Chapter soundtrack: "Babylon of the Occident Instrumental" by The Shanghai Restoration Project

Chapter 2- Arcanum

"So he's dead, hm?" He flipped his blonde hair out of his face for a moment, "That's no good. Who's supposed to keep watch over Orochimaru now that we've lost Kabuto, do you think?"

Across the hall Zetsu's face appeared, half-melded with the stone wall. His gold eyes blinked listlessly above the other man's head, trapped in his own thoughts. The blonde man scowled when he was not acknowledged.

"Hey! Are you listening at all, Zetsu-san?"

"Your chatter is distracting..." Zetsu separated from the wall completely, independent again, and walked down the hall, "Your concern is unnecessary, Deidara. There is already a replacement for Kabuto to take over his duties."

Deidara stalked after the former Grass ninja, disgruntled, but not yet angry. Being new to the organization he had yet to gain the respect the veteran members possessed. Often he'd go ignored in conversations and meetings, or be excluded from more significant missions. What was more frustrating was that his partner, Sasori, always made sure to criticize his art. He wondered why he put up with such treatment when he was fully capable of blowing the hideout to hell in an instant.

The dark hallway opened up into a pleasant courtyard that resided above the building. There were occupants in the garden. Deidara blinked over to his left where Kisame sat contentedly, wrapping up Samehada in cloth. The old wrappings had been torn off during a recent fight. He found that the strange, bluish ninja irritated him less than the others. He wasn't in the habit of annoying his peers.

Zetsu stopped nearby Kisame and looked up into a sumac tree, "Come down from there."

"Oh! Of course, Zetsu-san!" A skinny figure garbed in dark clothing shifted on a branch, and then ungracefully tumbled from his perch. He quickly stood and brushed himself off. Deidara observed the newbie suspiciously.

His attire consisted of blacks and grays that were offset by a conspicuously orange mask that hid the man's face. He wore no cloak that showed his affiliation with the Akatsuki, and to Deidara he appeared to be the sorriest excuse for a ninja he had ever laid eyes on, 'There's no way that's a daisy-chain that's hanging around his neck?' The poorly linked flowers fell out of shape and drifted to the ground a moment later.

Deidara furrowed his brow, "...what is that thing?"

The masked person looked over his shoulder expectantly, not realizing he was the one in question.

"He is called Tobi." Zetsu answered, his gaze again aimed nowhere in particular, "He is one of my subordinates and does errand work for the Akatsuki. From here out he will act as our spy on Orochimaru."

Deidara snorted in disapproval. Dressing ridiculously was one thing, but daisy-chains were another matter.

"Tobi." The masked man gave his attention to his superior when he spoke, "You have been assigned to do reconnaissance for the next 24 months. Keep a low profile and report back to this place every month with status on Orochimaru. If you are successful in this task you will be given more challenging missions."

Tobi nodded ecstatically, "You got it, Zetsu-san! The snake-man won't suspect a thing! I'll get this done for sure! You just say the word and I'll get out there and dig up the dirt on that guy..."

"Go now."

"Woo!" Tobi darted out of the garden at Zetsu's command, and his cheers could be heard even as he stumbled down the nearby hill that led out of the valley. Deidara was thoroughly appalled with the selection.

"Orochimaru will probably kill him on sight." The blonde man mused, "There's no way a fool like that could get the job right."

Zetsu stared out into the garden but answered, "His stupidity is what Orochimaru will ignore. His success in this will be greater than past operatives. Tobi has a curiously high success rate, despite being easily distracted."

"That's the biggest load of garbage I've heard since I got here, hn!" Deidara said snippishly, "Where did you even dig up an idiot like him anyway, Zetsu-san?"

"From a rock pile...long ago."

The explanation still didn't satisfy Deidara, "That was a real waste of energy on your part then...I bet he won't last a month out of the 24 you assigned him!"

"I don't know..." Kisame spoke up abruptly from his place on a tree stump, "There's something about that goofball I kind of like."


Tobi's departure for the Hidden Sound Village was prompt. It would be, overall, his third total visit to the Rice Country ever. Seldom did he get lost despite the rolling plains of wheat and murky swamp-forests littering the landscape. There was a subtle geography to the land that he was keen to.

He toted an unconscious man on his back. It was no one he knew, but he had been requested to nab and bag a person before he landed in the Sound Village. The young farm-lad on his back gave a soft groan, stirred, and was limp again a moment later.

"I'm sorry fellow..." Tobi muttered, lugging along his helpless captive, "They asked for a young person so you will have to do. I really am sorry. But remember: we owe respect to the living; the dead we owe only truth...so in this case I need to give you both!"

Sunlight illuminated the surrounding forest in sharp, geometric patterns of green and bark. Tobi scuttled along the forest floor, careful to not trip on snaking tree roots. He knew already he was in Sound, not because he had remembered the location exactly, but because he was greeted at a rendezvous.

A slender man dressed in dark garb stepped up from a gap between two monstrous tree roots. His violet hair was groomed meticulously and his eyes, cruelly gold, were focused on Tobi.

Tobi stumbled while trying to give a bow, which came out as half-professional. The teen on his back sighed heedlessly in his sleep. Tobi stood straighter, slightly intimidated, "Uh...hello, Koinyu-san! I came on time again, right?"

"A bit earlier than I anticipated..." Koinyu droned, already familiar with Tobi's scatterbrain habits, "I see you've brought a present for me, Tobi. Give him here. I've run out of subjects for my experiments and I was afraid I'd have to go fish for some myself..."

The transfer of the helpless farm-hand was made silently. Tobi slipped the boy from his shoulder and Koinyu received him, slinging him up again like a sheep intended for shearing. Tobi winced at the greedy look in the other man's eyes. What experiments he performed on people he did not know and he felt guilt weigh his chest down.

He was dead for sure, as promised. Tobi suddenly felt the irrational urge to save the child he had helped doom, but Koinyu walked ahead without a moment's waste. Tobi sighed resignedly. He had always had to remind himself that he was a good person who worked with bad people. And by working with bad people he was made to do bad things. But he always knew deep down that his goodness was always the strongest feeling inside of him. He took no pleasure in harming others.

"Get a move-on, then, you swirly wretch..." Koinyu snapped, "The entrance is right here, if you've forgotten again. Come in but don't follow me. Go straight down the hall and you will find Orochimaru-sama. And I mean straight: no turns for the fun of it to get lost. Go to Orochimaru-sama for a debriefing."

Tobi nodded as he ducked down into the metal, storm-cellar entrance that was one of the smaller ways into the snake-sennin's hideout. He followed the violet haired man down the stairwell until it opened up into an antechamber, and then paused, saying, "Well it was nice seeing you again, Koinyu-san! I thought that maybe next time I could-"

Koinyu stalked down the hall with his new test subject, completely ignoring the lackey.

Tobi sighed again behind his mask. It was always easy infiltrating the hideout, because everyone within it chose to ignore him. A fool who favored orange masks and playing games was not someone the shinobi in Sound were willing to take seriously, 'And thank goodness for that...'

Tobi traipsed down the hall, not taking any unnecessary turns, and at the very end of the echoing, stone corridor he peeked into a large auditorium with occupants.

Sasuke wheeled around the room with great speed, and Tobi did a double-take when he observed the young ninja lash out with a tangle of dark snakes in midair, as Orochimaru moved ghoulishly to counter. The scuffle was brief and could scarcely be followed by the untrained eye of any non-ninja. Tobi managed, gawking at the grace and mystery of their snake summoning techniques.

Orochimaru's attention was drawn to the neophyte lurking in the doorway. His expression soured, and he turned back to the Uchiha prodigy, "That will have to do for now, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke silently stalked out of the room after he had been dismissed. Tobi fidgeted as the young shinobi passed him in the doorway, unable to keep quiet, "Oh, Sasuke-san, what a marvelous Sharingan! So red and so shiny you'd think that-"

"What? Were you the village-idiot wherever you came from?" Sasuke snorted, barely sparing Tobi a sideways glance. Tobi nodded half-heartedly, a bit confused. The young Uchiha exited, slinking like a shadow into the empty corridor and chose not to even begin questioning Orochimaru's reasons for inviting a dunce such as the latter into his hideout.

"Well?" Tobi turned his attention to Orochimaru when the snake spoke, "Report if you have any information of consequence."

"Oh right!" The masked man nodded in understanding, "You see, the organization doesn't tell the likes of Tobi much so I have to sneak and listen to what Zetsu-san and Kisame-san say to each other..."

Orochimaru's expression betrayed no amount of patience. If he had been paying attention at all Tobi missed it. He continued rambling, not dissuaded in the slightest, "It has been mentioned a few times that the organization has two biju for sure! They know it and I know it. I guess...and they are preparing to collect the Ichibi and the Nibi sometime...uh...well, maybe three years. I didn't really hear that part..."

Orochimaru was somewhat pleased with the meager scraps of knowledge that had been gathered. After having been a member of the Akatsuki himself some time ago, he was previously aware of their intentions. Their status, however, would need surveillance. They were more of a threat to his goals than most, even Leaf. Orochimaru had reasoned that the best way to foil the Akatsuki from further advancement would be to kill the jinchuriki before they could capture them, 'What a fun game! It seems they're still floundering to catch them all on schedule...and their hired help isn't exactly quality either...'

"Tell me, Tobi..." Orochimaru droned after a moment, smirking, "Has anyone within the Akatsuki even remotely realized yet that you are not truly on their side?"

"Well..." His response required some thought, "Even I haven't figured out what side I'm on yet...it's anyone's guess, Orochimaru-sama!"

An irritable mutter sounded, "...it was a great mistake operating on you those years ago..."

"You mean when you and Zetsu-san found me in the Land of Rocks?" Tobi asked for clarification and then paused, "Or was it the Land of Geodes? Hm..."

"Neither. It's called the Land of Stone you imbecile..." He sighed in heartfelt exasperation (twas the price paid for a spy with no poise,) "Even to this day I still wish you had amnesia."

"Nowadays it's upgraded to short-term memory loss," The masked man informed him helpfully, "Hey...that must mean I'm getting better!"

"Leave before I begin considering a replacement for you..."

"Yes, certainly, Orochimaru-sama! I'm a good boy," Tobi nodded again, "Tobi is a good boy." He scuttled out of the auditorium a moment later, dutifully, and began the tormenting journey down the hallway again, wishing to take a turn to explore and knowing Koinyu would give him hell about it.

Orochimaru stood in the echoing dimness of the room, regretting his investment in the blockhead who was responsible with the intelligence gathered about the Akatsuki.


Tobi, no longer wanted by either of his two affiliations, decided to return home for some rest. Night had settled and blanketed the sky in a cowl of endless stars. Tobi moved with great speed beneath them, looking up now and then for their guidance in direction.

The moors and farmland of the Rice Country melted away into dense blocks of woodland. Tobi disappeared into the gloom of it all, moving up the clear incline as rolling hills morphed into the spine of a monstrous mountain chain. He was like a ghost in the dipping valleys. Animals sipping cautiously near stream-banks would scatter at the sight of his unearthly mask. An orange whirlpool in the black; even wolves cowered into the bramble.

Tobi continued contentedly, unafraid of the night and its inhabitants. A fragment of the moon glimpsed through clouds that had lingered from that evening. It blinked silver on and off on the land below. Tobi made a sharp turn left onto a worn trail, leapt a gap (even though it provided the convenience of a footbridge,) and began his approach to a nearby village.

He didn't count the hours it had taken to get there. He hummed to himself pleasantly, entering the sleepy village, which was lit by only a few lanterns and smoke whispered from chimneys. Tobi stopped outside a darkened home's door and knocked expectantly. He waited until an elderly man answered the door.

The wrinkled old-timer blinked up at him, scrutinizing his appearance in the darkness, and then smiled in familiarity, "Ah, Tobi-kun! Back again I see! To what do I owe this late visit, eh?"

Tobi bent down and lifted a basket that sat forgotten outside the door, "Really, Char-san, when you pick these you shouldn't just leave them out here. Do I have to remind you every time?"

Char accepted the basket of radishes sheepishly, "Again? I was so sure I brought them in this time...thank you anyway, Tobi-kun."

"Goodnight, Char-san!" Tobi moved back out onto the dark street and Char bade him farewell before closing the door after him. He passed through the slumbering town and back out into surrounding forest of the mountain.


Rin, much to her displeasure, arrived home later than usual. She had been caring for a severely ill child for most of the day and the family lived in a nearby village. She hadn't stopped working until she was sure he was stable, and before she knew it midnight was near. Rin packed her things and accepted the payment the parents offered for her trouble.

Rin trudged home wearily. A sigh escaped her when she noted that Sesshu was not out on the porch waiting to greet her, 'I don't really blame him...it's late and he needs sleep just like everyone else.'

She shuffled up the steps and into the house. Rin set her bag down and blinked in puzzlement to see her ninken pacing the halls anxiously, or rather, excitedly. She shut the door behind her, "Um, Sesshu? What's wrong boy? Are you feeling okay?"

The golden dog took a seat in front of her, tail wagging wildly, "He's back! He looks very tired, though...and skinnier too. You should go feed him I think."

An elated grin spread across her face and she patted Sesshu on the head, "Good! Now go to sleep boy. It's late and you'll need your energy if you're going to babysit Yuma tomorrow."

Rin moved down the hall, her heart fluttering. She could still hear Sesshu pacing anxiously behind her. Truthfully, the event was nothing exciting since it was totally expected, but Rin always felt a bit lightheaded when her husband returned from his missions.

She sniffed the air, scenting him, and then peeked into the bedroom. He was seated on the bed with his hands on his knees, exhausted. Rin sauntered into the room, smiling, "You're late again...but only just. You had us a little worried you know."

His voice was soft, "I'm sorry..."

"Aw, don't worry about it...and why don't you take that mask off now, huh?" She crossed over to where he sat, nodding in approval as he removed the orange guise, "There we go! I'll go get you something to eat now."

He chuckled at her liveliness, "Thanks, Rin, but you know...it is late. You should really rest-"

She was already out the door. He relented and then stood up again, undressing in order to change into more comfortable clothes.

Sesshu, still too antsy to get some sleep, bounded into the room a moment later. Redressed and too tired to prevent it, he let the dog leap up and lick his face adoringly, "I'm so glad you're home...we were wondering when you'd be back!"

He patted Sesshu on the head, "I'm back now so relax Sesshu! And have you been protecting everyone while I've been gone?"

"But of course," The dog backed away, satisfied with the greeting, "Though there hasn't been any trouble really."

He was glad to hear it and after telling Sesshu to get some sleep, he looked across the room to where a mirror had been hung on the wall. Rin was the one who used it. He often tried not to look at himself whenever it could be avoided. Two black eyes stared back at him, ebony hair spiked in all directions. He would've been handsome, he supposed, if not for the scars running down his right cheek. He ran his fingers across them in disappointment, 'It's not like the rest of my body is any better off...'

After a moment he looked away from his reflection, fed up with it, 'My image in the mirror and my soul look nothing alike.'

He snapped out of his reverie when his wife returned with a bowl of leftovers. He noted her chewing a bit and was glad she had thought to feed herself as well. Rin handed him a warm cup of sake along with the food and he thanked her for her thoughtfulness. She took a seat beside him, cross-legged, and stared at his face with more intent than he could bear to muster for himself.

"So..." Rin began quietly, "How did it go?"

"Well, the only fight I got into was with a few Rain ninja before meeting with Zetsu-san." He recapped while squinting his eyes thoughtfully, "I finished them quickly but I suspect one of them must've knocked a joint loose..."

"Let me see," She shifted to sit behind him on the bed. It was especially clear in the tank top he was then wearing that his right arm was artificial. The same prosthetic material ninja used in the making of certain puppets. Rin glanced down at her husband's leg, considering it, knowing it was also automail.

Her practiced hands skimmed across the arm he offered up, and Rin searched for any abnormalities that she had grown keen to detecting over the years. Her eyes hovered for a moment over one spot in particular before she could confirm it, "You're right...this will only take a second..."

He stopped eating on cue and held his breath, aware of what was coming.

With a swift motion the flat of her palm snapped his forearm back into place, connecting it with the elbow properly. The pain passed quickly, mostly due to experience with previous injuries. He took a sip of the wine and relaxed, closing his eyes briefly.

"How's the leg then?" She thought to ask.

"Functioning," He smiled at her, "Talking like this makes me feel like a robot." He paused, glancing down at the meat and rice in the bowl he had been eating out of, "What kind of fish is this?"

"Catfish."

"It's good." He decided aloud, "How's Yuma been?"

Rin fiddled with her hair as it hung messily over her shoulders, "His aim is perfect now...the little bugger has a harder time missing than hitting a target. Oh! And a nice Sand ninja paid a visit a few days ago to pick up some medicine."

He gave her a concerned look, "You let a Sand shinobi come up here?"

"He was so great! He was just a kid really." Rin recalled with a smile, "He played with Yuma and Sesshu before he left. Quiet like most jounin...but he's pretty good with children. At first I couldn't believe it..."

"Kakashi made jounin when he was young." He reminded her.

"Let's not talk about that, please." She frowned sadly, "Are you finished with that?"

"Yes, thank you." He let her take the empty bowl from him, and declined politely when she asked him if he wanted more sake. He watched Rin leave, highly irritated at the mentioning of Kakashi.

He felt terrible that he had again upset her. He was aware that talking about the past always made her defensive while he, in contrast, welcomed it with open arms. The only way he knew how to lighten her spirits again was to focus on the present and its positive aspects.

He stood up and slinked into the hallway, curious. Sesshu was fast asleep on a couch inside at last, and he turned down another hall, slipping into another room without a sound. Yuma was curled in a ball in his bed, asleep. He grinned at the sight of the child, bubbling over with euphoria. After a few steps he took a seat beside the small boy. He bent down and kissed him on his exposed forehead, brushing aside some of the downy, ink hair.

Yuma sprang awake, sensitive to the touch. His intelligent eyes locked onto and instantly recognized the person who had arrived, "You're back!" Yuma's arms lassoed around his father's neck, and he proceeded to ramble about everything that had transpired since he had left.

He could only laugh at Yuma's excitement, assuring him they'd review his shuriken skills tomorrow, "But for now I say we could both use some sleep..."

Yuma pouted in uncertainty, "How do I know you'll be here when I wake up?"

"I'll be here, promise." He grinned down at him, "Yuma is a good boy. My favorite boy."

He kissed him again out of habit, but Yuma was by then too hyper and fussy to even begin considering sleep again. His father resorted to an Induced Sleep Jutsu to help him along. Yuma sank carelessly back down to his pillow a moment later, allowing his father a means of escape.

He chuckled wildly to himself as he left the boy's room, practically hovering down the hall. There was no better feeling than having someone so small and alive to cherish, he thought to himself.

Once back in his own bedroom he found Rin there on the bed. She looked sleepier than she had earlier let on, and was busy changing the pillowcases with a muted grace. He clambered over to her, tossing aside the unwanted linens, and pressed up against her flank, "I've missed you so much, Rin...I really hate playing dumb all the time."

She nodded in understanding, "I know...but it's your best cover. Besides, it takes a truly brilliant person to appear that stupid."

He chuckled at her compliment, "Yeah...I guess I have them all fooled...as for my dignity I've learned to go without it."

He helped her stuff a pillow into a new cover and then set it aside. There was a peaceful silence between them for a while, and he watched Rin settle beneath the blanket and curl up against his back. She breathed in his smell and was comforted by it. Her brow furrowed after a moment as a painful thought crossed her mind.

"Obito..." She mumbled, slightly muffled by the blanket, "The Sand ninja...he said he used to live in Konoha. He told me that the Sandaime is dead now."

"Yes, I know." He confirmed it sadly, "Sarutobi-sama did his part...Orochimaru is also planning to kill Tsunade-sama as well."

"You won't let that happen..." Rin said softly.

He rolled over and let her settle her cheek on his chest.

"I won't." He promised and then blinked down at her, smiling, "So are you ready to go to sleep now, Rin?"

"Well, since you just got back I thought I'd stay up a while," She admitted, despite her desperate need for some rest, "Just in case there was...you know...anything that you wanted."

Obito smirked at the thought, "There are plenty of things I want. It just depends on how long you're willing to stay awake..."

Rin rolled her eyes at his implication, and was then caught off-guard by his sudden movement. She leapt up, throwing the blanket off, but knew she was too late to match his speed. He descended and she writhed, instantly knowing it was impossible to avoid one of his tickle-attacks. Both she and Yuma had tried countless times to escape it and never succeeded.

She bucked, laughing so loudly that she feared she'd wake their son up. Her toes curled in feathery anguish, and she managed a good head-butt that knocked him back a few inches. Obito laughed at her effort, skillfully tracing her rib cage with his fingertips, waiting for her to beg for mercy.

Rin gave a bark of annoyance that was typical of any Inuzuka, and Obito quickly ended his antics. He was accustomed to the fact that a fearsome nip always followed her warning yelp, although sometimes he provoked her merely for the effective biting. That was an entirely different matter, however...

"You are...so juvenile..." Her breath was ragged and she stared up at where he hovered over her, wearing a childish grin. That look melted her heart, though. It was the same look he had offered her when they were children and she wondered how she had managed to ignore it then.

She felt him shift, laying belly-down beside her and Rin relaxed, assuming that he had given up his buffoonery.

"I'm not juvenile," He assured her, kissing her tattooed cheek, "I just like to be creative when it comes to foreplay."

This time she did not roll her eyes.


"You're too tense; loosen up just a bit," Tenten instructed, turning Fujita's wrist at a slight angle, "There you go! Throw now, you're all set!"

The nervous genin hurled a senbon across the courtyard and finally hit a target (that Tenten had set up for him earlier,) and followed it with three more throwing spines in quick succession, all relatively near the middle of each mark. His smile was one of pleasant surprise.

"What did I tell you, Fujita?" She chuckled, clapping the boy on the back, "You're getting the feel for it now so just keep at it."

"Thank you, Tenten-san." He said quietly, "My Aniki always tried to demonstrate how to use throwing spines but I just...I never really understood. I was terrible."

Tenten walked across the garden and plucked each senbon from its respective target, "It's not about understanding, you know...it's the technique. Throwing a needle isn't the same as a shuriken or kunai. The motion should be fluid and quick, and follow the arm's guidance when you cast it. Any idiot can learn to throw a knife but these require more patience than brawn to use."

Fujita blinked helplessly at her and she added, "And your brother…I'm sure he was just teaching you the way he learned. Everyone perceives things differently, am I right?"

He nodded in quiet agreement. Fujita accepted the senbon she handed back to him and did his best to veil his embarrassment. His own brother had sent a tutor to help him hone his skills with projectiles. Had it been necessary? Yes indeed. Had it been abrupt? Even more so.

Fujita obeyed her instruction and hoped she wouldn't notice his curiosity, 'She's so clever and friendly...I thought no one else could teach that way except for sensei...or my Aniki...'

His shy shell had been thoroughly cracked. Tenten set him to work, observing and correcting his form while he imagined the targets to be an opponent's face or throat. His strikes were becoming progressively more accurate.

Hikune stepped out of the Main house and into the courtyard, smiling knowingly as his little brother hurled rounds of throwing spines at a row of dummies. He came to stand beside Tenten, and ran a hand through his russet-hued hair, "What an improvement...and it's nice to see a smile on his face for a change!"

Tenten folded her arms, sneaking a glance at the jounin beside her, "I think it helps that he has a great older brother like you. He draws a lot of inspiration from you, Hikune."

Fujita continued practicing after giving a brief wave to his sibling. Hikune laughed quietly to himself, glad that things had worked out for his rabbity little brother.

After a moment the kunoichi spoke up again, "By any chance have you happened to see Neji while you were in there, Hikune? I told him I would be a bit late today, but he's even later than I am at this point."

"I saw him. He was..." His voice lowered a margin, "He was training with Hinata-sama."

Tenten's eyes met the ground with the news. Hikune then added, "I'm sure he remembered his appointment with you though! He only does as Hiashi-sama asks, you know. He'd never deliberately-"

"It's fine." She smiled with as much aplomb as she could gather, "I'll catch up with him later if he's not busy. I'll just help out Fujita until then."

Hikune gave her an uneasy look, "You're asking a little much of yourself, Tenten. You've been working with Fujita for hours now and you expect to continue on to train with Neji-sama? I suggest you take some time to relax."

Tenten blinked up at him, considering it, 'I am tired...but I like working hard. Besides the assurance of improvement and purpose it provides, I guess I'm just too used to being occupied.'

She blamed Lee and Gai; always running around with some agenda, mission, or aphorism that promoted health and youth. She looked over to Fujita and saw he was still focused on training. He'd be fine without a supervisor for a while, she guessed.

She nodded, somewhat defeated, and followed when Hikune led her out of the courtyard. Fujita hadn't even noticed their departure.

Tenten walked beside the quiet jounin and beheld a new part of the Hyuga estate that she had not been to before. It was a large garden full of boisterous colors and smells that stretched from one end of the property to the other. It was fenced off by a wall so naturally she had never noticed it on any previous occasion. She walked beside Hikune, wondering if she should say something.

Tenten frowned inwardly, at odds with herself. Hikune was unusually nice for a person of his particular breeding. It was strange that she felt like she was being rude simply because she had nothing to report to him.

Neji, on the other hand, she spoke with even when the whim struck her during complete silence (which often happened while she was near him.) There were times she didn't have to say anything to him at all either. He didn't have to verbally communicate a thought for her to understand, most of the time. The slightest facial expression, movement, or grunt spoke volumes to her. After years of training she nearly considered herself a full-blown translator of his silent language. The silence with Hikune, however, was one of the most uncomfortable things she had felt to date.

'Is it because I can't read him? His face is so calm...' She wondered briefly and then concluded, 'Or maybe is it because I don't have to? He's pretty effusive for a Hyuga. I'm just reading too much into what should be obvious. Is that it?'

"You know...this garden belongs to the Main House. Only members of the Hyuga clan are permitted to enter this place...or the guests they invite." Hikune spoke at length, much to her relief, "Ironic how the Branch family is charged with the care of it, don't you think?"

"They deserve better." Tenten announced tersely, "They shouldn't be treated as inferiors or servants all the time. So many of them have potential that gets overlooked..."

He nodded, saying, "I agree. But I wonder...if any of your opinion has anything to do with Neji-sama's bias?"

"Of course I came to my own decision!" She snapped, but then after a moment added, "Well...Neji certainly did have some influence over what I know but I really meant what I said. That's what I believe."

"That's perfectly fine." Hikune chuckled, "Because your teammate has the right idea. I myself wish the Branch house was treated with more respect."

"If you really believe that then why hasn't anything been done to change it?" Tenten asked pressingly, "If there are people in the Main house who feel that way then they should be willing to intervene. It could work!"

He looked off the side of the path, staring sadly into the lines of azalea.

"It isn't that simple..." He said quietly, "Though I would do anything to help if I could, my family and I really have no say in the matter at all. You see, it is up to the Head of the Hyuga and the Main house to guide and maintain this clan. It is our elders, however, who determine its structure. They have the final say."

"Oh right...elders." Tenten muttered, "But why are they left in charge?"

"Because of moral and respect issues, I suppose. Their use has long since expired anyway..." Hikune admitted lowly, "Old views prolong old feuds. The elders are strict enough to penalize anyone and everyone who tries to tamper with their control over the Branch House."

She frowned, understanding and yet hating the truth of it. The hopelessness of it all ate away at her gut, and the terrifying thought struck her a moment later, 'Does Neji know this? Has he realized who's really behind the Hyuga's decision-making? And when he does become the leader of his clan...will there be anything he can do to change it?'

She had never questioned it before. Once he had succeeded Hinata as heir, Tenten had automatically assumed all of his problems were solved. He would take power once his uncle retired and repair his clan's damages. The Branch Family would be freed and he would never again feel imprisoned by his own blood…but in the end he was not really the one in control.

"Has anyone ever challenged your clan's elders, Hikune?" Tenten asked, somewhat panicked.

He looked at her for a long moment before he answered, "Yes. Hiashi-sama often used to cause a great fuss over the Branch House's treatment when he was younger. But back then he was a young, naive leader and he was threatened to be demoted if he didn't stop his antics. He had no choice but to give into them or risk the elders instating a new leader who would have a harsher method of coping with the Branch Family."

'Being the leader of the Hyuga...it's all...it means nothing. Just a figurehead role...' Tenten paused on the path to think, 'What will Neji do? His uncle even tried and couldn't change a thing!'

She put herself in her friend's place and rage bubbled up inside of her. Hiashi may have tried, she noted, but just how much? 'How long before he chickened out? Maybe if he did give it all he had and was punished for it, it would've sparked something. But now everyone assumes things are the way they are because he made it so...'

The image of Hiashi that was painted for her was morphed into something a bit more cowardly than what Hikune had intended. Tenten caught up to Hikune, and then said, "Okay. I know Neji's uncle meant well, but if he really wanted to help the Branch that badly why did he still use the seal to subdue them? Neji's told me stories about how his uncle-"

"Using the seal can't always be avoided." Hikune cut in sadly, "I was once reduced to using that jutsu, you know."

Tenten fell silent. She had not even remotely considered Hikune to be capable of such a thing.

He observed her paling face as they both stopped, surrounded by magnolias. Hikune's voice was quiet, "Do you think less of me because of that, Tenten?"

She shook her head in the negative, but it was clear enough for him on her face how it wasn't sitting well. He attempted to explain, "I take no pleasure in demonstrations of control, especially within my clan. Fujita...he was three at the time, I think. He had been attacked by a drunken Branch member. If I didn't react sooner my brother may have been killed, do you see?"

Tenten nodded, gulping hard.

"It is a defense from our own mandate." Hikune informed her of the paradox, "Create a seal to protect ourselves from it! It is a circle, Tenten, that's just as preposterous as it is unavoidable. The elders see it as tradition..."

"There must be some way to change it..." Determination replaced the anger in her voice, "Neji would do anything to fix it...I would do anything, if I could!"

He smiled at her, motioning for them to keep walking, "Your hope is well invested, I think. Recently...I suppose it must be because of his daughter's displays of courage...Hiashi-sama has been appealing to the elders again at last."

Tenten was surprised by the tidbit, "Really? But...wouldn't they threaten him like last time?"

"There would be no point in that. Even my own father is standing by Hiashi-sama in his endeavor." Hikune mentioned thoughtfully, "Yet even now...the stubbornness of my clan's elders keeps them from budging on the matter."

She had figured as much. Tenten glanced over to a koi pond beside the path, "The Branch...they'd be so much happier and more peaceful without the seal. There's no reason for anyone to support it."

"The elders prioritize order above the emotional health of this clan. That's why we've lasted so long." He reminded her darkly, "And just what is it that constitutes happiness? Will their freedom instantly make them happy people? How can they let go of all the humility and suffering they've endured, Tenten...how can they forgive?"

"There's always a way!" She declared fiercely, "Neji suffered too and he pulled through it...he was able to rise above his pain!"

"And he had help doing that, I bet." Hikune smiled again at her, knowingly, "Even though Neji-sama is now a part of the Main Family and heir to this clan, do you think that he is happy?"

Tenten fell silent again. It was obvious wasn't it? 'Of course not...he may be happier than he was but Neji...his pain is still there.'

Hikune gave her a soft word of apology, interrupting her thoughts, "It seems my leg is acting up again...let's stop for a moment to rest."

Tenten followed after him, finally noting the limp he had long concealed and sat down beside him on a nearby bench. 'Looks like he isn't over his injuries just yet...'

She turned to him, "Neji isn't all that happy, I have to admit. He's frustrated and pressured by being the heir to the clan, even if he doesn't say anything about it, I can still tell."

He nodded, "I believe Hinata-sama had the same problems."

"That's true," Tenten agreed, but then added, "And Hinata-chan...she recovered and grew out of it thanks to Naruto. Maybe I can help Neji more? I know I'm not much good to him, but I want to see him happy."

It was quiet for a moment, and Tenten took the stolen time to fully appreciate the beauty of the garden they had ventured into. She felt that she would not be visiting it again anytime soon unless Neji gave permission, but something told her not to push her luck. He might decide to inquire how she had learned about it in the first place.

"I think you're just the person Neji-sama needs." Hikune informed her, "Healing this clan must be taken one step at a time..." He stood up again, rested, but wobbly, "Ah...and I guess I could say the same for myself."

Tenten merely laughed and helped him adjust, hoping he wouldn't collapse. Being the strong person that he was, however, he remained upright. He started off down the path with her again at a slower pace than earlier, "Tenten, thank you for helping a poor cripple like me. At this rate the Hyuga clan will be indebted to you."

He definitely had a sense of humor. Tenten cracked a wide grin at him, nearly tripping over a honeysuckle bush after receiving his praise. It was an ego-booster to hear herself being named an ally of the Hyuga family but she decided not to take it too seriously.

'Once I hear those words come from Neji's mouth then I'll believe them.'


Hanabi hovered a few inches away from her sister's face, scrutinizing her up-close with her Byakugan. Hinata sipped her tea calmly, unabashed by such behavior. Neji sat across from the two at the table, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Hanabi's blood limit faded after a moment, seeing that there was nothing visibly abnormal. She had suspected that there would be if it was any explanation for her sister's abrupt advancement.

Only twenty minutes ago, Hinata had used the Hyuga's famed Eight Trigrams Rotation for the first time. It was a bit too full of gusto she later realized once she had accidentally obliterated a tool shed on the side of the courtyard that was helpless and within range of the technique.

Neji told her it was nothing to be embarrassed about. Hinata vouched for their training to cease until her anxiety passed. She'd have to apologize to her father about the damages later. Hanabi hadn't even touched her tea the entire time she had been with them. She was too busy giving her elder sibling an envious stare that had some suspicion etched into it. Neji grew tired of it fast.

"Hanabi-sama, your sister's power is still a mystery to everyone in our clan." He announced stiffly, trying to strike a tone of annoyance rather than disrespect, "No amount of glaring will reveal her gift's secret to you, I'm afraid."

Hanabi shot a fiery look at him, "Talk all you want, Neji-niisan, but she's changed how everything is supposed to work around here! Father doesn't have the time to train with me now because he's always busy with Onee-san!"

"Don't say that, Hanabi," Hinata answered softly, "If you would like, you may train with Neji-niisan and I when you come home from school from now on. What do you think?"

Her younger sister was silent for a long moment. Agreeing with Hinata would mean she would be sacrificing some amount of her precious Hyuga-dignity. Then again, her sister had changed so much she figured she could afford to risk it.

She lifted her tea cup to her lips and muttered, "I suppose that'd be alright..."

Neji relaxed a bit once Hanabi had ended her rude ogling, but not a moment later, a rabbit-sized toad hopped up beside him on the porch, looking a bit lost. It regarded the three young Hyuga for a very awkward second before speaking up, "Hey there! I'm lookin' for the Lady of the Hyuga if she's around!"

Hinata stared at it blankly for a moment. That title was her's, as far as she knew. The toad was vermillion and grinning. Without a doubt, its arrival could only mean one thing...

"Naruto-kun sent you?" She asked, her voice rising in pitch excitedly, "Oh! How is he, Kichi-chan?"

"You remembered my name!" Gamakichi squeaked joyously, "He said you were pretty too! Words don't do justice, my lady..."

Hanabi snorted at the statement.

Neji merely observed the interaction interestedly. He then recalled how Naruto was an experienced summoner of toads, albeit he had never seen one so small before, it was certainly affiliated with his blonde friend. He didn't hide the smile that came over his face at the thought of Naruto. Such tidings were too good to frown at.

"The boss is good! He's way busy though and just as chatty as ever." The toad went on, hanging pliantly between her hands, "He told me that he wants me to give this to you..." Gamakichi held up a scroll to her, "He wrote a lot which is unusual. He's not the literary sort I'm sure ya know already!"

Hinata kissed the toad between his beady eyes, "Thank you so much, Kichi-chan..." She set him down and accepted the message, eager to read it.

Gamakichi sat in an infatuated daze beside the tea table and Hanabi regarded him with a disapproving look, "It seems that they don't turn into princes after all."

Neji only smirked.

Hinata read silently to herself, fumbling with the scroll that had traveled so far, carrying the voice of her beloved.

Hey Hinata-chan!

I hope you aren't missing me too much! Right now me and Ero-sennin are out somewhere west in this weird carnival town. I've been learning plenty of new jutsu and I've fought a few bozos who were stupid enough to pick a fight. But there was this one guy we ran into who even Ero-sennin wanted to avoid. He's this old ninja from the Hidden Stone Village, Dintei Bi, and he killed many shinobi from Leaf a long time ago. Not that I'm paranoid, but I don't know if he's going to try to pull something like that again. I want you to tell Baa-chan that he's up to no good. Make sure she knows. And also I want you to stay out of trouble, alright? No unnecessary fights, even though you are tough as nails. I trust you and I miss you like crazy. Tell Neji that the next time I see him we'll have a rematch!

Naruto

She looked up a moment later and noticed that Hanabi had up and left while she'd been reading. Gamakichi still hovered dreamily beside her, waiting for further instruction.

Neji gave her an expectant look, "What did he say?"

Hinata smiled, tilting her head while she reported, "Naruto-kun says that the next time he sees you you'll have a rematch, Neji-niisan."

He laughed quietly at the notion, "Next time...I will win."

A joyous grin was plastered to her face, 'I'm so glad that Naruto-kun stayed in touch! I was so afraid that he'd be too busy. I guess he misses home more than I had thought he would.'

"Uh, I'll take your reply to the boss when you're ready, milady!" Gamakichi chirped, beaming up at her, "You just let me know!"

"Thank you, Kichi-chan." She patted the toad on the head and then stood up. Gamakichi hopped after her as she walked down the porch with Naruto's message.

Neji looked up mid-way through pouring himself more tea, "Where are you off to now, Hinata-sama?"

She regarded her cousin thoughtfully, "I must go to Hokage-sama now. There is something important that I must tell her."


Iruka regarded his surroundings with a content and passive wonder. He stood and watched dutifully as his class romped around the courtyard. Their laughter and blissful play brought him back to times of his childhood. The most prominent memory of his youth, sadly, was the attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox on his village.

A frown subconsciously crossed his face. He was unsettled by the fact that these children, who he was charged with training to one day become shinobi, would eventually face the true horrors that ninja were confronted with. There was no real way to explain it to them. So carefree and innocent, he couldn't imagine any of the children ahead of him entering battle. He couldn't imagine them drawing weapons and resigning themselves to harm a fellow shinobi, but that was their initial purpose. It was up to them how to justify what they would be made to do. He had experienced it and found he was more comfortable with teaching.

'But this is just how they are now...they still have two more years of schooling left...' Iruka reaffirmed the idea, 'By then they'll be sure whether or not they're cut out for this type of work. Many of them will have matured by then.'

He gazed across the playground to where one of his students had pelted his friend in the gut with a soccer ball, shouting, "Wow, you've got no reflexes you big dummy! What if that had been a shuriken?" They then proceeded to wrestle furiously in the grass.

'Well...maybe not all of them...' Iruka smiled again. If one class in particular had left its mark on him certainly it had been Naruto's generation. Something about that group had promised excellence, and though many of them had been naive slackers just like any other Academy class he had seen, Iruka had to admit they had all morphed into highly efficient ninja in a matter of months. It was difficult to recognize them once they had stopped jabbering and learned to focus on tasks at hand.

'I wonder how Naruto is doing right now...training with Gama-sennin.' He wondered briefly, 'Him and his teammates for that matter. Teaching here has never been quite the same since they graduated...'

He was keen to the intruder who had entered the playground because he stood about a foot taller than the other children. He also had trademark hair that nearly always made him mistake him for Kakashi.

Sato didn't look to be goofing off at that time. Other Academy students halted in their play to take a moment to gaze at him critically, trying to discern whether or not he was a notable shinobi. Certainly not. They went back to their games and the quiet, grinning ninja strolled up to Iruka amicably.

"It's good to see you, Iruka-sensei!" He greeted his former instructor with a short wave, "You've still got your hands full."

Hardly. He had been standing on the side of the yard almost catatonic in his contemplation for over ten minutes. But if Sato hadn't noticed it by then it wasn't something that needed to be brought up.

"Nice to see you too, Sato-kun." Iruka greeted him in response, "How have you been?"

"I'm good, thanks, but there's something I'd like to talk to you about." Sato answered, looking expectant.

Iruka considered that his former student hadn't stopped by to waste his time. He may as well hear him out. "There's still 20 minutes left before recess ends," Iruka reasoned, "What's on your mind?"

"You remember Tama, right?" He asked for clarification, "Maito Tama. She's my...er...she's..." He trailed off in his speech. Her formal title did not roll off of this tongue so easily.

"Yes, how could I forget?" Iruka thankfully saved him the trouble, "She was an excellent student while she was here."

The past tense irked Sato a bit, but he soldiered on with his explanation, "It's like this, Iruka-sensei. You see, Tama never really wanted to leave the Academy even after she got hurt. She's been training all this time since she left, which is more than most people can say. She still wants to be a ninja. I was hoping that if you evaluated her, even though she's not a student, you might be able to promote her to genin." He paused, "Does that sound too far out, or no?"

Iruka looked thoughtful, "Wow...you present a pretty controversial case..."

"That's not a bad thing is it?"

"Well...no. But…" The Academy teacher sighed deeply, "Sato...I don't know if I could credit her with genin rank even if I wanted to, and I do want to. This is where lines of jurisdiction are blurred."

The silver haired ninja wasn't satisfied, "Why?"

"She may have to meet the approval of the Hokage as well. How can we be sure that her skills are as sharp as they once were?" Iruka supplied an example, "It's risky for me to assume that much."

"I swear she's loads better now than she was then!" Sato testified loudly.

Iruka hesitated for a moment, thinking it over, and then said, "Alright then. Later on I'll go to Tsunade-sama and see if it's in compliance with regulations. If it is then I'd be glad to give her the graduation test."

"It's a deal then!" Sato grinned, shaking his hand animatedly, "I'll swing by tomorrow so you can let me know how things worked out!"

As he turned to go Iruka spoke up again, "Sato..."

He stopped and looked back at the instructor, "Just how much does this mean to you? I'd like to know. It's likely that Tsunade-sama will deny this request and I don't want you to be upset if she objects."

Sato's expression grew more serious, "This means a lot to Tama, Iruka-sensei. It means so much to her that I won't stop until she's recognized as a ninja. I'll bug Hokage-sama until she makes it happen!"

Iruka chuckled at the proclamation, distantly reminded of one of Naruto's ideals.


By that night Haku had retired in a tavern for rest once he had reached Kuro. While enjoying a plate of fried eel, he discretely eavesdropped on a pair of Mist ninja the next table over while they shared a bottle of sake.

"Mizukage-sama has really been out of it lately." One of the ninja pointed out.

"It's hard to say if he was ever sane to begin with." His friend replied matter-of-factly, "If you ask me you can never trust a jinchuriki. Besides, he's the one who enforced the to-the-death-graduation exam when I had expected him to eliminate it!"

The other shook his head in exasperation, "Tell me about it. He's been changing the training program every other year. I'm not risking enrolling my son in the Academy...it could get dangerous."

"Just train him privately, then. That's what everyone does these days."

"But wouldn't doing that make it look like...like he was from a clan or something? Private tutoring?" He asked nervously.

His partner snorted, "Hell no. Even if it did, no one cares about the clans out here anymore. They've only weakened over time so they aren't a threat these days. All they do is hide in their castles and count their money."

Haku stopped listening after that. He could only wonder how much of what they said was accurate. Probably most of it, he thought sourly. A capricious Mizukage did not bode well. Neither did the risks of genin training within Mist. It also appeared clans were more of a fairytale after they had been massacred in the war all those years ago. He was troubled by how very little he did know about what was going on in the Water Country. In Leaf no one ever gave the place a second thought. It was hardly ever mentioned.

'I must learn quickly if I'm to survive here.' Haku noted. The easiest way to do that, he figured, was to listen to the people he encountered along the way. They would be his source and he would pay attention and adapt accordingly. After finishing his meal he returned to his room and collapsed onto the bed, glad to sleep comfortably.

The following morning he rose earlier than he normally would have. Haku could not abide sleep with all of the haunting dreams he'd been having, so he set out just as dawn blinked her rosy eyes over the horizon.

He bought dumplings for breakfast from a vender outside who had also risen early and decided to make small talk, "Excuse me, sir, but have you happened to have met a man named Hiroshi while you were doing business out here?"

The vender shook his head, "Can't say that I have. Most people head north when the weather gets bad like this...or they just head home to Mist."

"I see," Haku said quietly, "Thank you for your help."

They parted and Haku ate as he walked. It was bizarre passing through the town he had first met his friends in. Everything seemed so much smaller now than how he had viewed it as a child. Once outside of Kuro he crossed over a bridge that connected the road to farming districts. He felt a chill drip down his spine.

'South of this place...is where I was born.' The thought made him curious and ill at the same time. Haku then recalled the bridge in the Land of Waves and Zabuza's parting words to him, 'You already know where to find me.'

At first he believed that he hadn't known what the nukenin was talking about. But after some darker thought processes, he realized that what Zabuza had said made sense. 'He remembered somehow...that day I saw him at the bridge...' Haku couldn't understand why Zabuza had not forgotten him, but he knew that if he would find him anywhere it would be where they had first seen each other.

Though it was the whole object of his quest Haku was honestly not looking forward to being reunited with Zabuza. He tried to push the thought to the back of his mind while he still could.

By noon he had passed several farms, all of their crops stripped from their fields long ago. He followed the winding hills to a quiet, forested area where an eerily familiar place came into view. The fields on the farm ahead of him were smaller than the others and completely baron. A house stood pitifully beyond that with its roof caving in and the front door missing.

It didn't look as he had envisioned it to. As Haku crossed the tillage he watched wild hens flock together and peck for morsels on the frostbitten earth. He stopped just outside of the decrepit shack.

'I used to live here. I was a child here.'

Haku could acknowledge the facts but he felt utterly disconnected. There was no warmth that filled him after returning to his birthplace.

He ventured inside and saw that many belongings and pieces of furniture that had once been there were missing; probably plundered by robbers long ago. His parents' bodies were not evident either and he was grateful for it. He fumbled around, remembering sights and smells from his childhood while his heart ached with the weight of his memories.

Gaps in the thatched roof let gray sunlight filter into the dusky cottage, illuminating the emptiness. Haku exited the house silently, filled with painful thoughts, 'Father...why were you so afraid of us? Didn't you know that we loved you? That we'd never harm you, even if there was a war raging?'

A lone drop slipped down his cheek, 'We could have protected you and kept our powers secret. I wonder...when you intended to kill us, did you really stop loving us then? Did you kill your own heart when you did it?'

Haku had never admitted it to Naruto or Gaara in his time living with them how much missed his mother and how he felt responsible for her death. At times he had missed his father too, 'He had a kind face before that day...'

He was surprised to find their graves in the garden beside the crumbling house. Maybe after they had died neighbors had discovered them, he figured. Haku decided he would come back in the future with offerings for them to appease their restless souls.

He crossed over the ice-flecked field back to the dirt path and headed in the direction of the nearby town. When the bridge came into view at the far side of the village he stopped, thinking it over, 'What are the odds that he's even here at this very moment? What other sorts of places would he hide out in?'

Haku had confirmed Zabuza was nowhere in sight when he had crossed the bridge and entered the heart of the town. 'Where am I supposed to look now that I've reached my destination?'

Naturally, he had no idea. The last time he had ever ventured so far south was on his mission to the Land of Waves and that was still a fair distance away. Being the logical person he was, Haku followed the thought through to the end of obtaining more information from someone else. 'A person who would know where to find Zabuza would be a tracker-nin.'


Despite their promotions in rank, Gaara and his siblings could not escape being assigned as instructors for young children who were beginning their ninja training. There was a shortage of teachers, and anyone with credible experience available at the time was called upon. The children rarely, if ever, had the same instructor twice in a row.

Temari and Kankuro agreed that they wanted to outline the use of special weapons as their first lesson. They had set up a display table with a variety of weapons from swords to clubs. There was something to meet every ninja's want or need. Gaara, all the while, was terribly distracted. Occasionally he would help them organize the armaments when he wasn't staring off into space.

"Gaara...would you mind telling us now if you're about to have an anxiety attack?" Kankuro asked playfully, "You've been acting weird all morning you know."

"I'm alright." He answered quietly, but then added, "I've learned from my last assignment that solo missions are...unusual. They are not the sort of thing I excel at." He also omitted how he had fallen back on Rin's help a few times, finding that he was without his "sea-legs" when he wasn't surrounded by teammates.

"You're a jounin now." Temari reminded him, "Team assignments are fewer and you should really start thinking about a career path soon, Gaara."

"I want to teach."

They looked at him oddly. 'Where did that come from?' Kankuro wondered, 'He hasn't seemed interested in anything like teaching before...'

"I thought that you didn't like big classes of scrambling little kids, though." His brother wanted to test the waters, "You changed your mind, Gaara?"

"I don't like classes." Gaara assured him, "Genin students are manageable."

"Couldn't you wait until you're, you know, older?" Temari asked, somewhat bothered by Gaara's decision, "Think about it. You're so young and in your prime. Training kids seems kind of a waste doesn't it?"

"Teaching is hardly wasteful." Gaara concluded the discussion right there. He knew it would be difficult and that he was still one of the youngest jounin in Suna, but something in the back of his mind urged him to pursue it.

The class arrived a short time later and they began their lesson.

Temari gave a brief explanation of the exercise and then said, "Each of you select a weapon from those we've provided to begin combat training. You will then divide into groups to train with an instructor. Any questions?"

One girl raised her hand and Temari looked at her expectantly, "Um...are we required to pick a weapon?"

"That's the point of this lesson." Kankuro sighed in response, "Yes. You must pick one."

The girl fell silent, slightly embarrassed as her classmates snickered at her air-headedness. Temari gave the go-ahead and the students rushed up to the display, excited to take their pick of weaponry. Those who had snatched up their preference quick enough then decided on which instructor they would file off with.

The majority of them flocked to Gaara, in awe of his cool demeanor. Few of them realized that he was the same person who had Shukaku sealed inside of him so many years ago. After he had left the village, he supposed, the scary stories parents told them ended. They were too young to remember anyway. Ignorance is bliss, Gaara thought.

It wasn't long before the vast majority of the class began bombarding Gaara with questions. Seeing how quickly he was overwhelmed, his siblings intervened and divided the rest of the students amongst themselves. Once their groups were evened out, Gaara had an easier time critiquing their form.

Most of the children were terrible. Few could lift the weapons they had picked, but it was the effort that counted. One by one he corrected them, trying to be patient as they squawked excitedly. After he had most of them settled, he looked across the courtyard to where one student stood by herself. It was the same girl from before who had asked a question.

She was a small girl: brunette, with chocolate eyes. She reminded Gaara of a mouse. A quiet creature like herself was obviously reluctant to join in the noisy banter of weapon training. He understood that feeling all too well.

Kankuro followed his brother's gaze across the yard and also noticed the shirker. He called out to her, "Come on, Matsuri!"

The mousy girl scurried over to the display table after Kankuro had barked at her. Three weapons remained and neither the sword nor the club looked feasible, so she hurriedly grabbed the small rope-dart before joining the rest of the class.

The other students didn't willingly invite her in to practice with them. Rather than ordering their cooperation, Gaara abandoned his group to see to the mouse. Matsuri looked at him with an insecure expression and he wondered if she was afraid of him. He did his best to seem sociable, "Your name is Matsuri?"

She nodded, clinging to the rope-dart, "Yes, Gaara-sensei!"

He gave her a measured look before taking the weapon from her, "You have picked the jouhyou. It is a suitable weapon for you."

"Jouhyou?" She blinked at him, having never seen or heard of one before.

Gaara leapt back and demonstrated, whirling the rope-dart around thoughtfully, "The tooth at the end of the string is not so much for attacking, as it is for preventing the opponent from getting too close."

Matsuri watched with wide eyes.

"And with the rope...render them unable to attack!" He added, casting the dart and sending it streaking across the yard. It tangled around a training post with a painful-sounding thwack. Gaara turned to her, "Practice with this weapon until it feels like another part of your body."

He handed the jouhyou back to her and she accepted it jumpily. Gaara then returned to his group of clamoring trainees, and did not hear when Matsuri let out a belated, "Thank you..."

She straightened the rope-dart in her hands and let it wheel around her, getting the feel for it. Once she was comfortable with the motion she cast it, letting it fly in a straight line as Gaara had earlier. Though her aim was quite good, she still felt like a complete novice compared to her instructor. Her chest clenched anxiously as she continued practicing. She did not know at the time that it was Gaara's first real use of the jouhyou as well. His knowledge was simply obtained from lecture.

For a while it was organized chaos with students rushing about with their weapons. After watching the trainees spar with Temari, Kankuro was struck by a thought. He turned to his brother, looking clever, "Hey Gaara...I just had an idea."

"Of what sort?" His younger brother asked, plucking a sword from the hands of an impudent child who had been threatening his fellow students.

"Since you were thinking about training up a cell of students you could pick from the kids available here," Kankuro notified him, "It'll be more convenient, don't you think? They're near graduating anyway."

Temari looked over to him, agreeing, "Wow. That actually is a good idea, Kankuro."

Kankuro sulked, upset that his sister was surprised by his thoughtfulness. Gaara, however, was reluctant about the idea. The children before him didn't strike him as those truly devoted to becoming shinobi. It appeared that they just got caught up in it like it was some sort of fashion craze. He doubted most of them would even become ninja to begin with.

After shrugging off Temari's unintentional insult, Kankuro went ahead and made the announcement, "Attention!" All of the trainees looked up in unison, "Gaara here, I should have you all know, is interested in personally training a team of students!"

They all twittered enthusiastically at the news.

Kankuro grinned at his brother, feeling helpful, but Gaara was only annoyed that he had to meddle. Rather than shoot the idea down Gaara went along with it, sensing a loophole.

"This is true." Gaara confirmed it, stepping forward, "But before I decide there will be a test."

Temari and Kankuro looked at each other, puzzled. They did not know that their brother was drawing on inspiration from his own trials of getting on a genin team. His test had been conquered thanks to teamwork, but he had a feeling that the trainees in front of him had little sense of camaraderie.

Gaara proceeded to explain, "Those who seek my training should be able to catch me. It will be a footrace. You may use your weapons if you wish, but you should be more concerned about keeping up than tagging me. Only those who succeed will I accept as my students."

There was an uproar among the more chatty students who boasted about their speed. Temari smirked at them, warning, "Don't get cocky, guys. He may not look it but Gaara is faster than most of you could even hope to be. Watch your step."

They quieted down after that.

"Begin." Gaara's voice was low and upon the command, a few of the rowdy students immediately rushed at him with weapons raised. They skidded to a halt after seeing they were fooled by a sand clone. The rest of the class gasped in shock, before turning in all directions to look for him. Kankuro merely shook his head in exasperation.

Gaara finally reappeared on top of a high wall on the far side of the courtyard. "You must think like shinobi in order to succeed." He told them.

Temari laughed, "You all better hurry! He'll be gone in no time." The entire congregation sped after the jounin, weapons flailing, and Kankuro wondered if it was wise of Gaara to invite such a free-for-all unto himself.

Gaara pelted along the wall's edge with a class of prideful students howling after him. For once he was actually having fun and he'd make it a point to embarrass most of them. He didn't have to exert much energy to avoid their weapons either. They missed by a number of feet with every throw and his sand shield wasn't even necessary.

The chase moved from the barrier to rooftops, and still the class moved like a school of fish, tightly packed and synchronized. He could see that some of the students moved much faster than the others, but no one yet had chosen cunning to defeat him.

'If they combine their efforts and ambush me in a pincer movement, I'll easily be overtaken.' He noted, although not acting on that knowledge would mean he would be letting them win; yet it was enough for him to recognize their determination. He and his teammates had done just that to prove themselves a worthy team long ago. All Gaara saw pursuing him was a gaggle of uncreative youngsters playing tag, "These are not ninja..."

At the back of the group with the slowest bunch Matsuri called to her peers, "Listen! I...I think that if we work together we can catch Gaara-sensei! We outnumber him, so it's would be much easier than just following him!"

"That's such a dumb idea," A boy had sneered at her, "No one would work with you anyway! You're way too slow and afraid of weapons!" He darted ahead after that, drawing out a dagger to try his luck on the jounin as others had.

Matsuri, still at the back of the procession, continued on, 'Slow and steady can win the race!' Even when no one was willing to work with her, she was still forming strategies on what could be done to achieve victory.

Gaara began taking sharp turns, nearing the outskirts of the village. A few of his pursuers were confused by the sporadic motions and began to fall back. He leapt down from a rooftop and headed out to the surrounding desert, a windswept blur through the gateway.

After seeing his course half of the group stopped, discouraged by Gaara's route.

They didn't want to risk the perils of the desert if they didn't have to. The more motivated students continued on, rushing into the sand wasteland surrounding their village. Matsuri also plunged ahead into the dunes, amazed that so many of her classmates had given up that easily.

Farther ahead, two boys came dangerously close to Gaara. One of them hurled a chain-scythe with a cry, barely missing his target. The other threw a volley of shuriken as a follow-up but was foiled by the sand shield. Gaara feinted left and flickered to the right. The pair of trainees moved left, and before they could correct themselves they tumbled down a steep dune as Gaara had intended.

The rush proceeded with fewer and fewer participants, many growing frustrated by Gaara's relentless speed. Matsuri thoughtlessly pressed on, far behind, and following the trail of footprints that faster students had left. Gaara leapt up onto a jagged rock formation and the trainees scrambled up the cliff after him. At the top the path evened out, but the climb up had exhausted a good number of them. They stopped to rest.

Matsuri observed how the pursuit had trickled down from the remaining five (all recovering, unknown to her) to herself, and she feared she had fallen too far behind to catch up with Gaara. Despite her panic she did not stop. She wanted to know just how far she could go before giving out, 'I'm not fast...I'm not talented...but I can still endure.'

She caught a glimpse of Gaara. He was moving quickly. The hair on the back of her neck rose and she gave chase even though he was far ahead. The afternoon sun began to sink in the sky. Matsuri hopped from boulder to boulder, searching for any sign that she was on the right path. The altitude of the cliff was also a bit unnerving. 'Did I lose him? He just disappeared. I don't even know where I am right now...'

She trudged up an incline, wanting to get a better view of her surroundings. Her limbs ached and sweat had matted her short hair to her neck. She jumped in surprise to see Gaara was just a few paces ahead of her at the hilltop. In addition to that he had stopped running. Matsuri stared tactlessly, wondering if she was hallucinating.

Gaara inclined his head just a bit, finding it ironic that the mouse-girl had prevailed. "The race is over now." He told her. He watched as Matsuri stumbled to the dusty ground and tried to catch her breath.

"You were the slowest of the group." Gaara informed her.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." She rasped, her lungs aching.

"Don't apologize for what you are. You are the only person remaining." He observed calmly, "You may not be as skillful as the others, but you persevered and did not give up when the task became more difficult."

She sat with her hands fisted in her skirt, staring at the ground, "I...wanted to see if I was capable. Even though no one wanted to help me because I was weaker...I thought I should see it through to the end."

"That is why you succeeded. It is that quality that is needed of every shinobi." Gaara announced. Matsuri hesitated to meet his eyes, humbled by her triumph and yet feeling as though she didn't deserve it.

"Because you've proven yourself I will train you." Gaara offered, walking over to where she sat. "We'll go back to the village now and you may rest."

"Thank you, Gaara-sensei, but..." She hobbled to her feet, "What about the others?"

"I had my shadow clones bring them back already," He assured her, "They weren't going to continue anyway." He gently held her about the shoulders and teleported back to the village in a whirlwind.

Once there, they could see how Temari and Kankuro had already sent the rest of the exhausted trainees home. They were surprised that Gaara's only student happened to be the underdog of the class. Kankuro laughingly congratulated her.

"Keep practicing with that jouhyou, alright?" Temari reminded the girl, "It's a reliable weapon. Stick with it."

"I'm bringing Matsuri home now." Gaara informed his siblings, "I'll join you shortly."

They parted and Gaara picked the shorter girl up before she could set out. She squeaked in embarrassment, wondering if it was necessary. "Keep off of your ankle," He told her as he walked, "You were limping earlier."

Matsuri stole a glance at her ankle which was, indeed, swollen and unpleasant, "Oh...I must've twisted it..." She hadn't noticed it before when she was so focused on the chase.

"Take care of your leg," Gaara instructed after dropping her off at her house, "Your training starts tomorrow."

She nodded in understanding and watched him leave. Though she looked a mess and was in pain, Matsuri was feeling a great sense of wonder, 'I'm so lucky. I promise I will do my best as a student...and make mother and father proud.'


"Here you go, boss! This is for you!" Gamakichi hopped up to Naruto, waving a scroll in his face, "Boy you should have seen her! She's got to be the cutest girl I've ever seen and she even kissed me! You've got to send me there more often!"

"Quit it will you?" The blonde boy growled, shoving the toad down onto the bench, "I already know how great she is so you don't need to tell me! Let me concentrate." He read over Hinata's reply and was glad to see that she had given his message to Tsunade. More importantly he was glad that she was safe.

Gamakichi helped himself to the dango that was on a plate in front of Naruto. The blonde nin sat at the picnic table idly, thinking about Hinata. 'I wonder...she's fine now...but the fox said that she really did die. If she hadn't found that power of her's she wouldn't be alive right now.' He knew that was the kind of grief he would be unable to live with.

The toad on the bench beside him noted Naruto's troubled expression, "Hey boss...you feeling okay?"

Naruto relaxed, patting Gamakichi on the head, "Nah! I'm fine! And..." He blinked down at his lackey, "Hey...I think you're getting bigger."

"Yeah! I grew eight inches since last time! Soon I'll be tall like Dad! Cool, huh?"

"Keep dreaming..." Naruto muttered, "Thanks for your help, though. You can go home now."

Gamakichi departed in a puff of smoke and Naruto looked down glumly at the empty plate, 'Lousy toad! Eating my snack!'

With a deep sigh he left the picnic table he'd been seated at and set out down the street. He acknowledged how he had not missed Hinata terribly after first leaving Konoha. Once he was made to start thinking about her, however, he felt truly homesick. Even if she had said that she was fine in her letter Naruto couldn't help but worry. There was no way to know for sure unless he was there and it irked him.

He wondered if it was unfair of him to say that he was far less concerned about Gaara and Haku than he was for Hinata, 'But...they're different. They can protect each other. Hinata gets into trouble a lot more than people would think...' At the thought of Gaara and Haku, Naruto recalled, "That reminds me...I'll have to write to them soon to check up on them!"

The road led just outside of the city, where he arrived at an area shaded by tall conifers. Jiraiya had told him to meet him there for noon. After seeing his pupil's late arrival, the sage frowned at him, "What took you so long, huh? We need to get a move-on with your Hiraishin training."

"Sorry, but I'm here now, okay?" Naruto folded his arms behind his head, "I won't keep you waiting next time, Ero-sensei. So...what sort of training is this?"

"One doesn't just dive head-first into this sort of thing. In order to even come close to understanding how Hiraishin works, you must first be a master of the Body Flicker Technique." Jiraiya informed him, reciting the information as if it were a speech.

Naruto scratched his head, "A master. Huh. Body Flicker...but what does that have to do with anything?"

"It is a preliminary phase, you could say. It will get you familiar with the physical portion of the Hiraishin technique." Jiraiya informed him, "The technical portion comes later, when you'll learn more about jutsu formula, which happens to be one of my strong suits."

Naruto folded his arms and nodded.

"Let's see, well, I'd imagine you've already tapped into this jutsu in past fights. Most ninja are familiar with it but certainly not adept users." His teacher speculated, "The Body Flicker fundamentally starts as an intense exertion of chakra. That's why when you use your Kyuubi Chakra, you'll often speed up and get stronger."

"Super-speed is pretty cool." Naruto recalled smilingly.

"But the speed your excess chakra affords you is a small stepping stone in the scheme of things. Your body needs to be physically able to move like that on a whim. You have to get accustomed to moving fast." Jiraiya added, "So fast, in fact, that you won't even be fully able to see your surroundings."

The blonde boy leaned against a boulder as he listened, beginning to see just how serious the matter was. This training would certainly not be anything like the Rasengan. Naruto knew his own body better than anyone, and he was aware he was not the quickest shinobi on the market, 'This means I'm gonna have to work my ass off! Yeah!'

His sensei continued the explanation, "It's dangerous but it's necessary. This is because the Hiraishin's speed is considered teleporting. That means that you have to be comfortable with it, or your own technique will backfire on you."

"Backfire? Like how, exactly?" Naruto asked curiously.

"I don't want you to unintentionally kill or maim yourself." Jiraiya told him.

"So...it's really important that I don't mess this up."

"You better believe it..." Jiraiya sighed.

Rather than getting upset by the news, Naruto was quite inspired by it. All the more reason to train and work hard until he knew he was ready for it. 'If I take it easy and pay attention I can totally make this work!'

"Let's have a trial-run, Naruto." The sennin suggested, "Draw on enough chakra so that you feel your speed increase, and then attack."

Naruto had never been expressly told to call upon his red chakra before. He was a bit sluggish in complying with the command, but after a moment he had summoned up a tail of the Kyuubi's chakra, and was staring at Jiraiya with a ruby gaze. After a moment he disappeared.

Though Jiraiya could just barely see Naruto zipping around the forest clearing, he was able to anticipate some of his attacks. He blocked a few hits before a tremendous tackle broke through Jiraiya's defense, much to his bewilderment, and sent him streaking like a bullet across the clearing.

Dizzy, the sennin stood and held up a hand, "Okay...good. You're fast as hell. But me? Well, I'm sadly as slow as they come, so I'm afraid I can't be all too helpful when it comes to intense speed training..."

"Which is weird, because you sounded really believable earlier." Naruto told him, back to his usual, grinning self, "You know what you're talking about, but you sure can't demonstrate. Don't worry, Ero-sennin, I think I can figure it out myself."

"Even though you at least grasp the concept, Naruto, you weren't moving nearly fast enough!" His teacher informed him grimly.

"What?" The blonde yowled, "B-But! It's absurd to go any faster!"

"And do you know why that is?"

Naruto fell silent. He was honestly clueless, but he felt quite certain he had done his best.

"The physical limitations of your body can't accept the changes that your Kyuubi chakra offers. It's time for you to build more stamina!" Jiraiya announced, and then went to the side of the clearing where he had left a box. He extracted two weights from it, with much strain, and then said, "Ta-da! Once you can use the Body Flicker in these, you'll be all set!"

Naruto stared at the training weights, "Are those...some kind of torture device?"

"Well, practically, no, but you could put it that way." Jiraiya hummed unflappably, "Here, lift your pant legs, will you?" Naruto grudgingly obeyed and his teacher went about fastening the new weights to his legs. "I'll be increasing the resistance on these periodically so you adjust to the change."

"Jeez...it's like you picked up few tips from Fuzzy-Brows..." Naruto muttered grumpily, feeling as though gravity had multiplied five-fold.

"It's a very old training method that's rarely used anymore," The sage admitted, "And that's why so many ninja have forgotten what an effective training tool it is."

Naruto gave Jiraiya a sour look, although he remained silent. To complain was to show he did not want to improve, which meant he did not want to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique. He endured the weights and Jiraiya patted the boy's head affectionately, "You'll thank me later, kid. Good news, though! We're only spending two more days in this town before we keep heading west. There's plenty more sight-seeing to do!"


"And why can't he stay with us, Kakashi?" Semi's voice carried through the walls of the apartment, "He has nowhere else to go! We can't just leave him on the streets!"

"He's an outsider, he's not our responsibility."

Riei stared out the window of the living area, unable to ignore the loud argument in the other room. He felt like such a burden. Even after the Hokage had granted him citizenship in exchange for his participation in missions, not many viewed him as a true Leaf shinobi. Semi had already volunteered to prepare living arrangements for him, but apparently they weren't sitting well with her younger brother.

"I already told Hokage-sama that he's going to live here," Semi informed Kakashi, "And don't think just because you're one of his ANBU means you can change his mind."

"You don't even know this person!"

"I know enough. He deserves a home more than anyone I know..." She said quietly, "Honestly, little brother, when did you become so cold? Father was always glad to help people even if they were strangers-"

"Our father is dead."

"Yes, Kakashi, he's dead." Semi stared at her brother, "But did your compassion die with him? Or with Obito? He needs help!"

Kakashi promptly stormed out of the apartment and Semi yelled after him, "Stop being such a coward and face the truth for once!"

It was quiet for a long moment and she wiped the frustrated tears from her cheeks. She would not chase her brother anymore. He was stubborn and filled with grief. There was simply no reasoning with him. Semi left her room and trudged through the hall, trying to relax. She still had to be hospitable.

"Please...never mind Kakashi," She told Riei after finding him in the living room, "We rarely ever get along anyway. It's not your fault."

"Yes it is." He said softly, "I am sorry for causing you so much trouble, Semi. Maybe it would be better if I went somewhere else..."

"You aren't leaving Konoha!" Semi cried, "You've been traveling all your life and you deserve a place to settle. Don't apologize for anything because Kakashi has always been like this."

Riei relaxed marginally. He thanked her for her kindness but he still felt guilty that he was causing such uproar. The whole concept of a home was so new to him that he didn't know how to react. He merely stood in front of the window staring at the outdoors, wondering what to do now that he was inside of a building for a change.

Semi led him through the hallway she had come from and brought him to a bedroom at its end. The space was plain and fairly empty, "Sorry if it's a bit dusty in here. This used to be my father's room, but it's yours now." She gestured to the bed, dresser, desk, closet and bathroom; mostly because he seemed unsure of what they were, "They're all yours, so don't feel shy about putting them to use."

Riei set his bag down in the middle of the floor, observing his surroundings, "Thank you very much. This place is so big..."

"It's actually kind of small." Semi admitted with a chuckle, "So...is there anything else I can do?"

He smiled gratefully at her, "Yes, actually."

Before she was certain what he wanted Semi found herself following Riei down the main road. She figured she wouldn't be able to keep him indoors for too long, she sensed it made him a bit nervous. Outside again, he looked far more calm and bright. On the way she pointed out notable shops and establishments he should know about. It was only after they were halfway across town she thought to ask, "Um, Riei...do you even know where you're going?"

"Sort of...there it is, I see it!" He moved ahead and it was then she realized what he had been searching for. They were on the viewing platform just beneath the Great Stone Faces and Semi remembered how he had been fascinated by them.

"What are they?" Riei asked her curiously.

"It's the Hokage Monument." She told him simply, "It pays tribute to all the leaders and past leaders of our village. You see now only three faces: the First, Second, and Third Hokages...but one day soon Sarutobi-sama will retire, then we will welcome our Fourth Hokage and add his likeness to the cliff!"

Riei was impressed with the tradition as well as Semi's knowledge, "You know quite a bit, Semi. Are you a ninja? When you aren't on hospital shifts, that is."

"No." She answered shortly, "I'm not physically capable of that sort of thing...though I wish I was."

He didn't bother pressing the matter and neither did he know how much the idea bothered her. Riei offered to buy her lunch so she could tell him more about the Hidden Leaf Village.


At breakfast Kankuro was busy complaining to his sister while simultaneously preparing their food. "It's not fair! If I had known then I would've done the same thing..." He grumbled, "Why do they excuse Gaara from instructor work just because he has an apprentice now? Sheesh! I might as well make you my apprentice so when can both get out of it!"

"I'd sooner apprentice myself to Naruto..." Temari snorted, "Besides, you know that Baki allowed it because it's Gaara, not just anybody. Gaara is a capable teacher but big classes put him under a lot of stress, which is not something he needs when he's still trying to adapt to Suna."

Kankuro agreed lowly, pouting, and set bowls out on the table. His sister again told him to suck it up, "Once new instructors are trained up we can get back to mission work. It'll only be for a week or two, you big baby..."

Gaara arrived to eat with them a minute later. He had a scroll with him that neither of his siblings had seen before. He set it on the table, unconcerned with it, and thanked his older brother for the food.

While Gaara ate, Temari thought to ask, "What's that you have with you? An important document? New jutsu maybe?"

"It's a message from Haku." He told her calmly.

His siblings were stunned into silence.

"He's alright for the time being. Still heading south, he said." Gaara repeated what he had read. He handed the scroll to a very bewildered Temari, "You should look at it. He wants you to."

Temari remained quiet but took the scroll from her brother.

Gaara finished eating quickly and stood from the table, "I'll meet up with you both later. It's time for Matsuri to begin her training."

He left amiably with his spirits unusually high. Kankuro suspected that Haku's letter, combined with Gaara having a new student could create such an effect.

Matsuri was just leaving her house once Gaara had arrived. She looked a bit a sheepish at the sight of him, but smiled shyly after she had locked the door behind her, "Good morning, Gaara-sensei!"

"Good morning." He told her and then asked, "Your ankle. Are you feeling any better?"

"I'm doing much better, thank you." She reported, "I think I can train today."

"Then follow me." He led her off of the side street and behind a warehouse. His destination was an empty playground on the far side of the village. He remembered playing there (or at least wanting to) as a child, but now the place was utterly abandoned.

Matsuri blinked over at him, slightly unsettled by the silence hanging thick in the air. Gaara looked to her expectantly, "Your jouhyou."

"Oh! Right!" She drew it out, fumbling, feeling like an idiot. A slide was across the way, and the jounin told her to aim for it when attacking. Matsuri nodded shyly and whipped the rope into motion, emitting a soft howl from its circular path.

He watched for a while, occasionally correcting her stance, footing, or casting. Eventually there was nothing he could help her perfect, and he waited and observed as she lashed out at the ladder of the slide ahead. She improved with every suggestion he offered. Though she was doing well, Matsuri would sometimes hesitate before casting her dart. The behavioral anomaly made him wonder if she was still uneasy around him.

She flinched as her wire snapped back unexpectedly, missing her face by inches. Gaara told her to stop, "You're troubled by something. You need to focus." She looked down at her feet and he then added, "What is it that's bothering you?"

Matsuri nearly supplied an immediate, 'I'm fine!' but indeed she was not. Her talent was unappreciated when she could barely stand holding a weapon at all. Instead of denying her problem she muttered, "I...I do not like weapons, Gaara-sensei."

"That much is clear." He replied, "Why?"

"My parents were killed by countless weapons before my very eyes." She explained quietly, "These instruments are for killing. I wonder...is that all ninja are made to do? To kill?"

Gaara stared at her for a moment and then looked across the courtyard, "Many ninja do kill. Some do it for the sake of killing. Some do it because they have no choice. Though this is true, weapons are not solely for taking lives. They save lives as well."

Matsuri listened as he went on, "Your weapon's function is defense. What you do with it is up to you. But when you have precious people that you want to protect a weapon will be your tool. Do you have precious people, Matsuri?"

She bowed her head sadly, "I don't. My parents are dead now so I am all alone."

"Someone like you will find more people to care about." He told her, "You will find your precious people one day, wherever they may be. Then you will build strength as a shinobi."

His reasoning made sense to her. It brightened her spirits and Matsuri wondered how he knew so much, 'He must have gone through the same things...he must be strong because of people who are important to him.'

"Who are your precious ones, Gaara-sensei?" She asked. She stopped herself after a moment. It was hardly any of her business. If she was going to learn anything she had to treat her teacher with respect. She bit her tongue when Gaara remained silent.

"I have many people to protect." He said after a moment, "My close friends are traveling abroad now. I protect my brother and sister when they are in danger...and people in Konoha...there are those there as well..." He paused, "There is a person there that I love deeply. That makes me stronger."

Matsuri felt her face heat up. She hadn't expected him to answer something so personal. Then again, she was glad that he had and she then had a precedent to go on. "Someone you love deeply...who is this person?"

"No one for you to worry about." He cut her off there and she realized that it was then she had gotten too personal, "I think that's enough distraction for now..." Gaara set her back to her practicing and the whistling of Matsuri's jouhyou again filled the playground.


After searching the innards of the city Haku was surprised to see just how well he blended in. Most people roaming the streets were also dressed in dark colors. They shuffled about busily, trading and arguing with each other, typical of any free-market village.

The snow had let up and the clouds temporarily parted, allowing warm sunshine to reach the earth. Haku pulled his scarf down, daring to show his face, and entered a pub in the hopes of finding a ninja who knew something of consequence.

He had gone from tavern to tavern and was frustrated that no one had any useful knowledge. Restaurants that did house a few ninja occupants he chose to linger in, and Haku listened intently for any words that may have aided him. Most spoke of politics and recent missions and a few complained about family life. None were the sort of shinobi he had been hoping to come across.

After happening over a small bar, he heard something that made him freeze in his tracks. "After the assassination attempt, Mizukage-sama has been raising the bounty on their heads every year..." Haku, not wanting to be conspicuous, sat nearby after buying something to eat. He felt his insides hum triumphantly as he listened in on the bounty hunters. His luck was finally improving.

"I hear that Momochi-san is back in the area as well, from the rumors." One of the three hunters mentioned, "He's still slippery as a shadow, though. He's the most elusive of the lot of them...let's nab someone easier."

The leader of the group smirked, the scars on his face evidence of his experience, "Not necessarily. I heard one of the big dealers in the next city over is only hiring A-rank ninja to guard his stores. The bastard's rich as hell too, so no doubt he'll look into that..."

'The next city over?' Haku had finished his lunch quickly, 'I suppose I should get there before they do if I'm going be successful...' After eavesdropping a bit more and seeing they held no more valuable information Haku silently left the pub and set out.

He went east over another bridge that connected to a larger island. The predicament at hand was then navigating the city which was, by far, larger than any of the villages he had been in previously. It was bustling with business even in the frigid winter air. In a way it reminded him of life in Konoha, but Haku knew better than to let his guard down with so many shady characters about.

'I have to locate the area that this dealer operates in...' He noted, memorizing the street layouts as he went, 'But I can't get involved. I'll have to observe from a distance if I want to be nondescript.'

Haku paused outside of a convenience store to think. He honestly had no idea where to start looking. He supposed that he'd have to witness a drug deal before he could even begin to trace them back to their leader. To his surprise, it didn't take him long to find one at all.

In a dim alleyway off the main road he spotted a man paying for something that had been hurriedly handed to him. Once he had walked away, Haku followed the dealer as he stalked off down a street at the opposite end. He pursued his unsuspecting target from the rooftops, wondering how exactly any of this would lead him to Zabuza, 'He may not even be there when I find this place. What if this entire search is in vain? Where then would I look?'

The dealer unlocked the side door of a warehouse with a spare key and then slipped inside after he had not been followed. Haku perched on a water tank on top of a residential building, scheming on how to infiltrate his targeted building and go about his search. A few minutes later he realized he didn't have to.

There was an abrupt commotion and a number of people he observed fleeing the warehouse. Two of them were shinobi. The man that had recently entered the building was hollering to his boss as they fled, and stumbled down to the ground once several shuriken sank into his back. The boss cowered on the ground ahead, but the scuffling ninja ignored him completely, as if they were uninterested in him.

It was then Haku recognized that the antagonists were the trio of tracker-ninja he had discovered in the last town, 'They got here so quickly! And if they've found this place too then it must mean-!' He could see the three shinobi move uniformly as they pursued their quarry up to the roof of the warehouse. Without a second thought Haku followed, unsure of what he intended to do.

When Haku had descended upon the fight scene there had been an explosion from a detonating tag. The dust and debris clouded the vision of the combating shinobi. They regrouped, blinded, and Haku remained unseen behind an air vent close by, picking pieces of tiling from his person after the tag had blown half of the rooftop away.

There was a guttural snarl that was all too familiar to Haku's ears, and he could see one of the three trackers reeling away in pain with a massive gash across his chest. The other two attacked while the third left to recover.

"Suiton: Water Fang Bullet!" At the expense of an old water tower on the next roof over, the jutsu shot several jets of icy water at Zabuza. He dodged backwards, and then raised his zanbato to defend against the second ninja's sword strike.

"We're taking you in!" The Mist tracker hissed, slashing sideways for the nukenin, "Dead or alive your head fetches a hefty sum!"

"There's a reason for that." Zabuza warned, keeping an eye on the ninja prowling behind him. He relaxed. It was melee combat from then on, he noted. With the only water source nearby spent, they couldn't perform any more water jutsu.

"Suiton: Suishoha!"

Or...that's what he had thought at the time. There was a moment of confusion in which water began to condense in the air, and the three fighting shinobi could not tell who amongst them was responsible for it. The airborne current froze into ice, and rained icicles down on the scuffling ninja. They tumbled away like pincushions, bewildered.

The leader of the trio teamed up with his injured teammate against Zabuza. The third tracker had not reacted quickly enough when Haku appeared, piercing his neck with two precisely aimed senbon. The Mist tracker fell and Haku leapt over the unconscious ninja, throwing senbon for the foes ahead of him.

The injured Mist ninja was quick, though bleeding, and landed a fierce punch after avoiding Zabuza's blade. He was struck down on the sword's returning arc, however, and red splattered on the roof tiles. The nukenin rounded about, seeing the leader was closing in. The last tracker abruptly tumbled before he reached Zabuza. Three needles connected with the back of his neck.

After it had grown still again, Haku stood warily on the edge of the rooftop. He watched silently as Zabuza replaced his sword on his back and Haku was at a loss as to what he was supposed to do then. He had never expected to succeed. Now that he had, he was uncertain of what he was going to do with his accomplishment.

Zabuza had looked different from what he had remembered. He too was dressed for the cold weather in dark grays, but he still possessed the same terrifyingly detached look in his eyes as he had the last time Haku had seen him. Something in his gut was screaming at him to run.

"It's about time you showed up," Zabuza remarked, "You're later than I thought you'd be."

Haku felt some horrible dread in the back of his mind set in, 'Was he really that confident that I would seek him out?'

He followed the nukenin to the ground level, astonished by how passers-by on the street didn't recognize Zabuza at all; ignorant and unafraid. It was strange.

"Well? You've got something to say or what?" Zabuza grunted as he walked ahead of Haku.

The dark haired boy frowned, knowing he would have to make his intentions clear, "You know about other people like me, people from the same clan I am descended of. I need you to tell me what you know."

The nukenin's laugh was more of a bark, "You'll have more luck searching on your own."

"They could be anywhere!" Haku responded, frustrated, "If you know something please tell me!"

"I've fought against them a few times, but they're better at hiding than they are at fighting," Zabuza recalled them distantly, "Don't bother with cowards like them. They're barely even fit to be called shinobi anymore."

"But they're the only blood I have left in this world," Haku admitted, "Regardless of their skills I still want to meet them!"

He fell silent when Zabuza had stopped and turned to face him. They stood outside of a bookshop, and Haku noted their reflections in the front window of the store, seeing how radically different they were.

"Knowledge such as the kind you're asking for isn't cheap. Few others know anything about the old clans of the Water Country. You really think that I'd give information like that to a whiny brat like you?" Zabuza's eyes narrowed, "I need collateral. Give me something in return and you may just get what you're asking for."

Haku hesitated, not wanting to fall into his trap, "What do I have that you could possibly find valuable?"

"Give me your powers."

He was confused, "How do I–?"

"Be loyal to me and serve me. Your ability will be at my disposal and you will obey." Zabuza clarified darkly, "In exchange you will learn, and more importantly, you'll survive."

Haku took a moment to observe the absurdity of the request. He had no reason to trust Zabuza, or to believe that devoting his Kekkei Genkai to a nukenin would be used for only just purposes. 'But if I don't agree he'll just leave and I won't have gained anything out of this journey...' Haku thought despondently, wishing there was another option. It was silent for a long moment.

"Very well then." He agreed, "What is it that you want me to do, Zabuza-san?"

The nukenin smirked beneath the bandages concealing his face, "We leave. Once we reach our destination you'll get some real training, not the soft, spoiled exercises they give you in Leaf."

Zabuza walked ahead after that and Haku followed obediently, pulling his scarf up over his nose. The air seemed to have grown colder since he had joined Zabuza. Haku walked silently beside the nukenin as they moved into the forest outside of the city, wondering if what he had done was wise in the scheme of things.


In two days' time both Jiraiya and his pupil had landed in a town, much farther west than Naruto had ever been in his life. The cultural differences became clear, as did the language gap. Many people spoke a foreign language that Naruto couldn't decipher a stitch of, so they relied on Jiraiya's skills of picture-drawing and charades to communicate with the people around town.

Eventually they found someone who had lived in the Wind Country long ago, and managed to ask him a few questions with little difficulty or misunderstandings. With the directions they had been given, they moved on to the center of the city and checked into a drab hotel nearby a local reservoir.

"I'm going to have a look for an old friend of mine," Jiraiya told his student before leaving their room, "She lives around here...somewhere. There are some things I need to ask her, so you hang around town and stay out of trouble while I'm out, got it? I'll be back later in the afternoon."

"Gotcha, Ero-sensei."

Jiraiya left promptly, wearing an oddly serious expression. It appeared to Naruto that he wasn't out to womanize anyone, but rather seek vital information just as he had said. 'Who knew?' He thought. He abandoned the hotel room, bored, and set out on the streets to find some sort of entertainment. 'While I'm at it I can also work on the Body Flicker if I find some space...'

By then he had grown completely accustomed to his leg weights because he slept with them at night and hadn't even taken them off to bathe. Jiraiya had requested it. He grudgingly complied and found it worked. He ambled around the dusty town, fascinated by people in colorful silks and headpieces. It was all much different from the atmosphere of Konoha.

He stopped outside of a corral at one point, marveling at a fantastic beast slobbering on the railing. He stopped by the caretaker of the pen and asked, "Er...what is that thing?"

The owner looked at him for a moment, trying to understand. He glanced over to his creature and pointed to it, "Hm? Gamal."

Naruto blinked in confusion and the owner tried again, throwing his common pronunciation out the window, "Camel."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah! It's co-ol."

He patted the camel's whiskered nose and then reeled back in fright when it snapped at him with flattened teeth, "Gah! Bad camel-thing! Bad!" He stalked off down the street, ignoring the caretaker's laughter that followed. After that he knew better than to approach any other camels he ran into.

As he continued on down the street there were all sorts of acts he had never seen the like of. Snake charmers on the side of the road would call to him, holding up cobras as if they were the family dog. A sword swallower further disturbed him with his painstaking antics, and when he had finished his routine Naruto informed him, "Look, that shit's really dangerous. One time I was carrying a kunai in my mouth and I nearly choked on it when I wasn't paying attention. If Haku hadn't been there I might've killed myself! So please, sir, don't risk it. Swords aren't that cool!"

No one had any idea what he was rambling about.

There was one display that actually didn't bother him. A fire breather called out to passers-by, sipping back oil and spitting flames onto the sidewalk. Naruto grinned at the display, "Hey! I can do that too! Want to see?"

He made hand seals and breathed a massive fireball that nearly took out a street sign and bicycle stand. He stared sheepishly at the people watching him, apologizing for his reckless act, but was then cheered by people who had never seen such a feat. He thanked them laughingly, "Hee hee! Nah! It was really nothing! We do that kind of stuff all the time back at home!"

He reveled in the crowds' praise, seeing that because there were few ninja at all so far west he could really strut his stuff. As far as they knew, magic and not chakra was responsible. In the midst of his entertaining he felt someone bump into him. He turned to see a small child skittering away, and he would've thought nothing of it if he hadn't caught the kid pocketing his wallet.

Naruto leapt from his ring of admirers and made haste down the street, howling, "Hey kid! Give that here or you'll be sorry! You don't know who you're messing with!"

The child took off at top speed, frightened, and turned down an alleyway in an effort to escape. At the end of the passage he hurtled straight into a waiting shadow clone. He planted a fearsome nip on the clone's wrist, and was released as Naruto's duplicate shrieked in pain. Naruto ran past his kage bunshin, cursing it for its uselessness.

It was a good chase through town and out into the bamboo wastes beyond the city before the child ran out of gas and collapsed on the side of a hill. He took shelter behind a boulder and peaked over it to see if he had lost his pursuer.

"Are you done running now, kiddo?"

The child gasped, looking up in shock as Naruto scowled down at him from on top of a shack. He closed in on the hooligan and snatched back his wallet from the cowering thief, "Don't you know that stealing is wrong, kid? You can't just do that sort of thing and expect to get away with it!"

The child flinched away from his booming voice.

Naruto, seeing the boy's fear, calmed down a bit, "Ah well...do you have a name? Er...do you even understand what I'm saying, I wonder?"

"Ismi...er...I'm Gadil."

"Whoa! He speaks!" Naruto threw his hands up in the air and rolled his eyes, "Now...would you mind explaining why you stole from me? If you understand what I'm saying than you should at least know that what you did was wrong."

"Samehni! I'm sorry for what I did. I know that it's very wrong to do..." Gadil squeaked fearfully, "Aasif...er...how do you say? I am...sorry, mister. Mother's hungry and we have no money..."

"Just because you have it rough doesn't mean you stoop that low, kid." Naruto told him, his voice etched with sympathy, "You've got to earn things honestly...even if it's hard."

"Aasif...I understand. I only picked you because you're from a faraway place...you wouldn't have noticed..." Gadil droned sadly, "Oh! The punishment for stealing at home is horrible! I know better after big brother did it...now he can't work so well anymore."

Naruto cringed at the thought. This place was indeed radically different from Hidden Leaf.

Gadil shrunk away from Naruto's sapphire gaze in humiliation, but Naruto sighed deeply, seeing that there was someone with a desperate need in front of him. He handed the boy a few notes, seeing no harm in it, "Careful with these, Gadil-chan. Look after your family, alright? You're a good kid. Sorry about scaring you..."

Gadil looked up at him in disbelief, "Really? Shukran! Oh, I must do something for you, mister!"

"No really, I don't need-" Naruto was cut off when the boy yanked on his arm, and began looping a necklace of beads around his wrist. Gadil looked intensely proud of his gift. Naruto blinked at him, "Uh, thanks. But...what's this for?"

"Ahlan wa sahlan. It'll keep you safe. This land is a gateway to the spirit world, my momma says. Wearing that keeps them from stealing your soul." The boy explained, as if it were totally normal, "Thank you, mister! Ma'assalama!" Gadil tottered off down the hill after that, heading back into the town.

Naruto stood beside the boulder with the bead bracelet, completely perplexed. He shook off the strangeness of his encounter with Gadil, and continued up the hill instead of returning to town. He wanted to train in the quiet of the forest while he could. Jiraiya would be back late in the afternoon, and he had already seen most of what the city had to offer.

He observed his surroundings uncomfortably as he pressed on into the thick of the forest. Any trees that weren't of the bamboo sort were still too short and lanky for him to take cover in. No branches to stand on or leaves to hide behind. It was another thing he missed about Leaf, 'The environment is kind of crappy here...down the mountain trail it's drier near town...and up here it's full of dinky little shrubs. Bleh.'

Naruto glanced down at his bracelet curiously, thinking about what Gadil had said, 'Hm...he said spirit world. Well, people believe in all sorts of weird stuff. I sure don't see why a dump like this would be connected to another world!' He was skeptical and yet wasn't fully sure what to expect from such an unusual place.

"Hey-loo!"

"Wah!" Naruto leapt backwards in surprise and wheeled about to see an elderly man chuckling at his reaction, "Yeesh, gramps! Don't scare me like that!"

A very old, very wrinkled man watched Naruto from his seat in a clearing. He grinned goofily at the blonde ninja, "I apologize for breaking your concentration, young man...but your face was so serious...I just couldn't resist!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Naruto grumbled at the jokester, "Who the heck are you supposed to be?"

"Me? I'm a holy man, and it's my duty to watch over that village down there, see? But I'm so old and creaky now I'm afraid I can't perform my sacred duties as well as I used to..." He rambled cheerfully, "Your hair is quite yellow, by the way."

Naruto rubbed his aching temples, "Thanks, gramps. I'm a natural blonde."

"Lovely. Oh! And did you know that today is a special holiday? It's celebrated throughout this entire province!"

"No one in town is celebrating, you know." Naruto informed him, "Are you sure you have the right date?"

The old man scratched his head, "I'm quite certain that it's today. They don't celebrate because they've all forgotten the old traditions...I'm the only old person who can remember such nonsense anymore." He pointed over to a gap in the bamboo thicket, "Now look over there, lad. What do you see?"

In the yellowed grass there sat a football-seized stone all by its lonesome.

"It's a rock." Naruto observed unhelpfully.

"Yes! It's a rock!" The old man nodded merrily, "Go pick it up if you will."

Naruto stepped over to the opening in the thicket and lifted the blasted thing. He found that it was not as ordinary as it had first appeared. It was a tinted a pale blue and had what looked to be a calm, slumbering face carved into it. It made him relax for some reason.

"Bring it over here, lad." Naruto returned when the old man asked, and the geezer then reached out and tied a piece of red yarn around the stone, "There! What you hold in your hands is called the Guardian. It is used to keep the balance between the human and the spirit world, because sometimes humans and spirits get a little lost and confused. They wander into the wrong world on occasion, so we use Rock-chan here to keep everyone where they belong."

"Jeez...everyone's so superstitious around here." Naruto sighed, "So...eh, what should I do with this rock, then?"

"Deliver the Guardian to the shrine on the other side of that mountain." The man replied simply, and pointed to a mountain further up on the trail, "You must get it there before sundown. If you do, it will keep the village safe for another year!"

Naruto, though certainly not spiritual, figured he should help out anyway. 'It doesn't look like there's anyone else to help this old fart out...'

"I'll do it." The blonde nin agreed, tucking the rock beneath his arm, "But...what happens if I don't make it in time?"

"Spirits will come out. Good and bad. It's the bad ones we worry about." The old man replied.

"Pft...alright. But I still don't believe in any of this supernatural crap! Everyone here is so jumpy, they need to chill out!"

"You have every right to think that way, lad." The old man smiled goofily, "But you might as well do an old man a favor whether it's silly or not!"

Naruto chuckled at the idea and then set out. As he proceeded north along the trail he did vaguely wonder how the old monk could speak more fluently than anyone else he had met. Perhaps he had been a shinobi, or at least been to his homeland at one point. He shrugged it off, acknowledging that other people had managed to communicate with him too.

'Hey...now that I'm out here I might as well work on my Body Flicker!' Naruto thought to himself. The weights were bothering him less by then, so he gladly built up speed and zipped along the trail like an orange cheetah.

The mountain wasn't far off, but the climb would be steep. As he flew down the path Naruto pondered if what he had set out to do truly held any significance. Certainly it was an opportunity to train, but if so many people believed in ghosts maybe they could exist, 'Yeah, it sure isn't that freaky, I mean...if crazy things like demons are real who knows what else there is! Just because I've never seen one doesn't mean they aren't out there...'

With that thought he snickered to himself, 'Heh! It's funny...I must be some kind of legendary thing myself since I have that crazy Fox inside of me!'

Only I am the legend, you twit, you are just the vehicle. Don't get cocky.

Naruto slowed down a bit, startled by the interruption, and replied with his mind, 'Wah...how did you do that? I'm not near your cage or anything!'

Communication is a two-way street, boy, The Kyuubi informed him, For me it's slightly more difficult because you are always so loud you can't just shut up and LISTEN for once...

'I still don't get why you have that much control...I'm the one who calls the shots here!'

The fox chuckled, Be warned: as time goes on your chakra mixes more with my own. As our chakras merge, so do our souls. This seal will not separate us for much longer.

'Eh...I don't like the sound of that.'

Oh, don't fear! One day I promise I'll overpower you and break out of this puny little body...then you won't have to put up with me anymore, or I you.

'Can it you mangy furball!' Naruto screamed as much as his thoughts would allow and he heard no more from the Kyuubi after that. He picked up speed again and tried to focus on the mountain that was rapidly nearing. The silence was golden.

The path began to wind sporadically and he followed the incline, his stomach growling in protest, 'It's past lunchtime already...maybe I should've eaten before I left.' Though it had not been one of the things he was concerned with after chasing Gadil out of town. He pressed on anyway, not wanting to waste time as dusk drew closer.

Naruto ascended the wooded slopes with ease, his ninja-legs accustomed to long jumps, and for a while he was totally focused on climbing and nothing else. A woman caught his eye, however, as he came closer to the top. He watched in puzzlement as she ran hurriedly down the slopes. He called out to her, "Hey lady! Careful! It's dangerous to go like that-!"

She stumbled and careened down the remainder of hill, and by the time he had dashed forward to help she had vanished into thin air like smoke. She was nowhere in sight and Naruto stood in a bramble of ivy, very unnerved. Wanting more knowledge on what he had just witnessed, Naruto voluntarily called upon the 'newly established, short-range transmission wave' to speak to his demon, 'Hey Fox...what was that just now?'

Leave me alone.

'That's awfully helpful...' Naruto thought glumly. He couldn't count on the Kyuubi for much other than chakra. He continued on up the hill, trying to relax, and wondered if he was looney or had in fact seen a ghost.

He leapt a gap that was cut into the trail and on the other side he observed a large procession of people ahead of him, making their way down the slopes. A few of them phased in and out of view as he watched while others passed through solid objects. He felt the hair on the back of his neck raise. 'Fox come on! Are these really apparitions? Is this for real!'

No, of course not. They're dandelions.

'I don't need sarcasm right now,' Naruto bit back impatiently, 'If they're ghosts then...where are they going all at the same time?'

Have you been paying any attention at all? I shall reiterate that these spirits are wandering, as the old scab said. Like any moronic human, spirits seek out their civilization: towns, homes, whatever...but they're too stupid to realize that they've strayed into the wrong realm. Hence your task, delivery-boy. Put the Guardian where it is needed before the bad characters arrive.

With the situation a bit clearer Naruto barreled ahead through the lopsided woodland, moving past ghosts who didn't pay him the slightest bit of attention, 'Fox...if humans can see ghosts then...ghosts can see us too right? If that's how it works then why are they ignoring me?'

The holy beads dissuade their interest. To them, you look like one of them rather than a human. The fox answered snippishly, If you were to take the bangle off they would see you for what you really are and fear you. You would panic them because you would be their first clue that they're in the wrong world...dunderheads.

'Now I really want to help! I'm gonna get this rock to that shrine for sure!' Naruto figured that the only difference between humans and spirits was where they were from, so aiding them was the gentlemanly thing to do. He passed them by calmly and admired the view once he had reached the top of the mountain.

Judging by the sun there was still time to reach the shrine. Naruto observed how vast the valley was as he began the trek down the opposite side, minding his step. Another congregation was ahead of him and he was comfortable to pass them harmlessly by until they called out to him, "Tawaqqafa! Stop right there!"

'Wow...they're actually people.' Naruto thought oddly, 'I almost couldn't tell the difference...' He stopped a few yards short of the gathering on a bamboo-filled plateau. He wondered what they could possibly be doing out at a time when ghosts were plentiful, "Uh...are you guys lost? There's a city back over that way-"

"I'm not impressed with this year's Guardian..." One of the band snorted, "Hand over the rock, kid, and you can go home safe and sound."

'Guardian? They mean me? I thought the rock was the guardian...' He decided not to get frazzled by the idea and instead played along as if he understood, "No way I'm giving it to you creeps! Why would you want it anyway?"

Another spoke up, "It'll fetch a pretty sum back at home. A relic with special powers like that interests all sorts of collectors!"

"Too bad." Naruto smirked pithily and once he refused the gang drew out weapons.

"We'll take it by force, then!" A few of them agreed, but they reeled back in shock when Naruto, or his shadow clone, rather, rushed at them fearlessly. Their knives didn't even near their mark as Naruto and his clone circled around the troop at high speed, dizzying them. He paused as they spun in circles. Head count: 10 bandits, 1 Guardian. They odds were favorable.

He toyed with them, laughing at how sluggish and confused they were. Using a jutsu on non-ninja dolts like themselves should be considered a crime, he thought. While Naruto hurled the bandits left and right, the Kyuubi piped up, Pay attention! Another one is here.

'What do you mean? Another thief?'

An apparition, you dunce, over there.

Naruto looked off to the side of the clearing where a darker-looking ghost watched in wait. It was different from the others he had seen; a giant, amorphous sort of creature, oozing black. If it resembled anything closely, it was nearest to a rat.

'What is that? That one's not like the others!' Naruto pointed out frantically as the thing reared up on its hind legs.

Not all spirits are the same. Just as humans come in a disgusting variety, so do they. That one there is a foul being...one that humans fear.

The rat spirit charged for the combating troop recklessly, and struck Naruto's shadow clone with a sludged paw-swipe. The clone was destroyed easily by the blow, and Naruto tried to concentrate on avoiding the bandits while keeping an eye on the new spirit. None of his attackers seemed aware of the dangerous apparition circling the plateau. If it attacked them anytime soon they'd be sure to find out, he thought.

'Fox...that thing can hurt me, it looks like! And why can't they see it too? I thought people and ghosts could see each other no problem!'

Some fools only see what they want to see...they remain blind to the truth.

Naruto leapt, avoiding the oozing rat as it rounded about like an agitated bull, and sweep kicked a bandit who had come at him with a club. He turned around a bit too slow, and one of his foes managed to lash out at him with a dagger, but only snapped the beads secured around his wrist. The bangle fell to the dirt in pieces, and Naruto snapped his elbow back and caught the blockhead in his jaw. He tumbled away in pain.

Naruto made note that without the beads he was as visible to the spirit as the others were. He looked over his shoulder, seeing it, and raised his eyebrows when the shadowy thing began to cower away at the sight of him, 'That's weird...it was pretty brave before.'

It sees the both of us. I am the one it fears, you simpleton.

With the threat of the charging spirit gone, Naruto created two more shadow clones that quickly finished off the rest of the thrashing troop. They scrambled to get away, aware that they were hopelessly outmatched. Naruto watched as the rat apparition skittishly sulked away into the bamboo of the mountainside and he saw no more of it after that. He bent down and collected the pieces of his ruined bracelet, 'This thing is really helpful...I'll fix it later.'

In his head he could still hear the Kyuubi bragging, It's no surprise that both humans and spirits cower at the sight of me...in both worlds I am recognized as the terrible force that I am!

'Shut up already will ya?'

Naruto stumbled down the slope in a horrible race against the sinking sun. His run-in with the thieves had cost him precious time. He stared up at the sky as he ran pell-mell down the mountainside, "Hey sun! Don't set yet! Don't set yet!"

With the massive speed and momentum he had gathered Naruto shot down to the bottom of the mountain in no time. It was a dangerous descent, but once at the base he scrambled around in confusion, lost, 'Eh? Wait a minute! Just where is there shrine anyway? I don't know where I am!'

Turn around, fool! The Kyuubi howled in annoyance, An idiot like you can't be expected to have any sense of direction...

He allowed the fox to 'back-seat' drive and in moments the altar was visible on the hillside ahead. Naruto was frantic, scrambling, hollering, and the sun bled red and pink into the sky.

The shrine was large and he wondered how he had missed it. He rushed up the steps, tripping over his own feet, and collapsed at the top clumsily. Naruto held the guardian rock in his hands, panting, wondering what exactly qualified as finished work. 'Is it good that I'm here or do I have to do something else?'

"Oh my!"

Naruto looked up, blinked, and observed two older women approaching him with disbelieving expressions. They grinned joyously when he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Thank you, young man." One of the priestesses accepted the stone from him, "I didn't know that Ramadi Village had remembered to send a guardian this year. We feared the stone was lost for good!"

The other nodded in agreement, "This is a great blessing. Thank you so much for sealing the spirit world!" Her friend set the rock down on an altar filled with wildflowers and offerings, and Naruto stared stupidly, unable to understand.

"Wait...I'm not from, er, Ramadi, or whatever you called it." Naruto admitted, "Some old monk I met in the forest told me to bring it here. He said I'd be doing him a favor..."

The women stared tactlessly for a moment and Naruto became uneasy, "Er...did I say something?"

"A monk? You mean...Utt-sama sent you?" One of them asked in shock.

"I guess. I didn't hear his name, though. Is something wrong with that?" He asked.

"Utt-sama...died last year." The other priestess told him in astonishment, "He must still be protecting the village even after his death."

Naruto shuddered. He had spoken with a ghost, but it made sense to him then at least, "Wow...that's freaky. But I saw other spirits on my way here too! Tons of them! Everywhere!"

"Spirits cannot be seen so easily...even we cannot detect all of them so quickly." A priestess informed him, "If Utt-sama sent you...it must have been because you have special powers."

"Not really..." Naruto chose to be modest even though he suspected his ninja training had something to do with it, "Well...I'm just glad I could help. I hope you two ladies have a nice evening!" He left promptly after that, not wanting to get further into detail about the creepiness of the mountain.

The far side of the mountain was different from the side containing Ramadi Village. The northern part of the valley had a different climate. Bamboo was less and forests full of larger, stronger trees were visible just across a long footbridge opposite the shrine. 'It wouldn't hurt to explore a bit...' Naruto thought, indulging his curiosity.

He stepped off of the path and crossed over the footbridge, thrilled by the sight of large, deciduous trees again. He leapt up into the canopy, familiarizing himself with the feel of woodland again. Suddenly Konoha seemed a lot less far away. He skipped from branch to branch, chattering joyously, and stopped on a small plateau that overlooked a large hill across the way. At the top of the hill sat a monstrous, lone-standing temple. It was strange enough for him to suspect the people or Ramadi, or any nearby village, had been responsible for its construction.

'What is that? It's like a...palace or something. I don't know...' He ventured closer, staring up at the bizarre building, 'I wonder what's in it-?'

Go back to the village now, fool!

Naruto frowned to himself, not gladdened by the fox's return, 'What's the big deal, eh? It's just some temple or whatever! Let me have a look!'

The Kyuubi persisted, You cannot go there! That hateful place belongs to the Uchiha. It is an evil place that must be avoided.

'Evil, huh?' Naruto decided to take the demon's word for it, 'Alright then...if it scares you that much we'll leave now...'

The fox fell silent again once Naruto turned around. As the sun finally flickered beneath the horizon, Naruto wondered how the Kyuubi could know about a place that was built by the Uchiha. Or why, for that matter, the fox feared the place.


Obito sat out on the porch watching Yuma hurl shuriken at targets he had set up for him. Sesshu napped lazily beside him.

It was the kind of evening that was typical of his family: peaceful and undisturbed on their mountaintop. He stroked Sesshu's golden mane while he thought, 'This won't last long. Pretty soon I'll have to go back out and watch Orochimaru. If I don't get more information soon Zetsu-san won't be pleased.'

Keeping up his act as the organization errand-boy was taxing. The time he could spend with his family was always uncertain and sporadic. Though he was good at playing the idiot and parading around for both Zetsu and Orochimaru he was most entranced by his family. They were fascinating and sane, and the only thing that really kept him from turning into 'Tobi' forever. With them he was simply Obito.

Yuma had struck every target in the yard perfectly. It was all done in rapid succession as well, which was even more merit on top of his accuracy. He turned to his father, beaming, "Did you see, Dad? Did you see? I got all of them!"

He rushed up the steps and plopped down beside Obito who patted him affectionately, "Good job, kiddo! Now if those targets were people they'd be shaking in their boots!"

Yuma, still exceedingly proud, demanded that his father spar with him, "Come on Dad! Fight with me so I can kick your butt!"

"Kick my butt? That's not very nice you know..." He told the boy and then grinned, "But why not? You might as well go a round or two with your old man!"

Obito stood up and leapt off the porch abruptly and Yuma gave chase. The small boy ran circles around his father, swiping and yelling, avoiding mock-blows. Obito couldn't help but laugh at some of his son's antics. Yuma attacked ferociously, but his punches were feather-light compared to his father. He grew frustrated by his weakness.

Yuma's attacks grew more aggressive and he began using shuriken and kunai, watching his father hop away to avoid the sailing projectiles. A kunai ricocheted off of a tree and Obito snatched it, blocking the rest of the incoming weapons with it.

He smiled at his son, "Concentrate, Yuma. Getting angry doesn't make you stronger. In a real fight you have to keep your focus."

"Gah!" Yuma crouched down, stretching out his hands, "Awoo!"

He leapt forward, throwing himself into a spin that was a miniature version of his mother's Gatsuuga. Obito figured that Rin would have taught him a thing or two while he had been away.

Yuma shot across the yard, barreling into his father, but Obito threw his weight to the side and diverted the boy's inertia so that he was sent flying through the air. Yuma went a bit higher than he had meant him to and Obito watched from the ground, cringing, 'Yikes...looks like he was going faster than I thought!'

Yuma's spinning stopped and his eyes locked onto his father below as the air whipped past his ears. Rather than screeching to be saved, he tucked his limbs close as if to somersault. His father hurried ahead, prepared to catch him. Yuma flipped suddenly and connected with a tree on his way down.

He leapt from it, reversing momentum, and bulleted back in the direction of his father. Obito skid to a startled halt, and Yuma sailed over his head again: a scrawny little beast. He lashed out with precise timing and hooked onto Obito's shoulder. The force was enough to flip his bewildered father backwards and drag him to the ground by his arm. Obito hit the dirt and the wind was knocked out of him.

Yuma crouched over him with an intense stare. His father did a double take.

The boy's eyes were red and the tomoe orbiting his pupils made it all too clear. Obito was speechless.

Yuma grinned down at him, much prouder than before, "Are you alright, Dad? You went flying! I hope you're not hurt..." His eyes returned to their normal obsidian hue a moment later, and Obito stood up, hoisting his son to his feet as well.

"Yuma, believe me, I'm fine." Obito chuckled, dusting himself off, "You...uh...just keep demolishing those targets, alright? I'm gonna rest for a bit."

"You got it, Dad!" Yuma was inexplicably energized, and dashed around the yard picking up his scattered weapons. Obito watched him for a moment before crossing back to the porch, still stunned.

Though he had suspected he possessed it, Obito had never dreamed that his son would be able to awaken his Kekkei Genkai at such a young age. It had taken him thirteen years and some-odd dangerous missions before he could achieve it.

He trudged up the steps and Sesshu raised his head to look at him, "Is everything alright, Obito? You look paler than usual."

"Keep an eye on Yuma, okay boy?" He instructed, patting the dog's head. He continued on into the house after that, unable to keep himself from grinning.

Inside he found Rin watering plants in the sunroom. She looked over to him and smiled, "There you are. Would you mind helping me?"

"Not at all." He picked up a pitcher of water that sat on the table, and walked over to the unattended plants. He tipped water into each pot carefully, all the while marveling at how a true Uchiha had been born outside of his clan. 'It's been so long since I last saw my family...I wonder how they're doing?'

Yuma, since birth, had always taken after his mother, an Inuzuka. He glanced over to where Rin was hovering from one flower to the next like a hummingbird. He felt love swell up in his chest, and he was grateful to God that they were able to find each other again. As a teenager he was thoroughly convinced that he would never be with her, especially after he found himself at death's door on a past mission.

There were moments when he feared that if he had the misfortune of continuing life without her he would have turned down a very dark path.

He walked over to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Rin laughed at the gesture, glancing over her shoulder, "What's up, Obito? Are flowers too boring for you?"

He kissed her neck and then asked, "Do you really think that it's right to live here? Do you think that maybe...at one point...we should go back to Leaf?"

She sighed, "Obito...I just don't think that's possible. It's been so long and we have a life here now. I don't know if I could handle going back or if Yuma could."

He kissed her again and then agreed, "You're right...it would throw everyone for a loop."

"Why did you bring it up, though?" Rin asked curiously.

"Well..." He smirked to himself, still holding her, "There's no way that I could've mistaken the Sharingan in his eyes. I saw it myself! Yuma has it now."

Rin was quiet for a long moment and then muttered, "That would explain why he's been advancing so rapidly..." She turned suddenly to her husband, grinning, "He sure is your son then! An Uchiha! That's really great!"

He could only laugh at her and then peeled away, turning back to the plants still in need of watering. "I brought Leaf up because I think that Yuma deserves to be socialized in a clan." Obito admitted to her, "And you too, Rin...I want to feel like I can offer you guys something...like a family, or-"

"Don't worry about it, you hear me?" Rin snapped suddenly, "We're fine, we're happy, and we have each other. It's alright..." She turned to hug him comfortingly, hating how easily the mentioning of Leaf could set her off.

Obito sighed, relenting, "Alright. But then...just promise me that if anything ever happens to me...you and Yuma will go back to Konoha."


Temari paced around the inspection area watchfully, keeping an eye on her client. She had been assigned a mission to protect a wealthy aristocrat who had been targeted by a group of thugs. Her client was going to board a ship at one of the Wind Country's coastal sea-ports. It had been a long journey to the harbor and she arrived at the same time her charge did.

He was there with his family, and though his wife was friendly enough the business tycoon was none too thrilled to trust his life to a female shinobi. She ignored his bad attitude and promised to keep watch for the rest of their wait.

Temari watched the crew scamper around as they loaded all of her client's luggage. As far as she was concerned they were sitting ducks with things going so slowly, and it would only be a matter of time.

She was perched on top of a huge stack of cargo crates, vigilant as a hawk. By the time the three hit-men did arrive she had spotted them sneaking along the shipyard towards the boarding dock. Since they were not ninja she chose to flaunt rather than ambush.

Temari leapt from her roost and opened her fan fully, using a massive wind jutsu that smashed the three unsuspecting thugs into a concrete wall beside the dock. They fell together, bloody, and her client stared at her in shock after the display. His children twittered in panic at the sight of their pursuers even though they were unconscious.

"Relax, all of you..." She sighed, disarming the thugs one at a time, "When they wake up they'll be as harmless as the worms they are." She told them that she would stay until the ship set sail, just in case.

A short while later the family had boarded safely and Temari stood on the dock, watching the glimmering ocean water. It reminded her of Haku and she felt her heart ache for him. She realized that she had said things that she hadn't meant, but there was no taking them back now. She retrieved the letter that Gaara had given to her from her bag.

She had not yet read it and had been debating over whether or not she should. Temari stared at it, frowning to herself, 'He may not have meant any harm...but what he did was stupid. He didn't tell anyone that he was leaving, because he knew that what he was doing was wrong...' It was then she acknowledged that she was still angry at him, even if she did miss him slightly.

Temari stalked back to the shipyard, her grip on the scroll tightening. She didn't want to read a list of his apologies when she still couldn't bring herself to forgive him. 'Jerk...I just hope he hasn't done anything stupid...'

She tossed the scroll into a garbage can and left the harbor.


Next: Chapter 3- Splintered Ambitions