Hey everyone! I started writing this chapter somewhat early, but then I got a really strange idea to tie into this story and I wanted to give it a shot. I'm not really sure how to describe it but I got the idea for a huge world backstory that's a bit….supernatural? Even for a story about ninja's with elemental bending powers haha. It won't be ridiculously absurd but it definitely will put a different turn to the story. Without giving it away, essentially I'm writing an origin to the creation of the world and the early civilizations that has almost nothing to do with the Naruto canon. I'll try and weave it in as smoothly as possible, the bulk of it won't actually be brought in till a few chapters later but I figured I wanted to give everyone a heads up. I actually got this idea while playing a lot of other games. Enough of that, on with the story!

Also, if you haven't figured it out by now, all the little messages at the beginning and at the end of each chapter from like chapter 5 and onward are not fully made up. Some of them will be, most of them will be slightly alterations from other games or books/shows, see if you can identify them! I decided to add them since I thought it would be a fun way to add small insight to each character.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Naruto nor any of the small nods or quotes I steal from other games/books!

"Speaking"

Thinking

Messaging

Chapter 8: Poker Face


Chronicles of Thirteen

Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever…whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time….that is up to you

Uzumaki Naruto


"How much longer?" Groaned Naruto as he leaned back into the leather seats and watched the outside scene pass him by.

"This train will arrive at the next destination by nightfall where we'll stay at the hotel. From there, a few hours of travel in the early morning and we'll arrive at our final destination," replied Sasuke as he kept his arms crossed.

"This is so….BORING!" Complained Naruto as he threw his hands up before his eyes widened and he found himself lifted a few inches off the seat and into the air.

"Stop fidgeting…and SHUT UP! I'm TRYING to nap," snapped Ino as she glared at Naruto with one outstretched hand that was surrounded by a light blue aura similar to the one that enshrouded Naruto.

"I…I have s-some e-earplugs if y-you w-want," murmured Hinata as she dug through her pouch.

"It's fine Hinata….as long as this blonde idiot SHUTS UP!" Glowered Ino.

"Shikamaru seems to have no trouble sleeping," noted Shino as he pointed at the aforementioned individual who was lying down on a nearby couch and lightly snoring.

"That lazy idiot can sleep anywhere," growled Ino as she dropped Naruto back in his seat.

"Stop causing a scene, we're deep in foreign territory now….let's not blow our cover," instructed Sasuke. "When we get off this train, we will use our given personas, so make sure it's memorized!"

Everyone gave Sasuke a nod except for Naruto who mumbled a "yeah, yeah" before sliding off his chair and slouching on the ground as he tried to somehow keep himself entertained for the remainder of the trip.


Hiruzen sighed as he looked over some recent files that had hit his desk before tossing them onto the growing pile of stray papers. He groaned in frustration at the lack of progress over the year before his secretary chimed in from the intercom.

"Sir, a member of STF is here to see you."

"Send him in," sighed Hiruzen as he cleared some space on his desk before reaching for his pipe.

"What've you got for me?" Asked Hiruzen as the masked individual stood before him.

"Not much we don't already know…..nothing other than clothing that would suggest a link between Kisame, Deidara, and Hidan," replied the masked individual.

"I figured as much," sighed Hiruzen. "Are we any closer to identifying the bigger picture?"

"Small amounts of progress is being made….that day I reported to you right after the cadets' graduation exam….we've confirmed that Deidara wasn't there for any particular reason relating to the town. They may have instigated the takeover…..but the recovered logs on the computer show no external extraction of data nor any checking of the folders…they were just deleted," explained the individual.

"So…a red herring," murmured Hiruzen.

"Yes, we've come to the conclusion that they…..they were testing something….but we don't know what their end game is."

"….Testing? How did you arrive to that conclusion?"

"I had my suspicions when I reported to you a year ago about a possible problem that was at hand. Before I could arrive to assist the cadets in dealing with Deidara, I managed to hear Deidara mention that his work was done which implied that he was not sent to actually eliminate resistance of any sort. However, he must have known that jamming communications would entice us to check the tower which means he was undoubtedly expecting us. Despite that, he was not eager at all to partake in any combat with even me."

"…..Implying that he had an alternative motive for causing everyone to congregate at the roof of the tower," murmured Hiruzen as he rubbed his chin.

"Yes….that and the fact he was very adamant about not keeping those weird dark-skinned individuals intact to allow us for autopsy contributes to the enigma."

Hiruzen was silent for a moment as he let all the information swirl together in his head before he sighed and put down his pipe.

"It's still not much to go on….but I guess this has been a wild goose chase from the start. Good work, you're dismissed," waved Hiruzen.

The STF member bowed lightly before turning around and exiting the office and back into the lobby of the top floor. He was about to return to his own quarters before the device on his arm made a small blipping sound to signify a message had been sent to him.

Did you report everything I told you to?

-D

He furrowed his eyebrows a bit as he read the rather short message his superior had sent him before typing out his response.

Yes….but why am I omitting some of the information?

He turned his attention away from his device and continued walking before pondering his current situation. It was always so strange to be a member of such a group that embodied the idea of darkness and shadows. Young individuals that partook in training always seemed to idolize the idea of the STF while adults always seemed so distrustful of them despite knowing that they worked to protect the peace. He was shaken out of his thoughts as the blipping sound became prevalent again

It is not fully confirmed nor important for now…..there are other matters at hand and I wish to keep that small bit hidden for now…..are you ready for your next solo assignment?

-D

This one was going to be a rather strange assignment as he had already been partially briefed about it before he went on his last scouting solo mission. However, he wasn't really sure what he could possibly be gained from this nor where he would find his opening.

I'm ready….but I don't see how I'm supposed to approach this particular mission

He began training for espionage at a young age….people skills were definitely not his forte.

I don't think you'll have to worry about that….I daresay your chance to join up with Uchiha Sasuke and his friends will present itself to you…..just be ready…..Sai

Now there was a name he hadn't been called in a while.


"We're all memorized and good to go?" Asked Sasuke as he turned to look at his team before stepping off of the train.

Sasuke was met with a series of nods and murmurs of agreement amongst his team before he gestured their attention towards the center of town where the local hotel happened to be situated. Sasuke looked around a bit to see if anyone was close enough to eavesdrop as his team all congregated around the front entrance.

"Alright….we now refer to each other by our personas….the rooms this time will be myself and Aburame, Nara and Uzumaki, and the girls together," murmured Sasuke as he dropped his voice down to a hushed whisper.

They all gave Sasuke a nod and a salute before Sasuke strolled over to the front desk to secure their rooms for the evening. Within moments, he returned to his team and handed each of them a card to their designated area.

"Alright, the evening is yours for now….secure supplies or food if you deem it necessary and make sure to get ample rest. We have a few hours of travel in the morning before we can settle in…..and make sure to keep a low profile; we're on foreign ground," instructed Sasuke to which everyone nodded.


Hinata took a sip of her bubble tea as she watched the sun dip lower and lower off in the horizon. Her thoughts traveled onto the mission they were presented with as well as the job that she specifically had placed in front of her. Hinata was no stranger to killing in this line of work, but performing such actions had always made her feel uncomfortable as she slowly took in what exactly she was doing. A rustling from behind her caught Hinata's attention as she turned her head and noticed Sasuke walking up towards her and sitting down at the bench next to her.

"Good evening…..Ueno Satoshi," greeted Hinata with a small smile.

"Hello to you to…..Harada Hiroka," smirked Sasuke.

The two sat in silence as Hinata simply continued to take small sips of her drink while a lazy stare was displayed across Sasuke's face as he remained nearly motionless while continuing to stare off into the distance. After a few moments, Hinata decided to break the silence as it was slowly beginning to unnerve her.

"Was….there something you wanted?" Inquired Hinata.

"Nothing in particular…..just felt like taking this seat," responded Sasuke.

Hinata opened her mouth for a bit before closing it; realizing that she didn't really have anything to say back to that. They continued to sit in silence before the uncomfortable silence finally got to Hinata again and she felt compelled to strike up small talk.

"…..Do you think that this mission….will be difficult?"

"I doubt any of these missions we will receive will be absurdly hard nor exceedingly easy."

Once again, Hinata felt a little frustrated as Sasuke had effectively killed the conversation in one sentence. It was slightly impressive how difficult it seemed to speak to Sasuke on any sort of conversational level.

"You know…I'm still a bit surprised you agreed to come along for this mission," murmured Sasuke as he leaned forward and placed his elbow on his knees.

"You…..you don't think I'm capable?" Asked Hinata rather dejectedly.

"No…not that, you've always just seemed very….adverse to anything that results in death," muttered Sasuke.

"I'm no stranger to death in this line of work," muttered Hinata as she felt just a tad bit insulted at Sasuke's sentiment.

"I'm aware…..we've just had trouble agreeing on certain things…in the past," mused Sasuke as he recalled leading a squad in the past that Hinata took part in.

Flashback

"Hyuuga, what's the situation?" Yelled Sasuke into his Leafpoint as he ducked under a sword swing from a mercenary he was stuck in combat with.

"He's remotely uploading the commands from his location….I can't stop it from here!" Replied Hinata frantically.

"Ugh…..can you estimate how much time we have left?" Asked Sasuke as he kicked a sword out of another individual's hand.

"….Uh…maybe around another twenty minutes?!"

"Ugh….we need to stop this now….just run to the main panel and overload the power core; a total power outage should stop him in his tracks," ordered Sasuke as he slit the throat of an incoming enemy.

Sasuke quickly ducked a horizontal sword swing from his left before sweeping back and knocking the assailant off his feet. He then rammed the knife into the downed opponent before tossing his other arm back and elbowing an enemy behind him.

"….Hyuuga? Did you hear me?!" Shouted out Sasuke.

"If….if I do that…the life support on the machines in this building will shut off!" Responded Hinata rather loudly.

"Well…if you have a far better solution to this growing enigma…I'm all ears!" Scowled Sasuke as he tossed another adversary over his shoulder.

"I can try and locate him with my Byakugan…he can't be THAT far away from the center of town!" Exclaimed Hinata.

"Do you even have an inkling of an idea of where he might be hiding?!" Asked Sasuke rather incredulously as he lifted his knife to intercept a swing aimed at his neck.

"Well no…but,"

"BUT NOTHING….I'm NOT going to put even MORE people at risk for a 'maybe,'" growled Sasuke. "Just do as I say and set the power core to overload."

Sasuke continued to do the combat tango with surrounding individuals as he waited for Hinata to confirm his order or at least to speak back to him in any manner. After a few moments, the silence began to worry him as thoughts of Hinata possibly being ambushed at her location began filling his head.

"Hyuuga!...Are you there?!" Called out Sasuke.

After a few moments, Hinata's typical timid voice was now quite different than what Sasuke had grown accustomed to.

"No….you want to do that…you get over here yourself and do it," replied Hinata as her voice seemed to now be filled with conviction.

End Flashback

"….I technically got the job done," replied Hinata with an uncharacteristic cheeky grin.

"Yeah….but that risk was a bit unnecessary…don't you think?" Questioned Sasuke with a raised brow.

Hinata was silent for a moment as she tried to gather her words in hope that she could perhaps at least persuade Sasuke to somehow see everything from her point of view.

"What is the value of a human life?" Asked Hinata.

"Ah…the question of the hour," chuckled Sasuke as he evaded the question.

"Individuals all have hopes…dreams….aspirations…wishes…and a plethora of other things that we as autonomous beings value. When we claim the title as the ender of another's life….we have effectively halted all those things we hold in such high regard," murmured Hinata.

"Just because we have dreams and aspirations….does not mean they are all goals meant to be pursued," countered Sasuke.

"I don't disagree with that sentiment….but even individuals who only cause harm to others….the act of killing them should not be taken lightly either," muttered Hinata.

"Well…you're quick to place those who cause harm to others in a category that is more permissible to be killed….I find that I care very little for the notions of good or bad. Seems to me that there only exists perspectives and opinions."

"I can accept the idea that the removal of various individuals may lower the harm and increase the quality of life in other individuals over a great margin…..but even those kills….I find myself feeling remorse for my actions."

"….So where does your point leave you and I?"

"Unlike many others….I recognize a life as a life….simple as that. Their inherent values are not meant to be compared like trivial numbers when considering the next best course of action. Constantly doing so will cause us to forget what truly makes a life important…and when that occurs….how much humanity will truly be left within us?" Asked Hinata rather cryptically as she looked over the horizon and followed the slow rising moon.

"Well….how else do you propose we make decisions? I suppose I'm starting to understand where you're coming from….but I fail to understand how anything in the world can move forward if we can't make comparisons of non-tangible values."

"I don't propose we never take these course of actions….like I said, I'm no stranger to assassination and I agree with the concept and intent of many of these decisions. However, it is important to almost remember the level of atrocity that killing is…no matter the identity of the target. Suppose each life is worth an infinite value….how do we compare then?"

"…The question of the hour," smirked Sasuke.


"Here we are…the heart of Water Country," murmured Sasuke as he looked upon the bustling streets and large buildings.

"It should be in that building right over there," noted Shikamaru as he pointed towards a rather large convention center that resided at the center of the busy streets.

"First…..put these on," instructed Sasuke as he handed everyone two jade bracelets.

"Never took you for a fancy jewelry person," noted Shino as Naruto and Shikamaru simply snickered.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "They'll suppress the magnitude of your Chakra and moving your hands swiftly will become a slight feat of strength. Think of them as Chakra weights, but you aren't wearing them for training purposes; all your Chakra levels will seem more civilian-like when you wear them."

The rest of the team all eyed the bracelet for a moment before snapping it to their wrists and a brief look of concentration and discomfort took their face over as they adjusted to the newfound sensation.

"Are we all ready?" Asked Sasuke as he turned around to survey his team while he adjusted his collar and tie a bit.

"Ugh, I hate all this fancy clothing," scowled Naruto as he loosened his tie and tried to button up his sleeves.

Hinata giggled to herself as she walked over and helped adjust Naruto's tie and sleeves so that he was a bit more comfortable. A rather sheepish look appeared on Naruto's face as he blushed a bit and averted his gaze while everyone else merely nodded in confirmation to Sasuke.

"Alright, you two take it slow until we secure the information first," instructed Sasuke as he pointed to Ino and Hinata.

"I've encrypted our voice channel so that activity will be hard to detect as long as usage is sparse. Even if they catch on, as long as we speak in small increments, it should be extremely hard to trace the signal back to any of us," explained Shino as he tapped on his Leafpoint device.

"We will survey the area and keep watch for you two," reminded Sasuke as he gestured to himself and Shino before pointing at Naruto and Shikamaru.

"We'll locate the target first and tail him until your signal," confirmed Ino as Hinata lightly nodded.

Sasuke began walking forward and up the steps to the large building before being stopped by another individual donning dark clothes as well as a headband with the Mist symbol.

"Hello….?" Spoke Sasuke with a rather unsure voice as he slowly extended his hand forward.

"You know the drill….sophisticated party with famous individuals….gotta make sure you guys aren't armed to the teeth," muttered the Mist operative as he ignored Sasuke's hand and patted him down.

"Watch your hands," grumbled Ino as two other operatives appeared at her side and checked her as well.

One of the operatives narrowed their eyes as they patted Sasuke down and felt a rather unusual shape one Sasuke. After a moment, the operative removed a rather dull looking dagger that seemed rather worn and blunt.

"….Any particular reason you were carrying this?" Asked the operative rather suspiciously.

"Merely a memento of my late father…..something I like to carry around. Surely you could even notice that the blade is not particularly suited for any use in its current condition," responded Sasuke.

The operative examined the blade for a bit to verify Sasuke's statement before handing it off to his partner who put it in a small container and proceeded inside the building.

"Understandable…but rules are rules….you are to remain unarmed at the event. We have it secured in a separate location which you can retrieve from before you leave," explained the operative as Sasuke merely nodded.

After confirming that the group didn't have any other hidden weapons with them, the Mist operatives stepped aside and gestured for the incognito Leaf group to enter.

"Terribly sorry about all that….but I'm sure you can understand why all the precautions must be taken," smiled an individual who stepped out of the building in a rather expensive suit.

"Of course, chancellor," replied Sasuke with a smile on his face as he recognized the individual who had greeted him and his team. "I'm quite pleased that safety is at the forefront of your mind."

"Nothing less for my esteemed guests," laughed the chancellor before he took a closer look at the group in front of him. "You all arrived together? I'm surprised a group of such rising star talents are familiar with each other."

"You know what they say; it's a small world," chuckled Sasuke.

"Hah, so it is Satoshi…so it is. I look forward to doing future business with you, Sheen, and Ikumi; I've heard wonderful things about the works of those two," smiled the chancellor.

"I look forward to that day as well," smiled Sasuke as the chancellor gestured for the group to enter the building behind him.

The group moved forward in silence for a bit as they walked down a rather large corridor and arrived in front of a large set of wooden doors. Sasuke stood in front of it for several moments before exhaling and turning back to his team and checking to see if anyone nearby could overhear him.

"Are we all ready?" Murmured Sasuke as his eyes continued to dart across their surroundings.

"….Didn't think you were the type to keep family heirlooms," noted Shino as he adjusted his shades.

"I'm not….that's a random knife that I purchased and smacked around a bit to make it look old. I put a small tracking device on it….with any luck, it might lead us to the Ruyi Jingu Bang and the Rajin No Ken," explained Sasuke.

His team all nodded silently back to him to which Sasuke turned around and pushed both doors open revealing a rather large ballroom filled with individuals all chatting, dancing, or simply eating extravagant food or sampling fine wine.

"I've altered the device so that all your Leafpoints should be able to track it….everyone get into position," ordered Sasuke as he and Shino disappeared into the crowd to survey the area.

Naruto and Shikamaru nodded at each other before they both strolled off to the side towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

"C'mon….we've got a deserter to locate," murmured Ino as she grabbed Hinata's hand and headed towards the second floor as well.


"So what exactly are we looking for?" Asked Naruto as he gazed around wildly.

"Someplace that we probably aren't supposed to be….will you stop making yourself look so suspicious," growled Shikamaru as he noticed Naruto's frantic look.

"I'm still not exactly sure what it is that we're looking for," muttered Naruto as he stopped rapidly looking around the room.

"Let's just get to the top so we can overlook the lower floor….we can probably see the room layout much more clearly from above," explained Shikamaru.

"….Ah….does the architectural design of this floor interest you?" Asked a nearby individual with a monocle as he overheard the latter half of the conversation.

"Uh….yeah sure…let's go with that," replied Naruto as he panicked a bit and quickly looked at the floor.

"Ah well then….I happen to be an expert on this….it might interest you to know that…..," began the individual.

Shikamaru could not help but groan at what Naruto's stupidity had just dragged them into.

Dear god….I sure hope we aren't needed soon….


"So how should we go about this?" Asked Shino as he and Sasuke slowly made their way through the dense crowd.

"Let's see if we can't spot out some of the guards or surrounding walking patterns…we need to figure out quick escape routes or anything in similar vein if we have to bail," replied Sasuke.

"I imagine they will probably be patrolling or surveying the area from the edges…it is in their best interest to maximizer their field of vision," suggested Shino.

"Possibly….but it is also in their best interest to remain inconspicuous so that individuals cannot easily discern their formation," reminded Sasuke as he continued to gaze around.

"Do you suppose the operatives inside have hidden their academy insignia? I'm having trouble spotting out individuals that bear anything similar to the guards at the front," murmured Shino.

"If that is the case…perhaps some information can be acquired from our surroundings," sighed Sasuke as he closed his eyes to focus for a moment.

"….What exactly does that entail?" Asked Shino as he raised an eyebrow at Sasuke.

Sasuke exhaled several times before he opened his eyes once more and put on a rather charming smile before approaching a nearby attendant of the party.

"Greetings, I'm heir to Ueno Charge, Satoshi," greeted Sasuke with a smile as he offered his hand.

"Ah, I've heard of that name…..I suppose you've just arrived?" Inquired the female as she returned Sasuke's smile and shook his hand.

It's going to be a long night….


"Do…do we h-have a p-p-picture of h-him?" Murmured Hinata as she followed Ino.

"Yeah…it should be on your Leafpoint…..try and control your stuttering Hiroka….it draws unnecessary attention," stated Ino offhandedly as she gazed around.

"S-sorry," stuttered Hinata as her cheeks flushed pink.

"I know it's uncomfortable to be in places such as this…but we have a job to do," replied Ino. "Let's try and get somewhere higher….we can see more people from a better vantage point."

With that, Ino dragged Hinata up a set of spiral staircases as they headed to the second floor. As the two arrived on the second floor, they took quick glances to their surroundings before walking over to a balcony that overlooked the ballroom they just ascended from. They gazed around rapidly across the lower floor in hopes of being able to spot Aoi within the crowd of aristocrats.

"What're two young, beautiful, ladies such as yourselves, doing alone at such a grand party?" Asked a rather smooth voice from behind.

"Oh nothing…we're just here to…," trailed off Ino as she turned around and her eyes widened a bit at who appeared before them.

Hinata continued to gaze at the ground for a bit before being a bit confused at Ino's sudden silence. She slowly brought her eyes back up and came face to face with an exact copy of the picture that was recently put on her Leafpoint.

"H-Hi there…..I'm Harada Hiroka," greeted Hinata as she did her best to control her stutter.

"Greetings…I'm Yamazaki Ikumi," followed Ino.

"Well hello…I'm Rokushou Aoi," smiled the individual as he offered his hand forward.


"It was a pleasure getting to know you," smiled Sasuke as he gestured goodbye to the most recent acquaintance.

"The pleasure was all mine Satoshi," laughed the girl as she turned to mingle with another guest. "Perhaps we shall meet again."

"I sure hope not," muttered Sasuke as soon as she was out of earshot.

"How did that one go? Fun?" Asked Shino with a rather amused look about his face.

"No…but I think I got it….we might see something in the southwest wing," revealed Sasuke as he nodded in said direction.

"Oh yes…my bugs have already confirmed the existence of small patrol groups originating from that region," responded Shino.

"…..Go fuck yourself," growled Sasuke as he grit his teeth at this revelation before his device vibrated a bit.

Sasuke looked down at his device and noticed that his tracking device had suddenly stopped moving and was situated in the far northeast of the building.

"Okay…the item has been deposited somewhere…hopefully in a safe room that is relatively close any other valuables that individuals are carrying. Start tracking it…..we'll update you about security positions in a few moments," whispered Sasuke as he lifted the device up to his hand.

Sasuke waited for a moment for confirmation on the other end before he heard rather quiet swearing and rustling before Shikamaru's voice finally sounded over the transmission.

"Naruto is a fucking idiot…..alright, orders confirmed," murmured Shikamaru.

"…We..um…we've found Aoi….he's conversing with Hinata right now," whispered Ino as she jumped into the conversation.

"Don't execute the second part just yet….we don't want a chance for someone to discover the body….see if you can't hold his attention for longer. The other two will notify you to try and drag him away when they confirm that they have a lock on the Ruyi Jingu Bang at least," ordered Sasuke quietly as he gazed around to make sure that nobody had heard him.

Sasuke and Shino strolled towards the alleged security area for a moment before they reached an entrance to a hallway that two operatives stood in front of.

"Sorry, this area is off limits," stated on of the operatives as he lifted one hand to halt Sasuke.

Sasuke merely nodded his head before gesturing a silent apology with his hand before walking back and straying off to the side with Shino.

"This is too close to the event for us to silent dispatch these individuals…do you think you can sneak your insects back and forth to get a glimpse at what the security setup is like?" Whispered Sasuke.

Shino merely nodded as he lifted one hand up and a single bug flew out before moving in the direction of the hallway and flying overhead of the two operatives.


Naruto and Shikamaru walked along the corridor for a few moments as the pockets of guests became sparser as they reached an area that was away from the main attractions.

"Should be around here," muttered Shikamaru as he followed the tracking relay on his Leafpoint.

"Hi there," greeted Naruto rather loudly as he slapped Shikamaru's hand down to hide the Leafpoint.

"Sorry, this area is off limits," muttered the guard rather lazily as he leaned against the wall.

"Is that so? What's behind it?" Inquired Naruto as he tried to hold the guard's attention.

Shikamaru instantly caught on as he backed up a bit to walk around the corner and away from the guard's field of vision. He then put his hands together and focused for a moment before he became completely black, save for pure white eyes, and then stepped into the walls and maneuvered around the corner to reappear behind the guard.

"Nothing to worry abo-ACK," coughed out the guard as Shikamaru appeared behind him and held him tightly in a chokehold.

The guard struggled for a moment before his eyes slowly closed as he lost consciousness. Shikamaru looked around for a bit to make sure there weren't any witnesses before he quickly took out some rope and bound the arms and legs of the guard before also tying another around his mouth to restrict speech.

"Let's hide him along the way…..don't want to be compromised," explained Shikamaru as Naruto merely nodded.

"You're next few hallway turns should be empty….careful though, you might come against a patrol group of 2 at the bottom of the stairs," warned Shino over the Leafpoint.

"Hurry it up! Aoi isn't particularly interested in me…and Hinata isn't doing a particularly good job of avoiding his advances….she's going to panic soon," came Ino's rather desperate voice.

"C'mon," nodded Shikamaru as he looked at Naruto. "We're on the clock here…let's not fuck this up."

Naruto merely nodded as he hoisted the guard over his shoulder and the two quickly went back to following the tracking relay.


"So….you said you were the heiress to the Harada fortune?" Inquired Aoi as he gazed into Hinata's rather strange white eyes.

"Y-yes….we hail from the frozen north of Vanskor at the edge of Lightning country," answered Hinata.

"Interesting…interesting….it's strange as you have rather white eyes….much like a clan I've seen before….in Fire Country," muttered Aoi as his eyes narrowed.

"I-i-is that so?" Stuttered Hinata as she trailed off.


Chronicles of Thirteen

War is raged all the time between sides who wish to prove themselves right. However, war doesn't determine who is correct…merely who is left standing. All these claims of good…evil….correct….wrong….all of it makes no sense to me. All the higher ups in the political world want us to put all the small pictures together so we can see the big picture. Even though I can probably imagine the big picture…..it sure is hard to see it when it's behind a pile of corpses.

Shikamaru


TBC

Whew…long time coming…I got no excuses to be honest; I just don't have that great of a work ethic…hahaha…I sure hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!