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Mystery

Chapter Fourteen

Mystery

May 17, 2009

"As the heir of the Yamanaka legacy, your expertise will be invaluable to our intelligence gathering, Ino."

Ino followed quietly. She'd been summoned to the Hokage office several minutes ago. Expecting a mission of some sort, the kunoichi had dressed in her purple crop top, long skirt and restocked her nin tools. She hadn't expected to be told she was needed immediately in a different capacity, one that would require her removal from active duty for some time. She had assumed it had something to do with the vacancy her father had left for the Analysis Team, one she had been preparing to accept in a year or so, but so far, the silver haired leader had yet to mention it.

Instead, he'd only asked her to follow him to the underground labs where the more sensitive, not always ethical testing, interrogations and examinations occurred.

The sinister side of the Leaf few were privy to.

The unavoidable evil that took place between those metal walls, visible only to those willing to stain their hands in any way necessary for the sake of the village, those dedicated to the safety and security of the Nation of Fire, sometimes at the cost of their humanity, their very souls.

People like Itachi. People like Danzo and Root.

Tainted shinobi they were called.

He stopped, typed in the code at a keypad protected door, then turned to speak to her directly.

"This research project is highly classified. The documents you signed are binding and will be enforced, not only by me, but by the daimyo himself should you, at any point, become in breach of contract," Kakashi warned, with a pointed gaze, "I need you to understand that, Ino."

She nodded, understanding what he wasn't saying. She wasn't the least bit embarrassed about her history of spilling hard to come by details among her closest friends and wouldn't pretend to be. In this case, she understood he wouldn't be able to allow lax protocol in this situation. She could only remember two other times of having this conversation. It was rare that the Hokage made it a point to enforce discretion, at least with her. The Yamanaka were fiercely loyal to Konoha and would never speak of things that would jeopardize the village. The little she let slip aided in that protection in a more informal capacity, spreading information to the right people quicker and more efficiently than waiting for the proper bureaucratic response.

It was somewhat of a tradition among the Yamanaka Clan and the sitting Hokage. One that had become integral to the functioning of Konoha.

Seriousness wiped from his face, his usual laid back friendliness returned.

"Good." he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled beneath his mask.

He turned and walked through the open door, leaving her to follow. She caught up to his retreating back, eyes moving over the people they passed. Most of the men and women wore long white coats, while a spattering of Anbu moved purposefully past and even fewer normal ranked shinobi. Many bowed briefly to the Rokudaime before maneuvering around the pair.

"Does this have anything to do with Sai's new position?"

The blonde kunoichi was still left in the dark about what her boyfriend was up to. Sai was a former member of Root and he took vows of secrecy very seriously. His lips were as sealed as her lips were loose. His continued silence drove her nuts. Even her strongest glare and cutest pout couldn't break his grim resolve. Short of invading his mind, something she would never do just to learn what he wasn't willing or able to share, she had reached a dead end.