shadowkitsune95: This chapter took me FOREVER! It's really didn't want to work with me. Not only that, but school's killing me. So many reports! Anyway's sorry for the wait. Hope it was worth it.
"So, Ino bailed out on lunch, huh? Can't say I blame her what with everything that's happening down at the ANBU HQ." Sakura said, idly twirling a pair of chopsticks in her hand.
Sakura, Naruto, Mayko and the newly made chuunin guards –Reiko and Daichi- sat in a private room in Chouji's BBQ stand. Chouji wasn't there, having taken on a mission earlier that morning. None-the-less, the group was quickly seated and was now eating their various meals.
"Wait, you know what's happening?" asked Naruto around a mouthful of food.
"I don't believe you haven't heard yet!" Reiko nearly shouted, "Didn't ANBU send you a report?"
Reiko slammed her hands down on the table, rattling the dishes, as she stood up, nearly knocking over her chair as she did so. "This is unacceptable! What is ANBU thinking?"
Daichi calmly reached up and pulled Reiko back into her seat. He sipped at his sake and said, "Relax kiddo."
This earned him a dirty look from the kunoichi, but it was soon gone as she wailed, "Relax? How can I relax when ANBU has slipped so much?" By this point in time, the young ninja was almost sobbing.
"Did you see the pile of papers on Blondie's desk? I bet ANBU sent the report over last night, but out great leader here has yet to read it. Ain't that right, Blondie?" Daichi smirked.
Naruto had the sense to look ashamed.
Mayko sighed. She sat down her chopsticks and leaned back in her chair. "So, Sakura, care to enlighten us?"
The pink-haired medic-nin shrugged. "You'd be better off reading the report. I'm sure there's tons of stuff ANBU neglected to tell us medics, but, what the hell, I'll give it a shot."
Sakura made herself as comfortable as she could and took a deep breath before continuing. "Yesterday a jounin on his way back from a mission found the bodies of three ANBU. These ANBU were two days late in returning from an assassination, but no search part had yet to be sent out."
"Who were they assassinating?" asked Reiko, curiously. She seemed to have calmed down some to which the others were thankful.
Sakura shrugged again. "Some big shot's son up in the Land of Lightening."
"Is it possible the targets parents had the ANBU killed? You know, for revenge?" Mayko suggested.
"Possible, but highly unlikely. Besides it was the target's parents that hired us." Sakura sat her chopsticks down and stretched.
"Why didn't they just hire the ninja of Kumogakure then?" Daichi asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.
"Who knows." Sakura sighed. "Anyways, are you guys done interrupting?"
"Yeah, sorry Sakura." Reiko apologized.
"Good. Now where was I?" Sakura was silent for a few seconds before remembering where she left off. "Oh yeah! Okay, so, the deceased ANBU have been scheduled to have autopsies done –which is the only reason I know what's going on. There's no obvious sign of death, so poisons are at the top of my list at the moment. I'm doing two of the autopsies, Hinata's doing the third."
"Hinata's doing it?" Naruto asked, clearly surprised.
"Yeah, she's really starting to get into this medic stuff. Honestly, at first I didn't think she'd be able to do it, but now…"
"Guys, focus!" Mayko shouted, easily grabbing everyone's attention. "ANBU murder mystery, remember?"
Sakura sighed and sank down in her seat some. "Sorry, but I can't tell you more then that. It's all I know. You'll just have to find the report."
Mayko nodded and abruptly stood up. "Alright, Daichi, you're coming with me."
"I am?" The red-head asked looking slightly confused.
"Yes, you are. Now lets go." Mayko spun around and started walking towards the door.
Daichi quickly downed the rest of his drink and stood up to follow the determined kunoichi. "Okay, so…where are we going?"
"We're going to find that report." Mayko said stopping and turning around to give Daichi a look that clearly said she thought he was an idiot.
Daichi's jaw dropped. "But have you seen Naruto's desk? It looks like he set off a friggin' paper bomb, or something like that anyway."
"What? It's not that bad!" Naruto shouted his mouth full of food. This resulted in him spitting bits of food as he shouted.
Sakura made a disgusted face and recoiled from the table. "That's disgusting! Swallow, Naruto!" She shrieked.
Mayko rolled her eyes. "Of course it's not, Naruto. Anyway I want you to come back to the Hokage Tower when you're done eating. Reiko if you'd be so kind as to make sure he gets there…"
"Yes! I will." Reiko gave an awkward salute and pushed her glassed back up.
"Good. See you around, Sakura." Mayko grabbed Daichi's arm and dragged him out of the BBQ stand and down eh street to the Hokage Tower.
An hour later found the duo in a sea of important documents and scrolls that were suppose to have been read weeks ago. More and more kept appearing too, yet there was still no sign of the ANBU report at all.
"Argh! This is impossible!" Daichi cried, throwing a scroll across the room. The scroll bounced off the wall and unrolled itself along the floor, to eventually disappear beneath the desk.
"Don't throw things! These are important!" Mayko snapped. She had multiple paper cuts, her eyes hurt from trying to read Tsunade's messy handwriting and ANBU's microscopic handwriting, Naruto and Reiko had yet to show up; and her patience was slowly, but surely wearing thin.
"I highly doubt that was anything important." Daichi said, crossing his arms defiantly.
"Oh really?" Mayko replied, also crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. Really." Daichi said, " Unless, of course, you have a sudden interest in all of the Godaime's favorite gambling places.
"Right." Mayko sighed and unfolded her arms. "Not important."
"Why don't we just ask ANBU to resend the report?" asked Daichi, nudging a pile of scrolls to the side with his foot.
"Here' there's an idea! Why didn't I think of it?" Mayko rolled her eyes. "Come on, Daichi. I hardly think they have time to rewrite the report. Besides, it has to be around here somewhere." Mayko looked despairingly over the paper filled room. "There has to be somewhere we haven't looked yet."
Daichi snorted. "Doubt it."
"Your optimism is killing me, Daichi, "Mayko said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You're killing me with your esteem, Mayko." Daichi retorted, easily matching Mayko's level of sarcasm.
"Ahoy, land lubbers!" a cheerful voice chirped from the doorway.
"There you are, Naruto!" Mayko said turning toward the door. "Where have you been? You were suppose to…why are you wearing a pirate hat?"
"What? This?" Naruto grinned, and adjusted his paper pirate hat. "I walked in here, saw all the papers, and thought 'damn, wouldn't it be great if I had a pirate hat?"
"Yeah, that's great and all but where'd it come from?" questioned Daichi, staring at the hat.
"Honestly?" Asked Naruto.
"Yes, honestly." Mayko growled impatiently.
Naruto shrugged. "In the hall."
"The hall?" The other two said in unison.
"Yup. The hall." Naruto nodded. "I turned around to go look for a pirate hat, saw the paper and decided that it was perfect for my hat."
Daichi and Mayko glance at each other before launching themselves across the room at Naruto. Naruto gave a small shriek of 'What'd I do?' before being tackled to the ground.
Daichi held the blonde down while Mayko took the hat and carefully unfolded it. She began to read it over, her face blank.
"So, what's the verdict?" asked Daichi, being to become impatient.
"Bingo. It must have slipped through the crack between the door and floor." Mayko said.
Naruto and Daichi moved closer to read the ANBU report over Mayko's shoulder. The more they read the more subdued they became. When they finished reading it Mayko handed the report to Naruto who reluctantly took it. Daichi then helped both of them back to their feet, where they continued to stand in a heavy, uncomfortable silence.
This silence, however, was soon broke when an ANBU came running down the hall toward them, shouting. "Lord Hokage! Another ANBU team was found!"
Naruto felt his heart plummet.
