Shizune held Tsunade's gaze and nodded slightly. "A mission? One you couldn't tell me about in your office?"
"Exactly. Shizune, we have a spy. Root knows too much about what happens when my door is closed. In fact, it seems Danzo knows everything happening in my office."
"So you need me to what, find a spy? I wouldn't know where to start. I'm a medic, not a detective."
Tsunade fixed her with a hard look and took a deep breath. "You're a kunoichi, and a jonin. I expect you to act like it. Besides, I already know who the spy is."
"If you know who it is, what do you need me for?" Not only was Shizune confused, she was worried. This whole conversation felt wrong. She knew it was about to get much worse.
"Several reasons. First, I can't move against him without proof. Second, a known spy is an asset we can exploit. Feed Danzo things we want him to know. Just enough to let him think his spy isn't compromised while we work around him. Third, and most importantly, we are going to use him to find out what Danzo is planning." She took a long sip of her now cold tea. "Shizune, how well do you know Shiranui Genma?"
"We did some missions together when we were chunin. We've bumped into each other once or twice since I've been back in the village. But there is no way it could be Genma. He doesn't fit Root at all. He is pretty normal, well for a shinobi. Not like the Root agents. They never come out of their cave. He still hangs out with the rest of the Jonin, goes to the bar, normal shinobi stuff."
She desperately wanted to believe it wasn't Genma. They were comrades. Not exactly friends, but friendly. As much as she wanted to trust Genma, there was no one she trusted more than Tsunade. She wouldn't just throw out an accusation like that without any proof.
She was surprised how well Shizune was taking this really. It was rather jarring news"I don't want to believe any shinobi would pass on information from the Hokage office, but missions are being compromised. I cannot put my shinobi in unnecessary danger. I have to know for sure. It is the only way to keep the village safe. That is where you come in."
"How can I help?"
"Your mission is to seduce Shiranui. This is a long term mission. I need him to trust you. I need to know what he knows about my operations, as well as Danzo's." She looked down at her now empty mug. Some tea would be great right now. Just something to do besides feel Shizune's eyes digging into her.
"I've never had that kind of mission before." Shizune spoke barely above a whisper.
Tsunade watched her for a moment. Finally she responded almost as quietly, "I know. But there is no one else I can trust." She walked back into the kitchen and picked up a worn copy of a red book, walking back she sat it in front of Shizune. Shizune looked down obviously confused, "Icha Icha Violence?"
Tsunade gave her a warm, genuine smile. "Take that. Jiraiya might be a perv, but Junko is an expert seductress. Don't focus on the sex, pay attention to her body language. You can learn a lot from Junko." She waited for Shizune to look up. "Never tell Jiraiya that I have read that book or you will be personally oversee all Genin D ranked missions for the rest of your life." Shizune chuckled a bit and seemed to relax. "Don't make a move yet. We won't be able to discuss this in the office or anywhere my guards are. If I am wrong and it isn't Shiranui I don't want to tip Danzo we suspect a spy." Shizune nodded and stood up to leave.
"One more thing: don't forget to be mad at me in the morning. Afterall, you've been getting me cleaned up and into bed for an hour now."
Shizune smiled. "That I know how to do. Goodnight, Tsunade-sama." She walked out the door scowling.
Genma strolled into Root headquarters. He had been in and out of this place countless times over the years, but it didn't make it any less foreboding. Genma, like all root shinobi, feared Danzo. It wouldn't do for someone to see him coming and going. He was seen as loyal to the Hokage.
He kneeled before Danzo, removing his cougar mask. He waited. One never spoke to Danzo before he spoke to you.
Danzo looked down slightly. "Report."
"Hatake returned. He was injured but reported nothing suspicious to the Hokage. It was late when he came in, and she seemed more worried about drinking than this tardiness."
"Drinking again? In her office. Appointing her was a mistake. What did she discuss with Hatake?"
"Nothing of importance. They drank together, and Tsunade told him about the village. She informed him she had taken one of his students as an apprentice. A rather unremarkable genin. I thought it might be a way for her to communicate with Hatake, but now I am not so sure. I haven't seen Hatake train with the girl at all after his return, and the Hokage is teaching her medical ninjutsu."
Danzo scoffed at that. "Maybe she is finally learning a kunoichi's place. They are only of use as support or in bed, after all. What else?"
"She isn't getting along at all with the council. I don't think she trust them anymore than they trust her. They are very upset that the Uchiha is missing, and that she let the jinchuriki leave the village with Jiraiya."
Danzo smiled at this piece of information. Distrust was good. He could work with that. "I want you to get close to her assistant, Hakamichi. She seems a useless girl on the outside, but Tsunade has kept her around for a long time. There must be a reason for it. Don't report back to headquarters. Tsunade has eyes watching. I will find you when I am ready for your report. I want to know if she has any contact with Jiraiya, and if possible his location. Find him, find the jinchuriki she so foolishly allowed to leave the village. I need to know of any information about the Uchiha, or Orochimaru. It wouldn't do for her to find our projects. You are dismissed."
With that, Genma stood, bowed, and returned the way he came. Danzo watched him walk away. He was immensely proud of his spy. He had started grooming Cougar when he was still a genin. No one had any idea the loud playboy was a part of the organization responsible for keeping Konoha safe from the threats the Hokage was too blind or afraid to face. He blended into the village life flawlessly, worked well with any team he was assigned to, and got along well with the other Jonin. He would have no problem winning over the Hakamichi woman.
Shizune was still in bed. She had stayed up far too late reading the surprisingly good red book. And now here she was reading again when she should be getting ready to head to Hokage Tower. It wouldn't do for her to be late, but she was lost in the prose. Junko really was a seduction expert. Slight touches and coy smiles got her much farther than brute force ever would. When she was about half way through Chapter Four, a blank strip of paper fell out.
Shizune looked it over carefully. At first glance it was just a bookmark, but Tsunade never used bookmarks. She just remembered where she stopped. Shizune ran her fingers along the edge until the felt the slightly raised seal. She pushed a tiny amount of chakra into the seal and the bookmark was suddenly no longer blank. It was a code. An old code. One the two of them used when dodging casino operators and money lenders. Shizune watched the bookmark burn itself away a moment later. Sighing, she got up and dressed for the day.
Walking into the office, Shizune was surprised to find Tsunade already there. She was at her desk with her fingers pushed into her temples, and there was a very large water collecting condensation on a coaster. Either she had done some more drinking after Shizune left or she wanted to look the part.
Shizune greeted her warmly, "Good morning Hokage-sama."
Tsunade glared at her. "Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come over and heal me?"
"I really shouldn't. How would it have looked, the Hokage being carried home by her assistant? I don't know how we managed it without anyone seeing us."
"You're a kunoichi. Not being seen is in the job description. Would you just get over here? I am too tired to heal myself, and I will get through a lot more of this paperwork if I can see it."
Shizune walked around the desk and placed her fingers on Tsunade's temples. Using a small amount of chakra she checked for any signs of dehydration, and when she didn't find any she knew Tsunade was just fine. She held her temples a bit longer fixing her with a hard stare. "You really shouldn't expect healing just because you don't know when to stop drinking. You are the Hokage now. You need to act like it."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Get out of my office."
