets too much light. Plus, I can smell cigarette smoke from outside. I'm getting migraines. No need to worry, just find me a windowless, sound-proof, airless room to use until I get better. Make it a big one."
"Hai, Tsunade-sama," said Shizune, masking her confusion.
"And get me maps of Konoha-I want blue prints and imaging-a current one and one for every year for the last fifteen years. Get them yourself. No originals, no requests. Make copies of existing documents that have gold mapmaker seals."
"Hai!" Shizune repeated, scribbling away in a notebook.
"I've realized something, Shizune. I don't give you enough credit."
Shizune colored. "That's not necessary-"
"You have leaf through all this junk to find one document. Pure torture. It's not right to mistreat all our workers like this. We need a new system with a new level of organization. All documents will have to be rearranged. Come up with a new system immediately; one that's based on knowing which document is where at all times and who viewed it-no one and no document is exempt. However, so as not to hinder the ANBU, that information is for my eyes only-and yours, of course. Until this project is over, no document can be removed from anywhere. This request didn't come from me. Our secretaries are all complaining nonstop and so is the entire Library staff. In my opinion, it's a waste of time but what can I do? I'm outnumbered against you lot."
"Hai," said Shizune, like a victim of the aforementioned torture.
"Naturally we can't commence a project of this magnitude without first utilizing the wisdom of our elders. It'd be unbearably shameful! Round up the fossils. They must meet with you, the Main Library staff, the Hokage's Archival staff, the head of the Hospital archives, the Development and Improvement Division, the Ninja Academy Librarian-junior and senior, the Fire Country Imperial Bookmaster, Head Secretary-"
"You're looking at her," informed Jiraiya.
"You get the picture, Shizune. Danzou should meet with them as well just make sure everyone's accounted for at the end of the day. What are you waiting for? Scram!"
"Nice" whistled Jiraiya after Shizune had scrammed.
"I'm not done yet,"
She made a hand signal and an ANBU agent appeared in front of her. His mask was painted red under the eyes-Captain.
"Tonight, a newly-installed plumbing device under the Herbalists' Street will unexpectedly malfunction. The plumber who installed it.."
"Daichi Ayumu," Jiraiya supplied.
"Daichi Ayumu will be thought to be responsible. The plot is 0.87 kilometers from the wall; it will be taken seriously. This Daichi will be apprehended by shinobi who carry out the official investigation. Until then, Daichi will have contact with no one. And stick a couple of tails on Danzou's ass-serious ones."
"There's no way he won't see through either of those actions," the agent commented.
"I agree," added Jiraiya.
"I know. Chances are he knows you know about the Herbalists' Street. We need to gather our sharpest minds in a room without raising suspicion and find the other Daichis. What better way to do it than to burn a dead bridge? He doesn't know we know about the slaughterhouse. If it hadn't been Shikamaru's first case, we wouldn't. Watch it personally," this to the ANBU Captain, "and don't report unless something happens. As for the tail, I doubt we'll actually get anything from it but it will make Danzou's life a little harder. Also, bulk up on weapons on minor ANBU bases along our borders. Keep it on an extremely low profile. The kind no one can miss."
"That might make our neighbors a little nervous," commented Jiraiya drily.
Tsunade met his eyes squarely.
"I refuse to be Danzou. If there's something coming up, the other Villages should know about it. Besides, I don't have any operatives walking around other countries. It won't be my men that go missing."
"What about Sasuke?" asked Tsunade, dismissing the ANBU and sinking into her chair. Her sudden burst of energy had left her exhausted.
Jiraiya shrugged. "Sasuke will have gotten stronger. He probably sees Konoha as a nuisance. Orochimaru," he spat out the name, "will have seen to that but he's probably no danger to you. He's safe, for now."
"And Naruto?"
"I haven't been sitting on my ass the last three years," said Jiraiya indignantly. "If they do meet up, he'll hold his own. For a while, anyway."
They sat there in companionable silence, watching the Village flourish in the early spring sunshine. Tomorrow it would no longer be peaceful.
Jiraiya left her, eventually, with a head full of his words and the recurring image of the Hyuuga girl.
This is it…
The Beginning.
Naruto walked, pouting, with his face to the late afternoon sky.
He was letting everyone know he was still angry at Sai over the insults to his penis. Actually, he had gotten over it a while ago but he didn't want to seem fickle so he kept up the mad face for appearance's sake.
In a few more minutes, though, even that would blow over. Naruto was bored.
This new Team 7 and this mission kept making him feel like a chapter in their lives was over. They would either bring Sasuke-teme back or they'd just have to try again but either way they would see him. He would see him for the first time after Sasuke realized he couldn't kill him. Of this Naruto was sure: Sasuke could not and would never be able to kill him. It was way too much gooey stuff for Naruto on a normal day. He shook his head and reset his mind.
He considered chatting with Sakura-chan but he doubted she'd be in the mood. He could tell from the way she walked in an exactly straight line that she was just as annoyed at their circumstances as he was. When happy, Sakura-chan had always been a traipse-er. Striking up a conversation with her now was just as likely as striking gold.
He wouldn't even reason talking to Sai. That dude was creepy. Any remotely bearably exchange he could possibly have with Sai he would not want Sakura-chan to hear. Besides, he had to maintain that he was angry. A feat that was turning out to be easier said than done-his face muscles were starting to hurt.
By process of elimination, that only left their enigmatic new captain. He was thinking about what to say. They were both strong so logic dictated they should have something in common. This same logic showed that since Sai and he were nothing alike, Sai was a pansy-ass. So far so good. Now back to Chitchat 101.
Didn't Yamato-taichou know Kakashi-sensei quite well? There, a common factor. Naruto was just about to tell a funny anecdote featuring their pervy sensei when something struck him as odd.
Sometimes, Naruto's mind made strange leaps independent of any backing information and still somehow arrived at the correct conclusion in the end.
From A to B to X…
He never knew how it happened but he made sure to pay attention.
Yamato-taichou did know Kakashi-sensei well and had known him for quite some time. He'd called Kakashi-sensei 'sempai' and talked about him so familiarly. If that was true then how come Naruto had never seen them together? And how come Kakashi-sensei never mentioned him?
Come to think of it, Naruto didn't recall having ever seen or heard of Yamato-taichou. That was odd in itself.
Contrary to popular belief, Naruto was actually very aware of the people around him. By the time he was twelve, the most he got from almost everyone was either a snide comment or a look-and sometimes not even that. So he often had to remember people by face alone. This ability had weakened off in time but he was still pretty keen.
He could swear that he had never, ever seen Yamato-taichou in his life.
And he had never, ever seen Sai.
A common factor.
Sai and Yamato-taichou.
Did they know each other? No, there was no familiarity in their dealings with each other at all.
Again, contrary to popular belief, Naruto was not oblivious to people's feelings. Watching, while never taking part in, other peoples' interactions with each other meant that he usually knew why someone took on a certain expression and why.
He could observe everyone well from the back of the group. Was it just his imagination or was their captains eyes straying to Sai way too often? As if he was making Sai didn't get lost. There! He did it again. What was going on?
"Naruto! What's wrong? Do you have another stomach ache?" asked Sakura, misinterpreting the pained look on his face.
"I'm fine, Sakura-chan!" he replied, giving her a big grin.
"Say, Yamato-taichou?"
Yamato-taichou glanced back to show that he was listening.
"When did you and Kakashi-sensei meet again?"
The larger than usual pause between one step and the next told Naruto that his captain was surprised but not overly uncomfortable.
"I think I first met sempai on a mission about…eight years ago? It's been a while." The tone was dismissive.
Naruto pretended not to get it. "What kind of mission? Did you kill anyone?" The last part was intended as a joke.
Yamato-taichou stopped and turned around. Sakura-chan and Sai stopped, too. The former regarded Naruto curiously. The latter just smiled. Apparently, no one got the joke.
"Why the sudden interest?" Yamato-taichou asked in a deceptively light voice.
I just realized you're creepy, too.
He frowned. "You're the one that said we should get to know each other. I'm making an effort."
Yamato-taichou gave a slight nod, all suspicion gone. It was an acceptable Naruto answer.
"It was an ANBU mission," he said, starting to walk again, "and top secret."
A very effective conversation killer.
To the inexperienced, this measly dialogue would be regarded as a failure. Naruto thought it was a complete success. He had managed to glean three pieces of info.
One: Yamato-taichou was a good guy. No one was Kakashi's friend for that long without being safe or paralyzed or both.
Two: He was a trusted ANBU operative; probably very high-up. It made sense that baachan would assign one her right hands to this mission and it explained why Naruto had never seen his face.
Three: Sai was in ANBU, too, and he wasn't assigned to Team 7 by baachan.
The third was a huge leap but it cleared everything right up.
The second Yamato-taichou said the word ANBU, Sai face had lost the smile and went completely emotionless. He was familiar with ANBU-but not with Yamato-taichou. And Yamato-taichou was watching him closely which meant he didn't trust him. What did that mean, that he didn't serve in ANBU? Yamato-taichou was high-up. If Sai was in ANBU, he should know him. But his hunches were never wrong.
This was so confusing. His head was starting hurt from all the thinking.
Instinct told him he wouldn't get anything else today. His stomach told him he was hungry.
It was time to act more like Naruto.
"Hey Sakura-chan, when we get back what d'you say we go on a date?"
A new chapter is beginning.
Danzou stirred his tea with his mind elsewhere.
He was calm and collected as he took a sip. He was calm and collected as he moved into a more comfortable position. He was calm and collected even as he heard a small creak from the ventilation above.
Really, Tsunade-hime?
Though the sound could be attributed to the oldness of the building, Danzou knew better. Jiraiya-kun had picked up on one of his lesser projects. By now, Tsunade-hime had probably been informed and was handling it with her usual energy and discretion.
Danzou took this as seriously as he would a fly. It was annoying and it meant he'd have to move more carefully but it was of no serious consequence. For this particular reason, Danzou had designed his master plan in such a way that once it was triggered-by no other than Uchiha Sasuke himself-it would continue along with no urging from him.
Already adapted to this new arrangement, Danzou's mind returned to the little tryst he'd had with an adolescent boy 34 months ago.
He was calm and collected as he remembered the cries of that unbroken voice. He was calm and collected as he remembered the feel of the yet unmarred hands on his chest.
Another creak momentarily brought him back. He was almost annoyed at their incompetence but thinking of Tsunade-hime's plight helped rejuvenate his good mood.
So this is how it begins, hime?
Danzou's mind returned to his boy as he recalled how the smooth skin and young muscle felt under his hand when he not-so-calmly-and-collectedly broke the boy's neck.
Kabuto stared at the tools on his bed, reevaluating which ones might be needed.
Although there was another week until the meeting at the Heaven and Earth Bridge with Sasori-sama, Kabuto had already packed and repacked his bag three times.
All his life, Kabuto's academy teachers, superiors, and Orochimaru-sama had all complemented his ability to think on his feet and be prepared for every contingency. In reality, Kabuto did very little on-the-spot thinking. He was just very well prepared.
The night before his first day in the Academy, Kabuto had memorized the names of all the teachers, students, and auxiliary staff. He'd researched seating arrangements and dug up lunch menus.
The months before Kabuto approached Sasori-sama, he had chosen three ideal sites in a half mile radius he could lead him to. He'd sampled all the plants and met with all the animals in the vicinity. He'd prepared several safe houses close by which he had completely sterilized so they bore no traces of him. He'd studied the weather, marked rabbit routes, and memorized rock formations.
The year and half before Kabuto met Orochimaru, he had skillfully interviewed everyone notable Orochimaru came into contact with save the Sannin. He'd visited his parents' graves and found out more about the man than he doubted anyone else had.
After he knew the board, it was extremely easy to make any move.
Sasuke walked in silently, without knocking as usual, and sat on the seamlessly made bed.
Kabuto didn't even look up. This happened often. Sasuke would walk into the laboratory or library or wherever Kabuto was working at the moment and just sit and watch him. The first time it happened (six months after Sasuke's arrival) Kabuto almost had a heart attack. He'd tried to ascertain what he wanted but Sasuke wouldn't answer when asked-he'd just walk out. After the first five times Kabuto stopped asking and just learnt to ignore him. What puzzled him more was the look on his face. It wasn't bored, cold, or emotionless. It was-dare he say-interested, bright-eyed even.
While turning to retrieve an extra pair of leather work gloves Kabuto snuck a peek at his uninvited guest. Sasuke was eyeing his pack curiously. Kabuto noticed his clothes were slightly damp and there were water droplets in his hair.
Been outside, have we, Sasuke-kun?
Looking through his pack once again, Kabuto decided he should bring Cyanide instead of Henbane. Before he left for the lab to get some, without thinking he took out a towel from one of the many drawers lining the walls of his non-descript room and laid it on the bed.
Outside in the hall, he paused, surprised at his action.
Well, when did that begin?
The Raven sat on the rocky outcroppings above the Onsen where Naruto was currently staying.
The slight drizzle didn't bother him in the slightest as he watched the establishment in the twilight.
He made sure to completely suppress his chakra once he saw who the blonde was traveling with. His silent compliments to the Hokage on choosing such a suitable person to accompany Naruto were cut short when he noticed Naruto's other travel companion. A surge of alarm passed through the Raven.
Why would someone like that be chosen to accompany Naruto?
Suddenly, he heard a noise to his left. He whipped his head around quickly only to see a wildcat, about as high as his knee, with a tail twisted into an odd shape; broken, no doubt, on the rocks below.
"Here, Neko." he said softly, holding out his left hand for the cat to sniff while his right went for the bandages in his holster.
Very slowly, the wild cat relaxed. It walked toward the Raven and rubbed its head against his hand.
Twenty minutes later, the sun had completely set and the darkness was setting in. The rain had all but subsided. Meanwhile, The Raven had managed to straighten and bandage the cat's broken tail, tend to his own newly-acquired injuries, feed the cat, and coax it onto his lap where it was now purring contentedly as he stroked its lustrous grey fur adorned with black rosettes.
As lights began to appear in the Onsen one by one, a pregnant static filled the air. Indefinable, the tension was, but it was there. The wildcat shifted uncomfortably. An owl hooted in the distance.
"Can you feel it, Neko? It's beginning."
The traitor walked outside of the Onsen where the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was slumbering peacefully.
The midnight coldness did not register and the lovingly planted rose bushes lining the promenade held no beauty.
The traitor was on a mission.
Triangulate beacons upon arrival. Colors for Day 1 are red, yellow, and orange. Place within seventeen meters of each other by at least 1900 hours. At exactly 0013 hours, a messenger owl will land at red beacon. Messenger owl is Type C tawny with three brown feathers on each wing. The owl will hoot twice. Walk towards the owl. The owl will hoot a third time. At third hoot, place report on the ground and walk away.
The traitor heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps to the right. Two people; a man and an older woman. Avoiding them was necessary. The traitor could barely contain excitement right now let alone sport flawless acting. Having waited hidden in darkness until the footsteps passed, the traitor picked up the pace. 0010 hours. It was almost time.
For the years of service, this mission was the one that mattered. It required a great deal of self-control. One step closer to the promised reward: revenge.
Revenge on Konoha.
Revenge on Kakashi. On the bubblegum-sweet Sakura.
And on Naruto. The worst would be left for Naruto.
All the patient planning and acting was paying off. So far everything had gone according to plan. Everything was going right. It was a sign. This time the traitor would triumph.
An owl hooted in the distance. The traitor kept walking until it hooted again. The traitor placed the scroll on the ground and walked away.
No need to check its feathers.
The traitor's time had begun, nothing could go wrong.
Shikamaru woke with a grunt.
He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. 2:37am.
So it wasn't the alarm that woke him. Then what?
He heard a sound outside. The distant but unmistakable call of a bird. So that's what it was. As far as Shikamaru was concerned, he was not a Jounin therefore he didn't have to answer the Hokage's summons, whatever it was. If she wanted him to come, she'd have to call him personally.
He closed his eyes.
Someone landed on his window sill.
"Nara Shikamaru," they intoned.
Shikamaru grunted once again.
So his day was going to begin a little early.
Troublesome.
