Chapter 41: Hidden in Plain Sight

Thank you readers! This is fun for me, hopefully it is fun for you! :) Since this is practice, the release schedule will be wonky, but the story will not be dropped. I do want to go a little faster, but also life... Please enjoy!

After many days, Ino was still having trouble sleeping. Every time they set up camp on their way to the mine, Ino made sure to keep furthest away from Sasuke. Even then, Hinata was also suspicious. If her clan could be invaded, why couldn't the truth dousers like the Hyuga?

A small mountain popped up in the distance, the hills of fire country giving way to the rocky north. Waterfall Village was more a subsidiary than Sand, and tended to be very insular and peaceful nowadays.

Ino pulled on the straps of her pack and began to pick up her walking pace. The dirt path was especially worn by the weight of carts full of ore, making it a relaxed walk with hardly a single stone to kick. She glanced aside at her comrades. Hinata had picked up on her paranoia. Ino knew every flicker of her gaze would give away a secret. If she felt like this—how did Sasuke manage? Her gaze ran over both of them.

"What?" Sasuke asked with a scowl.

"Nothing. You'll get an opportunity to train on this mission, I thought you'd be happy," said Ino.

His face became sickeningly blank. "Very happy."

# # #

The town just outside the mine had no accommodation for them, but they did have supplies. After setting up a semi-permanent camp and identifying a place for supplies, Ino walked into town alone. Whatever this situation was, Ino needed to find Root's game first this time. She would not be taken in like last time.

After asking around, Ino found the mine supervisor, a bent-backed old man with a missing bottom tooth and a snarl. He was located at the mine entrance, where a stream of workers came in and out. When Ino approached, he gave her a once-over in an unsettling way.

"Girlie ninja comin to protect the mine. Nothin gonna happen, damn fool owner," the man grumbled. "Expensive ninjas, but can't give me my raise…"

Ino pushed down her discomfort at his gaze and struck a dignified pose. "Just tell us what the perceived threat was, and we'll be on hand."

"Paranoia!" the man guffawed. "You're about the quality of force I expected. There's nothin. Nobody is gonna do nothing to the mine or the miners. Unless-"

"Unless what?" Ino pressed.

"Respect girlie! Don't interrupt a man when he's speakin!"

"My name is-"

"Ain't nobody ask yer name! The only way this mine is in danger is if Waterfall collapses. Might as well say if the heavens collapse an pigs fly. Not since the First Hokage has there been trouble. And bandits, but they'd have to be dumb as dirt to bother us. Take yer paid vacation and fuck off kid."

# # #

Ino returned to her team in a horrible mood. That old bastard really talked down to her! Ugh. The only thing worse than being a kunoichi was being a thirteen-year-old one. She stomped towards their camp ground outside the mine town proper. A wooden fence with a sharp barricade had been set up around the town in a semi-circle which backed up to a mountain, where the mine was. Given there were two exits, they made camp between and within sight of both of them, right up against the barricade.

Inside the town might have been dusty and rocky, but the outside of town was nicely carpeted with grass. It gave off such a distinct feeling; Ino let out a sigh, thinking she just might take the bastard old man's advice. Sasuke and Root would do their thing, it wasn't going to affect their mission, there wasn't a real mission. If she couldn't find anything, what was the point?

Hinata was practicing some jutsu by herself outside her tent, her Byakugan activated, sweat running down her face. Ino was growing to dread the Byakugan. Every time it was active, Ino knew she was an open book.

Hinata bowed to Ino as she walked into the camp. "What's the threat expectation? Should we keep guard at night? When do you think it will resolve?"

Ino closed one eye in frustration. "None. No. Never, we're in for the full time."

"What? Why would they send us here?"

"Paranoid mine owner, protecting the Daimyo's source of steel." Ino answered morosely. She believed it too. Incomplete, but true.

Sakura opened her own tent flap and jogged over. Ino tried to avoid looking annoyed. The more she had to explain in front of the Byakugan, the more likely Hinata would notice something was wrong. The Hinata she knew would never… But the Konoha she knew would also never include Root.

"Hey Ino, how's it looking?"

"Where's Sasuke?" Ino asked, attempting to distract.

"Off to train," Hinata answered suspiciously, "Ino, is everything okay?" Hinata's eyes moved quickly, buzzing in their sockets. "You- no, everything is not okay. You're deceiving me about something." Then she turned on Sakura. "I can see you too! You're both deceiving me. Guilt? Fear?"

"Show us your tongue!" Sakura demanded, taking out a kunai.

# # #

Hinata felt confused. Why did they want to see her tongue? She ground her found down, preparing to push them back. Ino and Sakura had the intent to silence her, even kill her, if the answer wasn't what they wanted.

"I won't do as you ask until I get an explanation, is there something wrong with Sasuke?" she asked unwaveringly.

A twitch in Ino and Sakura. Their eyes moved to signal guilt. Sasuke was in trouble! Ino had been constantly suspicious, Sakura was threatening her. Time to move.

"Jyuken: Soft Push!" Hinata used chakra on her fingertips to create a moving wall version of the heavenly spin. Sakura and Ino were forced back a few meters.

"Tch! Are you Root?" Sakura asked after sliding to a stop.

Ino appeared terrified, sad, disappointed? "Hinata! This is an order."

Hinata felt anger bubble up. Why didn't they want Sasuke here? She stuck out her tongue before putting it back. Her eyes itched with frustration. Ino and Sakura appeared relieved when she did what they wanted. They really were- Movement on the side of her vision made her relax, it was exactly who she needed right now.

"What's going on?"

Sasuke flashed into the campsite, bandages up his arms.

"They asked me to-" Hinata faltered when Ino's expression changed to panic as she grabbed a weapon. Hinata got into stance to face Ino and Sakura. "They think I'm Root!"

# # #

Ino stared menacingly at Sasuke, his wooden mask back up on his face. It must be a jutsu, or Hinata would have been able to see the spark of a lie. Cool, calm, collected… bastard. Now the confrontation was inevitable.

"Hold on! Hinata, we don't think you're Root," Sakura dropped her weapon, it clanged on the ground loudly. "When I was in Konoha, someone warned me about the possibility of Root infiltration into our group. I told Ino, because she was the group leader. Apparently, their tongues have seals to prevent them from talking."

Hinata's eyes went blank for a second before snapping into focus. "Sasuke, show us your tongue then."

Now Ino was confused. When did- she met Sakura's eyes to make sure she wasn't going crazy, Sakura only winked. Wind blew through the camp, Sasuke didn't respond for a long time.

"Hmph." Sasuke stuck out his tongue, which was blank. Nobody had a seal? She knew Sasuke had gone out though, that one time. What did this mean? "Waste of time…" His form flitted away, back to his training area.

As he went over a hill Ino went to speak, but Sakura put her hand up to prevent her from speaking. Hinata began crying.

A disorienting feeling came over Ino. Sakura's voice felt as if it were wiggling into her brain. "I used genjutsu to explain the situation to Hinata. Like my Kunai trick? I think Sasuke might have ears in the camp."

"Well I'm glad none of you were Root," Ino said, making sure to keep her voice sounding relieved. She was relieved. It didn't seem as if Hinata were Root, but if Sasuke didn't have a mark, then maybe Hinata wouldn't either. And Sakura's innocence would also be in question.

All of them went about their business: cleaning up the camp, training various jutsu, and only occasionally glancing at each other from across their tents. With a Council Elder behind Sasuke, confronting him directly was inadvisable. She'd be fine as the daughter of the clan head, Sakura would be a clear assassination target…

Ino wracked her brain; if Sasuke had ears in the camp, the best thing would be to use a Mindscape Jutsu from her clan. The only problem was, Sakura showed herself to be resistant to her clan techniques. For now, they'd wait. Maybe after the mission was over? She had almost given up before this new complication anyway.

# # #

Shikamaru groaned as Temari pulled him by the hand to the outskirts of Sunagakure and into the exit which led to the desert. The guards saluted Temari on the way out. He had dressed up in loose desert garments and a head wrap with a Suna hitae-ate on the top and a cloth face covering.

"This shirt is not my style," Shikamaru complained, feeling out the loose pants and robe top.

Temari ignored him, still pulling him along. The sun rose right into their eyes. She should know better than to wake him up this early. He liked sleep, he hated waking up. Now his off the cuff words were deciding the fate of the village, too heavy.

Outside the village was completely barren, only very small herding communities were known to have much of any permanent residence within the land of Wind. Citizens of Wind stayed away from Sunagakure and the desert surrounding it. Most preferred the land arrayed at the edges of Wind Country, where most of the missions were.

"Come on Shikamaru, your plan is perfect," said Temari, who smiled for once. It creeped him out, she was a total faker.

"I was just talking, not a plan."

"Sssshhhh!"

"I told you, I'm an advisor to the diplomat from Konohagakure! Where are your manners? I've been out here for… fifteen minutes!" a shrill man's voice could be heard arguing with the guards at the gate into Sunagakure.

They exited through that same gate, and Shikamaru watched a puffed-up man with a pencil-thin goatee and tan coloring glare at him as he passed by.

"You! The girl! You are the Kazekage's brother, are you not?" The man pointed angrily. "This treatment is absolutely unacceptable, now tell-"

"Lady Temari is not to be spoken to this way," a guard interrupted. He was a giant of a man, with a deep voice, a voice which threatened to erupt into violence at any moment.

"No, we're sorry. Let him in Sano," she said with her fake sweetness. Ugh, the guard dropped all pretense of threatening and became like a doting father to Temari.

"Yes ma'am!" He saluted.

The gate was reopened, and Shikamaru's advisor walked through it whistling arrogantly, as if he had gotten one over on them. When the gates closed Shikamaru removed his face covering.

"Poor guy, you didn't even give him directions," said Shikamaru, "What a pain. He's going to be pissed…"

"Ha! It's your idea." Temari smiled brightly, the only time this woman smiled sincerely was when she was being a pain… "If his mission is to report to you, then he has no official power until he does so. It's brilliant. Let the great chase, begin!"

"Why did Kazekage-sama approve this?" Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, already sweating.

# # #

Naruto fluttered his eyes open, a warm cloth covered his head, held by cold, feminine hands.

"Hisato-sensei?" he asked, pulling himself up. He was outside, in a tent, the sun shone outside. Shizune kneeled next to his bedroll. "Where are we? How did you find me? Is Hisato-sensei okay?"

Shizune gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Yuki-san is fine. Tsunade looked at him, and now he's resting. Ton-ton here was able to pick up your scent, isn't that right Ton-ton?" She held up her pet pig who oinked happily at the compliment. "We're on the road back to Konoha."

Naruto rolled his shoulders. "Did Jiraya convince the old lady to come back then?"

The flap to the tent was suddenly flung open, Tsunade flew in and grabbed him by his shirt, shaking him while Shizune gasped, holding Ton-ton tightly.

"Who are you calling old lady? I'm not just coming back, I'm going to be Hokage! Isn't that you wanted, brat? You're talking to a superior, so you'd better get used to Hokage-sama. HA!"

"Take it easy Obakage, you'll throw your back out," said Naruto, pretending to wince in pain.

"Hmph!" Tsunade threw him back down. "This is the back of a woman who will become Hokage, brat." Tsunade then kissed his forehead, and placed her necklace back onto his neck. You reignited my Will of Fire kid. Don't lose that necklace, it's worth more than you."

She had decided to become Godaime Hokage after all. Could he really trust this woman who had thrown herself into drinking and gambling… who said what she did?

"Why?" he asked. "After everything, why? I won't follow a Hokage who doesn't even care about her people."

Tsunade became serious, clenching her fist as she kneeled next to him. "I may not be perfect, but I do care about the people of the village. I will use my position as Hokage to turn the balance back on the lives that could have been saved. It's what Dan and Nawaki would have wanted."

Naruto nodded appreciatively. "Then, Hokage-sama, I must ask you for a favor, I need to disappear."