DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. THAT RIGHT BELONGS TO KISHIMOTO... <3
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CHAPTER 1
The Task
Raikage ordered an immediate autopsy of the bodies that had been peculiar. Some seemed to have died of cuts to internal organs but had lost a few parts that were odd. A body that obviously died of blood loss from a cut to an artery in the neck oddly had his eyes and hands taken, and there were some more morbid than others in appearance. Even for any bloodthirsty killing machine, killing someone is one thing but to rip their parts (and probably keep them) when they're already dead is somewhat... pointless, even bordering psychotic. So the Raikage summoned some of his best and requested to have Tsunade and Gaara send some of theirs. Among the Kages these two had been the easiest to call for when in need of assistance mostly because the Mizukage and the Tsuchikage needed to maintain order among their remaining shinobi. There were various political turmoil amidst the peace. Knowing that it would take more than his village's abilities in order to understand the purpose for such heinous acts, the Raikage knew he needed to acquire help.
War was bad, but mutilating the bodies of the fallen was worse.
At the moment, Raikage looked over his village, Kumogakure, through his glass window with a deep frown. He knows his worries are nothing short of factual, but he is hoping — for the sake of post-war rebuilding, and the deads' families — that his gut feeling was wrong.
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"Has there been any updates, Tsunade?"
Tsuande shook her head, sadly, and kept staring at the cold tiles of the Konohagakure Hospital. She hadn't bothered to notice that the honorific was dropped when the elders addressed her.
The peering eyes of the two council elders remained on the Fifth Hokage, calculating whether or not to push her for information or to cut her some slack after the Great War. The woman was the first to break, sighing, she touched the old man's arm and sent him a message with her eyes. Perhaps now is not the best time.
The old man nodded, knowing that their exchange wasn't noticed by the Fifth who was still deep in her own thoughts. He cleared his throat to get her attention again. The Legendary Sannin looked up with a sort of dazed and tired look in her eyes as though she hadn't been sleeping — and probably drowning herself in the sake stash in her desk at the Hokage's office.
"Tsunade," the old man started. "You should rest, the people of Konoha will not take well to seeing its leader fall apart because of post-war worries. You must remain strong, and hopeful for whatever news the Raikage will bring us."
Tsunade was surprised by the elders' kindness, and turned her eyes toward the old woman who nodded slightly as if to tell her that she agrees as well. For the first time since the troubling news from the Raikage, Tsuande found herself with a small smile. "Arigatou gozaimasu, I will heed your advice."
Seemingly satisfied with the outcome of their small talk, the two elders proceeded to leave the Konohagakure Hospital while Tsunade remained standing where she was until they were out of sight.
They finally begin to trust me since the Great War. I'm grateful for at least these few changes.
"Hokage-sama!" A nurse was running towards Tsunade, her face one of desperation.
Tsunade, without needing any information, ran to the room of the patient handled by the specific nurse.
"Get three more nurses up there with me, now!" Tsunade shouted as she passed the nurse, picking up speed. Her strength was indeed needed, not just by fighters, but also by healers.
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The team sent by the Hokage and the Kazekage arrived four days since their departure. Normally they would have taken a week because of bandits and other village ninja trying to intercept them but since the Great War, there have been less issues between the villages apart from minor troubles like thievery and the common drunkards every now and again. The need for hardcore missions grew less and it was easier for the Kages to send people when their allies required it.
"Right this way," the Raikage's secretary gestured to a great building that stood in the center of the village and the two groups — Leaf and Sand shinobi — walked at ease toward the great double doors set in front of the building with the secretary following close, and leading the way.
Four Leaf shinobi and five Sand were sent to the Raikage. They were little in number because the Raikage has specifically asked for the best of the best — failure in this particular autopsy was not an option if it means they were facing a new, and perhaps greater threat.
"Finally, it took you long enough," was the Raikage's greeting when the group of 9 finally entered his office. Without formalities, he immediately turned to his secretary. "Give them an overview of what's happening and I'll proceed from what I want them to do."
"Hai, Raikage-sama," she replied, and the nine shinobi immediately turned their attention to her as she narrated the events that lead up to the present.
When the secretary was finished, the Raikage stood up from his couch to face the shinobi in his full, daunting height.
"I want you to assist my own team in conducting an autopsy for the dead bodies before we return them to their rightful villages and families. I will not sugar-coat this and say that your job will be simple because yours will be a complex and difficult task, and there is no room for failure during the autopsy. You will study the cause or causes of each body's death and make sure to report it in complete, concise and accurate measure." The Raikage paused, making sure to look each one of the nine shinobi present in the eyes. When he was satisfied that their attention was all on him, he continued.
"Any report short of a one hundred percent accuracy will be repeated. After a regular autopsy, you must lay out the facts about the bodies' village of origin and clan of origin, if there is any also list bloodlines. Make sure to check which bloodlines are missing, and how long the period of time between the person's death and the removal of the bloodlines were. This is the most crucial part of the entire autopsy. You cannot make any mistakes even a second or a minute difference is not acceptable. I will not repeat myself as soon as you're all deployed in the autopsy chamber, and no one will help you there because there will only be a total of nineteen of you to work on this, and there are more than a thousand dead bodies. I assume it will take a round-the-clock work to finish this task in two weeks. I'm giving you three weeks at best. There are nineteen of you, and the best there is. I believe the Mizukage will send some of her best in a few days, by then you should have finished a quarter of the bodies... There is no room for failure. Do I make myself clear?"
"Hai, Raikage-sama!" The nine shinobi replied simultaneously, standing at attention and mentally preparing themselves for the gruelling task to come. Round-the-clock means having to work at least sixteen hours a day, leaving the remaining eight to eat and rest. And they only had three weeks.
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The Mizukage's best consisted of six in a group, and upon their arrival four days after the Leaf and Sand shinobi arrived, the Raikage had been mildly surprised.
"Six?" He asked.
"Hai, Raikage-sama, six," his secretary replied coolly while the Raikage stood with his back to her as he stared out his window.
"The Mizukage told me only five will be coming," he sighed. "Let them in."
When the six shinobi entered his office, they stood in a horizontal line in order for the Raikage to easily see their faces.
"The letter Mizukage sent me said only five will be arriving, which one of you is not supposed to be part of this team."
The group noticeably tensed, except for one. A tall, old man with his hands clasped together in front of him stood on the rightmost of the group and remained calm. He quietly stepped forward, making sure to make his movements careful and slow so as not to alarm the Raikage.
He bowed to the best of his abilities before speaking, "Raikage-sama, I was a last minute addition because Mizukage-sama didn't believe I could still travel in my old age. But I am a veteran medical nin, and I have done more autopsies in half of my life than these five with me combined. I want to be of service to the Allied Shinobi Forces while I'm still alive."
The Raikage took a moment to consider. "What is your name?"
"I am Kozuya, just Kozuya."
"And how do I know I can trust you with this difficult task, Kozuya?"
At this, Kozuya smiled a little bit, bringing up the corners of his white moustache and wrinkling the corner of his eyes. "I am the Mizukage's grandfather and a veteran medic nin. I am well acquainted with the human anatomy and I have done surgeries in amounts more than my age. It would also honour my granddaughter if you would allow me to take part in this mission."
The Raikage nodded once, realising the honour and sincerity behind the man's words.
"You may go, you will be briefed on your way to the autopsy chamber. Please do not fail the Allied Shinobi Forces."