Slipping back into ANBU was like putting on an old pair of shoes.
Kakashi donned the anonymity and silence easily, allowing himself to fade into the background after almost a year of being the center of attention of three teenagers.
The company, however, could be questionable.
"Don't tell me you're getting tired already, Hound." Shisui chirped, slipping in and out of the forest shadows with ease. "Your little vacation couldn't have made you that rusty."
Kakashi would not have considered his teaching stint a vacation. "How are the eyes doing, Crow."
Shisui cackled.
To the left, Tenzo sighed. "How much longer until we reach the base?"
"Five minutes." It was pretty ballsy of Orochimaru to leave intact and functioning hideouts within Fire Country, but he wasn't going to complain if the enemy did stupid things.
It might have seemed a bit overkill to send all three of them on the same mission, but apparently they didn't have enough information to know numbers or ranks. That, and the new Hokage really wanted to crush what influence Orochimaru still had in Fire Country.
This was a message as much as it was a mission.
Six minutes later, they were in position.
Kakashi gave the barest of nods.
Shisui flung the entrance to the underground base open the same second the trees around them began to grow. Kakashi disabled the traps while Shisui dealt with the ones already activated. By the time they were done, Tenzo had encased the entire area in thick branches.
No one was getting out.
Shisui and Kakashi dropped into the underground base, while Tenzo stayed on guard outside. The shinobi inside had been altered, but it was far too late. He'd scoped the area out with his sharingan, and there was only one way in, which meant only one way out.
Time to get to work.
The first two combatants were nothing to scoff at. Tokubetsu jounin at the very least. He shoved a Chidori through one of their chests while Shisui snapped the neck of the other. Then, the air rippled ever so slightly as Shisui disappeared under a genjutsu.
Whoever was left in the base was probably trying to destroy whatever information they were storing, or trying to create another way out. Kakashi would deal with the fighters, while Shisui secured the files.
The base was cramped and didn't lend itself to easy combat, but that was more to his advantage than the enemy's. They couldn't surround him in these narrow hallways, or preform much of an ambush.
So they died, and their bodies fell limp onto the ground.
By the time he'd made his way through the entire base, he found Shisui perched on a desk, skimming through a scroll's contents. In the corner, a man was babbling incoherently.
Even without access to his sharingan, Shisui was a terror.
"You're not supposed to be reading those." Kakashi said dryly, making no move to stop him.
Shisui hummed absently. "They've got a lot of files of Konoha shinobi in here." He said. "Detailed ones."
That was unfortunate but nor surprising. "He did have a lot of spies."
"Don't I know it." Shisui muttered. He turned the scroll in his hand, allowing Kakashi to read it.
It was Shisui's profile, complete with family history, rank, and known abilities.
At the very bottom, two damning words were scrawled.
Potential host.
"Name, rank, and registration number." A far-too cheerful shinobi chirped at her.
"Sakura Haruno, chuunin. Registration number 012601."
He thumbed through a massive book, taking his sweet time. After what felt like an eternity, he stopped. "Your allocated gear has already been dispensed. I'm afraid you'll have to buy your own."
Anger coiled in her gut. "It's the first day of the month." She said as calmly as she could manage. "When would I have even picked it up?"
He shrugged. "Early in the morning? I started my shift an hour ago, and no one remembers every face. I'm sorry, but I can't give you anything."
She took a slow, steadying breath. "Do you know where I can file a complaint?"
He pointed at a far counter. "They usually handle it. I will warn you, it's a lot of paperwork."
Of course it was. "Thank you." Forcefully gathering herself, she stepped out of the line and headed in the direction he'd indicated.
As promised, there was a lot of paperwork involved. Sakura assumed it was to deter anyone who was merely being petty, or didn't feel strongly enough to fill out every form. The kunoichi at the desk seemed mildly surprised when she handed back the completed papers.
It probably wouldn't do anything. Whoever was messing with her had enough power to screw up her records and enough motivation to do it before she would even try to get one step ahead.
But at least it was something. Nonaction wouldn't help her either. She needed-
"Sakura?"
She snapped herself out of her thoughts, turning to the familiar voice at her side. "Oh, hi. I didn't expect to see you here."
Iwana smiled. "Everyone needs to restock at some point." His eyes fell to her mostly empty pouches. "It seems you…didn't."
"I've been having some trouble getting new gear." She said vaguely. "It's probably just a filing problem."
His brow furrowed. "That's concerning. Hopefully things will be resolved soon enough." He patted one of his pouches. "I have a bit of extra gear, if you're interested."
Sakura hesitated. "I don't really have a lot of money right now."
Iwana shrugged. "Funds have never been an issue for me, and we're on the same squad. You can owe me a favor, if it makes you feel better." He pulled out a handful of kunai, and another of shuriken.
She really didn't want to owe anyone a favor, but the prospect of taking them for free didn't sit right with her either.
She also really needed more gear. "I'll make you cookies or something one day." She said eventually, accepting the blades. "Thank you."
He thumped her on the back. "Don't mention it."
"If you interrupt one of my experiments again, I'm going to put you in a test tube."
Kabuto chuckled. "But then who would bring you lunch?" He set the package down on the desk.
Karin hesitated, clearly debating between her pride and her hunger, before giving in. "You're a real bastard, you know that?"
He did. "Someone has to make sure our favourite blood bag is well nourished."
Years ago, that comment would have caused her to fly into a rage, breaking everything and anyone around her. Now, she merely flipped him off. "Come back when you don't look like a twig. I'm surprised your arms haven't snapped off yet."
"It's a gift."
Karin began chowing down on her food, barely sparing him a glance. Most of her previous experiment had been cleaned up, but he could immediately tell what she'd been working on.
"Any results from your blood?" He asked casually.
Her expression twisted. "Nothing at all. Whatever that old man did to Orochimaru, it's damn near impossible to root out. You could drain my body dry and it still wouldn't be enough."
"A shame." Kabuto lied. "Things would've been quieter around here without your shouting."
Karin gave him an unimpressed look. "You wouldn't risk killing off the only other competent scientist in this place. You'd go mad." Not to mention her blood was the only thing staving off the worst of Orochimaru's symptoms, making her practically untouchable within the organization.
They bickered for a few more minutes. He nitpicked her experiments, and she called him every name under the sun. An easy rapport with just a little too much venom to be considered friendly.
Finally, Karin exhaled. "They're gone now."
It never ceased to amuse Kabuto that Orochimaru's forces still tried to eavesdrop and spy on them, as though Karin couldn't sense their presence from outside the building.
"Orochimaru is growing increasingly frustrated with his condition." Kabuto said. "The degradation is speeding up and his jutsu usage is still limited."
Karin's lips curled into a smirk. "He's been delegating a lot more recently, and no one but the inner circle has seen him for weeks."
He nodded. "The general forces are becoming uneasy."
What was left of it, that is.
"Kin is doing a good job of integrating herself with the lower ranks." Karin commented. "They trust her, especially those who were born in the area." Which was more than either of them could say. "Any progress with the Sound Four?"
He sighed. "Tayuya and Jirobo seemed receptive, but Kidomaru, Sakon, and Udon enjoy their free reign too much to go against Orochimaru. At least not yet."
"Then we just have to find something they value more than that." Karin said. "I don't think I need to remind you we're on a time limit. We need to get everything in place before he gets drastic enough to consider one of us an option."
Between the two of them, Karin was under much more threat. Her natural chakra reserves and healing ability were ideal as a host, not even bringing into account her sensing abilities. Kabuto, while skilled, didn't have any specific genetic advantage that would make him an appetizing target.
"How long do you think he can survive the degradation?" Kabuto asked.
"Long enough to start getting desperate." She said grimly. Orochimaru was nothing if not persistent.
Kabuto tapped the side of one of her vials. The dark liquid pulsed.
"Then we make sure he doesn't."
If someone were to pick the sane member of Team Gai, it would be Tenten.
No, she was not taking criticism on that.
Gai and Lee were disqualified for obvious reasons, and while Neji seemed normal at first, it took all of ten minutes around him to realise his excessive formality was just a cover for a massive case of bitchiness. He was almost exclusively fueled by spite.
So yes, Tenten was the sane one. The normal one.
That title came with certain responsibilities. She had to sooth the worries of clients, drag everyone to a reasonable solution, and do a lot of yelling. She didn't really mind that last bit.
Nevertheless, their dynamic worked, and Tenten was fine with being the normal one.
It had taken a long time for them to get where they were now.
Neji had told them the nitty gritty of the Caged Bird Seal on a particularly rough mission in Kusa. They'd been separated from Gai and forced to hunker down during a storm, half-dead and terrified.
I can't die here, Neji had hissed, something almost manic in his eyes as he tried to get out of the cave they were hiding in. Not like this. Not with you two.
That was when Tenten finally snapped. They were six months into being teammates, and he'd been an asshole for most of them. Even when he hadn't been monologuing about how they would never overcome their station, he'd refused to try to bond with them.
What the fuck is wrong with you? She'd yelled.
And then he'd taken off his headband.
Tenten still didn't agree with him after that, and told him to his face. He'd accepted her and Lee's words with a hum, and didn't mention it for the rest of the mission.
Things had improved after that. He'd stopped harping on them, and actually made an effort to be a part of the team.
But she never forgot that look in his eye. The sound of his voice when he proclaimed his only escape would be death.
Tenten didn't think she was particularly special. She'd been raised in the village orphanage for as long as she could remember. Her parents had been civilians, but she'd shown enough aptitude during the entrance exam to the Academy that they'd let her in.
She didn't have endless determination and will like Lee. She didn't have a clan or genius level intellect like Neji. She was really just an average kunoichi.
Her fuinjutsu was often a cobbled together mess because she never had someone to teach her. She didn't have a distinct style, didn't make exact copies of the old seals.
And sure, it blew up in her face-sometimes literally-but she kept trying. Genin only had limited access to the library, and it wasn't like she had any family connections to pull from.
Still, she worked, and trained, and dealt with her team's antics. They grew closer and closer, until their bond was like steel.
The chuunin exams rolled around for the second time, and they walked into it with confidence. Her elimination had stung, but she was proud of how far she'd come.
Overall, it hadn't changed much for her. Even the Invasion hadn't fundamentally altered her life.
But Neji had pulled her and Lee aside a week after. There'd been something burning in his eyes.
I want to break the cage.
The Hyuuga Main Family had many means of control. Political power, money, secret techniques, and that fucking seal.
Tenten was sane, and normal, and not particularly special.
She dipped her brush in ink, and began to draw.
Few shinobi had the privilege of single rooms in the hospital, but Danzo Shimura was one of them.
Fuu and Torune assessed the few that were allowed inside, a ROOT agent doing most of the medical procedures necessary. The command structure within their ranks had been-strained, to say the least. They had minimal backups in case Danzo was unavailable to give orders, but they only had to hold out until he returned.
And finally, that time came.
When Danzo sat up, he did so entirely silently. If Fuu hadn't been watching him, he never would have realised he was awake.
"Report." He snapped.
Fuu internally grimaced. "Ten weeks have passed since the Invasion of Konoha. Sarutobi Hirzen passed fighting Orochimaru, and Tsunade Senju has taken his place as Hokage." He began.
The debrief was long, with more than a few details left out for the sake of time. They had files that better documented the events-his job was to give an overview.
Danzo shook his head. "The integrity of the whole tree is being threatened."
He and Torune exchanged a quick glance. "What are your orders, sir?"
Danzo pushed himself to his feet. "Bring me my cane."
"Gather around!" Kazaze barked. "We've been assigned a mission."
That was enough for the entire squad to scramble over. Other than Yoshisu, who'd been taking shifts at the hospital, they'd all been relegated to rebuilding efforts. None of them had had a mission since the Invasion.
"It's a retrieval mission, and the permeameters are simple. Go there, find and return some stolen jewelry, and get out."
That seemed like a fairly low-stakes mission to send an entire chuunin squad on.
"Where are we going?" Yoshisu asked.
"The Land of Hot Water."