Secret Missions
Chapter 29
Kumogakure
Bonus Chapter – For my dedicated readers only. These were secret missions which might have remained forever lost if Naruto had not discovered a certain diary. Since these are "S" classified reports, all Leaf personnel are referred to by code names. If it is not clear to you who the characters are who have been assigned these code names, you need to read Kushina's Diary. Either that or do your best to just try and figure it out yourself.
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Sakura pulled the dusty box down from the shelves of the files in the secret repository. It didn't look as it it had been touched in the last 20 years. She set it on the small desk in the corner under the swinging light fixture. She checked the list for the box numbers and the date, "Yep, June/July," and cut the seal.
These scrolls should be it. "S" classified. Two code named "Ichigo". Further down, one coded "Koga" and a fourth coded "Sango". She closed the box and slipped it through a small door. The scrolls went into a nearby slot into the adjacent room before she left the cage.
It was not long before the head librarian came around to the window. "Haruno-san, the Ichigo and Sango after-action reports are eligible for automatic 20 year reclassification from "S" down to "C", viewable by chunin or, with jonin approval, genin. The Koga scroll cannot be declassified without prior approval from "Koga". If necessary, I can investigate who he might be and contact the author."
"Thank you, that will not be necessary at this time. The other three scrolls will be sufficient for our purposes."
-- --
Ichigo hummed as the wagon bumped along the rough trail. It had been a pleasant journey through the shady forest. Now the trees had disappeared as the road led into the highlands, rising toward the gap which marked the boundary between the Land of Lightning proper and its conquered vassal states. He scratched his black beard. The infernal thing was itchy and he couldn't wait to get it back off.
Sango had been quiet since passing the Rice Field border. Her eyes scanned the scenery, smiling when she saw fields being worked or when they passed through tiny prosperous villages. She became despondent when she saw burned out farmsteads or the remains of past battles. Tears leaked down her cheeks as the road now had to skirt the rubble which had until recently been one of the richest merchant towns in the region. A fox chased a rabbit out from under a collapsed roof until her knife pierced its heart.
Koga shook his head when he saw she was not about to recover the weapon. He hopped off the roof of the wagon and retrieved the evidence, trotting slowly back to the moving wagon and being careful to tentatively climb up the ladder instead of jumping. One never knew when clandestine eyes were watching.
The seven year old set about skinning the fox. Judging that the teenage girl would not appreciate the suggestion of fox for dinner, he tossed the meat to the crows. "Here ya go, a fluffy pelt to add to yer merchant's inventory, Trader Ichigo. Stop at the next stream so I kin wash it. Sango, ya better hold onto this knife. It's the only defense you have for the next month."
-- --
"Halt! Stop right there." The Cloud-nin border guard stood in front of the horse. "Everybody out of the wagon. Papers... Ichigo, I see you've been here before so you should be familiar with our import rules. Inventory." He deftly pocketed the large bill which he found rolled up in the scroll. "Everything seems to be in order. Who are they?"
"I have been paid to deliver the children to their uncle in the Lightning Country to stay over the summer. The family lost its house in a fire and the boy was badly burned. They hope to be able to care for the poor kids again by the end of July."
"All right. You may go."
-- --
The sun had nearly set by the time the wagon pulled off the main road to camp by a small pond some kilometers from Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. They ate a good meal before crawling into their sleeping bags. It would be a long time before the children could be sure of either nourishing food or a warm place to sleep again.
At 4 AM Ichigo roused them. The brown-haired 13 year old girl climbed into the back of the wagon and changed out of her fashionable new dress into a well-worn, faded brown shift. She carefully folded the dress and slid it into a drawer. She made one concession to comfort, keeping her new cotton panties as her only underclothes, knowing full well that in a very few minutes they would be as filthy as the rest of her outfit. Her sandals were worn and mismatched, but stronger and better made than they looked.
By the time she came out of the wagon, the boy was similarly dressed. The white outer layer of bandages across his face had been removed, revealing irregular, stained strips of cloth, seemingly haphazardly applied. His ragged pants and shirt were much too large, making him look even younger. His sandals were not as worn, but then again, he did not plan on doing much walking.
The merchant gave each a hug and simple words of encouragement and a remarkable backpack. The backpacks were as torn and dirty on the outside as their clothes, and the few items inside each were not worth stealing, or even worth more than the rags packed inside in case her menstrual cycle hit. They also were completely devoid of any trace of chakra, but a sharp eyed searcher might possibly notice the linings were made of the finest pure black silk.
They walked into the the black water of the pond. When the boy had to start swimming, she carried his pack above her head also. When he was able to stand again, she tossed him the backpacks and swam the rest of the way to the outlet of the pond. Soaked and shivering, they found some dirt to roll in, and then rolled in the grass to dry off and coat the mud with a layer of pollen and leaves.
As soon as they reached the trees they stepped out onto the water and began to trot downstream in the dark. The sky began to lighten and the outline of a bridge appeared in the mist. The boy sat behind a tree and began to tie his legs into a bent position with dirty old cords. The girl hoisted him onto her back and they began the long trudge into town.
-- --
The fog had begun to lift as a cart with an older couple stopped. "Are you OK, honey."
"Yes ma'am. Thank ya. Is ya headin' ta Kumo?"
"Dear, move some baskets and make room for the young ones in the back. We are bringing our produce to market. Have you two had anything to eat today? I didn't think so. Dear, give them each a cucumber."
The children ate with appropriate enthusiasm as Sango told her story. "Me Ma an' Pa was kilt in an axdent an' me bro were hurt in tha back an' can't walk no more an' mess his face. We're goin' ta Kumo so's I kin git a job an' finda doc fer bro."
"Oh honey, the Village is a dangerous place for children. Maybe it would be best to find a Village official so you can be taken care of."
"No ma'am. We-uns won't do that. Sickly kids ain't treated good in them homes. Bro would die. An' they say fems me age sometimes is give to older men. Nah, we takes our chance on the streets, Ma'am."
-- --
They were dropped of at the Farmer's Market with a cucumber apiece and a 50 ryo coin. The girl slipped away into the crowd before the kindly couple could change their minds about seeking official help. "They were so nice. I hated lying to them. I spent the last year detesting everything about the Cloud, but now there are these sweet people. How can I hate them?"
The boy on her back mumbled, "Don't worry about it. Here comes someone you can hate real easy."
Three older boys wearing red and white scarves were walking down the middle of the street. Women and children and old men moved out of the way or went inside. Workers paused in their labor and glared, but nobody said anything to them when the big one grabbed a lady's grocery bag and began pawing through it.
The girl started to step forward and received a poke in the ribs from a "crippled" leg. "It ain't none of our concern. Mind the mission."
The bossy one yelled after them, "Hey you. What do you think you are up to. Freak with the two heads and the flat chest, you!"
He mumbled again, "Now it is our concern. Don't draw attention."
She turned. "I di'nt do nuthin."
"She didn't do nothing. Did you hear? She didn't do nothing. Whose street is she walking on?"
Skinny answered, "Everybody knows it's our street."
"Did she ask our permission? Did she pay the toll? No. What do you have to pay the toll?"
"Got nuthin 'cept a 'cumber."
"Ha Ha Ha Ha, Ha"
"I'm afraid a cucumber won't pay the toll. Take their backpacks and rough'em up a little."
The muscle grabbed for the bags, accidentally knocking the girl down. The little crippled boy fell off her back and skidded across the road accidentally ending with his hand on a pile of stones. He ineffectually tossed a handful of pebbles at Big Guy, not bothering him a bit except for one stone which accidentally struck him on the eyeball, bringing him to his knees in pain. Skinny tried to reach for a bag, but accidentally stepped on the girl's foot, twisting his ankle and accidentally landing with his throat on the boy's crippled knee, causing one to scream in pain and the other to pass out from lack of air. Things weren't going the way Bossy wanted, so he drew his knife. The girl pulled hers too, but it was obvious she had no idea how to even hold it properly. When he stabbed her she screamed and dropped her knife, accidentally spearing him in the wrist.
Holding her side, the girl picked up both knives and stumbled to her brother who was moaning in pain. She picked him up on her back and ran down the street. "Nice scream, Koga. Are you OK?"
"Sure. He didn't nick you did he?"
"Put a nice cut in my dress, but missed meat by 4 cm. How big do you think their territory is? There's the answer, green hats, another gang. We won't have to fight our way clear to the center of town will we?"
"I hope not. Too many accidents and coincidences might draw attention. There, those two." Sango didn't like it, but she fell in behind two Cloud-nin walking casually toward the palace. The green hats faded from sight when they approached, as did the black bandannas a little further on. It became clear who was in charge of the underbelly of the village when the punk in the blue silk shirt nodded politely to the ninjas and continued his business.
The boy asked, "Do you see anybody in charge?"
"There, the guy sitting on the bench in front of the palace. Two blue shirts come up to him and then head off in different directions. If he's not in charge, he sits next to the guy that is."
"Any ideas how to get him on our side, or at least tolerate us? You don't look sexy enough to seduce him."
The girl adjusted her pack, shaking him roughly, and stepped into a doorway. "Hmm, assuming he isn't a complete bastard, I think maybe Bossy didn't really miss with his knife. Prepare to look pitiful." She slyly pulled out the gang member's knife, keeping it hidden by her forearm. The tip was inserted into the slash in her dress and all the way to the hilt. She inhaled, held her breath, and dragged the blade along her side. Too quickly to be noticed, she wiped the knife on the dress and slipped it into her pack.
She let out her breath and... IT BURNED. It was far from the worst injury she had ever suffered, but right now it was sufficiently painful that she didn't need to be a great actress. She pressed her hand to the wound, causing blood to spread on her dress. Staggering under the load on her back, she made sure she stumbled past blue shirt before collapsing in the street.
The young boy sprawled in the dust crying pathetically, "Sissy, Sissy. Git up Sissy."
Blue Shirt was steaming. "What is going on. There will be trouble if we have murder in the streets in front of the palace. You two, get her to the Witch, now. Kid, what 'appened to her?"
"Sissy! Ware ya takin' Sissy?"
"She's being taken care of. Who hurt her?"
"T'ree big guy. 'Ad red scarve."
"Damn, the Red Pandas acting up again. They need put in their place before the Raikage comes down hard on us all. You, tell Gatosuki... What's wrong with your legs?"
" 'Urt me back."
"Too bad. Get up piggyback and we'll go see your sister."
-- --
"How is the girl, witch?" The room looked every bit like some abandoned sorcerer's laboratory hidden deep in the dungeons, even though it was actually a third floor walk-up. The woman looked just as old and even more unkempt.
"Why you bring Youba cursed being? Demons touch this one. Evil! E-E-E-Vil," she wailed.
Blue Shirt was not much concerned with demons just now. "Forget about spirits, crazy hag. All I want to know is will she live?"
"Bah, heed Youba words. Wound was shallow and bloody and won't putrefy. Youba place poultice and wrap tight. Girl live, but destruction follow her wherever she go. Demon not rest until he own her and her childs after her. Take it and leave, never come back. Youba must cleanse room. Spirits angry it be here. Say bring Youba death."
-- --
"Crazy old superstitious crone. I'd run her off if she wasn't so good at healing knife wounds. Only the weak minded fear demons. A smart man only fears two things: cold steel and the Raikage's wrath. And the Raikage only fears the Daimyo."
"Why dat?"
"Smart question, kid. Any Kage that moved against his Lord would anger the other four great Daimyos and force the other Kages to attack, even if they hated each other. No single power could stand against all the Daimyos and all the Ninja Villages. But that's why the territory around the Daimyo's summer palace is so lucrative. As long as he doesn't see any crime in the streets, he's happy, which makes the Raikage happy, so nobody bothers us and we still get our cut of every racket in the richest part of town. Hey, she's awake."
"Who, where... Bro?"
"Here, Sissy."
"Sango-san, my name is Naguru. I'm sort of the number 2 man around here, so if you need anything, ask for me. I'm sorry, but Boss Gatosuki doesn't like free-loaders, so I can only let you use this room tonight to keep you from dieing in the streets."
The girl nodded, "Understan'. We'uns ken sleep out this type o' weatha. But if'n ya could he'p, jist a corner ta nap in 'cross from da palace so's I don't 'ave ta lug Bro so far ever day."
The gang lieutenant studied them. "You are either completely innocent or are a whole lot smarter than you sound. You want the prime panhandling location in the whole city and you want it by tomorrow with the blessing and protection of the Blue Dragons. OK, I said anything. If you are that smart, you'll make a go of it. If you are that innocent people will probably throw you money to ease their conscience."
"It is a prime location, so we get a 25 percent gross cut instead of the regular 20 percent. Payments are collected every Friday. Don't be short. Any skimming before the Dragon's cut, even for food, and the kid goes back in the gutter and you go to the brothel. Give them any problems there and you go to the meat cribs where you service four men an hour all day every day."
"We wouldna take from ya, Naguru-han. We 'preciate ya he'pin us."
"You had better not, because I'll be on the hook for any shortfall. OK, eat your lunchboxes and I'll be back to get you set up tomorrow. Right now I need to talk to Gatosuki about some business we have with the Pandas tonight."
-- --
"Clear?"
Koga turned on the water full blast to create some white noise. "Clear. No peepholes, no bugs, keep your voice low and we should be OK. Oh, it's good to straighten my legs. How is your side?"
"It stings, but I didn't lose as much blood as it looked. Old Lady Youba may be a crazy charlatan, but she seems to know her herbs. The poultice is doing its job."
Koga opened her food for her. "I don't know. She might be sensitive. She talked like she detected Kyuubi's touch on you. It would be better if we don't ever see her again, even if no one believes her ramblings."
She noticed her brown shift draped over a chair. "My dress... Who?"
"He undressed you and tucked you in, but don't worry. I made sure he didn't touch you none."
She sighed, "I wish we could give the filthy thing a good washing. We worked so hard to get it dirty it doesn't make sense to completely clean up all the muck right before we hit the streets, but Naguru will probably expect me to make some effort. Leastwise we can rinse the clothes and hang them over something to dry. I need to go and use the bathroom anyway so I'll wipe off and we can pretend I gave you a shower. At least we sleep on clean sheets one last time."
"Uh, maybe I should just sleep on the floor tonight. You ain't got no top on."
She smiled sweetly. "That is very gallant of you, Koga-chan, but you will always be my loving little brother, oto-chan. After tonight we will only have each other to keep ourselves warm, so we can't afford any more modesty than any other street children. We need to keep each other safe until we find the target."
-- --
"Your home. Turn your nose up at it and you might as well go back to your own village right now. This is as good as it gets above ground. Come winter they all migrate to the tunnels. You are lucky. Yesterday the old man that had this went crazy and started scaring the customers. We had to run him off."
The upended crate was barely longer than Koga and just wide enough for him to sit up. A ripped green and white awning lay over the top to give some protection from wind and rain. Sango knew better than to complain about the small size. "Arigatou, Naguru-han. We'll getcha as much brass as we kin." She checked the box for vermin, but it had been completely cleaned out. Raiding another persons sleeping roll went against the code, but anything left when you were gone was fair game. The box and tarp were considered Dragon property, and so untouchable.
Koga had saved his lunch box. It set open beside him on the sidewalk with their 50 ryo coin in the center to prime the pump. "Please meester, kin ya he'p a cripple boy. Please, just a copper ta buy some rice. God bless ya kyou-han. That so genrous otome-han. Blessins on ya. He'p a cripple. Kami love ya."
-- --
All the street merchants pulled back into the shadows of their booths as the nasty short man wearing a bright blue silk shirt embroidered with a dragon grabbed her by her collar. "You, you've been warned about what would happen if you didn't give us our cut. You can't be buying a blanket and that much food after panhandling only one day. Do you think I won't send you to the whorehouse?"
Sango cringed. "Please, Gatosuki-sama, please b'lieve me. We ain't skimmin. I counted proper an' did me sums. One fer you an' three fer we'uns. Got the Dragon's cut tied in a rag. Cum an' I'll show ya." She stuffed the packages into a guard's hands, grabbed his arm and dragged him through the marketplace. Back at the alley she dug into the backpack and pulled out a ragged cloth tied into a knot.
He hefted it but didn't even untie the knot. "You actually made this much in one day?"
"Nay, boss. That thars the Dragon's swag. We ain't got that much left now."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I apologize."
She grabbed his arm. "Well sure. But 'poligize ta Bro. He'uns the one what got the brass fer us."
As the gangster leaned over to speak to Koga, his shirt snagged on a nail on the crate. Aside from a quick "Damn" he ignored it an went on his way.
The boy was amused. "OK, other than proving that you had complete control of his every movement, what was that about? Why did you maneuver him to that nail?"
She took her chopsticks and picked two blue silk threads off the nail. "Open a pocket. I thought a sample might prove useful in the future." Koga opened a hidden pocket in the lining of his backpack and she dropped the strings in untouched.
She yawned and stretched as far as the canopy would allow. "Well, we aren't doing too bad. Our first day on the streets with a belly full of shio ramen and a warm blanket. Not to mention a beautiful view of the palace. Life is good for a pair of poor orphans."
He rubbed his knees. "Easy for you to say. I'm the one not allowed to move his legs all day."
She scooted as far as she could into the box and tucked the blanket around them. "It all evens out. You can't stretch out during the day and I am cramped out all night. Sleep tight little brother."
-- --
"Bless ya and yer chilren, Marchant-sama." Koga palmed the Fire Country ryu that the black bearded Leaf trader had dropped into the box with a handful of small change. A little while later the girl stood beside the crippled boy, both with completely bored looks on their faces. However, if you closely watched their eyes you would have noticed that they were riveted on the trader's wagon that went rattling down the street and away from the Cloud Village.
-- --
Sango ran her fingers over the Leaf coin in the dark. The weight seemed normal and there were no cracks or openings detectable by the most sensitive touch. She balanced it on a fingertip. "OK, put your finger here and run a tiny bit of chakra into it." Lightning from the top and water chakra from the bottom, the coin separated into two thin halves.
The girl unwound the thin coil of wire discovered inside and concentrating hard ran it slowly between two fingers. She read the dot code again before passing it to Koga. "Be careful with it, no chakra."
"I know that. As if I haven't been suppressing my chakra since we got here. OK, I got it memorized. I'll dispose of it." He shot a spark into the coil.
"Hey wait! Hsst, idiot." The wire thrashed and burned like a tiny fireworks snake. "Oh God. (gag) Not under the canopy. It's got sulfur in it to make it burn. Demons what a stench, rotten eggs." She pulled back the canopy and ran out into the street, leaving him to explain where the reeking smell was coming from to the other residents of the alley. (The next day was a banner one for his panhandling, but the coins were all thrown from long distance and no one stopped to hear his thanks.)
After an hour, everything had settled down and she came back, still grumbling. "What a dope. I'd go sleep in the park if we didn't have business to attend to. Now according to the message, the package should be here in the next couple of weeks. A contact will warn us ahead of time, if possible. Have you found the slot?"
He shrugged, "I guess. It just looks like some missing grout." She stuck the fake coin into the slot and rotated it. A brick popped out. Behind it was a small folder containing thin sheets of paper. She removed the one marked "C" and replaced the folder and the brick.
They risked lighting a small candle to study the diagram on the paper. When they were done, this time he asked. "Do we burn this?"
"No, silly. We eat it." She blew out the candle, ripped the paper and handed him half. "Umm, rice paper. If I had some fillings I'd make spring rolls."
-- --
"Collections!" Akogi, the Dragon treasurer was accompanied by two blue-shirted guards.
Sango was amazed at the number of street people that appeared out from under boxes and out of holes and crannies. Each filed past the gang muscle and handed them their coins. Those with the largest stacks were thanked and praised. Those with only a few coins were cuffed and threatened. One old man, too drunk to stand steadily, had none. He was beaten and tossed into the street. The other bums ran back to his bedroll. There might be part of a bottle left.
Sango unknotted the cloth and held out a double handful of coins. Akogi whistled, "Very good, my lovely. The boy keeps this up and he'll become Gatosuki's favorite. There be one small problem though. From what I hear, Crip there brings in all the donations. Where is your contribution?"
"I's takin care o' Bro."
"Well how exactly does that help me? Everyone pays their own toll." He grabbed her by the chin and turned her head. "A little soap and you wouldn't look too bad. I'll give you a break instead of tossing you into the gutter. After I'm done this evening I'll come get you and take it out in trade." The muscle elbowed each other and made rude comments.
"Naguru-han promise we don' gotta do none that pervert stuff, an' he numba two guy."
"Well I'm in charge of the money, and what do you think the boss cares more about, his underlings' promises or money for the Son of Heaven?"
"Watcha sun a 'eben?"
"Shut up. You didn't hear that. I'll be back for you later."
-- --
"Now what are you going to do?"
"I'm a chunin, for Kami's sake. If I can't come up with a couple hundred ryo or so in an afternoon, the creep can have me. I need to make a drop in the green territory. If I don't find some inspiration along the way I'll steal a purse in the black area on the way back."
"I don't like it Sango. If anybody is watching the drop we are screwed. What is a "Son of Heaven" anyway?"
"That was the title of an ancient ruler, but now it could be the name of some weapon or power object the gangs are trying to get. The Third needs to hear about this. Don't worry. The operative that set up that brick isn't going to get us caught."
-- --
She leaned back on the stone bench and slipped the coded scrap of paper into a crack in the wall and was pleased when she felt it drop completely out of sight. Now, what about money? She could buy a used purse using Koga's earnings and pretend she swiped it, but that only takes care of this week. To satisfy Akogi she needed an independent source of income every week, and the life of a thief was not appealing.
She paused in front of a tent as the barker enticed the crowd. Now there was an idea. Her father would have been humiliated to see how far she had sunk, but anything was better than getting up close and personal with Akogi. Besides, she had watched often enough back at the castle and had a pretty good idea how it was done. Things shouldn't be that much different here, but it was worth spending 50 precious ryo to go in and get some pointers.
-- --
The street was crowded as she set an old cracked plate in the center. Most men had just gotten off work and weren't in the mood to be delayed. She had no backup plan since she had spent their food money on a long filmy veil and some orange wooden clappers. She sighed as she gathered her courage. If this didn't work, the veil would look good on her in Akogi's bedroom.
She took a deep breath and slapped the clappers together. When she had everyone's attention, she began an amateurish version of a traditional folk dance. Actually a combination of the dances she had seen when she was young and the dances she had just watched at the market. She knew she would get no points for technique, but what she was shooting for was more geared towards energy and athleticism.
The street became congested as more and more men stopped and stared as the girl spun and leaped to the rapid staccato beats on the clappers. The faster she spun the wider the space the crowd opened up until everyone was frozen watching the veil spiral and spin as the long athletic legs bounded above their heads, much to the appreciation of those entranced by how short the brown shift was.
She ended, kneeling in the street, with the veil floating down over her hair and the plate held above her head. She never looked up until she heard Akogi's voice. "What is going on here? Who has been blocking the street. We can't have crowds gathering in front of the palace. Move along. You! What are you up to?"
"Sorry thar, Akogi-han. Ya said to git some brass fer ya, but I might need a bigga plate. All the bills keep a rollin' offen this one."
-- --
Two more collection days came and went without incident. Akogi counted out the contents of both knotted cloths with no comment. Naguru sometimes stopped by to watch her dance, though she never again attempted to stop traffic, in spite of the fact that the cheering and applause had given her an addictive rush. Koga had berated her for giving a performance that was quite a bit too good for an ignorant starving street kid. Difficult questions could have been asked about the height of her leaps if a Cloud-nin had been in the audience.
Whenever a Fire Country coin showed up in one of their donation boxes it was set aside and tested that night, but they were all just random ryo. Their income was good enough that normally they were able to stay in the shelter on rainy days. She was dancing between showers one evening when she noticed a man drop another Fire Country ryo into her donation box, but looking around, he was gone. She used the next raindrop that fell as an excuse to go back to the box and tarp.
When a downpour hit they again went through the ritual of balancing the coin on her finger and running two chakras through it. This time it popped open. They both ran the coil of wire between their fingers and memorized the message. Koga placed the coil on a dry brick and hit it with a spark. Sango immediately closed the tarp and listened to the burning wire twist and sputter in the downpour. When they dared to look out, the ash had washed away along with most of the stench.
-- --
Hidden in the shadows of a dark doorway, it was her third night of observations. Finally there was some movement in front of the palace. A full Rock jonin squad to deliver a late night message was a good indication that their mission had indeed arrived. She watched the lights appear in the third floor offices. It all fit. Tomorrow night would be interesting.
-- --
"Hey, darling, where's the boy?" The friendly palace guard never forgot to toss the crippled beggar boy a copper when he got off work. The one morning he had forgotten, he suffered bad luck all day.
"Bro, he git da fever. Done be bad ailin'."
The guard took a step back, then followed her to the squalid alley. She pulled back the tarp and a quick look confirmed it. His face and hands were bright red and the heat could be felt from a meter away. Cloud fever ran through the homeless community every summer. The boy would be dead within two days. "Listen, you stay off the street. I don't care what the Dragons say. I like you kids, but I won't have you spreading fever. If you must go out to get something to eat, wash your hands first, and not in the public fountain."
She smiled. The plan was going well.
-- --
The linings of their backpacks pulled out and became dead black ninja clothes and gloves. Cheap but serviceable weapons and equipment had been purchased one at a time at scattered booths across the village. 3:00 A.M., it was time to move.
Two small figures moved imperceptibly through the shadows beneath the wall surrounding the palace. As the guard turned, silently they were over the wall and in among the topiary. It was a calculated risk, if a sensitive ninja was around they were screwed, but they released enough chakra to climb the palace wall without ropes. Keeping their silhouettes low, they made their way to the backside of the building.
Leaning over the edge of the roof, she spotted their pathway. She lowered him over the edge of the shingles and he started to work with a screwdriver. With the vent removed an impossibly small hole was left in the wall. Only a skinny 7 year old could possibly attempt squeezing into such a tiny space 20 meters above the ground. She couldn't see him any more and there was an interminable wait before the window opened.
"What took you so long?"
"There was an alarm we weren't told about on the window. I had to bypass it."
He listened at the door, then slowly opened it. The hall was empty. They made their way to a locked and alarmed electrical box. This was going to take precise chakra control. She opened a sealed pocket and retrieved a small envelope of diamond dust which she added to a little ball of water she poured from her flask. The water began to soundlessly spin against the electrical box, quickly cutting a perfectly round hole. Koga reached in and disconnected the alarm system.
She only took a second to pick the lock on the door to an ornate office. He took somewhat longer to open the safe hidden behind the full length portrait of the Daimyo. (Electric chakra was sensitive, but still not as good as a byakugan for sensing tumblers.) Quickly they found the scrolls they wanted, plus a couple others that looked interesting. They stacked the money on a desk and then knocked it onto the carpet, along with most of the jewelry. She pocketed the three nicest emerald pieces.
The room was almost set up to their satisfaction when the doorknob rattled. The first guard died before even getting a good look at the room. The second one drew his sword, but though his warning yell was cut off by the knife in his larynx, the sound of his falling alerted other guards. The boy left the knife (which he had lifted off one of Akogi's goons) and paused just long enough to use his kunai to retrieve two blue threads from his pocket and attach them to the tip of the corpse's sword.
The guard squad reached the top of the stairs in time to see two dark shapes rounding the corner. "Alert! We are invaded. Alert! Sound the alarm!" The hall was empty and so were all the rooms. The only thing out of place anywhere was an open window and a missing vent cover. The captain kept yelling for the alarm bell, but it wouldn't ring. His night got worse, and his life expectancy shorter, when he turned around and saw a man in a ruffled shirt and a long red coat. He had to put the best face on this or eat a lightning bolt.
"Ikouji-sama, my men have prevented a robbery. They broke into the document safe and murdered two of my men, but we prevented them from getting away with the jewels or cash."
Fortunately the Daimyo's jonin was too preoccupied to hand out punishments. "They got in and opened the safe with no alarm sounding." He strode purposefully to the alarm junction box. "This hole couldn't have been drilled mechanically without being heard and it is too small for a man to reach through. Could it be some sort of body manipulation? Show me that vent."
He studied the open vent. "A shape-shifting ninja enters through the vent, disables the alarm on the window to let his partner through, shuts down all the alarms, and opens the vault without being detected, but is too clumsy to get away with any valuables?... The scrolls! I want a complete inventory on all the documents in that safe."
Ikouji knelt beside the bodies, probing them with chakra. "Ninja accuracy with a gang weapon? The aura on it too weak to recognize. No sign of sweat on it. Must be wearing gloves, so there won't be fingerprints either." The chakra fluoresced, revealing a complete set of prints. "Too stupid to wipe it clean beforehand! I want those prints matched within the hour... Hmm, the guard drew his weapon, but did he get a chance to use it? What is this? String, blue, silk. The aura... GATOSUKI, the bastard. Arrest all the Blue Dragon's immediately! Call out the whole guard."
-- --
There was panic in the streets. The fighting between the Daimyo's guard force and the Blue Dragons spread throughout the village to the other gangs, some of which were attempting to take advantage of the Dragon's plight by avenging old grievances. Terrified citizens flooded toward the closed village gates where the old and the young were being trampled.
Cloud-nin stood on roofs and watched. The Raikage and his forces were becoming more and more suspicious as to why Ikouji had specifically not asked for assistance. The question of whether the Daimyo's jonin was trying to hide something was answered when a ninja discovered a stash of stolen scrolls in a niche high up on the side of a building. The Raikage's anger knew no bounds when one of the scrolls was decoded and found to be a letter from the Earth Country Daimyo complaining about the Tsuchikage's spending and suggesting that they both cut back on the size of their ninja forces.
-- --
"Roust all the bums out of that alley!"
"Hey! There is Cloud Fever in that box. You don't want to catch it." The friendly guard gingerly lifted the tarp to reveal two red-skinned gravely ill children. The crippled boy was sitting up and appeared half-conscious with the girl's head in his lap. She appeared comatose with a burning fever. The guard shook his head, "I'm sorry kid. There's nothing I can do for you, especially not tonight. Sorry. Let's round up the rest."
"OK. They're gone."
"Shit Koga. I feel like shit. You should have warned me how badly turning my chakra into body heat would drain me. Hand me my culottes and blouse." She turned her back as they changed into the second-hand clothes she had purchased. They stuffed the old rags into his backpack on top of the black silks before running out the back of the alley. Two blocks further and he tossed the backpack into a burning store.
"Demons... death and destruction!" Youba continued screaming while pointing at Sango, standing in front of a backdrop of fire. "Demons! Youba warned you, Youba warn you all. She's demon brings death and destruction wherever she go! E-e-evil, E-e-evil." The screaming tirade was cut off as a sword entered her chest. "evil... death... destruc..." The guard looked back at them and gave a wink. Suddenly she recognized him as the man who had dropped the Fire ryu into her basket.
The scenes of women and children and the elderly trying to evacuate the village disturbed Sango. It was just too close to her own personal nightmares and she knew she had caused this suffering. One mother, struggling with four young children under the age of five, was knocked to the ground. Here was someone they could save. Sango scooped up a crying toddler. "We'll help you, Ma'am, my brother and me." Koga gave her a look which said they shouldn't be doing this, but he grabbed the oldest boy's hand and followed her.
Fighting their way through the crowd, the two weaved back and forth, deceptively strong shoulders preventing the distraught mother carrying two infants from being shoved or jostled. The gate was congested because guards were questioning everyone and grabbing men from 13 to 30 for further interrogation.
The guard looked the mother over with steely eyes. Normally he would have been sympathetic at the pitiable sight, but he had seen hundreds of women like her this night. "Are these your children?"
Dazedly she nodded.
"Where is your husband? Is he a gang member?"
"No, no, not him! He stayed to guard the store from looters. I begged him to come."
"OK. Move on."
Koga and Sango quietly followed her through the gate. They let her get a ways ahead so they could talk. "OK, I admit you got us out with no questions, but now what do we do?" he asked, nodding at the small boy next to him.
She couldn't answer. They had rescued the little family and incidentally helped themselves some. Technically, they should head for the rendezvous point immediately, even if it meant leaving the children crying in the dust beside the road. The kids were better off than when they had first found them and no worse off than hundreds of others walking the same path. "Mission first. Mission first. Mission first," she kept repeating, but she couldn't abandon them. She handed him the backpack and took the toddler's hand. "Go tell him."
-- --
The trader's wagon was waiting for them at the crossroads. Ichigo helped the family up into the back of the wagon, and then they joined the stream of refugees. Sango climbed out of the rear and swung up on top of the cart. "She fed the babies, then they all fell asleep. It wasn't my intention to stick you with them."
He just shook his head. "Trust you to bring home some stray puppies. Be warned, some day you will find a situation where you can't save everyone. Know that every time you try, you take a chance of compromising a mission, but... I'm glad you helped them."
-- --
They had outpaced all of the refugees who were on foot and so they pulled off in a shady spot to rest during the hottest part of the day. Sango volunteered to watch the babies while the woman sat in the shade with her toddlers playing around her. It was also the first opportunity she had to surreptitiously check that Ichigo had removed certain incriminating items from her backpack and secreted them in untraceable hiding places inside the wagon. At the next bridge, the backpack loaded with rocks splashed into the river.
The next village was swarming with both guards and ninjas. Everyone was questioned and the wagon was thoroughly searched, but they had absolutely no information on the whereabouts of a short 28 year old man called Gatosuki.
They found a man with a cart who was willing to take the woman and children to her uncle's farm for the price of the money they had tied up in their rags. Ichigo offered to pay for it, but they explained that since the money was technically supposed to be the Dragon's, it should go to a good cause. The mother cried and kissed them all goodbye, vowing to say prayers for them every day.
-- --
They were stopped at the border again. "Ah Trader Ichigo, that was a quick trip."
The dark-haired traveler shook his head woefully. "Riots are bad for business. I had to turn around and pick up the children before heading back for the border. I fear you have made more money from this journey than I have."
The guard sadly nodded in commiseration, but it didn't keep him from pocketing the bill he found tucked in with the inventory.
-- --
They came to a crossroads. She looked down the side road. "I'm sorry Ichigo. If there just weren't so many Cloud-nins scouring the countryside, I would show you the monument at your father's gravesite. The next time we pass near we will go see the grave of the Leaf Jonin who is the Great Hero of the Whirlpool."
-- --
The ANBU captain debriefed them after they had an opportunity to shower. "Congratulations. Reports are that the mission was a complete success. Did you get the scroll?"
Ichigo was still picking at the glue that peeled off the remains of his goatee. "We need to have it decoded to be sure, but it appears to be the invasion plans. If they don't know who has the scrolls it should shake them up badly. What reports do you have."
The ANBU replied, "The Raikage and the Daimyo are reportedly angry with each other and with everyone else. Ikouji-jonin is out of favor because of the security failures. The Blue Demons were totally destroyed. Akogi and his guards were killed attempting to flee with the treasury. It appears the Lady Daimyo's emerald necklace and earrings were found in the collections."
Sango smiled sheepishly, "Imagine that."
"Naguru surrendered, but deep gen interrogation has not found any knowledge of the plot. It is possible he may be pardoned."
Koga, much more comfortable in his usual mask, approved, "I hope so. He was an honest guy for a gang-banger."
"The other gangs are fighting over the territory, further destabilizing the situation in Kumogakure. The fighting has also spread to gangs in other nations. We are taking the opportunity to roll up gang members in the Fire Country along with hoards of drugs, weapons, pimps and prostitutes."
Sango asked, "Did you ever discover the meaning of Son of Heaven?"
"The Son of Heaven is a Mist registry cargo ship recently purchased by a previously unknown entity named the Gato Shipping Company. The ship sailed from a port in the Lightning Country yesterday."
"Let me guess," the now blond haired Ichigo ventured, "Neither Gatosuki nor the bulk of the Blue Dragon money has been found. The bastard got away with his new investment."
Sango stretched out on the couch. "Well, with his gang disbanded, he's not our problem now."
-- --
Naruto hummed along on his way to return the scrolls to the library for Sakura. "Well, he's not a problem for anybody now, is he Mom?"
Gatosuki - "Cake Love"
Youba - "Old Hag"
Naguru - "To Strike"
Akogi - "Greed"
Ikouji - "Power"
Well there it is. My first attempt at a longer form story, and a spy story at that. I would be interested to know if anyone managed to read it to the end since it took a demon of a long time to complete. Let me know if you would like any more "Secret Missions".
