Konoha

She sauntered lazily through the bustling town. Street vendors call out promoting their unique delicacies, townspeople chat deciding what to try or where to shop next. The delightful smell of barbeque and summertime caressed her senses.

A figure brushed past her in the crowded streets catching her eye, she turned towards him, seeing the back of the figure drift further away. She knew him, personally no, but she only needed the distinct features to match to the description. She called out to him making her way through the crowd to get a better look.

"Excuse me." she called placing a delicate hand on his shoulder to catch his attention. Their eyes met and she smiled, holding her hand out to the man. He looked down at her gesture seeing a couple of folded bills between her thumb and forefinger.

"You dropped this." She smiled at him brightly, noticing his guard lowering as she studied his features; mid-thirties, average build, brown eyes, mid-length brunette hair, and a large scar running along his jawline. It's him alright, a perfect match, she thought.

He stared at the money, about 5000 ryos, before quickly glancing to the left, a telltale sign of someone about to lie. He chuckled lightly scratching the nape of his neck, another sign, before accepting the money from the woman. " How clumsy of me! I'll be sure to be more careful. Thank you kindly, Miss." A terrible liar. Before he turns away she harshly grips his wrist, twisting it unnaturally, her gentle smile contorting into a mischievous one. "You really should be more careful... Fushojiki ."

His eyes widen at the sound of his name, the pain emanating from his wrist, and the sudden violent gaze of the white-haired woman. Who was this woman? How did she know his real name? A million questions ran through his mind, she noticed this. "My bad! Allow me to introduce myself, the name's Katsume, but I'm better known as... The Huntress. You...my deceitful friend, really need to work on your craft." She chuckles mockingly. "Not to worry, we can practice your lying skills on the way to the collection office. So, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way? I myself find the hard way much more fun."

He stares at her like a deer in the lights, frozen in place, fear conquering his senses. He has ears, and although they aren't what they used to be, he's heard the stories surrounding the Huntress. All of them were utterly terrifying. If her perfect completion rate wasn't enough, she was often referred to as a 'blur of white'. Now he was involuntarily getting the in-person proof of her many nicknames. Her unruly snow-white hair hung freely just below her waistline, with only two loose braids in the front framing her face, most likely to keep it out of her eyes. Her hair alone took up most of her body, making it all the clearer to the man why others that faced her only ever caught a glimpse of a white blur.

He relaxes his wrist allowing the rumors he's heard to influence his decision. He preferred life, even if it was in a jail cell. She relaxes her tense muscles, appreciative of his cooperation. She forms the hand signs required for her Crystal Cuffs jutsu and watches them take shape around the defeated man's wrists. "I'm glad we could come to an understanding."

Don't get her wrong, she loves the chase, but her main quest was quite the emotional doozy. She figured, however, she might as well do her job along the way. Small bounties here and there as long as they didn't take her too off course. Fortunately, lowlife fugitives tend to have a better understanding of all the nitty gritty information between the nations than the average civilian. Although they aren't the most reliable source of information, she's never had a problem getting what she needed.

Now detained, Katsume walks her fugitive, a firm grip wrapped just above his elbow, to the village's police station only a few blocks away. She found it more convenient than dragging him to the nearest collection office which was two towns away in the direction she just came. Katsume gives the man a light squeeze to get his attention. He hesitantly looks over at her but her gaze is trained on the road ahead. After a brief silence she speaks up, " I'm trying to find someone and word on the street is: you know everything about everyone. Is that true?" He clears his throat before answering, he was already being arrested so what's he got to lose? "It is…who are you looking for?" She was hopeful but his consistent cooperation was making her suspicious. Maybe she's just being paranoid.

"I need information on the woman Tsunade of the Three Legendary Sanin."

The man stops dead in his tracks jolting the woman back as well. "You mean you haven't heard?"

She looks at him confused and tugs on his arm urging him to continue walking. " Obviously. Spit it out already."

Her patience was wearing thin. I swear to the heavens if this bitch died before I can get some answers I'm going on a fucking rampage. She thought to herself. The man suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable. She was practically dragging him now, a deadly aura emanating around her.

"She was appointed as the Fifth Hokage." She was silent but her thoughts were racing.

Hokage? Seriously? Is this a joke? This woman, my 'mother', who abandoned me is now responsible for an entire village. On top of that The Hidden Leaf Village isn't even that fucking far! She could've come to see me or something! Fuck I don't know. I guess that would've been even more confusing…but still!

After moderately calming her thoughts it finally dawned on her that she had her mother's location now. Realizing all that's left to do is…talk to her. A rush of anxiety spreads throughout her body, warming her, and making her sweat. If she left tomorrow morning she could be at the Leaf Village gates by mid-afternoon. The pair arrive at the police station. She thanks the fugitive for his cooperation before handing him off to an officer. After collecting her reward she stops at a fruit stand among the array of food vendors and buys a bag of green apples for her grumpy traveling companion. Her stomach growls loudly reminding her she hadn't eaten all day, She stops at another vendor purchasing a plate of Takoyaki. Without wasting any time she picks up a fried sphere with a toothpick and plops it in her mouth. The savory sauce complemented the octopus and tempura deliciously. She makes her way to a large tree in a clearing just outside of town, happily devouring her meal while she temporarily forgets the weight of the conversation that would take place the next day.

Laying against the same tree, her eyes flutter open to the rising sun. She squints and rubs the sleep from her eyes, adjusting to the brightness of the new day. The town is quiet in the early hours of the morning aside from the few early bird stragglers wandering and preparing for the day ahead. She takes a kunai knife from her pouch strapped against her thigh and pricks her finger. She tiredly performs the necessary hand signs and aggressively slams her hand into the luscious green grass, lazily calling out her summoning jutsu. The rasp in her voice is contradictory to the aggressiveness required for the technique, however, with a puff of smoke the technique is complete.

Dakuhosu towers over her still-seated frame. The black horse's unamused expression let Katsume know she was in for a full day of complaints from the beast. She pulls herself up off the tree she was previously sleeping against and gathers what little belongings she had with her. She holds up the sack of apples she purchased for him the night before, giving it a jiggle.

"I know it's early, but I've got her location finally and I want to get there quickly. So consider this a peace offering for a complaint-free day."

He looks at the large burlap sack of delicious treats. He couldn't say no to that many apples. " For the record, this is bribery, not a peace offering. Where are we going?"

She rolls her eyes at his correction while grabbing the sack and tying it into a makeshift backpack. " Same thing. So get this, she's the fucking Fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Ironic right?" She asks rhetorically.

She readies her left hand over his withers. Gathering a bit of momentum, she skips and flings her right leg up and over his back, using her hand to pull the remainder of her body weight and get her balance. She pats herself on the back. Dakuhosu is by no means small and given their huge height difference, it is not an easy feat to fling herself onto his back while he's standing. She settles in, getting as comfortable as she can for the long ride ahead. Dakuhosu simply grunts in annoyance, bored of her tricks, and starts their journey to the Hidden Leaf Village at a leisurely walk.

At this pace they'll be at the Leaf Village gates by early afternoon, giving her plenty of time to figure out what in the hell she was going to say when she gets there. Her way of life is full of stressful situations but a conversation with her mother who abandoned her by far takes the cake. She knew what key points she wanted to address but knew that when the time finally came she would become overwhelmed. She had to remind herself that Tsunade abandoned her and there was no excuse in the world for that. However, a side of her yearned for her mother, it made those excuses as well. It said, "Maybe she did visit, maybe I just don't remember, maybe it's all a big misunderstanding, maybe she's looking for me like I'm looking for her." Those were possibilities she had to accept and acknowledge. Although, they did not negate her feelings. She felt as though she wasn't enough for the one person in the world who is supposed to love her unconditionally. She felt alone. Not only did Tsunade take away her chance at having a mother but she took her father from her too. Did he even know she existed? Or did he choose to abandon her as well? She had to wonder if all of it was even worth finding out. The probability of getting the answers she wanted and coming out of it with a happy family was getting slimmer the more she thought about it. She had to ponder if the heartbreak would be worth satisfying her curiosity.

Before she knew it they arrived at the towering gate of the Hidden Leaf Village. She had been so deep in thought and was surprised that Dakuhosu had actually been silent the entire ride, he didn't even stop to eat his apples. Even if he wasn't she probably wouldn't have noticed. They approach but are stopped abruptly by a pair of ninjas guarding the gate.

"Dismount your horse. Who are you and what business do you have in The Leaf?" one said.

Katsume slides off Daku while keeping her hands visible. She may not be a shinobi but bounty hunters are a branch of law enforcement, she'd treat them how she would only hope to be treated.

"My name is Katsume. I'm here to see the Hokage on a personal matter." She spoke confidently but kept her voice soft to ensure she was non-threatening.

The pair of ninjas look Katsume up and down assessing her possible threat level. She wore no forehead protector which is required for shinobi to wear. They are also engraved with the symbol of the village a shinobi serves, allowing another ninja to decipher friend or foe. " What village are you from?" The same ninja asked.

"I come from the Land of Rice Paddies," she answered honestly, she had no reason to lie. However, from the way both of the ninjas furrowed their brows at her answer, maybe she should have. She could tell they were on edge now, but she had been cooperative and answered all of their questions honestly, she couldn't understand why they would react that way. As far as she knew The Land of Rice Paddies and the Land of Fire were allies. The shinobi who had been asking the questions looked to the other ninja with him, as though they were silently communicating something. Now Katsume is on edge. What was the problem?

He turned his attention to Katsume once again. " You need to come with us."

A kunai knife slides down his sleeve and into his hand. Something is definitely not right. She slowly puts her hands in the air to show her cooperation. " There's no need for that. I'll come peacefully. There must be some kind of misunderstanding." The ninjas don't listen though. They usher her forward with kunai in hand. Another shinobi appears with a rope and approaches Daku who looks at Katsume for confirmation. She nods her head telling him to cooperate. He remains still and lowers his head to allow the shinobi to place the rope around his neck, leading him in the opposite direction.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Katsume stared blankly into nothingness. She had been taken to a small building on the outskirts of the village where she was handcuffed and had a burlap sack placed over her head. They then searched her person, removing all of her belongings, including her weapons. She was then moved somewhere before being strapped to a chair. Now here she is, staring at the inside of a burlap sack, wondering why the fuck this is happening.

It felt like hours before she heard someone enter the room. The sack was ripped off her head and as her eyes adjusted to the bright light she was met by a tall man with two long scars running diagonally across his face. He would be extremely intimidating to most, but Katsume deals with men like this on a daily basis. She knew that everything these people have done since she entered the building were scare tactics. She had already come to the conclusion that this was some kind of interrogation task force.

"Are you finally going to tell me why you arrested me?"

She tried not to let it show but she was pretty pissed about the whole situation. This wasn't how she imagined entering her mother's village.

The man leans down to her eye level, so close she can feel his breath on her face. " Are you going to tell me why you lied about where you're from?"

She was shocked but kept her face neutral, she hadn't lied, she had no reason to. The man watched her like a hawk for any signs of deception. She stares confidently into his eyes and speaks clearly without faltering. "I did not lie. My name is Katsume and I am a citizen of the Land of Rice Paddies. There's a misunderstanding."

After a long minute of testing eye contact, he stands back to his full height. " You're a good liar, I'll give you that. However, if you were indeed from the Land of Rice Paddies, then you would know that it was conquered by Orochimaru and is now the Land of Sound...months ago. You also have quite the array of weapons for "just a citizen". Care to explain that?"

This was all news to her. She had been back home only a few weeks ago, and although she had only stayed less than forty-eight hours, nothing had seemed different. Before that she'd been away for over a year chasing a bounty. No one said a word about that to her, not even the Tanakas during the dinner they had the night before she left. Had the news just not reached their small village on the northern border? Who the hell is Orochimaru? She found the eyes of the man whose name she still didn't know, and chose her words wisely.

"The weapons are indeed mine. I'm a freelance bounty hunter. I returned to my village a few weeks ago after over a year of chasing a bounty. I was there less than forty-eight hours before leaving again to track another bounty. I found and turned him over to the Hachou Village Police Station yesterday. No one informed me of the Land's political standing. This is the first time I've heard of it. As for this Orochimaru guy, I am unaware of who that is." She kept a blank expression awaiting his next question.

Without a word, he turns around and leaves the room. He returns shortly with another man following behind him. He had long ash-blonde hair tied in a ponytail and light green eyes. He was also a shinobi and she had a feeling he wouldn't be releasing her.

The man with the scars stops in front of her. With one large calloused hand, he grips her jaw harshly forcing her to look up at him. She glares at him as he speaks.

"My friend here will tell us if you're lying, he gets the information we need straight from the source," with his free hand he uses his index finger to tap the middle of her forehead, the other still keeping her head in place by her jaw, "And from what I've seen...it's quite a painful processes. I'll give you one more chance to come clean and tell me what you want with the Hokage." He smirks. He's already made the decision not to believe anything she says, there's nothing more she can say to prove her innocence.

"I only wish to talk to her. Do what you need to do." She responds, a ghost of a smile forming at the thought of how dumb this motherfucker is going to feel in a few minutes.

He looks over to the ash blonde and nods. "She's all yours." He finally releases her jaw and backs away. The other man makes his way in front of her and places his right hand on top of her head before saying in a low voice, "Psycho Mind Transmission."

Instantly she's overcome with excruciating pain radiating through her skull. She howls out in agony, her screams echoing against the barren concrete walls. It felt as though her brain was being torn to shreds from the inside out. She lost track of time, it seemed like hours before her vision went black, and passed out from the pain. That didn't stop him from continuing the torture. He carried on, prying through every memory she had in the last eighteen months, every detail, and every thought. He saw everything.

When he finished he removed his hand from her head and stepped back. He spoke barely above a whisper, "Ibiki, she told the truth. Not a single lie." He turns to face the man.

Ibiki Morino, head of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, looks back and forth between the woman and his colleague. " What is it, Inoichi?"

The color drains from Inoichi's face, the fear of the impending consequences taking over his body. His panicked green eyes meet his partner's clueless ones. His voice wavers, "I think we might have just wrongfully tortured the Fifth Hokage's daughter."