1SORRY FOR THE DELAY! I'm back from Israel and I'm ready to roll! So now, our special guest for the disclaimer is...

UMINO IRUKA!

"Um... Hi..."

Hello, Iruka! Who's everyone's favorite sensei?

"I'm not supposed to be here... How did I get here?"

You were transported via plot device.

"That really isn't supposed to be possible..."

Shut up and read the disclaimer.

"But..."

READ OR DIE!

"All right. MasterFroda does not own Naruto in any way, shape or form, nor does he own Read or Die..."

Whoops.

"Can I go now?"

No. You must now put on this speedo and join Itachi and Sasori.

Camera pans to Itachi and Sasori in speedos, bound and gagged and tied to each other.

Yes, we need sweet little Iruka in order to make this scene complete... Iruka? Where did Iruka go?

The Most Dangerous Game

The Real Most Dangerous Game

Asuma was making conversation with the ambassador from the Mist.

"So how did you come up with so much money, anyway?"

"It is a rather funny story that begins during the Great Ninja Wars. On a scouting mission, one of our ninja was trying to secure a water source and began to dig for a spring. He did not find a spring, however, as his shovel hit an iron ore deposit. Upon further investigation, we found out that there is a huge concentration of iron in this country. Iron, of course, is the lead ingredient in steel, which is used to make weapons. Since shinobi rely greatly on throwing weapons, such as kunai and shuriken, their supplies are quickly depleted, and steel becomes a very valuable asset. We sold our steel to other countries for high prices, as the demand was enormous. At one point, steel was even more valuable than gold. By the end of the war, we had stockpiled enough money to make a feudal lord look like a peasant. We were going to use the money to research new weapons, but since we were in a time of peace, we decided that it would be best to start on a peace-time project. This underwater village was the project, and here we are."

"Very interesting, but I have one question. What happens when the ore deposit is exhausted?"

"A good question. The ore is what made us rich, but it is not our sole export. Our economy is stable enough that we can continue thriving even without the ore. Plus, the weapons we make are far more valuable than the metal itself. Kirigakure village is, after all, home to the most skilled sword smiths in the world. Our economy is in no danger of collapsing."

"So why were the Shinobi-gatana after the throne?"

"They wanted war. They didn't care about the welfare of the people, and their bloodlust could not be satisfied by border skirmishes. They wanted to relive their glory days as the ultimate soldiers of the mist, and starting a war would be the perfect way to do so. But now, only one of them is at large, and I have to thank Konoha a great deal for dealing with the other four."

Gennosuke paused and sighed.

"It's a shame about Tajoumaru, though."

Asuma stayed silent and sipped his saké.

---

Lunch was over and the groups reconvened. The jounin decided that they should rest for the day, and that they should all go where they pleased. Naruto and Sakura were quite interested by the idea of the undersea arboreum, so that was where they headed. Shino, Kiba, and Hinata followed, much to Naruto's dismay, as he was hoping to treat this as a date. Three of them made pleasant conversation while Shino, being Shino, was silent, and Hinata, being Hinata, was too shy to join in. Shino knew this was his chance to speak with Hinata, so he beconed her over and the two fell back behind the others.

"Hinata."

"Sh-Shino-kun?"

"I apologize in advance for what I am going to do to Naruto. I need you to be brave, or this whole plan will collapse. Understood?"

Hinata was now practically shaking in her sandals. What was Shino going to do to Naruto? Why was the burden of bravery placed on her, all of a sudden? Before she could speak, her mouth was rendered useless, as all it could do was gape in awe. The group had reached the arboreum, which was a huge transparent dome filled with a magnificent landscape. Trees were abundant and grass grew everywhere on the ground, except where there was a small stream cutting the place in half. How any of this was achieved was anyone's guess. Naruto was the first to break the awed silence.

"A-amazing..."

"What a fantastic terrarium," observed Sakura.

"Yahoo! Finally some room and some sun! Let's go, Akamaru!"

"Arf!"

Kiba and Akamaru bounded in and disappeared into the nearest tree. The others walked in more slowly, gazing at the feat of landscaping.

"I've never seen anything like this before in my life, and yet, I have..." said Sakura, "This landscape looks exactly like something you'd find in Konoha, but there are fish swimming in the 'sky.'"

"The fish are not unlike birds," mused Shino.

Iruka walked in.

"Shino, you never muse. What happened?"

The ninja stared at Iruka quizzically.

"Iruka-sensei, how did you get down here?"

"I escaped."

"Escaped from what?"

"I escaped from a plot device. Gotta run! See you all later!"

Iruka ran off. I am going to cut the scene so I can dispense with him and carry on with the story uninterrupted. Insert three dashes here.

---

Orochimaru sat with a great sense of satisfaction. His personal mission was going almost according to plan. True, his new vessel had escaped him, but he had recently acquired a new batch of powerful underlings. He looked at his latest acquisition. Odoruwa was still writhing in pain from his curse seal, but the pain would pass soon. Odoruwa would belong to Orochimaru sooner or later.

A very strange and imposing figure walked out from behind the trees.

"Ah, Kumomaru-kun. I am very glad you came."

"I'm too old for that honorific, Orochimaru-sama. You shouldn't call me a little boy just because you want me to be one."

"Would you prefer I called you Kumomaru-ojii-san?"

Kumomaru stepped out from the shadows. Two arms folded across his chest while two other arms were rested on his hips. A third set was busy stroking his long, white beard.

"That would be more appropriate, Orochimaru-sama. Although, I would be much obliged If you would drop the honorific altogether."

"Now, now. I have to treat the late Kidomaru's grandfather with some respect."

"Then respect me by dropping the honorific."

"Kukukukukuku."

"Why did I ever sacrifice my clan to you? I used to see a strong leader. Now, all that lies before my eyes is a pedophilic bufoon..."

Kumomaru could not say anything more, as he was being strangled by a large snake. Orochimaru's whimsical expression instantly transformed into a wrathful scowl.

"Know your place, Kumomaru-kun."

Orochimaru released the snake.

"H...Hai, Orochimaru-sama."

"Now, then," Orochimaru's face relaxed. "Where are the others?"

"They are here."

Four figures emerged from the shadows.

"Excellent."

---

Sakura sidled up to Shino. With a mutual nod, they held hands. Upon contact, they both shuddered with both nervousness and anticipation.

What the hell am I doing? Holding hands with Sakura? I'm crazy! Then again, I've never held hands with a girl before... WHERE DID THAT STRAY THOUGHT COME FROM?

"Hehe... sorry 'bout that, chief," Oda confessed.

You can influence my thoughts as well?

"Uh... sorta..."

ANSWER ME!

"Well, the thoughts are yours, but..."

But what?

"We can uncover your suppressed thoughts. I sorta like doing it to mess with your head."

Shino thought back to the time when he once actually cuddled Akamaru.

SO THAT WAS YOU!

"But he looked so fluffy and cute..."

Be quiet.

"Ok."

Shino ended his conversation with his bug and turned his head to see Sakura staring at him.

"What is it?"

"What was that all about? One of your eyebrows was going crazy!"

"Nothing. Do we have Naruto's attention yet?"

"No, he's still trying to figure out why Iruka was here."

Naruto, as if on cue, decided to stop pondering over his sensei and run over to Sakura to ask her opinion on the matter. When he finally caught up to Sakura and Shino, he noticed something amiss. First of all, Shino wasn't looking aloof as usual. He was looking quite vivacious, actually. The second thing that was wrong was a bit less subtle.

"NANI? YOU'RE HOLDING HANDS WITH SHINO?"

Sakura turned around and looked at Naruto.

"So?"

"SO? SO YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING COMPLETELY AGAINST YOUR NATURE!"

"Is it against my nature to hold my boyfriend's hand?"

"B-b-buh-buh... BOYFRIEND?"

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sure, he had been rejected countless times, but this situation seemed different. Sakura actually had a legitimate reason for shooting him down.

This... this is horrible... this isn't a natural situation... This can't be happening...

Sakura and Shino stared at the gaping Naruto, and Shino knew that the time was right to verbally assault his prey.

"Yes. I'm her boyfriend. Why don't you just leave usalone for a bit?"

It wasn't the most caustic remark, but he knew that it got the job done, for the expression on Naruto's face turned from shock to anger. Instead of attacking, however, Naruto fled.

Don't let them see you cry. Don't let them see your tears, or you'll be weak.

Shino turned sharply to Hinata, who had been watching this exchange in abject terror.

"Go."

Hinata bolted at the word and gave chase to the fleeing blond.

Once alone, Sakura and Shino both collapsed on the ground.

"That felt so... terrible..."

"It had to be done."

"Are you sure? Did we have to hit him so hard?"

"In order to be grateful to what you receive, you must first know what it is like to suffer."

"Waxing philosophical? I didn't know you had such a long sentence in you, Shino."

"Was that just a joke directed at me?"

"Yes..."

"No one has ever joked to me before."

"Not even Kiba?"

"Let me rephrase that. No one with wit has ever joked to me before."

"Ah. Was that a joke?"

"Could have been."

"Dry, but funny. Very good, Shino."

"Yeah..."

They both sighed.

"As long as Hinata follows my instructions, Naruto should be fine."

"I hope you're right..." Sakura paused. "Hey Shino?"

"Hn?"

"What... what do your eyes look like?"

Crap. I wish she hadn't asked that.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. I saw you without your sunglasses, but your eyes were closed. It just piqued my curiosity, you know?"

"My eyes are for no one to see."

"What, are they just empty eye sockets, or something? Or are they filled with bugs?"

"Neither."

"Then why won't you show me?"

"Let's just say that I have to be extremely comfortable with a person in order to show them my eyes. Aburame eyes are for the eyes of the Aburame only... no pun intended."

"So they're a clan secret?"

"Yes. Let's just say that one pair of eyes could buy this entire village twice over."

"So... they're valuable?"

"If the secret were let out, we'd be hunted for them."

"Hunted?"

"Just like a rabbit for its fur."

"But why? Do the Aburame have a dojutsu like the Hyuuga and Uchiha?"

"Not in the way you're thinking. I can tell you that our ears are more useful than our eyes, and that's why we wear these dark glasses. Now can we please change the subject?"

Sakura didn't want to change the subject. She hadn't heard Shino speak this much in her life, and she didn't want him to stop now. His voice was quite enthralling, now that she heard it. She was surprised to hear him resume the conversation without a prompt.

"What attracted you to Sasuke?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"I'm asking the question."

"Well, now I'm not exactly sure. A month ago I could have given you a list in the thousands of reasons why I liked him, but after he betrayed us and nearly killed Naruto, I'm not so sure.

From a nearby tree, a pair of eyes narrowed.

What?

---

Night, or whatever represented night, fell on the underwater village. The ninja were each escorted to separate rooms in one long hallway. Sakura couldn't sleep. Her curiosity about Shino and her revelations about herself were keeping her awake. She lay in bed with her eyes wide open, and then she heard a noise.

"Who's there?"

No answer.

"Show yourself!"

Still, there was no response. Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on the noises in the room. She heard the noise again and whipped a kunai in that direction. (She always had a few nearby her bed like a good ninja always should.) She heard a thump and a grunt and she rushed over to where the noise came from. She grabbed whatever figure was slumped on the wall and cocked her fist. Then, she heard a familiar voice.

"Sakura! It's me!"

"No... No, it can't be..."

"Turn on the light, Sakura, and come to your senses!"

Sakura obeyed and her suspicions were confirmed. Sasuke stood in front of her as smug as ever. She let her fist connect with his face. He crashed against the opposite wall.

"What was that for?"

"For punching me on your way out. And this..."

She grabbed him and kneed him in the gut.

"This is for betraying the village..."

She then gave him a tornado kick to the jaw that could have been lethal had she not held back.

"And that one was for nearly killing Naruto!"

"Can...cough can we be civil now? I came here for help..."

"Help? That's awfully pigheaded of you. You..."

"Don't lecture me, Sakura, I don't need it. I need to get away from Orochimaru."

"Why? Doesn't he have the power you were craving?"

"Yes, but..."

"BUT NOTHING! Go to Naruto if you want sympathy!"

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Sasuke, you did things that are irreparable. I can't forgive you for what you did to me that night you left... That cold, cold response when I laid my heart in front of you... It hurt... so much..."

"Sakura, I'm sorry..."

"It's a little late to apologize now! Wait... YOU APOLOGIZED?"

Sasuke coughed. Sakura smirked to see him in such a delicate position.

"Heh. How the mighty have fallen."

"I swear, Sakura, were I not in this position, I would kill you for those words."

"I don't think you could do it. You're not the only one who has become stronger, you know. And how did I beat the crap out of you just now?"

"I let you."

"You did, did you?"

"Just shut up and listen. Orochimaru has done... things to me. He has done things too horrible to imagine. Sure, some people might like that sort of thing, but I'm not one of those people. He violated me, Sakura, and now I can appreciate all that you have done for me. Sakura, you have to let me back into Konoha. I can't go back to that man. I would rather die."

"That's good, because the penalty for treason is death. Maybe the Hokage will show mercy toward Konoha's genius, but you will have to be prepared for repercussions. I'll help you, Sasuke, but know that you are too late if you want my romantic attention back."

"Sakura..."

"Now go room with Naruto, or something. You're not sleeping in my room, that's for sure."

"I can manage without rooming with anyone. Goodnight, Sakura."

"Good night."

---

Hinata's pearly eyes were wide open. She couldn't sleep, because she was too busy thinking about Naruto. Earlier that day, she had chased after him and he had escaped. Apparently, he did not want any consolation then. Now, she was lying awake with tears in her eyes. She felt for him. She also couldn't sleep because something was pounding against her wall in the next room. Eventually, she got up and walked over to the adjacent room. She knocked quietly.

"Um... could you...c-could you p-please stop...umm..."

"Go away."

It was Naruto's voice.

"Naruto-kun! What are you doing in there?"

"I said go away. I don't want to talk to anyone right now. Don't take it personally."

"Naruto-kun, please! What's wrong?"

The door swung open and Naruto stared at her with sad and bloodshot eyes that just made her heart crack in two. She couldn't bear to see Naruto like this.

"I... I guess you can come in... maybe I do need someone to talk to."

Hinata walked into Naruto's room and saw what was causing the banging. There was a large dent in the wall shared by the two rooms. Upon closer inspection, she realized that Naruto had been banging his head against the wall for the past few hours. There was a stain on the floor that she could guess was comprised of both tears and blood. A trickle of blood was running down Naruto's forehead which confirmed her suspicions.

"It's about S-Sakura, right?"

"Ever since the first day I knew her, she has always been after Sasuke. Every time I asked her out, she has always refused. Every time she asked Sasuke out, he always refused. I got some consolation that she was being turned down just as much as I was. I actually wouldn't have minded much had she actually gotten together with Sasuke. It would have felt no different from the usual dull pain of rejection."

Hinata bit her lip to restrain the tears. She didn't like to see her Naruto in pain.

"But Shino... She barely knows the guy and she starts going out with him. It doesn't seem right. He's so cold and emotionless. Sakura won't be happy with him. It's just so... wrong!"

Naruto slammed his fist down on the bed and looked up.

"Hinata... Are you crying?"

Hinata couldn't hold back her tears and there was a steady stream of them running down her face.

"Why are you crying, Hinata? This doesn't concern you."

"Naruto-kun, I..."

"You... what?"

"I... I..."

She was in so much shock that she was too nervous to form a sentence.

"You're not sad for me, are you?"

Hinata could only nod.

"Hinata, why?"

"Because... b-because..."

Instead of answering, she ran out the door and dashed back into her room.

I have failed. Just when I needed to talk most, I choked. Father was right about me. I can't do anything...

She heard a knock at the door. She opened it.

"Hinata, can we be friends?"

With tears in her eyes, she cried, "Naruto no baka!" and they embraced in a hug.

---

Orochimaru paced back and forth among his ranks. He was proud of his new elite group. The previous Sound Five were mostly Genin-level ninja pumped up by his curse seal. He wondered, then, how powerful Jounin would be when they received the curse. His first acquisition was Kumomaru, who sold his entire clan to Orochimaru for promises of power. Orochimaru gave the seal to him and his grandson and heir. With the death of the prodigal heir, Kidomaru, Orochimaru decided to rely on the strength of the clan elder instead. Kumomaru proved to have ten times the skill of his grandson.

Orochimaru saw the effectiveness of teamwork in battle, and that was why he took Hiryuu and Hyoryuu into his fold. The two women were twins and each possessed an aptitude for a different type of elemental jutsu. Hiryuu was a master of fire and Hyoryuu was skilled with ice jutsu. Together they could form an assault that was impossible to counter. Orochimaru knew how strong they could get with their seals activated and was very pleased at their success rate. Their only problem was that they constantly bickered, but they worked well enough together that Orochimaru could overlook their flaw.

The fourth member of Orochimaru's team hailed all the way from the village of Stone. He called himself Hanzo when he was found in the wilderness, and Orochimaru took him in as a grunt. He realized, however, that Hanzo was far more than a grunt. He possessed a startling efficiency when he was armed with explosives. He knew the weak points of structures by instinct and was an expert at lobbing bombs and placing exploding tags. It was discovered that he was a member of the infamous Bakuhatsu clan who was fabled for their ability to create and use bombs. As Hanzo got stronger, he became able to regurgitate ready to use bombs using his chakra. He became a valuable, albeit disgusting, asset to Orochimaru's specialist team.

Rounding out the team was Zatoichi, who named himself after the famous blind swordsman. Zatoichi the ninja was a blind warrior himself, hence his namesake. His powers are not notable and he does not let anyone know how skilled he is. Orochimaru chose him for his normalcy, so he can be a subtle infiltrator into the hearts of enemy cities. He is recognizable by his dark glasses, wide farmer's hat, and long, gray beard. He is the only one who knows his own real name, but it is known that he was originally a Konoha ninja before he left his clan. His reasons for leaving are unknown, as are his motives for joining with Orochimaru. Even Orochimaru is slightly puzzled by him, but he doesn't care. He has a skilled and subtle warrior.

Yes, Orochimaru had the perfect team, and it would be made even more perfect with his latest acquisition. He smiled to himself as he watched Odoruwa writhe in pain.

"Sasuke-kun... I'm coming for you..."

---

The next morning, Sasuke was revealed to the rest of the group, some of whom recieved him with open arms; others of whom with a cold shoulder. Naruto was the first (and only) one to forgive Sasuke for his betrayal. His brotherly love for his teammate combined with his ever-present naivete gave him no pause in Sasuke's exoneration. Sakura still held her grudge while Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee, and Chouji were a bit miffed that they went through a near death experience only to fail their mission and to have their target pop up right under their noses. The rest of the ninja had no notable opinion except Kakashi, who grabbed Sasuke by the collar, dragged him off, and gave an order that no one was to follow him.

Once alone, Kakashi bound Sasuke to a chair and knelt down facing him.

"Talk."

"What?"

"I said talk. I'm listening."

"What do you mean talk?"

"This is an interrogation. You are to tell me anything and everything about Orochimaru; his assets, his goals, the location of his base. Everything. Also, you have to prove to me that you're not a spy. Fail to do so and things will get painful. Morino Ibiki may have the lion's share of torture techniques, but I am not without a repertoire."

"Kakashi, this is unnecessary..."

"You abandon your village and become a missing-nin and now you expect us to give you a full pardon? Naruto loves you and is eager to forgive, but he is still a child and has much to learn. For now, you are still a Sound ninja and must be treated like an enemy. You are guilty until proven innocent."

"Fine. I'll tell you exactly why I left. Orochimaru was going to do disgusting things to my body. He wanted me to do him sexual favors. That's it, plain and simple. The girls in Konoha were tame compared to his advances. Kakashi, when I was with that man, I have seen things too terrible to imagine. I trust that you do not want me to get into the gory details. As for aims, he has none. He just wants to know every jutsu ever invented, as always. As for assets, I have profiles on my 'subordinates.' If you untie me, I can give them to you."

Kakashi unbound Sasuke's hands.

"Here they are."

Sasuke gave Kakashi a set of five cards with information on Orochimaru's elite squad. Kakashi looked at the cards and let his gaze fix back on Sasuke.

"Welcome back."

---

Well, that's it for another chapter, and I have captured the disturbance. Say hello, Iruka.

"Mmmff! Mmm!"

Yes, I've had him bound and gagged. Let's just say that he and my two Akatsuki bishies are going to become the best of friends.

"MMMM!"

Also, to Jedi Mistress 1990, yes, you can use my ideas, so long as you don't abuse them. Copying is a sign of flattery, and I am most flattered.

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