In Kaminari no Kuni, visitors from Hi no Kuni looked on a small plot of land that had, until a few weeks past, been well cared for. Quietly, under night's cloak, they filtered into the house and yard.
The conclusion was swift.
"They haven't been here for days, maybe more than a week," Kiba said as he walked out beside his ever present friend Akamaru. "This guy travels fast, the Hokage had us out after him within two hours. With this address."
"Any sign of where they might have gone?" Neji asked grimly.
"Not that I found," Tenten noted with a frown. "This fellow seems to be as slippery as they come. There's some ashes in the fire."
"Let's fall back then," Neji said. "Come back in by day and ask the locals if they know anything."
"I have a feeling this is going to be a dead end," Kiba noted grimly.
Neji couldn't help but agree. Still, they couldn't leave any stones unturned.
"Moment," Tenten said, going back into the building and taking one of her blank scrolls. "They left their daughters' things behind. We might as well collect those."
The kunoichi's attitude was more than a little angry. She was a mother herself and couldn't really understand writing off a child in the manner these two had apparently done.
When none of the villagers could say what had happened to Nodoka Saotome or her husband, they were not surprised. There was some discussion of a son in Mizu no Kuni, but there was no specific knowledge. The two had not been very close to the other villagers and most interaction with the family seemed to have been through the two girls.
Disappointed and a thirst for retribution frustrated, the ninjas and the dog returned home.
****
"Natsume and Ryuu sent word," Akane said over her shoulder as she rocked the infant to sleep. "They'll be visiting soon. I think my father is coming with them."
"That'll be good," Ranma said. "Been a month or two since we saw them."
Ranma walked to the door to answer the sound of the knocking, listening to his wife take care of their son and smiling at the peaceful sound. Somewhere, Noriko was keeping her promise to help around the house. Loshun was in the back practicing her own style's katas. Aside from those two, the students had mostly gone home for the day.
Even Miyako had headed home to fulfill her own family duties, though she had lingered a fair bit.
Looking out the window, the sun was more than half-way set already.
When he opened it, he more than slightly wished that he hadn't.
"Hey boy!" Genma said loudly. "We heard the great news."
"Oh, I'm so proud of you, Ranma," Nodoka crowed right next to him.
"Mom," Ranma said, nodding respectfully to his mother. "Oyaji."
The reference to his father was much less affectionate.
"I didn't expect to see you," he said blandly.
"Oh, and how could we stay away from our son as he finally set about building his family," Nodoka asked. "Don't worry about your father, he will be on his best behavior."
Ranma looked over his shoulder and noticed a very sour Akane looking down towards the voices.
"He'd better be," Ranma said. "Right now, I'm going to set some ground rules."
"That's as it should be," Nodoka noted in acceptance. "This is your house."
"No, this is our house," Ranma said. "Akane's and mine. That's ground rule one, Akane's my wife, not my servant. Ground rule number two, you don't give the other four masters of Musabetsu Kakuto Tadashita-Ryu any crap about me. That includes Akane, the Kumons and Kurumi Tendo."
"But aren't you the Grandmaster?" Nodoka asked, curiously.
"We run by council, Mom," Ranma said. "Not by decree."
"I see," Nodoka said, not certain if she agreed with the attitude.
"Ground rule number three," Ranma said. "No talk about arranging marriages."
"Certainly you don't expect," Genma noted.
"This is the big one now," Ranma said, interrupting his father. "Ground rule number four: If you so much as think about 'training' one of my students, I'll flay the skin off your cursed form for a rug."
Genma swallowed as Ranma stared hard into his face.
"We can accept those rules," Nodoka said without breaking a sweat.
"Fine," Ranma said, again looking back over his shoulder.
Akane had gone back into the living room out of sight of the hallway.
"Noriko!" he called out.
"Yes, Uncle Ranma," the brown haired child said as she came as quickly as she could. She glanced ahead toward the visitors, wondering why the hostility being displayed by both her aunt and uncle.
"Find Loshun and set up the fourth bedroom for two guests," Ranma said.
"Hai, Uncle Ranma," Noriko said, she started to leave and then paused. "Aunt Akane seems a bit…irritated with something. Is there anything I should know?"
"Nah," Ranma said. "Don't worry about it."
"Why not the first or the second," Nodoka asked, a bit disappointed.
Ranma looked decidedly embarrassed as he reached back behind his head.
"The first bedroom is the nursery now," he said. "Loshun is staying in the second bedroom for the next few years. And the third is Noriko's in case she needs to stay longer than a few hours."
Granted, Kuno wasn't aware of where his daughter stayed at such times, but that was for the sake of Nabiki's patience with the man's ranting. Ranma half-thought that the only reason Kuno ranted about him any longer was habit, but it was still annoying.
"That'll be fine then," Nodoka said after some consideration.
As the elder Saotomes crossed the threshold, Genma had to make a comment of some type.
"Taking another Kuno as a student, boy?" Genma noted. "You'd think you'd learn after the last one. But at least you won the Amazons over as students."
"Joketsuzoku, Oyaji," Ranma grumbled. "Say it right."
He had no wish to argue policy with his father, nor did he feel that he should have to defend his students.
"I'm going to end up regretting this," the grandmaster said, shaking his head.
Three weeks later, when his parents moved into a house not five miles away, he knew for sure that he was going to facing some sort of trouble soon.
****
Orihime and Tatsuki sat in the pavilion across from the other half of the team sent to deal with this sickness.
The expressions were grim.
"Yesterday," Tofu noted. "We had this under control. We'd agreed it was not a contagion, but a contamination."
"Yes, and we've treated the symptoms and Orihime-san has purified the contamination," Kasumi agreed. "So why are we seeing relapses?"
"There could be another source of contamination," Tatsuki suggested. "Another mine, maybe?"
Orihime shook her head.
"There is something…dark behind this," Orihime said sadly.
Tatsuki looked to her carefully, resisting the urge to ask if they were dealing with a Hollow of some kind.
"I don't know what," Orihime said. "But it's not here completely yet. It's not strong yet. I think we should retreat the symptoms, in another day or so, the sickness will pass as Tofu-sensei expected."
"I think we should check for a second source of contaminated water before we leave," Kasumi noted. "I believe Orihime-san when she says this new sickness is supernatural in nature and weak, but it would be irresponsible not to check regardless. After all, it is the only way we can prevent re-infection."
"Yep," Orihime said. "We have to do everything we can to make sure this ends now."
But part of her was fearful of just what this portent was warning about.
****
"I'm worried about you Miyako-chan," Aunt Yuzu said outright. "Now, I can understand that you see ghosts, but we both know that your parents have passed on. They're not ghosts."
"I know that Aunt Yuzu," Miyako said seriously, wondering why her aunt had called both her Karin here. "Otherwise I'd see them everyday."
"I suppose so, but" and Yuzu hesitated, "you seem to be obsessed with 'growing stronger.' I haven't seen you with any of your friends."
"That's because most of her friends have moved away," Karin put in.
"I met some new friends recently," Miyako noted. "You know, Loshun and Noriko?"
"Yes, I suppose they are interesting girls," Yuzu agreed.
She knew Noriko Kuno from around town. The girl had a high-minded way of talking that was purely from her father's side of the family, but she was more or less harmless and rarely meant offense to anyone. When she did mean offense, it was usually couched in dry innuendo and entendre rather than eloquent speech, and that was purely her mother.
As for the other, Loshun. The girl was a foreigner, though Yuzu had deduced that she was from an important family. Despite the poor grammar from struggling with the new language, the girl had the same high-manner of speech that Noriko did. However, that meant that she was likely to move away eventually.
"It still does not change the fact that I cannot encourage this idea that being a strong fighter will ensure you can see your parents in the next life," Yuzu said. "I don't see where you can be getting it."
"From the ghosts," Miyako said. "Besides, it's fun."
"Everything I know about ghosts is that they are very prone to believing rumors," Yuzu noted.
"You know there's some danger to just being what Miyako is," Karin said firmly. "I have the same problem and you a little less so since you can feel them around. It's best she learns to take care of herself."
"I suppose you're right," Yuzu said reluctantly.
She sighed as the sound of someone entering the cleric came to their ears, and then the fair-haired woman stepped out of the room quickly to see who might need help this night.
As Yuzu Kurosaki left, Karin turned to look toward Miyako.
"She's just worried you'll die young like your father," Karin said. "It's not the same for her as us. She just knows when they're around. She doesn't know who they are and can't hear them or see them. For her, Ichigo and Rukia are gone, not just away."
Miyako nodded, brow furrowed in a manner that was cute at her age. As she got older though, she was going to start looking more and more like her parents when they held likewise expressions.
"Can't we just tell her?" Miyako asked.
"Wouldn't help," Karin said. "She'd just think it was a rumor."
****
Time passed and things changed or did not change.
****
Naruto walked into his house, tired to the bone. The mission had been a bit more involved than had been expected.
The client had not actually expected an actual assassination attempt, hiring a ninja to sit watch in the background had been nothing but a precautionary measure for this embassy. Neither Naruto, nor the Hokage had expected a ninja of such rank as was sent.
It was just lucky they'd assigned Naruto to the task rather than a chunin as might have been more normal.
He'd given his report in any case and it was finally time to hit home.
Walking into his house, he was surprised to find someone awake in the front room. There was a shock of blonde hair and at first he thought it might be Kuren, but as he got closer, the girl proved to be the younger Saotome, and she didn't seem to have noticed Naruto coming in.
In front of her on the table was an application to join the Konoha academy.
"What are you doing up this late," Naruto ask, drawing a trace of surprise from the usually sarcastic and non-pulsed girl.
In the time, the girl had never shown much interest in martial arts or shinobi. Joseibi'd played ninja with other kids and made a casual effort to listen to her sister's instructions, but otherwise she just shrugged the idea off, at least seemingly.
"I'm thinking about something," Joseibi said after a moment. "When did you get back?"
"Right now," Naruto said, coming around the couch and sitting across from the girl. "You're thinking about joining the academy?"
"I'm going to be old enough now," Joseibi noted firmly.
Naruto thought about what to say in response. Joseibi was a kid, and an outsider, she couldn't possibly be able to see everything that it was to be a ninja. By the time most of the children here were her age, they'd already experienced loss and shadows of the responsibility of the position. He and Sasuke, wherever the Uchiha was these days, had experienced it somewhat more extremely than others.
Even Kuren had, to a lesser degree.
"You don't have to just because you live here," Naruto noted. "There are a number of civilian families in the village. You don't have a duty to Konoha like the shinobi families here."
"I'm not thinking of a duty to Konoha," Joseibi said.
"What are you thinking of?" Naruto asked.
Joseibi frowned a moment and looked up toward the bedrooms before looking down.
"I have to take care of my sister," Joseibi said.
"She can take care of herself," Naruto said.
"No, she can take care of people," Joseibi said. "Mostly me. She can't take care of herself. So I have to."
Naruto frowned at the sentiment, the girl seemed a lot more mature than her age would imply. In addition, he couldn't really argue against her opinion. Outside of her training, Ryoko tended to leave choices up to the people around her. He could respect an urge to protect a precious person as well, but…
"And how does becoming shinobi protect your sister?" Naruto asked.
"Because, this will keep her here, away from them," Joseibi said.
Naruto gestured for her to continue.
"If I'm just going to a normal school," the blonde Saotome noted quietly. "Ryoko will trust you to take care of me, and she'll go looking for our parents. She'll find them, and then they'll have her again. If I'm a ninja, she'll insist on staying to make me train harder. She'll want to make sure I'm strong enough to protect myself."
"What did your parents do to you girls?" Naruto asked, seeing an opportunity to breach some of what the girls kept secret.
"Me, nothing," Joseibi said. "Ryoko watches me. But…you know how Hinata-san counts when she wants us to do something?"
"Yeah," Naruto said, shrugging.
"If Ryoko does something Mother doesn't like," Joseibi said. "She starts to draw the family sword. I don't know what happens if she finishes. Ryoko doesn't last that long and won't tell me. But it scares her a lot. And you might want to ask her about 'proper training' sometime."
Naruto made a note to do just that and leaned back, considering. Eventually he released a long breath. Perhaps these girls did know something of the suffering this life held.
"Okay," Naruto said, setting himself forward. "You've got some problems ahead, so pay attention."
Joseibi blinked in confusion wanting to ask what Naruto meant, but the jonin continued talking.
"There's the fact you weren't born here," he said. "There's your curse. And there's the fact that you're going to be losing a lot of your free time…"
****
Jiraiya caught his breath and looked down at the monster below him wondering just where it had come from. One moment, he was in town on an errand for Soifon-sensei and the next, there was a weird looking centipede thing rampaging through Rukongai.
He'd recognized it from description and pictures, though, a hollow, but he hadn't thought hollows were supposed to appear in this world.
The ninja'd been keeping it busy for the last three minutes, and the battle was telling on the both of them.
Now, the thing was crawling up the building Jiraiya had settled on, coiling about it like a snake or worm.
Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya leaped away up into the sky above Rukongai and tossed out a small succession of shuriken, watching as they slashed through legs and antenna. It was a wide pattern of small injuries, and it was also the last of the tools he had on him.
The chuckling creature leaped up to follow him, almost looking like it was flying as it writhed through the air. It was looming over Jiraiya as the ninja worked his hands swiftly and the monster came crashing down on a simple log.
Jiraiya gritted his teeth as he leaped back up into the air over the creature and came down hard on the monster's white head. Remembering some of what his teacher used in training, he thrust his hands forward and tried to remember as the wind fluttered through his hair.
"I need something to fight with," he said firmly, pulling every bit of energy he could into his hand.
Slowly, he could feel his chakra and something else besides come together into an almost physical shape between his fingers and he gripped it tightly, recognizing the hilt of a kunai.
Without a moment of hesitation, he launched the kunai forward and he could almost feel the weapon's flight, as if it were part of him and not merely a weapon.
The centipede was just looking back up as Jiraiya's kunai struck with an impact that did not seem to agree with its mass. The entire monster shuddered as a huge hole through its skull.
The centipede-Hollow faded away as Jiraiya landed. Exhausted, he stumbled over to a building, picking up the kunai he'd just defeated the monster with as he did so. Upon reaching the building he leaned back against it and slid down to a seat, relieved that the battle was over.
"Wow!" a childish voice declared loudly next to him.
Looking up, he saw a wide-eyed smiling face framed by pink hair looking down at him. He recognized the face from seeing her occasionally, Yachiru Kusajishi, lieutenant of the 11th division.
"Aren't you human?" the girl asked. "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?" he asked.
The girl smiled and grabbed the hand he held his kunai in and jerked it up to his face.
"Do this," she said. "It's a funny zanpakuto."
"Zan.." Jiraiya said in confusion. "It's just a kunai."
Yachiru seemed to think for a moment and then came to a decision.
"All right," she said. "Come this way."
She grabbed Jiraiya and started rushing off down the street, dragging the boy as if he were a piece of paper behind him. She was reaching the gate when a figure stepped in front of her and she came to sudden stop.
Looking up she and Jiraiya saw the distinctive orange hair of Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Ichi!" Yachiru said. "Look, it's another human with a zanpakuto."
As she said this she lifted up Jiraiya's hand again and showed off the kunai the young ninja had summoned.
"So, let me guess," Ichigo said. "You're taking him to go see Kenpachi."
"MmmHmm," Yachiru said. "If all humans that have their own Zanpakuto are as strong as you, he'll want to make sure Grape-hair gets strong too."
"Then why don't you leave him to his own master," Ichigo asked.
"Huh?" she asked.
"I'm studying under Soifon-sensei," Jiraiya said, standing up from where he had just been dragged.
Yachiru thought about it for a moment and frowned.
"But Kenny said Stealth Force aren't fun at all," Yachiru protested.
"Soifon is one of the strongest captains, isn't she?" Ichigo reminded the pink-haired girl. "She beat me once."
"That's right, Pigtails is very strong," Yachiru noted before nodded and letting Jiraiya's hand go. "All right! Grape-hair can learn from Pigtails and then have fun with Kenny later. Bye bye, Ichi! Bye bye, Grape Hair! I have to go tell Kenny!"
And with that, the pink-haired lieutenant was off and running.
"Is she crazy?" Jiraiya asked Ichigo.
"Very," the shinigami said. "I'm guessing you beat a hollow somewhere."
"Yeah, I guess," Jiraiya said. "I think it was luck though, I had to hold it off for something like three minutes."
"There were a few other trespassers about," Ichigo explained. "We're in the process of cleaning up whichever ones avoided the first battles."
Jiraiya noted that Ichigo's eyes rested somewhat on the kunai in Jiraiya's hand.
"Is it a zanpakuto?" he asked hesitantly.
"We'll see," Ichigo said. "I don't think its all spiritual pressure though. We'll see."
****
Joseibi walked down the street from the residence she shared with Ryoko, feeling a little sore from the work Ryoko had put her through.
The technique in question was the Musabetsu Ja Jinku no Hebi. It was the advanced Musabetsu-Kakuto Ryu footwork training technique. Teaching the practioner to move at the instant of need, interrupting steps as dangers became apparent and tracking the sound of danger.
So named because the training their father had invented for it was to find a large number of poisonous snakes which the trainee had to walk through without getting bitten. Of course, Ryoko wouldn't endanger Joseibi that way, so she hadn't used poisonous snakes.
Instead, it was a network of mousetraps and tripwires that Joseibi had to navigate. While it was definitely much safer than what her sister Ryoko had to navigate, it was certainly no less easy.
Ryoko must have been preparing the training for hours the previous night, underneath what looked like standard earth were boards settled unevenly so that every step through the mousetrap field had the potential for shifting one of several mousetraps so that the overall placement changed on Joseibi with each step she took.
And the triggering of mousetraps far away wasn't any better, since they seemed to be set to leap out at random when triggered.
Looking back over her shoulder to see the smiling black-haired girl waving her down the street, Joseibi resisted the urge to rub at one of the bruises that she'd acquired from the day's training. Ryoko had purchased some ointment for bruises, and it itched terribly.
"Ryoko-ne-chan," Joseibi said under her breath as she waved negligently back toward her sister. "You're devious when you want to be."
Joseibi turned back down the street, heading for the academy and walking in the doors with a yawn.
There were still some looks her way from the other students, but for the most part no one really thought much of her. She took her normal seat beside the Uzumaki kid, one of the only other blondes in the class.
"Morning Kuren," Joseibi said.
"Morning," Kuren said, as she scratched out notes on the paper in front of her.
Joseibi nodded and then leaned back to take a few minutes of rest before the instructor came in. Above them, Joseibi heard a dismissive snort that she knew came from Jubei Lee.
"You're always trying to sleep, Saotome," he said. "You should work harder. By the time dawn lights, I've been training an hour, and then I come here."
Joseibi didn't bother to comment that her own regimen was comparable. In fact her only comment was to crack an eye, look at the boy, and pointedly give a loud snore.
****
"That was a nice fight, girl," the masked figure said, laughing down at the injured form of the girl at his feet. "You're almost worthy to be a shinobi, but it wasn't enough."
"Varlets," the girl spat as she tried to stand. "For what purpose do you accost a scion of the Ku…"
One of the others smashed his fist into her face, knocking her down again.
"Simple girl," one of the others noted. "Your parents are interfering in something not their business. You're going to help us convince them otherwise."
"Stop talking to her and just knock her out," the third noted. "We don't want her attracting attention."
"Too late," a young voice declared from the mouth of the ally behind them.
There was a trace of concern in the three wandering-nin until they saw that the speaker was just another sixteen year old girl. This one in a raggedy old gi with a long rope of a belt that may have been white once upon a time wrapped around her waist twice. Hang from her back on a bit of rope was a bokken.
"Miyako-chan," Noriko said, gasping as she rolled to a kneeling position. "They're too strong for you, get help."
"It's too late for that," the leader of the trio said with a smirk of his own.
"Don't worry, Noriko," Miyako said with a confident smirk. "I already sent Jun for a doctor..or four."
Taking the insult for what it was worth, the ninja swept forward against Miyako, meaning to bring her down fast before she could give them the sort of extended chase their target had already.
The forward ninja lashed out at the girl, who still seemed to have taken no stance, with straight tanto. He was surprised when the girl easily dived aside with a dancing smirk. Then a foot caught up his and he was flying through the air forward until a hand grabbed hold of his clothing and twirled him about into the two ninja behind him.
"I'm an Initiate of the Musabetsu Kakuto Tadashita-Ryu," Miyako announced. "That makes me the worth of several genin in a straight up fight."
Both ninja dodged their flying comrade, not responding to her boast, one leaping over and the other rolling beneath. Miyako ducked low herself, rolling along the ground to intercept the low ninja and dive under the high one.
Having spent most of her training with Akane-Sensei, Miyako was more specialized towards the Tendo-Ryu than the Saotome-Ryu.
Kenjutsu, grappling, groundfighting.
And while she was skilled at the Saotome-Ryu, she much preferred to stick to her strengths at the moment. This was a battle, not a match, not a spar.
There was a friend at stake in this.
Much to the rolling ninja's surprise, he came up off the ground not at his own behest, but in the hands of his supposed target. Miyako slammed him headfirst into the wall and, keeping her momentum, spun around again to hurl the man against his recovering partner further down the alley.
Almost growling, the third ninja landed and was instantly leaping at Miyako. With a simple smirk, the girl reached back for her bokken and slashed it forward to meet the man head on. Even through the blade, she felt the man's skull crack and his nose shatter as he came to a nerveless mass in front of Miyako.
"Aiya," a new voice said, joining in on the scene. "You no leave any fun for Loshun."
"Sorry about that," Miyako said. "Can you help me with Noriko."
Miyako leaned down to help the Kuno girl to her feet. Nodding, Loshun was quickly also at Kuno's side and letting the beaten girl rest between their shoulders, the three walked out of the alley.
"Noriko need train more often," Loshun noted. "Would not be so low ranked then."
As Miyako left the alley and looked down the street, standing atop a building and watching them was…something. Not really a hollow, but she was certain it was just as dangerous.
It seemed, more or less, like a patch of living shadow, too black for her to see any features upon it. Despite this, she thought she felt it frown before it turned to fade away.
****
The gate guards watched as the woman approached, backpack and clothes showing the signs of long travelling. As she got closer they saw that, under her travelling cloak, she dressed in a simple style that seemed more like a townswoman than they would have expected. A long ribbon in her hair was tied with a knot that they recognized as being easy to undo with little more than a tug.
She stopped at the gates with a simple smile and extensive smile.
"Hello," the guards said in a friendly manner, visitors to the village not entirely uncommon given how much business the village took in over the year.
"Hiya!" the woman declared enthusiastically. "You wouldn't happen to have anything to eat would you? I'm starving."
"Not more than some snacks, but there are plenty of restaurants in the village," the guard said. "Are you here to hire a ninja?"
"No, no," the woman said happily. "I'm here to fight one…or more."
The guards frowned and stood up straight, seeming a bit surprised at the result.
"Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced myself," she said. "Kurumi Tendo, Master of Musabetsu Kakuto Tadashita-Ryu."
"A martial artist," the guards noted, somewhat more cautious now.
"Hai," Kurumi said, smiling. "I've heard of some of your taijutsu masters and I've come to test myself against them, perhaps exchange some knowledge."
"Wait right here," the left hand guard said as he looked back and nodded for a runner to head into town.
"Right," Kurumi said. "So…about those snacks."
By the time someone came from the village to meet this stranger, the guards were bemoaning the loss of their supply of shift snacks…and Kurumi was still starving.
Kurumi watched as a woman who appeared to be in her twenties walked up the path, flanked by a pair of chunin. The wandering Tendo whistled in appreciation at the power she could feel in the woman's presence and noted that the youthful appearance was merely that.
She stood up and, with a bright smile bowed low before the woman, recognizing her as someone important.
"Hello," she said cheerily. "I am Kurumi Tendo of the Musabetsu Kakuto Tadashita-Ryu, I've come to test myself against the might of Konoha."
"Welcome," the blonde woman said, a smile on her face, but full of caution. "You say you are Master of Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu?"
The smile on Kurumi's face faded.
"No," she said firmly. "I practice Musabetsu Kakuto Tadashita-Ryu." She emphasized the difference.
"My apologies," Tsunade said, noting the woman's attitude and the change in the name which implied a redeemed incarnation of the school. "In any case, we might be able to accommodate you, but first, we have a new crop of ninja graduating today, perhaps you would like to see our next generation?"
"Is there going to be food?" Kurumi asked.
"I'm not sure," Tsunade said. "There might be." She shrugged and then looked about to see the neatly stacked and emptied snack boxes sitting beside where the woman had been as Tsunade made her way to the gate.
"Well, let's go," Kurumi noted. "Always fun to watch the little ones."
Kurumi stood beside Tsunade as they watched the young students come out to the waiting group of parents to announce whether or not they had now graduated. She scanned the crowd, noting more than a few warriors of impressive chi.
The place was brimming with strong fighters to try out her skills against.
Kurumi was mostly focusing on this, though pausing to take in one young ninja or another and gauge their likely potential. Strangely enough, she found herself looking a rather fidgety sixteen-year old girl wearing a familiar style of glasses and holding herself like a bundle of nerves.
The girl was far from the most powerful person in the gathering, but she had an impressive amount of chi for one so young. Actually, it reminded Kurumi of another young person she'd known long ago. There were even some physical resemblances to her friend's female form back when they were younger.
Kurumi was letting that distract her from both the children and fighters more on her level when a declared statement brought her focus whirling to the children again.
"Joseibi Saotome! Genin of Konoha," a blonde graduate was yelling with a very familiar sarcastic smirk on her face.
"Wai!" the black-haired girl in spectacles declared, waving victory flags in each hand as she rushed forward to congratulate the younger girl, much to the other's embarrassment.
"Saotome…" Kurumi said, frowning.
"You recognize the name?" Tsunade asked.
"Our school is taught primarily by two families," Kurumi said. "The Saotome and the Kumon. Saotome was also one of the primary families to teach the old school."
"What about Tendo," Tsunade asked.
"Soun Tendo was a master of the old school," Kurumi said. "But he doesn't teach now, and his daughters are all married, and two don't practice the Art. I don't teach yet."
"There are a lot of Saotomes in the world," Tsunade noted. "How are you sure these belong to your comrade's family."
"There are many families with the name, but few who move like those do," Kurumi said, pointing. "How'd they come to be here?"
"Their father tried to steal some scrolls from our archives," Tsunade said. "He left them behind when he was caught."
"That would make it Genma," Kurumi said, spitting the name. "This is why you wanted me to come here, isn't it."
"I apologize for the deception," Tsunade noted. "But we've been looking for him for quite a while."
"I can tell you where to find him," Kurumi said grimly. "Can I meet the children?"
"That'll be arranged," Tsunade said.
"I can tell you right now," Kurumi said. "If Ranma knew he had sisters, he'd never let his father near them."
"Given the circumstances…I can completely understand why," Tsunade noted.
"Now…" Kurumi said, looking about. "Where's the food?"
****
A somber gathering came together in what was still called the Tendo Dojo though it was now run by Saotomes. Nabiki Tendo, nervous and angry at the same time paced back and forth behind her husband as he sat across from her sisters and their husbands.
"She'll be fine," Kasumi noted. "There were no major injuries."
"I believe they were aiming to kidnap her and she proved more capable than they expected,"
"What is going on, that has our student, your daughter getting targeted by shinobi," Akane asked finally.
Kuno shuffled uncomfortably.
"Tell them, Tachi," Nabiki said. "We've tried to keep it to ourselves."
"Ranma Saotome," Kuno said after turning toward his wife. "You are villain and a black magician, but you have ever shown loyalty to the land we both call home. Have you not."
"I'll agree to some of that," Ranma said, rolling his eyes at the continuation of Kuno's game. "What about it."
"We suspect…we're not sure," Nabiki said. "Honest merchants are being ruined and certain samurai are having…unfortunate accidents."
"We've been endeavouring to seek what is behind these affairs," Kuno noted. "And containing it."
"Why didn't you come to us when you started suspecting something?" Akane asked.
"In all honesty," Nabiki said. "We've been trying to use a scalpel, you guys are something of a bludgeon. We've been pretty successful, we thought the problem was going to be over soon."
"There is not much of political subtlety in your art," Tofu had to admit to the Saotomes.
"We've sent Sasuke to Kirigakure no Sato," Kuno said. "Certainly this matter will be shortly dealt with."
"So what do we do about Noriko," Akane asked.
"Excuse me, Akane-Sensei," a young voice said, drawing eyes toward her. "I think I need to say something."
"Saotome, control your students," Kuno protested. "They should know better than to interrupt their betters."
"I hate to say it," Ranma said. "But Tatewaki has a point here, Miyako. This isn't your business."
"She's my friend," Miyako noted. "Besides, I…saw something."
"Saw something," Nabiki asked.
"The Kurosaki family is strong with the ability to deal with spirits," Kasumi explained succinctly. "Inoue-san has mentioned something of that ability to us occasionally."
"You are teaching witches now, Saotome?" Kuno accused.
Miyako was about to protest but Ranma raised his hand to stop her.
"Whatever, Tatewaki," Ranma said. "Loyal to the country, remember."
"Indeed," the samurai noted. "So, what foul vision did you have then child?"
"A shadow," Miyako said. 'It was watching the fight and left after we'd rescued Noriko. It wasn't happy that we'd won."
"There are demons involved then," Kuno said.
"Loshun returns to Joketsuzoku soon," Ranma said. "Miyako, I think you and Noriko should accompany her. A training trip will be good for you."
"Right, sensei," Miyako said. "I'll have to talk to my aunts first."
"Yeah, figured as much," Ranma said, sighing. "Anyway, that's out past Hi no Kuni, should keep Noriko safe."
"Unless they send someone after the children," Nabiki noted.
"Loshun and Miyako are strong enough to protect her," Akane said.
"And Miyako's eyes will keep open for demons," Tofu agreed. "And we'll speak to Orihime and her friends for our own demon problems."
"Besides, it will be a little bit for Noriko to be ready to travel," Kasumi said idly. "By that time, Ryuu and Natsume will have arrived and then be ready to leave."
"A decoy," Nabiki said. "Make sure they try to target the other masters while the girls sneak under their radar?"
Ranma nodded and turned toward Miyako.
"Need help talking to your aunts?" he asked.
"No," Miyako said. "I got it."
****
"Hello, Pigtails!" a loud voice declared cheerfully as she marched her way into the Stealth Force's office.
Soifon's eyes twitched at the nickname.
"Yachiru," she said, laying down her pen to look at the young and scarily powerful shinigami. "What brings you here?"
It was a silly question of course. What ever brought the girl to her compound except her student. The girl was here, or at the Kurosakis, as often as she was at Byakuya's.
"I was wondering if I could find Grape-Head and see if he's ready to play with Kenny yet," Yachiru explained cheerfully.
"As a matter of fact," Soifon said. "We'll be seeing how he has progressed later."
The matter was slightly bitter for her, actually. The captains had voted, soon after Jiraiya's defeat of that hollow that had been part of the still unexplained incursion, that he should be tested and see if he had the strength to make the trip.
Soifon felt, no, knew that he could. She had trained him, after all, and the Captain's table had decided not to allow her to continue to underestimate her student. Which meant, soon, he wouldn't be her student much longer, unless she wanted to take trips to the human world herself, and the allowance of that would be unlikely.
"Oh, right, Kenny told me about that," Yachiru said, smiling. "The lieutenants are going to be there too…ooo! Can I be part of the test! That'll be fun!"
Soifon grimaced and narrowed her eyes at the little pink haired demon that had blocked her cat-bee phone idea.
"Ask the other captains," Soifon said. "I'm not to be a part of designing this test."
"Oh, why not?" Yachiru asked.
"Because I was the one that trained him," Soifon noted, eyebrow twitching.
"Oh, right!" Yachiru said. "Anyway! Bye!"
And with that, the little annoyance was darting out of the office and off to do heavens knew what. Leaving Soifon alone in her office.
"Take my master and take my student," she muttered darkly.
****
"Gods, Miyako, that's not a training trip, that's a bodyguard mission," Yuzu said aghast.
"I know," she said. "But this is Noriko, and Loshun will be there with us. We can't let anything hurt her."
Yuzu looked on her niece, a chill feeling running up her spine as she realized that Miyako had grown to be a warrior just like Ichigo. What's worse, there was nothing she could really do to prevent Miyako from leaving. Sixteen was old enough to make your own decisions by law.
And besides…she was going to protect a friend.
Yuzu couldn't tell her know without being selfish.
****
Ryoko looked at the stranger in the Hokage's office and wondered if this was why she had been called to the building. Right now, Joseibi was learning who her team was and meeting her jonin, something Ryoko wanted to witness. There was no way she could ignore a summons from the master of this city though, she owed them for the hospitality.
Behind her, the Uzumakis stood, in place of parents, Ryoko supposed. Probably they were wondering what the situation was as well. Ryoko wondered why they weren't watching Kuren to see what instructor she'd get, but then the Saotome was not aware that new graduates were usually given some privacy for that meeting.
"Hello, Ryoko-chan," Tsunade said. "We have someone here to meet you."
"H..hai, Hokage-sama," Ryoko said nervously, noting a growing frown on the stranger's face.
"Introduce yourself," Tsunade said.
"Ano…." Ryoko said, standing in strict posture and still managing to give the impression of fidgeting.
"This is a stranger," Tsunade said. "You need to introduce yourself properly."
"Oh!" Ryoko said. "Hai! Hokage-sama."
The woman stepped forward watching Ryoko in a manner that did nothing to help her normal nervous manner.
"I..I am Ryoko Saotome of the Musabetsu Kakuto Saotome-Ryu," Ryoko said bowing deeply.
The woman arched an eyebrow at the mode of address and then bowed herself, a lot more casually.
"Kurumi Tendo, Master of Musabetsu Kakuto Tadashita-Ryu," the woman said to the shock of both the Uzumakis and Ryoko.
