Maito Gai and his current only full-functioning student Tenten could do nothing but freeze at the power spread throughout the training grounds as they watched the two white-haired strangers fight.

"Grief Tablet!" the slightly more evil-looking one snarled, as a stone tablet appeared.

"Spell-Shattering Arrow!" the other shouted as an arrow appeared out of thin air and aimed itself at the arrow before shooting itself, shattering the tablet. He looked to the side as the shards fell, where a lamp with a hand with a flame burning on its fingertips floated at the side. "Almost out of time..."

"You think, Ryou?" the first one snarled. "Souls of the Forgotten! Swarm!"

Ryou seemed to panic as purple spirits arose around him, trapping him in.

"Shadow Spell!"the other yelled. Black chains leapt into being and flew straight for the purple spirits surrounding a strange, rainbow coloured reptile. The other white-haired one cursed. "Clone Dragon. Where the he- Ryou!"

For Ryou had just dashed out from the side, aiming a card at him. "Spellbinding Circle!" A circle of light began to form around him.

"Trap Jammer, dammit!" the other swore. Another circle of light appeared around the first circle and broke both circles. "Kunai with Chain!" A chain with a sharp piece appeared and encircled Ryou, preventing all forms of escape. "Gotcha!"

"Hey, Yami!" Ryou protested.

"That," the other smirked as he yanked on the chain, "was keeping with the rules. Fair's fair, now come here."

It was amazing, Tenten reflected, how the pair could act the lovey-dovey couple right after levelling the training ground.

Beside her, Gai had already fainted from the 'power of extreme youth!' as he had declared right before fainting.


"Argh!" Yami half-yelled, throwing the scroll down on the table.

"Yami?" Yuugi questioned from his pile of scrolls. "Any luck?"

"No," Yami shook his head. "From what I can tell, the seal is a prison, but specifics would be needed to reveal how to break it. Only from there then we can worry about how to subdue it."

"It...is possible to subdue it without...?" Yuugi played with his fingers nervously. "I mean, it's important that the bijuu are sealed, but the shinobi are not involved..."

"You mean if we can do it without collateral damage," Yami nodded. "With a wide enough area, yes. With enough action and speed, we would not even need such a wide area. But we would have to call upon a monster along the lines of Exodia or Zorc."

"Well, if it's possible..." Yuugi bit his bottom lip, sighing. "But...you'll be fine, right?"

"As long as you live, aibou, I will be fine," Yami assured, smiling. "Neither of us can live if the other dies. That is the curse we now live."

"Really?" Yuugi's eyes widened. "So being bound to each other is a curse?"

"No, my chibi Chan," Yami laughed, pulling Yuugi closer. "Unless our eyes wander elsewhere. And I don't intend to let my eyes wander away, so unless you intend to be unfaithful, miw-sher...?"

"Yami!"

The guardians of the library tactfully ignored the pair.


"Team Kakashi," Tsunade began. "I am assigning you a C Rank mission, ranking slated to change on demand. The mission objective is to find out about our guests in the village while being their bodyguards. Shizune."

The Hokage's assistant held up a discreet photograph of the group, taken from Konoha Customs. "Nara Shikamaru has identified the shorter two as Mutou Yuugi and Bakura Ryou respectively, and the taller one with white hair as Bakura Yami. The taller twin of Mutou Yuugi is identified as Yuugioh, although we suspect that is a pseudonym. They have come to Konoha, ostensibly to retrieve their property which they claim is the bijuu within Naruto."

"Kyuubi acknowledges it," Naruto confirmed. "Although he's terrified, really."

The group blinked. "I see," Tsunade stated, masking her reaction. "They have revealed an aptitude at summoning birds, warriors and golems. It is uncertain if they can summon more besides. Besides that, a high degree of knife-handling skill, killing intent to match the Kyuubi and a degree of protection against Genjutsu, Nara has deduced that they are more or less civilians. Mutou Yuugi and Bakura Ryou he confirms as almost definitely civilian, and that Bakura Yami and Yuugioh are the main dangers of the group. We have also received news which indicate that Bakura Yami and Yuugioh are the probable parties behind the pillage, sacking and levelling of Inari Castle and the assassination of the daimyo of Rice-field Country five days ago."

Kakashi's lone visible eye widened. "Alone?"

"On the surface," Tsunade nodded. "Shikamaru notes that, although Yuugioh and Bakura Yami are the main powers, they listen to the opinions of Mutou Yuugi and Bakura Ryou. Upon further observation during their travel back to the village via a giant green falcon," Naruto and a brave-faced Sasuke twitched involuntarily, "he concluded that they are almost not a danger, save that they command absolute and unwavering loyalty in the other two. Focus around Mutou Yuugi and Bakura Ryou. Mutou Yuugi and Yuugioh are in the Hokage Tower library studying on seals. The Bakurae are at training ground eleven, presumably training in their esoteric skills."

The door flew open as the Green Beast of Konohagakure flew in with the 'Dynamic Entry!'. "Hokage Sama! Bad news! Training ground eleven has been flattened in a span of ten minutes by two white-haired strangers!"

"Those are our guests, Gai!" Tsunade yelled, standing up as Tenten followed her sensei, depositing two white-haired young men on the floor. One turned doe-like eyes up to Tsunade while the other levelled a glare at the two shinobi.

"This. Is It." A near-sibilant hiss escaped the other as he levelled his hands at them.


"Aibou, let's move!" Yami exclaimed, standing up and stalking towards the entrance.

"Wha-?" Yuugi could barely finish before he was dragged along.

"I forgot to tell Bakura not to seal anyone's soul!" Yami explained as the pair moved towards the staircase in tandem. "And I just felt the Soul Rip starting! Do you want to retrieve shinobi from his cards?"

"Crap!" Yuugi tried to run faster.

The pair barely made it in time to intercept the ball of dark energy Bakura was readying in his hand in mid-air and save some innocent shinobi from being sealed.

"Pharaoh!" Bakura barked, annoyed.

"Do you want to explain what would have happened?" Yami pointed out.

There was a slight pause. "No..."

"Precisely. Therefore, it is not in your best interest to send them anywhere," Yami reasonably persuaded.

"Erm..." Tsunade coughed. "My apologies for your mistreatment at the hands of my shinobi, but news of your arrival is not exactly circulated amongst shinobi. Thus, Gai did not know that you were guests and presumably believed you to be...pranksters, I think. Continuing on, you will be assigned Team Seven for as long as you stay within the village confines."

"It is...appreciated," Yami replied coolly, studying the three shinobi.

"Let us take the opportunity to continue negotiations away from my council," Tsunade motioned for Gai and Tenten to leave, the two shinobi closing the door as they did. Tsunade performed some hand seals to activate the silencing jutsu before she leaned forward over her desk. "As you have stated before, you have come for the bijuu. However, I can now inform you that the nine demons have been sealed into shinobi as well. Each of the Five Great Shinobi Powers possesses at least one Jinchuuriki, as these human containers are known. Naruto is one, as is Sabaku no Gaara, from whom your friend extracted the Ichibi from today."

Yami shot a look at the suddenly nervous white-haired pair. "And? It was done with the permission of the shinobi in question, and the shinobi was not hurt, correct?"

"Gaara is not Konoha's shinobi," Tsunade shook her head. "He is the youngest son of the Kazekage and the Ichibi he hold- held," she corrected, "was widely considered Suna property. Suna could accuse us of stealing from them should Gaara return without an adequate explanation."

"We will solve that in good time," Yami nodded. "Do continue with your concerns."

"There has recently been formed an organisation called Akatsuki," Tsunade began. "Although they are a mercenary organisation on the surface, in actual fact all their members are S-class nuke-nin. Their aim has turned towards capturing and sealing all the bijuu. Members have come for Naruto before." Her eyes turned towards the blonde ninja in question, who stood straight up, the playful kid replaced with the serious shinobi. "If they capture him, they will take the bijuu and kill him."

"I see," Yami smiled thinly. "It seems that in this case our interests overlap."

"I propose an alliance between us for this," Tsunade inclined her head. "We will give you the necessary information and quite possibly assistance, while you would provide the power."

"Thus, you would have us kill the Akatsuki in exchange for such information," Yami nodded slowly. "Quite advantageous to your village, Hokage Sama. We would require time to discuss this."

"In a gesture of faith, I will warn you," Tsunade sighed. "Elder Shimura had a cadre of specially trained shinobi under his command called the Root ANBU. Although they are officially disbanded, knowing him, it is highly likely that they are hidden. He would most likely order your deaths to secure the balance of power between the shinobi countries."

"Thank you for the warning," Yami courteously replied as he turned to Bakura, the shadows cast over his face deepening. "Bakura, did you hear that? If anyone attacks us, we have free reign."

"And if the light is attacked?" Bakura replied, his own shadows darkening. Kakashi had the impression that these people didn't need bodyguards at all.

"Then, mercy is forgotten." The ease of long practice was obvious from the flat tone the words were spoken in. Yuugi moved closer to his darkness as did Ryou to his, light touching the dark in a gesture of comfort.

Tsunade saw red eyes once more as the shadows flickered away from the face of the ancient king. "Do inform Elder Shimura on our behalf that we know where he sleeps, and the shadows are not on his side."

Tsunade gulped internally, Kakashi's lone visible eye widened, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the four left.

"What did that mean?" a clueless Naruto asked.

"It meant," Sasuke slowly stated, "that if he tries anything, no matter how he hides, they will find him, and when he is vulnerable, they will kill him."


"You will join Team Kakashi in the guarding of these four."

"Yes."

"While under cover, you will find out their abilities, their strengths, their weaknesses, and you will report it to me."

"Yes."

"You will be assigned a new name for this mission."

"Yes."

"Very well, now go...Sai."

"...Yes."