Chidori cut the vegetables skillfully and poured them into the pot of chicken. She put the dirty dishes into the sink and cleared the table while the stew sat on the stove. She checked the clock and nodded. They would be back soon and she was sure she'd have everything done by then. Today she had arrived home later than usual so she ended up starting dinner later as well, but if she made sure things went this quickly then she would be finished by the time they would arrive.

She turned on the water from the sink and shivered as cold water turned icy. She had to finish cleaning the dirty dishes. The bar of soap slipped from her hands twice but after a rub with the sponge she didn't need it anymore.

She turned to the clock once again and then to the house door.

A whistle snapped her back to her chores and she went over to the stove to lower the fire. She uncapped the pot and watched the steam flow out of the pot with the boiling stew inside. She grabbed a spoon near the sink and tasted it.*

Not bad. I'm getting better.

She had needed to learn how to cook ever since she had arrived at her new home and her "sister" Anko had tried to teach her. At first it had been terrible, especially since she couldn't even identify the kitchen utensils, but after a few weeks she had learned the basics. After that she had gotten a few minor burns while helping out and a few cuts as well.

Now, however, she could make dinner with very few to no casualties. The taste of her food though wasn't exactly the best.

She heard some jingles as she placed the usual five plates on the table and she could already imagine what her sister would say as she walked inside. And, like always, Anko never failed her.

"Damn those idiot! Making my day more stressful!"

There was shuffling as the rest of her family walked inside and dropped off their coats and took off their shoes. Anko was the first one to enter and her stomping was followed by Temari who just looked at Anko with annoyance, then Kankuro, the second oldest, and lastly Gaara, the youngest out of the five of them. None of them were actually related but they called each other a family because in order to survive in the hell they lived in they needed allies.

Anko was the oldest out of them all yet she usually acted immature. On the other hand, there were times when she needed to be serious and it was then that she was truly lethal. She worked at a brothel not far from their home and since she was one of the most popular girls there, she was usually well taken care of. Temari also worked there but she wasn't as high up there as Anko.

Kankuro usually went around doing the same things she did, which was targeting unsuspecting people and then taking their belongings. He, however, was better at his job then she was because he had been taught to steal at a young age. Not only that but he also had an ability that allowed him to move objects around with energy threads that were invisible to normal humans.

Gaara was her favorite. He was usually quiet and she liked that he didn't pry into her business. If he noticed that she was acting strange or that she had something on her mind he would never ask questions and she liked that about him. His job was usually handled when interacting with the Boss, who made sure they had enough of anything and that they were never found to be guilty of certain incidents.

She grabbed the bag that she had taken from the stranger earlier today and as they sat down to eat she tossed Gaara the bag. He caught it without making an effort and checked the contents.

"Is this all?" he asked monotonously and she nodded.

"I heard there was a big commotion today near Jim's," Anko started as she finished serving everyone.

"Actually now that you mention it, one of my clients was looking for a girl that pick pocketed his friend," Temari mentioned while turning towards Chidori.

"They're making a big deal about it for just money?" Kankuro asked with food in his mouth.

"It wasn't just anyone she targeted though," Anko replied while looking at Chidori.

"They're idiots. If they were important then they shouldn't be too heart broken over a few coins," she commented while blowing on the hot stew.

Was it possible that they were searching for the pendant that she had found inside the bag? She had decided to keep it because it made her feel safe. There was something about it that was familiar and instead of handing it over to Gaara with the money she had taken, she had kept it in her room. She always kept some stuff and she was sure they knew she did.

"Just don't go making any trouble," was Temari's quiet reply.

Chidori just nodded and began to eat the stew that she had prepared.

She wasn't too worried about being found. Everyone knew that they shouldn't exploit each other and everyone was closely knit, as long as they didn't befriend the kingdom guards. Befriending the kingdom guards was like giving yourself up to the authorities and that was a no in their community.

Everyone looked out for each other, but they always put themselves first if things got risky.


Naruto walked behind Kakashi with a burning blush on his face. He had always believed that his sensei was a pervert and he knew that there was something strange with the little orange book he always carried around…but this! He hadn't expected for his theories to be proven correct!

When Kakashi had said that he knew who to ask, Naruto had been expecting some guy that was watching things play along in the poverty stricken Konoha but his thoughts had been proven wrong when they had arrived at their destination - a brothel.

Kakashi had asked for someone named Temari and a beautiful blonde had been brought to them in a room. She wore a beautiful red kimono that revealed her chest to a certain degree. The bottom flowed around her and made her look…ethereal. Her dark eyes looked at her clients and the smile on her face turned into a smirk.

Along with the blonde came sake and a few hours of watching Kakashi and her cuddle. Most of the evening had been talk but as soon as it got darker he had seen his sensei's wandering hands move along the blonde's luscious body. He knew some strokes weren't just from over her clothes but under as well. Fortunately for him, nothing major happened between his teacher and the younger woman.

"What's wrong Naruto?" his sensei asked innocently but he knew better than that now.

"Why did we go…to a…brothel?" he asked, squeaking out the last word.

Kakashi laughed and ruffled the young man's head, "Already twenty-two and you still act like a child."

"I thought we were going to go look for someone who knew who this thief was," Naruto replied while moving his sensei's hand away from his blonde locks.

"We did go but she didn't know," Kakashi said with a sigh.

Naruto's eye twitched and he glared at his sensei. There was no way that they had gone all the way over to the brothel, which was, by the way, very far from the Hyuuga Estate, only to not gain any information on the stolen locket and nothing on the thief either! And now he wasn't even sure where they were anymore. The street lights had already lit up and the streets were deserted.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, we're going to visit a friend of mine," was the response he got. He stayed quiet, just in case his sensei would elaborate but nothing else escaped the masked man's mouth.

They kept walking for a few more minutes and Naruto began to feel more tense the further they walked. It didn't look like they were returning to the Hyuuga Estate. In fact, it looked like they were going deeper into the Hebi district and the deeper they delved, the more shadows he saw. Kakashi, however, didn't seem to mind and he kept walking as if not noticing anything strange.

Before he knew it they were now headed underground and his nose wrinkled at the smell. The sewers weren't the best place to dwell in, especially if a person's nose was as sharp as his, "Kakashi-sensei?"

Perhaps his sensei didn't hear him or he decided to ignore him but the man just kept walking deeper and deeper until they walked to a dead end.

"Kakashi-sensei?" he called out again.

Kakashi only placed his finger over what he assumed was his mouth and made some hand signs. The wall parted slowly and Naruto couldn't help but gape.

Where were they?

"Long time no see Kakashi, what brings you here?" A man with long white hair asked as the two of them ventured into the abode. The place looked very dull but the people inside varied. Naruto recognized a few citizens from Hebi and Konoha City while others were foreign to him.

"You published a book recently," was all Kakashi answered and Naruto growled from behind him. Was this all they came for? A perverted book? And that man was the person who published it?

"Who's that brat behind you? You know we don't like children in here."

"Ah yes, forgive me. This here is Naruto Uzamaki, Naruto, this is Jiraiya Sannin. He's the author of Icha Icha Paradise and is very influential around the city and outside," Kakashi introduced with a curve of his eye.

Naruto bowed his head with a scowl. He had heard of the three Sannin siblings and about their wealth. One of them had risen to wealth by exploiting citizens and taking in women for their brothel, the second had inherited her money from her family and had been a great healer but had a great weakness for gambling and drinking, and the last was a writer of a perverted book Kakashi always carried around. He didn't think that one of the Sannin would be roaming around with all these people. Some of them even looked like murderers!

"…she had taken a necklace. Would you know who she is?" Naruto had been too busy looking around the hideout they seemed to be in and missed most of the conversation. It looked like a bar but there were pipes running along some places and made it look like a playground instead. The floor was mostly dirt while parts of it had concrete. There were crates against the walls and barrels huddled together. There was barely any light so he couldn't see the people in the place clearly but there was someone that caught his attention. There was an individual who looked a few years younger than him. Actually, now that he took a better look at things, there were also others younger than him, all ranging from perhaps six years old and older.

But that wasn't why that person had caught his attention. It was their eyes that drew him in. They were a light shade of green with heavy eyeliner that made him seem like an insomniac, or perhaps he was and was trying to hide it with eyeliner…He also had bright red hair, which he knew was not natural, at least not that shade. He had his arms crossed and was looking at them with annoyance. There was a tattoo of the kanji for LOVE above his left eye and he had no eyebrows, which made him let out a chuckle. This only strengthened the glare that the person was giving him.

"That's Gaara, you shouldn't anger him. He has a quick temper and tends to eliminate 'pests' if you know what I mean," was what he heard from their new acquaintance.

The white haired man turned away from Naruto once again and looked over to Kakashi, "Now about that girl you mentioned," this caught Naruto's attention and he turned back to the two older men, "I do know her. She's actually my gold mine. Out of all of my men," he made an arc around the place with his arm, "she is the one that brings in the most of anything. However, I don't recall receiving any locket with Azuma's picture."

"He knows Azuma?"

"Yes," Kakashi replied and explained. "Before he started doing this he was actually working for the Uchiha's. It was some time before you were born that he left the palace. He still received news after he left but he hasn't actually gone back to the palace."

"What does he do now? Other than writing," Naruto questioned while looking around the place. It was strange having so many people stare at him and his heightened senses didn't like it. He was alert and the sounds that he took in were only amplified because of his aroused state. Judging by the people here, he wouldn't be surprised if one of them attacked either him or Kakashi.

There was a slap to his back and he stumbled a few paces forward, "Relax."

"Have you not been listening to a word we were saying you brat? This," he motioned to his dungeon, "is the city's lowest scum. They steal and cheat to get money. I receive the money and get them what they need. If they need electricity in their homes I get it, if they need warm water in their homes I get it, if they need food for their families I get it. The new power right now is doing nothing for the citizens and even though we steal and cheat, it is only from those who venture into our territory."

"But there are a lot of people who don't usually come by here, what do you do then? Abandon them?" Naruto questioned with his arms crossed.

"Of course not. I work by writing the greatest book ever published," he took out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise, "and not only that but these people also have jobs. Not the best but they do try. For example, you see that woman over there? She works at a brothel in Hebi. Seeing as you two are here I'm sure you know what Hebi is like. Well she does it because she has a sick daughter who I am helping. That is how she will repay me. That man to her far right. His family died and he was left in debt. I helped him out as well by finding him shelter. He pays me by working for the city. As long as he brings in information and some money I let him stay at a beautiful house just on the outskirts of the city."

"Why don't you just go outside yourself? And a brothel? Are you really that…sick? To make her work there?"

"Naruto, its not his decision," Kakashi replied.

"What do you mean its not? He's making them pay their debts with him by making them work like that!"

"It's the city that does this," was the serious reply Naruto got from the Sannin.

"The city doesn't permit people from outside the city to work inside. Actually, a lot of these people were city folks that had to get accustomed to living here. Once you're kicked out then you very well can't go back. To the city you are a traitor and they make sure you stay out here. I've heard that you were also kicked out of the castle two years ago. Fortunately for your family, you found a place to go to. If your family had been nobody then you would be living here as well but you did know someone and you are someone."

"But…that man…he was kicked out wasn't he? Because of his debt?"

"That's true but before he was kicked out he contacted someone he knew who was up there. He asked for time so that he could pay back what he owed. He was giving a time period and during that time he met me. I needed information and he needed money. It worked out well. So, as you can see I'm helping these people more than what you believe. I make sure nothing happens to them and protect them from the city guards. Everyone here is a family."

"Satisfied?" Kakashi asked.

"For now," and Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Now that the brat is satisfied…"

"I'm not a brat!"

"You're acting like one!"

"No!"

"Gaki!"

"Pervy Sannin!"

There was a pause in their argument as some chuckles filled the room they were in. The chuckles then turned into full blown laughter and Naruto could hear Kakashi chuckle a bit as well. He turned to look at the people and saw them laughing and when he turned back to the Sannin he couldn't help but laugh as well. The man's face was red with rage and he could tell he was about to blow a gasket but he didn't care…until there was a big bump on his head.

"It is wonderful material Gaki, learn to appreciate!"

Naruto was about to start his argument again but Kakashi stopped him by placing his hand on Naruto's mouth and restraining him with the other.

"The information?"

Naruto stopped struggling at once and became serious. They really needed to get the necklace back. Jiraiya also straightened up and became serious.

"Well I already told you she's my best collector. And seeing as how your subordinate was easily tricked I have to hand it to her. She isn't the most…exquisite of women but she has her style. Usually she tends to target merchants that pass by and other people displaying wealth. Since your boy was carrying a bundle of clothing she must have decided he had valuables. She was correct it seems, since this locket is so important that you'd even seek me out. Now then, I actually want to ask…why is that locket so important?"

"It's a necklace that used to belong to Azuma. It was supposed to be delivered to his wife."

"That wouldn't be the same one that the Sandaime used to have, is it?" the Sannin asked curiously.

"It is," Kakashi answered quietly.

Naruto just looked between both adults and couldn't help but feel that there was something more valuable about that necklace then what he had initially believed. It wasn't just a family heirloom anymore.