Chapter Fourteen

Fly on the Wall

Author's Note:

Man it's been a while.

There are only two more chapter left now.

I'm so psyched!

Just as Yugure was nearly recovered, her body was once again being seriously damaged. When they had come to take her away, she had only given a strange smile.

"What good is it gonna do to tell you people that I had nothing to do with this? Hell! If I were in your position I'd probably be doing the same." she said and with that she allowed herself to be taken to the interrogation cells.

Neji's lips twitched but remained markedly silent, he could see the truth of it in the Waterfall nin's face and eyes, but they would not take his word for it and he would probably end up in the same situation. It was also stressing out little Tsuru who seemed to notice her aunt's disappearance and the good natured baby cried a lot more then Neji recalled.

Naruto protested Yugure's innocence loudly to the point where Neji had had to shut him up himself.

Of course, Takigakure took great offense and the situation between the two villages were quickly becoming tense. It was possible that Sand might be going to war against the Land of Water.

Gaara was heartsick with the whole thing and Shukaku of course encouraged bloody visions and whispered poison in his mind.

"I told she was no good Gaara. To hell with the interrogation. We should go down their and kill, like she tried to kill my offspring." Shukaku said.

"I don't know if she is a traitor yet." Gaara answered as he tried to steady his breathing.

"She'll tell you lies." The demon insisted.

"You tell me lies too. Sometimes." Gaara said weakly. Though he had a good point, the tanuki was quick to try and counter it.

"Blood and death are as true as the sun rising and setting. Sun sets are red Gaara, blood is red. Let's do it. Let's kill her. She betrayed you. Make her red. Make her bleed out like the sky does before twilight sets in Gaara. She's strong, but not that strong. Blood sweetened by passion is delicious. Almost as delicious as killing the strongest."

"She loves me."

"Loves you? No female could ever love you. You're a monster. Who could love a monster?"

Those words brought back that old venomous pain and all the insecurities he'd been working so hard to banish rushed back from their shallow graves and Gaara nearly gave in to the old Tanuki's urges.

It was Tsuru's wails and whimpers that snapped Gaara out of his bloodlust.

Even Shukaku quieted. Even if this pale little creature was only half demon, the tanuki would not disturb his offspring further tonight.

Kankuro's team had spent time studying the ninja they'd be impersonating, learning their mannerisms and quirks, personalities and positions, their interpersonal relationships and their appearances. Once they felt confident enough, two of them went to work.

Kankuro himself would act as a homeless man inside the village, he and his puppets would act as the go-between between Taro and Mei who would be their inside spies and Aiko who would be sending news of their findings to Sand via her Lizard summons.

Sneaking into Mist was difficult and everyday they'd been there had Kankuro's nerves frayed and his temper shorter then ever.

The interrogator wrenched Yugure's freshly healed arm, causing her to cry out in pain. It had been going on for two days now and her mind was becoming foggy with it all. If only she hadn't just got done healing she would be in a stronger state of mind. But the young Taki kunoichi managed to keep her story straight through it.

"How deeply are you involved?" The interrogator asked as he pulled her wrist back to the breaking point.

"I'm not." She moaned.

"Oh but you are. In fact that's the whole reason you seduced the Kazekage isn't it Yugure? It's a classic kunoichi strategy. You had all of us convinced for a while." He smiled benevolently as he dislocated her fingers one by one before twisting them around as she let out a shriek of pain.

"Tell me. Did Water set the Monomane loose as a distraction to throw us all off guard? Do you feel guilty allowing your sickly civilian sister to be impregnated and killed for your own ends?"

"You've-got a-a lot of nerve talking like…like that Sand!" She snarled angrily and was promptly subject to lashes with a whip for her smart mouth. This time though, Yugure grit her teeth until her head ached and her throat burned from keeping in her agony.

Kankuro yawned, watching as a puff of condensed air dissipated into the thick mists. He had broken out into a cold sweat since it was unusually chilly this morning and the thin raggedy blankets he had stolen from an old man weren't doing shit. What's more was he stank, not showering for nearly a week. At that second Mei came by and dropped a tiny piece of paper discreetly in his lap.

Kankuro waited until she was out of sight before he read it and swore inwardly.

"Oh shit!" He thought. Mei was going into the lion's den today.

Mei walked quickly into the Mizukage's mansion with her subordinates. She was becoming very nervous since this was the one part of her target's life she hadn't studied at all. She could only hope that she had studied her target well enough.

Even with his gray hair and tired, black eyes, the man was still menacing. Age it seemed, had little effect on his keen mind and his physical strength. She observed.

He nodded, gesturing for them to speak.

"Lord Mizukage I have urgent news."

"Speak."

"We have recently received word from our spy in Sand that Yugure Maruyama is alive."

The Mizukage clenched his fist and pounded it on his desk. "Damn! This is bad news."

"Sand does not seem to be aware of the purpose behind the attack and doesn't appear to be on the move."

"That doesn't matter you fool."

"Sir?"

"Sand is going to be highly suspicious as to why Waterfall tried to kill the kunoichi and the Waterfall Village is under the rule of Water Country. Its high treason to lead an attack on another village, let alone another Kage's house or family without authorization."

"It's possible that they may have thought that it was a rogue who led the raid sir." Suggested Mei.

"Yes, that could be possible Snake. But I don't know how much that fool Yagi told them before he was killed. So we have to assume that they know everything and be prepared for an attack." The Mizukage was silent for a moment.

"We could also do damage control and plant rumors that Yugure Maruyama was acting as a Trojan horse for the failed operation."

"With your permission sir, I'd like to double the guards and close off our walls to outsiders." Mei's "subordinate" said.

"That might be wise." He said.

Mei frowned, that could be a problem. Time to do some damage control herself.

"Permission to speak Lord Mizukage." Mei said in a brisk and business like manner, which was not unlike her own. Which was the reason Mei had chosen her to impersonate. Her success as a spy was largely due to the fact that she found people like herself to impersonate. Though she'd never tell that to any of the younger recruits.

"Permission granted." The Mizukage said.

Mei took a very daring risk.

"Let's say Sand is suspicious of us which is a high probability and they sent out a team of spies to snoop around and found that we had doubled our guards and closed off our borders then it would only deepen that suspicion and make the situation worse."

"So you want to play it cool and keep it casual to throw suspicion off us?"

"Yes, that and planting rumors of the Waterfall Kunoichi being a Trojan Horse on a rogue raid would benefit your plan greatly until we capture the demon child."

"That's why I hired you Snake. You were always an excellent tactician. You will be leading a team of invisible spies to patrol Mist's borders in an hour. Dismissed."

Mei bowed and returned to her work without faltering. But inside she was suddenly nervous. Invisible guards were hard enough. But now that she had to lead the patrol herself, it would be nearly impossible to get the warning out to Kankuro and Aiko. Their plan was rapidly deteriorating.