A Few Well Spoken Words

Chapter Four

Yeah, I know I should be updating my other fics, sue me! The Yellow Flash of Kiri is done, but still needs to be proofread. Should be up soon. On another note this fic has recently passed 100 reviews! Thank you all for reviewing, it was this unfathomable response that inspired me to write this chapter, instead of working on my other fics. Don't worry though, I will start on the next chapters of my other stories soon! Don't forget to review at the end!

X.X.X.X

A gust of wind blew through the single open window, ruffling the unkempt blond hair of a certain boy. The boy was none other than Uzumaki Naruto. It had been two and a half years since the boy had been put under Guren's command. He was now clothed in a loose orange kimono top, with open sleeves that extended to just below his finger tips. The top was tucked into a pair of navy blue pants, that were bandaged at each ankle. A rope belt of the same color was secured firmly around his waist, looping in a way that was reminiscent of his snake like master. A pair of standard blue shinobi sandals finished his outfit. While Naruto had gone through several prominent exterior changes, including a distinctive height difference, the biggest change was not so overt. Once upon a time Naruto's eyes would have been described as a pair of deep blue orbs that seemed to radiate good intentions. They were not so simple to describe now. The Jinchuriki's eyes were an abyss of secrecy. While they were undoubtedly black as night, upon closer inspection one could see a dim glow, comparable to a lit fuse in the depths of an underground cave.

Next to him stood his teammate, Hozuki Suigetsu, sporting an outfit much like the one he wore when he'd first been recruited into Oto's forces. The white haired boy's lips twisted into an irritated scowl. "Come on, this is pretty much our only chance for over a year!"

Orochimaru sighed as he ran a hand through his silky hair. "Why is it you insist on arguing, knowing full well the results will remain unchanged?"

"Please Orochimaru-sama. When else will we get a chance like this? We're already in eastern Fire Country." Suigetsu whined, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"What do you think Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru questioned, turning his attention to his prized pupil. "You've been to Wave Country before, do you think he'd be caught by Konoha's forces?"

Naruto seemed to contemplate his answer for a moment, "Alone... Probably, considering he would have to travel through at least one patrol of Anbu to get there." Seeing his teammates look of dread, Naruto decided to continue. "Which is why he won't be going alone. I'm going to go with him."

"Are you sure that is wise? What if someone from Konoha is able to recognize you?" Orochimaru questioned with a hint of amusement.

"Suigetsu and I will be more than enough for any genin team, should we cross them by mistake. I've also studied Konoha's Anbu routes well enough to be able to avoid them entirely."

"I suppose I'll allow it. I trust your judgement," Orochimaru nodded his head as he dismissed his subordinates. "I may have an assignment for you while you're at this. Summon a messenger snake after you have retrieved the Kubikiribōchō."

The two teenagers nodded, before exiting the room.

X.X.X.X

The two elite members of Oto traveled in silence. The whisking sound of air was the only thing breaking through the tranquility of the forest as the two traveled through the dense foliage of Fire Country's forests. They had been traveling at breakneck speeds for a few hours, and were just under half way through their trip. Suigetsu yawned as he picked in his ear. "So this is Fire Country? Seems a little ironic, knowing that one good forest fire would burn this place to the ground."

Naruto's lips pulled into a thin smirk as he nodded his head in agreement. Memories of his forgotten life flashed through his mind. He faintly remembered his initial feeling of excitement during his first mission to wave. It seemed to be so long ago, but Naruto shook his head in annoyance as he recalled his previous team. 'It's been a while. We were so weak back then. Sometimes, I just can't help but think... What are you doing now; Kakashi, Sakura?'

X.X.X.X

Sakura's cherry lips curled into a grin as she broke apart her chopsticks. "Thank you Teuchi-san!"

The old ramen chef shook his head as a sad smile touched his lips. "I told you to forget the formalities, Sakura! You've eaten here so much in the past few years that you're practically family."

The pink haired girl nodded as she brought her chopsticks to her lips, savoring the salty flavor of the noodles. It was times like these where she could somewhat understand her former teammate's unhealthy addiction to the broth. Thoughts of her former team brought a frown to Sakura's lips as she continued to eat her meal. She had changed greatly since Naruto's defection. Not only had she become the apprentice of the Hokage, but she'd also gone about a wardrobe change as well. She now had a new outfit consisting of the same basic red top as before. The main differences were her black gloves, black low-heeled boots, black shorts, pink apron-like skirt, and pink elbow protectors. The sound of rustling flaps snapped the girl from her daze, as she turned to see a familiar group of people arrive.

"This is so stupid, Choji! Why do we have to eat here? Do you know how bad ramen is for your health?"

The medically trained ninja's ears perked as she heard the voice of her best friend. "Ino, Choji! It's good to see you guys!"

A bright smile illuminated Ino's face as she sat in the vacant seat next to her friend. "Sakura, it's been forever!" Ino had also changed her outfit. She now wore a purple midriff shirt, an opened purple skirt and a black skirt underneath.

Sakura chuckled sheepishly, "Yeah, Tsunade-sama has been running me into the ground lately. All I want to do is go home and take a nap..." Sakura spoke as her face morphed into a look of confusion, "Speaking of naps, where's Shikamaru?"

"T- troublesome..." A wheezing voice called out as said genius arrived, struggling to carry two enormous bags of clothes. Shikamaru looked remarkably similar to his younger self, the only difference being the sewn in Konoha plate on his shoulder.

Choji chuckled as he ordered his meal, "Ino's making Shikamaru carry all her stuff. Something about losing a bet...?" He now wore a red top, with traditional Akimichi armor. The larger boy had also grown out his hair.

Shikamaru sighed as he took the seat next to Ino. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, "We were betting on the Jonin promotions... I thought for sure I'd win."

"Oh! I thought you were in the running for being promoted, Shika?" Sakura asked.

Ino's cold glare shifted towards her teammate. "He was. The lazy bum was offered Jonin, but he turned them down!"

The Nara groaned as he tried vainly to tune out his teammate, "I thought it would be easier just to stay a Chunin. Less responsibility, and more cloud watching time. It's a win as far as I'm concerned."

"Do you know how many people would have killed to be promoted? Sometimes you're just so stupid! You could have been one of the only two of our class to make Jonin already!" Ino yelled at her childhood friend's antics.

"Two?" Sakura asked in confusion, "Neji is technically a year above us, you know."

Choji shook his head as he spoke through a mouthful of food, "She's not talking about Neji -" He had continued but Sakura was not able to comprehend his words.

"What he meant was, Hinata just got promoted too. Technically it's just Special Jounin, but it's still a hell of a lot better than any of us." Shikamaru explained.

"No way," Sakura smiled as she thought about the Hyuga heiress. "To think she used to be the quiet, weird girl that wouldn't hurt a fly..."

"Yeah, but then she started to train with Anko-sensei. I thought Asuma-sensei was a tough teacher, but I couldn't even dream of being taught by that sadist!" Ino shivered as memories of the forest of death resurfaced.

"I know," Choji agreed, "She really took Naruto's defection hard - OWCH!" Ino jabbed the Akimichi with her elbow, nudging her head towards a downcast Sakura. "Oops, sorry Sakura! I didn't mean to bring bad memories up..."

Sakura smiled at the muscular teen, "It's fine, people won't be able to say those things once I bring Naruto home."

X.X.X.X

"The Great Naruto Bridge?" Suigetsu whistled in appreciation as he turned to his teammate in shock. "How'd you get a bridge named after you? And one that is so enormous!"

An amused smile touched Naruto's features as he began to walk across the bridge. "My first C-ranked mission was to escort a bridge builder back here. It was clearly mislabeled, as Tazuna couldn't afford an A-ranked escort team. I guess I inspired the town."

Suigetsu hurried after his partner as they continued across the enormous bridge. He barely suppressed a snort when he heard the blonde's words. "You don't strike me as the kind of guy who's overly inspirational."

"What can I say? I was young."

"Yo, you there!" A voice called from ahead. The Oto-nin looked up to see two intimidating Samurai guards. The one who had originally spoken clenched his sword. "Who are you two?"

"I didn't know wave had Samurai." Suigetsu whispered into his blond haired teammates ear.

"They don't." Naruto responded as he cleared his throat. "We are just visiting relatives in Nami. Their names are Tazuna, Inari, and Tsunami."

The Samurai's barely visible eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Tell me... Why would a visiting civilian need to mask their chakra levels?"

To Naruto's credit he didn't even skip a beat, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't act like an idiot! I am a prestigious member of Fire Country's Samurai forces, I can tell when someone is masking their chakra." The Samurai chuckled, "Oh I know who you are. You are wanted throughout the world, Uzumaki Naruto."

The other Samurai laughed, "For such a wanted man I would have expected you to be a bit older. You're not even armed!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed as a blue glow enveloped his hand. Before the Samurai could even blink, Naruto had spun inside his guard. With one precise movement the Jinchuriki was able to land a vicious chop on his opponent's neck. He smirked as a ripping noise assaulted his eardrums, before the Samurai's head detached from its body. "I'm a wind user; everything is my weapon."

A low growl escaped the throat of the sole remaining Samurai as he unsheathed his sword. He quickly brought the blade down in a diagonal slash, attempting to slay the homicidal blond. Naruto yawned as he merely tilted his head to the right, effortlessly dodging the kenjutsu attack. The Samurai let out a war cry as he began to swing wildly at the Jinchuriki, desperately hoping to subdue his powerful enemy. Naruto was easily able to dodge the barbaric strikes, never moving more than an inch or two from his initial position. Growing bored, the Sharingan user ducked low under a horizontal slash, before twisting behind his opponent and bringing his palm forward in a menacing thrust. The Samurai was sent flying off the bridge, becoming the next meal of Wave Country's bloodthirsty ocean.

"Man those Samurai are nothing but jokes!" Suigetsu chuckled as he disposed of the remaining body.

"Those weren't Samurai," Naruto rolled his eyes as he continued his interrupted trek across the bridge, "They were just some wanna be bounty hunters who got their hands on an extra pair of Fire Country armor. Real Samurai are definitely stronger than that."

Suigetsu nodded as they continued across the endless bridge, "So how far is Zabuza-senpai's grave?"

"It's about a mile from here." Naruto answered as he disappeared in a blur. Suigetsu groaned as he followed suit, blurring from view just as a patrol of Wave's actual guards walked past.

X.X.X.X

"Well I'll be damned!" Suigetsu's lips curled into a sadistic grin as he inspected Zabuza's grave. "This is the real deal. You really did kill Zabuza-senpai, didn't you fish cakes?"

Naruto rolled his eyes at the nickname. After the kenjutsu user had discovered Naruto's unhealthy obsession for ramen, he had pointed out that a naruto was a fishcake used to top the noodles. Since that day the water user had continually called the Jinchuriki as such, knowing full well that it annoyed Naruto to no end. "Well, technically it was about fifty of Gato's thugs that eventually took him down."

"So where's Kubikiribōchō?" Suigetsu questioned as his eyes surveyed the area, looking for any sign of the infamous decapitation device.

Naruto's brow scrunched in confusion. "It should be here..."

"Don't tell me that I came all the way out here for nothing?" Suigetsu growled as he turned an irritated gaze on his teammate.

The Jinchuriki's onyx orbs narrowed as an indent on the ground caught his attention. Upon closer inspection the indent was a fresh footprint. "No, someone was here in the last hour." Naruto's eyebrow rose as he heard the quick footsteps of a frantic runner.

"Naruto-nii-san?"

X.X.X.X

A short boy who appeared to be no older than twelve appeared in the clearing, littered in dirt and sweat. He was wearing a unremarkable green t-shirt with a pair of khaki shorts. "Is that really you?"

Naruto looked at the boy warmly, "Inari, it's been a while."

"I can't believe you're actually back!" Inari grinned as turned a weary glance towards Suigetsu, "Who's the creepy looking guy?"

Suigetsu's eye twitched in annoyance as he stared into the boy's eyes, "Can I kill him?"

Inari's cheeks paled as he shot his idol a look of horror. Naruto sighed as he waved his hand dismissively. "No Suigetsu, you can't solve every problem by killing people."

The bloodthirsty nuke-nin whined as he resisted the urge to call the blond on his hypocrisy. Suigetsu shot a toothy grin towards Inari, his sharp teeth unnerving the boy. "You're a lucky kid."

"Now Inari, do you know where the Kubikiribōchō is?" Naruto asked with a kind smile.

Inari's eyes widened as he bit his lower lip, "No, what's that?"

Naruto's smile immediately twisted into a frown. Now Uzumaki Naruto was normally quite a patient person, but a few things could really send him over the edge. One of these things were self righteous Konoha-nin who thought they could never do wrong. The other was a person who lied directly to his face. It wasn't so much the actual bending the truth part, no he could live with that. Lying was basically in a Shinobi's description. The part that really sent Naruto over the edge was the blatant disrespect. He couldn't help but feel that when people lied to him, they were inadvertently downplaying his abilities. Did they really believe he couldn't determine truth from fiction? "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"W - what do you mean?" Inari gulped.

"I'm a trained Shinobi, I know when you're lying." Naruto stated as he began to leak his killing intent.

Sweat began to pour down Inari's face as he shook his head in denial, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Naruto disappeared from view. Inari gasped as he felt cold steel pressed against his throat. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a pair of pitch black eyes that seemed to be glowing in fury. Inari blinked away tears as he felt the felt the sword against his windpipe.

Suigetsu grinned as he saw the blonde's display of speed. His eyes narrowed as he realized that Naruto didn't carry a sword. The white haired boy blinked as he glanced down towards his belt. His katana sheath was empty. 'God dammit that show off!'

"Inari, please tell me where the sword is. I don't want to kill you." Naruto whispered as he pressed Suigetsu's katana a little harder against the boy's throat.

Inari was now in tears as he realized his situation, "What happened to you? The Naruto I know would never act like this! You're no better than Gato was!"

The Jinchuriki chuckled as he locked eyes with his prisoner. Inari's breathing momentarily ceased when he saw a pair of eyes that would forever haunt him; a pair of blood red eyes with a slit pupil stared back into his own. "You're wrong about that. I'm worse."

The boy barely resisted the urge to vomit as he gave in, "The sword... Tazuna-jii took it back. He said that some people needed it and that I couldn't tell anyone. He made me promise!"

Naruto nodded as he twisted around and tapped a pressure point on the boy's neck, rendering him unconscious immediately.

Suigetsu snorted as Naruto slung the boy over his shoulder, "You were never going to hurt him either way, were you?" The Jinchuriki opted to ignore his partner and began the journey to the house. Suigetsu chuckled as he determined his partner's answer, "You're nothing but a softie after all, huh fish cakes?"

Naruto shot his partner a heated glare, "I have moral issues that don't agree with harming innocent children. That doesn't mean I won't kill you, Suigetsu."

Suigetsu chuckled sheepishly as he looked at the blond questioningly. "That was a joke right?" If he was hoping for a response he was surely disappointed. "...Right?"

X.X.X.X

Tsunami sighed as she finished setting the table. She was a little worried about Inari. It wasn't like him to stay out so late. "What do you think Dad?"

Tazuna took a swig from his bottle of sake as he turned his gaze on his daughter. "What do you mean?"

"About Inari, and those Ninja from earlier."

"Yeah those ninja were definitely something. When you think about a group of foreign ninja coming to forcefully retrieve a weapon, those guys definitely aren't the first people who would pop into my mind." Tazuna yawned as he slowly brought his bottle to his mouth.

"I know!" Tsunami giggled, "They seemed to be fighting more than they were threatening us. That blue haired kid was so sweet!"

"Heh," Tazuna snorted, "The kid was a pansy! That guy with the eye patch really knew how to keep him in line though." The two were interrupted from their argument as a soft knock on the door alerted them to the presence of a visitor. "I wonder who that is?"

"Inari maybe?" Tsunami offered as she disappeared back into the kitchen.

"I don't think so. Inari never knocks." A sickly feeling began to develop in Tazuna's gut as he contemplated ignoring the door. The knocking noise suddenly ceased as the old drunk let out a breath he'd been holding. Just as he was about to return to his position on the couch, a loud crash assaulted his eardrums. Tazuna yelped as he turned to see the door explode from its hinges. Stepping from the dust were two teen-aged boys.

"I don't care if it was unnecessary! When I knock on the door, goddammit, someone better answer!" The white haired teen shouted as he stomped inside. His purple orbs locked with Tazuna's own black as the mysterious assailant developed an overly kind grin. "You must be Tazuna. I'm Suigetsu, It's a pleasure to meet you."

X.X.X.X

A loud crash echoed through the house as Tsunami rushed out of the kitchen and into the living room. She gasped as she saw an intimidating looking boy step in and begin to converse with her father.

"What do you think you're doing punk? Do you know how much that door cost me?" Tazuna shouted as he flicked his wrist forward, sending his bottle of sake sailing threw the air at amazing speeds.

A dry chuckle escaped Suigetsu's lips as he lazily caught the bottle. He took a swig and flashed the elder man a grin, "I think I might like you old man."

A horror stricken cry escaped Tsunami's lips as a blond teen appeared in the doorway, an unconscious Inari on his shoulder. "What did you do to my son?"

"He's just taking a little nap. Don't worry," Naruto explained as he gently set the boy's body on a nearby couch.

Tazuna's eyes widened in recognition as he inspected the blond haired teen. "Naruto? Is that you?"

"Yes. It's good to see you again Tazuna." Naruto responded.

"I'd like to say the same," Tazuna flashed the Jinchuriki a suspicious look, "but you did break down my door."

"That was Suigetsu. He gets irritated when people don't answer their doors, especially when he knows that they are home." The Uzumaki heir responded cooly.

"Oh, well it should be fine! I won't mind as long as you guys pay for the damage, and maybe donate a little money for the inconvenience." Tazuna nodded sagely.

"Listen here you old goat - "

"Suigetsu," Naruto cut off the irritable man, "I'll take care of this." He wasn't asking. "Tazuna, you don't happen to know where the large zanbato that was buried with Zabuza went, do you?

Tazuna looked at the boy suspiciously, "Yeah... I just handed it over to some Kiri-nin who said it was rightfully theres, why?"

Suigetsu's eyes narrowed, "Which way did they go?"

"Ummm," the bridge builder began as he pointed south-west, "That way!" Before he had even finished his sentence Suigetsu was gone. Tazuna turned to Naruto, "What was that all about?"

Naruto shook his head as he looked in Tazuna's eyes. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I can't have you remembering any of this." The Sharingan flashed to life as the two residents slumped to the ground. Naruto sighed as he took off after his partner.

X.X.X.X

Two shinobi flew through the sparse forests of Wave Country. They seemed to be from the land of water, shown by the Kirigakure symbol etched into their plates. One appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties, judging by his meek frame. He had short blue hair, and dark eyes. Covering those eyes were a pair of square glasses that extended into earmuffs. The boy wore a blue, pin striped shirt and a pair of camouflage pants. The rays of sunlight reflected off his jagged teeth. The most striking feature was the enormous, bandaged sword strapped to his back.

"Dammit Chojuro," his elder companion huffed as he attempted to match the younger boy's pace. He appeared to be middle aged, and had pointed blue hair. He was dressed in a long green battle kimono, with a black striped shirt underneath. The man had an eye patch covering his right eye. On his back was the famed Kubikiribōchō, and he appeared to be having a little more difficulty carrying the giant blade than his smaller friend. "How do you carry such a big sword everywhere?"

The now named Chojuro blushed in embarrassment, "You get used to it. Although I'm still not very good at carrying Hiramekarei... Zabuza and Kisame-senpai were able to carry their swords for miles without breaking a sweat."

The older man rolled his visible eye. "Will you just take a compliment? You're supposed to be one of the seven swordsmen for god's sake!"

"A - ano, I'm sorry Ao."

"Don't apologize, just grow a backbone!" Ao berated his companion as they continued their pace through the trees. A sudden tingle coursed through Ao's spine as he brought his right hand into a half ram seal. 'Byakugan!' The veins around his eye patch bulged as began to inspect his surroundings. His single visible eye locked with Chojuro's own as he conveyed a silent message. The two Kiri-nin shared a nod before they flung themselves in opposite directions, just as an enormous torrent of wind leveled the branch they were previously standing on.

"What... what was that?" Chojuro shouted as he silently dropped to the ground, followed shortly after by his partner.

Ao's lips parted slightly as a group of shuriken appeared in his hand. He quickly spun on his heel and whipped the deadly stars in a seemingly random direction. The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed throughout the field as a white haired boy appeared, katana drawn. Almost immediately after a blond dropped down next to him.

"Well, if it isn't Chojuro of the mist?" The white haired boy shot Chojuro a toothy grin.

"W-who are you? How do you know me?" Chojuro questioned as he subconsciously inched his hand towards Hiramekarei.

The purple clad shinobi snorted. "You don't recognize Mangetsu's little brother?"

Chojuro's features paled as his eyes widened in recognition. Of course he'd remember his successor, the very man who had made the Hiramekarei feared throughout the world. "Suigetsu? I thought you were dead..."

"Apparently not, and as good as it is to see you after all of these years... We'll be taking both of those swords off your hands." Suigetsu smirked as he slid his katana into its sheath.

Ao snorted as he slid into a fighting stance, "Really now? You're just a couple of kids. What could you possibly do against a Jonin of Kiri and one of the Seven Swordsmen?"

Instead of answering, Naruto merely extended his right arm. "Sen'eijashu!" A group of snakes exploded from his sleeve, fangs dripping with venom. Ao was momentarily taken back by the impressive speed of the technique, but luckily he was able to react in time. Visible chakra shrouded Ao's finger tips as he danced around the snakes, effortlessly dispelling each with a simple tap of his fingers. He slid into a modified Gentle Fist stance and turned a calculative glance toward the snake user.

"Snake summoning? You wouldn't happen to be Orochimaru of the Sanin, would you?"

"No, my name is Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto replied as cracked his neck in preparation.

Ao's lips parted in recognition, "I've heard of you. You're the man that killed Momochi Zabuza?"

"And if I am?" Naruto questioned as he tilted his head to the side. The Jinchuriki's eyes narrowed as he flipped backwards and scarcely avoided an enormous club of chakra. The attack demolished the ground he was standing on, creating an impressive crater. Naruto's dull eyes locked with Chojuro's determined gaze. He was grasping the handle of his unwrapped blade, a large stream of chakra shrouding the legendary weapon. "That's an impressive ability. I'm sure Orochimaru would love to have such a blade."

'This guy killed Zabuza-senpai! I don't know if I can beat him...' The swordsmen thought gravely as his confidence faltered. He was so distracted he wasn't able to detect Suigetsu's presence until it was too late.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!" A voice called as the serpentine torrent of water crashed into Chojuro's unprotected form. Chojuro was barely able to raise Hiramekarei in a feeble defense. The powerful blade was able to protect its wielder from a portion of the attack, but he was still sent tumbling across the ground. Suigetsu appeared next to his teammate an instant later, gulping down the remainder of a bottle of water. "You're fight is with me!"

X.X.X.X

Hyuga Hinata sighed as she slid open the door of the Hokage's office. "Greetings Hokage-sama."

"What is it Hinata?" Tsunade's brown eyes locked with the younger girl's pale orbs. A smirk touched the slug user's lips as memories of a younger, more reclusive Hinata surfaced. Tsunade could say with one hundred percent certainty that Hinata had changed the most out of all of her graduating class. Not only was she the highest ranking member of her class, she was also undoubtedly the most talented. After being promoted to Special Jonin at the tender age of sixteen, that fact was not up for discussion. She was no longer constantly stuttering, and she definetely wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. 'I suppose she may have acquired that trait from Anko.'

"You called me here?" The heiress responded as she tugged at a strand of her long hair, a nervous habit she had developed as a child. Hinata's change in hair style was not the only noteworthy difference in her exterior appearance. The first thing Anko had done was rid the girl of her heavy, movement restrictive jacket. Hinata was now dressed in a low cut, short sleeved shirt. The tight cloth framed her sizable bosom. Underneath the shirt she wore a long sleeved fishnet top. A pair of tight blue pants and matching sandals finished her outfit.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded as she dug through a pile of scrolls, "Here it is! I have a mission for you."

"What will this mission entail?"

"If I'm not mistaken, this will be your very first mission as a Jonin commander, won't it?" Tsunade asked with a confident grin. Hinata merely nodded. "Good. You will be leading a team consisting of three chunin of your choice, preferably those you are well acquainted with."

"I understand, what is the objective of the mission?" Hinata questioned as she began to mentally shift through profiles of the chunin who met her needs.

"You will be protecting a wagon full of chakra armor. Thanks to our recent trade agreements with the land of snow; they have agreed to sell us some of their pioneer models, in hopes that we will be able to improve their existing sets. I trust you know how valuable chakra armor will be towards restoring are militant power?" Tsunade questioned as she cleared her throat. "Good, I expect you to leave tomorrow morning."

"Of course. I won't disappoint you Hokage-sama!"

X.X.X.X

In a shadow room a sickly pale figure stared intently at the contents of a scroll. A low chuckle echoed through the room as he reread the scroll. "A shipment of chakra armor? Kukuku, very interesting..." With these words the figure blurred through a set of hand seals. In a cloud of smoke, a small garter snake appeared.

"What is your request, Orochimaru-sama?"

"When Naruto summons you, inform him of his next assignment," Orochimaru ordered as his pale lips twisted into a cruel smirk. "I want him to intercept a shipment from Snow Country."

"Will that be all?" The snake hissed.

"Oh," the traitorous snake halted his words as he contemplated his next course of action. "Tell him to leave no survivors."