Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Note: No responses or questions for this chapter; I am far to lazy and tired after finishing this monster to bother; I hope you enjoy, and just share what you think in reviews.

Sincerely,

Toph the Trickster

Arc Two, Chapter Six:

Chapter Thirty:

Opening Moves: One:

The Village Hidden in the Leaves

"I have explained in previous lectures the concept of the three rules:

"The first: Know thyself, for this is half of victory;

"The second: Know thy foe, for this is half of victory;

"Know both these and victory is not in danger.

"The third: Know all heaven and know all earth, for victory is found within this;

"Know all three and victory is complete.

"The previous two are the easiest to understand, but allow me to pose to you this question:

"What is heaven and what is earth?"

-Lectures of Prince Rikudo

~TtT~

Discretion was quite possibly the best way to describe Konoha's practices with regard to handling information of any clearance level. It was important for everyone in the village to understand that there were certain things that could be discussed openly and certain things that were to be as close to forgotten as possible.

But there was a line somewhere there, Sarutobi Hiruzen was sure, a line that was drawn between secrets made to protect everyone from danger and secrets that were all-consuming and self-destructive.

In the occurrence of such, control was paramount to successful containment of such information. And yet there existed the challenge for it was difficult to control anything that one could not identify.

Which secrets should be culled to what degree? What will their revelation cost the nation? How will it affect the current generation? Will it break anyone's will? Is someone's life and honor hanging on this remaining secret or coming out in the open?

This was the general train of though he followed as he studied the little wooden box that seemed to have caused him such internal torment:

The rolled-up blue scroll had been labeled as a journal but couldn't have been opened by regular means because of a blood seal placed on it; a map of the continent complete with each of the nations, their respective capitols, trade cities, and shinobi villages – villages that had locations that were not supposed to be disclosed to internationals. That was another standard practice regarding information. Despite the village's need for trade, the exact locations were usually kept secret with the exception of merchants and travelers that had been screened and approved by the office of the leading Kage.

It disturbed Hiruzen to think that one man was privy to such secrets and the potential damage that could be done because of such knowledge.

What chilled the Hokage even more though, were the nations that had not been included in the map:

The Land of Rain was blank, and so were the Lands of Rice Paddies, Whirlpool, Snow, and several other fiefs that were too minor recall; each area instead – with the exception of Rice – being painted pure black.

"Ironic, isn't it?" the kage looked up from the map to meet the single eye of his companion. Shimura Danzo continued: "That the five shinobi nations are supposed to have the most powerful shinobi within their ranks, the best talents in their genetic pool, and the best mines to over think." The councilor leaned forward in his chair, allowing his cane to support him. "Shouldn't this also mean that we should possess the greatest security among the hidden villages?"

Hiruzen didn't even need his colleague to finish that train of thought, and so decided to finish it himself: "If so," the kage began as he took out his pipe and placed some tobacco inside. "How is it that it is primarily the five nations that are on the map, and mostly the minor villages that are blank?" He waved his hand over the spread-out piece of paper. "What does this tell us?"

His pipe now lit, the Hokage placed it in his mouth and took several puffs as he turned his eyes to his crippled companion, awaiting the councilor's response.

"There are too many possibilities," If Danzo had been bothered by the Hokage's line of questioning, the former did not show it and neither did he try to make himself appear more knowledgeable than he ought to have been. "This map could merely been made to contain locations in the shinobi nations. Considering Akatsuki's apparent interest in the jinchuuriki, that could be a plausible theory." The first high councilor leaned his cane against the bale and pointed his hands at the Land of Teal Leaves, and saying: "But that doesn't explain why there are still some minor areas that are neither painted black nor left blank."

Hiruzen's rival then scowled before he said his next words: "This theory also doesn't explain what the countries that are painted black mean." His finger hovered over the Lands of Whirlpool, Snow, and Rain before sliding over the smaller fiefs that had also been painted over.

It was the Hokage who then voiced a question: "Could there be a connection?"

Danzo's reply came immediately: "Without a doubt." The elder's eyes kept on the map, traveling through the markings as though moving through the lands themselves; he added: "But this map has no legend," Hiruzen looked down and observed the blank, yellowed edges that were unlabeled save for the marking of the cardinal directions on the upper right corner. "The only people intended to read this map were those that knew exactly what all the designations mean," the eyes of both men met before Danzo stated his conclusion:

"And only they can provide us an answer."

The Hokage did not give a verbal reply, instead twirling his chair so that he could look through the window that held a view of the Kage's Monument as he mulled over his advisor's thoughts:

First and foremost: Hiruzen could ascertain that their security was lacking in respect to keeping the location of the village a secret, this could possibly have been caused by Itachi's joining Akatsuki, so if that had indeed been the case, it could not be helped. But worse yet, it wasn't just Konoha that had been unfortunate enough to have their locations revealed to people of ill-intent but the other four of the five great countries as well. The amount of detail that could be seen in the map's drawing brought even more unrest to the Hokage's sense of security for even if their shinobi might come to know of the other cities and villages in the nation, the odds of knowing the location of all of them were rather slim.

And with the validity of his position as Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen could affirm that every city, village, and town in the country were written and labeled on the map in front of him.

Second: It was strange that domains that were unlabeled were painted black, not because that it would have signified that they were unexplored, but because it made things too final; black lines were used to mark maps.

And you could not write over black paper and still see what you have drawn.

Could it have been as cover up, then? That was another possibility considering how Akasuna no Sasori seemed too willing to surrender this potential treasure trove of information.

If so then why was the Land of Rice Paddies left blank yet unpainted black? What connected the areas that were shaded in?

Third: Taking all these things into account, and looking at the events surrounding the objects on his table, Hiruzen had to wonder…

What did Amegakure have to do with all of this?

After all, it was one of the shaded locations, and Sakura's report stated that the missing-nin had once visited the Rain Village in order to obtain parts of his puppets.

Could Ame have been involved with Akatsuki? This question was unfortunately disproved by the fact that Ame had voluntarily participated in a mission that countered Akatsuki's goals.

Was the mission entirely and act, then?

Hiruzen sighed at the last question his subconscious threw at him, accepting that it was also another possibility, but one that would require painfully taken measures to confirm along with a great deal of time.

"You've been quiet for a while, Hokage-dono." It was Danzo, calling from the chair next to the office's sole desk, the councilor leaning against the back rest. "Have you come to a conclusion?"

With another sigh, the kage replied: "Inconclusive.

"It is possible that the black areas were done to keep something hidden. It's an easy thought to latch unto as there is no legend that says what the shading means." Hiruzen stood up, walked around the desk, then began pacing about the office, continuing: "But is that a trick as well? Your suggestion of it being meant only for eyes of those that worked with Akatsuki is true as well, and what I am thinking is in fact the trap that was set inside this map's design." Taking a deep breath and then reaching up to remove the pipe from his mouth, Hiruzen blew out a smoke ring. "The questions begin to branch out after those two.

"In the case of your theory, I am made to ask:

"Was the map intended for Akatsuki or the personal use of Akasuna no Sasori and those that work under him?

"What connections exist among the blackened areas?

"Why is the Land of Rice exempted?

"My theory poses these questions:

"What are the blackened areas hiding?

"Why are they hiding them, and why is Ame among the shaded ones?

"Is Amegakure involved with Akatsuki?"

Inhaling the fumes of his pipe and breathing out again, Hiruzen prepared to finish his explanation: "We have too little information to go on, and so we are unable to come to a standing conclusion." Nodding to himself, the kage finally returned to his seat before adding: "End of Demonstration."

There was silence at first, Danzo not giving him an immediate reply and Hiruzen unwilling to add anything more for unwillingness to talking any more on the topic of a map that would only coerce both men into unending theory-crafting that could very well be wrong.

What the Hokage had found unexpected however, was the first councilor's attack on another subject that had gone overlooked over the course of the examination of the box's contents:

"What about the kunai, then?" Shimura gestured to the sole weapon tha that had been recovered from the wooden container. "Are you going to present it to Haruno as well?"

It was a loaded question if Sarutobi Hiruzen had ever heard one before, and being in his position had exposed him to those in spades.

Danzo was striking at one of the few things they had in common: the unwillingness to share information that – in their opinion – did no need to be disclosed.

Hiruzen decided to bite, knowing that since both he and the councilor shared the same opinion on the matter, the cripple of the two would give him sound advice: "What do you suggest?"

Both men eyed the kunai that lay atop the map's upper-left edge, noting the thin blade and the two other points that jutted out its sides diagonally, and the engraving on the handle.

Still not taking his eyes off the blade, Danzo shared his thoughts: "I can safely conclude that the information we have before us now – be it stated or implied in forms outside of words – is with us at another's consent, and whoever we are dealing with, wants Haruno Sakura to have this information." The Hokage knew that this was just the introduction to whatever Danzo really wanted to say; seeing as both understood the just-said facts perfectly. "I recommend that we play the field first, if only to get a better idea of what our opponent might be up to, if he is willing to pull someone from another nation into this game.

"Whether we want to or not, Haruno Sakura is at the center of this right now, and I think that we can only get any answers if we let her take free reign."

After giving the councilor a nod, Hiruzen countered: "And how do we know this isn't a trap laid to lead us astray?"

At this, Shimura stared at him; the action unnerving Hiruzen though the latter made sure not so show it. It seemed that Danzo was surprised at the Hokage's argument, and the latter of the two did not like to entertain such a thought.

When the bandaged former-shinobi gave his reply though, it came as an anecdote:

~"When unsure of your foes defenses, strike at everything you see, and then understand all that he is.

~"Once you find what is strong and what is weak, strike again and break him." ~

It was a message from the old Shinobi code, but Hiruzen understood as Danzo knew that the former would.

"Very well," –Said the Hokage in response. "Let us strike at what we see, and hopefully, we shall draw blood."

The Secretary announced the arrival of Haruno Sakura seconds later.

~TtT~

After having finished lunch at the central garden, Hinata and Shino continued their conversations with regular deliveries of tea and pastries made by the helpers of the household. The Aburame clan heir had informed her that they would be leaving for the national capitol in three to four days while he tried to acquire their third companion.

Upon her inquiry of why Kiba was not chosen for the job, Shino replied: "There is very little, if at all tracking involved in this mission and his skills would be of little use." This was said at roughly half-past three in the afternoon while the kettle was being refilled. "All things considered, this is assignment is more political formality than actual ninja mission which is why I had been chosen for the job."

The Hyuuga swallowed what remains of cake she had been chewing on so that she could ask a question, but her companion interrupted her, saying:

"I am inviting you to accompany me so that you can observe the capitol – something I am certain you have yet been able to do – as well as wait out Hiashi-san's current indisposition." He then sipped his tea before refilling the cup and added: "Besides, I doubt Kiba would possess the amount of patience needed for such a non-battle-oriented mission."

Hinata accepted the first two and could not deny the third reason, and thus, her curiosity was appeased.

She had not bothered to ask who he had selected for their third statement, deciding to make guesses of her own while taking into account the nature of the assignment and the type of ninja they might need.

Once the few immediate details of the mission were ironed out, the pair moved into Shino's house wing to continue their talks on the outer porch while the garden kiosk was prepared for Shino's mother who would be receiving guests for dinner.

They had settled down ten minutes later, the newest batch of tea and pastries already prepared for them when the pair had laid their legs atop the cushions as their conversation moved along, beginning with what differences the nation's capitol would have to Konoha and somehow coming to the topic of the different insects Shino had been observing as of late.

Hinata was surprised at how she managed to maintain interest, despite the fact that they discussed such the last subject to rarely, often preferring to keep the talks on things they both were familiar with.

She broke into a small grin – one that Shino could not see as he had been speaking with a servant that entered – when the thought that he had become more willing to share such things with her; things that her friend had labeled as mundane and unnecessary to discuss with others.

"It would appear-" The Hyuuga was brought back to reality by her teammate's calling her; the servant that interrupted their previous conversation was already leaving when Shino spoke: "-that mother has learned of your presence in the grounds this evening." Hearing the Aburame's choice of words was enough to cause Hinata's eyes to quickly swivel towards the clock located above the sliding door into the house and observed that is was ten minutes past the hour of seven that evening.

She had only intended to stay till just before five in the afternoon, and that meant that she had lost track of time in her conversations with her long-time friend. Dinner would have been almost ready had she been in her home that time.

Shino, in the event that he noticed her fairly violent reaction, chose not to react to it and continued with his worded tirade without waiting: "While my mother had expressed the presence of guests tonight, she has decided to invite you and I to the gathering as well." He lowered his gaze this time, meeting her lavender eyes with his own brown ones from over his glasses before adding: "Shall you do me the honor of having dinner with my family, Hyuuga Hinata?"

While the female of the pair had gone to the restroom to prepare for a meeting with the male's mother, Shino had deigned to see to the cleaning up of the space they had occupied. Hinata felt a rush of unexpected thoughts run through her mind; ones that she decided were expected to a certain degree considering the fact that during the three years she had begun visiting the Aburame head's residence, she had only ever encountered either of Shino's parents five times and all of those encounters in passing.

This wouldn't be the first time she had been invited to stay with him for dinner…

But this would most definitely be the first time she had been invited to stay with him for dinner in the company of one of his closer relatives.

What would she think of me?

-was quite possibly the most prominent question that popped into her mind, but she did her absolute best to squash the thought along with its allies before it had the chance to bother her any further.

Despite this, Hinata wondered if she should perhaps extend a similar invitation to Shino within the three to four days there were prior to their departure for the mission; if only so that he may experience the same thing as she.

~TtT~

The two members of team eight had left at a little past nine in the evening, having been drawn into the discussions of the adults as the elder's discussed details of the new deal such as preferred modes of delivery and dates that the aforementioned deliveries were to be made.

Shino's mother had in fact invited everyone present to enter the main house because of the dropping temperature brought about by the time of night when Shino said that he would take Hinata home as Hiashi was no doubt beginning to worry for her.

"Very well," the Aburame matriarch said with a nod as she stood up and extended to Hinata a hand. "It was a pleasure to have you with us tonight, Hinata-chan, and perhaps you might be able to dine with us again but at a time where you presence can be most appreciated." The Hyuuga took the offered hand and shook it, after which the mother turned to her son, adding: "Make sure to bring you keys, Shino, and take as long as you need."

The pair was on the street no more than ten minutes later and at the Hyuuga's doorstep after no more than twenty.

When she and Shino arrived at the Hyuuga head's residence, Hinata had expected to be greeted with the usual when she was out for the evening: the night guards and whoever servants assigned to tending to her for the night. After all the talking she had been doing that day, beginning with the discussions with Shino to the dinner conversations with his mother, the Hyuuga found herself fairly exhausted and was looking forward for a nice soak in her bath.

Any thought of that, however, were crushed once the pair of genin made it through the gate and found High Councilman Hyuuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga Clan, waiting for them at front porch.

And just like that morning, the politician stared at his daughter with narrowed eyes.

"O-otou-sama!" It wasn't the first time Hinata had returned home at such hours as there were certain missions that ended late into the day if the location of work was not more than a day's journey from Konoha, but in all the missions and celebrations she had gone to that ended after nine in the evening, it was rare for her to encounter her father outside the house for he usually deigned to wait for her to make her presence known from inside his study.

This would also be the first time she had been taken home by her Aburame teammate, and she had no idea as to what her father might be thinking with regard to what the last was seeing at that moment.

If Shino had been bothered by such an event though, the male clan heir did not show such; quickly nodding towards Hiashi and saying: "I bid you good evening, Hiashi-san."

Immediately, Hiashi's narrowed eyes relaxed as the councilman returned the nod and apparently unbothered by the choice of honorific, replied: "A good evening to you as well, Vice Councilor Aburame." Returning his attention to his daughter, Hiashi added: "Hinata, since you were coming home with the vice councilor in tow, I am to assume that you were with him most of today?"

Whether this question was being posed to ascertain her safety or point out a fault Hinata was unsure.

She answered him, regardless: "Yes, otou-sama," the female heir nodded. "Lady Aburame asked that I stay for dinner and I accepted." Hinata knew her father well enough to understand that he also wanted an explanation for her late return if she had only spent lunch and the rest of the afternoon there. "I apologize for not having given earlier notification, but it was an unexpected development."

To this Hiashi sent his daughter a dismissing wave that told her she did not need to elaborate further.

"Understandable, Hinata, conceding to Lady Aburame's request was the better path to take." To Shino, he said: "Shino-kun, I was just about to call on you tonight as I had some things to discuss with you regarding yesterday's meeting and certain other things." The clan head then opened the sliding door and gestured that the pair enter. As the genin did so, he added: "It is most convenient that you decided to escort my daughter home."

As Hinata removed her sandals and placed them inside her designated shelf, she heard her teammate reply: "My father should be disposed for council duties by tomorrow morning, Hiashi-san." The younger of the two listening Hyuuga could easily understand what the Aburame had been trying to say: 'My father will be disposed for work tomorrow, so if you truly require the help of the Aburame, it would be better for you to speak with the clan's high councilman.'

Closing the door behind him and, too, removing his sandals so that he may tread over the wooden floors, the clan head countered with: "My concerns may have something to do with your clan, Shino-kun, but it is something that you can handle better than anyone else."

As this conversation played out, Hinata had decided to only pay half as much attention as she usually would, understanding that she wouldn't get a full grasp of what the two council members were talking about. She stretched and decided to make for the nearest antechamber where she assumed the two males would continue their discussion.

That had been the case until she heard her father state that he wished to speak with Shino specifically.

But rather than stopping to listen and risk making herself obvious, she discreetly activated her Byakugan and searched for the nearest servant.

Finding one rounding the corner, she called out to the older female and began queried the latter regarding any interesting occurrences that may have happened over the course of the day, but rather than paying the servant any attention, Hinata kept her full attention on the closed sliding door that stood between herself and the conversation she was now eavesdropping upon.

"I see." It was Shino who spoke first, choosing to reply to Hiashi's statement rather than allow the older man to follow up with any more words. "Am I to assume this is regarding our off-record discussion after the last meeting?"

There was a moment of silence then, the third-party observer imagining her father nod before her teammate spoke again.

"I would recommend another place to talk about such things, Hiashi-san; I shall see what I can arrange for tomorrow evening as there will be another conveying of the High Council during the day and I still have to make preparations for my mission."

It was Hiashi who spoke next, saying: "Very well, Aburame-san." At this Hinata raised her eyebrows, slightly perturbed at her father's sudden formality but unable to contemplate any more as the Hyuuga head immediately added: "Shall I send a vassal to inquire upon your availability tomorrow at noon?"

"No," Shino stated before the older male could say any more. "Expect a letter on your desk by the time you arrive home from the meeting; the envelope will be unsealed."

Not needing to hear any more said, and wanting some peace so that she may ponder what she had the privilege of knowing, Hinata bowed to the servant, thanking the older woman for sharing the events of that day and made for her room on the other side of the building.

As her footsteps echoed through the mansion as it made ready for sleep, she thought back to what she had just heard: It was rather clear that there are things going on between her father and her friend that she was not aware of, whether these things would have anything to do with her remained to be unseen, but the heiress could also draw the conclusion that her father's recent behavior had more to do than just the announcement of prince Rikudo's birthday celebration considering the fact that the two males had spoken right after the last council meeting three days prior.

This also told Hinata that Aburame Shino, someone that she had come to acknowledge as her closest confidant was hiding things from her – things that might have to do with her personally due to her father's involvement – and she did not like it.

The kunoichi was now at the mansion's northern wing which she shared with her younger sister, Hanabi, the silence of the room she had just passed telling her that the more favored sister was now asleep.

Making a right and sliding open the entrance to her room, she frowned into her darkened room, her mind still dwelling on the slight mistrust that had just made itself known to her.

But worse still, whatever business Shino was currently conducting with the Hyuuga clan head was something that the former was handling personally with little – if at all – involvement of the rest of the Aburame clan.

Could it have been personal, then?

Her lips pulled downward at the thought.

-Personal business that can be connected to my father? And to such an extent that he would try to make contact with Shino on such hours that he wouldn't usually work?

It was a most disturbing though.

But as she went to her closet and began dressing for bed while replaying the conversation had overheard, the female was struck by one specific detail, one statement made by her teammate that fit into the logical reasoning that he so advocated:

'Expect a letter on your desk by the time you arrive home from the meeting; the envelope will be unsealed.'

Pulling her undershirt over her head and replacing it with the kimono she favored wearing in her sleep, she tried to analyze it.

There isn't any reason for Shino to leave that sort of message in father's desk, and if there was, it wouldn't have been wise for him to state the location the letter would be left since father always goes to his study first upon returning home from anywhere.

The sides of her lips sank low as her frown deepened.

Even more so, what point was there in saying that the letter would be unsealed? This was an anomaly that seemed to scream at the girl, for she understood that leaving a letter unsealed left the recipient unable to tell whether it had been read beforehand or not.

She had been about to settle in her futon when that last detail made her eyebrows rise and her lips draw a startled gasp.

Clapping her hands over her mouth, she activated her Byakugan and began casting glances around the room while speaking to herself in whispers: "He did it on purpose! He knew I was listening to him speak with my father and he made arrangements in such a way that I would be given the opportunity to understand the situation better." She felt the presence then, her bloodline limit locking onto a little creature whose eight legs pattered against the side of her wall and making its way to her window.

Flicking on her light, she managed to see only a flash of black dash trough the opening in her wall before the spider was gone.

For all she knew, it could have been nothing more than a trick of the light or her own imagination running wild.

Aburame Shino's last statement along with the little creature she just saw also imparted two messages to her:

The first, 'You wanted to know what was bothering your father these past days, no? Then this is your opportunity to find out for while I cannot tell you what you what you want to know, it is not my fault if you were to stumble upon the information.' Or at the very least that was what she wanted to believe, wanting to keep faith in the trust she shared with her friend.

The second, the message that came to her when she saw the arachnid in the room with her Byakugan, 'Be more subtle with your eavesdropping, Hinata.' she could almost imagine the unnoticeable smirk on his lips; she moved to turn the lights back off and settle down on her futon.

The first understanding made her next course of action clear, though:

I will be paying father's study a visit tomorrow at noon.

~TtT~

Uchiha Sasuke found sneaking around his own village in the dead of night to be rather cliché; the sort of thing that was imagined by kids that were still at the academy when they talked about how it was going to be like in the line of work he was currently practicing.

He snorted as he recalled that the latter statement was, in fact, untrue as very few ninja aspirants thought of midnight excursions as something of the norm.

That had been the case with him, after all.

Sneaking into the building had been an easy task, the lack of guards in the building making the action all the easier. Yet despite the ease with which the task was completed, the shinobi chose to continue his traversing via the ceiling, opting to play it safe in the event that some random resident decided to walk around the halls to go to the restroom or on some other mundane pretext.

He had only been in this section of the mansion two or three times, both of which with his Sharingan deactivated so that he couldn't immediately memorize the visual layout of the complex but he had done his best to get a general idea of locations of the points of interest that he could use as basis.

In this case, his exact destination: the private study of one Aburame Shino.

This time though, he kept his Kekkei Genkai active, wanting to have a full knowledge of the area he was searching for future references.

He made a left at the first crossing he encountered, quickly casting a red glance around before finding a potted plant that he could not recall being passed on en route to his sought-after destination; turning around to study his second option – the hall that he would have faced had he turned right as opposed to left, the Uchiha recognized the hanging scroll with the Hokage monument painted on it and ran towards it before rounding the corner at the end of the path.

Sasuke inwardly cursed at the sight the greeted him:

It could have been best described as a tree, the trunk that he had been standing in branching out to countless other halls, rooms, and entrances that most certainly served as protection for the clan heir that resided within the wing of the Aburame mansion that Sasuke had been intruding upon. They would repeat and loop into one another and create the illusion that he was searching through a gigantic pathway.

The shinobi suppressed a sigh before allowing himself to drop to the floor and walk down the path before him while calmly studying the differences between each entrance.

Five entrances on each side, the first on his right went of about ten meters before breaking into another set of five entrances that he assumed were connected with its other four counterparts. On his left side, the there was a staircase that went both up and down an estimated twenty meters from where he stood with an entrance that directed him back towards the area he had just come from.

Taking three steps forward so that the second pair of entrances was to his sides, Sasuke studied them as he did the first: the one on his right being a mirror of the first set and the one on his left having another staircase that lead down as opposed to the first and extending a further thirty meters and leading to a sliding door that he assumed was the garden.

The third left entrance was a copy of the second as was the fourth while the fifth imitated the first albeit with the corner that accompanied the stairwell going forward instead of back.

At the end of the hall was another scroll painting, this time of the Kyuubi attack from fifteen years before. He approached the hanging parchments to get take in its appearance better – as Sasuke could rarely find pieces that depicted event as so few seemed willing to remember it.

It was of black ink, quite unlike the first scroll he had passed upon entering that had been a colored rendering of the Hokage's faces; this one had the great fox facing west where the sun set while its tails spread outward from itself and towards the village, leaving a path of destruction while blocking the people from the withering sunlight.

The image was an attack on hope if he knew no better.

But there was something else about the painting that Sasuke couldn't place his finger on, something out of place about it that bothered him. Deciding to give in to this urge before continuing with his objective, he neared the artwork and extended his hand to touch it but casting his Sharingan around the immediate area so to be aware of any traps that might be sprung upon making contact with the yellowed paper.

What caught his attention most though was not on the wall in front of him, or the wooden corners on either of his sides, but the floor that he stood on.

It was slight, so soft that he would not have noticed it had he been moving at the relaxed pace that he was when he walked closer to the Kyuubi's portrait but he felt it:

That soft breeze that should not have been there if the wall he was facing was in fact, a wall.

With a smirk and a downward glance of his Sharingan that exposed to him the last piece of evidence he needed to form his conclusion, Sasuke snorted and said, eying the dancing yellow lights at his feet:

"Red Herring…"`

The other ten entrances before this one were nothing more than distractions, taking advantage of the fact that most intruders would have been too hurried deciding on the first ten options to bother contemplating the obviousness of their target being right in plane sight. The Uchiha head admitted that he would have fallen for it as well had the painting not caught his attention.

It was then the oddness of the scroll became clear to him: the lower wooden cylinder that the paper wound around seemed to be dangling a little off the wall, not really making contact, but not far enough to be noticeable to anyone without the Sharingan or prior knowledge of the anomaly either.

And that was why he said what he said; all the other puzzles before this little trick that was so mundane it should have been noticed by a casual observer were merely red herring – unneeded information irrelevant to the problem.

Sweeping the scroll to one side, the shinobi grabbed hold of the iron clasp and pulled the wooden panel aside, the object soundlessly bending to the interloper's will and removing itself from his way and revealing the five meter walkway that lead to a wooden, rice paper-covered sliding door with a plaque above it, the golden kanji dancing in the soft candlelight that should have already been put out:

Aburame Shino.

Channeling chakra to his feet, Sasuke set his soles on the right wall rather than the floor and walked forward; for it was easy to assume that those last five meters were made of singing floorboards to warn the sleeping heir of an intruder that had made it past the last line of defense.

But of the orange glow that shone off the translucent paper told the Uchiha anything, it was the fact that the member of team eight was still awake.

"I see you finally decided to pay me a visit, Uchiha Sasuke-san." Shino struck first, sending his verbal blow the moment the sliding door was pushed aside. "Three days is certainly a long time to wait before making a basic inquiry." The room Sasuke entered was dark, lit only by two candles – one on the Aburame's writing desk and one located on a stand in front of the entrance. "You weren't having second thoughts, were you?"

The still silent intruder felt his eyebrows nose wrinkle and his lips be pulled down; momentarily flinching from his adversary's drawing of first blood with the preemptive strike.

Setting his feet back on the polished floor, Sasuke made his way to the rightmost corner before sitting on his haunches and replying: "What do you know?" He didn't bother to think of a response to Shino's opening, knowing that there was little he could say to counter the inquiry that could put the Aburame on the defensive so the Uchiha chose to take the hit and send a quick strike of his own.

The vice councilor, however, wasn't phased and parried the blow with practiced ease: "You lack courtesy, Uchiha-san, to make demands without answering with the proper niceties." The jab was mixed with the defense, and the clan head took the hit.

Sasuke had to remind himself then that the person he was speaking with was not the usual quiet member of team Konoha's eight genin squad but the vice high councilor of the Aburame clan who had been in training at least five years longer than he had and practicing as a member of the village high council for at least a full year longer than he had. The former had no reason to be trained to be a member of the council before because of the simple fact that the Uchiha clan had not been a part of aforementioned governing body until just recently.

Experience was not on his side tonight, and talent on the battlefield was useless here where words took precedence.

Shino took up his brush and continued writing the letter he had been working on prior to Sasuke's arrival. "Your bloodline does not give you power over me; it will not help you with getting information, nor will it enable you to overpower me if you intend to use force." The said red eyes narrowed at the blow. "Recall that I have the home field advantage, and you are not aware of whatever traps I may have present."

As though Shino saw the intruder tense his muscles in preparation for a physical confrontation, the former added: "So I would suggest you relax your muscles before I have you bound." It was after this was said that a black blur fell from the ceiling and unto Sasuke's left thigh.

It was a spider, about the size of open palm with legs as long as each of his fingers.

He immediately raised an eyebrow at this unexpected revelation: The Aburame were not known for using spiders.

Forcing himself to relax, leaning his back against the smooth wooden corner behind him, Sasuke made to reply, saying, "Though you are acting the way you are now, you certainly didn't bother to shield your secret when you made that comment regarding my earring." It was a decent counter, the clan head knew; with an argument solid enough, the Uchiha hoped to manage some sort of substantial reply from the Aburame heir. "If you didn't want to establish contact, you would have remained quiet about it."

The last sentence caused Shino to stop writing, the brush finishing one more stroke before being set down on the desk and the wet ink let to dry.

A nod: "Yes, my pointing out your earring – which I can also ascertain you didn't really buy off some random Suna merchant – did serve to tell you that I was more aware than others." Sasuke saw the clan heir look down to examine the state of the latter's writing, Shino added: "But this was to tell you that you were not alone, to tell you that there was more than one operative within Konoha's walls so that you may watch out of whom you cross while you go about your investigation." If the Uchiha could describe what his opponent had just told him in terms of physical moves, his strike had just been blocked and returned with two punches to his stomach that took his breath and shook his concentration.

It was a verbal beat down if he knew anything.

"You ask me what I know when I have yet to be made to understand of what it is you seek, Uchiha-san?" the speaker then took up his brush once more and resumed writing. "Considering that fact, ponder this: what am I to gain by presenting you with information?"

Sasuke was not given time to make a comeback, Shino delivering a third blow to follow the first and second with the total coldness the latter was known to display in combat:

"None, Uchiha-san; I have nothing to gain from you as of this moment."

At this revelation, the high councilor's scowl deepened; with his defenses in tatters and his weapons broken, Sasuke saw little reason in making any more attempts as he was smart enough to accept a grueling loss when he saw one.

Much to his irritation though, the spider that had landed on his left thigh was still there and seemed to refuse to move when he shook his leg slightly as though the arachnid was telling him to remain in place. And with one black brow raised, he gazed at the back of his colleague's head in anticipation.

"Why do I wish for you to remain still, Uchiha Sasuke-san?" After saying this, Shino once again set his brush down to give the ink time to dry before continuing. "You should understand that you are not locked-down yet." This time both of the listener's brows rose in curiosity. "Take note of the fact that you have yet to have something to offer me, but that doesn't mean that you will not have anything to offer in the future. Consider it a type of credit system." With his hand no longer compromised by the writing utensil that was the brush, the Aburame gestured to the front, right corner of the room where a third candle ignited to reveal a scroll display case.

A second and third spider emerged from the scroll shelf on the top row that was second from the furthest left and pulled the contents out, the scroll falling to the floor and rolling to where Sasuke sat.

He immediately recognized the silver, latch-like seal of the Uchiha clan.

"Know thyself before coming to know what is and what may be." –Said Shino, folding the letter he had written and preparing the melted wax that would serve as its seal. "Learn everything you can about your clan and tell me what you have learned; there is no need to divulge clan jutsu or the like." The molten liquid dripped like coagulating blood in the orange light, falling on the envelope's mouth and spreading outward before Shino deigned to stop feeding the puddle. "What I want you to present to me are events that occurred that are significant to the village and the involvement of the Uchiha in them."

Sasuke's raised eyebrows came down to knit together.

"You want me to make you a report?"

Still not facing him, the Aburame shook his head, answering: "I want you to make an argument."

Seemingly satisfied with the state of the sealing wax, the male situated at the desk took out a ring that had been hung around his neck by a chain and positioned it above the drying liquid. And with the motion of an executioner bringing down his axe upon the block, he placed his personal seal upon the letter.

"Return to me when you are ready, and we shall proceed from there." The clan heir then set his newly finished letter beside the unsealed one that he had completed prior to Sasuke's arrival. "I bid you good night, high councilor Uchiha Sasuke."

Coup de grâce.

~TtT~

"""End of Demonstration."""

-First King Legion, Second King Fleet, and Third King Maelstrom