The Iron Hyuuga

by Nate Grey

Hyuuga tradition places heavy demands on the clan's heirs. But the daughter of Neji and Tenten is far more interested in fun, family, friends, and a different kind of strength. Sequel to White Dog Night.

4. Michio of the Deep Forest

Notes: A reviewer asked if there would be any missions. So you can thank them for this chapter, because I was totally going to skip to the chuunin exams and only refer to the events in this chapter as a lengthy flashback. But now I'm glad I didn't.

Summary: Irihi's team is sent to escort a trio of nomadic Inuzuka back to Konoha, but one of them holds a powerful secret…

The Iron Hyuuga

Part 4: Michio of the Deep Forest

A Naruto Fanfic by

Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)

As a rule, nobody went into Irihi's room.

They were allowed, of course, but it just wasn't a very good idea. Very few things inside the room would be a welcome sight to Hyuuga eyes, for example, so most of the family tended to avoid it altogether.

Irihi didn't mind this at all. She needed some privacy from time to time, and found that hanging a life-sized poster of her beloved "Unkie Gaara" on her door made for a very effective "Do Not Disturb" sign. She wasn't sure why this was, since she found him positively adorable, but everyone else got quiet and nervous whenever her redheaded uncle was brought up. Temari had explained that Gaara was something of an "acquired taste," but Irihi couldn't really wrap her mind around the concept. Personally, she had loved Gaara from the very moment she got her first plushie, and was well on her way to owning the world's only complete set (she owned several limited editions that there were only two of, with the other usually belonging to Hinata).

At any rate, most people never even got past the door, so the amount that knew what was actually inside the room could be probably be counted on one hand. Irihi made a point of giving her mother regular tours, since she knew her father was no longer brave enough to even peek inside, so someone had to let him know that she wasn't making bombs… unsupervised, anyway.

Over the years, Irihi had converted her room into something of a live-in shrine. At first glance, it would not be obvious what the room was a shrine to, unless of course you knew the owner's unique heritage. Every wall paid homage to a (for lack of a better word) branch of her family: the Hyuuga, Uzumaki, and Inuzuka Clans each had one, with the last being devoted to all things related (literally) to Suna. Largely as a joke, the Aburame got the ceiling, although Shinju had been very impressed that Irihi was able to arrange and hang "fake bugs as big as your head" so tastefully. Hanako had been mildly offended that there was no place for her family, until Irihi had promised to become "a living embodiment of youthful power," at which point Hanako had thoroughly regretted saying anything at all.

Still, it was a strangely pleasant surprise for Irihi to wake up one morning, to find her mother openly admiring her prized Surf n' Turf Gaara, which was clad only in crimson swim trunks and carrying a surfboard instead of the ever-present gourd.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Irihi asked quietly, causing her mother to jump a little.

"Go on and get dressed, honey," Tenten replied quickly, obviously trying to change the subject. "You've got a mission today. It'll be your first extended trip outside of the village, so make sure you take good care of Hanako and Isai."

"Do we get to fight?" Irihi asked eagerly as she bounced out of bed.

"No, it's more of an escort type thing. You're just leading some people back to Konoha."

"They got lost?"

Tenten shook her head. "I think it's more a case of them not having been here in several years. They've been roaming the Fire Country for a long time, and only recently decided to come back to the village. According to Kaneda, your team was specifically requested for this mission, so make sure you live up to the expectations."

"In other words, no fist fights with Hanako?" Irihi sighed, pouting a bit.

"No ANY kind of fights with anyone."

"Aw, Mamaaa!"

"You shouldn't have time to fight, anyway," Tenten pointed out as she checked each of Irihi's kunai for dents. "You'll need to learn how to handle ninja hounds on the way."

Irihi paused and frowned thoughtfully. "Why would I need to know that?"

"Because the people you're escorting are a nomadic tribe of Inuzuka, and they-"

Anything else Tenten might have said about the mission was drowned out by Irihi's delighted cheers.

---

Hanako's first impression of her sensei Kaneda had been that he wouldn't be a very good mentor. He didn't appear to have a bloodline limit, didn't get excited about training, and was well on his way to reaching Akimichi portions of roundness. Even Irihi, who generally gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, had wondered if maybe she should get Hanabi to talk to Ibiki about getting them another teacher.

But Kaneda ended up surprising them all by their third training session. He was, quite simply, an immovable object, and no force, no matter how irresistible, seemed to be able to topple him. He barely felt Hanako's punches, and even with a running start, Irihi had never managed to do more than make his green eyes sparkle with amusement. Isai had guessed that it was some sort of earth-based ability, but they never saw Kaneda perform any hand seals, and he was just as strong in mid-air. But in the spirit of encouraging his students' curiosity, Kaneda had promised whoever figured out his trick first would get a free box of Sunny Buns… so long as the winner was willing to work off the calories doing extra training.

Hanako didn't really feel a need to win the bet, though. Isai was the smartest member of their team, while Irihi had a better head for battle strategy. Anyway, Hinata had never exactly been stingy with her cinnamon buns, and each of them probably ate a box's worth every month as it was.

And, if today's breakfast feast was any indicator, Kaneda ate twice that amount. Hanako couldn't really blame him: when she found out they would meet up for the mission at the Uzumaki compound that morning, she had dragged Isai out of the house before their mothers could make them eat anything. Unfortunately, Hanako hadn't counted on having to share the bounty with four extra mouths, but when found out that Inuzuka Hana's dogs would be carrying them for most of the trip, she didn't mind as much.

---

"Okay, lesson one," Hana announced as she paced back and forth before Kaneda's genin team. "Weight distribution. We have four dogs willing to carry us on this mission. Can anyone tell me who rides which dog?"

"Um… I only count three dogs behind you, Inuzuka-san," Hanako replied hesitantly, pointing at the large, gray dogs. "I'd have to see the last one before I could answer the question."

Hana grinned. "A very good point, Hanako. Can anyone tell me where we might find ourselves a fourth dog on such short notice?"

"There's always Akamaru," Irihi answered, "but I'm not sure he'd go. I've never known him to leave Hinata oba-san for very long."

"Also a very good point," Hana agreed. "Fortunately, Hinata is coming with us as well, since she has had some contact with the Inuzuka tribe we're looking for."

Sure enough, Hinata led Akamaru up to the group a moment later. And even though they were about to leave on a mission, he made sure to lick Irihi's cheek and poke his nose into Hana's hair before lining up with the rest of the dogs.

Hana turned back to Hanako. "Care to take another shot at that question?"

The pink-haired girl frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I can't imagine anyone but Hinata-san and Irihi riding Akamaru."

"And I could ride with Kaneda-sensei," Isai said quickly, trying not to be too obvious about sweating.

With a soft chuckle, Hana shook her head. "Sorry, Isai, but that won't happen. The idea is to distribute our total weight as evenly as possible among all the dogs, taking into account how much each is capable of carrying. Akamaru is the biggest, and used to carrying two adults for long distances. That leaves us with three dogs."

"Oh, I know!" Irihi exclaimed. "The other two adults get their own dog, and Hanako shares one with Isai!"

"Correct. And how did you come to that conclusion?"

Irihi blushed slightly. "Hanako and Isai weigh the least individually, and, um, Kaneda-sensei weighs the most…" She shot her teacher an apologetic look, but he waved it off with a smile and made a show of polishing off another Sunny Bun.

"Now that that's out of the way," Hana went on, "it's time to teach you how to actually get on the dogs."

"But we've never ridden one before!" Isai protested as Hanako dragged him towards the dog that Hana picked out for them.

"I barely know anything about dogs, but letting them know you're afraid probably isn't helping their confidence!" Hanako snapped. "Now stop that trembling!" She would've said more, but their assigned dog suddenly stepped forward and began sniffing her pink hair.

"Don't worry, he's just learning your scent," Hana explained. "If you should happen to get separated from the group, he'll be able to track you down."

"See, no chance of us getting lost," Hanako said to Isai as she reached up and petted the dog's neck gratefully.

"What if he gets a cold?" Isai demanded.

"I am one minute away from gagging you and tying us together!"

"Actually, I wouldn't be opposed to that. Your body is much more durable than mine, and in case of an accident, statistics show that shared impact would mean-"

"Tell me you did NOT just call my body 'durable,' Isai!"

"I'm just looking at the facts!" He grabbed her arm and held it out. "Look, you've got so much more muscle here, and-"

"Unless you want this muscle wrapped around your neck, you-"

Kaneda coughed loudly. "Isai, I'm sure there will be plenty of time to admire your girlfriend's stunning, numerous attributes once you're on the road together."

Isai opened his mouth to protest, but kept quiet when he noticed the sharp look Kaneda was giving him. Hanako, on the other hand, had turned bright red and was now staring at the dog to avoid looking at anyone else.

Hinata smiled as she helped Irihi onto Akamaru's back. "He's very good."

Irihi grinned. "You should see how he gets them to hold hands in public."

---

Despite all the power he had gained, Morino Ibiki had never really enjoyed delegating. There was just something so satisfying about doing a job himself, and therefore knowing personally that it had been done well. Today, however, he was merely trying to satisfy his gnawing curiosity.

"Damn cryptic old men and their secrets," he muttered, putting aside another dusty, frustrating scroll. For nearly seven hours straight, he'd been going through the personal notes of the previous Hokages. Not surprisingly, Tsunade had made the fewest notes, and that was both a blessing and a curse: she rarely bothered to be too covert with sensitive information, but Shizune (who had written the lion's share, he noted with a smirk) had known a few things about keeping secrets secret, and her writings tended to be both short and descriptive, yet lacking just enough detail to be infuriating. More than likely she had hidden the full versions elsewhere, but Ibiki wasn't about to dig through all the scrolls a second time if he turned out to be wrong. If his search didn't result in the answers he was seeking, only then he would go and find Tsunade's assistant.

But the real problem was that a great deal of knowledge must have been passed orally between the Hokages, and since Tsunade had come into the picture after the death of the Sandaime, there had been no one to bring her into the loop, so to speak. There was no telling how much information had been lost, because as many notes as the Sandaime kept, Ibiki didn't doubt that tons more had been locked away in the old man's head. That was why he'd never had a problem taking an order from the old man: you didn't get to be that old without being brilliant, not while living a shinobi's life.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Ibiki grimaced. If it was Anko again, trying to drag him out for drinks, dango, or something equally ridiculous, he was going to take Kakashi's advice for once and drop a rubber snake down her front. There was a chance she might like it, and if she didn't, she would hound him for a week at least, but so long as she left him alone for the rest of the day, it might be worth the trouble.

"In all the time I've known you, I never realized you were so dedicated to torturing yourself as well, Ibiki-sensei," Hyuuga Hanabi said as she walked into the dim storeroom. "If you haven't strained your eyes by now, your joints at least must be protesting."

There was no point in trying to lie, not to a Hyuuga, and not to Hanabi in particular. She was the only subordinate he'd trained that he felt even remotely comfortable dropping his guard around. He still saw her as his right hand in several matters, especially when it came to dealing with the rest of her clan. Although he would never tell her so, there were times when he even thought of Hanabi as something of a daughter.

"You should know by now that I never have time enough to be tired, Hyuuga. Did you want something, or did you come solely to be a nuisance? I can assure you that my two cohorts have that area covered."

Hanabi wasn't offended, of course. She knew him well enough to know that he was always so direct, unless he was torturing someone by being particularly longwinded. "I have always wondered if Hinata had received some outside help with her dog, and only partially believed her numerous stories about spiritual guidance. So while I was not surprised to learn about the existence of another Inuzuka clan, I must admit to being curious as to why they distanced themselves from the village, but are still largely considered Leaf-nin in good standing."

Ibiki tossed her a scroll. "That contains an account of a certain Inuzuka who mysteriously left the village, along with several relatives, although none were listed as missing-nin. The only thing I can figure is that they had permission from the Hokage, but because it isn't dated, there's no real way of knowing which Hokage was ruling at the time. Despite the fact that there's no official record of it, most of the council instantly knew what I was referring to when I read the mission request, and confirmed that they were indeed still Leaf-nin, even though most of the current clan has probably never even been in the village. Even stranger, the notice specifically asked for the presence of Inuzuka Hana, Uzumaki Hinata, and Naruto. He's already away on a mission, but I got the distinct impression that they really wanted him."

"Very few people specifically request Naruto-san," Hanabi murmured thoughtfully. "Either they know him personally, or they've heard of him somehow."

"But these people are Inuzuka, and it stands to reason that they know everything the Inuzuka in the village know. I have yet to see one that wasn't an above average tracker, and they'd probably have to go to more trouble NOT to cross paths regularly."

"It is unbelievably difficult to leave that clan, from what I've heard," Hanabi agreed. "They're extremely loyal if nothing else. Hana even checks up on me from time to time. She's nearly as bad as Naruto-san when it comes to absorbing people into the family."

He stared at her blankly. "Hana considers herself related to you? How does that work?"

Hanabi sighed, obviously having had to explain that more than once. "Hinata 'technically' became an Inuzuka when Akamaru accepted her as his mistress. And since he remains with her to this day, she is 'technically,' according to Hana, Uzumaki Inuzuka Hinata. I have been unable to determine if she was attempting to be humorous or not."

"And Naruto has no problem with this?"

"Shortly after being told, Naruto-san was found happily treating his 'Hana nee-chan' and her dogs to pork ramen at Ichiraku's."

Ibiki sighed loudly. "Should've known better."

"I would still be very interested to know what these other Inuzuka want with Naruto-san," Hanabi remarked. "Somehow, I doubt they simply want to meet Hinata's husband."

"Well, there's only one thing Naruto has that nobody else in Konoha does," Ibiki said slowly, "but in most cases, that's been more of a reason not to meet him."

"You think this whole mission has something to do with Kyuubi?" Hanabi asked softly.

"That's just it," Ibiki replied with a frown. "The impression I'm starting to get is that it has nothing to do with Kyuubi, and everything to do with another of his kind. The only reason I agreed to send your young heiress along is because Hinata specifically asked me to."

---

Normally, Irihi was one of the more alert members of her team, second only to Kaneda, who of course had decades of experience behind him. But she had discovered rather quickly that she would be unable to depend on the sharpness of her senses, for one rather unexpected reason.

Irihi simply could not stay awake with the faint but comforting sound of Hinata's heartbeat just behind her as they traveled. Either she would nod off and gradually fall forward onto Akamaru's neck, or suddenly wake up to find herself happily snuggled in Hinata's arms. It would have been even more embarrassing, if Irihi hadn't seen the death grip that Isai had on Hanako's waist (not that the pink-haired girl minded at all).

"Can't you poke me when I fall asleep, oba-san?" Irihi murmured at one point, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"That would be rude," Hinata replied with a faint smile.

"But I have to stay awake for the mission!"

"I know. It's just far more comfortable for both of us when I hold you instead."

"We're on a mission!" Irihi protested. "You can't baby me in front of everyone! That's favoritism!"

"Hardly," Hinata responded at once. "Your teammates know very well that they only need to ask if they want hugs, too."

"Does that offer include me, or should I try my luck with Hana?" Kaneda asked as he rode up beside them.

Hinata laughed softly as Hana glanced back at them with a smirk. "I think you just did, Kaneda-san."

"Oh, dear," Kaneda sighed, shaking his head in mock frustration. "I'm afraid I've let the lovely Inuzuka overhear my remarks," he added in a loud whisper that Hana was obviously meant to hear. "How embarrassing!"

Without a word, Hana brought the dog she was riding to a stop and dismounted, her eyes carefully scanning the trees. Finally, she turned back to the group. "If you really want to impress me, Kaneda-san, there's a river not too far west of this spot. If you'll make sure each of the dogs gets plenty to drink, I'm going to do some scouting. I'm starting to pick up signs that my cousins have come through here recently."

"Do you want to borrow my eyes, Hana?" Hinata offered.

"Thanks, but no," Hana declined, smiling. "I've still got my nose. Anyway, you might need your eyes. The trees around here are unusually strong. It doesn't seem like a trap, but I don't think they grew by normal means."

Hinata focused on a nearby tree, and her eyes widened in surprise. "I agree. Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"I am, but you obviously aren't," Hana sighed. "Come on, then. We should only be gone for a few minutes, anyway."

"What's wrong with the trees?" Isai asked worriedly. "Tell us before you go, Hinata-san!"

"I'm sure Irihi can tell you, Isai-kun!" Hinata called over her shoulder as she followed Hana deeper into the forest.

Irihi briefly studied the same tree Hinata had. "There's nothing wrong with the tree, Isai-kun. It's perfectly healthy. Too healthy, in fact."

"Translation?" Hanako sighed before Isai could ask.

"This tree has more chakra than I do," Irihi answered with a thoughtful frown. "Beyond that, I can easily sense it."

"And that's not normal, right?" Isai guessed.

"No, not for regular trees. However, if somebody grew them with a jutsu, it's possible they would retain some of that person's chakra. But when you consider that somebody could grow so many trees with this much chakra leftover in them, well, it could be one of two things. Either they're a really powerful shinobi, or they're not human at all."

"And why are we so sure this isn't a trap?" Isai whispered nervously.

Irihi shrugged. "I don't think it is, anyway. The tree feels happy."

That earned her a few concerned looks.

"Look, we've already established that this isn't a normal tree. Are you really so surprised that I can get a happy vibe from it?"

Isai swallowed noisily. "I think I want to go home, where the trees just stand there, and nobody knows if they're feeling anything at all."

Hanako rolled her eyes. "Isai, it is a TREE. So long as you keep the dog from going on it, and don't cut it down or set it on fire, I don't think you need to be afraid of it. Hopefully it's happy enough where it won't try to fall on you for fun…"

With a tiny, frightened whimper, Isai buried his face in Hanako's back.

"You big baby! It was a joke!" Hanako cried in disgust (though again, she didn't really seem TOO upset).

"I'm surprised at you, Isai," Kaneda said as he dismounted so he could lead both his and Hana's dogs. "Do you really think Hinata-san would have left us if we were likely to find ourselves in danger?"

"Well, no," Isai admitted slowly, "but it's not like she checked the whole area with the Byakugan before she left, either! She only looked at the tree!"

"And you're STILL worried about that, so obviously it would've been pointless for her to use it on anything else," Hanako pointed out. "Let's just go to the river before you find something wrong with the air, too."

"Now that you mention it-"

"Don't make me kick you off this dog, Isai!"

---

Hanabi was not accustomed to being kept waiting when she visited the Uzumaki compound. Usually, at least two people were already out in the yard when she arrived, and even when that wasn't the case, Naruto was always excited to get visitors, and Hinata was always happy whenever Hanabi decided to come by. Even though she knew they were both out on missions, she also knew the house wasn't empty, and was starting to get concerned when she had to knock a third time.

Finally, the door opened, and Enten peered up at her, clearly surprised. "Oba-sama, I'm sorry. We weren't expecting you. At least, Temari oba-san didn't say anything. Please, come in."

"And where is Temari?" Hanabi asked, stepping into the house, and clearly wondering why her nephew had answered the door, instead of the adult who was supposed to be watching him and his sister.

"Playing with Tsuki," Enten answered as he closed the door. "They'll probably be another hour or so. They'd only made it up to Hot Springs Gaara last time I checked on them."

Hanabi knew she probably shouldn't ask. For grown women, Hinata and Temari took their doll-collecting very seriously. Still, she had a certain morbid curiosity about the whole thing. "Oh?"

"They play with them in alphabetical order," Enten explained with a sigh. "And then only for a minute each. Otherwise they'll get too worn from hugging or something. I don't really understand it myself…"

"You don't collect them, then?" Hanabi asked, hoping her suspicions were correct.

"No, I don't see the point. I mean, Gaara oji-sama is cool, but I don't hug him, so I wouldn't hug a doll of him, either. In fact, the only person I've ever seen get away with hugging him is Irihi, and I think he only let her because it would have been even less dignified to try and shake her off."

"So if you showed me your room right now," Hanabi went on, "I wouldn't see any dolls at all?"

There was a slight pause.

"I have a tiny Gamabunta, but it's a pillow," Enten replied quickly. "That's it, I swear!"

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about the Gamabunta pillow that's bigger than you are, would you?"

Enten stared up at her. "It's tiny when you compare it to the real thing," he said at last, a little defensively.

"I never said there was anything wrong with it," Hanabi reminded him calmly.

"It's not my fault they don't make manly plushies! And I'm only seven!"

"What if I could find you something better than a doll?"

He paused, looking both curious and hopeful. "I'd like that, oba-sama."

Hanabi nodded. "Leave Temari a note, though we might return before she ventures downstairs again."

Enten quickly ran off, and came back a couple of seconds later with a piece of paper that simply read: "Went to have some REAL fun with oba-sama, see you when we get back!" He left the note on the kitchen table and eagerly followed Hanabi out of the house.

---

Isai had largely gotten over his fear of, well, everything in the forest, now that the group had stopped for a quick break. Even better, he'd spotted some very interesting clouds, and was in the process of sketching a few of them, so he could show them to his godfather when he got home. Unfortunately, the only really good vantage point had been in the river they'd stopped beside, so Isai had carefully walked out onto the water, being sure to stay within Hanako's line of sight. Even now, he could see her sitting on the riverbank, occasionally reaching over to stroke their dog's head.

Irihi had climbed up one of the chakra-rich trees, and was now jumping from branch to branch like a pale, hyperactive monkey. Kaneda was keeping one eye on her and the other on the dogs, so Isai wasn't too worried.

Isai had just finished the sketch when he sensed an unfamiliar flare of chakra, and looked up just in time to see something black vanish into some bushes along the opposite riverbank. The momentary distraction was enough, however, because he instantly forgot to maintain the necessary chakra to keep him above the water, and went under like a rock. He surfaced a moment later, a little surprised and touched to see that Irihi was at the end of a branch hanging out over the river, ready to dive in after him, and Hanako already had one foot in the water. "I'm okay!" he shouted, waving them off. His gaze soon turned back to the bushes, and with a determined scowl, he swam over to spot and climbed out. Oddly enough, there were no tracks of any kind, but Isai was certain that he had seen something.

"Maybe you should come back now, Isai!" Hanako shouted after a few minutes.

Having found nothing, Isai sighed, carefully built up chakra in his feet, and started walking across the water again. He was halfway there when Hanako began waving wildly and pointing at something behind him. Isai didn't want to turn around, but slowly did so. He could see nothing out of place, and started to think Hanako had played a joke on him. But when he turned again to tell her it wasn't funny, Hanako was gone. Indeed, the entire riverbank she and the group had been on were gone, because Isai suddenly found himself seven feet in the air above rushing water, and falling fast.

Despite all the instruction he'd received in the Academy and from Sakura, and all the training from his mother, his grandfather, Kaneda, Hanako, and Irihi, there was only one thought going through Isai's mind.

"If this is what it feels like to be a cloud, I'm never going cloud gazing again…"

---

Very few people ever gave Hanako credit for her brainpower, and she didn't much care. However, she wasn't stupid, and she could put things together very fast when necessary.

For example, she knew that some ninken could use jutsu, either with their masters, or alone. So while she had been a little shocked to see the strange black dog use the Replacement jutsu on Isai, she had accepted it quickly.

On the other hand, seeing dog use the Replacement jutsu in combination with clones of itself to rapidly teleport Isai away from them had stunned even Kaneda for a good six seconds.

But then Hanako remembered Irihi mentioning seeing a waterfall earlier, and her eyes widened. Isai was an okay swimmer, but he couldn't escape a waterfall on his best day, and certainly not if he was panicking as he had to be. So taking a page out of the dog's book, Hanako began teleporting herself downstream with the Replacement jutsu, and instantly realized that the dog had to be an old pro at it. She was in a hurry, which resulted in her switching with the first objects she spotted, and sometimes ended up nearly up to her neck in water, or just a few feet above it. But it paid off, because she soon spotted Isai's struggling form in the distance, only seconds away from vanishing over the waterfall.

A quick glance over her shoulder showed that Irihi was closing in by leaping through trees overhead, and Kaneda seemed to be surfing downstream on a platform made of rock.

To her surprise, it was Kaneda who figured out what Hanako was thinking even before she flew through the hand seals one last time. "Don't you do it, Hanako!" he shouted, reaching for her.

Hanako only smiled sadly. "I have to, Kaneda-sensei. Isai needs me, and I can't let him down."

In the next moment, Kaneda found his hand closing around Isai's arm instead of Hanako's. He quickly hauled the coughing blond boy onto the platform, his features clouding in anger. "Irihi!" he barked, looking up at his best student. "Don't you let her fall! She has to live so I can kill her when you bring her back!"

Irihi's response was exactly what he'd expected. She kicked off the weights on her legs, and her body became a blur as she dove off of the waterfall after her teammate.

---

"I'm so stupid," Hanako whispered as she plummeted to what had to be her doom. "Isai will be a wreck without me. He'll probably die, anyway, without me to take care of him. All I did was make sure I'd go first…"

She hadn't realized how draining the Replacement jutsu could be if used rapidly in succession, and with almost no idea of what you'd be switching places with. Plus, it was even harder to switch places with a struggling person, which Isai would no doubt lecture her on if she survived. There was a chance she wouldn't die instantly when she hit the bottom, thanks to her body's natural toughness, but she could always drown from not having enough energy to swim.

All thoughts of her death came to an end when something cold and hard wrapped tightly around her waist, halting her fall at once.

"Don't struggle and I won't drop you," said an unfamiliar voice above her.

Hanako instantly went limp, since she really didn't have the strength to protest. From the sound of it, she was being saved, and she wasn't about to do anything to change her rescuer's mind.

Slowly, she felt herself being pulled up, until finally she felt a hand grabbing her shoulder… a hand that almost felt like it had claws, actually. Taking a deep breath, Hanako raised her head, only to stare into a pair of the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. They were as pink as her hair, and seemed to widen slightly as she gazed into them.

"Are you okay?" the white-haired boy asked uncertainly, and Hanako felt herself nodding slowly. "Um, great. But you don't really seem okay, if you don't mind me saying so…"

"Pretty," Hanako said without much thought, and soon became aware of more pink, this time in her savior's cheeks (which bore red marks similar to Hana's, now that she thought about it) as he put her down next to him on the ledge. She also noticed two of his teeth, since they were very sharp, curved, and long enough that they protruded just over his lower lip.

"Ah, well, thanks. I think. I've never been called pretty before, I'd remember that…"

Hanako blushed, and was about to say something more intelligent, but was then rudely interrupted.

"HANAKO-CHAN!" Irihi cried as she landed just behind them on the ledge. In an instant, she had pulled Hanako into a crushing hug. "You're okay!"

"I won't be if you break me in half, Irihi-chan!" Hanako grunted.

"What were you thinking?" Irihi demanded angrily the moment she let go. "Kaneda-sensei is furious, and poor Isai-kun is probably in hysterics by now! And what about me? How was I supposed to tell your parents that I lost you? After everything your father put me through to make me stronger, I couldn't face him if something happened to you! Do you have any idea how many times he made me swear to use what he taught me to protect you?"

Hanako was honestly a little surprised at that revelation, and felt a pang of guilt at the thought of never being wrapped in one of her father's enthusiastic hugs again. "Well, it's not like you have to worry about any of that, now," she pointed out reasonably.

"Um, excuse me," her savior chimed in hesitantly, "but I'm not really done saving you. This ledge won't hold our combined weight for much longer…"

"I don't suppose you can fly?" Irihi asked hopefully.

"No, but I've never really needed to. Let this wrap around your waist, please," he said, as a length of chain slipped out of his gray jacket and moved towards Irihi. She hesitated, until she noticed that Hanako already had a chain around her own waist, and it had apparently aided in saving her life. Anyway, bad guys didn't usually ask nicely, or display any manners at all. "You must hold on tightly for this to work. Also, I'll need a little chakra from each of you. Think of it as a fare, if you like. You'll hardly even miss it."

Hanako quickly latched onto the boy's arm, causing him to blush.

"Um, I really meant hold onto the chain, but that's just as good, I suppose…"

"I'm with Hanako on this one," Irihi said, grabbing the boy's other arm. "It's not like you'd leave an arm behind, right?"

"That's true…" he admitted with a weak smile. "But I never take these chains off, either. I need them…"

"For what?" Irihi asked curiously.

He only shrugged before closing his eyes. "Here we go…"

The entire ledge trembled a bit, and the girls automatically moved closer to the boy, neither realizing it was the effect of his jutsu. Many roots suddenly poked out of the ground, growing taller until they interlocked overhead, forming a cage around the three. Without warning, the cage pulled them into solid rock at an alarming pace, the dirt and rock sliding off of the cage like water.

"It almost seems like an absolute defense," Irihi murmured, slowly reaching out and touching one of the roots. She could feel it pulsing at a constant rate, and just like the trees she'd seen earlier, she could tell that it had a surprising amount of chakra flowing through it.

"I wouldn't know," the boy said suddenly, startling her. "I've never been attacked while I do this. Either no one ever tried, or I just didn't feel it…"

"What's your name?" Irihi asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

He seemed amused by her suspicion. "Inuzuka Michio. It was interesting to meet you, Hyuuga-san. I haven't met many people willing to throw themselves off of a waterfall. Just you two, in fact…"

"It wasn't really our idea," Hanako responded with a weak grin. "That black dog came out of nowhere, and then-"

"I see," Michio said quietly, his voice trembling with suppressed anger.

Irihi and Hanako traded confused looks, just before the cage came to a stop, now above ground again. The roots untied themselves and shrank back into the ground, leaving no sign that they'd ever been there at all.

"I brought us up near the bottom of the waterfall," Michio explained as his chains detached themselves from the girls and flew back into his jacket. "Didn't want you two trying any more death-defying leaps…"

"We'd better go find the others, Hanako-chan," Irihi suggested at once, letting go of his arm. "They must really be worried by now."

"No need. They're already headed this way," Michio said, tilting his head slightly. "Hmm… three adults, one person your age… and four dogs. Does that sound right?"

Hanako stared at him in shock. "How did you DO that?"

"They smell pretty anxious. I'm guessing they're worried about you, since they're not taking time to conceal themselves. Apparently, they're not too crazy about the waterfall-diving, either…" He started to say more, then paused and blushed when he realized that Hanako was still holding onto his arm tightly.

In the next moment, Kaneda landed in front of them with Isai under one arm, followed closely by Hinata, Hana, and the four dogs. Kaneda looked like he had plenty to say, but Isai pulled away from him and ran straight to Hanako, who finally remembered herself and released Michio's arm just as Isai threw his arms around her waist.

"I thought you were gone!" he sobbed, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Isai… I'm fine," Hanako said softly, smiling as she returned the hug and patted his back soothingly.

Irihi ran over to Hinata, who immediately began checking her for injuries. "You missed me taking on that waterfall, oba-san! It was so COOL! Not the part about Isai and Hanako almost dying, but the rest of it was really-"

"Um, I'm really sorry about all of this," Michio muttered nervously.

Hanako threw him a hurt look. "You're sorry you saved me?"

"No, of course not!" he said quickly. "I just meant you wouldn't have been in danger, if it weren't for me…"

"We already told you it was that black dog who-"

"Yes, well, about that, Hanako-san," Michio said as the aforementioned dog suddenly appeared next to him, growling angrily.

Isai quickly backed away, pulling Hanako with him.

Irihi tensed up as well, since the dog looked and acted more like a wolf, in her opinion.

Michio quickly attached one of his chains to the dog's collar. "That's more than enough, Kagemaru. These people are not enemies. It's time to leave them alone."

"They are not welcome here!" Kagemaru snapped, but Isai and Hanako were the only ones surprised to hear him speak. "The last thing we need is another band of humans trespassing in HIS forest! Only one of them is marked as his servant! The rest should be eliminated at once!"

"They're only here because he wanted escorts from the village!"

"I would remember if he had asked for a weak boy and an equally foolish girl, and there is no way he expected them to bring some of those white-eyed, sneaky-"

Thankfully, whatever Kagemaru had intended on calling the Hyuuga in general, and Hinata and Irihi in particular, the group never found out. Because Michio, who had up until that point, seemed largely shy and harmless, moved with a speed that was well beyond inhuman, and snapped Kagemaru's muzzle shut with both of his pale hands.

"You," the boy said quietly but firmly, "will NEVER again disrespect Hinata-sama, her family, or anyone else she deems worthy of respect. Any… memory lapses on your part will result in your immediate and permanent dismissal as my vassal. As talented as you are, Kagemaru, you need to understand that common courtesy, however silly it may seem to you, could easily save your life a few times."

Kagemaru said nothing to this, or anything at all for the rest of the conversation, but it was clear that he understood.

Hinata was now staring at the boy with growing curiosity, since she had never met him, and could not think of a single thing she might have done to deserve such a spirited defense. Honestly, it had been a long time since anyone had called her "Hinata-sama," and even longer since they'd done so with any real respect in mind, so it felt a bit odd, like she was trying on an old dress that didn't quite fit, if it ever had. The most formal name she had these days was "Uzumaki-san," and only the few people who insisted on distancing themselves from her used that often. Even the Leaf-nin who regularly drew guard duty at the gate nearest to her home had fallen into the habit of announcing, "Hina-hime's here!" whenever she brought them freshly baked Sunny Buns (Hanabi had thought they were insulting Hinata's former status as a clan heir, but Naruto insisted that Hinata's cooking was simply that good and then some, but he was biased).

"Please allow me to apologize for Kagemaru's rudeness," Michio sighed, bowing politely to the group. "We do not get many welcome visitors, and he has become somewhat indiscriminate in how he handles anyone that steps into our territory. I do hope this unfortunate incident will not negatively impact your first impressions of us forest-dwelling Inuzuka."

"You're an Inuzuka?" Isai asked in disbelief without thinking, which Hanako promptly elbowed him for.

"I know I don't really look or act like one," Michio explained, scratching his cheek with his claws. "I was a very sickly child, and consequently, I won't ever be strong in the way that the rest of my clan is. But I've managed to survive so far, so hopefully that counts for something."

That comment made Irihi frown. Maybe Michio wasn't bulging with muscles (in fact, she thought he might be skin and bones under that bulky jacket), but from what she'd seen so far, he was by no means a weakling. He clearly had some talent in Mokuton jutsu, which was a rare ability in itself, and chances were whoever had trained him in it was also responsible for those chakra-rich trees.

Hana, who had been staring at Michio for several moments, finally stepped forward. "You look familiar. You're Miwa's little brother, aren't you?"

"Ah… yes, Miwa is my older sister, oba-san. She told me how you taught her to wrestle. Actually, she showed me…" Michio winced slightly at the memory. "We have a younger sister now. She's really looking forward to meeting you. Once they catch up, we can go."

Hinata was surprised at that. "Are you sure? I thought your whole family was returning to Konoha."

Michio shook his head. "No, it was always just us, Hinata-sama. Our uncle wanted to come, but he became our clan head when my father died, so he has to stay with the others. It's not a problem, my sisters and I have been on our own plenty of times before."

Irihi waited until Hinata turned to Hana and Kaneda to discuss this new information before pulling Michio aside. "I'm glad you respect my aunt, but you should know you're only embarrassing her by calling her that, and she's too nice to tell you." She paused, and then asked, "Why DO you keep calling her that?"

"You don't know?" Michio asked in surprise. "No one outside of our clan has ever been able to successfully tame and keep an Inuzuka dog as their companion. Hinata-sama is the only one, so everyone in our clan knows her name. I never thought I would have the honor of meeting her…"

"What about Akamaru?" Irihi demanded. "Isn't he famous, too?"

"Um, well, yes," he replied hesitantly. "I thought that was implied, sorry… I meant no disrespect, of course. He is, after all, the very image of greatness."

Irihi instantly calmed down, smiling fondly at Akamaru as Hinata stroked his neck. "Yeah, he is great, isn't he?"

"That's not exactly what I meant…" Michio murmured. "You see, there is a legend of a white dog spirit that dwells in and protects the forests of Fire Country. Some of my clan believes that we were sent here to aid the spirit in its duties. So whenever we see a large white dog, our faith is renewed, and we are reminded that the spirit still walks among us, protecting not only the forests, but our very lives."

"So… you're saying it's very good that Akamaru's fur is white?"

"Ah… I guess that's one way of putting it."

"Okay." Irihi stared at him for a few seconds. "You're kind of weird, but I like you. And I'll keep liking you, if you promise never to call me 'Hyuuga-san' again. That could be anyone back home, and then only if you didn't really care enough to learn their name. Wouldn't you feel weird if I kept calling you 'Inuzuka-san' even after you told me your name?"

"I see your point, and I apologize, Irihi-san," Michio replied, bowing slightly.

"Aw, don't worry about it, Mi-chan!" Irihi said brightly, patting him on the back before she walked off.

"Mi-chan?" he muttered, frowning a little. The thought slipped from his mind as a cold nose pressed against his cheek. He looked up, only to find Akamaru sniffing at him. Soon enough, the other three Inuzuka dogs had gathered around him as well, and Michio could only smile, offering his hands for their inspection. "So you've all figured me out, I see," he murmured softly, reaching up to pat Akamaru's muzzle. "But I'd appreciate it if this could stay between us. People can prove… unpredictable with such sensitive information. I hope you can understand my reasoning."

The other three dogs seemed to nod, but Akamaru simply stared at Michio for several seconds.

The boy smiled. "Don't worry, my friend. I think Hinata-sama will reach her own conclusions in time, if she hasn't already. I didn't think I'd be able to hide from her for very long, anyway."

Akamaru liked that answer better, because he briefly licked Michio's hand before moving away. The other dogs followed his lead, and Michio was not at all surprised to find the group staring at him curiously.

"I have a way with dogs," Michio said simply, offering a slight smile. "They just seem to like me, for some reason. Well, except for my friend here," he added, gesturing to Kagemaru. "But he doesn't really like anyone…"

---

Enten was having a rather good day, all things considered. Tsuki wouldn't like it when she found out how much fun he'd been having without her, but that was largely her fault for obsessing over dolls. Honestly, they were SEVEN already, and the only possible excuse she should've had for playing with them still was developing an interest in shinobi puppetry, which would thrill Uncle Kankurou to no end, since he was convinced that it was a rapidly fading art.

First, Hanabi had stopped by the Aburame compound, since she needed to discuss something with Shino. That was fine with Enten, so he'd wandered off to find Shinju, who was working on a new jutsu that was as advanced for her age as it was creepy. Most people were turned off by the fact that they had never seen her whole face, but Enten didn't mind it. Shinju always listened when he had a problem, and if she sensed that he was really troubled, she would have her bugs "sing" to cheer him up. She really was overly affectionate by Aburame standards, which she proved by patting him on the head as he left. It was practically nothing to Enten, but Shino seemed just shy of scandalized, even more so when Shinju returned Enten's parting wave.

Next, they had lunch at Sakura's house, which Enten dreaded. He liked Sakura and Ino enough, but they were always hugging him and kissing him and telling him how cute he was. This had been fine a few years ago, but Enten was getting to the point where he preferred to do manly things, and it was exceedingly difficult to be manly when there was lipstick all over your cheeks. Even worse, Tenten and Shizune were there as well, which just meant more kisses. By the time he finally escaped, he was in no mood to go anywhere else until he made Hanabi promise that his present was at their next stop.

The next stop turned out to be the Hyuuga compound. Enten had only been there a few times, since everyone he knew there usually chose to visit him. There were far more people he didn't know, and though he knew they were technically family, he felt uneasy when most of them looked his way. Their eyes were nothing new, but they lacked his mother's open affection, Irihi's cheerful nature, and Hanabi's reassuring presence. Enten would have felt more confident if he'd been born with the Byakugan, but since that wasn't the case, he just walked a little closer to Hanabi the whole time. Once he got his hands on the promised present, however, he felt much better, and forgot all about being nervous. It was much better than any plushie he'd ever seen, and he definitely wouldn't have to share it with his sister, which was always a plus.

At least, he hoped that was the case. If Tsuki was still playing with dolls, she probably wouldn't be interested in even being a partial owner of an authentic hunter-nin mask.

---

Roughly an hour after Hanako's infamous waterfall dive, Michio's two sisters came crashing through the woods, and Irihi could see at once why Michio would hate wrestling with either of them. Unlike Michio, who dressed a great deal like her late uncle Kiba once had, the girls looked like they'd grown brown fur all over their bodies, and then shaved small areas of it off. As they got closer, however, it was revealed that they were simply wearing clothing made out of fur, which exposed their muscular thighs and upper arms. Still, Irihi wasn't convinced that they hadn't grown the fur themselves, since their hair was also brown, long, and particularly coarse-looking.

The larger sister, who was a head taller than Michio, ran up and cuffed him across the back of his head, knocking him to his knees through the sheer force of the hit. "Michio!" she growled angrily. "Why didn't you tell us that Hana oba-chan was here already?"

"You told me not to bother you, nee-san…" he complained weakly, covering the fresh bump with his hands.

The younger sister, about half Michio's size, calmly walked over and pulled his hands away, inspecting the bump carefully. Then, in a very odd display of affection, she leaned forward and gave the bump a long lick. "There," she said in satisfied tone, patting him on the shoulder. "All better."

Michio blushed, torn between feeling embarrassed and appreciative. "Um… thanks, Miki-chan…" he murmured, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"Don't be too tough on him, Miwa-chan," Hana chuckled, ruffling the older girl's hair. "He had a lot of explaining to do, and he gave the others a very good first impression of your branch of the clan. He was very polite."

"Aw, we're nothing like that!" Miwa complained loudly, shooting her brother a glare.

"Speak for yourself, nee-san," Miki chimed in with a frown as she carefully adjusted the travel pack hanging off of her shoulder. The pack shifted slightly, and a tiny brown puppy's head peeked out, letting out a bark that sounded more like a squeak.

"Oh, he's so cute!" Hanako sighed excitedly. "Can I pet him? Please?"

Miki shrugged and started to take the puppy out of her pack, but Miwa stopped her.

"Don't be stupid, Miki! She doesn't know how to handle a dog properly!"

"That's not true!" Hanako protested, glaring at the taller girl. "You don't even know me!"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Miwa snorted.

"Nee-san, don't," Michio pleaded, but Miwa silenced him with a glare.

"Just because I'm not an Inuzuka and don't live in a forest," Hanako snapped, "it doesn't mean I don't know anything about dogs! And just because you are and do, it's still no excuse for not having any manners!"

"Here's what I think of you and your manners!" Miwa snarled, drawing back a fist. Before she could bring it forward, though, a hand closed around it.

"You really don't want to do that," Irihi said quietly, squeezing Miwa's hand just hard enough to get her attention. "Hanako's stronger than I am fast, and right now she's in a fairly good mood, so you don't want to get in a fight with her."

For her part, Miwa gave the girl a rather disbelieving stare. She was used to people occasionally getting in her face, although most of them had enough common sense to made sure they stood a chance of winning first. But the girl currently in her way was not only smaller than her, but thinner as well. Any other time, she would have simply snorted and shoved such a person aside. The only reason she didn't now was because the pressure on her hand was starting to hurt. Miwa was stubborn, and hated backing down from anyone, but she was smart enough to realize that if she forced the issue, she could walk away from this with a broken hand at the very least.

"Stop picking on everyone, nee-san," Miki ordered, giving her sister a light kick to the ankle. "She asked nicely and everything." With that, she handed the puppy to Hanako, who made sure to cuddle him extra gently, just so Miwa wouldn't be proven right.

Growling, Miwa yanked her hand away from Irihi and stomped over to Hana, who was quick to point out (very quietly, so as not to be overhead by the others) that Hanako had been trained to care for ninken and normal dogs alike.

"This is going to be a long trip, isn't it," Isai muttered, not really even asking.

"I'm afraid so," Michio sighed, scratching at his cheek nervously. "Nee-san is very good at holding a grudge over the littlest things. She'll probably never forgive me when she finds out I saved Hanako-san…"

"So you're telling me she's always this bad?" Irihi muttered softly in his ear.

Michio offered a weak smile. "Not really. She'd probably be much more violent if the adults weren't around. I'm just glad you weren't bluffing about being faster than her. She won't be so quick to hit anyone with you around. Well, except me…"

"Don't worry! I'll protect you, Mi-chan!" she promised, thumping him on the back.

"That's… very kind of you, Irihi-san," he murmured weakly, forcing a smile. It became more genuine, however, when he noticed that Hanako and Miki were getting along fine.

"What's his name?" Hanako was asking in a hushed tone as the puppy pawed lightly at her arm.

"He doesn't really have one," Miki explained. "We like to let the partner choose their names most of the time, but he was a runt, so he's not really strong enough to support a partner. I just keep him with me most of the time, but I already have a dog. I was hoping I could find him a good home in the village. He's not cut out to be a ninja hound, and he'd be much happier with a nice family."

"I bet Ino-san could get someone to take him in," Hanako mused. "She knows lots of people."

"What about Anko-sama?" Isai suggested after a moment. "She's always looking for ways to pass the time so she doesn't have to do so much work. I bet she'd like a puppy."

"Right up until she had to clean up after him," Hanako added. "It's the same for Kakashi-sama. And I really don't think we want to give him to Ibiki-sama. I don't think anybody that's been in ANBU would like a puppy. Maybe the Akimichi would take him. He'd get plenty big off of just their table scraps."

Isai scratched his head. "What table scraps?"

"Oh, right. Never mind…"

"Shika oji-san?"

Hanako shook her head. "He'd forget to feed a puppy. Or just purposely not do it, whichever was easier." Suddenly, she blinked and waved at Irihi to get her attention. "What about Shinju? You think she'd like a dog, Irihi?"

"Um, nope," Irihi replied instantly. "She's technically got thousands of mouths to feed as it is, and it takes time for a dog to get used to that sort of thing. It might just freak out a puppy. Anyway, she's going to try out for ANBU if she does well at the chuunin exams, so-"

"WHAT!" Hanako shouted. "When did you find that out?"

"Same day she told me?" Irihi asked, shrugging. "A long time ago, actually. She's been planning to do that for years."

"They don't usually take chuunin, do they?" Isai wondered aloud.

"Only in very rare cases. They took oba-sama right after she made chuunin. Plus I think Shinju has a relative still in ANBU, so maybe they put in a good word for her. But I doubt they really had to in Shinju's case. She could make it in on her own."

"She's really that good?" Hanako whispered.

"Yeah. The only reason I can beat her is because she doesn't want to kill me by accident, so she holds back when we fight."

"But… you were best student in our class!" Isai protested. "How can Shinju be better than you?"

Irihi snorted. "Don't be silly, Isai-kun. Nobody cares about grades when they're trying to kill you. Besides, Shinju improves really fast, and even if she didn't, it wouldn't matter. She had her first kill before we even left the Academy. That's when she realized how easy it was for her, so she started limiting herself when she fought. It makes it seem like she's not as strong, but it's only because she isn't going all out. If she did, most of our class wouldn't have survived the practice battles. Even if the teachers knew, they can only grade what you show them."

"So… um… was her first time an accident?" Hanako asked, trying to recall if anyone in their class had just stopped showing up.

"No. A foreign ninja tried to steal some of her bugs. I guess he thought he could breed them. For the Aburame, that's an unforgivable offense, so she didn't even bother trying to capture him alive. I don't even think she told anyone right away."

"How could she not?" Isai demanded. "What if he'd been part of a larger invading force? Why wouldn't she tell someone?"

"Because she remembers what happened to my grandfather," Irihi replied quietly, "and she didn't trust anyone other than her father to help her. It doesn't really matter now, though. There's no proof that it ever happened: no body, no witness, no nothing. So even if the village tried to say she was responsible, they'd first have to admit that they sent a ninja into the village, which they had no valid excuse for. Shino-san said nobody ever said anything, so I guess they realized it, too."

Isai shook his head. "No offense, Irihi-chan, but are we your only normal friends?"

"Who says I have any?" Irihi counted with a smirk. "You guys are freaks, too."

"Hey!"

"Well, you are. You can read minds, and Hanako has muscles on top of more muscles on top of even more muscles. But you're really nice freaks."

"Stop calling us freaks!" Isai shouted.

"Calm down, Isai. You know she doesn't mean anything by it," Hanako pointed out with a sigh. "Here, hold the puppy. Maybe that'll help."

"But I don't-" Isai gasped as she placed the puppy in his arms. "Hanako, take him back!"

"Too late, he likes you," she giggled as the puppy licked Isai's arm.

"You should hang onto him," Irihi advised. "Girls like guys with puppies."

Isai froze and glanced fearfully at Miwa. "That's not really true, is it?" he murmured.

"Only sometimes," Miki assured him. "You're a little skinny for me, though, so you should be safe."

Isai almost thanked her, but then realized someone almost half his size had just rejected him. "Oh," was all he could come up with.

"If you really want girls to notice you, stop hanging out with these two," the smallest Inuzuka suggested, nodding at Irihi and Hanako. "They're cute, they grab all the attention, and someone might think you're with one or both of them."

Isai's face turned bright red. "That's… wait. Are you saying if I did that, then you'd…?"

"Me? Oh, no. Not unless you bulked up a bit first," Miki replied, prodding his arm with a finger. "Maybe if you had a distinguishing scar, I could overlook it. Oh, and you kinda smell like a girl."

The blood drained out of Isai's face. "What?"

"Sorry. That girl, specifically, if it helps," Miki added, pointing at Hanako. "Did she claim you?"

Now Hanako's face was bright red. "We just rode on the same dog, that's all!"

Miki looked doubtful. "But it's kind of ingrained. So unless you do that every single day-"

"They're around each other all the time," Irihi explained. "Plus they live together."

"That's as good as claimed, unless you're related," Miki answered with a smile.

"Not… really," Hanako murmured slowly, trading an uncertain look with Isai. "Right?"

"I… guess not," Isai replied softly, looking even more hesitant.

Miki rolled her eyes and tugged on Irihi's arm. "Level with me; she claimed him, right?"

Irihi's lips curved into a wide grin. "Not officially, but she'd fight you to the death if you tried anything, so I say yes."

"Too bad," Miki sighed, looking disappointed for about two seconds. "You got any brothers?"

---

Enten had barely taken two steps inside the house when his sister, who apparently refused to believe that personal space should ever exist between them, tackled him. And even if the boy were aware that he'd braced himself, half-expecting such a greeting, just once it would've been nice to enter his home and not have to be on guard.

"Enten, you're back!" Tsuki cheered, latching onto his neck. "I thought you ran away to Suna!"

"How would I get there?" Enten groaned, rolling his eyes. "And why would I go without Temari oba-san to show me the shortcuts?"

"I don't know, I'm just happy you came back!" She kissed him soundly on the cheek, giggling as he desperately tried to wipe it off.

"Aw, see, that's why I went without you!"

"And that's why I have to do it now, because you went without me!"

Just behind Enten, Hanabi thought about clearing her throat, or perhaps even flaring her chakra to get their attention, but decided against it and just stepped around them. She was half-hoping that the twins would come to blows, and that she'd get to see how far along they were, but Temari soon walked in and ended any hope of that.

"Alright, you brats. Go on and wash up for dinner, and I might just take you out for ramen."

The twins instantly ran out of the room, but Temari didn't miss the oddly-shaped bundle under Enten's arm. She slowly turned to Hanabi, who was staring at her expectantly. "You gave him your hunter-nin mask? I understand that you're retired, but don't you think it's a little early to get his hopes up?"

"I did not give him the mask for that purpose," Hanabi replied. "I altered it, so that anyone I came across would know who I was. Enten wants it for much the same reason. His heart aches, because he sees nothing of Hinata in himself. He is the only person I've ever known who wanted the Byakugan solely for appearances. He wants so badly to be recognized as her son, even if he is the only one who will ever see himself with the mask on. You can't imagine how his face lit up when I gave it to him. I've never seen him so happy before."

"If I didn't know any better," Temari replied with a smirk, "I'd say you were trying to replace me as his favorite aunt."

"I merely gave him a piece of his Hyuuga heritage. If he happened to enjoy it, that is merely an unexpected bonus."

"Yeah, right. So I guess you wouldn't be interested in joining us for dinner?"

Hanabi paused for the slightest moment. "It has been a while since I last had ramen, but I believe I could handle one serving."

---

Amazingly enough, there were no more major incidents between the Inuzuka children and Kaneda's team, and they made it back to Konoha faster than expected. This was partially because the Inuzuka chose to run most of the way, and the dogs were hard-pressed to keep them in sight while still carrying passengers.

Hinata had been strangely quiet the whole time, because there was something about the middle Inuzuka child that… spoke to her. Michio reminded her so much of herself at his age, it was nearly painful to watch him try to get along with Miwa, who often snapped at him for no reason at all. At least he had little Miki, who acted more like she was the older sister, and had to break up most of the arguments between her siblings.

But there was something else bothering her as well. At times, Michio's eyes would meet hers, and he would stare at her in undisguised awe. She had no idea why that might be, and while it didn't make her uncomfortable exactly, she was very curious about it. At first, she thought he might have a little crush on her, but he didn't exhibit the usual symptoms. He wouldn't blush and quickly turn away if she caught him staring; he would only smile warmly for a moment, and then go back to whatever he'd been doing before.

The more she wondered about him, the more Hinata told herself she was being silly. Michio was harmless, and perfectly nice besides that. Sure, he had claws that didn't seem capable of retracting, but he never used them for anything more than scratching his cheek absently. He'd obviously made a good impression on Irihi, who spent most of the return trip asking him what it was like being part of a traveling clan. He wasn't a big fan of the way she insisted on affectionately calling him "Mi-chan," but he never asked her to stop.

All things considered, Hinata was not exactly surprised when Michio expressed interest in touring the Uzumaki compound, before he even knew that it was her home. His excuse was that it "looked cozy from the outside," and while she didn't think he was lying, she couldn't help wondering if it was only because it was the first group of buildings that he saw after their trip. On the other hand, there were only so many coincidences in the ninja world, and this many in a row had tripped Hinata's internal alarms. Michio probably wasn't dangerous… but he would make a perfect spy, if he were ever so inclined. He had an innocent, unassuming air about him, so his curiosity would never be mistaken for information gathering.

But with no proof that Michio was up to no good (and more importantly, no warnings of danger from Akamaru), Hinata allowed Michio into her home. Miwa only grunted and looked away when she got the same offer, and Miki claimed to be tired, putting the blame on her shorter legs (though she probably wanted to make sure Miwa didn't start another fight). So while Hana took her dogs and nieces home, Kaneda left to report in at the Hokage Tower, and Irihi dragged Hanako and Isai to their home, planning to tell Sakura and Lee that their daughter had inherited their flare for attempting the impossible (Lee would be tremendously pleased, no doubt).

---

Michio was not very good at speaking in code. So when he asked Hinata, very calmly, if she enjoyed midnight gardening, he was fairly certain that she knew he wasn't really serious.

He was therefore slightly disappointed when she showed him her garden an hour before midnight.

But Michio DID like growing things, and the time of day didn't really matter. So he pasted a smile on his face, sat on the ground, and listened attentively as Hinata named all the things she was growing. And when she was done, he nodded, cleared his throat, and asked if she had any foxglove, all with a rather hopeful smile on his face.

Hinata conveniently changed the subject, and asked if he would like a snack.

Michio agreed, but asked that she not tell Miki about it, since she got "crazy like a fox" if she missed out on snacks.

Hinata asked what he thought of the weather.

Michio answered that he expected it to rain "foxes and probably more foxes."

Hinata asked what he thought of Irihi.

Michio replied that when he was much older, he'd probably want a pup just like her. Then he asked if Kyuubi felt the same.

At which point, Hinata gave up and asked, "Who are you?"

"Why don't you take a look and tell me, Hinata-sama? I'm surprised you haven't already. It's hardly being rude if I invite you to do so."

So Hinata looked with her Byakugan, and Michio waited until he heard her gasp, "You have Kyuubi's chakra!"

"Only a little, and not by choice, I assure you. It was rather painful, from what I understand. But I think it would be best if you heard it straight from my friend."

At which point Michio's warm, pink eyes shifted to become glittering amber, and the voice that came out of his mouth was more of a rumbling growl.

"I apologize for not revealing myself sooner, Hinata-sama," the boy said quietly. "But I had to be sure that you were indeed the wife of Kyuubi's vessel. Coming out to anyone else would have been disastrous, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Tell me how you got a portion of his chakra," Hinata said nervously.

"Simple: he put it there when we fought. As a reminder not to challenge him again, I suspect, or perhaps he was feeling particularly vengeful. At any rate, there's no cause for concern. I can't use it, and even if I tried, it would only hurt like hell. But that was probably the original idea."

"You… fought Naruto?"

"No, I fought the demon now trapped inside of him. You and your husband weren't even born at the time."

Hinata stared at him uncertainly. "You must realize this is making no sense at all."

"Do you know of any normal humans that have survived Kyuubi's chakra?"

She froze. "You're… one of his kind? But the only demonic chakra I sense in you is his!"

The boy closed his eyes, sighing softly. "I am something different now, Hinata-sama. But in those days, I wasn't that much different from him. I was Gobi no Houkou. Now… I am little more than a simple nature spirit, doing its best to coexist peacefully with this world. I have come here seeking answers. I wish to know how Kyuubi comes to find himself… settling down. Married to a kind-hearted woman, raising innocent pups, and so close to a human village, no less. This is not at all what I expected of him, even sealed as he is."

Hinata knew it was probably in her best interest to answer his questions, but she had plenty of her own, and they refused to wait. "But… Michio is so young. He couldn't have been your vessel for very long…"

"Ah. That is easily explained." The boy unzipped his jacket, shifted his chains a bit, and pulled up his shirt, revealing his pale belly.

There was no seal.

Hinata's eyes widened. "Then how are you…?"

"I should have started at the beginning. Forgive my impatience, Hinata-sama." He cleared his throat and leaned back slightly, propping himself against the ground with his arms behind him. "It pains me to admit it, but Kyuubi's attitude was once typical of most of the tailed beasts. We cared little for humans until they started interfering with us, and like them, we were concerned largely with increasing our own power. But there were nine of us, and since none of us particularly liked any of the others, we fought constantly. In the end, we decided there would be a tournament of sorts, to decide who would be the greatest of us all. You see, despite our differences in power, the strongest didn't always win. Cunning played a large role in our battles, and I suppose that is why we all agreed to the idea of fighting for power: we each thought we were smarter than the others."

"How did you do?" Hinata asked.

"Third place," he sighed.

"That's amazing!"

He blinked. "You think so, do you?"

"Well, yes! If it's true that the number of tails you have is directly related to how much chakra you have, and you managed to place better than two of the beasts with more tails than you…"

"Yes, that's true. But I had three unfair advantages. I was skilled in the use of all the elements, I had the sense enough to cheat, and I was smarter than most of the others."

Hinata frowned. "How could you cheat? Were there even rules?"

The boy shook his head. "No, actually. But the general idea was one-on-one battles, even if no one said it. As I said, we were all pretty egotistical, but I was the only one that noticed something truly important."

"What was it?"

"Of all the times we'd fought, through all those battles… Kyuubi never lost. Never. And I wasn't so full of myself that I thought any of us could defeat him alone. So I made a pact with one of the others to kill him. And before you say anything, I'd remind you that the only reason his opponents survived was so that he could gloat when he invariably beat us all. There's really no point in being the greatest of us all if we weren't all there to see it, I guess."

Hinata nodded slowly, as that certainly sounded like the Kyuubi she knew. "So you made a deal, so that you'd have an equal number of tails to fight Kyuubi with?"

"No, but you'd think so, wouldn't you? I wasn't interested in trying to overpower him, because I didn't think it was possible. He never lost, so I thought the only way to get past him was if he were dead. I approached Nibi, because she had nearly as much sense as me, and death was her area of expertise. She agreed that Kyuubi was too powerful for any of us alone, and the pact was made. I would distract him while she summoned the Shinigami to take his soul. It didn't go so well. I was mortally wounded, and she would've died instantly, if the Shinigami hadn't stepped in to save her. But because she fell first, I got more credit for the loss. So instead of tying with me, she came in fourth place." He paused, his expression becoming wistful. "She was the only one I ever considered an ally, and though the partnership would not have lasted long, I did not wish for it to end that way."

"It sounds like you cared about her," Hinata murmured.

"I suppose I did, as much as it was wise to, at such a time. But even if she had intended to betray me first, I would have held no grudge against her. We both understood why we joined forces, and we knew Kyuubi might still kill us both, if we proved too frustrating for him. Fighting together was our best chance for victory, even with only seven tails between us. Any other would have been too proud to admit they needed the help."

"And your wound… it never healed?"

"No," the boy replied. "Had I done nothing, I would have died a long time ago. I used most of my strength to seal myself into a tree. Normally, I could heal my wounds with but a thought. But Kyuubi's chakra would not be expelled, and its poison would spread if I continued to use my demonic chakra. Ironically, nature, the very force that I once sought to control utterly, chose to save my life. I found that by releasing my chakra into nature, it was purified, renewed. At first, I was hesitant to do so, since the chakra I received back was more elemental than demonic. But I came to see that nature was my only salvation. I could either cling to my demonic chakra and die quickly, or embrace the elements and live forever. I chose the latter, and I do not regret it. I could always manipulate the elements, but my control is so much stronger, now that I have become one with them."

Hinata frowned thoughtfully. "How did you go from being sealed in the tree to being inside Michio?"

"The Inuzuka came to me one day, recognized what I was, and pledged their loyalty to me. I was grateful for the assistance, and through them I received news on what was happening to the others. I did not wish to take my chances against Akatsuki alone, so I chose one of the Inuzuka as a vessel and shared my power and knowledge with him. Possession is one of my specialties, you see, so there was no need to actually seal myself in him. However, Akatsuki did come for me, and though I was able to resist, the effort cost my host his life. I was surprised when his brother stepped forward and offered his body, but I was in no position to refuse. The Inuzuka have done their best to protect me all these years, so I reward their loyalty with my own protection. They consider it an honor to be my temporary host, and I have done my best to make that perception true."

"And you're here… because you don't want revenge?"

The boy smiled. "Even if I did, I doubt it would be possible. Kyuubi probably still has power over my wound. I would not be surprised if he could cripple me with a glance. As I told you, we knew what we were fighting for. It was pointless to hold grudges. And if not for Kyuubi, I would never have truly tapped into the power of nature. I suppose I should thank him. Michio has an unusually strong command of the elements he is able to use so far. I believe he can master them all before he becomes a man. The chuunin exams will allow me to determine how ready he is to attempt unlocking his fourth element… and my fourth tail."

"Won't that attract attention?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"I have no intention of doing so here, mind you. But it is essential that my host be able to unlock all of my power, should the need ever arise. The transformations are not pleasant, but I can assure you that they're nowhere near as painful as they could be, had human hands sealed me. Human and demonic chakra just doesn't mix naturally, you see. The fusion has to be forced by sealing in even the best cases. I have contained the wound Kyuubi gave me the best I can, and it's the only demonic portion that my host has to contend with. I tried to transfer some of his chakra to another body, and Kagemaru was the result. Fortunately, I had the foresight to put more of me than Kyuubi into the mix, so he is still loyal to me… too much so, at times. I could reshape him, but I fear that might produce an even more undesirable result, and Michio still needs him to handle the stress of a three-tail transformation."

"Are you sure that Michio can handle all of this? He's so young, and… small!"

The boy chuckled. "He has much of his father in him, and that makes him strong. I know it doesn't seem like it, but Kagemaru has responded better to him than any other host I've had. But what Michio told you is true: he was a very sickly child. There were times when I didn't think he would've survived, if I had come across him any later than I did. I was healing him long before he became my host, and now he is helping me of his own free will. His heart is strong, and it will continue to be for as long as I am with him. There is no need to worry, Hinata-sama. I will look after the boy. It is in my best interest, after all. I may be able to choose a host freely, but it takes time to teach each one how to best use my power."

"It's strange, isn't it?" Hinata murmured. "We were always taught that the tailed beasts were evil. But you're the second one I've met that's… changed. Do you think the others might have, if they hadn't been extracted?"

"No. Not all of them, anyway," he replied, shaking his head as he got to his feet. "I enjoyed talking with you, Hinata-sama, but I must go. Kagemaru will no doubt become frantic if I am away too long. Please inform your husband that he can find me among the Inuzuka, should he wish to speak with me." He started to walk away, then paused. "I don't suppose I could convince you to sign a summoning contract with the dogs? Or would that be inappropriate?"

"I'm certain Kyuubi would say so, though not nearly as nicely," Hinata replied with a smile. "Akamaru is the only dog I've ever needed, which makes him the only dog Kyuubi would ever accept. But I thank you for offering, anyway. Irihi and Hanako might be interested, though."

The boy smiled in returned. "I'll keep that in mind."

---

A week later, Houkou woke up to find a familiar presence looming over him.

"Get up, you damn sneaky mutt. I'm not going to waste a whole day on you."

Houkou knew the voice, and it also explained how he'd managed gotten complete control of Michio's body. The poor boy had probably been so scared that he couldn't think to do anything else but hide behind his own demon.

"Kyuubi. Always a pleasure," Houkou sighed, slowly opening his eyes. He was not quite surprised to see a red-eyed version of Uzumaki Naruto standing over him, or the original standing in the doorway. Hana had told Michio that Naruto frequently brought Irihi by to play with their puppies. "I assume this is not a social call."

"You're damn right, it isn't," Kyuubi sneered at him. "You were a charity case then, and you're one now. The only difference is that your scent is slightly cleaner, but you still stink like every other mutt I've ever encountered."

"It is hardly my fault that my body knows how to absorb excess elemental power, any more than it is your body's fault for producing chakra that is poisonous to virtually anyone but your host. Did I ever thank you for that, by the way? I haven't been able to run at my top speed in so long that I've forgotten what it is."

"You weren't all that fast to begin with."

Houkou's amber eyes narrowed. "Is there really a need to brag, Kyuubi? We all know that you won. You always did."

"Of course there's no need, mutt. I just happen to thoroughly enjoy it, and since there's nothing you can do about it, it's twice as fun."

"I thought you didn't want to spend all day on this?" Naruto interrupted, scowling at Kyuubi's back.

Kyuubi snarled at him. "Back off, brat. He's lucky all I'm doing is insulting him. I'm not usually so lenient with anyone who tries to kill me."

"The list of people who haven't tried to kill you would be shorter, and you know it. You agreed to do this as a favor to Hinata, so the least you could do is be somewhere approaching civil about it."

At that, Houkou froze. "Hinata-sama asked him to come? But why?"

Kyuubi snorted loudly as he stretched out a clawed hand. "You sound as if you honestly expect me to tell you, mutt. Just hold still and try not to whimper. I've only come here to take back what's mine."

Without warning, Houkou felt a sharp tug in his side, and then roared in pain as something was forcefully pulled out of him, writhing and struggling like a living thing as it left him. He caught a glimpse of something black and flamelike swirling in Kyuubi's palm before it was absorbed into his hand. Then the pain became too much, and Houkou retreated back into Michio's body, returning full control to the boy.

For a moment, Michio had no idea where he was, and knew only that his side felt like it was on fire. Then he looked down and gasped as a dark stain began to spread rapidly through his jacket. The scent of blood was thick in his nose, and for some unknown reason, Houkou was not healing him.

"You're a little short, boy. Where's the rest of it?" a voice above him snapped.

Michio looked up, only to find a pair of burning red eyes staring straight at him. He was not so dazed that he didn't have the sense to be afraid, and quickly shrank against the wall. "K-Kagemaru, I need you!" he breathed.

The owner of the red eyes didn't even blink as his clawed hand shot out and seized the attacking dog by the throat the instant it appeared between them. "So this is where you stowed the rest of my chakra. Clever, mutt, but I'll be taking it all back."

Kagemaru went limp as his fur faded from black to gray. He was dropped roughly to the floor soon after.

"I'm done here, brat. They're all yours." The red-eyed man vanished into a thin red mist.

Michio shuddered and collapsed, doing his best to keep his hand pressed over the large wound. He began to black out as Naruto scooped him up and shouted, "Sakura-chan! Hana nee-chan! Get in here NOW!"

---

"So the guy says, 'Oh, yeah? What's gonna make me go back to prison? The sight of you in that ugly green get-up?' Lee-san just flicks him, and the guy slams into the prison wall, goes through it, and hits a support beam that brings the whole prison down on top of him! We even got paid extra since none of the prisoners were in any condition to escape after that."

Michio's ears picked up the familiar sound of an amused snort from Miwa, and he carefully opened his eyes. He was lying in a hospital bed with Miki and Hanako perched on either side of it. Irihi was sitting in a chair next to the bed, and Miwa was leaning against the wall.

"Hey, Mi-chan! You're awake!" Irihi shouted happily, leaning past Hanako to pat him on the shoulder.

"How long was I out?" he asked as Miki gave him a big hug.

"A week," Miwa replied at once.

"Don't scare us like that!" Hanako scolded, making a fist and waving it threateningly over his head.

Michio winced and covered his head with his hands, but Hanako only leaned in and lightly kissed him on the forehead, blushing slightly as she pulled away.

"That's mostly for saving me before you even knew me," Hanako said quickly. "So don't read too much into it! Besides, you'll get the same thing from my mother when she comes to change your bandages!"

Almost automatically, Michio pictured a slightly older, shapelier version of Hanako kissing his head. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to feel at all disappointed about getting a kiss from her, too.

"Better hope your boyfriend doesn't find out," Miki teased with a wide grin.

"He's not-!" Hanako cried.

"Yeah, yeah," Miwa grunted, walking over and punching Michio lightly on the arm. "You better heal fast. We've got serious training to do."

"Yes, nee-san," he replied, smiling at her. When she half-heartedly scowled at him in return, Michio leaned back against his pillow and turned his thoughts inward.

It took a little longer than he was used to, but Michio soon found himself in the mindscape of a peaceful forest, with the familiar form of Houkou towering over him. The scene was unusual in that the giant dog seemed sluggish, and his normally white fur was a bit pale.

"Houkou-sama… we aren't healing at the expected rate. Is something blocking your chakra?" the boy asked.

The dog sighed and shook his head. "Calm yourself, pup. Kyuubi may have helped us by extracting his chakra, but as usual, his gifts are not so easily received. He made no attempt to be gentle, and even with the medic-nin's assistance, it will take me a few days to heal the wound. Even then, there will probably be a scar, and I cannot guarantee that the pain will vanish completely, only that it will be minimal and infrequent. It's the best result we could hope for, considering that Kyuubi did the extraction himself. I suppose we are lucky that Uzumaki Naruto is nowhere near as bloodthirsty."

"I don't believe luck had anything to do with it. You would not have risked coming here if you were unsure of how he might react to us. You waited until you were certain that Kyuubi was not controlling him. That must be why you chose to stay away from Konoha."

"It wasn't the only reason, pup. No tailed beast in their right mind would venture into a village that sealed Kyuubi. In all honesty, I was more concerned about what they might attempt to do to me. Kyuubi would at least have enough honor to kill me quickly. Probably."

Michio frowned. "But we're here now."

"Yes. And now that there is no demonic chakra left in me, our situation has improved dramatically. You will find your Mokuton jutsu even easier to perform from now on. My connection to nature has never been stronger. We really must do something to thank Hinata-sama for her kindness."

"What could we do? She is under Kyuubi's protection, and I don't think he'd allow her to accept a gift from us."

Houkou thought for a few seconds. "True. It will have to be more of an indirect gift. I think she would appreciate a kind act for someone close to her even more than anything we might give her."

Michio emerged from the mindscape with a smile on his face. "Irihi-san, how would you like the ability to speak to and understand all dogs?"

Irihi stared at him in disbelief. "Is that trick question?"

"No, I'm quite-"

"Sign me up!" she shouted eagerly.

"Don't you either have to be born an Inuzuka, or have signed a contract to do that?" Hanako asked.

"Normally, yes," Miki replied. "But there are always exceptions. Hinata-sama, for example."

Hanako stared at Michio curiously. "And you can just give that to anyone?"

"Not just anyone," Michio answered. "But Irihi-san has, um… won the favor of the dog spirit."

"How?"

Michio opened his mouth, but then closed it. Houkou generally had nothing against anyone who treated his host well, so it wasn't a complete lie. Irihi hadn't really done anything beyond that, though.

"You don't question these things, Hanako-san," Miki said, giving her brother a wink. "The spirits might take it personally; they're quite easily offended."

"Oh. Um. Should I apologize to someone then?" Hanako asked softly, looking nervous.

"You could try kissing Michio again," Miki suggested before she burst into giggles.

"I-I'm sure the dog spirit realizes you were unaware, and holds nothing against you, Hanako-san," Michio murmured, his face bright red.

"You two can kiss later. When do I get to talk to Akamaru?" Irihi demanded.

"As soon as I'm out of the hospital," Michio promised. "It should only be a few more days, I think."

"Oh, really?" asked a voice from the doorway. "I had no idea you were an authorized medic-nin."

Michio looked over to see a woman who could only be Hanako's mother. She appeared to be somewhat annoyed that he'd set his own release date, but healing was one of Houkou's specialties, so she had no idea how fast he'd recover. "I'm not, Haruno-san. But I heal very quickly…"

"From what I saw when you were bleeding all over me, what you're talking about is either impossible or inhuman. You'll be staying here until I send you home." The hard expression on her face softened slightly. "The least I can do for the boy who saved my daughter's life is to make sure he doesn't endanger his own needlessly. Unless, of course, you want Hanako following you everywhere until we're certain you won't injure yourself again."

"Yeah, since that would just be horrible for him," Miki added, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, you definitely can't die before I get to talk to Akamaru," Irihi decided with a nod.

"I'm touched by your concern," Michio chuckled.

Irihi waved him off. "I'm pretty sure Hanako is worried enough for the both of us, Mi-chan."

"I AM NOT!" Hanako protested, blushing furiously. "It's my duty as a medic-nin in training to protect life!"

"Especially the cute guys like my brother, right?" Miki asked.

"He saved me! Of course I want him to be okay!"

"Miki-chan, stop it," Michio sighed. "If the two of us are meant to be together, it will happen. We don't need you to push us."

Miki pouted. "Oh, fine. But you'll never get a nice girl like her on your own if you don't try a little harder. Not unless you intend to save her life every day."

"I can think of worse fates," Michio responded, earning a smile from Sakura and yet another blush from Hanako.

End of Part 4.

---

Endnotes:

Michio: man on the correct path

Kagemaru: shadow (-maru is a common ending for boys' names, though in Naruto it seems to apply to dogs, too)

Hime: princess; a title usually reserved for royalty or nobility, but sometimes applied to other women to show great respect or affection

Miki: beautiful tree, three trees

Miwa: beautiful harmony, three rings

Gobi no Houkou: The five-tailed dog of the tailed beasts. More details below.

Nibi no Nekomata: The two-tailed cat of the tailed beasts. Either female (which I prefer) or able to assume female forms (which just brings up ISSUES I don't want to get into). Apparently had some power over death, though how much is arguable. But since she could summon Shinigami without actually having to die in the process, I'd say she had a good handle on it.

Shinigami: God of Death (or a representation of that entity, in some cases)

I don't think Hana's dogs are big enough to carry a person in the anime or manga, so just assume they hit major growth spurts like Akamaru did. After all, if Inuzuka don't know how to raise bigger and better dogs, who would?

I'm mostly basing the way Miwa and Miki dress on the clothing of the wolf demons from Inuyasha. You also might have noticed that their dogs didn't show up. More on that later.

The incident with Shinju and the enemy ninja will be expanded on later. In case you forgot, the grandfather Irihi refers to is Hyuuga Hizashi, who was killed in order to maintain peace with Hidden Cloud, who had the gall to send in a ninja to kidnap Hinata. Hiashi killed said ninja (rightfully so), and Hidden Cloud demanded a life for a life. Hizashi had the incredible bad luck to be Hiashi's twin brother, which means he got screwed twice for the same offense, which he never had any control over in the first place. I'm not implying that the Aburame are smarter or sneakier than the Hyuuga, though. I am saying they'd be enough of both not to get caught with the evidence… or leave any at all, for that matter.

You would NOT believe how much trouble goes into packaging a relatively undescribed tailed beast for a fanfic. In other words, don't take ANYTHING I wrote about the five-tailed beast (or any other) as fact. I mostly made a ton of assumptions from Japanese folklore and Naruto fansites/forums. Even if the legend is fake, this is fanfic, so I can get away with it.

Michio's weapons/jutsu:

Binding Chakra Chains: The chains on Michio's body serve numerous functions. Most importantly, they aid in anchoring Houkou's spirit to Michio at all times, especially in the midst of a transformation. Secondly, they constantly absorb and store a portion of Houkou's chakra so Michio's body won't be overwhelmed by it. Third, the chains act as an automatic defense by responding directly to Houkou's will, so he can aid or restrain his host as needed. Michio can actually change the length of the chains in an instant by absorbing chakra from them, or releasing it into them. Additionally, the chains can link to Kagemaru's collar for team attacks.

Mokuton (Wood Release): Root Cage, Doton (Earth Release): Underground Path:

By seeking out (or creating) roots underground, Michio can use Houkou's chakra to transport himself and others great distances in just a few seconds. This is more easily done in wooded areas, and while the chakra of the passengers is not required for the actual transport, Houkou can easily use many types of chakra, and is always on the lookout for rarer, more powerful varieties.

Mokuton (Wood Release): Infinite Sylvan Gift: This is the process through which Michio can store chakra in, and/or reabsorb it from trees. Michio must focus to do this, but when transformed, can accelerate the process so that he releases chakra and reabsorbs it, along with added nutrients, at a near constant rate. This is the secret to Houkou's ultimate power: relying on purified "nature chakra" for strength, rather than demonic chakra. In a sufficiently wooded area, Houkou cannot run out of chakra.

Kagemaru's jutsu:

Rapid Replacement: By using the Replacement jutsu in quick succession, along with strategically positioned clones, Kagemaru can quickly teleport an object over an unknown distance. The only requirement is that each clone has to either be in sight of another, or know another's exact location.

Houkou's abilities:

The most famous of Houkou's skills is the ability to wield the power of all five elements with ease. However, this is tied directly to his five tails (which can cause virtually any kind of natural disaster), as each one contains the power of a single element. And this is even further limited (now) by his host's ability to use all the elements, or to handle a tailed transformation. For example, Michio's proficiency in Mokuton jutsu is a direct result of having unlocked the water and earth tails first. Houkou has several other talents, including enhanced senses, human possession, seeing (or smelling) through illusions, and healing almost any wound (on himself or others) through contact with his blood. He also has some knowledge of sealing. Though his goal was once to destroy nature so he alone could possess the power of the elements, Houkou has since made something of a pact with nature, and can tap into its power far more easily now.

Disclaimer: Yamanaka Isai, Haruno Hanako, Hyuuga Irihi, Kaneda, Aburame Shinju, Uzumaki Enten, Uzumaki Tsuki, Inuzuka Miwa, Inuzuka Michio, Kagemaru, and Inuzuka Miki belong to me. All other characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. (Gaara plushies arguably belong to everyone, though.)