Chapter Twenty

"You're saying our own shinobi are plotting against Konoha?" Kakashi asked.

"Why sound so surprised?" Yuki returned. "Enemies aren't always the ones on the outside."

Kakashi landed and pushed off a tree, keeping pace with the ANBU as they made their way north. It wasn't yet midnight, but they traveled quickly, two shadows in the night exchanging quiet words.

"For what reason? It doesn't take a genius to know we'll lose this war in weeks if the Village is fractured."

"Konoha isn't nearly as united as you'd like to think. The war's been going on too long. Too many have lost people they loved. It turns morale and courage to mud and they look for someone they can blame. Someone who isn't a faceless enemy who's likely dead already. Leaders make the perfect scapegoat. In particular, the Hokage."

Kakashi frowned. "The Hokage isn't a god. He can't end a war single handedly. At least he's kept Konoha protected."

"Exactly. His priorities have always been focused on defense and avoiding civilian casualties. But that's not how wars are won. People are growing bitter and disillusioned. It gives rise to groups looking for more extreme options."

"Like?"

"Using the tailed beasts for war."

Kakashi looked sharply at him and Yuki shrugged.

"Not my idea," the Uchiha said. "Frankly, I'm against it. But the movement's there. By the time ANBU intelligence got a hold of it, a network was already established. This winter ceasefire hasn't helped."

"What are they planning?"

"Sandaime's assassination."

Kakashi stared, but didn't ask if Yuki was serious. He didn't need to.

The Uchiha passed him three photographs. "These are your targets."

"Just three?" He had expected a lot more.

"If we take out the whole network, we'll be left with a gaping hole in our forces. These three – two to be precise – form the core of the movement. This mission serves as a warning to the others."

"Won't it lead to a revolt?"

"Not if they're smart. Most of them don't even know who's part of the network."

Kakashi studied the faces in the photographs.

"The first is Oguchi Ko," Yuki said. A man with a clean-shaven head, deep set eyes and a dark, cropped beard glared from the photo. "Jounin, aged 32, close-range combat specialist. The second is Kure Nobuki. Jounin, 33, medic."

Kakashi stopped abruptly and stared at the man in the picture. He even tilted it toward the moonlight to make sure. The neutral expression on the shinobi's nondescript face and the hitai-ate worn around his neck was the same Nobuki who had supervised Rin and Asuka when Kakashi's team had been on border duty.

"Hatake?" Yuki called from the next tree.

Setting his teeth, Kakashi kept moving, aware of a sense of dread settling into his chest. He had only met Nobuki once; had barely spoken more than a handful of words to him. Still, it unsettled him to know the man behind the plot – the man he was meant to kill. He had never killed a fellow Leaf before.

"You know him?" Yuki asked as they resumed their trek.

"We've met."

"Don't let it get to you." There was a warning in his voice.

"I know," Kakashi replied, a little more forcefully than he had intended. There was a moment of silence and Kakashi could feel the ANBU''s eyes on him. Ignoring it, he flipped to the last photo of a frowning woman with short, disheveled hair and weathered skin.

"Taira Suzu," Yuki finally continued. "Former ANBU turned missing-nin. Her specialty was speed."

Kakashi sorted the information in his mind. "How are they connected?"

"They used to be a team. Taira Suzu defected from the Village four years ago with sensitive information. The ANBU went on the hunt, but she disappeared from their radar. No one could find any information on her until several weeks ago when she was sighted in Kouzan."

"Is that where we're headed now?" Kakashi asked.

Yuki nodded.

"I thought towns were out of bounds."

"There are exceptions to everything, kid," Yuki said.

"I'll remember that," Kakashi muttered before turning his thoughts back to the mission.

Kouzan was a mining town in Fire Country's single largest rock quarry. With the region's seemingly endless resource of minerals and iron ore, the town had developed to become the country's finest weapons manufacturing center. As such, its value to Konoha and Fire Country was immeasurable. Especially with the war dragging, its economy was flourishing and workers gathered from all corners in search for a share of the profits.

In recent years, Konoha's needs for weapons was reaching such dire heights that regular teams were sent to the town to help dig the quarries, blast piles of sedimentary rocks and control the smelting furnaces. Its location close to the border also made it a convenient place for teams to stop and purchase weapons on their way in and out of the country. For those reasons, it was not unusual to see groups of Konoha shinobi wandering its streets.

"Why take the risk of being in Kouzan?" Kakashi asked.

"This is what she looks like now." Yuki handed him a photograph of a bustling night street. Between the crowds looking for entertainment, a slender figure stood in front of a brightly lit establishment. Dressed in fine clothes, her hair reaching to the small of her back and make-up softening her face, Kakashi would never have guessed it was the same woman. Comparing the two photos, he noticed the entire structure of her face had changed.

"She would have kept fooling everyone," Yuki said, "but her luck ran out when a sensory-type tracker from the ANBU happened to be on a mission to Kouzan and recognized her chakra signature."

"What exactly did she steal?" Kakashi asked. Beneath them, the forest floor began to rise steeply as they reached the foot of a sizeable mountain. Beyond it on the other side would be Kouzan.

Yuki propped a finger to his masked forehead in thought. "It's meant to be confidential, but seeing as it isn't completely unrelated to you…" He shrugged. "Remember four years, your team came across information on the Sanbi?"

Kakashi nodded, pushing down on how it reminded him of Gamashi Kengou, Misa, and Midori's sacrifice. Now wasn't the time.

"Minato-sensei said the information was passed on to the ANBU."

"It was. I wasn't a part of ANBU back then, but from what I've heard, a team was successful in finding the beast. Then they were ambushed by the Mists. Their first choice was to seal the Sanbi and take it back to Konoha, but that proved impossible under attack. So they drove the beast further out to sea and spent a day wiping out the Mists. The only ones who knew what had become of the Three Tails were the agents on the team."

"Taira Suzu was one of them?"

Yuki nodded. "She disappeared a month later. Assuming she intended to use the information in some way, she would have gone to another Hidden Village."

"But the Sanbi hasn't be sighted since," Kakashi finished.

"Not even once. And now she appears in Kouzan, meeting with two suspected traitors."

Kakashi glanced at Yuki. "How accurate is the information you have on the two?"

"If you're questioning the validity of our intelligence – don't. If you're asking how sure we are, the answer is: pretty fucking sure."

It was the sort of response Kakashi had expected, but it didn't stop him from wanting to come to his own conclusions.

They traveled in silence after that. Despite their speed, it took them an hour to scale the mountain and cut across its broad ridge. Once they began their descent, Kouzan's town came into view as a broad cluster of glimmering lights gathered at the foot of the mountain. Beyond it was an expanse of darkness where the quarries stretched to the end of the valley.

Halfway down the mountain, Yuki swerved to the side and slowed. Eventually, he came to a stop on the ground and crossed his arms expectantly. Beside him, Kakashi turned to see two ANBU emerge from the shadows.

"This the pup we're meant to take orders from?" one asked. He wore a buffalo mask and had the build to match. The other was leaner with a mask resembling a horned goat.

"This is Hatake Kakashi," Yuki introduced. "He's your team leader as of now."

"What if he fails?" the Goat asked. "We only have one chance."

"I'll step in," Yuki said.

The Buffalo grunted. "Fair enough."

"Have they arrived?" Yuki asked.

"Oguchi Ko has," the Goat replied. "Kure Nobuki's border mission ends tomorrow at dawn so we expect him here by midmorning."

Yuki nodded and turned to Kakashi. "Like I said, your mission is to corner the three traitors and eliminate them. It doesn't matter how, just don't make it a public spectacle. The rest is up to you."

"Is it really necessary to kill them?" Kakashi asked.

Three masks stared back at him. It was Yuki who answered.

"Don't question the mission, Hatake. This is still part of the exam. Don't forget you're under my orders."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes but made no further arguments. "Do you know where they're going to be meeting?"

"We know where Suzu works," the Buffalo said. "Ko already arrived at the establishment earlier tonight. Speaking of which…" He cocked his head as he looked down at Kakashi and then turned to Yuki. "Don't you think he's too young to be exposed to a pleasure house?"

Yuki shrugged. "I guess? Not my problem."

The Buffalo shook his head. The Goat snorted.

Kakashi rolled his eyes and refused to rise to the bait. "I want to scout the town while it's still dark."

"We'll come with you," the Buffalo said.

"Not looking like that." He gave their armored uniforms a pointed look.

The two ANBU glanced at each other and without a word, performed a Henge – revealing quite possibly the most outrageous transformation Kakashi had ever seen. Ignoring Yuki's timely descent into a hysterical laughing fit, Kakashi raised a hand to rub the sudden headache that thrummed along his skull.

"Are all ANBU like this?" he ground out.

Muscle-bound and dressed like a messenger runner in a loincloth, the Buffalo grinned and raked a hand through his silver hair, which looked disturbingly similar to Kakashi's own. "Just because we do all the dirty work doesn't mean we don't have a sense of humor."

"What's wrong with this?" the Goat asked. His narrow face and jutting cheekbones were smeared with make-up and some sort of glittering concoction rimmed his eyes. With small jerks of his head, he tossed his long hair – obnoxiously silver – from side to side. "We'll pass as a family."

"In what world?" Kakashi growled. "Don't even answer that. Get serious. That's an order."

"Bossy pup," the Buffalo chuckled. "He'll make a fine captain one day, eh, Goose?"

Yuki was too busy trying to control his laughter as he bent over double, his shoulders shaking in silent heaves.

"Don't count on it," Kakashi grumbled. He'd be damned if he ever joined these idiots.

With an aggravated sigh, he performed his own Henge, changing his clothes, hair color and adding a scarf to mask his face. When he dared to look back at the two ANBU, it was a relief to see them reappear looking like regular civilians.

"You coming with?" the Goat asked Yuki, who was wiping tears from under his mask.

"Not into town," the Uchiha replied, finally recovering, "but I'll go down with you and set up a rendezvous point. We'll meet there to discuss Hatake's plan."

Kakashi nodded and the four set off down the last stretch of the mountain.

Near its base, Yuki stopped on a low cliff overlooking the town, and with a nod, told the three continue on. He lifted himself up onto a tree and watched them mingle into the crowds. Despite the late hour, the streets were still bright and lined with people, most swaying under the influence of alcohol. He could hear the occasional roars of laughter echo faintly up the mountainside and half wished he could join the fun.

He reached up to scratch the back of his head and abruptly rammed his hand against the hilt of the katana strapped to his back. Its sheath gave a dull crack and the lightest chime of metal on metal sounded as another blade bore down on it from behind.

"What's the big deal," he murmured, "Nayu?"

His subordinate's sword continued to grate against his. Only his knuckles straining to hold his weapon steady kept him from being cut down – and he knew she would if given the chance. He could feel her anger like a physical heat rising up their locked blades.

"I met Jin-san earlier today," Nayu said, her voice soft with menace. "He told me about your Tsukuyomi test."

"What about it?"

"You've reached a new high, Captain." It was clear she wasn't praising him.

"If it's about Jin-san's eyes, he agreed to take part."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"The brat then?" Yuki asked. "He's alive."

"You're getting closer."

Yuki frowned and glanced over his shoulder at a leopard mask. "What else did I do?"

"You really can't think of anything else?" Nayu asked.

"Actually, no, I can think of so many I have no clue where to start."

"Go figure," Nayu spat and finally pulled back. "The only reason you knew about Nohara Rin was because I told you about her."

"Oh," Yuki hummed. He lifted his mask and propped it on top of his head to raise a brow at his cousin. "You feel betrayed?"

"Disgusted. I thought I could talk to you without you turning around and using what I tell you to torture Obito's friend."

"Now, torture's a strong word. That wasn't anywhere near it. And believe it or not, I wasn't planning to."

"I don't care what your intentions were. I should never have confided in you, much less asked you to check up on Obito when he was having those bad dreams." She paused and tilted her blade to his throat. "What did you tell Ryo about my baby brother?"

Yuki raised his hands and leaned back from the sword. "Hey, hey, hey. I get you're angry, but calm down and put that thing away!"

Nayu didn't move. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing! I swear. I mean, I told him a bit about the Sharingan and how it evolves, but everything else was written in their files. You'll have to ask him what he intends to do with it… or did…"

"Dirty bastards, the both of you," Nayu grunted, withdrawing the katana and sheathing it. "Shame on you for digging into their wounds."

"But that's our job," Yuki said with a helpless shrug. "You know how we do things."

"Of course I do, but it's different when it's our family."

"Good thing you weren't chosen to be the examiner."

"I'm not sure you were the best option either, Captain."

Yuki tipped his head. "Why's that?"

Nayu took off her mask and fixed him with a scrutinizing look. "You're too emotionally invested. Maybe the higher ups thought it was a good idea to get the White Fang's student to test his son, but an examiner's meant to remain neutral at all times. Jin-san told me about your outburst."

"Then it's their fault, not mine," Yuki said with a shrug. "If they thought I'd follow protocol and be the good ANBU they want me to be, someone needs to wash their brains out. Preferably with a powerful Suiton and some soap."

Nayu frowned. "That's exactly the kind of attitude that got you kicked out of ANBU the first time you joined."

Yuki blinked and raised a brow, this time in surprise. "You believed those rumors?"

"You haven't done much to discredit them."

"I'm hurt." He put a hand to his chest and closed his eyes. "Not even my team believes in me."

"You're so thick-skinned not even a cleaver could hurt you," Nayu huffed. "If the rumor isn't true, why were you kicked out?"

"I quit."

"Funny."

"I'm not joking!"

Nayu narrowed her eyes in blatant disbelief. "Why?"

"Some punk took a dig at Sakumo-sensei."

"I rest my case. Your obsession with the White Fang isn't healthy."

"Call it undying respect."

"Right. So you quit ANBU over a single argument?"

"Well the 'punk' happened to be ANBU's second in command. Died in battle a month later so they recruited me again. No one's mentioned the White Fang to my face ever since." Yuki grinned, clearly pleased with himself.

Nayu sighed and shook her head. "I still think you should try to become a little more objective with this exam."

"I'm plenty objective. But if you want me to be more restrained, well… Keep trying."

"That's what I thought," Nayu mumbled. "It was worth a try anyway. But I'm never going to confide in you ever again."

"Why not?" Yuki smiled, and for a second, Nayu was surprised at how genuinely excited he looked. "These brats are going to come out of this exam a hell of a lot stronger than you ever imagined. I can tell."

"Granted you don't kill them first," she shot back.

"No guarantee there," Yuki laughed. "Did you bring what I asked you to?"

Nayu untied a thin bundle of cloth from her waist and handed it to her captain. She hadn't looked at what lay wrapped inside, but it was a solid weight in her hand. One she knew could only belong to a sword.

"Is that…"

"Sentimental value," Yuki said, hefting the bundle with a wry smile before securing it beside his katana. "You want to stick around? The mission's simple enough but we could always use your Sharingan for damage control if things get out of hand."

Nayu shook her head. "I'm going to track down Ryo and make sure he's treating my brother fairly."

Yuki made a face. "You know he hates it when you baby him right?"

"Too bad. He's still the baby."

"You're honestly just as bad as I am."

She shrugged. "I learned from the best."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel as good as it thought it would," Yuki muttered with an unhappy twist of his lips.

"I know. That's why I said it."

"Sadist."

Nayu just grinned, satisfied, before disappearing.

Yuki leaned back against the tree trunk and crossed his arms with a huff. He hated to admit it, but he could understand why Hatake was always so mad at him.

.-.-.-.

It was rounding on eight in the morning. A low mist hung over Kouzan. In sharp contrast from the night before, the streets were now lined with people in working drabs, talking in low voices and marching with purpose toward the quarries. Several streets away, Kakashi lay low on the roof of a theater hall under a camouflage sheet, scanning the quiet entertainment district. Before him stood a gaudy archway leading into the red light district. Both sides of its narrow street were lined with establishments of all kinds to entice customers as soon as the sun set. Now, the decorative noren curtains embellishing each storefront were taken down and all the suggestive shoji windows were dark.

From his study of the area the previous night, Kakashi knew a manor called Suiranso stood at the far end of the street as the largest and most extravagant establishment in town. It was there that Suzu worked under disguise, and as Ko was already inside, Kakashi was only waiting for Nobuki.

His plan was simple: follow Nobuki to Suiranso and make sure the targets are all gathered before driving them into the Buffalo and Goat's waiting arms. What hadn't been so simple was convincing Yuki to give him several minutes to listen in on their conversation first. It wasn't that he believed or even hoped Nobuki to be innocent. Neither did he think that knowing their plans would change anything. Both had been Yuki's argument.

Still, he kept thinking back to the time Nobuki had stepped in to kill an injured enemy in Kakashi's stead. Even knowing what he did now, he couldn't believe the look on the medic's face when he said he hated seeing children kill had been anything but genuine.

Kakashi wanted to know what Nobuki was thinking – and why he was betraying Konoha.

He looked down at the street again. Only one boy had approached the entrance to the pleasure district since Kakashi had taken up watch, and after a moment of studying the arch, he had quickly retreated the way he had come.

Finally, the quiet crunch of footsteps sounded from down the street and a man emerged from the mist. He wore a cloak around his shoulders, but his head was bared and Kakashi recognized Nobuki. The medic walked quickly but quietly into the red light district, never once looking around at his surroundings. Kakashi waited until he was almost out of sight before following over the rooftops.

It wasn't long before Suiranso's grand entrance came into view at the far end of the street. Flanked by high walls on either side and boasting an elegant front garden, the establishment looked more like a noble's estate than a brothel.

Kakashi stopped some distance away and watched Nobuki slip inside the main building. Bringing his hands together, Kakashi performed the Meisaigakure no jutsu to camouflage his body, scent, shadow and presence. It wasn't foolproof, but the ANBU had confirmed that none of the three suspects were sensory type shinobi. As long as he was careful, it would do.

He jumped across the street onto the wall surrounding Suiranso and then onto the roof of the main building. Though the two story structure offered regular rooms, the most expensive and popular reservations were made in the half dozen independent houses built in the spacious garden. Buffered by an intricate maze of trees and bushes, the small, traditional cottages offered privacy and comfort for the rich and affluent.

Kakashi scanned the gardens from above and found Nobuki being led by a middle-aged woman along one of the many stone paths branching out from the main building. He waited until the woman returned before dropping down into the garden and tracing the same route to the house Nobuki had been shown to. It was secluded by a grove of thick bushes and the twisting branches of several large maple trees.

Approaching the entrance on silent feet, Kakashi suppressed his presence and knelt beside one of the main pillars. Gathering chakra to his ears to enhance his hearing, he zeroed in on the voices inside the house.

He recognized Nobuki's voice, which made it easy to identify Ko and Suzu as they exchanged greetings and settled into a somber mood.

"What did Danzo say?" Suzu asked.

It was followed by a long sigh from Nobuki. "He said now isn't the time to act."

"Why?"

"He says we'll fail."

"Like hell!" Ko snapped. "We have a plan and we have the forces."

"No, I told you we don't have enough forces," Suzu said. "I was hoping Danzo would provide what we're missing."

"The Mists refused?" Nobuki asked.

"They said they aren't ready to use it yet."

"The fuckers," Ko growled.

Kakashi frowned. This wasn't at all what he had expected to hear. First the fact that Shimura Danzo was somehow involved, second that Suzu had a connection with the Mists, and third that the assassination may not even happen. It was more than enough to alter the entire mission.

"On the other hand," Suzu went on, "There's a group called Akatsuki, recently formed in the Hidden Rain Village. It's nothing more than a bunch of idealistic kids, but they're strong and they're looking to unite Konoha and the western countries in peace. If we reach out to them…"

Kakashi was so intent on listening to her words that he almost missed the soft tread of feet on the stone path. He turned his head slightly and froze.

It was the boy he had seen in the streets. He stopped between the trimmed bushes several paces away with a quizzical tilt of his head. Then he took another step, looked around, and focused on Kakashi again. It was then that Kakashi noticed the red tint of his eyes and felt something cold and unpleasant tingle down his spine.

Shit.

A Sharingan user.

His camouflage was useless now. But more importantly, who was the kid and why was he here?

In the split second it took for the thoughts to register, he was on his feet and ready to take off.

As if sensing his intent, the boy lurched forward and blurted, "Wait. You're Obito's teammate, right?"

Kakashi paused and searched his face. He had on occasion seen Obito surrounded by a group of young Uchiha children but Kakashi couldn't say whether he had seen this one before.

"Who are you?" he murmured.

"My name's Shisui," the boy replied with a tentative smile. "Uchiha Shisui."

If Obito had ever mentioned him, Kakashi didn't remember.

Shisui dipped his head to the side again and squinted. "You're the silver-haired guy right? I can't really tell with your camouflage."

Kakashi hesitated, and then dropped the Meisaigakure. Shisui's face immediately brightened.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, dropping his voice even further. As soon as the words were out, he realized with a start that it had grown eerily quiet inside the house.

"I'm on my way to a mission and –"

"Sh –" The sound was barely out of his mouth when the door slammed open and Kakashi was pinned to the pillar with a kunai to his throat. Ko's bearded face glared down at him.

"Who is it?" Nobuki asked from inside.

"A rat," Ko growled. "And Shisui."

Nobuki he stepped out and a brief look of surprise passed through his face when their eyes met.

"Hatake Kakashi." His expression hardened. "What are you doing here?"

Translations:
Noren - fabric curtains often decorating the front of stores bearing the name of the business
Shoji - wood framed screen covered with translucent rice paper
Meisaigakure no jutsu - camouflage technique

A/N: My feeble attempts at world building are clearly still in its practice stages but if you have any thoughts or feedback on how this chapter turned out, I'd love to hear them! Other than that, thank you for taking the time to read this!

.LinSetsu.