The Darkness Before Dawn

Report

Sasori brought the stack of reports with him as he headed to the task force meeting. He had almost made it to the door before his name was screeched. "DANNA, UN!" Deidara yelled as he ran to catch up with Sasori. "What do you want, brat?" The coroner asked the explosives expert. Deidara rubbed the back of his head and looked to the side, "you haven't called, yeah?" Sasori sighed and placed a hand on Deidara's shoulder, "I have no intention of continuing with you. You are a toy, nothing more" he said as he entered the room with a crestfallen Deidara following him.

Itachi stood in front of several boards that had Nation's names on them along with maps, photos and case summaries including suspects. At each chair was a thick report outlining everything he had found out while he was gone. Kisame had gathered several of the reports and was using them as a pillow, gently snoring as the rest of the team filed in. Itachi grabbed the stack of reports from Kisame causing his head to fall and hit the table thus waking him up, "I'm here!" he said as he looked around, confused until he remembered why he was there. He gave Itachi a sheepish grin and he returned a small smile.

"Gentlemen," the Uchiha began, "we are looking at a sophisticated organization who's history stretches back to the founding of our Nations" he said as he moved to a board labeled "Taki". "Here they poisoned the royal family and wiped them off the genetic tree so that a different family could rule. Here," he said pointing to Kumo," they assassinated a leading figure which threw the Nation into turmoil and chaos until the Mayor could regain control. In Suna they destroyed the infrastructure of the Nation and assassinated the Mayor's wife, causing him to commit suicide and leave their children as orphans."

"How do you know it's the same group?" Pein asked. "Their methods, while they have improved with technology, are still the same core methods they have always used: poisoning, assassination, destruction of infrastructure, and the most worrying, seduction of officials involved in their cases." "Seduction? Isn't that a good thing?!" Hidan asked. "Not when they leave your corpse for others to find." Itachi intoned.

"So they've been doing this for hundreds of years, have never been caught and are active again?" Kisame questioned. "Yes. I've identified some of their signatures: the cross mark on the bullet casings, the red herrings in DNA and forensic profiles, high value targets... gentlemen, we are simply dealing with an organization that has adapted and changed with the times while still keeping their core values. We need to find out what their values are so we can begin to predict their next attacks."

Sasori tossed his report onto the table. "One of their supposed values is to murder innovators. I found traces of succinylcholine in his system, very faint traces, but enough to conclude he was poisoned intentionally. Now," he said as he leaned his elbows on the table with his head resting on his hands, "who was at the conference that didn't have any business being there?"

"Never mind that!" Pein said, "do you have a profile? DNA? Something we can work with?!" Kisame cleared his throat before speaking "We've isolated the fake profile and have that on the system so if we get another profile, we can compare it. I would consider the false gene a signature as well as the mutilation. As for a perpetrator's profile, I don't have one of those because we don't have a suspect and these people are very careful to leave no forensic clues behind."

Pein tossed a case file at Hidan and Kakuzu, "we're adding the newest poisoning to this cluster. Hidan, Kakuzu begin the investigation. Itachi what is the psychological profile?" "Male, 20-30's, generic enough to be unnoticed and unremarkable, a team that includes medical and scientific acuity as well as current or former military service. The computer hacking is new as that technology has advanced and so much information is transmitted that way that hacking is essential for information. Do we know of anyone like that?" "That's basically the whole police force. Are we suspects?" Kakuzu asked. Itachi gave him a dead eye stare, "perhaps we are."

Konan cuddled Yukiko as she read over her notes for the update on the scientist's apparent murder. "Mmmm" Yukiko hummed as Konan's lips kissed her shoulder. Konan put her notes down and moved Yukiko's hair aside so she could kiss her neck. "Konan..." Yukiko breathed and was about to say more when a loud knock sounded at Konan's door. "You expecting someone?" Yukiko asked. "No" Konan said frowning as she got up and tied her robe around her waist. Yukiko refastened her robe as well. Konan opened the door to see Pein standing there.

"What do you want?" she hissed at him. "I want you to come home" he said. Konan crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at her husband. "And if I say no? If I say I've found someone else? Someone better?" Pein hung his head and his knuckles tapped the doorframe. "I can be who I was. I can be who you need" he said quietly. "Doubtful" Konan said scornfully. Pein's eyes flashed with anger and he punched the doorframe, the sound of his knuckles breaking against the sturdy wood ringing in their ears. He held his broken and bloody fist to Konan's face and said "this hurts less than what your words and actions do" he said as he turned to leave. "Just...don't give up one me" he asked plaintively before descending the stairs and exiting the condo building.

Konan sighed and turned away from the door to see Yukiko dressed and ready to leave. "Yuki?" She asked as she approached her. Yukiko smiled sadly as she held Konan's hands, "he loves you and I think you still love him in your own way. I don't belong in the middle of this and I certainly am not one for second place" she said as she walked to the door, opened it and left.

Kakuzu glanced at his phone as he was driving home.  It was Shinju checking on him and he gave a small smile at the screen before he put his phone down and continued his drive. He hadn't had time to connect with her and with this new case, time seemed to be a precious commodity.

Pein calmly walked into the emergency room of the hospital and calmly told the triage nurse about his broken and bloody hand. She took him to the back and he sat waiting for his doctor. "So, you punched a door and have this to show for it?" Umiko asked as she entered the room. Pein nodded and held his hand out. She examined the hand and ordered x-rays and an ortho consult. "What happened?" She asked. "I caught my wife with another woman" he replied and hung his head in defeat. Umiko couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.