Oh my gosh! After 70 days, AKA, 10 weeks, I FINALLY update. I am soooo sorry to all my readers who have been waiting for this. Really I am. This is the worst I've ever done. Hopefully now the holidays are over updates will be faster. Please, please forgive me! -Gets down on knees- I'm sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyy! T-T You all have permission to belt me with rotten tomatoes. I'll introduce the newest member to make up for it, I promise!

Last time (since you've probably all forgotten): Sakura and her team defeated Sakon and found Tayuya's father dead. They headed towards the exit and Tayuya's family…

Sound's Gate: Shadows of Fire

Chapter 9

The Aftermath and a full team – Missions galore!

They all took a deep breath of fresh air. It had never tasted so sweet, but after the gore and grunge of the cellars it was like Heaven. Only one thing took away the joys of being outside for Sakura. Tayuya's father. Sasuke carried his body with ease, but the pink-haired kunoichi was not looking forward to what Tayuya would say. Grimacing, she headed for the centre of the courtyard, where she could see a shock of pink hair.

"Sasuke, stay behind the others until I've had a chance to explain." She murmured.

Sasuke gave a grunt of acknowledgement and allowed Naruto, Hinata and Tenten to overtake him. Sakura straightened up and went into 'professional mode'. If Tayuya wanted to hurl abuse then she would have to take it. It came with the job.

"Sakura!" The fellow pink-head screeched, racing up to the group. "What happened to Sakon? Did you kill him? Is he gone? What of my father? How is he?"

Sakura held a hand up, stopping the flow of questions.

"Sakon is dead." She began. "I killed him with my sword. He won't be getting back up again. As for your father…" She gulped and gestured towards the group.

The ninjas parted so Sasuke was in Tayuya's direct view. Her father lay in his arms, limp and pale but no longer bleeding. Sakura had done her best to heal him a little so he didn't look so bad when they presented him to the family. Despite her best efforts, there was still a bite mark in his side and she had been unable to make his arm grow back. However, the gash in his chest had been healed and they had washed his face and hands with water, cleaning him slightly, though they hadn't wanted to dishonour him by changing his clothes, which were still covered in blood.

"Daddy?" Tayuya whispered, reaching out and stroking the man's pale, thin face.

She choked out a sob, hand coming up to cover her mouth. A single tear rolled softly down her cheek as she turned to Sakura. Said girl just watched her, a look of sorrow and understanding on her face.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I know how it feels but there was nothing I could do. He was dead when we got there."

"How?" Tayuya asked. "How could you possibly understand?" To Sakura's look of confusion.

"My…guardian…was like a father to me. No. He was my father, more so than my real father anyway. He was killed by my own half-brother. Believe me, I understand more than you realise." She answered.

After a moment of silence, both girls became business-like, determined to shake off the bad mood and be strong. Tayuya took out her purse and handed the kunoichi some notes.

"Your payment." She stated. "After all, your mission was to free the keep and kill Sakon. You tried your best and I'm sure you saved some lives so…as promised." She gave the team a nod.

"What will happen to the keep?" Sakura enquired.

"I…don't know." Came the reluctant answer. "See, Sakon claimed I was promised to him, but I was really promised to another man. He's called Isaea Roenal, so, at a guess, I inherit the keep, but he takes over it, as I'm to marry him."

"You're not happy with this arrangement?" Sasuke chipped in.

"Not really, no." Tayuya informed. "I don't love this guy, but as long as there is no guardian to run the keep…"

"So get a guardian." Naruto shrugged.

"It's not that simple I'm afraid."

"It never is." Tenten sighed.

"The guardian has to be strong, able to defend this place. They have to be responsible to take care of the residents. They have to be clever too, to handle the taxes and the running of the place, not to mention the quarrels of the people who live in this land. Oh, and they have to be likeable, otherwise the people will revolt and they have to be able to think on their feet, as people are always trying to take the keep through law and stuff. Finally, they have to be honest and trustworthy, otherwise, what's the point?" Tayuya ticked off each thing on her fingers.

"Those are difficult qualities to find in a person." Hinata piped in.

"I know." The young girl sighed. "And Isaea will be here any minute. I just haven't the time to find someone, especially not with such short notice. Besides, who do I know with all those qualities? Isaea certainly doesn't fit in, but I don't know anyone who does."

Sakura shook her head. This certainly was a dilemma. They couldn't just leave this to happen and not do something! Naruto spoke up before she had a chance though.

"Why not Sakura-chan?" Everyone turned to look at him.

"What? She could do it. She's strong enough, she took down Sakon by herself! She's responsible and sensible, she leads us as a team and always handles situations well, no matter how weird. She's clever, think of all the plans she's come up with today alone! Plus she's a medic ninja, you have to be really smart to become one of them. She's good at solving all kinds of quarrels, and in a fair way too. She's likeable! Friendly and helpful and kind. Little kids love her too. She thinks on her feet all the time as people try to catch her in law traps an awful lot, and you can't get much more trustworthy and honest than her! Sakura-chan's just perfect. She fits all the qualities!"

"I can't do it Naruto, I'm off travelling too much." Sakura tried to defend herself. She couldn't do this job, she'd never run a keep before. She was a ninja after all, not a housekeeper!

"Actually, I think Naruto has a point." Tayuya said, much to Sakura's dismay. "You've proven yourself worthy by far, and you're right here. I can always send a messenger to find you if we have a problem." She tapped her finger on her bottom lip, then smiled and grasped Sakura's hands. "Oh please agree to it!" She begged. "You'd be a much better leader than Isaea, and you can get money out of it. Think of all the people you'd be helping, and you get some of the taxes, which I'm sure would help with your adventure! Please, I really need your help." Sakura just couldn't deny someone who asked her for help.

"Well, okay then…Just temporarily, until you find someone permanent."

"Thank you!" Tayuya hugged her tightly. "You don't know how much this means to me."

She rushed into the keep and came running out a few minutes later, with a scroll and pen in hand. It turned out to be a contract, saying Sakura was the official guardian of the keep and took full responsibility for it. The kunoichi signed all the pieces of paper given to her, and handed them back, just as some men swept into the courtyard. One was tall, wearing fine silk robes in rich blues and greens. He wore a blue hat with green on it over his neat brown hair. His face was pinched, as though he'd just eaten a lemon, and he seemed to be looking down his nose at everyone. His grey eyes were cold, and his white, flat teeth were bared in a grimace that was supposed to be a smile. According to Tayuya, this was Isaea Roenal. Isaea marched over to them with an air of smugness.

"Hello my dear." He called sickeningly, bowing low and kissing Tayuya's hand. "Hanging around with commoners again are we?" His voice was smooth, but laced with sarcasm and disapproval as he glared at Sakura and her team. "You know they really aren't worthy of your attention." He turned away from them all, surveying his surroundings.

Sakura's blood began to boil, but she held her temper in check. She was determined to win this silent mind battle they were about to have. No way would she have her friends treated like dirt.

"These are the people who stopped Sakon and saved the keep." Tayuya was icily telling Isaea. "You would do well to treat them with more respect. Especially as one is now guardian of this keep."

That got a reaction. Isaea whirled around.

"Who?" He demanded. Sakura stepped forward, smiling sweetly.

"Me my lord." She simpered, curtseying. She made the gesture as insulting as possible.

"But I'm married to the sole heiress I'm afraid, my friend." He 'smiled', bowing back, equally as insulting.

"Betrothed actually, if his lordship doesn't mind my correction." She smiled back, being infuriatingly polite.

"Betrothed." He corrected himself, waving his hand carelessly.

"As you are only betrothed, his lordship has no real hold of the keep, so ownership went straight to Lady Tayuya. She did not wish to burden herself down at so young an age, so she passed ownership to me. Unfortunately, the paperwork has all been completed. His lordship is a little too late." She held out her hand in subtle sarcasm.

He did not accept, choosing merely to glare at her. She shrugged and daintily returned her hand to her side, giving him her sweetest smile the whole time.

"I'm sure you are very busy my lord. No need to waste any more time here. We will handle everything and take care of the repairs. Do feel free to visit any time, won't you? Guards. Would you be so kind as to escort his lordship off the premises? We really need to begin repairing this place, and Lord Isaea need not sully himself by joining in or spending his valuable time with us commoners."

At this, two guards took Isaea to the drawbridge. He left, but not before glaring at Sakura, which was really the only thing he could do in retaliation. She had truly and completely beaten him. She turned her attention to Tayuya, who was giggling uncontrollably. After hearty congratulations from the girl, they both began giving instructions to the nearby servants, who had returned to the keep now it was safe. Once preparations for repairs were under way, the group headed back towards Konoha, asking Tayuya to keep an eye on things for them. She promised she would, and after the ninjas had crossed the drawbridge, Sakura instructed them to prevent further intrusion by raising the bridge. This would speed up repairs because no one would be able to disturb them from their work. Satisfied, the group left, on their way to Konoha's bridge district.

After 8 hours of solid travelling, a familiar set of gates appeared on the horizon. Tenten stretch slightly. All this travelling was making her sleepy and she could really use a nice rest. Sakura was thinking the same, and the moment they set foot inside the bridge district she spoke up.

"Why don't we go to the Five Flagons Inn? Their rooms are decent and they're supposed to have a theatre in the cellar. We could watch a play and then get some sleep. I think we all deserve it, besides, it's starting to get dark." She gestured to the sky, which was slowly deepening in colour.

"I think that's a good idea. We could all do with a bit of relaxation, and a play is just the thing." Tenten smirked. The pink-haired kunoichi and she thought alike.

"Aww, I hate plays. They bore me to tears!" Naruto whined.

"It might be fun Naruto-kun. It could be a comedy. Or if it gets too boring we can always spar." Hinata soothed.

"Thanks Hinata-chan!" The blonde gave her a grin, flashing his pearly white fangs.

"Do you agree Sasuke?" Sakura was asking the Uchiha.

He shrugged in response and hn'd. Taking that to mean yes, she led the way to the large pub.

It was a great deal cleaner than the Copper Coronet had been, but this wasn't the slums, so that was to be expected. Despite this, the Five Flagons Inn was the second worst pub in Konoha, not that this bothered the team. At least it didn't stink like the other pub had. They all bought a soft drink each (They never drank alcohol. It stopped them thinking straight, a dangerous thing when you have an Ita-spawn with you) and headed down the stairs towards the cellar.

"You'd think we'd be sick of cellars after Tayuya's keep." Naruto grumbled slightly.

Sakura ignored him, paying for 5 tickets at the desk at the bottom of the stairs. The play wasn't one she'd heard of, but never mind. It might be good. Taking a seat on one of the long wooden benches, she watched the stage. Sasuke sat next to her, and Naruto flopped down on her other side. Hinata daintily perched next to him, while Tenten primly sat beside the Uchiha. After a few minutes of awkward fidgeting, the curtains rose and the actors came on stage. All was silent in the audience.

"Fair lady!" Cried a man to the right of the stage. "Thou shalt be-est my…my…" He faltered and glanced nervously towards the sidelines, where no doubt ushers were standing. "My…" he continued uneasily.

"My love throughout the test of time, whereupon I love thee as the sea loves the shore, washing up the beach and most gently lapping the edges of the land." Someone whispered loudly from the side.

Sakura shifted in her seat. This play was not looking promising. The man on stage tried his line again.

"My love throughout the…beach…whereupon…the time…most gently…washing up…the shore of the land." He murmured hopelessly.

The play went on in this manner for a few more moments, until one of the actresses stormed off in a huff.

"I can't work with such incompetence!" Came her shriek.

The curtains quickly fell and everyone left, on their way to the desk to no doubt reclaim their money. Naruto began to follow, but Sakura grabbed the back of his collar and held him firm. Once the room had completely emptied, she released him and walked towards the stage. Shrugging, the others followed. Pushing aside the curtain, the small group entered, just in time to see the actors and actresses angrily shouting at someone Sakura presumed was the manager.

"We cannot work like this!" One woman screeched.

"He is too new to work with us!" The next called out in turn.

"If you weren't so lazy and found someone to rescue Tensei(1) none of this would have happened!

"Who needs rescuing?" Sakura chimed in.

"Who are you?" The manager wearily asked.

"Someone willing to help." Came the reply.

"In that case, Tensei is our lead male character. He's a bard, sings, dances and performs. A few days ago he went into the sewers to have a look for something, I don't know what. Anyway, he hasn't come back yet and I have no idea what happened to him. We can't perform properly without the lead role, as you no doubt saw."

"Where's the entrance to the sewers?" She inquired.

"It's meant to be in the Temple district." He replied.

Sakura gave a curt nod, then turned on her heel and whisked her team out of the inn. No one bothered to ask where she was taking them, they all knew full well what she was going to do. 10 minutes later Sakura and Tenten were yanking and grunting and pulling at a heavy grate in the ground of the Temple district.

"Sakura-chan I'm tired." Naruto yawned, stretching. "Can't we do this tomorrow?"

Sakura paused and stood. Everyone held their breath as the kunoichi turned and froze Naruto in place with a cold glare.

"I already lost one person today." She hissed. "I refuse to lose another. I will not risk wasting time. If you're tired go back to the inn and rest. We will return when we have saved Tensei."

The poor blonde shuffled uncomfortably, so a pale-eyed girl decided to rescue him.

"Gomen nasaii, Sakura-san. He's just tired, I'm sure he'll be alright in a minute when the adrenaline kicks in." Hinata said.

Sakura glared for a minute more, but her face and eyes softened and gave Naruto an apologetic smile before returning to the grate. After a few moments (and a little chakra induced strength from someone with pink-hair) the grate slid back into place, no one having seen the 5 ninjas slip into the depths of the sewer below.

Sakura allowed her team mates a little time, so their eyes could adjust to the darkness. This was something she had grown accustomed to during her time hunting for Gaara, so she spent the time scouting ahead before trotting back to the group.

"We have 3 choices." She said solemnly. "Go right, go straight or go left. All are riddled with danger and I can't see which will lead us to Tensei."

Hinata tried to use her Byakugan but was unable to see said man anywhere.

'He's being hidden.' Sakura thought to herself. At Hinata's recommendation, they went straight. To the left would just take them miles around the sewer, to the right would lead them to a large party, far too large for a mere 5 ninjas to deal with apparently, while straight would lead them to a Rakshasa and a small army of Kobold Commandos. Although the Rakshasa would pose some sort of problem, it would be easier to take him on, rather than the other party. It took only two minutes for the corridor to end. They were in a small round room that Hinata confirmed was the centre of this section of sewer. The Rakshasa was stood in the centre of the room, his mini army around him.

Rakshasas were evil spirits that appeared in human shape, often with animal parts, so they looked like a mix 'n' match cocktail in animal shape. They had a taste for human meat and often used illusions to catch their prey. They were also well known mages, meaning they could perform jutsus.

The kobold commandos were less formidable thankfully. They were dog-like, but stood on two legs, like a human. Some were mages, others used long range weapons, such as kunai and senbon. They often attacked in large groups, but even the elite, such as these commandos, were weak and easy pickings for all but the weakest of fighters. And we're talking weak, as in fall over when you throw a kunai too hard, weak.

Sakura and Naruto wasted no time in getting down to business. They heaved their way through the kobolds, calmly slicing a head off here and stabbing a chest there. They headed for the main threat, the Rakshasa, leaving Tenten to pull out her scroll and deal with the rest of the little kobold bastards. Sasuke also got stuck in, throwing small fireballs everywhere, not wanting to waste a great deal of energy on such weak opponents. Hinata put in her worth as well, using gentle fist on any kobolds that got too close to the long range fighters. In no time at all the whole lot of the kobolds were dead, and Sakura took great delight in cleaving the dangerous Rakshasa in two.

The emerald eyed beauty wiped a smudge of blood off her face, looking to Hinata as to where they should head next. Said girl pointed down the North West corridor.

"There's someone down there. He's being attacked."

"By what?" Sasuke inquired swiping a drip of blood from his hand.

"It…it looks like…a corpse?" Hinata sounded disbelieving, but Sakura swore.

"Ah shit! I really hate zombies." She grumbled. "They stink really bad. Of rot and decay. Yeuch!"

Despite her protesting they left down the corridor indicated, walking as silently as they could. A clanging sound could be heard resonating up ahead, and just as Sakura had said, the stench of death and decay hit them all hard. Haruno was practically reeling from the smell. She covered her nose with her sleeve and fell against the wall. Her Ita-nose was particularly sensitive to this sort of thing and it left her head spinning, her eyes watering and her lungs burning for clean air.

"Stay here, I'll go on ahead. I'm more immune to this sort of thing." Tenten whispered.

Sakura didn't dare waste time in arguing, the person ahead could need help, so she merely nodded and Tenten continued alone. It did not take long for her to reach the end of the short corridor, but she remained in the shadows, gauging the situation. The man seemed to be doing okay on his own, but the zombie was an insistent one, obviously hell bent on eating flesh. It was no doubt coming to the end of its life span, as zombies (although dead) could only go for a certain amount of time before needing to feed. If they did not, the tortured soul possessing the body would be yanked from the corpse it was residing in, and the zombie would cease to be undead, merely dead. This one was clearly desperate to remain in this world. Tenten decided to put it out of its misery and silently drew a kunai. There was no point in poisoning it, most corpses were already wrought with disease anyway, so poison had no effect.

She waited for the right moment to attack, then threw the weapon with pinpoint accuracy, catching her mark perfectly, the kunai lodging itself firmly in the creature's right temple, the weakest spot. Brain damaged, the zombie fell to the ground, twitched and then fell still. A small crying was heard, and then the body crumbled to nothing, no longer inhabited by whatever soul had used it. Tenten remained hidden for a little longer, unsure whether this man was friend or foe.

The stranger stood up, brushed himself off and re-tied his long brown hair into a low ponytail. He turned and looked around, his eyes exactly the same as Hinata's.

"Come out." He called, his eyes narrowing and his body tensing.

His voice was low and smooth, even and calm but with a hint of suspicion and alertness. This man was clearly ready to fight more if necessary. Tenten saw no reason to hide any longer. There was only one of him and if needed her team wasn't far behind. They'd have her back at a moment's notice should she require it, not that it would be needed, she could take this guy on. She wasn't some weakling after all. The girl stepped out of the shadows and gave a shallow bow. The man seemed quite calm, his neutral face not showing even the slightest hint of surprise.

"You're a girl."

Tenten felt a very Sakura-like annoyance spring in her mind. She straightened slightly, rather offended.

"A girl who just saved your butt." She cut back, her tone polite, but revealing that she would not stand such nonsense.

The brown haired male considered her for a second before holding his hand out politely.

"Neji, arigatou for your assistance." He gave his own shallow bow.

Tenten eyed him warily. He was obviously of the upper class. His tone, stance and aura in general just screamed that he had been well groomed, trained and taught in polite mannerisms of the highest order. Making a decision she grasped his hand in a firm handshake.

"Tenten, no problem."

He inclined his head slightly.

"Why are you down here?"

His tone was still even and light, but it was dripping with hidden suspicion and power.

"I'm with my team. We're here to help someone other than yourself." Tenten had no problems pulling off the same trick, though not quite as well as this Neji.

"I see no one else." He looked past her.

"Yeah well, the stench of that bastard that just turned to dust was a bit overpowering for our lovely leader." She glared at the floor where the zombie had been.

Neji raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. Tenten sighed.

"So, just who are you and why are you down here?"

Her tone offended him, she was sure, but nonetheless, he answered her.

"I'm a member of the Konoha Shinobi. I'm here on a rescue mission."

"You too huh? Sasuke's going for that thing too. Don't see the attraction myself but, there you go." She shrugged.

"I'm not going for it, I'm a full fledged member."

"So I should call you Neji-sama then? Don't get you're hopes up." The girl was unconcerned. "We don't do special honours in our group. The best you might get is Neji-kun." Then she turned back to the corridor. "You guys, come on. The damn thing's gone now. You might want to interview this guy."

Naruto came first, Hinata at his side, then Sasuke, who was looking very grumpy as he supported a rather green looking Sakura.

"It still smells. I've been sick twice." She mumbled apologetically.

Tenten gave her a soft smile and rubbed her back soothingly. Sasuke gave a disgruntled snort, but was ignored.

"This is Neji." She introduced. Sakura gave him a tired grin.

"Gomen about this. I'm not usually in such a state when I meet new people." She straightened up, seemingly no worse for the wear and much to Sasuke's relief, stopped leaning on him for support.

Her face began to return to its normal colour, and she gave a small bow. Her eyebrows rose in surprise when she heard he was a member of the Konoha Shinobi, and her eyes travelled to the dark haired boy beside her, gauging his reaction. Cool as usual. She sighed.

"Why are you all down here?" Neji asked, once again suspicious. "Why is it you have a member in training with you?"

"I can only tell you if you agree to join the group."

"What is your ultimate goal?"

Sakura filled him in on the details, leaving out only her friend's names. She told him hers and what she was, levelling with him right from the start. His reaction was similar to what Sasuke's had been, as he considered her offer. His eyes flicked to said Uchiha, contemplating his answer.

"I will join your cause. If only to keep an eye on you and see this lad through his training."

Sasuke snorted. "Lad? You're only about a year older than me. Don't patronise me so."

Neji's eyes narrowed. The Ita-spawn was already beginning to corrupt this guy. Neji would have to set him back on the path of righteousness. Sakura clapped her hands cheerily.

"Perfect." She chirruped. "We finally have a nice full team of 6 ninjas and the door to boot."

"Door?" Naruto had been unusually quiet and was rather confused by now about what Sakura was talking about.

"Hinata said she couldn't see Tensei with her Byakugan right? Well, that means he's hidden, most likely in a non-detectable room, and I think that's the door behind you."

Neji turned and found his new team mate to be right. There was the door she spoke of. Funny though, he had to activate his own Byakugan (a common bloodline) to see it. The pink haired girl had no bloodline as far as he could tell, but none of the others were concerned, so he let it slide.

"You were seeking Tensei also?" He asked.

"Yeah, his manager requested we do it as no one else would. Would have done it earlier, but we were a tad busy helping out someone else." Naruto replied, watching as his friends opened the door he couldn't see.

"That's the mission I was assigned to. Rather lucky for us I do believe." Neji said, more to himself than Naruto, as the loudmouth was not really listening.

Just as the door was opened, an imp came flying out. It stopped when it saw them, glanced around and then went straight for Hinata's throat. She was normally gentle, but not when being attacked, and sealed off its vital points in a heartbeat. The imp died immediately, and she found a broken mirror in its grasp. She picked it up and slipped it into the bag on her back. Problem solved, they all headed into the room.

Sakura took the corridor to the left, and the others followed, not really doubting her judgement, except Neji. He didn't know why they were not curious as to where she was taking them, but remained silent, choosing to ponder such things in his own mind. The pink haired leader took them to a kitchen, where a tall, thin man stood, watching the stove. He turned as he heard the group come in.

"Who are you who dare enter the home of Mekrath?!" He demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

"Haruno Sakura." She stepped forward confidently, completely unafraid of the person before her. He wasn't so tough, she could tell.

"Such insolence! You defile my home with your presence and give me not one shred of respect. Give me one reason why I should not tear you and your pathetic friends to pieces. Speak! Or I shall be forced to kill you all!"

Neji would have made himself more polite when dealing with this man had he been in charge, his year as a Konoha Shinobi had given him some experience of this, but Sakura had no such experience and would no doubt get them all in a great deal of trouble. He glanced around. None of her team seemed concerned though…

"We defile your home? We are here from pure coincidence I assure you. We were unaware that anyone could live in sewers such as these."

Neji could have slapped his forehead. They were all doomed, but Sakura was not finished.

"However, now that you mention it, I suppose this is a marvellous place to conduct the darker jutsus?"

Great, just great. Make it obvious that you know he's evil why don't you?

"I should kill you for such remarks." The man vanished and reappeared in front of the kunoichi, who seemed to be more amused than threatened. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as Mekrath held a dagger to her throat. He withdrew it quickly though, a smirk touching his lips. "As it is, I find you quite spunky and possibly of help to me. You are clearly brave, not easily scared off. Perhaps you could retrieve something for me?"

Neji was shocked. This evil man was suggesting a deal, and Sakura seemed intent on taking it.

"My pet imp slipped its leash a few moments ago and stole a mirror."

"Say no more." The kunoichi held up one hand. "We caught the bugger as we opened the door. Hinata?"

The pale eyed girl pulled out the broken mirror and handed it to Mekrath. His eyes glittered.

"Perfect. Damaged, but repairable. In gratitude I offer you my most prized species. The male is very well built, he can do any kind of work you may wish to put him through young lady." He emphasised the 'lady' and winked, handing her a key and then vanishing.

Neji opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when he saw the girl shaking.

"Disgusting." She whispered. The words tasted dirty, so she spat them out louder. "Absolutely disgusting! How could anyone sell a human being as if they were some kind of object?! If I didn't think this slave was Tensei I'd have told that Mekrath guy to shove this key right up his ass!"

Neji was surprised to say the least. Who'd have thought an Ita-spawn could have a sense of justice? After a few more choice words on Sakura's part she marched through the corridors and stopped outside a cell on the right hand side. The man inside was unhealthily thin, his face pale and drawn. His blonde hair hung limply by his face and his eyes were dull and lifeless.

"What can I do for you mistress?" He said with a blank tone.

"For a start you can stop calling me mistress. Secondly you can hush up while we get you out of here." Sakura whispered, unlocking his cell door. The group led him outside and took him to the Five Flagons Inn. He looked at them curiously, but Sakura shook her head and just smiled at him. Once she had gotten him into the theatre, she called out.

"We have brought Tensei! Come and see!"

The actors, actresses and manager all came rushing out. Tensei's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at Sakura. She merely grinned back at him.

"You didn't think I'd make you stay a slave did you?"

Tensei laughed and hugged her. "Thank you my raven!" He cried, his voice lost its toneless ness and a tropical lilt appeared.

"Do you always give nicknames to people?" Sakura enquired.

"Yes I do. Yours is raven."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. I just think it suits you." He turned away and joined his friends.

The manager came to Sakura personally and thanked her, handing her 6 free tickets for the next performance and some money. She thanked him heartily and headed upstairs. Naruto yawned and tapped her on the shoulder.

"May we please go to sleep now?" He asked hopefully.

She giggled and nodded, renting out rooms for them all.

The ninjas all began to settle down in their rooms and Naruto made his decision. He had tossed and turned in bed for a few minutes, but gave up on sleep and padded down to Hinata's room. He had seen her fight and it was now or never. Knocking on her door, more timidly than he meant to, he asked if he could come in for a moment. Hinata opened the door and let him in, closing it behind her. She watched him stand in the middle of the room for a minute, before speaking. He seemed nervous, stroking the head of Gamakichi, the small frog that was always perched on his shoulder.

"Naruto-kun? Is this something to do with that choice you told me you had to make?" She asked a little shy. She could be completely wrong, but the blonde nodded, confirming her suspicion.

"I've been thinking about it for a long time now Hinata-chan. Seeing you fight was enough to make me need to ask." He gazed at her, his eyes searching her face for a hint of a reaction. "Would you be my mamoru?" He whispered.

Hinata's eyes widened, and she put her head on one side, considering his offer. It didn't take much thought before she gave him a bright smile.

"I would be honoured Naruto-kun."

He gave a chuckle, hugged her tightly and then went to the door.

"Arigatou Hina-chan!" She blushed at the new nickname. "I promise to protect you with my life. I'll fight by your side with pride and always be there should you need to call upon me." He made a small mark on her forehead with his thumb, as tradition and ritual said he should, while he made the oath.

Hinata's forehead glowed slightly, proof that the God's had approved and accepted the rite. Hinata was officially Naruto's new mamoru. The blonde moved his hand to her cheek and stroked it gently with his thumb, giving her a strangely shy smile. He thanked her once again, telling her she had no idea how much this meant to him, gave her a peck on the forehead as thanks and then left for his own room. Hinata touched her forehead gently, smiled and went to bed. Naruto was asleep not long after her.

A knock on her door drew Tenten from the bathroom. She flung it open, slightly irritated that they were interrupting her. She had just put her hair down and she hated anyone seeing her like this.

"What do you want Neji?" She snapped.

"I came to speak with you about Sakura."

"She hates it when we talk behind her back. If you have any questions, she'll be happy to answer them."

Neji pushed past her into the room. She sighed, but got the feeling he would not leave until he said what he had to say, and so closed the door and sat on her bed, continuing to brush her hair, a tedious task that she didn't much enjoy doing. He watched her for a moment and then suddenly spoke up without warning.

"Would I be allowed to visit my home?"

She dropped the brush in surprise. Of all the things she was expecting, that had not been one of them, but Neji looked deadly serious, so she picked up the brush and considered his question.

"Well, I should think so. She's not some evil woman who keeps people apart from their families, but we have one more mission before we can relax a little. We have to take down the slave trade we heard about. After that…I'm sure you'd be allowed to go. Why?"

"I have not seen my girlfriend in sometime. I wish to visit her."

Tenten looked at him from the corner of her eye as she finished brushing her hair. So he had a girlfriend? Well, she shouldn't really be surprised. With his looks, charm and obvious noble status he must be a prize catch.

"I'm sure she'll allow it once we've done what we need to do." She murmured. "May I go back to my bedtime rituals in peace now? Or was there something else?"

Neji shook his head and went to leave.

"Why ask me Neji?" She called before he left.

He glanced at her for a moment. "You're the one I'm most comfortable with." He said simply, then left.

Tenten put the brush on the bedside table and got under her sheets, feeling lonelier and sadder than ever.

"Lee." She whispered.

The next morning everyone rose bright and early (much to Naruto's dismay).

"Today we tackle the slave trade." Sakura announced to them as they gathered in her room. Her eyes flashed angrily. "Everyone here, except possibly Neji, has seen the terrible conditions these people are kept in, and we promised Hendak that we would sort this out. So let's sort it!"

They all left for the Copper Coronet, and it did not take long to get there. Sakura braced herself for the stench of beer as she flung open the door to the inn, and so was surprised when she did not smell it.

'Hendak's been at work here.' She thought smiling.

"HENDAK!" She called. Said man came out from the back and greeted them with a smile.

"Perfect timing." He laughed and pulled them into a back room which turned out to be his office. "Captain Haegan just eased up his troops in the beached ship."

"So, do you have a plan of how we can get to this ship?" She asked.

"Yep." Hendak said coolly. "You have to go through some sewers to get to the beached ship. You know the corridor leading to what used to be the pits? Well, in there are two secret doors. One's full of people getting high, that's the door on the left. The one on the right is a passage leading to the sewers. You can use that."

Naruto slapped the inn owner on the back in a friendly manner, thanking him heartily. Leaving the office, Sakura led her team to the corridor Hendak spoke of, and searched the walls for the door. Sasuke pointed it out, his sharingan blazing. Together, they heaved the stiff door open, it had obviously not been used for many a year. After a great deal of pushing and panting and heaving and wheezing the door finally creaked open and the team went inside, leaning against the walls to catch their breath. Tenten recovered first and scouted out ahead.

"There are some stairs going down. They're what'll take us to the sewer I guess."

True enough, there were stairs at the end of the passage, but they were steep and damp, with water dripping from the ceiling, worsening slowly as they went down. Despite the struggle, everyone got down safely with no casualties.

"Now, I want this over and done with quickly." Sakura told her team. "We can't be dillydallying about, as we all deserve a rest and I'm sure we don't want to be stuck here for ages."

They trudged through the long pipe, for a few minutes. These sewers were much worse than the ones in the temple district. They weren't as clean, (A.N. Can sewers be clean at all?) but they continued without complaint. Eventually, they reached some stairs that led to, what sounded like, the heart of the slave trade. No longer in the mood for caution, or niceties, Sakura slammed open the door and marched straight up to Captain Haegan.

"He's mine! Someone take out that medic, the rest of you, get the slavers!"

The battle that ensued was noisy, but didn't last very long. Neji took on the medic, sealing off his vital chakra points, while the rest took out the slavers, who didn't put up much of a fight, which disappointed Naruto greatly. Haegan wasn't much of a fighter either for a captain. Sakura dodged a left punch, a right kick and a head butt with all the grace and ease of a cat. She then delivered her own super strength blow to his stomach, leaving the captain sprawled on the floor gasping for air. In one swift movement his head lay at her feet and she marched to the other door, kicking it open with similar disregard for politeness.

Two trolls were about to devour some unwanted slaves, but were rudely interrupted by a large fireball which burned them to mere ashes, courtesy of Sasuke. Sakura went to the young slave girl who was very nearly breakfast, handed her some money, spoke a few words the others could not catch, and then sent her on her way, a big smile on the girl's face. Two more slaves were released from their cages, and sent away in a similar fashion.

Banging into the last room, Sakura had completely lost her temper. The sight of the poor slaves, who were often children of just 7 or 8, had sent her over the edge entirely. She sliced the head off every slaver in that room single handedly, and released all the slaves, giving each a little money to start their new lives with. There were no more rooms to explore, as the rest of the ship was too destroyed to use. The centre of the slave trade had been small, but dozens of slaves had been set free, and after another trip through the sewers, the ninjas found themselves back in the Copper Coronet.

Hendak grinned when he saw the thoroughly pissed off look on Sakura's face.

"Grotesque wasn't it? Well, not anymore thanks to you from the amount of blood you're covered in." He chuckled. "And I'll bet it's not yours either." He threw a bag at her, which she caught in one hand and looked at curiously.

"What's this Hendak?" She asked, examining the inside of the pouch.

"It's money. I raided Lehtinan's secret stash. I reckon you deserve it for taking down the slave trade."

"But we didn't do it for money!" She protested.

"So? Think of it as a thank you gift." Hendak waved her off. "Also, you'll get discounts whenever you come here from now on."

"But…but." Sakura spluttered. "But why? We did the public justice, we don't need such favouritism!"

"If I choose to give you discounts for doing me such an enormous favour, that is my choice. Now you will take that money and accept your discounts with good grace, or I shall be forced to give them to you for free."

Sakura's face turned pink, as her sense of morality and her politeness fought. Morality won, and she accepted his gifts with grace, thanking him a lot, and giving him a hug. He grinned and sent her on her way.

They left the district and went to the Government district at the request of Neji. Just as Tenten had said, Sakura was happy to let Neji see his girlfriend, and he led them to his home, which was nowhere near the Uchiha home, much to Sasuke's relief.

"Tsunami(2) I'm home!" The Hyuuga male called as he opened the door, and then stopped, his eyes wide in shock.

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(1) Tensei: Born (musician) Cause he's a bard!

(2) Tsunami: Wave (Like in the ocean)

Me: T-T I know. But it's 21 and a bit pages long on Microsoft word! See how sorry I am?! I wrote so much because it's so late. I hope you like it and it's the introduction of the newest team member, NEJI! Just to note, he is NOT related to Hinata.

Inner Me: You took long enough! It's been about 2 months now since you last updated!

Me: Don't remind me. -.-;

Sasuke: You should be ashamed of yourself. Leaving your readers in such a state for two months!

Me: I said I was sorry!

Sakura: But it's disgraceful!

Me: I know! I humbly prostrate myself before my readers' feet. –Kneels in front of readers- My sincerest apologies!

Sakura: -Sighs- I shouldn't really say this since you don't deserve them but…please review.