I.
Morino Ibiki was calmly interrogating a freshly caught suspect in a case of murder. The man was so frightened that the Tokubetsu Jonin didn't have to use his special means of torture. He received prompt answers to his questions, in a shaken, terrified voice. Like this, he found out that the interrogated suspect was merely an underling who had run just a couple of errands for his boss. He knew nothing of the murder or the murderer.
However, he did provide some clues, useful for the progress of the investigation. He shared with the shinobi what was the purpose of his latest errand—during which he was apprehended by Konoha ANBU—and the location of the headquarters of the criminal organization to which he belonged. He also assured his captors that, if his errand was completed on time, there would be no suspicions among his superiors.
Such was the report given to the Hokage by the master of interrogation, Ibiki. Tsunade read it over carefully and bit her lip while frowning after she slammed it on her desk.
"What is to be done?" Miyamoto Tegami asked. She was one of the shinobi who had assisted to the interrogation and accompanied Ibiki to Tsunade's office.
"First of all, we must complete the guy's errand," the Hokage answered after a long, thoughtful pause, "We don't have to let the others know that he was caught. Besides, we might get some intel from those he was supposed to deliver to."
Her brown eyes fell nervously on the report as she was biting her thumb. "Tegami," she suddenly looked up, "I'll entrust this to you. Go look for Hatake Kakashi. Make sure you complete the errand successfully then go to Otafuku Gai to closely investigate this criminal organization."
Tegami nodded with determination, "I understand."
"Come back to me once you find Kakashi. I'll give you more details then."
Tegami nodded again and left, together with Ibiki. "What are your thoughts on this matter?" he asked his companion.
"At the moment, I have no thoughts," she replied as she kept looking ahead of her, "I'm lacking data."
Ibiki glanced at her curiously, "True that. I can't wait to see what you bring back after your mission."
She gave him a small smile, "I hope it will help shed light on this mystery. Well then, we now have to part ways."
They had reached the exit. Bowing, Tegami left towards Ichiraku Ramen, not only hoping that she would come across Copy Ninja Kakashi, but also wishing to grab a bite before departing on her newly assigned mission.
The odds seemed to be against her, though, as she found no one at the ramen stand. A little disappointed, she ordered a small bowl of ramen, with extra pork, and silently ate as quickly as she could. For dessert, she dropped by the dango shop where she bought two skewers of three-colored dango and headed towards Kakashi's residence.
II.
Copy Ninja Kakashi was writing up his report on his latest mission when he heard a knock on the door. He wondered who it could be as he stretched his arms over his head and lazily dragged his feet to the door. Upon opening it, his eye widened in surprise before closing as he smiled.
"Hello," the kunoichi greeted him with a slight bow. He stepped back to let her in but she shook her hand and continued, "I am here to let you know that the Hokage would like to talk to the both of us."
"Is it a mission?" he sheepishly questioned.
Tegami nodded, "Yes. It is related to the recent murder of the carpenter from Otafuku Gai."
The older Jonin frowned, "I see. Well, I'll be done in a minute." With a smile, he invited her in again but she refused, saying she would wait downstairs.
A short while later, the two were entering the Hokage's office, awaiting instructions for their upcoming mission. Kakashi handed in his report but Tsunade quickly dismissed it.
"There's something else I'm worried about right now," she said, "our targets might change their headquarters if they find out what happened to their pawn. We need to act, and fast."
"So what's our mission?" Kakashi asked.
"Your mission consists of two parts. For the first one, I need you, Kakashi, to pass for the imprisoned suspect and complete his errand. I'll have an ANBU team secretly accompany you. The purpose of this mission is gathering as much information as possible. Make sure you won't do anything that will alarm our targets."
The man nodded, "I understand. I'll have to meet up with the prisoner first, though."
"At the same time, Tegami," Tsunade continued, "I want you to find their base in Otafuku Gai and infiltrate it. Keep an eye on them and stick to the organization in case they decide to change locations. Try to collect as much intelligence as you can. Don't report back to me if it's risky. I just want to be permanently aware of their whereabouts."
Tegami simply nodded, without saying anything.
"That's all. Leave tonight as soon as the sun sets. Kakashi, Shizune will take you to the prisoner. You'll meet your teammates at the gate, before your departure. That's it for now."
The two shinobi left in silence. Once outside, Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and sighed. "And here I was hoping to get a good night's rest. Looks like I have to reschedule it."
Tegami chuckled, "That is too bad, Kakashi-san. I feel truly sorry for you."
Kakashi glanced at the female next to him with curiosity. He had known her for a while and she was more than an acquaintance to him but there were still times when he found her mysterious.
She never once complained, nor did she ever share her troubles with anyone. She was a mystified existence, with no pillars to support her but still solid and durable. Tegami had had no personal motivation to become a shinobi, she only followed into her twin brother's steps, just to be close to him.
Things changed, however, as she grew up both physically and mentally. Being a shinobi was not only a job that assured her a decent living, but also something that brought out her qualities for which she was admired and appreciated.
"I wonder why Lady Tsunade wanted to see us together, although she gave us different tasks," Kakashi broke the heavy silence that had settled between them.
"She must have had her reasons," Tegami calmly said, "we will surely find out tonight."
"True." Kakashi gazed up at the darkening sky. "Well, I should be on my way if I don't want to be late. See you in a couple of hours, Tegami-san." He held up his hand as a greeting before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Tegami respectfully bowed in return and went back home, to the domains of the Shishatori clan.
III.
The domains of the Shishatori clan consisted entirely of a wild forest, stretching out towards the sunrise, enclosing a dark blue lake which served as training ground for the seven lucky kids blessed with the clan's kekkei genkai every seven years—the Shichi Fukujin.
Born in the year of the Shichi Fukujin, Tegami had unfortunately not inherited the kekkei genkai from her grandparents, unlike her twin brother. Kitte had successfully managed to reach his grandfather's expectations and had risen through the ranks until his recent promotion to ANBU Captain.
Tegami, on the other hand, had stuck with her position as Tokubetsu Jonin for the past five years, ever since she got promoted shortly after her 20th birthday. She had specialized in delivery type missions and negotiation. She was one of Konoha's best talkers and, not to mention, liars.
Having grown from a fat kid into a sexually attractive woman, Tegami has been constantly suffering of a body complex, which caused her to be so distant and introverted. But despite her secluded inner core, Tegami displayed a warm and accessible attitude, often misinterpreted because of her excessive politeness. She used honorifics and formal speech with everyone, except for her brother, which made her seem cold sometimes.
Well aware of the effect her physical appearance had on most men, Tegami had developed her own strategy, involving mostly the art of seduction. Thus, her ninja outfit differed greatly from her casual, loose clothes, meant to conceal her curves. It hugged her tightly, emphasizing her silhouette without revealing too much.
Dressed as such, Tegami was examining herself in the full-length mirror attached to her wardrobe door as she tied the wide, purple obi around her waist. She'd already put on her plated, yet fingerless long gloves and metal protectors on not only her forearms, but also her shins. She wore a mesh bodysuit underneath her short and sleeveless turtleneck dress, which covered the upper parts of her legs and arms. Her extremely long hair was pulled up in a bun, secured with two traditional hairpins made from senbon. At last she added the finishing touches, a sword on her right hip, a dark purple kunai pouch on her left thigh and a larger pouch, containing food pills, shuriken, poison vials and a small scroll, at her back.
Adjusting her headband one last time, she grabbed her backpack and left. Downstairs, in the kitchen, her grandparents were having tea while discussing family matters. The old woman smiled at her granddaughter and stood up to kiss her cheeks and give her blessing before Tegami set out.
"Thank you, Grandmother," Tegami smiled tenderly then bowed to her grandfather. He acknowledged her with a nod and waited with his right eye closed—the other was covered by a black patch—until he heard the front door slam shut before resuming his drinking.
"Yukio, you should give more love to your granddaughter," his wife scolded him.
"You're too gentle, Momoe," he reprimanded, taking a sip from his cup.
Momoe calmly put hers down before replying, "I disagree. You are exaggerating. Treating her harshly will not do her any good."
The old man grinned, "It brought Kitte among the ANBU."
"Oh, please." Momoe's expression hardened, "Please do not compare the two. Kitte is Kitte, while Tegami is Tegami. End of discussion."
Yukio stifled his dissatisfaction by gulping down his tea. He only dared to let out a snort after leaving the kitchen. He used to train and go on dangerous missions with this woman he ended up marrying. He had a strong personality but so did she and it was still a mystery for themselves and those around them how they managed to hit it off in spite of constantly arguing.
With a sigh, he retreated in his room and got ready to sleep, not without secretly murmuring a prayer for his granddaughter.
IV.
Kakashi was the last one to arrive at the village. Tegami and a small group of ANBU were waiting for him. He was wearing his usual outfit and carrying his usual backpack.
"Sorry I'm late. I had to practice my transformation a couple of times," he excused himself.
"It's all right," one of the ANBU replied, " we should set off now. Our destination is a border village, to the north-east. Near the Land of Hot Water."
Tegami's ears perched up upon hearing the name of Kakashi's destination but she kept quiet. What use would it be to tell them that they were going to her home village? This was an official assignment and she couldn't ask them to check on her mother and stepfather, whose she bore.
"Tegami-san, you'll be traveling alone," the same ANBU said as she turned to her, "Good luck."
She nodded and left first, without another word. The road to Otafuku Gai was short but her preparations would take up more time. She was a natural when it came to undercover missions, such as this one, but she still needed to closely plan ahead of her, regardless of the situation.
Therefore, she hurried through the trees, in the dark night, to reach the entertainment-filled city where, supposedly, a criminal organization had its headquarters.
V.
Tegami checked in at a cheap hotel where many different people gathered. She turned the key in the lock twice then closed the shutters of the window. After thoroughly inspecting the whole room, she lay a map of Otafuku on her bed and emptied out her backpack. She changed into a flower-patterned short kimono and put on a pair of wooden sandals. She put the hairpins in her pouch and let her brown hair flow freely down her back. She circled a few location on the map with a pencil then put it back in her backpack, along with her other belongings. She applied some make-up, bright red lipstick and pink blush.
Tegami's infiltration plan had two stages. Stage one: ask people around and find the headquarters. Stage two: find a proper way to get in, either pretend to be an assassin wishing to join them or stick to the boss as a girl from the pleasure quarter. Whatever was fine with her, for as long as it worked. However, she only had one shot at it—if she took on one role, she couldn't do the other.
All dolled up, Tegami set some traps in her room, threw her backpack under the bed and went out in the city, looking for fun. Dressed up like a futuristic geisha, holding a colored fan in one of her hands, Tegami totally became another person. She forgot all her inhibitions and switched to a party-girl mode which would enable her to get in contact with gossiping people. It was much more efficient than using shinobi skills to spy on them from the darkness.
Wandering through the streets, brightly lit although it was long past midnight, Tegami finally ended up in a noisy bar where drunken men were feeling up half-naked women and blabbering perverted nonsense to them.
Tegami blended in easily with the crowd. With a wide, sly smile beaming on her face, she grabbed a stool and ordered a fancy drink. The bartender grinned as he brought her a bottle and a glass and started a conversation.
"Hello, pretty. Your face's new."
She grinned too, "I'm just passin' by. That a problem?" She sipped her drink without taking her eyes off him. Her behavior and manner of speech were complete opposites to what they had been just a few hours before.
"No problem, darlin'. Got some business around here?"
Tegami pondered her answer with a pout, "Business, yeah, you could call them that." She gulped down the alcohol and poured herself another glass. Bringing her hand to the red obi holding her kimono in place, she revealed a sheathed dagger and placed it on the counter, without letting go of its handle.
The bartender's eyes flicked from her face to the weapon then back to her face, then he leaned forward, on his forearms. "If you're in for some dangerous business," he nodded his head towards the exit, "you got the wrong place, bitch. I'm not dealin' with scanty losers."
Her eyes narrowed. She had to be cautious with her next move otherwise her cover would be blown. The man was obviously suspicious. Usually, bartenders give tips to clients looking for a fight but this one was kicking her out. Her sensitive nose smelled something rotten. She'd hit the jackpot from the first try but if she wasn't careful, she could lose it. There was just one explanation for his attitude: he was the gateway to the criminals meant to filter out the imposters like herself.
Her whole thought process lasted but a second. In the end, she retreat her weapon while gazing at his hand with a smirk. She gulped down the second glass as well but didn't pour another one. She raised her head slowly, feigning a cool demeanor, offended by the guy's comments.
"I see…I see what you're tryin' to dig. But you got the wrong the chick to call bitch, you asshole. I come here lookin' for fun and ya totally ruin my mood. Is that your way to run this rat hole?"
Her fierce orbs stared into his confused ones for longer than a minute. The whole place was loud but those couldn't hear anything around them anymore. It was a psychological battle, who would break down first. The experienced bartender proved to be a worthy opponent, for he refused to give up. He didn't even blink.
Unexpectedly, Tegami was the first one to surrender. "Ok, ya win." She finished up her third glass and stood up. "I'll find someone else willing to deal with a scanty loser." She said in such a voice that the bartender grimaced. "Ya don' know what you're missin' out."
With her back turned, she waved at him and walked away. Strategically shielding her face with her hair, she glanced around herself, expecting to find someone glaring at her, other than the man at the counter. And she did. At the far back of the pub there was a solitary man, accompanied by just one woman, sipping elegantly from a saké cup. The voluptuous woman was cuddled at his exposed chest. His legs were crossed and he wore sunglasses, lowered on his nose.
Inwardly, Tegami chuckled. She turned around and left, aiming for the exit. No one seemed to even notice her presence. She slipped out like a shadow and quietly wandered away from the main street, to a darker, dead-end alley. She mentally smiled. The perfect scenario. Someone was going to show up sooner or later, asking her what she was doing there and where she had come from.
Her predictions soon came true. As she was standing in front of the high wall blocking the alley, loud steps came rushing in and a pair of arms grabbed Tegami from behind. An unseen fist punched her cheek and a leg kneed her stomach. Fingers tangled in her hair and pulled her head up. The man from the bar crouched in front of her.
"What are you doing here and where did you come from? I don't tolerate amateurs."
She spat out some blood and tried to speak but ended up coughing. The man gave a signal and the hand let her go. Propping herself on her palms, she managed to sit up. "They call me Yoi," she muttered, "but I don' expect ya to have heard of the name."
Following an unseen order, the same pair of arms as before picked her up like a potato sack and carried her away. Tegami's plan had progressed faster than expected. She had completely skipped stage one and successfully accomplished stage two. Things couldn't have been better.