The girl moved sleekly, almost fluidly through the trees, her long hair tied back. She swung herself up onto a tree branch and crouched, her eyes scanning the dark forest.

It was night. Everything was quiet. And as far as anyone in the village knew, no one was in there.

The girl tipped her head up to look at the harvest moon, hanging low in the sky and an inhuman howl ripped through the forest, just as she opened her mouth.

Coincidence. Right?

Leaning against the trunk of the tree, she stared up sky and laughed, her inhuman muzzle deforming the sound to a choppy growl.

It was the anniversary night. Six years ago tonight it happened.

If she hadn't lost the ability to so long ago, she would have cried.

--

Another girl, this one heavier built, most steady, looked around, her eyes having a harder time adjusting to the dim moonlight. Slipping through the trees, she closed her eyes...

There.

Walking as if in a trance, she grabbed at branched, tearing them out of her way, and came to the tree at the source of the howl. Leaning against the trunk and sensing the girl already positioned in it's branches, she closed her eyes and waited, hoping that the wait wouldn't be long.

Her friend hated waiting.

--

Finally, another, wispy, willowy girl ducked and weaved, trying to get through the forest as fast as possible. She knew that her friend hated to wait, but she couldn't help it- instinct was so strong now days.

Pulling at branches and running farther into the woods, she finally realized something that made her stop and roll her eyes at herself. She had no idea where she was going.

Closing her eyes, she let out a small click and waited for the sound to bounce back to her, then, when one click wasn't enough, started chirping softly, hoping that they weren't too far away.

Finally, she picked up a sound.

Resuming her running, she turned on her heel and started in another direction, hoping that they weren't going to come looking for her. If they did, she'd never be able to lock on them.

Then, finally, she grabbed onto a branch and nudged the girl at the base of the tree, sleeping, with her foot.

Time to get up.

They had something important to attend to.

--

Naruto turned over and groaned, looking out the window, then swearing under his breath. It wasn't even close to dawn yet. What had woken him this early?

Getting up and stomping, irritated, over to the window, he knew what had woken him up- another howl rose from the forest next to his house. Rubbing his eyes and pulling off his night cap, he grabbed some clothes at random and changed- there was no use trying to go back to sleep now. He might as well go see what the hell was causing that noise.

Opening his door slowly and turning to lock it, he caught sight of a flicker of light nearby- was whatever that was making that noise coming into the village?

Not if I can help it.

Shoving his key into his pocket, he jumped over the railing and ran down the road, tackling whoever or whatever was holding the light.

--

"Naruto! What the hell are you doing?! Get OFF of me!" Naruto stared down in semi-shocked silence at Neji Hyuuga, who had been holding a lantern.

"Neji? But... I thought..."

"Obviously, as always, you thought wrong, now get OFF of me before I make you!" Neji snapped, shoving Naruto and reaching for the lantern that had gone out by now at his feet.

Naruto got off and glared at him. Sure, he had tackled him and maybe caused him a little pain, but he didn't have to be so damn snappy about it. After all, he was probably out for the same reason. "You're out here because of that howl, too, aren't you?"

Neji gave Naruto a sideways look before standing up and brushing himself off. "That's none of your concern. Now go back to sleep or something and get away from me- I have better things to do than talk to you."

"Neji! Neji! Did you hear that, too?" Naruto rolled his eyes as Tenten came out of her house and ran up next to Neji. "That was really loud, huh? I thought because you were out here I should help you look. Oh," She said, finally noticing that Naruto was standing there. Two feet away from her. "Are you out here to, Naruto?"

"No, I'm back in my house, sleeping."

"No need to be so snappy about it, gosh," Tenten snapped back. She looked back at Neji, whose gaze was fixed solidly farther down the road.

"Man..." he mumbled, shoving his hand in his pocket. By now, it was obvious- Sakura was walking down the road with Tsunade.

"Leave it to billboard brow to go grab the Hokage," came a spiteful voice from behind them. Naruto groaned loudly- when did Ino get there? And how hadn't anyone noticed her?

"Here, Lady Tsunade- you heard that howl, too, didn't you?" Naruto could tell more from Sakura's voice than anything else that she was actually getting excited- they'd fought sound ninja, met with the Akatsuki, watched Sasuke LEAVE then come BACK, fought Orochimaru and not once in all this time had they had to deal with something like that. At midnight. In the forest. Something animal.

"Yes, yes, I heard it," Tsunade said. Naruto got the feeling that she was recovering from a hangover. "Well then, let's go see what that was, shall we?" With that, the group walked over to the forest and, with Neji's help, managed to find their way to the center of it.

A single tree. With three different girls. All of them awake. All of them talking.

Tsunade, in a flash, had a kunai in her hand and was staring at them, daring them to even breathe. "Who are you?"

The girl in the branches slipped down and stared at the group.

In a bored, slightly tired voice, she said, "Well this is one hell of a welcome comity."