Chapter 5: Gathering Information

A three-step plan designed for power over all shinobis and the world.

1) Get a sufficient amount of money for funds.

2) Hire mercenaries for information and diversion purposes.

3) Complete missions at the lowest price, to bring in more funds and dependency.

The nine had now been restored. The mercenary affiliates had diminished, recently losing one of their forerunners. And money was slowly restoring after new additions had been made to the Akatsuki…

"…So," Ino broke the silence, "you never answered my question."

"The long scar on his face extending to his lips quirked as he smirked, "Which question are you referring to?"

"Both," she said eagerly.

"Well, as for the answer to the first question…" He stopped after that statement.

"Yes?" She urged, fully interested now.

"It is none of your concern." He said finally and she frowned.

'He's playing with me again…' She thought numbly as she crossed her arms and "Humph!" in another direction, turning her head.

"As for the second question, I would've thought that the answer to that would've been obvious by now." He smirked again, his dark eyes twinkling in amusement.

'Is he testing me again or…' She thought resolutely before marching up to him and poking an elegant finger in his sleeveless vest.

"How dare you test me and play with my mind when you're not my sensei?"

"Would you like me to be your sensei?" He stared her down, almost making her regret saying another word.

But she did nonetheless. "Yes," without hesitation, "wait, how did you-"

Before she could voice her question, he simply walked past her and told her follow him. Looking back, she only had one statement in mind.

'Stupid sadist mind tricks…'

As Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, and Hyuuga Hinata stood in front of the Hokage, all three were slightly ruffled, but had the same determined look on their face, one most familiar to the ones in battle.

"Status report," The Godaime said coolly, "What was found?"

"The new area that was under suspicious for being the new headquarters is now confirmed,"Shikamaru responded.

The Hokage sighed and understood his words. "Very well, can we confirm who exactly are the new members?"

"We managed to spot two of them, one being Uchiha Sasuke." Chouji stated to his superior.

Her expression, though still surprised, wasn't as shocked as she otherwise would've been had she not been informed on prior information by the village elders about Uchiha Itachi. Unlike what Mandara had originally thought, they did tell Tsunade about this. If Sasuke ever heard this information, he would more than likely want to join the Akatsuki in their plans, in honor of his brother.

"T-There's one last thing, Tsunade-sama," Hinata said with a slight stutter, but with a resolute face. "The area that the Akatsuki are in is not normal, it changes i-it's landform features, making it harder to find the same area."

Tsunade's honey brown eyes narrowed, processing this piece of information, it would be harder to find them the next time. "Very well, then we are to assume that Sasuke joined Akatsuki, of his own free will and that the people he freed, Karin, Juggo, and Suigetsu, are also part of the Akatsuki."

"That would mean-"

"Yes, Shikamaru," She said before he could utter another word, "Despite past efforts, including yours…the Akatsuki has been reformed."

Ino followed her new sensei to the main road, feeling like she had somehow been tricked into this. Of course, she didn't dare voice this because she could only imagine what he would do, most likely stating that it was her choice, her choice to wake up at five and run into the forest at six, her choice to wait in said forest, and her choice to whether or not she wanted to be his apprentice or not. Of course, since he implied that lying was part of his job, this could've been an illusion and maybe he was controlling her the whole time!

No, she defiantly did not want to voice this, because not only did it make her seem foolish, it made him seem completely innocent and if she showed her skeptism, he could've easily disregarded it and tell her she was overly suspicious for a student who willingly agreed to have him for a teacher…And if that was his intention, she would have to make sure she didn't give him the satisfaction. Why did it feel like her new sensei was like a sadistic Shikamaru?

"For a Yamanaka, you're unusually quiet, giving yourself a brain cramp already?"

"What?" She questioned, somewhat surprised and startled. "No, no, I was just…about to ask you why you wanted to meet at the Team Seven training grounds?"

His distinct, deep chuckle was almost not heard, and if it weren't so early in the morning and Konoha so quiet, it wouldn't have been heard.

"What's so funny?" She inquired, slightly put off.

"Well, where do I begin? Do you expect me to believe that you were going to ask me a question?" He turned his face to look into hers.

She caught up to him and walked next to him, falling in step. "Maybe I do." She stated, not faltering.

"Then you obviously don't believe in the abilities I possess. When they say that the human mind is a very complex and unknown area, then they are lying to you. If you were telling the truth, you wouldn't have paused midway through a sentence to concoct your next lie. I can already tell that you lie, but you cannot look into the face of someone unknown and tell a lie without a single pause. That," he said with finality, "is a trait you must soon obtain."

She looked at his face, a scar extending to his cheek and then looked forward again, processing his words. "Then if you're so good…" she said with a smirk adorning her features, "Then what was I thinking?"

"That I tricked you." He said blatantly.

She looked at him skeptically, "Well?"

He turned to look at her again, "Well what?"

She huffed, becoming frustrated, "Did you trick me?"

"I don't know, did I?" He asked as he looked forward again.

Ino narrowed her eyes and decided never to question his motives.

A competent medical nin was hard at work, keeping her 'patient' nourished. This man had odd bruising around his torso. If Ino was the one to put him in this state, then Chouji must've been the one that manhandled him. Either way, she had removed his torn shirt, used her chakra to repair any internal damage and wrapped his body with gauze.

'Wow, Ino sure did a number on him, huh?" The cherry blossom kunoichi thought ruefully. 'I didn't even know she had a new jutsu, maybe she has matured more than I thought and I just missed it."

After finding an appropriate vein in his arm, Sakura connected it to an I.V. and covered him with a blanket she brought with her from the Infirmary.

'There, he should be fine for now.'

She gathered her medical supplies and left the underground room, putting a sealing jutsu on the double doors. Walking through a corridor of Hokage Tower, she heard Shizune speaking from Lady Tsunade's office. Usually, not being one to pry, she would've walked off as if nothing was wrong, but when one name was brought up in the conversation, Sakura's emerald eyes went wide and she halted completely in the corridor.

"Inform the other Hidden Villages…Add Uchiha Sasuke to the list of members of the Akatsuki."

She covered her mouth before any sound elicited from it. Sasuke was in the Akatsuki…?

The Sun was steadily rising over Konoha as the people began to come out and begin on their early morning duties. Ino had followed Ibiki to the Library, where he intended Ino to look up one thing and one thing only: mercenaries.

She looked at him questionably, "Is there a reason to?" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Mercenaries were mainly ninja, or a person skilled in deception or fighting, with a hunger for wealth. As a matter of fact, Ino believed they would've sold someone else's soul for yen.

"Other than the fact that the man you apprehended is one?" His dark eyes stared into her baby blue orbs.

Her eyes slightly widened and the pieces came together slowly, but surely. Of course there had to be a reason that Lady Tsunade wanted him apprehended, however, when she was briefing them on the mission, she didn't mention that he was a mercenary, simply that he was affiliated with the Akatsuki. Though, that sole reason was reason enough and the fact that he was a mercenary wasn't really necessary.

"So, why would a mercenary be with the Akatsuki?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He smirked at her again and she frowned.

"That's the reason I brought you here, try to find as much information as you can obtain, then when you're brought up to speed, find me."

"Find you, you mean, you're leaving?" She looked at him incredulously.

"For a while, there was only this matter holding me back, but I'll be back soon." He stated coolly as he rested his hands in his sleeveless coat pockets.

This was, without a doubt, yet again, another test. Just like the very first one he gave her at the tender age of twelve, this was gathering information. Of course, being a Yamanaka, this shouldn't be too difficult.

"Fine, sensei, I'll gather as much information as possible." And she would do him one better, after all, she did know people in high places. She flippantly smirked in his direction.

"Heh, good to see you're up to the challenge," He replied, returning her smirk.

Stumbling away onto Hokage Tower's steps, Sakura Haruno held her mouth and clutched her shirt's collar. She could feel her heart nearly beating in her eardrums and closed her eyes briefly at the upcoming feeling of vertigo.

'After everything…even killing his brother wasn't enough, was it?' was the first coherent thought that came to mind. The rest were jumbled ramblings that mostly contained the words 'Sasuke', 'Akatsuki', and 'Member'. 'What's Naruto going to do when he-'

Maybe it was mere coincidence…possible he wanted to talk to Tsunade-sama, perhaps for no reason…but Naruto was running up Hokage Tower with gusto, Sai following guardedly in tow.

"Hey Sakura-chan! I have something I have to show you," he began excitedly. "It's about Rasengan and…" He paused to see that Sakura had a stricken expression. "What's wrong Sakura-chan?"

"Yes…" Sai followed carefully, "Is Naruto being an 'idiot' again?" He asked with an air of innocence while still meaning it.

Naruto turned to Sai and gave him a reproachful look, "Sai, remember that conversation about giving people nicknames?"

"But it's not a nickname, it's a fact." Sai commented to the blond as Naruto sighed.

Sakura was unsure of what to say. That Sasuke wanted to destroy Konoha, along with the Akatsuki?…No, maybe it was wrong, there can't be anyway that it's right. When he left, he left with the intentions of avenging his Clan, why would he…?

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Naruto inquired concerned while waving his hand in her face, she had a dazed look, as if she was spacing out.

Her eyes lost its glazed look and she smiled back at Naruto reaffirmingly, "Yeah, I'm fine Naruto, I was just thinking about something."

Naruto didn't know if he should believe her. Something had to be bothering her, 'Maybe it's her birthday…?'

Ino looked through every collection that had anything to do with mercenaries.

'A person that serves merely for profit; typically, a soldier hired into a foreign service.' Ino read the text in the current book she was holding mentally. 'Or in this case, a ninja greedy for yen…' She thought curtly.

She huffed and wondered how she would find anything when the Library didn't keep any record of mercenaries currently active, but simply the description of them and people who worked as mercenaries in the past.

'Morino-sensei would know that I wouldn't find the information in here. So where would I…?'

She reacted to her current thought by putting the book she was reading away and heading to Hokage Tower.

Hinata and Chouji were walking out of Hokage Tower when they saw Team Seven.

"Hey guys!" Called the Akimichi, energetic from just completing a mission.

"Hi Sakura-chan," greeted the soft-spoken kunoichi to her friend as her cheeks tinted pink looking over at her comrades, "Hello Naruto-kun, Sai-kun."

"Hey Hinata-chan, Chouji!" The blond of Team Seven genially replied back. Sai regarded them with a nod and Sakura smiled and waved back, but her focus seemed to be somewhere else.

"What're you guys doing here?" Naruto asked the duo.

"We just got back from a mission, we can't tell you what it was either." Chouji finished after seeing the curious look on Naruto's face.

"Come on, did you think I was really going to ask?" Naruto said, wondering if people thought him to still be an immature pre-teen.

"I don't know…" Chouji said in a skeptical tone, mostly joking.

"W-why are you here Naruto-kun?" Hinata questioned, genuinely interested.

"Well, Sai and I came to see Sakura-chan," he said honestly. Taking Chouji to the side, he whispered, "Something's not right with her though, I think it's her birthday."

"But it already passed Naruto." Chouji looked at his friend as he said this.

'I…I never gave Sakura-chan a present! That's why she's acting like this!' He thought determinedly. 'She just needs to be cheered up that's all ad I'm going to do it! Believe it!'

"Shikamaru, I need your help."

Nara Shikamaru stared at her intently, trying to find the amusement in her tone. He just got back from a mission and he didn't have time to mess around. Ino always had the tendency to say one thing and mean something else.

He looked up at her from his seat, "Ino, I don't have time to-"

"Shikamaru, if you don't, I'll tell your dad you've been sleeping on the job." Her eyes mischievously glinted at him as he gazed at her with narrowed eyes.

'Damn, trapped like a rat.' Shikamaru thought defeated.

"So," Ino drawled out, "will you help me, it's important."

He sighed and figured he wouldn't be getting out of this one. After telling his father about Ino 'interrupting' him at work, (It was more of an annoyed mention, not an angry rant) he should've known that it would come to bite him in the ass later...

"Shikamaru!" His half-lidded eyes focused to Ino's hand waving in his face. She was becoming impatient again.

"Fine, fine Ino...what is it?" He asked, becoming irritated also.

Her eyes had attained another glint, "Well, I was in the Library, looking up information on Akatsuki mercenaries..."

If that wasn't a lie, he wouldn't know what was. Akatsuki information was limited in the Library; even most of the information mentioned was vague and not meant for the public.

Maybe Ibiki was rubbing off on her...

"When I remembered that certain people in Hokage Tower had access to files on the Akatsuki. I just thought that-"

"You thought wrong, Ino." He knew exactly where this was going and he would have nothing to do with it.

She pouted and looked at him earnestly, "But Shikamaru, this is important. If Morino-sensei asked me to find as much information as I could, then he must have a reason. Why would I bother you if I didn't have to?"

"You need a reason?" He muttered unconvinced, which rewarded him with a smack, followed by an indignant rant from the Yamanaka.

Finally, reaching his limit, he rubbed his fingers on his temple as he regretfully asked, "Alright Ino, what is it?"

She sighed as if to say, 'About time!' and continued with her previous statement. "I need to look at any files you have access to on the Akatsuki, specifically mercenaries associated with them."

He sighed and rubbed his temple as he continued to look down at his desk when she leaned in closer. Leave it to Ino to put him in a situation like this. It would be…complicated to just say 'Yes' to her request, but it would be just as troublesome if he said 'No.' Maybe it was just the fact that she was blond, blonds happened to be very troublesome, or at least, the ones associated with him.

With a last sigh, he took his fingers away from his temple and braced himself, "Ino, you could look, as long as I'm there to make sure the files get locked properly."

A shrill scream filled the room momentarily and she threw herself on him in a grateful hug. Even braced, Shikamaru was still always unprepared. He gingerly brought his arms around her to accept her embrace; it was inevitable anyways.

"Thank you, thank you Shikamaru!" She beamed with her clear sky orbs as she was in his embrace for a moment longer, just a split second.

He simply grunted with understanding as they parted. What exactly had he done to get himself in these situations?

Er…I'm actually disappointed with this chapter. I'm trying to keep up with the manga. Really, I'm kinda pissed at how it came out, but I figured if I didn't update, that I would get even more frustrated and not want to post it at all. I had the idea for it, but it kinda escaped me halfway through so…I hope no one was confused...

Anyways, school's out, no more exams, and I get to update this more! And if I keep getting the feedback I have been getting, I may be forced to do them sooner…

sad little monkey- Yup, the actual training will probably be in the next chapter or the one following. And Shikamaru did seem to regret that, huh? I love torturing him!

Hydroxyacelunodosetrase- Yes, the art of infiltrating a mind, that's what I was looking for! And as for the guy, he'll play a semi-major role in this plot, trust me.

shikaino fan- I'm sorry, my style of writing consists on keeping the characters true and story building. If you want to read a story that has 'mad amounts of SHIKAINO,' then maybe you shouldn't read this just yet, as it growing into the actual relationship. I DID say 'Eventual Ino and Shikamaru' in the summary…

JessykaRenee- Thank you! I like to write the way I like to read stories.

Sayonara! For now anyways…

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