ALRIGHT! Here we go, the pace is picking up from here on out!
I OWN NOTHING BUT THE ORIGINAL STUFF!
xXxXxXx
First Day of the Mission: 45 Days to the Chuunin Exams Beginning
Naruto flickered to the side, dodging the blazing flames that surrounded Yugito's arm. Behind him, the backlash of heat scorched the earth, leaving an acrid smell to coat the air. Turning from the rapid movement, Naruto felt the wind begin to gather around his fists. The barest of breezes swelled to a quick gale, and the winds were begging to be unleashed. Unfortunately, large gouts of flame and oil came racing towards him from a disfigured frog man just as the wind began to take on a spherical shape.
"You're still too slow at gathering the wind chakra…you need to speed up the process blockhead." A man with warts, two protrusions on his shoulders and webbed hands sent a volley of wind projectiles towards Naruto.
Grimacing, Naruto flickered out of the path of the destruction again, feeling his limbs scream from the enhanced movement. 'I've been doing nothing but dodge during the damn 'spar'! Then again, I am fighting a legendary ninja and a jinchuuriki that has perfect control…' Naruto felt the wind gather again, urging it on quicker as he watched Yugito, surrounded in an aura of black flame, charge the legendary wild man. 'Good…keep distracting him for a moment more…' A whirring sound, similar to the howl of a tornado, caused Naruto to glance absently at his hand. Upon seeing a large globe covering his closed fist and arm, the boy had a small grin come over his face. Pushing the chakra through his limbs, Naruto appeared behind Jiraiya, watching as the man turned in perfect time to dodge the incoming attack and have it smash into Yugito. Before Naruto could regret his aim, the girl was replaced with a log, getting a further growl out of the boy.
"Damn it! After all that, I still can't even land a hit on either of you!" Jiraiya chuckled, as did the two shapes on his shoulder.
"Don't get bent out of shape brat! You're fighting Jiraiya, and a very experienced young lady over there." Said young lady walked out of the shadows, brushing dirt and twigs from her hair from the log that she had replaced with in the woods. Her blonde hair fell to her shoulders, and her harsh azure stare bored into the frogs even as she wore a friendly frown on her face.
"Said experienced young lady also did not score a single hit on the wart monster…" Jiraiya now frowned fully at the girl, giving her a pained expression. The frogs however, were croaking up a storm.
"Wart monster, I like that name…among Toads, that's quite a compliment Jiraiya!" Jiraiya groaned and looked at the male toad in disgust.
"Pa, you can't go saying things like that, you know? How will I ever convince the ladies to spend time with me now, huh?" The old toad just continued to laugh and even swatted Jiraiya lightly on the face for his uppityness.
"Now Jiraiya, you know that Kanako would love it if you came around more often! She would even kiss you for all of those warts of yours!" The happy female came from his other shoulder, putting a hand out to high five her husband around the sage's head.
"Ma, not you too! Gah, I better just face facts and settle down with some nice plain girl, no one will want to stay with me at this rate." The two summons chirruped happily at the man before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Naruto was still chuckling lightly to himself, and Yugito had the slimmest of smirks on her face. "Alright brat, cut it with the giggles." Naruto formed up in an instant, his focused eyes landing on Jiraiya and reminding him instantly of Minato. "That wind sphere was good, and from the damage I can see on the stump properly formed. Still, you needed us to make an opening for you; keep working on your nature manipulation, as the spacial manipulation seems to be coming rather quickly for you." Naruto nodded solemnly before adopting a quizzical look on his face.
"So, how did you know my attack was about to arrive?" Jiraiya smiled at the blonde before pulling a scroll out from within his sleeves.
"This explains the basis of it. It's a restriction based seal, that actually lessens the restrictions on sensing the chakra of those around. When it is developed to the highest potential, you should be able to detect anything and everything that moves inside a given sphere of observance." Naruto eye's widened in appreciation as the blonde slipped the scroll into one of the many pouches that hung on the bandoleer across his chest. 'With the explosive scrolls, sealed weapons, and serious outfit, that kid is really shaping up rather well.' Naruto had the bandoleer stuffed full of various equipment scrolls, and had his short sleeved black shirt and long pants with flame print covering the surface. Underneath, mesh armor and arm guards glinted in the morning sun. The shinobi sandals were also a surprise, made of a similar black material with a metal click that gave away a steel base. However, the full gloves were a new addition to his outfit. Already, they were marked up with cuts from the wind jutsu he had been practicing, bringing a smile to the elder ninja's face. 'He trains as hard as I did in sealing and elemental skills…you really will become powerful Naruto.' Yugito moved up to his side, distracting Jiraiya.
"He needs to go Jiraiya. The team is supposed to be leaving today. We can't hold onto him anymore." Jiraiya nodded, and turned to leave with the blonde. Naruto turned and left as well, his mind already playing over the fight and trying to see where he could have found a better opening.
"I wonder what Tsunade has been teaching your friend Naruto." Jiraiya mused as the group headed back into the village, the sounds of morning breakfast already being served.
xXxXxXx
Sakura leaned back against the post at the gate to the village, her legs already crumpled and knees pulled up to her chest. The girl was trying to hold her head up, but it kept falling down onto her knees. 'Dad wouldn't let me get any sleep last night, celebrating about his recent promotion and trip to the capital. Still, I'm happy that he's at last getting a chance to move into a larger role for the village.' Sakura smiled thinking of her parents, happy that her friendship with Naruto and Sasuke had matured into such a nice benefit for the small merchant family. 'He even mentioned about getting protection from one of the council members…things are really looking up I guess.' Sakura, despite her happiness though, soon fell asleep and was awakened gently by a hand on her shoulder. Blinking her eyes blearily, the girl glanced up to see Hinata Hyuuga, wearing a breathtaking white kimono with the Hyuuga family crest printed across the front.
"Here, I have some soldier pills…I know we're not supposed to use them as pick-me-ups, but Tsunade taught us that it was always necessary for a medic to be alert." Sakura nodded, smiling up at the younger girl. Biting down on some, she felt some of her strength come back to her. As she did, she gave a quick glance over Hinata's frame. There were supple curves hidden by the kimono, showing that she was really developing into quite the exquisite girl. 'Still, she hides it all, so what's the point?' Standing up, Sakura pulled some water out of her pack and began to take a drink or two while she sat on the post.
"So, what did Tsunade-sama cover with you during your training?" Hinata smiled softly at the question, adjusting her own pack on her shoulders.
"Nothing too much; lots of medical knowledge that was covered quickly, and then reviewed like crazy, on top of chakra control practice and some of the basics of repairing personal muscle damage." Hinata blushed a bit deeply, coughing for a second. "She also taught us the basics of her genjutsu appearance." Sakura blushed as well, remembering how the change made the two girls look. Getting a wicked idea though, Sakura began to chuckle to herself slightly.
"Want to play a prank on our teammates?" Hinata was not too sure, but she could have sworn that the mischievous smirk on Sakura's face was eerily similar to Naruto's.
xXxXxXx
Sasuke rolled his shoulders, adjusting the weight on his back. The pack was exceedingly heavy, as Kakashi refused to let Sasuke seal the items into weightless scrolls.
"I know the weight is a little difficult to get used to, but the more I have you running around with added weight, the more I can develop your speed. Which you know is essential for those techniques you learned." Sasuke sighed as he glanced over at his lazy teacher. While the man had an entire week to teach Sasuke techniques, he had decided to teach him only four.
'Just because my Sharingan learns the technique instantly though doesn't mean I'm proficient with it…that much he had right, and is a slight issue I need to bring up with my parents about their training methods.' Sasuke fingered his outfit lightly, liking the feel of the overcoat covered in Sharingan. The small symbols were chosen by Sakura, as she used some of her genjutsu abilities through them whenever she was nearby. The fact that her chakra control had become powerful enough to cast genjutsu's using something she did not physically touch though sent shivers down Sasuke's spine. 'That girl already has a few too many tricks up her sleeve…' Still, Sasuke was glad that she was on his team.
"We better hurry up otherwise the others are going to accuse us of being late." Sasuke smirked at his teacher, catching the glint in his eyes. It was the challenge to a chakra enhanced race to the meeting spot; in a blur and crackle of electricity, the two warriors sped off into the distance.
xXxXxXx
Jiraiya rounded the corner leading to the great gates of Konoha. Truth be told, the man was rather worried for Naruto stepping outside of the village. The kid had spent the better part of his young life ensconced safely from harm; who knew what was waiting for him on the other side! 'Still, I did my best to prepare him, so he should be fine. It's only a C-rank too, and his dad sent plenty of extra firepower for the trip, just in case.' Jiraiya's musings however were cut off as he rounded the corner and felt his jaw drop to the ground.
There, standing at the entrance to the village, was the first girl that had ever giving Tsunade a run for her money in the looks department. She was young looking, but had long legs and great curves, and the biggest knockers the pervert had ever seen. She even had beautiful pink hair that flowed down the side of her face and ended just above the bottom of her bountiful bosom. Said bosom was kept tight inside a green kimono that ended at her thighs, with matching hakama pants. Mesh armor could be seen covering all of the potentially scandalous locations, and her feet seemed to be decked out in full combat boots. Still, combined with the sexy curves and hips, with medicine pouches on either one to add to the sway, and the diva was a bombshell waiting to happen. So distracted was the great ninja that he did not notice Yugito and Naruto's sigh of exasperation, or hear Kakashi and Sasuke land in the clearing. Sasuke and Kakashi were both a little perplexed and flustered by the image. Both of them had their Sharingan active at the time, so they could tell it was a genjutsu, but it still didn't stop either of them from enjoying the site of their female teammate.
"OI! BILLBOARD CHEST! Stop giving these lechers a peep show, would ya?" Naruto's voice rang out across the assembly areas, and the illusion dropped to show a very irate female Sakura.
"Naruto! Don't you ever call me that again! You got that!" The girl had closed the distance between them impressively quickly, but Naruto still managed to evade the girl, getting her to chase him a bit before she tackled him to the ground.
"Hey, I call's it as I see it, okay? Your chest is as flat as your head, just like your personality!" Sakura growled and her fists began to glow blue. Naruto realized that the last comment might have been over the line as he scrambled to get away.
"Naruto. Sakura. Cut it out, we're in the middle of the village. Or do you want to let the whole village know what Sakura plans to make you into if you don't stop, Naruto?" Naruto turned to give Sasuke his brief attention as Sakura visibly calmed a little bit.
"Oh yeah, and what's the big threat that Sakura can throw at me, huh?" Naruto heard the growl begin again behind him and prepared to run.
"Well, with all of the medical knowledge I'm sure she picked up from Tsunade, I bet she knows how to professionally remove a prick like you…permanently." Naruto's face paled appreciatively.
"She wouldn't?" Sasuke chuckled lightly at his friends fear.
"Yep, she's probably capable now of giving you the proper name of dickless…"Naruto's face became a reaction of anger at the Uchiha and fear for the slightly chuckling Sakura.
"He's right you know…we covered amputation in the field this week…just keep giving me reasons, Naruto…" Jiraiya stood over to the side with Yugito and Kakashi, who were all chuckling at the antics. Hinata seemed to be looking off in one of the side directions, and her Byakugan was running.
"Well, it looks like you're about to be on your way soon. Hope that the mission goes well for you Kakashi, you have one hell of a dysfunctional team there." Kakashi sighed as he pulled out his trustworthy orange book.
"Yeah, but their named after the original team that spawned them, which is yours, Jiraiya. Team Seven is always going to be an interesting lot it seems." Jiraiya chuckled lightly, though some of the mirth had gone out of him.
"Let's hope the dysfunctional behavior is where the similarities end. I'll be seeing you after the mission I guess." Kakashi nodded as the man turned to leave, Yugito trailing silently behind him. At the same time, Anko and Asuma, with Shino and Kiba in tow rounded the corner bringing the group to its grand total of nine. Nodding absently while slipping his book away, Kakashi made his way over to the large group of genin and jounin.
"Alright, as we're all here, why don't we head over to the transportation post, and I'll explain a bit more about our first mission outside the village…" Kakashi's eye smile did wonders to calm the boisterous group. "Right, well, the Hokage has tasked us basically with escorting Naruto here to the final resting place of many of the Uzumaki heirs. That includes bringing his mother's remains along with him." Kakashi watched as the group stiffened a bit. Anko and Naruto were the only ones who did not react, apparently aware of the purpose of the mission from the beginning. "We are also being sent to retrieve certain artifacts that were sealed away into the resting place by the previous visit, where Kushina Uzumaki returned the remains of Mito Uzumaki. At the time, Kushina felt that the value of the items, were they to remain in Konohagakure during the Third Shinobi War, would have been unduly threatened." Again, Kakashi paused to glean the responses from the group. Anko seemed to be reacting well to the news, nodding her head as she obviously worked out the timing of the attacks. Naruto was downcast, obviously thinking on his mother, and what she meant to him. Sasuke and Sakura were watching the blonde, looks of concern evident in both of their eyes. Hinata and Kiba just seemed to wear the same expression of interest and slight sadness, similar to their teacher Asuma. Shino was the hardest to read; no reaction came through the sunglasses the boy wore, and his large trench coat hid everything else from view.
"Now, who here knows about the transportation posts of Konohagakure?" Kakashi smiled as Naruto and Sakura raised their hands. They were a fairly well-kept secret from the younger generation of ninja, but it was not surprising that the most dedicated book-worm, and the son of the inventor would be aware of them. "Well then, why don't you fill us in about them, Naruto, Sakura." Both students looked at the other quizzically. Sakura stepped forward first, giving Naruto a hesitant glare.
"The transportation posts are outposts set up by the Fourth Hokage and Yuhi Kurenai. They are set up so that Konoha ninja can teleport to any of the given locations quickly and easily while remaining inside the land of fire. They are also protected from view by the use of shielding genjutsu, and are trapped so that anyone not carrying the proper permission seal that comes within a given radius will be caught in a devastating explosion that will make it unusable. This is a failsafe to prevent foreign shinobi from learning about the underlying techniques in the Hirashin technique." Kakashi turned to Naruto, who merely nodded his head in agreement.
"She's got it right sensei. Finally that big forehead of hers is good for something after all." Naruto chuckled before Sakura turned around to give him her cheeriest smile possible.
"It even remembers how to chemically castrate you too…and with what Anko's taught me about making a poison tasteless, I'm sure I could figure out how to slip it into your favorite ramen unnoticed." Naruto shut his trap immediately, giving the girl his coldest stare ever.
"You would threaten ramen?" Naruto regarded the girl carefully as she shrugged non-chalantly.
"It's your choice, dickless." Naruto let a frown pull on his face before he turned away from the girl in a huff. Anko chuckled at the interaction, and Asuma and his team all had the decency to roll their eyes in embarrassment.
"Aside from the team bickering, Sakura is absolutely right. As such, we are going to go get the seal for the nearest transportation post to our mission location. I believe that should be the Valley of the End, right Naruto?" Naruto nodded in confirmation, as the group headed over to the post near the entrance to the village.
"Isn't the Valley of the End near the Land of Grass and the Land of Rice Fields? Those are pretty far from the ocean if I remember correctly?" Kakashi nodded to Asuma. Anko flanked Kakashi from the other side as the kids walked in front, catching up from a week of intensive training.
"The final burial spot is not anywhere near Uzushiogakure, though when the village was standing there was a dimensional door that could be opened to that spot if I remember correctly…" Asuma looked surprised at Anko's explanation.
"I thought you didn't know a whole lot about the Uzumaki family, Anko?" Anko shrugged and kept walking. After a moment of tense silence, she coughed and continued in a lower tone.
"Kushina was a great mentor. She taught me a lot about different things with regards to her clan, especially when Naruto was young and I was getting over Orochimaru's betrayal." Both men stiffened a bit at the mention of the man's name. It was a well-known fact that that name was considered bad luck by the village at large. Even mentioning the legend's recent exploits was enough to make others cross the street quickly.
"Use the kunai to prick your fingers, and then sign here please." The officious and bored tone behind the desk gave away Kotetsu and Izumi, sitting there with stacks of paper and small steal blocks that were covered in sealing diagrams.
"So, you two drew the short straw for the transportation team, huh?" the two teenage boys nodded back at them, one with a bandage covering his face as spiky hair resisted his headbands at control. The other boy was sitting fairly calmly off to the side, already moving through the stacks of paperwork and sealing them into the proper transport scrolls. Kakashi chuckled as he noted the drawn looks on both of their faces; the only reason for this post to be tiring was if a lot of ninja were being sent outside the village. "Anything happening on the border with rice and grass we should know about?" The spiky haired guy shrugged, and watched as his partner stepped out of the building to prepare the transport room.
"There have been reports of an increasing skirmish between grass and rice…apparently rice has contracted some new ninja, ones daring enough to claim themselves as a new ninja village." Kakashi raised his eyebrows at that. "Though it's rather rare for a wandering band to amass that much power, this one seems to have quite the staying power. They've managed to make contacts within the land of snow, and have even trained their ninja to fairly high standards, rivaling even Konoha's." A chill crept down the experienced ninja's spine; why did his team missions always seem to involve extra hassle.
"We'll be sure to be careful then. Thanks for the heads up Kotetsu." Izumi walked in at that moment, and the two shared a joint nod. The group silently followed the group towards a plain wooden shack. Inside, there was a white room with a complex seal pattern covering the floor. It spiraled in every direction, crossing the floor and repeating itself on the sealing. After a moment or two everyone was gathered into the room. "While inside the sealing circle, everyone must try to bring their chakra into alignment with each other as much as possible." Kakashi turned a knowing glance to Naruto. The boy sighed and pulled out a powerful chakra suppression seal and applied it to his arm. After a moment, the seal began to glow with the chakra it was effectively restraining. "There we go, we should all be able to match easily now…" Kotetsu and Izumi took up positions on the left and right of the group. In an instant, they felt themselves being pulled, as if through a sieve, before emerging in front of two giant statues. The only thing that told them that they had left the non-descript walls of the former shack. A simple white door, bereft of a doorknob, was in the side of the wall.
"It's hard to believe we're really outside the village already…" Naruto looked in awe at his father's sealing work. It had always slightly interested him, his father's technique. But having experienced it once, he realized the true potential in the ability. There was literally only the slightest noise when the technique was performed, and yet transmission could occur over vast distances in an instant. "I'm going to have to get that technique down one of these days…" Kakashi chuckled at his young student.
"Naruto, your family might not be part of the Uchiha, but that technique can definitely match the power of the Sharingan. I think I might have to take your advice and start really studying seal work." Naruto shot Sasuke a cocky grin.
"Yeah right, like you can keep up with the greatness of the Namikaze family!" Anko bopped him on the head for his insolence, earning her whining from the young blonde.
"How many times have I taught you, it's better to be underestimated, than overestimated? Learn some basic humility, brat!" Anko gave the boy a harsh glare, getting chuckles from both Sakura and Sasuke. Kakashi shook his head and pulled out his map instead.
"Alright, look closely here everyone. We are currently near the border with the land of rice. We are going to need to move quickly, and enter the demilitarized zone of the land of wheat." Kakashi pointed to several points on the map, indicating the desired border crossing point. "Once we have crossed the border inspection, we are to move with as little notice as possible to prevent detection. For that reason, we will be traveling in two groups. One will be the scouting group, and will consist of Anko, Asuma, and his team. The second will be the combat and assistance group, and will be staffed solely by Team Seven." Kakashi paused to pull out several masks from his pack. "We also are going to be wearing masks to hide our identities while on this mission. The masks will prevent identification and will change the hair color of the wearer. For that reason, we will be using them, with their animal code names, from this point forth in the mission." Kakashi watched in pride as the genin's eyes took on hardened edges. 'They really are ready for this; guess Minato was right that a harsh boot-camp would help weed out the real performers'
Naruto fidgeted as he looked over the map. There was a lot of distance to cross on the map, but it was not as if they were traveling at the breakneck pace used when going to the waterfall village. "We're going to be going without fire for the next few days, aren't we?" His question brought surprised looks from Sakura and Sasuke. Kakashi's confirming nod had the group sighing in response.
"I'll be sending along one of my summons with the scouting group. Should anything happen, tell Pakkun to return to me, and we will be there as soon as possible." Kakashi made a few hand signs, and a shirt wearing pug appeared in front of the group.
"Yo. Who am I being sent with?" Kakashi pointed to Anko and Asuma. "A snake lady and a smoker…great smells to get used to…" Anko smirked at the dog, but shook her head as she began to walk away. Asuma chuckled, and led his team off with them, only to notice the pug and Akamaru begin to bark happily to each other.
Kiba grinned as the group was leaving, turning to give Naruto and the rest of the group a goodbye wave. "See you guys in a few days! Naruto, you and Sasuke better be quick to come to our fights! Otherwise, Shino and I'll finish everyone off before you get there!" Kiba's loud voice rang across the clearing, making the security conscious Jonin wince in professionalistic pain.
xXxXxXx
Kidomaru felt his eyes widen appreciatively as he took in the scene at the bottom of the valley. Several ninja had seemingly appeared out of thin air, with no sound to accompany their arrival. It had taken everything in the sound ninja's training to keep his presence masked as his chakra attempted to spike several times in fear. Channeling the excess chakra, the man forced his armored secretions to take on the color of the rock face of Madara Uchiha more completely.
The ninja all were from the leaf village and several of them were high ranked bingo book entries. The one he was most surprised to see was Kakashi Hatake; trained by both the fourth hokage and Jiraiya of the Sannin, the man was considered to be on the level of the legendary ninja himself. As they stood there gawking, Kidomaru heard one of the brats mention a name that had his brain running at full speed.
'Namikaze…that brat is the son of the fourth hokage…his ransom would be immense!' Several of the youth also attracted his eye as he watched; there was a Hyuuga and an Aburame present, and if he wasn't much mistaken, that was an Uchiha. Memorizing the masks and the faces they belonged to as they were pulled out, Kidomaru was beginning to salivate at the prospect of the reward Orochimaru would have waiting for this information.
When the confirmation shout from a short, brown haired boy echoed across the valley, Kidomaru began to smile wickedly. 'Not only an Uchiha, but Orochimaru's pet project, Sasuke Uchiha. Today is truly my lucky day.'
xXxXxXx
"Lucky number seven, huh? We really must be lucky or something, right Kakuzu?" Hidan grinned as he sharpened his scythe, whistling merely as he began to carve another mark into the body on the ground in front of him. Kakuzu looked up absentmindedly from the fire he was cooking over, preparing food for dinner.
"We'd be lucky if your damned ritual ended before the food is done. I'd like to eat and plan our upcoming attack if you don't mind?" Hidan shrugged; the current ritual had mostly run its course. The figure before him was not even enjoying the pain anymore, merely whimpering as he cut into her beautiful body. Deciding that seven victims were enough for one day, Hidan sliced her fully from stomach to stern, ensuring a slow and painful death. Why deny such a beauty the ecstasy of a slow demise?
"Sorry, I'm in too good of a mood to care right now; we have confirmation that Takigakure is unprepared, that Orochimaru is in the area and will undoubtedly assist in the attack, and that our victim, the bitch who escaped me last time, is sick from old age at last!" Hidan paused to marvel in the coppery smell of his corpses. "On top of all that, the last several days we've gotten to slaughter some of the advance party groups that Takigakure has been sending out. You can't top a week like!" Hidan flopped next to the fire, looking uncomfortable for a moment as he noticed the strange glimmer of sadness in Kakuzu's eyes. "You're not starting to worry about attacking your old home, are you?" The man across from Hidan stiffened slightly, returning a hard glare.
"While some part of me might be remiss, I for one am not going to go off half-cocked and screw up the mission. There will be no time for long ritual's tomorrow; we need to be ready to move quickly between targets and slay as many as possible. Our goal is to disguise the kidnapping of Fuu Heiki with an attack on the village. We need to make sure that our attack starts around the time that Sasori's puppet clones assault Fuu's enclosure." Kakuzu pointed to several spots on the map, marking them with charcoal. "These are the spots that Deidara is going to damage. The ones closest to the demilitarized zone are there for Orochimaru's usage; no doubt the bastard will think that he is surprisingly lucky when his covertly placed explosive seals are giving a 'boost'." Hidan chuckled at the image of carnage, but his eyes tracked over the map attentively.
"So, we are going to enter from the south side, while Deidara focuses on aerial strikes to eliminate the effectiveness of guerilla tactics that the enemy might try to employ." Kakuzu nodded as Hidan looked over the map. "Your job is to destroy the great tree, with aid from Deidara, while I assault and kill as many of the weapons makers as possible." Kakuzu nodded, and Hidan chuckled. "Well, even if we don't have time for a long ritual, I can still have a moving experience. I'll call up all of the departed souls we've slain over the last several days, and bring those to bear on the village." Kakuzu merely shrugged and doled out the food on the plate.
"Just make sure your moving experience involves moving your ass a little faster with those rituals…" A raised middle finger drew a chuckle from the ex-Takigakure ninja as the two shared a dinner meal.
xXxXxXx
Day 5 of the mission: 41 days until the Chuunin Exam
A crackle came to life as Naruto pressed the communicator collar at his neck. "Fox to Dog, come in Dog."
"Dog here. What is the situation, Fox?" Naruto grinned at the efficiency of the radio communicators. 'Man, these things are awesome to use.'
"We have successfully crossed the border behind you. We will be proceeding as planned towards the agreed upon rendezvous point." Naruto waited as the crackle filled the air after the transmission.
"Roger that. Be advised, we have picked up increased movement from unknown elements in the area. Expect engagements at some point. Dog out." Naruto grimaced at that slightly. So far the group had been lucky in avoiding detection. Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke shared a grim look with the youth as well.
"Don't worry. All of you are as prepared as you can be for combat. Though we do not know the reason for this advanced state of security, I am sure we will be able to handle any situation that arises." Kakashi watched all of his students calm a bit, though a small bit of fear was settling in his stomach. 'The border guards let us pass far too easily, and to make matters worse, they seemed unaware of unknown elements moving in their border. That smacks of either negligence or collusion, and I'm not sure which to fear more.'
A sudden twig snap alerted Kakashi to someone in their nearby surroundings. Kakashi and the others quickly pulled out camouflage tarps, blending into the surrounding scenery. Crushing their chakra signals as low as they could go, the four watched as a large group of burly men landed in the canopy below.
"Shit, we lost them. We knew they were there and were sitting ducks! How did we lose sight of them?" One man seemed to be restraining the leash on a snapping dogs, jowls as large as any of the kids heads.
"Why are you surprised, shit-for-brains? We're tracking ninja here, you expect them to not be able to disappear suddenly?" Another yelled at his comrade, pulling out a long, curved sword from his belt and tilting it into the reflection of the sun.
Kakashi felt his stomach drop at that; reflections were one of the key way to give away a camouflage clock. 'These men are slightly trained in hunting ninja…but what do they know about us?'
"Shut up and find them. We need to ascertain their threat level and report as soon as possible." A calm, even voice seeped through the group; it was ice, commanding and absolute.
'So, they don't know who they are up against…that much can be highly useful…the commanding voice though, it sounds like one who is familiar with the workings of ninja groups.' Kakashi was busily scanning the group, though he noticed the pained looks of restraint on his student's face. 'None of them want to fight, and I don't blame them…travel the last few days has been rather harsh…still if we're lucky, they won't notice us…' Kakashi began to formulate battle strategies. At first glance, there seemed to be about thirty or so targets arrayed before him, meaning that if they lacked actual ninja training, the fight could be ended rather quickly.
"Tsuruko, there are four of them in the trees over there. One of them has a rather large chakra signal and it is making the other signatures easier to discern." Sakura and Sasuke shot Naruto consoling looks, and Kakashi grimaced inwardly. "We can probably take them, as the signatures seem to suggest a jonin and a genin squad." This voice was insidiously chipper, though it held a syrupy quality in every word.
"Fine. But leave the jonin to me. Neither you nor Komuro are ready for that sort of challenge yet." The commanding voice was back again, exacting and harsh.
"Works for me…let's get this party started…" A harsh voice, bitter and excited broke through the group. This time, Kakashi managed to identify the source of the statement. There was a young man, wielding two kurigamas, who began to slash one way, then the next, his arms blurring with each cut. "Wind Style: Swift Murder" all of the slashes became whirring spots in the air, and Kakashi dropped his camouflage to grab his students, moving quickly out of the way.
'So much for lacking ninja training…' Kakashi trailed off as he checked that all of the ANBU masks were secured in place. "Stick together…with any luck, you'll be able to move through the crowd rather quickly. Try to keep some alive for questioning if you can." The three nodded back at him, and Kakashi sighed before removing his mask, and jumping back into the clearing. "Now then, which one of you said you wanted to fight the jonin?" The crushing amount of chakra that Kakashi brought to bear made the majority of the crowd flinch in reaction.
"That would be me." A girl, hardly more than twenty five, stepped out of the crowd. She was dressed in blue jeans, a green sweat shirt, and had body mesh glinting from underneath her baggy ensemble. There was a definite martial artists grace to her movements though, and she was staring at him with blue eyes that framed an aquiline face, sharpened further by the bowl cut of her blonde hair. Kakashi absently noted that she was rather tall, matching him in height. She twirled one kunai on her finger, and gave Kakashi a frigid stare for the record books. On her waist was a scratched and polished forehead protector, missing the ensignia for any village. "Though, having Kakashi Hatake as an opponent might be a bit much for me. Renna, you will aid me. Komuro should not have any trouble dealing with the rest of this squad."
"Sure, it would be my pleasure." This female was bit shorter, coming up to the shoulders of the taller leader. She had short auburn hair as well, and had several pouches covering her waist. A flowing kimono or pink and red covered the girl from head to toe, though once more mesh armor hinted through in certain areas. Her eyes were a dull brown, lifelessly contrasting harshly with the girl's upbeat and positive tone of voice.
"Glad to see I'm finally getting some recognition around here…" Now that Kakashi got a look at the boy, he was fairly young; brown hair, spiky in every direction, reminded Kakashi of Kiba rather than a troublesome enemy. Ninja pants and a simple black leather jacket completed the ensemble for the boy, who was grinning rather lustfully at Sakura. "Once I get rid of the two guys, I can even have some time with another pretty girl…"
Sakura stiffened at that, but a calming hand on her shoulder from Naruto made her relax a bit. Naruto began to gather his chakra, and as he did, the groups suddenly burst into motion. Sasuke was down in front of Komuro, his blade blazing and crackling with both lightning and fire. Komuro wreathed his kurigama in wind energy, and the boys began to trade blows, gouts of flame erupting in one spot and the other. Sakura weaved into the edge of the forests surrounding them, her chakra beginning to spike as she prepared a genjutsu. The group of large, muscular men began to charge at their position, only to be stopped by a wall of Naruto's.
"You lot, aren't going anywhere." Naruto's outfit began to flicker dangerously, wind energy wrapping itself around his arms and legs. The movements made the flames on his clothes seem to shimmer in the afternoon light. "Clone Battalion Technique: Wind Blade Decimation" as one, the clones moved through several rapid hand seals, and edges and gusts of wind raced toward the group of men. Naruto raised his eyes in appreciation as all of them stopped their charge and slammed their hands into the earth, erecting an earthen wall.
"So, you at least have some training in the ninja arts…good, wouldn't want this to be too boring…" Naruto pulled out four scrolls from his bandoleer. "But let's see how good your dodging skills are…" Naruto unfurled the scrolls and explosive notes went everywhere, scattering and landing on the other side of the wall. Naruto heard the shouts, but fought down the bile in his throat as the first of the explosions started. As the walls began to fall, Naruto and his clones readied another salvo of wind edges.
When the wall came down, Naruto fired the wind edges immediately. However, the moment after he did, he saw the carnage that was developing and grimaced internally. 'Shit…over half of them are dead…I killed 12 of them in that one attack…' Naruto watched as his blades ripped into the unprepared group, slicing many of them apart. One escaped and made a beeline for Sakura. Just as he was about to go after her, he heard a shout from Sasuke's direction.
"Damn it, you sure have some skill with that blade of yours kid. Too bad for you, my kurigama are faster…" Komuro snickered as his blows began to find ways around the Uchiha's guard. Already, several long gashes covered his arms and legs, and his eyes were stinging as sweat poured down into them. "God, I really can't wait to cut those eyes of yours out…freakish red things they are."
Sasuke took the moment of opportunity and began to draw on the small fires that were scattered around the area. 'If I could just get an opening, I'd be fine…but his combat prowess is insane. There are less openings than if I was fighting Kakashi, and his control over wind is impeccable.' Grunting in appreciation, the Uchiha sensed the arrival of Naruto. "So, you took care of the bandits rather handily…" Naruto shrugged, pulling his own sword from his back.
"Well, one managed to escape and go after Sakura, but she'll be fine. She can handle some lone rouges I'm willing to bet. You seemed like you could use the aid a bit more." Sasuke smirked at his friend, beginning to call the flames from the surrounding area to his blade.
"Don't forget I'm here!" Komuro was suddenly in front of Naruto, one scythe moving in to slash while the second began a follow up movement. Naruto's blade also whirred with wind and the two boys found themselves pushed apart and back. "Shit…another wind user. Rare around these parts. Guess I'll have to take you a bit more seriously, you little monster." The word had an immediate effect on Naruto, who slumped forward as if punched. "That's what you are, you know? You decimated a squad of almost thirty men in an instant." Komuro noticed the boy's posture and grinned evilly. "Don't let it get you down though; us wind user's, we're the worst monsters on the battlefield. Villages fear us far and wide, and if you're lucky, we get the most kills in combat. We get to be the worst monsters on the battlefield."
The sound of chirping birds drew Komuro's attention away from his taunting. The other boy had lightning dancing in his palms, and his eyes had a murderous glint similar to his own. "You should make sure not to forget that I'm here either…" Sasuke charged and Komuro readied his scythes.
'Shit…not going to be able to stop that in time…Sorry Tsuruko, but I'll have to use them…' Calming his mind, the boy began to focus on his inner chakra system. Just as Sasuke was about to deliver a blow, Komuro ducked quickly and punched the earth, making a crater that sent the attack wide and into a boulder. Komuro watched in slight fear as the blow pierced a slab of earth easily as large as a man. The energy coursing through his system helped to relieve the fear, and replace it once more with battle lust.
"You two are in trouble now…Second Gate, Gate of Healing. Release." Chakra whirled ominously around Komuro, wavering in heat. In an instant, he was in front of Sasuke; the boy could see the moves coming, but did not have time to react as the Kurigama tore a long slash from his shoulder to his torso. In another instant, he was in front of Naruto who, using the majority of his wind chakra, managed to stop the first blow, earning a smile from Komuro.
"See, I told you wind users get to have the most fun…" Naruto grit his teeth and blasted a large amount of wind at the boy, throwing him back. Turning to give a look at Sasuke, he noticed Sakura's arrival, her hands glowing green as she healed the Uchiha.
"Stop forgetting I'm here!" The punch from Komuro sent the boy threw a tree, and before he had a moment to react the scythe was plunging for his chest. Reacting instinctively, Naruto sucked air into his lungs and shot an air bullet to deflect the blow. So much power was behind the swing that it just changed the direction to lodge painfully in his shoulder.
"Nice dodge…but will it hold a second time? Third Gate…Gate of Life!" Komuro's skin turned red, and the blow from his second scythe seemed to move in slow motion for Naruto. In an instant, he felt his own chakra spike precipitously, and tore the kurigama from his arm, throwing off the other boy.
"You think a 'monster' like me will die that way?" Naruto's voice was full of animalistic hunger, eyes red and slitted, his whisker marks darkening. He had grown fangs, and claws extended from his fingertips, cutting into his right palm as he gripped his sword. "Don't make me laugh…" A perverse chuckle escaped his lips as he charged at Komuro, who managed to dodge the boy's swift swings and slashes.
"A jinchuuriki? Damn, I really am in trouble, aren't I? Time to leave I guess…" Naruto growled at the flippant response and chased after the boy, who was merely running away. The sound of chirping birds filtered into his consciousness, but it was mixed this time with a roaring flame accompanying the sound.
"Where do you think you're going? My medic went to all the trouble of healing me, and now you think you can just leave?" Sasuke charged at Komuro, his hands gripping a new attack from earlier; while it sparked similarly, a black flame was also centered on his palm, and trailed along the edges of the lightning.
Komuro did not respond, and instead drew smoke bombs from his pouch, throwing them across the field. A gust of wind from Naruto blew them away, revealing several clones in the midst. However, Sasuke noted the loss of red skin, and the boy beginning to pant. "Shit…guess I might really die here…" Naruto was already charging at the man, bloodred eyes focused on his prey.
"Naruto, stop! We need to capture him alive!" Naruto was not listening, already tearing through one of the clones, even as the group of them dispersed. Sakura captured two of them, and Sasuke grunted as he saw the remaining real one. Naruto grabbed the man from behind and began to twist his neck in a sickeningly fashion. His claws scraped along Komuro's face, leaving gouges in his skin. His left eye began to ooze as the jinchuuriki's claw pierced the eye socket.
"Sorry Naruto, but it's the only way to restrain you when you lose control… Balefire Fist!" Sasuke was in front of the two of them, and he aimed at the waist of both combatants, a non-deadly area. In an instant, there was a gaping wound exposed on the sides of Komuro and Naruto. Sasuke's fist extended threw the empty space where parts of their torso's had been, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the clearing. In an instant, the two fell to the ground, sudden shock and blood loss pitching them into unconsciousness. Sakura ran forward and began healing Naruto.
"I hate when we have to do that…" Sasuke nodded in agreement to the girl as she tended to their teammate. "It only happens when he releases the first part of the fox's power under duress…when he accesses it normally, that doesn't happen." Sasuke shrugged, sitting on the ground and holding his head in his hands. His arms and legs were shaking from the amount of power he had used in that combat.
"It couldn't be helped…that guy was strong. Unbelievably strong for someone our age. He's been trained for a while, that much is obvious." Sasuke felt his Sharingan leave him, though he noticed the sound of approaching footsteps from behind him. Kakashi appeared, looking equally haggard and worn, his headband raised and his hand clenching and unclenching painfully. 'He had to use the Chidori as well…or was it the lightning cutter? Either way, I'll have to ask him about that new creation I used out there later…' Kakashi looked over the group, noting their drawn faces, and the dire condition that Naruto was in.
"His demon powers got the better of him again huh? Guess that training with Jiraiya was not long enough to give much help…" Kakashi sat down, and began to administer his own field kit to Komuro. "Still, you managed to take this one alive at least, and he was one of the enemy combatants. I don't suppose any of the less-well trained warriors made it, did they?" Sasuke and Sakura shook their heads in denial.
"One managed to make it back to my reserve position, but I was a little overzealous in the use of the Sakura overdrive to protect myself. Even against your clones, the technique usually only destroys an arm…this guy, though he knew ninja techniques, did not have our chakra training at all…"Sakura wavered in her healing for a split second, tears falling from her eyes.
"It started in his arm, but the technique quickly spread and destroyed the whole man's body from the inside out…he looked like a popcorn kernel by the time it was done…" The girl shook herself and focused once more on her healing. Naruto blinked his eyes open, blue dimly lighting the area as he noticed Sakura healing his side. He felt his organs and tissue regrowing, and realized Sasuke must have taken him down this time.
"Sorry about that guys…he pushed me a bit too far, calling me monster…the bastard fox was not happy about that, and flooded my system and psyche a bit more powerfully than usual." Kakashi straightened from placing patches on Komuro. The boy would live, thankfully, as Sasuke's attack had missed vital organs and had mostly hit flesh and bone. The interesting thing to him was the cauterized nature of the wound. Chidori would not normally cauterize a wound, and the blow was too wide to have come from a katana.
"It's alright. Still, you need to get that under control Naruto. How can you be an effective weapon for the village if your emotions keep making you fly off the handle?" Naruto grimaced at Sasuke, shooting him a dirty look.
"You know that's bullshit Sasuke…ninja are people first, then weapons!" Sakura put her arms between the two, effectively separating them. The glares between them did not go unnoticed by Kakashi.
"You two can have this argument when I don't have to heal both of you and I don't have a prisoner to sedate." Mollified a bit, Sasuke and Naruto both settled back into an uncomfortable silence. Sakura looked over Naruto one last time, before turning to heal Sasuke and finally looking over Kakashi.
"Alpha to Snake, come in Snake." Silence crackled over the radio for a second, and Naruto felt his stomach drop appreciatively.
"Snake here." The team of genin breathed a sigh of relief. "Little busy at the moment Alpha. We ran into the Big Fiver, and have managed to escape for the moment." Kakashi's face tightened at that. "He seemed to know what we were after, and was moving towards the rendezvous point when we spotted him. We managed to delay him a bit, but Monkey and his team were badly hurt and injured. Sending them back on a speed route to the VET. Hopefully we can get some support for dealing with the Big Fiver and their ilk." Kakashi grimaced; why did missions for Team Seven always have to be interesting?
"Understood. Shift to secondary meeting location, and change mission parameters to a quick job. Alpha out." Kakashi watched as the kids resettled their masks. Sakura's had never moved from her face thankfully, but Sasuke and Naruto had both lost theirs at some point. 'Sasuke's has several cuts in it, so there was no doubt his was lost in a fight. Naruto's was covered in dirt and wood; probably got thrown through a tree.' Settling in around his team, Kakashi gave them all a stern look before lowering his own mask. "Report on what happened, Sakura first." The girl nodded, satisfied with her sedation and binding of Komuro.
"At the beginning of the battle, I followed the medic ninja basic strategy, which is to pull back from combat and ready an evac point. I also prepared several traps, and was getting ready to rejoin combat when I was closed on by an academy level rogue ninja. He was around twenty four in age, and used his larger size and speed to try and press me for a moment. I was able to quickly establish a hold on his arm, then used the Sakura Overdrive to pulverize his internal organs in an instant. After that, I came to the scene of the battle where I began tending to Sasuke." Kakashi cut her off with a hand motion, gesturing to Sasuke.
"I entered into combat with the ninja Komuro. He displayed high Chuunin abilities in combat and jutsu techniques, utilizing mainly wind blades and wind bullets to nullify most of my lightning or fire techniques. Furthermore, his Kurigama style and high stamina made it difficult to disengage throughout combat. I ended up sustaining several small injuries, due to my inability to dodge wind attacks at close range. Luckily, despite our disparity in skill level, I managed to hold him off, at a stall mate for a decent amount of time. Naruto thankfully appeared after a while, and helped me turn the tide of battle, forcing him to utilize something the Eight Inner Gates." Kakashi turned to Naruto for his explanation.
"At the start of the battle, I used the wind blade battalion technique to eliminate most of the weaker opponents. I utilized four scrolls of explosive tags to quickly overcome an earthen wall they had created." Kakashi stopped him for a moment with a hand sign.
"Four scrolls were a little excessive. Next time, less explosions, more planning." Naruto nodded through the reprimand, not deigning to fight it.
"After the enemy was reduced to one, I left to aid Sasuke in his fight, leaving Sakura to deal with an enemy that I determined was far under her skill level. Together, we pressed the opponent until he began to us the Eight gates. When he managed to cause my unconscious usage of the Fox's chakra, there was no outright fear in his attitude, merely acceptance that he could not fight against that. He showed knowledge of having fought such an opponent before, and quickly fled upon recognizing me as a threat. While I was under the influence of the fox, I gave chase and attempted to kill him despite requests to stop from my teammates. Sasuke utilized an attack he called Balefire Fist to deliver a shock to my system. I utilized the moment to subdue the foxes influence, and the ensuing shock and chakra depletion caused me to faint immediately." Kakashi nodded; this would explain the wounds that did not match up with what a Chidori should have caused.
"Alright, sounds like you three did well enough. Now, eat some soldier pills and get ready to move. We have a tightened schedule, and need to move quickly rather than quietly. Be ready to leave in fifteen minutes. Sakura, secure our prisoner for a sealing prison scroll. Naruto, once you are ready, help me with the scroll details." Sakura blinked up at him owlishly.
"We aren't going to interrogate him?" Kakashi chuckled lightly at the girl.
"While you and I could probably get some decent information out of him, why don't we leave that job to Anko. She's a professional at this part of the ninja world."
xXxXxXx
"You really are a professional at pissing me off, you know that brats!" A large man, in red armor, had his hand around Renna's throat, choking her out as her feet dangled off the floor. "They don't call me Han the Horrid for nothing, Renna dear, so be prepared for a night of pain." Tsuruko stood in the corner, her lifeless eyes taking in the scene.
"If you don't stop, you'll kill her rather quickly." The monotone response earned her a harsh glare from the towering man, standing such that his hat brushed the ceiling of the man sized cave. 'I really hate this guy…I can't wait till I can find a better gig somewhere else.'
"I'm sorry…Han…Kakashi Hatake was too strong…" Han grunted derisively at the girl, chucking her to the ground. She fell harshly and grasped at her throat; there were scalding marks around her neck from where his grip had been.
"You're just lucky that I got to vent some of my anger earlier today. I got confirmation that that group of idiots is heading for the Uzushiogakure Burial Ground. We're going to follow them, and use their arrival to finally break into that ancient vault." Han chuckled as he thought back on the earlier fight.
"As for the men we lost, we can train new ones once we leave the land of wheat." Han nodded in agreement to Tsuruko. She was always very calm around him, and he appreciated that in a subordinate. Not to mention, she was the only one he could not kill. "We could head for Wave…they have been quiet recently, and I even heard there's a local crime lord in the area. Perfect for a steady paycheck and a holiday vacation." Han nodded again, lowering his straw hat from his head. Sitting in the corner, he began to meticulously clean his armor.
"I'd like that idea. Now, Renna, make the dinner and Tsuruko, seal the cave entrance. I'd like to sleep and plan some things tonight." Han's base voice crept across the cave, his eyes glinting malevolently in the dark.
xXxXxXx
Fuu did not like the darkness at the edge of her vision. Her body was weakening, and she could feel the Hive growing restless. Kubo and Hiromu were busying themselves in her room; their movements, though quiet, seemed to echo in the tiny cave. 'At least they are going to be here with me when I go…never thought I'd get to meet some wonderful people right before the end…' Fuu began to close her eyes, trying to fight off the next coming round of sleep. Whenever she fell asleep these days she'd be out for a week at a time, and would barely struggle back to consciousness. Several times, she was sure, the two boys had thought she had passed on.
Explosions rang from outside the depressing room, and Fuu felt her body stiffen. "The village is under attack…" Her voice was hoarse, and ached from lack of use. Still, she struggled to bring herself to an upright position. "I have to go help…" In an instant, four arms were on her shoulders, helping her to sit up, and position her against the wall next to the bed.
"In your condition, you'll just get in the way. You need to stay here Fuu. We were charged with protecting you until you passed on, then sealing the seven tail in the sacred ankh afterwards." Kubo's hand was firm on her shoulder as he held her in place.
"We'll handle any attackers that come here, though if we are lucky, our hideout will keep us safe." Another explosion rocked the cave, and a chattering sound was heard from the entranceway. It sounded like the clicking of a scorpion across a tile floor.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I found the hideout rather easily. This is good, as I have people waiting on me, and I hate to make anyone wait." The voice was gruff, and harsh, echoing of the cave walls.
"I don't know who you are, but you picked the wrong team to mess with." Kubo was across the cave in an instant, his sword high and coming down on the enemy. Even as chakra gathered at the tip and prepare to rush towards the short squat individual, Kubo knew the attack would do little. The creature in front of him exuded a monstrous presence; what's more, he recognized the infamous butcher of his home village, Sasori of the Red Sand.
A flash of steel lit out, and Kubo found his attack negated and his stomach impaled by a long, iron tail. It ripped itself out and then stabbed through his skull, ending his life quickly. Sasori grinned to himself as he felt kunai racing towards him; might as well make the slaughter absolute. The kunai stopped in mid-air, reversing direction and speeding towards Hiromu. As they gouged into the young man, Sasori watched in pleasure as the boy's eyes flickered lifelessly, before fading out.
"Well, that went rather easily. Now, Fuu Heiki, you are to come with me immediately. We have no need for you to die before your scheduled extraction, so you will come quickly and quietly, if you please." Fuu felt the tears streaming from her eyes, but nodded dully. With the death of her comrades, she no longer knew what to live for; Jinchuuriki were weapons after all, and no one was left to care for a worn out tool.
xXxXxXx
Orochimaru chuckeld as his group broke through the weakened walls of Takigakure. 'Those idiots from Akatsuki even managed to heighten my explosive seasl; luck really does favor the prepared.' Wading into combat, Orochimaru smiled as his troops began to kill indiscriminately. Already, several large snake summons formed attacks against the village, and Orochimaru smiled as he saw human life and blood flow continuously from the besieged opponents. 'With what Kidomaru informed me of as well, there may even be a chance to meet up with Sasuke on this mision.' A nearby fireball landed precipitously close to Orochimaru. 'Though perhaps I should save such thoughts for after the battle.'
His hands flashing through seals at a rapid pace, Orochimaru called forth the great snake Manda. "Orochimaru, I see you have brought me a village to slaughter. You even invited some of my other clansmen before me...I am most pleased by your thoughtfulness. The snake clan shall dine tonight." The snake summoner laughed atop the head of the king of snakes.
"Yes we shall, Manda, yes we shall..." Orochimaru chuckled as two clones appeared beside him, each preparing a different technique. A moment later, the village was doused in great flames, the sight a masterpiece of carnage and death.
xXxXxXx
Alright, that's all for this week! I felt that the chapter needed to end, and wanted to get this much out to you before the holidays. Next one features the showdown between Han and Team Seven, as well as the development of some important plot points, and the fall of Takigakure. Things are finally starting to move! Haha! As always, I claim no rights to any of the above characters, and hope that you leave nice reviews as Christmas gifts! See you all after the holidays!