Author's Note: As questioned in the reviews, yes, this is still the prologue. It is still the prologue, however, because it is a long prologue, and I am splitting it up to make it easier to read. Thank you.
Shizune arrived at Ame no Kuni three days later. After being shown to her quarters for the evening, which consisted of a three room lavish suite, she was ushered into the office of the woman in charge of Amegakure.
She demanded to be referred as the Suikage by her underlings when no foreign ninja were present, and was mockingly referred to as the Ikekage by the five main countries. She was a svelte, tall woman, dressed in a medley of fish nets and silks. Shizune never ceased to be taken aback by her eccentric manner of apparel, but she was a woman you couldn't underestimate, no matter how many baubles she had affixed to her.
"Ah… Shizune-kun, was it?" The other woman looked up from her desk, long blue nails clicking on the edge of the dark wood. "Welcome to Amegakure. You've been roomed comfortably, I trust?"
"Of course, Kariya-san." Shizune took a seat, settling herself. The other woman sized her up and down. They had met only once before, and that had been in Tsunade's office. She waited for the woman to dismiss her. Her company had never been something she'd sought out.
"Hmm…" Izumi Kariya stood and walked around her desk, only to sit once again, this time crossing her legs on the top of the furniture. "How is the dear old woman, I mean, the Hokage, doing, by the way? I worry so about her health, you know. Pneumonia and the such always do seem to strike the elderly." Shizune grit her teeth and managed to twist her lips into a smile.
"She's doing splendidly. You know how it is with some elderly. They just keep going and going." Kariya smirked, crossing and uncrossing long legs that were tipped with sharp heeled boots (rumored to be one of the woman's favorite weapons).
"Well, as long as the hag's still breathing I suppose theirs nothing to do about it." The woman's ruby lips curled into a cruel grin. "But before you go, may I ask you not to kill or be killed by the Sound representative during the gala? It would be… messy for me. I know your both in a war and all, but can we not bring it in to my ballroom?" Shizune didn't think that question needed an answer.
Shizune fussed with her dress, not used to the smooth, silky, feel of the fabric. The last time she had worn something like this she had been undercover for Tsunade, and playing the part of a high-class prostitute. That had not been an enjoyable experience.
"Fudaiko-sama?" Shizune almost leapt out of her skin. How long had it been since someone had called her by her last name?
"Uh… yes?" Shizune hurriedly smoothed the skirt down one last time; it was far too short. A genin waited outside the door, dressed in rain's dress uniform.
"The pre-gala dinner is to be served. I am to escort you." The genin was cold and curt. Good skills for an up and coming shinobi. Shizune followed him down to the gala.
Colors and twirls of fabric immediately assaulted her vision when she entered the room they were using for dining. Emissaries from all the foreign nations, all the shinobi villages, high ranked Rain ninja, and daimyo from all around the village intermingled over food, most flitting from table to table and talking, securing light promises, tentative alliances, and making idle threats. Shizune sighed at the very thought.
"Fudaiko-san, what a pleasure." The daimyo who ruled over the border of Rain and Leaf. Shizune plastered a smile on her face. He was their main exporter of tea. Shizune liked her tea.
She managed to extricate herself after a ten minute discussion about Rain Country's finest tea products, making her way to the buffet tables aligned about the walls. She turned to the table on the other wall upon spotting the Pond Shadow. She picked up a plate, smiling at the men in front of and behind her, (twin jounin she'd met before in Sand, nice enough fellows), and began selecting from the grand menu. Once she had assembled a modest plate, she took a place at the table, her eyes darting around.
She had not forgotten her mission. How could she forget? The entire village rested on this night, on what became of this night. An alliance, a traitor within the Sound ranks, could sway the entire secret war. She had to be on alert, had to be strong, had to be witty, had to be a lot of things she wasn't sure she could be. She was a medic. She healed people. She had fine-tuned chakra for resuscitating people, for closing their torn arteries and mending their bones. She didn't often use that chakra to stop breath, to cut arteries, to break bones. She didn't like to think she would have to today.
The sight of a man's back, blue fabric emblazoned with the symbol of Sound, caught her eye from across the room. He was quick in conversation with a high ranked Rain ninja, apparently debating the proper method of throat cutting, if their hand gestures were to be believed. She subtly sized the man up. Short and muscular, he seemed disproportioned. He had a shaggy mane of brilliant red hair that hung to his shoulders, loose and untamed. But his eyes… they looked intelligent despite his hulking body. They looked calculating. Shizune did not know how he would contact her, if he was the informant, but for now she sat and picked at the exotic fruits piled about her plate. She had been, per the suggestion of Shikamaru, expecting Kabuto. But she had to consider all options.
In between slices of what appeared to be mango she watched the Sound representative move closer and closer to her seat. It took him about an hour, as he kept chatting on his way. Several people stopped to trade idle comments with her as she waited and watched. A Takigakure kunoichi complimented her on her dress, and Shizune was grateful to see she was dressed in much the same manner, making her feel a little more comfortable. Several daimyo who ruled areas in Konoha made small talk about Konoha economy and products. But Shizune's eyes were consistently watching the man from Sound.
Her heart began pounding when he approached her, a smug smirk plastered across his face. He stopped about a foot away from her, standing silent until she rose to her feet, about a head taller in height than he.
"So, the Hokage actually lets her lapdog out? I was under the impression that bitch had a tighter leash on you."
"At least I'm a big dog. Who are you supposed to be? A Chihuahua?" Shizune hated trading insults. Tsunade had helped her practice before this mission, but it all seemed so fake, like such posturing. Which was what it was, she supposed.
"A vicious son of a bitch, at least. One who thinks you must be fishing for some attention." The man reached around to try and pinch her rear end through the silk. Shizune smoothly sidestepped.
"I only date taller men, you're out of luck." She had guessed he was height sensitive, and she was right. She saw a vein throb in his forehead.
"And I only date prostitutes, and you're looking mighty affordable." Mentally sighing, Shizune kept up the 'debate', running on automatic fire-back.
"Well, at least I can claim membership to a hidden village that doesn't have to drain the cesspools for ninja."
"Too bad for you that some of the best lurk around the cesspool."
"Are we going to get to the point, or are you going to keep up this needless masculine ego-trip?"
The man issued a smug chuckle and sat with a heavy thump. Shizune slid gracefully back into her seat.
"Very well. So, how're your casualty reports going, hmm?" The man took her glass of wine and downed it, under the eye of her disapproving gaze.
"Quite well actually, since we wiped out that Sound base on the border." She watched the man turn his back to her, visiting the buffet and filling two glasses. She caught that he shielded the pouring of the drinks with his shoulders. She would have to check that before touching it. He returned, proffering her a glass. She took it, running it under her nose. There was no smell. A quick jutsu, done in full view of the Sound representative revealed no poison.
"Satisfied? It's water." The man sipped at his glass. Shizune sniffed again. Odorless. She sipped a small amount. Tasteless.
"So it is." The man guffawed into his drink, which seemed to be something different.
"Ready to talk now, sweet cheeks?" Shizune rolled her eyes.
"About?" She was fishing for the information. For the betrayal. It was too be understood that he wouldn't just leap into a betrayal of Otogakure. She had to coax him into it.
"Our 'secret' war, of course." The man swished the liquid about in his cup. "I was thinking of conditions of surrender on your part."
"Surrender?" Shizune took another sip, her eyes watching carefully every move.
"Yes, surrender. You know as well as I do that in the end, we will win this war, not you. That base was... a setback. But I've been given permission by Orochimaru-sama to warn you. Take this seriously." The man leaned very close, too close for her comfort, his red hair tickling her forehead.
"Back out while you can." The man's smile was becoming sadistic. "We have a few surprises waiting for Konoha in the cesspool. Three surprised actually. You'll be leveled within the year." Shizune stood. This was… not the traitor. Surely if it was he would have dropped something by now.
"Thank you for the tip. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to breathe some clean air." Shizune downed the rest of her glass, and turned her back.
"Take my advice, whore. Or you'll regret it." Shizune kept walking. She passed the tables, walking out into the main ballroom. She was met once again by a dizzying array of color, though it seemed more frantic than when she last viewed it. She blamed it on the dancing.
Rain, in an attempt to be 'hospitable', had provided many female citizens about the ballroom for the daimyos to socialize with. Many were on the dance floor, enjoying the company of beautiful women. Shizune also recognized several shinobi dancing as well. She even saw the twin Sand jounin dancing with two lovely ladies over in the corner. The beat was quick and deep, conducive to a very fast-paced, high contact dance.
She was unable to avoid Kariya Izumi, her eyes offended by the woman's garish display of blue silks, fishnet, and flesh. Not to mention those sharp heels. How she walked, Shizune didn't know.
"Shizune-san, you seem to be enjoying yourself." Kariya was sipping water as well, the jewels strung about her hair reflecting light wildly with ever movement of her head.
"I suppose you could say that." In fact, the only thing she felt right now was bitter disappointment, and a little lightheaded. That the Sound representative was not the traitor… who else was there? Was she to just wait to be approached?
"Oh, you're looking awful lonely, Shizune-san." The kunoichi whirled about, raising her glass of water high. "Which one of you handsome men wants to dance with the representative from Konoha!" Shizune blinked.
"I will do the honors, if Madame Kariya allows." A Rain ANBU, dressed in a tuxedo, yet still wearing his mask, stepped forward into an elegant bow. There were ANBU, all in suits, stationed about the room. Shizune drew her gaze back to the Suikage and the ANBU guard in question.
"Ah, of course. My loyal…" Kariya paused until the ANBU guard offered his name.
"Moriyo. Yozen Moriyo." The leader if Amegakure twirled about again, taking hold of Shizune and pulling her towards the ANBU member, who took her hand and placed it gently against the cold plaster of his mask's mouth.
"If you would please, Shizune-san." The ANBU led her to the dance floor, much to her embarrassment. She could hear Kariya laughing loudly behind her.
"No, no I don't please." Shizune lightly tried to shake her hand free, but found it clasped tight.
"It's so very nice to see you again, Shizune. I do hope your Achilles tendons healed well." She looked up at the gray hair at the back of the ANBU mask, a name mouthed quietly on her lips.
"Kabuto…"