Konoha Trading Posts

Wearing a visage of neutrality even under his mask, Karosin stood several feet away from a surprising and horrific scene of murder.

Murder itself was a rare, but possible crime that still occurred and was normally handled by the Police Force for investigation and the upprehension and holding of suspects until their trial. If the murder involved the usage of jutsu then one or two ANBU would be assigned to assist the case alongside a jonin.

This particular scene was being strictly handled by ANBU and Jonin for one simple reason.

One of the murder victims was an ANBU herself.

"What ever happened to you coming in person?" Karosin heard his newly arrived partner ask, "Sorry about your clan mates."

"No you're not."

"You're right." Karosin just chuckled from Shishi's honesty, "Sad thing is that Inabi will probably get a slap on the wrist and the Hokage's going to-"

"Inabi has been suspended along with his squadmates." Karosin corrected his squadmate, "In any case...it is irrelevant. We have a breech in security."

"How bad?" Satoshi asked when Itachi pointed to the corpse that the analysis ops were examining, "Whose the victim?"

"Sanshōuo..." Karosin saw his partner's face slightly rise in shock, "She was on nighttime patrol and detected a disturbance in the Trading Posts. She sent a message requesting all available backup and was found like this..."

"Did they do it?" Shishi asked while pointing to the similarly cut up corpses down the street and then shook his head, "No...that's stupid, what's the story so far?"

"Evidently, those men were robbers who had broken into one of the posts." Karosin began to explain while pointing out the broken window of the building behind them, "Sanshouo caught them in the act and managed to subdue them."

"Then she was killed along robbers..."

"No murder weapon was found on her body or within the area." Karosin continued as Sanshouo's body was placed in a body bag and vanished along with three analysis ops members, "Apparently, all of the victims were killed within a single second by the same attack."

"Futon Jutsu?"

"No...the cuts were too precise...and nothing else was damaged by the attack." Karosin answered, "As the killer is still at large, we have been assigned to find them before they strike again."

"Anyone else?" Shishi asked, "Not that I don't mind a two man job...but it would be easier with four wouldn't it?"

"Then you'll just have to settle for three for now." Fellow ANBU Urufu said from behind Shishi, "Don't drop your guard Shishi...that's one of the top rules of a shinobi, no?"

"Whatever...just make sure that the killer doesn't spot that hair of yours." Shishi replied in reference to Urufu's spiky white hair, "What are your orders captain?"

"Shushin will join us later, but for now it's just us." Urufu explained to the attentive Shishi and Karosin, "I just spoke with the Analysis Ops and they've confirmed that Sanshouo was killed by a single thread-length cut through the right side of her chest, her upper arm and out the back of her right shoulder blade...the bandits were on her right side as well...one was decapitated, one had the top of his head cut off and the last was sliced through half of the left side of his neck."

"Brutal and efficient...any leads?"

"No witnesses...so nothing really except for a few noise complaints." Urufu admitted, "But whoever did it was fully aware of ANBU patrol patterns and time-coordinated activities in this district. Which means that whoever is behind this was acting from within the village."

"Anyone in the Bingo Book with a history of precise assassination?"

"You'll have to be more specific-"

"STOP BEING A SMARTASS!"

"But it's too much fun..." Karosin chuckled to the fuming Shishi, "So far no one has been found whom matches this description. But I'd recommend searching questioning anyone else who was on patrol tonight..."

"Either way...they're most likely the killer's next target..." Shishi stated, "No one would waste this precise of a technique on a group of petty thieves...the target knew that Sanshou's route was close by and was stalking her. We need to search along every patrol route for anyone whose out and about."

"The watchmen have already been alerted."

"Then we'll be on the lookout for whoever's watching the watchmen." Shishi told Karosin while Urufu pondered in place, "What do you say Captain?"

"I say that we take the easy way on this one." Urufu answered as he made a series of handsigns and slammed his hand into the ground, "Kuchiyose No Jutsu!" A dust cloud emerged and dissipated to reveal a pack of various hounds wearing the Konoha forehead protector.

"What is it Master?" A hound with sunglasses asked while the hounds picked up the scent of the blood stains upon the dirt, "A battle?"

"We have an intruder in the village..." Urufu told his hounds, "You'll split into groups of two...one group will meet up with Shunshin while the rest will divide between myself, Karosin and Shishi. You will follow them and alert them if you detect any foreign smell within the village whether it's a person or as insignificant as an insect, understood?" The hounds barked to agree with their owner.

"I'll take the Eastern Routes..." Karosin volunteered, "Shunshin will likely take the Western Routes."

"I'm going south."

"That leaves me with the North..." Urufu said while he and the others readied themselves for the night ahead, "MOVE OUT!"

Hokage's Residence

"How did this murderer enter the barrier without detection?"

"The barrier was never entered, Hokage-sama." Shunshin reported to the Sandaime while the old man held his one year old grandson, "The attacker may have entered as a traveler and bided their time."

"Then investigate the backgrounds of every visitor and non-citizen." Sarutobi ordered before setting little Konohamaru back into his crib, "I want every ANBU and shinobi on patrol to pair into groups of two or three where possible. This was not a random killing...the village is under attack."

"I agree..." Shunshin replied before he saw a crow fly by the window, "I must regroup with my squad...I recommend that you place any reserve squads and retired shinobi on high alert...the more eyes that we have in the shadows..."

"The less shadows that are enemy can hide in," Sarutobi finished, "Find this culprit...capture them if you can. Afterwards, you are to depart for your other assignment assuming that you aren't injured."

"I will obey rather I am injured or not-"

"Then consider this an order. A bleeding shinobi will be more harm than help to the village." Sarutobi sternly said to the ANBU before he continued in a more reassuring tone, "Shisui...your life is no less precious than any other shinobi or citizen of Konoha. Don't burden an old man by seeking out your death pointlessly."

"Of course...Hokage-sama." Shisui was honored by the Hokage's concern, but disagreed with his assertions about Shisui's life, "Anything else?"

"No...you are dismissed." Shunshin immediately shunshined from the office and appeared on the roof of a closed store. Awaiting him were a pair of Urufu's Ninken.

"You are Shunshin..." One of the dogs said while smelling Shunshin to confirm that he wasn't a doppelganger, "We're here to help you find the murderer...track any foreign scents."

"Then follow me."

xxxxx

"Shunshin's presence will not be necessary." Sarutobi heard his long-time compatriot state as he entered his office, "You should send him after the associates of the Snake before they relocate."

"Thank you Danzo, but the situation will soon be under control and Shisui will be on his way." Sarutobi warmly assured the unconvinced warhawk, "The ANBU in the Trading Posts was only the first discovered death. Shunshin reported finding three more ANBU throughout the North and West of the village who had been killed in a similar fashion to Sanshōuo."

"I know...the first was a member of Root."

"Yes...Aka..." Sarutobi said to himself, attempting not to fume about the activity of Root that flew in the face of his direct and official order to disband the organization, "This is a planned assault and so the village will require it's best agents to defend it."

"I understand Hokage-sama," Danzo agreed though Hiruzen knew his old friend better than to simply agree with another, "However there is a possibility that this assault was organized by Orochimaru."

"That has crossed my mind."

"We may catch the assailant tonight or even tomorrow, but anytime that we take to capture him will be all that the Snake will need to relocate or eliminate his compromised associates." Danzo explained while Sarutobi reluctantly agreed with his assessment, "That is why I would recommend sending Shunshin to his previous assignment as soon as possible. With Urufu, Karosin and Shishi on the case, they will be more than sufficient to capture or kill the assailant when he is found."

"I will respectfully decline your suggestion."

"Why?"

"One, if this assailant is targeting ANBU members then it means that they are highly skilled and must be dealt with as soon as possible for the safety of the village; Two, Shunshin is amongst our best ANBU and will be beneficial in solving this mystery quickly; Three, the enemy unknown is far more dangerous than the enemy known; and finally, there is nothing to suggest that this assailant is working alone nor that this will be the last attack."

"Very well..." Realizing that the Hokage would not bend on his word, Danzo bowed and prepared to leave, "What of the list of suspected shinobi and civilians-"

"I will use that resource only if necessary." Hiruzen affirmed while Danzo walked out of the room and the Hokage sat next to his sleepng grandson's crib, "Biwako dear...I pray to Kami that I am doing the right thing."

South-Eastern Section of Konoha

"Eight Trigrams! Two Palms!" Hinata shouted while slamming two palms into a stump of wood, "Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms-" On the last set of strikes, she knocked her uneven pinky finger against the wood and caused her to fall back in pain.

Inhaling while holding back tears, the Hyuga heiress attempted to apply a Hakke Strike to the finger with her other hand and only caused more pain, though the finger was relocated.

"There you are!" Hinata heard a familiar voice shout, "Hyuga Hinata! If you move another inch!"

"Kagome..." Hinata muttered while her guardian grabbed her wrist and began to pull her out of the training ground, "I am sorry..."

"Hinata...why do you always do this? Why do you always sneak out?" The Hyuga attendant asked, "You always have to sneak out for some reason...you needed to hit one more target...you forgot your ointment...or...you wanted to ask Sasuke for homework when you really want to see Naruto."

"You know?"

"After the fifth time, I catch onto things like that. I was a little girl you know." Kagome pointed out as she heard Hinata sniff, "Relax! Your father hasn't caught you yet and I won't blab this time. But if you want to go outside of the estate then tell someone about it."

"But father will assign Ko or you to watch me."

"That is true..." Kagome agreed, even though Hiashi and Hitomi were only looking out for their daughter's safety. Kagome figured that Hinata wanted to spend time with that Naruto kid, but Ko always forbade it and even she could only let Hinata freely walk so far without being tortured by the Caged Bird Seal upon her forehead once Hiashi found out about her "negligence", "Wanna make a deal?"

"Okay..." Hinata agreed while Kagome turned and placed her shoulders on the Hyuga Princess, "I am sorry..."

"Remember all that stuff that I said about Kirigakure and the Land of Snow?" Kagome asked as Hinata nodded, remembering Kagome's stories about her missions before she retired from the ANBU, "If you quit sneaking out of the Estate, then a little souvenir of mine will be yours."

"Souvenir?"

"Actually, I got a bunch of them." Kagome giggled while Hinata smiled, "I learned a lot of snow and water jutsu that I recorded on a small scroll and this arm brace with a pretty diamond in it. It'll all be yours."

"You mean it?" Hinata asked and hugged Kagome, "Thank you Kagome!"

"But...you have to promise not to run away." Kagome said while Hinata nodded in agreement, "What kind of big sister would you be to Hanabi?"

"A bad one..."

"That's right...now let's get you to bed." Kagome decided when Hinata walked away from her guard while music began to play, "Lady Hinata?"

"Do you hear that?" Hinata asked her guard while she listened to the graceful string music that played through the area, "Someone is playing a song."

"It is beautiful..." The guard complemented as Hinata felt her hand tense around her own, "But...who would be out at this time of night?"

"Perhaps it is a homeless man?" Hinata asked as the music reached a crescendo and stopped. Hinata's eyes widened and she shrieked when a body fell in front of her, "Kagome..."

"Don't look Lady Hinata!" Kagome grabbed the girl and held her against her chest as she looked upon the slashed corpse in front of them and the broken mask that lied next to it, "An Anbu? Is the village under attack?"

"I want to go home..." Hinata whimpered while the music started up again and reached a crescendo once more. In the silence, another body was thrown onto the intersection, "What is happening?"

"We're going home Lady Hinata!" Kagome shouted as she heard the music start up again. She focused chakra to her feet and shot into a dash while the music began to crescendo once more. Hinata gasped as she felt Kagome hit the ground and recoil in pain, her leg lied five feet behind them, "I'm sorry...my lady..."

"Kagome!" Hinata frantically got to her feet and attempted to help Kagome get out of the street as the music slashed through a nearby cart and a stray cat along with it, "Please! We have to run!"

"Save yourself my lady..." Kagome pleaded as she pushed Hinata onto the porch of a nearby home as the music began once more. Looking in the direction that music was emerging, the Hyuga guard stared upon the harbinger of her death without fear or regret as the music reached a climax.

Hinata could only watch as Kagome's head fell from her shoulders...

Park within the Northern Section of Konoha

"One step ahead aren't we?" Urufu asked himself as he stood amidst three mauled ANBU bodies, "It seems like grouping together is only making things easier when we don't know were to look..."

"Master..." One of Urufu's Ninken nudged it's owner's leg while the other began to bark in the direction of the South, "We sense something...the killer has struck again!"

"Where?"

"South West!"

"South-West? That's near the Hyuga Clan Estate..." Urufu figured, "Time to move! Double time!"

Rooftop in the Eastern Section of Konoha

"Evidently, the murderer never struck here..." Karosin noted while flanked by three other ANBU, "What exactly do we know about the attacker?"

"Nothing..." One of the ANBU answered, "The bastard's slippery and hasn't left a trace anywhere that he's been. It's like trying to find a viper in a field of tall grass."

"Except that you can burn the grass to lure out the viper." Karosin added when he heard a faint howl with his own dogs answering with howls of their own, "Apparently a fire has been started...move out!"

Shushuya, Southern Konoha

"I missed the assailant..." Shishi said to himself while checking the pulse of a lone fallen ANBU, "But...he got sloppy...this one is still alive..."

"Whose...whose...there..." The ANBU managed despite the heavy gash in her stomach and through her eyes as her broken mask denoted, "I can't see...my eyes..."

"Sorry...your eyes were cut."

"Damn..." The Agent cursed, "Are you one of us?"

"Shishi." Shishi answered and continued, "From Fire to Ash, from ash to dust, from dust to tree, from tree to leaf, from leaf to fire."

"Okay...now I know that you're one of us..." The ANBU muttered with relief despite her heavy pain, "My partner and I were returning when we received the intrusion signal."

"Who was your partner?"

"Ono...I think he's dead..." Sure enough Shishi spotted an ANBU lying facedown in a pool of their own blood within the street, "The assailant came out of nowhere...all we heard was music and then I couldn't see..."

"Music?"

"It was lovely...perhaps it was a pipa..."

"Thank you..." Shishi thanked the ANBU and turned to the barking Ninken nearby, "Sense anything?"

"The culprit struck again..." One of the dogs reported, "It was near...the assailant is in this area..."

"That's too close..." Shishi muttered to himself and motioned towards the fallen ANBU, "Take her to the hospital and tell the other Ninken to get over here as soon as possible."

"They're already on their way."

"Then get her to the hospital." Shishi ordered before he leapt from the rooftop and sped across the cityscape, praying that his worst fear would not come to pass.

Author's Notes:

Who is the mysterious ANBU slasher? Will Shishi, Karosin, Urufu and Shunshin find the culprit before innocent lives are lost?

I'm not trying too hard to hide the true identities of the above ANBU and outright revealed the last one. Besides, it doesn't seem like the identity of an ANBU isn't kept secret from normal shinobi or maybe it doesn't matter if you say that you're an ANBU, but you just can't reveal your codename.

Either way, I'll keep up the facade of hiding their true identities for now.

The next chapter will have the story's first true shinobi battle apart from the brawl from chapter three which had more punching than it did ninjutsu.

Translations

Sanshōuo - Salamander

Aka - Red

Shushuya - Sake Sake Store

Hakke - Gentle Fist

Kirigakure - Village Hidden in the Mist