First One
Kota walked quicker through the night streets of Konohagakure. He ran a hand through his short cropped brown hair that he cut that night in attempts of throwing off any of his chasers. His green eyes darting all around checking his surroundings as he rushed through the village. He had to get out of town there was too much focus on him now that he lost his temper with that girlfriend of his. The boss would be extremely upset with the attention he brought upon himself.
The investigators were getting closer to their plans as well. Luckily he was able to pull back his jutsu before things pointed their way. It bothered him that Iwashi could connect him to the girl. It didn't matter now he could come back after things died down; at least that was the plan.
It never crossed his mind that they were slowly becoming monsters. He always had seen the Konoha Shinobi as monsters. They were the ones who were responsible for the death of his family. It was this village that took everything from him. Still he knew that hitting a woman was pretty low. Given all that he'd done lately it would come as no surprise that anyone with a stone to throw would toss one in his direction.
"Hey, you stop," a voice called out to him.
It was too risky to use his jutsu to hide or escape. The border security had been tightened thanks to his mistake with that woman. They would be looking for anything unusual so he decided to stick with his original plan. No need for him to reveal the others in the village. He couldn't say he loved that woman but she meant something to him. A connection or a bond was formed and once more this village had taken that from him.
"I need to go I have to deliver these goods," Kota tried.
"Were under strict orders to bring in anyone suspicious," the Jounin said.
The haircut did not work. He was out of options. There were other people he had to protect. Now he had a family now he belonged somewhere. He would risk it all to make their plans a success. They had a limited amount of time now that they knew the Hokage was away from the village. Only now did he suspect that it was in Kakashi's plans to be away from the village at this time.
Damn it, he thought and began his jutsu.
000
Fighting went on in the village as was expected between Kota and Konoha Shinobi. Sakura sat in listening to the reporting ANBU. They lost Kota overtaken by his jutsu. Every able body was on the lookout for him.
Sakura was expecting more from the reports. For now this issue was a village policing issue. One of the village citizens was attacked by an outsider. Kota did seem to blend in well for the most part but in the end he was an outsider.
"You haven't been to sleep yet perhaps you should go home," Tsunade said.
"I'm fine. I can't be of any help at home," Sakura said a little taken out of her comfort zone she was sure that Tsunade would have demanded that she go home.
"Sakura please call Iwashi here," Tsunade requested not willing to argue about her going home. Kakashi was out of the offices and Tsunade frowned thinking that she would have a lot of work to do today. She was angered that the enemy chose this time to attack. There was a promotion at her favorite gaming table and if Kakashi only stayed that is where she would be now.
"You seem to have put together something Tsunade-shishou," Sakura said.
"A mission a few years back," Tsunade started thinking back to Genma interrupting her briefing, "That woman, the one who seemingly became a high level kunoichi overnight."
"Yes," Sakura interjected recalling the woman they investigated all those years ago it was certainly more than a few.
"Tori," Tsunade said the name, "Yamato had his reservations about her. Off the record he told me some of his feeling about her. At the time we agreed that Tori was just lovesick but now I think we may have overlooked something. I think that case is connected to the Kota case."
"The body switching seal, Sakura and Ino worked on it with Tori," Sakura recalled.
"Everyone seemed to be fooled then. Perhaps for the same reason we were fooled now. Not to mention the missing Konoha Shinobi teammates that were never found," Tsunade said.
"And where is Tori now," Sakura asked.
"She married a man from the Kusagakure. She is rarely seen in Konoha. I want you to look into her husband, Tasuu Riku is his name. Since we are already getting pressure from that village please be discreet," Tsunade said. There were so many links to Kusagakure to be coincidence and she was sure she was looking in the right place now more than ever.
"Right," Sakura quickly got to work calling for Iwashi and researching Tori and Riku.
"Oh and please find out the status of Rokudaime because I'm not coming out of retirement any time soon," Tsunade said standing up looking out at the village.
"Yes Tsunade-shishou. I'm sure they will all be back from their mission soon," Sakura said smiling. Tsunade wasn't technically retired after all and she did enjoy having something to do from time to time in the village. It was just a big change from her normal working with the hospital.
"How is the pregnancy going Sakura," Tsunade asked with great interest and a smile.
"Morning sickness is the worst thing. I use the medical ninjutsu cure but it comes back twice as strong. Then there are the cravings, all it takes is a sniff from Ichiraku's and I have to have it. So yeah it is wonderful and it is…I still don't know it takes some adjustments you could say," Sakura said grinning down at her barely there bump.
"Those nightmares are still plaguin' yeah eh'," Tsunade asked.
"If I allow myself to get pulled in…I've always been strong against genjutsu but I don't think this is that. It is strange. It is like a living thing that wants your offering…I don't know how to explain it. I just don't sleep as much or alone anymore," Sakura said.
"That is hard to do without Naruto around isn't it," Tsunade questioned.
"Yeah," Sakura simply answered and didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Kakashi says he hasn't seen movement underground like this since before the war," Tsunade said changing the subject.
"I won't be left in the dark. I know that things are changing rapidly. I just don't know who would try to attack us," Sakura said.
"I have no doubt our allies would defend us," Tsunade said.
"Oh of course I think they all would for this peace," Sakura said.
"We all need to figure out what the enemy wants and negotiate for this peace," Tsunade said.
"I have a feeling that things just aren't going to work out quite so easily. I think what the enemy wants nobody around can give unless they are a god," Sakura said.
"There have been plenty to claim to be such," Tsunade said.
"I hope we have run the course of encountering those," Sakura said.
"There will always be those type," Tsunade said.
"Before I leave with all this work, I have an idea that can help all those pregnant women," Sakura said.
"What's that," Tsunade asked.
"Katsuyu, I can summon her and parts can transfer chakra to the women perhaps creating a network and the next time…the next nightmare we can see clearly," Sakura said.
"It is a bit of a risk," Tsunade said.
"Right, because of what happened with Ino's jutsu. But this works on a summons and Sage mode so maybe it will work," Sakura said.
"You should try," Tsunade said.
"Yes," Sakura said and prepared messages for the women. If anything she wouldn't feel useless today. Tying up her hair she got busy putting her plans into motion. If the man they encountered today had anything to do with the mind games she had experienced lately she wanted to be the first in line to deal with him.