Chapter 30

It happened one late evening towards the middle of December. Sute had been nearing the end of a twelve-hour shift at the hospital and silently bemoaning the lack of field missions, having only been sent out a grand total of three times since the debacle in Hot Water. Close calls like that always reminded them just how valuable their medics were, so she didn't expect to be sent back into the field regularly anytime soon.

As she walked down the hall contemplating the possibility of her unofficial ban from field work being lifted in the new year, she paused as she heard fast footsteps approaching her. She turned to see a tall man with long brown hair striding towards her way at a brisk pace, spectacled gaze focused on her.

"Doctor Ijima," she greeted respectfully. Ijima Shizuo was one of her more favored colleagues, a veteran of the Bloody Mist days who had spent his entire career in the hospital as a surgeon. Technically he had retired after a wrist injury, moving out of Kiri proper to start a small clinic in the countryside where he could care for his young orphaned nephew, but he still returned once a month to restock on medical supplies and assist with some of the trickier operations.

"Sute," he said, returning her nod as he drew close. "Mind walking with me?" She nodded wordlessly and followed him down the hall, his steps still brisk and faster than his usual sedate pace. He carried an unusually grave air about him, his expression blank but eyes hard and serious as he stared ahead.

"Do you have a problematic patient?" she wondered, keeping her voice low.

"You could say that. I'll apologize now for extending your shift."

"If it means assisting you in a surgery, I won't complain."

"It's not exactly a normal surgery," he replied cryptically, and she shot him a curious glance but got no opportunity to ask further before he turned down the hall to the morgue. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled at the sense of being watched, cluing her in that ANBU guards had been posted and hidden along the hallway. She kept quiet as Ijima continued down to a bulky door leading to an autopsy room and pushed it open, and she trailed behind warily only to freeze as she saw the body lying on the table.

Oh.

The body of the Third Mizukage lay on the cold metal table, eyes closed and face void of color as his chest remained perfectly still.

The Third Mizukage was pronounced dead at 8:37 PM on December 14th. He had abruptly collapsed in the midst of a meeting with his assistant, victim to a brain aneurysm at the age of 57. A mundane cause of death for such an experienced veteran, but one that not even the most powerful shinobi could predict and prevent.

News of his demise would be withheld from the general public for the first two days, giving Kiri's upper echelons time to arrange Yagura's ascension to the position. He would be setting a record, only a few weeks from turning seventeen. That in itself had been a surprising revelation, as Sute had believed him to be younger than her. Apparently he just had a severe case of baby face.

In any event, as one of the few people aware of the Mizukage's demise due to her participation in the autopsy, Sute had been sworn to utmost secrecy. Still, she could tell the higher-ups didn't want to risk any word slipping, no matter how trustworthy she'd proven herself, so they decided to take extra measures to lower the chances for her to tell anyone. And she had absolutely no complaints about their method.

"Hold on. We're going on a mission together?"

Utakata's eyes looked ready to bulge out of his head as he stared at Yagura, his jaw only not dropping because he rarely emoted to that extent. The future Mizukage simply nodded, undisturbed by his shock. "Yes. Will that be a problem?"

"Well, no, but it's just sudden, and also will you stop bouncing so much!?" Utakata shot Sute a rather annoyed look, which she ignored as she continued to practically vibrate with excitement next to him, a giant grin splitting her face.

"I can't help it, we've never gone on a mission together!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him and eliciting a squawk of dismay. "This is so exciting!"

"Let go of me!" Utakata struggled to break free of Sute's grip as she laughed, Yagura watching blank-faced as ever. Normally Sute did not engage in such blatant public displays of affection (or even in private), but ever since learning about the mission from her ANBU superiors she'd just been so eager she made an exception.

Despite knowing Utakata for five years now and training together regularly, the pair had never actually been sent on a mission together. As a jinchuuriki Kiri wanted to keep Utakata as close to the village and country as possible, and the missions he received rarely required a medic. Sute meanwhile spent most of her time in the hospital with the occasional field job as a combat-ready medic before entering ANBU.

In short, their specialties just didn't overlap enough to justify assigning them the same mission, no matter how good their teamwork had gotten. It had been one of the more disappointing facets of her life, and she had fully expected to leave Kiri without ever working together properly with him. But now because the Mizukage had died so suddenly, an unexpected opportunity had arisen!

She allowed Utakata to pry her off himself so they could continue the briefing, Yagura waiting patiently for the theatrics to end. "One week ago, we sent Terumii Mei to the Land of Frost as an escort for a minor noble woman for an arranged marriage," he informed them. "Since her departure, we received valuable intelligence that leads to an urgent opportunity. It is too sensitive to risk being intercepted, so we sent a messenger hawk to tell her to wait at the port for further instruction.

"Your task will be to rendezvous with her and deliver this mission brief," he continued, holding up a scroll. "Arrangements have already been made for a boat to take you to the city with expectations to arrive tonight shortly before six, at which point you will need to locate her on your own. Once you deliver the brief, Terumii will take over as mission lead and decide how to proceed."

"Yes, sir!" Sute and Utakata chorused, professional and synchronized. Nodding in approval, he silently handed the scroll to Utakata, who stowed it in a pouch on his hip, before giving them directions to the boat. Less than five minutes later they departed the administration building to return home and pack for the mission, planning to meet at the village's main entrance half an hour later.

Sute didn't need much time to prepare, she had already been briefed about the mission by her ANBU command the previous night. While she didn't know what the mission sent to Mei entailed, her own primary mission was simply to serve as an escort and discreet guard detail for Utakata. He had only been sent outside the borders of Water a handful of times, and they couldn't risk letting a jinchuuriki roam unattended.

Part of the plan to unveil Yagura as the new Mizukage included a demonstration of his skills as a "perfect" jinchuuriki. The display of power would help soothe fears of him losing control over the Sanbi and cement his strength despite his age, lowering the chances of someone challenging his appointment. Mist ninja respected strength above all else after all.

The administration's main concern was that Utakata did not have such control over the Rokubi. While it hadn't tried to assume control in the past, they worried the slug might become agitated upon sensing the large surge of chakra from the Sanbi during the demonstration. Thus, they decided to play it safe and send Utakata out of the village, and since they needed Harusame on standby in case anything went wrong with Yagura it fell to Sute to accompany him.

No one had said as much, but Sute suspected that they also wanted to use the mystery mission to keep Mei out of the village as well. Given her vague recollections of her wearing the Mizukage hat in artwork her friends showed her, the woman likely had some high ambitions. If not for the current hostility towards bloodline users, she would likely have been a prime candidate for Mizukage even now.

In the end, the specifics didn't really matter to Sute though. She would be able to go on a mission with Utakata for the first time ever, AND work with her favorite fellow kunoichi. She had absolutely no complaints about this job, it could turn out to be a honeypot mission and she wouldn't mind. Between the three of them she doubted even the Akatsuki would dampen her excitement.

...Okay, scratch that last part. She would definitely complain if they had to fight the Akatsuki, or Orochimaru for that matter. But she doubted either would pose an issue right now. As far as she knew Orochimaru should still be part of the organization right now and/or setting up Oto in the Land of Rice Fields, and the Akatsuki shouldn't have enough members to extract a Tailed Beast. So they probably wouldn't target Utakata just yet.

Reassured by her own reasoning, she pushed aside any worries and focused on just enjoying the rare chance to travel with Utakata. Which proved very fun so far, for multiple reasons. The boat ride proved to be overall uneventful, boarding just after eleven in the morning and setting off at a swift pace. Kiri had procured the services of a cargo ship for the trip, the duo spending most of their time on the deck enjoying the sea breeze.

"Okay, are we sure that sailor isn't a spy?" Utakata whispered to her as they watched a man lean over the boat rails to heave his guts out. Sute shrugged, idly watching the man from the corner of her eye as she reclined against a wall with a novel. The guy had been occupying that spot for a majority of the trip now, and he didn't look like (or sound like) he'd be moving away anytime soon.

"Heck if I know, not like we chose the crew. If he is a spy, I don't think he'll be able to do anything anytime soon. But I'm pretty sure Kiri thoroughly vets the crews for out-of-country missions, and if the mission's as 'sensitive' as Yagura implied he's probably clear."

"Maybe he was just already sick," Utakata muttered to himself with a small frown, shooting the vomiting man another suspicious look. "Or it's his first time out at sea. Maybe I should ask the captain about him, just to be safe."

"If it makes you feel better, then sure. We're less than an hour out though, so not sure it would make much difference."

"We could throw him into the ocean to drown."

"That might actually give him an advantage if he just has motion sickness. Just bean him over the head instead and dump the body. Not like he can defend himself." Her remark earned an amused snort and eye roll, Utakata shaking his head slightly.

"Fair." Apparently the conversation had defused his tension as he relaxed against the wall, turning his gaze to her now. "So, have you ever been to Frost before?"

"Nope. You?"

"Do you even have to ask?" he deadpanned, and this time it was Sute's turn to snort.

"Yeah, should've seen that coming." She looked up from her book to glance past the vomiting man to the distant port city now in sight, the boat about an hour away from docking. "I don't know much about it. It's cold, and that's it." Sute hadn't really been able to follow international politics due to Kiri's isolated nature, and none of her missions as ANBU took her to Frost. Most of their missing-nin avoided it due to its coldness and proximity to the Land of Lightning, and for the same reason Kiri typically avoided having a heavy presence there.

It made her wonder about the mission scroll currently tucked away in the canvas bag slung over Utakata's shoulder. It may have been a partial ruse to keep Utakata (and Mei) away from Kiri until Yagura finished his transition to power, but they wouldn't just assign a made-up mission. It had to be something at least a little worthwhile, something that would benefit Kiri in some way.

Unfortunately the scroll was sealed, so they couldn't exactly peek at it. It would have to wait until they met Mei.

Utakata huffed a quiet sigh, frowning at the ever-closer port. "We're getting closer. As good a time as any to put on the final touches." Sute hummed in agreement, sliding a bookmark between the pages of her book before following him to the cabin where they'd stowed the rest of their stuff. Leaving their stuff unattended left a bad taste in her mouth, but they were both dressed in civvies and civilians didn't exactly have shinobi-level paranoia.

Walking around with their hitai-ate on display would draw too much attention, especially so close to Lightning. Fortunately, the winter weather made their disguises simple enough. Thick wool coats and scarves let them easily hide their muscular builds and faces, and Utakata switched out his kunai pouch for a more ordinary bag used by travelers. They looked like any other civilian at this point, and as the boat drew closer to port Utakata plopped a knit hat on Sute's head, surprising her.

"Your seaweed hair sticks out," he told her with a huff when she shot him a questioning look. Sute just blinked, head tilting slightly.

"You know the last time a kid said my hair looked like seaweed I cut off his toe, right?"

"I also know you don't actually care that much. And you know I've got a point." She hummed, adjusting the hat to help hide her hair a bit more. The color did stand out, even if it wasn't particularly bright like pink or blue. Combined with her eyes, it would make it easy to identify her even in civvies. She'd have to think about that whenever she finally left Kiri.

Soon after that exchange the ship docked and the two disembarked, the poor sailor who'd spent the entire ride sick and miserable collapsing onto solid land behind them with a moan. They had arrived slightly later than Yagura's prediction, closer to six thirty than six, and the sky had already taken a dark tint. Sute tugged the scarf over her mouth as she trailed close to Utakata, the pair heading towards a string of restaurants with warmly lit windows.

"Any ideas what kind of places she'd go to?" he asked lowly.

"Not sure," Sute replied just as quietly. "We only ever hung out a couple of times, and we usually chose the place based on convenience more than taste." Finding Mei without having a set meeting place would be tricky, especially since neither of them had skills particularly suited for tracking. Sute's sensory trick with trees wouldn't work in a developed area like this.

Debating where to go in quiet tones, they decided to just poke their heads in restaurants to see if she might be there. To justify the quick checks Sute played the annoying tourist angle, loudly whining that she didn't like the menus before dragging Utakata out to check the next place. Purposely drawing attention like that bothered her and went against her instincts, but she figured that if Mei turned out to be in disguise the brief scene would be enough to get her attention so she could follow them.

It paid off, because after the fourth place someone tapped their shoulders, and they turned to see a plain-looking woman in dull brown wool clothing. "That's certainly a clever way to search," she remarked with a wry smirk, and her voice confirmed it to be Mei.

"Well, you look different," Utakata drawled. Mei had used a transformation to give herself a dull shade of dark brown hair, freckles dusting her cheeks and her nose now more hook-like. Her eyes still had the same shade of green, but they drooped at the outer corners to look more soft and gentle, a stark contrast to their usual sharpness. She probably looked normal and average to strangers, but to Sute it looked bizarre, just different enough for her brain to try to correct the image before her.

Mei led them to an inn where she'd gotten a room, and only after they entered did Sute realize how cold it had gotten outside. She made a beeline for the portable heater in the corner of the room, grateful that the Naruto world had some technological innovations. While she switched it on and unwound the layers of her disguise Mei shed her transformation, smoothly sitting on the bed. "I was told to wait here, but I had no idea they'd send you two," she commented, eying them speculatively.

Utakata huffed, withdrawing the scroll from his pouch to toss her. "Yeah, well, it's apparently urgent or something. I think we were just chosen for convenience." Mei hummed, breaking the seal on the parchment and unrolling it while Sute dug a couple of privacy seals from her own bag to slap on the walls and window. The inn looked to be sturdier than some she'd seen, but it wouldn't do to risk someone overhearing.

Ever the professional Mei skimmed through the scroll quickly, finishing her initial perusal within two minutes before huffing a quiet breath. "Well, this is interesting," she mused, her lips curving slightly into a small smirk. "There's a new trade route passing through Frost and Hot Water connecting Kumo and Konoha."

That got their attention instantly. While they hadn't been outright fighting, even after the war ended tensions had still remained quite strong between Konoha and Kumo. Kiri had a pretty insular atmosphere making it hard to follow foreign politics, but even they knew the two villages' shinobi got into conflict more often than not when meeting in neutral territory. Trades between their countries had been nonexistent up to now, and would be a major step.

"Harusame-shishou mentioned hearing rumors about a treaty between them," Utakata murmured thoughtfully, eyes narrowing. "I didn't think it was true though. Could this be connected to that?" Mei nodded once.

"It is. Recently our intelligence division received confirmation of intentions to sign a treaty later this month. It won't be a full-fledged alliance, but the peace treaty could still cause problems. This trade route is meant to help foster good relations in anticipation of that, and two days ago we got a report on that the first group from Kumo will use it this week." Her gaze sharpened as she rolled the scroll, finishing, "They want us to sabotage it."

Sute and Utakata nodded in unison, serious and professional. Sabotaging a trade route was different from their usual work, and the political slant to the mission would make this tricky. "If it's the inaugural group, they'll definitely have a stronger shinobi escort than usual," Sute murmured. "I'm guessing we can't just pass ourselves off as run of the mill bandits, or let it get traced back to Kiri."

Mei nodded in confirmation. "They'll trade off with a group of Leaf ninja at the border to Hot Water three days from now. The specifics of how we do it are unimportant. All that matters is we make sure the traders don't reach that point, and we leave no evidence of our involvement." She leaned forward, eying them intently. "So, any ideas?"

"...Do they need to be left alive?" Utakata asked after a few seconds, and Mei smirked, just as sharp and dangerous as any Mist kunoichi.

"It doesn't say, so I'm assuming that's optional."

"Then this should be interesting," Utakata declared with a small smirk of his own, and Sute couldn't agree more. This would be very interesting.

And we are back!

I'm sorry for the long hiatus. Between getting a new job and some other stuff in my life I didn't have much time to work on Bloody Oracle. Honestly I know pretty much exactly what I want to happen in this arc, so it felt like a lower priority than the fics where I DO have some block. I am so sorry!

Good news though, we're now in the endgame of Sute's time in Kiri. This is the final arc, and I'm pulling out all the stops. I'll probably stick to posting every other week, since I've written only up to Chapter 33. I want this arc to be perfect, for many reasons.

Also for those unaware, I've started posting an MHA/BnHA fic called Ignite to the Call! It's about six students ending up in another dimension where villains kinda rule. It's already at 15 chapters. (For the record, most of them were written before Bloody Oracle's hiatus so it didn't cut into the writing time.) If you're into MHA, check it out!