To say Tsunade had been upset was a vast understatement. Shizune could still recall the anger that colored her mistress's face when she heard the report.

"How could you lose a corpse?" Tsunade had cried and slammed her palm down on the desk. Papers scattered to the office floor.

The medical officer who had delivered the news looked stricken, at a loss to describe the apparent horror that had taken place in the Intelligence Division's mortuary. The Godaime Hokage wasn't usually one to shoot the messenger, but yesterday's events had been terribly unsettling.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but the body of Akatsuki Kakuzu of Takigakure is gone," the medical shinobi had said quickly, face grim. "According to the evidence, it appears that the body was not taken."

"So what, are you saying he just got up and walked out?" The Godaime demanded.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the man had replied humorlessly, "after removing the hearts of several medical personnel."

The frankness had made Tsunade pause. "Impossible. He was dead, stone-cold dead!"

"As you say," the medical officer said. "Still, the medical team wasn't prepared to handle the collection and disposal of the Akatsuki's kinjutsu."

"No, they weren't," Tsunade had agreed with pursed lips. "But he was torn apart…to think someone, anything could survive."

"Regardless," The man continued firmly, "I and several other medical officers request that the Akatsuki's autopsy file be submitted for review."

"The man didn't have a heart left in his body. Are you implying that I made a misdiagnosis?" Tsunade asked with narrowed eyes.

"We are merely being thorough," The medic had tried to assure, but his stolid expression said otherwise.

"Well, either I have made the gravest mistake in medical history or the man's a zombie," Tsunade murmured without a hint of humor before ordering. "Shizune, submit the file for review."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," The medic replied with a small, stiff bow.

The Godaime had inclined her head in return, and the man left without another word. It was only then her mistress spared a thoughtful glance at her. Taking a seat behind her desk, the Godaime's eyes had then settled on Shizune. The way her blonde brows had gathered, she knew her mistress was considering something drastic.

"Shizune, I want the samples the medical team was collecting from the Akatsuki," Tsunade said after a moment and ordered. "Have them sent to my office immediately."

"All due respect, do you think that's a good decision?" she had asked. "Considering your last assessment is under review…"

"I agree with what my medical officer said. The medical team wasn't prepared," Tsunade acknowledged. Sighing through her nose, she leaned back in her chair. Her blue eyes had traveled to the window to gaze at the village below. "Whatever we're dealing with, I want to oversee it myself. I won't have a repeat of this tragedy. If there are objections, I will deal with them after the fact. Do as I order. "

The severity in her mistress's expression left no room for argument. Shizune had delivered the autopsy file—after reading it over—and sent Tsunade's instructions to a medical squad for immediate transportation. Shizune hadn't had seen her mistress for the rest of the day. The Godaime had locked herself in her office with the samples and equipment—dozens of trays, glass slides, and a microscope—she had requested. According to those on duty, Tsunade hadn't left the room all night either. She'd only popped her head out to ask for more microscope sides and bottles of sake.

She didn't blame her mistress for her actions though Shizune wished that Tsunade was less self-destructive. However, she understood that Tsunade's determination sprang from embarrassment. Konoha—and the Hokage by proxy—had been humiliated yesterday.

The source of the mysterious and powerful surges of chakra near the entrance of the village was still unknown. At the time, the flares of energy were considered hostile, they had believed them to be multiple enemies readying for a sudden frontal assault. By now, they had all come to understand that what had occurred was a distraction. More than likely, the agent or agents behind the commotion had to be connected to the Akatsuki, but that was all they could gather. The perpetrators hadn't been seen, despite sending three four-man ANBU squads after the enemy chakra signatures. What they had suspected to be enemy units seemed to be nothing more than phantoms.

Only one report had come back detailing any sort of physical movement. A young ANBU swore she had seen a shot of wood several feet thick, spring out of one trunk and connect to another neighboring tree. In the bridge of wood, a lump had traveled from one trunk to the next. Sensitive to such phenomena, she swore the chakra radiating off the moving bump matched the signature felt at every disturbance near the forest's edge. As soon as the lump within had traveled to the next tree, the wood quickly retreated and the signature vanished.

What the ANBU described didn't sound possible. That would require the capability to manipulate wood, an ability that hadn't been seen since Yamato, who had been with Team 7 at the time. It was conceivable that the young woman might have been the victim of a strange genjutsu. However, if what the ANBU reported was true, then that could mean that the Akatsuki had the power of the Mokuton at their disposal. The idea alone was chilling enough.

Still, one eyewitness report wasn't much to go off of. Her mistress had focused her efforts on the physical evidence at hand, the samples collected from the downed Akatsuki member. The process had taken all night. Now, as early morning turned to midday, the Godaime had been issuing orders, but still refrained from admitting anyone to her office directly.

Shizune walked to the Hokage's office with Tonton in her arms, tired of her mistress's secrecy. She was stopped by two ANBU guarding the door, one male the other female.

"The Hokage isn't seeing anyone yet," a deep, muffled voice said.

She raised an eyebrow at the masked man's face.

"She'll see me," Shizune insisted holding up Tonton who began to whimper on cue, just as they had rehearsed. "Tonton has been inconsolable all night."

From the way the ANBU's heads tilted slightly, she knew the pig was looking at them with round, doleful eyes. The same expression Tonton gave when she was begging Shizune to share her lunch.

"Sorry Shizune," the other ANBU apologized, "but the Hokage was very clear-"

A squealing sob interrupted the ANBU. Shizune could feel Tonton quake in her hands as the pig began to cry in earnest. Big, fat tears rolled down pink cheeks in-between snorting sniffles. The ANBU seemed at a loss. While they didn't budge from their station, they appeared unsure what to do. Masked faces turned to glance at each other before the woman raised a gloved finger to her porcelain lips.

"Shhhhh, Tonton, please!" The ANBU pleaded.

"What the hell is that racket?" The loud voice of the Godaime cried.

Feet pounded across the floor before the office door cracked open and the sour smell of old sake wafted into the hall. Stern faced, the Godaime stared them down. From the circles under her eyes, it was obvious Tsunade hadn't slept the night. Yet, her pinched brows softened as she took in the sight before her.

The Hokage sighed, opened the door wide and plucked the sobbing swine from Shizune's hands. Wrapping Tonton in her arms, the small pig was nearly enveloped by her generous bosom. However, the animal didn't seem to mind and gave an oink of contentment.

"Shizune, come in, I wanted your opinion on this anyway," the Godaime said and retreated into the room, pig happy to be held her arms. Shizune followed, closing the door behind her.

Glancing around the office, Shizune's eyes widened. Her mistress had never been a tidy woman, but the Godaime had transformed her office into something of a laboratory overnight. White canvas lay on the floor, covered by tray after tray of what appeared to be hair. Each specimen was labeled, identifying what part of the body it had been taken from-head, chest, legs, and so forth. On Tsunade's desk sat a microscope surrounded on either side by large stacks of glass slides housed in white boxes.

"You know," Tsunade began as she sat in the chair behind her desk. "It's not nice to cry wolf, or, in this case, cry pig."

"Tonton really did miss you though." Shizune insisted.

"…Yeah?" she asked. Glancing down at the animal who was using her breasts as a pillow, she gave the soft, pink head a scratch. Tonton oinked in agreement.

"And I hate it when you lock yourself up like this," Shizune continued, glancing at the growing row of sake bottles lining the window ledge. "You are the Hokage, but you don't have to burden yourself like this." She gestured to the room around them. "We have teams of specialists trained to do this. Why not supervise a team instead? You don't have to do it all on your own."

"That's exactly why I let you in," Tsunade said pointing to the microscope on her right and brushed Tonton from her lap, who stayed by her master's feet. Tsunade changed the glass slide and turned the optical device toward Shizune. "Look at this and tell me what you see."

Shizune bit her lip, disliking how her mistress downplayed her concern and redirected the conversation, but did as she was told. Bending over, she glanced into the eyepiece and turned the focus until the blurred specimen came into view. At first, it appeared to be a thread, but as Shizune turned the fine focus, she realized it was a hair. She examined the strand, able to see all the layers from the softly shingled outer cuticle, to the inner fair-colored cortex, and segmented medulla that lined its middle.

"I would say this is human hair," she said glancing up at her mistress. Tsunade nodded. Shizune returned her attention to the eyepiece. "And blonde at that."

"Good," Tsunade praised, pulling out the slide and putting in another one. "What you just saw was the control, my hair. Now, look again."

Focusing the optics another strand came into view. It was much darker this time, but she could make out the same features as before.

"Human hair." Shizune said, raising her head.

"Correct again," Tsunade nodded. Removing the slide, she held it up to the light. "This was taken from our dead Akatsuki's head. Looks pretty normal, right?"

Shizune bobbed her head in agreement, "Just normal hair."

"Okay, so," Tsunade paused and put down the slide. Carefully, she reached for one of the white boxed. Opening it, the Godaime removed a swatch of folded white cloth. A sealing symbol had been quickly painted in black ink on the top of the fabric. Shizune eyed the item with suspicion, unease twisting her stomach. Unfolding the cloth, Tsunade removed a glass slide with a dark fiber pressed between the clear plates and placed the slide on the microscope. "Have a look."

Shizune lowered her head and peered into the eyepiece. The specimen was dark, unnaturally so. She would have to turn up the illumination to even see through the black filament. The specimen wasn't manmade; there were no woven fibers or no braided strings. In fact, the sample was smooth, extremely so. Yet, she could still make out a faintly shingled cuticle. The keratin overlapped subtly in random scales, as seen in humans. Carefully adjusting the illumination, she found that the specimen appeared to have one long, thick medulla at its core. This was a trait usually seen in animals and not humans and contradicted the smooth outside of the specimen.

"Any guesses?" Tsunade prompted.

"Ah…well, it looks like hair," Shizune answered. "But…"

"But?" Tsunade pressed.

"I can't tell what it's from exactly. The interior makes me think it's from an animal, but the cuticle really doesn't match that at all. It looks so much like the previous slides, in that regard at least. So I would guess…human?"

Tsunade nodded solemnly, "That was my thought as well."

"What is it from?"

"What you're looking at is Jiongu, Takigakure's kinjutsu."

Shizune blanched. She had read both the battle and autopsy reports and one fact clear had been made abundantly clear, the Akatuski had been monstrous. More string than man. The living thread not only seemed to keep his limbs attached to his body, they made up his innards as well. The thread and could even protrude far distances and extended from his back, arms, and mouth. From what Tsunade was showing her, however, the thread wasn't thread at all. It had a very human origin.

"Oh, god," Shizune gasped, jerking away from the microscope to put a hand over her mouth. How could anyone allow such a thing to happen to them? How could anyone let hair invade their entire body? The cost was horrific.

"Uh-huh," Tsunade consoled. Pulling out a sake bottle and two small porcelain cups from her desk drawer "The bastard's a walking bad hair day."

The Godaime poured a liberal amount in each cup and nudged one toward Shizune. For once, she didn't protest, and immediately grabbed the cup and swallowed a mouth full.

Eyes watering, Shizune asked. "How is that possible?"

"No idea," Tsunade admitted. "It doesn't match any of the follicles found on his body, I've checked. Clearly, it doesn't belong to him naturally, but its exact origins are unknown. We know it's from Takigakure, but that's given knowledge straight from the Bingo Book." She gave a sigh and drank from her own cup, grimacing before continuing. "I've attempted to contact Takigakure, but no bird has returned yet. It's doubtfully they'll reply at all anyway."

"What did you request from them?" Shizune asked, aware that Takigakure was an extremely secluded village and usually considered hostile.

"How to kill the bastard for good. Clearly, we missed a few steps." Tsunade answered. "It's their stolen jutsu after all, and they guy's been in the Bingo Book for decades. You'd think they'd want that blot off their record. Offered them a nice amount of ryō for divulging the information, that's the only language they seem to understand." She shrugged and then finished off her drink before adding. "It's a gamble, but worth a try anyway."

Shizune nodded. "Have the squads found anything?"

Tsunade shook her head no. The search for the missing Akatsuki had been fruitless so far. She motioned to the trays littering the floor.

"For now, this is all we have to work with, but I did figure out one thing," Tsunade said and extended her index finger. The tip of the digit glowed blue as the Godaime focused her chakra to a single point. "Look."

Shizune peered into the microscope once more. In her peripheral, she watched as Tsunade's fingertip came to rest near the glass slide that held the specimen. As the chakra neared, the thread gave an involuntary twitch under the glass, then another. Shizune gasped and quickly refocused the microscope to watch the wriggling strand.

"It reacts to chakra," Shizune noted with surprise watching the strange, jolting movements. The cuticle rippled and buckled like the scales of a snake as it jerked.

"Yep, like a hungry little worm," Tsunade said in disgust. "If one piece acts like that near a small amount of chakra, think of what an entire body full of them would do."

"It was attracted to the medical team's chakra in the morgue…" Shizune breathed, head snapping up from the eyepiece.

"My thought exactly, seems like a plausible hypothesis," Tsunade agreed, retracting her finger. The twitching stopped almost immediately. Carefully, the Godaime returned the Jiongu slide back to its protective cloth and packed it away.

Knuckled rapped softly at the door.

"Hokage-sama—" the male ANBU's voice called from the hallway.

"About time," The Godaime interrupted. "Let him in, come in." The door opened, Shikamaru entered. The stale smell of cigarettes clung to him, and the deep shadows under his glassy eyes told Shizune that the young man hadn't slept either. "Report."

"The grave is undisturbed," Shikamaru supplied. His eyes swept the room and lingered briefly on the many trays lining the floor, but the young man remained on point. "Ino sensed no change, the Akatsuki Hidan remains."

"Good," Tsunade said. "I want you to continue leading the squad monitoring the area."

"Troublesome, but wouldn't have it any other way," Shikamaru drawled. Despite his lazy manner, Shizune could see contempt burning in his dark, tired eyes. It was startling to read such strong emotion from the 'lazy genius'. Shizune had to glance away, unable to hold his gaze. They had already lost one Akatsuki. Clearly, Shikamaru didn't want to lose Asuma's killer as well.

"As someone who fought the Akatsuki pair, what's the likelihood that Kakuzu will try to retrieve his partner?" Tsunade asked.

"Not sure. They bickered both times our forces fought'em," Shikamaru shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Admittedly, they did kinda defend each other, and the immortal bastard seemed to panic when I made him attack his partner, but beyond that I don't really know. If he was ordered too, maybe. In the report, the Kakuzu guy did stop his attack immediately the first time when ordered by his superior, seems pretty loyal to 'em."

"Kakashi sent me a similar assessment," Tsunade agreed nodding her head. "You have your orders, dismissed."

"Understood," Shikamaru murmured. The young man turned on his heel and left, shadow closing the door behind him.

Shizune waited a moment so that the young man was beyond earshot before asking. "Is it wise to task him with leading the watch crew?"

"The immortal Akatsuki is buried in his clan's land and Shikamaru has first-hand experience with the Akatsuki's abilities," Tsunade answered and leaned back in her chair. Blonde brows arched. "Why, do you doubt him?"

Shizune shook her head that she didn't. Shikamaru had appeared lazy in his youth, but he was shaping up to be a promising shinobi. She did not doubt his intelligence or abilities in the slightest, but the boy had taken Asuma's loss hard. She hated to see that he'd taken up his deceased sensei's smoking habit out of remembrance. Technically, Shikamaru had avenged his sensei's death, but it didn't do well to stew over past tragedy. She worried about the toll guarding the grave might place on the young man's psyche.

"Asuma's passing has been difficult, I worry." She confessed.

"I know, you always do," Tsunade pointed out, giving her a sideways glance.

Shizune paused. Although she considered her concern valid, her mistress's logic was sound too. She realized expressing her apprehension wouldn't change either Tsunade's mind or Shikamaru's should she approach him. No, she had seen his eyes. The young man wouldn't relinquish his guarding duty, not when his eyes were filled with so much hate. Shikamaru had understood the implication of the method used to defeat the Akatsuki, and he was now the immortal's keeper, just as he had planned. She hoped the duty Shikamaru had burdened himself with wouldn't crush him in the end.

"So, we continue searching then?" Shizune prompted.

"Yes, I doubt our runaway could have gotten far in his condition," Tsunade answered, painted nail skimming the rim of the sake bottle before picking it up by it's thin-necked and pouring herself another drink. Shizune nodded, recalling the horrific internal and external damage the autopsy report had detailed. "We'll find the bastard," her mistress promised, "and this time he'll stay on that slab for good."

Despite the Godaime's words, days of searching turned into weeks without any result. Eventually, the humid summer gave way to a balmy autumn. The leaves turned brilliant shades of crimson, yellow, and orange before falling, marking the transition into winter. As the seasons passed hardly a trace of the missing Akatsuki was discovered, but his immortal partner remained locked in the dirt, undisturbed as the dead.

Other concerns arose; there were more Akatsuki members at large, more people who threatened to destroy all that they held dear. As the months gathered, war among the hidden villages and the Akatsuki seemed inevitable. Although the escaped Akatsuki was not forgotten, the searches were called off and the manpower put to better use: alliances had to be formed, borders defended, troops sent to the impending battlefield.

Still, every so often Shikamaru would arrive at the Hokage's office. His reports were always identical. The grave remained unchanged. No matter how much time passed or how often he uttered the same information, Shizune never saw the hatred in those dark eyes burn out.

Notes

1. I used Tsunade's title Godaime Hokage as two separate, interchange titles. Is that okay?

2. Ninja microscopes.

3. I'm basing Kakuzu's powers loosely off Futakuchi-onna folklore.

4. Shikamaru will make more appearances, unsure about the rest of Konoha.

5. Hidan is going to appear next chapter-when it's writen...