Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own both diddly and squat.

"Are we there yet?"

"I swear to Kami, Suigetsu, if you ask that one more time I'm going to take that oversized butter knife of yours and castrate you!"

"You touch my sword, Four-Eyes, and you're going to find yourself short a few limbs!"

"Jerkass!"

"Bitch!"

A tick mark formed on Envy's head as he was forced to listen to his two subordinates bicker. Several weeks had passed since recruiting the unlikely trio, and it had been going well all things considered. Envy had taken his time to brush up on his combat skills as well as learn a few new techniques, both by training with his new team (which they had dubbed Team Sin, much to his amusement), as well as going over some of the scrolls he had snagged from Orochimaru's bases when they raided them. Regardless of what people had to say about the deceased Sannin, he was a genius in the ways of jutsu and took excellent notes. The former Uzumaki was now better than his old skill set, especially since he learned an interesting fact about the Shadow Clones from Orochimaru's notes that sped up his progress considerably. His teammates had not been idle either, using their time to polish their own skills before going into enemy territory. Despite all the time they could have used to bond and put aside their petty little squabbles, they hadn't progressed on that front in the slightest.

"Compensating for something with that sword of yours?"

"Being a slut to make up for those mosquito bites you call tits?"

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"I'LL CARVE YOU UP!"

Nope, not at all.

"EITHER FUCK EACH OTHER ALREADY OR SHUT THE HELL UP!" Envy roared out, causing the two most vocal members of Team Sin to mercifully shut their mouths, though were still glaring daggers at each other. Envy sighed at the blessed silence before turning to Juugo, who was off to the side and seemed to be talking to a small bird perched on his outstretched finger. "Does your little friend there know how much further it is to Konoha, Juugo?" he asked, by now used to his tall companion's interesting ability to communicate with woodland creatures.

The bird had already flown away after sensing the homunculus approach. Juugo turned and nodded his head. "We're about half a day's travel to the village. Less if we run full speed."

Envy nodded and then signaled over to the two morons. Once Karin and Suigetsu came over, Envy got serious and said in a businesslike tone, "Do all of you remember the plan?"

"Yes," all three former prisoners responded.

Not only has the team been training and becoming a formidable fighting force, but they had also been planning on how they'd integrate themselves within the Leaf before tearing it apart from the inside. Each of the shinobi had gone over their assigned roles as well as figured out contingencies in case said plan failed. There could be no screw ups, because if their cover is blown then they'd have an army's worth of ninja on their asses. As Envy learned from dealing with the Fullmetal Pipsqueak and his allies, he should never underestimate humans, since they could even make a 200-year-old plan go to shit in an instant.

Team Sin made decent time getting to the front gates of Konoha. Upon seeing the familiar structure, a wide array of feelings went through Envy's mind other than the emotion he was created from. There were major differences from back when he was Naruto, though. For starters, the gate looked more like those you would see in a fortress or a prison with high stone walls and seals carved in to act as protective measures. While the gates used to be busy with activity from both merchants and ninja going in and out of the village, it now had the somber feeling of a tomb. Also, instead of the usual gate guards Kotetsu and Izumo, two Root ninjas stood emotionlessly by the main entrance. And, in the distance, the sin incarnate could make out a fifth face carved into the Hokage Monument, one that sent a shiver of anger and disgust through his being. It would appear that Danzo had felt no need to depict Tsunade for her brief time as Hokage, as his bandaged face was after the Fourth's instead of hers.

Envy narrowed his eyes at that and had to physically restrain himself from making a biting comment on that mummy bastard having his ugly mug among the Hokage. It was with bitter satisfaction that he thought on how it'd be worth it when it all came crashing down on Danzo's head.

"State your business," one of the Root soldiers in a monotone yet commanding voice.

"Showtime, kid," Kurama rumbled in his mind, and the reborn ninja mentally nodded in agreement.

Stepping forward from his ragtag teammates, Envy stated loud and clear, "My name is Elric. I received an official invitation from the Hokage to come to Konoha after completing some personal business."

The creepy Root twins, as he dubbed them in his mind, seemed to have a mental conversation between themselves before the one on the left disappeared in a blur of leaves. The group stood around for an awkward amount of time before the gates opened and the remaining drone directed them through. As soon as Team Sin cleared the entrance, they were greeted by the sight of a small posse of the Leaf's elite. Standing in the front of the group was Danzo, the old mummy completely decorated in the Hokage mantel like a damn Christmas tree with another two Root bodyguards at his side. One was a man with the Yamanaka platinum blonde hair while the other was clearly an Aburame due to his eye-covering headgear. Also with him was Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, Shibi Aburame, Tsume Inuzuka (whose dog partner was whining at her side thanks to Envy's presence), Hiashi Hyuuga (Envy's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch at this), and last but not least and looking as if he had better things to do than be there, was Sasuke fucking Uchiha. Besides Danzo and Sasuke, the other major leaders of the Leaf were eyeing the group with a variety of emotions on their faces and basically looking fairly uncomfortable, as if they were wanting to tell the newcomers something but couldn't for some reason. It was a look Envy was quite familiar with, Dr. Marco being just one in a long list of people who had similar looks. Though, it was a new experience seeing these looks and not being the one responsible for them.

The old shit stepped forward, his lapdogs falling behind perfectly, and gave a small bow, never taking his one good eye off of the androgynous teen. "Welcome, Elric, to the great village of Konoha. We were hoping to have had a chance to greet you sooner, but it seems that you were otherwise preoccupied." With this his eye opened slightly, his beady gaze swept over Juugo, Suigetsu, and Karin.

Envy fought the urge to run forward and dig that eye out of the old geezer's skull while putting on what he hoped to be a pleasant smile on his face as he said, "The pleasure is all mine, Lord Danzo. It's not often a lonely wanderer such as I get to meet the greatest of the Kage." Ugh, he was going to need a LOT of alcohol to wash the bullshit out of his mouth after this. He continued, "I hope you don't mind but I brought some traveling companions I had met to see the hospitality of the Hidden Leaf. With me are Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu."

Envy purposely left out any family names at the risk of his team's backstories being observed more closely—especially Karin's. Fortunately, his new associates had fairly skilled poker faces after having been forced to live with Orochimaru for so long. Nevertheless, Danzo kept his visible eye on all of them, going over them like he was looking at particularly juicy cuts of meat. Envy had been around enough corrupt politicians in his time to see that he was evaluating each of them, seeing how they could be of use to him in the future or if they were a potential threat. Finally, Danzo closed his eye into its signature position and nodded his head.

"I welcome you as well. Elric has shown himself to be a friend of the Leaf by saving the leader of our ally Suna, so it is only right we extend our courtesy to his allies as well," the war-hawk stated in an even tone.

Envy nearly snorted at that. He had to give the mummy credit, he was a master of saying what people wanted to hear. It was only through his own abilities as a master actor that he could detect the lies in every word he said. The bastard was really saying, "I'm keeping my eye on you and your friends, so don't even think you can pull one over on me." Still, while Danzo was a good actor, Envy was still better.

"I thank you, Lord Danzo, for this great opportunity," the Sin of Jealousy said smoothly. "I have heard many good things about Konoha since you began your rule, and I am looking forward to experiencing all the city has to offer first-hand."

"You sound like you've been here before," Tsume commented.

Envy turned and nodded his head. "Yes, I came here once many years ago when the Third Hokage was still ruling. I was young then, and I doubt I'd be recognizable. Many people probably don't even remember me existing." Which wasn't hard for them, considering for the majority of his human life the citizens of Konoha pretended he didn't even exist while he was there. "It should be interesting to see what all has changed."

Sasuke sent the homunculus a cocky smirk and said, "Hmph, things have definitely changed for the better since that senile old man's day. Lord Danzo has made Konoha great again, shaping it into the village it was always meant to be!"

Envy nearly blew his cover to tear the Uchiha a new one at that, but stayed his hand. After all, the more elaborate the revenge is, the sweeter it would taste once it was in motion. Losing his cool now would only succeed in losing his and his allies' heads, so he chose to distract himself by gauging the reactions of the other clan heads to see what they thought of Danzo's political maneuvering. Surprisingly enough, most of the clan heads seemed to be struggling with themselves a bit, as if they wanted to say or do something but fear of retaliation was keeping them in check. It was almost comparable to whenever he'd go to "visit" Dr. Marco back when he was their captive. The man clearly had wanted to tear him and his siblings apart, but fear for retribution on his village, kept quiet. This called for an investigation later, but for now he had to sweeten the deal in order to further integrate himself into Danzo's good graces.

"Well, that all sounds wonderful," he stated pleasantly as he unsealed a bag at his waist. Noticing the tensing of Danzo's bodyguards, Envy quickly stated, "In order to show my gratitude, I brought you this gift as a sign of goodwill."

With that, he set the bag down, and Danzo nodded to his blonde haired bodyguard to go check it out. The man crouched down and once he saw the contents of said bag, if he didn't have Root training Envy swore he'd vomit right then and there. As it was, his face was a blank mask as he turned to show the others the bag's contents. Immediately, all those present save Danzo and Sasuke gained disgusted expressions and began talking to each other in hushed whispers. Envy and his team bit back their mirth, though Suigetsu couldn't help the sharklike grin on his face. After all, showing them the severed, mutilated head of Orochimaru was the highlight of their day.

"What is this?!" Choza asked as he looked ready to vomit his several dozen meals of the day.

"It almost looks like Orochimaru," Shikaku noted, as his expression was more analytical than disgusted.

"That's because it is Orochimaru," Danzo said solemnly, causing the group to hush as he turned to Envy and addressed him. "It is, isn't it?"

The avatar of Jealousy grinned and nodded, saying, "During my fight against the Akatsuki members, I learned of a meeting set between the ninja I killed and a spy he had working for Orochimaru. Seeing as he wouldn't be able to make the appointment, I went in his place. While the spy turned out to be Kabuto Yakushi, who was actually working for Orochimaru, the snake himself showed up and we fought. The results of which you can see for yourselves."

"And what happened to Kabuto?" Danzo asked looking even more serious than he did previously if that was possible.

Envy shrugged unconcerned, "I couldn't find him after the battle, so I'm guessing he slithered out of there like the worm that he is. I doubt we'll see him again, but even if we do he's probably not much of a threat without Orochimaru here to tell him how to take a shit."

Danzo's frown deepened as he said, "Don't be too sure on that. I've seen Kabuto's progress for years and I can safely say that he's one of the best infiltrators and spies I've ever seen. While he might be directionless for now, he's resourceful and I have no doubt he'll be able to recover from this. He could even leak information that he has gathered on the Leaf to one of our enemies for a price." Turning to his other bodyguard, Danzo ordered, "I want finding Kabuto to be one of our top priorities. Send word to our agents throughout the nations that I want him found. Whether he is alive or not by the time of capture is not an issue."

The goon nodded and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. At that moment, Hiashi spoke up. "It seems that we owe you our thanks once again. Not only has Orochimaru been a blight on our village for years, but he was a true monster who needed to be put down."

At least one of the monsters are down, Envy thought darkly as he sent a glance at Danzo and Sasuke.

"How are we sure this is truly Orochimaru?" asked Shibi Aburame in a quiet, analytical voice.

"Yes, we've heard how Orochimaru has made himself all but unkillable over the years. How are we to know this is his actual body and not just a clever fake?" Hiashi added as he scanned the head with his Byakugan.

Envy shrugged in an unconcerned manner. "Doesn't make much difference to me if you believe me or not. I'm just telling you like it is. Though if you need further proof on it, I'm sure the multiple empty bases of his, which I marked on this here map, should be of a better use." With that he held up a map of the Elemental Nations showing multiple locations marked on it. What the homunculus didn't mention was that these bases were already stripped of anything of major value by his team earlier, and that he purposely left a few useful bases unmarked. Never know when you need a hideout!

With a look in his eyes that was both calculating and impressed, Danzo took the scroll with his good arm and handed it to one of his bodyguards, who was named Fu, and told him to take it to their Intelligence Division to go over later.

"It would appear we are even more indebted to you as I had thought, Elric. As a show of gratitude, I have arranged lodgings for you in one of the Leaf's finest hotels where you and your companions may spend the night. If you will excuse me, I have other matters that I must attend to." Turning to the other members of Konoha's elite, he said, "One of you should give Elric and his companions a small tour of the village before showing them to their housing. I will call for them early tomorrow. Dismissed."

With that, Danzo left with his remaining bodyguard while several of the other Leaf ninja went about their day, clearly not interested as acting as a glorified babysitter. Envy meanwhile was doing everything he could not to either vomit in disgust at having a civil conversation with that crippled mummy bastard. Another part of him wanted to scream, rip out his hair, or smash the face in of every human near him. Fortunately, a distraction came in the form of Shikaku Nara, who offered to take him and his team around the village. Immediately alarm bells went off in the sin's head, because if Shikaku was anything like his son, then playing tour guide would definitely be too "troublesome" to bother him with. Then he remembered another aspect about the Nara Clan, one that was almost as iconic to them as their laziness and use of shadow-based jutsu.

He's going to try and figure us out, he realized. This scared lazy ass is going to follow us around and pick apart our intentions like he was playing a damn chess game!

The homunculus realized that as he and his team were lead through the streets of Konoha following the Nara Clan's patriarch. Subtlety, he signaled to the others to watch what they say, and, given the light nods of their heads, they gave confirmation.

"So, Elric, if you don't mind me asking, what land you hail from? I've seen people from all around the Elemental Nations, yet I can't recall hearing an accent like yours."

Envy, having expected a question like this sooner or later, answered easily, "I'm actually originally from a small island country located far to the west of the Nations. Haven't been there in a while though, because as soon as I was old enough, I decided to go traveling to seek my fortune. The Elemental Nations seemed like the best option, so I've spent the last few years traveling and picking up some tricks to help me get by."

It was a vague but passable backstory he'd come up with to answer all but the most thorough of questions. Seemingly satisfied by his answer, Shikaku then asked his questions to his teammates who all told their own edited backstories. Karin was a traveling medic from Kusa, Suigetsu was a refugee from Kiri's civil war, and Juugo was a sage-in-training. The Nara gave nothing away, yet the former ninja could tell he was carefully analyzing each of them and their stories to see if there was any deception in them. As they went about their tour, Envy took note of the village and its people.

While it wasn't exactly like the slums of Amestris or even Wave under Gato's rule, the village had a certain oppressive air to it. Everyone wore guarded expressions and look wary as they passed, as if new faces were some kind of unspeakable sin. There was one thing for certain—this wasn't the same Konoha he grew up in. Granted, his childhood wasn't what he would call ideal or even decent, but as Naruto, he observed the people from a distance and had noticed that everyone seemed happy and carefree. The complete opposite was true now. In addition, while ninja patrolling the streets in the village was normal, there were far more Root members than regular shinobi. The two groups seemed to be avoiding each other, as well.

Eventually, the group found its way to one of the larger buildings in Konoha located a short distance from the Hokage Monument and Tower. They were given a key and led to one of the top floors. Most likely this was to eliminate any chance of one of them sneaking out unseen, as no doubt the guard around the hotel was at least double that of anywhere else in the village in order to keep a close eye on the "travelers." Not that it'll do them much good, Envy thought with a smirk on his face.

The team was allowed into their fancy hotel room that was likely doubled as their prison as well, and turned to give their guide their thanks.

"Eh, don't mention it," Shikaku shrugged lazily. "It's the least I can do for our distinguished guests. Oh, and before I forget, the village has a sundown curfew, which is in just a few minutes. Only authorized personnel are allowed out on the streets at night, so I'd recommend staying in. Most citizens are usually just given a hefty fine if they're caught, but since you're foreigners, the penalty would be much more severe. Anyway, later." With that he turned and headed out the door with a halfhearted wave of his hand.

"Nice guy," Suigetsu quipped as he went over to the mini-fridge. "Way lazy, but nice. Holy shit! 700 ryo for a friggin' drink?! What a rip-off!"

After quickly scanning the room, Karin was able to find some hidden surveillance equipment hidden in the room and added a few disrupting seals that they had stolen from one of Orochimaru's labs. If anyone was watching them now, they'd just see them acting normally and having a completely casual conversation.

"This whole place stinks," Karin commented with a huff as she sat down on the bed with her arms folded over her chest. "And I mean that both figuratively and literally. Did you see the looks of the citizens as we went through the streets? I could tell by just their faces that they know they're practically prisoners here, but are too afraid to say or do anything. It's the same look as many of the ninjas who 'agreed' to work for Orochimaru, myself included. And the chakra I can sense from that Danzo guy..." She shivered. "It just felt...wrong."

"'Wrong' how?" Suigetsu asked as he plopped down on the couch and tore the cap off of a beer bottle with his teeth.

Instead of snapping at Suigetsu, which in and of itself proved something was truly bothering her, Karin gained a thoughtful look and said, "That's the thing. I couldn't quite tell what it was. At first, his chakra seems just like everyone else's, but when I probed him further, it felt like there was something hidden under the surface. Like a genjutsu was over him or a part of him was sealed away or something. And most of the people in the village's chakra felt off as well, but that just might be because of how oppressive this whole shithole is."

"It's not just you," Juugo murmured quietly from his place by the window. "I could hear the animals around here. They feel something is off from this village as well. Like a poison miasma laying across the land and its people."

Envy hummed as he swung a chair around and sat down, ignoring how it creaked under his weight. "Well, I can't deny that this place has definitely gone downhill since I was last here, but considering how low it was to begin with, that's quite the feat. Of course, the whole way Danzo went from being some no-name black ops specialist to Hokage and then nearly the freaking emperor of the entire Elemental Nations in just a few short years is more than fishy in its own right. When I first came back, I had just planned on tearing this place apart from the inside out, but if there is a conspiracy afoot here, all we need to do is find it, expose it, then stand back and watch the fireworks!" He then leaned back with a sadistic grin on his face. "And when the dust settles, Danzo, the Uchiha, and anyone else who wronged me will find a knife in their backs as they stare at the ruins of the empire they had built for themselves." With that, he tilted his head back and gave a mad cackle as both Karin and Suigetsu gained malicious grins.

Juugo, however, was focusing on something he saw on the table near the door. "Was that scroll there when we walked in?" he asked, pointing.

That caused the trio to pause in their mirth and look to see that there was in fact a rolled up scroll placed innocently on the table in a way that it was noticeable but didn't bring attention to itself.

Suigetsu spoke up first. "You think it's a trap? That we've already been found out?" He placed a hand on the hilt of his sword and began scanning the room as if expecting ninja to start pouring out of every crack and crevice. Cautiously, Envy walked over to the scroll and examined it, finding no seals on it and no obvious booby traps.

What do you think, Kurama? he thought.

"I detect no hidden chakra or malicious intent from the scroll. It's clean," the Tailed Beast responded.

Without further ado, Envy opened the scroll and found it was a simple letter. When he read the contents, his eyes widened upon each word. The other members of his team looked over his shoulder to read what got their leader's attention. The scroll read:

Elric, if that is your real name, I have a proposition for you.

I was able to determine from our brief meeting that your intentions were against that of Danzo and his regime. Despite your efforts to disguise it, it was obvious that you had misgivings when meeting with Danzo earlier today. That, and the fact that you had your mind guarded against Inoichi's mind-probing jutsu, both show that you have a hidden agenda against the current Hokage. If I am right, I wish to express that you are NOT alone in wanting to see Danzo overthrown. In order to find out more, go to the Memorial Stone at midnight tonight where further instructions will be provided. I'm confident you can avoid the patrols, given you were able to defeat several S-Class threats.

-S. Nara

"...Am I the only one thinking this is a trap?" Suigetsu asked aloud.

"It does seem a bit too convenient," Juugo said thoughtfully.

"Still though, this'd be a great opportunity to kickstart our plans," Karin added.

Envy was quiet as he studied the letter left by Shikaku. While mentally cursing that his ruse was seen through by the Nara patriarch, he was impressed by his deduction methods and wanted to find out more about what gave him away, since his acting was world-class. A part of him thought that this was just a way of Danzo's in order to find out his true intentions and find out who else his enemies might be. On the other hand, remembering the atmosphere of the village, it wasn't hard to imagine that more than a few people would want a change in the status quo. The main question was, however: was it worth the risk?

"I say go for it, kid," Kurama rumbled from inside the seal. "If this is truly a ruse, then if you don't go, they're most likely going to find a different way to trick you or just arrest you outright on trumped up charges like last time. Worse comes to worse, you now have the skills to help you and your team escape and think of a new plan."

The Jealous nodded at the Fox's words, thinking they made sense. "I'm going," he stated out loud. Ignoring his team's hesitant protests, he went over to the window and opened it. Looking at the clock on the wall, he saw he had a good few hours before the appointed time. "If this is a trap, don't hesitate to leave without me. If it isn't, you'll see me before dawn. As it is, I'm going to scout out the village and maybe see if the area's a trap or not."

With that, a spark of alchemical energy surrounded Envy and in the blink of an eye a squirrel took his place. The small animal then leapt from the window onto a nearby tree and climbed down to the ground. Thanks to his smaller form and the darkening skies, his exit went unnoticed by the ninja spying on their room. Scurrying to a nearby alleyway, after another crackle of lightning, the shapeshifter came out in the disguise of a Root ninja, allowing him to patrol the streets undisturbed.

As he wandered the streets of Konoha in his disguise, Envy figured he'd check out where his old apartment complex was just to see if it was still standing. It was, but barely. It seemed that someone, probably one of the villagers who had an ax to grind with the Kyuubi, had torched the place, leaving a burnt out husk in its place.

Envy hissed in annoyance. "I honestly should have known. Ungrateful bastards, I do everything in my power to help this shit hole, and this is the thanks I get? I'm going to relish the time when I get my hands on these fucks!"

Despite his aggravated state and the fact that he'd rather disassociate himself as much as he could from his time as Naruto Uzumaki, Envy felt compelled to walk into the wrecked building. The inside was hardly better than the outside, though a few small odds and ends seemed to be intact. The breakfast table he'd spent many a meal at was flipped on its side and the couch was torn to all hell. His room was hardly better, though there were a couple intact jumpsuits in the closet which Envy ran a nostalgic hand over. The homunculus wandered around for a few minutes before the sound of cracking glass gained his attention. He looked down at his feet. He had stepped on an old photograph, and, with an uncomfortable lurch in his stomach, Envy realized that it was the first group photo Team 7 took shortly after they had formed.

There in the back was Kakashi with his signature eye-smile. On the sides were Sakura and Sasuke, the former casting the look of a hormonal alleycat in the latter's direction while Sasuke had a bored look on his face, but a subtle smirk that was almost a smile on his lips. Then, in the front giving twin peace signs was him, the boy he used to be, Naruto Uzumaki. At first a tug of what could be considered sadness gripped his Philosopher's Stone, but then the weight of his former teammate's betrayal hit him back full force and he scowled, dropping the photo back on the ground and grinding his foot on it until it was unrecognizable from the rest of the trash that littered the floor. It was time to leave this place, lest he think too hard on old memories both good and bad.

Once he got outside again, he took a deep breath to settle himself when he caught a whiff of something. "Incense?" he muttered to himself as he walked around to the corner of the building, wondering what someone would be lighting incense around this desolate place for.

When he rounded the corner, his breath almost caught in his throat. There, near the back of his old apartment, was a small shrine. Inside the shrine was everything devoted to Naruto Uzumaki! There were pictures of himself (though some had corners ripped off or scribbled on, undoubtedly to remove any signs of his former teammates). Envy felt his disguise dropping as he resumed his regular form, a part of him feeling he'd be disrespectful to be in any form but his own in front of the handmade shrine. Kneeling down, the Jealousy incarnate was able to get a better look at all the photos and personal effects that were placed almost lovingly around the shrine. At the bottom of it was a bloodied and battered Leaf forehead protector, the same one he wore since becoming a ninja until the day he was unjustly arrested. Distantly, he remembered seeing some of these items in the vision Truth showed him in the room of the girl he left behind, but the shock at seeing these items drowned out the questioning portion of his mind. Shakily, he began to stretch out a hand to touch the revered artifact when a voice call out to him. "Who's there?"

That voice made Envy's nonexistent heart leap into his throat. It was a voice he'd been thinking of ever since he came back. It was the voice he came back for. Turning, the homunculus was greeted by the sight of a young woman, not the girl he remembered. Gone was the bulky beige jacket, and in its place was a form-fitting lavender hoodie that matched the pupiless eyes which no longer held the shy nervousness from before. Now, they held nothing but solid conviction. Her hair was longer too, with her shining locks cascading down to the small of her back. Upon her lips was a frown, one that was both guarded and confused when her sharp eyes focused upon the stranger. It took all of Envy's willpower not to say her name aloud, but it still roared throughout his mind:

Hinata.

AN: Yes I am aware of how late this is and yes I am aware that I am a terrible person. For those of you who are writers, you should be aware of the curse that is writer's block. For those of you who aren't writers, please don't judge me until you have tried writing yourself. Writer's block is no laughing matter, as no matter how hard I tried the writing just wouldn't come to me. At times I came up with ideas but just couldn't put them in writing. Other times I tried writing and either something would come up or I'd fall asleep. Even now, I find this chapter of "Meh" quality, but it is honestly the best I can do for now and will hopefully be a good transitional chapter into the Konoha Infiltration Arc (patent pending).

But I digress, you don't want to hear excuses or me bitching about my life. Point is I'm back and I plan on keeping it that way. I'll update my other stories in due time, and again if someone wishes to adopt one of my many challenges, please contact me when you can. Please read, review, and enjoy!