March 31st
Just near Fire Country boarders

In the fog covered forests of the fire country a Class Six airship called the Pandora slipped over the boarder. "And good morning folks," a guy on the radio said. "It's a very good day, little foggy but otherwise it's pretty nice. That fog should break up later anyway and it'll be nice and sunny with highs around 80 and lows around the low sixties."

"That's good to know," a girl with long brown hair said as she stood looking out at the expanse ahead of them. "That we'll have good flying conditions." The door to the top of the airship, on it's runway where the girl was standing where a blond girl holding a M1 carbine came out.

"Kinn," the girl said to her. "Forehead chan wants to know where you are."

"Tell her I'm just up on the airstrip Ino," Kinn replied. "Looking at good old fire country again."

"You're nuts Tsuchi," Ino said nodding. "Come on Forehead chan wants you to come in and have breakfast, then she needs you to set a course."

"Alright," Kinn said grabbing her MAS 36 bolt action rifle and walking back with Ino. "Jeez what is it that Sakura is so worried about," she said walking down the stairs.

"Lot of police here in these parts," Ino said. "We came into the fire country through the front door this time, not the back."

"So there is a chance we could be driven out quicker then we plan to be," Kinn said.

"Exactly," Ino said going one way. "Now I have to take a wicked yes so I'll see you later." Kinn laughed as Ino ran down the hall to the bathroom while she went into the room full of maps where Sakura and two other girls, Hinata and Tenten were sitting around.

"Sakura," Kinn said. Sakura looked up at Kinn. "You needed me for something?"

"Yes come here," Sakura said. Kinn walked over to the map on the table that Sakura had put pins in and drawn circles on.

"So uhh what's the deal with coming in through the front," Kinn asked.

"To many other pirates found our secret entrance," Tenten said. "No thanks to Sakura and Ino."

"Hey shut up it wasn't our faults that those guys would tell everyone," Sakura shot back. "Yeah so basically the Leaf Village put up an airfield and filled the gap in the radar that was there."

"That sucks," Kinn said. "So what are you saying we do about this?"

"Well go visit Ba Chan first," Sakura said. "Then what happens next we'll see from there."

"Well if we want to get an idea of exactly what goes on," Kinn said. "We should fly a few recon runs over the area. Hinata, you mind taking the H4 out."

"Why is it always me," Hinata said in her mind. "Sure fine."

"No if you don't want to I can do it," Sakura said.

"No it's fine," Hinata said happily, even though she really wasn't. "I need to get out anyway." She then ran out of the room up to the flight deck.

"Hey watch yourself," Tenten said. Hinata didn't respond. "You think her whole proving herself thing is going a bit to far?"

"I think it already has," Kinn said. "I'm sorry to say it but Hinata isn't really much, and she does a lot of really risky things now adays."

"Don't we all," Tenten said holding her BAR upright.

"Yeah but it's different with Hinata," Kinn said. "I'm not saying she's worthless, but she is different."

"I'll will agree with that," Sakura said. "Hinata is different. Definitely different."

Yondaime Airfield
Just near fire country border

A blond pilot in a blue and orange flight suit along with his young crew chief rushed down the runway. "Konohamaru," Naruto Uzumaki asked his crew chief. "What is going on?"

"Your Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Hatake, has requested you to do some kind of special mission now," Konohamaru replied.

"Really," Naruto said. "Oh cool. Take me to him." The two jumped into a German made Kubelwagen and were driven down to a hangar by Konohamaru's orders. There at the hangar was Naruto's plane, an Italian made Machhi 67 multi purpose aircraft. Originally made to be a fighter, it could do ground attack, night fighting and reconnaissance missions with relative ease. It was also simple and easy to operate and very durable. "Thanks Konohmaru."

"No problem boss," Konohamaru said getting out with him, but going somewhere else. Naruto walked around a bit before he found his in the back room of the hangar.

"Sir," Naruto said saluting.

"Ah Naruto," Kakashi said. "Come here please." Naruto walked over to a table with a map on it.

"So what's the mission," Naruto asked.

"Recon," Kakashi told him. Naruto's jaw dropped.

"You're wasting me, one of your best aces on a recon run," Naruto yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Chill Naruto," Kakashi said. "This mission is a difficult one. See this red area on the map," he said pointing to a red area on the map. "It's a no fly zone."

"I flew there before," Naruto told Kakashi. "Why is it a no fly zone now?"

"A lot of planes have been going down there lately," Kakashi said. "And Gai's boys can't find why. I'm sending you out, I don't want to risk them."

"Aren't they already on patrol," Naruto asked.

"They have been since 3 AM," Kakashi said. "Just get out there and snap some photos of the area and hope to kami sama you get back."

"Yes sir," Naruto said saluting. He then walked out to his plane.

"She's all ready for takeoff," Udon said.

"Thanks Udon," Naruto said climbing up a ladder into the cockpit. He then closed it up, making his world now completely silent. He put on the headset in his plane. "Fox 1 to Air Traffic Control, requesting permission to taxi over."

"Roger that permission granted Fox 1," Air Traffic Control told him. Naruto started the engine of the Machhi and then let Udon, Moegi and Konohamaru pull the wheel stops away, watching them give him thumbs up and happy faces. Naruto smiled back and waved as he gave the plane some throttle and taxied it out of the hangar. From there he taxied onto the runway.

"Fox 1 to air traffic requesting permission for takeoff over," Naruto said into the headset.

"Granted Fox 1," they said. "Fly high for us." Naruto started to give the plane more and more throttle and after going down the runway for about twenty seconds, the Italian plane lifted off the ground into the sky.

Meanwhile in the red zone where Naruto was headed a group of newer, faster, more deadly fighter planes buzzed around quickly throughout the area. "Good thinking to come here Uchiha," a girl said.

"Thank you Karin," Sasuke said. "It was a good idea to come here. They don't know what's making planes go down here, and why should they."

"Hey here comes someone," Karin said.

"All Vengeance pilots regroup with Karin and I'll link up," Sasuke said turning his plane, a Focke Wulf FW21 Pirahna down a valley. Meanwhile the pilot of the plane they were going after, Naruto, was flying into the area.

"Well so far nothing," Naruto said turning on the cameras mounted on wingtip pylons on his Machhi. "No suspicious activity."

"We're in luck," Sasuke said. "It's the one we've been looking for Karin."

"I guess it was lucky to bring me along now wasn't it," Karin said jokingly.

"Yeah you really are Lady Luck," Sasuke said. "All pilots pursue further into fog and do not engage until I give the signal."

"Yes sir," all the other pilots said. Meanwhile Naruto was flying around into the valleys and mountains, the fog getting increasingly thicker as he went further into the area.

"Stupid fog," Naruto said keeping his eyes open. "Now I'll never get those shots." He then saw a faint light in the distance. "What's that?" He sped up his plane to go check it out.

"He fell for it," Sasuke said. "All pilots now attack him." The first group of five planes then banked down to the left and then flew right over Naruto.

"Woah," Naruto said watching the Focke Wulfs go by. "Never saw those planes before. Must be a special squadron." At that moment the fog began to break, and Naruto saw the planes turning back towards him, and then to his surprise start shooting their guns at him. "What the hell?" He then banked his plane up higher. "God damn it why do I not have any guns."

"To bad you got assigned to a recon flight," Naruto heard a voice say on his radio.

"Who are you," Naruto asked. "What is your squadron."

"Who are you," Sasuke asked.

"Lieutenant Naruto Uzumaki, Seventh fighter group, 1st Squadron," Naruto said. "Who are you."

"I bet you know me," Sasuk said flying by Naruto, slowing down so Naruto could see him. Naruto was wide eyed.

"No way," Naruto exclaimed.

"Yes way Dobe," Sasuke said flying behind Naruto.

"Got to avoid him," Naruto said banking his plane. "Maybe if I can squeeze it through one of the..."

"Not on my watch," Sasuke said switching the weapons he was going to use. Two three pronged weapons, one on each wings then opened up and began to glow blue. Sasuke then pulled the trigger and watched two bolts of lightning hit Naruto's plane.

"Dang what the hell," Naruto said trying to turn the plane. He turned it, but the lightning stuck to the plane. "Shit what is this teme?"

"Your end," Sasuke said breaking away after the lightning stopped. Naruto now felt the plane begin to go down. "See you later." Sasuke flew away with the other Focke Wulfs back into the fog. Naruto couldn't go after them, and he couldn't call base because his radio was shot by the lightning. "To low to bail out." He then saw a small clearing in the woods. "That's it." He leveled his plane out, decelerated it as best as he could and then hoped for the best as it began to inch closer and closer to the ground.

Around the time that our blond jinchuuriki was attempting an emergency landing, a certain Hyuga girl was flying a Sikorsky H4 helicopter through the same area. "Hmmm," she sighed. "Nothing to be seen. Just foggy. I should just go back." She kept on flying. "Then again they probably don't want me back anyway," she thought. "They probably all think I'm weird." It was when she was setting her head down that she saw the smoke in the distance. "That's strange," she thought. She guided the helicopter over to the area where the smoke was coming from. "Fire too," she said as she saw fire. "Dang that can be good." Once she got close enough though, she saw the real reason why smoke and fire were bellowing from the area. "A crash!" She then directed the helicopter towards the ground, landed it successfully and got out of it. There she saw the wreckage of Naruto's plane. "Anyone here," she called out. "Hello?"

"Ohhhhh," Naruto moaned. Hinata ran in, careful to avoid the fire coming from the wreckage to find whoever was moaning.

"Where are you," Hinata asked. The moaning then resonated again. "Hang on I'm coming." She ran a bit more before she found Naruto, burned up a little bit with many cuts and bruises on his body far away from the plane wreckage. "Oh my." She picked him up and closed her eyes. "Byakugan!." Her eyes then shifted to a different form, and she now saw his chakra flow, skeleton and everything else under his clothes. "Oh thank kami sama, he's still alive. Unconscious but still alive. I have to get him to Sakura chan." She then carried the injured male back to the H4, started it quickly and flew him back up to the Pandora. What Hinata didn't know, was what would result from her saving this betrayed pilot from death by his fellow comrades.