Kushina overlooked the Sound encampment. She had a pretty good view from up in this tree. She checked that her earpiece was still connected to Mikoto and Mebuki. The three had been chosen as the team for this mission, though Kushina was unsure why Mebuki had been put with her and Mikoto; Kushina and Mikoto were good friends but the two hardly knew Mebuki, which could cause problems with teamwork and the success of the mission. And this mission seemed pretty damn important.
They had raised this concern when given their mission but the Hokage had simply said that in troubled times, makeshift teams are formed regularly so learning to quickly work together with someone new is essential for a shinobi. She understood where he was coming from but she still didn't like it. A simple mission like, maybe, retrieving a lost dog or something would be more appropriate for that. But a mission like this? It was ludicrous.
Kushina chided herself for complaining so much and got back to her observation. She reported the guard patrol patterns to the others and spotted a rather large opening in the perimeter defences near a tent with significant light emanating from inside. She decided to take advantage and investigate. She let the others know and headed off.
She was surprised how lax the security was here when it was so tight everywhere else. She, of course, sensed a trap and drew her kunai in preparation. She silently approached the tent and took a peek inside. She could just about make out a woman with a Hidden Sound Village headband, sitting in the middle of the tent with four candlesticks around her. The woman had dark blue hair in a bobcut and her attire consisted of a black sleeveless top that left her midsection exposed, black spandex shorts with fishnets underneath, black fingerless gloves and black open-toed boots. Her finger and toe nails were painted a dark blue that matched her hair.
Her eyes were closed and she held what seemed to be some kind of flute. She held it up to her lips and started playing. The music was quite beautiful and Kushina found herself wanting to hear more and more of it. She listened for a few minutes and it seemed to become more and more beautiful the more she listened to it. Kushina became lost in the music as all her thoughts focused on listening to it.
She started to hear some words mixed in with the music. She didn't know where the words were coming from but she somehow knew she had to listen to them. "Listen. Relax. Obey. Listen. Relax. Obey."
"Listen. Relax. Obey." Kushina whispered the words as they repeated themselves and each time she did, more and more of her mind was taken over by the words.
"Enter," said the voice and Kushina felt compelled to do so. She entered the tent and stood before the woman, who remained focused on her playing. "I am your mistress," said the voice.
"You are my mistress," Kushina repeated.
"You must obey."
"I must obey."
"Kneel before me."
"Kneel before Mistress." Kushina dropped to one knee before her mistress, who smirked wickedly.
She stopped playing and looked her new servant over with her dark blue eyes. She noted that the girl was quite pretty and she could sense the girl's power and potential. She licked her lips and asked, "Where are you from?"
"Hidden Leaf Village, Mistress," Kushina replied in a monotone.
"And what is your mission?"
"To investigate the Sound's presence here."
"Are you here alone or in a squad?"
"A squad."
"And where are they right now?"
"They are overlooking the encampment from the trees to the West."
"Very good, my sweet." The mistress stroked her captive's cheek. "You have served Mistress Miryō well."
"Served Mistress well..." Kushina droned, smiling a dopy smile.
Miryō sat down and brought the flute back up to her lips. She started playing and, despite her trance, Kushina knew that her mistress wasn't playing for her.
Mikoto was getting worried. Kushina was just supposed to quickly investigate the one tent and come back but she hadn't reported any findings. She wanted to go and help her friend but at the same time, she didn't want to jeopardise the mission. That was when she could hear music coming from the encampment. She looked over to Mebuki, who returned the look, confirming that both could hear it.
The music was strange. It had an almost lullaby-like feeling to it, as if listening to it was making her sleepy. And indeed it was; her eyelids were growing heavy and it was becoming harder to think. Out of the corner of her eye, she could just about see that Mebuki was feeling the same. Had she not been so groggy, she might have noticed the words she was hearing in her head. Words such as "surrender", "sleep" and "obey".
The two kunoichi's eye closed and they both fell under the music's power. "Come to me," commanded the voice. The two opened their glassy, empty eyes and dropped down from their vantage points. They marched mindlessly into the camp, a few of the perimeter guards taking defensive stances but returning to their patrols upon seeing the lifeless eyes of the two intruders.
"Looks like Suru got herself a couple more." "Couple a' hotties there." "Hidden Leaf, eh?" Miryō's compatriots were well aware of her abilities and activities by now and simply got back to perimeter duty.
Once the two kunoichi joined their teammate in standing before their mistress, Miryō ceased her playing and looked them over. "Oh, my. Aren't you a cutie?" she said as she looked Mikoto over. I'm going to have some fun with you. What are your names?"
"Mikoto."
"Mebuki."
"Well, you two are now my servants and I am your Mistress."
"We are your servants. You are our mistress."
"That's right. And you three will serve me well. You see, Lord Orochimaru ordered me to use my unique power to project my thoughts into the minds of those listening to my music, to spy on the Hidden Leaf Village. As such, you three are to become sleeper agents. You will send me regular reports on the village's activities and be none the wiser that you are doing it. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mistress, we understand," the trio replied.
"Very good. But you three need to get back to your village to avoid arousing suspicion. But you will return to me when you hear my flute again. Now, this is what you will tell your Hokage..."
"It seems that the Sound ninja were treating their wounded after a mission nearby," reported Mebuki. "They packed up and returned to their village roughly an hour ago."
"And you're sure of this?" the Hokage asked them.
"Yes, Lord Hokage, absolutely sure," the trio replied in unison.
"Then your mission is complete. You may return home now."
"Yes, Lord Hokage," the trio said before leaving.
"Did you hear all that, Minato?" Hiruzen asked.
The young blond entered through the Hokage's window. "Yes, Lord Hokage. But are you sure about just letting them go?" asked Minato. "Something seemed... off about their report."
"Your instincts may be correct, Minato. I sensed it too. Which is why I want you to look into it."
"As you wish."
That night, Kushina lay asleep in her bed. It had been a long day and she'd been strangely tired upon returning home so she'd gone straight to bed. She dreamed of Minato until her dreams faded as strange music reached her ears. Eyes still firmly closed, Kushina rose from her bed and placed her feet on the cold floor. Clad in only a pink night gown and her underwear, the redhead's arms rose before her and she began to slowly walk out of the house.
Meanwhile, Mikoto was preparing a quick dinner for herself. She was a little tired so something simple would do before she headed off to bed. Something seemed off about the whole mission but she couldn't quite place it. That was when the music reached her. Her arms fell to her sides and the knife slipped from her slackened grip before clattering to the floor. Her eyes glazed over and she too marched from her home in a hypnotic daze with her arms raised.
Mebuki was practising her taijutsu in a dojo. Her attire consisted of a gi whose top hung from her waist while bandages covered her chest. She was somehow a little disappointed that she hadn't gotten to use her taijutsu on the mission but it was probably for the best that things hadn't escalated that far. It took her a while but she could eventually hear the music over the sound of her punches and kicks. As it became more noticeable, she found herself unable to concentrate on her training and was soon stood in a trance with only one thought: to go to her mistress.
The three kunoichi joined up along the way. Unfortunately for them, most of the village was already asleep and they went unnoticed by the night patrolmen. The three left the village and continued their zombie-like march though the forest to the Sound camp. Some of the guards sniggered, knowing what the three girls were in for, as they walked past.
As they stood before Miryō once more, their arms dropped limply to their sides as they awaited word from their mistress.
Miryō stopped playing as she noticed them and smirked. "Good to see you can follow orders. What good shinobi you'll make. You did as I instructed?"
"Yes, Mistress," the trio replied in unison. "The Hokage believes you have returned to your village."
"Excellent work, ladies. I should probably send you back with new orders. But since you're already here..."
She looked the three over. Kushina's nightgown was slightly transparent and Miryō could see her red underwear. Mikoto was more moderately dressed and wore an apron over her clothes. Mebuki stood in her gi, sweat glistening on her body.
Miryō licked her lips. "You three will do just fine. You're going to help me put on a little show for my comrades."
"We would be honoured, Mistress."
"As you should be. First, go over to that chest and take out your new uniforms." She pointed to a chest in the corner and the three obeyed. With their new outfits in hand, they waited for Miryō to tell them, "Take your clothes off and put the new ones on. And be sexy while you do it." Miryō licked her lips again in anticipation. She found beauty in the female form and was often looked down on for this. The men who served with her, however, had no problem with this so long as she gave them a show from time to time. Sometimes, she would entrance a local village girl and have some fun with her, others she'd get a few girls and just watch. This was to be the latter, though it could turn into the former if the mood struck her.
Kushina slowly pulled her nightgown over her head, swaying her hips as she did so. Her long red hair was like a flickering flame and Miryō was mesmerised by it. She couldn't take her eyes off the beauty before her and watched as Kushina seemed to almost be enjoying herself. Somehow, having one of her subjects enjoy herself made Miryō quite happy. Her focus was so stolen by Kushina, she missed Mikoto and Mebuki removing their own clothes and, by the time Kushina had finished putting on her new outfit, they were already fully dressed and awaiting new commands.
She was disappointed to be sure but she enjoyed the sight of the three in their new attire. Miryō had designed it herself based around what she liked to see. It was a one-piece jumpsuit with flared sleeves and leggings and a pair of open-toed platform shoes. Kushina's was red with pink accents, Mikoto's was dark blue with light blue accents and Mebuki's was yellow with orange accents. They were also given customized belts with the Hidden Leaf symbol on them.
Miryō could barely hold her excitement any more. "Mmm," she moaned. "You three look terrific! You're going to be great. Now, one last thing before we put on our little show... Oh, Kaminoke! You may enter now!"
A rather scrawny-looking kunoichi entered the tent. She was dressed similarly to Miryō while her long hair was multi-coloured and would have looked completely ridiculous to the girls were they not currently under Miryō's spell.
"This is Kaminoke," Miryō explained, "and she's going to give you your new hairstyles to complete your image. She has a special jutsu to change people's hair length, style and even colour. Perfect for concealing one's identity and even better for putting on a show. Proceed."
While she didn't see the point of explaining so much to the girls when they likely wouldn't take any of it in, Kaminoke was happy to be able to work with such beautiful hair as this. She decided to save Kushina's for last to savour it.
She instead began with Mikoto. She took her long hair in her hands and began to smoothe it out. As she ran her fingers through Mikoto's hair, it became more fluffy and curly. It soon curved upwards at the sides and somewhat resembled a bird with its wings fully spread.
She then moved on to Mebuki. Her hair was much shorter than her comrades' so she gently pulled it, causing it to grow. Once it went down to her shoulders, Kaminoke ran her hands through it and it began to change colour. It changed from her natural pink to a dirty blonde colour.
With the other two out of the way, Kaminoke could finally move on to Kushina. That wild, beautiful red hair. There were so many possibilities: so long it touched the floor, sticking outwards like a flower, a towering beehive... But Kaminoke knew exactly what she wanted to do with this. She made the hair fluffier and wavier. She then curled it upwards into a large afro. Instead of just round, she moulded it into a wavy, fire-like design.
"Excellent job as always, Kami-chan," praised Miryō as she pecked Kaminoke on the cheek.
Kaminoke blushed. "Th-thank you, Miryō."
With this done, Miryō and Kaminoke walked out of the tent to where most of the camp's ninja were sitting in wait for the show.
"You boys ready!?" They cheered their answer. "Well then, I'll not keep you waiting any longer. Please welcome the fabulous Leaf Three!"
The three girls walked robotically out of the tent and stood before the audience with their new outfits and hairstyles. Miryō sat on a cushion nearby and brought her flute up to her lips. She began playing a different type of music. While the one she'd used to entrance the girls was calm and soothing, this one was faster, more upbeat. She controlled her power so that, while her compatriots could hear the music, they were unaffected by it, in much the same way she always made herself unaffected by her own music. She certainly didn't want to make that mistake again...
However, the music had a different effect on the three hypnotized kunoichi: the music guided them in a synchronous dance number. It was a style of dance that Miryō herself had devised and was quite fond of. Like puppets on strings, the three followed the dance moves that appeared in their minds. Pointing to the sky, then ground, then back again; bumping their hips into each other; grinding their butts against each other. The girls, for their part, were enjoying themselves. Not as a result of their hypnotic state, but because the feeling of freedom and the enjoyment they were bringing to these complete strangers made them feel quite happy.
Kaminoke watched the display, particularly the movement of Kushina's beautiful hair that truly resembled a roaring fire now. Completely enthralled by the sight, Kaminoke couldn't hold herself back any more. She joined in the dancing, allowing herself to become lost in the music and joining the Leaf Three in rhythmic bliss. She mostly just copied the moves from memory as they weren't being sent to her mind as they were the others'.
She received just as many cheers and wolf whistles as the other three and that only amplified her feeling of ecstasy. From her position behind the girls, she caught sight of their rear ends. The jumpsuits were rather tight and conformed to their bodies perfectly, showing off their glorious curves.
In particular, she was entranced by Kushina's. The way it bobbed from side to side was almost hypnotic in itself. It gripped her soul and refused to let go. She reached out, clasping one cheek with her hand. It was soft, beautiful, perfect. She pinched it with her fingers."
"OW!" Kushina exclaimed. "Wh-what the hell!? Where am I!? Who are you people!? And what the hell am I wearing!?"
"Kaminoke!" Miryō shouted.
"Ah, crap," the hair controller said as she realised what she'd done.
"So..." said Kushina, cracking her knuckles, eyes burning with rage. "Which one of you thought it was a good idea to put me in this stupid outfit?" All the ninjas gathered immediately pointed at Miryō.
"Uh, uh... hi?" the flute player said, unable to think of anything but her impending doom.
"Say 'hi' to THIS!" Kushina bellowed as she brought her fist down on her target.
"Ugh... wha...?" Mikoto said groggily as she awoke from her trance. "What am I...?"
"Are you two alright?" asked a voice behind her.
Mikoto and Mebuki turned back to see, "Minato? What are you doing here?"
"The Hokage sent me to help out. Looks like I needn't have bothered," he added with a wink, nodding to Kushina, who was currently beating all the Sound ninja to a pulp in her rage.
The four returned to the village soon after. One of the Sound ninja had managed to deploy a smoke bomb and the group had escaped. The three had no memory of what had transpired while they were entranced so Minato suggested they undergo the Time Reversal Technique, a jutsu that would place them a hypnotic state so they could relive memories. Kushina and Mikoto didn't like the idea of entering another trance so soon but Mebuki agreed immediately.
Even with the help of the technique, Mebuki was unable to recall anything that had happened. Kushina and Mikoto agreed to be put under too in the hopes that at least one of them would remember. Alas, none of them remembered anything. The Hokage theorized that the jutsu used on them also sealed away their memories and it may be difficult to remove the block.
The three would have regular sessions for a few months but the blocks could not be removed. The sessions stopped as no more news of Sound activities nearby were reported.
As for Miryō Suru, it would be quite some time before she attempted anything relating to the Hidden Leaf Village and its fiery redheaded protector again.
