43. (final)

Harriet was sat in a tree in her animagus form observing the forest and the forest floor she was certain Death's sense of smell had pulled her to. Something about the tug felt familiar and it took her a while to place the feeling.

'Ah. Now I remember.'

It had the feel of that pot-mouthed, supposedly immortal nuke-nin that worshiped Death and Chaos and shit knew what else that she'd taken a partial payment out of in the form of unnecessary pain, pain that likely would have shortened his life span if his comrade hadn't been there to watch over him.

Yet, here he was, somewhere in the general vicinity, likely deep beneath the earth if the earthiness that covered the smell was any indication. Really, she didn't particularly care how he'd gotten there but it was high time she collected on his remaining debt and she intended to do so face to face.

While she considered her options, she eventually spotted that Nara boy she had often watched cloud watching from afar and whose grief at the passing of his sensei she had been heartbroken to watch. She was rather fond of the Naras, but she could only do so much given her need to keep vaguely aloof and unaligned, but this little bit she could do.

She sought out Rikumaru, changed forms, and approached the young man with the leader of the herd at her side as he leaned against a tree, smoking. She stopped a respectful distance away, then, in her absurdly deep voice, quietly stated a simple: "Shikamaru."

He didn't startle or even turn his head to face her. It wasn't surprising given how she'd approached. "Who are you?"

"An acquaintance of your father's. I happen to be looking for a certain immortal's head. I believe he was buried around here?"

Shikamaru stood up from his slouch against the tree and gave her a long look. "Why his head?"

"Hidan owes me something." [His soul.] "I intend to collect face to face."