Yuuna P.O.V.

'Wraith. Version 2. Malleable.'

'Got it.' Hanako responded.

We swerved through the empty halls of the kennels, not a single part of our bodies making a sound. I had a mask on, my hair in a bun, with any identifying clothes besides my jounin vest replaced with something else less noticeable. Hanako, as customary, had dyed her signature orange fur to a muted dark brown, with the obvious scent-blocking on as well. Just in case. We didn't want any implications, even if the infiltration could only likely come from one party.

Can't believe I have to sneak into my own freaking clan. I grew up in these kennels! Hell I remember getting beat right there in that corner for spitting in some kid's face when I was 6.

'You're getting distracted.'

'Right, sorry.' I had to keep my focus at all times. Scent blocking is a finicky thing, one slip up and I've basically given myself away already. It's part of why our clan is so important in the first place. We could track anyone, no matter what. If we had their scent.

'Here we are.' Hanako announced. We stopped at Nobuyuki's office door.

'Alright. Get ready.' I took a thin piece of paper out from my jounin-vest and slid it under the door. Hanako put one paw around me.

Kawarimi no jutsu.

Switching with the paper, we landed inside the office. The office was nondescript. Basic, average. A desk with some papers on it, a bookshelf with a few books and scrolls. A medkit on the wall behind the chair. Nothing of note.

And that's where everyone's always wrong.

'Okay, so according to the map we were given, there should be a trapdoor underneath the desk.' Hanako said.

I stretched. Could never be ready enough.

'Yes girl, work it.' Hanako cackled silently.

'Take this seriously!' I projected, my leg above my head.

'Says the girl who's stretching in the middle of a mission.'

'I don't wanna pull any muscles. I'm old now okay? Two whole children came through me! I have a right to stretch.'

'Right, right. Just move the desk, Yuuna.'

'Yeah, yeah.' I complained, moving from my Side Bend Stretch.

I lifted the desk, and put it on the other side of the room, making sure to keep the exit way clear.

And there it was. One trapdoor. Check.

'Let's bust this joint.' Hanako declared, biting the latch and swinging it open.

'What does that even mean?'

'I don't know. Ask Shiromaru.' We made our way down the stairs, deliberately crouching on the ceiling to avoid traps.

'Of course it would come from him.'

I went around a particularly nasty spike trap. How did we not notice him building all this stuff? Or was it always here? And we just didn't know?

We walked on. The stairs just kept going down and down. This isn't good.

'I think we stumbled upon something bigger than the clan.' Hanako said.

'What do you think? Version 3?'

'Might as well.'

I went through hand signs. Hiding in Camouflage Technique. I made sure to cover both me and Hanako with a strong but thin chakra layer, making ourselves invisible.

The stairs opened up to a wide room, with pillars keeping the ground and the ceiling from meeting each other. The entire space was gray and drab, the only light sources being the occasional torch. There was a bridge going in four directions, with more hallways at the ends.

Oh my. Definitely bigger than the clan.

'Scent tracking now.' She went in front of me, leading me to the hallway to the right. It led to another room just like it, just way bigger.

And filled with people. Ninja with masks on, ranging from academy age to full grown adults. They seemed to be engaged in some kind of training exercise. All of them were quiet. The only sounds were the occasional clang of a blade meeting another. The sight was eerie.

Hanako stopped, watching a little girl that could barely be 6 years old narrowly dodging the tantou of a much older ninja. 'Is this ANBU?'

'No. They don't recruit that young. This is something much shadier.' I didn't know too much about the organization, but most members I know that are or have probably been ANBU were never children this small.

'Shadier than ANBU? The Hokage needs to know about it, then.'

'I think he already does.' No way an operation this big is flying underneath his nose.

'Does that mean the Hokage is somehow endorsing Nobuyuki?' She started moving again. Slower, this time.

'Somehow I doubt that too.' We entered another hallway, going up this time.

We were led into another room, leading into another three, just as gray and drab as the first one. The only difference this time was that it was much smaller.

'The scent's getting stronger.' Hanako noted, moving for the right hallway.

A heavy metal door blocked our way this time. No cracks above or below. Not to mention the intricate seal-work it was doing a poor job of hiding.

'How are we getting past this one?' Hanako said, experimentally sniffing the door.

'Hmmm.' I'm not a seal expert by any means, but maybe if I.. 'It's not an elegant solution, and you'll have to give me a few minutes. It'll definitely leave a mark...'

'How dangerous is this? I don't wanna lose any fur from your weird experimentations!'

I didn't bother responding to that, instead taking out a blank scroll and a pen and started writing. Most sealmasters use ink brushes, since chakra ink tends to stick a lot better with them, but for smaller works like this I'll have to be more intricate than that. A pen will have to do.

'Make sure you're on the lookout. No surprises for me today.'

Hanako moved to be behind me. 'Just make sure I'm not on fire by the end, okay? Okay?!'

Shizuka P.O.V.

I forgot how boring lookout jobs really are. I've been sitting here doing nothing for the past two hours. Yuuna-sama and Hanako-sama already came and went a few minutes ago, so there's nothing for me to do except stare at a wall.

Officially I'm here to fill out some forms on regular feeding schedules, along with routine inspections for health and safety. Making sure the right boxes are ticked and so on. Truthfully this would only take me maybe fifteen minutes if I stretch it, but I have to look busy if someone comes along. Which, hasn't happened in an hour and a half.

Kami, I'm bored. Wonder how Arata's doing right now. I hope he's getting along with the other kids. He's been more friendly recently, which is good. Talks more. Yeeh.

Agh! This is so frustrating! I'm sitting here doing nothing, then doing nothing, then doing nothing and I'm going stir crazy! Can't even do chakra control exercises because guess what? I don't have that anymore! Isn't life great?

…

I've resorted to doodling. So far I made a tiny stick figure Nobuyuki, being viciously mauled by a me with very big teeth. I'm very proud of it. I wanna shade it, but I don't wanna run out of pen. Oh the dilemma. Maybe I should add a—wait, what was that?

A set of claw steps clicked their way through the hallways. I quickly shifted back to my reports about.. diapers? Yes, diapers.

"Seki-san. How are you?" Great. Just great. Nobuyuki's partner of all people just had to come across.

"I am doing marvelous, Shizuka-chan. May I ask what you're doing here this early in the morning?" Her silver eyes narrowed a tad. She's right to be suspicious. Most ninja know to do infiltration at night. Good ninja know to do infiltrations in the mornings, when it's still dark out. It's 4 A.M.

"Just making sure I filled out these forms right. I was a little tired when I initially did them, so I wanted to make sure I got these right." I lied.

"Well, I'm sure a caretaker of your talents can trust themselves to fill these out right, I think." She said, turning away.

"Thank you, Seki-san." She stopped. Considered.

"You are talented, aren't you? Despite your.. situation.. you've made quick friends with most of the children. They don't complain when you tell them to do something." I can't tell if she's referencing my ICD or Arata. Probably both. Sneaky bitch.

"I thank you again, Seki-san." I bowed a little. Just low enough to be polite, but not servile.

"Tell me, Shizuka-chan. What do you think of the current situation of the clan?" ..What the hell kinda question is that? Is this a trap? This is a trap, isn't it?

"We're at war, Seki-san. I think that takes precedence over anything else, doesn't it?" I ignored my left leg spasming just as I finished talking. She didn't. She paused again. This bitch's brain is that slow huh? Think faster, please. You're getting on my nerves.

"Not necessarily. Maybe now is the best time to start rethinking how our clan does things, especially during the war. If we contribute well during the war effort, a reward is not too far away, don't you think? A reallocation of efforts is necessary, therefore, don't you think?" She doesn't know. Doesn't know that the dispute with Earth will escalate into another Great War. Doesn't know for how long this'll go for, how thin we'll be stretched. Doesn't know what will come right after.

Doesn't know how far we could fall. "I think I'll have to disagree on that. Something tells me danger lies on the horizon. This is just the start."

She smiled. Slow, almost languid. "Something we can agree on, then. Although I think that danger is much closer than you realize."

...Shit. She knows. How? Who betrayed us? There's no way. There was no room for betrayal. Everyone is accounted for.

"Make sure you choose your side carefully after the dust settles, Shizuka-chan. A lady of your talent is appreciated no matter which side of the pendulum you're swinging on." She walked away, her tail completely still. I waited anxiously until she fully left the building.

I rushed a seal out of my pocket and slammed some chakra through it, hoping it would get to her on time.

You have to get out of there! Quickly! They know!

'Aaand finished!' I held up my finished product in the air. It probably looked very weird, having a scroll with scribbled in seal work floating in the air.

Let's do this.

'Aaaah finally.' Hanako yawned quietly, apparently having laid down during the wait.

'Take this seriously! We're in enemy territory!'

She stood up, about as slowly as she could get away with. 'You were saying?'

'..I'll just do the thing now.'

I lined up the scroll next to the handle, imprinting with a chakra release.

The door lit up in bright red characters, flowing from one side to the other and back, flashing, then attacking the edges. The light flashed out.

'Did that do it?' Hanako asked, sniffing at the faint smell of burnt ozone released by the attack.

'Open it!' She stepped forward, and lifted the handle down with her head. The door opened.

'Whoa.' Whoa was right. The entire room was filled to the brim with scrolls, books, and files. On the floor, on the walls, a bookshelf held up by chains on the ceiling. This is insane. 'What happened to the door?'

I looked back. The other side of the door was one big scorch mark. 'Told you it would leave a mark. It means people will know the place was infiltrated, so we can't come back here.' I turned back to the massive stacks of paper. It looked like it would collapse in on itself if I moved just a bit of it. 'Now, which one smells of Nobuyuki the most?'

She stepped over a large scroll spread out over the ground, filled with seemingly random characters and targeted a specific bookshelf. 'Third or second right from the top, I think.'

I grabbed both books, flipping through them. I sat down so Hanako could look over them. 'They're encrypted. But, only two layers? This place isn't ninja proofed?'

'I don't think it's practical with this many files. Others might follow different codes, if I had to guess. I'll try and find the one for these.'

Wait. 'Why would he keep the encrypted material and the key in the same place?' She stopped.

'Good point. Don't think it's safe to head out any further either. Think you can crack it?'

I cross referenced them. They were both half empty, the latter half of the pages being entirely blank. 'Its written backwards into..these are.. Meiji characters? Interspersed with Komei ones. Komei is used by Inuzuka. Shouldn't be too hard.'

….

'This.. this is insane.' This is much, much bigger than the clan. Holy sh—this is international! The implications alone..

'What? What's insane?'

'The first book is a contract of sorts. I can't parse the specifics, but it's about trading in resources and… people? With this organization in exchange for support. This organization is supporting Nobuyuki's takeover of the clan somehow. But get this, the second book has notes on other dealings like this with other clans. Hyuuga, Nara, Aburame, Shimura. All of them have some connection to this organization. It's like a second government or something. A full blown conspiracy!'

'There's a second government? Running Konoha? You're sure this is not just some really powerful merchant guild?'

'Yes, I'm sure! Who else demands that clan laws conform to them other than an entire government?!' My hands started sweating. Not good. Did my scent masking slip? No we're still good. Oh kami.

'Yuuna, calm down. We noticed the threat, and we're gonna do something about it. There's no way all of this is sanctioned by the Tower. We'll just bring it to the Hokage, and we'll deal with it.'

Take a deep breath. In. Out. 'Yes, of course. So, how does Nobuyuki factor into this? Why does this organization try to get to him on board instead of the Head if they wanted something? Why help overthrow an entire clan Headship?'

'It's pretty simple. If you help Nobuyuki take leadership of the clan, you'll have more of a say in how the clan is run.'

I took the books and sealed them inside a small scroll in my jounin vest. 'But that still leaves the question: Why does Nobuyuki want the clan for himself?'

HHHHHHHHHHHGGNNNNGNGNGNGHHGHHH!

A vibration hit my arm. Oh why now! 'Hanako! Our cover's blown. We need to get out of here!'

'Incoming! They're close!' I tried to keep from jolting.

'Already? Spider!'

'Hai!'

We jumped up on the ceiling, crawling away from each other. Watching and waiting.

Not two seconds later three ninja with masks on rushed the chamber. 'Chakra says jounin.'

'Smell says one is a Hyuuga!'

'Pounce!' I threw down smoke bombs. Poisonous ones.

"Fang over Fang!" We drilled our way through the exit, ramming against a bulky ninja with a hammer to get through. Once we got to our feet we sped our way out, scent and sound masking all but abandoned.

'We can't go back through the training area! We'll be surrounded!' Hanako said.

'Take us through a detour then!' She rushed ahead of me, going at top speed. Four Legs was already running.

Suddenly, a shadow lashed out at us, just barely missing us. We passed through another large room.

'Even more ninja ahead!'

I sensed their chakra. There were dozens! All over the place! How many does this place have?! 'How far till the exit?'

'Two more rooms!'

'Gumyouchou!'

""Inuzuka Style: Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double Headed Wolf!""

I fused with Hanako, purposefully blasting the chakra smoke in all directions.

We became bigger, stronger. Bright orange fur was on display for everyone to see. Our form just narrowly fitting inside the hallway. Our claws itched to tear at flesh, and our jaws ached with the longing for cracking bones.

The Nara from before took hold of our shadow.

"Fang Wolf Fang!" We broke out and through the next room, tearing the ground beneath us apart. The ninja fled from our tornado.

'We'll make it!'

"Doton: Taijuu Douryuuheki!"

A great many walls of earth rammed against us, flailing chunks of rock in every direction.

Our rotation stopped.

Two shadows steeped low across our feet, entangling us. Binding us.

'No. No! We have to get out of here!'

Our chakra stirred, twisting and rotating. We could still—

"Earth Release: Lithic Press."

"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Cave."

Giant earth pillars slammed against us, boxing us in. Then a strong water wave struck us, breaking our transformation.

I couldn't breathe! The shadows had transformed into hands, wrapping around my throat. I couldn't see Hanako! Where's Hanako?!

My vision was going, darkening by the second. I couldn't see! They had blocked my nose! I couldn't smell! My hearing—

"Wait!" My senses abruptly came back. The shadow hand along my throat eased up.

It was a genjutsu. Hanako was right next to me, in the same position I was. Squeezed up against earth pillars, with several layers of shadow restricting her movement. Her fur was wet, as were my clothes.

Someone came up to me, taking off my mask. It was Nobuyuki.

"Ah, of course. Logical conclusion would merit that you accompany your partner, wouldn't it?" He said, his every word laced with a drop of forced humility. He's not in charge. He never has been. "Danzou-sama. I believe we would warrant more suspicion than necessary were she to go missing at this moment."

A man stepped into my line of view. He had a cane, and an x-shaped scar on his chin. Unassuming, almost harmless. He walked through the throng of ninja as if just taking a midnight stroll. I recognized him. Why would an advisor to the Hokage run this place? "And what would you suggest we do, then? She is a liability."

Nobuyuki ambled off to the side, to the ninja with the hammer we struck on the way out. "Do you know of the symptoms of Separation, Danzou-sama?"

NO. NO. NO. NO. "NOOO!" The hands came back, constricting around my mouth and throat. All my protests were drowned in the shadows. I shivered.

I can't let them do this! Hanako!

"From her reaction, I am assuming you are referring to the separation of the bond between an Inuzuka and their partner?" Nobuyuki indicated towards the ninja to follow him.

His frame was bulky, his mask of a boar. I could hear his breathing. Feel how unnaturally slow his pulse was, as if he wasn't even alive. He ran chakra through his hammer, bulging in size. It grew spikes that ran across the entire surface but the handle. They lit ablaze.

"Yes, Danzou-sama. Possible symptoms of Separation include depression, anxiety, fainting, muteness, heart attacks, and suicide. In essence they become mentally crippled. My interest, however, lies with the muteness aspect."

Please! Please No! I tried to reach out through my link, but they blocked my chakra. I couldn't talk to her. I couldn't even see all of her. They wouldn't turn my head.

He considered. "It is risky. It is also the best plan we have, currently."

They can't do this! They can't do this!

"Very well. Proceed."

NOO!

The man walked up to her, and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even see her! Look her in the eyes!

PLEASE! NO! YOU CAN'T! PLEASE!!

The hammer struck down.

Tsume P.O.V.

"And you didn't think to tell me this? We're at the gates, Tsume!" Dad shouted. It's been awhile since I've heard him shout. Used to happen all the time. Tsume do this, Tsume don't do that. Tsume don't eat that. Didn't miss it.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I just didn't want to worry you at the time. But it's different now. I thought I could tell you when you were both together, but mom is still on her mission, and it's concerning me. She should have been back two hours ago. We can't wait much longer. So, I thought I'd tell you now."

He sighed. "That's not the point, Tsume. You could have told any one of us yesterday. I'm leaving today. What is the point in telling me now?"

I shrugged. "Just thought you should know. I'm pregnant. Yeeh."

Dad pinched his nose. "Any word from Shizuka?"

"Nothing yet."

"Have you talked to Haruo about this?"

"Yes. He's very excited. Oh look, here he comes." Haruo rushed into the conversation, pushing out a few other people in the way, saying goodbye to their loved ones. Insensitive cunt.

He put his arm around me, and I instantly felt ten times worse. Memories of the past few weeks flashed through my brain.

'Tsume. You can do this. You've overcome much worse. You're the strongest Inuzuka around, remember? You can do this.' Kuromaru encouraged me from beside me.

'Thanks. I just have to see him one last time. Then I'll have months and months without him.'

"What is up, my wifey difey! Hisao-san!"

'One last time. One last time. One last time!'

"I'm fine. You have your stuff ready for the trip?" I asked, hoping I sounded civil.

"Oh yeah! I am so ready to get back out there and kick some Rocky ass! WHOOOO!" His partner (whose name I honestly can't remember for the life of me) howled along with him.

'How in all of the Elemental Nations did he survive the last war?' Kuromaru asked, his bafflement showing on his face.

'I ask myself the same question every single day.'

Even dad couldn't hold himself back from showing visible discomfort. It's like he's every Inuzuka stereotype in one. Disgusting.

I can do this. I can do this. Dad recovered earlier than me. He coughed to get his attention.

"Woh?" They stopped howling, thank the First.

"Tsume just told me the joyous news that she is with child!"

"Oh yes! Isn't it great?! We've been putting in a lot of effort these past few weeks if you know what I'm saying!" ….my only saving grace is that he didn't do any thrusting motions to go with it.

"That's.." Dad tried. I'm gonna need to take a multiple bath course again. My skin is still raw from the last fourteen times. Doesn't mean I can't do it again.

'Just one last time.' You know it.

"Oh right! I wanted to talk about that with her if you don't mind, Hisao-san." The disrespect. Dad stood there for awhile, contemplating if he was serious, then left. Presumably to go look for Aomaru.

"So. Wifey." He turned me around.

"Can you not call me that?" He didn't blink. Didn't pause.

"I'mma need your help. You see, I don't know for how long I'll be out there. You might have popped out the baby before I'm even back! And I know our greatest ever kennels! usually take care of them for that exact reason, but still. I want you to look out for them. Make sure they're safe and happy. And, you know. Ballin." He said, with the strongest sincerity I've heard from him.

Why do you care?! Is what I wanted to say. But I knew that even someone like Haruo would want to see that their offspring are well taken care of.

"Do you even have to ask? I'll be there for them. With, or without you." To be honest I had been avoiding thinking about what I would actually do about the child. But, now that I'm hearing it from him..

Maybe I'm just confused. I'm definitely confused.

He grinned. A big one. "Thanks, wifey. I'll be going now. Wish me luck!" He hugged me.

And then left.

'I don't know what to think about that.'

'Ditto.'

"He's gone? Good. Can't stand his smell. It's like burnt fur." Aomaru, along with Dad came behind us.

"He's a fire style user. He's not exactly careful though." Kuromaru remarked.

"Ha! That explains it. I'm smelling idiot!" Aomaru said. They laughed.

A horn sounded out. Last warning. "I guess this is it, huh?" Dad asked. "I just wish I could see her face just one last time." He stared out into the distance. "Tsume. In my absence Nobuyuki will most likely go in for the kill. Make sure you and Arata are safe when it happens."

That. That irked me. "You don't believe I could hold down the fort?"

He looked at me. Really looked at me. "I care more for your safety than I do for which hands the clan eventually ends up in. That's why I did all that I did. For you two. No one else. Always remember that."

He hugged me. It was different from Haruo's. More tender, less secure. And longing.

"Come back alive."

He just smiled. We both knew how it was out there. If he came back, he would come back irreparably injured, or worse.

And there wasn't anything any one of us could do about it.

"Same goes for you, Aomaru." Kuromaru barked out.

"Shut up, boy." Kuromaru sniggered.

They headed out.

'I've been watching people leave a lot lately.'

'Yeah.'

The congregation cleared the square, organizing into squadrons, and jumping out into the trees. Onlookers waved or shouted goodbye. Some raised signs. From the rooftops. From below. Inside shops, inside trees. And then they left.

It's started.

HHHHHHHHHHHGGNNNNGNGNGNGHHGHHH!

Fuck. Kuromaru twitched his ears. 'We need to go. That was Shizuka's alarm just now.'

We Body-Flickered back to the clan, as fast as we could. Entering the kennels there were no children playing outside. There were seals around the doors and windows that weren't there before, lighting up bright green.

I spotted Shizuka's smell in the room next to Nobuyuki's office. And mom's.

I slammed the door open. Mom was laying on a futon, uninjured. Wet, from water presumably, but uninjured.

"Oh thank kami you're here! They intercepted my first message so I had to make another one that had a different control, and that took a while and I didn't wanna leave her here! She hasn't responded to anything in over an hour! She hasn't drank or eaten anything I put in front of her and I don't know how—"

"Where's Hanako?" I couldn't see her. Couldn't smell her.

"Tsume-sama, she's showing signs of—"

"Where's Hanako!?" Shizuka's expression was pinched. Tightly.

'Tsume..' Kuromaru echoed in my head.

"She's been Separated."

There's no way. There's no way Hanako of all people could..

"I'm sorry." She said. Kuromaru sat down, slowly.

Ho—How!? Hanako's—I can't accept this! "NOBUYUKI! He's done this! Where is he?!"

I made for the door. "Tsume!" Kuromaru blocked my path, his posture ready to fight. "Think things through! The moment you attack him, we'll be kissing Headship goodbye."

"He can't just get away with this!"

"At this point, he really can. He has the majority in the council already. Anyone else was loyal to Hisao, not you. He'll take every opportunity he can to get a vote of 'no confidence.'"

"That has no legal teeth."

"They are the legal teeth."

"So what? We do nothing?! I'm tired of doing nothing! Doing nothing is what got us in this position in the first place! It's time we start hitting back. We can't sit here with our bellies exposed, waiting for him to come strike us. It's time we do something."

I'm tired. Tired of not being able to do anything.

"Then what'll we do? We need a plan." Shizuka asked, finally gathering enough courage to speak.

"Don't worry. We'll think of one."

It's time we start taking some action.

A/N Hoooo boy. Lots of stuff happening. Lots of drama. Don't know if it's gonna come down anytime soon. Next chapter will be a bit of a break, but the climax is near. Get ready.

Minor revisions on 12/6/2021.