Chapter Eleven
For the next few months, the Oto nin were relatively quiet, barring the fact that they had killed several members of the Order to unguarded attacks once Kabuto had figured out they had a spy in their midst. He knew about Severus Snape of course and suspected him as the leak. He had a few of his ninja try to tail the man but they had been killed quickly by one of the three Akatsuki members guarding the Order of the Phoenix.
Kabuto had to wonder just how many were here and why? It was a slim possibility that the remaining members had fled here, though very few ninja knew about the lands outside of the shinobi world, more likely they had stumbled across it, or had even been sought out and contracted by them just as Otogakure had. Possibly because the services of a nukenin were cheaper. Or perhaps they just didn't know any better.
Orochimaru in the meantime, had sought far and wide for the man he was looking for, even requesting an owl while he planned and schemed on how he was going to "help" this Lord Voldemort take over wizarding Britain and than in turn overthrow him. Day after day he waited impatiently for that damn bird to come back. Orochimaru wasn't too concerned about not being able to find him, convincing him to work with him however…well that was another matter.
Still, Orochimaru had a talent for swaying people to his side, even one as secretive and stubborn as him. In fact the man had never quite forgiven him and had nearly succeeded in murdering him for stealing some of his secrets and creating what he had scornfully called a complete, bastardization of his jutsu.
While all this was going on, Konan had been training the members of the Order in an exercise that most of the younger generation seemed to ignore. That of learning to recognize energy signatures. She had started pairing them up, first with those who had the least contact with each other and gradually moving up to those who had the most contact with each other.
One of the most basic shinobi arts, she had told them, was the Henge which allowed a ninja too look and sound like anyone and if done correctly, than a skilled shinobi could impersonate even the closest members of one's family with them none the wiser, but chakra signatures could not be faked, since each one was unique only to that person and the four dead members had been killed by their "loved ones."
Kisame had found a good drinking partner in Hagrid, who seemed only to happy to introduce him to the world of European alcohol. Mead and Fire whiskey, Gin and Rum and Brandy and Ale and Scotch. The two men would often be found in Hagrid's house getting drunk together or going out into the Forbidden Forest so that he could introduce them to all the interesting creatures that lived there. Though that was more to help Konan map the place and for the rest of the shinobi to familiarize themselves with, than anything else.
Zetsu was kept out of sight most of the time, because Konan did not want the Sound ninja or Snape to realize he was here and in all honesty, the Grass nin disliked the cold anyways and had been going back and forth from Wizarding Britain to the Hidden Continent to bring back supplies, clothes and news as he spied on Orochimaru and his village.
It was when the snow was beginning to melt away in Britain when the owl finally found it's target in a lonely little civilian town between the outskirts of Suna and Iwa. The sun was setting, casting a warm reddish glow on everything around it as the man killed the bird and stared at his name written on the scroll in the elegant hand of someone he had been plotting revenge on for a long time.
He unrolled it cautiously and began reading as a sadistic smile broke out on his face. The man had stolen his secrets and desecrated his life's work without an ounce of remorse years ago and here he was practically handing himself on a silver platter, how interesting. He got up, packed his belongings and headed for Rice Country.
Konan had just finished practicing her new jutsu when something caught her attention. She watched with critical eyes as two teachers, one Remus Lupin, the other Severus Snape followed the Animagus Sirius Black that she had been tracking. Her orders were to apprehend the man and bring him in immediately, she followed them into a secret passage hidden underneath the Whomping Willow at a cautious pace and waited patiently in the shadows.
"What would you have done?"
Coward. But Konan squashed that thought, after all these were not ninja and she could not expect them to act like one.
"I would have died! That's what I'd have done! I'd have died rather than betray my best friends!"
Konan frowned when she heard those words coming from the killer and the traitor teacher. She had been watching the scene play out for a while now as she clung to the ceiling of the Shrieking Shack like a fly. She had every intention of dealing with the three of them and had been waiting for the right time. Now she would make her presence known.
There were multiple gasps as she landed on the floor with cat-like grace.
"Professor?" Said Hermione tearfully.
Sirius blanched and pressed himself against the wall, but she ignored him as though he were invisible. she was surrounded with an aura of such malice and murder that the room was thick with it and it was becoming difficult to breathe. Her cold blue eyes were focused on the rat man in front of her, who was staring at her and making pitiful mewling noises in his throat.
Predator. That's what Peter Pettigrew's instincts told him. Perhaps it was too many years spent in his Animagus' form, but it seemed to be the only word that fit. Every movement of the petite woman was predatory, intense as a snake, and silent as a big cat. Peter felt as though he were being hunted down. He swallowed thickly, vision blurring and doubling as he watched the cold-eyed woman coming towards him with the grace of a predator. His limbs were visibly quaking and when he finally looked at her he saw his death in her eyes and let out a low moan of terror, barely registering the wet heat spreading over the front of his pants.
With a shriek he ran for his life and she stilled. As soon as he was level with her, her arm shot out and caught his in a punishing grip, Hermione shrieked as blood splattered the walls of the shack.
Sirius and Remus were wide eyed as Peter lay on the floor, kunai sticking from his legs and arms, wriggling but unable to move.
Just as suddenly Sirius found himself surrounded by her paper clones and Konan looked into his eyes.
"You will come with me or I will kill you."
Sirius grimaced at this strange new magic. He'd never seen such a thing before! And since she had just severed Peter's tendons, it was obvious that she had no qualms about doing the same to him.
She turned to Remus.
"I expect you and Severus to take the children back to the castle. Attempt to run and you will have me to deal with."
Remus nodded and began herding the children away from the grisly scene.
Albus Dumbledore was shocked when he saw two Professor Nakamuras' climb into his window and deposit Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew onto the floor.
"I caught these two intruders on the castle grounds, this one was foolish enough to run from me and is now permanently crippled unless your medics can heal severed tendons. The other came without resistance, so I have spared him from sharing the same fate. As I have little knowledge of the entire situation, I have decided to leave it up to your justice system to deal with them instead. Though from my observations, there seems to be more to this story than meets the eye, perhaps using veritaserum would give you more accurate answers. Professor Snape should be here shortly."
Albus hesitated. "I see. We will lock them up and wait for the authorities. Professor Nakamura would you mind-"
"I'll confess!" Peter squealed. "I'll confess everything but just keep me away from her and-and the Dementors I beg of you!"
Dumbledore considered. "Professor Nakamura would you be willing to witness this confession?"
"Yes." She said and locked her steely eyes on Peter.
"You had better tell the truth or I will make you wish that the Dementors had kissed you. Understand?"
Peter shuddered and nodded his head and began to confess everything while Dumbledore's quill began to write everything down of it's own accord, while Dumbledore himself, mindful of the scene playing out on the grounds below and hoping beyond hope that Hermione and her friends could right ages old wrongs.
The Aurors stepped in and patiently read the confession of one Peter Pettigrew, long believed to be dead and one Sirius Black a madman who confessed under veritaserum, something the Animagus thought resentfully, that should have been done years ago.
Orochimaru was more than a little surprised to see him standing on the bridge, head cocked slightly with mock curiosity and eyes staring blankly through him.
"I must admit, I wasn't expecting for you to come." He said, smiling cordially at the diminutive man."
"Don't bother with formalities Orochimaru." He said irritably.
"Of course. Kabuto-san will be arriving shortly. He'll be filling you in on the way to our client's residence."
At the mention of the medic nin's name, the man scowled and Orochimaru laughed.
"And why do I need to be escorted to the client's house?"
"Ah. Now that is what will interest you the most. You see, this client lives in a world outside the Hidden Continents and while he is no shinobi, his instincts and his bloodline are rare and interesting."
Before Orochimaru could continue to elaborate Kabuto spun from seemingly nowhere, clutching a chakra-laden sign with words that looked like gibberish to him and Kabuto looked surprised when he saw exactly who he was supposed to be escorting to the Riddle House, all the same he bowed politely and bid the man to come forward.
As they vanished, Orochimaru frowned. The fact that he had come so willingly was highly suspicious and he would have to warn Kabuto to keep an eye on him.
As Kabuto led his guest into the Malfoy's Manor, it was obvious that the Death Eaters were curious about the newcomer. Was he a special assassin? Perhaps one of the people who had been instrumental in the demise of these people? They all turned their heads curiously as Kabuto began to speak.
"Infestations of this nature are always difficult to rid an area of once they've taken root. As Konoha discovered at it's expense when one particularly powerful member ran rampant through the city and devastated it."
"You make them sound as if they were an infestation of rats instead of dangerous, S-Class criminals Kabuto." The hooded figure rasped softly, with tints of amusement and indignation in his tone.
Kabuto turned towards him, his voice slightly cooler then it was before.
And the man merely smiled.
"Even rats can be dangerous." Then the congenial voice and pleasant smile was back as he continued his explanation.
"Individuals of this particular organization have proven impossible to capture alive and incredibly difficult to kill. Doing so requires forethought and meticulous planning and even then, things can go terribly wrong when dealing with the Akatsuki. That's where he comes in."
There was something…a hint of cruel amusement, in the mild-mannered medic nin's eyes promising Lord Voldemort that he would appreciate what he had in mind. He leaned forward in anticipation.
"Allow me to introduce you."