Chapter 55: Information Retrieval
Sage and Strag stood in Tsunade's office waiting as she read over the paper they just handed her. They were there for a while, and Sage was certain Tsunade had had enough time to read it over twice. In all likelihood, she didn't like it, or didn't understand something.
"How do you know they will be their?" Tsunade finally asked.
"In my month of time away from the others I came upon a place away from all villages that I know for certain was under Alliance control," Sage said.
"And this is it? You want a small team, whom I've already sent, to infiltrate a second Alliance base?" Tsunade asked.
"No, not without us. And hopefully it won't even get to that," Strag said.
"The place I've given is a manmade cave on the path between the two bases. I've used it myself for a night, and know it's not natural. Whether the Alliance made it I can't say, but as they journey I'm sure they'll stay there," Sage said.
"How much bigger is this base?" Tsunade asked.
"No idea, it's in the side of a mountain. It could be only a few rooms, or the entire mountain and more underground," Sage said.
"That and we don't know how many members are left from the first base, there could be more at the second," Tsunade said.
"I doubt it. The girl has already told us that there are only 16 full members. Those that weren't dead or here at the time of our resurrection were present at our resurrection," Strag said.
"Is this the best the plan can get?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes. And there's no guarantee we can even use it, it depends on how the four you already sent handle the situation they're given," Sage said.
Tsunade sighed as she handed Strag the paper back, "get yourselves and the others ready. Send one here to meet me before you go, you might have another journeying with you," Tsunade said.
The two nodded and left. As soon as they were gone Tsunade got up and left her office, heading to the hospital. A few minutes later she was knocking on a room door. When the call to enter came she walked in and looked into the eyes of the person in the bed.
"Hokage-sama! What are you doing here?" Link asked.
"How many bases does the Alliance have?" Tsunade asked.
"Two. One is our main base and the other is where the Heads meet to further discus the plans," Link said.
"Which one's in the mountain?" Tsunade asked.
Link was startled by Tsunade already knowing one base was in a mountain, "the main one. It's where all the Errands stay, except the few we keep with us to continue doing our running around," Link said.
"So the free standing base is the one the Twelve took down?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes. Me and the other Kids were permanently stationed there. We only left for missions and when we had to go to the main base to induct new members," Link said.
"How many Errands do you have stationed at the main base?" Tsunade asked.
"To my knowledge, we have a small army, but that could be easily embellished by the others to sound bigger," Link said.
"Or smaller," Tsunade said.
"Why are you asking all these unusual questions?" Link asked.
"I just sent some people on a mission to finish off the Alliance. The remaining terrors are leaving today to serve as backup. The team already out there doesn't know about any of this. I have to go and tell the team leaving now," Tsunade said as she turned to leave.
"Wait! I'm better. I know some people here don't trust me, but you do, don't you? Send me with, please. I want to help fix the mistakes I've made," Link said.
"You're wounds are much better, but not ready to fight. I'm sorry," Tsunade said before leaving.
A few minutes later she walked in another hospital room, not bothering to knock on the door. As soon as the door was opened the occupant of the bed shot up straight. "Sasuke, let me see you're wounds," Tsunade said as she entered.
Sasuke willingly did so, knowing that if he argued with her he wouldn't go on the mission, and then he'd never get to kill Lerah. A few minutes later and Tsunade was finished with the check up.
"You're in much better shape, but not good enough for a fight," Tsunade said.
"Are they fighting as soon as they leave?" Sasuke asked.
"No, but the fast movements won't let the wounds heal as fast as they should. Then you will be fighting," Tsunade said.
Sasuke was going t say something, but scowled instead and Tsunade left the room.
x-X-x
"So we're just going to let them choose what they enter as?" White asked.
"Hell no. I doubt they'll even be getting membership. I just feel like messing with Errands," Black said with a laugh.
"Shut up, both of you. We have to have this settled by the time we get there," Kraik said.
"Why can't we just induct these two and be done with it?" Lerah said.
"We need at least five members at each level, Kid, Color and Head. Right now we're far below that," Kraik said.
"Two of each," Tek said.
"Link may have betrayed us. Or she could be dead in jail, we're not counting her anymore," Kraik said.
"Well, I don't really care," Lerah said.
"How flexible are these rules anyway? Tek was a Color before, now he's not even a member," White said.
"He was captured, and was abandoned just like Link. Now we must readmit him, and because he stayed on our side, he's getting a promotion," Kraik said.
"I should let myself get captured," White said.
"Shouldn't you be keeping watch? Why's you're blindfold off?" Black said.
"I don't have byakugan I sense their presence. And for what we have to worry about, I can do it with my eyes," White said.
"Why don't you just cut your eyes out like Sage, it'll spike your power," Lerah said.
"He didn't cut them out. he lost them in his war. And I like being able to see like normal people, being able to look normal too. Helps with spying missions," White said.
"Which is why we're not making you cut them out," Kraik said.
"Hey Vox, you haven't said anything in a while, something wrong?" Tusk asked.
x-X-x
"Naruto, what are you doing here?" Sakura whispered from her hidden location.
She was listening in on what the Alliance members were saying, trying to find anything useful.
"Kakashi-sensei said that was enough tonight," Naruto said.
Sakura sighed and started back with Naruto. They moved silently, neither making a single sound as they made their way back to their camp. They got their silently to find Lee taking to food off their camp fire.
"Anything new?" Kakashi asked.
"Tek was a Color but got captured so he was kicked out. Meaning Link's kicked out too," Sakura said.
"Anything else?" Lee asked.
"No, just more about the numbers of the Heads and random names of the Errands, Wrok, whoever he is, seemed to be mentioned a lot," Sakura said.
x-X-x
"We're ready to go, whenever you want us to," Strag said, he was standing in Tsunade's office, a bag on his back.
"Yes, go ahead, it'll just be the eight of you," Tsunade said nodding.
Strag nodded in return and headed out to meet with the others and start their mission. Almost as soon as he was out of the office two elders entered.
"Tsunade we have finally decided on your replacement," the male elder said.
"Really? Let me see," Tsunade said forgetting the paper she was reading and taking the document from the female elder. Tsunade furrowed her brow as she read, "well, I'm surprised you chose him," she said handing the document back.
"Yes, it took us a while to narrow it down, and the Hyuuga's were all against him," the male elder said.
"Really? Why?" Tsunade asked.
"Something about his eyes," the female elder said.
"Well, anyway, the ceremony will have to wait a bit," Tsunade said.
"We really don't know how long this Alliance thing will last, you know you can't hold off forever," the male elder said.
"Oh I know, it's not that. I just sent him on a mission and I don't know how long it'll be until he gets back," Tsunade said.
"Well just call him back," the female elder said.
"I can't, he's gone to take out the Alliance, hopefully finishing them off," Tsunade said.
"That's almost a death sentence," the male elder said slightly shocked at what Tsunade had done.
"It might be… I'd keep the news of your choice very secret until the team returns from the mission," Tsunade said with a sigh.
x-X-x
"They're gone," White said.
"Damn spies. Why can't we just kill them?" Black asked.
"We have to lead them into the base. I've no doubt they have backup coming. Our army will decimate them," Kraik said.
"Yeah, but it's kinda hard to keep from saying something we're not supposed to," Black said.
"I'm gunna go see where there camp is," Tek said standing.
"I'll check the south and west," Tusk said standing also.
"Don't get noticed and don't engage. You'll mess everything up if you do," Kraik said.
Tek nodded to him and the two left the camp in opposite directions. After a moment's silence Kraik looked at White.
"They both gone?" Kraik asked.
"Yeah," White said nodding.
"One of them isn't to be trusted. There's no way to know which, and the other doesn't know either, but we can't trust one of them," Kraik said.
"So we gotta be even more careful," Lerah said.
"Yes, because we can't make it seem like we don't trust them," Kraik said nodding.
x-X-x
AN: alright this might have been confusing, but all the stuff at Konoha happened chronologically before the other stuff. I split it up form slight suspense and to give show that everything was kinda happening at once, although these events aren't at the same time.
Also, I've realized there might be confusion with Dea's ability. Every day a small amount of his chakra is converted into kinetic energy. If he uses it by turning a part of his body, such as a strand of hair, into a bomb that's that. If not it is stored and eventually his entire body will be a bomb, hence the curse he was talking about. Messing up his hair was turning all the loose strands into bombs with his daily energy, and it being so close to him the rest would go off, making an enormous explosion, which took down the Alliance base.
Hope that clears it up, if not review and tell me.