First Steps into a New World: Naruto's Life

by Arballisk

Some Revision Naruto begins a new training ritual, amidst enemies moving to strike Konoha, demons revealing that nothing is black and white, worlds clashing, Naruto's realization of his destiny, and unknown gods poking fun at it all

1. Being the Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Well hello good denizens of the fanfiction world! This is my first time posting, so I hope you enjoy it, even though I did not do much proof-reading on it.

There are a few issues I must address though before I begin with the tale.

1) This fic takes place after the fight with Kakuzu and Hidan. It assumes that Naruto's arm has healed. Also, the events after that (i.e. Orochimaru's defeat at the hands of Sasuke and everything else does not happen.

2) This fic is Naru-centric, but there will be times when OCs will be featured, but never for too long.

That's all I can think of for now, so please leave a review with lots of constructive criticism and the like.

NOW we can begin! Enjoy!

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Is it on?

Can he hear me?

It is?

Good.

Now shut up fuckers.

Ahem ahem. Hey there little guy. I bet you're wondering who I am, aren't you? Well, sorry but I can't tell you that. Maybe later . . . if you're good that is.

Anyhooooooooo . . . . . . just here to say 'hi' and all that pish-posh. Nothing much to do really, wot. If something does happen though, I will be right here and ready to talk, wot wot.

Hmmmm? Oops, well I have to go little dude. See you later!

Now where's my gun?

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Cerulean eyes blink, the drowsiness of the morning making the eyelids slow and unstable. A hand rises up from the crumpled mess of bed sheets. It wavers in the general vicinity of the sun, hoping to knock the offending ball of hot gas out of the sky. Or at least block the brain killing light rays of blinding pain.

Another hand rises up like the living dead and clutches the bed. The sheets heave themselves up, grumbling and yawning. A green head with large happy eyes peaks out, apparently enjoying the yellow spiky something that it is munching on. In fact, this yellow spiky something is, in fact, blond spiky hair.

The ever useful hands come up and rub at the young man' eyes. Slowly he swings his legs over the side of the bed, his normally handsome face scrunched up with the strain of moving so early in the morning. As he levers himself up he scratches his hair, inadvertently knocking away his green cranial parasite.

Moans and groans issue from his mouth as he shuffles in an awkward gait out of the room. Expertly stumbling through the doorway, he wobbles his way through, the next room, body automatically responding to the furniture in his path. A few more dragging steps and he finds himself in a new room, this time with a sink and tub, though he could not see it. Grasping the faucet he jams it all the way to the stopper letting out a geyser of arctic water. Heedless of its evil iciness he cups his hands and gathers some water, and splashes his face. He repeats the process, running the water and splashing his face and he quickly picks up speed as he is shocked into awakening. After he is thoroughly soaked, he grabs a bottle of facial soap and squirts a bit into his hands. Rubbing this into his skin, the boy closes his eyes and slowly breathes, the scent of the soap sending a spark through his senses. Again he fills his cupped hands with water, this time to forcibly wash away the soapy suds.

Eyes shut, his hands blunder around the sink until they make contact with the edge of a newly dried towel. He scrubs his face clean, and gets a good look at himself for the first time that morning. He sees the same thing that he has seen for the past sixteen years – the face of a young man coming into his own. His deep blue eyes now gaze out at the world with a contagious determination. The build of his face shows evidence of baby fat loss, evidenced by his angular jaw and long face. Six curious scratches adorn his cheeks, three to each, lending him the likeness of a fox. His mouth his slightly large and tensed up a small bit, as if anticipating a hilarious punch line to an amusing joke. Golden blonde hair sits atop his scalp, untamed and eagerly jabbing in every direction. His visage is one many remark to be the best and most favored in Konoha

He wipes away the last few bits of water from his hair, and stares at his reflection for a short time. Then a grand smile breaks out, and he says:

"Good morning Uzumaki Naruto, you handsome devil you!"

Yes, the boy's name is Uzumaki Naruto, and he is one sexy devil.

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He stabs his hand into the inky blackness. He stumbles about blindly until he feels the coarse cord slide between his fingers. Grasping it, Naruto pulls. A light illuminates the space like the sun glaring through a telescope into a awakening person's eyes. But the blonde does not notice, too focused is he on swallowing his ramen, cup, and fork. Finally his hand snatches the sleeve of one of his infamous orange jumpsuits. Tugging it down from the hanger he tosses it on his unmade bed.

His bedroom is actually larger than most other apartments' even though his mess seems to make it shrink. The walls are a very light green, with the baseboards being light yellow-green. Naruto's bed lies in front of a window, which is opposite from the closet on the other side of the room. The window looks out over a great portion of Konoha, is the perfect place to watch the sunset. His closet is actually larger than what he needs, seeing as how its only two-fifths full. Do not infer from this that he has few clothes. He just doesn't want any more. Three pairs of footwear, seven orange-and-black jumpsuits, and an array of casual clothes (which also have the same color scheme) are all he needs.

There is a door in front of the foot of his bed that leads to the kitchen. Next to the door is a three-compartment dresser made from trees originating in mountain ranges of Fire Country. At either side of his headboard is a nightstand with a copy of Icha Icha Tactics on the left and a lamp on the right.

Piles of clothes lay haphazardly on the floor. Some gathered in immense piles of stickiness, and others seem to have run off to mate with the other, less nasty orgies of fabric. Slurping down the rest of his packaged ramen, Naruto casts an eye about his room.

"Hmm. I'll take 'em by the cleaners tomorrow."

Saying this, he proceeds to change into the set laying on his bed. A pull, crick, and two zips later he stands in his infamous shinobi outfit. Next he grabs his nin-pouch (essential for all that ninja-ing they do) and loops its handle through his belt. Finally the blonde reaches into the closet and extracts his blue tabi, or ninja sandals. These he adorns while sitting on his unmade bed.

Finished with his daily dressing routine, Naruto walks into the kitchen. The doorway from his bedroom points straight toward the sink. The countertop starts about seven feet from the door. Then it moves forward for four feet before turning to the right for six feet. The counter is made from marble, an import from Stone Country popular with many Konoha homes. The sink, which can hold around three gallons, is burnished silver with a water purifier. It is a gift from the Haruno family, given after his teammate Sakura had seen the unspeakable damage he had done to it.

On the left-hand part of the counter is a stove and oven combination. A microwave sits above this twosome, a break in the continuity of polished brown cabinets running the same distance as the counter. A dish-washing machine is built into the counter next to the sink. The refrigerator begins where the counter ends, and seems too large for a single person. Last of all is the kitchen table and chairs which sit in the center of the kitchen.

Naruto walks to the closest cabinet, opening it to reveal an obscene amount of cup ramen. He grabs one of the cups and rips away the plastic wrap and the paper cover is opened halfway. Turning to the sink, he fills the container to the depressed indicator line with purified water. Then Naruto turns to the microwave, opens the door, and tosses in his noodly-deliciousness. He sets the timer for three minutes and walks back into his bedroom.

Naruto glances at the pictures lining his wall those perched atop his dressers. All depict the shinobi with a variety of people. One shows himself and an intimidating fat child competing in a ramen eating contest. In the background a black haired boy with a ponytail is staring at the two in awed disgust. A pale blonde girl with a fetish for purple leans halfway into a trashcan, presumably dumping her guts. Last is a bearded fellow smoking ten cigarettes at once with his hands clasped over his eyes.

There is one taken in panoramic view, showing mass numbers of people chasing after a familiar blonde. All of the pursuers are coated in orange paint, head-to-toe.

In yet another, Naruto is shown poking a dark haired girl. Her skin is red as beets and lavender eyes stare upward. Behind them are two boys, one shady in a high-collar jacket and the other sighing with a dog in his jacket.

Next to that is a photo with two nearly identical people, with bowl-cut hair and green suits.

Hanging above the left nightstand is a picture of Naruto in a red men's kimono with his right arm around a blonde woman's waist. Said woman is blonde with large bangs framing her face and wears a purple kimono that does nothing to hide her immense cleavage. Her right hand holds up a bottle of sake with her left arm around Naruto's shoulders. In Naruto's left hand is a large sack of ryou. A white haired man can be seen slumped over the counter of a bar.

The last is the most significant. Naruto stands next to a pink-haired girl with a wide forehead. Next to her is a boy with black hair and a grimace seemingly ironed onto his face. All stand in front a man with a facemask and windblown silver hair.

Naruto stares at this picture for some time, lost in his own thoughts. A beep from the microwave draws him out, and he walks away, one thought still in his mind:

'Maybe you can't be saved, but that doesn't mean that I won't try.'

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Naruto sits astride the railing of his balcony and stares out over the city of Konohagakure no Sato. His eyes lazily troll over the rooftops and trace over the streets and alleys. The sounds of the early morning hustle and bustle are a calming melody to him. He would often do this in the mornings. Caught up in the whirlwind of events in his life Naruto often never takes the time to stop and see his village.

He smiles as he contemplates what Konoha means to himself now and in the past. Before he discovered his true nature he had a miserable life. Unloved and scorned none save the Hokage, the council, and later his sensei Iruka ever spoke to him with compassion. Truthfully, he feared the hate of the villagers, and adopted an emotional mask to hide his true self from the eyes of the world. He presented himself as a fool and a prankster; a façade of happiness against his depression.

After he was told that he is the Kyuubi's container by the traitor Mizuki, Naruto's life took a turn for the better. He gained many friends who showed their affections in many different ways, and though it was brief, he found a brother in Uchiha Sasuke.

Gradually his mask integrated into his personality becoming his new identity. He had nothing to fear, and so he had no need to hide behind a mask. A new Naruto was born-one who is truly happy.

But today he must cut his contemplations short, because he intends to be an annoyance to the Hokage Tsunade. Asking her for missions gets him nowhere, so maybe if he becomes an enormous pain in the ass she will send him away just to be rid of his presence. Hopefully to somewhere nice. With lots of bad guys to beat up.

Stretching his legs and twisting his back, Naruto slides from his perch on the railing to the wood platform. As he walks down the balcony jutting out from his apartment, he hears a light pitter-pat and a flapping of wings.

"Kree-kree-kraak!" says the feathery visitor.

"Huh?" Naruto blinks and turns his back to look at the bird. But it is not just any bird; the Hokage's Personal Courier Hawk. One of four hawks specially trained to find anyone in Konoha, these birds of pray have been used by the Hokages since the villages creation.

The hawk hops forward flapping its wings and swinging its head side to side. Then it hunkers down on its right leg and raises its left, a small scroll tied lengthwise above its clawed feet.

The blonde shinobi smiles as he unties the scroll, eager to see what the message is. The thin parchment easily unrolls under Naruto's fingers revealing the short message within:

"Hokage's Tower. Now.

-Tsunade"

The distinctive handwriting is unmistakable. Naruto always finds her characters to be the most beautiful he has ever seen. The combination of the impatient, thin, and quick strokes with the skillful mastery of perfectly formed characters delights him. It symbolizes the true balance of speed and precision that he aspires to have.

Naruto smiles to the bird saying "Head back little guy, I got it covered."

The hawk gives a small nod before falling off the railing. It spins as it approaches the ground, then unfurls its wings, tilting the hawk up until its is parallel with the ground. After a few seconds the wings give single mighty beat and the avian ascends high above the village buildings.

Rolling up the small message, Naruto watches his visitor fly away. Then he turns back towards his apartment in a leisurely trot. He opens a sliding all-weather door that leads to his room. Leaping over his bed Naruto opens the dresser next to the bedroom doorway and drops the scroll on a small pile of scrolls and various assorted ninja weapons. Now, stepping back on to the balcony, Naruto runs its length.

Then he jumps.

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The day is loud in Konoha, much like any other. Men and women walk the streets, vendors hawk their wares, and children run blithely amongst it all. Various shops are preparing for the day ahead while ninja walk carefree like ordinary citizens. Naruto smiles widely, happy to see the villagers in such high spirits.

His hands are clasped behind his head as he leans back in casual relaxation.

His presence does not go unnoticed, as several people turn to look at him.

Unlike their previous ways of looking at him, they now look at him with pride. Yes, for several years now much of Konoha has realized the error of its ways and all the villagers seek forgiveness. To keep his secret safe though, some nod or smile at him, while others give him gifts or enormous discounts from their stores.

There are still a few left that hate Naruto, but the tables have been turned. Those who still continue to hate have been ostracized from polite society. All of this kindness on Naruto's behalf is rather overwhelming. It is a good kind of overwhelming though, with so many admirers.

Speaking of which, here comes one now.

"'Ello Naruto! Grand oauld day tae be out eh?" says an older gentleman, grey hair on the sides of his head, with the bald crown shining brightly in the sun. He wears a green yukata with a lighter green undershirt and a black belt stretching across his waist. His pants are an earthy brown and a pair of worn black zori adorns his feet. In his right hand is a hand-carved cane, made from the wood of an apple tree. His right hand weaves through the scraggly whiskers on his chin. Eyes squinting, he gives Naruto a searching look.

"Mmmm . . . boy? Summ'ins diffren' bou you, but ah jus' can't put ma finger oan it."

Naruto grins, just barely able to piece together what the old man said. He might just be one of the nicest people one could meet. The only problem is that almost no one understands him. This is understandable, since he brought his family to Konoha from the east beyond the shinobi nations. He gives no reason for the move though and always tries to avoid the subject.

"Aahhh, so you noticed Ojiji-san! Well, I did beat some really powerful nuke-nin -"at this he turns to the side and flexes his right arm "-using my super-cool new jutsu! It totally destroyed him!"

Giggling sounds out from behind the elder, and a twenty-something young woman walks into view. With long black hair and a rounded face, she represents the image of 'cute' in the eastern countries. She wears a furisode with the ribbon tied in front. The color scheme is the same as the older man's, but her footwear is the geta.

"Well Naruto-kun it sounds like you have grown much more powerful. And in so short a time too! I am impressed." She says with a smile.

"Yea Naruto I do be in agreement with wif ma lil' Xiaohua. You'm deffn'etly gett'in stronger boy! Yea, I bet you'm one a da' best nin in all of Kon'ha, eh? Eh-he-he-he-he!"

Naruto grins at the praise, rubbing the back of his head. "He-he thanks guys. That means a lot to me."

"Well it ought too" Xiaohua replies "since its true!"

"Yaaaa! Naruto! I got a dem' fine idear. Why don' ya come on in an ah'll get us some tea. Cain shut up shop fa' while. Be'in too laong saince we'm talked ma? Ya'll tell us'ns all 'bout yo trip wif Jiraiya-s'ma." The old man asks. He gestures behind himself towards a modest single floor house. It is the same color as some of the surrounding houses, but its architecture is slightly different. Instead of the rounded and tall style of Konoha, built to block out the hot sun with its long eaves, this building is built to be rain resistant and has flat walls.

There is a door on the right hand side of the building with two blue pieces of fabric hanging from the top of the door. They have the characters for the words "come hungry" sown into them. Though the entrance has been seeped, there is still old dirt pounded into the wood; evidence of a profitable establishment. On the side of the building facing the street is a banner proclaiming "Fun-zhao mian's Delicious Eastern Dishes" with the same title repeated in the characters of the language of the east.

Naruto shakes his head "Sorry Ojiji-san, but Baa-chan has something (probably an awesome mission only I can complete!) for me. And . . . erm, well, I guess I've had a long enough walk. Best get down to the hag's office now." He turns and runs down the street, shouting back at them:

"See ya Hua-chan! See ya Ojiji-san!" and he is gone in a flash of orange.

The two stand there for a while, staring at the last place they saw him.

"He did not even say good-bye grandfather." Says Xiaohua sadly.

"Haaa . . . the impat'ence o' yout'. Bes' be enjoy'in yo's ma flower. It goes waaaiiiii too fast." With that he walks back towards the building, his granddaughter at his heels.

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The Hokage's tower is the most important structure in all of Konoha. Built before Konoha was founded, it has been the home for five generations of Hokages. It is here that ninja receive missions and the public gives requests. Often times the missions are handed out at the mission center staffed by the Hokage and several Chuunins. For more important or urgent missions, the Hokage would meet with shinobi in the Hokage's office.

The tower also houses the Forbidden Scroll, which is filled with many unique and powerful jutsu. There are many other secrets kept there too, but those may never be revealed.

Another important figure in the tower is the council, composed of the Sandaime Hokage's old teammates Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. They act as advisors only, and they do not have any power over leadership. The Hokage wields full power over Konoha; much like a military dictatorship.

Currently, Konoha is under the leadership of the Legendary Slug Sannin, Godaime Hokage Tsunade. She was the apprentice of the Sandaime in her beginning years as a kunoichi. Her team was made up of the Legendary Toad Sannin Jiraiya and the Legendary Traitor, Snake Sannin Orochimaru.

And Konoha has Naruto and Tsunade's gambling addiction to thank for her leadership.

Now we join her as she sits in her office, waiting for her favorite headache.

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The young woman shifts uncomfortably in her chair. Adjusting her rear to a more cushioned portion of the seat, she smoothes out her black kimono and runs her fingers through her sandy blonde hair. Her tall polished black fan leans against her seat..

She sighs.

She pumps her leg.

She slumps forward, asleep.

This person, now with drool on her lips, is Sabaku no Temari. Born the daughter of the Sandaime Kazekage, she is the elder sister to Kankuro and Yondaime Kazekage Gaara.

Now she serves as ambassador to Konoha, and its unofficial Wind Mistress. And this title is part of the cause for her presence in this room. For this room is in fact, the Hokage's office.

In front of Temari is a darkly varnished desk. Old age chips away at it, some parts worn from years of use. Sitting on top of the desk are innumerous piles of papers reaching dangerously close to the ceiling. From behind the sheafy jungle are the faint calls of a snoozing person.

The room itself is unremarkable, green carpeting, a couch on the right wall and a bookcase slightly further down from it. A long set of windows stretches from the far left to the right, showing much of the beautiful village.

Overall the room is quiet, peaceful and not at all unappealing for a nap. But suddenly, a foot kicks in the door, blowing out the handles and driving the doors through the walls. The foot continues on to become a leg, which keeps on going past the door. This leg flies past Temari and forms a torso. Now the combo is hurtling at mach speeds towards the towers of paper. The entire body reveals itself now, as a blur of eye melting orange.

The entire thing carries itself to the papers. With the grace of a speeding arrow, all the papers are knocked aside, and the foot finds purchase in someone's snoring forehead. Suddenly something holds fast Naruto's foreword progress.

A hand holds fast Naruto's foot, green fingernails glinting like emeralds. As the air clears, a blonde mass of twin-pigtailed hair is seen lying on the desk. Attached to it is a neck stretching to a back covered in a green happi with the character for 'Gamble' in a red crest on the back. With the right arm still supporting Naruto, the torso lifts up. Such a wonder too, for the weight on the chest must be enough to break any other woman's back. These twins are held up by a white sleeveless summer top modestly covering her assets.

She turns her face up to meet the shinobi's, revealing stunningly deep hazel eyes. Her face small yet round with angles at the cheeks and chin. And, thick blonde bangs cover the edges of her face. To complete it is a single blue dot on her forehead. A cute-and-beautiful face to be sure.

And one all of Konoha knows well.

It's on the Hokage Mountain after all.

But now, this wonderful mug is twisted into an insane mix of rage, murderous intent, and impatience.

The attack comes before Naruto can even react. By the time he realizes it, he's already unconscious. And headfirst into the ceiling.

"That ought to teach the brat to never be late to a personal meeting. I even said 'don't be late!' Shit, I bet he does this just to annoy me." Growls Tsunade.

Temari grins sleepily. "Maybe he's trying to get a mission. Y'know, get so annoying that you have to send him away."

How did they know . . . ?

"Well, he sure as hell can" Tsunade replies "but then he'll miss out on what we've got for him."

Both women sit in silence for a while, Naruto's body rocking back and forth from the ceiling.

Temari sits up and wiggles her back. "I can't make any promises on how much he'll learn and how long he will take to learn it. Kage Bunshin no Justus's effects are ineffective when used with the more advanced styles of wind jutsus. Also, his chakra may be so immense that he may not be able to use jutsus that need a smaller amount of chakra. What I mean is, is that this new training may not wield many results."

"And what I'm saying is, is that I want him to go through with this, despite the chance of minimal results. Kakashi though, thinks that this will work." Tsunade replies whilst staring at Naruto's feet.

"About that, why isn't Kakashi teaching Naruto?"

"Because he would rather have a expert wind user teach Naruto than one who uses it in only two jutsus."

Temari looks to the side, then back up again. "While I appreciate the compliments, I'm not to confident in my abilities to tea-"

A crash resounds throughout the room as a large chunk of ceiling emancipates itself from the rest and falls to the floor. A body rolls around dazedly, groaning as it stands in the middle of a pile of plaster.

"Ugh, damn Baa-chan, ya didn't have to throw me through the roof. I would have been just fine with the yelling." Says Naruto as he stands straight as a drunken man.

Tsunade's right eye twitches as she lifts herself of the chair, head bowed. She approaches Naruto who grows exponentially smaller with each step she takes. Stopping in front of the shivering shinobi, Tsunade bends at her waist and looks into Naruto's eyes.

And let's loose the greatest barrage of curses Konoha has ever heard.

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Wh-wh-what the shit was that?

I dunno. But I bet I know who is responsible for it.

Who?

Well, out with it man! Tell me, a'fore I he'xplode from my waiting!

Uaagghh . . .

. . . You're a moron.

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Smirking, Tsunade stares down at a whimpering Naruto, who looks back at her with teary, soulful eyes. His hands are clasped in front of his chest and he stands in a crater, floorboards sticking out at crazy angles. Temari is somewhere in the remains of a bookcase.

In the next room over.

Tsunade stares at Naruto's heartbreaking face. Truly, she tries to resist, but she fails; the Hokage turns her back as a sign of concession. None can resist a sad Naruto.

The busty blonde leaves Naruto to sit at her strangely undamaged desk whilst muttering nonsense to herself. Taking her seat, both blondes wait until the third stumbles into the room.

Temari mutters low to herself "fucking shit-baggers crapping on'a fuckload a' piss-drinking ass-stabbers . . . " and all other sorts of colorful comments.

She slowly takes a seat on an unconscious Chunnin. Naruto remains standing. Tsunade looks from on to the other, asking a single question:

"All finished with the shenanigans?"

"Aye.", "Hai!"

"Good," says the Hokage "now we can get to business. Naruto, I will get right to the point. You will be receiving Fuuton training from Temari here."

Naruto leaps up ready to protest, but Tsunade halts him. "I already know what you are going to say. He was the one to suggest it."

"But why can't he teach me?"

Tsunade sighs. "He can teach you, but Temari here can teach you a whole lot more."

"Yeah, I am, without hyperbole, one of the best Fuuton users in all of the shinobi countries." Temari adds.

"And Kakashi will be joining you later to help supervise along with Yamato."

Naruto looks up and asks "Yamato-sensei will be helping? I thought he had some ANBU some-such to do."

"Nope-"Tsunade shakes her head "he is taking time out of his schedule to continue his assistance."

Naruto nods, and the room is quiet for a few moments more. Presently, Temari speaks up. "You should know Naruto that the purpose of this training is not to teach you new jutsus, but to give you a deeper understanding of the nature of Wind."

"That sounds really corny."

"Shut up."

"Yes, please do."

"Anyway, if you are ready, we can head down to Training Field 43 and get started." Saying this, Temari leaves through the gaping hole that is the wall.

After waiting for a few moments, Naruto turns to Tsunade, his face rather serious. "Baa-chan, do you think that I might have time for more training? The Akatsuki is still moving around and Orochimaru and Sasuke have disappeared."

Tsunade looks up from her desk, a bottle of sake clutched tightly in her right hand. "That's the strange thing. The Akatsuki has dropped completely off the map. Jiraiya's information network can't even find them. And Orochimaru has started something; I've already sent two ANBU teams to investigate. He's not even trying to hide is he?" She mutters the last part to herself. Then the Hokage looks up at Naruto. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

The shinobi leaps up as if set aflame, and dashes out of the room. "Sorry Baa-chan gotta go see-ya!" And he's gone.

The Godaime sits awhile in her chair, the groans of the awakening Chuunins the only other sound besides Tsunade's slurps.

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HRRRRMMMMM . . . WHY HAVE YOU NOT KEPT UP YOUR END OF THE BARGAIN?

I-I-I am sorry, but its just so hard! There are so many and I-I need more time!

GGGGAAAAAUUUUUUU . . . I SEE. IS IT REALLY ALL THAT DIFFICULT?

Yes! Yes it is. Their eyes are always on me, and between you and my other . . . projects, I just don't have the time to-

WHAAAAAAATTTT?! YOU HAVE BEEN PERFORMING OTHER DEEDS AND NOT THE ONES THAT WE AGREED UPON!

Bu-bu-but you said I could-

YOU COULD PERFORM THE ONES RELATED TO ME! NOT ON SOME FOOLISH DREAMS OF-

It is not foolish!

UUUUUOOOOOHHHHH . . . I APOLOGIZE. I SEEM TO HAVE OFFENDED YOU.

And I you. I shall follow our codes strictly from now on.

AND I HAVE OFFENDED YOU. PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES. I SHALL BE SURE TO BE MORE LENIENT WITH OUR DEALS NEXT TIME.

Yes, my lord.

MY HUMBLE SERVANT. I MUST TAKE MY LEAVE NOW. THERE ARE MATTERS THAT REQUIRE MY ATTENTION.

Very well. And I shall resume the unsealing?

YES, AND THE BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION.

Goodbye.

FARE THEE WELL.

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Training Field 43 is the very image of prairie grasslands. Tall grassy knolls, long green stalks forming green springy beds. The slightest puffs of wind can make the whole area dance and sway in the light. Naruto admires the view as he stands on the tallest hill, the Konoha forest gradually building up behind him. A little ways way to his front is a large pool, feed by a stream meandering through the hills and up into a hole leading to an underground spring.

Naruto paces back and forth impatiently as he waits for Temari to show up. She had told him that she needed some last minute supplies and that it might take her a few minutes to gather them all.

Growing bored, the shinobi reaches into his nin-pack and pulls out a kunai to twirl between his fingers. As he does this he whistles a formless tune from far back in his memories. So lost in his thoughts is he that he does not even notice the Suna nin coming up from behind.

"Yo Naruto."

He jumps and spins to face the intruder, kunai drawn.

"Now now, no need to get combative. Though I probably should not have snuk up on you huh?" Says the blonde girl standing in front of him.

Naruto blushes and scratches the back of his head, saying "Nah its alright. I should have been aware of my surroundings."

"Yeah that's true. But you are on home turf, so there's no need to go all 'shinobi' on everyone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Naruto says as he stares out over the grasslands once more. Temari glances back at him, and then back forward.

Getting an idea, the kunoichi tells Naruto: "Alright Naruto, here's the first part of your training-"

At this Naruto's head swivels around.

"-and the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu isn't going to help you."

"Huh? What? Why?" Naruto asks pleadingly.

"We are going to do some meditation; that's why. And you can't speed up meditation."

The shinobi looks shocked at this. "M-m-meditation? I hate meditation! Its so boring having to sit in one spot and-"

"Do you want to learn Fuuton or not?" Temari asks dangerously.

"Yes. I'll be good." Both ninja sit down upon the grass, Temari's legs bent to the side and Naruto sits cross-legged.

"Good. Now, before we even attempt to manipulate the power of the winds, we must feel them."

"But my Rasenshuriken works fine, and I never did something like this to train for it."

"But imagine how strong you-and it- will be after this training."

Naruto immediately calms himself and closes his eyes.

"Now then, just breathe in and out. Be calm and find your peace. Continue to breathe, slowly . . . yes that's right. And keep your breath calm and steady."

For half an hour this continues, with Temari smacking Naruto every time he moves. Gradually though he gets the hang of it, and is soon matched evenly with the kunoichi. Now Temari shifts her position slightly so as to put her hands on her lap, and exhales deeply.

"Good. Now that we are sufficiently calmed we can begin to follow the Wind."

"How do we do-?"

"Hush."

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, we can now follow the Wind. This part is not difficult, but it is tedious. Now relax and we can begin." Both ninja relax themselves as the wind curls the grass around them, as if answering to their call.

"Let the Wind blow. Let her pass through you as if you were a blade of grass. Feel her swirling, dancing, and speaking. Her voice, her touch is quiet and soft. You may be tempted to strain your senses to find her. Do not. Move with Wind and follow her lead."

Naruto's face relaxes. He can feel the slight streams of air curling around him. Cool caresses opening his consciousness to the power around him.

"For now, that's all you can do. A single dance with the Wind is not enough. She only divulges her secrets to those who truly wish to understand her. If she loves you, she will speak to you. Her trust is founded on the respect and kindness you treat her with." At this Temari pauses. "But many ninja try to use her power at their own discretion. They have never heard her voice, nor have they ever danced with her. This is tantamount to rape. They use and abuse her without any thought to the source of their jutsus. But, like a rapist, the ninja can never hold the true power of the wind. If you can show that you wish to love her, then she will open herself to you. There you can behold the true abilities of a Fuuton user."

"But for now, she is shy. Dance with her and make her happy." So saying Temari stands. Naruto is still seated and amazingly, he doesn't move. His breathing remains calm and regular. His head and back are held straight and his eyes are closed in soft concentration.

The Suna kunoichi turns and walks back towards the forest, taking care to keep her footsteps light. It would be unwise to disturb Naruto now. She meets a rather perverted disturbance just a few yards from the forest, though.

He wears the standard Jounin outfit; black pants and black long-sleeve shirt. His feet are clad in the blue regulation tabi with his ankles and the area slightly above bare. On his hands are fingerless leather gloves with metal plates on the backs of each. He also wears the green Jounin vest with the red swirl on the back. In the pockets are numerous knick-knacks and little bits of nonsense. He has a facemask pulled up over his mouth and nose for no apparent reason. Lastly, is hair is silver and blown to the side as if he had a rather blustery day

The Copy-Cat nin of Konoha, Hatake Kakashi, glances up at Temari from the little orange book he's reading; Icha Icha Tactics. Just a single, lazy eye and a slight twist of the head.

"Where are you heading off to?" He asks.

"Right now this is all he can do. There is nothing else I can do except to check on him every once and a while. I'll check in on him at about every hour-and-a-half."

"I think I'll stay here and watch. Might see something interesting."

At this Temari nods her head and starts to walk away, until the Cyclops stops her again.

"Y'know, that's some interesting stuff you told him. I make the same mistakes that you talked about."

Temari looks at him suspiciously. "And I trust that you won't speak of what you've heard of here?"

"Maa maa! Of course I won't! Besides, it is too late in the game for me to make any use of that stuff anyway." He goes back to reading his book perverted literature.

"Hmph. Fine." She resumes her path to the forest.

"By the way Temari-san," Kakashi asks without looking up from his book "is it really true that Naruto can increase the power of the Rasenshuriken with this training?"

"It is possible. Or maybe he will be able to counter the backlash of using the attack. Or even find some new ability. It all depends on how these first few stages go." Now Temari starts into the forest, this time undisturbed.

Kakashi though, waits behind, his book tucked away and his full attention on Naruto. Thoughts flow through his head as he thinks about his best pupil and the uncertain future before him. But a twinge flows through his mind, and his breaks from his thoughts.

"Ahh thinking is so difficult! Too many unneeded thoughts when I have you, my precious." Grinning like a fool, Kakashi hugs his sex-book like a lover, muttering soft and sweet nothings to it.

The wind quietly stirs.

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S-flip-t, s-flop-t, s-flip-t

Goes the pink-haired girl's sandals. Her gloved hands swings easily at her side while her brown pouch-tied to her waist and facing forward-bounces with each step. Her tight black shorts go to just above the bottom of her pouch. On the girl's elbows are gray elbow pads. She wears a red sleeveless shirt with a tall collar and a zipper. A blue Hiate-ate holds up her pink hair, though two long bangs rebelliously cling to the sides of her face.

Haruno Sakura is this girl's name, the kunoichi of Team 7 and apprentice to the Godaime. And if today were any other day, she would either be sparing with Naruto, Kakashi and Sai, their third teammate, or she would be taking her lessons with Tsunade. But today, she wants to watch him train. Not to learn anything really, just to watch.

Of course to some this may sound strange, but to her it's a sign of her support. Just the thought of his longtime crush watching him can double Naruto's effort. And also, she wants to make sure that its really Naruto she's watching.

"He's gotten so strong, and I never got to see him do it." She whispers. But now she has the chance to show him that she's right behind him; the kind of support he missed on his training trip.

With her head bent down in thought, Sakura does not realize that she is already nearing Training Field 43. A few stray branches block her from exiting, which she promptly pushes aside. What she sees mildly surprises her. She only expects Naruto and Temari to be there, either fighting up, or shouting up, a storm.

Instead she sees Kakashi lying on the ground with his porno on his face and Naruto sitting some distance away, sitting. As she approaches the later, because the former is a disgusting pervert, Sakura notices that he is swaying from side to side slightly. His head swings every once in a while and his mouth opens just a crack. He seems to be speaking, but to whom she knows not.

What alarms her is that the grass around him is swirling, and his clothes look as if they were being spun about. His hair too swirls like the grass. All are actually moving rather calmly and the scene is seemingly harmless, but Sakura is not taking any chances. She's heard the stories of careless ninjas approaching one of their fellows during a 'seemingly harmless' meditation.

Taking deliberate and loud steps, she approaches the blonde. The wind suddenly picks up, pulsing as if in anger. A gust begins to blow against her. She gives a slight cry, which is enough to wake Naruto. He shakes his head as if awakening from a dream. When his eyes land on Sakura, his mind jumps to action and he leaps toward her. Just as he does this though, the wind sputters out.

Naruto does not notice, as he is too busy attending to Sakura. "Ano, Sakura-chan, are you hurt? What happened? Do you-" at this he stops and looks around "know what time it is?"

Sakura blinks. "Ummm . . . I'm fine, I don't know, and its about 6:30."

Naruto's eyes bug out. "WHHHAAATTT?! 6:30?! Then that means that I've been meditating for-"

"Around nine hours." Says the now awake Jounin.

This information surprises Sakura, who she knows to never be able to sit still for any amount of time. "Really? Naruto has been meditating for that long?"

Kakashi nods. "Oh yeah, he has. I nodded of somewhere in the middle, But Temari-san has been coming by periodically to check up on Naruto."

Speaking of the young shinobi; Naruto is in a bad way. He lies curled up on the ground with his hands over his stomach. Occasionally moans of pain and anguish would pour forth from his mouth. Sakura, worrying about his deathly state, kneels on the ground and shakes his shoulder. "Hey Naruto. What's that matter."

He rolls over and looks into her eyes. His sight is blank and empty, like his soul has winged away. "Must . . . have . . . fooooooooooooddddddd . . . "

The kunoichi sighs at his behavior while rising to her feet. "Alright Naruto, I'll go get you some Ichiraku's while you wait here for Temari-san. I'm sure she'll want to talk with you before you leave."

"Nah, lets go out to eat. I'm feeling a little hungry myself."

Sakura and Kakashi-who is only paying minor attention to these events- turn to look at the edge of the forest. More specifically, they turn to look at the top of the tree line. There, floating on her enormous fan is Temari. Gracefully she glides to them, slight updrafts keeping her aloft. Upon descent, Temari waves with a grin. Once she alights to the ground she dismounts her fan and approaches Naruto. "Well, now. Had a nice time dancing?"

Sakura looks at her with her eyes wide.

Naruto on the other hand, stares at her for a moment before answering with a grin. "It was pretty fun. It was difficult to get her to even look at me, and even then we did not do much. But I actually liked it."

"Now hold on," Sakura says, looking a little miffed "what are you talking about? I though you were training, not dancing." In her mind though, little rants of indignation run through her head about whom Naruto had danced with.

Temari smiles. "You know what? I'm really hungry, so lets go out and get something an I can explain what he was doing in a little more detail."

Sakura, satisfied with this answer, follows Temari into the forest while Naruto dashes away, screaming about Ichiraku's.

It takes Kakashi five minutes to realize that the others had left. It takes another ten before he follows them.

"I suppose I'm paying then."

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It is nearing the end of sunset by the time Sakura, Kakashi, and Temari finish eating their bowls of ramen. Naruto is still on his eighth.

The foursome is eating at Ichiraku's, a small ramen shop owned by the man whose name it bears. When it opened five years after the Kyuubi attack, Ichiraku Teuchi and his daughter Ayame had been refuges from a small village in stone country. When he had heard about the forced labor drafts for all civilians, Ichiraku had taken his daughter and fled to Konoha. The draft did not sound bad to some of the younger generation, but the older knew that it was, in essence, slave labor.

Adults perform jobs they are unskilled in, and any injuries that are incurred are treated, but by trainee medics. They did not receive pay; instead they receive a 'handsome' pension for their troubles. Children are also put to work in weapons manufacturing or manning defense stations. Families are sent to work in the same village, but they rarely get to see each other.

Of course, the Iwa leadership and culture retains the belief that everyone must work if everyone must survive. Neither does it have the same economic benefits that Konoha has. Since it is a far more militaristic society, only the ninja-oriented companies make any certain amount of profit. Therefore, the Iwa government has too little funds to spare in the way of civilian pay.

But when Ichiraku reached Konoha he had found a new start. He opened up his first true ramen shop with blessings by the Hokage, whom, along with a certain five-year-old blonde, were his first customers.

It took him three years to find out Naruto's secret, but by then, it did not matter. His favorite customer is still his favorite customer no matter what may be in his stomach. Though he is none too pleased that Ayame has taken to idolizing Naruto as of late. All that staring decreases her cooking efficiency after all.

"Hey Ojji-san! Give me another pork ramen!" Yells Naruto waving his chopsticks in the air. Teuchi grins as he prepares yet another bowl. The shop can be called more of a bar than anything else. It is composed of seven stools in front of a long bar. At the very left hand side of the bar is an opening leading into the kitchen, which is right behind the bar. The kitchen itself is small; two boilers, a stove, a refrigerator, and tall ingredient towers.

Both cooks wear a short-sleeved summer shirt with a white apron tied over it. Ayame's though as frills on the outer edges of the apron, as custom of young female waitresses. A thin grey rope winds across their hips. Lastly, both wear loose-legged pants.

The female of the duo is now gathering up the four shinobis' finished bowls, though she needs to make a second trip for Naruto. And Naruto is still barreling through his ninth bowl of his beloved Miso while Kakashi cries over his anorexic wallet and Temari and Sakura discuss Naruto's training.

"So what you're saying, is that anyone who has ever used elemental jutsu has used stolen power?" Asks Sakura.

"Basically yes. Other kinds of jutsu, like genjutsu, stem from the human soul. And all kenjutsu styles stem from the body."

"Wait, how is it that you know this, yet others do not?"

"I don't really know. I think its because no one knew how to truly contact the elements. And when early shinobi found that they could use jutsus from the elements, I guess they just forgot about the spirits. But the wind is remembered because its voice forever circles the world. Unlike fire it does not fade away without fuel, and unlike stone, its voice can never be taken and shaped into what humans' desire. I was taught that because of this, Fuuton users will never forget the voice of their benefactors."

Sakura sits, slumped over at the bar absorbing what she heard. Presently she speaks up. "Why did you refer to speaking with the Wind as dancing? And as a woman?"

At this Temari smiles. "Dancing with the Wind is the same as speaking with her. She finds out everything about a person from the way they dance. And I say she is a woman because she feels like a woman. Her spirit is feminine and graceful. She prefers grace and softness in her partners; something almost all women have."

"Let me guess; most Fuuton users are women?"

Now Temari grins. "Not most. All. As far as I know, there are only two women in the entire world that can dance with the Wind. Kimiyoko Tsuroki, my Fuuton-sensei, and I are those two. Naruto is the first man in shinobi history to ever get close to the Wind."

"Are you serious?!" Sakura asks, shocked. "The only one?!"

"Yep. I'm surprised too, but she must find something attractive in him if she takes to him so quickly. In fact, it took me three days just to get her to notice me."

"Uggh, more questions. First, what about that Kunoichi who used wind swords to defeat you? Second, why would the Wind take to him so quickly? Third, if it took you such a short time to get her to see you, why could no one else do the same thing?

Naruto bursts out shouting obscenities when his bowl of hot ramen spills in his lap due to Ayame's distracted staring at said shinobi. Both kunoichi ignore the racket, though Sakura's hand twitches when Ayame tries to dry Naruto's crotch.

With her bare hands.

Coincidentally, Teuchi's hand, which now grasps a knife, stabs through the kitchen wall due to too much force applied.

All the while, Kakashi rifles through his Jounin jacket looking for his auxiliary wallet.

Temari returns to her current subject. "That girl may have been stronger than me at the time, but she was approaching the limit of her abilities. It would have been two or three years before she could no longer grow any stronger. That is the consequence of taking the power of an element that still has its spirit."

"But-"continues Temari "for someone like me, who is in touch with the Wind, limits are not a problem. Whereas she would one day hit a wall, I will keep on growing."

"For your second question, she usually finds lovers in her partners. Not physical ones; spiritual ones. But later one it becomes physical and it is up to Naruto to figure out what to do. I am not allowed to help him."

"Wait, so Naruto might have to sleep with her?" Sakura asks worriedly.

"Maybe. Most likely, since she would probably like his inhuman stamina."

Sakura 'hmmms' quietly as she rests her head in her crossed arms. Temari watches her for a minute before continuing. "To answer your third question, the Wind will only come to a person if another who already has a relationship with her calls her there. When the first kunoichi danced with the Wind, it was easy to find her. The world was far more fertile and lively back then after all. But as ages passed, life was sucked out of the planet, weakening the Wind's ability to find her callers. Little time passed before she completely lost the ability to find new partners. Now a sensei must call for her when there is a potential partner. I did the same thing for Naruto in the morning."

As she speaks, small dust devils spin by, and Naruto's and Temari's clothes ruffle as if blown by the wind. Naruto, who is in the process of cleaning out his last bowl, stops and looks around. His expression is of a person who thought they heard another call their name. But it passes, and he is back to sticking his face in the bowl. The Suna kunoichi sits still and continues to listen, her face growing serious. Sakura pays no heed, choosing instead to lean across her to speak with Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto? Can you walk me home? I want to talk with you."

Naruto perks up at her suggestion, and immediately tosses his unfinished ramen. He grabs her hand and leaves off in the direction of the Haruno home. Behind them they leave a concentrating Temari and the now comatose Kakashi.

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A dark moon watches behind thin clouds as the two ninja walk down an empty street. A park lies to their left and rows of houses built to move with the trees on the right. At regular intervals the silent duo walks under a pale dome of light, radiated by the streetlights with vines climbing their poles. The dirt road coughs quietly as their feet touch it.

Sakura glances over at Naruto, knowing that she should say something. Her house is just around the corner after all. "Naruto?" She asks.

He turns to look at her. "Hmmm? What is it Sakura-chan?"

She bites her lower lip for a moment. "You've gotten really strong Naruto. I'm proud of you."

"Hoooo!" Shouts Naruto, full of joy. "Thanks Sakura-chan! That means a lot coming from you!"

Sakura smiles, not caring about his volume. "And, I may not show it, but I am grateful for everything you have done for me." Now she stops walking, Naruto turning to face her after a few steps. "I have always thought you were strong. Even when we were just starting out I thought you were great. It's just . . . you never acted like someone at your level would. Maybe if you had been a little more mature I would have noticed you."

"But now you've gotten so strong, and yet you still act like a knuckle-head. I wondered, what gave you the motivation to work so hard?"

Naruto puts his hands behind his head and smiles. "I train because I want to protect you Sakura-chan." He looks to her left slightly. "And to bring Sasuke back."

She smiles softly. "And I trained because I wanted to bring Sasuke back. I wanted to prove that I could be a great kunoichi when even though I started with nothing. Most of all though, I did not want to be protected. It hurt so much to see you throw yourself into harms way just to make me smile; to keep me safe."

Naruto opens his mouth to speak, but she continues. "But lately I think I have found something that gives me the strength to go even farther. Something similar to what you have Naruto."

At this she steps closer to him, placing her hand on his cheek. "I want to protect you Naruto. I want to return those feelings you have given me for so long, and that I stupidly ignored. I want to prove to you that we can protect each other; you should not have to do it alone."

Now she steps back and looks resolutely at Naruto. "And, I want to prove to Sasuke that we are strong. He always believes that he is above you, and I am just an obstacle in his way. But if I show him that I am stronger, he will see that he made the wrong choice. He turned his back on us, and when he looks back, he won't see us. We'll be ahead of him. He will feel what it's like to be the dobe. But, I don't care what he thinks about me. What I want . . . what I want is for him to finally acknowledge you through me. Because . . . he and I know that I am weaker than you. That's why, when we meet Sasuke again, I want you to let me fight him."

Naruto steps back, gaping. "S-S-Sakura-chan?"

"Even if you say no Naruto, I will still do it. I don't just want to prove my worth to you; I want to show it to you."

Naruto stares at her, eyes wide, before a sad smile crosses his face; his eyes are blank and far off. "Alright Sakura-chan. I can never say no to you."

Sakura smiles and steps forward to grab his arm. "Thanks Naruto. Now that that's settled, let's get going back to my house. I think my mom might have some dessert for you." She says enticingly.

Naruto, mood shifting wildly at the thought of creamy frozen treats picks her up bridal style and dashes off, Sakura's laughing hanging on the wind.

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They make hardly a sound, these cloaked mysteries. The night hides them and their intent. With silent steps they sail through the air, lightly touch a tree branch, and off they wing themselves. The air does not even mutter a sound, so quiet are these strangers.

As they leap from tree to tree they ascend. The ground sloping upwards forces their next landing to be higher than the last. The mountains they climb stretch on for miles north to south. The earth is hidden by lush flora and soft loam and dirt.

The Unknown turn their procession to towards the peak and climb it by their fanciful hops. Only a few minutes pass before they reach the peak. It is a small clearing shaped as if a portion of the mountain had slipped away. Small bits of vegetation and some smaller trees ring the area. It is only about an hour past midnight and the sky is clear, so they easily spot the place.

In the forest it was impossible to tell how many had been bouncing around. But under the moonlight, their numbers and further details are revealed. Nine cloaked figures stand in the clearing, each wearing an identical black hooded cloak. Also, each has a facemask sporting different designs of animal faces.

Two of the nine break away and move into the forest, presumably to gather supplies. The rest set about at making a base camp. Each person sets up a single sleeping bag with some rations packed for them. Three of the group move into the forest, this time far more alert and combat-ready than the two who had left previously. What's noticeable about the preparations is that there is no fire set up. They all follow the basic rule for ninjas when on a high-priority mission: never use fire unless absolutely needed.

As they pull off their cloaks and sit down upon their sleeping bags, they pull out identical scrolls from their packs.

All wear identical shinobi wear, even the three females. The standard Jounin jackets adorn their chests, but are colored pitch black. Their arms are bare save for the long armored gauntlets and metal bands around their forearm and bicep. They wear black pants with black tabi on their feet. Nin-packs and extra-large pouches adorn their hips and legs, respectively. A katana is sheathed on their backs.

These nine ninjas are no ordinary ninjas. They are ANBU, the best of the best. Highly secretive and rarely seen by the public, they are the ultimate embodiment of shinobi. Without a word each opens his or her scroll and reads through it. They take their time, and soon enough the rest of the absent members stroll in, their collection and security duties finished.

All nine sit in a circle, silently reading. Several minutes later as if on cue, they all look up. The ANBU with a hawk facemask stands up and speaks in hushed tones. "You have all read the mission scrolls correct? Good. I do not need to remind you that we have no idea who or what we may find. That is why we must get in and out of there quickly. Kill no one, and do not incapacitate them if you can help it. Take pictures of everything you find, and if you deem it necessary, take or destroy it. Stay in your teams and communicate only by hand signals. If any resistance is encountered and an alarm is raised, no one escapes alive. Kill with extreme persecution. And when we make our escape, drop all of your explosive seals. Just one person's load is enough to level several buildings. And lastly, I do not need to remind you that this is one of Orochimaru's largest laboratories. There may be things left over, and I do not want any surprises because people were careless."

After saying this, the ANBU points at a female and male ANBU. "Ermine, Perch, you two take first watch." Now he addresses the whole group. "Tomorrow at 0500 hours we begin surveillance. Mouse, your squad will monitor the transport trains from the southern range. Keep notes on everything you see. Pike, take a position above the target and monitor from several different angles. My squad will watch the entrances from the east and south woods. At 0115 hours we will infiltrate the target from the south entrance unless a problem arises. Further details will be issued at 0030 hours."

Finally he finishes speaking, and the rest open their bed rolls and slip inside, as the two watchpersons sneak away into the night.

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Once again the night is dark. Clouds cover the sky, hiding the moon from earth-bound eyes.

The valley is small; only two small passages lead into this area. The east path winds its way around low mountain ranges and often becomes an overhang. It is a beaten path though, so travelers can easily guide a cart through it without running into any trees. The southern passage is straighter, but cuts through the thicker forests on the valley floor. Also, the mountains peaks above it are weak and unbalanced. A slight disturbance could bring it down.

Aside from the paths themselves, the valley is a veritable fortress. The cliff sides are sheer and smooth. If anyone were to climb down them, they would make slow progress; defenders could easily shoot them down from a distance. The forests are so thick that only ANBU-level ninjas could disable moderately damaging traps. The forest also grows about two-hundred meters in and then turns into thick grass. Any ninja that survive the forest will have to deal with the long grass, which is almost like molasses to the swift shinobi. And if they were to take the paths up to the enemy, the defenders could hold off the aggressors with only a few men at the head of the path.

It is a rather impressive place to say the least.

But to the ANBU hiding on the cliffs and forests, the valley itself is of little significance. What they are focused on, is the building carved into the cliff; the center of the valley.

It protrudes out of the rock by about thirty meters with the grass coming within seventy meters. The southern path leads out of the grass and enters straight through a large gate. A bit to the right is a smaller entrance for the east path, likely an exit for shinobi. The building itself has a single wall that runs from the cliff and has a face about one hundred meters long and ten meters deep.

The ANBU team led by Pike now lies above the target, all three with binoculars held to their faces. Since midday there has been little activity. But when the transport train came, groups of Oto Chunnin and Jounin came running out carrying boxes and objects covered with sheets. Once the train was filled they all filed back into the lab, carrying with them anything left over from their frantic loading.

They did not learn much except that there is no Oto ANBU present, and that the train itself is protected by only a small group of Chunnin.

Over at Mouse's group, much progress has been made. His two teammates, Swan and Ermine, had both snuck into the train and taken/recorded everything there while Mouse kept a close watch. After that, they had followed the Train until it left the forest. There it came to a crossroads; one half broke away and went west, while the other half kept going south.

Last is Hawk's group, who is currently packing up their efficiently small supply of gear. They kept a close eye on the entrances, and found that they are suspiciously unprotected. For the east entrance, a single Jounin stands guard, a nin-cloth covering his vigil next to the door. The south has only two Jounin patrolling the wall. They have seen enough.

They send out a signal, a quiet tweet like that of a local bird, and leap through the treetops back to home base.

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It is night yet again, and the nine ANBU now stand at the eastern tree line closest to the east entrance. Hawk motions for Mouse and an ANBU under his own command, Horned Beetle, to move towards the small door. Both ANBU move low to the ground, cloaks turned inside out to the light inner lining. They duck, dive and weave through the grass, their movements parting the grass in time with the wind. After fifteen minutes they reach the end of the grass, and the edge of the path curving towards the cliff and going over a slight incline towards the gate. The two halt as Horned Beetle pulls out a fourteen inch pipe. Quietly he pulls out a feathered dart and slips it backwards into the front of the pipe. Next, he places the thicker end of the pipe to his lips and takes a breath. Mouse grabs a stone from the ground and throws it at the feet of the bulge in the rock face near the door. It barely wiggles, but the movement is enough for Horned Beetle.

A slight puff and the entire group is dashing to the cliff. Mouse grabs the formerly hidden guard just before he hits the ground. An ANBU serving Pike named Perch steps forward and grabs the body, light breath issuing from the man's mouth. Ermine helps her wrap the body in a lightly colored cloth. Then an ANBU under Hawk, Barn Owl, makes a few handseals:

"Doton: Doryo Dango."

He quietly digs down, keeping the range and volume of his excavated dirt minimal. Next, all three bury the shinobi inside, keeping his head above ground and covered with a heavy cloth that permits breathing but not sound.

Hawk, after making sure everyone is present, forms a string of six handseals.

"Red Finger of the Lock-Crusher."

His gloved right index finger glows crimson underneath the black material. Hawk holds his finger up to the inner edge of the doorway, where the door meets the rock. Starting from the far left he drags his finger along this edge. When ever he hits an obstruction that is not wood, he would stop then slowly move over it, until a small pop is heard and resumes his task. It goes on like this all the way around the door up to where he began. Another small pop is heard, and the door begins to fall inward. Perch calmly reaches forward to grab its edge and Horned Beetle grabs its top.

Grasping the rock with both hands, Hawk lifts up his body perpendicular to the ground, then plants his feet on the earthen ceiling. Crawling to the right, he gets behind the door and slowly lets it down. Now there is enough space for the rest to pass through on the ceiling. In about seven seconds all but one are inside the lab, Swan staying outside to keep watch. Pike and Mouse's teams - with Mouse down a man - nod to the rest and run with feather feet down the darkened corridor.

Hawk lifts the door back up into place, the as of yet inactive Armadillo steps forward to help push the door flush against the stone frame. Swan gives a last unseen nod before he takes the cloth the Oto guard was using and pulls it over himself. Hawk looks to Armadillo and Perch, and then all three are gone in a blast of speed.

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The stone walls are rough but even, shades of grey dancing with the shadows cast by the torches haphazardly set into the walls. Stalagmites that were once tall and wide now cut and shaved into little stumps. The lights are gone, along with any power supplied by the generator. The team of Pike, Horned Beetle and Barn Owl walk with light steps. After three minutes of running they had found the supply network. Little pockets of food or weapons not yet emptied pop up sporadically along these routes, and the team is ready to document everything, no matter how trivial.

All of the ANBU are equipped with special cameras that give of a flash with a wavelength high enough to light up the subject and low enough to evade detection . . .

For the most part.

Also, each person has six scrolls, a pair for three different weight settings that are dependant on the amount of Chakra the user has.

For ten minuets the group walks without any findings. At certain junctions they would chose the most walked path, but soon they were randomly choosing. This was a bad situation. Pike knows that she can find her way back, but getting in an ambush now could get them dangerously lost.

It comes as a relief then when Barn Owl sees a T-intersection up ahead, and pulls the others along at a slightly faster pace. As they grow closer they see that the corridors to the right and left are labeled with a sign declaring their names:

"Left: Post-monitoring and observation."

"Right: -Classified-."

The right hand part of the sign has a large red stamp with the characters for "Empty" handwritten onto it. The left hand corridor though, has a wall of dark grey rock with a door set into it. A triangular sign with the characters "Clearance: Secret" hangs on the door and a square sign reading "Identification Required" hangs below it. A covered slat in between the two was probably used for identification. All three look at each other before Horned Beetle places his hand against the blockade.

He feels a single, calm pulse.

Without looking up he holds up a single finger and searches for the person's location. Catching it, he looks up at Pike. Holding up three fingers, he then motions with the tips to a spot on the dull, hard wall. Forming five handseals Horned Beetle places his index finger at the same spot his other three were at.

"Secret Earthen Art: The Child's Spinning Rock Cutter."

He circles his finger on the stone, spiraling out until he makes a hole six inches in diameter. If he made the hole any larger, the guard only three metes away would be woken up.

Next, Pike steps in front of the hole and makes forms a string of six handseals:

"Deeper Sleep of the Hibernating Bear."

A flash of blue light and the snoozing Chunnin slumps further into his seat. Barn Owl places his hand against the door and pushes it open. Not surprisingly it is unlocked. No one expects to have Konoha ANBU patrolling their secret hideouts.

Barn Owl is the first to step through, followed by Pike and then Horned Beetle. This new area is rather different from the last. The floor and walls are much smoother; the torches are closer together too, brightening up the place. The stone is lighter, its contrast with the shadows nearly drowning them out. They walk only thirty meters before they turn left at a corner, and meet quite a sight.

They are in a corridor at least three times larger than the last, and that's on account of the closed doors. Computers, offline because of the cut power, are set into the walls next to each door. There are five doors on each side with a door at the end of the each row. A red cross on them indicates that they are for first aid or others sorts of care. One final door lies beyond this set, though its darkened demeanor and battered surface is rather put-off-ish. All this they take quick pictures of.

Pike, deciding to hold off on inspecting that door, hand signals to Horned Beetle and Barn Owl to check the rooms for life signs. Knowing that the computers may not have been wiped clean yet, pulls out a kunai and digs through the rock to free the computers.

She gets about three out before Barn Owl finds a weak pulse behind the last door in his row. He signals for Pike, who signals Horned Beetle to resume salvaging the computers when he is done searching.

She approaches Barn Owl, who has his right hand on the knob of the door. Pike arms herself with her katana, ready for a surprise attack. Barn Owl pushes the door, but stumbles when he realizes that it weighs as much as he does. Pike, knowing that she would be a little more vulnerable, puts her back against the door and braces her leg against the rocky doorframe. With a heave she and her subordinate get the door open. Pike spins as she kicks off, katana coming down onto the head of the potential enemy.

What she finds makes her step back just a bit.

"Wh-what are you?"

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Shuffle shuffle.

Click s-nap.

Mouse sets his camera for a new shot, the nest set of documents ready for recording. Ermine is behind him, sealing into container scrolls the three file binders and ten boxes of suspicious looking tidbits they found in this room.

The 'three-man-down-a-guy' team got lucky. After five minutes of searching they had finally found a corridor to investigate. Unfortunately, there were thirty doors and all were rooms that either had office furniture but no information, or they had useless and trite files that had to be documented as per mission statements. But just as they were about to move on ahead, since they only have a limited time frame, the two found this room.

It is about fifteen meters deep and eighteen tall, the stone smoother and straighter in here than outside. Three identical desks sit in a triangular position; two facing one. File cabinets stand against the back wall and tables with bits of nonsense stand against the side walls.

Ermine picks up a little stone block from the pile she had gathered. This piece was found in a glass container on one of the desks. Paper seals which the two ANBUs removed lay around it. The material of the block is a dark, almost red stone. It is brittle at its carved edges, yet strong and dense towards the center. One side has a most curious design on it. Inscribed in faded red ink is a symbol that resembles Japanese, yet something is off. The strokes are hard and vicious, as if the writer was trying to savagely cut open a person. The strokes are also curved, a single pattern not evident, but it is as if it was written in sections. Not wanting to waste any time, she seals the block into the scroll and continues to her task.

Mouse riffles through the files and tosses a bunch over to Ermine. Out of all the files, only a few were noteworthy. Some were about experiments involving the Chakra systems of humans and animals, and some were about the shinobi combat methods.

One that catches his eye though bears the label "Grand Bridge Development Status." And despite the fact that nothing could be read in detail, he was able to catch mentions of "reasonable trade", "fell apart", "crushed by . . . overloaded", and other such snippets. These kinds of finds he takes a snapshot of before moving onto the next group of papers.

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Hawk wipes his hand along the wall. Something is here, he can feel it. There is a room behind the wall and the door is hidden.

Perch looks out from the room he's in after deeming it empty. Armadillo takes some pictures of the dead end corridor they are in. This area is rather desolate; the only signs of human traffic lie in the path into the room Perch is making himself useless in. But the tracks leading past that room made Hawk suspicious, which is why he is now poking and prodding the stone wall.

An errant poke hits home, and a low rumbling is heard. All three stand, hands on their katanas. Farther up, near the dead end, a two an a half feet wide section of wall sinks in and slides away. Cautiously the team approaches the new dark opening. Hawk, wanting to remain safe, motions for Perch to remain outside, and the two go in.

It is a scant few steps hidden in darkness that they must navigate, the frightful memories of Orochimaru' s presence makes every shadow a hideous slithering snake. But hier walk is short, and they come to a door. Unlike the rest of the doors though, this one is grotesque. It is rippled and folded like old human flesh, small carvings of human faces crying out against the purple door. Even little stitches stand out in the waning light the torch Armadillo lights next to the door. The knob too is disgusting, enough so that Hawk wraps his hand in his cloak before touching it. Just as he does, it opens up and a single crusty eye looks out. The ANBU jump back, losing their composure for but a moment.

The eye looks up at them, who once again reach for their katanas. As if in exasperation, the eye closes and a click is heard. Then the door swings open of its own accord.

With their hands on their katanas the two shinobi step into the room.

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Pike stares down at the person in front of her, a bit of pity crawling past her eyes. A young woman, seventeen or eighteen, sits in left corner of the room with her knees folded up under her crossed arms. A long mane of dirty and mangy brown hair covers her bent over head.

Her feet are covered in thin and scraggly fur, a mix of brown and black, and her toenails like claws. Along her legs is a patch of fur leading up to her thighs. Her only visible hand, her left, is also covered in fur like her feet with nails extending about two and a half centimeters. Another patch of fur runs from her hand along her arm and to her shoulder. The girl's entire body is covered by a grimy, ratty smock that smells indescribably repugnant. Lastly, two ears, similar to those of a fox or cat, sit upon her head.

What is shocking about the girls is not her fur, but her state of health. Bones show through on her paper thin skin and her skin is as white as snow. Not even a splotch of red in her system. Pike steps forward to place her hand on the girl's shoulder. Shaking her slightly, Pike speaks low, slow and steady.

"Miss, are you alright? Can you stand?"

With infinite slowness the decrepit girls turns her head to look up. Her face is like the rest of her body. Sunken cheeks and eyes stand out alarmingly. The skin is as tight as that on a drum. Matted fur grows from her cheekbones and her forehead. Two fangs stick down from her upper lip. Brown eyes stare distantly at Pike, barely registering her presence. Her tongue rubs along the upper row of her teeth as dry wheezes putter out of her throat.

Pike understands immediately. Reaching to her pouch the ANBU pulls out a canteen and unscrews the cap. Reaching for the back of the girl's head Pike tips the edge of the canteen over the girl's lips. At the same time Horned Beetle is ripping his cloak into strips. Little drips of water slide down her throat and quench the girl's thirst. Pike is careful not to pour too much, or she might get sick. A little bit more is poured before the girl seems satisfied. Pike recaps the canteen and repeats her earlier question.

"Can you tell me your name?"

No response.

Pike motions for Horned Beetle to step forward. Turning around, Pike puts her back against the girl, who slowly wraps her arms around the ANBU's neck; it is as if they were made of lead. The ANBU under her command steps forward and uses the strips of cloth to bind the girl's hands, her waist to Pike's, and her legs and ankles over Pike. Satisfied that their new ward is safe and secure Pike steps through the door.

". . . alarm . . ." Too late does the girl speak up.

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Hawk gulps as he stares at . . . whatever the hell he's looking at. The room is perfectly square; twenty meters each side. Smoother than ice and colder, as if the heat from the humans present was nothing compared to the oppressive chill.

An enormous seal is drawn onto every surface of the room, even the door. Swirls and spins and lines and curves bending away into eternity. Characters appear once and breakdown and away, only to reappear somewhere else. Logic is banished from these seals, only pure chaos with a purpose remains. Twisting in on itself and righting its own existence through the use of nothing and everything in a tangible tango that starts it all over again. Rambling on about nonsense and strange pips and pops, it is enough to make someone attribute the work to an insane man trying to mimic the work of an insane mimic trying to mimic himself.

In short: it gave the ANBU a headache. But it had to be recorded.

Armadillo takes her final shot with her camera and tucks it away. She pulls out a notepad and begins writing furiously, noting everything about the room. Something draws Hawks attention though, and he walks to it in a trance. At the far side of the room is a large hurricane of a seal. In the center are two characters that give him such a deep foreboding that he completely misses something even more foreboding.

WAAAUUUUUUAAAAA! BBBUUUUUOOOOOOHHHHH! INTRUDER ALERT!

INTRUDER ALERT! ALL SHINOBI ACTIVATE TRACKERS! ALL SHINOBI ACTIVATE TRACKERS!

Armadillo leaps up and grabs Hawks arm, dragging him out of the room. But as he flees through the door, he gets one last look at what was worrying him.

The characters "Ma" and "Kai."

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Mouse looks back at Ermine.

Ermine looks up at Mouse.

Both look at the Oto Chunnin ahead.

Mouse leaps forward, his katana whipping out and clashing on an inside swing with the ninja's kunai. Mouse swiftly drops down, his katana still locked with the kunai. Ermine runs along Mouse's back, bring her katana down in a vertical slice. The force of it carries her through the enemy ninja and spinning down the corridor. Mouse follows, stepping over the now-two-shinobi.

As he the two run, they let fall clumps of high-powered demolitions seals. All set on a ninety second timer.

Mouse affords himself a small grin. The exit is just ahead and that was the only enemy the have met so far. Maybe they might get away Scott free?

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Pike runs doggedly, the awkwardness of balancing a passenger while running at her speed sending her careening across the rocky halls. Horned Beetle is running point, katana drawn and taking no prisoners. In back is Barn Owl, showering their route with the same seals as Mouse's.

Two Jounin step into the team's path.

Horned Beetle grips his katana and runs along the wall, holding the weapon behind his back. Just as the two foes prepare to strike with their shuriken, he disappears. Not even a second later is blade is through one man's throat, and his foot crushing the face of the other into the sharp wall. This hardly stops him from moving though, as he is already ahead of the team, and winging his way towards the exit.

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Hawk smiles grimly.

He has met the most resistance, and is enjoying the run. Every time a foolish shinobi steps into his path, he either disarms them, letting Perch behead them, or he just pierces his way through the bunch.

Armadillo throws out handfuls of seals, and Perch is gamely fingering his special weapon.

"You best wait 'till we are outside to use that." Hawk says in his raspy hoarse voice.

Perch grins and replies with youth and gusto. "Hey no worries, I know how and when to use this. He-he-heee."

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Swan watches impassively as the large group as Oto nin assemble in front of the east exit. They relied on their trackers to find the ANBU, so none of them even realize that Swan is standing right in front of them, hidden by his cloth.

Gradually he hears footsteps approaching and the ninja hiding above the exit ready themselves. Just as he senses that they are a few meters away he throws four smoke bombs. At the same time he spins and throws explosive kunai up at the enemies above him. The gas covers the area as the door splinters out, and the ANBU are out in the open sun. Oto nins above miss their mark because of the kunai, which go off right as the last person, Armadillo, exits.

Fire rips out the cliff side, mangled bodies and rock flying out, further confusing the foe. The ANBU though are prepared, drawing their weapons for battle.

Hawk spins, cutting off the legs of two Chunnin. Righting himself, he stabs down on one of the downed men while kicking another who had jumped at him. Then he flips backwards, stabbing the head of the man he just kicked and bringing his heel into the previously injured Chunnin's neck. With a crunch he brings his sword down to deflect a Jounin's thrust, and uses a shuriken to cut open the man's arm. Then Hawk rolls with the thrust, blood squirting like a faucet from the slit artery and cuts into the back of the ninja's head, blood pouring out and bits of brain slide out with the blade. The shuriken is then speedily deposited into the nearest Chunnin's eye.

Armadillo grabs her attackers left wrist with her thumb and index finger. Yanking him to the side she slams a hard right hook into his face. Bone shifts and snaps as her studded gloves dig into his skin. Blood bursts out from his mouth and eyes, the nose crushed so much that nothing could pass through it. She hears a whirling sound and bends backwards, dodging the bolas flying through the air.

Her hand zips down and grabs a kunai from her pouch. Using her right foot she pushes off the ground, twirling through the air as she throws the kunai. A steel wire attached to it spins with her, wrapping around the necks of several Chunnin. With a slight twist of the wrist all lose their heads. Sensing the flow of Chakra behind her, Armadillo grabs the edge of her cloak and twirls it. An incoming fireball hits the dark side of the cloak; Armadillo spins it around her body, around her arms, and then flicks it towards her attacker. He would move to dodge the coat, but the ANBU jumps forward, her katana piercing the cloak and the Chunnin's stomach.

Horned Beetle weaves out of his aggressors' attacks, their fists and feet hitting everything except the ANBU. Tilting to the side he grabs one ninja's arm and slides behind him. Pulling back his fist, Horned Beetle punches forward, snapping the Chunnin's arm forward at the elbow. The sound of shredding tendons and splintering bones is heard. Before the shinobi has a chance to scream, the elbow is punched upward, downward, and backwards. The other Chunnin watches horrified as his partner slumps to the ground. Then Horned Beetle punches forward into the ninja's stomach, and crushes the man's skull with both fists by slamming his clenched fists together. Blood and bits of grey matter squirt out the nose and ears.

A Jounin bursts up from the ground, a kunai aimed for the ANBU's heart. A Chunnin appears from the smoke, two kunai held in his hands. Thinking quickly Horned Beetle grabs the wrist of the Jounin and pulls him up from the ground. The Chunnin can not change his path, and ends up stabbing his fellow shinobi through the back. As a small gasp passes through the dying man's throat, Horned Beetle stabs an explosive kunai in his face, and tosses the two into a group of three Chunnins. The explosion blows the Jounin's head apart, and blasts off the limbs and torsos of the four below him. Bloody fire flares out as severed limbs splatter onto the ground.

Swan keeps himself low to the ground, bladed knucle dusters on his hands. Two male Jounin approach him, but his grey cloak keeps him hidden. Swan dashes forward and punches his fists into the men's necks, blood leaking from exposed arterys. A Jounin with a katana leaps through the air, his image wavering. A genjutsu meant to annoy the victim for a split second, enough time for the user to make his kill. Swan is not fooled though. He brings his dusters up and blocks the attack in the air, and swings up his left arm, half of his attackers face falling to the ground. The part still attached to the body falls a second later, tongue rolling grotesquely out of the mouth as it does.

Ermine stands back to back with Mouse surrounded by ten shinobi. Each of their foes brandishes a kunai or two, though one is rolling out some wire. Ermine nods to Mouse, and forms a set of seven handseals.

"Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!"

At first nothing happens and the foes take a few steps forward. Suddenly the earth around them splits and cracks, water rushing up to form twelve bodies. Just as the earth cracks Mouse pulls out a short rod. Squeezing it, the rod extends to around ten meters, a wicked spiked and bladed metal head at the top. Once the clones form, each draws a katana, the real Ermine stepping in as the thirteenth person in the wall of Ermines. The foes watch warily, until one charges in, the rest following. Mouse leaps up, lance held ready. One Chunnin clashes with a clone, but the clones to the left and right cut off his arms. His mouth opens to scream but Mouse's spear bursts out the back of his throat. Just as he yanks his weapon free Mouse sees a Jounin about to throw a shuriken at a clone already dealing with two Chunnin. Leaping from the ground, Mouse leans forward in the air, spear humming until it stabs its self in the Jounin's heart, blood, skin and bits of bone hugging the perilous killing head.

Barn Owl stands in front of Pike with the girl still strapped to her back. From the smoke come two Chunnin who advance menacingly towards Barn Owl, confident that they can defeat an unarmed man and a burdened woman. He looks between the two and stands in an easy stance. Without warning he spins his shoulder down to the ground, cloak flying off as he does. The shuriken stop on the fabric which continues spinning until Barn Owl is seen again, rotating through the air. His arm comes around and lets fly two kunai, finding themselves a nice home in the two Oto nin's heads.

Perch grins, his hand straying to the item he had been hiding since the mission started. A ball of fire and lightning arc towards him, the casters grinning at their easy kill. But a crack sounds, and both attacks are extinguished. The shinobi stare at the ANBU, unsure of what happened. Then it becomes apparent what Perch did. A long black whip is held in his hands, coiled slightly at his wrist before unwinding on the ground. What makes it all the more impressive is that the tip of the whip has a knife affixed to it. Quick as a flash he spins, the blade humming through the air as it cuts out the eyes of one man, visceral fluid and blood leaking from his hands. The other just barely dodges; something Perch doesn't like. Reeling back, Perch snaps forward. The Jounin is prepared, and jumps, only realizing too late what was going to happen. The blade slams against the ground, slicing up towards the nin, and a big snap from Perch sends the weapon through the shinobi's crotch and through his bladder. As the ANBU yanks out the whip, it swings behind him, slitting the throat of the Chunnin behind him.

By now the field is clear, blood and bits of gore laying here and there. Hawk looks up from the last kill, a Jounin with a shuriken in his eye. Hawk pulls the weapon free with the sound of bone snapping. "Everyone clear and accounted for?" He asks.

Replies of "Okay" and "Uninjured" return. Pike adjusts her passenger, whom Mouse inquires about.

"Got a bit of ev'dence to show, eh?"

Pike growls. "Shove off Mouse. This girl needs medical attention now. Severe malnutrition and dehydration."

All three teams look at each other before Hawk sighs. "Well, I guess we can call this mission officially accomplished."

"Can we blow the damn thing up now?"

Hawk stares at the lab for a moment, still thinking of the room with the seals. Snapping back to reality, he turns to the questioner. "Yes. Yes we can."

With that, all nine race away. And behind them, the entire valley collapses in a fiery hell of flames and smoke. The noise and roar of the detonations drowned out by the cliffs' deterioration, covering any trace of Orochimaru's twisted laboratories.

END OF PROLOUGE!

So . . . what did y'all think?

Love it? Like it? Hate it? Drop me a review and tell me!

But no flames damn it!

Arballisk is out, gone and away.