Corundum

9

On the next Monday Anko had to cancel all that carefully made plans concerning the long term projects that were about to begin this week; even the assignments for the coming days were postponed.

"These things can wait, but the instructions from the very top cannot."

And in this special and rare case "instructions from the very top" means instructions from Uchiha Madara. Even Orochimaru who actually is working in another research field right now has to be present. So the Triumvirate, Spiky-hair, Dr. Not-an-Uchiha-in-a-leading-position and your humble servant are sitting in the conference-room, waiting for the things that will take place here soon.

Not even Orochimaru is introduced yet, it seems to be a really, really urgent situation.

"Did I miss something?" Kidomaru queries the group.

"Nah... nothing as far as I know." Suigetsu yawns deeply while having his hands closed behind his head. His casual posture suddenly changes in an instant as the door opens. A man with a body as big as a wardrobe enters the room. His skin is dark, he wears a tailored suit, black glasses and some kind of headset which identifies him a security member. Another one, same physique, follows. But this one wears a silver safety case which seems to look like a toy in his huge hands.

With a brief "Orochimaru-san" they greet him respectfully, the second one places the case on the table, enters the code to unlock the box, they bow and leave without another word.

The silence is broken on the spot as the door closes.

"This seems to be the object of interest", Kimimaro ascertains.

"I wonder what it is", Kidomaru adds.

"Uranium again, I bet!"

Somehow you like Suigetsu's humor. But you have no time to laugh because the door opens one last time and three, yes three, Uchihas join you. You can't tell the name of the other two men, but next to Madara they look somehow inferior. That family seems to be blesses with unnatural outstanding beauty, elegance and ... and an aura of dominance, but Uchiha Madara is the alpha predator, the one at the apex of the food chain, probably some epitome of evolution. Even in their whole gracefulness his relatives look like acolytes compared to him.

In an instant you are on your feet. When the big boss enters, everyone has to stand.

"Sit down", he instructs you in a mild, yet exalted voice that sends a shiver down your spine. This man definitely knows how to act.

"As the elite-gemologists of Parasol you claim the highest instance in your field. There is no other department that can be more entrusted with a pressing task like the following." One of the Quote-Uchihas opens the conference. "I'll get straight to the point. One of our exploration geologists has found this." The nameless man opens the safe case and hands you – or rather Orochimaru – an even smaller glass box with a reddish-brown mineral in it.

"So, what do you think?", he eyes you and your team with calmness as Orochimaru hands the mineral of unknown chemical structure over to your reach.

"I don't know. Looks like a cough drop." You have to force the laughter back down into your throat as Suigetsu immediately answers the question. Then he starts to examine the tiny piece and hands it afterwards to Kimimaro who repeats the procedure.

You are the last one to look at it, still wondering about the Uchiha's patience.

"So?" The one who has spoken before breaks the silence.

"Well, let me gather what I found out so far. Since this one has a xenomorphic crystal growth, I couldn't determine or find any information about the crystal habit or its crystal system. It couldn't cut it with my knife so the Mohs scale hardness must be above 5. Since I have no glass to test if it cuts it too, I cannot say more about its hardness", Kidomaru starts to share his findings.

"Looks like it possesses some pleochroism, but this is no safe statement I dare to say", Suigetsu adds.

"The streak is white. The color needs to be determined under labor ratio." The pale one speaks emotionless. Now it's your turn to speak.

"Well, combining all these facts we cannot make a safe statement without further investigations." Kidomaru starts to explain, knowing you couldn't bring any more valuable information since everything was said. The dark haired one directly speaks to Madara whose eyes rest on you – like he knows that Kidomaru intervened. With a small show of hands he demands the speaking person to be quiet without even looking at him.

"I guess we haven't heard the last evaluation."

Since everyone falls silent you believe to have heard some kind of amusement and challenging tone in his voice. He probably thinks you unworthy, but you can't tell.

"There is nothing more to add. At least nothing that could help to place a statement. May I ask where this piece was found?" Your words are addressed to that one Uchiha to Madara's left although you speak directly to the beast of prey in front of you.

"The oasis; region of the wind country. The deposit formerly belonged to Suna Diamonds."

And now you know what's lying in that glass box.

"Painite", you answer under a sly grin of the left nameless Uchiha.

Yeah, this wasn't hard, if you know the company history of Suna Diamonds. Many years ago Rasa became rich by selling refined Painite, but since it became too expensive for the market he focused on other minerals. Now, after Parasol has taken the company and its belongings, the deposit belongs to Madara, someone who probably could pave his toilet-seat witch Painite. In the end Rasa couldn't produce gems from it because of the missing buyers to save his company.

"That may settles it, Shisui. You'll put all wheels in motion to get back that piece of land – no matter the costs."

"As you wish, Izuna-sama."

Okay, now you are able to assign some names. The right one seems to be Uchiha Izuna, the brother of the big boss while the other one is the head of the legal department, Uchiha Shisui. Damn those genes! But why do they want to get the land back?

"You worked for Suna Diamond before, ____-san, if I read your file correctly?" Uchiha Shisui inquires.

They know...

You simply nod.

"As formerly hand of Rasa?"

Again you nod. What kind of interrogation is this?

"Well, let me explain the whole matter. We need trustable gemologists we can send to this site promotion. Since you confirmed our suspicion, we finally found the source of Rasa's former success. The Painite. Yet alone this verbal statement won't make a proper evaluation overdue, the chance of having found the right minerals is great, so Parasol can focus on the sue for the deposit."

"Rasa sold it?" You ask without thinking that this question is probably out of the range of your competence. "Yes, as a private seller he sold the property of Parasol." – "So he sold it off after your takeover?" Now Shisui nods while Izuna focuses you.

"Well, I didn't know that", you state. Gaara was right, Rasa has been completely mad...

You eye Madara whose attention is still set on you for one second. Why should he speak when he has his servants for it? Why is he even here? You wonder.

"Alright then. Madara-sama? If you allow I would leave now to launch all the legal matters."

"So would I, brother. A lot of work has to be done."