Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Lost Soul ❯ The Snake's Deceptions ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and not me. I only own the ideas that are driving this fan fic.

 

A Note from Katana Haibane: I'd like to thank everyone who had reviewed my fic. To those of you who are enjoying reading it but haven't reviewed, well thanks for your interest in reading it (although I wish you'd tell me why you did/didn't like it).

 

I need to ask everyone who is reading my fic what they would prefer to see:

a) My hybrid technique names

b) Straight English technique names

c) Straight Japanese technique names

 

It's easiest for me to do either a) or b), but if you guys really want to see the techniques in Japanese I'll do my best to translate them. If I cannot translate them well at all, I will put them in full English (unless you want me to stick with the hybrid names).

 

Also I will be talking about genetic code in this chapter. Not in detail, but enough that there are a few things I should explain for those who have had no idea what exactly DNA consists. DNA is basically made up of amino acids strung together in patters. There are only 4 amino acids: adenine (A), cytosine(C), guanine (G), and thymine (T) and they form together into base pairs. Adenine can only pair with thymine and cytosine can only pair with guanine. The only pairs then are T+A, A+T, C+G, G+C. It is important to understand that the four pairs I just mentioned are completely different from each other due to how they connect together, meaning that T+A is not the same thing as A+T. Their polarity is reversed therefore making it an entirely different base pairs. If you know what patterns are needed and the polarity etc. it is theoretically possible to create any form of life if given the proper environment. Viruses would theoretically be the easiest as they are essentially DNA or RNA (like DNA only single stranded and with uracil replacing thymine) in a protein shell.

 

Chapter 7: The Snake's Deceptions

 

Yakubyougami's Lab

 

Peering through a microscope at the developmental stage of his newest viral creation, Yakubyougami could feel his frustrations building, distracting him from his work. Mikomi was still out of his reach as long as she remained within Orochimaru's complex. Even if she left with Sasuke once again there was no way for him to track her down once again because the Akatsuki refused to allow him free reign on his activities. His position as an advisor to the host of Shukaku was too important to the Akatsuki, as he was to be their first target when they finally began to collect the tailed beasts.

 

Yakubyougami injected the virus he was working on into one of the mice he kept as test subject to see its effects. The mouse quickly began to look as if it was being paralyzed as it soon lost all movement in its arms and legs. None of the mice seemed to be contracting it through contact or by aerial transmission. He gave a sigh when he realized that the mouse was no longer alive, `I guess the virus paralyzes the lungs and/or heart as well. The ability to remain localized in a single subject appears to have been met along with having an adequate infection speed. The subject died before if I could determine whether or not the paralysis was temporary as intended.

 

After incinerating the dead mouse Yakubyougami picked up the vial that held his developing virus. Closing his eyes he began to concentrate. The vial began to glow a sickly black as Yakubyougami drifted back into his mind, the DNA structure of his virus being fed to his mind by his bloodline limit. His mind instinctively zeroed in on the sections that controlled what bodily function were shut down by the virus and began to examine the pattern he had devised for the nucleic acids to deliver the proper effects. For the next several minutes, Yakubyougami fiddled with the different combinations of adenine and thymine pairs, reversing the polarity of some section and removing others. At the same time he worked the cytosine and guanine pairs into better configurations to get his desired results. When he was satisfied his mind came back to reality.

 

Yakubyougami's bloodline limit was named Tekigougan - the adaptable eye. The incredible insight into the human genome not to mention genetic construction in general that was delivered to his mind via his Tekigougan was incredible, as was the ability to manipulate his own DNA along with the basic proteins. To create his viruses in the first place all that he really needed was some of his own blood which he simply broke down into the barest genetic pieces and then restructured them in whatever way he wanted and encapsulated them in a protein shell. Theoretically his Tekigougan could give him access to every bloodline limit in existence if he could work out the genetic code that gave them it in the first place. He had yet to successfully copy another person's bloodline limit. But it was still possible. He just had to figure out the secret to the change occurring to his eyes when he activated his bloodline limit.

 

Injecting his created virus into another mouse Yakubyougami observed with satisfaction that the mouse became paralyzed, but only the motor functions were stopped. It was still alive and breathing. Now all he had to do was wait to see if the mouse regained its motor control over the next few days and if it did, he had a brand new weapon to simply render an opponent immobile allowing for easy capture. Yakubyougami wasn't entirely satisfied, `The problem with the viruses I've created to date is that they can be easily broken down and destroyed if a person overwhelms them with a large enough surge of chakra. I wish I could figure out a way to be able to overcome that flaw they have.'

 

The room Yakubyougami was in suddenly went completely black.

 

“I'm disappointed in you Yaku,” came voice that was very familiar to Yakubyougami, “I expected you to be able to think things through a little more considering the fascinating viruses that you can create.”

 

Yakubyougami quickly jammed the stopper in his pocket onto the top of the virus vial he was carrying and reached for his sword. He grabbed air. Pain shot through him as he felt a punch slam into his stomach and send him flying away from his lab station. He quickly caught himself and began to Hyper Step for the stairs leading up to the main floor. “Too slow,” the same voice said again as he was sent crashing into his wash station from a kick to his face.

 

When the lights flickered back on three figures were revealed to be standing in various locations around Yakubyougami Lab. Itachi, Kisame and the shrouded figure of his boss, the leader of the Akatsuki were revealed.

 

“When did I ever give you permission to leave your post here in the Village Hidden in Sand Yakubyougami? Hmm? Refresh my memory if you will.”

 

Yakubyougami couldn't help but give a defeated sigh, “Never.”

 

The Akatsuki Leader walked closer to him, “Then why would you leave? You went against my direct orders which were to use this post as a way to control the actions of Sand to an extent along with acting as a base for Deidara to use during his search for the various Jinchurikis assigned to be located by the pair of you. You even impressed me enough when you entered my organization for me to give you the concession to search for that girl that you were after, even going so far as to tell everyone else that they had to keep an eye and ear open for her. And then you pull a boneheaded stunt like running half cocked into Grass before we even decided to make a move on the Jinchuriki there.”

 

Flinching slightly, Yakubyougami was unable to give any reply to his Leader for a moment, “Because I wanted to try and pick her up before we made our move on the Jinchurikis and avoid being distracted from my objectives. Yeah, I know, it's no excuse and I'm not asking for one. So what are you going to do about it?”

 

For a moment everyone present could have sworn that their Leader had actually laughed, “Nothing this time. You were lucky Yaku. Rock's annexation of Grass overshadowed any precedence to a member of Akatsuki showing up in the village. It's been taken as fear mongering, trying to blame the actions of Rock on another source. I warn you though Yakubyougami. Ever disobey my orders again and I will destroy you. You will not act on any information regarding the girl that you are looking for unless you physically come across her in the middle of your work.”

 

Yakubyougami had to grip the edge of his wash station's table to prevent himself from damaging something or someone in the room. He was gritting his teeth so hard that his jaw was hurting from the pressure that he was applying to them. “Fine, Sir,” Yakubyougami growled.

 

There was a sharp cracking sound as Yakubyougami suddenly appeared embedded in the wall beside his head. Not even flinching at the sudden reappearance of his sword, Yakubyougami reached up, yanked it out of the wall, and slung it across his back. He began to turn back to his work when Kisame blocked his path.

 

“Itachi-san wants a word with ya,” Kisame said, jerking his thumb in the direction of Itachi.

 

“I have a recommendation for you Yakubyougami. Drop the search for that girl. She is useless to us as she isn't even a Jinchuriki. Don't limit the container of your being by chasing such a useless attachment, whatever your reasons may be.” Yakubyougami scowled at Itachi trying to stare him down, “Seek power, not people. People are pointless to attach yourself to unless they can provide you with power, and even then they only serve their uses while they have something to teach you. You are pathetic Yakubyougami; I don't even need a reason to kill you beyond wishing to test myself against someone who might challenge me for a few seconds.”

 

Yakubyougami snapped. As he spun towards Itachi, Itachi flared his Sharingan to life. Yakubyougami had immediately Hyper Stepped in a charge at Itachi, moving fast enough that even with the Sharingan the punch landed. Rolling with it, Itachi flipped away and launched himself off the wall towards the stairwell. Roaring in anger, Yakubyougami appeared right in front of Itachi and flung five of his senbon right into Itachi's face.

 

The senbon never got that far as another arm slammed a crater into the wall between the two of them, the senbon sticking out of the arm. Yakubyougami was astonished to see that it was his Leader who had blocked the senbon, and then horrified when there was a burst of chakra that ejected the senbon from his arm, destroying the virus in the process.

 

“Enough Itachi. Return to your own post in Fire Country.”

 

Yakubyougami felt himself slump to the ground as the three other Akatsuki members left. Even he realized how close he had come to dying there. An experience he never wanted to repeat again.

 

Konoha Village - Hokage Tower

 

When the Chuunin Exams came around every six months it was rare for more than one other Kage to show up for the event. Even when relations were starting to become strained between two of the major villages a Kage from one of the villages not involved would normally send a mediator to help with the negotiations. However, four Kages were gathered in Konoha today: the Hokage, the Mizukage, the Raikage and the Kazekage. It was an event that would not go unnoticed by anyone.

 

“I thank all of you for coming to meet with me today,” Tsunade began as she looked across the table at the three other Kages and their assistants, “The situation that has occurred as of late has put us all on edge.”

 

No one disagreed with Tsunade on that issue. Any village performing a major military maneuver tended to set everyone else on edge fearing that another Great Shinobi War could erupt again. This put a tremendous amount of strain that was on the tentative peace between the nations that had lasted for almost three decades. Now the Village Hidden in Rocks had decided to annex the Village Hidden in Grass.

 

“The Tsuchikage seems to have become as ambitions as that idiot from thirty years ago,” Tatsumaki, the Raikage said, “I have no idea why he would make such an aggressive move without provocation, not to mention without any allies to support his decision.”

 

“Did you miss the report that described the massive hole in the west wall?” Kiriken, the Mizukage asked, “The fact that it was apparently a single explosive device makes me wonder what other kinds of weapons they've got hidden away.”

 

“They have access to minerals and metal deposits that are far greater than those of most of the other villages. Weapons manufacturing has always been a major industry for the Village Hidden in Rock along with ore exportation.” Tatsumaki arched his hands together as he continued, “We have maintained respectful resource trade for the last two decades. Being a mountainous region has given us a similar advantage in terms of resources and we trade for minerals that we have been lacking. Having developed a mineral based explosive isn't out of the question.”

 

Kiriken gave a disgusted snort, “Bah, everyone knows that the experimentation with `black powder' that was preformed by the first Kazekage proved that mineral explosives weren't as deadly as the seals for explosive notes. That explosion was far too clean to have been a chemical reaction.”

 

“It would take an exceptionally talented seals expert to be able to create a device that can produce that large an explosion. The Rock may have found another explosive substitute for `black powder.'”

 

“Okay then, give me an example of what could possibly be substituted for black powder.”

 

“I don't need to give an example. I only suggested that it was a possibility. Just because the Mist decided to halt all experimentation on chemical explosives does not meant that the Cloud halted their research.”

 

“So you haven't figured out a substitute for it then?”

 

“Even if we have I wouldn't just tell another village without a fair and proper trade would I?”

 

Gaara calmly rapped the table to get everyone's attention, “Don't jump to conclusions.” Holding out his hand, Juuboku handed him copies of his Anbu report on the incident. He passed them out to the other Kages.

 

Tsunade tried to keep her temper under control as she picked up the report that Gaara had given her, “The Kazekage brings up a good point. Besides your fighting is pointless and is getting us nowhere. Konoha already know about your development of chemical explosives in your village Tatsumaki as I believe that you were the one who created an innovation based off of the nitroglycerine formula that our village developed in the first place.”

 

Tsunade gave a nod to Hinata beside her, “The Leaf would like to share its own report as well.”

Hinata began passing the copies of their own report to the other Kages and their assistants as well.

 

Tsunade flipped through Gaara's report with Hinata hovering over her shoulder, `Alright. Rock took over Grass with minimal casualties yada, yada, yada…a single explosive device was the cause of the majority of the casualties among Grass Nins along with to the wall…Surrender was unconditional once the surviving Grass Nins discovered that their leaders Muteki Bara and Fuhen Fuji were dead…a Sound Nin was discovered conversing with the Tsuchikage and refusing to give the schematics for the bomb that was used in the attack to the Tsuchikage.'

 

“WHAT?” Kiriken and Tatsumaki exclaimed at the same time. The shock was plain on their faces as they read the report. The discovery that the Village Hidden in Rocks had allied with the Village Hidden in Sound was very surprising. Even more so was the discovery that the explosive device had apparently been developed by the Sound.

 

Tatsumaki paled slightly, “So Mosa Hogosha had an ally all along. I guess my Anbu forces really failed me this time if the missed the alliance between the Sound and the Rock.”

 

Tsunade sighed as Hinata tapped her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Um, Tsunade-sensei, could I perhaps say a few words?” Tsunade nodded and gave Hinata the floor.

 

Hinata stood up and looked towards the Raikage and Mizukage, “Raikage-sama, Mizukage-sama, I do not believe that your Anbu necessarily failed you in your mission. Both Konoha and Suna have been extremely wary of the Sound and Orochimaru-san ever since the attack on Konoha and the Kazekage's death two and a half years ago. We look for the Sound's connection to any unusual event because we believe that Orochimaru still wishes to make another move on Konoha. If you look at our Anbu report you will see that we discovered even more than Suna did.”

 

As the three other Kages opened the Konoha report Tsunade began to explain what they had been able to glean from the aftermath of the Rock's invasion of Grass, “Roughly four months ago one of the Anbu teams that we had sent out to keep watch over the movements of the more important members of Sound disappeared. Initially we had assumed that they had simply been discovered and killed by members of the Sound until they attempted to feed false information to our village by assuming the identities of two of the fallen members. They claimed that the Sound had allied with the Mist.”

 

Kiriken's face darkened immediately, “We never have had any sort of militaristic alliance with the Sound. Hell, we hardly have any trade agreements with them in the first place outside some of their basic products.”

 

“I know Kiriken-san, because we had to confirm whether the information they gave us had any element of truth to it. I admit to having a team watching your village closely for a number of weeks to determine. I'm sorry,” Tsunade said as she slumped back slightly in her chair.

 

“You should know,” Kiriken began his voice laced with anger, “That such an action can be considered an act of war Tsunade-san. If you were worried about such an alliance you should have sent a diplomat to our gates and asked us directly. I'm tempted to walk out of this meeting right now because of that.”

 

“Would you have told us you were allied with the Sound, especially if it was an alliance to attack Konoha?” Tsunade asked, giving Kiriken a very hard stair. “No of course you wouldn't have. At least I did the courteous thing and told you that I had sent a team to investigate your village. I could have left you in the dark completely and you would have walked away none the wiser.”

 

Kiriken's anger slowly drained away as he heaved a sigh, “You're right Tsunade-san. If we were in your situation would have done the same. Continue on with what you had been saying.”

 

“As I said before, we investigated the Mist. Realizing that it truly was false information we began to examine the other countries to see if anything was amiss. We came across the situation between grass and Rock about one month ago. The reports seemed to be nothing but tension between the two nations with the odd boarder skirmish occurring between the two nations. I kept a team stationed near the Village Hidden in Grass to keep a watch of the situation and determine if it was getting out of hand. Then, the day before the takeover, my Anbu team spotted Kabuto entering Grass.” Tsunade gave a pause, “To be more exact, he was let in by the female captain of the Grass Anbu.”

 

Surprise was evident on the faces of everyone besides Hinata and Tsunade. They had not expected to hear that someone as highly promoted and loyal to the Village Hidden in Grass could have turned traitor and helped the Rock take them over.

 

“To be able to subvert someone as high ranking as Fuhen Fuji…” Gaara said slowly, “Do you happen to know when she became the Captain of the Anbu?”

 

“Some time around three months ago,” Tsunade said, catching onto Gaara's meaning, “Which would mean that she was either converted to Rock or Sound at that point, or else someone had taken her identity.”

 

“Not many people are able to perform a Henge that strong for that long Tsunade-san,” Tatsumaki said. “Subversion seems to be more likely.”

 

“Subversion does seem likely, however, simply taking another's identity isn't that far off either.” Tsunade leaned forwards and clasped her hands in front of her, “Orochimaru had developed a jutsu which allows for a person to literally take the face of another person, along with their physical features. That isn't the reason we believe that Fuhen was replace though. One of our Anbu members was able to get a good look at Muteki Bara at the end of the invasion when he was surrounded by Rock Nins. He literally pulled off his face and revealed that it was Uchiha Sasuke and not Bara at all. Fuhen was not seen, but we suspect that she was replaced as well. We are not sure when Bara and Fuji were replaced. Uchiha Sasuke could have been acting as Muteki-san as early as three months ago when Fuhen was replaced. We do know that on the day of the invasion Uchiha Sasuke and his partner organized the forces of the Grass to be highly concentrated in the area of the explosion. Add the fact that Kabuto was let into the village carrying something and their downfall the next day and the replacement theory falls into place.”

 

Silence spread across the table for a couple of minutes as the other Kages absorbed this information.

 

Kiriken spoke, breaking the silence, “You said that you know Orochimaru developed a jutsu that allows for whoever uses it to take the face of the one it's used on. How would you know about the creation of such a jutsu?

 

“Because Orochimaru's men used that jutsu during a failed attempt to assassinate me,” Tsunade said blandly, “And also because miss Hyuuga-san was present during the attempt to feed Konoha false information. She saw through the disguise and can tell you first hand how effective the disguise is.”

 

Hinata stood once again and cleared her throat, “Ahm, well, the disguise is a perfect one unless you possess a bloodline such as the Byakugan or Sharingan. When I went to try and discover whether or not they had preformed a Henge or not the only indication that they had initially was a faint colouring on their bodies that looked like chakra. When I looked through the disguise there is only an instant where I could see the people themselves.”

 

“Such a technique is very troubling to go up against,” Gaara said, “Have you been able to figure out any way other than the Byakugan of identifying when a person is using the technique?”

 

“No. We've only come across this technique twice and only once did we ever witness the technique first hand. All that we can really work with is what we've seen. The most that I could suggest is that you set up a seal around the doorframe to your office that can sense chakra spread around the whole body. It may only work for a normal Henge, but it's worth a shot.”

 

The next little while was filled with wild ideas of how to combat Orochimaru's new Henge. Everything from a mandatory face pulling to a chakra signature databank was discussed. The data collected from the bodies examined by Konoha's research teams was presented but even then little else could be found to have a realistic possibility of identifying a person using the jutsu besides the seal that Tsunade had suggested earlier.

 

“Perhaps we should talk about the possibility of a stronger unification between our four nations,” Gaara said as everyone started to settle down again, “With the Rock having unified with the ambitious Orochimaru it's only a matter of time before another village is attacked.”

 

Tatsumaki gave a snort, “You mean before Konoha gets attacked correct? If I remember correctly Orochimaru wanted to take control of, or destroy Konoha. No where else is being targeted.”

 

Tsunade gave Tatsumaki a cold glare, “And what happens if Orochimaru decides that he wants even more power for himself? Everyone here has already admitted to knowing how ambitious the man is so what will stop him from desiring more after he has taken down Konoha? Suna? Kumo? Mizu? Iwa? Nothing if we don't have some sort of steady alliance with each other.”

 

“Suna will continue to support the alliance that we've made with Konoha. This is highly beneficial for the both of us. I would like to extend that same hand of alliance to both Mizu and Kumo.”

 

Tsunade nodded her head in agreement with Gaara, “Konoha also would like to offer an extended alliance with Kumo and Mizu.”

 

“Orochimaru isn't the threat here,” Kiriken said waving his hand in front of his face, “It is Mosa Hogosha and the Village Hidden in Rocks. One infiltration jutsu isn't going to allow him to take control of every other village. It's not a viable option to use the same technique over and over again without someone eventually finding a counter to the technique. Rock, however, has rebuilt its forces to the same size and strength as they were before the Great Shinobi War.”

 

“You underestimate the cunningness that Orochimaru possesses,” Gaara stared straight into Kiriken's eyes, “After all, he was able to take the place of the previous Kazekage. Without using the face replication technique. Had he not been using Suna to target Konoha in the first place the chances are he could have taken over our much larger nation with his own.”

 

“That incident was because of the weakness of your previous Kazekage,” Kiriken bit out.

 

Tsunade's frustration had finally reached a breaking point as she slammed her hands down onto the table making cracks lance through it. “You shouldn't underestimate Orochimaru like that,” Tsunade yelled, “He is one hell of a powerful bastard! I was a teammate to that asshole for years and I know first hand what he can do and knowing him he has only gotten stronger! I'm surprised how little you think of the man who earned the title of a legendary ninja!”

 

Slumping back down into her seat, Tsunade began to massage her temples, “He was also a member of the Akatsuki at one point in time. Kiriken-san, Tatsumaki-san, do either of you know anything about that organization?”

 

Kiriken and Tatsumaki gave a startled look towards Tsunade for a moment before Kiriken spoke, “Well, besides the fact that Hoshigaki Kisame, the original leader of the Seven Shinobi Swordsman had joined an organization by that name, I don't know anything about the Akatsuki.”

 

“I'm afraid all I've heard are rumors about the Akatsuki,” Tatsumaki said, “I don't even know what they are besides an organization that is apparently made up of nine S-class Missing Nins.”

 

“The Akatsuki is an organization that you should be taking very seriously,” Tsunade frowned, “Especially if you happen to have any Jinchuriki living in your villages.”

 

Kiriken and Tatsumaki stared wide eyed at Tsunade for a moment before adopting a neutral expression. They both had the same thoughts running through their mind, `How in the world did she discover the existence of a Jinchuriki in my village?'

 

“Admittedly, even we don't know much about the Akatsuki beyond a few of their members as well as one of their overall goals. But this much has been clear to us: the Akatsuki are after all nine of the Jinchurikis who are acting as the vessels for the nine different tailed Bijuu. What they intend to do with the nine of them is unclear although we suspect that they are seeking them to gain the power of the demons that are sealed into their bodies. I have no doubt that you have encountered one such Jinchuriki in your village, or at least are privy to the knowledge of where one happens to live. I would recommend letting them know so as to let them be on guard for any attacks to their person from Akatsuki.”

 

Tatsumaki was rather hesitant as he asked his question, “How…would we be able to…recognize who happens to be a member of Akatsuki?”

 

“The easiest way is by the style of the robes they wear: black with red clouds scattered across them. Beyond that the only other common feature of the Akatsuki is a signet ring they all wear.”

 

Tsunade sat up again, “In any case we're drifting off topic. I would like to be able to secure an alliance - even if only temporary - with both of your villages Tatsumaki-san and Kiriken-san. At least until this crisis is over.”

 

Kiriken nodded slowly as he sat back considering Tsunade's offer when Juuboku spoke up, “Mizukage-sama and Raikage-sama I would ask that you at least strike up and alliance with Konoha until the next Chuunin exams take place as they are scheduled to be in Konoha in six months. You will be able to keep close ties with Konoha and further ensure the protection of your participants during the exam. If you really feel the need to be entirely separated from the other Shinobi Nations after the exams then you should be given ever chance to do so.”

 

“That seems reasonable enough,” Tatsumaki said.

 

“Fine, fine, we'll sign a damn alliance agreement until after the Chuunin exams,” Kiriken grumbled, “but I want to be damn sure that everyone here is willing to come to the aid of another nation should they be attacked.”

 

Hokage's Office - The Next Day

 

Hinata staggered into Tsunade's office carrying a mountain of paperwork for her to complete and noticed that something was amiss as she was looking through the stack of paper in front of her with her Byakugan. Tsunade was just sitting there. She wasn't sleeping, or drinking, or even doing paperwork for a change. She was just sitting at her desk, reading a letter. Curiosity got the better of her as she took a look at the letter as she set down the stack of papers on her Sensei's desk.

 

“Curiosity killed the cat Hinata,” Tsunade said without even looking up towards the now embarrassed girl, “You've been using the Byakugan around me so often lately that I've picked up on the telltale change in your chakra signature that signifies your use of it. Just ask if you want to know what I'm reading.”

 

“I'm sorry Tsunade-sensei,” Hinata said with a bow, “but you were looking so down that I couldn't help but wonder what was going on.”

 

Lacing her fingers together Tsunade gave a serious look at Hinata, “You've been doing an excellent job as both my secretary and my pupil Hinata, but there is one more situation that you are going to have to learn about. It seems that the Rice Country Daimyo is blaming Konoha for the murder of the man that we were hired to protect in the first place.” Hinata looked shocked as Tsunade continued, “I'm going to need to have you round up two people for me besides yourself for this meeting: Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura. Please get them as fast as possible as the Daimyo wants to confront me personally about this serious matter and he is supposed to arrive sometime in the next couple of hours and I need to brief you all on the situation.”

 

Hinata began to rush out of the office, “I'll do that right away Tsunade-sensei.”

 

Hinata bolted down the stairs and headed straight over to the hospital where Sakura was currently engaged in advanced practice with Shizune for the day. The rooftops were her highway as she hurried on her way.

 

A familiar bark boomed out behind her and she activated her Byakugan to watch Kiba leap up to meet her. “OI, HINATA! What's the rush? You get called in to help at the hospital for an emergency or something?”

 

“No Kiba-kun,” Hinata called over her shoulder, “I was instructed by Tsunade-sensei to go and find Sakura-chan and Kakashi-san right away. It's an emergency so could you do me the favour of finding Kakashi-san for me?”

 

Kiba gave a grin from his perch atop the even bigger Akamaru, “Sure thing Hinata-chan! I'll race ya to see who finds `em first!” With that Kiba peeled off in the direction of Kakashi's apartment while Hinata continued on her way.

 

Bursting through the doors of Konoha Hospital Hinata gasped in horror as she felt the door smack straight into someone dressed in green and sent them flying across the lobby. As she finally entered into the lobby she realized that she had just knocked Rock Lee across the entire length of the corridor in her rush, “Lee-kun! I'm so sorry!” Hinata came rushing over to the dazed Lee and immediately began to heal his bloody nose with one of her healing techniques she had learned from her time with Tsunade as she allowed him to continue hold his slightly bloody nose.

 

After she had been healing Lee for only a few moments he suddenly leapt back up onto his feet still holding his nose, “YOTH! THE FITHER OF OUTH BURTHNS STRUNG UN YOU HINA'A!” With that he flashed her thumbs-up as she tried to finish healing his nose. Finally clearing his nasal passages of blood Lee didn't give Hinata a chance to speak, “SUCH SPEED AND ENTHUSIASM FOR YOUR WORK HER IS TRULY ADMIRABLE!”

 

Blushing furiously in embarrassment at Lee's eardrum pounding words she finally got to speak, “Um, Lee-kun, I need to see Sakura-chan right away. Do you know where she is? It's an emergency.”

 

Lee lost none of his energy as he began to blush at Sakura's name but he did lower his voice, “I know where she is Hinata-chan. I just came from seeing her. She is making the rounds with Shizune and is practicing treating some of the more complex injuries today. She's on the forth floor.” To Hinata's shock Lee suddenly grabbed her arm and began shouting again, “YOSH! I'LL TAKE YOU TO HER MYSELF!”

 

Lee began to streak up the stairs dragging a stumbling Hinata behind him as the secretary shook her head. `That guy never changes. Always is coming here to see Sakura and always nearly destroying the eardrums of everyone in sight. Thank Kami he no longer shouts on any floor but the bottom one.' She shuddered slightly, `And that Guy-san isn't around. Last time they did one of their `performances' one of our patients had a relapse of his heart attack.'

 

Lee skidded to a stop in front of the doors to the Children's Ward and caught Hinata before she went headlong through the doors. Lee was actually speaking in a normal voice this time as he explained where Sakura was, “Hinata, Sakura-chan is rechecking the medication dosage for the children today. Be quite as there is a child inside with a severe ear infection. I spoke to loud earlier and was put through a window for my efforts to visit Sakura-chan. I had to foot the bill too.”

 

Hinata tried to suppress a giggle at the despondent look Lee gave her when he mentioned the window incident. Pushing the door open quietly Hinata activated her Byakugan to find Sakura at the far end of the ward putting ear drops in a young boy's. Instinctively zeroing in on the boy's ear passage she winced at the swelling that was occurring there. Hinata quietly walked up behind Sakura and tapped her shoulder, “Excuse me Sakura; Tsunade-sensei wants me to bring you to her.”

 

Sakura gave her a slight nod, “Sure, once I finish putting these drops in. Oh hey, would you mind reducing the swelling for him a bit? You're the best at actually pinpointing the problems since you can see them.”

 

Activating her Swelling Reduction Jutsu Hinata fed the chakra directly down into the section of the ear that was swelling up. The tight look on the boy's face relaxed instantly as the chakra took away some of the pain in his ears. Finishing up, Hinata turned and headed for the doors with Sakura.

 

“Were you looking for me for a long time?” Sakura asked as she pushed the door open.

 

Hinata shook her head as she motioned to right where Lee was standing, “Lee-san showed me where you were after I bumped into him on the way into the building. We don't have time to dawdle Sakura we have to get to Tsunade's office right away. It appears that the Daimyo from the Rice Country is blaming Konoha for the murder of someone we were hired to protect and Tsunade needed you present for some reason. Kakashi-san is needed there as well and Kiba-kun went off to get him for me.”

 

Sakura had a grim look on her face at the news, “That's not good. I don't know why he would blame us, especially if we were hired to guard the person in the first place then we wouldn't have accepted an assassination contract in the first place. Let's find out what this is all about.”

 

As they burst into Tsunade's office a few minutes latter Hinata and Sakura found Shizune there as well. Tsunade motioned for Hinata and Sakura to take a seat in one of the many chairs now placed in front of Tsunade's desk, “Where's Kakashi-san Hinata? I asked you to get him as well.”

 

“Um, Kiba-kun volunteered to find him for me,” Hinata said while she took a chair across from Tsunade, “I'm not sure when he'll turn up.”

 

The second that Hinata finished telling Tsunade that she wasn't sure when Kakashi was going to show up there was a bang and a puff of smoke right behind Hinata as Kakashi made his usual entrance, “Yo. Kiba said that you needed to talk to me.”

 

Tsunade nodded as Kakashi sat down in an empty chair and she addressed the three sitting in front of her, “We have a major problem and you three are going to have to tell your side of the story. The Daimyo from the Rice Country has given me a formal letter that accuses Konoha of disobeying mission objectives and turning on one of his advisors who hired us for protection. He claims that it was after that same advisor also hired ninja from the Village Hidden in Sound that we decided to kill our client.”

 

Hinata, Sakura and Kakashi were giving her a slightly confused look when Sakura spoke the question that was in all of their minds, “What does this have to do with us Tsunade-sensei?”

 

“To put it simply, the Daimyo specifically blames you Sakura along with Kakashi-san. We need the both of you to come up with some kind of defense against whatever the Daimyo uses as evidence against the two of you otherwise there will be serious consequences that are unavoidable. Hinata, I need you to check to ensure that every member of the Daimyo's party aren't wearing a Henge of some kind as well as do your best to collaborate Sakura's story as you have been working closely with her as my apprentice. Also, you and Shizune can give unbiased medical opinions on the situations. We have to prove that Sakura and Kakashi are innocent, not to mention dispel the accusation that Konoha may turn on its clients.”

 

Kakashi was rubbing his chin when he spoke, “It's a little strange to accuse Konoha of such an action, especially specifically naming two individual ninjas. It's even stranger to think that someone who had already hired people from Konoha would hire ninja from the Sound. I get the feeling that Sasuke may be mixed up in this even if they're blaming me.”

 

Sakura winced as Kakashi mentioned Sasuke but said her piece anyway, “I can honestly say that I haven't been on a mission outside of Fire Country since I became your apprentice Tsunade-sensei. The only time I've left the country is when I traveled to the Village Hidden in Clouds for the Chuunin exam I passed this winter.”

 

“I know that Sakura, as does everyone else in this room,” Tsunade said, “but that doesn't change the fact that the Rice Country Daimyo doesn't know those facts. We may not convince him in the end anyway, however, I will make sure that no punishment is given to either of you. Let's just wait and listen to what he has to say.”

 

Everyone nodded and Tsunade gave a wry smile, “Well, I guess you all will have to hang out around here for a while. How about you enjoy a little bit of time training on the rooftop? It's something to do while we wait for him. You can join them too Hinata.”

 

 

The sun was starting to set when Hinata, Sakura and Kakashi were called back into Tsunade's office. As they entered her office once again Tsunade motioned for Shizune to take a seat with Kakashi to the left of her desk while Hinata and Sakura to the pair of seats to the right. There was a semi-circle of chairs facing the five of them for the Daimyo's party to take a seat in.

 

“The Daimyo should be arriving in a matter of minutes. I want to show a respectable front for a good first impression so try and stay calm if the Daimyo acts very hostile towards you. Unless there is a very obvious and justifiable reason you cannot lose your temper. Even then I want you to keep your tempers under control as best you can as I will be doing the same.”

 

Everyone nodded seriously as the Chuunin receptionist opened the door to show in the Rice Daimyo's delegation of seven advisors. They sat down in the chairs with the Daimyo moving towards the center chair. Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked over the seven people in front of her. She wasn't surprised at all to find that the two on the outside of the ring of seven were Sound Nins. Pausing for a second longer Hinata focused on slowly penetrating further past any possible disguises and found that there were only the two Sound Nins inside the room and one stationed outside the door with three Konoha Chuunins.

 

Giving herself a mental shake Hinata tried to be bold and tell off the Sound Nins for putting up a Henge while inside Tsunade's office, “Um, you two on the outside of the Daimyo's advisory group please drop the Henge. It is insulting not to mention disconcerting that you feel the need to hide yourselves when your job is to be protecting the Rice Daimyo, not an assassination. The two Sound Nins grudgingly lowered the Henge that they had projected around themselves.

 

The Rice Daimyo looked very angry that his two body guards had been discovered, “What is the meaning of this? Why are you targeting the Village Hidden in Sound like this? It's and outrage that is almost as bad as when you turned against my advisor Kokoro Tadashii after he had hired Konoha Nins to protect him!”

 

Tsunade gave the Daimyo a cold look, “We are not `targeting' the Village Hidden in Sound at all. As for outrages, the fact that you tried to slip two armed ninjas into meeting could be interpreted as an attempt on the lives of anyone here. The fact that we are leaving them armed at all is because you insisted that it was needed for your protection.” Tsunade sat up straighter in her desk as she surveyed the group before her, “Well Daimyo-sama, I never did get your name. I am Tsunade, the Hokage of Konoha.”

 

Face still flushed with anger the Rice Daimyo gave his name, “My name is Yutaka Raisu. As I'm sure you already know due to the letter I sent you I am here with my investigation team concerning the traitorous actions that Konoha preformed against one of my personal advisors.”

 

“All of the people present from my village understand the situation Yutaka-sama. I ask that you begin by stating your case and what compensation or punishment that you desire from Konoha.”

 

The advisor directly to the right of Raisu stood up and cleared his throat, “Ahem. The Rice Country would like to bring the following charges to bear against the Village Hidden in Leaves: first, after Daimyo advisor Kokoro Tadashii hired another set of body guards from the Village Hidden in Sound, the Village Hidden in Leaves turned on him and murdered him. Second, the Village Hidden in Leaves is responsible for the murder of thirty-two Rice Country soldiers including a division captain. Third, Special Jounin Hatake Kakashi of the Village Hidden in Leaves was a party directly responsible for said murders. Fourth, Chuunin Haruno Sakura also of the Village Hidden in Leaves was a party directly responsible for said murders.”

 

As that advisor sat down the advisor sitting on the left of Raisu stood up to say his part, “The terms that the Rice Country and Yutaka-sama have deemed reasonable for punishment and compensation that the Village Hidden in Leaves must enact in light of this outrageous action: first, 100 000 ryo compensation be paid for the murder of Kokoro Tadashii. Second, 75 000 ryo compensation be paid for the death of the thirty-two soldiers along with 150 000 be paid as compensation for the families said soldiers were from. Third, Special Jounin Hatake Kakashi is sentenced to death or life long imprisonment. Fourth, Chuunin Haruno Sakura is sentenced to life imprisonment or service to Rice as a servant to Yutaka-sama as a bodyguard and maid while wearing a restraining seal.”

 

Shock rapidly spread across Sakura's face as she heard what the Rice Daimyo desired as reasonable compensation for an act that she never committed.

 

Kakashi also seemed to be suffering from shock as his single visible eye was wide open.

 

Hinata gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she started to disbelief and anger course through her.

 

Shizune continuously flexed her hands as a grim expression set itself into her face.

 

Tsunade gripped the table with both hands to try and contain an outburst at the ridiculous demands that Yutaka Raisu was giving her. Especially because the entire situation should not have ever happened in the first place since she had filed her report almost three month ago detailing the loss of a Chuunin team during a body guarding mission for Kokoro Tadashii. When she finally calmed down slightly Tsunade clasped her hands together in front of her as she spoke, “All of your charges and compensation demands are denied. Unless you can present evidence to the contrary my decision is final. We will provide our own defense in response to any evidence you bring up before us.”

 

Once again Raisu's face burnt red with anger and he barely restrained himself from shouting, “Do you know what you are doing by refusing our conditions? You are alienating yourselves from every other Daimyo as I will release a full report for them to browse concerning the actions that you took against my nation. You will have a severe drop off in job applications which in turn will lead to your villages decline. You are in no position to refuse my demands.”

 

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, “I'm not in a position to refuse your demands? Consider this: Konoha is considered the most powerful and trusted ninja village in existence. Your nation's reputation went into decline after the Village Hidden in Sound decided to make a failed invasion attempt on Konoha meaning that your word may be considered to be worth less than my own. Lastly, you forget that you are in the heart of a ninja village. If you threaten the safety of the village you will have a hard time forcing your way out without losing your life. Present your evidence to support the outrageous claims you have made about Konoha and two of my most trusted shinobi, one who happens to be my pupil.”

 

Raisu's face finally drew a guarded look about his face as he motioned for the second advisor on his left to speak, “I will give the evidence that Konoha is responsible for the death of advisor Kokoro Tadashii. To begin I present to you the contract sheet that says that Konoha would take the job of protecting Kokoro-san. It clearly states that Konoha's ninja would protect him with their lives as well as not accept any contracts for his death.” The Advisor handed copies of the contract to everyone with Tsunade.

 

“Next I will present the contract that we were graciously given by the Village Hidden in Sound showing a second contract that has hired the ninja from their village for further protection as Kokoro-san's contract was lost in the fire,” The Advisor made his way around the group again with the second contract.

 

The Advisor returned to the front of his seat and pulled out four metal plates from the bag that was placed beside it and held them up for all to see, “And here are the final pieces of evidence that Konoha was responsible for the death of Kokoro-san. These four headbands were found inside the burnt remains of the cabin that Kokoro-san had been residing for a number of weeks before his death. These four headbands belong to the four Sound Nins that were found dead and burned along with Kokoro-san. They died trying to protect him from Konoha. We would claim that the fire jutsu are proof that Konoha was involved as they happen to be a specialty of Konoha, however, they are not limited to your village.”

 

The same thought was running through the heads of all the Konoha Nins present, `Raisu really fell for Orochimaru's ploy hook, line, and sinker!'

 

Tsunade slipped a report that she had filed into their records out in regards that was about the mission to protect Kokoro Tadashii, “I happen to have a record of my own that completely dispels your theory that Konoha was the village to kill Kokoro-san. This is a record of the body guarding mission that we accepted on behalf of Kokoro Tadashii and it also states the status of the mission. It ended in failure. The four Chuunins that he hired for protection never returned and their bodies were found by my Anbu team to have been burned. It was Konoha Nins, not Sound Nins who were dead in that cabin. The Sound Hitae-ate plates could have easily been planted there.”

 

When the file that Tsunade had passed to the Daimyo's Advisors had reached Raisu himself, Raisu took one look at it and dismissed it, “Bah, you could have easily filed this report to cover up the fact that your Nins were responsible for killing one of my trusted advisors. This is not proof at all.”

 

“Are you questioning the integrity of myself and my people?” Tsunade asked, staring hard at Raisu, “Because that document was written by me directly after I sent out an Anbu team to investigate what had happened to my Chuunin team protecting Kokoro-san when they hadn't reported in for over a week.”

 

Raisu passed the file back towards Tsunade and addressed her in an off-hand manner, “Yes I am. First, you're just a woman and second I hardly find Konoha's word reliable at the moment as I know that you are responsible for the death of Kokoro-san. Both facts make your word rather suspect to me at the moment.”

 

Hinata, Sakura, Shizune and Kakashi had identical looks of shock and horror on their faces as Raisu said that to Tsunade. They glanced back towards her to see her face drawn tight in barely controlled anger along with her right arm seeming to be squeezing something beneath her desk and out of sight.

 

Sakura and Hinata burst out simultaneously, “Don't you dare insult my Sensei like that.”

 

Glancing at each other Hinata continued their line of thought in an amazingly calm voice, “Not only did you severely insult my Sensei, but you also insulted four of the five Konoha representatives here. If you find that the word of a woman is worth less than that of a man then you are being a disrespectful and sexist bigot. You are calling into question our word and documents when you refuse to even consider that the documents that you procured from Orochimaru of the Sound - an S-class criminal from Konoha who has also attacked us once before - were false records meant to destroy Konoha's reputation.”

 

Shizune nodded, “I'm afraid your views are outdated Yutaka-sama. Our word is worth the same as yours while we are in this room. This isn't your courts where you have total control Yutaka-sama, but Konoha. If you call into question our words and documents then the same doubt must be cast on the ones procured from the Village Hidden in sound. This means that as of this moment you have not a shred of evidence that suggests that the office of the Hokage decided to turn on Kokoro-san and kill him.”

 

Raisu sneered, “Ah, just what I was expecting. You are still denying your responsibility even after the evidence that I brought forth before you. You really want me to make sure that the other Daimyos never come to Konoha ever again when they need to hire ninja.”

 

Tsunade finally crushed the extra resilient stress ball she had been squeezing under her desk and her voice was like ice when she spoke, “Who are they going to believe Raisu-sama? A Daimyo from a relatively insignificant nation such as yours, or the leader of the strongest Hidden Village? I have given you more than enough evidence to prove that I did not order his death and you just throw it out because I'm `just a woman.'”

 

The Advisor to the left of Raisu spoke, interrupting the tense silence that had encompassed the office, “Yutaka-sama, Hokage-sama happens to be accurate in determining the reactions that the other Feudal Lords would have to this situation. Konoha's position and evidence is too strong. I'm afraid that all that we can do is concentrate on making sure that we connect Konoha to the murders by way of the two individuals we believe to be directly involved with the incident.”

 

The second advisor to the left of Raisu stood up to address everyone again, “I would like to begin by explaining the physical evidence that we discovered at the cabin that ties Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura to the event. In my hand I have photos of several bodies that show evidence of being killed by techniques that are unique to the two accused. I'm going to start with the photos of a strength that should be very familiar to you all.”

 

The Advisor passed out four photos to Kakashi, Sakura, Tsunade and Shizune and continued on with his explanation, “The photo in Haruno-san's hands shows a rupturing and splitting of the earth although on a smaller scale compared to what Hokage-sama can manage. That type of damage is unique to their Taijutsu style as it is based around their massive strength. The other photos show bodies of guards that were killed in a manner that is also distinctive of Haruno-san's Taijutsu. There are photos of crushed lungs, a head snapped and facing backwards, and a crushed skull. Every one of those deaths can be attributed directly Haruno-san's style of Taijutsu. This in turn also provides a necessary connection between Konoha and the murders committed.”

 

Tsunade looked at the photos with a grim look. She didn't want to have to admit to an assassination attempt on her due to infiltration but she knew she had to if nothing else could be said in Sakura's defense. She would not let her student be blame for something she did not do.

 

“When exactly did the murders take place?” Hinata asked as she activated her Byakugan to get a close look at all four of the photos at the same time.

 

“Close to four months ago in Late February on the twentieth.”

 

Hinata smiled a little before she responded, “Well, Sakura has a solid alibi then. During that week the two of us underwent an intensive medical training program that Tsunade-sensei has devised for training new medics. We spent the entire week learning about medicines and healing techniques and the two of us were paired for the entire duration. We even were bunked in the buildings to the back of the hospital. She couldn't have committed the murder.”

 

The Advisor didn't bat an eyelash, “Who else can use the strength that Haruno-san and Hokage-sama possess? The records that we looked at stated that Haruno-san only recently developed strength as great as Hokage-sama. This would indicate that her strength development at the time would have fit the damage done to the people and the area.”

 

Tsunade sighed, “Well, there is at least one other person who has learned my Taijutsu style through the use of his Sharingan. Uchiha Sasuke, a Konoha Missing Nin. He was discovered to have been observing the assassination attempt that the Village Hidden in Sound were responsible for and could have easily learned it from just watching me. Although his body is not structurally suited to use my style we recently learned that he has been working with a partner for some time now, although it was only verified when he revealed his face after the Village Hidden in Rocks had annexed the Village Hidden in Grass. His partner could have learned the style from him.”

 

Even Raisu was very surprised at Tsunade's admission that her technique could have been stolen by anyone as even he knew how hard she had worked to keep the secret to her strength a secret. To admit that it could have been stolen was also revealing a possible weakness, something that a ninja would never do unless they had no other option.

 

The Advisor that had been presenting the evidence against Sakura paused for a moment, “When did you begin to teach Haruno-san the secret to your strength Hokage-sama?”

 

“About a month before the assassination took place. She was hardly able to make a feed deep dent in the ground at that time let alone be able to split the ground as shown in your pictures. She may be a very fast learner but she didn't have the chakra capacity to be able to consistently use my techniques by that point. It wasn't until a month later that she was able to successfully use my strength. There is no way that she could have been part of the assassination at that point. Your idea that her strength would have fit the timeframe is way off.”

 

Raisu felt his anger at being so callously denied compensation and at Konoha's denial of ever being involved slowly starting to fade away. He was beginning to feel sorely troubled. The investigation that he had ordered had turned up piece after piece of evidence that seemed to point at Konoha as being the party responsible for Kokoro's assassination. But every single piece of evidence was being shot down by the Hokage and her representatives in the room. He couldn't even connect an individual to the crime. He steeled his resolve and called upon his final advisor to at least salvage some dignity out of this messy situation.

 

“I will now bring forth the evidence that Hatake Kakashi was party to the murder of Kokoro Tadashii. To start I would like to also show you a number of photographs that were taken at the murder site. Here we have the charred remains of on of the Sound Nin corpses and I had an expert do an analysis on the body. The hole that you can see there passes directly through the general location of the heart. At first we were unsure of what type of attack was used to cause such incredible damage until a more detailed analysis of the puncture itself was examined. What was discovered was a type of plasma burn that is distinctive to damage caused by lightning, and there is only one lightning based technique that is known to do this much damage: the Raikiri. There is only one person alive that is this proficient with the technique and that is Hatake Kakashi. We examined the records of the other known user, Uchiha Sasuke and determined that he did not possess sufficient power to create an attack this powerful.”

 

Kakashi pushed his Hitae-ate up and looked closely at the photo of his supposed Raikiri attack. He could see the distinctive damage that his Raikiri left as well as how the blow was perfectly placed in much the same way he always hit his mark. Although he knew he hadn't attacked Kokoro Tadashii he felt that there was something else off about the attack. When he looked at the picture of the entire body it hit him, “There is no way that I could have been the one to do this attack for two reasons. The first is the angle of the strike. The person who struck him with the Raikiri was shorter than they were. The blow is angle at a slight upwards diagonal to pass cleanly through the heart. Also, the Raikiri the attacker preformed was actually more powerful than my own.”

 

Kakashi handed the photo back to the Advisor who took a second look at it. He looked closely at the photo in general as well as the damage done by the Raikiri. Now that he had been told what to look for the height difference from the angle of the attack was painfully obvious. The hole did travel upwards at an angle meaning that there was no way that Kakashi could have made the attack unless he had decided to crouch low the ground.

 

The Advisor shook his head, “I'm sorry Yutaka-sama but Hatake-san is right. I missed it completely upon my first examination but it is right there as clear as day. It's a subtle difference and that's how I missed it in the first place. I'm beginning to think that this entire situation may have been a set up.”

 

A strange look crossed Raisu's face as he looked at the picture in of the Raikiri attack. Once his advisor had actually shown him the angle of the attack he could see it as well, “I'm…I'm very sorry about this entire situation Hokage-sama. I reacted very poorly to the murder, especially when I thought that the most powerful and trusted Shinobi Village decided to turn on the person who hired them. I don't understand this. Even I can see that there is no way that Hatake-san could have done this attack. Who could have done this attack?”

 

Kakashi was pondering the same question, “I can only think of two people and it is last two living Uchihas. The likelihood of Itachi doing something like this is rather low considering his affiliation with Akatsuki leaving only Sasuke left. Did you happen to have any photos of two identical attacks having canceled each other out?”

 

Raisu nodded, “I'm not sure that I understand where you are heading with this line of thought, but yes, that is another reason that I thought of you were thought of as a suspect.”

 

“Then I would guess that Uchiha Sasuke would have been the one who lead this attack. I have no proof that it was him as I don't know how strong he has gotten in these last two years but he had a tendency to emulate the fighting styles that he observed rather than creating his own, and I fought by using my opponents techniques to cancel their own out in front of him a number of times. Add in the information that Sasuke has been reported working with a partner and I'm even more inclined to believe that he lead this attack. Unfortunately my saying that it was Sasuke who took part in this attack lays the blame with the Village Hidden in Sound as well. I am admittedly biased against the Sound and Orochimaru but this isn't the first time that he has done something like this.”

 

Raisu's eyes widened for a moment, “Oh no. I just realized that I've overlooked something terribly important. Kokoro-san has been my only advisor who has been against the creation of the Village Hidden in Sound from the beginning. There is no way he would have willingly hired any Sound Nins. Considering what happened here today with my evidence against Konoha being shut down I believe that it would be pointless, not to mention hazardous, to try and confront Orochimaru about the murder.”

 

Tsunade watched the reactions of the Sound Nins that were on the outside of Raisu's group to see how they reacted to Kakashi's claim. Surprise briefly crossed their features, but they had reacted to Sasuke being involved and not the claim that Orochimaru had done other activities such as this one. There was nothing to indicate that they would do anything now that the Raisu's claims were falling apart.

 

Tsunade decided that now would be a good time to play the mannered Hokage and dismiss Yutaka Raisu with goodwill rather than any enmity for what had occurred, “Yutaka-sama I understand what a shock today has been for you, especially with how all of your suspicions and accusations turned out to be false. The best that I can do is to offer you a place to spend the night before you make your way back to Rice Country.”

 

Raisu looked torn for a moment as he looked back at his advisors before he slowly nodded his ascent to Tsunade, “Thank-you Hokage-sama. I am terribly sorry for causing you so much trouble with this matter along with the comments that I made during my outbursts of anger. I…no longer am carrying such a grudge against Konoha. Well, I'm trying not too.”

 

Tsunade smiled for the first time since the meeting began, “That's just fine Yutaka-sama. I understand how stressful it can be to lose someone close to you as I've experienced it myself. I offer you my condolences for the loss of an advisor and only hope that you consider the opinions that he left with you before he died. That is the best way to honour his life: make your own decision on the advice he gave you.”

 

The party from the Rice Country stood up as one and bowed to Tsunade before getting ready to leave the room. Tsunade motioned for Hinata to join the party from Rice and it took her a moment before she understood what Tsunade was trying to say to her.

 

“Oh!” Hinata exclaimed as she stood and rushed to open the door for Raisu, “Yutaka-sama, I can lead your party to the guest quarters in the tower if you would like to stay her for the night. If not I can show you a very nice Inn nearby that many other Lords and Ladies have stay at in the past.”

 

Raisu gave a weak smile to Hinata, “If you could lead me to the Inn I would be grateful. Spending a quite night thinking about what is going on will do me good.”

 

Once they had left the room Tsunade talked to the three left behind, “I guess all of you can leave. There is nothing else that you need to worry about for today. You're dismissed.”

 

Shizune and Sakura left the room but Kakashi stayed behind for a minute, “I've noticed that Hinata has come a long way from being the shy little girl she was when she was with Kurenai. Sakura too has come a long way as an apprentice to you. I have to thank you Tsunade-sama for doing what I could never do for Sakura: helping her get over the loss of Sasuke enough to get on with her daily life.”

 

Tsunade just wave for Kakashi to get out of the room, “Jeez, you're making me sound like I went out of my way to help them. I just saw potential in them and brought it out. I trained Hinata because I needed a watchdog for my office. Now get outta here.”

 

Tsunade's smile left her face as Kakashi left the office, `What the heck are you really up to Orochimaru? Are you still set on taking Konoha for yourself?'