First Interlude: Stirring in the Dark
"The Raikage is dead, Leader."
"Get to the part where I care please, Sasori."
"The Raikage is dead, and no one can say how he died."
"That's more interesting. Explain."
"The Raikage and the vessel of the Hachibi assisted operatives from Kiri in abducting the vessel of the Kyuubi and his adoptive mother. This civilian woman managed to escape them with two children in tow. The Raikage pursued, and engaged a unit of Leaf shinobi who arrived to protect them. According to Konoha's incident report one of those scouts wounded the Raikage."
"You believe this report is inaccurate?"
"I do. Leaving aside the power difference between a kage and a few rank and file shinobi, the Kyuubi vessel's mother and the children were alone with the Raikage for roughly a minute after their defenders were defeated. When the bulk of the Leaf forces arrived, the Raikage was dead – though they did not realize this at the time – and the Hachibi's vessel retreated with the body."
"Then the Raikage died after the only fighters in the area were defeated? Does that not bear out the possibility that the Raikage simply suffered an unlucky blow and succumbed to the wound?"
"I'm afraid not. The best forensic specialists in Kumo have examined the Raikage's body, and none of them can explain how he died. He took no wounds – contrary to Konoha's official reports – and suffered from no lethal ailments. There was no internal injury or damage to his chakra network. The toxicology screening came up negative. The Raikage is dead, yet there is no physical reason why that should be so. The only individual I have previously encountered capable of killing in such a manner is-"
"Yes Sasori, I understand. Could the Kyuubi have woken from slumber within its vessel and taken on the Raikage?"
"Unlikely. The Fourth Hokage did his work well on the vessel's seal. Beyond that the boy is both young and untrained."
"Then what of this woman, the vessel's mother? What do you know about her?"
"Lily Haruno is a civilian from a family with mercantile interests throughout the Land of Fire. She has no assessed chakra potential or formal combat training. Her professional background is in technical writing and contract law, and she works for the family business. She's almost aggressively average. If I were to create a cover identity for an infiltrator to enter Konoha, Lily Haruno is the kind of individual I would manufacture; which is in itself telling."
"Indeed".
"The only unusual thing about Ms. Haruno prior to her abduction is that she adopted the vessel of the Kyuubi voluntarily at a time when she faced social sanction for doing so, both from her neighbors and members of her own family."
"Curious. Do you have an image of this woman?"
"No; I'll work on adding a picture to her file."
"Please do. Zetsu?"
"Yes, Leader?"
"Once Sasori has completed his file, make a trip to Konoha. Observe this… 'Lily Haruno' from a distance and do not alert the Leaf ninja to your presence. That particular pot doesn't need any more stirring just yet."
"As you command."