Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter Twenty-one: Beyond the barrier

Drip... drip... drip-drop...

The echoing sound of water surrounded her. She did her best to ignore it, as well as the other, distant sounds that were thrown about within the stony hideout, sounding closer, or farther, than they actually were. She was crouched down low to the ground, but it was an act of concentration rather than concealment from where she hid in the shadows. No one would be able to see her there unless an extremely bright light were cast, making the tunnels she prowled devoid of shadow. As long as enough shadows were cast, she could conceal herself flawlessly. Effortlessly. She was surprised Sasuke had not sent for her to conduct reconnaissance from the get-go. Well, she could guess, she smirked to herself; she was just annoyed and bored, really, at having to wait around for so long. Sasuke hadn't warned her to stay out of trouble without reason, though. She smirked wider. But she knew she'd had to be on her best behavior. And, she didn't want her captain to be upset with her.

She was already well within the hideout. Her abilities made traveling through the tunnels and slipping past the shinobi within child's play. None of them suspected her presence. Not even the best sensors of Shūsoku could locate her position when she was in full stealth. She doubted anyone in Hakumei could either, especially a group of shinobi like the ones she was sensing. Even the chakra of their strongest ninja did not read impressively in her opinion. Nothing Sasuke couldn't handle, or herself for that matter. But such out in the open combat wasn't her strongest suit, and she often avoided it at all costs, mostly due to her small size. No, her skills were best suited for the silent kill. For assassinations. The nature of her missions during her time in Root were of these types. Infiltrate, eliminate, withdraw. That was her motto. So, Shizuko had to refrain from picking off lone shinobi walking up and down the tunnels, oblivious to her presence, even if the temptation was strong. She had more pressing matters to attend to that did not involve leaving a trail of death in her wake, letting Hakumei know that someone unwelcome was inside their hideout. If Sasuke wanted her to, she would go back in on his order and kill every single Hakumei dog by herself. Perhaps his brother could accompany her. If anyone else was suited for such a job it would be Uchiha Itachi. She briefly wondered how much longer he'd be able to keep his presence there unknown to their group.

As a pair of Hakumei ninja came walking down the tunnel towards her she didn't even flinch. She simply remained where she was, her eyes closed behind her mask, her senses working, as the ninja passed by, oblivious of her presence there as they chatted away about menial topics unimportant to her. They had no idea that if she so desired, she could end their lives right then and there. It was by the mercy of her orders that they could live – for now. Eventually their footsteps faded away, and she was alone once more. Another few minutes passed by in silence until she opened her eyes in a flash to the unnatural, blue light that dimly lit the passageways.

One-hundred and eighty-two... One-hundred and twenty-five scouts: Twenty-five squads... Forty-one chūnin level... And sixteen jōnin...

From her person she took a small scroll and unrolled it, retrieving a pen after to record this data down. Once finished, she rolled it back up and stowed it away, rising to her feet after. The Byakugan wielders and the other sensors of the group did an impressive job with their original estimations. By the time she would leave to report back to Sasuke, though, the number of scouts could very well change. But as they had observed, squads typically left one at a time, and not in large groups. The number would only fluctuate minimally if they kept such habits routine.

Now, for the barrier.

It wouldn't be difficult to find. She had been able to study the map the other Foxes had created, and she had sketched out her own copy from their diligent work. Still, she had to be careful. The internal workings of the hideout were indeed nocturnal. Most of the shinobi were up and about, whether walking through the tunnels or occupying rooms. Some were by themselves, and others in groups. Shizuko listened to their conversations as she went, hoping to glean any information they might foolishly slip. The lot was a rather uninformative one, though, and she didn't get anything useful from them thus far. Most of them played board games, card games, dice games or drinking games, or combinations of these. Others lounged around reading or sharing stories about some girl they had bedded somewhere or some war or skirmish they once participated in. A few of them dozed on cots or mats. The only thing they said of Hakumei and its mysterious leader was that they called him 'Boss', or 'Leader'. Nothing was said about the hideout and its purpose or the barrier or anything else of use. But she wasn't too surprised. These ninjas she snuck passed were for the most part mere scouts. Shizuko did her best to avoid any chūnin or jōnin ranked signatures if she could help it. Best way to stay out of trouble and detection – not that she really feared being caught. Yet, even those with higher chakra signatures, ninja she assumed held a higher position within the organization, were as equally boring in their talk. She wanted to sigh in frustration but refrained.

At one point, she was skirting around the perimeter of a room connecting a tunnel that lead to the barrier. Seven ninjas occupied the space. Five appeared to be scouts, probably a squad, and the other two read as chūnin level. She listened to them talking as she snuck passed.

"How much longer until we head out, hmm?" asked one of the scouts where they sat, sharpening weapons. Another lounged against a wooden crate, sitting atop a mat.

"What? Seriously? We just got back," he replied in exasperation. The one sharpening their weapons grinned despite the incredulous response. "You have too much energy for your own good," the one who replied added with a sigh.

"I guess," the first commented with a shrug and a grin still on his face. "Maybe you old farts are just getting fat and lazy in your old age," he daringly jabbed in an amused tone. The ninja who replied to the younger ninja eyed him annoyingly.

"Watch it, Kid." The younger ninja laughed despite himself, obviously taking pleasure at being able to ruffle the feathers of his teammates. "We're not that much older than you, you little punk."

"No need to get all riled up, it was just a joke," the younger ninja laughed, though he did not seem apologetic in the least. The other ninja rolled his eyes.

"I don't know how a punk-ass brat like you got to tag along with us; are we that desperate?" he mumbled to himself, obviously not for the first time. Some of the other ninja laughed. One of the other ninjas, who clearly wasn't a scout and was the only female of the small group, looked bored and fed up with the antics of these men. She yawned briefly before talking.

"You shouldn't question Yūgure-sama's decisions," she sighed out. "His wisdom is beyond any of you fools." The ninja frowned.

"Of course, I know that. I'd never doubt Yūgure-sama," he replied, seemingly offended and annoyed that she'd think that way of him. That name caught Shizuko's attention and she paused in contemplation. Thinking back to the other conversations she had eavesdropped upon, the name had been used a few times, she remembered now.

"Why, thank you, Rika-san, for defending me," the young ninja said with a smile.

"Take that shit-eating smile off your face, Kazuo-kun... I'm not defending you. I'm defending Yūgure-sama." Kazuo faked a hurt look.

"Such a mean woman, you are, Rika-san."

"Tch. I'll take mean over annoying," the other chūnin ranked ninja cut in with a smirk. "At least Rika-san knows when to shut up and enjoy some peace and quiet, unlike you, Kazuo-kun."

"And now you're ganging up on me, too, Yuji-san? When will it end? Why must I always be the victim?" Everyone rolled their eyes at him and in unison, sighed:

"Shut up." And Kazuo only smirked.

Shizuko continued onward when the conversation didn't appear to give her anything else of interest, and she reached the other end of the room where the tunnel continued. While the conversation was rather menial, she at least picked up that one clue: Yūgure-sama. The name of Hakumei's mysterious leader, perhaps? It seemed likely. Shizuko smirked slightly at the name's meaning; Yūgure: Dusk. It was a name with a similar connotation as Twilight. Although it was probably an alias, it was better than nothing. All they needed now was a face to put to the name.

All in good time. Perhaps I'll find out some more once I get beyond the barrier... If I can get beyond it.

But Shizuko wasn't too worried about that. She had experience with barriers, and she wouldn't know what she would encounter until she got there. So, she trekked on. The rest of the journey was uneventful, and she did not happen upon any other ninja, though she could feel them nearby in neighboring tunnels and rooms. Eventually, the blue lights that lit her path started to become further and further apart. But she wasn't deterred by the darkness. It made traveling quicker for her. She was able to pick up her pace and made it to the barrier faster than she anticipated. If that was a good or a bad sign she could not tell. Eventually, the tunnel she traversed ended, and she knew she reached the barrier.

Finally, she thought to herself as she slowed down, stopping a respectful distance from it. From her spot she could not feel anyone close by, doing a quick scan of her surroundings. The barrier begun as quickly as the tunnel ended, opening into a room. If anyone was beyond the barrier she couldn't tell just yet. The surface was like many she had seen before: gossamer and a little hypnotizing to watch as the colors and striations of blues and silvers swirled together. It was also transparent. Coming closer to it, she found that she could see passed it rather well. What she saw made her mouth open suddenly and the slightest of breaths to quickly inhale in her surprise: a monstrous cavern. Before, all the rooms in which she happened upon hadn't been too big, like the size of a bedroom to the size of a small house. But this was enormous in comparison, like a whale astride a fish. Darkness loomed ominously in the far distance towards the back of the cavern. The blue lights that hung on the walls glowed dimly, and she saw little dots off in the distance, but they weren't bright enough to illuminate such a grand space. She could not see anything moving beyond, such as more ninja. From her spot, she could see that the ground level she was currently on ended abruptly about fifteen yards ahead of the entrance, and a massive recess was beyond it, looking infinitely deep and wide from her vantage point. A metal guard rail rimmed the edges, stretching as far as she could see. It looked like a catwalk that hugged the edge of the cavern, used to look down into the expanse below. What was in this recess was difficult to see from her location. She needed a closer look.

Taking a steadying breath, she turned her focus on the barrier once more, studying its characteristics. Now that the overall surprise had passed, she noticed something hanging on the walls right where the barrier started: sutras. One on each side. Moving a bit closer, she squinted, and saw that more sutras adorned the walls inside of the cavern, as well, evenly spaced apart about every ten feet or so. If she had to guess, these sutras covered the entire perimeter of the cavern. The reports from the first scouting parties had said that the Hyūga guessed the barrier to be at least one to two square miles in radius. Though she could not say for certain just how large it was exactly, they appeared to be correct from what she could garner. If she had to guess it was closer to about one square mile than two. Regardless, it was impressively large.

The barrier itself was of a type she had seen used many times before. The formula inked onto the sutras was one she hadn't come across in quite some time, but it utilized the same, basic variables as most barriers of this fashion did. The style was meant for imprisonment. To keep those inside from getting out. Only those people who were trained in handling barriers would know how to exit it. And getting inside wouldn't be too much of a hassle, either. That's why Sasuke had sent her. Shizuko wasn't an expert, but she was rather savvy on barriers and how to deal with them. She knew how to enter it without trigging chakra sensors, and how to make an opening to exit, as well. She received the training in Root. Many of her missions had put her skills to the test, and only twice in her career did she cross through and back unsuccessfully. She did not dwell on the consequences of her failures those two times and squared her shoulders for her current task.

No time like the present, she mused as she brought her hands together into a hand seal and concentrated her chakra. A few moments later, she stepped through the barrier. It did nothing as she passed, giving no outward signs of change as she stepped through. The feeling sent a small sensation through her, though, as she felt the presence of the chakra fueling the barrier stored in the sutras. But this was expected, and it didn't faze her. All seemed well. After she crossed through, she moved to the right of the entrance, staying close to the cavern walls. Immediately she set to work feeling for the presence of others. She expected to be suddenly met with a wave of new chakra signatures like she had when she entered the hideout, and almost felt disappointed when she didn't. Was the barrier just for show? A way to lure someone into a trap? She pursed her lips; such thoughts weren't helpful. She hadn't even looked down over the railing and into the huge recess, yet. Surely there was something of interested here for her to find and her trip and energy wouldn't be wasted. Before she advanced, she crouched down low and closed her eyes, concentrating like she had done earlier in the tunnels. Within moments she located a few chakra signatures close by. Another minute passed as her senses reached out further.

That's three. Five. Seven... Is that all of them? No... three more for ten.

She searched further but couldn't locate more than ten chakra signatures. As with the rest of the complex, they mostly read low and nothing special stood out to her about them. For such a large cavern, it was odd that she could only sense ten people. Opening her eyes, she rose back to her full height and removed her scroll from her person to write down the new data. Turning around, she located the closest sutra and copied it down, as well. Looking down the wall a bit further, she approached the next sutra to investigate and see if it was a replica of the ones she had inspected so far. What she hadn't realized, though, from behind the barrier, was that all the tags on the walls weren't merely sutras. The next tag was an explosive tag. Her eyes widened a bit at this discovery. Continuing down the wall, the tag after that was another sutra for the barrier, and then after that, another explosive tag.

Well played, Hakumei, she couldn't help but think. They weren't messing around. This revelation caused her to smirk to herself. Surely there was something very interesting going on in here. If Hakumei was willing to keep explosive tags here inside the cavern, ready to detonate with the right seal, then they were keen on protecting whatever it was that was hidden there, keeping it a secret. Why else would both the barrier and the explosive tags be present? If something happened and their hideout was at risk, Hakumei would rather try and destroy the evidence than let it fall into the hands of their enemies. It was a tactic many ninjas utilized, and she should have realized this sooner. Her smirk fell into a little frown. The Foxes would now have to work even harder on their mission, and not risk the complex being blown into pieces in fear of losing valuable information or the lives of their own men. Sasuke wasn't going to be pleased with the discovery.

Stepping away from the wall after storing her notes away, she cautiously approached the railing before her. Like when she noticed the cavern through the barrier, she caught her breath slightly at this next sight. It looked like a military camp, was her first impression. Various sized buildings, simple in their make, filled the expanse. They were built very orderly. Row after row of what looked to be something like barracks occupied a portion of the expanse. From what she could see beyond these buildings were enormous open spaces, like training grounds, if she wasn't mistaken. It was like a Hakumei boot camp. Shizuko wished, not for the first time, that she possessed the Byakugan so she could see into the buildings below as she strained her eyes. She still saw no one walking about. Looking down to her right, she saw a break in the railing she crouched before, and stairs leading down into the vast recess. Without hesitation she approached and descended, quiet as a mouse.

She darted to the closest set of buildings grouped together. Inside the first she felt no one from her current location. Rounding about the corner she located the entrance and slipped quietly inside. It was filled with rooms that look like laboratories. Computers and other electronic devices filled them. Large tanks that could easily fit a person inside lined the walls of many rooms, but all were currently empty. Tables that looked to be used for operations filled others. What appeared to be other types of examination rooms were also within. Her eyes hungrily soaked in the sights she saw as she prowled from room to room. They left her feeling a little uneasy, for it reminded her a bit of her upbringing in Root. Just what kind of experiments were being conducted here? While it had a clinical, medical shell, she imagined all the sinister things that may have gone on within the rooms as she investigated one after the other. Aside from what its existence entailed she didn't find anything overly useful. Whoever worked there was thorough at cleaning up after themselves. She couldn't find any kind of physical notes. Perhaps everything was kept digitally, but she didn't want to risk turning on the computers and alerting someone somehow. Each of these buildings were like the first in their contents, and lack thereof. So, she merely wrote down more notes of what she saw. Exiting the last building eventually, she darted across a small expanse to another.

It looked to be an armory. Uniforms and weapons occupied the few rooms that made up the building. The typical dark attire and plain, porcelain masks that the scouts wore filled one room. Some other clothing was there, too, more personalized. Kunai, senbon, shuriken of all shapes and sizes, and other various styles of blades filled another room. The third room had shelves brimming with scrolls of all sorts. Many crates, probably loaded with more supplies, were stacked here and there. Shizuko tried to fight the urge to keep her hands to herself, eyes lit up like a child in a sweet shop, but she failed in the end. She swiped a few handfuls of shuriken and kunai, and even a few scrolls that would summon weapons that were sealed within. A few missing things wouldn't be noticed amidst the large supply they harbored. More notes were written down before she continued out of the building and onto another. The next one was quite large, and she found it to be the mess hall. Neither the kitchens nor the dining area held anything of use for her. She had checked every nook and cranny and found nothing.

She next came upon what she had thought to be the many barracks lined up neatly, one after the other. Upon entering the first one, her suspicions had been true. It was a long, rectangular building, with simple beds filling the space. No one was within it. She counted thirty sleeping spots inside. She found no possessions within – not even a pair of sandals. The little chests of drawers at the end of each bed were also empty. Even all the bedding looked clean and unused, the sheets folded neatly, ready for an occupant. The same was true for the first five barracks. It was at the sixth where the first chakra signatures she sensed earlier were located. Three of them. The barracks did not have windows, so she could not peak inside. She stalked her way towards the entrance. The door was ajar just a crack, and a small amount of light edged it. Leaning closer, she brought an ear towards the small opening and listened. She heard cards being shuffled and the conversation of men as they chit-chatted over a game. They must have been at the far side of the barrack where, in the others, she knew to be an open space with some tables and chairs for socializing, for their words were not easy to catch and sounded muddled. She couldn't get inside without opening the door and potentially alerting the trio; pursing her lips in disappointment, she moved on.

At the ninth and the twelfth barracks she came upon more chakra signatures, two persons in each one. Like the sixth, the door of the ninth was ajar just a tad and she couldn't quite make out what was being said inside. The twelfth one gave her more luck. She crouched outside the door and listened to the two occupants within. By the familiar sound of a tick issuing out from inside she guessed they were playing shōgi or something similar. She came on a short lull of their conversation, some indistinguishable words catching her ear upon arrival then quieting to just the sound of silence or pieces being moved. The smell of cigarette smoke wafted out to her.

"So, a week later," the voice of a male sounded out eventually, "she's working again the next time I go to catch a meal." The voice sounded rather close by, like they sat relatively close to the door. "Nothing but staring at me the entire time, just like before. All smiles and laughs when she's talking to me." He paused, and it sounded like he took a drag from his smoke. "Later that night, we're back at her place, getting' it on, man." He laughed, as did his companion, and Shizuko rolled her eyes and shook her head a bit. The conversation stayed on lewd topics as she continued to listen, and she decided to continue onward.

The remaining barracks were empty. In total there were twenty. At thirty beds each, it could hold up to six-hundred occupants. Quite a hefty sum, she marveled. And more than thirty beds could easily fit into each barrack if needed. But so far, only seven ninja occupied them. She tried to imagine what it would be like to see the entire place be full. Had it even been full? How often did people train here, and then get sent elsewhere afterwards? Shizuko knew that that was what was going on here. It was plain as day. But, why have such a facility so far north, where barely any ninja lived? Was it simply to keep it off the radar? What other purposes did it serve? She couldn't say, and she moved on before it made her head hurt.

Beyond the rows of barracks, the large open spaces met her. Like from the catwalk against the cavern walls they looked like huge training grounds. Targets were set up on many of them. Obstacle courses were on others. Hearing a humming in the distance that she assumed was a generator, she squinted, looking at the various cords following the outside of the fields, feeding power to this facility, and probably to the rest of the complex. Flanking the fields, she saw tall lights erected, ready to be lit up and illuminate the grounds for use. Imaginary sounds of ninja training filled her mind as she walked, looking from sight to sight: shouting and steel clashing and ninjutsu being cast. Now and then she saw a stray weapon lodged into a target or forgotten on the ground. As she progressed, she saw off in the distance another dark shape of a building in the looming darkness. She couldn't see it from when she first entered the cave, so far back it was. In fact, looking over her shoulder, she could just see the pinpricks of the blue lights that flanked the entrance to the cavern. She was many hundreds of yards away by now. Looking back to the approaching building, she peeled her eyes for movement, though still saw no one.

What's in there? She pondered as she picked up her pace, darting closer in a few movements to save time. It was as plain as the rest, but very large. The humming of the generators was louder here, though she could not see them. Focusing her chakra, she found that the three of the remaining ten signatures she felt earlier were inside. No others could be detected. The door to the facility was open, but no lights could be seen inside just yet. She darted over and peered into the building but could not distinguish anything. Advancing inside, everything was still dark, and no one was present. As she moved into the next room, though, the blue lights of the complex appeared again. It was empty. Just cement walls surrounded her in a small space. The chakra signatures felt closer, though. Finally, she found them all together in the same room a bit further in. The door into the room was shut and she could see light coming out from the bottom, and she cursed silently to herself. Of course. Frowning, she tried to press her ear to the door but only heard a few mumbling voices.

Dammit, she frowned. She was barely getting any good information. Straightening, she headed further inside. At one point she came into a sort of anteroom, with a door that was heavy steel and, though it currently wasn't locked, had many heavy bolts on it and sutras reminiscent to the barrier sutras lining the cavern. The next door that would lead to the following room was likewise reinforced. Even more so. She entered the anteroom and inspected the second door and found that it was unlocked, and the sutras were not active. Slowly, she opened it. A long corridor presented itself to her. Only a few of the blue lights were lit to reveal what flanked the pathway and her lips pursed into a line. A prison. Numerous cells filled the space. If she had to guess, the building housed a good number of cells by its size. Stepping back into the anteroom, she squinted and looked up above the doorway, noticing characters painted there which read 'Block C'. She couldn't feel or see or hear anyone inside. It was eerily quiet. The door she occupied was the only way inside. She did a quick check of the cells inside but saw no evidence of current prisoners. She felt uneasy as she walked past the barred gates of each, open cell, half expecting to see someone sitting huddled in the corner, afraid for their life. Leaving the block, she ventured deeper into the prison, and came across Block B and then Block A. Like Block C they were all empty. She discovered more blocks, afterwards, for a total of five. There were also many single celled prisons. She supposed that they were for rowdier prisoners. Or dangerous ones. Many of them were protected by both heavy locks and sealing sutras, like the doors to the blocks were. Again, they were all empty.

Although I'm relieved, that's a bit weird, isn't it? She thought to herself as she moved on, looking for more clues. There was evidence of previous inmates, but no current ones. It was strange to her. A prison with no prisoners? It sounded like an oxymoron.

She next came across a series of rooms that looked suited for interrogations, if the chair smack dab in the center of each one was any indication, outfitted with straps and the like to hold people down. Two-way mirrors were installed in many so observers could watch from an adjacent room. She saw that blood stains still marred the ground in a few of them. Again, no major clues were available to her. Hakumei wasn't some rag-tag group, Shizuko knew. They wouldn't give up information so easily. She couldn't even find a single list of names of prisoners kept anywhere. Not one, scrap piece of paper with anything scribbled down. Some rooms had computers, but again, she couldn't risk turning them on. Hopefully the complex would offer them more clues after they ran Hakumei out and they could investigate more thoroughly. She stopped eventually in a room that was the kitchen and recorded more notes when she didn't find anything of use in there, either. Storing her scroll back, she gave a little sigh through her nose and moved on. She had searched the entire structure. It took a good amount of time. She checked her watch and it was already well past three in the morning. Working her way back, she checked on the three people present, but they were still inside of the same room. Exiting back out, she darted down the length of the prison to see if anything was beyond it but saw nothing else. Eventually, the end of the cavern presented itself to her. The lights didn't reach back this far. She channeled a little bit of chakra into her hands to produce a faint glow – a trick she had learned in Root – to shed some light into the space, but she found nothing. Just a dead end. There were no hints of another exit or entrance into the cavern than the one she came through.

I guess I should get back, she thought, frowning at the night's discoveries. Although the findings were important, she had expected a better haul. But she had searched to the best of her capabilities without being discovered or leaving evidence of her presence behind. Wasting more time could potentially lead to chaos for her and the rest of the Foxes in the long run. Shizuko was disappointed to not be bringing anything pivotal back to Sasuke. Still, she'd be able to tell her captain what lurked behind the barrier. To find out that not too large of a force occupied the complex, and that most of them read weak, was better than nothing, she told herself. And the name of Hakumei's leader was a juicy little clue, too. It wasn't a completely wasteful night, she tried to convince herself.

So, back like a wraith she went through the complex, out of the prison and across the training fields to the start of the barrier. With the proper seals and the right amount of chakra in the right spot, she slipped through it without disturbance. She even waited a little to see if any response by the ninja could be detected, but all seemed well to her. Her journey through the tunnels went unhindered as she slipped past the ignorant shinobi, still mostly up and about even at this time. It didn't take too long, and eventually she was back outside, out in the vast openness of the wild, and she returned to camp as quickly and quietly as she could manage.

Sasuke sat at the table inside the overhang, picking at the small meal someone graciously offered to him, and sipping at a steaming cup of tea. Bleary eyes tried to scan over the notes before him, illuminated by an electric lantern, but he didn't have much luck so early in the morning. It was cold, and he drew his newly acquired cloak tighter about him. The sun hadn't risen yet, so that didn't help. Though he could not see the sky, he knew it to be full of grey, ominous clouds. Small flurries of snow had started to fall late last night. All the shinobi had moved closer and under the protective overhang of the cliff, while Sasuke's impromptu office was moved further inside. He sighed in his chair, longing for his bedroll again as he let his head fall back and he closed his eyes. Longing for his bed back in Hisomu, to be more precise, after a long, hot bath. But when he woke that morning and it was already almost four-thirty, he made himself get up despite still being tired from his trip to Hougyoku. Shizuko would hopefully be returning soon, and he highly anticipated her arrival. He had seen Sakura sleeping still and it warmed his heart to know that she was getting some well-deserved rest even if he couldn't. He could sleep more soundly when they finished their mission and returned home. When this whole, damned thing is over with Hakumei, he silently corrected himself. Even Itachi, he had realized, was still hunkered down and sleeping. Sasuke thought that he might be up, too, awaiting news about the complex he worked so hard to investigate. His brother had fought hard in Hougyoku and Sasuke was pleased to know he wasn't trying to push himself too much.

"Sleeping on the job, Taichou?" a familiar voice suddenly sounded out. Sasuke smirked before his eyes reopened and he brought his head forwards again. From out of the shadows Shizuko manifested, stopping before the table. She brought a hand out from inside her cloak to push her mask up. He noted her shoulders and the top of her head were mottled with snowflakes. The porcelain skin of her face was a little red around her cheeks and her nose. As always, she wore an ever-present, cocky grin like a mischievous fox.

"Shizuko," he greeted, and she made him a small, polite bow in response. Though to others the act always seemed slightly mocking when she did it, the bows she gave him were always curt and respectful unless he was purposefully antagonizing her, or if she was accepting an order she did not like. "Not sleeping," he chuckled. "Just waiting for my Shadow Fox to return." Shizuko grinned a little wider.

"Of course, Taichou." Her eyes glittered in their quiet mirth.

"I take it all went well then?"

"Yes, Sir," she confirmed with a nod. "Everything went quite smoothly."

"So... what did you find?" he asked, cutting to the chase. Her expression sobered a little for the business at hand. The front of her cloaked parted again, and this time she produced a small scroll for him. Sasuke reached out and took the thing from her, opening it up to read the contents. She started to elaborate as his eyes darted from line to line.

"Sir. Behind the barrier I found a... a huge training ground. It was like a military camp, for lack of a better description." She went into detail of her discoveries, and he listened as he continued to read over her notes at the same time. Her report was thorough, from the layout of the complex and her discoveries in the tunnels, to the type of barrier and the presence of the explosive tags, to the mystery that was this camp inside the barrier, and the various facilities she found within. When she stopped, Sasuke put the scroll down atop the table. His mind worked harder with each new tidbit of information she presented him with.

"I see," he finally spoke after a moment's silence when she finished her report. "This sounds troubling." Shizuko inclined her head in agreement. "What is Hakumei doing with such a place this far north, away from the major ninja nations?" he wondered aloud his thoughts; the same Shizuko had also wondered.

"I thought the same thing," she admitted to him. "These are civilian nations, not shinobi... I can't imagine them finding many recruits so far north... Perhaps it's simply to keep them off the radar? They find shinobi, send them up here to train, and then deploy them out to where they need to go?" Sasuke pursed his lips at her theory, unsure of what to think so soon.

"Maybe..." He wondered if the hideout that Itachi viewed within the visions he saw fighting that shinobi was something like this hideout? Another sort of training camp? But, unlike this hideout, the one Itachi saw was in ninja territory. He wouldn't know until it was investigated, and he wondered if Shikamaru had sent someone out to do so. Probably, he thought to himself. Shikamaru wasn't one to waste time with valuable information. "It's too soon to say." Shizuko nodded again.

"Right... Uh... Sir..." Sasuke quirked a brow at her. She held his gaze for a moment, but then her eyes faltered a little. "I apologize for not being able to bring back anything that's really valuable to us." Sasuke blinked and his head titled a bit in his confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked incredulously.

"It's just... I feel like this was a little anticlimactic. The barrier seemed so important. I was so excited to get behind it, and yet... I barely found anything to help us," she admitted to him, finally meeting his gaze again, her expression one of defeat. Sasuke was taken aback. He was used to Shizuko being so sure of herself. Always confident in her abilities and herself as a person. The little gleam that was usually in her eyes and her small grin were replaced with frustration and a frown. This change caught him off-guard.

"Shizuko... this is a mountain of valuable information. We even have a name for Hakumei's leader, now," he said, tapping on that part of her notes. "We know that Hakumei might a fresh batch of up to six-hundred ninja in their numbers, now. We know that they might have many more of these types of facilities located through the nations. This complex gives us enormous insight into the inner workings of Hakumei. And when we all get inside, I bet all the plans they tried to keep so well hidden from us are logged away into these computers you found." She remained silent as he praised her. "Shizuko... we have all of this information because of you. Don't sell yourself short." Her eyes faltered from him again, but she nodded her head.

"Of course, Taichou," she agreed, though meekly. Sasuke couldn't help but feel unnerved by her despondent aura. He needed her to stay resolute for the tasks ahead, so he tried to shake her from her gloom.

"Where'd that smart-ass, cocky attitude of yours go, eh, Kagegitsune?" he asked her with a smirk. She wore a little look of surprise as her eyes caught his again. "I thought you were our group's biggest bad-ass. It's not like you to mope around." She seemed to smile despite herself at his words. A little huff of a laugh escaped out of her nose, followed by a louder string of chuckles.

"I don't mean to be so down. I'm sorry, Taichou. It won't happen again." Some of her usual cheer came back to life in her aura. Sasuke smirked at her again and tapped on her notes.

"Good, because we have work to do."

Now that they knew what lay behind the barrier, the Foxes planned their next strategies. But like Shizuko had thought during her reconnaissance, they were going to have to be careful in their ultimate decision, especially so with those explosive tags inside. They couldn't risk damaging the complex if they wanted more clues about Hakumei. As Sasuke sat, thinking about this, his eyes looked between Sakura's face and the other, masked ninja surrounding his workspace. He had roused them and called for them to convene after they freshened up and had some breakfast. Sakura still looked a little bleary eyed, like he had earlier. He was sure the other ninjas were likewise tired. Yet, their postures grew more and more attentive as he spoke, Shizuko filling in small gaps of information that he missed, as he briefed them of her findings. He now felt a little more insight as to why Shizuko was so disappointed earlier as they revealed her report to them. For all the information she was able to gather, he still wished he knew more. Not that he'd tell her that, of course. He wasn't lying when he told her that what she found was useful. It was very much useful, indeed. But there was so much more he wanted to know. Such was the nature of the beast, he mused disgruntledly.

"The reports Shizuko gave leaves us with few options to pursue," he started to tell those around him. "One option would be to somehow draw Hakumei out and into the open. How readily they would do that is hard to say. How readily they might try and activate those explosive tags is also hard to say when they realize defeat is eminent." He paused, eyes glancing up to Sakura's face and the little frown she wore. Her hands clutched the cup of tea she held, and he thought she might shatter the thing at how tightly she held onto it. He wondered briefly if she even realized she was doing it. Taking a moment to wet his lips, he continued.

"Another option would be for a silent infiltration. To eliminate Hakumei during the daytime hours when they appear to be sleeping, as quickly and quietly as we can." He wore a grim face. It was a nasty, cold-blooded plan of action, but it could ensure the safety of the complex and its potential information and the chaos of a full-on attack. "I'm thinking that this method would be in our best interests." He saw Sakura wore a likewise grim face, but she did not object. A few of the others nodded their heads in agreement. "We can't be sure Hakumei would take the bait if we tried to lure them out. We also wouldn't have the element of surprise on our hands like we would with a silent infiltration."

"Sir." Sasuke looked over to where Shizuko stood off to the side. "What if... what if we can get inside and neutralize all of the explosive tags?" Sasuke nodded slowly, considering the suggestion. It was an idea that he hads considered, but it would be extremely risky, even for Shizuko. Still, if it could be done, then the scales would be tipped tremendously on their side.

"I think that that would be smart of us to do. Risky, but smart," Sasuke agreed. Shizuko seemed sure of herself. It made him glad to see her return to her usual demeanor.

"If you sent me in with even just one other skilled shinobi who is quick on their feet and proficient at stealth, we could manage the job without much of a hindrance. I believe we have to have at least one shinobi in our group who meets such standards." She held his gaze steady and purposefully, her eyes more intense than usual, and watched him in such a way that he knew she was hinting at something more than what she spoke aloud. Sasuke, knowing well her sensor abilities, understood without her telling him just who she was thinking of: Itachi. Of course she knew he was there. He couldn't help but glance up to Sakura again. By the way in which she looked over at Shizuko, he figured she was savvy on the insight, too. He wondered what his brother thought and wished he could read his face behind that mask of his. Itachi was smart, though, and probably already guessed it. But would he agree to it?

He doesn't have a choice, he's the best candidate.

"Alright. I think we could make that work." Shizuko grinned. "If the two of you work your way back into the hideout to the barrier and neutralize the tags, that will be a huge advantage on our part." He looked to another ninja and asked: "The Byakugan wielders didn't see any other explosive tags anywhere else in the complex, did they?" The ninja shook his head no.

"No, Sir. I'm sure they would have noticed if there were any, but they made no reports." Sasuke nodded.

"Good." He looked back to Shizuko. "If we equip you with radios, then you can relay when you're finished. Once you are, we will move in, and begin our assault," he told, pointing to the map with a finger and motioning their advancement into the hideout. "Shizuko and her teammate will then make their way inside the barrier and eliminate anyone within. Then, come back to meet us... I want to leave this barrier intact," he elaborated, tapping its position on the map with a finger. "Just deal with the explosive tags. If you tamper with the barrier you will potentially alert someone. We don't know who keeps watch over the sutras that form it." Shizuko nodded her head.

"Understood."

"Excellent. The ten hunter-nin will be on standby, waiting outside of the hideout, to trail after any Hakumei ninjas that escape." He turned to look at the masked ninja who lead that team where they stood, easily distinguished between his own ninja due to the difference in uniform. "Ideally, you will eliminate all but a few escapees. If you can leave a few alive to follow, then do so – they can potentially lead us to other hideouts. This is the one case where we want to leave at least a few people alive," he told to his own ninja. "If you see a few people slipping out leave them to the hunters. I'll leave you to those finer details, of course," he added to the hunter-ninja.

"Of course, Uchiha-san," he returned with a nod of his head.

"Sakura," he addressed next, looking over to meet her gaze. "The medics and you will remain at bay. I don't want to risk any of your casualties. Our medics are too important." Sakura frowned, clearly unhappy with the order to stay behind, but she eventually nodded. "We will all be equipped with radios for the mission, so we can call you if we need you. But otherwise, don't engage."

"Alright, I got it," Sakura assured him, looking a tad annoyed.

"Good." He didn't want to have to nag her, but Sasuke knew how stubborn Sakura could be and knew that the fourth clause of medical-ninjutsu applied to her. But as her captain, he would not risk her on the front lines this time around if he could help it. She was a magnet for trouble, anyway. Since he was the one who helped smuggle her up here when she had been ordered to stay put, she owed him that much. The least she could do for him in return for the favor would be to obey his own orders. He wondered how Shikamaru would react to her insubordination once they returned home. Sasuke didn't think that he'd be all the surprised, really, considering that this was Sakura. Spending all those years around Naruto made her just as prone to disregard authority and orders, Sasuke mused with a little grin to himself.

"There is still potential for Hakumei to try and demolish this complex if they realize that they cannot come out of this victorious. We'll have to be on our toes for anything suspicious on their end, got it?" They nodded. "If we are successful, then once we clear Hakumei of the hideout we will continue investigations. After we have what we need, then we will demolish the place. We don't want Hakumei coming back here once we leave." He looked to Sakura again as he said this, and she wore a small, dangerous smile. Sasuke could at least reward her with some fun, and he looked forward to watching her tear the place apart like it were made of paper and not stone. They all did.

"When do we strike, Taichou?" one of his ninja asked. Sasuke gave that cocky grin of his.

"Tomorrow."

Author's Notes: The discoveries they found behind the barrier are mysterious and a little disappointing, but the tight-lipped façade of the complex might be holding more secrets than it lets on. The Foxes are now primed and ready for the battle ahead. What else will they find after a more thorough investigation of the hideout? What secrets is Hakumei keeping? And why have such a facility so far away from shinobi territories?

Stay tuned to find out!

As always, sorry for the lengthy wait, everyone! -u- I'm slowly hashing out the plot more and more, giving myself more content to write. Like I said before, I want to be thorough and well thought out so I don't make mistakes or blunder the plot line. I'm really vested in this story now that it has blown so out of the proportions I thought it would originally be when I first thought of writing it back in 2014 (omg I can't believe it's already been that long!) y'all are so sweet and kind and encouraging! So I want to give you something good for your patience and love! So, forgive me! I'm going as quickly as I can! But like they say, good things come to those who wait, n'est-ce pas? (:

This chapter is boring, I know, I know, don't hate me! But it was necessary. OTL

More action is on the way! :D