Author's Note: Again a disclaimer: The Naruto story is not mine. I'm just making fiction out it.

I would like to thank Meinos 877 for the review. The identity of the girl will be partially revealed in this chapter.

Setsunai mugon no Jutsu: is a jutsu I created. It is genjutsu which literally means, painful silence.

Chapter 2: The Mission

Just before the morning break, it started to rain, as another group of Anbu were dispatched to patrol the Southern part of Konoha. They switched formation now and then as their strategy called for. They arrived at the place called Broken River that was just few kilometers away from the ocean at the south, which meant that it was almost the end of the road. The captain of the squad noticed to 2 unmoving bodies farther ahead and ordered one of his men to check on them. The Anbu approached the bodies and found that one of them was dead with his throat slashed and the other was badly wounded. What surprised them more was that the fallen ninjas were their own. The captain then ordered for the fallen ninjas to be carried back to the village at once.

The rain was pouring heavily now back in the village, she slowly opened her eyes, as she was a little bit groggy and sleepy. Thinking of her last recollection of the events, a fox mask just a breath away from her face was the last thing she saw before she passed out. Looking at her new surroundings, there was large a rectangular mirror on the far right side of the room, a closed door in front of her, a stool just beside her bed and small table with breakfast on it. The room was rather made of steel; smelled old, as if it wasn't use for years. With the rain outside, it was really gloomy day for her.

"Cold," she muttered. She made herself off the bed and towards the mirror and looked at her reflection. When she saw something different with what the reflection on the mirror, something not so right, so she touched the mirror with her finger and when the reflection of the finger did not touched with hers, she knew it was a one sided mirror.

"Good morning," a voice from a small speaker hanged on the left corner of the room came. She didn't notice it first until there was a voice. It startled her.

She was then told of her current location and status and that she will be interrogated later on. The idea of being interrogated did not really excite her, but she hurriedly ate her breakfast to satisfy her hunger.

Moments later Ibiki came inside the room together with other ninjas dressed in their formal gray suit. He looked commanding and stern as ever.

"Tie her up and escort her out side," Ibiki commanded.

Ibiki walked ahead of them as they made their way through a long corridor with few bulbs hanged above just enough to shed light on the hallway. They passed through several cell doors, who knows if there were prisoners inside. Not so long afterwards, they reached a door with a sign. It needed a fresh coat of paint but the inscription was clear enough. Interrogation Room. Ibiki reached for his keys and opened the door.

"Let her in," the escorts complied.

The room was small and at the middle was a table with 2 chairs placed on the opposite sides of it and shaded bulb hanging over.

"Sit," Ibiki instructed and took his sit after hers. "Alright, here's the deal, you don't want to me crack the shit out of you to get the information I want. I promise you, you don't want it. So, if there's something you have to tell, spit it out."

The kunoichi did not say a word. She did not respond nor did she look intimidated. She just stayed her cool, not budging, not giving.

Experience helped Ibikik to see this coming; he knew, that behavior like that would be the initial reactions and that she, like others before her would crack in time.

"Alright. Suit yourself," Ibiki stood up from his seat and stepped back.

"What cha' gonna do, the kunoichi asked, "it won't work, you know."

"Let's see about that," Ibiki replied as his hands swiftly formed a series of seals, "Setsunai mugon no Jutsu," he whispered.

The world became silent. There's was no sound, not even one. The kunoichi looked at Ibiki who was just standing there in front of her, opening his mouth as if he was speaking. But she couldn't hear his words.

"What are you saying," she asked only to realize then, that she couldn't even hear her own voice. "What is this," she said but now she wasn't sure if she spoke it out loud or was it only in her mind. "No…no…this can't be," she cried but still wasn't sure if she could hear herself already or it just all in her mind.

The silence began to weary her; it was painful and cruel. It was like her mind was confined in a small sound proofed room. Not hearing anything out side of it. All she could hear was the deafening sound of silence.

Ibiki expected to receive some information at any moment after seeing the prisoner weakened by her incessant shouting and crying. He knew that if the prisoner reaches that condition, the prisoner would recall his identity and his activity in order to prevent memory lost.

"I am Tanaka, Kameko, a chunnin of the Hidden village of Sound with registry number 435-5390. My order is to penetrate the hidden village of Konoha," she repeatedly recited in her mind or so she thought.

Ibiki, heard this information loud and clear, he waited for more info to come out, but that was all of it. He immediately released her from the genjutsu and all the sounds of life rustled in her. Ibiki might be so cold and cold hearted but, that's his job.

Later on the girl realized that she had fallen in a genjutsu and had given away vital information. But it was too late for her.

Naruto swore he could have got up from bed much earlier than he did, if it wasn't for the rain. The cool temperature that the rain brought was a temptation. Naruto hurriedly brushed his teeth after shower and escaped his breakfast for that morning, a habit he developed since joining the Anbu squad. He trashed his Anbu equipments inside his backpack, since he failed to return it in his locker last night, he hoped to return it before anyone will catch him. Naruto got dress with his usual clothes, but this time it's different. He had a black jacket and a white shirt beneath it; light brown long baggy pants with more than 5 pouches; and a pair of black boots, which he bought few days ago. He had a navy blue bandana with the Konoha symbol attached to it,covered hishead.

"You better move fast Naruto," he told himself.

After few minutes, he was off to the Anbu barracks located at the lowest part of the Hokage building. It was an underground barracks. Much to his luck, there was no one yet in the locker room so he stuffed his things inside. He also checked his teammates' lockers and saw that it was still lock. Bothered by the fact that he haven't seen them since last day unitil now, he assumed the worst that could have happened, Naruto then reported to the Chief of the Anbu Ranks, his former teacher, Hatake Kakashi.

It was 8:15 in the morning and the rain started to slow down. Kakashi was behind his table in his office, reading a book. It was different a book, it was no longer that perverted book of his that everyone was accustomed to see. It was a book by Sun Tzu entitled The Art of War. A knock came from the door. "Come in," Kakashi called.

Naruto came in and slowly closed the door behind him. "Good morning Kakshi sensei," Naruto greeted. Although Kakashi had told him before to no longer call him as sensei because they are now equal shinobi of konoha, but Naruto insisted saying that he learned so much from him and knew that there is still so much to be learned. Sp Kakashi let him so.

"Hey, Naruto. It's good you're here," Kakashi motioned him to sit. "I assume that you haven't seen you teammates since yesterday, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, I hate to be the bringer of bad news," Naruto was stunned for a moment. "Unfortunately one of your teammates is dead and the other is severely wounded," Kakashi sadly said. Our forensic team is now investigating the area where they were seen and rescued, though I hope to hear the whole report from you."

"I haven't seen Ibiki but I'm sure he'll be here to file that report…"a knock came at the door as Kakashi was responding to Naruto's report of his squad's last skirmish. "Come in."

"Good day, Kakashi, Naruto," Ibiki solemnly greeted the two. His greeting though indicated that it wasn't really a good day.

Kakashi nodded while Naruto stood up to give way to his superior. "So did we get anything," Kakashi asked.

"Yes. She is Tanaka, Kameko, a chunnin of the Hidden village of Sound with registry number 435-5390. Her last order was to infiltrate our village."

"Infiltrate? Alone! But she's just a chunnin, let alone, she looks just about my age," Naruto butted in.

"Apparently, it seems it would be the case. But I have my doubts. There is more to this than that," Kakashi said. "Did she mention anything about their numbers?"

"No, she didn't. I believe that her order was just to get inside our village and wait for further instructions," Ibiki replied.

"Now that would be interesting, who give her the order," Kakashi stood and faced the window. This thought made him more suspicious. "We'll get to the bottom of this. Anyway," he turned to Naruto, "you know as a rule in the Anbu ranks, that we are not allowed to visit our own teammates…as a ninja," Kakashi smiled behind his mask. For the mean time, I would assign you to a new team. You would be their captain since you are the veteran compared to this two."

"What me... captain... I mean why me...what happened to their captain," Naruto inquired. He was really shock of the prospect of being an Anbu captain.

"Well, basically their captain is old enough to handle genins, so the Hokage appointedher to. But his subordinates are not, let's say experience enough to be promoted. So in light ofthe current situation, you are the right one for the job.You should be proud you know," Kakashi teased Naruto with his last words.

"Well, I have to meet them then. Who are they anyway?"

"The 7th squad," Kakashi mused for a moment, "nostalgic isn't it. To be in a team 7 again."

Naruto just shrugged the nostalgic thought. So many things happened in the past and he just want to move on from it. In fact he had moved on. He cut off any contacts he have with the rest of his batch, save for Neiji.

"Naruto, I know this wouldn't be appropriate since you lost one of your teammates in the ranks, but just the same, congratulations on your promotion," Ibiki extended his hands and Naruto reached for it. They shook hands.

"I've arranged for your meeting after lunch. After you aqcuaintted yourselves. You proceed to Broken River," Kakashi said. "Dismissed."

After Naruto left the room, Ibiki turned to Kakashi. "Do you remember our first mission together?"

"Yes, I remember that. It was in Water country," Kakashi replied sfter taking a moment to recollect his memories. "What about it?"

"I remember a guy who called himself Tanaka, Harumi. He looks like our sound ninja."

A/N: Please review my work. Let me know how to improve the story. Or how do you like the story so far. Thank you..