Bri: "Can we take a break? All of this running is giving me a headache."

Me: "Yea, we will take a quick ten minute break."

We all stopped running to Kusagakure and sat down around a large tree. I took this time to climb to the top of the tree and keep lookout to make sure everything was safe. The big war is less than three weeks away and we still don't have many plans set out. Once we get back to the village I will be able to assign everybody to teams. I will have me, Aida, and Tetroz in a team for sure. I will try to sort out everyone that Tetroz gets into teams along with the Iwa-nin.

Me: "Hmm?"

I looked over in the direction where I heard some noises in the forest. It sounded just like people running. I wonder who it could be. The footsteps stopped.

Me: "Aida! I'm going to go take a walk over this way. If I'm not back in five, I may be in trouble!"

I smirked and then walked towards the area. I was being as stealthy as I could, jumping from tree to tree, hidden in the leaves. As I moved closer, I slowly started to hear voices. Finally, I was close enough to see what was going on without being seen. As I looked, I noticed something a bit strange. It was two Kusa Jounin and a girl who was trapped inside of some sort of wooden prison.

What is going on here? What happened? I leaned closer to get a better view of the two Jounin standing there. One was very well built, tall, blonde, and a tattoo on his left shoulder, and the other was tall, lean, also blonde, and had two swords strapped to his back.

Mao: "Would you like to know what is going on?"

I jumped back; startled at the fact that Mao was behind me.

Me: "When did you get here!?"

Mao: "I told you, I am supposed to keep intel on you, so I will always be watching."

Me: "Ok…? So what is going on here?"

Mao: "Well, it appears as though this kunoichi from Kusa tried to attack Lord Dantako today. He immediately ordered two Jounin to take them out far from the village and kill her, with no trace of the body."

Me: "Hmm, people like her are what we are trying to find right now. I think it would be best to try to save her now."

Mao: "That would be a good idea; however, you would have to kill the two Jounin. If you were to free her, there would be nothing to stop them from reporting it to Lord Dantako."

Me: "Well, I can't do that. I can't kill someone who is being manipulated by Dantako."

Mao: "If it helps the matter, they are two that are loyal to Lord Dantako. They come to him of free will. If you spare them now, they will only cause more trouble later when you have your war."

Me: "That is true. I still feel bad doing this though. Maybe there is another way…"

Mao: "Well, whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be the right thing."

Mao ran off, jumping tree to tree back towards Kusagakure. What can I do? It is unfair to just take their lives right now. Here and on the battlefield are two different scenarios. They could change before then. Wait, I have an idea. How long have I been out here? Two minutes. Well, I have three to get this girl and get back. Plenty of time.

I jumped off of the tree and stood behind it. Alright, here is what I will do. I will throw a few smoke bombs out, run out, kick both of them in the stomach, and while they are gasping for air, I quickly get the girl and get out, and then they won't know what happened.

I tossed a few smoke bombs out and the area became really hard to see. I then darted towards the lean guy and kicked him as hard as I could in the stomach. One down. I then turned and ran towards the big guy, and I kicked him too as hard as I could in the stomach, but this time was different. I wasn't able to knock his breathe out! He grabbed my foot and lifted me off of the ground. Then he spun me around and slammed me to the ground. This is real bad. I quickly jumped back onto my feet and proceeded to hit some vital spots.

I took a kunai out of my pouch and aimed for the back of his knees with the bottom end of the kunai. He then fell to his knees, and then I took this chance to hit him in the back of the head with the end of the kunai. He fell over unconscious. Now to get the girl. I ran up to the cage and broke two of the bars off, grabbed her, and darted off into the woods.

Once I returned to where Aida and the others were waiting, they all looked at me fairly weird.

Me: "I can explain.. Let's head back to the village first."

We all started back towards Kusa, but with one extra member. She was very silent and cooperative. Once we got close to Kusa, I told everyone to wait here for a few minutes. It was already getting dark, so it would be easy to sneak everyone in. I had made plans earlier with Tetroz that when I returned, he would distract the guard and I would signal everyone to run in. I walked back to the village and saw Tetroz and the Kusa ANBU. I nodded at Tetroz and walked up to the desk.

Tetroz: "I think I just saw someone jump over the gate and run towards Lord Dantako's office!"

Kusa ANBU: "I got it!"

The ANBU member ran off towards the direction that Tetroz pretended to sight the intruder. I quickly ran back to where the others were waiting and told them to come now. We quickly ran in, and thanks to it being dark, no one saw a thing.

When we all got back to my house we all walked downstairs to my training room. Tetroz had just got off of guard duty, so he was able to come along as well, with two shinobi who he recruited today.

I explained the situation with the girl, and we tried to talk to her but she just sat in the corner, silent. Tetroz introduced the two shinobi he found who wanted to help in the fight against Dantako. One of them was a kunoichi named Sarah and the other was a shinobi named Judo.

This is awesome! With the new additions, we now have a total of ten shinobi willing to fight in this war against Dantako and his men. Now we just need to organize into teams, start training, and plan out how the war will go down.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

Me: "Everyone stay down here, I will go get it."

Tetroz: "I'm coming with you."

Tetroz and I headed upstairs and closed off the entrance to the underground training area. He sat down in a chair and leaned it back to pretend like we were just hanging out and I walked over to open the door. When I opened the door, it was a member of the Kusa ANBU.

Me: "What is it now..?"

Kusa ANBU: "I was told to give you this. Only you are supposed to look in this folder."

The ANBU member looked at Tetroz and walked off. I closed the door and let out a sigh.

Me: "I wonder what this is all about.."

I opened it up and at the top it was labeled A-Rank Mission. Wait, A-Rank missions are supposed to be for Jounin level shinobi and up. Why was I given this mission? I started to read over it as Tetroz was pacing behind me, waiting for me to say what it was about. I finished reading over it and turned towards Tetroz.

Me: "This is a mission that is going to be rewarded with me becoming a Jounin…"

Tetroz: "Ok? So why are you so gloomy about it?"

Me: "Well, he wants me to kill a certain shinobi who is accused of false reporting a sighting of a shinobi entering Kusagakure."

Tetroz: "I wonder who that would be."

He started laughing, completely oblivious.

Me: "You…"

Tetroz: "SAY WHAT!?"

Me: "The worst part about it is, Dantako states in here that he and a few of his elite shinobi will bring you into the forest and have you cornered to where you can't escape."

Aida: "No problem, I know just the person to help out!"

Tetroz and I looked over at her, scared at the fact that we didn't even hear her walk up here.

Me: "Who?"

Aida: "Bri. She is a very skilled kunoichi. She is capable of encasing anyone in her chakra and using their body with them having no control. It's this simple. All we need to do is find a body, and let her take control of it. Once she is in control of it, we will let her perform a transformation jutsu to turn into Tetroz. Then you go along with your fight, and BAM, Tetroz is dead."

Me: "It might work, but what if the transformation ends?"

Bri: "That is the art of my jutsu; I can control both the living, and the dead."

How did she get up here too without us noticing? These Iwa-nin are sneaky..

Me: "Well, now we just need a body. I think I know just where to get one too."

We all nodded at each other in understanding on what we will do. I told Tetroz to teach Bri several of his basic hand to hand combat skills so that the fake Tetroz will seem more real. I walked outside and headed to the front gate, hiding in the shadows. There, was a Kusa ANBU standing watch at the gates of Kusagakure. My plan was to simply knock him out, and bring him back.

Mao: "That won't work, you know?"

Me: "Then what do you suggest?"

Mao: "Take this."

Mao tossed a body of someone who was executed by Dantako and his men today to me. I picked the person up, and quickly ran back to the house. When I was back at home, Tetroz and I cleaned the person up and placed him in a corner with a sheet over his body.

Me: "Well, everything is in place. Tomorrow is when we need to do this, so let's make sure we all get up early."

We all went to our separate places. The two Kusa shinobi and Tetroz went to their own homes, the three Iwa-nin made pallets on the floor in the training area, and the mysterious girl just stayed in the corner, and eventually fell asleep.