Suteta - (Akatsuki fanfic)

Part 18

Frozen brush crackled and snapped as an intruder crept through the dense trees, coming up on what appeared to be some sort of boundary according to her observations. It was slight, but there was a faint trail of chakra stretching along the ground in two directions from a single point ahead. Her senses expanded as she neared for a better look, being sure no one else was around to sneak up on her as she investigated.

Coming to the small boulder jutting out of the snow, the intruder crouched down in front of it and formed a quick hand sign. Then she let her hand hover over the flat side of the stone a few inches away. In less than a moment a rectangular strip of paper slowly revealed itself. From the pattern and writing it was easily identified as a perimeter tag. A strong one, that she dare not attempt to remove if she didn't want to be caught in a trap and alert whoever set it in place.

As I thought. This tag was only one of the four she found so far around a sizable expanse of land which she had been scouring alone for quite some time now.

Well, not entirely alone. Unfortunately.

The com-link strapped to her neck beeped in her ear, and she was obligated to answer along with an irate roll of her dark eyes. When she reached up and pressed the button on the neck piece, the communication line opened with a bit of static. She spoke lowly. Quietly. "Yes? What is it now?"

A male voice sounded over the link. "I assume you're making progress?"

"Of course. Until you called the first time," she said gruffly. Before he had an opportunity to argue she continued. "I found another one. It seems whoever lives around here runs a tight security. It's almost impressive," she added.

"'Almost impressive' meaning you can get around the perimeter lock?"

"Meaning I can get through it," she corrected. "Don't worry, Gorou, I have everything I need." In her mind she mentally recounted the tools in her hip pouch and small backpack. Many of them may not even be necessary, but this time she was prepared for any contingency. She made sure of that.

After a moment of silence Gorou's voice came over the link again in a static fritz. "You know the head of our division is getting impatient," he pointed out.

Her own impatience began striking through her last nerve. "Then we're on the same page, now aren't we?" she said snappily. "It's his fault for not making a decision sooner like I told him. The Shinigami would have given the order sooner, and I certainly wouldn't be out here cleaning up after a two-bit theif." Her complaints continued. "I wouldn't have to deal with an idiot like you insisting on a status update every three hours either. If anything, you're slowing me down and wasting my time." Once back to her feet, she began to trek further and trace a mental map of the boundry. "So I told the others, now I'm telling you. Stay the hell out of my business unless you want Conium Eight in your personal air supply."

She heard a huff of annoyance, but he conceded. "Alright, alright. Do you at least have any leads?" he asked.

"I'd say discovering my informant's corpse is a lead, considering I managed to track the killers to where I am now."

"Gee, Mirai," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "You don't sound too depressed about his death."

Her own scoff echoed across the com link. "Do you really expect me to give a damn about a broken pawn?"

Gorou chuckled at her stone cold remark, seemingly amused and unnerved at the same time. "Not someone with your background, obviously, but I figured he was at least of some use to you," he said.

"He stopped being useful the second he failed to keep the subject and the secrets with her from being stolen out from under our noses. As far as I'm concerned, his death was a service." As she continued through the shadows and the snow-bitten brush, Mirai lifted her hand to press the button on the headset and close the conversation.