Chapter Soundtrack: "Awake" by Electric Guest

Chapter 3- Splintered Ambitions

Neji's hair was increasing in length at long last; reaching discretely for his shoulders. No one had said anything about it since it had been lopped off during his surgery after the disastrous Retrieval Mission.

Lee failed to realize there was a reason for that. He made a harmless comment to his friend one morning when they met to train, "Ah, Neji, my friend! You are looking more and more like your usual self as time goes on!"

"Care to elaborate on that?" Neji had been paying attention to what Lee had said, even if it had appeared as if he had been fully focused on re-wrapping his hands in tape.

"Your lovely hair is-"

"Where's Tenten?" Neji skipped over the topic completely after sampling it, "It isn't like her to be late so frequently."

Lee let the idea die and went on to speculate the whereabouts of their missing teammate, "Hm...Tenten was with me this morning, as a matter of fact..."

Neji gave him a chafed look. Lee smiled sheepishly in response and explained further, "She told me that she would stop by later since she expected to be busy. Tenten and I eat breakfast together often, you see!"

It was something Neji had not been aware of. Not that he usually cared to know how his teammates spent time together, yet there was an unexplained and inexorable feeling of being left out. He had been working on repairing the frail, thread-thin friendship he had with them since the Chunin Exams, but Neji found it was tedious. They were unpredictable, annoying and totally unlike him. Happy people were perpetually difficult to understand at times.

'It's true, then. He is her best friend and I certainly am not.' Neji had not wanted to admit it, but as long as it was not said aloud then it troubled him less. Lee was surprisingly tolerable. The main complaint he had with his teammate was that he was his near polar-opposite. So it left Neji deliberating where he stood in the genin community. A genius or a snob? Either category fit, he guessed.

Back on the subject of Tenten, Lee added that she had declined a mission that Shikamaru drafted her for the day before and suggested that Ino go instead. When Neji snorted in distaste Lee grinned, having gotten the desired reaction out of him. The Hyuga heir acted outwardly normal after that, hiding signs of discomfort.

It had been Gai's request that they train together. Not only because Neji had solely depended on Tenten for nearly two years, but because Gai sensed (though without verbally admitting it) that Neji and Lee were nearing a plateau in their skills that would balance them both. They could test each other more at such a critical point. Tenten would divide her time to each of them equally, since it had been a mutual concern.

Another request was made by their sensei. Neji's advanced ability in Jyukken would actually benefit Lee's techniques. A few pressure points would be enough to awaken Lee's long-buried and unexpectedly destructive Drunken Fist abilities, without the use of alcohol. The drawback was that he was not nearly so limber when he wasn't drunk so he'd have to learn to loosen up. Gai had faith in his protégée.

Neji offered assistance as asked and drilled minuscule amounts of chakra into tenketsu linked to Chakra Gates. Three points along both arms, one at the base of the brainstem, and two beside each shoulder blade. Lee did a double take when his teammate was finished, "Are...you certain you are through, Neji?"

"That should be enough."

"That was only nine spots..."

"Yes, I know." Neji fell into a threatening offensive stance, "The only way to be sure it worked is to fight, don't you think?"

Lee gave a small, uneasy nod and then mirrored the gesture. They fought for ten minutes and it was clear that Neji had been quite successful. Lee was bending away from stabs of Jyukken, and as time went on his teammate was unable to land a hit, and Lee became giddy and confident.

The way things were when their team had first formed had been simple. Neji won every fight against either of his teammates. Their team was going through a phase of radical change, thankfully. Tenten had recently become a tumultuous challenge for the prodigy and Lee, ever hopeful, felt a victory coming his way.

Neji lashed out with an open-palmed uppercut after weaving around Lee's defense, and when his friend raised an arm up to counter, the Hyuga spun in a half-mimic rotation, quick as wind, to land a hit to the rib cage after the feint.

Lee could see the attack was too fast to be blocked. There was a bizarre, instinctual command, however, that allowed his body to bend backwards some 90 degrees and avoid the strike entirely. Neji paused in spite of himself, bewildered. He and Lee leapt apart to regroup, but it was clear to Neji that his teammate had truly improved. It was only natural that he should attack with no restraint, in that respect.

Lee was laughing, glad to enjoy an evenly matched spar for once. He darted around Neji, who was racing through Jyukken forms almost in fast-forward, not trying to land any destructive hits of his own because he was only just getting accustomed to such fantastic, limber motions. After a failed attempt at 64 Palms, Neji fell back and Lee, slippery as an eel, bobbed between offensive and defensive stances.

Neji's tolerance faded and he took a new footing on the lawn that Lee had not seen before. It was a swift attack, and Lee had not thought it possible from twenty feet away, but indeed it was.

Neji's hand shot forward and a force akin to a bullet resulted, "Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm!"

It was an invisible Jyukken strike that moved even through air, and Lee was hurtled off of his feet and down to the mud. A silence followed, and it was mutually understood that the spar was put on hold for the time being.

It was not nearly as painful as it was unusual. Lee stood shakily to his feet, brushing specks of dirt from his outfit. It felt like he had received a running head-butt to the gut. He decided not to describe it to Neji, and instead commend him for the cunning attack, "That was fantastic, Neji! Wherever did that new technique come from, I wonder?"

"My training with Hiashi-sama and Hinata-sama has helped me improve." Neji clarified what was pretty much apparent, "It still needs work, though. I won't consider that a finished technique." Such news was sad to Lee's ears: if something so abruptly lethal needed tweaking he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it when it was complete.

They continued training afterwards, more on an equal footing. It was the first time in a long time Lee had not heard a single critique from his teammate, and he was grateful that they were able to get along so well even in the absence of Tenten. Usually her arbitration was needed to keep the peace, but even up until their break an hour later, both friends were completely unruffled. Three hours more and still there was peace, but impatience set in with the kunoichi of their team.

"We'll have to find her later, then." Neji reasoned, displeased with Tenten's tardiness, "She still doesn't know that we have a mission tomorrow and she needs to be prepared."

"Agreed!" Lee chirped in reply and then suggested, "Perhaps we can catch her for lunch? I know she is a slave to one dango house downtown..."

Neji sighed good-naturedly. For once, rather than being perturbed by Lee's closeness to the kunoichi, he decided to rely on it. He followed Lee out of the courtyard of the compound and into town.


Tenten, unknown to her teammates, was in actuality at the Hyuga compound the entire time. She had been out of sight. In fact, she would have been embarrassed to have been spotted on the grounds by either of her friends after saying she would be busy. There were Hyuga matters of another sort she had to attend to.

Hikune had told her that he would be waiting for her at the innermost courtyard of the mansion. This posed a bit of a problem in terms of avoiding a quite-possibly-suspicious Neji, as well as other nosy clan members. Tenten avoided the threshold of the mansion altogether, refusing to be seen walking the halls by herself and made for the roof. It was an easy solution to a rather stinging problem.

She leapt down from the height of the second floor with bird-like agility, already safe and presumably sound within the specified courtyard.

Tenten could only wonder, 'Gee...this really isn't such a big deal...but why do I have this scary feeling like I have to sneak around all the time when Neji's not around?' Maybe it was the atmosphere of the place. It was a home of security that was walled off from the rest of the village, and the people that lived at the estate also came with an intimidating reputation.

Tenten strolled leisurely through the courtyard, marveling at all of the Hyuga about. She realized they were mostly servants of the Branch House, tidying up the porches and side-gardens. Her heart wrenched for a moment, but she knew offering help would only insult them more. Tenten stayed off the wrap-around porch to let them work in peace, and crossed over to where Hikune was sitting on the far side of the yard. He smiled when he saw her approaching.

"Uh, you wanted to see me, Hikune?" Tenten began awkwardly, hoping she had not misinterpreted what he had told her the day before.

"Yes, I'm glad you could make it." He gestured for her to sit, and she took a seat next to him. Hikune offered her some of the tea he had been drinking and she turned him down politely. "I really wanted to thank you for all of your help, Tenten," Hikune told her, "Because of your instruction Fujita has improved vastly. We are both very grateful to have met you."

She shrugged with a smile, "I was just happy to help. It's what I do."

"I'm sure, but I really must do something to show you my thanks." Hikune told her after a sip of tea, "Repay a good deed with another, that is my nindo. Do you think it would be alright if you stayed here a bit longer, if you have time to spare?"

Tenten thought for a total of two seconds. Her reasoning was quick, 'I already told Lee that I wouldn't be back until later. How much later remains unspecified, so I have time to kill, I suppose!' She grinned at the jounin, "I can hang out for a while, I think."

"Excellent." Hikune stood up, looking dutiful, "I decided that I could repay you for helping my brother by examining your taijutsu. I also haven't trained in a while so it would be nice to stretch my legs."

She took immediate offense and she knew there was no reason to, so she hid it with an innocent, "Oh no! That's not necessary."

"It isn't?" He asked shortly and then made a sudden move.

Tenten sprang back in surprise to avoid the jab, but didn't put up a defensive stance quick enough. Hikune seized her arm, tugged her forward and pinned it behind her back, showing no amount of smugness, "My...that was fast wasn't it?" He released her promptly and she rubbed her arm tenderly, "Forgive me, Tenten, I only meant to make a point."

"You made it alright..." She muttered, slightly miffed, but he was no braggart like Neji, which relieved her a bit.

"I'm sure your taijutsu is above average for a kunoichi because you are on a melee combat team," And he said this very carefully, aware of her sensitivity to bias against her sex, "But I can give you a few pointers on what to do if weapons, by some cruel chance, become unavailable to you."

Rather than snapping defensively, claiming that her taijutsu required no improvement, Tenten agreed sulkily. It hurt her pride, but in the end, she knew it could only help. She followed him out to the center of the wide, dusty courtyard and Tenten goggled at how quickly the servants had finished their work and disappeared. They were the only ones left outside.

Hikune took a Jyukken stance, predictably, and went through a form that demonstrated a balance between blocking and effectively using a counterstrike. Tenten stared at him dumbly. He smiled uncertainly at her, "Well...it would help if you looked a little enthusiastic, Tenten. If you please, try to copy this form-"

She hoped she didn't sound too discouraged when she interrupted him, "As you already know, I have no Kekkei Genkai. I doubt there would be any point in me attempting to use Jyukken when I don't have the Byakugan, Hikune, no offense..."

"Did Neji feed you that idea, or is that defeatism I hear coming from you?" He chuckled.

She glared in humiliation.

"Let me remind you of the major difference between a bloodline talent and a fighting style, madam." Hikune said matter-of-factly, "Of course one should complement the other: Byakugan and Gentle Fist, Mokuton and sealing techniques...there are many abilities that are naturally compatible in this village, but that does not mean their effectiveness is destroyed when one is without the other."

"But my ability is weaponry!" She whined, hoping that would be enough to deter him, "I doubt anyone will ever sneak up on me at a time there isn't a knife on me somewhere."

He laughed playfully, "I agree, but what could it hurt to improve your stature and muscle memory? As long as you know the vulnerable areas of the human body, which you already do, you won't necessarily need the Byakugan, Tenten."

"Hogwash."

Hikune laughed again, "But you certainly won't be able to use 64 Palms either..."

She realized that she was only declining the offer because she was afraid of what Neji might think. He had never encouraged her to acquire a new skill in her time knowing him, moreover, had never told her she was capable of learning his clan's fighting style. He was always on a pedestal and seldom descended from it. 'But I don't have to tell him...I could show him when I think it'll be most prudent...which may be never. Aw, what the hell.'

"Alright then, I concede to your point." Tenten declared, her chin raised, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

"It really wouldn't." Hikune agreed, beginning to repeat the form he had showed her earlier. After a moment he paused and asked her, "Though really, Tenten...who says hogwash anymore?"

She finally laughed in spite of herself.


Rain was coming down in buckets that afternoon. The only available shelter that Naruto and his mentor could find at the time was within the hollowed-out trunk of a giant sequoia. They had settled comfortably in-between the musty roots and bark, grateful to dry off. Since the opportunity was available, Jiraiya had his student continue with a lesson from earlier now that the weather was no longer an issue.

The sage watched Naruto study a scroll. He noted mentally just how quickly the boy was maturing during their rigorous training. He was able to be quiet and concentrate more quickly, making wise decisions that he normally wouldn't have been able to. 'He absorbs information pretty fast. The kid's no sponge like Haku is, but he's brighter than he leads people to believe.' Jiraiya smiled proudly at the thought, 'He's taking to sealing techniques like a duck to water...'

The scroll that Naruto happened to be reading was rather complicated. Jiraiya had been saving it for later, but he figured he might as well oblige Naruto's rapid advancement and had given it to him anyway. The scroll explained how seals were formed, special properties that they possessed, and how they could be combined into larger more complex systems.

Jiraiya was taking a drag on his pipe as he watched his pupil practice writing seals. Occasionally he would stop and correct Naruto if he was off, or if what he wrote would not suit the expected function. For the most part, Naruto did very well and hardly spoke up unless he had a question.

"Hey...Ero-sensei..."

"Hm?"

"All this has got me to thinking...what's up with my own seal." Naruto said quietly, his eyes still stuck to the parchment he had been painting on.

Jiraiya took the pipe out of his mouth for a moment, impressed with the thought, "Well, that certainly is a very pertinent question, kid. So how do you think it works?"

"My seal has an even number of locks so that makes it balanced. It looks like a pair of Four-Elephant seals…if I read about them right…" Naruto scratched his chin while he picked apart the mechanics, "Really balanced...and really hard to break. Also, there are some gaps that help the Fox's chakra mix evenly with mine…but because of those gaps this seal gets weaker over time."

His teacher nodded, "Right on the money, Naruto."

"But Ero-sensei...the Fox said...that our souls are merging too. Does that mean...I'm going to become evil?" The blonde boy asked urgently.

Jiraiya stared at him for a long moment and in those endless, silent seconds Naruto's anxiety grew, 'Could it be true then? Will I become a monster?'

"You will only become what you want to be: what you make of yourself." Jiraiya answered with a sigh, "I can only teach you and give you the tools you'll need to keep the Fox and yourself in check. In the end, when you're as strong as I know you'll be...it's up to you whether you're good, bad, or something in the gray zone. All I can tell you, Naruto, is that it won't be much longer now..."

Naruto went back to his studies after that.


Gaara had taken Matsuri on a total of three missions since he had first begun training her. Though all were D-rank, he chose tasks that were less common and more challenging. With each mission his student showed great improvement. One morning they met at their usual training area just outside of the town playground to be briefed for a new assignment.

"It's standard D-rank, mainly information gathering." Gaara told her, "We've received reports of geologic activity southwest of Suna. Earthquakes aren't uncommon in the desert, but this sort of activity is unexplained since there are no reported fault lines in that area."

"So...it's just random tremors?" Matsuri asked, "Could ninja be responsible?"

"Unlikely. We'd be aware if it were something like that." He told her, "We should be back by noon so we will travel light."

They gathered what few supplies they needed, mostly water provisions, and then left the village and headed south towards the coast. Matsuri kept up well during the trip. Her speed had more than tripled that of her former classmates' after leaving them.

The sun beat down onto the shadeless dunes, creating mirages on the buzzing horizon line. The sweltering heat did not very much bother either student or pupil.

After nearly three hours of travel they reached the specified location. It was a small, rocky gorge just a mile away from the coastline. Seagull screeches echoed in the distance and Matsuri was tempted to go for a swim at the beach, but she checked with her sensei first.

"If we finish early we can go swimming." Gaara decided, not immune to the wide smile on her face, "The way I see it…no Sand shinobi can afford to waste a resource of water."

He told Matsuri to stay put while he looked around.

It was hard for her to stay alert. She whirled her jouhyou around in boredom while she waited for Gaara to come up with an assessment. She thought about all of the stories he had told her about his genin days while she paced aimlessly alongside the fissure, 'I want to meet Naruto and Haku one day...they sound so funny.'

Gaara, a further distance up along the crevasse, tested the sand laying atop the sedimentary rock. It had definitely been disturbed recently, by the look of it, 'It's as if it's been churned by something. Not an earthquake. Something else...' A large wave off the coast? No, there would be evidence of water hitting and there was simply no sign. 'If there was no external contact then it must be coming from underground...but this does not look like a quake to me...'

"Gaara-sensei!" Matsuri's cry caught her teacher's attention. He looked over to her, down where she had been waiting near the beginning of the gorge. Both shinobi were stunned to see sand that had once been still, shudder, and start slipping into the mouth of the pit.

'It's too abrupt. No earthquake could be so regular, could it?' Gaara's eyes scanned over the expanse of the area, trying to spot a trigger.

The loose grit along the lip of the fissure gave away suddenly with striking speed. Matsuri made an impressive leap to avoid the vacuum, but landed again into sand that was quickly being swallowed up. Desperate and unable to free herself, she screamed for her mentor's aid. Gaara descended swiftly, staying on top of the current, "Do not struggle, do you understand? If you do you'll sink in faster. I will get you out."

He hadn't realized there was no rock base supporting the edge they were standing on. One tug of the jounin's chakra accidentally ripped the crack open more. His eyes went wide when he realized his mistake, and he was then also incapable of escaping. They tumbled unexpectedly, Matsuri hollering, and Gaara grabbed her before he could lose sight of the child.

Sand piled in on top of them. He knew better than anyone what an instant death sentence it was, and he made a tremendous effort to slow the falling debris so they would not suffocate. Gaara's power over sand broke their fall, offering them a soft landing with no injuries. Unfortunately, they had found themselves at the bottom of the chasm once the tremor had passed.

The top of the gorge had caved in, cutting off all light. All was still and dusty in the dark. Matsuri's shriek notified Gaara that she was still conscious.

"Sensei! We're trapped! We won't get out! B-Both of us are done for!" She rambled in fright, and Gaara could tell she was about three meters to his left. He brushed some rubble from himself and groped around his travel bag for a flare and then struck it. A red hum of light illuminated the cavern and he could then see his student on her knees, shuddering violently.

Gaara walked over to her and with one hand hoisted her up, "Calm down now. This actually might help us. Down here we might be able to find out just what is causing the quakes."

"B-But-!"

"Relax, Mouse." He patted her head soothingly and then set out. Her pet name, Mouse, from her Academy days had stuck and Gaara used it affectionately.

Matsuri followed closely behind, trying to unwind as best she could. Gaara looked up at the makeshift ceiling of boulders, 'We fell a good 30 meters. If another tremor hits we won't survive it once it caves in again. We should find an exit quickly and be alert for anything that's generating the slides.'

Gaara sighed heavily as he walked, sweeping the light of the flare from left to right. He took a drink from his canteen and passed it to Matsuri, quite certain her mouth was as dry as his at the moment.

She accepted the flask and asked, "Um, Gaara-sensei? H-How do you suppose we can escape?"

They kept walking while he answered, "We can follow the bottom of this fissure until we find a gap or a weak point we can break out of. There should be enough air for us, I think."

His student quieted down after that and kept close. The ravine floor was oddly smooth. It was hard for Gaara to guess what kind of erosion was responsible. After a few minutes, Matsuri squeaked again, "What may have caused the earthquake, do you think, Gaara-sensei?"

"Without a doubt it came from this place, but it still makes little sense. There's no stress between landmasses in this area." Gaara answered switching the flare from his right hand to his left, "There could be another explanation...but it wouldn't be comforting."

"Then maybe I won't ask, if that's the case..." She said softly.

A short while later Gaara called for them to stop. Matsuri took another drink from the canteen while her teacher inspected the jagged wall of the cavern. He ran his hand over the craggy stone, his mouth forming a thin line, "This is as I thought..."

Matsuri looked over to him, "Eh?"

"This tunnel was carved out by something."

She blinked uneasily, "By...s-something?"

"Yes." Gaara said, turning back to her, "And I think we're going to find out what, one way or another." He motioned for her to keep moving and she tagged along close behind him, her knuckles turning white as she clung to the flask.

Matsuri kept a wary eye open. She was not terribly surprised that her sensei had kept his cool for so long, and she suspected he would for the remainder of the mission. She wished, for a moment, that she could emulate bravery like her mentor's. Matsuri took a deep breath and then pocketed the canteen, resolving to get a grip. In her peripheral vision, in that moment, there was a creeping movement that she could not ignore. She twisted around to get a better look, but saw only shadows.

"Gaara-sensei! I...I think I saw something over there!" Matsuri announced, pointing to the wall, and hoping she wasn't overreacting because of childish fear.

He gave her a sideways glance before he paused, and then waved the flare so its light fell upon the spot she indicated. There was nothing. Gaara, suspicious, moved the torch a bit more to the right. A spindly, jointed leg could be seen retreating into a crack.

Matsuri's gasp bounced off the rock walls with a high-pitched echo. The courage she had managed to gather before instantly vanished.

Gaara grabbed the genin by the wrist when she refused to budge, and tugged her along as she began to hyperventilate. The last thing he needed was for his student to get hysterical. He didn't know precisely how to comfort her when he couldn't guarantee that the, whatever it was, would not appear again.

Their pace increased and as they rushed along the bottom of the gorge click-like noises began to reverberate. Skittering motions became clearer among the shadows, and Gaara asked that Matsuri keep her eyes open, "Just look at me, Matsuri, keep looking ahead."

She did her best to obey, but couldn't help a peek off to the side, and saw something that made her blood turn to ice-water. A giant scorpion, Gaara estimated it to be anywhere from eight to twelve feet long, was skirting from the ceiling to the floor of the cavern in their direction.

"Ky-aaa!" Matsuri's scream was cut off by her sensei, who clapped his hand over her mouth.

She immediately squeezed her eyes shut, terror-stricken, and was unable to move. Gaara grunted in annoyance upon seeing her reaction, and then scooped her up onto his back (his sand gourd was absent.) He ran further down the ravine, easily avoiding the scuttling arachnids. Gaara made it a fair distance before the cave's inhabitants encircled them in an impenetrable crowd of legs and stingers.

He dropped the flare to the floor, letting it burn at his feet, and then attacked. Sand, naturally, was plentiful. Gaara knocked the advancing scorpions away with ruthless blasts of sand, sending them tumbling and sliding over each other. Even when he ought to be overwhelmed he was still not frightened. He tried to snap Matsuri back to her senses as he defended.

"Just because you look like a mouse does not mean you act like one." Gaara told her, as she shivered fearfully, her arms laced around his shoulders, "Matsuri, listen, this is the essence of a shinobi: this place. The ability to battle and resist danger...don't fear your destiny. If you truly value anything that I have taught you then you must fight!"

Slowly but surely she became lucid as she listened and watched her teacher fight. He was completely unafraid. Matsuri knew that she could not be any more grateful for Gaara's teachings. She drew out her jouhyou and shakily stood with her back to him, facing the onslaught, "I...I d-do value what you've taught me, sensei...I do!"

She lashed out with her weapon, pushing the approaching cavern-dwellers back with the tooth of the jouhyou. It was rather abrupt when the scorpions scattered a moment later, as if in defeat. Gaara looked around quizzically, wondering what had discouraged them. A tremor soon followed.

Matsuri looked over to her teacher, "Sensei? What...happened?"

The flare's light weakened slightly. It only had about another ten minutes of life. Gaara frowned at the advancing shadows as light dwindled. It was as if they had been examined. None of the scorpions that had appeared were really hostile, he had noticed. That didn't mean he had wanted them to get too close, however. Something was still amiss.

"There's a saying I once heard..." Gaara told her, "The bigger fish follows after the small school."

"I don't think they come any larger than that..." She mumbled uncertainly. Anything with eight legs, she believed, should never exceed ten inches, let alone ten feet. Her sensei's fish analogy was not helping her relax.

Another quake followed, but it was brief. Fragments of rock shook loose from the ceiling and bombarded the floor of the cavern. Gaara guarded himself and his pupil with a thick sand shield during the rain of debris. When all was still again, the light had dimmed even more. The whole place seemed to have grown smaller, somehow, and when Gaara thought to look upward, he noticed why.

Looming above them were the lateral eyes and twitching jaws of the most massive scorpion of all. Matsuri gave a look of dread to her teacher, hating how he could so easily predict doom.

Its body filled the entirety of the tunnel, almost crammed into it like a sardine in a tin. Its legs, tall and armored, were uncomfortably wedged up against the walls. The tail seemed to have been caught in the tunnel it had entered from, much too long and heavy to be squeezed in also. Gaara found this unusual, considering scorpions were not by nature clumsy, although size seemed to be an issue for this one. He wasn't shocked at all when it spoke.

"I came here to see what had my family so riled up..." The voice was stippled with clicks and rumbles, "How did you get into this nest?"

"We fell in by mistake." Gaara answered unflappably. Matsuri stared dumbly at him, wondering at what point he intended to panic.

"Fell in? We could only be so fortunate to find an opening these days!" It said hoarsely, "We have not seen humans in a long time because none of us have been to the surface."

The jounin figured a conversation would be the best distraction, "Why?"

"Here the stone is too thick and the sand too turbulent for us to dig through as we used to. We came here long ago, not knowing we had dug our own graves, trapped. We are too weak from starvation to free ourselves now." It sounded genuinely upset, "Our hearts break in this place. We eat our own young to survive now...it is cruel how our home has betrayed us!"

Matsuri relaxed slightly, seeing there was some humanity in a creature that was far from human. She stood beside Gaara, curious, and hoping the monstrous scorpion ahead of them was their ticket out, "Do you think it can help us, sensei?"

"It can't." He reminded her, "They are weak. That is why they were no match for us. They're useless while they're here."

"There is still not enough food..." The boss groaned, "I apologize for this, human, but you may perhaps be our salvation..."

"What does that mean?" Matsuri squeaked, watching nervously as huge pincers neared from the right and left.

"We are dinner." Gaara said, "In theory."

All of the scorpions that had earlier attacked returned in a swarm, again circling around both ninja so they could not escape their patriarch's grasp.

A vicious fire jutsu erupted in the darkness and sent the crawlers reeling, stingers aflame and eyes singed. Matsuri, terrified by the change of attitude, wheeled her jouhyou, forcing back those that got too close. She smiled when she noticed a sand shield rise around her that Gaara had created for good measure.

Her teacher was already on the far side of the cavern, lunging through the onslaught of clumsy arachnids. The boss was slow and weary, and it had no hope of avoiding the four shadow clones that attacked. In unison, Gaara and his copies blasted the lumbering giant with fearful amounts of sand. He was in his element.

The boss toppled over pitifully and its offspring immediately backed off. Any damage to their leader marked danger to the group.

"I was once a great warrior and now I am merely a shell of what I was." The boss lamented, "I did not know you were a shinobi, human. I am sorry. I have the greatest respect for your kind. I once had friends like you long ago."

"I don't think that not knowing I was a ninja is a good enough excuse to try and eat us." Gaara remarked bitterly, "If you were but a thousandth of your size would it justify me crushing you with my foot?"

"Hardly." The boss agreed, "Though it seems were are at an impasse; both trapped in this void."

"Trapped? You mean the quakes were caused by you? You were trying to get out?" Matsuri asked, finally understanding.

"Indeed." The scorpion said, "I, Dosojin, was once the strongest being in the desert. Now I am so weak I cannot even free the smallest of my children. It is a wonder that I could make a ripple in this earth at all."

Matsuri put her jouhyou away and exchanged a glance with her mentor. Currently everyone within the crumbling gorge was done-for, human and beast alike.

"You are gifted, though, young shinobi. Sand obeys you without fail." Dosojin observed, "You could be the one to free us...you are salvation of another kind!"

Matsuri blinked, "Eh? That's crazy!" She turned to Gaara, "You don't buy that, do you sensei?"

To her eternal surprise and horror, the jounin agreed, "I will free you, but on my terms. If you refuse any of my conditions I won't hesitate to crush you all right now."

"Then I suppose I have no choice but to agree." Dosojin reasoned, "Name your price."

"The consumption of humans, ninja and civilian alike, is expressly forbidden." Gaara clarified, "Once you are out of this place your allegiance immediately goes to Sunagakure, understood?"

The boss agreed without much fuss, though the touchy subject of limiting food options had his stomach grumbling louder.

"One final term..." Gaara added, "When you and your family are well and healthy again, you must aid me in battle whenever I send for you. If you are so fond of shinobi, I'm sure you won't mind an alliance like that?"

"We have an accord." Dosojin told him, and then pointed with a large pincer to a point on the ceiling, "There is a weak point here. You can break through, but it will be dangerous for one as small as you if there is a collapse."

"There won't be." Gaara raised his hands up, focusing on the conglomerate of boulders up above. There would only be another cave-in, he noted, if sand on the surface was weighing down on what was scraped away below, 'That is why Dosojin could not escape. He has no control over what is on the surface.'

He targeted the debris on the surface first. Sand parted in waves, forming a shallow but wide sort of ant-hole in the surface world. Gaara felt the real strain when it came time to tunnel further down. Sand below the light grains he had so quickly parted was much heavier, mixed in with rocks and huge slabs of stone. It was evident that there was progress. Another quake resulted, but the shaking was minimal and less violent, unlike the desperate head-butts the scorpions were responsible for.

His chakra was stretched thin just peeling away the gargantuan weight of the surface debris, and Gaara knew he could end up seriously injuring himself to do much more. He had no choice, he figured.

"Matsuri." He rasped, a bead of sweat ran down his face, "Get out now. The opening is small but you can make it."

"What about you, sensei?" She squeaked.

"I'll follow you once I free Dosojin." Gaara told her, "Leave now, Mouse."

Matsuri obeyed, clambering up the unstable rock wall, and was assisted by the more sure-footed scorpions that were exiting alongside her. She was not very comfortable around them even though she was aware they were friendly. Matsuri scrambled out of the pea-hole opening and found herself in the center of some sort of sandy whirlpool. It was at least eight meters from the bottom of the funnel to the top and her escape. There was no solid land to step out on and for a moment she despaired.

"You need help." A scorpion passing by scooped her up, causing her to shriek, and carried her out to safety along with the rest of its cohorts, "There you go, girlie!"

They walked easily on top of the sand, scuttling around, clicking and rejoicing. Matsuri stared at the horse-sized bug that had helped her, "...uh...th-thanks."

Scorpions began to file out of the exit by the hundreds, small and large alike, and as time waned so did the jounin's chakra. 'It will take more than this...' Gaara thought, 'More than I am giving...I have to use it.' He leapt atop Dosojin's head, telling him to be prepared.

Gaara felt mobility cease as he dipped into chakra that was not his own. The weight he balanced above him threatened to cave at any moment. Shukaku was not thrilled by his intrusion.

You little twerp! You think now that you're a high-ninja means you have the right to disturb me? I own you! I inhabit you! You belong to me and not the other way around!

"That's where you're mistaken..." He muttered aloud. His irises were stained amber after making contact. Sand that had dipped into the gorge gathered and materialized a bestial appendage around his arm. Dosojin was not much alarmed by the transformation. Gaara heaved upward with a sudden deluge of biju chakra, ripping open the ceiling of the cavern completely. Sand and rock debris tumbled downward and was knocked away by a demonic claw.

The behemoth of a scorpion staggered out into the sunlight clumsily with the jinchuriki still on his head. Once all were out with certainty, Gaara relinquished what he had stolen, dispelling his more monstrous features, and let the whole gorge collapse inward again. It was the biggest tremor overall, as well as the last. An army-sized congregation of arachnids skittered about the dunes surrounding Dosojin in celebration. Gaara joined Matsuri on the ground, a bit shaken, but otherwise unscathed.

He sat down tiredly, patting down his sides in confusion, "Hm...where is that canteen..."

"Oh! I have it, Gaara-sensei!" She passed it to him, ecstatic, "That was unbelievable! You did it! We all made it out and no one was hurt!"

Gaara was disappointed how there were only a few sips of water left. He drank them down quickly, and then looked to his student, "Notice how you said no one instead of just we."

"Well...they are kind of nice."

He sighed and then stood up, facing the giant scorpion, "Our agreement is now in effect, Dosojin."

"I am aware and though we are free we are still weakened from hunger, young ninja." The boss answered.

"My name is Gaara." The jounin announced and added, "Though you cannot eat humans, I do recall a beachfront just south of here that is home to sea lions. There you may feast to your heart's content."

Dosojin was pleased with the news, "That place will be our first destination."

"I will expect you at the gates of Sunagakure in three days so we may have another discussion." Gaara told him, "Until then, rest well."

"Thank you." Dosojin then promptly turned south with his entire legion in tow, and proceeded to the coast. His silhouette was still visible on the horizon line as he shrank into the distance.

After teacher and pupil had finished recovering they stood up and also set out for home.

"I guess we won't go swimming since we finished late." Matsuri decided, "Also, there will be scorpions all over the beach for a day or two..."

"Good point." Gaara agreed tiredly, "It's evening already. Time really flies when you're trapped in an underground labyrinth."

She laughed, trying not to drag her feet in the sand, "That's true, sensei...hm. I really don't think anyone back home is going to believe our story, though."

"They don't have to." He smirked, "Give it three days and they'll change their minds."


During the course of two hours of traveling Haku had learned several names of Mist ninja he was to avoid, areas he and Zabuza would be frequenting, certain jutsu he would be useless without knowing, and that his identity had to be kept secret while he was in the Water Country.

"A pretty face like yours will be recognized too easily," Zabuza told him, "That'll be a problem."

Haku understood that if he was recognized near Mist while he was supposed to be in Sand, word might get back to Leaf that he had defected. Though he was certain that Gaara would cover for him and tie loose ends until he returned, Haku knew that if anyone else discovered the truth he would be labeled a traitor just as Sasuke had been.

It was an exhausting trip across the bay to another island in the archipelago and they reached their destination as dusk set in.

"We'll be staying at this lodge for the next week," Zabuza notified him before they entered the inn, "Don't get cozy. Tracker-nin have been watching this area so we'll be finding another location soon."

"I understand." Haku followed him inside and then asked curiously, "Zabuza-san, why did you abandon the warehouse after the tracker-nin were defeated? Would that be passing up a good job opportunity?"

For a moment he cringed at how ignorant his question sounded. Haku truly knew very little about the missing-nin lifestyle, and more importantly, how he was going to survive while adapting to it himself.

"No. In fact, it was a job not even worth looking into," The nukenin answered with an annoyed tone, "It isn't something you should be concerned with presently. Now don't bother me with any stupid questions: sleep. Your training starts tomorrow at dawn."

Haku watched Zabuza stalk off down the hall. It had occurred to him then that Zabuza had already checked into the hotel and was by no means going to accommodate him. Haku paid for a room for the next week and then proceeded down the corridor to his right. 'Even if Zabuza intends to train me he doesn't plan to be responsible for me as a student. I still have to look after myself during this time. He's a missing-nin, he's not a person who I can look for companionship with...' He mentally slapped himself.

The dark haired boy slid the door shut behind him after finding his quarters. It was fairly empty with the exception of a futon and a gas lantern. He dropped his belongings near the lamp and let his eyes stray out to the view of the crescent moon that greeted him outside the window. It leaked silver light into the darkness of the room, and in that moment he had never felt more alone in his entire life.

His friends were long behind him in distant lands. He feared he may never be able to return home. The girl he loved was angry with him because of his rash decisions and he didn't blame her for it. 'Zabuza was right about one thing…I don't know anything about this land. It's far more dangerous than the Fire Country and I won't last long unless I acclimate myself to this place.' Haku thought to himself, settling onto the futon for some rest.

The only thing that kept him from turning tail and running back home was the hope of discovering his long-lost clan and what could possibly remain of his family. Haku doubted that Zabuza would be able to tell him much even though he had devoted himself as an underling to the nukenin. The deal he had made, Haku knew, could soon be something he would regret.

His troubles drifted out of his thoughts as his mind wandered into a calm realm of sleep, and he dreamed of Naruto and Gaara and his joyful days spent beside them. Days lost to history.


Being the habitually early-riser he was, Haku woke as the first rays of sunlight gleamed on the horizon. He tossed off his blanket and balked at the frigid temperature of the air in his room. Muttering sleepily to himself, he dressed quickly, shivering while he pulled his clothes on and prepared his armaments.

Haku left his room and wondered if perhaps he had beaten Zabuza in terms of waking up. The inn was completely silent with all of its occupants fast asleep, so the dark haired boy ventured outside to pass the time. The morning air was frostbitten but filled with the songs of small birds saluting the sunshine. Haku basked peacefully in the winter music for a long while, heedless, until he noted a presence a fair distance behind him.

"If you're just going to stand there like an idiot for the rest of your life don't waste my time," Zabuza barked, "If you intend to grow stronger then follow me."

Rather than apologizing, which he was apt to do; Haku remained silent and tailed after the nukenin into the thick of the forest surrounding the lodge. Even though Zabuza was blatantly rude and impatient, Haku was still compelled to show him respect. Not that he owed much to someone he had fought against on a past mission, admittedly; and perhaps not because he deserved reverence, but because crossing the jounin could be the last thing he may ever do.

'He's much stronger than he was when we fought in the Land of Waves,' Haku thought to himself, 'I have grown more powerful as well. I cannot contend with his skills at all, though. It may do me good to learn from him while I can.'

Zabuza stopped in a small clearing and Haku mirrored him. The Leaf ninja was quick to notice all of the trees in the area bore the scars of brutal treatment and slash marks. A number of them had even been cut clean in half and were toppled over each other on the muddy ground.

"I can understand that you train on your own, but don't you think that leaving evidence like this place behind could get hunter-nin on your trail?" Haku asked keenly, "Don't they look for clues like these?"

"There's a simple solution to that." Zabuza grunted in irritation, "Don't stay in the same place for long if you don't want to get caught. You'd think an ex-ANBU would know how those morons work..."

"You were in the Mist Black-Ops?" Haku was truly surprised.

"Long ago. I had been a captain in Mist, but I moved on to better things." The nukenin replied, "They can't think for themselves: always doting on the Mizukage's wishes. The lot of them are fools chasing ghosts."

Haku had wanted to ask why the Seven Shinobi Swordsman had been more preferable to him, but was hushed in fright after seeing Zabuza draw his zanbato.

"Your training starts now." He said simply and then he lunged.


It was a matter of minutes before the nukenin was dangling the dark haired boy in the air by his wrist, shaking him disapprovingly.

"You're flawed." Zabuza growled, dropping him to the ground, "You're weak."

"I cannot defeat someone with such a monstrous weapon..." Haku said quietly, rising to his knees in the dirt and he tried to catch his breath.

"Weapons have nothing to do with it." The nukenin retorted, "You were on the defensive, so I broke your defense. Not once did you try to attack. Two good senbon would be enough."

"But you block them like they're nothing!"

"Because you don't throw to disable, you throw them just to throw them," Zabuza told him, "That's wasteful. Who the fuck was training you in Leaf anyway?"

"The Toad Sage: Jiraiya."

The nukenin snorted, "Psh! Could have fooled me."

Haku stared at the ground sourly, upset that he was so impossibly weak against Zabuza. He felt like using one of the forbidden jutsu he had learned or activating his cursed seal, but he was aware that by going that far to prove himself he would not learn anything. 'Maybe I should just listen to what he has to say, even if he is intolerably wretched...'

"Come at me with the intention of eliminating me. Hesitation against the foe is weakness," Zabuza ordered, "If you don't, you'll lose a limb this time."

Haku vanished, having hidden several ice mirrors behind the surrounding trees already. He reappeared suddenly with a drop-kick from above Zabuza. The nukenin countered but was hit with a number of senbon from behind. A shadow clone emerged from another ice mirror. Haku and his double worked in perfect synchronization against the opponent. The clone attacked to create an opening in the nukenin's defense and Haku landed a swift hit.

Every attack that connected, however, Zabuza appeared to shrug off. Haku hit hard and fast, recalling his training with his comrades in Leaf. He moved faster, more thoughtfully, avoiding Zabuza's counterattacks while delivering his own. After a long volley, Zabuza hurled his sword in a great arc, cleaving through the two shadow clones Haku had assisting him. The dark haired boy retreated to one of his mirrors, but the zanbato swept past, smashing it into thousands of frozen shards.

Haku leapt from a piece of falling glass into another mirror and watched as the massive sword hacked into the side of a tree and hung suspended there. Zabuza held out his hand to his weapon, which shuddered from its place embedded in the bark, and then promptly flew from the tree and back to its waiting master. The nukenin made no move to continue the fight, so Haku stepped out of his ice mirror, walking over to him, "You were not able to do that last time..."

"No, I wasn't. You pick up a few tricks after a while." Zabuza responded smugly, "Do you know what a Soul-Forged weapon is, Haku?"

"I'm afraid that I-"

"Then never mind." He completely dropped the subject, much to Haku's disgruntlement, and then continued with a drill on proper taijutsu forms.

By noon Haku had mastered the Mist Hiding Technique as well as the Water Prison Technique that had been introduced to him. Zabuza was not surprised to see that Haku could even perform both jutsu without hand seals if he concentrated.

"That's just the perk of your Kekkei Genkai," The nukenin warned him, "A fast learner like you may get supplementary jutsu easy like that, but even you have a long way to go before your water clones fool a jounin."

Haku assumed that meant he had to practice until it came as second nature to him. For the rest of the day Zabuza critiqued his taijutsu, correcting his stances, and taught him a number of brutal, more powerful tactics. They stopped only to eat and by nightfall Haku could feel resonating aches all throughout his body. He parted ways with Zabuza after he had been belittled for his lack of stamina at dinner.

'He's surprisingly chatty...' Haku thought to himself on his way back to his room, 'Maybe he just likes to hear himself talk.'

Once in his room Haku laid on his futon fully clothed, too tired and anguished to change out of his sweat-soaked garments. He stared at the ceiling for a long while. The lantern cast deceptive shadows that kept his eyes entranced. 'Even if he is a missing-nin...and certainly one of the most horrible people I've ever met, I've never learned so much in such a short span of time...ever...'

Light and darkness danced hypnotically above him as he thought. 'Maybe it is good that I came here...while I search for my clan I will become stronger and train harder, and at least that way my coming here will have had more significance.' Haku closed his eyes. 'I just hope...that I will see Naruto-kun and Gaara-kun again sometime. Everything in this world seems less bright when they aren't with me.'

With a heavy sigh Haku rolled over and blew out the flame of the oil lamp. Darkness swallowed up the remaining light.


The following day he received a healthy beating from his new teacher. Using strictly taijutsu Zabuza was a fearsome opponent, and Haku was grateful that he was not being assaulted by the extensive repertoire of ninjutsu the nukenin possessed.

At noon they stopped to eat and the dark haired boy stole a moment to spit all of the blood out of his mouth. Ruby saliva gleamed on the frosted grass. Haku frowned at the sight of it. Zabuza's training was merciless. If it kept up, he would soon be crushed into a bruised, unrecognizable pulp.

'That's the point of learning, isn't it? If I don't improve soon I'll just be a waste of time...as well as a bloody mess...' Haku thought critically, swiping his thumb over his bottom lip and staining it red. He walked after Zabuza silently into the lodge. Haku was lost in his thoughts as they waited to be served lunch. 'Without a doubt, Gaara-kun would be more suited for this training than I am. He'd keep up well and advance quickly...' He was rather envious of his friend's tough exterior and focus, 'And Naruto-kun as well. He'd survive this training easily...but he'd probably be arguing with Zabuza over his harshness...'

The image of the blonde boy yelling at the missing-nin indignantly brought a subconscious smile to Haku's lips.

"What's got you grinning like a schoolgirl?" The nukenin's gruff voice snapped the young shinobi out of his thoughts. He was annoyed with Haku's stubbornly innocent attitude, and yet somehow was still able to tolerate it.

"Just a memory..." Haku responded absently.

With a disinterested huff Zabuza looked away, not caring to know about the boy's daydreams. Their food arrived and was spread out on the table before them. Haku ate quietly, trying to ignore how his hand trembled in pain as he lifted his chopsticks to his mouth. He was not going to let his wounds inhibit him.

Zabuza watched through lidded eyes as he chewed, bored, finding Haku's mannerisms bizarre. The boy's presence was agreeable. He listened. He obeyed. He absorbed new jutsu like a sponge. 'But he's stubborn and talks back, the little brat...looks like he got more pig-headed since I last saw him,' Zabuza noted in annoyance, 'I'll beat the arrogance out of him...'

The day continued as scheduled once they finished eating. The close combat drills pushed Haku to his physical limits, but he understood what he was learning. When Zabuza attacked him he attacked as an enemy would, and not a teammate who was engaging in a friendly spar. Though Haku believed that Zabuza could quite possibly kill him with such a harsh training regiment, he was silently surprised to see that the nukenin never did push him too far.

He matched his training with Haku's learning pace and rate of fatigue. Haku found it curious that Zabuza was so skilled and aware of another's learning ability, so he asked about it casually, "Have you ever trained a genin team, Zabuza-san?"

"Hell no. I had an apprentice while I was with the Seven Swords, though," Zabuza gave him an odd look, "Why do you care?"

"You're a good teacher." Haku found it strange that he had discovered a positive quality in such a despicable criminal. He left it at that, not wanting to elaborate.

Zabuza smirked, "Too bad my last student didn't last long. It's no good when all that training goes to waste."

"What happened to him?" Haku was truly curious, and was glad to get a taste of history while on a break from being beaten bloody.

"He disappeared in a fight." The nukenin replied, his voice was distant, "He was probably killed by Sound. It's a shame since he was so great with a blade...you don't even compare."

Haku lowered his chin a margin and fell quiet. He knew he had no reason to expect or want Zabuza to be proud of him, especially when the Mist ninja was only interested in polishing his Kekkei Genkai. Something did sting, though, at the mocking of his ability.

He wanted to know who it was Zabuza had trained and why he had been killed by Oto nin. Haku remained silent, deciding that it would be a question for another time. Their break ended shortly after that and they began the practice forms over again, methodically progressing to more lethal combinations.

Haku did his best to ignore the painful hum in his ribs where he had been kicked numerous times, as well as the aching bruises then dotting his arms. Though he was not conscious of it, Haku stopped fretting over the training at that point. He attacked more fiercely, boldly, knowing only how to fight in the moment.

It was the exact change in attitude Zabuza had been waiting for.


"When am I going to have friends?" Yuma asked his mother, pouting, "I've been waiting real patiently like you said, so...do you think maybe sometime soon?"

Rin, preoccupied with grating an aconite root, glanced down to her son, "Eh? What the heck are you talking about? You have friends already, sweetie!"

"I don't."

"Then what about Sesshu? Or Char-san? Or Fumitake-kun, huh?" Rin insisted, dumping the shavings into a crucible along with other herbs, "Why don't they count?"

"Sesshu is a dog and he's my friend, but I want a human friend, and Char-san is too old to play with me, Ma, he just tells me stories!" He explained, fiddling his hands, "Fumitake-kun moved away a few days ago...and he was a lot older than me so he didn't like to hang out with me so much."

"He moved away? No kidding? I thought it was a lot quieter around here..." Rin recalled the loudmouth of the nearby village, "But Yuma you always have Dad and me, and...you know what it's like out here. It's so dangerous for people like us. Heaven forbid someone from Rock saw you playing with the local children; do you know what they would do to you? To an outsider?"

"Then when can we go somewhere else? Where you and Dad are from?" The boy questioned, "It would be safe there, I bet! Can we please just go?"

Rin didn't speak for a moment. She stood at the counter, grinding the contents of the bowl into a salve. To her eternal guilt, she was fully aware of how her son was deprived of companions in such a backwater place. Her own heart, however, could not stand the thought of returning to the village she had fled from. Her eyes glazed over with memories.


"I just thought I should check with you first..." She said softly.

Minato watched his student with sad eyes. He had been busy with a mission report all evening, and by the time Rin had stopped by to see him it was nearing midnight. She had told him that she was leaving.

"Did you talk to Kakashi, I hope?" He asked worriedly, "You know he's going to miss you very much if you go, Rin."

"I talked to him a while ago." She forced a smile, and a lump formed in her throat that made it difficult to speak, "I...uh...well...I did something kind of stupid, though."

"Stupid? Like what?"

"I told him that I loved him, sensei."

"Oh...Rin." Minato sighed heavily, "That...that wasn't stupid at all. It's just that...I wish that I'd had the chance to speak with him before you had worked up the courage to do something like that."

Her smile, due to it being forced, became bitter, "You and I both know, sensei, that even if you had pep-talked him earlier it wouldn't have made him handle the situation delicately. Rejection goes smoothest when it's not tampered with, so I'm glad that you didn't get involved."

"I'm so sorry, Rin. Do you want to talk about it?" Her mentor asked quietly.

"Sure." She said stiffly, "I'll sum it up. I told him and then he looked at me like I had sprouted another leg or something. He said that he could never encroach upon, what the hell was it? Obito's claim, he said? Whatever that meant...he said he would be ashamed to love me...ashamed, sensei! He said ashamed. How much worse does it get?" Rin laughed, "I've had it with this place to begin with, but I guess there isn't much left for me to look forward to if the guy I'm hung up on says he's ashamed of me!"

"He's sensitive about things pertaining to Obito and he knows that Obito cared for you very much, Rin. It isn't your fault. You shouldn't give up when there are so many other opportunities to be had, you know." Minato admonished her gently, "I wouldn't want you to leave over something like this..."

"You're lucky, Minato-sensei." Rin told him, "Everyone that you love, all of them, even Kushina…they love you back. At least let me try my luck somewhere else before you ask me to go fishing for love here again."

He looked so incredibly sad that she almost regretted having opened up to him. Rin never had the intention of upsetting her teacher because he was one of the few people who genuinely cared about her. At the present time she was tactless and could only hope he wouldn't overreact.

"What about your family?" Minato asked after a long silence.

"I'll write to them. They'll be alright...I'll be alright."

"If you go I don't want you to be listed as a nukenin, considering the circumstances of your departure." He warned her, "Leaving without permission or a formal explanation could get you in trouble…or they may also take the easy route and just file you among the dead, and I don't want that for you either, Rin."

"I want this, sensei." Rin insisted, "Let me give it a shot. I think I'll be okay. For my mental health, I think I really need to get away. I can't explain this to anyone else but you because no one else will listen, you know?"

It was silent again.

"No one knows what you need more than you do." Minato admitted, "I will miss you. You were always my brightest student, and I mean that, Rin. Kakashi may have been talented and Obito may have been from a prestigious clan, but you were always the pillar. Of the three, you were always aware of what mattered most...so I must thank you."

"Thanks...sensei." She choked on the words, hugging him gratefully. She knew that he would smooth things over. Her friends would know she was safe and the village council wouldn't brand her a traitor. She did wonder, however, what Kakashi would think. She suddenly stopped caring.

"Write to me too, alright?" Minato smiled sunnily a moment later, "Tell me all of the neat things you see and don't get into trouble!"

"I won't." Rin walked down the street slowly, wiping at her eyes.

"Oh! And don't talk to nukenin or get into fights!" He added.

She kept walking, feeling a bit better, "Of course..."

"...wait! Do you need any money?"

"Bye, Minato-sensei!" She was already around the corner.

Once back at the Inuzuka residence Rin put on a facade. It would be tricky to get her family to approve so instead she opted to say nothing about her intentions to avoid an argument. It was late and she hoped that the rest of her family was asleep so she could avoid trouble. She tip-toed down the hall, hating how every floorboard she stepped on created a monstrous creak. It had been easier to sneak around when she had been young, but she was seventeen and almost six feet tall. Times had changed.

It was her misfortune to pass by her elder sister's room while the door was still open. Her sibling noticed her scent and called out to her, "Sissy? That you? You're out late..."

Rin sighed in defeat and entered the room. She frowned to see her sister playing with Sesshu (a young dog at the time) on the floor. Dogs of the family were a community resource, though, so she decided not to get irritated at such a critical time. Rin leaned on the door frame, trying to look casual, "Hey Tsume...why are you up so late?"

"I could say the same to you." Tsume smiled, rolling onto her belly, "I just got in from a mission. Sesshu kept me up! Make sure you take him with you to bed so he stops making a fuss."

"Okay then, goodnight-"

"Hold on a minute, where have you been anyway, eh?" Her sister asked suspiciously.

"I was talking to Minato-sensei. Ask him if you don't believe me." Rin answered shortly.

"Oh. Okay then..." Tsume stretched and then sat up, yawning, "Wow...I'm beat. I think it's about time we both get some shut eye..."

"I couldn't agree more." Rin then looked to her ninken, "Come on, Sesshu, let's go."

The golden dog gave Tsume a lick to the face before trotting over to his owner. Rin bade her sister goodnight one final time before sliding the door shut and continued down the hall. It was eerily quiet in her room. She could feel the entirety of her clan settling down to sleep. It felt strange to Rin. She would be leaving them at a time when they were vulnerable and unable to stop her.

She went into her room, unattached to it somehow. The belongings in it held little value to her those days. Rin quickly packed a bag full of necessities and a few sentimental keepsakes, and Sesshu, very confused, watched her work without saying a word. When she finished, she extinguished the light of her room and returned to the hall, whispering for her dog to follow, "Time to go, boy."

"What's happening, Rin?"

"Shh! You've got to keep quiet." She snuck down the corridor, out through a door attached to a supply shed. They crept through it unnoticed, across a garden lit with fireflies, and over the east gate of the household. Sesshu had not objected at all, obeying Rin completely. It had felt almost too easy to get away, she thought.

There was a full moon and she found herself glancing up at it occasionally as she followed a road North, away from her village. She wondered if she felt like crying, but her eyes were dry and her breathing was still. She truly felt better than ever.


Sato bought lunch for Iruka after receiving the good news. The boy had known that Tsunade would not make a scene about the request, but Iruka had told him that the Hokage did not have much faith in Tama, "She's never met her, you know, so she doesn't expect anything exceptional."

The truth was that Konoha was in dire need of more shinobi after defending against the previous invasion and suffering casualties. Tsunade could not refuse the thought of possibly rebuilding the number of ninja in the village in any way possible. Iruka left that tidbit out in his conversation with Sato, however.

"Good, that'll make it more awesome when she kicks ass." Sato answered, smirking, "Now eat that ramen before it gets cold, Iruka-sensei, I paid good money for you!"

Iruka could not help but be vastly reminded of Naruto and how they shared ramen in the past.

He missed the boy terribly, and after mentioning him Sato admitted to it too, "Yeah...Naruto-kun and his team...the lot of them are my kind of guys: they know what's important. Poor Sunshine's been a bit down lately, though..."

Iruka have him a confused look, "Sunshine?"

"Oh! Yeah, Hinata-chan, I mean." He explained quickly, "Ever since those two became a thing, which I knew was going to happen, they've been two peas in a pod. Now that Naruto-kun's abroad she misses him a lot, I can tell."

"A thing?" Iruka smiled widely, "Well, isn't that an interesting match? A quiet princess and the village loudmouth...perfect. I know that's made to last!"

Sato laughed loudly and Teuchi, who passed by to make sure they were enjoying their meals, also couldn't help but reminisce about Naruto. Afterwards Iruka tried to get back on task, "Listen, Sato. Tama's examination has been scheduled for the end of this week, that's when I won't be busy. She'll be reviewed on the fluidity of supplementary jutsu, trap and combat skills, and her accuracy with weapons. Please bear that in mind when you tell her."

"Of course, sensei." Sato made sure to make a mental note, "I'll see you around then!"

He left tab money out for both his meal as well as Iruka's before departing. He melted into the crowd of mid-day shoppers on the street and headed uptown. For some reason he could not help but grin felicitously.

He had known the idea was more than likely to be approved of, but all the same, he felt that it was imperative for people to realize that Tama was more than a pretty face.

Sato knew she was a brilliant thinker, fighter, and gifted in general, but only because he spent most of his life growing up with her. Few others could see what he already knew. 'Opportunity is knocking, though! She is going to be so stoked!'

He forgot to knock again. He barged in through the front door of her house with a parade of triumphant babble, and marched past both of her startled parents who were indulging in some sake that afternoon. They blinked at how he had disappeared down the hall and then went back to their drinks.

Sato leapt the staircase and exploded into her bedroom, cheering, "You're going to love meeee!"

She had been trying to fill out a birthday card for her father with little success. It was a bad habit of Sato's to enter her home uninvited and hollering, but most of the time she found it entertaining. Now was no exception. Tama gave up on the card, signing her name with love, and then shoved it aside on her desk. Sato was still rambling about his success.

"Yes, yes, that's great! Now will you keep it down?" She asked urgently, "You'll wake the dead."

"Oh! Right." He quieted down, "Well, I'm sure you will be pleased to hear how your exam is at the end of this week and then you'll be a real ninja!"

"Shh! Yeah, and though that's wonderful you have to remember that my parents can't find out." Tama reminded him with a hiss, "So what's the deal?"

"Iruka-sensei is going to be your examiner, so there's no pressure," Sato explained with a smile, "Today is Sunday, so we have all of this week to get you into shape."

"But...I have work."

"Take off then! You need this training," Sato demanded gently, "Your boss loves you anyway, so she'll cut you a break, right?"

"Possibly..." Tama sighed, and then added, "Alright. We should go quickly before my parents get suspicious. Try to act normal, okay?"

He nodded in compliance and she grabbed her bag, hoping the look of going out for the day would be enough to convince her parents they intended nothing more than common, teenage frivolity. Once on the ground floor again, they passed the kitchen where her parents had been loitering. Tama doubled back to find suitable shoes, and her mother followed her around like a duckling, asking her if she was going on a date.

"Yes Mom, a date, now please, can you help me out here?" Tama answered, her patience wearing thin. She and Miako hunted for the missing pair of heels.

Sato, very much alone with Tama's father, gulped hard when a threatening hand clapped onto his shoulder. He looked up rigidly, trying to appear normal as Tama had instructed. The look on his face was more of constipation rather than relaxation.

"Can I talk to you inside for a second, Sato?" Ken asked with his wine still in hand.

The boy nodded feebly and followed him through the archway into the dinette. Sato knew for a fact that there was a very fine line between love and hate, and that he was tight-rope walking constantly around Maito Ken. Seldom was he ever on the man's good side, and he could tell now was one of those times again. Once out of sight of the women, Ken's facial expression melted into a slate of disapproval.

"Listen well, because I will only say this once," Ken uttered in a threatening hush, "Arranged marriage does not mean that you are entitled to any sort of inappropriate contact with my daughter while you're out. Got that? Dating, boyfriends, girlfriends…these terms do not exist with me. You are a hoodlum and until you clean up your act I will not begin to see the validity of your family's tie with mine, understand?"

"Eep."

"Good." Ken refilled his cup with sake at the counter, "Now go have fun, kiddo."

Sato walked out of the kitchen mechanically. His stomach had taken on the shape of a polyhedron in a matter of seconds and it was both painful and terrifying. Tama ushered him out of the house after she had retrieved her shoes, knowing they'd never escape her mother if they didn't leave quickly. Once out on the street, Sato's nervousness began to ebb away.

"Was it my dad again?" Tama asked apologetically.

"Yeah." He chuckled, "I know he means well but I would never dream of...doing stuff like that."

"I know." She patted his shoulder and the last of his anxiety died out. They stopped into the bakery briefly. Her boss was sweeping flour up off the floor that had been spilled from a bag earlier. Tama explained, in partial truth, what was going on, "Yes, so, I'll need the week off so I can focus on this career project. Is that okay?"

"Sure thing, Tama-chan." Her boss smiled sweetly, "My son is actually coming in. I was going to have you train him but I guess Ami can do it. He needs to try his lazy hands at shop-work for once." Her boss glanced over to Sato who stood reading a list of specialty muffins, "Oh, hey Sato-kun! You're looking as handsome as ever, I see."

He was sheepish, "Wow, really? I didn't even brush my hair this morning."

Tama blushed terribly. She was aware that Sato was maturing, but she felt abashed that her own boss had to point it out in front of her. She thanked her boss with a red face and then hurried out. Sato followed promptly after her to his team's training field.


Tian Tian traveled far and wide and found new freedom in her detachment. She turned away beasts and warriors of all sorts who challenged her. She did take great care not to be tracked down. As time went on, powerful ninja clans pushed further and further into her territories. She was careful to avoid Tasaisha and Juranda, the sons of the Sage of the Six Paths, for they possessed terrible power and many followers.

She came by a new sword, which was not nearly as fine as her last, and performed hired work for lords in need of protection. Though she was paid well her victories in their names it was never as fulfilling as her service to her father.

Instead of money and accolade, Ukigaru had always shared love and wisdom with her. Tian Tian struggled to fill the hollowness of her spirit. It echoed painfully inside of her as she wandered.

After some time she journeyed back to the Land of Stone, curious to its condition. She hid herself in a cowl, not wanting to be recognized, and found that her country had changed far more than she had thought since her departure. Many ninja clans had since pledged fealty to the daimyo of the region. They obeyed his word and proudly went to battle for him. Tian Tian grew suspicious of them as she watched.

An elite group of shinobi in the lord's service had hired peons to carry out lesser tasks. She found out quickly that many of them only acted on their personal interests.

"All of them are men..." She sneered in addition, doubly disgusted by them. Their lack of discipline and honor had gone unnoticed.

Though tempted, Tian Tian made no effort to punish or correct them. She moved on, observing the neighboring villages in the mountains, and the disturbing acts that took place there. Shinobi threatened civilians with their skills to get their way, often attacking without provocation.

Though she had suffered much and wished to be uninvolved, the common people's treatment was more than she could stomach. Tian Tian confronted a band of corrupt ninja while they were passing over a mountain trail.

"Certainly none of you will confess your crimes to your master, will you?" She asked them, careful not to give away her identity, "Boneless cowards like you wouldn't have the heart to take responsibility in front of Ukigaru-sama!"

"There's no need for any confessions, madam" One of them crowed, "We plan to overthrow that man and the daimyo so we can do what we please!"

"Traitors..." Tian Tian hissed, "Filth! What loyalty do you have? To the ones who trained you all and gave you land? Take them for granted and you will pay with your throats!"

They laughed at her. Their leader piped up a moment later, "Look at Miss Hag who hides her face and boasts for her generous, caring lord! Who would be sent to punish us, eh?"

They balked when she charged at them, drawing her sword from beneath her cloak. A few raced ahead to meet her, not underestimating the kunoichi after her furious tirade. They were no match, as she wheeled like a falcon through their ranks with strokes of terrible speed. The startled ninja gained their wits quickly, joining together and avoid her vicious attacks.

Tian Tian, though a fearsome contender, admitted their numbers had weight. Her advantage of surprise was wasted when twenty some-odd warriors began to organize and fight. She kept up her guard, too stubborn to back down. By the time she had dropped a half dozen of her foes, she realized she had help.

One amongst the crowd suddenly turned on his own, raking his leader's neck with a sword, and then sending the rest of them scurrying. Leaderless and terrified, the remaining ninja fled while they could.

Tian Tian, still distrustful, pointed her blade at the oddball, "I don't take too kindly to charity, sir. You will run with the rest of your flock if you are wise."

"How could I do that when my loyalty is to Ukigaru-sama?" The man smiled at her, "I police these lands for him daily. He knows how rowdy it gets out here, and I can say that in all my days of patrolling you are the worst renegade I have seen yet."

He sounded honest enough and peculiarly familiar. Tian Tian relaxed, glad that at least one ninja was still loyal to her father. She figured then she ought to explain who she was, and that she was no criminal, but she was hopelessly distracted by the sword the man was carrying with him.

"That sword is called Taige…and it was once mine." Tian Tian said quietly, confused, "How is it in your possession?"

"I kept it, sensei, as you asked," He told her, "I suppose you don't remember me...it has been a long time."

Strange feelings rose up in her. Tian Tian regarded her companion with a look of distant recollection. Her past seemed less evil to her then, and she laughed softly, "Oh...it is very good to see you again, Yuanjia."


"Would you like some?"

Neji looked up from his book to see Lee offering him food. He had diced peaches on a plate and there were only a few left. He thanked his teammate and helped himself to a slice of fruit. The Hyuga went back to his reading a moment later.

Lee observed his friend curiously, "Is that book you are reading interesting?"

"It's good." Neji answered shortly.

"What is it about, may I ask?"

Neji looked at him, slightly irritated by the prodding, "It isn't as if I'm preoccupied or anything, Lee..."

"My apologies, Neji, I did not mean to interrupt!"

Neji relaxed, reminding himself that being snappish with his teammates would not build a healthy relationship. "I'll tell you what it's about later if you really must know." The Hyuga conceded, "Or you can read it yourself when I'm through with it." He took a bite of peach and went back to his book.

Team Gai was currently deployed on a mission, and a terribly boring one at that. It mostly required their teacher to negotiate clearance with a state official into a restricted building (which Neji found to be a mismatched task on Tsunade's part,) and once inside, apprehend a low-level fugitive hiding there. It had been an hour since Gai had left and they were still waiting for him to return.

Neji had a feeling they would be going on two hours before Gai-sensei could gain anyone's cooperation. He and his teammates made themselves comfortable on the roof of a tenement while they waited. Lee, seeing Neji was not interested in conversation at the moment, looked over to Tenten. From the look of it, she was also not interested. She was on the far side of the roof, nearly out of sight behind a row of air vents.

Lee blinked disbelievingly at the kunoichi. If he was not mistaken he would swear she was practicing Jyukken forms!

It was hardly feasible considering her specialization and lack of a Kekkei Genkai, but all the same, she moved with poise and focus. He goggled for another moment, and then turned to the boy across from him, "Um...Neji?"

The Hyuga heir looked up at him expectantly, but Lee suddenly dismissed his question. Neji went back to his reading, but not after snatching another slice of peach. Lee looked back to Tenten, deciding not to draw Neji's attention to her.

The look on her face as she went through the kata was sheer happiness. She looked accomplished and calm, and Lee then suspected that the only way that she could have learned such a style was from a master of it: their very own Hyuga prodigy.

He smiled to himself, 'But maybe there is more to it than that. Of course he would teach Tenten since they are so very close...but Tenten loves him very much! Could it be that he has finally realized? Is that why her spirit is so light today?'

He glanced back to Neji who still had his nose buried in his book. Lee could not tell from his expression whether or not anything had sparked between his teammates. He was not about to put himself in an embarrassing position and ask either. Lee hoped that whatever the case was that his two friends could end up happy.

His speculation was interrupted when Gai returned looking fatigued, but had finally gotten permission to proceed with their mission. All three genin gathered, disposing of their previous distractions, and followed their teacher across town.


Next: Chapter 4- Return to the Land of Waves!