Anko came out of interrogation with the badly broken Jadeite lying on the floor. He had been a wellspring of information that they had needed.
"Well?" asked the Hokage.
"Rabbit delivered a goldmine. According to this guy, who was one of the top commanders, he serves a woman who goes by the name Queen Beryl who is trying to revive an evil that destroyed some kingdom on the Moon 1,000 years ago. From what our researchers say, there might be some credence to that bizarre claim. Inoichi has already mentioned hearing something about it, so it could be true."
"What is their plan?"
"They seek to find some crystal which they say holds unlimited chakra, sort of like the Kyuubi only much, much smaller and less dangerous. This crystal can only be fully unlocked by the missing princess, though they had no idea who she is or what she even looks like."
"Hmm...We need more information before I can order an attack on their base. Did he mention where it was?"
"Some sort of pocket dimension in a land frozen by ice since before time began," she said.
"Very well. We need to inform Weasel and Rabbit about this new info."
"Understood, Hokage-sama. We'll send any commanders we come across your way if we run across them," said Usagi.
"In the meantime, you can take a break for the day before returning to your base," said Sarutobi.
Where the girl found the missing Flying Thunder God seal, he had no idea, but it was dead useful now. The moment she was able to successfully recreate it, the two had been able to go between Tokyo and Konoha in seconds. As a result, getting backup to her became much easier.
Plus it meant that the two boys who relied so heavily on Itachi and Usagi for support wouldn't be so unhappy.
"Mah, it feels good to be back home!" she said stretching her arms.
"Agreed. Though one would normally think Tokyo was your home town."
"I may have been born there, but Konoha is my home. Anyway, we are about to be tackled in 3, 2, 1..."
"NEE-SAN/NII-SAN!" yelled a pair of voices as the two tackled them.
"When did you get back?" said Naruto excitedly.
"We're only here for a debriefing. We head back tomorrow," said Usagi.
"Can you train with us?" asked Sasuke.
"We can't train with you...but we can go see a movie with you if you want," said Itachi.
"Really?" the two said in sync.
"But before that...RAMEN! I have been having a craving for Ichiraku all week!" declared Usagi.
"YATTA!"
Usagi and Naruto devoured their ramen in eerie synchronization, though Usagi stopped at three bowls.
"If I didn't know any better I would swear the two of you were related by blood," Itachi said deadpan.
"Eh?"
"You two are far too alike in looks and personality for you two to not be related by blood."
Sasuke paused in his special ramen, which Ichiraku dropped a few tomatoes in.
"He has a point. I mean no one in the village has blue eyes and blond hair except you two," he commented.
"Actually...I'm the only blond in the family. It baffled my dad when I was first born. They had to do three blood tests to make sure that they didn't get the wrong kid at the time," admitted Usagi.
"...I can see that one happening," said Itachi.
"Ikuko-kaa-chan is awesome! She makes ramen to rival old man Ichiraku!" declared Naruto.
"I should hope so! When she told me she had adopted you I gave her one of my older ramen recipes!" said Teuchi.
"Ramen is the food of the gods!" Naruto said.
"Agreed, though Mama doesn't like making it that often," said Usagi.
"You two have to be related," said Itachi deadpan.
Usagi looked at her watch.
"Oh no, if we don't hurry then we'll miss the movie!" said Usagi.
Naruto finished his ramen pretty quick after that, and Sasuke drank the last of his broth.
"I call dibs on the popcorn," said Sasuke.
"Chocolate!" declared Usagi.
"I swear you three would eat me out of house and home..." muttered Itachi.
Usagi and Itachi were heading back to the seal area (the place the Hokage set aside for them to go back and forth from Tokyo) when Usagi paused.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Someone is crying..."
Usagi bolted down a hidden alley and Itachi was quick to follow. What they found was a pale boy with a long brush behind his back crying silently. How she heard that kid, he had no clue.
"What's the matter?"
"My brother was killed...and I'm scheduled to get the seal tomorrow..."
"I'm sure your brother wouldn't want you to cry in this dark alleyway. What's your name?"
"I'm Sai."
"Do you have a last name Sai?"
"Just Sai."
Sai was barely any older than their brothers. Usagi lifted him with ease.
"Well Sai, what is this seal you're talking about?"
"Danzo-sama has ordered my superiors to place the special seal on me tomorrow morning..." said Sai.
He may have been programmed complete loyalty to Danzo, but no one could withstand Usagi when it came to her eyes. Her eyes had the strangest ability to break down any conditioning against talking, and it was sometimes used by Anko to break enemy shinobi into telling her what she wanted to know.
Sai curled up into her arms.
"Oh joy...another enters our fold," said Itachi dryly.
"At least we'll be able to fill the Uchiha compound sooner rather than later at this rate," said Usagi with a grin.
"We need to report to the Hokage before we leave," said Itachi.
"We aren't leaving him!" said Usagi.
Sai curled into her arms a little more. Something about her chakra was so soothing that all his defenses crumbled.
"So...the ROOT program is still in existence. Rabbit, Weasel, I grant you permission to take the boy with you to the base, at least until we find a way to get rid of that program once and for all."
"Hai, Hokage-sama!"
Sai stayed very close to Usagi. He felt safe around her. They were about to leave when the door opened. Sai sensed who it was immediately and hid behind Itachi and Usagi. The two closed ranks in front of him without a word, knowing instinctively that someone was coming. Someone that didn't need to know Sai was behind them.
"Hokage-sama. What's this I hear about the seal being active?"
"Which seal are you referring to?"
"The Hiraishin."
"Ah yes, Rabbit and Weasel dropped by to report before they returned to their mission. It seems we weren't aware of the time."
Danzo glared at Usagi. She was a thorn in his side ever since her mother successfully adopted the Kyuubi brat and effectively ruined his plans to turn him into another weapon.
"By your leave, Hokage-sama," said Usagi.
Sai was so effectively hidden between the two that Danzo didn't even see him.
"This is Tokyo?" said Sai.
"The air may stink to high heaven, but their technology is far beyond what is available in Konoha," said Itachi.
"You only say it stinks because of the car exhaust fumes," said Usagi annoyed.
"The air does...have a strange smell," said Sai.
Itachi grinned at his girlfriend who glared at them both.
"For that you two are making supper tonight!" she declared.
Before Itachi could say a thing she had one final parting shot.
"AND NO CAMPFIRE JUTSU!" she yelled.
"Damn."
Sai looked at Itachi with confusion.
"What does she mean by that?"
"Whenever I get stuck with cooking duty, I always use my fire jutsu to make the food. More often than not Usagi has to have a bucket handy in case the thing goes out of control. She has also made a point to keep extra kunai in the kitchen for some reason..."
Usagi reappeared with new take out menus.
"That's because half the time he attempts to cook, for some reason the damn thing comes alive and tries to kill us," she said annoyed.
Sai looked at Itachi with mistrust. Anyone who could create living things simply by cooking...
"This is Rabbit. I think I've located the four other senshi," said Usagi.
"How sure are you?" asked Sai.
"Well for starters that damn cat is there with another one next to it," said Usagi annoyed.
Itachi had filled Sai in on the cat that kept bothering her and the fact that until ordered it was to be left alone.
Usagi waited before saying "I'm going in. Itachi, bring Sai to the Hikawa Shrine. That's where they are located."
"Hai. See you in fifteen, Rabbit."
Usagi decided a little scare was in order. Without alerting the others to her presence, she appeared on the nearby tree branch wearing her mask.
"Yo."
"EEP!" yelped the four girls.
"Who are you?!" demanded Luna.
"Mah mah...that's no way to treat an ally," said Usagi taking off the Rabbit mask.
"Luna, who is this?" asked the white cat.
"ANBU designation Rabbit, Tsukino Usagi. Yoroshiku!"
"Where is the locket?" demanded Luna crossly.
"I sent that thing to the research department to figure what sort of genjutsu you had on it, since that thing took control of my body every time I wore it," answered Usagi annoyed.
You could see the sparks flying between the cat and the girl.
"Ano...who are you?" asked the only other blond in the room.
"Right. I can assume Luna here never mentioned me."
"You're that girl who sent Jadeite somewhere else!" said Rei.
"I sent him where he would receive the treatment he deserves. Anko sure had a lot of fun breaking him from what I heard."
Luna looked at her in shock.
"What did you do?" she demanded.
"I got information that none of you would have been able to get. For starters their main base is in a pocket dimension surrounded by a literal sea of ice that has been around since the 'Moon Kingdom.' Their main objective is to find some sort of crystal and kill the missing princess before she learns how to use it. The leader of their group is a woman called Queen Beryl and she seeks to free a being called Metallia by draining civilians of their energy and use the crystal."
The four girls stared at her.
"How did you learn all that in less than a month?" asked the blond.
"I sent the one called Jadeite to a woman who specializes in interrogation. Most people cave when they deal with her," shrugged Usagi.
Itachi and Sai appeared behind her.
"Right. Now we need some introductions!" said Usagi.
"Hino Rei," said the miko.
"Mizuno Ami," said the blue haired girl.
"Kino Makoto," said the brunette.
"Aino Minako," said the blond.
"I'm Artemis and you've already meet Luna," said the white cat.
"Tsukino Usagi, chunin."
"Uchiha Itachi, Jounin."
"Sai."
"Now that that's out of the way...WHO THE HECK ARE YOU PEOPLE!?" said Minako.
"We are shinobi sent from Konohagakure no Sato to find and exterminate the source of these 'youma' before they do real damage to the land of Fire. Because of the more frequent attacks here in Tokyo, our Hokage sent us here," said Usagi.
"Why is Luna glaring at you?" asked Ami.
"Because of some locket I received in a game that was letting off a suspicious energy, she had the strange notion that I am one of the senshi, specifically the Moon."
"If you aren't going to live up to your destiny then give it back so I can find the real one!" said Luna hotly.
Usagi glared at her.
"And let you brainwash some other innocent civilian? Absolutely not!"
"Wait, brainwash?" said Minako suspiciously.
"The locket I got had the ability to brainwash me. During the initial use of it I lost all control of my body and my fighting ability went down the drain once I transformed. It has also been absorbing the chakra that for some reason has always spilled out of me since I was little," explained Usagi.
"How do you know it was brainwashing you?" demanded Luna.
Usagi looked at her and said flatly "I don't monologue and I place explosive tags on people who do."
"It's true. The last time someone tried to do that within her hearing she set a tag on him and it exploded pink paint all over him. The genin teams had to clean up that mess for weeks," said Itachi.
"Who or what are you people?" asked Rei.
"We are shinobi, or as the civilians sometimes call us, Ninjas," said Usagi, Sai and Itachi.
"I thought ninjas looked like this and went 'nin, nin' all the time?" asked Makoto, pulling out one of her ninja manga.
Itachi took one look at the ninja in the manga and did something that would have most people in Konoha staring. He laughed his ass off.
Usagi looked at the book and grinned.
"No one looks like this anymore unless they want to look like a cliché throwback!" she giggled.
Sai even smiled when he saw the book.
Makoto looked disappointed. She had hoped that they wouldn't make fun of her.
"In any case, most of what this book has in it is possible, it just doesn't happen as often as you think," said Usagi, handing it back.
(The book in question was Negima, in case any of you were wondering.)
"So what do modern ninjas do?" asked Ami, curious.
Usagi grinned.
"What do you think Itachi, should we?"
"Nothing flashy," he said calmly.
Sai hid a grin. He would be able to show the people who saved him his special talent.
Usagi made a series of handsigns and said "Time to show my newest trick! Summoning Jutsu!"
Itachi looked at his girlfriend with interest. He wasn't aware she had signed a summoning contract.
"Yo!" said the tiny kitsune.
"KUWAII!" said the girls as one.
"When did you sign that contract?" asked Itachi.
"Huh...I don't remember."
"According to the boss, you signed it two days ago while you were still in Konoha. Your name showed up around that time," said the fox.
"Hey that's when I had that weird dream again!" said Usagi.
"I suppose it's my turn then," said Itachi.
"Fire Style: Grand Fireball!" said Itachi.
The girls clapped at his demonstration of the technique.
"Who said it wasn't supposed to be flashy?" said Usagi.
"Alright Sai, let's see what your specialty is," said Itachi.
Sai took out a long scroll and his paint set. At first Usagi thought he was a seal master like her...until he put his brush to scroll. In the span of a few minutes, Sai had painted an accurate picture of Luna and Artemis.
And then the picture came out of the scroll.
"So your ability is to bring pictures to life? Interesting!" said Usagi.
"I don't look that fat!" said Luna annoyed.
"I don't know, that double seems pretty accurate to me," said Artemis, looking at his.
The look Luna sent Artemis could have set him on fire.
"So what exactly is the plan?" asked Usagi.
"Plan?" asked Minako.
"Yes. Surely you four have at least a rudimentary plan to take out this threat to your homes?" said Itachi.
"Um...well, that is..." said Luna.
"You don't have a plan aside from hit and run tactics, do you?" said Usagi.
Their silence was all that was needed.
"I see. Well, since you four are the only ones who can take out the youma in the city without us calling for backup... I have three choices for you," said Usagi.
"And those are?" asked Minako.
"One, you continue on as you have and possibly get killed because your fighting skills are sub par at best," said Itachi.
"Two, we call in reinforcements and take care of this ourselves, though the cost will be extremely high on our end and possibly this end as well," said Sai.
"Or three... We train you so that you can handle the youma threat with only us as your back up, and that way you won't be killed on accident," said Usagi.
"How can two teens and a child train the senshi so that they don't get killed by youma?" scoffed Luna.
The cat froze when it felt something fly past her ear and into the wood. She slowly turned her head...to find a razor sharp throwing star.
"Don't mock someone who can slip into your home and kill you in the night without getting caught. Though out of the three of us only Itachi has ever done that...I think," said Usagi.
"Usagi, just because you're the only high chunin level without a single kill to your record..."
Usagi gave him a raspberry.
"I'm the only one without a kill count, yet I still have a name back home!" said Usagi annoyed.
"It's true. Usagi-san is called the Siren of the Seals...while Itachi-san has yet to get a name attached to him," said Sai.
"How did you know that Sai?" asked Usagi.
Sai reached into his shuriken pouch to pull out...
"Where did you get a BINGO book?!" said Usagi in surprise.
"Required reading," said Sai.
"That does it, we're getting you some manga...and art books," said Usagi firmly.
"What's a BINGO book?" asked Ami.
Usagi handed it to her.
"This is...!"
"A book of people who have ever made an name for themselves in the Elemental countries or have turned traitor. Because of my record my bounty isn't high at all."
The only thing running through Luna's mind was 'If that girl is the princess I am going to bang my head against the wall...'