Chapter 3

Mist Village: A Wrench in the Plan

Day 1

Somehow, I had always suspected Jiraiya-sensei would come to a very painful and violent end. And, I had always thought that a woman (a naked woman, particularly) would be the end of him. Now, I can't say that I wasn't entirely wrong. But, honestly, I didn't expect it to be this soon! Unfortunately, now that Jiraiya-sensei is out of commission, I have to handle his affairs since he can't anymore. Sometimes, being his apprentice sucks.

Setsuna sat, alone, in an empty booth at the darker end of a local pub. Her back was to the restrooms while her eyes concentrated on the pub's layout and its customers and committed the details to memory.

The teenager frowned. Mist Village, she had gathered, was perpetually foggy and misty and a cesspool of crime. She suppressed a shudder. Something about the village made her feel as if she were in a pit full of sleeping vipers. Silently, she inwardly cursed her contact for requesting a meeting at this place and then she blamed her sensei for indirectly causing this meeting because of what happened two weeks ago.

2

"It's Jiraiya."

As soon as those two words left Shizune's mouth, Setsuna ran as fast as she could to the hospital. She reached the medical facility in ten minutes and stopped before a nurse at the reception area, Shizune in tow.

"Hi, I'm here to see Jiraiya," Setsuna said, breathless. "The Hokage and her assistant asked me to be here."

The nurse nodded as she looked over the papers. "His room is on the third floor, room 314."

By the time Setsuna reached Jiraiya's room, she came to a halt when she saw the blonde Hokage standing in front of the room. Behind her, she could hear Shizune panting for breath as the brunette woman caught up to her. Setsuna's eyes looked from the door to the Toad Sage's room to the Hokage. The Hokage's face discerned no emotion.

"Tsunade-sama, what happened?" the teenager asked.

The blonde woman's face twisted into a scowl. "See for yourself."

Curious, the teenager opened the door and gasped. Lying on the hospital bed was her sensei, Jiraiya, in a full body cast. Stepping fully into the room, Setsuna walked closer to the bed. She turned her head to glance at Tsunade.

"What's his condition?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"He has two broken arms and he's in a coma." Tsunade paused. "He'll wake up either when he wants to wake up or when I decide to let him wake up. Either way, he'll wake up before his brain starts to deteriorate."

Setsuna nodded. "And, can I guess that he must've done something to get himself into this condition?"

Tsunade's only reply was two angry red cheeks.

The girl nodded, taking the flushed cheeks as an answer. "Okay, I get the coma-induced state. But, why the broken arms?"

"The pervert had the nerve to spy on me in my personal hot springs…again." Tsunade huffed. "I warned him the first time that I would beat him into a coma if he spied on me."

Setsuna looked confused. "But, that still doesn't explain the broken arms."

"The broken arms are so that he won't be able to write anything for a long while."

"Oh. Oh!" Setsuna cried out in understanding. Then, she blanched, realizing the implications of a Jiraiya-sensei with two broken arms and in a Tsunade-induced coma. "This isn't good."

3

The loud slam of the Sake glass meeting the wooden counter brought Setsuna out of her memories. She looked up and tensed, prepared for an attack. In front of her, there was a man in his thirties of average height, build, and looks. He could easily disappear in the background, Setsuna thought.

The man grinned as a bottle of Sake and a small glass was placed before him by a passing waitress. "Have you read Jiraiya's latest book, Make Out Lessons?" he asked. "I heard it was quite the page turner."

The girl's ears perked as she heard the question and she let her body relax a little. The contact. "Why, thank you," she said calmly. "I'll be sure to pass that on to him. He'll be pleased with the reviews."

"So, where is he?" The contact asked, pouring some alcohol into the empty glass. "I would have thought that he would want to be present for this type of information."

Setsuna nodded. "And he would. However, he's been indisposed." She waved her hand evasively. "One of the drawbacks of conducting research for the benefits of his writing, I suppose."

"And now you have to fill in his sandals," the contact mused. He sat back in his seat. "So, how does it feel?"

"Wooden," Setsuna replied tartly. "And not as comfortable as my other shoes."

"Trust him to choose a feisty one," the man mumbled before he took a shot of the alcoholic beverage. He forcefully placed the glass down. "But, all joking aside, how does it feel?"

Setsuna shrugged. "I can't complain yet. It's still the beginning and I'm taking baby steps. Besides, it could be worse. I could be in a coma."

The man nodded. "Too true."

"Anyway, have you heard anything?" the girl asked, ending the small talk.

"There were two new arrivals to this foggy village a few days ago. They checked into the House of Leaves." At the girl's confused look, the man answered, "One of the more prominent tea houses in the village. They're also known for other, more stimulating entertainment."

Setsuna nodded in understanding; her face took on a grim countenance. She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. This mission is getting worse every minute. "Description?"

"Their clothes look uniformed. One wore a mask and the other is a blonde." He spoke into his glass. "They're strong and they're psychotic."

The girl nodded. "Of course they are." She sat back, her confidence starting to fade. "Is there anything else?"

The man shook his head as a negative. "No, that's as far as the network went." He casually looked around. "I should get going. There's a fetching young woman I have to meet."

Setsuna waved him off and continued to sit in her seat. She took out a pocky stick from her right pouch and considered her options as she chewed on the stick. No matter what the choices are, every one of them runs the risk of getting caught or doing something unsavory, the sixteen-year-old girl thought. Scowling in frustration, she stood up and left. I should ask Shikamaru for help.

After stopping by at the apothecary to pick up her purchases, Setsuna arrived at local inn she was staying in with her teammates. While looking over her new supplies, she thought over what happened in the past few hours.

Finding a scroll and retrieving it from two members of a known criminal organization? This mission is difficult. If only Jiraiya-sensei was here, it wouldn't be so difficult. Setsuna sighed. I wish he was here.

4

It was a week after Setsuna discovered Jiraiya's comatose state and the teenager found herself standing in the Hokage's office, summoned by the blonde woman and inquiring after her sensei's condition.

"There has been no change since you last saw Jiraiya," Tsunade reported. "As I said before, he'll wake up when he wants to wake up. At most, it'll take a few weeks."

Setsuna nodded. "Okay. So, if it's not Jiraiya-sensei's condition that you wanted to tell me, then, what is it? Why am I here?"

"You're here because I wanted to give you an update," the buxom blonde answered.

Suddenly, the teenager stood straighter. Her stomach clenched and her shoulders stiffened. This doesn't sound good.

"I have an update on the stolen scroll. The people from Archives just finished cataloguing," Tsunade began. "Every scroll was accounted for except for one."

The younger girl nodded in understanding. Impatience started to mingle with her curiosity as she tried to refrain from making a snarky remark at Konoha's leader.

"The stolen scroll is classified as top secret and was written by Jiraiya himself."

Setsuna's eyes widened and her stomach sunk. "What does that have to do with me?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Jiraiya's in a coma," Tsunade bluntly stated. "Because of his condition, he can't be sent to retrieve the scroll from two S-class missing ninja."

"You want me to retrieve it," Setsuna surmised.

"You're the second person closest to Jiraiya. And, you are Jiraiya's apprentice," Tsunade explained. "Besides, I would prefer you going instead of Naruto."

"Oh, I see." Realization dawned on the teenager. "The scroll must be very important to Akatsuki if they went to such lengths to retrieve it. And, since Jiraiya is in no condition to get the scroll back, you have to find the next person who is close to him. You would've given this mission to Naruto since he's a more experienced ninja than I. But, considering the fact that Akatsuki is after him for some reason, you don't want to risk his safety." Setsuna shook her head. "It would be like having a big neon sign that says, 'Take me! Take me, please!'"

Tsunade fought a smile. "You're right. It would be like walking into a trap. But, you do have a choice in going on this mission."

Setsuna shook her head in a negative gesture, knowing that her decision had already been made even before the Hokage told her she had a choice. "Will I be going alone?"

5

Two voices filled the room, interrupting the blue-haired girl from her musings on the past few weeks. Setsuna looked up from her new supplies to see Ino and Shikamaru, two of the five teammates assigned on the mission. She nodded to the duo in greeting. Then, she gave the duo an assessing look.

"Something wrong?" Setsuna asked, noting Ino's flushed face and heaving chest. A quick glance at Shikamaru told her nothing. Then again, she thought, I don't know him well enough to decipher his body language.

Ino huffed. "It's nothing."

Doesn't seem like nothing. Setsuna shrugged at the answer and returned to her new items.

The blonde girl's attention turned to Setsuna and the blue-haired girl's recent purchases. Her irritation at Shikamaru forgotten, she asked, "What did you get while you were out?"

"Just some stuff I think I might need." Setsuna shrugged. "Nothing special."

An awkward silence fell over the trio. The lone male looked between the two females. Realizing that the two girls were unlikely to say anything and that he would have to be the one to get to business, he relaxed on one of the queen-size beds and muttered, "Troublesome."

After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, he asked, "Setsuna, did you find anything new while you were at the pub?"

Setsuna nodded as she began putting her purchases into her weapons pouches and her various pockets. "Yeah, I did. But, it's best telling it to the others all in one place. Better to kill two birds with one stone." She turned her head to the brunette. "Speaking of, where are Hinata and the others?"

"They're getting food and they're meeting us here," replied the blonde.

"Oh." Setsuna looked at the table and noticed her empty box of pocky sticks. She turned to her mission teammates. "I guess it's a bit late to ask them if they can get some pocky sticks, huh?"

Ino frowned. Her forehead wrinkled in disgust. "You go through those like Chouji goes through potato chips. How many pocky sticks did you eat?"

"Not a lot!" There was a pause as she thought about her answer. "Just eleven…boxes."

Ino huffed as she turned away from the blue-haired girl. "It figures." Setsuna could hear the blonde mutter under her breath.

Before Setsuna could retort, there was a loud, rhythmic knock at the door. When Shikamaru opened the door, two males and a female their age walked in. Setsuna's heart skipped a beat as she saw the familiar dark-hooded coat and shades. Before she could analyze the odd feeling, she heard someone asking her a question.

"I'm sorry, what?" the blue-haired girl asked. She looked up from her window view to see Ino, Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino looking at her. Her mind raced as her nose scented a tantalizing smell. "I was distracted…by the food."

"I was asking if you wanted any noodles," the indigo-haired Hyuga said, offering Setsuna a container full of noodles and a pair of chopsticks.

Setsuna nodded gratefully and took the proffered items. As everyone settled, they began to eat. Looking up from her container of food, she snuck a glance at the window and noted the hustle and bustle of the crowd. When she turned to the others, she saw them just finishing doing hand seals. She gave Ino a questioning glance.

"It's to check for bugs," was the blonde's answer. The other girl nodded in understanding.

"Now that everything's settled, we should start," Shikamaru began. He turned his gaze to Setsuna. "What did you learn?"

The girl sat up straighter as soon as he looked at her. Her shoulders tensed. Her expression became serious. "Two new arrivals showed up a few days ago and checked into The House of Leaves, a very…popular place of interest. One wore a mask while the other was a blonde. Both are males wearing distinctive uniforms. And, according to my source, they're pretty damn strong."

"I see." There was a moment of silence. "Do you know what the House of Leaves serves?"

"Tea, mostly," Setsuna answered. "I staked out the place after I got the information. From what I can tell, their clientele are very rich and they are usually entertained by very beautiful women…in more ways than one."

"We haven't even been here for a whole day. Where did you get that intelligence?" Kiba asked, curious. Setsuna barely missed the slight widening of his eyes and the incredulity in his voice.

Setsuna shrugged. "I have my methods."

Realizing that they weren't going to get an answer out of the prospective ninja, Shikamaru interrupted the silent war and said, "Okay, that's great. We need to get to the matter at hand." He paused. "Ino is going undercover while we go through the place and find the scroll. Is there any—"

"Wait a minute," Setsuna interrupted. "Why can't Hinata and I go undercover too?"

"Are you crazy?" Kiba growled.

"Some people think I am. Me? Not so much." She raised an eyebrow at the growling male. "But, what does my sanity have to do with my suggestion?"

"No, you can't have Hinata go undercover," Shino calmly said, ignoring the former's question.

"And why is that?" Setsuna demanded.

"We need her to use her blood-line limit to find the scroll." Dark glasses gleamed. "Besides, she's never done anything undercover."

"Don't I get a say?" Hinata squeaked out.

"Yes, you do," Setsuna answered the pale-eyed girl. She turned to Shino. Her cheeks were flushed as the tips of her ears turned hot. She balled her hands into fists, trying to rein in her temper. "Well, she's going to have this type of missions sooner or later, right? And let's not forget, men like innocent girls. Besides, it's for the good of the team. We need all the help we can get."

"I can do it, Shino. I'm perfectly capable of doing it. And, as Setsuna pointed out, I will have to go on these types of missions in the future. I might as well do it now." She turned determined eyes to the calm ninja. "Please, Shino?"

He sighed. "Fine, but under one condition." He paused. "She's your responsibility and she won't be doing anything that would put her in more danger than she can handle."

"If you're concerned about Hinata having to put herself at risk of being raped, don't worry about it. She won't have to be a hostess." Setsuna gave the Aburame a leveled stare. "In fact, she's more suited to being in the background. Does that qualify under your conditions?"

"Yes."

"Great!" Setsuna smiled. She turned beaming eyes to Shikamaru. "Do I get to be undercover too?"

The latter sighed. "Troublesome," he muttered. "Fine. Ino, Setsuna, and Hinata will go undercover tomorrow."

6

It was a quiet evening in the House of Leaves as Setsuna, with practiced ease, served tea and snacks to a finely-garbed hostess and her client. When she finished, she continued serving tea to the other hostesses and scanning the tearoom for anything unusual. The hostesses didn't pay her any attention—she was only a waitress, and not an attractive one at that. The girl smiled.

Ah, it's great to be back undercover. I get to play with hair dyes, she thought as she spotted a thoroughly disguised Hinata returning from the upper floors that served as spare rooms.

No longer a pale-eyed porcelain skinned girl with indigo hair, Hinata had her hair dyed in a mousy brown color and had worn non-prescription contact lens with a dull brown color. Her now-altered form and her quiet demeanor allowed her to fade easily in the background as the occupants in the tea house ignore her as if she were a piece of furniture.

As the two disguised girls' gazes met, Setsuna gave an imperceptible nod and the two continued walking: Hinata, to the direction of the kitchens, and Setsuna, to the direction of a messy and deserted table. Setsuna inwardly groaned as she cleaned up.

I forgot the drawbacks to being undercover. Setsuna glanced down at her uniform. Did I really have to be a waitress?

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Ino sitting with a client. The former blonde appeared at ease as she conversed with her client. Her face was caked with white make-up, her now dark hair styled in an elegant up-do held by two decorative hair-combs, and her body clothed in a richly colored silk kimono. She was the picture of womanly beauty.

When she looked up at the table she was cleaning, Setsuna had to hold back a laugh as she saw the rich client falling over himself as Ino smiled flirtatiously at him as they said goodbye. She turned back to the table and prepared the tea and snacks for the next hostess and guest. By the time she turned to start preparing another table, she was interrupted by a female body blocking her path.

"Suna?" Two familiarly disguised forms gave Setsuna a look.

"Yes, Hana?" she asked, emphasizing the Yamanaka's alias.

"I will be entertaining my guest for a while and you will be tending to us," she said as she gestured for Setsuna to follow them. "And, will you find Hina? She knows what kind of room I like to entertain my guests in."

Setsuna nodded and left. After arriving, minutes later, with the disguised Hyuga in tow, the four walked upstairs to the upper floor, where the rooms used for private entertaining were. Hinata led the way as Setsuna covertly scanned the area for any potential interlopers. As soon as they reached a private room and closed the door, Setsuna rushed to close the curtains. With a nod to Hinata, the Hyuga made several hand signs that Setsuna recognized to be a privacy-enabled jutsu. Feeling safe for now, everyone dropped their disguises.

"Eh, this is troublesome," Shikamaru said as he took off his formal kimono and short wig.

"At least you get to wear a wig," Setsuna mumbled. "I had to dye my hair."

"Setsuna, we all agreed that blue hair would stand out in a village full of missing ninjas. Do you really want to get easily killed?" Ino asked as she sat down on a luxuriously decorated bed.

"No," she grudgingly said. "But, it wouldn't be the first time."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Setsuna turned to Hinata. "So, Hina, have you heard anything about the duo we're after?"

Hinata shook her head as a negative. "I overheard some maids talking about these two attractive-looking guests that showed up recently. They wanted to know when these men would be looking in their direction."

At that comment, Setsuna coughed something that sounded, suspiciously, like "whores." Ino and Shikamaru looked at the former blue-haired girl in surprise while Hinata politely excused her.

"Anyway," Setsuna said, trying to draw attention away from herself, "the arrivals of these two 'attractive-looking guests' appear to coincide with my source's information of the two men with black robes and red clouds. We should go searching room-to-room."

"Why can't you check the teahouse's guest list?" Shikamaru asked, his logic rearing its ugly head to the fore of her plans.

"Well, one, it wouldn't be as fun if we took the easy way out. And, two, for all we know, they could be using aliases like we did." The former blue-haired girl shrugged. "It's a sad possibility, but true. And, besides, I checked the teahouse's logbook. There wasn't a guest that refused maid-slash-cleaning service. Which means, this gives us a good cover."

"I see," Shikamaru said. He exhaled a weary sigh. "Fine. Do what you have to do."

Setsuna and Hinata nodded as the duo donned on their disguises again. Two sets of the same hand signs later, there was an exact duplicate of the original duo. With a nod to the clones, Hinata and Setsuna took off their disguises and disguised themselves as different maids.

"Hina, do you have a master key or a skeleton key to open every room in the place?" Setsuna asked as they tiptoed down the hall and stopped before a darkly painted wooden door, cleaning supplies and fresh sheets in their hands. Hinata nodded and took the key out of the sleeves of her kimono and unlocked the door.

7

Several hours and several rooms later, Hinata and Setsuna reached the last room on the right. After seeing many dirty linens and no results, Setsuna was ready to pull her hair.

"If we don't find anything in this room, I am going to scream…and possibly kill someone," Setsuna muttered as Hinata unlocked the door after using her bloodline limit to check for any traps.

"Me too," Hinata agreed. They walked into the room. "Except for the killing part. I don't think my father would be happy if I did. Unless it's in self-defense."

"Most fathers are like that," Setsuna observed as she systematically searched one part of the sitting room.

"Was your father like that?" Hinata asked, inspecting the other part of the sitting room.

Setsuna walked to the thin, paper-like doors. "I wouldn't know. I never knew my parents" She turned to look at her companion. "I think the bedroom's through here."

She opened the doors, only to see a figure nearing the open window. Judging by the figure's form underneath the black skintight bodysuit, Setsuna knew the thief was a male. The thief's foot was on the windowsill, preparing to make a quick getaway. And, he had the object she had been looking for since her arrival in the Mist Village. Their eyes met for a brief second before he fled through the window, scroll in hand. Cerulean eyes widened.

"Oh, crap."

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But, I do own the plot and Setsuna.

Thanks for reviewing.

Chichi Cherry: Thanks for the review. As for Setsuna, her background is a bit complicated and it will be revealed throughout the course of the story. And, there will be several hints and other things that will reveal more of her history; so, you should look out for that.

As for her and Jiraiya, that will also be revealed in due time. (Frankly, it would be simpler if I revealed it earlier. But, what would be the fun in that?)

And, with regards to the romance, there is going to be a romance. But, since it's mostly an adventure story, the romance will be scattered. Can you guess which character she is going to be paired up with?