Without Warning (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 4: Personal Missions

The Raikage looked down in thought. At the explanation of Kozuya, the rest of the autopsy team had fallen deathly silent, stopping their work to listen on the thoughts of the old man regarding their findings.

"Hmm, I see," the Raikage quietly brooded over what to do next.

"Alright, all of you start writing down the people you have positively identified and the condition of their bodies. Separate the information based on the cadavers' village of origin. From there, we include a second scroll directed to each of the villages concerned giving all of them information regarding the rogue ninja cadavers and their condition. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai!" Everyone chorused and immediately set to work checking and rechecking each cadaver and listing their findings.

The Raikage, finding everything in place and satisfactory, turned to leave the room.

"Sumimasen Raikage-sama," Kozuya suddenly spoke amidst the fast-paced ongoings around him and the Raikage turned once again to face the medic veteran, a question hanging in the silence between them.

"I would like to know, has the Mizukage contacted you regarding my unexpected presence here?"

The Raikage raised a blonde eyebrow. "No," he replied curtly. "Is there something I should know, Kozuya-san?"

"N-no Raikage-sama," Kozuya bowed slowly. When he raised his body once more he was sporting a smile on his wrinkled face. "Arigatou, Raikage-sama, for the information." With a final nod the Raikage left the room, his assistant in tow.

When they were a good distance from the closed doors of the room the Raikage stopped walking.

"Raikage-sama?" His assistant spoke questioningly.

"Keep a watchful eye on that Kozuya. There is something he isn't being entirely honest about."

"Hai, Raikage-sama. I will alert the guards and the special forces."

"No," he said. "No special forces will be brought in. If he is a veteran medical nin, he would easily notice their presence and if he is hiding something, their presence would put him on guard. We need him to think we trust his story."

"Understood, Raikage-sama."

"Also," he turned to her this time, making sure she understood the weight of what he was about to say. "Make no mistake. All the Kages are counting on us to find something significant from this mass autopsy. Double, no, quadruple check the work of the people inside that room and make sure that the scrolls to be sent to each Kage are secure and not withholding any information. There could be something brewing just beyond the horizon and we have to make sure we are all on our utmost preparedness to face whatever threat is looming."

Turning once more to face away from his assistant, the Raikage started walking but this time his assistant didn't follow him. There was no reply as the assistant's footsteps indicated that she was walking back to the autopsy room.

The Raikage breathed deeply and looked out the window on his left while walking. We must protect the trust that was forged from the Allied Shinobi Forces of the Great Shinobi War.

__________________________________________

Naruto munched happily on the rice balls Hinata packed in the white box she had offered on his way to a mission. There were two boxes and he wondered for a second if she had known he would have a companion on his mission. Remembering Tsunade's words however,

"No one should know of this mission Naruto. So please refrain from speaking to your friends about it. Except for Sasuke, of course. I will allow you to take him on this mission. Only a few will know about this, mainly the Hyuga clan's Main Branch. They're just as involved in this as you are."