Well... This time I have not been away from fanfiction quite so long... However this is my first time writting a Naruto fiction, so please don't judge too harshly if I'm awkward with the Naruto Universe. Also, don't mind the OCs, they're just here for a good laugh or two. Well, then L-E-T-S-G-O, Let's go let's go! Please note also, that while I support KakaIru, this one isn't cuz I don't praticularly like to write romance. And my voice is undoubtably a bit different from Iruka's so pardon the overtly gay seeming descriptions (you'll recognize them when you read 'em.).

Disclaimer: All I own are the omens, Anako and Rhyns. The rest I am borrowing.

Chapter One: Four Days Until Now

Most people might laugh, hells I'm laughing, but about a week ago I saw this coming. This rather foul air was lingering about me, making me jump at loud noises and be wary of shadows. I knew that something was going to happen and I was going to be at the focal point.

It started with a strange almost tingling sensation on my arm. I instinctively swatted at my arm and was rudely awakened by the soft 'splt' of an exoskeleton being crushed. I wasn't very good with spider breeds but either way, that started my morning.

After showering and dressing I was lingering in the bathroom when the mirror started to crack. A thin spidery line started in the bottom right of the mirror, issuing a small groan as the line became four than six then twelve. I sprang back, looking to see if anything else was suddenly breaking around me.

The feeling of bad omens had already settled in, the breaking of my tea glass and the broken strap of my tabi didn't help at all.

I've always been good at telling how a day will be and can spot a bad day a kilometer away. However this omen bespoke something much more sinister than merely taking a tumble down a flight of stairs or forgetting an important meeting or accidently setting ones' own hair on fire.

Something dark was closing in, which meant that something dark was closing on Konohagakure.

So I did the only logical thing I could. I went on a sabbatical.

I got a replacement for myself at the academy, leaving my lesson plans for whom ever filled in for me. I always was quite prepared and had left them with enough lesson plans, guides, quizzes, tests, and project guides to finish out the year.

Getting time off the missions room was also easy, it was convincing Sarutobi Sensei that it was necessary for me to leave that was the hardest.

"What do you mean you're going on a sabbatical?" His old voice rang of confusion laced with mild humour.

"Yes, I suddenly can no longer deny my heritage. I was walking through the market and I spotted some people playing Go... The two men playing were father and son, with the grandson seated on the grandfathers' lap, being taught the game. Off to the side a couple of older men were watching the game being passed to another generation." I was lying about them inspiring me, but the Go players really do have four generations alive. Truly amazing.

Lord Hokage laughed, his typical wheezing laughter that made me grin somewhat. I tried to look serious and confident... Well I was confident on my need to distance myself from Konoha, but mastering my sense of dread and the tumultuous feelings running rampant inside me, had me feeling almost nauseous.

"Lord Hokage?"

"... I think you've been spending too much time around Kakashi." He gave me an evaluating look, one that just about peels off skin.

"...K-Kakashi san?" I barely know the man. All I know about him is what I hear from Naruto, but he's known for his rather inaccurate judgment. So I'd been holding off on what I truly think of him until I actually met with him. "I don't know what you mean?"

"Of course not." He laughed a little anyways, probably imagining something rather humourous and trying to shake it off before continuing. "Well whatever it is you're not telling me, I hope that two weeks of leave I'm giving you is enough for you to come around and tell me what's actually going on." He leveled his disappointed, grandfatherly stare at me and I had to avert my eyes.

"This is much appreciated, Hokage-sama."

Thus I grabbed everything I could think of and dashed out of Konoha without some much as a wave backwards.

I had decided that being even remotely identifiable as a Leaf Shinobi might come back to Konoha, so I left my uniform behind and kept my hitai-ate inside my satchel.

I had decided to wear tight black pants that I wrapped and secured along with a new pair of black tabi I had gotten out that morning. I pulled out an old net shirt and a black zip up sweater. I also dug out an old, multi-pocketed hip pouch, one that I had altered to go with the satchel I wore.

The hip pouch had five pockets and sat on my right hip. One pocket held kunai and throwing stars, another chakra wires, sealing tags, and paper bombs. The satchel I wore over my shoulder so it rested on my left hip/back. I had customized the bag so that it could be attached to the belt of the pouch, preventing it from bouncing around or flying out as I ran and dodged. The whole contraption had one flaw, I suppose one could say, and that was the central joint. All the straps and belts were connected there so if need be, I could break that joint and ditch the bags.

However it also meant that somebody else could break it for me too.

But I wasn't going to let that happen. So I set off with all the necessities I could remember and headed towards the mountains. They're rather empty and void of any sort of life so I liked them the best for awaiting the omens to come for me.

My first stop that day, however was to see the little pond sized lake just at the edge of the village. Far enough away that not too many people went there but close enough for the patrols to glimpse upon.

Now even though Konohagakure is located in the Land of Fire, doesn't mean it's always hot or at the very least mild, but there is one thing I know with a certainty: ice doesn't occur on a pond when it's 32Cᵒ.

But there, impossibly, was the ice. Not a single blade of grass surrounding the pond-lake was touched with frost, just the water.

And gliding oh-so care freely across that ice was a yuki-onna... well... The figure was a little ambiguous in the gender department but there was no doubt about the snow department.

Their skin and hair were composed entirely of ice, a lovely almost silvery blue that glinted as they spun and whirled across the smooth surface. Their face was stony and it was impossible to tell if their eyes were open or closed. They wore a pure white garb that could be considered a cheongsam dress; it had a tall mandarin collar and the dress was pulled together with ties dotting it, the seam trailing down the center before coming across the rib cage. The sleeves of the dress where furisode like; they were tight at the upper arms and abruptly flared into furisode that nearly touched the ground when their arms were down. The cheongsam went to mid-shin of the person and had two slits up the legs that went to the top of their hip bone. A small flash of icy skin could be seen between the thick stocking that held up by light blue garters. Their delicate feet seemed to by naked, aside from the stockings.

As they danced across the ice it gave me a chance to study the figure, which I would come to realize was indeed a man. They were flat chest, which typically lead as they bent gracefully into jump after jump. The occasional pause of leaps and glides allowed me to see that their hips were rather boney and straight but they had a very shapely ass, one that looked like it may have been suffering a wedgie.

The snow apparition suddenly leapt high into the air, his wrists crossed so the backs of his hands touched. Large fluffy snowflakes flew away from him, trailing behind the furisode as he spun. He landed on his feet, sliding to the right to rid himself of momentum. His right leg suddenly spun back, stretching his shapely leg out and bringing him to a stop. The furisode gently landed on the frozen surface, one wrapping neatly behind him the other in front of him.

He gave a whispery sigh as he stood, his almost emaciated form standing forlornly at the center of the pond-lake.

A burst of applause from somewhere behind me had me jump. I didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared when it also startled the snow apparition. But I wasted no time in diving into a bush, scanning out with all my senses for the other person.

The snow apparition also looked around and called out in some strange, almost hissing language. They glided my way, their feet seeming to be lifted in the air with only his toes brushing across the ice as he moved.

That was when I noticed that the man was wearing shoes. Almost glass like shoes whose only telling sign of existence was the deep cerulean stiletto heel and soles. He stopped at the edge of the pond-lake, his empty eyes surveying the forest.

I jumped out, kunai in hand, staying a safe couple meters back.

"Who are you?" The apparition looked momentarily confused by my question, well their body language said they were. The icy face masked any expressions they may be making.

"I am Rhyns." They had a whispery voice that hissed lightly, dragging on the s. But I could just tell that I'd have a hard time with his name.

"Where are you from!" Because now it was starting to seem even less possible that he was an apparition. Apparitions don't talk, they just kill people. "What village are you from?"

"Village...?" He repeated the word like it held no meaning to him.

Another voice called out, startling the man. Suddenly they tilted their head, the icy lips creaking as the edges pulled into a serene smile.

"I do not come village. I come Rivina." He spoke brokenly but with confidence, as he thought he was speaking Japanese correctly.

"What?" It was really hard trying to piece together his speech and futility try to find the source of the voice. The man before me I was using as a template for my search. However, while he had an energy about him that felt similar to chakra, it was blatantly obvious he and this voice didn't have any known type of chakra.

"Rivina. Home." He spoke softly, then shifted his look to something behind me.

Shifting some so that my back was neither to him or whatever he was looking at I was able to spot a tall, dark clothed man pull away from the shadows, seeming to peel them off as he walked into the sunlight.

"We come from Rivina. It is very far from here." He seemed to speak Japanese much more fluently but his voice was ominous and made my spine tingle.

His face was striking, heavily angled and pointed but not without a elegance. The face would lovely if the cold, dark blue eyes were friendlier or if it wasn't so veiled by a foreboding sensation. His glossy black hair went to his thighs and flowed unrestrained about him. He wore an extremely fitted trench coat like jacket with a tall collar that went right to his chin, it somehow made his neck look long and willowy. The jacket's sleeved seem to barely be hanging on, showing more liquid-paper-white skin of his shoulders and upper arms. The black jacket sleeves stopped just a centimeter below the wrist, giving way to the tight shirt beneath that became sharp points on the back and palm of his hands. The jacket was held together at his impossibly narrow waist by a crimson sash. The jacket split open after the sash, the pointed tips of it brushing against the grass as it moved. The split revealed his thin, shapely legs that were tightly wrapped in black pants that disappeared into three tiered black boots, the first and third tier sported small crimson dot each.

"My name is Anako." He spoke crisply, his freezing eyes colder than the snow apparition... ninja... person... Rhyns.

"What... are you doing... here?" I managed not to stutter but the pausing was inevitable for the new comer had yet to stop walking towards me.

I jumped back, keeping the duo in my sights as I tried to give myself space to defend and attack. I held a second kunai and was desperately wishing I hadn't decided against bringing my katana.

"If I wanted you dead..." the terrible gaze flashed a whole new kind of malevolence at me, "then we would not be conversing now."

I shuddered and could feel the sweat dripping from my face. His dangerous eyes had connected with mine and he silenced my breath. I felt a small fire build in my chest as my lungs refused to even try to take in air. My heart even seemed to tremble off beat. I felt my core start to freeze and the edges of the world were starting to become fuzzy black smudges.

I felt my knees hit the ground and my lungs heave as air suddenly poured into them. My heart raced frantically and I surely would have tried to flee if I were able. I felt my whole body jolt as I finally registered somebody yelling.

My vision was clearing but I could tell that the ice apparition had suddenly come to my aid. Ice daggers littered the ground beside the dark man, most of which were rapidly melting.

The man was yelling in his strange language again and looked rather distraught. The dark man was doing his best to look apologetic but the glace he spared me was rather apathetic and uninterested.

I felt myself choke at the gaze, feeling rather foolish though. His gaze didn't hold the intensity he had last time, but my body was harshly reacting anyways. I felt a fresh wave of tremors and worked desperately to disperse them so I could confidently hold my weapons.

At the time, I thought this may have been the disaster that the omens were foretelling but little did I know that they were just omens themselves.

The ice man had finally quit yelling and was demanding something of the other. His hand held out for something. He growled again and the sable haired man tossed a glass jar to the other.

The apparition quickly opened the jar, knocking back some blue pills before tossing it back to the creeper. The icy skin suddenly melted into his skin, revealing perfectly tanned skin, a touch bit lighter and yellower than my own tanned skin. His hair was a lovely shade of lavender and his eyes were an expressive mauve that glared at Anako before he rushed to my side.

"I am deeply sorry, body guard san not nice." He smiled reassuringly, his delicate hand coming to stroke my neck and shoulder. "You kill me... He thinks." The last added almost as an afterthought.

"Wha-" I choked again, feeling Anako's deadly eyes on me. I suppressed the feeling and stared into Rhyns' compassionate eyes. "What sort of ninja are you?"

"Ninja?" Rhyns laughed softly in confusion. "I am not a ninja. Assassin."

"Apprentice." Anako quickly corrected. "You're not an assassin." He and Rhyns shared an icy stare and the deadlier of the two spoke curtly and Rhyns gave a small noise of understanding.

"I apologize, Japanese is not good." He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"What about that ice? If you're not a ninja how did you become covered in ice?" I pointed with my chin to the pond-lake, "how did you turn the pond to ice?" With Aanko's gaze? I supplied sarcastically but held it in, listening intently for his reasoning.

His, as he says, bodyguard san softly translated my questions. Rhyns looked at him then looked away, his eyebrows pulling together in frustration.

"I do not know how speak." He growled at himself, looking almost ready to cry. He made suddenly want to comfort him and I dropped my hand onto his.

"I'm a teacher, I can help you learn Japanese." I gave him a warm smile, trying to pull myself together. "You've already got quite a grasp on it, so I think you'll pick it up quickly. Don't give up."

It took him a few seconds to process what I said but he took my hand in both of his, an excited gleam in his eyes. "You really mean it?"

"Of course." I felt a lot warmer with the ice apparition than with the shadowy man towering over us. He had stepped closer when I touched Rhyns. I tried to keep my eyes from his, and stared at his sharp, hawkish nose. "I am going to those mountains, if you are going my way I will gladly help."

He nodded and I watched his black taloned hand come to Rhyns' shoulder. He gave him a brief squeeze and I felt his eyes suddenly leave me. That's when I felt it too.

A shinobi was nearing us, one with murderous intent. I leapt to my feet, holding my kunai out before me. "Stay back, Rhyns." Anako and I ordered simultaneously.

I would have spared Anako a bemused glance at our congruency but the shinobi was so close, his chakra was already trying to smother me. I flung out a kunai, quickly replacing the one for two shuriken. Beside me Anako pulled a daitou from seemingly nowhere. The blade gleamed in the filtered sunlight and his other hand held the black scabbard, looking faintly like he was wielding one sword normally and one in reverse.

The attacker deflected my kunai and Anako rushed forward, his steps so quick he would vanish from the second his foot touched off and reappear in the next step when his foot reconnected with the ground. He gave a powerful kick and vanished into the forest.

Rhyns drew up on his feet beside me, senbon falling gracefully into his hands as he leaned back easily. His body language said he was quite relaxed but his eyes were hard and probed the forest.

A harsh clang of metal on metal rang out, the keening wail of the blades drawing closer. It didn't take long for Anako to lead the shinobi into the open. They stood a measured distance apart, Anako with his and sheath held identically now, with his arms down, palms up, looking altogether too relaxed as I recognized his opponent.

Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi had his hitai-ate pushed up, revealing his scarred sharingan eye. The mismatched eyes wandered over to us and he nearly dropped his weapons when our eyes connected.

"Kakashi san." I murmured, more than a little surprised to see him. He must have been on patrol or something when he noticed the two strangers. Assuming they were enemy shinobi he attacked, and I looked about, scanning with my chakra to see if any other guards were called.

"Iruka sensei, what's going on here?" Kakashi shouted at me, his voice even but I could hear the stress in it. Anako must be adept with his blade if it scares Kakashi san.

"They're travelers, I spotted them a few minutes ago. They're leaving the area though."

"What?" He looked as confused as I was when I had first started talking with these people.

"Rivinians." Rhyns spoke softly, his senbon abruptly disappearing as he smiled and twisted his arms behind his back.

I took his arm, pulling it from behind back. "Don't put your arms were they can't be seen. It will only antagonize Kakashi san further." I spoke slowly, trying to annunciate perfectly.

"Antagonize?"

"Provoke, disturb, hassle." I threw out casually, shrugging slightly.

"Ah!" Rhyns slapped his fist into his open left hand as he smiled brightly. "I got it." He slowly repeated the word to himself over and over again.

"Kakashi san, they're just travelers, they'll be traveling with me."

"You're on a mission... by yourself." Kakashi still hadn't sheathed his kunai but Anako had already put his long sword back to where ever he initially pulled it from and was standing back, studying the two of us.

"No," I shook my head, trying to pull off a confident smile. "I'm on a sabbatical."

"A... Sabbatical...?" Both he and Rhyns asked, Kakashi being the more disbelieving of the two and Rhyns clearly not understanding the word.

Anako answered him for me so I could answer Kakashi. I stepped towards him, putting myself between him and the two foreigners I had picked up. I held my unarmed hands out to him, palms up as I spoke, trying to give a reassuring smile.

"Yes, you see I got this sudden and undeniable urge to study geology." I smiled widely, trying to use the preconceived notion of my unwillingness to lie against him. "And I'm taking these two with me." I motioned towards Anako and Rhyns, who had stepped together right behind me.

"Geology? I thought you told the Hokage you were studying your heritage."

"...Which is written in stone..." I felt my lips contort into a strange pulling twist that was torn between a weak smile, a grimace, and the frozen shock of being caught in a lie and not having a back up.

Damn him.

I was about to answer the coming question when the trees filled with ANBU and Jounin. Asuma and Kurenai were on opposite sides of the tree Kakashi was in front of and the ANBU team had formed a semi-circle around the pond-lake, which was starting thaw judging by the mild slush ringing the circumference of the pond-lake.

"I called for backup." Kakashi stated pleasantly, his eyes becoming little curves before sliding the hitai-ate in place.

Rhyns, Anako, and I put our backs together, waiting for them strike. I glared solely at Kakashi, only raising my fists defensively. "Keep your weapons down." I growled at them, which Anako was translating automatically. "We don't mean any trouble." I spoke plainly to Kakashi, trying to convey my peaceful intentions. "We'll be on our way if you'll allow."

I felt Anako shift uncomfortably and slide more in front of Rhyns.

"The Hokage wishes to meet these two." Ibiki spoke, materializing out of the shadows just over my right shoulder, his gaze locked intensely with Anako, who was apathetically staring back.

Rhyns carefully nudged his elbow into mine, getting me to look into his confused eyes. I smiled warmly at him, leaning comfortingly into him. "It's okay. We're just going to be delayed for a little bit."

He smiled after he translated the words and turned away, his arm jabbing me as he grabbed Anako. Anako stepped aside and turned with Rhyns stepping up between us.

I was minimally surprised, Rhyns stood slightly taller than me, but mostly due to the high heels he wore and Anako stood taller than him, with significantly shorter and stouter heels.

"We will talk with him, but only if Iruka san acts as our translator. We are not from here and do not speak the language well." Which was ironic because Anako was speaking perfectly and even using the proper conjugation for addressing someone like Ibiki.

Ibiki seemed to consider this for a second but when Rhyns spoke, he was rapidly agreeing upon a translator. "Rivina home. It's delicious." Rhyns smiled brightly and Anako's head dropped his head into his open palm.

"What did he mean?" I whispered to him, and he shook his head, shrugging.

Rhyns spoke quietly in their language, looking rather lost as we followed behind Ibiki and the other Jounin with the ANBU escorts flanking up, Kakashi and another team of ANBU behind us. I was a little surprised when Kakashi, tugged on my shirt sleeve, pulling me out of step with Anako and Rhyns and into step with him.

"Who are they?" He spoke so softly I was straining to hear him.

"Anako and Rhyns, they come from a far away country called Rivina." I replicated the decibel level, although it kind of hurt.

"And what do they do?" He pulled his hitai-ate back up, and Anako turned to scowl at him but looked away with a huff and a shrug.

He was probably studying the same phenomena I had witnessed earlier. They had a substance like chakra but felt completely wrong. It also didn't act like normal chakra, more like a kekkei genkai. The energy could only be described as something like Mokuton used by the First Hokage. Some entirely new chakra that I hadn't seen before, and apparently neither had Kakashi.

"Rhyns is a Yuki-onna... Well Yuki-jin..." I shrugged trying to find a way to better describe him but ultimately failed so I skipped on to my favourite creeper, Anako. "Anako is Rhyns bodyguard, or so he says..."

"And they claim to be from another country?"

"They just claim to be from Rivina. Rhyns laughed when I called him a ninja, claiming he was..." I hesitated because he truly seemed to mean assassin. Assassin and apprentice aren't similar at all.

Kakashi's sharingan stared critically at me, watching me try to think through the oddity that is this duo. I caught myself and turned an apologetic smile on Kakashi. "Sorry got lost in my thoughts... What was I saying?"

"What Rhyns' occupation is." Recalling the senbon he used earlier, I smiled and nodded my thanks before answering.

"He's a doctor in training." Kakashi gave me an incredulous glare, apparently he had also noted Rhyns' clothing. About the only saving grace of them were that they were white.

I smiled on, completely ignoring the look. Kakashi gave a resigned sigh and went on.

"And Anako?"

"He's a bodyguard." I returned the incredulous look, trying make it look like I was wondering if he were really paying attention. I knew he knew was I just trying to bluff away his accusing eyes.

He fell back a step and stepped back up to Anako and Rhyns as we came to the top of the Hokage monument. The meeting was probably held there because it was easier to get more ANBU there and easier to get the Hokage out if the strange duo decide to attack.

If they did attack I was try to stop them too.

The Hokage stood with seven ANBU ringed in a semi-circle behind him. More ANBU were dotted across the monument and those guiding us here fanned out behind us. The Jounin came to stand in two neat lines on opposite sides of the Hokage.

Sarutobi sama coughed softly as he analyzed the duo then his gaze turned to me. I bowed politely and the other two mirrored me.

"Good morning Hokage sama." Rhyns greeted formally, his face taking on a serene indifference. "I am Rhyns Minamo and Anako Miso." He waved first to himself then Anako.

The Hokage looked on in minor amusement at him. I was resisting the urge to correct him but Anako waved me off.

"Rivina home." He smiled and I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

"Rivina is our home." I added the missing parts. Rhyns blinked incomprehensibly then repeated after me. "You keep forgetting the particles Rhyns." I sighed shaking my head.

"Thank you Iruka sensei." The way he said sensei was lewd and made me eye him critically. The smirk on his lips and the odd look in his eyes made realize he was doing it on purpose.

"Sensei? You're teaching them, Iruka?" Sarutobi sama asked, suddenly eyeing me like he did earlier when I tried to lie my way out of town.

"Sort of. I'm just teaching them Japanese. Rhyns san here has a good vocabulary but as you've heard, a little trouble with particles and conjugation. And the occasional sound alike..." I knew both Anako and I were recalling the 'Oishii desuyo' Rhyns stated, blissfully unaware of his mistake.

"Are you shinobi?" Anako bowed slightly, his gaze carefully nuetral.

"I am. However my duty is to protect Rhyns." He stated simply, his eyes glaring at the ANBU encircling us.

The Hokage's eyes fell on me and I gave a shy grin and bowed.

"I am too." Sarutobi rolled his eyes and I got the distinct feeling that while the Jounin thought I was quite witty the ANBU didn't appreciate the remark.

Rhyns gave a satisfyingly shocked expression. Clutching my shoulder as he swung around to look me in the eyes. "You are a ninja!"

I smiled at him, trying to get Anako's attention, but he and Ibiki were locked in death stare battle. "Well... Yeah."

He stared with open awe, then looked around. "Are all these people ninjas?" He gasped, looking ready faint.

"...Yeah... This is a ninja village..."

"Village?" He started but quickly shook his hand at me, stopping me from explaining. "Then why so many brightly colours?" He asked sounding rather dubious.

"..." Good Question. "We live in a forest." I was trying to think on my feet but the ground seemed to be moving 150 KPH. Rhyns leveled an incredulous stare my way before shrugging and turning back to the Hokage.

"Hello ninja sama." Rhyns spoke to the Hokage, looking much happier to meet him. "It's Delicious!"

I could feel the surge of disbelieving awe that went through the crowd. If we could, we all probably would've ended up on the ground, our feet in the air.

"No." Rhyns looked back at me confused and oblivious to the horrified awe of the ANBU.

"No what?"

"It's delicious is not what you meant to say..." Anako finally stepped back into help, explaining to Rhyns what he just said. Rhyns' face became beet red and he laughed embarrassedly.

"Nice to meet you." Rhyns tried again and bowed deeply. "I am very sorry."

"It's fine, Rhyns san." The Hokage spoke sternly as scanned the crowd. "Please come with me to my office." He dismissed the ANBU and the other Jounin except Kakashi.

Sarutobi sama was seated in his chair with the four of standing before him. He was smoking on his pipe, his eyes trying to discern the truth.

"Iruka." He grumbled out, his gravelly voice making me inhale sharply. "Kakashi has told me that you are taking your sabbatical to study geology."

"There's rocks all over the world. I'm trying to find a stone native to-" Sarutobi sama's bark like cough cut me off, making Rhyns and I flinch. I sighed and ducked my head. "My friends are here and being that they're foreigners I wanted to take time off and show them the Land of Fire." I tried to sound as defeated and dejected as possible.

Rhyns loosely held my wrist, smiling gently at me. "Iruka chan." He breathed softly, trying to enable my lie as much as possible.

Even Anako had turned his gaze to me, his emotionless facade temporally made into a friendly facade.

Our combined acting was enough to fool the Hokage and he gave a dip of his head.

"Iruka." He sounded slightly admonishing but the fatherly smile on his face made it impossible not to smile back.

"Does this mean I don't have to use up my sabbatical leave?"

"You get sabbatical leave?" Kakashi asked suddenly, wearing his own mask of astonishment.

"You don't?" I could tell he got the joke and was rather relieved I didn't have to explain it. Even Rhyns got that one and was laughing with us.

The Hokage however became rather serious and I gulped, suddenly worried that I'd end up cursing Konohagakure and end up getting these two enigmas thrown in jail. He sighed and made a motion towards the door, and two ANBU came in.

"Please wait outside with them, Rhyns san, Anako san." Rhyns and Anako bowed deeply and Anako gave me a curt nod. Rhyns waved as he skipped out after the trio and slid the door shut.

"Iruka... I cannot allow you to go..."

"But... Hokage sama! I really do need to!" I waved my arm, slashing it across my body. My abrupt movement startled Kakashi and he stepped away from me.

"We have gotten some strange reports, all of which have been following those two."

"They're my friends! I know Rhyns wouldn't do anything evil." I clenched my fists by my sides, trying to rein in my emotions. "I want to show them my country." I stated dejectedly.

"...Let me go with them Lord Hokage." Kakashi suddenly volunteered.

"W-what?" I was rather stunned, and trying to get to the bottom of his sudden niceness. "What about Naruto and Sasuke and Sakura? Your team needs you..."

"I can give them some training regiments to follow in my absence." His visible eye closed into his infamous 'He' character. "This way I'll get information on these strangers you call friends and you get to have that trip you wanted."

I blinked rapidly then turned to the Hokage. He seemed to be pondering that when he nodded. "You have two weeks Kakashi. Find out all you can and report back. Should something jeopardize this you are to both report back immediately."

"Yes sir!" We both stated and saluted.

Pah! Chapter one done! Tune in next Thursday for chapter Two! It promises more adventuring and more laughs!