Shino backed up even farther as the wall of rocks, debris and whatever chakra Rokko had mustered flowed down the road towards him like some unstoppable wurm. His bugs swarmed around him, sending off alarms inside the colony as to the danger to the queen and yet he could do nothing. He sent up shields farther down the road, only to watch them battered aside by the tide. He could do nothing except wait and hope that...Suddenly he felt something brush up against his lower back and he flipped around suddenly, only to find himself face to face with...Her. Hyuuga Hinata. She was backing up as well and as he followed her line of sight, he could see a similar river of death pouring down the street right for her.

"Hinata-chan?"

She looked up suddenly, staring at him with her porcelain eyes as if she had seen a ghost. He used this time to look at her, to take in her form. She had grown a bit since he had seen her, and her curves had matured even further. She looked like any healthy young woman would and yet his breath was taken away. He stared at her porcelain skin and her shining black hair and suddenly felt like scum for taking on the mission, for doing what he was doing.

"Hinata, this is neither the time nor place for me to explain any of my actions. But I will promise that I won't harm you if you can help me in halting our deaths."

She looked at him again, seemingly ready to stutter as she always did. And then, she did the thing that surprised him most.

She slapped him clean across the face. He managed to hold onto his glasses as the crack echoed, but he could not hold back a grunt of pain.

"Shino-kun, that is for turning your back on Konoha. But I will do what I can to save you, trusting that you are still a good man. May you never prove me wrong, or you will find something scarier than Shinogami on the other side."

She bent her knees, planting her feet, and he immediately grasped onto her, avoiding the urge to touch her any more than necessary. He felt his chakra, pouring out of his body and his bugs complaining for the lack of nourishment. He quieted them, though a buzzing filled his ears and he watched as the avalanches closed in. And then, suddenly, he felt his body begin to spin and the bugs sent off more warnings in his body, and heard a shrill yell of, "Divine Whirl!" Then everything was covered in a blue haze and he felt himself slow down, slower and slower, and watched as the rocks and debris, the rivers of mud, were thrown asunder, broken and torn apart by the shimmering blue wave. And then, seemingly as soon as it had started, it was over. And then suddenly, there was nothing but his own panting breath mixing with hers. And he gently wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, and she crumpled against him. And then, he sensed it before even the bugs told him, he spun on the balls of his feet and felt the kunai plunge into his back.

"You are one crazy son of a bitch sweetheart. I wish you would just tell her already. She doesn't even know. And I'll be sure to kill one of you before she can find out."

"That won't be neccessary Rokka. Their fight ends now. And you will have to defeat me to get anything that you want."

Rokka did not respond, did not even glance away from Hinata's inert form and Shino's bleeding back. She only sighed, and then, throwing her hands up, engulfed her brother in a waterfall of mud pouring from the ground as he spluttered and cried.

"Leave her. Heal any wound she has. But then we leave, and pray I don't kill her when your back is turned."

Kurohari and Yukai stood on the rooftops above, observing the conflict.

"God, she's a bitch." muttered Kurohari.

"Kuro-kun? What's a bitch?" queried Yukai with a quizzical look.

"Nothing...never mind. I'll tell you when you're older."

"That's what you ALWAYS say!" she cried out.

"Quiet Yukai! You need to be quiet or else that boy and his dog will find us and I don't feel like fighting anyone right now."

"Well should we hook up with Rokka and Shino then?"

"God! I would rather..." Kurohari caught himself as he realized she didn't know what she had just implied, "Yes, let's go get Shino and Rokka and get back to the Tsuichkage's estate. That dog and the boy will be too busy caring for that fat one we found during the fight.

"Alright Kuro-kun! Catch me if you can!" Yukai raced off onto the adjacent rooftop as Kurohari sighed and strode after her, plucking his ciggarette out of his voluminous pockets and lighting it with a flick of his fingers.

---

Kujin had found the right room, though he was wary of traps. He strode in, however, throwing caution to the winds, and found the Tsuichkage leaning over a large briefcase full of money. And there, behind him, was the statue, a simple stone effigy of a bat with seven whipping tails. He strode close to the wall, hoping to avoid detection. He was silent as death, and he felt the henge fade in his excitement but he couldn't take the time to redo it. And then, suddenly, the kage turned.

"Kujin, it has been quite a long time since I have seen anyone from your organization. I suppose you are here for the statue?"

"Yes, Tsuichkage-sama. And I trust I will be able to leave with it?"

"Yes, you may take it. It is nothing worth taking."

"What? Where is the biju? Has it been resealed? When? How?"

"There was a man...he was elderly and he spoke very little. But he came when I was but a young man, and he told me what the Biju would do to my country. What it would mean to Konoha, to something called Akatsuki that I had never heard of. And I let him take it away, seal it away and told him never to bring it back."

"But what of the information? What about..."

"All lies to further my ends. And, no, I cannot tell you what those are, or where the biju is. It has not fallen into the hands of anyone besides that old man though, I can promise that."

"How do you know? What did he tell you?"

The Tsuchikage sighed as he turned slowly, feeling his girth and his age, "He told me that if someone like Orochimaru or Akatsuki or anyone but him took the statue away...the beast would be released. And that when he died, the beast would avenge his death."

"But why? Where is he? Who is he?"

"I do not know...I have been trying for all these years to find out who and why. But I cannot tell you.who he was or why he came. I only wanted to protect my country, to avoid conflict. But now my own children will destroy it when one of them takes power. I cannot pass it onto anyone else. Ancient laws forbid, passed down for generations. Forever...forever I hoped that one of them would grow up better. But neither did. And if they die, the nation will be thrust into civil war. Kujin, please, prevent that man from dying. Find someway to stop the Biju from escaping and wreaking more havoc. I am," the Tsuichkage hacked suddenly, and clutched at his left side, "I am...hiring your organization. Immediately, all of you. You know my account numbers, the secret ones. Speak to...speak to..."

"Who! Who will have any information that can help us? Who?"

"Speak to...(cough sputter), speak to, Mono...Monomari. The...women who...haunts the swamp...the women...who haunts the swamp."

"What swamp!" Kujin struggled to keep the Tsuchikage upright and speaking but he was no medic nin, nor could he call for any, "Where!"

"I'm...(shudder)...so sorry. Tell my children I love them...goodbye."

And the man died in his arms. Kujin felt a tear slide down his cheek and he did nothing to wipe it away as he closed the kage's bloodshot eyes and turned around, striding out the door and sprinting off to find his comrades.

An insect crawled from its hiding place underneath a pile of money that littered the Tsuchikage's bed and fluttered into the air.

---

As the twins glared at each other, Shino felt a sudden impulse in the back of his brain. Placing Hinata down and twitching from the pain in his back, he strode between the two.

"Rokka, your father has died. We must go, now. I have information concerning (cough) concerning the biju. It is no longer here."

"What? Dead? No longer here? You mean...this beast is the kage!"

Rokko said nothing, merely began to laugh. He had power now, more power than he had ever imagined. He could do anything.

"Yukai and Kurohari will have to..." Shino halted almost as soon as he began, because the eight year old landed right in front of Rokko and smiled.

"Are we leaving just yet?"

"Yes." muttered Shino, "Kurohari! Cover our escape!"

"Downer man...Fire Release: Smoke Screen Image!"

Letting out a huge blast of black smoke, the Akatsuki flew off into the air and traveled far away from Iwagakure, the cackling of the new kage still fresh in their ears.

---

Kiba strode slowly, his mind whirling. Chouji's inert form lay across Akamaru's back and he could see Hinata's body lying on the ground as well. Kujin was no where to be seen.

"The Gallant Jiraiya makes his entrance!" a bellow came from above as a huge toad landed directly in front of Kiba, causing the ground to rumble and sending a blast of smoke into the air from his pipe.

"Hmph, Jiraiya, what are we doing here anyway?"

"Transport duty. Are you Kiba?"

The old sannin sniffed the air slowly, "Yup you smell like an Inuzuka. Let's go, get your comrades."

"But...but...Kujin is gone. I don't know where he is."

"Least of my worries--that guy can take care of himself. Let's get the wounded out of here."

"But...but...Akatsuki escaped...and...the biju..."

"The biju is no longer here, Kiba-kun." Hinata's tiny voice called over the giant toad.

"Eh...there's a pretty girl lying over there Jiraiya. Get that kid to go get her."

"Hmmm the Hyuuga girl, is she alright?"

"I am fine, merely drained. But I heard what I heard, Shino-kun...Shino said that the biju is no longer here in Iwagakure. It's not here."

"Well then we had better get going. Hop aboard old Gamabunta here!"

"Jiraiya...(puff) I am not a horse. You ride me because I let you, and these kids will ride because they are injured. Hmph."

Kiba sighed and leapt into the air alongside Akamaru as he watched Hinata land beside him. It was going to be a long journey home.

---

Sakura strode down yet another endless corridor of the Sound compound, feeling her legs begin to ache. She had yet to find any one...at all. No shinobi, no villagers, no prisoners, no other ninja, no one. Where was everyone? What were they doing? Invading another country? She could think of no plausible solution. That was, until she suddenly was faced with a bustle of people rushing down the corridor. She turned around and ducked inside one of the numerous doorframes, trying to conceal herself. However, the people that rushed by seemed to have no interest in her. They must be...experiments. Some limped while others ran on the stitched up legs of other people, still others dragged themselves along on the ground, barely able to support their own weight. Some had two heads, or three arms, and still others had tentacles and claws and other horrible extremities. They were burned or singed some of them dripping wet, all of them like prisoners who had no hopes of escape. And all of them yelled the same thing, as if they were pentinents in a chant.

"Pink Haired girl, Pink Haired Girl, Freedom! Pink Haired girl, Pink Haired girl, Freedom!"

Tenbato had apparently lied. But then suddenly, the crowd stopped pulsating, as if they were one amoeba and turned around. There was a sudden crash and a burst of light.

"Sakura-chan! The Great Blue Beast Arrives!"

The crowd turned, their eyes lolling, their faces hungry with bloodlust. Sakura groaned as Lee came bursting around the corner, followed by some mysterious man in black who seemed to have the same reaction as her.

"Freedom!" screamed the captives as Lee halted in his tracks. And the man in black, whoever he was, stepped forward.

"I'll handle this one. Move it or help me spandex-boy."

The man unsheathed his katana calmly as could be and the blade glowed scarlet suddenly as he let loose a cry and the blade extended, shooting forward as if by magic and impaling the first prisoner, whom screamed as the man proceeded to flip him over his shoulder into the back wall where his vertebrae audibly cracked and his body slumped in half.

"Who's next?" called the man in black as he planted his feet.

"I'll take a few!" called Lee as he launched himself into the air, "Konoha Whirlwind!"

Several more of the prisoners were sent spinning into the stone walls to their deaths before they seemed to realize that these were no pushovers. And then, suddenly, they surged forward as one as Sakura could only watch in horror.

---

Dokuro was mad. He had been traveling nearly 48 hours with this idiot of a guy and he was still incessantly talking. But that helped, that he was mad, in this fight. He spun on the balls of his feet and sent his katana plunging into yet another of the monsters and he sent a kick into the gut of another, sending him flying into the wall. The spinning green whirl plunged through another half dozen with an eclectic combination of kicks, punches and headbutts, and Dokuro was somehow impressed. Not too impressed, but the kid might make a good addition to his organization. He turned, sliced the head off of one beast and sent the katana on its arc to smash to face of another, shattering it's face before he punched the rest of it inwards like bad fruit. He then kicked out another's ankles from under it and sending it crashing into the one behind, both of which he sliced through with his katana. The others were dispatched in due time by either him or by Lee's taijutsu and they stood facing Sakura across a veritable ocean of bodies. Lee strode forward, stepping around displaced limbs and pools of blood before engulfing her in a hug.

"Sakura-chan! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Lee-san...I am fine. But...why? How? Who?"

"I can answer those. I went to Konoha after helping the rest of your squad against those Sound-nin and I traveled to Konoha. I informed Tsunade what had happened and she hired me to take Lee to where you were being kept."

"How did you know where we would be?"

"That I cannot reveal. Where is Rasho?"

"He...I mean, he was down and..."

"I'm here," came Rasho's voice as he shook water out of his hair while he walked down the corridor, "All accounted for. Dokuro I am surprised to see you here though."

"How did you beat Tenbato?" asked Sakura curiously.

"Don't ask, please. Dokuro, my question still stands."

"I go where I am payed to go. Now let us go. Lee, you can take Pinky here back to Konoha."

"Pinky?!" cried Sakura as Lee winced.

"Earn my respect, then I'll take the time to learn your name. Rasho, let's go. We have business to attend to."

The pair of Ninja walked down the corridor before dissappearing in a burst of black smoke and yellow sparks. Lee turned to Sakura and smiled broadly, "Shall I carry you back my beautiful flower?"

Sakura sighed and smiled as well, "That won't be neccessary Lee. Let's just get back to Konoha. I want to see Kakashi and Naruto and everyone else."

---

Dokuro and Rasho materialized over two circles in an unknown clearing in an unknown forest. 8 similar circles surrounded them, all but one of them already also occupied.

"Ah, you two arrive. I told you they would be fine Kujin." The voice of the hulking black man was gravelly and his headband dangled from his waistband.

"Ah..any injuries, that I might take care of?" came the query of a thin, lanky man who splayed his fingers as his eyes widened.

The two ninja both shook their head at their comrade Ichiro and glanced around the circle of shinobi. The only girl of hte group, her hat still pulled low over her bun smiled slowly at Rasho before glancing back, and her comrade, a short shinobi with long sideburns and a goatee smiled as well, though his was a bit more full.

"Rasho, if you are done flirting we can keep going. Hitura, listen up."

The girl and the two shinobi snapped up and looked at the elderly man who had spoke, who turned around to look at all of them.

"The only one missing is Goroshi but I know he is on a mission. The reason I have called everyone here is Kujin's information from the Tsuchikage. We have a new mission for everyone--locate this "Women who Haunts the Swamp, also called Monomari." She has some information involving the location of the 7 tails Biju, which is currently in the possession of an old man who is holding it for unknown reasons. It is known that though he may do anything with it, it will not fall into anyone elses possession without the beast being unleashed. We need to find this woman and then find this man."

"Hmph," grumbled the black shinobi, ", Kobachi, this seems like a fools errand. We have no knowledge to go off of except to investigate every swamp from here to the other side of the world. Where are we meant to start?"

"It will garner us some money, Iroku. And that knowledge will be worth a great deal to a number of other parties. And we need to make ourselves known soon or else our group faces extinction."

"Akira," said the elderly man with a glare, "our organization can never die. You all have the information you will get. I am splitting the teams up accordingly--Rasho and Medokabe you can go together, Kujin and Dokuro together, Iroku and Hitura, and finally Akira and Ichiro. I will await Goroshi's return and inform him of what is going on. He will be the final member of this investigation. I will also be investigating and keeping in contact with you via our usual routes. Please be discreet--we know that Akatsuki and others will be seeking this information and what these two mysterious elders can offer us. Be swift and cautious in your efforts."

The other shinobi merely nodded before they shot off into their respective teams and dissappeared from view.

---

"Ah...Kakashi-san this is so boring! When are we going to start the new mission? We've been riding this train for nearly an..."

"Its only been an hour Naruto," replied the blonde's former sensei, "And I will explain the mission when the time comes. Be patient."

"Hmph...be patient. That's all you ever tell me. We should be out fighting Akatsuki! Finding Orochimaru! Doing something exciting and to hel pteh villgae more!"

"We are helping the village immensely merely by doing our shinobi duty. Respect Hokage-sama--she will not steer you wrong."

"The village elders might..." muttered Naruto, but he quieted. Even after his teenage years, the boy was still exuberant but it was with a good heart. He merely wanted to do the best things for the village. And he was probably worried about Hinata, Kakashi mused. He should really explain the missionto the boy but it was a complex one. I mean, how could he explain to him that somewhere on this train was a fellow Jinchuriki, an elderly man who supposedly held the 5 tails within him? And this man, they were meant to take him back to Konoha and attempt to convince him to join their side in this crazy war, where sides were constantly redrawn and allies were lost while you joined with your enemies. There were even those who chose the path of least resistance and stepped aside, as Sasuke had done. But the loss of the Sharingan for Konoha meant that they must seek other allies, more...unorthodox ones. And Naruto's history of dealing well with fellow jinchuriki was enough to reccomend him for the mission. Still, he would have a lot of questions for the old man, things the man might understand after years with a demon better than the young man did even after a little over 20 years with one inside him. And that would mean a lot to Naruto, especially since Gaara no longer had the Shukaku within him. Still...he needed to be prudent. He would tell him soon.

---

The pair of Akatsuki landed soundlessly on top of the train, the shorter glancing around for any enemies.

"No one followed us Noko, no need to worry."

"Hinode, I will worry when I want to. That is my job--your job is to cut people up like sushi."

"Hmph...well let's get this over with. Are you going to get us in there or what?"

"Hmph, just a minute. We need to get to the front of the train."

"Ha! We'll handle that after we capture the Jinchuriki. I'm going in now!" the taller Akatsuki concentrated his chakra and sliced a thin hole in the car beneath them, which was swiftly coming up on a turn. then he merely melted through the hole as if he were water and appeared below Noko.

"Coast is clear Noko. Get down here."

"Hmph just a minute." muttered his partner as he unstrapped one of his boomerangs. He clutched the weapon by a hole in the center and activated it with his chakra, watching as cutting blades sliced out of the top. He then sliced open a hole in top of the metal and leapt down into the train, rising to stand beside his partner.

"The Boiler Room. Perfect choice. We have no idea where they are or how to find them!"

"Shut your mouth and stop complaining. And I have the perfect way to find them."

"Henge!" the bandaged Akatsuki suddenly changed into a conductor with a hawk nose and bushy eyebrows, his shock of white spikes flattening into a crewcut topped by a blue hat. His partner followed suit and morphed into a taller, lanky waiter carrying a tray.

"You always want to be tall you idiot. This won't full the sharingan, so don't do anything to suspicious or we'll draw attention. When you find him, signal me with the bond and then we'll get them both, then find the jinchuriki."

"What if I find the old man first?"

"Well then call me up there because you won't be taking your first one alone." called Hinode as he laughed, ducking into the corridor and into his character. Noko frowned and was prepared to make a retort but he chose to simply bustle out and start asking if anyone wanted anything--no one really expected any waiter to return did they?

---

Goroshi was rather annoyed, a state the quirky ninja didn't not often find himself in. He was, first of all, bored of sitting on this train, which he had taken from outside Konohagakure until he reached the Spring Country. Then, when he had seen his target clearly through the window, he was halted by an elderly man who required several attendants to help him find his seat. That debacle caused the corridor to be blocked until the train started moving again, as that seat happened to be right across from Goroshi. And finally, the man was sleeping in his seat, snoring loudly and mumbling about demons and monsters.

"Hmph. I need to find that boy and declare my intention before too long. I doubt that Kobachi will appreciate me missing that meeting unless I check in soon."

But then, Goroshi suddenly realized something. Why should he wait? He was hired to do this sort of thing all the time and therefore was part of a legitimate organization. Any non-shinobi on the train would avoid him, and any other shinobi would not wish to interfere in something outside their own village. The only thing standing in his way was that silver haired man who accompanied Naruto, and he would be no trouble if the boy was as hotheaded as the information supplied would have it. Still...he had better let them be lulled a bit more by the train ride. And he would pay attention for anyone else boarding the train so that he might know if any other Konoha-nin were aboard. The man, despite this scheming, still slept on and Goroshi groaned as a new fit of babbling set it. He would wait an hour...no half an hour to do what was needed.

---

Kakashi noticed the man as soon as he stepped through the door. Not only was he transforming his appearance to that of a conductor, but his normal appearance was bizzare. White spikes of hair shot up from his head, which was bandaged as was the rest of his body. Kakashi somehow could not see through these bandages, but the Akatsuki cloak and zanbatou strapped across the man's back were enough to offer a need for caution. He rose from his seat, turning to Naruto with a smile, "Naruto, I need to go and use the bathroom. I'll return in a little while--don't get into mischief."

He rose from his seat and walked towards the man, ignoring Naruto's protests that he wasn't a kid anymore. Then...he continued to walk, trying to avoid looking at the man and drawing a kunai at the same time. He turned and suddenly, with the silence brought on by years of ANBU training, he drove the kunai right at the man's arm, shearing it off at the elbow and dispelling the henge. The man was taller than his transformation had been, and he seemed twice as menacing when he suddenly rose above Kakashi. He looked down at his severed arm, which did not bleed somehow, and laughed deeply.

"Kakashi of the Sharingan, killer of Momochi Zabuza, one of Konoha's greatest ninja. Your death will be a tasty addition to my list!"

And suddenly, the mans arm seemed to pulse and flail and then there were two forearms extending from his elbow, pale orange in color with grasping hands. Kakashi gasped and turned, only to find the man's zanbatou slicing across the top of the carriage and slashing right towards him. He couldn't dodge, couldn't think and then suddenly, he was cut in half. The man laughed but then, as he turned to Naruto, he found Kakashi standing before him, forehead protector up and sharingan activated.

"You are here for Naruto but I will not allow you to take him. Naruto, go up to the roof of the train and stay there, avoid being seen."

Naruto didn't respond but merely glared at Kakashi and the Akatsuki before slicing a hole in the roof and leaping through it. Kakashi's hair fluttered in the sudden breeze and his opponent chuckled as he clutched the zanbatou in his newly created arms, his other jabbing at Kakashi.

"It will be well worth it to kill you, but I'm not here for that boy, not just yet. I'm here for someone else."

Kakashi was taken aback--how did Akatsuki already know of the presence of the Jinchuriki on the train? Where would they have gotten such sensitive information. And who was this man? He knew that Akatsuki had been refurbished with new members but this one seemed so different from any other he had ever faced. He must be a Mist Shinobi, that much was clear, but what of his powers? Were they a kekkei genkai? Genetic Modification? Something from the very reaches of Hell?

"I am Riyuki Hinode, and I will be the one to finally destroy you Hatake Kakashi. Prepare for death!"

The man twirled on the balls of his feet, the zanbatou dragging behind him, and then suddenly he drew kunai from no where and sent them launching for Kakashi, who dodged and ducked around the seats of the train as he felt them embedding in the plush seats. He rose and threw his hands together with a shout of "Chidori!" and he suddenly was right there in front of Hinode, looking up into his somehow eyeless, bandaged face, and plunged his fist right through the man's heart. Or at least where it should have been--the laughter that the man offered somehow made Kakashi think otherwise.

"Hahah, Kakashi I expected better!"

The man looked down at the hole in his chest and suddenly, the orange skin flowed back over it, speckled with black and then, an eyelid opened and a blue eyeball stared out at Kakashi as it's master laughed again.

"Let's end this! Water Release, Rapid Crasher!" The bandages around the man's stomach were suddenly...eaten away and a large black mouth with serrated teeth was suddenly released. Kakashi prepared to hold his breath and then suddenly, from the mouth, there was a torrent of water that suddenly filled the car and sent itself shooting up through the hole Naruto had made like some sort of giant whale. Kakashi spun in the sudden torrent but his opponent wasn't visible. He pumped his arms and legs, struggling against the sudden current and punched a second hole in the top of the train, letting the rest of the water erupt outwards as he hoped Naruto was OK. He glanced around his soaking wet surroundings and tried to find his opponent, who seemingly wasn't there. But then, as he leapt into the air to check on Naruto, from out of one of the puddles a sudden pair of hands shot up and grabbed his ankles, throwing him against the opposite walls. His opponent rose out of the watery hiding place and strode forward, zanbatou pointed before him as he laughed and said, "Your end draws near, Hatake Kakashi. I'm sure someone will pay a great deal for your sharingan eye after I pluck it out. And then, I'll do you the honor of eating your legs and arms first, leaving your heart for last."

The mouth that had opened in the man's stomach gaped at these words, and a long pink tongue flicked its way through the teeth and stretched forward at Kakashi.

Then suddenly, the man was halted. Kakashi looked as the mouth gasped and the man questioned into the air, "What? Where? How?"

"Shadow Imitation. I figured my fellow Konoha-nin could use some help!"

Shikamaru strode through the now open door to the next car, carelessly splashing up through the puddles as his opponent did the same until they were face to face. Shikamaru opened up his hands and the man's zanbatou clattered to the floor as his single revealed eye glared at the shadow wielder.

"Kakashi, finish him off please."

Kakashi didn't have the heart to tell Shikamaru that he didn't know how to, but he prepared a second chidori and felt it crackling in his hands before he was suddenly knocked off his feet and a huge boomerang came clattering back around to land in the long fingered hands of a shaggy blonde youth, also in an Akatsuki cloak. The man smiled and twirled the boomerang alongside his second one.

"Let go of him or you'll be shredded alive while you wait. Your choice, street performer."

Shikamaru groaned as his captured prey laughed and told his partner to go up on top of the train to take care of the jinchuriki. Cut off one of his legs and bring it back and he could deal with the brats on his own. His shorter partner nodded and leapt up through one of the holes cut open in the train. Shikamaru smiled and looked at Kakashi before declaring with a lazy drawl, "That takes care of him. Let's get this one over with so we can watch the fun."

"Hahhaah your overconfidence in the Kyuubi boy is unfounded. Noko won't lose to him."

"Who said anything about losing to Naruto? He's an idiot. I'm talking about a friend of mine."

---

Naruto was cold on the roof of the train car. Not only was it winter and it was icy, but a brisk wind was blowing and he had left his scarf down in the car underneath him. However, just as he was thinking that he might want to go get it, he saw the flickering of light below him and heard shouting. Then another hole exploded and water suddenly gushed out at him like he was between two whales. He dodge the water, which sprinkled back down on him, adding to the goosebumps, and plopped down on the cold metal. This sucked. And when the shaggy blonde in the Akatsuki cloak came flipping into the air in front of him, spinning two boomerang on his fingertips, it just added to the general suckiness of the situation.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I presume. Wind Release, Pressure Damage!"

Twirling his two black boomerang, the man suddenly threw his hands in a complicated pattern and sent a wave of wind flying right for Naruto, who leapt into the air and felt himself flip over by the pressure beneath him. He managed to dodge, however, and ran forward at the man yelling, "Shadow Clones!" Where once was one, suddenly a dozen Naruto's leapt into existence. The man smiled, activated his boomerangs, and spun, watching as they sliced through the clones and sent the real Naruto flying backwards to land painfully on his back.

"Good, now I know what you can do. Let's go!"

With usual brashness, Naruto plunged forward across the train car, dodging the bursts of wind that came flying at him, but was still driven back by the force.

"Time to rethink my strategy...Summoning Technique!"

Biting his thumb and sliding it across the cold metal, Naruto watched as a cloud of smoke rose from the train car and an armored toad leapt into existence.

"Gamakichi! Oil!'

"Got it kid!" The toad opened it's mouth and sent a burst of oil shooting forward at the man, which Naruto ignited with a quick fire attack. The man yawned and smirked before spinning one of his boomerangs and sending the flames flashing about in a circle, thrusting the other one forward through the air. The weapon spun and clanged against the toad's armor, throwing it off the train and leaving Naruto near defenseless. But that was what he wanted--as the man threw his other boomerang in an effort to catch him between the two, Naruto leapt atop one of them and with a yell of "Rasengan!" sent his spiraling sphere plunging right into the man's stomach, throwing him off of the car and slicing him apart.

The man rose slowly, his stomach having obviously taken quite a bit of damage. However, he smiled and then dissipated, leaving a cloud of smoke.

"Wind clones, very useful when fighting a close range fighter!" called the man as he hovered above Naruto on top of one of his boomerangs.

"Piercing Air Bullet!" A huge blast of chakra enhanced wind plunged downwards at Naruto, but he watched as his opponent was knocked off his feet by a second boomerang and Gamagkichi appeared to block the attack, throwing it back against the quickly passing mountains with his armored forearms.

"Hmph, kid that was close."

Naruto said nothing as he watched his opponent flip through the air and land beside him, grasping both boomerangs in his hands.

"I'm going to have to finish this quickly now...I don't want to wait too much longer. Prepare yourself, Kyuubi, for this! Spinning Return to the Gods!"

Naruto drew back but, suddenly and without warning, was kicked up into the air by his opponent, who gave a toothy smile before spinning in a circle and creating a huge whirlwind. Naruto felt his body pierced by, what felt like, huge blades, and watched as his opponent spun in the whirlwind around him. Then suddenly, he was there again, punching and kicking and pummeling him from side to side, knocking him about like a rag doll. Then he appeared above and knocked Naruto back down to the roof of the train with an earth shattering punch. The metal resounded heavily with the impact and Naruto looked up at the sky as his opponent calmly landed behind him, sheathing the boomerangs.

"That should hold you for a bit." he muttered before preparing to cross to the next car's rooftop.

"But not me!" came a yell as a large bo staff suddenly shot forward and the Akatsuki was caught in his cheekbone, which cracked with the impact and thrown down to the ground. Naruto looked and saw, strangely, an apparition, like something from a dream, half white and half black before he felt himself blacking out and the Kyuubi chakra dancing over his numerous wounds.

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