A few buildings down from the Gilded Mirage, there was a popular restaurant called the Skyline, renowned for its rooftop dining.
Seated at a table overlooking the streets below were a woman with brown hair and glasses, and an older man with short black hair.
Jiraiya, disguised, leaned closer, readjusted his sunglasses, and looked once more at the casino.
Shizune fidgeted, tracing circles on the table; after ninety minutes, Jiraiya hadn't decided whether to infiltrate the casino.
"Are we heading in?" Shizune asked
Jiraiya leaned forward. "Have you noticed anything unusual about security since our arrival?"
Shizune paused thoughtfully. "The security here seems unchanged since Tsunade and I were last here."
"Exactly. They know for a fact that ninjas carried out an operation in this district, but there's been no increased security, no extra patrols, no heightened presence, not even a warning to the residents; it's as if nothing happened."
"Carelessness?" questioned Shizune
Jiraiya shook his head. "If it were a matter of carelessness, an unlocked door, a slightly delayed patrol, and then there are things that seem almost too ideal."
"Do you think it's a trap?" Shizune asked.
Jiraiya nodded "Without a doubt"
"Damn it," Shizune whispered, her voice tight with worry. "Do we still head in?"
"There's no need," Jiraiya said calmly, his voice a low rumble, "Tsunade isn't here, but I think I have a good idea where she is now."
A look of confusion came across Shizune's face. "Where?"
Jiraiya's finger, pointing across the sea, landed on a small, distant island.
"That's Jaro, one of Orochimaru's old haunts; you can practically smell the snakes and chemicals from here." Jiraiya joked.
"You didn't think to say anything about it before?" Shizune's voice rose as she spoke, before returning to its usual tone.
Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders. "It didn't cross my mind. I didn't remember until I got a look at it from here."
Shizune gave Jiraiya a pensive look. "Be honest, you didn't tell me so you could go on a dinner date with me?"
"Heavens No!" A bead of sweat rolled down his face. "I certainly don't mind the company of a younger woman, but I wouldn't pull something like that during a mission."
With a squint, Shizune eyed Jiraiya skeptically, the memories of her master's stories about Jiraiya's youthful dating antics still fresh in her mind.
Shizune let the matter go and continued. "If that's the case, then we should head back as soon as poss.."
A deafening echo reverberated, causing the restaurant patrons to turn, seeing the sight of smoke and debris rising from the distant Testu district.
Shizune covered her mouth. "Oh, no!"
"We need to leave now!" Jiraiya said urgently
Jiraiya and Shizune left the restaurant and headed towards the scene of destruction, passing through the Ryudoin district. They paused their journey when Jiraiya noticed a flash of orange and someone leaping to a nearby rooftop.
"Over There" Jiraiya said as he pointed,
Noticing Hinata and Naruto carefully carrying an injured Kakashi, they changed course. As they flagged them down and caught up on a rooftop, Shizune scrambled over to Kakashi.
Shizune, without pause, began asking questions. "What happened?"
"It turned out to be an ambush." Naruto recounted how Ensho and Dokugan had been waiting, how they'd handled Ensho, and Kakashi's fight with Dokugan.
"Dammit, that stupid boy I told him to run." Jiraiya bemoaned. "Shizune, how is he looking?"
"Most of his cuts are superficial. His bruising is severe in his torso, so I would guess several broken ribs, and possibly some other fractures."
Shizune faced Hinata. "Please use your Byakugan to check for internal injuries, including punctured or lacerated organs and any bleeding, quickly."
Hinata stammered a little, then composed herself. "Of course"
Hinata, with her Byakugan activated, examined Kakashi. Following a brief pause, she spoke. "It looks like nine. Maybe ten of his ribs are broken, his organs seem fine, but he has some internal wounds, the biggest being here." Hinata hovered her hand over the lower left part of Kakashi's torso.
Shizune clicked her tongue. "Moving him was risky already, with the breaks and all, but internal bleeding? I've gotta operate right here, at least enough to stabilize him before we move him." She addressed Hinata again "Hinata, since I don't have proper equipment, your're going to have to guide me and make sure I'm not making any mistakes."
Hinata took a deep breath
"Can I do anything?" asked Naruto
Jiraiya put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Just sit back and let Shizune do her thing. She's learned from the best."
Shizune's hands glowed a green chakra, as she hovered over the spot Hinata pointed out.
"Okay, can you trace the biggest laceration with your finger?"
Hinata traced out the spot. "Yes, it's here."
Shizune channeled the medical chakra into Kakashi's torso, her hands pressing tightly down on internal injury. After going over the area several times, she looked up at Hinata. "Did the wound close properly?"
Hinata examined the area again. "It looks like it,"
Shizune spoke sternly. "I'm not trying to be rude, Hinata, but this is extremely important. Is the wound closed yes or no?"
"Yes, it's closed!" Hinata stammered.
"Okay, well, the next thing I'm doing is setting his ribs back in place. I need you to identify any broken or dislocated ribs."
Hinata nodded as she pointed to a broken rib." This one, it's kinda off center, though."
Shizune focused as she sent a pulse of medical chakra as she realigned the bone. Afterward, she began using a bone stitching technique, as she used small chakra threads to fuse the ribs back together.
She systematically and repeatedly carried out this process on every rib, maintaining consistency throughout the entire procedure.
As she finished up the last one, Shizune wiped the sweat from her brow. "How is he looking, Hinata?"
"Much better,"
"We should get moving. He needs a place to rest and recover."
Jiraiya nodded. "Let's head back to the museum."
Jiraiya's shoulders tensed as the abandoned museum came into view. The once-boarded entrance gaped open like a wound, splintered wood scattered across the steps. Inside, shadows moved.
"Well, it looks like we know where the guards went."
"Do you think Taro is okay?" Naruto questioned
"He is,"
Sasuke materialized from a nearby alleyway, sharingan spinning. "They've been here for hours," he hissed, jerking his chin toward a crumbling apartment building across the canal. "Taro secured alternative shelter, I've been here waiting for you to come" "
His eyes widened upon seeing Kakashi. "What happened?"
"We'll tell you in a minute. For now, we need to get off the street."
They moved
Jiraiya adjusting Kakashi's limp arm across his shoulders as they made their way to the apartment building.
The safe house was a fourth-floor walkup with sagging floors and the persistent drip of a broken pipe. Anko met them at the door. "Took you long enough," her demeanor changed immediately upon seeing Kakashi yanking the door open. "Bring him inside quickly."
They laid him on a couch that exhaled a century of dust. Anko rushed over, kneeling down, as she looked Kakashi over, "How did he get hurt"
Sakura was hovering over the couch, tortoise on shoulder "Did you guys get caught in an ambush too?"
"The idiot tried to fight Dokugan, instead of running like I told him,"
Shizune walked over, putting a hand on Anko's shoulder. "Don't worry, he's not in any life-threatening danger. I just need to do a few more treatments and he should be fine with a day or two of rest."
Anko grabbed Shizune's hand on her shoulder. "Thank you Shizune"
"You should thank Hinata. If it wasn't for her Bykugan, I'm not sure I would have been able to do as well as a job as I did."
Hinata rejected the compliment. "It was nothing. All I did was look."
Anko embraced Hinata in a side hug. "Don't downplay yourself. I'm going to tell Kurenai all about you when we get back to the village."
"I think we should go over what happened to all of us before we decide what to do next," Jiraiya interrupted.
Each group recounted their version of events over the last few hours.
Jiraiya addressed Anko, "I think I need to have a brief word with the two hostages."
"You can try, they probably won't budge, trust me I tried, but they figured out my whole fake crazy girl stitch real quick." said Anko
"It shouldn't be an issue. I only need them to confirm a few things." Jiraiya said confidently.
Anko led Jiraiya to the bedroom, which had a massive hole in the wall leading into the adjacent apartment. Inside were Yakumo and Tsubaki tied to wooden chairs, and tied with just about every type of restraint that Jiraiya recognized.
Yakumo's face, now exposed, glowed pale as moonlight in the dimness, their androgynous features set in stubborn defiance. Tsubaki fidgeted against her restraints, the ropes creaking against the wooden chair.
Jiraiya crouched before them, his shadow swallowing both prisoners whole. "Let's cut to the chase. You two have the option to make this easy on yourselves. All we ask is for you to tell us where Tsunade is."
Yakumo's lips curled. "My loyalty to the Roku Yurei exceeds every form of torture you could conceive of. No matter what you do, I will not give you information." Yakumo was resolute, fully prepared to die.
Tsubaki laughed nervously "Just so you two know, I don't think, my loyalty goes that far, especially if you can somehow strike a deal where I tell you Tsunade's location, and you let me go, it's a win for everyone."
Yakumo shook their head in disgust.
Jiraiya shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss Tsubaki, but we can only offer extradition to Suna."
Tsubaki scoffed, "So, you don't care about your precious slug princess."
"It's not like we need you. We already know she's in Orochimaru's lab at Jaro Island." Jiraiya waited for a reaction.
Tsubaki's breath hitched, just for half a second. Yakumo's nostrils flared in warning.
A bright grin came across Jiraiya's face. "And that confirms it. Thank you so very much for your cooperation, miss.
Tsubaki gritted her teeth, "You toad bastard."
"And just so you two don't get bored while we're gone, I'll leave you with a guard." Jiraiya bit his thumb and placed his hands on the ground.
Summoning Jutsu
With a puff of smoke, a toad is light green with purple eyes and yellow patterns all over his body. He wore a large red violet bow on his back and make-up, which included red lipstick, pink blush on his cheeks and eye-liner.
Gamariki looked around the damp and dimly lit room, an unimpressed look on his face. "You couldn't have summoned me to a more unappealing place, could you, Jiraiya?"
"It's good to see you too, Gamariki." Jiraiya said laughing
Gamariki noticed Anko and began closely examining her outfit. "If my job here is to turn this one into a bombshell, then you might as well send me back to the mountain. I'm good, but I'm not a miracle worker."
Anko's eye twitched as she stepped forward, ready to pummel this toad. "I look better than you slimy" "
Gamariki side-eyed Anko. "We can agree to disagree."
Anko was mere inches from slamming a kunai into Gamariki and sending him back to Mount Myoboku, but luckily Jiraiya managed to stop her, holding her back as she stab her kunai wildly at Gamariki. "You dumb, toad, that blush doesn't even complement your complexion" "
Gamariki scoffed "At least I have a something to complement,"
Jiraiya scooted Anko out of the room. "Don't mind him, Anko. It's just how he shows affection."
Anko stormed away, giving Gamariki one last stink eye before leaving.
Jiraiya exhaled. "Gamariki, could you not say everything that comes to mind?"
"What can I say? I'm an honest toad,"
"What the hell is that thing?" Tsubaki yelled
"Oh, no we have a loud one, at least this one has a sense of style,"
Tsubaki was taken aback by the sudden compliment, but took it in stride, though still confused.
"Thank you?"
"Anyway Gamakiri, could you watch these two for the next day or two?" Jiraiya asked.
"Oh, I'm playing prison guard this time, yippie," Gamakiri said, clearly unenthused. "Very well. Could I mess with them? It would get quite boring quickly if I didn't."
Jiraiya waved his hand as he exited the room
"Go crazy,"
As Jiraiya closed the door, the stunned and slightly scared faces of Yakumo and Tsubaki looked after him.
As Jiraiya came back to the living room, he was met with a now conscious Kakashi, with Anko hovering over him.
Jiraiya stepped forward, arms crossed, announcing to the room. "Tsunade is at Jaro Island. we leave tomorrow."
Naruto tensed. "But Kakashi-sensei isn't ready,"
"I have to be." Kakashi's voice was rough but steady. His visible eye locked onto Jiraiya's.
There was a beat of silence. Then Jiraiya nodded. "Rest up. Tomorrow won't be kind."
Later into the night, as they got more privacy, Anko and Kakashi's conversation got more personal.
Kakashi was lying across the couch, Anko was on the floor lying back near Kakashi's head. They both had been silent for several minutes now, before Anko broke the silence.
"Why didn't you run?" Anko asked, her voice trembling slightly.
There was a slight pause, before Kakashi responded, "I was afraid that he would go after Naruto Hinata. I couldn't risk either of them fighting him.
"That was reckless." Anko took a deep breath. "When I saw you being carried in, that was the most scared I've been in a long time. It felt like my heart was going to explode out my chest,"
"Then I'm glad you never saw how I would come back from my Anbu missions. I practically had to be put back together."
Anko began twisting her finger in a loose strand of hair. "You're joking, but it's not funny. You have people who care about you, I care about you, and you can't just decide to take a suicide mission whenever you feel like it,"
Anko exhaled deeply, wiping off tears that began to form in her eyes. "Oh god I'm just glad you're okay
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "If it makes you feel better, I really thought I could win."
Anko chuckled. "Oh, that makes everything so much better." she turned around, her gaze locking onto Kakashi's eye, the silence between stretching into eternity. Anko, shaking herself from the hypnosis, got up. "Get some rest. It's going to be a tough day tomorrow and I want all of us to make it through it."
On Jaro Tsunade was viewing Kimimaro's blood and bone marrow samples through a microscope. Both substances began fighting each other, eating away at everything slowly.
Suddenly, a voice from behind her interrupted her from her work.
You are as diligent as my master.
Tsunade turned around and saw a woman with light blue hair approaching. Tsunade's senses went on high alert, not knowing the woman.
"And you are?" asked Tsunade.
"Sorry for not introducing myself, Gurren. I'm the last person who's here, along with my Master Kabuto and Kimimaro." Gurren did a slight bow in greeting.
Something about the woman put Tsunade at unease, there was too much respect in her voice, as if she was meeting a lifelong hero, over the years Tsunade had become used to it, from the dozens of starry-eyed ninjas she'd come across over the years. But this felt different.
"Why do you seem to have so much reverence for me?" Tsunade asked bluntly
Slight confusion came across Gurren's face. "Is it not common courtesy to have respect for one's guest, especially since you are helping not only my master, but a valuable member of my team?"
"So you're the kid's sensei then," Tsunade guessed
"No actually, I've barely spoken to the boy, his sickness was already advance when I first met him, I haven't had much time to get to know him, but from what I've heard about him, his fierceness in his loyalty for Orochimaru rivals mine."
Tsunade left a brief silence hang in the air, debating whether she should ask her next question.
"Why, though, why are you all so loyal to him?"
Gurren beamed, clearly happy to speak about her master. "Our master gives those who don't have one purpose."
She spread her arms wide as if she was ready for an embrace. "Orochimaru finds those who are scarred and forgotten, and gives them a goal, a path for which they can base their life around, and all he asks in return is competence and loyalty, a small price to pay to serve a man as great as him."
Tsunade examined Gurren for any signs or genjutsu or any hint that her words were influenced by an outside source, but there was none. All of what Gurren just said came from her soul.
"That's certainly an interesting perspective." Tsunade replied uneasily.
Gurren sensed the dismissive tone in Tsunade's answer. "What? Do you look down on us, for who we follow, just because it's not a Kage or a village, I'll gladly choose Orochimaru and his quest for a perfect humanity any day over them.. wouldn't you agree that's a more noble goal than most."
Tsunade didn't respond, as Gurren cleared her throat
"I apologize for my passionate outburst, I don't want to distract you any further from your important work, if you need anything, feel free to call me anytime as long as you're Lord Orochimaru's trusted ally, I'm at your beck and call."
Gurren took her leave, their strange interaction making Tsunade regret her decision even more now.
In the penthouse of the Gilded Mirage a similar scene was laid out of just a few days before, with Asato at his desk with Shizuka laying down on a couch asleep on the opposite of the room, and while Shizuka rested in easy slumber, Asato sat at his desk, visible annoyance on his face.
He had taken painstaking time to plan a trap for Tsunade's apprentice and the Toad Sanin. Elaborate genjutsu traps, hostages, and a complex game where they could gamble for their lives after being captured (rigged, of course). Now it had all gone to waste, since neither of them showed up.
Asato wanted to curse Yakumo for giving bad intel, but after knowing them for so long, Asato had no doubt in his mind that Yakumo didn't make a mistake.
And even worse, he had yet to hear from the others, outside of reports of damage happening in the Tetsu district. Just as Asato was about to go out and investigate things himself, the door to the penthouse opened
Relief washed over him as he saw Dokugan enter until he saw Ensho's corpse slung over his broad shoulders
"What the hell happened?" Asato said, voice cracking.
Dokugan carefully laid Ensho's body across a table, and told Asato of what happened.
"You're telling me, half of Tetsu is destroyed and Ensho's dead and we didn't even get one of the leaf ninja."
"I take the blame all on myself, but I'm afraid I just heard worse news. A worker told me to tell you that after investigating Tsubaki's manor, it seems that it's likely that both Yakumo and Tsubaki have been captured.
Asato slammed his hand on the desk. "This day just keeps on getting better and better, doesn't it?"
"Just give me a moment to think," Asato said as he tried to calculate their next steps
Dokugan looked over at Shizuka, who hadn't reacted. Her eyes closed.
"Do you have anything to say?" Dokugan said, anger edging his voice.
Shizuka opened her eyes. "What do you want me to say?" She rolled her shoulders. "Ensho's dead and the other two are God knows where. What do you want me to do about it?"
"How about you take some damn accountability, with your strength, if you actually got off your ass, then maybe none of this would have happened," Dokugan asserted
Shizuka leaned up straighter on the couch. "Maybe they shouldn't have underestimated their opponents. I was against this plan in the first place. If Tsunade isn't in the city, then who cares where they look?"
"It's about taking preventive action, and not letting enemies walk around our turf," Dokugan spat. "I also find it strange you don't shed a single tear or worry about your comrades of a decade."
"What is it big fella going to cry," Shizuka said mockingly
"It's called giving a fuck, something you seem to be lacking a lot of,"
Asato ran a hand across his face. "Guys, let's not fight amongst each other, we have more pressing matt.."
Shizuka interrupted. "No wait, Asato, let him get it out. He's never liked me, so he might as well tell me to my face."
Dokugan pointed a finger "Yeah I've never liked, you, but you know why that was, because you were a kid, a selfish one at that when you joined, but I let it slide, because I knew the skills you possessed could take this group to new heights,"
Dokugan shook his head solemnly
"But after ten years nothing has changed, still lazy, still useless when it counts the mosts, hell you never even participated in our biggest missions, So much talent and skill wasted on a layabout like yourself, hell at this point I'm starting to think whether you leff the cloud or they just kicked you out for being so useless,"
Shizuka stood up, the veins across her body pulsing, a sickly purplish blue light, as her eyes flashed violet,
"Do you care to say that again, Turtle boy?" she growled in a low voice.
Dokugan took a step closer and looked down at Shizuka "I think an unmotivated useless person like you wouldn't be wanted anywhere,"
Shizuka's fist flashed forward. A strike of purple light enveloped the room as Dokugan was sent flying backwards, smashing through the kitchen countertop and through the penthouse wall, and into the hallway leaving in an indent..
Asato stared on in disbelief as violet lightning snaked across Shizuka's arm as it dissipated.
Dokugan put a hand on his knee as he got up, flakes of drywall falling off of him as he arose. He re-entered the penthouse, gripping a hand around the hole in the wall as he did, pointing at Shizuka. He said "You little bitch."
Dokugan took an aggressive step forward, but Asato materialized in front of him, blocking his path.
Dokugan snarled, "Move Asato, I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago."
"You're not going to do anything. Look at yourself. After Hatake, you're in no shape to fight her, besides now is not the time to bring up petty grievances with one another." Asato said, trying to talk him down with reason.
"It's not petty Asato" "How do we know if we can trust her, hell she might be the reason the leaf are even here in the first place"
Asato placed a firm hand on Dokugan's
"Now, you know you're talking nonsense. We can still salvage this, if the three of us head to Jaro now."
Dokugan's massive frame trembled with barely contained rage. "This isn't about grievances," he growled, wiping blood from his split lip. "Tsubaki and Yakumo are rotting away because of her negligence." His glare could have melted steel as he pointed at Shizuka. "And now we're supposed to believe she'll suddenly be useful at Jaro?"
Shizuka stretched her hands, violet chakra still flickering around her fingertips. "Oh please, if it wasn't from me, being here in this group wouldn't have lasted half as long as it has."
The marble floor cracked under Dokugan's foot. "You thin…"
"Enough." Asato's voice cut through. "We're done here." He stepped between them, one hand pressed against Dokugan's heaving chest. "We head to Jaro to ensure that the mission gets completed. That's our one and only priority, got it."
Dokugan's jaw worked silently before spitting on the ruined floor. "Fine. But she's out after this. No more freeloading."
Shizuka laughed "Gladly. Once I get paid, you'll never have to see me again."
Asato massaged his temples. "Three hours. Get patched up, get armed." His gaze lingered on Ensho's corpse as he sighed. "I need to get someone to handle this."
As Dokugan stormed toward the elevator, leaving without another word, Shizuka made her way to the stairs leading to the roof.
"Where are you going?" Asato asked
Shizuka didn't turn around as she kept walking, "To Jaro, since this is my last mission as a member I figured I'll get there early."
As Shizuka ascended to the roof, a few moments later, the sound of thunder and a flash of violet light flashed across the windows, and Asato knew he was alone.
Alone in the wrecked penthouse, Asato stared blankly at his desk, frustration going across his features. "I'm not going to let them destroy everything I've built."
The next day, the team chartered and boat and made their way to Jaro island. The motorized vessel sped its way through the sea.
Anko kept glancing at Kakashi, who was still visibly hampered. As the island came into closer view, Jiraiya spotted a streak of violet go up into the sky from the island.
He peered around the cabin window, yelling.
"Did you guys see tha…"
In an instant, a flash of violet crashed into the ship, as electricity coursed through the ship's metal frame. The pulse caused the ship's motor to turn off, before coming back on in the next moment.
Everyone on the ship looked over from the source with bated breath, on the bow of the ship was Shizuka, she was in her combat outfit, as she a sleeveless haori made of black storm cloud patterned fabric, with jagged violet lighting bolts embroiled down the back, on her wrists were iron bracers etched with glowing seals. She wore high-waisted charcoal grey hakama pants, and knee high metal planted sandal boots. On her head she wore a white headband with a deeply scratch out cloud symbol on it. Her hair, once done up in a crown, was now braided tightly down her back.
She sported a small grin when she spoke. "I don't suppose I could convince all of you to surrender."